The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 597 (May 17 - 30 2023)

TheTrump et
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V O L 29 N O 597 M AY 17 - 30 2023
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Two other
men jailed
for Camden
murder
2012 Students' Ocuppy Nigeria subsidy removal protest in Ibadan (Photo by Kolawole Oreoluwa - CCA Wikimedia Commons 4.0)
Nigeria’s fuel
subsidy: it’s
time to kill it
and spend the
money in ways
that benefit
the poor
By Stephen Onyeiwu, Allegheny College
Continued on Page 2>
Following diligent work by
London’s Metropolitan
Police detectives, the UK’s
National Crime Agency (NCA) and
Kenyan authorities, two other men
have been jailed for the murder of
16-year-old Alex Smith.
24-year-old Siyad Mohamud
and 23-year-old Tariq Monteiro
were arrested and returned to the
UK from Kenya in January 2022,
and found guilty of the murder of
Alex Smith at the Old Bailey on
Wednesday, 10 May.
Tariq Monteiro of Conway
Mews, Fitzrovia was sentenced to
life imprisonment to serve a
minimum of 24 years while Siyad
Mohamud of Barker Drive,
Camden was sentenced to life
imprisonment to serve a minimum
of 23 years.
Previously, Abdirahman
Ibrahim, now 22, of Pratt Street,
NW1, was found guilty of murder
and assisting an offender following
a retrial at Inner London Crown
Court on 29 March 2021. He was
sentenced to life imprisonment to
serve a minimum of 18 years.
Prior to that Arif Biomy, now
22, of Wickham Lane, Greenwich,
was found guilty of murder and was
sentenced on 12 March 2020 to life
imprisonment, to serve a minimum
of 21 years.
The trial heard how Alex Smith
was attacked and stabbed just after
23:05hrs on 12 August 2019.
At around 2230hrs, Alex was
seen leaving a restaurant in Great
Portland Street. At the time he was
Continued on Page 6

Page2 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
News
Nigeria’s fuel subsidy: it’s time to
kill it and spend the money in ways
that benefit the poor
Continued from Page 1<
Nigerians are being hit from all
sides by a combination of factors
that are making their lives
increasingly difficult. These include
rising cost of living which is reflected in
double-digit inflation, stagnant wages,
non-payment or the late payment of
salaries, a cash crunch and fuel scarcity.
A defining moment could come after
the swearing-in of Nigeria’s new
President on May 29. It is expected that
President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu will
jettison Nigeria’s fuel subsidy, which is
estimated to cost the Nigerian treasury
about US$10 billion annually. This is
about 24% of Nigeria’s 2022 budget.
Fuel subsidies have been in place in
Nigeria since the 1970s. They began with
the government routinely selling petrol to
Nigerians at below cost. But most
Nigerians were unaware that this was
being done.
Fuel subsidies became
institutionalised in 1977, following the
promulgation of the Price Control Act,
which made it illegal for some products
(including petrol) to be sold above the
regulated price. This law was introduced
by the General Olusegun Obasanjo
regime to cushion the effects of the
surging inflation across the world, caused
by increases in energy prices.
In recent years, the World Bank has
been urging Nigeria to remove the fuel
subsidy. It argues that failure to do so
would exacerbate the country’s fiscal
challenges and worsen its debt profile.
The outgoing administration set June
2023 as the date on which the subsidy
would be removed. But an announcement
in late April said this had been pushed
out.
There are concerns that the removal
of the subsidy will impose even further
hardships on Nigerians by raising fuel
and transportation costs. This would
further erode their real purchasing power
and increase the number of the working
poor in the country.
As an economist and Nigerian, I have
followed debates around subsidies
particularly close. Fuel subsidies are not
only unsustainable and inequitable, they
also lack a sound economic rationale.
Political considerations appear to take
precedence over economic logic in this
debate. Previous administrations have
baulked at getting rid of the fuel subsidy.
In my view, removing it could benefit
workers and poor Nigerians. But only if
carefully managed and implemented. The
fuel subsidy should be discontinued, and
a significant portion of the savings
distributed to low-income Nigerians.
Resentment toward subsidy removal
can be avoided if better alternatives are
explained to Nigerians.
Three reasons why subsidies are
bad
Over-consumption: Setting fuel
price below market price encourages
over-consumption, with no significant
linkage effects on other sectors of the
economy. Linkages are usually created
when the consumption of a good or
service results in the emergence of new
economic activities.
pumping-gas-fuel-pump-industry
Consuming fuel beyond a socially
optimal quantity does not have that effect.
Instead, it diverts resources away from
more productive sectors of the economy.
The global trend is to discourage fuel
consumption by making it more
expensive through higher sales taxes.
And by discouraging investment in fossil
fuel projects.
Negative outcomes: Subsidising fuel
exacerbates pollution, global warming
and road accidents - what economists call
negative externalities. This is when one
person’s actions negatively affect other
people that are not part of the actions.
Continued on Page 3<
PEER & CO
IMMIGRATION SPECIALISTS
15 Years experience with UK
Immigration, Appeals,
Deportations, and Removal cases.
* Judicial Review. * Prison and
Detention Centre Legal Visits.
* British Citizenship Applications.
* Visas and more...
Free Initial Consultation and Competitive Legal Fees
Birmingham: 0121 554 0565
London: 020 7183 3706
Watford: 01923 901150
Emergency: 07833 675415
Email: shiraz@peerandco.com
Head Office: 420 Witton Road,
Aston, Birmingham B6 6PP

News
MAY 17 - 30 2023
TheTrumpet
Nigeria’s fuel subsidy: it’s time to kill it and
spend the money in ways that benefit the poor
Page3
Continued from Page 2<
Inequality: Subsidies reinforce
inequality. The artificial reduction in the
market price of fuel benefits upper
income households the most because they
are the ones who use the most fuel. They
own the most cars in Nigeria, especially
the ones that guzzle fuel. Nigeria is
among the countries with the least
number of vehicles per capita, with 0.05
vehicles per person or 50 vehicles per
1000 Nigerians. With an abysmally low
minimum wage of N30,000 per month
and non-availability of car loans, most
Nigerian workers cannot afford a car.
Solutions
Raise productive capacity: The
savings of removing the subsidy should
be used to build the productive capacities
of Nigerians. These are described by the
United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development as:
the productive resources,
entrepreneurial capabilities and
production linkages that together
determine a country’s ability to
produce goods and services that will
help it grow and develop.
What Nigeria needs urgently is an
increase in its productive capacities. It
could achieve this through:
• cash subsidies for restarting moribund
but viable industrial enterprises.
• the provision of subsidised
agricultural inputs for farmers.
• loans to students in tertiary
institutions.
• scholarships for those studying
subjects that support industrial
development.
• investment in technology.
• massive investment in infrastructure,
with priority for projects that use
Continued on Page 4

Page4
TheTrumpet
MAY 17 - 30 2023
TheTrumpet Group
Field: 07956 385 604
E-mail:
info@the-trumpet.com
News
Nigeria’s fuel subsidy: it’s time
to kill it and spend the money
in ways that benefit the poor
Continued from Page 3<
TheTrumpetTeam
PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
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direct labour and
• a special loan program for
entrepreneurs in the informal sector.
Investments such as these would
ensure Nigeria gets the biggest bang for
its buck, rather than the current wasteful
spending on the corruption-infested fuel
subsidies regime.
Nigeria’s fuel subsidies have
encouraged arbitrage, whereby
unscrupulous business people buy fuel at
the subsidised price and resell it at a
higher price across the country’s borders.
This practice is partly responsible for the
perennial fuel scarcity in Nigeria.
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Cash transfers: Savings from
scrapping the fuel subsidy could be used
to augment Nigeria’s Conditional Cash
Transfers programme. This was introduced
in 2016 as part of the Buhari
administration’s Social Investment
Program (SIP).
Eligible individuals are entitled to a
monthly cash payment of 5000 Naira
(about US$11). But only 784,176
individuals received the payment in 2020.
Fuel subsidy removal will enable the
government to significantly increase this
number. Individuals with an income of
N30,000 per month or less should qualify
for a new cash transfer program. It can be
designed to last for six months.
To cushion the effects of subsidy
removal, the Nigerian government has
obtained a $800 million relief package
from the World Bank. The money, which
should be added to the pool of funds
available for the conditional cash transfer
program, is expected to be distributed to 10
million households as cash.
Apart from being an assurance that the
government does care for them, a cash
transfer would also help stimulate the
economy by spurring the demand for
goods and services, which has been
stagnant.
The inflationary impact of cash
transfers from fuel subsidy savings will be
minimal, since new money is not created
in the economy. In any case, inflation in
Nigeria is mainly due to supply constraints,
rather than demand.
Safety nets: There are no
institutionalised safety net programmes for
most Nigerians, which is why they regard
the fuel subsidy as one way in which the
government supports poor people.
The harsh reality is that fuel subsidies
benefit mainly upper class households,
who consume most of the fuel in Nigeria.
To overcome the perception – and to
provide genuine support for those
struggling to survive – the government
should use the savings to subsidise mass
transport systems, agricultural inputs,
education, affordable healthcare and lowincome
housing.
Conclusion
At first blush, one might think it’s
politically risky for the Bola Tinubu
administration to start on the rocky
foundation of scrapping Nigeria’s fuel
subsidy.
But fixing difficult and politically
unpopular economic problems is a
hallmark of effective leadership.
If implemented properly, fuel subsidy
removal may be an important legacy of the
Tinubu administration, one that will
differentiate him from past administrations.
* Stephen Onyeiwu is a Professor of
Economics & Business at Allegheny
College in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
This article is republished from The
Conversation under a Creative Commons
license. Read the original article.

MAY 17 - 30 2023 TheTrumpet
Page5

News
Page6 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
Two other men jailed for Camden
murder
Continued from Page 1<
in the company of others who
associated with a Camden based street
gang. This group was spotted by rival
gang members, which included
Monteiro and Mohamud. A short time
later, this small group ran to an estate
on the north side of Euston Road where
they took refuge for a period of time. It
is believed that they had seen
Mohamud and Monteiro among the
rival gang members in two stolen cars
before running off.
Just after 23:00hrs, the two cars
pulled up in Longford Street, NW1
where a number of males, including
Mohamud and Monteiro ran into a
block of flats.
Alex and his friends were eventually
spotted nearby and Alex was chased by
three males, including Mohamud and
Monteiro, into Munster Square, just
north of Euston Road, where he was
stabbed to death.
The attackers made off in the two
cars, leaving Alex for dead. Emergency
services were called, but despite the
best efforts of police officers, London
Ambulance Service and London’s Air
Tariq Monteiro
Ambulance, Alex was pronounced dead
at the scene at 23:33hrs.
A post-mortem examination on 15
August 2019 at St Pancras Mortuary
recorded that Alex had been stabbed at
least twice, one of which was the fatal
stab wound to his chest.
David Hucker, Regional Head of
International Operations at the NCA,
said: “Our international team worked
alongside authorities in Kenya to
Siyad Mohamud
successfully locate and arrest these two
men.
“We will continue to gather
intelligence, co-ordinate operational
activity and use our specialist
capabilities to pursue those who flee
overseas to evade justice.
Detective Sergeant Martin Slattery,
Specialist Crime, said: “The pair had
left London days after the murder in a
bid to evade justice, but thanks to the
diligence of detectives from the
Metropolitan Police they were
identified and, working alongside the
National Crime Agency with the
assistance of the Kenyan Transnational
Organized Crime Unit, they were
traced to Nairobi, Kenya and returned
to the UK to be brought before the
courts.
“I want to thank Alex’s family for
their patience as well as acknowledging
the commitment of my colleagues in
the Met and our partners in bringing
these men to justice. I truly hope that
these further convictions will enable
Alex’s family and friends to draw some
comfort from knowing that these men,
responsible for killing Alex, will spend
a considerable period of time in prison.
“Neither Mohamud nor Monteiro
have shown any remorse throughout
the trial and have offered no
explanation as to why they committed
such a heinous act.
“This investigation reinforces the
Metropolitan Police’s commitment and
determination to bring those
responsible for serious violence on the
streets of London to justice, no matter
where they run to and hide.”

News
MAY 17 - 30 2023
TheTrumpet
Page7
Trio jailed for illegal organ
harvesting
In a landmark prosecution - the
first of its kind in the United
Kingdom, 60-year-old Nigerian
Senator - Ike Ekweremadu, his 56-
year-old wife - Beatrice Ekweremadu
and 51-year-old Dr Obinna Obeta
have been jailed for exploiting a
vulnerable victim for illegal organ
harvesting.
The trio: Ike, Beatrice, and
Obinna, were jailed for nine years and
eight months, four years and six
months, and 10 years respectively at
the Central Criminal Court – better
known as the Old Bailey for
conspiring to arrange the travel of a
man for the purpose of harvesting his
organs.
Their daughter, Sonia
Ekweremadu, who suffers from
deteriorating kidneys and needs
regular dialysis – had last March, been
found not guilty.
Detectives discovered the victim,
who is 21 years of age, came from a
remote village in Nigeria. He was
recruited in Lagos and at the time, he
was selling telephone parts in public
markets.
Detectives learnt how he was
deceived into being trafficked to the
UK for the purpose of having his
kidney removed and then donated to
the daughter of the Ekweremadus
(Sonia) in exchange for the suggested
amount of either £2,400 or £7,000
(these two figures were uncovered in
the investigation and prosecution case
review) and the promise of work in
the UK - to earn money for his family.
He was provided with a passport
and also provided with a medical
travel Visa. He had previously been
taken for blood tests in Nigeria which
he believed were for his Visa
requirements. These were instead to
determine if he was a medically
suitable match.
On 20 February 2022, the victim
was brought to the UK in the
company of Isaac Onwudiwe
Ekweremadu, and taken to Obeta’s
flat in Southwark.
On 24 February 2022, the victim
attended his first medical screening at
the Royal Free Hospital in London.
The Ekweremadus had paid a health
tourism company in the UK to
facilitate the medical arrangements
between the Ekweremadus and the
Royal Free Hospital. They initially
paid a £10,000 start-up fee; the total
required would be in excess of
Beatrice Ekweremadu Ike Ekweremadu Obinna Obeta
£80,000.
The court heard how it became
apparent to the doctor carrying out the
screening that the victim had limited
understanding of why he was there.
After several appointments the victim
realised he was to donate a kidney.
The Consultant picked up the fear and
panic this caused the victim. The
hospital went on to decline to
complete the procedure.
The victim returned to the address
in south London. He described the
mood in the property had changed
significantly and he was treated as a
‘slave’. A few days later, he managed
to escape the property, becoming
homeless for around three days.
Detectives began their
investigation after the victim walked
into Staines Police Station on 5 May
2022, stating he didn’t know where he
was, after sleeping rough for three
days.
The prosecution was able to
demonstrate that the conspirators took
steps to create a false impression that
the victim and Sonia Ekweremadu
were cousins. This was necessary to
justify the victim’s temporary visa to
travel to the UK, and once here, the
victim was coached to provide false
answers to the Royal Free medical
team.
Working together, the
Metropolitan Police and CPS found
evidence that her parents, Ike and
Beatrice Ekweremadu, conspired with
Dr Obeta to identify individuals in
Nigeria whose kidneys might be
harvested for Sonia’s benefit.
The Ekweremadus were arrested
after detectives were made aware of
their flight to London Heathrow on
Tuesday, 21 June 2022. Specialist
officers boarded the plane and
arrested and removed the couple.
They had approximately the
equivalent of £30,000 in US Dollars
and Naira.
Obeta, who was described as the
middle man was arrested on 12 July at
his home address in Southwark. He
himself was an organ recipient in
2021. He played a pivotal role in this
offence. He recruited the victim and
had significant communication with
him.
Joanne Jakymec, Chief Crown
Prosecutor for the Serious, Economic
Organised Crime and International
Division (SEOCID) of the Crown
Prosecution Service, said: “This was
a horrific plot to exploit a vulnerable
victim by trafficking him to the UK
for the purpose of transplanting his
kidney.
“The convicted defendants showed
utter disregard for the victim’s
welfare, health and well-being and
used their considerable influence to a
high degree of control throughout,
with the victim having limited
understanding of what was really
going on here.”
Detective Inspector Esther
Richardson, from the Met’s Modern
Slavery and Exploitation Command,
said: “This is a landmark conviction
and we commend the victim for his
bravery in speaking against these
offenders.
“We could not have done this
without the help of our colleagues in
the CPS, Human Tissue Authority and
other partners who have worked
tirelessly to achieve this result.
“We do understand the challenges
around modern slavery cases as no
two investigations are the same.
Specialist officers from the Met’s
Modern Slavery and Exploitation
team understand this and we will
ensure victims are supported,
signposted and safeguarded with the
help of partners.”
Detective Superintendent Andy
Furphy, the Met’s Modern Slavery
and Child Exploitation lead, said:
“The Metropolitan Police is
committed to tackling modern slavery,
human trafficking and exploitation in
all its forms and we can only succeed
in this by working closely with
partners in the UK and overseas.
“This investigation into organ
harvesting was conducted by
dedicated, specialist crime teams.
Getting to the truth was challenging
and complex. Ike and Beatrice
Ekweremadu and Obeta preyed on the
victim, a young man vulnerable by his
personal circumstances, using their
significant wealth and political
influence to intimidate and exploit
him.”
Julie Currie, Victim Navigator
Programme Manager at Justice and
Care, said: ‘Thankfully, in the UK,
cases of organ trafficking are very
rare. It has been our privilege to
support the survivor involved, who
has been through a horrific
experience, and help him to begin to
rebuild his life.
‘We applaud the man’s bravery for
giving evidence in the case and the
tireless work of the police involved in
the investigation. We hope the trial
sends a clear message out to other
traffickers that they will be pursued.’
The victim survivor, who must not
be named for legal reasons, has
declined applying for compensation,
irrespective of the financial benefit he
stood to make. In his victim impact
statement, he described how he
wanted to put the entire ordeal behind
him. His plan is to work, get an
education and play football.

Page8 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
Events
Faces at GAB Awards 2022
Continued on Page 9

Events
MAY 17 - 30 2023 TheTrumpet
Faces at GAB Awards 2022
Page9
Continued from Page 8

Page10 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
Tax
The best time to submit your Self
Assessment tax return is now
By Paula Sainthouse
Did you know you’ve been able to
submit your Self Assessment tax
return for the 2022/23 tax year
since 6 April 2023?
You might be thinking, now why would
I want to do that, the deadline is not until
31 January? No one particularly enjoys
organising their taxes, many find it a
daunting task, and so of course it’s tempting
to put it off while you can. But why not
make this the year that you change your
approach, and discover the benefits of early
filing?
HMRC has recently revealed that the
number of Self Assessment customers who
choose to file their tax return on the first
day of the tax year (6 April 2023) has more
than doubled since 2018, with 77,500
customers submitting their 2022 to 2023
tax return this year compared to almost
37,000 customers on 6 April 2018.
Here’s why they’re doing it, and why
you should join the growing numbers of
early filers.
Early filing does not mean early
payment
Choosing to file your tax return early
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does not mean you have to pay HMRC any
money early. The 31 January deadline for
payment remains unchanged. If you choose
to pay your tax bill earlier for your own
convenience, that’s fine, but it’s entirely up
to you. When you file early, you get to
know what your tax bill is going to be,
which can help you plan ahead.
Know what you owe
Knowing what you owe means you can
arrange your finances appropriately before
the Self Assessment deadline on 31
January. It puts you in control so you can
plan how you’ll make the payments to
cover the bill, whether you choose to spread
the costs over time or just stick with lump
sum payments.
Get any refund faster
If you’ve paid too much tax during
2022-2023, HMRC will let you know as
soon as your tax return has been processed
and arrange for any overpayment to be
refunded. That’s money in your pocket
months before you’d get it if you put off
filing your return until nearer the deadline.
Set up a budget plan
HMRC offers a Budget Payment Plan
facility. Customers can choose how much
and how often they want to pay by Direct
Debit – putting you in full control of
managing your bill. You can find out more
here.
Have time to understand if you need
help and to get that help
The Cost of Living crisis means many
people are experiencing financial pressures
right now and if you’re feeling the pinch,
your tax bill will probably be a further
source of worry. However, putting off filing
your return isn’t the best idea. Filing early
will mean you have more time to look into
your payment options if you’re unable to
pay in full by the deadline. HMRC is keen
to help customers explore these options,
which may include paying your tax bill in
instalments through a Time to Pay
arrangement; many customers can set this
up online. See if this could work for you
here.
Goodbye to last minute stress
There’s absolutely nothing worse than
the panic that sets in with an impending and
important deadline, which only gets worse
when you realise you’ve made a mistake or
have forgotten something that you need for
your tax return.
HMRC offers the following additional
advice for those interested in getting started
with their tax return right now:
If this is your first time completing Self
Assessment, you’ll need to register and get
your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR).
Allow yourself time to sort this out into
your plans. You can find out more here.
Think digital first. Last year, 97% of
customers filed their Self Assessment tax
returns online, and many even used our
app. HMRC has lots of helpful advice on
how to complete your Self Assessment on
GOV.UK.
Beware of scammers. Tax scams come
in many forms. Some offer a rebate while
others threaten arrest for tax evasion. If
someone contacts you saying they’re from
HMRC, never let yourself be rushed,
especially if they want you to urgently
transfer money or give personal
information. HMRC will never ring up
threatening arrest. Make sure to take your
time and if you’re unsure, check HMRC
scams advice on GOV.UK.
Protect your login details. Your HMRC
account contains your personal information
such as your bank account details. So don’t
share your HMRC login with anyone,
including your tax agent, if you use one.
Hopefully we’ve convinced you that
there are only positives to filing a Self
Assessment early. So why not make a start
today?
Paula Sainthouse is a Press Office
Writer at HMRC

MAY 17 - 30 2023 TheTrumpet
Page11

Page12 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
Opinion
Tales the country told me:
Hilda Baci and Seun Kuti
Two major events dominated the
headlines in the weekend that just
passed in Nigeria: the heroism,
determination and the example of Ms.
Hilda Effiong Bassey, known as Hilda Baci
for short, and the sordid drama of Seun
Kuti, son of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the
eternal music icon, pushing, slapping and
assaulting a policeman in uniform. Both
subjects deserve commentary. But let’s start
on a positive note, represented by Hilda
Effiong Bassey, the Nigerian food
entrepreneur, or chef, 27, who made up her
mind that she wanted to get into the
Guinness Book of World Records by
beating the longest cooking marathon
record by an individual set by Lata Tandon,
an Indian Chef in 2019. Tandon cooked
non-stop for 87 hours and 45 minutes.
Nigeria’s Ms Baci decided that she would
break that record and cook non-stop for 100
hours. The event took place at Amore
Gardens in Lekki, Lagos. She turned on her
oven and cooker on Thursday, May 10, and
indeed till Monday morning, Baci kept
dicing, frying, cutting, cooking, baking and
ended up achieving her target. By the time
she reached the significant mark of 87
hours and 50 minutes, she had already
broken the world record, but she kept
going. Nigerians are an interesting lot. Who
would ever have thought that culinary skills
could bring so much fame and history?
There are many lessons and issues to be
extracted from the Hilda Basi cook-a-thon
that Nigerians just witnessed.
The first is that Nigerians are a creative
and resourceful lot and should they put
their minds to anything, they are capable of
excelling at. These are the same people that
President Muhammadu Buhari once
referred to as “diamonds”, who represent
the hope of the nation for the present and
the future. When a gifted Nigerian seeks to
excel, he or she does so. Ms Baci’s
achievement is an indication of the can-do
spirit of the Nigerian. The international
community often complains about the
unusual capacity of Nigerians for fraud and
criminality, within the local and
international arena, but there are in reality
more Nigerians doing great things. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala is representing us well at
Seun Kuti (Photo by Schorle - Wikimedia Commons CCA 4.0 Share Alike International)
the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Aminat Muhammed is a strong official at
the United Nations in her position as a
Deputy Secretary-General. Asisat Oshoala,
MON, is a big star in European women
football. Tobi Amusan is world record
holder in long jump. Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie is a leading writer and voice in the
global space of culture and literature. There
are Nigerians occupying political positions
in Canada, UK, Ireland and elsewhere. We
have Nigerians in the US military, in the
US NASA programme and in the
commanding heights of global trade and
economy. Hilda Effiong Bassey has chosen
cooking and are we delighted? Yes, we are.
The second thing to say is:
Congratulations to her on this remarkable
feat, and her admirable qualities, now welladvertised
of tenacity, of purpose, vision
and determination. Nobody, she teaches us,
by the way, can achieve anything in this
life, except you set a purpose for yourself
and pursue it. It will be recalled that in
2021, this same Ms. Baci won the Jollof
Face-Off competition, and got a grand prize
of $5,000. But that was not enough for her.
She wanted a place in the Guinness Book
of World Records. And now here she is.
Every great achievement begins with a
dream and the capacity to pursue that
dream and stretch the dream to the end of
the street. As of the time of this writing, we
understand that Chef Hilda has stretched
her target from 96 hours to 100 hours!
Hilda, you too much oh! Indeed, because,
despite all the good things that we have said
about the Nigerian spirit, there are many of
our compatriots who want the easy way
out, they fake it, they cheat, they tell lies,
they want the glamour but they do not want
to apply themselves. Hilda Baci has just
reinforced a simple lesson of life: that the
surest way to distinction is through hard
work, focus and rigorous self-application.
It bears no stating that cooking for more
than 90 hours, with short intervals of rest
as allowed by the rules is excruciating
rigour. Many marriages have been ruined
because some other women can’t even
spare 30 minutes to cook for their own
children.
The third lesson is the innate Nigerian
love for success, glory and achievement
that is within us all. Nigerians have an inner
craving for good things and when they see
it, they gather around it like bees around
nectar. This is what has happened with the
Baci story. As she cooked, Nigerians
trooped to the Amore Gardens in Lekki to
hail her and offer support. Celebrities
trooped to the venue in their uncountable
numbers. Churches of the white garment
variety kept vigil, calling on God to see her
through. The Governor of Lagos visited.
Senators of the Federal Republic led by
Senator Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom
North West, who wants to be Senate
President by autocratic party anointment,
also joined the cheer-leaders. Hilda Baci is
from Akwa Ibom State. No other event
unites Nigerians like that, apart from
football. It rained overnight. The people
refused to leave. In football, and now in a
cooking event, Nigerians have suspended
their differences. They don’t think of
ethnicity or religion, or geography. They
have come together as one nation, united
for the glory of the nation. Baci drew
support across all the centrifugal borders of
BY REUBEN ABATI
Nigeria. Her supporters in fact defied the
rain. It rained heavily in the night of
Sunday to Monday. The people refused to
go home. They stayed under the heavy
rainfall, and kept singing. It was one of
those rare occasions when we are reminded
that this is a country after all. Thank you
Baci, for reminding us with your culinary
skills that it is possible to have a nation.
Nations are made through symbols and the
patriotism in the hearts of the people. If
this had been an election, the situation
could have been different. Hilda Effiong
Bassey would have been reminded that she
cannot cook in Lagos, because she is a nonindigene.
The constituted thugs of Lagos,
led by a well-connected Chairman would
have gone to Amore Gardens to chase
everyone away. But here we are: an Akwa
Ibom woman cooking for the world in
Lagos, has brought glory to the same
Lagos. The clowns in high places who
promote disunity simply need to lend
themselves a little sense. Nigerian leaders
can learn from Ms Baci how to cook a
nation, and achieve results. Our leaders
know how to eat, but they do not know how
to cook.
The fourth point that I see here is that
Hilda Baci’s feat is an advertisement for the
cooking profession. She has raised the
profile of chefs. More persons may well be
encouraged by her example to take to
cooking as a profession. I have not even
bothered to find out how much this has cost
her and her sponsors in financial terms and
how much she stands to earn. The glory is
more important than the financial gain. But
what I see is that Hilda Baci is now a
cultural icon. It is good that she has been
congratulated by President Muhammadu
Buhari. This is most deserved. I am also of
the view that when Nigeria compiles its
next National Honours list, it is people like
her that we expect to see on that list, along
with Rema, another world record holder,
Tiwa Savage, Kizz Daniel, Burna Boy,
Tems, award-winning intellectuals, the
boys doing wonderful things in fintech, not
some funny characters in bulbous robes
who take more from Nigeria than they
give. As a father, I would like to advise her
to handle fame with care. Fame makes.
Fame breaks. As her story developed, there
were persons who were more interested in
her beauty. Her pictures have been posted
online showing her beauty and physical
attributes on full display. Nigerian men
love food. There is this popular folk saying
that the way to a man’s heart is through his
Continued on Page 13 >

Opinion
Tales the country told me:
Hilda Baci and Seun Kuti
Continued from Page 12<
stomach. A woman that is an acclaimed
cook is a special target for stomach-driven
Nigerian men. Ms Baci will get invited to
cook by seemingly appreciative men who
just want to taste. Beware, Baci. There are
too many idle men in this society of ours
who promise marriage and heaven, but are
closet idiots. Focus on growing your
business, and talent. Watch out for those
who will soon begin to use your
achievement to catch clout as they say.
The fifth and final point here is to
congratulate, Hilda Baci’s mother. She is
herself a chef. She runs a restaurant in
Abuja. Her daughter follows in her
footsteps. She learnt the trade at her feet. I
have seen a video showing her expressing
her delight at her daughter’s achievement.
It is the prayer of every parent that their
children should do better than them. Mrs.
Bassey’s glory came on Mother’s Day, a
mother’s hilarious delight! She has every
reason to be grateful. Lecherous Nigerian
men have observed that Mrs. Bassey
herself is a very good spec. As a seriousminded
person, I no longer engage in such
conversations, so I won’t tell that side of
the story. What I see here is the importance
of parenting. In all of this, however,
nobody has mentioned Mr. Bassey. Is he
alive? This is the burden we bear as fathers.
When the children do well, it is their
mothers who step forward like characters
from Bournvita cartoons. Still, we thank
God for all children and mothers who bless
the land as the Basseys have done.
Hilda Baci
Chef Hilda Baci and her mum who runs a Restaurant in Abuja
Now to Seun Kuti, the enfant terrible,
about whom terrible things have been
reported during the same weekend that
Hilda Baci did us all proud. Seun Kuti was
reported to have dropped the ball. He
assaulted a policeman. There was a video
in circulation that showed him telling a
policeman in uniform that he would deal
with him. He slapped the police officer in
uniform. He assaulted the policeman. He
reportedly boasted thereafter that he has
dealt with many policemen in similar
manner in the past. Seun Kuti is my
kinsman. I do not want anything bad to
happen to him. But this time around I think
he has carried his offering beyond the
Mosque. It has been argued that it is a DNA
thing. He is after all, the son of Fela
Anikulapo Kuti. Fela did not wilfully break
the law. He was in fact a law-abiding man.
He challenged autocracy. He questioned
the law as all citizens are allowed to do so.
He was like his mother, the legendary,
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Seun Kuti’s
forebears were defenders and promoters of
good governance and the rule of law. Even
when State agents attacked Kalakuta
Republic, an assault in which Seun’s
grandmother lost her life, the State
prevailed, even if unjustly. I think therefore
that those who think it is a DNA thing for
Seun Kuti to attack a policeman are wrong.
People make their own choices. They do
not inherit choices. What I am saying is that
it would be most disrespectful to drag the
dead into Seun Kuti’s matter. He is an adult
and he must be made to answer for his own
acts. The law does not recognize pedigree.
You commit an act; you answer for it. The
only thing the law recognizes is the equality
MAY 17 - 30 2023
TheTrumpet
Page13
of persons before the law. Seun Kuti is not
above and cannot be above the law because
he enjoys hereditary privilege.
From Saturday, there is a video in
circulation showing him assaulting a
policeman on the Third Mainland Bridge in
Lagos. The video evidence shows that he
insulted the policeman and slapped him. He
has since claimed that he has enough
evidence to show that the policeman
threatened his life and that of his family
members. There have been other evidence
notes on social media. We are told for
example that he told the policeman before
slapping him: “You dey craze? You dey
mad?” In the meantime, the Inspector
General of Police and the Police Service
Commission have ordered arrest and
investigations. The Police have a duty to
ensure that their officers are not routinely
assaulted by Nigerians. Dr. Solomon Arase,
the Police Service Commission (PSC)
Chairman has commended the affected
police officer for the restraint that he
demonstrated. That officer whom nobody
has named – we need his true identity -
should be promoted by Arase’s PSC. In my
view, Seun Kuti was indeed lucky. If that
policeman or his colleagues had rifles with
them, they could have gunned him down.
By now, he would be dead and we would
all be talking about extra-judicial killing.
The lesson here is that people must know
their limits. In today’s Nigeria, my father
was this or my grandmother was that, is not
a protection claim in the face of the law.
The present generation of Nigerians don’t
know ancient history anyway. They should
not rely on what grandpa and great grandpa
and daddy did.
It is however refreshing to hear that
Seun Kuti has shown up at the police
station. He was reportedly put in silver
ware. The offence that he has committed
under Section 98 of the Police Act and
Section 356 of the Criminal Code puts him
in line for a three-year jail term. He says he
has enough evidence to prove his
innocence. He has a good lawyer: Femi
Falana, SAN. Let them go and prove their
case in the court of law, and as soon as the
case is properly placed, let them address all
the allegations including the underlying
innuendo that Fela Kuti ‘s son is above the
laws of the land. Should anyone be above
the laws of Nigeria? I am aware however
that there are other interested persons and
groups in the public domain who are now
beginning to say that if Seun Kuti is let off
the hook, they too will begin to slap and
beat Nigerian policemen, and they would
cite Seun Kuti’s case as precedent. The
substance of this matter lies in Seun Kuti’s
relationship with the sovereign but
whichever way it is resolved, his brand is
already somewhat diminished. He doesn’t
need that. This is the sad part of it.

Page14 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
Opinion
The succession of Asiwaju Tinubu,
President-Elect
By Tony Ogunlowo
When Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu is sworn in as
President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria on the 29 th of
May 2023, he will have his work cut
out for him: not only will he be
inheriting a morally and financially
bankrupt nation; questions will,
continually, be asked about his
chequered past and his ability to run
the country.
How old is he really? What are
his true educational qualifications?
Does he really have dualnationality?
What’s the true source
of his mega-wealth? Also, questions
will be asked about whether he’s
medically-fit to run the country and
the continual questions about his
alleged drug smuggling/peddling
convictions in the United States
about three decades ago.
He may not have been
everybody’s best choice for the job
but he allegedly won the election
fair and square, something that has
already been confirmed by INEC
and congratulatory messages have
been pouring in from World Leaders
across the globe. If you elect even a
goat to be your President the
international community will
respect that as your choice as being
the best you have to offer.
Nigeria is in shambles and
despite the efforts of his
predecessor, and fellow APC
compatriot, Muhammadu Buhari,
who was in power from 2015, things
are still going downhill with
seemingly no light at the end of the
tunnel. Are we going to see the
emergence of a ‘Super-Hero’ Tinubu
who’s going to come in guns blazing
tackling corruption, cronyism,
insecurity and consigning all the
nations woes to the dustbin or is he
just going to engage himself with
doing ‘Naija-politics’ – turning a
blind eye to all that’s going on,
pardon all his corrupt mates while
he sits out his term – like his
predecessor.
The nation is fed up of leaders
giving excuses for their
incompetence. Recently Femi
Adesina, defending his boss,
claimed Buhari was “...not aware of
promises made to Nigerians by
support groups in 2015...” A good
excuse to cover up incompetence
but when you send out your
supporters to canvas for votes don’t
they read and have a copy of the
[agreed] party manifesto? They
could have easily have sent out
Basketmouth or Mr Macaroni to tell
a few jokes if they couldn’t tell the
truth!
President Tinubu is in - whether
anybody likes it or not and
everybody will be watching what he
gets up to. I don’t want to sound like
a Prophet of Doom here but APC
winning a third consecutive
Presidential term is pushing the
country in the direction of being a
one-party State: PDP is in trouble
leadership-wise and unless they can
bring in a suitable candidate to rival
Atiku Abubakar they are dead in the
water. Peter Obi’s Labour Party
movement still has a long way to go
to break the APC/PDP domination.
And this is not good for
development since the same party
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Photo - Chatham House via Wikimedia Commons)
manifesto will just be re-cycled over
and over again. To dispel the notion
of the country turning into a oneparty
State, is he (Tinubu) going to
sack all current Buhari-appointed
ministers and political appointees
and appoint fresh new ones or is he
just going to re-cycle the old and reappoint
them?
Then there is the question of his
health. Being the leader of a nation,
anywhere in the world, is a 24/7/365
job and it can take its toll even on
the fittest of men (- and women).
Tinubu’s true state of health has
always been a subject of debate and
he hasn’t come clean about it.
During his tenure as President,
Buhari was notoriously famous for
going AWOL, on numerous
occasions, on medical-check-up
trips to the UK that King Charles,
jokingly, once asked him if he had a
house in London. Will incoming
President Tinubu, a known
perennial health-check-up tourist in
the London medical circles, also be
running the country from the UK?
And will he be flying to the UK
frequently in his own private jet or
the Presidential jet?
The there is the question of him
‘going-youth’. The Youths of
Nigeria, predominantly the under-
35s, have always been excluded
from the affairs of state almost as if
they don’t exist. How is he going to
connect with them in an effort to
make his tenure more ‘youthfriendly’?
At the end of the day, it’s
their future nation he will be
managing. All these old Babas seem
to forget that one day they’ll pass
and the young people [they are
ignoring today] will inherit the mess
they have left behind.
And about his chequered past?
Well, we all tell the odd fib or whitelie
or two (-or few!) from time to
time, so now he’s going to be
President perhaps he’ll tell us all as
it is before we read about it in his
unauthorized biography!
Follow me on Twitter:
@Archangel641 or visit
http://www.archangel641.blogspot.c
o.uk

MAY 17 - 30 2023 TheTrumpet
Page15

Page16 TheTrumpet MAY 17 - 30 2023
Sport
Nigeria gaining ground and winning
hearts with FIFA Forward
By FIFA.com
· Artificial pitch built in Kebbi, a State in northwestern Nigeria
· Another being installed further south in Ugborodo, in Delta State
· Projects supported by the FIFA Forward Programme
it became a career, I
just played football for fun.
“Before
Farming was my main job. I
had to finish work on the farm before I
could go and play football. The only goal
I had in life was to have my own farm.”
Reported in the Nigerian press, those
words belong to Porto and Nigeria fullback
Zaidu Sanusi, who hails from the
State of Kebbi. They could, however,
belong to any number of young people
who live in this northwestern corner of
Nigeria, which is home to 4.4 million
people and lies on the borders with Niger
and Benin. It is a part of the world where
football is secondary in importance to
other matters, but where talented players
like Sanusi are not in short supply. It is
no surprise, then, that Birnin Kebbi, the
capital of Kebbi, was chosen back in
2020 as the site for the construction of an
artificial football pitch that is now
available for young boys and girls to use.
Meanwhile, a second pitch is under
The FIFA Forward-funded Birnin Kebbi Stadium in Nigeria
Main tribune for spectators at the Birnin Kebbi stadium
construction in Ugborodo, situated
further to the south. Undertaken by the
Nigerian Football Federation (NFF),
these two ambitious projects have
received around USD 2 million in
funding from FIFA through its Forward
Programme.
The main goal of the programme,
which is now into its third cycle, is the
growth of football around the world.
Forward 3.0 is giving the game’s global
governing body the chance to redouble its
efforts and lay down ever more solid
foundations for promoting this growth,
with the construction of facilities an
important lever in supporting the whole
process. “The aim is simply to develop
football in the region,” said Alhadji
Abubakar Ladan, NFF representative for
the State of Kebbi. “Of the seven States
in the northwestern region [Nigeria has
36 States in all], Kebbi has the largest
number of amateur teams. Even so, there
is no question that it also has fewer
football facilities than the rest. The NFF
is aware of the efforts being made to
develop football here, but these efforts
are being held back by the lack of
facilities. This artificial pitch is a boost
and a push in the right direction.”
It has certainly proved a source of
motivation and delight for local young
footballers, who have made it their
second home as they work on the skills
they hope will one day make them Super
Falcons and Super Eagles. A unique pitch
flanked by a stand that is regularly filled
with enthusiastic supporters, it is now the
scene of friendlies, competitive matches
and training sessions. “Football used to
be just a street sport for us, so we’re
delighted to be able to play on this
wonderful pitch,” said Zeynup Dauda, a
teenager from Birnin Kebbi. “This sport
means a lot to me. I tend to get a bit bored
at home, but when I’m on the pitch, it’s
magical. I forget everything. My ultimate
dream would be to play for a big team in
a big stadium and on a big pitch. I want to
play all over the world. I want to play for
the whole nation.”
Zaidu Sanusi has shown the way for
his home region and has proved that
nothing is impossible, that there are
pathways running from the street to the
football pitch, between farms and the
world’s greatest stadiums, and between
dreams and reality.
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