The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 629 (August 7 - 20 2024)
US military is leaving Niger even less secure
US military is leaving Niger even less secure
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<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Africans now have a voice... Founded in 1995<br />
V O L 30 N O <strong>629</strong> AU G U S T 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
Jailed for<br />
over 150<br />
years<br />
Soldiers from Forces de Armees de Niger (FAN) watch US Soldiers in training navigate a Skyscraper obstacle (U.S. Army Africa Photo by Mr Robert Timmons)<br />
US military<br />
is leaving<br />
Niger even<br />
less secure:<br />
Why it didn’t succeed in<br />
combating terrorism<br />
By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University<br />
Continued on Page 3><br />
Shotgun cartridges left at scene<br />
Seven men have been jailed<br />
for a total of more than 150<br />
years following a fatal<br />
shooting in Erith<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were sentenced for the<br />
murder of Kai McGinley after<br />
detectives were able to piece<br />
together complicated CCTV<br />
evidence and place a number of<br />
them near the location of the<br />
offence.<br />
Detective Chief Inspector<br />
Stephen Payne, who leads one of<br />
the Metropolitan Police’s specialist<br />
major investigation teams, said:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> evidence gathered and<br />
presented during the trial left the<br />
jury in no doubt that these men<br />
were guilty of a sinister plan to kill<br />
Kai McGinley.<br />
“We believe there was a dispute<br />
over a drugs deal and they decided<br />
the retribution for Kai should be<br />
death.<br />
“It is extremely sad and<br />
senseless that Kai lost his life in this<br />
way. He was part of a close and<br />
loving family who miss him every<br />
day. Our thoughts and condolences<br />
remain with them as they try to<br />
piece their lives back together<br />
without him.”<br />
An investigation was launched<br />
after police were called at about<br />
<strong>20</strong>:50hrs on Thursday, 9 February<br />
<strong>20</strong>23 to reports of shots fired in<br />
Pembroke Road, Erith.<br />
Officers and London<br />
Ambulance Service paramedics<br />
attended and found 24-year-old Kai<br />
shot in the chest. Despite the best<br />
efforts of the emergency services<br />
who tried to save him, he died at the<br />
scene.<br />
<strong>The</strong> jury heard that around<br />
Continued on Page 2
Page2 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
News<br />
Jailed for over 150 years<br />
Continued from Page 1<<br />
Anthony Wallder<br />
Bradlee Reeve<br />
Charlie Brabon<br />
Connor Brooks<br />
<strong>20</strong>.45hrs, Kai and two friends were<br />
driving along Pembroke Road in a Mini<br />
Countryman when a Land Rover and<br />
Peugeot travelling in the opposite<br />
direction came into view.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Land Rover deliberately struck<br />
the Mini and it came off the road. <strong>The</strong><br />
men in the Land Rover jumped out of<br />
the vehicle as it was severely damaged.<br />
<strong>The</strong> men in the Peugeot then got out<br />
of the car and fired one or two shotguns<br />
This space is for sale<br />
at<br />
£140 +VAT<br />
(black & white)<br />
£168 +VAT<br />
(colour)<br />
at close range at the group in the Mini.<br />
Kai was pronounced dead at the<br />
scene, while the other passengers in the<br />
car suffered minor injuries as they<br />
jumped from the car to get away from<br />
the attackers.<br />
Through a detailed CCTV<br />
investigation, detectives were able to<br />
trace the men’s steps. It was revealed<br />
that following the murder, the group<br />
hid in a garage belonging to Bradlee<br />
Reeve, one of those convicted, as they<br />
waited for a family member to come<br />
and get them.<br />
Seven people were charged between<br />
March and September <strong>20</strong>23. <strong>The</strong>y were<br />
later convicted and sentenced as<br />
follows:<br />
Bradlee Reeve, 34 (02.09.89), of<br />
Chapman Road, Erith was convicted of<br />
murder, and section 18 GBH and was<br />
sentenced to life, with a minimum term<br />
of 33 years.<br />
Enriko Spahiu, 21 (03.09.02), of<br />
Elmhurst, Belvedere was convicted of<br />
murder and section 18 GBH. He was<br />
Enriko Spahiu<br />
sentenced to life, with a minimum term<br />
of 29 years.<br />
Kai Osibodu, 25 (16.06.99), of<br />
Riverdale Road, Erith was convicted of<br />
murder and section 18 GBH. Osibodu<br />
was sentenced to life, with a minimum<br />
term of 30 years.<br />
Jalees Selby-Gangera, 19<br />
(14.02.05), of Woodfield Close, Erith<br />
was convicted of manslaughter. Selby-<br />
Gangera was sentenced to nine and a<br />
half years.<br />
Connor Brooks, 22 (17.03.02), of<br />
Horsa Road, Erith was convicted of<br />
manslaughter and was sentenced to 12<br />
years.<br />
Charlie Brabon, 19 (08.11.04) of<br />
Byron Drive, Erith was convicted of<br />
manslaughter. Brabon was sentenced to<br />
nine years.<br />
Anthony Wallder, 21 (24.10.<strong>20</strong>02)<br />
was convicted of murder and section 18<br />
GBH. Wallder was sentenced to life<br />
imprisonment with a minimum term of<br />
29 years.<br />
Kai Osibodu<br />
Jalees Selby-Gangera
News<br />
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
US military is leaving Niger even<br />
less secure:<br />
Why it didn’t succeed in combating terrorism<br />
Page3<br />
Continued from Page 1<<br />
<strong>The</strong> United States is winding down<br />
its military operations in Niger<br />
ahead of a mid-September<br />
deadline agreed with the country’s ruling<br />
military junta.<br />
<strong>The</strong> landlocked nation in West Africa<br />
recently announced it was ending<br />
military cooperation with the US after 11<br />
years. This was after the military in Niger<br />
overthrew the country’s democratically<br />
elected President.<br />
Niger has been a strategic military<br />
partner of several countries, including the<br />
US, France, Germany, Italy and Russia.<br />
In addition to helping West African<br />
countries fight terrorism, these countries<br />
were also there to promote and secure<br />
their own economic and commercial<br />
interests.<br />
Before the 26 July <strong>20</strong>23 coup in<br />
which the Niger junta seized control, the<br />
US operated two drone bases and had<br />
more than 1,000 military personnel in the<br />
country.<br />
As a scholar of the politics and<br />
security of West Africa and the Sahel, I<br />
have previously analysed the impact of<br />
foreign military presence, especially the<br />
US drone base in Agadez.<br />
I argued in <strong>20</strong>18 that the presence of<br />
the drone bases would not eradicate<br />
terrorism in the region. And indeed, six<br />
years on, terrorism has been on the<br />
increase in the region.<br />
This is because of the lack of<br />
understanding of local conflict dynamics,<br />
inability to address the root causes of<br />
terrorism, and a disconnect between<br />
human rights adherence and counter<br />
terrorism.<br />
How has the US fared?<br />
Using data from the Armed Conflict<br />
Location and Event Data – an<br />
independent, non-profit organisation<br />
collecting data on violent conflict and<br />
protest in all countries and territories<br />
around the world – I analysed the impact<br />
of foreign military presence and the US<br />
drone base on counter-terrorism in Niger.<br />
<strong>The</strong> analysis is based on the number of<br />
attacks carried out by terrorist groups in<br />
the country and the resulting fatalities.<br />
ACLED ACLED<br />
<strong>The</strong> tables above show that despite<br />
the US operation starting in <strong>20</strong>13,<br />
terrorist activities and fatalities have<br />
steadily increased since <strong>20</strong>14. In fact, the<br />
number of attacks has increased<br />
significantly since <strong>20</strong>18 when the US<br />
opened Air Base <strong>20</strong>1 in Agadez.<br />
My predictions that the drone base<br />
could worsen the security situation and<br />
position the country as a magnet for<br />
insurgency seem to have come to pass.<br />
<strong>The</strong> military junta cited rising<br />
insecurity and declining economic<br />
prospects as reasons for taking power.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tables above show they were right<br />
that insecurity has been on the increase<br />
despite the presence of foreign military<br />
personnel in the country. Many Nigeriens<br />
who protested the presence of the US and<br />
France military in the country also raised<br />
Continued on Page 4<<br />
Niger's General Abdourahamane Tchiani
Page4<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> Group<br />
Field: 07956 385 604<br />
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<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong>Team<br />
News<br />
US military is leaving<br />
Niger even less secure:<br />
Why it didn’t succeed in<br />
combating terrorism<br />
PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:<br />
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CONTRIBUTORS:<br />
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<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> (ISSN: 1477-3392)<br />
is published in London fortnightly<br />
Continued from Page 3<<br />
similar concerns.<br />
America’s success in the Sahel<br />
While the charts above do not show<br />
any significant positive effect of the US<br />
in Niger, there are a few.<br />
<strong>The</strong> US supported some of the<br />
countries in the region (Cameroon, Chad,<br />
Niger, Nigeria and Benin) to establish a<br />
joint task force to combat terrorism.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Multi-national Joint Task Force<br />
was established in 1994 by Nigeria to<br />
curtail trans-border armed banditry in the<br />
Lake Chad Basin area. In <strong>20</strong>15, the<br />
mandate of the task force was changed to<br />
combat terrorism in the region. <strong>The</strong> US<br />
played a role in establishing the platform.<br />
In addition, the US provided logistics<br />
and advisory support to the task force and<br />
the now defunct G5 Sahel grouping. <strong>The</strong><br />
US drone bases were particularly<br />
important for information gathering<br />
across the Sahel. <strong>The</strong> information was<br />
relevant to the counter-terrorism<br />
operations of the task force.<br />
<strong>The</strong> US defence department also<br />
provided financial support to other<br />
foreign troops and groups involved in the<br />
fight against terrorism in the region. In<br />
<strong>20</strong>18, for instance, the US provided $59<br />
million to support and build the capacity<br />
of African partner States.<br />
America’s failure in the Sahel<br />
Despite some of the successes<br />
recorded, foreign military presence and<br />
the establishment of the drone base have<br />
not weakened terrorist organisations in<br />
Niger and the Sahel region more broadly.<br />
In my opinion, three main factors<br />
explain the reasons for America’s failure<br />
in Niger.<br />
First, there was too much emphasis on<br />
military operations without addressing<br />
the economic reasons for terrorism.<br />
Research has shown the link between<br />
poverty and terrorism. Poor economic<br />
prospects, unemployment and a large<br />
youth population have all contributed to<br />
the expansion of terrorist groups in Niger.<br />
A recent report by the Lake Chad<br />
Basin Commission highlights the<br />
importance of non-kinetic (non-force)<br />
measures in counter-terrorism. Terrorism<br />
in the region cannot be addressed<br />
militarily. <strong>The</strong> issues resulting in<br />
terrorism need to be addressed to reduce<br />
the incentives for people to join terrorist<br />
groups.<br />
Second, the US and its allies did not<br />
fully understand the local dynamics of<br />
the country or the roles of traditional<br />
rulers in aiding or countering terrorist<br />
groups.<br />
In my previous research, I found that<br />
political patronage played a role in the<br />
formation and growth of insurgent<br />
groups.<br />
<strong>The</strong> same is the case in Niger and<br />
some other African countries. Local<br />
political dynamics, ethnicity and religion<br />
shape the scope and dimensions of<br />
terrorism. A military approach without<br />
corresponding dialogue with relevant<br />
local groups, especially traditional rulers,<br />
will not produce any significant positive<br />
outcome.<br />
Third, the emphasis on human rights<br />
in the fight against terrorism is pushing<br />
Niger and other juntas to embrace Russia<br />
and China. <strong>The</strong> US and their allies<br />
routinely deny sales of specific weapons<br />
to African countries based on human<br />
rights records. In <strong>20</strong>21, the US Congress<br />
blocked the sale of important weapons<br />
needed to fight terrorism in Nigeria.<br />
Russia and China, however, do not put<br />
such restrictions on weapons sales. Niger<br />
has been building stronger military ties<br />
with Russia lately.<br />
Finally, some Nigeriens, analysts and<br />
experts believe the primary aim of the US<br />
and its allies in the country is not to fight<br />
insurgency but to promote their own<br />
interests. This was a message that<br />
resonated with the Nigerien public after<br />
the coup and which the military junta<br />
seized to garner support.<br />
Insecurity and terrorism in Niger<br />
could be described as a “wicked<br />
problem” – complex and difficult to<br />
solve.<br />
Some of the failings of the US are not<br />
its fault. But the US should look inwards<br />
and rethink its security alliances, making<br />
sure the will of ordinary citizens is<br />
catered for.<br />
Olayinka Ajala is a Senior Lecturer in<br />
Politics and International Relations at<br />
Leeds Beckett University.<br />
This article is republished from <strong>The</strong><br />
Conversation under a Creative Commons<br />
license. Read the original article at:<br />
https://theconversation.com/us-militaryis-leaving-niger-even-less-secure-why-itdidnt-succeed-in-combating-terrorism-2<br />
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Fatalities from Terrorism in Niger (Credits - ACLED)<br />
Terrorist attacks in Niger (Credits - ACLED)
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page5
Page6 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
Opinion<br />
Biden’s exit and America’s<br />
November Blues<br />
What a difference a debate can<br />
make! It just made a big<br />
difference in the United<br />
States in the lead up to that country’s<br />
November 5, <strong>20</strong>24 General Elections.<br />
For months, the White House fended off<br />
insinuations that President Biden at 81,<br />
had become too old for the job, and that<br />
the Democrats should look in another<br />
direction. In the course of the Primaries,<br />
Biden mispronounced names,<br />
committed so many gaffes, the miscues<br />
and slips were just too many, too<br />
obvious. On March 19, <strong>20</strong>21, Biden<br />
stumbled three times as he tried to<br />
climb Air Force One to board a flight to<br />
Atlanta. In June <strong>20</strong>23, Biden called<br />
British Prime Minister President Rishi<br />
Sunak and ended up joking; “I just<br />
promoted you”. In the same month, he<br />
said “Putin is clearly losing the war in<br />
Iraq”, whereas he meant Ukraine. In<br />
February <strong>20</strong>24, he said Mitterrand was<br />
from Germany. He meant France. He<br />
was referring to Emmanuel Macron not<br />
Mitterrand who left office in 1995. This<br />
same year, President Biden mixed up<br />
Egypt and Mexico. He forgets names<br />
and events. He freezes in the middle of<br />
speeches. Between January and April<br />
<strong>20</strong>24, alone, a total of 148 gaffes were<br />
recorded against him! And yet in spite<br />
of that, his medical doctors reported<br />
positively on his health claiming that he<br />
was strong enough. In the Democratic<br />
primaries over 4,000 delegates voted for<br />
him to become the presumptive<br />
candidate of the Democratic Party.<br />
His campaign team was looking<br />
forward to the Democratic National<br />
Convention in Chicago in <strong>August</strong> where<br />
he was expected to be formally adopted<br />
by the Democrats as their Presidential<br />
candidate in the November 5 election.<br />
But everything came unstuck on June<br />
27, at the first Biden debate with<br />
Donald Trump then the presumptive<br />
Republican candidate. Biden was<br />
confused, inaudible, he performed so<br />
poorly his party members were<br />
thoroughly embarrassed. His codebater,<br />
Trump, is 78, only three years<br />
younger but he was much smarter even<br />
if he told many lies throughout the<br />
interview. Biden did not have enough<br />
presence of mind to check-mate him.<br />
Even his own supporters were so<br />
shocked that what they were dealing<br />
with was not ageism, but the fact that<br />
out of a choice between two old men,<br />
the Republican was the sprightly one,<br />
with the fire in his belly still burning.<br />
Democratic Party members soon began<br />
to call for Biden to withdraw, and not<br />
bother to attend the second debate<br />
scheduled for September. <strong>The</strong> President<br />
resisted all the entreaties to step aside,<br />
insisting only the Lord Almighty could<br />
tell him to get out of the race. “I’m not<br />
going anywhere”, he announced. But<br />
the debate had exposed the frailty that<br />
his handlers and doctors had always<br />
tried to hide. Americans and the whole<br />
world could tell that age had finally<br />
caught up with the oldest American<br />
President in history.<br />
In the midst of it all, on July 11,<br />
President Biden committed the<br />
additional gaffe of calling Vice<br />
President Harris, Vice President Trump.<br />
America, through that June 27 debate<br />
has shown the value of the electorate<br />
seeing their leading candidates in flesh<br />
and blood and having the opportunity to<br />
compare and contrast. In Nigeria here,<br />
Presidential candidates often refuse to<br />
attend Presidential debates and they get<br />
away with their snobbery. <strong>The</strong>y even<br />
insist on who they would rather appear<br />
with. Nigerian political campaigns are<br />
not driven by ideas, robbing the<br />
electorate of the much-needed<br />
opportunity of getting to know what the<br />
candidate has in store with regard to key<br />
issues be it inflation, unemployment,<br />
manufacturing or national security. In<br />
<strong>20</strong>14/<strong>20</strong>15, General Muhammadu<br />
Buhari refused to participate in any<br />
Presidential debate. Nobody knew<br />
exactly what he wanted to do or how<br />
other than the general three-pronged<br />
promise to fix insecurity, the economy<br />
and fight corruption. Within four years,<br />
he had failed on each of the promises.<br />
He ran for a second term in <strong>20</strong>19 and<br />
won on the basis of the assumption that<br />
he had unfinished business to<br />
accomplish. By the time he left office in<br />
<strong>20</strong>23, he had not finished any business.<br />
He left Nigeria worse than he met it.<br />
Nigerians were not even sure he knew<br />
what he promised the people. He once<br />
famously disowned some of the<br />
promises in his own manifesto! Perhaps<br />
if Buhari had taken to the podium to<br />
have a debate, Nigerians would have<br />
been able to assess him more<br />
dispassionately away from the<br />
blinkered propaganda and deception of<br />
hungry public relations experts, brand<br />
consultants and APC politicians. In<br />
<strong>20</strong>23, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,<br />
now President, also dodged Presidential<br />
debates. We must reach a point in this<br />
country, when Presidential debates must<br />
become compulsory. If at the time, the<br />
minimum qualification is still a school<br />
certificate attempt or a miserable<br />
certificate of attendance at a seminar,<br />
the aspirants should be allowed to speak<br />
in any local language of their choice and<br />
have their thoughts translated.<br />
Joe Biden and Donald Trump<br />
Leadership in Nigeria should be about<br />
competence and ability not geography<br />
and quota.<br />
<strong>The</strong> unexpected sometimes happens<br />
in politics as it did in the United States<br />
when on July 13, an assassin, Thomas<br />
Matthew Crooks, <strong>20</strong>, tried, in a crooked<br />
manner, to kill President Trump while<br />
he was campaigning at Butler County,<br />
in Pennsylvania. A rally attendee, fire<br />
chief Corey Comperatore was killed.<br />
Two persons were seriously injured.<br />
President Trump survived with the<br />
bullet grazing his ear, and he still had<br />
enough presence of mind to tell his<br />
supporters: “Fight. Fight. Fight” as<br />
blood trickled down his right cheek.<br />
Republicans have milked this to project<br />
Trump as a symbol of strength and<br />
defiance. “It was God that saved me”,<br />
he boasted. “I did it for democracy”, he<br />
said. His ratings shot up. His campaign<br />
immediately capitalized on the incident,<br />
including production of Trump<br />
materials: campaign mementoes, high<br />
sneakers for sale. President Biden had a<br />
televised broadcast condemning<br />
violence. He placed a call to Trump.<br />
BY REUBEN ABATI<br />
Republicans blamed the Democrats for<br />
the rhetoric that made Trump a target.<br />
Democrats in general denounced the<br />
politics of violence and harped on unity.<br />
But this X-factor only ended up<br />
propelling Trump to the top in the polls.<br />
Trump-mania, MAGA-mania were both<br />
afoot, cemented by the announcement<br />
of Senator J D. Vance, 39, (R-Ohio) as<br />
Trump’s Vice-Presidential candidate,<br />
further cemented with Trump’s formal<br />
acceptance of the Republican<br />
nomination on July 18, at Milwaukee,<br />
Wisconsin. “I am not supposed to be<br />
here”, he told the crowd, many of them<br />
with bandaged ears. “Yes, you are!”, the<br />
crowd chorused in response. <strong>The</strong><br />
Trump trade machine was on a roll. It<br />
looked unstoppable.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Biden machine was slowly<br />
grinding to a pause. Democratic Super<br />
PACs and donors began to stop their<br />
donations. Bundlers who mobilize<br />
funds for the campaign reported that<br />
donors were no longer picking their<br />
calls. Party members and supporters<br />
like former House Speaker Nancy<br />
Pelosi, and film stars such as George<br />
Clooney and Robert de Niro also added<br />
their voices. Senate Majority Leader,<br />
Chuck Schumer and House Minority<br />
Leader, Hakeem Jeffries were also said<br />
to have met with President Biden to<br />
point out the damage that may be done<br />
to the Party and other candidates in<br />
Continued on Page 10
Opinion<br />
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Tinubu’s LG autonomy gamble<br />
“Local government is not just about<br />
Page7<br />
politics, it’s about people’s lives.”<br />
- Eric Garcetti<br />
At last, the Supreme Court of Nigeria<br />
has ruled in favor of Nigeria’s 774<br />
Local Governments (LGs)! May<br />
God’s name be praised!<br />
Yes, the Supreme Court’s ruling is a<br />
significant victory, ordering <strong>20</strong>.6% of the<br />
Federation account allocation to be paid<br />
directly to LG accounts, as constitutionally<br />
mandated! But how did Nigeria descend to<br />
this point? It’s clear that most State<br />
Governors sought to control LGs by<br />
appointing their herds and apparatchiks as<br />
Council Chairmen, thus disregarding<br />
elections. President Bola Tinubu deserves<br />
the highest praise imaginable for taking<br />
bold action.<br />
In Nigeria, State Governors have<br />
historically been reluctant to grant fiscal<br />
autonomy to the LGs for the obvious<br />
reasons of political power play, fear of<br />
reduced revenue, patronage and<br />
clientelism, fear of accountability and<br />
corruption. Notable among others are<br />
centralization of resources and reduced<br />
influence over Council Chairmen. So,<br />
Tinubu’s laudable step should be supported<br />
because strengthening the third tier of<br />
government and attracting competent<br />
individuals with better managerial skills is<br />
crucial. We can only wish this had been<br />
done and constitutionalized since 1999.<br />
In a democracy, development typically<br />
starts at the grassroots level, as seen in<br />
countries like India and Malaysia. Consider<br />
Andy Burnham, whose political career<br />
started in the local government (as<br />
Councilor in Leigh Metropolitan Borough<br />
Council: 1986-1992)! He moved to national<br />
politics (as Member of Parliament, MP, for<br />
Leigh: <strong>20</strong>01-<strong>20</strong>15, and Cabinet Minister:<br />
<strong>20</strong>08-<strong>20</strong>10). In <strong>20</strong>17, Burnham returned to<br />
regional politics as the directly elected<br />
Mayor of Greater Manchester, a position he<br />
holds till date. In Nigeria, can former Vice<br />
President Yemi Osinbajo ever consider<br />
chairing Ikenne Local Government in Ogun<br />
State? Well, this is how successive leaders<br />
have dragged the country and it is<br />
unfortunate!<br />
Jerry Brown is another exemplary<br />
leader who demonstrated a commitment to<br />
public service. Firstly, he served as<br />
Governor of California from 1976 to 1983.<br />
He ran for President in 1988 and 1992 and<br />
served as Mayor of Oakland from 1999 to<br />
<strong>20</strong>07 before serving again as the Governor<br />
of California from <strong>20</strong>11 to <strong>20</strong>19. This<br />
career path highlights how developed<br />
societies value and prioritize local<br />
government administration. In contrast, it’s<br />
unlikely that former Vice President Atiku<br />
Abubakar would ever consider becoming<br />
the Chairman of Jada Local Government in<br />
Adamawa State, which underscores the<br />
differing priorities in Nigeria’s political<br />
landscape.<br />
While a robust LG is one that can<br />
generate its own revenue and develop at its<br />
own pace, it is nonetheless clear that our<br />
understanding of Local and State<br />
government structures and their<br />
relationships is flawed, leading to our<br />
current predicament.. Here, the State<br />
governments are usurping LG powers due<br />
to their own indolence. Instead of allowing<br />
LGs to flourish, States are misappropriating<br />
funds meant for “where the rubber meets<br />
the road”, deplorably squandering them<br />
rather than utilizing them for their intended<br />
purposes. Unfortunately, no changes are<br />
forthcoming since everyone seems to be<br />
benefiting from the status quo.<br />
Historically, the United States created<br />
counties through referendums, at times with<br />
hundreds of counties within a State. For<br />
example, while some States have fewer,<br />
like Delaware with 3, or more, like Texas<br />
with 254, New York State has 62 counties,<br />
equivalent to Nigeria’s LGs. American<br />
counties are largely self-funded, unlike<br />
Nigeria’s LGs, which rely on Federal and<br />
State allocations, often withheld or released<br />
arbitrarily by State Governors. If State<br />
governments had allowed LGs to develop<br />
independently, the outcome would be vastly<br />
different. In the UK, property taxes are<br />
levied by LGs, whereas in Nigeria, States<br />
impose the Land Use Charge. A Land Use<br />
Charge on a property in Ijebu-Jesa should<br />
accrue to Oriade Local Government, not<br />
Osun State Government. If LGs in Nigeria<br />
had similar funding autonomy, imagine the<br />
transformation they would undergo!<br />
In ‘<strong>The</strong> People’s Republic’, Obafemi<br />
Awolowo emphasized the importance of<br />
local government autonomy for grassroots<br />
development. He believed local<br />
governments best understand their<br />
communities’ needs and should be<br />
empowered to address them. Awolowo’s<br />
policies in the Western Region reflected<br />
this, with elected councils and a focus on<br />
community development. He advocated for<br />
independent, self-sustaining local<br />
governments with the ability to generate<br />
revenue and make decisions without<br />
interference.<br />
Nigeria's Supreme Court rules in favour of Local Government autunomy<br />
In the 1950s and 1960s, LGs played a<br />
vital role. For example, a historical review<br />
of the Lagos Island LG’s achievements in<br />
housing projects, roads and drainages<br />
would be truly impressive. Back then, LGs<br />
were essentially mini-States, unlike the<br />
ineffective entities we have today. Whereas<br />
effective LG administration in other<br />
countries prioritizes citizen well-being,<br />
BY ABIODUN<br />
KOMOLAFE<br />
fosters community engagement, drives<br />
progress and maintains transparency and<br />
accountability, LGs in Nigeria are merely<br />
conduits for State governments, serving as<br />
political tools and job opportunities for<br />
political apprentices, professional hoppers<br />
and desperate politicians who delight in<br />
wallowing in delusional insinuations. It’s<br />
lamentable that Nigeria’s LGs have<br />
deviated from their original purpose.<br />
Matter-of-factly, pre-independent<br />
Nigeria’s LG administration was a shining<br />
example of effectiveness, with successful<br />
primary school systems, dispensaries and<br />
agricultural extension services. Even<br />
notable figures like Bode Thomas, Fani<br />
Kayode and Rotimi Williams began their<br />
careers in the LGs during the First<br />
Republic, and they were among the best of<br />
their generation. Unfortunately, the same<br />
cannot be said about the current crop of LG<br />
leaders. This legacy has been lost, but<br />
Continued on Page 9
Page8 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
Opinion<br />
Before the protests begin…<br />
By Reuben Abati<br />
“Ol’Boy.”<br />
“Bros. Bro-oo!”<br />
“How are you preparing for Thursday?”<br />
“What is happening on Thursday?”<br />
“What do you mean what is happening<br />
on Thursday? <strong>The</strong> #EndBadGovernance<br />
protest”<br />
“I see. Me, I am not protesting oh. When<br />
I wake up on Thursday, if I see that some<br />
people are already on the streets, me I go stay<br />
for house oh. I don’t want trouble.”<br />
“That is cowardice. <strong>The</strong> protesters want<br />
to do it for all of us. <strong>The</strong>y have specific<br />
points. <strong>The</strong>re is hunger in the land. <strong>The</strong>re is<br />
no fuel. Life is hard. Tomatoes have become<br />
expensive. Common garri, people no fit chop<br />
again.”<br />
“Good and do you know the protesters?<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are saying there are no leaders, you are<br />
supporting a faceless protest?”<br />
“It is not as faceless as you think. Peter<br />
Obi, Femi Falana, Deji Adeyanju, the Take It<br />
Back Movement have all said that the<br />
people’s right to protest is a constitutional<br />
right. <strong>The</strong>y have asked to be allowed to use<br />
the Eagle Square in Abuja.”<br />
“Yes, they have also asked Nyesom Wike<br />
to allow them access to facilities at the Eagle<br />
Square, including the toilets. I think they<br />
should just insist that Wike should come<br />
physically and help them with the toilets, by<br />
cleaning for them, because it is their<br />
constitutional right to use the Eagle Square.<br />
Nobody is questioning the people’s right to<br />
protest. Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999<br />
Constitution provide the necessary cover for<br />
that. As a citizen you have the right to speak<br />
and the right to the freedoms of association<br />
and assembly. What you cannot do is to insist<br />
that you will impose anarchy or rage or chaos<br />
on the country. <strong>The</strong> DSS says what we are<br />
dealing with is actually a regime change<br />
protest. You cannot do that.”<br />
“Who told government that the people<br />
will cause violence or that they are planning<br />
chaos? Even Mr. Peter Obi that they say is<br />
supporting the protests, has come out<br />
publicly to advise the would-be protesters to<br />
stay within the ambit of the law. So, who is<br />
talking about violence, and why is the<br />
government afraid?<br />
“Every protest leads to one problem or<br />
the other”<br />
“That is not true”<br />
“<strong>The</strong> 1789 riots in France because of<br />
hunger ended up with the French Revolution.<br />
In the United States, the people who were<br />
protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza<br />
disrupted activities on the university<br />
campuses. Recently when the Israeli Prime<br />
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the<br />
US, to address Congress, pro-Palestine, anti-<br />
Israel persons protested at the Union Station<br />
and Pennsylvanian Avenue. My major takeaway<br />
from that was that the police in<br />
Washington DC arrested over <strong>20</strong>0 people.<br />
<strong>The</strong> police chief said people can protest, but<br />
they have no right to go beyond the First<br />
Amendment. You remember the Arab Spring<br />
in <strong>20</strong>11, from Tunisia to the whole of the<br />
Middle East. Remember the Kenya riots<br />
recently. Violence, anarchy will not bring<br />
anybody any good.”<br />
“My brother. People are tired. <strong>The</strong>y are<br />
hungry.”<br />
“When Buhari was there, why did they<br />
not fight?”<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re was #EndSARS in <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong>. Have<br />
you forgotten so soon?”<br />
“Yes. Yes. EndSARS. And what good did<br />
it bring to Nigeria? All the people that died<br />
at Lekki Toll Gate, it is only their families<br />
that will forever feel the pains.”<br />
“It is the primary duty of government to<br />
protect the people.”<br />
“It is also the duty of the people to act<br />
within the ambit of the law. Citizenship<br />
comes with rights and responsibilities.<br />
Governors, traditional rulers, civil society<br />
groups, Christian and Islamic clerics have all<br />
appealed for calm. <strong>The</strong>y have advised the<br />
angry youths to give government a chance. I<br />
don’t agree that the people should wait for<br />
three years before they speak up. You cannot<br />
legislate the people’s anger. But then, make<br />
your point, do not destroy. Do you recall the<br />
number of vehicles, houses and businesses<br />
that were destroyed during EndSARS?”<br />
“I hope you know that it is not everybody<br />
calling for calm and dialogue that is an<br />
apostle of peace, some of them are doing it<br />
for their own interests. All the traditional<br />
rulers that went to visit Tinubu over this<br />
planned protest, tell me: did they or did they<br />
not collect sitting allowance? Hen Hen. Some<br />
of those characters that have been showing<br />
up in the media calling for peace. Do you<br />
think they are doing it for free? Even the<br />
security agencies, is this not their time to<br />
submit budgets for crowd control? One<br />
Bishop in Niger State even quoted Romans<br />
13 1-3 saying the people must respect those<br />
in constituted authority.”<br />
“Leave the Pastor alone. <strong>The</strong> Bible is the<br />
#EndBadGovernance in Nigeria (Photo - Stephanie Douglas - Pexels CC0)<br />
Book of Life. Everything is in it. But as for<br />
the security agencies, they have a<br />
constitutional duty to protect the State. No<br />
responsible government will fold its arms and<br />
allow chaos.”<br />
“Is that why the Defence Headquarters is<br />
now saying they have identified<br />
unscrupulous elements and the military will<br />
come out and defend the country?”<br />
“Yes, why not? Section 217 (2) (c) of the<br />
1999 Constitution.”<br />
“Section this, Section that. You think by<br />
quoting Sections of the Constitution, you are<br />
making sense? Who cares? We are talking<br />
about the reality of the people’s frustration.<br />
A protest is not necessarily an evil thing. In<br />
<strong>20</strong>12, there was no violence. People met in<br />
Ojota and they rejected the plan to remove<br />
fuel subsidy. <strong>The</strong>y were peaceful.”<br />
“No. No. <strong>The</strong> protests actually turned<br />
bloody at some point. Go and check the<br />
Vanguard newspaper of Jan. 10, <strong>20</strong>12. <strong>The</strong><br />
protests turned bloody in Kano, Lagos and<br />
Benin and about 12 people were killed. Two<br />
in Lagos, seven in Kano and another three in<br />
Benin. You never know what will happen.<br />
<strong>The</strong> government is saying that the protests<br />
could be hijacked by mischief makers.”<br />
“In <strong>20</strong>12, the protest was led by<br />
responsible people. Pastor Tunde Bakare.<br />
Femi Kuti, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Fela<br />
Durotoye, Mohammed Fawehinmi, Ortis<br />
Wiliki… for seven hours, they spoke. People<br />
were even asked to bring their mats to come<br />
and sleep on the streets. <strong>The</strong> Jonathan<br />
government did not threaten people. <strong>The</strong><br />
people had their say. What I don’t understand<br />
is the energy the Tinubu government is<br />
putting into telling people to shut up. After<br />
all, the President himself has reminded<br />
everyone that he is a veteran of street<br />
protests. Why doesn’t he too come out on<br />
Thursday and lead the protest in the spirit of<br />
democracy?”<br />
“He should protest against himself? What<br />
are you saying? Where are the Wole<br />
Soyinkas, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Femi Falana,<br />
Fela Durotoye, Olisa Agbakoba, Omoyele<br />
Sowore?”<br />
“You cannot dictate to anybody what to<br />
do.”<br />
“Ok. Ok. So, if the security agencies<br />
break bones, shoot, and maim let nobody<br />
complain. Those who say they are<br />
courageous can dare the State. My only<br />
concern is that the gestation period for the<br />
protest is too long. <strong>The</strong>y have given the<br />
security agencies more than enough time for<br />
them to get their arsenal together. My fear is<br />
even that the protest may not take place.<br />
People, especially in Lagos are more likely<br />
to sit at home, and monitor the protests on<br />
television.”<br />
“I think the protests have started oh.<br />
Some angry youths were on the streets<br />
yesterday in Minna and Abuja.”<br />
“As long as they are peaceful, fine.”<br />
“Even here in Lagos, some youths<br />
protested in FESTAC yesterday.”<br />
“No, those ones were not part of the<br />
Ebilokan protests. I understand they showed<br />
their anger because MTN had suspended<br />
their phone lines because of National<br />
Identification Number (NIN). Government<br />
gave enough long notice, but you know the<br />
way this country is. It is not MTN alone.<br />
Even 9 Mobile has suspended people’s lines.<br />
I know people who had submitted their NIN<br />
more than a year ago, and they still got their<br />
Continued on Page 9
Opinion<br />
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Before the protests begin…<br />
Page9<br />
Continued from Page 8<<br />
lines suspended.”<br />
“I suspect government has a hand in it.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y want to prevent protesters from talking.<br />
In fact, that will annoy the people more. It is<br />
provocative.”<br />
“I don’t think it is government. <strong>The</strong><br />
National Communications Commission<br />
(NCC), the telecom regulator came out<br />
yesterday telling MTN to restore the lines<br />
immediately.”<br />
“It is more than that. I think the top<br />
executives of MTN, 9Mobile and any other<br />
telco that are suspending people’s phone lines<br />
at this time should be arrested immediately<br />
for engaging in an act of sabotage that can<br />
heighten tension in the country. <strong>The</strong> people<br />
are saying they are hungry, and angry. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
are planning to take to the streets on<br />
Thursday, then you switch off their phone<br />
lines. That sounds like adding petrol to fire.”<br />
“So, you want them arrested?”<br />
“Yes, <strong>The</strong> DSS should call them in for<br />
questioning, let them explain why people’s<br />
lines have to be cut off, and what happened to<br />
the identification numbers they collected<br />
before now. Nonsense.”<br />
“That would amount to transferred<br />
aggression. MTN did not cause hunger in<br />
Nigeria. <strong>The</strong>y may have their business<br />
reasons”.<br />
“Let them go and write statements, I beg.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y did not even have the decency to<br />
explain to Nigerians why, and when their<br />
phone lines should be suspended. Nonsense<br />
upon ingredient. I don’t even know why<br />
government has to appeal to everybody. By<br />
now, the security agencies should have<br />
arrested some people, who are bent on<br />
making trouble. Let nobody come tomorrow<br />
and tell us that they had a challenge with<br />
intelligence gathering. Protest, yes. You want<br />
to cause problem or add fire to an already<br />
combustible situation, No.”<br />
“This is still a democracy sha. <strong>The</strong> people<br />
have the right to be heard.”<br />
“We are saying the same thing.”<br />
“No. You sound like a fascist. Not even<br />
Tinubu’s spokespersons are this dismissive.”<br />
“I have not dismissed anybody. But just<br />
don’t let anybody in uniform use you to<br />
collect promotion. <strong>The</strong>y will shoot you, claim<br />
they did a good job. While you are in the<br />
hospital, they will gain promotion at work.<br />
Have you not seen that some people have<br />
already printed T-shirts. I have seen No to<br />
Protest T-shirts. I have also seen End Bad<br />
Governance T-shirts? Some people are<br />
saying We are Hungry. Some people see an<br />
opportunity for quick business. Don’t be<br />
surprised if skit makers, musicians,<br />
Nollywood producers all join the<br />
bandwagon. At the end of it all, the economy<br />
will suffer more.”<br />
“But look at the positive side. You can’t<br />
blame those who want to give Tinubu a shock<br />
therapy. In this country, if you keep quiet,<br />
people will ride roughshod over you. You see<br />
what happened when Aliko Dangote spoke<br />
up? He joined the Soro Soke group. He spoke<br />
his mind. Are you not aware that the Federal<br />
Government has met him half-way. Now he<br />
and other local owners of refineries can buy<br />
crude oil from the NNPC in Naira. If a<br />
billionaire can speak up, who are you a<br />
thousand-naire not to Soro Soke? Organized<br />
Labour spoke, Tinubu don go sign new<br />
national minimum wage. Even domestic<br />
workers who no complain, he put join.”<br />
“I don’t think you have been listening to<br />
me. I am not against protest, just operate<br />
within the ambit of the law. Let the police<br />
know your chosen location. In Abuja, is it<br />
Unity Fountain? In Lagos, is it Ojota Park or<br />
Campos Square? Section 83 of the Police<br />
Establishment Act <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong> (as amended). <strong>The</strong><br />
police must protect you, but they also need<br />
to know your location. In <strong>20</strong>22, #EndSARS<br />
was peaceful for two weeks before things<br />
went the other way. Some youths went to the<br />
streets in Akoka, Lagos yesterday, destroying<br />
other people’s vehicles. How does that help<br />
anybody?”<br />
“It is alright. When you go out on<br />
Thursday and you run into the protesters,<br />
please go and tell them Section this, Section<br />
that. What is my own? By the way, have you<br />
been following the Olympics?”<br />
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Very colorful opening<br />
ceremony if you ignore the controversy over<br />
the mix up in the names of North Korea and<br />
South Korea as well as the protests over<br />
Christianity and the parody of Da Vinci’s <strong>The</strong><br />
Last Supper. I loved the attire of Mongolia,<br />
Liberia, the US, Great Britain, the opening<br />
ceremony was a good mix of history, fashion,<br />
music, diversity and the beauty of Paris and<br />
France.”<br />
“Indeed, very good. But our team has not<br />
been pulling its weight. <strong>The</strong> Super Falcons<br />
have been beaten by Brazil and Spain. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
will be very lucky to make it to the quarter<br />
finals. Our Table Tennis team: Offiong Edem,<br />
Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, Fatimo<br />
Bello are all out. <strong>The</strong> first time since 1988<br />
that the Nigerian team will not win a game<br />
in Table Tennis. Cynthia Ogunsemilore,<br />
lightweight boxer failed the dope test. But I<br />
guess it is the Olympics. Attendance is<br />
enough glory in itself. After all, Nigeria has<br />
done better than the Canada female team, the<br />
defending champions in women football.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir analyst was sent home. <strong>The</strong> coach has<br />
been suspended by FIFA for one year. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
have been asked to pay a fine of $226,000.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Canada team was accused of spying on<br />
New Zealand with the aid of a drone, thus<br />
violating the principles of fair play and now<br />
they also have a six-points deduction<br />
imposed on them. At least so far, the Nigerian<br />
team has not brought us any scandal.”<br />
“I think our female basketball team<br />
D’Tigress is showing great promise.<br />
Yesterday, they beat the Australian team,<br />
rated the third best in the world, 75 - 62.<br />
Historic. <strong>The</strong>ir first win in an Olympic match<br />
since Athens in <strong>20</strong>04. <strong>The</strong>y must keep it up.<br />
Even the male basketball team from South<br />
Sudan is about to make history. <strong>The</strong>y beat<br />
Puerto Rico 90 to 79.”<br />
“More history will be made. After all, Le<br />
Bron James is the first billionaire to compete<br />
at the Olympics. Simone Biles is back with a<br />
bang. She is dazzling. It is the Olympics<br />
showcasing the glory of human and<br />
individual talent. But I don’t understand why<br />
there are many errors. France spent $9 billion<br />
for God’s sake. <strong>The</strong> broadcasters cannot get<br />
the names of countries right, and even<br />
yesterday, the National Anthem of Sudan was<br />
played for South Sudan. I hear even the<br />
games village is too cramped. <strong>The</strong> food is not<br />
great either. Team Great Britain has had to<br />
arrange their own chef. Almost all the<br />
members of Team USA have left the<br />
Olympics Village to check into hotels. Can<br />
you imagine 10 girls scrambling to use two<br />
bathrooms? <strong>The</strong> beds are made of<br />
cardboards! No air conditioning in the<br />
Olympics Village in this sweltering heat.”<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y are there to win medals, not to<br />
indulge in luxury. I beg. I am sure there<br />
would be more than enough athletes who are<br />
just happy to be there.”<br />
“I have checked the medals table. China,<br />
Japan, Britain, United States, Australia,<br />
France, South Korea, Italy, and Canada are<br />
not doing badly at all. South Africa has three<br />
medals. Egypt one bronze medal, Tunisia one<br />
silver medal”<br />
“It is okay. No problem. Team Nigeria is<br />
wearing good jerseys. And trust our people,<br />
they will stay at the Village. Nigeria should<br />
pay them their allowances sha. We don’t<br />
want to hear stories.”<br />
Tinubu’s LG autonomy gamble<br />
Continued from Page 7<<br />
revitalizing LG autonomy can revive this<br />
progress!<br />
In the US, states are responsible for<br />
conducting federal elections and submitting<br />
the results to Washington for tabulation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> federal electoral body simply<br />
calculates the total and announces the<br />
winners. In Nigeria, ‘na so who born cat<br />
born kitten!’ Here, entrusting State<br />
Electoral Commissions with conducting<br />
Federal elections would be a recipe for<br />
disaster. Although Nigeria’s current system<br />
undermines federalism, the Independent<br />
National Electoral Commission (INEC)<br />
should take over the conduct of LG<br />
elections, as this is the only way to prevent<br />
the chaos and the totalitarian grip that<br />
currently plague the process. <strong>The</strong> sad truth<br />
is that State Electoral Commissions have<br />
lost all credibility, and federalists are now<br />
bearing the brunt of this failure. In a<br />
genuine federal system, State Electoral<br />
Commissions are constitutionally<br />
responsible for conducting even federal<br />
elections within their States, but the current<br />
arrangement has rendered them incapable<br />
of ensuring free and fair elections.<br />
Since the success or otherwise of<br />
Nigeria’s decentralization reforms depends<br />
on the LGs’ ability to effectively manage<br />
resources, deliver services and engage with<br />
citizens, the Federal Government must<br />
establish a Local Government Service<br />
Commission, implement a uniform LG<br />
system, promote gender equality and<br />
strengthen LG legislation. Other challenges<br />
like inadequate funding, poor<br />
infrastructure, inefficient revenue<br />
collection, weak institutional capacity,<br />
limited access to credit and State<br />
government control must be<br />
comprehensively addressed, and publicprivate<br />
partnerships, infrastructure<br />
development and transparency, and<br />
accountability must be enhanced.<br />
With a foundation of honesty,<br />
accountability, clear role definition and<br />
effective monitoring, LG administration in<br />
Nigeria has the potential to be a powerful<br />
catalyst for grassroots development and<br />
democratic governance. Its autonomous<br />
local governments can also unlock<br />
opportunities for addressing<br />
unemployment, infrastructure development<br />
and rural-urban migration. As the incubator<br />
of innovative ideas and the engine room of<br />
progress, LGs can enhance the vital roles of<br />
traditional rulers as custodians of<br />
community customs and traditions, which<br />
successive governments have failed to<br />
adequately recognize.<br />
By supporting local economic<br />
development, encouraging citizen<br />
participation, increasing access to<br />
Information and Communications<br />
Technology (ICT) and governments in<br />
improving their financial management<br />
systems and practices, the Federal<br />
Government can further empower LGs to<br />
become more effective, efficient and<br />
responsive to the needs of citizens. By<br />
empowering them, Nigeria can build a<br />
more democratic, inclusive, and prosperous<br />
society, unlocking sustainable<br />
development, economic growth and<br />
improved living standards. This requires a<br />
collective effort from the Federal<br />
Government, State governments and<br />
citizens.<br />
May the Lamb of God, who takes away<br />
the sin of the world, grant us peace in<br />
Nigeria!<br />
Komolafe wrote in from Ijebu-<br />
Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria<br />
(ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)
Page10 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
Opinion<br />
Biden’s exit and America’s<br />
November Blues<br />
Continued from Page 6<<br />
battleground and swing States if Biden<br />
insisted that he would remain in the<br />
race. President Barack Obama, Biden’s<br />
former boss, was also said to have<br />
intervened. More than 30 Democratic<br />
Party representatives in parliament<br />
reportedly joined the clamour for Biden<br />
to step aside. Still, Biden dug in. But<br />
then again, something else happened<br />
when it was disclosed that the President<br />
had tested positive for COVID. On July<br />
17, he retired to his home in Delaware<br />
to self-isolate. He left word that if his<br />
doctors report a worsening of his<br />
medical condition, he would have to<br />
withdraw. Age is a factor in American<br />
politics. Health is even more so. In<br />
Nigeria, politicians lie about their age.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y hide their health status. In a<br />
country where records are poorly kept<br />
and superstition is at the heart of<br />
everything, disclosing one’s health<br />
status is a taboo. President Buhari spent<br />
about an entire year out of a four-year<br />
term between <strong>20</strong>15 and <strong>20</strong>19 on<br />
medical vacation. Targeting election<br />
into public office as an avenue for<br />
treating one’s personal health problems<br />
is part of the culture in Nigeria.<br />
As of Saturday, July <strong>20</strong>, President<br />
Biden was still insisting that he would<br />
remain in the race. But by 1.30 ET on<br />
Sunday, July 21, he had announced his<br />
withdrawal from the race, blindsiding in<br />
the process, his senior campaign aides.<br />
What happened? Did he jump? Or was<br />
he pushed? Was it for health reasons?<br />
About 41 Democrat-lawmakers had<br />
joined the pressure chorus asking Biden<br />
to stand aside. It was a seismic decision<br />
and a historic one as well. Biden, by that<br />
action, became the first sitting<br />
American President to withdraw from<br />
the Presidential race since 1968 when<br />
Lydon Baines Johnson did the same due<br />
to pressures inflicted by America’s role<br />
in the Vietnam War. He joins also a<br />
long list of sitting Presidents who took<br />
similar step in American history<br />
including Harry S Truman (1952), John<br />
Tyler (1844), Millard Filmore (1852),<br />
Franklin Pierce (1856), Andrew<br />
Johnson (1868), Chester Arthur (1884)<br />
and George Washington (1796).<br />
President Biden said while it has been<br />
the greatest honour of his life to serve<br />
as President, and while it has been his<br />
intention to seek re-election, he has<br />
chosen to stand down in “the best<br />
interest of my Party and the country”<br />
and “to focus on fulfilling my duties as<br />
President for the remainder of my<br />
term”. He has six more months in office<br />
as the 46 th President of the United<br />
States. He would 30 minutes later, in a<br />
post on X endorse Vice President<br />
Kamala Harris as the person to replace<br />
him as the Democratic Party nominee.<br />
Biden’s reference to his Party and<br />
country shows leadership and<br />
patriotism. He has acted in a statesmanlike<br />
manner placing his country and<br />
Party above personal interest. He has<br />
done an even more honourable thing by<br />
endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris<br />
as his preferred Democratic candidate.<br />
This gesture does not make Harris<br />
automatically the candidate but it places<br />
her on a glide path to the Democratic<br />
nomination, and it is noteworthy that<br />
Jamie Harrison, Chair of the<br />
Democratic National Committee has<br />
said that the Party “will move forward<br />
governed by established rules and<br />
procedures of the Party.” <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
questions: will everybody that<br />
supported Biden support Harris? Not<br />
necessarily. Biden had the support of<br />
more than 4,000 delegates. <strong>The</strong>y will<br />
have to now make up their minds<br />
afresh. Harris needs 1,986 Democratic<br />
delegates to secure the Party’s<br />
nomination at its convention starting<br />
<strong>August</strong> 19 in Chicago. By yesterday she<br />
had received the support of delegates<br />
from Tennessee, Florida, New<br />
Hampshire, Louisiana, North Dakota<br />
and South Dakota (531 delegates). She<br />
will have to work hard to secure the<br />
support of more delegates especially<br />
now that the names of possible<br />
alternatives to her are being mentioned:<br />
the Governors of Pennsylvania – Josh<br />
Shapiro, Kentucky – Andy Beshear;<br />
North Carolina - Roy Cooper; Illinois –<br />
J.B. Pritzker; Michigan – Gretchen<br />
Whitmer, Transportation Secretary, Pete<br />
Buttigieg; and Arizona Senator - Mark<br />
Kelly. But would any of these persons<br />
challenge her endorsement by Biden?<br />
Will she inherit Biden’s funding? This<br />
is already happening. Her campaign has<br />
brought fresh energy to the Democratic<br />
campaign. Within seven hours<br />
yesterday, she had raked in about $52<br />
million from grassroots donations. But<br />
is America ready for a black woman as<br />
President? Kamala Harris is a daughter<br />
of immigrants from India and Jamaica -<br />
black and South Asian. This remains to<br />
be seen, but if she wins the nomination<br />
there is no doubt that she and her team<br />
will put up a big fight. She is young –<br />
59, and now that she has been anointed<br />
by her boss, we are likely to see a<br />
different Harris emerging from the<br />
shadows. Trump has been<br />
characteristically arrogant. He thinks<br />
Harris is “crazy”. He is actually the<br />
crazy one in the eyes of many,<br />
especially President Biden who<br />
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believes, and he does not hide his<br />
disdain, that “Trump poses an<br />
existential threat to American<br />
democracy.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> contempt is, however, mutual.<br />
Whereas world leaders have praised<br />
President Biden as a “great man”<br />
(Canada’s Justin Trudeau), “a man who<br />
believes in the interests of the United<br />
States” (Australia’s Anthony Albanese),<br />
who has “dedicated his life to public<br />
service” (New Zealand’s Christopher<br />
Luxon), “has shown unwavering<br />
support for Ukraine” (Ukraine’s<br />
Volodymyr Zelensky); “a true ally of<br />
the Jewish people” (Israel’s Isaac<br />
Herzog), “a proud American with an<br />
Irish soul (Ireland’s Simon Harris) and<br />
so on and so forth in that tone, Trump<br />
dismisses Biden as the “worst President<br />
in American history” who should never<br />
have been there in the first place... he<br />
should have been in the basement.”<br />
Trump’s assessment is outrightly<br />
partisan and biased, it is not what the<br />
world knows of Biden. He may have<br />
pulled out of the race 107 days to<br />
November 5, but he is recommended<br />
for the history pages by his record of<br />
distinguished public service in a career<br />
spanning over 50 years in Washington<br />
DC. Politician, lawyer and author, he<br />
started his political career in New Castle<br />
County Council in 1970, and arrived in<br />
Washington DC in January 1973, as a<br />
Senator representing Delaware. He<br />
would remain in that Senate till <strong>20</strong>09.<br />
He would later serve for two terms as<br />
Vice President under President Barack<br />
Obama (<strong>20</strong>09 – <strong>20</strong>17). He returned as<br />
President under the Democratic ticket in<br />
January <strong>20</strong>21. He is the oldest man to<br />
have served as President of the United<br />
States. Washington Post writes that<br />
“triumph (and), tragedy define his 50-<br />
year political career, one of America’s<br />
longest serving politicians” but<br />
certainly when his public service record<br />
is properly assessed, he would end up<br />
on the more positive side of history and<br />
on a much higher ground than Trump<br />
has imagined. <strong>The</strong> <strong>20</strong>24 American<br />
Presidential race is at this point, very<br />
much an uncharted territory especially<br />
for Kamala Harris. A more critical<br />
realization is the growing global anxiety<br />
about the seemingly inevitable,<br />
possibility of the return of Donald J.<br />
Trump as US President, accompanied<br />
by an even more extreme right-winger,<br />
and member of the Trump MAGA<br />
party, J.D. Vance.
Opinion<br />
Akinyemi: Farewell to the<br />
matriarch we have lost!<br />
By Abiodun Komolafe<br />
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page11<br />
On Saturday, <strong>August</strong> 3, <strong>20</strong>24, the<br />
funeral service for the late Mrs.<br />
Aderoju Janet Akinyemi will<br />
take place at the Cathedral Church of St.<br />
James the Great, Oke Bola, Ibadan, Oyo<br />
State. <strong>The</strong> ceremony will be followed by<br />
the committal of her mortal remains to<br />
Mother Earth. We invite friends, family<br />
and loved ones to join us as we bid<br />
farewell to an inspirational figure.<br />
Aderoju, wife of <strong>The</strong> Most Reverend<br />
Michael Olukayode Akinyemi, the<br />
Retired Archbishop of Kwara Province<br />
and Bishop of Igbomina Diocese<br />
(Anglican Communion), passed away in<br />
the United States of America on May 15,<br />
<strong>20</strong>24. A Service of Songs was held in her<br />
honour on June 29, <strong>20</strong>24, in Texas, USA,<br />
to celebrate her life and legacy. Her<br />
demise leaves a void that cannot be filled<br />
in the hearts of her loved ones and the<br />
community she touched.<br />
During her lifetime, Akinyemi was<br />
distinguished by her reserved nature, yet<br />
she was a woman of unflappable poise<br />
and infectious optimism. Not one to seek<br />
the spotlight, her gentle strength, quiet<br />
confidence and incredible positivity<br />
inspired respect and admiration. She will<br />
be deeply missed by all who knew and<br />
loved her.<br />
Yes, I knew her! I knew Akinyemi as<br />
an exceptionally talented and focused<br />
woman. Today, I recall my darkest hours;<br />
I remember stumbling upon a beacon of<br />
hope in a world that seemed determined<br />
to crush me. In 1991, I sought guidance<br />
from Venerable Akinyemi, then<br />
Archdeacon and Vicar of Saint<br />
Matthew’s Anglican Church, Ijebu-Jesa,<br />
Osun State. Mama Akinyemi welcomed<br />
me with open arms and a deep sense of<br />
mother’s devotion at the Vicarage. Her<br />
infectious warmth and invaluable<br />
mentorship drew me to her like a magnet,<br />
leaving an indelible mark on my life.<br />
Alongside her husband, ‘Mama<br />
Archdeacon’, as she then was,<br />
exemplified the power of grace, humility,<br />
and determination, demonstrating that,<br />
with faith and perseverance, obstacles<br />
were not insurmountable. When life’s<br />
dark waters rose to swallow me and<br />
everyone around seemed to be saying<br />
‘throw in the towel’, the Akinyemis stood<br />
firm, embracing my struggles as their<br />
own. With unrelenting optimism, they<br />
reminded me that the One who made me<br />
would never leave me helpless! I remain<br />
grateful for Archbishop Akinyemi’s<br />
pivotal role in my life. However, I also<br />
recognize the crucial support of his wife,<br />
Mama Akinyemi. She created an<br />
environment that allowed his guidance to<br />
flourish.<br />
Aderoju Akinyemi was born on<br />
October 16, 1954 in Tonkere, Osun State.<br />
Her parents, Pa James and Mrs. Elizabeth<br />
Adetunji, were from Ilé Olósun Àkèré<br />
Family House in Modákéké, Osun State.<br />
She attended Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary<br />
School, Gbongan, Ode-Omu Anglican<br />
Grammar School, and later earned<br />
teaching certifications from Local<br />
Authority Teacher Training College,<br />
Iyana-Ofa in Ibadan, Oyo State College<br />
of Education, Ilesa, and University of<br />
Ibadan. A dedicated teacher, she served<br />
as Assistant Head Teacher until<br />
retirement.<br />
Akinyemi was a woman of calm<br />
temperament, commitment and<br />
authenticity. She embodied the ultimate<br />
woman, excelling as a wife and mother. A<br />
devout prayer warrior, her love and<br />
leadership were a gentle breeze, soothing<br />
souls and providing a safe haven for<br />
hopes and dreams. A radiant presence,<br />
she illuminated paths and warmed hearts,<br />
leaving a lasting impact on those who<br />
encountered her. <strong>The</strong> Reverend ‘Toyin<br />
Adesokan of the Anglican Diocese of<br />
Lagos West fondly recalls Mama<br />
Akinyemi’s surprise visit during his<br />
theological training at the Immanuel<br />
College of <strong>The</strong>ology and Christian<br />
Mrs. Aderoju Akinyemi<br />
Education in Ibadan, a testament to her<br />
compassionate and encouraging nature.<br />
As we bid farewell to this remarkable<br />
matriarch, we take comfort in the<br />
indelible mark she left on our lives.<br />
May her journey be peaceful and her<br />
wisdom and strength forever<br />
remembered!<br />
May the Lamb of God, who takes<br />
away the sin of the world, rest the soul of<br />
Mrs. Aderoju Janet Akinyemi and grant<br />
her loved ones strength in hope!<br />
Komolafe wrote from Ijebu-Jesa,<br />
Osun State (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk).
Page12 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
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Page13
Page14 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
Opinion<br />
Endorsements and the<br />
power-brokers (1)<br />
By Abiodun Komolafe<br />
<strong>The</strong> trend of endorsing<br />
Governors for a second term<br />
has gained significant<br />
momentum.<br />
This trend is particularly<br />
noteworthy in the context of Nigeria‘s<br />
political landscape, where<br />
endorsements can make or break a<br />
candidate’s chances of winning. In<br />
various States, Governors have<br />
received endorsements from diverse<br />
groups and individuals. For instance,<br />
Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State<br />
secured the backing of the Northern<br />
Community in Enugu, while Governor<br />
Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has<br />
earned the endorsement of the Owa<br />
Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle<br />
Aromolaran, barely a year into his<br />
tenure.<br />
On October 22, <strong>20</strong>23, former<br />
Governors Adeniyi Adebayo, Ayo<br />
Fayose and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti<br />
State unanimously endorsed the<br />
incumbent Governor Biodun Abayomi<br />
Oyebanji for a second term. On July<br />
12, <strong>20</strong>24, all the 38 Local<br />
Governments and Local Council<br />
Development Areas in the State not<br />
only hailed the Governor ‘for<br />
performance’ but also ‘collectively<br />
endorsed’ him ‘for a second term’.<br />
<strong>The</strong> politics of endorsements dates<br />
back to ancient times, where leaders<br />
sought validation from influential<br />
figures, evolving through the Gilded<br />
Age’s political machines and party<br />
bosses exchanging endorsements for<br />
loyalty and favours, becoming<br />
formalized in the <strong>20</strong>th century as<br />
parties and interest groups recognized<br />
their influence on public opinion and<br />
voter behaviour, and continuing in<br />
contemporary Nigeria where<br />
endorsements significantly shape<br />
political outcomes, as seen in the<br />
recent trend of endorsing Governors<br />
for a second term.<br />
In the 1960s, celebrities like Frank<br />
Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. endorsed<br />
Democratic candidates. <strong>The</strong> internet<br />
and social media’s rise in the 1990s -<br />
<strong>20</strong>00s expanded endorsements’ reach,<br />
building grassroots support. Today,<br />
endorsements come from diverse<br />
individuals and groups, including<br />
celebrities, business leaders, labour<br />
unions, advocacy groups, and<br />
community leaders, reflecting the<br />
changing political and media<br />
landscape. This trend is also seen in<br />
Nigeria, where endorsements from<br />
various stakeholders are now crucial in<br />
political campaigns, showcasing their<br />
global significance.<br />
Endorsements vary in impact, from<br />
influential to insignificant. A crossparty<br />
endorsement, such as the support<br />
of 90% of former State leaders, stands<br />
out as particularly noteworthy. This<br />
underscores the importance of<br />
endorsements, as seen in the US,<br />
where President Joe Biden’s potential<br />
bid for re-election was impacted when<br />
the Democratic Party establishment<br />
withdrew its endorsement, paving the<br />
way for Vice President Kamala Harris.<br />
That’s a clear example of how<br />
endorsements can shape political<br />
outcomes.<br />
A seal of credibility, endorsements<br />
offer opportunities for candidates to<br />
reach wider audiences and build<br />
credibility with key constituencies,<br />
provided they are not driven by<br />
personal gain or hidden agendas. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
Ekiti State Governor - Mr Biodun Oyebanji<br />
can also represent a symbolic transfer<br />
of trust, credibility, and authority from<br />
one leader to another. Endorsements<br />
help build coalitions, mobilize voters,<br />
and create momentum around a<br />
candidate or cause. Most importantly,<br />
they serve as valuable political<br />
currency, shaping legacies and<br />
cementing alliances. By endorsing a<br />
candidate, a respected figure<br />
effectively vouches for his or her<br />
character, policies, and leadership<br />
abilities, reinforcing his or her<br />
credibility and strengthening his or her<br />
campaign.<br />
Prominent thinkers have<br />
emphasized endorsements’<br />
significance in leadership and political<br />
discourse. Plato argued for informed<br />
approval from the wisest citizens,<br />
while John Stuart Mill advocated for<br />
freedom to endorse or criticize leaders<br />
without retribution. Building on this<br />
idea, Aristotle noted that respected<br />
citizens’ endorsements boost a leader’s<br />
credibility. In a similar vein,<br />
Oyebanji’s cross-party endorsements<br />
demonstrate a democratic consensus<br />
on Ekiti State’s development agenda,<br />
showcasing his commitment to the<br />
State’s interests above partisan<br />
politics. This cooperation, particularly<br />
notable in Nigeria’s polarized<br />
landscape, testifies to the Governor’s<br />
effective leadership, which prioritizes<br />
the greater good and maintains a<br />
peaceful atmosphere.<br />
While we congratulate Oyebanji on<br />
his achievement, we urge him to<br />
maintain momentum and build on his<br />
success. Like a cyclist gaining speed,<br />
he should pedal harder to secure a pan-<br />
Ekiti mandate, ensuring a strong<br />
showing at the <strong>20</strong>26 polls.<br />
*To be concluded.<br />
Komolafe wrote from Ijebu-Jesa,<br />
Osun State (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)
<strong>The</strong>Arts<br />
AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page15<br />
Writing For Media<br />
– Where is the Money?<br />
Continued from Page 16<<br />
and Toyosi Ogunseye in Chapter 15 titled:<br />
“In life, luck – and God matter” focusing on<br />
“two icons, different journeys”. <strong>The</strong> book is<br />
259 pages long, with a total of 15 Chapters<br />
and one appendix. <strong>The</strong> book does not cover<br />
the subject of ethics – an oversight in my<br />
view, given the many issues about rights,<br />
wrongs and professionalism in<br />
contemporary journalism practice, and how<br />
ethical issues are constantly foregrounded in<br />
the media ecosystem, and whereas the book<br />
closes with an appendix, viz: the<br />
Competition and Consumer Act of Australia<br />
<strong>20</strong>21, there could have been a longer<br />
reflection on media content and legislation<br />
in Nigeria given the big challenge that this<br />
also currently poses as well.<br />
But I must say that this is a book that I<br />
have enjoyed very much and thoroughly<br />
too. One of my pet worries has been the delinkage<br />
between the universities and<br />
polytechnics, raising questions about the<br />
teaching of journalism in Nigeria, and<br />
particularly the curriculum. In other<br />
jurisdictions, those who teach in journalism<br />
schools are mostly persons who have been<br />
experienced practitioners, leading award<br />
winners and writers who are on the faculty<br />
because they know, and they have been on<br />
the rough and tumble field of practice. This<br />
is not necessarily the case in Nigeria. I stand<br />
to be corrected, but I dare say most of the<br />
scholars who teach journalism in most of<br />
our institutions of higher learning are<br />
persons who have all the degrees but they<br />
have never been in a newsroom, or have<br />
ever had a microphone pinned to their<br />
chests. Many of them have never even<br />
written a letter to the Editor worthy of<br />
publication, and yet they churn out students<br />
who are very smart at quoting Marshall<br />
Mclluhan and a long list of dead theorists<br />
but they can’t write a paragraph, nor do they<br />
know a story when they see it. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
teachers do not know any better. Azu<br />
Ishiekwene’s book wakes me up afresh to<br />
this worry, and the fact that the book serves<br />
an important purpose. It is written by a<br />
practitioner, who has risen to the very top in<br />
the practice, offering tutorials to the wouldbe<br />
journalist and the old hand who needs to<br />
re-invent and adapt. Our journalism schools<br />
in Nigeria are too far away from the field.<br />
Journalism should be taught by those who<br />
have been on the field, and perhaps the same<br />
principle should be applied in other<br />
professions as well, to establish the proper<br />
linkage and transition between school and<br />
the world of work.<br />
Azu Ishiekwene, the author of this book,<br />
was once a part-time volunteer lecturer of<br />
journalism at the University of Lagos and<br />
the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Ogba,<br />
Lagos. Volunteer, you see? Not always<br />
about the money. It is his type that should<br />
be teaching the art of writing and<br />
journalism, and that is precisely what he<br />
does in this work: adding to the bibliography<br />
on the desirable linkage between the town<br />
and gown, between theory and practice. In<br />
this regard, this book acquires yet another<br />
significance. It is standard practice,<br />
elsewhere, for accomplished journalists to<br />
write and publish, to move beyond the<br />
limitation of the newsroom, and document<br />
their experiences, observations, reflections<br />
in a permanent form. <strong>The</strong>y transmute from<br />
persons who capture history in a hurry into<br />
authors who write history about society,<br />
individuals and the practice itself. This is<br />
refreshingly a growing trend in Nigeria<br />
which should be encouraged, with<br />
journalists putting their thoughts and<br />
experience in more permanent form. Before<br />
now, Azu Ishiekwene had published <strong>The</strong><br />
Trial of Nuhu Ribadu. This then, is his<br />
second offering in this line of business. He<br />
belongs, beyond the newsroom in the<br />
enterprise in the class of an<br />
emergent/emerging class of Nigerian<br />
journalist-authors – to name a few: Akogun<br />
Tola Adeniyi, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Ray<br />
Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi,<br />
Sonala Olumhense, Olatunji Dare, Dele<br />
Olojede, Dare Babarinsa, Kunle Ajibade,<br />
Olusegun Adeniyi, Sam Ndah-Isaiah,<br />
Sunday Dare, Bolaji Abdullahi, Waziri<br />
Adio, Akpandem James, Sina Oladeinde,<br />
Okey Ikechukwu, Magnus Onyibe, Dele<br />
Momodu, Lasisi Olagunju, Azuh Arinze,<br />
Simon Kolawole, Muskiliu Mojeed, Wale<br />
Adedayo, Sina Kawonise, Festus Adedayo,<br />
Abimbola Adelakun… quite a long list as it<br />
were, reiterating the links between<br />
journalism and authorship, academia and<br />
practice, and how in reality the crossfertilization<br />
enriches an on-going<br />
conversation about the human enterprise.<br />
To all intents and purposes, Writing for<br />
Media and Monetising It is essentially<br />
conceived as a training manual for the<br />
young journalist or writer, and a refresher<br />
manual for the older hand at the craft who is<br />
caught between the old and the new, in a<br />
season where innovations and phenomena<br />
constantly change at the speed of light due<br />
to the intense and form-changing patterns<br />
enabled by technical reproduce-ability in all<br />
spheres of human endeavour. Azu<br />
Ishiekwene, covers, to borrow a legalese,<br />
the field, providing us with the equivalent<br />
of a Master Class, a Ted Talk in print about<br />
journalism – its tone, tint and shape in<br />
today’s world. His submissions are rooted<br />
in his own print background, and the<br />
transformations that he and others have<br />
experienced, in the context of media<br />
practice in the age of convergence. <strong>The</strong> print<br />
journalist of old who wrote long-hand in the<br />
newsroom or sat in a corner somewhere,<br />
monitoring the radio, or functioned, or got<br />
his message across with the help of a typist<br />
does not belong in this new age. <strong>The</strong><br />
character of the newsroom has changed. <strong>The</strong><br />
production process has been transformed by<br />
technology. Using his own personal<br />
experiences, and newsroom narratives,<br />
Ishiekwene captures the image of a<br />
newsroom in transition and how the modern<br />
journalist, in a digital age, must learn the<br />
new tricks of practice. Peter F. Drucker, the<br />
management scientist, had written that<br />
innovations and adaptability are two factors<br />
central to the survival of business.<br />
Ishiekwene provides lessons in adaptation:<br />
with useful tips about how a journalist can<br />
think like an entrepreneur to enhance his<br />
trade and skills. But he begins with tips<br />
about the very nature of the trade itself, and<br />
he is very practical about his submissions,<br />
providing in every chapter, a summary and<br />
a reading list after the fashion and standard<br />
of training manuals.<br />
This is a book, all things considered, by<br />
a master-practitioner advising the young and<br />
the old about the how of our trade, hence the<br />
chapters offer advice about how a<br />
writer/journalist can find his or her voice;<br />
and the importance of originality and<br />
feedback; how to find a subject to write<br />
about, style and its elements, how to find<br />
and use resources, make impact, avoid<br />
stepping on the wrong side of the law, how<br />
to manage feedback and trolls in a season<br />
dominated by the sheer, unavoidable<br />
democratization of the media space, which<br />
has turned every citizen into a journalist,<br />
blurring the lines literally. Only about three<br />
chapters in the book, out of 15, deal directly<br />
with making money and certainly not in the<br />
sense in which making money has become<br />
a base affliction in Nigeria. Ishiekwene<br />
writes about Syndication (Chapter 10),<br />
Writing for Global Audiences (Chapter 11)<br />
and Branding Your Content (Chapter 12) but<br />
the kind of money this journalist writes<br />
about may not even be earned without<br />
contacts, distinctive practice, skills and<br />
ability.<br />
I find particularly noteworthy the<br />
author’s reflections on how the emergence<br />
and impact of social media and Artificial<br />
Intelligence has disrupted the practice. <strong>The</strong><br />
predicted death of the newspaper, like the<br />
predicted death of the author has not<br />
occurred – what has changed is the mode of<br />
practice, and the pressing impact of new<br />
forms. This author does not preach against<br />
change, rather he encourages adaptation and<br />
innovation, two values at the centre of the<br />
modern convergence. A big take-away is<br />
that the journalist – aspiring or old – must<br />
read, to learn new ideas, new turns of<br />
phrase, style and trends. “Reading maketh<br />
the man” says Francis Bacon, and in this<br />
book, the author signposts the value of<br />
reading without necessarily showing off. It<br />
remains for the public to read his book too.<br />
I recommend Writing for Media and<br />
Monetising It as a useful text that should<br />
become part of the teaching curriculum in<br />
Nigerian schools of journalism, and as a<br />
handy text for the practitioner who needs to<br />
be reminded of basic ideas in this troubled<br />
age when the newsroom is increasingly<br />
populated by an emerging crowd of tryros<br />
who can hardly put a sentence together. <strong>The</strong><br />
book is published by Premium Times, an<br />
online media company, which in Nigeria is<br />
a comforting reminder of the vast<br />
possibilities of convergence and about<br />
money - Premium Times would probably<br />
make all the money from the sale of this<br />
book. Finally, this is an eminently readable<br />
book. I urge you all to get a copy and read it.
Page16 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> AUGUST 7 - <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>24<br />
<strong>The</strong>Arts<br />
Writing For Media<br />
– Where is the Money?<br />
Book Review By Reuben Abati<br />
Azu Ishiekwene, Writing for Media and Monetising It.<br />
Abuja: Premium Times Books, <strong>20</strong>24, xxxi +259 pp.<br />
Iwas drawn to this book almost instantly<br />
by its title. – Writing for Media and<br />
Monetising It. Azu Ishiekwene, the<br />
author, and I have been colleagues and<br />
friends for decades, we have spent more or<br />
less the same stretch of time in this business<br />
of reporting and analysing society and other<br />
people’s life and times, and here comes Azu<br />
sending me a book in which he talks about<br />
how our hustle can be monetized. Is there<br />
something Azu knows that I don’t know and<br />
in this our business of being friends, he has<br />
been making money on top of our heads,<br />
and he has been keeping the secret to<br />
himself until now that he thinks he can share<br />
some of the tips? He has been keeping<br />
secrets? <strong>The</strong> speed with which I rushed, to<br />
use a common phrase, into the book is<br />
imaginable. My discovery is that the title is<br />
misleading. Azu is a vintage, tested editor, a<br />
master of headlines-casting and crafting -<br />
something he has done for more than 30<br />
years. He got me hooked.<br />
With a catchy title he gets you into the<br />
story, and he leads you on. He knows the<br />
game. So, catch the reader’s attention, a<br />
precious commodity in journalism and then<br />
peel the story, layer by layer in an onionpeeling<br />
fashion. In terms of procedure, this<br />
is what Azu Ishiekwene does in this book.<br />
For the benefit of the ordinary enthusiast,<br />
journalism is not a money-making machine<br />
for the reporter, the editor, the producer or<br />
the cameraman, especially in a country like<br />
Nigeria where due to the general<br />
dispossession of the economy, media<br />
owners are struggling to pay salaries, the<br />
business environment is hostile, and there is<br />
no deliberate, informed and conscious effort<br />
on the part of government to connect culture<br />
to the development process and provide<br />
necessary incentives. Even in other<br />
countries where cultural policy<br />
appropriately centres the mass media and<br />
the freedom of information, journalism is a<br />
profession driven by commitment, the urge<br />
to be heard and to make a difference and a<br />
readiness to learn, and re-learn continuously.<br />
This is the actual thrust of this publication.<br />
Nonetheless, Samuel Johnson in a<br />
famous self-deprecatory statement once said<br />
that “No one but a blockhead ever wrote<br />
except for money… but his art.” Pablo<br />
Picasso, the painter said he did not want to<br />
be saddled with material worries “like a<br />
pauper”. He wanted a lot of money. It is not<br />
only Picasso to whom money appeals, we<br />
all want money, but Azu Ishiekwene’s<br />
“Writing for Media and Monetising It” is<br />
more than that: he strikes a balance between<br />
opportunities available to the writer in the<br />
age of digital adaptation, but this is more a<br />
book about the art and craft of journalism<br />
itself in an age of transition, covering a<br />
broad range of issues: personal<br />
development, voice and style, impact<br />
writing, the law, managing the social media<br />
and its discontents, journalism in the age of<br />
Artificial Intelligence, branding and self -<br />
reinvention. <strong>The</strong> book is enriched by the<br />
many voices that it projects: this is not just<br />
Azu Ishiekwene speaking to us: we are<br />
offered examples and the voices of other<br />
journalists across the spectrum of print and<br />
social media, making the book all the more<br />
relatable, delivered in a classic, precision<br />
writing style. Azu writes in an economic<br />
fashion; his style is concise.<br />
It is most refreshing to hear the voices in<br />
this book, across generations of the likes of<br />
Farooq Kperogi, Sam Omatseye, Fisayo<br />
Soyombo on social media responses, and<br />
how to manage feedback and trolls (Chapter<br />
8, at pp. 71 – 76); Abimbola Adelakun and<br />
Ruona Meyer on branding (Chapter 12, at<br />
pp. 110 – 117); the examples of Linda Ikeji,<br />
Abdusalam Idris, Tunde Ednut and Adeola<br />
Fayehun (Chapter 13 – Making Money, at<br />
pp. 125 -128); Professor Toyin Falola and<br />
Tunde Odediran on self-reinvention<br />
(Chapter 14, at pp. 141 – 151), and the more<br />
extensive conversation with Dele Olojede<br />
Continued on Page 15><br />
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