The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 632 (September 18 - October 1 2024)
Africa on the UN Security Council: Why the Continent should have two permanent seats
Africa on the UN Security Council: Why the Continent should have two permanent seats
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Africans now have a voice... Founded in 1995<br />
V O L 30 N O <strong>632</strong> S E P T E M B E R <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Man pleads<br />
guilty to<br />
kicking dog<br />
and racially<br />
abusing<br />
Police<br />
Officers<br />
<strong>The</strong> walkway of the UN Headquarters in Nairobi (Photo - Danish Dhamani, CCA-SA 3.0 Unported)<br />
Africa on the UN<br />
Security Council:<br />
Why the<br />
continent should<br />
have two<br />
permanent seats<br />
By Sithembile Mbete, University of Pretoria<br />
Continued on Page 3><br />
Tayler Thompson<br />
A27-year-old man who kicked a<br />
dog before racially abusing two<br />
Police Officers has pleaded<br />
guilty to a string of offences.<br />
Tayler Thompson from Kitts Green<br />
pleaded guilty at Birmingham<br />
Magistrates Court on 9 <strong>September</strong> - to<br />
causing unnecessary suffering to a<br />
protected animal.<br />
Thompson kicked the dog as its<br />
owner walked her pet past his home in<br />
the early hours of the 17 June.<br />
After he verbally abused the woman,<br />
he got into his car and drove off, leaving<br />
the distressed woman and her dog in the<br />
street.<br />
Fortunately, the incident was captured<br />
on CCTV. It was posted onto social<br />
media, with Thompson’s actions<br />
shocking many members of the public.<br />
After being identified by officers,<br />
Thompson was arrested from his home<br />
address.<br />
Thompson was charged with animal<br />
cruelty, possession of class B drugs and<br />
two counts of using threatening language<br />
and behaviour.<br />
He was also charged with two counts<br />
of racial harassment after verbally<br />
abusing our officers while in custody.<br />
He is due to be sentenced at<br />
Birmingham Crown Court on 7 <strong>October</strong>.<br />
Detective Sergeant Peta Haynes from<br />
Birmingham Police, said: “This case<br />
understandably caused outrage when the<br />
video was shared on social media, and<br />
officers were quickly able to identify the<br />
offender and put him before the court.<br />
“This was a really traumatic incident<br />
for the woman, who was simply walking<br />
her dog when Thompson verbally abused<br />
and kicked her dog in an unprovoked<br />
attack.<br />
“Thompson also subjected our<br />
officers to racial abuse while being taken<br />
into custody. Our officers put their lives<br />
on the line every day to protect our<br />
communities and to receive this level of<br />
abuse is just unacceptable. This should<br />
send a strong message out to people that<br />
this kind of behaviour is not acceptable<br />
and that action will be taken.”
Page2 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong>Trump et<br />
Africans now have a voice... Founded in 1995<br />
SUBSCRIBE to the authentic newspaper<br />
focusing on Africa and Friends of Africa.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Trumpet</strong> <strong>Newspaper</strong> which was<br />
established in 1995 has over the years grown<br />
to be the <strong>Newspaper</strong> of choice and voice for<br />
Diaspora Africans.<br />
It also has a readership among Africans on<br />
the Continent who want to connect and<br />
keep up with Diaspora Africans; and Friends<br />
of Africa who want to connect and keep up<br />
with Africa.<br />
We are pleased to offer more choices to read<br />
<strong>Trumpet</strong> <strong>Newspaper</strong> via Subscription to our<br />
Digital edition or Print edition (or both).<br />
As a paid Subscriber, you will enjoy:<br />
• Priority and Direct delivery of every<br />
fortnightly issue to you (Digital - via email<br />
and Print via Post).<br />
• Occasional exclusive offers and event<br />
invitations (subject to availability).<br />
Our Subscription Rates vary according to<br />
where you are in the world: UK, Europe<br />
or Rest of the World.<br />
You can Subscribe online at:<br />
<strong>Trumpet</strong>MediaGroup.com/Shop<br />
or complete the form below.<br />
I / We wish to subscribe to<br />
<strong>Trumpet</strong> <strong>Newspaper</strong> until further notice:<br />
Name:<br />
Rates and options ( Tick ✔)<br />
Address:<br />
Email:<br />
Tel No:<br />
I/We made a payment of £ on (date) into<br />
your Bank Account: Account Name: Target Today Ltd.<br />
Sort Code: 20 32 00<br />
Account No: 03946231<br />
I am / We are enclosing cheque for £<br />
Target Today Ltd.<br />
made payable to<br />
Signature:<br />
I / We have sent a payment of £<br />
targettoday@the-trumpet.com<br />
via Paypal to<br />
Date:<br />
Please send me a Stripe Payment Link<br />
Return Subscription Form by Email: info@the-trumpet.com<br />
or Post: <strong>Trumpet</strong> Media, 3rd Floor, 86 - 90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE
News<br />
Africa on the UN Security Council:<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page3<br />
Why the continent should have<br />
two permanent seats<br />
Continued from Page 1<<br />
Africa’s desire to be fully represented<br />
in all decision-making organs of<br />
the United Nations (UN),<br />
particularly in the Security Council, is<br />
informed by three factors. First, repairing<br />
the historical injustice of its underrepresentation<br />
in global governance.<br />
Second, recognising African contributions<br />
in shaping the contemporary world order.<br />
Third, the urgency of securing the<br />
legitimacy of the UN in the face of<br />
emerging threats to international peace and<br />
security.<br />
At the African Union’s fifth ordinary<br />
session held in Sirte, Libya in 2005, African<br />
leaders adopted the Ezulwini consensus. It<br />
expressed Africa’s desire to be fully<br />
represented in all decision-making organs<br />
of the UN, particularly in the Security<br />
Council.<br />
Africa’s experience of the UN system<br />
over the past 80 years has been one of<br />
misrepresentation and under-representation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> media, academics and global<br />
political actors portray the continent as a<br />
basket-case of backward societies that are<br />
always receiving aid, rather than as agents<br />
of progress. <strong>The</strong> continent is excluded from<br />
permanent membership of the Security<br />
Council, and inadequately represented as<br />
non-permanent members.<br />
Africa’s common position on UN<br />
reform calls for no less than two permanent<br />
seats, with all the prerogatives and<br />
privileges of permanent membership<br />
including the right of veto.<br />
Africa also wants five non-permanent<br />
seats.<br />
Reform of the Security Council is long<br />
overdue. Its structure - five permanent<br />
members with veto power and ten nonpermanent<br />
elected members serving twoyear<br />
terms - is outdated. It reflects the<br />
configuration of global power at the end of<br />
the Second World War.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Security Council is the most<br />
powerful body of the UN. It is the primary<br />
body responsible for maintaining<br />
international peace and security. Its<br />
decisions are binding on UN Member<br />
States. Africa is the only region without a<br />
permanent seat, despite representing 54 of<br />
the 193 members of the UN and 17% of the<br />
world’s population.<br />
<strong>The</strong> council faces a credibility crisis<br />
because of its failure to address the biggest<br />
conflicts of our time. Expanding<br />
representation and democratising its<br />
working methods is essential to ensuring its<br />
legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness in<br />
meeting the security challenges of the<br />
future.<br />
Historical injustices<br />
<strong>The</strong> goal of Africa’s common position<br />
is to correct the “historical injustice” of its<br />
lack of representation and recognition. And<br />
the many injustices the continent has<br />
endured over the past 500 years.<br />
Over four centuries, the European slave<br />
trade trafficked about 12 million to 15<br />
million Africans across the Atlantic to<br />
produce sugar, coffee, tobacco and cotton<br />
for the global capitalist economy. As the<br />
African scholar Adekeye Adebajo argues,<br />
the West’s industrialisation was thus<br />
literally built on the back of African slavery.<br />
For Africa, the slave trade brought about<br />
devastating and irrevocable consequences<br />
in the form of depopulation, increased<br />
warfare to enslave more people, mass<br />
migration, and ecological damage that<br />
exacerbated diseases and food insecurity.<br />
This sorry history takes us to Berlin in<br />
<strong>18</strong>84, where European leaders parcelled out<br />
the continent among themselves.<br />
A major consequence was the<br />
imposition of Colonial States that divided<br />
communities and operated on a logic of<br />
extraction and oppression of their<br />
populations. This continues to be felt in the<br />
unmanageable governance systems on the<br />
continent that are often incompatible with<br />
democracy and the rule of law.<br />
This has led to intractable violent<br />
conflicts. In the 30 years since the end of<br />
the cold war in 1991, African conflicts have<br />
dominated the Security Council agenda.<br />
African issues took up nearly 50% of the<br />
council’s meetings and 70% of its<br />
resolutions. Africa is (permanently) on the<br />
menu, but Africans do not have a<br />
(permanent) seat at the table.<br />
Berlin also laid the foundations for the<br />
neo-colonialism that continues to define<br />
Africa’s economic relations with the rich<br />
nations. Africa loses an estimated US$203<br />
billion a year through illicit financial flows,<br />
profits by multinational corporations and<br />
ecological destruction.<br />
In 1945, world leaders gathered to<br />
establish the United Nations. Of the 51<br />
original Member States only four were<br />
African: Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and the<br />
Union of South Africa. Most of Africa was<br />
still under colonial rule.<br />
Africa’s contribution to the UN<br />
Africa has not been a mere recipient of<br />
the UN’s largesse, but an active contributor<br />
to its success.<br />
As more African States gained their<br />
independence in the 1960s, they agitated for<br />
reform of the Security Council. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
succeeded in its expansion from 11 to 15<br />
members, in 1965, with the addition of<br />
elected seats for Africa.<br />
<strong>The</strong> UN’s practice and jurisprudence<br />
evolved through the activism of African<br />
States. Milestones include the declaration<br />
of apartheid as a crime against humanity in<br />
1973 and adoption of the international<br />
apartheid convention.<br />
Over the past 60 years Africans have<br />
contributed personnel to UN peacekeeping<br />
missions around the world. Four African<br />
countries are in the top 10 contributors of<br />
peacekeepers. African countries also took<br />
up the cause of independence for Namibia<br />
in the International Court of Justice. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
have also taken leadership in the UN,<br />
including two Secretaries General.<br />
Continued on Page 6
Page4<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> Group<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
News<br />
Jailed for knifepoint<br />
raid on homeowner<br />
Field: 07956 385 604<br />
E-mail:<br />
info@the-trumpet.com<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong>Team<br />
PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:<br />
’Femi Okutubo<br />
CONTRIBUTORS:<br />
Moji Idowu, Ayo Odumade,<br />
Steve Mulindwa<br />
SPECIAL PROJECTS:<br />
Odafe Atogun<br />
John-Brown Adegunsoye (Abuja)<br />
DESIGN:<br />
Xandydesigns@gmail.com<br />
Marvin Rodney<br />
James Millington<br />
ATLANTA BUREAU CHIEF:<br />
Uko-Bendi Udo<br />
3695 F Cascade Road #2140 Atlanta,<br />
GA 30331 USA<br />
Tel: +1 404 889 3613<br />
E-mail: uudo1@hotmail.com<br />
BOARD OF CONSULTANTS<br />
CHAIRMAN:<br />
Pastor Kolade Adebayo-Oke<br />
MEMBERS:<br />
Tunde Ajasa-Alashe<br />
Allison Shoyombo, Peter Osuhon<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> (ISSN: 1477-3392)<br />
is published in London fortnightly<br />
THINKING<br />
OF<br />
WRITING<br />
A BUSINESS<br />
PLAN?<br />
We can help you develop a<br />
professional business plan<br />
from only £250.<br />
For more information, contact us<br />
at 07402792146 or email us at:<br />
tolu.oyewole@consultant.com<br />
Three men have bagged a jail<br />
term of a combined total of more<br />
than 25 years after a terrifying<br />
knifepoint raid on a homeowner in<br />
Wednesbury.<br />
36-year-old James Millington wore<br />
an orange high visibility jacket and<br />
posed as a delivery driver before<br />
knocking on the door of his victim’s<br />
home in Wednesbury, on the morning<br />
of 12 December last year.<br />
Moments after the man answered<br />
the door and briefly chatted to<br />
Millington, two other men: 33-year-old<br />
Marvin Rodney and 27-year-old Leon<br />
Kudhlakwazinda forced their way into<br />
his home, with one carrying a knife.<br />
<strong>The</strong> victim was walked into the<br />
kitchen where he was told to stand<br />
against the wall, before one of the men<br />
asked “Where’s the money?”<br />
Two of the men then went upstairs<br />
and began searching. But it appeared<br />
the men had targeted the wrong house<br />
as they asked the victim “We’re looking<br />
for our stuff, where is it?”<br />
<strong>The</strong> homeowner told the men they<br />
had got the wrong house and they left.<br />
He then contacted us and our<br />
investigation began.<br />
<strong>The</strong> incident was filmed on doorbell<br />
footage and captured the moment<br />
Millington approached the door with a<br />
parcel and spoke to the man.<br />
West Midlands Police were able to<br />
identify Millington as there was a clear<br />
image of his uncovered face.<br />
Police obtained CCTV which<br />
showed Millington arriving with two<br />
Leon Kudhlakwazinda<br />
men who we later identified as Rodney<br />
and Kudhlakwazinda, walking to the<br />
premises.<br />
CCTV footage had captured an Alfa<br />
Romeo vehicle in a nearby street<br />
believed to have been used to transport<br />
the three men to the scene.<br />
Millington was arrested the<br />
following day and Rodney on<br />
December 20. When Police arrested<br />
Kudhlakwazinda on 2 February, a<br />
search discovered an Alfa Romeo car<br />
key believed to be from the vehicle<br />
used to transport the men on the day.<br />
At Shrewsbury Crown Court,<br />
Rodney from Darlington Street,<br />
Wolverhampton, was handed a 12-year<br />
jail term after being convicted of a<br />
charge of aggravated burglary<br />
following a trial.<br />
Kudhlakwazinda from Whitehall<br />
Road, Tipton, was jailed for 11 years<br />
after being convicted of the same<br />
charge following a trial while<br />
Millington from Cannock Road,<br />
Wolverhampton, was jailed for two<br />
years seven months after pleading<br />
guilty to burglary.<br />
Sgt Andrew Mason, Neighbourhood<br />
Crime Team Investigation Supervisor,<br />
at Walsall LPA, said: “<strong>The</strong>se three men<br />
invaded the victim’s home at<br />
knifepoint. It must have been a<br />
terrifying experience for him. We are<br />
delighted that these men are now facing<br />
many years behind bars. It sends out a<br />
clear warning to others intent on<br />
carrying out offences of this nature –<br />
we simply won’t tolerate it.”<br />
People with information about<br />
crime in their neighbourhood should<br />
contact us via Live Chat on our website<br />
or by calling 101. Alternatively contact<br />
CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800<br />
55111.
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page5
Page6 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
News<br />
Africa on the UN Security Council:<br />
Why the continent should have<br />
two permanent seats<br />
Continued from Page 3<<br />
<strong>The</strong> African Union and African regional<br />
actors oversee 10 peace operations. African<br />
peace missions have upheld important UN<br />
norms by challenging unconstitutional<br />
changes of government.<br />
Within the Security Council, successive<br />
African members have led informal reforms<br />
like:<br />
sharing the pen holding responsibility<br />
on African issues<br />
promoting closer relations between the<br />
UN and regional organisations<br />
ensuring security interventions respond<br />
to the needs of people in conflict situations.<br />
African States have long lobbied the council<br />
to reduce poverty and control the flow of<br />
small arms as strategies for conflict<br />
prevention.<br />
Ensuring legitimacy of the UN<br />
Finally, reform of the UN is necessary<br />
to ensure its legitimacy in an uncertain<br />
future of new and evolving security threats.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se include the climate crisis, novel<br />
pandemics and new technologies like<br />
artificial intelligence.<br />
UN Security Council - Nov 2023 (Photo - Wikiweeki, CCA 4.0 Interational)<br />
Failure to solve major conflicts in the<br />
past decade has dented the institution’s<br />
credibility.<br />
If institutions are perceived to be<br />
exclusive and unfair, members stop<br />
cooperating with them.<br />
Looking to the future<br />
<strong>The</strong> UN turns 100 in 2045. At that point<br />
Africa will have 2.3 billion people, making<br />
up 25% of the global population. Young<br />
Africans will be the world’s work force and<br />
consumer base, fuelling the global<br />
economy. Will the membership of the<br />
Security Council still look like it does<br />
today?<br />
<strong>The</strong> nature of global threats and the<br />
definition of international security have<br />
changed dramatically since 1945. Such<br />
threats can only be resolved by a security<br />
council that represents the interests and<br />
perspectives of all humanity.<br />
This is an edited version of the author’s<br />
address to the UN Security Council on 12<br />
August <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Sithembile Mbete is a Senior Lecturer in<br />
Political Science at University of Pretoria.<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/africa-on-theun-security-council-why-the-continentshould-have-two-permanent-seats-236720.<br />
Female combatants of South African Contingent in MONUSCO (Photo - Michael Ali, MONUSCO - CCA-SA 2.0 Generic)
Opinion<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Photos of witnesses sought<br />
issued following murder of<br />
Mussie Imnetu<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page7<br />
Mussie Imnetu<br />
Detectives investigating the<br />
murder of a man attacked in the<br />
vicinity of Notting Hill Carnival<br />
have issued images of 16 witnesses they<br />
are keen to speak to. Police believe they<br />
may have information about the attack.<br />
Detective Chief Inspector Brian<br />
Howie from the Metropolitan Police’s<br />
Homicide Command, who is leading the<br />
investigation, said: “We have images of a<br />
number of people who were in or near the<br />
Dr Power restaurant at the time of the<br />
attack. Are you one of the people pictured<br />
or do you recognise anyone? Did you<br />
hear or see something either before or<br />
after the attack that may help with the<br />
investigation?<br />
“I would like to stress that none of<br />
those pictured have done anything wrong.<br />
Perhaps they were enjoying post carnival<br />
celebrations and may not live in the area<br />
but they could hold information that is<br />
important to the investigation and I urge<br />
them to contact us.”<br />
41-year-old Mussie Imnetu, who was<br />
visiting the UK from Dubai where he<br />
lived and worked, was found<br />
unconscious with a head injury in<br />
Queensway, W2 at 23:22hrs on Monday,<br />
26 August.<br />
Officers provided emergency first aid<br />
until paramedics arrived. Mussie was<br />
taken to a West London hospital where,<br />
despite the best efforts of medical staff,<br />
he sadly died on Friday, 30 August.<br />
On Thursday 29 August, 31-year-old<br />
Omar Wilson of Napier Road,<br />
Leytonstone was charged with causing<br />
Grievous Bodily Harm with intent. He<br />
appeared at Westminster Magistrates’<br />
Court on Friday, 30 August, where he<br />
was remanded in custody to appear at<br />
Southwark Crown Court on 27<br />
<strong>September</strong>.<br />
In light of Mussie’s death, the offence<br />
will be reviewed in conjunction with the<br />
Crown Prosecution Service.<br />
Detective Chief Inspector Brian<br />
Howie said: “Mussie’s family, friends<br />
and colleagues in London, Dubai,<br />
Sweden and Eritrea are inconsolable after<br />
receiving the worst news imaginable –<br />
our thoughts are with them and they are<br />
being supported by specialist officers.<br />
“Our investigation is well advanced,<br />
but we are still very keen to hear from<br />
anyone who can help piece together<br />
Mussie’s movements between 13:00hrs<br />
when we know he left <strong>The</strong> Arts Club in<br />
Dover Street, W1 and when he arrived at<br />
Dr Power restaurant, in Queensway at<br />
22:30hrs.<br />
“If you visited the restaurant between<br />
22:00hrs and 23:30hrs on Monday night<br />
or were in the area and saw something,<br />
regardless of the reason you were there,<br />
please do get in touch.<br />
“Our focus is on what happened to<br />
Mussie. Did you speak with him at the<br />
restaurant or do you have any images or<br />
videos between these times that could<br />
assist the investigation? <strong>The</strong> attack<br />
happened around 23:20hrs. Customers at<br />
the venue tried to help stop the attack; we<br />
need to speak with these people and I<br />
urge them to contact us.”<br />
Officers will be outside the restaurant<br />
and in the surrounding area from 2100hrs<br />
on Monday, 2 <strong>September</strong>, to hand out<br />
appeal leaflets and speak with local<br />
people one week after the murder.<br />
Anyone with information should call<br />
the police on 101, message @MetCC on<br />
X or contact CrimeStoppers,<br />
anonymously, on 0800 555 111 giving the<br />
reference 8020/26AUG.<br />
Information can also be provided<br />
online, by visiting this dedicated appeal<br />
page.<br />
STALLIONS AIR<br />
Ipanema Travel Ltd<br />
AFRICA FLIGHTS<br />
SPECIALISTS<br />
LAGOS fr £477<br />
(2 Bags)<br />
020 7580 5999<br />
07979 861 455<br />
Call AMIT / ALEX<br />
73 WELLS ST, W1T 3QG<br />
All Fares Seasonal<br />
ATOL 9179
Page8 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Opinion<br />
Now that Tinubu is back…<br />
<strong>The</strong> return of President Bola<br />
Ahmed Tinubu from what<br />
looked like a long trip abroad<br />
must come to many as a relief.<br />
When the President travelled on<br />
August 29, his destination was<br />
announced in very clear terms. He<br />
was heading to China to attend the<br />
Forum for China-Africa<br />
Cooperation (FOCAC) in his<br />
capacity as Nigeria’s leader and as<br />
Chairman of the Economic<br />
Community of West African States<br />
(ECOWAS). <strong>The</strong> President himself<br />
has described his trip to China as<br />
successful. On <strong>September</strong> 2, he met<br />
with President Xi Jinping in the<br />
Great Hall of the People, and also,<br />
On <strong>September</strong> 4 with Premier Li<br />
Qiang, with the Chinese expressing<br />
a commitment to upgrade China-<br />
Nigeria relation to “a<br />
comprehensive strategic<br />
partnership”. At the end of bilateral<br />
meetings with the Chinese, five<br />
Memoranda of Understanding<br />
(MOUs) were signed on the Belt<br />
and Road Initiative, nuclear energy,<br />
infrastructure, media engineering<br />
and mining at national, sub-national<br />
levels and with the Nigerian private<br />
sector. <strong>The</strong> President also visited<br />
two Chinese companies. At the<br />
opening session of FOCAC,<br />
President Tinubu made a strong case<br />
for China-Africa relations within the<br />
context of multilateralism and the<br />
promotion of global peace. I thought<br />
he added a little dose of saccharine<br />
when he said the objectives of<br />
FOCAC align with those of the<br />
Africa Continental Free Trade<br />
Agreement. How exactly? But what<br />
is not in doubt is that China is<br />
determined to further extend its<br />
inroad into Africa and the<br />
developing world, under the New<br />
Silk Road project, committing to<br />
making available to the African<br />
countries additional financing<br />
support of 51.4 billion US dollars.<br />
President Tinubu met with<br />
Nigerians in China, members of<br />
NIDO China chapter, using the<br />
opportunity to explain his<br />
administration’s reform efforts. He<br />
lauded the $280 billion economic<br />
trade partnership between China<br />
and Africa.<br />
China has a lot to gain from<br />
Africa and vice versa. Africa is the<br />
last frontier where major nations of<br />
the world – France, Russia, Japan,<br />
Germany etc. are seeking partners<br />
and markets. In an increasingly<br />
multi-polar world, Africa provides<br />
China with a fertile ground to<br />
deepen its geo-political influence in<br />
the face of its fierce competition<br />
with the West, especially the US in<br />
virtually everything. Africa also has<br />
a lot to learn from the Chinese. I was<br />
expecting that the 53 African<br />
leaders who went to China for<br />
FOCAC would return home with<br />
memories of the technological<br />
wonders in China, the speed trains,<br />
the cutting-edge innovations of the<br />
Chinese, their work culture,<br />
organizational efficiency and<br />
capacity to pay attention to details,<br />
and therefore seek to imbibe the<br />
value of how a nation defines its<br />
own character. African leaders are<br />
very quick at signing MOUs and<br />
showing excitement at the promises<br />
that China offers, but they hardly<br />
have the skills set to maximize<br />
advantages for their own people.<br />
This is the story of the debt trap in<br />
which many African countries<br />
including Zambia, Angola, Ethiopia,<br />
Djibouti and Kenya have found<br />
themselves, resulting in accusations<br />
that what China practices is “debt<br />
trap diplomacy.” Nations look out<br />
for their own interests. No nation<br />
except perhaps Nigeria engages in<br />
Father Christmas diplomacy, and<br />
now years later, the same countries<br />
who benefitted from Nigeria’s<br />
generosity treat us badly. In addition<br />
to whatever we do in the foreign<br />
scene, there is yet a need for the rethinking<br />
of Nigeria’s foreign policy<br />
process.<br />
Shortly before President<br />
Tinubu’s departure to China, there<br />
was an incident involving Ogun<br />
State and a Chinese company,<br />
Zhongstan Fucheng – the<br />
BY REUBEN ABATI<br />
enforcement of an arbitral<br />
judgement which saw three<br />
Nigerian aircraft being attached in<br />
France as well as properties in the<br />
UK and Canada. This was the latest<br />
in a series of agreements that<br />
Nigeria botched. It will be recalled<br />
that around 2016/2017 when<br />
President Muhammadu Buhari<br />
visited China, so many MOUs were<br />
also signed. But what happened?<br />
Many of the agreements with the<br />
Chinese were not implemented or<br />
they are in various states of<br />
confusion, including the HEDA-<br />
SINOPEC deal, and other projects<br />
involving Chinese companies such<br />
as China Composites Group<br />
Corporation (CCGC) and China<br />
National Offshore Oil Corporation<br />
(CNOOC). Many of the issues could<br />
be resolved not through litigation or<br />
arbitration, but diplomacy. Did<br />
President Tinubu address this<br />
challenge during his trip to China?<br />
Was there anything about the<br />
contract problem involving Ogun<br />
State, more so as that particular<br />
issue generated so much concern<br />
among Nigerians? <strong>The</strong> problem<br />
with Nigeria is our ad-hoc-ism, lack<br />
of consistency and continuity.<br />
International agreements require<br />
competence and consistency in<br />
execution. President Tinubu said at<br />
the heart of China-Africa relations<br />
is a foundation built on trust and<br />
mutual respect. <strong>The</strong> Chinese will<br />
only respect us if we get our acts<br />
together. It is not enough to sign<br />
MoUs, there should be followthrough<br />
action on the understanding<br />
reached. President Tinubu has<br />
visited about 24 countries in the last<br />
16 months. We need Ambassadors<br />
in these countries. Many of our<br />
Missions have no Ambassadors<br />
manning them at the most senior<br />
level. It has been a whole year since<br />
Nigerian envoys were recalled. <strong>The</strong><br />
President must send envoys abroad,<br />
Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and China's President Xi Jinping Continued on Page 9
Opinion<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Now that Tinubu is back…<br />
Continued from Page 8<<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page9<br />
competent persons not party<br />
members and their children looking<br />
for titles!<br />
<strong>The</strong> China summit ended on<br />
<strong>September</strong> 6, and we were informed<br />
that the President would have a<br />
stop-over in London. He stayed<br />
longer in London than he did in<br />
China, only to return on Sunday,<br />
after more than an additional week.<br />
In one report, we were informed that<br />
the President stopped over to<br />
discuss climate action with King<br />
Charles III. For one week? What<br />
kind of climate action discussion is<br />
that? This is not the first time that<br />
the President would travel to one<br />
destination, and instead of returning<br />
after his main assignment, Nigerians<br />
would be told that he would stop<br />
over either in France or London.<br />
Twice, his managers even forgot to<br />
announce his whereabouts. Such<br />
absent-mindedness should be<br />
avoided, the President of Nigeria<br />
must not disappear into an artificial<br />
Bermuda triangle even for a day,<br />
only to show up later in a photo-op.<br />
<strong>The</strong> people of Nigeria have the right<br />
to ask for their President. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
voted for him. He asked to be given<br />
the job. <strong>The</strong> littlest expectation is<br />
that he will show up on duty. If there<br />
is any reason for him to be absent,<br />
the people have the right to know. In<br />
the absence of transparency,<br />
Nigerians are quick to resort to<br />
speculations and rumourmongering.<br />
And that was exactly<br />
what happened this time around:<br />
someone had taken a photograph of<br />
the President leaving a hospital in<br />
London, it was said, and<br />
immediately the rumour-mill<br />
jumped to the conclusion that the<br />
President had gone to see his<br />
doctors. <strong>The</strong> President is a human<br />
being. <strong>The</strong>re is nowhere in the<br />
Nigerian Constitution where it is<br />
said that to be eligible for President,<br />
the candidate must be super-human.<br />
<strong>The</strong> President’s handlers must pay<br />
attention to this detail and going<br />
forward, respect the people’s right<br />
to know. In other parts of the world,<br />
the state of the President’s health<br />
could have reverberations in<br />
markets, and generate political<br />
consequences.<br />
But now that he is back, it is<br />
good to see him, getting back<br />
quickly into the groove of things. He<br />
was in Maiduguri, Borno State<br />
capital yesterday to identify with the<br />
people who were displaced by the<br />
massive flooding that overtook<br />
Maiduguri and Jere LGAs of the<br />
State. Knowing that the President<br />
had just returned from the UK<br />
where he reportedly discussed<br />
climate action with the King, and<br />
knowing that there have been<br />
torrential floods in parts of the<br />
world, certain government officials<br />
may inform the government that the<br />
flooding in Maiduguri is as a result<br />
of climate change. It is a lie. <strong>The</strong><br />
flooding could have been prevented.<br />
<strong>The</strong> dam managers, if they are<br />
experts, should have known that<br />
there would be a massive inflow<br />
from Nagdda River, at a particular<br />
time of the year, and plan for any<br />
eventuality accordingly. I refer<br />
President Tinubu to a damning<br />
report in the Daily Trust of Monday,<br />
<strong>September</strong> 16 at page 4 titled<br />
“Maiduguri flood: N400m budgeted<br />
for Alau Dam in 4 years.” <strong>The</strong> pith<br />
of the story is that the Alau Dam has<br />
been defective for upwards nine<br />
years, and despite over N400<br />
million budgeted for its<br />
rehabilitation between 2020 and<br />
<strong>2024</strong>, the dam managers did<br />
nothing. Now, over 30,000 persons<br />
have been displaced, the death toll<br />
Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and China's President Xi Jinping<br />
keeps mounting, there are fears of a<br />
possible disease outbreak. <strong>The</strong> visit<br />
of the President and the Vice<br />
President before him, and the<br />
prompt response of the agencies:<br />
NEMA and the Nigerian Army is<br />
commendable, but there is a lot<br />
more to be done. <strong>The</strong> President<br />
should order an immediate<br />
investigation into the Borno flood<br />
incident. What happened to the<br />
budgeted funds? Who collected<br />
what? What did the Chad Basin<br />
Development Authority do or did<br />
not do? Each time there is a crisis in<br />
this country, we are quick to lament<br />
and wring our hands, but the real<br />
challenge is the negligence and<br />
incompetence of officials. Every<br />
year, Nigeria’s low plains are<br />
flooded, from the banks of Rivers<br />
Niger and Benue to the Delta. Farms<br />
are destroyed. Lives are lost. We<br />
lament. We move on. <strong>The</strong> following<br />
year, the same tale is re-enacted – it<br />
is either the Rivers Niger and Benue<br />
overflow their banks, or water is<br />
released from Lagdo Dam in<br />
Cameroon, or from Oyan Dam or<br />
the Ogun-Osun River Basin. We<br />
lament. We move on. This year, the<br />
Nigeria Hydrological Services<br />
Agency in its <strong>2024</strong> Annual Flood<br />
Outlook had listed 31 States as highrisk<br />
areas, including Borno.<br />
Characteristically, nobody took<br />
precautions. We need to take a<br />
second look at our dams nationwide,<br />
and the management of the<br />
country’s river basins.<br />
President Tinubu returned to<br />
Nigeria on the same day NNPC<br />
Limited lifted petrol, from the<br />
Dangote Refinery, a $20 billion<br />
investment, with a refining capacity<br />
of over 650,000 barrels per day, the<br />
largest single-train refinery in the<br />
world. Dangote has been praised<br />
deservedly for his courage,<br />
patriotism and faith in the Nigerian<br />
project, and on Sunday, President<br />
Tinubu was also congratulated. It is<br />
on his watch that the Dangote<br />
Refinery began its operations.<br />
Government-owned refineries have<br />
been moribund for about 28 years,<br />
swallowing State resources and<br />
producing nothing of value other<br />
than corruption. <strong>The</strong> Dangote<br />
Refinery marks a watershed<br />
moment in Nigeria’s oil and gas<br />
industry. <strong>The</strong> responsibility of<br />
government is to provide an<br />
enabling environment for those who<br />
believe in this country to thrive.<br />
This is why I consider the<br />
altercation between NNPC Limited<br />
and Dangote Refinery, somewhat of<br />
a distraction. Dangote Refinery is<br />
not an NGO, it is not a charity<br />
organization. It is in business to<br />
Continued on Page 10 >
Page10 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Opinion<br />
Now that Tinubu is back…<br />
Continued from Page 8<<br />
make profit. NNPC Limited is also<br />
in business to make profit, what it<br />
calls a willing buyer, willing seller<br />
market. <strong>The</strong> regulator is the Nigeria<br />
Midstream and Downstream<br />
Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA).<br />
Whatever negotiations that may be<br />
necessary by <strong>October</strong> 1 as<br />
announced must be the focus of the<br />
government at this time, not the<br />
battle of press releases that we have<br />
seen in the last few days. As<br />
President Tinubu settles down after<br />
his long trip around the world, he<br />
must get on top of the issue of petrol<br />
supply. Nigerians would like to<br />
know for once if the government is<br />
truly subsidizing fuel and by what<br />
amount and if the Petroleum<br />
Industry Act (PIA) needs to be<br />
revisited, so be it. Laws should<br />
serve the best interests of the people.<br />
Market forces must wear a Nigerian<br />
face.<br />
<strong>The</strong> energy security that has been<br />
talked about, and savings in forex<br />
expenditure that local refining may<br />
bring should translate into greater<br />
productivity in the Nigerian<br />
economy. President Tinubu should<br />
President Tinubu arrives at the Great Hall for a meeting with President Xi Jinping<br />
move away from running a<br />
palliatives economy, and run an<br />
economy that puts people to work<br />
and creates massive opportunities.<br />
This should be the renewed hope<br />
message that he preaches. No<br />
country grows on the strength of a<br />
handout economy, where as we have<br />
seen, the people have been turned<br />
into beggars in their own country.<br />
<strong>The</strong> people of Nigeria have made it<br />
clear that they are hungry and angry,<br />
and what government does is to<br />
distribute rice, and millet, and cash<br />
that may not be properly accounted<br />
for. I have only just heard that each<br />
Minister has been given 1,200 bags<br />
of rice to distribute to the old and<br />
vulnerable in their constituencies.<br />
Your guess is as good as mine as to<br />
what will happen to those bags of<br />
rice, but there is also something ugly<br />
about having a Federal Cabinet of<br />
rice distributors.<br />
In Maiduguri, President Tinubu<br />
reportedly said he had to alter his<br />
travel plans to return home to visit<br />
Maiduguri. He had planned to move<br />
from the UK to America. I don’t<br />
want to believe that he actually said<br />
that. He went to China a week after<br />
returning from France! <strong>The</strong>re is<br />
brewing discontent in the land as a<br />
result of the rising cost of living. If,<br />
as someone calculated, it costs about<br />
N1,500 to have a slightly decent<br />
meal these days, then anyone would<br />
need about N5,000 per day.<br />
Multiply that by 30 days, that is<br />
about N150,000 per month on<br />
feeding alone. People have other<br />
expenses, including rent, out of<br />
pocket healthcare spending, an army<br />
of extended family mouths, and<br />
other dependants, and yet the<br />
minimum wage of N70,000 has not<br />
yet been implemented. <strong>The</strong> new<br />
national minimum wage has already<br />
been wiped out by inflation. It is no<br />
longer a status thing to own a car. It<br />
is expensive to maintain. In the<br />
month of August, Nigerian youths<br />
trooped out in a protest they called<br />
#EndBadGovernnace, some of the<br />
persons arrested during that protest<br />
are now facing trial for treason.<br />
Should any citizen receive the death<br />
penalty for saying he or she is<br />
hungry, or for carrying placards?<br />
While the President was away, these<br />
same angry youths have been<br />
talking about another protest. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
call it #Fearlessin<strong>October</strong>. <strong>The</strong>re is<br />
an army of hungry people out there<br />
ready to defy the authorities. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
think they deserve more than the<br />
handouts of rice, maize and millet<br />
from their government. Other<br />
Presidents before Tinubu enjoyed<br />
some honeymoon with the people of<br />
Nigeria before the critics descended<br />
on them. President Tinubu must<br />
reconsider his strategy.
Opinion<br />
Beyond the barrel: <strong>The</strong><br />
tourism imperative (1)<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Page11<br />
Nigeria is at the moment in a<br />
precarious position, teetering like a<br />
heavy toddler due to the instability<br />
of its monocrop economy. <strong>The</strong> country’s<br />
heavy dependence on crude (not even<br />
refined) petroleum exports exposes a<br />
cumulative effect of defective political<br />
economies and the complacency of the<br />
ruling elite “who have been trained as to<br />
how not to think”. It also reminds one of the<br />
stage-like observations of Robert Nester<br />
Marley, that “in the midst of water, the fool<br />
goes thirsty”.<br />
Nigeria’s reliance on oil can be<br />
diversified, but the elite’s mindset stands in<br />
the way. A notable example is Mexico’s<br />
Acapulco, which transformed from an<br />
insignificant town to a luxurious tourist<br />
destination. In the 1940s, President Miguel<br />
Alemán Valdés spearheaded its transition<br />
into a world-class resort town, showcasing<br />
Mexico’s natural beauty and culture. This<br />
earned Acapulco the nickname, ‘<strong>The</strong> Pearl<br />
of the Pacific’, and made it a popular<br />
destination for relaxation, culture and<br />
adventure. Today, Acapulco boasts stunning<br />
beaches, vibrant nightlife and rich history,<br />
making it a hotspot for millionaires from<br />
Canada, the USA, Latin America and<br />
Europe.<br />
Once upon a time in Mexico’s rich<br />
history, a visionary President adopted the<br />
role of the Chief Marketing Officer,<br />
transforming Acapulco into a thriving<br />
tourist destination and this has made it a<br />
major contributor to Mexico’s economy,<br />
with a notable impact on the country’s<br />
revenue. Given adequate development and<br />
security measures, Nigeria’s natural<br />
attractions like Obudu Cattle Ranch and<br />
Yankari Game Reserve, combined with<br />
vibrant cultural events like the Calabar<br />
Carnival,Argungu Fishing, Eyo, Ojude Oba<br />
and Udiroko also have the potential to<br />
become tourist hotspots.<br />
<strong>The</strong> failure to think critically has<br />
consequences. Nigeria’s inability to<br />
generate at least $5 billion in tourism<br />
revenue annually, despite the growing<br />
demand for ecotourism, raises questions.<br />
For instance, why did Stevie Wonder, a<br />
renowned musician, choose to reside in East<br />
Legon in Accra, instead of Lekki in Lagos,<br />
Maitama in Abuja, or Eta Agbor Layout in<br />
Calabar? Consider also the recent<br />
Presidential election, where Governors met<br />
in hotels in Madrid, London, and Paris.<br />
Why not in Obudu or La Campagne<br />
Tropicana, to showcase Nigeria’s potential<br />
to international investors and sightseers?<br />
A place like Tinapa Resort or Abraka<br />
Turf and Country Club would have been<br />
developed like Acapulco, attracting the<br />
multinational hotel chains to build five-star<br />
hotels, Eco Lodges, Golf Courses and the<br />
like. Matter-of-factly, any sustainable<br />
inflow from tourism will generate local<br />
taxes, induce a positive multiplier effect and<br />
enable the country to begin to deal with its<br />
perennial current account deficits and<br />
balance of payment crises. That this is not<br />
so is a reflection of the warped mindset of<br />
the ruling elite across the board.<br />
<strong>The</strong> reason Nigeria is not making it is<br />
the reason it is not making it from Solid<br />
Minerals, agro-allied exports as well as<br />
‘invincible earnings’ from sectors such as<br />
Creative Arts, Information and<br />
Communication Technology (ICT) and<br />
‘outsourcing’. Nigeria possesses significant<br />
advantages, including its widespread use of<br />
English and high levels of education. But<br />
then, the colonized mindset of Nigeria’s<br />
elite, evident in their preference for Dubai’s<br />
manufactured appeal over domestic tourism<br />
development, has led to a neglect of the<br />
unique attractions of Obudu, Yankari and<br />
other domestic destinations, which remain<br />
underdeveloped and underappreciated.<br />
Take, for example, over a million<br />
Indians are involved in outsourced jobs,<br />
bringing in billions of dollars-a-year into the<br />
Indian economy. <strong>The</strong>y have leveraged the<br />
English-speaking skill, which is not as good<br />
as the English-speaking skill in Nigeria, to<br />
do so. Again, how many outsourced jobs<br />
have been created in Nigeria, compared to<br />
even Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and the<br />
Republic of South Africa? Yet, Nigeria has<br />
the best human capital on the continent,<br />
actual and potential. <strong>The</strong> facts have been<br />
stated here! Indeed, it is a statement of the<br />
obvious to say that, without reworking a<br />
political economy that is an obstacle to<br />
production and creative thinking, the<br />
country will continue, very sadly, its slide<br />
into irrelevance.<br />
Tourism in Nigeria offers a wide range<br />
of benefits, including positive social<br />
change, cultural exchange, community<br />
development and social cohesion. By<br />
facilitating cross-cultural understanding, it<br />
fosters global citizenship, empowers local<br />
communities through entrepreneurship and<br />
skill development, and promotes national<br />
unity by bridging ethnic and religious<br />
divides. Tourism also drives economic<br />
growth, alleviates poverty and inequality by<br />
creating jobs, and raises environmental<br />
awareness, promoting conservation and<br />
peace. Through the sector, individuals can<br />
engage with diverse perspectives, challenge<br />
their assumptions, and develop a broader<br />
understanding of the world. Over and above<br />
all, it helps preserve Nigeria’s cultural<br />
heritage and cultivates national pride and<br />
patriotism.<br />
Obviously, reflecting on Nigeria’s<br />
current state can be disheartening. <strong>The</strong><br />
country boasts a rich cultural heritage,<br />
comprising over 250 ethnic groups, each<br />
with distinct traditions, festivals, and<br />
cultural practices. It is also home to<br />
stunning natural attractions, including<br />
beaches, waterfalls, mountains, and national<br />
parks. Its ancient cities, such as Benin City<br />
Obudu Cattle Ranch (Photo - MediaMOF, WikiCommons CCA-SA International 4.0)<br />
with its rich royal heritage, and Osogbo<br />
with the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, a<br />
UNESCO World Heritage Site, hold<br />
immense cultural significance and<br />
economic potential for tourism<br />
development.<br />
Besides, natural attractions like the<br />
Ikogosi Warm Springs, renowned for their<br />
therapeutic properties and historical sites<br />
such as the Kanem-Borno Empire in Borno<br />
State, featuring ancient artefacts and<br />
monuments, offer opportunities for local<br />
economic growth, cultural exchange and<br />
educational enrichment. However, security<br />
and safety concerns, including kidnapping<br />
and terrorism, continue to deter visitors<br />
from exploring Nigeria. Among other<br />
challenges are insufficient accommodation<br />
options, poor roads, and inadequate<br />
transportation networks. Despite its vast<br />
potential, funding constraints have also<br />
impeded the sector’s growth.<br />
That being said, Nigeria has made<br />
BY ABIODUN<br />
KOMOLAFE<br />
efforts to develop its tourism sector,<br />
particularly during the 1970s and 1980s,<br />
when the country hosted several<br />
international events, including the 1977<br />
Festival of Black Arts and Culture<br />
(FESTAC ‘77) and the 1980 All-Africa<br />
Games. In the 1990s and early 2000s,<br />
Nigeria’s tourism industry experienced a<br />
slight resurgence, with the government<br />
launching initiatives to promote cultural<br />
tourism and ecotourism.<br />
That Nigeria’s economy has long been<br />
overly reliant on oil, which accounts for<br />
over 90% of its foreign exchange earnings,<br />
is no longer news. That the global transition<br />
to renewable energy sources and the<br />
escalating impacts of climate change signal<br />
the decline of oil’s dominance is also a fact<br />
that’s no longer surprising. To address<br />
existing challenges and realize its full<br />
potential, the country must invest in<br />
upgrading its infrastructure, including<br />
modernizing roads, airports and hotels.<br />
Strengthening security measures, such as<br />
boosting police presence and introducing<br />
advanced surveillance systems, can help<br />
mitigate safety concerns. In addition,<br />
streamlining bureaucratic processes and<br />
combating corruption can facilitate<br />
smoother operations for tourists and<br />
investors.<br />
Implementing targeted and effective<br />
marketing and promotion strategies,<br />
including social media campaigns and<br />
collaborations with travel companies, can<br />
effectively showcase Nigeria’s unique<br />
attractions and cultural heritage to a global<br />
audience. It will also help in boosting visitor<br />
numbers. Lastly, developing a<br />
comprehensive Tourism Master Plan can<br />
guide the sector’s growth and development,<br />
ensuring a sustainable and prosperous<br />
future for Nigerian tourism.<br />
As Nigeria’s oil reserves gradually<br />
dwindle, it’s time the country enhanced its<br />
visibility in the international market by<br />
embracing global best practices in tourism<br />
marketing. By doing so, Nigeria can unlock<br />
a more sustainable and prosperous<br />
economic future, generate employment<br />
opportunities and foster cultural exchange.<br />
Undoubtedly, the country’s economic future<br />
depends on tapping its tourism potential;<br />
and the time to act is now!<br />
To be concluded<br />
Komolafe wrote from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun<br />
State. He can be reached via<br />
(ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)
Page12 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Opinion<br />
Beyond the barrel: <strong>The</strong> tourism<br />
imperative (2)<br />
By Abiodun Komolafe<br />
According to the World Tourism<br />
Organization, tourism generates<br />
over $1 trillion in exports<br />
annually, creating millions of jobs and<br />
stimulating local economies. Be that as it<br />
may, it is important to note that Nigeria’s<br />
vast growth and development<br />
opportunities are being overlooked due to<br />
a lack of vision and self-centeredness on<br />
the part of its successive leaders,<br />
ultimately hindering the greater good and<br />
benefiting only a privileged few. This<br />
issue pervades all levels of government,<br />
from state to local, with authorities<br />
neglecting their duties to harness the<br />
potential of natural attractions for<br />
promotion and development. <strong>The</strong> plight<br />
of Erin Ijesa Waterfall in Osun State is a<br />
story for another day!<br />
For now, let’s delve into the essence<br />
of tourism in Ekiti State where, beyond<br />
the superficial allure of spectacle and<br />
entertainment, lies a profound narrative<br />
that whispers secrets of the human<br />
experience. As the world surrenders to its<br />
beauty, let us embark on a transformative<br />
odyssey that transcends borders, fosters<br />
empathy and understanding, and kindles<br />
the flame of economic prosperity for the<br />
communities that call the State - home.<br />
For Ekiti, Geographical Tourism<br />
showcases a diverse range of landscapes,<br />
including hills, waterfalls, caves, springs,<br />
valleys and mountains while Water-based<br />
Tourism attractions feature attractions<br />
like Ikogosi Warm Springs and Ureje<br />
Dam. Its diverse Spiritual Heritage is also<br />
reflected in its various religious sites,<br />
including Sacred Hills and Ancient<br />
Shrines.<br />
Ecotourism in Ekiti showcases<br />
unspoiled natural attractions, rich cultural<br />
heritage and community-based initiatives<br />
while Environmental Tourism features<br />
natural wonders and its unique<br />
biodiversity, scenic landscapes and<br />
cultural heritage. <strong>The</strong> State is also a hub<br />
for Education Tourism, boasting an<br />
impressive array of institutions, including<br />
6 universities, 3 polytechnics and other<br />
higher learning centers, catering for a<br />
population of 3.9 million.<br />
Let’s begin with Usi-Ekiti which<br />
holds a significant place in Nigeria’s<br />
history as the site of the first Catholic<br />
Mass in <strong>18</strong>84, led by Father Julien<br />
Mourneau and his team of missionaries.<br />
This pivotal event not only marks the<br />
birthplace of Catholicism in Nigeria but<br />
also makes Usi-Ekiti the cradle of<br />
Catholicism in the country and a<br />
landmark in the spread of the faith.<br />
Ori Oke Erio and Ori Oke Ido Ajinare,<br />
two sacred hills in Ekiti State, are<br />
culturally significant attractions offering<br />
stunning views, spiritual importance and<br />
a connection to God. <strong>The</strong>se hills draw<br />
tourists for their historical values,<br />
panoramic vistas and eco-tourism<br />
opportunities, making them unique<br />
destinations for cultural and nature<br />
enthusiasts.<br />
In Efon-Alaaye lies the final resting<br />
place of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola,<br />
founder of the Christ Apostolic Church<br />
Ikogosi Warm Spring (Photo - Okeile,<br />
Wikicommons CCA-SA 4.0 International)<br />
(CAC). He died on Ori Oke Baba Abiye,<br />
Ede in Osun State on July 26, 1959 and<br />
his mortal remains were transported to<br />
Efon Alaaye for burial. Babalola’s tomb<br />
has become a venerated pilgrimage site,<br />
attracting devotees seeking spiritual<br />
connection and inspiration.<br />
In terms of traditional worship, Igede-<br />
Ekiti, for example, is the source of the<br />
Osun River. As such, it is sacred to the<br />
goddess Osun. To this end, devotees of<br />
Osun Osogbo must first visit this ancient<br />
town to pay homage and make offerings<br />
to the goddess before proceeding to<br />
Osogbo for the main celebration. This<br />
highlights the significance of Igede-Ekiti<br />
in the Osun Osogbo worship tradition.<br />
Similarly, Eshu, or Esu, a respected<br />
Yoruba deity, has Ijelu-Ekiti as his<br />
ancestral home. As the guardian of<br />
crossroads, communication, and chaos,<br />
he maintains balance in nature and<br />
human affairs and protects the natural<br />
world – a vital aspect of Yoruba<br />
spirituality and culture.<br />
Osanyin, the deity of herbalism,<br />
healing and fertility, is from Ikole-Ekiti.<br />
As god of medicine and divination,<br />
Osanyin embodies nature’s power,<br />
guiding traditional healers and herbalists.<br />
His shrine in Ikole-Ekiti symbolizes the<br />
connection between nature, culture and<br />
spirituality.<br />
In Yoruba mythology, Ogun, the god<br />
of iron and the patron of artisans,<br />
originated from Ire-Ekiti. His legacy<br />
inspires innovation, expertise and<br />
recognition of knowledge’s<br />
transformative power, influencing<br />
contemporary thought and human<br />
progress. <strong>The</strong> convergence of seven roads<br />
at Ire-Ekiti represents Ogun’s<br />
significance and his role in fostering<br />
connection and progress.<br />
Ifa Agboniregun Shrine, dedicated to<br />
Ifa, the revered Yoruba deity of wisdom,<br />
divination and knowledge, is nestled in<br />
Oke Igeti, Ado-Ekiti. As a premier hub of<br />
Ifa practice, it has continued to inspire<br />
and guide generations, shaping the<br />
identity and traditions of the Ekiti people<br />
and the Yoruba race worldwide.<br />
For vacationers and adventure seekers<br />
who care to know, Ikogosi Warm Springs<br />
is a unique natural wonder where warm<br />
and cold water flow together, yet<br />
maintain their distinct identities.<br />
Currently managed by a private firm, the<br />
resort is thriving, with over 17,000<br />
tourists visiting in just the past three<br />
months alone, according to available<br />
data.<br />
Not only that, Arinta Waterfalls in<br />
Ipole-Iloro is also a natural wonder with<br />
crystal-clear water cascading down a<br />
seven-step rocky terrain, creating scenic<br />
views and a cool ambiance. Its unique<br />
rock formations and cave are sources of<br />
cultural heritage and local economic<br />
growth, while preserving traditional<br />
practices and cultural identity. Another<br />
unique feature of this ancient site is that<br />
the more one shouts, the more the sound<br />
increases.<br />
What about the Ero Dam in Ikun-<br />
Ekiti? Built in the 1940s, it is the 3rd<br />
largest dam in Nigeria, spanning 16<br />
kilometers across 9 Local Governments.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are also Egbe Dam, formerly<br />
known as ‘Little Ose’, in Egbe-Ekiti; and<br />
Ureje Dam in Ado-Ekiti, with its unique<br />
7 falls and a cave.<br />
Like it or hate it, Afe Babalola<br />
University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) stands<br />
out, featuring the largest planetarium in<br />
Africa and a state-of-the-art Teaching<br />
Hospital, which not only enhances Ekiti’s<br />
reputation as a hub for intellectual and<br />
scientific inquiry but also fosters social<br />
mobility, empowers local communities<br />
and contributes to the region’s socioeconomic<br />
development, making Ekiti an<br />
attractive destination for students,<br />
researchers and academics seeking<br />
world-class educational experiences.<br />
Abanijorin Rock on Old Iyin-Ekiti<br />
Road is a majestic natural wonder,<br />
embodying nature’s splendor and human<br />
spirituality. This ancient monolith<br />
features a massive size, unique shape and<br />
sacred significance, with a natural<br />
amphitheater, seven caves and an underrock<br />
tunnel. History also has it that those<br />
warriors who fought for Ekitiparapo<br />
always converged on it for security<br />
meetings.<br />
Ekiti State is a unique biodiversity<br />
hotspot, boasting 660 species of<br />
butterflies, the highest in Nigeria. It’s also<br />
home to the Monkey Colony in Ise-Ekiti,<br />
and serves as a refugee camp for<br />
chimpanzees in the Ise-Ekiti Forest. But<br />
that’s not all - Ekiti is also the only place<br />
in the world with a remarkable 42-headed<br />
palm tree, and that’s located in Iloro-<br />
Ekiti.<br />
Golgotha is also a revered sacred hill<br />
and cultural monument in Efon-Alaaye.<br />
Interestingly, it is one of two spots in<br />
Nigeria and the only one in the Southwest<br />
where one can walk in the cloud.<br />
Golgotha also houses the largest<br />
plantation in Southwest Nigeria.<br />
Okorobo Festival in Ifaki-Ekiti<br />
celebrates fertility, prosperity and<br />
communal harmony. It exemplifies the<br />
connection between nature’s cycles and<br />
human existence. <strong>The</strong> festival showcases<br />
the town’s rich heritage while promoting<br />
cultural identity and pride through rituals,<br />
masquerades and merriment.<br />
Lots more! <strong>The</strong>re’s still much to<br />
explore and discover!<br />
From the foregoing, one can safely<br />
say that Ekiti State’s enigmatic landscape<br />
weaves a rich tapestry of identity and<br />
community, inviting exploration. And as<br />
Governor Biodun Oyebanji is reportedly<br />
striving to secure the future of the sector,<br />
a critical question lingers: can tourism<br />
balance preservation and progress, or will<br />
growth sacrifice Ekiti’s mystique? Again,<br />
only time will tell!<br />
May the Lamb of God, who takes<br />
away the sin of the world, grant us peace<br />
in Nigeria!<br />
Concluded.<br />
Komolafe wrote from Ijebu-Jesa,<br />
Osun State, Nigeria<br />
(ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk).
Events<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> Page13<br />
Africans and Friends of Africa in<br />
the West Yorkshire region of<br />
England converged in Bradford<br />
recently to celebrate Africa Day.<br />
Hosted by Peacemaker International,<br />
the event was supported by the City of<br />
Bradford Metropolitan District Council.<br />
Founder of Peacemaker International<br />
– Mrs Dorcas Olayemi Fagborun MBE<br />
and her husband – Dr Joel Fagborun, led<br />
Bradford celebrates Africa Day<br />
a team to give guests a warm welcome.<br />
Guests in attendance included the Lord<br />
Mayor of Bradford – Cllr. Bev Mullaney.<br />
Peacemaker International Project<br />
(PIP) is a humanitarian community-based<br />
family-support organisation that provides<br />
a wide range of activities for vulnerable<br />
people, including the elderly, women, and<br />
the unemployed.<br />
Celebrating Africa Day in Bradford<br />
Celebrating Africa Day in Bradford<br />
Celebrating Africa Day in Bradford<br />
Mrs Fagborun, Mayor of Bradford, Dr Joel Fagborun and Aneela Ahmed
GAB Awards<br />
Faces at the 2023 GAB Awards<br />
Page14 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
Continued on Page 15><br />
Join us at the 26th Annual GAB Awards on Sunday 1 December <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Further information at www.GABAwards.com
GAB Awards<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> Page15<br />
Faces at the 2023 GAB Awards<br />
Continued from Page 14<<br />
Continued on Page 16><br />
Join us at the 26th Annual GAB Awards on Sunday 1 December <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Further information at www.GABAwards.com
Page16 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> SEPTEMBER <strong>18</strong> - OCTOBER 1 <strong>2024</strong><br />
GAB Awards<br />
Faces at the 2023 GAB Awards<br />
Continued from Page 15<<br />
Join us at the 26th Annual GAB Awards on Sunday 1 December <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Further information at www.GABAwards.com<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> is published in London fortnightly by <strong>Trumpet</strong><br />
Field: 07956 385 604 E-mail: info@the-trumpet.com (ISSN: 1477-3392)