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Economy

Choose Leaders Based On Competence, Not tribe Or Religion, Jonathan Tells Youths

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PDP Invites Jonathan To Run Again In 2027

Choose Leaders Based On Competence, Not tribe Or Religion, Jonathan Tells Youths

Choose leaders based on competence, not tribe or religion, Jonathan tells youths. Former President Goodluck Jonathan has asked young Nigerians to prioritise competence over religion and tribe in choosing leaders.

Speaking in an interview on Talking Books African, a programme by the Rainbow Book Club, Jonathan said Nigeria’s deepening divisions along tribal and religious lines remain one of the biggest obstacles to national development.

The former president said tribe and religion are a major setback to the country’s leadership recruitment process.

“Nigeria today — we are divided along tribal and religious lines, and it worries me. And if we don’t make any changes, which are difficult to make, it may continue to our grandchildren because we started wrongly. There is no effort to make sure we change, and it is a major problem. Most of the problems we have today in the country are because of this division,” he said.

“Young people should know that the issue of tribe and religion is a major setback for this country. It creates problems of leadership recruitment. If somebody is holding a political office and wants to make an appointment, he begins to see that even if Mrs A knows the issue better than Mrs B, and Mrs B is from his tribe, he wants to use Mrs B.

“That is what happens in a system where we tend towards tribe, and that is one of the banes of Nigerian politics. The leadership recruitment process is skewed along tribal and religious interests. So, you see how difficult it is to get the best.

“There are some states where if you come from some parts of the state, you cannot be governor, even if you are the best material at the time. In Nigeria, if you want to contest an election, they first ask: ‘Is it our turn? Is it their turn? Is it the turn of the Muslims? Is it the turn of the Christians? This creates a problem in recruiting the best material.

“You are not assessing the person you want to recruit into a leadership position based on competence; you assess the person based on how he worships his God or the part of the map of the country he comes from.”

‘BREAK THE BARRIERS’
Jonathan warned that tribe and religion have continued to influence appointments and elections, often at the expense of merit.

He recalled the success of the Not Too Young to Run movement, which reduced the minimum age for contesting key political positions, including the presidency and governorship, and urged young people to replicate such kind of effort in changing how leaders are assessed.

“It’s not something you can do overnight. It’s difficult because the elders will continue to be pushing you back, but just like the young people came together and came up with the concept of Not Too Young to Run.

Before that time, when we came in 1999, for you to contest for deputy governor, governor, senator, vice president, or president, you had to be 40 years and above,” he said.

“The Not Too Young to Run law has now brought it down to 30. If you remember, when Yakubu Gowon became head of state, he was 32 years old.

Then, Alfred Diete-Spiff was 28 years old when he became the military governor of the then Rivers state (present-day Rivers and Bayelsa states), and he did very well. I don’t think we’ve had a governor who performed better than him at the age of 28. So I don’t believe in all these barriers.

Northerners Urges Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan

“Youths should assess people based on their competence, not how many years they’ve been sleeping on earth. Somebody can sleep for 40 years and know nothing. Another person of 25 years could even be more knowledgeable and more competent to manage society.

“But the key thing is: If younger people can begin to gradually downplay the issue of religion in Nigerian politics, the leadership recruitment process will improve — we will begin to recruit people better.”

Jonathan added that religious and tribal identity should not be a yardstick for leadership, urging youths to lead the charge in dismantling the tribe, age and religious barriers to leadership.

Economy

Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition

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Lagos Assembly

Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition

Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.

The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.

Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.

He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.

“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly

Lagos Assembly

“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”

Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.

Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.

He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.

Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.

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Crime

EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video

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EFCC Probes Man

EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video

EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,   on Tuesday, February 3, 2026  arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.

Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC Probes Man

EFCC

Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.

The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

Dele Oyewale
Head,  Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026

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Economy

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

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National Bank Of Kenya

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.

Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.

Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.

Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.

She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

National Bank Of Kenya

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.

“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”

Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.

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