Opinion/Feature
Tinubu And The Intermittent Slip of Tongue
By Busy Brain
The political atmosphere is getting more interesting as the 2023 election draws near. The heat of political campaigns accompany by jibes, tantrums, and vituperation can be easily noticed at every political function staged by different political parties and the tongue-lash in the media space by Political supporters namely Batists, Obidients, and Articulates makes the political razzmatazz more endearing.
So far, the campaign of the All Progressives Congress has been massive and flooded with a mammoth crowd. The impressive turnout of the party faithful is a harbinger to the predicted success of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the forthcoming election. In my opinion, he has the edge more than other candidates. My reason here is a topic for another day.
On the other hand, the presidential campaigns of different political parties have been marred with slip of the tongue and gaffe which has been a point of memes in the media space. Of all the Presidential candidates, the intermittent slip of the tongue and gaffe of Tinubu has stirred many criticisms against his physical, psychological, and intellectual capability to paddle the affairs of a country of over 200 million population.
Many arguments and references have been made to where other candidates like Peter Obi gaffed by calling Nasarawa a great country. This depicts that a slip of the tongue is not peculiar to the aged or young candidates. It shows anyone can make mistake at any point in time.
The fact that young age, sound health, and intellectual composition can not debar one from the slip of the tongue is what the likes of Festus Keyamo fail to fathom to have been in defense of every mistake made by Tinubu. Slip of tongue is different from incoherent utterances caused by mental illness. His slip of tongue has nothing to do with age, health or mentality. It can happen to anyone.
Festus Keyamo has been so engrossed in defending Tibubu’s gaffe rather than admitting the fact that he is a human who is liable to mistakes.
After the God bless PDAPC gaffe in Jos and Balabulu Blu Bulabaa in a town hall meeting, the kind of defense being deployed by Festus Keyamo is more or less like an embarrassment to Tinubu. It is very simple to admit mistakes than to prove perfection all the time. Or how many times would Festus Keyamo have to twist or interpret every slip of the tongue made by Tinubu before the general election? It looks more puerile of a SAN to frame the obvious gaffe in defense of Tinubu at all time.
For instance, on the Balabulu Bulaba gaffe, Festus Keyamo claimed Tinubu practically demonstrated the gibberish his opponents say elsewhere by uttering those tongue-twisting words. Similarly, when Tinubu said God bless PDAPC, Festus Keyamo in a tweet claimed Tinubu meant God bless People Decamping To APC. These points of defense are weak, porous, and disjointed coming from a learned SAN.
As a matter of fact, no one is alive without weakness, Tinubu’s weakness is conspicuously enshrined in his intermittent slip of tongue, to safe Keyamo the stress, a thorough work on Tinubu’s weakness is more advisable than playing a defensive mechanism. The slip of tongues is obvious mistake, making it meaningful is an embarrassment to the personality of Jagaban, Featus Keyamo should be reminded that Tinubu is a human being and not infallible.
Opinion/Feature
Downstream Deregulation: Between Obasanjo’s Half-measures And Tinubu’s Bold Leadership
Opinion/Feature
UNCOMMON SCHOLAR, EXCEPTIONAL ADMINISTRATOR: MY TRIBUTE TO PROF. OLOYEDE AT 70
By President Bola Tinubu
As Professor Ishaq Oloyede turns 70 tomorrow, October 10, I pay a special tribute to this astute administrator, educator, author, and scholar, currently the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar.
As the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Oloyede’s invaluable contributions to the nation through academia and public-sector administration have significantly impacted the academic community.
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His impactful tenure at the University of Ilorin, during which he introduced landmark ideas and innovations that helped the institution attain enviable heights, is on record.
Through patriotic dedication and commitment to his craft, Prof Oloyede imparted knowledge and character to thousands of students who underwent his teaching during his glorious and impactful academic career.
Indeed, the bedrock of development lies in education. Developing nations, including Nigeria, are in dire need of more scholars like Prof. Oloyede. His selfless sacrifices and innovative approaches to learning and leadership give hope for a brighter future.
Perhaps more remarkable is Prof. Oloyede’s transformative leadership at JAMB. He pioneered and sustained a series of reforms and technological innovations that have made the admission process in Nigeria transparent and credible.
In his eight years of stewardship at the board, thus far, Prof. Oloyede has demonstrated an uncommon commitment to financial integrity and accountability in public service. He has also raised the bar in administration and management.
I am proud of Prof. Oloyede’s accomplishments.
The nation owes the Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence a debt of gratitude for transforming JAMB, traditionally a non-revenue-generating government agency, into a consistent contributor to the national treasury through efficient financial management. His contributions to JAMB are invaluable and greatly appreciated.
On this occasion of his 70th birthday, I join members of the academic community, students, JAMB staff, and well-wishers in celebrating this scholar who, in words and deeds, has also done a lot to propagate the Islamic religion.
I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to honour the distinguished professor with health, wisdom and strength to serve the nation for many more years.
Opinion/Feature
Clarification On NNPCL Refinery Operations
By Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri PhD
My attention has been drawn to statements made by Engr. Kamoru Busari, Director of Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who represented me at a recent conference in Lagos. I wish to categorically state that the claim that I directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to stop running its own refineries and focus solely on equity participation in other refineries is false. This does not represent my position as Minister overseeing the oil sector, nor does it reflect the stance of the Federal Government.
It is important to clarify that NNPCL is a company governed under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a functional board and management. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not control or run NNPCL, as it operates independently like any corporate entity.
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The oil and gas sector is fully deregulated, and the Nigerian government remains committed to promoting in-country refining. We encourage companies, including NNPCL, to operate independently, following global best practices. While we provide strategic guidance, we do not interfere directly in the operations of these companies.
I reaffirm our commitment to supporting the growth and independence of NNPCL, ensuring that its operations are in line with international standards for efficiency and transparency and profitability.
Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri PhD, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), wrote from Abuja, Nigeria