In 2015 President Tinubu changed his position about subsidy removal and he gave an explanation to why! He did not double down. He did not lie. He explained like a leader.
Do the math.
Watch the video, hear his message, and let the conversation begin. 👀🔥
Leadership, loyalty, and public opinion, all in one clip. #Tinubu#Nigeria
Dear Uncle Gregs @PeterObi, while your points are quite valid, you told an absolute lie about the capacity of Mobolaji Johnson Arena, also known as Onikan Stadium.
The stadium has a sitting capacity fewer than 5,000, so one wonders why you choose to double the figure in your harangue. This is even interesting because the stadium was filled to about 60% of its capacity.
But that sir, is not the crux of my reaction sir.
Uncle Gregs, if only you had ever had the opportunity to be a governor in Nigeria, even the gods know you would have performed wonders, particularly in sports.
If only Anambra state had allowed you to govern it, perhaps the state would have become the Mecca of sports in Africa. “Brazil and Jamaica” would have probably had nothing on your sporting achievements.
If only you had been governor, you would have dwarfed what Orji Uzor Kalu achieved with Eyimba in Abia. You would have built a better edifice than the Teslim Balogun Stadium Tinubu completed before leaving office as Lagos Governor.
I’m quite certain you would have even delivered a better stadium in Anambra that will better the “child’s play” Godswill Akpbio built in Uyo look ordinary…if only you have been Governor.
Maybe someday, you will get the opportunity to govern a state so you can finally show everyone how to use sports to “engage young people, fight crime, and create opportunities”.
I strongly advise everyone aspiring to become actors and actresses—and those of you already in the business—to educate yourselves about the history of the stage you are stepping onto, both in Nigeria and beyond.
You cannot just grab a microphone, wear costume, shout “Action!” and suddenly become a veteran. 😂
Here’s a brief look at the life of Chief A. Ogunde—a teacher, playwright, actor, director, producer, musician, activist, and so much more.
Before you mount the stage, please learn about those who built it. History is not just for exams; sometimes, it is the script you need to understand the role you are playing today. 🎭
If I were a serious presidential candidate challenging Tinubu today, my two biggest promises would be simple:
1. Return fuel subsidy to its pre-2023 level.
2. Peg the naira.
Atiku has tried to make a case for the first one, but he is understandably reluctant to put a figure on it. Sowore and the SDP guys are, politically speaking, inconsequential.
Tinubu is in pole position, but Atiku and Obi still have sizeable political bases.
So, if I were in their shoes, I would make Nigerians a very attractive promise:
“I will bring petrol down to ₦300 per litre.”
And to achieve that, I would simply peg the naira at ₦300/$1 — by fiat.
After all, Tinubu has accumulated enough reserves to defend the naira for at least two years.
Today, a litre of petrol is almost equivalent to a dollar.
So I won’t really be “paying subsidy.” I will simply be defending the naira with the reserves Tinubu and Cardoso worked so hard to accumulate.
Leadership is not rocket science.
On the day of my swearing-in, I would do the exact opposite of what Tinubu did at Eagle Square.
I would announce:
“SUBSIDY IS BACK!”
There would be jubilation across Nigeria.
People would start taking their abandoned generators to mechanics.
Of course, reducing petrol from ₦1,300 to ₦300 wouldn’t happen overnight. For the first year, petrol marketers would probably still be selling old stock.
So I would immediately set up a task force to crack down on the “shylock” marketers.
And then…
Fuel scarcity would return in full force.
“Leadership is not rocket science.”
Nigerians would queue for hours at NNPCL stations while black-market sellers charge ₦1,500+.
In solidarity, I would join them in the fuel queues.
After about a year, perhaps normalcy would return.
Then, by my third year in office, the FX reserves would be depleted.
Dollar scarcity would return.
The institutions willing to lend us dollars would disappear.
The aboki would become king again.
He could sell his dollar for ₦2,000 while the official rate remained ₦300.
And if you couldn’t find a dollar at ₦300, simply pretend you could.
Nothing is actually real in life.
Under Tinubu, $1 billion earned from crude sales at roughly ₦1,300/$ translates to about ₦1.3 trillion.
Under my government, the same $1 billion would become ₦300 billion.
So all those complaints about governors receiving too much money would disappear.
They would return to the good old days of struggling to pay salaries.
Governors and their families would be hungry.
Imported goods would become ridiculously cheap.
A bag of foreign rice could theoretically sell for ₦15,000.
Local industries would collapse because nobody could compete with cheap imports.
But I would advise the workers:
“Go and farm. That is our destiny.”
Let us leave industrialisation for oyinbo.
Of course, tax revenue would crash as imports destroy local production.
But that’s not a problem.
There would be no money left for politicians to loot anyway.
Minimum wage?
Back to ₦20,000.
Labour would protest.
But…
“Leadership is not rocket science.”
I promised Nigerians a four-year term.
Then the CBN’s dollars would dry up.
Fuel scarcity would return.
Industries would shut down.
Salaries would stop.
Construction would grind to a halt.
Protests would erupt everywhere.
And I would travel abroad for two weeks.
Shave my beard.
Return looking completely different.
By the time I got back, Nigerians could call me Ghost of Congo or Igwe from Congo.
After my tenure, I would leave my successor to either clean up the mess I created or swim inside it.
After all…
Leadership is not rocket science.
Anyone who thinks leadership is rocket science is probably the reason they say:
“Common sense is not common.”
A conversation worth listening to. 🎙️
Here’s a quick introduction to our latest podcast. The full conversation is coming your way.
Stay tuned.
#Podcast#LensofLegacy#NELFUND
It is my pleasure to announce the opening of the Tertiary Institutions National Laureate Prize.
As part of our commitment to supporting student excellence, the National Laureate Prize is a new national platform to celebrate and reward outstanding research, innovation and intellectual excellence across our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Backed by an initial annual prize fund of ₦365 million, the National Laureate Prize will award ₦35 million for the Undergraduate Star Prize, ₦50 million for the Master’s Star Prize and ₦100 million for the Doctoral Star Prize, alongside ₦180 million for 15 Thematic Excellence Prizes, valued at ₦12 million each.
The Prize is open to students and researchers across every accredited tertiary institution in Nigeria, providing a truly national platform to identify and reward our brightest minds and most impactful research.
Yesterday, I held a press briefing alongside members of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) National Laureate team, where we formally announced the Prize, outlined its vision and structure, and answered questions from members of the media on its implementation, selection process and long-term objectives.
In addition to the Star Prizes, the National Laureate Prize will feature special awards across critical fields, including Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Agriculture, Law and Teaching Innovation.
We have also introduced the Dr. Stella Adadevoh Prize for Medicine and Medical Innovation, a special award established in honour of Dr Adadevoh’s extraordinary courage and contribution to our nation.
Jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education and NERD, the Prize will operate through a transparent, competitive and merit-driven process that puts academic excellence and impact first.
This initiative reflects the clear direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, under the Renewed Hope Agenda: to build a Nigeria where knowledge, skills, research and innovation are deliberately harnessed to create opportunities, strengthen our economy and improve the lives of our people.
The President has continued to demonstrate his commitment to investing in Nigeria’s human capital and giving our young people the platforms they need to compete, innovate and succeed. Through the National Laureate Prize, we are translating that vision into another tangible opportunity for Nigerian students and researchers.
Our goal is to build an education system that does not simply produce certificates, but produces solutions, innovations, enterprises and measurable national value.