EXPRESSO By Steve Osuji
Nepotism, cronyism, ethnicism, discrimination, marginalisation and disdain for merit have long become the hallmark of the Bola Tinubu presidency. At every turn, with each opportunity to exhibit statesmanship, Tinubu has fallen short. He has shown over and over again, since May 2023, that he’s a tribal bigot.
He spares no thoughts for inclusiveness in a diverse and multi-ethnic country. He seems to care no hoot about the the harmony and abiding unity of Nigeria. Never before has any Nigerian president – not even the military rulers – shown such blindness to equity and the unity and oneness of Nigeria.
DIPLOMATIC POSTINGS: YORUBA GET THE PLUM MISSIONS:
In character with all previous appointments, the current diplomatic postings have proved Tinubu true to type. Most of the super missions, all strategic seats of power and all the civilised places have been vired to the Yoruba ethnic group.
Some veteran diplomats have noted that never before in Nigeria’s history were the super missions alloted to one zone of the country.
These special posts are the US (Washington DC), UN Permanent Representative (New York), United Kingdom (London), France (Paris), Austria (Vienna), Germany and Canada.
Out of these seven top diplomatic spots, all but the UK have been assigned to Yoruba thus: Kayode Are (US), Jimoh Ibrahim (UN/NY), Ayodele Oke (France), Florence Ajimobi (Austria), Femi Fani Kayode (Germany), Isaac Folorunso Adegoke (Canada).
But beyond these prime missions, all the most civilised places in Western Europe are also reserved for Yoruba: Switzerland (Akande Wahab Adekola), Italy (Abimbola Fashola), Belgium (Ayeni Adebayo Emmanuel), Sweden (Lola Akande), Australia (Femi Pedro), Portugal (Angela Adebayo), and even Japan (Olumilua Ayotunwa), and Russia (Joseph Sola Iji).
Take out these countries and note that not much is left. Tinubu has heedlessly pushed a winner takes all stance since he came to power. What’s at play here is what Yoruba call ‘iwa wobiya,’ an expression of utter greed and selfishness. A total lack of sensitivity to others in the sharing of commonwealth. Nigeria has never experienced this kind of prebendal tribalism in her federal arrangement. There was always a consideration for fairness and equity for all zones and regions.
DISREGARD FOR MERIT, IT’S PATRONAGE AND NEPOTISM ALL THE WAY:
The Tinubu presidency must be the most unenlightened and the most provincial ever. It has no regard for merit or intellect. It feels like a gathering of an ethnic cabal. This is rather shocking considering that the Yoruba are supposed to be among the most enlightened races to be found anywhere.
If Yoruba must grab all the plush capitals, you would expect the president and his team would go out of his way to find the best minds for these centres of learning and culture. Or at best, seasoned diplomats would be posted in the absence of critical Yoruba minds.
No. Who do we have heading these historic cities: renegades, house wives and hangers on!
What in goodness’ name is Jimoh Ibrahim doing at the UN in New York? A less than stable Fani Kayode is our man in Berlin, Germany! This is just to mention only two examples.
It’s a tragedy that the most critical national assignments are converted to political patronages and handed to party cheerleaders, full-time housewives of cronies and mealy-mouthed weasels like a certain Reno Omokri. What a calamity!
A BUMBLING PRESIDENCY:
In recalling the envoys in September 2023, just four months after he took office, President Tinubu told the world that it was a drive to imbue world class efficiency and quality in the delivery of Nigeria’s foreign service operations.
But as evident today, he was merely shooting the breeze. Tinubu’s newly appointed diplomats are among the lowest calibre ever appointed. Hardly any man or woman of stature is on the list.
Therefore, the degrading of Nigeria’s missions for over two years wasn’t dictated by good faith, rather diplomats conjecture it was an attempt to lash out at his predecessor, Buhari who was believed not to have supported his presidential quest.
But in the pursuit of vendetta, President Tinubu virtually shut down Nigerian missions for two and half years. Many of Nigeria’s outposts are reportedly in decrepit states, occasioned by poor funding and nonchalance of the home government.
For about two and half years of Tinubu’s government many missions remained nonfunctional and many bilateral agreements couldn’t be pursued as presidents deal only with accredited envoys and never with officers of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
AN INSOUCIANT AND UNSERIOUS GOVERNMENT:
The matter of rash disbandment of Nigeria’s missions abroad without a thought about the tedious process of appointing new ones is a troubling signpost of this administration. Ad-hoc-ism, knee-jack actions and utter lack of rigour required for statecraft have become the hallmarks of the Tinubu presidency.
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS:
There seems to be no end to the governance woes Nigerians are locked down in under the Tinubu incumbency. As this column has noted time and again, this presidency is devoid of quality minds required to run a country, especially of this size. And it boils down to that little matter of MERIT!
LAST LINE:
DANGOTE REFINERY AND SHOPRITE.
I asked AI why fuel is scarce and expensive in Nigeria despite Dangote Refinery still functioning.
AI answers me thus: Dangote Refinery is operating below full 2026 capacity due to insufficient local crude oil supply forcing reliance on expensive crude oil imports.
What more can we add, than to wonder why the federal government through the NNPCL has refused to work out a direct crude oil supply deal with Dangote Refinery?
It is brain-bursting to think that Dangote imports crude oil while NNPCL also imports refined petroleum products.
Now with the global energy crisis occasioned by the US-Israel-Iran war looming, and Nigerians being among the poorest in the world already, millions more will be pushed deeper into the abyss of poverty. But the point is that Petrol can be cheaper in Nigeria (without disrupting the market) if we had a government that cares a little about Nigerians.
EXIT OF SHOPRITE:
AI says the giant South African retailer made it’s final exit from Nigeria early 2026 for reasons of rapid naira devaluation, acute foreign exchange shortages, high operating costs and shrinking consumer purchasing power.
While this column is minded to say good riddance to the retailers who added little value to the economy, the truth is that many multinationals have folded up or left Nigeria’s shores since APC came to power in 2015.
It means that APC is anti-business, it means that Nigeria’s economy has contracted vastly and the so-called economic reform, especially by President Tinubu, is not working. The critical economic indicators continue to read negative.
Let’s shout it out: TINUBUNOMICS IS NOT WORKING DAMN! ###
