The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has projected that the ongoing fuel scarcity, which is spreading to more states across the country, will persist for at least two more weeks. Despite assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of adequate stock, IPMAN insists that the scarcity will continue due to various challenges in the supply chain.

Chinedu Ukadike, the Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, attributed the shortage to importation bottlenecks, slow license renewals for marketers by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and maintenance issues at refineries in Europe. He noted that only a fraction of marketers have had their licenses renewed, further exacerbating the scarcity.

Ukadike highlighted the consequences of the scarcity, including increased prices of petroleum products and transportation fares. He urged the NNPC to extend the deadline for license renewals and expedite the process to alleviate the situation.

In response, Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, expressed optimism that the long queues would clear in the coming days, assuring Nigerians of adequate product supply. However, reports indicate that black market operators are taking advantage of the scarcity, selling petrol at exorbitant prices, and exacerbating the situation for motorists and commuters.

The fuel scarcity has hit various parts of the country, with long queues observed at filling stations and prices skyrocketing on the black market. Motorists and commuters are facing increased financial burdens and uncertainty as the scarcity persists.

ISRAEL’S REPORTS

IDF: Overnight, IAF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Maroun El Ras in southern Lebanon, including a number of sites with terrorist infrastructure and a military compound. Additionally, IAF fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area of Tayr Harfa, and a Hezbollah military structure in the area of Yarine in southern Lebanon.

Attached is a video of the strikes: https://bit.ly/3WjnjIX

** IDF: IAF fighter jets precisely struck and dismantled launch sites ready to fire launches toward Israeli territory; IDF troops are continuing their activity in the Central Gaza Strip

Over the past day, IAF fighter jets and additional aircraft struck dozens of terror targets, including terrorist infrastructure, launch sites, armed terrorists, and observation posts. In addition, throughout the past day, Israeli Navy troops struck terror targets and provided fire support, assisting IDF ground troops in the central Gaza Strip.

IDF troops identified several terrorists adjacent to IDF ground troops. Swift coordination between forces meant IAF aircraft quickly struck and eliminated the terrorists.

IDF troops identified a terrorist cell operating in a structure in the central Gaza Strip. IDF aircraft and artillery struck the structure and eliminated the terrorists.

Attached is a video of IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/49QRR84

Attached is a video of IDF operational activity in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/3w8TFvp

Attached are photos of the IDF activity in the Gaza Strip: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC280420241295843

** IDF: A short while ago, two launches were identified crossing from Lebanon toward the area of Har Dov in northern Israel.

Earlier today, IDF soldiers identified and monitored a Hezbollah terrorist operating in the area of Ayta ash Shab as he entered a military compound belonging to the terrorist organization.

A short while after, fighter jets struck the structure in which the terrorist was operating and destroyed the infrastructure.

Attached is a video of the strike: https://bit.ly/3QjBj1u

** IDF: IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari:

”In the coming days the amount of aid going into Gaza will scale-up; Getting aid to the people of Gaza is a top priority”

Attached is an English Statement of the IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari:

https://bit.ly/3WgzLsU

Attached is a related video: https://bit.ly/3UjinRR

Attached is the full transcript of the statement:

Over the last few weeks, the amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza has significantly increased. In the coming days, the amount of aid going into Gaza will continue to scale-up even more. Food; water; medical supplies; shelter equipment and other aid: more of it is going into Gaza than ever before.

This increase in aid is a result of increased effort, among them: opening the Israeli port of Ashdod; and a new crossing that was opened into Northern Gaza; and increasing the amount of aid coming from Jordan — through Israel — entering Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Humanitarian Aid Crossing. We also facilitated the opening of dozens of bakeries in the north and south of Gaza, together with the World Food Program.

Together with the United States Central Command we are working on a temporary maritime pier, known as JLOTS — which stands for “Joint Logistics Over-the Shore”. This temporary pier will provide a ship-to-shore distribution system that will further increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

As part of the efforts to get more aid into Gaza, we are also expanding the designated humanitarian zones in Gaza, where the aid will be reaching and streamlining the distribution efforts, together with international aid organizations, for increased efficiency.

Getting aid to the people of Gaza is a top priority —because our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza. We seek to help alleviate the suffering of the civilians in Gaza that has resulted from the war that Hamas started on October 7th, when it massacred and kidnapped Israelis.

The Israel Defense Forces operates according to international law. We make vast efforts to minimize harm to the civilians that Hamas is hiding behind — because we see the suffering of civilians as a tragedy, while Hamas sees the suffering of civilians as a strategy. That’s why Hamas intentionally hides among civilians; that’s why Hamas wages war from within civilians; and that’s why Hamas has been stealing aid meant for civilians in Gaza.

We will continue to pursue Hamas everywhere in Gaza. We will continue doing everything in our power to bring back home our hostages. We will continue to fulfill our mission: free our hostages from Hamas and free Gaza from Hamas.

HAMAS’ REPORTS

Hamas spokesman, Jihad Taha:

- We deny what Al-Arabiya channel reported from AWP sources, that the second phase of the truce deal may witness the departure of some Hamas leaders from Gaza to Cairo.

- There is no basis in truth for this news, and it is false and fabricated news intended to confuse.

- Hamas leaders will remain in their land with their people in the Gaza Strip, and the only one who will leave is the Nazi occupation.

** Al-Qassam Brigades destroyed the enemy’s command headquarters in the “Netzarim” axis, south of Gaza City, with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

** Two occupation soldiers were killed and 8 others were injured in a resistance operation near the “Netzarim” liberation, south of Gaza City.

** Al-Qassam Mujahideen lured a mechanized Zionist force and placed it in a mine ambush using explosive devices and “F16” rockets that were fired at civilians but did not explode on Al-Sikka Street in the Al-Mughraqa area in the central Gaza Strip.

** Al-Quds Brigades: In conjunction with the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, we bombed this afternoon a gathering of Zionist enemy soldiers in the “Netzarim” axis of advance, south of Gaza City, with a concentrated missile barrage.

#Al-Aqsa Flood

Israel Defense Forces/Hamas Brigade al-Qassam

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine pulls back from three villages in east, Zelenskiy pleads for weapons

Ukraine's top commander said on Sunday Kyiv's outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front where Russia has concentrated significant forces in several locations.

The statement by Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reflected Ukraine's deteriorating position in the east that Kyiv hopes it can stabilise once it takes delivery of U.S. weapons under a $61 billion aid package approved this week.

"The situation at the front has worsened," Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram app, describing the "most difficult" areas as west of occupied Maryinka and northwest of Avdiivka, the town captured by Russian forces in February.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a fresh plea to international partners to speed arms deliveries so Kyiv could maintain its positions and disrupt Russian plans.

He said he spoke on Sunday with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and "underscored that Patriot systems are needed, and as soon as possible."

Syrskyi said Kyiv's troops had taken up new positions west of the villages of Berdychi and Semenivka, both north of Avdiivka, and Novomykhailivka, further south near the town of Maryinka.

"In general, the enemy achieved certain tactical successes in these areas, but could not gain operational advantages," he said, adding that Russia had committed four brigades to the assault.

Freshly rested Ukrainian brigades were being rotated in those areas to replace units that had suffered losses, he said.

His statement did not mention the status of Novobakhmutivka, another village near Berdychi, that Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday its forces had captured.

Moscow's troops have been slowly advancing since capturing the bastion town of Avdiivka, taking advantage of Ukrainian shortages of artillery shells and manpower.

Online battlefield maps produced by open-source intelligence analysts suggest they have advanced more than 15 km (9.5 miles)in the direction of the village of Ocheretyne since capturing Avdiivka.

Further up the front, the Kyiv-held town of Chasiv Yar is a key emerging battleground because of its position on elevated ground that could serve as a gateway to the cities of Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Syrskyi described Chasiv Yar and the village of Ivanivske to its northeast as the "hottest spots" on that part of the front. Russia's defence ministry said it had repelled Ukrainian counter-attacks near Chasiv Yar.

KHARKIV BUILDUP

In what could prove a worrying development for Ukraine, Syrskyi said his forces were closely monitoring an increase in the number of Russian troops in the area of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.

The northeastern city of 1.3 million just 30 km from the Russian border has been hammered by airstrikes in recent months in what Kyiv has said is a deliberate effort by Moscow to make Kharkiv uninhabitable.

Syrskyi said there were no signs that Russia was directly preparing for an offensive in the north of the country.

"In the most threatening directions, our troops have been reinforced by artillery and tank units," he said.

Ukraine is currently expecting a long-awaited a shipment of U.S. military aid which officials say is critical to holding off Russia's two-year-old invasion. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian and U.S. teams were working on a "specific text" of a 10-year security agreement that would include weapons and other support.

A Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters this week that Russia was conducting airstrikes on Ukrainian rail lines to disrupt the delivery of U.S. weapons to the front and to complicate military logistics.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine lost over 8,000 soldiers in a week – Russian MOD

Kiev’s losses of military personnel have surpassed 8,000 over the past week amid Moscow’s continued offensive in Donbass, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a series of Telegram posts on Saturday. The nation’s military seized two settlements from Ukrainian forces and has gained ground across the region, it stated.

Moscow’s forces took control of the villages of Novomikhailovka in the central part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Bogdanovka, near the key strategic town of Chasov Yar in the DPR’s north, the statements read. Around two dozen Ukrainian attacks in the region were also repelled.

Intense fighting also broke out in the Avdeevka area of the DPR, where Russian forces were advancing towards the villages of Ocheretino and Netailovo, located further to the west of the strategic Donbass town taken by Moscow’s forces in February. The nation’s forces also pushed back 63 Ukrainian assaults in the area, according to the ministry.

Ukraine lost a total of 8,280 soldiers over the past seven days, mostly in the Donbass fighting, data provided by the ministry indicates. Kiev also lost around a dozen tanks and several dozen armored fighting vehicles, along with hundreds of other pieces of military equipment. The list includes at least one US-made Paladin self-propelled 155mm howitzer, as well as almost 30 Western-supplied artillery systems, according to Moscow.

Russian forces also destroyed eight Ukrainian multiple rocket launchers, including US-made HIMARS and Czech-supplied RM-70 Vampire systems. The nation’s Air Force and air defense systems shot down Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet and Su-25 close air support aircraft, along with more than 1,600 drones, the ministry said.

Earlier this week, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that Moscow’s forces had seized the initiative in the Ukraine conflict and “dispelled the myth of the superiority of Western weapons.”

Ukraine’s top military commander, General Aleksandr Syrsky, described the situation on the front lines as “difficult” as he talked with Kiev’s Western backers via video link on Friday. Things “have a tendency to get worse,”he said in a Telegram post reporting on the virtual meeting.

The developments come as the US adopted a $61-billion defense package on new aid for Kiev. Several media outlets reported that the first batches of aid could be dispatched to Kiev within days. The bill had been stuck in Congress for months as Republican lawmakers blocked it in a bid to squeeze concessions out of the administration of President Joe Biden on US border-control policies.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told NBC that his nation has a “chance at victory” now that more Western weapons are coming its way. The Kremlin dismissed the news by saying that no deliveries of weapons can change the dynamics on the front lines.

Reuters/RT

We all want to leave customers eager to share their exceptional experiences with our brands. But standing out from players like Netflix and Nike is no small feat. Companies thrive by creating unforgettable customer experiences and the key to retail success lies not just in making sales but in crafting a journey that turns first-time buyers into lifelong brand advocates.

The digital age has equipped us with an abundance of customer data, providing unparalleled insights into consumer behaviors and preferences. Yet, the true challenge lies in converting this data into meaningful interactions that resonate on a personal level with each customer.

In the cookie-less digital ecosystem, omnichannel loyalty programs bring clarity to the obscured passage. Companies of all sizes can follow their logged-in customers' precise movements and deliver superbly personalized experiences – the trick is getting them to sign up and stay.

We're not the only ones who have identified loyalty programs that require a revamp: 80 percent of loyalty program owners are likely or very likely to rebuild theirs in the next three years. Let's take a look at four of the most strategic loyalty solutions taking place today.

Omnichannel loyalty solutions

It's no wonder businesses have had it hard when half of customers will stop visiting a site that isn't mobile-friendly, even if they like the business.

And when e-commerce platforms like Amazon go above and beyond with multichannel entertainment value, offering loyal Prime members access to movies along with their free delivery of goods, even large-scale Fortune 500 companies have struggled to compete.

But it's a battle worth fighting – Amazon Prime members spend more than double that of non-member customers.

Omnichannel loyalty programs focus more on engagement than simply incentivizing transactions. Take Gap, for example. The Fortune 500 multibrand retailer gained an additional three million loyalty card credit users by aligning its company credit card program with its loyalty offering.

Creating one "unified loyalty" program streamlined the earning and redemption of rewards across Gap's brands, improving the customer experience.

With a broader audience and multichannel benefits, it was also able to introduce a robust tiered loyalty system, allowing customers to gain points at every touchpoint and move up the ranks, whether spending on Gap's credit cards or with cash.

Founders should look to unify their loyalty offerings in-house or join omnichannel loyalty programs with partner businesses that complement their offerings to help improve their customer experience. 

Subscription box business model

Seventy-seven percent of consumers will spend more money on brands with which they have a retail subscription – this soars past the still-strong 28 percent higher average transaction value from membership consumers.

There are subscription boxes catering to almost every interest, allowing consumers or their gift recipients to explore a variety of items that might be too costly for an individual to curate individually.

Access to higher-quality items is the biggest driver of retail subscriptions: one in 10 of all retail subscribers use these services to get elevated value they can't find anywhere else. Just look at Horti's plant subscription. They even create special gift pricing which disables the auto-renewal.

Personalizing outfits and product combinations specifically for the company's audience creates an emotional relationship with brands, be it gluten-free menus or clothing individually selected for a particular eye color and figure.

The best part? These value-driven, emotionally connected shoppers are 71 percent more likelyto become brand advocates, bringing in new business as well as being top repeat buyers.

Real-time coupon delivery

Who doesn't love a good surprise discount? We see companies like Sephora offering points on every purchase encouraging returning customers and frequent visits and this is a great starting place for businesses that are certain their customers will buy again and again. 

However, imagine your one-time customers receiving a coupon just as they're eyeing that perfect shade of lipstick or the latest fragrance. Real-time coupon delivery nudges them to make the purchase they were fantasizing about and is an impactful way to tell your customers you appreciate them. 

The important part is that your customers feel like VIPs, giving them what they want when they need it: 79 percent of customers said being able to unlock exclusive benefits made them loyal. 

This is where scalable offer management systems, such as enterprise hubs, come in. They act as an organization's nervous system, providing aggregation and real-time data analysis capabilities, enabling marketers to act in the moment.

The result is a dramatic reduction in coupon creation and delivery times, enabling customers to enjoy discounts and special offers that feel tailor-made – just when they are most likely to make a purchase. This strategic approach not only fortifies customer relationships but also drives sales, setting the stage for sustained revenue growth.

Virtual demos for physical purchases

The future of business is customers trying out products without leaving the comfort of their homes. Augmented reality, virtual reality, and Web3 offer immersive experiences that minimize the chances of post-purchase regret – saving stores a ton in return costs.

Macy's created a surrealistic re-creation of New York where users can discover and engage with curated digital versions of select apparel from the On 34th collection.

Part of the experience includes designing their digital fabric and as they navigate through star checkpoints, they will unlock a unique digital T-shirt that is personalized to match their design. All apparel featured in the experience is shoppable as well.

Investing in technology that allows customers to try out products virtually taps into the curiosity and playfulness of a consumer's childself, and makes shopping online even more convenient for the practical ones.

Whether it's a new outfit or a new home, customers want to walk around in the product without it costing them working hours, postage, or fuel. 

Customer loyalty is about creating an unforgettable journey, one purchase at a time. Businesses are on the right path if they're looking to embrace omnichannel, sprinkle in some real-time surprises, craft personalized subscription boxes and let customers try out products in a virtual world.

The trick is to start with one, gather the right data, monitor the progress, and scale at a pace that suits your team, platform capabilities, and budget. 

Inc

New data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reveals that the Federal Government borrowed an additional N3.8 trillion in the last six months of 2023, through what appears to be fresh Ways and Means borrowing.

This contradicts claims by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, that the government had not borrowed from the CBN. The CBN's provisional data indicates a total increase from N4.4 trillion to N8.2 trillion by December 2023.

The balances were initially part of the federal government's domestic debt profile, totaling N26.95 trillion in May 2023. However, from July 2023, the balances steadily increased every month, reaching N8.21 trillion by December, marking an 88 percent increase in six months.

An improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by terrorists linked to the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed the lives of at least eight members of the civilian joint task force (CJTF) in Gamborun Local Government Area of Borno State. Three others were reported to have sustained injuries in the attack. According to Zagazola Makama, a publication focusing on counter-insurgency efforts in the Lake Chad region, the victims were killed instantly after triggering a landmine suspected to have been planted by ISWAP militants on Saturday. The CJTF members were en route from Gamborun Ngala to Maiduguri when the tragic incident occurred. The wounded victims were promptly evacuated to the hospital, while the deceased CJTF members were transported to their families for funeral arrangements.

This attack follows a similar incident on April 17, where about 10 passengers were killed and 20 others injured after their vehicle detonated an IED planted along a roadside in Borno state.

Two Israeli hostages seen in latest video issued by Hamas

Hamas released a new video on Saturday that appeared to show two Israeli hostages who have been held in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel.

The video is similarly filmed to previous hostage videos made public by the Islamist group, which Israel has condemned as psychological terrorism.

The two men, identified as Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 47, speak individually in front of an empty background. They send their love to their families and ask to be released.

Miran was taken hostage from his home in the community of Nahal Oz in front of his wife and two young daughters during the Hamas killing spree that sparked the war in Gaza.

Siegel, who is a dual U.S. citizen, was taken captive with his wife from another border town. She was later released during a brief November truce.

The video was published during the Passover holiday, when Jews traditionally celebrate the biblical story of gaining freedom from slavery in Egypt.

At one point Siegel breaks down crying as he recounts celebrating the holiday with his family last year and expressing his hope that they will be reunited.

Around 250 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage during the Hamas assault, which killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, in the deadliest single attack in Israel's history.

In response, Israel launched an assault on Gaza, pledging to destroy Hamas and bring the hostages home. The assault has so far killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia delivers 35 precision strikes on Ukrainian military sites over week — top brass

Russian troops delivered 35 strikes by long-range precision weapons against Ukrainian energy sites, military-industrial enterprises, railway infrastructure, warehouses and fuel depots, army and mercenaries’ deployment areas over the past week in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Saturday.

"On April 20-27 of this year, the Russian Armed Forces delivered 35 combined strikes by seaborne and air-launched long-range precision weapons, including by Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in retaliation to the Kiev regime’s attempts to inflict damage on Russia’s energy and industry facilities. The strikes targeted Ukrainian energy sites, military-industrial enterprises and railway infrastructure, air defense systems, arsenals, fuel depots, workshops for the production and repair of naval drones and unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s strikes also targeted temporary deployment sites of nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries, massed Ukrainian manpower and military equipment at railway loading stations, it specified.

** Russian forces inflict over 3,890 casualties on Ukrainian army in Donetsk area over week

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,890 troops, four tanks and 17 electronic warfare stations in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported.

"Over the week, the enemy’s losses in that direction amounted to more than 3,890 personnel, four tanks, nine armored combat vehicles, 51 motor vehicles and 22 field artillery guns, among them a Paladin self-propelled artillery system and five M777 howitzers of US manufacture. Russian forces also destroyed 17 Nota, Anklav and Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations and 22 field ammunition depots," the ministry said.

** Russian air defenses destroy almost 1,700 Ukrainian UAVs over week

Russian combat aircraft and air defense forces shot down 2 Ukrainian warplanes and almost 1,700 enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past week, the ministry reported.

"Over the week, aircraft and air defense capabilities shot down Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 and Su-25 aircraft, 18 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, a Tochka-U tactical missile, 35 rockets of the HIMARS, Olkha and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems and 1,659 unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian missiles pound power plants in central and western Ukraine

Russian missiles pounded power facilities in central and western Ukraine on Saturday, increasing pressure on the ailing energy system as the country faces a shortage of air defences despite a breakthrough in U.S. military aid.

The air strike, carried out with long-range missiles, including cruise missiles fired by Russian strategic bombers based in the Arctic Circle, was the fourth large-scale aerial assault targeting the power system since March 22.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated a plea to partners for defensive missiles, notably the Patriot system. He said the targets included electricity and gas transit facilities, in particular those important for gas supply to the European Union, though he did not say whether any such facilities were damaged.

Russia continues to supply gas to the EU via Ukraine under a transit deal with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) that is set to expire in December and which Ukraine says it does not plan to extend.

"The enemy again massively shelled Ukrainian energy facilities," said DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity company, adding that four of its six thermal power plants had suffered damage overnight.

Rescuers battled to put out fires at several energy facilities in the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, which border NATO members Poland and Romania, officials said.

After strikes on energy facilities in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, running water supplies were disrupted in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, officials said.

Ukrainian air defences brought down 21 of the 34 incoming missiles, the commander of the air force said in a statement.

None of the facilities hit was identified by name, a security measure intended to prevent Russia quickly assessing the impact of its strikes.

Zelenskiy said the trajectories and nature of the attack had been calculated to make preventing it as hard as possible. "Each downed rocket today is a significant result," he said.

Ukraine's state-run oil and gas firm Naftogaz said Russia had attacked its facilities but that no-one was hurt and supplies to Ukrainian consumers and clients were unaffected.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, denies targeting civilians but says the Ukrainian energy system is a legitimate military target. Ukrainian authorities said one energy worker was hurt overnight.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, which has been heavily bombed in recent weeks, a missile struck a hospital holding 60 patients overnight, injuring a woman and damaging the building, nearby water pipes and power lines, the regional governor said.

Ukraine, which has tried to take the fight back to Russia in recent months using long-range drones, attacked the Ilsky and Slavyansk oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar region overnight, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters.

The drone strike conducted by the SBU security service caused fires at the facilities, the source said. Russia's Kushchevsk military airfield was also attacked in the southern region, the source added.

The Slavyansk oil refinery was forced to suspend some operations after being damaged in the attack, Russian state news agency TASS cited an executive overseeing the plant as saying.

ROLLING BLACKOUTS

Ukraine has lost 80% of its thermal power generation and 35% of its hydroelectric capacity during Russian attacks, officials say.

Though the core of the energy system comes from nuclear power, that lost capacity serves a balancing function in the grid and its loss could be a big problem when consumption rises later this year, officials say.

Rolling blackouts have been introduced in several regions, but the full impact of the attacks has not been felt as consumption, which peaks in winter and the height of summer, is low because of mild weather.

There were no planned blackouts for now in Lviv region, but the governor urged residents to economise on electricity use, especially during the evening hours of peak consumption. He said the two critical energy infrastructure objects in Stryi and Chervonohrad districts were damaged in Saturday's attack.

Zelenskiy called for more air defence supplies, faster deliveries and decisive actions from Kyiv's allies.

The United States approved a major aid package for Ukraine this week, overcoming a congressional deadlock that dragged on for six months as Kyiv's weapon stocks became depleted.

The Pentagon said on Friday it would buy $6 billion worth of new weapons for Ukraine including interceptors for the Patriot air defence system.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who visited Lviv on Saturday, announced a $100 million military aid package including short-range air defence and drones with air-to-ground precision munitions coming separately.

Tass/Reuters

The Odua Separatists fiasco in Ibadan is reflective of the politics of tribe that brought President Bola Tinubu to power. The politics of tribe and prebendalism whereby the psuedo elites use tribalism to gain economic and political power for self aggrandizement. Normally, the world runs on civilizationism whereby tribes that share common genetic and cultural origins unite in pursuit of collective aspirations based on civilizational values and survival. However, coloniality limits elites of former colonies to Pan Tribalistic perspectives unable to contest against civilizational blocs, and therefore frustrated into desperate, illegal, immoral and defeatist means to achieve their selfish goals.

From Banji Akintoye, an elderly retired professor of history, and other Yoruba separatists that distanced themselves from the Onitiri faction that attacked Oyo State government secretariat, I have always asked what other means apart from anarchy can fulfill their dream of breaking up Nigeria into tribal nations? It is obvious that with no tribe more than 25 precent of the national population, without a civilizational unity of tribes with shared origins and values, no tribe can achieve separatism, restructuring or any meaningful political aspirations through democratic means based on majority rule. So these media distancing are hypocritical and cowardly, knowing that madam Onitiri took the only step available to all separatists.

President Bola Tinubu's Emilokan push for presidency used ethnic irredentism when it was obvious that it was Southeast’s turn according to regional rotational presidency. In Yorubaland, especially in Lagos, tribal sentiments were fuelled against Igbos in the reprehensible tribal game. It is a game because the political elite are not really tribal supremacists since they marry and have business partners across tribal lines. It is just a tool to manipulate the intellectually and economically challenged for their selfish ends. It is like riding a Tiger's back, as the tribal supremacy and irredentism of the manipulative elite continue to the lowest rung, threatening everything. Tinubu used it to gain power, while others in the game of using tribe as a ladder, fenced out of the current government, will push for separatism, otherwise when Tinubu leaves office, irredentist Yoruba politicians will return to the lowest rung of the low-life political game.

Afenifere advocated a more strategic nation-building approach by uniting the Indigenous African ethnicities of South and Middlebelt that constitute more than the required 66 percent majority quorum to change the constitution. Being a mature socio-political organization, it focused on getting a true majority, not threatening anarchy like the separatists nor aligning with strange bedfellows like the prebendalists. To achieve electoral unity of the South and Middlebelt, then all groups must be treated with fairness and justice, which was why Afenifere's enlightened interest was to support the rotational presidency to Southeast and opposed Tinubu's Yoruba tribal irredentism.

Even though the policy was concieved during the Pa Reuben Fasonranti’s leadership with Olu Falae, they led some in the Akure wing that renegaded from Afenifere policy and supported Tinubu to power, in order to share in the prebendalist spoils of office.

Therefore it is hypocritical that while the Akure renegades went to Aso Rock to collect their prebendalist payback, they could publicly condemn their fellow tribal irredentists that wanted to establish a permanent tribal national structure through anarchy in Ibadan. Their lip service to restructuring for devolution of power was made obvious when Tinubu's head of police IGP Egbetokun voiced his principal’s opposition to state police. If Tinubu allows state police, how would he control it for elections? The prebendalists in power want to keep all the power during their reign, so they oppose true devolution of power that might weaken their hold on power. Therefore the remaining tribalists will continue to want to break up Nigeria, knowing the wilderness that awaits them after Tinubu's reign if Nigeria is not restructured and the groovy train moves to another geo-political zone.

Odua/Biafra Separatist aspirations are not only unachievable but undesirable since Yorubas and Igbos will be drastically cutting their 200 million plus people economic sphere. Like the 1967 Biafrans, they would be leaving behind their civilizational food basket in Middlebelt, and would lack food security even if they succeeded in breaking away. The Separatists can't find joy with the prebendalists in power that were empowered by the Northern Afro-Arabic civilizationists, who will pull the rug with the help of other Southern and Middlebelt tribalists, if Tinubu tries to restructure the political system that skews power to his Northern hegemony benefactors.

There are two civilizations in Nigeria and across Africa - the Afro-Arabic/Afroasiatic civilization that unites the Northwest and Northeast, made up of different groups taken over by different Asiatic imperialists at different times, and the Original African civilization that unites South and Middlebelt made up of a continuum of dialects with common genetic and cultural origins, broken up by Western and Arabic imperialists into tribes. Unfortunately, some of the elites of the Yoruba and Igbo extraction, the two most populous and prosperous indigenous peoples that are supposed to unite their civilization to challenge the Northern Afro-Arabic and European civilizational exploitation, are blinded by Pan Tribalistic perspectives and prebendalist political payouts. Instead of unachievable tribal separatism of the continuum of dialects, if the Afro-Arabic civilization remains stubbornly imperialistic, the best economic and political option is a civilizational divide along South Kaduna latitude, having the democratic and demographic numbers to achieve, not tribal nations.

Though the separatists, renegades and prebendalists all came out of the Obafemi Awolowo's Afenifere group, Awolowo himself was wise and articulate to know that Yorubas can't afford to to be irredentists because the numbers didn't add up to achieve any collective aspirations either nationally or globally, and irredentism was just to achieve selfish personal political and economic ambitions. Therefore he pushed alliances across South and Middlebelt, a legacy still being pushed by the real Afenifere that has created the South and Middlebelt civilizational alliance based on the same collective values of freedom and equity for all groups regardless of size, religion or ethnicity. The South and Middlebelt alliance will be more effective if there is a narrative that is not only about their collective political aspirations but covers their common genetic and cultural origins from which their common philosophical and moral values evolved.

As stated, the world is run on civilizational blocs, not “waka alone” ethnicities. Odua/Biafra Separatists often cite Scandinavian and other small European nations, South Korea, etc, as rich nations with lesser populations and resources than their proposed nations. Unknown to them that the nations cited rely on their civilizational economic blocs, which no African nation has. So their proposed nations will only be neocolonies to foreign civilizational blocs that would continue the deprivation of the masses through sellout psuedo elites.

The Abuja prebendalists that departed from Awolowo's Afenifere South and Middlebelt unity based on social democratic and welfarism prinicples, are realizing their folly now that they have reached the height and dream of their ethnic irredentism to control federal power. They are realizing that they need their own civilizational backing in order to politically restructure the nation for representative democracy of all groups, against their Northern hegmonic benefactors’ agenda. Also, since prebendalists use tribalism for their own selfish political and economic benefits, they naturally gravitate towards neo-liberal economics, so they ditched Afenifere's social welfarism for anti-poor neo-liberal economic policies pushed by Western civilizational bloc of USA and EU whose institutions like the IMF and World Bank arrest our prosperity with subsidy removals, debts and sabotage attempts to build our own industrial complex.

The tribal irredentists are caught between the Devil and deep blue sea, and can't win the genuine support of other tribes of South and Middlebelt, yet the Northern Afro-Arabic civilizationists are already shaking the table, with an eye on 2027. For political and economic restructuring to be possible, Afenifere and other South and Middlebelt groups must build a civilizational bloc that owes its allegiance to the indigenous African civilization aspirations of Justice and equity for all.

** Faloye, President, ASHE Foundation, is Afenifere Deputy Publicity Secretary

The enchanter recited the incantation with utmost fury: “River Niger and River Benue, the confluence is in Kogi State. Except say River Niger and River Benue no come meet for Kogi; if River Niger and River Benue come meet for Kogi, dem no go fit arrest Bello... Dem dey use EFCC pursue am, dem no go succeed o. Dem go lay siege for im house for Abuja… Except say I no be born of Igala kingdom… EFCC dey front, you dey back; you dey back, dem dey front; you dey left, dem dey right; you dey right, dem dey left; you dey centre, dem come there, you jump dem pass!…a lion cannot give birth to a goat…”

The repertoire is a typical exchange in African rituals. The target was the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an organization headed by Ola Olukoyede. Olukoyede is said to be a pastor in Enoch Adeboye’s RCCG. So, three men gather in a place that looks like a forest. Woven round the heads of two of them like bandana is a white cloth. They crouch on their knees. The third, kneeling in the middle, carries a brown pot from which oozes a thick smoke. Libation ingredients are ready. They are: a black cock, tortoise, a green bottle which ostensibly habours in its bosom sacrificial liquor. The liquor is then sprinkled on the ground as libation. Two egg-like objects complete the ingredients of sacrifice. Either as an effigy or in person, the presence of the recipient of the ritual is always needed. His spirit needs to connect with the spirits.

So, a portrait of the man who gave self the sobriquet of White Lion, Yahaya Bello, is procured for the libation process. He is dressed in all-white attire like the god, Obatala. Obatala is a Yoruba god of purity. Then the one who looks like the chief priest begins to render a monologue that is known in African ritual practice as incantation. It is similar to the allocutus lawyers enter into on behalf of their guilty client. The aim is for the de-escalation of the pursuit of Bello by the EFCC, his alleged theft of Kogi State’s N82 billion notwithstanding. Bello’s matter got escalated towards the end of the week when the EFCC chairman alleged that the ex-governor paid in advance $845,852.84 to the Abuja school of his children. Bello has made feeble attempt to denounce this from his hiding hole with the ill-logic that it was paid with his hard-earned sweats. Why the rush to pay school fees till 2034 if where the money was got today would remain permanent?

Yahaya Bello and his apologists have been spurting out bunkum. They allege that the EFCC is hounding him. Let us assume they are right. First, it is shameful for a self-styled Lion to hide inside a hole like a coyote, thereby eating stale food reserved for effeminate animals. Don’t they say that the leopard, and by extension, the lion, does not eat stale food? (Ekun kii je’ran ikasi). It is thus lawless of Yahaya Bello not to honour the anti-graft body’s lawful invitation. Bello’s 8-year reign was notorious for his naked stomping on opposition’s human rights, running a government fittingly described as an orgy of violence. Why are executioners always afraid when swords are flung in their faces? His is reminiscent of the story of an executioner in Old Oyo Kingdom whose specialty was in decapitating his victims with relish. Upon courting the ire of the Alaafin and was sentenced to death, the ex-executioner suddenly became jittery. When the man about to decapitate him began to do the traditional acrobatics pre-cutting off of his head, jittery, the ex-executioner’s voice shaky, he asked what part of his body would be cut off, “my head or feet?” Celebratory townsmen who had gathered to witness his comeuppance were angered and demanded rhetorically what part of his victims’ bodies he relished in cutting off during his reign of terror.

Anthropologists of the pre-colonial era of the 20th century studying witchcraft were shocked. They had earlier submitted that occult practices would die with modernization and urbanization. However, in the last two decades, modernity seems to have lost the battle in Africa. The miserable and insecure nature of everyday life has made African politicians to go two steps backwards. Rather than the Gods of Christianity and Islam which they inherited from the colonizers, they have gone back to ancient practices preceding the incursion of Arab and European lords. Now, the patronage of priests, priestesses of divinities, herbalists, sorcerers and occults is key to resolution of political dilemmas. Politicians use charms, amulets, rings, belts, ritual, incantations for the attainment of political goals. Either it was a skit or reality, that viral video of enchanters seeking Bello to be set free typifies the usual scene in power relations in Africa. In the bid to attain, sustain or vend off irritants in political power struggles, there is widespread evidence confirming that many Africans today strongly hold on to beliefs which they got from traditional cosmologies. These have now constituted the core of their everyday lives. The Kenyan Mau Mau revolt is said to have been fought with African magical powers.

Magical and ritual practices are pervasive in power relations in Nigeria. This evidently affirms that when complicated issues and challenges of life confront Nigerian politicians, they quickly run to their tradition and origin. This equally demonstrates the ease with which they momentarily throw away their Christian and Islamic cloaks to hold on to the utilitarian purpose that magic and sorcery serve them. Late University of Leiden scholar, Stephen Ellis, in a 2001 article, “Mystical Efforts: Some evidence from the Liberian war” (Journal of Religion in Africa, XXX1, 2) described how young fighters in the Liberian war, sporting amulets which assumably made them bullet-proof, filled the streets with corpses. Monrovians were shocked at how the soldiers “(disemboweled) the bodies of their victims and (eat) their flesh or internal organs, particularly the heart.” The art of eating human heart is borne of a residue of practices in Africa. The belief is that, a person’s essence is contained in the heart and the blood. So, once the hearts and blood of these warriors are eaten and drunk, “the one who had just eaten them acquires some of the power formerly possessed by his victim.”

Wherever Bello is at the moment, no one needed to be told that he is engrossed with one or a combination of three elements in the bid to confront the coercive power of the Nigerian state. In the tragedy that is Bello, these three elements must be making gross harvests from his calamity. They are, on the one hand, the religious combine made up of Pastors, Alfas and African indigenous religious rituals and magic. The second is, lawyers scrambling to profit from what they perceive as the loot from Kogi. Some shameless ones gathered in court last week to protest against the EFCC. The third is bloggers/journalists who by now must have offered to defreeze adversarial comments against him in traditional and social media platforms.

As guest speaker at a 2-day education summit which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 2013, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, waded into the now popular syncretic practices among Nigerian leaders. His particular beef was with Nigerian leaders’ dependence on consultation of marabouts and prophets to acquire and sustain political power. “Give me the name of any head of state who has not been consulting marabouts and prophets and so on, sacrificing goats, animals in the dead of night to receive a third term in office and so on,” he said. The veiled reference was to Olusegun Obasanjo. Marabouts have become notorious in the incestuous relationship between politics and religion in northern Nigeria. They are traditionally Muslim religious leaders and teachers who functioned historically as chaplains serving in Islamic army of North Africa, the Sahara, and in the Maghreb.

Soyinka was right. After the Gideon Orkar volley of bullets on the Dodan Barracks seat of power had subsided, it occurred to Ibrahim Babangida that kinetic power alone could not guarantee his safety in power. IBB was reported to have consulted marabouts from Senegal who promptly buried live cows in Aso Rock to guarantee his fortification. Same went for Sani Abacha who reportedly imported seasoned marabouts to spiritually guard Aso Rock. Bowels of the four corners of Abuja reportedly opened up their wombs and swallowed countless cows in sacrifice. Marabouts from Cameroun were also said to have assured the then Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Olusegun Obasanjo would not have a second term, thus exacerbating the animosity between the president and his vice.

Spiritism is not strictly a Nigerian phenomenon in power relations. In political in-fighting among political elites, the belief is that, once the elites gain access to the spiritual world, they have clinched the needed vital resource in the constant struggle to secure advantage over their political rivals. Communication with the spirit world, use of sacrifices and protective objects, and divinations were potent means of achieving this. For instance, in Senegal, marabouts or Islamic holy men who belong to Sufi brotherhoods, wield such phenomenal influence that made them a source of political influence for decades. When Zimbabwe was fighting its war of liberation, the advice offered by mediums, believed to be possessed by spirits of ancestors, constituted a major requirement for anyone who sought the people’s political support.

President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was an example. A devout Catholic, he was said to have privately resorted to African mediums. Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire also ran a government of elite conspiracy of witches where marabouts were consulted at every point for the enhancement of political power.

For very many other African heads of state, clerics and known spiritualists were their advisors. Kenneth Kaunda was top among them. As president of Zambia, he had an Indian, Ranganathan, as consultant on power matters. So also did President Mathieu Kerekou of Benin. He had a Malian marabout called Mohamed Amadou Cisse, also known as 'Djine' or 'the Devil' as his spiritual advisor. Cisse once publicly espoused the Devil. He was hitherto advisor to some other African leaders like Mobutu and Omar Bongo of Gabon. Kerekou later appointed Cisse minister of state whose responsibility in the Beninese government was secret services. President Didier Ratsiraka of Madagascar too had a palace that boasted of an extravagant temple dedicated to Rosicrucian god. So also did Paul Biya of Cameroon and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, both of whom were followers of Transcendental Meditation.

Marabouts, herbalists, sorcerers and occult chiefs of the Bellos of this world and other African leaders become repositories of highly confidential state information. These are got in the process of spiritual interventions for the captive leaders. Feckless and desperate in the bid to attain and cling on to power, they divulge details of innermost governmental secrets to them. A 1998-published journal article written by Stephen Ellis and Gerrie ter Haar with the title, “Religion and Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa” (The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 175-201) discusses how leading marabouts have pre-knowledge of coups d’e tat and other secrets of power. Amadou Cisse, for instance, knew virtually all the secrets of power in Benin. So did another marabout, Amadou Oumarou 'Bonkano', who was appointed chief of national intelligence service. Having known details of President Seyni Kountche of Niger’s operations, Oumarou attempted a coup against Kountche, his patron and employer.

At a random and conservative estimate, ninety per cent of Nigerian politicians, aside the Christianity and Islam they profess in broad daylight, patronize priests, herbalists, sorcerers and occults. They probably have discovered that the immediacy of execution that these African deities possess cannot be found in the Western God. Again, I tend to submit that the rash of theft of public money among them is borne out of the presumed fortification they are promised by African deity priests and priestesses. They offer human beings as sacrifice in the process. Unknown to them, they kill the proverbial hunchback, Abuke Osin, the favourite servant of Obatala god, in the process of acquiring these powers. Unjustly shed blood fight back.

According to renowned living archive of Yoruba traditional institution, Yemi Elebuibon, in his The Adventures of Obatala: Ifa and Santeria God of creativity, (2016) the hunchback was one of the faithful servants of Obatala who he sent on errands. Having become rich due to his generosity to the Abuke Osin, Tortoise, Alabahun the fabled trickster, envied Ojugbe, his neighbour. Impressed by his generosity to the hunchback, Obatala chanted some incantations which deposited precious beads, gold and other ornaments inside the carapace-like chest of the hunchback. So when Ojugbe rubbed the hunchback’s chest, he became stupendously wealthy. Stingy and unable to compete with Ojugbe-kind generosity, Tortoise lured the Abuke Osin into his house and forcefully rubbed his chest which refused to emit money. He then killed this servant of Obatala and incurred the wrath of the god.

The moment the Nigerian state allows Yahaya Bello, for whatever reason, to escape the wrath of the law, its last lever of strength will snap off. Whoever kills the Abuke Osin should pay dearly for it.

The Bull at 71

A few weeks ago while on phone with the Sawe of Ilesa, Akinwande Akinola, as an identifier, I reminded him that as a young school leaver from the C & S High School, Iyemogun, Ilesa in the 1980s, I became his Messenger. Akinola, now in his 80s, was then the Managing Director of International Breweries Ltd, brewers of Trophy beer. The old man must have wondered how the then indecipherable seeds lying inside a small walnut pod could become a delicacy to bite today. As a die-hard comparativist, I love mentoring the youth of today who see only hopelessness in the horizon. In my narration of a tomorrow, I place yesterday side by side today and counterpoise the future with today. Inside them are hidden fruits whose plum harvest no one can tell. Akinola was one major icon that a young school leaver like me saw and swore to crawl my way to become somebody in life.

Of all that is said about the Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga, two attributes catch my fancy the most. One is his grass-to-grace story. The other is his personification of the tigritude philosophy of Leopold Sedar Senghor, parodied in a conversation Wole Soyinka once had. Soyinka had lovingly articulated the tigritude of a tiger thus: "A tiger does not proclaim his tigritude; he pounces". Put succinctly, when a tiger is in the jungle, he does not sit regally in the forest to mouth his prowess by saying "I am a tiger". Upon a walk past the spot where the tiger has walked heretofore, what confronts you are a conqueror’s memorabilia like the skeleton of the duiker, decapitated head of an impala and caked blood that paint the jungle leaves red. When you see these insignias, as the holy writ says, verily I say unto thee, these are proclamations that a tiger was here.

Experiences of life either toughen one into a monster or open up the trough of humanity latent in those experiences. For Adenuga, they seem to have provoked and strengthened his humanity. If the youth of today can study his life, his rise to where he is today, they have the tendency of providing ample ground for their role-modeling and mentorship. His life can unlock the can-do spirit in them and open situation-blurried eyes to see a glorious tomorrow.

History has it that the young Adenuga, born April 29, 1953, wasn’t your idea of a silver spoon. With a school teacher father and businesswoman mother, Juliana Oyindamola Adenuga, (nee Onashile) as early as when he was a student of Ibadan Grammar School, Adenuga swore that his life would make a difference. Those who knew him while growing up in Ibadan in the 70s talk about a young man who hawked lace cloth materials while distributing soft drinks. Coupled with the renowned industry and financial doggedness of Ijebu people, Adenuga must have caught the bug of the business acumen while helping his mother oversee her businesses. He subsequently pulled himself off by the lace of his canvass by working as a taxi driver in America to eke out a living and self-secured the funding for his university education.

There are several Mike Adenugas dotting the landscape of Nigeria. Unfortunately, rather than see prosperity in the current hardship, they are blinded from a prosperous future. I am sure that as plenty dotted the landscape of the 1970s and 80s when Adenuga was struggling to wriggle out of lack, complaints of an opaque tomorrow also filled the land. Determination and vision helped him punch the walls of challenges that lined his way to the top.

Now to my second fancy about him. Bookmakers claim he is the richest Nigerian. The names of some others are equally mentioned. Adenuga does not attempt to denounce or affirm this. This does not seem to matter to him. He has something in common with MKO Abiola who once said he might not be able to say that he was the richest African, but that he attempted to be the most generous African. Rather than worship wealth as is the vogue with rich Nigerians, Adenuga deconstructs wealth by becoming a tree that makes a forest without noise. Those who have seen him are far between but his imprints dot the landscape. Like the Soyinka tiger, Adenuga does not proclaim his tigritude. However, when you walk past the spot where his tiger has walked heretofore, the memorabilia confirm that The Bull is indeed the tiger of humanity. It is said that he grants a $32 million annual scholarships to students and endows professorial chairs for research and development in the mould of Bill and Melinda Gates.

If you read the autobiography of Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, you would have a glimpse of how Adenuga suffered to get here. In 2001, his application for GSM licence met its waterloo, leading to huge financial loss. His Ogun State kinsman, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was busy making billionaires of other people from other ethnicities, swore to liquidate him. Like Bob Marley said about the magical touch of his feet, Adenuga’s feet are personified in his audacity, his focus, his hardwork and a brain that is tirelessly innovating.

Adenuga’s life should be a book of inspiration daily read by upcoming youths. It should also demonstrate to emergency mega-billionaires who litter Nigeria that money is a vehicle, a journey and not a destination that they erroneously assume it to be. Money should not be venerated because in doing that, its vanity looms large. By deconstructing it, money assumes a utility and functional humanity of its own that gives its owner unquantifiable joy and satisfaction. This is wishing The Bull a happy 71st birthday tomorrow. 

For Ayogu Eze and Ezinne Margaret Nwomeh

On Thursday last week, I had just arrived Enugu for the funerals of Ezinne Margaret Nebechi Nwomeh of Ozalla in Enugu State when another news of demise hopped in like a demonic apparition. Big brother and friend, Ayogu Eze, senator who represented Enugu North, had passed on.

I met Eze 21 years ago there in Enugu. Once the Commissioner for Information in the first term, I felt it a great honour to serve with him in the state. Blessed with a gift of the garb, Eze was detribalised in every sense. Perhaps resulting from his matrimony to a woman of my stock or his years as journalist with the Guardian newspaper, Eze had inspiring stories to tell about his association with the Yoruba, a language he struggled to flaunt.

A couple of years back, told I was visiting Enugu, he visited me in my hotel room where, for hours, we filled the gap of physical absence from each other. I reciprocated later on by attending his father's burial at Enugu-Ezike in Igboeze North where I was treated to a variety of Igbo culinary delicacies.

Talking of culinary delicacies, Mama Nwomeh reminded me of my Enugu years when her son, my friend, Dan and I used to dash to her Ozalla, Four Corner home. Her first demand was what we would eat. As we gathered in Ozalla for her wake ceremony on Friday, I spent quality time with her son, Benedict, a professor of surgery and vice-chair of global surgery in the department of surgery at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center where he drilled down on the humanity of his mother. 

Widowed at the age of 23, Ezinne Nwomeh single-handedly guided her five children to the zenith of their lives. She could have taken them to the motherless home for the challenges ahead her were daunting. Wrote Ben in his tribute to Mama: “On the fateful day of March 12, 1970, tragedy struck our family as Papa was called home, leaving Mama shattered. The war had just ended, and Mama, at the tender age of 23, found herself widowed with five young children to care for. Angela, the eldest, was merely 7 years old at the time. Mama was thrust into a world of uncertainty, facing homelessness and the daunting challenge of providing for her children with no means to do so.

“Amidst the haze of post-war years, my earliest memories of Mama began to take shape. Even as a young child, I observed her unwavering resolve to secure our survival. One poignant memory stands out vividly: Mama's relentless struggle to ensure we had food on the table…While instilling in us the code of honor expected of the “children of Peter Nwomeh,” Mama also went to great lengths to ensure we enjoyed a normal childhood alongside other neighborhood kids. She taught us the importance of family, tirelessly working to maintain connections with all our extended relatives, in every direction, and never once attempting to sever our ties with anyone.

“Mama fostered a spirit of generosity within us, serving as the driving force behind the creation of the Peter Nwomeh Foundation. In honor of both our parents, it will now be renamed The Peter and Margaret Nwomeh Foundation, and its sister charity, the Peter and Margaret Nwomeh Foundation USA.

“As we bid farewell to Mama, we do so with hearts full of gratitude for the seventy-seven years of love, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion she bestowed upon us. May her soul find peace in the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father, and may her memory continue to inspire us all.”

Yesterday, as we celebrated this amazon’s 77 eventful years on earth in Ozalla, my heart grieved on the passage of Ayogu. He was an avuncular spirit who left fond memories in the hearts of everyone he encountered. Sleep well, Ezinne Margaret Nebechi Nwomeh and the great soul, Ayogu Eze.