HON.FELIX

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela Yesterday, the global community marked the International Day of the Boy Child. For me, it was a day of sober reflection on the future of the boy child in a nation like ours, where the horrible spate of insecurity, mass abductions, hunger, and inadequate investment in health and education constantly jeopardise the lives and futures of our children. It is generally believed that our children are the leaders of tomorrow, and rightly so. However, one wonders how our children will lead society tomorrow if we fail to secure their lives and future today. From severe hunger and malnutrition to a lack of basic education and primary healthcare; from worsening levels of insecurity and mass abductions to alarming rates of moral decadence in society—the boy child faces numerous existential challenges from birth. For him to become a responsible and productive member of society, the boy child must be given a sound basic education, empowered with productive skills, and mentored with the right progressive values that help build a better society. In the words of Frederick Douglass: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” We must stop the neglect and abuse we unleash on our boy children and begin to secure their lives and invest in their future for the sake of our collective future as a nation. As I have always maintained, the society we abuse today will take its revenge on us tomorrow. And to every boy child out there: do not give up on your dreams. We are on a journey toward building a nation that not only secures your life and invests in your future, but also helps you grow and fuels your dreams so that you can embrace global opportunities that match your talents and aspirations. Happy International Day of the Boy Child. A New Nigeria is POssible! -PO

State visits by Leaders are not tourism, and diplomacy is not a fashion parade. Every foreign trip undertaken by a government must deliver measurable benefits to the people, including investments, technology transfer, trade agreements, factory expansion, industrial partnerships, and job creation. During President Trump’s recent visit to China, the American delegation reportedly included a few top government officials, and many of the biggest figures in global business and technology: Consequently, huge trade deals worth several billion dollars including about 200 Boeing orders were achieved. The list of the entourage included 1. Donald J. Trump – President of the United States 2. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State 3. Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defence 4. Elon Musk – CEO, Tesla & SpaceX 5. Jensen Huang – CEO, Nvidia 6. Tim Cook – CEO, Apple 7. Larry Fink – CEO, BlackRock 8. Stephen Schwarzman – CEO, Blackstone 9. Kelly Ortberg – CEO, Boeing 10. Brian Sikes – CEO, Cargill 11. Jane Fraser – CEO, Citigroup 12. Larry Culp – CEO, General Electric 13. David Solomon – CEO, Goldman Sachs 14. Sanjay Mehrotra – CEO, Micron Technology 15.Cristiano Amon – CEO, Qualcomm 16. Dina P. McCormick – President of Meta 17. Ryan McInerney – CEO, Visa 18. Michael Miebach – President, Mastercard 19. Jim Anderson – CEO, Coherent 20. Jacob Thaysen – CEO, Illumina That is how serious nations approach diplomacy, by aligning foreign policy with economic expansion, industrial growth, innovation, and national productivity. I hope that lessons can be learned from these recent visits comparing them with the President of Nigeria’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom. A large entourage of politicians, aides, and government officials travelled, yet Nigerians are still asking a simple question: what exactly did Nigeria bring home? Which factories are coming to Nigeria? What power, technology, manufacturing, agricultural, or industrial agreements were secured? How many direct jobs will this visit create for Nigerian youths? What investments were attracted? What measurable economic outcomes can the ordinary Nigerian point to? The delegation reportedly included: 1. President Bola Tinubu 2. Senator (Mrs) Tinubu 3.12 governors 4.9 ministers 5.7 members of the National Assembly 6. Over 20 senior State House staff 7. Over 30 security personnel 8. Over 10 domestic staff 9. Several supporters and associates It is not enough to ride horses, wear matching uniforms, attend royal banquets, and release glossy photographs. Symbolism without substance cannot feed hungry citizens. Today, Nigeria is in decline, battling serious insecurity, food insecurity, unemployment, a weakened naira, declining industrial productivity, and worsening poverty. At a time when millions of Nigerians struggle daily to afford food and survive economic hardship, every kobo spent on foreign trips must produce tangible national value: investments, factories, jobs, exports, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. Nigeria needs leadership that is focused less on optics and more on productivity; less on ceremony and more on measurable economic results. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Alex Ekubo lived a private life. Why are celebrities close to him releasing private conversations with him to show how close they were to him? When alive, he wanted his life private, respect it in his death.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole clåshed with Rufai Oseni over his opinion that Nigeria should nationalise South African businesses, including MTN and DSTV, over the k!ll!ngs of Nigerians in South Africa