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Lagos Arewa ethnic group accuses Lagos APC of marginalisation, demands justice

Gov. Sanwo-Olu
The Eyewitness Reporter
The Arewa nationality in Lagos state has cried out to the governor of the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over what its leaders described as gross marginalisation, neglect and rejection by the  All People’s Congress(APC) in the state.
In a petition to Gov. Sanwo-Olu dated November 29th, 2023 and signed by the leader of the group in ward 2 in the Ajeromi Local government, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, the group complained of being used and dumbed by the Lagos APC after helping Governor Sanwo-Olu and other political office holders in the state achieve electoral victory during the March Governorship and State House Assembly elections.
According to the group whose leader sounded distraught and disconsolate in its petition, the state APC not only reneged on its promise to cede three commissioner positions to the group, but the powers that be in the state are even threatening to demolish Otto White Sand market, which is the source of livelihood of most if its members.
According to Tanko, the leader of the ethics nationality in Ward 2 of the state, members, including himself, made personal sacrifices to ensure the group delivered 10 local government areas, including CDAs to the APC during the election.
“Your Excellency sir, my name is Ibrahim Tanko, the Apex leader of Arewa Ethnic Nationality West 2.
” I am compelled to write your good self this letter on behalf of my humble self and Arewa group, a critical and formidable member of All Progressive Congress, Lagos State Chapter.
“Sir, it is without equivocation to state that we the members of the above group are not happy at all, having worked tirelessly and relentlessly in the last concluded general election where I led the submissive and loyal members of the Arewa Community in and around Lagos West 2 that covers 10 local government and CDA Lagos State to a resounding victory for your good self and other political office holders of APC, both Lagos State chapter and the national Assembly elected on the APC platform.
“Your Excellency sir, the Arewa Ethnic group and my humble self as the apex leader fought and risked our lives participating in the last general elections, and sir, we have been totally and grossly relegated, forgotten and abandoned to our fate, hence the reason for this letter.
“Sir, as I write this letter, The AREWA ETHNIC GROUP did not get a thank you visit from the elected leaders of APC in Lagos State.
“It is very disheartening and painful for us to dissipate so much energy and effort and voted massively to achieve outstanding and resonating victory for our great party only to be relegated, forgotten, abandoned and even marginalized.
“Recently and to our greatest surprise sir, an official of the Mainland local government is planning and threatening to demolish the OTTO WHITE SAND market where thousands of our members who fought tirelessly and relentlessly to ensure victory in Lagos State earn their living.
“Please sir, we plead and ask for your swift intervention in this regard. Our members’ means of livelihood should not be taken away, sir.
“In retrospect your Excellency sir,   I will recall but few of our sacrificial conduct and activities among many, before and during the last general election namely;
–The AREWA ETHNIC GROUP donated over three hundred buses to the South West APC.
–I, as the Apex leader, was required and mandated to deliver the entire local governments (10 in all) and I did deliver the ten local governments.
“At my personal cost and expense, I mounted tens of billboards, thousands of campaign posters, T-shirts, face caps, handbills and many other campaign materials.
“Sir, it is pertinent to note that all the party candidates, inclusive of the members of the Senate, House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly members are comfortably seated in their offices and chambers ably made possible by our concerted efforts, sweat, grit and finance without remembering us.
“Sir, you may wish to verify and or ascertain the veracity of our assertion or otherwise from the Chairman of the Ethnic Group Committee, honorable FATAI AYOOLA, current Executive Chairman, Ajeromi Ifelodun local government area of the State.
“In conclusion your Excellency sir, we by this letter hereby strongly express our heartfelt disappointment, betrayal and exclusion.
“We, emphatically and sincerely speaking, were guaranteed three {3} commissioner positions in the Lagos State cabinet.
” Not even one was allocated to us as promised, none came our way.
” It is of paramount importance to note that our people listen to and follow their leaders.
“Your Excellency sir, we therefore humbly ask that you use your good offices and goodwill to look into our complaints and do something to pacify and assuage our people” Tanko pleaded.
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Analyses

The invisible toll gates:Why National Single Window is Nigeria’s ultimate economic battleground

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
Walk into any market in Nigeria today, from the commercial hubs of Lagos to the roadside stalls in Yola, and ask why a bag of rice or an imported spare part costs three times what it did last year.
The typical public commentator will blame global inflation, floating currencies, or macro-economic shocks.
But those who understand logistics know the real truth lies buried under layers of paper, manual stamps, and artificial delays at our seaports.
Nigeria’s international trade is suffocating not from a lack of deep water, but from a deliberate design of convenience.
The recent operational rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) has triggered behind-the-scenes panic among Port cartels, and for good reason.
For decades, keeping our clearing processes fragmented, manual, and dependent on desk-to-desk human interaction was the perfect business model for syndicates.
When cargo dwell times drag on for 21 days, those delays are money in the pockets of the gatekeepers and a death sentence for local businesses.
Let us look at the raw field realities. The push by the Nigeria Customs Service to aggressively crash clearance times down to global 48-hour standards is meeting fierce internal resistance.
Why? Because a unified digital ecosystem means you cannot easily manipulate documentation, hide illicit cargo, or demand “mobilization fees” before signing off a container.
The outcry and protests from certain freight-forwarding syndicates aren’t about technical glitches; they are about the sudden closure of invisible toll gates.
This is exactly why governance at our national gateways can no longer be left to the mercy of transactional bureaucratic habits.
Building deep-sea infrastructure like Lekki Port is a massive physical achievement, but concrete and cranes are useless if the administrative processes at the gate remain backward.
 Real structural reform requires turning our Ports into automated, friction-free pipelines that prioritize production over rent-seeking.
If Nigeria wants to survive this fiscal squeeze, the National Single Window cannot just be treated as another glossy IT project launched in Abuja.
 It requires unyielding administrative enforcement to completely dismantle the corrupt cartels managing the manual desk chains.
The invisible toll gates at our Ports must be completely demolished, and that exact same structural discipline must be scaled across our border stations and trade corridors.
The era of managing international trade with 20th-century paper trails is dying. The future belongs to the builders of automated, transparent systems.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst,  writes from Abuja 
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Headlines

NANTA Exco embarks on seven-day Ghana retreat, fam trip to deepen regional tourism partnership

Gloria Odion, Reporter

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has commenced a seven-day executive retreat and familiarisation (fam) trip to Ghana, hosted by Safari World, as part of efforts to strengthen regional tourism partnerships and expand cross-border travel opportunities.

The NANTA delegation was received at Safari World Homes in Accra by the Chairman of the Safari World Group, Mr. Ernest Gyekye, who expressed delight at hosting the Nigerian travel trade leaders.

He assured the delegation of a memorable experience throughout their week-long stay.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, described the retreat and familiarisation tour as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering stronger business relationships and promoting collaborative tourism development across Africa.

“This mission is not a leisure trip,” Folami said. “It is a deliberate step to implement and expand our association’s marketing advocacy for Nigerian brands across borders.”

He noted that Nigeria and Ghana share deep historical, cultural and commercial ties that should be leveraged to drive tourism growth on the continent.

“Nigeria and Ghana share history, culture, trade and people. The future of our tourism cannot be built in silos,” he said.

“This retreat is about moving from policy to practice—creating real products, real partnerships and real movement of travellers between Accra and Lagos.”

As part of the programme, the NANTA executives will engage in strategic business-to-business (B2B) meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts, tour key tourism destinations under the Safari World brand, and participate in cultural exchange activities designed to promote stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.

The itinerary spans Safari World’s three flagship destinations, including Safari Homes in Accra, the Aqua Safari riverfront experience, Safari Island Cruise, Safari Nautica, and Safari Recreation and Sports facilities in Ada, as well as the Safari Valley Eco Resort and Safari Eco Park in Dawu.

Operating under the brand promise, “One World, Three Destinations, Over 20 Unique Experiences,” Safari World is leveraging the visit to strengthen its footprint in the Nigerian travel market while positioning Ghana as a premier destination for leisure tourism, conferences, group travel, family holidays and premium tourism experiences.

A major highlight of the visit will be the Executive Dinner scheduled for July 21 at the Safari Valley Eco Resort, where key stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana’s tourism industries will deliberate on strategies for deepening travel trade and advancing regional tourism development.

The familiarisation tour is expected to provide NANTA’s leadership with first-hand knowledge of Safari World’s tourism offerings, paving the way for the development of attractive travel packages and stronger business partnerships that will benefit Nigerian travellers and the wider West African tourism industry.

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Customs

Ogun Customs spurns claims of Smugglers’ takeover of Idiroko–Sango Ota trading Route

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed as false reports alleging that smugglers had taken over the Idiroko–Sango Ota trading route in Ogun State, describing the claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of a traffic incident.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Chado, the Command clarified that the traffic gridlock on the route resulted from the breakdown of an articulated commercial trailer after it fell into a badly deteriorated section of Atan Road, temporarily obstructing the free flow of traffic.
According to the Command, the vehicles caught in the ensuing congestion were legitimate commercial trucks transporting red palm oil to various local markets and had no connection whatsoever with smuggling activities.
It explained that the large number of heavy-duty trucks trapped in the gridlock may have led some members of the public to wrongly conclude that smugglers had taken over the road.
“The reports that smugglers blocked the road are inaccurate. The disruption resulted from a road accident and poor road conditions. The vehicles involved were lawful commercial vehicles transporting red palm oil for legitimate trade,” Chado stated.
The Command urged journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information before disseminating reports capable of creating unnecessary panic or undermining public confidence in security agencies.
Observers within the border trade sector noted that the allegation does not reflect the prevailing security situation within the Ogun I Area Command, where anti-smuggling operations have been intensified under the leadership of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Comptroller O.O. Afeni.
Since assuming office, Comptroller Afeni has strengthened intelligence-driven surveillance, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and host communities, and sustained pressure on economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors.
These measures, according to stakeholders, have resulted in significant seizures of prohibited goods and reinforced the Command’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and territorial integrity.
Maritime and border trade stakeholders also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of undermining the efforts of security personnel or creating a false impression of lawlessness in border communities.
They stressed that while combating smuggling remains an ongoing responsibility, responsible and accurate reporting is equally critical to ensuring that operational achievements are not overshadowed by misinformation.
The Ogun I Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its anti-smuggling campaign while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade in line with the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.

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