In leaked audio, Atiku allegedly admits to setting up channels for corruption

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The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and stalwart of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has been accused of complicity regarding bribery and misappropriation of public funds.

This came to light in a viral audio shared by Atiku’s former aide, Michael Achimugu, where the former vice-president allegedly admitted to having collected N100 million bribe from Mr Joshua Dariye, a former Plateau State governor, which was paid directly to Marine Float, one of the three firms he registered.Play audio 

In the audio recording which Achimugu claimed was with Atiku, the former Vice President is heard explaining how he set up an ‘SPV -Special Purpose Vehicle’ to receive monies from corruption-related dealings.

During his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007, Dariye was found to have stolen N2 billion in public funds. He was found guilty of criminal misappropriation and criminal breach of trust.

“When the governor sent donations, he sent it to Marine Float. It stayed in Marine Float. One of the subscribers of Marine Float was Otunba Fasawe. That was where the N100 million went to. It did not go to Atiku Abubakar. It went to Marine Float. Marine Float was a special-purpose vehicle,” Atiku revealed in the YouTube phone recording.

Atiku said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had afterwards “very thoroughly” investigated Marine Float accounts but had still not “discovered anything” connecting him to the company’s fraudulent practices.

The former vice president also described how he was in charge of establishing onshore shell companies to operate as a conduit for taking large sums of money from public works contracts for himself and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said, “What happened was when we came into office and I advised the president against open corruption.

“I told him to give me three people you trust and I will prepare three companies in which they will be subscribers or rather the directors.

“So that if there is any contract that we give they will act like consultants and they are given a fee. That fee is what we use to fund the party.”

Atiku was accused by Nigerian senators in 2007 of misusing more than $100 million (£51 million) in taxpayer money for personal gain.

A Senate investigation suggested that Atiku be prosecuted for diverting funds to businesses he was associated with.

After the then-president, Obasanjo, transmitted accusations made against Atiku by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Senate opened the investigation.

The investigative panel acknowledged in a report given to the Senate that it concurred with the conclusion that Atiku had abetted in the transfer of $145 million from Nigerian government accounts to banks.

The panel’s research and conclusions, though, had no effect.

The demonisation of the Orisas: Colonialism, religion and cultural misrepresentation

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By Samira Bello

Throughout history, the Orisas (divine entities in the Yoruba spiritual system) have been misrepresented, demonised, and vilified, particularly in the wake of colonialism and the spread of Abrahamic religions. This distortion of indigenous African spirituality has had lasting effects on cultural identity, religious freedom, and the perception of traditional beliefs. 

The Orisas are revered as intermediaries between humanity and Olodumare, the Supreme Creator in Yoruba cosmology. Each Orisa embodies specific natural and metaphysical forces. For example, Ogun is the Orisa of iron and war, Yemoja represents motherhood and the ocean, and Sango embodies thunder and justice. These deities govern aspects of existence and serve as guides for adherents of the Yoruba faith. 

Unlike the binary worldview in some monotheistic traditions, Yoruba spirituality embraces duality and balance, acknowledging that divinity manifests in multiple ways. Worship of the Orisas is rooted in ancestral veneration, community cohesion, and a deep relationship with nature. 

With the arrival of European colonisers in West Africa, indigenous spiritual systems came under attack. Missionaries and colonial administrators labelled traditional African religions as “paganism” or “witchcraft,” portraying them as primitive and diabolical. The Orisas, once revered, were systematically demonised as evil spirits. This was part of a broader colonial strategy to undermine African identity and establish religious dominance (I’ll speak more about this in future articles).

Forced conversions to Christianity and Islam led many Africans to abandon or conceal their traditional beliefs. Sacred groves, shrines, and spiritual practices were destroyed, and practitioners of Ifá and Orisa worship were often persecuted. This ideological warfare severed many from their ancestral spiritual heritage, leading to generational amnesia regarding the Orisas’ true nature.

Despite the violent suppression of their faith, enslaved Africans carried their spiritual traditions to the Americas, where they adapted them under new conditions. In Brazil (Candomblé), Cuba (Santería), Haiti (Vodou), and other parts of the diaspora, the worship of the Orisas persisted, often syncretised with Catholic saints to evade persecution.

For example, Sango was linked to Saint Barbara, while Yemoja was associated with the Virgin Mary. These adaptations ensured the survival of Orisa worship but also introduced misunderstandings that further complicated perceptions of these deities.

Modern media continues to reinforce negative stereotypes about African spirituality. Films, television shows, and literature often depict Orisa worship as dark, malevolent, or associated with sorcery and black magic. Characters who practice Yoruba spirituality are frequently portrayed as villains, reinforcing the colonial-era narrative of the Orisas as demonic beings.

Furthermore, some evangelical movements in Africa and the diaspora actively campaign against indigenous religions, spreading misinformation that frames Orisa worship as devil worship. This further alienates young Africans from their spiritual heritage, deepening the historical erasure of their traditions.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Yoruba spirituality, both in Africa and the diaspora. Scholars, traditional priests (babalawos: ‘father of secrets’), and cultural advocates are working to reclaim the true essence of the Orisas, challenging centuries of misrepresentation. Social media, books, and academic discourse are helping to demystify these spiritual entities and educate people about their profound philosophical and ethical teachings.

Celebrities and public figures have also played a role in reviving Orisa worship, embracing traditional African spirituality as a source of empowerment. Artists, musicians, and writers are incorporating Orisa imagery into their work.

The demonisation of the Orisas is a direct result of colonialism, religious intolerance, and cultural imperialism. However, the enduring nature of Yoruba spirituality demonstrates its resilience and adaptability.

In an era of decolonisation and cultural revival, the truth about the Orisas must be restored. They are not demons or forces of evil but sacred beings who guide, protect, and enrich the lives of those who seek their wisdom. Understanding and respecting this rich spiritual tradition is a step toward healing the wounds of the past and embracing a future rooted in cultural authenticity and self-determination.

Business Day

Samira Bello is a young Nigerian writer exploring Yoruba history, African spiritual traditions and wellness. samiradbello@outlook.com

NGUGI WA THIONG'O: A COMPENDIUM OF A LITERARY LIFE WELL SPENT!

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By Yahaya Balogun

The journey of reading is a perpetual one. And it's awe-inspiring to witness how a simple arrangement of words can evoke such deep feelings and an ejaculation of wisdom within us or our willing souls!" - Yahaya Balogun.

The continent of Africa has lost another cerebral literary juggernaut. As Wikipedia aptly described him, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, originally named James Ngugi, graced the world from January 5, 1938, until May 28, 2025. Renowned as the premier novelist of East Africa, he emerged as a pivotal voice in the landscape of contemporary African literature.

The passing of our illustrious African son, the literary giant and prolific writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o, has deeply affected our hearts. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, a gifted author and scholar, has now joined his contemporary African ancestors, just a few days before his 87th birthday celebration.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o, a prolific literary figure and author, has an impressive portfolio of more than 34 published works. Ngugi wa Thiong'o's fictional contributions include seven remarkable novels: "Weep Not, Child" (1964), "The River Between" (1965), "A Grain of Wheat" (1967, 1992), "Petals of Blood" (1977), "Caitaani Mutharaba-Ini" (also known as "Devil on the Cross," 1980), "Matigari ma Njiruungi" (1986), "Murogi wa Kagogo" (or "Wizard of the Crow," 2006), and "Kenda Muiyuru: Rugano Rwa Gikuyu na Mumbi" (2018), which was published in Gikuyu. Ngugi wa Thiong'o's talent is evident in two collections of short stories: "A Meeting in the Dark" (1974) and "Secret Lives and Other Stories" (1976).

Ngugi's memoirs are a testament to his unique journey, which includes four significant titles: "Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary" (1981), "Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir" (2010), "In the House of the Interpreter: A Memoir" (2012), and "Birth of a Dream Weaver: A Memoir of a Writer's Awakening" (2016).

In addition to these, Ngugi wa Thiong'o has enriched the literary landscape with thirteen essay collections and nonfiction works, such as "Homecoming: Essays on African and Caribbean Literature, Culture, and Politics" (1972), "Writers in Politics: Essays" (1981), "Education for a National Culture" (1981), "Barrel of a Pen: Resistance to Repression in Neo-Colonial Kenya" (1983), "Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature" (1986), "Mother, Sing For Me" (1986), "Writing against Neo-Colonialism" (1986), "Moving the Centre: The Struggle for Cultural Freedom" (1993), "Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams: The Performance of Literature and Power in Post-Colonial Africa" (1998), "Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance" (2009), "Globalectics: Theory and the Politics of Knowing" (2012), "In the Name of the Mother: Reflections on Writers and Empire" (2013), and "Secure the Base" (2016).

Moreover, Ngugi has brought to life four compelling plays: "The Black Hermit" (1963), "This Time Tomorrow" (1970), "The Trial of Dedan Kimathi" (1976), and "Ngaahika Ndeenda: Ithaako ria ngerekano" (translated as "I Will Marry When I Want," 1977), along with three enchanting children's books: "Njamba Nene and the Flying Bus" (1986), "Njamba Nene and the Cruel Chief" (1988), and "Njamba Nene's Pistol" (1990).

From 1984 to 1985, I studied "Weep Not Child" in English Literature at Igbemo Community Comprehensive High School, Igbemo-Ekiti. It was a great memory for us to read Ngugi's poignant story, penned in his novels in Kikuyu, and he undertook the translations himself; however, he initially crafted "Weep Not Child" in English. Within its pages, one can discern the subtle influence of the Kikuyu language—the rhythm and straightforwardness of its formal prose and erudition. This interplay creates a vibrant echo of Kikuyu life, allowing the essence, mood, and hues of that culture to flow into the English text, imbuing the novel with a profound African spirit.

The death and words of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, our cerebral and literary giant, will continue to resonate and inspire us all! This renowned author, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, will be celebrated as a transformative influence, particularly for his steadfast dedication to liberating the African psyche from colonial remnants and neocolonialism. His eloquence, foresight, and scholarly bravery will continue to motivate budding authors and countless future generations throughout Africa. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

Source and credit: Book titles and collections from Brittle Paper's tribute to Ngugi wa Thiong'o on his 82nd birthday.

How America’s Legacy of Racial Terror Still Affects Black Wealth

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Flashback: The GOP and the dearth of true conservatives

Reagan takes oath of office

Editor-in-Chief 

--- Boyejo A. Coker

This piece was written (ahead of the 2012 U.S. general elections) as a sequel to a preceding piece titled "Whither the GOP and true conservatism." Both pieces served to profess a prelude to the emergence of both Barack Obama and Donald Trump on opposite sides of the political spectrum. The article continues below.....

In an article I wrote a few years ago, I touched on the debilitating frailties of the GOP as presently constituted and how they may have led to the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

As we get into the decisive months of presidential politics in the U.S. general elections, one sees the same pattern beginning to unfold once again, as the GOP-led Congress (at least on the House side) would much rather play side-bar politics, that could ultimately re-energize the left to turn out in solidarity of what most observers perceive to be an under-performing president.

There is no question that the president is vulnerable and worse-still is the fact that he seems unsure of what he needs to do, in order to get the economy moving again.

For independent voters (they hold the "swing votes" in key elections), the two choices for the White House would seem to be a replay of 2008 all over again.

Then, most independents seemed to initially lean towards John McCain, as they respected his service to country as well as his penchant for reaching across the aisle, to get the business of the nation done, when it was absolutely necessary.

The fringe right of the GOP was however cool to the McCain candidacy and they eventually forced his hand into choosing someone that many felt became a liability to both his candidacy as well as the poignant message true conservatives were trying to send to the American people.

Key political watchers would argue that true conservatives never warmed up to Sarah Palin the minute they realized there was nothing behind the looks or between the ears.

For all the so-called Tea Party would like most Americans to believe, conservatism is not defined by a resentment for a sterling educational pedigree or impeccable intellectual acumen. Rather than see those with the preceding qualities as snubs, a true conservative views the composite as an invaluable asset; one that typifies a sense of ambition, responsibility and ultimately speaks to the crux of the conservative message of a commitment to excellence.

The reality is that this president is way in over his head, but the GOP leadership in the House of Representatives has consistently giving him a way out by stalling and styming his feckless efforts aimed at "reviving" the American economy.

And when they are not styming the president's "well intended efforts" they are busy issuing subpoenas to the Attorney General of the United States for a program that was actually started under a Republican president; it was then called Operation Wide Receiver and it was the first known ATF "gunwalking" operation to the Mexican drug cartels, beginning in early 2006 (under the Bush White House) and ran till late 2007.

Not to digress onto this matter, but what makes the Darrell Issa-led over-reach even more laughable and at best mis-directed, is the fact that under the Bush administration, there were no known reviews by either the DOJ or the Congress at the time. In fact, it was not until Barack Obama took office in 2009, that the Eric Holder-led DOJ started an intensive review into Operation Wide Receiver, with arrests and indictments subsequently made, as a result of the investigations.

Rather than focus on the key issues that continue to affect the generality of the American people, the ECONOMY, ECONOMY and the ECONOMY, key GOP leadership and their surrogates, would much rather play divisive politics and once again, give a much needed opening and life-line to a struggling presidency.

True conservatives are not blinded by their parochial and ideological idiosyncrasies, but are instead committed to espousing the true values and ideals of transparency, accountability and responsible governance; doing so with dignity and firmness, as well as a sense of cordiality that belies their resolve and determination.

The message of individual responsibility, self-determination, personal discipline and accountability must not be lost in the abyss of incendiary vituperations laced with jingoistic redundancies.

The American people deserve much better this time around, than a default presidency as that may ultimately lead to a couple of plausible scenarios that could eventually obtain here. The first is that Barack Obama's "third term" is ensured (4 years from now) by the lack of purpose and direction currently being exhibited by the core GOP establishment. The other scenario is that an anti-establishment candidate may arise out of the ashes of the impending GOP establishment's implosion. That person would then become an unlikely but much welcome voice (to the far right) of parochial irredentism that may change the political landscape of the United States forever.

Chief Editor's commentary: The 'anti-establishment candidate' I predicted almost a decade ago, in this piece, turned out to be Donald J. Trump. Four years of his chaotic presidency has turned American democracy on its head and January 6, 2021 was indeed a defining day in the history of the United States of America. Let no one be fooled here either by the incendiary posturing of some GOP fringe stalwarts of the disgraced former president, as it relates to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The facts are that Donald Trump was first impeached for withholding military aid to a friendly nation in exchange for a purported favor from that nation (Ukraine) against a potential opponent (Joe Biden) of his, in the upcoming presidential elections, at the time. Trump’s feckless presidency and rudderless leadership strengthened Putin’s hand politically, as it relates to the former Soviet Republics, Ukraine especially, from a strategic standpoint, geopolitically. 

The art of managing people

Editor-in-Chief 

Organizations struggle everyday with the germane issue of what the effective management of people, an organization's most prized asset, actually entails. The effective management of people within an organization requires a thorough understanding of the following: 
  

• Motivation - Whether intrinsic or extrinsic and the importance of positive triggers....
• Job design and environment....
• Company's rewards system and how it is structured and also possibly layered....
• Group influence as a function of Group-think and other allegiances....

Motivation
Human beings are creatures of habit and by that, I mean it is natural to expect that individuals will have different triggers within their genetic and socio-cultural make-up, that ultimately control what their motivations are, where they originate from or worse still, whether or not they have any at all.
Of course, as a business owner or a leader, you would hope you haven't hired someone or lead a group of people on the bottom rung of the Motivation Trigger Index™ (MTI).
Usually, one finds that most people with intrinsic motivation tend to have a higher MTI. They are the high achievers and are usually not driven to succeed or excel necessarily as a result of positive external triggers, but do so because it is just in their make-up. It is however important to note that for these group, the Positive External Triggers (PETs) only serve to further elevate their MTI scores. As for those, whose Motivational Intelligence (MI) require external triggers, they tend to be either in the middle or the lower rung of the Motivation Trigger Index™. People in this category tend to require an appreciable amount of Positive External Triggers (PETs) and ironically, if they have quite a bit of this, they are bound to excel at their tasks, in some cases, even with distinction. However, unlike the first group, their MTI scores tend to vacillate between just above average to poor, as a function of the amount of PETs they are exposed to in their work and related environment.

Job Design and Environment
Over the years, scientific management has sought to strip workers of their initiative, thus ridding the work environment of key intangibles such as skill set diversity, autonomy and most important of all, feedback, constructive or otherwise.
A perfect example of empowering employees and creating an environment that engenders optimum productivity and creativity is to seek input from your employees, even when you, as a leader, know what the solution to a problem is. They may even suggest the solution you have in mind and you can give them credit for it.

Rewards System
The rewards system must be one that does not give rise to suspicion or insinuations of favoritism. While majority of organizations, big or small, insist on building a "team atmosphere", it is imperative that top performers, particularly those that most closely espouse the company's core principles within the framework of its corporate culture, are duly rewarded and recognized as such.
This process should however be carefully monitored and managed, so as to ensure that everyone (including the non-monetary contributors) feels a sense of belonging to the organization, through their own respective contributions.
It is a well-known fact that the successful execution of a company's business strategy must involve everyone on the ship.

Group Influence
This can either be a "good thing" or a "bad thing", but it depends on how you look at it. Now, while it can create a negative work environment due to its potentially divisive and mostly political nature, it is an unavoidable phenomenon.
Most organizations have learned to not only exist but also flourish with just the "right amount" of group-think, as it actually may engender a spirit of collaboration towards reaching the ultimate objectives of the organization.
The overriding attitude becomes one where the conclusion is that if the company wins, then everyone wins. 

© 2025 2CG MEDIA. Coker Confidential™

Hutchins Center - The Africanity of Ancient Egypt (Kemet)

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1884 Berlin Conference - The Initial Scramble for Africa and the Geopolitical Economy of Imperialism

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Stay Focused - Never Quit

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Kiriji: The War That Ended The Yoruba Civil Wars

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