Shettima: National Unity, Peaceful Co-existence Must Be Our Gift To One Another

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April 1, 2025
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Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians to embrace unity, peaceful co-existence, and tolerance as key pillars for national progress, drawing from the lessons of Ramadan.

He also called on everyone to support the administration’s ongoing economic reforms, assuring them that short-term difficulties would yield long-term benefits for the country.

Speaking in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, during a luncheon with Borno State elders and his schoolmates in celebration of Eid-El-Fitr, the vice-president, in a speech read on his behalf by the member representing Maiduguri Metropolitan Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulkadir Rahis, said there was a need for continued harmony among citizens.

According to him, “We thank the Almighty Allah for sparing our lives to witness this Eid-El-Fitr. I wish to also say that we should all perfect, maintain and build on the sense of unity that exists among us for our collective gain and progress as a gift for one another.

“President Bola Tinubu remains committed to implementing policies that will create sustainable development for all Nigerians. Just as Ramadan teaches endurance, we ask for your continued patience as these necessary reforms take root and bear fruit.”

Shettima, who arrived in his home state on Sunday evening, urged Nigerians to continue embodying the spiritual lessons gained during Ramadan as a pathway to national development.

“Peaceful coexistence is very important and we should not relent in maintaining that virtue. It will go a long way in bringing about the development of ourselves and the nation,” he said.

The vice-president enjoined the citizens of Borno State and Nigerians in general to always maintain traits of humility and communal living in line with the teachings of the Holy books, values he described as foundational to national progress.

Also speaking, the senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, Kaka Shehu Lawan, prayed for lasting peace in Nigeria.

He urged Nigerians to rally round President Tinubu as the father of the nation, stressing that the president needs the prayers and support of Nigerians, as he implements the good policies he has for the improvement of the economy and overall development of Nigeria.

The senator urged his constituents to imbibe the attributes of Vice President Shettima, saying: “The vice-president is an epitome of leadership, sacrifice, resilience, integrity, perseverance and above all courage.

“So, I will like my constituents and indeed people of Borno State and Nigerians at large to emulate his virtues. He is a leader and we are proud of his achievements.”

He thanked the vice-president for hosting his schoolmates and elders of Borno State in his usual magnanimity and demonstration of love.

“In his usual show of love every festive period, the vice-president extends hands of fellowship to all and sundry from Maiduguri Metropolitan Council to Borno Central District and by extension the entire state,” the lawmaker said.

On his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, commended the vice-president for his show of love, especially to the needy, despite his tight schedule.

“When he is in Abuja, his schedule is overwhelming, yet he always finds time for his people. Seeing the joyful faces of his classmates, elders and other guests at this event is a testament to his character,” Kyari noted.

The Agric Minister said the vice-president’s humility has endeared him to his people, adding that he is a man of good character and extreme humility.

Earlier, the Chairman of Borno State Elders Forum, Alhaji Gambo Gubio, expressed appreciation for the vice-president’s hospitality and assured him of continued prayers for success in his duties.

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Ex-minister Storms Sterling Bank, Opens Account in Support of Zero Transfer Fees

What began as a tweet has become a tipping point.

In a moment that is quickly being hailed as the dawn of a new era in Nigerian banking system, a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, walked into the Regional Headquarters of Sterling Bank in Abuja on Friday, and opened a personal bank account as a show of solidarity with the bank’s groundbreaking decision to eliminate all charges on local online transfers.

This symbolic act followed Chidoka’s viral declaration earlier in the week, where he pledged to reward the bank for removing transfer charges, which other major banks have refused to do.

The move comes on the heels of Sterling Bank’s historic decision to eliminate all local

transfer charges on its OneBank platform, making it the first major financial institution in Nigeria to end what many see as a quiet but costly practice.

At first, the April 1st announcement was met with disbelief. Many Nigerians assumed the news was part of an elaborate marketing gimmick. However, Sterling Bank swiftly clarified that the zero-transfer-fee policy was a genuine effort to ease the financial burden on its customers and would take effect immediately.

In choosing to forgo billions in potential revenue, the bank delivered a powerful message: profit should never come at the expense of the people.

Chidoka, who had long advocated for the removal of transfer charges, declared his support for the bank’s decision on social media. “Sterling Bank did the math – and still chose the people,” he wrote in a now-viral post. “They gave up over billions in transfer charges just to give Nigerians breathing room.”

True to his word, he made his support physical by visiting the Sterling Bank branch and opening an account in what he described as a “statement of values” and a personal protest on behalf of the average Nigerian.

His visit electrified the banking hall and further set social media abuzz, marking a clarion call to millions of Nigerians who are weary of additional charges.

According to Chidoka, his decision to open an account at Sterling Bank was both an act of protest and a powerful statement of values — a stand for fairness, transparency, and customer-first innovation in the

Nigerian financial system.

Speaking at the visit, Chidoka commended the bank’s courage and foresight, describing the initiative as a long-overdue intervention in a financial system that has normalized the quiet extraction of wealth from ordinary citizens.

He emphasised that Nigerian banks report record profits year after year, and yet continue to charge customers between 10 to fifty naira per transfer — millions of times over, despite the minimal actual cost of executing these transactions in a digitized ecosystem.

He went on to say that Sterling Bank had done what others refused to: walk away from over billions of naira in annual transfer revenue, simply to ease the burden on its customers.

He described this as an extraordinary example of ethical banking and challenged other financial institutions to follow suit, insisting that Nigerians deserve better.

Referencing his longstanding campaign against banking fees, Chidoka recalled his public appeals in 2023 to outlaw transfer charges as part of broader efforts to ease the cost of living.

Those calls, he said, fell on deaf ears. Yet Sterling Bank, without regulatory pressure, took decisive action.

“They didn’t wait for the law,” he remarked. “They led by conscience.”

Drawing a comparison with the telecommunications sector’s transition to per-second billing, a move once considered economically suicidal until it transformed the industry, Chidoka asserted that Sterling’s decision could catalyze a similar evolution in Nigerian banking system.

“Just as per-second billing empowered millions, free transfers will do the same. If the top four banks in Nigeria earned a combined N186 billion from transfer charges last year, despite already posting record profits, then they cannot claim that removing those fees would break them,” Chidoka said.

He stressed that money should move freely in a digital economy, and that every naira lost to unnecessary charges is a naira taken from food, school fees, or small business capital.

“Banks bear these costs in some parts of the world. It is time Nigerian banks did the same,” he said.

As Chidoka concluded his visit, he left behind more than a newly opened bank account; he

left behind a spark.

A spark that could ignite a nationwide movement. “We need to start voting with our wallets,” he said. “Let us support institutions that prioritise our welfare, and reject those that profit by exploiting us. If we want better banking, we must reward better banks.”

Sterling Bank’s decision has already begun to shift public sentiment, with growing calls for

Nigerians to make Friday #OpenSterlingAcctDay — a symbolic rebellion against bank charges and a show of support for a better, fairer way to bank.

As other prominent Nigerians express

interest in following this example, the pressure is mounting on traditional banks to reconsider their position and return power to the people.

In a time when the cost of living continues to rise and public trust in institutions is waning,

Sterling Bank’s move has sparked hope and opened a conversation.

If other banks follow suit, Nigerians may finally see the end of what Chidoka calls “digital oppression.”

If they don’t, Nigerians now have a choice and a bank that chose them first.

What began as a tweet has become a tipping point. In a moment that is quickly being hailed as the dawn of a new era in Nigerian banking system, a

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Tinubu Mourns Ex-Oyo Governor, Omololu Olunloyo

* Salutes his bold commitment to nation’s unity, progress and intellectual advancement

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has conveyed his deepest condolences to the government and people of Oyo State following the passing of the former governor of the old Oyo State, Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo.

The president, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, extended sympathies to the Olunloyo family and all who knew and respected the late elder statesman and scholar.

President Tinubu paid tribute to Olunloyo’s remarkable academic and professional journey and his fervent belief in education as a transformative tool for national development.

“Dr. Olunloyo will be celebrated in academic circles for his brilliance and foundational contributions to applied mathematics and number theory. As an educator, he profoundly influenced future leaders and fortified educational institutions,” President Tinubu stated.

Reflecting on Olunloyo’s tenure as governor of the old Oyo State, President Tinubu remarked: “Although his time in office was brief, his tenure was marked by exceptional vision and leadership. The abrupt end to his administration due to military intervention did not deter him from continuing to serve the nation.”

The president further applauded the late governor for his unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s unity, progress and intellectual advancement, emphasising that his contributions will remain enduring milestones in the nation’s history.

“May the Almighty God grant him eternal rest and bring solace to all who mourn this distinguished statesman,” President Tinubu further said.

Olunloyo, renowned for his mathematical prowess, obtained a PhD in applied mathematics and number theory from St. Andrews University in Scotland at 25.

In 1962, at just 27, he became a commissioner in the old Western Region. He served multiple times as commissioner in the Western State, which succeeded the Western Region.

His leadership as the founding rector of The Polytechnic Ibadan and Kwara State Polytechnic established enduring academic and administrative foundations in the two institutions.

* Salutes his bold commitment to nation’s unity, progress and intellectual advancement Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu has conveyed his deepest condolences to the government and people of