I am writing with a heavy heart. A helicopter carrying the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian and several others, crashed in a heavy fog yesterday, Sunday, May 19, in the northwestern part of the country. They all perished. The weather was bad, I understand, and the area mountainous and forested. It took many hours for first responders to reach the crash site and recover bodies. The crash occurred exactly one month after Kenya’s military chief, Francis Ogolla, died in a helicopter crash in the Western part of the country. Nine others perished with him.

These accidents evoke sad memories of February 9 when another helicopter accident in California took the lives of our dear Dr. Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son. Many of us are still in shock and pain.

Kobe Bryant, a US sports star died with his daughter in January 2020 in another chopper crash in California. In December, 2012, the governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa; the former NSA, Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi and four other persons perished when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed and burst into flames in the forests of Okoroba, Bayelsa State.

I also remember the crash of August 2015 involving a chopper belonging to Bristow Helicopters. The machine crashed into the Lagoon near the Oworonshoki end of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. It was coming from the Escravos oil terminal and was heading for the Island. Three persons, including co-pilot, Mr. Peter Bello jnr, died. The pilot’s parents were my customers when I was managing the bank’s business in the Akwa Ibom-Cross River region. It was a devastating blow to Mr. & Mrs Bello of Pekab International, the Calabar-based construction and real estate company. Mr. Bello, from Edo, I think, came to do his NYSC in Calabar in the early 1980s, fell in love with the city, settled down and made a home of it. With his wife, they built a good business and raised a family. Their pilot son’s death has been crushing. When I took over in Calabar, Mrs Bello was particularly warm and welcoming to me. Her hotel on MCC Road served one of the best edikang ikong meals in the city. Well, that was over 10 years ago.

There have been many other chopper crashes in the last several years, but I can’t forget the one involving Gen. Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Pakistani’s military Head of State, who died in a chopper crash on August 1988. Ul Haq was a mean military leader (think of Sani Abacha) who had his civilian predecessor Ali Bhutto executed despite international appeals for clemency.

Many Pakistanis celebrated Ul Haq’s death just as many in Iran are today celebrating the death of their President, Mr. Raisi for his hardline and scorched-earth decisions. Recall the death, las year, of that young Iranian girl who was killed for not wearing head scarfs and all the riots and demonstrations that came after it? Remember how security forces mowed down the demonstrators? Cast your mind back to how Sani Abacha ordered troops to mow down the June 12 demonstrators. Wole Soyinka, in his memoire, ‘’You must set forth at dawn’’, gives an epic recollection of that era.

Helicopters were invented to help us hop across bad terrains or take us on short trips if we don't want to go by road. It is widely used in the oil industry to ferry workers from between offshore platforms and onshore facilities. The military also uses choppers quite frequently.

US Presidents use their dedicated choppers, called Marine One, to hop from their dedicated airport in Maryland to the White House. President Obama wrote in his memoire how a bad weather prevented him from using Marine One one day when he arrived from a foreign trip. He opted for a 30-miute road trip, instead .

Clearly, a helicopter flight is the worst form of air travel. I will never be caught dead in it. I didn’t know how wicked and dangerous helicopters could be until the crash that took Herbert’s lives. I had always had a bad feeling about the machine, but on Feb 10 (Nigerian time), I vowed never to climb into it, no matter what. I rather swim across a river than board a chopper. It is treacherous, wicked and merciless

Let me share an example with the profound words of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. An American politician, statesman, conservationist, naturalist, and writer who served as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. Teddy profoundly posited: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

Teddy continued: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

If everyone in America left the country in 1845, America would not be where it is today. From experience and observation; it was an issue with mindset, once you get past your own ego, look at the world through the lense of positivity and be yourself. You will become unstoppable. Plus you also need to sprinkle in effort everyday never punt a day. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we should always strive for excellence in life. This is not necessarily being the most talented but rather being one who is continually striving to give the best to everything he does. It is really about the spirit of excellence.

Unarguably, mediocrity is a readily available temptation for men who aren’t disciplined, strong-willed and set goals. Excellence on the other hand is the direct opposite of mediocrity, a constant habit for getting things done at the most efficient possible standard. Excellence sits on the other extreme end of mediocrity

In reality, most people find themselves somewhere in between these two extremes, aiming for excellence in areas that matter most to them while accepting imperfection in others. Striving for constant improvement rather than getting obsessed with perfection can be a healthy approach, allowing you to set high standards while being kind to yourself when things don’t go perfectly. Ultimately, the choice between mediocrity and perfection is a personal one that should align with your values, goals, and well-being. It’s essential to strike a balance that promotes growth, fulfillment, and happiness in your life.

Let me at this point align with the position of Colin Luther Powell, an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first Black secretary of state. He was the 15th United States national security advisor from 1987 to 1989, and the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993. Powell eloquently posited: “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”

Long-story-short: with the spirit of excellence; African countries are sure going to be doing marvelously well, while worthlessness will perpetually results in living a fake life, which is expensive because it often requires a person to maintain a certain image or status that may not be sustainable in the long run – which includes spending large amounts of money on material possessions, such as designer clothes, luxury cars, and extravagant vacations, in order to maintain an appearance of wealth or success.

Additionally, living a fake life can also lead to financial strain as a person tries to keep up with unrealistic standards they have set for themselves or that have been imposed by others. This can result in debt, financial instability, and a lack of true fulfillment or happiness.

Ultimately, excellence is living an authentic life, true to oneself and one’s values, can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment in the long run, even if it means forgoing certain material possessions or societal expectations.

Following from the above, at the core, the empirical evidence is based on generalized method of the moment. As such, Nigeria in particular, needs a life-altering reset, we have been afflicted for too long.

In conclusion, and more to the point, permit me, therefore, to share with you the profound words of Aristotle, an Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts. As the founder of the Peripatetic school of philosophy in the Lyceum in Athens, he began the wider Aristotelian tradition that followed, which set the groundwork for the development of modern science.

Aristotle remarked as follows: “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.” In essence, a culture of excellence motivated by steadfastness result in sweeter success.

Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara will today, Tuesday, screen eight commissioner-nominees presented to them by the governor.

The assembly’s Clerk, Dr. G, N Gillis-West, in a letter on Monday, invited the nominees to appear before the House.

Our correspondent obtained a copy of the letter on Tuesday.

According to the letter, the House, led by factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, is expected to screen the nominees by 10 a.m.

Did you know a tribe that digs up corpses, dresses them for celebration?

It listed the nominees as Charles Beke, Collins Onunwo, Solomon Eke, Dr. Peter Medee, Eloka Amadi, Basoene Benibo, Tambari Gbara, and Dr. Ovy Chukwuma.

The clerk further said the nominees are to appear before the House at the State House of Assembly auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt, the state capital.

“The nominees are expected to come along with 12 sets of their Curriculum Vitae and the originals and photocopies of their credentials,” the letter added.

Our correspondent reports that this is the second time the House of Assembly loyal to Fubara will be screening commissioner-nominees since it emerged as a parallel legislative house.

Last week, the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led assembly screened and confirmed Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as a member of the State Executive Council, and he was consequently assigned a portfolio as the new Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

Last week, an appointee, Prof. Zaccaeus Adangor, SAN, who is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, resigned from Fubara’s cabinet as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, following the deepened disagreement between Fubara and Wike.

[Punch]

During his cross-examination of Michael Cohen on Thursday, Donald Trump’s attorney shouted at witness Michael Cohen, “You lied!” It was a moment that received breathless attention from the media, which attached great significance to the defense claim that Cohen omitted part of a call he made to Keith Schiller, Trump’s security aide, in October 2016 – almost eight years ago. The evidence showed that Cohen had asked Schiller for help in dealing with a threatening text messenger (who later claimed to be 14-year-old).  

Cohen had not mentioned that exchange with Schiller while being questioned by the prosecution.  He had testified to that being a call when he asked Schiller to hand his phone to Trump, who did not have his own cell phone. This was the crucial exchange, using Schiller’s phone, when Trump told Cohen weeks before Election Day, to go ahead and pay Stormy Daniels the $130,000 to keep her quiet.

Missed in the hype by talking heads on cables of this dramatic “Perry Mason moment” was the fact that the Trump lawyer’s melodramatic shout was not evidence to be considered by the jury. Just a lawyer shouting. Also missed was reporting on the most crucial document in the entire trial – the Weisselberg Document, which has been introduced into evidence and will be studied by the jury.

Here is what it shows:

• In Allen Weisselberg’s own handwriting, a memo shows that a total of $210,000 was to be reimbursed to Michael Cohen for money owed to him by Donald Trump, including the $130,000 in hush money Cohen paid to Stormy Daniels on Trump’s behalf because he was worried her revelations would harm his campaign (according to Trump friend David Pecker and top Trump aide Hope Hicks, among others).
• That total $210,000 was then doubled by Weisselberg on the document, equaling $420,000. (Doubling so that Cohen can pay income taxes on the total “reimbursement” at an estimated 50% tax bracket and be made whole.)
• Then Weisselberg, a former executive in the Trump Organization, does the elementary school math to arrive at Trump’s monthly installment payments over a year to repay Cohen – $420,000/12 equals $35,000 per month, the amount of the checks almost all of which Trump wrote to Cohen each month in 2017 while a sitting president from his personal checking account.

Yes, $35,000. The same amount as Trump’s checks that are in evidence. It's just simple math:  $210,000 times two, divided by 12 = $35,000. Nothing is mentioned about legal fees.

There is no other reasonable conclusion, I respectfully suggest, the jury can draw other than that these were reimbursement payments by Trump, not legal fees; and therefore, he lied when he repeatedly publicly stated, as recently as last week, that they were legal fees, not reimbursements.

I cannot be sure that the jury will conclude from the Weisselberg Document that Trump lied when he called these payments legal expenses. But the inference is as strong as the classic example of convincing circumstantial evidence: If the jury fell asleep and there is no snow on the ground, and they wake up and there is snow all over, they can “convict” on the conclusion, beyond a reasonable doubt, that it snowed overnight.

Previously, Weisselberg lied under oath in New York’s civil suit against Trump and was apparently willing to go to jail for perjury rather than testify. And this jury won’t necessarily know that. (Just as they might not know that Trump promised he “would” testify but – surprise! – he lied.)

The jury won’t get to hear Weisselberg but they will have in the jury room, during deliberations, the Weisselberg Document. I am guessing they will give it a long, long look. And then decide whether it snowed overnight – Trump lied about thinking he was paying “legal expenses” and he did so to conceal the campaign finance crime to deprive the American people of important information before they voted for president in November 2016.

# # # # #

Lanny Davis is the founder of the Washington, D.C., law firm Lanny J. Davis & Associates and is co-chair of the global public affairs and strategic communications firm Actum LLC. From 2018-2024 Davis served as a legal advisor for Michael Cohen but resigned in April 2024 so experienced N.Y. criminal defense counsel could represent him. Davis uniquely operates at the intersection of law, media, and politics to solve client problems. In 1996-98, Mr. Davis served as Special White House Counsel to President Bill Clinton. In 2006-07, he was appointed by his Yale College friend, President George W. Bush, to serve on a special post-9/11 White House panel to advise the president on privacy and civil liberties issues. He is the author of six books on politics, government, law, and crisis management. He has been writing his “Purple Nation” column since 2010.

Hollywood actress and Oscar nominee, Scarlett Johannsson, has lamented how her voice was allegedly used without her consent by tech giant OpenAI.

The actress noted that she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” that the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, would go to such length to have her voice used in the current ChatGPT 4.0 system.

According to Sky News on Tuesday, the actress explained how she had turned down Altman’s request for personal reasons, only to find out that the voice “sounded so eerily similar to mine.”

In a 2013 romantic sci-fi movie titled, ‘Her,’ Johannsson’s voice was used to imitate an AI female voice called ‘Samantha,’ who formed an intimate relationship with a human.

The actress, in her statement, said, “Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI.

“He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people. After much consideration and for personal reasons, I declined the offer. Nine months later, my friends, family and the general public all noted how much the newest system named “Sky” sounded like me.”

The actress expressed her frustration, saying, “When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,” adding that Altman had “insinuated that the similarity was intentional, tweeting a single word “her” – a reference to the film in which I voiced a chat system, Samantha, who forms an intimate relationship with a human.”

The 39-year-old actress said that before the release of the ChatGPT 4.0 demo, the OpenAI boss “contacted my agent, asking me to reconsider. Before we could connect, the system was out there.

“As a result of their actions, I was forced to hire legal counsel, who wrote two letters to Mr. Altman and OpenAI, setting out what they had done and asking them to detail the exact process by which they created the “Sky” voice. Consequently, OpenAI reluctantly agreed to take down the “Sky” voice.”

In recent times, tech users have begun using the AI model to imitate people’s voices and pictures without prior consent in most cases – a situation which negates the ethical standards of AI use.

“In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity.

“I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected,” Johannsson wrote.

However, OpenAI, in a tweet on Monday, stated that it had “paused” the use of Sky while it addresses the process with which it used to create the AI voice.

“We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky. We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them,” it stated.

A check by our PUNCH Online revealed that the company, in a statement titled, ‘How the voices for ChatGPT were chosen,’ on Sunday, May 19, 2024, read partly, “Each of the voices—Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky—are sampled from voice actors we partnered with to create them.”

Sky News reports that in 2023, the New York Times “sued OpenAI over allegations it, and its biggest investor Microsoft, unlawfully used the newspaper’s articles to train and create ChatGPT.”

[Punch]

• Ariwoola cautions against abuse of judicial powers

• 99 panels sat over election cases, says PCA

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has cautioned judicial officers against succumbing to public opinions, emotions, or sentiments while performing their duties.

He said no amount of threat or intimidation should make a judge deviate from the law and do what is unconstitutional and at variance with existing laws.

The CJN spoke at the opening session of a two-day workshop organised by the Court of Appeal for the review of last year’s election petition tribunals/courts and appeals yesterday in Abuja.

Justice Ariwoola noted that “political matters always tend to occupy the front burner of our adjudicatory activities as all the subsisting electoral laws have placed some time frame within which they must be heard and decided”.

He added: “Besides, the kind of attention and emotions attached to political matters in this country has collectively made our work more excruciating, painstaking and, sometimes, endangering, as we are occasionally exposed to threats, especially from some elements within the political fold. 

“But like I always say, no amount of threat or intimidation should make a thoroughbred judicial officer to deviate from the law and pander to public sentiments and emotions, which are often misplaced.”

Justice Ariwoola cautioned judicial officers against abusing their powers by engaging in wrong application of discretionary authorities.

The CJN urged judicial officers to be propelled by their conscience, adding: “Once our conscience leads the way, every other good thing will naturally follow.”

Also, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) hailed the Judiciary for the stabilising role it plays in the nation’s electoral process.

Fagbemi noted that the Court of Appeal, in particular, plays a more pivotal role in shaping and strengthening the nation’s electoral jurisprudence through the exercise of its constitutional mandate in that regard.

Also, the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, announced that 99 panels, comprising three judges each, heard the litigations that arose from last year’s general election.

The PCA said this showed that a huge number of judges was taken out of the judicial system during the process.

She described last year’s election litigation season as “very, very difficult and challenging in view of the volume of cases filed, commended the judicial officers involved for a job well done”.

Justice Dongban-Mensem explained that the workshop was meant to review the last process, identify areas of shortcomings, and find ways to improve the process.

The PCA hailed the judicial officers for working assiduously to determine the various cases within time, to the extent that neither the petitions nor the appeals lapsed.

She sought the amendment of some portions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act to improve the nation’s electoral system.

Justice Dongban-Mensem identified some of the sections as 187, 233, 246, 285 of the Constitution and Paragraph 85(2) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act.

She noted that from “some of these sections, particularly Section 285 of the Constitution, it is either they are in the process because of poor legal draftmanship or for a desire that was not properly expressed and appreciated”.

The Nigerian High Commission in London, United Kingdom, UK, has accumulated £8.4 million as unpaid congestion charges.

A datasheet published by Transport for London, TfL, showed that the amount relates to unpaid fees and fines accrued by diplomats between the launch of the congestion charge in 2003 and the end of last year.

The TfL oversees various modes of transportation in London, including the tube, buses, trams, cars, bikes, and river services.

The scheme involves a £15 daily fee for driving within an area of central London between 7 am and 6 pm on weekdays and between noon and 6 pm on weekends and bank holidays.

There are discounts and exemptions for various groups of people and vehicles, such as residents, taxis, and fully electric cars.

Diplomats have argued that the congestion charge is a tax, exempting them from paying it under the Vienna Convention, but the TfL insisted that the payment is a service charge.
The body, in the datasheet seen by TheCable, said: “This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it.’

“The majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels.”

According to TfL, the envoys representing different countries owed over £143.53 million in congestion charge payments.

[Vanguard]

Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier, has reacted to the allegation of ‘violating’ safety measures in the United Kingdom (UK).

The airline, in a statement on Monday, said its operations have been under intense scrutiny by the relevant authorities since its inaugural flight to London.

In a report titled ‘Ramp Inspection,’ and dated April 7, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UKCAA) raised concerns over Air Peace’s compliance with some safety regulations in the UK.

UK aviation authority said findings showed Air Peace was using electronic flight bag (EFB) functions without operational approval.

However, the airline described the report as false, adding that approval was obtained from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

“Our attention has been drawn to media reports alleging a safety breach by Air Peace in the United Kingdom, which contain a lot of falsehood aimed at creating fears and doubts in the minds of the flying public,” Air Peace said.

“From the commencement of our inaugural flight to London, our operations have been subjected to intense scrutiny by the relevant authorities, which we most welcome as we pride ourselves in our continued pursuit of operational excellence and unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our esteemed passengers.

“We can confirm that the UK Civil Aviation Authority wrote to Air Peace, after their statutory Ramp Inspection on April 7, 2024, to request clarification on our use of the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and some other concerns. We provided the necessary information, and the matter was resolved without any issues.

“It is, therefore, wrong to say we do not have approval for our EFB. Air Peace received approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and all our Boeing 777 aircraft are certified to operate with EFBs.”

‘WE ENSURE ALL OUR B777 AIRCRAFT HAVE IPAD MOUNTS’

Responding to the claim that the B777 aircraft lacked iPad mounts and charging ports in the flight deck, Air Peace said this is incorrect.

“All B777 aircraft are equipped with charging ports in the cockpit, and we ensure that all our B777 aircraft have iPad mounts,” the airline said.

“Another issue raised by the UK CAA was the location of our cockpit library on the B777. The B777 designates two locations for storing manuals and books: one behind the captain and one under the jumpseat.

“During the inspection, the books were stored under the jumpseat, as it is commonly practised. We understand the inspector’s preference for the books to be placed behind the captain and have ensured this preference is accommodated for all operations going forward.

“There was also a concern about the captain’s choice of runway exit after landing. Instead of exiting at the middle runway exit, the captain, out of his professional discretion, opted to exit at the end of the runway.

“This may have delayed the arrival of another aircraft. We acknowledge this deviation and have addressed the matter with the captain to ensure adherence to preferred exit procedures in the future.

“Ramp Inspection is a normal procedure carried out by aviation authorities globally, and the UKCAA did the right thing by notifying the NCAA of the outcome of their inspection.

“However, we are shocked to see several media publications with exaggerated and sensationalised accounts of this matter that were closed with the authorities over a month ago.”

Air Peace said its safety record is second to none, adding that it complies with all established safety standards.

[TheCable]

21^st May 2021 is one of those days that you remember exactly where you were when the news broke about a Nigerian Airforce plane crash in Kaduna.  For me, it is exactly three years ago today in London that I was just preparing to return to Abuja when I nonchalantly turned on the television to BBC News to see what was going on around the world. I thought I caught the breaking news strip on Nigeria with the corner of my eye. I waited a few seconds again for the news flash to reappear and thought I wasn’t seeing right when I read that the plane carrying the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, CFR, together with ten other officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces had crashed and that all on board the ill-fated plane were presumed dead.

I grabbed my phone to make calls and to my consternation, there were already several missed calls and WhatsApp messages on my phone from concerned citizens who knew of my friendship with the Attahirus.  I frantically put a call through and was fortunate to get through to one of Mrs Attahiru’s brothers who was with her in their house at the time. I wept, first for the Attahirus for having lost a dear and caring husband and father, but more, for Nigeria, for having lost a refreshingly fine leader who was fearlessly committed to decisively ending the menace of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.

General Attahiru cannot, and must not, be forgotten! He was a Nigerian patriot who came from a very humble background, overcoming all adversities to get to the apex of his military career. A good role model to millions of young Nigerians from disadvantaged backgrounds who have to fight harder to have the bright futures they deserve.  To the Late General, as we all know, potential is everywhere, but opportunity is not.  With a strong sense of duty and inclusiveness, it was no wonder he made Readiness, Duty to the country, Dependability and Continuous leadership development (RDDC) the main pillars of his command. In his contemplation, Readiness would entail mission-oriented, functional training, the welfare of officers and men, as well as adequate equipment. His concept of Dependability would be about building the capacity of the Nigerian Army to accomplish any mission in line with the norms of humanity as enshrined in its core values and ethics. The Continuous leadership development philosophy would ensure that the Army starts to build commanders who understand the dynamics of 21st century soldiering.

His emblematic rallying cry to his men on the war front in Maiduguri in February 2021 still evokes intense patriotic valour amongst the men and officers of the Nigerian military and has been likened in its enduring effects, to one of the speeches by Sir Winston Churchill during WWII.  He told the troops at Dikwa, among other things:

“I bring you very special greetings from the President, Commander-in-Chief of the

Armed Forces. I present myself as your Chief of Army Staff to get to meet you and for

you to get to know me as well.

The essence of this visit is operational. The idea is to motivate you.

In the last few days, we have had attacks in your area of responsibility.

It is high time we got back and fight through and support our forces ahead of you.

Areas around Marte, Chikingudo, Kirenowa, up to Kira, Wulgo must be cleared

in the next 48 hours., Rest assured of all the support required in this onerous task”.

Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru promised to do as he directed. And they delivered! The troops advanced immediately and recaptured Marte within 24 hours. This speech trended for several weeks and acted as a motivating factor for the other forces across the Operation Theatre.

It was therefore no surprise that, shortly after his passing, his widow, Mrs Fati Attahiru announced the founding of the General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation (GIAF) as an independent and non-partisan Foundation in memory of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Nigeria.  The Foundation was set up to perpetuate the leadership ideals and qualities he embodied as a military service leader, and as expressed in his personal life as a man of infectious generosity. The priority focus of GIAF is Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), to the military, paramilitary, veterans, their dependents and the provision of scholarships to disadvantaged young people. When he was alive, he had great concern for the mental well-being of his men and with the knowledge that our brave men and officers of the Nigerian Military and paramilitary, in the line of their duties, inevitably witness the carnage and horrors of war and are exposed to traumatic experiences.  Because of the stigma associated with mental health conditions, many of our veterans and serving officers suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other psycho-trauma experiences in silence.

In the words of Minot J Savage, “The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men”.  General Attahiru continues to do good and impact lives even from his grave.  Since 2022, the Foundation has been running weekly radio programmes on CASIS (Campaign Against Suffering In Silence) on the Armed Forces Radio, Abuja and Liberty Radio, Kaduna, in both English and Hausa versions and broadcast in 19 Northern States.  This is followed by weekly counselling support and referrals by professional psychologists and therapists. In the cause of the weekly radio programmes, both in English and Hausa, it has been discovered that a lot of people are suffering in silence, ranging from rape cases, kidnap victims, people suffering from depression, panic attacks and anxiety amongst other forms of mental health challenges as well as different forms of psychosis who call in. In the programme’s first year, it has reached over 80,000 people, with hundreds accessing the service through calls/online support and over a hundred people receiving further psychiatric/ therapeutic support.

As we mark the 3^rd anniversary of the passing of Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru to the great beyond, it is my fervent wish that we become intentional in remembering our heroes past, whose sacrifices and service to our dear country ensure the democracy and relative peace we enjoy today.  May his example – and those who have gone before him – guide us all and I hope you will join me in remembering his legacy and his lasting impact on our military and country. I want to end this by quoting the author of Proverbs 10:7 who says “the memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot”. May the soul of General Ibrahim Attahiru continue to rest in perfect peace and may Almighty God continue to guide, protect and bless the beautiful family he left behind.

Akin Olukiran is a family friend and he writes from London. He can be reached on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.