MAIN THEME– SETTING THE AGENDA FOR THE TINUBU ADMINISTRATION.
TOPIC – CAN THE TINUBU ADMINISTRATION (AN ENCAPSULATION OF THE 3 ARMS OF THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT) SUCCEED WITHOUT A BLUE PRINT AND THE WILL TO FIGHT CORRUPTION?
INTRODUCTION.
I use this medium to welcome to the 9th edition of the ROLDF webinar series, our lead speaker, the indefatigable Femi Falana SAN, Messers Majeed Dahiru and Emmanuel Onwubiko renowned public policy analysts who are of the few remaining most patriotic Nigerians of this era (co-presenters), members of the public tuned in to this webinar, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my learned friends, members of the political class and members of the 4th estate of the realm (State). 
Ordinarily, I should have been content to merely adopt the concept note to this lecture and allow our lead speaker and discussant to carry on with the business of the day. But I think it will be very impolite and impolitic to allow this topic to be interrogated without at least some opening remarks from the Foundation, which will briefly reiterate the thrust of the topic.
THE PROBLEM BROACHED.
About a week ago, new broke out, rapidly becoming viral that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had indicted one Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme of forging her 2023 JAMB results. She claimed to have scored 362 points and promptly declared herself as the overall best student in Nigeria that sat for the 2023 Matriculation examination. Shortly after, accolades, monetary prizes and other intangible gifts poured in to the benefit of the young lady in appreciation of her unprecedented feat.
This event got JAMB curious and their investigation and that of the Anambra State Government has now shown that the young lady paraded a doctored result to her benefit. Now, those who hitherto had accused the examination body of persecuting the young lady have severally now recanted, repented and are now calling for severe sanctions to be meted to her.
I have mentioned this pathetic saga here because it is symptomatic of the depth the nation has sunk into when it comes to matters of corruption. Indeed, it is no longer an exclusive preserve or club of adults and aged men and women. It is no longer isolated and only to be found among senior Government Officials. Law enforcement agents, civil servants, politicians, business people etc. The youth usually touted as the future of Nigeria have joined the rat race for the proceeds of corrupt practices.
The younger ones manifest this malevolence in the form of internet scams (yahoo-yahoo), drug dealing and consumption, examination malpractice, sexual incontinence, etc, the list is endless.
With both the old and young actively engaged in this unfortunate nation destroyer, the question is what will be left of Nigeria in a few years’ time.
Practically nothing if we continue at this pace. What with all the dubious foreign loans said to have been collected for and on behalf of Nigeria and Nigerians, the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, killer herds men, which appear to be inundating our security forces. Is it also our win at all cost attitude, which has pervaded our electoral landscape or is it our approach to scarce resources?
These have all been exacerbated by our penchant and indeed love for corruption.
Our distinguished speakers are without exception pained by the level of corruption in Nigeria.
What I repeat is the solution? We have a newly ‘elected’ Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Section 5 of the CFRN 1999 (as amended) gives him the constitutional mandate to provide for Nigeria, peace order and good government through a wide array of far-reaching executive powers.
What should his administration’s roadmap to providing a panacea to this cankerworm be and does the political class led by the President possess the political will to deal with it?
I cannot answer this question as that is the purpose or objective of inviting these great nationalistic minds to discuss and proffer suggestions that will ginger this new Government to take action in eradicating the disease called corruption.
CONCLUSION
Back to the Mmesoma (JAMB) debacle? The question that comes to mind is whether JAMB would have been sufficiently motivated to interrogate the genuineness of the candidate’s result had (a) she not claimed to be the best candidate in this year’s UME,
(b) had cash rewards and other goodies not come tumbling in for the benefit of the young lady, and (c) had public interest not been aroused in the matter.
We may never know but Government should read between the lines here that Nigerians should never be pushed to the point where as a result of failure or omission, or neglect or even a refusal to comprehensively and sincerely fight corruption Nigerians are led or induced to have recourse to self-help.
A stitch in time will definitely save Nine. I now yield the floor to the MC to invite our lead speaker to present his paper. 
Joseph Bodunrin Daudu SAN.
Coordinator Rule of Law Development Foundation .
