BY SEUN BISUGA

I moved to Canada three years ago and encountered many surprises. One of the biggest was the high cost of pay television services and their billing models.During my time as a journalist at TheNEWS Magazine, I consistently advocated for the implementation of a pay-per-view billing model. I frequently expressed my frustration with price increases by MultiChoice, the service to which I subscribe. I believed I had the right to watch only what I wanted, whenever I wanted. Choosing what to watch and when sounds like a good option until that option is actually available to you.Living in Canada now, I’ve found it frustrating that I don’t have access to the wide variety of channels that MultiChoice provides without paying a hefty price. To watch major sports events like the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Champions League, and significant boxing matches, you need to subscribe to three different providers: Fubo, DAZN, and TSN. However, even your subscriptions do not necessarily cover the biggest fights.To clarify, after paying your monthly or yearly subscription for DAZN, you would need to pay an additional $79 (Canadian) to watch the Usyk vs. Fury fight. This bout is available exclusively on pay-per-view and is not included in your regular subscription. In Nigeria, I was able to watch many big fights live on DStv at no extra charge, but that option is not available in my current location.Many people have to rely on alternative methods to watch major fights, and these options often come with costs that may be a little less steep, but steep all the same. When I moved to Canada, I started to realize that in Nigeria, I had access to live sports at a much lower fraction of the price I currently pay. Here’s why: I had two active MultiChoice subscriptions and believed I didn’t need a local subscription in Canada. I was informed when I arrived that the cost of watching soccer matches (as North Americans refer to football) could be financially overwhelming.As a savvy Nigerian, I told my friends that I would avoid their expensive subscriptions by continuing to watch DStv. However, I soon realized that I couldn’t access DStv due to geolocation restrictions. You might suggest using a VPN, but I tried that, and it’s easier said than done. While chatting online is manageable, streaming satellite TV is a different story. I also experimented with IPTV, but I’m not a fan of the lag. There are times when a goal would have been scored or a red card shown before the live TV feed is restored. Additionally, I would to keep Livescore handy to stay updated on everything happening in the game. That was not the way I wanted to watch football.I had no choice but to rely on match highlights, but I wasn’t satisfied because watching live football is what I grew up with. Did I mention how much it costs to subscribe to Fubo, DAZN, and TSN? Fubo is about $85 per month, DAZN costs $30, and TSN is $10. It’s not always better on the other side, as you can see. And before you start asking how much the minimum wage is here, the television service providers here do not ask how much.Even with monthly or yearly subscriptions, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get access to major matches or fights. For instance, to watch the English FA Cup matches, you will need a monthly subscription with Rogers that costs $108. If you’re not a dedicated football fan, you might wonder why you should pay such a high price. That’s a valid question, but the same applies to those who enjoy movies or shows.I realized that it’s more convenient to have everything in one place and at an affordable price. It’s important to note that the prices mentioned are not fixed. If inflation occurs, many businesses, including pay television service providers, tend to raise their prices.I realized that my perspective was unrealistic while I was at home. Whenever fuel prices rose or the naira depreciated, leading other businesses to increase their prices, I found myself joining in the criticism of MultiChoice if they raised their prices. I don’t understand how I became so misinformed to believe that adverse economic conditions affecting the prices of groceries and food would not similarly impact pay television prices. I have participated in mocking and complaining about MultiChoice’s price increases, but I now see that they are an easy target.Many people living abroad often reach out to friends and family to ask how they plan to watch major fights because their subscriptions do not cover them. The tradition of watching games and fights in pubs and bars is not solely about wanting to socialize; it’s also financially motivated. Spending $50 to enjoy a match with others who share a passion for the sport can be a more economical choice than paying $79 to watch it alone at home with no additional perks.In a bar or pub, you can buy a beer or two and enjoy some chicken wings for around $50 while watching the game. Although this adds an extra expense, many people are willing to pay for the experience. Comfort comes at a price. I once told a friend that traveling abroad for a visit is completely different from living abroad and having to manage the bills.MultiChoice offers many channels for free; take CNN as an example. While it comes with most bouquets in Nigeria, it is not included here. Unless you’re okay with watching outdated news, old shows, and old movies, you won’t be able to watch CNN or Fox News on your regular bouquet.Consider Amazon Prime. There are movies and shows available on Prime that require a separate subscription, even if you already have a Prime membership. The same applies to Disney+. To access Paramount, AMC, Apple TV+, Crave, Starz, and others, you need additional subscriptions.When I was at home, I found pay television much easier to navigate compared to my current situation. Many Nigerians abroad would agree that MultiChoice provided us with the most convenient and relatively affordable options to access hundreds of channels in one place.Looking back at what I paid then versus what I pay now, I appreciate the value of the services MultiChoice offers at their price point. I’ve gained a better understanding of this. Sometimes, when we have easy access to these things, we tend to take them for granted until we try something different. The idea that “it’s greener on the other side” is often misleading.As for the content posted on social media, I choose not to comment; people are entitled to portray their lifestyles however they wish.This is my opinion, but a poll among Nigerians living abroad would likely reveal that many share the same view about MultiChoice and its pricing. Where I am, I following, through traditional and social media, how Nigerians are yearning for pay-per-view, which they do not understand, and telling themselves that pay television services abroad cost the same as three bottles of beer back in Nigeria. It is not so. Ask around, as Mr. Macaroni would say.Bisuga, a former correspondent of The NEWS Magazine, writes from St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

By Ojelabi Cole

The general overseer of INRI, Primate Elijah Ayodele made a statement some weeks ago that the All Progressive Congress (APC) will be destroyed and its destruction will start from Lagos state.

As a political commentator, I found this prophecy or prediction funny and unattainable because if not for anything, Lagos state owns APC and APC owns Lagos. The foundation of APC started from Lagos and its roots will forever be in Lagos.As a matter of fact, by political reasoning, if every state chapter would scatter across the country, APC Lagos will survive because the ultimate leader of the party, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu practically owns Lagos and whatever he says about the party is final.Therefore, it would be politically wrong for Primate Ayodele to say that APC would break and that it will happen from Lagos state.

These were his words“APC will break and it will start from Lagos. The party will be beyond recognition as those holding the party together will decide to let go because the pressure will be too much.”

“There will be another movement coming out from APC and this will start from Lagos state. President Tinubu will lose his grip on the party in Lagos and nationally, it will be a major problem for the president and if care isn’t taken, this will rub off on his chances in 2027.”

These are seriously powerful words that any political observer would not want to joke with. Despite the fact that it doesn’t seem possible that APC will break starting from Lagos state, they are not words that can be thrown away even by APC apologists.

I studied the statements and though I didn’t believe it, I kept it somewhere with a hope that someday, I will make reference to it when the party proves its stability beyond reasonable doubt.

However, I am forced to say that the political development in the state in the past few weeks is threatening the peaceful existence of the party in the state.Especially with the Obasa-Meranda house of assembly fracas, one would begin to wonder if there is actual leadership in Lagos APC because even other states don’t have it as messy as it has happened lately in Lagos state.

The state and party have been in a messy situation since Mudashiru Obasa was suddenly removed as speaker; it’s been meeting upon meeting without any significant progress in the state.To cap it all, Mudashiru Obasa, the impeached speaker, stormed the house of assembly this afternoon and proceeded to the speaker’s office, declaring that he remains speaker of the house of assembly.

At the moment, about 36 lawmakers have been crying foul and calling on the state leaders to speak to them regarding the issue because they are confused.

They accused leaders of keeping quiet and treating them with disrespect with the return of Obasa to the house.

This is very embarrassing and disgraceful because APC, which prides itself as the most united party, especially in Lagos state, is going through all of these.

Is this to say that everything the party knows is oppressing opposition, but when it comes to uniting the party, the leaders are nowhere to be found?With the whole drama unfolding, allegations of betrayal, disloyalty in Tinubu’s APC, will APC truly break from Lagos as Primate Ayodele said?

There is a reason Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Sardauna of Ilorin, enjoys his solo moves within or outside of the state capital: he, among other things, fears the genuflection and the praise-singing that may get in the way of his primary assignment if everyone is in the know.

That habit is grossly misunderstood, but he is contented with seeing things without the fillers and being able to focus on his work while attracting lesser attention to himself.

Like every human being, he welcomes being accorded his due without the praises that come with the political environment. He scoffs at sycophancy and purposeless exposure. Instead, he encourages constructive criticisms for better governance outcomes.

This attitude explains his disapproval of celebrations on his birthdays as a sitting Governor. He fears that the sudden celebration does not last and there is no basis encouraging it. This is fine, although there is a thin line between telling the story of an individual for posterity and buttering them up for whatever purpose.

Regardless, I am persuaded by Edward Said’s statement that ‘nations themselves are narrations. The power to narrate, or block other narratives from forming and emerging, is very important to culture’.

As he clocked 65 a few hours ago, bookmakers have a lot to document about the seventh democratic Governor of Kwara State whose tenure is synonymous with unmatched rebuilding and modernisation of the capital city Ilorin, rural development, youth and women empowerment, gender inclusion, and countless economic initiatives that have steadily put the people back to productive work.

Apart from his legacy projects, which are unrivalled in the history of the state, he has effected profound psychosocial reforms with his approach to governance, which many consider strange. His style and personal discipline have put government appointees on a leash.

Along with his no-siren movement and the spartan style, his decision to discontinue the everyday gathering and merriment in Government House, a relic of the past years, is a strong message that attention must now be paid to higher productivity.

A party chieftain recently told me: ‘That style appeared painful and distant at the beginning, but it is really reshaping the mindset of our people. Except for a few people, you hardly see any crowd hanging around the party secretariat these days except during important events. It is a good thing. It simply tells our people to do something much more meaningful, rather than loitering around politicians. It is good for everyone as it restores the dignity of the human person, and I hope his successor does the same.’

The Governor is very nostalgic about the Ilorin of his childhood. He strongly believes in restoring sanity to the GRA, especially — devoid of the health-shattering loud disco music in the evenings— and much of what ought to constitute the central business district of the capital city. A story is told of an old couple who complained that their health had deteriorated with some unhealthy practices within the GRA, a narrative that apparently aligns with his sentiment.

This is a reason he feels that the Kwara Hotel, a fit-for-purpose relaxation facility outside of residentials, must regain its status along with other well-located premium hospitality facilities in the state. This is a critical public health issue, as it is about appropriate land use and sustainable living.

His reforms are not without its critics. Yet true leaders, once convinced of the genuineness of their actions, should not fear being heckled. The sense of pride and the excitement with which Kwarans have received the new look of the capital city have drowned out the criticisms from the political opposition.

Abdulrazaq is a typical leader trapped at the intersection of history, the current realities of the digital age, and the capacity of his own people, Kwarans. This is why his decisions are mostly dictated by the geography, demography, and history of the state, sometimes ruffling feathers.

Restoring the proper land use and aesthetics of the GRA and environs reflects his interrogation of history, such as the location and naming of the Sugar Factory film studios to remind younger generations of the Tate & Lyle. The garment factory, the largest in Nigeria in one single location, brought to memory the legacy of cloth-making and enterprise for which Kwarans were known, while the bespoke Innovation Hub speaks to his understanding of how technology has redesigned how we live in this century.

Governor Abdulrazaq understands that Kwara has one of the largest concentration of shea trees in the country, explaining his establishment of two factories in Kaiama and Baruten in the shea belt, the former being one of the biggest in the country.

He is currently rebuilding the Patigi Motel to resuscitate the regatta, a dream now strengthened by the establishment of the Kampe National Park in the same axis. The Governor is fascinated by the successes of the Okin Biscuits in Offa and Jebba paper mills, but his dream for the two is hampered by boardroom politics and decay in which they are long trapped. The visual arts centre heralds his vision for creativity, tourism, and sports development, explaining the investment in the Owu Water Fall road, eight-winged squash court, international conference centre, and the resuscitation of the indoor sports hall, table tennis area, among others.

Along with dozens of rural roads that connect towns and agrarian communities, the Governor has recently delivered the Osi and Ilesha Baruba campuses of Kwara State University, a pointer to his effort to ensure statewide development and roll back rural urban migration.

The focus on Offa and Lafiagi Stadia this year will strengthen this effort, as would the ongoing Shonga ICT Centre and the upcoming rehabilitation of the Patigi Cultural Centre.

He believes that the capital city is filled up and growing informally. This has consequences for sustainable living in the future. The Ilorin smart city, his brainchild, is to allow for a well-planned physical development.

But his dreams will require a successor who views Kwara as a state in a race to fulfil its destiny, bolstered by its geography, culture, and the lofty aspirations of its people. From health, education, agribusiness, social protection, and infrastructure, his successor will be lucky to inherit a template to move faster, possibly less encumbered by the hugely entrenched prebendary politics that stared Abdulrazaq in the face.

His achievements are a new record breaker in the annals of Kwara. He has hired up to 8,600 teachers between 2019 and now, the highest that any (Kwara) administration has employed since 1999, while his KwaraLEARN continues to improve literacy, numeracy, and general learning outcomes.

Abdulrazaq’s handling of sensitive issues of national importance proves his bonafide as a true leader who, like Konrad Adenauer, prefers dialogue, strategic humility, consensus-building, and patience in place of grandstanding and media show. In deference to the President, whom he holds in high esteem, and in national interest, he convinced his colleagues of the need to work out a consensus tax policy for Nigeria. He had acted in the same way following the subsidy removal, the transitional difficulties, and the multifaceted responses to mitigate the effects on the public. He proved that such sensitive moments require leaders to act with extreme caution — a quality that speaks to his standing as the Sardauna of the southernmost emirate in Nigeria.

▪︎ Rafiu Ajakaye is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor