Opinion

“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, he also believes to be true” – Demosthenes, 384-322 BC, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, p 224 If you honestly believe that the Lagos-Calabar Road will be completed in seven years, then you probably have rocks where brains should be; and you represent one of the cardinal reasons Africa might never develop for centuries to come. Nothing is more distressing than watching highly educated, erudite, well-informed and apparently patriotic media commentators destroy their reputations once they become officials of the ruling party. The transformation first struck me when President Yar’Adua was…
In Africa, when a man loses his virility, he is subject of scorn, ridicule and disdain. Male impotence or infertility is not only disdained but tabooed. In a continent where child-making is almost an obsession, Africa couched a number of hurtful epithets for one who loses his virile member. Failure to get this critical member standing up leaves sour overtones of frustration, pain, social ostracism, stigma, marital instability, discomfiture and even sometimes, suicide. Among the Yoruba, virility victims are named Okobo. The rural Shona tribe in Mhondoro-Ngezi area of Zimbabwe could not stand the virility challenge. To ward off this…
There is a way Gboko boys hail you, when you yourself know they are mocking you. "Ortamen, m nau ichivir" meaning, "Elder I send my respects." The sarcasm of the appellation becomes striking when you discover that the person being addressed is anything but an elder. During my years in Lagos, I occasionally encountered Janjaweed Area boys who called out to me menancingly; "Chairman, we hail you! Anything for the boys?" Of course, I was neither their chairman nor any person of consequence in their hierarchy of Area boys. I feel extremely sad that the Nigerian government has without any…
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith ~ 1 John 5:4. Introduction: All men strive for greatness and gracious fulfillment in life. But, we have long known that the journeys of destiny are never simple and straightforward. The truth is, there’s no path to greatness without concrete obstacles. One wise man said, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere”. Many overwhelming obstacles will always seek to harm your confidence, passion and progress, even to the point where it may…
God’s open reward comes to those who pray without ceasing. This means praying at all times. It is not about praying in churches or at prayer meetings. It is about praying as Jesus commends, in spirit and truth. (John 4:24). Those who pray without ceasing think about the Lord at all times. We live in the consciousness of God. Paul refers to this as: “walking in the spirit.” (Galatians 5:16). We try as much as possible not to lose our consciousness of God, not even for a moment. Some people thought I was crazy when I said having sex with…
To distract Nigerians from the first-year poor performance in governance, the President and his cronies in the National Assembly decided to divert attention from ongoing criticisms by passing and signing the Bill on reverting to the old National Anthem. Yes, another gimmick as Nigerians complain bitterly about deepening poverty, growing hunger, rising insecurity and the general nonchalance of the governing class. The old anthem would allegedly promote peace, unity, and prosperity more effectively than the one in use. Lawmakers claimed that the current anthem, introduced during military rule, does not fully reflect Nigeria’s democratic values and commitment to nationhood. The…
For the deposed Kano Emir, Aminu Bayero, it was not a matter of if but when. The moment the Supreme Court upheld Governor Abba Yusuf's election in January, Bayero knew the governor would need the throne to pay his debt. During the campaign, the governor promised that if he were elected, he would revoke the sharing of the Kano Municipal Emirate between two Bayeros among the four new emirs and restore the throne’s singular pre-eminence. Of course, he won. But before the ruling of the Supreme Court in January affirming his election, two lower courts had ruled in favour of…
This week last year, two things were enthroned in the Nigerian political space. One was the man, Bola Tinubu, who was sworn in as the president. The other was the myth of the man as a headhunter endowed with a unique instinct for sourcing the right talent and an astute administrator. So much was this idea of Tinubu as administrative capacity believed that his supporters were sure he would—to use the language of former Abia state governor Orji Kalu—forward Nigeria to all forwardness. Well, it is one year now, and we might as well start asking how that myth has…
Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya probably believed he was a commodities trader who happened also to moonlight as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. To him, both vocations seemed to provide mutually reinforcing revenue streams. Sometimes, he transacted business as one, while doing the other. In keeping with this tendency, it was an unsuccessful transaction in the sale of beans that brought his vocation as a judge to an untimely end. The story began with the 2015 elections. In Abia State, South-East Nigeria, the parliamentary elections in 2015 were not without controversy. Nnamdi Iro Oji, a losing candidate in those elections,…
In a federal system of government, such as the one we claim to be running, granting autonomy to local governments undermines the principles of federalism. Successive military leaders from certain sections of Nigeria have used their power to create local government areas in their regions, giving them demographic and fiscal advantages over other sections, which provide the bulk of the fiscal resources that all tiers of government rely on. This autonomy is a subversion of federalism and should be rejected by all who value democracy within a federal system. In a true federal system, regions, provinces, or states are the…
June 06, 2025

Nigeria now Africa’s top cement exporter, says Aliko Dangote

Nigeria has transformed from being the world’s second-largest cement importer to becoming Africa’s leading cement…
June 02, 2025

Afenifere blasts Tinubu: ‘Midterm report shows woeful failure, economic deforms, and rising despair’

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has issued a scathing midterm assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s…
June 05, 2025

This is the process that lets managers get the best out of their team

Frans Van Loef What does it mean to be a manager? In today’s world, managers…
May 31, 2025

Tools made of whale bones reveal inventiveness of prehistoric people

Artifacts found at archeological sites in France and Spain along the Bay of Biscay shoreline…
June 06, 2025

Gunmen kill two policemen, abduct Chinese in Kwara

The Kwara State Police Command on Thursday confirmed the killing of two policemen and the…
June 06, 2025

What to know after Day 1198 of Russia-Ukraine war

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Four killed in intense Russian air attack on Ukraine's capital Russia mounted an…
June 06, 2025

Common supplements and medications could cause liver damage, studies show

Melissa Rudy Arun Sanyal, M.D., director of the VCU Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and…
May 13, 2025

Nigeria's Flying Eagles qualify for World Cup after dramatic win over Senegal

Nigeria's U-20 national football team, the Flying Eagles, have secured their place at the 2025…

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