"Nelson Mandela was an extra ordinary human being. He put a strong 'truth and reconciliation' committee together. He was not insulting everyone and anyone. It earned him global respect. Leadership matters when you want to heal a divided nation. Donald Trump hurls abusive speeches at every perceived opposition in sight and that has greatly damaged America."These were very punchy and [...]
By default, every Nigerian tends to be of one religious faith or the other. It is difficult to find a professed atheist in Nigeria. The God talk is everywhere and in public spaces – workplace, marketplace, government corridors, et cetera. It is convenient and fair to assume that there is no room for atheism in the country. But do Nigerians [...]
Last week, the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) discharged and acquitted Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, of an 18-count charge of false assets declaration. Predictably, reactions to the judgment have been bifurcated to those who think it was a dent on the anti-corruption war of the Muhammadu Buhari government or whatever is left of that war; and the usual refrain [...]
The Nigerian state is struggling to survive the realities of a failing economy. The Niger Delta, Nigeria’s oil hub and the region that accounts for 99% of Nigeria’s crude oil, will continue to be shortchanged.Time has, therefore, come, for Governors and political leaders in the Niger Delta to put aside politics, not just political differences, and begin to work for [...]
Some politicians calling for the implementation of the recommendation of the 2014 National Conference might not actually be clamoring for some of conference’s recommendations such as the creation of 18 more states, asking churches and mosques to pay taxes and that all members of the legislative arm should serve on a part-time basis.They could have their eyes on the conference [...]
In a "side bar" article I wrote years ago, I noted that the then central bank governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, was still signing the naira as "Charles Soludo" and joked that I would not spend the Nigerian currency again until he did the needful. I got an e-mail from a young reader who said although he always enjoyed reading my [...]
How does any honest person contemplate that Nigeria has any chance of moving forward and becoming great under the current circumstance?True, Nigerians are people of extraordinary faith, even I am, but there is absolutely no faith that rewards lethargy and deliberate unwillingness to work at progress.People and nations benefit from a moment of grace but even that goes to those [...]
Whatever the state of any human being is, there are still basic fundamentals that such must be accorded. These include justice, freedom of speech, right to quality life and equity. When these are denied, society feels its impact through bad behaviours, gangsterism and recourse to finding fulfilment in many other vices by these underprivileged specie.Any society which openly tilts the [...]
Tangentially, I take the title of this article to be humdrum. Why? Goodluck Jonathan was prognosticated to be the last president of composite Nigeria, but the doom prognosis is now legend.Without obviating the trepidation and tension that eclipsed the country before and during the 2015 general election, Nigeria survived Jonathan; I believe it will survive President Muhammadu Buhari.However, the whirling [...]
Christian leaders have met with the Acting President and complained about Nigeria’s education curriculum, which they argue discriminates against Christians.The syllabus in contention -- the revised 9-year Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) -- was revised in 2012 and went into implementation in September 2014.In this revision, Christian Religious Studies/Islamic Studies, Social Studies, Civic Education, and Security Education were merged into one [...]
