Does the federal government want to chase foreign investors away from Nigeria? This is one of most frequently asked questions since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) asked MTN to refund the $8.1 billion it repatriated as profits out of Nigeria from 2007 to 2015 based on “irregular certificates of capital importation”. CBN also fined four banks N5.8 billion over [...]
Heads of State, Governments and delegations from 52 African countries, which includes Nigeria and the People’s, Republic of China met in Beijing, under the auspices of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).The tri-annual summit was held with the theme: “China and Africa: Towards an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future through Win-Win Cooperation.”President Muhammadu Buhari led a [...]
Three years into what increasingly looks like his first term in office, President Muhammadu Buhari still appears not to have come to an understanding of the compassion and citizen deference that modern democratic leadership demands. If those were in his contemplation, his comment, last week, to the effect that illegal immigrants from Nigeria were on their own would never have [...]
It seems MTN is never too far from the speed dial to trouble. Three years ago, the telco, which has the dominant share of the mobile telecoms market in Nigeria, was slammed with a $5.2 billion fine for failing to disconnect 5.1 million subscribers after the registration deadline.After a back-and-forth, a bloodied nose and a shake-up in which the Chief Executive Officer [...]
I cannot now remember exactly how I first encountered this phrase: “In defence of history”. But I think it was during my days on the Editorial Board of The Guardian newspaper, between mid-1980s and mid-1990s. The specific source must have been Odia Ofeimun, a friend and colleague that I had met and engaged about seven years before I landed in [...]
Obi Nwanodozie is a little less than four years and is born into a farming family with tremendous landed assets in a rural community near the commercial heart land of Abia State known as Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa Local government Area. Obi’s father, Mr. Eze is a big time farmer but had made up his mind to go into the business [...]
A scrum of police officers invades the residence of a respected Ijaw leader – Edwin Clark. The invaders claim they are acting on the order of Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP).These invidious executers of tyranny spend more than two hours rummaging through the “boxers, socks, hats, bead necklaces, soup pots, cellar and cutlery” of the Ijaw chief, but [...]
General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma – former Chief of Staff of Nigerian Army, and erstwhile Minister of Defence – will today address the British House of Lords on the seemingly intractable herdsmen attack and its implications for ethnic minority rights and stability in Nigeria. General Danjuma will be accompanied to the forum by Archbishop Ben Kwashi, the Anglican Bishop of Jos.The [...]
The race to 2019 began in 2015, but the last lap of this marathon started in 2018, with the scheming and plotting getting thicker and thicker by every passing day. Everyone wants to be president!Muhammadu Buhari, Bukola Saraki, Atiku Abubakar, Jonah Jang, Rabiu Kwankwanso, David Mark, Aminu Tambuwal, Donald Duke, Remi Sonaiya, Kingsley Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore, Fela Durotoye... by now, [...]
In 2011, a few days before the presidential election, a retired army general broke down in tears while lamenting the problems confronting Nigeria, same way every past president lamented before taking over power, either through bullets or ballots.The venue was the International Conference Centre, Abuja. General Buhari broke down in tears at the event organised by the party—to mark [...]
