Every right and left thinking Nigerian surely knows who to vote for and why they have to vote. Not because of the repeated stories and promises we read and hear every day. Nigerians should take their political decisions based on previous and present actions of the candidates and their
Opinion
It was Nikolai Gogol in his book, Diary of a Madman and Other Stories, who said that ‘sharing thoughts, feelings and experiences is one of the greatest blessings of this life’. This statement was made by a dog in a letter it sent to another dog. The madman found this letter, when he heard the […]
Imagine for a short moment that you find yourself in a wilderness of unpleasant circumstances. How do you get through it? The other day it was the turn of a housewife whose heart was broken by another’s cruelty and she refused to stay in the marriage she had endured for over 15 years. At another […]
I n Wealth of Nations, the 18th Century economic classic, Adam Smith (1723-1790) postulated that “by selling product[s] that people want to buy, [entrepreneurs] make money. While they are engaging in their enterprises…they are also providing [services]. Such a system creates wealth not just for the [entrepreneurs], but for the nation as [a] whole when […]
Graciously conceding defeat is not something candidates in African elections have traditionally been very good at. In a macho political culture that sees a routing at the ballot box as a source of shame, refusal to accept a result often leads to protracted battles in court, on the streets or in the worst cases a […]
Oluwakemi Babatunde is a fish trader based in Epe, a small town about 40 Kilometers from mainland Lagos. She’s been in the fish trade for ages, having learnt the ropes from her mother who was also a fish trader, with clients in diverse places that include Lekki and Ajah in Lagos. Babatunde says that today, […]
When you look at the way Nigerian politicians behave, their audacity, sense of entitlement and hubristic attitude that has nothing but contempt for the opposition and people, you would think that Nigeria is either an aristocracy or a monarchy. But Nigeria is a republic and not an aristocracy or monarchy. Therefore, the duty of her […]
Oil is first and foremost a commodity. As a commodity, oil is the largest traded commodity in ton miles globally. Besides being commodity, oil also had been variously describe as “a weapon, a strategic asset, a course and a maker and spoiler of fortunes. Crude oil prices like prices of other commodities are controlled by […]
In my management consultant mode I am associated with a global strategy-consulting Group, Palladium that grew out of the work of Harvard Business School Professors Kaplan and Norton. There the execution premium is buzz. In a few days the elections will be history but if we do not now think execution premium mindset, no matter […]
Golden age is one milestone usually celebrated by many with profound fanfare and passion because it marks a critical turning point in one’s life. To Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, this long established aphorism is not any different as he attains 50 years. But then for someone who has accomplished so many […]
“If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground. It will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through. It will blow up everything in its way”. Emile Zola (1840-1902) J’accuse Some Ijaw / Urhobo / Itsekiri adages runs thus, “the worm that eats the kola-nut […]
In the traditional Igbo Ukwu society from where I hail, soup-making is a serious and expensive business. Soup was the most expensive culinary undertaking and it was also only done on Nkwo market days. Consequently, we have some proverbs around this serious soup business. One is that it is unbecoming for an adult to ‘igwo-ofe’ […]
Who benefits from the narratives of portraying more than a billion people as poverty stricken and an entire continent as nothing more than wastelands for numerous crises? These are questions that I have often pondered especially with my knowledge of the enormous wealth in most African countries and my exposure to the western media […]
President Goodluck Jonathan must rein in Doyin Okupe and other sycophants. Chinua Achebe reminds us that those whose palm kernels were cracked by the gods must remain humble. A shoeless school boy who rose to the presidency cannot afford to have an aide misrepresenting him as a contestant for the position of Jesus Christ. Okupe presented President […]
“The truth of the challenge of saving the dying conscience in Nigeria, it seems to me, has to begin with enlightenment on our shared humanity. The death of anyone should, as the great quote goes, diminish us. The death of so many should crush our spirits and inspire action. The abduction of so many innocents […]
The Biblical story of Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, who betrayed the Lord, is intended to teach the lesson of human moral frailties. Even though Judas showed remorse by returning the 30 pieces of silver which he received from the chief priests and elders, the name has gone down in […]
Inside the Boko Haram (BH) camp, like in any other terrorist organisation, all is never full of roses as many may assume, they also have their internal war to unravel. Research shows that reasonable amount of BH members are not uniformly motivated by the cause, nor equally willing to sacrifice for the cause and the […]
For the north to reel out of its squalour, there is definitely a need for major rethinking, an inside-out revolution of mindset. A region and its people cannot develop when a handful of its population can ‘live high on the hog’ almost for eternity. Witness how many traditional rulers, ‘first class’ Emirs and Chiefs especially, […]
Nigeria is counting down to another season of general elections. Election is about choice of candidates, parties, programmes and policies, all represented by faces of actors. Behind any face are antecedents. So, in the emergence of any electoral candidate, the questions that will be normally asked are: What are his antecedents? What interest does he […]
Nigeria is called the giant of Africa. But is Nigeria truly the giant of Africa? Perhaps, Nigeria is the potential giant of Africa with clay feet and spindly legs. We have the potentialities to make Nigeria the greatest and biggest economy in Africa; but clueless, visionless, inept, and corrupt leadership has continued to hinder our […]
