Tess Onwueme, Distinguished Playwright And Scholar, At 70

 By Monday Philips Ekpe

Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o, world-renowned Kenyan literary giant, described Professor Tess Osonye Onwueme thus: “In her work, Onwueme has shown daring in her exploration of ideas even if they lead to subjects and themes which may seem taboo. Onwueme is eminently a political dramatist, for power affects every aspect of society. She explores these themes with a dazzling array of images and proverbs. Her drama and theatre are a feast of music, mime, proverbs and story-telling… Onwueme consolidates her position among the leading dramatists from Africa.”

Professor Eugene Redmond, poet-laureate at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL, USA was even more robust and sweeping in his submission: “Among her literary soul mates are Wole Soyinka, Ama Ata Aidoo, Samuel Beckett, Derek Walcott, John Pepper Clark, Albert Camus, Chinua Achebe, Toni Morrison, Anton Chekhov, Femi Osofisan, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, George Bernard Shaw, Athol Fugard, August Wilson, Amos Tutuola, Gloria Naylor, Buchi Emecheta, Dennis Brutus, Alex LaGuma, Mariama Ba, and Sembene Ousmane.”

Nigeria At 65: It’s Time To Break The Vicious Circle

 By Olu Fasan

President Bola Tinubu cancelled yesterday’s Independence Anniversary parade at the last minute. No reason was given for the cancellation beyond the government’s “deep regret” for the “inconvenience caused”. Given that it was about Nigeria’s 65th anniversary as an independent state, a milestone, the cancellation was significant. Yet, in truth, it was just as well the parade was axed.

For it would be an extraordinary act of self-deception to roll out the drums for Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary. The sad truth is that, beyond the fact of its existence as a political entity, there’s little worthy of jubilation about Nigeria at 65. If that statement sounds outlandish, then consider the following three critical measures of a nation’s success: unity, security and prosperity. Add a fourth: state capacity. How well has Nigeria fared, at 65, on these indices of development? Abysmally, one must say! 

What Exactly Does Lagos State Want From Ndigbo?

 By Ikechukwu Amaechi

On October 1, Nigeria marked its 65th anniversary as an independent country and Nigerian leaders, as usual, used the opportunity to preach the gospel of peace and unity. Nigeria, many insisted, is the handiwork of God.

*Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe and Peter Obi inspect the demolished structures at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos

President Bola Tinubu led the choir in his nationwide broadcast with this rallying cry: “While our system and ties that bind us are sometimes stretched by insidious forces opposed to our values and ways of life, we continue to strive to build a more perfect union where every Nigerian can find better accommodation and find purpose and fulfilment.”

Those that are more religiously inclined insist that since God does not make mistakes, then a united and indissoluble Nigeria must be seen as part of God’s divine purpose. But in reality, these preachments of unity mean nothing. They are mere sound bites meant to wheedle the unwary but which, at the end, as the legendary Shakespeare noted in Macbeth, are “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” They are periodic effusion of platitudes, wearing the toga of an idiot’s tale.

Resetting Society Through The Womenfolk (Book Review)

Title: Woman, You are Important

Author: Blessing Abraham

Publishers: Kabod Broadcasting, Lagos

Number of Pages: 224

Reviewer: Banji Ojewale

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ghana’s Kofi Annan (1938-2018), once said, ‘’There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.’’ Nations across the globe have adopted this counsel and roared themselves into greatness and accomplishment. One of the big factors that winged their traction for meteoric move is the preponderance or balanced presence of their women in government at the top, not on the periphery of activities.

Peter Obi: A Great Nigeria Is Still Possible!

Statement by Mr. Peter Obi, Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 Presidential Election, on the Occasion of Nigeria's 65th Independence Anniversary, 1 October 2025

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Fellow Nigerians,

Today should be a day of joy and remembrance, a day to celebrate the struggles of our heroes who fought to free Nigeria from colonial rule. It should be a day for gratitude to Almighty God for His blessings on our nation.

On 1 October 1960, Nigeria gained independence to global acclaim as an emerging African economic and political power. Such was our potential that Time Magazine predicted the rise of a true African superpower that would lead the continent with pride. Our founding fathers fought for independence with confidence, passion, and determination to build a prosperous Nigeria that would stand alongside the world’s most advanced nations.