When A President’s Silence Isn’t Golden

By Banji Ojewale

 Silence isn’t golden when your house is in flames and you’re alone at home. You need to shout for help from the army of neighbours within reach. You need to raise your lone voice above the crackles of the inferno gaining new grounds.

 Silence isn’t golden when your spotless reputation is vociferously impugned or threatened and you have an opportunity to stop the campaign. Silence isn’t golden when there is a cacophony of opinions and reports, false or accurate, reaching the public about your candour. Your silence here isn’t golden; it is grotesque, grisly and grimy.

A Message To The North: The South Is Getting Fed Up!

By Dr Ugoji Egbujo

I have a story to tell the North. I hope it receives it in good faith. I love the North. So I have decided to tell the North how his brother the South truly feels. The South loves the north but the South is getting fed up. The truth may taste bitter but it sets free. I will throw away political correctness and let the North know how the South feels because the North has to sit up and shape up.

The South is getting fed up. Today, it’s Boko Haram. Tomorrow it’s banditry. Yesterday, it was confounding mass illiteracy. And no mention has been made yet about the abiding mass obesity of the North. Family resources are being wasted fighting useless fires! The truth is: the South increasingly sees the North like a slothful, temperamental brother that has stubbornly refused to go to school and has begun to keep the company of bad gangs.

Supreme Court Judgments Are Clearly Reversible

By Chuks Iloegbunam

Nigerians must with one voice put this critical question to the seven-member Supreme Court panel of judges that sacked Governor Ihedioha of Imo State and planted Senator Hope Uzodinma as his replacement: Distinguished as you all are, would you have dared to pronounce this same perversity if other than the All Progressives Congress (APC) is currently in control of the Federal Government of Nigeria?

*Justice Tanko Muhammad

The controversial Supreme Court verdict was read by Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun. Mrs. Kekere-Ekun was born in 1958. She earned her first Law degree from the University of Lagos, and the second from the London School of Economics and Political Science, not from backyard or quota colleges that routinely grant admissions to laggards confirmed incapable of passing basic School Certificate subjects like English and Mathematics. Called to the Bar in 1981, she was appointed to the Supreme Court 32 years later.

Notable lawyers hailed her appointment to the apex court, two of whose informed opinions are here: “I have read a few of her judgments; she is very sound in law. In other words, she suppresses technicality and allows substance to prevail. She has that equitable spirit of trying to do justice,” said Professor Itse Sagay, SAN.

Keke, Okada Ban And The Unspeakable Suffering Of Lagosians

Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

A lady resident in Lagos went to address a seminar at a venue in her locality on Saturday, February 1, 2020, the day the restriction order by the Lagos State Government on commercial tricycles and motorcycles came into effect. By noon, when the event was over, she walked down to the market to shop for what her family would need for the week. When she was through, she came out with heavy packs of foodstuff and other items. Her street is a kilometer (or a little more) away. Since she has refused to learn how to drive despite endless prodding from her husband, children and friends, what she usually did on occasions like this was to engage a commercial tricycle to take her to her street, since no bus plies that way or enters any street no matter how long.

It was at this juncture that it painfully dawned on her that she would have to walk home with the heavy load of stuff she had purchased – which was practically impossible. The commercial tricycles had all vanished on “orders from above.” Just immediately, her husband called to enquire where she was and she explained her predicament.

“Just wait for me there, I am coming to pick you now,” came his reassuring voice. And soon, her husband was there, and with much relief, she entered the car and they returned home. In her bewilderment, it had not even occurred to her again to call him to come and take her home. She was used to the tricycles doing that for her.

Reinhard Bonnke: Example Of Successful Ministry

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye 

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…” (2 Timothy 4:7) 

When on December 7, 2019, news broke that Reinhard Bonnke, the German-born evangelist, whose gospel crusades in many African cities drew multitudes and led many people to make definite decisions to give their lives to Jesus Christ, had died in Florida, the world saw another example of what could rightly be described, by Biblical standards, as a  successful ministry. He was 79. 

*Evangelist Bonnke

The most important item in his life’s history is that, although, he was the son of a gospel minister, Bonnke had a definite testimony of regeneration, that is, being born again – something every genuine child of God should and must  have, but which, sadly, many church people do not have today, including even several preachers! His mother had preached to him when he was nine and he had repented of his sins and given his life to Jesus Christ after which he committed himself to serve God and become a genuine follower of Jesus.

From then, his interest in preaching the Word of God was born and grew. One day, he took a guitar and went into a street in Glückstadt and began to sing. Soon, a small crowd gathered and he brought out his Bible and preached to them. Bonnke was so excited when one man who was convicted by “his preaching knelt down, confessed his sins and gave his to Christ.” 

  

Filled with happiness, he rushed home excitedly and exclaimed as he reported what happened to his father: “Father, it works!  A man came to hear me preach and accepted Jesus. The Holy Spirit really gives us the power to preach!” He could not contain his joy. 

From a very early age, Bonnke began to tell everyone around him of his clear persuasion that he had a very definite calling from God to preach the gospel in Africa. He attended a Bible College in Wales and when he returned to Germany after his education, he met his wife, Anni, and they were married in 1964.

J.A. Atanda Prize For The Best Essay On The Yoruba

Joseph Adebowale Atanda was a passionate historian who dedicated his scholarship to the historiography of Africa, especially that of the Yoruba. Popular among his publications are The New Oyo Empire: Indirect Rule and Change in Western Nigeria, 1894-1934, An Introduction to Yoruba History and Baptist Churches in Nigeria: Accounts of Their Foundation and Growth. The robust contributions of Atanda to Yoruba Studies have enhanced the existing knowledge of the Yoruba history, culture and spirituality, as well as the colonial and postcolonial relation. More than two decades after his demise, his scholarship remains relevant, and more increasingly so. 

Natasha Akpoti: Heroine Of The Kogi Election

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

As I write now, I am not too sure that I will be able to readily remember the full name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate – the major opposition contestant in the November 16, 2019 gubernatorial election in Kogi State. So, it should not be surprising that I probably wouldn’t have heard about Natasha Hadiza Akpoti, the intelligent and courageous young lady who flew the governorship flag of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in that election if some fellows in the state’s murky political scene did not choose to attract undue attention to the state by stretching their desperation and crude politics to unimaginable extremes in their determination to run Natasha out of the governorship contest. 

*Natasha Akpoti

Indeed, my interest in what happens in Kogi had been so badly depleted by the unedifying record of Gov Yahaya Bello whose most significant achievement in office appears to be his successful de-marketing of the very outstanding campaign undertaken by some young Nigerians to push for the greater participation of the younger generation in the leadership of this country. It is so demoralising that when anyone tries these days to applaud and strengthen the case of this laudable advocacy (whose delicious fruit was the signing into law of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari on May 31, 2018), the predictable retort usually fired back at one is: what of Yahaya Bello, is he not a young man? What is the guarantee that other young people would not only replicate his dismal record if they assumed leadership positions? It is as bad as that. 

Refusing To Go To Afghanistan In Nigeria

By Banji Ojewale

In Nigeria, falling for Afghanistan’s sirens simply is when our newspaper columnists and writers focus their attention on far-flung foreign features while ignoring domestic hot-button issues beckoning them. When home matters of momentous concerns come up asking to be sorted out, or to be interrogated for a solution, the fatal feminine fellows in the form of foreign news upstage the burning national discourse and take our writers away.

The age of military rule in Nigeria gave birth to the concept of going to Afghanistan. The soldiers, upon seizing power which didn’t belong to them, would abrogate the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people, brutishly expressed in the suspension of the Constitution, with all the operational institutions the sacred document created: the elected executive, lawmaking assembly, political parties, popular organizations like labour and student unions etc. The martial lords were notorious for throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Nigeria: Endless Borrowing Will Lead To Endless Sorrowing

By Atiku Abubakar

John Quincy Adams once said “there are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.” He may have very well been referring to Nigeria of the last three years.

*Atiku and Buhari 

Barely two weeks ago, I warned during my Founder’s Day lecture at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, that Nigeria had taken almost as much foreign debt in the last three years, as she had taken in the thirty years before 2015 combined. Now that is frightening. And very true.

Frightening, not just because of the amount, but because after such unprecedented borrowing, we have emerged as the world headquarters for extreme poverty and the global capital for out of school children. It begs the question: what were the funds used for?

Third Term Agenda And The Buhari We Don’t Know

By Banji Ojewale

Some compatriots say we wouldn’t know the real man we have as our president until the chickens come home to roost in 2023. In that year, would President Muhammadu Buhari have removed the veil to succumb to the current sacrilegious clamour to go for a fatal tenure extension? Would he have given in to calls to trash the Constitution so he can walk on the slippery ground euphemistically termed third term? Would he be the Buhari of the wailers? Or of the hailers?

*Buhari 

In 2023, is Buhari going to remain the man we’ve always known as our beloved president? Or a stranger foisted on us? Would he be the bride we didn’t pay our dowry for? Would the husband discover he’d been shortchanged at the point where only God would be the Unseen and Silent Onlooker? Would there be a supplanter at work?

Social Media Bill: Short Walk To Total Totalitarianism?

By Matthew Hassan Kukah

I have consistently tried to create levels of differentiation between democracy and dictatorship, especially dictatorships of the military variant as we have had in Nigeria. I have argued that Nigeria is still very far away from the goal posts of what could be called a democratic society. In my view, the environment does not as yet look anything democratic because the actors are largely strangers to the ethos of democratic governance, and what is more, too many of them are tied to the old order, not to talk of the fact that the presence of General-presidents suggest that we are still in the thrall of militarism.

*Kukah

Democracy thrives on debate, consensus building, negotiation, persuasion, argumentation, rule of law, process and inclusion. The military thrives in a coup culture, secrecy, betrayal, violence, command structure, exclusion and lack of transparency. That explains why I have always warned against describing the current charade of violent elections as democracy.

No Student Impregnated Lecturer At Fed University Lafia – Spokesperson

The Federal University Lafia has dismissed as fake the viral story on the social media about a Computer Science student who was allegedly expelled by the university for impregnating his lecturer.

In a statement issued by Mr. Abubakar Ibrahim, the Head, Information and Public Relations Department of the University, the institution described the story as “nothing but a fabrication by the writer …aimed at destroying the good image and reputation of Federal University Lafia...”

Read the statement below:

Allen Onyema And Air Peace V. US Department of Justice: Points To Ponder

By Emmanuel N. Emenyonu, Ph.D (Glasgow), LLB (London), CPA (Massachusetts), FCA (Nigeria)

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"The Nigerian media space went agog when the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division on November 19, 2019, filed Case 1:19-cr-00464, A “True Bill”, otherwise known as Grand Jury Criminal Indictment against the persons of Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, a Nigerian Citizen, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace; and Ejiroghene Eghagha, a Nigerian citizen and the Chief of Administration and Finance of Air Peace. Commentators have speculated on the guilt or innocence of the accused.

*Allen Onyeama

Others have offered some theories relating to the motivations and hidden hands behind the Indictment. Some ‘experts’ have pontificated on the seriousness of the charges especially money laundering. Some commentators have even likened the Indictment to some recent high profile indictments involving some Nigerians alleged to have engaged in sundry cybercrimes and advanced fee fraud schemes.

‘Hate Speech’ And The Coming Hangman!

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

When governments betray enduring inability to solve some of the very basic needs of their people in order to end (or at least reduce) their pains and suffering, and if also the democratic character of the heads of such regimes have begun to badly wither, their impatience and irritation for dissenting views will start growing with incredible speed as they see that in the eyes and hearts of the citizenry, their esteem and appreciation are badly plummeting.

At such times, their desperation to gag the people will become so palpable. It might even degenerate to a stage when merely speaking about your pain and suffering could be viewed as “Hate Speech” – depending on who is interpreting your complaint. After all, by talking about the hardship in the land due to failed, misconceived policies, the collapse of infrastructure and lack of basic amenities, you are portraying the government as a failure; that could qualify as “Hate Speech,” and you could go in for it. So, to stay out of trouble, you just have to act a “good citizen” by keeping quiet and suffering in silence. You may never know, the hangman might be a yelling distance away! History is replete with examples!

Ending Impunity On Crime Against Journalists

By Isah Ismaila Gagarawa

Every second of November is proclaimed as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists as members of states are urged by the United Nations General Assembly to implement definite measures in countering the present culture of impunity.  However, according to the Global impunity Index report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, there have been several cases of impunity on murders of journalists in countries where ‘democracy’ is practiced.

It is indeed painful when people capacitated by the power of the constitution in carrying out their duties, are being killed on a regular basis around the world; and their perpetrators are not prosecuted.

November 16 As National Day For Zik

By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

November 16, the birthday of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, ought to be a national holiday in Nigeria. It is deserving honour for the pivotal leader who led the charge for Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960.

*Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe

As a result of his unparalleled efforts, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe would in the course of time become the only black Governor-General of Nigeria, the first President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the only Nigerian whose name appeared in a Constitution of Nigeria, the first Senate President, among many other sterling firsts.

Regulate Unemployment And Poverty Not Social Media

By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku

Sometime in 2014, and prior to the 2015 General elections, most Nigerians were shell-shocked at the sort of language which certain highly-placed politicians flung here and there at Goodluck Jonathan. The arrowhead cum leader of those who used these irresponsible words to describe their president then was Nasir El Rufai, now governor of Kaduna State, followed by the present minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed.

*Jonathan and Buhari 

From the way these highly-placed Nigerians used these words, nobody would have thought those words constituted what we now know as ‘hate speech’, ‘fake news’ and ‘irresponsible journalism’. What again made such words as ‘clueless’, incompetent’ and ‘making Nigeria ungovernable’, seemingly harmless then was that the individual who those hateful and highly embarrassing words were directed at appeared to take them with a smile and did so apparently because he understood that insults and aspersions are corollaries to public office, and your ability to accept them, deflect or dodge them makes you a leader or a charlatan. 

eLearning Africa: Advancing From Abidjan

eLearning Africa shows the world “what an exciting, innovative continent Africa is” say the organisers of Africa’s leading conference on technology assisted learning and training, eLearning Africa. This year’s eLearning Africa, which took place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 23 -27 October and focussed on “the keys to the future: learnability and employability” was a “great success,” they say.

Henry Boyo, Renowned Economist, Dies

Dr. Henry Boyo, renowned economist and public intellectual, is dead. He died in London on Monday, November 18. He was 72.

Dr. Boyo was the Managing Director of Cocosheen Nigeria Limited, Lagos. 

He has written extensively on the Nigerian economy in his syndicated columns which appear in several national newspapers, like Daily Independent, Punch, Vanguard, etc.  

Dele Giwa: Lingering Echoes Of A Murder

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

 “Death is…the absence of presence…the endless time of never coming back…a gap you can’t see, and when the wind blows through it, it makes no sound”.    – Tom Stopard, German playwright. 

*Giwa 

 

In the morning of Monday, October 20, 1986, I was preparing to go to work when a major item on the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) 6.30 news bulletin hit me like a hard object. Mr. Dele Giwa, the founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, had the previous day been killed and shattered by a letter bomb in his Lagos home. My scream was so loud that my neighbour barged into my room to inquire what it was that could have made me to let out such an ear-splitting bellow. 

We were three young men who had a couple of months earlier been posted from Enugu to Abakaliki to work in the old Anambra State public service, and we had hired a flat in a newly erected two-storey building at the end of Water Works Road, which we shared. My flat-mate, clearly, was not familiar with Giwa’s name and work, and so had wondered why his death could elicit such a reaction from me. But later that day, as he interacted with people, he realised that Giwa’s death was such big news, and by the next couple of days, he had become an expert on Giwa and his truncated life and career. Across the country, Giwa’s brutal death dominated the news not just because of the pride of place he occupied in Nigerian journalism practice and but more because of the totally novel way his killers had chosen to end his life.