2023: For Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Son Of Mauritanian Cow Seller Who Speaks For The North

 By Lasisi Olagunju

Alhaji Baba Ahmed, a Mauritanian cow seller, plied his trade from his country to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and to Dahomey (now Benin Republic). Business was very good but at a point, his customers in Dahomey, with impunity, refused to pay for his cows. Is it not the law that every seller must collect the proceeds of his sale? This was not the case with the cow seller who was not a son-of-the-soil in Dahomey. 

*Hakeem Baba-Ahmed and President Buhari 

The options before him were very limited. My people say if the landlord offends the tenant, it is the tenant who must go; again, if it is the tenant who has wronged the landlord, it is still the tenant who must go. This trader from Mauritania had to move out of Dahomey, leaving his money behind. And he moved, crossing over to Nigeria; first to Sokoto and later to Zaria. He entered Nigeria all alone but soon found Zaria a very conducive environment for his business, for his Islamic scholarship and for raising a family (See Daily Trust of Saturday, January 13, 2018). The Mauritanian finally settled in Zaria around 1920 - that was about 100 years ago - and died on November 5, 1987 in Zaria, reportedly at the age of 104 (see Facebook post of Abdulrahman M. Baba-Ahmed of 9 July, 2021). 

Does Nigeria Still Matter To Nigerians?

 By Dan Amor

It is the biggest question of the day! Does Nigeria really matter? Like an inscrutable nightmare, the ponderous mystery of the Nigerian national question, which is ultimately the nation’s enduring essence, is still at issue. Jolted by the scandalous and shocking display of the obvious limitations of the human evolution, the unacceptable index of human misery in their country, and willed by a recent memory of oppression inflicted upon them by discredited soldiers and their quislings, Nigerians have been singing discordant tunes about the state of their forced Union.   

This has further been exacerbated by disarming pockets of inter and intra-communal clashes, wanton killings by herdsmen, senseless Boko Haram bombings, frequent kidnappings by armed bandits, violent robbery and mindless ritual killings across the country. Therefore, the matter for regret and agitation is that a supposedly giant of Africa has suddenly become the world’s most viable junkyard due to the evil  machinations of a fraudulent ruling class and the feudal forces still determined to keep the country in a permanent state of medieval servitude. 

Obadiah Mailafia: Truth Never Dies!

 By Ayo Baje

“Please, pray for me. I have reasons to believe that my life is in danger and that some powerful political forces want to silence me forever for speaking the truth.  For speaking on behalf of the holy martyrs of thousands of innocent children, women, elderly and youths that have been killed in our beloved country. It is only in our benighted country that a man who speaks from his conscience can be hounded like a common criminal.”

–Dr. Obadiah Mailafia (now of blessed memory) on September 11, 2020

*Obadiah Mailafia 

In life he was definitely one of the few bearers of the unquenchable torch of timeless Truth. And he must have seen death coming, for having the audacity to speak that same bitter Truth to power. More so, in this long, dark tunnel of quasi-democracy garbed in the bloody garment of daring despotism. So, it was only a matter of time for the haters of Truth to undo him, characteristically in nebulous circumstances. Talk about the ominous hoot of the owl at midnight and the sudden death of the naked baby the next dawn! 

But as yours truly has insisted, “Truth is eternal while lies are short-distance runners”. Or, to put it in the warm words of the legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson, “Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons ‘. 

Heavens Will Fall If A Northerner Succeeds Buhari

 By Charles Okoh

You probably would have read or listened to a rabble-rouser who goes by the name Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, when he spoke recently, as he always does, as though he has authority to speak on behalf of a superficial monolithic north, that heavens would not fall if the presidency remains in the north after President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

*Sultan of Sokoto, Buhari and others

To be sure, I am not particularly interested in where the president comes from, what religion he practises or the language he speaks. This divisive and base level politicking is engineered by those who have continued to impede the growth and development of the nation for their selfish interests alone.

However, you cannot be in the Nigeria of today and pretend not to know that with the precarious situation the nation is now, what has now come to be known as rotational presidency remains the only way this nation can survive. It is the only way to give all the sense of belonging, fairness, equity and justice. Tempers have risen; the mutual suspicion in the air is so thick you can literally slice it with a knife. It is that bad. In a normal clime; merit should be the watchword; but ours is anything but normal.

How Southern Nigeria Can Win 2023 Presidential Election

 By Dele Momodu

Buhari and Gov Akeredolu of Ondo

Fellow Nigerians, please, allow me to remind you of an article I wrote in 2014 titled IN SEARCH OF MATHEMATICIANS. It was a simple calculation and permutation I made about how Major General Muhammadu Buhari was going to defeat the incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the 2015 Presidential election. As at that time, the confidence level of the Buhari camp was still quite shaky, indeed it was quite low. 

Buhari And His Dream Of A One Party State

 By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, where and how does one begin? Whenever you think you have seen it all in our dear beloved country Nigeria, something bigger, bizarre and sometimes even more dastardly occurs. Let me be honest, I have no problem with those decamping in droves from the opposition party PDP to the ruling party APC.

*Buhari 

As far as I’m concerned, they are merely exercising their inalienable rights of freedom of association, speech and movement. However, I have serious issues with only one man, President Muhammadu Buhari who seems to be the Talisman that they all credit with their defection. It is because of him they all turn into turncoat, notwithstanding their previously avowed aversion and derision of this same personage that has been the butt of their ridicule or denigration.

Nigeria’s Value Added Transgressions (VAT)

 By Charles Okoh

The recent upheavals generated by the bold move by Governor Nyesom Wike of the Rivers State to contest the right of the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to continue collection of Value Added Tax, has brought to the fore several issues that are germane to the success or otherwise of the nation. The current skewed federal structure is largely responsible for the stunted growth of the nation. For those who mean well, the parasitic structure we operate as a federation cannot be in the ultimate interest of the nation.

The Rivers State Government had obtained the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division (coram Hon. Justice Stephen D. Pam, J.,) delivered in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/149/2020 (Attorney General Rivers State v. Federal Inland Revenue Service & Anor) on 9th August, 2021 upholding the constitutional authority and competence of the Rivers State Government to impose, charge, demand, and collect VAT on taxable goods and services within Rivers State and declaring that the Federal Government through the FIRS has no power to impose and collect VAT within the state.

Good Afternoon!

 Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye 

Nigerian Writer and Journalist; author of the book, Nigeria: Why Looting May Not Stop (scruples2006@yahoo.com)

How EFCC Operatives Broke Into My Home Like Armed Robbers By 2AM — Journalist

 By Norah Okafor

At exactly 1:36am, I was alerted by my brother that there were armed robbers at my gate trying to make their way into the compound. Because it was an electric fence, I didn't bother enough because I felt they won’t be able to make their way in. Alas, I was wrong. 2am on the dot they made their way into the compound.

 

*Norah Okafor 

They came prepared. Over 25 of them with two Hilux buses, masked and dressed in black upon black. A huge one climbed the fence, with a plier and immediately cut off a few of the wires, jumped into the compound and with an axe, broke the gate key open and, zoom, they made their first entry into my apartment. 

As a nude sleeper, while they tried to make their way into the compound, I found something to wear while my brothers and I were thinking of a way of escape. The worst case scenario for me was that they might rape or take the only valuable available (a car key), so I prepared my mind. 

Buhari, Forget Maradi, Focus On Nigeria

 By Ochereome Nnnanna

I only listen to what President Muhammadu Buhari has to say because as a journalist, I have no choice. The difference between him and General Ibrahim Babangida is that when Babangida talks, his words mean several things at the same time. He can escape through one of the routes and still claim he did not deceive you. If you know how to read Babangida’s lips, he won’t be able to deceive you.

*Mohamed Bazoum

But Buhari’s is a case of sometimes saying one thing and doing another, and sometimes doing what he says. This second attribute gave the “Buharideen” the opportunity to brand him as Mai Gaskiya or man of his word. This branding was used to deceive millions of gullible Nigerians in 2015. We warned Nigerians to beware, but the Buharideen called us “wailers”. Now, look who is wailing!

Nigeria: Tracing Grazing Routes Through The Presidential Villa

 By Owei Lakemfa

Alhaji Tanimu Yakubu was Special Adviser on Economic Matters to President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Before becoming one of Nigeria’s best Presidents in our leadership-challenged country, Yar’Adua was Governor of Katsina State and TY, as Yakubu is fondly called, was one of his cabinet members  for three years from 1999.

When TY was preparing that administration’s first budget in Katsina State, he studied the past trends in the government support for agriculture. He discovered that annually, 80 per-cent of the agriculture budget was allocated for  fertilizer procurement.

Given the fact that there are a number of clearly identified necessities of agriculture, he decided to research why fertilizer alone was consuming four fifths of the agriculture budget.

He appointed consultants to carry out a survey amongst farmers in the state to generate a list of their actual needs; they were 20 items. Then, a second stage of the survey was carried out for the farmers to rank those needs from the most to the least important. The result was shocking. The farmers listed fertilizer as the 13th in their list of their needs! Desertification was ranked number one, extension service, two and  market/profitability, three. The farmers did not even identify subsidy as a requisite. 

Kumuyi: Why I'm Called Defender Of The Faith

 

By WF Kumuyi

I never knew that the words The Defender of the Faith were part of my name and calling. We were in Singapore for a conference with attendees from different parts of the world, and my humble self was required to give series of messages. 

After I finished the series, one of the ministers came and asked me if I knew the meaning of my name, William. I responded that I never thought about it.  

Actually, when I was a young Anglican and I was to be christened, my father asked me what Christian name I would love to bear. I said I would love to bear the name Johnson. There was a Johnson in our community who was very vocal, fervent, bold and courageous and I had learnt to appreciate him. 

It was agreed that I would be Johnson. But then when we got to the Church something else happened. As the ceremony was being performed the minister said "This boy shall be called William". I wondered why I had to bear that name. 

Buhari Commissions A Gutter In Owerri

 By Obi Nwakanwa  

When presidents make state visits, there’s always a fanfare of drums, iron clatters; a flourish of trumpets; a tumultuous crowd of flag-waving, and patriotic people eager to welcome them and show them some love. 

I’m not sure what Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria was looking for, when he visited Owerri recently, but that was not what he got. 

He did not get some love. He got empty streets. There was not much of a crowd. The people all over the South East had stayed in their homes. President Buhari was free to come to the Igbo heartland, but the Igbo universe was indifferent. 

Now, you cannot beat that for organized civic action. First of all, the president arrived in very ill-fitting clothing. 

*President Buhari and Gov Uzodinma of Imo State 

That was the beginning of the public relations faux-pax. Buhari is normally a well-turned man. No one has ever accused him of a lack of sartorial sense. If anything, his clothes sit well on him. He likes them well-made. But not this one.

IPOB To Deal With Anyone Enforcing Sit-At-Home Order

Press Release

Anybody Caught Using The Name Of IPOB To Enforce Non-Existent Sit-At-Home Order Will Be Treated As A Traitor — IPOB

We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again, that we have no other sit-at-home order after 14th September. Any other purported sit-at-home including the suspended weekly sit-at-home on Mondays does not exist in the dairy of IPOB. In fact, after September 14, there is no other sit-at-home this week. Any contrary news or speculations to this effect should be ignored. 

Anybody trying to enforce any sit-at-home order using the name of IPOB is a saboteur, and does so at his peril. If we catch anybody disturbing the peace of Biafrans or residents in Biafra land under the guise of enforcing non-existent sit-at-home order, such a person regret his actions because he will receive the reward of traitors. 

How Italian Police Arrested My Husband On False Charges

 By Wendy Igwema

It all happened one morning, 4am to be precise, on the 28th of October 2020. We were just waking up from sleep in our home in Torino.  Suddenly there was a knock on the door. When I opened I saw about nine Italian policemen. One of them was a woman.  I asked them what they wanted. ‘We want to take your husband in for questioning’ one of them said to me. They said they were arresting him on mafia-related crimes in Italy. They proceeded to search the entire apartment and they did not find what they were looking for.

(pix: Remonews)

As they took my husband away, I requested to go with them to their station but they refused, saying that all they want is to interview him. They said they would let him go afterwards. Before they took him away, my husband called his lawyer, and told him about the presence of the police in our house. He advised that we closely watch them so they wouldn’t plant anything in our house. We did so. 

How Nigeria Became A Failed State

 By Dan Amor

Every real nation state is an historical product. It is, in Marx’s celebrated phrase, “the official resume’ of the antagonism in civil society”, but under historically determinate circumstances. As such, it is the product of the historically specific constellation of class relations and social conflicts in which it is implicated. It may, therefore, indeed, it must, if it is not to rest on its monopoly of the means of coercion alone, incorporate within its own structure, the interests not only of the dominant but of the subordinate classes. In this quite specific sense, then, every real nation state has an inherently relative independence, including, as well, the independence to understand the dynamics of its made-made domestic crises. In consequence, therefore, the general characteristics of the Nigerian nation state today may be seen in terms of the enormity of its domestic crises and social contradictions. 

Therefore, those who murdered Nigeria, and are still killing its residues include, but not limited to: a big and comprador bourgeoisie that has abdicated its political aspirations and allied itself to semi-feudal interests; a disoriented small and medium bourgeoisie made up of a certain class of professionals and intellectuals, potentially revolutionary, but which hesitates to renew the struggle for its national liberation. There is a sleeping working class which is supposed to be the prime revolutionary force but which cannot define clearly its trade union tasks and political aims. There is a large crowd of youths, the student body that constitute about 60 percent of the national population, which has abdicated its responsibility of serving as light to the national ideal due largely to intellectual dishonesty, ignorance or docility arising from poverty of ideas. 

Nigeria: Requiem For Our Departed Glory

 By Obadiah Mailafia

Nigeria is dying. A dying elephant, encircled by vultures and hyenas. Waiting to feast on the carcass. A fractured, broken nation. The ghost continues to limp aimlessly in the shadows. The question is: Who will bury it?

Dr. Mailafia 

Every nation is born with a peculiar glory. Britain isn’t the most powerful nation on earth; but its name somehow evokes a certain radiance. The same goes for Japan, Germany, France, Switzerland, Russia and Sweden, to give but a few examples. There is this aura and prestige around some nations that speaks for them more than macroeconomic indices such as GDP, per capita income and external reserves. The very essence of national greatness.

Our glory once irradiated the nations. Nigeria was an illustrious country. Our naira was at par with the pound sterling and was stronger than the American dollar. Our armed forces acquitted themselves with distinction in international peace-keeping operations. When we spoke, the world listened.

Buhari’s Insistence On Open Grazing Will Destroy Nigeria

 By Charles Okoh

From all indications, President Muhammadu Buhari is hell-bent on breaking the country. A president who is desirous of building an egalitarian society where the rule of law is supreme cannot consistently be insisting on having his way even when it is obvious to all discerning minds that the path the president is toeing is fraught with troubles that are capable of tearing the nation apart. It is not a mark of strength that a leader insists on always having his way and never caring a hoot how the people feel and yet Buhari claims he is exercising the mandate given him by the people. 

*Buhari 

Since coming to office, the president has pursued only the agenda of the Fulani cattle breeders. That he is their patron cannot explain why he insists that it is only what pleases the pastoralists that he will spend eight years of the nation’s time and resources pursuing. The country is grappling with various challenges too numerous to mention, yet the president seems to be wasting his time creating more conflicts and disputes among the people he claims to be leading. 

Nigeria: Buhari’s Legacy As A Failure Already Sealed

 By Ikechukwu Amaechi 

President Muhammadu Buhari never ceases to confound. Even his most strident supporters, who are ever willing to cut him some slack, are gradually but inexorably coming to the inevitable reality: he is a study in hypocrisy.

His claim to higher standards is a ruse. Too often, he fails to follow his own expressed moral rules and principles.

I will come back to this shortly.

*Buhari

On August 19, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd.), reported Buhari as telling his Service Chiefs that he was not ready to leave office a failure.

Two days earlier, the Nigerian army claimed that at least 1,000 Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) members had surrendered and army spokesperson, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the terrorists would be received, processed and passed on to the relevant agencies of government for further assessment in line with extant provision.

Babangida Should Just Apologise To Nigerians

 By Charles Okoh

For about two weeks, the nation has witnessed the activities around the 80th birthday of former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. For some, especially those who have had direct dealings with him, it has been a flurry of praises for the man whom many have come to know as the Maradona and affectionately referred to also as IBB or the evil genius. 

Babangida has the unenviable record of aborting what everybody has come to accept as the best thing to happen to our electoral evolution as a nation. He scuttled the June 12, 1993, presidential election which he midwifed and for which he received accolades for organizing the best election ever held in the country. 

*Babangida 

First, it was Babangida in an interview with Arise TV, where he clearly spoke like the intelligent man that he is. He also showed that apart from the troublesome leg which has practically left him immobile, he did not disappoint with his intelligent responses to questions put before him. His ability to vividly recall all events around his life as a soldier and a military president even at age 80 stands him out as a brilliant officer. He clearly stands out among his peers and his understanding of issues within and outside the country you can hardly find that with many of our leaders today.