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.

Peter Obi: Turning Nigeria Around: Insights From Global Engagements

 

*Peter Obi Prof James Robinson
My last engagement of 3-day trip to the USA was defining and enriching, including over two hours of lunch and a walk meeting with the distinguished Professor James Robinson, alongside Professors Korieh and Utomi.

Professor James Robinson was co-author of Why Nations Fail and a Nobel Laureate in Economics on “Prosperity of Nations”.

My interest in meeting him was stirred by one of his penetrating observations, that there are nations in the world which clearly know the path to prosperity, yet consistently fail to take it. Among his examples was Nigeria. 

Demolitions At Trade Fair Complex Is Selective, Illegal And Will Scare Away Investors – S4C

 Press Release

Spaces for Change|S4C expresses deep concern about the unlawful demolitions in the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State, which began on September 25, 2025, affecting a series of plazas, malls, shops, and other business premises. We demand justice for the unconstitutional destruction of several business premises in the Complex.

The demolitions selectively targeted a series of buildings under the directive of the Lagos State Government, under the guise of “(removing) illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective structures, and structures built on road setback and drainage”.

However, our team visited the demolition site yesterday, and findings reveal key facts that not only contradict the Lagos State Government’s position but also highlight grave injustices and economic sabotage.

Between Natasha’s Defiance And Fubara’s Docility

 By Emmanuel Aziken

Two strong disruptions to Nigeria’s democratic flow in March 2025 were seemingly repaired recently with the dramatic restoration of Governor Siminilayi Fubara to the helm of affairs in Rivers State and the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Senate after months of suspension.

*Natasha 

On the surface, both restorations may appear as victories for democracy, yet when viewed closely, they reveal two sharply contrasting responses to political persecution — one marked by courage, the other by compromise.

Good Night, Prof Okello Oculi (1942-2025), Scholar, Poet, Pan Africanist, Activist And Humanist

By Emman Ozoemena

I am sad to hear about the passing of a great African, Prof. Okello Oculi, a scholar, poet, pan Africanist, activist and humanist today. He was a thought leader who was committed to seeing the best emerge from Africa.

With a metropolitan world view like the Stoics philosophers, he dedicated his prodigious talents and intellectual resources towards actualizing the grand vision of a united Africa.

Our paths crossed over two decades ago in the course of my work as a journalist at a workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, where he presented a paper. I remember vividly, I walked up to him during the tea break, and we had a conversation regarding his paper. We exchanged contacts thereafter, and had kept in touch since then.

Nigeria: A Nation Without Roads!

 By Sunny Awhefeada 

The road constitutes a metaphor of life’s journey for Africans. It is central to the configuration and understanding of the meta­physical nexus between the abode of the dead and that of the living that we call life. The metaphoric and metaphys­ical essence of the road also mediates life’s journey and its uncertain twists and turns.

The road is benign as it con­nects people and places. The road is also a cruel phenomenon as it has thrown people and places into mourning. The road consumes humanity. It engenders loss. African literature in its depiction of the African predicament whether it is physical or existential has remained the most fertile site for the plural man­ifestations of the essence of the road.

Why Gender Equity Strengthens Nigeria’s Epidemic Response

 By Sylvia Ezenwa-Ahanene

Whenever any part Nigeria experiences a health emergency such as cholera outbreak in the riverine South, diphtheria outbreak in the Middle belt, or measles outbreak in the North, there is one group of health workers that is predominantly on the frontline, and it is women.

Women are caregivers, volunteers, community health workers, and nurses who, in many cases, put their safety on the line to tend to others. 

According to reports from the United Nations, women make up around 60% of Nigeria’s health workforce. However, they are under-represented in health leadership. Women have the highest population in the frontline and bear the heaviest burden during outbreaks.

Insecurity: Getting The Right Things Wrong

 By Adekunle Adekoya

Right now, the 80th United Nations General Assembly, UNGA is holding in New York, the United States. This year, unlike on previous occasions, our president is not attending. Instead, Vice President Kashim Shettima is standing in for the president and has already delivered the Nigerian national address to the UN body.

The key takeaways from the speech made at UNGA is the renewed call for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council, and the proposal for a two-state solution to the unending Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I will quote certain sentences from the speech delivered by Shettima, and relate it to our peculiar circumstances.

Fubara: A Governor In Chains!

 By Emmanuel Aziken

The recent return to Port Harcourt of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the quiet stealing away of the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), are two poignant dents on the nation’s democracy. How the country progresses from here will undoubtedly define the character of the democracy Nigeria practises.

*Fubara and Wike 

Remarkably, some have praised President Bola Tinubu for not extending the suspension of the governor and the democratic structures in Rivers State beyond the six months he had initially proclaimed. Many opposition voices, however, insist that the president erred in the first instance by unilaterally removing an elected governor from office.

Self-Plagiarism: The Trickiest Of Them All

 By Ganiu Bamgbose

I found it interesting that the last two times journals had requested of me to rework aspects of my papers that shared similarities with other works, those other works were actually my own works. Self-plagiarism could be the toughest form of plagiarism to overcome and it manifests in different ways. 

Self-plagiarism makes you feel unguilty where there should be guilt. It makes you normalise and/or trivialise an unacceptable act. I have classified self-plagiarism into three and labelled them fraudulent self-plagiarism, frivolous self-plagiarism and fixated self-plagiarism. They shall be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs.

Fubara: Governor Only In Name

 By Ikechukwu Amaechi

In trying to understand the curious conduct of Siminalayi Fubara since his reinstatement as the governor of Rivers State after serving out a six-month suspension slammed on him by the headmaster of Nigeria’s democracy, President Bola Tinubu, and his class captain, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, I have had to take a second look at the term, “Stockholm syndrome.”

*Fubara and Wike 

An AI overview of the phrase explains that in August 1973, four employees at the Kreditbanken Bank in Stockholm, Sweden, were held hostage by a robber named Jan-Erik Olsson and his accomplice, Clark Olofsson, for six days. During the standoff, the hostages developed an emotional connection with their captors and became afraid of the police. One of the hostages, Kristin Enmark, famously stated during a call with the Swedish Prime Minister that she trusted her captors but feared the police more.

The Return Of Fubara, Nigeria’s Most Diminished ‘Governor’

By Olu Fasan

Siminalayi Fubara returned as “governor” of Rivers State last week, six months after he was magisterially removed from office by President Bola Tinubu, following his declaration of an emergency rule in the state. Fubara returned with his tail between his legs, utterly humiliated.

*Fubara, Wike and Tinubu

Henceforth, anyone who refers to Fubara as governor must put the word in inverted commas. Why? Well, truth be told, he’s not a governor in the true sense of the word. He owes his existence in office not to the people of Rivers State, but to President Tinubu, the National Assembly and Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State governor, now Tinubu’s self-aggrandising and untouchable minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

A Beautiful Afternoon At The Office In September 2025

 

Ugochuwu Ejinkeonye (September 2025)

A Word On Nigeria’s Deadly Enemies

 By Banji Ojewale 

Our leaders are our deadliest enemies.

 

Not given to altruism, these leaders don’t also subscribe to the law of the power of example. This is the golden rule insisting that rulers aren’t graded great until they exhibit selfless, sacrificial and Spartan conduct that sparks same virtues in the citizens. But our leaders, elected, selected or ‘dictated,’ believe in the precept of the example of power. Here, the goal is, as you grab power, you must dig in, you must live in it and flaunt it and extend its frontiers like you’d be in its embrace forever.

 Buhari and Tinubu 

They invest their all in it, nursing it with a lusty affection that outlaws competition or regard for other existential concerns. They bequeath a depressed economy after fattening their personal bank accounts and acquiring more property than they had at the point of entry. They exploit the led and desecrate their sacred office. They arrange a superannuation that glides them into a lifetime of cloying affluence and luxury.

Politicians As Nigeria’s Worst Headache!

 By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

Now, let’s face it. Despite all the empty (and, often, very exasperating) noise about being driven by patriotism and “desire to serve my people” that usually saturates the atmosphere at each election season, a careful, conscientious search on the political terrain can only yield about less than one percent (and one is being really generous here) of aspirants motivated solely by genuine desire to improve the lives of the citizenry and make society a better place. 

For the majority, the sole incentive is the golden opportunity politics offers them to gain access to government coffers and cart away as much free money as they could possibly grab before their tenures elapse. This is just the raw, plain truth – a simple case of organized banditry! Indeed, every politician in Nigeria is fully aware that most Nigerians know this. But they always bank on what I would like to refer to as the “collaborative passivity” of the citizenry. 

Ghana Celebrates Nkrumah's Birthday More Than A Century After

 Last week, on September 21, 2025, the world marked the 116th posthumous birth anniversary of the founding President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Today, we recall a piece written in 2020 by BANJI OJEWALE to celebrate the great Pan-Africanist and liberation fighter when Ghana marked its 63rd year of Independence. Enjoy it.

 The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa. – Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) First President of Ghana.

 

February 24 slid into history again a couple of days ago, hardly remembered by many as the 54th anniversary of the military coup that toppled Kwame Nkrumah as Ghana’s president and temporarily halted the greatest anti-colonial move of the era. The putsch came just when the Black Star nation was preparing to celebrate nine years of liberation from its imperial lords in London. The rest of the free world across Africa and beyond, which had been thrilled by Nkrumah’s bold experiment in post-colonial sovereignty were also eager to felicitate with the Ghanaians.