Reading Time: 4 minutes It was fun at first sight. The first time I set eyes on Toni Kanayo Onwordi, famously known as Toni Kan, I found fun oozing from his every pore.He blazed into the Lagos writing circle with uncommon confidence that was at once assured and very questing. He was like the leader of the Jos Brigade, Read More…
Day: June 13, 2021
Standing the world on its head
Reading Time: 4 minutes Image Credits: Bart's Blackboard. Some years ago, as Secretary General of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity, OATUU, I had diplomatic immunity provided directly by my host, Ghana, my country, Nigeria and the African Union which extended to me the privilege of its diplomatic passport. With the AU passport, I entered and exited countless Read More…
Democracy Vs Civilian Government
Reading Time: 5 minutes Image Credits: Commonwealth Secretariat/CC by 2.0. The question on the lips of many Nigerians as the nation marks another Democracy Day is this: Is democracy defined only by the fact that the government is led by elected civilians? That question becomes even more germane now that the Nigerian government has taken certain measures considered anti-democratic Read More…
CSOs march to MKO Abiola’s Lagos home on June 12
Reading Time: 2 minutes Image Credits: NAN. A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Saturday marched to late Chief MKO Abiola’s Lagos home, in commemoration of the 2021 Democracy Day. Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida-led military government. The walk, which involved about 10 CSOs, commenced from Read More…
U.S. calls on Nigeria to end Twitter suspension
Reading Time: < 1 minutes Image Credits: REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde. The United States on Thursday condemned the Nigerian government for suspending Twitter and targeting individuals who use the social media site, including Nigerian broadcasters, and called for the African nation to reverse its decision. “Unduly restricting the ability of Nigerians to report, gather, and disseminate opinions and information has no place Read More…
Nigerian police fire teargas to break up protests over rising insecurity
Reading Time: 2 minutes Image Credits: REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde. Police fired teargas and detained several demonstrators in the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Abuja on Saturday during protests over the country’s worsening security situation. Anger over mass kidnappings-for-ransom, a decade-long Islamist insurgency and a crackdown on protesters in Lagos last October has fuelled demands for the government of President Muhammadu Read More…