“Mercy is the compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. The object of our mercy may be grotesquely flawed. He may appear so inhuman as to be considered subhuman. But spiritual masters in all the known religions and mystic houses agree that the needle of human Read More…
Wole Olaoye
Game Over!
May God save us from our ‘frienemies’; that is, enemies who pose as friends. Can you imagine the middlemen who have held the petroleum distribution sector by the jugular over the years, screaming that they have been doing it all for the sake of the people? Can you beat that? In an earlier intervention on Read More…
From Throne to Gaol
It is not fitting for a king to have good luck charms. He is already a king, second-in-command to the gods. Does he want to become God? Generally, especially in the traditional societies of Africa, to be a king is to attain the highest position any mortal can aspire to. Whether the position is hereditary Read More…
Can a ghost be a biological father?
Once in a blue moon, something happens that throws you back to the distant past — almost like reliving the thrills of writing a cover story for DRUM several decades ago. A man, Emeka, who had died in Nigeria in 1999 showed up in the Gambia ten years later, married a lady named Amina and fathered Read More…
Wake me up when this madness is over!
We are in a season of canonised madnesses. In this era where the old definition of decency makes no sense to the Gen-z, somebody has got to tell the truth as it is, even if it runs contrary to your psychedelic unwisdom. The intricate immoral dribbles navigated by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, to Read More…
Okello Oculi’s last safari
By Wole Olaoye Professor Okello Oculi was a cat with many lives. He outlived the several dictators who would have been delighted to roast him, but he has left a long trail of inconsolable mourners in Nigeria where he made a home and raised a family. In all, he lived in Nigeria for 48 years, Read More…
Coming From America
Ostensibly, it was meant to be a compliment of sorts. But it has backfired massively all over Africa. US President Donald Trump had invited five West African presidents to the White House to discuss “trade instead of aid”. While there were various speculations as regards the real reason behind the invitation— especially as the continental Read More…
Enter the Coalition
The coalition of anti-APC forces was long expected. Many people had predicted that it would come sooner, especially as it was in tandem with their belief that some politicians from the northern belt would not be able to tolerate four years of political harmattan. Being out of power at the presidential level, it was alleged, Read More…
The viper that eats fellow snakes
Nasir El-Rufai may not be a cobra-eating king cobra, but he does display all the attributes of a saw-scaled viper. Judge it by its petite size at your own peril. It packs as much potent venom as any self-respecting limbless reptile. It scans the horizon regularly for danger in its search for prey, taking care Read More…
Song of a Bandit
To clear the cobweb of misattribution, let it be known that this piece was not inspired by the 2003 South Korean film, “Song of the bandits”, a captivating South Korean action period drama set against the backdrop of the 1920s during the Japanese occupation of Joseon. Wikipedia describes that movie as “a tale where those Read More…