When strange things happen repeatedly and the abnormal begins to wear the toga of normalcy, it is time to raise the alarm. Aside from informing, educating, and entertaining us, the media also help society set its agenda and fulfil a much-needed surveillance function to keep society inviolate. In our politics, the lines between fiction and Read More…
Wole Olaoye
Favoured by benevolent gods…
For some inexplicable reason, the first thought that came to my mind when I saw the title of Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi’s memoirs, “The Road Never Forgets”, was a quick throwback to Wole Soyinka’s world-acclaimed play,“The Road”. The word, road, has had a loaded meaning for me on various metaphorical levels since I acted in a Read More…
When Death Stalks…
Away from the grandiose promises of politicians in these testy times of electoral campaigns in the midst of insecurity, let’s just pause for a moment and consider how parts of our country came to look like Libya where warlords determine life expectancy. I am not aware that any of the leading presidential candidates has shown Read More…
Teacher, Don’t Teach Me Nonsense!
My name is Government, in case you don’t know. You underrate me at your peril, Teacher. You, a mere pen and paper wielder, exam marker, lecture deliverer, knowledge vendor. A hunter of antelope can’t compare himself with a hunter of men. Only the Government can delete you from circulation — and even find your corpse Read More…
Enter the Bulldogs
As political campaigns for the 2023 presidential elections gather steam, the various parties have started unveiling their programmes. They are promising to take Nigerians to the moon and back. You have to give it to the Nigerian politicians: They know how to re-say the same thing others have said in the past and still appear Read More…
Between Afenifere and Afenifere
When a knotty matter farts in your mouth and laces it with a pinch of salt, you don’t want to swallow the gas of the fart nor do you want to spit out the salt. To spit or not to spit? Dilemma! In Africa, when young people quarrel, the elders weigh in to resolve matters. Read More…
SAPZs: Solution whose time has come
Don’t give up on the rural areas as Nigeria’s food basket yet. Help is on the way. That is the message of the recent launch of the Special Agro-Processing Zone initiative led by the African Development Bank, AfDB. For too long, we have come to accept the notion of rural areas being centres of poverty Read More…
Thieving Frenzy and Debt Slavery
At the rate Nigeria’s patrimony is being pillaged by known and unknown but well connected rats, the Guinness Book of Records will have to be updated to recognise our frog leap to primacy in thievery. Imagine, the Antwerp diamond heist used to be considered one of the largest robberies in history in which loose diamonds, Read More…
Coming to equity with unclean hands
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are”, said Benjamin Franklin. Those words commend themselves to us today as we examine the landmark ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on the prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The judgement Read More…
Not A Poisoned Chalice
Some people think that the next president of Nigeria will inherit a poisoned chalice because he (yes, he) will find out that what he thought was a throne was but a marble-coated trap programmed to de-ball. If the economic situation is as bad as many experts see it, why are so many people hell-bent on Read More…