She was led in by two young care givers. She sat on the nearest seat so heavily and with such finality that I knew she wasn’t going to get up again unless she was ready to leave. We were at a small gathering of old acquaintances. I was nonplussed at what I saw. The person I once […]

ONE day, one trouble best describes our experience as a nation of peoples in our country called Nigeria. By the way, One Day One Trouble is a popular Nigerian Nollywood comedy-drama movie on the life a man trying to survive doing various jobs while dealing with a cantankerous wife, until a rich woman enters his life and […]

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, is a 1,278-acre or 517-hectare tract seized from the Sioux Nation of India. Into its mountain face are sculpted the 18-metre or 60-foot-high figures of four former United States (US) Presidents. They feature founding President George Washington, main drafter of the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, […]

The feisty debate over First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s comment on akara, roasted corn, and kulikuli, while discussing the Federal Government’s economic programme, is still stirring up a strong aroma, much like the smell of any of these popular local snacks. The thing won’t just go away, especially after her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, jokingly stirred […]

Recently, two weeks ago to be precise, I found myself in an ambush, facing something akin to a Spanish Inquisition. I had attended the wedding of a friend’s daughter in London. There I met some old Nigerian friends, some based in Nigeria, who I hadn’t seen for several years. We exchanged pleasantries and banters. Then, one […]

A senior executive once walked into a meeting determined to “set everyone straight.” Sales had declined, deadlines had been missed, and frustration had been building for weeks. He spoke forcefully, convinced that he was being firm and decisive. When he finished, the room fell silent. No one challenged him. No one asked questions. Everyone simply nodded […]

Nigeria is one country where scandals break at the speed of light. As a public commentator, you can hardly keep pace. On May 15, terrorists raided three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 46 people, including 39 schoolchildren. The victims, who include seven teachers and a toddler, have spent almost two […]

“The phrase, public office is a public trust, has of late become common property“, Charles Sumner The Code of Conduct Bureau  rightly admonishes Nigerians that “Public office is a trust, don’t abuse it!” In the same spirit, Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, under the heading “Accountability […]

Northern Nigeria has been the nation’s Achilles Heel. Yes, they produce the bulk of the food consumed in Nigeria. That, in itself, is an anomaly which is tied to the South’s greater urban orientation and consequential retreat from farming. The nation largely depends on Northern Nigeria for much of farmed food. Beside this, however, the North […]

Sometimes truth can be too acerbic to be accommodated by reality. It hits hard in the face to the point of irritation while others can simply sneer at a point of profundity which, of course, doesn’t look very popular. Listening to the MTN Nigeria boss, Karl Toriola, speak recently about his organisation and the entire telecommunications […]

If presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga is to be believed, the so called director, Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, of a so called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council or PFIPC should appear in court in about three weeks from now. That is on July 27 to answer multiple charges of impersonation and forgery. The issue centres around one […]

If we assume that kidnapping, insurgency and other security problems are politically motivated, then the solution is political, not military, and we must tackle these challenges through dialogue. As Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, once said, “to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war.” The phrase simply means that it is always better […]

Every year, Nigerians join officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to commemorate the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), an annual event designed to celebrate the Nigerian Army, showcase its achievements, assess its performance and reflect on its role in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The celebration also provides an opportunity to recognise the sacrifices, […]

By Dele Sobowale Trust Nigerian leaders and My Fellow Citizens (“I am beginning to wonder how many fools it takes to make the term ‘My fellow citizens”, Honore de Balzac, 1799-1850) to leave undone what should have been done decades ago; and then to rush out to do it without considering one of the most important […]

Let’s begin with a few questions that I think we should all be asking about the federal government’s decision to comprehensively reform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Should the existing NYSC scheme be fundamentally overhauled? How should we understand the government’s proposed reform? And what is the proper purpose of a national service scheme in […]