Besieged Borgu and Their Jagaban, by Ugoji Egbujo
In 2006, when the Borgu Emirate chose Tinubu, it could not have known it was choosing a future commander-in-chief as its chief warrior. Twenty years later, the jackpot looks like rotten luck: no better than a dud cheque. Achebe said a man cannot live by the riverbank and wash with spittle. If only Borgu could […]
The Nigerian Immigration Service: The home of uniformed touts
By Dr Ugoji Egbujo Like a sepulcher, it looked nice on the outside. At the gate, they seemed alert and professional. The entrance was imposing. The dusty car park is a long walk to the offices. Those who created that car park knew the institution would be inefficient. They made room for a crowd. The […]
Multi-Party Democracy: Africa’s oversized shoes
A gift from her white masters. On democracy days, we must mourn. Democracy is not an end. African countries have worn western liberal multi-party democracy like an oversized shoe—gifted by an uncle—and stumbled from generation to generation. Shoes are good. They protect the feet and aid movement. But shoes must fit both feet and purpose. They […]
The Owerri Ruination: Where are the gods?
Once an Ikwokrikwo center, now a theatre of violence: Owerri must not perish. Slow-paced, warm, and welcoming: Owerri was striding to its niche. The center of tourism in West Africa. Owerri had found its purpose. With a bit of innovation in policy-making, the gush of private investments in hotels and recreation would have crowned little […]
Abubakar Malami: A Beer Parlour Logician?
By Dr. Ugoji Egbujo And that was the benign picture. Someone said he saw a bigot. Another saw an ethnic jingoist. My grandmother had warned us not to prattle. That way, we could hide our ignorance from the world. That way, we would not soil ourselves in public with bitterness in our hearts. Now Malami, […]
Southeast is heading Northeast: The path to apocalypse
By Dr Ugoji Egbujo December 2003, 200 Boko haram members attacked police stations in Geidam and Kanamma, Yobe state. That was the infancy. They killed police officers, took their guns and freed detainees. Some cheered. In June 2004, Boko haram tried to break into jail in Damaturu. We have been through this path before. In […]
