One year has passed. The bold economic reforms Tinubu started have faltered. On day one, he had removed petrol subsidies with a pumped fist. But one year after sounding revolutionary at oath-taking, his government now pays petrol subsidies through the backdoor. And because nobody bothers with transparency, Tinubu hasn’t informed the public how much he now spends […]

Your name says you are a man of strength. Some say you are a strongman. Others call you Nebuchadnezzar. You say you are a man of capacity, character and INTIGRITY. Hon minister, he, who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day. The gods are not amused when men play god. For some mistakes, […]

The president suspended Betta Edu in early January. The EFCC must have seen something fiery in the smoke of the Betta Edu scandal. The initial investigation and suspension seemed swift and decisive. But those who applauded are now bemused. Because, four months after the president handed the minister to the EFCC for sifting, the woman […]

We can’t spend 15 billion naira on building a home for a man who only flies to watch the Super Eagles and represent the president at Arugungu fishing festivals

Until the improbable happens, Yahaya Bello is the genius and Nigeria, 
the butt of jokes

In Igbo land, if a grandma dances, she has to be sprayed cash. Putting the money in her bag or pocket drains the ritual of the ceremony

In 2013, I landed MM1 just in time to reach home to watch Nigeria vs Ivory Coast, a semi-final match of the 2013 Cup of Nations. Because I had only 15 mins before kick-off, I prayed for my luggage. If it was among the last to come out, I could miss a bit of the match. It […]

The country is full of volunteer flatterers. If starvation seizes the land, they find data from Venezuela and Afghanistan to justify and normalize hunger.

Before becoming the President, Tinubu was well-known for his ability to discover and nurture talents. He didn’t discriminate based on religion or tribe. Despite being a Muslim, his wife was a Pentecostal pastor. During his tenure as governor, he appointed an Igbo commissioner, proving that ethnic and religious affiliations didn’t hold any meaning for him. As the […]

Herbert Wigwe’s tributes were eye-opening. Sorrowfully told, sometimes punctuated by sobs, they were a rich lesson. The man was on a mission. He courted God and man. He helped build and fund churches. He helped construct schools in Makoko and other poor neighborhoods nationwide, including Kano. He spent hundreds of millions seeking to unearth talents in […]

Some months ago, the president banned his son from attending the Federal Executive Council meetings. In Nigeria, nothing is strange. The president’s son isn’t a public official. Some said only a weak president would publicly announce a prohibition he could place and enforce with one stare. Others, many intellectuals inclusive, said the president’s approach was innovatively no-nonsense […]

The president is mad at the Labour Union. He called it a jibe, but it was a piece of his mind. He thinks the Labour Union has become frivolous, perhaps rascally. He accused the Union of embarking on strikes wantonly, lamenting that the four labour strikes since he assumed power were unnecessary, maybe mischievous. He […]

If they leave the major bleeding points oozing to fan the man because he is sweating, then they are like our government that has left crude oil thieves to chase BDC operators. The country is in shock. Shock is what happens when circulation fails and systems start to shut down. Our country lies prostrate, bleating, like a […]

Sometime last year, the Federal Government asked the naira to find its true value. The story of the naira is evocative. The government said if the naira were allowed to continue living a fake life, it would bankrupt the country. The naira, having been floated, left its mother’s back to find its value, and the country […]

The president has tried his best to restore hope. But hope has become so elusive. He floated the naira, and it started floundering to embarrass the government. The masses must endure and help the president not to lose his own hope. So once we gather at official ceremonies, we must stand and recite the pledge. That […]