By Dele Sobowale “We have created Italy; now we have to create Italians” – Giuseppe Garibaldi, 1807-1882, Father of Modern Italy. Italy did not exist on the world map until the Kingdom of Italy was created on March 17, 1861. That was after rivers of blood had been spilled all over Europe on account of […]

By Dele Sobowale “It is unthinkable that wisdom should ever be popular” – Goethe, 1749-1832, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, 275.   As usual, I find myself writing a proposal to the leaders of our country – with a dire prediction attached. Invariably, the advice is ignored and I get to write another article saying […]

By Dele Sobowale ‘Northern Leaders Call For 12- Structure, Resource Control: Southern leaders divided, receive call with suspicion, cautious optimism’ -VANGUARD, Wednesday, October 14, 2020, p 30. “Vox populi, vox humbug” meaning “Voice of the people is rubbish” – US General William T Sherman, 1820-1891. Ask any advocate of restructuring about the matter, especially a […]

The government gave its reasons: “The decision on a low-key celebration was taken following the unfortunate incessant attacks by bandits in some areas of the state which led to the death of many people and left several others injured or homeless.”

In the good old days, pupils in public primary schools received a strong dose of folks’ wisdom along with their lessons in English. My all-time favourite teacher – Mr Udoh – who shaped my life at St Peter’s Primary School, Faji, Lagos, was responsible for drumming that piece of sage wisdom into our small skulls in Standard Four in 1956. It was the sort of wisdom most Niger Delta political leaders – President, Governors especially, Ministers, Senators, Speakers of States Houses of Assemblies – never understood or applied to governance in the region when God smiled on the neglected people by giving them crude oil.