By Owei Lakemfa THE last of five Iranian ships carrying petroleum products to Venezuela berthed safely this week after repeated United States, US, threats to militarily stop them. The first ship, Fortune, had arrived on Saturday, May 23, escorted by Venezuelan Navy to ward off possible American attacks. It was followed by the vessels, Bella, […]

By Owei Lakemfa THE Buhari Presidency last  Friday, May 29, composed songs of praise to mark its fifth year in office. In a child-like manner, its image-makers taunted perceived enemies and insulted Nigerians who do not think the administration should be celebrated. I am one of those who see no reason for any celebration in […]

By Owei Lakemfa THE victims of the coronavirus, COVID-19, are not only those who contracted it. Not just those who lay helpless in hospitals, homes and isolation centres hoping to survive or waiting for death. They are not only the doctors and nurses, pharmacists and technologists, radiographers and medical workers who in a universal war […]

By Owei Lakemfa NO two other judges in Nigeria have stood and fought jointly for justice, including taking military dictatorship head-on, like Justices Yaya Abiodun Olatunde Jinadu and Isiaka Isola Oluwa. They believed that a judge should not only be upright and fearlessly dispense justice, but should not be answerable to administrative powers more so […]

By Owei Lakemfa AFRICA, the continent from which humanity fanned out and which begat modern civilisation, is marking its Day on Monday, May 25. It is Africa’s most significant day for it was on that day in 1963, they consciously came together as a people after centuries of divisions, enslavement and colonisation. The meeting in […]

By Owei Lakemfa SUDAN on Tuesday refused to sign agreements that will enable Ethiopia start filling the waters of its $4.6 billion Renaissance Dam from July. But Ethiopia had made it known over the years that such objection will not stop its completion of the dam which began in 2011. Egypt had threatened military action […]

By Owei Lakemfa President Muhammadu Buhari was Military Head of State from 1984-85. His claimed principles including a zero-tolerance for corruption and fierce patriotism in that era partly propelled his return as a two-term elected – not necessarily democratically elected – President. He encapsulates Karl Marx’s assertion  that: “History repeats itself; first as a tragedy, […]

The world is cowed by COVID-19. But not tough Jair  Messias Bolsonaro,  former military officer and current Brazilian President. To him, the virus does not exist; it is a mere “fantasy”  and media “trick” with which humanity is being duped to abandon traditional camaraderie for impersonal social or physical distancing. But if there is the remotest possibility that […]

By Owei Lakemfa GOVERNOR David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi State, 56, is a billionaire of 26 years standing. Therefore, when such a wealthy man who should be busy looking after his billions like a herdsman tenders to his cows, decides to make the big sacrifice of governing a people, he will not tolerate slackness or […]

By Owei Lakemfa TEDROS Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Ethiopian microbiologist who heads the World Health Organisation, WHO, is simultaneously engaged in perhaps the two biggest battles in his 55 years on earth. He is leading humanity’s fight against the treacherous COVID-19 virus, and a battle to remain in office against the expressed wishes of the United […]