The ascendancy of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, to the papacy was a trinity of sorts. It was historic, prophetic and redeeming. For 1,272 years, the papacy was occupied by Europeans only, especially the Italians. Some even joked about the Italian Mafia at work. Indeed, some mafia might at various stages been at work. For instance, […]

Adelabu Adegoke was one of the most flamboyant and charismatic politicians in      pre-independence Nigeria.    When one day, the press asked him about deliberations in the Western Region    House of Assembly, he replied that it was a “peculiar mess”. He pronounced the words with a Yoruba intonation making the two words sound […]

It was a day of mourning. Thursday, April 17, 2025 was exactly 200 years France imposed an evil tax on Haiti for daring to stop slavery and securing its independence. Haiti, until today, is in deep crises mainly due to the debilitating effects of that criminal tax and, interferences by Europe and the United States, US. […]

Forty-seven years ago, Nigerian students took a stand against military dictatorship. They insisted that every child should have a right and access to education. They, therefore, rejected increases in school and feeding fees, insisting that education should not be commercialised. An enraged military regime sent out soldiers against the students. What followed was a massacre. The […]

The Caribbean are one of the most diverse people on earth. Their composition includes indigenous Carib, Taino and Ciboney, integrated with millions violently ripped from Africa, Europeans and migrants mainly of Chinese and Indian origins. They are also some of the most bloodied, repressed and suppressed in world history. Today, most of the colonies in the […]

The African labour centre, the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity, OATUU, in April 2013, marked its 40th Anniversary. The anniversary lecture was delivered by then African Union Commission Chair, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The trade union centre of the newest country in the world, the South Sudan Workers Trade Union Federation delegation rose up at the […]

March has been a celebratory month as President Bola Tinubu turned 73. As the celebrations began, Nigerian Shiites were simultaneously being shot for marching on the streets. March 2025 has also seen an escalation in the unending Fubara-Wike drama. It has now soaked in the executive, legislative and judicial arms, including the Supreme Court. Equally, the […]

I walked into the Casa de Africa or Africa House in Havana. I wanted to find out what made it uniquely African. But I was in for a surprise. I had not realised that it also housed a unique class for children learning basic subjects like history, geography and African languages, including Yoruba. I tried to […]

Nigerian journalists, wearing medals of bravery in fights against colonialists and politicians    and, bearing the scars of battles  against  military dictatorship, are marking the 70th anniversary of their union. No, journalism in the country did not start seven decades ago. It was the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, that was established at that time. Proper […]

I never personally met Fidel Castro Ruz, one of the iconic figures of the 20th Century. I only saw him once in the streets of Havana while he drove and the crowds cheered. On November 25, 2016, this African-Latin American ancestor joined the pantheon. When on Friday, March 14, 2025 I visited the Fidel Castro Ruz […]