THE numerous victory songs and congratulatory messages flowing from various parts of the world following the Tuesday seizure of Raqqa, the ‘capital’ of the Islamic State, ISIS, Caliphate, drowned the victory songs from the Philippines.  On that same day, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared that Marawi City in Southern Philippines seized last May by the  pro-ISIS  Maute militants, had been liberated.

AFTER calling out the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, twice in ten months, I gave up. The governor has the whole of Imo as his duchy and he will do what he will do. So, what’s the point?

RIVERS State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, is setting up an Academy in Port Harcourt, in partnership with Real Madrid, the famous Spanish football club.  Wike recently travelled to Spain with his Commissioner for Sports (Boma Iyaye) and former Nigerian International player, Adokiye Amiesimaka, to discuss details with senior Real Madrid officials and globally celebrated superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and  Sergio Ramos, the team’s captain.

THE harmony of human hearts is the sweetest music in the ears of God. This has been the propelling force behind the first year of the reign of His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, Oba of Benin.

I MET Anayo Rochas Okorocha for the first time 24 years ago at the Jos national convention of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, which produced Chief Moshood Abiola as presidential candidate. On the morning of our departure at the Hill Station Hotel, a large number of brand-new police vehicles which did not yet have number plates drove in. A Jos-based colleague, Peter Kuptong, told me that they belonged to an Igbo man, who was a big-time contractor for the Police