Late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the outstanding Nigerian who led the team that conducted the June 12, 1993 presidential election recognized worldwide as the best in Nigeria’s history was buried last week. He was aged 83. AsDirector of Public Affairs and spokesperson of the Nwosu-led electoral commission, I am pained that I was unable to play […]

“I hate ingratitude more in a man than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness, or any taint of vice whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood” – William Shakespeare, 1564-1616. Olorogun Ovedje  Ogboru did one of my late friends a great favour, about eight years ago; which will never be forgotten, even if I live (God forbid) […]

Beloved, we need to congratulate one another that we have come the end of March and now in the forth month of April.  We thank God that  the month didn’t march over us  as we are still alive. That we are still standing is a confirmation that we are victorious. Glory be to God. Today, we conclude our […]

That Wednesday morning, the chickens came home to roost. Our governments don’t think methodically. Often they explain away consequences as inevitable. That was how our naira crashed and plunged everyone into deeper poverty. Good policies that are poorly thought through and implemented erratically. This time, there was no wiggle room.  They would like to tell us what […]

Smoke woke me up. It started as an offensive odour. Then as it grew in intensity, the last vestiges of sleep quickly deserted me.Alarmed, I sprang up trying to trace the source of the acrid smell. My worst fear was that an electric circuit had been somehow bridged during the night which had caused a […]

By Dr Segun Odegbami Last Wednesday, at the invitation of the Federal University Lokoja, I delivered the 15th Distinguished Public Lecture of the university. I am devoting my column this weekend to a slightly edited version of the presentation. When I received the invitation, what immediately came to my mind was that the university must […]

Lagos today, Jakarta tomorrow. You will hardly see Peter Obi relying entirely on second hand news, for the Labour Party leader is a man of the globe, flying across continents in search of knowledge and solution to basic problems that turn nations to tigers. When you see Obi wearing the trademark black Indonesian cap with a matching […]

“The police is your friend,” is a popular saying of the Nigerian Police Force. “Friend” has many definitions, but this definition suits this article: “someone who is not an enemy and who you can trust.” Do Nigerians see the police as people they can trust? “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind…,” a refrain from […]

The wonders of the world are few – but you would be right to list Clement Okwufulueze, the school boy sports super star among them. Yes, he was a veritable wonder of Nigerian school sports in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Was it when he played for Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku or Federal Government College, […]

I sell Acha, and one question I often get is: “Will it help me manage my blood sugar?” My response is always the same: “Yes, it will.” Acha is a low-glycemic grain, meaning it won’t cause a rapid spike in blood sugar. For anyone trying to manage their glucose levels, that’s great news. But I […]

LAST Thursday, March 27, the whole country was looking forward to a long weekend signposted by public holidays declared by the Federal Government in commemoration of the Moslem feast of Eid-el-Fitri. It was just two or three days to the end of the Ramadan fast, which was running at the same time with Lent, the fasting period […]

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 […]

He didn’t say when his father asked him, but I wonder what the old man must think in his grave. Jonathan Power is now 83 and arguably one of Europe’s most widely published columnists.  He was a young freelance journalist when his father asked him the question. Still, even if he had lived to see his […]

The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, is a civilian. The “governor” of Rivers State, Vice-Admiral (rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, is a military officer who rules the state as its Sole Administrator. Last week, the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, said that Tinubu would “not hesitate” to declare a state of emergency in more states, remove […]

My March 13, 2025 column titled, “Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension: The joke is on Akpabio, Senate,” elicited diverse comments. I would have been surprised if it didn’t. The roforofo between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is no longer just a case of “two fighting” but a national debacle that has exposed Nigeria to international […]