Sweet and Sour

Nigeria, my heartbreaking age mate, by Donu Kogbara

Nigeria, my heartbreaking age mate, by Donu Kogbara

Nigeria cast aside the shackles of colonialism and became an independent nation exactly 66 years ago. I am also 66; and as I have pointed out to anyone who will listen to me on every single October lst in recent decades, neither I nor the land of my ancestors are getting any younger or stronger. […]
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Life and death

Life and death

A FEW weeks ago, a friend of mine adopted a very sobering new WhatsApp profile picture – a plaque on which the following words are inscribed:

New daughters of Africa

New daughters of Africa

By Duno Kogbara LAST year, a landmark anthology to which I contributed was launched in London. Titled “NEW DAUGHTERS OF AFRICA” and edited by the British-Ghanaian cultural icon, Margaret Busby, the book celebrates the work of 200 women writers of African descent and, as its publisher Myriad puts it, “charts a literary landscape as never […]

Two cheers for social media!

Two cheers for social media!

By Donu Kogbara SOCIAL media – defined as websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in networking – is under constant attack from those who regard Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc, as hotbeds of lies and libellous material. It is certainly fair to say that social media platforms are full […]

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

I FELL in love with Classics – ancient Greek and Roman literature, history, philosophy and mythology – as a child. Latin was my favourite subject at school; and I’ve never forgotten the following question, which appeared in the Satires of Juvenal, the Roman poet who made his mark in the first and second centuries after the birth of Christ:  “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” It means: “Who will guard the guards themselves?” or “Who will watch the watchmen?”

Unfair complaints

Unfair complaints

WHEN it was announced, two days ago, that Mrs Opunimi (or Nimi) Akinkugbe was the Governor of Ondo State’s ambassadorial nominee, some Ondo indigenes got miffed and decided to kick up a huge fuss.