At the end of the year, we are faced with the same conundrum as Power faced when he was contemplating his love life: “If only I had been more lucky, wise, sensible…” But life is lived forward
What’s the Cost of a Merry Christmas? Read More »
Ahmed has fallen, but he may have fallen to save the system. While the war raged, he not only represented a regulatory agency, but he was also the nexus where pioneer desperation and entrenched power collided
Ahmed’s Fall, the Dangote Challenge and a Rentier System Read More »
“Looking back, it appears that Sam wrote “Political Decline of the North,” or “Atiku is Finished,” in a glorious era. Of course, there are great Northern minds terrified by poor, crooked leadership that has wrecked the region. Yet, Northerners who helped to hasten the decline Sam wrote about now have children and grandchildren who have joined the business of not only killing the North, but also doing so quickly. As for Atiku being finished, his philandering is legendary, with his wild oats scattered across the major political parties, except those that have yet to be formed”
“He started well, under the rallying cry of ‘Embaloism,’ which was supposed to rid the country of corruption, poor governance and instil discipline. He also attempted to rebuild confidence with regional allies and powerhouses, including Nigeria, and subsequently reached out to Portugal and the IMF to repair the country’s badly damaged economy…However, it didn’t take long before Embaloism gave way to ‘Embalomylitis,’ a condition that has left citizens poorer and poorer, eventually ranking 177th out of 191 on the UN Human Development Index”
A Troubling Message from Guinea-Bissau Read More »
“If this was Matawalle’s idea of soft power, or the new meaning of non-kinetic engagement, then he should return to his farm in Bakura. His performance was deserving of nothing less than a caning on the rostrum where he was receiving that salute…The second embarrassment was the departure of the NSA Malam Nuhu Ribadu-led reconciliation team to the US, leaving Nigeria like thieves in the night”
Habits That Disgrace Us Are Not Trump-made Read More »
If trust is broken, electoral integrity is undermined, and confidence in politicians and public institutions is eroded, it’s mainly because journalists, in this case, Nigerian journalists, have hypocritically blamed everyone else but themselves. This was music in the ear of politicians, who mostly erupted in applause and laughter, but a body blow to journalists who grinned or raised uncomfortable eyebrows across the hall
Editors and the Missing Part of Uzodimma’s Trust Story Read More »
If the convention went ahead, it would be a grudge convention, over the party’s dead body. What, by many accounts, would have been the party’s first convention in 17 years is now fatally derailed by court orders
Why Is the Promise of 60 Years Unravelling? Read More »
An accomplished writer in his younger days, with several published books to his name, Nengi asked me if it was still possible for him to receive a reward or, to put it bluntly, earn money for his labours of earlier years, several of them either out of print or forgotten by a generation riveted on Kindle. Has he not been left behind by the new tech wave of e-books and digital migration?
Thinking about midlife Read More »
To describe the attacks in Nigeria as a genocidal assault on Christians is like classifying the regrettable rise in homicidal incidents in the US as a genocidal attack on blacks and minorities. It’s like comparing apples and oranges
The Log in America’s Eye Read More »
Every great editor has a legend. It wasn’t different with Osinubi, a reporter’s reporter, an editor’s editor and a manager’s manager. Tempered by age and experience, he comes across today as a gentleman’s gentleman. It wasn’t always so
Aparutu and His Life Coach Read More »