“For me, it’s not very important who bought Daily Times – whether it was sold to a group of journalists or to some fishermen on Ekeremo waterside. We have seen journalists manage media houses successfully and others fail disastrously. We have also seen non-journalists turn around ailing media houses”
The Daily Times We Wish For, But Can’t Have Read More »
“Sultan Abubakar III is, if you like, a moderate social crusader, which is somewhat ironic, given that he is from Sokoto, often regarded as the bastion of conservatism. He has spoken out for education for the child – boy or girl – reminding fools and their enablers who despise education in the name of Islam that the Caliphate was founded on education and enlightenment. And he’s right. Much of the documented history of the Caliphate owes a lot to Nana Asmau, Sultan Mohammed Bello’s younger half-sister, who spoke four languages”
Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III: A Sultan for All Seasons Read More »
“After our complaint went unanswered for the first two or three weeks of February, we went to the top. We reached out to the MD, one Mr. Chijoke Okwuokenye, who seemed quite eager to help. If you’re familiar with Nigerian big men, especially public-sector-minded ones, and you think seeing them is hard, wait until you ask them to perform a service. There’s nothing they love like shoving you off to a subordinate who they know will exhaust you faster than a balloon on needles. The MD didn’t disappoint…”
AEDC: What It Takes To Get A Meter Read More »
JAMB wasn’t sick. It was dying and becoming so irrelevant that those it was supposed to serve were wishing it dead. JAMB was not just a problem; it had become the problem of gaining admission to higher institutions, with heartbreaking stories of thousands of candidates for whom hard work and good WAEC grades no longer seemed to matter. Beating the system became the sport, and fraudulent coaches, often assisted by JAMB insiders, established “miracle centres” with large signboards offering hallelujah promises of how to pass your exam without sitting for it. We can smile now, but believe me, it was not a laughing matter
What Ishaq Oloyede’s Tenure Says About JAMB Read More »
“The First Lady should not be discouraged from well-doing. She’s in a different world from that of the Iya Alakara of old. This chill-less generation would not only welcome the Good Samaritan but also demand authenticity and scrutinise him”
Another View on the Matter of Akara Read More »
“With over two more weeks of football still to play before the finals, the FIFA president, Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, must be very pleased at the event’s success so far, despite initial doubts by those who thought his cosy relationship with US President Donald Trump, almost akin to Trump-olatry, could spoil the games. The tournament has so far offered stories on several levels, all at once: good football, major upsets, compelling human moments, and dramatic fan culture”
Unusual Moments In the World Cup Read More »
“I’m not sure Minister Mohammed or the DG SS still remembers that the same mainstream press they’re calling on for restraint (including this writer), also called President Goodluck Jonathan’s government clueless and incompetent, mainly because of that government’s ability to tackle insecurity. And that Jonathan’s successor, Muhammadu Buhari, an army general and patron saint of the APC, didn’t do much about insecurity either. Now, the shoe is pinching where it hurts.”
Unusual Moments In the World Cup Read More »
“That politicians can still manage to hold primaries in the midst of a worsening wave of horrendous attacks on communities and kidnappings in parts of the country, not to mention the economic hardship, suggests we must be living in different worlds…winning the party’s ticket is one thing, but more important, having a country in which to contest the election and govern is quite another”
A Party for Nigeria’s Latest Abductors Read More »
“One major apprehension stems from the fear of abuse by state governors – quasi dictators who run riot over the state legislature, judiciary and local government administration. The fear is that adding the police to the above superstructure will make governors into wrecking balls. Economic and fiscal arguments have also been advanced against state police. For instance, most states are not economically viable or financially self-sustaining beyond relying on revenue disbursements from the Federation Account. While the fear of abuse by states and funding concerns are valid, they are insufficient to delay the commencement of state police”
Saving the Police from Itself Read More »
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 »