People&Politics

1278 Posts
That Idiotic Anti-el-Rufai ‘Protest’ in Owerri

That Idiotic Anti-el-Rufai ‘Protest’ in Owerri

By IKECHUKWU AMAECHI As an Igbo, ever mindful of the country’s chequered political history, when the news filtered in on Saturday that former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, a scion of the Muslim North and major opposition politician, had been whisked away from the venue of the Odenigbo Lecture in Owerri, my first reaction was, not again. For maximum effect, the story added that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, was cautioned by the protesters. Not again because of the irascibility of Nigerian politicians and the herd mentality of their minions.…
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Enugu State Vs Sujimoto: Issues In The Contract Scandal

Enugu State Vs Sujimoto: Issues In The Contract Scandal

By TUOYO BRIKINS The storm surrounding Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited and the Enugu State Government has gripped national attention. What began as a bold initiative to build 22 Smart Green Schools has now spiraled into allegations of a ₦5.7 billion fraud, a wanted CEO, and urgent questions about Nigeria’s contract management culture. Being a publisher of a platform on the built environment #RealEstateNews and having managed built environment facilities for a multinational corporation, I could relate. At the heart of the controversy is a troubling contradiction. Sujimoto presented a bond from Jaiz Bank to secure the project, yet the state…
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Wike’s Rants: Beyond The Bounds Of Decency

Wike’s Rants: Beyond The Bounds Of Decency

By IKECHUKWU AMAECHI The conduct of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, in the public space is quite unbecoming. It is not enough to dismiss him as unhinged as many are wont to do because to do so is to ignore the fact that for whatever it is worth, he is a Nigerian political elite, a member of the privileged club that makes the authoritative allocation of our collective values. In any sane society, such privileged position demands some level of politesse and dignity in public conduct. But the reverse is the case here. Wike’s actions, at any given…
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‘We Stand In Solidarity With Our Colleagues In Gaza And Around The World’, Nigerian Editors Concerned About Killing Of Journalists

‘We Stand In Solidarity With Our Colleagues In Gaza And Around The World’, Nigerian Editors Concerned About Killing Of Journalists

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has expressed deep concern over the relentless targeting and killing of journalists in Gaza and elsewhere around the world. The umbrella body of Nigerian editors strongly condemned the recent killing of five journalists: Husam al-Masri (Reuters), Mariam Dagga (AP freelance journalist), Mohammad Salama (Al Jazeera), Ahmed Abu Aziz (Middle East Eye), and Moaz Abu Taha, through artillery and missile attacks by Israeli forces. in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, President and Secretary, respectively, the Guild said these acts are a blatant breach of international law, specifically…
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With Ambassadors Like KWAM 1…

With Ambassadors Like KWAM 1…

By SHEDDY OZOENE I’m not one of those impatient Nigerians nagging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his refusal—two years after assuming office—to appoint ambassadors for our foreign missions. The man clearly knows something we don’t. Our foreign missions, despite being headless, are not collapsing. In fact, the embassies are even more vibrant without those tie-wearing “Your Excellencies” burning our dollars in diplomatic cocktails. Besides, the President himself has been serving well as our Ambassador-in-Chief, shaking hands across continents, attending trade exhibitions, arranging future Nigerian settlements in Japan, and signing MOUs in Brasilia. With his kind of do-it-yourself presidential hustle, who…
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Is It The End Of Godfatherism In Enugu State?

Is It The End Of Godfatherism In Enugu State?

By SHEDDY OZOENE The second anniversary of Peter Mbah’s tenure as governor of Enugu State was significant in many ways. There was a certain uniqueness with the celebrations but the most noteworthy is the fact that it was attended by his predecessor in office, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. It is the first time such was being recorded in the state in this Fourth Republic. It is also remarkable because it signified that the governor has maintained a cordial relationship with his predecessor since assumption of office 2 years earlier. Before then, on his 61st birthday last March 20, Governor Mbah not only…
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COALITION PRESIDENTIAL TICKET: Open Letter To Atiku Abubakar

COALITION PRESIDENTIAL TICKET: Open Letter To Atiku Abubakar

BY ABRAHAM OGBODO Dear Waziri, Last week, I ended on a hopeful note. That, it is possible to dispatch Caesar for Rome to remain a real Republic. I added that the conspirators would only need to bring on board, a Brutus to strengthen the conspiracy beyond collapse. I promised also to do you a personal letter to explain better. I am therefore writing today to inform you that you are the Brutus that must come on board to give oxygen to the conspiracy to take out the Emperor on the ides of 2027. You may not strictly fit into the…
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Are Women Truly Weaker Vessels?

Are Women Truly Weaker Vessels?

By OREVA GODWIN I know, the first instinct of most of my dearest readers, in reaction to the question of whether women are weaker vessels may be in the affirmative. After all, the Bible calls women the "weaker vessel." But today, I want to challenge that idea and to postulate that women are not inherently weak. Rather, they’ve been programmed to be seen as weak, so they don't rise to compete with men. When did God call women weaker vessels? Never. The Creator has never called them weak. Why? Because we were all made in His image and likeness, and…
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Southern Solidarity for Tinubu: Which South, What Solidarity?

Southern Solidarity for Tinubu: Which South, What Solidarity?

By IKECHUKWU AMAECHI One of the absurdities of Nigeria’s pseudo-democracy is the fact that those clamouring for President Bola Tinubu’s second term are not flaunting his achievements. Instead, the battle cry is the need for him to complete his “constitutionally guaranteed” two terms of eight years, not minding that there is no such guarantee in the 1999 Constitution. The more sophisticated amongst them are blackmailing the country with the rotational presidency arrangement between the north and south. They insist that since Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, was president for eight years, then a southerner must be accorded the same privilege. And…
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KWAM 1, Eccentricity And Cult Of The Big Man

KWAM 1, Eccentricity And Cult Of The Big Man

FESTUS ADEDAYO At the risk of being labeled thanatophobic - a preoccupation with death or its anxiety - the grim reality is that, last Tuesday, Nigeria’s music world would have lost veteran Yoruba Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde. Being Muslim, it is in order to say the man popularly known as KWAM 1 would have been buried same Tuesday or early Wednesday. He would have been killed over a mere tiff with an airline official over allegation of carrying liquour on board an aircraft. There is no grimmer way of putting the potential calamity than this. It is a signpost of…
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