People&Politics

865 Posts
INTIMATE AFFAIRS: When Forgiveness Is Hard (2)

INTIMATE AFFAIRS: When Forgiveness Is Hard (2)

By FUNKE EGBEMODE She was popularly called Mama Iyabo. Her husband threw her out of their matrimonial home 15 years ago, along with her three children, after 15 years of marriage. “I had earlier heard rumours about my husband and another woman. I knew he had girlfriends. He was doing well and living it up, though he took care of the home front. But one day, like a man in a trance or one in the firm grip of a spell, he threw me and my children out. He said he was done with me and my ‘bush ways’. He said…
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Let’s Encourage Tinubu To Practice Democracy

Let’s Encourage Tinubu To Practice Democracy

BY ABRAHAM OGBODO We have a responsibility to assist President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to practise democracy. We are doing as if a failure is Tinubu’s personal failure. It is not. I have lived through four republics in Nigeria. And that is because politicians have not mastered how to care for a republic. Each, since the first republic started in 1963, had come with a new challenge. The ongoing dispensation which started on May 29, 1999 is the fourth republic. It is the fourth time that we are doing this thing called general elections, in every four years, to recruit leaders…
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Amb. Dr Osita Offor “Ultimate Commander”, Receives the Masters Radio 105.9 FM, Award for Philanthropist/ Humanitarian Personality, 2025.

Amb. Dr Osita Offor “Ultimate Commander”, Receives the Masters Radio 105.9 FM, Award for Philanthropist/ Humanitarian Personality, 2025.

Abia-born Philanthropist, Ambassador Dr Osita Offor (Ikenga Gburugburu), popularly known as “De Ultimate Commander” and President of the United Abia Artistes and Patriots (UAAP) Forum, was honoured with the Masters 105.9 FM Philanthropist/ Humanitarian Personality of the year 2025 award during a live ceremony broadcast from the station’s studios on Thursday, 11th December 2025, at 1:00 PM. Masters 105.9 FM, recognised as one of the most widely listened to radio stations in the East of Niger and beyond, nominated Amb. Dr Offor for this distinction in recognition of his significant contributions to Abia State’s development and Nigeria at large. His…
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Iyaloja-General At Oba of Benin’s Palace

Iyaloja-General At Oba of Benin’s Palace

FESTUS ADEDAYO The earliest example of personal rule gone awry in the world was given in the biblical account of Eli, the prophet. Personal rule has become prevalent in Africa and other Third World countries. In the account, Eli was High Priest and Judge of Israel in the city of Shiloh. Kind-hearted to the troubled and oppressed, the prophet’s renown for kindness became weightier in the narrative of his comforting words to Hannah, one of the hitherto barren wives of Elkanah. When Hannah eventually gave birth to a son named Samuel, Eli extended his affable disposition to Samuel’s upbringing at…
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Treat First, Report Later: The Lesson From Somtochukwu’s Needless Death

Treat First, Report Later: The Lesson From Somtochukwu’s Needless Death

By PAULYN OWHIEVBIE UGBODAGA The tragic death of Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, the vibrant young Arise News anchor, has once again exposed a grave fault line in Nigeria’s healthcare system: the reluctance to treat emergency cases involving gunshot wounds without first demanding identification or police clearance.According to reports, Somtochukwu was shot during a robbery in Abuja and rushed to a hospital. Instead of immediate care, hospital staff allegedly insisted on some form of identification before attending to her. She died before help could come. Sadly, her case is not an isolated one. Over the years, countless Nigerians have lost their lives…
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Fubara, Natasha And The Season of Reinstatements

Fubara, Natasha And The Season of Reinstatements

By SHEDDY OZOENE Nigerian politics has always been filled with drama, but the last six months could easily pass for a badly scripted series. Nigerians were treated to two running political comedies, from the city of Port Harcourt to the hallowed chambers of the Nigerian Senate. President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, was one leg of the comedy. Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly, justifying his action with claims of a breakdown in governance, threats to national security, and the alleged sabotage…
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My Childhood Trauma

My Childhood Trauma

By OREVA GODWIN A lot of us have had traumatic childhoods. Some have healed, while others still carry the scars. Trauma comes in different forms, from our parents, siblings, relatives, childhood friends, teachers, and even religious leaders. Many of you know that when I write, I do so with passion, straight from the heart. I try to paint clear pictures that play in the minds of my readers as they read through each story. This is mine. I started school at age two. I remember everything like it was yesterday. You see, I have what is known as hyperthymesia. I…
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GAIYD: Amb. Dr Osita Offor Wins Great Achievers Award As Legendary Sports-Man of Year 2025

GAIYD: Amb. Dr Osita Offor Wins Great Achievers Award As Legendary Sports-Man of Year 2025

In a glittering ceremony attended by Nigeria's elite, Ambassador Dr. Osita Offor-De Ultimate Commander (IKENGA GBURUGBURU) and President of United Abia Artistes and Patriots (UAAP) Forun has been honoured with the prestigious Legendary Sports-man of the Year 2025 award at the 3rd annual summit of the Great Achievers Initiative for Youth and Community Development (GAIYD). The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, brought together notable figures such as Ooni of Ife, HRM Adeyeye Emita Ogunwuai, Alhaji Aminu Yakubu, Wambai Wakili of Zazau, Dr. Olamipekun Olukayode, EFCC Chairman, Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Raymond Nkemdirim MFR, Ugwumba, and other dignitaries…
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Quickie Republic: Short Thrills, Long Pains

Quickie Republic: Short Thrills, Long Pains

By FUNKE EGBEMODE It all started with Lux soap. The housekeeper said she bought a pack of six bars for N5, 400. My 92-year-old father gasped. ‘For just soap? Was that for a carton or two cartons?’ I told him, it was for just six bars. ‘Where is this country heading now?’ That is a frequent question my father asks these days. The old man just cannot understand today’s prices of anything. How can he? He bought his brand new Vauxhall Chevette E for N4,800 and now his soap costs N5,000! Of course, he is confused. I told him I…
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Tinubu To Declare 2025 Editors Conference Open

Tinubu To Declare 2025 Editors Conference Open

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the elite professional body of Managing Directors, Directors of News and Editors of print, broadcast and corporate online organisations, will hold its 2025 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) from November 3-6, 2025 at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The annual conference has as its theme: "Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors," while the sub-theme will focus on "Electoral Integrity and Trust Deficit: What Nigerians Expect in 2027." According to a press statement on Sunday by Eze Anaba and Onuoha Ukeh, NGE President and General Secretary respectively, this year's conference will…
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