Column

By SHEDDY OZOENE It is still an unfolding story. If you like, it is only the kick-off of a football match that could go the full 90 minutes, into extra time and perhaps even a penalty shootout. As we say in such contests, a winner must emerge between UEFA and a coalition of continental federations on one side, and FIFA President, Gianni Infantino on the other. Fresh from the successful 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, FIFA has found itself in the middle of a major controversy over plans to restructure the commercial ownership…

By FESTUS ADEDAYO Midnight was just shyly unfolding its grim loneliness over the Coal City. I nudged the nose of my blue Peugeot 504 Saloon out of my apartment’s driveway opposite the Fire Service Office. I then turned into the dark, quiet embrace of the main road at Otigba Junction. Otigba is a vital transportation hub located on Ogui Road in Enugu. Known for its bustling activity, connecting various parts of the beautiful city, from there, I engaged gear and drove down Bisalla Road. I barely saw a soul. Then, connecting the New Haven area, the car headed towards the…

By FESTUS ADEDAYO The Yoruba establish a direct causal relationship between tragic news and emotional grief. They observe that if the ears are not fed with rotten news, the mind will not be consumed by grief. Whatever his motive for publishing his book, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, retired Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) Dennis Amachree has reawakened an unpleasant yet momentous chapter in our national history. In doing so, he proves right the ancient adage that a twenty-year-old pounded yam can still burn one's fingers as though it were fresh off the mortar.…

By SHEDDY OZOENE The conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has become one of the most needless and damaging wars of recent times. It has killed thousands of people, forced families from their homes, shaken the global economy and reminded the world that military power, no matter how strong, can never replace diplomacy. The roots of the crisis go back many years. Israel has long seen Iran's nuclear programme as a direct threat to its survival. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that diplomacy only gave Tehran more time to move closer to developing nuclear weapons. With…

By FESTUS ADEDAYO The late Chief Joseph Folahan (JF) Odunjo left behind an allegory that perfectly mirrors today’s most notorious national scandal. It explains the infamy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila and allegedly self-appointed DG of Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, (PEAC) Adeniyi Adeyemi. Celebrated for his indigenous production of knowledge, Odunjo’s most imperishable legacy remains his role as a writer and educator. His iconic Yoruba children's literature, the Alawiye (Careful Explainer) series, served as foundational texts for primary school pupils from the 1960s through the 1980s. These books…