Opinion

By Adadareporters My fellow Nigerians, I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states.Notably among the protesters were young Nigerians who desired a better and more progressive country where their dreams, hopes, and personal aspirations would be fulfilled. I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would…

By Ifeanyi Ejiofor In a recent viral video, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, stated, “IGBOS SHOULD SIT-AT-HOME AND NOT JOIN THE #ENDBADGOVERNANCEPROTEST BECAUSE THEY WILL BE SLAUGHTERED IF THEY PARTICIPATE.” MY THOUGHTS: I find this statement from a prominent Igbo political figure deeply concerning, as it essentially sought to encourage Igbos to waive their constitutionally guaranteed rights. If Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu had advised Igbos to refrain from participating in the #EndBadGovernanceProtest for any reason other than the fear of being slaughtered, I would not have criticized him as harshly, nor would many…

By Ikedi Ohakim It is said that there is never a better time to die but the passing unto eternal glory of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) a few days ago is an appropriate illustration of a brilliant actor quitting the stage while the spectators are still standing in loud ovation. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu had for over forty decades been in national and international lime light, bestriding politics, business, sports etc but the last few years of his life were apparently the most significant. The reason is simple. Chief Iwuanyanwu lived the last stage of his life serving his own…

By ALOY EJIMAKOR Let it be clear that my muscular public crusade against the continued detention and trial of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is primarily driven by the various judicial pronouncements and legal principles (municipal and international) against his rendition, detention and trial. I am also convinced that his case is more political than legal, especially if we pedal back to how it all started which is: His spirited pursuit of political justice, culminating in his popular demand for a referendum on Biafra. A lot of folks are probably unaware that there is a subsisting Federal High Court judgment that declared…

Written by Silas Ezeugwu and James Kwen In the face of constitutional hurdles to the creation of new states in Nigeria’s democratic dispensations, the promoters of additional sub-nationals in the current dispensation remain undeterred. Consequently, there has been a surge in the agitations for the creation of more states, with numerous bills to amend the Constitution currently before the National Assembly. LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that state creation in Nigeria goes back to 1967, when the then head of state, Gen Yakubu Gowon, created 12 states out of the four regions in existence. His successor, Murtala Mohammed, created an additional seven…

BY BAYO ONANUGA The Supreme Court judgment on July 11, granting financial autonomy to the 774 local councils and recognising them as the third tier of Nigeria’s governance architecture, was truly historic. It was perhaps the most remarkable judgment ever delivered by the apex court in recent times, as it used its power to interpret the law to give a different meaning to Section 162 of the Constitution. Since 1999, governors have used this section to withhold and tamper with the funds federally allocated to the councils, using a joint account that has proven to be a honeypot of abuse.…