Opinion

By TUNDE OLUSUNLE Just days after the end of the Nigerian Civil War in January 1970, disaster struck in the home of Wikina-Emmah in Kono at the heart of Ogoniland in Rivers State. Ebenezer Saro-Wikina, eldest son of Wikina-Emmah, suddenly passed. The Ogoni were among the nationalities affected by the civil war. Multitudes from the ethnic group previously sought refuge in the area delineated as Biafra by the secessionists. They were glad to return to their ancestral homes at the end of hostilities. Ebenezer Saro-Wikina went through the stress and drudgery of "crossing the Red Sea," literally. He got back…

By SHEDDY OZOENE Since he assumed office as Nigeria’s Minister of the Interior on August 21, 2023, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has been promoted as a whizkid and a strategic planner who would introduce innovations in the ministry. At just 42, he ranks among the youngest ministers and one of the hot-heads that would stand out within the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Fittingly, the ministry of the Interior in which he supervises five key parastatals – among them the Security and Civil Defence Corps; the Nigerian Correctional Services; the Immigration Service and the Federal Fire Services - is one of the…

By STEVE OSUJI "If an African child is assured of a pint of milk in the classroom, a good sandwich or one egg daily, there will be no fear of learning."-- President Bola Tinubu in France Who writes the president’s speeches? Who manages his thoughts and actions? Do we have a strategy team in the presidency? How do we prepare for huge events like the current state visit to France? EXPRESSO asks these and so many other questions over Tinubu's current visit to France. It's obvious that the current presidency is puny in terms of knowledge stock, experience and mental…

Dismantling Nigeria’s criminal political substructure: This criminal substructure, the foundation upon which the voodoo political superstructure is erected, is the reason why rather than making progress, every new administration inflicts much more horrendous misery on the populace. No progress can be made in the circumstance unless this fatuous estate of criminality is dismantled by taking politics out of the hands of the quislings who are bingeing on our collective patrimony and daring us to do our worst. It is a challenge we must take frontally, standing on our feet or suffer the ignominy of perpetual humiliation on our knees. By…

EXPRESSO_Intervention》》By STEVE OSUJI The bully in the house: Dr. Reuben Abati is a public intellectual of no mean repute. A brilliant mind, a well-read fellow, a columnist, editorialist and lately, a news talk show host on Arise Television. For full disclosure, we were both denizens of the famous Rutam House, home to The Guardian newspapers stable.In the early 1990s, he was on the editorial board while yours truly was Assistant Editor with the weekly journal, The African Guardian. This was over 30 years ago. Reuben is in the news again. Yes, he trended not quite long ago when he openly…

By SHEDDY OZOENE Since his appointment as Special Adviser to the President, Media and Public Communications on November 14, Daniel Bwala has moved from one controversy to the other. After what many consider a betrayal of Atiku Abubakar whom he worked for as presidential campaign spokesman in 2023, the appointment was for him a dream come true. He had spent so much time since Bola Tinubu became president, trying to justify his return to the All Progressives Congress he serially disparaged and a President he so virulently opposed as candidate during the campaign. With the appointment, there was reason for…

By TONY ONYIMA, Ph.D. The recent restructuring of President Ahmed Tinubu’s media and communications team introduces an unconventional approach. It dispenses with the traditional singular spokesperson for the Presidency and instead delegates this role to a team of three special advisers. While the stated objective is to enhance efficiency and ensure consistent messaging, this strategy raises critical questions about its practicality and potential pitfalls.The primary risk of a decentralised communication model is the lack of a unified voice. Effective public communication requires coherence and clarity, especially at the presidential level. Multiple spokespersons increase the likelihood of conflicting narratives, especially on…

Tinubu’s four dogs of war against democracy: What is worse, three out of Tinubu’s four dogs of war against democracy – Judiciary, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police – are the very institutions that can and should guarantee the survival of the country’s people-driven governance system. Tinubu and his four dogs of war against democracy By IKECHUKWU AMAECHI As a journalist, I admire cartoonists, those visual artists who draw and create engaging captions, for their genius. They are not only creative and original, but also investigative, often incorporating humour, wit and satire in their works. When they are…