Opinion

By Emmanuel Onwubiko The debate surrounding the creation of new states in Nigeria is not new. For decades, marginalised regions have called for equitable management and distribution of resources to enhance the welfare of their people. The call for Anioma State, championed by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North's senatorial district, is a compelling proposal that seeks to address historical imbalances and promote fair representation, especially for the Southeast geopolitical zone. Historically, the demand for Anioma State dates back to the 1950s, initiated by the people of Aboh and Asaba (Aniocha, Oshimili, and Ika) divisions in the Western Regional House…

By TUNDE OLUSUNLE Saturday June 22, 2024 will mark the 19th anniversary of the departure of Michael Athokhamien Omnibus Imoudu, the legendary, veteran Nigerian labour leader. Born in 1902, Pa Imoudu as he is popularly remembered and revered, exceeded the full century mark in age, living up to 102 years. As far back as 1931 when he was just 29, Imoudu got involved in labour union activities as a member of the Railway Workers Union, (RWU), at the time. He became President of the union in 1939, and spearheaded the advocacy for higher wages, de-casualisation and improved working conditions. Renowned…

By SHEDDY OZOENE  Let me state upfront that I was not one of the people excited about Nigeria's change to the old national anthem. When,  in 1978, the military, in a rather whimsical manner, replaced that national anthem with the one that we used till last month, they did not offer any plausible explanations. And there is none either for its reintroduction on May 29, except, perhaps, to shake the ground as another mark of President Tinubu’s 1st anniversary in office.  In any case, none of the two is particularly inspiring and only a few people have bothered to attach…

By SHEDDY OZOENE  Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State has become a metaphor for the dastardly actions of suspected Fulani herdsmen who have terrorised it for decades. At night and in broad daylight, innocent men, women and children of the community are gruesomely murdered by the marauders who desire their homeland for grazing their cattle.  The beautiful grassland have been turned to killing fields and the people who try to resist the take-over of their ancestral homelands have become the guinea-pigs in a chilling experiment in forceful land grab.  Penultimate Sunday, the marauders who have encircled…

By TUNDE OLUSUNLE Sceptical reporters had indeed cast the headlines of the stories they were going to file, ahead of the 98th National Executive Committee, (NEC) meeting of the Peoples' Democratic Party, (PDP), Thursday April 18, 2023. They were awaiting the news of the implosion of the party after what was going to be a testy, nervy convergence of the party leadership at that level. The NEC ranks next to its National Convention. The recent PDP, NEC engagement was the first since the rancorous 2023 general elections. Very bitter acrimony hallmarked the elections with partial breakaways by stakeholders at various…

By SHEDDY OZOENE In his days as governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello assumed the nickname ‘the White Lion’. Many people thought it was befitting, in an ironical sense, for an elected governor who saw his fellow men - his constituents - as prey. He hunted and haunted them to no end during the eight years of his tenure. His favorite pastime was boxing. He never tired of showcasing himself in the gym with different makes of boxing gloves, and with those huge biceps of his, one could imagine he packed some deadly punch. Behind the faćade, however, Bello is…