Opinion

By Tayo Mabeweje Residents celebrate as long-neglected communities finally see modern roads, more projects coming across Ogun State. For years, the people of Akute, Ajuwon, and Alagbole journeyed through dust, potholes, and despair — a once-vibrant corridor reduced to a trail of hardship and lost opportunities. But on a bright afternoon in Ifo Local Government Area of the state, joy returned to the land. Songs rose, drums thundered, and hearts swelled with gratitude as Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, cut the ribbon that reopened their world to progress. The newly reconstructed Akute–Ajuwon–Alagbole road was not just asphalt and concrete;…

By Noo Saro-Wiwa Earlier this year, my father, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and his eight colleagues, known collectively as the Ogoni Nine, were pardoned for a crime they never committed. After peacefully campaigning against environmental degradation of Ogoniland in Nigeria at the hands of the oil industry, they were imprisoned by the military dictatorship on false charges of treason and incitement to murder, following a trial condemned by the international community as a sham. On 10 November 1995, the men were executed by hanging. Thirty years on, the government of President Bola Tinubu granted a pardon to the Ogoni Nine. While our…

BY ABRAHAM OGBODO It is not wise to discuss something else until further notice. There is a national emergency. Somebody has said that Nigeria is a country of a particular concern. It is Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America that said so. The man tried to explain ‘a particular concern’ to mean the unabating killing of Christian Nigerians. I thank Donald Trump for showing particular concern to issues that particularly concern Nigerians. He sounded as if Nigeria does not have enough people to show concern about issues that concern the country. I have not come here…

Nigeria under Tinubu’s watch remains a country with a large swathe of ungoverned territory. Under his watch, Nigerians are gruesomely murdered daily and buried in mass graves. That is a disgrace. It does not matter whether the victims are Moslems or Christians. Nigerians deserve better. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is fundamental and inalienable. It is the responsibility of government to guarantee that. Wanton killings diminish Tinubu’s presidency and validate Trump’s claim that Nigeria is a disgraced country. A self-conscious leader would resign just as he advised President Jonathan 11 years ago. For Tinubu, karma…

By Kenneth Mohammed A global youth revolt is shaking the foundations of political power. In just a few months, millions of young people have taken to the streets across continents – from Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Madagascar, Peru and Paraguay – to denounce corruption and collapsing public systems. The spark is familiar: governments accused of looting public wealth while ordinary citizens face unemployment, rising costs, poverty and failing services. These digitally connected protest movements – leaderless, borderless and fast-moving – have toppled governments in Nepal, Peru and Madagascar. The anger is not abstract. It is directed…

By AZU ISHIEKWENE Apart from tariffs, another word that the Trump presidency is fond of is genocide. First, it was South Africa. During South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the White House last May, President Donald Trump played a video suggesting that white South Africans were under genocidal attack. It was a fake video, of course, but Ramaphosa couldn’t convince Trump. Instead of looking at Gaza, where the world has serious concerns about genocide, Trump’s fellow Republicans have now turned their attention to Nigeria, requesting Congress to call out the Nigerian government on charges of genocide against Christians. It’s…

Otti has proved by his actions in office that he appreciates what political scientists call the four “Ps of Governance” – Purpose, People, Process, and Performance. He has proved beyond doubt that he has both moral clarity and effective, honest execution in leadership, thus underscoring Narendra Modi, India Prime Minister’s quip that, “Good governance with good intentions is the hallmark of our government. Implementation with integrity is our core passion.” He does not only have good intentions for Abians as clearly manifested in the projects he is executing, but in implementing his policies and programmes, he has done so with…