Opinion

Ruth L. Okediji is the Jeremiah Smith Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.   On Wednesday May 5, the US moved to back a Covid-19 vaccine patent waiver that was being debated at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The proposal, first put forward by South Africa and India in October 2020, seeks …

Don’t asphyxiate us, let us breathe. Remove your knees from the neck of Nigeria, and let the country be. What do we owe you, that you make it seem we must never have peace? That was the sum total of the caution given early this week by the Department of …

It was a compelling story – a story that showcases the best and worst in us. This story calls for genuine sober reflection on our collective consciousness and the need for a social renaissance on our cherished ethical and moral values as a society. In 2006, an 11-year-old girl and …

Abia State is not only a familiar buzzing identity and a curious phenomenon on the precedence order matrix nomenclature among the component federating states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Notably, Abia State, is a typical case study of curious mixtures of mind boggling contradictions and contrasts of great magnitude. …

You rarely hear his voice in public when it comes to secular or controversial issues.A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He just faces the work he is doing, and how very well he does it. Gently. But early this week, Pastor …

Nigeria has fared fairly well with the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when compared with its counterparts in other parts of the world and against the backdrop of some worrisome predictions which pegged the country’s shabby public health care system as a potential source of concern. India, for instance, is battling a …

turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533 As they say, birds of a feather flock together; meaning “people of the same sort or with the same tastes and interests will be found together”. In other words, “those with similar interests or of same kind tend to form groups.” According to Google, the phrase …

turnpot@gmail.com 0705 263 1058 One common factor or denominator all over the country today is insecurity. In the North-east it is the Boko Haram insurgency. In the North-west it is banditry. In the North-central or Middle Belt it is the murderous Fulani herdsmen. In the South-east it is the renewed …

On Monday 19th April 2021, the world woke up to the news that the long-serving President of the Republic of Chad, Idriss Deby , had died. His death marked the end of an inglorious chapter in the history of political leadership in Africa and left loads of lessons for Africa …

From Sunday afternoon till evening, I was harried and harassed with phone calls by some people in the media. Can you please confirm the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari? He came into the country on Thursday, and he hasn’t been seen since then. Information at our disposal says his …

turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533 Anniversary celebrations usually are occasions when the celebrant(s) spruce themselves up in their best attires, ornaments, adornments and all. The venue is white-washed and decorated to the hilt. Guests of honour, special guests of honour, distinguished guests of honour, royal fathers and mothers of the day, …

Dr Mahmud Tukur who died recently in Abuja held many prominent offices of state but no post defined him like his spirit of nationalism and patriotism. In his adult life, he was Principal Secretary Northern Nigeria Civil Service; Principal of the Institute of Administration, Kongo, Zaria; an affiliate College of …

The sachet water, commonly known as ‘Pure Water’ all over Nigeria, is the most popular source of drinking water in most cities and villages. Last week, reports emerged that the price of a sachet of water has jumped from N10 to N20. The doubling of the cost of sachet water …

turnpot@gmail.com 0705 263 1058 The write-up you are about to read was forwarded to me by a friend who now lives in the United States of America. We had been comrades at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife. Interestingly, the write-up is an investigative report by …

A quiet revolution took off on April 8, 2021, by 11.05 am. It was unheralded, without ostentation, almost unsung. But it was something that would have great impact not only on today, but also on tomorrow, and the future. On the date in question, a train took off from Warri, …

The other day, after what seemed like an endless filibustering and pussyfooting, the five hapless South-East state governors made a dramatic U-turn and agreed to form a regional security network, codenamed, Ebube Agu, to enhance the security of their region. The name is a derivative of the Igbo proverb, Ebube …

turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533 My alma mater, the Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly the University of Ife) aka “Great Ife” will be 60 years old in a couple of months and all drums will be rolled out by both the university authorities and the alumni to celebrate the Diamond jubilee. No …

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before Kings, he shall not stand before mean men” Proverbs 22:29. PROTOCOLS. We are here today to witness a delightfully auspicious event. This event is the welcome home of our dear son – Prof Chinedum Uzoma Nwajiuba from his …

The mayhem in the Eastern Heartland of Imo State has left everyone perplexed. Security eruptions in Imo state appear to be an indicator of what the country is turning to .The state’s stories seem like scenes from blockbuster sci-fi movies meant to entertain fans in love with gory violence. A …

turnpot@gmail.com 0705 263 1058 Verse 1: Goodbye Oodua nation’s rose/May you ever grow in our hearts/You were the grace that placed itself/Where lives were torn apart/You called out to our country/And you whispered to those in pain/Now you belong to heaven/And the stars spell out your name Chorus: And it …

turnpot@gmail.com 0807 552 5533 And “the die is cast” (Alea iacta est) as the character, Suetonius, said unto Julius Caesar, in English writer William Shakespeare’s drama of the same title, “Julius Caesar”. Nigerian leaders have scanty regard for the opinion of their own people but tremble before foreign leaders and …

Our country is at war today on many fronts. Nigeria battles insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, armed robbery, cult killings, ritual murders, and war of tongues. War of tongues. Is that a new one? No, it’s as old as man, but it is perhaps the deadliest of all the wars. It …

turnpot@gmail.com 0705 263 1058 In January this year, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State announced the readiness of his government to return both primary and secondary schools to their original owners – but with a caveat. Certain conditions have to be met. Missionaries have been upbeat in demanding a return …

Nigeria is a country where there is a chasm between the leaders and the led. The distrust of the ordinary Nigerian for political office holders is such that most Nigerians celebrate when their leaders encounter tragic situations. If the governor takes ill in some states, a substantial proportion of the …

  (A conversation with Olufemi Obafemi – 1) THE assumption that we can control the activities around us, though understandable, can be open to both contention and interpretation because of the timeless quandary between fate and faith. With the latter, humans depend primarily on their intuitive capacity to influence activities …