Opinion

 JUL 23, 2024 Last week’s update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), reported that 103 Nigerians were officially confirmed dead due to rampaging cholera outbreak across the country. According to the Centre, it recorded a total of 3,623 suspected cases in 34 states and the Federal …

*Isaac Megbolugbe is a former practice leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, retired professor, Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University, and a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He resides in the USA. “Nigeria has refused to leverage her endowment to step into national unity and greatness”. Professor Tunji Olaopa “The …

Monday, 22 July, 2024 An old friend reviewed the ways of this government and said he thought Bola Tinubu should be afraid of the Greeks. “Yes, especially if they come with gifts,” I added to my friend’s warning. He smiled; I nodded. In that short conversation, we had just gone …

Nigeria is a complex and multifaceted country that elicits various thoughts and viewpoints. Yet, there is some order in disorder. My recent journey through books about contemporary Nigeria or autobiographies of Nigerians brought this reality to light. I have read many books, and in the spirit of Barbara Tuchman, I …

[email protected] 0705 263 1058 The Supreme Court decision that federally-allocated funds be paid directly to the local governments (LGs) has raised serious concerns about whether we are actually practising Federalism and, if we are, what variant of Federalism. The apex court’s decision was at the instance of the Federal Government …

July 21, 2024 Last Wednesday, Nigeria’s upper parliament became a grammar class where semantics, syntax and structure are examined. His Excellency, the Senate President of Nigeria, Godswill Obot Akpabio, suddenly became an emergency interpreter and lexicographer. Akpabio’s interpreter’s dilemma reminds me of Field Marshal Gerald Templer. A senior British Army …

The age-long challenge of ‘information overload’ is beginning to affect us in this part of the world and our leaders at all levels are exploiting it to prevent people from deepening understanding of the multifarious challenges they daily ignore in the context of their primary responsibility – security and welfare …

Introduction Reading Emeritus Professor Akin Mabogunje’s autobiography, almost two years after his passing, was a transcendent experience that embodied memories, reflections, and emotions. The intersectionality of our connection – our shared experiences, his mentorship, and our friendship – made it feel like an out-of-body experience, filled with a sense of …

Professor Andrew G. Onokerhoraye’s autobiography, “The Riches of His Grace,” is a captivating and eventful life story that offers a thoughtful reflection on the author’s experiences, challenges, and triumphs. The book is a testament to the riches of God’s grace, which has been abundant and lavish in the author’s life. …

Over the years, I have written about Obi on his birthdays, a tradition stemming from my annual tribute to Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu while he was alive. I celebrate individuals deserving of recognition, those who understand that a person’s worth is not measured by wealth amassed but by the positive impact …

The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13 at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania has sucked the oxygen from the debate on President Joe Biden’s fitness for a second term. The discussion will resurface, but Democrats should forget it. The party is stuck with Biden. The odds …

[email protected] 0807 552 5533 In “Finding long-lasting solutions to Nigeria’s woes” published on 11 June, 2024, I commented on a post sent to me by a comrade and classmate at “Great Ife”, Wale Olajire Ajao, titled “The role of the public space in a democracy.” In it, I disagreed with …

In stagecraft, ventriloquism stands out as one of the most entertaining and yet peculiar types of comedic performances. A lifeless puppet or dummy is placed on the thigh of a ventriloquist who inserts his hand into the body of the puppet. The ventriloquist mumbles words and creates a false illusion …

Dear fellow Americans, We, the Nigerian American Public Affairs Committee USA (NAPAC-USA), are compelled to issue a passionate call for unity in the face of hatred and violence. The recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is a stark reminder of the destructive power of hateful rhetoric and the …

The experience of ending a relationship, quitting a job, dropping out of school, deciding not to have children, receiving a diagnosis of an illness, or experiencing an accident while pursuing a life goal is known as the failure context. This context creates a confrontation with the environment, both external and …

Sad news hit me hard on Tuesday, June 25, in this year of Our Lord – my inimitable guru Tam Fiofori passed away. Tam was in his lifetime celebrated as a filmmaker, photographer, journalist, publisher and documentarian. Not many people knew that the icon popularly hailed as “Uncle Tam” was …

The digital age has reshaped how we consume and disseminate information, with online media playing a crucial role in shaping public perception and opinion. Recognizing this, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), with support from the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) Project, recently organized a two-day roundtable with online …

My ties with Vanguard, something I cherish so much, is not known to many. This story must be told today for the Canal remains a place of pride where I noticed one love before veering into journalism in 1988 through Ely Obasi, of blessed memory. I love writing, I also …

The demise of my friend and schoolmate, Emeritus Professor Funsho Aiyejina is a rude and devastating shock to me. It is a friendship of nearly sixty years. We met at the Provincial Secondary School (later christened as Government School Dekina) in 1965, he had entered PSS a year before. The …

Monday, 15 July, 2024 On a bright, randy day in Lagos in the year 2015, a judge hurriedly used the law to dissolve a troubled marriage. Three months later, the woman was discovered impregnated by the tender-hearted judge. I pray that won’t be the case with the benevolent presidency of …

Monday, 15 July, 2024 Justice Ibrahim Kolapo Gambari, JCA became the Emir of Ilorin in August 1995 and decreed the ‘Kolapo’ in his name abolished. He said he should thenceforth be known and called Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari; all former documents remain valid. He gave no reason for his decision but …

 JULY 15, 2024 In this second year of President Tinubu’s government, mouthwatering policies are being thrown in to arrest decline in citizens’ living standards, such as the proposed tax-free window to import food, pharmaceuticals, industrial raw materials and others. There are also mass awards of road contracts. If significantly implemented …

Last week, Nigeria’s Supreme Court took a fundamental step towards dismantling the grip of state governors on the local government(LG) system and local government funds. The Supreme Court ruling on a suit filed by the attorney general of the federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, pointedly said the governors were undermining the …

[email protected] 0702 563 1058 If you were to choose between three infrastructure, which is also often referred to as social amenities, which of these three would you choose? Or, better still, how will you prioritize power supply, water supply and good roads? Which will come first in your order of …

Sunday, July 14, 2024 In the year 2000, whilst I was Features Editor of the Nigerian Tribune and a budding columnist with the newspaper, a friend from the PUNCH alerted me that a hunt for my “head” was in the offing. He narrated how it began. Chairman of the newspaper, …