Opinion

Phillips Oduoza, founder and chairman, NOVA Merchant Bank Limited is inspired by Nigeria’s future, which he believes holds potential waiting to be harnessed. NOVA Merchant Bank offers an integrated suite of financial solutions covering Wholesale Banking, Investment Banking, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Trade Services, Transaction Banking, Cash Management and Digital …

Last week’s abduction by bandits of students of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State is the latest chapter in the reprehensible attack on innocent children and the educational system in northern Nigeria. While UK-based Reuters News Agency and Qatar-based Al-Jazeera Television reported that 80 students and five teachers were …

A popular philanthropist and business icon was once quoted as saying that when entrepreneurs from Nigeria die, they will be ushered into heaven by God because they cannot suffer twice. The statement above, although capable of drawing some mirth, is a reflection of the challenging business climate that Nigeria represents. …

[email protected] 0807 552 5533 Monica (not real name) took me to the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN or Synagogue, for short). One of her daughters had demonstrated signs of Sickle Cell anaemia (SS) and, ooh, how she ran from pillar to post! She patronised hospitals to no avail, spending …

It is 28 August 2019, a Wednesday, and the rains still rage on, it is, after all, the heart of the West African rainy season. Bleak balls of clouds, gray and oppressive, hang just above the 11-storey Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation building, NNPC Towers, as anyone within Nigeria calls it. …

In early January 2018, a mega acquisition that would alter the equation in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, was about to go down. On one side and spearheading this landmark acquisition was the Zinox Group, a Nigerian-headquartered but globally renowned technology group that had overseen over three decades of sterling and …

By Muhammad Nasir Sokoto, June 17, 2021 Ahead of the upcoming congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Aminu Achida, the Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, has advised party members to shun godfatherism. Achida spoke at a meeting of the APC Caucus in support of the governorship candidature …

Which one is Iberiberism again o? What kind of English shall we not hear in this country? Well, the word is not regular English language, neither is it my creation. The copyright belongs to former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who created something being fast accepted in English from the …

[email protected] 0807 552 5533 I wouldn’t know if you have read the piece below on the Twitter ban or suspension by the FG. In summary, it states conclusively that the Muhammadu Buhari administration only cut its nose to spite its face; was kobo wise but pound foolish; and that, all …

*A COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF A ONE-DAY EMERGENCY SECURITY MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST TOWN UNIONS (ASETU) AND CONCERNED IGBO STAKEHOLDERS IN ENUGU, THIS DAY, JUNE 10, 2021.* PREAMBLE Nigeria has lately been mired in serious security challenges. Terrorists, armed bandits and killer herdsmen have continued …

With each passing day as a nation, it becomes more apparent that we have too much on our plate. The challenge of unemployment, poverty, widespread insecurity, Covid 19 induced economic recession, and ethnic agitation fuelled by feelings of marginalisation are evident. All these challenges are peculiar, correlated and cyclical. The …

[email protected] 0705 263 1058 The Igangan massacre of hapless and harmless Yoruba citizens by suspected Fulani herdsmen and terrorists armed to the teeth has come but the vibrations may not go away for a long time to come. Although casualty figures vary from one report to another, I have it …

I wish all Nigerians a happy Democracy Day filled with true reflections on the roles each and every one of us can play to promote and abide by democratic principles. We should evolve to the highest level of patriotism and belief in the ideals of a truly democratic, united and …

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF COMMEMORATION AND CELEBRATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY ON 12TH JUNE, 2021 Fellow Nigerians, I join you all today to commemorate and celebrate our Democracy Day. It is a …

Plaques symbolise awards, prizes and honours accorded individuals and groups in recognition. These are not mere decorations but for deeds of public good. In like manner, titles given in Igbo Land and other tribes have far reaching effects as in the first instance; they ascribe people into different social classes …

I felt like embracing Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, a couple of weeks back when he left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Was that because I work with a President elected on the platform of the APC? Not necessarily so. Yes, I’ve …

On June 12, this year, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s social and economic hub, would be celebrating its “Democracy Day”, made possible through the magnitude of President Muhammadu Buhari’s (PMB’s) political will. The President had wisely picked “June 12” above “May 29”, which was observed for about …

[email protected] 0807 552 5533 Today I am yielding this space to a friend and professional colleague who is a veteran journalist, relationships expert, music aficionado (of the “Sound Judgment” fame) and political affairs commentator. His name is Michael Awe aka Michael West. Enjoy it! “Whoever is still campaigning for restructuring …

[email protected] 0705 263 1058 Although we know it is called Indian hemp, not many will be able to say why this is so. Hemp may not be native to India in the real sense of it. According to Google, the regulation of hemp in India began in the colonial era …

It began with a tweet on June 1, 2021, from President Muhammadu Buhari’s Twitter handle @MBuhari. He reprimanded angry youths “misbehaving” and alluded to his role in the civil war promising to treat secessionists “in the language they understand”. This tweet was followed by public outcry and condemnation because many …

Ohanaeze Ndigbo supports the South East Governors declaration of public holiday on May 30th as a Biafran day. For Ndigbo and most Africans, a time to mourn or remembrance of the dead is traditionally a solemn occasion. It is imperative and proper for Ndigbo to remember Ndigbo and others who …

Two events in the month of May 2021, separated by about three weeks, significantly coalesced to validate the essential persona of Chief Abu Inu-Umoru, on which I adumbrated when I penned an opinion piece in 2019 entitled: “This is about Inu-Umorus, not Khalaf”. In that piece, I had attempted a …

Since his gruesome murder by a mutinous segment of the Nigerian army, mostly northerners led by Major T.Y. Danjuma, Nigeria and Nigerians have been quite remiss and unfair to General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, despite his selfless and noteworthy contributions to nation-building. For a man who gave his life to save Nigeria …

President Muhammadu Buhari spoke on Tuesday, warning troublemakers in the country that the picnic was over, and the next day, I saw this comment online from a Buharist, as lovers and admirers of the President are known: “I just finished watching the President on TV reading the riot act to …

Good leadership depends on how the leaders were raised, how they emerged, how they relate to the people, and how the people relate to them as servant leaders. By far the most dynamic and dedicated candidate in the field of Anambra 2021 gubernatorial race is Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe, #LCO. In …