Opinion

A Defense of Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu: A Pragmatic Assessment ~ Ike Okorafor In the realm of Nigerian politics, where allegiances shift like the tides, and promises are often written in sand, Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu’s recent declaration that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will produce the next Governor in Abia State has sparked both fervent support and heated opposition. As an objective observer, I find it necessary to present a pragmatic assessment in defense of Hon. Kalu, based on facts and context. Political Realities and Aspirations: Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, occupies a…

I want to believe that the huge perks of office surrounding Benjamin Kalu is still allowing him to think well. He's many a times exhibiting traits that are symptomatic of person who's mental frame got disorganized by hyper activity induced stress disorder. He is advised to seek urgent medical help. How else can one explain his misdemeanor or what other prognosis can we proffer the anxious public who are very shocked by his trending video clips where he is seen boasting unscrupulously and reading the riot act to the Abia people and their governor, Dr. Alex Otti not to dare…

Dr. Abubakar Audi's Visionary Leadership: NSCDC Excels in Protecting National Assets Amidst End Bad Governance Protests By Gambo Jagindi The recent End Bad Governance protests in Nigeria have left a trail of economic devastation, with estimated losses of N500 billion. However, amidst the chaos, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Audi, emerged as a shining example of strategic planning and professionalism. While other security chiefs opted for brute force, intimidation, and threats against peaceful protesters, NSCDC took a refreshingly different approach. By deploying civil techniques, they ensured the protection of critical national…

Zanga-Zanga and Tinubu’s Crumbling Northern Alliance By Farooq A. Kperogi The 10-day nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests that end today, known by the reduplicative compound “Zanga-Zanga” in Hausaphone northern Nigeria, have ruptured the coalition that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu managed to build with a portion of the northern Nigerian Muslim political establishment since 2014, which put Muhammadu Buhari in power in 2015 and 2019 and him in 2023. But this Zanga-Zanga-inspired rupture also reveals the initial precarity and fragility of the strange-bedfellows coalition. Buhari and Tinubu were previously fierce political adversaries who distrusted each other’s motives and undermined each other. Their alliance…

THE BATTLE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY: Ibrahim and Olawande's Silent War Rages On! By Gambo Jagindi August 06, 2024 A silent but intense war is raging between two ministers in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, threatening to undermine the government's efforts to deliver on its promises to the youth. Jemila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth, and Ayodele Wisdom Olawande, Minister of State for Youth Development, are at the center of the feud, sources close to the ministry have revealed. The feud has created a toxic work environment, making it challenging for Olawande to perform his duties effectively, and negatively impacting the…

Dr. Engr Odo Ijere: Hold Joe Igbokwe, Bayo Onanuga And Reno Omokri Responsible For Genocidal Rants Against Ndigbo By Dr. Engr Odo Ijere The "end bad government" protests as expected has dovetailed in unpleasant consequences with the trending social media flotation of another equally troubling sophistry so called "igbo must go" mantra across the Yoruba states. This must be what Joe Igbokwe, Bayo Onanuga and Reno Omokri meant when they came out boldly several days before the planned nationwide protests to warn Peter Obi and Ndigbo of severe consequences should the protests ever be allowed to take place. They called…

Five Lessons From The Ongoing Hunger Protests By Farooq A. Kperogi This is the first major example in recent memory I am aware of in the North where the masses of the people not only bucked the impassioned counsel of their ulama but have openly labelled them as unreliable and mercenary charlatans not worthy of respect. This is a culturally seismic shift THE nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests that are convulsing the neoliberal fundament of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration are redefining and redrawing the contours of protests in Nigeria in many significant ways. Although I’ve been on the road since Thursday,…

Navigating Nigeria's Future: A Call for Dialogue and Collaboration By: Ojo Emmanuel Ademola The current situation in Nigeria, marked by protests, unrest, and economic challenges, underscores the urgent need for dialogue, reconciliation, and concerted action to address pressing issues and pave the way for progress and development. As Senator Orji Uzor Kalu rightly points out, the ongoing protests have deviated from the principles of peaceful assembly and are causing harm to the economy and society at large. In this context, it is imperative to suspend the protests indefinitely, engage in meaningful dialogue, and chart a collaborative path forward for the…

THIS IS NOT A PROTEST BY SEN ORJI UZOR KALU What we are seeing at the moment is against all principle and guidelines that make protest a tool to responsibly deal with the very needs of the people. We did not want this protest to hold, not because it is wrong, not because it is not the constitutional and democratic right of the people to do so; we vehemently stood against it because we knew it would spiral into the carnage we are witnessing at the moment. The ongoing protest defies everything appealing and against all the prescription of international…

In the short tweet, Adesina denounced the government’s attempt to profile Dangote as a selfish monopolist Tortoise, as reflected in Ejeagha and Odunjo’s reworking of the Igbo and Yoruba folklores. He ultimately situated the gang-ups as an attempt to sacrifice the monstrous Elephant refinery of Aliko Dangote to governmental pettiness. Dangote And NNPC’s Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo Dance By Festus Adedayo Without moving his body, African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina, watlzed his tall frame in a dance last week. He danced to the rhythm of Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo of Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s trending song track, Ka Esi…