Category: OPINION

By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu Nothing excites and unifies Nigerians like football, especially when the national team, the Super Eagles, can claim a continental or world title. It was the typical Nigerian night of high hopes on Sunday, February 11 when Super Eagles squared up with the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, in the final match of the AFCON tourney. Nigeria had beaten Cote d’Ivoire by 1-0 in the Group Stage of the contest, and the host nation actually scraped into the knockout stages as the fourth-best third-placed team! As a player…

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By NewsBits (Opinion) Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, PhD Odogwu of Ibusa Clan Leader, International Coalition in contradiction of Christian Genocide in Nigeria (ICAC-GEN) Website: https://icac-gen.org Email: Nwaezeigwe.genocideafrica@gmail.com Date: February 9, 2024 The then newly elected Governor of the newly created Delta State, the Urhobo-born Olorogun Felix Ibru had seated with all the prominent traditional rulers and political leaders of Delta across all ethnic divides at the famous Asaba Arcade for a special event—the first of such public meetings. Thereafter there came the time for the opening ritual of breaking Kola-nut in…

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By Lasisi Olagunju The last premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, asked his guest what the town was saying. The guest told him the town was solidly behind him. The guest backed his claim with a cassette, which he said contained the adulation with which the people of Ibadan welcomed every step so far taken by Chief Akintola. The premier listened to the cassette and brightened up. He thanked the guest, Chief A.M.A. Akinloye, as he took his exit. Akintola’s young confidant and aide, Adewale Kazeem, walked…

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By Festus Adedayo This is what Kurumi’s Ijaye looked like after it was attacked and defeated by Ibadan forces in 1860/61: “Old people, men and women and young children were being carried to the river Ose to die,” wrote John Iliffe in his Poverty in Nineteenth Century Yorubaland. He continued: “Whilst many others were left to perish in the streets. There being no food for them, that many, in order to obtain the means for subsistence, put themselves and children in pawn and others even sold their relatives to procure…

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By Farooq A. Kperogi The biting hunger and unnaturally rising price spiral in Nigeria instigated primarily by the removal of petrol subsidies and the floating of the naira are threatening to spark off seismic social vibrations across the country. The spontaneous, hunger-induced eruption of seething communal anger in Minna over hunger in the land a few days ago, which inspired a massive protest by market women in Lokoja and smaller but nonetheless consequential protests by distraught citizens in Suleja, Kano, Osogbo—and counting— is a warning sign. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s…

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By Dan Onwukwe When things go wrong in a country, it’s fair to ask: why? Why are things steadily getting worse rather than better since Bola Tinubu was sworn in as President of Nigeria a little more than eight months ago? Is the worsening insecurity, unbearable hardship and a near collapse of the economy, the result of his incompetence, or simply, that of a leader who was badly packaged and sold to a large segment of unwary public, but is now completely overwhelmed by the weight of the challenges confronting…

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By NewsBits Fire-eating Enugu Catholic priest, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, on Sunday, tackled the President Bola Tinubu administration over the level of insecurity and hardship in Nigeria. Fr. Mbaka, who said there were many obstacles on Tinubu’s way to becoming the president, including the Naira redesign policy, said he succeeded by an act of providence.He, however, said the president was yet to exhibit political will towards solving the country’s problems. He singled out corruption in the oil sector, which he said was under a certain cabal, but regretted that President…

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By Ikeddy ISIGUZO IF Nigeria were a patient, it would be in ICU, intensive care unit, of a hospital, with deft attention being paid to its delicate aliments. Doctors will be running into each other with many medicaments to treat its various predicaments. The patient is in a most delirious state. People speak in lowered voices, lower than whispers, aware that anything can startle the patient to a last breath. Where are the nurses? Are they quick in producing one item or the other as the final decisions are made…

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By Emeka Obasi Those who moved the Federal Capital out of Lagos were not sincere from the beginning as events are gradually unfolding. In the entire world today, no capital is as besieged as Abuja, with the Federal Government unable to protect its territory. Lies were spread that Lagos was too close to the sea, marking it out as easy target for foreign invaders. We were told that Lagos was congested which made it imperative to look for a virgin land right within the cockpit of Nigeria’s heart. Many Nigerians…

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By Jarlath Uche Opara I received a call Thursday morning inviting me for a meeting in one of the hotels around town. I tried finding out who the person was and the purpose for the meeting, the voice I heard at the other end of the phone very edifying to my ears and would want to hear it over and over again. Are you Jarlath Opara? Yes, I am, I replied. I read your piece on Gowon: “Before you say goodbye” and would like us to have a conversation around…

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