I have been musing over the conundrum above for a very long time, even before this new dispensation of the sincere and stern President Buhari, and I can’t get it off my mind, the possibility, that is. Corruption is defined nowadays simply as “The abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not a subscriber to puritanism or absolute inviolability. Corruption is part of humanki ...

  January 15 every year is Nigeria’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day: wreaths are laid, statements are made, soldiers, government officials and the Nigerian Legion attend parades, pigeons symbolizing peace are released, a dinner is organized for widows of fallen soldiers and there is so much talk about death and dying for one’s country all in honour of Nigerian soldiers who have had to die so that Nigeria ...

  “What a relief, my friend!” “What are you relieved about?” “It is this David Adeleke and Sophia Momodu soap opera”. “I tell you. It is a perfect subject for a good home video. But what is your own?” “No. Nothing. I am just relieved that the parties involved have agreed to let peace reign” “This will be about the third time I would hear of that matter being resolved.” “Well, I think the Momodus and th ...

Controversial former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has admitted that millions of naira that passed through his bank account were contributions from private individuals and not part of the $2.1billion arms money being investigated by the federal government. Fani-Kayode, who was Director of Media and Publicity, Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, during the last presidential election which Jonathan ...

Mr. President, you will recall that I wrote you an open letter on December 28th, 2015 which I sincerely hope that you found most gratifying, illuminating and helpful. That was two days before your Presidential media chat which took place on December 30th. I hereby humbly crave your indulgence to add an addendum to that open letter. That is what this contribution represents. I hope and pray that this second ...

What is the most compelling, most impactful and most remarkable issue in the year 2015 that has just ended? In my estimation, it is democracy: its contents and discontents, its hopes and impediments, and the forceful manner in which these have compelled us afresh to focus on our circumstances and destiny as a people and a nation. In 2015, democracy shaped the national debate. The government of the people, a ...

  “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” This quote is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who wrote extensively about the notion and importance of true friendship as a determinant of “meaningful” living. In Psychology, “a meaningful life is a broad term encompassing a varied number of definitions having to do with the pursuit of life satisfaction. Meaning can be d ...

  “How was Christmas?” “It’s come and gone. Life goes on. We thank God for the gift of life.” “Life will always go on.” “But without life, we can’t have hope.” “Without hope, life has no meaning.” “I am still in a Christmas mood though. I get a chance to rest a lot during holidays” “Where were you?” “I was in my home town, the city of hope. I refused to be deterred by fuel scarcity, the scarcity of cas ...

Christmas looks so different these days from what it was when I was growing up. It is so different it is almost unrecognizable. In this same country, in the 70s, Christmas was a season of celebration, but also of spiritual upliftment, joy abundant, hope, reaffirmation of faith in the certainty of Salvation, and the ritual of that which begins, and that which ends, as a New Year beckoned. We were brought up ...

  So much has been said about the December 12 confrontation between the Nigerian Army and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria led by Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Shia in Nigeria. I guess the point has been well-made that there are faults on both sides. There seems to be a consensus, however, that the followers of Ali, better known as Shiites or the Shia, seem to enjoy confrontati ...