The diverse human experiences and artistic dimensions in Chinua Achebe’s works capture how Igbos detest laziness and drunkenness. In the rich Igbo culture and tradition, for example, drunkards are not given a position of authority. They are laughed at for their buffoonery and refusal to work to discourage the young ones in the community from towing that line.
Democracy is functional and useful only when all the three branches, Executive, Legislative and Judiciary are alive and functioning. Especially the judiciary.Coup d’état, anarchy, riots, chaos’s, etc. are results of a failed judicial system. Citizens and residents prefer to settle their differences peacefully via the judicial decisions where the decisions are made in accordance with the constitution.It is now over two months since the Nigerian presidential elections were over and the results announced, and the candidate of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) filed petitions challenged the announced results and claiming victory. But the Nigerian judiciary has failed to make the final decision on who actually is the president elect. In about a month from now the constitution demands that the president elect should be sworn in.
This pattern of selective justice and vendetta politics was exemplified by Buhari’s apparent shenanigans in the most dramatic bribery incident in the recent Nigerian memory. The central character was the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, the same man babysitting the emirate mess. Lest we forget, Ganduje was caught on camera allegedly receiving bribes in multiple billions of naira. The evidence was overwhelming. The witnesses did not bulge. The whole scene provoked worldwide outrage, as well as mockery for the war against corruption under Buhari. And the situation demanded action from both the state and federal levels. Very stunningly, instead of condemning the incident, President Muhammadu Buhari shocked the world by showering massive encomiums on the rogue governor.
“Knowing Me, Knowing You” was one of the hit tracks of the legendary group “ABBA”. The song writers must have taken their time to discover what the heart breaks does to the soul. The lyrics explain how “what was sweet and cherished becomes bitter and disdainful”. Can we say love will always be what we want it to be? When two hearts decide to merge and live as one life, do we ever think of the possibilities of cold nights, long unnecessary silence or the boredom of sharing a space with a partner? Only the brave will admit that they fall out of love and seek separation after they have gone pass their limits of holding on. So before anyone says “I do”, the families often grill them to find out if they are basing actions on fiction or substance. And what happens when religion says “No” to such anticipated blissful union?
IPOB and Nnamdi Kanu clearly understand this. They have, thus, mastered the skill of using fear to circumvent logic across Igbo land. They have hijacked the higher-brain capacity for critical thinking and reason of many Igbos.
A man who sought to profit from 911 terrorist attack by foreign actors is now proactively courting and inviting the help of foreign actors to attack America’s electoral system
It is no longer news that media practitioners in Nigeria recently joined their colleagues the world over to celebrate the annual world Press freedom day. However, what made the celebration remarkable was President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice of the event to render in both simple and eloquent language words of admonition to the practitioners.
Eleven years ago — to be specific, on July 7, 2008 — the title of my column was: “One Day, the People Will Rebel”. I warned that the extravagant lifestyles of our elite in the face of crippling poverty in the country would come back to bite all of us one day. At the time, kidnappings were a Niger Delta thing as militants agitated for resource control, but I was talking about what I called the “non-oil” kidnappings which I said would become the fad in the near future. I said the Nigerian elite must get the message that they could not continue in their ways and expect peace and safety. I warned that there was a lot of frustration, anger, bitterness and resentment in the land.
Given the studied humility with which Nigerians accepted the outcome of the just concluded 2019 general elections in the country, it will not be an overstatement to say that the nation has happily made some meaningful progress. This fact may not be appreciated until we understand the dilemma post-elections violence has placed on so many countries, and the inherent dangers associated with such development.
War or no war, Donald Trump is going. The only difference this time is that he will be the first American president to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
