Category: Opinion

Nigerian Democratisation and Internal Party Contest for Leadership By Salihu Moh. Lukman

Emporium Reporters

It was the American journalist and political commentator, Fareed Zakaria, in the book The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad who argued that democratisation everywhere is shifting power downward. According to him, the process of democratisation goes far beyond politics and result in hierarchies “breaking down, closed systems are opening up, and pressures from the masses are now the primary engine of social change. Democracy has gone far from being a form of government to a way of life.” The role of political parties all over the…

North Worst Place To Live  By Abba Dukawa

Emporium Reporters

Nigerians in 2015  voted President Buhari to power in anticipation that as (a) former military head of state and a retired General, he was positioned to deal decisively with all forms of threats to security of the people. Out of 15,424,921 casts during 2015 elections GMB gained more than 12 million votes from  the peoples of the Northern Nigerians.Mr President and his handlers clearly knew that Northern votes secured his first and second terms.  The peoples of the region expected to have fair treatment from the administration but the case…

2023: DR. GOODLUCK JONATHAN NOT QUALIFIED TO CONTEST By Law Mefor

Emporium Reporters

A  political thinker posited that politics is a concentric circle of  conspiracies. It is such a conspiratorial game that while statesmen  worry about development to cater for the present and coming generations,  politicians are busy scheming how to retain power, return  to power, or  gain power. Nigerian politicians could pass as the worst hue to be  found anywhere. They bend the rules and violate the laws with impunity  just to attain this stated private objective. For  about a year now, the name of the former President of Nigeria, Dr.  Goodluck…

Governor Gboyega Oyetola: Less Noise, More Results.

Emporium Reporters

Its been 2 years since he became the Executive Governor of Osun State, and silently he has been working to ensure the progress of his people, fostering peace, providing security and an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. His private sector experience, administrative expertise and financial ingenuity has contributed in no small measure to the economic stability Osun State has achieved today, as it is reported that he is yet to take any loan since he assumed that position. Governor Gboyega Oyetola is a man of great wisdom, energy and…

Nigeria’s 2023 Elections: In Pursuit Of Electoral Reforms That Serve the Common Good By Samson Itodo

Emporium Reporters

Electoral policies should place a premium on moral principles, ethics, and maximization of happiness. The 9th National Assembly will be judged by the extent to which the proposed electoral amendments promote happiness for the greater number and not just the political elites. Nigeria’s 21 years of democracy was tested with the conduct of last year’s 2019 general elections. The elections presented an opportunity for Nigeria to consolidate on the gains of the 2015 elections and deepen her democratic transition, but the polls substantially failed to do so.   The Independent…

Sola Fasure’s back and forth over Aregbesola’s visit to Osun By Ismail Omipidan

Emporium Reporters

Yesterday, this was Sola Fasure’s claim: “Yes, he is planning to cel­ebrate it. This is the 10th an­niversary of bringing in pro­gressive government to Osun. That includes eight years of his own tenure and two years of the current administra­tion. Is there anything wrong with that? Sincerely, I don’t even think we should be de­bating that.” – Sola Fasure, Media aide to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, as reported in the Daily Independent of yesterday, November 23, 2020. Today, hear him again: “The Minister is coming principally to carry…

OUR HEARTS ARE HEAVY WITH GRIEF AND OUR EYES FULL OF TEARS By: Prof. Usman Yusuf

Emporium Reporters

1. A lot has been said and written about Nigeria’s deteriorating state of insecurity that one wonders what difference another voice will make. But, dark as the clouds may appear, depressing as the news may be, hopeless as the situation may seem, giving up is a luxury we can not afford. We owe it to our future generations to continue to raise our voices for the voiceless among us in the hope that things will change. 2. The deafening silence in the North to our people’s sufferings is not only…

Why the Legislature must save Nigerians from the excesses of the executive By Aida Nath Ogwuche

Emporium Reporters

The term “trias politica” or “separation of powers” was coined by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, an 18th century French social and political philosopher. His publication, Spirit of the Laws, is considered one of the great works in the history of political theory and jurisprudence, and it inspired the Constitution of our great nation, Nigeria. Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers. He asserted that, to most effectively promote liberty, these three powers must be…

AGENDA SETTING FOR THE JOURNALISM PROFESSION: A CASE FOR THE NEW NAWOJ LEADERSHIP By Yunusa Abugi

Emporium Reporters

By etymological attribution, Reverend Henry Townsend is often ascribed ‘the founder of journalism in Nigeria’ largely due to the efforts of missioners (the Calabar Presbyterian Mission Printing Press of 1846) at spreading evangelism on in Nigeria through handbills and tabloids ‘Iwe Irohin Fun Awon Ara Egba’ by Townsend in November, 1859, transiting to the likes of Herbert Hesse Macauley, Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (the West African Pilot in 1937), Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, (The Nigerian Tribune, 1949, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and many other prominent names that immediately comes to…

UNILAG rift: The exposed scandalous twist, by Tajudeen Balogun

Emporium Reporters

The leadership scrimmage which recently erupted in the University of Lagos, with the latest recall of the sacked Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, to some, is considered to have reached its final stage. To the folks with this mindset, except for references in the future, nothing is substantially left to hear or do again on the saga, which is deserving of serious attention and pondering.   A brief recap of the rumpus. On August 12, 2020, the UNILAG Governing Council, then under the headship of Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), in…