Category: Opinion

Monday Lines : Powerful mob at Ikeja power house By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

The English language is a compulsive borrower; a great debtor. It borrows any word that catches its fancy anyhow and from anywhere. From Ancient Rome, the Englishman got loaned mobile vulgus, the Latin phrase for ‘movable, excitable crowd’. The Englishman took that loan and quickly slim-fit the borrowed item to ‘mobile’, then in 1688, he clipped the abbreviation to ‘mob’.   If you are looking for a more practical definition of ‘mob’, go to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Members there will, in confounding unity, act the…

Marcus Onobun: A Serial Hater of Esan Trust and Legacy By Oseghale Otaigbe

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An Esan adage states that it is better to be barren than to give birth to a witch. Another saying warns that a foolish son brings heartache not only to his parents but to the entire community. The presence of such a person yields nothing but sorrow and despair.   The Bible, in Exodus 22:18, commands, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” This underscores the gravity of the damage such individuals can inflict upon their people if left unchecked. But who is a witch? A deeper understanding from…

Wike’s Light Rail In Abuja, By Abubakar Yusuf

Abubakar Yusuf

Since the conception of the location of the new Federal Capital Territory FCT to be located in Abuja , over three decades away, the establishment of ‘Abuja light Rail Project ‘ popularly known as ‘Abuja Metroline’ was conceived to ease movements of people, goods and services through a model transportation of rail system, to complement the vehicular ones from the satellite towns and six area councils of AMAC, Kuje , Gwagwalada, Kwali, Abaji , and Bwari. Even though , the well drafted project was abandoned after so many decades untill…

Lami Fatima Babare (1966-2018): She would have been 59, by Hassan Gimba (Pictures)

Emporium Reporters

This was first published on March 12, 2018, nine days after her death. It is repeated wholly with only a headline change as a posthumous birthday seven years after. Lami Fatima Babare, my beloved wife, my friend, the mother of my children. Today marks one week of your painful death. When we got married on the 30th of October, 1992, our dream was to grow old together; to live to the age when we will walk about alone in the house with walking sticks after sending all the children on…

Now that Natasha has made Akpabio happy By Festus Adedayo

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In South Africa under the presidency of Jacob Zuma, any analysis of government and governance without factoring sex into the mix was tame and lame. Zuma was a notorious polygamist who had six official wives as president, many more by unofficial account and 22 children from the liaisons. He was a kingpin of lechery. On May 8, 2006, a South African court under Judge van der Merwe acquitted him of rape of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, an HIV-positive AIDS activist, who was the daughter of his friend, Judson Kuzwayo. During trial,…

College of Education Ankpa – The Mandate Before Dr Fashagba Femi Paul By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

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The appointment of Dr. Fashagba Femi Paul as the Provost of Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, is a masterstroke in academic leadership. With an impressive track record in academia, administration, and professional excellence, he is undoubtedly the right person to lead the institution into a new era of transformation. His wealth of experience and outstanding credentials make him well-suited for the task ahead, one that requires vision, strategic planning, and a relentless commitment to excellence. Dr. Fashagba’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Having served as the Director of…

IWD 2025: Orelope-Adefulire Reaffirms Commitment to Advancing Women’s Welfare and Accelerating Action

Abubakar Yusuf

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has reaffirmed her office’s dedication to implementing policies and initiatives aimed at advancing the welfare and well-being of women and the girl-child, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Her remarks were contained in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Desmond Utomwen, to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day, celebrated under the theme ‘Accelerate Action’. Princess Orelope-Adefulire noted that this year’s IWD theme serves as a…

My Natasha Comments on Arise: How Leaders Miss Golden Opportunities, By Frank Tietie

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On Thursday, I was feeling unwell after two sleepless nights spent working on a fundamental human rights matter when the producer/director informed me that I was scheduled to appear on Arise News Night to discuss the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Nigerian Senate. I considered declining the assignment, especially since laryngitis had set in that afternoon and I was losing my voice. However, I was unhappy with the Senate’s decision and felt that this might be my only opportunity to express my thoughts on the matter in mainstream…

Tinubu and the Trillion-dollar Economy by 2030- a leap of faith or another Jamboree? By Abdullahi O. Haruna Haruspice

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Tinubu’s administration has set its sights on a bold and transformative economic vision, reaffirming its commitment to bridging financial gaps and fostering inclusive growth across Nigeria. In a significant move to accelerate this agenda, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, a strategic initiative aimed at positioning Nigeria as a trillion-dollar economy by 2030. The event, held at the State House Banquet Hall, also marked the signing of a landmark investment agreement under the Aso Accord Initiative, a key pillar of the administration’s Renewed…

Akpoti-Uduaghan and the emerging controversies By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

The suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months, stemming from her allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of office against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, reveals a deeper issue within Nigeria’s political system. This incident, among others, raises questions about Nigeria’s claim to being a republic, as it exhibits characteristics of a feudal system, where social and economic relationships are defined by patron-client attachments.   In the case of the senate president, a lot has been revealed about the misogynistic nature of much of the Nigerian state. This issue has…