Category: Opinion

Good News from Ekiti State By Michael Abiola

Emporium Reporters

Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s selection as ‘Governor of the Year 2024′ comes as no surprise, given his strategic vision for Ekiti State. One worth mentioning is the construction of a world-class Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport in the state. This is not just for the immediate but also laying the foundations for a modern industrial economy.   Oyebanjis recent commitment to reviving commodity boards and strengthening cooperative movements for which Western Nigeria was well-renowned and made very significant strides in the past is noteworthy. Without doubt, this effort will complement the…

How Many States Do We Need? By SImon Kolawole

Emporium Reporters

The House of Reps has received proposals to create 31 new states across the country. Amazing. If every proposal sails through (which I doubt), that means we will end up with 67 states since we currently have 36 of them. That would mean 67 state governors, 67 state cabinets (with thousands of commissioners, special advisers and special assistants), 67 houses of assembly (with thousands of lawmakers and their aides) and, how do I say this… 67 motorcades full of the latest models of bullet-proof SUVs. With almost every state trying…

Wike’s Lightnings in FCT, BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF

Abubakar Yusuf

Since the appointment of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT in 2023, a new dawn has encapsulated all facets of the nation’s capital, wearing a new look in all areas.   Having prioritised security and infrastructural rejuvenation and development, Barrister Nzenwo Nyesom Wike provided beyond expectations in the last one year both at the city centre and even the six area councils including villages adjoining them .   The new Minister lighted up the Federal Capital Territory FCT with renewable energy, solar street lights through…

Bisi Akande, poverty and Ige’s death By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

In her biography of Ayo Rosiji, one of the key politicians of Nigeria’s first republic, entitled Man With Vision, Australia-born historian, Nina Mba, citing a Holmes, called biographers “People who knead people.” In other words, biographers knead their subjects from raw flour into edible form. You then wonder what the late lecturer in the History department of the University of Lagos would have called autobiographers. Self-conjurers, perhaps. For, in the process of piecing together bits about themselves, those who write their life histories have been accused of selfishly adding together…

Can Buni tame the Lake Chad curse?, by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

That is the question. Perhaps we should first take a look at Lake Chad and Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State and current chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum.   The Lake Chad Basin is an area of about 2,434,000 square kilometres (940,000 square miles), roughly 8 per cent of Africa. It includes parts of Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Niger and is fed by the Chari, Logone, and Yobe Rivers.   There are around 30 million inhabitants and over 70 ethnic groups, with their primary sources…

That Prince Audu Abubakar’s Son, Enemona By Onoja Integrity

Emporium Reporters

Although this piece is primarily intended for the people of Kogi State, especially Kogi Easterners, I cannot foresee who else may come across it. For the benefit of those who do not understand Igala, the name Enemona simply means “Who Knows Tomorrow?” Just as the Igbos would say “Onyemaechi.”   The late great Prince Abubakar Audu, a former governor of Kogi State and yet-to-declared governor-elect before his sudden passing, was the father of politics in Kogi State. Even when he was out of office, he remained the dominant force in…

El-Rufai and Ribadu: the hacks spread spicy lies By MOHAMMED SALIHU

Emporium Reporters

Anyone is free to be a hack for hire, but you would expect that, at least for the sake of retaining a little credibility for the next assignment, the hired hack would show a bit of concern for facts. Facts are important in political commentary as they are in any field that is distinct from the writing of fables. It is easy to pick apart the commissioned lies that Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice rushed to press with in his write-up on the twists and turns in the El-Rufai/Ribadu relationship. The…

AMAECHI’S IRRESPONSIBLE POWER GRAB DIATRIBE By Femi ODERE

Emporium Reporters

“No matter how long a log stays in the water, it doesn’t become a crocodile,” a Bambara proverb from Mali.   The above epigraph speaks to what can at best be described as questionable the leadership credentials of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, despite his many years at the apex of the political leadership of the Nigerian nation.   Without a doubt, Mr. Amaechi now qualifies to be among the new generation of the country’s leadership league that began in this political dispensation in 1999 till date. For starters, he was the…

El-Rufai, Amaechi and the loose cannons of Nigeria’s politics By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, two influential figures in Nigerian politics, have been making headlines with their bold comments and actions. Their unconventional approach has sparked debate about whether they’re reckless loose cannons or calculated strategists. As Nigeria navigates its intricate political landscape, El-Rufai, Amaechi, and other key players will undoubtedly influence the country’s future. El-Rufai and Amaechi recent actions suggest opportunistic tendencies, raising important questions. With the government barely two years old, their intervention seems premature. Rather than a midterm review, their actions lack critical thinking and…

Between Kyari’s Fuel Importation Figures and the rest of us By Bala Kuta

Emporium Reporters

There seems to be more than meets the eye regarding what is happening in the country’s petroleum sector. Recently we have witnessed the drama between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Dangote Refinery. From the foregoing, all is not well and Nigerians are bearing the brunt of the unending imbroglio. Either way, Nigeria and Nigerians are the ultimate losers, unless we get our priorities right by clearly defining what we want and whether we want to make progress as a country.   I will start the piece in…