Category: Opinion

Hitler Godwin Obaseki and the N19bn Radisson Hotel Scam By Fred Itua

Emporium Reporters

In the Christian Holy Book, we were told that when it was time for God to redeem man unto Himself and send the messiah, rather than drop him from the sky as a full grown man, He took the long process of passing through the normal human process. The reason as stated in Hebrews 2: 14 – 18 and Hebrews 5:1-3 is so that, the messiah can fully understand and comprehend the challenges peculiar to humans, and therefore, be more merciful and compassionate in dealing with them.   Compassionate and…

Monday Lines: El-Rufai, Obasa and other godfather stories By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

It happened one sunny day in mid-May 2003. I was preparing to go to the office around noon when Tayo, the editor’s secretary, called me. “Mr Olagunju, don’t come to the office, Baba Adedibu is here looking for you. He came with his boys.” There were no two birds bearing ‘hawk’ in the skies of Ibadan at that time. Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu was the strongman of Ibadan politics. He earned that appellation in practical terms on the field of battle. Adedibu was death that thundered before killing; he was lightning…

Ekiti State and the shifting security landscape By HC Ade

Emporium Reporters

Security is the inalienable right from any fear or threat. Security, they also say, is a stage of being free from danger or threat while insecurity is the obvious presence of either or both the danger and the threat.   Insecurity is a global phenomenon that Nigeria and the subnational are having their shares. The genesis of Nigeria’s insecurity challenges is complex and multifaceted. It is traceable to our pre-colonial, colonial era and global effects.   Nigeria of over 250 ethnic groups and a roughly equal split between Muslims and…

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…