Category: Opinion

We have seen how America behaves when it sets its sights on invading a country. All the indices regarding Nigeria point in that direction. Its President has set the ball rolling, and we can already see how the chips are falling into place. Nigeria and South Africa are on his radar, but first things first—Nigeria is the easier prey. South Africa has proved to be a more formidable global player, so they are handling it with caution.   But just as our ancestors had ways of warding off the evil…

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our beloved master Muhammad, the last of Prophets, on his family, and all his companions. Dear brothers and sisters! Know that, in times of insecurity and fear, Islam calls Muslim believers to strengthen their Iman (their faith), to practice patience, and to place their complete reliance solely on Allah, who is the ultimate source of all security and peace. True strength lies in…

Charles Dickens, in his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities, contrasted the turbulent similarities and differences of London and Paris during a time of profound change. For London and Paris, Dickens famously summed up his assessment as being “the best of times and the worst of times.”   Ekiti and Osun are currently undergoing a deep political transition, as they present both similar and contrasting situations. In Ekiti, the incumbent governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO), has accomplishments to show the people and is seeking re-election. Osun, however, presents a…

In the theatre of national activism, few stories illustrate the cost of miscalculated confrontation as vividly as that of Nnamdi Kanu. His journey, once fueled by passion and followed by many, has gradually transformed into a cautionary tale, one the nation must heed carefully.   For more than a decade in my own journey as an activist, advocating for the rights of humanity across communities and institutions, one principle has guided my work: dialogue, not retaliation; engagement, not violence; evidence and reason, not hostility toward the state. Every cause I…

“Don’t fight Man,” said Lion to his Cub, but the Cub didn’t listen. The Cub went looking for Man.   He saw a Bull. “Are you Man?”   “No, I bear Man’s yoke.”   Next he saw a Horse. “Are you Man?”   “No, Man rides me.”   Then he saw someone splitting logs with wedges: a Man!   “Fight me, Man!” said the Cub.   “I will! But first, help me split this log.”   When the Cub put his paws in the crack, Man knocked out the wedge,…

“You taught me language, and my profit on it / Is, I know how to curse” (William Shakespeare: ‘The Tempest’). The Nigerian government and the Nigerian Academy of Letters are fighting over which language to use in training our kids. In a recent decision, the government cancelled the language policy which said the first six years of a child’s schooling should be delivered in the language of their local environment. The government probably felt that English is the language of our masters, its owner, so, it cancelled the extant policy…

President Bola Tinubu did the unexpected last Wednesday. He attended the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) Conference 2025. It was the very first for any Nigerian president. Quite absurdly, the watchdog, the Nigerian press, willingly moved into the tiger’s buba – the lair – for deliberation on its welfare. Ayinla Ade-Gaitor, the Iganna, Ìwájòwà LGA of Oyo State-born Apala musician of the 1970s/80s fame, equally wondered at this quixotic equation. My compatriots, can a tiger and a dog co-habit in the same lair? – “K’ájá ó dúró, k’ékùn ó dúró,…