Category: Opinion

Trump’s wrath of Oedipus By Lasisi Olagunju

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Mr Donald Trump and his Generals are buckling their armour to wipe out terrorists who kill Christians in Nigeria. “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet…” the American president tweeted yesterday. Nigerians who heard Trump probably wondered where he is going to start from. People abducting people, people killing people are everywhere in Nigeria: North-East, North-West, North-Central, the South – everywhere. The forests are deeply infested; the cities have them thick behind seedy walls.…

CSOs applaud Tinubu over 15% fuel import tariff … Say policy will end dumping of substandard products, fuel scarcity

Lukman Laleye Babalola

A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Rights Activists has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a 15 percent import duty on refined petroleum products, described the move as a bold and strategic step toward achieving energy self-sufficiency and protecting Nigeria’s domestic refineries. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Convener, Mr. Agabi Emmanuel, said the decision was not a revenue drive but a deliberate policy to end the dumping of fake and substandard fuels in the country.   “This 15%…

From Shared Desks to Separate Worlds: The Price of Educational Apartheid, by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

The Arbiter In traditional Nigeria, especially in the Muslim North, where I can confidently say I know a thing or two, segregation was minimal. Communities were integrated, with children of various social backgrounds associating freely. This social cohesion, evident from history and personal accounts, has eroded, giving way to educational divisions that now mirror and deepen societal inequalities. Stories from our elders describe community events that fostered lifelong friendships between the offspring of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie included the middle class, senior public officials, and wealthy families,…

Abulu, the prophetic madman, at Akure summit By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

I have read enough works on the phenomenon of sycophancy in politics to know that it is a democratic curse. Whenever I reflect on its curse on development, my mind hovers over a character called Abulu in Akure, Ondo State-born Chigozie Obioma’s The fishermen (2015). A fictional book that got the shortlist of The Booker Prize, in it, four well-brought up kids of same parents, in the city of Akure, where the tragic plot was set, capitalize on a parental lacuna of their father’s absence to manifest traits of truancy…

Akpabio’s Drive Towards Sustainable Peace in Akwa Ibom and the Nation By Ken Harries, Esq

Emporium Reporters

Peace is the foundation of every prosperous society and few Nigerian leaders have pursued it with the consistency and conviction of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, President of the Tenth Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. From his earliest days in public service to his current national role, Akpabio has remained a firm believer in unity, dialogue and peaceful coexistence as the bedrock of progress.   His peace journey began in 2002 when Obong Victor Attah appointed him Commissioner in his administration. Even at that level, Akpabio stood out for…

Forthcoming … By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

I had the privilege of witnessing the Ekiti APC governorship consensus ratification on October 27, 2025. At this event, 885 delegates endorsed Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, aka BAO, as the consensus candidate for the June 20, 2026 governorship election.   On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, I also joined the governor’s entourage to the commissioning of the reconstructed Itawure-Okemesi-Ekiti Road, the lighting of Okemesi-Ekiti, and the reopening of the equipped General Hospital in Okemesi-Ekiti.   Reflecting on these events, I’m led to ask: Was the outpouring of support for the governor…

Tinubu and the significance of yesterday (2) By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

The detail makes the difference! In 1961, the regional government in Western Nigeria made tax cuts to shore up its dwindling electoral prospects, largely caused by a drop in commodity prices. There was, however, an unexpected resistance to the tax cuts in some provinces, particularly in Ekiti, Ijebu and Ondo. Over 300 people were arraigned before magistrates across the region for unruly conduct and bound over. The key point here is that people, after an initial resistance in the middle of the 1950s, had come to accept the benefits of…

Halal Economic Strategy As Muslims And Non-Muslims Economy By Imam Murtadha Gusau

Emporium Reporters

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially 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.   Fellow Nigerians! Know that, the Halal economy strategy has in recent years emerged as one of the most dynamic sub-sectors of the global economy with a powerful transformative force for socio-economic development. It has also become a leading component of economic growth, employment, trade, innovation and…

Monday Lines Escaping from Nigeria By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

When Christopher Columbus met the Tanio people in today’s Bahamas in 1492, he handed them a sword, they grasped it by the blade and had their fingers cut. To Columbus, that was enough proof that the Tanios lacked the right education and knowledge and therefore could be easily conquered.   Columbus wrote of that experience: “They brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned…They were well built, with good…

Allah Knows Your Enemies Better Than You, And Allah Suffices As A Protector And Allah Suffices As A Helper! By Imam Murtadha Gusau

Emporium Reporters

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially 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! There’s a special verse from the noble Qur’an (Surah An-Nisa, 4:45) that states: “But Allah is most knowing of your enemies; and sufficient is Allah as an ally, and sufficient is Allah as a helper.” This Qur’anic verse emphasises that Allah has complete knowledge…