Category: Opinion

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…

Amshi and NASC Legacy of Consolidated Democratic Governance in Nigeria. BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF.

Abubakar Yusuf

In anything you do in life ,and anywhere you find yourself, the need to live a lasting legacy is desiring and beyond imagination.   For the Engr Ahmed Kadi Amshi FNSE, the immediate past Chairman , National Assembly Service Commission NASC and his commissioners , the legacy of service in all ramifications was adored everywhere.   For five consecutive years, Kadi and his commissioners has changed the narratives of activities at the National Assembly Service Commission NASC and the National Assembly NASS, particularly as it boarders on employment status and…

GOV OKPEBHOLO’S UNSHAKEN DRIVE TO RECOVER EDO’S STOLEN ASSETS By Fred Itua

Emporium Reporters

On Wednesday, February 5th, 2025, could best be described as a day of gloom in Edo State, and indeed, our country, Nigeria! A black Wednesday as mind blogging, heart renting, and unbelievable revelations were brought to light   Gloomy enough to declare for a state wide mourning, with all residents dressed in sackcloths, covered in ashes as they mourned the depth of plundering, mind blogging looting, heartless shady deals, lack of transparency and institutionalization of corruption by Godwin Obaseki’s led administration.   While many have often taunted the immediate past…

Ribadu – El-Rufai: Before Today, There Was Yesterday, and There’ll Be Tomorrow By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

Emporium Reporters

On November 26, 2011, Yasmin, the eldest daughter of Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, passed away at the young age of 25 in her London apartment. Overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, despite his own constricted emotions, displayed remarkable strength and loyalty. He travelled to London to bring home the fragile remains of Yasmin, the beloved daughter of his friend. It was a deeply moving moment—an exhibition of pure and undiluted friendship. From that day, my admiration for both men grew immensely. Until Yasmin was finally laid to rest, Ribadu…

Re: Redeployment of Senator Victor Umeh, a necessary change for diaspora, By Emmy Ekong

Emporium Reporters

Barely 24 hours after the redeployment of Sen. Victor Umeh from the Senate Committee Chairman on Diaspora and Non-Govermental Organizations (NGOs), Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, a man renowned for not seeing anything good in Nigeria and Nigerians, has taken to town again in his usual stock in trade of running down achievers and compatriots as if he has no other job, which, in fairness, he does not. So, may be he has created an oversight function for himself to keep him busy, albeit a very mischievous one.   This time around,…