Category: Opinion

Enhancing Military-Civilian Understanding Through Strategic Public Relations By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon

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The interplay between military institutions and civilian communities is vital for national cohesion and peace. Misunderstandings can arise due to differing cultures, terminologies, priorities, and operational secrecy.   I like to explore how strategic public relations can bridge the gap between these two sectors by fostering communication, transparency, and mutual respect.   Military institutions and civilian populations often share the common goals of national security and peace. However, the two groups operate under vastly different cultures and standards, which can lead to misunderstandings and mistrust.   As global challenges increase…

Between Farotimi and Afe Babalola By Festus Adedayo

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The question of whether the law of defamation is a hindrance to freedom of speech and a curtailment to democratic process confronted the Burkinabe, a few years ago. Lohe Issa Konaté was Burkina Faso, that landlocked West African country’s own Dele Farotimi. He was a journalist with the newspaper, L’Ouragan (The Hurricane). Like a tempestuous hurricane, on August 1, 2012, Konaté published a series of articles in the weekly newspaper attacking the conduct of a local prosecutor in a money counterfeiting matter. A week later, Konaté doubled down on this…

Cry not, North; smell the coffee and act (1), by Hassan Gimba

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The topic on everybody’s, well, almost everybody’s, lips now is tax reform. Everybody has become an expert, so everyone is discussing it: the experts, the neophytes, and even those who do not give a hoot. Nigerians love to talk, dissipate energy, joke about it, and then move on as if nothing happened.   President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows his countrymen well; perhaps that is why he never loses sleep over our vituperations; he gets what he wants when he wants it. In faraway France, he promised to continue with his…

How Ekele Pioneered Mental Health Care in UATH , By Abubakar Yusuf

Abubakar Yusuf

Since his assumption of office after his reappointment, the establishment of Mental Health Department and befitting structure was at the front burner, in view of myriads of human related problems characterised by either Mental Health related diseases and the need to address it through treatment and prevention.   For Professor Bisala Ekele aside prioritizing the establishment of the department of Mental Health at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja , UATH he ensured the erection/ construction of a befitting structure that will house the entire department, the first…

Osun 2026: Crossroads and consequences (1) By abiodun KOMOLAFE

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My experience as a Branch Internal Auditor in a now-consolidated commercial bank during the 2000s taught me the importance of accountability and oversight in institutions. In this role, I identified exceptions, assessed their impact, and recommended corrective actions. This skillset has since informed my understanding of the need for transparency and accountability in governance and political institutions.   Akinwumi Olojo, my former Line Boss and the bank’s Chief Internal Auditor, would often remind us that a governor paying salaries is merely fulfilling his contractual obligation to the electorate. “Thanking him…

You go Civil, He goes Criminal, All Good By Simbo Olorunfemi

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Anger and frustration were boldly written on Senior Advocate Femi Falana’s face. His reputation left hanging in the balance on account of the questions raised by Very Dark Man riding on the claims that had been allegedly made by Bob Risky.   He sighed before making a profound statement to the effect that but for the fact that he had been advocating for the decriminalisation of defamation, he might have been forced to respond differently to Very Dark Man. In other words, he would have proceeded to filing a complaint…

Revolutionizing Corporate Administration: Hussaini Ishaq Magaji’s Achievements as CAC Registrar-General ,By Lukman Laleye Babalola

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Since his appointment as Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on October 16, 2023, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, has implemented groundbreaking reforms aimed at transforming Nigeria’s corporate landscape. His tenure has been marked by strategic innovation, digital transformation, and enhanced service delivery, positioning the CAC as a critical driver of economic growth and formalization in Nigeria. One of Magaji’s standout achievements is the deployment of an AI-powered business registration interface designed to streamline operations and reduce registration time to an unprecedented five minutes. The enhanced online portal now allows…

Tinubu and the VAT Pandora Box ,By Olusegun Adeniyi

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The controversy surrounding the proposed adjustment to the formula for sharing the states’ portion of the Value Added Tax (VAT), especially the derivation component, in the tax reform bills submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu is yet to abate. What I find interesting is that many readers are asking for my take on the issue. When I respond with ‘Tinubu, Wike and the Politics of VAT’ published on this page on 16 September 2021, everyone to whom I have forwarded the column replied that it is worth…

10 ways the tax bills will make states richer – Tope Ajayi

Emporium Reporters

Human beings naturally resist change. When comfortable where we are, we find it extremely difficult to embrace an uncharted path or seek greater glory. Those who are risk averse often don’t want to venture out to embrace unfamiliar territories no matter how tempting the possible reward may appear. We should not, however, be so imprisoned by the fear of the unknown not to explore new possibilities because we find our present circumstances satisfying enough.   Since the public debate around the Tax Reform Bills started, the strongest push back against…

K1 and Fuji: The Debate is Pointless! ,By Olaleye Olawale

Emporium Reporters

I’m not inclined to join the filthy debate on Fuji supremacy. The controversy has never come to a sensible close and may never do. Not even when ego has crept in, and every Fuji artist is now boasting some level of financial security. Good thing, actually!   But whichever way anyone chooses to interpret the unceasing muscle-flexing and the curious resolve to denigrate some elders in their industry, the place of K1 remains immutable and already established. We must acknowledge it because he earned it. It’s not a function of…