Tag: Femi Adesina

A ‘GOOD SETBACK’ BY 60 YEARS

Emporium Reporters

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a fixation with 60 years. At the height of its heady days in power, it challenged its Chi (personal god) to a wrestling contest, vowing that it would rule Nigeria for minimum of 60 years. We know how the story ended. The Chi gave the boastful party a thunderous pin-fall. So great was the fall that not all the king’s horses nor all the king’s men could put Humpty Dumpty together again. The Sugar Candy Mountain of 60 years ended in 16 years, with…

Aregbesola comes to Judgment By Femi Adesina

Emporium Reporters

Wednesday June 10, 2020, was ‘judgment day’ for Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Incidentally, the day had broken with stories of denials of rift between him and his political mentor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former two-term Governor of Lagos State, and National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC had outlawed all party sub-groups in Lagos, where Aregbesola had his political foundations, and still maintains a stranglehold, despite having been a two-term Governor in Osun State. The buzz was that the Minister was possibly eyeing the Presidency…

FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Buhari felicitates with 9th National Assembly

Emporium Reporters

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent warm greetings to the leadership and members of the 9th National Assembly on their first anniversary, extolling the sense of duty and diligence in handling issues related to the development of the country. President Buhari saluted the vision, courage and patriotism of the Assembly, noted, with appreciation, the understanding and maturity of the lawmakers in speedily processing bills that directly impact the welfare of Nigerians, courageously finding common grounds to move the country forward, and passionately carrying out their oversight functions with justice and fairness.…

FIVE YEARS OF PMB: WE’RE GLAD HE CAME OUR WAY

Emporium Reporters

Who are the ‘we?’ Speak for yourself only, some cynics would say on merely seeing the headline of this piece. They would add: “You can talk because you are in government, earning ‘fat’ salary and enjoying other perks of office, so why won’t you be glad?” Okay. So that there’ll be peace, I agree that I enjoy all the things you claim, and more. But is that any reason for anyone to carry anger around in his bosom? What then happened to goodwill towards all men, and malice to none?…

‘IF YOU CAN’T TAKE BLOWS BROTHER, DON’T THROW BLOWS’

Emporium Reporters

Let me start by giving due credit for this headline, which is not original to me. I lifted it from the 1983 song by reggae star, Peter Tosh, in the album titled Mama Africa. The song is Glass House, and it goes thus: “If you live in a glasshouse Don’t throw stones And if you can’t take blows brother Don’t throw blows.” I’ve recently found out that it’s the opposite that some Nigerians want. They want to use foul language, harangue their President, abuse him, and then, nobody must respond…

ENEMY OF THE STATE BY FEMI ADESINA

Emporium Reporters

You have possibly watched the 1998 action-thriller film with the above title, starring Will Smith. It was the box office hit story about a group of people plotting to kill an American Congressman, and the tape of the plot was discovered. Well, an Enemy of the State struck in Nigeria on Monday, but this time, it was no fiction. It was real life act of sabotage from somebody who does not wish his own country well at all, and who derived a sinister kind of pleasure from undermining the system.…

The Scoundrel Called Bayo Oluwasanmi By Femi Adesina

Emporium Reporters

This is a piece I have written very reluctantly. It took me three full days to decide to write it, as I was between and betwixt on it. Should I, or should I not? If I do, wouldn’t I be exacting vengeance for myself, when the one I serve has told me: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And because of that conviction, I very, very rarely do rejoinders, no matter the virulence of the language deployed against me. I often leave matters to the one who recompenses, and who…

COVID-19: What President Buhari has done, and is doing, by Presidency

Emporium Reporters

In his broadcast to the nation on Sunday, March 29, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari declared that “in Nigeria’s fight against Covid-19, there is no such thing as an overreaction or under-reaction. It is all about the right reaction by the right agencies and trained experts.” Lest we forget, below is a chronicle of some of the reactions by the agencies and trained experts, under the leadership of President Buhari. All these are apart from the impressive job being done by some state governors. · January 28, 2020, (one month before…

PMB at 77: ‘Please tell Baba we are with him all the way’ By Femi Adesina

Emporium Reporters

I boarded a commercial airliner heading to Lagos from Abuja. I was already seated, and strapping my seat belt, when a young man approached me. He must have been in his late 20s, or at most, early 30s. I shook hands, greeted him warmly, and he slipped something in my palm. He went back to his seat. It was a piece of paper, and on it was written: “Please, tell Baba we are with him all the way.” My eyes became misty. I knew who he was talking about. My…

2019: Let the others simply run away By Femi Adesina

Emporium Reporters

There are two options for those in contention for the presidency in 2019: run, or run away. Now that President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated his intention to run, dwarfs trying to wear a giant’s shoes should simply run away. The cat has returned from a journey, let the rats scamper for safety. Show clean pairs of heels? But this is a democracy! Everybody is free to run in the direction he or she fancies. True. So, what I’ve said is mere advice, which they can take, or choose not to…