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Opinion: Okada and Keke Ban – Transport for Lagos by Babatunde Gbadamosi

2Feb

By adminNo Comments

Lagos News, News, Nigeria, Transportation

Opinion: Okada and Keke Ban – Transport for Lagos by Babatunde Gbadamosi

Sometime last month, The Lagos State Government announced a partial ban on ALL operators of commercial motorcycles and tricycles in some named parts of Lagos State. The ban went into effect yesterday, Friday, 1st of February 2020. The scenes across Lagos were expected. Thousands of stranded commuters were left to make their way on foot to their various destinations. Social media is awash with stories of Lagosians' first day without their beloved "Keke" and "Okada". Sadly, reports are also rife of law enforcement agents enforcing this ban in areas not named in the official announcement, as a means of extorting hapless operators already reeling from the nefarious activities of the NURTW - its affiliates and the restriction placed on areas in which they can trade. I'm sure this was not ...

Senator Abaribe’s Call on President Buhari to Resign is Foolish – Presidency

30Jan

By adminNo Comments

Legislature, News, Nigeria, Security

Senator Abaribe’s Call on President Buhari to Resign is Foolish – Presidency

President Buhari to resign on what basis? Just because some characters think that President Buhari should resign, then they expect him to quit. That call does not represent the opinion of the country. This is the opinion of an arm chair critic, known for making stray comments. If a leader like President Buhari needs to resign, there are millions of other Nigerians who need to resign, including Senator Abaribe who unlocked the door to enable the escape of traitorous and treasonable suspects. He signed the bond for the court to release Nnamdi Kanu on bail, from which moment the suspect disappeared into the thin air. Senator Abaribe has failed repeated deadlines to return Kanu to the court for trial, yet he has the effrontery with which to accuse someone of failing to the bidding of ...

Junaid Mohammed’s Echo Chamber and the Amotekun Civil War – Reno Omokri

26Jan

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Human Rights, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

Junaid Mohammed’s Echo Chamber and the Amotekun Civil War – Reno Omokri

Recently, the firebrand ex Second Republic member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, warned or threatened that Nigeria may experience another civil war if the Western Nigeria Security Network, better known as Amotekun, is allowed to go ahead. His exact words were as follows: “This idea of Amotekun was an act of recklessness. Those who are at the forefront of the Amotekun, while in Abuja they are APC, but when they go back to their respective states, they are something else. So, it shows you that these people are actually unreliable. If care is not taken they will drag us into another civil war and I don’t believe the country can survive another civil war.” With the way Nigeria is currently so polarised, politicians and pundits risk living in an echo chamber, whi...

Africa’s Corruption – A Case Of Warped Europhilia

26Jan

By Ndidi UwechueNo Comments

Africa, Corruption, Features, News

Africa’s Corruption – A Case Of Warped Europhilia

26th January 2020 We need an answer to give African children and young people when they ask us, “Why is there so much stealing going on?” and “Why do our civil servants and politicians keep on looting public resources?” They deserve to be answered not only because they are going to have to suffer the consequences of living with the savagery of such high levels of corruption, but their generation could also be the one that will put up a good fight against it. So our children and young people need to know exactly what they are going to have to deal with. To know the reason for the stealing, just “follow the money”. This is an expression that means that to expose illicit wealth or unjust enrichment, trail the money. So again then, why is Africa’s public money not being used fo...

Opinion: The Public Discourse Over Amotekun – Bola Ahmed Tinubu

22Jan

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News, Nigeria, Security

Opinion: The Public Discourse Over Amotekun – Bola Ahmed Tinubu

This issue has dominated recent discourse and media headlines. Distilled to its basics, it concerns how best state governments can assist with the safety and security of their residents. This is a matter of serious concern entitled to sober thought. However, it has been turned into a political tug-of-war. Fierce, often unthinking rhetoric, for and against, has crossed the lips of too many Nigerians. More subjective talking than objective thinking has been the fuel of this outburst. Question those in favour of Amotekun. Most have but the vaguest notion about it. They know few details yet vigorously attribute to its opponents the most negative intentions. Ask those who oppose Amotekun. They are equally ignorant of its provisions. They oppose the initiative not on its merits but merely bec...

Opinion: Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn As a Game Changer For 2023 by Reno Omokri

22Jan

By adminNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Safety

Opinion: Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn As a Game Changer For 2023 by Reno Omokri

A lot has been written about the introduction of the region wide security outfit for the Southwest, known as Àmọ̀tẹ́kùn. Much of it is built around emotions. And as my readers may have noticed, I am not a NICE man. I am a WISE man. I deal with facts. I do not deal in emotions. Nnamdi Kanu is only partly right. Nigeria is definitely not a zoo. But, I must confess that we live in a jungle, and if you do not understand how the food chain works in a jungle, you will soon find yourself at the bottom of that chain, and it is not a pleasant place to be. ‪When you live in a geography where might is right, and 5 percenters are treated like lepers, you cannot afford to be emotional. If a lion feels sorry for gazelles and antelope, it will not only starve, but its offspring will starve with it!...

Opinion: Push for Political Islam is Insensitive and Needless, Portends a Grave Danger to Security and Stability

15Jan

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Judiciary, News, Nigeria, Religion

Opinion: Push for Political Islam is Insensitive and Needless, Portends a Grave Danger to Security and Stability

By Majeed Dahiru The rise to power of President Muhammadu in 2015 birthed a far right political culture that sparked off a wave of ethno-geographic and religious populism across the Muslim north. President Buhari’s reputation as a champion of political Islam and a defender of northern interests was reinforced by his elevation of nepotism to a near state policy, which has resulted in the manifest domination of his Muslim northern section of the country over others in the scheme of things in his government. Securing an overwhelming victory throughout the Muslim north in his 2019 re-election bid was a form of vote of confidence on his provincial proclivities that has beatified ethno-geographic irredentism and religious bigotry as political virtues to be democratically rewarded in the reg...

13Jan

By adminNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Religion

Opinion: Much Ado About Arabic on Naira Notes and Nigerian Army Flag by Reno Omokri

Recently, a lawyer sued the Federal Government on the issue of Arabic inscriptions on our currency and on the Nigerian Army’s logo. The fellow, Malcolm Omirhobo, wants the Federal High Court to declare as “illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional to allow the Nigerian Army logo to be adorned, and inscribed in Arabic language, instead of the official English language or Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo which are the three main languages or ethnic groups in Nigeria.” I see this as a function of ignorance, and I will explain. Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo are all spoken languages. None of them are written languages, although there does exist some limited form of writing among a few Nigerian tribes. The Hausa people adapted Arabic into the ajami script, and the Igbo have an ancient pictogram writing st...

Opinion: Are You A Marlian? – Bayo Adeyinka

10Jan

By adminNo Comments

Life, Lifestyle

Opinion: Are You A Marlian? – Bayo Adeyinka

It looks harmless- just ordinary dancing steps. Great legwork and body movements. Very rhythmic and colourful. It's just a fad. And like all other fads, it will come, be around for a while and then expire. Ar least, we've had other fads and none lasted forever. Fads come and fads go. Another one will soon replace this Marlian Fad. Inside life. Right? I'm not willing to accept this Marlian craze as just a fad. It's not only banal but it actually plays down social vices such as fraud and debauchery. It goes beyond some seemingly harmless dancing steps. There is a very subliminal but subtle indoctrination going on that encourages rebellion and makes a fraudulent lifestyle acceptable. Just listen to the lyrics of Am I A Yahoo Boy and lines like "Maga to fun mi lowo steady se Karin wa ko...

Opinion: 2023, Bola Tinubu and the Cost of Political Miscalculation by Sanusi Muhammad

31Dec

By adminNo Comments

News, Nigeria

Opinion: 2023, Bola Tinubu and the Cost of Political Miscalculation by Sanusi Muhammad

The godfather of Lagos politics, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2015, led the Southwest into an alliance with the north to birth the All Progressive Alliance (APC). His decision, evidently, was informed by the expectation that the two geopolitical regions will share power, invariably to the exclusion of the Eastern bloc. And ultimately that he, or the Southwest will take power by the time the north completes two terms in 2023. But it has proved to be a miscalculation. Certainly, power play is about conspiracies and alliances. Tinubu is well within his right to do what he thought would best advance his political interest and that of his region. However, in backing President Muhammadu Buhari, he cut his nose to spite his face. It may not have seemed obvious to many, but once Buhari took...