Opinion

In meteorological lore, hurricanes – cyclone-strength winds are usually named after females. But an exception was seemingly made last Saturday when ‘Hurricane Oshiomhole’ that sacked the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the maritime state of Bayelsa made landfall. This time, elated locals gave it a man’s name, in sheer awe of the comprehensiveness and clinical finish of the change it brought.

By last week, the governorship/senatorial election in Kogi State had been reduced to a sex duel, with Senator Dino Melaye inviting his arch rival, Governor Yahaya Bello, to a mojo contest.

Now, my introduction to Professor Tam David-West was on this wise: I was brought up by a very strict, educationist father, who would not allow his seven children travel during holidays, particularly the long vacation at the end of the session. He had his own way of keeping us busy.

After the Supreme Court threw out the legal challenge by Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on the February 2019 presidential poll last week, two things flashed across my mind. One was a song, the other, a quote from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which I’d read over 40 years ago.

He’s neither the bat nor the vulture. Like an antique typewriter, he’s just noisome and talkative. He’s not the bat with big eyes trained to see currency colours in pitch darkness. Neither is he the old vulture; weak, power-crazy, brain-lazy and clannish. He’s a Pharisee, for he knows the law, prophesies the prophecies and practises politics.

Recently, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, signed the $629 million financing facility aimed at completion of the Lekki Deep Seaport project.

Nigeria recently partially closed its border with Benin in an effort to stem the smuggling of rice. It then went on to close its land borders to the movement of all goods from Benin, Niger and Cameroon, effectively banning trade flows with its neighbours.

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria from his four-day visit to the Russian Republic extremely happy with the success of the visit, which outcome is the best response to a few skeptical audiences back home, including a toxic newspaper editorial, “Buhari, Stay On Your Job,” by the Lagos-based Punch Newspaper asking him to not travel.

In the World Bank’s 2018 report, titled, “Nigerians Living abroad sent $22bn home in 2017”, the Bank noted that the top recipients of the Diaspora remittances in the world were India with $69bn, Chile ($64bn), Philippines $33bn, Mexico $31bn, Nigeria $22bn and Egypt $20bn

Why are Nigerian politicians ravished by the thought of election? They plot and machinate over it. And when they eventually get into office, they spend four years scheming for another turn instead of honouring their contract with citizens.

Last week, the Nigeria’s senate majority leader reintroduced anti-sexual harassment legislation to parliament, following a serious exposé by the BBC of a sex for grades scandal at the University of Lagos.

I have read both the accounts of the former British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and that of our former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan on what transpired in the early days of the kidnap of the Chibok girls.

There were several crucial outcomes from the three-day state visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Republic of South Africa, October 2nd – 4th, 2019, and here are some highlights from the historic journey.

Remember the sacrifices made by our Founders and great leaders past; by soldiers, by distinguished public servants; by traditional leaders, by our workers —- sacrifices on which Nigeria has been built over the 59 years since Independence in 1960; and

It is no longer news that a company called LILE (LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise) which is a duly registered company in the British Virgin Islands owns the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL).

The Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Administration in Nigeria (2010 – 2015) has generated quite a number of post-tenure publications which significantly, in varying degrees of articulation, veracity and delivery shed light on key developments during that momentous phase in Nigerian politics.

Colossians 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Even with the signing of the Nigerian Oil and Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, many Nigerian investors still exploit the old loopholes in the system to take advantage of this law.