OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE is where independent minds meet to dissect politics, society, power, and global affairs without fear or filters. This is not mainstream media.
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The vox-pop: Should Africans hold the late Queen Elizabeth responsible for the evils of colonialism, neocolonialism and apartheid? What’s your view on the tweet by Prof. Uju Anya of the Carnegie-Mellon University? The death on Thursday of United Kingdom’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has given a new impetus to the quest by Nigerian historians and enthusiasts to take a long journey down the memory lane. The social media is awash with what many perceive was the late Queen’s uncomplimentary role in the three-year civil war between the federal side and Biafra, the then Eastern Nigeria predominantly occupied by…
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I have always said it that the core of the Igbo political class are not fit to represent the region in National politics. Most of them were mostly hungry and struggling before they joined politics. Very few who had something meaningful doing were barely well educated before joining politics. All these factors impacted heavily on their knowledge of what regional representation is all about. It’s all about what they can get for themselves: the first category see politics as an escape from poverty while the second group think it’s an extension of their business life Contrasting it with their counterparts…
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Friday Sep 16, 2022 King Charles III is being urged to step down and let his son Prince William take the throne within two years. The new monarch, who ascended the throne at the age of 73 last week, has been warned by the royal commentators that His Majesty should gear up for a short reign. Commentator Conor Friedersdorf said: “A more consequential use of Charles’s reign would be to rule briefly and abdicate at 75 – the age when British judges are compelled to retire from the bench – while touting the importance of passing the throne to Prince…
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Omenụkọ was the first Igbo published novel in 1933. It was written by Pita Nwanna. The writer did not go to any primary school, college or University. He was a carpenter. He learnt art of writing by attending Sunday School at Methodist Church, Ụzụakọli. In 1933, Omenụkọ won several awards, representing indigenous African Literature. Pita Nwanna hailed from Arọndizuọgụ, Imo State. The story depicts resilience, doggedness of an Igbo man to surmount obstacles, travel, take risks and achieve greatness.
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Fellow Nigerians, you commit an unforgivable sin in the eyes of God, and a crime in the eyes of man and your generations unborn, when you take money and vote to keep yourselves, your children and your generations unborn in perpetual slavery and servitude. These are the kinds of actions that can be construed as the basis for generational and foundational curses. Nothing could be more sensible, righteous and democratic than to refuse your vote to be bought or you take the money and then vote for your liberation. Vote buying has been going on unpunished for as long as…
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Think & Grow Rich is a In 1937 bestselling self-improvement book written by Napoleon Hill. This book has been key to numerous people’s success and if you ask high performing and successful people who are lifelong learners, more than likely have read this book. In chapter seven Hill outlines a short list of causes of failures. He later expanded this list to include 54 overall. This book is bought by most to learn and understand techniques, examples and reasons for success. Hill lays out thirteen principles for success in any line of work, summarized from interviews with many individuals who…
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Arab slavery had already begun in Africa more than 700 years before the European transatlantic slave trade. The slave trade began when the Arabs invaded North Africa for the first time in the 7th century AD. The first Arab entry into Africa was through Egypt. An Arab military general named General Amir Aben Alas invaded Egypt in December 639 AD. Amir had successfully conquered Egypt and went ahead and conquered other places such as Tunisia and western Libya. Once these areas had been completely conquered by the Arabs, they imposed tributes of 360 slaves in all regions they occupied and…
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Video Stirs Mixed Reactions A yet-to-be-identified Nigerian woman in the United Kingdom has sent her husband packing after he called the police on her Her husband was said to have involved the police after she threatened to kill him with a weapon during an argument The man had reportedly brought the lady to the UK and sponsored her university education in a bid to help her get a better job A Nigerian man in the UK identified as Charles has been thrown out of the house by his wife. Instablog9ja, which shared videos from the incident, reports that the man called the…
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The Russian president discussed key foreign policy issues with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Current attempts to push for a unipolar world “have taken an absolutely ugly form lately, which the overwhelming majority of nations of the planet find unacceptable,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. The remark came as he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Russia and China “stand together for a just, democratic, multipolar world order based on international law and the central role of the UN, and not on some…
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Nigeria practices presidentialism, and in a presidential democracy, the nation rests on the shoulders of one man. Health is therefore of major concern in determining the electability of a candidate. This gives no room for arguments. All public offices, the office of the president inclusive, demand occupiers who are sound both in body and in mind. This is necessary so that efficiency and proficiency will be brought to bear in the discharge of responsibilities of the office. Nigeria is one county where the unthinkable happens all the time; a nation where many citizens for primordial reasons sleepwalk into quagmires and…
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The Department of State Services (DSS) has submitted that the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnap negotiator, Mallam Tukur Mamu has affiliations with many terrorist organizations.The secret police in a document submitted before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday alleged that Mamu who is an ally to a controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has an alliance with both local and international terrorist organizations. DSS said Mamu was using his news platform, Dessert Heralds as a cover-up for his connection with terrorists. It added that Mamu shares information with terrorist groups, resulting in the escalation of bandit attacks in Nigeria.…
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The distraction called President Muhammadu Buhari visit to Imo State was scheduled to suffer several thunderstorms. Coincidentally, IPOB directed a sit – at – home, same Tuesday, September 13, 2022, in honour, sympathy and solidarity for its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing trial in an Abuja federal high court for alleged felony. Kanu appeared in court yesterday, and the entire South East observed the lockdown order. Taking a concerned and unbiased analysis on the three projects Governor Hope Uzodimma presented to President Muhammadu Buhari for commissioning, the senator who represented Orlu zone for eight years deserves commendation, given…
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This one-off Mercedes S600 Royale is dubbed a Mercedes-Maybach S600 on steroids. Based on the S-Class S550, the S600 Royale is a sight to behold. It makes its presence known every it goes. We’ve seen all kinds of wonderful creations from custom tuning houses and enthusiasts across the world. This custom one-off Mercedes S600 Royale dubbed the Mercedes-Maybach S600 on steroids, is one of such examples. The one-off luxury sedan is a sight to behold. The S600 Royale makes its presence known ever since it was first seen in 2016. Built by Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), the S600 Royale began life as a brand…
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LAGOS, Sept 9 (Reuters) Nigeria’s crude oil production fell below 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, figures from its regulator show, as the nation grappled with rampant theft from its pipelines and years of underinvestment. The decline is a further threat to strained finances in Africa’s most populous nation and cuts global oil supply amid soaring energy costs due to the war in Ukraine. Nigeria’s total oil and condensates output dropped to an annual low of 1.18 million bpd in August, data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showed. Richard Bronze, head of geopolitics for consultancy Energy…
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September 13, 2022 Angola and Libya have overtaken Nigeria as Africa’s highest crude oil producer, says a report by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). OPEC made this known in its Oil Market Report for September 2022, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos. According to the report, Nigeria’s crude oil production for the month of August averaged 1.100 million barrels per day. The report said the figure showed a decrease of 65,000mb/d when compared to the 1.164mb/d produced averagely in the month of August. However, the report said Angola…
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Holders of the peoples mandate must subject themselves to criticism, constructive or otherwise, because you have placed yourselves accountable for the welfare and wellbeing of many. The nigerian democratic system is based on the party system of government. It is a government by criticism and exposition and therefore, it has to be governed by three players – a party in power, independent critics and a party or parties in Opposition. The major role of an opposition party is that it helps to check the activities of the party in power with a view to pointing out where they are retrogressing…
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was not nursing any presidential ambition after 2019, reportedly decided to join the 2023 race after moves by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his allies to truncate the chances of his preferred candidate, Peter Obi. Peter Obi, who is now the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, had left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the party’s presidential primary. Party sources disclosed to Vanguard that ahead of the 2023 presidential primaries there was a quiet plan to cede the presidency to the South-East with Peter Obi and Anyim Pius Anyim penciled down…
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The then Labour government secretly provided large quantities of arms to the Nigerian federal government which, by early 1970, had crushed an attempt by the country’s eastern region of Biafra to gain independence, which it had declared in May 1967. During the three years of war, up to three million people died, as Nigeria enforced a blockade on Biafra, causing widespread starvation amid considerable international opposition to the conflict. British policy was mainly shaped by its oil interests, declassified government documents from the time show. “Our direct interests are trade and investment, including an important stake by Shell/BP in the…
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Like a prude confronted with sexually explicit images, the world didn’t hide its shock at Nigerian-born American professor, Uju Anya’s negative comments last week on the late British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The world had waited with bated breath at manifest indications that Elizabeth’s last hours had come. Amid this apprehension, the associate professor of Applied Linguistics, Critical Sociolinguistics and Critical Discourse at Carnegie Mellon University launched her salvo. It came in the form of a tweet that brimmed with bile and hate. She had tweeted: “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving, raping genocidal empire is finally dying.…
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“There’s fire on the mountain and nobody seems to be on the run There’s fire on the mountain top and no one is a-running…One day the river will overflow And there’ll be nowhere for us to go And we will run, run Wishing we had put out the fire In this season of university closure and youth rudderlessness, the lyrics of superstar Asa’s hit track, “Fire on the mountain”, commend themselves to Nigerians. Some may say that there has always been fire on Nigeria’s Mountain, and they may have a point there. University closures have become the new ‘normal’. In…
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Atiku has never been loyal to any PDP past president, he wasn’t loyal to Obasanjo, Yaradua or Goodluck Jonathan. He betrayed them by decamping just to fight against them. Now, does he expect governors to be loyal to him and support his own ambition? never. Discerning elements in the PDP know for a fact that Atiku wouldn’t have stayed back in PDP had he lost to Wike. He wouldn’t have supported wike. This is a man who told Goodluck Jonathan to step down, that is the turn of the north to rule in 2015, he didn’t even stop there, he…
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As a Nigerian with considerable interest in public affairs, the Grand Ballroom of New York City’s Hilton Midtown Hotel, the venue of “Afro-Economics & Government Policy: A Conversation with Governor Peter Obi,” was my destination last Sunday. The engagement followed others in the United States, some of which had been mismanaged by local organisers who chose to charge a gate fee. Not New York, which was free to every registered attendee, thanks to the Columbia University’s Africa Business Club and Black Law Students Association. The Hilton Grand Ballroom is a cavernous facility capable of accommodating 3,000 persons. For a city…
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Cyprian Odiatu Duaka Ekwensi, an Igbo, was born in Minna, Niger State.He is a native of Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi local government area, Anambra State, Nigeria. His father was David Anadumaka, a story-teller and elephant hunter. Ekwensi attended Government College in Ibadan, Oyo State, Achimota College in Ghana, and the School of Forestry, Ibadan, after which he worked for two years as a forestry officer. He also studied pharmacy at Yaba Technical Institute, Lagos School of Pharmacy, and the Chelsea School of Pharmacy of the University of London. He taught at Igbobi College. Ekwensi married Eunice Anyiwo, and they had…
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At a particular meeting held in Kaduna which consisted of all paramount traditional rulers in Nigeria and which had the queen of England in attendance, Attah Ameh was asked to remove his cap to greet the Queen of England as others had done. Though he refused until they said he should leave the meeting if he would not remove his cap. But Attah was not like others, or was he? It was a taboo for Attah to remove his cap in the public. The entire hall where they were staying was occupied by swan of bees which emanates from the…
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Everybody is hung up on domestic abuse by men against women. Nobody spares a moment to find solutions to the equally devastating verbal abuse men suffer in the hands of their wives. It is worse because men can’t discuss what their wives do to them for fear of scorn and derision. They suffer in silence. Unfortunately, the Nigerian society has little or no support systems for this kind of situation. Little or no counselling services. It’s been mostly left to the church to deal with. What happens when the man doesn’t go to church? What happens when the woman doesn’t…
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Owerri was put on the British map in 1893,it was centrally located, on flat ground, fertile earth, the weather was favourable and the people were welcoming.It was made it’s own district Council on 11th May 1902 with Sir Harold Morday Douglas as it’s first district commissioner.It’s municipality today serves as the capital of Imo State. These antecedents led to it becoming the capital of both old and new Imo State. Currently Owerri town has given it’s name to the larger cultural group or related clans who are now generally referred to as Owerri people.This group today spans across three local…
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Was not creative but powerful Was not mesmerizing but astonishing Was not charismatic but magnetic Was not charming but charging Was not skillful but heroic Was not godfather but goals – father Was not cerebral but celebrity …His goals took to the World Cup Finals for the first time in 1994 He scored Nigeria’s first ever World Cup goal. His goals to us to Tunisia ’94 Nations Cup Finals where he was the highest goal scorer and Nigeria lifted the trophy for second time since 1980. Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Congo, Algeria will forever be remembering Yekini for the injuries he…
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“Two sovereign wills cannot exist side by side within the same space, sooner or later they will collide.” A. W. Tozer (1897-1963) I see a collision coming. I see a day coming when the slaves and the slave masters will see eye to eye. I see a day coming when the servants will look at their lords with defiance, dishonor and reproach and without suffering any consequences. The spirit and yearnings of a people cannot be silenced forever; sooner or later they will burst forth. The natural course or channel of a river cannot be blocked, it will cut out…
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The 20th century for Africa marked an era of liberation. Marred by wars and revolutions, this era brought about a public enlightenment that is still felt to this day. Communities and individuals took it upon themselves to change the status quo, and take hold of their fate. The fight for individuality intensified, as people formed social groups. More was demanded from governments all across the world. Groundbreaking inventions accelerated the industrial revolution. Political and economic systems were debated and fought over. Wars ravaged humanity, and more elaborate global trade channels were being established. In the heartland of Africa, the founding…
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The composition of the All Progressives Congress presidential national campaign council list has led to a crisis in the party ahead of the 2023 general elections. It was gathered that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is not pleased with the role allotted to them in the council. According to a source that spoke with Daily Sun, major directorate positions in the council are led by loyalists of the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu. This is coming after Tinubu submitted the presidential campaign council list to the leadership of the party this week. The source disclosed that…
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The growing popularity of Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, has shown that he’s a force to be reckoned with come 2023 general election It appears the camps of top contenders for the next President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are concerned over the growing popularity of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, among the youth. The general election in Nigeria is scheduled to hold, February 2023 but as expected in every election cycle, political shenanigans have already commenced ahead of…
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It is a good thing to be proud of one’s country, and I am – most of the time. But it would be impossible to scan the centuries of Britain’s history without coming across a few incidents that evoke not pride but shame. Among those I would list are the creation by British officialdom in South Africa of the concentration camp, to persecute the families of Boers. Add to that the Amritsar massacre of 1919 and the Hola camps set up and run during the struggle against Mau Mau. The northern and western regions of Nigeria were swept by a…
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Seven Sisters Oil Companies is a phrase that was made famous by Italian state oil Company ENI Chief and Italian businessmen Enrico Mattei back in the 1950s. Mattei used this phrase disparagingly, which he coined in order to refer to the seven Anglo-American oil companies that had formed the “Consortium for Iran” cartel. They became so powerful that they soon dominated the universe of the worldwide petroleum industry in the years from the mid 1940s through the early 1970s. The group was made up of seven American and British firms Anglo Persian Oil Company (today’s British Petroleum), Gulf Oil (most…
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The most powerful Freemason in England and Wales is the Queen’s first cousin Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent – and he’s the longest-serving head after being appointed 55 years ago The Queen ‘s cousin heads one of the most mysterious organisations in the UK, the Freemasons. Freemasons describe themselves as a “secular social and charitable organisation” which helps members “make new friendships, develop themselves and make valuable contributions to charitable causes.” However, the organisation is often the subject of conspiracy theories developed by people who believe Freemasons secretly run the country or change the world for their own benefit.…
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Late Alhaji Ahmed Mai Deribe was a citizen of Borno state. He was born into the Deribe family in 1924 and died in 2002 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Before his death, Alhaji Mai Deribe was arguably one of the richest Nigerian men in the 80s. He built a house made from a mixture of liquid gold and owned a customized Gulfstream G550 private jet. His building, Deribe Palace (Gidan Deribe) caught the world’s attention and has hosted some powerful world leaders like Prince Charles and his late wife, Princess Diana, and most notably, former U.S President George Washington Bush. The…
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Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch whose rule spanned seven decades, died today Thursday 8th september 2022 at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace has announced. Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952, on the death of her father, King George VI. She oversaw the last throes of the British empire, weathered global upheaval and domestic scandal, and dramatically modernized the monarchy. She died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after doctors said they had become concerned about her health on Thursday. Elizabeth ruled over the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, and became one of the most recognizable…
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Onitsha is a town or city in the present day Anambra state. Onitsha was formed by 3 tribes which are Edo (Benin), Igbo and Igala. It had nine villages in which 4 are Edo who are the rulers of Onitsha (Obi of Onitsha), 3 are Igbo while 2 are pure Igala. The two villages occupied by Igala are Ogbodu and Obigboru. Although, only a few can still speak Igala due to long stay, they still maintain the tradition of Igala in burial, Ocho, marriage and masquerade festivals.In fact, the mother of one of the former Obi’s of Onitsha was Igala.…
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So where will a man who has enabled corruption in Lagos for over 20yrs suddenly get the change we need from? The contest is not between Tinubu as governor vs Peter Obi as governor. It is between Tinubu as a political shark and enabler of profligate governance vs. Reform-minded minimalism of PO I am a Yoruba man. I will rather vote Yoruba than Igbo Tinubu fixed Lagos Peter Obi is IPOB Peter Obi cannot win Peter Obi’s supporters are toxic and abusive. Let me explain. A little bit of a long Thread I am a Yoruba man. I will rather…
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Frankly speaking, one of the major constraints to progressive and effective leadership in Nigeria today is the presence of self-serving and opportunistic leaders.Leadership in all intents and purposes is concerned with fostering change while the centrality of political governance is service oriented. According to Brad Szollose “politics is a progenitor while leadership is a product which is socioculturally contextual” The dark reality of the moment is that Owerri zone has been pigeon-holed on the structural pattern of peacock politics especially on the bases of representation at the Senate. Owerri zone has been akin to the proverbial tale of the Tortoise…
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After meeting in Beijing, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin released a joint statement clarifying the ideological divisions of the new cold war: Eurasian calls for multipolarity, cooperation, sovereignty, and “redistribution of power in the world” against US unipolar hegemony and interventionism. February 4, 2022 may very well be remembered in history textbooks as an important date in the shift of global politics. That day was not only the inauguration of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing; it also saw a historic meeting between the presidents of China and Russia. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin signed a series…
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THE A P C. (1) No South East Presidential candidate for 2023 election even though it is the turn of the region to produce one. The party’s presidential candidate is from a region which had produced President for eight years and vice president for nearly eight years. (2) No South East Vice Presidential candidate. (3) The National chairman of the party is not from South East. (4) The Chairman Board of Trustees of the party, not from South East. (5) Chairman(APC) Progressive governors’ Forum, not from South East. (6) Incumbent President of Nigeria, not from South East (7) Incumbent Vice…
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The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has taken a new dimension with the strong calls for the resignation of the Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, so that the presidential candidate of the party and the chairman of the party will not be from the same northern part of Nigeria. Ayu is from the North-Central zone while Atiku Abubakar, who is the presidential standard-bearer, is from the North-East. In addition, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Senator Walid Jibrin, is from the North-Central. Last week, while supporting the call by the Governor of Rivers…
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Emperor Hadrian of Rome was a cultivated person, devoted to the arts and to architecture, and forever anxious to ease the lot of the humblest of the empire’s subjects. In his last months he adopted as his heir one of his close friends, Titus Antoninus, a man of great piety and wisdom.Antoninus, given the name Pius which means ‘gentle’, took over a well-ordered and peaceful empire in 138 A.D., and he was determined to maintain it in that condition. His rule of some twenty-three years was marked by few major military adventures, but during this time a wall was constructed…
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Chief Titus Ike Ume-Ezeoke, Onyima of Amichi was the founder of Peoples Club of Nigeria. He was the younger brother of Sir Geoffrey Ume-Ezeoke former Accountant General of the Old Anambra State and also the elder brother of Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke former Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under President Shagari.They were sons of HRH Igwe Peter Umeorimili Ezeoke of Amichi the Paramount Obi of Amichi. After the civil war, his business and that of his friends and many others naturally went under. One day, while he was lounging with Chief Umeohamadike Obieze, Azukaenyi of Unubi and his friends…
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This is distressing!! Do you know why the African elite, African wealth and African heads of state are at the service of the West? Do you know why apartheid, colonization, neocolonialism or even Françafrique existed? Do you wonder why the African is poor when his continent is full of so much wealth? Have you ever wondered why the black continent only knows despots who squander without qualms the public funds that they then deposit in the West? Do you know why African nationalists (Lumumba, Sankara, Edouardo Mondlane or Amilcar Cabral) were assassinated? Do you know why the peoples of Africa…
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The general awareness and awakening of the masses and the unfolding issues around the 2023 general election is instigating palpable fear among political parties and their candidates whose stock in trade is to ascend to power through underhand voting manipulation, incumbency overbearance, vote buying, thuggery and all other manners of political ghaghaghaness that characterized past elections in Nigeria. It has however been established that the people of Owerri zone have made a firm resolution to take their destinies into their own hands by utilizing the benefits of new amendment of the Electoral Law which hinges on digital transmission of election…
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While much is known about the Igbo-speaking communities outside the South-East, but very little is known about the Igbo-speaking communities in Kogi state especially in Ibaji and Igalamela/Odolu LGAs such as the Eke Avurugo community (which speaks Igbo as first language and Igala as second language. One could find a handful of communities which strongly seem to be Igbo communities going by their names, despite the similarities between Igbo and Ibaji Igala names/words,: Ugwuebonyi, Ebokwe, Ozara, Amaeke, Amankpo, Amauwani camp, Amaokwu, Amadiefioha, Amaufulu, etc. all in Igalamela/Odolu LGA. The Odolu community in Igalamela/Odolu LGA is said to speak Igala as…
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Nigerian Pastor and international Affairs Expert Femi Aribisala has said that the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu is “too arrogant and contemptuous of Christians”. Aribisala, in his tweet Thursday, said, Tinubu “is convinced he can win the election in 2023 without Christians. He cannot”, he added. Aribisala, a famous columnist and critic, stated, “Any Christian who votes for Tinubu after seven years of Christian persecution in Northern Nigeria is a fool”. “No Christian should vote for Tinubu”,. Aribisala continued. Christians are often particular targets because of their faith. Nigeria is number seven on the Open Doors…
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June 30, 2020 Will the Jagaban of Borgu ever learn? The article reproduced here was written in 2015. It predicted the comeuppance of Bola Tinubu in the APC. I have decided to re-submit it for publication because what was obvious to so many of us on the sidelines what oblivious to Bola Tinubu. We always knew it was a matter of time before he was used and dumped by his Northern coalition partners. But Tinubu was so blinded by ambition, he could not even see his nose in the mirror. The chicken is coming home to roost now. Will his…
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Britain brought Ìgbò people Christianity via CMS in 1857 The French followed them via RCM under the auspices of CSSp (the Holy Ghost Congregation) in 1885 Uncomfortable with their rival — the French — in their territory, Britain pulled strings to remove the French Catholic priests from Ìgbòland. Britain tipped Rome to instead replace the French with their neighbors, the Irish, hence the flooding of Ìgbòland with Irish catholic missionaries from 1905, chief of them the famous Rev Ignatius Shanahan who later became the bishop. These two (British/CMS and Irish/RCM) took over the Ìgbò, especially the young generations, and molded…
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The total value of Nigeria’s crude oil stolen between January 2021 and February 2022 is about $3.27bn (representing N1.361tn at the official exchange rate of N416.25 to the dollar), the Federal Government disclosed. This came about as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) met with the Oil Producers Trade Section, made up of IOCs operating in Nigeria, as well as the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement on crude oil theft. A presentation by the NUPRC at the event indicated that oil theft rose sharply between 2021 and 2022, as an official of the…
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A member of our church does business that takes him to Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger Republic often. He told me something that is difficult to believe except you know he has no reason to tell lies. He said there is a full scale war going on between Fulanis and Hausas in the North, especially in the states mentioned above. He said what we hear as armed banditry in the far North is a war in which the Fulanis want to annihilate the Hausa race and take over their lands. He said, the Fulani land grabbing in Plateau, Southern Kaduna,…
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Historical Records Show Igbo Nation Is 2550 Years Older Than Yoruba Nation In Nigeria. The Igbo Nation is indisputably 2,550yrs older than the Yoruba Nation in Nigeria. This is in terms of age of existence and settlement. It is further an established fact that no other ethnic nationality out of Nigeria’s current 386 ethnic nationalities is the age mate or rival to the Igbo Nation in terms of age of existence or settlement in Nigeria. Grand Summary: Historical, forensic and verifiable records, available, have shown grandly that the Igbo Nation is 2,550yrs older than the Yoruba Nation; 2,250yrs older than…
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Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, elder statesman and nationalist is a former Minister of Aviation in the First Republic. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on violence across the country, the recent visit of some Igbo leaders to President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), alleged marginalization of the South East, growing tempo of violence in the country and the clamour for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction, among other issues. The excerpts: You led some Igbo leaders to President Muhammadu Buhari recently. What was the visit all about and what…
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Owerri Zone has been adjudged the weeping child of the Imo political family, considering how it has continued to lament over its marginalization concerning Imo governorship. The exalted governorship seat of the State has continously eluded the zone, with Orlu zone occupying the seat much more than the the other geo political zones in the State. Since 1999 when democracy returned to the country, Owerri zone has only produced a governor of the state once. HE Emeka Ihedioha, has gone down in the political history books of the State, as the governor who spent the shortest time in office. He…
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Leadership is a trust and a burden. It is a trust because it is entrusted to people whom moral rectitude is not in dispute. When you become a leader, you are like a trusted servant. Though this is in an ideal situation; not in a pseudo democratic setting—especially when democracy takes the character of the rule of the mob. Is it not even basically a rule of the mob? Well, this is debatable. However, in an ideal clime, a leader of a people is their servant. A good leader is not the one that ensconces himself in his comfort sofa…
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Are you aware that Nigeria has four existing refineries, with combined capacities to process and refine 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day, located in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt respectively? Are you also aware that the first Nigeria REFINERY in Port Harcourt at Alesa Emese was built in under 2 years ( from 1963 to 1965 by Shell and British Petroleums. Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister then. He also built Kainji Power Project that gives us 1000mw of electricity. All these projects in under 6 years. Are you aware that the Warri and Kaduna refineries ( with combined refining…
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Other States in the South-East have to the best of their abilities addressed the issue of equity and social justice in the governance of their states. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that Enugu State has a gentlemanly standing zoning arrangement for the office of the governor. Yes, the three governors that have presided over Enugu State so far hail from three different zones. While Chimaroke Nnamani is from Enugu East, Sullivan Chime and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi are from Enugu Central and Enugu North zones respectively. The balance, although not easy, cannot be wished away. Given the delicate nature of our democratic…
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If the governors on the platforms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are hoping to get help from the so called power of incumbency to win election during the 2023 general election, they have something else coming their way. The above is true because, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday told the APC governors that his government will not interfere in coming elections. The APC governors visited the Nigerian leader in Abuja on Tuesday and details of their discussion were contained in a statement by the president’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina. According to Adesina, Buhari told the governors that non-interference in…
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A source close to former president Obasanjo has revealed that the former president is trying to regain back his place in the Nigerian history. Obasanjo is said to be of the view that it is the turn of South East to produce Nigeria’s next president. It is believed that he is indirectly supporting Peter Obi to be the next president and as a result of that, he has been meeting with a lot of stakeholders in the 2023 presidential election to ensure Obi’s emergence as President in 2023. There are some facts that have emerged following the recent engagement with…
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The year 2018 was one of self-examination for Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari who flew in on the wings of change had been in power for three years and the situation had simply become far worse. The inflation rate when he came in was 9.01 per cent, shooting up to 15.68 per cent the following year, and 16.52 in 2017. Virtually all the over 165 integrated special schools for the Almajiri out-of-school children established by his predecessor had been closed. The government had deliberately exacerbated the ethno-religious challenges in the country by appointing almost all the security chiefs from one part…
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It should be possible for the rest of us to understand the frustrations of Ndigbo in the hands of their two big brother tribes, Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba, and their determination to distance Ndigbo from the levers of the highest political power in the land. We should offer them some sympathy in their quest at every election circle to produce the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They have not produced one since the late Owelle of Onitsha, the great Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, became president, commander-in-chief of the armed forces under the provisions of the Republican Constitution in 1963.…
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“In this trip of life, if you are not careful….Rumors will make you hate innocent people and love the hypocrites” (Internet) MAN is a social animal, the only one with various tools to communicate his feelings, passions, desires and needs to others. With the introduction of mobile devices and other communication tools ,many of us spend several hours and precious moments “getting in touch”, checking out on others and passing information. We scroll, link and peruse, but sometimes we are confronted with that which is questionable, untrue and what might have gone viral. These can be harmful, untrue because they…
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Fellow Nigerians, it is the season of politics and another election cycle is upon us. Candidates are presenting themselves to the electorate to be considered for various positions. But this cycle is looking more and more like 2015 when men and women, young and old, reasoned in reverse order. All efforts to make them see the danger and demagoguery that then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari represented proved futile. They were deaf to reason and blind to the red flags. Today, we are all experiencing the consequences of electing incompetence dressed in borrowed robes as president. See the mess that Nigeria has become…
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In Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, two further Rothschild world banks are created. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank. Did You Know the IRS and the Fed are Private Corporations of the IMF? 1945: The end of the Second World War. It is reported that I.G. Farben plants were specifically not targeted in the bombing raids on Germany. Interestingly at the end of the war, they were found to have only sustained 15% damage. The tribunals held at the end of the Second World War, to investigate Nazi War Crimes, censored any materials recording Western assistance to Hitler.…
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We all know that domestic violence and abuse is a huge problem in our society, but do many of us understand how this issue affects men? Domestic abuse is often discussed as a women’s issue, because the majority of widely reported domestic abuse is experienced by women (and perpetrated by men). However, domestic abuse also happens to lots of men. In spite of being abused, a man would most likely not report his ordeal, because he fears stigmatisation from friends and family. Men usually wont want any third-party interference. More married men are becoming victims of various kinds of spousal…
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https://re-entanglements.net/omu-of-okpanam/
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According to Dennis Osadebey in the book, Building A Nation, Nnebisi was the son of an Nteje woman, Diaba, who had gotten pregnant for an Igala man, Ojobo Nnebisi grew up in Nteje thinking he was of the kindred, but one day, after a quarrel, he was told that his father was not from there, so he could not take part in land sharing. He thus left Nteje with his followers, and followed a route which brought him to the great river. If you look at a map of those areas, it is quite easy to trace the route taken…
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The two countries have successfully established a mechanism for mutual settlements in rubles and rupees, Purnima Anand says. Russia and India don’t need the US dollar in trade, having turned to national currencies to conduct mutual settlements, BRICS International Forum President Purnima Anand told reporters on Wednesday. “We have implemented the mechanism of mutual settlements in rubles and rupees, and there is no need for our countries to use the dollar in mutual settlements. And today a similar mechanism of mutual settlements in rubles and yuan is being developed by China,” she said. “That means that the BRICS countries are…
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Why has Owerri Zone consistently failed to produce governors despite her obvious strengths? I would briefly discuss some of the reasons in detail. Lack of altruistic interest: Why does the governorship elude Owerri zone despite its obvious electoral and political relevance? Why is the zone not mounting any serious challenge? The answer is simple; our zone appears to lack ‘altruistic interest’. Its major players are mostly self-serving, ready to play second fiddle, greedy and selfish. A journey down memory lane would reveal that since 1999, Owerri zone has been politically relegated. We have quite frankly, developed a tarnishing reputation for…
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The mood among Okigwe and Owerri political elite is that of veiled anger, frustration and resentment. But the two cheated zones are largely responsible for the growing arrogance and landlordism of Orlu zone. Most Okigwe and Owerri politicians are blinded by self service and pecuniary interests, and it appears that they do not fully understand the game-plan of a zone that seems to have perfected methods of keeping Imo State as its inherited territory, in the same way that the politically greedy Hausa/Fulani have held and continue to hold the entire territory of Nigeria down as a vassal state for…
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Nigeria’s heyday as a country remains in the past when federalism, in its genuine sense, was practiced. During this time, countries like South Korea or Taiwan were not a match for Nigeria in every metric of development conceivable or in any index of progress that is measurable. It was the time the world cast its hope on Nigeria as the messiah of the Black race, and it was also the same period when ethnic suspicion was less intense in many people’s minds. At that time, Nigerians of Igbo extraction could rise to the peak of their careers in the Yoruba…
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Self-centered and self serving politicians are not difficult to identify as they unashamedly exhibit a “do-or-die” disposition. Not only that, they display acquisitive character as if the resources God blessed Nigeria with as a nation solely belongs to them. Oddly enough, people in this category across the country are just a marginal percentage of the demographic segment of Nigeria’s societies put together. This category of politicians or political leaders are not difficult to identify in public places, and they are majorly not in any way better than Nigerians in other sectors of the economy; in terms of academic and professional…
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The job of a senator is to act on behalf of the Nigerian people and his state zonal constituency in legislative sessions to ensure their voices and that of the common citizen is heard. Each of the 36 Nigerian states has three Senate representatives and one for the FCT. Detailed below are the most important aspects of the job of a senator. The Job of a Senator: Key Aspects Represent Constituents; The most important job of a senator is to represent his people. A senator speaks with citizens about problems, concerns or suggestions they have for their senatorial zone. People…
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As the general elections in Nigeria draw closer, i advise the electorate of Ndigbo and Nigeria in general to vote for individuals and not political parties which as we all know are mostly bereft of manifestos and ideology. By embracing fanatic partisanship, we have become perfect examples of protagonists of the polarity of our political system. By voting blindly for party’s bereft of ideology, ethics and morality, we are not acting intelligently; rather we are brainwashed into blindly and gullibly following a personal prejudice and escalating and fuelling an increasingly corrupt, counter productive and fraudulent system. While you need not…
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Money is a vital component for political activity, because nothing can be done without money; therefore, it is safe to say that political activities cannot be executed without money. Money politics is a political system in which a politician is being supported by its party members in return for financial support. We are trapped in a system where money has become superior to quality leadership. Money politics as a means of funding political activities and participation has now turned to a case of the highest bidder, where only people who can spend are considered the best candidate(s). The capacity to…
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Ndi Imo have a peculiarly sickening political culture. We play politics with the mouth rather than with the head; Politics being the only thriving mainstay of the state, citizens are all learning the art of the blessing-turned-curse. To survive, everybody (priests, politicians, sycophants, professionals, security agents, everybody) now play the game which -fortunately or unfortunately- requires only notorious skills of attacking any percived enemies of the government and even honest critics of government policies, process and politics. Nigeria is in dire straits. Educationally, medically, economically, professionally, socially, let alone politically, Nigeria is in trouble. Nigeria is in deep shit. why…
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Supporting your governor and urging him on even when it is beyond argument that he is progressing in error is not patriotism. It is nothing short of mindless sycophancy. In a nutshell, patriotism simply means loyalty to your country as a whole, not your Governor as an individual. The Governor of your state deserves your support ONLY to an extent to which he is doing only the things that are in the best interest of your state. The moment he starts working against the interest of your state, you owe it to yourself, your state and your fellow citizens as…
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The devastating and destructive menace of hard drugs across our nation is well documented. That these narcotic drugs, their potency, and destructive abilities are continually upgraded, is unfortunately a notorious fact. Their target markets have increasingly greater spread now, reaching far into the hinterlands of our dear nation, meaning it is no longer just a city or town phenomenon, but our villages are sadly also in play. Every generation has had a drug with a reputation as the most noxious and has attempted an antidrug strategy they felt was a best fit. In recent years, the drug undoubtedly with the…
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THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY THE REASON WHY THE HAUSAS, YORUBAS, EDO AND THE NIGER DELTANS WILL NOT TRUST THE IBO MAN AT THE CENTER AND WHY THE HAUSA/FULANI’S MAY NOT WANT TO RELINQUISH POWER IN NIGERIA Any historians in the house to vet this but no insults or character assassination please: Do you know that when Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister of Nigeria; Chief of Army Staff was from SE Chief of Naval Staff was from SE IG of Police was from SE Chief of Defence Staff was from SE Internal Affairs Minister SE External Affairs Minister SE Education Minister South…
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Sen. John F. Kennedy speaks to supporters at Chicago Stadium four days before the 1960 election. AP Photo As states continue to count their ballots in the 2020 election, it seems possible that Democrats and Republicans will end up in court over whether President Trump will win a second term in the White House. President Trump has said he’s going to contest the election results – going so far as to say that he believes the election will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has a team of lawyers lined up for a legal battle. Unprecedented…
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It is not aimed at a violent change of government like what we have recently seen in the neighbouring African countries but, it will be earthshaking. It would be a compulsory retirement of a generation of gerontocrats or very old and recycled politicians Nigerian youths believe are wasteful, selfish and have held Nigeria and the promises it holds by the jugular. The revolution shall be through the ballot box and it has started. The youths have realized that results of elections in Nigeria can no longer be changed at the collation centres! Rigging of 2023 elections is nearly impossible. All…
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June 3, 2022 •Next election is die-or-live for Nigerians. By Clifford Ndujihe & Olayinka Ajayi Political-Economist and former Presidential Aspirant, Professor Pat Utomi, on Monday stepped down for Mr. Peter Obi, who went on to emerge as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, unopposed in Asaba, Delta State. Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and 2019 vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, left the PDP last Wednesday, joined the LP on Friday and won the ticket on Monday. In this engaging interview Professor Utomi spoke on the state of the nation and why he…
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The importance of Dr Uche Diala’s post lies in the need for critical thinking, analysis and strategy. It’s therefore without doubt a bold and courageous alternative view in the usual frenzy of popular nzogbu nzogbu herd mindset which rather than produce relief mostly deepen our affliction. However, his approach and conclusion failed to present a fresh position but a rather, a rehash of an age long defeatist incremental approach embedded in a narrative of false assumptions, misplaced priorities, and a faulty stereotypical conceptual frame. Consequently he failed to capture and properly define our problem, let alone its diagnosis. Not surprisingly…
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This is not a popular topic to broach at this time but someone has to take the risk because we have been here not too long ago politically as a people. Personally, I am neither a member of the PDP nor Labour Party but no question that I have my fair share of sentiments for the South East as an Igbo man and as an objective political watcher and analyst, I have taken a peek into the scenarios. I know some people might not agree with me or might even attack me. That is why I have not said anything…
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As the general elections in Nigeria draw closer, i advise the electorate of Ndigbo and Nigeria in general to vote for individuals and not political parties which as we all know are mostly bereft of manifestos and ideologies. By embracing fanatic partisanship, we have become perfect examples of protagonists of the polarity of our political system. By voting blindly for party’s bereft of ideology, ethics and morality, we are not acting intelligently; rather we are brainwashed into blindly and gullibly following a personal prejudice and escalating and fuelling an increasingly corrupt, counter productive and fraudulent system. While i can’t give…
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Food for thought as we prepare to select and not elect our next crop of leaders. Given the pejorative weight of the lingo, it is not unexpected that some readers of this piece may want to know from me who an educated person is, and how is he supposed to be conducting himself or herself in public, or rather make utterances. There is no denying the fact that two schools of thought now exist in support and in disagreement with the argument that on the grounds of the falling standard of education that there is now a category of graduates…
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I thought by now the Nigerian Presidency will be so unattractive that people will have to be begged to come and take it. Why should anyone be eager to inherit Boko Haram, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, secessionists, communal warriors, oil thieves, sea pirates, depreciated naira, depleted foreign reserves, high debt service ratio, plummeting oil production, astronomical costs of diesel and aviation fuel, high unemployment, suspension of rail and aviation services, trillions in petrol subsidy, unimplementable Petroleum Industry Act, 13million out of school children, bloated civil service, ASUU strike, impending police strike, exploding illegal refineries, oil spills, River Niger flooding, advancing Sahara…
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The crowd that is chanting Run, Jonathan, Run is a composite contingent made up of greedy and hungry fellows, rented fellows, political flunkeys of the basest type and those who think that Nigeria may be ready for any kind of political tomfoolery at this time. Ordinarily, a man who had risen from the position of a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President to the apex of his country’s administration, the presidency, ought to be happy that he had done, without being harmed, a marathon that most Nigerians only dream about. In that case, he would be expected to play only the…
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“…it is necessary for a prince who wishes to maintain his position to learn how to be able not to be good, and to use or not use this ability according to circumstances.” These are the words of Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), a former diplomat of the Florentine republic during the early years of the Renaissance. Machiavelli lived through a time of great political upheaval in Italy, a region dominated by a number of large city-states – such as Florence, Venice, Milan and Pisa – that were fiercely competing for economic and political power. While the intense rivalry between these city-states…
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The legislative institution of contemporary Imo state should under normal circumstances perform all the basic functions of a representative assembly legislation, oversight and representation. Specifically, their functions include law making, approval of executive policies, confirmation of appointments, budgets and appropriation, oversight over government agencies, representation and education of the people, removal of erring public office holders at the highest level, etc. They are, however, bedevilled by a number of problems that have continued to limit their role as effective instruments of participatory democracy and limited government. There are other problems that are fall outs of the peculiarities of our legislative…
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OCTOBER 18, 2021 Pandemonium looms for the world as the ‘Everything Shortage’ meets a ‘Dark Winter’ thanks to collapsing global supply chains. A global supply chain crisis is brewing, leading to a full-spectrum shortage of essential items. This is the result of mass centralization, where policies are dictated and synchronized by the aristocrats of the New Normal. The coming years will be marked by extreme socio-economic turbulence. The world is reportedly facing an “everything shortage” where essential goods are getting harder, farther, and more time-consuming to find. These shortages affect the entire gamut of the social pyramid structure. The typical…
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JUNE 20, 2020 Imagine, you are living in a world that you are told is a democracy – and you may even believe it – but in fact your life and fate is in the hands of a few ultra-rich, ultra-powerful and ultra-inhuman oligarchs. They may be called Deep State, or simply the Beast, or anything else obscure or untraceable – it doesn’t matter. They are less than the 0.0001%. For lack of a better expression, let’s call them for now “obscure individuals”. These obscure individuals who pretend running our world have never been elected. We don’t need to name…
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MAY 2, 2021 “A psychotic world we live in. The madmen are in power.”― Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle For good or bad, COVID-19 has changed the way we navigate the world. It is also redrawing the boundaries of our world (and our freedoms) and altering the playing field faster than we can keep up. Owing in large part to the U.S. government’s deep-seated and, in many cases, top-secret alliances with foreign nations and global corporations, it has become increasingly obvious that we have entered into a new world order—a global world order—made up of international…
OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE 