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.
Posts
-
America has been for many decades the biggest playground for the different factions of the Deep State in control of the different monopolized industries, news networks, government and private institutions, nurturing cadres of experts in the field of sciences, finance and economics, military, sheep-herding aka social engineering, mind control and reprogramming cloaked as “spirituality”, etc. Recently, we witnessed the methods by which the Rockefeller faction, through the Democratic Party, used all means being made available to them to silence the Trump campaign, which heavily relied on social media to spread their “conspiracy theories” about the litany of crimes committed by…
-
Last month I posted an article that looked at the World Economic Forum as the institution behind ‘The Great Reset‘ agenda that was launched in June. One of the main themes of the article was the WEF’s ‘Strategic Intelligence platform’, which the organisation describe as ‘a dynamic system of contextual intelligence that enables users to trace relationships and interdependencies between issues, supporting more informed decision-making‘. As I made reference to, Strategic Intelligence is the mechanism which brings all the interests that the WEF focus on together. This includes specific countries and industries, as well as global issues like Covid-19 and…
-
DECEMBER 29, 2020 Crimes against Humanity. The people who are implementing and enforcing lockdown measures are directly contributing to the untold suffering and deaths of millions of people. by David Skripac Here we are at the end of a year filled with upheaval, facing yet another round of lockdowns, this time ostensibly intended to fight off a supposed “second wave of COVID-19.” In the foreground, we have the completely co-opted mainstream media bombarding us with an endless barrage of positive coronavirus case numbers. Plus we have the World Economic Forum—along with its lackey world leaders—hounding us with incessant calls for…
-
Bernard-Henri Lévy, France’s most famous public intellectual in an interview talks about the massacre of Christians in Nigeria and Madrasas by Turks in the Middle Belt. While Nigeria’s Vice-President supposedly a Christian and a Pastor, denies that there is any massacre of Christians and was described by a USA official as “He lies shamelessly — including this weekend in New York — about the anti-Christian persecution his government is at least tolerating and, at worst, enabling…” (in June 2019), we have Mr Lévy saying that Christians of Nigeria are being massacred. So who is LYING! Is it this French Philosopher?…
-
The so-called unity of Nigeria is very negotiable! SEPARATION IS NOT ABOUT WAR, IT HAS PEACEFUL ASPECT. In 1776, the USA split from the UK In 1830 Belgium separated from the Netherlands In 1965, Singapore split off from Malaysia. in 2002, East Timor got split off from Indonesia. In 1921, Ireland split off from the United Kingdom, and (possibly in the future) there will be secession of Scotland. In 1944, Iceland split from Denmark with remarkable ease. In 1905 Norway split from Denmark. In 1905, Norway and Sweden also peacefully split ways. One got the car. the other got the…
-
From: Agunwa Emeka NzeribeOwerri, Imo State08087669868 Date: 18/10/2021 Subject: Imo – The Mistake Of Okorocha Should Not Be Repeated Introduction: My Governor, I will be straight forward. I am glad that some people close to you knows I am your avid follower and supporter. So the issue of impudence does not exist at all. I am being straightforward because I know how busy your office is. More so, the security challenges which you must be at alert, with constancy, to keep under control. You are doing well. All your enemies who by extension those of our state Imo, shall not…
-
“There is absolutely no need for vaccines to extinguish the pandemic… You do not vaccinate people who aren’t at risk from a disease. You also don’t set about planning to vaccinate millions of fit and healthy people with a vaccine that hasn’t been extensively tested on human subjects.” – Dr. Mike Yeadon PhD, Pfizer’s former Vice President and Chief Scientist for Allergy & Respiratory Disease By Mike Whitney “What we know about coronavirus from 30 years of experience is that a coronavirus vaccine has a unique peculiarity, which is any attempt at making the vaccine has resulted in the creation…
-
Generally, electioneering in Nigeria is capital intensive, and this has led to the emergence of: The godfather phenomenon. Machiavillian Godfather style executives exude a brand of politics that more than often gives rise to the prevalence of sycophants, zonal sellouts aspiring to be leaders or position holders, inter-party defections, brutish politicking, electoral violence and political assassinations. Being the sole proprietor or the Oga of the State, the godfather inter alia rises at will and nepotistically or clannishly chooses whoever he or she deems fit for administering political units for his or her proper politico-economic advantage. The process of using government…
-
Friday June 5, 1998, was a cool bright day. Before we left the Villa, the Press Corps was informed that the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Yasser Arafat, would be making a brief stop-over at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, enroute Morocco. And he was expected to hold a brief discussion with the General Sani Abacha. We were therefore expected to be at the airport to cover the event on Sunday, June 7. It was a topical assignment in view of Nigeria’s neutral position in the Middle East conflict. Besides, the rest of us were keen to meet…
-
Mario Puzo’s Mafia blockbuster is a set text for political candidates and advisers everywhere. Mario Puzo’s The Godfather now functions the way fairytales or Bible stories do. It’s become a fundamental narrative deeply embedded in the collective psyche, regularly adapted and reworked for radically different settings. Stripped to its essentials, this is a story of unwanted succession, of an heir to the throne who yearns to escape his destiny. “What Michael wanted was out, out of all this, to lead his own life,” Puzo writes. Watch the first season of The Crown and you soon realise that it is The…
-
MAJOR POINTS: •It’ll be horrendous if Nigeria fails as a state. •Buhari’s cancelling of Lagos light rail cost Nigeria $3bn. •With our resources and beginning Nigeria should be First World country now. •How 1975 destruction of civil service, abandonment of plans hurt Nigeria. •Obasanjo is responsible for the current humongous payment to our Parliamentarians. •The President, others must take pay cut. •Obasanjo not qualified to be PDP candidate in 1999 but smuggled in. •We had permission to export cow meat to Britain, others in 1971. Now, Read to the end. It’s worth it. At 87, Chief Phillip Asiodu, elder statesman,…
-
There is no doubt that members of Nigeria’s National Assembly have grown too big for their boots and it is time the Nigerian people are massively fed with the liberating enlightenment that they possess the powers to cut them to size. Yes, the lawmakers need to be served an urgent reminder that they are in that Legislative House because the people have so far chosen to tolerate their deficient representation and can wake up one morning, decide that they have had enough of their abject lack of patriotism, suffocating arrogance and insensitivity and ask them to pack their loads and…
-
2 years short of 20 years of Orlu governance, Imo State is already in a frenzy over who succeeds Governor Hope Uzodinma in 2024. Already, many individuals, diaspora groups and organizations from the three senatorial districts of Imo East, Imo West and Imo North, are engaged in serious discussions on how to balance the problems caused by the Supreme Court judgement that deprived Owerri zone of their first attempt at a full term in office since Imo state was formed in 1976. Imo East, also known as Owerri zone, has nine local councils, namely Owerri Municipal, Owerri North, Owerri West,…
-
“The Governor is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the state as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in a Nigerian citizen is…
-
Amb. Obi Adim wrote. My brother, I agree with you on this one. The only way out is for a leader to be true to himself and the people he serves, having absolute loyalty for his oath of office. Simple as this may sound, it needs emotional maturity, unselfishness, and sincerity of purpose. Strangely, these qualities have nothing to do with education, experience or wealth. Pedigree gives that foundational emotional maturity and unselfishness. We take it for granted but that’s the nucleus that brings stability in a leader. This stability mitigates inferiority complex, which makes it easier for a leader…
-
Igbo elite’s failure to acknowledge that the Igbo now have a defacto Governor General in the person of Maazi Kanu is why they think that Anambra 2021 will be business as usual. If the elite are sincere, the vast majority of ndi Anambra have already opted to sit at home and let them elect their governor. We have a constitutional anomaly and pretending that it is business as usual won’t make the problem go away. So if you are one of those who hope that people will troop out to go and vote and thwart their plans to rig an…
-
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. The multiple candidates from the two zones that usually emerge during each election constitute a multitude – a huge number all the time. What the more calculating Orlu political class does is simply to field one or two candidates, totally ignoring the Imo Equity Formula and victory comes easy. And with its many local governments as an advantage, acquires allies in the two zones and power remains…
-
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…
-
OPINION Political patronage is very essential in a participatory democracy. Infact, the reward system is a must in politics. Throughout the world in democracies: support, loyalty and allegiance are rewarded! And any State Governor, Senator , Federal Reps member, State legislator , LGA Chairman, etc, that pays lips service or no attention to this, does so at his own peril. Even within the corporate sharks, a staff whose promotion is unduly delayed or allowances denied through boardroom politics, poses a big threat to that organization. At least, I have briefly worked in the bank, UBA. As a matter of fact…
-
YOU’VE BEEN LIED TO ALL ALONG ABOUT THE 1967-70 BIAFRAN GENOCIDE!!! (Please read the speech below given by Prof. Nwala, Father of African Philosophy, at the just-concluded 50-year Biafra Commemoration attended by Former President Obasanjo, Vice President Osinbajo, Ohaneze President-General Nina Nwodo and others.) BIAFRA 50 YEARS AFTER – RECONCILIATION: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? Paper presented at The Conference – “MEMORY AND NATION BUILDING: BIAFRA 50 YEARS AFTER: A SOBER REFLECTION” By PROF. T. UZODINMA NWALA, President, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF). INTRODUCTION Before I thank the organizers of this Conference and pay my tribute to the Memory of my friend,…
-
The claim by the people of Owerri zone is legitimate, moral and undisputable and is indeed attainable. It is not therefore surprising that some politicians from the area are somewhat assertive as preparations for the 2024 elections gather momentum. But being a human set up and indeed politics in this clime, there is no rigid pattern. The incumbent would want to do a second term which the constitution permits and which is at easier reach than pursuing a higher position with greater landmines. THE Imo Charter of Equity, just like similar versions in other states of the country, underlines the…
-
Politics is not only a game played by politicians; it is also merchandise for many with different products – goods and services – and the merchants exist in different shapes and sizes at different times and seasons with different mechanics in the conduct of their trade. Politicking is a serious business not meant for the chicken hearted and lily-livered moralists. Primarily, politics can be perceived as both the art and the act of getting power. It involves “the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations between individuals, such as the…
-
CBN Gov Emefiele and Attorney General Malami are allegedly shielding NIRSAL boss Hameed from prosecution for corruption. | Pulse Nigeria — Read on www.pulse.ng/news/local/emefiele-and-agf-malami-accused-of-covering-nirsal-corruption-pulse-exclusive/cgq7z34
-
By Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar. The recent rearrest of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was greeted with a loud sigh of relief and celebration in some sections of the country. It also elicited congratulatory messages to the Federal government which appears overwhelmed by the intractable security challenges and in dire need of any redeeming act. This is clearly an exaggeration of the security threat Nnamdi Kanu and indeed IPOB pose to our nation’s security and unity. It is quite strange and disturbing that the Federal Government is according undue attention to the threats of separatist movements in contrast to…
-
Give it to the North, they get what they want at every turn while the South do the talking. Most radical ideas that had shaped Nigeria’s political landscape often originated from the South only to be perfected to advantage by the North. For instance, while the South championed the struggle for independence, the North acted like she wasn’t ready and would rather remain under British domination. But from when the British lowered the Union Jack, it was the North that had dominated the South and still do. Another is the idea of military coup. It was actually Southern officers that…
-
Ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo on BBC’s HardTalk reveals while the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), are angry with Nigeria’s leaders especially on President Buhari’s administration.“My friends who are not from the East of Nigeria where Igbos come from often ask me why there is so much anger in the East and among Igbos. Some wonder why, despite the famed ‘Igbo wealth’ and enterprise all over Nigeria, the people still complain that Nigeria is unfair to them. Some insinuate that the anger comes from the loss of the 2015 election by Jonathan who the Igbos heavily backed. And why is it that…
-
A scripted deception has been circulating all over social media, including WhatsApp groups, suggesting that Igbos, despite being dominant in Tafawa Balewa’s government, went ahead to kill him. Nothing can be farther from the truth. This script has turned history on its head. The narrative is designed to present Igbos as disloyal power grabbers and confuse gullible readers, obfuscate the past and promote ethnic hate. Let us set the records straight; Igbos play no dominant role in Balewa’s cabinet and had just one person as service chief under Balewa. They were rather brilliant public servants who served the post-colonial Nigeria…
-
In this dispensation, Imo State in particular, and Southeast zone in general, has not fared well. From one problem to another, Imo State remains a state in search of solutions – meaningful and peaceful solutions – to her seemingly endless problems, most of which are man-made and politically motivated. Whatever the cause and justification, some of the problems can actually be prevented or managed in such a way that their effects would be minimal but this is not the case. We lost good opportunities to make maximum use of our challenges and things got out of hand. Recently, the…
-
Anyone who can indulge into insincere flattery to gain advantage is a sycophant. Such a person tries to win favour from another person especially wealthy or influential people by flattering them. In other words, a sycophant is a servile self-seeking flatterer, a brownnoser, a flunky, an apple polish, a bootlicker, a toady, a slanderer, a calumniator or a suck-up who goes overboard with compliments for selfish gains. A sycophant will never criticize or correct his superior. Being fawningly pleasant, he acts to attract attention for personal goals and undermine others. Like what happens in lame opposition where someone opposes everything…
-
American journalist, Gordon Duff, indeed once saw tomorrow. Yet when he wrote in 2011 about a conspiratorial plan by “outside powers” to destabilize Nigeria and balkanize it, not many took him seriously. But 10 years on what he said is fast becoming a sad reality as many now feared that the country is on the verge of a civil war with armed groups springing in every part of the country causing havoc, kidnapping, looting, raping and killing Nigerian citizens with reckless abandon. The signs of a country on the verge of destruction, as Duff predicted in that article entitled, Nigeria:…
-
Okpara’s and Ojukwu’s plan was for PH to be the Lagos of the eastern region…but the economy would be oil driven. Most of the oil wells and infrastructure in today’s Rivers State up till 1967 were developed by Okpara. Chief Nwodo, Nnia Nwodo’s father was the Regional Minister for Trade and Commerce at the time. He negotiated most of the agreements with Shell and the UK govt Gowon and Awolowo nationalised those assets in 1967 without paying a Kobo in compensation…and forced all the oil companies to relocate to Lagos Most of the refineries that NNPC began rolling out after…
-
HE SAID THEY ARE EVERYWHERE Friday, May 7, 2021 15:24 The United States has said that the Southern part of Nigeria should stay on alert, because terror groups are already establishing their presence in the country, and moving down South. The warning was made in a media briefing which was monitored by TheCable. Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the US special operations command, Africa, said Al-Qaeda is also expanding to other parts of West Africa. “We have engaged with Nigeria and continue to engage with them in intel sharing and in understanding what these violent extremists are doing,” he said. “And…
-
By Col Hassan Stan-Labo Bᴀɴᴅɪᴛʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ Bᴏᴋᴏ ʜᴀʀᴀᴍ : Tʜᴇ Nᴏʀᴛʜ sʟᴇᴘᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ! “The north must wake up now. It must not murder sleep. The north saw nothing coming. Population was deemed strength. But it should have watched when others slowed down in breeding. We bred too many children and didn’t do much to care for them. They roamed the streets. Yet, we bred more. They forsook schools. And took to begging . Yet, we bred more. Those children, many of them, have gone feral. Now, the north cannot sleep. The north slept for too long. Northern politicians…
-
General Buhari understands that there is nothing called One Nigeria in any sense, it is only an opportunity for his Nomadic Fulani kinsmen to survive and build a Fulani country using the sweat and wealth of others legally or illegally under the guise of patriotism and humanity.” “…Understands that the South and Middle belt are treacherous and can be used against each other. For the records Fulanis Semitic people are from the Arab stock. Fulanis don’t see black Africans as equals and we will never be seen as equals.” “..The Fulanis are masters of deceit, chaos & anarchy; and they…
-
As politicians Nation-wide commence underground moves for strategic positioning in preparation for the 2023 general elections, the people of Nkanu-East in Enugu state have cried out over what they call “persistent marginalisation of their area”. A three-time member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Anayo Edeh who spoke to journalists on the plight of his people in Nkanu-East Local Government Area said that the marginalisation or exclusion of the people of Nkanu-East from major appointive and elective positions in government at all levels had led to the impoverishment of the people and caused a sense of exclusion among them.…
-
Ogbede was from Agbor, Delta State Igboland. He was given the title “Obaseki” by Benin’s king, Idugbowa, for his business savviness, fair judgment, and truthfulness. Unfortunately, Agho, the Obaseki of Benin, was put in-between a squeeze by his good friend the King of Benin after the British sacked Benin, an operation that took just 3 days. King Idugbowa had run away and left the Benin to suffer whatever fate the British decided for them. Ogbede couldn’t have such sorrow on his heart, especially after witnessing the high-handed treatment, human-rights abuse, and barbaric actions committed against the Benin people by their…
-
Donald J. Trump is the greatest president ever. The most tenacious, the most courageous, the most influential, and a whole lot more. He never had a day of peace as the president of the United States. He is the most harassed, bullied, disrespected, and abused president, yet was never demoralized. The truth is that those who hate Trump cannot give any reason why they do. They can only echo the fake media opinion – he’s a racist, sexual predator, conman and other imaginary stuff. Others simply hate him because their favorite celebrity or role model does not like him. You…
-
Recall that in my release of 8/1/2021 I pointed out certain anomalies in the handling of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo 2021 election process with hope that NEC would intervene to summon emergency Imeobi to redeem the situation. It is now obvious that either NEC does not possess the will to rescue our dear Ohanaeze or it is complicit.I hereby notify all of my decision not to participate any further. I thank Ndigbo and my supporters while reassuring all of my sincere appreciation for the love, goodwill, time and support. May we all stay safe and may 2021 be our year of…
-
One of the frontline contenders for the the office of president-general (PG) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide in next Sunday’s election, Dr. Chris Asoluka, has disclosed how he would handle the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, if elected. In this interview with Daily Sun, Dr. Asoluka highlighted his plans to reposition the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization. What will be your first priority as Ohanaeze PG? In as much as I applaud the current leadership’s visibility and outspokenness, the other side of the coin, which is the task of institutionalization of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, in line with…
-
No Nigerian can visit Ajaokuta Steel Company ASC, see investments of more than $8b rotting in the African sun and not cry. I went there, I cried. what exactly is the problem? I have written severally on this topic, but today let me do a comprehensive post. Ajaokuta Steel Company is massive, she has 68km road network, 24 housing estates on the project. Some of the estates have over 1,000 homes, a seaport, a 110mw power generation plant, there are 43 separate plants in Ajaokuta alone. It is estimated that if Ajaokuta becomes operational, it will create 500,000 jobs. There…
-
The Profile of Hon. Chris Chigoziri Asoluka, Ph.D. Candidate For The Office Of The President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. Dr. Chris Chigoziri Asoluka is a polymath with two Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Law (Universities of Ibadan and London.), multiple Masters degrees in International Economic Relations (University of Lagos), Shipping Economics/Finance and International Trade (CASS Business School) and a Ph.D. degree in Policy Analysis (University of Ibadan). He is a respected management, development, and legislative strategy consultant (FIMC), who has played very important roles in various sectors of the Nigerian economy and politics. He is Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nipal…
-
A former Vice President General (Imo) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Chris Asoluka, has decried the heat and controversies generated from rumoured endorsement of some persons as candidates for soon-to-be vacant offices in the leadership of Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation -Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Asoluka, who was President of Aka Ikenga the Igbo Think Tank, co-chairman of South East/South-South Professionals (SESSP) as well as Chairman/member of Ohanaeze Election Committee for the 2012 and 2016 elections consecutively, while speaking on Friday, emphasised that there are no candidates yet until an election committee and the guidelines have been approved by Ime-Obi.This, he asserted, marks the…
-
A considerable number of repatriates have reached Lagos from Brazil. They seem to have been Brazilian born, and yet they still speak the language of Yoruba. They say that the negroes of Brazil generally wish to return to Africa, the Creoles being the least desirous. Poverty, however, prevented many.The Governor of Lagos Sir Alfred Moloney, was able to inform a deputation of them that the African Steamship Company had agreed to run a vessel (the Biafra) between Lagos and Brazil, the fare being made as low as possible. It is thought there may be a reciprocal trade – Negroes going…
-
On The Extensive Employment of Cotton in the form of a Native Manufacture, as a convenient currency —And on the Repatriation of the Negro, to promote, on any Definite and Established Basis, the Development of His Own Country. — (See Map)By His Excellency Governor Moloney, C.M.G., of Lagos.[Addressed to the Members in the Mayor’s Parlour, on Friday, November 15th, 1889, at three p.m., His Worship the Mayor of Manchester in the chair.]..On the occasion of his visit in 1822-24 to Sockatu (Sockatoo), Captain Clapperton was favoured by Sultan Mohammed Bello, of Houssa, with a geographical and historical account of Takroor…
-
As a little boy, I noticed my grandmum had an array of tattoos adorning her both arms…what I never understood was what those meaningless inscriptions were all about….or so I thought until I discovered NSIBIDI. Coupled with the fact that my granny has ancestral roots from the Ibibio tribe. Quite unfortunate she died without me knowing the meaning of her tattoos although I remember only two symbols which are NSIBIDI translations of a tree and it’s roots. Nsibidi was thought to date back to the pre-15th century CE, and the possible early forms of this writing system was used way…
-
Let’s begin according to Genesis 29 vs 30: JACOB had twelve (12) sons namely: 1. Ruben 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Judah 5. Dan 6. Naphtali 7. Gad 8. Asher 9. Issachar 10. Zebulun 11. Joseph 12. Benjamin. The 7th son was GAD. And according to Genesis 46 vs16. GAD had seven (7) sons namely: Ziphon Haggi Shunni Ezbon Eri Arodi Areli. Sometime in Middle East, famine struck and Jacob moved with his family and about 70 other relations to Egypt. But before then Joseph (which was 11th son of Jacob) had already been sold to Egypt by his brothers,…
-
“If the Hate Speech Bill had been in place between 2013 and 2015 Lai Mohammed would not be alive today”- Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. My dear friend and brother Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, as courageous and truthful as ever, is absolutely right. I would however go a step further by adding that President Muhammadu Buhari himself, Bola Tinubu, Nasir El Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Adams Oshiomole, Yemi Osinbajo and a good number of other leaders in the Federal Government and/or the ruling party would no longer be with us either if the Bill had been in place between 2013 and 2015 because they…
-
The 1966 Coup and Counter Coup: Looking Back So We Can Look Forward By Reno Omokri First published in my column, #TheAlternative, in Sunday ThisDay of May 24, 2020. It was Winston Churchill who said “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see.” So, in this week’s #TheAlternative, I will be looking backwards to the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 28, 1966 counter-coup, with the purpose of learning lessons from those two fateful events. I was inspired to write this piece because there is a real danger that history could repeat Itself in Nigeria.…
-
Follow a 48 hours ultimatum by the House of Representatives to Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio to name lawmakers who are beneficiaries of NDDC contracts, the Executive Director (Projects) of the commission, Dr Cairo Ojugbo has provided the list of National Assembly members who were awarded contracts in NDDC between 2016 and 2019. Dr. Ojougboh, said that between 2016 and 2019, emergency contracts were awarded to the tune of over N2trillion and supervised by the Senate and House of Reps committee chairmen on the NDDC, “and this is the list of all the awardees and how the contracts were…
-
One of the things that differentiate a profession from a trade and occupation is a well defined formal education that is guarded with respect for the sanctity of life. Were this to be true, certain behaviours should be strange amongst professionals. But this is not the case especially nowadays where everything, anything and all things can happen within professional bodies amongst the professionals who, based on interest, can stop at nothing to shamelessly defend the indefensible to forcing the abnormal to become the new normal. “A Profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to ethical standards and who…
-
“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either, write something worth reading or do something worth writting.” Barrister P.O. Balonwu quoting Franklin; Toast of DMGS Old Boys Association on their Golden Anniversary Onitsha Nov. 3 – 9, 1975. “I got to know willy through the Asikas, and I took him home for an extended weekend during which he let me in on the secret of making organic fertilizers on my own farm with my animal and other farm waste. It was an inexpensive down – to –earth way to farming.- Ahmed Joda, former Super Permanent…
-
“Steve Manson’s magazine dealt in corruption: he attacked the rich, the powerful and the famous – and he made enemies. In a job like that, you couldn’t afford to have dirty secrets of your own. With the whole town itching for you to make a slip, it was like living in a goldfish bowl…” — Goldfish Have No Hiding Place. I don’t know if the detained acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, grew up (like some of us) reading the novels of English writer René Brabazon Raymond, who wrote under the pseudonym James…
-
Some think it is foolhardy for the North not to want to relinquish power in 2023. They think it implausible for the North, after eight unbroken years in the saddle, to still want to cling unto power. Some think it should be obvious to the North that the South will have none of that and that should the North persist, it could – should, in fact – lead to the breakup of this country. My thinking is that the North will try its possible best to hold on to power not just beyond 2023 but in perpetuity! At intervals, it…
-
Restructuring: The North, The South And Nigeria’s Future. Give it to the North, they get what they want at every turn while the South do the talking. Most radical ideas that had shaped Nigeria’s political landscape often originated from the South only to be perfected to advantage by the North. For instance, while the South championed the struggle for independence, the North acted like she wasn’t ready and would rather remain under British domination. But from when the British lowered the Union Jack, it was the North that had dominated the South and still do. Another is the idea of…
-
Aniedobe I didn’t think we would ever mention Ipob and Hamas and Hezbollah in the same sentence but things evolve and maybe things are more similar than they appear. Speaking about things being more similar than they appear, did you know that fatwa in the Islamicworld has Igbo correlate. I told you that Allah in Islam and Ala, the Igbo earth goddess and the Supreme god in the ancient Igbo pantheon are not unrelated. Now Fatuwaa in Igbo means literally …let them catastrophically destroy with an object … such as stone, clubs etc. Fatwa ordinarily is a ruling by Islamic…
-
IN December 2012, the Item community in Abia North honoured Arumma Oteh, then Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. I attended that ceremony in the company of the then CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Alex Otti, Diamond Bank GMD and other friends. Then-Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, flew in with a helicopter. The highlight of the event, for me, was when Item High Chief, Prof. Joe Irukwu, took the microphone to personally honour and introduce Amaechi when it was his turn to say a few nice words for Arumma. Irukwu described Amaechi correctly as the “high-performing” Governor…
-
The discussions held between Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and some stakeholders of Igbo land and the resolutions agreed there upon are as follows: Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has legitimate reasons to be angry. The failure of leadership in Igbo land is a critical issue that has to be addressed urgently. However, there is need to move away from verbal attacks and abuses /insults on elders and neighbors of Igbo nation. The personal sacrifices Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has made for the cause and rights of Igbo nation is highly appreciated and honored by many Igbos. Most Igbos love Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and this…
-
By Law Mefor Gabriel Suswan, Senator representing Benue North-East Senatorial District recently told a newspaper that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would still zone the office of the President to the North in 2023. The distinguished senator may not be a member of the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC), but as a senior party member, he is in a position to know that the PDP has not come out with any zoning formula or taken such an insensitive decision. However, the senator was not circumspect and spoke like a prophet without any doubt. Hear him: “Of course, the PDP will…
-
By Law Mefor An Igbo adage states: when a deity starts giving much trouble, it will be shown the wood from which it was carved. There are lines that are never crossed in culture and tradition, and in national life. Such red lines keep the society going, cohesive and coherent. And the Igbo society is a highly organized one and imbued in deep and rich culture and tradition, of which most if not all IPOB members are part of, including their factional leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Igbo culture holds murder and its intents as the highest crime against the society and…
-
No matter how bitter the medicine is, if there is a chance it will work, then many of us will take it. I therefore write, knowing that my weekend will be spent absorbing horrible names and insults, whilst blocking the most ill mannered amongst my readers. But what I also know, is that I will get some converts, and will sway the free thinking persons out there, who either never knew the truth, or who were never able to see things from a different side of the pentagon. Which ever category you fall into, I wish you God’s blessings and…
-
Mar 1, 1990 Playboy sat down with a young Donald Trump in 1990 where he teased a future in politics Written by GLENN PLASKIN Donald Trump sits alone. He hasn’t slept in 48 hours. At six a.m., perched high in the bronze-coated jewel of his empire, Trump Tower, he’s bent over a mammoth Brazilian-rosewood desk, scrutinizing spread sheets. No insomnia, no gnawing worries. “Pressure,” he surmises, sipping an iced Coke, “doesn’t upset my sleep,” a standard four hours nightly. “I like throwing balls into the air—and I dream like a baby.” Three hours later, blond hair marshaled, he announces, with…
-
Mar 1, 1990 Playboy sat down with a young Donald Trump in 1990 where he teased a future in politics Written by GLENN PLASKIN Do you think George Bush is soft? I like George Bush very much and support him and always will. But I disagree with him when he talks of a kinder, gentler America. I think if this country gets any kinder or gentler, it’s literally going to cease to exist. I think if we had people from the business community—the Carl Icahns, the Ross Perots—negotiating some of our foreign policy, we’d have respect around the world. What…
-
Mar 1, 1990 Playboy sat down with a young Donald Trump in 1990 where he teased a future in politics Written by GLENN PLASKIN What is marriage to you? Is it monogamous? I don’t have to answer that. I never speak about my wife—which is one of the advantages of not being a politician. My marriage is and should be a personal thing. I don’t want to be President. I’m one hundred percent sure. I’d change my mind only if I saw this country continue to go down the tubes. But you do enjoy flirtations? I think any man enjoys…
-
He killed his brother and blamed the Bible. Being a Christian fundamentalist, he had made the decision that he would always consult the Bible before doing anything significant. Although he had read the Bible from cover to cover, whenever he wanted special inspiration, he would close his eyes, open the Bible randomly, and point at any part of the opened pages. He would then open his eyes and read the verse on which his index finger rested. Most times he would make a second trip before forming his opinion and taking the necessary action. He would first open the Bible…
-
“From time immemorial, the people that are called Igbanke today were known and called Igbo-Akiri. It was in 1967 when Ogbemudia became the military governor of the Midwest State that he changed the name of the town from Igbo-Akiri to Igbanke…It would have been unthinkable at that time to reveal that an Ibo man or an Ibo town produced the military governor of the Midwest State…. Ogbemudia, including the prominent Evangelist Rev. Isaac Idahosa are all Ibo and they hail originally from Igbo Akiri.” (See Blood On The Niger, Gomslam Books 2012 pages 33, 216) Captain Fred Anuku, the Commander of…
-
Slavery as an inhumane act perpetrated by Europeans against Africans is only one side of the story. The other side of the story is that Africans, whether as brokers, raiders, donors, slave merchants, facilitators, were complicit in the enslavement of fellow Africans and African on African slavery persists and thrives till this day. Today, we hold that whites owe reparation for slavery and whites should be held responsible for all the reprehensible acts of cruelty against African slaves. Agreed in part, but at what point will Africans take responsibility and offer due reparations, recompense and expiation for their own role…
-
Says American Government Agency Mentioned IPOB As A Group That Attacks Christians In Nigeria30/6/2020 “As I type, a 2020 Report by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in the Nigerian section, EXPRESSLY named IPOB as one of the entities levying attacks on places of Worship in Nigeria (Paragraph 2 of Page 2). They cited a media report that IPOB members “attacked five Christians, including a priest, for holding a mass in defiance of IPOB orders to stay at home” (If you want the full report or the page that mentioned IPOB, kindly ask and I will inbox…
-
For most people in Imo State, there seems to be an honest effort to reconstruct the State and extricate her from the manacles of corruption and underdevelopment. Between 2011 and 2019, so much happened that no meaningful government in the state would want to close its eyes to the calamity. The calamity was earth shattering, to the point that almost all the governorship candidates in the state agreed that if the state must move forward, Okorocha’s successor must revisit certain policies of that era, and perhaps undo what he had done. Even if someone wanted to close just one eye…
-
If you thought that kneeling on the neck of George Floyd until he expired was horrific, then take a moment to reflect on the equally Floydian horror of pinning down the faces of scores of unarmed Igbo kids in muddy water by elements of the Nigerian army during Operation Python Dance 2 until they all expired and their bodies tossed into shallow graves. Their crime was crying out for social justice in Nigeria by expressing a legitimate desire to leave Nigeria and form Biafra as a separate sovereign entity to bear their aspirations for equality and fair play. In a…
-
One of the things that surprise me about human beings is the degree of our conceptions and machinations. It never ceases to amaze me what man can do to get even and settle scores, and regrettably, this can happen for mere imaginary problem(s). There is no limit to what we can do – and this includes the good, the bad and the ugly which can come in legions even when least expected and within our cells and the confines of our operations. As communal beings, we live in communities, interacting and relating with others. We operate within a circle –…
-
“Intelligence of the masses is too lowTheir forgetfulness very greatThey must be told one thing a thousand times” Adolf Hitler Creating a nation out of a sovereign nation, either by the fiat of the United Nations, or by mutual consent; or by convulsion of the affected nations by the splinter sections is never a walk in the park. Unless the affected nation decides to dissolve itself, dividing it takes a lengthy process that requires a buy in of two third of nations of the world, including unanimous affirmations of the five (5) nations holding veto in the Security Country Council…
-
Let me make it clear that spontaneous right action informs one to do the right thing, at the right time for the right reasons.Question is : Why should the Igbos and people of Southern Nigeria, mostly Christians give their unconditional support to the Democrats, or why should they reward them for what they did here in 2015 under President Obama? I want to also alert those who think that those supporting President Trump are misguided, that they are actually the misguided people because they are driven by bandwagon mentality and not deep and introspective thinking. It is on record that in…
-
By Dr. Law Mefor It is not difficult to see prominent citizens from certain divides of the country claiming they do not understand what ‘Restructuring’ means. One also suspects that there are proponents of Restructuring who may not be able to defend their position well for the simple reason that their appreciation of the subject matter is vague; or, maybe, they are just suffering bandwagon effect? A cause may not be so imperiled from its enemies as from its injudicious defence by its friends. One therefore feels compelled to simplify and summarise what ‘Restructuring’ means despite the facts out there,…
-
1. Introduction The restructuring discourse and debate has now been on-going in Nigeria for about a decade. The issue for me in this article isn’t about the propriety or germaneness, or even the benefits of restructuring for Nigeria. I really couldn’t care less for what’s good or bad for Nigeria; that’s for non-Igbo Nigerians, as far as I’m concerned, to worry about, not for any genuinely Igbo person. Here in this piece, I simply want to argue that it’s in the best interest of Nigeria, and of Igbos, broadly defined to include “peripheral Igbos” or “fringe Igbos”, to carve out of…
-
The story you are about to read is about a Nigerian who shook the whole world and the pharmaceutical industry in his days. However, his constituency-Nigeria forgets him. But let’s celebrate him today because if he had been alive today, he would probably offer solution to covid 19. Enjoy your reading and don’t forget to pass your comments. Alabukun, one of the oldest drugs in Nigeria and even still very relevant and popular today. However, not many know the Jacob Odulate aka Blessed Jacob, a Nigerian pharmacist, inventor and entrepreneur, the brain behind the brand. The Alabukun powder is like…
-
“I have invited you to attend this caucus because I would like you to make clear our stand on the issue of secession. As a party, we would have preferred Nigeria to remain intact, but lest there be doubt as to our willingness to concede to any shade of political opinion the right to determine its policy, I am obliged to issue a solemn warning to those who are goading the North towards secession. If you agree with my views, then I hope that in course of our deliberations tonight, you will endorse them, to enable me to publicize them…
-
They will kill me; they will kill the President Elect, Chief MKO Abiola if I went ahead with the election and announced the winner of the elections which we all know to be Bashorun, Chief MKO Abiola. ”I know so; I am not daft. He won; he tried. I feel bad about the whole matter. Professor, I do not see how they will spare you because they know you are my principal confidant. You think they do not know you? They know; they know you are with me now. They saw you coming in and they know you are with…
-
(Excerpted by Casimir Agbakaja from the book, Zik, Ndigbo & their Southern Neighbours by Uchenna Nwankwo) Igbo relationship with the Eastern Minorities was largely defined by Azikiwe’s relationship with Professor Eyo Ita, the foremost political practitioner from the area at the time. Eyo Ita was a vice president of the NCNC and the leader of the party in the Eastern Region, actually, in Calabar. Following NCNC’s victorious outing in the December 1951 Eastern Regional elections, Prof Eyo Ita became the Head of Government Business in Eastern Nigeria [on Azikiwe’s recommendation or backing] in early 1952 when the Eastern House of…
-
The African Development Bank’s helmsman, Nigerian-born and America-trained Akinwumi Adesina has been in the news recently.Strangely, this time, there are unpleasant allegations being leveled against him. I say strangely because those who are knowledgeable about international development will readily agree that the name Akinwumi Adesina is synonymous with stellar accomplishments. So naturally, much more than an average level of curiosity will come to bear about the allegations against the AfDB President, whose first term is set to lapse in a few months. From a widely circulated Whistleblower complaint document, a string of permutations that stretch to the point of accusing…
-
“The President then told me that he wanted me to join his new government. I was so surprised that I said, “But, Sir, I am not a politician.” He, however, quickly replied, “Nor was Henry Kissinger a politician.” In reply to my question about the other characters he hoped to have in his new government, President Shagari was very frank in telling me that during his first administration his political party had won the election for him and had in consequence largely determined who would be appointed as Ministers, with the result that a good many of them had let…
-
Harbingers of a new day for the Ibo nation, having selected me to preside over the deliberations of this assembly of the Ibo nation, I am conscious of the fact that you have not done so because of any extraordinary attributes in me.I realize that I am not the oldest among you, nor the wisest, nor the wealthiest, nor the most experienced, nor the most learned. I am therefore grateful to you for elevating me to this high pedestal. The Ibo people have reached a cross-road and it is for us to decide which is the right course to follow.…
-
Anyone who had traveled around Eastern Nigeria especially Southeast, would be marveled at the number and types of buildings scattered in every nook and cranny of the zone. People compete to build edifices. Without mincing words, it could be out of place to say that there is rarely a village without a millionaire as seen by the type of buildings – magnificent buildings – in many families, villages and communities even in remotest areas. However, some of the buildings are underutilized and left to accumulate dusts as the owners either live in town, other states or outside Nigeria, visiting home…
-
America’s Jeff Bezos, founder of e-commerce giant, Amazon, is becoming a trillionaire in the midst of COVID-19 global pandemic. This is both good and bad news. Good news because it is the reward of foresight and tenacity. Bad news because in the midst of the same pandemic, his e-commerce counterparts in Nigeria are counting losses. The difference is not in the business dexterity of Bezos nor in the poor marketing skills of the Nigerian counterparts. The difference, unfortunately, is how the two governments reacted to the pandemic and its attendant lockdown. While the US government gave a clear signal to e-commerce companies in America to…
-
COVID-19 lockdown “It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself that determines how your life story will develop.” Dieter F. Uchrdorf (A German aviator). The Nigerian economy nay world economy would never be the same again. The advent of COVID-19 came so sudden and caught everyone napping and panicky. Even the world powers were very much unprepared as they thought it was another epidemic; like the ones that came before it. African governments were busy waiting on World Health Organization (WHO) for direction. In fact, people had rumoured that COVID-19 was a pandemic for the whites only and that; it does…
-
Federal and state governments need to be more serious in enforcing the regulations aimed at chaining COVID-19. It is a matter of life and death. No nation can joke with that. The co-ordination between the federal and state authorities appears ragged at the moment. I thought the primary responsibility of the presidential task force was to act as the national co-ordinating agency; especially in ensuring that states observe whatever regulations are issued by the federal authorities based on the informed advice of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC. This does not appear to be happening. It is the wrong road…
-
I think it is important to start this with the story of a boy, Alhassan.Born in Bebeji, Kano Emirate in 1877, his father, Abdullahi died when he was eight. His mother, Amarya, then left for Accra, and left her children in the care of a slave named Tata. Tata sent young Alhassan to an Almajiri school in Bebeji, where he worked, and learned from a Tijaniyya mallam. At age 17, Alhassan went to Accra to see his mother, who promptly took him to another Mallam. After a year or two, he returned to Bebeji. From his foster mother, Tata, he…
-
By Akinyemi Muhammed. On January 15 1966, Nigeria suffered its first military coup. The military coup was erroneously tagged an Igbo coup because most of the coup plotters were Majors from the East (even though most grew up in the north and spoke Hausa better than Igbo), and in July 1966, there was a ‘rematch’. Aggrieved northern soldiers who felt they needed to avenge the death of their top soldiers and politicians killed in the January coup started to threaten mutiny. The suspicion was aggravated by the infamous Unification Decree; Decree 34 announced by Nigeria’s Head of State (HOS) Aguiyi…
-
With all the secrets in life including the ones we know and those we are ignorant of, at the appointed time we leave the stage and everything associated with it. To everyone born of a woman, there is no permanent position because change is constant. Take a look at the mirror and see how fast you have changed. But in the real sense of it, is there any secret in life even in secret cults and occult societies? Are there hidden treasures that cannot be explored, revealed and exploited by a curious mind – the earnest seeker? In the romance…
-
By Nick Opara-Ndudu Lately, there has been palpable concern over political developments in Imo State, with the spate of unsavoury social media battles that have exposed the fragile nature of the relationships currently existing amongst key political actors. Regrettably, sundry events in our dear state have become the subject of intense public discourse and disagreements in the blogosphere. Imo has, rather unfortunately, become one of those states that has been subject to intense public scrutiny and judgement. Amid all these developments, the world is witnessing an era of unparalleled disruptions in the links that define our global ecosystem. The COVID-19…
-
Coronavirus crash in commodity prices has wasted $200 billion in investment and loans. China’s commercial activities in Africa, such as investments, infrastructure projects and bank lending, have long attracted scrutiny and criticism. Critics have accused Beijing of practicing a new form of economic colonialism to gain control of the continent’s valuable natural resources by luring unsuspecting African nations into so-called debt traps. While this perspective dominates the narrative about Beijing’s economic ties with Africa, it likely exaggerates Chinese strategic foresight and overlooks the pitfalls of China’s big bet on the continent.As the prices of oil, copper and minerals found in…
-
This essay is a rebuttal to the recent publication by Dr Nwankwo Tony Nwaezeigwe making the rounds in the social media. In his write-up, he made several mendacious assertions, which I consider a calculated attempt to deride the Igbo nation and bring its past leaders into disrepute. My task is to clarify and put the records straight. On self centeredness of Ndigbo and their Past LeadersThe claim that Ndigbo and their past leaders, particularly Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, were self-centered is really absurd and depicts lack of historical knowledge or a deliberate attempt to ignore the historical…
-
(1) Olaudah Equiano: The Father of American Autobiography In his acclaimed autobiography, Olaudah Equiano told of his early childhood in Iseke, a community in the Igbo nation, southeast of Oshimmri (now the River Niger). He was kidnapped at age 11 and shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas in 1757. One of his American enslavers named him ‘Gustavus Vassa’ after the 16th-century Swedish king, a cultural cleansing criminality that characterized chattel slavery in the Americas. While working on ships and sailing the world, Olaudah did some on-the-side trading, in the spirit of Igbo entrepreneurial expertise. He saved enough money within…
-
oblongmedia.net/
-
“Yes. I played a prominent role in Biafra for the unity of the country in order to restore peace and bring about unity of the country. That’s the role I played. I advised Ojukwu. I said well look, you have declared secession. What we should do is to get the elder statesmen and women of the nation to reconcile you and Gowon. I said by declaring secession, you get so many people who do not believe you to remain there. You see all of us were interned. As we were interned then, we couldn’t express our own views as we…
-
No one conversant with the history of Nigeria in the I950s and 1960’s will miss the overwhelming impact of Dr M.I. Okpara on the nation. After all by 1964 he was fully in charge of the fastest growing and industrialising economy in the world- the Eastern Nigerian economy. Nothing illustrates the warped sense of history and the complete abandonment of the values of merit and excellence in our national affairs as this wilful omission. The period of Okpara’s stewardship of Eastern Nigeria is truly the golden age of Nigerian development. As I pointed out in a public lecture in 1995,…
-
Introduction COVID-19 emerged as one of the world’s worst pandemics with unprecedented social and economic lockdown in history. As a global pandemic, over 212 countries, territories and conveyances have been hit by the ‘super-spreading COVID-19. The effect is the self-evident drift from economic bloom to gloom with every country’s share of the challenge. Covid-19 has exposed the reality that governments are not omnipotent and sole-providers of all individuals’ economic demands in societies. DAn economy refers to the aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. It can be measured chiefly by country’s GDP/GNP and per capita GDP. Economic growth rate…
-
ATTEMPT AT AN ANSWER – by Dr. S. Okechukwu Mezu They lived in different times and clime. Dr. Michael Okpara was the Premier of Eastern Nigeria (Today’s South-Eastern states (Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi) and parts of South-South states (Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers). He was not elected but chosen over Barrister R. Amanze Njoku and Prof. Eyo Ita and leader of NCNC in the Eastern House of Assembly by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who was heading back to the national scene Lagos preparatory to the Independence of Nigeria. The headquarters of Eastern Nigeria was at Enugu. There were initially…
-
The Nigerian Civil War was a golden opportunity for the country to have developed technologically if the opportunities it provided were harnessed. During the three years war, the Igbo scientists and engineers gave good account of themselves in terms of technological inventions. In the heat of the civil war, the leader of the young Biafra Republic, Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Ojukwu called a meeting of engineers and scientists, and challenged them to produce a counter weapon to all that Britain and Russia were providing to the Nigerian Government. According to the Biafran leader: “The answer I got within a space of…
-
Over time, the idea of 100 days in office has been used to measure the success or failure of governments. While famous American writer and author, Kenneth T. Walsh, believes that 100 days should not be the ideal yardstick to establish the success or otherwise of a leader or government, he still regards it as a functional device for measuring effectiveness. It should, however, be stressed that success in the first 100 days does not really translate into an enduring success afterward. In the same vein, initial difficulties do not, in any way, signify that a government is doomed to…
-
A series of tips circulating on Facebook and the private messaging app Viber are reinforcing several myths about the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, including the use of bleach, mouthwash and UV light to avoid the contagion. The 600-plus-word advice, attributed to an unnamed assistant professor in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University, came from a “community chat,” was described as an “excellent summary to avoid contagion” and shared March 24. The tips include at least four myths that have been debunked by the World Health Organization, health experts and fact checkers. Following the advice may harm a person’s health. The myths:*…
OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE 