Commentary on Emmanuel U Obi's “Understanding The Okija Shrine Phenomenon And The Art Of Mental Poisoning: Just Before The Rush To Judgement”. By Charles N. Okeke (GAMJI) There
is nothing sacred about paganism. What
happened at Okija, and is happening in yet to be revealed parts of
(GAMJI) In my head I felt nauseated at the things we do as Nigerians which only smell; of shame. The headline read ‘I’m the Ibori Convicted, Says Truck Driver’ The stage production of The Crooked Governor started when in 2003 two aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP filed a case stating that the Governor, Ibori had once been convicted of a criminal case and as such was not qualified to stand for election. While Governor Ibori blamed everything to everyone for his persecution the play continued. Details
(GAMJI) We
have proved beyond reasonable doubt the injustice of the imposition of
state of emergency on
Nigerians
In Diaspora Organization, As (GAMJI) But what happened thereafter to NIDO and the wonderful idea leading to its formation? Why did we lose sustained focus and direction? I have heard speculations, to the effect that NIDO sluggish and lagging achievements, are mostly, as a result of negative chasms and schisms between certain individuals, who are only interested in power, for power’s sake and without the corresponding interests, in public or common good of Nigerians. Details
Tony Anenih: Most Certainly not a Statesman! By Ndubueze Godson III (GAMJI) Somewhere
I read how Anenih has become Mother Theresa of
For How Long Will The World’s Crude Oil Reserves Last ? By Sam Ejike Okoye (GAMJI) Nigeria
’s continued membership of OPEC is in the overall strategic national
interest needs to be re-examined. We must therefore explore carefully
whether the export constraints of OPEC would enable
Igbophobia
in Cyberspace (Part 2): A Case Study of Olisa Osita’s continued
Falsehood. By (GAMJI) We may be down now, but history must remember that it took the Jews more than 2000 years of uncensored persecution to rise to the prominence they enjoy today, and which by God no nation will again deprive them. So with Ndigbo, the day we would arise, no nation would dare take it away from us. Osita can go and bury his head in his boiling hatred, as that cannot detract one bit from the greatness of Ndigbo. Details
Atiku Not Like Taft. By Mahmood Mahmoud (GAMJI) Atiku
still have 2½ years to mend fences with his grassroots electorates if
personal desire to acquire wealth will not allow him, and then let him
know that people will sincerely pray for his downfall come 2007. Details
Zimbabwean
Farmers: What is (GAMJI) Zimbabwean Farmers: What is Kwara State up to? I have tried in the last couple of months to understand what I saw as a new development in which the Federal government and some states, in particular Kwara State, were trying to do by relocating certain Zimbabwean farmers that have been displaced by the crisis in Zimbabwe. Details
Crowns, Thorns And Makarfi. By Mahmud Jega Many things swirled around Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi as he celebrated his 48th birthday last week. He was struggling to maintain an enviable gubernatorial record, there was the tragic death of his right-hand man, there were the darkening clouds of 2007, and there are some controversies around some of his policies, his political intentions, and his newly completed personal house. Here’s a peep into the complex workings of a governor’s mind. Details
Cultural Imperatives and the Fates of the People of Northern Nigerian. By Tukur Dan-Muazu (GAMJI) To
be candid, the north with its Hausa cultural guiding spirit fares the
worse through the years of the inevitable cultural conflict.
It has experienced corrosion in its aspects of life.
Firstly, there is the corruption of its leadership;
secondly the near destruction of its economic base; thirdly the
pollution of its moral and ethical values; fourthly, the weakening of
bonds among its people; sixthly, the progressive emaciation of collective
psychology of self confidence.
Resolving the Enigma of Nigeria's 3rd Republic. By Kòmbò Mason Braide, Ph.D. (GAMJI WRITER) Once more, the country was under the unelected dictatorships of Major General Mohammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Sani Abacha, and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, incidentally, all of them, Grand Commanders of the Federal Republic (GCFR)! To further compound the absurdity with more paradox, their dictatorships were referred to as “Federal Military Government”, and they were called “Head of State” of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: a pseudo-federation that was overtly subsumed monolithically, under their understandably regimented perception of the known universe; a republic that ceased to be by the very fact of their imposition on Nigerians; indeed, by their very existence as (military or civilian) dictators. Details
HEALTH INTERACTIVE WITH DR. AMINU MAGASHI Lessons from MacArthur Foundation (GAMJI WRITER) I will like to conclude this discourse by expressing some reservation that apart from the program on Global Security And Sustainable, the three other programmes of the foundation are highly concentrated in the U S A alone especially the Macarthur Fellows Programme on which for someone to be a beneficiary, that person must be either a resident or citizen of the United State. Details
PEOPLE
AND POLITICS BY MOHAMMED HARUNA .
War
on terror: Common cause with (GAMJI) Whether victims or victimizers, it seems to me that the administration of President Obasanjo seems to have adopted a policy which regards most, if not all, Muslims in the armed forces as suspect terrorists. I may be wrong, but this seems to me to be a reasonable explanation for why, since Obasanjo became president more than five years ago, all three services of the armed forces and most command posts, from battalion to division, have been kept away from Muslim officers in a country where more than half the population are Muslims. Details
Lost Between Two Worlds. By Okenwa R. Nwosu, M.D. (GAMJI) The chilling report about the police findings at Ogwugwu Okija shrine is only a premonition of the confusion and disorientation that has permeated the psyche of the contemporary African. No doubt, the CNN, BBC, AP, Reuters, UPI and a host of other foreign media groups are already making their way to Okija, Ihiala Local Government of Anambra state, to record this gruesome site for their worldwide audience. Details
Understanding The Okija Shrine Phenomenon And The Art Of Mental Poisoning: Just Before The Rush To Judgement. By Emmanuel U Obi (GAMJI) For those who have not followed the events at Okija shrine, I will try to recap very briefly the gist of what was discovered at Okija shrine. Following a tip off, a team of Police men led by the Anambra State Commissioner of Police Felix Ogbaudu visited the Okija shrine where they made some gruesome discovery. Headless bodies, human corpses, skulls, and a register of names were found at the various shrines in Okija. Details
Accepting Opposition: The Trade Union Bill. By Dr. Jibo Ibrahim (GAMJI) Indeed, the issue of the President’s attitude to the NLC, much of which is related to the petroleum-pricing question, is a good indication of the democracy deficit of successive Nigerian Governments. Nigerians believe that the provision of cheap and constant supply of petrol is a legitimate expectation. Over the past twenty years, successive governments have made opposing arguments that world prices should be the main consideration in pricing petrol but have failed to convince Nigerians that they are right. Details
The
(GAMJI) We have reached value bankruptcy. Chieftaincy is for sale to the highest bidder, tradition for auction, thieving children are no longer outcasts of the family, and corruption has become our national pastime. Our traditional moral values are totally destroyed. We have become nihilist Details
A
Presidential Hopeful and the Future of (GAMJI) Recently,
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,
In the days following the ill-fated deregulation of the Nigerian economy (without a corresponding deregulation of the political sphere), it was possible for people with access to the sprawling government’s patronage machine that was then under the evil grip of IBB, his cronies and successors in office, to readily obtain banking licenses, then go to any of the government-controlled banks, take as much loan as possible, with or without collateral, and use the borrowed funds (capital?) to set up their own banks. Details
A
House of Simpletons? (GAMJI) But today many Nigerian senators and MPs have committed worse crimes in those hallowed sanctuaries of democracy, yet they are still walking the streets, bearing their inglorious selves with a bloated air of self-importance, which is simply emptiness and dishonour in motion. Details
Democratic
Governance and the Citizenship Question: All Nigerians Are Settlers The consequence is that millions of Nigerians who find themselves in "effective" residency in places other than where they can claim ‘indigeneity' or where they are accepted as “indigenes” are labelled as "strangers and "settlers". Nigerians so defined are subjected to all kinds of exclusions and deprivations, which differentiate them from the “natives”, and members of the” host communities”. Details
The Necessity For Change In Philosophy. By Odi Maduneke (GAMJI) The Nigerian political elite and the American political elite think alike. They have the same philosophy. It is mega bucks for them and dreams for the people. The American political system offers no alternative as many Nigerians often think. A real alternative empowers the masses. This requires a different way of thinking, a different ideology. The question is therefore whether those opposing Obasanjo have a different ideology from him. Details
(GAMJI) Nigeria, noted in a spurious survey as inhabited by the happiest people on earth is ever engulfed in the gloom of a dreaded past that has hindered her liberation to a beckoning future of hope, happiness, wealth and true greatness. The nation is ever gripped with the Nothing Ever Works Syndrome (NEWS). Details
Of Shrines, Religion, Nigerians and Law. By Ike Okwuobi (GAMJI) Enter August, 2004: Fifty bodies are found in the heart of the Igbo land. Despite the uproar - and rightly too, the States legal team is at a dilemma as to how to discern and dissect this matter. Who will be charged and for contravening what law? After all, it is said that all parties came there in two’s to swear in the enshrined space in full knowledge of the fact that only a pair of feet will walk away unscathed with the certainty that the living pair of feet would not belong to the prevaricator. Details
Okija Shrine and “Pepper Soup” Story. By Kunle I Sowunmi (GAMJI) This writer is of the opinion that the pretension of Ohanaeze a socio-cultural group of Ndigbo of non awareness of the Shrine which it’s Secretary General openly identify with is not only funny but a face saving method for the group and many others like that all over Nigeria which will in future will be exposed as Nigeria continue to match at snail speed towards the gains of 21st century. Details
ANPP Rattles PDP In Kano. By Abba Anwar (GAMJI) t either goes down well with you or not, the fact remains very clear, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is rattled by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Kano. There is no two ways about it. There are many conceivable and inconceivable factors responsible for that. Details
The National Conference Question. By Dr. Jibo Ibrahim (GAMJI) In a certain sense, when Nigerians call for a national conference, they are making a call for an alternative approach to politics. An approach that would involve the rehabilitation of the concept of politics and of democracy. Unfortunately, the reality of Nigerian politics is understood to be a process of thuggery, violence, political exclusion, ethnic jingoism, religious bigotry, electoral fraud and so on. Very few people benefit from this form of politics. Details
NYSC: The Demise of a Nobel Idea. By Maxwell James Odaudu (GAMJI) NYSC, it is pertinent to note, is a miniature of our attempts at unity in its philosophy and its methods. Though a Corps Member’s destiny may look hopelessly irredeemable on his crested vest tagged: Now Your Suffering Continues (NYSC), but I think the scheme, from an objective standpoint, has been able to address our heterogeneity. Over the years, Details
Presidential Hopeful At A Disadvantage Running Against An Incumbent. By Dr. Wunmi Akintide (GAMJI) President
Gerald Ford was once ridiculed by the Media for saying that that the old
Why Should The CBN Governor Read This? By Abubakar Suleiman (GAMJI) I am writing this piece with a very discomforting thought that ‘there is no way the CBN governor will read this mail’. I am convinced that it will be rubbished like every other ‘counter proposal’ from bankers and people with a stake in maintaining the status quo. I am also writing with the conviction that the presidency has accepted the position of his governor and will not tolerate any amendment to his proposal. Yet I feel strongly that I must attempt to contribute to this discussion, and that somewhere in the madness of self reservation, something good might come out of this. Details
A Reply to Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad “General Muhammadu Buhari is My Choice to be the Next President of Nigeria”. By Usman Yerima (GAMJI) I have to agree with Ben Oghre's observation and analysis of General Buhari. Quite frankly, I am not sure Buhari is qualified to fill a local govt councillorship position. Dr. Abubakar Mohammed is obviously confused or completely clueless as to what leadership really entails in the 21st century. Details
The Wasteful Spending
Habit of a (GAMJI) Shehu Shagari has the right to pardon all those who wronged him. That’s his right. It is his prerogative and his duty, especially as a religious and spiritual person, to forgive those who injured him. His actions and pronouncements are all fine with me. However, what I resentment, and what offends my sensibility is the spending habit of some state governments who went on a spending jamboree in purchasing Shagari’s memoir.Details
The
Rise and Fall of ANPP in Adamawa State. By
Zayyad
(GAMJI) ANPP
has been bedeviled by problem right from it inception in
The Ibori Trial: A Shame Of Our Time. By S. Yahaya (GAMJI) The tragedy here is not the fact that a serving Governor is probably an ex-convict [with all its negative connotations and implications for both the Governor and the country] but that the Nigeria Police and the Judiciary cannot identify a former felon they have prosecuted and convicted. Details
The Necessity For Change In Philosophy. By Odi Maduneke (GAMJI) It
is well and good to complain about Obasanjo or other Nigerian government
officials and to blame them for the poor quality of life in
The Anambra Horror: A Diabolical Process In A Cultural Web. By Mike Ikhariale (GAMJI) While the stockpile of human remains found at the various shrines may be offensive to our conscience and human decency, in fact, violative of Nigeria’s criminal laws, there are however ample evidence that this is a practice that has been condoned and, indeed, patronised, by the community over the years. Details
(GAMJI) To detour a bit, it is pertinent to ask; why have banks been easy targets for economic reform? Why have they always been the object of particular concern to government, the economists and the public alike? Answers to these questions are quite complex. Details
Sovereign National Conference-- A Historical Imperative for national Survival and Regeneration. By Dr. Sulaiman Kumo (GAMJI) Finally, how do we organize and get the proposals coming from this Workshop, to be accepted by the North and eventually gain acceptance at the Conference? My view is that first we must try to get a substantial Northern Nigeria-wide support for them, and thence we must join hands with the many other groups engaged in the business of trying to actualize the S.N.C. Details
HEALTH
INTERACTIVE WITH DR AMINU MAGASHI That changed of heart followed the investigation of the vaccines imported from Indonesia by the committee of polio expect led by Dr Lawan Alhassan Bichi and another review by another committee of experts led by Professor Sadiq Wali. Although at the end of the investigation, traces of Estradiol were discovered, the second committee who reportedly did a wider consultation with experts both within and outside the country had confirmed that the traces of Estradiol would not have any harmful effect and will not induce production of anti bodies to cause infertility. Details
MID-WEEK ESSAY: The Iconic Gani and the Odious Nnakwe – A Clash of Rights? By Mobolaji E. Aluko, Ph.D. If Gani must defend Nnakwe, he should either do so WITHOUT TAKING ANY MONEY whatsoever, or at least not until Nnakwe is found innocent. If he takes money for representation, he should return whatever money he gets from Nnakwe either to the State or to Nnakwe’s victims if Nnakwe is found guilty. In fact, I believe that this should be a general principle, and not just applied to Gani. Details
Think
of the Unthinkable: Notes
on (GAMJI)
A
Reply to Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad “General Muhammadu Buhari is My Choice to be
the Next President of Nigeria” By (GAMJI) Muhammadu Buhari cannot be described as having any of the virtue he listed above, the man does not have what it takes to rule this country and certainly does not have the knowledge, achievements and vision. He is far from being a team player when it comes to playing all sides of the field. And then what about his radical Islamist agenda? Details
As
Liberians observe the first anniversary of Charles Taylor's flight into exile,
Amnesty International expresses its dismay at a recent decision of the
African Union's (AU) Executive Council congratulating
People & Politics By Mohammed Haruna 25 Billion Naira Bank Equity: Why OBJ and Soludo should listen to Peterside(GAMJI WRITER) Soludo says his reform is meant to address a number of major flaws in the banking sector including (1) the insecurity of depositors’ funds, (2) neglect of the investment needs of the real sectors like agriculture and manufacturing and (3) the lack of competitiveness of our banks in the global market. Nobody denies that these flaws exist, but even as a non-banker and someone who is barely literate in economics, I cannot see how the solution lies in a 25 billion Naira equity for all banks in 18 months. Details
MONDAY
QUARTER-BACKING: The Barbarous Acts of Okija (GAMJI WRITER) Here
is the point: If Okija, or Anambra
State, or Igboland were one country of its own - let us call it, for the sake of
argument "Biafra" - and such barbarous acts were carried
out, then it would be announced to the world that "Thousands of headless,
unburied corpses were found in shrines at Okija,
Biafra" . Achuzia and the rest
of his co-defendants of tradition could then defend the practice as being the
ridder of evils in their country. Fine. But for me to be in
the same COUNTRY where such barbarous acts are being carried, and
to have them hailed when I so FUNDAMENTALLY disagree with them, is violent to
every instinct in me. Details
Abubakar Rimi's "Satanic Verses": A Rejoinder to Sam Omatseye. By Paul Mamza (GAMJI WRITER) “Alhaji Abubakar Rimi is the perfect example of how to turn into a buffoon from a hero. Those of us who have watched the career of this man morph over the years can see the makings of a political nonentity and it is sad. This man (Rimi) actually dabbed onto the political stage with so much promise. But when opportunism and vanity overtake a man, his mind is often in danger of crumbling into a big waste”. These are the words of Sam Omatseye – a contributing columnist in the Sunday Sun Newspaper. Details
The
Hydrogen Energy Revolution and the Incoming Hydrogen Economy and the Interplay
Between Science, Technology and Energy/Oil Politics. By (GAMJI) Today
Nasir El-Rufai and Islam in the FCT. By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (GAMJI WRITER) But to dismiss Nasir as being “controversial”, as many are wont to do, is a disastrous mistake. First of all, in spite of the fact that he has ruffled a quite few feathers (including many ostrich feathers), his actions have been met with the quiet approval of the majority of Nigerian society. What is termed controversial is in fact a stubborn desire to be different, not just for its sake, but for the sake of making a difference, a small positive contribution to a system in need of change. Details
Voodoo
Anambra, Voodoo (GAMJI) If
the account of the Daily Independent Newspaper that the Pan-Igbo
socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has frowned at the raid on the now
infamous Okija shrine in
Engineering and Industrial Development in the North: A Critical Perspective. By Jibo Nura (GAMJI) Bribery and corruption has eaten deep into both public and private sectors. In the areas of information and communications, there is acute shortage of manpower vis-à-vis the current needs of public and private sectors. There are inadequate institutions offering courses in ICT to meet the needs of civil servants and academic staff. The existing few institutions in the Northern states are often poorly equipped. Details
General Muhammadu Buhari is My Choice to be the Next President of Nigeria. By Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad (GAMJI) I am aware that innuendos, distortions, and even outright falsehood had been propagated to trash and denigrate the General’s tenure as a successful and disciplined Military Head of State between 1983-1985. Partly we seem to forget that General Muhammadu Buhari’s time was a defining moment to re-invent morality and deal with the cancer of corruption Details
Indigeneship, Citizenship and the Lost Nigerianship: An Unpopular Essay (Part). By Joseph Dangme Rinyom (GAMJI) But
the real questions still remain unanswered: Is an organizational
structure based on indigeneship, as it is now, the best for
The Ritual Killing Arrests. By Abdulsalam Olatubosun Ajetunmobi (GAMJI) While the discovery in September 2001 of a young boy whose mutilated body was found in the River Thames in London caused shock and outrage throughout Britain and to which £50,000 reward is still on offer for information leading to the conviction of the boy's killer(s), it is sad that the unmasking of a similar macabre in Ihiala, albeit on large scale, by police (50 bodies, 20 skulls, genitals and other body parts were reportedly discovered) could be so denounced as a non-issue by one of us. Details
Kano Politics of Short-Cut: Dangers and Calamities. By Ya’u Yusuf Abubakar & Saleh Ibrahim Giginyu (GAMJI) Kano
politics has always been very different from politics
elsewhere. Recently at a conference organized by the Kano State History
and Culture Bureau, marking the two hundred years of the Jihad in
Recently
while addressing the Press, enfant terrible Wada Nas took up the
gauntlet and spoke courageously on the Igbo Presidency matter. His words
“there is no ethnic group that is more qualified than the other in
producing the president of the country and so more is any more qualified
than the Igbos”
A Thought for Nigeria's South-South. By Barrister Jude Onwuegbuzie (GAMJI) I am told that Dr. Odili is being positioned for greater things ahead of 2007, and I can not but feel pained as a South-Southerner (if such a thing exists?). Dr. Odili apparently has friends in high places, but he should remember that friends that you constantly placate at the expense of your zone can not be friends, but masters. Details
Matters
Arising from the British Expedition, Massacre of the Binis and Plunder of Benin
Art Works in 1897. By
Dele Igbinedion, Solicitor ( (GAMJI) About
one hundred and six years ago that British Military Forces invaded
(GAMJI) One wondered if doctor Fadal obtained a doctorate in English, English grammar, to be exact. If so, one would wish to know the professor, the dean it was that vetted his dissertation on grammar, word usage and/or application, and in what school in the United States or Nigeria his learning occurred. Details
How We Underdeveloped the Ummah and the Way Forward. By Ibrahim Ado-Kurawa (GAMJI) Some of the problems facing the Ummah today have to be traced to their historical root. Nigerian Ummah shares many things in common with the Muslim world in general. Hence the present situation must be traced to the decline of Muslim power in the world. Several reasons have been given for this weakness in the contemporary world of modern industrial civilization. Details
(GAMJI) His uncanny approach to voicing his mind and the truth brings joy to many who write about him because he creates waves for the press world, often speaking the unspeakable. There has been extensive giggle-ness among most when Anenih speaks because of his style of being a straight talker/shooter. Details
Tony Anenih: An Analysis. By Dr. Sylvester Omosun Fadal (GAMJI) Powerful and influential men are people who can build a team of followers regardless of how the world views their actions and/or beliefs. They are skilled at gaining commitment and recognize the essence of loyalty. Details
(GAMJI) The recent capture of Al Qaeda's operative, Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, provided the Pakistani and American Intelligence authority with some of Al Qaeda's Internet Communications Strategy. It also identified that Nigerian Websites and Email Systems were used by Al Qaeda to disseminate Internet Information. Detail
The Policy of Containment in the East. By Michael Okoye (GAMJI) From 1940’s to 1979 Easterners [Ibos] knew their leaders and our leaders knew their followers. The Ibos were more united than they are presently. There were only two Ibo states in the East then – Old Anambra and Old Imo states. The two states were more like orphans in Nigeria then and both saw reasons why they should be their brothers keepers. Details
(GAMJI) Gbanite should come out with the name of one non-debauched Nigerian, who rides on this IBB train and we will meet his brazen falsehood; marshalling over 10,000 debauchees, many of who attended the morally obscene display of crass insensitivity on the plight of Nigerians, which Aishat’s wedding was, to meet his challenge. Details
Memo to His Excellency, Governor Saminu Ibrahim Turaki of Jigawa State. By Nasiru Mohammed Chamo (GAMJI) Your Excellency, Jigawa State have of recent years more especially during rainy season’s been in the news, mostly for the wrong reasons. Particularly on the occurrences of FLOOD which use to ravage, and torment almost three quarter of the local governments areas of the state. Details
A Response to a Rejoinder by Nne Sylvester Omosun Fadals. By Nduwueze 3rd (GAMJI) Here’s part of the irritation that won’t go away until they come to a satisfying conclusion beyond every and/ or any reasonable doubt. Did Oduduwa drop from heaven chained as posited by the respected monarch Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II? Or was he a run away thief as stated by the most high Oba of Bini, Omo N'Oba Erediauwa? Details
Politics Power and Government. By E. Terfa Ula-Lisa, Esq (GAMJI) At
the peak of the June 12th Struggle someone made a poignant metaphor
that IBB was like a bull in a china shop that had to be eased out carefully. Any
discerning adult at that time knew that IBB did not give up the position he had
usurped and so viciously consolidated for the love of
HEALTH INTERACTIVE WITH DR AMINU MAGASHI 800,000 HIV/AIDS Orphans, UNICEF and USAID (GAMJI WRITER) The research defined HIV orphans or children orphaned by AIDS as children below the age of 18 years who lost one or both parent. At the end of the survey within 3 month, we came up with about 2000 children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and to the best of my knowledge, that was the first co-ordinate attempt by UNICEF and any other development partners in Nigeria to find out about the plight of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Details
Health Interactive With Dr Aminu Magashi Kadunas’ Meeting of VV Expert Committee (GAMJI WRITER) Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate of 948/100,000 live birth with a range of 339/100,000 to 1716/100,000 is one of the highest in the world, for each maternal death, 15 to 20 women suffer either short or long term deformity and among them is VVF. This awesome figure is unacceptable and must be reverse. Details
People
& Politics By Mohammed Haruna GAMJI WRITER) Some of us have said it before and will say it again; the significance of June 12 was rooted more in hype than substance. The claim that Babangida cancelled June 12 as the “freest and fairest” election in Nigeria’s history in sheer propaganda. June 12 was built on a very dubious foundation and, as I said on these pages on June 27, 2001, “a weak and flawed foundation can hardly produce a sound super-structure”. Details
An Open Letter to the Director-General of the NYSC. By David Nkpe (GAMJI) The national youth service corps (NYSC) was set up as one of the attempts at reorienting Nigerians to the basis of appreciating the cultures other than those to which they have been socialized. You will recall that the NYSC was started by the Gowon administration after the civil war was lost and won to bring about unity. Details
The North, the Middle Belt and Nigeria: A Rejoinder to Nda-Isaiah. Joseph Dangme (GAMJI) For
the avoidance of doubt, I do not hold brief for Chief Lar. I have since refused
to acknowledge him as a just political godfather of
Indigeneship, Citizenship and the Lost Nigerianship: An Unpopular Essay (Part 1). By Joseph Dangme Rinyom (GAMJI) The
question of indigeneship has for long been a recurring decimal in our national
struggle for true nationhood in
One Nigeria: One Nation With Several Voices. By Dr. Sylvester Omosun Fadal (GAMJI) The Yoruba criticizing the Igbo man or Hausa man for speaking on the history of the Yorubas. The Calabar man criticizing the Bini or Ishan man for speaking about the Calabars. Most Nigerians are guilty of this crime especially in a country we all want to see united. Is Nigeria not a single country? Didn’t we fight to preserve the unity of the country in the sixties? Did the men and women who lost their lives fighting under Yakubu Gowon die in vain? Details
(GAMJI) This
article highlights the challenges facing
Bisi Akande and the Armed Robbers. By Sam Nda-Isaiah (GAMJI) This very long preface helps to explain Akande’s current predicament. When Akande was governor, he was generally known as Mr. Clean. Many would vouch for his perpendicularity. But when he lost the election, he did not fight back, as he and his mentor, Ige, did in 1983, when they were rigged out by Shagari’s NPN. He simply said he would allow sleeping dogs continue let their underserved sleep Details
How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from the Financial Ruins of Nigerian 419 Counterfeit Check Fraud. By Peter Hampton (GAMJI) Most
Nigerian scams rely on a certain amount of greed on the part of the target
and a willingness to overlook the legal aspects of the proposal, such as
ferreting illegally acquired funds out of
General Muhammadu Buhari is My Choice to be the Next President of Nigeria. By Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad (GAMJI) Let me quickly state reasons why General Muhammadu Buhari is different from other Generals, and some of the civilian leaders that one hears have their eyes to the presidency. Unlike General Olusegun Obasanjo who had the fortune to be drafted president from the prison, General Muhammadu Buhari started to seek the office by undertaking personal political transformation. Details
Subtle Lessons from the Revolution of Usman Danfodio. By Sani Aminu (GAMJI) The jihadists took serious steps towards Islamic education and other sciences for both men and women. Shehu Usman Danfodio, Abdullahi Dan fodio and Muhammed Bello wrote numerous books and poems. They also encouraged the women folk like Nana Asma’u to do the same. Details
Where
Did I Go Wrong? Northerners Wake Up!!! (GAMJI) I said both Christians and Muslims elites have done nothing for their people, rather exploited them and confused them in killing and maiming themselves (The Haves not) The both weakened Christians and Muslims, who are usually indigents have no food on their table, have no shelter but streets to sleep or spend much time begging for alms but with little understanding of events, will be fooled in killing his co-sufferer chorusing" We are killing our enemies" .Details
Mummy! Off the candle. No My Dear its Electricity Supplied by National Electric Power Authority NEPA. By Prince Charles Dickson (GAMJI) I
visited the National electric Power Authority NEPA’s website and
viewed with disgust the following ‘royal proclamation’
British
Broadcasting Corporation: Its Conscious Social Science Polls on (GAMJI) Nigerians do not need such poll to show that most are unconscious; particularly, we wait for British Broadcasting Corporation and other western agencies conduct illegal-conscious survey to determine how unconscious we are in attempt to know what next about us? Details
Polio: Is Someone's Picture on My Passport? By Ahmed Gana (GAMJI) The lifting of the ban generated some reactions from the public. In my opinion the governor has discharged the responsibility placed upon him well. When there was a complaint he suspended the program and set up committees to investigate and guide him. Details
A Rejoinder To “Dr” Sylvester Omosun Fadal On His Rejoinder To Ndubueze’s Rejoinder To Tunde Adenobi’s Igbophobia. A Rejoinder To The 3rd Power. By Chidi P Eze (GAMJI) It appears there are many “Dr”(s) in this wide world. Dr. of medicine, Dr of philosophy, and “Dr” in inter- net . The two formers, I know, are obtained after good effort and hard work in the college. The merited bearers rarely use it so often and publicly. They are recognized through their application on their merited professions Details
Babaginda: No Reconciliation's! No Vanquished. By Femi Oyesanya (GAMJI) Wole
Soyinka, ...
recently called upon the Nigerian ex Dictator, General Babaginda, to
tender a request for national collective forgiveness. The tender for
forgiveness, according to Soyinka would be the bridge for the Dictator
to attain a clean political slate...Well,
Wole Soyinka's political vigor must be getting old and tired. Only
recently, Wole Soyinka kissed Gowon in the same spirit of forgive and
forget. Soyinka is aging, what is left might just be the savor of old
wine. Drink to his yesterdays, the man is really dying!
Prof Wole Soyinka, An Enigma, At 70. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye (GAMJI) In my own widely published oriki last year to mark Soyinka’s 69th birthday, I had insisted that nothing short of an elaborate ceremony would befit Soyinka at 70. Although I got a number of virulent attacks because of that essay, I still insist that any genuine celebration of Wole Soyinka must take into account the divergent facets of his art and person that lend him his unique personality and enigmatic status. Details
Omo
Omoruyi: The Anatomy and Profile of an Inglorious Cheerleader (GAMJI) Omo and his IBB would have surprise awaitng them come 2007. IBB and his team remains a Humpty Dumpty that had a great fall. And since all the king’ss horses or and all the king’smen could not put Humpty Dumpty together again; so also would all the apologies in the world, like that urged lately by Soyinka nor all the rented crowds in Nigeria, And not even all the Omoruyi’s could dare put his humpty Dumpty image together again. Details
Like The Nigerian Airways Flight: NNPC, Refineries, and Privatization Flying To Crash. By Prince Charles Dickson (GAMJI) Good
morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain
(Boniface) welcoming you on board of Nigeria Airways. We apologize for
the four-day delay in taking off, it was due to bad weather and some overtime I
had put in at the bakery. This is flight no return to
Are Bankers Really Killing the Economy? By Abubakar Suleiman (GAMJI) Nigerian
banks are some of the most competitive work place on earth.
Our work hour is humorously referred to as 5 to 9 instead of the
traditional
(GAMJI) Much
as I do not doubt your intelligence, but dear CBN Governor, banks in
Monuments
& Recognitions: The (GAMJI)
During their encounter with the Serria Leonean
rebels, which by the way should qualify for a National Shame Award they
buckled and ran like a wounded month old puppy when cornered. But for
the grace and gallantry of CNN news staffs that rescued them by offering
some type of bribe to the ill equipped Serria Leonean militias the
so-called Nigerian army would have been toast. Given the foregoing are
Nigerians still bound to heed the stupid ill-advised call to die?
(GAMJI) In a few months from today, my courageous niece, Princess Adeyinka Adesida would have been Regent of Akure, and held against the throne of our founding fathers for 5 years, and longer than any regent in living memory in our town. Details
Challenging
Patriarchy and Promoting Women's Rights. By (GAMJI) In our view, three positioning have emerged in recent times as serious explanations of why women are oppressed which we have categorized as the materialist conception, the radical feminist position and postmodernist viewpoint. The materialist approach sees oppression of women as systematic and built into the structure of society. Details
(GAMJI) Certainly neither the British nor the Americans paid much attention to the problems of the Jews in the mid-1930s, and there was much anti-Semitism in both countries (and throughout Europe), and we all turned the other way when we got reports of harassment, oppressive new laws, and the occasional murder of Jews. Details
The
Polio Politics of Kano's Governor Ibrahim Shekarau The
polio controversy was merely used by a budding demagogue in
ICT
In Education In
general terms, the introduction of new technologies in education would
provide education with productive systems, ensuring equal opportunities
for learners. Technology itself has generated new information at an
exponential rate and it is only through technology that the tremendous
amount of available information can be harnessed and accessed in
learning.
Shekarau’s
Government in Worse than the tango of death the Governor and his deputy are embroiled in is the starvation of the State being scripted by the Shekarau Government. Yes, STARVATION. Is it not Shekarau who promised to pursue a Human Development Initiative who ordered 100,000 tonnes of fertilizer which we all initially cheered when we thought it was for our own good? Details
Anambra Liberation Day: Between Abduction and Improper Arrest. By Emeka Oraetoka (GAMJI) If
we may ask, was Governor Chris Ngige actually abducted on
(GAMJI) In his argument, Ndubueze isolated the Yorubas from the Binis stating, “By the way have you read your history lately compliments (run-on words) of the most revered Omo N’Oba Erediauwa of Bini? Did Oduduwa land from heaven chained (ludicrous) or was he a runaway thief who escaped death in Bini to form what’s known as Yoruba?” Details
Retired
General Muhammadu Buhari is a polarizing figure. You either love him or
hate him. But that’s okay. Most statesmen are polarizing, anyway. In
so many ways – he reminds me of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo: tough,
uncompromising, visionary, tenacious, honest, and loyal. Unfortunately
these attributes are not exactly welcome in
Soyinka:
A Celebration of Conspiracy, Hypocrisy and Esurience Nobel
Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, the gargantuan pig-headed nincompoop,
thinks that at the Biblical
The Nigerian Presidency
and the Igbo Nation (GAMJI) One could argue that within the context of Nigerian politics and society, and indeed within the context of African politics and society, the Igbo have made it and have it all. They have everything but political power, political influence, and political currency -- especially at the presidential level. Collectively, the Igbo are wealthy, educated, and intelligent. Details
The Need for Government of Transformation. By Ali Bukar Ahmad Many
a times in
Ngige: The Object of Power. By Tochukwu Ezukanma (GAMJI) The object of gubernatorial power as conceived by Chris Uba was to loot the state coffers, trample the public good and reinforce the exploitation and deprivations of the weak and the poor. Details
Building Nigeria's Image: The FAPRA Option. By Yushau Abdulhameed Shuaib (GAMJI) Nigeria
has never lacked good speakers, script and
Remembering General Sani Abacha. By Lawal Shaibu(GAMJI) Abacha as a result was painted black and his country was sanctioned by some international actors; because of his "anti-democratic" tendencies. Ironically, those same actors are today working partners of Musharaf Pakistan. Despite the latter’s apparent wretched compromise between "militocracy" and democracy. Details
The Proliferation of Fake Drugs in the Nigerian Market, Whose Faults? By Sani Garba (GAMJI) The issue of fake drugs and others is assuming new dimension as to who is responsible or not in averting the situation. Is it NAFDAC, Federal ministry of Health, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, or who? This article looks at those who in one way or the other have a hand in the control of drugs, foods etc, their power/functions by either law or circumstances, their achievements and failure, to see whether they are performing above board. Details
The Nigerian Image Project. By Femi Olawole (GAMJI) In addition to the minister’s admonition, all of us (100 million Nigerians) do not have to be given government appointments, contracts and some other patronage to make a contribution. The future gains of our individual contributions lie in the great, wonderful nation that will soon arise from the present dispensation. Details
Judicial Theft of the Adamawa Mandate. By Babayola Toungo (GAMJI) Adamawa people have had their temporary parole revoked by the Court of Appeal sitting in Jos. When the Justice Kashim Zanna Tribunal nullified election result in fourteen local governments in Adamawa state in the 2003 gubernatorial elections, there was unrestrained jubilation and a feeling of de javu by the generality of the populace, who had been living dead under an administration that is insensitive, ineffective and inept to the wishes and aspirations of the citizens. Details
The North and Nigeria's Leadership: Is it for Real or a Myth? By Chidi P Eze (GAMJI) Is
the destruction of
Rejoinder to Tunde Adenobi's "Igbo: Dating Yoruba but Marrying Hausa/Fulani" By Ndubueze Godson III (GAMJI) My beef with the Yoruba from personal experience is always their knack for ingratitudeness, betrayal and not owning up to a defined stance and this tradition was glaring in your piece where history again was twisted to your favor. How ridiculous! By the way have you read your history lately compliments of the most revered Omo N’Oba Erediauwa of Bini? Details
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