Perspectives
-
Ogun 2027: The wrong ballot question — by Folorunso Adisa
There is something quite disturbing about the way we discuss elections in Nigeria. We speak of democracy as though the ballot were the final destination, when in truth it is only the doorway. What follows is the government that enters through it, the decisions it makes, the priorities it sets and the lives it touches. Elections are therefore not simply…
Read More » -
Africa at the United Nations: Power, pretense, and applause — by Victor Oladokun
I have always had quite an ambivalent feeling about attending the United Nations General Assembly. It is indispensable to the global architecture. Yet, it is chronically and chronologically Disappointing with a capital ‘D.’ This week, the marble halls at the United Nations in New York are hearing something older than the institution itself … the loud echos of a continent…
Read More » -
Was this ‘Charmer’ the hand of Esau behind the problem in Senegal — by Kelechi Deca
When I saw the Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at United Nations headquarters in New York, I nodded to myself. A key aspect of what led to the badblood between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his former ally and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko had to do with Faye’s reluctance to assert full independence…
Read More » -
Lagos isn’t internship centre: Rhodes-Vivour, Gbadamosi face reality – by Seye Oladejo
The Rhodes-Vivour/Gbadamosi ticket may have given Lagos opposition politicians something new to celebrate, but Lagosians should not mistake the unveiling of a ticket for the unveiling of a pathway to Lagos House. A ticket is not a political structure.A coalition is not a governing record.Social-media visibility is not grassroots strength.And ambition is not experience. The latest opposition permutation is particularly…
Read More » -
Cardoso’s three years and the 23% rate cut test, by Blaise Udunze
Celebrating Nigeria’s latest inflation figures as proof that price stability has finally arrived is dangerously seductive. It has not. No doubt, the Central Bank of Nigeria under Olayemi Cardoso can point to reforms, stronger external reserves, a more orderly foreign-exchange market, banking-sector recapitalisation, improved remittance flows, and moderating headline inflation, as reported. Those are measurable developments. But the increasingly celebratory…
Read More » -
Flight disruptions: NCAA should fix the problem, not manage symptoms — by Fred Chukwuelobe
I watched the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, on Channels Television recently, where he spoke on a wide range of issues concerning the functions of the NCAA and his office. I took particular interest in two points he made. First, he advised airlines whose aircraft develop technical problems and…
Read More » -
King Sunny Adé at 80: A personal journey with a living legend — by Wale Alonge
The world of music is filled with many one record wonders who frizzle out like the mist. Then there are the few greats, the one-of-a-kind, the icons, and geniuses like King Sunny Ade whose career defines an entire generation from cradle to gray. King Sunny Ade entertained our parents at their prime and then scooped up our Baby boomers generation…
Read More » -
Tinubu’s absence at UNGA: When diplomatic falsehood is presented as guilt — by Olabode Opeseitan
There is a particular strain of Nigerian commentary that mistakes noise for analysis, and nowhere is it louder than in the annual ritual of parsing President Bola Tinubu’s travel calendar every September. The phrase for this crowd already exists, and Wole Soyinka minted it. The Nobel laureate first called Nigeria’s online swarm “the nattering nit-wits of the Internet” back in…
Read More » -
Reminiscing about Maj. Gen. Abubakar’s command of Operation Hadin Kai — by Samuel Aruwan
The end of a military command is rarely marked by celebration alone. Behind the ceremonial handshakes, salutes, photographs and carefully chosen words are memories that cannot be fully captured in official statements. There are battles won, communities reclaimed, captives rescued and families reunited. There are also empty seats in officers’ messes, soldiers who did not return from operations and families…
Read More » -
Why Brazil always speaks first at UN General Assembly — by Victor Oladokun
Though not a written rule in the UN Charter, it has been a long-standing diplomatic custom that Brazil speaks first, after the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly open the high-level general debate Among member countries, Brazil speaks and the United States, as host country, speaks second. This has been the practice practice since 1955, with only…
Read More »
Follow our WhatsApp Channel