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Showing posts from May, 2013

Religion and Politics from Europe to Africa and back

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Yesterday England and indeed Europe were enraged by the brutal killing in broad daylight of a young British soldier, Lee Rigby near the barracks in Woolwich, East London. What made his brutal massacre more reviling was the fact that it was done by two men in broad daylight using machetes similar to the Rwandan genocide. Drummer Lee Rigby has a 2 year old son named Jack. Drummer Lee Rigby Earlier today the identity of one of the men has been revealed to be a "28 year old Londoner of Nigerian descent" Mr Michael Adebolajo who's name was revealed by the UK Ministry of Defence. For the record I have been reminded by several worried Nigerians that the suspect has NEVER been to Nigeria. Ever. I have always believed that no matter how distant or different we seem, former President Bill Clinton's words at the US Democratic National Convention ring true, "we are in this together". I mean as security forces try to establish the motive of the two terrorists b

Nigeria Senate Celebrates Achebe

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We must learn to give honour to whom it is due. In an age where people seek fame at any costs regardless of process the Nigerian Senate finally honored one who became famous for his literary prowess and sustained it by the content of his character. This blog was always about celebrating African heroes and today we acknowledge none other than the late, great Chinua Achebe. Known world wide as Africa's greatest story teller, Chinua Achebe died on the 21st of March 2013, aged 82. AS A boy Chinua Achebe so loved reading that his friends called him “Dictionary”. He lived in the library at Government College in Umuahia, in south-eastern Nigeria, devouring Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Joseph Conrad, W.B. Yeats. “They were not about us or people like us,” he would say later in his soft, measured voice. But even John Buchan’s stories, in which heroic white men battled and worsted repulsive natives, excited rather than troubled him. It was all “wonderful preparation” fo

Managing Orji Uzor Kalu

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What to do about Kalu? I know the original guest writer suggested this should be "mismanaging" Orji Kalu but what if it is how he wants to be seen? In that case this is managing Orji Kalu and not mismanaging? I dont know. You tell me! Mismanaging Orji Uzor Kalu Edifying Elucidations By Okey Ikechukwu.  As far as an evaluation of actors in the public space go, it is fairly obvious that neither Nigeria nor Ndigbo know exactly what to do with (or about) Orji UzorKalu, the former Governor of Abia State.But he is doing something with himself, with Ndigbo and with Nigeria, so it is impossible to write him off. To pocket him is out of the question. To use him without his having a say in the matter is not to be contemplated at all. that is why many have said ‘we don't know what to do with that Orji fellow’, with a mixture of dismay and consternation. Let those who speak thus remember the words of the German Philosopher, Mar

Nigeria at 50. Through the lens of a lawyer!

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One day we will all stand before God and explain how we "spent" our life. What we bought with the time God gave us and what we sold. That long term vision always has me ticking "while it is called 'Today', I typically try to make hay" knowing that a time comes when we all shall sleep. I have always wondered if life starts in a hearse because we evidently understand things in reverse. Someone says, "hindsight has 20/20 vision" and some film makers prefer to shoot the final scene first. What is your destination? Do you determine it? Or does someone else? Or is it a combination of your effort and the environment? Our guest writer today was born in 1963, the same day Nigeria became a republic. As she celebrates half a century this year she goes down memory lane linking her life to that of her country. In her beautiful write up my favourite part - mostly because it defines my own experience - is where she notes that, " You were judged by your

Nigeria's Furniture King honoured by Oxford University

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Oxford Honours Nigeria’s Diligent Carpenter Tony Ohifeme Ezekiel For his success in business and charity, the Chairman/CEO of ITEX Furniture Ltd, Tony Ohifeme Ezekiel will have a seminar room named after him on May 17, 2013, by the Said Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and thus becoming the first African to be so honoured by the prestigious institution in almost 1000 years of its existence, writes Tokunbo Adedoja Tony Ohifeme Ezekiel may not be a regular face people see on posters like celebrities, but his works are. In homes and key government offices across the country, his works provide all kinds of supports and convenience for human activities, both in quality and style. But from May 17, 2013, that name would begin to reverberate thousands of kilometers away from the shores of Nigeria.  That would be the day when the Tony Ohifeme Ezekiel Seminar Room would be unveiled at the Said Business Sc

Azie the Auditor and Criminality in Africa

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Yep it has been a while. Nor is this a full return. My interest is the justice system in Nigeria as it represents all of Africa. A 31 year old Nigerian was sented to 45 years imprisonment without option of a fine for stealing the mobile phone of a governor while people-in-power cart away billions and receive plea-deals. There is also the curious case of the impunity of false accounting. I dare wager this is not wide spread malady in the core services as I know several upcoming officers who were dismissed or forfeited ranks for missing weapons. Indeed someone was demoted even though his weapon was missing for barely 10 hours! Regardless, Mr Segun Adeniyi has this competently covered. Happy reading! The Vindication of Vincent Azie The Verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi. Email, olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com On February 10, 2003, Mr Vincent Azie, then acting Auditor-General of the Federation was sacked by President Olusegun Obasanjo.