By AKPANDEM JAMES – Pope Francis’ admonition in his new year message asking Vatican leaders to have a change of attitude may be regarded as a homily on humility; but the widespread sharing of the message on social media platforms across creed and climes sign-posts a deep concern about...
OPINION
By JEROME-MARIO UTOMI Spaced out from prevailing indices/situations in Nigeria which reflects the fact that things are not as good as we might wish them to be, let me underline that this piece was inspired by two separate but related occurrences. The first was a recently held focused group...
There are clear thinkers, muddled thinkers and people that fall in between. Clear thinkers -are the ones that can cull everything down into the right points are very hard to find. But if you get yourself a team of clear thinkers, the possibilities are endless. These are men who...
Torrent of criticism/knocks from good spirited Nigerians has trailed the bogus budget proposition of N305 billion for the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently submitted to the National Assembly. it is equally not surprising to see some supporters of the government argue that in...
There exists some points that highlight as impressive the recent launch at the State House, Abuja, of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025, a successor plan to both the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020) and the Vision 20:2020, by the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government. The...
BY TIMOTHY S. AIKOR Ph.D – “Business is a vital partner in achieving the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Companies can contribute through their core activities, and we ask companies everywhere to assess their impact, set ambitions, goals and communicate transparently about results”- Ban Ki Moon (Former Secretary General of...
The federal government has a burning desire to increase its tax revenue to enable it provide critical infrastructure and stimulate economic growth in the country. However, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the principal organ of government responsible for tax administration in the country, is having a tough time...
Each passing day brings to mind the fact that Nigeria is still visibly afflicted with perennial ‘leadership haemorrhage’. But the most serious aspect of this all-out assault is the believe by Nigerians that the nation’s leadership crisis was aggregated by successive deficiency in leadership vision and in some cases...
I have found it morally necessary to raise alarm over the rising cases of kidnapping incidents in our dear State, and the media black-out of the tragic events allegedly on the orders of the powers-that-be. The game plan is to continue to deceive Nigerians, and the Federal Government in...
This piece stemmed primarily from a 2023 presidency -focused telephone talk I had with Theresa Ashien, Publisher’s Assistant, the Ika Weekly Newspaper, a Delta state-based community newspaper. Aside from being apt and accurate in her presentation, she gave an indication that there exists a possibility that Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi...
It qualifies as exemplary and a right step taken in the right direction, the recent report by the Director-General of the Fund, Mr Joseph Ari, that the federal government is partnering with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to inject N381 trillion into the economy to cushion the growing rate...
When Tony Elumelu, founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, while speaking on the topic; “Philanthropy and Development; Where are Africa’s Billionaires?”, at one of the high level seminars that characterized the African Development Bank, AfDB, 2013 annual general meeting, held at Marrakech, Morocco, advised African billionaires to invest in developing...
Introduction At the beginning of this month November 2021, President Buhari announced at that Nigeria has pledged to eliminate illegal gas flaring (which he said was Nigeria’s single greatest contribution to greenhouse emissions) by 2030. The President made the commitment at the UN Climate Change Conference Glasgow 2021 tagged...
Nigerians could argue that the entire problem (both real and probable) currently confronting the nation are caused by the inability of the present administration to effectively secure the nation and manage the nation’s resources. From that point, the story is well known. Such an argument cannot be viewed as...
By IBRAHIM MUHAMMED – The news of suspension of flight from Nigeria by Saudi Arabia General authority of civil aviation came as a shock and an unexpected development at this particular period of time. There are many factors being ascribed to the reason for the suspension of flight by...
A tribute by SIMON SHANGO – As we entered the temporary Secretariat of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), at Lapal House Igbosere at Lagos Island on that day in 1978, my attention was drawn to this man. He was not tall but not too short, with silvery hair,...
Am I a good leader? I do not know and I guess no one else does. The people, the future and history will stand judge and I will accept their judgments no matter what it might be. Nevertheless, I am fully convinced that I am leading my people, not...
By JACKSON OLALI – Every society has its models, pathfinders who brave the odds and dare the impossible, some even at young age. Benedict Peters is in this club of outliers. In the Nigerian milieu, he numbers among the role models for the youth. An exemplar of the true...
As a nation, Nigeria and most of her Federating states are currently faced with serious socio economic issues/survival dilemmas. Although this in my view has been on over time but as a nation that plays politics with everything, we have been living in denial. But as it currently stands,...
The central interest of this piece is not to spot leadership faults in Nigeria, or proffer solutions to what the present administration is not doing well to salvage the socioeconomic well being of the poor masses. Rather, the present piece is out to perform two separate but related functions....