All Blog Posts (2,158)

Posted by: Hardball on January 24, 2013



After speculating for over three months and running the whole gamut of pathology, the media have suddenly come to a crushing anti-climax with the release by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) of a photograph showing a “great, very great,” but mildly pensive Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State in company with three other Nigerian governors in London. The visitors were Governors Gabriel Suswan of Benue, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and…

HE does not strike you as desperate. At least that is the general impression of the man. He is also has control over his emotions as he rarely betrays anxiety.

But more than that he has patience—one quality that is in short supply among young men of his age.

A discussion once came up somewhere in Lagos and the topic was Anambra State. Immediately the issue of performance was brought up almost everybody agreed that Governor Obi has done well for the State. Those who disagreed,…

Nigerian troops are finally departing for Mali, ahead of the September 2013 date originally planned by the United Nations to put an intervention force in Mali. This column had twice counselled Nigeria not to go into Mali until there was indication the complex and fundamental problems that precipitated the secessionist crisis were understood and concrete efforts made to tackle them. Any intervention, the column warned, was bound to focus mainly on achieving quick, morale-boosting military…

THE high incidence of rape and the impunity with which the perpetrators commit the act call to question our claim to being part of the civilised world. Any time this act is committed, it traumatises the victims and debases our collective claim to humanity. Even though there are laws to deal with this situation, our law enforcement agents and the law courts appear to lack the will to enforce such laws. This attitude has to change.

That change can start with the recent…

SUBSIDY PAYMENTS: FINANCE MINISTRY

RELEASES N161 BILLION TO CBN

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has refuted media reports which allege that the Federal Ministry of Finance is blocking verified payments to marketers.

According to the Minister, the Finance Ministry made the N161.6…

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru has been confirmed as Special Guest of Honour at a special colloquium being put together by the management of CMC Connect Limited (Perception Managers) to commemorate the 50th birthday anniversary of Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, the Managing Director of the company.

The colloquium themed: Managing Nigeria’s Image: Whose Responsibility? is scheduled for 10am, Tuesday January 8, at the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre,…

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru has been confirmed as Special Guest of Honour at a special colloquium being put together by the management of CMC Connect Limited (Perception Managers) to commemorate the 50th birthday anniversary of Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, the Managing Director of the company.

The colloquium themed: Managing Nigeria’s Image: Whose Responsibility? is scheduled for 10am, Tuesday January 8, at the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre,…

It’s customary to mark the beginning of each year with prayers for ourselves and good wishes for our closest friends and relatives. Some pray for health, for wealth, for professional accomplishments, and for such social dividends as loving relationships and blissful marriages. But we go beyond these decidedly personal dreams. We wish for our leaders to rise to our expectations.

We hope that our country would be rid of corruption. We pray that the poor should find food to eat, that our…

By Hakeem Baba Ahmad

“It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” - Gore Vidal.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan says 2013 will be the year of his greatest impact. Most Nigerians will hope so. Leaders of the opposition and skeptics who hope he will disappoint again will pay for their hostility with higher costs for diesel for their generators, higher costs to protect and secure life and limbs, and uncertainties over whether a President who performs badly…

Democracy has not transformed politics dramatically anywhere in Nigeria, but the deficit is worst in the north, where the traditional rulers protected their power by making alliances with politicians. Photo / AP

It is not known if the word "dysfunctional" was invented specifically to describe the Nigerian state - several other candidates also come to mind - but the word certainly fills the bill.

The political institutions…

It was a splendid Monday morning at the Grace Assembly, Yard 158, Oregun Ikeja, on December 24, 2012 when the crème de la crème of the Lagos high society gathered for a thanksgiving service to mark the 50^th birthday anniversary of an illustrious Ijebu Prince, Lagos socialite and Nigeria’s Public Relations industry icon Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya popularly known as YBO.

Eminent Nigerians from different walks of life, family members and friends honored YBO with their presence…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently wielded the big stick by de-registering 28 political parties in the country. The Commission had, in a statement by its Secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, explained that it de-registered the parties “in exercise of the powers conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).”

While the scrapping of 28 political parties is still generating controversy, the Commission has again…

A RASH of concerns sprouted after the kidnapping of Professor Kamene Okonjo, mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Her release after five days’ captivity, under unclear circumstances, is being celebrated as victory for the perspicacity of the security agencies whose conflicting tales of the operations is another story. Her release is “a miracle”, according to her elated daughter.

We are glad this episode has passed rather propitiously and the 83-year-old Okonjo…

Last weekend in Abeokuta, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the self-confessed number one patriotic critic, gleefully reiterated to the visiting Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, just how much he enjoyed commenting on national issues and needling President Goodluck Jonathan. “If there is anything that requires my own comment, position or views, I will say it,” said the former president magisterially. “It is only when you kill me that I will stop doing…

On December 17, Muhammadu Buhari, former head of state and army general, turned 70. Though he has retained his differentiating principles, and has managed to ennoble anything he does, he has also remained hugely controversial. It is safe to suggest he would neither dilute his principles nor shirk from controversy until his last days. More than most of his peers, and in spite of his limited time in the highest office in the land, he is at least fortunate that very few Nigerians are…

Good honeys they say speaks and sell itself. It does not require advertisement. Doing things right leads to concrete delivery in all spheres of human endeavors. It became necessary to sound this philosophical following the avalanche of testimonies gathered from people most especially of Kaduna axis about one of your staffs Miss Louis Nyam, a girl that has earn a special place in the hearts of customers, she is very interactive, friendly and humane to every customer who come across her, I…

An engineering company, Shanghai Engineering Works and Industry Limited was formally commissioned with encomium poured on the Chairman, Mr. Festus Mbisiogu from the Federal and Imo State government of Nigeria for answering their clarion calls for Nigerians in diaspora to come to invest at home so…

TWO athletes, one African and one British, were interviewed after the successful conclusion of their respective events. The African who had won an event attributed her success to the grace of God. “He touched my limbs, I could not have done it without him.” The British athlete, on the other hand, gave substantial credit to her coach as she attributed her success to a regime of rigorous training.

Of course, glory must be given to God for all we are able to achieve as mortal human…

Borrowing has become fashionable in Nigeria for states to test their viability by going to the capital market to borrow money, even for consumption purpose or just to satisfy kleptocratic urge. The Federal Government serves as the route and the surety for such loans. As of September 30, 2012, the nation’s external debt stood at $6.2bn and the government is proposing a total of $9.3bn external loan between now and 2014 to develop infrastructure. The way the government is pursuing…