Home >> Africa Nigeria & Niger Nigeria’s Cult Of Corruption
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 10/12/2009
Virtually every Nigerian knows and strongly believes that any day Nigeria is able to make up its mind to end its obscene and ruinous romance with the stubborn monster called “Corruption”, this country will automatically witness the kind of prosperity no one had thought was possible in these parts. Just imagine the amount of public funds being stolen and squandered daily under various guises by too many public officers and their accomplices, and the great transformation that would happen to public infrastructure and the lives of the citizenry if this organized banditry can at least be reduced by fifty percent! Can Nigeria implement a social security scheme?
Joel Nwokeoma - 9/28/2009
In what could be said to be a major paradigm shift in Nigeria ’s poverty reduction strategy, the Federal Government last March empanelled a National Working Committee on Social Security Policy headed by former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, to advise it on the modalities of implementing a social security programme in the country. Hitherto, the former administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo had adopted an economic-growth led poverty reduction strategy where it reckoned that a robust performance of the national economy would necessarily lead to job creation, reduction in unemployment and elimination of attendant misery and poverty among the citizenry. Is Vision 2020 Dead on Arrival?
Joel Nwokeoma - 3/27/2009
The other day, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in what many see as an apparent response to the “admixture of criticism and cynicism” that has trailed the adoption of the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 (NV 20:2020) since the inception of his administration in 2007, enumerated the “strategic goals” of the vision during the inauguration of the Vision 2020 Business Support Group in Abuja. The vision, it will be recalled, seeks to place the country among the top 20 global economies by 2020, a timeframe that seems like eternity to the promoters but is actually some 11 years from today. Nigeria and the Global Financial Crisis
Joel Nwokeoma - 3/24/2009
An indepth analysis of the official pronouncements and statements of top government functionaries in Nigeria on the current global financial crisis reveals one of two things: Either a clear lack of understanding of the depth and ramifications of the issue at hand or an outright trivilisation of how to go about it, which, essentially, is a function of the former.The earliest recorded response of any government official in the country on the matter was the declaration made by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who, while speaking when summoned at the National Ass... Yar’Adua, unspent funds and Vision 2020
Joel Nwokeoma - 2/23/2009
Arguably, what seems to be an unsung ‘achievement’ of the President Umaru Yar’Adua administration since inception in 2007 is the introduction of the concept of “unspent funds” into Nigeria ’s political and administrative lexicon. Incidentally, it’s the consequences, rather than the meaning, of this concept that have agitated the mind of a wide spectrum of commentators and observers of events in Nigeria for awhile now. Same way, it’s on the basis of the consequences of this atrocious reality that posterity would be obliged to judge this administration, especially against the backdrop of its of... In Nigeria, Oil Wealth Delivers Grief
Salil Tripathi - 6/27/2008
With the price of oil skyrocketing, the search is on for explanation. One reason is violence and unrest in Nigeria, which has reduced production by at least a quarter, according to some estimates. The economic and political failures that lay behind rebel violence in Nigeria’s oil-bearing Delta, however, are not amenable to any easy fix. The Queue For Shoprite Bread
Uche Nworah - 6/18/2008
The title of this piece which has nothing to do with the global food crises may as well have been Begging for Bread at Shoprite. Yes, that’s what they make us do at Shoprite; the sales boys and girls and their South African employers make us stand in lines and beg for their hot oven-fresh bread. Yar’ Adua and the Food Crisis: The Road Not Taken
Joel Nwokeoma - 5/20/2008
There is an element of inescapable truism in the age long assertion that fate often throws up circumstances upon which men are judged, either by what they did or failed to do thereon. When viewed from this perspective, it becomes incumbent on men, though seen as hostage to fate, to be more mindful of their eventful actions and inactions. This obviously cannot be far from what a fellow had in mind when he remarked during an informal chat the other day, that, head or tail, President Umaru Yar’Adua would also, in many years to come, be remembered as the one under whose reign the food crisis hit t... Who will probe Nigeria’s National Assembly?
Joel Nwokeoma - 5/2/2008
These, seemingly, are the best of times for members of the two chambers of Nigeria’s National Assembly. It looks no doubt as their time to shine, and they, surely, are reveling in it. A casual review of governance activities in the country as succinctly captured by the media in recent times will show that the sun looks to be shining the brightest in the National Assembly, or so it seems. This, however, is not taking anything away from the phenomenal interventions and activism of the judicial arm of government especially on the strength of the bold and courageous judgments so far declared on the last general elections. Nigerian Diaspora and the New Face of Nigeria
Ugo Harris Ukandu - 5/2/2008
It is a common theme these days in almost every major city in America or Europe to notice groups of Nigerians discussing and anticipating the politics, democracy, freedom, business, opportunities and forth coming elections in Nigeria with interest, and how some are planning to either run for election or to influence the out come of the election in Nigeria by campaigning, organizing, fund raising, lobbying or by voting from outside Nigeria. It has gotten to a frenzy state that at any Nigerian gathering or function - in a party, at school, at work and Bars/restaurants - an average Nigerian now i... The African Writer Is An Orphan
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 4/29/2008
In 2002, Chinedu Ogoke, a Nigerian writer and translator resident in Germany published his first novel, Under Fire. His second novel is being awaited. In this interview with UGOCHUKWU EJINKEONYE, Mr. Ogoke speaks on his work and the state of African Literature in relation to the still thorny issue of audience definition A clean bill of health for Yar'Adua
Joel Nwokeoma - 4/18/2008
For the umpteenth, Nigeria was this week gripped with the confusing puzzle over the state of health of President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua. The palpable confusion over the President’s health was widely reported by various national newspapers on Tuesday, April 15, a story that overshadowed, in significance, the 2008 budget that was finally signed by the President, after many months of rofofo fight between the National Assembly and the executive. The most disturbing of the stories was that of The Punch with an alarming banner headline: “Yar’Adua ill, flown Abroad”! The Guardian, on the other hand, wa... Will Obasanjo Explode Yar’Adua’s Anti-Graft Balloon?
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 4/3/2008
If you are carrying out an employment exercise in your company, and one of the jobseekers showed up with a letter of recommendation duly written and signed by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the former Chair of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), would that impress you? Vacancy for Leadership in Nigeria
Ugo Harris Ukandu - 4/3/2008
Leadership in Nigeria today has become a word used by our present leadership but their experiences, their atittude, their actions and their words fall short of true leaders. Presently in Nigeria, we have shameless leaders, sadist as leaders, abusers as leaders, child molesters as leaders,economic rapist as leaders, rogues as leaders, perverts as leaders, drunkard as leaders, people who are security risk as leaders, looters as leaders, criminals as leaders, law breakers as leaders, 419ers as leaders, praise singers as leaders, dooms day prophets as leaders,failed academicians as leaders, crimin... Meeting The Needs Of Nigeria’s Re-Emerging Middle Class
Uche Nworah - 3/13/2008
To ensure that we are all on the same page on the subject of middle class, it is important to attempt an explanation of the phrase ‘middle class’ in the Nigerian context. The reason being that the phrase which was popular in Nigeria in the seventies, and probably the early eighties may not mean so much to today’s generation, who go by other social group names and classifications including YUPPIES (an acronym for young, urban and upwardly mobile professionals). At The Mercy Of Nigerian Traders
Uche Nworah - 3/3/2008
Absence of vibrant consumer protection organisations in the country exposes consumers to exploitation by retail outlets. In this interview, Olusegun Adeoye of Tell magazine speaks with Uche Nworah, senior lecturer in marketing communications at the London Metropolitan Business School on the worrying exploitation of consumers by some retail outlets in Nigeria. Nigeria and Foreign investors
Ugo Harris Ukandu - 3/3/2008
I want to understand what Nigerian Government officials, especially the State Goverenors think about economic development, because it seems that our idea of investment/trade and the rest of the world runs counter to each other. Looking at economic development in all parts of the world, governments and people develop economic models by looking inward within their countries before venturing outside to seek input but in Nigeria the opposite is the case. Nigeria: The Making of a Failed State
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 3/3/2008
Before the Shakespearean Caesar fell, the nightmares of his wife were premonitions. Before he took the fatal steps to the Capitol, the good offices of Artemidorus were deployed by fate as an early warning system. The treachery of Brutus was appropriated by the sharp faculties of the Seer. Caesar was warned. He got sufficient forewarnings. But like every conceited man, Caesar was deaf. His pride deafened him. Caesar felt invincible. He kept his self-deception running on all cylinders. “Caesar was more dangerous than danger”; screamed the arrogant banners of his conceit. He swaggered in pride, l... Thieves in the Nigerian Senate
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 2/5/2008
When a corpse comes hurrying to burial with an erect penis, then something is absolutely wrong. Not only that this has all the ingredients of an abominable embarrassment, the corpse is not heading home pretty soon. If he receives an interment, the odours of gossip would ensure his eternal insomnia in the memories of the living. At the dawn of time, long before the birth of taboo, the coffin was already on record as advising the corpse to relax, and make itself comfortable because their journey and alliance is going to be a very long one. Both of them are marching to eternity together. And that... Why Ribadu was kicked out of EFCC
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 1/10/2008
On the shores of utopia, the prize for excellence is approbation; not reproach. Here, the reward for a job well done is recognition, support, and a higher pedestal upon which to repeat the feat earlier achieved, on a grander scale. It is not the sack. In this clime, the reward for a job well done is never the timid heckles of emasculated cowards; content in spending their insignificant lives in anonymous non-existence, criticizing those who dared challenge existence to yield to their vision. Neither is it the neurotic insecurities and impious envy of visionless power, which sees an affront to ... The Way Forward For Nigerian Film Industry
Ugo Harris Ukandu - 1/10/2008
The economic trend in Nigeria and focusing on the high income earner for Nigeria over time, Oil,gas, Cocoa, Coal and palm produce have all been the foreign exchange earner for Nigeria since 1960, and based on the mismanagement that followed these income earning products for the nation, Nigeria is today in prostrate state and terribly sick in terms of managing our enormous resources in raw and finished materials. According to the Director of Filmmakers of Nigeria(FAN) Mrs. Pat Okolo ' Nigeria is losing estimated 50 millions dollars yearly because of international piracy of Nigerian movies and films in the Americas, canada, other African Countries and Europe' etc. Nigeria Should Welcome AfricaCom
Ugo Harris Ukandu - 1/8/2008
At this juncture of world advancement, countries and people are coming together more than ever before in the history of human race for positive changes. Globalization has made every village on earth a global village when considering the impact of communication Paedophilia On The Increase In Nigeria
Uche Nworah - 1/7/2008
Paedophilia is a crime full stop. I don’t buy the argument being peddled in certain quarters that it is a disease; such people also maintain that pedophiles require help. if you ask me, the only help they require is to be shown the way to Kirikiri maximum security prison where they should be locked up for life and the keys to their room thrown into the Lagos lagoon. American Report On Nigerian Elections
Jimmy Osifo - 1/3/2008
After reading some essays posted to the internet on the subject of Maurice Iwu’s recent trip to America to release the report of the 2007 general elections, I decided to also write my own impressions and conclusions based on my personal and first hand observations of how the two events turned out. Nigeria: A Super-Charged Nation
Uche Nworah - 12/1/2007
Do Nigerian men really walk about packing a permanent hard on as the image in one of the energy drink brands suggests or is it the women that are leading them on? What is this new craze for energy drinks in this African nation of over 120 million people? Obasanjo’s Probe: Mr. Ribadu’s Redeeming Job
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 11/30/2007
The single most formidable threat to President Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s integrity and acceptance in Nigeria today, aside the revolting, horribly manipulated elections that brought him to power a couple of months ago, is his reluctance or refusal to probe the regime of his predecessor in office, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, widely believed to be the most corrupt since Nigeria came into being. The Role of Traditional Rulers in an Emerging Democratic Nigeria
Uche Nworah - 11/15/2007
The core issue, and central theme of our deliberations today is the allocation of constitutional roles to traditional rulers. A question therefore arises on whether these agitations are purely in the national interest (for country), in the interests of the subjects (the citizens) or just in the ‘selfish’ interest of His Highnesses (for Kingdom). Segun Adeniyi And E-Information Management
Uche Nworah - 9/26/2007
It was in the days of the old Nigerian Guardian newspaper website when it still had the chat room option that internet savvy Nigerians usually congregated to debate topical social, political, economic and cultural issues. The defunct Guardian chat room attracted all sorts of people, including Nigerians and non-Nigerians. People came for different reasons; there were those who came to look for love, some others for business partners and many others simply to vent their anger on the government. There were also some who perpetually had an axe to grind with everybody who did not share their world ... Nigerian leaders and the crisis of public ethics
Joel Nwokeoma - 9/15/2007
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has been grappling with everything but legislative matters in recent weeks. A matter which, sadly enough, is also not representative of the wishes and desires of the average Nigerian, as issues of governance, citizens well being and lawmaking have been thrown to the back seat of activities. Instead, it has been engulfed in a self-inflicted ravaging turmoil over what some called an act of “indefensible indiscretion” on the part of the Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, in the award of contracts for the renovation of her official residence and that of her deputy, Alhaji Babangida Seidu Nguroje. Nigeria's Madam Speaker in the eye of the storm
Joel Nwokeoma - 8/31/2007
If media reports in the last few days in Nigeria on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, are anything to go by, it seems then that the woman popularly called Madam Speaker on the floor of the lower federal parliament, has inadvertently hit a rough patch of sorts in her bourgeoning political career. And, it is one bad patch that might lead to her taking a big tumble from her Olympian political heights to the abyss of ignominy and desertion, if care is not taken. Why President Yar’Adua Should Cut Obasanjo Loose Now
Uche Nworah - 7/9/2007
Loyalty is always a good thing as long as you are the person being expected to give it. The mere thought that somebody somewhere is having sleepless nights, turning and shoving and worrying himself sick because he does not know which side of the bed you will wake up from the next morning which may significantly swing your mood and actions is enough to make one feel like the village butcher or fish monger with the lone fish or isi ewu (goat head) on offer. With his butcher’s knife and conning mind, he knows that the operators of the local bukas will dig their hands very deep inside the cash aprons tied around their big bosoms if they want to go home with the day’s remnant or catch. Injustice And Ethnic Politics In Nigeria
Uche Nworah - 6/26/2007
The politics of the stomach played in today’s Nigeria has redefined the concept of political correctness. The situation is now such that people with access to power and the media prefer to play safe; many of them who have been classified by certain commentators as rent seekers will rather prefer not to rock the boat. Why would they, and why should they? They wouldn’t want their wells to dry up. Nigeria And The World University Rankings
Uche Nworah - 6/13/2007
Dr. Victor Ariole’s recent essay which appeared on June 4, 2007 in the Champion Newspaper faulted the criteria used in the 2007 World University rankings, in which no Nigerian university featured in the top 500. Orji Uzor Kalu As A Political Gladiator
Uche Nworah - 5/30/2007
As a long time Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK) admirer and critic, I have been accused in the past of being too critical, dwelling so much on his case instead of beaming my searchlight also on Anambra, my home state. I make no apologies for my stance because OUK was the governor of a state where I was born and grew up in. For this reason, though I’m an Anambra man, I see myself more as an Aba/Abia man. Nigeria: On Igbo Titles
Uche Nworah - 5/16/2007
To the uninitiated, Ndigbo are a show-off race, what with their big titles and ceremonies but such allegations are far from the truth. Ndigbo are proud and traditional people and so are other races, but in the case of Ndigbo not even the ‘civilisation’ brought by the Whiteman as depicted in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart could rob them of their Omenani. Agreed the Whiteman may have desecrated the land and committed alu upon alu in Alaigbo but Ndigbo as a people have always produced several Okonkwos who have ensured that the flames enkindled by their ancestors never burn out. Reflections On Nigerian Election
Uche Nworah - 4/27/2007
I did not vote in the last Nigerian elections, I couldn’t have from my home in Europe where we tried to mobilise the Nigerian diaspora for the Pat Utomi for president project. Though the results did not go the way we had hoped, I am still a happy man knowing that we tried our best to effect change in our country. Association Of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Targets Young Minds
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 4/15/2007
Penultimate Saturday (February 10, 2007), I was at the maiden "Secondary School Reading Outreach" organized by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Imo State Chapter, which held at the Logos International Secondary School (LOGISS), Kilometer 24, Owerri-Onitsha Highway, Awo Omamma, Imo State. LOGISS, a high-flying mission school, which has as its motto: "Academic Excellence And Godliness Of The Youth" aims at combining sound academic knowledge with a strong moral foundation to turn out exceptional youths with sufficient intellectual and moral properties to face the challenges of industry... Judiciary Keeps Saving Nigeria From Doom
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 4/4/2007
Placidus Aguwa, a New York-based attorney, is the Managing Partner of the law firm, Placid and Emmanuel, P.C., and former president of the Nigerian Lawyers Association (NLA). Since 1991, he has practiced law in state and federal courts in New York and Nigeria. In this interview with UGOCHUKWU EJINKEONYE (March 2007), he speaks on the activities of the NLA, and some of the challenges being faced by Nigeria in its tortuous journey to democratic and economic stability. Between Okey Ndibe And The Guardian Newspaper
Uche Nworah - 3/16/2007
I really don’t get it why the guys at the Guardian are belabouring their editorial fallout with Mr Okey Ndibe, who until recently was a member of the editorial team. Sonala Olumhense’s recent essay (How To Spell Outrage) may be the final confirmation that all is not well at Rutam House as it now appears that they are all bent on washing their dirty linens in public. Such bitchy tales of backbiting create pictures of professional immaturity in the minds of some of the followers of the story, but then the Guardian is a serious newspaper, the flagship they call themselves, one is perplexed at t... Emerging Leaders And Citizens As Catalysts
Uche Nworah - 3/15/2007
The upcoming April 2007 general elections will be quite crucial to the future of Nigeria as a fully democratic and progressive country. While Nigerians continue to demand the highest standard of service from those that will be elected at the elections, it is the view of this writer that Nigerians citizens have an active collaborating role to play in the process through full participation in the elections. As a way forward, this author also suggests the introduction of the Nolan Principles of public service into governance in Nigeria as it will complement other ethical codes currently available but which may be grossly unused. Association Of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Targets Young Minds
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 2/22/2007
Penultimate Saturday (February 10, 2007), I was at the maiden “Secondary School Reading Outreach” organized by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Imo State Chapter, which held at the Logos International Secondary School (LOGISS), Kilometer 24, Owerri-Onitsha Highway, Awo Omamma, Imo State. LOGISS, a high-flying mission school, which has as its motto: “Academic Excellence And Godliness Of The Youth” aims at combining sound academic knowledge with a strong moral foundation to turn out exceptional youths with sufficient intellectual and moral properties to face the challenges of industry... The Long Harmattan Season
Uche Nworah - 2/12/2007
Perhaps the harrowing journey to the west through third countries over a three-month period could be responsible for the desire in author and UK-based lecturer Uche Nworah to want to make a change in his native Nigeria, a country he says he still loves from the depth of his heart despite the dashed hopes of many like him who risked their lives for a better life in the west. Orji Uzor Kalu Cannot Be Serious
Uche Nworah - 2/10/2007
Love him or hate him, but the very ambitious Dr Orji Uzor Kalu (OUK for short), the executive governor of Abia state, does have a way of affecting your sensibilities; he simply wears on you, or rather creeps under your skin with his antics. How Not To Resolve The Niger Delta Crises
Uche Nworah - 2/5/2007
Despite the army of million dollar salary earning crises managers and PR executives in the employment of the oil companies operating in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, It is still baffling that the oil companies did not see the current crises coming. If they did, it is either they underestimated the power and might of the Ijaws in being able to take their destiny into their own hands, or the shylock executives of Shell, Chevron, Agip, ExxonMobil and the rest of the greedy foreign oil exploration companies operating in the region have also been heeding the counsel of false oracles. Nigeria:Cheating Our Way To Success
Uche Nworah - 1/30/2007
All over Nigeria, the beans are being spilled on the sordid past and present of Nigeria’s politicians and government officials, perhaps opening their can of worms has become a national past time. Since Omoyele Sowore and Jonathan Elendu pioneered the art of crusading against corrupt government officials on the internet, many others have joined what appears now to be the hottest bandwagon since Chris Okotie and Jide Obi released their debut albums in the eighties which opened the floodgates for the likes of Felix Liberty, Yvonne Maha and the likes to enter. Ewu Nwadiana And All That Jazz
Uche Nworah - 1/4/2007
I didn't make it to the village this past Christmas but I kept in touch with my people, whip President Obasanjo any which way you like, but thank his administration for giving Nigerians GSM (pronounced g-i-s-i-m) mobile phones. It was through the small wonder that I was able to keep in touch with my folks particularly my uncle Igwe, Nna Ochie and the patriarch of my mum's family who in the course of our discussions reminded me that I was yet to "kill" the traditional ewu nwadiana for my mum's umunna. He reminded me that since my mother was a member of the revered Umu Ada, that we should endea... The Shame Of Nigerian Opposition Political Parties
Uche Nworah - 12/26/2006
Some of Nigeria's opposition political parties are just jokers. They are simply playing a game of the-more-you-look-the-less-you-see with Nigerians. The whole equation and logic behind their choice of presidential candidates and running mates just doesn't make sense. For me it looks like a grand design or conspiracy if you will, to make life easy for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coming elections. The candidates they are touting at the moment don't seem to have the potentials of hurting PDP in any way. Nigeria: Requiem For the Political Dead
Uche Nworah - 12/19/2006
In the flick Dead Man Walking, Hollywood actor Sean Penn beautifully brings alive in his character the emotional pangs of a convict awaiting death by execution. Some of Nigeria’s many agbada wearing politicians may soon start exhibiting similar characteristics of dead men walking in the political arena. Fish can not survive out of water for so long and for some of them, a life outside politics with all its trappings may be considered unliveable. Nigeria: What Does Babangida Want?
Uche Nworah - 11/27/2006
Yes, he is a citizen and a man just like me. He has the right just like every Nigerian to contest for any elective position in the land, as long as he has not, and does not run foul of the laws of the land as stipulated in the electoral laws. But were Ibrahim Babangida (Nigeria’s former military president) to be any other citizen, there wouldn’t have been a need for this piece and the several others already written, and which would still be written about Nigeria’s most infamous citizen. The Nigerian State and the Value for Human Life
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 11/7/2006
The Sultan of Sokoto is dead! May his soul rest in the abode of peace! That is the way of all flesh. We are all headed to the ultimate dissolution of our mortal beings. On the appointed day; in obedience to the supreme laws of entropy, our bodies will yield their constituting atoms in dissolution, to Mother Nature. No one will ever escape it. This is why life should not be taken too seriously. None of us will ever come out of it alive. Life, in this sense may well be the Shakespearean tale, told by an idiot; full of sound and fury; signifying nothing! At death, life tends to become the ultimat... Rebranding Nigeria’s Cities
Uche Nworah - 10/25/2006
A conceptual gap still exists in the understanding of the principles and practices of place branding amongst Nigeria’s many state and local government officials. Despite the efforts at the centre to promote this novel concept that has been described by branding professionals as one of the fastest growing knowledge sectors in global branding and marketing, it appears that place branding is largely only linked and associated with the various activities embarked upon by the federal government, aimed at improving Nigeria’s image in the international community, and to position her as a good destination for tourism and investment in sub-saharan Africa. Is Nigeria's Rev. King Also A Christian?
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 8/22/2006
As I look around each day and see so many people out there claiming to be born-again, children of God, Christians, Gospel ministers, pastors or bishops, as I observe their lifestyles, and the things they propagate and endorse, the inevitable question I am forced to ask is: where then are the sinners and unbelievers? Indeed, if all these people, whose nearly every conduct and preoccupation constitute grave offence to God are all “Christians,” “born-again,” and “men of God,” then I can confidently bet you that non-Christians and unbelievers no longer exist! The clear demarcation between the two ... The Unjust Detention Of Two Nigerian Journalists
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 8/21/2006
A recent article in a national newspaper about Mr. Imo Eze, former Chief Press Secretary to Gov Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State, who has been languishing in detention, because, his newspaper "Ebonyi Voice" had published some articles on very astounding corrupt practices allegedly perpetrated by Egwu which the governor felt was injurious to his reputation. Later, I also saw another report about another journalist, Mr. Oluwole Elenyinmi, also being detained in Ebonyi State because of the same offence. It is like Ebonyi State is fast acquiring a reputation for wanton detention and harassment of journalists. The Trials Of Brother Emeka
Uche Nworah - 8/8/2006
Wole Soyinka’s "Trials of Brother Jero" narrates the story of a self-acclaimed man of God - Brother Jeroboam, and his many battles with his demons which in this case were his lust for women and cunning deceit of his congregation regarding his true purposes, and the nature of his apostleship. The narrative gave readers a preview of the mind of some modern day Pentecostal pastors - their fears, ways, triumphs and tribulations long before the Pentecostal movement swept through Nigeria, and we began to see Pentecostal churches on every street in Nigeria and in major cities abroad with large Nigerian and immigrant population. Igbo Worldview In The Global Context
Uche Nworah - 8/4/2006
The phrase Ndigbo usually evokes certain feelings amongst other tribes and races in Nigeria and the world over, these feelings can sometimes be that of love, hate, fear, contempt, compassion and threat. This is to be expected because Ndigbo by virtue of their failed attempt to secede from Nigeria in 1967 have therefore set themselves up for such mixed interpretations of their ultimate objectives and intentions in a Nigeria that has increasingly tended towards suppressing and oppressing minorities. It is therefore for reasons of the later, and the resultant consequences of losing in a war of wh... A Preliminary Investigation Of Educational Change Management In Nigeria
Uche Nworah - 6/26/2006
After 45 years of achieving colonial independence, it can not be argued that Nigeria has attained her optimum level of development, in relation to her huge potentials and in comparism to other countries that are less endowed with human and material resources. The Nigerian government though seems to have woken up to the reality that the country needs to break away from the vicious cycle of poverty, infrastructural neglect, corruption and other social problems that had dogged her every footsteps, the government has therefore initiated several reform programmes in different sectors of the economy... Interview with Frank Nweke, Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation
Uche Nworah - 6/21/2006
The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation Mr Frank Nweke, now in the final lap of his second tour of duty as a cabinet minister takes up arms against the international media over their repeated negative reports about Nigeria, and also discuses his future plans post-2007 amongst other issues in this interview with Uche Nworah. Pat Utomi And The Restoration Group
Uche Nworah - 6/17/2006
The old saying by Aristotle, the Greek philosopher that man is by nature a political animal is true. No matter how hard you try to get away from it, it sucks you back in. Though I crave to do more soft and human interest essays as I try to sharpen my rhetoric and style for a proposed book, it is proving a bit difficult to hold up my promise to myself, not with all the things going on in Nigeria as 2007 approaches. Between Diasporas And The Homeland For Nigerians
Uche Nworah - 5/19/2006
It may seem that in addition to the physical distance, psychological distance also exists between Nigerians in the diaspora and those living in the homeland. Such distances have contributed to the growing differences in opinion, sometimes leading to suspicions of motives and intentions on both sides, especially over debates on Nigeria’s social, political and economic issues. The Rise of the Nigerian Hitler
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 5/10/2006
Olusegun Obasanjo has decided to ruin Nigeria. He makes no pretences anymore. He is acting the script. Greed has eminently seduced him. He has prostituted himself to the army of scoundrels clamouring for the sustenance of a status quo, where avarice is king. To that end, shamelessly imposing himself on Nigerians after he has exhausted the mandate he stole in 2003, is a mission targeted with all weapons of cant in his arsenal. The ranks of the cheerleading mastiffs and dogs, campaigning for the enthronement of volte-face as an absolute instrument of governance grows by the day. They are dogs wh... India Beckons Globacom, Nigeria’s First Global Brand
Uche Nworah - 5/7/2006
This must be interesting times for Otunba Michael Adenuga and his scions that run the Michael Adenuga Business Empire. They are gradually painting Nigeria’s business landscape green, the colour of their cash cow brand (Globacom). Nigeria: Still On Odi And The Mad Dog Syndrome
Uche Nworah - 4/23/2006
Nigerians can not argue that they have seen the last of the military, because whether we like it or not they are still firmly entrenched in our sub-conscious. Though they may have since swapped their military uniforms for Agbada, but they are still behind the scenes pulling the strings. Masters Of The Political Game In Nigeria - Part 1
Uche Nworah - 4/18/2006
The accompanying photograph to this article which depicts a much younger Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) and Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) playing a game of draught, with Danjuma and Abacha in the background acting as umpires makes it difficult not to believe former Police PRO, Superintendent Alozie Ogugbuaja’s widely reported swipe at the Nigerian military back in 1986. He had alleged that the military did nothing at their officers’ mess other than drink beer, eat pepper soup and plan coups. "The Banker" Magazine Honors Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor
Uche Nworah - 2/1/2006
The Banker, a financial magazine and member of the Financial Times Group rolled out the drums on Thursday the 19th of January 2006 to honour Africa’s finest and Nigeria’s most courageous Central Bank Governor till date. The occasion was the annual Global Central Banker of the Year award, and what better venue than the Ball room of the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in West London. Is Nigeria The Heart Of Africa?
Uche Nworah - 1/22/2006
Maybe it is the nomenclature syndrome (the uncanny temptation and tendency by public officials to re-name or re-brand policies or programmes anytime a new team gets appointed or nominated) that has caught up with officials of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, else why has the Nigeria Image Project metamorphosed into the Heart of Africa Project? Does Nigeria lie in the heart of Africa? Social Change in Nigeria: The Top - Down Change Management Approach
Uche Nworah - 12/31/2005
Africa is once again on the agenda of the global community, there appear to be shared concerns and views amongst the developed countries and the developing (African) countries, that critical initiatives are needed to tackle some of the problems which have continued to plague the continent and retard her progress, these issues have been identified by several commentators to include unemployment, poor infrastructural development, corruption, indiscipline, poverty, and mass migration. The later has led to what is now known as the brain drain syndrome. Must Baroness Lynda Chalker Insult Us Too?
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 12/25/2005
Before now, the only thing I could vaguely recollect about Baroness Lynda Chalker was that the last time I saw her, and that was during the reign of late General Sani Abacha or so, somehow, I had thought she was slightly overweight and needed some help. I am not too sure now if I also thought she could use the services of a dietician or a visit to the gym then, but what I remember vividly was that at that time, the ebullient Baroness took extreme delight in throwing her weight about all over Africa as Britain’s Minister for Overseas Development. Selective Justice Consolidates Corruption in Nigeria
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 12/13/2005
In 13th century Venice of Shakespeare’s imagination, a famous phrase escaped the lips of a notorious man. This phrase went out to the entire world, attending discussion circles and debating salons. It irrigated many ideological universes. We owe this Shakespearean creature an indebtedness we can never retire. In fact, with due apologies to Winston Churchill, I crave to say that never in the field of literary thought, was so much, owed by so many to so single a phrase. A Mother Like Nigeria's Stella Obasanjo
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 11/28/2005
“Death is … the absence of presence… the endless time of never coming back … a gap you can’t see, and when the wind blows through it, it makes no sound.”
- Tom Stoppard Czech-born, English playwright. “Something startles where I thought I was safest”
- Walt Whitman (quoted in George Lamming’s novel, In Castle Of My Skin) Bill Clinton And Nigeria’s National Pride
Uche Nworah - 11/14/2005
I have nothing against William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States of America and the Damansani Ushaffa (title for someone who has distinguished himself intellectually and contributed to the welfare of his people, given to him during his visit to Ushaffa village in Nigeria), if anything; i admire his zest, ageless youth, intelligence and rhetorical abilities. My perception of him while he was at the White House though, was that of a showman who had lost his way and eventually found himself at the White House, a lady killer and charmer. It must have been during the short ... T-Mobile And Nigerian Customers
Uche Nworah - 10/12/2005
Should T-Mobile, the leading telecommunications firm continue to ignore the desires of over 2 million current and potential customers, and neglect a long established customer base and relationship? Nigerian Police: A Dysfunctional Affront to Human Rights
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 10/7/2005
Predicates! A living body can never entertain the fatal inconveniences of a rogue cell, spiralling uncontrollably out of the orbital path of its genetic trajectory, or a cancerous mutant dangerously metastasizing, and spewing forth its toxic payloads of infections, in silence and quiet. Not only that the radar screens of survival beeps it’s Mayday, or recommends instant reaction, the whole body is alerted because the risk of extinction is staring it squarely in the face. Nigeria: The Heart of Africa
Uche Nworah - 10/4/2005
This country has birthed us though hope it may not have given us all. As we look around and count each passing day, we sometimes feel that things should indeed be better, that it should be well with us. We can’t but ask why we have to be the way we are, and live the way we do in the midst of abundance, why 45 years after we stopped paying obeisance to the Queen and her people, we are not yet any where near our promised land. Hurricane Katrina And Nigeria’s Image
Uche Nworah - 9/14/2005
Nigeria is currently in the process of re-branding her image, the Nigerian government has given the Federal Ministry of Information the task of doing that, and have also empowered the ministry with an initial sum of N600 million ($4 million) to execute the project. Nigerian Media As Scapegoats
Uche Nworah - 9/3/2005
Why do I think that this is the season of profession bashing, or better still media bashing? Even from members and non-members of the media constituency. Have things really degenerated to such alarming proportions to warrant the sweeping comments of concerned observers, most especially Seyi Oduyela in his media bashing article The Media in Nigeria 11? Out of Africa - The Return
Catherine Emenike - 9/1/2005
My parents were born in Nigeria. The first time I went there, I was 12 and could not handle the culture shock of a hot country, weird food and weird customs. Fast forward to 20 years later and the return with my mother, to the fatherland is a humbling,unforgettable and enigmatic expeirence. Here are a few extracts from my journal of that time. Rape in Nigeria - Where Then Shall We Run To?
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 8/29/2005
As the ill-fated bus tore through the thick murkiness of the nights and got to somewhere near Lokoja, Kogi State, at about 2.00 am, some men of darkness who had all the while pretended to be fellow passengers took control of the bus, robbed them of all their valuables. As they did this, everybody lay prostrate on the floor of the bus as instructed by them. About six young girls were on the bus. The men violently pulled them out, forced them to undress and began to rape them. As they took turns with these hapless girls, raping them with savagery and beastly relish, the girls cried in deep pain.... Chinua Achebe And The Nobel Politics
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 7/1/2005
It is becoming widely known, even outside purely literary circles, that November 16 is the birthday of Professor Chinua Achebe, the widely known and read author of the famous classic, Things Fall Apart, the indisputable father and rallying point of African literature, and an imposing figure in the world literary arena. Expectedly, at that time annually, from several parts of the globe, the drums sound and encomiums pour out. This has come to become an annual ritual in which friends and admirers of the literary giant celebrate with great excitement. And as the cards and goodwill messages flow... Chairman for Nigeria PLC
Uche Nworah - 7/1/2005
As a result of the failure of previous and current systems and models such as parliamentarianism, militarianism and the presidential systems and models, and the need to re-position Nigeria and effectively harness her human and material resources for sustainable growth and for the benefits of her citizens. The opportunity has arisen in this oil rich West African country for the pioneering role and position of a CEO (chief executive officer). Nigeria and Morocco: Oilfield Development and Inter-Ethnic Tension
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 6/23/2005
"Sustainable Development" is a worn out cliché - but not where it matters the most: in developing countries. There, unconstrained "development" has led to inter-ethnic strife, environmental doom, and economic mayhem. In the post Cold War era, central governments have lost clout and authority to their provincial and regional counterparts, whether peacefully (devolution in many European and Latin American countries) - or less so (in Africa, for instance). As power shifts to municipalities and regional administrations, they begin to examine development projects more closely, prioritize them, and ... Is Nigeria's Gen. Obasanjo An Extortioner?
Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye - 6/3/2005
"What happened in Abeokuta was an executive extortion and it is a contradiction to the campaign against corruption … it was transparent and open."
-Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka (May 16, 2005, Ibadan). What bother me these days aren't so much the immediate implications of what President Olusegun Obasanjo does and represents, but the very tantalizing and insidious precedent most of those attitudes and preoccupations constitute to those who would take over from him, assuming he truly goes in 2007. And it does seem, judging from the way he carries himself that he is totally unpertur... Nigerian Scams - Begging Your Trust in Africa
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 5/25/2005
The syntax is tortured, the grammar mutilated, but the message - sent by snail mail, telex, fax, or e-mail - is coherent: an African bigwig or his heirs wish to transfer funds amassed in years of graft and venality to a safe bank account in the West. They seek the recipient's permission to make use of his or her inconspicuous services for a percentage of the loot - usually many millions of dollars. A fee is required to expedite the proceedings, or to pay taxes, or to bribe officials - they plausibly explain. A recent (2005) variant involves payment with expertly forged postal money orders for goods exported to a transit address. Country Branding And The Nigeria Image Project As A Case Study
Uche Nworah - 5/24/2005
Branding as we know it has traditionally only been associated with products and services, global companies and corporations and their marketing communications agencies have continued to create and use branding as a distinguishing and strategic competitive factor in the market place, and also in the battle for consumers. Brands such as Coca-Cola, Mercedes, Nike, Microsoft, Harvard, Guinness, Ford etc are beneficiaries of strong and strategic brand building efforts, this may therefore account for the brand leadership positions of these companies globally. Internet and Journalism in Nigeria
Uche Nworah - 5/8/2005
Times and things have indeed changed, globalisation has since become a buzz word, and has brought with it change and competition, people's lives have been variously affected either for the better or for the worse, depending on the side of the divide one finds himself or herself, although Africa and the rest of the developing world (sounds better than the clichéd 3rd world designation) may argue that they are hard done by, by the avenging and scavenging onslaught of the multinational corporations through their invasion and incursion into their markets with cheap mass produced goods. Another reverse colonialism then? Maybe. Review of the Nigeria Image Project: Relevance of Communication Theories to Country Branding
Uche Nworah - 5/6/2005
Change, innovation, political, economic and social reforms are currently being implemented by different governments in the developing economies of the world. The governments of these countries are beginning to realise that long periods of over dependence on the developed countries for economic aid and assistance may finally be coming to an end, as these developed economies are now looking inwards to solve their own problems, which have become more imminent in the face of increasing competition in a rapidly changing and globalised world. Study on Nigerian Diaspora
Uche Nworah - 5/4/2005
Rena Singer of the American Christian Science Monitor (February 26, 2002 edition) estimates that 15 million Nigerians (more than 1 in 10 Nigerians) live abroad, these figures are validated by other sources such as Africa Action, they recently wrote that, "No one knows the exact numbers, but it is estimated that as many as 15 million Nigerians live outside the country, in neighbouring countries and across the African continent, in Britain and throughout the Commonwealth, in other European countries, and in many Asian countries as well." Rethinking Nigeria's Problems
Uche Nworah - 4/7/2005
Nigeria is a big country, and so are her many problems. Some of these problems have been identified as bribery and corruption, unemployment, poor infrastructural development, over dependence in the oil sector for federal income and revenue, poor work ethics, increasing citizens dissatisfaction and disaffection with the government, political structures and politicians, corporate and large scale organisational irresponsibility, inadequate funding of the educational, health and other key sectors, neglect of the agricultural and other non-oil productive/manufacturing sectors, continued manufacture... |
