By Kashim Shettima In the politics of Borno State, at least since 1999, we have had and maintained a tradition in which major stakeholders of a ruling party, expect from an outgoing Governor, a sense of political direction in the choice of a successor. Some people may see this tradition as a form of dictatorship […]Continue Reading
Kidnappers demand N1 billion ransom Edo, Delta and Kaduna top list of most dangerous states for pastors In the last two years not less than 51 pastors and priests of various denominations and churches were kidnapped in Nigeria. Also, ransom figures put at about N1 billion was demanded from them and their loved ones. This […]Continue Reading
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume was a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North-East zone in 2011, headed by Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari. In this interview, the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District argues Boko Haram has three faces: criminal, political and authentic. Excerpts: Your committee has just completed its assignment Continue Reading
In the last 20 years, the Federal Government has recovered $3.3 billion from countries where former Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha, stashed the country’s proceeds from oil sales. The recovery hits N1.2 trillion when converted to our local currency, an amount, going by the 2018 budget is enough to fund critical agencies […]Continue Reading
BokoHaram terrorists have become very daring, capturing communities in Gudunbali Local Government Area , attacking a military base in Baga, Kukawa LGA and even occupying Damasak in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno state. Though the military has recaptured these locations from the sect, the death toll in these attacks is not known. The sect’s […]Continue Reading
Every Nigerian owes China about N15,000 at the moment in goodwill and in debt, considering the quantum of Chinese aid for development, welfare and loans in the last few years. As at 2014, Nigeria was the sixth country on the list of third world countries that had received aid from China. It received the sum […]Continue Reading
With youthful anxiety for the Friday excursion to Accra’s Tema Oil Refinery, I struggled out of sleep at a very odd hour. I woke up at the dark and unholy hour of 2.00am when human beings were at rest but the spirit world active with unrest. Strangely, I felt struck with an inexplicable nausea […]Continue Reading
The return of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2018, harmonized by the Senate and House of Representatives, by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly on Wednesday coincided with a session on extractive sector (mining, oil and gas) legal framework that we were taken through in Accra, Ghana on the same day. Organised by the […]Continue Reading
In the last decade I’ve been haunted by an opaque expression: ‘the oil and gas sector is opaque.’ What is opaque? What is oil and gas? The simple definition of opaque is “not transparent,” and it has synonyms like “cloudy,” “blurred,” “dirty,” “muddy,” “hazy,” etc. Is the word, opaque, not a synonym of the phrase […]Continue Reading
A socio-pragmatic linguistic analysis of the transcript of the audio of Leah Sharibu proves five things. The transcript, widely circulated in the media, read thus: “I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my […]Continue Reading
As the castle of Journalism where I had been secure for two decades crashed earlier this year into bricks and rubble, exposing my life to whirlwind, tornado and tsunami, my inner eyes did not foresee another sunrise, not a sunrise on Sunday, August 26, 2018, my birthday. I could not imagine a sunrise in a […]Continue Reading
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised an alarm over arms build up in the country following the interception of Nigeria-bound arms in South Africa. A statement today by its spokesman, Mr Yekini Nabena, said the arms seizure was a red flag for security agencies to be very vigilant as the country approaches the next […]Continue Reading