ONE WORD

Vandalised campaign vehicle of APC While political gladiators engage in accusations and counter-accusations of plans to rig the forthcoming general election, tell tale signs of violence appear to raise apprehension that the election, if it eventually holds, might be surfeit of chance occurrences. Although the change of guards in the Nigeria Police Force with the retirement of former Inspector General, Abubakar Kpotun Idris, and his succession by Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has injected a measure of public relief, the destruction of campaign materials by rival political parties remains a source of worry to the electorate. Unless Nigerians receive concrete assurances, violence would be the defining feature of the election, alongside voter apathy and intimidation by the electorate. Apart from cases of destruction of campaign billboards and vehicles, the most outrageous instance of violent buildup is the cases of importation of arms for the election. Amassing arms Nigerians were

Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad It can’t but be troubling when one notes how simple and straightforward issues are made complicated. The argument over Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen affair has been fierce. It is in the nature of argument that on a given subject, there will be some people for and a host of others against. It becomes worrisome, however, when there is a relentless effort at obscuring what is self-evident truth. From quarters you expect enlightenment, the obscurity is compounded; it is all heat, no light. The result is a justifiable groundswell of suspicion of ulterior motives. As I did say in my first intervention on the subject two weeks ago, the government bungled the whole matter which it should have resolved with some tact and wisdom. But it was looking for a big fish less than a month to crucial elections to show-case as its giant success leap in the fight against corruption, with less than doubtful expectation of laudatory ovation from a society with a huge ap

From all indications, the several investments of the Lagos state government in the tourism sector is steadily but surely paying off. For instance, according to reports, activities within the tourism sector contributed about N800billion to the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017. Similar in a recent statement, the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, revealed that the tourism sector recorded major success in the last quarter of 2018. According to the Commissioner, developments and details of activities as keenly observed by the Lagos State Government captured total spending in excess of N50bn in cash transactions, especially in weeks preceding and following the Yuletide season. Interestingly, this development seems to be following an already established one, as similar trend was recorded towards the last quarter of 2017. According to a report, a large chunk of noticeable spending in the last two years in the sector transpired in hotel lodg

Denis Suarez Barcelona midfielder, Denis Suarez is joining Arsenal on loan to the end of the Premier League season with an option to buy, reports Reuters. Arsenal manager Unai Emery worked with the 25-year-old Spaniard, who has made few appearances for Barcelona this season, during a previous loan spell at Sevilla. Barcelona said they had also extended Suarez’s contract by one year and until June 30, 2021. Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League, level on points with Chelsea, who have a game in hand and two clear of Manchester United in a tight battle for a Champions League slot. “If we can sign one player to come and help us that is good for us,” Emery said after a 2-1 win victory over Cardiff on Tuesday. “We need wingers.” Suarez has some prior experience of English football as he spent two seasons at Manchester City as a teenager, although his competitive appearances were fleeting. Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil reportedly turned down a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain. T

PDP Flag From North to South, East to West of Nigeria, the socio-economic indices of good things of life for Nigerians point to the negative side. Only the political office holders in the ruling parties see and feel the promised ‘CHANGE’. The masses only hear of it. Our global rankings in (anti)corruption, insecurity, education, health, infrastructure, poverty, unemployment, peace and conflict continue to be dismal. We lost gallant men in their prime in the war front and many educated and skilled Nigerians are leaving the country in droves in a renewed form of brain drain. But the dispatched speakers of the ruling party want us to believe everything is fine. We are winning the war on terrorism yet our fighter jet crashed with five breadwinners. Locations are being taken in Borno by the Terrorists; the Borno state Governor is crying and pleading with the Prince of Daura to rescue the hapless while that of Zamfara will not mind a declaration of state of emergency in his state to s

When unity in diversity is being zealously canvassed by people who hope against hope in their belief of Nigeria project, the glaring reality is that the retrogression to the days of Dark Age is steady and the dastardly acts of discord, acrimony, hostility, rancor belligerence and antipathy and indeed apparent diversity is continued to be perpetrated in the land. This vicious incidences of destruction of life and property under whatever guise (whether insurgence, killer Fulani herdsmen, or avoidable electoral violence) lends credence to the fact that the country is unfortunately rather inclined to focus on what pulls us asunder more than concentrating on those phenomena and qualities that unite us. Nigeria in real time is run by people or experts at criticism and blame trading and recrimination, indictment, impeachment, and counter. The years when topical and national issues are squarely and objectively confronted with the determinate solution mindset at play, are long gone. In this

By Innocent Anaba and Henry Ojelu With the controversy trailing the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari on the strength of a Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT,  ex-parte order and the swearing in of Justice Tanko Muhammad, as the acting CJN,  yet to die down, many issues have continued to play out. Buhari-Onnoghen-Tanko Mr Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, in his advice to the National Judicial Council, NJC, before its meeting of January 29, posed several questions which he believes holds the answer to the constitutional issue facing the country. “In the face of the serious allegations of infraction of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, should Onnoghen still continue to sit over cases that come to the Supreme Court which might include cases involving violation of the Code of Conduct? *Was the conduct of the Chairman of the CCT in purporting to issue on January 23, 2019, an ex-parte order for the suspension of the CJN,