Smoking while off-loading petrol, By Owei Lakemfa

Heart surgeon, Masoud Pezeshkian, was sworn-in as President of Iran on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. His primary concern seemed to be about lifting the unilateral sanctions the United States, US, had imposed on his country. Reviving the economy is fundamental for the citizenry and the sure way of winning their hearts. However, he would have been […]

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Aboru, Aboye: Attacks on Africa’s highly tolerant traditional religion, By Owei Lakemfa

The firestorm among some Christian leaders in Western Nigeria over the lyrics of a new song by Gospel artist, Tope Alabi, is in its fourth week. She had sang in Yoruba that she is “Aboru Aboye” which translates to “I am a sacrifice which God has accepted.” This caused an uproar with some Christian leaders accusing her […]

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The Canary Islands: African, but owned by Spain, By Owei Lakemfa

Sunday, September 19, like past Sundays in the Canary Islands, promised to be a quiet, restful day. It was also a day of Christian worship. But beneath the earth of La Palma on the islands, rocks had been pulverised and turned into molten. That afternoon, the lava sprouted into the air, triggering off volcanic eruptions, […]

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Whitewashing is a waste; history has already judged Babangida, By Owei Lakemfa

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, retired general and former military Head of State will turn 80 tomorrow, Tuesday, August 17. I congratulate him primarily because I also pray to grow old. But I do not pray that in my old age my children will organise gatherings where people will try to whitewash my deeds. One of such […]

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Pantamism, Talibanism, Americanism and extremism: Ingredients cooking terrorism, By Owei Lakemfa

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim, also known as Pantami, is busy fighting off those who accuse him of holding extreme Islamic views. He seemed particularly frightened by claims that the United States of America, USA, sees him as an extremist. I laugh at this because America is, in fact, […]

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The Fruitlessness of An Okonjo-Iweala Leadership of WTO, By Owei Lakemfa

I first met Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during the Obasanjo administration, at a conference organised by the newly emergent Due Process Office headed by Mrs. Obiageli (Oby) Katryn Ezekwesili. Okonjo-Iweala was minister of finance, so I asked her how much oil Nigeria was producing daily. The conference chairman, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (now governor of Kaduna State) […]

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Look Not Upon Me, Because I Am Black, By Owei Lakemfa

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Ethiopian microbiologist who heads the World Health Organisation (WHO) is simultaneously engaged in perhaps the two biggest battles of his 55 years on earth. He is leading humanity’s fight against the treacherous COVID-19 virus, and a battle to remain in office against the expressed wishes of the United States of America […]

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Nasser, the Good; Sadat, the Bad; and Mubarak, the Ugly, By Owei Lakemfa

Revolution came to Egypt in the Free Officers uniform of Abdel Gamal Nasser, reversal in the turncoat of Anwar Sadat’s crass opportunism and its betrayal in the garb of Hosni Mubarak’s autocracy. The threesome ruled Egypt for fifty-five years all together. Nasser, for fourteen tumultuous years from 1956, during which the country underwent fundamental socio-cultural changes, withstood […]

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Election riggers, examination cheats and other criminal entrepreneurs, By Owei Lakemfa

She is young. Her dressing gives the impression of a religious-minded lady. She is identified, or identified herself by forty two different names. But her real name is unknown. It might not be impossible that amongst the 42 names, is buried her true name. On the other hand, she might have been too smart to […]

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