Realities of Today Blog: A Nigerian Initiative for Enlightenment

For years now, some parts of the North has not been a safe haven for dwellers and immigrants due to the rising spate of terrorism and insurgency. This has been majorly propagated by the activities of Boko Haram groups, Shilla boys, herders and some other violent groups in the North.  With the look of happening in the Northern part of the country, it shows a wide range of insecurity threats for dwellers, travelers, immigrants, and business owners. All these threats has been linked to the bandits who some people claimed to be indigenous Fulanis while others see them as international mercenaries hired from neighbouring countries to disrupt the activities of the state. Why did our North become so unsecured overnight? This article will reveal few reasons why Banditry issue persists in the North today. READ ALSO: What are the Chances of Achieving Secession in Nigeria? Firstly, the approach of the Northern leaders in the affected states has made it much more easier for the activities to persi

Getting things right under any administration is the best approach to ensure the achievement of desired growth and development. In this path to achieve development, there are many decisions that the government must either be proactive or reactive about. At the extreme, where the government in power neglect the important things for the unimportant ones, it becomes worrisome how the nation wants to move forward. The latter is just the experience of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari with the indicators presented below in no particular order.  Call to Arrest Sunday Igboho To think there will be a call to arrest Sunday Igboho which is nowhere connected to receiving a national honour like MON, MFR is rather shocking. The call to arrest Sunday Igboho by the Federal Government of Nigeria is the least of the unexpected things where bandits are gallivanting all around town, Shekau is celebrating the kidnapping and killings of Nigerians on cameras, herders killing farmers and dwell

It is good to dream dreams of a better state of things but it is rather rewarding when such dreams become reality in one's lifetime. The dream of Martin Luther King Jr. referencing a Black man rising up the ladder to rule a white nation became a reality in his afterlife. I hope this dream of ours to make Nigeria work, better and great won't be after our demise. On this basis, I foresee many possible threats to the actualization of this dream of ours as conscious driven youths in Nigeria. These threats are youths-centered, state-centered, ethnic-centered, cabal-centered, elders-centered. Invariably, all these stakeholders and activities would force the abortion of 2023 dreams. Youths, the frontline agitators of this new life, are to an extent the first to throw away the baby with the bathe water. It's funny you think, but that is what it is because large number of these youths lost fate in the country after the events of October 20, 2020. A whole lot of these people are emig

Bill in a democratic setting is an important tool for achieving desired change in a given direction. Nigeria is nowhere different because of her current experience in the hands of her administrators. For now, please let’s not argue about the actual practice of democracy in Nigeria or not. We all know where we belong on a global scale of leadership and democratic governance. For decades, there has been tremendous agitations for the approval of several bills into law to enhance the efficiency of the system. Notable bill agitations in Nigeria are not but limited to police reforms, electronic voting, child marriage, and of late hate speech, social media bill. Who knows what ridiculous bill they are going to initiate to threaten us. As youths in today’s Nigeria, we have been agitating for a better Nigeria through online and offline platforms as seen this year for instance. This is in the actual sense of what we need against what we want for nation-building. What do we need, specifically

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)  came as a shocker to many countries other than China in the year 2020 but many countries used their shock absorbers to manage the situation. This outbreak no doubt necessitated the total shutdown of so many activities across the globe, thereby, incapacitating its citizenry.  Due to this reality, many nations gave their citizens palliatives - foodstuff as at when due while some countries even gave out financial support to their citizens throughout the period of their forceful stay at home. This was nowhere near the reality of many states in Nigeria who were under lockdown from March till August 2020.  Although, some palliatives were shared at the 0.1% level while a larger share was hoarded for whatsoever reason by some state governors in Nigeria. It came as a shock to see many warehouses looted by hoodlums in Lagos, Nigeria at first to discover their entitlement. This tide, therefore, occurred at Kwara, Cross Rivers, Osun, Jos, Benin and other places in N

What started as a clarion call for #EndSars and #EndPoliceBrutality in Nigeria degenerated into the call to end deeper issues affecting Nigeria as a nation. Sadly, some people had died in this short time of peaceful agitations by unarmed youths coupled with the activities of hoodlums across the state. A minute silence for the fallen heroes at the Lekki toll gate protest ground, please. Indeed after the massacre, the state witnessed devastating attacks on both private and public properties by angry youths, especially the hoodlums. Places affected were not limited to TVC Communications, Shoprite, Police Posts, Lekki Toll Gate, and other small and medium scale businesses. It has been a difficult time at Lagos, Nigeria with increasing carnage of both youths and police officers. Due to these events put together, there was a wake-up call by youths across the country to get what the heroes fought for. This is linked to the call for a new Nigeria - a Nigeria where a son of nobody can become so

It came as a shock to me and many other Nigerians waking up to the news of some unarmed youths shot at by security officials at the most coordinated protest ground in Lagos, Nigeria. The exact figures of fatalities were unaccounted for considering some middle grounds. These were based on the controversial news spread by the protesters, the state government, the Nigerian Army and the Presidency across the mass media.  Mr Governor said, "forces beyond his direct control were responsible for the heinous act" in his speech on the 21st October 2020. He went further to say there were no fatalities recorded. The Nigerian Army denied involvement in the horrific scene while the Presidency also maintained the same ground as others making the storyline more complicated.  However, there were a series of events possibly justifying that the horrible attack on harmless protesters were deliberate actions to frustrate youths clarion call to end police brutality and bad governance in the count

#EndSARS movement is not a new development in Nigeria as it's first call dated back to the year 2017. The movement started and usually ends by the declarations of the government that the unit Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) has been disbanded from the Nigerian Police. The same thing has been happening whenever the youths raised an eyebrow on the inhumane practices of this unit from the year 2017 up until 2019. This year's clarion call to end the brutal activities of SARS took a different shape, approaches and tactics from across the Western, Eastern, and Southern part of Nigeria while the Northerners were on the other side of the reality. What then were the keynotes from #EndSARS movement so far? Kindly feed your minds below. The acclaimed lazy youths by the President has risen in one voice regardless of their sociocultural diversities to speak against the brutal nature of the Nigerian police, especially those representing the unit SARS. The youths were so organised, well-coo

# EndSARS campaign today,  # EndSARS campaign tomorrow won't really give us the result we need in Nigeria. What then is the way forward? We all know the way forward to this situation if only we can make it happen. First and foremost, it is disheartening to think, hear or even see that the body saddled with the responsibility to protect lives and properties is in charge of its threat, extortion, brutality and killings at the extreme. I hereby use this opportunity to join others to condemn the acts of police brutality at any nooks and crannies in Nigeria. It is indeed a shameful act at this age and time for the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) to extort, intimidate, brutalise, and at the extreme kill resourceful youths under the assumption of discharging their duties. There are no excuses for that but we need to understand that this act of terrorism in the Western and Eastern part of Nigeria is not an issue in the Northern part of Nigeria. Maybe, we can recategorise the Nigerian ter

As the days of the 2019 election draws closer in Nigeria, a lot of intriguing events, reactions, utterances and activities continues to reflect itself from the aspirants to the political gods, non-aspirant and finally to the political parties. All of these dramas had made and continue to make the year's election predictable and remarkably different from the past. On that note, the following are the indicators and certainties to manifest in the 2019 electoral activities in Nigeria.

Writing a book for public consumption is a remarkable thing to do but documenting an autobiography requires a lot more thoughtfulness, consciousness and sagacity. These criteria are quintessential in all writings though, just that pouring down thoughts about other people "without holding anything back" can be very disastrous immediately and subsequently.

As election year draws closer by the day, incumbent officeholders and prospective ones are busy applying various strategies to win the soul of voters “the general masses” in Nigeria. Whether or not the general masses are beneficiaries of this particular government, their collective voice “vote” has the power to either retain the stone or move it completely.  In essence, there are several cards that can be played by the general masses to enable them "smile" after 2019 electoral processes. Such cards are worthy of discussion considering the controversies surrounding President Buhari’s administration and his second term bid . In the midst of plenty cards, it is advisable for the general masses to: get permanent voter’s card  exercise the power of the permanent voter’s card to the brim  sensitize people on the need to vote  sensitize people on the risk of low turnout  accept stomach care plan without any form of ritualism  get involve in all the electoral proces

It is no longer news that President Buhari eyes a second term bid just like his predecessors in the history of Nigeria except for the case of untimely death. This public declaration of Mr President has generated a lot of controversies among different categories of people – intelligentsias, politicians, business mogul and the general masses.  The first direct attack on this second term bid can be traced to an open letter served by Ovation International CEO “Mr Dele Momodu”. In case you are not familiar with the letter, the bottom line of the statement he made was that Mr President should let go of the second term bid stating that majority of the frontiers were just against the Realities of Today . He noted clearly that it would be more dignifying i.e. grace saving to leave the helms of Nigeria’s affairs without further harm or accident to the general masses and the state of the economy. The embodiment of his letter is similar to a letter served by Obasanjo to Goodluck Jonathan. 

By Nature, death remains a special gift packaged for all living creatures (human being inclusive) regardless of their socio-demographics, popularity as a result of wealth or even position in the society. Some deaths are naturally caused, some are coincidental by individual actions or reactions to one another while some are consciously engineered by either an individual or group of people for a "just cause". The core concern of this piece addresses the innocent killings engineered by/for an individual or group of people in Nigeria. Without mincing words, innocent killings of individual/groups have been as old as Nigeria itself. A recap of the sudden demise of frontline freedom fighters, politicians - Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, Muritala Muhammed, Tunde Idiagbon, M.K.O Abiola and host of others. On a group note, clashes between religious groups/communities have also led to several innocent killings too. For instance, Ife-Modakeke clash, Maitatsine Operation, Ogoni Nine (Ken Saro

The journey of 365days usually begins with one second, ticking from the month of January and definitely stopping in the month of December with so much drama to talk about in between. The year 2017 like other outdated years has come and gone with jaw-breaking experiences in Nigeria under the rule of the change advocators. However, as fresh as the year 2018 is, it has also come with its own drama visible to the blind and in fact, audible to the deaf. In essence, lots of activities, both good and bad would manifest this year to individuals, private and public establishments, as well as the society at large. Naturally, these things would be recorded - births, deaths, seasonal change, and all sorts. On the other hand, there lie other things to manifest this year in Nigeria without natural inclinations. Few of which manifestations are: Economic recovery Mr President's health challenges Deaths of strong political opposition at key levels Lies and deception at the highest leve

My very first encounter with the word CABAL as formed by five intriguing ministers of Charles II (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale) was at my secondary school level through an erudite grammarian scholar's textbook. In his teaching, he described the term as a secret agency which comprises of selected few people that play an inextricable role in the operations and activities of a particular government - organisation, constituency and so on. Since the good old days "secondary school", it has been a popular story every now and then that Nigerian government is been controlled by some small sect tagged CABAL. At this juncture, I begin to wonder who the CABALs are? Where they are? Why their faces have been secretive? and above all, Why they exercise power over a constituted authority? Before giving a detailed answer to the questions above, it is an utmost priority to state what bore out this piece and particularly what spur the author to action

From time immemorial, slave trade has been a thing of the Whites against the Blacks residing in the regions of their colonization. In essence, colonization begat the idea of the slave trade with or without the knowledge of Black frontline elders on the consequences for the Black race and its long-term benefits for the White. On a contrary note, it is appalling, shocking and unexpectedly that a Black race will ever think of enslaving one another for whatsoever reason or benefit in this present dispensation. The case of Libya today is a living proof. Basically, Libya has been one of the richest countries in Africa, at least during the long-term reign of their supreme leader "Muammar Gaddafi". This wealth, therefore, attracted all and sundry within and outside neighbouring African states to Libya. But after the forceful dethronement and death of this supreme leader "Muammar Gaddafi" on several pressed charges nationally and internationally, Libya has hereby face

The name "Donald Trump" as it is today rings a bell and commands respect from anywhere in the World due to the seat occupied by this person and also because of his demonstrations/drama/pronouncement before, during and after the election processes. Without exaggeration,  President Donald Trump remains one of the controversial leaders the World has ever seen - alien to the history of America itself. As every born individual (Slave/Freeborn) has certain qualities (inborn/cultivated) best used to describe them, such is the case of every leader/ruler in any country respectively. Some leaders are CCD in nature i.e. Cool, Calm and Diplomatic , some are friendly and destructive, some are cunning and deceiving to the core (just like the popular China leader Zhuge Liang nick-named "Sleeping Dragon") while some are very aggressive even in a democratic terrain. As it is now, a short recap of Donald Trump's drama from his days as an aspirant up until this curre

Today in Nigeria, from the East to the North and from the South to the East drums of secession seems to be louder and louder by the day. Among the regions, the paramount advocate of this goal from time immemorial in Nigeria were the Easterners for various reasons under the household name "Marginalisation", "Underdevelopment", "Segregation" and so on.  Lately, as read on naij.com - Adeyinka Grandson (President of the Young Yorubas for Freedom) advocated for the independence of the Oduduwa republic which is also similar to the notion of Opeoluwa Akinola at a press conference held in Lagos. This in itself also corroborates with the insecurity of Easterner's in the North having heard Arewa group declared October 1st, 2017 as the deadline for all Easterner's to vacate the North. For reasons best known to them, the pronouncement has raised another controversial statement implying "the Northerners are tired of tolerating the Easterners"

Politics in Nigeria as it is today has incubated in itself several obstacles that restrict and limit the chances of participation for all and sundry; especially the youths, less privileged, and less influential. It is in light of the above, that certain campaigns have been staged as well as series of protest from all nooks and crannies of Nigeria's jurisdiction. One of the fundamental changes expected in our political engineering is about aspirants and party nomination. Hence, the need for quality representation and leadership demands that the following should be ensured;  Aspirants are qualified by their educational status  Aspirants are not influenced by corrupt expectations but by the ability to lead effectively.  There should be a pre-political training school for any Nigerian aspiring to be a politician in the future. This will form a training hub for future sound politicians in our own battered political sensibilities that are tilted towards corruption.  Aspiran