Realities of Today Blog: A Nigerian Initiative for Enlightenment

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

Lagos State today is arguably one of the megacities in the heart of Nigeria due to the massive transformation that had taken place from the reign of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola and to the incumbent Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. All administrators - past and present collectively ensured continuity programme by developing the state which has so far yielded tremendous goodies - wealth and popularity on a global scale ahead of other city-states in Nigeria. In the course of ensuring transformation and development of the areas (mainland and island), a lot of natural resources - water, land... have been altered/moderated without taking cognizance of its likely devastating effect. Of all the resources highlighted earlier, "Water" (river/lagoon) seems to be the most powerful in entirety, capable of ruining whosoever that manipulates it without adequate caution and supervision. This is why major mega cities (China, Japan, Ibadan, Lagos) had experienced

A s earlier highlighted on this blog, Ijebu-Ode the most popular pillar in the region of Ijebu as at today lack certain basic elements capable of scuppering the long desired cry for Ijebu State. The cry for Ijebu-State is apparently not a new desire by the Ijebus as it dated back to the reign of Ex-Presidents; Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Musa Yar'adua, and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. In this present dispensation "Buhari's"; the bid, urge and the cry for Ijebu-State remains at a low ebb because the challenge "economic turbulence" they met superseded their expectations and preparations.  RELATED; Why Ijebu-Ode will not Experience Desired Development Anytime Soon Worthy of note, all fingers pointed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo - a typical Yoruba man who controlled the realms of Nigeria's affairs for 8years (thanks to a truncated third term bid) without significant efforts on the development of Yoruba State "LAGOYOSUN"- Lagos, Ogun, Oyo