Opinion Corner

Out of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst politicians. Among the different ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo are without a doubt, one of the most remarkable. So remarkable, indeed, that some have even traced their ancestry to biblical Israel, as the far-flung descendants of Jacob, the Jewish patriarch. Gad, Jacob’s seventh …

There are allegations that the anti-cultism unit of the police was the instrument with which certain persons in the police were extorting from Edo people. At first this was hard to accept. In Fredrick Forsyth’s The Odesa File, it is said that a people and institutions are not bad but the individuals who inhabit a people and institutions are the …

The ruling All Progressives Congress’ ‘change’ mantra, no doubt, made a solid impression on many Nigerians during the 2015 General Election. The people’s expectations were so high that we thought the Muhammadu Buhari administration would turn around the ailing economy and restore dignity to our weak democratic institutions. But, two years down the line, it appears that the prevailing economic …

The speedy passage of the key anti-graft bills such as Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (MA), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Whistle Blowers Policy Bill (WBPB) into law can institutionalise Nigeria’s fight against corruption, rather than making it seem like a one -man- show. Recommendation 29 of the Financial Action Task Force mandates countries …

The death threats against Javier in reprisal for his reporting on organized crime and corruption continued until his brutal murder on Tuesday in his home city of Culiacán, but he refused a life in exile or a life without journalism. “To die,” he said in an interview with CPJ, “would be to stop writing.” In the midst of a particularly …

By Tabia Princewill Hidden motives and agendas dominate our politics and processes where the single shared objective is often how to defraud the state and its citizens. Nigeria gradually corrupts even the purest of souls who become convinced that it is impossible to get ahead without sullying one’s self. I had a conversation recently with a lawyer whose firm is …

The Daily Trust newspaper has published an interesting feature story (May 15), on the sudden surge in the number of First Class degrees being churned out by Nigerian universities. Daily Trust reports that its investigation reveals that in the last five years, 16 Nigerian universities have produced a total of 3, 499 first class graduates. Between 2011 and 2016, 12 …

In the Niger Delta struggle, we must be careful not to play into the hands of those who promote what I may call the Abuja Agenda. These are instruments with strings seeking to control certain elements in the Niger Delta and promote a certain agenda through violence. We must be careful not to allow the merchants of ethnicity hijack the …

Contrary to the impression given by Chief Ozekhome, suspending a senator for 6 months is not a tea party and no one must give the Senate that impression. With respect to Ndume, did the Senate comply with its own Rules? From the facts in public domain, Ndume raised a matter of privilege under order 15 of the Senate Rules and …

The Transparency International, TI, 2016 Corruption Perception Index has it that among the 176 countries and territories featured in the corruption research, very few countries could beat the global average mark of 43. But most countries fell below the average line of corruption index, including Nigeria. The failure by successive governments to implement feasible and sustainable infrastructural development, as captured …