Browsing: Garba Shehu

For those unfamiliar with Kano, this massive compound is by every estimate a stand-alone town, complete with thousands of homes, schools, a clinic and a social centre

Human beings have become mere numbers. The Sunday Trust reported that 1,140 Nigerians were killed in May alone, and that thousands of Borno State indigenes are stranded at the boarder as Nigerians make desperate moves to escape into Cameroon

In many ways, the PDP has, in its 15-year rule, come to symbolize democratic rule in Nigeria – and deserves credit for the longest streak of interrupted civilian (non-military) rule in Nigeria’s history. To their credit and that of the nation, PDP has given this country a seamless, civilian-to-civilian succession, another novelty because that had been the breaking point of many African democracies

All of this is happening because we have a government that is insensitive

As a thinker and a critic, he was forced to flee his native country, France for England. In the course of his stay, there occurred one of the regular storms in relations between England and France. He had the misfortune of running into an English mob, which turned against him shouting “Kill the Frenchman, kill the Frenchman!” Voltaire answered the crowd by appealing to their pride. “Men of England!” he shouted, “Have I not been punished enough for not being an Englishman?”
From death chants, the mob sang his praises, themselves feeling good in self-pride

If anybody is looking for an authority on this, they should go to the speech of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan. Rude Nigerians on the social networks may dismiss her as not being savvy or lacking in finesse or refinement. My admiration for her as in this case is in the fact that she shoots from the hip

The Kenyan authorities seemed at that time to be more interested in the preservation of the integrity of their country’s profitable tourism business

Their fixation with the legacy of democratic stability and often conciliatory tone in dealing with Jonathan’s executive arm of the government gives, on the other hand, a sense of evasiveness if not irresponsibility

Coming on the heels of the verbal rocketry exchanged between the PDP had the opposition Action Progressives Congress and in particular, the many misguided missiles fired by the PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh, this retreat should hopefully help the ruling party back on track concerning its messaging. Campaigns based on issues are beneficial to the voters and the nation but throwing of stones as the PDP and APC have resorted to in recent times are not

At home in Kano last weekend, neighbours said they hadn’t seen light for five days in my part of the GRA. In normal times, you got more power supply here than those who lived in slum sections of the outer city

At every turn, the colonial administration responded by handing down a new constitution

The nasty incident that occurred on February 24 in Buni Yadi, Yobe State – and many others before it – in which tens of pupils were slaughtered or burnt to death was profoundly shocking and abhorrent

This lesson was brought clearly home following the big mistake made by the government, of using the commemorative events of the country’s 100 years of existence as a huge self-justification exercise

I am concerned, as are many citizens, that there is no awareness creation or mobilization at all going on to sensitize the citizens about this important upcoming event

As I write, I have it on concrete authority that Nigeria’s Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Mr. Ahmed Umar is a bright and promising diplomat serving his country at many sensitive locations across the world. When he spoke to Daily Trust on Friday on the issue of the alleged ill-treatment of Nigerians in the recent Saudi crackdown on illegal migrants, he sounded more like a Saudi embassy official sent to mislead Nigerians

Governor Lamido Sanusi will not have a hard fall and by God’s mercy, his story will have a happy ending. It will have a happy ending because the latest quarrels he has picked against the increasingly unpopular administration are the peoples’ battles

When he was in office as Vice President in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, Atiku Abubakar faced the same challenge

At the rate he is going, especially with the recent addition of the defence portfolio to his cap, Maku may run the Ijaw leaders out of business and succeed in having all to himself, the heart of the President. That prospect alone should worry those who love the Minister

Tukur’s exit was itself a thing of joy to his native Adamawa State. There were jubilations on the streets of Yola. Throughout his term, he did not give a single thought of uplifting his own Adamawa community

I do not share the view that the glaring omissions on the part of the mainstream media is made up for by the courageous work against sloth, inefficiency and routine corruption by the new media