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VERITATEM with Obadiah Mailafia
Memo for the incoming president
IN this final week of February, if the Lord tarries, we would know who has been elected president of our great federal republic. Whoever it is, he will face an in-tray of formidable to-do priorities. I itemise them below.…
What’s love got to do with it?
THIS is our week of destiny. Saturday, February 16, witnesses the first leg of a series of elections that will likely determine the future direction of our country. Valentine’s Day also comes up this week, precisely on Thursday, February…
Liberty and slavery in Côte d’Ivoire
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) recently acquitted former Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo and former Youth Minister Blé Goudé on charges of crimes against humanity. The two had been in detention for seven years while standing trial…
The testimony of Zerubbabel
I must warn my gentle readers that this is a rather personal essay. But it is of public interest. Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel was among the ancient Hebrew exiles who returned from Babylon to rebuild Solomon’s Temple and the fallen walls…
Brexit, the Commonwealth and a world restored
Barring the Jews and the Chinese, the Europeans have been the most historical of people. I lived in Brussels for five years as Chief of Staff of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. My job often involved engagement with…
Leadership and good governance in a democracy
BY ‘governance’, we refer to the traditions and institutions by which leadership and authority are exercised in a given country. When people talk of ‘good governance’, they generally refer to situations whereby the institutions and…
Shehu Shagari and the verdict of history
FORMER president and Turakin Sokoto, Shehu Shagari, passed away on Friday, December 28, at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness. He was buried next day (Saturday) according Muslim rites. Eulogies have poured in from far and…
Between Marshal Badeh and Marshal Zhukov
THIS is a difficult one. In researching for this article, I tried to talk to some of the closest people who knew the late Air Marshal Alex Badeh, former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). I was greeted with a wall of fear. I tried to raise the…
The case for parliamentary government
NOT a few eyebrows were raised among political pundits last week when some 71 legislators moved a motion in support of re-introduction of the parliamentary system of government in our country. We understand that the all-parties bill has…
Economic growth and Nigeria’s ‘Badluck’
ACCORDING to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world in 2018 are: Libya (16.44%); Ethiopia (8.55%); Côte d’Ivoire (7.36%); India (7.36%); Rwanda (7.20%); Bhutan (7.12%); Senegal (7.04%);…