Since he became governor over seven years ago in circumstances which remain fuzzy, Yahaya Bello has left no one in doubt about his totalitarian grip on the north central state of Kogi. He is the be-all-and-end-all of the potentially rich, but pathetically indigent and decrepit state, whose style reminds of that of the infamous King Louis XIV in French history. …

No fewer than 80 officers and men of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have gone on trial for indulging in the collection of illegal fees for the issuance of new passports and renewal of old ones. The Service Public Relations Officer, Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Tony Akuneme, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on …

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has assured intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj that there won’t be further changes to the fare paid. The commission’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan gave the assurance yesterday during the opening of a workshop organised by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in collaboration with NAHCON at the  …

Tunde Obadina (where is he?) was one of the columnists of yore that I relished reading, both for his flair and bluntness. I think he was of the National Concord stable. Others were the likes of Lewis Obi and Sina Adedipe (both also of the Concord); Sonala Olumhense of The Guardian, Muyiwa Adetiba of The PUNCH (published here last week) …

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Saturday said the airlift of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will begin on 25th May. The commission also stated that the four local airlines to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for the 2023 Hajj exercise have requested that the Hajj fare be increased by $250. NAHCON’s Chairman/CEO, Hassan Zikrullah, said this in …

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, has sentenced a man, Ajayi Famakinwa to 18 years imprisonment for impregnating a 15-year-old girl Famakinwa, 60, a pastor, was arrested by the police for committing the offence in 2021 at Ayede Ogbese in the Akure North Local Government Area of the state. The victim was said to be …

‘The devil is in the details’ is a popular idiomatic expression that signifies that those seemingly inconsequential or minute aspects of more extensive information have the most impact. Sometimes, the presentation could indicate that the crucial information is in the easily neglected part of the bigger picture. Better still, the idiom implies things may not necessarily be as they appear …

It started like a grudge match. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, was dealt a bad hand in a failed transaction. Later, he vowed revenge. Not in a pound of flesh, but by venturing to make his own success where he had been ambushed. At issue was the decision of the government of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007 to reverse the …

We have entered a busy season of hearing election petitions hearing, and their Lordships will be busy, too. A lot of work lies ahead. This is not surprising because politicians are generally desperate people who want to win elections at all cost. The general elections involve contests at different levels: state houses of assembly, governorship, House of Representatives, senate and …

The interest generated in “Ubuntu and Omoluabi: Kindred spirit or what?” published by this writer is yet to die down. That day’s column was devoted to my brother and friend, Prof. Babafemi Badejo’s chronicle of his first visit to Zimbabwe titled “Quick visit to Zimbabwe: My case for rekindling of the Ubuntu spirit in Africa”, Badejo drew a parallel between …