Category: Columnist

By OlaOluwa Godwin Oke Innovation is a catalyst for societal advancement, and it emanates from creating an environment where creative ideas can connect and evolve as a solution to socio-economic issues. Therefore, any government, company or individual attempt to create a platform that serves as a springboard for new ideas, helps innovators pursue creative solutions and build a productive network that can improve the economic prosperity of society should be a welcome idea. Silicon Valley, a region in northern California, has the highest concentration of high-tech multinational corporations located in…

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By Shakiru Seidu. My dear Governor, I am actually constrained to write this open letter to you again. It is my expectation that even if you don’t come across this mail by yourself, someone close to you might, and draw your attention to it sir. My name is Shakiru Seidu, a Community Media Practitioner, former legislative Aide at the Lagos State House of Assembly, former Special Adviser on Media in Igbogbo/ Bayeku LCDA and one of the victims of Oke-Ira Community demolition in Igbogbo, Lagos State. I also publish the…

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By Michael Kunnuji This year, the city of Ikorodu joined the club of cities with one million inhabitants or more, going by the UN population estimates and projections of major urban agglomerations. With a 2022 estimated population of 1,041,166 inhabitants, it is currently Nigeria’s 12th largest city, and the third largest city in the Southwest after Lagos and Ibadan. It has a higher population than several state capitals, including the capital cities of Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Osun. Ikorodu is currently more populous than cities like Ilorin, Owerri, Warri, Jos,…

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By S. O. K Shillings The executive arm articulates and implements the policies and programmes of government. In the parliamentary system, it is the Prime Minister and the cabinet that is called ‘Government’. The people must decide the amount of power to invest in the ‘prime’ ruler and also the mode of choosing him. These two factors determine the kind of person who could emerge and the strength of enforcement of state policy directions. In the presidential system, it is the President that has both powers of the head-of-state (a…

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By S. O. K. Shillings Esq Nigeria has 36 States and a Federal Capital Territory. At independence in 1960, it was 3 regions of Northern, Western and Eastern regions with Lagos as Federal Capital. In 1963, the Midwest Region was carved out of the Western Region to make it 4. In 1967, the 4 Regions were dissolved to create 12 States including Lagos State. In February 1976, 7 new States were created from the 12 to make it 19 along with Abuja as FCT-designate. In 1987, Government carved out Akwa…

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By Oke Godwin Olaoluwa Going by public expectation, any of the candidate of the two leading political parties is projected to win the presidency race. The presidency seat is about to go right in 2023 Atiku abubakar, the presidential flagbearer of the PDP, was a former vice president who oversaw the privatisation of some government enterprise. He also supervised the deregulation of the telecom sector. He is also an astute entrepreneur with business interest spanning across different sectors of the economy. In his agenda, he has never hidden the fact…

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By S.O.K. Shillings Some of the basic principles and pillars of democracy are: 3 Arms of GovernmentAll democratic governments are agreed on 3 arms of government, to wit: legislature, executive and judiciary. The configuration differ in climes, but they are ever present. Are they enough, especially in third world countries where the practice of democracy is bedevilled by abberations? In the United Kingdom, there is a parliament fused with the executive arm headed by the Prime Minister. What is the King/Queen of England? A sovereign that the 3 arms serve?…

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By Waliu Adeyeri It is a sober Sunday in the ancient city of Owo, Ondo State, as ‘UNKNOWN GUN MEN’ attacked the St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa in Owo. Although the number of casualties is yet to be ascertained, reports have shown it as another successful mayhem unleashed on Nigerians in the country. In the words of the governor of the State,  Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, “It is a black Sunday in Owo. Our hearts are heavy. Our peace and tranquility have been attacked by the enemies of the people. This…

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Albert Einstein said and I quote: “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything.” Many questions to which answers cannot be easily got are always in people’s minds when faced with ugly behaviours that are gradually becoming a trend in a society which has produced a lot of eminent persons. My Division, your Division, our Division, Ikorodu would have enjoyed more development than its present state if we had all been honest enough to shun unhealthy rivalry and…

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By S.O.K. Shillings Our democracy is a big vessel heading for the iceberg. It is a wrong formula. Change is inevitable. The symptoms of failure are clear to see: 1. There is a palpable disconnect between governments and the people. ASUU is on strike for months but the Minister for Education is busy with campaign to be President. It does not answer the Lincolnian definition of ‘democracy’. 2. There is clear failure of the social engineering machinery which is most evident in the failure to control corruption. 3. The departments…

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