Author: Ikenga Online
By Osmund Agbo I was not just born into a Roman Catholic household but have also spent my whole life living the faith. Like many in my neck of the woods, Catholicism is more than just a religion, it is a family tradition. Growing up, we were made to believe there were only two groups of Christians, Catholics and the rest, which made our young minds look at non-Catholics more or less as pretenders. And so you could say that at the time, our belief was deeply rooted on a warped religious supremacist doctrine. Coming of age however, we have…
By Osmund Agbo “The duty of youth is to challenge corruption” — Kurt Cobain, Nirvana For eleven straight days, the moon shone bright on the sky over Africa’s most populous nation. Platoons of a moral army called Nigerian Youths were seen protesting a murderous police unit, propped up by an incredibly flagitious government in the mostly peaceful of ways, all across the nation. They sang the national anthem, staged sit-ins, and even prayed for their country in distress. For the first time in many years, Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora were starting to nurse the hope of…
By Osmund Agbo Few weeks before now, cautious optimism might have been the lot of many returnee IDP of Baga communities and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State. With the presence of 1,181 officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces backed by heavy tanks and artillery, the hope was that the semblance of normalcy would soon return to this fishing community in the shores of Lake Chad. Last week however, that fragile hope was thrown overboard. The Governor’s heavily fortified convoy was met with the terrorist’s overwhelming firepower, unleashing mayhem that caused very significant human casualties. One news source…
Nigeria’s leading virtual intervention database, Beating Corona Nigeria has restructured its model to help disadvantaged Nigerians in need of interventions connect with the relevant non-profits. This piot went into effect on Monday May 11. The platform kicked off last month, April 9 and has recorded a massive amount of data. It continues to actively connect interveners to the people who need access interventions, there were recommendations to resolve the platform’s challenges with making interventions accessible. With the new pivot, the intervention database properly complements the core of the platform’s mission Speaking on this change, team lead at The Future Project…
President Muhammadu Buhari has authorised a major military operation to sweep bandits and kidnappers out of Katsina State. The presidency, yesterday, said a major proactive operation by special forces, which details are being kept secret, is already in progress to replace the reactive strikes against insurgent camps. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, noted: “To give a full effect to the exercise, a planning team is already in the state selecting targets and making preparations for the execution of the unprecedented operation.”
Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari’s entry into Nigeria’s presidency came the same way a good substitute enters the pitch in a football tournament. Apart from becoming the second Prof in the Villa, his also marks the second change of baton in the seat of power, Nigeria’s Presidency, as he succeeds Mallam Abba Kyari as President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff. Exactly three years ago, the President was forced by circumstances, particularly national outrage against Engineer David Babachir Lawal, to replace him, albeit reluctantly, with Mr. Boss Gidahyelda Mustapha. Before his coming as CoS, most Nigerians had blamed Prof. Gambari’s predecessor for…
The political theatrics ahead of Ondo State governorship election, slated for October 10, 2020, have become intense within the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as it shops for a consensus candidate. Many of are the belief that if PDP can put its house together and harness its strength it can reap from the myriads of internal wrangling besetting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party and wrestle power from Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who is seeking a second term. However, many analysts have ascribed the internal crisis within PDP to ‘too many cooks that spoiling the broth.’ This is…
More than sixty years after its publication, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart continues to resonate around the world as several themes in the seminal work define different aspects of contemporary sociocultural and political lives of people of all backgrounds. Speaking at a forum in Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the book’s publication, former President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlante described the book as epic and captures the present day realities of Africa and her culture. “The best way to understand Things Fall Apart is to view it in motion…