Author: Editor
By Owei Lakemfa We were young, eager youths, mostly teenagers, crossing from secondary schools into the tertiary institutions. In fact, some, like me, were leaving home for the first time. It was the tail end of 1978. We were not just the first set of students to be admitted through the Joint Admission Matriculation Board, JAMB, which made us ‘Jambites’ but also the pioneer students of the Dramatic Arts Department of the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University. We gathered for our first lecture, excited to learn and feel what a university is like. Then bounced in a charming,…
By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo Almost ten years ago, I wrote the first part of this article (http://saharareporters.com/2012/12/11/jesus-businessman-rudolf-ogoo-okonkwo). In it, I narrated my encounter with the introduction of Bruce Barton’s 1925 book titled, The Man Nobody Knows: A Discovery of the Real Jesus Christ. In the book, Bruce Barton evaluated Jesus’ ministry on Earth using the eye of an advert executive and concluded that it followed the structures of modern businesses. The author pointed out how Jesus used today’s marketing tools and advertisement strategies to build a formidable business empire. One overlooked aspect of the piece was Barton’s assessment of Jesus’…
Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri Residential houses and a guest house were set ablaze on Sunday, during a gun battle between security operatives and unknown gunmen in some parts of Orlu and Orsu Local Government Areas of Imo state. Ikengaonline was told that the battle started Saturday night and lasted till Sunday morning. It was gathered that the battle started when security operatives were said to have gotten intelligence on an alleged planned attack on some individuals and government facilities by unknown gunmen which led to a raid operation by security agencies. Some of the areas where the gun battle was heightened…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Mrs. Oriaku Nmadu, the mother of the late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, allegedly killed by her husband following domestic violence, has opened up on her daughter’s untimely death, regretting ever allowing her to get married to Peter Nwachukwu. Narrating her ordeals to newsmen in in Abia on Saturday, Osinachi’s mother said they were deceived by Nwachukwu who claimed to be a pastor when he came to ask for the hand of their daughter in marriage. She said they had thought he was a genuine Man of God not knowing that his conducts were at variance with his…
Stephen Ukandu (News/Features Editor) Fiery Catholic priest, Bishop Hassan Mathew Kukah, has decried what he described as leadership failure in Nigeria, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government “has slid into hibernation mode.” Bishop Kukah who made the assertion in his Easter message, said Nigeria had been battered beyond recognition by forces from “the dark womb of time.” He warned that Nigeria would soon slide into anarchy unless something urgent was done to pull back the country from the precipice. He said: “We stare at an imponderable tragedy as the nation unravels from all sides. “The government has slid into hibernation…
By Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah 1: Hello brothers and sisters in Christ, men and women of goodwill everywhere, I send you hearty greetings and felicitations as we celebrate the risen Christ. Easter is here again. For all Christians, Easter is a metaphor for our lives as individuals, families, communities or nations. Easter is a metaphor for how shame, scandal, powerlessness, weakness, and opprobrium suddenly transform into glory, honour, pre-eminence, laudation and applause. It is a fulfilment of what the Master himself had foretold when He said, ‘Unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it remains only…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The Prelate of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Most Rev. Nzie Nsi Eke has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to objectively look into the various ethnic agitations from different parts of the country with the aim of dousing them through objective and sincere dialogue and positive engagement. Rev. Eke, who made the call in his Easter Message to Nigerians charged President Muhammadu Buhari to also ensure a smooth political transition next year through fair, credible and transparent elections that are devoid of violence and rancour. He also urged Mr. Buhari to do all within his power…
Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki Helen Ozioma, the lady who called off her impending wedding with one David Okike, has denied aborting three pregnancies which belonged to her fiancee. Following the accusations of physical assault which Miss Ozioma, also known as Ada Uburu, levelled against her fiancee, Mr Okike on Friday took to his own Facebook handle to debunk the allegations and accused her of deliberately terminating the pregnancies. He also accused her of shifting their weeding many times before calling it off last week. But Miss Ozioma in a reaction denied the allegations saying she had two miscarriages not three as…
By Hassan Gimba The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was founded in 1978. Its predecessor, the Nigerian Association of University Teachers (NAUT), was formed in 1965 covering academic staff at the University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ife and University of Lagos. According to its founders, ASUU is a trade union whose objectives include regulation of relations between academic staff and employers, encouraging the participation of its members in the affairs of the university system and the nation, and protecting and advancing the socio-economic and cultural interests of the nation. It is…
By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu The office of Attorney-General of the Federation is the only ministerial office or department created directly by Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. Described in section 150(1) as “the Chief Law Officer of the Federation,” the Attorney-General is also supposed to be the repository and defender of the country’s highest constitutional and civic values. The acronym, HAGF, for “Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation,” assumes that the occupant of the position embodies the trinity of honour, integrity, and professionalism. Reflecting the challenging nature of the role, the office used to be occupied by persons (so far, all men) of some…