Author: Bala Ibrahim

THE dictionary has many definitions for politics, but the one that pleases me most, is that which describes politics as, activities aimed at improving someone’s status or increasing power within an organization. While it says politics has the ambition of improving someone’s status, I think, it deliberately became economic with details, on the problems it brings to people who hold positions in politics. And these problems are as numerous as the positions provided, particularly for people holding political positions in Nigeria. If a new dictionary were to be written, specifically for Nigeria, political positions would be renamed as, problems. Yes,…

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is busy making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte. IN the last one week, my party, the APC, has been in the news for bad news. Yes, bad news, since the unfortunate incident that happened at Gombe, which resulted in the disruption of the North-East zonal meeting of the party, where an attempt was made to assault some principal officers of the party, in the presence of the National Chairman, Dr.Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The opposition took advantage of the situation, to scornfully mock the ruling party, saying what happened is a signal to the fact…

“With power comes the abuse of power. And where there are bosses, there are crazy bosses.” – Jude Rose. THE above quote is credited to Jude Rose, the fine artist, director and head teacher, whose legacy in the art and theatre industry is exceptionally phenomenal. The phrase, illustrates the negative aspect of power by suggesting that, people in positions of power or authority, are capable of abusing their power due to the intoxicating effects of such authority, to the detriment of others. And it’s fast becoming a norm in Nigeria, where the craze for power is turning some people with…

ABUJA residents woke up to a mind-boggling reality yesterday, as the powers behind the Federal Capital Territory Administration, popularly referred to as the FCTA, exercised their power, by sealing off the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, head office in Abuja, over the non-payment of ground rent, spanning 25 years. Yes, you read it right, non payment of ground rent for 25years. If we go by the clean hands doctrine, which is based on the maxim of equity, and which says that, one who comes into equity must come with clean hands, the authorities at the FIRS must be in absolute…

“Sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism. Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.”- Seneca. SENECA, was a statesman and philosopher from the ancient Rome, that believed in the need to appreciate the sacrifices made by the men in boots, who forgo their comfort for the comfort of the society. These are soldiers who take risks to safeguard us. There is no doubt, Nigeria is at war with insurgency or insecurity, and we must acknowledge the commitment and selflessness our soldiers are demonstrating at the various battle theatres. Just when Nigeria was rejoicing over the progress…

“Do not waste your energy fighting against where you are. Rather, invest your energy into getting to where you want to go.” – Marc and Angel. ABOVE is a quote from the popular personal development blog of Marc and Angel, who are passionate writers, admirers of the human spirit, and full time students of life. The lesson that can be derived from the expression is that, past events are final and can’t be changed. The present moment is a valuable gift of opportunities and experiences that could be used to bring a better future. In other words, even if you…

LAST Sunday, the Department of State Security Services, DSS, announced the arrest of two suspected high-profile kidnap kingpins, as they tried to depart Nigeria for Saudi Arabia. Their mission was Hajj, the Islamic holy ritual. The suspected kidnappers had been on the watch list of the DSS for over a year. They ran out of luck in their attempt to outsmart God. Yes, attempt to out smart God, by raising ransom to go for a religious ritual. The suspects were captured during screening at the Abuja and Sokoto Hajj camps. Yahaya Yakubu, from Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory, was…

THERE is a Yoruba proverb thus: “You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence”. Literally it means, you cannot make a decision that affects someone without their knowledge or consent. The person whose life is affected by the decision or action must be involved, necessarily. By definition, an aide is an assistant to an important person, particularly a political leader. It is the short form of aide-de-camp. Depending on the position of the principal, the duties of an aide vary greatly. These duties may include assisting with personal care, help with transportation, household tasks, or preparing meals. In some…

“THE system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties is called the law.” By the authority of the above definition, any community or country that permits corruption to permeate into its curriculum, or code of culture, that country or community is definitely destined for doom. It is simply heading in the direction of anarchy, the opposite of law and order. Yes, anarchy is a state of disorder due to the absence, or non-recognition of the authority controlling systems. As a country,…

THE Federal Government has signed an agreement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to commit over $158 million to support small holder farmers in nine states across northern Nigeria. The agreement was signed at a meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and attended by some state governors and deputy governors from the northern region. The eight-year initiative was conceived following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s request during UNFSS stocktaking in Rome on July 24, 2023, that IFAD should scale up its portfolio in Nigeria and mobilise additional partners and donors to support…

THE Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency has commenced the payment of N61,080 to each of the 6,239 pilgrims who performed Hajj through the state in 2023. These refunds were received by the agency from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). NAHCON has specifically stated that the refunds are due to an interruption in the electricity supply during the pilgrims’ stay at Muna, which affected the cooling systems and consequently caused inconvenience to the pilgrims. A statement signed by the spokesperson of the agency, Yunusa Mohammed Abdullahi, explained that each pilgrim would receive the sum of N61,080, noting that these…

THE Defence Headquarters has confirmed the emergence of a new terrorist group known as ‘Lukarawas’ in the North-western part of the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on military operations on Thursday in Abuja. Buba stated that the new terror group originated in the Republic of Niger after the recent coup, which disrupted military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger. He explained that the terrorists began infiltrating northern areas of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger Republic and Mali, particularly following the coup in Niger.…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has decorated the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Olufemi Oluyede with a higher rank of Lieutenant General. Sources in the Villa confirmed the development to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday. The acting COAS was promoted from the rank of Major General to Lieutenant General, days after he was appointed as acting army chief by the President. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced Oluyede’s appointment on October 30, 2024, after weeks of the rumoured death of army chief Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja. The Defence Headquarters has since denied the rumours of Lagbaja’s death, saying he is on leave. “Oluyede…

MANY of the illicit weapons currently used by terrorists and bandits in Nigeria originally belonged to the Federal Government. This is according to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Ribadu spoke Thursday in Abuja at the Arms Destruction Exercise organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The NSA said these weapons fell into the wrong hands due to corrupt elements within the security agencies. He, however, said the country is capable of handling its security concerns. Ribadu said: “We have to…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the latest hike in the pump price of petrol, calling for its immediate reversal. The development followed the announcement of the new pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, which has surpassed N1,000 across filling stations on Wednesday. In a statement on Wednesday evening, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, criticised the federal government’s decision to raise fuel prices yet again without providing adequate relief measures for struggling Nigerians. The NLC also picked holes in the role of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), accusing the oil company of…

BANDITS haVe abducted the wife of New Telegraph correspondent in Kogi state, Muhammed Bashir. Bashir’s wife was abducted along with her two daughters. Eight other members of the same family were also abducted in the incident which happened in Kaduna state. The incident happened on Thursday in the family house of the wife of the Kogi-based journalist who took time out to spend holiday with her family in a Kaduna suburb. According to Muhammed, their abductors are yet to contact the family since the incident happened, stressing that has made them worried. “My wife and two of my daughters left…

A FORMER Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has filed a petition against Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, the judge presiding over his case against the Kaduna State House of Assembly at the Federal High Court, Kaduna. El-Rufai, in the petition filed to the Federal High Court, Abuja by his counsel, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), alleged bias, injustice and denial to fair hearing. Recall that El-Rufai had in June 2024, filed a fundamental rights case at the court, challenging the report by the House which accused him and some government officials of misappropriating N423 billion on the grounds that the House did…

PURSUANT to my last article, where I touched on the recklessness of the Govt. of Kano state under H.E. Abba Kabiru Yusuf, captioned: KANO GOVT: A RENDEZVOUS WITH RECKLESSNESS AND EXECUTIVE RASCALITY, responses came as expected. Some positive, while others were negative. That is normal and in conformity with the spirit of matured discourse. However, two peculiar responses compelled me to write this article, the first came from someone whose name I don’t know, but who was apparently responding to a question put forward about my identity. In order to get someone out of the way of danger, in case…

IF care is not taken, the present leadership of kano state, may go down in history as the most reckless and probably the one to squander the state’s resources the most, in paying damages to people, as a consequence of the executive rascality of those in power. A Federal High Court in Kano, has today awarded the dethroned Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, N10 million naira, for the breach of his fundamental rights, personal liberty, and freedom of movement. The ruling came pursuant to the executive rascality of Kano State Governor, H.E. Abba Kabiru Yusuf, who gave directives…

IN the English Literature parlance, where there is detailed study of plays, poetry and most times novels, a mindless person is sometimes placed in the category of the imbecile, because he is never thinking critically, analytically or intelligently. Some even call him blockheaded. The bizarre behaviour of such blockheads, can be mocked by those who think rightly, but the mockery may be misunderstood by those that are dead from the neck up. Today marks the day in which Nigeria is celebrating 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, as a result of which, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was at the parade ground…