Tag: Gimba Kakanda Opinions

Sokoto place of great history and stimulating memory, and offering the young a new world to cohabit and learn to cultivate the intellectual tradition of their ancestors is a laudable foresight. Personally, I love the idea of a generation of Nigerians exposed to the language of their neighbouring countries. It’s not unsound to conclude that…

Mallam Mohammed Bello, Abuja residents don’t have to wake up and find themselves floating in water before you intervene. While you’re deciding what to do with the budget, respond to these collapsing features of the city. At least, embark on fixing the drainage system, restore the missing manhole covers, have streetlamps fixed at strategic places,…

He was a polarizing figure, and that’s because he was profiled as puppeteer of the most vilified politician in the country. Abba Kyari was a caricature, and his preference of shadow to showmanship as the Chief of Staff to President Buhari drove such na rrative. Until his passing this week, there was no attempt to…

My point is, except we just developed brains overnight, Nigeria gave religious bodies these unrestrained powers to become “nuisance” wherever they function. What the Shiites do in their processions isn’t different from what our politicians do in their political rallies, where political thugs block roads, harass and hurt non-participating passers-by and motorists. The cruellest analysts…

I have always seen the Boko Haram as a real conflict that emerged from our cultural flaws and thrived on our institutional lapses. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a reality to which many of us are firsthand witnesses. If the past administration took the Boko Haram for granted, making the disaster a justification for grand…

Dear Malam Abubakar Sani Bello, I don’t know how you want to be addressed now, either as “Your Excellency” or, in the fashion of the confused visionary you’ve been elected to replace, as “Chief Servant.” Whichever it is, pardon this first mistake. I’ll take note of any correction that may follow. This is neither a…

…my dear friends from the South, it’s not untrue that I do not want you to leave. But it’s not for your resources. Having assessed the welfare of my people, it’s sad to declare that these natural resources are inessential to us… I only want you to stay to sustain the checks and balances of…

My last visit to Minna, the place of my childhood, was an ill-advised adventure. What began as an exciting ride got messed up by a long wait at the vulcanizer’s and, later, many man hours at the mechanic’ s after rollercoastering through potholes to the destination. In fixing the damaged wheels, I parted ways with…

Niger state has lost its prestigious status in Nigeria. Successive federal governments and politicians have treated it as mere vote-generating industry, which they abandoned after every election. The inter-state roads in Niger state are in a pitiable state, and one wonders if the people are being punished for some unstated wrongs. I avoid Minna almost…

Like our politicians, the trappings of political power have confused the conscience of our former civic allies. They have become even worse than the Establishment they once antagonised. Instead of delivering on their roles of advising their principals, they are becoming intolerably obnoxious, giving the managers of our economy illusions of good performance and misleading…