The Arbiter

This was published July 13, 2020 but still relevant.Decree 33 of 1977 saw to the birth of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on April 1 of that year through the merger of the Nigerian National Oil Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel. The main purpose was for it to add value to the nation’s hydrocarbon resources …

This was first published on July 26, 2021 after the Eid-el-Kabir of that year. I find it still relevant and important, with a little tinkering in dates to come now.Next week, Muslims the world over will celebrate the eid-ul-adha or the “big eid” or “big Sallah”. We are, however, more interested in its meaning, implications and bearing on us as a …

“If we are true to ourselves, we cannot be false to anyone.” – William Shakespeare.Recently, there have been people saying they regret not voting for President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. To them, he has performed beyond expectations. In just three weeks? This is quite unprecedented because what we used to have were people either jumping off from a rudderless boat or …

“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.” – Thomas Sowell.This was published here on 14th November last year when the issues of salary increase and naira redesign were mooted. But it was first written on the 7th of May 2018 and republished …

“So many people are hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Treat people with kindness, you could be that thread.” – John PavlovitzThe above proverbial expression, which alludes to an occasion between Damocles and King Dionysius, may define the situation between Nigerians and their president. Without a doubt, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the oath of office amidst significant concerns expressed by …

“The measurement of a man is what he does with power.” – PlatoToday marks the end of the two-term tenure of a man who came with tremendous goodwill, the kind never before witnessed in Nigeria’s chequered political history. One can still remember some young Nigerians trekking from one end of Nigeria to another in high hopes of the new president. However, …

This writing was first published on 6 July 2020. With changes of leadership soon at the federal and state levels, I see it as relevant. The first part in particular. However, do we forget the lessons in the second part?The world is changed by your example not by your opinion – Paulo Coelho, Brazilian Lyricist and author of The Alchemist.Allah (SWT) said …

My column of last week with the title “Like Mamu, like Abdulsalami and the billion naira firefighter” drew the attention of Colonel Dangiwa Umar (retd). The respected senior citizen was more particular about the first part because I mentioned him.In the piece, I pointed out that Tukur Mamu, publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald and an aide to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, …

In a moive normally seen in Hollywood spy thrillers, Tukur Mamu, publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald and an aide to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a popular Islamic cleric, was arrested in September last year at the Cairo International Airport on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, and detained for 24 hours before he was repatriated back to Nigeria.Perhaps Mamu’s arrest was …

“We can forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” – Plato“There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself – an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly.” – AntisthenesJohn Campbell, a member of the American Council …