SAM OHUABUNWA'S PARADIGM

Last Sunday, I felt proud of this Nation in a way I had never felt for a long time and I gave thanks to God. Something unusual had happened, something I had hoped and prayed would happen in our Nation but which seemed impossible. Infact two things happened which gladdened my heart to no end. As a matter of fact three pleasant things happened on Sunday morning. After the Golden Eagles had scored a 29th minute goal in the match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, we hoped that many more goals would follow. The First half ended without more goals. By the time the second half was halfway through, I lost it. I could no longer trust that my heart would not fail as a result of anxiety. These Bosnia guys were mesmerizing and threatening to equalize and the Eagles were acting as if they were afraid to kick the ball into the opponents net. I switched off my TV and went to sleep encouraged by the fact that I had an early morning assignment in Church next day and it was already past midnight. So I pra...

Nigerians are ingenious and entrepreneurial and will make business and profit from any opportunity, morbid and all. When Abacha wanted to succeed himself as civilian President, one-million march millionaires emerged. Few of them believed he was the best man to be civilian President nor that it was it right for a military man to suppress all opposition, so that he would be the only person on the ballot. But many young men and not-so- young men made a kill in an effort to mobilize 'spurious' support for the man. Indeed, many of them were on the streets dancing when he passed away suddenly. Now that campaigns for 2015 are about to begin, many quasi and shadow political groups are emerging with all sorts of names.Many are in it for the money and nothing more. They neither truly believe in the quality of the candidates they pretend to support, nor do they really care if the guys win or not, as long the money flows to fund the drama and the actors. Any incumbent political office hold...

I was thoroughly alarmed to read of the Pension law proposed by Governor Godswill Akpabio and passed by the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly for past governors, deputy governors and their wives which included 100 million naira annual medical allowance for the governor. The furore raised by the law forced the otherwise respected Governor to repeal the law. As it turned out, that was only an ammendment of an existing law which prescribed substantial largesse as pension benefits for Past Governors and Deputy Governors. Since then it has been revealed that about eight states have passed such ridiculous pension laws. I am told that a 'retired' governor of Lagos State amongst other benefits will have six new cars every three years. Six cars!. I can not believe this. Is this sheer greed or mere vanity?. I can not understand why a politician who served as Governor or deputy governor for 4 years or 8 years at the most qualifies for a pension. Perhaps the same applies to the members of the...

Last year at the 19th Nigerian Economic Summit( NES) held between September 3-5, my hopes were raised that May be Nigeria has found something to rally round as a pedestal for a major Economic renaissance - AGRICULTURE. For me who had been involved in the Nigerian Economic Summit since it started about 21 years ago and have attended all the 20 Summits to date,without miss, that summit was electrifying. Why? Nigerians found something virtually EVERY ONE could identify with and agree upon. There was a refreshing consensus that Agriculture is it. The theme of the Summit was apt and captured a succinct mission: TO GROW AGRICULTURE AS A BUSINESS TO DIVERSIFY NIGERIA'S ECONOMY. Every Nigerian needs a profitable business to do,and Agriculture is one where EVERY NIGERIAN, no matter his age, sex, religion, tribe,language or social class can play and indeed we can literarily wipe out Unemployment . Does Nigeria need to diversify its economy? It sure does and badly too. The imminent threat ...