by Simon Kolawole When I hear Nigerians eulogise Mandela, hypocrisy is the word that jumps to my mind. Ethnic champions campaigning for bloodshed ahead of 2015 elections are celebrating a man who refused to play the ethnic card in his lifetime. Many Nigerians, young and old, shouting Mandela today probably didn’t know that Mandela stood... Read More
by Simon Kolawole Nevertheless, Oduah has to accept responsibility for this wasteful venture and apologise for her role in the process. She’s the minister. NCAA is under her. Before I forget, I was at Yale University recently for a special programme organised for Young Global Leaders (YGLs). The theme was “Foundations for Leadership in the... Read More
by Simon Kolawole President Goodluck Jonathan has spoken a lot about the need to focus our energies on agriculture. Ministers are reciting this like nursery rhyme. Governors have been quoting it like a proverb. At the level of talking, we have done extremely well. Can you believe it? Some readers actually thought I was taking... Read More
by Simon Kolawole We seem to have two sets of laws and two justice systems. One for the poor, the other for the powerful. A common man will be sentenced to death for murder; the big man will walk away free, to the embrace of an exuberant, ululating crowd. Was I surprised? No, I wasn’t.... Read More
by Simon Kolawole We can say Morsi has been successfully ousted as President of Egypt, but there is no assurance that the next president would be the messiah. What this development requires, then, is some perspective. Did Morsi fail? What could he have done better? He looked at me straight in the eye, clearly agitated.... Read More
by Simon Kolawole One of the reasons many self-respecting companies avoid doing serious business with Nigeria is the fear that a government official can, with a stroke of the pen, invalidate an agreement without justification. You should have seen me battling with tears. My aunt was narrating how my teenage cousin – a student of... Read More
by Simon Kolawole What is the way out? How can we ease their pain? How can we make sure our people stop dying cheaply because of a system that disdains and punishes the underprivileged? I woke up Friday morning to some good news: the Federal Government has decided to offer free treatment to diabetic children.... Read More
by Simon Kolawole For some reason, we have decided that it is only foreign companies that can deliver the goods. However, a longer-term view of things would be to develop policies to help Nigerian companies do well in this business. One of my secret fantasies, let me divulge it this morning, is to fly to... Read More
by Simon Kolawole So our politicians are now symbols of credible elections and role models of integrity? Seriously? Since when? Many Nigerians are selling and buying that line. Have we been so bewitched to forget that this fight is but a mere disagreement between soul mates? This story often summons a smile to my face.... Read More
by Simon Kolawole Speaking out against injustice and highhandedness, no matter what part of the country is at the receiving end, is a better way of building a nation. One phenomenon that, if you ask, should worry all of us is the way we debate national issues without applying the same principles across board. What... Read More
by Simon Kolawole There must be a well-programmed strategy to dilute the influence of extremist preachers. It will take years. But it is only after we have done this that we can sleep and snore in the knowledge that insurgency will not raise its head again. I did argue last week, if you remember, that... Read More
by Simon Kolawole For me, the issue now is not whether or not to grant amnesty and employ dialogue to put an end to this bloodshed. History, dare I say, has perfected a way of repeating itself. It’s either we don’t pay attention to it or our memories are pretty too brief. In 2009, when... Read More
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