VAT: Wike, FG and authority stealing, By Azu Ishiekwene
The guns of Nigeria’s three-year civil war were silenced 51 years ago, but in the battle for a truly federal state, the echoes of warfare […]
Column – Thursday
Guinea needs a bitter pill. But will Africa find it? By Azu Ishiekwene
Zambia’s peaceful and orderly election in August offered a glimmer of hope that Africa’s story might be changing. For the third time in three decades, […]
Quest for federalism and its many ironies, By Azu Ishiekwene
One month from now, Nigeria’s last batch of states created in 1996 to bring the total to 36, would turn 25 years old. The last […]
Stolen crown, failed coronation and the other Sultan, By Azu Ishiekwene
Last week, while the eyes of the world were on Afghanistan, a fellow in one of Nigeria’s most tradition-bound states attempted the royal equivalent of […]
Lies, damned lies about Afghanistan, By Azu Ishiekwene
In journalism proverb, Afghanistan is a convenient shelter, the writer’s fantasy island from topical issues at home. In the current deluge of news from that […]
An encounter with a doctor: It’s your life, By Azu Ishiekwene
This is not a good time to talk about medical doctors, especially when those in the public sector are on strike to press for better […]
Benin artifacts and the choice facing Robin Hood, By Azu Ishiekwene
When you find two people from the Benin kingdom talking these days, chances are that they are talking artifacts. That kingdom never ceases to amaze […]
How do you want the result, Senator? By Azu Ishiekwene
Kicking the can down the road is government art. Once politicians maneuver themselves into office, they govern by repeating the promises they made and hope […]
The party is over, really? By Azu Ishiekwene
If the defections from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continue at the current pace, the only people left […]
Ataga and the woman in the mirror, By Azu Ishiekwene
In one of my early journalism classes, my teacher, Olatunji Dare, said nothing sells like a judicious mix of crime, sex and money. It’s well […]
What Twitter ban teaches the world about Nigeria, By Azu Ishiekwene
“Twitter is not Nigeria’s problem and Buhari does not need the futile mission of waylaying citizens on social media. Nigeria’s problem is that Buhari’s government […]
COVID-19 stories by children, By Azu Ishiekwene
It all seems like memories from a distant past. But it’s not. This time last year we were in a lockdown. The world was under […]
The travails of Malam Nasir el-Rufai, By Azu Ishiekwene
•Gov Nasir el-Rufai The list was long and the contents harsh and threatening. The notices may have been issued separately, but they landed like a […]
Coup talk and echoes of a banana republic, By Azu Ishiekwene
These days, it seems all right to play with fire. The blaze started like a solitary spark in Mali in August when the streets, the […]
Busybodies outside the Gates, By Azu Ishiekwene
Bill and Melinda Gates had barely finished saying the “D” word when all kinds of marriage counsellors and grief-mongers besieged social media with suggestions of […]
‘Follow Me To The Market…’ By Azu Ishiekwene
Everyone has their meal of the day, and mine happens to be dinner. Having dinner, for me, is a ritual, but one that has evolved […]
First Jollof, Now Twitter. What Next? By Azu Ishiekwene
Something Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said reminded me of British political journalist, Andrew Marr. Journalism, Marr wrote in his book, My […]
Generational tension and children up in arms, By Azu Ishiekwene
I was visiting a senior over the weekend when our conversation devolved into the soul of the Nigerian banter: how is the country going, I […]
The audacity of anarchy, By Azu Ishiekwene
There was a BBC News story in February that caught me between laughter and bemusement. The news channel reported, in very strong language matched only […]
Brazil, Zambia And Echoes Of A $1.5bn Nigerian Repair, By Azu Ishiekwene
Brazil has proved a disaster in the management of COVID-19, but there are other areas where we can use their examples. Like what to do […]