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 […]
Column – Thursday
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 […]
My Vaccination Story, By Azu Ishiekwene
It wasn’t planned. I was seeing off my neighbour and friend on Thursday evening when one of the officers of our estate residents’ association called out to […]
Monguno is damned in translation, By Azu Ishiekwene
Last week, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mohammed Babagana Monguno, stripped the government bare in public only to try hiding the ugly sight with fig leaves […]
The story of the Naira-For-Dollar Promo, By Azu Ishiekwene
It would seem harsh to judge the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) solely by its intentions, especially in the last four or five years. In a […]
Ganduje’s Genius Is His Hypocrisy, By Azu Ishiekwene
There’s a model for managing rebels in government that the American political drama, “Designated Survivor”, teaches so well. In one of the episodes after the […]
Okonjo-Iweala: Can this grandmother save the world? By Azu Ishiekwene
As the World Trade Organisation (WTO) formally announced the appointment of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director General this week, a Swiss newspaper received her with […]
Nigerian bandits have their cake and eat it, By Azu Ishiekwene
The fight against terror in Nigeria has been a theatre of the absurd. What began as a tiny spark of itinerant fanatics taking a pledge […]
Buhari, sleeping at the wheels is not an option, By Azu Ishiekwene
If you were on a holiday to Nigeria from Mars last week, you would almost certainly cut short your stay to avoid what looked like […]
Ebele Obiano’s Designer Vaccination, By Azu Ishiekwene
Whether Jean-Jacques Rousseau mis-credited the words to Marie-Antionette in Confessions or not, Nigeria is happy to supply a modern-day princess who has earned the title of Her […]
How Will Africa Remember Donald Trump? Here Is How, By Azu Ishiekwene
US President Donald Trump may have lost re-election but he would be escorted out of the White House on Tuesday night with a special prize: […]
Place where angels fear to tread, By Azu Ishiekwene
You cannot inspect the wreckage of 2020 closely without seeing the rubble of spectacularly failed forecasts by reputable seers. I’ve seen, in many forums, fans of […]
The Guest, Coro, Didn’t Come To Play, By Azu Ishiekwene
It’s true that Coronavirus is not among the top five most deadly diseases in Africa today. But it’s also correct that at this time, we […]
What Happened To Akufo-Addo? By Azu Ishiekwene
If we could cast a vote in the December 8 presidential election in Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo, would have won re-election by miles. Nigerians love […]
The Sam I Knew, By Azu Ishiekwene
I first met him after the 2003 election, which his candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, lost. I was then Editor of PUNCH and Sam Nda-Isaiah, was […]
How we remember Maradona, By Azu Ishiekwene
When the news of the death of Diego Maradona broke, I was in a friend’s office. Our initial spontaneous reaction was sorrow and regret. And […]
Message From The Dead Borno Farmers, By Azu Ishiekwene
That the slain Borno farmers did not get military clearance is an inconvenient truth, but the real error of judgement was taking the government at […]
In Search Of Lai Mohammed, By Azu Ishiekwene
I have known the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for a long time, I think. Before I got close, I was first drawn […]
Understanding Nigeria’s Obsession With Rawlings, By Azu Ishiekwene
The saying that a prophet is not appreciated at home may well be referring to former Ghanaian president, Jerry Rawlings, who died last Thursday from […]
Win or Lose,Trump Is A Danger To Africa, By Azu Ishiekwene
If Donald J. Trump were president of Wakanda on the eve of an election, that country would have received several warnings from the US State […]