Category: VIEWPOINTS

THE MAN AT THE ‘MASS’ AND THE REST OF US

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That was back in the days and the event transpired during the celebration of the holy mass in one of the Catholic churches which happens to be my parish. Readers that are conversant with the Catholic order of worship should understand what the holy mass is all about, as time and space may not allow us the luxury to dabble into details. But procedurally, one of the major high points of the mass is called the prayer of the faithful. This is a time when carefully and well-rehearsed lay faithful…

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NIGERIAN YOUTHS, I TEND TO DISAGREE WITH YOU!

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-The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn — Alvin Toffler, the Third Wave. One of the greatest companions of man in the journey of life is optimism. This has helped man in his daily plans and projections. But being optimistic which is good in most cases takes a dangerous trend when its operational matrix is outside the scope of a calculated risk that could be managed or mitigated. This is the level where some…

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DR. OKOWA IS TO THE PEOPLE WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE TO OKOWA

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BY EGWU NWACHUKWU The quintessential example of leadership hovers very much around populist; the zeal and the will to meet the people, original owners of the power being wielded, at the very point of their needs. Populism holds the prospect of readdressing the wrongs of the influential elite who exploit the rights and powers of the ordinary people and supporting the struggle to overcome this. This was the philosophical orientation of Awolowo who bestrode Western Nigeria Politics post-independence as a celebrated colossus. His Excellency Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okowa is indeed to…

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HATE SPEECH; AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, IS NOW AND EVER…

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“Freedom of speech is not about good speech versus bad; it’s about who holds the power to decide which is which” -Robyn E. Blummer, Editorial Writer, and Columnist. It is the truth that our nation Nigeria is not a natural country but an artificial creation. Equally important is the fact that we are made up of multicultural, multireligious and multilingual groups. Bearing these facts in mind, any government that is willing to succeed in this political entity called Nigeria must be guided by the proverbial traffic sign “Slow Down” as…

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NIGERIA ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS AND SUSTAINABILITY

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FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT (FOTE) The country called Nigeria is boarded to the North by Niger to the East by Cameroon, to the West by Republic of Benin and to the South by the Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria occupies an area of 923,768.64sq km and lies roughly between latitudes 5ON and 13ON and between longitudes 2.5OE and 14OE. According to 2006 census, Nigeria population was about 140 million. The climate is humid sub-tropical with two seasons (dry season usually from November to March and rainy season usually from April to October).…

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BIBLICAL MOSES, ITS METAPHOR AND NIGERIAN YOUTHS

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Spending time and space defining a youth or who the youths are is no longer necessary for by their fruits, we have known them. Right from May 1999, the Nigerian Youths have been working tirelessly performing every other political function except what they were divinely anointed and constitutionally mandated to do. This off- point role, as performed by the Nigerian youths very seamlessly and epigrammatically, has qualified them as the biblical Moses of the old testaments. For a clearer context of this piece, the biblical Moses was born in Egypt,…

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RESTRUCTURING DEBATE AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

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It is not surprising that the clamour for restructuring of the country suffered defeat in the Senate last month. Restructuring, or any clamour for political change for that matter, has never been the song of the ruling class. It has never been the aspiration of politicians who have their hands in the honey pot. Rather, it is the song of the opposition and disenfranchised people who would rather have another way of administering the country. That is why it is not surprising to see that the campaign resonates more with…

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WOBBLING TRIPOD AND DOCTRINE OF “TRINITY”

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One of the most challenging riddles I grappled with during my formative years was the doctrine of “Trinity”. It was during my catechism class as a Catholic (Christian) and the topic of “Trinity” posed a huge task to me. This doctrine is a dogma which teaches that God, the supreme being, is actually three persons in one .These three persons, as I was later told, are God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit coexisting as one entity sharing equality in substance, essence and divinity . As…

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WHAT IF NIGERIA UNDERGOES RESTRUCTURING?

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Restructuring has become the latest buzz word in the political landscape with political and non political actors pushing forward their ideas of the word that was not too long ago, an anathema to many state actors. But what exactly is the idea of restructuring? Given the view of some that Nigeria is presently a federation, it is not surprising that different political actors would give different perspectives to the concept of restructuring. After the former military ruler and an ex-vice-president called for restructuring of Nigeria, among other recent calls from…

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SKILL DEVELOPMENT AS ELIXIRS TO YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

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BY JEROME-MARIO UTOMI One of the cardinal promises of the APC during the 2015 electioneering campaign was massive job creation for the army of young unemployed graduates in the country. That promise and a legion of other similar promises combined to give the party victory at the polls. But more than two years down the line, the narrative has changed.The recently released unemployment index by the National Bureau of Statics (NBS) reveals that the fight against unemployment is not yet Uhuru as this hydra headed problem appears to be winning.…

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