AHANONU KINGSLEY BLOG

On August 30th, the Senate President and one that has been in the eyes of the storm, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki made his declaration of interest to run for the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  The Senate president had cleverly cashed in on the opportunity of the interactive forum organised for young aspirants and chieftains of the PDP by the Not Too Young movement to make known his intention,  bringing a kind of suspicion as to whether that has been the driver of his coldness to the Buhari regime.  But then, to keen followers of political development down here, what Saraki did by his declaration was long expected. The reason is very clear,  especially as coming from two fronts. The first is this. We have known the man Saraki as a very ambitious man, who seeks always to improve himself and his pedestal at every available opportunity. His ambitiousness has seen him grow politically from the level of a special assistant to the president to two-term...

Today, I'll be talking about laziness. The concept of laziness has received a lot of condemnation, and rightly so for the cumulative impact it has in the overall body and overall personal goal. Denotatively, the word laziness suggests an unwillingness to show effort that often leads to lull in activity. A lazy person is one that has shown a lack of energy to perform a said task. It reflects a lack of will which by itself is a reflection of a deflated spirit. Laziness is a state of the mind that consciously manifests by the response of the physical. It is an inability posed by the deep psychology that feeds the senses and the body response mechanism with obvious weakness. Therefore, it would be said that laziness is the gradual giving in to the suggestion of an inability. It's the submission of the self to the feeling of unwillingness which the mind presents. In other words, the acceptance and/or rejection of laziness stems from the mind. For instance, I've known how ...

The present situation of the Nigerian state as we find it is one that is not in the least reassuring.  After seeming commitments by successive administrations all along the years, since return to self rule, there has been nothing much to write save of political transitions. Kingsley Moghalu Even with the return to nascent democracy in 1999 that appeared to have brought the hope to improving upon the great inherent prospects, the country seemed yet to rediscover purpose and direction.  The most recent efforts by the current administration of President Buhari to fighting corruption considered our sapping monster, just seems to be scratching the surface as country yet dawdles in pervasive coma.               It is pathetic how that, despite the resources and the perceived efforts to genuine commitment, the country still remains to rise to expectations. Poor infrastructural presence, galloping power supply, abysmally low standard of liv...

Democracy, widely, has been adjudged to be the best system of government. Nevertheless, Africans, and particularly Nigerians, have continued to wonder why we have not derived much from the system all along the years of practice. Instead, we continue to find basis to applaud the initial systems prior to our nascent democracy. The promoters of democracy had suggested the constitution as a compass.  And internationally, nations subscribe to a common direction, as provided by their respective constitutions, to guide reactions to internal political occurrences. A review of our democracy reveals of how the system is not sitting well with us due to inherent constitutional deficiencies.Vague provisions  are found at every corner of  the many matters arising from our political interactions. This is obviously because of the silent holes that exist here and there in our constitution. There is a need to address the ambiguity. We should not always allow it happen again and agai...

To all my friends, who are caught up in the frenzy of the Eid Kabir, I say a big  happy celebration to you all. It's your feast and so the sentiments you'll show towards it is expected this moment.       Nevertheless, this moment is one that calls for sober reflection and of the reinvigoration of the spirit of sacrifice. The life of the prophet Ibrahim, who was called upon to sacrifice his only child is worth musing on. His virtues of unreserved obedience and of faith, which that test sought to suggest, are what should form the point of reflection this moment.  Ibrahim reflected a life of undying faith- a virtue he lived and which culminated with the seemingly stupid obedience to the demand to give up his old-borne single child.  In this occasion of Eid Kabir, it is my believe that such veritable values form  the bulwark of our commitment to cooperative and societal engagements. By our lives, may the things we say, think and act be ones ...

I learnt with deep sense of shock the demise, yesterday, of Mr Kofi Anan, a former scribe of the world's unifying forum, the United Nations.  Mr Anan was, until his death, a quintessential gentleman and diplomat par excellence.  His disposition was that of a calm, easygoing man. Yet his intelligence and outspokenness were very remarkable attributes he bore and which were so obvious.  His stint at the United Nations was one marked by great effort to consolidating on the established framework of peace and inclusiveness established by the initiators of the world body. He went steps further to ensuring that the unification process of the United Nations proved to be really non-discriminatory. The above goal he was able to achieve b y ensuring that the concept of poverty and its worldview is universalized and integrally made a universal concern.                                   The ...

Just as was envisaged how unsettling the defection of Bukola Saraki would be, it was similarly expected to come with many jumping political calculi. To wit is the very strong questions of morality and legality of his continuous clinging as the Nigerian senate president. Recently, in a press conference, the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole had called for the honourable resignation against which an outright impeachment would be recommended. A visibly irked Oshiomhole had said Bukola Saraki had lost every ground to lay hold of the position he occupies, accusing him of being antithetical to both his former party nay national interest. Very well, then. But as for the issue of morality or legality for Mr Saraki to remain as the senate president even after switching alliance to the 'minority' People's Democratic party, it is neither here nor there. Truly there's no place in the world that a minority party will produce the leadership of parliament. It is an...

This year's International Youth Day is centred on the need to focus on providing level playing field for the younger generation to unleash their potentials and effectively bring their values to bear in the ever changing world.  It's for this reason that the 2018 IYD celebration has this deep sinking theme of "Safe Spaces for Youths".           According to an expose on the United Nation's webpage, youth need safe spaces where they can come together, engage in activities related to their diverse needs and interests, participate in decision making processes and freely express themselves. The world's population increasingly is dominated by young people. These are people with young mind and young energy. Their young personal attributes are reinforced by the youthful visions they bear; and which coupled with the zest of their ambitions leaves just for the opportunity to be given to impress. The static value of the world, where things remain just ...

It has been more than three years since the insinuation by the federal government of the clean up of Ogoni without anything to suggest that. And people are beginning to react. There have been censures by some environmental promoters over the slow pace taken by the federal government in the clean up of the degradation caused the land of Ogoni in Rivers state.                           The President Muhammadu Buhari had, during the 2015 electioneering, had assured the people of Ogoni that the United Nations Environmental Protection (UNEP) report would be implemented when elected. The UNEP report proposed steps to be taken for the total cleaning up and restoration of the environmental safety of Ogoni land that had suffered degradation from years of oil exploration. But three years down the line, some environmental activists have condemned the dragging pace  ..the process has taken. In a press conference, the a...

It has been reported that Nigeria spends up to 4.5 billion US dollars every year in the importation of steel. And this is despite having a huge potential for steel smelting on ground.  The comatose stage that the Ajaokuta steel company has been along several years of many assurances leaves more concerns and much worry especially with the current reality.  Subsequent governments have given wordy assurances to reviving the Ajaokuta steel industry but it seems not enough just is been done in the genuine effort to see the institution back to functioning.  Generally referred to as a white elephant, the aluminium smelting company which has consumed so much billions of naira, just continued to be non-functional, leaving much of the steel needs to be sourced from outside. It's believed that if functional, this industry seemingly ignored would serve not only the Nigerian market needs but internationally. But as to why such huge prospect has been ignored leaves much to be ...

It was on Monday, 6th of August, that the Nigeria National Assembly witnessed another desecration where illegality took up muscle to assert its ugly strength. Times and times we've seen arguments, quarrels, fights and outright kicking and boxing happen here. But then, as it happened today, it was really indecorous to have seen security men taken over the vicinity of the NASS and preventing lawmakers from gaining entrance. The politics of defection that has seen senators and house of representatives members switching political party alliance and which seems to have culminated in the recent decamping of Senate President Bukola Saraki has, as expected, drifted to insinuations about the impeachment of Bukola Saraki. It is sad that, with the insinuations and the unfolding events that seem to give validity to it, what ought to be of national concern has been reduced to Saraki. The way the whole issue of defection and the NASS right to autonomy has been trivialised by the desperate...

Take a walk into the pace/  An August walk, I say/  Don't you get what I mean?/  Or August have you forgotten it is?/ continue... A Happy New Month dearie!/ Oh, you deserve much more baby/ For your heart of gold and your smile so real/ Nothing on me does than merry/ Continue... The belatedness wows me/ Oh, so sorry it came late/ But do me a favour, you may/ And this one has no frame/ That you be an august visitor, emm/ Bringing in bounty your own/ The light and sound and feel your carry/ It's the smiles and the joys within your pawns/ Yes, the lovely tides that you bear/