AHANONU KINGSLEY BLOG

The Insight Of a Decade (2010-2019) 🙏🙏🙏 🍒🍒🍒 🥂🥂🥂 🙏🙏🙏 The year 2019, and by extension, the exiting decade (2010-2019), has been eventful. And gradually, they're are both easing out to give a leap into the new year 2020 and the new decade (2020-2029). Many things had happened and so much also seemed to have happened. It's on this basis that we would seek not to abandon entirely the memories it offers even as we step out of it. By and large, it is to say that the transition moment of the year nay decade offers us beautiful, salient opportunity to appreciate the outgoing years and ponder upon the successes and the correctional strides that their failures has impulsed. For me, looking back at the year 2019 and extensively its Decade, it would be unwholesome and devaluing not to appreciate the wonders and mercies of God. His presence and support have been very primal and awesomely commending. Essentially, great has been the mercy, compassion and kindness ...

World renowned evangelist, Reinhard Bonke has died on Saturday 6th December at the age of 75. The preacher, who toured the world, when he lived, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, died on Saturday peacefully, according to his wife. Touring the universe under his evangelism platform, Christ for All Nations, saw millions of converts giving their lives to God. In his outing in Lagos Nigeria, which was organised in the early 2000, Reinhard Bonke outreach saw massive number of people show up.

British-born Nigerian, Anthony Joshua has won the boxing rematch between him and his nemesis, Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia. The former undefeated heavyweight boxing champ, who was humiliated last June, by his Mexican rival, fought back with such offering of a masterclass tactics. With a weight of 120kilograms, AJ entered the ring to face a rival who weighed heavier than he was. Hear what AJ said after he was declared winner based on unanimous points: “It is about hitting and not getting hit. I have a lot of respect for Ruiz and his family. You know what they say, stay hungry and humble. I want to say thank you to everybody.” “If there is a third fight, I am going to get well into shape, I don’t want to give any excuse, Anthony Joshua did the right thing," Ruiz Jr said of his defeat. "I chased too much, I hesitated too much and I have learnt my lesson.” His win has seen AJ reclaim all the four WBF, WBO, titles in the world boxing federation. He has Deontay Wilder to...

Each day, the gains of our democratic journey as a people and nation continue to dwindle, it just seems. For those elements that obviously define true democracies seem to be cudgeled with such appalling impunity. Freedom of expression and association. Freedom of the press. These are vital elements of a thriving democracy. They form the bulwarks of what a nation practising popular government, which is positioned by the people and for their service should be defined with. They're at best and rightly took described as rights so inalienable. But the current situation which we find ourselves in this country has just been the negation of these principle and the utmost disregard for these defining values. The Bill on the hate speech, for me wouldn't have been a bigger deal, in so far it has a good value to promote and also the negative ones to checkmate. But the fear of the people, which has propelled them to view the Bill entirely with contempt, disposing same off as having no...

Three men given life sentences for killing a high schoolstudent in the United States have been declared not guilty of the charges after spending 36years behind bar. Alfred Chestnut, Andrew Stewart and Ransom Watkins were serving life sentences for the shooting of DeWitt Duckett, a 14-year-old student at Harlem Park Junior High School in West Baltimore. They were aged 16. The Baltimore City state attorney found that there was error in the initial police report that led to their conviction. This conclusion came after a joint investigation that later found that the trio were innocent. The state attorney added that the convicted innocent men needed to be apologized to. He opined that beyond apologies, they deserve to be compensated, and that he'll fight to make sure they are given it.

Iraq is a highly Islamic nation under the leadership of highly recognized spiritual Ayatollah. But beaming daily in also a highly secretive conspiracy are actions that should make the religious mind quease. Sex trade in the pseudo of pleasure marriage. Pleasure marriage is Iraqis prowl by sex hungry men for young girls, sometimes who could be their granddaughters. It involves a kind of contract verbally made and orchestrated by a cleric, given out young teenagers aged between 11-15 to men outside their parents' consent, to be temporarily married. This happens just easily and without any stress, save for the pay. It could be contracted over the phone, where all that is required of the brainwashed girl is just a directed consent. This temporary 'marriage' could be as temporary as just for a day. Most of these girls are virgins and are made to believe the cleric that what they are doing amounts to nothing sinful or evil. Most of whom are later left in devastating and ru...

The governor of Cross River State has continued to wow Nigerians with his high-sounding grammar, this time around giving it a connection to fiscal matter. The professor governor threw up the vibe of his grammar during the year 2020 budget presentation at the chamber of the state house of assembly. Prof Ayade termed the budget 'The Budget of Olipotic Meristemasis', drawing it from the resolve that the budget would be instrumental towards spearheading the growth and development of the young state. 1.9billion was earmarked for the year 2020 fiscal year, with over 911bn representing 83 percent going for capital expenditure and just 188bn represnting 17 percent of the budget given to recurrent spending. According to the governor this ratio is in continuation of his desire to commit more to infrastructure and physical development.

Some days past the social media was awash with frenzy involving two sisters and hip hop star Davido, where the former alleged the later impregnated one of them. The incident, which the two sisters had described moments later as just prank, seemed to have gone beyond the joke it was claimed to be especially as it got between the duo of Kayode Ogundamisi and the subject of focus, David Adeleke alias Davido. But then, what even brought about Ogundamisi's involvement in the first place? Was his name ever mentioned in the initial bric-a-brac of pregnancy or no pregnancy? Were the two ladies involved in a way related to him? What on earth would have drove him into the case to become the very object of seriousness in an issue given the primal claime to be mere prank? These as some sideways questions an onlooker just getting to know of the issue may ask. On getting wind of the 'prank', Davido didn't think of it lightly as the accusing sisters would later try to have him...

Humility is the substance of what makes us flesh and blood; for to be humble is to be human and to be human is to be humble. Ultimately, it is to say that we cannot make a distinction between the two. But what essentially is humility? Humility is staying within the ambit of the human corridor. It's realizing that as humans we have limitations and having to work with that reality. Humility does not equate to timidness, it doesn't amount to abdication of your dignity in pretentious submission. Humility is holding your onion and yet realizing that you're human. To live outside of this context is to in a way seemingly disown the fact of our humanness or at best to live in pretence. Our nature as human is created in a staple imperfection, that even as much as we try to pursue perfection, we are forever deluded of it, just making the circuitious effort to attain it. God in his infinite wisdom has decided to make us human, substance of imperfection for the very reason that ...

Indeed, in the human cycle of life, a person of 59 years old is generally considered as mature and is expected to have reached a certain standard in what's overall assessment. The years of childhood with the parental support and of the exposure that comes along with puberty and growing into adulthood are all committed to making him a true, responsible adult. And at 59, so many expectations should have been met. This is ordinarily the expected. Today, Nigeria marks 59 good years of nationhood, of a nation independent and sovereign under God. It's been a long time since our political independence was birthed in the morning of October 1st, 1960, and our journey all along the years is something that, regardless of how we differently perceive it, ought to be a narrative of remarkable essence. The beauty of the processes that would eventually evolve into what was to be described as an independent Nigeria is worth reminiscing, at least if for the reason that it will get u...

Many complaints of police unpermitted search have continued to increase. And slowly, again, it appears we are forced to re-echo the need to have the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police scrapped. Just like what instigated the earlier call, with a massively trending hashtag of #EndSARS , to which then Acting president Yemi Osinbajo intervened and it quickly became as if the notoriety settled down, the selfsame insensitivity has begun to rear its head. We still hear of instances of police arbitrarily stopping young men and rashly searching their private properties such as wallets and mobile devices. We hear of contrived imposition on these young men by the same police to part with their money- on grounds of perceived fraud. Many, out of understandable fear have fallen cheaply and victims. But the responsibility of the SARS unit of the Nigerian Police and its duties are clearly spelt out; they must adhere to them. It doesn't encompass molesting and co...

The 74th United Nations General Assembly has just come and gone, without leaving many traces especially as it regards Nigeria. Presided over by Nigeria-born Muhammed Bande, the meeting which was focused on climate change and the need to protect the natural environment from the effect of climate change. It was indeed a gathering of world leaders from over 200 countries. And when it came to conversation about the mainstream issue at stake and for the world leaders in attendance to speak of what is and would be their contributions towards safeguarding the natural environment against the depleting effects of climate change, Nigeria's president, Muhammad Buhari had the fifth slot, just behind that of Turkey, USA, Egypt. Beyond the contents of the speech of President Buhari at the main session of the UNGA, focus would be made as regards the interactive segment of the meeting on the central discourse, which happened to be a sideline of the whole engagement. During an interactive ...

The conspiracies, which have been thrown up by the recent revelation as regards the P & ID (is it Nigeria Ltd or British Island Ltd? An issue, per se that would be looked into separately) botched gas deal, just revealed the rather frightening situation of how Nigeria was practically sold, in somewhat scurrilous means. The case in question brings to view how the nation, at present and in future, was mortgaged in a continuous graduality to outside forces by those that have access and control to our commonwealth through a highly sophisticated collaborations by both internal and external money mongers. The saboteurs have answered to their names and the unsuspecting Nigerian population have begun to know who they are by the indictment that has has quietly to expose their gran conspiracy. What sabotage could be more deleterious than one orchestrated with the support of internal mechanism that knows deeply the tendons that holds the joining of the internal structures, and how weakl...

To the few people that are astonished at yesterday's judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, I'd say please do not. The preview for this outcome has already been there: the deficiencies of our electoral laws. While advanced and developing democracies have realized how important the wishes of the people are in choosing their leaders and how sacrosanct it is to provide them with a free and untrammeled ground to exercise this inalienable right, through adopting policies and framework that would aid in this, the Nigerian system rolls in archaic modulation that stifles true popular expression. The verdict, yesterday of the five-member panel of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal is just a reflection of how our laws, especially as regards to elections are backward and lacking in contemporary innovation. It would be prepostoreous to accuse the panel members of insensibility as the case may be. They'd based their judgement on the ill-fated ground...

In true democracies, the dictates of the greater majority of the people prevail. Through a rather more crystallized and well regulated process of elections organised and supervised by an electoral commission- the umpire of the process, people are availed the opportunity to exercise their franchise to choose leaders of their choice. But, if by any chances of error committed in the process of elections (whether by the electorates, the umpire or the contesting candidates) that would be seen to have jeopardized the process, the judiciary is given the leeway of intervention to reshape and straighten what has become the crooked outcome. The place of the judiciary as the last hope of the common man is, in practice and in a more general term, emphasized through its interventions in the correction of shammed electoral process or, in the alternative, to maintain established valid general mandate of the populace. Today, the political space in Nigeria is charged, beaming with excitin...

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)  has described Nigeria as just one of the most unlikely places to live on earth.  In its annual index of liveable cities, Lagos state, Nigeria's center of excellence ranks as the worst place to live on earth, just ahead of Damascus, capital of war-torn Syria. The EIU , a sister company of   The Economist tabloid , Vienna, the Austrian  capital is the most liveable city in the world for the second year running.  Vienna scores a near-perfect 99.1 out of 100, putting it just ahead of Melbourne. On the EIU’s index, which ranks 140 cities on 30 factors bunched into five categories—stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Sydney and Osaka fill the next two spots in a top ten dominated by Australian, Canadian and Japanese cities.  

The film of ignorance, which has caused them to be segregative and prejudicial has blinded some yet powerful South Africans from the above. This dislike of a people because of the fear such people has imposed on the very citizens that should welcome them has become the cradle that has rocked the rude wave of xenophobia. The spreadsheet ingenuity of the Nigerian person as against been a great source of inspiration has pitched them against the people they've visited. These South Africans do not want to learn from whatever it is that has distinguished their visitor. All they see is the filming fear of dominance, and in no milder term, they want them out. In the same vein, Nigerians home are becoming worn out by the constancy of the prejudice that their brothers over there have been meted with. The reactionary force within has built up, bursting out of elasticity and pushing them to react, chiefly to show support for their own and to pass the clear message that they aren't ...

I have thought about the recent xenophobic attacks unleashed on Nigerians in South Africa and the many issues that have come to surround it. For the while, I've kept pondering and just regurgitating on the issue, while the attacks, counter-attacks and the rash condemnations continued. I have taken this position not out of indifference nor because I do not know what to say. My quietude somehow practically stems from the astonishment I've been thrown into by the situation. The very reality of a nationalistic biasness coming from people who are black and Africans towards fellow black people just cannot keep me from being astounded. It blew me a devastation that somehow numbed my sense of consciousness. Indeed I cannot fathom as to make a contributing take to the scenario that South Africans could take such humiliating and denigrating act of brigandage, and arson against a people that share integral values of blackness and Africanness, much less to Nigerians. It beats my ...

AIn a spree that would seem as though the target of the marauding killers in recent days has become priests- Catholic priest, another clergyman Fr David Tanko was today reportedly murdered in Takum, Taraba state. His killers had ambushed him on his way back from a peace meeting and attacked him. The death of Fr Tanko, aside from being so unfortunate, is one so barbaric and callous. The Reverend gentleman was not only butchered by his killers but was found to be an object to burn and roast. I cannot find a better way to condemn this evil act or to find a more convenient way to look at it. But as eerie as this dastardly act is and as unsteady as I could be at its news, I stand to utterly condemn it for what it is. The idea of killing someone and human created by God couldn't be such a thing to hold unto with calmness, much more to have treated that body with disdain. The death of Fr Tanko brings to the fore how porous our security system is, and this is one that continue to p...

The case between the federal government of Nigeria and Irish company, Process & Industrial Development Ltd, which draws from the 2010 contract between the duo is a question that should be critically looked into, bringing every party that played one or the other role to account. A British court had awarded penalty to the company for the failure of the Nigerian government to honour its part of the agreement reached in 2010. The judge had ruled that the small company can take 20 percent of what's Nigeria's foreign reserve, amounting to the massive tune of 8.9billion US dollars. This figure was calculated based on what the company is estimated to have earned within the period of the contract. Going by the terms of the contract, the Nigerian government was to supply natural gas to the professing facility to be built by P & ID Ltd, which was to later convert it to dry gas to be used to power electricity. This contract was to last for a 20years period. This judgement ag...

The list released by the US Justice Department has sent ripples within the Nigerian landscape as  people, especially those close to and  familiar with the names there couldn't come to terms with the shock of the revelation. Most of the names are indigenes of the South-eastern state of Imo, whose lifestyles have been something always on the people's lips. Those who know them attest to how they have myriad of investments scattered around town and how they live larger than life. Odionyemma a.k.a Nwakanwa Chika Odionyemma is one of the persons on FBI’s 77-man list of suspected Nigerian fraudsters. His listing is one of those that came with much shock to many. The founder of the Nwakanwa Foundation has been known to be a philanthropist, promoter of youths and largely charitable and curiously, a role model. His questionable rise to fortune brought him a widespread fame that soon began to see him frolicking with the high and mighty. He was the talk of the town in Imo stat...

There may be further ripple effects for country men and women following the indictment of 77 Nigerians by the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice, in connection with massive fraud and money laundering. According to TheGuardian, Western Union, an international money transfer firm has decided to stop transactions that are Nigeria-bound. It states that in Texas, the state with the largest Nigerian population in the U.S., the money transfer agency may have blocked all money transfers to Nigeria, according to a report. The report added that the blockade might spread to other states and countries. A notice at the outlet in Texas said it was no longer doing Western Union Transfers to Nigeria, with apologies for any inconvenience.

The action of the 77 Nigerians described by the U.S. as the highest financial crime in its history and which led to their recent indictment by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is something that should be condemned but with careful scrutiny. The point I am making is that this high profile case should be given the needed indepth analysis as to serve justice to those who are deserving of it. In making this necessary effort of serving justice to those deserving of it, it would help to clearly exonerate those who are not culpable, but who by whatever stint have been hewn in the web of indictment. It is as such very necessary also that those of the 77 persons listed in the damning report and who as it is have been declared wanted should submit themselves to the relevant agency to afford them the leverage to do the required scrutiny and unmasked their genuine involvement or not. They must understand that, even as reprehensible the crime they've been accused of is and ev...

The year 2019 Int'l Youth Day is on the need to commit efforts geared towards making education more relevant, more equitable and more inclusive for the youths and, very importantly, by youthful efforts. With the topic "Transforming Education", the focus drives on the involvement of youths in education. It goes further to say that beyond having to be educated, the youths have got a role to play in the process itself. Consequently, it is the effective participation of the youths that brings further the appreciable value of education. In committing themselves to the very process which they are beneficiaries, it's believed that the process would be rejigged. That's the basis of transforming education, which is the focal point for this year's IYD. The youths are the future leaders, and we know very remarkably that it is not a far-flung destination; this future itself starts now. It is to say therefore that the essence of a transformed education would be for ...

Inspector Mark Ediale ,  Sergeant Usman Danzumi , and  Sergeant Dahiru Musa  were the three police officers of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) gruesomely murdered in Ibi Taraba state during the covert operation. The IRT had arrested and was transporting the suspected kidnap kingpin to the Command Headquarters in Jalingo when the attack happened. The statement of tribute released yesterday by the Force PRO Frank Mba, had described the deceased as some of the finest breed in the service of the Nigerian Police. My heart bleeds as I write this, just as it has been to since the news of the deaths of these three officers. Personally it heartraking and something I could not so readily come to terms with that security agents were gunned consciously, though arguably, in the course of a national assignment by members of sister security agency. Indeed it's, beyond baffling, devastating. So sad and unfortunate that it has happened, I would force myself not to...

Finally, after some periods break in the largesse that comes with their salary for the month, the labour in Imo state can now heave sigh of relief. This is going by the assurance of the new PDP administration in place. In a recent circular signed by the Accountant General, Igbo Donald, the governor, Emeka Ihedioha, directed that payment of 100 per cent salary should commence from August 1.  The circular, dated August 5, further directed ministries, departments or agencies to submit their August 2019 salary with total adherence to the 100 per cent salary structure agreed and signed with the government and the organised labour in 2011, and further directed that any other allowance(s) or approval to a particular MDA outside the harmonised and approved 2011 salary timetable should seek re-validation/approval . Former Governor Rochas Okorocha had since 2016 imposed a 30% slash on the salaries of civil servants, after a quick agreement that followed a weak protest by the state NL...

From the organisers of the #RevolutionNow protest, the street march was billed to start today, 5th of August. However, it was left to be wondered if it is still going to take place following the cladestine arrest of one of the leaders of the movement, Omoyele Sowore by the Department of State Security. The reasons given by the DSS for Sowore's arrest is that the proposed protest amounts to treason, going by the understanding that the word "revolution" literally connotes a regime change, the forceful takeover of power. This, according to them, was what the arrest was meant to nip on the bud. Puerile as the fear expressed by the DSS and later corroborated by the Nigerian police could be, going by the simple feeling that it could be the height of lame imagination (the kind undertaken by a baby relishing in freedom as to have nothing to be bothered about), the call by Sowore was provocative to the extent that they should be stirred. #RevolutionNow , looking at the...

Finally the embattled leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, Ibrahim El-zakzaky has been granted the much taunted bail sought for and granted since 2016 but suppressed by the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr El-zakzaky was today granted bail by the High court sitting in Kaduna. His had sought the relief to enable him attend to his fledgling health condition. The build up to the eventual bail relief had been inundated with series of condemnation and backlash, which were followed by protests and more protests that turned violent resulting in killings and deaths. The height of the provocative killing was orchestrated on the 22nd of July leaving dozens dead and stirring renewed villifications against the continuous incarceration of the Shia leader. And as if the ill done to both the man and his adherents weren't much, the government, through the easy acquiescence of the law courts-easily passed off as its stooge, slammed a proscription on the organisation. The...

A female undergraduate student of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo state was alleged to have been gang-raped by some soldiers at a checkpoint. This was said to have happened in the course of a stop-and-search along the Ikare Akoko road in Akoko North LGA of the state on Wednesday while the victim alongside others were on a journey. For me, it's a feeling of huge unfortunacy how that we get to hear this, and very worrisome how that this unfortunate action is said to have been perpetrated by men, who ordinarily by virtue of their obligation and the fact that they are paid by taxpayers money ought to serve and protect the public from ills such as this. It's a grave offence against sense of duty and conscience, especially when one realizes how the incident happened. This female student was spotted in the vehicle she was together with her colleagues (for whatever reasons) and was literally ordered to disembark, while the others were similarly coerced to just mo...

Five pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, were reported to have been abducted on August 2 while on their way to the ministers' conference. By suspected herdsmen. This is just barely 24hrs after a Catholic priest, Fr Offu, was murdered while on his way to his parish in Enugu state. Still by men suspected to be herdsmen. These incidents, sad and worrisome as they are, are not the only horrendous news we've had to link with suspected herdsmen. Streaming our media outfits all along the years, and apparently with an incensed intensity just in the recent days, have been issues bothering on herdsmen this and herdsmen that. The people, with the frequency of this cataclysm, have become disconcerted and similarly fed up with the assurances of safety by the government that are just too weak, too shallow to be held for succour. Just like the turned water that settles after a while, the government and its security agencies, continue to whirl in reactionary gesticulati...

Report filtering in is on the clash, today, between protesting members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN and the Nigerian Police Force in the federal capital territory, Abuja. For long, since the last five years, the members of the IMN, who are faithful of the Shiite leader, Ibrahim El-zakzaky, have consistently being staging loyalty protest and demanding the release of their leader, who has continued to be in detention even after been granted bail by courts of competent jurisdiction. Mr El-zakzaky have suffered incarceration, together with his wife, since 2015 when he was arrested by the Nigerian government for the inciting activities of his followers during one of their Qudd procession. The matter was taken to a federal high court, where the Islamic leader sought for and was obliged a bail. However, for whatever reason, and stoutly in defiance of court order, the federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to actuate this bail order. Repeatedly, the Shii...

It's apt and timely too, just as always it has been, the letter by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, which for whatever reason of his he decided to make open. Obasanjo, as usual, decided to pen to president Muhammad Buhari an open letter, which expresses his disaffection and which content we've seen grossly reflected the fears and concern of many. He has done that earlier three months before and even further before. It's not his first open letter to President Buhari and not indeed his first to a sitting president. But beyond the reason behind the open letter or the recurrence which the same has taken, I would like to be bothered here basically on three issues, which are my make out from the contents and concerns of the recent treatise. Out of the whole lots of issues and recommendations the former leader raised, my imminent focus would be on the jaggedness of the state of the nation, the fact that the nation is currently at a precipise he raised and ultimately on o...

The killing of the first daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Ms Funke Olakurin, Friday, brings to the fore the issue of insecurity that continuously has come up our national discourse. Often, the news waves are inundated with stories of insecurity. If not terror attack, or kidnapping, then it's banditry. And each as they come, is riddled with miff of apprehension. Apprehension. Daily as it comes, speaks much further and deeper of something more critical: which is that the government of the day seems overwhelmed, if not jolted, by the sizzling trend. Daily, criminality, adorned in different garbs, continue to soar, and the effort that's committed seems to be bamboozled by the force of the latter. Just as we cannot continue to rue as this thread of insecurity rises, but must stand up to be counted in the defence process, however it must be told to the government that we expect it to do more than it's doing to ensure the guarantee of the cheapest form of security the citiz...