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Showing posts from November, 2016

RELIGION AND POLITICS IN AFRICA; THE NIGERIAN DILEMMA

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If you have ever spared a moment to study the map of the world, you will definitely come to discover a number of things. In the first place, you will find out that the greater part of the universe is covered with water such that while man flaunts his pride and ego at exploring, discovering and even overcoming the universe, he has so far only attempted a scratch while lots of nature’s vast expanse remains unknown, undiscovered, unexplored and   uninhabited. Again, you will find out that the areas inhabited by man are mapped out according to continent to distinguish one particular continent from the other. These continents are so designated and classified on the basis of their location, geographical properties, environmental characteristics, climatic similarities, and a host of other factors distinctly marking them out from the others. One particular continent stands out in its shape which is similar to that of a question mark and that continent is Africa.                       

IF ONLY NIGERIA CAN BECOME AS CORRUPT AS SOUTH KOREA...

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President Park Geun-Hye is the first female President of South Korea who was elected in 2012 and sworn took office on the 25th of February, 2013. Thus, she also became the eleventh President in the history of that Asian nation. For two weekends in a row now, protests have continued and indeed heightened with calls for the President to resign following corruption accusation that she shared classified information with a friend and a close confidant who had no security clearance. Choi Soon-Sil is a close friend of the President's who is accused of leveraging her proximity to the commander-in-chief to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung which she used to fund her foundations. For the second time now, President  Park has rendered an apology to the sea of protesters thronged in Seoul but all her efforts seem to be pouring water on a rock. Their demand is pretty clear: resign now. As I write this, the protests seem to be gathering momentum with many individuals,

DO ALL WOMEN BELONG TO THE KITCHEN, THE LIVING ROOM AND THE OTHER ROOM?

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  On the 14th day of October, The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari arrived in Berlin on a three-day official visit to Germany to strengthen bilateral ties with the heartland of Europe.  The President met with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel  in Berlin and a host of other German diplomats in the hope of hammering out a deal to attract Germany assistance, investors among other things. Back home in Nigeria, the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, in an interview granted to the BBC, noted that her husband's government, which was roughly sixteen month old at the time, had been hijacked by powerful cabals in the country. The unofficial First Lady of Nigeria implied that there was a government inside a government which has her husband as a figure head while the real men calling the shots are operating behind the scenes. She noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has veered off from its track of delivering the much desired change to the millions of Nige

PRESIDENT ZUMA UNDER FIRE AGAIN

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The South African President, Jacob Zuma has yet again survived another vote of no confidence passed on him by members of the opposition party. This is the third time this year, 2016 that President Jacob Zuma has survived a vote of no confidence from the opposition parties that are calling for his resignation. The Democratic Alliance Opposition Party leader Mmusi Maimane moved the motion asking the house to forcibly remove President Zuma from office in the overall interest of the good people of South Africa. However, this motion had to die yet again and for the third term because of the overwhelming majority which the African National Congress (ANC) party still has at the house. For what it is, the ANC is still the party of the liberation on whose platform the great Madiba, Nelson Mandela coasted South Africa to the halls of liberty and freedom  President Jacob Zuma is widely accused of corruption, violating the constitution and refurbishing his private rural house in Nkand

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE SANDS OF TIME

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Barry, Barrack, Senator, President!!!!!!! History never stops to amaze one in ways a little difficult to understand. But often some do end up seemingly amazing history itself. How time  flies. Guess it seemed like yesterday that Mr. Obama gave his first victory speech on the 4th of November, 2008. Till today the key words of that motivating speech still resonate through my eardrum every now and then. Hear Obama "if there is anyone who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our fathers is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer". And thus began the road to limelight, fame, reputation,  power, and whatever you can imagine. After almost eight years of sitting at the oval office and calling the shots from there, what will probably remain for everyone including Mr. Obama is history. For the reckoning of the human mind, after February 2nd, 2017, America will ne

CAN MARINE LE PEN BREAK THE JINX IN THE UPCOMING FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS?

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The elections in the United States may have come and gone but there is no doubt that the waves are still spiralling and resonating in various parts of the world. This of course is not unexpected considering the role and place of the United States as a super power who expects that the world should shake whenever it sneezes. In France, the heat has already been turned on as the nations have gradually started considering who is going to be calling the shots of its activities from the Elysee palace come 2017. Withe the presidential election barely six months away, France is hoping to borrow a leaf or dare I say a branch from the just concluded presidential elections in the United States. France's far-right leader and President of the National Front Party Party, Marine Le Pen is expected to make a particularly spectacular appearance. This is not her first time of seeking the highest office in the land but it is rather coming at a time when the political development arou

PRESIDENT-ELECT, DONALD TRUMP ACCUSED OF ISLAMOPHOBIC STATEMENTS

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The American elections may have come and gone but the ripples are still bursting. One particular group seems not to be happy with the U.S President-elect and that is Muslims many of whom accuse him of islamophobia. Islamophobia is simply hatred or prejudice or bigotry directed against Islam or Muslims. Some of the adherents of the Islamic religion accuse Mr. Trump of capitalizing on the fears of the average Americans to paint the image of Islam black and subsequently coasting to victory with their votes. They held that Mr. Trump scapegoated and villifed Muslims and this campaign of islamophobia paid off really well in ensuring that Mr. Trump secured most of the key swing states like Florida, Ohio, North Carolina etc These key states helped him easily clinch victory. Islamophobia they maintained was a permanent campaign strategy for Donald Trump. They stated that unlike his predecessors George W. Bush, Mitt Romney who were adopted "cautious Islamophobia", Donald Tru

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION SUSPENDS PROTEST MARCH AGAINST PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO

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The Venezuelan opposition has suspended the trial of President Nicolas Maduro. In an attempt to demonstrate the poor state of things across the country,  the opposition had slated a march against the President to protest his style of leadership. President Nicolas Maduro took over President Hugo Chavez who died on 5th March, 2013 following a two-year battle against cancer. At the time, President Chavez had worn an election but couldn't live long enough to be sworn in as the commander in chief for another tenure in office. Since Hugo Chavez's iconic departure from the politics of Venezuela, it seems a very huge vacuum has ever since been unfilled. The opposition Coalition, The Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) has severally accused President Nicolas Maduro of mishandling of the economy and most of all abuse of office. Maduro dismisses all these as political distractions For a while now, the country has been thrown into crisis following this state of things. Government

TRUMP'S VICTORY WILL BRING CHANGE TO NIGERIA SAYS GOVERNOR AYODELE FAYOSE

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Governor Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti state in the south western part of Nigeria has stated that the election of Donald J. Trump will bring change to the recession-hit, hunger-stricken, corrupt country of Nigeria. The governor who is an outspoken critic of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration stated that the election of Donald Trump marks the end of an era for particularly for the outgoing-Obama administration. He maintained that President Buhari was foisted on the Nigerian people with the blessing of the Obama white house which saw the exit of former president Goodluck Jonathan out of power. You will recall that President Muhammadu Buhari took over power last year 2015 after defeating the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan who at the time seemed to have fallen out of favour with the white house. Governor Fayose still stated that God has answered his prayers by allowing Donald Trump win the oval office in order to end the current culture of impunity, disregard for the

Congratulations to the 45th President-elect of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump.

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A hearty cheers and congratulations to Donald J. Trump, the 45th president-elect of the United States of America. No doubt, it was a well-fought campaign, and definitely a well-deserved victory. Who would have believed that what started like a big joke has finally turned into a huge and spectacular reality not only for the Trump family but also for the million of American citizens who never expected the result of this election to spin in favour of Donald Trump. In his victory speech in 2009, President Barack Obama said that "in America, all things are possible". Today, I find the same words echoing in the minds, hearts and heads of young people in America and even the world over that clearly all things are possible not only in the United States but also everywhere. At a time when the polls seemed to disfavour Donald Trump, he still kept on the fight pushing with even greater force and very few would have ever believed he would make it. Indeed very few people lik