Paul Okah

When Nationalists like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe and others demanded for the British to allow Nigerians govern themselves, they had the interest of the masses at heart. As detribalized Nigerians, they put the country first in all they did. It was always "one Nigeria", whether it was political, economical or social issue that was at stake.  However, these great founding fathers of Nigeria must be turning in their graves with the ways things are going in the country at the moment. The Nigeria of Boko Haram cataclysm, Fulani herdsmen attacks, Chibok Girls kidnapping, election rigging and whatnot was never what they envisaged for the country when the Nationalists demanded and fought for the independence of the country.  Every passing day in Nigeria comes with one sad development or the other that leaves right-thinking citizens to wonder where we are headed: whether for economic, political and social development or damnation. Nigeria was recently declared the world...

For the first time since rumours started making the rounds that he was against governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State continuing in office beyond 2019, former governor of Lagos State and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said that Ambode should not be voted for in tomorrow's governorship election primaries in Lagos State.  In a statement made available to the media Sunday evening, Tinubu endorsed Jide Sanwo-Olu as the preferred candidate in tomorrow's party election, while accusing Ambode of deviating from developmental blueprint of Lagos state and urged voters to reject him.  The statement read in part: "My goal is and shall always be a better Lagos. To this objective, I have dedicated the greater part of my public life. Roughly 20 years ago, a corps of dedicated and patriotic Lagosians, put aside personal interests and rivalries, to put their minds and best ideas together for the good of the state. Out of this collaborat...

The industrial action embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday, September 26, has been suspended indefinitely. NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, announced the suspension of the strike at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja.  “The suspension takes effect from today Sunday,” he said. The suspension means workers are expected to resume duties on Tuesday as Monday has been declared a public holiday by the federal government to mark the October 1 Independence Day. The workers are demanding a new minimum wage of about N50,000 instead of the current national minimum wage of N18,000.  Most state governors as well as proponents of true federalism have, however, argued that states should be allowed to set their own minimum wage especially as many states are barely able to pay the current N18,000 current minimum wage. On Wednesday, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, said the union was open to dialogue on the strike.  “Our demand is that the tripartite negotiating ...

As Lagos State prepares for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries tomorrow, I can't help but pity the incumbent Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. The feeling that your days in a particular position are numbered is a nostalgic one, especially if you have the intention of staying; despite the increasing forces against you. Many of us may not know, understand or care about Ambode's "crime", but it has never been a crime to die fighting. Pathetically, Mr Ambode has been having a political spat with former governor of Lagos State and father of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the latter's endorsement of Sanwo-Olu as his replacement in 2019, despite his willingness to continue in office beyond 2019. However, there appears no end in sight to the reelection troubles being faced by Ambode, as 36 out of 40 Lagos State House of Assembly members, yesterday morning, publicly declared their support for Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) g...

The activities of armed robbers posing as taxi drivers popularly called "one chance" to dispossess unsuspecting passengers of their valuables were hitherto rampant only in Lagos state, however, in recent times, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has come under siege, especially as the criminals are now being complemented by pickpockets in major bus stops. PAUL OKAH reports.  In Nigerian parlance, “one chance” is a name given to robbery gangs that rob in commercial buses or taxis. They usually have members of the gang in the bus or taxi, who pretend to be genuine passengers and drive around looking for victims. However, unlike genuine commercial drivers, they do not pick more than one or two victims at a time. Then they drive the unsuspecting victims to a remote place, where they are threatened with guns, cutlasses, charms or other dangerous weapons and then dispossessed of either their money, handsets, laptops or other valuables. Sometimes, after dispossessing the unsusp...

There appears no end in sight to the reelection troubles being faced by Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as 36 out of 40 Lagos State House of Assembly members have publicly declared their support for Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant for tomorrow's primary election in Lagos State. Mr Ambode has been having a political spat with former governor of Lagos State and father of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the latter's endorsement of Sanwo-Olu as a successor to Ambode in the 2019 governorship election. According to media accounts, Tinubu had told Ambode not to seek for a second tenure, citing deviations from some of his policies. However, Ambode had sworn to contest against any other favoured candidate of the APC leader, despite being deserted by supporters loyal to Tinubu. Nevertheless, thirty six out of the 40 members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, in a parliamentary meeting chaired by the Spe...

Kugbo is one of the popular communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) without government presence. In this report,  PAUL OKAH  unearths the pains being experienced by the residents. Kugbo is a community under Karu Ward in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). It is situated on the busy Keffi-Abuja highway, sandwiched between the popular AYA and Nyanya. It boasts of a furniture market, which is said to be among the largest furniture markets in West Africa. The community is divided into Kugbo I and ll, with an estimated 20,000 inhabitants; mostly traders, artisans, farmers and a handful of civil servants; who suffer from dearth of infrastructure. The community lacks infrastructure such as tarred road, hospital or healthcare facility, secondary school, pedestrian bridge, commercial bank, pipe-borne water, filling station and many other social amenities.  Paul Okah Blog's  investigations revealed that the community chiefs, Philip Jezhi; Chief of Kugb...

Zion Orphanage and Widows’ Home, located at Peace Village, Lugbe, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has at least 25 children and more than 10 widows. Recently, the Home was demolished, rendering them homeless, while the orphaned kids suffer from one form of neglect to another, even as the proprietor recovers from stroke. PAUL OKAH looks at the issues. Mr. Emmanuel William Okechukwu, from Anambra state, is the husband of Mrs. Blessing William Okechukwu, the founder of the Home. Speaking, on behalf of his wife, who is suffering from stroke and, therefore, cannot form coherent sentences, Okechukwu gives off-the-cuff account of the history of the orphanage, the challenges and future of the home. How it started Okechukwu said Zion Orphanage Home was founded by his wife on February 15, 2003 to cater for parents-less children. Later on, the home started taking in widows; who does not have relatives to cater for them. Mrs. Okechukwu, a trained nurse, was working in Lagos state be...

Why Mama Taraba resigned from the APC Barely 48 hours after she was disqualified from contesting in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Taraba State, Minister for Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, popularly known as "Mama Taraba", has resigned her position, citing "injustice" and "betrayal" by the APC as reason for her decision. In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated Saturday, September 29, 2018, Alhassan revealed  that the ruling party no longer have faith in her as a minister, especially with her disqualification from the governorship primaries tomorrow in states across the federation, despite the fact that she already spent millions of naira in buying the expression of interest form and has been loyal to the ruling party. Though she has not made known the political party she will be joining, Alhassan has always shown an unalloyed support for Peoples Democratic Party stalwart and Adama...

Floods in Nigeria Rainy season is supposed to be a blessing to farmers, others, but recently rivers have started overflowing their banks, with citizens losing their lives and property to flooding. Thousands have been sacked from their homes and crops washed away from farms; which portends danger to the food needs of the country. PAUL OKAH looks at the impending national disaster. Natural disasters are not new to mankind, especially as the human race has had to battle one problem or the other in the race to survive. However, the flooding of many communities and cities across the country in this year’s rainy season may tempt many to wonder if God is not angry with the world and replicating what happened in Noah’s time. This is because, from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and other states, residents now count their losses, owing to the flooding of homes and farmlands by what, otherwise, should be a blessing to mankin...

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