By Bolanle Bolawole

In journalism parlance, we say facts are sacred and opinion, free; some prefer to say “opinion is cheap”. Writing the manifesto for the Guardian newspaper in 1921, its editor, CP Scott, said: “Comment is free but facts are sacred” Comments, or opinions, are like wishes which an old English proverb says beggars would ride were they to be horses. Facts, however, are empirical and verifiable truths, devoid of the likes or dislikes of its purveyor. Facts are news and must be reported contemporaneously; so that we do not lose any of its essence. Opinion, on the other hand, allows for the idiosyncrasies of the purveyor. While time lag may affect the effectiveness of news, it does no damage to opinion. The liberties that a writer enjoys with opinion is denied in news writing. Talk is another thing that is said to be cheap. It is easy to talk animatedly or flamboyantly about so many things but do nothing afterwards. So, we are advised to walk the talk if we mean to be taken seriously.

By Emeka Obasi

Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria should know Samuel Azu Crabbe, Chief Justice of Ghana between 1973 and 1977. He stood his ground, when many feared Jerry Rawlings and Kojo Tsikata were going to intimidate him. The judge delivered justice.

By Enyinnaya Appolos

Thursday, November 16, 2023 is the 119th birthday of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Owelle-Osowa-Anya of Onicha, affectionately called Zik of Africa, a remarkable figure in Nigerian and African journalism and political history.

By Funke Egbemode

This DNA problem is steadily becoming a problematic epidemic, isn’t it? It is querying the integrity of our men’s manhood and stripping our women of their belt of chastity.

By Azu Ishiekwene

“Every morning a lion wakes up, it knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death…It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle, you better be running”

By Azu Ishiekwene

It’s not only the poor that are mad, if you get my drift. Even folks who once thought of themselves as middle class, that is, neither wealthy nor poor, are in maddening distress. They can hardly believe how life has come to be what it is today. Perhaps the most frequently asked question is: how did we get here?

By Sufuyan Ojeifo

Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) declares that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. It is this primary purpose that provides the basis for approbation of and association with government by the governed. Any government that fails to discharge this primary responsibility fails, as a matter of fact, in every other purpose. Rationalisation: there cannot be meaningful journey to any meaningful destination in the consideration of government and its policy options if the most significant questions of security and welfare are egregiously discounted.

By Funke Egbemode

Ola: Men are foolish, very foolish.

Lola: Ah ah, what’s biting you? How can you just wake up and make such a blasphemous declaration?

By Ikeddy Isiguzo

WHEN Professor Benjamin Nwabueze died on 29 October 2023, one thought it was time to stop deriding him as the one who applied his legal prowess to author the Unification Decree, they say caused the cessation of federalism in Nigeria. The lies have been built around propaganda applied to situate how Igbos ruined Nigeria with their ambition to dominate the country through Nwabueze.

By Bolanle Bolawole

Those who say life is not a straight line may be right! It is topsy turvy, full of curves, surprises and happenings that can hardly be explained satisfactorily. Niger State-born Justice Musa Datijjo Muhammed became more popular; nay, controversial, on the day he was retiring from the Supreme Court Bench than the 45 awesome years he had spent sitting on it.

By Simon Kolawole

Long ago, I read the story of a young boy whose mum gave two 10 kobo coins on a Sunday morning. “This 10 kobo is for offering. The other one is for sweets after service,” the mum instructed him. The boy kept the coins in his breast pocket. On his way to church, one of the coins fell out of his pocket as he jumped over a ditch. The boy shook his head and said: “Dear God, there goes your 10 kobo.” Sense won’t kill him! That is the selfishness always at play whenever the Nigerian economy is in a bad state: the little resources left are for the comfort of our leaders and the brunt of the crunch is to be borne only by the people. It always happens. Nothing ever changes in our dearly beloved country.

By Emeka Obasi

Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello is the only Nigerian whose dad was Head of State, mother First Lady, husband Governor, Father - in - law Double Excellency and dad's course mates, military rulers. That is not why I am praising her here.