Ahmed Dodo

Frankly speaking one would have thought the massive enlightening and happenings going on across the globe with   regard to the new information age should have been eye opening to our security agents,especially our scandalized Nigeria Police Force (NPF). But,unfortunately, this seems to have worsened the understanding and social conscience of our men in black. It is quite baffling and sometimes embarrassing when you hear the stories of our policemen still being used as puppet by some of our selfish politicians. Just like what happened last week, when the police hierarchy threw caution into thin air and shamelessly went bullying some patriotic journalists who were just doing their job for God and country. The coming of the internet and the globalization of our today’s activities, especially our freedom of expression and freedom of opinion has not really sank properly into the minds of our police force, neither have they comprehended that no nation, no matter how much it tried, can ...

Sycophancy and governance in Nigeria “The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about a...

Let me first of all congratulate all our elected and selected representatives in the various contending political parties and states across our dear country on their not so easy 100 eventful days in office.    Thank God, I am not in their positions and happy to watch silently from behind as the various events unfold across the country. Honestly, it is not easy to be a successful politician in Nigeria these days; neither is the glamour and fame enticing any longer, especially for those with prudent eyes to see the kata-kata and wahala that have taken over the joy of being an elected or selected member into any government position across the 774 local government councils. To be frank, it has been 100 days of problems and challenges to our various   office holders across the country, from militancy in the Niger Delta,   Boko Haram bombings across the north, kidnappings and robbery across the south-east,and mayhem   and flooding in the south- west. One hundred day...

Oh God! I am back to religion again this week; an issue I have always tried to avoid by all means. But the reality is that this dynamic topic seems to be one area in our social relationship that appears want to tear us asunder if proper care is not taken. Every right thinking and sensible society has realized and accepted the unquestionable fact that the worst wars are religious wars. And presently some of our ungodly religious leaders are steering us selfishly towards this avoidable calamity. The realization that nobody or a group of individual or community can lay claim to have seen God   or have been directed by Him to fight on His behalf   in this present   generation is a consciousness that should imbibe in   every right thinking and   God fearing   human alive.   The fact that none of us can create even an atom from all the natural things around us, is another perception that should distinguished us from the animals around us. Then why is it that...

“ Politicians have always sought us out because we can provide votes .Between friends and family, each man of honor can muster up forty to fifty other people. There are between 1,500 and 2,000 men of honor in Palermo province. Multiply that by fifty and you get a nice package of 75,000 to 100,000 votes to go to friendly parties and candidates.” - Anthonini Calderone I have just finished reading an interesting book The Mafia:the first 100 years written by two authors William Balzamo and George Carpozzi jnr. This courtesy of an intellectual friend who was kind enough to lend me this priceless novel.   To be honest the ways of the mafia ‘the men of honour’ has always intrigued me right from my school days, especially as they were made more popular by Mario Puzo and his blockbuster the Godfather. One surprising thing after reading this book was the reality that hit me; I have come to compare our present situation in the country to that of the 18th century criminal era of the mafia ...

This no doubt is one of the most challenging periods in the 50 years existence of Nigeria as an independent federal nation.   Perhaps not even the three years Nigerian civil war brought so much confusion and fear as the present siege that the Nigerian nation has suddenly found itself. Again possibly it will be difficult to find a country that has experienced some of the greatest atrocities, looting, plundering, political, religious and ethnic confrontations and maladministration like Nigeria my dear country. And upon all these the country has continue to stand   firm and solid against all the internal and external   attacks on her over the decades since its diplomatic freedom from its colonial master.   A careful study of the nation famously known as   the Federal Republic of Nigeria would revealed an homogeneous country that has been unfortunate to witnessed   an unnecessary civil war, various military coups, massive looting of its resources by government ...

? I had a hidden grin on my face as I wrote this column, grinning silently away at the sudden change that seems to have taken over our hitherto slumbering security formations across the country, including the rapid security consciousness of an average Nigerian these days. All across the country Nigerians are beginning to take the issue of security seriously, especially our various security agencies who had previously   been more engaged in   chasing armed robbers, kidnappers and other   petty thieves like pickpockets, goat ,chicken and bread thieves. Today the story has changed, the coming of the deadly sect known as Boko Haram has instilled an inevitable fear among the populace, especially among our ostentatious elite and politicians who until now had been having it smooth and enjoying their stashed looted public funds. The fear of Boko Haram has suddenly become the beginning of wisdom among them and our elite are now scared stiff of publicly uttering their well known c...