Ahmed Dodo

As a young lad growing up in the then bustling and peaceful city of Kaduna, I still could recall with pride the period when the federal government under the nationalist leadership of General Yakubu Gowon paid the famous Odoji windfall. I could still recollect the joyous faces of those who benefitted from that legacy.   To me, it   remaines till date the greatest bonus ever splashed on the Nigerian public worker. Over the decades the Nigerian worker who hitherto was the envy of most of its colleagues across the globe has suddenly found himself slaving to survive amidst bureaucratic, dictatorial and political forces. Sometimes one wonders if an average Nigerian worker is presently anywhere better than a slave in the 18th Century, apart from the freedom of movement and expression now partially being enjoyed by the present day workers. Again, it sometimes beats my imagination when subsequent governments over the years after the Odoji extra always come out openly to resist any form...

As a young lad growing up in the then bustling and peaceful city of Kaduna, I still could recall with pride the period when the federal government under the nationalist leadership of General Yakubu Gowon paid the famous Odoji windfall. I could still recollect the joyous faces of those who benefitted from that legacy.   To me, it   remaines till date the greatest bonus ever splashed on the Nigerian public worker. Over the decades the Nigerian worker who hitherto was the envy of most of its colleagues across the globe has suddenly found himself slaving to survive amidst bureaucratic, dictatorial and political forces. Sometimes one wonders if an average Nigerian worker is presently anywhere better than a slave in the 18th Century, apart from the freedom of movement and expression now partially being enjoyed by the present day workers. Again, it sometimes beats my imagination when subsequent governments over the years after the Odoji extra always come out openly to resist any form...

“ 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 ...

Sometime early last year, I had the privilege to sit one on one with General Muhammadu Buhari in his office in Kaduna for an interview on his biography. It was quite an interesting meeting that sharpened my understanding about the man and his love for this great country. Again my interaction with him opened my eyes to some historical facts about the Nigerian civil war and some patriotic deeds of some of our past leaders like General Murtala Muhammed, and General Shuwa,to mention just a few.   Prior to this historic interview, I had arranged a few questions for the people’s general and seated not too far away   from him on his conference table, we began the intensive question and answer sessions that took about four good hours. Among the questions I asked the now presidential aspirant of the CPC was “When was your happiest moment in life, sir?” He had stared thoughtfully at me and answered that his happiest moment in life was the day the Nigerian civil war ended. I was taken ab...

I don’t know if most of you watched last week’s episode of the hottest selling Nigerian movie: election 2011 . I did and I was not too disappointed in what I saw and the many intrigues and tensed drama showcased by the various actors and actresses.   Well for those who are still new to the Nigeria political arena, this is the final show of strength and magu- magu by all the contesting political parties in the forth-coming general election.   And as visualized by yours sincerely, our white bearded prof gave them a shocker, an upper cut that stopped all their planned rigging,ballot snatching and vote buying,etc.   And trust Nigerians the show was superlative with various chain reaction and different version and sub-plot emitting from various groups throughout the week. While some group accused INEC of a deliberate attempt to rig the election in favour of the PDP,other group accused the electoral body of a plot to award the election to certain tribal group in the country an...

I don’t know if most of you watched last week’s episode of the hottest selling Nigerian movie: election 2011 . I did and I was not too disappointed in what I saw and the many intrigues and tensed drama showcased by the various actors and actresses.   Well for those who are still new to the Nigeria political arena, this is the final show of strength and magu- magu by all the contesting political parties in the forth-coming general election.   And as visualized by yours sincerely, our white bearded prof gave them a shocker, an upper cut that stopped all their planned rigging,ballot snatching and vote buying,etc.   And trust Nigerians the show was superlative with various chain reaction and different version and sub-plot emitting from various groups throughout the week. While some group accused INEC of a deliberate attempt to rig the election in favour of the PDP,other group accused the electoral body of a plot to award the election to certain tribal group in the country an...

Drama shall never end in Nigeria political terrain; everyday is one drama to another. And I tell you, this comic like cheap political muzzling is making the 2011 election more interesting by the day.   And for those who have the passion to share some laughter, this no doubt is the time to laugh away at some of the disgraceful stone age political thinking of some of our politicians across the country, especially in the PDP controlled states, where they have tried to shut out the opposition and went as far as banning them from holding public rallies or pasting posters and billboards in ‘their states’. I dey laugh like Baba, wondering if these self-proclaimed dictators sometimes spare their self-imposed busy schedule to reflect and ask themselves about the whereabouts of those before them? I   almost fell down from my seat when I read about one   Amala governor in the south-west who,wanting desperately to cling to his soon to be   expired stay at the government house,...