Lagos

Seadogs: Arrest MC Oluomo

Seadogs: Arrest MC Oluomo

Seadogs: Arrest MC Oluomo

The National Association of Seadogs (NAS) claims to be a noble organisation. NAS’ impacts on society past, present and future will either confirm or dismiss the claim. The reader will however find any sincere denunciation of tribal hatred a noble undertaking. Nevertheless, the denunciations of ethnic bigotry must be consistent, fair and factual for them to be noble. Otherwise, claims of witch-hunts, exaggerations or slander may be valid defences. It is Nigeria. Therefore, the question arises. How should we take the call by NAS for the arrest of MC Oluomo by the Nigerian Police Force Command in Lagos State? And the suggestion of what happens if the cops do nothing? (more…)

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Jazz Music & the Influence of Yoruba Culture
The Art Ensemble of Chicago_

Jazz Music & the Influence of Yoruba Culture

Jazz Music & the Influence of Yoruba Culture

There was a time in the ’60s and ’70s when several jazz musicians of repute had to visit Brazil for a new spark of inspiration. It was almost a “rite of passage” for many jazz musicians. Classics like ‘Song for My Father’ by Horace Silver; ‘Brazilian Love Affair’ by George Duke; ‘Jive Samba’ by Cannonball Adderley Sextet; ‘Sidewinder’ by Lee Morgan; ‘Big Band Bossa Nova’ by Quincy Jones were born of rips and sounds of trips to and sounds of Brazil. These are a few of the Jazz Giants that had made their most successful albums through the Brazilian inspiration. Grover Washington Jr, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Bob James, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Kenny Dorham and many others also had big lifts in their music by way of the Brazilian inspiration. The most Yoruba-influenced jazz group is apparently the Art Ensemble of Chicago (see picture above).

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Grimot Nane Zine

Fuel Hoarding and Governance Failure

The GON is getting very tough at the “tail end” of the oil sector by punishing retailers of petroleum fuel for “hoarding” like they have “weak oil bunkerers”. Meanwhile, the executive cabinet of GON is staffed by hoarders of billions of dollars’ (in cash and assets) of “oil wealth”. This is the latest showing of “no-nonsense anticorruption” at its most trifling in Nigeria. Yes, the landlord chasing rats in the living room while his house is fully on fire? This ‘catching the serpent by the tail’ solution is a dangerous staple approach adopted by the current GON. (more…)

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Solo Mansion Communities in Nigeria

Solo Mansion Communities in Nigeria

Solo Mansion Communities in Nigeria

Development in Nigeria is a narrow focus on brick, mortar and tarmac constructions with imported technology gadgets thrown in. The masses appreciate and brag about by the developers. Livelihoods, human development, life protection, and life preservation. These and other aspects of developments in Nigeria are yet to kick-in as development objectives or indicators.

Furthermore, the brick, mortar and tarmac constructions the residents often elevate to mythical and unspoken dimensions as development achievements. Such thinking is a habitual turn of mind. It has not evolved beyond pre-Independence expectations of development in developing nation ever-pregnant with hope. (more…)

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Wole Soyinka and Military Forgiveness?

Wole Soyinka and Traditional Forgiveness?

Wole Soyinka and Traditional Forgiveness?

After innumerable citizens indigenous to Lagos and the South-West region in Nigeria roundly criticised traditional ruler Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos. For his unfortunate ‘warning to the Igbos.’ One should be impressed that there is hope in Nigeria even though not immediately convincing. The warning the Oba meted bordered on vicious tribalism and tribal cleansing. It provided an opportunity to witness social and political maturity and sensibility in the entire South West that is alive, sensitive and robust. Wole Soyinka, a South Westerner himself. He is Nigeria’s most influential intellectual cum human rights activist. He did not say a word.

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Wole Soyinka and Traditional Forgiveness?
Wole Soyinka is silent when leaders of his own ethnicity misbehave.

Oba Akiolu and King Zwelithini: Different Persons, Different Subjects

I am shocked crapious that certain people are making strong and equivalent comparisons between Oba Akiolu and King of Zululand for recent ethnocentric utterances they have made. There is no comparison in their cases, personally and demographically. There are different logics to the utterances. (more…)

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Grimot Nane Zine

A Response to “The Real Poor Nigerians”

http://opinionriver.com/real-poor-nigerians/

Your piece is poignant and well written but discomforting to read, because it exposes issues of the “pitiful helplessness” and their resignation to it. The state is not going to help them. Instead the state wants to take their land, bulldoze their shanty towns, arrest them for trading without a permit etc. The poor have to survive often very desperate conditions. Even when they turn to crime it does not work out too well for them. The females do not have enough money to look good as prospective sex-workers and males soon get the message that they are easy to catch when they go on robbing missions. Yet, morality does not work very well on an empty stomach, soft and safer crimes are adopted. (more…)

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