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NIGERIA: Referendum On A Hegemony

on May 08, 2022

Electoral Mess News Desk Nigeria This Day

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NIGERIA: Footprints Without Imprints

on May 08, 2022

Essay News Desk Nigeria Politics This Day

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2023, Buhari And The Succession Battle

on May 08, 2022

Buhari Essay News Desk Nigeria This Day

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The Cat-And-Mouse Game Over Zoning

on May 08, 2022

Essay News Desk Nigeria This Day

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Nigeria: A Country In Ruins

on May 08, 2022

Essay News Desk Nigeria

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Ukraine: Russia Using ‘Missile Terrorism’ In Wide Attacks

on May 04, 2022

Associated Press News Desk Russia Ukraine

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UN: Record Number Of People Without Enough To Eat In 2021

on May 04, 2022

Associated Press News Desk World View

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Advocates Worry Other Rights At Risk If Court Overturns Roe

on May 04, 2022

Associated Press News Desk United States

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Frederick Forsyth's The Outsider

on May 03, 2022

Book Review Book Shelf Essay

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Nigeria Has An Igbo problem

on May 03, 2022

Essay Igbo Nigeria Punch

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Igbo Journal Review

Culture and Ideas for the Igbo Nation

Popular Posts

Main Street: In Da Hood

BY AMBROSE EHIRIM On Easter Monday, as we usually called it back home, I was invited by a good friend over dinner and some drinks, and some talks. While we ate and drank, we talked about a whole lot of stuff including the new arrivals on the book shelves -- Caught Between Hitler & Stalin; From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women; A Constitution of Many Minds: Why the Founding Document Doesn't Mean What It Mean Before; Founders: The People Who Brought You A nation; ICRC Report on the Treatment of Fourteen "High Value Detainees" in CIA Custody; The political Worlds Of Slavery And Freedom; Nazi Germany and the Jews; The Black Death; Engaging The Muslim World; Hitler's Pope; Captives and Countrymen: Barbary Slavery and the American Public; The Irony of American History; Adolf Eichman and many other books that just arrived on the shelves, particularly about the Holocaust. He is disgusted with Nd'Igbo and why nobody is writing with regards to the pogrom. On Nol

UN Forum Says People Of African Descent Still Face Discrimination And Attacks, Urges Reparations

Morris Griffin of Los Angeles, speaks during the public comment portion of the Reparations Task Force meeting in Sacramento, Calif., on March 3, 2023...(Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP, File) BY EDITH M. LEDERER UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. body formed to promote respect for and protect people of African descent around the world says in its first report that they continue “to be victims of systemic racial discrimination and racialized attacks” and calls for reparations. The report, which was delivered to the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, says reparations are essential to rectify past injustices against people of African descent and are “a cornerstone of justice in the 21st century.” Epsy Campbell Barr, chair of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, said at a news conference Tuesday the report underlines that “the legacies of colonialism, enslavement and apartheid are still alive today.” These legacies still have a real impact on the lives of millions of p

BOOK REVIEW: Jen Silverman’s Gripping Second Novel Explores The Long Afterlife Of Political Violence

This book cover image released by Penguin Random House shows "There's Going To Be Trouble" by Jen Silverman. (Penguin Random House via AP) BY ANN LEVIN , THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Earlier this year a former member of the far-left Baader-Meinhof gang who spent decades in hiding was arrested by German police in connection with a string of crimes. It was just another example of the long afterlife of the anti-war movement of the late 1960s, which Jen Silverman explores in a brilliant, beautifully written new novel, “There’s Going to Be Trouble.” Titling it after a line from an Allen Ginsberg poem — “My mind is made up there’s going to be trouble” — Silverman constructs an intricate, clever plot that braids together two separate stories connected by the main characters. One takes place in 1968 when Keen, an apolitical grad student at Harvard, gets drawn into the takeover of a campus building because of his desperate love for Olya, one of the organizers. When the demonstration goes

Newsroom Update

Indicted Representative William Jefferson of Louisiana Loses Seat in House Runoff Election The investigation of Jefferson began in 2005 when Jefferson was videotaped by the FBI receiving cash in leather briefcases in Virginia for a deal in Ghana that he wanted a financial stake in. The money was to be split with the Nigerian Vice President to insure that their contracts would go forward. READ MORE>>> Nigeria opposition doubts Yar'Adua's electoral reform Lagos, Nigeria - Angered by the recent praises heaped on the embattled Nigeria's electoral boss Maurice Iwu by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the country's opposition has expressed doubts that the government is serious about its much touted electoral reform. READ MORE>>> Jailed: The prayer group fraudster who swindled worshipers out of tens of thousands of pounds A pensioner who used 'prayer sessions' to help defraud a church minister and a worshipper out of tens of thousands of pounds, has

ECOWAS NEEDS TO HAVE A FACE

BY TOLU ASADE In 2000, the launch of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) passport, which enables the free movement of people across West Africa, became one of ECOWAS’s first achievements towards larger integration amongst member nations. This action was meant to be the first of multiple changes towards creating a borderless West Africa, and harmonizing policies, shipping laws, through a single currency to create a monetary union. After the launch of the passport, the first element toward creating a customs union with a common external tariff was meant to be implemented by 2019, 19 years after the announcement in Bamako. This simple element underlies the role and effectiveness of ECOWAS. It is an organization with a weak secretariat that is only propped up by state-to-state relations. It is unable to achieve the goals it has set, and this has led to multiple challenges to its goal of creating a borderless West Africa. Politically, ECOWAS is yet to achieve significant

Why Defend Your Faith If You Live In the World’s Most Christian Continent?

Apologetics in Africa offers resources to both believers and skeptics where the church remains largely unequipped to respond to attacks on their faith. BY AGNES MACAU For most Africans, there is no dichotomy between sacred and secular realms. While this holistic approach to life has great merits, it can also serve as a sponge, soaking up all kinds of spirituality. Christian apologetics acts as a gate to lock out syncretism and false teachings. As 1 Peter 3:15–16 reminds us, we should be prepared to defend the faith while “keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” In other words, apologetics is a gentle conversation about faith, not a fight to be won. Apologetics in Africa: An Introduction offers answers to both believers and skeptics on a continent where Christians remain largely unequipped to respond to attacks on the faith they embrace. This is by no means the first book on apologetics in Afr

Domestic Violence Survivors Seek Homeless Services From A System That Often Leaves Them Homeless

AUTHORS: NKEIRU NNAWULEZI ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY LAUREN CATTANEO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY About 1 in every 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience domestic violence over their lifetime. Since domestic violence can escalate to the point of serious injury or murder, survivors must take action to increase their safety – potentially even fleeing their homes. Of the total homicides that occurred in the U.S. in 2020, 34% of women and 6% of men were murdered by their intimate partners . Research has clearly shown the connection between domestic violence and homelessness. For example, a California study found that domestic violence survivors were four times more likely to experience housing instability compared with those who hadn’t experienced domestic violence. We are two psychologists based in Washington D.C., who study the experiences, struggles and strengths of domestic violence

Senegal Just Saved Its Democracy. That Helps All West Africa.

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye BY JOSEPH SANY Senegal’s dramatic transfer of presidential power this week highlights that West Africa, routinely seen as a zone of democratic erosion and failure, includes an arc of resilient coastal democracies — from Senegal to Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria. The Senegalese people’s resolute reversal of last month’s constitutional crisis shows that US and international efforts to counter violent extremism and military coups can reinforce a potent West African democratic constituency. Vital next steps include these: supporting Senegal’s democratic forces in shifting from “campaign mode” to inclusive governance; promoting economic investment to bolster youth employment and rule-of-law reforms; and energizing a West African democratic alliance against extremism and coups. How Democracy Won Senegal’s orderly inauguration of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is a victory of the democratic resilience that is needed to reverse Sahelian West Africa’s

The Shadow War Between Iran And Israel Has Been Exposed. What Happens Next?

A cleric chants slogans during an anti-Israeli gathering in front of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, April 14, 2024...(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) BY KAREEM CHEHAYEB BEIRUT (AP) — Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel early Sunday marked a change in approach for Tehran, which had relied on proxies across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. All eyes are now on whether Israel chooses to take further military action, while Washington seeks diplomatic measures instead to ease regional tensions. Iran says the attack was in response to an airstrike widely blamed on Israel that destroyed what Iran says were consular offices in Syria and killed two generals with its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard earlier this month. Israel said almost all the over 300 drones and missiles launched overnight by Iran were shot down by its anti-missile defense system , backed by the U.S. and Britain. The sole reported casualty was a wounded girl in southern Israe

Rise Of Empires: France And Russia In West Africa Amid The Ukraine War

BY NICHOLAS KABLAK The string of recent military coups in West Africa over the last few years has caused the region to become engrossed in competition between France and Russia. The two European powers’ struggle in the region adds crucial context to current events in the Russo-Ukrainian War. France historically owned the majority of the territory in West Africa as colonies, having officially decolonized the region starting in 1959. However, the decolonization process was complicated. The presence of French domination in the region has continued into the modern era. The French have maintained very strong economic, diplomatic and military ties with the governments of West Africa. “France has always been at the side of Africa whenever its stability has been jeopardized,” French President Emmanuel Macron said. France has kept thousands of troops stationed in West Africa to fulfill a multitude of roles, notably counter-terror operations. It has also instituted a number of economic ties,

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: 2015: Leadership and Sins of Nd'Igbo

Click on image to read full story and analysis

FROM THE ARCHIVES: BIAFRA: Relative Discourses

I signed up because I had little experience in Africa, after having served in the United Nations forces in Congo. Also upset about what happened in Biafra and Czechoslovakia, I did not want to stand next to and just watch.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: INTERVIEW: JULIUS KPADUWA

The problems that confront Imo State are really not unique. It is the same problem that confronts almost every state in Nigeria, and it's one of economic development. The primary thing or my clear vision for the people of Imo State will be getting all the able-bodied men and women back to work, so that we can begin to have the quality of life that has so far eluded the people of Imo State.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Where We Met

But seeing a Nigeria headline on my screen it then occurred to him I must either be a Nigerian or perhaps a curious minded fellow who is reading to find out about the notorious Boko Haram, if they have captured more of their victims, or if there's an ongoing battle between the insurgents and the nation's security forces. Elevating my head up and starring at each other, I told him I was Igbo

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Otokoto Saga Interview

Now, the main question is about eleven year old Ikechukwu Anthony Okonkwo whose head was found dripping with blood with the convicted murderer Innocent Ekeanyanwu on a police tip-off inside a traveling commercial bus at Eziama in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: THE AMBROSE EHIRIM-CHIKA UNIGWE INTERVIEW

Every writer has to be able to live in the head of her characters. I had to make myself a blank blackboard for the characters to inscribe their lives on me. I had to wipe off that board every time a new character had to be created and totally surrender myself to that new character.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: INTERVIEW: THE SYLVESTER MENSAH STORY

The idea of writing a book had always engaged my thoughts based on reflections and the desire to share my experiences. The motivation was however triggered after reading the book of a gentleman l consider the busiest in Ghana, H. E. John Dramani Mahama

FROM THE ARCHIVES: INTERVIEW: DR. APOLLOS NWAUWA

Contrary to what many think, the Igbo Diaspora is not really a homogenous, coherent group. Like other ethnic nationalities in the USA, the Igbo Diaspora consists of peoples from all walks of life separated by everything and only united by the fact that they are all Igbo. Serious social class disparity exists between them; therefore, presenting a united front in influencing or engineering actions at home continues to be a challenge.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: INTERVIEW: OZO'S KENI SAINT GEORGE

It was indeed a very boisterous, purpose driven, well-to-do Royal family. I come from a lineage of Royals and a well groomed family unit. My Father, Chief George Ozuloke, was a Court Judge for all of 18 years. He was both a Christian and Animist. He had 7 wives of which my mother was the first. I went to St. Martins Primary School and later to a wonderful School – Abbot Secondary Grammar School in Ihiala, my town. I even did a stint in Ihiala Seminary trying to be a Catholic Priest

Sovereign National Conference: A Symposium

A sovereign nation is born when, out of civilization, any such populations of human assemblage pledge loyalty and confide their trust to a governing body which they elect to oversee to their security, welfare and yes, to their happiness. The ensuing system of governance thrives and becomes sustainable by the wishes of the people whose interests it caters for.

ARETHA FRANKLIN (1942-2018)

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Aburi Accord Plays On

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Nchamere Nd'Igbo: Evidence of Anti-Igbo Pogrom

Obafemi Awolowo's orchestrated "Economic Blockade" denies food and medicine to Children of Biafra during Yakubu Gowon's-led genocidal campaign against the Igbo Nation. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW ALL PICTURES

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Inside Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Nothing But A Messy 14 Years

In the fourteen years of said democracy, things that never happened in the past - the way it had now turned out - started happening at an alarming rate and spooky by its nature.......Click on image to read full story

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