Author: TheScrutinyNG

By Ismail Omipidan  A man must stand for something. That was what former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, demonstrated on Friday, May 23, when he hosted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at his home in Ilesa. Atiku, once regarded as the architect of the progressives’ woes in the South-West in 2003, was received with warmth and open arms by Aregbesola in company of his political disciples. Although, it is one thing to stand for something, and quite another for that cause to be considered noble or otherwise. It is undeniable that only cowards sit on the fence. In this…

By Olawale Olaleye One irreducible takeaway from QUALITY education – guaranteed – is that it obliterates every form of ignorance and its markers from the life of an individual. This is why a certain saying appears very famous in the academic environment, even at the foundation level.  “If you say education is expensive,” the academic will gladly advise you “try ignorance.” However, when a professor, who supposedly worked really hard to earn the degree and not honourary, believes that the answer to an evident leadership challenge can be located in prayer, then it is finished. In fact, it’s game over.…

By Kassim Afegbua “Let those who have ears, hear;” so goes the common saw. Now landlords are fastidious about who their tenants are; and that is positive! Edo State Government has been in the news over Governor Monday Okpebholo’s stand on the ravaging activities of cult members, at intra and inter-cult levels, as well as kidnapping episodes. His stand is clear, and he is not deterred by polemics. This ugly situation obviously festered when the immediate past government jettisoned its job, to face securing the office of the Governor in the 2024 election. It may have been inadvertently or quite…

The Federal Government has tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the death certificate of the former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, allegedly murdered by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in 2012 for alleged non-compliance with the sit-at-home order. The death certificate was tendered by its 2nd prosecution witness, identified as BBB, in the ongoing trial of the detained leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court. He was in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awolowo SAN, who informed the court that though the…

By Gboyega Akosile In the last few weeks, I have consistently reviewed the activities of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Lagos and I have come to one conclusion: he is more of a statesman than a politician. He has weathered the storm on many fronts and remains calm amidst what seems like distractions. As I settled down at my library a few hours before embarking on this piece, my eyes caught the quote of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam that “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun”. As I read and read again, my…

By Kassim Afegbua To say that he is garrulous may be an overreach, but he comes across as a man with no scruples; one whose intellectuality is drab, and understanding of issues, somewhat limited. He makes statements before weighing their implications. Since Peter Obi garnered this nascent Obidient movement for the 2023 election, he maintains a belief that he can conquer most voters, and ride like a rollercoaster to Aso Villa. His political strategies are as pedestrian as the thought process that bakes them. He’s been jumping from one party to another looking for political anchorage that would birth his…

By Dr. Monday O. Ubani, SAN Introduction Recent discussions in the public space, following the reference by the adopted son of our respected brother, Obi Cubana, to himself as “next of kin,” have generated widespread debate and misunderstanding. It has become necessary to clarify the true meaning, legal position, and implications of the term “next of kin” under Nigerian law. While an adopted child enjoys full rights equivalent to a biological child within a family, the term “next of kin” carries a far more limited and technical meaning. This write-up seeks to enlighten the public accordingly. 1. Meaning of “Next…

By Olawale Olaleye Some weeks ago, an older friend and brother asked if I had any link to our famed Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade (KSA)? A prominent Nigerian from Osun State was planning his 90th and wanted KSA as the main act. KSA and the old man had known each other over the years and had always related until lately when KSA became unreachable. So, efforts were being made to see who else could reach him, hence my brother-friend approached me. Unfortunately, I didn’t have his contact information at the time, but I jokingly told him, “There’s no one…

By Kassim Afegbua Governor Monday Okpebholo comes across as an uncommon personality doing uncommon things with less talk, but more reach. Those who wrote very unpalatable news about him, derided him with benign remarks, have since swallowed their vomits, and have now become Chief promoters of this easy going Governor that has his eyes set on his objectives. They insulted his intellect, lampoon his calm demeanor, misunderstood his candour, underestimated his acceptability and political reach, and at the end of the day, the Governor defeated his opponents handsomely. In fact, some of them have since become Okpebholo’s unsolicited publicists. They…

By Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN I have read with respectful interest the recent piece authored by brilliant mind,  Dr. Ope Banwo, titled “The NBA and the N300 Million ‘Donation’ Mess  –  Is it Legit Fundraising or Proof of a Compromised Lawyers’ Body?” While I appreciate Dr. Banwo’s concern for ethical purity in public institutions and Associations like NBA,  his attempt to caricature the Nigerian Bar Association’s acceptance of a financial donation from the Rivers State Government of His Excellency Fubara as a moral collapse or institutional compromise is, at best, overly idealistic and, at worst, dangerously disconnected from the…