Nigerians should brace for yet another round of hardship as the Federal Board of Internal Revenue (FBIR), in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), plans price hike number plates and vehicle papers. For sure, both the relevant and irrelevant agencies, officially assigned to roadwork or patrol, will seize this opportunity to cash in on the new, unpopular policy—for their bosses and themselves. For the average Nigerian without connections, this new policy means an additional avenue for extortion. The FBIR, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), the Police, state road agencies, and many others will likely welcome the policy as another…
Author: TheStories
As part of his maiden visit to the Joint Task Force South-South Operation Delta Safe, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, visited the 146 Battalion (Main) Bonny Island to boost the morale of the officers serving under the unit. The Minister commended the battalion for its excellent work in safeguarding critical national infrastructure, particularly the Trans Niger Pipelines (TNP). “The successes recorded in protecting the TNP in your area of responsibility demonstrate the excellent work you are doing,” he stated. “The maximum protection of the pipelines under your watch is commendable, and I urge you to sustain it.” The Minister…
Majority of Nigerians had never had it so bad. The situation is so bad and so hard that the feeling of abandonment by the leadership of the country is overwhelming almost everywhere. These are very hard, harsh, unfriendly and trying times for those of very little or no means at all, when a number of them go to bed with the proverbial ‘empty stomach’. By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi This is a country that is so rich in mineral resources that it was felt that Nigeria would develop into an industrial powerhouse in a matter of a few years after it…
Dan Tabashir and Huwaila are the two main subjects of Hafsat Jega’s phone conversations. The former is her fiancé/husband, while the latter is her friend/stepdaughter-to-be (unknown to the stepdaughter-to-be, though). Hafsat’s comedy is a one-woman show that captivates viewers and sends them into fits of laughter. By Abdu Labaran Initially, I considered titling this piece “The One-Person-Cast Comedian Who Makes the Hausas Laugh.” However, I realized that the Hausa language is not spoken and understood solely by native speakers. Many non-Hausas speak and understand Hausa, with some even more fluent than the so-called native speakers. I often cite my secondary…
Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, is supposed to be in charge of the country’s affairs while President Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is on holiday in England. However, since assuming the acting presidency, there have been no major decisions attributed to him. Perhaps what he has done has been kept “hush hush,” or he is entirely satisfied with his boss’s prior actions, or perhaps the role is “acting” in name only, not in reality. There’s even the possibility that he hasn’t truly been granted the opportunity to act. This writer vividly remembers a significant national decision made by Vice President…
The politicians live (and comfortably too), the workers exist (on insufficient stipends), and the rest of us simply manage to survive amidst unbearable economic hardship in a nation that should, by all accounts, have no business with hardship for any of its citizens. Nigeria is a country abundantly blessed by God with highly sought-after mineral resources. Yet, these resources are being illegally mined—often with the assistance of murderous bandits—and smuggled out of the country by unpatriotic rulers, who unfortunately dominate the leadership of the nation. This is not to say Nigeria lacks genuine business moguls, such as the Dangotes, the…
There’s no doubt about the palpable presence of two emotions in Nigeria today: hunger and anger. Hunger and anger are widespread across the country, with a significant number of the nearly 230 million population going to bed on empty stomachs. This shouldn’t be the case in a land so abundantly blessed with mineral resources. Only the self-styled leaders, who, through their selfish and self-serving behavior, act more like rulers, live in obscene comfort at the expense of the larger majority. This excludes the successful and verified businesspeople who remain non-partisan and unaffiliated with government employment. The hunger could explain why…
In any part of the world, criticism of Israel often draws accusations of anti-Semitism from the Western powers. Deny the Holocaust, the mass killing of Jews in Europe, and Jewish supporters label you a “denier.” But point out that Israel is committing similar offenses against Palestinians, and the Western world justifies it as “self-defense” — a defense that far exceeds any perceived provocation. By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi Yet, the rest of the world does not oppose Jews, whether they live in Israel or elsewhere. In fact, many Jews in Israel oppose Zionism. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders, including some Rabbis, have openly…
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has commended the Headquarters 6 Division/Land Component Joint Task Force South-South Operation Delta Safe for their ongoing efforts in combating oil theft and other forms of criminality in the region. He noted that the recent increase in oil production is a testament to the special task force’s sustained fight against oil theft. The minister gave this commendation during his maiden visit to the Nigerian Army 6 Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt. Badaru highlighted the critical role played by Operation Delta Safe, the Chief of Defence Staff, and, importantly, the unwavering support of President…
The Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) has commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their impressive strides in combating insecurity across the country. This acknowledgement follows the continuous victories recorded in the fight against insurgency, banditry, and other security challenges. During a courtesy visit to the Minister of Defence at Ship House, Abuja, BON Vice-Chairman, Tony Akiotu, who represented the BON Chairman and Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Salihu Dembos, praised the efforts of the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, in supporting the military’s successful operations. Akiotu noted that the new collaboration between the Ministry of Defence…