Innocent Ojefia Blog

The overview of the current situation is not about insulting or mocking anyone for being sick, it is just to re-awaken everyone to the need to do their jobs as expected of them, else they meet the very fate to which their inaction and kleptomania have subjected ordinary Nigerians. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with so saying.  The leaders of Nigeria refuse to build and sustain infrastructure, like hospitals, in Nigeria; they instead steal money meant for such things and fly abroad for mere headaches, while millions of Nigerians languish in penury and their children die of illnesses that minor medication could have cured (Emir Sanusi tearfully testified that such happened in his palace).  With Coronavirus, these leaders are now unable to fly off, they are now dealing with the healthcare deprivation to which they have subjected Nigerians for decades. That’s what most Nigerians have been saying to powerful people like Kyari and President Buhari, that’s not mocking ...

The Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa on Friday congratulated Mrs. Onome Adewuyi on her election as the 56th President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Adewuyi, a Deltan from Emevor in Isoko North Local Government Area was elected at an ICAN Council meeting held online on Thursday. Prior to her emergence on Thursday, Adewuyi served as Vice President of ICAN and member of the Governing Council of the apex body for accounting professionals in the country since 2007. Okowa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, described Mrs. Adewuyi as an illustrious daughter of Delta who has brought honour and glory to the state. He said that Delta was proud of her sterling accomplishments in a career spanning over 35 years. The governor noted that all the positions Adewuyi had held in ICAN prepared her for the current big task. "I am glad to hear that she has held several positions in the Institute, incl...

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), which has compelled people to stay within their localities, illuminates the genius of the ageless adage: charity begins at home. It has exposed the malignant ignorance within Nigerian leaders who prefer foreign medical treatment while neglecting the amenities at home. The COVID-19 has profoundly exposed the nature and scope of the Nigerian healthcare crisis. Yet, every cloud has a silver lining! The recent coronavirus controversy in Enugu is a perplexing preface. A 70-year old woman was suspected to be carrying the virus. But there is no laboratory capable of administering the COVID-19 test in the entire Eastern Region. Thus, it took several days before the test result could arrive from faraway Irrua in Edo State. Though the result returned negative, the woman had already died while isolated in squalor at a grungy ESUT Teaching Hospital complex. The irony is that this incident took place in Enugu—of all places, the Igbo flagship met...

Today it has been officially reported that the de facto president of Nigeria, Abba Kyari has contracted the virus. Another top government official has already passed away. May his soul rest in peace. Atiku's son has the virus, the estate he resides in Abuja is under quarantine and me and you can guess the class of people that live there. Gradually this virus is exposing the country. For 50 years we have been begging our leaders to shun greed, stealing and tribalism but they refused. We begged that the nation be fixed but they turned deaf ears. They were focused on their pockets for their children and unborn generations. Now the stolen funds are useless. They cannot fly out and we cannot as well. Our hospitals and infrastructures are totally and shamefully dilapidated. Pathetic. Worst is that our reserves are empty and fully drained. All of us will suffer it together. Moment of truth is here. After this epidemic, we shall collectively decide how to run this country. Perha...

Never in the history of humanity have we seen anything like the Coronavirus. What began in Wuhan District, China about December 2019, has spread to 148 countries as at 21 st  March 2020. This pandemic has devastated many countries. Almost every country (France, Spain, Italy, and Germany) is in lockdown and meltdown, countries are shutting their borders too. The world economy is grinding to a halt. Is this the end of the world or the beginning of a new world? The death rate occasioned by this virus is on the increase in Italy, Spain, UK. China has recorded a decrease in death rates but the virus is still there. The world has united for one purpose to fight Coronavirus, which is now the new world order. The impact of the atomic bomb (plutonium or uranium) is likely going to be a child’s play when compared with Coronavirus. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986 is nowhere near. No one knows where this will lead to. Panic buying to stock up food items is on th...

The monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee meeting on Wednesday ended inconclusively. The Director of Information, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Hassan Dodo announced this after the meeting in Abuja. He said, “Gentlemen of the press, there is not going to be usual briefing today because the meeting is inconclusive.” The director did not give any reason for not concluding the FAAC monthly meeting. News Agency of Nigeria reports that the FAAC meeting, which was well attended by members, lasted for several hours. Financial experts had predicted a low revenue for February and March owing to the outbreak of coronavirus, which had affected oil prices across the globe. The International benchmark Brent crude traded at 26.01 dollars on Wednesday and fell to its lowest level since September 26, 2003.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Governors of the All Progressives Congress have postponed the National Executive Council meeting of the party. The meeting was scheduled to hold on Tuesday, March 17, but following a meeting which lasted for about thirty minutes at the State House, the leadership of the party decided to postpone the meeting. More details to follow shortly.

The fate of the suspended National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has suffered a setback as the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely the hearing of his appeal. The Appellate Court put off Oshiomhole’s suit to an undecided date on the grounds that the court is yet to constitute a panel to entertain the appeal. Indications that the hearing will be truncated emanated when Justice Stephen Adah and two other Justices entered the court and announced that their panel was not billed to entertain Comrade Oshiomhole’s matter. Justice Adah who presided over two other cases left the courtroom with information that another panel will soon be around and that if the panel was not ready, parties will be communicated Less than two minutes after Justice Adah’s panel rose, one of the court registrars announced to the anxious lawyers and audience that hearing in Oshiomhole’s case will not proceed. Justice Danlami Senchi who granted t...

Nigeria has three different and often confusing systems of government. One is Democracy brought into Nigeria by the British. The democratic form of government is anchored by the federal government, state governments, and local governments, i.e. president, governors, and local government chairmen. The second system of parallel government is the native laws that were in place before the British came in and messed everything up. This second parallel of government is anchored by Emirs, Igwes/Obis, Obas, etc., and town unions chairmen/women. The third system of parallel government is a theocracy. This system is operated by Iman’s, sheiks, pastors, bishops, etc. This system is most prevalent in Sharia states of Nigeria but the influence of bishops in SE Nigeria, for example, is profound. Many Nigeria politicians have had occasions to fight with some of the leaders of the parallel systems for example there is the case of Premier Awolowo with some Obas and the current fight be...

To Nigerians, that the 14th  Emir of Kano , Muhammadu Sanusi II, has been dethroned is incontrovertibly established. However, the nuances and the sociological imports of his dethronement should not be lost on society. To start with, the allegations made against the deposed Emir were, up till now, neither substantiated nor provided credible and sufficient reasons for his removal. Yet, the man was summarily removed in a hurry by a government that appears to be hiding something. In recent times, the pronouncements of the Emir have no doubt been acerbic and critical of the Nigerian government. Sanusi did not take any prisoners! With deviant profundity, he exposed the charade of the Northern government. He talked about the abuse of women, the menace of the almajiris and the need to abolish it. He lampooned the elite and warned them against the abuse of children, especially, the girl child. He lamented the frightening number of the out-of-school children in the North and linked ...

A free mind is a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing. Most people spend much of their time looking for reasons to be offended. An open mind is never offended because it is free of any attachments. It is never the self that is offended but always the illusion that the self has of itself that is affected by insult! If you can really understand this, deeply grasp its truth, live it each day, then the pain will be no more. Next time you 'feel' offended look closely within yourself, at yourself and ask yourself what was offended? If you remain aware you will see that it was only an image of yourself which you had become attached to, and that image did not resonate with the image contained in the insult. If you weren't attached, if you didn't identify with the wrong image of yourself then there would be no offence taken. You would then remain free and therefore happy.

Africa, as of Friday morning, has confirmed about 146 Covid-19 cases on the continent, the World Health Organisation has said. The African region of the UN health agency, in a report on the status of the virus, said all countries in Africa must act to contain the spread and safeguard the health of its people. Africa’s Status The Covid-19 outbreak, which originated from China, has gotten worse, spreading all over the continents, except Antarctica. Africa was one of the last continents to detect cases of the new coronavirus disease and most of the cases were imported into the continent. So far, 18 Africa countries – Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Togo, Cameron, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Guinea – have reported at least a case of the disease. As the disease spreads, many African countries have been taking preventive measures to keep the disease out, whi...