Pep Opara's Blog

Clark Vs. Tinubu “No psychologist should pretend to understand what he does not understand… Only fools and charlatans know everything yet understand nothing.” -Anton Chekhov One of the most profound observations now becoming a cliché is: “You don’t know what you don’t know”. How true this is of Chief Edwin Kiagboro Clark’s recent observation and conclusion that the Yoruba nation does not have leaders. Obviously, the Ijaw chief has a limited worldview of leadership and, having searched through that limited and flawed prism, failed to find among the Yorubas a persona or personae fitting his own concept of leadership.  But, alas, he does know what he does not know.   The Yoruba concept of leadership is clearly alien to the Ijaw chief’s worldview. He started out as a headmaster and has gotten used to being the man in authority, who lords it over all others, commanding obeisance and dictating what should be and what should not be. Advancing early in life after opportuniti

President Goodluck Jonathan’s appointment of the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, as Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has expectedly generated negative reactions from Nigerians.   Tukur has had a long-running battle with many of the party’s governors and other prominent stakeholders of the party over what they described as his high-handedness and incompetence. But he had the support of the President and his wife all along.   However, when the heat was getting too much and he saw the handwriting of his imminent removal on the wall, Tukur, on January 16, was forced to resign and replaced by a former governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Mua’zu, whose appointment as Chairman of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) had earlier been confirmed by the Senate.   The PDP crisis was so serious that five aggrieved governors left the party for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), while 35 members of the

  For those of you who have been following the 2014 budget debate on TV not withstanding the poor power supply {use of Generators or  inverters}, you would agree the debate is getting interesting, I had a good laugh when that Professor was giving his argument and coined Okonjo's policies as ‘ Okonjonomics’ , lol!. By the way......I love Okonjo Iweala's personality, she's such a strong female, with all them men hovering against her and she's not breaking...  Senators elected on both the PDP and APC platforms, yesterday, united against the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, blaming her for the country’s economic woes.   They specifically accused the minister of imposing the economic policies of the International Monetary Fund, IMF and the World Bank on Nigeria.   The senators also accused themselves of being part of the problem in the non-implementation of previous budgets in the country, pointing out tha

  NIGERIA: As 2015 election draws near, no day goes by without a dramatic political panorama in the country, it's  whirlwind that's swept the country in an open battle of supremacy between PDP and APC. In Kano State, the PDP defected party members did an OYO {ON-YOUR-OWN}on Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. Read report by SaharaReporters  after the cut.   Kano State members of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Political Change (CPC) that collapsed into the All Progressives Congress have refused to defect with their leader, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).   “We wish to make it categorically clear today that we are not leaving the APC for any political party,” the Leader of APC Kano Caucus and Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Suleiman Kawu, said at a press briefing today. “We have sacrificed a lot and have come a long way in the struggle to emancipate our people from the bondage of PDP

  Former Nigerian Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida once released a statement through his media aide, Kassim Afegbua more or less advising the President to see things a bit differently especially beyond what his aides tell him.   The statement reads: “The happenings in the country in recent times call for worry if we must be sincere with ourselves.    Every day, the nation is treated with one form of political issue or the other. From security challenges to economic challenges, Nigerians are asking several questions that deserve responses from government at the various levels. Democracy is when it is a people-driven government with its fundamental principles of freedom of expression, freedom of association, rule of law, accountability, probity and equal representation amongst others.   “I will like to advise President Goodluck Jonathan to tread cautiously so that those sycophants in, and out of government will not derail his focus, resilience and persev

NIGERIA : A 60-year-old man simply identified as Akinduro is cooling his heels in police net for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old student of May Flower School, Ikenne, Ogun State.   We gathered that the girl (names withheld) was put in the custody of the suspect who runs a private hostel in the town.   Findings revealed that the her parents could not afford the exorbitant accommodation fee in the school, prompting her parents to send her to the private hostel.   However, the custodian, Akinduro, had canal knowledge of her on two occasions and the girl could no longer cope with the situation and raised the alarm which attracted sympathisers.   Also, the matter was said to have been suppressed for days until the quick intervention of some concerned citizens who notified Ogun police and his arrest was effected.  Confirming the arrest, Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, said investigations revealed the suspect did not have a clean reco

  United State Consul General To Lagos, Jeffrey Hawkins; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; United State Ambassador To Nigeria, James Entwistle; Interim National Chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, Chief Bisi Akande; and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during a Courtesy Visit of US Ambassador to Asiwaju Tinubu at his office, Freedom House, Victoria Island,Lagos.

    Kim Kardashian posted this lovely photos of her nephew Mason holding baby North West, obviously the little cousins are getting along just fine and Mummy Kim cuddling North West.{ I don't get why she's hiding her baby's face when it's there for all to see...it's ok}  

The late Youthful Segun Okeowo The late Segun Okeowo THE sun, yesterday, finally set on Mr Segun Okeowo, the arrowhead of ‘Ali Must Go’ protests, arguably one of the most violent students agitation in the country.   Okeowo,  former president of the National Union of Nigeria Students, NUNS, who championed the students’ protest in the late 70s against the General Olusegun Obasanjo-led military government died at about 6.30 a.m. yesterday at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, at the age of 73.   Mr Kolade Segun-Okeowo, the surviving son of the late unionist, confirmed it, saying his father died from a heart related ailment.   Late Segun Okeowo will be missed for his doggedness, which he demonstrated when he led the students’ union in 1970s, insisting on the removal of then Federal Commissioner forEducation, Col Ahmadu Ali (rtd) over 50 kobo daily meal increase.   Later in life, Okeowo became the chairman, Ogun State Teaching Service Commission

OVER the past few years, Bola Tinubu has made himself something of a colossus of South-Western politics in Nigeria.  Against the onslaught of vociferous PDP electoral manipulations in 2003, Tinubu drew the line in the sand and held on to the biggest prize: Lagos.     He became, in effect, the lone survivor of his party in the South-West.  By 2007, using just Lagos State as his stronghold, he fought back to wrest ACN control back in all but one of the South-western states.    By 2011, he had consolidated his hold in the region.  With 2015 looming, it would appear to be high time for Tinubu to unfold a national, as opposed to a merely regional, agenda.   Accordingly, Tinubu has now become the grandfather of the All Progressives Congress (APC); a coalition forged between his ACN party, Buhari’s CPC, the ANPP and Rochas Okorocha’s wing of APGA.  But the question needs to be asked: what is in this new-fangled APC for Bola Tinubu?   Politics without principles Tinubu’s

Former French First Lady Arrives in mumbai after humiliation The president’s ex has arrived in Mumbai, India for a charity visit Has lost her title and her webpage has already been deleted following split Hollande’s affair with French actress Julie Gayet was exposed by press Meanwhile, thousands took to the streets of Paris today in a ‘Day of Anger’ protest against the Presiden Valerie Trierweiler has arrived in India for a charity visit following her split from President Hollande. The former First Lady arrived at Mumbai airport soon after midnight local time and was swamped with photographers as she made her way to a waiting limousine.   Ms Trierweiler’s webpage on the official Elysee Palace website has already been removed, along with her official Twitter account.   Her five staff office at the Elysee has also been shut down, and she is not expected to enter the palace again.   Ms Trierweiler was wearing a dark trouser suit and looked relaxed and happy afte

NIGERIA: Two brothers, Kunmi and Adeniyi Adetokun died within days of each late last year in Oyo state and family members say it was after they slept with their uncles’ wives.   The uncle, (pictured above) is accused of killing the brothers with a deadly anti-adultery charm commonly known as Magun .    He was attacked and nearly killed by irate youths following the death of the second brother. He is lying critically ill in a hospital in Ibadan.   The incident happened at Jagun community near Iyana Ofa, Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State towards the end of 2013 when two blood brothers, Kunmi and Adeniyi Adetokun, died, one after the other, within three days, allegedly of a local charm used to punish adulterous men, commonly referred to as magun in Yoruba.   This literally translates ‘don’t climb’ in English. But the two brothers climbed the metaphorical mountains that were too high for them. And they somersaulted down the hills, breaking their

Jang Song-thaek disgraced and excuted   Is this the next known and rising dictator of this century ? The proud dictator is probably wiping off his uncle's entire family to avoid a case of revenge or retribution from any member of the family in future.     The purge of relatives and children of Jang Sang-Thaek and himself put to death, was reported by South Korea’s state news agency and also carried by other news media.    Report from Al Jazeera says: North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered the execution of his uncle’s entire family, including his children and relatives serving as ambassadors to Cuba and Malaysia, according to South Korea’s state news agency, Yonhap.   Jang Song-thaek, a once powerful North Korean military general, was executed last month as divisions between him and his nephew Kim widened.   Unnamed source for Yonhap said Kim referred to Jang as “worse than a dog” and “human scum” in his announcement of his execution, which he said wa

  Six years ago, Musa Ali (not his real name) was linked up with a rich businessman in Yola, who ‘initiated’ him into gay sex. Ali was told that being gay would make him bold and feared. Of course, he was also told that he would make a huge load of money.   Now 36, Ali is somewhat filled with regrets and wishing it were possible to turn back the hands of the clock.   Sitting in the serene evening of last Thursday in Bankin Kogi at the bank of River Benue in Yola after a Herculean arrangement to get him to talk, he shared his story with our correspondent. Ali revealed that the rich and the powerful, both in business and politics hit the hay with him.   Read Excerpts … How did you become a gay?     A woman my friend introduced to me lured me into it. The woman linked me up with some men in business and in politics. The first man I was introduced to told me that having anal sex would fetch me good fortune and I would be bold to challenge anybody no matter

 Gay Russian artist who says he too found the racist “Garage” magazine “fashion” photo of a white woman using a black woman as a chair offensive has now created his own version of the pic to further illustrate the ridiculously racist nature of the original photo. Read more via Huffington Post :    A gay artist from Russia has created a flipped image in response to the controversial photo of Garage magazine’s white, female editor-in-chief sitting on a “black woman” chair.    The Russian editor-in-chief of Garage magazine, Dasha Zhukova, came under fire for an editorial photo showing her seated atop a chair designed to look like a black woman with a belt around her waist and thighs and her legs up in the air. The photo, which offended many, began circulating on Monday, Jan. 20, which was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   Zhukova eventually apologized and called the decision to appear with such a racially insensitive piece of art “regrettable.” But, some did not find the apolog

  See that face, that's the face of a man who killed his wife, not satisfied with his murderous desires....killed his daughters and you know why?...for a stupid reason ever heard. Read report Via Gawker :   Last weekend, a 28-year-old Queens man named Miguel Mejia-Ramos stabbed his wife and two daughters to death. On Friday, the NYPD revealed the mind-boggling reason why he took the lives of his kids, neither of which was older than two.   According to Ramos, he was going to flee with his daughters except he felt like he had no way to drive away with them.    “I was going to take them with me, but I didn’t have car seats,” he allegedly told police. Prior to the murder, Ramos and his wife — a 21-year-old woman named Deisy Garcia — were reportedly having marital issues.   Approximately 20 hours after Ramos killed his wife and daughters, relatives discovered their bodies.    Ramos had already left New York City, but would be arrested in a small town in Texas

  Two years after the death of Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, a chamber where he raped girls and boys as young as 14 years old has been discovered. Read the incredibly sad story below…   The full horror of his brutality has been slow to emerge, with many Libyans still fearing retaliation by those who continue to be loyal to their late leader.   But it can now be revealed that the most heartbreaking of Gaddafi’s victims include hundreds, possibly thousands of teenage girls who, throughout his 42-year reign, were beaten, raped and forced to become his sex slaves.   Many were virgins kidnapped from schools and universities and kept prisoner for years in a specially designed secret sex lair hidden within Tripoli University or his many palaces.   In the 26 months since he was deposed, Gaddafi’s den – where he regularly raped girls as young as 14 – has remained locked. But today its gaudy interior, where the colonel brutalised his victims, can be seen for

Actress Juliet Gayet , the alleged mistress France President   “I don’t much care if he has affairs 10 years from now,” announced my Parisian friend, Sylvie, eyeing her husband-to-be as he made his way towards us across the restaurant. “Just so long as he’s discreet and doesn’t embarrass me.” I’ve never forgotten this statement, finding her pragmatism – on the night we toasted the couple’s engagement – both terribly civilised and terribly sad.   As it happened, her husband did have an affair, just a few years later – and she did care. Just as the First Lady of France, Valerie Trierweiler, cares about her partner François Hollande’s alleged affair with the actress Julie Gayet now – cares to the point of being hospitalised for depression.   And while France is affecting a giant Gallic shrug in our direction from across the Channel (the French political commentator Agnes Poirier dismissed the story, published in French Closer magazine last weekend, as “a very British