Coups in Africa: Historical Antecedents, Root Causes, and the Systemic Way Out
By Toyin Falola Military coup — and its sister-act, usurpation — have existed for centuries. Seventeenth-century England had its fair share of attempted and successful military coups. Eighteenth-century France suffered military coups. Even the eighteenth-century Oyo Empire, despite the ingenious move of having the war generals — Are — lived in a city far […]
Police confirm murder of 65-year-old man in Umuahia
The Police Command in Abia State has confirmed the murder of Mr Chigozie Chigbu, 65, by unknown assailants in his compound on Thursday. The Police PPRO, ASP Maureen Chinaka disclosed this in a press release she issued to newsmen in Abia. Police said Chigozie Chigbu’s lifeless body was found in his compound in […]
EU registers increase in asylum applications in June 2023
European Union states received 25 per cent more asylum applications in June 2023 compared with June 2022, the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat said on Friday. In June, 83,385 people applied for international protection in one of the bloc’s 27 member states. The figure is however lower than in autumn 2022, when around 100,000 monthly […]
UNESCO puts Rwanda genocide memorials on World Heritage list
Four memorials to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda of more than 800,000 people, mainly Tutsi, were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, the UN cultural body said. The sites at Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi, and Bisesero commemorating the mass killings were “just inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list”, the organisation posted on X (formerly […]
MARAN Calls Out Customs Boss Over N180bn Rusting Anti-Smuggling Boats
By Alex Akao. The Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), has decried the sheer waste of two modern anti- smuggling boats valued at N180 billion now idling away since they were acquired by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), several years ago. The Association considered as one of the critical stakeholders in the Nigerian Maritime industry, […]
Tight security in Jos as tribunal delivers judgment
There is a heavy presence of security personnel in Jos as the Governorship Election Tribunal for Plateau delivers judgement. A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who moved round Jos, reports that security personnel were stationed in key locations. There are also reports that armed security personnel were particularly stationed at the […]
2024 Hajj: Intending pilgrims to deposit N4.5m
The FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (FCT-MPWB), has advised 2024 prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to deposit N4.5 million with the board, pending the determination of the actual fee. The Assistant Chief Information Officer of the board, Mr Ahmad Saleh, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Friday. He said that the […]
Petrol increased to N626.70 in August, says NBS
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has said the average retail price of a litre of Petrol increased from N189.46 in Aug. 2022 to N626.70 in Aug. 2023. It made the declaration in its Petrol Price Watch for Aug. 2023 released in Abuja on Friday. It stated that the Aug. 2023 price of […]
Stop fee hike, commercialization of education, CAPPA tells government
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has condemned the recent hike in school fees across public universities in the country, saying they are outrageous and unconscionable. In a statement issued in Lagos, the group said that this disheartening trend is not just a knife in the back of poor students […]
The West and the Hypocrisy of Democracy
By Toyin Falola Western deception has been with Africa forever: 1493: Pope Alexander VI issued a papal bull, “Inter Caetera,” proclaiming the right of Spain and Portugal to enslave Africans and own the land. They were subjects. They stole your people and your land. 1885: Africa was a Dark Continent. It required colonization to […]
