By Senator Babafemi Ojudu, CON CONDUCT AN unscheduled search of most civil servants in Nigeria—federal or state—and you’re likely to uncover a stash of registered companies tucked away in drawers or digital files. From junior desk officers to procurement directors and permanent secretaries, many of them own multiple companies, each carefully ...
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, CON I CAN never resist the urge to tell this story whenever the opportunity arises. It captures, in one poignant moment, what yesterday was and what today, sadly, has become. In 1996, as my grandmother lay on her deathbed at the age of 97, she sent for me. I arrived promptly, unsure […]
By Babafemi Ojudu ON A fateful morning in 1984, Nigerians woke up to a shocking news: the home of the revered Yoruba leader, thinker, and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, had been raided. Security forces broke into his wardrobe, ransacked his files, and carted away documents. The nation was outraged. The backlash was swift and fierce, [&hell...
Senator Babafemi Ojudu, CON LAGOS DURING the holiday season is a whole different beast. It’s no longer the Lagos I knew as a journalist pounding the streets, covering the intrigues of politics, and navigating the city’s chaos. Now? Lagos has become a financial black hole, where every meal, ride, and nap demands a pocket as […]
By Babafemi Ojudu ” Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” – Samuel Johnson [1775]. KEMI BADENOCH, the British MP and current Business Secretary, recently distanced herself from Nigeria, her country of birth, citing the deep rot in its governance and systems. Around the same time, Davido, our globe-trotting musician...
By Babafemi Ojudu IF YOU have ever witnessed the Ede masquerade, the Aladoko, or the Alamudu perform, you will instantly appreciate the poetry of Niyi Osundare, the world-renowned poet. Osundare hails from Ekiti, as do these mesmerizing masquerades. Had education not found him, Osundare might well have been a bearer of one of these magnificent...
