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" Reading makes a full man;confidence a ready man; writing an exact man" - Anonymous  …my musings on Mamo – Helon Habila’s introspective character Today is World Book Day - 5 th March 5, 2015 - a day set aside by UNESCO to celebrate authors, books and reading every year. This celebration is observed by over hundreds of nations across the world. How are you celebrating? I hope you are not left out. For me, I didn't buy myself a new book this week, and couldn't go for any book event or reading sessions happening around town: just recuperating from a bout of malaria. However, I am here doing it my little way. So today, since I couldn't get myself a new book - and no one surprised me with a book gift – I turned to my modest library. I wanted something original, captivating and absorbing. I followed my fingers, carefully rummaging through the shelf. It is Helon Habila’s Measuring Time that called me. I answered. Recently, Helon Habila, Te

  President Goodluck Jonathan in the last few weeks has come under a barrage of criticism for failing to conduct election as earlier scheduled, even after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced its readiness. And Nigerians, especially the main opposition party, APC have grudgingly accepted the postponement on the ground that the presidency acted within the ambit of the law. The election postponement was seen as a ploy by the incumbent government to buy time, and it did work for them. A new date has since been announced. Goodbye February 14. Hello March 28. We are waiting. The “fight” for the soul of Nigeria is gathering ominous clouds. It is PDP’s Jonathan and APC’s Buhari in the ring. We hear the brash cry for change. They say enough is enough, that Nigeria cannot continue in this direction of corruption, impunity and wanton wasting and looting of public treasury; and then from the other end, we hear the boisterous “moving forward” campaign for continu

It is good news once again! The third edition of The Windham Campbel Prize has been announced. Nine winners emerged from different categories: fiction, non-fiction and drama. Interestingly, all three slots dedicated to fiction were swept by African novelists.  The trio ace of African literary giants, Teju Cole, Helon Habila and Ivan Vladislavic scooped $150,000 each as a part on the back for “a body of work or extraordinary promise.” You can say it was an African show! The Windham Campbell Prize was established in 2013 by novelist Donald Windham and Sandy M. Campbell with particular interest in fiction and non-fiction writers. Its core objective has been “to call attention to literary achievement and provide writers with the opportunity to focus on their work independent of financial concerns.” There is no better time to raise our glasses for these illustrious sons, these men with busy hands making tremendous inroads in shaping global ideas through storytelling. Af

...and I enjoyed a selfie with this cute buddy of mine Sunday, February 22, 20015 So, today I return to my Parish, The Cathedral of Twelve Apostles, Abuja. I have missed everything here. I do not expect anything less than a spirit-filled Holy Mass. And so it was, with Fr. Patrick Alumuku and his priest-friends at the altar. Today, my curious mind pricks me again. There is something to learn and unlearn. The homily is on-point. Fr. Patrick is no greenhorn. He’s like that, always subtly luring you into the sermon with certain touchy stories. There is something to learn. I am blessed. Yes, we are. The atmosphere in our church today, as always, brings with it the aura of prestige, a dashing sense of style and glamour in a way that assures you that all is well. It is a place of worship and our God is not a poor God after all. You could always feel the spirit of God moving among His people, blessing us. During consecration, the silence can be stony, as we focus on the alta

By Leadership The House of Representatives on Thursday suspended the debate on the deployment of military personnel for election purposes in the country. The House had been considering the issue following a motion by its Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos). In the motion, Gbajabiamila said it was unconstitutional for military personnel to be deployed for election duties in the country. He also prayed the house to investigate the role of the military during the 2014 governorship elections in Ekiti. He pointed out that the use of military personnel at election centres may intimidate the electorate. According to him, the presence of military personnel in polling units and wards is capable of generating unwarranted apprehension that will scare away innocent citizens. The lawmaker said that the action was capable of preventing voters from peacefully and wilfully exercising their franchise. In his contribution, Rep. Sunday Karimi (Kogi-PDP) said that the matt