ATTENCAO

While “The Godfather” remains the most successful novel of Mario Puzo, his second mafia epic, published almost three decades later, “The Last Don”, is equally engrossing as he takes the reader into the inner recesses of Hollywood where licentiousness seems to be the order of the day. Even when a lot of things may have changed, especially within the past two decades since the novel was published, that was still the world inhabited by Mr Harvey Weinstein until the bubble burst with the scandal that may also have changed the entire power dynamic in which women are expected to offer sexual gratification to advance their professional career. It all started on 5th October, when two reporters with The New York Times, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, authored a story detailing how Weinstein, one of the most powerful American film producers, had, for three decades, been exploiting women in the movie business. He was specifically accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape involvin...

Exactly a year ago, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), by its Establishment Act, tried to introduce a National Code of Corporate Governance. Had it not been suspended by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment a few months after it had come into effect, the three-in-one code sought to provide a new code of corporate governance for the private and public and sectors and not-for-profit organisations, including religious bodies. The code was all-encompassing and sought to unify, harmonise and would have superseded all the existing sectoral corporate governance codes in Nigeria such as those regulating licensed pension operators, banking, discount houses, telecommunications and insurance. But the minute it came into effect for the private sector and not-for-profit bodies, it hit a speed bump. It was rejected by the private sector for being in conflict with the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), would have led to the exit of several CEOs who had spent more ...

We are obviously certain that the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti (just like the late Gani Fawehinmi!) if alive today would have rejected any proposed state award given to him. More so that the Nigerian state has progressively degenerated over the years from the bad (he painfully lived) to the worse (he foresaw) in most important critical success and nation-building factors. Certainly not with the perennial crisis of governance since independence manifesting in serial revelations of Authority Stealing and shortages of “water, light and food” Fela bemoaned with his legendary saxophone. As a matter of fact, Fela once banned his music being played on federal radio stations (what many artists would see as a badge of honour) in protests against the non-payment of copyrights fees, sheer brutality and oppression of the “military sergeant majors” in the military regimes who ruled (sorry ruined!) the Federal Republic! Very few could be so singularly audacious in damning a perceived oppressive a...

Iron-clad integrity was the chief credential General Muhammadu Buhari flaunted to win power in 2015. Today, that golden badge appears under grave erosion in view of rising tide of sleaze and tales of apparent presidential indifference. Last week's leaked memo by scorned junior oil minister, Ibe Kachikwu, provides what potentially may now be the tipping point. In a rather rambling response yesterday, the NNPC boss, Maikanti Baru, could not but admit that approval was still needed from a superior for any big transaction he entered. The big question, then: was President Buhari granting such behind Kachikwu's back? In any case, that a man supposedly saddled with overseeing the nation's fattest "cash cow" (as a presidency official recently classified the NNPC) could not access the principal for more than seven harrowing weeks until the confidential letter leaked cannot be a compliment. It perhaps best describes the squalor of the prevailing governance process ...

•President and VP's Budgets not fully reviewed. • We acted with probity, accountability,  and in the best interest of Great Ife students- Hon. Wale Oladebo. Ayoola Omole The Budgetary and Finance committee, Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union, is expected to Thursday 12th October, approach the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) with a 26-page document containing harmonized budget items for union officers, with Budget Sitting to follow on Saturday. This was revealed in an extensive interview with the committee’s chairman, Honorable Wale Oladebo. The claim is further backed by a Parliamentary Session notification released by the Clerk of the House, in which ‘Submission of Budget’ is listed the 8th agendum. Other matters on agenda which are up for consideration on Thursday include: ‘Ratification of Security Committee’ and ‘Report of All Committees’. Honorable Oladebo envisaged that a Budget Sitting would be subsequently convened on Saturday, in the event that Thur...

Let me begin by sharing this story of a teacher who got lost in a rural area, and please don’t ask me in which country because I don’t know. While still wandering, the teacher saw a farm and went there, hoping he would find someone from whom he could seek direction. Fortunately, he found a farmer but as they were exchanging pleasantries, he noticed a cow with a wooden leg and he became curious. “How did that cow get a wooden leg?” the teacher asked the farmer. “Well”, replied the farmer, “that is a very special cow. One night not too long ago we had a fire in the barn. That cow set up a great lowing that woke everyone, and by the time we got there it had herded out of the barn not only the other cows but indeed all the animals in the farm and saved every one of them.” “And that was when the cow hurt its leg?” asked the amazed teacher. “Oh no” responded the farmer. “The cow was fine after that even though a few days later, I was in the woods when a bear attacked me. As it would...