The small town of Roanoke, somewhere in the US state of Virginia has suddenly had its low-key image forcibly shattered. When its better-known neighbour, Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech, was shoved into the spotlight by a lethal murder-suicide in 2007, Roanoke had no inkling that it would one day face the same reckless fury. On Wednesday, 26 August, a gunman gave TV viewers a gross spectacle—live killing on television. Sadly, public shootings have become synonymous with gun-toting Americans. Continue reading “Rampage: A String of Needless Killings”
Author: Jilomes
All Play and No Work
With the continuous poor performance of candidates in various external examinations, one does not need any powers of divination to recognize that there is a problem somewhere. While the cause appears multifaceted, it is clear that one of its faces is the proclivity of many students for fun and entertainment. Continue reading “All Play and No Work”
Reign of Highhandedness
Last week, national media featured the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and the state’s Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle. The media coverage hovered around an examination comprehension passage, and the sacking of six of the state’s educational officials. Continue reading “Reign of Highhandedness”
Shallow Foundations
In the world of construction, the role of good foundations in ensuring the stability of buildings and other structures has never been over-emphasized. Many buildings have collapsed because of foundations that could not bear the load placed on them. This article is not about engineering construction. Rather, it highlights a problem bedevilling the Nigerian educational system—building on shallow foundations. Continue reading “Shallow Foundations”
Traumatic Fraud
If the earth gets any weirder than it is right now, we would have to ship out to Mars or somewhere else. Weird stories seem to be the new order. A newly married groom is suing his bride for “traumatic fraud”. It is the Weird Weird Earth! Continue reading “Traumatic Fraud”
A World of Double Standards
The media is awash with reports of President Buhari’s trip to the United States of America. Among all the reasons for this diplomatic visit, one important reason has turned out to be a waste of time. The American government is sticking to its stand that it won’t sell weapons to Nigeria. Continue reading “A World of Double Standards”
The New Opposition
Recently, I chanced upon a TV programme in which contemporary national political issues were being discussed. Much of the discourse filtered through my ears except for one statement that struck me. One of the panellist said, “Nigerians are the new Opposition”. That statement is the seed for this article. Continue reading “The New Opposition”
Justice for Sale
A man is in jail for the heinous crime of disputing land with someone having more money and connections than he does. Like him, many prisoners groan under phoney charges by the police ably assisted by the judicial system. They seek justice, which eludes them because in Nigeria, justice is for sale and usually goes to the highest bidder.
Project 10,000 Kids
In a country where millions of citizens have access to smartphones of different grades, but few have real ICT skills, an organization has come up with a plan to change the status quo, and inspire the next generation to develop ICT skills. That organization is ACI, with its Project 10,000 Kids. Continue reading “Project 10,000 Kids”
Journey to Kaduna
In the course of a full month, I wrote just one article. That’s an extremely low output compared with my writing frequency since this blog started. The hustle and bustle of the NYSC orientation camp provided a convenient excuse for not writing. Now that the camp is over, that excuse has expired. It’s time to write again.
Here’s my journey to Kaduna. Continue reading “Journey to Kaduna”
Jilomes 