EMELIFONWU PIUS BLOG

For your outpouring of love and good wishes I thank you all. My brother Ogbuefi Peter Uchechukwu Emelifonwu aka Billy was a rare breed. He had a special place in my heart. Though we were from different mothers but we had a lot in common. We had a resemblance with our father. He was born in September and I was born in September. He was the second born of his mother and I was the second born of my mother. Bros Billy made me a craft material when I was in primary school and he was at Yaba Trade centre. The material was the best in my year. It was so good, a classmate of mine had to get his dad to come to my school to persuade me to sell it to him It was for making Muffler and since I had made mine and I needed the money I had to oblige my classmate and his dad. In my family, we lost our dad to the civil war and were raised by close relations. Bros Billy and myself were raised initially by late F. O . Emelifonwu a strict disciplinarian. Bros Billy could not cope and had to shift to another

Ogbuefi Peter Uche Emelifonwu Bros Billy was until yesterday morning my elder brother.  He was a school boy boxer and a great traditionalist. By profession, he was a builder and a furniture maker. He had his education in Zaria, where we were born and Lagos at the Yaba trade centre. Ogbuefi Peter Uchechukwu Emelifonwu was very popular with the young who knew him as bros Billy. He was quite liberal with a good sense of humour. Yesterday morning he lost the battle against diabetes. He was a fulfilled man leaving behind his wife Nwachi Emelifonwu nee Ugeh and his children. The youths of Illah and Ajaji, our village would really miss him. The Emelifonwu family will miss his presence and representation in the village where he retired after stints in Lagos and Abuja. Rest in Peace my amiable and lively bros Uche. Good night and rest in the bosom of the Lord. Amen.

Mr. Folarin Adeyemi Mr. Folarin Adeyemi Mabadeje the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Discounts Limited is 80 today. A distinguished son of Odogbolu in Ogun State and the husband of the late Florence Adejola Mabadeje, the pioneer Principal of Lafiaji High School, a school Mr. F. A. Mabadeje holds very dear to his heart. He missed the last reunion of Lafiaji High School held at Police Officers Mess, Ikeja, Lagos, no thanks to the weird traffic jam of that day. In confidence, he told me that he still remained committed to any subsequent event to be organized by the school. Mr. F. A. Mabadeje retired from Consolidated Discounts Limited.  He is an active member of All Saints Anglican Church, Yaba, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Saint John Ambulance. Mr. F. A. Mabadeje is a very much detribalized Nigerian. He was a contemporary of Godwin Ahabue Thompson Oboh a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank. His days a

President Muhammadu Buhari That corruption is a cancer in Nigeria is not debatable. That Nigerians would want it tamed is also not debatable. The problem is how? One of the biggest obstacles in Nigeria's fight against corruption is the example of the Nigerian leadership. In the days of General Gowon, Godwin Daboh swore to affidavits alleging corrupt practices. Joseph Tarka a Federal Commissioner under Gowon had to resign under the weight of the allegations. Thereafter Gowon got his Chief Justice, Teslim Olawale Elias to declare that allegations of corruption based on Affidavits were illegal. And pronto the practice died a natural death. It was therefore not difficult to accuse Gowon of not doing enough to curb corruption. In recent times, a feature of the fight against corruption is selective attack which in itself is a form of corruption. Orji Kalu was convicted of corruption and released from prison for a retrial of his case. Today, no one is talking of his retrial since he belon

Ibrahim Magu Ibrahim Magu is a tough customer. He is the acting head of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. For now, he is under suspension and at the same time facing

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Dele Giwa This title is not original. It is short but loaded with fireworks and very interesting.

Colonel Ahmadu Ali In 1978 University Students across the length and breadth of Nigeria boycotted lectures  in protest against Obj"s Military Government. Their grouse was that the Federal Government had increased School Fees. Their demand was

Patricia Olubunmi Foluke Etteh The honour of being the first and only Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives belongs to Patricia Olubunmi Foluke Etteh of Osun State. She became Speaker after Obj's first term in Office as President. She enjoyed Obj's

I wonder if any one has taken note of the number of natural cures that are being bandied on social media. Their attraction is mainly their affordability. In a poverty ridden economy, who wouldn't be tempted? This reminds me of a conversation,

Femi Otedola Some people sure know how to play politics. The one thing many Nigerians are agreed upon apart from Football is that Oil Subsidy is devious. PMB removed Oil Subsidy and nothing happened. This is the story of Gej and the removal of Oil Subsidy.

Agbani Darego Agbani Darego won Miss World for Nigeria in 2001 and in 2002, the organizers decided to stage the 2002 pageant in Nigeria and roadblocks started springing up at every turn. First the beauty contest coincided with

Lawal Batagarawa Just by chance I came across this idea that the best way to destroy a Nation is by destroying her Education. Nigeria is a third world country in need of rapid

Chris Ngige   To think that the current Nigerian Minister of Labour and Employment is a medical Practitioner proves that the hood does not make the monk. He does not come across as

Late Chief Lamidi Adedibu   Late Chief Lamidi Adedibu, the ekarun  of Ibadan was known as the strong man of Ibadan Politics. Ibadan is the capital of Oyo State, South West , Nigeria. He was said to combine Populism  with thuggery in his brand of Politics. Thuggery is rife in Nigerian Politics as Nigeria is yet to embrace electronic voting. Thugs usually hold sway by causing violent distractions both during registration of voters and during elections with the result that those who control thugs, have a big say in Nigerian politics. This is why Chief Lamidi Adedibu who had a lot of able bodied unemployed and under employed people at his beck and call was popular in political circles. He was a kingmaker for having the power to put his thugs to good use. His house was usually a beehive of activities feeding teeming youths free of charge in a country where rent seeking and planlessness leads to hunger and privation and manipulations. This was the setting when he clashed with his Governor, R

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole To say that Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole is a born fighter is to state the obvious. To also say he is controversial is equally correct. Hate him or love him, Oshiomhole is

Late Gani Fewehimi and Late Olu Onagoruwa were in their life time very close friends. As Lawyers, they were both very brilliant. Of the duo Gani Fawehinmi was more popular because of his activism. Olu Onagoruwa was also an activist but his activism was not as

It was Lord Acton that said 'Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely'. With the kind of Powers, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission wield, nobody

Usman Dan Fodio The above quote is courtesy of the governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria in Sokoto State in the 1983 Elections in Nigeria. To sympathize with his position look no further than the Jihad of Usman Dan Fodio. Usman Dan Fodio was a Gobir man. Looking at the

Ahmadu Bello In my secondary school days one of the Legends in my History Lessons was the Bayajidda Legend. I found the Legend most interesting and intriguing too. There is this saying that it is important for one to know where he is coming from if he does not know where he is heading to. In Nigeria today,

Late Adamu Ciroma This Blog had published a story titled 'The Hood and the Monk'. Today our story is about the Late Adamu Ciroma. Mallam as he liked to be called, studied History at the University of Ibadan and graduated in 1961 in a class that had the late Ukpabi Asika. An account by Kole Omotosho had it that

Late Ayo Ositelu Call this an Exclusive if you like. It came straight from the lips of Late Deacon Ayo Ositelu, a consummate journalist and all round Sportsman, who excelled in Football, Tennis and Table Tennis. The man who had a popular column called Arena, related how he incurred the wrath of IBB over a publication in the Punch during the period he acted as Editor. As told from the horse's mouth, the week IBB came into office, the Punch carried a story with the headline -

Bola Ige Bola Ige was a die hard Awoist. He was highly respected but never suffered fools gladly. He had a caustic tongue and a legendary power of oratory. In his life time he was famous for his fluency in Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. He was a Yoruba born in

Evan Enwerem Obj has severally been favoured to change the fortunes of Nigeria but each time, he tries, he ends up on a controversial note. On a platter of gold, he was given Nigeria's Presidency to placate the Yorubas over the death of MKO Abiola. His Presidency saw a number of scandals all in a bid to disrespect and sabotage the principle of Separation of Powers. Although Obj is not among the most lettered of Nigerian Presidents,

Sir Michael Otedola To close watchers of politics, it would have been unthinkable for Sir Michael Otedola to have emerged Governor of Lagos State when he did, under the National Republican Convention. His tenure was short lived but that is beside the point. Interestingly as a little boy I belonged to the same parish as

FELA It is difficult to believe that Fela's father was both a teacher and a clergyman. Of his four siblings, two were Medical practitioners. Fela himself had left Nigeria for London to study Medicine but instead chose to study Music. Fela founded Afrobeat and was a musical genius. Along the line,

Florence Adejola Mabadeje (1942 - 2005) Mrs Florence Adejola Mabadeje was pioneer Principal of Lafiaji High School. Lafiaji High School is located at Hawley Street, Lagos. The School is one of

Salisu Buhari In Nigeria's political development, things have happened that are stranger than Fiction. One of them is the case of a young man from Kano who at the age of 29 claimed he was 36. This man had neither a degree nor a

Late Umaru Dikko The second day after PMB took power in December 1983, he released a list of wanted politicians. Late Umaru Dikko, who had led Shagari's campaign for President, Minister of transport and Chairman Presidential Task force on Rice was top on the list. Umaru Dikko sensing danger