Ola Barnabas

I've dreamt for a long time of an occasion where I can contribute more than I currently do to the general improvement in the lives of people, advancement in their businesses and development of the society. I find no better time than now, and no better place at this time than the city of Kano, Nigeria. So anywhere you are, please join in. Details on attached fliers.

Nigeria has had her fair share of unfair leadership. 2019 should bring some respite to unnecessarily troubled Nigerians. This is the kind of President the country needs in the year: One that will value the lives of the citizens and do everything in his/Her power to protect it from bandits, whoever they are, wherever they are; One that will be ready to stay at home, use the resources at home for medical treatment or leisure and will not run abroad for the treatment of a headache; One that will speak well of Nigeria especially on international stages in line with the vision that he/she has for the country, and not demarket it; One who will be detribalised - manage the diversity of the populace and will be adjudged by the majority of the people as doing just that; One that will not subtly promote the supremacy of one region of the country over another; who will not skew governance benefits and privileges to the region and the people from whom he came; One who though a politici...

The Grameen model is worth studying and adopting especially by many African countries. Nigeria, by the Tradermoni and Marketmoni programmes may be on track except for the significance/possible impact of the disbursements and the sustainability of the programme. Read the 16 Decisions below. They have very healthy social components ingrained in them which are obviously needed by many African countries. Number 9 and 11 though will make you reel. Enjoy. 16 Decisions 1.We shall follow and advance the four principles of Grameen Bank: Discipline, Unity, Courage and Hard work – in all walks of our lives. 2.Prosperity we shall bring to our families. 3.We shall not live in dilapidated houses. We shall repair our houses and work towards constructing new houses at the earliest. 4.We shall grow vegetables all the year round. We shall eat plenty of them and sell the surplus. 5.During the planting seasons, we shall plant as many seedlings as possible. 6.We shall plan to keep our fam...

It’s no longer news that Alhaji Abubakar Atiku will be going toe-to-toe with President Muhammadu Buhari at the polls in 2019. If recent happenings are anything to go by, with the support of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo – a colossus in the Nigerian political space whose influence any sane Nigerian politician will not trivialize, the open support (or so it appears) of Bishop David Oyedepo – a leader of more than seven million faithfuls with influence over many millions more in the Nigerian religious space, Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah – a well-respected voice in the Nigerian political atmosphere, Sheik Gumi – a very influential Islamic cleric, it appears 2019 will indeed be beyond dramatic, it will be difficult to predict. However, more recent is the new that Atiku will be going to the polls with Peter Obi as the Vice Presidential candidate. There have been much talks, permutations and politicking as to who the cap of the vice presidency fits. First, though, we must decide whi...

The choice of Nigeria’s next president is a huge decision that faces all Nigerians 18 years and above in the face. 2019, unlike previous election years, is drama-filled. The consciousness of the average Nigerian – whether of voting age or not is fever-pitch high, due to the consistent heating and over-heating of the polity, the various actions of the political gladiators, the current economic reality vis-à-vis the expectations of Nigerians at the inception of the current administration, amidst other factors that may not be unrelated to sentiments – religion and region. 2019 will indeed be an interesting year for voting Nigerians. And Aah! The carpeting and cross-carpeting from the sweeping broom to under the umbrella, and so on. Suffice to say that most Nigerians know those whom they won’t vote for. They may not know yet and may not be convinced about whom they will vote for, but they know what they are tired of and don’t want a repeat of. That makes the choice in 2...

The catalogue of misbehavior is never in short supply among African leaders, and if you are the leader of the most populous black nation on earth which expectedly is also the leading economy on the continent which a leader at one time said has no problem with money, only what to do with it, you are very likely to need help to not misbehave. The leaders of the nation since independence have never failed to live up to this bidding. At several times, in office as the president of Nigeria, President Buhari has never hidden his bias for his northern folk. The appointments of the heads of various government establishments and agencies are particularly skewed towards the north, the service chiefs – whose tenures were recently extended, of a country that is challenged with insecurity arising mainly, painfully so, from one region of the country, are also drawn from that same region of the country, the President’s region – the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Chief of A...

Almost every topic, everywhere in Nigeria is a potential crisis theme. There is tension everywhere and the government is unarguably confused on what to do on most of these issues, it can indeed not hide its confusion, it would rather treat these issues like the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in the room – everyone knows it's there, but nobody wants to talk about it. In fact, the government now monitors your social media account for being so hard or for daring to talk. Wars, like accidents don’t just happen, they are created. Wars are effects to causes. There is no invasion of a country just for the sake of it without economic benefits targeted. No. Britain did not fight the Revolutionary war in the 1760s just because it wanted to protect its American subjects. No. it needed to strengthen and create wealth for the empire. Britain did not fight the Opium wars in the mid-1800s if it were not for the trade reasons, of course, Hong Kong was ceded to British control, and Shangh...