Friday 27 June 2008

A Diplomat's Baggage

By
Hakeem Babalola

Faction

They deliberately check her letters or packages despite her diplomatic status, yet she maintains her silence. The more she keeps quiet the more her hosts mistrust her intentions thereby they often subject her to a thorough search whenever she passes through their borders. Although her arm is longer than her thigh, she has unconventional beauty and appears intelligent. Why does she keep quiet whenever her citizens are being maltreated or killed by her hosts click to read story

Sunday 22 June 2008

MENÉDEK promotes integration with refugees’ self-portrait

By Hakeem Babalola
News Report

As part of the celebration for the Refugee Day, MENEDÉK Hungarian Association for Migrants exhibited paintings and pictures of Refugees at the Millenáris Park on June 18 to educate Hungarians in a campaign to make them more open to different races and cultures.
click to read story

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Eulogy for Pa Adedibully


By Hakeem Babalola
Eulogy

As a young boy, they gave you the job they’d never give their children. Even as an old man, you got what they’d never give their father or grandfather. You rose from area boy to be the master of the Nigeria’s political game. You were so lively and profitable that others are striving to match your fabulous unicorn. You dismantled your foes with bluntness loquacity without necessarily being sincere. You subjected the naive ones to your whim pretending to take care of them click to read story

Sunday 15 June 2008

Defending Abacha: For Self or Nation?


By Hakeem Babalola
Strictly Nigerian Affair

First, it is because of prankish minds like these three Generals that inspired my article, “Making Corruption Nigeria’s Traditional Value” in which the main theme centred on the fact that corruption is no longer a big deal in Nigeria.

The three former Heads of State still believe Abacha did not loot the treasury despite the fact that millions of dollars were found in his accounts scattered all over the world. How much then should be recovered to convince these Generals that Abacha was a big thief? Oh, there’s honour among thieves (apology to General Chief Evangelist Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo) click to read story

Thursday 5 June 2008

No Cure for Colonial Mentality

By Hakeem Babalola
Matters Arising

A 10-yr-old Nigerian girl says, “If I have the chance to go to London, I won’t come back to this stupid country”. Another 12-yr-old boy quips, “Oyinbo are better than us”. Nigerian politicians die and bury people’s money in England and environs. My sister bleaches her skin and washes away her crown with different chemicals in her bid to straighten or curl her hair – her identity. Are we all victims as well as perpetrators of colonial mentality?click to read story