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Tragedy of July 7, 1998

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Tragedy of July 7, 1998 In the eyes of many Nigerians and some international observers, M.K.O. Abiola was effectively Nigeria’s president-elect – their president in waiting, who vowed not to renounce the mandate, and the day he died on July 7, 1998, cannot be easily forgotten. I was a student at the University of Lagos, and it is worth mentioning that at the time I was just another potential “yuppie” on campus. At that point in history, I had not undergone the process of sociopolitical radicalisation that transformed me into Owoism – another chapter in my eventful life. The June 12 struggle played a pivotal role in my transformation, and the following events were a part of that process.  At that particular moment, I had just entered the main library of the University of Lagos. I was greeted by a family friend who worked as a librarian, and since he knew my family history, he informed me the sad news just broke on TV. The murmuring of “Abiola is dead” increased and reverberated thro...
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Ousting The Military

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  Ousting The Military The pinnacle of the June 12 struggle was ousting the military junta after decades of overseeing Nigeria’s affairs. Nigerian Armed Forces were in power from 1966 to 1999 with an interregnum from 1979 to 1983. In their second coming the military were in power from 1983-1999. Following the military’s ouster, Nigeria evolved into a quasi-democracy, founded on a military-oriented constitution – the 1999 constitution has long been a source of contention. Real political struggle was under the military government, especially under Abacha. For those who participated in the struggle, the memories are evergreen. As a youth I became immersed in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) struggles against military dictatorship. My affiliation with the NADECO struggle was through my late Dad, M.B.O Owolowo Sr., family friends, relatives and associates. Many of those affected by the travails of that draconian era survived with various coping mechanisms and are still traumat...
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The Price of Reparations

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  The Price of Reparations  The reparations cause was given top priority during the 38th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 15-16 February 2025. A Civil Society Pre-Summit Symposium was hosted by the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), to discuss the 2025 African Union Theme of the Year: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” In recent years, there have been official collaboration between the African Union (AU) and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on slavery and colonial reparations. But the struggle for reparations against former enslavers and colonisers has been on for decades. For instance, in October 1990, Nigerian business mogul, M.K.O. Abiola, attended the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) meeting in Washington, and as the recipient of the 1990 CBC Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Service, he was hailed as “ a hero in the global pursuit to preserve the history and the legacy of the Afric...
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R.O.G.U.E: Reality On Ground Undermining Enterprise (Book)

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I present to you my book R.O.G.U.E: Reality On Ground Undermining Enterprise. African is rich in natural and human resources – with the current youngest population globally. Ideally, these social ingredients should facilitate bourgeoning economies on a massive scale, but there have only been pockets of individual successes. Industrialization and large-scale development with collective impact is pertinent to compete in an ever-changing world.  R.O.G.U.E: Reality On Ground Undermining Enterprise, examines the issues affecting Africa via the prism of foreign influences, whilst also acknowledging the local peculiarities. Nigeria in particular is diagnosticated as a microcosmic representation of the issues bedevilling Africa. Of critical importance are the enduring colonial structures that have metamorphosed into neocolonial entities specially designed to keep the affected countries in a perpetual state of underdevelopment. The Western world especially, cannot complain about immigration...
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Forefatherism And Ancestral Worship

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Forefatherism And Ancestral Worship And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our forefathers doing." Even though their forefathers understood nothing, nor were they guided? – Quran 2:170  Forefatherism occurs when the veneration of forefathers manifests as ancestral worship in any society. The institutionalization of forefatherism has impacted all world cultures. The honorific mantra of "following our forefathers" is actually antediluvian, which has been the foundational basis of forefatherism. Based on historicity and exegesis of the Islamic tradition, idolatry foundations were inadvertently laid around the time of Prophet Idris (Enoch), and manifested during the era of Prophet Nuh (Noah). Forefatherism, in the form of ancestral worship, manifested in prevalence, and Nuh was faced with eradicating the embodiment of venerated men as statues, instituted during the era of his predec...
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June 12: Nigeria’s 25-Year Democratic Journey

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  June 12: Nigeria’s 25-Year Democratic Journey Kudirat Abiola, M.B.O Owolowo Snr and Wole Soyinka  Nigeria is on the 25th lap — silver jubilee — of its democratic journey, since the handover by the military junta in 1999. There are crucial events preceding what is now celebrated as Nigeria’s Democracy Day on June 12 that must be acknowledged for posterity. Following the free and fair June 12, 1993 presidential elections, M.K.O. Abiola was effectively president-elect. Because of Abiola’s clout and renowned philanthropy, the June 12 elections garnered international attention. When Babangida annulled the election on June 23, 1993, without any justifiable cause or reasonable explanation, the heat from his political faux pas was so intense that he had to leave office on August 26, 1993. As Babangida decided to ‘ step aside ’, he bizarrely constituted an impuissant Interim National Government headed by Ernest Shonekan. Just 83 days into the interim government, a deposition occ...
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The Computer Maker Analogy

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  The Computer Maker Analogy     The Computer Maker Analogy is the anatomization of the inner-workings of the computer via the creationism context. To fully appreciate The Creator contextually, the dynamics of a computer's creation and operation will be adopted. The processes involved in a computer's operational lifecycle gives an insight into the process of creation. Typically, the computer has various interoperating units that make it function. Some of the main components include the Motherboard, Central Processing Unit (CPU), Random Access Memories (RAM), Hard Drive, Video/Graphics Card, Monitor and Processor.   The objective of mentioning these components is not to go into the academic depths of computer science. Rather, the crux of highlighting these units is to establish that, within a computer are various interoperable hardware and software components that assist with its functionality. Following a design process, a computer manufacturer or maker, makes a...
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