Michael Botu's Blog

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi made an extraordinary speech   on New Year’s Day to Cairo’s Al-Azhar and the Awqaf Ministry calling for a long overdue virtual ecclesiastical revolution in Islam.  This is something no Western leader has had the courage to do, certainly not Barack Obama, despite his Muslim education. Accusing the  umma   (world Islamic population) of encouraging the hostility of the entire world, al-Sisi’s speech is so dramatic and essentially revolutionary it brings to mind Khrushchev’s famous speech exposing Stalin. Many have called for a reformation of Islam, but for the leader of the largest Arab nation to do so has world-changing implications. Here are the key parts as translated on   Raymond Ibrahim’s blog : I am referring here to the religious clerics.   We have to think hard about what we are facing—and I have, in fact, addressing the topic a couple of times before.   It’s inconceivable that ...

The former Governor of Anambra State and the Deputy Director General of the PDP National Campaign Council, Mr. Peter Obi has advised Nigerians in the diaspora to take a critical look at Nigeria and those seeking to be elected in the forth-coming election in the country. Obi said this yesterday while speaking separately to Nigerian communities in Holland and UK. Insisting that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan remained the best option, Obi said that going by his Transformation Agenda and focused leadership, that he deserved another 4 years to consolidate myriad of reforms he had started in the country. "When you look at all sectors critically, you will see overwhelming evidence of a President who is focused on bringing back the lost glory of the country. Under him, rail transport that stopped over 30 years ago is back. Besides rehabilitating old, narrow gauges, many standard gauges are under construction in accordance with the 25 years Strategic Railway Plan. Today, the Av...

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” ~ St. Augustine I was discussing with a Journalist Friend Recently and he made a remark that aptly describes our attitude to issues especially Politics. He calls it “The Bandwagon Effect" We find it in our societal interactions, it also influences our perception and reaction to issues. “The Bandwagon Effect"   Politically speaking it influences the way we receive a Party or it's candidate. I ask a colleague the other day when he was arguing vehemently that “If the PDP had performed like Fasho la of Lagos State, Nigeria would have been Paradise on Earth" and I asked him, when was the last time you visited Lagos State? He became quite “The Bandwagon Effect”. Many of those criticizing President Jonathan had not traveled out of their States of abode in the Last Five years but will not hesitate to call him Clueless, a Failure, etc.  Many of those who oppose the Presi...