He was born in Benin City more than fifty years ago. Primary education was at the St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School 1st East Circular Road, Benin City were he served at mass and taught catechism in English and Edo. Secondary education was at Edo College where he served as School Prefect, House Prefect and Class prefect. He left with a distinction at the West Africa School Certificate Examinations. He also excelled in Boys Scout, Red Cross activities, Science Club, Legion of Mary, medium distance races and swimming, in addition to excellent academic work.

Balewa proposed that "Nnamdi Azikiwe shall be deemed to have been elected President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces" because "Nigeria can never adequately reward Dr. Azikiwe" for the nationalist role he played in building Nigeria and achieving independence.Azikiwe is referred to by name in Nigeria's 1963 constitution, and to my knowledge Azikiwe was the only living individual constitutionally enshrined by name in his democratic country's constitution.

Abiodun was born in Lagos about 46 years ago. He attended Jehovah Jireh African Church School Lagos, Mayflower Junior School Ikenne, Molusi College Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State Polytechinic for basic studies, and Ogun State University (re-christened Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago-Iwoye for his first degree and Keele University UK for his post-graduate studies. He was a General Secretary Ogun State University Students’ Union (1985) and National Association of Nigerian Students (1985-87) Vice-President (External).

Omoseye Bolaji, is an award winning black African writer who over the years has contributed phenomenally to the growth of Black Literature at grassroots level in South Africa, especially in the Free State. Bolaji is a novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet, literary critic, biographer, editor and journalist.

Michael Forununso popularly known as Dododawa is a native of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. He attended Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro, Ogun State, Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, State University of New York - Institute of Technology, Rome, NY, CWRU, Cleveland Ohio, Stuart School of Business, IIT, Chicago, IL. His a Wireless Data Engineer and currently works for Centennial Wireless.

Ambassador Temidayo Israel-Abdulai, a British Red Cross Humanitarian Citizen Ambassador, currently is a Law student at London Metropolitan University where he emerged as first African student to chair a Student Council and an award winning social entrepreneur, TV presenter, motivational speaker, diplomat, an evangelist, youth advocate, facilitator and project developer.

In the views of Sylvester Monroe as Mandela turned 90 on the 18th of July, 2008, that ‘he is indeed a rich man, but his wealth is measured not just by his bank balance, but in the fullness of his extraordinary life’. When you look at the life of this unusual man, he was so poor sometime to the point that he could be considered a beggar by virtue of his experience, it may not be news to a greater percentage of the people that he was imprisoned for 27 years on the notorious prison island,

Recently, the community of social rights activists gathered in Lagos to mark the 70th birthday of a man who has been silent of late on account of ill - health but who will, nevertheless, go down in the history of this beleaguered nation as an unwavering defender of truth and justice, an irrepressible gadfly that pricked the conscience of successive regimes, a trenchant voice of the voiceless, and a courageous man that repeatedly placed his life on the line in an unending battle for the public good.

Over the past few weeks I have been revisiting the controversial attempt to kidnap Umaru Dikko in 1984. Dikko was one of the most powerful and notorious figures in the government of President Shagari between 1979 and 1983. This is the concluding part of the series which recounts the circumstances, timing and details of the kidnap.

And through a weapon of talent, he warned us in his satirical style about impending doom that likely to engulf his land. He was sure that unless we adopt a simple precept – justice and accountability – his land would be heading toward a tempestuous peril. He was regarded as a prophet of doom, though his saxophone was not a threat to his land, unlike the rumblings of their guns tucked in their tummies and cheeks. Nevertheless, successive governments treated him in a symbolic manner Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed were persecuted – simply because of his cocksure attitude.

For those who saw Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s success as an Igbo success, they are missing the point. By tribalizing success we trivialize and diminish its capacity.  She was a true patriot who happened to be Igbo.  The world in general and Nigerians in particular appreciate Professors Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe’s literary work, Cardinal Arinze for his contribution to Catholic faith, and Fela Ransome Kutti for his musical talent, not because they are of Yoruba and/or Igbo extractions but because they are icons recognized ...