The Failed Rift

What's A State of Emergency Anyway?

Ikenna Okonkwo — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:18:47 +0000

Reblogged from TexTheLaw: On the 15th of May 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in 3 states in the northern region of Nigeria. Apart from the debate on the propriety or otherwise of the declaration (or “proclamation” as the constitution calls it), a lot of debate has also been had on whether … Continue reading →

Boko Haram have torn my English Reader

Ikenna Okonkwo — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:34:15 +0000

Reblogged from sirwebs: Back in Primary School - in the late 1980’s - we had this wonderful, nationalistic English Reader (can’t remember the title now), where a family takes a holiday road trip across Nigeria, starting off somewhere in the South and touching the northernmost parts of Borno and Kano. Back then, most Schools studied … Continue reading →

Bring Back the Book: Peers of an Expired Empire

Ikenna Okonkwo — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:09:16 +0000

Reblogged from FEATHERS PROJECT: By Nwachukwu Egbunike In Nigeria, you must capture the essence of your being by the number of titles you been able to acquire over the years. “Former special assistant, formerly choir master, etc” expresses the clout of the bearer. And such is the current ruforufo fight between two former public servants of … Continue reading →

Ousting the PDP? A Reality Check

Ikenna Okonkwo — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:32:57 +0000

It is still two years to the elections of 2015 but the topic dominates news and conversation in Nigeria. With the announcement of the creation of the African People’s Congress in February -as a result of a merger of the major opposition political parties- there seems to be, among the political activists in the opposition, … Continue reading →

Curiosity’s First Drill Hole

Ikenna Okonkwo — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:18:01 +0000

Mars Panorama – Curiosity rover: Martian solar day 177 in New Mexico Above is a self portrait by Curiosity after drilling a 1.6centimeter in diameter and 6.4 centimenter deep hole on a patch of martian outcrop called John Klien. This feat marks another milestone for Curiosity and in execution was one of the most complex for handlers on Earth. … Continue reading →

What Happened to Today’s Discourse

Ikenna Okonkwo — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:42:38 +0000

One of the distinctive marks of the ancient Greek civilization was its openness to reasoned discourse in the continuous search for truth symbolized by the Aeropagus: a place where ideas no matter how novel or esoteric could be entertained, analysed and critiqued; whether it be from Socrates or St. Paul. This openness to discourse remains … Continue reading →

In and Around the Rift: Nigeria at Night

Ikenna Okonkwo — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:26:48 +0000

The National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA) unveiled images of the Earth as it looks at night during the ongoing American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting in San Fransisco, USA. The images are from the new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Suomi NPP satellite and are a composite of cloud free images acquired throughout … Continue reading →

In and Around the Rift: Faults on the Nsukka Formation

Ikenna Okonkwo — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:59:25 +0000

The Anambra basin is known to be faulted in many places but coming across outcrop size examples for the purpose of teaching is rare. This outcrop is a must visit for any trip around the Anambra basin. The photo is from a large outcrop exposure, the Ikpankwu sand quarry located just off the Enugu-Port Hacourt express … Continue reading →

Anecdotes from the Exam Hall #2

Ikenna Okonkwo — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Prayer before Cheating? Just before the Use of English exam (GS 101) which I invigilated the first years, a student asked for permission for the class to pray. After the singing and the praying (and the casting and binding) I told them that the fact that they have prayed means that they would not cheat … Continue reading →

In and Around the Rift: The Patient Wall Gecko

Ikenna Okonkwo — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:55:02 +0000

You maybe asking what this all about. Why after a years holiday from blogging I put up a picture of a Gecko on the wall. Or what significance does it have to the geology in the rift... Actually it has nothing to do with Geology. I happened to pass this gecko one evening while it was hunting for insects attraced to the light. There it was poised to strike but hesitant. it stayed almost still staring at it's pray for more than 3 minutes and then I decided to get a camera. I thought of sending it to National Geographic but then I remembered my neglected blog and decided to post it here. This gecko made me consider more regular posts on the failed rift. What a weired way to begin again!

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