INEC, Adequate Time and Credible 2011
Elections in Nigeria.
By
Ikechukwu A.
Ogu
It seems necessary for INEC to stagger
the entire 2011 general elections, guided by Nigeria’s geo-political
zones. Hitherto, the electoral body’s failure to conduct credible
elections has been blamed partly on the vast size of the country. Many
Nigerians attribute the success of the recent Anambra governorship
election in part to the fact that only one state was involved.
Thus,
staggered elections may be another step towards ensuring credible
general elections in 2011.
Details
“Sorry, We Forgot
to Give You Brown Envelope”
.
By
Ibrahim Chonoko
No-salary,
low-salary and non-payment of salary, coupled with poor journalistic
training are usually adduced as the main reasons journalists resort to
the humiliating practice of Brown Envelope journalism. But a look beyond
the surface would reveal that these reasons are too simplistic and do
not represent the real reasons journalists and media practitioners
engage in the demeaning and unethical enterprise.
Details
Open Letter To
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan (Gej) - Solution To Nigeria's
Electric Power Problem And How The Nigerian Government Can Support
Small Businesses.
By
Bunmi Awoyemi, Ph.D.
I have some
ideas as to what you could do to fast track investments in the power
sector. We need to borrow a leaf from the Americans. In the 70s,
America did an audit of its power infrastructure in relation to its
anticipated population growth and came to the conclusion that if
something drastic was not done about ensuring heavy and radical
investments in the power sector, the United States would have rolling
black outs down the road. They analyzed their problems and came up
with a plan.
The
planned worked for them and I don't see why we should not borrow it
here and implement...
What they
did was to open up the power sector to private sector investment
without any restrictions as to how much power you can generate and how
you can distribute it.
Details
2011 Polls:
Shifting Cost Of New Voters’ Register And Matters Arising?
By Ifeanyi
Izeze
Despite what any person or group may think or say, there are enough
reasons now for genuine concerns on the credibility and
ever-increasing attached- cost of INEC’S idea of what should give the
nation a free and fair election in the 2011 polls. From INEC’S
exhibited mindset, it could rightly be assumed that the January 2011
polls may actually be tending to be “the best Nigerian election money
would buy”.
Details
National Awards: Honoring the Dishonorable.
By Tochukwu Ezukanma
Ordinarily, the role of the police is to protect the citizens from
criminal predators and maintain law and order. Regrettably, in
Nigeria, they behave as though they are beholden to an occupation
power or deployed against their own people. Corrupt and trigger happy,
they routinely shoot and kill the innocent, especially, commercial
drivers who refused to pay them bribe.
Details
Revolts Pay: Subsidize Stock & Banks Not
Manufacture Of Basic Needs.
By
Farouk Martins Aresa
The silent majority
is losing its moral bearing to mold future leaders that may turn out
worse than those they emulate. Our children and future leaders follow
the successful road map of the present politicians which paints a
creepy picture. Instead of channeling our resources towards those who
work hard and play by the rules, we are rewarding thugs and vagabonds
that play to the weaknesses of our politicians to make money. As if
that is not scary enough, the multiple dosages of deregulation, to
raise our hope like magic, will drive people into more desperation.
Details
Jonathan Goodluck, the Moral Foundation of Good Governance and the
Impossibility of Change.
By
Adebiyi Jelili Abudugana
Destiny, the factor behind the death of the late president Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua is that which also acted itself out in Jonathan’s emergence
as the substantive president and the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. Can this be regarded as divine blessing or
punishment? Without exercising caution to reflect on the nature of
what destiny has foisted on us, people with different shades of
interests rolled out their drums and started celebrating as the
seemingly politically impossible has been made possible by destiny.
Details
Anti terrorism Bill: There is Cause for
Concern, Mr. Senate President!
By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi
I am always worried when politicians,
especially the Nigerian variety, try to reassure us that there is no cause
for alarm, concern, worry or whatever. As people are wont of asking; if
there is no cause for alarm, what then brings about the talk of alarm, in
the first place?
Although strait talk is not a virtue easily
associated with politicians the world over, the Nigerian Politian is in a
class of his own when it comes to double speak, more so when the issue at
stake is one that does not enhance his bank balance.
Details
The Hegemony of Corruption in
Nigeria and the Rawlings Solution.
By
Yima Sen
It is quite tempting to agree with
the EFCC’s iron lady, given the logic that informed a similar
action in Ghana by its former President, John Jerry Rawlings. Many
Nigerians have suggested a Rawlings solution to corruption in this
centre of blacks in the world. It is now globally established that
this rich-poor country is wasting its resources. The problem with
the direct Rawlings solution is that it would involve a military
coup, which is not what is being suggested here, although it could
become highly probable. A probability arising from the fact that
what would have been the political will for change is already
infected with the virus of corruption, which is sometimes honoured
with national awards.
Details
National Honours : Now Laughable!
By
Ibrahim Tudu
Our Nigerian National Honours Award now seems to outlive
its credibility. Even though most people may still highly crave for it
because of its national significance, others celebrate it with their own
who won the awards and those that are prepared to do all it takes to see
that they get to the list. The simple fact remains that the award cannot
now be said to equal that given in the past in terms of integrity. More
questions are constantly asked by Nigerians as to what do we have to do to
make our national honors more honourable? All honors are synonymous with
respect, reputations, nobility, distinction, reverence and integrity,
where they are absent or questionable so are the awards would be. The
Nigerian honors need a rescue.
Details
Agriculture: A Lost
Treasure of the North (I).
By
Faruq Usman Geidam
When the North identified its economic potentials in agriculture then, and
gave it the adequate attention it deserved, it successfully won the fierce
quest of superiority among the other regions that make up the country. The
south-west despite their teaming numbers of learned people and their proximity
to the sea feared the north and never doubted our economic dominance. The so
called entity south-south had nothing to even talk about. Even the western
world depended heavily on Nigeria for the supply of agro-allied raw material
for their industries, of which a substantial ratio came from the north.
Details
Holding the Nigeria Prison
Service Captive.
By
Bamidele Bisola
The issue now is, how long
are we going to continue like this? Even in the jungle where decency does not
exist, certain norms still thrive. How can we make ourselves laughing stock in
the eyes of the whole world and yet expect to be respected? This can not
happen in
Ghana
, not even in Togo.
Details
ANPP Convention: Between Credibility and
Money.
By
Saka Raji Audu
Recently, the INEC Chairman,
Professor Attahiru Jega told his Residence Electoral Commissioners in the
States never to collect money from any governor so that the credibility of his
job will not be undermined. To my mind, this is a good advice for a start and
Jega should be commended for his boldness. But the INEC Boss should not also
forget the desperation of a certain past leader, wanting to buy people in
order to get his desire. It is now an open secret that there are overt and
covert attempts to rubbish the forthcoming ANPP convention with "Ghana must
go" influence, particularly in view of the diminishing face of the zoning
system in PDP.
Details
The
Adamawa State Government’s Position On The Pdp Zoning Arrangement.
By
Abdulkareem Yakubu
What has taken the central stage of public
discourse at this crucial period of the nation’s political history is the
zoning arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The issue of
zoning or no zoning of the office of the President of Nigeria has
generated or is generating what the Adamawa state chapter of Northern
Political Leader’s Forum refers to as ‘unnecessary and unhealthy
anxiety in the land’.
Details