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

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