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Repositioning Local Government As The Bedrock Of Service Delivery In Nigeria. By Benjamin Ogbebulu The present 1999 Nigeria Constitution recognises the local Government as the third tier system of government . However, Nearly all the local governments in Nigeria are either crippled by the force of the state or wilfully not performing to people’s expectation in the country .one then ask these among many questions ; What is the role of the local government and what is the role of the state and how can it improve the frame work within which local government operates in line with the new public-private- partnership of the Federal Government?. Should there then be a regulatory body to work in conjuction with the EFCC to bring about value for money, good service delivery to the people? Details
Between Bafarawa and University Education. By Ali Alkali An article recently written by one Dahiru Maishanu, an adviser to Sokoto State Governor Alhaji Aliyu Magatakardan Wamako, titled “Between Bafarawa and University Education” and posted to Gamji Website was not only venomous but a deliberate misrepresentation of facts. The last sentence in the article “every dog has its own day,” should have been the first, so that the reader is put on alert that it is a dog barking because Bafarawa refused to throw him a bone some years ago. Details
Adamawa Governorship Race and the X-Men. By Zayyad I. Muhammad Nyako found himself in the difficult situation for quite some reasons: The battle for Adamawa Governorship seat will not be between Action Congress (AC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but rather between one small clique and a colossal of different political interest groups. There are serious internal squabbles in Adamawa State chapter of the PDP. This is due to the sidelining of some notable party members; it all started when other nine governorship aspirants were disqualified and Nyako was imposed as the party candidate. Details
Adamawa Election Re-Run: A Desperate Party Plays The Ethnic Card. By Hamaseyo Mohammed Instead of highlighting its performance record during its eight year rule in the state to voters, the AC is instead focusing on governor Nyako’s eight-month rule and exploiting a presumed latent historical antipathy that other Adamawa tribes hold against the Fulani. The AC is circulating a hurriedly published journal titled ‘The Broom’ which contains articles that feature a Rwanda-style vilification of the Fulani ethnic group. Details
Sokoto: A State Governed By Ex Governors! By Yusuf Dingyadi I have observed with dismay the deteriorating state of affairs in the Seat of the Caliphate in recent time. It is disheartening to note that, Sokoto State is under siege and remotely controlled by a new set of godfathers that recently intruded into the local politics of the state. Details
Pseudo-Leadership And Nigerian Politics. By Akintokunbo A Adejumo TY Danjuma seems to think he has a monopoly of everything about Nigeria. He was part of many bloody and bloodless coup-de-etats, he installed leaders, he appointed ministers and military governors, he has a say on who and who is not promoted in the Army, he showed his distaste for “foolish people like Enahoro”, and “absolutely useless people like Aguiyi-Ironsi”. He apportioned to himself some sort of Alpha and Omega of Nigeria.He also showed from the interview that despite his being a Northern Christian, and who would like to be remembered as a statesman, he is just a petty tribalist, who wanted revenge on “Igbo officers who had murdered Northern officers”. Details
Islamic Banking in Nigeria, Another Option. By Sani Adamu Danbatta In an Islamic mortgage transaction, instead of loaning the buyer money to purchase the item, a bank might buy the item itself from the seller, and re-sell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments. However, the fact that it is profit cannot be made explicit and therefore there are no additional penalties for late payment. In order to protect itself against default, the bank asks for strict collateral. The goods or land is registered to the name of the buyer from the start of the transaction. This arrangement is called Murabaha. Details
Nigerians in Diaspora despite their remittances and pro-democracy involvement needs to be fully recognised and welcome to participate in the development of Nigeria. Presently, Diaspora can not vote during elections and at the recent PDP convention in Abuja, chapters delegates from abroad were sidelined and not given privileged of full participants. Details
For An Effective Fight Against Corruption. By Colonel Abubakar D. Umar (RTD) I am convinced that the Yar'adua administration appreciates the very negative effects of corruption on the socio-economic and political development of the nation. It cannot fail to realize the very serious damage that the Obasanjo administration caused to this nation as a result of that administration's monumental corruption, I want to believe that this administration will do all it can to distinguish itself from the hypocritical regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo by prosecuting a sincere and purposeful war against corruption.Details
Therefore, the language of section 28 controls all other related provisions and saved the day for any Nigerian citizen by birth to remain eligible to hold the enumerated offices notwithstanding the concurrent presence of citizenship of, or some oath of allegiance to another country. The only possible situations where any Nigerian citizen may be barred would be one of the few cases where Nigerian citizenship was acquired by means other than by birth or lineage, which is no where near-applicable to Iwu. Details
Tsangaya System With Its Attendant Inefficiencies. By Bello Abdulkadir The Tsangaya schools need to be reorganized and formalized; with the Quranic and general Islamic education being the core aspect of the newly reformed system. The phobia for the possibility of compromising the Quranic education is the source of the resistance of the scholars in such reforms, hence the need to educate the populace on why the system should change. A transparent formula can be worked out to show that the Quranic education will be given a priority. Arabic should be adopted as the major language of instruction. Details
Political Resistance In The 4th Republic: The Haruna Ningi’s Model. By Abubakar Mohammed, Sambo The politics in the 4th republic was played bitterly, by those that partake in the political struggle in other to have access to political power and political authority. These was so because of some factors, which I may describe as the impact of the military dictatorship in the Nigeria political terrain, and, to be specific, the role the Nigerian military played in governance and in the politics of election annulments; June 12th election as a case in point. Details
Nigeria, Where Is Thy Sense Of Outrage? By Michael Oluwagbemi Nigeria is at crossroads; the year 2008 will not be remembered for the grievous actions of her leaders (which is hardly a novelty), but for the continued intolerable inaction of her citizens. For how long will this apathy continue? For how long will Nigerians suffer and smile? For how long will citizens so tormented by her kind tolerate the worst kinds of inhumanity of man against man? For how long will the conscience of the nation not be stirred to rise against the vestige of neo-colonialism? For how long will criminals strut across the land, making strides on our collective sense of decency with no shame or reprimand? Are we a people of a lost cause? Is ours a losing proposition? Details
Again there is question of how government can hope to do away with the NNPC - a corporate body with various existing legal obligations to its partner joint venture companies and other business entities locally and abroad. Therefore, how soon the gains of the unbundling will reflect on the national economy remains a matter of speculation. Details
The Shocking Phenomenon Called Nigerian Mapouka. By Tondu Aonduna Its largely youthful proponents see it as harmless, light-hearted entertainment. Yet, the spectacle of nude or partially nude young girls, some of them in their early teens, performing lewd and lascivious ‘dance’ moves by exposing their genitalia and other taboo zones to the rhythm of tams-tams and other musical instruments is a sub-culture that is bound to shock and offend even liberal sensibilities. Welcome to the unsettling world of Ivorian “Mapouka”, a musical genre that is making huge waves of controversy across West Africa and beyond with its stark and graphic images! In Nigeria and much of Africa, Mapouka is repackaged and peddled mainly in either the VCD or DVD format. Details
The Travails of Andy Uba. By Nneka Okoye-Bello The recent Federal Appeals Court ruling in Enugu which reversed the tribunal ruling that nullified the gubernatorial election and the inauguration of the then Governor-elect Nnamdi Uba, brought about the latest sneak peek into the many cat lives in the man, Nnamdi Uba. This is in addition to a gallant reengineering of the Anambra Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] to quickly recover from the near disabling coup launched by the trio of Tony Nwoye [the former Anambra PDP Chairman], Chuma Nzeribe and Emeka Offor following the Supreme Court ruling that temporarily cast a dark light on the Nnamdi Uba’s political machinery. And it was indubitably a revelation of the gallant recovery by the leader of PDP in Anambra from a voracious and cowardly betrayal. Details
Nigeria’s External Affairs Ministers, 1960-2008. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde In theory and in practice Africa has always been the primary focus of Nigeria’s foreign policy. History and the political realities of colonial and post-colonial Africa dictated much of this trend. In other words, African-nationalism and Pan-Africanism were two of the factors that helped shaped the thinking, the disposition and implementation of the country’s national security and foreign policy agenda. In spite of the occasional call for a rethink, there has been no noticeable change in Nigeria’s foreign policy protuberance. And even though the formal colonization of the continent has ended, the Cold War as we know it is over, and Communism has passed on, Nigeria has not be been proactive and forward-thinking in her approach to national security issues. Nigeria, it seems, is trapped in time. Details
In Memory of Late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. By Mohammed Habib As the nation commemorates the 9th & 10th Year Remembrance of one of the Nigeria’s political icons, the Tafidan Katsina, a one time Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters in the late 70s, a one time presidential aspirant in the IBB’s botched transition programmes, and indeed the political bridge-builder of Nigeria’s contemporary politics in the person of Late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, I wish to join all well meaning Nigerians in paying him a special tribute. Details
Government and Big-Business, Anti-Nigerians Conspiracy. By Anthony Okosun Under the guise of privatisation and liberalisation, Obasanjo's maladministration propped up some robber business barons in a weird and bizzare scheme, to acquire the people's assets. There is a legal maxim, 'nemo judex in causa sua'. Meaning, one should not be a judge in his own case. Applying this wisdom to Nigeria's political economy, it is easily obvious, that Nigeria's leaders have been judges in their own causes; as they have been the leaders, proposing, enacting and executing laws, for the regulation of the economy and markets, whereby, these same leaders have ironically, been the biggest players. Details
Democracy Vs Non-Ideological Politics In Nigeria. By Abubakar Mohammed, Sambo The distinct meaning of Democracy devoid of any academic or western conceptual definition simply infers majority participation in government; participation in this context is duo: that is, direct and indirect. Direct participation could be participation under a defined platform commonly known as political parties, with an interests’ aggregation. Indirect participation could be by means of citizens discharging their civic responsibilities which might not necessarily mean belonging to the political party formation, but simply not being apolitical. The both form of participation expresses the principles of collective responsibility; rights, duties, and obligations of the citizens on the state and that of the state on the citizens. Details
Abubakar Rimi; The P.D.P. Congress And Missing Relevance. By Aminu Ahmed The shocking revelation of what had happened in the recent congresses of Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P.) especially in Kano State can be seen as the catastrophic political failings of one time political figure not just within the confined of old Kano State but nationally.
It was not totally a surprised, though excited when one had the way and manner Abubakar Rimi was celebratory humiliated and defeated in the last state congresses of P.D.P. in Kano. This caused serious embarrassment to his admirers. It would be curious twist of fate that Rimi would end up his political career in this demeanor. I was never under any illusion this would happen to him from the day he returned to P.D.P. Details
An Undemocratic INEC and the Challenge of Credible Fresh Elections In Nigeria. By Ikechukwu A. Ogu, Esq In INEC’s Report on the 2007 General Elections and in all his utterances, the INEC Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu beats his chest and gloats over what he adjudges a good job of conducting the elections. He scored himself and INEC very high and sees no need to apologize to Nigerians. He adopts the lizard approach of having fallen from the iroko tree, nods in self-praise when no one finds it necessary to praise him. Even where he admitted the existence of lapses in the process, Prof. Iwu pointed accusing fingers at persons and bodies outside of himself and INEC or what one of his Resident Electoral Commissioners called “extraneous factors”. And incomprehensibly, INEC claims vindication by the judgements of the Election Petitions Tribunals. Details
Tribunal’s Ruling: Imperative of a Working Class Political Alternative. By Kola Ibrahim The recent ruling of the presidential Election tribunal has again thrown up some issues concerning the fate of the common man in the present polity. Against the reality and public knowledge, the tribunal – basing itself on unjustifiable legalism – affirmed the legitimacy of the electoral fraud perpetrated by the ruling party at the last general elections. This ruling is a big setback to the working and toiling people of Nigeria who are looking for a peaceful means of getting a political solution to their seemingly eternal misery. It is ridiculous and insulting to public sensibility for the tribunal to tell the whole country that despite the fact that no election was held in more than 20 states, election is 100 percent alright. Details
Atiku’s Undeserved Popularity. By Hamaseyo Njoboliyo Our former vice-president Atiku Abubakar is certainly a popular political figure who has a very committed followership in all parts of the country. From my discussions with some of his followers, and from what is regularly written and spoken in the press, the reasons for his popularity are his opposition to President Obasanjo’s third term bid, his much talked about association with late General Shehu Musa Yar Adu’a, and his reputation as an astute politician. Other less talked-about reasons are his legendary ability to dole out cash to his supporters during campaigns and the perception in certain quarters that he is a champion of minority ethnic groups, and a ‘detribalized’ Nigerian. I want to examine these reasons against his own political antecedents and the role expected of political leaders in a developing country like Nigeria, in order to determine if his popularity is legitimate and well-deserved or not. Details
Praise Singers And Katsina State Local Governments Elections. By Musa Ado Rimaye The Local Government Elections in Katsina State have come and gone but not with the normal progressive descent to anarchy characterized by elections in our Nigeria of today. Yours sincerely read a piece written by one Muhammed Nagado from Dutsinma wherein he praised the Governor of Katsina State for (according to the writer) conducting a free and fair elections that saw the emergence of the newly (s)elected Local Government Chairmen in the State. One would have allowed the piece to pass without any comment giving the emergence of an army of professional guzzlers and praise singers occasioned by the current stark economic realities characterized by the extent of poverty that has eaten deep into the metabolic systems of the citizens. But, a word or two shall help to shed more light on what happened during the just concluded Local Government (s)elections in Katsina State.
Nigeria: What Constitutes Insanity? By D A Juliuson The most recent development in Nigeria has upset many Nigerians more than we care to concede. It has left many feeling reluctant to pin too much hope on anything or anyone. Shame isn’t it? Many Nigerians, though, are very wise for they do not walk around with blinders on. Details
The Nigerian Traits In The Clintons. By Farouk Martins Aresa However, it only took Obama trying to wrestle the nomination crown of the Democratic Party from the wife to display the claws of their Nigerian traits. The mistake some of us made was thinking that Barack Obama was the real African in the image of Mandela or Nkrumah. Can you imagine an inspiring leader like Obama in Nigeria waking up our spirit and challenging the status quo? Our politician will run him out of town. Details
Justice Or Public Policy: The Yar’adua Judgement. By Akintokunbo A Adejumo The recent ruling of the Court of Appeal, acting as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that decided that President Umaru Yar’Adua was validly elected on 21 April 2007 surely merits comments by Nigerians, and indeed the whole world, as we do not live in isolation as a nation. The general belief is that the ruling was fixed or at the very best, expected and predictable Details
Alcoholic Petrol Scandal: Oando's Blame or DPR's Shame? By Ifeanyi Izeze Agreed that Oando by outright mischief brought into the country substandard and dangerous fuel, what does DPR exist for? Who inspected and certified the product batch before it was introduced into the domestic market? And if Lagos motorists and the Consumers Protection Council (CPC) did not move to query the NNPC and maybe Oando, would DPR have been bothered that common ‘ogo- goro’ was on sale in some filling stations in the name of imported petrol? This is a big shame. Details
Okiro’s Readiness to Die for Yar’Adua. By Hakeem Babalola Sir Okiro, to further show his selfless side, also urged his men in uniform to do the same. They must die for Umaru Yar’Adua whose election has recently been solidified by the election petition tribunal. The erstwhile Inspector General of Police wants to die for Yar’Adua whose case still pending at the highest court. I wonder why Sir Okiro did not make such statement before now. Details
Once Upon a Vision... By Abdulhafiz Musa Abdullah Nigeria like most other developing and developed countries has the vision of becoming one of the 20 greatest economies of the world at least the 20th by the year 2020. This vision has come to be known as the "vision 2020". Details
And now, all Jews are leaving their comfort zones in droves and going back to the homeland. Where are the visionaries for Nigeria? Most escape artist say 'They should" do such and such. None dare use the phrase “Let us". Nigeria should be built on the efforts of others, it behooves others to do the work, none take responsibility, all are victims seeking asylum from them, welcome the Next Wasted Generation. What do you think? Details
The Burden Of The Court Of Appeal Political Judgement. By Jide Ayobolu Some people have argued that, if the Tribunal nullify the election that brought Yar’Adua into office it would plunge the country into un-necessary crisis. But this a lie told by the devil, it is not correct to contend that righting the wrong of the past will cause problems, it is in fact, glossing over the wrongs of the past and putting up with them as if they are the norm. and, all those shouting allover the place that both General Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should not gone to the Supreme Court, are just doing so because of what they can get from the government. Details
What Is Government To Me? By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye If anyone needs potable water in Nigeria today, such a one must provide it for himself. Reason? Government is on an interminable recess. In the eighties, one could just walk to any tap, even by the roadside, open it and drink clean water. Whoever tries that now, if at all any liquid gushes out from the tap, could be tried for attempting suicide. And I can guarantee that not even a very large-hearted judge like Justice Ogebe would agree to set him free! Details
Spring Bank’s Disservice to Customer- Soludo Take Note. By Bashir Lawal Early this year, there was panicking in the Banking Industry that Spring Bank is on its way to distress, if not the quite intervention of the central Bank of Nigeria CBN that allays the fears of depositors and the stock investors in the bank. One wonders how positive a bank can be distressed after recapitalization that saw some banks merging together while some banks were bought outrightly (acquisition) by other banks. Details
The Consolation in Yar’Adua’s Victory. By Tochukwu Ezukanma The nullification of Yar’Adua’s electoral victory and the holding of a free and fair presidential election would have been wonderful for Nigeria. A free and fair election will be magnificent for Nigerian democracy. A victory in the new election will bestow the president an unalloyed mandate. This will extricate him from the grip of his PDP political godfathers and the corrupt ex-governors that sponsored the fraud that propelled him to power.
Feminism As An Excuse To Hate Polygamy- A Feminist’s Response. By Larai Hassan Current data obtained from the UN and WHO indicates the approximate male/female ratio for Nigeria to be 1.02. Similar to most countries in the world, Nigeria has slightly more men than women in every age group except for the age group above 65 years old. Details
Science and Technology: Whither Nigeria? By Clarius Ugwuoha Nigeria has always prided itself as the giant of Africa. What gave birth to such arcane metamorphosis? This self arrogation had tended to obscure the blunt truth, in the recent past when Nigeria fooled itself around the West African sub-region keeping the peace with scarce resources, while hunger reigned at home. The fact is, the giancy of Nigeria in Africa begins and ends on population, a not-so-savoury index of giancy. Details
Nigeria: One Country Four Economies Discussion Points. By Falalu Bello, OFR Today, the North has ownership and/or control of no more than 3% of banking assets and 2% of insurance assets and 10% of industrial assets. True, the North has a huge landmass but this has remained under exploited due to jettisoning of time tested policies of price support (as a result of abolishing of marketing boards without putting alternatives) and abandonment of extension services and quality control. Details
What They Didn’t Tell You About The 2007 Elections. By Ibrahim Danlami The opposite is also true. And I am certain that the learned justices of the Presidential Election Tribunal, being Nigerians themselves, must have had these real-world projections in mind when they came to the conclusion that any contrary evidence did not hold water. The presidential poll is the mother of all the polls INEC conducted in 2007. Thus any ruling upholding the results thereof makes it extremely harder to continue to fault Maurice Iwu for anything. Details
Tribunal’s Ruling: Imperative of a Working Class Political Alternative. By Kola Ibrahim The NLC leadership was correct to have said that the fate of the working and poor masses cannot be left in the hands of “Five Wisemen”, but placing its faith in the Electoral Reform panel is worse. Nigeria’s history is replete with several of such committees – from Babangida’s Political Bureau to the Obasanjo’s Political Reform Committee Details
Now We Can’t Even Buy Yam! By Bala Muhammad My car had stopped at 12 NOON (yes, 12 noon) a little after Tafa on Abuja to Kaduna Expressway, just to buy yam. Is it wrong to buy yam? With hindsight, it is apparently now a miscalculation to stop and buy yam on the road, at noon. Even though Nigerians love yam. And the poor yam sellers need the business. And the nation needs the jobs so created. Details
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