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Bad Journalism And The Return To Authoritanism In Nigeria. By Francis Adewale Nigeria woke up this week to a return to an age old military rule tactic: closure of media house. In this case, the government closed a privately owned broadcasting house. A government supposedly elected by the people for the people. It is hard to defend Nigeria’s comatose profiteers masquerading as journalist in Nigeria. The news item that led to the closure smacks of perfidy and appear to have the hands of the enemies of this regime all over it. The present state of mainstream media in Nigeria is pathetic to say the least. What stops Channels Television from checking the story out with the regime, given it's well known access to the regime especially when Baba Gana Kingibe was still in government? We know how they lobbed easy question to the president and edited out the president coughing fits to camouflage the health of the president during their interview with the president sometimes ago. An interview arranged at the behest of Kingibe to burnish the image of the president when the going was good. Details
The Nigerian Television Authority: Simply Not Our Television. By Aliyu A. Ammani So, wallowing in nostalgia, I recollected our days as boys growing up in Kaduna. That was presumably the Golden Era of television in Kaduna. Those are the days of Radio Television Kaduna [RTK] through the Nigerian Television Kaduna [NTV]; to the first version of NTA Kaduna. Television programmes then, despite their relatively fewer hours of airtime and wide variety: Nigerian, American, English, and even Indian; had good local contents that reflects the socio-cultural norms and values of the environment. When it is time for religious events and festivities: Sallah, Babba and Karama; Christmas, Easter or even Children’s Day; the contents of local TV programmes always reflected that fully. Details
The Fallacy of 50% Derivation. By Nafata Bamaguje Anyone who is aware of the stupendous amount of money that accrues to the Niger Delta in terms of derivation, NDDC and even help from oil companies cannot honestly assert that underdevelopment of the Delta is due to lack of funds. As pointed out in an earlier related article, Rivers state alone collects more allocation than all 6 North-east states together. Akwa Ibom which doesn't produce a drop of crude oil (thanks to unfair offshore allocation) comes second, with monthly allocation that exceeds all South-east states together, even though some of these South-east states (Abia, Imo) actually have oil. Details
Foreign Policy and President Yar’Adua’s Impending Cabinet Shake-Up. By Abubakar Atiku Nuhu-Koko Presently, the nation’s Foreign Affairs ministry has not shown any significant achievement apart from the shabby way Bakassi Peninsular was ceded to the Republic Cameroun in August this year. No wonder therefore, President Yar’Adua’s administration has been missing a number of golden opportunities to project, protect and defend our national interests globally be it at the United Nations, AU or even at the sub-regional level of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS). Details
On Atiku, IBB, Bunkering And Violence In The Niger Delta. By Wale Odusote I wager that when the segment of the Nigerian Diaspora interested in this issue finally convenes to review these allegations further, one of the many actions that will be considered will include persuading the United States to launch an extra-territorial investigation into whether Atiku and IBB are actually involved in some way in bunkering oil and procuring violence to do so. The United States government has national interest in the matter for two reasons: One, there are many Nigerians (including native Niger Deltans) that possess United States citizenship. And a crime committed by anyone against their families living in the aboriginal Niger Delta is, by extension, a crime of substantial impacts on a United States citizen. Details
If the new leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo deems it absolutely necessary to revisit an issue on which its organisation had already taken a stand, we implore it to take the route of justice. We may have to recall that prominent Igbo leaders including the former vice-president of Nigeria, Alex Ekwueme, had earlier appeared and made submissions before the Ohaneze Committee on state creation. Their submissions including that of the former vice-president was for a sixth state derived from the present Anambra and Imo states. The then forum of elected Governors of the five Southeast states like the Ohaneze Committee on state creation prescribed a creation from the present Anambra and Imo States for the new state. Details
Tears and Sorrow. By Tochukwu Ezukanma Human behavior is driven by personal interests, and democratic politics is all about the resolution of competing and/or conflicting human interests. Here, there are conflicting needs between the elitist concern with urban esthetics, on the one hand, and the economic and personal survival of individuals, though poor, weak and voiceless, but still Nigerian citizens, on the other hand. Ordinarily, the issue would have been where to strike the delicate balance between these contending needs – allow people the opportunity to earn a living selling on the street, but regulate their activities to ensure the maintenance of public decorum, environmental sanitation and urban beauty. But in their haughtiness and crass disdain for the poor, the Nigerian elite do not regard the concerns of the poor as worthy of consideration. Details
Ministry Of Niger Delta: Deconstructing Vexed Issues. By Ifeanyi Izeze When President Umauru Yar’Adua recently announced the creation of a new Ministry of Niger Delta he must have expected seven gbozaas for the initiative. However, the reactions that have thus far greeted the decision had been as diverse as the issues in the hydra-headed Niger Delta question itself. The President believes that the Ministry of Niger Delta will serve as the primary vehicle for the delivery of his agenda for the rapid socio-economic development of the region. But that is just mere believe. Details
Nigeria's Vision 2020: Fact or Fantasy. By Prince Nwaokugha Ikeokwu It is pertinent that Nigeria‘s roadmap of joining the league of leading nations is a topical issue that has dominated the polity, with stakeholders trying to initiate actions. From the look of things, it has become a Herculean task to differentiate between positive and negative initiatives in Nigeria as previous efforts to achieve targets have always been a conspiracy within a cartel to achieve a private goal with our collective patrimony. Details
Information Super Highway and Nigeria’s National Security Concerns. By Abubakar Atiku Nuhu-Koko My concern in this write up is to address this issue from the perspective of national policy on information and communication technology (ICT). Specifically, on that aspect that touches on the use and management of the nation’s very important ICT resource endowment – internet country-code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD). This is a two-letter long prefix assigned to all countries or dependent territories. For Nigeria it is: .ng. The TLDs names are assigned by the internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which also operates the internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and the Domain Name System (DNS) root zone. Details
The Modest Success Story Of Nutl In Fct [1]. By Emeka Oraetoka Ninety percent of what should be done to make Nationwide Unity Transport Limited (NUTL), a model transport service for FCT rest with Federal Government of Nigeria. As a model capital in Africa , Government must as a matter of policy give necessary incentives to Nationwide Unity Transport Limited, to enable it perform optimally. Since the necessary infrastructures facilities for efficient transport operation is lacking in the Capital City incentives like the provision of Diesel to NUTL on a subsidized rate, for instance, will go a long way in making its operation efficient. Details
The Squandering Of Goodwill In Kano. By Saka Raji Audu Reading the squandering of goodwill in Kano by Abba Mahmood, it once again reminds me of the ugly politics of our society, where no matter the efforts of a leader to enhance the general standards of living of the people, such leader is usually subjected to condemnation simply because some pockets of alms chair critics in an isolated world want to make others believe willy nilly that the best way to be radical was to choose the option of casting stones and aspersions. Details
That Almajirci Bill (I). By Mustapha Shehu The Mallams tax the Almajiris to make daily returns of certain amounts to them, in the process, the Almajiris have to beg and/or do menial jobs. If they fail to make the returns, they are thoroughly beaten and tied to a tree trunk. In many cases, they run away, and afraid to return to their parents who will chastise them further for absconding, end up in cities as praise singers or riffraff or team up with other dangerous elements in society whose warped understanding of Islam is based on its total misunderstanding, to constitute a socially dangerous menace that gives rise to the emergence of quack clerics. Details
Women Today: The View of Malam Na-Bakin-Kogi (I) By Aliyu A. Ammani Women and children are at the receiving end of all calamities, natural and manmade. Poverty is a calamity that is widespread in Nigeria today. In fact, experts believe that more than 70% of Nigerians are living below the poverty line. In the views of experts like Soludo, a large chunk of this 70% is found in the North. It goes without saying that women bear the brunt of poverty. Poverty has condemned a large number of people to living and breeding like animals. Examples abound in the squalor settlements around our densely populated towns and cities, of families of seven or more children, living in a one room apartment probably with 2 or more grown-up daughters. Details
Towards Better Opportunity for Nigerian Youths. By Rita Gonyok Some agencies have indeed made some noticeable impact towards addressing the problems of youths’ unemployment but yet more and more need to be done. For instance, the Center for Youth Development Project a non –governmental body has continued to champion the cause and advancement of youth through the developmental and leadership training while some corporate organizations have also engaged the youths in worthwhile exercises and programmes that can prepare them to be self-reliant or become employable in competitive environment. A clear example is Shell Intensive Training programme, designed to develop the skill of young Nigeria graduates and technicians to prepare them for employment in the oil industry. Details
Kano and Prado Jeeps of insensitivity. By Kabiru Inuwa For those who for one reason or the other may not have the true picture of the pathetic situation in the ancient Hausa kingdom; the deeply entrenched poverty conundrum bedevilling Kano has assume a frightening dimension courtesy of crass insensitivity of the political stakeholders who are completely disconnected from the reality of our pathetic existence thereby allowing the raging scourge to continue to take its tolls on the hapless citizens. Details
Kano Censorship And The Burden Of Moral Defence. By Muhammad A. Muhammad It is quite surprising the way some of the writers chose to confront the board in a Kannywood-like manner. Even the hitherto respected among them inanely wrote many things that put their integrity to question. They sound and behave as worst as any lawless uneducated could. while the board is saying that all forms of obscenity should be stopped and that the books should conform with the culture and religion of the targeted audience in addition to the registration of the writers with the board among other things, these people are busy writing different sorts of bunkum in order to blackmail the board. All their arguments were based on subaudition, or more correctly, assumptions, and nothing more. Some of them were even proposing to take the matter up to their masters i.e. the international community in order to come to their aid, just as their Kannywood cohorts tried, as if the so called international community is that rotten. Details
Nigeria and the Thabo Mbeki Example. By Joshua Ocheja This brings us to Nigeria as a case study. In Nigeria it would be tantamount to suicide for a councilor to resign from office take more of a president. Political office holders do not know where to draw the line in the interest of peace and tranquility. Take the senate for example, in the years gone, it’s been a scandalous affair and those involved would hold unto seats like it’s their birth right, until they are finally impeached out of office. This is wrong and throws more questions to answers. Details
The Decadence Of Islaamic Practices In Nigeria: A Matter Of Serious Concern. By Abubakar A. Muhammad It was barely two centuries ago, in 1804 to be exact, when the Sokoto Jihaadists under the banner of authentic Islaam and the leadership of the revered Shaikh Uthmaan Bn Muhammad Bn Fodiyo and his major lieutenants Shaikh Abdullaah Bn Muhammad Bn Fodiyo and Muhammadu Bello Bn Uthmaan Bn Fodiyo established what was believed to be the most puritanistic and theocratic Islaamic state in the then West African region in the northern part area of what is today called Nigeria. Details
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