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Obama and His Race. By Anthony Akinola We in Nigeria arrogantly assumed our nation should have been Barack Obama’s first port of call in Africa. The American President may not have a monopoly in the choice of which country he visits, one thinks the State Department plays a major role in that. However, Obama’s visit to Africa was more of a courtesy call than anything else. In the event that no major American interest was at stake Ghana, which has been doing well in the eyes of the world, deservedly earned the destination of an historic visit as a note of approval and encouragement. Details
From the judgment of Mohamed Uwaisi, it is clear that before the legally recognized LGA’s in Lagos State could function, consequential amendments to first schedule of the Constitution must be effected by the National Assembly. This is the only way the created LGA’s can start functioning as constitutionally recognized entities. The point of dispute here is not that Lagos State has no right to create local government areas, but could the LGA’s so created function when the National Assembly has not made consequential amendments to that effect, as required by the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria? The answer is capital NO! Details
Nigeria: When is the Relief Coming? (2). By Ahmed Dodo The Nigerian government under the present administration of Musa Yar’adua despite its resolve to tackled the Niger Delta issue, establishing Niger Delta ministry the first of its kind since the agitation began more than thirty years ago, and granting amnesty to the militants, the country was forced to announced a fight to finish with the militants recently when the federal troops sent to guard the volatile region lost some of its men, comprising officers and under ranks in the hands of the unrepentant militants, who are insisting on a total resource control of the wealth from the region. A position one analyst said was unreasonable given the fact that Nigeria is a federal country and the Niger Delta is part of this agreement and beneficiary of some of the wealth of the other region that made up the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Details
Is it Possible to Rebuild Nigeria? By Zents Kunle Sowunmi The last administration under Aremu OBJ, had all it needed to cross the line of Rubicon of progressive minds but it failed because it was not intellectually equipped to see beyond the tip of its nose, no wonder its leadership was still in search of the missing link in his academic deficiency after he left office just like General Yakubu Gowon the Nigeria leader between 1967 to 1975 did after he was kicked out of office. Details
CBN Sack of Bank CEOs: Matters Arising. By Shafii Abdullahi Ndanusa ‘The chicken has come home to roost’. This is the common statement heard from commentators following the recent bombshell from CBN over the financial health or otherwise of five banks. For a while, the industry has been awash with rumors of ill-health, unfair de-marketing practices and the need to comprehensively sanitize the system. Details
Counting the Gains of Clinton's Visit Nigeria. By Walter Duru Early last week, America’s Minister of State, Mrs. Hilary Clinton visited Nigeria, as part of her working tour on some selected African Countries. She arrived Nigeria and met a low key reception at the Airport, a situation many blamed on the alleged anger of the Country’s leadership, over the inability of the President of the United States of America, Senator Barrack Obama to visit the Country. Details
China As Friend And Partner To Africa. By Paul I. Adujie Why would Westerners ignore all the “evils” reeking off China’s clothes, when the bell tolls for Westerners? But, the same Westerners are trepidations and stampede to warn Africa off, of, Chinese pungent undemocratic ways, and perverse-putrid human rights abuses, only now, because China is giving the Westerners a run for their money in Africa? Western self-interests of course! In China’s forays into various African nations, Westerners finally have a fidelity challenge. Let the competition begin, I’ll say! Details What is Boko? By Senator Umaru Dahiru The Boko we know might not be the one Yusuf was referring to. No Muslim in his right mind would say Western education is haram. But like Muhammad Haruna said on the back page of Daily Trust of Wednesday 4th of August Yusuf’s “rejection of modernity suggests he had mistaken it for Westernization.” Details
Extrajudicial Execution Of Muhammad Yusuf And Legality Of Boko Haram. By Barr. Ja’afar Ibrahim It is quite clear that so many Nigerians among which lawyers, human right activists, and some Muslims scholars expressed dismay and outcry regarding the recent extrajudicial execution of Boko Haram leader, Muhammad Yusuf, allegedly carried out by Nigeria police Force. Suffice to say that, according to the aforementioned personalities, the method by which the execution of Muhammad Yusuf was carried out amounts to violation and breach of the laid own procedure of carrying executions and against Fundamental Rights enshrined in our constitutions and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the provision of Shari’a Law which is also an applicable law in Maiduguri. Before digesting the controversial issue of extrajudicial execution, it is good to go through the ideology and dogma of Boko Haram. Details
Boko (Western Education) Haram: From An Historical Perspective To Present Crisis. By Sani Balashehu Now Nigeria is said to be in a democratic rule but killings took place in the hands of police without trial. The excuse given by police for killing Muhammad Yusuf was that while in police custody he attempted to escape, I am yet to know the reason for killing others like the former commissioner who was said to be member of the group, but let us examine the police claim in the case of Muhammad Yusuf.Details
Almajiri: The Boko Haram in the Northern Elite. By Mustapha Shehu Reading the Leadership newspaper of Sunday August 9, I came across a picture of Boko Haram classrooms in Maiduguri. The classrooms were destroyed by the military bombardment of the enclave of the group’s slain leader, Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf. The picture was captioned: “Two of the classes in a school discovered in the Boko Haram enclave. Mathematics and English were last taught on 2/7/2009 as reflected on the Blackboard.” I juxtaposed this picture on the video of the debate I watched between the Boko Haram leader and an erudite Islamic scholar of the Izala sect, Ustaz Idris Abdulaziz and then began to wonder whether we, the northern elite, particularly our leaders, are not more ‘Boko Haram’ than the so called Boko Haram. Details
Boko Haram Vs Nigerian Government: A Tale Of Two Wrongs. By Mohammed Adamu But let’s not waste time on what ‘BOKO’ is and not, rather let’s look at it as any other insurgency or agitation currently threatening our national peace and common existence from the edge of the desert in the far North down to the Atlantic coast in the south, be it BOKO HARAM, NIGER DELTA MILITANCY, MASSOB, OPC or BAKASSI BOYS. According to one African nationalist and freedom fighter of blesseth memory, “When the people in power enjoy a privilleged economic position, they cease to share in the problems they are responsible for solving”. Details
Boko Haram and Imperative of a Working Class Alternative. By Kola Ibrahim I am much worried about the manner in which the media addresses the issue. While reports were revealed that over 700 people were killed in Borno State alone and several houses destroyed, public commentators especially the media concentrated on the criminal murder of the head of the sect, Muhammed Yussuf. There were attempt to obscure who actually killed hundreds of people while there seems to be a sigh of relief after the mass murder and in fact the murder of Muhammed. Details
In Defense of Religious Freedom in Nigeria. By Babandi Gumel
The sacking of more than 4000 members of
the Darul Islam in Mokwa about 100 kilometres from Minna the Niger State
Capital raises the question as to whether the Muslims in Nigeri
Matters Arising from the Boko Haram Crisis. By Kyari Mohammed In all conflicts truth is the first casualty. This is amply demonstrated in the mass massacre of both innocent and not so innocent citizens in the name of fighting religious “extremism” in Nigeria. There is no excuse for the attack on government institutions and security personnel by the Boko Haram activists, but any one who has seen Mallam Mohammed Yusuf’s “Open Letter to the Government of Nigeria” can understand why they singled out police stations and government institutions. Details
Boko Haram: The Jama’atu Nasril Islam Response is Inadequate. By Muhammad Lawal Ishaq, Esq. The JNI’s condemnation of the ill-motivated and devilish thinking of Boko Haram is a well known and accepted fact within the generality of the Muslim Ummah in the country. Thus, the JNI was not saying anything new by condemning the group and whoever is behind it in the advertorial in question. Muslims expect the JNI, after the ceremonial condemnation of the Boko Haram’s activities to rise to the defence of Muslims and Islam, which is supposed to be foremost among its principal functions. The JNI ought to talk about the mayhem unleashed by the country’s authorities, using the full strength of the police and the army, against numerous Muslims, some of whom were innocent and defenceless. Details
With each passing day, and with each additional revelation, Mohammed Yusuf, leader of the Boko Haram movement and hundreds of his followers that were killed by the police and the army, are looking less like villains and more like victims. Poor guys, there is just no one left alive to tell their own side of the story. But those who thought that killing everybody that could have provided alternative window into the remote and immediate cause of the tragedy would cover up their crimes for ever, did not reckon with modern technology, or with the determination of the Nigerian army to be thoroughly professional in the matter. Details
Reflections on: “No Country for Weak Hearts”. By Kevin Etta Jr. It is true that Nigeria is not a country for weak hearts, and Mr. Nworah gives a telling narrative of his experiences since his return to Nigeria that lend credence to this fact. Endemic crime in particular coupled with decrepit infrastructure and failing or absent public services paint a grim picture for even the most avid of would-be believers. Details
Inspector-General Onovo and Nigerian Police Force: A Time for Transformation and Renewal IG Onovo is intellectually brilliant and a seasoned policeman who is ever ready to do his best possible to enhance the security of our great country. Our President, His Excellency Umaru Yar'dua must be commended for giving opportunity to this patriotic Nigerian to render his proven professional skill to our country at this point in time. For investors to put their scare resources in the country they must be convinced that the security apparatus of our country can protect their investments including their families, relatives and employees. Details
Why is it that what most commentators on the Naira inscription debate as presumptuously demonstrated by these critical minds, fail to appropriate the details, painstakingly so far expounded? There might be a lot of reasons. However, following the tune and style of the rhetoric that were adopted by these individuals, it seems more appropriate to say they were prompted by the Orientalising psyche of the others’-other order. Details
Is Andy Ubah Governor In-Waiting Or Waiting To Complete His Tenure? By Emeka Oraetoka On account of the above fact, Andy Ubah cannot be referred to as Governor-in -waiting, otherwise, the court should be approached one more time to know the status of Anambra State when Andy Ubah held fort as the governor. The report that Ubah has approach the court, this time for him to be declared Governor in waiting to take over from Peter Obi after March 17, 2010, if it is true, may amount not only as an exercise in confusion on the path of Ubah but a clear attempt at denying himself a running mandate, freely given to him on April 14, 2007, by the people of Anambra State. Details
Tobacco Situational Analysis And Control In West Africa (1). By Jibo Nura In 2002, the world’s largest tobacco multinational companies had combined tobacco revenues of more than 121 billion USD. This sum is greater than the total combined GDP of West Central, East and North African countries (WHO Report, 2004) Details
In Defence Of Islam In The Days Of Violence And Crises. By Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) We are really unhappy with the killing of innocent people in Nigeria in the name of Islam, because of this and many more I intend to write this flyer in defence of our universal religion Islam in these days of violence and crises. The name of Islam is being attacked, tarnished, subdued and vanquished in the media, particularly western media because of the action of some mischievous and extremist Muslims. Details
Is The Boko Haram Tragedy Over Yet? By Sharafa Dauda An analysis of the visual of the execution of key leaders and sponsors of the sect by the police like Buji Foi, a two-time commissioner and chairman indicates a deliberate execution. The white coloured Ford 4-wheel van in which he was brought was parked on the highway in front of the State Police Headquarters with its front side towards the west. He alights from the van and was guided by an unidentified police officer who departs, leaving the late Foi to walk on facing east. His legs were chained and his hands were folded across his chest. As he walked, gun shots were fired at him. He walked on while police officers can be seen firing shots in his direction until he was hit and fell after the sixth or seventh gun shot. Details
To set the ball rolling within our outlined specifics, it is critical to ask, is ‘Boko Haram’ the actual name of this group?; what qualifies it to be a SECT as so pronounced by the mainstream media and the Nigeria government? A vivid and factual response to these leading questions will therefore necessitate a sojourn into the history of this group. Hence, another set of questions, who formed the group and what was or were his/their motivations? A reliable insider’s report has it that the group was founded in 2002 by the slain Muhammad Yusuf. Yusuf was once a follower of Mallam Ibrahim Zak-Zaky, the paramount leader of a Shia religious sect that is based in Zaria. Details
Central Bank and the Economy. By Les Leba Regular readers of this column over the years would most certainly have been exposed to a different perspective on the operation of the Nigerian economy. However, even if such adherents of the column accept the rationale of our proposals, and indeed, find them plausible; they may rightly wonder why the government and its responsible agents for monetary policy have turned deaf ears to what ordinarily makes a lot of sense with its huge potential for positively turning round the ravaged fortunes of our economy and our people. Details
That Finance Ministers Summit And African Economy: Matters Arising. By Prince Ikeokwu Standing from a vantage point on the global economy, it becomes lucid that Nigeria as well as other African countries is standing on the brink of harsh economic realities, grappling with developmental challenges of reformatting their economies to meet the 2015 MDG target and the Vision 2020. It is quite interesting to note that the meeting of the Committee of Ten African Finance Ministers and Regional Central Bank Governors (C10), in Abuja, has just ended, but the memories of this strategic gathering of intellectuals has continued to resonate, especially as it deliberated on ways to shield African economies from speedy recovery as well as having a major stake in the world decision making. Details
A Harvest of Social Upheavals from the PDP Leadership in Nigeria. By Mahamman Adarawa The extrajudicial killing of the Leader and financier, which deprived people of knowing the genesis of the movement and how to prevent further recurrence, has portrayed the Nigerian police as lacking discipline and leadership. Thus despite eliminating the leadership most people view the whole saga as a fight between troops of a corrupt & oppressive government and fanatical followers of Boko haram. The question Nigerians wants the Government to answer are- Details
What if Arabic is Inscribed on Naira?: A Response. By Suleiman Dankano, Ph.D. You cannot presume that simply because someone comes from the south is necessarily a Christians and vice versa for those of us who come from the north. There are many Igbo Muslims and Animists as there are many northern Christians and we don’t know whether Soludo is a Christian or Animist. Just because Akinola surmised that the “Arabic on the Naira sybolises the existence of Muslims” Details
Olatunji Dare Got it Wrong on Iwu. By Yakubu Tsav On July 28, 2009, Olatunji Dare (writing in The Nation Newspaper) got it wrong on Iwu; and it smelt like a deliberate act of misinformation. In a back page column, titled ‘Maurice Iwu’s World’, Mr Dare invented an Atlanta lecture that never occurred, at least not “the other day”, as Dare wanted the public to believe. Besides this glaring and fundamental falsehood, there are many more points that Dare got so wrong on Iwu that one is tempted to conclude that the sole purpose of the piece was to dredge up some old-wife’s tales as part of a gathering conspiracy to discredit the 2011 elections (a rather sad and clumsy replay of what happened in the lead-up to 2007). Let us take those points in seriatim: Details
Gov. Yuguda’s Manifest Error. By Abbas A. Dikko Nigeria, God’s own protected country, in spite of all the PDP inflicted and deliberately created problems, the country remain Kaka-Raka like the Olumo rock. Once again, thanks HIS grace for spearing and insolating us from all forms of natural disasters witnessed in other part of the world. Decade of our existence as a sovereignty, we have all it takes to be the leading nation in the continent of Africa, among the emerging economies in the world, but, here we are like a toddler groping with leadership inertia, high scale corruption in every aspects of our endeavours and damaging social values. Details
The recent stories coming out from these citadel of academic and moral excellence is not encouraging at all; especially as regards to campus prostitution, sexual harassment and gratification, as well as cultism and bribery from the suppose mentors and tutors. With the passage of time, the moral fabrics that hold our society (tertiary institutions) together have been seriously eroded by some shameless set of people who are suppose to be teachers, lecturers, mentors, and fathers to their children (Students). One imagines a situation where some lecturers demand sexual gratification before they pass and graduate their victims who are mostly women. Details
Boko Haram Uprising: Not Seeing the Wood for the Trees. By Aliyu A. Ammani The point of departure in this write-up is that Boko Haram is a movement not an Islamic sect. The late Muhammad Yusuf , or his Boko Haram movement, was not the first northern Nigerian Muslim, or Islamic movement, to see, view, regard or consider boko (western education) as haram (unlawful). My grand father and his contemporary members of the then Ulama of what is today known as northern Nigeria said so more than a hundred years ago, when the white Christian missionaries first came with ilmin boko. However, there is a world of difference between their reasons for considering boko as kafirci or haram and the reasons that informed Muhammad Yusuf’s verdict. Details
Pardoning Okah, Killing Yusuf. By Isa Muhammad Inuwa It is surprising how people in Nigeria forget history so soon. Hence it is pertinent we go back a little bit, on memory lane. Just on Monday July 13, 2009, the beleaguered militant group of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) blew up oil installations at the vital internal oil terminus of the Atlas Cove in Lagos, the threatening signal of which moved an instant presidential order to quickly release Henry Okah, leader of MEND, who was long detained and awaiting judgment by a Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau state....Also, just as the Boko Haram dissidents in the North have their grudges and reservations with the country’s leadership policies, but which , unfortunately, they were not allowed chance to express their mission and demand of the authorities, as they were quickly condemned and crushed in a period less than one week, Gbomo, the MEND’s mouthpiece once issued his statement, graphically capturing their grievances that the problems of our dear country Nigeria “have nothing to do with militant freedom fighters, but with the corrupt political leadership and certain arrogant tribes still living on past glory.” Details
Who Killed Major Nzeogwu? By Max Siollun “secession will be ill-advised, indeed impossible. Even if the East fights a war of secession and wins, it still cannot secede. Personally, I don’t like secession and if this country disintegrates, I shall pack up my things and go. In the present circumstances, confederation is the best answer as a temporary measure. In time, we shall have complete unity."..(Major. C. K. Nzeogwu) Details
Nigeria: When is the Relief Coming? (1). By Ahmed Dodo The Nigerian has been described as one of the most happy and creative human species on earth. Proudly good in almost everything they do, be it on the positive or negative side. With some of the best intellectuals on earth, but still yet are still without mincing words has one of the least developed rich nation in the world, this despite its verse human and mineral resources. Details
Letter to Sir Ahmadu Bello. By Kabiru Tsakuwa Forgive me if I disturb your peace. But the exigencies of the moment and the dangerous slide of the region and by extension the whole country onto the edge of the precipice had made it imperative for your humble grand son to inform your majesty. Indeed, you ought to know how unnerving, life has turned out to be in your absence. You deserved to be updated about the situation report on the ground. How your trusted allies whom you sacrificed so much to nurture and empowered from a very humble status; have within a span of just four decades, succeeded in subjecting the once proud region into virtual doldrums! Details
The Tragedy of Junk Journalism in Nigeria. By Saka Raji Audu For quite some time now, the public has been treated with the activities of junk media practitioners that lack the qualifications and ethics for practice. These media gate crashers have often relegated the media functions of information, education, entertainment and research to the background. As a result of their selfish political goal and vaulting ambition, they become willing tools for destruction. In their media contents, one hardly sees news, constructive report or research materials. Unfortunately, no body seems to care about the ethical standard of the journalism profession in this part of the world. Details
The Future Of Nigeria’s Public Universities. By Mohammed Dahiru Aminu Professors who used to be world-renowned and their achievements often celebrated, have gone into professing lies at our various levels of government like the present-day Senate. On the other hand, the unfortunate ones still in the teaching profession are always ready with their CVs in case they come across any political appointment outside the university where they can accumulate government funds to themselves and their immediate families. Details
What Makes "Boko Karam". By Abu Firdaus Boko-Haram is an anti-thesis of the boko ideology. The followers of this world view may not be “educated” the boko way; but they see the havoc facing their society, failures of leadership and governance, poverty in the midst of plenty and the uncountable contradictions in the Nigerian society. They are propelled into action to change the wrongs not just in their minds, but by speeches and actions.. And it is here they come frontally face-to-face with the beneficiaries (and hence protectors) of the boko system; who are not ready to give in by an inch. Details
No Amnesty for Boko Haram. By Mahfuz Mundadu In the recent past there were media reports with respect to unprovoked attack by the Nigerian police of this group while on a funeral procession to bury one of their own. The report suggested that police arrested some of the members riding on motor bike without the crash helmet. Apparently that led to a heated debate in the cause of which a policeman was reported to have pulled a trigger on some of the members which resulted in additional death and injury sustained from gun shot. Details
Some Animals are More Equal Than Others. By Babandi Gumel The recent confrontation between the Nigerian Security forces and the Self –Styled Boko Haram served as a reminder to all but left many wonder as to why they could not take similar drastic measure against the Niger Delta militants who have been confronting the forces for months or even years. The unequal treatment the militants are getting called to question the sincerity and wise decision of the Authorities to quell the violence one with full power of force one with the kid’s globe type of approach. Details
Between the "Boko Haram" and the Niger-Delta Militants. By Umar Bello The sort of fire-power and insensitivity deployed to quell the revolt of Boko Haram with the leader, Muhammad Yusuf, riddled with hundreds of bullets while trussed up pleading in the police headquarters just in the wake of the red carpet amnesty given to his counterpart, Henry Okah, on a platter of gold, reveals the mindset of a government clearly clueless to the course of justice and national security. In the killing of Yusuf, they have not only taken a life extra-judicially since he was caught alive and surrendered, but they have also interred many potential leads and dimensions in investigating the Boko Haram's phenomenal emergence, source of funds, tentacles and even the psychological mindsets and philosophies of the group for further and future strategic/security planning. Details
Militancy As An Option! By Kabiru Tsakuwa Tell me, in a hopeless situation such as this, what will stop the idle youths whose minds have become devils workshop from adopting measures which will help them to burn their much suppressed extra energies? And what will safeguard or shielded them from easily succumbing to the negative influence of some deviant elements in the society as is being witness today? So, head or tail, it is Nigeria that ultimately loses. Details
Dividends of N440BN Security Vote for Niger-Delta. By Les Leba The views of well-intentioned critics that Nigeria is not in a state of war and that Nigeria should not wage a war against itself were considered to be the rantings of anti government agents! The government was unwilling to recognize that direct annual allocations to such interventionist agencies such as NDDC had never approached a tenth of the 2008 vote for keeping militancy against perceived federal oppression at bay! Details
The Making Of A Dangerous Nation. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye In October 2004, Professor Chinua Achebe told Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's "civilian" ruler at the time, that Nigeria under his watch was unarguably "too dangerous." That was about five years ago. Today, words would fail anyone, including Achebe himself, to describe Nigeria's current state. Details
The Fraud Called Abuja. By Sylva Nze Ifedigbo Abuja is fake. It is a tale of overwhelming poverty covered up by amazing (mostly stolen) wealth. Abuja lacks the most basic of amenities that should qualify it as a model city. Recently, NEXT newspapers reported the dearth of ambulances in the city’s General hospitals while Aso Rock had almost an Ambulance showroom. The absence of ambulance is a mirror of the state of health care delivery in the city. In some of the hospitals, to see a doctor, you must set forth at dawn (apologies to Soyinka) and endure a long wait in a queue made up of persons that had set forth before dawn. Details
New Approach to Salvaging the Education Sector. By Zayyad I. Muhammad The confusion, lack of stability and misdirection in the Nigerian education sector has reached a stage that the sector needs a radical restructuring and galvanization composing of reforms similar to that of Soviet Union 1980’s Glasnost and Perestroika reforms; the 1947 European Recovery Program,- The Marshall Plan and China’s Chairman Mao, 1958,The Great Leap Forward. Perhaps, one may sound as an alarmist; but we need such kind of reforms in order to further liberalize the sector, recreate and rebuild its hitherto strong foundation and bring new ideas and thinking to policy planning and effective management of the sector. Details
Muslim Leadership, Elite Failure and Boko Haram. By Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u The recent confrontation between the government of Nigeria and the group called Boko Haram (western education is forbidden) is a wake-up call for the Muslim Community in Nigeria to look inward and address certain fundamental issues within our community. I don’t think this is an issue that can be resolved through a simplistic understanding of the aims of this group. The Muslim Community needs to answer a number of critical questions if a lasting solution is to be achieved regarding the emergence of this group. Against this backdrop, I will suggest addressing three issues around which this whole problem resonates. These are: poverty; ignorance and elite failure. Details
Kaduna ‘PTI’ Brouhaha – Let the Truth be Told! By Abubakar Atiku Nuhu-Koko Three major developments (apart from the incessant rate of militants’ attacks on the nation’s oil production facilities) in the nation’s oil sector capacity-building enhancing framework seem to have generated some unnecessary controversy and distraction in the polity a couple of weeks ago. The reference here is first, to the recent approvals given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the take-over of the 15 year-old dormant/comatose Centre for/or College of Petroleum Studies Kaduna (CPSK) from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – the original owners of the College. Details
Vision 2020 And The Challenges Of Globalisation. By Hadi Y. Al-Hassan In an effort to make Nigeria one of the major role players in the international economic system, the federal government has conceived the vision 2020, a project that encompass various developmental policy measures aimed at taking Nigeria to the league of the world’s largest 20 economies by the year 2020. Details
Trust on ASUU: Going against the Grain of Truth. By Maikudi Abubakar Zukogi Nothing can be further from the truth to say that ASUU goes on strike only to press for salary increase. Any wonder why the newspaper went about town with that sensational headline ‘’ASUU wins 3, one to go’’ the following morning of July 2nd, after this treacherous editorial. The Minister of Information came on air to give the weekly dose of rhetoric, and presto, Trust got hooked, or is it rebranded, by the too good to be believed offer. Details
The Appointment Of Ahmadu Bello University’ Vice Chancellor: The Verdict. By Usman, Sule Machika Ahmadu Bello University Council is scheduled to meet tomorrow, 4th August 2009. A lot of expectations again are on the air within and outside the university. There are however different expectations as there are different interest groups. But central to all would be bringing this ‘trial’ to its logical conclusion. A verdict that would capture all the interest groups within and outside the university, a verdict that all would embrace as impartial, transparent and accountable as the rule of law dictates, a verdict that all must abide with. Details
Nigeria: What Happened to Our Democracy? By Zents Kunle Sowunmi When Doctor Reuben Abati of Guardian news media wrote of recent on the refusal of President Barak Obama of United States of America to make Nigeria one of his first leg visit to Africa and his romantic words on democracy on people of Ghana, Abati wrote to imagine what it would look like if Mr. Obama had visited Nigeria and would have been shaking the hands of men and women that had received bribes, killed the people of Niger Delta and in fact the hands of people that continue to put over 120 million people in darkness and still plan to force the same type of leadership in the next election by asking the current sick president to seek second term. Details
When Nigeria Finally Disintegrates. By Dr. Abdullahi Dahiru I recently read an article in one of those websites with the title “Nigeria’s ranking in failed state index: The north is finished”. In the said article a doctor used a report by the Fund for peace and the magazine Foreign policy report to blame the north for Nigeria’s woes and even postulated that Nigeria will fail and we will all go back to our different regions. He predicted that the “Igbos have vibrant and enterprising youth”, “the Yorubas will relish the challenge to determine their own destiny” and the biggest loser will be the north. Details
Crisis in the Caliphate? How the Newswatch Stood on the Head of the Truth. Dahiru Maishanu The Newswatch was truly my best magazine all this while, until recently. My respect, admiration and blind belief for the Newswatch magazine came crashing like a pack of cards, all in one swoop. I felt that was not reality; may be some kind of dream. Here I was, seeing the truth turned upside down by the flagship itself. Objectivity snow balled into the open horizon; the beautiful bride was suddenly turned into some kind old bony whore wearing pancake powder and old pussy cat perfume to match. That was how my hero magazine, the Newswatch suddenly looked to me when I saw the cover page that screamed: Crisis in the Caliphate, Sultan Abubakar under probe. Details
Rebranding Our Collective Amnesia. By Imohimi Airenevboise Former Governors who ruined their states and who have thick case files with the anti graft agency (EFCC) have now found their way to ministerial positions and as usual with our collective amnesia no one has bothered to ask what qualifies a man who did not perform as governor for ministerial position. Details
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