|
Between Lamido Sanusi and the Nigerian Senate. By Mohammed Dahiru Aminu Once again the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been thrown into an ostensibly new vista of squabble as Nigeria and Nigerians seem to have tossed, yet another discernment of contempt on the so-called hallowed (or is it profane?) chambers of the National Assembly aka NASS. This is in effect to the recent utterances of the bold, courageous, firebrand, radical, intellectual, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor at the lately held 8th Convocation ceremony of the Igbinedion University on November 27, 2010 in Okada, Edo State. Details
Sanusi: A Long Misunderstood Patriot. By Suraj Oyewale Governor of the Central of Nigeria, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is almost unarguably the most admired Nigerian at the moment. In a series of reactions published by The Punch newspaper in its Saturday, 04/12/2010 and Sunday, 05/12/2010 editions, all the contributors endorsed Sanusi’s action of condemning the outrageous expenditure incurred on the National Assembly and his decision to stand by his statement. In a poverty-stricken nation whose already charged citizens have been looking for a way to vent their frustration against their leaders, the CBN governor’s revelation(which has always been known and should not be news, anyway) provided the necessary impetus. Details
Lamido Sanusi: In the Bowels of a Vicious Chamber. By Mohammed Dahiru Aminu Once upon a time, the Nigerian senate, and her hitherto skittish members have proved to Nigerians how impromptu and unpremeditated their napping egos is relegated to what looks like a barrel of monkeys. It seems that to the “hallowed”, (that I now prefer to dub “vicious”) chamber of the National Assembly, “once beaten”, doesn’t by any delineation; portend the popular aphorism, “twice shy!” Perhaps it can be rightly elucidated that the Nigerian nation, senescent as it appears is unruffled in sending-to-Coventry, the luminously resplendent of minds—so that the most diffident of persons can fill in the rosy rubicund, albeit vicious chambers of Abuja’s three-arms-zon Details
SLS and the National Assembly: A Post-mortem. By Maikudi Abubakar Zukog And when they took Sanusi up, they are not so much bothered about the accuracy of his revelation; instead they are furious how he got the audacity to reveal something that has been kept away from public knowledge and consumption. And so Sanusi was invited to come and denounce the statistics he quoted at the Igbinedion University convocation, and to go back and sin no more. Unfortunately, even at gun point as the session turned out to be ( AK 47 democracy, as Idang is won’t to argue) Sanusi proved a hard nut to crack. He stood by his words, even at the cost of his plum job. Details
Now is the time for Nigerians to examine their nation’s constitution to be able to hold their public servants accountable both to them and the constitution. The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has been observing the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria only in breach with regard to the remuneration of both state and federal legislators. It is my responsibility under section 24 of the constitution to point to any infractions of the constitution by any individual, group, government agency, department, or commission. That is exactly what I have set out to do. Henceforth, the expression “the constitution” should be understood to mean the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999). Details
Female Genital Mutilation Must Be Abolished. By Emmanuel Ajibulu The basic question of whether a practice is harmful or necessary is often hotly debated; debates that sometimes rely on simplistic divisions between "Western" and local medical values. In many cases, this division masks more complicated reasons for defending harmful practices, the victims of which tend to be women and children and others who are less powerful in their society. These reasons often include power struggles, local and national politics, and/or lack of understanding about the risks of the practice among other things. Details
The Intractable Tyranny of the National Assembly. By Leonard Karshima Shilgba, PhD It is true that the remuneration of all members of the Nigerian National Assembly is unacceptable. By the confession of the spokesman of the senate, Senator Ayogu Eze, the recurrent expenditure of the National Assembly in the 2010 budget was N 158 billion, which amounted to 3.5 percent of the entire budget of N 4.4 trillion. The quarrel the Assembly members have with the CBN governor, Mr. Sanusi, therefore, is that he says 25 percent rather than 3.5 percent is being spent on the National Assembly. Accordingly, they have “summoned” him to appear before them and “defend” his figures. Some senators even asked for Mr. Sanusi to resign without first hearing him out! Details
2011 Election in Nigeria: Atiku Is Looking Better. By Zents Sowunmi If Jonathan wins the nomination of the PDP, he can forget any votes from the West of Nigeria, since the Mallam Ribadu may be the candidate of the ACN or Tinubu group the Asiwaju and unforgivable enemy of Aremu OBJ who did everything to frustrate him as a governor of Lagos State, and with the returns of Oshun State, Ekiti, and Ondo State to the ACN, President Jonathan can forget the West even if he wears the traditional Caps of Yoruba “Abeti Aja “every night or eats Amala with ewedu’ every morning, Details
Has “Joseph The Octopus” Endorsed Buhari? By Anthony Akinola Of course it should not be interpreted as if one does not want Major-General Muhammadu Buhari to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but what the hell was he doing in my dream smiling so broadly as he acknowledged shouts of “congratulations” from a horde of adoring supporters? The man can hardly manage a smile in real life and neither is he the candidate one would ordinarily be rooting for. However, a warning would seem to have come from the unknown: “Do not bet your house against General Muhammadu Buhari becoming president in 2011 unless you are equally prepared to be homeless!” Details
Obasanjo 2: Atiku 6. By Jideofor Adibe The recent report that Obasanjo caricatured the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the consensus candidate of the Northern faction of the PDP brings to mind echoes of the epic battle between the duo during their second term in office. When asked what he thought about Atiku’s emergence as the North’s consensus candidate for the PDP presidential ticket, Obasanjo, an ultimate political comedian when he chooses to be, was said to have dabbled into a sarcastic laughter and then declared in Pidgin English: ‘I dey laugh’. The Atiku Campaign Organisation quickly retorted, also in Pidgin English that ‘we too dey laugh oo’, after reminding the Ota Farmer of the declining fortunes of the PDP in the South West, which it blamed squarely on Obasanjo’s mismanagement of the party in that zone. Details
President Jonathan’s ‘Dollargate ‘ Scandal: Matters Arising. By Aonduna Tondu As mentioned above, the alleged bribery has serious implications. The first is that the president’s very generous ‘gift’ to the SNG is most likely the tip of the iceberg. It is indicative of the sleaze that the Jonathan administration has come to be associated with – a throwback to the kleptocratic tyranny of the former despot, Obasanjo, Mr. President’s mentor and godfather. Details
Jonathan Is Not Laughing. By Habu Dauda Fika It really wasn’t long ago when Obasanjo was laughing at the Asiwaju over the misfortunes of the ACN in the southwest? Well, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is having the last laugh on Obasanjo. The ACN is now enjoying the annulment of the PDP Gubernatorial victory in Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Edo states, while Lagos is firmly under it star governor Fasola. Obasanjo laughed then because he thought he had influence over the southwest, he did not. He is now laughing because he thinks he has power over Nigeria, he does not. Even the PDP is no longer under his control. The only person under his control is Jonathan! Details
Sick Economy And Jonathan’s Insufficient Alibi. By Senior Fyneface The truth is that this government is leading us into a dangerous path of another debt over-hang. Ehigie Uzamere, chairman senate committee on local and foreign debts in fact said at the opening of the public hearing on the Debt Management Office (DMO) re-enactment bill held in Abuja on November 8, 2010 that Nigeria's total debt portfolio may have hit an all-time high of N4.875 trillion ($32.5 billion), “Presently, our external debt stands at $4.5 billion; Domestic debt is valued at over $28 billion and is rising. National and sub-national governments are going to the capital market to borrow for development projects and finance budget deficits,” Mr Uzamere said. Details
Consensus, Nonsensus, Disensus? How About Equity. By Babayola M. Toungo To me, Babangida, Atiku and Goodluck are all the same and none will get my vote. I do not have an iota of political sympathy for the trio and never will. My sincere advice to Babangida’s supporters who feel robbed by the outcome of the Ciroma Committee’s work and strongly believed a northerner must be voted as the president of Nigeria come 2011, they have a choice from among the plethora of candidates in the other parties. For Babangida to question the selection of Atiku by the Committee is tantamount to coming to equity with not only soiled hands, but soiled underpants. Details
Only Madmen Can Change Nigeria. By Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega There is no doubt, everything is fundamentally wrong with this promising country Nigeria! A country with abundant mineral and human resources; but, over the years, leaders of all season, have tailored and fashioned the country in such a shape that everyone today, have caved in to ravage the crumbs that are failing from their elders tables. Over the years various leaders have undertaken reforms programmes aimed at fast-tracking the development of the country; but, however, efforts in this direction have failed flat, due to lack of sincerity and commitment on the part of policy formulators. Details
Creed Of The Filthy Rich Costs Workers Job. By Farouk Martins Aresa Preach, preach to us brothers and sisters. Presidential candidates promise to clean up of corruption in 6 months and both Houses of Thieves protest vehemently against Central Bank Gov. Sanusi, Finance Minister Aganga, Prof. Ise Sagay and Baba Iyabo himself (alias Ali Baba) that called their allowances and salaries legalized daylight robbery! While still protesting like saints; they slipped in N6.1 billion for SIM card registration into budget surreptitiously. A service that is being provided by telecom companies already. Yoruba say “won npe e lole, o gbe omo eran jo” Looting everyday, I don tire o o O! Details
|