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Wild Wild North: A Festival of Incompetence and Mischief. By Anthony A Kila During the weeks of the electoral campaign, one of the glaring facts that most political observers agreed upon was the popularity of the CPC candidate General Muhamudu Buhari in the Northern parts of the country, those observers that took time to analyse the kind of support the General was enjoying concluded that there was something of a messianic zeal in the way people were following the General in the North. With very little financial resources to rally and incentivise, (or mobilise as they say in the Nigerian parlance) and in most cases, against the establishment the General filled stadiums and brought cities to standstill. The last time any part of Nigeria saw such a charismatic led relationship was in the days of late chief Obafemi Awolowo. Details
The post election violence in northern Nigeria is classically the case of protest against injustice and shortchanging of the will of the people to exercise their political and civil rights, to chose leaders of their choice. Although the election can be adjudge to be peaceful during the voting pattern; but, the collations and final results as announced at the state collations centres say otherwise. It is important to say, it will be wrong and regarded as an act of mischief to blame the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari for the post election violent in northern part of the country.Details
Between Guobadia, Iwu And Jega-Different Methods Same Farcical Results. By Tony Ishiekwene Nigeria is a fraud and the leadership continue to live the life of lies, deception and fraud, and 12 years after the commencement of this so-called “democratic” exercise, election results are still been written in advance and thumb printing done later to match the magic numbers. Nothing has changed from Abel Guobadia’s INEC chairmanship in the 2003 elections to that of Iwu (no elections but there was a result of “winners”) to the current deception by the Jega led Independent National Electoral commission (INEC). Only in Nigeria will they be calling the Electoral commission “Independent” when they are everything dependent on the president and the ruling party. Details
The North Divided Against Itself. By Saleh Bature The north’s failure to forge a common front is self inflicted. The solution to our problem could certainly not be found through self destruction. So long as there will be divisive politics as characterized in Muslim-Christian dichotonomy, middle-belt and core north appellations, a multitude army of unemployed, drug addict youths freely roaming about the streets of our state capitals and major towns, a herd of unruly teenage boys whose excesses their parents and the society could not check, the current call and appeal by the government and religions leaders for calm in the north will be an exercise in futility. Details
The Dogs of Elitism. By Gimba Kakanda The troubled with Northern Nigeria is the creation of the elites, but this in a sense is as shallow as other concluded surmises that religions despoil the region. It was just unfortunate that religions got muddled into the set-up of their ploy to breed some lower species of humankind that fall out of their hand, just as this riot that welcomed the election of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as a democratically elected President of the republic. Details
Mis-Reading The Signal Of History In Nigerian Politics. By Adewale Stephen For General Buhari, that he has fought a good fight is not in doubt. He has managed to remain untainted in the comity of the leaders we have had in this country. His presidential campaign showed that he was not gunning for presidency to enrich himself. He refused to compromise with the corrupt politicians in exchange for their millions which partly reflected throughout his campaign. The speech he read at a ceremony which was designed to end his campaign in Abuja last week Wednesday moved me to tears. Details
Weep Not For Nigerians. By Abdullah Musa There was a presidential election in Nigeria on the 16th of April, 2011. The results declared by the Electoral Commission showed that Jonathan Goodluck, the incumbent President swept the polls, nearly doubling the votes and spread recorded for his closest rival, Muhammad Buhari. Are Nigerians celebrating this victory? Yes, in the South; No, in the predominantly Muslim North. Details
It Is Yet Dawn But Jonathan Is Not Our Joshua. By Ademola Olukayode Daramola Now that Mr. Jonathan is our president, I’d like to make certain recommendations. Dear President, most people never get a second chance to make a good first impression, but in your case, it appears that you have once again put a lie to this maxim. History has once again thrust you to the right, left, and center of our collective psyche, and we will be seeing a lot of you for the next four years. Please endeavor to seize the moment! In paraphrasing the words which Professor Williams used to describe one of our late foremost nationalists to describe Nigeria: It's an embarrassment of human riches; a genetic scandal that a single country could be so stupendously endowed. Details
Only Nigerians Can Save Nigeria. By Farouk Martins Aresa This is the finest hour in Nigeria because it took individual Nigerians to accomplish a free and fair election. Our apologies and condolences must go to the families of our fallen brothers and sisters that have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in some parts of the North and other places in the South. The complaints from these rioters are that some leaders have sold them out to the winner, not that their votes did not count. They won in their states with their votes but it was not enough to persuade opponents. The popular man won. What a change, eh! Details
To those who still believe in the continuance of the mythical North—the One North, One Destiny, I report the demise of the myth and the end of its fruits to the singular beneficiaries. Some have spoken in the past about the impossibility of a presidential candidate winning an election without winning the north. This perception had emboldened the champions of zoning to brag and threaten that for the peace of Nigeria, “power must return to the north.” This politics of divide is what I have consistently condemned. It only reminds us that we are not one people yet when apostles of ethnic politics keep shining the light on those things that separate us. Details
Jonathan, They Rigged For You. By Suraj Oyewale Whoever was in charge of President Goodluck Jonathan campaign’s strategy in the just concluded presidential election must be given kudos, if not for anything, for understanding the psyche of Nigerians. The president aptly demonstrated mastery in the game of cheap, populist campaign lines. These he deployed so effectively in his campaigns. The most popular of such lines was his ‘I-had-no-shoe’ statement. In a country where grass-to-grace stories sell fast, not a few Nigerians swallowed the president’s tale, never mind the fact that the late despot, Sani Abacha was also the son of a poor Kanuri peasant trader that migrated to Kano to struggle for living. Details
Revelations from the April Presidential Polls. By Muhammad Ajah The results from the just concluded presidential elections where two prominent Nigerian citizens, incumbent presidents, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former Head of State, General Muhammad Buhari logged it out have exposed the vanity in the religious perfidy and ethnocentric collocation between the duo and their supporters. Outrightly, it has revealed that all is not well with Nigeria, therefore the urgent need for a tactical solution to fully integrate the citizenry and make its unity in diversity workable. This has remained a herculean task. Details
“It Is Not Easy To Carry First!” – The Delusion Of The Jonathan Dream. By Dr. Olusegun Fakoya Congratulations to President Goodluck Jonathan on the successful outcome of his discreetly manipulative political experiment with Nigeria. His opportunistic fascination with power and discreetly manipulative political style has finally yielded returns. Patience Jonathan would probably be on the ninth cloud by now! After all, to borrow some of her very famous expressions, “it is not easy to carry first!” For her husband to have come first among the multitude of contestants must be a dizzying experience for her. More so, in his very first direct election in life and to the highest office for that matter! Details
Post-Election Comments and the Hopes of Innocent Nigerian Youth. By Abdulrazak B Ibrahim The big question is what happens next? Will the president carry people along? Will he keep the old tradition of corruption and indiscipline of PDP, which the north actually tried to sack? Has he heard the voices from the north and south? The world now knows what malam really wants. The next few months will remain in history as some of the most defining moments of Nigeria. Details
Time To Redefine Our Mindset. By Solomon Iliya What did we have in the North? Nothing! The same people who did not want their subjects to be exposed to another religion sent their children the same Christian missionary schools they did not want their subjects to send their children to. We know of a prominent former minister from the caliphate who had his education in the court of Saint George! Likewise the heir to another prominent ruling house in the North attended Baptist High School in Jos. Yet the Northern masses were misinformed by the same ruling class that Western education was akin to proselytizing them to Christianity. Details
Fallen Dreams Of The Mighty. By Farouk Martins Aresa Watch how many more heavy weights will sink their boat. The man with the biggest ego right now is Bola Tinubu unaware of his imminent fallen grace. He feels he has captured the Yoruba votes. Not so fast my man. Nah! Nah man! Just watch. The West voted against Obasanjo not against Ebele, not for Tinubu but as individuals for the grace of Fashola influence in Lagos. They also wish for a governor like Mimiko in Ondo State. All you have to analyze is the votes spread between ACN and PDP. ACN won mostly by default from PDP implosion but could have won a couple of seats in Ogun State anyway. Details
Rescuing Nigeria from Her Godfathers and the Corporatocracy. By Leonard Karshima Shilgba, Ph.D. But in all the initial euphoria, we must be vigilant. We must not readily accept the readings of the international community. We are too enlightened today to accept whatever the IMF, World Bank, USA, EU, and any member of the Corporatocracy says. Of what use is our education if we do not trust our reasoning and arguments, but hold external positions as sacrosanct? The next legislature must ensure that quality services are delivered to Nigerians by service providers operating in Nigeria. We cannot afford the compromises of the past. Details
How To Be A Nigerian Governor. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye Now, let’s look at what it presently means to be a governor in Nigeria. Indeed, shorn of all the glamour, pomp and noisy convoys, what can we really say is the difference between what housewives do for their families and what State Governors do in Nigeria? The answer, if you ask me, should be obvious, but I am very reluctant, for a very obvious reason, to answer it with just one word: None! Details
The Only Natural Disaster In Nigeria Is Man Not Election. By Farouk Martins Aresa The brother that said the only natural disaster in Nigeria is man cannot be far from the truth. It’s difficult to laugh or cry but that brother was wicked. Nigeria is not the only country where disaster strikes but the disasters we bring upon ourselves contribute more to suffering of the masses. There is no need to talk about the election again, it is no use crying I told you so when many people are right about multibillion cowries election with a false start. Details
Towards a Normal Country. By Anthony A. Kila Lest we forget, normal things do not happen normally, if we want a normal country we the people need to make that happen. To do so is common sense: vote wisely by electing only those that you think are driven by a mission for an efficient state and not by a self-serving ambition. Details
Relevant Ideology: Masterkey To Igbo Development. By Okachikwu Dibia In the social, economic and political considerations, one can easily say that the Yoruba had survived in Nigeria mainly because of the free education implemented by the Western Region under the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. While others were busy castigating Yoruba for producing less qualified professors, the Yoruba were busy producing them and hoping that in due time, the quality will improve and today they remain the best educated in Nigeria to the extent that they are in control of all the professions and industrial sectors of the country. To the Hausa-Fulani, their own key means of survival in Nigeria today is political leadership of the country. To the Igbo, the most obvious important means of survival is trade business. Remove education from the Yoruba, political leadership from the Hausa-Fulani and trading from the Igbo and tell me how these people would have fared in Nigeria? Details
Jonathan and the Presidential Summit on Job Creation. By Mohammed Zayyad One of the most important strategies to tackle unemployment is an agricultural entrepreneurship programme for youth. It is good news that the Federal Government is already looking at that direction. The Government should go into partnership with private sector to establish poultry, fisheries, dairy, snellnaries farms, plantations etc in various locations in the country. The pilot phase should start with youth corpers. They should be trained-on-the-job on how to manage farms Details
Celebrating 2011 May Day In Nigeria. By Charles Ikedikwa Soeze It seems to me that Nigerian workers’ need each other to achieving more for this country especially the civil/public service which is the engine room of any democratic administration. The Organized Private Sector (OPS) are also not left out in this regard. Whatever the case may be, Nigerian workers need to be empowered economically and their promotions especially in the public sector should follow guidelines not by looking at faces especially on tribal grounds or listen to damaging statements which have no foundation in reality. Details
A Bus Ride Through Nigerian Literature. By Gimba Kakanda Despite our lamentable discourses and pontifications round and around the crevices of Nigerian literature, we still drove past the foreign literatures like when Dami Ajayi commended the British Booker prize-winner and author of comic novels from whose essay Dami quoted a truly memorable self-maxim: Details |