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Nigeria Obituary Of No Decensy Standard Or Class: Not Yet. By Farouk Martins Aresa Call it decency, standard, class or pedigree. Nigeria has lost to Vagabonds In Power. We worship money and would do anything for money. Therefore it has lost its value. When poor people still remain classy and elegant without much money flowing through their agbada or people like Nwabueze at his age wondering which Nigeria he found himself. Details
Imperative Of Credible Elections. By Ado U. Mohammed Imagine the recent debacle in Rivers state involving the police, which followed hard on the heels of the “16-is-greater-than-19” election that produced Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum recognized by President Goodluck Jonathan. In view of this, therefore, the question whether or not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can, or is willing to, conduct free and fair polls in 2015 has become worrisome to many people. Details
A Case for “True” Federalism. By Chido Onumah Why have we arrogated to the federal government the power to create local governments in the states? Why have we given the federal government the power to give money to local governments? It is this unregulated power that has created the twisted logic that makes it possible, for example, for Kano to have 44 local governments while Lagos has 20 local governments. It is bad enough that the constitution stipulates a system of local government administration, it is retrogressive to dictate the number of local governments states should have. Details
Nigeria’s Growing Youth Unemployment: Entrepreneurship to the Rescue. By Muhammed Abdullahi Tosin Many a student desires to live a comfortable life after school, but few make preparation for the challenges involved. Those in such situations often get disappointed and learn by hard experience that graduation with good grades isn't in itself a guarantee of a decent job with a robust pay. There is therefore the need for every student to embark on a voyage of concerted self development: nurturing of the head, training of the hand and building of the mind. Details
The Politics of “Deportation”. By Chido Onumah It is unlikely that the crisis generated by the “deportation” of some Nigerians from Lagos to Anambra State will abate anytime soon. Even though we are a nation of short memory and every week comes with its own crisis that is soon forgotten (Senator Ahmed Yerima and his band of pro-child marriage warriors must be thanking their lucky stars) as soon as the next crisis rears its head, this crisis is one that is sure to linger. After all, this is “silly season” when you throw as much mud on your opponents hoping that it will stick and resonate with voters. Details
Still Propaganda, Insurgent Conflict Hampers Polio Eradication in Nigeria. By Kenneth Okpomo The sad incidence precipitated a deep concern over the quality of drugs circulating in Nigeria. If the Nigerian government with its specialized institutional appendages (viz: The Federal Ministry of Health, State Health Ministries, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration NAFDAC, NPHCDA, and others) was unable to keep the drug supply chain free from fake and substandard medicines, it meant a critical shortfall in requisite technical expertise and regulatory infrastructure was congruently lacking back then as it is today. Details
Mark Antony, From The Rubbles Of Julius Caesar. By Okachikwu Dibia What you are about to read is an analogy emanating from the disquiets between Mr. President and the governor of Rivers State, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) and Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi respectively on the one hand and the story of Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire on the other hand. Jonathan and Amaechi were citizens of the old Rivers State created by General Gowon on 27th May 1967; now separated by the creation of Bayelsa State by General Abacha in 1996, to which Mr. President is a native citizen. Both of them belong to the Nigerian ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which delineated Nigeria into six geo-political zones and both personalities fall under the South-South zone. Mr. President is the national leader of the PDP. Both of them are alumni of the University of Port Harcourt. Details
The Foundation That Never Was. By Gbite Martins Recently, the five countries that produce 40% of world consumption refuse the membership of most Black populated Country in the world, systematic way to box the race in future monetary system of the world, as for trade by Bata to be meaningful to some at their expense. Now, a Hausa man who is the controller of custom in Nigeria openly declared on international Television, how the IMF will finance the operation of their internal custom exercise. Where were the southerners that claim to see things clearly as education, to let their people know the way things are going is to the country’s future disadvantage? Details
2015 and Chido's Hornet's Nest. By Godwin Onyeacholem No matter where they reside, whether in Nigeria or outside, critical chroniclers of this country’s roller-coaster existence have always been the butt of disparaging comments from jaundiced participants who find themselves in the maddening struggle towards building a befitting functional country. Perhaps discomfited by the certainty of truth, these characters often do not hesitate to hit out at anyone whose viewpoint they consider incongruent. Like the practiced cobra, they lie in wait for their quarry, waiting for it to cross their path. And soon as it does, they strike with the same natural impulse of the deadly reptile. Details
Heroes That Cannot Beat Corruption Join Them. By Farouk Martins Aresa Obiageli Ezekwesili is a good example of heroes. Not for what she has got into recently asking the Government to explain oil windfall of past years but for calling the state governors their real names during Obasanjo Administration for diverting state and local government funds into their private accounts. It seems like a long forgotten time now but that was when the governors were threatening lawsuits against her and demanding her resignation. Details
NIGERIA – Tsunami of Corruption, Docility and Stupidity. By Olusegun Fakoya I have also crossed the divide to visit Northern Nigeria. The “North” like our puerile politicians would call it. My unique reminiscence of the North begins with the different smell, look and feel of this rather challenging part of our federation. The North indeed smells different and looks and feels different. We set sail from Lagos in the night to get to Kano early in the morning. I had dozed off in the vehicle but woke up somewhere around Lokoja when I began to smell something different. Welcome to Northern Nigeria! I traversed the vast landscape of northern Nigeria by road from Kano to Sokoto. Assa-la malei-kun!! I saw the Alamajiris, a festering social sore that bestrides the length and breadth of Northern Nigeria. The abandoned street children, a potential army of social destabilisation and disharmony! Details
What Does Rev. Jesse Jackson Want from Nigeria? By Theophilus Ilevbare On Democracy Day, Rev. Jesse Jackson joined the Jonathan government in towing the infamous path of ignominy as he danced to the macabre steps of the Jonathan administration's mid-term scorecard of transformation Agenda. Jackson said it was obvious that the ship of the Nigerian Nation is sailing in the right course describing the transparency of President Goodluck Jonathan as unequalled in contemporary democracy. My first thoughts were to let it pass, but in the course of my interaction with concerned Nigerians in the Diaspora, particularly in the US, we saw a need to bring to public knowledge Rev. Jesse Jackson’s clandestine scheme of grand deception his visits and long association with the country’s leaders has been shrouded. Details
Spend On Infrastructure Not On Commissioning Ceremonies. By Farouk Martins Aresa You see, in a country of the blind the one eye man is always the king. If Okorocha, Fashola or Lamido is performing so much while the others are falling asleep on their oars, we must praise them. Do not forget that most of these so called performing governors also look for the most conspicuous areas to perform their aggrandizing ceremonies. The inner roads where most of the people are concentrated are ignored. Details
Nigeria and the 2015 Deadline. By Leonard Karshima Shilgba I have seen a strange thing. Even ordinarily reasonable people, in the efforts at foisting falsehood upon our national consciousness, have been found to support or defend the indefensible. And I am concerned. How can the president of Nigeria support an illegality? How can the president of the Nigerian Bar Association disrobe himself of judicial perception? How can Nigerians that have loudly called for “credible elections” in the past accept that number 16 is greater than number 19? And why would some Nigerians call for the “proscription” of the NGF only because a pretender, with the backing of President Jonathan and a host of enemies of democracy, has proclaimed himself the chairman of the NGF, even though he participated in the election—contested and voted—and lost? Should states in Nigeria be “proscribed” in the future when pretenders claim to win gubernatorial election? Details
Records have it that before the incumbent administration came to into power in 2007, Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital was turned into a war zone or aptly put a jungle where the fittest determines the fate of the lesser animals. It sounds pretty surprising, but not unexpected that this hitherto ‘garden city’ was as it were, ranked among the three most dangerous cities in the world. Details
15 Years After: Remembering MKO Abiola. By Abdulrazaq Kilani A great number of youths of Nigeria do not know who was Abiola, what he represented, his contributions to Nigeria development. The reaction of many youths to the naming of UNILAG after MKO indicates the lack of adequate knowledge of the man to education and Nigeria in general. Details
In Memory Of Late Sir Ahmad Bello. By Muktar Yakubu It was same Sardauna who you ascribed with all sort of names that recognized an achievement made by a Christian Plateau boy and finally sent him outside country to studies mining engineering. Also, same Gamji bought the first Bible for late Chief Sunday Awoniyi former Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum. I had that Baba Ahmadu Ahmadu Bello did become angry with Christians who didn’t go to the Church, he even drove some to the Churches. Details
Waiting for Tambuwal’s Revolution. By Chido Onumah We can see a common thread that is worrying in the extreme in this cacophony of revolutionary battle cry. These voices belong to those who have brought us to this sad end. Both Tambuwal and Obasanjo, examples of the opportunistic and vain-glorious elite that has held this country hostage since independence, are leading figures in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Details
Nigeria Foreign Policy: Time For A Rethink? By Raheem Oluwafunminiyi From Malaysia, India, Libya, Egypt, The Gambia, the United States, to Commonwealth countries like the United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Ghana to mention a few, Nigerians are hounded, maimed, gagged, robbed, shot at and worse of all killed extra-judiciously on flimsy excuses or at the slightest provocation. If the above are not meted on Nigerians at home and The Diaspora, they are confronted with embarrassing acts ranging from forceful deportation, harsh travel bans, xenophobic attacks, high visa fees, huge monetary down payment before travel among others. Details
If 28 Year Old Blackman Shot 17 Year Old White Boy In South Africa. By Farouk Martins Aresa United States is not any other country but one that pride itself on rule of law and justice. If anything, the judicial system in United States is even ahead in fair administration of justice that until recently did not trust jury with discrimination cases. The saying is that it is hard to get justice on earth and if you want one, go to heaven. It is the same justice system that freed O. J Simpson. Some claimed he beat them at their own money game. Details
Constitutional Reform as a Pliable Road to Peace and Progress in Nigeria. By Lesky Manlesky It is common knowledge that there is a dangerous lopsidedness in the way power is constitutionally shared across the three tiers of governments in Nigeria. With regards to power sharing and governmental relationships between the Federal Government and the federating states especially, too much is concentrated at the center, paving the way for a Nero-like President who solely decides which way the power pendulum swings. Details
Democracy and its Malcontents. By Chido Onumah For me, the crisis in Rivers State is a reflection of our crisis of nationhood; the outcome of the distorted structure of Nigeria and its power relations. Many of those who are shouting themselves hoarse today will do the same thing if given the opportunity. Clearly, any attempt to understand the current crisis without focusing on this fundamental problem would amount to chasing shadows. Details
Who Killed Kudirat Abiola? By Chido Onumah Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State has described Al-Mustapha as a “hero”. In a country were true heroes are in short supply, the governor may well be right. I would add that Al-Mustapha is also a “hero” for justice because in Nigeria justice is for the highest bidder. Alhaji Maitama Sule has asked Al-Mustapha to “forgive his detractors” who obviously were responsible for his “unjust” incarceration. The Nigerian Army should go ahead and promote Al-Mustapha to a general, pay him his salaries and allowances for the past 14 years – if they were ever stopped – and assign him a command to put into good use his experiences in the service of the fatherland. Details |