Letter to the White House. By SpinCiy Spinoza Further, the interests of the government of the United States in Nigeria will be protected under another administration headed by another Nigerian. There are millions of Nigerians who are capable of running the nation. But to support Obasanjo’s illegal third-term schemes will certainly harm the interests of America because Nigeria will certainly implode in another civil war; many Nigerians may be forced to take up arms in terrorist activities in many adjoining African nations. Details
As ANPP NEC Meets… By Teke Dangawo The worst Etiebet could do to all members of the party is to drag them into endorsing the monster called Third Term. That Obasanjo should be given additional tenure to enable him consolidate the reform programmes he has started. This shows the extent to which the party has been politically murdered and buried. Details
US-Nigeria Ties. By E. Terfa Ula-Lisa, Esq. While President Obasanjo is in the USA, he may take the initiative to speak on behalf of the Nigerians in the Diaspora, majority of who feel that Obasanjo has not done enough to hold his own as a World Statesman of African descent, on the vexed issue of the poor treatment of African immigrants to the USA. Details
Prospects For A People's Constitution. By Calix Agwu Since the attainment of independence, Nigerians have not experienced the operations of a constitution that truly reflected their wishes and formed the basis of democratic governance. When the last military interregnum ended in mid-1999, the civilian administration headed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo inherited a constitution which like its forerunners does not reflect the aspirations of the majority of Nigerians. Details
Census 2006 Counts Some Out Of Lagos Again. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa On my way back to Nigeria some years ago, I was advised by a lady that I would not find a civilized person living in Lagos. Since I was hired by the Federal Government, I might not have a choice over my station. Luckily, I was stationed in Lagos. On my visit to Campus Square, my old neighborhood, one of our uncles there told me if I walk from Tokunbo Street to Lafiaji, nobody would know me even if I told them my name. Can you imagine going unrecognized in your village? The fact is Lagos has changed for the worse. It simply can not handle the number of people trooping into the City. Details
Census 2006: Why Ethnicity and Religion Must Not Be Issues. By Barr. Etete Nyiang Now, Nigerians must appreciate the political will and commitment that led to the commencement of the Census. This time around, it is not only the people who would be counted, but also their houses, which will enable government to measure peoples’ quality and standard of living and identify basic indicators that would be used to improve on these conditions. Details
Thirsty Nigerians and Census 2006.
The focal purpose of
every population head count is to generate data for long-term planning,
and smoothen the progress of future development of any society, the
year 2006 population and housing census is also aimed at this objective,
but has Nigeria ever used the results derived from her precious
population census, will the upshot of the 2006 head count aid in
achieving the first of the eight goals of the UN millenniums Development
Goals (MDGs) which is: eradicating poverty and hunger, how about the
NEPAD objective of ensuring sustainable access to safe and adequate
clean water supply and sanitation, especially for the poor.
Why Obasanjo Will Not Go. By Babayola Toungo Obasanjo has never implemented a single Appropriation Act in the last seven years as signed by the National Assembly including the various supplementary ones. This is not talking about the theft going on in the petroleum sector that nobody seems to know about. Details
Obasanjo as Nigeria’s Cultural Ambassador. By Tunde Arokoyo Perhaps because of our excessive focus on the side- effects or short- term pains of some of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s well- intentioned socio – economic reforms, some of us have failed to notice the very many positive things Obasanjo has been doing for the fatherland. Details
A Lament For Obasanjo. By Barr. Etete Nyiang Take the case of President Olusegun Obasanjo. After handling over the reins of power of a country that was in the late 70s and early 80s described as a potential world power, Obasanjo came back to power 20 years later to discover that his Nigeria was now rated as one of the poorest nations of the world. Details
Issues From The Constitution Review. By Terkura Aku, Esq. If lesser organisations find it attractive to review, I am completely dumbfounded that Nigerians are expressing surprise that the National Assembly has set up Committees towards the review of our constitution. Furthermore, they take the hearing on that at the geopolitical regions of the country as a waste of resources. Details
Nigeria: On Constitutional and Attitudinal Review. By Leonard K. Shilgba, Ph.D. Nigerians relish negative news and foreign “expert” conclusions about Nigeria. We seize on such to give the "government" a bashing. We scan around for excuses and pieces of “evidence” to support our already formed but uninformed opinions about Nigeria. Details
Constitution Reviews: Who Is Afraid Of 3rd Term? By Terkura Aku The second and third categories of the opponents of Constitution Review are businessmen with unreliable sources of income and briefcase civil society organisations that pose as rights groups. These thrive on patronage and flourish by waving flamboyant looking, heaven-promising proposals at undiscerning and credulous appointees – Federal/state officials – whom they front for. Details
Constitution Amendment And The Changing Meaning Of Democracy. By Omo Isokpan The constitution is also awash with contradictions with respect to the provisions on the administration of justice especially where the pathways of law and those of politics have intersected. This has also thrown up daunting challenges. Even the implementation of the provisions on revenue derivation and allocation, as well as what constitutes appropriate emolument for government officials, were marked by controversies and litigation. Details
Challenging the Constitutional Reform Process in Nigeria. By Muttaqa Yusha'u Abdulra'uf the environment is not secured, so as to side line the people, take for instance the sitting of the committee in the North West, it chooses Kasina state. It is obvious that Kano state is the heart of the north in all ramifications; it was boycotted for the reasons that would not be at the interest of the incumbency Details
The Niger Delta Debacle. By Comrade Sylvester I. Ukusare Esq.
3rd Term: Another Media Creation. By Terkura Aku Since 1999, many States have been agitating to have their police; some had even legitimised the operations of their local vigilante groups. But some of these governments had argued the apparatus they were setting up had nothing to do with policing – at least they could arrest, but not prosecute, they could work with the regular police and all sorts of arguments. Some had even gone to court! Details
Open Memo To Members Of The National Assembly; 3rd Term Agenda. By Max Gbanite Earlier in this memo, I mentioned that President Olusegun Obasanjo is armed with a thorough knowledge of our checkered history, and it’s also important to note that he’s masterful in the art of saying what he really doesn’t intend to practice. Details
Absolute Power, Absolute Corruption, and Absolute Danger. By Victor E. Dike Why are the political leaders in Nigeria abusing their powers? Why are they lawless? Why has the society failed to checkmate their powers? Nigeria’s democracy project and its civic well being is in absolute danger if the society does not tame the absolute power wielded by those in position of authority. Details
Hope is alive and help is indeed on the way. I
believe we can revive the State in a qualitative manner and make democracy
more meaningful to our people, provide jobs for the jobless, improve
healthcare, modernise agriculture and reclaim our young people from a
future of violence, decadence and despair by linking activism to politics
and not drawing artificial divisions.
Ibrahim Shekarau And The Illusion Of Power (1). By Ishak Galadanci Ibrahim The good people of Kano State have been swayed into yet another unprecedented phenomenon and murky waters of political tension. This time around to your great surprise has to do with the current ANPP Administration in the state under Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. Details
The Hisbah Threat is Real. By Barr. Etete Nyiang This year will also witness major political alignments and realignments for the next dispensation. Here again, the predators who know that they stand no credible chance to foist their predatory inclinations on the country’s resources, are selfishly working towards destabilising the polity and society. Details
Gender Based Violence: The Tragedy of Nigerian Woman. By Nduka Uzuakpundu Violence against women has subjected millions of Nigerian women to a life of oppression, exploitation and abuse – reducing them to second-class citizens in many respects. A lot of them merely live from day to day, and neither have control over their destiny, nor are able to explore and develop their personal and social potentials. Details Peter Odili: Fears For A Rainmaker! By Segun Adebo This is not the right place to review the controversial NUJ election; it is up to Nigerian journalists to decide for themselves if the show put up on their behalf in Port Harcourt befits their professional honour and integrity or whether it makes no difference if their NUJ smells no better than PDP. Details
Leave Nigeria Alone! By Josiah Z. Now I do not know what Obasanjo is up to or if his hands are deeply involved in this. But if all that has been pulled regarding third term eventually points to him, he will lose the respect he has got left from millions of Nigerians. Obasanjo has the world’s eyes on him. I implore him to leave the Nigerian political scene together with the two term governors in 2007. Details
“Birds Of The Same Feather But Totally Different” Comparing Obasanjo And Murtala Mohammed As Leaders. By Dr. Wunmi Akintide I am sure that if you ask Obasanjo himself or many of his diehard supporters who is the greatest Nigerian leader, they will probably tell you, without mincing words, it is Baba Iyabo for sure. If you have read “My Command”, one of the few books written by Obasanjo, you will have a better understanding of what I am talking about. Details
Review Of Nigeria Millennium Development Goals 2005 Report. By Dr. Otive Igbuzor The conclusion of the MDG 2005 report is very remarkable and gives hope that there is possibility for achieving all the MDGs in Nigeria with sustained effort. Details
Leave Charles Taylor Alone in Nigeria. By Sabella Ogbobode Abidde Obasanjo has turned or is turning out to be the kind of man who can not keep his promises or stand his ground when others are shaking him down. Who is this man, who is this president who is about to give in to domestic and international blackmail? If he succumbs he will lose face and credibility in the comity of nations. Details
What Manner Of Democracy Is This? By Michael Oluwagbemi The knuckle heads gallivanting in Abuja will definitely see their day come. The problem with our country is that we are bunch of sycophants that toady up to power expecting to eat from the crumbs of the table. Details
The Nigerian Litmus Test: Indigenization as the Key to Progress. By Saifullah Galadima Why hasn't any Nigerian Leader ever noticed and wondered why it is far easier for a Lebanese man to get hold of Nigerian Passport - (hence citizenship); than for an Urhobo man to be regarded as an indigene of Kwara State? What is wrong with us in that country? Details
My Mother in-law Is In The Trunk! By Paul I. Adujie Given how callous, scheming, selfish and altogether exasperating in-laws can be, there is little conversational sport more gratifying than badmouthing them. While denouncing family members to the outside world is rife with peril, vilifying in-laws who serve as a kind of proxy family is not only socially accepted, it's encouraged. Details
The Sad the Force or the Fought Term. By Babandi Gumel The sad term could be turned into happy term when he relinquishes power honourably and hands it over to his successor whoever that might be therefore the accusation of the so called hidden agenda could turn out to be unfounded without slightest justification. Details
Killing Kano with Darkness. By Isa Sanusi Recent visit to ancient Kano, after a hiatus, presents the picture of a city dying. If care is not taken, Kano will become a huge symbol of failure from which the whole nation will bitter drive lessons. Details
Who Did This To Kano? By Jaafar Jaafar Another fault line of Shekarau administration is the stillborn ‘Shariah’ project which was specifically conceived to becloud his incompetence and ward off critics from opposing the government. Barring few among the cynics endowed with the third eye to read between the lines, many people wouldn’t have known it was not for God. Details
The Banning of Kano Hisbah: Negotiating the Shari'ah in the Political Process. By Mahmud Mukhtar Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau continues to attract the attention of most Nigerians partly because his state remains the flagship of the Shari'ah through the various attempts of incorporating its principles that have universal application. Details
Our Hedonist Leaders Lack Local Voters’ Desired Qualities. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa Nigeria has been blessed with local populist leaders displaying impeccable qualities that can rule any country in the world but they have failed to win national elections. We end up with National leaders in variance with our desire who sometimes appoint our local leaders. Details
The Obi Versus Ngige Case –Questions Arising. By Dr Jim I Akhere In the Anambara state case, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the Electoral law are the applicable documents Even though Dr. Ngige was not the winner of the election held on the 19th of April 2003 he was declared winner by INEC .Details
Upholding The Legacy Of Late Mallam Ahmadu Coomassie. By Shehu Sada He was the pioneer adult education officer in Katsina province whose achievements became the Hallmark for Northern Nigeria and the rest of the country as a whole. Details
President Obasanjo Can Stabilise A Situation Now Or Stir It Up. By D. Akinsanya Juliuson I also advise President Obasanjo not to put himself in a situation where he could lose everything. He is not only being highly ambitious, he is upsetting people who don’t agree with his view of what needs to happen. Details
Review Of Nigeria Millennium Development Goals 2005 Report. By Dr. Otive Igbuzor Nigeria, which was one of the richest 50 countries in the early 1970s, has retrogressed to become one of the 25 poorest countries at the threshold of the twenty first century. It is ironic that Nigeria is the sixth largest exporter of oil and at the same time host the third largest number of poor people after China and India. Details
Joshua Dariye, Alamieyeseigha and EFCC Double Standards. By Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq. The President and EFCC’s Nuhu Ribadu are constantly claiming that the crusade against corrupt people in Nigeria are not restricted to only the President’s real and perceived political enemies. However, the Dariye and Olabode George episodes are making it increasingly impossible to prove the President’s critics wrong. Details
Globalisation And Its Impact On Third World International Relations. By Chris .M.A. Kwaja Globalisation has become the biggest buzz word in contemporary academic discourse and the popularity of the term is not accidental. It is a broad process permeating the whole world, with far reaching impacts covering economic, political and cultural dimensions of contemporary life. Details
Religion, Economy, And The Human Capital Dilemma In Northern Nigeria. By Anas Abdullah I It is obvious that we have found ourselves in a very serious quagmire, the human capital dilemma in the northern Nigeria epitomize danger for the region and Nigeria at large, the economy of the region which is a cardinal component of the state is gradually collapsing due to negligence particularly in the area of human development. Details
The King is about to Dance Naked in the Market – Drummers Beware! By Michael O. Oluwagbemi My Yoruba kinsmen are torn- the Yoruba, once the hotbed of national activism and opposition politics have tasted power and they love it! I don’t blame them- we fought for this union, we suffered for Nigeria: we got killed jailed and exiled by all dictators except none. Details
Two Nigerians Apart Naturally. By Peter Opara With General Ironsi murdered by his mainly trusted northern aides, the north ran with “Unitary System” of governance policy that reposed all powers of state and federal at the center such as exists in Nigeria today, staunchly defended by one like Obasanjo, a premier northern pupil. Details
Is It Third Or Fourth Term What Do We Call It? By Babandi Gumel So in short whether he continues to which if he does would be regarded as fourth and not third term as many Nigerians have implied forgetting that he served one term as Military Leader selected by few Nigerians and two terms as Civilian President elected by majority of Nigerians therefore considered another term regarded as the fourth and not the third as others want us to believe. Details
Mantu's Diabolical Hypocricy and the 3rd Term Conspiracy. By Tanimu Umar Senator Ibrahim Nasira Mantu has schemed his way into many lucrative and controversial appointments, his recent role as the chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee and constitution Amendment been the most controversial. The setting up of that committee aggravated the wide spread allegation that Obasanjo and his cohorts are hell bent to swindle a 3rd term for the unpopular President. Details
Dangers of Third Term: Lessons from a Neighbour. By Dr. Nura H. Alkali
President
Obasanjo's third term ambition has finally emerged in the open. The
support for third term by PDP officials and 29 governors, and the
attempt to change the constitution through sham public hearings have all
confirmed the long-held view that Obasanjo is preparing
Emirates: Beyond the Oil. By Saad S. Khan “America’s ports under the Arab control” became a cliché that caused furore of scandalous proportions both in the media and the Congress of the United States. It was so because with Dubai’s $6.8 billion takeover of British P&O, comes the commercial operations of six American ports. The replacement of the image of chubby Arab sheikhs on a spending spree in New York’s posh markets, with that of Arab managers overseeing the business activity at the NY port, was hard to swallow. Details
Third Term: Death Pill For Yorubas. By Otunba Wale Johnson A very dangerous, self-destructive propaganda is sweeping through Yoruba land presently with the capacity to ultimately destroy the legacy of democratic tradition of this enlightened race. The advocacy posits that since presidency may not return to Yoruba land in the next Forty years, then third term is an attractive option to allow the race to stay in the presidency for four more years. Details
The Mini-Riot on Flight 637: A True Story. By Saifullah Galadima I clutched my boarding pass, air ticket and passport on one hand while my other hand wheeled my hand luggage into the plane. It wasn't that easy. I had to zig-zag, shove, and climb and squeeze my way through an agitating forest of passengers; most of whom were wrestling with individual over-sized hand luggage. The location is an International Airport (somewhere in the Middle East); the destination was Kano, Nigeria en route Accra. Details
There is no doubt that the physical and corporate existence of Nigeria is under great duress. Nigeria is bedeviled on all sides by both tactical and strategic vulnerabilities that invites internal dissensions and insurgencies, and excites the greed and machination of any country, powerful enough to exploit the weakened state of Nigeria and strike at her. Details
Preventing The Scourge Of HIV/AIDS In Nigeria. By Dr. Idris Suleman Hadejia Finally, the epidemic of HIV is increasing in both space and time and may continue spreading geometrically if no quick measure is taken. We are today 5 years into the new millennium but the rate at which the disease is claiming more lives is quite astounding. Details
They Publish We do the Killings. By Okoh Emeka The reprisal in the East though understandable is also regrettable, because the victims also happen to be those that have absolutely nothing to do with the violence, those whose only crime is belonging to a particular ethnic group. Details
State Creation, How Wise Will The Southeast Be? By Eugene Uzum Esq. The Southeast region of Nigeria is preparing for a new bride. The Constitutional Amendment Committee and the Political Reform Conference had among their recommendations that a sixth State be created for the Southeast geo-political zone, to equate the number of States within the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. Details
Terrorism in Nigeria: Head or Tail, the Government Losses! By Willima Ernest Etim-Bassey
Nigeria will be the central theme of this article, because
it is “awa” Nigeria that is caught in a conflict in my humble opinion I
think she can never win. But, lets however start with trying to understand
what terrorism really is. So, what is terrorism and is there a definition
for terrorism?
Details Between Bafarawa and Wamakko. By Dahiru MaishanuTwo schools of opinions emerged as a result of the Governor’s action. One, the Governor had seen defeat clearly in the horizon as a result of the sixteen members of the Assembly who called themselves Democrats and Progressives who vowed to kick against the impeachment and therefore decided to save the day for himself and his henchmen in the Assembly by accepting the resignation. Secondly, some observers believe that the Governor used his wisdom to end the saga and avoid further bad blood from the opposing camps. Details
3RD Term, Joe Irukwu and Critics [1]. By Emeka Oraetoka Before the 22nd February 2006, declaration by Professor Joe Irukwu in Abakaliki, that Igbos want Obasanjo for 3rd term in office, or better still, to have a “fresh term shot” at presidency after constitution amendments, via the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]. Irukwu had been embattled on all fronts particularly, from opponents of regime extension. Details
A New Generation? By Eric Ula-Lisa I believe that President Obasanjo meant well for Nigeria, and he may still have desires to do well by Nigeria, but in the age of the internet, he may be considered a dinosaur, now extinct. I also believe that President Obasanjo and Nigeria is not served well by the persons who currently hold the levers of power in Nigeria. Details
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