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Imoke’s Devastating Bomb. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye What Imoke is saying is simple: majority of Nigerians who have already attained the age of fifty today, or forty and even thirty (you know the life expectancy here!), should simply give up any hope of ever experiencing in their lifetime what it means to have an uninterrupted power supply in their country. Details
Third Term Debate: Can Mr. Obasanjo Recover? By Banjo Odutola How much was staked on the tenure elongation campaign of Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo as the president of our country, Nigeria, will one day become what the man himself may come to accept as a “moral burden”. The central plank of this treatise is neither about “morality” nor the concomitant “burden” which are Mr. Obasanjo’s prolixness. Details
In Good Company With Berliners. By Uche Nworah In this case, President Olusegun Obasanjo may have scored a pass mark with his reform team including Prof. Soludo in the Central Bank, Mrs Ngozi Okonji-Iweala in the Finance ministry and the few others who have distinguished themselves during their tour of duty. However, such a scorecard should serve as a springboard to greater glory and heights. Details
The Fracas Between Olota, Olowu, And The Involvement Of President Obj. By Dr. Panaban However president Olusegun Obasanjo has been pointed an alleging finger for the support of the Owu’s and the funding of their desire to invade Otta land through the making of Baales and Obas in the arena of Otta. Recently, the Olota of Ottaland, Oba Alani Osanyintola Oyede, received president Olusegun Obasanjo at his palace over the allegation leveled against the president as per his involvement in the Owu / egbaland’s invasion on the Ottaland. Details
Kano Economic Summit and Power Project. By Jaafar Jaafar The electricity problem in the country is intractable – It defied every solution. Given that the Power Reform Act is about to bring a new dawn, and dissipated a modicum of hope we reposed in the player (did we?), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), many states now embarked on independent power projects to yank themselves from PHCN’s epileptic delivery. Details
Old Faces From The North Will Help South-South-East Win. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa Old faces are no longer popular in the North or South, but as money bags and their guns. There is a dictum laid down by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe that Nigeria can only be ruled by a permutation of North and South. Anyone who disobeys this rule, does it at his/her own risk. Details
While generally, the sero prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS infection in Nigeria appears to be lowest among the Muslim North, cross-border informal economic activities, underground and cross-border sex work in shari’ah implementing states, the high risk activities of long distance commercial drivers, within a context of fatalism and ignorance, polygamy, in a context of frequent divorces and re-marriage, thus creating a large circle of sexual partners, can lead to an explosion of infection rates in the Muslim area. Details
French Diplomatic Missions and Investments in the 21st Century Anglophone Nigeria. By Jibo Nura In Nigeria, there is ample presence of Frenchmen and their investments ranging from Peugeot automobiles, Michelin tyres, Elf and Total petroleum companies and so on that are enjoying un conditional patronage. Should France keep on advancing her own interests and continue taking advantage of these business ventures via this consummating marriage, even when Nigeria had lost Bakassi? France should specifically search for her position in this regard and Nigeria on the other hand will be ready to take the lead. Details
CNN Attacks On Nigerians In Houston and Why Nigeria's Image Matters. By Paul I. Adujie Why did CNN focus on a few Nigerians in Houston Despite the Enron Catastrophe in Houston? Is this just a matter of perception and perspectives? How did CNN manage to neglect the forest of the Enron debacle, while CNN was in hot pursuit of a few crumbs of trees by way of a few Nigerian immigrants involved in frauds? Details
Ethno-Religious Conflicts In North-Western Nigeria; Myth And Reality. By Sulaiman Khalid, Ph.D. Northern Nigeria has, since 1980, remained the theatre of armed communal conflicts which resulted in widespread destruction, thousands of deaths, and enormous property losses. These violent conflicts are labeled ethno-religious because what we normally call religious conflicts here often has ethnic, political and economic undertones, while the so called ethnic conflict are complicated by religious, political considerations. Details
The Politics Of Poverty Eradication In Nigeria. By Dr. Sulaiman Khalid Poverty in Nigeria was first measured in 1980 by the Federal Office of Statistics (FOS), when 27.2 per cent of the population, or 18 million people, were classified as poor. By 1985, the Federal Office of Statistics estimated that about 46 per cent of Nigerians live below poverty level but it dropped to 43 per cent by 1992. This rate surged to 66 per cent in a 1996 survey and the total number of poor nearly quadrupled, to 67 million (UNDP 1986). Details
World Environment Day 2006: Between Shell And Niger Delta. By Zayyad I. Muhammad On 5th June 2006, the world will be commemorating The Year 2006 World Environment Day; World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Many Nigerians may not be enthusiastic about WED celebration, and equally, villages and communities whose natural environment is constantly changing owing to activities of those living in urban areas and cities may be unaware of the existence of the day. Details
Germany 2006: A World Cup Without Nigeria. By Obeya Francis Kizito, Pennsylvania USA Again, I must declare that the world will miss our entertaining football, our supporter’s club and their music; they will miss our parties, the joy and craziness we exhibit as Nigerians everywhere we go. Oh! FIFA will miss us so much. Details
Local Government Administration and Community Development. By Victor E. DikeLife in Nigeria today is stressful and confusing, because of the way the government works. How well a community performs economically, politically and socially depends, in many ways, on the creativity (‘thinking up new things’), innovation (‘doing new things’), boldness, and vision of its administrator. Nigeria will develop only when the rural communities are developed. And, this will only happen when the administrators are committed to the development of the communities. Details
OBJ: The Emperor In Search Of An Empire. By Muhammad Al-GhazaliIn 2003, the media gobbled the myth that the president had succeeded in luring the southwest into the mainstream of Nigerian politics, but in reality however, nothing was further from the truth. What the election results portrayed was that Obasanjo had finally acquired a constituency by sweeping the southwest. But we all know that the 2003 elections were hopelessly rigged, and in one embarrassing instance, the number of votes cast even exceed the list of eligible voters presented by INEC in Ogun state by 600,000! Details
Why Nigeria is a Basket Case. By Chido Onumah Wilmot like many Nigerians and non-Nigerians believed that Nigeria with its vast resources would be the "Great Black Hope". It has turned out to be a forlorn hope. "I saw that the leadership, except for General Murtala Muhammed, was without ambition, Wilmot noted. "It was without vision, it was without intelligence, it was without competence, it was without integrity. Details
What is Jibril Aminu’s Next Mission? By Yakubu Abdullahi Yakubu Senator Jibril Aminu has continued beating the war drums in the media granting interviews across the landscape to make castigations against the Vice President and the Governor of Adamawa State at any given opportunity. He recently revealed a deliberate isolation of the Vice President by “his colleagues” in the Federal Government. “We are not getting as much as a non – PDP state, even though we are PDP state. Why? The reason is because Vice President Atiku’s relationship with the Federal Government is so abysmal, nobody (ministers) wants to do any thing in Adamawa, so that he will not be said to be in Atiku’s camp. (The Lawmaker, May 2006). Details
Nigerian Leaders: Dodging Problems. By D. I. Sajoh In Nigeria today, the way our leaders are solving (or seems to be solving) problems, looks like (and that is it) they observe and analyze everything but the problem. The reason could be intentional, in order to widen the gap between the rich and the poor or to increase their (the poor) sufferings. Details
An Open Letter To Vice-President Atiku Abubakar: What Is The Deal For Nigerians? By Mohammed Umar Now that the third term agenda is dead and the PDP has initiated reconciliation move and you have indicated that you would like to run on its platform and serious negotiations are going on between the President, yourself and other party members, I would like to ask you to picture the faces of the masses of this country in these negotiations. Details
Poverty and the Millennium Development Goals. By Suleiman Haruna Eating amala, eba or tuwo with some dry and therefore nutrition-desiccated leaves or vegetables, sometimes with no oil, seasoning or meat/fish and no fruits and vegetables can never satisfy these needs. The implications for this state of affairs is that the productive capacity of these Nigerians wane very quickly, their IQ rarely gets higher than average and their life expectancies remain very low. Given a national perspective, it affects the performance of the economy. Details
Re: Open Letter To President Aliko Dangote II. By Yushau A. ShuaibIn his first paragraph Kofarmata described ‘Dangote as Chief Financier of Obasanjo tenure elongation project’…and that ‘the president was ill-advised, misled or ignorantly misguided by some opportunist.’ Though Dangote might have been a financier of the political ambition of the President, he is known to support not only one party or an individual but other political parties and personalities too who seek his assistance. Details
Hypertension: The Bad News About Statistics. By Dr. Murtala Muhammad Umar The recent available statistics about hypertension both in Nigeria and other parts of the world is alarming and the future appears blink. Studies carried out years back showed that 10% of Nigerians have the disease (more than 10 million people) out of which only 10% are aware of their hypertensive status. The research also showed that only 10% of Nigerians that know they are hypertensives are on treatment majority of whom do not comply with their medications and follow ups. Details
State, Economy And Almajirci System Of Education In Nigeria. By Sulaiman Khalid, Ph.D. Learning to read and write the Holy Qur’an at an early age is an integral part of the socialisation processes of every child in Hausaland. It is therefore an established norm for parents to register their children with selected makarantar allo (Qur’anic school) which could be found in every Muslim community, no matter how small... this paper seeks to highlight some of the socio-economic as well as the political implications of its retention in the contemporary dispensation. Details
Karatun Allo: The Islamic System Of Elementary Education In Hausaland. By Dr. Sulaiman Khalid Qur’anic educational system succeeded where formal education failed because it had perfectly adjusted itself to the economic life of the people. The academic time-table and school calendar was designed in such a way that it will not take away the benefits of full-time apprenticeship and assistance of young children in farm-work. Details
The Fourth Arm of Government. By Okuneh, Arierhie Patrick It is therefore necessary to stimulate the “Fourth Arm” to brace up to their duty as the most powerful but marginalised Arm of Government as we approach yet another epoch making political era which of course is one of the periods for “The People” to manifest the inherent capacity to check the other celebrated “Three Arms“, and as the final arbiter of what the other “Arms” become in 2007 and thereafter. Details
Cameroon-Nigeria United In One Fate Now And In The Future. By Elie Smith It will be foolhardy for authorities in Yaoundé to ignore the Nigerian crisis in the Niger Delta or its organised gangs called Area boys/OPC or even the intermittent religious conflicts and the sharia palaver in the 19 states of Northern Nigeria. While on the part of Nigeria, it will be suicidal to ignore the agitations of English-speaking Cameroonian nationalists who want a separate homeland in what was formerly known as British Southern Cameroon’s. Albeit administered as part of Eastern Nigeria during colonialism. Details
I predict that Nigeria would remain the same, so long as the electorate believes, truly or falsely, that its vote does not count or that its votes are meaningless. Details
God Spoke And Third Term Died. By Max Gbanite No one has accused the President of stealing anything yet. The people are just waiting for him to leave office in May 2007. However, when his advisers tried to destroy the structures of democracy in his name, he kept silent over the matter. While intimidating opposition groups, the security apparatchik would use say ‘Orders from above,’ instead of ‘Orders from Aso Villa.’ These false comments probably angered God more because He never gave such orders! Details
Confessions Of An Immigrant. By Uche Nworah It is the liberal nature (to some extent) of the UK society that has seen it attract more immigrants to the country, compared to other EU countries such as Germany, Italy and France, but there is a danger that if current campaign against immigrants in the UK press are not reversed, then the UK may end up like the countries mentioned and be regarded as an unfriendly society too Details
French Diplomatic Missions and Investments in the 21st Century Anglophone Nigeria. By Jibo Nura France has a lot of economic presence in Nigeria, but due to the apparent involvement of French authorities in unresolved border disputes between Nigeria and her neighbours, the relationship among the duo would have been very cordial. The main problem with the Nigeria’s neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Benin and Niger republics lies in the fact that most of them are French speaking. Hence, they could be used as staging posts for penetrating or launching attacks on Nigeria (Rufa’i, 1996). Details
Declaration of Nigerian Revolution. By Yinka Leo Ogundiran In the days of Sani Abacha, things were not worse than this for Nigerians. It will be a hypocrisy and intellectual failure not to remember and mention that Late General Sani Abacha even kept our exchange rate at a standstill and stability for his whole 5 years in office! Details
The Nigerian Army’s Poverty Support Operations in Liberia. By Farouk Zakary Over the years, Nigerian peacekeepers have been subjected to a number of different types of potentially traumatizing events, including humiliation and taunting, lack of uniform, boots, non-payment of allowances when they are due, and when such allowances are paid, they come in arrears of 4-6 months, after some ridiculous amounts have been deducted. For the contingents, out of the $1000 that the Government agreed to pay the staff officers and soldiers, some smart crooks are deducting $400 each month for barracks renovation in Nigeria. One wonders what the NA is doing with the huge yearly budget approved by the National Assembly, in a time when the country is not at war. Details
Backward Nigeria of the White Man’s Dream. By John IteshiNgozi Okonjo-Iweala is a thoroughly colonised text book economist who knows nothing about Nigeria. And probably knows not that she is being used by the west to achieve their selfish goals. The simple question which any sensible economist in Nigeria ought to face is why the average barrow pusher can afford a better standard of living than the average farmer in Nigeria? Details
Relocating to Nigeria: Best Practices. By Dr. Sylvester Omosun Fadal If you truly plan on relocating, be prepared. Nigeria has never been more ready for relocating Nigerian in Diaspora than now. Arrival to the MMA is friendly, stress less and swift. No baggage hassles and all what not. There are several business opportunities. To practice, survive and excel in any of these businesses, you must be resident in the country or else someone else, regardless of how trusting and dependable they might have appeared initially, will get rich managing your business for you. You must and I repeat MUST have your personal home of residence.
Countdown to May 29, 2007 (1). By Chido Onumah Now that Obasanjo has conceded defeat, politicians have started jostling to replace him. The motley crowd of presidential candidates ranges from the comical to the outright inane. At the last count, there were more than two dozen candidates. But what are the guarantees that the president will leave in 365 days? Beyond his request to his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to prepare for the 2007 elections, Obasanjo has said and done very little for someone who has just one year left. The president has enormous powers and if he decides to use his powers he can undermine the 2007 elections. Details
Obasanjo's Fuss Over Soludo's Wardrobe. By Nduka Uzuakpundu President Olusegun Obasanjo may need to keep a close watch on Professor Charles Soludo - the Governor of the Central Bank. Reason is that Soludo's fixed - and quite striking sartorial elegance is well out of tune with the gripping lean economic times that the country is going through. Details
Dying in London. By Isa Sanusi It looks like even in where to die, the Nigerian elite distinguishes himself from the ordinary, common fellow countrymen. Since the decline and it seems the hopeless malfunction of the nation’s health care system, the rich and the powerful have found a convenient way of running away from a problem they have created. A slight headache leads to a trip to London, Germany or any of the luxury hospitals in Spain. Serious health complications often coupled with old age direct the way to European hospitals and in most cases return from such trips is made in the comfort of a casket. Details
Open Letter To President Aliko Dangote II By Abdu Isa Kofarmata Mr. President, the last letter was in September, 2005, and in that letter titled OPEN LETER TO PRESIDENT ALIKO DANGOTE, I humbly and sincerely intended to only brotherly advice and cautioned the president Dangote Group and chief financier of Obasanjo tenure elongation project. My innocence belief then was that the president was ill-advised, misled or ignorantly misguided by some opportunist. Details
Images from and about Africans. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde Most, if not all of the images, are condescending. They portray a miserable people living in a forsaken land governed by brutes and savages. What one sees are child-like people who constantly needs help and direction in all spheres of life and living. Rarely does one see images of happy people. You see old and aging women with sickly children. The women are mostly tired, dispirited, with hollowed eyes in receding sockets. And the children are usually near death. Details
Images From and About Africa by Sabella Abidde: A Response. By Paul I. Adujie England in particular, maintained and has sustained itself, as it kept former colonies tied to its apron strings. Most former colonies remain satellite countries of former colonial powers, for all intents and purposes. Most, if not all former colonies have remained as suppliers of raw materials such as rubber, cocoa, cotton and crude oil to former colonial powers. Details
Nigeria’s Oil And Law For What? By Mamman Lawan Yusufari Ordinarily, resources should provide a springboard for human development. But Nigeria’s over $350 billion oil revenue since exploration in commercial quantity started has little to show for it. Save for few commendable efforts, Nigeria has not lived up to expectation as a nation. Details
No nation can thrive and be democratically balanced in the face of injustice and unfair political manipulation. Nigeria cannot be an exception to this general principle of good governance. Equality and the rule of law are trite principles that must be jealously guided in the course of national development. I reiterate this obvious fact because Nigerians seem not to have learnt that one of the major factors for good governance is equality of stakeholders in a social contract. Details
Why Another Debt? By Mohammed Umar I don’t know if you have been as worried as I have been since I heard the news that Nigeria is about to secure a USD1 billion loan from China to finance the rehabilitation of Nigerian railways. I am by no means unaware of the desirability and benefits that Nigeria stands to reap from a functional railways system or what the system had meant and contributed to Nigeria in the past. Details
Terrorists…Insurgents…The Middle East. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde Overwhelmingly, Americans support the troops. Americans are grateful for the sacrifices being made by the men and women of the armed forces; however, unlike in earlier year of the war, domestic support for the war itself has waned. What’s more, opposition within Congress is also growing. The war, Americans seems to be saying, was unnecessary. They wonder if the war can be won. They wonder about the cost and the sacrifice in terms of American lives. They wonder when the troops would be coming home. Mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and son and daughters want their loved ones home. Details
Cataract: The Commonest Cause of Blindness in the World. By Murtala Umar The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 30 million people in the world are blind, 29 million of these living in developing countries. Cataract, a treatable disease, is said to be responsible for half of the blindness. Details
Obasanjo Is Not That Desperate Afterall. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa Some people do not know when to stop chasing a snake until it turns back and strike with venom. By Nigerian standard, leaders who were desperate for power sacked democratic houses with all their Federal might, slaughtering students and anyone in their way until Heaven took its course. Details
Instrumental Leadership Problem in Nigeria. By Victor E. Dike There are many conditions that make ‘instrumental leadership’ prevalent in Africa, including Nigeria. Among other factors is the guaranteed loyalty of the masses to leaders. In Africa, and in deed in Nigeria, the masses through socialization have come to internalize the norms of respect for authority. They find it difficult to criticize or challenge authority (however, this is gradually changing). Details
Let's Look to the Past and Weep... By D.Akinsanya Juliuson In order for the next leader of our great country to form a perfect union with the citizens of Nigeria, he must be prepared to establish prosperity and well-being and insure integrity, also declare himself free and independent from all bondage past, present and future. He must be prepared to divorce himself from self-righteousness and release the n Details
Playing to the Gallery. By Sadiq Abdussamad Habibullah It is true that we have witnessed the death and subsequent burial of tenure elongation. But then I strongly believe that the Nigerian constitution that is operative today is not without its attendant defects and lacuna. So the debate on its amendment must be reopened at the appropriate time somewhere in the future. Details
The Bafarawa-Led Protest That Never Was. By Gatawa Bagobiri The way and manner Nigerians stood to reject the Tenancy Elongation Barbaric Project shows the extent to which we are internalizing democracy. Nigerians it all shows are ready now to partake in the whole democratic processes, ready to resist government intimidation, brutality and apparent use of state apparatus to deny them the exercise of their fundamental human rights. Details
The right to liberty should, therefore, never be arbitrarily interfered with merely on HIV status, by using measures such as quarantine, detention in special colonies or isolation. There is no public health justification for such deprivation of liberty. Indeed it has been shown that public health interests are served by integrating people living with HIV/AIDS within communities and benefiting from their participation in economic and public life. Details
But the question is, “how far did the new Islamic religious culture influence, alter or even determine the culture or character of the Arabs? According to a writer, “the achievement of Islam in transforming the traditional Arabian culture can be summarised as the introduction of four basic changes:- (1). the expansion and refinement of human sensibility; (2) the extension of the spiritual world and the means to master it through tenets which satisfied both felling and mind; (3) a socially justifiable and at the same time militarily powerful political organization for which there had been locally no precedent, and (4) a new design for living or rather a new human ideal, a pattern of minutest detail that could be realized in a model life span from conception till after the day of judgement. Details
Many countries, groups or individuals targeted by advance fee fraudsters have implied, and on occasion openly stated that the Nigerian government connives or is in collaboration with, or at the very least acquiesces to the activities of these miscreants. The argument of such victims being that several government personalities lend their names, offices and communication facilities to fraudsters, and thereby gain from the illicit proceeds. Further argued, that government merely pays lip services to the fight against such crimes, as there have been no meaningful prosecution or convictions or recoveries in this respect. Details
None of the existing global human rights treaties defines or openly address violence against women.22 This gap in the protection afforded to women was, in part, due to a historic legal distinction between rights violations that occur in the public sphere and those that occur in the private sphere. Until relatively recently, the so-called “private” violence of domestic abuse, marital rape, and harmful traditional practices escaped specific mention and legal scrutiny under international, regional, and national laws. Details
It is evident from the earlier analysis of victim of crime, abuse of power and of human rights violation, as well as trafficking as a crime and a violation of human rights under both Nigerian and International Laws, that there are three categories of victims of trafficking:- trafficked children below the age of 18 years (boys and girls), trafficked adult women, who are above the age of 18 years, and trafficked men, who are adult males or above the age of 18 years. Detail
Once Upon a Land, Nigeria to be Exact! By Ndubueze Godson III Once upon a time in Nigeria, there were men whose educations were not that sublime yet their became instrument in making her great. Today, the so-called educated ones oozes with all manners of offending treachery that boiled out of control within the last seven years. These groups of irritants spun all that is wrong with Nigeria too far. Details
Sweet Riddance to More Terms Rubbish!! By Ndubueze Godson III Put bluntly, what to this essayist would make better sense is to have a brilliant and incorruptible mind from any part of the old Eastern Region maneuver the big for nothing elephant out of its droppings or fellas, tighten your belts for another round of heart drenching mother-of-all gnashing of teeth with eye popping grief. If once a General (failure), always a General (nuisance); should not, once a hardened THIEF, always an unrepentant shame free THIEF follow? Whatcha gon do, people, what? Details
National Assembly Victory: No Stain. By Mohammed Umar Good morning Nigeria or whatever times of the day it is for you Nigerian. You are free, at least for the moment, and hopefully for ever. The National Assembly has saved you from four or endless years of hell in the hands of President Olusegun Obasanjo (fondly called Baba). Details
The Paradox Of Nigerian Politics. By Uche Nworah Does Nigeria have any laws concerning the limit of contribution party members can make? Is it being enforced? Who is responsible for the enforcement and how is it being done? What about the political parties that accept funding from individuals and companies, do they ever refuse questionable funds? What is the guide here concerning such issues? Proscription? Bans? Etc. Details
Third term: Nnamani, our Nnamani! By Muhammad Al-Ghazali Until last week, very few Nigerians, in truth, knew much about this man of history. Their attitude wasn’t without good reason. Giving the total emasculation and abuse of the NASS in the past, most Nigerians, this writer inclusive, had developed a near total apathy over affairs in the National Assembly, particularly within the senate. Details
The Lessons of May 16th. By Bala Yahaya At last May 16th has succeeded in carving a niche for itself in Nigeria's political history. To many Nigerians, it constitutes a milestone in the country's long, tortuous journey to real nationhood. Thus history will place 5/16 in the same pedestal as other important dates like October 1st, May 29th and June 12th. While for example, May 29th may be described as democracy day, May 16th will best be described as democracy consolidation day. Details
The Wodaabe of Western Borno and the Hadeijia Connection. By Ahmad Usman Kollere As time recycles back by the will of the Almighty, 2006 is yet another notable year of recalling the British incursion in 1906 into the then Hadeijia emirate under the once mighty Sokoto Caliphate. The caliphate itself, Kano and all other eastern Fulbe emirates were three years earlier, in 1903 invaded by the British imperial powers. Details
Dissecting Governor Adamu’s Theory Of Selfish Ambition. By Bilyaminu Mailafiya Let us, however, examine the “wisdom,” logic or absurdity of Governor Adamu’s assertion that Atiku’s presidential ambition is “selfish” and that he is trying to “exploit” Northern sympathy for his personal political cause. The trouble with Governor Adamu is that he doesn’t have the courage to stand behind the truth; instead, he prefers to contort the face of the truth in order to please megalomaniac ambition of his master, President Olusegun Obasanjo. Details
Merry Chickens of Otta Farm. By Tanimu Umar It has now been put to rest that any hope President Olusegun Obasanjo and his cohorts would have had for the extension of his tenure beyond May 29th 2007 has been extinguished. By midnight of May 28th 2007, Mr. Obasanjo must have packed his bags and baggages in readiness for an imminent return to Otta farm. Majority of Nigerians will be relieved to have him out of Aso Rock, but it seems the chickens at Otta farm will be the merriest. Details
Third Term Taboo Came and Gone. By Isa Muhammad Inuwa IT is gone! Like a passing trance or market drama, all hubbub and hullabaloo about gambit to smuggle third term tenure into Nigeria's constitution according to wishes of PDP ruling party, Obasanjo and co, proved abortive. Everything tumbled like a sack of ashes. The grand design finally nosedived and helplessly kissed the bare ground like a dead villain hit by opponent's gun shot. Details
Wither Nigerian Youths! Wither My Jeans. By Jaafar Jaafar Nigerian youth is one of the most consistent in world. We are very envious. Why must we waste our time and our hard-earn pittance to indulge in the process of acquiring visa? Is it because we envy those living abroad or is it because we think there are diamond trees there like neem trees in Northern Nigeria? Details
Third Term Agenda: Matters Arising (3). By Chido Onumah Obasanjo should stop sounding like the victim in the third term crisis. He may be the vanquished, but he started this war. If he feels "maligned, insulted and wrongly accused" it is because he created and nurtured a monster. Details
Globalization and the Emerging Consensus in Geo Politics. By Dr. Wunmi AkintideShouting “PDP- Power” at the end of his recent speech to the Board of Trustees of the PDP in Abuja is about one of the most stupid things a president who has just been so openly humiliated and rejected, could have done. Nigerian voters would be crazy to re-elect a Party with the kind of track record the PDP has had under Obasanjo. Details
Outgoing Politicians: Of Imperfection and Looting. By Dr. Sylvester Omosun Fadal As it is now, OBJ’s tenure will come to an end. He must avoid the temptation to get into the looting spree. He must watch his ministers, governors and all political personnel closely to avoid a complete destruction of the nation, gluttonously by departing politicians. Details
European Banks and African Wealth. By Zakari Tata , MBBS, FRCS This article is a response to recent media reports and public statements by Western Governments and other International Financial Institutions on the colossal amounts of wealth that has left African countries for European Banks. They have blamed a lot of the continent’s underdevelopment on this issue. This publicity is good because it makes Africans aware that a lot of our poverty is self created. Details
Demystifying Obasanjo. By A. Mohammed Bashir Shuwa Olusegun Obasanjo executive president of Nigeria is all powerful, he is commander in chief of the armed forces of Nigeria, controls all security apparatuses and all the resources of Nigeria including the money spinning petroleum resources. He can enrich anyone he wish and impoverish and jail those he hate. He can deny those who go against him access to public office and send them to jail if he so wishes. Everything in Nigeria works according to his dictates. Details
Lessons to be Learned. By Dr. Hadiza Isa Wada Nigerians need to demonstrate that they have realized democracy is not an end in itself, but a process that demands continuous vigilance to maintain its tenets. The rights of individual citizens of any democratic nation, including the rights to association, right to free speech and the expression of opinion are some of its cardinal ideals. Details
Constitution Amendment Debate: Lesson from United States. By Emman Ozoemena As a Nigerian, I have watched the unfolding melodrama on-going constitutional review process, honestly, my observation is that this once again has revealed that core ingredient of democracy is still lacking in the nation’s attempt at building institutional framework that drive change and development in any society. Details
The Nigerian Citizenship Question. By Ovie Ughwanogho, MD. In no other country is this lack of citizenship more manifest than in Nigeria. Where does the allegiance of the Ibo man lies? What about the Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Urhobo, Bini, Itsekiri, Efik, Tiv, Kanuri etc etc. I bet their nationalities remain in controversy. Their ethnic nationality has been stolen, raped and bastardized both by external and internal colonizers. Details
Hooray for Democracy. Hooray Nigerians! ... But. By Engobo Emeseh The next real test therefore is for Nigeria to have free and fair elections, where our leaders are not selected but elected by the people. Only then, can Nigerians elect into office people on the basis of their policy and character. If Nigeria can do that, then we would truly have turned the corner. Details
Recall Jibril Aminu Now! By Babayola Toungo I have had cause to write on Jibril Aminu in the aftermath of the 2003 elections when he was rigged into office as the Senator representing Adamawa Central Senatorial District – my Senatorial District. I was forced to relay my disappointment to the Professor of Medicine on the pages of newspapers first because he is supposed to represent me in the Senate and second, and the most important to me, he was my Vice Chancellor at the University of Maiduguri. I was disappointed because thinking he was a man of character and integrity, I wrongly assumed he would reject going to the Senate if it means by ways other than fair. Details
Professor Jibril Aminu: No Longer My Hero. By Dr. M. R. Bello How does it feel when someone you have always held in the highest esteem suddenly lets you down? How does it feel to suddenly discover that someone you regarded as a hero all along is after all, no different from the rest? My answer to both questions is this: you feel utterly disappointed. Details
It Is Up To You To Fix It. By Michael Oluwagbemi The media purposely made most of the anti-third term legislators’ sound better than they really did on the floor while speaking live. Most of them could not even marshal two sentences without stammering, lacking for proper adjectives and construction to qualify their thoughts no matter how noble. Details
Third Term Saga: The Aftermath. By Sadiq Abdussamad Habibullah So, recent experience in Nigeria is a testimony to the growth of our young democracy too. Ali should not be aggrieved especially that America is Nigeria's mirror of democracy. Any Sustained Hope For The Desperado? It is pertinent for "Ali must go" to also know that continuation of Baba in the villa is not a guarantee for his leadership of PDP if history is anything to go by. Details
3rd Term Funeral - Give Us Step By Step Middle Class Revival Plan. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa Third Term Pall Bearers are back again fighting for who is going to be the President. There are more of them to go and more work ahead of us as celebration is too early. Keep your eyes on the prize which is our middle class. These politicians do not have to learn from their misdeeds since we hardly hold them responsible. Details
“Three Bulls Equal One Mecca”. By Bala Muhammad Nothing illustrates inflation and the fortunes of a nation’s currency than the decades-old Fulani herdsmen method of determining the cost of a bull (bajimi) in relation to the cost of passage to the Pilgrimage (Hajj) in Mecca. When air travel began more than half a century ago, the average Fulani maniyyaci (Hajj ‘intender’) realised that, to pay passage, he had to sell Bajimai Uku (Three Bulls). From then on, the cost of Hajj was roughly equivalent to the market price of three bulls. Details
A recent controversy is the constitutionality of the Public Order Act Cap P42, LFN 2004 which was thrown into contention by the event of Wednesday, 5th of April, 2006, when police authorities forcefully disrupted the anti-third term meeting of eminent Nigerians at Abuja in the guise that police permit was not sought and obtained before the meeting was convened. Details
Open Letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo. By Owoeye Stephen Tayo The almighty God to whom you swore a renew allegiance after your release from incarceration has been so good to you. You did not directly participate in the military coup of July 1975, led by Murtala Muhammed but you was named as Murtala’s deputy. When Murtala was assassinated in coup d’etat on Feb13,1976, You replaced him as head of state. You played a valiant role in bringing an end to civil war by effectively command the federal division that took Owerri:...You have every cause to thank your creator perhaps the only ‘political failure’ you have had was the bid to become UN Secretary General in 1991, interestingly 15 years after, you have led the 53 –nation Africa Union, the Commonwealth in council, you was in charge of G77, I will not forget your home town where you are the Balogun- the kingmaker.
Dressing Code: Commending the Initiative from Rivers State. By U.Tanimu Umar The subject of female dressing code in Nigeria has received substantial discourse, majority of which have profoundly condemn the abrogative manner of dressing by our womenfolk. Sadly enough, such condemnations have made little or no impact, the bizarre mode of dressing, especially by young girls, continue, to the detriment of the norms of our society. Details
How Will Obasanjo’s Legacy be Written? By Kunle I Sowunmi Obasanjo forgets that Lagos is the center of commercial activities in Nigeria. To us in the south of Nigeria Lagos is like New York to America, London to UK, or like Dubai to the Middle East, and when Lagos is messed up Nigeria is messed up. It is okay for the General to have 42 local government in Kano State which if honest census can be done will not be more than Ogun State in population. It is okay to have over 20 local governments in Ogun State but not in Lagos State. Every family in Nigeria has a family member living in Lagos state. Details
Between Diasporas And Homeland Nigerians. By Uche Nworah In the final analysis, it is in the best interests of the diasporas and the homeland Nigerians to work better together because concerning what has gone wrong with Nigeria and ways in which Nigeria can be great again, both the diasporas and their brethren in the homeland are actually in it together. The two sides have a stake in a stronger, democratic and prosperous Nigeria. Details
President Obasanjo Urges Nigerians To Resist Term Elongation. By Max Gbanite By the time you finish reading this piece, you will understand why the title fits today’s political environment in Nigeria. I intend to focus on three words as viewed by then Statesman Obasanjo, and they are: the truth, democracy, and term elongation. These terms are discussed in his second book, "Not my will." Details
Possible Fall Outs From Third Term Debate. By Anthony A. Akinola One irony of the third term issue is that General Olusegun Obasanjo who vacated office voluntarily as a military ruler in 1979 and was accorded great respect by the international community for his "uncommon African feat" is today at the centre of a sit-tight controversy. His "intention" to remain in office beyond the limit of two terms permitted by the 1999 Constitution may or may not be informed by patriotic reasons but the choice we have made in Nigeria is that of a constitutional democracy powered by a periodic change of leadership and ideas. Details
Oil Pipe Blast in Lagos and the Energy Crisis. By Engr. Obadiah Oghoerore Alegbe This government is on the last curve of its relay race, a new government has to be formed in Nigeria, I appeal to Nigerian politicians to take Nigeria to heart and thus when they form government, there must be a policy based on the people and ministerial position should be given not to those who present papers for solution but those who have solutions to our problems. Details
Ah! Good for Something At Last. By Obeya Francis Kizito The greatest puzzlement to the wealthy countries of the world would be how a country as poor as Nigeria can be declared the happiest in the world. Well, the simplest explanation can be found by going to the most basic unit of our existence: family. Nigerians still draw on their family values to help them through thick and thin. Details
375 Days to Go: Why I love Obasanjo! By Jaafar Jaafar 375 Days To Go, is a bold-written reminder on a 2x3 strip advert sponsored by a group named 2007 Movement and appears on the pages of many national dailies today. It urges President Olusegun Obasanjo to leave when “the ovation is loudest.” I too, like many others who don’t want Obasanjo to cast blight on his hard-earned reputation, join the frenzy. Details
The specific objectives of the gender mainstreaming manual are to provide a framework for necessary gender sensitisation, capacity building, and value re-orientation that will enhance effective and sustainable mainstreaming of gender in SEEDS and to provide accessible tools and methodologies for gender analysis and gender programming, within the SEEDS framework. Section two of the manual devoted each of the parts to a tool presenting the five tools that are presented in the manual. Details
The Africa Malaria Day Celebration. By Murtala Umar, Ph.D. At least 300 million acute cases of malaria occur worldwide each year, resulting in more than one million deaths annually -- more than 80% of which are estimated to occur in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly among children under five years old. Recent estimates of the global burden of malaria are even higher, with one study estimating that 515 million cases of clinical malaria occurred in 2002. Details
Democratization of Nigeria and Culture of Authoritarianism. By Victor E. Dike The Nigerian politics that is characterized by intimidation, oppression, and subordination is in most part a product of the general culture. Political democratization involves certain values, which includes freedom of association, citizen participation in decision-making and non-arbitrary rule, tolerance of opposing views, respect for law and order, free and fair elections, leadership transparency, etc. Is Nigeria lacking in the fundamental values and principles of democracy? Details
The Third Term Plot and the Man Behind It. By Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad As I had stated on this forum OBJ suffers from two main problems to want to stay in office. He has allegedly committed numerous transgressions against the Nigerian people, including brigandage, budget misappropriations, and outright mismanagement of the Nigerian treasury, never mind the self-conceited image he is desperate to create among the gullible that he is anti-corruption czar. He had, time without number, violated and trashed the Nigerian constitution through mutilation and abandonment of its numerous requirements for the past seven years, and he still continues to do so knowing he is not likely to be impeached under the current weak leaders of the National Assembly. Details
Third Term and the kalo-kalo Republic. By Muhammad Al-Ghazali It is no longer secret that central to the plan by proponents of a third term for the president was the distribution of mouth-watering bribes to members of the National Assembly. At a time most of the nation remains in perpetual darkness due to the pathetic state of the PHCN, despite the billions expended to resuscitate it; at a point millions were without potable drinking water; and, as Nigerians wherever they lived wallowed in unprecedented insecurity and unemployment in an era of zero subsidies on healthcare and education, bribes of a hundred million naira apiece were being contemplated to assuage the greed of our supposed representatives Details
The Press and the Third Term Agenda. By Akin Oyebode Of all the traumatic developments in post-military Nigeria, nothing has perhaps been more worrisome, if not in fact more heart-rending for Nigerians and our well-wishers than the much-rumoured and now quite visible Third Term Agenda (TTA) of President Obasanjo. Details Nigeria We Nail Thee. By Fadare Akeem Aderemi Now the unimagined has come alive in Nigeria, the unofficially official kingmakers sit on the corridors and decide who is who in their domain. They sit back and wait for royalties like descending manners from their beneficiaries who must not do otherwise. Somewhere in the east, a governor was kidnapped by his alleged financier, and another of not too distant past ousted through parliamentary coup in the west (Oyo State to be precise) as engineered by the state’s number one political tug turned lord who seems to have rewarded his skirmishing tools with brand new cars to the tune of 50 million Naira supposedly out of the largess from above yet this meant nothing to the man in the oval office inside the rocks. Details
Third Term Agenda: An Unwanted Political Pregnancy. By Bala Yahaya From feebly denying that the President has any third term ambition, the apostles of this agenda have graduated to constructing and reconstructing structures, hatching schemes and propounding all sorts of theories that will see to the success of their notorious agenda. One of such theories is that at present there is no credible alternative to Obasanjo who could carry on with the reforms started by his government. Details
Paul Wampana: Antics of a Hungry Politician.
Governor Bukar and His Nebulous Rhetoric. By Ismail Karasuwa If Bukar Abba Ibrahim wants to remain in office he should first give a sincere account of how he expended the funds allocated to the state from 1999 to date. Even that will not be enough for him or ant other person to want to subvert democracy by turning leadership opportunity given to them into a life time affair. Yobe in the days of Bukar Abba Ibrahim set the record of being the only state in which rats shut down a television station. Details
Agbani’s Sickening Folly. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye Agbani has become Nigeria’s ambassador of shame. She needs to be rescued before greater desperation drives her into more heinous acts. Somebody should, also, please walk across to her parents and talk some sense into them. I am sure her admission at Unique UNIPORT is still valid. She should retrace her steps before it is too late. Details
Shekarau: Challenges of the Last Lap. By Garba A. Isa Three years ago, on May 29, 2003 to be precise, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau was sworn-in as the Executive Governor of Kano State. Let me state at the onset that this piece is not about bidding farewell to the workaholic, people-oriented Governor, but an attempt to outline some challenges facing his regime as he enters the last year of his first term in office. Details
Nigerians, Jews & Humanity’s Common Good. By Paul I. Adujie I personally worried that there was a pervasive despair, pessimism, cynicism, fatalismWe will pray for Nigeria was the frequent refrain was repeated ad nauseam in mournful ominous tones by many. Wonderful ideas were proffered repeatedly, but with some aura of, these ideas, as good as they sound, would not work in Nigeria, would not be accepted in Nigeria, or the impression was given, that it is too late or futile to try anything in Nigeria Details
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