The
Northern Nigeria Leaders and the Nigerian Agenda.
By Biodun Edun
(GAMJI)
What
do they really want ? This question is rightly directed at the leaders of
the North. Do they still want to fulfill their agenda for the Islamic
State of Nigeria which has been their design since the birth of the
country. Any one who carefully observe everything and anything
about Nigeria would see it all glaring at their face about the
Islamization grand plan. Take the symbols, the flag is in the Islamic
green and white color. Details
Who in Northern Nigeria is Voting for a Mugabe?
By Ahmed Tafida Jalingo
[KADUNA]
(GAMJI)
As the much-awaited
declaration has come and passed, our much-awaited Mandela refused to be what
we wished him to be instead we got just another Mugabe; the next question is
who among Northern Nigerians are going to vote for him?
The northerners that thought in Obasanjo they had a southerner they can
trust, and were grossly failed by all standards, be it roads rehabilitation/
construction, educational development, agricultural budgetary allocation and
programmes implementation its below average all over. Details
Tell
it to the Soldier. By
Abdulrazaque
Bello-Barkindo
(GAMJI)
In
Nigeria the military has since abdicated its duties for a destructive
agenda. In advanced societies the military remembers the past, defends the
present and secures the future but in Nigeria our soldiers have slept and
forgotten the past, stolen the present and are on the verge, if we let
them, to experiment with our future. Details
The
Arrogance of a President.
By Banjo
Odutola
[LONDON]
(GAMJI)
We
criticise this government because our streets are as unsafe as our hope; the
democracy for which we clamoured has produced a government that is not supported
by its political party, a government that sends armed soldiers against
defenceless people, a politics in which the differences in its political camps
are never about policies to ameliorate our existence but it is always about
official appointments, how much money goes to our House of Assembly and which of
our Assembly men have crossed-carpeted to the ruling party.
Details
Reverse-Engineering
A History Of Institutionalised Ad-Hocism, Selective Amnesia, Executive
Impunity & Group Euthanasia. By
Kòmbò Mason Braide, Ph.D.
[PORT
HARCOURT]
(GAMJI)
Nigerians
know that their President, and Commander-in-Chief of their Armed Forces,
General (Chief) Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR; pss; fss) lacks the political
will, the inner conviction, the moral courage, and patriotic zeal to
implement the HRVIC report of which he is actually very visibly petrified.
Indeed, his vagueness and meandering, culminating in his palpably
tasteless rendition of an impromptu apology to Nigerians, assume that once
His Excellency, the fasting and praying Messiah, on behalf of himself, and
all other past, present and future despots, apologises for all past crimes
against Nigerian humanity, everything will be alright. Details
2002:
National Year of Sovereign Conferences: Mid-Year Review. By
Sam Abbd Israel
(GAMJI)
There
are many other contemporary issues floating about in the cyber-space but
the few reviewed above are sufficient as veritable materials to support
the suggestion that the time for Sovereign Conferences in Nigeria is now
or never. We cannot and we should not continue on our present way, to do
so flows against the grain of common sense. What are we scared of? Details
The
Failed Contract of the Emir of Gwandu: Dear Dr. Aliyu Tilde. By
Engr. Waziri H Ahmadu
(GAMJI)
To
suggest, in a widely-read and normally serious column, that there is
anything dishonest or dishonourable about efforts to bring together the
virtues of General Muhammadu Buhari and the economic and political clout
of General Ibrahim Babangida for the achievement of the unity of the
North, and for the benefit of the rest of the country, is to insult the
sensibilities of our well-meaning elders who have staked their reputations
on the line and damned the consequencies of confronting an incumbent
president. Details
Can Obasanjo Be Impeached?
By Abubakar Jika
(GAMJI
WRITER)
Nigeria I am sad to admit is not a serious country
I am sadder to admit Nigerians in my view are not
serious people. Well, not as serious as other people
in saner climes. I am on an extended research visit
to the country. Coming from South Africa, the
contrast become sharper and more painful.
Indeed it does appear to me that in the short time I
was away, the country has slipped to more Stone Age. Details
The
Many More Contradictions of Omoruyi (II). By
Mohammed Haruna
(GAMJI)
He
admits that he has been a critique of Obasanjo but that he has always done
so with the aim of making Obasanjo perform better. Perhaps so. Even then,
Omoruyi cannot deny that calling a spade an instrument for mixing cement
or sand still amount to saying the same thing. Take, for example,
Omoruyi’s interview in question. In this interview he spoke of the
“northern clique” still being at work “today under many guises
including the election of Obasanjo…” Elsewhere in the interview he
spoke about how the clique held anybody in the south that had the support
of his people “automatically” suspect. Details
SATURDAY
ESSAY: The Supreme Court Ruling on Electoral Act 2001 and Dual Citizens/Nigerian
Citizens Resident Abroad. By Mobolaji
E. Aluko, Ph.D.
(GAMJI
WRITER)
So
what is my present position? If
we Nigerians abroad broadly conceived wish to vote, let us book our plane tickets
or swim the oceans – or ride
our carmel caravans - and go home within the borders of Nigeria so to do. That
is my new position – and I am sticking with it. So,
Nigerians in the Diaspora, dual
or mono, let us move on, albeit cautiously in light of uncertainties about
Electoral Law 2002 and political violence in the country, and
fully take part in the Electoral Process 2003, as we thank the Supreme Court
for our new relief.
Details
America
Goes Tough on Visitors and Foreigners. By
Tokunbo Awoshakin
(GAMJI)
Announcing
the new regime last weekend, US Attorney General, Ash croft said it would
consist of three
components. These include Finger and photographing at the border;
second——periodic registration of aliens who stay in the United States
thirty days or more; and third——exit controls that will help the
Immigration and Naturalization Service to remove those aliens who overstay
their visas. Details
A
Rejoinder to "Aloy Duru"'s
THE JULY 1966 COUP: A Full Account and Chronology of Massacre and
Mayhem. By Nowa
Omoigui, MD, FACC, MPH Columbia,
SC, USA
(GAMJI
WRITER)
What
exactly is Mr. Duru counteracting? A
future essay I have not written? If
he thinks his sources are totally inconsistent with the excerpt he takes
from my essay on late General Muhammed he must be having difficulty with
reading and understanding English. Details
Obasanjo
Contempt for Mid-West: A Reminder of Alake's in 1952.
By
Omo
Omoruyi
(GAMJI)
With humility one has to make some comparison between the event of
January 7, 1952 and the recent event with respect to the attitude of President
Obasanjo to the leaders and people of the old Midwest in the old Western Region.
I had thought that the event of January 1952 was part of our past and
should be left to the archive. But
the recent utterances of President Obasanjo made me recall it that there is a
continuity between what the Alake of Abeokuta said on January 7, 1952 and the
recent utterances of President Obasanjo.
Details
The
Politics of Lies and Corruption in High Places. By
Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad
(GAMJI)
So
we hear about the most ridiculous : a concocted story of marginalization
of the people of the Middle Belt and the movement that is being led by
their so called 'leaders' to free them from the clutches of the Hausa-
Fulani or is it the 'Core North' ? This is a figment of their imagination
and without mentioning names, the people carrying such tales of
marginalization know better. They were either selling their tales in order
to remain politically relevant with the corrupt government of Chief
Obasanjo or they were paid to the teeth by the same to do the dirty job
for him. Details
The
Ignoble 'Ota Trek' and Akintiilo's Sycophantic Booboo. By
Mike
Ikhariale
(GAMJI)
Chief
Akintiilo may, in the context of Nigeria philistine worldliness, be rich;
he may be presiding over a thriving monthly pamphlet, which in his rather
low sense of judgment is a “leading industrial publication”, the Nigeria’s
Oil and Gas Monthly. But it remains my prerogative to tell him what I
honestly feel about it and, of course, from my perspective and level of
articulation, I sincerely rate the publication as a mere trashy pamphlet! Details
Nigeria
in My heart. By Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo
(GAMJI)
I have always maintained
that in all things dear to my life, the one thing that I find difficult to
relinquish is my Nigerianness. Many of my friends at home and abroad also
feel the same way including those who hold a foreign passport, who explain
that foreign passports only aid their globetrotting, meaning that you can
take a man away from Nigeria but you cannot take Nigeria away from the man. Details
Don’t
Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water. By
N. H. Ibanga
(GAMJI)
Any time a non-Muslim asks questions on Islam,
his motivations are questioned and some faithful gird their jihad attire. It was
a surprise to me to be accused of trying ‘to cast aspersions on Islam’ after
only 18 months of study, whereas experts spent tens of years studying it before
comprehending it. I mean, if I had understood these questions, would I have
posed the questions in the first place? Details
Dialogue with a Xenophobe :
In response to Femi Awoniyi’s “Shari’a, Hausas and Fulani Power in
Nigeria”. By D. S. Dauda, M.D.
[TERNOPOL, UKRAINE]
(GAMJI)
Awoniyi’s claim is that of a
systematic plan by the “Fulani establishment” to deny Hausas an
independent cultural identity. So “Fulanis, not Chief Awolowo, invented
the dubious identity construct called Hausa-Fulani. It is designed to
deny Hausas a cultural identity independent of Fulanis. Hence a Hausa
man is publicly defined as Hausa-Fulani, Northerner, Muslim and
Northern Muslim.
Details
A Message to General Victor
Malu and the Nigerian Military, Regarding Threats of Coup: A Rejoinder
to Abel Alalade. By Zaiyol Karl
(GAMJI)
Malu was asked a pointed question, whether he
thought it was possible to plan and carry out a coup in Nigeria? His
answer was yes, and he explained why he thought it was possible. Does
that mean he was planning a coup? Could he have lied to enhance Mr.
Alalde’s delusion that a terrorist government disguised in democracy is
save in Nigeria? This is the man who claims to be a democrat, and wishes
Nigeria to be a democratic society, now persecuting General Malu for
exercising his democratic rights by expressing his views on national
issues. Is freedom of speech not a democratic tenet in New York where
Mr. Abel Alalade is a volunteered refugee?
Details
Between Whitewashing Reality and
Controlling Entropy. By Kombo Mason Braide, Ph.D.
[PORT HARCOURT,
NigeriA]
(GAMJI)
It is on record that General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida (GCFR) met General (Chief) Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) shortly
after Obasanjo came out of prison, and Babangida proposed that Obasanjo should
become President (as if it was his personal property to allocate!).
Obasanjo, we were told, retorted that Aare Kakanfo (Chief) M.K.O. Abiola
was still alive then. However, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (GCFR)
responded by assuring Obasanjo that that everything would be taken care of.
At any rate, shortly after that visit and the strange “presidential offer”,
Aare Ona Kakanfo (Chief) M.K.O. Abiola died mysteriously. That aspect
needs to be thoroughly revisited.
Details
(GAMJI)
The
football faithfuls of southern Nigeria did not want Kano to be one of
the host towns of the African Cup of Nations tournament (ritual) because
of bigotry and sectionalism but they lost. This was because Kano had the
largest turn out in a previous tournament (ritual) organized by FIFA.
Details
Re-inventing
Nigeria's Political Process. By Murtala S. Sagagi
(GAMJI)
...first
of all there is still no consensus among the northern elders on the issue
of recycling Buhari. Secondly, for many who wish Nigeria well Babangida is
a dead issue. Thirdly, Ojukwu is considered by many respected elders in
the East as another joker. Lastly, the administration of Obasanjo and
Stella is regarded as a national disaster of some sort. Details
Mad Maximus Gbanite – A
Maximum Disgrace. By Mike Okafor
(GAMJI)
I
have no time for Buhari, Obasanjo or the rest of the characters who are
responsible for the mess that is Nigeria today. Gbanite rightly
criticises the absence of an economic agenda to return Obasanjo to
office. His nerve in suggesting the return of IBB as an alternative,
despite his nine-year record of disaster for the country, shows the
redemption of Nigeria is still a long shot.
Details
The Minority Question
and Development in Nigeria: Minorities
Within
Minority. By
Oche Onazi, LL.B. BL.
[JOS,
NIGERIA]
(GAMJI)
“Minority within
minority” situations are not exclusive to Benue state but exist in other
states with certain dissimilarities, they exist in some Middle- Belt
states, like Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi states and states within
the Niger- Delta Region of the country. Unlike the case of Benue state,
these other agitations have resulted in serious ethnic conflicts that
can be likened to the sad “ethnic cleansing” incidents that occurred in
Ruwanda and Bosnia at a point in time.
Details
Our
Say
is Missing
in the New
Parties.
By
Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo
(GAMJI)
Here is
my confession. Now that the new parties are here, I am not sure I know
what to make of our politics anymore. I mean, after waiting anxiously
for the new parties to be announced, it turns out that we are recycling
an old Abacha script which he (Abacha) must have forgotten in the Villa.
Details
Post-Sept 11 and Racial
Profiling at the U.S. Border: My Over 2 hour Ordeal at the U.S.-Canada
Border. By Tokunbo Ojo
(GAMJI)
In my several years of travelling around
the world, I have never been subjected to humiliation and animalistic
treatment as I was on May 24, 2002 at the US-Canada border. Apart
from questioning the authenticity of my Canadian passport,
American immigration officers- D.R. Moore, J. Wilson and C. A.
Racine- held me for over 2 hours, seized my mobile phone, and
prevented me from contacting Canadian embassy or Immigration Canada.
Details
THE JULY 1966 COUP: A Full Account and Chronology of Massacre and
Mayhem. By Aloy Duru
(GAMJI)
The sound of the exchange of fire warned Ironsi and his host that they were in
trouble. So they sent Lt. Nwankwo downstairs to find out what was happening.
When he got downstairs, the Lt. was arrested and detained by the guards. When he
did not return for some time, Lt. Col. Fajuiyi himself went downstairs and was
himself arrested and detained. At about 9 am on July 29, Major T. Y. Danjuma,
who was in command of the guards, took some men upstairs, and after quizzing the
Supreme Commander, saluted him and ordered his arrest.The three captives were stripped naked, tied up and, amidst floggings and
beatings, bundle into separate police vans. Led by Lt. Walbe, Lt. Paiko, Warrant
Officer I. Baka and Company Sergeant-Major Useri Fegge, the special team
selected for this purpose took the captives to a smal stream about 10 miles
along the Ibadan-Iwo road, where the torture continued. At this stage Lt.
Nwankwo escaped. Enraged by this, Lt. Walbe and his men sprayed Major-General
Ironsi and Lt-Col. Fajuiyi with machine gun bullets.
Details
No Need for a Sovereign
National Conference. By Max
Siollun
(GAMJI)
What we tend to forget is
that Nigeria has already had half a dozen constitutional debates – none of which
has ever resolved the nagging problems which have dogged Nigeria from
independence till today (corruption, ethnic factionalism, indiscipline,
profligacy). Given that we have already wasted billions of Naira on
constitutional debates, and constitutions that are no longer in use, I do not
really see how an SNC could discuss anything that has not already been covered
in the previous constitutional debates.
Detail
Turaki:
Courting Disaster. By
Abubakar Jika
(GAMJI WRITER)
Despite Rimi’s
political standing and mass following, in 1981 there were rumours of his
query of the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ado Bayero that
provoked simultaneous mass uprising. Riots broke out in Kano, while Rimi
was away. The mayhem consumed his political Adviser them Dr. Bala
Muhammed. Rimi beat a strategic retreat. Nothing came out of the query.
So it came to pass that though Emir Ado Bayero was known to be
apolitical at best or was rumored to opposed Rimi at worse, Rimi let
sleeping dogs lie.
Details
Can IBB Really Go Free?
By
Hilary Odion Evbayiro
(GAMJI)
Why do Nigerians
continue to glamorize and canonize IBB? What peculiar qualities does
IBB have that make people to think he has what it takes to save Nigeria?
Was IBB not in the realm of affairs in Nigeria before? Has IBB not
ruled Nigeria before when he had absolute power? What did he do? What
were his achievements? What did he bequeath upon Nigerians when he left
the government to luxuriate himself in the comfort of our looted funds
in Mina?
Details
Igbo President: Why
Not?
By
Debo Awosika-Olumo MD MS.
(GAMJI)
The Yoruba man has no
reason to mistrust an Igbo person, the relationship between the Yoruba
and the Igbo person is that of healthy rivalry. This deduction can be
supported with the rate and comfort level at which the Igbo and the
Yoruba intermarries. All other tribe and ethnic group has reasons to
mistrust the Igbo person, because they’ve once advertently/or
inadvertently been dominated or offended by the Igbo actions and
inactions.
Details
Towards
A Stable Democracy.
By
Anthony A Akinola
(GAMJI)
The wish of every
patriotic Nigerian and, indeed, all lovers of democracy worldwide is
that the handover of power by the military to a democratically elected
government on May 29, 1999 marked the end of military intervention in
Nigeria's politics. Rather than view the handover as a victory over the
military, which it was not, the reasonable position is to examine what
has made the military's intrusion the easiest of tasks, and how not to
make bad history repeat itself in the future.Details
Well Done Bala Ibrahim,
BBC-Hausa Service. By Alhaji Bashir Isyaku, CNA, FIFM
(GAMJI)
I am expressing doubts
about the possibility of any elections at all because of the trend in
political thuggeries, jingoism, manipulation of electoral laws and
procedure, disregard for human rights and many other inhibitants of free
and fair elections that have already mobilised the masses to start
stoning "elected" officials. In this same vein, it is equally a heinous
inhibition to free and fair elections if incumbent elected functionaries
would conspire to pull down or terrorise potential opponents like the
widely circulated allegations on Makarfi against Suleiman Zuntu and
Yusuf Hamisu.
Details
(GAMJI
WRITER)
"Once
the Supreme Court has entered judgment in a case, that decision is final and
will remain so forever. The law may in future be amended to affect future issues
on same subject, but for the case decided, that is the end of the matter"
Emphasis mine. Details
The
Obasanjo-Abacha Deal: Crime No Pay? By
Prof. Mike Ikhariale
(GAMJI)
President
Obasanjo has been quoted as saying that the decision to enter into a deal
with the Abacha family over their stolen Nigerian money was “one of the
hardest decisions” of his curious presidency. But did he consider what
that “deal,” also meant to the deprived people of Nigeria? Obasanjo
certainly knew that it was both immoral and illegal for him to sign away
Nigerians’ money to a family that had robbed the nation through the
instrumentality of a military dicatorship. Details
“Igbo President” - a desirable goal
for the Igbo? By
Tunde Adenodi
[NEW
JERSEY]
(GAMJI)
The Igbo, or Ndiigbo, as they now apparently wish to be
called, undoubtedly got a good deal in Nigeria at
independence. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe chose to be Governor-
General when he could easily have been the Prime
Minister (read Gbanite’s “IBB is my man”), General
Ironsi, the most senior army commander, Nwafor Orizu,
Senate President and numerous strategic command
positions in the army. Not to talk about many Board
Chairmen and generous government patronage and federal
civil servants. They were at the pinnacle of political
power. The Yoruba were not too far behind. Details
In
Times Like This…
By
Sam Abbd Israel
(GAMJI)
There
is no doubt that if Nigeria as a political arrangement was ever going to fulfil
its avowed duties of protecting the social security, promoting the economic
welfare and assuring full happiness based on justice to the citizens, the
religious institutions must definitely have a role to play. The overwhelming
power in the hands of this institution should not be allowed to go to waste or
continue to be used for frivolous activities, as is currently the practice. Details
NIGERIA
vs. ARGENTINA: A True Test Of Faith. By
Banjo Odutola
(GAMJI)
You
only need to travel around certain parts of the country to see this new
thriving and unregulated religious industry. In this country anyone can
wake up one morning and take over a shop or a building, gather people he
can manipulate and with a few copies of the Bible and song sheets; he is
in Church Business. The name of God is used in many cases to scare and
scar. Details
Restructuring and the Making of a United
Nigeria: Perspectives for New Leadership. By Chief Harry Ayoade
Akande, Agbaoye of
Ibadanland
(GAMJI
WRITER)
We have to concede as Yorubas that in today's Nigeria
we are the cynosure of all eyes. With the eventual
transfer of power by the military to civilians in
1999, we had the unprecedented occasion of presenting
in a presidential election, both candidates in a
two-way contest. So that whichever way the election
went, a Yoruba man would be in that high office. Details
The
Making of Illiterate Graduates and Graduate illiterates. By Kòmbò Mason Braide, Ph.D.
[PORT
HARCOURT, Nigeria]
(GAMJI)
Year
in, year out, Nigerian universities connive and award useless degrees. Added to
his uncompetitive remuneration, the university lecturer in Nigeria is isolated
both from his peers worldwide, and from developments in his field of
specialisation. And so, his research output is unavoidably unsatisfactory. His
options are clear: check out, remain, tolerate, collude and then vegetate, or
struggle to improve the system. Details
Faith
Can Move Mountains. By
Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo
(GAMJI)
Three
years into the implementation of Shari’a politicians are pitching our
obedience against extreme arrogance of power. The debate on Shari’a
implementation is only just dying, but politicians are mistaking faith for
powerlessness. By so doing, they are forcing Shari’a back to the
discussion table of our ever stormy democracy. Details
MONDAY
QUARTERBACKING WITH MOBOLAJI E. ALUKO, PH.D.
The May Month that
Shook Nigeria
(GAMJI
WRITER)
"Ikemba:
I started off this struggle in July with 120 rifles to defend the
entirety of the East. I took my stand knowing fully well that by
doing so, whilst carving my name in history, I was signing also my death
warrant. But I took it because I believe that this stand is vital
to the survival of the South. I appealed for settlement quietly
because I understood that this was a naked struggle for power and
that the only time we can sit down and decide the future of Nigeria on
basis of equality will always be equality of arms. Quietly, I
built up. If you do not know it, I am proud, and my officers are
proud, that here in the East we possess the biggest army in Black
Africa. I am no longer speaking as an underdog, I am speaking from
a position of power. "Details
A
Reply From Abacha. By
Wada Nas
(GAMJI
WRITER)
What
was IBB up to when he failed to join the fraternizing pleaders of Ota? I hope he
is not working to supply millions of no votes from Arewa to Oga. It would be
dangerous if he does not supply little than many. And what of Buhari? Doing
siddon look? No longer viable. Where is Gowon? What is he doing now? Some father
figuring? It would not do. Rimi and Shinkafi? Are they there or they too have
traveled out on political pilgrimage to Ota? Details
Obasanjo: The Scorecard.
By Adamu Adamu
(DAILY
TRUST)
Here
in Nigeria, poverty, underdevelopment and the inability of
Obasanjo's government to do anything about them has made the quick
realisation of democracy impossible. And the painful absence
of real political leadership has made it all look so unreal.
And what a pity it all is. Details
WEEKEND
MUSINGS WITH DR. NOWA OMOIGUI
May 30, 1967
Ojukwu was formally dismissed from the Nigerian Army
on July 1st. He, however, became a General in the
Biafran army. The 'police action' land phase of what
is now referred to by most as the Nigerian Civil War
subsequently began in earnest at 0530 hrs on July 6,
1967. Troops concentrated at Vanderkya [in Benue
State] under the command of Major Martin Adamu opened
a barrage of fire in support of an assault on Garkem
and Obudu in the Ogoja sector. A few hours' later
troops under Major Sule Apollo opened up a second
front from Ankpa and Idah toward Enugu Ezike and Okutu
in the Nsukka sector. The war was to last 30 months (until January 15, 1970)
and claim perhaps 1 million lives. In the dying days
of Biafran resistance Ojukwu departed for exile in
Cote d'Ivoire. [PHOTO: Odumegwu
Ojukwu, Jan. 29, 1968 in Owerri]
"I need not tell you what horror, what devastation and
what extreme human suffering will attend the use of
force. When it is all over and the smoke and dust
have lifted, and the dead are buried, we shall find,
as other people have found, that it has all been
futile, entirely futile, in solving the problems we
set out to solve."- Colonel Robert Adeyinka
Adebayo, Military Governor
of Western region, May 4, 1967
Detail
2003:
A Season of Anarchy. By
Banjo Odutola
(GAMJI)
Can
we fast-forward the clock once the coming New Year sets in? In this great
country of ours where anything is possible, surly the Churches and Mosques
can bring about a miracle and the only miracle that I desire now, is that
in this country as it has never happened before, may skip this approaching
new year. The year 2003 terrifies everybody in Nigeria. Details
Democracy
and Media Rights Violation. By Tokumbo
Awashakin
(GAMJI)
This
article attempts a comprehensive analysis of the various international
guarantees for freedom of expression, opinion and the media vis-à-vis
increasing global press freedom violations. The article
argues that transition from dictatorial rule to democracy in developing
countries, especially Nigeria, has not guaranteed freer press as would be
expected. Details
FRIDAY
DISCOURSE WITH DR. ALIYU TILDE
Atiku
and the Kano Intifadah
(GAMJI)
It
will be a big mistake for government to listen to people who suggest that the
Kano incident was an isolated event. Kano was not the first time Vice-President
Atiku Abubakar had an encounter with missiles. It happened a week earlier at
Kafancan and Kachia during his five-day visit to Kaduna State. That prevented
any rally taking place at Makarfi – the hometown of his host, the Kaduna State
Governor. They entered the town quietly and left without visiting anyone. The
question here is, if the governor of a state is scared of carrying a
Vice-President to his hometown, who among us is safe to visit any part of
Nigeria for a political campaign? Details
You
Prosper, You Perish. By M.
O. Ené
(GAMJI)
Today,
I wanted to write on "What we did with Biafra." In case you have not
noticed, it is the anniversary: May 30. But blatant bashing and recent raving
and ranting remind us of some of the reasons why Biafra lives. It lives because
we have simply refused to learn the lessons. A careful review of recent rabid
postings tells me that there is an uneasy calm before the storm or the darkness
before dawn… probably, but some people are reveling in it and telling us it is
the full moon. Details
Lectures
From the Ivory Tower. By
Okenwa R. Nwosu, M.D.
[MARYLAND,
U.S.A.]
(GAMJI)
The
senior Professor Aluko has crunched up some numbers to clarify the fact that,
since oil revenue constitutes merely 12% of
Nigeria
’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), its place of import in the national economy
is grossly exaggerated, possibly for political reasons. His numbers show that
revenues from agricultural production, taxes and custom duties are far more
significant as far as the nation’s GDP is concerned. Details
A
Review of HRW's and CLEEN's Report THE BAKASSI BOYS: The Legitimization
of Murder and Torture On State Sponsored Vigilante Groups in Nigeria.
By
Peter P. Ekeh
(GAMJI
WRITER)
The
prime lesson that flows from the rise of Bakassi Boys and other vigilante groups
in modern Nigeria is that towns and villages all over the country are yearning
to have their own police formations. In temperament and organization, the
Nigeria Police Force is not intended for little towns and villages that may well
need small police forces for which they can pay. The notion that Abuja is the
source of wisdom in law enforcement is plainly preposterous.
Details
Victory
for Democracy. By
Wada Nas
(GAMJI
WRITER)
In
the wake of the pathetic sad events that devastated Lagos following bomb
explosions on Sunday 27/1/2002, Nigerians, through their elected representatives
in the National Assembly, pleaded and called on Mr. President, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, to cancel his scheduled trip to the United State and Venezuela where
he was billed to attend a very important economic summit... Many had concluded
that Mr. President may not heed the
call for very obvious reasons. In an emotional speech to the National Council of
State the president disappointed cynics and critics alike by announcing the
cancellation of the trip. He did this not through a press release or through a
second party but before the highest administrative body in the country, a clear
demonstration of how he feels deeply about what happened to his fellow citizens...President
Obasanjo deserves on ovation for this and I hope that he would continue to
demonstrate such democratic qualities, which I have no doubt would earn for him
greater respect from the people as it would also enhance his democratic stature
and very importantly, popularity. Details
(GAMJI)
If
President Obasanjo can hold up the "mirror" that the first part
of his speech actually, he will see an exact reflection of his
perpetrations and woes that he must accept full responsibility for, as the
Chief Executive of this great country of ours for the last three years.
The next bit of his speech was riddled with insincere inaccuracies. Details
MID-WEEK
ESSAY WTIH MOBOLAJI E. ALUKO, PH.D.
More on Resource Control - A
Few "Last Words"
[MARYLAND, U.S.A.]
Prof. Sam
Aluko: "There are no
Oil Producing States"
"One
thing that Nigerians don’t know and even the oil-endowed areas, not
oil-producing areas – because they don’t produce oil or contribute to the
production, is that the cost of earning that oil dollar is very high, so the net
is very minimal." According to him [Prof. Sam Aluko], if the country earns $25 per barrel the
net value accruing to it is about $15 before oil industry-related expenses.
Prof. [Sam] Aluko stated, however, that after meeting the cash call commitments to oil
firms the government is left with only about $6 per barrel. Details
South Africa: Matters Arising.
By Abubakar Jika
[ Durban-South Africa]
(GAMJI
WRITER)
This is the third in my South African series.
These
series catalogue my experiences here in the Port city
of Durban. The second of the series: SOUTH AFRICA: ONE
COUNTRY, THREE NATIONS attracted more rejoinders. These
responses further exposed our country's yawning
geo-political divides. The responses can be broken
into two broad categories. Those who hailed the
articles, mainly non-Igbo Nigerians and those who
stridently condemned them comprising solely Igbos. Details
(GAMJI)
The
recommendations of Oputa especially on the three Generals are clear and any
doctoring of the report with a view to roping some or all of them will be
vehemently opposed. In his desperation of Tazarce we learnt reliably that
Obasanjo will use his third anniversary to dwarf or cancel all remote and
immediate opponents in 2003. Nigerians should watch out and read the 29 May 2002
Declaration by Mr. President in between
the lines. Details
Democracy
2003: Return of the Generals. By
Sasa Ayodele Olutimayin
[St.
Petersburg, Russia]
(GAMJI)
He
says he is now a born-again Christian. He claims he hears God speak to him. He
fought to keep Nigeria together when Biafra threatened to secede; fully aware
that the nation’s oil fields would end up in Biafra's possession. Of course he
had Dodan Barracks in mind then but he did not want to be termed a
‘coup-plotter’ so he waited for his own time. Luck finally shone on him in
1976 when his Oga unluckily caught a bullet from Col. Dimka’s pistol in that
fateful bloody coup of Friday, the 13th of February. He authored and signed into
law one of the most crucial decrees in the history of Nigerian civil-military
relation. Details
Stinking
Thinking 2: "National Health Insurance Scheme". By
Debo Awosika-Olumo
No
nation is born a looser or a winner but Nations are born a chooser. The
current state of Nigerian health care system was the choice of our policy
makers and rubber stamped by the unenlightened “Nigerian
intelligentsias”.
Nigeria
health care system is wrestling against ethnic/tribal principalities,
ignoramus power, rulers in darkness and spiritual and physical wickedness
in high governmental places. Details
Obstacles to Buhari's Presidency.
By Balarabe Maikaba
(GAMJI)
[SOUTH
AFRICA]
There is no doubt Gen. Buhari may turned out as the greatest threat to
Aremu's ambition. His enviable record and credible performance during his
brief tenure as Head of state, and his excellent performance in the PTF
are unmatched to Obasanjo's bracada leadership. The mere mention of
Buhari in some quarters may be unsettling and upsetting. This is because
he represents uprightness, sincerity, sense of purpose and
patriotism. Despite the attempt by the Obasanjo government to nail him
down when PTF was put on trial Gen. Buhari came out clean without any
proof of wrong doing.
Details
The Techniques Of Subliminal Political Seduction In Nigeria. By
Kòmbò
Mason Braide, Ph.D.
[PORT
HARCOURT, NIGERIA]
(GAMJI)
Little
by little, as 2003 draws nearer and nearer, the political landscape of Nigeria
gets more and more supercharged with all manner of overt and/or covert political
persuasion, benign sycophancy, and unrestrained propaganda. Nigerians, as usual,
will be inundated with disinformation overload inflicted relentlessly on their
senses, in the months leading to the elections in 2003. This is the crux of our
argument. Details
Testament
of a Wasted Generation: An Open Letter to the Youth of Nigeria. By
Sam Abbd Israel
(GAMJI)
It
is sad to inform you that, as a result of the negligence of your parents,
your generation has inherited a large and ugly scar of self-inflicted
moral and ethical injuries. Your parents, of which this writer is a
member, have been called a wasted generation, prodigal sons and daughters
and the intellectually challenged generation. My generation is so
described because of the observable facts of history. Details
Future
of Northern Unity: Whose Responsibility? By
Paul Mamza
(GAMJI
WRITER)
Arewa
Consultative Forum (ACF), an umbrella for all northerners and the nineteen
northern governors forum offers a promising loci.
As earlier mentioned in my column of May, 27, 2001, “North
must unite” the two fora “with
all its limitations and shortcomings (if any) remains and will remain the
authentic voice and dream of the North”.
It is the perceived lack of unifying platform and the imagined or
real shambles in our ability to act, along a common cause that enabled
some ‘sit-tight’ politicians to exploit the various permutations for
their personal ambition through divide-and-rule tactics. Details
Between
Obasanjo and Buhari. By Ujudud Shariff
(WEEKLY
TRUST)
But
this is not to say it would be rosy for Buhari. The original strategy said to
have been mastered by the late Bola Ige to deal with the Hausas and Fulanis of
North-West is still on the table. The strategy is to use religion to divide the
North in favour of Obasanjo and also mobilise the Yoruba South-West to support
their kin. According to this strategy, the Alliance for Democracy would not
present a presidential candidate and all Yorubas would be mobilised to vote for
Obasanjo to counteract his anticipated loss of votes from the North-West. Details
Why Yoruba
Must Ditch the AD. By Tunde Adenodi
[NEW JERSEY]
(GAMJI)
There is no doubt that Obasanjo has become a leader to
be reckoned with in Yoruba land. Even his most ardent
critics are agreed on this. And it is only when you do
something bad to a mad man in the market place that you
find out to your regret, that this mad man has
relations. From the north and the east, he has been
condemned. By refusing to pander to the whims and
caprices of the northern political predatory elite, he
has incurred, very unfairly, the wrath of the north. Details
Yours
Sincerely, Wada Nas. By Banjo Odutola
[SATIRICAL]
(GAMJI)
The
quality of the loyalty in a man like Malam Wada is worthy of emulation if only
our country was experiencing a sang-froid time and if the man for whom Malam
Wada has become a soi-disant message bearer from the Land of the Dead was not an
atrocious person. It is the message of the Letters to the Late General Abacha
that I present not only as a satire but an aphorism. Accordingly, I am writing
to General Abacha in the tone of Malam Wada. Details
Nigeria's
Defense Minister Says Muslims Plan to Wipe Out Christianity Katsina State
Stops Christian Religious Education by Obed Minchakpu. By
Magashi Auwal Ibrahim
[MOSCOW,
RUSSIA]
(GAMJI)
There's
one evil-tempered man in the person of Femi Awoniyi who also contributed a
lot in creating the present religiouscism and Shari'a phobia. In the past
glorious days, a common man never used religion as a tool of dividing our
region into Muslim’s and Christian’s North. Details
The
Oputa Reports: An Unfinished Job. By
Prof. Mike Ikhariale
(GAMJI)
But
contrary to the general skepticism that greeted its establishment, the
Commission now popularly known as the “Oputa Panel” after its
chairman, the retired Supreme Court Justice C. Oputa, has, for all intents
and purposes, proved to be of some limited success. Those who initially
doubted the effectiveness of the Oputa Panel, including yours sincerely,
had very legitimate grounds to do so. First, the instruments setting it up
were less than clear, a situation that created considerable doubt in the
minds of the citizenry who had on many previous occasions been deceived by
similar quasi-judicial bodies whose printed reports are now materials only
good enough for the ubiquitous guguru
street hawkers. Details
Akwa
Ibom State: The Nigeria Scapegoat (I). By
Clement Ikpatt
(GAMJI)
Summarily,
Akwa Ibom State is one in which anything controlled by the government –
both state and federal governments – hardly works. From a jinxed State
House – wherein every known governor turns out helplessly lethargic –
to Senators without clout and lack oversight, to the State Radio and
Television Broadcast agencies, mismanagement and bureaucratic rut have
been hallmarks. Details
American
Africans and Continental Africa Legacy Month. By
M. O. Ené
(GAMJI)
It
is expected that, regardless of their ties to particular regions of
Africa, the offspring of American Africans will melt into the America
fabric eventually and become African Americans. I disagree. With steady
immigration and increased population of particular ethnic entities, the
following appellations may become common amongst the offspring of American
Africans: Aladimma American (the Igbo), Arewa American (the Hausa),
Ashanti American,...Details
"A
Dog in the Manger". By Odindu Odunze Ph.D.
(GAMJI)
A Quota
presidency in Nigeria is a bad idea because it will
not last unless by constitutional amendment or
consortium. If we adopt the QUOTA presidency, as
politically essential, we must remain morally
obligated to accord each and every one of the 250 or
more ethnic groups in Nigeria a turn to the presidency
no matter how small the group might be. Details
"The Lion" Who Wants to Remake Nigeria.
By Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo
(GAMJI)
Ghali and his likes are proof that there are politicians who, once in
office, put personal interests and partisanship aside to better the lives of
the less-fortunate by adhering to the principles of democracy. They are
willing to break with tradition, and focus on giving the people a hand up,
not just a handout. Details
WEEKEND
MUSINGS WITH DR. NOWA OMOIGUI
HISTORY OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN NIGERIA
(9)*: THE CURRENT TRANSITION
(continued)
As a country, we need to clarify the role of
the Nigerian
armed forces in the 21st century. Are they designed for past, present or
future threats? In an increasingly global and integrated environment, how
has the redefinition of geographical and economic notions of the
nation-state affected Nigeria? What collective and cooperative defence and
security arrangements could Nigeria find itself in which would impact
civil-military relations at home? Can the Nigerian Armed Forces accept
limits on defence spending proposed by international organizations like the
UN as part of collective security bargaining? In what acceptable ways can
the armed forces be used domestically? Details
Individuals
and Projects Development. By
Wada Nas
(GAMJI
WRITER)
I
want you to take a look at this situation, as it is today. The Chiefs of Army
and Naval staff respectively, the Directors General, State Security Service, SSS,
and the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, the Inspector General Police and the
Comptrollers General of immigration are headed by our brothers from South. Of
the two Naval commands, non is headed by us. Of the five divisions of the Army,
we are in-charge of only one; and of the three or so in the Airforce, we are
also in-charge of only one. Other strategic staff position in these services are
mostly not headed by our own people. If we reflect very seriously on this
anomaly and its consequences for our federation and corporate existence, we
cannot but lament that should we allow this to continue, by ignoring the issue of education, we may remain a
“conquered” people within the Nigerian Federation in the years ahead. Details
Is
Our Democracy Heading for the Stone Age? By
Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo
(GAMJI)
Politics
is a dirty game because those who hold the key to the laundry prefer to keep out
those who want to sanitise it. When things go wrong, resorting to the blame game
becomes the alternative only way out. That is when they seek out those
hooligans, Almajiris or charlatans that they call supporters. Politicians push
their “supporters” to erratic behaviour not because the supporters share
their opinions, but because as Gowon put it, the politicians are ill-prepared
for the challenges of democracy. And the supporters are unaware of their stake. Details
Case
for a South-South Presidential Candidacy. By Okenwa R.
Nwosu, M.D.
[MARYLAND,
U.S.A.]
(GAMJI)
Short
of the war-time Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, IBB served the longest of
all others who ever headed the government of
Nigeria
. I resided in
Nigeria
throughout the period that IBB was at
the helm of affairs and I can attest that, more than any Head of State in
Nigeria
’s post-war era, he made the
greatest effort to radically transform the Nigerian political landscape single-handedly.Details
Shari’a,
Hausas and Fulani Power in Nigeria. Re:
Magaji Galadima‘s ”Do They Sell Ogogoro in Germany?”
By
Femi Awoniyi
[SPEYER,
GERMANY]
(GAMJI)
So,
shari’a is the Fulani response to ethnic nationalism, an alternative
instrument of political mobilization. It is not a coincidence that the loudest
and most uncompromising protagonists of shari’a in the North are Fulanis: Gen.
Mohammadu Buhari (rtd.), Shehu Shagari, Ahmad, Yadudu, etc. It is a logical
continuation of the Fulani historical politicization of Islam for power. Details
Abubakar
Jika and Igbo Bashing. By
Kenneth Uwah
(GAMJI)
A
poser that I would put to you is this:
if in your travels you came across many of the positive things done
by Igbos in other countries, would you associate these as something done
by fellow Nigerians or would you go on to try to point out that these guys
should actually be identified as Igbos?
Do you know that it was an Igbo man who invented what has today
come to be known as the Internet and that we so conveniently use?
Details
South Africa: One Country, Three Nations.
By Abubakar Jika
[DURBAN,
SOUTH AFRICA]
(GAMJI
WRITER)
As I am punching this article two
Igbo fraudsters are being docked in court for 419
amounting to Rand 1 million which is equal to N18
million. They swindled an English man. This case is
attracting massive local press coverage here in
Durban. The sad part is they are, as expected, simply
identified as Nigerians. Alec, a guy who works at a traveling agency here at the University, this morning
told my colleague Balarabe Maikaba of his nasty
experiences in the hands of Nigerian fraudsters at
Durban. On closer look at the identities Maikaba found
them to be Igbo. Details
A
Tour of Events. By
Wada Nas
(GAMJI
WRITER)
I
wish to comment on what happened to the Vice President in Kano during the book
launch. Before then however, let it be noted that the Kano incident which has
attracted attention, was not the first to happen to Mr. Vice President. The
first occurred at the Ikeja Army Barracks in Lagos when an alleged angry
mob of soldiers poised to
threaten him in protest of the comments of Mr.
President on the bomb blast that occurred there. Painfully, there was
nobody that raised a voice of protest especially that angry soldiers were about
to mob their deputy commander-in-chief. Nigerians ought to have protested this
then but, as I said, nobody said anything in protest, including those who are
today making statements over what happened to him in Kano, as unfortunate as it
was. Details
Since my rejoinder to Mohammed Haruna’s distortion of my place in
Nigerian political history, I have been inundated with requests that I should
expatiate on the correction of facts I provided to what Mohammed Haruna said
about the Section in the Draft Constitution as it affected Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
That had nothing to do with me in 1978 and since then except in Mohammed
Haruna’s imagination.
Since Chief Awolowo’s name did not feature in the debate, I will not
comment further on the matter.
For the interest of readers, I am aware of the communications between
Chief Awolowo and General Obasanjo.
Specifically I read some that appeared in the Nigerian newspapers on
December 12, 1979.
Details
IBB:
Igbo Candidate for President of Nigeria in 2003. By
Max Gbanite
[NEW
JERSEY, U.S.A.]
(GAMJI)
Dr.
Okenwa is democratically correct in his statements. However, many in Nigeria
will consider his vituperations emotional. I can understand his position very
well. However, in politics, lobbying is synonymous with begging. And if as he
suggests that to lobby IBB to come out of retirement and contest for the
presidency of Nigeria with an Igbo vice-president is insulting to Ndiigbo and at
the same time wrong, then he is out of touch of what is happening in Nigeria
today. Details
"Politics and Prescriptions for
Contemporary Nation Building in Nigeria": Opening Address. By
The
Omo N'oba N'edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Oba of Benin
(GAMJI)
The Colonial Government even found it expedient in
their days to employ traditional institutions for
their administration. But it has not been so with
post-colonial governments. The Military had no role
for traditional institutions and only fell back on
them in times of crisis as means of airing
their policies. Any wonder, the three Constitutions
fashioned by the Military so far created no roles for
traditional political institutions, with the
exception of the 1995 one that had provision for the
establishment of the National Council of Traditional
Rulers. Detail
"Politics and Prescriptions for
Contemporary Nation Building in Nigeria": A Keynote Address. By
Dr. Sunday A. Ochoche
(GAMJI)
Poverty has continued to cut deep into the African
system and violent conflicts have been on the
increase. The result has been a progressive decline in
the values of humanity. In spite of our rich human and
material resources, Africans continue to suffer
political and economic disempowerment. The more
powerful nations of the world continue to impose their
institutions and social values on Africa. Details
A
BOOK REVIEW: The Osu Caste System in Igboland: A challenge for Nigerian Democracy. By Okenwa R. Nwosu, M.D. “The
Osu Caste System in Igboland: A Challenge for Nigerian Democracy” is a concise
package that is intended to alert the world to the urgent need to rescue
millions of our kith and kin in Alaigbo who are at the receiving end of a
discriminatory osu practice that he still sees as a version of apartheid. His
target audience appears to be non-Igbo or younger generations of Ndiigbo who
lack in-depth knowledge about the subject matter. Details
MONDAY
QUARTERBACKING: Revenue
Allocation and the Nigerian State: Of
Derivation, Dichotomy
and Debt Issues. By Mobolaji E. Aluko, Ph.D.
[MARYLAND,
U.S.A.]
(GAMJI
WRITER)
I
know that Generals Obasanjo and Buhari, two (re)tired army generals,
announced their presidential candidacies under PDP and APP respectively
yesterday. I also know that
we are waiting for General Odumegwu Ojukwu (re)tired, to throw in his hat
into the ring to complete the ethnic triumvirate of ex-military
men turned politicians duking it out on our political ring-space. But
right now, I shall not be distracted.
I shall focus like a laser beam on Revenue Allocation, because all
these presidential aspirants, no matter what they tell you, are only after
the nation’s money, money that they want to control as president.
Each of them
of course is cock-SURE that he is the one who can best manage the
oil money for the development of the country, if only they were allowed
four more years (Obasanjo) or just four years (Buhari, Ojukwu.). Details
Nigeria
Clearing House Meeting: A Summary by Ambassador William Twaddell, Chairman, CCA
Nigeria Working Group
(GAMJI
)
Twaddell
affirmed that after the transition to democracy there had been a fund of
goodwill and high hopes in Nigeria and without. Unfortunately, despite flush
revenues (even as states claimed their "resources allocations") there
is not much to show of the democracy dividend in government's primary
responsibilities: security, health, education and operation of government.
Details
2003
and Beyond: Some Suggestions. By
K O Muoghalu, MBBS; MPH
Predominant
and widespread opinions from different parts of the country seem to be
utterly dissatisfied with the performance of the present administration.
Undoubtedly, Nigerians deserve a much better deal from their leaders and
cannot be blamed for expecting such, irrespective of who is in-charge.
Nigerians travel around the world and watch TV everyday. They just cannot
understand why things seem to be different in Nigeria. Details
The
Impact Of Voodoo Economics On The Voodoo Politics Of Some Emergent Banana
Republics In The Gulf Of Guinea. By
Kòmbò Mason Braide, Ph.D.
[PORT
HARCOURT, NIGERIA]
(GAMJI)
Obasanjo
should ensure that Nigeria attains self-sufficiency in food production,
and ultimately becomes a net exporter of food, if possible, before handing
over to a freely, and fairly elected democratic civilian President
and Commander-in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (in 2003). A
giant that cannot feed himself properly, ends up being a dwarf, and a
laughable citizen of a banana republic. Voodoo economics or not. Voodoo
politics or not. Details
Orji
Kalu and Bank of Industry: Old Wines In New Skins. By
Banjo Odutola
(GAMJI)
When
respected journalists extol the virtues of a man like Orji Kalu, there is
a need to seek more information about the authors. Accordingly, the
information collected on them was complimentary as far as their abilities
are concerned. They are regarded as brilliant journalists who are very
good at their vocation. However, like Ray Ekpu, CEO of Newswatch and
President of the NPAN who reviewed the book, the consensus is that the
timing to write a book about this governor is opportunistic and wrong.Details
Parameters
for Partisan Political Broadcasting. By A. Albashir
(GAMJI)
The
influence of the media is so great that a careless handling of events by them
could throw society into turmoil. There was a report in one newspaper that
thousands of the bodies of Igbos allegedly killed in the Kaduna fracas, of
February 2000, were conveyed in hundreds of lorry trucks and dumped in that
town. Nobody saw the bodies in Onitsha. Yet Igbos in other towns took to streets
killing Northerners in their thousands, in revenge. The rested Abuja Mirror
reported 2000 killed. Details
Yes, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Can Be Defeated in
2003. By Kelechi Eme
Finally
the North should rally round the UNPP. The support of the Arewa consultative
Forum (ACF) must be sought. Hands of fellowship must be extended to the people
of the Middle belt zone to ensure a united North. All forces opposed to
President Obasanjo must be united to ensure total victory in 2003. It is after
PDP is voted out in 2003 that we can conveniently say that democracy has
arrived. Details
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION
DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR THE REGISTRATION OF NEW POLITICAL PARTIES
In
exercise of the powers conferred on it by the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999
and the Electoral Act 2001, the independent National
Electoral Commission, (in these guidelines referred to
as the Commission) hereby issues the following
guidelines for the registration of Political Parties. DETAILS
EXTRACTS FROM THE INEC CONSULTATIVE FORUM WITH
THE 33
POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS SEEKING REGISTRATION AND THE 3
EXISTING POLITICAL PARTIES ON TUESDAY 7TH MAY, 2002.
Probably the most offensive of the draft guideline was
section 10; subsection 1 and 2 that requires any
registered political party to score 10% of the seats
during L.G.A. elections in not less than 24 states of
the federation including the FCT before it can contest
general election. With this clause, it became obvious
that INEC with the collaboration of the presidency
were determined to shut out other political parties
for fear of opposition. It was on this note that Chief
Gani Fawehinmi asked for the immediate resignation of
the INEC Chairman. DETAILS
INEC CAN ONLY RECOGNISE POLITICAL PARTIES AND
NOT REGISTER THEM. By ALHAJI KALLI AL-GAZALI
From very onset during the 1998/1999 General
Abdulsami Abubakar transition, it was very clear to
us, and we were quick to point it out, that there was
a conspiracy hatched at the highest levels between
the then military junta, the deep - pocketed
mainstream politicians and INEC, to register, and thus
leave the entire field to only three parties. And this
at a time when, especially after 15 straight years of
military rule, what the country needed most was a wide
political space that allowed participation by as many
players and stakeholders as possible.
As part of this conspiracy, INEC imposed impossible
conditions for registration. It set such conditions as
that an association must have offices all over the
country, show evidence of employment of paid staff,
have typewriters and computers. Worse, it pegged
registration to performance at local government
elections, requiring an association to score 5% of the
total votes cast in such elections in at least 24
states of the federation. DETAILS
THE
NEED FOR CHANGE AND THE SURVIVAL OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA. BY ALHAJI KALLI AL-GAZALI.
The Promises
Since Saturday, 29th May 1999, when the present
political leadership took over from the military, they
have betrayed almost every promise they made to the
people of Nigeria; in their manifestoes and in their
speeches, even though they were sworn in on the Holy
Qur'an and the Holy Bible. In many areas, their
misdeeds and acts of misconduct have gone beyond what
Nigerians feared. DETAILS
WEEKEND
MUSINGS WITH DR. NOWA OMOIGUI
History
of Civil-Military Relations in Nigeria (8)*: The Current Transition (continued)
It
is not a secret that the Defence Sector has for many years been one of the most
corrupt in Nigeria. In March 2002, during a keynote address to
participants at the first MOD retreat in Kaduna the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen.
T.Y. Danjuma, said the sector "lacked
transparency in the conduct of its affairs, as it was prone to mismanagement and
corrupt practices, especially among the top echelon of its management."
Indeed, early in the life of the administration, the permanent secretary, Dr.
Makanjuola, was arrested along with others for alleged fraud - although the
status of the case has become somewhat vague. Details
The
‘North’ Also Cry. By
Mike
Ikhariale
(GAMJI)
What we are witnessing among
the new northern actors today is not amusing at all. They have surpassed the
so-called southwest in rabble rousing. The scenario is irritating, to say the
least, and good neighborliness demands that they be told the home truth before
it is too late. On a lighter side, however, it proves that the North also cry!
But on a serious note, it proves that it may well be that the north is not as
sophisticated politically, as we had always credited it with because until a man
is under stress, the true strength of his character is never fully known. Details
STAR CAUTION: Nigerian "419" Becoming
a Matter of Life and Death! By Mobolaji E. Aluko, Ph.D.
[MARYLAND
U.S.A.]
(GAMJI
WRITER)
I really hate to be a wet blanket, but
"419" schemes originating from and
inside our country are becoming a matter of life and death! Soon, our
relations at home who GENUINELY have a medical condition will suffer from
our attempts to verify ALL OVER THE PLACE whether their condition is
indeed genuine, just in order to prevent our being "scammed." Details
FRIDAY
DISCOURSE: Privatization of APP: The Joint Bid of Babangida and
Obasanjo. By Dr. Aliyu Tilde
(GAMJI
WRITER)
Babangida
has recently become a frequent visitor to Aso Rock. Long ago, he has conceded
not to contest 2003 against Obasanjo. He is slated for 2007. Maradona is
therefore expected to play his best skill to ensure that Obasanjo is re-elected
for a second term. If Obasanjo would perchance fail to win the ticket of the PDP
at the primaries, or anything happens contrary to his ambition, then Babangida
will go ahead to contest in 2003 under a party most likely other than the PDP. Details
Atiku's
Tango in Kano. By
Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu FNSE
(GAMJI)
Some
years ago as SAP began to bite harder without the human face to console
us, my father of blessed memory had a conversation with an expatriate
friend, an angel of doom you may say, who expressed the fear that the way
things were (are) going in Nigeria it would not be long before the rich,
who could afford to ride the best cars in town would one day have to hide
them in their backyards as the have-nots begin to vent their misery and
frustration on the well-to-do. Details
A
Vision for Policing to Protect Life and Property. By
Stephen Lampe
(GAMJI)
President
Obasanjo’s Government has accorded policing a higher priority than
preceding governments. His government re-instated the Ministry of Police
Affairs and has increased recruitment of police personnel, planning to add
45,000 each year. A re-christening has taken place; what was the Nigerian
Police Force is no longer a Force; it is now simply the Nigeria Police. Details
The
Search for a Great Nigerian Nation Continues.
By
Anthony A Akinola
(GAMJI)
We
want to be proud citizens of an orderly society. We want to be able
to say, with pride, that ours is God’s chosen country. We have
heard people of other nations talks of Nigeria as the natural leader of
the black world. We must learn from the experience of a civil war in
building a great nation where peaceful and harmonious co-existence is
taken for granted. Details
MID-WEEK ESSAY:
The Case of Nigerian Airways and Insufficient Fuel.
By
Mobolaji E. Aluko, Ph.D.
[MARYLAND,
U.S.A.]
(GAMJI
WRITER)
By
the way, I am making sure that this my Essay gets to our Aviation Minister, the
lovely nne Dr. Kema Chikwe, so that while she continues to
harass those one-aircraft, BAC-1-11-laden airline operators inside
Nigeria, she should also remember to provide enough money to buy fuel into
Nigerian Airways aircrafts! Finally,
do you think that maybe some people are trying to "sabotage" Nigerian
Airways so that it can be
privatized for peanuts? Details
Do
They Sell Ogogoro in Germany? A Response to Femi Awoniyi. By
Magaji Galadima
(GAMJI
WRITER)
Fulani
bashing and Islamiphobia are not new themes especially among the Yoruba
Christian elites and atheist Nobel laureates.
Chief Awolowo the father of modern day tribalism used it as a political
weapon and failed woefully, Bola Ige who Femi Awoniyi said is now a Yoruba hero
also spent his lifetime waging all sort of wars against the Fulani and religion
of Islam. Ige openly called for the total annihilation of the Fula from the face
of the Earth, in the end he died like a dog, consumed by the Frankenstein
monster he created and nurtured. Details
Political
Myopia of Arewa Youths: A Rejoinder to Lawal Bindawa's Article.
By
Lawal Karmanje
[CALIFORNIA,
U.S.A.]
(GAMJI)
The
Arewa Consultative Forum should go back to the boardroom and revisit and rethink
their strategies, as Obasanjo is not the prime problem of the Northern Nigeria
Arewa. However, the problems include the myopic nature of our elite by
concentrating more on politics, and relatively neglecting educational sector and
educating their kids. Details
Reaction
to Louis Odion's Column 'Sin of the fathter' and Tunji Bello's 'Buhari and Kano
Thugs'. By Salisu
Kofarmata
(GAMJI)
Some
few years back no one can doubt the credibility of Thisday Newspaper for its
excellent fair of reporting events of this nation. But gradually some of its
writers are busy eroding this good image, by turning the Newspaper into the
house of ethnic jingoism and Praise Singers. These ugly trends can easily be
picked in various articles written by ‘Louis Odion’ and ‘Tunji Bello’,
especially the ones they wrote on 10/05/2002 “Sin of the Father”and on
13/05/2002 “ Buhari and Kano Thugs”, on what happened to Vice President
Atiku Abubakar in Kano on 04/05/2002. Details
Igbos
and Issues of National Leadership: Need to Close Ranks. By
Ritchie Ejiofor
(GAMJI)
The
last 3 years of democratic experimentation has seen the gradual dismantling of
the chances of potential Igbo leaders by sponsored orchestrated campaign and
plan. The first victim was Chief Evan Enweren, erstwhile senate president, Dr.
chuba Okadigbo ex- senate president, and we hope too the incumbent does not
suffer similar fate like his predecessors. Details
Shari'a, "Fulani", and Nigeria:
Another Perspective. By
Safianu Rabiu
(GAMJI)
Mr. Awoniyi is promoting Yoruba nationalism and
anti-Fulani rhetorics probably to advance two causes:
further the state of anarchy and facilitate the
partition of Nigeria. There is nothing wrong in
advancing the Yoruba language and kinship. Islam, more
than any other ideology, has the best strategy for
preserving kinship. Belief in it reduces or eliminates
mutual rivalry and suspicion and superstition and
nationalism. You must respect the womb that bore you
and humble yourself when addressing your parents even
though they might not be believers in Islam. Details
Reflecting
on the Kano Air Crash. By
Banjo Odutola
(GAMJI)
They
live in the flight path of aeroplanes that bringing riches to their State,
they suffer the noise and pollution of the aeroplanes that ferry the rich
and powerful yet many of these inhabitants are not partakers of the
abundant riches that fly over their heads on a daily basis. It is for this
reason that I forget not the rich who died in the disaster. I remember
them and I share like millions of other Nigerians, the pain brought about
by an accidental death. Details
Perspectives
From South Africa. By Abubakar Jika
[DURBAN,
SOUTH AFRICA]
(GAMJI
WRITER)
The conclusion we reached is that we are not serious
in Nigeria. We should stop deceiving ourselves that we
are giant of Africa. Nobody seems to take us serious
with such claims here. Nigerian community is quite huge
and strong here. The Igbos as always lead the pack, followed by Yorubas.
Northerners are negligible, as always. Igbos are the third controllers of trade and
property here in South Africa, after the whites, and coloureds, including
Indians. This is not without its
huge cost. The indigenous blacks resent this emergent
Igbo economic elite. Matters are not helped by their
linkage to crime, drugs and frauds especially credit
scams. Details