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Niger Delta Crisis: Some Encouraging Words From Yar’Adua. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde For the last forty-five years or so, the Niger Delta has been characterized by indifference and by man’s inhumanity to man. No government since the days of Tafawa Balewa and Yakubu Gowon could feign ignorance of the state of affairs in the Delta. Not even the oil companies and their governments could claim not to know of the cruel underdevelopment and hopelessness in the region. Every group and every agency has played deaf and dumb -- going about their profit making operations in a harmful and blasé manner. Well, those days are over! It is time to face reality or bear the brunt of the people’s tornadoic anger. Details
Are We Really All Patriots? By Moses Ochonu My own view, as expressed in the last article, is a nuanced, centrist one. I admitted of the possibility that some pro-status quo, self-declared patriots may in fact be motivated by the love of country. Many others, I argued, are unabashed opportunists and sycophants whose patriotism is at best questionable. I also acknowledged that some pessimistic critics may have crossed into the territory of cynicism, thereby defeating the potency of their patriotic angst and criticism. Details
Goodbye Abdulkadir Kure, Welcome Babangida Aliyu. By Alhassan Maji Tswako (PhD) This should be the season of a sigh of relief, and hope for a new beginning for the Nigerlites. As such, one should just say a happy good bye, yes happy good bye to the departing Governor with the hope that the bad days are now over. It should be our hope or it is our hope and prayer that the departing Governor will depart also along with him, with all the ills of his mal-administration, lack of focus, dedication and sincerity of purpose of service to the people. Details
Africa: Blair Is Too Late! By Paul I. Adujie Blair and Bush, in a choreographed and orchestrated manner, made the usual loud noises of proclamations and pronouncements about the dire conditions on the continent of Africa. And for anyone who has not followed Blair and Bush’s emptily meaningless relationship with Africa, they must realize that the Blair and Bush announcements that were made a couple of days ago, were not the first time that these duo, were engaging in loud talks that will be followed with no actions whatsoever! And NO ACTION! Details
President Yar'Adua: Our Gain Our Fear. By Yushau A. Shuaib The emergence of Umar Musa Yar'Adua as president may not be as clean as majority would have expected, especially going by the outpouring of condemnations of the electoral process from different angles. The interesting development is that the politicking was devoid of sectional sentiments, ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. Details
President UM Yar Adua; Turning a “Wrong Turn” to a “Right Turn”. By Dan Azumi KofarmataA quickie of turning from the “Wrong Turn” to the “Right Turn” would be to borrow some political acumen from France’s new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who took over power in France some weeks ago, before the changeover here in Nigeria. I anticipate that some people would be quick to say that, Nigeria and France are poles apart by history, culture, economic and political maturity. Nevertheless, the issue at hand is universal; it is all about how good political calculations, creativity and strategies are made in order to achieve desired political objectives of exercising and retaining political power and building bridges across the political divide. Details
Deportation: The Humane Example Of Saudi Arabia. By Muhammadu Ladodo Gama Nigerians, Africa’s most populous country with a zestful youthful population and decades of economic mismanagement, are understandably the most travelled peoples on earth, much of the migration illegal, by most documented accounts. This makes Nigerians vulnerable to all manners of deportation tactics by foreign countries’ immigration and police authorities. Details
Justice Restores Peace Security Stability and Prosperity. By Babandi Gumel Mainly injustice and corruption are the two main factors that lead to conflict as seen in Niger Delta and other societies requiring conflict resolutions. Addressing the real root cause of these conflicts would help in no small measure solve the problem both short and the long term ones. Details
Poverty in the North – A “Mayday” Call. By Sa’adu A. Jijji The “coronation” of our “selected” president has come and gone. Political gamesmanship has since begun. Like every political transition, this one will come with it own bit of drama. I very well expect to see the first couple of impeachment notices to start flying very soon. Adamawa, Imo and Ekiti are top on my list- and no voodoo need tell you why. Details
Higher Education; Challenges for Improvement. By Dr. Aminu Magashi Will some one tells me how much a University is receiving as a subvention from the Federal Government, how is that money been spend ? Is the system efficient, effective and transparent ? Is such record available for the public to scrutinise and evaluate ? Has ASUU or any other Union is regularly conducting internal and self evaluation of our Universities. Are they looking for alternative and additional source of funding other than government source? Have they ever care to fathom why those over seas institutions are excelling and doing well. How many of them can boast of Two or Three published Essay per year, which of course is within their reach? Is “Strike” the only way to react to the situation . These are questions that we need to pause and ponder.Details
300 Billion Dollars Worth - Poverty of Ideas! By Paul I. Adujie Almost 20 years ago, I saw a car sticker on the streets of New York, and it proclaimed or declared, a very important statement about the value of education, the statement was rendered in most poignant manner. Meant obviously, for those who complain of the high costs of education. It asked a question and made a recommendation, and here it is; “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance!” Details
Nigeria Vs. CNN vs. Jeff Koinange’s Dismissal. By Paul I. Adujie Nigeria is vindicated! Minister Frank Nweke Jr. is vindicated and those of us, who did not accept or fall for CNN's Jeff Koinange's melodramatic, staged and contrived reports about the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta or MEND, have all been vindicated as well! It is official, Jeff Koinange is no longer in the employ of CNN! Details
Democracy and US Double – Standard. By Muhammad Bashir The democratic world couldn’t have been wrong for looking up to the United States of America as its ultimate champion. For if Washington’s huffing and puffing about democracy around the globe could not make it a leading force, its unmitigated rush to topple autocratic regimes in Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa with a view to installing democracy would, at least, make it a considerable factor. Details
A Booby-Trapped Presidency. By Moses Ochonu Obasanjo has done a number on Umaru Yar’Adua , Nigeria ’s new but fraudulently minted president. It was not enough to extract Yar’Adua from a life of blissful obscurity to burden him with the task of undoing the multiple injuries that Obasanjo inflicted on Nigeria in the last eight years. It was not enough to virtually force a reluctant man of modest ambition into a demeaned and discredited presidency. In the true tradition of Obasanjo, he is not leaving Yar’Adua to his own independent presidential whim Details
The Nigerian Press is Becoming Lazy, Corrupt, and Moribund. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde Today, the Nigerian Media is a shell of its once plump self: it has lost its way. And more so since 1999, the Nigerian Media has become lazy and moribund. And corruptible! Most of the newspapers and magazines in circulation today do not hide their allegiance to the party and or government in power (at any given time). Details
That Superb Inaugural Speech By Our New President . By Dr. Wunmi AkintideLike all inaugural addresses, the world over, I know the draft must have been crafted for him by a gifted bureaucrat, but all the same, I can see his handwriting and imprimatur on every paragraph of that beautiful speech. As a retired Federal Public Service technocrat and administrator, I can tell a good speech when I see one. This inaugural speech is decidedly one, and I congratulate the new President for the singular effort. I also congratulate Ambassador Kingibe for a job well done. I know Ambassador Kingibe's diction and verbiage and his powerful style. I am also aware of his amazing gift of the garb right from his days in Abacha regime and more so when he became the vice presidential running mate to M.K.O. Kingibe is decidedly one of the best eloquent speakers the North has produced in our generation. Details
To put it succinctly, the political battle ground has been drawn on this matter. It is clearly going to be a confrontation between Obasanjo-Umaru Yaradua-led PDP gang-up versus other Nigerians and most of international community. The question right now is whether or not the emerging gigantic opposition movement would succeed in forcing a re-run of the elections? My opinion is that the emerging opposition movement could secure cancellation of the elections; only if they do certain things right, right away. Details
Shekarau And Dynamism Of Peoples' Governance. By Mamman Bawa The last four year tenure of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau as governor of Kano state has truly fulfilled, or at least attempted to fit to the foregoing pre-requisites of Democracy as the peoples' government in terms of directly addressing peculiar problems of the common people in the state. Details
Between Obasanjo’s Yesterday and Yar’adua’s Tomorrow. By Atayi Babs Opaluwah The Nigeria I know is not in anyway close to what these otherwise honourable men and women have said. The Nigeria I know is the Nigeria of Obasanjo’s yesterday. A Nigeria that was for eight solid years, under the clutches of a man who had a self-depreciating sense of humuor before he finally succumbed to the lure of Bonarpatist self-monumentalisation
Critics are Patriots Too. By Moses Ochonu In the final analysis, then, we are all patriots. The flowering of our patriotic praise or anger may take different forms, but the nationalist commitment that informs our critical or forgiving engagement with Nigeria is undeniable. The self-serving lectures on patriotism delivered regularly by bad Nigerian leaders deceive as much as they conceal the egregious failures of leadership. Detail
Who Cursed Nigeria With Obasanjo? By Yinka Leo Ogundiran As Obasanjo's departure was becoming more and more inevitable and he felt jittery that his ignominious stint was coming to an inglorious end, instead for him to silently leave Nigerians alone to nurse the pain and agony that he and his thieving and wealth-amassing accomplices had sedulously inflicted on Nigerians Details
Was Sule Lamido Sleep-Walking? By Yusuf Ozi-Usman For Lamido to say that Buhari was not there when ANPP was formed, he is simply indicting his god-father (Obasanjo) for ripping where he did not sow. or is he saying that the issue of Obasanjo was different? Was Obasanjo not presented to Nigerians by his sponsors in 1999 as saint? Can Lamido truly say, with fear of Allah, that Obasanjo is a saint now after eight years in the saddle? Details
Desperate Hours In Nigeria. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye Now, no one is saying that those who were rigged out in the last “elections” were better human beings, or would have made better leaders than those sworn in yesterday. No. What we are worried about is this ominous feeling that a tiny cabal of retrogressive and failed characters know better than more than 140 million Nigerians, and so, should be the ones to choose their leaders for them. Details
Standing up for Nigeria: President Umaru Musa Yar Adua - To Be or Not to Be? By Dan Azumi Kofarmata This article is not about what was done and not done by the failed presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. It is rather, about what President Umaru Musa Yar Adua could do to undo and diffuse the booby traps left behind for him by nearly-sit tight former president Aremu Obasanjo. Details
I Love Nigeria…So Very Much! By Sabella Ogbobode Abidde For several years now my good friend Paul Adujie has been drumming it, telling all those who have the faculty to comprehend that Nigeria is the best country on the face of the earth. Day in day out -- to the annoyance and consternation of millions of Nigerians -- he has been at it. Well, I am now a believer, a convert. It’s been almost six months since I returned home and I can see clearly now. Without an iota of doubt, I am now convinced that Nigeria is better and greater than any other country. I love it here, I love Nigeria. Details
I Love Nigeria! Just Because. By Paul I. Adujie I am a legitimate optimist, as Nigerian who is bashful, and enthusiastic about Nigeria, I have no choice, but compelled to be optimistic about my homeland. What else is there? Complacency about Nigeria is not a luxury that I can afford Details
Which Way Nigeria: The Reality Check. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa It was the former President Obasanjo who said all those who invested in him should consider their investment lost in 1999. Since the new President Yar’Adua is a man of political action not words, we may never hear anything so volatile. The reality check is in his kitchen cabinet and those invited from his Party hierarchy. Even these may not be enough until about six months to a year when he has got a bit comfortable in his chair. Details
Buhari Please Do Not Worry You Are Exonerated. By Babandi Gumel ... every one has accepted Buhari as one of the most Credible Nigerian Leader who fights for justice equity and fairness equality and above all corruption and other evil vices bedevilling our Society like the Late Aminu Kano. So he would be remembered as an honest transparent leader who was always ready to challenge the status quo without fear of being intimidated or castigated which many Nigerians unfortunately always wanted to maintain at all cost for selfish and other vested interests. Details
Nigerian Universities and World Ranking. By Abdullah Umar THE latest worldwide universities' ranking shows that Nigerian universities have dropped out of reckoning because of the poor quality and scope of research conducted by indigenous academics. No Nigerian university featured on the world best 500 universities list. Indeed from the African continent, only the University of Cape Town, South Africa made the list. Details
Academia Vs The State: The Peoples Jeopardy. By Ahmadu Aliyu However, the despicable sights of our universities and other institutions of higher leaning call for an urgent attention. Great civilizations, like the Arabian civilization laid emphasis on the quality of reasoning found in their madarassa (schools). Here, knowledge is so cherished that the society place possessor of it on a higher plane. Sometimes they are invited into the palace to dine and wine with the elders. This is predicated on the fact that: a sound mind is an enlightened mind.
Women's Rights in Nigeria. By ‘Yar Uwa Tajiki If a young lady insists marriage is the way to go, she should be reasonably supported BUT she should realize that marital discord and insecurity in Nigeria have almost everything to do with the total dependence of women on our culturally programmed men. Professional careers, vocational training and small business enterprises should therefore be emphasized before and during marriage as well as after the unfortunate failure of a marriage. Details
Behold The Naija Politics Person Of The Year, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. By Dr. Wunmi Akintide The choice of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Naija Politics Person of the Year is a superb move and very well deserved. In more progressive polities around the world, this extraordinary lady should have been considered a Shoo-in for the Presidency of Nigeria at this point in our History. Details
Who Cursed Nigeria With Obasanjo? By Yinka Leo Ogundiran Yesterday morning, I woke up to one of the worst shocks of my life realizing that President Olusegun Obasanjo has, once again, moronically and sadistically decided to exacerbate the agony and pain of Nigerians by gratuitously increasing the pump price of Petroleum products from N65 to N75. As usual, the sophistry advanced by Obasanjo and his acolytes was that the step became necessary so as to allow and give free hand to private participation and partnership in the down-stream sector. Details
Orji Uzor Kalu As A Political Gladiator. By Uche Nworah To cap his political ingenuity, OUK prematurely swore in Theodore Orji this week to the outcry of many who termed the act unconstitutional , thus securing for himself ample time to make his 'great escape' from Nigeria, far away from Nuhu Ribadu and his EFCC who had earlier placed him and some other governors on their ‘most wanted’ list. You can bet that OUK will bounce back once things settle down, to carry on building his political empire. What better vocation is better and more lucrative than that? Details
Is President-Elect Umaru Musa Yar Adua Ready for the Troubled Nigeria? By Dan Azumi KofarmataThe question posed above is pertinent for a number of reasons. First, it would be observed that even before Mr President-elect, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua steps forward to be sworn as the new civilian President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2007, the outgoing President Obasanjo (and Minister-for-Nearly-Everything) has been very busy. He has been busy laying booby traps and banana feels all along the road to Aso-Rock Presidential Villa for the in-coming administration. For example, some of the many actions of President Obasanjo in the last two weeks speak volumes of treachery and Machiavellian machinations. Details
How Nigeria Can Tap Into The Global Financial Glut. By Anthony Okosun Investors are desirous of incorruptible legal systems, where they can quickly settle contractual disputes. Investors want to be able to settle their company and allied matters very quick. Investors want a society that has a highly educated youth populace. This explains the attraction of Indian to investors. Indian has a highly educated youth populace especially in the area of mathematics, Information systems and Engineering. Nigeria's recent increase in the number of universities that are licensed to operate in the country is a welcome development. However, Nigeria must match quantitative advancement in education with qualitative advancement. Our Universities and high schools must be encouraged and assisted by both the public and private sectors to turn out more science, technology and mathematics based graduates. Details
Ambassador Manzo's Presence at the Knesset is Shameful. By Disu Kamor What has Nigeria gained from this deviant appearance? Nothing. It has only hurt our image in the international community as our reputation plummet to new depths, and as we set the wrong example for the rest of Africa. True Nigerian friendship for Israel should include firm advice to the Israeli government to desist from acts of aggression against neighbouring states, to desist from further violations of the rights of native Palestinians, and to withdraw completely from the territories occupied since 1967, in violation of international law and of numerous UN Security Council resolutions. Details
Requiem for a Failed National Assembly (1999-2007). By Adebayo Adejare We must look back and take stock: How did we get into this legal and Constitutional mess? Having presented a DRAFT CONSTITUTION to the National Assembly, the Executive has done its part. The judiciary also interpretes rather than change or make the law, so, it too, is blameless. Details
Aburi: The “Sovereign National Conference” That Got Away. By Max Siollun In the months preceding Aburi the SMC and Ojukwu had engaged in a war of words with the two sides trading multiple accusations and blaming each other for causing or exacerbating the crisis. The Military Governor of the north: Lt-Colonel Hassan Usman Katsina dismissed Ojukwu's confident and eloquent public statements on the crisis as attempts by Ojukwu "to show how much English he knows". As far as Katsina was concerned, Nigeria's problem was a stand-off "between one ambitious man and the rest of the country". Details
Are Some Nigerians’ Psyche Damaged? By Paul I. Adujie have observed over an extended period of time that a good number of Nigerians are self critical, a tad too self-critical, to such extent that at first glance, this attitude could be taken as self-loathing. Details
PTDF and the Galaxy Backbone Plc Affairs: - Matters and Issues Arising. By Dan Azumi Kofarmata One of the revelations from the beans-spilling by estranged Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the illegalities perpetrated at the PTDF by President Obasanjo was the diversions of millions of money to fund dubious projects, programs and other sundry activities that are outside the statutory mandate of the PTDF Details
Academia Vs The State: The Peoples Jeopardy. By Ahmadu Aliyu Thus, someone may rationally ask: why has subsequent military and present “democratic” regimes in Nigeria take academia with a pinch of salt? A flashback at imperial domination of Nigeria revel that only clerical staff were trained to assist the imperial lords in daily exploitation of the local people. Surprisingly, we are “independent” and education is still receiving unenthusiastic attention from the government. Details
Nigerian Lobbyists: To Support! (or Condemn)? Nigeria. By Paul I. Adujie First, Nigerians were inundated with a letter written by a saber rattling group, a self-styled, 100 Concerned Nigerians Abroad” And soon after that, Nigerians found another group pestering us! Another rabble rousing group, apparently nudged into its public whining by their Nigerian friends, no doubt, these Nigerians made up of obviously disgruntled and defeated partisans, some of them at least, some are clearly friends of these bunch of foreigners, who wrote under the aegis of “48 Nobel Laureates” Details
Shehu Shagari and Olu Falae Were Exactly Right On Obasanjo. By Dr. Wumi Akintide So many Nigerians who have known Olusegun Obasanjo longer and better than the rest of us, can all agree on one thing. They all hold the view that Obasanjo is as lucky and as richly blessed as they come, by always positioning himself in the right place, even if it means thrashing the image and reputation of people who may have been very close and useful to him at one point in his life. They see him as very Machiavellian in his ruthlessness, and he sees himself as wiser than everybody else and that Nigeria can hardly stand, if you discount him from the Nigerian equation. He is one Nigerian who has totally fallen in love with his own ideas and has therefore blocked out making it hard for new ideas to permeate his already fixed assumptions on Nigeria Details
There is no doubt that the promises Obasanjo made were good. They were also in line with what most Nigerians wanted. Unfortunately, he could not deliver on them fully. Without prejudice to the promises President-elect Yar’Adua will make to Nigerians when he is inaugurated on May 29, it is expected that he would revisit Obasanjo’s unfulfilled promises and unfinished agenda. Details
Obasanjo and the Verdict of History. By Anthony A. Akinola President Olusegun Obasanjo's leadership of Nigeria should terminate on the 29th of May ,2007. Obasanjo’s physical presence may remain with us for many more years to come but that would be a matter of less interest than it currently is. How are we going to remember him and what could be his legacy? I ask these questions because what people remember a contemporary leader for may not necessarily constitute a legacy in the eyes of history. What then is a legacy? Details
Democracy, Corruption And The Rule Of Law In Nigeria. By Akintokunbo Adejumo We should recognise that since inception, there has been arguably little or no rule of law in Nigeria, whether under a democratic dispensation or a military dictatorship. It has always been that the law was the will of the rulers. It does not matter whether those rulers were good or bad. Details
Messages of the April Elections to Law. By Mamman Lawan Yusufari Events do speak. They speak in different languages sometimes loudly but esoterically. To grasp the speech, one must understand the medium employed. The events of last few weeks in Nigeria have spoken loudly and in different languages too. But no event spoke louder than the April elections. Details
The Election Crisis Dilemma and Implications. By Babandi Gumel The controversy surrounding the election described as the worst ever concluded continued to haunt both the coalition of the Opposition and the PDP Ruling Party seen as the one behind the rigging wanting to install Umaru Musa ‘Yar Adua the Ruling Party’s Candidate as the next President come May 29th .It was supposed to be a landslide victory for the ruling party yet apparently no body is celebrating instead people are continuing with the protest with the way the election was conducted. Details
Lamido: Please Accept My Humble Sympathy. By Najeeb A. A. Gambo My sympathy in this regard goes to the manner in which you are to inherit a state with a nearly empty treasury aligned with demoralized civil service coupled with the hope and high expectation the people of Jigawa have on you for reversing the development in reverse-gear we had earlier being bedeviled with in some past years. Details
Shekarau Vs. Kano Electorates. By Kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa Those of us who took it upon themselves to write in supports of your government policies through the print media and websites, graciously made available to us free of charge in the last four years will like to assure you that, as from May 29th, 2007 to the end of your second tenure insha Allah using the same medium, the tones of our write-ups will change significantly from that of total support to that of constructive criticism Details
Challenges Before Nigeria's Newly Elected
Leaders. By Adebayo Adejare
For
Repositioning Local Government’s As The Bedrock Of Service Delivery In Nigeria. By Benjamin Ogbebulu The present Nigeria Constitution recognises the local Government as the third tier system of government. However, Nearly all the local governments in Nigeria are either crippled by the state or willfully not performing to people’s expectation in the country .one then ask these among many questions; What is the role of the state and how can it improve the frame work within which local government operates in line with the new public-private- partnership of the Federal Government? Details
Comparing Diasporas: Asians, Jews, Irish with Nigerians. By Paul I. Adujie Diaspora Nigerians are mostly made up of economic refugees, new immigrants in America, Europe and Asia who are for the most parts, struggling with initial efforts to mix-in and integrate themselves into newly adopted countries and foreign lands of permanent or temporary residencies. New immigrants, as most Nigerians are worldwide, usually focus first and primarily, on self-preservation and daily survivals. Details
Almost from the time he became the governor of the state, he was despised by a segment of the populace. It was assumed that time will heal whatever wound and friction there was; but for whatever reason, it was not to be -- culminating in his attempted kidnap and the eventual events of May 16, 2007. But how did a man this amiable, this sharp-minded, and this unpretentious become the lighting rod and target for violence and political antagonism in his own state? No one really knows the precise answers, however, one was able to knit together some of the answers through a series of formal and informal conversations with some of the best political minds and observers in the state. The prime question I posed was “What went wrong?” Details
Let The Work Begin! By Paul I. Adujie The Herculean tasks of turning Nigeria into a developed, advanced and great nation must begin in earnest. And there is no better time than now. The yearnings of all well meaning Nigerians, the heart desires of all Nigerians at home and abroad, what Nigerians expect of all leaders of Nigeria, The progress that Nigerians crave, but which has since Nigeria's political independence and self-determination in 1960, eluded her! Details
Stand and Deliver-- A Short Note to Governor Yar'Adua (President-Elect). By Adebayo Adejare
You have attained the
Presidency of our nation
Nigeria is developing because the recent activities of the Nigerian judiciary attest to this fact and the present administration under the out going president Olusegun Obasanjo should be commended for allowing the rule of law to prevail and this development should give every Nigerian the confidence that at last justice which eludes Nigerians before 1999 is now being address, unlike in previous cases where judgements were pronounced three to four years after election. Details
There are no sensible explanations for the bombing and lose of lives that took place in and around the country home of Governor Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. None; none whatsoever! What happened in Otieke village in the Ogbia area of Bayelsa State was a new element in the state’s politics. Details
Resource Control and Yar’adua Presidency. By Zayyad I. Muhammad The beauty of Democracy is, when an electoral illegality is believed to have been committed, it can only be overturn by a legal or constitutional means. Despite the fact that, the process that led to the emergence of Umaru Musa Yar’adua as Nigeria’s President-elect was dented by gross irregularities and widespread rejection of the election results, Yar’adua is Nigeria’s President-elect as declared by ‘almighty’ INEC, until it is decided otherwise by a competent court of law Details
I Won't Die For Nigeria. By Ibrahim Bashir Protecting the lives and properties of the citizenry is one of the key responsibilities of the police, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. But of late, the police in the country have come under heavy attack, following the upsurge of crime and violence, which made the citizenry to always sleep with their two eyes open, as a result of the fear of the unknown. Details
The Eight Years of Obasanjo’s Squandered and Missed Golden Opportunities. By Dan Azumi Kofarmata President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo - so far, has been the luckiest Nigerian (leaving or dead). For example, he is traditional Chief; a Five Star General; a civil war hero; a former federal commissioner (minister) and member of federal executive ruling councils under two defunct military regimes; a former second in command under the defunct military government headed by late General Murtala Muhammad; a former Head of State, Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (1976 – 1979) after the assassination of General Murtala Muhammad; a one time condemned political prisoner under the defunct military government of late General Sani Abacha; a freed condemned political prisoner; a two-term Nigerian civilian President, Commander-in-chief, Armed forces of the federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 – 2007); a national and international statesman and a successful modern large-scale commercial chicken farmer and strategic investor etc. These in a nut shell, sums up the life history of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Details
Nigerian EITI: Unclear Matters Arising. By Ifeanyi Izeze The outgoing Obasanjo-led Nigerian Government would obviously be remembered for many things. One of them is that it signed more international treatise than any previous government and majority, if not all, were useless or rather irrelevant in context to whatever Nigerian situation they were supposed to address. A glaring case is the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) which is the Nigerian subset of a global initiative aimed at following due process and achieving transparency in payments by Extractive Industry (EI) companies to governments and government linked entities. Details
Breaking the Jinx. By Engr. A. A. Maishanu Shekarau had a multifaceted fight with all kinds of interests in the run-off to the 2007 right from day one of the declaration of intent to run for the second term. Most intriguing was the vociferous animosity with dissidents ranging from his deputy, decampees among stalwarts and those members of the ANPP in the state assembly eluded by the orchestrated campaign of calumny mostly perpetrated in the media, but in real fact without any grassroots’ backing. Details
Kano: Poverty Amid Plenty (I). By Jaafar Jaafar In all aspects of development, Kano State could not come up to scratch, many local and international indices show. Kano State under this demonic grip is a state in stasis, which metamorphosed from shariah state to pariah state. Lawlessness takes the center stage. Thuggery, forgery and a battery of hungry beggars scurry in the street. Profligacy has become a recurring decimal of his administration. The state is: Economically backward. Spiritually and politically corrupt. Pervasively insecure. These captured the clear picture of the state, photogenic-ally so, and became the seal of Shekarau’s uneventful tenure. Details
How Shekarau Left Kwankwaso Far Behind. By Hassan S. Indabawa Kwankwaso has the right as a mere mortal to be jealous of Malam's rising profile especially because it has largely been at Kwankwaso's expense. What he has no right to do is to be so jealous that he would go to all extents to try to harm Malam. It is no secret that Kwankwaso used his influence as Minister of Defence while he was there to try and bring Malam down. It is no secret that he tried hard by employing the machinery of the ruling PDP in Abuja to plot Malam's fall before and during the elections of last month. Details
Shekarau's Second Term: From Trust to Dependability. By Ibrahim Idris Bello Needless to say, four years on the hot seat has, no doubt, taught the governor many things in the art of governance. He is now experienced. Experience comes with maturity and maturity breeds dependability. Malam's second coming is no longer based on trust alone. The people of Kano are now going to depend on him. Details
The Second Coming of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. By Dr. Aminu Magashi He need to ask the people managing his pet project of societal reorientation “A Daidaita Sahu” , how much was spent in the last four years, what were the projects embarked upon , how those projects were arrived at and what impact so far they have made in reorienting Kano People to be more God fearing and relate with one another in an honest and transparent manner . My personal comment is that, so much money was wasted with very little result. Details
Green Memo to Governor Shekarau. By Aliyu Salisu Barau Your Excellency, I am glad to write once again to raise an issue that deserve utmost prioritization by the in coming government. But this time around, I am acting in my true colour as environmentalist, so the focus is on the state of the natural environment in Kano State. However, I would like to start by reviewing the prevailing ecological problems in the state, the interventions made by your government and the areas and actions that should and could be done to reverse the problems and improve on the ecological harmony in the most populous state in the Nigerian federation. Details
Shekarau & Kukuna: A Histo-Critico Analysis towards De-Theorizing the 2nd Term Jinx in Kano. By Nasiru Wada Khalil Kano started as a city state in 999AD (389H), and from this time till date it has witnessed 56 traditional leaders in the status of Emir’s, from Habe, Kutumbi & Fulani’s dynasty the latter reigning up till present. Non of these traditional rulers or leaders have had the chance of ruling Kano twice, despite the fact that traditional authority is a life time phenomenon, nonetheless events of abdication, dethronement, impeachment & exile occasionally disrupts the life time tradition of the leadership in the traditional authority. Details
Nuhu Ribadu Is Human, After all. By Kirikenibo Iwaribo What stand the EFCC out in this fight against corruption are the single mindedness, resoluteness, strong will and determination of its Executive Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu to bring all culprits to justice, or to take justice to the culprits as the case may be. For what is perceived, rightly or wrongly or as honest pursuit against criminals whether in political or economic garbs, the EFCC enjoys unparalleled collaborative assistance from international law enforcement agencies and institutions from both the U.S. and Europe. Many thanks to! Nuhu Ribadu! Details
Maiduguri 1907-2007: A Century of Excellence. By Ahmad Usman Kollere This duo of state was culturally, religiously and intellectually structured long before the European infiltration. Their religion is incontestably Islam and their written and official language is noticeably Arabic. Due to their vast education, both domains were centers of learning and scholarship that have received world-wide accreditation. Details
Oprah Winfrey: Powerful, Selfless & Giver of Dignity! By Paul I. Adujie She is a supremely confident woman without arrogance. She is a woman, who did not always have such confidence in her abilities, her own beauty, her own gait and her own life’s endless possibilities! Her accomplishments and countless achievements speak for themselves. She inspires all, she is an awe inspiring woman for all the world! She has broken through all barriers of gender, race, geography and wealth! Details In the first place, it was wrong or deceptive at worst, for President Obasanjo to promise that he was going to present a Bill for 13% derivation because the 1999 Constitution which the preceding military government bequeathed to his administration had already provided for a “minimum 13% derivation”... Secondly, President Obasanjo actually refused to fully implement the 13% derivation principle during the first half of his administration. Details
Baroness Lynda Chalker Again. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye I must confess that I am becoming increasingly weary, sick and utterly disgusted by the way and manner one British woman they call Baroness Lynda Chalker carelessly throws her totally unedifying and exasperating self and words into the affairs my country since the second term of this “woman-friendly” Administration of President Obasanjo. Details
PTDF Scandal – Matters and Issues Arising From Senate Deliberation of the Ad-hoc Review Committee’s Report. By Dan Azumi Kofarmata The way and manner with which Nigeria’s shameless national assembly disposed its Senator Umaru Tsauri’s committee review report on the controversial Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba’s Ad-hoc committee report on the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) scandal involving President Olusegun Obasanjo and his estranged Vice President Atiku Abubakar did not come as a surprise to the generality of Nigerians at home and abroad. The main reason being that the National Assembly of Nigeria has become the only existing political spot market of the world. Details
Obasanjo’s Unending Last-Minute Extravagance. By Jide Ayobolu President Olusegun Obasanjo has been behaving true to type with his unending last minute spending spree. Why will a government that will end in a matter of weeks award contracts that run into billions of Naira? At a time when the Obasanjo’s government should be preparing its handover notes, it is busy spending tax-payers money lavishly. The government is behaving as if it is a law unto itself, all the spending are carried out without recourse to the National Assembly. What is it that this government is spending huge sums of money on that has not done in eight years? Details
Pensioner’s Welfare Administration: The Shekarau Example. By Hassan S. Indabawa Kano state staff pension trustees announced days back that the state government had spent close to 10 billion Naira to clear pension liabilities which the government of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau inherited from the previous government when he became governor in 2003, and for regular pension payment.... This rare magnanimity to pensioners has been widely rated as one of the several ways the Shekarau government has demonstrated unmatched commitment to the welfare of the masses. He has, for example, done more for the disabled, the destitute, Almajirai, as well as women and children in the four years he has been governor than all that his predecessors put together could sincerely claim to have done while they were where he is today. Details
Judicial Abuse By Yobe Candidate. By Yusuf Abubakar The judiciary is so far confirmed by all and sundry as the defender of democracy and the rule of law. Many landmark judgements saved democracy from collapse. But some politicians in Yobe state are abusing the process. Details
Nigeria Elections: The Peoples’ Struggle Has Not Begun. By Dr. Tony O. Ntukogu The most important outcome of this election is the triumph of money. It appears that those who had lots of it won. Only 8 out of 36 incumbent governors and 25 out of 110 incumbent senators will be coming back. So, incumbency was no help in the exercise. Being a member of PDP did not help very much either. Details
Yar'Adua: Will He Change the Office or Will the Office Change Him? By Dr. Wunmi Akintide The irony of Nigeria is that we keep doing the same thing and repeating the same mistake, time and again, but we keep expecting a different result. How could that be? Sigmund Freud, the great Austrian Psycho analyst would have classified Nigerian voters as totally insane because they keep doing the same thing, year after year. but expecting a different result. Details
Tribute to A Kudu. By Oriabure Osayi I had given illustrations of the ranking of Nigerian Universities in the seventies and how American degree holders had trouble finding employment in those days because of the superior education at home. No one believed me. They thought I was crazy until another Nigerian schooled gentleman with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering corroborated my position. Details
Charity Begins at Home. By Maxwell James It will be preposterous to suggest here that the President – elect can tour everywhere in Nigeria again after the hectic electioneering period also considering size. However, looking at his reign as a reclusive governor of Katsina state, the opportunity that could be exhausted on foreign trip could be judiciously used as a chance to have a first hand feeling about our state of affairs. Details
Obasanjo’s Legacy From a Realist Perspective. By William Bassey As Olusegun Obasanjo prepares his hand-over notes quite possibly for the last time as President of Nigeria, he is in a familiar territory again and under the watchful eye of an inquiring public who now question his legacy in what some term a political backlash. In particular, the issue raised is if in reality his 8yr tenure has been good for Nigeria. Details
Mantu: A Bad Loser. By Ndiameeh Babrik We recall that Mantu boasted and boasted in Pankshin when he was launching his bid for the senate the third time that the election was a walk over for him and that Sati and Dariye were in hiding and that there was nobody to contest again him. Intelligence report has it that Mantu deployed millions of Naira to pursue the election. Details
As a Nigerian missionary on furlough I attend this Nigerian church. I watch people and I feel deeply for them as I interact with them. I listen to their concerns and their prayer topics. They have been through a lot to be in the United States of America . Most have sold all they had to afford a ticket to ‘God’s own country’. Many are disillusioned by the lack of fulfillment of their promise. Many would even quit, but are too ashamed to say they never realized the promise of the Golden Fleece in the land of opportunity. Details
Independent Northern Educational Crisis (INEC) . ByAs Nigerians mourn the allocation of positions by the Independent National Electoral Commission, except in few states, were the people stood firm to ensure that their will prevails. Another period of mourning occurred. Indeed a period of mourning because the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the secondary schools certificates examination taken in various parts of the country. Details
Mantu, End of An Inglorious Era. By Umar Tanimu Nasir Ibrahim Mantu came to the Senate in 1999 through a dramatic entrance, he was so detested and disliked for his wily attributes, and was said to have won the elections despite these downbeat traits. In 2003, it took an equally tremendous electoral fraud for him to return to the Senate and he knew that he won’t be third time lucky in the rigging conundrum in 2007 Umar
Nigerian
Elections Post Mortem: Bad Losers and Terrible Winners.
By Dr. Wumi Akintide The only people I hear saying
anything nice about the elections are Professor Maurice Iwu himself, the
President and President-elect and the PDP. All of them are the main
beneficiaries of the robbery. The nutty Professor has gone out of his way to
openly side with the Government in power, forgetting his role as a neutral
judge.
Details
Nigeria Transiting. By E.Terfa Ula-Lisa, Esq. The President-elect, who is reputed to be a patient man, must listen to the concerns of the people. Nigerians are critical but not cynics. They keep hope alive and can grant any government many chances. But Nigerians are not fooled anymore by flowery speeches; having experienced the fast-track reading speeches of IBB and Abacha. Details
President Yar’Adua: Will Our Voices Be Heard? By Abdullah Musa We are informed by experts, that it is highly unlikely to meet two people of exactly the same disposition to everything; they may think and act alike in many respects, but not in all issues. We believe therefore that when Yar’Adua takes over the mantle of leadership there must be changes for precisely the same reason that he cannot be an Obasanjo even if he were inclined to go for plastic surgery. Details
Yar’Adua and the Question of Legitimacy. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde This is a cursory attempt at how Governor Umar Musa Yar’Adua (along with his partner Governor Jonathan Goodluck) could, over time, legitimatize their government. But considering the mindset and worldview of Nigerians in yesteryears, Yar’Adua may not bother with such. Details
2007 Election: Nigerians Are No Fools. By Jide Ayobolu This is the worst election ever in the history of Nigeria, presided over by the worst civilian government and which will therefore lead to the worst government dictatorship if the fraudulent election is allowed to stand. All the appointments that have been mentioned on the pages of the paper, not a single person can be said to be a Yar’Adua person. Details
Governance: What Way for Yar’adua? By Sam Abdulazeez Indeed, many “professors” have come up during President Obasanjo’s administration to prove to Nigerians that we should look beyond academic attainments in appointing men and women for national assignments. Some professors rocked themselves with bribery scandals. Others simply failed from one ministerial appointment to the other, causing the loss of many lives. Details
Between Yar ‘Adua and Kano people. By Abubakar Ali Dawaki Before the presidential election of 2003, the PDP top hierarchy, specifically the out-going President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and even then Governor Kwankwaso of Kano found Kano state a bit hot for them. They were on many occasions harassed during public functions. That unfortunate but worth reflecting scenarios of Kano people were not unconnected with certain grudges against these personalities. Details
Buhari: The Born Again Democrat! By Babatunde Adenodi General Muhammadu Buhari has never called himself a democrat. Even while running for president in 2003 as well as in the last election in April, he never pretended to be a democrat. It is only a nucleus of his followers who insist that he has become a democrat; a democrat in their own mould. Details
Nigerian Judiciary: Robotic & Constrictive On Corruption War? By Paul I. Adujie Should the Nigerian judiciary allow legalese and or, legal technicalities to shield obvious outlaws? Must the judiciary look the other way in the face of public officials who constantly engage in extreme depravity, moral and ethical indecencies? What is the purpose of Nigerian laws? These are crucially important questions which Nigerians must answer! Details
2007 Oil Bloc Award: Still On The Right Of First Refusal Aberration. By Ifeanyi Izeze The fraudulent give-away of Nigeria’s lucrative oil blocks have now been shifted to May 11, 2007. In all, 45 oil blocks are dangled for the bonanza which the Federal Government claimed was aimed at increasing the nation’s crude oil reserve to 40 billion barrels and producible capacity of 4.5 million barrels per day of crude oil by 2010. Details
The Rains Are Here Again!
By Joshua Ocheja
Nigerians, its time to capitalize on the
raining season to sow seeds of love, peace, harmony, love, sincerity of heart
and of purpose. Its time to rise up and say NO! To corruption, NO! To Ethno-
Religious conflicts, NO! To other acts inimical to the interest of this great
country.
Details
Nigeria’s April 2007 General Elections: A First Degree Murder of Africa’s Largest Democratic Experiment. By Dan Azumi KofarmataThe outcomes of Nigeria’s first ever civilian-to-civilian political leadership succession process that started on April 14 and 21, 2007 respectively were as usual, predictably a huge mockery of the civilized democratic processes, norms and ethos, to say least. The so-called elections were conducted under a supposedly elected democratic regime headed by President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Details
Iwu’s 419 Elections. By Hajiya Hafsat M. Zanna It is the view of most Nigerians that the April 2007 elections which Professor Maurice Iwu rated as 80% successful was merely a fraud, rip off and theft of the peoples mandate by a few ably assisted by him and his grand master, life leader of the PDP. Details
Nigeria' 2000 Elections: A Do Or Die Selection. By Musa Ilallah To some well meaning Nigerians, non Nigerians, groups and nations, Nigeria’s April 2007 elections were far from being free and fair and one lacking credibility. Some say it was a rape of democracy, a charade, an electoral rot, a sham, a fraud, and selection, an election that is worse than a military coup, an action to perpetuate dictatorship in the country and failed elections among others. Details
The Media and the 5th Republic.
By
Zayyad I.
Muhammad
If there is any institution that had
witnessed a tremendous growth and earned high esteem in the eyes of common man
in Nigeria, in the last eight years of Nigeria’s democracy, is the Fourth
Estate of the Realm. The Nigerian media is exhibiting professionalism with
nationalism; thus, the Press has become a trail-blazer in the complex
political landscape of Nigeria
Details
If I Were Buhari… By Ahmed Dodo The much expected and over propagated Nigeria 2007 general election has come and gone. And as expected enough of controversies are beginning to trail what many have now termed the most fraudulent of all election in the country political history, since the concept of democracy was first introduced to the country more than forty year ago. Details
Wamakko's Excess Luggage. By Danladi Ardo Wamakko The victory by PDP in Sokoto gubernatorial election has opened a wide range of debate on the future of the state. Already, the out-going administration under the leadership of Bafarawa has set up a benchmark of performance against which the incoming administration would be measured and judged. Details
Baroness Chalker Has Integrity & Maturity! A Response to Dr. Yakub Abdalla. By Paul I. Adujie Dr. Abdalla’s political party, Action Congress or AC, has been notorious at advocating behaviors that are fraught with dangers to Nigeria’s national security interests. AC’s Atiku yelled loudly endlessly his belief that President Obasanjo would not allow elections to take place in Nigeria in 2007, because President Obasanjo is unwilling to leave office. Details
Memo to Murtala Nyako. By Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo At this point, to rejoice with you as you prepare to take over the affairs of Adamawa State is not a wise decision at all. It is like wishing you a safe landing, as you prepare, without a parachute, to jump off a Folker28 airplane, flying at an altitude of 28,000 ft. No human, with blood in his veins can survive that fall, not even a retired naval chief with years of marine reconnaissance, like you. Details
My Advice To Atiku. By Ihas Idriess I will be economical with the truth if for any reason I say today, I pity Atiku in his elections ordeal, I am very happy that today Atiku is testing his own medicine. Even though I condemn in no uncertain terms the charade organized by INEC, I still find it difficult to sympathize with Atiku. Details
Supreme Court of Nigeria Vs Corruption War. By Paul I. Adujie I have agonized about two recent decisions by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, first, that Atiku MUST be on the ballot! And it was one week to the elections! I felt that the Supreme Court of Nigeria appeared to have pandered to the public, pandered to the press and pandered to the political opposition! Details
Nigerians Have Voted. By Elie Smith Everybody can criticise Nigeria’s election but not the European Union and their observer team and in particular their spokesperson Mr Max Van Den Berg MEP who has been vocally very critical. The European Union is an organisation that has always shone in their contradictions. Where they have to Lionise, they instead act as Hares and where they have to act like Hares, they show their ugly face: wickedness and hypocrisy. Details
Buying and Selling Human Body Parts in Nigeria. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde In Africa, especially in Nigeria, human sacrifice is no longer as common as it used to be. But it still goes on though. Those in the know know where to go in order to partake in such activity. Human sacrifice may come by way of beheading or burning or the victims buried alive. Indeed, there are several rituals surrounding human sacrifice, all of which are beyond the scope of this treatise. Details
Beyond Yar’adua’s Tainted Victory. By Anthony A. Akinola Only Professor Maurice Iwu, Chairman of the "Independent" National Electoral Commission (INEC) and beneficiaries of the recently concluded national elections will call for a celebration of the outcome. The elections have been rightly described as a charade, a monumental failure by any yardstick of honesty. President Olusegun Obasanjo may have done irretrievable damage to his own legacy, not least because of his "do or die" approach to the nation’s electoral contest. Details
Challenges of Negotiating the Nation’s Political Future. By Salihu Moh. Lukman The question of how or why we are where we are today is at best, like Fela would say, ‘a matter for historical symposium’. The big issue is what are we doing to redress or, at the minimum, ensure that future elections truly hold? Given current realities, assuming the 2007 elections are to be cancelled and another one to be organised, I am almost certain that it will not fundamentally depart from the shoddy traits of the last exercise. Details
Can’t Fault Hausa/Fulani Oligarchy For Election 2007. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa Too much credit has gone to Obasanjo for Umaru Yar’Adua pick as presidential material, he was the product of consensus among honest Nigerians from the North to the South and the children of Hausa/Fulani oligarchy held in awe, that Aminu Kano had tried displaced. Obasanjo again, was just an opportunist that happens to be at the right place at the right time. Details
Why Nigeria May Go Nowhere. By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye I don’t know whether it was the British that planted this insidious seed in Nigerians or merely helped to water and tend it, for their own self-serving reasons. The British had created the Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) and several other segregating and divisive facilities, and took some special “natives”, the educated and privileged few, away from their own people, put them in those secluded areas and planted in them a deep feeling of being “special” or “different” from the rest. Details
April 2007 Elections: The Civil Society and the Moment of Truth in Nigeria. By Adagbo Onoja The Nigerian civil society is up in arms against the conduct and outcome of the April elections. That is what the communiqué of its meeting at Abuja on Wednesday, April 25th, 2007 suggests. The long list of the organizations involved in that meeting made the communiqué a source of excitement. Details
These Evil Campaigns Will Fall Flat. By Jide Ayobolu There are some evil campaigns that is going on now in the country, amongst politicians, journalists, lawyers and what have you. These are coming for the engine room of the PDP, the idea is that since the election has been massively rigged by the ruling party at the center, then it wants to do everything within its power to make sure that aggrieved politicians do not go to the tribunal Details
Elections 2007: Before the Real Matters Arise. By Oti Babaleye The General Elections 2007 have come and gone. The world has not stopped as anticipated. This seemingly confirms that General Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ), the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a genius of sorts. Details
Must Sokoto People Celebrate This Election? By Yusuf Abubakar
The political trends in Sokoto state are
sometimes interesting and at times detestable, this is because majority
of our people are living in the mirage world which is full of deceit. Going by the history of the state since
the beginning of the current democratic dispensation, we remained in
opposition side to the party controlling the centre. Consequently, the state has succeeded in
producing some of the politically-conscious class that had at various
times given Obasanjo fierce political knocks over his party's policies
and disrespect for the rule of law.
Details
In Sokoto, It
was Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish. By Dahiru Maishanu
April 14th, 2007 confirmed my
inner-most conviction that the heap of advertorials and publicity
claiming Governor Attahiru Bafarawa to be the man to beat in Sokoto
has always been a clot of ruse. I’d arrived Sokoto Wednesday, April 11th,
fully determined to be on the ground to monitor the elections at the
grassroots, in my Torankawa Village of Yabo local Government area of
the state. The elections would provide me an opportunity to see the
strength of the governor and his party, the DPP at the grassroots
vis-à-vis the other contending parties.
Details
The
Casualties Are Many. By Sa’ad A. Jijji
The opposition is probably the obvious
casualty in this election. The PDP machinery has been ruthless. And
like a wounded lion, the opposition is seething with anger. For
General Buhari, the ANPP presidential candidate, this is yet another
frustrating time. The General has invested a lot of his time, energy
and meager resources to offer his services to the Nigerian people
with little results. With his advancing age, how much longer can he
go? To his credit, he is perhaps one of the very few politicians I
know who practices this second oldest profession without showing
traits of the older one.
Details
Who Says Interim National Government Is Dead On Arrival?
By Dr. Wunmi Akintide There is a clear provision in the Nigerian Constitution for an
Interim National Government in the event of a stalemate in our
electoral process or transition. If the Federal Election Tribunal,
in its wisdom, declares the Presidential Election a nullity, and
that is a big if, that most Nigerians don't necessarily believe
that the current President would ever accept, given his "do or
die" streak on the election, and his track record as a
stubborn President who does not take a "No" for an answer.
Details
This Fraudulent Election Will Never
Stand. By
Jide Ayobolu
Why do we have leaders who do not have
the fear of God? Why is it that they are always very selfish? Is
this what service to the public all about? So, what is the very
essence of public service? When will our leaders learn not to take
us for granted? With this monumental fraud, is the whole war against
corruption not a sham? Have our so-called leaders learnt anything
from history?
Details
Nigeria's
Economy: As Obasanjo Hands Over. By
Marshall Ifeanyi
Space may not permit me here to
scribble further the dissenting views people hold over the economic
performance of the Obasanjo’s regime. However as he hands over come
May 29, 2007, it is imperative that every hand must be on deck to
correct the perceived anomalies of the administration in order to
move the nation forward.
Details
How Kano Electorates Ignored Anti- Shekarau Forces.
By Hassan S. Indabawa
Mindless opposition leaders tried their worst in the countdown to the
April 14 gubernatorial election in the hope of stopping Governor Ibrahim
Shekarau of Kano State from getting a second term. We said then that he
would get the second term and that the self-centered opposition would be
shamed. We said the surest way for Kano politicians to slip into oblivion
was to go on fighting Shekarau, popularly called Malam, because he is a
rare statesman destined for victory.
Details
Enough Is Enough--
A Short Note to General Muhammadu Buhari. By Adebayo Adejare
I read with concern your decision to
contest the election of Governor Umar Ya’Ardua at the Presidential
Election Tribunal as well as participate in peaceful anti-election
Protest on 1st of May 2007. Please think again.
You stand to gain nothing from the
Presidential Election Proceedings but more humiliation more ridicule and
more pain. An election Petition in these circumstances is unreasonable,
profitless and suicidal.
Details
Yar’ Adua, Beware of These Men.
By
Maxwell James
Sir, while no Institution or
individual indicted you as a President - elect for any unwholesome
and noxious conducts throughout your campaign period or even before,
means a lot to you as a person. The fact that not even the fiercest
of all the opposition candidates could haul you up on any ground
further reinforced your stainless traits. While others may savour
victory in impish arrogance in these circumstances, you have decided
to be humble in victory, like many Nigerians; accept my
congratulations.
Details
Yes, The Elections Were
Flawed, But Please No Extra Judicial Solution. By Anthony Okosun
Yes the elections held in Nigeria on April 14 and
21, 2007 were horribly flawed, however Nigerian politicians should be
very careful how they handle the post election crisis. They should be alerted
to and remember the danger of allowing the current flawed elections issue to
get out of hand. The politicians in uniform could be doing their calculations,
waiting for an auspicious time to throw out the 'bloody civilians'' All
political leaders must forge a common front.
Details
The Lonely Man of Faith, Professor Iwu Has Cause to Be
Ashamed of Himself. By Dr. Wunmi Akintide Our lonely man of faith Professor Iwu the
man I hold responsible for the outrage of this election and president
Obasanjo ought to be ashamed of themselves. I listened with total
embarrassment when I heard the President and Professor Iwu argue that
the elections were free and fair to the extent possible, because the
results have confirmed the projections based on opinion polls before the
elections.
Details
Rigged Deeply Flawed
Controversial Election Any Solution.
By
Babandi Gumel
Charade, deeply flawed Nigerians traumatised and brutalised, a step
backward as having no legitimacy and fraudulent were some of the
phrases and words used to describe the recent elections alleged to
have been massively rigged. Marred with irregularities fraud
intimidation and unnecessary violence which left more than 200 people
dead the election has been described as the worst election ever
conducted since Independence.
Details
Moving Quickly On. By E. Terfa Ula-Lisa Esq. Much muscle flexing and political vituperation has been on since the elections in Nigeria of April 21, 2007 . Most observers, commentators, pundits and interested parties are of the view that the elections were far from being free or even fair. But we had a result; we had the INEC declare a winner in President-elect Umar Yar’ Adua. Congratulations would be in order. We understand that General Mohamadu Buhari, the next runner-up is not interested in petitioning the result of the election. However, Abubakar Atiku’s lawyers are probably drafting the legal papers to set aside the elections. That is the Rule of Law in action. Details
Nigeria's April Polls: Election Uncontestable. By Isa Muhammad Inuwa In view of all that have transpired, some people were questioning the wisdom behind position usually taken by foreign observers to Nigerians elections, and the people were disturbed by the fact that their role has all along been passive - in spite of their testifying of elections malpractices, yet they do very little or no effort at all prevail on the authorities to cancel the elections and come up with a credible one. Details
The Political Aftermath of the 2007 General Elections. By Aliyu A. Ammani The April polls, in my candid opinion, are a contest in election rigging. And, with apology to General Buhari, those parties complaining of rigging are those actually out rigged in the process. Who is the victor and who are the vanquished? Again, in my humble opinion, all those that took part in the contest, the winners and the losers, constitute the vanquished. The victor is actually the Doctrine of akasa-atsare-araka. That powerful doctrine, which challenged and defeated Incumbency to the letter, in Bauchi State, during the last elections. Details
What Ought To Be….
By
Bafarawa has been made to eat his words and rendered irrelevant in the political calculations of sokoto and Nigeria. His woeful performance in the Presidential race has vindicated those who considered him a joker, to have ventured into such serious enterprise. Details
Nigerians, Not Nigeria Must be Saved. By Hakeem Babalola The all-knowing emperor and his comrades may be deeply in love with Nigeria as they often piously claim. But there's one truth they have stubbornly and deceitfully refused to accept: Nigerians, not Nigeria that must be saved. They definitely understand how Nigeria's business works: keep preaching One Nigeria, though they know this may never be achieved even by a president with the best intention. Details
Yar’Adua, Starting on a Faulty Ground. By Bala Dan Adoro As at the time of writing this piece, no government has officially sent congratulatory message to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the true winner of the sham that Iwu and Obasanjo said were free and fair elections. Only Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Obasanjo’s Siamese twin brother and staunch supporter of Robert Mugabe congratulated Yar’Adua. And this is not surprising because South Africa did the contract of printing the ballot papers worth billions of naira. Details
A Matter of Life and Death Indeed! By Abubakar Atiku Zagga However, as a people with unshaken faith, we take solace in God, believing as it were, that at the appropriate time, He would deliver us from this malaise. And arising from this melancholic state, as a Nigerian, with as much a stake in the country as every other Nigerian, I fervently pray for the termination of this modified monarchy in which only the heirs apparent get to power and the entrenchment of true democracy in the country. Details
All Over But the Surrender? By Mohammed Kabiru Ayagi The government has been slave to the market economy and has flagrantly toed the line of the multilateral lending agencies like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund when it came to economic policy. They have allowed certain countries free rein to interfere with, if not intervene in, internal affairs of the country while talking tall about sovereignty, national security, so on and so forth. They have consistently surpassed themselves when it came to corruption, nepotism and plundering of the public exchequer. Details
Religious Conversion and Confessions. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde Since my return to Nigeria, I have come to realize that if you are a Christian -- any sort of Christian -- so long as you claim to be born-again, or if you spice your every sentence with “God Bless You,” “In the name of Jesus…In the name of God,” “Bless You Sister,” or “Bless You Brother” or any such variant, things will be much easier for you. Details
Fraud Called Election in Adamawa State. By Ndiame Ba-brik It started like a child's play, we read in the leadership newspaper and other dailies that the Adamawa state PDP gubernatorial primaries couldn't hold because the favored candidate could not garner enough delegates to support him to win, that was scene one. Details
NEITI: A Timely Watchdog Over Oil and Mining Sectors. By Yushau A. Shuaib The picture is clear on our potentials, but the result is contradictory. Huge oil reserve and unprecedented revenue are overshadowed by corrupt practices in the oil and gas sectors due to shady deals and mismanagement which have been the bane of our economic growth and development. Details
Don’t Set Nigeria Ablaze. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa Before General Buhari and Vice President Atiku threaten the end of the world, they must tell us how many states they think they may have won individually. In victory, Governor Yar’dua must be humble and sensitive to the call of minority of Nigerians, no matter their grief or grouse about the election. A good start was made by Baba Iyabo who claimed it was not a perfect election. Details
Resolving Critical Issues. By Anthony A. Akinola The simple truth is that we have not achieved the basic requirements of existence in Nigerian society. The incoming federal government is, therefore, faced with the task of building Nigeria from scratch. Providing electricity for the populace is one priority task, not least because many other issues are inextricably linked with it. Details
Nigeria's Quest For World Class Leadership. By Anthony Okosun The shameless, dubious and diabolical manner the current election is being conducted is frightening. Nigerians are becoming more politically enlightened, sophisticated and mature. The political goons will only be scheming themselves into political disaster and oblivion if they insist on their current nefarious, parochial and treacherous attempts to mess with the political sensibilities of Nigerians. Details
The Struggle For Nigeria’s Soul - The Way Forward. By Dr. Jones Edobor The events surrounding the present election season in Nigeria leaves any patriotic Nigerian wondering why Nigeria has been so unlucky with the kind of people at the realm of her affairs. This election season has degenerated into a season of lawlessness and utter disregard for the rule of law yet unseen in Nigeria. This development should give us Nigerians reasons for serious concern about the future of our beloved country. Details
The Lyrics of Indiscretion. By Terkura Aku, Esq More than anything, the Vice Presidency is an institution and anything Atiku does or says would affect the integrity of the nation, not the government or the person he’s fighting. Nigeria would outlast both of them. This is the reason why his utterances must be guarded, especially if he hopes to help deepen democracy in Nigeria. Details
The 14th April and 21st April 2007 national elections have come and gone with many attendant issues, well documented in all the Nigerian news media. Indeed, commendation should be given to the FG and INEC for keeping these dates with history. Details
A Monumental Security Failure. By Abdullahi Dahiru Many questions remain obscure. How can a group of illegal aliens cross our border without been noticed by security agents? Are these people connected to the illegal aliens that have flooded our major cities? This is because illegal aliens have been allowed to be residing in Nigeria without having relevant permission from the authorities for a long time. This is quite obvious if one visit areas in Kano like Kurnar Asabe, Bachirawa and Brigade areas of Kano metropolis. Details
Nigeria’s Solution; Not In The Ballot Box. By Kola Ibrahim The masses were presented with these two camps of the same corrupt political arrangement without a genuine alternative. It is on note that both the president and his vice have been together in implementing the anti-poor, pro-rich policies of neo-liberalism. Details
With Us, Democracy and Paralysis are Synonymous. By Abdullah Musa It may be foolishness on our part to ask the question: why do people rig elections; whether by falsifying results, creating bottlenecks to stop opponents from voting and so on? To state the obvious is to say that people rig because the instruments of rigging abound. But the most important reason being that people do accept bad governance; for what is the use of rigging, if I am not to govern the way I want? Details
Nigeria: Thank You, Obasanjo. By Saad S. Khan President Olusegun Obasanjo has the dubious, though not rare, distinction of being a hero and a villain, for the nation he led three times as President, including his stint of military rule, not the least for faults and follies of his own. Details
It should be quite clear that the change most people crave so much, perhaps, more than any other, is that the current (outgoing) gaggle of garrulous, incompetent fellows at Aso Rock should just give way to some other people come May 29, and they can’t wait to embrace April 21 to do what is expected of them to ensure that this happens. In fact, to some people, just anybody can reclaim Aso Rock, so long as he was not part of the outgoing most disappointing mob. Details
On President Aliko Dangote of Nigeria. By Yushau A. Shuaib In an environment where wealth is easily accumulated through questionable and fraudulent means, Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s business that started from mere trading in commodities and building materials in the 1970s with a loan from an uncle, has presently grown into export, import, manufacturing and real estate. The focus of his investment is in basic human needs of food, clothing and shelter. Details
The Senselessness of Twenty-Three Presidential Candidates. By Mr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde There are twenty-four Presidential Candidates for the 2007 Presidential Election. In other words, there are twenty-three candidates vying to oust the ruling party and its presidential candidate. It makes no sense to have this many candidates when the most sensible plan of action would have been to cooperate and form a single bloc, or at the most two blocs, to unseat the ruling party. Details
If Obasanjo were to be operating in a country as sophisticated as America or the UK he probably would never have risen to the level he has reached in Nigeria. Why? Because Obasanjo has committed many a violation in the way and manner he has pursued some of his legacies. In more civilized country he could easily have been impeached for sometimes ignoring the Constitution or by-passing the Legislature altogether in carrying out his agenda. Details
The Prospect of Nigeria Democracy. By Samuel Uwhejevwe-Togbolo In building and strengthening our nascent democracy, there should be no more sitting on the fence, for such is no longer part of strategy for political survival in today’s world for as Will Durant wrote, "all efforts is success, not to try is the only failure." That is why the perseverance and persistence of Peter Obi is commendable. Details
Contempt Ex Facie Curie. Has Citizen Olusegun Obasanjo Finally Lost His Mind. By Anthony Okosun President Olusegun Obasanjo is today the biggest single threat to Nigeria's democracy. He has been conducting himself like the proverbial lunatic in a china shop. Olusegun Obasanjo was in Abacha's gulag when Nigeria fought for the present democratic dispensation, which he alone has had the unique priviledge of leading for the past eight years as executive president. Details
INEC in Good Shape But Electoral Reform is Urgently Need. By Ugo Harris INEC deserves praise so far on the preparation of 2007 election based on the official and professional manner it has trained and prepared its staff for the election of 2007. The legal and political fight with the political parties and politicians should not in no way diminish the good work and professionalism exhibited by INEC leadership and its Chairman Dr. Maurice Iwu which is evident on the ground all over Nigeria. Details
Memo to Nigerians on April Polls. By Maxwell James Fellow Nigerians, this should serve as a wake up call to all of us. Let us judge their manifesto presentations as we begin the task of a successful transition. Such will help us or else, we will continue to find ourselves in leadership mirage or political abracadabra where anything goes. Our increasingly foreboding future can only find sustenance if we continue to play I-don’t-care attitude towards issues such as this. Details
Why The North Need To Break From Nigeria. By Remi Oyeyemi I have traversed the breadth and length of the North of Nigeria and I have seen those beautiful irrigations. I have seen the result that could be achieved. I have seen hefty yam tubers in Gboko-Katsina Ala axis. I have seen humongous mangoes in Sakibiam. I have seen beautiful tomatoes in Jos. I have seen pulsating groundnuts in Kano. I have seen alluring vegetables in Sokoto. All these point out as to why the ethnic groups in the North have to exit Nigeria NOW to be able to appropriate the benefits of their abilities. They need to break away to be able to “come into their own.” Details
Still Searching? By Douglas Akunia Now Obasanjo’s government was not a total failure, though his first term was. In his second term, he focused his energy on two things, eliminating the foreign debt which he was partly responsible for and supposedly fighting corruption. With those, foreign confidence and investors are back but not all across the country only to end up frustrated because of no electricity to run their business. Detail
Theophillus Yakubu Danjuma, The Unsung Hero. By Dr. Wunmi Akintide I am aware that a few of my friends who like to judge people, not so much by the total picture, but by one or two errors of omission or commission, are going to start throwing arrows at me for describing General T.Y. Danjuma as a hero. I have had one of my good friends from Obosi in the South East describe the General as a villain for being the arrow head of the gang of coup plotters that ambushed General Aguiyi Ironsi in 1966 Details
Those Tribal Marks on Naira Notes. By Yushau A. Shuaib As commendable as the new local currencies are, there is controversy over the removal of Arabic inscription from the notes and replacement with descriptions of the value of each denomination in the major Nigerian languages that are mentioned in Section 55 of the 1999 Constitution i.e. Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba. Other tribes, as popular as some may be, are in the class of the minority and were excluded. Fulani, Ibibio, Ijaw, Nupe and others are in the class of the over 300 ethnic minorities in Nigeria. Details
De_Islamizing Our Naira. By Nafata Bamaguje As far as most northern Muslims are concerned, the de-Arabization of our national currency is just part of the Christian conspiracy to de-Islamize our polity. If they could get their hands on Professor Charles Soludo; the CBN governor, would probably end up like his late his kinsman, Gideon A kaluka who was beheaded for allegedly wiping his ass with the Quran. Wetin concern Gideon Akaluka with Arabic Naira? Details
In preparation for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Iyabo attended Federal Executive Council meetings (Leadership, February 16 2007). Being the President's daughter certainly does not qualify her for such meetings. The revelation of Otunba Oyewole Fasawe that Iyabo benefited from the controversial MOFAS account is a pointer towards how the Iyabo Project is being funded. Details
As Ribadu's Tenure Extends. By Marshall Ifeanyi Personally, I consider Nuhu a person of proven integrity and one that works with diligence whose life may be threatened because of the nature of his assignment which is a source of discomfort to nefarious individuals. I group him in the rank of other Nigerians who had served or are serving this great nation selflessly. These are people who are constantly in the eyes of observers and in the mouth of critics. It was thought that whether Ribadu remained or another person was brought in, the agency should not be run as a one-man-squad as such could erode institutional capacity of governance. Details
2007 Elections: Playing the Usual Game? By Hussaini Abdu I am getting seriously worried about the 2007 elections in Nigeria. Few years ago if any body had told me that the country will through this level electoral fraud I will not believe it (I may be naïve). After the electoral plunder in 2003 the consensus across the country was “never again”. Today, we are not only having a repeat, but a worst exhibition of the irresponsibility of Nigerian ruling class. Details
The Struggle For Nigeria’s Soul - The Way Forward. By Dr. Jones Edobor The events surrounding the present election season in Nigeria leaves any patriotic Nigerian wondering why Nigeria has been so unlucky with the kind of people at the realm of its affairs. It has degenerated into a season of lawlessness and utter disregard for the rule of law of unprecedented dimension. Details
A National Charade. By Michael Oluwagbemi As I write all I can muster is to shake my head. I shake my head and bemoan an opportunity lost. If anyone tells you an election took place on Saturday, call such an individual a bold face liar. The most ridiculous cases were Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Oyo, Ondo, Anambra, Bauchi and the charade in Imo state. Details
This Culture Of Violence Invades Our Sanctuary. By Farouk Martins, Omo Aresa There seems to be no place to hide these days from massacre and mass destruction of some human beings by another. Our children can be disturbed in their safe haven, so are others in Iraq, Lebanon, East Timor or in Nigeria trying to vote in an election. We have lost patient with peaceful coexistence and we are ready to dish it out to one another so that somebody can have his way. What can we learn from such tragedies in our localities? Details
2007: Aspirants And Other Matters. By Musa I El-Ghude Had Nigerian leaders are faithfully enough in discharging their responsibilities, Nigeria would have been a heaven on earth even within these seven years of democratic / democrazic rule, but no way! Whatever crimes those close to Aso villa commit is not punishable, while those part with them remain in pecuniary chains. Thank God even Ribadu is now confused on who to arrest or not. Details
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