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Showing posts from 2012

‘Godfatherism’ and Nigerian Politics

More facts are emerging about the nature and character of Nigerian politics. Recently, two ‘political heavyweights’ have spoken about the godfather politics in Nigeria. At a political rally in Akure, Ondo State on October 15, 2012 former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu admitted being a political godfather though of a positive genre. He was quoted as saying “ Mimiko (i.e. Ondo State governor) has called me a godfather, yes, I am a positive godfather and even, god fatherism is biblical and that is why Christians refer to God as their father. I play god-fatherism in the South-West for the good of our people. My godfatherism is for progress, it is for mentoring.” The former governor apart from agreeing to being a godfather said he spent millions of pounds on the election of the Ondo State governor during his legal battle at the tribunals to retrieve his mandate after the political heist in the State during the 2007 gov

What did you do on 12:12:12?

Not to be at least a little superstitious is to lack generosity of the mind – De Qunicy I did not have a peaceful rest on the night of December 11. Why? My neighbour was observing her church ordered vigil to usher in good fortune that 12:12:12 supposedly brings. My neighbour was not the only one that attached a lot of significance to that day. I did too. My son’s birthday fell on that date and I have to celebrate with him on the joy of seeing another year of his life. Many others in Nigeria and around the world believed that the day is a day of luck and fortune. Thus, a lot of people engaged in all manner of spiritual and remarkable deeds. While some organized prayer sessions and musical concerts, some others chose the day to marry while yet other people decided to forcefully gave birth to their babies on 121212. Let us take a tour of how the day was celebrated around the world. Starting with homeland Nigeria, in a signed advertorial on Friday, December 7, Reverend (Dr) Musa Asa

My ‘Odyssey’ as a Nigerian Writer

In my 22 years as a writer, I have faced a lot of daunting challenges ranging from self-doubt, fear, rejection of manuscript, lack of financial reward and poor reading culture in Nigeria. I started writing commentaries in 1990 during the military regime. It was an era when there was a lot of media censorship with some print and electronic media proscribed for publishing news which the military considered inimical to its interest. News on democracy, human rights and development were highly censored. I recall that some of my critical articles were not published by government owned media then. Even the versions published by private media were sometimes watered down in order not to offend the military rulers.  OGBC 2 FM Mailbag 2084, a radio programme to which I regularly contribute between 1991 and 1993, had to be rested by the station management after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.  In essence, just like media houses did, I nursed a palpable fear in those

Plight of persons with disabilities in Nigeria

On Monday, December 3, 2012, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed across the world. The annual ritual was celebrated in Nigeria, not unexpectedly, with speeches and glib promises by government to improve the lot of the physically challenged persons in our society. It is estimated that over 15 per cent of Nigerians are PWD. However, this should be persons with bodily disabilities.  In truth, however, all human beings are disabled one way or the other as no human has infinite ability. In Nigeria, the community of persons with bodily disabilities is growing at a geometric rate. Every act of terrorism, road and domestic accidents, medical misdiagnosis, parents refusal to  immunise their children against polio and other killer diseases, collapsed buildings and many others leave victims as potential temporary or permanent members of the PWD. But it must be noted that Nigeria’s persons with disabilities are vulnerable and marginalised lot. The enabling environme

Sense and nonsense of Sanusi’s economic recovery advocacy

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Tuesday, November 27 again stirred the hornet’s nest when he condemned the astronomic cost of servicing the nation’s civil service. To redress this, he called on the Federal Government to sack at least 50 per cent of its entire workforce. Sanusi, in his presentation at the Second Annual Capital Market Committee Retreat in Warri, Delta State, said the country spends 70 per cent of its earnings on salaries and entitlements of civil servants. He argued that having the Federal Government’s staff strength reduced by half would free up capital for infrastructure development in the country and prop up the economy. Not done yet, the CBN governor added that the country does not need the 109 senators, and 360 members of the House of Representatives to make laws. He also decried the huge cost of running local government administration which he termed ‘wastage’ of funds. The Kano-born banker equally called for the tot

Lessons from Justice Jombo-Ofo’s saga

History was made in the Nigerian judiciary on Friday, November 23, 2012 when Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, hitherto the presiding Justice of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, was sworn in as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal. She is the first female President of the Court of Appeal, though in acting capacity. She took over from Justice Dalhatu Adamu. This singular appointment of Mrs. Bulkachuwa has effectively put women at the helms of affairs of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, the two highest courts of the land. It would be recalled that Justice Mariam Aloma Mukthar was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Nigeria on July 16, 2012. Another noteworthy event that happened same day, however, was the CJN’s swearing-in of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo who was unceremoniously denied an oath of office alongside 11 of her other colleagues on November 5. Her ‘sin’ was that she was playing the role of usurper by trying to occupy the Abia State slot at the Appeal Court

The rot in Nigerian universities

“I dreamt of a new role in which every man or woman could reach his or her full potential, irrespective of the colour of their skin, only by recognising education as a powerful weapon against poverty and injustice.” —Dr. Martin Luther King I knew from time there are crises in Nigeria’s education sector; from primary to tertiary. The evidence are there for all to see. What with lack of adequate infrastructure, high rate of school dropout and out-of-school children, mass failures in external secondary school examinations, brain drain of lecturers and now students, perennial industrial actions by various unions in the education sector, et cetera. A release by a non-governmental organisation, Exam Ethics International, says Nigeria loses a whooping N1.5tn to education tourism. Of this sum, N160bn is spent by Nigerian parents on their children and wards’ education in neighbouring Ghana while they spent N80bn on same in the United Kingdom. On November 1, 2012, the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

Jonathan’s many ‘sins’ against federal lawmakers

President Goodluck Jonathan is embroiled in an unending face-off with members of the National Assembly. The federal lawmakers had severally accused the President of treating their resolutions with levity. One of such is the one passed by the two chambers for the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Arunma Oteh, to be relieved of her position. On Thursday, July 19, 2012, the House of Representatives threatened to impeach Jonathan over poor implementation of the 2012 budget. They gave him till September 2012 to do just that otherwise he would face impeachment procedures. The members made this threat even though they only passed the budget in April. How on earth will a budget with a lifespan of 12 calendar months be fully implemented in five months is lost on the lawmakers! No sooner had the members of National Assembly come back from their annual vacation on Tuesday, September 18, than the President notified them of his intention to present the 2013 budget

Safe water and sanitation in Nigeria

Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere,  Nor any drop to drink. —From the Rime of the Ancient Mariner by English Poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge This poem paints the picture of the water situation in Nigeria. The late iconic Afro Beat musician, Fela Aniikulapo Kuti, in one of his classics said, ‘Water, he no get enemy’. Water is essential to life as roughly 70 per cent of an adult’s body is made up of water while health specialists are of the opinion that while one may stay off food for some time, it is impossible to stay off water for too long. Otherwise one will become dehydrated and die. The availability of safe drinking water in Nigeria is very appalling. It is saddening that many Nigerians have to bear the burden of sourcing their own water for domestic and industrial use.  Urban centres do not have adequate c

Who’s in Charge in Taraba State?

Who is really in charge of the affairs of Taraba State? This question is pertinent  following the unfortunate air-crash  of Thursday, October 25 involving the State Governor, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai which has left him in a bad state of health necessitating  his being flown to a German hospital for medical attention. The development has left a vacuum in the administration of the north-east state created in 1991. There have been calls for the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar to be sworn in as the Acting Governor while the governor is recuperating from his injuries. Feelers from Taraba State do not show that the State House of Assembly is in any hurry to pass such resolution. What does the law says on this brewing political impasse? Can this issue be understood solely from a legal viewpoint? Has there been precedent to be followed in matters of this nature? Let us attempt a little contextual background to this issue. On October 4, Taraba State was in the news when the former Dep

BSIEC and Campaign Finance

The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) plans to hold elections into the 23 chairmanship and 267 councillorship positions of the middle belt state on Saturday, November 24, 2012. Preparation is at the fever pitch since the Commission released the Notice of Election on July 31. As part of the groundwork for the LG poll, the 2007 Benue State Electoral Law was amended in April 2012 while a new guideline for the conduct of the elections has also been issued.   Of greater interest to this writer are the campaign finance provisions in the state’s electoral law and guidelines. Electoral contest in any country of the world attract some costs. There are both legitimate and illegitimate income and expenditures during the electioneering period. While the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended)  as well as the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) specify  appropriate ways and means by which political parties and candidates can raise and spend  campaign fund, BSIEC law is silent

Nigeria’s 2013 Budget and its many Controversies

Since President Goodluck Jonathan presented Nigeria’s 2013 budget to the joint sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, the Appropriation Bill has been greeted by many controversies. The budget has pitted the legislative against the executive arms of government leading to a needless media war among the two institutions. For one, the lawmakers are not impressed with the level of implementation of the current 2012 budget. It has been a perennial problem for Nigeria’s budget not to be fully implemented. The budgets are often presented to the legislature in December while the estimates are habitually unbalanced as the recurrent almost always outweighs capital expenditures while the presented and passed budgets are always in deficit. Aside the poor implementation of the previous budgets, 2012 edition inclusive, the Senate and the House of Representatives are also unhappy with the executive’s insistence on the budget being passed with minimal alterations or at best,