Public Affairs Analyst

“This is not only a monumental fraud, but a national embarrassment. This is one report that the government should not ignore, it should be implemented.” – Senate President, David Mark on Thursday, June 21, 2012 I couldn’t agree more with the above statement credited to Nigeria’s Senate President, David Mark while adopting the recommendations of the Senate probe into the pension scam. There is no gainsaying that Nigeria has totally been engulfed and enveloped by corruption. Hardly will a week pass without one story or the other about high level corruption. I doubt if the Transparency International will not place us once again at the lower rung of the ladder of countries with high proclivity for corrupt practices. Six months into year 2012, there have been several corruption related scandals involving both private and public sectors. There have been the over one trillion Naira fuel subsidy scam, the $620,000 bribery allegation involving the chairman and the secretary of the committe...

With the coming into force of Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which abolished public funding of political parties, many of the parties have been facing hard times meeting their financial needs. Even when the public grant was in place, it was insignificant considering the enormity of resources needed to fund political party administration. This development seems to have made some of the political parties to become creative and ingenious in surviving the harsh economic conditions of the country. A news report in one of Nigeria’s national newspaper, Sunday Punch of June 17, 2012 broke the news that the Peoples Democratic Party is planning to establish PDP Holding Company Ltd to hold and negotiate the interests of the party in all investments and business arrangements. Through the company, PDP hope to acquire oil and telecommunication licenses to generate revenue for the party. Other areas where the party hopes to generate incomes include real estate and the establishment of print and e...

No evil deeds can go unpunished. Any evil done by man to man will be redressed. If not now, then certainly later; if not by man, then by God for the victory of evil over good can only be temporary – Dele Giwa. Nigeria’s unending tragedies of the recent past have made public commentators to be quiet on lessons to be drawn from the convictions of two former African Presidents.  64 year old erstwhile Liberian president, Charles Taylor, was on May 30 handed a 50 years jail term for committing war crimes in Sierra Leone by the International Criminal Court sitting in The Hague, Netherland while an Egyptian Court also sentenced 84 year old Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian president for 30 years to life imprisonment on June 2.  According to Cable News Network and other international newswire, Charles Taylor was convicted for supplying and encouraging rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone in a campaign of terror, involving murder, rape, sexual slavery and the conscription of children younge...

“Integrity is necessary for systems and institutions to be strong. Today, rogues, armed robbers are in the state Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly. What sort of laws will they make?  - Former president Olusegun Obasanjo while speaking at the fourth Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nigeria Annual Conference, held in Lagos in May 2012 On Wednesday June 6, 2012 Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives had a low key celebration of the end of their first session in the 7 th Legislative Assembly. They commended themselves for having helped to stabilized Nigeria’s democracy. The importance of legislature in a democracy cannot be underestimated or over-emphasized. The parliament is the linchpin on which democracy rests.  Populated by the elected representatives of the people, parliaments make laws for the peace, order and good government of the country; approve annual and supplementary budgets of the government; oversee the performance of government Ministr...

My heart rends as yet another air crash was recorded on Sunday, June 3, 2012. What a tragic weekend it was for Nigeria. Starting from Thursday, 31 May  when on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, five people were burnt in a multiple accident involving nine fuel tankers while at least 24 vehicles were  confirmed burnt in another multiple accident on the same Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday, June 1. By Saturday, June 2, a Nigerian cargo plane attempting to take off from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana crashed, killing 10 people and injuring an unspecified number of others. As if that was not enough, by the time it was Sunday, June 3, the day broke with heart-breaking news that about three churches in Bauchi State were attacked by a suicide bomber. As at June 4, twenty people have been confirmed dead and 45 injured. By far the most calamitous of the weekend of tragedies was the crash of Dana Airline MD83 plane in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos killing the146 passenge...

As an alumnus of University of Lagos (having graduated with honours from the Political Science Department of the numero uno institution of learning) I have a locus to comment on the crisis rocking the institution. First and foremost, my condolence to the university community on the untimely and sudden death of its Vice Chancellor, Professor Adetokunbo  Sofoluwe on May 11. May Almighty God grant the amiable VC eternal rest. Secondly and more importantly, I want to react to the May 29, 2012 re-christening of my alma mater , UNILAG as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAUL). I thank President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for deeming it fit to honour Nigeria’s martyr of democracy, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola ‘ for making the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of justice and truth.’ This worthy and meritorious recognition is long overdue considering the enormous contributions of Bashorun MKO Abiola to national development. I however join the staffs, students and alumni of th...