Public Affairs Analyst

Happy New Year and a joyful centennial anniversary of Nigeria, Dear compatriots! It’s the first day of 2014 and congratulatory messages are in order as we usher in a brand new year. Even though I do not have a prior knowledge of President Goodluck Jonathan’s New Year speech, some things are discernible and worth discussing. I am not Nostradamus, the man credited to have a prescient knowledge of tomorrow, yet, I can hazard some guesses on the issues that will define 2014.They are largely carry over issues from last year. Such issues include  this year’s budget which was laid before the National Assembly on December 19 by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi  Okonjo-Iweala; the centennial celebration of Nigeria’s amalgamation; the corruption scourge; the insecurity challenge; the “rofo-rofo” fight within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and between the party and its main nemesis, the All Progressives Congress; the proposed national dialogue; the incleme

It’s Christmas Day and I wish my dear readers happy celebration. It’s a season of love, sharing, caring, holidaying, indulgence and festivities. The Yuletide better known as the Christmas season is unique and special. Celebrated every year on December 25, the date is sacrosanct even though some theologians have come out to say that the birth of Jesus Christ which is celebrated on that day may have been miscalculated. However, Christmas is peculiar in many respects. It is one celebration that is heralded by so much pageantry. The greetings during the season are special as people say to one another “Compliments of the season”, or “Yuletide” while the most common greeting style  on the D-Day is Merry Christmas! During the season, churches (both orthodox and Pentecostal), government at all levels, schools, and many private and public institutions take turns to organise Christmas carols where choirs engage in rendition of well-composed and rehearsed songs in commemoration of

Opposition is true friendship. The man who tells you that you have a stinking rear is your friend. He is only drawing attention to your bodily filth and asking you to do something about it. He is better than a sycophant who says you can always come out of the sewage tank and smell of roses! —Aristotle, in his Analytics in the last one week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s December 2 letter to President Goodluck Jonathan which was leaked to the media on Wednesday, December 11 has generated a lot of furore and brouhaha in the media. Opinions are divided on the propriety or otherwise of the 18-page missive. While many believed that it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black and that the ex-president has ulterior motive rather than patriotic reasons for writing the memo; others have also recalled the many woes of the Obasanjo administration while some others said he should not have made the communication public. Yet, there are those who say “focus on the

On November 6, 2013, the Federal Ministry of Works unveiled a draft Green Paper on federal roads and bridges tolling policy at a consultative forum in Abuja. I have perused the 24-page document and found a lot of interesting and exciting proposals which if carefully, diligently and effectively implemented will go a long way to reverse the road infrastructure deficit in Nigeria. Tolling of roads and bridges is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria, we have treaded that path before between 1980 (or thereabout) and 2004, and it was a sad tale. The new policy identified three challenges faced under the previous toll collection administration. They are:  Legal disputes, revenue leakages and unmet requirements for maintenance of the tolled roads. I recall that tolls were collected from the many plazas built on major federal highways but the proceeds went largely to private pockets. Allegations were rife that toll managers printed their own tickets and were issuing more of theirs to

My man, can you answer this simple question:  Are you sure, really sure, you’re the father of those children in your house?  I mean, are you their biological father? Do they carry your genes? Was it your sperm that impregnated your wife resulting in the birth of those children? Pardon my meddling in what clearly is your family affair. However, you do have a right to know that you’re not raising other people’s children under the illusion that they are yours. Recent revelations about disputed paternity of children brought to mind the agelong belief that it is the mother of a child who knows the real father. Dr. Murray Conrad, remember him? He was the personal physician of the music idol, Michael Jackson. In a recent interview he granted a US news medium, the doctor said Jackson was not the father of his three children as he claimed he never slept with their mother, Debbie Rowe.  (See: http://www.tmz.com/2013/11/24/dr-conrad-murray-michael-jackson-penis-interview-daily-ma

There is one universal truth applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.” —UNSecretary-General, Ban Ki-moon On Wednesday, November 20, I received a text message on my phone saying, “Sexual Offences Bill, which prescribes life imprisonment for paedophiles and over 10 years for sexual assaults passed second reading at the Senate today”. That piece of information jolted my memory and I started ruminating about the soaring cases of rape in Nigeria. Several questions came to mind: Why do people commit rape? What are the effects on the perpetrators as well as the victims?   How do we curb this growing menace? My research shows that there are different types of rape cases. Dr. Wilson in an article simply titled, Rape (http://drlwilson.com/articles/RAPE.htm)  tried to categorise them into Forcible rape, which is any forced sexual intercourse between two adults; Statutory rape, which

Are there regulators for the Nigerian Global System for Mobile Communications industry? I am not unaware that the Nigerian Communications Commission; Senate and House Committees on Communications of the National Assembly as well as the Federal Ministry of Communications have oversight functions on our GSM operators. But it will seem they have all gone to sleep while our mobile phone service providers continue to operate with impunity, ceaselessly providing poor quality services. When Nigeria joined the elite league of GSM operators in 2001, we all shouted Eureka. Finally, we thought the days of inefficient and ineffective Nigeria Telecommunications is over. No more being at the mercy of the almighty NITEL.  No more pains and agony while queuing up at NITEL pay phones to make calls (at least, that’s what some of us who are too poor to own fixed telephone lines resort to). To some extent that was true. NITEL did die a natural death when the new kids came on the block. The

Live on what you earn, Live if possible on less, Never borrow for vanity or pleasure, For vanity will end in shame, And pleasure in regret. - Author unknown Why do some Nigerians indulge in flamboyant lifestyles? Why do some of my compatriots like ostentatious living even when they can ill-afford it? Who do they want to impress? It is not uncommon to see some Nigerians acquire gadgets they don’t need, can’t afford, and don’t know how to use. Some persons are obsessed with acquiring all modern contraptions they see; from cars, to phones, wrist-watches, computers, music machines, television sets, air conditioning systems, freezers, cookers and other household items. Starting with cars, some people are gripped with the Sport Utility Vehicles (which in local parlance is called Jeeps) and other posh cars. They allow themselves to be lured by credit facilities granted by some banks or car dealers to buy at almost double the market price. Because they have a lo

      Jide Ojo | credits: File copy Pension matters are dear to my heart. My father taught for 40 years and retired as a school headmaster. The unfortunate thing is that he neither got his pension nor his gratuity till he died three years into retirement. He was not alone. Many senior citizens of this country suffered a similar fate as they languished in pains, ailments and died miserably while waiting to be paid their retirement benefits. My office is at present enrolled in the contributory pension scheme and over the years, I have been able to accrue some reasonable pension savings under this scheme. I hope not to suffer the same upshot as my dad when my retirement comes. It is for these reasons that I have taken more than a cursory interest in pension matters. The administration of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, in a bid to reform pension management in the country in 2004, got the National Assembly to pass the Pension Reform bill through which the

Congratulations to all Nigerian thespians, playwrights, producers, directors, costumiers, scriptwriters, musicians, set-designers, location managers, dancers, choreographers, cameramen and women, photographers, editors, marketers, financiers and all other professionals who are involved in film-making in the country.  From November 2 – 27, 2013, Nigeria’s movie industry, better known as Nollywood, is set to celebrate its two decades of existence with pomp. Lots of interesting activities have been lined up to mark the twentieth anniversary celebrations. These include a grand awards night, a charity novelty football match, special master class sessions for practitioners, coaching clinics for Nigerian youths and upcoming motion picture practitioners, special charity-support activities, among others. I appreciate the artistry, resilience, and conscientiousness of Nollywood practitioners. From nothing, they have made the Nigerian film industry a global brand so much so that

“Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses, they will not save you if you are hated by the people” —Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince Nigeria is indeed a theatre of the absurd. The frequent scandals we are treated to confirm this more than anything. Thus, when news broke out last week that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority purchased two armoured BMW 760 Li cars for the use of the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, I could not but hold my head in disbelief.  Am I suffering from auditory hallucination? Two bulletproof cars for a whopping $1.6m (N255m). This is our aviation empress’ priority while the sector is riddled with avoidable crisis while our public hospitals and universities have been shut down by striking doctors and lecturers! A number of issues have been raised by various analysts on the NCAA Greek gifts to the minister. First, is it appropriate for an agency under a ministry to purcha

Expectedly, the most discussed issue since October 1, 2013 is the proposed national conference consented to by President Goodluck Jonathan in his Independence Day broadcast.  Since then, the President has gone ahead to inaugurate the Femi Okurounmu-led National Advisory Committee on National Dialogue. My take on this whole issue is that it is a right thing being done at the wrong time. Yes, it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. However, convoking a national dialogue on the eve of an election year is ominous. The quick succession in which the opponents of the idea became the proponents is suspect. First, Senate President David Mark welcomed the idea on resumption from the National Assembly’s recess in September before the President established a 13-member committee on October 1. The nation’s No. 1 and 3 citizens are known antagonists of the idea before now. My main bother about the timing of the conference is that it may affect the proper planning for the 2015 electio

The October 3, 2013 crash of Associated Airline plane in Lagos which claimed about 15 lives out of the 20 on board has diminished the great works the regulatory agencies have been doing to make Nigeria’s airspace safe. If the truth must be told, the Federal Ministry of Aviation has been trying to do the needful to ensure international best practices in the sector. Since the ill-fated Dana plane crash of June 3, 2012 in Lagos, the aviation ministry and agencies under it have been intensifying effort to enforce compliance with policies and procedures guiding the operations of the airlines. Not only that, many of the airports dotting the Nigerian landscape has been receiving facelift with the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu recently upgraded to international status. Aviation experts are wont to saying that the sector is the most regulated of all the means of transportation. Unfortunately, in spite of the perceived strict regulations, air crashes is gradually becoming a perennial event

Amidst the cacophony of the roforofo fight between the “Old Peoples Democratic Party and the “New PDP”; the distraction called the national conference and the tragic Associated Airline plane crash of Thursday, October 3, I have chosen to beam my searchlight and lend a voice to the clarion call for the rescue of the Nigerian judiciary from an imminent collapse.  Nigeria on October 1 marked its 53rd independence anniversary while the Supreme Court also marked its 50th anniversary.  How has the judiciary fared in the last five decades? There is no doubt that the judicial arm of government plays a pivotal role in nation building. The courts interpret the law and adjudicate disputes among parties, be they individuals, persons and the states, different levels of government as well as different legal entities. It is often said that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. This is true. But for the judiciary, many crimes would have gone unpunished.  If not  for the ju