Public Affairs Analyst

Not a few Nigerians are amused at the theatre of the absurd playing out at the Niger Delta Development Commission. The whole circus show climaxed last Monday when three dramas took place during the House of Representatives Probe Panel of the 20-year-old interventionist agency. First, the indicted Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo recused himself from chairing the day’s meeting following the allegation of his crime against NDDC levelled against him last week by the acting chairman of the Interim Management Committee, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei. The acting Managing Director was to shock the nation days later as he fainted while being grilled by the lawmakers. The last but not the least was the allegation by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, that members of the National Assembly were the greatest beneficiaries of contracts in the NDDC. It is intriguing that two chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the NDDC, decided to s...

On Thursday, July 2, 2020, I was a guest of the Nigerian Television Authority Yoruba programme called, “Ojumo ‘Re”. The topic of discussion that day was “The role of godfathers in Nigerian politics”. That got me thinking and I decided to research more and do this piece on the phenomenon. Merriam Webster online dictionary defines a godfather in the following terms: “A man who sponsors a person at baptism” 2: “One having a relation to someone or something analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild: such as a: one that founds, supports, or inspires; b: the leader of an organised crime syndicate.”   Invariably, when adapted to the field of politics, a godfather could be said to be one that founds, supports, or inspires. Godfathers whether in religious, business or political terms are generally very influential and powerful. They are the typical “Very Important Personalities”. Strikingly, not all godfathers run for political office or seek political appointments. Some of ...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was established in 2003 by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. According to information gleaned from its website, the EFCC Act mandates the commission to combat financial and economic crimes and also to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalise economic and financial crimes. The commission   is   as well charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to economic and financial crimes, including: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act (2004), The Money Laundering Act 1995, The Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, The Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 1995, The Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Act 1994, The Banks and other Financial Institutions Act 1991; and Miscellaneous Offences Act. The commission has a board comprising of the following: The Governor of the Central Bank of...

On February 6, 2020, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the date for Edo and Ondo governorship elections. These are two off-cycle governorship elections to be held this year. Recall that seven out of 36 governorship elections are not held during general election.   These states are Anambra, Bayelsa, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun. This was as a result of judicial interventions at different times in the past as to when the tenure of a governor starts and ends even if such a governor has had his initial victory at the polls annulled and later wins a rerun ordered by the court. In times past, some governors were of the opinion that their tenure started to count from when they won a rerun and not when they were initially sworn into office. However, the Supreme Court in a judgement regarded as locus classicus in law on January 27, 2012 ruled otherwise. Justice Walter Onnoghen, then Justice of the Supreme Court, leading other six justices ruled that: “To allow t...