Public Affairs Analyst

  Food is very essential to the growth and development of all living things; be it plant, animals or human beings. A renowned psychologist, Abraham Maslow, put food, clothing, and shelter among the basic needs of all human beings. Lack of food can make people to misbehave. They can steal, beg, and even kill to have food. There are many people who have gone rogue today as a result of hunger.   Not many people know that the French Revolution, 1789 – 1790s, was precipitated by bread shortages. According to History.com, “The storming of the medieval fortress of Bastille on July 14, 1789 began as a hunt for arms—and grains to make bread.   The French Revolution was obviously caused by a multitude of grievances more complicated than the price of bread, but bread shortages played a role in stoking anger towards the monarchy.” In the recent past, commodity prices in Nigeria have hit the roof. Cost of bread, grains, tubers, cereals, beverages, peppers, vegetables, fruits, meat, ...

  Introduction The implementation of the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu in his inauguration address has had spiral effects on the economy especially the cost of living of average Nigerians. Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol price has increased from less than N200 across the official retail outlets in May 2023 to about N700 as of last week. The price volatility is not unconnected to the pricing of crude oil and the importation of refined petroleum products which is done in dollars. Central Bank of Nigeria has floated the exchange rate with the aim of bridging the exchange rate between the official and parallel market. This CBN decision has led to the plunge of Nigeria’s currency, the Naira. Invariably, subsidy removal has led to excruciating pains on the citizens. The cost of living has skyrocketed; micro, small and medium enterprises are currently experiencing high cost rather than ease of doing business. With the plunge in the value of the naira,...

  How are the mighty fallen is a phrase from the Holy Bible in 2 Samuel 1: 19. Over the weekend, a political tsunami swept away the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore. They were forced to resign their respective positions to avoid the ignominious option of being sacked by their colleagues in the National Executive Committee. This brought to an end a tortuous journey of 15 months having been elected at a National Convention in Abuja on March 26, 2022. Several allegations were levelled against the duo. According to the Daily Trust online edition of Monday, July 17, 2023, Adamu committed seven mortal sins. These include opposition to the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the lead up to the presidential party primary last year. The former National Chairman informed the NWC then that former President Muhammadu Buhari was backing ex-President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed La...

  The dominant news in Nigeria now is about appointments into political offices after the inauguration of the president and the 28 governors on May 29, 2023. It’s been over 40 days since they were inaugurated and the March 2023 alteration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has given a maximum of 60 days for the president and governors to constitute their cabinets. Prior to this alteration, we have had a scenario where the former president Muhammadu Buhari took about six months to appoint his ministers in 2015 and several state governors such as those of Osun and Edo states took longer than that to appoint their commissioners.   It’s therefore commendable to have put a timeline within which cabinets are to be formed. Sections 147, 148, 149 and 150 of the Nigerian Constitution talk about appointment and functions of the ministers. It is interesting to note that only the office of Attorney General is expressly mentioned in the Constitution. Section 150 ...

  “A war foretold does not kill a wise cripple ” – African proverb. Science and technology has helped with innovations. They have combined to assist us understand our environment and how to explore it for better living. In times past, flooding is attributed to the anger of the river goddess. I recall an incident in Lagos many years ago where an ocean surge flooded Victoria Island and some traditionalists explained that the Glass House Headquarters of a Merchant Bank overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was the cause and that the Mammy Water has to be appeased. Stranger than fiction? Breakthrough in science and technology has been able to explain many of the past world mysteries. We now know the contribution of industrial pollution and hydrocarbon emission to ozone layer depletion, Greenhouse effect and ultimately climate change. Today, world leaders are meeting annually to address climate change and its deleterious effects through United Nations Climate Change conferences.   Sci...