Public Affairs Analyst

Boko haram which literally translates in Hausa language as ‘western education is a sin’ is arguably the most widely used expression in Nigeria today. The insurgent group headquartered in Borno State introduced that vocabulary into Nigeria and indeed world lexicon when it started its campaign against western education by attacking schools - abducting and killing the students - and burning down the institutions. As I write this, international appeal is still on to this terrorist group to release about 276 female students of Chibok secondary school they abducted on the night of April 14. The focus of this commentary is however not on the terrorist group but on Nigerian government who has over the decades been showing disdain for western education. Undoubtedly, Nigerian government is boko haram. Be it at federal, state or local government levels. Our government may not be burning schools, abducting pupils as well as killing and maiming students and teachers as the terrorist group is...

If there are things that make the contemporary times better than the olden days, it is the Information Communication Technology. As I type this piece on my personal computer, I cannot but wonder at how we managed to survive those antediluvian days when Olympic typewriter held sway and tippex had to be used to correct errors. Then came the IBM electronic typewriter, an advanced technology. Today, computers have made dinosaur of typists. Secretarial studies has given way to computer studies and many organisations have since stopped hiring confidential secretaries because, in truth, if you have to trust someone to do your typing for you, be rest assured that the content may not be confidential as you think. Today, with computers, it is better to type those secret documents yourself. Experts say that the ICT is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite sys...

It is stale news that Nigeria is under the siege of terrorism. Armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, murder are now routine occurrences so much so that many people have lost count of the number of victims. Even though incidence of crime is nationwide, that of the Northern Nigeria, particularly North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa is particularly more troubling. The insurgent group popularly called Boko Haram has been wreaking a lot of havoc on the residents of the aforementioned states since 2009. As I write this, the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State since April 14, 2014 has dominated the media, be it traditional or social. The #BringBackOurGirls advocates are dominating the social media. The Nigerian government has been trying to restore peace and order in the insurgents’ hot spots but if the truth must be said, our military seem overwhelmed due largely to a number of factors such as inadequate funding, corruption, sabotage ...

At last, the Mohammed Bello Adoke committee’s White Paper on the proposed mergers and acquisitions of federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies was made public on April 7, 2014. This was a clear two years after the inauguration of the committee on April 16, 2012 when the Steve Oronsaye’s Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Agencies, Commissions and Parastatals submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan. Oronsaye’s committee itself was set up on August 18, 2011 with a mandate to among others study and review all previous reports on similar exercise; examine the enabling Acts of all MDAs and classify them into various sectors; examine critically their mandates and make appropriate recommendations to either restructure, merge or scrap; and, advise on any other matters, which may be relevant to the desire of government to prune the cost of governance. Oronsaye’s committee in its 800-page report proffered four ways to immediately tackle the ...

Nigerians seem so accustomed to man-made tragedies, bad governance and routine negative news that we fail to acknowledge little positive steps and achievements when they occur. We are inured to negative news so much that nothing shocks us anymore. When there are tragic events like terrorist attack, road accident, flashflood, epidemic and so on, we shrug it off and go on with our business as if nothing has happened. The common catchphrase is, “And so what? Life goes on! Today, I have decided to recall some of the positive, soul-lifting stories that happened in the recent past. I have decided to chronicle the silver lining in our nation’s dark sky. The first is the increasing use of law as an instrument of social engineering and the incremental positive output from public interest litigation and judicial activism. Not long ago, a Lagos-based lawyer, Festus Keyamo, won a case against the Federal Government over the appointment of military service chiefs. Delivering judgment in a case i...

“ In him you find the discipline of a trained soldier, the consummate nobility of a gentleman and the astuteness of a man of honour” – Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State paying tribute to Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1 on his centennial anniversary. . Hearty felicitations to Kabiyesi, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1, the Olubadan of Ibadanland on his 100 th birthday anniversary. In truth, I have never physically met the Olubadan but I have been attracted to the royal father by few similarities we share. First is that we were both born in Ibadan. Second, we are both Christians. Third, we were both educated in Ibadan. Fourth, we both taught in Ibadan and lastly, we were both born in April; while he was born on the 14 th , I was born exactly two weeks after.   Beyond the comparison, the life and time of Oba Odulana is a moral legation. He has been aptly described as a living legend. A man of many parts. He has been a civil servant (teacher and administrat...

On April 1, 2014, the Federal Civil Service Commission rolled out the drums and celebrated with pomp the 60th anniversary of the Service.  There were a lot of speeches, backslapping and conviviality at the event. All of these are in order. However, it is also the time for introspection and retrospection; a time for stock-taking. What is the scorecard of Nigerian civil servants in the eye of the public? How efficient, effective and professional have the average civil servants been in performing their assigned duties? How significantly have Nigerian civil servants contributed to national development? These are some of the posers the management and members of staff of the Nigerian Civil Service must find answers to. In principle, civil service is the engine room of policy as well as project formulation and implementation for any government. It forms the nucleus of government bureaucracy and ensures continuity in governance. There are administrative, executive, professional and cler...