THE governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodinma recently took political propaganda to an unenviable and embarrassing level when he promised to buy air tickets for Imo youth after being employed by European Union companies, whatever that means to him. In a viral video, the governor revealed that he was in discussion with European Union and Canadian companies for a partnership that will ensure the employment of Imo youth. “I have gone further to negotiate with European Union and Canadian companies that are sending specific areas of skills, which our youth will also learn and by December this year, 4,000 Imo…
Author: Zainab Suleiman Okino
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IN all ramifications, it appears the euphoria and excitement that greeted President Bola Tinubu’s assumption of office are gradually ebbing away. Quite expectedly, having started with the tough decisions of fuel subsidy removal and floating of the forex, the President now needs to do more and urgently too. Both policies have since worsened the woes of the Naira and Nigerians. From accusation of being surrounded by “Lagos boys”, (his cabinet as Lagos State Governor between 1999 to 2003), to policy somersaults to somehow nepotistic appointments (and vengeful dismissal of some CEOs), questions are being asked about Tinubu’s pro-people and pan-Nigerian…
THE most experimental leader in Africa in contemporary time is former Nigerian military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida. He ruled between 1985 and 1993. But while he was in charge, he toyed with many innovative ideas on leadership recruitment —from the political bureau, new breed-grassroots politics, option A-4 to a form of diarchy, where political power is shared between civilians and the military. Love or hate him, the General’scontribution to the political development of the country, even if ignored, has remained a reference point especially in the light of recent happenings around us in Africa. Although, it is safe to assert…
A SEEMING innocuous incident, but of utmost importance, happened on the day, the Niger Republic military adventurists announced the closure of the country’s airspace in a show of force or to rebuff the condemnation that trailed their coup. A British Airways Airbus A380 from Johannesburg to London Heathrow was reported to have gone on a 10-hour “flight to nowhere”, when Niger’s airspace was suddenly closed after the plane had taken off. And because airspace of Sudan and Libya is already closed, coupists’ action means 2,600 miles of Africa’s airspace from Western Niger to the Red Sea is blocked to flights.…
THE eight-year administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, was amongst others, characterized by indulgence and generosity to state governors in form of bailouts to their states. Variously called salary arears bailout, bridge financing facility, budget support, recession and excess crude facility, the previous government, as at 2021 had doled out N1.7 trillion to states. However instead of the funds being utilised to improve lives and provide massive infrastructure, much of it is alleged to have found its way to the private accounts of state governors as it became another window for their profligacy and lavish lifestyle. The outcry and complaints that…
SHORTLY after the 2023 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions of JAMB, (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) held on June 24, 2023, the board ran into troubled waters when Ejikeme Mmesoma, a candidate in this year’s JAMB exams dragged it to the court of public opinion. Instead of interrogating the annual policy meeting of “the Nigerian intelligentsia and critical stakeholders in our tertiary education subsector”, public discourse focused substantially on JAMB’s integrity, transparency and Mmesoma’s claim of being shortchanged in the last exams. After dissipating so much time and energy on Mmesoma, by all—the “accused JAMB”, DSS and Anambra…
BY NOW, it should be clear to all that no one is safe from bad government policies, including its cheerleaders. The effects of wrong-headed approach to governance is evident in every home, every plate of food (if any), quality of living; even on Abuja’s now near empty streets, and near collapse of small-scale businesses. We all bear the brunt of ill-advised and ill-timed policies as recently enunciated by the new government of President Bola Tinubu. In contrast, the over 100 convoy of cars in the president’s movement in Lagos, the almost 50 SUVs seen earlier during his triumphant return to…
A RECENT media report revealed plans by African countries to send a peace mission to Ukraine and Russia. The report indicated that six African leaders would travel to Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible” to go proffer solutions to the ongoing war between the two countries. It was disclosed (perhaps conceived) by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who added that that President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have “agreed to receive the mission and the African heads of state, in both Moscow and Kiev in separate “telephone calls”. The south African leader went further to present “an…
AT the behest of the legendary Mr. Dan Agbese, renown journalist and author, the article below is a re-publication. The revered writer, master of style and elder statesman drew my attention to The Guardian story of May 19, 2023 headlined Aviation minister scores self 100% on failed carrier, MRO, airport concession, accompanied with a complimentary remark, “please republish your column, Hadi Sirika’s ego trip and other Buhari untouchables, see The Guardian lead of today. It was a courageous piece. The Guardian vindicated you”, hence this revised version. The story in is a summary of underperformance of the Aviation Minister, Hadi…
IN February 2022, the Ukraine-Russia war broke out and left about 16,000 African students studying there stranded, among which are at least 1000 Nigerian students. Many were traumatised for days before they were finally evacuated back home, some others found their way to nearby Poland, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia and Europe generally despite the racial abuse at the borders and repatriation difficulties for those who headed home to Nigeria. Yet, others opted for online classes, which only provided temporary succour for some and unable to fill the void for practical oriented courses like medicine and engineering. I have a colleague-family friend…
NIGERIA is in transition, and interplay of issues is rearing their heads. Expectedly, security is top on the list, and reviewing past issues and setting an agenda for the incoming government is appropriate. This and more are what Whiteink Institute for Strategy Education and Research Nigeria (WISER) set out to do on April 13, 2023, when it brought together active players in security intelligentsia and civil society to deliberate on the future of security in Nigeria. Tagged Introspection into a Decade of Security Sector Governance for Nigeria, the intervention began the “2023 Nigerian political transition policy-level advisory conversation on defence,…
IN politics, there are no permanent friends and foes, and it will be naïve of me to expect otherwise in the build up to the 2023 general election and its aftermath. Perhaps, what we didn’t envisage was how the outcome of the election would deeply divide and turn people against one another; persons considered as heroes in some quarters have suddenly become villains in the eyes of those who once revered them as if there will never be another election in Nigeria. It was also not conceivable that the hitherto united voice of the South against their perceived Northern hegemons…
SINCE upturning presidential election is near impossible and has never happened in Nigeria’s political history, it is almost certain that the ruling APC’s Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will be sworn in on 29th May and he will in turn swear in the National Assembly members in June. All eyes are now on the legislative arm of government, so the battle about its potential leadership has also shifted there, albeit covertly. Even as underground horse-trading is ongoing, there should be interplay of issues for consideration in the choice of NASS leaders with the hope that the mistakes of the past will be…
RECENT developments in our polity have proved once again that our strongman mentality rather than strong institutions has rubbed off on some institutions we thought were fairly independent. Instead of ensuring strong institutions, we have only succeeded in institutionalising failures in high places. For the purpose of this write up, we draw examples from the unending fuel scarcity, the impact of the CBN currency redesign and recent fallouts from the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly election by INEC which has been very controversial. As much as one tries to ignore cries of rigging, where voting in the last…
AS imperfect as any human endeavour is, as disappointing as the election turned out to be, compared with the pre-election optimism, and as certain as winning and losing is, this presidential election, is for the first time in the history of election in Nigeria, the most competitive, revealing, shocking and anticipated. Apart from the almost 25 million voters, the election has produced so many upsets and thrown up issues and persons that were not in the front burner in political discourse previously. Is it the outpouring of youth in the participation process? Is it the incumbent party struggling for survival?…