The childish chicken fight currently turning the Edo State Government house into a huge theatre of the absurd has called to question the relevance of the post of the Deputy Governor in governance at the state level. In fact, the similar scenario playing out in Ondo State, where the ailing Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, could hardly resume duty before sacking the media crew of his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, that stood in for him as he observed his medical leave abroad, and the impeachment sword hovering over his head, is telling Nigerians that the post of the deputy governor has never been useful and so should be dispensed with forthwith. In Edo State, just because the Deputy, Phillip Shaibu, has signified intention to succeed him, the Governor, Godwin Obaseki believes he has become a leprous finger that must be cut off outright. In Ondo State, where the deputy had been acting in his stead for three months, the Governor, from his sick bed thousands of miles away, noticed that his seat was at risk and endangered.
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This move should be made by focused groups after the country is through with the legal battle at the Supreme Court.
Again, Nigeria has suffered from her continuous image, credibility and reputation challenges at the international level. This time, the incident in focus is more pathetic and leaves a big question mark on the reality of the much touted spirit of “Africanism”, which is simply in this case the display of true love and affection towards fellow African nations. Painfully, Nigerian authorities, on their own, have acted below expectations in the current situation which is the reason the perceived diplomatic breaches and lapses in the matter have passed almost unnoticed. This has always been the case with any issue concerning Nigeria, her nationals and critical international issues relating to the country in foreign lands.
The white man shipped a lot of generations off to their sugar cane plantations back home, where they were made to work their bones out.
Except something is fundamentally wrong somewhere or somebody somewhere is up to something sinister, no single mature and learned Nigerian lacks the knowledge and understanding that as a fresh University/Polytechnic graduate in the country, the Constitution requires a mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps assignment with a discharge certificate issued after its successful completion. It’s also a general knowledge that if a graduate has attained the age of 30, as at the time of signing out from his/her citadel, such is constitutionally exempted and so, NYSC, after being obliged with enough evidence, is expected to without any rumpus issue a certificate of exemption to the concerned. After a sad story of former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun who in the year 2018 was caught and subsequently consumed by the NYSC exemption certificate racket, Nigeria’s public presently has before it, another saga, a drama – fresh NYSC certification controversy, again, from another serving executive – the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
At the meeting, he drew the battle line between him and those he considered as callous, quacks and enemies of the environment.
Even by extension, the State Governors pick members of the State Assemblies and those of the National Assembly.
Arguably, Buhari’s administration might be given a pass mark only in the area of infrastructural renewal and development, but with very controversial performance assessment and conclusion on macro economy.
There has never been any good story coming from a coup, especially on African soil. By definition, a coup d’état is a sudden change of government that is illegal and often violent, so there is nothing that is spectacular in any military change of government most of the time other than mere ego tripping or adventurism on the part of its planners.
Indeed, the time has come to retrace our steps from the old trajectory for the principles of accountability and justice to hold sway
And because of the hoopla generated by the proposal, the Tinubu administration called for the review of the utilisation and probably distribution of the fund and it was thought that the new government had learnt a lesson.
And the same Buhari paid phantom subsidy to ghosts for eight, wasteful years. Not in millions, billions but trillions
Yet, the percentage of those benefiting from the commonwealth at the level larger percentage see as wastage is negligible
What President Tinubu should be pushing now among his colleagues is the entrenchment of good governance
He maintained his stand that high grades did not always represent academic ingenuity, while low scores in some cases don’t necessarily imply poor academic standard of a candidate
So what is the purpose of screening people without having an idea of the Ministries where they will be serving?
This, no doubt, comes with a lot of expectations, especially the need to be and remain the African champion and pillar.
The uproar that greeted the news of an increase in sundry charges by the University of Lagos on July 21, 2023 came to those who are in the know as a shock.
But while Nigerians were still pondering on what befell them, some demons crept into the pump and turned up the gauge. One litre is now being sold at N617. And, according to indications from players in the sector, the gauge is still climbing!
And if that is no longer feasible and the loan is as good as being in the kitty, no problem at all. To this end, Tinubu should put it into another use, entirely. And there are millions of areas that it can be used for, that Nigerians would be glad for it.