Browsing: Editorial

A recent pronouncement by the Organised Labour in Nigeria that it would not bother to notify the government before embarking on a nationwide strike is quite worrisome. So also is the ultimatum extended to the state governors that they should start negotiation with their local chapters of the labour unions on the N35,000 cash award to workers by the Federal Government. The organised labour said the suspension of its October 1 nationwide strike was a temporary move, noting that it remained conditional upon the fulfillment of the promise by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

During the receding days of the immediate Muhammadu Buhari administration, the popular maxim then was that terrorism and banditry had been badly degraded and that the undesirable elements were merely carrying out cowardly attacks. Then, anytime bandits struck and picked up some unfortunate Nigerians just as the hawk hunts chicks, and carried them off to their den to demand ransom, it became a sing song for the then Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to say that those picked up were mere “soft targets” no matter their number and how frequently it occurred. Nigerians were constantly reminded that by the time the Buhari government was taking over from the previous government, residents in Abuja especially were preyed upon by bandits and killed in numbers. Then the spokespersons of the government at different levels would not stop schooling Nigerians how they should be grateful to their stars that Abuja had been liberated once again as a safe haven.

The recent demolition by the Ogun State Government of a five storey building owned by Yeye Olufunke, the spouse of a former Governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has demonstrated the criminal brand of politics practised by the supposed elite members of the society who are privileged to climb up the executive seat as governors of a state. Some weeks ago, the news was abroad of how workers believed to be agents of the state government chose an unholy hour of 3am on a Sunday to unleash bulldozers on the building said to be worth more than N1 billion under police protection.

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.

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.

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.