I knew that one day the question of political parties would be addressed, but I least expected that it would come via a route that is undemocratic- the pronouncement by legislative fiat that Two (or Five) Political Parties should emerge and bang, they appeared! In fact, the number is not the point or the issue. That the number can be decreed by a lawmaking body is.

Many of them have no principles. They are what, in Ibadan, the people call Amala and Gbegiri politicians. Anything goes for them – as long as they win. Unfortunately many of them are winning. They use any combination and manner of methods. They rig, they bribe, they maim and kill. They say the end justifies the means.

A robot is wired to function in a manner that is time and energy efficient. Its sole purpose is to make life easier for the owner. When it is assigned a task, it gets it done to the best of its ability and once done, it moves on to the next task or conserve its energy till the next time it is called upon.

There are assessment and evaluation issues at stake. But of great concern to me is the relationship between universities and the production of the labour force. Why private universities? What is the great need? Nigerian universities produce a great number of graduates annually who are mostly unemployed. Private universities simply max out Nigeria’s unemployment statistics by churning out more into the labour market.

Jonathan’s predecessor, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, frankly acknowledged that the elections that brought them to power were flawed. Therefore, the President is morally obliged to support electoral reforms that would eliminate the flaws. It is unfortunate that he has to work in concert with a National Assembly overwhelmingly dominated by crude Machiavellians actuated by instincts of primitive accumulation and political survivalism.