Gowon’s memoirs: Nigeria owes Awolowo an eternal debt, by Olu Fasan
Last week, I started a discussion of General Yakubu Gowon’s multi-themed memoirs, My Life of Duty & Allegiance. My focus was on the book’s general tone, which I find unduly self-justificatory. In his attempts to defend his legacy, General Gowon presents himself as a saintly figure who did no wrong as a leader, whereas some […]
LG “autonomy”: What’s Tinubu’s game? By Ochereome Nnanna
SOMETIMES Nigerians rejoice over some government policies only to find out later that they wasted their euphoria. Remember when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced he would ensure electronic transmission of results in the 2023 general elections. Nigerians rejoiced. The sleeping youth awoke. Everyone headed to voter’s card registration centres. […]
Towards genuine LG autonomy, by Dakuku Peterside
LAST week, Nigeria’s Supreme Court took a fundamental step towards dismantling the grip of state governors on the local government, LG, system and local government funds. The Supreme Court ruling on a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, pointedly said the governors were undermining the functionality and operations of the LG system. They […]
National Anthem: Deconstructing the military legacy (3), by Eric Teniola
From last week, continues the narrative of the transition of the old National Anthem to a new one, including the roles played by different individuals in this process during the Obasanjo military regime. GENERAL Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then Head of State, accepted the work and modified it. In September 1976, he decreed that all […]
Supreme Court weakens federalism, strengthens unitary system, by Owei Lakemfa
THE Supreme Court on Thursday, July 11, 2024 made landmark judgements on local government areas, LGAs, in the country. First, it gave the salutary order that they must be run by elected persons. Its second order that LGAs be paid directly by the centre, seeks more or less, to de-link them from the states they are […]
Rule by judges is not rule of law, by Chidi Odinkalu
“The judiciary has immense power. In the nature of things, judges cannot be democratically accountable for their decisions. It therefore matters very much that their role should be regarded as legitimate by the public at large.”— Jonathan Sumption, Law in a Time of Crisis, 121 (2021) FOR a cumulative period of 17 years between 1885 and […]
