The controversy over the monthly salary of a Nigerian lawmaker has finally been laid to rest with a formal disclosure of what the legislators earn. The National Institute of Legislative Studies, NILS, apparently worried by growing public outcry against the Nigerian lawmakers, on Friday released a set of documents, showing what constitutes the earnings of the 109 Senators and 360 members of the Nigerian House of Representatives.

The list of the ministers has been received by various people in various ways. As usual, the areas of responsibility were not included. This was demanded in the past and would have been welcome in this dispensation now as a mark of the expected change which many people are still waiting to discern in the Buhari government.

For some time now, rape has become a multiple daily occurrence in Nigeria. In spite of intense media focus, the number and frequency of rape cases, especially the sexual abuse of under-aged children, have increased. Even more disturbing is the fact that some of these abuses are carried out by the biological fathers of these young girls.

Three weeks ago, I wrote a column titled ‘Rich country, poor people’ in which I lamented the disconnect between our resource rich country and its poor people. I also lamented the nonchalant wastefulness of our leaders who prefer to line their pockets instead of developing their country.

What dominated the Session was not peace, the refugee crisis, food,jobs or human rights, it was war, particularly, the Syrian war. The world leaders traded blame particularly on the Islamic State (ISIS) but not on solutions.

Last month, I was abducted from my residence in Port Harcourt and held for two weeks by a gang of kidnappers. It was, of course, a profoundly terrifying experience and as soon as I was released, I packed my bags and fled to Abuja, then London, vowing that I would not return to my home town for the forseeable future.  

FROM the rural frying pan to the urban fire, the average Nigerian has been virtually an endangered specie. His life has been characterised by continuous struggle – he has to struggle even for those things that citizens of other countries take for granted and, which they get as basic rights.
If a man must struggle through school and finally graduate into unemployment; if the system is such that enables the few lucky ones who are said to be working to be owed backlogs of salaries, sometimes for upwards of 24 months; and meanwhile retirement has become a death sentence as many pensioners have perished, “waiting for the dead-man’s shoes”, as it were, then, there is something fundamentally wrong. And in our type of situation, every window of opportunity should be explored to the limits.

ON Monday this week, VANGUARD newspaper carried a report that the National Assembly will soon commence a constitution amendment process, towards ensuring immunity for heads of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The hint came from Leo Ogor, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, in an exclusive chat with VANGUARD.

IN my article here this past Monday entitled: Buhari And Other Ministers: Random Musings, I touched briefly on this issue but because of its increased topicality I have decided to bring it back today for a more detailed interrogation.

AFTER the 2015 election, I predicted on Twitter that when critical decisions are to be taken, Yemi Osinbajo, the token Southerner in Aso Rock, would be sent to go and buy “guguru and epa.” This has proved prescient. The Vice-president was reportedly barred from attending a national security briefing on grounds he did not have security clearance. But who can have more clearance than a man elected by the people? How did Buhari himself get his?