Vote-Buying taken to the limits
WE are almost impelled to start today’s piece on the hypothesis that money is the sole determinant of electoral outcomes in Nigeria. In every election, the two major political parties spend big and win big while the small parties spend virtually nothing and win virtually nothing.
Free but everywhere chained
THERE are spices of goodness, even in things evil. It was last week in “Sunrise Daily” on CHANNELS Television. The discussion programme was already half way through when we tuned in but there was time enough to receive an interesting revelation.
ID card: A cat of nine lives
WE are convinced beyond all reasonable doubts that the Federal Government must have been listening to Mr. Ogidigan. There is also no doubt that the Federal Government’s hearing must be partially impaired. Otherwise, the lessons of Ogidigan’s full experience would have been very instructive.
This is the beginning, this is the end
WE may choose to ignore history but history, in its crushing implacability, will never ignore us. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was perhaps one person who saw tomorrow on behalf of Nigeria.
All chiefs, no Indians
WHEN a government begins to disobey its own laws with impunity, then, there is cause for concern. In total disobedience of a law, which was validly enacted, to the effect that every public holiday in this land shall be celebrated on whatever day it falls, we have just emerged from one badly shifted public holiday.
We are refugees in our land
WHEN, at the middle of a public presentation, Malcolm X (1925-1965) alluded to when he was in prison, he was surprised that people were surprised.
As Mark misses the mark again
Most times, what is said is less important than how it is said. This past week, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been busy writing its own testimonials. We have a copy of the welcome address which the Senate President delivered to his colleagues on their return from recess.
Resignation in protest
Today’s title is borrowed from the fine works of Edward Weisband and Thomas Franck, who in 1976, assembled their highly provocative assessment of why high U.S. Government officials remain silent when they resign in disagreement with Administration policies; whereas their British counterparts would go public on resignation.
Memorandum of misunderstanding?
Before going into the subject for today, we would like to quickly give credit to our President on a matter of international importance. In his 18 months as the substantive President of this country, Goodluck Jonathan’s performance on policy issues may have been less than impressive.
Sound of silence
Silence, they say, is golden.Silence means consent. A combination of these would make the power of the unspoken word very great. Most times, particularly in politics, those things you refuse to say come out louder than the spoken, or rather, the advertised ones. Yes, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, was enraged by the facts on ground at the time the Port Harcourt conference was coming up. But they went a bit far.
Two fighting, Sir!
And so, Mr. Logistics died. His soul will rest in perfect peace. For old time sake, today’s essay is deservedly dedicated to Pa Omogiate who has just passed on; and through him, all the old men in politics, without whom, the political meetings would have been drab, pall and most uninteresting.
