Viewpoint

Atiku’s Border Promise: Between political expediency and Nigeria’s national interest

By Okey IBEKE Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027 may appeal to traders and border communities who depend on cross-border commerce. But the promise raises a more important question: what exactly does he intend to reopen? The Federal Government has challenged the premise of the […]
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IMT: Ugwuanyi’s giant education strides

RECENTLY, the Enugu State House of Assembly enacted a law amending the Institute of Management and Technology Law, Cap. 97, Revised Laws of Enugu State, 2004.

Edo guber poll: Travesty of proxy voting

A DEFINITION of an election has it as a “formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office”. But in a situation where the people’s will is subject to manipulation and distortion, the electoral process forces a decision on those who “voted”.

Senate, Magu and others

THERE is no perfect democracy anywhere in the world. According to Plato the philosopher:”The society we have described can never grow into reality or see the light of day, and there will be no end to the troubles of States..” The Catholic encyclopedia (1911) quoting Aristotle the philosopher stated the following; “…that there is no ideal state, but that our knowledge of political organisation is to be acquired by studying and comparing different constitutions of States, that the best forms of government is that which best suits the character of the people…” It is because of such imperfections that we have somebody like Donald Trump, who successfully evaded paying tax for twenty years and defied all odds to become President of the United States of America.

African agricultural products

THE gaze of the old, it is said, is focused on the past, the young on the future. It is because of these perspectives that the old is sometimes unable to appreciate the future. Moreover, the older one gets, the easier it is for the memory to play games with one. I remember when I was young, there was a greater variety of fruits and foodstuff than now.

What the Igbos want in Nigeria (6)

THE fourth and last group of Igbos,where the present author belongs to, are those that believe that Nigeria is facing a national question. That this national question is the most critical problem facing the country today which, depending on how it is handled, can either rebuild or destroy her; that the best solution to this national question should only proceed from its understanding in terms of nationalities, without this being a disregard for the economic, political and constitutional palliatives that could impact upon the major variable.

Still on Edo election

THE return of President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigeria and the fact that he is alive, contrary to fatalistic speculation that hung in the air while he was away in the United Kingdom, gave relief to his party men and supporters all over the country, for diverse reasons. In Edo State, rumour has it to the effect that the uncomfortable revelations at the ongoing Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal whereby it has become clear that INEC advertently or inadvertently conducted the 2016 Edo State Governorship Election with gross violation of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), made the APC feel helpless in the absence of the President whom the party believe would not mind intervening to save the only state under their control in the South South geo political zone.

The Senate vs Hameed Ali: Who is right?

THERE is obviously a power tussle between the Nigerian Senate (the Red Upper Chamber of the National Assembly) and the Nigerian Customs Services, NCS. This tussle has become quite interesting by the day because of the claims of legitimacy each holds “on behalf of the people of Nigeria”.

Abuja Airport: Beyond a temporary closure

EVEN before its temporary closure for rehabilitation on March 8, 2017, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, had always struck me as a facility permanently under construction or endlessly undergoing repairs.

Leadership without accountability

EVERYTHING is wrong with Nigeria. In fact, as Ayo Sogunro argued, “everything in Nigeria is going to kill you”. The way leadership is demonstrated in this country is compelling enough for one to think that the asylum has been taken over by lunatics or how else does one explain a situation where public office holders are either not accountable for activities under their supervision or are often times not responsible for their actions and inactions.

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