Police brutality: He-of-the-springy-steps
By CHETA NWANZE Two events I came across yesterday captured the state of Nigeria’s police-public relations with unsettling clarity. In Port Harcourt, angry youths blocked Agip Road to protest the killing of Anthony Obodo, a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate murdered by a police officer. The youths’ anger is not hard to understand. The […]
Nigeria @ 54: Gridlock and the illusive eldorado
WITH peremptory magistracy and awesome gallantry our founding fathers fought for the political independence of our glorious country, Nigeria. They were like the Roman hero Horatius, who fought with Spartan intrepidity in defending Rome from the Etruscan invaders. Horatius asked like our founding fathers: “And how can a man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his gods”?
Interrogating the minister’s health agenda in FCT
AS Nigerians rolled out the drums and cymbals in celebration of the nation’s 54th Independence anniversary on October 1, 2014, expectations are rife that analysts will put several public officials on the spotlight on account of their stewardship.
Understanding an aspirant’s politics of ‘people first’
THAT “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government is the take-off point of Nigeria’s Federal Constitution section 14(c).”
But how this injunction is fulfilled by elected public officers, leaves much to be desired. Millions of Nigerians strongly believe that the political class has betrayed the people. That is the plank of this analysis of Chief Clement Tudonemem Ofuani’s appeal to the people of Delta State in his campaign slogan anchored on “the people first.”
Gradual killing of the system
SINCE the civilians took over government in 1999, we have had eight Inspector Generals of Police till date. They are Musiliu Smith (1999-2002), Mustapha Adebayo Balogun (March 2002- January 2005), Sunday Ehindero (2005-2007), Mike Mbama Okiro (2007-2009), Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo (2009-2010), Hafiz Ringim (January 2010- 2012), Muhammed D. Abubakar(2012-2014) and Mr. Suleiman Abba 2014- till date. A keen observer will note that in some cases, some Inspector Generals of Police even introduced new uniforms during their tenure.
Ebonyi and the politics of succession
AS Ebonyi State marks her 18th anniversary of statehood, I congratulate all “Ebonyians” on this unique occasion. I urge all to reflect on the giant strides made by our able Governor Chief Martin Elechi in his bid to transform the state; keeping alive the dream of the founding fathers, I salute his patriotic and focused leadership qualities.
