Category: Opinion

In a federal system of government, such as Nigeria’s, subnational governments enjoy a level of autonomy that allows them to pursue development aggressively within their jurisdiction. However, this autonomy does not render federal collaboration irrelevant. On the contrary, history has shown that states that adopt a confrontational stance toward the central government often suffer developmental setbacks, particularly in areas where federal intervention is crucial. Edo State, under the immediate-past administration of Godwin Obaseki, is a prime example of such a miscalculation.   Obaseki’s tenure was marked by an adversarial approach…

On assumption of duty in January, 2025 , the new Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Boss and well grounded World Bank expert , Aisha Garba envisaged the need to reposition the Basic Education through interfacing with the critical stakeholders.   Amongst them is the office of the National Security Adviser , NSA, led by Malam Nuhu Ribadu whose achievements in the last few years in the area of security has become distinct and outstanding.   Therefore, seeking to cooperate and collaborate with the office became germane and needful particularly the…

“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.” – Gideon J. Tucker   A Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos would not vacate his seat for anyone appointed illegally from Abuja – or from anywhere. If the heavens wanted to fall, he would ask them to fall. He would not go hide somewhere in his wife’s handbag, and from the safety of his ghetto be issuing gutless press releases. If Abuja insisted on his suspension, he would mobilise the law and lawyers for eruptions of…

Nigeria these days reminds me of the popular children’s novel back in the day, One Week One Trouble, written in 1972 by Anezionwu Nwankwo Okoro, a Nigerian writer and medical practitioner. The protagonist, Wilson Tagbo, begins secondary school, but his flaws soon put him at odds with the school system, and no week passes without him landing in fresh trouble at the school. In our country, these days hardly a week passes without the public space being thrown ‘one trouble’ that would have everyone huffing and puffing for a while…

“Everything is my business. Everything. Anything I say is law…literally law.” Barbara Geddes, et al in their How dictatorship works (2018) quoted Malawian dictator, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, as having once said the above. In Nigeria of a little more than a week ago, they all came in quick successions: A National Assembly where libido ran riot; a son who said his father was Nigeria’s best president; a corps member who condemned that same father as terrible and that president, when he wakes up and looks at the mirror, like Banda,…

Rivers State is now under emergency rule, and it’s likely to remain so for the next six months, unless a drastic change occurs. If not managed carefully, this could mark the beginning of a prolonged crisis.   In situations like this, opinions tend to be divergent. For instance, some people hold the notion that the security situation and the need to protect the law and public order justified President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in, and the appointment of a sole administrator for, Rivers State. However, others…

The concepts of power, privilege and governance are complex and multifaceted. Power refers to the ability to influence others, while privilege denotes unearned advantages. Governance encompasses institutions, structures and processes that regulate these dynamics. Together, these concepts raise fundamental questions about justice, equality and resource distribution. It emphasizes the importance of considering marginalized groups’ experiences and perspectives.   The main problem in Nigeria today is its political economy, which is rooted in rent-seeking and fosters a mindset that prioritizes patronage over production. The country’s politics are characterized by a patron-client…

Between March 6 and 10 , 2025, the workaholic FCT Minister , Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike broke the yoke of public officials particularly at the Minister’s level in the FCT, when he made a maiden State visit to Lombardy, far away Italy to broker a global relationship that entangled both economic, social, agriculture among many other ties for the benefits of the residents of the Federal Capital Territory FCT and Italy .   Leading the potential team of Nigeria delegation from the nations city , Barrister Wike met with the…