NigerianNews SPECIAL ISSUES

D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM

LET YOUR CONDUCT BE UNIMPEACHABLE - YOU MAY DEFY THE SLANDEROUS TONGUE by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
November 29, 2006
A great thinker �Darwin� remains a controversial figure in some parts of the world. Some people don�t like his theory of evolution because it appears to contradict the Bible. The great thinker, though, deserves to be questioned for another reason. What would that reason be? His words have been used too often to justify the notion that life is about, �the survival of the fittest�. NigerianNews Special Issues

NUHU RIBADU: LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT GUILT CAST THE FIRST STONE
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
September 11, 2006
We all like to meet people who are all the things this society defines as perfect. Beautiful, brilliant, compassionate with a liberal dose of humbleness. When we meet this concept of perfection and over time reality dawns, what do we come up with? Damn! Not all the things I envisioned. Something is missing we say. NigerianNews Special

WHAT WOULD OBASANJO CHANGE IF SUDDENLY HE COULD?
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
August 30, 2006
Many of us don't like to dwell too long on the past. We are more interested in where we are going than where we have been. We don�t need someone to remind us of the mistakes we�ve made. Recent events, though, have obliged many of us to revisit an old memory. NigerianNews Special

OBASANJO: GREATEST LEADERS ARE TRANSFORMATIONAL
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
June 20, 2006
Legendry King Solomon didn�t have perfect wisdom. He was pretty shrewd but he still made a few mistakes. Even saints don�t have infinite patience. They all lose their temper at some point in their lives. We are all human. NigerianNews Special

NIGERIANS! LET�S LOOK TO THE PAST AND WEEP, BUT LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND HOPE by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
May 29, 2006
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This was said by John Acton, the famous historian. He did not go on to suggest that the opposite is also true. Absolute powerless is no guarantee of absolute impeccability. NigerianNews Special

ATIKU MUST STOP DINING WITH SNAKE CHARMERS AND PHARISEES
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
April 14, 2006
When one thing starts to go wrong, it soon appears as if everything is problematic. We start finding fault with situation we have previously been quite happy about. NigerianNews Special

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT CAN ACHIEVE MOST THINGS NOW IF THEY REALLY TRY
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
February 27, 2006
It is perfectly possible for a person to be highly intelligent yet wildly out of touch with his own intuition. Conversely, there are some folk who have impressive powers, yet we wouldn't want their help if we were trying to solve a crossword puzzle. NigerianNews Special

PRESIDENT OBASANJO MIGHT NOT ATTAIN AN OUTRIGHT VICTORY THAT HE HOPES FOR
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
March 22, 2006
It�s so easy to be strong when other people are giving us their support. When everyone agrees with our point of view, when we are being praised and applauded for our actions, when we feel sure that our course of action is correct, we can march bravely ahead in spirit of determination. NigerianNews Special

NIGERIANS ARE A LOT OF THINGS, BUT FAILURE WE ARE NOT
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
January 08, 2006
Many believe in the saying that �perception is reality.� People might end up saying if President Obasanjo�s administration is perceived as a failure, then Nigeria is perceived as a failure. And if Nigeria is perceived as a failure, then President Obasanjo himself is perceived as a failure. NigerianNews Special

NIGERIA MUST BE MADE A LEADER OF CHANGES IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
I strongly believe in President Obasanjo�s promise of shocking the world by handing over power to a leader not a ruler. NigerianNews Special

WHAT WOULD NIGERIANS CHANGE IF WE HAD THE FREEDOM TO CHANGE ANYTHING? PART 1
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
December 19, 2005
What would we change if we could alter anything we wanted to? I am sure the list is long but here is a list that is longer still. It is the list of factors we would not touch. NigerianNews Special

BE A MILLER PRESIDENT OBASANJO, BUT GRIND NOT THE FACES OF THE POOR
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
December 12, 2005
If Nigerian government cannot help Nigerians in need, it's as sure as hell that, they cannot save the few who are rich. You just can't impose leadership from the top. NigerianNews Special

PRESIDENT OBASANJO MUST CHOOSE A ROUTE HE CAN BE PROUD OF TAKING
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
November 27, 2005
"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." So goes the classic song. Yet no matter how sincerely the words are intoned, the request never seems to be granted. NigerianNews Special

THE KEY TO PROGRESS IN NIGERIA LIES IN SINCERITY, NOT CYNICISM
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
November 23, 2005
There's not enough kindness in this world. People are far too quick to criticise and complain. Where is their compassion, their tolerance and their patience? There's not enough kindness in our own country Nigeria, either. NigerianNews Special

WHY PRESIDENT OBASANJO MUST LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF WISDOM
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
Some people live in fear of making a mistake. They feel they just couldn't face the shame. Ironically, such people are mistaken. If we don't get it wrong, we'll never learn anything Nov 03, 2005 NigerianNews Special

WHY NIGERIAN LEADERS NEED TO LEARN FROM THE BEST
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
People like working for those who are secure in themselves and have nothing to prove � the kind of people who get results through others and give them the credit for it. But please forgive me for being honest by saying such leaders are in the minority. - October 08, 2005 NigerianNews Special

NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY MUST BE MADE TO BE ADMIRED.
by D. Akinsanya Juliuson HonDBA, IOM
With years of experience in British politics, public diplomacy and heritage, I still do not see myself as a politician rather a Political Philosopher, but If I didn�t believe in the power of democratic politics to change things for the better, I would have said working against democratic movement in Nigeria is the best. -August 25, 2005 NigerianNews Special

Madaki O. Ameh

EFCC: AN OVERBURDENED AGENCY
by Madaki O. Ameh
A number of very interesting developments have taken place in Nigeria in recent weeks, as the fight against corruption bites harder. October 07, 2005 NigerianNews Special

OBASANJO AND THE YEARS THE LOCUSTS HAVE EATEN
by Madaki O. Ameh
When President Obasanjo assumed the mantle of leadership of Nigeria in May 1999, one of his early promises which still resonates in my mind is that he would, within a short period, restore the years the locusts have eaten. NigerianNews Special

TOWARDS A USEFUL POLICE IN NIGERIA
by Madaki O. Ameh
That Nigerians have suffered untold hardships at the hands of the Police is to state the obvious. Setting out from their houses in the morning, most Nigerians pray against an encounter with the police or armed robbers, and there does not appear to be much difference between the two. July 12, 2005 NigerianNews Special

TOO MUCH HYPE ABOUT NIGERIA'S OIL
by Madaki O. Ameh
The centrality of oil to Nigeria�s economy is obvious, given the fact that it accounts for over 95% of her foreign exchange earnings and over 80% of her GDP.June 30, 2005 NigerianNews Special

MAKING POVERTY HISTORY IN AFRICA BEYOND DEBT RELIEF AND AID
by Madaki O. Ameh
A lot has been said and written in recent times about the new found focus on Africa and its debilitating poverty through the �Make Poverty History� campaign. NigerianNews Special

BEFORE WRITING OFF THE US INTELLIGENCE REPORT by Madaki O. Ameh
Since the news broke a few days ago, there has been understandable umbrage about the contents of the US National Intelligence Council report titled �Mapping Sub-Saharan Africa�s Future�. NigerianNews Special

SOLUDO'S FIRST MISTAKE
by Madaki O. Ameh
To many informed watchers of the Nigerian economy, there have been a number of interesting developments in recent times, suggesting that at last, the country may be coming to grips with its developmental challenges and moving in the right direction. May 05, 2005 NigerianNews Special

Curbing Corruption in Nigeria: Exploring Alternative Strategies
by Madaki O. Ameh
The problem of corruption in Nigeria has assumed embarrassing dimensions. Successive Nigerian governments have always been insincere about their commitment to the fight against corruption, even as the vast majority of Nigerians wallow in abject poverty and want, while government officials, whose legitimate emoluments are low, bestride the Nigerian terrain like Colossus, parading their wealth and purchasing whatever catches their fancy with stolen public funds. April 14, 2005 NigerianNews Special

WHY NIGERIANS SHOULD NOT PAY TAX
by Madaki O. Ameh
The evolution of the Nation-State in pre-historic times brought with it some attributes, which was designed by early thinkers to make it easier for the State authorities to carry on its assigned roles in society. As the citizens of the Nation-State subdued their individual rights to that of organised civil society where they agreed to be governed by uniform rules and regulations of human conduct, and also confer on the State some rights to sanction deviant behaviour, the modern day society as we know it today gradually evolved from the �Hobbestian state of nature�, where life was nasty, brutish and short, and might was righ NigerianNews Special

Femi Awoniyi

After the Kaduna Massacres
by Femi Awoniyi
It is Time to Respond to Fulani-instigated Genocidal Violence in Northern Nigeria

Fulani Terror, the Kaduna Massacres and the Obasanjo Government
by Femi Awoniyi
What is most shocking or rather infuriating about to the latest bout of mass, genocidal violence in Nigeria, part of the campaign of terror being waged by the Fulani establishment since President Olusegun Obasanjo�s assumption of power in 1999, is the official reaction to it. NigerianNews Special

Stoning, impeachment: Obasanjo, Ironsi and Fulani agitation
by Femi Awoniyi
The latest impeachment scare might end up teaching our president a good lesson, if his aides would let him learn from it. For the impeachment is only the latest in the unceasing attempts to frustrate this government. NigerianNews Special

Political Shariah: Aren't the Fulanis pushing us to the abyss? by Femi Awoniyi
The dismal performance of our minister of state for foreign affairs, Dubem Onyia, on the CNN news programme Q&A, in the evening of August 28, once again, brings to a poignant fore the absurdity of the Nigerian situation. NigerianNews Special

Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq.

IN GOD'S NAME!
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
In 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 13 through 15, St. Paul joined issues with false prophets. Paul believed that such men are deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. Just like Satan masquerades as an angel of light, these false apostles (servants of Satan) masquerade as angels of righteousness. St. Paul�s revelation provides a backdrop to a phenomenon in Nigeria today, the proliferation of �born-again� ministries. NigerianNews Special

THE POLITICS OF LAGOS - Indigenes vs. Non-Indigenes
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Dr. Tonye David-West�s �The Need for Equality in the Government of Lagos: The Case for a more Democratic Approach� published by nigeriaword.com on October 24, 2002, raised a very crucial but potentially explosive political issue in Nigeria today. For months now there has been an under-current of political tension in Lagos regarding the place of resident non-indigenes of Lagos vis a vis holding of prominent political positions in Lagos NigerianNews Special

SENATOR FRANCIS ARTHUR NZERIBE: End of the road for the ubiquitous and loquacious gadfly
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has been variously described as controversial, a loose cannon and a double-edged sword. He covets being called a maverick and prides himself as an astute politician and a relevant Nigerian. Recently the bubble burst and the coward showed his true stripes. NigerianNews Special

STAKEHOLDERS' CONVERGE: A task that must be accomplished
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
A national conference (by whatever Nome de plume) is an idea whose time is long overdue. Critics of this call have argued that the National Assembly is well-suited to discuss and handle any matter any section of the country feel needs to be taken up. I disagree. Election to the National Assembly does not ipso facto elevate a politician to the status of a community leader. Various segments of the country should select representatives from their leadership to attend this conference on their behalf. These leaders need not be politicians and could include traditional rulers and religious leaders. NigeriaNews Special NigerianNews Special

Chief Audu Ogbeh: The Mikhail Gorbachev of the PDP
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Mikhail Gorbachev has the unenviable distinction of being the Communist Party Secretary who presided over the disintegration of the mighty Soviet Union. There is an uncanny parallel between Mikhail Gorbachev and Chief Audu Ogbeh of the PDP.
NigerianNews Special

Does "Democracy" Necessarily Exclude Military Regimes? by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Webster�s New Collegiate Dictionary defines �democracy� as �government by the people� rule of the majority�a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free election�. NigerianNews Special

2003 And The Illegal Use of Public Resources For Personal Political Campaign Activities.
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
With the approach of the 2003 general elections in Nigeria there is a critical need to provide equal access to all publicly funded news media to all political parties and all contestants. NigerianNews Special

The Savanah Bank Imbroglio - A critical look!
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Several months ago the Central Bank of Nigeria closed down Savannah Bank of Nigeria. There was no prior notice to the bank or its customers. There was no indication to the bank that it was under investigation by the Apex bank. Up to this moment the Central Bank and the Federal Ministry of Finance have not laid out the reason for closing the bank. The Central Bank from all indications did not follow the procedure for liquidating a �distressed bank�. Savannah Bank officials and board have since insisted that the bank was not in distress and Central Bank have been unable to refute this claim with proper documentation. NigerianNews Special

Blessed Isi Momodu

Nigeria: Goodbye to Decency?
by Blessed Isi Momodu
The enclave called Nigeria has become a wonderland of sort. A lot of strange happenings occur that make one questions the humanity of the present gang of looters led by Obasanjo. On the 6^th of September, IBB used his so called daughter�s wedding to launch his political campaign NigerianNews Special

El Rufai, the Senate and the Babangida Legacy
by Blessed Isi Momodu
A scenario similar to the colonial days in Africa is unfolding in Nigeria. In those awful days, Africans who dare ask or even fight for independence were regarded by the colonial authorities as psycopaths. This means to demand for freedom, truth and social justice is to be mentally deranged. In Nigeria, labour leader number one Pa Imoudu was often disparaged by the ravaging colonialists as insane because he was fighting for freedom and social justice. In Kenya, anicolonial elements were often referred to as psycopaths. NigerianNews Special

IBB's Agenda for Nigeria
by Blessed Isi Momodu
The man Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida , IBB for short, the self styled evil genius came into political limelight on the 13th of February, 1976. It was on this day the coup attempt lead by Isa Buka Dimka claimed the life of General Murtala Mohammed. IBB�s action or inaction was said to have played a key role in foiling the Dimka coup. NigerianNews Special

"Election" 2003 in Nigeria: The real losers
by Blessed Isi Momodu
To anyone that has been a keen observer of the primitive and provocative bourgeois politics in Nigeria, the result of the just concluded mock electoral process would not be a surprise. After all, the Florida effect in the selection of George Bush Jr. as president of the United States provided the impetus to these blind Nigerian copy cats of western democracy to go on a rigging spree. NigerianNews Special July 29, 2003

Reflections on Bourgeois politics in Nigeria
by Blessed Isi Momodu
The registration of more political parties in as much as it has enriched the political spectrum thus providing majority of Nigerians a robust option of choice of a poluitical party has confirmed once more that freedom and true democracy can not been won on a platter of gold thanks to our untiring Gani Fawehimi of the National Concience Party (NCP) who has continued to wage an uncompromising struggle against the brazen illegalities of the (In)dependent National Electoral Commission.

Arresting the menace of military banditry in Nigeria
by Blessed Isi Momodu
A thick cloud of uncertainty is looming once again over the geographical contraption called Nigeria as the alleged date for assumed election or selection as the case might be draws near. Events so far have shown that there is little hope for a change as the military has completely taken over the act of politicking in Nigeria. This is why it has become necessary to expose the dangers of this military take over of nearly all facets of our lives and the overriding need to arrest what could best be described as acts of military banditry.NigerianNews Special

Babatunde Oyeniyan