THE 2019 general elections have come and gone. As was evident from the outset, the elections have been characterised by controversy. While some candidates and their parties have expressed satisfaction with the entire process, it has not been so with others. At the centre of it all is the Independent National Electoral Commission whose conduct of the elections has again come under intense scrutiny. That this would be so was clear from accusations and counter accusations made before the elections by the major political parties about the impartiality or independence of the electoral umpire.
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The election of ideal leaders and our electoral process (2)
LAST week I discussed the problems associated with leadership in Nigeria and the need for election of ideal leaders. I stated how the lack of political ideology and the attractive nature of public office have ensured that most people who get elected into office pay little or no attention to service to the citizens. This week I will proffer suggestions on how to bring an end to the malaise brought about by poor leadership.
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Rescheduled election date and the law
On the morning of February 16, 2019, millions of Nigerians who night before had gone to bed looking forward to the opportunity to cast their votes in the Presidential and National Assembly elections awoke to the shocking news that the elections had been postponed by INEC to February 23.
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Towards credible election: constitutionality of dragging Army into electoral process (Yusuf vs Obasanjo)
The 2019 presidential and national assembly elections are a few days away and aside from the ongoing campaign of the candidates, one aspect of the impending elections which continues to attract attention is what role the military will play on the day of the election. As it was during some past elections, there are concerns not only about the intention of government to deploy the military on election date but also what that will portend for the smooth conduct of the elections. While those in support of such moves argue that security concerns permit or even make the deployment of the military an absolute necessity, others opposed to it refer to past incidents where the military were utilised by unscrupulous politicians to skew the electoral process in their favour through means including intimidation of voters and members of the opposition.
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Towards credible election: Results announced by presiding officers should be deemed as conclusive evidence by INEC and courts
Democracy is often defined as the government of the people, for the people and by the people. The “people” or “citizenry” therefore constitute an essential element of the concept of democracy. Take the “people” out of the equation and there will be a dysfunction in the whole political and social make up of the society.
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Rising state of poverty: Abandonment of agriculture (2)
Last week I stated why it is imperative that the agricultural sector be revived if any meaningful result is to be achieved in fighting the poverty and the growing divide between the rich and the poor. However, it is a notorious fact that almost everyone in Nigeria, particularly youths are not interested and do not want to engage in farming any longer. Most youths and unemployed graduates are only interested in white collar office jobs, and for the most part, these jobs are no longer available as in the past. Most local, state and federal government ministries and parastatals have stopped employment and, and majority of the industries and multinational organizations have shipped their bases to other countries. We are now confronted with unemployment of immense proportion, especially among our youth. The stark reality in the face of the economic downtown in the country due to the extreme shortfall in oil revenue is that we have to go back to the land and resuscitate the old glory of agriculture that has provided jobs and food for our forebears prior to the misguided pursuit of oil wealth. However there are enormous problems to be surmounted in order to revive the lost glory of agriculture in Nigeria. These problems include but are not limited to the following:
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Daylight robbery in the churches
Jide inherited a generator from his late “guardian.” He used it for business purposes by renting it out to people who needed it on special occasions. It so happened that the generator in his church was stolen. The pastor insisted that church-members should not be told about the theft; otherwise they might conclude that God was not in the church. He asked Jide if the church could use his generator in the meantime.
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Rising state of poverty: Abandonment of agriculture (1)
Over the last three editions I undertook an examination of extreme poverty which now pervades the country. I stated the poor attitude of Nigerians to giving and contrasted this with how charities and foundations in other countries are helping to ameliorate the effects of poor governmental policies on the citizens and concluded with the fact that philanthropy could actually aid development if properly channeled in the direction of critical sectors of the economy. This week I will examine another contributing factor to rising state of poverty which is the abandonment of the agricultural sector.
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Rising state of poverty and the Nigerian attitude to giving (3)
Rising state of poverty and the Nigerian attitude to giving (2)
LAST week I discussed the rising state of poverty and how the poor attitude of Nigerians to giving continues to contribute to it. I stated how government alone cannot reasonably be expected, particularly in the light of the world’s current economic realities, to improve the quality of life of everyone to the level which most people expect and how wealthy individuals can aide government in the provision of amenities of life to the less privileged.
Continue reading Rising state of poverty and the Nigerian attitude to giving (2) at Vanguard News Nigeria. …