Board of Peace, bleeding republic
Nigeria’s mistake has never been a shortage of institutions but a shortage of coherence.
Federalism
Articles
20 articlesGovernors, federalism, and constitutional tension
Potential reforms could include defining emergency conditions more precisely, requiring judicial review of emergency declarations, and strengthening legislative oversight to prevent executive overreach.
Are regional development commissions the new deal?
RDCs should not serve as political slush funds but as accountable entities focused on real development.
Still on state police
The call for state police is not just a matter of political discourse; it is a necessary step toward securing the lives and property of Nigerians.
Towards genuine LG autonomy
Free, fair, and credible elections are the most critical step towards genuine LG autonomy without contestation.
States and the blackout nation
The states now have the full constitutional authority to create the frameworks for the adequate electricity supply to their citizens.
Food security and the Bago challenge
Increasing our productive capacity and, by extension, enhancing our internally generated revenue is imperative. States waiting to go to Abuja to pick up peanuts monthly is not sustainable.
Sub-nationals: The bumpy road ahead
Accountability to the people and developing people-centric policies and programmes must be the guiding principles of the new governors.
Governors: Right versus wrong people
All governors should strive towards sustainable revenue inflow tied to economic productivity. As the CEO of the states, governors should map out ways of relying less on federal allocation by improving IGR through sustainable resource mobilization.
Five lessons 2022 taught us about politics and nationhood
Reducing or eliminating monetary inducement is vital to the success of the 2023 polls. The government and INEC owe it as a duty to Nigerians to conduct a credible, free and fair election next year.
The Poverty Narrative: Federal versus State Governments
It is the serial failure of different levels of government to provide the building blocks of poverty eradication that has led to the ballooning poverty.
Flood, passivity and a ruined future
The impact of the flooding in Nigeria is exacerbated by a lack of respect for science and leadership problems.
Security and the 2023 campaigns
For the presidential candidates, a complete reform and decentralisation of the Police must be the prime agenda in the security strategy, and this must be a focal issue in the campaign.
The truth about true federalism
The State governments, especially in the South, seem to be forcing a new form of federalism on Nigeria by looking inward in the existing constitution and enforcing their rights in areas hitherto seen as the exclusive preserve of the federal government.
Buhari’s outreach to the Southeast
Governors of the South-East should establish a line of dialogue with the leadership of the proscribed IPOB. Despite their crude methods and foibles, they enjoy sympathy in the region.
Plateau of crises and death
The crisis requires both local and national solutions. We should take a second look at our constitutional provisions regarding the concept of ‘indigene’. This term is ambiguous.
Secessionist agitations in Nigeria and Israel-Palestinian conundrum
No power will make people who feel dominated stop agitating for what they may rightfully or wrongly regard as freedom. Nigerian government should encourage dialogue and use force only when it is inevitable in dealing with secessionist elements in the country.
Social contract and Northern Governors discordant voices on insecurity
This merry-go-round blame game and altercation by our governors are unnecessary at this point when insecurity has become perhaps the most significant impediment to our peaceful coexistence and development.
From Kankara to Kagara: The deification of banditry
I suggest that the federal government should adopt a kind of carrot and stick approach to bringing the problem of banditry to an end.
Herdsmen and the security challenge
The government should establish grazing reserves in consenting states and improve livestock production and management to minimise contacts and friction between herders and farmers.