Governance

Did Wole Soyinka Blame the Nigerian Youth?

Did Wole Soyinka Blame the Nigerian Youth?

Did Wole Soyinka Blame the Nigerian Youth?

Recently, Wole Soyinka, wrote a speech or article titled “Where Did We Go Wrong?” It mentions a list of the very youthful ages of the Nigerian leaders and pioneers in the immediate post-colonial era. The wordings then adores the colonial youth of as men of vision and ability. I strongly doubt that Wole Soyinka either said such a thing in public or wrote it. If he did, he must have gravely overlooked the realities and context that produced the very youthful leaders and pioneers of Nigeria’s past, which he is one. Nigeria’s youthful leaders, hailed, have left the country an insuperable legacy of misgovernance, corruption, polarisation, and disaster. What is the fuss about Nigeria’s bungling first leaders? Nigeria produced youthful leaders in Nigeria for regrettable reasons, with truly pitiable consequences. (more…)

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Grimot Nane Zine

Lying and Recovery of Nigeria’s Loot

Lying and Recovery of Nigeria’s Loot

It is very brazen political lying to equate the refund of stolen funds to the state with political success or successful anti-corruption. Effective correction, detection and prevention are the all-round benchmarks of successful anti-corruption for any given democracy. Only proper correction can make precise detection worthwhile, which in turn makes adequate prevention robust. The recovery of stolen is the supererogatory part of the correction and legal punishment the obligatory part.

The successful prosecution and conviction of corrupt persons for corrupt practices without any recovery are also deemed successful anti-corruption. “Big theft, Big punishment” should be the motto of any serious anti-corruption government, not recovery. The recovery of stolen funds without formal legal correction is at best dysfunctional just like a car without wheels is dysfunctional. Recovery may be impressive in a backward country or to liars and the naïve but not in a civilised one or to politically aware people because there is an understanding of the impacts of “structural traumas of corruption “A political lie has started to unravel. (more…)

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Nigeria Decivilising: Governance by Self-Hating Leaders

Nigeria Decivilising: Governance by Self-Hating Leaders

The complete metamorphosis of the butterfly is a thoroughly adequate analogy for civilisation: the gradual progression from egg to slug to pupa to imago [the beautiful butterfly]. In the Nigerian context, it starts with the colonised state to the inexperienced independent nation-state to transitional nation-state to strong state. The furthest stage Nigeria ever go to was the ugly butterfly that never blossomed. However, after the initial euphoria of the return to democracy, it is now evident that Nigerian politicians and clergy are busy reversing the progress of the nation back into the stage of a slug as a consequence of their thefts and misrule; it suits them well. But does it suit the everyday citizens? (more…)

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Nigeria Needs a Fearsome Electorate
Courtesy Tope Asokere

Nigeria Needs a Fearsome Electorate

Nigeria Needs a Fearsome Electorate

Nigerians have, with habitual ease, allowed corrupt leaders and kakistocrats to enter positions of power and govern them. Either through coup d’état or fraudulent ballots. Then the resultant dissatisfaction they leave for even worse leaders to manage next time around. The cycle of corrupt leader to bad leader to worse leader has thus become a solid and stable equilibrium in the nation. Escaping, it seems unlikely. Most Nigerians wonder without end how to break the habit. Or bad elections end in order for good leaders to come into power. Then leaeders can foster best governance possible in the society. All by itself, this is a very mistaken expectation. (more…)

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Nigeria Needs Toe-to-Toe Politicians

Nigeria Needs Serious Politicians

Nigeria Needs Serious Politicians

A photograph of Hon Evance Ivwurie, Delta State legislator, appeared on Facebook a couple of years ago that uncannily emitted a tangible glimmer of hope out from the groundswell of the intractable political despair that grips Nigeria. The photograph showed Ivwurie vigorously searching for Fulani Herdsmen menacing the area, completely unarmed in the bush of Abraka (Delta State) with the unassailable expression of much physical energy, genuine indignation, utter fearlessness and a hint of finality. This article not another declamation about the terror of Fulani Herdsmen in Nigeria but grounds for the possibility of a necessary shift in the attitudes of elected officials towards adopting Serious Toe-to-Toe politics. (more…)

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Grimot Nane Zine

Uber’s License: A Nigerian Interest

The Uber License: A Nigerian Interest

In the UK and the USA, the spectre of Nigerians achieving academic excellence in institutions of higher learning everywhere has increasingly etched for itself a significant space in the folklore of immigration. Such widespread excellence is even used with dubious effect to show how Blacks born in America or in the UK are simply lazy, unambitious and even of criminal disposition. This is certainly the Hegemon’s and Black Conservative’s comfort; one side of an overstated story. The prospect of Uber, the mobile app taxi business, losing its UK licence for gross corporate irresponsibility exposed a most understated side of the story in a shockwave. (more…)

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Is the Expected Revolution in Nigeria Possible?

Is the Expected Revolution in Nigeria Possible?

Is the Expected Revolution in Nigeria Possible?

Many talking points in Nigeria and diaspora focus ever more on the undeniable necessity for a ‘proper revolution’ to happen. Revolution seems to be necessary to with decisiveness sort out the poly-faceted corruption and misgovernance entrenched in it. Such is withering away the country beyond recognition. Otherwise, talk of revolution is good for expressing various dimensions of despair. Notwithstanding, they do not represent the realities of revolution in the everyday chatter. The truth of it appears to be tacit and hiding in several brains. A thoroughgoing political revolution has a high cost that involves mass coordination, mass murder, mass destruction and mass deception [propaganda]; are Nigerians ready for that? How possible is it?

Lest we forget, younger people take revolution in any sphere of activity as a workable challenge. Accordingly, young people change the world every day. (more…)

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