Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

Thabo Mbeki FORMER South African President, Thabo Mbeki’s contention that ordinary Nigerians deserve as much blame as the politicians for the leadership failure in the country provides a valid platform for the re-evaluation of citizens’ role in governance in Nigeria. According to the man who took over the mantle of leadership from the great Nelson Mandela, it is only the citizens themselves that can put a stop to bad leadership. We agree. Democracy’s efficacy and legitimacy are predicated on an informed citizenry; without active and knowledgeable citizens, democratic representation remains empty; without vigilant, informed citizens, there is no check on potential tyranny. Mbeki’s position quickly brings to mind the statement credited to a French historian and political thinker, Alexis de Tocqueville, that “in a democracy, the people get the government they deserve.” Given his background as an activist and freedom fighter, whose struggles helped to bring down the obnoxious aparth...

AON boss Worried by the unending crisis in the  aviation sector, President, Chartered Institute of  Aviation of Nigeria,  and Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria  Dr, Steve Mahonwu, says  air safety could only be ensured through improvement in  equipment and facilities at the airports . Mahonwu, who spoke at the 23rd convocation/ matriculation ceremony of the Institute Of Transport and Management Technology and official opening of International Training Centre of the institute, noted that aviation is a dynamic business and urged the country to imbibe the culture of training and retraining to promote aviation dynamics. He explained that the opening of the of the  institute’s International Training Centre  marks a new dimension in the  transport sector as technology was being enhanced through training and retraining, adding that  aviation safety is a continuous  phenomenon . The former  Transport and Aviation Minister,L...

A Niger State magistrate court sitting in Minna, the state capital, has sentenced one Isah Aliyu to five years imprisonment for intending to sell his 9-year-old child for N10m. The 30-year-old man attributed his action to poverty. The incident occurred on November 15 when the buyer, one Mallam Magaji, agreed to buy the child for N7 million. But the buyer promised to pay half of the money and balance at a later date. The father of the child was said to have refused because of his desperation to collect the N7 million at once. After the negotiation, the father agreed to the half payment but, instead of bringing the money, the buyer headed for the police station to report the deal. The police then followed Magaji to the meeting place and arrested Aliyu who was still waiting for the money so that he could hand over his son. Aliyu was charged to court under the clause prohibiting selling of child in the Niger State Child’s Right Act. Aliyu pleaded guilty and was summarily sentenced to ...

Alh. Lai Mohammed With the governorship election  in Anambra State declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and mixed reactions trailing the outcome, the interim National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, argues, in this interview, that the exercise remains irredeemably defective. Excerpts: The governorship election in Anambra State has come and gone… It has not gone. Okay it is still ongoing but while some are calling for outright cancellation of the election,   INEC has vowed to go ahead with a supplementary election. What  happens if it goes ahead with the supplementary poll? There are many options to be explored and such options will be discussed at the NEC meeting of the party. But what does INEC mean by supplementary election? The November 16 governorship election  in Anambra  State is irredeemably defective. We do not understand what INEC means by supplementary electi...

The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated the Committees on Petroleum resources (Upstream and Downstream), National Planning and Finance, to investigate relevant government agencies over dwindling oil revenue in Nigeria. The committees are expected to report back to the House within four weeks. This resolution followed a motion moved by Rep. Ben Nwankwo ( PDP-Anambra) which was unanimously adopted. Nwankwo said that the near total dependence on oil as the major source of revenue had almost reduced the country to a mono-product economy. “This reliance on oil has made Nigeria’s economy not only fragile but also extremely vulnerable and under constant threats from even the slightest developments in the world oil market,’’ he said. According to him, Nigeria’s crude oil market is under serious threat arising from the discovery of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing or franking. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that franking is a process of forcing water, chemicals and...

French authorities were able to identify the suspect in a series of shootings in Paris thanks to a man who recognized him and approached police Monday, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Thursday. Abdelhakim Dekhar allegedly shot a photographer at the daily newspaper Liberation in Paris on Monday. Dekhar was semiconscious because of medications when he was apprehended Wednesday night, Molins said. He was also linked by DNA samples to bullet shell casings and a car that was seized Monday, according to the prosecutor. That car had been carjacked near the Societe Generale bank towers in the Paris neighborhood of La Defense. Authorities are studying a 15-year-old psychiatric report on Dekhar to try to understand his motivation. The report showed no psychiatric abnormalities, Molins said, though it indicated obsessive tendencies. On Thursday, French President Francois Hollande thanked police for capturing him. It "prevented the worst from happening again," he ...

The Special Task Force (STF) in Jos on Wednesday confirmed that rustlers killed two herdsmen and injured another during an attack at Foron community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau The incident occurred on Tuesday. The spokesman of the STF, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, said that “at least two people were killed. The other person injured during the attack is receiving treatment in a hospital’’. The spokesman said the STF was, however, investigating the incident. The Public Relations Officer of Plateau Police Command, Mrs Felicia Anselem, who also confirmed the incident, however, said only one person lost his life during the attack. “The gunmen on Tuesday night killed one cattle rearer and injured another person during the attack,’’ she said. The spokesman said 120 cows were also rustled by the attackers. “The police are investigating the matter to unearth those behind the murder and robbery,’’ she said. She called on members of the public with vital information on the incident...