Editorial

WITH advancements in science, it is good news that cancer is now being denied its capacity to continue to afflict and decimate humanity. Today, World Cancer Day, humanity should rejoice at the prospect of defeating this menace and commit itself more to the fight. For decades, the disease has consistently mocked efforts to tame it and whenever it…

DESPITE the frenetic nature of campaign shows and advertisement war being carried out by political parties, the debate making the round, over whether or not the election should take place as scheduled, is an ominous revelation of what the days ahead hold. It is a calculated outcome of a dangerous gambit by certain quarters of…

THE Abuja Accord signed by the presidential candidates of the political parties commits them, their agents, and their parties to violence-free elections. Against the backdrop of campaigns that are largely characterised by  emotiveness, threats and hate speeches, personal attacks, and mere promises of great things to come, the agreement was a good step that should reduce the pervasive fears. This, unfortunately, has…

EVEN as melodramatic as election times are, there are often red lines never to be trampled for the sake of the health of the polity. This, tragically, appears meaningless to many Nigerian politicians. In a political climate where issues-based campaign has been wanting and power, a tool for the allocation of values, has transformed into…

THE execution, for the offence of drug trafficking in Indonesia, of two Nigerians along with a number of others is regrettable, a dent on the image of Nigeria and an embarrassment to its citizens. While the outrage of many Nigerians who cringed at the news of the killing of their compatriots is understandable, the lessons…

THE reduction of petrol price from N97 to N87 per litre has rightly failed to elicit excitement from Nigerians because what the government has offered is neither a palliative nor a truthful representation of what the price should be. The development has indeed inexorably shown the Federal Government to be unresponsive as long as it is unable to adequately provide answers to these questions: at what point would  the…

THE allegations of sabotage of Federal Government’s rice policy by some investors deserve thorough investigations and sanctions where applicable. Attempting to get around rules and regulations at the expense of the consumers is bad enough, but the alleged loss of a huge sum of N36.56 billion by the government over exceeded import quotas is highly…

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s surprise visit to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to commemorate the Armed Forces Remembrance Day the other day was very appropriate.  But it was also appropriately questioned in intent, merit and purpose by Nigerians. Besides his inexplicable inability to visit Borno and two contiguous others – Yobe and Adamawa –  ordinarily, as…

WHEN Industry, Trade and Investment minister, Olusegun Aganga, disclosed the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s plan towards ending the country’s depressing regime of fuel importation in 2018 and highlighted its conscious efforts at making more of non-oil exports to boost revenue, the excitement that followed was not surprising. But if past initiatives and especially the conflicting policy…

WHEN there are threats to the major source of its revenue, any responsible government would definitely consider a head-long confrontation of such. It is a shame, therefore, that the Nigerian government has instead chosen to neglect the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos leading to the two ports which serve as gateways to the nation’s economy. Gridlock occasioned…

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s recent declaration that his generation has failed Nigerians would ordinarily have been dismissed as an election campaign punch line against his political opponent. But when interpreted within the context of an earlier event, where he accused elderly Nigerians of being the cause of Nigeria’s troubles owing to their misguided utterances and indecorous…

THE controversy over the alleged depletion of the nation’s foreign reserves and Excess Crude Account (ECA) offers Nigerian leaders and the citizens a lesson beyond who is right or wrong:  It is an urgent call for  more transparency in the management of the nation’s finances.    The controversy began when former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some other Nigerians…