Politics – Page 2

Underachievement Has A Face Draped In Green

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022 Jilomes

Achievements are an extremely subjective sphere of discussion; so nebulous that any attempt to discuss them should first try to define an acceptable framework, yet whatever framework is crafted could still be argued as unfair by some. This applies to almost everything, including countries, though for sovereign confines, we may borrow from businesses to define “national imperative” as the requirement for nations to perpetually seek the betterment of their people to match or exceed other nations with similar endowments and constrictions. It is on this basis that we will judge Nigeria at 62.

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Change, Politics

Who Made It Anathema to Move On?

September 11, 2022September 11, 2022 Jilomes

The only time a competitive swimmer can benefit from having a weight attached is during training when strength is being enhanced. Beyond that time, any swimmer who chooses to compete with a weight attached, except where the competitors are neonates, would have to be content with negotiating the terms for the last place, or if the weight were weighty enough, risk injury or even drowning. As physicists would say, such person would have a lot of displaced water from flapping arms but hardly any directional displacement. This seems to be the condition of the African community.

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Politics, Travelling

For the Love of Bans

September 10, 2022 Jilomes

In January 2020, the Lagos State Government announced a state-wide ban on commercial motorcycles for a range of offences, including causing many road users to lose limbs and other body parts. Whereas the ban was on all motorcycles, it was perceived as a move against Gokada, Max, and similar startups, especially as conventional bikes were soon back on the roads complying with the daily extortionary and ultra-official cash fees paid to enforcers (“agberos”) on the roads. Effective 1^st September 2022, there is now another ban covering many parts of the state, which extends an earlier ban that had fewer areas included.

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Change, Politics

Nigeria and a Season of Tough Decisions

August 25, 2022 Jilomes

We start today with three strong assertions. First, “Nigeria is in a mess”. Secondly, “There is no Messiah to fix Nigeria”. Thirdly, “Nigeria can be fixed”. We would go further to amend the third to say, “Nigeria can be fixed with good leadership that can make politically-ruinous choices and citizens willing to allow the necessary compromises”. If you understand the import of those twenty words, we can continue the rest of this article.

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Energy, Politics

₦40 per Litre: Local Refining to Save Nigeria

June 26, 2022June 26, 2022 Jilomes

I wonder what Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, would have witnessed to trigger his assertion that “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true”. Usually, a lack of information makes people susceptible to being fooled, especially when they are marinated in well-spun tales generously adorned with the best spices of propaganda. But there is another set who ordinarily should or seem to have relevant information, yet choose to be fooled. With regards to arguments about local refining in Nigeria, it is such persons that should get Soren’s hammer.

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Energy, Politics

Only One Earth: To Protect or Not

June 21, 2022 Jilomes

“In some cases, in order to protect global issues, some sacrifice for national interest is worth it in the long run”
Dalai Lama

For this year’s World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chose to repeat an instructive theme first used five decades ago. “Only One Earth” reinforces the message that we need to protect the earth because it is the only liveable planet we currently have. In light of this, the Dalai Lama’s quote above would appear germane, especially as it was made in reference to climate issues. However, recent developments worsened by the Russo-Ukrainian war makes one wonder if the main proponents of the fight against climate change really have their mouths where their heart is.

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Change, Politics

A Straight Line from Rwanda to Nigeria

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022 Jilomes

Of all the genocides in recorded history, the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 arguably takes pole position for the level of brutality and carnage that saw around a million persons (varying estimates) butchered within a period of 100 days. To put the scale of death in context, the Rwandan population in 1994 was about 6 million persons. Via a recent trip to Rwanda, I learned a bit more about the infamous genocide and could not avoid seeing parallels between 1994 Rwanda and today’s Nigeria.

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Change, Politics

A Nation in Need of Redemption

April 4, 2022 Jilomes

In November 2018, over 100 Nigerian soldiers were gruesomely slaughtered at a town called Metele by a contingent of Boko Haram terrorists. That sad event influenced an article in which I argued that losing that many soldiers in one sitting should mark a turning point in existing attempts to exterminate the murderous gang. But Metele was brushed aside and almost four years later, Nigeria continues to face existential threats to its continued existence and a loss of faith by citizens that the people who should know, know what they should know.

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Change, Politics

Of Easy Wins and Persistent Troubles

March 13, 2022 Jilomes

Behold an article that has been on my mind for some time, morphing as I consider one scenario after another. A quote by the American Chuck Norris might dare to succinctly capture my thoughts as I type this article.

“I’ve always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you’ve got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles en route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish.”
Chuck Norris

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Change, Politics

#EndSARS: 365 Days from October the Twentieth

October 20, 2021 Jilomes

French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr declared in 1849 that “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. From a literal interpretation, if things that are changing end up being like the former state, how much more when no attempt is made at creating a change, or when such change, though promised, takes up residence in a large void filled with disclaimed promises. One year after the popular protests tagged #EndSARS, has anything really changed with Nigerian policing?

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