Tag: corruption

Randoms

Ajaokuta, Also Known as Nigeria

Jilomes

It’s been a while since I wrote any article. I have been thoroughly submerged by work, yet it is work that has birthed this article. I recently had a short stay in Ajaokuta to undertake certain assignments for my employer within the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited. Of course, I cannot tell why I was inside the famous plant, but having been there, the parallels between that infamous place and Nigeria were enough to inspire this article with hope that some may learn a thing or two from the corroding potentials that seem only good for grasses, snakes, and apes.

Continue reading “Ajaokuta, Also Known as Nigeria” →
Change

“Not for Sale”: The Dysfunctional Normal

Jilomes

We begin this article with two quotes that should set the stage, and may even be adequate as a concise summary for the day.

“Man [Nigeria] is not suffering by external forces as much as his [its] own dysfunctional mind and self inflicted negative stimulus.”

Aditya Ajmera

“When a big vision meets a dysfunctional system, the dysfunctional system wins every time. Fix the system and success will flourish!”

Daren Martin
Continue reading ““Not for Sale”: The Dysfunctional Normal” →
Change

COVIDIOTS, COVID-19 and a Question of Trust

Jilomes

Let me set the stage for this article by juxtaposing quotes from two American politicians.

“The real cost of corruption in government, whether it is local, state, or federal, is a loss of the public trust”

Mike Quigley

“We can only have true public safety with public trust”

Betsy Hodges
Continue reading “COVIDIOTS, COVID-19 and a Question of Trust” →
Change, Politics

Of A General, His Colonel, and Justice

Jilomes

The famed novelist, Salman Rushdie once opined that “Two things form the bedrock of any open society – freedom of expression and rule of law. If you don’t have those things, you don’t have a free country.” If these two are essential ingredients, then it may be debatable whether Nigeria, “Africa’s largest democracy”, is a “free country”; “free” in the sense that citizens are assured of the government and society’s commitment to the rule of law. Talking about commitment to the rule of law, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Retd.) was just released after four years of confinement, with serious questions about the place of the rule of law in Nigeria.

Continue reading “Of A General, His Colonel, and Justice” →
Politics, Randoms

Metele: A Fork in History?

Jilomes

It is no longer news that Nigeria got screwed in the week of 18 November 2018. This article was triggered by a grievous tweet. My country just lost over 100 trained soldiers in one week. That’s enough to upset me.

Continue reading “Metele: A Fork in History?” →

NYSC, Politics

Kemi Adeosun: Beyond a Resignation

Jilomes

It is no longer news that Mrs Folakemi Adeosun is no longer the Nigerian Minister of Finance. If like Jesus on the way to Emmaus, you are unaware of the events surrounding her exit, you might want to read the Premium Times (PT) article that set off the stack of dominoes. While Nigerians continue discussing her exit, amidst insinuations that the announcement was timed to obfuscate President Buhari’s latest SSS appointment, my view is that her resignation should not be an end in itself but rather, the start of a reflective process.  Continue reading “Kemi Adeosun: Beyond a Resignation” →

Change, Politics

SARS: When Lawlessness is the Law

Jilomes

“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

There is this crude joke by some Nigerians that should they find themselves being sentenced to hell, they would argue that God should not cause double jeopardy since their lifetime in Nigeria was spent in hell. While this joke may seem out of place, it highlights what some (maybe many) Nigerians think about living in a country where illegality is legal.  Continue reading “SARS: When Lawlessness is the Law” →

Politics

A Tale of a Corrupt Saint

Jilomes

What better quote to start this article than one by Vladimir Putin: “Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves.” In case you’re wondering if this was said by the famous (or infamous) Russian president, allow me to calm your nerves. Even I hoped this Putin is the Putin we love to hate, and alas he is the author of this starter quote. I think Putin preaching against corruption is like a beautiful oxymoron. That’s why this quote launches today’s article about Nigeria’s corrupt saint.  Continue reading “A Tale of a Corrupt Saint” →

Politics

Unidentified Monetary Objects

Jilomes

The story of this world is one of several mysteries with varying degrees of mysteriousness. Whether one subscribes to the creation story or the big bang hypothesis, a prevalent cloud of mystery cannot be avoided. In fact, to be human is to accept the mysterious, to accept that for some things, the more you look, the more confused you become. Being human, we accept the complexity of some unfathomable mysteries. However, when some persons decide to present clean water as opaque charcoal, our collective intelligence is affronted. Here begins a look at Nigeria’s newest mystery, crafted in the opulence of Ikoyi. Continue reading “Unidentified Monetary Objects” →

Change, Politics

Future for Sale

Jilomes

In Proverbs 13:22, where it was written that “a good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children”, a good heart and a thinking mind that looks at the future must have been the focus of that verse. Creating the kind of wealth that transcends generations is not in the purview of those the King James translation would tag “simple”. Extending this verse to the realm of countries and leadership, we can say that “a good leader creates a buoyant future for coming generations”. Unfortunately for Nigeria, its leaders have expertise in selling the future, doing what Niyi Osundare would describe as “eating tomorrow’s yam today”. Continue reading “Future for Sale” →