Tag: Governance

Alex Ekwueme: Asking the Wrong Questions

In his book, Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon added a thought-provoking quote: “If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.” Getting citizens to look at the wrong places has been a key operating principle for governments around the world disinterested in true accountability nor doing right by their citizens. Trying to get at a problem without asking the right questions is like trying to diagnose pregnancy by asking if a mosquito recently bit a lady. Unfortunately, Nigerians flirt with such irrelevant questioning. Continue reading “Alex Ekwueme: Asking the Wrong Questions” →

Theorising Nigerian Hatred

Let me begin with a quote by George Washington Carver. He wrote that “Fear of something is at the root of hate for others, and hate within will eventually destroy the hater.” Since most calls for secession in Nigeria are linked to hatred of one tribe or region for the other, Carver’s theory stipulates that Nigerians are afraid of something; something so fearsome as to trigger vitriolic hatred. Continue reading “Theorising Nigerian Hatred” →

Biafra and the Knifing Calls

In recent times, the Nigerian polity has been flooded with secession calls by Nnamdi Kanu’s organisation, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu’s request has been quite clear: take a knife, carve out Nigeria’s “Biafra region” and let it become an independent nation. In the midst of debates on what areas constitute the requested Biafra, secession calls have also come from other parts of the country. Apparently, many persons are tired of Nigeria’s present composition and feel a divorce is the best way forward. Continue reading “Biafra and the Knifing Calls” →

Taking Nigeria Back

Newton’s first law of motion states that “a body at rest would remain at rest unless a force acts on it”. If this sentence does not seem simple enough, here’s a street person’s rephrasing: “a football would not move until someone or something (e.g. wind) pushes it”. Something must make a move. This is a simple rule that Nigerians have not learned. Nigerians can pray and hope for ten million years, but don’t forget that even David had to pick stones and face Goliath. Without some action, most prayers are useless. Yes, I said that, and I’m a Christian. Continue reading “Taking Nigeria Back” →

Much Ado about Cars

Someone once said that leadership involves leaders making sacrifices for the greater good of the organization, just as many parents deny themselves of certain rights and privileges in order to make a better life for their families. That someone obviously had no inkling of Nigerian leadership. In Nigeria, sacrifices are the exclusive preserve of the followers. Continue reading “Much Ado about Cars” →

Nigeria’s Information Age

In a country where access to government data was once the exclusive preserve of a connected few, the tides have started to change. In recent years, new government policies and agitations by civil society groups have expanded the range of data available to the public. The issue right now is whether Nigerians are willing and ready to use the available tools to hold their government accountable. Continue reading “Nigeria’s Information Age” →