If I were a northern elder….

Also published in Daily Trust

Though since its independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has managed to contain many of its serious challenges without necessarily addressing them, and even survived existential threats, many observers rightly believe that, the situation is simply unsustainable.

For instance in his aptly titled book, Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink, John Campbell, a former US Ambassador to Nigeria addresses the situation in the country and warns of an inevitable state failure if the status-quo persists.

Obviously one doesn’t have to conduct any research to realize and confirm this fact. Because against the backdrop of the worsening sense of frustration among the general public, deepening public polarization along regional and ethno-religious divides, deteriorating security and socio-economic conditions, shrinking public confidence in the increasingly confused political elites who also lack political will to tackle the crises, a spontaneous system collapse can’t be ruled out.

Rethinking the national conference

Also published in Daily Trust

Though last week I argued that, the ongoing National Conference would simply end the same way the previous National Conferences ended, I had to rethink my stand when I learned that this Conference recommendations would be subjected to a national referendum, as confirmed by President Jonathan who also called on the National Assembly to expedite the process of the ongoing constitution review as it relates to the provision of  the necessary clause, which would allow for conducting a referendum on this Conference recommendations.

That development also vindicated some observers particularly from the northern part of Nigeria who had suspected government’s motives for convening the Conference. Besides, though in his speech during the Conference inauguration, President Jonathan advised the delegates to work for strengthening the country’s unity, I wonder how could that be possible in the light of some of the focus areas he listed on which the delegates can deliberate and possibly come up with recommendations to be subjected to a referendum.

Intrigues of political containment

Also published in Daily Trust

Though political power invariably comes with privileges, the disproportionate amount of privilege that unnecessarily comes with it in Nigeria explains the desperation of Nigerian politicians to get and keep power at any cost, especially considering the prevailing culture of monumental corruption and impunity in the county.

Nevertheless, in view of how similar challenges in many other rich but underdeveloped countries particularly in Africa easily lead to uncontainable chaos and total systemic failure, Nigerian politicians perhaps deserve some credit for keeping the country away from similar fate ever since the end of its unfortunate civil war more than four decades ago.

Apathy vs. audacity

Also published in Daily Trust

Contrary to the assumption that Boko Haram security crisis is the result of a grand conspiracy plotted against Nigeria, the north or Muslims, I believe and have always argued that there is indeed Boko Haram as a group and as a deviant ideological phenomenon also.   

Nevertheless, in view of how these desperate AK-47-clutching terrorists continue to exhaust and indeed overwhelm the presumably better-trained, better equipped, and supposedly motivated Nigerian army and other security agents, I began to look for a plausible explanation of the mystery behind the recurrent escalation of terror activities and the persistent failure of the military to tackle it.