Reflections on subsidy debate

Also published in Daily Trust

The controversy that trailed the recent removal of oil subsidy triggered an interesting debate amongst Nigerians with divergent opinions on the issue. Nigerian economists, in particular, both the literalists who hardly see beyond the literal meanings of the economic theories they have learnt, and the pragmatists who supposedly view such theories in the context of Nigeria’s peculiar socio-economic circumstances, argued over its economic implications, advantages and disadvantages in the short, medium and long term. Likewise, other intellectuals in various academic fields and elsewhere, the barely educated, and even uneducated passionately expressed their views against or in favour of its removal. 

Being a free-for-all right from the start, the debate was unfortunately marred by rudeness and intolerance that characterized the approaches of many contributors especially on social media and other internet platforms where allegations and insults were traded. In fact, even some otherwise respected public commentators went to the extent of making insulting innuendoes against those holding contrary views on the issue.

Confessions and the question of conscience

Also published in Daily Trust

My column, titled ‘The politics of kayan aiki’ (Daily Trust, March 27, 2015) on the eve of the presidential election last year, dwelt on the flow of staggering amounts of kayan aiki (i.e. funds used to influence and manipulate election results) that literally flooded the country’s political scene during the campaign period. The sharing spree of kayan aiki at that time was simply too extravagant to elude even a casual observer. Also, due to the sheer amount of money involved, the beneficiaries ended up richer, of course according to the extent of their respective connections in the corridors of power and abilities to manipulate circumstances.  

Though election campaign in a capitalist-oriented political system e.g. Western-style democracy, necessarily, albeit unfortunately, entails spending huge amounts of money largely raised by individuals and vested interests, the situation in Nigeria is particularly unfortunate. Unlike elsewhere, election season in Nigeria is characterized by massive and systematic plundering of public treasury by the incumbent public office holders hell-bent on clinging to power at all cost. Their accomplices in the private sector also contribute individually and collectively to ensure the victory of their benefactors and partners in crime. For instance, the N23bn involved in the ongoing poll bribery scandal was part of such accomplices’ contributions from oil industry, to bribe Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) officials in order to tamper with the election result in favour of the incumbent president then. 

The plight of Dr. Afridi

Also published in Daily Trust

Five years ago, the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) conducted one of its most audacious yet clandestine operations in which it killed Osama Bin Laden who was, until his death, the most wanted person in the world. Bin Laden was widely believed to be the mastermind behind some of the worst attacks that targeted the US interests within and outside the United States, e.g. the 1998 almost simultaneous terror bomb attacks on its embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the 2000 bomb attack on its giant naval guided-missile destroyer, USS Cole, in Aden, Yemen, and, of course, the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in New York and Washington DC. 

The United States, therefore, had launched a global manhunt to capture or assassinate him, in the context of its controversial global war on terror, which it declared in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the wake of which it literally went berserk breaching the sovereignty of many countries, and actually invaded some others, witch-hunted organizations, persecuted and victimized individuals, in a blatant disregard for its own relevant laws and the applicable international laws, as well, under the pretext of counterterrorism. Its arrogant and megalomaniac former President, George W. Bush Jr, in whose tenure the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred was particularly reckless in this regard. 

Pitying the President

Also published in Daily Trust

Though the plight of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians enduring the current wave of economic hardship, which is said to be the worst ever in the country, is indeed heartbreaking, President Buhari himself attracts pity as well, under these circumstances, albeit certainly not for the same reason, for obvious reason. He, instead, attracts pity in view of the sheer magnitude and complexity of the challenges bedevilling his presidency amid mounting expectations of the extremely exhausted hence rightly impatient Nigerians desperate for change after decades of groaning under excruciating poverty and misery. This, however, doesn’t de-emphasize his obligations as President, let alone justify his failure to deliver, anyway.

Having come to power as arguably the most reputable public figure in Nigeria who has over the decades earned and maintained an enviable reputation for honesty, President Buhari has been caught up in a quagmire represented by the largely apathetic and, in fact, obstructive civil servants and political office holders, on the one hand, and a populace that, though is desperate for change, yet is largely resistant to what real change entails, on the other.

Global peace in Islamic perspective (lV)

Also published in Daily Trust  

The pursuit of real global peace is obviously a collective responsibility that requires concerted efforts by all countries as well as regional, continental and international governmental bodies to achieve. The process to attain it, therefore, is unavoidably complex, because it, among other things, involves dealing with increasingly conflicting priorities and interests of many countries from various cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as some powerful vested interests with conflicting agendas that influence the course of international politics today.

In any case, Islam enjoins Muslims, as individuals, communities and governments, to actively participate in any undertaking aimed at achieving positive, constructive and productive things for the humanity. Besides, Islam maintains a particular emphasis on the need to maintain peaceful coexistence among people to ensure adequate protection of human life, wellbeing, property, dignity, among other things. In fact, Islam enjoins Muslims to cooperate with even hostile individuals, communities or entities in order to achieve strategic common interests e.g. peace. Islamic civilization, starting from the era of the messenger of Allah, to the successive Caliphates of his four rightly guided Caliphs and the subsequent Muslim empires and emirates across the world, if full of such instances that show Islamic principled socio-political and diplomatic pragmatism.