NBA Goofed On Arrest of Judges!

NBA Goofed On Arrest of Judges

Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.

I watched with utter dismay, as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) surrounded by other prominent lawyers badmouthed the actions of the DSS which culminated in the arrest of some judges on Saturday, October 8, 2016

As the world has become aware, some judges in Nigeria were arrested on the allegation of fraud, and the arrests were conducted in a nationwide raid or sting, orchestrated by the DSS, armed with adequate prosecutable information with equally adequate and sufficient Probable Cause!

A majority of Nigerians are elated and ecstatic to learn of these arrests, particularly so, given the sacred position, the exalted and hallowed position judges hold in upholding Justice, Due Process and The Rule of Law

Nigeria has for far too long witnessed the profound absence of justice, and the equally profound absence of the Due Process and the Rule of Law, which has led to impunity and lawlessness at all levels.

Nigeria has witnessed and continues to witness regression in all facets of life, as no one plays by the rules or follows laid down processes and pay complete obeisance to the rule of law.

I have often said privately and publicly, that efforts to fight corruption by current federal government or any future government must begin with the judiciary and the police and or other law enforcement agencies.

When judges and policing agencies cannot be bribed, a majority of those Nigerians who have made impunity and lawlessness their vocation and profession; would soon fall in line.

It is the case that in Nigeria, there are great and good laws and rules regarding human conditions. However, most laws are not enforced, implemented or obeyed. Laws and rules in Nigeria are observed in their breaches!

The simplest of processes in Nigeria have become warped, twisted and perverted, and as a consequence, simple processes are made to become unnecessarily complex and complicated. Simple actions are made to take too long and extremely expensive, stressful and or frustratingly cumbersome!

The judges arrested on Saturday October 8, 2016 are said to have made useful statements to law enforcement agencies and the policing authorities. Documents were said to have been recovered from the allegedly erring judges who were arrested.

It is the case that large sums of monies were said to have been recovered from each of the arrested judges - hundreds of millions of Naira, US Dollars, British pounds and Euros were recovered from the arrested judges. Let the arrested judges defend themselves. Let them reconcile their salaries with their sudden wealth or stash of cash or loads of loots and avarice! And yes, I do believe in and subscribe the Presumption of Innocence!

Law enforcement agencies will soon reveal the contents of statements made by these culprit judges. Most probably, these said judges have filed statements of their assets prior to their arrest, and secondly, the said judges would explain why they have these extraordinarily large amounts in their homes as opposed to lodgements with their various banks.

It does appear that these arrested judges, were scared to deposit the monies which they received from their sale of matches, toothpicks and sachets of water, as the Bank Verification Number rule or regime, has made it a little more difficult to bank almost anonymously and through proxies as a certain lady was recently accused of banking by proxies, while retaining all the benefits and ATM cards, even though the accounts in question bore the names and images of other persons!

It is quite astonishing, astounding and even outlandish, that the NBA executive would defend the obviously indefensible judges! The NBA President was heard and seen condemning the arrests of these judges, and referring to the process as Gestapo style, despite the fact that the DSS operations was preceded by petitions of allegations of these judges accepting bribes and perverting justice!

The DSS have Probable Cause(s) to conduct the arrests, and the DSS may have reasons to believe that the targeted judges would flee or hide or destroy the evidences of their alleged crimes.

The NBA President seems to misunderstand or he has wilfully misinterpreted Due Process and Rule of Law with his suggestion that the arrest of the judges should not have taken place because (a) DSS is not the Nigeria Police and (b) DSS or even the police may not arrest the judges at all, particularly at the particular hours of the morning!

It is my opinion that the DSS acted within the scope of their statutory assignment and that the DSS acted properly in conducting the arrest at the particular hours, to prevent flight, or escape by the arrested judges and as well as the DSS desire to ensure that proceeds of crimes are not destroyed or taken out of jurisdiction, including other tactical and strategic reasons which may have informed and prompted the DSS to act in the manner and the time their operatives acted.

I strongly believe that the DSS have adequate and sufficient information, and now, evidence to prosecute, hence these audacious arrests and bribe loot recoveries as have been announced by the DSS. The DSS certainly know more than what the public currently knows, they may have had exigent circumstances as to likelihood of flight or disappearance of the judges arrested, and the targeted corruption proceeds!

It is really disappointing to regularly and too often see Nigerian lawyers, and worse the NBA executives become tools with which the corrupt political class shield themselves…. Judges and members of the political class openly, conspicuously, ostentatiously and brazenly corrupt and break any and every law with impunity, while setting slush funds aside to hire 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria to defend the indefensible!

The Nigerian nation and her citizens are not living to their full potentials as a result of corruption of every process. Elections are predictably rigged, judges are predictably for the highest bidders, budgets are routinely passed but monies so appropriated are predictably stolen or plundered, and then law enforcement agencies engage in some sort of “Catch-and Release” and the cycle perpetrates and perpetuates!

Budgets for roads, bridges and public infrastructures never get spent on roads and bridges or other public infrastructures hence they are decayed and decrepit nationwide. There are front-loading and unwarranted upward appraisals of contract prices. Monies budgeted for equipment and medicines never get to the target hospitals. Hence, Nigerian hospitals are bereft of modern state of the art medical diagnostic and treatment tools and or medicines. Medical doctors are frequently on strike nationally, and this is why your cousin will not find a doctor or medicine in his neighbourhood hospital tomorrow.

The generator in your home is running right now, as there is no municipal electricity, because the budget for electricity generation and transmission has evaporated through corruption, and nationally, Nigerians can count more generators than citizens!

Stupidity should have consequences and law breaking should receive sanction(s) but, currently in Nigeria, there is a dearth or even the complete absence of integrity. A corrupt judge is worse than an armed robber because a corrupt judge perverts justice, law and processes. Such judges, where there are allegations and probable cause, should be arrested and punished. Corrupt judge are odious and inimical to the very essence of justice, corrupt judges should be exposed and subject to public opprobrium.

When and if a law enforcement agency discovers that a crime has been committed, is being committed or likely to be committed, it’s incumbent on upon such a law enforcer to arrest the offender without dithering. Prompt and legal arrest is an imperative! We do not ask armed robbers in Nigeria for permission to arrest them. So, why should we ask judges for permission to arrest them, when and if there is a probable cause, predicate and foundation for their arrest?

Corrupt judges thwart the very fundamental social order, the rule of law and due process to which they are supposed to pay complete obeisance. As we all must realize, the absence of law and order permits lawlessness!

God Is In-charge, In Control; Not Governors or the President

God Is In-charge, In Control; Not Governors or the President

Written Paul I, Adujie Esq.

God Tired! I am God Tired! Tired of God Excuses!  Everything in Nigeria has God element or happens because of God and when things are not the way they were intended to be, such things are summarily and speedily put in God’s hands! But Nigerians must realize that…. All prayer and no work is bad for any nation!

A majority of Nigerians are disillusioned as they have been metaphorically dying of expectation fatigue for so long; quite unfortunately, most Nigerians will not admit their disillusionment and expectation fatigue

Consequently, it does appear as if a majority of the Nigerian population have agreed and accepted the idea of not making anyone accountable or responsible for the persisting national funks and malaises

Nigerians have invented a model, which holds no one responsible for sundry national miseries, even as the national human misery index has become extreme over the years.

All sectors of national life are in a state of dysfunction, therefore, the populace have decided not to confront these endless national abnormalities, and the persons, entities and political subdivisions whose duties, responsibilities and obligations are to deal, tackle, correct and or prevent these abnormalities in the first place

A majority of the Nigerian population, as if at Annual General Meeting or some sorts of national referendum, have decided that it is pointless in the most absolute sense, to hold anyone or any entity responsible for the miserable human condition which is pervasive in Nigeria

A-cure-all has been invented to cure this desperate human condition in Nigeria. God is that cure-all, uniformly, for a majority of Nigerians of every religious, ethnic, linguistic and regional background.

Wife of former president of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan became the poster-boy for expressing extreme frustrations through supplications to God… as she expressed her frustrations and helplessness, at what she saw as political conspiracy against her husband, the president of Nigeria at the time, President Goodluck Jonathan….with her now very popular “There is God O!” a terminology which has now entrenched itself into the national lexicon and vocabulary.

Nigerians are liable to heap every national failure at the doorsteps of God! A given president or governor or the state and national political leadership is given a pass or absolved in the face of profound failures, with supplications to God. There is God! A variation of this appeal to the skies is,” It is well”

The trouble with these inanities and supplications to the skies and winds, are that, the abject human conditions persists and often worsens! The acknowledgement or pretence of sudden realization that There-is-God or that, or that… It-Is-Well does not alter the physical condition at hand, which may have warranted the exclamations-supplications!

All reasonable persons should want to know from the long-suffering Nigerians, how exactly, the repeat of the extremely banal statements of There-Is-God or It-Is-Well strengthens anyone? These statements merely put the long-suffering Nigerians in a state of denial, or a state of anomie and put them to sleep mentally, without the requisite agitation minds required for necessary and needed actions!

I take the view that these inane statements, actually encourages inaction and worse, pacify the long-suffering population into accepting extremely abnormal conditions, as if normal.

Similarly, it does appear that, economic and political difficulties have unfurled or stimulated vigorous religious beliefs this probably explains the fact that religion is the only growth industry in Nigeria.

Nigeria has become a place where prayers is substitute for necessary, concerted and sustained actions for addressing economic, political and even technical issues.

The average Nigerian will agree, voluntarily, to travel in a vehicle with three tyres, soon after and so long as, the ubiquitous Man-of-God has prayed over the vehicle and he has dutifully covered the vehicle with an elaborate amount of the blood of Jesus! And then, everyone feels “safe” to travel in a vehicle which is obviously in a state of extreme disrepair, therefore not road-worthy due to poor maintenance!

A majority of maniacs and lunatics who call themselves drivers on Nigerian roads, are prayer-warriors, soon after they pray, they embark on death-defying highway driving stunts or manoeuvres while believing that they are accident-proof, having been fortified by the blood of Jesus and the saliva Angel Gabriel, Jesus’ cousin!

Prayer is substitute for good vehicle maintenance! Prayer is substitute for Rules-of-the-Road, and careful driving, prayers is substitute for reasonableness or common sense measures which ought to make good driving.

Too many Nigerians appear to live in fools’ paradise, in their beliefs in the power of the skies and the winds, in the power of the illogical, the implausible and the unscientific, the Nigerian life is in a prescientific state; Nigeria is for the most part, a prescientific society.

A majority of people in Nigeria, claim belief in Democracy, Due Process and The Rule of Law, but, too frequently, same characters are liable to resort to lawlessness and its cousin, impunity. It is the height of imbecilic infantilism to espouse belief in democracy, then, rig elections! It is a shame to believe in The Rule of Law, while paying to pervert justice with the agreement of the majority! Many pretend that they subscribe to Due Process or processes, until it concerns them, then all processes must evaporate, in order to promote the interests of one, against all and societal best interests.

Nigeria was not always this way! The Nigeria of my childhood was remarkably different and better! Nigeria was certainly never perfect, but, there were public officials who performed, there were police officers who enforced the law, there were Vehicle Inspections Officers VIOs, who ensured that if your vehicle failed inspections or polluted the environment, there were sanctions.

In today’s Nigeria, vehicles are extremely old, poorly maintained, and frequently overloaded, and neither the police, Federal Roads Safety Corps or VIO does anything, the only time there is threat of action, is when extortion is the sole motivation, and when the extortion succeeds, the old vehicle magically becomes new in a few minutes, the overloaded vehicle suddenly becomes something else, but overloaded, bribes are substitutes for enforcements, impunity has come to stay, why obey the law when you can pay or bribe the law to look the other way? Everyone on the roads are then exposed to risks of death or injury.

Nigeria a nation in where there are extreme lawlessness, impunity, perversion, and injustice, still, Nigerians are ostentatiously and conspicuously religious, any cursory observation will reveal the elaborate efforts Nigerians make to be outwardly religious, and such efforts are so hypocritically portrayed!

Religion is the only growth industry, and yet, most religionists do not pay moral obeisance to their religious persuasions! A good Christian should aspire to be Christ-like, should often contemplate –deliberate his actions with, “What will Jesus Do” if similarly situated? A good Muslim may equally ask, “What will Mohammed Do?

It is readily discernable that too many Nigerians enjoy the pomp and ceremonies of their various religions, but seem to give no thought to religious ethos. It is quite difficult to reconcile being a very religious person, with being a public drunk! Piousness, chastity, good morality, charity, all used to be a hallmark of the religious. That was before prosperity gospel?

Is God a burden to Nigeria national psyche? Is God the excuse why African poverty will remain? Nigerians put election rigging or the subversion of democracy in the hands of God, Nigerians put every oppression and every injustices that there are, in the hands of God! Nigerians and Africans act as though they are content to remain in the-state-of-nature; complacency is prevalent, or even, a national and continental pastime!

Is the literal belief in God as the cure-all, the reason why too many Nigerians are docile, unimaginative and appear not to worry about innovations? Nigerians love the wonders of America, Europe, Asia, and more recently the Dubai of the Middle East! But how about replicating those developmental wonders on our shores?

What is the Nigerian sense of justice and fair-play? Is the Nigerian-African sense of justice the way it is, because of belief in God? If you belief God is Judge, Jury and the Executioner, why would you worry about The Rule of Law, Due Process or even Democracy? Why would you want to create the institutions which would promote, entrench, enforce and institutionalize these concepts?

Nigerians and Africans suffered slavery, colonialism, apartheid, racism etc; but Nigerians and other Africans have put slavery, colonialism, apartheid and racism in the hands of God!

All in injustices should be put in the hands of God, as far as the Nigerian or African is concerned, instead of creating and maintaining robust institutions to deal with these profound human conditions or issues.

Jews suffered Holocaust, and the average Jew says, Never Again! Jews have acted locally and globally, to hold to account, and responsible, those persons and entities, individually and collectively for roles they played! As a result, the world is aware, that messing with Jews has consequences! On the other hand, Africans allow conditions so abject, so extreme that African citizens die  crossing the desert or the seas in droves fleeing desperate poverty, starvation or wars on the continent, and what do the potentate African political class care?

God! I am tired of anyone and anything which is given as reason why nothing gets done in Nigeria! God is in charge and in control, and nothing gets done! I am tired of this God distraction thing! Let no one give you the God excuse!

There are urgent needs to be met. But we wallow in excuses and inactions. But when it suits us or our egos, we act in unproductive sentimental manners, such as legislating sexual preferences. Why don’t the Nigerian national assembly leave sexual orientation and sexual preferences in the hands of God, rather than legislating it? Why don’t banks leave armed robberies in the hands of God? It is obvious that Nigerians do the needful and the practical, when it involves personal interests or sentiments or emotions, be it religious, regional or ethnic sentiments!

All Nigerians of every religious persuasions must soonest put responsibility at the doorstep of those in-charge, those who must be made to account, and those that must produce measurable outcomes and great results.

Nigerians must soonest hold any president,, all governors, all legislators, all Vice Chancellors, all principals or headmasters, everyone in-charge of research, anyone put in charge of electricity generation and transmission or in-charge of transportation, anyone in-charge of any system or process should be held to account for their failure or ineptitude, Nigerians should leave God out of nation failures and ineptitudes, lawlessness and corruption.

A majority of Nigerians seem to have decided that God is in-charge and in Control of everything in Nigeria, and not legislators, the governors Or even the president, this explains why public infrastructures, social amenities, the national currency and unemployment have remain the way they are, as Nigerians in their majority put these vexing urgent national issues in the hands of God!

Serious nations undertake research and development, serious nations explore and conquer new frontiers, serious nations focus on national interests and leave religions to the individual!

Gender Equality Agenda Is No Special Favor To Women!

Gender Equality Agenda Is No Special Favor To Women!
Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.    

A great society is measured by such society’s treatment of women and the underprivileged. Nigeria’s unequal treatment of women is part responsible for national developmental drawbacks.

The wife of former president of the United States Mrs Hilary Rodham Clinton attended International Women’s Conference in Beijing China, in 1995 and she made remarkable contribution with her emphatic declaration to the effect that Women Rights are Human Rights…. Mrs. Clinton is currently a candidate for the American presidency. I want to see Nigerian women as governors and president of Nigeria soon.

In the matter of Gender Equality… it is the case that Women are not asking for equality as special favors, but instead, for the right to be respected, the right to be treated with human dignity and be afforded the chance, the right to aspire and to have equal opportunity to do all the reasonable things which all humans do, men or women

Here is why Gender Equality is crucial and Critical, Gender Equality is really literally about my mother and your mothers, my sisters and your sisters, my nieces and your nieces, Gender Equality is about the persons who constitutes more than half the world’s population, women are factually more, in populations worldwide
Gender Equality is precisely about saving the life-giver and the life-deliverer of ALL of us, and therefore, it means the protecting the life-source of the entire human race! Where would the world be without women? Women are earth life-force.

At the United Nations in 2011, events marking the 100th year of International Women Organisation, I was invited to make comments, and I began with, I AM MY MOTHER’s SON! The statement or that theme began with, as it was suffused, surrounded and ended my speech. And as we celebrate International Women’s Day this year, I want to repeat that same idea, to the effect that, Just like me, you are your mothers’ son or daughter, we should therefore want to protect women, we are all, after all, children of women, hence women rights is human rights!

My rationale is simply that, we are intricately, and then, intimately related and connected to women, without women, there is no us….. Therefore, we should wish our women, what we wish our mothers, wives or daughters or nieces or all the women in our lives.
We should not look to, or seek to oppress our mothers, or to disrespect or deprive our mothers, or demean our mothers or our wives, daughters or nieces or other women in our lives …. If we would treat our mothers right, treat our daughters or nieces right, I urge you to treat all women right!

There is no reason to keep our women at the bottom of our society… Nigerian women, even with limited opportunities, have been working very hard, a good number of women here today, are capable, accomplished and high-achieving women, consummate professionals and all.
Many Nigerian women have excelled in their career or chosen endeavours, a great example is in our state brilliant chief judge herself, women such as the Chief Judge of our state, Bayelsa, are exemplar for the great investment which Girl Child Education is.

Girl Child Education is the ultimate and most critical investment, education is a game changer!
An educated wife is good for the home, among other things, so that she can do your child homework or teach your child, children are like blank tapes, what you put in them is what you get… our societal best interests are served when our women are educated
An educated man or woman is a great asset to society

I love Nigeria and African culture, and we should do all that is possible to preserve our culture and way of life…… But certain aspects of our culture need reform and even drastic changes! Some Inheritance Traditional practices are repugnant, unjust and grossly unfair practice of depriving female their inheritance rights and entitlements, just because she is of female gender.

Double Jeopardy, Wives suffer loss of husband and then, accused or blamed for his death….Accusing women of killing their husbands while the accused wife actually deserve our sympathy as she mourn her beloved husband… Traditional practices never seem to similarly accused husbands when their wives die.

Litmus test for wife as an accused killer of dead husband … it is carried out…. This Disgusting
Disgusting practice of washing corpse and asking bereaved wife to drink the corpse water which may have the virus or bacteria which may have killed the husband in the first place! Ebola, Zika, Lassa etc
Our society should treat our mothers, our sisters, our nieces and all women with utmost respect and with dignity because
Women are the glue or gum, which hold our society together and we can observe this in our everyday life. During the floods of 2012, women were the reliable family members who ensured the health and safe

Women, our mothers and their thoughtfulness and care are illustrated again and again in Nigeria and abroad, at home and in public policies which they promote

Women, propelled as mothers and driven by maternal instincts perhaps, are more caring and generous to humankind, Angela Merkel the Chancellor of Germany is a woman, she has run the most robust and most successful European economy during the preceding decade and she welcomed refugees with open arms, Germany has accepted over one million refugees in one year!


Women are great managers! Women are great managers! There is information, research and clear indicators to the effect that women are better managers of human and material resources… at times of crises, when relief materials are given to grandmothers, grandmothers share to every lineal branches, daughter, daughter in-law, son, son in-law, children grandchildren etc etc, but give relief material to an average man, it goes to wife, girlfriend, then he sells the rest to buy beer and cigarettes! … Nigerians should learn to trust our womenfolk with governorship and the presidency in fact I hope to see a woman become president of Nigeria soon! And why NOT?

We have women who are gynaecologists, surgeons, lawyers, pilots, and we trust them as such; Nigerians must also trust women with high political offices, such as, voting for women them with managing states as governors, and managing Nigeria as president!

Nigerian men should let there be all the comfort be for women and children; An example is, letting your wife drive your car! Let your wife and your children enjoy your car more than you, let your wife drive the better of your cars, if you have more than one car, everybody will be happy, including yourself the man…. Your wife and kids will be stress free, and you will be feeling quite cool yourself, because, anyone seeing your wife drive your nice car, will assume that you actually, are even driving, a yet, better car, even if that is not the case, they will think you have a helicopter because your wife drives such a good car

Many of today economic hardships or difficulties affect women more harshly and more disproportionately, whether it is unemployment, or Human Trafficking, the impact on women is disproportionate, gender inequality and lack of education, other societal injustices with attendant negative impacts, are more severe on women

A friend and I chatted recently, about how Women Rights and Girl Child Education remain paramount an issue in Nigeria and all of Africa.
Every household you visit, girls as young as fifteen, are forced to become house-helps or house-girls… this ensures that there is no formal education, training or skills, this practice ensures that the adulthood of such house-girls may be bleak as Nigerians, even if they were imported from poorer nations, the negative impact is unmistakable.
House girls or house helps are practically indentured servants that only get paid, when they complete their contract terms, terms which were unfair and lopsided in the first place, sans poor pay or benefits…. And such low pays, have to be shared with the middlemen who brought the house girls ….

These girls are not educated or equipped with necessary life-skills for their adulthoods, they mostly do not know their own age…. In today’s world, this is shameful and appalling….poverty, abject and extreme poverty is still being guaranteed for Africa’s future, with the neglect of girl child education, for all girls and including house-girls or house-helps….

A better Nigeria for all, I want a more perfect union, a more perfect federation, unity in diversity, where environmental pollution in Bayelsa State concerns Nigerians in Nnewi, Okitipupa, and Sokoto …. Pollutions causes toxic fumes and ruination of human lives and aquatic lives, pollution leads to miscarriages among women, again, women are disproportionately affected by pollution, it should concern all Nigerians, not just those of us in the Niger Delta, and, similarly, the deaths, injuries and displacements caused by Boko Haram in North East Nigeria concerns all Nigerians in Yenagoa, Aba, Akure and Makurdi

We all can do better than we are currently doing for women… in Bayelsa, in Nigeria, in Africa and across the world… some nations are doing comparatively and relatively better than us, and we should wake up!  America is poised to elect her first female president…. Nigeria should get ready, so that we too can have female governors and female president soon…

Nigerian and African Women have been in the forefront of political and Socio-Economic development, including decolonization…. Aba Women Riots in 1929…. Nigerian women have always stood up to be counted when it mattered…. Protested against taxation without representation …. Queen Amina, Queen Moremi, Winnie Mandela

A society’s human progress index is measured by how such society treats its women and underprivileged!
Nigeria must rise and to rise, Nigeria must, quickly engage in exulting women! Exulting women must include giving our mothers, our sisters, our nieces, the women in our lives, ALL women, the prominent pride of place which women richly deserve, and let us beginning that process NOW!

Paul I. Adujie Esq. is the Director/Head of Legal Services Department, Federal University Otuoke

Buhari Is Not About Buhari

Buhari Is Not About Buhari

Written Paul I. Adujie Esq.

Presidential Elections have been over since April 2015 and Muhamadu Buhari prevailed over Goodluck  Jonathan, or put differently, APC surpassed the PDP at the polls, and consequently, presidential inauguration was celebrated on May 29, 2015.

But since then, however, there have been commentaries by so many, commentaries which may have led even reasonable persons, to conclude that political campaigns of the presidential type, for 2015 have not ceased!

The fact of the matter is that, the next presidential elections in Nigeria is not until 2019.

Why then are so many politicians, and even some members of the Nigerian public appearing to have been suckered into this seeming endless presidential campaigns?

There seem to be a vigorous national clamor for the failure Buhari, but why?

All these, are happening, even before he has had a chance to govern and make legitimate mistakes as president!

Nigerians must realize that Democracy is about governance and the dividends of democracy should , positively impact all citizens directly, regardless of political party affiliations, and to that extent, at the end of every political campaign season, elections completed and inauguration takes place, all citizens are entitled to expect the benefits of democracy.

In order for democracy to have meaningful benefits to citizens of our nation, there ought to be a recognition of the fact that any given president of Nigeria is a fleeting symbol of our collective national aspirations.

Nigeria appears to currently practice a meaningless or banal democracy, in which self-interest is put over and above national  interests, it must be said that such a democracy is almost comparable to or even identical with  how criminal enterprises or the mafia operates, and such democracy is indeed banal.

After 16 years of continuous elections of public officials or democracy nationwide, a majority of Nigerians have no smidgen or modicum of benefit or dividend from democratic processes.

The Nigerian public, particularly the professional politicians, should realize that democracy and politics are about the citizens, the people, and so, the current clamor for Buhari’s failure is against the very essence of our national aspirations, our national best interests, and democracy dividends for the people

No reasonable persons should be opposed to vigorous political debate, I am not against partisan politicking and even aggressive partisan competition, but, I am surely against clamoring for the failure of any president of Nigeria…. as I am against efforts seemingly geared towards torpedoing the current president, as those engineering his failure apparently see only what might become an opportunity for some elites.

A vibrant opposition or criticism is healthy for democracy to succeed. But legitimate criticisms may not be confused with efforts to stampede and intimidate, a particular political leader, without logical or rational basis,

The success of any given Nigerian president is the success of all Nigerians and even non-Nigerians who wish Nigerians well. Reasonable Nigerians must not clamor for failure of PMB.

It is assuredly the case that, if and when the current president of Nigeria tackles major national issues well, it will be in the best interests of Nigerians and Nigeria, Buhari’s success is not about Buhari, because if Buhari wins, Nigeria wins!

The success of any president of Nigeria at any given time period, is the success of Nigeria, it is rather parochial and shortsighted, to clamor for the failure of any president of Nigeria; because of personal ill-will or animosity towards him or her.

Buhari presents an immediate opportunity for all Nigerians and Nigeria!

Buhari has so much riding on his presidency for Nigeria. He represents missed opportunities , civil, military and then civil. He, at once represents all that has ailed Nigeria and all that will heal Nigeria.

President Obama of the United States of America appears to recognize this in Buhari, when he described Buhari as a man of integrity and a clear thinker, while Buhari visited him in the White House.

My generation of Nigerians are in trepidation of a possible failure of Buhari or a failed Buhari presidency!  The worthlessness of our the Naira, our national currency, the extremely high rate of unemployment nationwide, the dearth of public infrastructures and an economy without requisite industrial capacity are national emergencies which frightens me and should concern every Nigerian at home or abroad!

Buhari represent a fresh start, a clean slate and wonderful new golden opportunity for Nigeria’s development, progress, advancement and national greatness with his  avowed integrity and incorruptibility.

Imagine if Buhari, antecedents precedents and all, decimates or even eliminate corruption? Imagine that Buhari tackles unemployment? Imagine Buhari focuses on public infrastructures, roads, bridges and housing? Imagine if Buhari kills Boko Haram? Imagine if Buhari solves Nigeria’s perennial poor electricity generation, transmission and distribution problems? Imagine if Buhari  can create a more robust national transportation networks?

Clearly, Buhari’s success is not about Buhari, it is, instead the success of our collective aspirations as a nation! I urge Nigerians to become cognizant of these fact and become singularly focused on Buhari’s success! Let all Nigerians of every political persuasions fathom how to make a success of the Nigerian Nation, let’s give Buhari a breathing space to get on with it!

Palestinian Lives Are Meaningless And Valueless?

Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.



Lawless Israel has since July and August bombed and killed thousands
of Palestinians in genocidal massacres as the world watches with
unpatrolled indifference


One has to wonder how many dead Palestinians will get the world's
attention and requisite or appropriate reaction, critical of Israel,
with demand that Israel stops these genocidal massacres?


Israel has with impunity bombarded Ambulances, UN Refugee Camps,
Mosques, Markets, University and schools... even schools designated by
the UN as refugee centers and made known to Israel repeatedly. Israel
bombs areas, institutions and deploy methods for which other nations
on earth would have been severely condemned and sanctioned, including
War Crimes charges against the political leadership of such nation,
but, there is permanent difference and exceptions for Israel


A majority of Jews and other supporters of Israel across the world
continue to argue adamantly, and insistently, that Israel has a right
to exterminate and depopulate Palestine for "security" of Israel and
Israelis. And as a consequence, Israel has massacred nearly three
thousand Palestinians in less than 50 days and there is no righteous
indignation from those who are contemplating the invasion of Russian
as Russia is accused of providing and facilitating pro-Russia
separatists in Ukraine with weapons, including surface to air missiles
which allegedly shot Malaysian passenger plane out of the skies over
eastern Ukraine, killing 298 persons...

Obviously, Western nations are willing to inflict Third World War on
the rest of the world over the death of 298 mostly European citizens
and yet Westerners think nothing of the livers of nearly 3,000
Palestinians massacred, sans War Crimes by Israel in less than sixty
days?


I am opposed to anti-Semitic attacks against Jews and Jewish
institutions or establishments as happened in Belgium, France etc, as
I am opposed to the genocidal massacres of Palestinians by Israel. All
reasonable persons across the world must be opposed to Israel's
indiscriminate bombing of Mosques, Islamic institutions, Islamic
centers and Islamic establishments


Israel in the last month bombed Palestine public infrastructures,
including electric power stations, water supply systems or waterworks,
and refugee centers which is known to Israel as such.


And yet, Israel is continually supported by a majority of Jews
worldwide, and by non-Jews as well. it is therefore comes as no news
that those critical of Israel's genocidal massacres of Palestinians do
not make fine distinctions between the hawkish rightists such as
Benjamin Netanyahu with almost 100% approval rating for his
scorched-earth military policy against Palestinians as well as his
unrelenting expansions of illegal Jewish Settlements on Palestine
lands which Israel continue to occupy illegally as a colonial power.


A majority of Jews and non-Jews across the world are unthinking
supporters of Israel's occupation of Palestine. Israel runs a brutal
colonial power administration in Palestine based on Apartheid. Israel
runs an Apartheid based oppressive segregationist occupation of
Palestine, which devalues, demean and dehumanizes Palestinians.


In reaction to this unparalleled occupation of Palestine by Israel,
Palestinians throw rocks and in response, Israel deploys F-16 fighter
jets, Riffle Propelled Grenades, Mortars, Missiles and drones, then,
HAMAS fires hodge-podge kitchen sink rockets which are just rocks when
compared to Israel's 22nd Century state-of-the-art weapons of mass
murders.


 Benjamin Netanyahu unfurls plans to massacre thousands of
Palestinians so that Israel can enjoy some 'quiet' from the
aimless-harmless stone-rocks throwing Palestinians besieged by
illegally occupied by Israel. Countless UN Resolutions are disregarded
and discounted by Israel without consequence.


The world has been indoctrinated, brainwashed and thoroughly schooled
to perceive HAMAS as the ultimate evil, despite HAMAS modest weapons
compared with Israel's ultra-sophisticated weapons. There is a
worldwide financial support and military armament for Israel, and
notably the United States has military hardware warehouse located in
Israel and the US flung that military supply store open for Israel to
further pummel and pulverized hapless Palestinians in Gaza, and the
world merely shrugged?


The nation of Israel, has in less than sixty days have murdered almost
3000 Palestinians "defensively" and HAMAS is labeled a terrorist
organization with blood thirty leaders without purpose, while Israel
is the purposeful and dovish peace-loving peace and quiet loving nice
guys? The world must ask, how it does feel to be victim of Israel
occupation, humiliating dehumanizing apartheid regime!


Israel should be required to lift the economically strangulating and
stifling blockade, end settlement constructions expansions and
occupation by Israel. Israel during the preceding 60 has inflicted
extraordinary hardships on Gazans, ruined Palestinians lives, and
shattered and left in tatters, Palestinian economy and
infrastructures.


It is extremely baffling that almost 3000 Palestinians are massacred,
and this rather significant and substantial death of Palestinians
civilians, caused by Israel in gross violations of international law.
Israel has committed War Crimes under Benjamin Netanyahu as did Israel
in Sabra and Shatilla by Ariel Sharon.  And where is the moral
outrage? Where is the United Nations? Where are men and women of
conscience?


Where is proportionality by Israel and in Israel's indiscriminate and
genocidal massacres of Palestinians in Gaza? Israel bombs hospitals,
markets, refugees centers and places known to Israel to be designated,
a particular school was bombed 6 times despite notice and knowledge by
Israel that these schools are occupied by refugees, women and
children.


One Palestinian is said to have been dying every hour. Israel asks
Palestinians to move to known shelters, and proceeds to bomb same
previously designated shelters. Israel gives a few minutes to
civilians to evacuate their homes after a so-called
"knock-on-the-roof" how so friendly?


America is complicit in the genocidal massacres atrocity inflicted on
Palestinians by Israel by opening weaponry warehouse owned and
operated by America in Israel for Israel's resupply for Israel
indiscriminate murderous military campaign in Gaza, even as US
Congress approved more financial aid to Israel during these Israel
indiscriminate bombing of targets in Gaza... and America continues to
pretend to be an unbiased, objective and fair peace broker for
Palestine and Israel!


Israel continues to cause and inflict miseries, destitution and
imprisonment and prison-like-life in Gaza Palestine. Deprivations
which Palestinians are compelled to endure by Israel, are grossly
inhuman.


Western diplomats and even journalists from America and Europe are
shamelessly lopsided in their reporting of the pummeling and
pulverizing of Gaza by Israel, everyone of the diplomats and
journalists tend to bend-over-backwards in explaining, defending and
justifying Israel's genocidal massacres of Palestinians and the
continuing atrocities by Israel in Gaza


In all of these, seeds of everlasting hatreds are being sown; imagine
children in Palestine whose only childhood memory would be Israel
punishing military actions which killed parents, uncles and other
children, imagine the mental or psychiatric states, and their sense
multiplicities of losses. Why is it not predictable that there will be
revenge and even vendetta by children made victims of Israel's
genocidal massacres of Palestinian during 2014 summer?


Supporters of Israel obviously expect Palestinian children of today to
be oblivious and never recover from some sort of amnesia, and be
mindless to the hardships, sufferings and deaths this summer brought
upon Palestine by Israel. Palestinian children who are right now
witness to their neighborhoods being flattened, pulverized and
depopulated by Israel's missiles, mortars and carpet-bombing from the
air. On Saturday August 23rd 2014 Israel demolished a 14 floor
apartment building in Gaza which housed 400 families and one only have
to multiplied that by the several thousands of Palestinians,
extrapolating the numbers of persons in those 400 families or
households. This is like demanding that Jews forget Hitler and the
pogrom which was inflicted on Jews by Nazi Germany!


Israel in less than 60 days flattened Gaza, with Palestinian homes
gone and personal effects evaporated as occupants only had three
minutes to evacuate from even the highest floors of buildings or been
decimated and mangled in the ensuing rubble.


There is no minute to take prized possessions. And even as I write
this, the slaughter of Palestinians by Israel continues unabated, all
14 floors of a said apartment building leveled by Israel, death and
destruction and creating orphans continue in Palestine occupied by
Israel


Despite the obvious, Western journalists, wittingly or unwittingly,
have become advocates of every Israeli position or aggressive policy
of apartheid-like separation walls and unreasonable indiscriminate
military actions against the hapless and world most helpless people of
Palestine.


Israel manufactures excuses to cover her War Crimes as Israel
randomly, regularly and indiscriminately bombs and shell schools,
refugee centers, ambulances and mosques, while insisting that
terrorists are lurking in all of every crevices in Gaza.


The world should ask Israel if it would bombard so indiscriminately, a
part of Israel, this same way, Israel has of Gaza during this last 50
days, if HAMAS was in an Israeli neighborhood?


Israel and her supporters continues to spread disinformation,
implausible, most improbable and unsupportable wild allegations
against Palestinians, and that you would think that there are ten
million Palestinians in Gaza, and all of them terrorists, hence Israel
sees and bombs Palestinian terrorists in refugee camps, in hospitals,
in markets, on university campus, in mosques and in 14 floor apartment
building etc. Anyone who believes this is so thoroughly brainwashed
with propaganda fostered by Israel and her plentiful supporters.



And indeed, all reasonable persons should now be asking, how many
Palestinians would Israel have to kill, in this, unparalleled
genocidal massacres to warrant the UN and the entire community of the
human race to assign some semblance of value to lives in Palestine?

Epileptic or Uncertain Education Calendar; A Drag On National Development

Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.

 

 

Nigerians and Nigeria must urgently act to correct the current epileptic or uncertain higher education calendar and schedules, in order to attain Nigeria's desire for critical national development, progress and advancement as a nation.

 

It is sadly, and regrettably the case, that the preceding 30 years in Nigeria has witnessed regressions, particularly in the higher education sector, this is primarily due to strikes or industrial actions by academic and non-academic employees in Nigeria's higher education sector.

 

Salaries, compensation packages and general under-funding have been adduced and attributed as reasons, and arguments by sundry employees of higher education in Nigeria on the one hand, and unreasonable demands wrapped with intransigence, have been attributed as reasons why the Federal Government of Nigeria has been unable, or unwilling to meet the various demands by these aforementioned employees of Nigeria's higher education sector.

 

All told, and, in the final analyses, Nigerians and Nigeria suffer from these deadlocks and impasses between employees in the Nigeria higher education and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

 

In my view therefore, it is almost irrelevant, as to whose doorsteps lies the persisting problem of irregular, epileptic and uncertain calendar for higher education in Nigeria. The only important thing is to have the unsavory situation rectified promptly! Nigeria's progress is for the most part dependent on how we manage our education sector and as a consequence, Nigeria's development and advancement, is equally dependent on how we manage our education sector.

 

Thus far, the management of Nigeria higher education is appalling,  particularly so, given the fact that universities close arbitrarily and often, and students, parents and our nation are left in limbo.

 

 

These avoidable interruptions leave students, parents, employees etc with physical and psychological scars, which are jarring and marring in the long-term.

 

These scars are the frequent aftermaths of indefinite closures of schools, which have become so rampant in Nigeria

 

Calendar for universities have become so unpredictably-unreliable, students enrolled in four-year courses now graduate in twice or multiple number required years, and some in Nigeria still think this acceptable or normal?

 

 It is the case that  rice generally cooks in approximately 20 minutes, analogously, education has set timetable worldwide, a gestation period which is certain and predictable and as such, known to all.

 

 But some in Nigeria, have made higher education timetable unknowable, and graduations uncertain and as a consequence, too many lives are interrupted, rice in Nigeria must cook intermittently, for hours as some now insists!

 

A Nigerian student with excellent grades can no longer predict or forecast graduation date and National Youths Service Corps deployment. A Nigerian law graduate can no longer predict when there will admission to Law School, as Law Schools are full. A Nigerian graduate medicine and surgery can no longer predict when (housemanship) internship will be undertake, as strike lingers.

 

As a matter of fact, absence of vision and foresight led medical students in Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma in Edo State, as well as, medical student in Niger Delta University at Amassoma to spend 13 years instead of the normal 6 to 7 years to earn medical degrees! Both medical schools lacked accreditation for quite a long time!

One can only imagine the costs, financial, psychological and deprivation of professional growth and development for the individuals and for our nation! These were certainly avoidable, accreditation should have been contemplated before and during the first five years of those medical schools! Poor or lack of planning is responsible for all these, same reasons why some of Nigeria's medical schools graduates are being shunned by some nations.  

 

As a result of these lackadaisical administration and management of higher education in Nigeria these days, a young man or woman with hard work and excellent academic record can no longer plot career his or her trajectory, due to no personal fault of the student with excellent grades, but merely because higher education calendar in Nigeria is now fitful and uncertain.

In effect therefore, being a great student with excellent grades in does not guarantee or ensure that a student enrolled in a Nigerian University graduates on schedule as it should be.

 

These are harrowing experiences for the individuals students-victims, their parents, family particularly, these are also national tragedies.

 

The woeful failure of Nigeria in the arena of higher education planning, has now led to a situation in which, Ghana, Kenya, other African nations and in fact, America and Europe are the destinations for Nigerians who can afford foreign higher education in nations where higher education calendars are predictable, foreseeable and reliable!

 

In these contexts, or circumstances, (and all things being equal), Nigeria ought, and should be playing the role for Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, but sadly, these nations are now playing or serving Nigerians who can afford the financial burden of higher education abroad!

 

Clearly, there is a major crisis in our higher education,  (there are crises) including inadequate funding, inadequate commitment and inadequate research and inadequate impact (translation) of classroom knowledge for bettering human condition in Nigeria.

 

It is a shame that some Nigerians have managed to inflict these setbacks upon millions of fellow Nigerians and Nigeria. Some have cynically suggested that, the notable nonchalance by some in leadership, is due to the fact that their children and relatives are overseas attending schools in nations with stable school calendars.

 

Similar cynical arguments have been made regarding the parlous state of Nigeria's healthcare system; as leaders able to fly overseas to treat headaches, malaria or just "go-and-rest-abroad" why worry or bother with fixing the problems in the public health sector?

 

How many other nations allow her higher sector to grind to a halt? How many other nations permits entire health care system wanton neglect? I know of a Federal Medical Center (FMC) which never has electricity!

 

How does anyone connected to these higher education crises sleep at night? How can this be happening to Nigeria? How can we be fiddling as our house burn? Why has Nigeria regressed or degenerated in so many ways?

 

 

Some sectors of Nigerian national life is so decayed, that any nation or entity, acting as an external enemy to Nigeria, which is sworn to harm Nigeria and or is hostile to Nigeria's national interests, could not have done worse!

 

On the matter of higher education crises, it is unacceptable and plainly intolerable that, any well-meaning Nigerian person(s) at helms, have ignored and neglected to act, despite the inordinate and ceaseless closures of our universities for several months!

 

The most unfortunate thing of it all is that, this interruption is not the first in recent national memory and judging by how the abnormal is normal in Nigeria, this current interruption may not be the last! This is extremely abnormal, and it quite a shock that tongues not wagging over this national emergency.

 

Nigerians should, and must, ask the crucial question, who does epileptic and uncertain higher education calendar in Nigeria serve? I make bold to assert the fact that, it does not serve Nigerians and Nigeria!

 

The arbitrary interruptions of school calendars, or the closure of schools, high rate of unemployment etc are national emergencies which should shock the conscience of all reasonable persons (with conscience of course)!

 

I often feel a personal affront and insult, when anyone refers to Nigeria as the sleeping giant, but, the uncertain calendar for higher education in Nigeria gives ample ammunitions and fodder to would-be critics and detractors of Nigeria

 

Many have expected Nigeria, and particularly, the higher education sector to have fared better, given the fact that Nigeria in past four years, has had the quadruple-fortunes of four prominent public servants, whose primary background, pedigree or predicate is, in academia, in the persons of the Late former President Yar'Adua, and now,  our current President Goodluck Jonathan, also quite interestingly, Professor Raquatu El-Rufai as Minister of Education, and then, the veteran of higher education, Professor Julius Okojie of National Universities Commission, NUC!

 

Where in all these, did Nigeria go wrong? How could Nigeria go wrong in matters of higher education, with all these fine academicians at the helms? It is surely stranger than fiction! This cannot be said to be beguiling or be Nigeria's best moment.

 

 

As a matter of urgency, a national emergency as well, President Goodluck Jonathan should add Nigeria's education sector to his portfolio, because education has that critical-crucial-importance similar to Defense and Energy,  which some presidents frequently add to their commander-in-chief titles. President Obasanjo chose to add Petroleum Resources administration-management, to his presidential duties in this manner, and functioned as such.

 

Should it not be assumed, that Mr. YarAdua, Mr. Jonathan, Mrs. El-Rufai, and Mr. Okojie, all, perfectly understand and eloquently speak the language of higher education? And as such, they know and understand ASUU and sundry?Where indeed, did Nigeria go wrong on matter critical national development, particularly, in the higher education sector?  At whose doorsteps shall lay all these?

 

But the urgent mission here, is not about blames or who is wrong or right, it is  all about prompt, immediate and urgent end or solution to this impasse or deadlock! The parties, Federal Government and ASUU must shield-sheath their swords, contain and restrain contempt or disdain, but hold their noses and negotiate a immediate solution, to this national hemorrhage.

 

Frequent interruptions of Nigeria's higher education calendar is stunting, stifling and strangulating of education, and naturally, Nigeria's aspiration for national development, progress, advancement and greatness of nation. Epileptic or Uncertain Education Calendar; A Drag On National Development

Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.

 

 

Nigerians and Nigeria must urgently act to correct the current epileptic or uncertain higher education calendar and schedules, in order to attain Nigeria's desire for critical national development, progress and advancement as a nation.

 

It is sadly, and regrettably the case, that the preceding 30 years in Nigeria has witnessed regressions, particularly in the higher education sector, this is primarily due to strikes or industrial actions by academic and non-academic employees in Nigeria's higher education sector.

 

Salaries, compensation packages and general under-funding have been adduced and attributed as reasons, and arguments by sundry employees of higher education in Nigeria on the one hand, and unreasonable demands wrapped with intransigence, have been attributed as reasons why the Federal Government of Nigeria has been unable, or unwilling to meet the various demands by these aforementioned employees of Nigeria's higher education sector.

 

All told, and, in the final analyses, Nigerians and Nigeria suffer from these deadlocks and impasses between employees in the Nigeria higher education and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

 

In my view therefore, it is almost irrelevant, as to whose doorsteps lies the persisting problem of irregular, epileptic and uncertain calendar for higher education in Nigeria. The only important thing is to have the unsavory situation rectified promptly! Nigeria's progress is for the most part dependent on how we manage our education sector and as a consequence, Nigeria's development and advancement, is equally dependent on how we manage our education sector.

 

Thus far, the management of Nigeria higher education is appalling,  particularly so, given the fact that universities close arbitrarily and often, and students, parents and our nation are left in limbo.

 

 

These avoidable interruptions leave students, parents, employees etc with physical and psychological scars, which are jarring and marring in the long-term.

 

These scars are the frequent aftermaths of indefinite closures of schools, which have become so rampant in Nigeria

 

Calendar for universities have become so unpredictably-unreliable, students enrolled in four-year courses now graduate in twice or multiple number required years, and some in Nigeria still think this acceptable or normal?

 

 It is the case that  rice generally cooks in approximately 20 minutes, analogously, education has set timetable worldwide, a gestation period which is certain and predictable and as such, known to all.

 

 But some in Nigeria, have made higher education timetable unknowable, and graduations uncertain and as a consequence, too many lives are interrupted, rice in Nigeria must cook intermittently, for hours as some now insists!

 

A Nigerian student with excellent grades can no longer predict or forecast graduation date and National Youths Service Corps deployment. A Nigerian law graduate can no longer predict when there will admission to Law School, as Law Schools are full. A Nigerian graduate medicine and surgery can no longer predict when (housemanship) internship will be undertake, as strike lingers.

 

As a matter of fact, absence of vision and foresight led medical students in Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma in Edo State, as well as, medical student in Niger Delta University at Amassoma to spend 13 years instead of the normal 6 to 7 years to earn medical degrees! Both medical schools lacked accreditation for quite a long time!

One can only imagine the costs, financial, psychological and deprivation of professional growth and development for the individuals and for our nation! These were certainly avoidable, accreditation should have been contemplated before and during the first five years of those medical schools! Poor or lack of planning is responsible for all these, same reasons why some of Nigeria's medical schools graduates are being shunned by some nations.  

 

As a result of these lackadaisical administration and management of higher education in Nigeria these days, a young man or woman with hard work and excellent academic record can no longer plot career his or her trajectory, due to no personal fault of the student with excellent grades, but merely because higher education calendar in Nigeria is now fitful and uncertain.

In effect therefore, being a great student with excellent grades in does not guarantee or ensure that a student enrolled in a Nigerian University graduates on schedule as it should be.

 

These are harrowing experiences for the individuals students-victims, their parents, family particularly, these are also national tragedies.

 

The woeful failure of Nigeria in the arena of higher education planning, has now led to a situation in which, Ghana, Kenya, other African nations and in fact, America and Europe are the destinations for Nigerians who can afford foreign higher education in nations where higher education calendars are predictable, foreseeable and reliable!

 

In these contexts, or circumstances, (and all things being equal), Nigeria ought, and should be playing the role for Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, but sadly, these nations are now playing or serving Nigerians who can afford the financial burden of higher education abroad!

 

Clearly, there is a major crisis in our higher education,  (there are crises) including inadequate funding, inadequate commitment and inadequate research and inadequate impact (translation) of classroom knowledge for bettering human condition in Nigeria.

 

It is a shame that some Nigerians have managed to inflict these setbacks upon millions of fellow Nigerians and Nigeria. Some have cynically suggested that, the notable nonchalance by some in leadership, is due to the fact that their children and relatives are overseas attending schools in nations with stable school calendars.

 

Similar cynical arguments have been made regarding the parlous state of Nigeria's healthcare system; as leaders able to fly overseas to treat headaches, malaria or just "go-and-rest-abroad" why worry or bother with fixing the problems in the public health sector?

 

How many other nations allow her higher sector to grind to a halt? How many other nations permits entire health care system wanton neglect? I know of a Federal Medical Center (FMC) which never has electricity!

 

How does anyone connected to these higher education crises sleep at night? How can this be happening to Nigeria? How can we be fiddling as our house burn? Why has Nigeria regressed or degenerated in so many ways?

 

 

Some sectors of Nigerian national life is so decayed, that any nation or entity, acting as an external enemy to Nigeria, which is sworn to harm Nigeria and or is hostile to Nigeria's national interests, could not have done worse!

 

On the matter of higher education crises, it is unacceptable and plainly intolerable that, any well-meaning Nigerian person(s) at helms, have ignored and neglected to act, despite the inordinate and ceaseless closures of our universities for several months!

 

The most unfortunate thing of it all is that, this interruption is not the first in recent national memory and judging by how the abnormal is normal in Nigeria, this current interruption may not be the last! This is extremely abnormal, and it quite a shock that tongues not wagging over this national emergency.

 

Nigerians should, and must, ask the crucial question, who does epileptic and uncertain higher education calendar in Nigeria serve? I make bold to assert the fact that, it does not serve Nigerians and Nigeria!

 

The arbitrary interruptions of school calendars, or the closure of schools, high rate of unemployment etc are national emergencies which should shock the conscience of all reasonable persons (with conscience of course)!

 

I often feel a personal affront and insult, when anyone refers to Nigeria as the sleeping giant, but, the uncertain calendar for higher education in Nigeria gives ample ammunitions and fodder to would-be critics and detractors of Nigeria

 

Many have expected Nigeria, and particularly, the higher education sector to have fared better, given the fact that Nigeria in past four years, has had the quadruple-fortunes of four prominent public servants, whose primary background, pedigree or predicate is, in academia, in the persons of the Late former President Yar'Adua, and now,  our current President Goodluck Jonathan, also quite interestingly, Professor Raquatu El-Rufai as Minister of Education, and then, the veteran of higher education, Professor Julius Okojie of National Universities Commission, NUC!

 

Where in all these, did Nigeria go wrong? How could Nigeria go wrong in matters of higher education, with all these fine academicians at the helms? It is surely stranger than fiction! This cannot be said to be beguiling or be Nigeria's best moment.

 

 

As a matter of urgency, a national emergency as well, President Goodluck Jonathan should add Nigeria's education sector to his portfolio, because education has that critical-crucial-importance similar to Defense and Energy,  which some presidents frequently add to their commander-in-chief titles. President Obasanjo chose to add Petroleum Resources administration-management, to his presidential duties in this manner, and functioned as such.

 

Should it not be assumed, that Mr. YarAdua, Mr. Jonathan, Mrs. El-Rufai, and Mr. Okojie, all, perfectly understand and eloquently speak the language of higher education? And as such, they know and understand ASUU and sundry?Where indeed, did Nigeria go wrong on matter critical national development, particularly, in the higher education sector?  At whose doorsteps shall lay all these?

 

But the urgent mission here, is not about blames or who is wrong or right, it is  all about prompt, immediate and urgent end or solution to this impasse or deadlock! The parties, Federal Government and ASUU must shield-sheath their swords, contain and restrain contempt or disdain, but hold their noses and negotiate a immediate solution, to this national hemorrhage.

 

Frequent interruptions of Nigeria's higher education calendar is stunting, stifling and strangulating of education, and naturally, Nigeria's aspiration for national development, progress, advancement and greatness of nation.