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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

So Why Was Sambo Dasuki Not Arrested? By Ogundana Michael Rotimi



Government comes and government goes. Politician comes and politician goes. But public institutions remain with us. It is the more reason why we must strive to strengthen them and make them stronger than any individual. Painfully, rather for us to strengthen our institutions and make them strong, we build men. We build men that become stronger than our institutions and abuse them whenever they want to protect their interests and that of their loved ones. Corruption and weak institutions are parts of the challenges facing our nation today and are responsible for many of other challenges. No nation can strive where this duo exists.  If Sambo Dasuki was not stronger than the Department of State Security Service (DSS), he would not have been able to resist its operatives for hours.
Who Is Sambo Dasuki

Our Movement Against Corruption Won`t Last Without The Public Sector Reform. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi



“President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war has started yielding dividends. Following blockage of leakages, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have increased from $28.57 billion at the end of May to $31.53 billion as of July 22, 2015.” – CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, during a press brief at the end of the Monetary Policy Committee, meeting, in Abuja.
Since the inauguration of President Buhari, the fight against corruption is being renewed. And the seeming dead anti-graft agencies- EFCC and ICPC, suddenly gained life. Like I have always posited, when the right leadership is put in place, institutions auto-adjust to suit it. The leadership of the anti- graft agencies knows that the President Buhari`s regime will not hold on to that phrase by the last administration, “Stealing is not Corruption” hence, it’s doing all it can to make public office holders accountable.
Meanwhile, you will recall that aside from the act of cluelessness displayed by the last administration; corruption was a bane the people voted against in the last Presidential election. The past administration was popularly known for the phrase; “Stealing is not Corruption and Corruption is not Stealing”.  It was an administration of self-enrichment and patronage, and of illegality. It will be of grave offence to Nigerians if the corruption they thought have been voted out in the last presidential election still rules with impunity.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The Pros and Cons of Negotiating With Boko Haram By Ogundana Michael Rotimi



The debate whether the Nigerian government is weak if it negotiates with the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram is out again. This was as a result of the statement credited to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. During an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), he was quoted to have said: if “Boko Haram is willing to negotiate, why not?”. Following that, a press release was issued from his Abuja office to clarify the government`s position on the matter. Part of the press release reads thus: Most wars, however furious or vicious, often end around the negotiation table. So, if Boko Haram opts for negotiation, the government will not be averse to it. Government will, however, not be negotiating from a position of weakness, but that of strength.
This statement has generated a lot of controversies as it has been widely believed that, it is only a weak government with less military might and poor intelligent gathering mechanisms that negotiates with terrorist. You see, in reality this is almost completely false.
The argument against negotiating with terrorists is simple: Democracies must never give in to violence, and terrorists must never be rewarded for using it. Negotiations give legitimacy to terrorists and their methods and undermine actors who have pursued political change through peaceful means. Negotiations can destabilize the political systems of a government, undercut international efforts to outlaw terrorism, and set a dangerous precedent.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Change: One Month On; The Big Issues. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi



Monday, 29th June 2015, makes it exactly a month since President Muhammad Buhari became the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Since then, you cannot categorically say that he has not hit the ground running. It might not just be at the rate that you have anticipated. He has been here and there in search of solutions to the Boko Haram menace. Everywhere he goes; it`s been about finding a lasting solution to this scourge that has plundered our land for far too long.
With terrorism out of the way and with the new commitment against corruption, one can practically say that the President is on the right track towards giving Nigerians a sustainable change.
Although, one cannot shy away from the delay in key appointments, I really hope that the President is taking this into full consideration. With his cabinet readily on the ground, it is expected that the synergies will boost his achievements.
However, over the past one month, it has been from one issue to another. While some Nigerians are still in high expectation of the “Change” to come, some assumed the change has begun and others believe there can`t be any change.
This article will be looking at the big issues since President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in a month ago;