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E-voting is the way to go

June 5, 2020June 4, 2020 Correspondents

Most Nigerians had over time craved for an amendment to the Constitution as well as the Electoral Act 2010 to allow for electronic voting system, which many believe will boost the confidence of voters in the electoral process if properly implemented. Section 52 (1) (b) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), outlaws electronic voting in Nigeria. It states: “The use of the electronic voting machine, for the time being, is prohibited.” However, many have argued that the need for an amendment to this section is to address lack of…

Nigeria’s economy post-COVID-19

June 4, 2020June 3, 2020 Correspondents

The outbreak of the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19) has redefined and altered a lot of socio-political and economic calculations globally. Largely described as a leveller with no regard for race, age, class or might, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown the world, including world powers, into a single cage. Amid the pandemic, economic managers and watchdogs including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are throwing projections bordering on despondency and near flat growth around. In the face of what is going on and obvious shutdown of businesses, it will be…

Torn between terror and torture

June 3, 2020June 2, 2020 Correspondents

Last week, the global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, released a report on the plight of children trapped in the war ravaged North-East region of the country. The 91-page report captioned: “We Dried Our Tears: Addressing the Toll on Children of North-East Nigeria’s Conflict,” examines how the widespread unlawful detention and torture by the Nigeria military have compounded the suffering of children from Borno and Adamawa states who faced war crimes and crimes against humanity in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists operating in the region. Amnesty International said while…

Fresh challenges before NFF, Rohr

June 2, 2020May 31, 2020 Correspondents

A fter many twists and exchange of correspondences between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr, the German last week accepted to continue his coaching role in Nigeria. Rohr will remain in charge of the three-time African champions for the next two-and-a-half-year after he agreed terms on a new contract with the NFF. The Nigerian football ruling body provided a difficult template for the tactician and it was expected that the coach would decline or simply walk away. …

Stopping bogus payments to ex-state officials

June 1, 2020May 31, 2020 Correspondents

I mo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, last week, revoked the payment of pension allowances and gratuities to former governors, their deputies, Speakers and deputy speakers in the state. He assented to a Bill repealing the law earlier passed by the state assembly. Speaking after signing the Bill in Owerri, Uzodinma noted that the revocation of the law was necessary because it ran contrary to the 1999 Constitution as amended, which stipulates that a pensioner must have worked for at least, 10 years and…

Nigeria and the rush for football restart

May 29, 2020May 28, 2020 Correspondents

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is getting anxious to join the ‘craze’ of football restart all over the world. Webinar has been organized by the sports ministry and some other stakeholders in the industry on the possible ways to restart. It is a fact that the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has no title sponsor and it is not on television, so we wonder why people are eager to have it back simply because European clubs are coming back. The authorities must get assurances from health officials to provide enough…

Take Home Ration and its attendant flaws

May 28, 2020May 27, 2020 Correspondents

The crises of transparency, corruption and poor implementation have often been associated with policies or programmes direction at every level of governance in this country. T his is usually so because such tasks are characteristically imbued with glitches of integrity, openness and lack of political will on the part of those charged with the implementation. Therefore, the overwhelming storm of criticisms dotting the nation’s space in the last few days over the controversial distribution of the ‘Take Home Ration (THR)’ to primary school pupils in their homes during this COVID-19…

COVID-19, Nigeria and quality health facilities

May 27, 2020May 25, 2020 Correspondents

W ithin a space of less than two months, Nigeria has had more medical facilities put in place than at any other comparative period in its history. Bed spaces, ventilators, and other health equipment had been conjured up almost from nothing. COVID-19 has ensured that Nigeria quickly put certain basic health facilities in place to combat the pandemic that has ravaged and continues to ravage the world. This response has demonstrated that Nigeria has the ability to build medical infrastructure that can compete with the world.…

Police and enforcement of restriction orders on COVID-19

May 26, 2020May 26, 2020 Correspondents

A common unpleasant thread which has characterized the enforcement of curfew, ban on inter-state movements and other stringent measures designed to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic is the counter-productive activities and crass display of ignorance by security agencies. To say the least they have failed the government and people of Nigeria in this onerous task. By their action, inaction, reaction and tactless display of over-zealousness they have advertently or inadvertently sabotaged government’s efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, save more lives and jobs, reduce…

Isolating COVID-19 from Nigerian politics

May 25, 2020May 24, 2020 Correspondents

G overnors of the 19 Northern states of the Federation last Wednesday rose from a meeting with a submission that the North now accounted for 54 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the country. The governors, who met via a teleconference on the COVID-19 response, also said that the North had 70 per cent of the new coronavirus infections in Nigeria. Plateau State Governor, Solomon Lalong, who is the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, in a statement expressed disappointment that despite all the measures…