Grandiose Parlor

We are back on the road to a national ID card project, once again. Back in 2003, former president Obasanjo, whose administration initiated the idea, said “the scheme [ID card project] will help government planning and to fight fraud and corruption”. The statement couldn’t have had more ironic implications…the project has proved to be nothing but a cesspool of scam, scandal and sleaze! Continue reading…

I can’t readily think of instances of collaborative actions between the Nigerian government and the citizens and organizations in the private and nonprofit sectors working together as partners to accelerate innovative, results-oriented, and sustainable solutions to our nation’s social problems. One thing that is not very common—and really needed—in Nigeria is this public-private collaboration. Continue reading…

Some 26billon Naira has been stolen from Ondo State account at Intercontinental bank according to reports from at least two media outlets, SharpedgedNews.com and Huhuonline.com. [Update, 7/25: here are screen shots of the articles on Huhuonline and SharpEdgeNews, click to view.]

What do I care?

I do care as a indigene of the state. I care because this is a serious allegation that needs to be proved convincingly by the instigators. However, there are no indications that the report is accurate. Continue reading…

I once read somewhere that “development is the gradual emergence of a problem-solving system”.

Nigeria is fraught with problems, the tooth-achy type that seem to last for ever. Power failure, crumbling infrastructure, failing institutions, etc.

Half a century down the road, can one say Nigeria has developed over the year?

Has any problem-solving system emerged since 1960 when the Brits passed on the baton? Food for thought!

Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State

This is comes to about N70million per ambulance (about $480,000 USD). This is an outrageously inflated price! Continue reading…

The list is basically the who-is-who in the Nigerian political and business circle: Continue reading…

I caught wind of the Enough-is-Enough youth march in Abuja late. From what I’ve read and seen online so far, the match did happen as planned, the group made their way into the National assembly grounds, but could not get anyone of relevance to address them. Nice and encouraging try, it was.

A video clip

Overall, I appreciate the energy and commitment of planners of the event. They are the ones in the trenches and up against the brutality of the security forces. Putting their bodies at risk and investing their time to make a case for the general well being of Nigerians is a noble task, and I doff my hat!

However, I wish the demands made could have been more potent and better conceived Continue reading…