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Showing posts from May, 2012

Fuel Scarcity and Medicine. Brothers keeper?

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What is the link between fuel and medicine? If your first answer was "none" then think again. Workers in Lagos state are about to prove the hausa adage right that,"if fire is burning down your neighbours hut, pour water on your hut because you could be next". The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have gone on strike in support of 788 sacked medical doctors in Lagos state. We all know that it is only the brightest and the best that dared venture in to medicine. It is amazing that "lesser mortals" call the shots and in one fell snoop 788 workers where sacked just because they asked for a modest improvement in the conditions of service. Now we enter the era of citizens diplomacy. One for all and all for one. It is important that elected representatives at all levels watch this emergent scenario with keen interest as Nigerians are beginning to find their voice. No amount of brazen upmanship will quell the nascent feelings of dis

Power and Transport

It is 8am in the megacity and already the morning traffic indicates the prominant position of Lagos state in Nigeria's commercial equation. Sedans, SUVs, trucks, large busses popularly called BRT, motor cycles and pedestrians inch their way from Festac towards Ikeja and Lagos Island. Each driver delicately manoeuvers the drive and break pedal as the large vehicular and human traffic become one. Some times a driver would smile and give the thumbs up when he sees there is no other option than to let the other vehicle or motorcycle edge along. This forced acceptance of no where else to go between motorists is similar to the forced realisation by the ruling elite that they must give way to practical solutions to national problems. The governor of Rivers State which experiences traffic problems of its own is now leading this chorus and governor Amaechi is right on the money. We are tired of well endowed government parastatals like the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the

Democracy and the 9ja Youth. YouWIN?

On 29 May 2012 Nigeria celebrated 'Democracy Day' to mark the date in 1999 when power was transferred from a military regime to a civilian democracy. Never mind that it was a serving general handing over to a retired general, the fact was the new president had been through a democratic process which ought to pacify the West, motivate the populace and enshrine more legitimacy to governance. Since the onset (and some people would refer to this as the "onslaught") of democracy the pact between the leaders and the followers is similar to the comraderie between two friday night drunks supporting themselves and arguing about the best way to get home. As usual the disefranchised took to the social sphere to commemorate the occasion. Most of these messages in the social media chose to decry the helplessness and angst of the citizenry particularly the youth. My favourite was, "in 1979 Bamanga tukur was the governor of the defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba)

Education and Africa

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What is the aim and purpose of education? This is not about to answer that question. However I think the Presidential Committee to harness ALL Nigerian First Class Brain's is an important scheme. All meaningful Nigerians should share one vision for developing a technical elite capable of assuming leadership in industry, education and government. However the post graduate scholars and their chosen fields must be based on futuristic demands from Nigerian industry, government, academic and economic perspectives. The choice of international universities, albeit expensive, is nonetheless commendable. It is a common characteristic of universities of high international standing that high quality teaching is supported, underpinned and enhanced by research at the highest levels. The world's top universities recognise this synergy between education and research and ensure that teaching is undertaken by excellent staff who are at the leading edge of their discipline. This also porten

US: Nigerian Judiciary Corrupt with Impunity, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

US: Nigerian Judiciary Corrupt with Impunity, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

In Pursuit of Design

I returned from my last trip on the 10th of May. Since then i have been trying to "degauss" my mind from life in Africa and re-orient my self to the reality of accomplishing my doctorate degree. My entire focus (or most of it) is firmly focused on achieving my research objectives. The very first weekend I went to work? My office computer was not working and the HP netbook I took on my 5 week trip also chose to pack up. Fortunately in England there are institutional methods to resolve such "down time". The office IT group instantly went to work on my CPU and discovered it was a burnt power module. Similary the HP netbook is barely 6 months old therefore PC World is obliged to repair it for free. It did take me an unplanned 3-hour stretch to back it up. Two things here, they knew like I did that the problem was a burnt power chord but still insisted in "due process" even though painfully that meant 10 days of my life waiting forthe replacement power chord.

Downside of Debt Sustainability Claim, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Downside of Debt Sustainability Claim, Articles | THISDAY LIVE "A growth of 151% in debt stock within a five year period when no new power plant was built, electricity supply from existing plants declined rather than improved, no new airport, no new refinery, in fact, no major facility was added to our decayed and moribund infrastructure, does not show proof of sustainability….If the country’s debt binge is not reflective of her GDP growth, then how sustainable is the debt situation?"

Options Before Nigeria’s Opposition, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Options Before Nigeria’s Opposition, Articles | THISDAY LIVE We must ask ourselves when enough is enough. We can not continue blaming anyone but ourselves for our present sorry impasse. From the personal and private decisions we take to the public and far reaching ones, we must stand up and be counted!