OWOLOWO

Of Appointments & The 100 Days Electoral Rhetoric by M.B.O Owolowo Some people wondered why I chose to be mum on certain matters affecting our polity lately, particularly the latest appointments by President Buhari and the purported 100 days promise to the electorate.  I have discovered there are two categories of people; people that speak because they have to say something, and those that speak because they have something to say! I am sure you have already figured out which category I belong because I now have something to say on these issues! Personally, I had initially considered the brouhaha ‎on these particular issues as what the Yorubas would call 'Ariwo Oja', that's “Market Noise” for those who don't know the meaning of the phrase. I will employ the same quote I used to start one of my articles (Certifying a Distraction: http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/23/certifying-distraction-mbo-owolowo ), during the pre-election certificate saga: "You w

Poverty During Prosperity  By M.B.O Owolowo A dedicated, purpose driven and result-oriented government should have pragmatic solutions to a nation's compounding problems. Especial priority ought to be given to the amelioration, if not total rectification of the pivotal socio-economic problems. A critical role of the ruling party is to act as a guide to the executive, with the party manifesto being a standard reference point. Such control measures would assist the administration with goal-setting and prioritization. On what basis is the continuity of the current administration being sought? What Nigerians have witnessed and endured over a protracted period, is the perpetuation of politically induced opportunism - duly conveyed by crass incompetence. As peculiar as Nigeria's situation may seem, our problems are similar to problems that confronts any developing nation. To put things in perspective, Nigeria's current set of problems were clear and explicit before th

Beasts Of Our Nation By M.B.O Owolowo “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.” - Albert Camus A beast can be described as a contemptible or crude person, a brute, a savage or an animal. How do you identify a beast? The easiest method of identification is by their actions. Through empirical evidence, some beasts exhibit traits of plotting ill-conceived schemes, and non-existent considerations for the consequences of criminal activity. Such characters posses a general lack for a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Some of their other characteristics include: A negligence for laws and social mores A total disregard for the rights and privileges of others A failure to feel remorse for lawlessness or corruption A peculiar selfishness with narcissistic undertones A tendency to react harshly to criticism. A good example of reacting harshly to criticism is the “ I don't give a damn ” outburst by the president on his non-com

Postponing The Inevitable By M.B.O Owolowo The postponement of elections as announced by Prof. Athairu Jega on February 7 th 2015 is a test for our nation's democracy. It is a critical test for our democratic values and social institutions. An assessment of the actual independence of our electoral commission, judiciary and legislative bodies. It is a thorough examination of the working relationship between other institutions, including the executive and armed forces. The next coming weeks will ascertain if we are truly practising democracy and running a democratic government or we are retrogressing back to the anti-democratic era where the defenders of democracy will have to re-emerge to fight against tyranny. The INEC (Independent Electoral Commission), cited security issues raised by the security chiefs as the primary reason for postponing the election. Particularly, the Boko Haram insurgency affecting North-Eastern Nigeria. Nigeria currently has 774 local governments

Buhari The Consistent Democrat By M.B.O Owolowo General Muhammadu Buhari means different things to different people and is probably the most popular and incidentally popularized politician in our recent history. Often when Buhari's regime is reminisced about, some Nigerians focus on the popular War Against Indiscipline initiative, and the prosecution, conviction and incarceration of certain people, including politicians, drug traffickers and financial criminals found to have embezzled public funds. However, there are other achievements during Buhari's regime worth mentioning, particularly on the economy. Despite inheriting a fragile economy from the improvident Shagari administration, Buhari's regime implemented a strict fiscal policy, and reduced Nigeria's inflation rate from 23% in 1983 to 5% in 1985. Buhari understood the economic dynamics, and was particularly conversant with the inner-workings of the petroleum sector, considering he was Minister of Petroleum (Feder

Certifying A Distraction By M.B.O Owolowo "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks." - Winston Churchill ‎ Nigerians know where the 'dogs' are concentrated and they are barking loud! The issues that confront Nigeria are as glaring as a bright shining star, and the effects as scorching as the rays from the sun, but some pettifoggers employed by the PDP choose to deliberate on inanities . The issues are; managing the manifestations of corruption, and the deleterious effects on the economy; economic recovery, diversification and the future; energy creation, power generation and sustainability; securing of lives and battling insurgency; poverty and unemployment. The issues are; girls from Chibok have been missing for over 280 days, and counting. The issues are; Boko Haram control a significant part of North-Eastern Nigeria, including Bama, Kukawa, Mafa, Konduga and Damasak . The captured areas are

Re-Election, Extenuation & Actual Performance By M.B.O Owolowo Excuses galore! A serious government doesn't lament about the existent societal impediments and apparent issues that have unfortunately hampered our collective progress. A serious government being fully aware of the challenges it faces, proffers and effects realistic solutions to these problems. As Nigeria adjusts to global economic realities, the Shale alternative, and dwindling oil prices: generally, a world less dependent on oil and a post-oil economy realisation. Economically, can Nigeria really afford another 4 years of this administrative style? Recently, Jim O'Niell, the former Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and the economist who coined BRIC (Brazil, India, Russia, China) and MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey) respectively, highlighted the global perception of Nigeria, by stating the positive implications of Jonathan not getting re-elected in the forthcoming elections.