Top Stories
Fake
crash helmets flood Nigeria
By
OUR REPORTERS
COMMUTERS are in for more hectic times as the seeming genuine drive by the
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to check-mate carnage on Nigerian roads
through its order for the compulsory use of crash helmet for motor-cycle riders
has opened a can of worms. As the order issued about three months took effect
on January 1, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) quickly placed an
advertorial on specifications for the crash helmets the cyclists, popularly
known as okada riders, and their passengers ...
Balarabe Musa explodes!
THE epoch
presidential election ruling is a testimony that Nigerian opposition parties
are weak and opportunistic. If not so, the Supreme Court ruling which he said
was a legal exercise that lacked the peoples legitimacy could not have been...
N40m
Scholarship scam rocks Borno
From SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
MIRACULOUS disappearance of N40 million from the vaults of Borno State Scholarship
Board of the State Ministry of Education has been blamed for the inability
of West African Examination Council (WAEC/NECO) to release 2007 Statement
or results of all the indigenous students thereby robbing them of admission...
Unspent
Funds: Contract scams rock ministries
From CHUKS EHIRIM; Abuja
BIDDING to conceal their inadequacies and avert punishment, federal ministries
which under utilised their votes have flouted the directive of President Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua, that all unspent funds from last year's budget be returned
to the...
NEWS
• Oyakhilome charges Nigerians
to be patriotic, shun violence
• NNDC changes focus
• Man of the Year 2008: Kudos
for National Daily on Oshiomhole
• Baby Victoria leaves for
corrective heart surgery in India
• Senate gets request for four
new states
• Ekaette, N/Delta Minister
a spent force –Urhobo leader
• Tanker driver stabs motorist
to death
• Oil melt-down, good omen
for Nigeria –Businessman
• Kogi
goes tough on crime
• Operations of Ijebu North
LG Council suspended
• 1999 Constitution Review:
Rep slams NASS leadership over N1bn allocation
• Resilience, unity will
see Nigeria through 2009 – Gov Daniel
• Lawmakers query commissioners
on 2008 budget allocation
• Police have reduced crime
rate, says commissioner
• NGO to curb pipeline vandalism
• Speaker urges Nigerians
to live in peace, harmony
• Gov Oshiomhole dares lawmakers
over sacked workers
•Gov Jang held hostage at
Budget presentation
• Jos riot is poverty-motivated
–Gov Yuguda
• Beneficiaries of Harmony
Estate laud Gov Saraki
• House Minority Leader distributes
N100 million poverty alleviation materials
• Mother of five commends
Ohakim for free Xmas ride
Death of the opposition?
By ARINZE ALINNOR
I do believe that Unity is not Uniformity. We are very much aware that some
cities in the United States of America are bigger in land mass and population
than some countries in the world. We know about United Arab Emirate, United
Kingdom and so on. Their unity does not mean uniformity. Most of them have
different leaders at different levels who are not under one platform or political
party. All the governors, members of Congress or Parliament all belong to
different political parties, yet they work together and are united for the
sake of their nation.
Unity therefore does not necessarily have to mean uniformity. In Nigeria,
we have different ethnic groups or tribes and languages; we all form the entity
called Nigeria. We now have about fifty political parties. But there is an
error spreading in the land. Many are trying to sell the opinion or idea that
unity means uniformity. But I do beg to differ.
They are trying their best to make sure that unity in Nigeria means having
only one political party. Everybody by hook or crook must be made to be under
the 'big umbrella'.
Many half baked democrats have been hooked and are trying to get others hooked
to be part of the campaign to have everybody come under the 'Big Umbrella'.
We do not need to use the United States of America as reference point again.
Our neighbour Ghana may need to teach us some political tricks or lessons.
In Ghana, President John Kufour did not ask every right thinking Ghanian to
join New Patriotic Party. National Democratic Congress proved a formidable
opposition in Ghana.
In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe would have become the only living 'god'
of the land if not for M.D.C (Movement for Democratic Change) and Morgan Tsvangirai.
Kenya that used to be very peaceful and a tourist attraction was in the news
not too long ago because the opposition refused to be rigged out or intimidated
by the ruling party. The voice of the opposition only dies down completely
in a situation where there are no genuine democrats or just a handful of them.
Many who claim to be democrats over here are only political jobbers and political
prostitutes. Some have never stayed in a particular party for more than a
year. They just jump from one political party to the other and you cannot
see clearly what and what they actually stand for.
Senator Hilary Clinton did not dump the democrats when she did not pick the
presidential ticket of their party. But over here selfish personal and party
interest have made many sell their integrity, their stand and ideals; there
is a scarcity of men and women who mind about their reputation during and
after tenure in the polity. The feud between the Presidential candidate of
A.N.P.P(All Nigeria Peoples Party) and the National Chairman of their party
is a pointer to the fact that many lack reputation in the political terrain.
The Chairman is very much interested in what he stands to gain than even what
the party would gain should they remain as a formidable opposition. Nigeria
is experiencing all manner of crisis and corruption because many put selfish
personal or party interest far above National interest. Our political parties
are more like social clubs or beer parlour groups devoid of values and virtues.
Opposition is not in the number of political parties. Nigeria is gradually
becoming a one party state. Greedy politicians are helping to make sure that
there is no opposition or a weak one. You need to see the faces of the stalwarts
of the ruling party whenever they lost at the Elections Petitions Tribunal.
To them everybody supposed to be under the 'big umbrella by hook or crook.
We need to understand that even goods and services are better when there is
stiff competition or rivalry. Nigeria may become a nation of Zombies if the
voice of opposition kicks the bucket. Without opposition the ruling party
might turn all policies and it becomes dictorial democracy - the equivalent
of military dictatorship. Let the ruling party stop their bid to turn Nigeria
to a one party state. The opposition can only make them shape up and perform
better. Mediocrity is celebrated in monopoly. We do not need a mediocre democracy.
Let the opposition become formidable like in other places.
Our banks are perfoming better since some of them merged, the opposition can
be formidable if they merge together. Let our democracy be democracy indeed.
The voice of opposition should be strengthened and not snuffed out. The ruling
party should not force all to be under the umbrella and democrats should not
be cheap articles!
•Alinnor wrote from Lagos
