The Nation Newspaper

Category: Wednesday

The Queen and our troubles

The passing of Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was bound to be an epochal event. For over seventy years she was the only such leader her countrymen ever knew. On the global stage she outlasted over 14 US presidents and innumerable world leaders.

She had become a constant fixture in the corridors of power such that people subconsciously started to see her as near immortal. We saw late last week that she was mortal.

For an unprecedented seven decades she sat on the throne of one of the mightiest empires the world has ever known. But while the British Empire was widely acknowledged as mighty at some point in history, it was not necessarily the most popular.

This was so because it spread its reach across the globe largely by conquest. It sustained its grip on its far-flung acquisitions by force of arms – crushing all opposition that stood in its path as the juggernaut rolled on. It’s pillaging of the territories and dominions it had subjugated under its rule, was also by force. But it was by no means alone in this brutal pursuit of empire building and exploitation. The French, Belgians, Portuguese, Spaniards were all equally guilty to different degrees.

By the time of Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne in 1952, the empire was already unraveling across the world under the pressure of independence movements. In 1947 India broke free from the yoke of the colonialists on the back of a struggle led by Mahatma Ghandi and his followers. It was an example that would inspire many other nations across Asia and Africa in the late 50s and early 60s.

But while the British colonialists were not necessarily flavour of the month everywhere they went, their long-reigning monarch enjoyed an uncommon popularity that never waned all through her rule. Foreign leaders were in awe of her regal and genteel persona and fell over themselves to meet her. Her subjects, in the overwhelming majority, virtually deified her. In fact, many credit her for keeping the monarchy in her country relevant solely by sheer force of her personality, despite the numerous scandals and very public failings of members of the royal family.

So it is not surprising that her passing, the outpouring of grief and very public show of affection by her subjects, and the rituals of transition from one monarch to another, would be an event that would transfix the world.

Predictably, not everyone is impressed. Anti-monarchists who never really disappeared under Elizabeth have been largely muted this week – save for a few who bucked the largely somber and supportive trend by flashing one or two ‘Abolish the monarchy’ placards.

But one of the stories of the week was how a relatively unknown Nigerian-born assistant professor with Carnegie Mellon University, Uju Anya, fired off a grievance-filled tweet wishing the Queen “excruciating pain” on her hearing she was in a critical condition. She could not bring herself to be compassionate to the head of an “an evil empire” she blamed for the death of her family members.

While there are those who are sympathetic to her position, many questioned her judgment in sending out such an unfeeling post at time of tender emotions. Many of her defenders didn’t stop at backing her right to free speech, they unloaded against Britain and its monarch for Nigeria’s myriad troubles. Some blamed the Queen for backing the Federal Government against the Biafra secession in the civil war.

Read Also: A queen and the wounds of history

Even before the demise of Elizabeth II many argued in our national debate that the amalgamation in 1914 of the then Northern and Southern Protectorates by Lord Lugard is at the root of our lingering crisis.

While the cobbling together of diverse tribes, tongues and territories into a nation that never existed may have created original problems for the new contraption, Nigeria isn’t the only such artificial entity manufactured by the colonialists. Some have moved on and are now thriving, other have run into crisis and been broken up, only to continue in crisis.

Nigeria came close to that break up between 1966 and 1970. It has being reeling ever since but has somehow remained afloat even in the face of the most negative prognosis. For 62 years as an independent nation we have run our affairs without the meddling of interloper colonialists. The closest ties, aside bilateral ones, are our relationship as members of the Commonwealth. At most we can blame the Brits for bringing us together, but for over six decades we’ve had an opportunity to run our own affairs and chart our common destiny.

In that time we had opportunities to invest crude oil windfalls, build world class infrastructure, establish our agricultural base and make good laws for the sustainable development of our country. But we left all of these things undone.

Without the prompting of the British and its monarch, we blew millions of dollars hosting the month-long FESTAC jamboree in the 70s with the majority of our people still largely poor. Our then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, is quoted to have declared in a moment of misplaced hubris ‘that our problem wasn’t money but how to spend it.’

The British didn’t force us to adopt the money-guzzling American presidential system which now saddles us with funding a bicameral legislature and other forms of large government drainpipes. Outsiders didn’t help us shut public universities for seven months. Multiple military interventions and underwhelming civilian rule have foisted a culture of corruption and the deepening of poverty and underdevelopment.

So while it is useful to reflect on the role of Britain and its monarchs past and present in our national journey, all the bashing, tongue-lashing and finger-pointing is just redundant venting that can’t change our lot. With the 2023 campaigns set to kick off in two weeks, it would be more helpful to focus the national discussion on our challenges regarding the economy, insecurity and national cohesion.

September 14, 2022
DISCO GANGS?? Will Lagos-IB Expressway, 2nd Niger Bridge ever end?

Elizabeth II, Queen of The United Kingdom and the Commonwealth is dead at 96 after 70 years, 214 days remarkable reign. Long live King Charles III. May his reign be peaceful. Amen.

Now that electricity officials do not make much money from ‘guesstimating’ or disconnecting usually on Fridays for nonpayment of non-delivered bills for the old meters, there is still no safety from a new form of electri-corruption and harassment when using the prepaid meter. Some electricity officials have perfected a new criminal activity. Beware of meter officials who falsely accuse you of making ‘An Illegal Connection’ on your prepaid meter and take a ‘pretend’ video of the ‘evidence’ and immediately disconnect and give you a REPORT WITHIN 48 HOURS’ slip of paper. If only they understood the pain, disgrace and despair felt by any of the millions of legitimate customers on wrongly receiving that slip of pink paper which criminalises and victimizes, brings one’s father’s name into disrepute, questions one’s reputation and brands one an electri-criminal before neighbours i.e., electri-terrorism. Please immediately take a photograph of the meter’s connections, for the court, before the meter inspectors criminally create a real illegal connection. At the electricity office, the DISCO GANG will further compound the bamboozling process, creating a defrauding criminal and charge a high fine, or slightly lower bribe as a ’way out’.

Fortunately, when it happened to me last Thursday, with righteous indignation, we countered the electricity terrorists. The team finally admitted it was a ‘mistake’ saying ‘sorry’ -a meaningless word meaning ‘sorry for being caught’. Who knows how many DISCO GANGS exist and what damage they have done?

Electricity authorities are private service companies and must have high standards supervisors and internal affairs to ensure workers are Faithful, Loyal and Honest and investigate back-records of ‘illegal connections’ and exonerate, restitute and apologise to victim customers. This demonstrates that perhaps DISCO authorities lack anti-corruption mechanisms to investigate and prevent this devastating and reputation-ruining nefarious activity. Imagine if my grandchildren or my late father were present. We are taking steps with the electricity authorities to deal with offenders. Not only politicians are corrupt. Private company employees, used to old NEPA/PHCN evil electricity ways are sometimes carrying on as usual.

Meanwhile the same authority still after 2+months, has not issued a ‘pre-paid’ replacement to our meter reload card which strangely became nonfunctional. Maybe the DISCO is too busy to look after old clients. We were lucky to have loaded to prepaid meter heavily. This is very poor unacceptable service bringing DISCOs into disrepute. In Bodija, we already pay maximum unit cost. Is that not enough? DISCOS must combat ‘Electri-terrorism and treat with respect genuine customers.

Read Also: A queen and the wounds of history

The sad story of both the stop-start Lagos-Ibadan Expressway debacle and the ‘soon to be delivered’ 40 years in evolution Second Niger Bridge are study material in ‘POLITICAL NONSENSE, NEGLIGENCE AND MORAL CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA’ for Political and Social Science Departments projects. These projects demonstrate the terrible suffering maliciously inflicted on travellers by governments and contractors. These contractors may be corrupt, incompetent, unsupervised, underpaid, erratically or never paid. Nigeria is sick, desperate today, blighted by thousands of rolled-over, inherited uncompleted or completed-but-prematurely-failed projects with continuous cost ‘variations. But this is a visible plague while Nigeria faces devastating invisible plagues. These include the incompetence, the in-fighting, the corruption, the lack of planning and execution and coordination between ministries and departments, the fierce mostly corruption driven independence of the numerous corruption arms and the immunity from punishment for documented irresponsibly stupid decisions taken at meeting of organisations charged with the smooth quick time-agreed delivery of projects. The evidence is available in ‘secret’ meeting minutes, and ignorance or agenda-driven failed political governance and its ‘secretive’ ministries and departments. The lack of honest, non-corruption driven, coordination between for example, Customs and the contractors of the never-ending never-fulfilled electricity projects with discarded containers still under port container arrest or vice-like care, 10 years later than the projects should have been up and running deprived millions of cheap electricity. These all coagulated into a quagmire that clogs the machinery of supervision and good governance causing a failure of every single one of Nigeria’s development projects from the full use of Kainji Dam’s turbines, infrastructural failures due to a lack of maintenance, absent upgrading equipment for hospitals and universities et cetera. Non-payment of salaries and pensions stands out as a cumulative moral failure to perform good governance and due diligence. Salaries and pensions are the only social safety net, offered monthly in normal circumstances, since cheap petrol and kerosene, the only other safety net, became stories told by grandparents. Non-payment of salaries and pensions destroys the first-ever bank in Nigeria -The Extended Family Bank. Destroy the Extended Family and the social structure is destroyed. Child or youth does not respect parent or grandparent, academic and business opportunities become limited, purchasing power collapses, the community economy collapses. What are Nigerian politicians thinking when they divert or do not pay salaries and pensions to Nigerian workers and retired workers?

We need accountable governments with training and knowledge and which cannot get away with criminal negligence and without the arrogance to place ‘unrepentant offspring’ at elections lubricated by money of questionable origin. Will the Accountant General’s EFCC N109b case fail like so many EFCC cases recently? Already we have heard the money went far and wide. Will the recipients be prosecuted?

September 14, 2022
Chief Ayo Adebanjo: The nonagenarian Obidient

At over 94, Chief Ayo Adebanjo is the only Yoruba Obidient of his age that I know. In other words, he is the only Yoruba nonagenarian, who has joined the social media youths to follow Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. His reason for doing so is different from that of the youths, however. The youths are following Obi, believing he is an apostle of youths and a possible change agent, whereas Chief Adebanjo claims that the presidency should go to the East, the homeland of the Igbo nation, to which Obi belongs.

On the one hand, the youths seem to be following Obi for telling them what they want to hear, because that soothes their frustration with the present Nigerian situation. On the other hand, Chief Adebanjo is telling himself what he wants to hear. He does not seem to care whether anybody is listening. That may well explain why members of the group he leads are singing a different song, as revealed below.

Many Yoruba elders are surprised that Chief Adebanjo would take such a radical political position, given the candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress for the same 2023 presidential election. They are surprised because Chief Adebanjo is the leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, and Tinubu, the National Leader of the APC, is Yoruba himself. They expect a Yoruba leader, especially of Chief Adebanjo’s standing, to support one of their own.

Chief Adebanjo probably did not pay attention to the withdrawal of most Southwest presidential aspirants-Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Kayode Fayemi, and Senator Ajayi Borrofice-from the race to make room for Bola Tinubu. Other Yoruba leaders, namely, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Segun Osoba, laid the groundwork for their withdrawal, following the elders adage, Àgbà kìí wà ló?jà k’órí o?mo? tutun-ún wó? (Elders do not look on while others make grievous mistakes).

However, those who know Chief Adebanjo well enough or have followed his political trajectory closely enough, would not be that surprised. He is a man in search of answers to real or imagined problems that he considers important. It does not matter whether his people agree with him or not. As a result, he often departs from Yoruba mainstream political orientation or champions causes that may eventually backfire on the Yoruba nation.

For example, he was reported to be one of the arrowheads of the Obasanjo take-over of the Southwest from the then Alliance for Democracy in 2003, thereby killing the party birthed by the Afenifere, the organization he now leads. It will be recalled that, in the 2003 general elections, all the Southwest AD Governors were manipulated and rigged out of power by Obasanjo’s People Democratic Party. The only Southwest Governor, who withstood the onslaught, was Bola Tinubu of Lagos State. The last man standing then is the presidential candidate today.

This is not to deny Chief Adebanjo’s posture as a champion of selected Yoruba causes, such as true federalism and restructuring the organization of the country to facilitate the maximization of the potentials of each federating unit and provide self fulfillment to the different nationalities. In pursuance of this goal, he worked hand in hand with then Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, who mounted a series of restructuring workshops, preparatory to the 2014 National Political Conference. Mimiko eventually took Chief Adebanjo and other Afenifere leaders to meet with then President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014. The outcome was a pact to vote for Jonathan’s PDP, which Mimiko himself joined, leaving his Labour Party in disarray. Interestingly, by pitching his tent with Obi of the Labour Party now, Chief Adebanjo appears to be done with the PDP.

It remains unclear which new goal Chief Adebanjo would pursue and which political party he will seek in support of the goal, especially if his dream of an Igbo presidency is not realized with Obi in 2023, just as restructuring did not happen with Jonathan in 2014.

What is clear, however, is that Chief Adebanjo is on his own with the Obi alliance. Here is how Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, the immediate Secretary General of Afenifere, put it recently: “Chief R. F. Fasoranti whom Chief Ayo Adebanjo always refers to as leader told Priscilla Ediare in the Saturday Sun of July 20, 2022 on page 14 that … when Senator Bola Tinubu was the Governor of Lagos, he did very well. I think he can carry that into the Presidency. From all indications, if election will hold in 2023, this is where most Afenifere, who are the silent majority, are gravitating” (Vanguard, September 3, 2022).

I am not surprised that Yoruba leaders are gravitating toward Bola Tinubu. Afterward, they spent the last eight years or so complaining about Fulanisation, because a Fulani man has been in the saddle, who doesn’t appear to be empathetic or even care, while apparently looking on as herdsmen, bandits, and kidnappers rummage their farms and imperil peoples lives on the roadways. Now that they have a chance to put one of their own in the saddle, there should be no excuse not to support him. That’s why Tinubu began campaign in January by soliciting the support of Yoruba traditional rulers and elders.

This is the time to bury personal differences or animosities. This is the time to reject fabricated stories about Bola Tinubu, many of which claim that he owns what he does not own, that he bore names that they manufactured for him; and that he was what he never was. This is the time to look at what he has accomplished and what he will do. This is the time to educate frustrated youths that their frustrations are about to end with a leader who feels their pain, knows what to do, and will do it. Here is a leader whose ability to groom leaders has translated to the making of several state Governors, top Federal and state legislators, and five or six members of the present Federal cabinet.

There’s no better time than now to give Bola Tinubu a chance, and no better group can champion the course than Yoruba elders, who should know what is right and appropriate. Others should join them in promoting one of their own, instead of looking on or folding their arms. To be sure, Tinubu will be a national President, and not Yoruba President alone. But he will not look on while his people are attacked or their interest jeopardized.

September 7, 2022
Prof. Akin Mabogunje, Bishop Kukah@70 – ‘truth-talkers’

Prof. Akin Mabogunje is the latest role model and truth-talker iroko to fall at 90 after an amazing intercontinental geographic and multifaceted academic and private sector journey. Google his monumental CV. In spite of such amazing citizens, the decision-making people in and out of governance still decide on a political journey of country-and-citizen destruction on a sacrificial scale.

HURRAY!! My Lord Bishop Mathew Kukah@70, truth-talker, has lived many lives on life’s unstable stage. His accomplishments and recognitions are many on his journey against Nigeria’s injustice, as we are overwhelmed by injustice everywhere from the checkpoints to courts etc.

He does not only speak out. Protest is never enough. He offers workable solutions to myriad stumbling blocks to achieve a respectful co-existence between ethnicities and religions. His deep knowledge, theological and secular, makes it difficult to fault his clarity of thought and enunciation of problems and solutions. Sadly, the listeners, on receipt of advice to change ‘their evil ways,’ still pursue selfish politics, or are disruptive moles, with political malfeasance agendas with resultant malfunction. They ignore even a thought-provoking, distinguished, down to earth, wise-word wielding priest in the line of Melchizedek, recognised for service in the Lord’s vineyard and consequently burdened with high office – Bishop.

Age is a function of chance and opportunity, birth events and defects and place, sex, societal position, community health, family and social economics, education and personal and political priorities like water and sanitation and even religion and dwelling – rural, urban, North South etc. Remember we will all die at any time from post-conception to about 115 years. Thousands of okada drivers kill citizens in road murder, just as a passing malaria infested mosquito, covid virus, cholera water or giant pothole have also killed even the NYSC member en route to a primary assignment.

And remember the bullet with a name on it. Some life-threatening events you can control and prevent, but life itself is truly a situation of blessing and in the hands of God, and perhaps sometimes the result of the prayer I strongly recommend ‘MAY WE BE INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY, AMEN,’ especially on any trip undertaken on any road in Nigeria today from the Lagos Ibadan gridlocked ‘Expressway’ to the Abuja-Kaduna Road or rail.

We all want to die of old age, asleep in our bed and ‘WAKE UP DEAD’ – a great gift from God, cutting out the expensive medical middleman’s bill for our children to pay, pain and acute or protracted illness. But if we die ‘prematurely,’ has God withdrawn his ‘protection and blessing,’ or is our allotted time ‘just up’?

We have never been so threatened as a people. ‘Never have so many Nigerian deaths been recorded in a 7-year period’ and ‘Never has a President issued such a ‘CACOPHONY OF CONDOLENCES’ WHICH NEVER BRING BACK THE WRONGFUL DEAD OR PREVENT MORE COLD-BLOODED MURDERS.

Terrorisation of priests, and sometimes imams, as well as their congregations, with a litany of murders on unprotected farmers and road travellers on a Machiavellian mindless scale, is a signpost to unravelling unity. We are facing undeclared war and are forced to ‘siddon look,’ unarmed, with our gallant security forces losing lives daily.

These burdens must weigh heavily on the shoulders of Bishop Kukah and his fellow Bishops and surviving priests, and leaders of other religions, as they travel heavy-hearted from funeral after funeral of brother and son priests and thousands of needlessly and wrongful dead from government inability and incompetence -driven negligence-a form of corruption maximus destroying Nigeria.

It is a humbling thought for everyone who is 70+, especially a priest and Bishop, to find words where there are no words, comforting the bereaved. At 70, he is also the manifestation or representative of those who did not make it. He speaks for the wrongful dead and shall we say ‘the fortunate living’ even in unfortunate circumstances of a devalued life in Nigeria given by God SOIL- Soil, Sun, Oil and citizens. Strangely, rather than manage these gifts advantageously, they are stolen and we ask God for even more. Seriously????

Every generation has its Mabogunje and Kukah, ‘truth talkers’ talking truth, bitter mostly, to politicians, powerbrokers, private enterprise, and even the public, all to influence those in charge of the ’health and wellbeing and social services’ of the citizens in general.

From biblical times, in all great empires and even city states, including today, ‘truth talkers’ have spoken out. Mostly as the reward they are intimidated, muzzled, smeared, defamed with lies and calumny and vilified in what is summarised as ‘fake news,’ forced to flee city and country, rendered incoherent or persona non grata, and far too frequently actually eliminated practically through being commanded to commit real or social suicide, a transfer to Nigerian Siberian postings, summary sacking with loss of terminal benefits, trumped-up treasonable felony or corruption charges with fake evidence, murdered, killed or disappeared.

Nigerian ‘truth talkers’, and there are millions, have variously endured burdens for serving their country Faithfully, Loyally and Honestly.

BishopMathewKukah@70.HBDTYOU

Nigeria has no lack of terrorists, imported and local, or combative true-talker role models like the outstanding Professor Mabogunje and Bishop Kukah.

The Professor Mabogunje and Bishop Kukah of today started as small role models 70-50 years ago. Look for and become role models in your space today to grow into irokos tomorrow. But act on your role model’s words today or Nigeria will/may die tomorrow.

September 7, 2022
2023 Presidency: Early Predictions and Scenarios (4)

Four weeks from now, campaigning will officially take off for the 2023 general elections. Given the ugliness that has been exhibited in the shadow boxing between supporters of the main contenders thus far, I fear the hustings may get even more unattractive – leading to fatigue over all things political for many.

It reminds me of the proverb about the young antelope which danced itself lame before the main event in Chinua Achebe’s classic ‘No Longer At Ease.’

Unlike the 2015 and 2019 campaign cycles which lasted just three months in each instance, this time candidates would be at it for all of six months. The doubling of the time for parties to make their sales pitch has far-reaching implications for the electoral contests at every level.

The longer the campaigns lasts, the more expensive they become. This plays to the advantage of the two biggest platforms – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – who because of their longer periods of existence and control of government apparatus at federal and state levels, have the ability to muster the sorts of financial resources required to be victorious in a presidential contest.

Elections in any country are expensive undertakings even if laws are not being broken. Anyone who tells you anything different doesn’t know what they are talking about. It is the reason why in the United States there’s usually a big deal made out of the fundraising abilities of aspirants and parties. Many drop out of the race because they are unable to raise the kind of money required to pay for advertising, staffing costs and logistics.

It is the same thing here. Any serious contender who hopes to prevail in the race to succeed Muhammadu Buhari as president must think of how to fund the pre-voting operation across 36 states, as well as pay for the expenses involved in last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts. This includes paying for agents at polling units and even getting your supporters to their polling stations. This isn’t talking about any cash-for-votes scheme.

Perhaps the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) went for the elongated campaign period to afford politicians and electorate more time to engage on the issues that concern them. But that purpose already appears defeated because this is emerging as one of those cycles where voters make up their minds early.

Dearth of statistics wouldn’t allow us to determine how many have made up their minds and how many are still undecided. But such is the polarization of the polity that in discussions with your next door neighbours, complete strangers on social media or even professional colleagues, you get that sense that not too many are waiting to be convinced over six months.

This is not to say that there doesn’t exist a pivotal percentage still waiting to make up their minds. They could eventually decide things in a very tight contest.

However, we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the raucous and sometimes in decorous discussion on social media as the bleating of noisemakers without voters cards. How do we know they are all unregistered? Instead, in the absence of proper data, we can use their sentiments as a gauge of how they could act on election day.

To be clear, supporters of the four leading presidential contenders – APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi and New Nigerian Peoples Party’s Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are all involved in the emotional back and forth. For them, it’s a beauty contest and beauty still resides in the eyes of the beholder. So, you will read or hear comments like “it doesn’t matter what he’s done, I’m voting for him.” Such remarks are being made even before the firing of the starting gun.

The recent Nigeria Bar Association annual conference held in Lagos was a pointer that those expecting an issue-based campaign that would change minds might just be disappointed. It was the perfect platform for the leading candidates to make their case. From Atiku to Obi to Kashim Shettima who represented Tinubu, they all tried to do so after a fashion. But what provoked furious nationwide discussion afterwards wasn’t their prescriptions, but the former Borno State Governor’s suit size and shoe type. And this in a nation that’s supposedly at an existential crossroads!

Many at that conference weren’t really concerned what candidates other than the one they supported had to say. They were not there for a discussion or to be convinced; they were more focused on guaranteeing that their champion was cheered lustily to the rafters in affirmation of their belief in his popularity and acceptability.

But the 2023 presidential election isn’t a contest in who is the most obnoxious or creative with insults. It would be decided by electoral rules and cold numbers. The greatest challenge facing all candidates is first conquering the constitutional threshold which requires them to win a quarter of votes cast in at least 24 of Nigeria’s 26 states. I see only APC and PDP managing this in the time between now and polling day. Can the most optimistic of NNPP, Labour Party or All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) supporters who may be dreaming of a run-off, honestly list 24 states where they can muster 25% of votes cast?

Ultimately, this will be the same old slugfest between the two heavyweights. But the contest would be tilted in favour of one of them by the disruptions of the lesser party. Former PDP Acting National chairman and one-time Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, understands this. That’s why he’s pleading with Obi to abandon his quest and return to his old haunts. Unfortunately for him, the former Anambra State governor cannot pull out now without a major backlash from his fired-up supporters. That’s bad news for PDP whose hopes he hurts every day he remains in the race.

If Obi has became an unscripted factor that could affect the election’s outcome, so also is Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. How Atiku and his party manages him would be critical for his chances. All indications so far are that he won’t cave in to his rival’s demands. The result would be entering the contest as a house divided against itself – that age-old recipe for disaster.

Still, these are early days and the 2023 contest retains that intriguing element of unpredictability. So much so that for the first time in more than a decade some analysts actually believe the poll won’t be decided on the first ballot!

August 31, 2022
Shettima’s outfit and mischief makers

Mischief makers, especially on various social media platforms, are always ready to pounce on their victims at the slightest opportunity. All that is needed for their dream to come true is some appearance, some statement, or some event that could be distorted and transmuted into some alternate reality. Senator Kashim Shettima, the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, provided them with such an opportunity at the recent Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association.

He appeared at the event in suit and tie and a pair of sneakers, which clearly mismatched his formal outfit and the occasion. Before the day ran out, Shettima’s outfit had become big news online. Obidients and Atikulated folks were already having a field day. By the following day, even some mainstream newspapers echoed the online distortions. In no time, some columnists and opposition politicians began to deride Shettima, while others abused him for disrespecting the NBA by appearing in such mismatched outfit.

I first smiled when I read some of the comments. My smile turned to outright laughter—a laughter of disdain, of course—when I saw a widely circulated Instagram post in which Shettima was excised from the NBA event—chair, outfit, sneakers, and all—and put on top of a yellow Mini to which a mop was attached atop a long stick! What on earth was Shettima doing on the street on top of a car? That photoshopped image was the mother of distortions.

Yet, by carrying the distortion too far, the image made it even easier to see through the distortions of the Shettima appearance at the NBA event. Was it not during this same campaign season that a famous politician’s flowing agbada was photoshopped and presented online as wet? I later watched the authentic video of that event and spoke with some of the participants, all of whom were amazed at the distorted photograph. “I was with him throughout that day. Nothing of the sort ever happened. O ga o”, one of them told me.

Now you may ask: Why these distortions and fake news? The primary purpose is to create diversion intended to make anybody forget about substance, in this case, what Shettima said during the NBA event about the qualifications of the APC ticket for the presidency and what the duo intended to accomplish on the economy, ecology, and security, among others. Who now remembers that Shettima made global references and cited figures upon figures (from memory) in support of his arguments?

One of the underlying arguments Shettima made at the event was the suitability of the qualifications and complementarity of the men on the APC presidential ticket. Each had corporate financial background. Each had legislative experience as a Senator. Each had executive experience in state governance for eight years. Shettima himself was Governor at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency and was part of the deescalation of their attacks. He knows about security. No other ticket has these combinations.

What is more, a close look at their cabinets during their tenure as Governor shows unparalleled diversity of talents from different states of the Federation. Both men are credited as true talent hunters with a knack for recruiting the best for the job, regardless of creed, ethnicity, and state of origin. We have come to know so much about Bola Tinubu in this respect but much less is known about Shettima. Here’s a glimpse: Shettima’s cabinet and closest aides in Borno included Christians from the Southeast, South-south, and Southwest as well as a Fulani from the Northeast and Hausa from the Northwest.

It must also be remembered that, although a Muslim, Shettima is neither Hausa nor Fulani. He is Kanuri, which partly explains his sensitivity to other minorities and minority issues. To those who know him, his accommodating disposition toward victims of terror attacks, IDPs, and out-of-school children is legendary. He was equally helpful to Christians in his state, which makes a sad irony of some Christians’ opposition to his choice as Vice President.

But let’s go back to distortions and fake news for a moment. This is important as we are going to have a lot more of them after open campaigns take off on September 28. It is important to remember that each campaign team has an army of online commentators with two opposing missions—to praise their principals and to condemn the opponents, using various methods—distortions, falsifications, and outright abuse.

Not every commentator is employed by a campaign team, however. There are millions of young men and women out there, who are half-educated, jobless, and ethically challenged. Their number increased recently with the ongoing ASUU strike, now in its seventh month with a possibility of continuing through the campaign season. If they can abuse anyone face-to-face, which they do from time to time, imagine what they can do online, when there is no one over their shoulders.

The big question is what’s the purpose of distortions and fake news? They are part of negative campaign intended to put the target on the defensive, by diverting attention away from substantive issues. Thus, Shettima was forced to explain why he wore sneakers, instead of shoes, at the NBA event. According to him, the intention was to snub adversaries, who were reported to have planned some mischief. It was not clear during the event if the jab at Peter Obi’s Lagos residency and not Akwa was part of the snub.

Yet, there are columnists, who chose to ignore Shettima’s explanation and even turned around to blame him. His dress symbolises confusion, they claim. Why else would he wear sneakers, when he went to work in suit, tie, and designer shoes for at least 14 years as a top-level banker? What entitles anyone to get inside another man’s head and reject his explanation in the light of all available supportive evidence?

In the light of the barrage of distortions and fake news witnessed so far, it is important for the public to brace up for more. It is also important to check the truth behind claims made on social media. At the same time, however, it is necessary for the presidential candidates and their running mates to reduce the opportunities for falsification and fake news. Dress appropriately. Stay on facts. No exaggerations. Avoid silly gaffes. And stay on message.

August 31, 2022
Odegbami@70; NYSC REMEMBRANCE DAY; CBN/Airlines; Gridlock

Why do journalists laugh inappropriately during serious news/reports? Serious matters need serious faces, not smiles softening the seriousness. Journalists must avoid turning a yoke into a joke.

Congratulations to the great Mathematical Segun Odegbami@70, heading expert of Shooting Stars. Pls Google him and educate friends/family and help stop football colonialism by spending equally on Nigerian football watching and development as they do foreign football. A growing fan base is the sure way to revive, maintain and grow Nigeria’s football brand.

Ask: Is anyone young or old wearing a celebratory ‘Segun Odegbami@70’ franchised football shirt?

Remember 2021 July/August? Mourn with the families suffering one year since they lost their children, NYSC members travelling AT NIGHT from homes in Uyo to compulsory service in Katsina State on the Abuja-Abaji-Kwali Expressway late July 2021 when the driver fell asleep. The dead have names and left their mark in their tertiary education institutions in academic endeavours before the latest ASUU -FG strike now hampered by the refusal of the FG to pay for strike time-out. Those Fellow Nigerians were Miracle Asuquo-Psychology, Stella Ekikoh-Sociology and Anthropology, Ezuruike Coleman-History and International Relations, Innocent Ukpere-Mass Communications and Victor Akpan- Mass Communications. The price of National Service is high, including life itself. The pain of loss is eternal for the parents, brothers, sisters and families. Nigeria has lost many NYSC members. We need an ANNUAL NYSC REMEMBRANCE DAY. May they RIPP and their families be comforted.

So, should the Government be congratulated for paying around $265m, 50%+ of foreign exchange owed to the airline industry instead of the whole amount? The Airline industry is not a contractor who can be silenced by a promissory note or token payment. Payment is a responsibility with serious consequences for breach of contract. But our governments are experienced in the ‘use and abuse of contractors’ nationwide, forgetting the great consequences.

The Federal Government must take full responsibility for creating the consequent dangerous domino effect on airline-dependent businesses and airline travellers, all airport levy payers or taxpayers. It is surprising but not unexpected that FG/CBN has had a meeting of ‘Fellow Nigerians’ in the Ministry of Finance/ CBN in which they chose to pay just over 50%+. Something but not enough. To help repair the damage to the airline business and the reputation of the FG/CBN, the payment should be immediately completed or an economic recovery of the airline industry will remain a mirage. It will fester with no restitution for huge economic damage done across the entire business spectrum questioning the government’s fiscal sincerity.

All that is assuming any recovery is at all possible now considering the huge sums now demanded by airlines for tickets, for example, now denominated by black market rates, around N2m, or paid in dollars. Sadly, most of the international airlines have never done the travelling Nigerians any favours, either in in-flight services when compared to non-Nigerian routes, or in ticket fares. Since forever, the 4,000Km Lagos-London direct route has always been the most expensive per kilometre ticket worldwide apart from the recent ‘flights’ to inner space by Musk and Branson. Ask yourself why all alternative routes involving an extra landing and take-off in countries like France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Dubai and then still pay the same landing costs in London, are cheaper than airlines commanding the direct route? Certainly, the major players have used those airlines as a cash-cow for international revenue streams exporting huge profits abroad from Nigeria’s relatively docile passenger population. One of the direct airlines is historically notorious for rendering minimum comforts and cramming passengers into tight economy seating fit only for the smallest passengers and punishment for others. Yes, we had our own elephant, Nigeria Airways, but it was killed by political figures and high civil servants whose offices refused to pay for thousands of tickets.

Government still needs to address those behind the forces driving the naira further into the ground as it is a clear case of artificial failure of the parallel market due to unbridled greed of the powers which manipulate the cost of the dollars, they always seem to exclusively control the supply of. Where do they get the dollars that sell? Who sets the black-market price every midnight? The answers to these questions will reveal those who should answer questions to explain the free fall of the naira, and why they should embark on such a malicious act of economic and domestic wealth sabotage ruining tens of millions of citizens by rubbishing pension and wage programmes.

So, FG can ‘apologise’ for the gridlock debacle, delay and danger on the 5 Year overdue dangerous Lagos-Ibadan Expressway? The people who should be paraded on the gridlocked expressway to apologise to the terrorised gridlocked travellers are the NASS members who in 2019 or 2020 distorted, re-directed and damaged the budget by taking almost all of the N150b allocated by this government to complete the L-I-Expressway in 2020/2021 to the heading ‘Constituency Projects.’

To survive the severe current economic woes including a failing naira and a N20 trillion debt profile, Nigeria needs hard decisions including:

1)ADULT Realignment towards TURNING POLITICS INTO A MORE MOTIVATIONAL SERVICE-ORIENTED, NOT MONETISING, CALLING.

2) Abolishing the bicameral two NASS houses SAPing Nigeria dry by cancelling Senate and

3) Cutting by 75% Salaries and Perks to the House of Representatives.

4) Make the politicians sent to Abuja to the surviving HOR paid by the home State, not the FG.

August 31, 2022
Octogenarianism

Octogenarianism is that natural disease of ageing that affects those in their eighties, that is, between 80 and 89. These are the people we refer to as octogenarians. The number of persons in this age bracket has been increasing steadily across the globe due to advances in hygiene, healthcare, and governmental intervention. It is estimated that, by this demographic shift, the number of persons aged 80 years or older will triple by 2050.

Many of them celebrated their 80th birthday anniversary this year. Some arranged a lecture, others launched a book. Yet, some observed their 80th anniversary quietly at home, while others left the country, some to celebrate with family and friends or to escape celebration altogether. They all attracted a variety of gifts, some material, others symbolic. My own gift to them is this essay.

I know many of them up close or from a distance. Here, I focus on those who turned 80 this year. Because they have exceeded Nigeria’s life expectancy by about 25 years, Nigeria’s new octogenarians are truly on the verge of departure. Indeed, some of them are already in the Departure Lounge, waiting to board. For some, their plane may soon arrive. For others, it may be a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, two decades, or even longer. But it certainly will arrive. What they need to prolong the departure date is longevity literacy and a little bit of luck.

The variations in departure date begins at birth-from inherited genes, nutrition and dietary habits; through exercise routine, education, and profession or job; to knowledge of own’s body and access to quality healthcare. These variations often mediate the problems that come with age, and there are many of them. Other mediating factors include social and life transition issues, such as retirement and the death of partners or close friends.

The World Health Organization and other health experts list at least 10 conditions associated with ageing in general and octogenarianism in particular. They include: hearing loss; cataracts and refractive errors; back and neck pain; osteoporosis and osteoarthritis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; diabetes; cancer; depression; and dementia. A close look at these conditions shows that they arise largely from the degeneration of sensory, pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular, mental, and cognitive functions as well as bone and muscular strength.

The onset of these conditions varies from individual to individual. For example, although some men experience prostate cancer as early as their forties, the average age of men at diagnosis is mid-sixties. For men in their 80s, it is clearly normal, leading to the common saying that, in old age, men either die of prostate cancer or die with it. The good news is that the disease is curable, if detected and treated early. That’s why it is important for men to test for their baseline Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) level as early as their fifties, and go for a prostate biopsy if it increases abnormally, even when no serious symptoms are detected.

These variations notwithstanding, there are certain common experiences among this age group. Thus, if you put ten 80-year olds in the same room and have them share physical, psycho-social, and life experiences, up to eight of them will concur on shared experiences. They will admit to general bodily weakness, especially around the joints; to frequent urination; to reduced portion or frequency of meals to avoid constipation; to propensity to fall for lack of strength; and to reduced social engagements. Some will also admit to vision and/or hearing loss. You will even notice that they have aged-from greyed or lost hair to possible weight loss and loss of memory. Some become irritable, while others are downright cantankerous. They are all signs of old age, although not every octogenarian exhibits all the traits.

Today’s 80-year olds turned 18 on Nigeria’s independence and were preparing to embark on tertiary education. Even late entrants into the university among them might still overlap with the early entrants.

Their life trajectories are somewhat similar. They grew up during the formative, if not glorious, years of a new nation and contributed to its growth. They also experienced the various disruptions to the nation’s development. Some of them left the country to attain professional fulfillment abroad, especially as universities turned from citadels of learning to citadels of cheating, hospital beds and diagnostic equipment crumbled, and industries began to close down. Many, however, returned to the country on retirement and continued to make significant contributions to their communities, state, and nation.

Octoganarians everywhere possess resources that shed light on the past, present, and the future. They also possess a repository of knowledge from which cultural, moral, and national values are passed on to new generations. Unfortunately, however, the present crop of Nigerian octagenarians is a much disappointed lot, because the prevailing values are in complete dissonance with the ones they acquired and have been struggling to pass on.

This incongruity is also reflective of the observed differences between the nation they grew up in and the nation they now live in. It is not far-fetched to suspect that these stark differences may have resulted in psycho-social imbalance for some of today’s octogenarians. However, rather than give up, their fatherly contributions are still very much needed.

Nevertheless, they should devote sufficient attention to improving their own life chances, by prioritizing improved medical care, physical agility, and cognitive functioning. Here, I can share the advice given to me by my healthcare team in the United States. Relatively good health can be maintained by investing in preventive medicine and fixing medical conditions that arise as soon as symptoms are detected. It is also possible to exercise the body and cognitive functioning, even in old age. You just have to find the appropriate exercise that suits your physique, medical condition, and strength level. Above all, indulge yourself with activities that give you pleasure and satisfaction, provided they do not give you undue stress.

At the same time, a number of old practices have to be set aside. That’s why octogenarians are advised to avoid bathtubs and make sure they sit down on a bed or couch to dress or undress in order to avoid accidental fall.

Because you never can tell when some physiological change might suddenly occur, a few miniaturised medical gadgets should be readily available for use in the home of every octogenarian. They include blood pressure monitor; pulse oximetre, Bluetooth enabled EKG recorder; and glucose metre for those who may be diabetic.

For all octogenarians out there, I wish you long life and prosperity.

August 24, 2022
CBN vs Airlines; Poor Naira; Okada ban pls; Oyo Hospitals

ASUU’s ongoing strike now totalling around 1, 474 days (4yrs and 14 days approx.), has always been totally avoidable if Governments were Faithful, Loyal and Honest, loved the youth, were not corrupt and, most importantly, paid bills AAWD as-and-when-due.

Debtors are sanctioned and ostracised. Note AMCON antics and NBC’s recent ban. When governments disobey international business rules, Central Banks and governments are sanctioned by loss in ratings, and citizens and countries suffer loss of credit opportunities, credibility and moral authority. One effect is suspension and transfer of pending international business to other countries like airplanes travel and port activities.

The case-in-point is the CBN-led mismanagement of the airline industry agreement, stopping foreign exchange ticket remittances and costs for compulsory maintenance abroad which scream of government injustice and breach of contract. This has backfired, destroying our credibility as a trustworthy, credit-worthy country. Such a payment, made ‘AAWD’ as-and-when-due, would keep ‘Brand Nigeria’ and our naira respectable. Unpaid, with a multiplier damaging effect, it costs billions of naira and loss of confidence. Meanwhile, foreign ships pay NPA in millions daily dollars for docking (Google: NPA dock charges).

Yes, airlines are used by the upper classes and politicians but this allows them business and pleasure which collaterally employs millions and brings home ‘Diaspora Remittances.’ We proudly flew Nigeria Airways with our Green Passport in the 60s/70s but it collapsed under non-paying ‘privileged’ political/government hordes.

Remember multiple taxes from PAYE for professionals and workers, aircraft, airport, parking, shops, vendors, hotels. Was the CBN thinking at all? Those at the CBN Meeting who rejected the ‘Ticket Debt’ payment must be identified through the minutes and investigated for incompetence, negligence, sabotage, ‘bringing the country into disrepute’ and ‘economic treason.’ The media is awash with sound economists’ solutions including ‘bail out,’ ‘aviation fuel at landing cost’ to ‘using foreign reserves.’ Those who protested the CBN’s failure to pay airlines should take over CBN. Currently, CBN’s nonaction has set a fuse to collapse the fragile economy already depleted by carpetbaggers, foreign exchange round trippers and NASS rejection of a $100b Sovereign Wealth Fund to protect the naira and for our children.

The government comprises the real culprits – the politicians prospering themselves while pauperising the currency, ($1=N 0.8 in 1974 to $1= N420-710 in 2022 -you do the % rise and fall) the nation and people. Their greed-driven leadership denied the people prosperity proportionate to God-given gifts of ‘SOIL’ and citizens. SOIL= Sun, Soil, Oil.

This failure was magnified by the unitary Government to manipulate the ‘Exclusive List’ destroying progress. The serial Federal and State Cabinets, needless 2 House hyper expensive NASS/State Assemblies have also mostly failed, by even Nigeria’s Common Entrance, NECO, JAMB and University standards in Politics-101 and Development Goals and all international growth indices except in population, falsely inflated to over 200m, when we are probably 15-30% less max 160m even adding ‘Niger’ etc. no USA is giving us money to build toilets!

Have we no limit to our shame???? The political and civil service, black market speculators and carpetbagger contractors have spectacularly, frustrated agendas like a 21st Century Education, the Sovereign Wealth Fund and merely adding 1-2Mw to the grid each year since 1999. Will Siemens change this ‘Generator Generation’?

The political class is responsible for today’s bloodshed right up to the murders and robberies and billions of wasted hours on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway delayed by ‘Political Myopia,’ just as they failed in 4 Development Plans which would have stopped many strikes including

Politicians deceive us with fanfare-launched money-guzzling stillborn or crippled plans ‘Vision-2010, Vision-2020, Visions -20:2022, probably ‘Premature Funeral Fanfare’ as we unknowingly celebrated DOA – ‘Dead on Arrival’ events. Today’s incumbents after 7 years in office should accept responsibility for the current struggle facing almost all honest businesses and honest people.

Yes, blame the Russian -Ukraine war, but the impact would be cushioned if politicians had made Nigeria self-sufficient foodwise and free of mercenary terrorists and ethnic farmer murderers, if our oil wells and refineries provided oil and gas, if 50-100,000Mw a day had further reduced our generator/fuel demand and if we had been ‘Faithful Loyal and Honest’ to the naira, SWF and Project Nigeria. Politicians cannot leave sacrifice only to our security forces and police dying while protecting them.

The bans on okadas to curb the ‘Okada Epidemic’ provide research-backed evidence of the known danger of mobile motorcycle riders. A 50 % fall in accidents, reduced hospitalisations, reduced robberies constitute irrefutable positive facts that the Okada Epidemic, a cancer, has mutated into ‘Okada Terrorism.’ But scattered bans force okadas to relocate to unbanned areas where the ‘Okada Terrorism’ grows. All governors need to hold emergency meetings to immediately impose an ‘Okada Ban’ nationwide. The Okada nationwide would have failed if any feasibility study was ever done. Now we do post-mortems on friends and family.

The upgrade of Oyo State Hospitals is fulfilment of ‘Great Expectations’ with General Hospitals equipped with CT Scanning, Ultrasound and Renal Dialysis etc by Governor Seyi Makinde, thus smashing the jinxed generation of Governors almost nationwide who deliberately down-graded State General Hospitals etc. Hurray!!

Each Nigerian state is larger than 20 countries. Whenever the Federal Government disappoints us, a State Governor must take a Presidential-like responsibility for each desperate state population with no economic room in state politics and budgets for CINS -Corruption, Incompetence, Negligence or Selfishness. Indeed perhaps ‘government development failure’ was the ‘The Plan.’

August 24, 2022
ASUU strike: Time to move on

Six months after lecturers in public universities walked off their jobs in a dispute with the government, it appeared for a moment that a sad chapter in the evolution of the nation’s educational system was about to be closed with an apparent breakthrough in protracted talks.

The other university unions have agreed to return to work on the back of government agreeing to payment of N50 billion in earned academic allowances.

The industrial action supposedly about adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, halt to proliferation of universities and release of revitalization funds.

So what has the union gained from its struggle with authorities? Among other things professors and lecturers have been given a pay hike of between 27 and 35 percent. The government has committed to using the UTAS payment system after the stout resistance to its preferred Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). So the lecturers have clearly done well with much of what they sought being delivered to them.

But the little matter of payment of salaries for the six months they didn’t work is now a cog in the wheel.

Government says it’s implementing the ‘no work, no pay’ policy. The teachers argue that while they did no work during the strike period, they would be delivering make-up lectures for the period students were away from class.

It’s a shame that a strike that was originally framed as being about saving tertiary institutions from collapse has ended up being about personal entitlement. Students and parents who have suffered collateral damage as a result of the flexing of muscles by the two sides have become no more than pawns.

Predictably, opinion has been divided over this last-impasse. Some argue that the strike is a product of government’s refusal to adhere to agreements reached so it should pay up. Others who just want to move on argue that it isn’t the first time the authorities would turn a blind eye to the so-called ‘no work, no pay policy’ just for the sake of peace.

Yet, there are those who insist that ASUU cannot on grounds of equity insist on being paid for work it didn’t do. It’s position that it would be taking remedial lectures cannot hold water. Over the past three to four decades the union has embarked on such regular and drawn-out strike actions, ostensibly to force government to address issues faced by tertiary institutions. But it remains to be seen if its approach has worked given that its been doing the same thing since the 80s with modest results.

Of course, lecturers are not to blame if successive administrations never gave education the sort of attention it deserves. Still, we must ask whether the extreme deployment of union power has helped the situation. Under what circumstance can anyone defend universities being shut for six months because conditions are not perfect?

What aspect of our national life is the way it should be? Healthcare is grossly underfunded leading to increased medical tourism by those who can afford to do so and brain drain on the part of well-trained personnel. Would the sorry state of our public hospitals be enough justification for doctors and nurses to walk off their jobs for six months, and return after the period to insist on being paid for doing nothing? It just sounds immoral and unreasonable.

As a result of the incessant and prolonged strikes, many students are spending five or six years for courses that should have lasted no no more than three or four years. The lecturers can take make-up classes to enable them meet graduation requirements, but who will give them back the wasted years? Who helps them deal with the emotional and psychological fallout from the dysfunction in the system? While the varsity unions would want government to take all the blame, they cannot absolve themselves given their extreme methods.

There was a time when ASUU enjoyed much sympathy given the lopsided-ness and inherent inequities in the reward system in Nigeria’s public service. But over time that goodwill has been grossly eroded as frustrated students and parents begin to question what exactly these strikes are all about.

Unfortunately, the unions don’t seem know when they have won. Now, they’ve boxed themselves into a corner with the government’s insistence on not paying for work not done. It’s hard to fault the authorities on this. The choices open to the lecturers is stark. Are they ready to prolong the strike on grounds they should be paid for work not done? How long are they willing to go? Every day they prolong this shutdown is a public relations disaster for the union.

With the non-academic staff unions returning to work ASUU is becoming increasingly isolated and susceptible to official action to clip their wings. Although, the government had denied it had any intention of proscribing the union, the mere fact this is being discussed is clear indication where public sentiment is headed.

It has had a long run of successes through the decades is its face-offs with the authorities, but it would do well to learn from what happened to Britain’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). At one time it was the country’s most powerful union under the leadership of the legendary Arthur Scargill. Whenever it threatened industrial action, governments shivered because of the central role of the miners to the country’s energy needs in the 70s.

But the uncompromising union leader soon ran into an equally obdurate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who engaged him a year-long war of attrition that ended with humiliation for him and the NUM. As the strike dragged on, miners who couldn’t feed their families began to crawl back to work unconditionally. Soon there was a split in the ranks of the all-powerful union.

By the time the strike would be officially called off it had nothing to show for its year-long exercise in foolhardiness. That led to the downfall of Scargill.

ASUU and it’s leaders can avoid a similar fate by making some sacrifices and terminating their strike now – even if it means accepting what it considers punitive ‘no work, no pay’ terms. It shouldn’t delude itself into thinking it only can emerge unscathed from a battle that has damaged all sides.

August 24, 2022