Last Friday, I gave the Convocation Lecture at Modibbo Adama University in Yola. The theme was the Nigerian University System and the Public Good: Pathway to Recovery. I addressed the problem of declining finances of the university system, which makes it difficult for the universities to recruit and above all to retain quality staff, engage in research and provide a conducive atmosphere for learning and research. I also addressed the more complex story about the corruption of Nigerian society in general but particularly insidious in the university, which created a mentality of looting and wanton exploitation in whatever situation people find themselves.
Author: Editor
As they say “silence is golden”, to me it’s not only golden, it is the wisdom that has the power and the ability to create affluence wealth that can influence people positively. This is the power Dr. Ismaila Nuhu Maksha got, an Adamawa State silent achiever and a humanist who is passionate about supporting the less privileged and the downtrodden.
This writing was first published on 6 July 2020. With changes of leadership soon at the federal and state levels, I see it as relevant. The first part in particular. However, do we forget the lessons in the second part?
President Muhammadu Buhari recently sent a request to the National Assembly to approve 800 million dollars loan meant to cushion effect of the proposed removal of fuel subsidy.
According to UNICEF nine out of 10 schools in Nigeria have no handwashing facilities for students. This, according to the UN agency, does not augur well for the fight against infectious diseases.
Incoming President Tinubu has chosen Godswill Akpabio (South-south) and Barau Jibrin (North-west) for the senate president and deputy senate president respectively. For the House of Representatives, he has endorsed Tajudeen Abbas (North-west) and Ben Kalu (South-east) for speaker and deputy speaker respectively. In-coming presidents never learn. Since 1999 when President Obasanjo introduced the tradition, there have been frequent battles over the assumed “presidential prerogative” to appoint presiding officers they like and it has seldom favoured the executive. We will see if this one will be different.
The aphorism that there is no hiding place for the golden fish was practically manifested last week when the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Mamman Nami deservedly bagged double awards from reputable organisations. The nation’s number one tax collector at separate events was named winner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Merit Award and the winner of the BusinessDay Excellence in Public Service Award.
Nigeria’s census history is replete with the rejection of outcomes based on alleged irregularities such as the manipulation of figures and other census data. The last exercise held in 2006 under the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo met a similar fate.
The race for the Speakership of the House of Reps in the 10th National Assembly is gathering steam by the day with no less than 8 members indicating interest for the coveted office.
Confessionally, Katsina state is among the luckiest states to have acquired five multi-billion Naira irrigation projects littered across the state. Conservatively, these projects – Zobe, Jare, Dallaji, Sabke, and Jibia dam projects have gulped over 150 billion Naira from the Federal government in the last three decades. For instance, Zobe water supply project Phase I and II alone was appropriated N3.227 billion in the 2017 Appropriation under a budget line, FMOWR64053426. This is in addition to the “little chip in” by the Katsina state government, “now and then”. For example, in August 2003, the then-governor Umaru Yar’adua’s government allocated a princely sum of N317 million for funding a 16-kilometer supply of water from Zobe Dam to Dutsinma town. One can only appreciate the staggering huge resources allocated to these projects after going through their financial audits. These projects, like all other civil engineering projects, have lifespan whether utilized or unutilized, and it will be a colossal loss of public resources, and a disservice to the nation if they attain their lifespan without reaping the expected benefits. Katsina state government must do everything possible to derive the maximum benefits from these projects. So, the major concern is how to make these underperforming, almost abandoned projects perform excellently for the benefit of Katsina state and the nation at large.