Solomon2day

  The continued sponsorship of supporters, well-wishers, cronies and loyalists of political office holders to the holy land to the holy land in the face of hunger and sufferings in Nigeria is insensitive and inhuman. This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''The political leaders at the local, state and Federal levels of government have continued to sponsor their supporters, well-wishers, admirers, cronies and loyalists for pilgrimage to the holy land while hunger and sufferings persists all over the country. This is insensitive and inhuman. Why is the sponsorship of pilgrims a priority of governments? This is abnormal,'' Comrade Emelieze declared.

 Corruption, lawlessness, indiscipline, criminality and evil are among the several signposts that dot the landscape presently. Take an interest in your Health and Wellness Indeed, the above mentioned may be attributed to the absence of accountability, probity, transparency and above all, an unblemished track record of achievements. Without doubt, Nigeria is already a laughing stock in the comity of decent nations.

1963/64, 1983, 1993, and 2003 are significant years in Nigeria's history. A number of political office holders may have learnt a lot of lessons from history, even though others have become perpetual leaners and have continually repeated avoidable mistakes of the past. In a number of days to come, Nigerians will elect a brand new President and the statutorily stipulated lawmakers. Sadly, February 25th, a date that ought to attract happiness and hopes for Nigerians, has become a source of great worry. This date will serve as the long awaited JUDGMENT day for Nigerians to either reward good governance or effect a change in the present status quo, where and if necessary, in the center and the 36 states on March 11. Indeed, the gloomy faces of Nigerians constitute a major indication that the democratic experience has been that of despondency, anguish, sorrow and bitterness. Without doubt, the journey has been a political mis-adventure directed by the political class, who have, ov...

The conception of political development by leaders in Nigeria ought to bring about positive change that will usher in a stable and prosperous democracy devoid of corrupt lifestyles. But the utterances, outbursts and attitude of aspiring leaders, suggest that winning elections by whatever means rather than convincingly has now become the guideline. Indeed, Nigerians are hoping that the general elections will be deviod of compromise and winning by any means and at whatever cost to the country. Sadly, unfolding events, a number of days before the elections, are already giving the electorate visible worries, while the international community watches with keen interest, the response of Those-in-Authority to the concerns and issues raised by various stakeholders. Indications from every part of the country point to the fact that it is either the Independent National Electoral Commission's(INEC) preparations for the elections have deteriorated or that the commission is preparing to fail....

State governments majorly borrow money to pay contractors and loans collected for the quick finance of workers' salaries and retirees' pensions. All these are offset when the states receive their monthly federal allocations. Indeed, most state governments obtained loans to finance their first choice priorities, road projects, in governance. Sadly, the wearing costs of these road projects are unknown, while their benefits remain speculations. Interestingly, Those-in-Authority continue to play god, instead of allowing the supreme being to play God and then they play the human element of the process. Regretably, the ''new generation leaders'' in the states have brought in their stride-for the young and old-criminality, fetishness and diabolism. The phrase, ''one of the safest states in Nigeria'' suggests a covert invitation to criminals as seen in some states of the federation. It is not a surprise that career officers and political appointees are...

In the process of developing new locations in many states, those-in-authority have displaced thousands of Nigerians. Indeed, the forced displacements include the dubious sale of several houses to conspirators, who pull down original buildings and erect something different on the land. The forgery of property and land documents is the trend. Sadly, this development has attracted in this wake, criminal elements, who have to a large extent damaged the reputation of the government. Interestingly, the law enforcement and justice system have been compromised to accommodate this evil; while the people now see those-in-authority'' as bad dreams. However, Nigerians are optimistic that the days of bad dreams would soon be over in the nearest time to come. Note- Free, fair and credible elections can only be achieved if Those-in-Authority are not products of flawed elections. The political parties' primaries that produced candidates for political offices in 2023 were manipulated,...

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man who previously served as a staff member in the New Jersey Senate today admitted his role in a conspiracy to falsely inflate the invoices that a political consultant submitted to various campaigns, political action committees, and IRS 501(c)(4) organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Antonio Teixeira, 43, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 to 2018, Teixeira conspired with Sean Caddle, and Caddle’s political consulting firms, to defraud various campaigns, political action committees, and 501(c)(4) organizations of $107,800. Teixeira then failed to report this illicit income on tax forms that he filed with the IRS during those same years. Caddle was hired by a former New Jersey state s...

Labor leaders have been advised not to be involved in partisan politics as the 2023 general elections draw closer. This advice was given by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff and Associated Institutions Union (NASU), Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''It behoves a union leader to be very careful in discussing politics with politicians. These times of political campaigns, politicians are out looking for ways and means to woo workers and trade unions, but after elections they disappear.'' ''It is not expected of any civil servant to be partisan. You must not carry the toga of any political party. However, trade unionism cannot be separated from politics. We should watch our backs.''''NASU has never been in any secret meeting with any candidate. We only met the Labor party candidate on May day and he signified interest he would like to come around. We in NASU UCH branch, Ibadan have never met any candidate of any political party. There is a tiny line b...

The move by the Federal Government to increase the national minimum wage at the twilight of its eight-year tenure has been described as a last ditch effort to hoodwink Nigerians. This position was made known by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''Nigerians are skeptical about the motive behind the statement of the Minister of Labor, Dr. Chris Ngige to the effect that the Federal Government would soon increase the national minimum wage .It may be a set-up to argue for the removal of the subsidy on petrol and this would eventually be used to devalue the Naira. And it may also be used to justify the implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report. . Why is the government contradicting itself? President Muhammadu Buhari in a meeting with the executives of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria gave reasons why the government would not increase the salaries of workers. How come it is now the Minister of Labor t...

Organization and professional ethics are important elements of governance or corporate governance. The elite now trample upon the Fundamental Human Rights of the impoverished masses, who have become mere pawns in their(elite) hands for the ease of manipulation to win elections. The present dividends of democracy include insecurity, poverty aggravation due to unemployment and high prices of commodities beyond the reach of the teeming population, avarice and greed exemplified through the blood of Timocracy running through the system of our politicians driving them crazy into Kleptocrarcy and deceptive plea bargaining; increasing the fold of cabal, cartel and the vicious cycle of the corrupt people's clubs in Nigeria. In all processes involving governance, leadership by appointment, promotion or election, the effective participation of the people matters at all levels of identification, selection, and electoral processes involving voters' registration and the collection of the...

A former ambassador to the Philippines, Dr.Yemi Farounbi has declared that Nigeria urgently needs a President that is conversant with the needs and expectations of Nigerians. Dr. Farounbi made this declaration on Wednesday at an even tagged 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan, Nigeria. ''A leader ought to prepare his country for the challenges ahead. The leader must be creative and visionary and must have his legs on ground. But when your leader travels by helicopter or aeroplane, he does not know hunger, he does not know poverty because his feet is not on ground, he does not also know the fate of the poor.'' ''What kind of President do we need in 2023? What re the problems the President must solve? We need a well educated and rounded person, it is not whether it is my turn or your turn, it is not whether it has been my life time ambition. Can you solve the problem of electricity? Can you solve the problem of education? Can you change the mentality of the ...

Who are those that shall account for the unspecified number of innocent human lives that have been lost to violent crimes in this dispensation? This question continues to linger. In civilized societies, leaders seek power out of genuine nationalistic interest not only to transform the social and economic lives of the people but also to advance citizens' rights, the rule of law, and the course of democracy. However, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, certain politicians continue to scramble for power in order to further promote sectional, selfish and personal interests. The above-mentioned have been the focus in the center and the states. Months to the 2023 General elections, known heads of cults and other outlawed groups, who are proteges of prominent political office holders and politicians have continued to move around freely engaging in their Stock-in-Trade. They also threaten, intimidate and cow opponents during campaigns and participate in rigging elections. They have becom...

Powershift from one geographical area to another emphasizes the need for justice and equity. Curiously, in reality, has power shifted all these years, considering the set of people involved? The cosmetic transfer of power from the North to the South in the Nigerian context does not really hold water because it is the same class of people that are holding on to power. Granting pardon, at the twilight of an administration, to former public office holders convicted of corruption, is worrisome. But it is very important for those who have mismanaged the country's resources to cede power to those who are fit(mentally and physically)competent and capable to manage the country very well. Those who have massive resources, deploy these resources to purchase their candidacies within their political parties either for Governorship, State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, or the Senate. They don't care about individual voters but focus on how to manipulate the electoral proc...

The series of declarations of intentions to contest for various political offices in the 2023 general elections by presidential aspirants, State Governors, and Lawmakers for second term tickets in the face of unabated kidnappings, killings, and ritual killings in Nigeria are reflections of the self-serving nature of those involved. This assertion was made by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo State Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''It is a big surprise that despite the daily kidnappings, killings, ritual killings, and violent crimes, the focus of presidential aspirants, State Governors, and lawmakers revolves around their selfish desires and aspirations for election for various positions and second term tickets. If only they love and care for Nigerians, they should be agitating for an end to the kidnappings, killings, ritual killings, and other violent crimes.'' ''...

In politics, lessons are repeatedly  taught and learnt. It is now left for those involved to modify their gains and loses to suit the situation they eventually find themselves. Regrettably, the laws of Niccolo Machiavelli have all along been wrongly applied in this clime. After the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) convention in 2003, Chief Barnabas Gemade made spirited attempts to be adopted as the Presidential candidate of the United Nigeria Peoples Party(UNPP), but failed. This was Chief Gemade's fall back option, when his future in the PDP became uncertain. Indeed, Chief Gemade was the backbone of the UNPP, in his home state, Benue, even though he was a card carrying member of the PDP. Not surprisingly, meetings were held in his home, with Chief Gemade in attendance. Of note, is that his followers held him in high esteem. Curiously, it was discovered that the former PDP National Chairman, contested the Presidential primaries, alongside, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, with the...

For over three and a half years now, Nigerians have contended with  hunger, poverty, unemployment and insecurity. Sadly, government at all levels have done little  to address these hydra like challenges which have not only demoralized the citizenry, but  also prompted them to continually and relentlessly rein curses on the country's political office holders. A cross section of civil society groups  allege that the three tiers of government have deliberately impoverished the populace, as a way of compelling them to sell their votes in the 2019 general elections. Interestingly,a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar(rtd) has advised Nigerians to stop complaining about their pitiable condition, but vote out leaders who have not met their expectations .  In this interview with Federationews2day, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke  says Nigerians should seek God's guidance in the choice ...

The Justice Kayode Esho panel report on the Judiciary of 1994, indicted several Judges in Nigeria for wrongdoing.  Although the report recommended most of the Judges, including Justice N.S.N Onnogben, then a Judge of the Appeal court , Calabar, Cross River state, for retirement/dismissal, the Judicial review panel headed by Justice Bolarinwa Babalakin gave most of them and Justice Onnogben a clean bill of health, thereby nullifying the recommendations of the Justice Esho panel.  Justice Onnogben was a high court Judge, when the recommendation was made, but was however, promoted to a Judge of the Appeal court.  Again, the Justice Babalakin panel reversed the recommendation by the Justice Esho panel that Justice E.I.D Emeordi of the Delta state Judiciary be dismissed.  This reversal did not go down well with the Delta state government, which eventually retired Justice Emeordi and Justice G.O Akoro. While justifying his retirement, the then Attorney General and...

Days to the Governorship election in Osun state, the Federal Government introduced a scheme, ''Trader Money'' to enable petty traders access interest free loans. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was at the Bola Ige International market, new Gbagi Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria to launch the scheme.  In addition, the Federal Government  released billions of Naira to the Osun state  Government under the under leadership of Mr. Rauf Arof the state. egbesola and under the cover the Paris Club refunds, to pacify  the poverty and hunger stricken workers. Eight years is more than necessary to impact positively on the people of a state, if those who call the  the shots have what it takes to deliver the proverbial ''Dividends of Democracy''. Even though the workers in the state endured the abnormality  of receiving half salaries  for  over three years, the voting pattern in last Saturday's elections in the state confirms that the  peopl...