Kabiru Danladi Lawanti

The Nigerian government was a signatory to the Jomtien Conference, 20 years ago, where from March 5 to 9, 1990 participants from all over the world met to come with solutions to provide quality education to over 100 million children, including at least 60 million girls, who have no access to primary schooling. Education for All (EFA) programme by 2015 was born. Governments made commitments to be part of the programme. In Nigeria, policies were put in place to achieve the stated goal which includes the Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme, in order to check the problem of dwindling enrolment in primary and secondary schooling and educational deterioration generally in the country. Earlier, the UPE scheme was instituted by the military government in 1976 to develop the educational capacity of illiterate Nigerians. The scheme was not as effective as expected though more people were able go to school, read and write their names and become better informed as a result of the scheme. The Un...

As unconstitutional as the zoning formula arrangement adopted by the PDP is, the idea was floated because every part of the country felt that it is eligible to produce the presidency of this country. The presidency, being the most powerful office, (since 90 per cent of the nation's revenue comes from the centre), certain parts of the country, especially the South-West, which boasts of having the highest number of Western-type- education elite, felt it was time for the region to produce the president for Nigeria, especially in the aftermath of the June 12 elections. So much noise and tumult were raised, especially in the Lagos/Ibadan axis's press for power-shift until it culminated into making the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adopting a zoning arrangement whereby, General Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as the PDP candidate. while the then APP went for Chief Olu Falae. That ushered in the introduction of the zoning formula, which is a kind of unconstitutional rotational agreement wh...

There is a lot of paradox about the People’s Democratic Party, a party that claimed to be the largest in the continent. Prior to 1999 the party had earned the respect and admiration of Nigerians from all walks of life due to the calibre of its founding fathers. But barely a decade, the party has become the most hated political party in Nigeria due to its anti-people policies. The government in the centre, which the PDP controls, has grossly disappointed Nigerians in the way it managed the affairs of the country in the last decade. What Nigerians witnessed under the PDP in the last 10-11 years is total debasement of the values of governance as reflected in the rising index of poverty, widespread corruption, and political crisis ranging from election rigging, violence and total disregard for the rule of law, which is the foundation of democratic governance. Under the PDP, the country also witnessed gross human rights violations, insecurity with the rise in the spate of kidnappings in the...

A Najeriya, an sha gudanar da zabuka amma a kowanne lokaci ba a rasa zargin magudi daga wadanda suka sha kaye. Hatta masu sa-ido a kan harkokin zabe kan yi irin wannan zargi na tafka magudi, kuma kusan dukkan jam'iyyun siyasar kasar ne ake zargin cewa duk wadda ta samu wuri takan yi magudi. Malam Kabiru Danladi Lawanti, wani jami’i a kungiyar kare dimokuradiyya ta Good Governance Group , wanda kuma ya dade yana sa-ido a kan zabuka a Najeriya, ya bayyana cewa kwadayi ne babban dalilin da ya sa ake aikata magudi. A cewarsa, “Idan [mutum] ya san cewa [sama da fadi da dukiyar al’umma] ba zai yiwu ba, to ba wanda ma zai yi sha’awar dole sai ya yi magudi ya ci zabe”. Hanyoyin magance magudi Ya kuma kara da cewa hanyoyin magudi suna da yawa, musamman ma a kauyuka inda ’yan jarida da masu sa-ido ba sa shiga. Dangane da hanyoyin magance magudi kuwa, mai fafutukar kare dimokuradiyyar cewa ya yi: “Matsalar magudi a Najeriya za ta gushe ne kawai idan aka fara siyasa ta manufa—cewa duk wan...

S o much noise and furor has been raised in the media last week on a Bill for an Act to Provide for the repeal of the Nigerian Press Council Act, 1992 and establish in its place the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council. The Bill, which was sponsored by a veteran broadcaster, who spent 15 years of her life as a broadcaster and anchored the weekly NTA Newsline programme, Honourable Abike Dabri Erewa, according to lawmakers is to enhance the practice of journalism in Nigeria. As a veteran journalist, Hon. Dabri is not a stranger to the Nigerian media industry and the condition of service of journalist in Nigeria. May be that was why she felt compelled to make her contributions in ensuring that the profession has received the much needed attention it deserved in our society. However, as soon as the Bill was read on the floor of the National Assembly, it started receiving bashing from all quarters, especially the Nigerian Guild of Editors, who described the Bill as totally unn...

S o much noise and furor has been raised in the media last week on a Bill for an Act to Provide for the repeal of the Nigerian Press Council Act, 1992 and establish in its place the Nigerian Press and Practice of Journalism Council. The Bill, which was sponsored by a veteran broadcaster, who spent 15 years of her life as a broadcaster and anchored the weekly NTA Newsline programme, Honourable Abike Dabri Erewa, according to lawmakers is to enhance the practice of journalism in Nigeria. As a veteran journalist, Hon. Dabri is not a stranger to the Nigerian media industry and the condition of service of journalist in Nigeria. May be that was why she felt compelled to make her contributions in ensuring that the profession has received the much needed attention it deserved in our society. However, as soon as the Bill was read on the floor of the National Assembly, it started receiving bashing from all quarters, especially the Nigerian Guild of Editors, who described the Bill as totally unn...

Nothing is more disturbing or is it disgusting? in Nigeria than one to take upon himself the responsibility of speaking for the oppressed. Yourself a victim, but since you are more privileged than the rest of Nigerians, you took it upon yourself to serve as a middle man between the government and the governed. You do this with a strong conviction that one day, this country - our great country, will be great and indeed a country where our leaders will be incorruptible, credible and honest, the countrymen organised, orderly who respect one another and live peacefully. Sometimes in July I wrote a letter to this forum discussing the issue of Post-UME, not only the way student are squeezed, extorted and exploited by universities, through the payment of money to sit for the exams, but the dangers these aspiring university students fall into during this exercise, especially to ladies. I sighted an example of how most of these innocent girls were raped by undesirable elements within the univ...

After a period of relative optimism for the nation’s 11 years old democracy and the prospects with which it comes with, since its return, political observers have raised concerns that Nigeria’s democratic institutions are being rolled back by the very people who are entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing them. There is in fact little to show how far we have come to realize our dreams 11 years after our quest for having a truly democratic country, in which the citizens live happily and enjoy the dividends that come with the system. Democracy is a system which sought for the establishment of responsive and responsible political institutions that can guide the citizens in promoting good governance, guarantee security of life and property, ensure accountability, prevent corruption, respect human and civil rights, and ensure popular sovereignty. While democracy gives the citizens the power to choose their leaders, it will not be effective without improved ‘governance’ that shapes ...

A popular adage, the statement above is the subject of our discussion. Our children are our future if we give them a solid foundation from which to build a better society. We owe our future to our children and as long as we want our society to be better, then, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to make sure that they are given good care. All over the world and in every society in history, education is regarded as the basis upon which future generation is built. And for any society to develop there has to be a connection between its present and its future; children serve as a bridge or a transition through which this is accomplished. However, in our country this fundamental issue is neglected and relegated to the background. Sometimes we are made to wonder as to what direction we are really heading to. Nigeria has a population of over 140million and 60% of this population are youth or children, however, there is no concrete policy or programme to my knowledge geared ...

No election, even in advanced democracies of western Europe and the US is devoid of flaws. however, there is a way an election can be conducted where all actors in the political process can feel that they are satisfied with the outcome despite losing, or not having what they wanted. Elections in Africa are a 'do or die affair', the resultant consequences is what we saw in Kenya after the 2007 presidential election or Ivory Coast or Algeria which eventually led to civil war. The December 7, 2008 election that took place in Ghana is a pointer to the fact that even African countries can get it right in terms of organising and conducting free and fair elections. Ghana's history is one of sadness and of unnecessary tragedy. It is the first country to achieve independence from the British on March 6, 1957. Like Nigeria, the country witnessed its first military coup in 1966, just a week after the bloody coup in Nigeria. A National Liberation Council was formed and was headed by L...

 In a report, recently published by some national dailies, there are greater concerns by opposition parties in so many states of the federation on how campaigns by their candidates and parties receive little or no attention from the states owned media  houses. Some even mentioned that even where they receive attention it was too negative or meant to ridicule them. State owned media outfits in virtually all the states of the federation, view the state broadcasting stations (TV or radio), as extension of the propaganda arm of the ruling party in the state and therefore, use the stations to advance partisan or personal interests of state governors while preventing access to these media by other political parties. The ruling parties in many states of the federation do interfere in the way the media perform its duty in their domain. This attitude is even manifesting at the federal level. The federal government controlled media - the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Feder...

The last week of March and first week of April will forever remained in the minds of people of Gombe State, particularly Gombe North and South Senatorial Districts. In a span of two days the two Senatorial Districts in the state lost two of its senators. The news about the sudden death of the chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Tawar Umbi Wada (PDP, Gombe South) on March 31 and that of Senator Kawu Peto Dukku, (PDP, Gombe North) on April 2, 2010 came as a shock to many not only in Gombe state alone but the entire nation in general. The week can be described as a week of sorrow for the families of the deceased and many people, both within and outside the state.   My heart goes out to the families of the deceased and may Allah grant them the fortitude to bear the loss. In times like this, it is important to understand that God has the power to take the life of an assumed healthy person and leave a sick man as He wishes. This is also a food for thought for all of us, as...

President Goodluck Jonathan’s supporters expect nothing less from any critic, except a way forward from the present mess the country finds itself. From the social networking pages to daily conversations, the subject is the same, Nigeria is in crises, and repeating that here is even an overstatement. Our twelve years of democracy can be described as one of the best chances the nation had to join the likes of China, South Africa, the Asian Tigers and Brazil as one of the leading economies of the world. However, that chance was squandered by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, described by many analysts as the worst thing that ever happened to Nigeria in its modern history. Few achievements were recorded during his tenure which was overshadowed by his dismal failure. We can rightly say that the leadership failure recorded in these years in terms of corruption, open stealing of public funds and electoral rigging etc., have overshadowed the little achievements. His twelve years of rule can be said to ...

In the dying days of 2008 and the early weeks of 2009, the world stood and watched an intense and round-the-clock attack by air, land and sea, by the Zionist state of Israel on the Gaza enclave, where we witnessed a horrible massacre of innocent, armless people of Palestine, an event or atrocity that can only be compared to the genocide in Rwanda or Bosnia Herzegovina, in which thousands of people were murdered in cold blood. The three weeks Israel bombardment of the most densely populated enclave on earth has been described as the most inhumane act human beings have ever witnessed in modern history. Israel, we were told has no option but to murder armless civilians, including women, old men and children in order to ‘defend’ itself from the continuous rocket attacks launched by the "terrorist" Hamas group against its civilian population. Had it been Israel is a respecter of human right, democracy and the sovereignty of its neighbours, nobody would have opposed their response...

Feminism is a social movement, which is predominantly, but not exclusively, associated with Western middle-class academia, it is a movement, according to its proponents that provide a critical understanding of various religious concepts, beliefs, and rituals, as well as of religion as a cultural institution that defines sanctions, and sometimes challenges gender roles and gender-inflected representations. It is an ideology that receives little or no attention in cultured and religious societies. Most people avoid discussing it or find it very difficult to arrive at compromising position especially since its proponents associate it with the rights of women, gender [in] equality, in our society. The idea is very sensitive that sometimes it causes heated debate between those advocating for women rights/feminists on one hand, and those who feel that women are adopting a wrong channel in advancing what they assume as their right. In a mostly patriarchal society like ours, the issue of femi...

I read the stories linking Governor Shekarau and other top officials of Kano state government with the assasination of Sheikh Ja'afar and comments made by people in different foras. I don't know, but as a journalist, I feel the death of Sheikh Ja'afar is much more than what people are speculating. Ja'afar was killed by powerful and mighty in the land and with active collaboration of some people, that know the scholar personnally. Ja'afar, unlike other Islamic preachers, was different, because he was more than a preacher,he was a guide, who made his disciples see reasons behind everything he preached. He made people scholars by bringing out different opinions of Ulemas on an issue and allow you to take decision. He was somebody, that tried to make Muslims realised that their problems lie in them. They should solve their political and social problems with the application of the teachings of the Prophet of Islam and those that came after him. He was a threat not only...

I want to discuss a rare and delicate subject, which most shy from discussing.This has to do with an experience I had last week with somebody, who I respect so much as a scholar. The attitude of this man and other so-called scholars has contributed a lot in the leadership crisis we are witnessing today. Leadership, according to scholars, is seen as involvement of a wide range of institutions and actors in production of policy outcomes, including non- governmental organisations, private companies, pressure groups and social movements apart from the traditional and formal state institutions. However, one institution that receives little or no attention in Nigeria, when it comes to failure of leadership is the religious institution. Religion provides the ultimate source of a group's identity and reason for being. To be religious is to effect in some way and in some measure a vital adjustment (however tentative and incomplete) to whatever is reacted implicitly or explicitly as worthy...