“The headlines are never in the news! And so, what I am saying is the news is never on the headlines”

Sahindra Fon Duffe

A lot of issues have been happening of late – locally, nationally, and internationally; the Abba Kyari saga, by-elections in Plateau State, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, importation of bad fuel and the attendant fuel scarcity, signing into law of the electoral act, ASUU strike, crude oil price rising above $100/barrel, international women’s day, the 68 constitutional amendments and sadly the incessant attacks by Fulani terrorists in Irigwe land, Southern Kaduna, the Kaduna airport, Kaduna-Abuja railway/road.

So much to write about and multiple topics for discussion at newspaper stands, beer parlours and over dinner tables.

Let me add to the discuss by presenting my thoughts on the news items, focusing on how they impact us as a State, lessons to be learnt and advantages to be taken from them.

The Abba Kyari aka Super Cop drug case reminds me of the phrase… “oh how art the mighty fallen…”. Once held in high esteem as a shining beacon in an institution steeped in corruption, the super cop was seen as a rare role model by many. Loo and behold, we were disappointed – from purported criminal involvement with Hushpuppy to the drug trafficking – wetin Musa no go see for gate?

Two quick thoughts come to mind – (1) Do we have role models in our country? People we can look up to and be hopeful of a better Nigeria? Men and women of integrity who our boys and girls will look up to and want to be them? (2) While being quick to rightly judge and condemn him, what are we doing about the Kyari in us? From the secretary that will not push your file until you drop ‘something’, the pharmacist that sells expired or counterfeit medicine or the lecturer who absconds from classes but still heartlessly sells handouts… For Nigeria to move forward, we must all look inwards, put aside the hypocrisy and deal with the ‘Abba Kyari’ tendency that might be lurking in us.

Congratulations to my party, the PDP, for victory in Jos North/Bassa house of reps. by-elections – this is a sign that Plateau State is returning to its political home, and the controversial Pankshin South elections – we will look to the courts for reprieve.

Unfortunately, the elections have brought to fore the nagging issue of political leadership being seen from the translucent prism of religion – it portends a dangerous trend. However, with the 2022 electoral act signed into law, we can be excited about the prospects of much improved and credible elections…particularly the clauses that deal with accredited voters being the ‘benchmark’ for assessing over voting and electronic transmission of results.

So, let’s all go get our PVC’s and prepare to make our votes count.

One shipment of bad fuel, and the queues return, and the country is thrown into turmoil…these past weeks have shown us how delicately fragile our economy is, where is the 1.7 billion liters fuel reserves the NNPC always keeps taunting.

And in all of these, nobody is being held accountable!!!

Still on oil, the Russia-Ukraine crisis has resulted in high crude oil prices…as at the time of writing this article oil is trading at over $120/barrel. However, while countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are basking in the extra revenue windfall, Nigeria, who has continually failed to sustain functioning refineries and recording huge volumes of oil theft, will not benefit from this. Instead, we are dealing with over N400/liter subsidy payments on petrol, diesel and kerosine (Aviation fuel) hitting N600/liter and the corresponding increase in the price of every item from transportation to boiled rogo (cassava).

Who do us this strong thing??? Are we cursed as a country???

This is more reason why we need to get it right electing the next crop of leaders.

The national assembly signed up on 68 amendments to the constitution, once signed into law it will bring about some monumental changes. A key amendment is a ‘decentralization’ of power generation-transmission-distribution (the key components of the electric power value chain), with this Plateau State should be able to fully harness its hydro-electric potential and spring up industrial parks.

Unfortunately, in voting against the proposed name change of Barkin Ladi to Gwol, the lines of ethno-religious sentiments have been shown to be still strong. We as a people need to ‘wise-up’ in the choices we make come 2023.

One month warning ASUU strike!!! Federal Government gives committee 3-months to negotiate!!!

ASUU / NLC / FG deadlocked over UTAS!!! ASUU extends warning strike by 2 months!!! and other issues. Is going to public university in Nigeria anathema?

I shake my head in despair at the damage being done to young people.

However, in a country where population growth tends to dwarf the rate of job creation, I urge our students to try learn a skill, a trade, do a short certificate course – work at diversifying your knowledge, I know its tough but this gives us more reason to make our votes count come 2023.

Let me appreciate our women in arears as we celebrated the International Women’s Day…with the theme this year being ‘Breaking the bias’.

An uncomfortable truth is that the world is changing; the traditional roles of men and women are changing and a lot of us need to move pass the biases we grew up with…the biases such as – certain professions are for women for example Nursing, women are they weaker sex, a woman’s place is in the kitchen, a woman shouldn’t be the breadwinner in the home… These are archaic thoughts that should be abandoned because women are powerful, women are intelligent and can reach whatever heights they dream off and work at.

Our mothers may have been disenfranchised by societal stereotypes and their potential limited, but our daughters have a world waiting to be conquered…lets believe them and nudge them on.

Finally, on insecurity, one primary responsibility of government is to guarantee safety of its citizens – an inability to do so is an indication of a failed government. Its pathetic when governments response to insecurity is condemnation and condolence visits. I know constitutionally the hands of governors are somewhat tied in terms of control of the security architecture, however what we see are governors that place participation/attendance to events around partisan politics of high priority while their domains burn.

I wish that the same zeal governors of the ruling party exhibited in putting President Buhari on the spot, nudging him to be decisive on the convention of the APC was the same zeal they will use in pushing him to be decisive on the security of this country.

It is pathetic how ‘valueless’ the lives of Nigerians has become.

Charles Dickens in a ‘Tale of two cities’ said –“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”. In a fast-moving world, change happens constantly and often quickly, we must be poised to see the opportunities every event brings, even events that we might term ‘bad’. Afterall the Chinese say ‘never waste a good crisis’.

Let the times we find ourselves in as a nation, and as a State, guide the choices we make in this electioneering season.

Alfred Ali Damiyal Dapal

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A world in transition: What is in the news? By Alfred Ali Damiyal Dapal