NIN glitches: JAMB finally begins registration of candidates for 2021 admissions

FRIDAY OLOKOR The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Saturday announced the commencement of registration of candidates for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry to tertiary education institutions in Nigeria. The decision came barely 48 hours after it had stopped the exercise over technical challenges of the National Identification Number. But a terse statement issued by the spokesperson for JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said registration for the examination had now commenced in full swing as all the issues had been resolved. “It was only put on hold to resolve the technical hitches. Registration is now in full swing,” he said, adding that some candidates had successfully registered for the examination. On Thursday, Benjamin apologised for the delay in the commencement of the registration exercise which, he said, was “speculated” to begin the same day. According to him, the delay was caused by some unforeseen circumstances occasioned by its determined effort to have NIN integration. “The advertisement is the surest indication of the beginning of the exercise as it has all the step-by-step process that candidates are required to follow. “However, this delay is caused by some unforeseen circumstances occasioned by our determined effort to have a NIN integration. This challenge is being resolved and once that is done, all processes shall commence. “Candidates are, therefore, requested to exercise some patience. The process shall be up and running shortly for our advertisement to be rolled out so that candidates can begin the creation of profiles.” PUNCH.

Despite loss of husband, little sign Queen Elizabeth will abdicate

By Michael Holden 1 day ago LONDON (Reuters) - Despite the death of her husband Prince Philip, her partner and confidante during a record-breaking reign, there is little chance that 94-year-old Queen Elizabeth will abdicate, royal watchers believe. Philip, Elizabeth's husband for more than seven decades and the longest-serving consort in British history, died on Friday aged 99. The love of her life, he married Elizabeth in 1947 and had been with her throughout her 69-year reign. He was the person who broke the news to her while they were in Kenya in 1952 that her father, George VI, had died and that she was now queen at the age of 25. Despite the huge hole in her life that Philip's death leaves, aides and royal experts have long said it would not lead to the queen, the world's oldest and longest-reigning living monarch, relinquishing the throne in favour of her son and heir Prince Charles. "I can assure you the queen will not abdicate," royal historian Hugo Vickers said. "There is every indication the queen is in extremely good health and with luck she will continue to be our queen for as long as possible." Elizabeth continued to carry out her official duties, albeit remotely because of COVID-19 restrictions, even while Philip was in hospital for four weeks earlier this year. Royal watchers say part of the reason why Elizabeth would avoid giving up the crown was the manner in which she became queen herself. When she was born in 1926, it was not expected she would ever become the monarch. But her uncle Edward VIII abdicated because of his love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson, which the British establishment deemed an unacceptable union, prompting a constitutional crisis which saw the crown passed to her father George VI when she was 10 years old. "It is a job for life," Elizabeth once said, echoing a promise she made on her 21st birthday in 1947. Speaking to the nation then while on tour of South Africa she said: "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." It was a commitment she repeated on the 60th anniversary of her accession, and when senior Buckingham Palace aides are asked whether abdication is possible, they have the same answer: "Life means life". That means she would not follow the leads of other European monarchs such as King Juan Carlos of Spain who abdicated in 2014, King Albert of Belgium who quit in 2013 and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands who stepped down the same year. As a deeply religious figure and titular head of the Church of England, Elizabeth sees the vows she took on her coronation day when she was anointed queen as unbreakable, according to royal commentators and those who know her well. However, she might pass on even more official duties to Charles, 72, and other members of the Windsor family who have taken over much of her workload. In the last decade, she has all but ended international tours, and reduced the number of her patronages, passing on her role at dozens of charities, academic institutions and sporting bodies to other members of the royal family. "While the queen might step back a little and we'll be seeing more of Prince Charles and Prince William doing representational work ... the queen will remain very firmly the queen," said royal historian Robert Lacey, the historical consultant to hit Netflix drama "The Crown". He pointed to the plans to mark the queen's 70th year on the throne for next summer already announced by the government. If the queen follows in the footsteps of her mother - who was known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and was still appearing in public almost up until her death aged

Prince Philip death: Why was the Duke of Edinburgh not a king?

Chelsea Ritschel As the world mourns the death of the Queen’s husband at the age of 99, attention is being shone on the life and duties of the Duke of Edinburgh. The royal family announced the royal’s passing in a statement Friday, which read: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.” The Queen and Prince Philip married in 1947, at which point the royal dropped his title as Prince of Greece and Denmark to take on the title of Duke of Edinburgh. However, when Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne following her father’s death in 1952, her husband did not gain the title King of England, but rather of Prince Consort. In 1957, the Queen officially made her husband a prince, with the palace releasing a statement at the time that read: “The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm bearing date 22nd February, 1957, to give and grant unto His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, K.G., K.T., G.B.E., the style and titular dignity of a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Whitehall. “The Queen has been pleased to declare her will and pleasure that His ‘Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh shall henceforth be known as His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.” The Duke of Edinburgh was not granted the title of king because of a rule that states the husband of a ruling queen is called prince consort, just as wives of kings are typically referred to as queen consort. Under the royal family’s longstanding rule, the title of king is only given to a royal who inherits the throne and can reign, which is the case for the Queen and Prince Philip’s eldest son Prince Charles when he ascends to the throne. When Prince Charles does take the throne, his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles may be granted the title of queen consort, although Clarence House previously announced that “it is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne”. Following Prince Philip’s death, which comes after he was recently hospitalised while fighting an infection, there has been an outpouring of condolences from around the world as people pay their respects to the royal family. The duke died just months before his 100th birthday on 10 June.

Nigeria exempted from UK’s list of high-risk countries for money laundering

April 10,2021 by Jemilat Nasiru The UK has exempted Nigeria from its list of high-risk countries for money laundering, TheCable can report. The list, comprising 21 countries, was released as part of post-Brexit developments. Until the end of the Brexit transition period, the list of high-risk countries was determined by the EU under the 4th Anti Money Laundering Directive. From January 1, 2021, the UK has had its own standalone list. Since then, any amendments made by the European Union to its list do not have effect in the UK. The EU had in March 2019 added Nigeria to countries on its “dirty money blacklist”. The EU said the nations in this category pose a threat because of tax controls on terrorism financing and money laundering. Advertisement The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, however, announced that Nigeria was officially withdrawn from the list by the Council of Europe on March 5, 2019. Ghana, Senegal, Iran and Morocco are among the countries listed in the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) (High-Risk Countries) Regulations 2021 which took effect on March 26. Others include Syria, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. “These Regulations amend the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/692) (“the MLRs”) to insert as Schedule 3ZA a new UK list of high-risk third countries for the purposes of enhanced customer due diligence requirements,” read an explanatory note attached to the regulation seen by TheCable. “Regulation 2 substitutes for the definition of “high-risk third country” in regulation 33(3)(a) of the MLRs a definition which refers to the list of countries in this Schedule, rather than to the list in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 of 14th July 2016 supplementing Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council by identifying high-risk third countries with strategic deficiencies (“the CDR”). It also makes a consequential amendment to a further reference to the CDR. Regulation 3 revokes the CDR.”

George Floyd’s Cause of Death Is Crucial in Trial. Forensic Pathologists Explain.

The prosecution in Derek Chauvin’s trial is trying to establish that George Floyd died from a lack of oxygen. Here, experts break down the key medical terminology surrounding his autopsies. By Sheri Fink Published April 8, 2021 Updated April 9, 2021 Dr. Andrew Baker may be one of the most important witnesses to be called in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin. It was his duty to determine why George Floyd died. Dr. Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, conducted Mr. Floyd’s initial autopsy and determined ultimately that his heart and lungs stopped functioning while he was being subdued, restrained and compressed by police officers. The manner of Mr. Floyd’s death, Dr. Baker concluded, was homicide. And in the months since, almost everything he said in the autopsy report has been parsed and pored over by experts and laypeople alike. In opening statements last week, the prosecution indicated that they would pursue an unusual strategy: challenging some aspects of Dr. Baker’s findings and introducing a reason that he did not cite — insufficient oxygen — as Mr. Floyd’s cause of death. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story For their part, Mr. Chauvin’s defense team told jurors that the pre-existing heart disease, high blood pressure and recent drug use documented by Dr. Baker led to Mr. Floyd’s death from what they said was a heart arrhythmia. What is a medical examiner? In the United States, some jurisdictions use coroners and others use medical examiners to determine the cause of certain deaths, including those that occur in police custody. Unlike coroners, medical examiners are required to be physicians. Dr. Baker, who is expected to testify in the coming days, is certified in the field of forensic pathology and is the chief medical examiner of Hennepin County. The medical examiner’s office is an independent agency. It is not part of law enforcement. Is there always one cause of death? When someone dies, a death certificate is filled out for both public health and legal reasons. The form includes a cause of death in the first section and contributing factors in the second section. “We usually have to come up with one cause,” said Dr. Judy Melinek, a board-certified forensic pathologist. Everything else significant “that might be wrong with a person is ‘contributing.’” After Genetic Testing, I Took a Chance on an ‘Imperfect’ Pregnancy Pathologists describe the cause of death as the immediate injury or disease that leads to death. It is the “disease or injury which starts the lethal sequence of events without an intervening cause,” Dr. Melinek said. What is the manner of death? The manner of death refers to the circumstances surrounding the death. There are usually five choices (a few jurisdictions include more): natural, accident, suicide, homicide or undetermined. Homicide is often described as “death at the hands of another or others.” A homicide is not necessarily criminal — homicides can be a matter of self-defense, for example. The courts, not medical examiners, determine criminal culpability. Is more than an autopsy considered? In addition to examining the body, which usually occurs quickly, pathologists consider other materials such as the police report, videos, medical records and toxicology reports, said Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist. “We don’t practice in a black box,” she said. Until all the results of the investigation are in, she said, she typically says the case is pending further study. The police caused George Floyd’s death, but drugs and heart disease played a role, the medical examiner says. In their own words: The interaction with police ‘was just more than Mr. Floyd could take.’ How the medical examiner’s previous statements may help the defense. Is this helpful? Are the cause and manner of death always clear? In a vast majority of cases, the cause and manner of death are evident, forensic pathologists say. But in some situations, the professional opinions of well-trained and experienced experts can differ. “Some cases are much more complicated than others,” Dr. Banerjee said. When an “autopsy wasn’t a slam dunk,” Dr. Banerjee said, the written cause of death can be “more verbose because it’s taking into consideration many things.” Key Coverage of The Trial of Derek Chauvin That can occur when an autopsy does not reveal a lethal injury like a gunshot wound to the brain. “Autopsies are good at showing demonstrable changes in the body’s tissues,” said Dr. Christopher Happy, a board-certified forensic pathologist, “but they’re not good at showing things that were functional, like a seizure or respiratory depression or an arrhythmia unless there’s some lesion associated with that.” What did Dr. Baker ultimately determine? Dr. Baker described Mr. Floyd’s cause of death as “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” The manner of death, he wrote, was homicide. The use of the term cardiopulmonary arrest led to public confusion because some people wrongly assumed it meant that Mr. Floyd had a heart attack. Cardiopulmonary arrest means “the heart stops beating and the lungs stop moving,” Dr. Cyril Wecht said. Some pathologists say they do not include it as a cause of death because it describes all deaths. Dr. Baker also detailed “other significant conditions” including pre-existing ones such as severe disease of the vessels of Mr. Floyd’s heart. He also described laboratory findings of the opioid drug fentanyl and methamphetamines in Mr. Floyd’s blood. Not including these under cause of death means he concluded that “those were there before but didn’t start the lethal sequence of events,” Dr. Melinek said. Listing them “is meant to clarify” what made Mr. Floyd more vulnerable to the cause of death, she said, “not excuse it.” Here, context matters. Dr. Baker told prosecutors that if Mr. Floyd had been “found dead at home alone” with “no other apparent causes,” they wrote, it could have been acceptable to determine that Mr. Floyd died of an overdose because of the relatively high levels of fentanyl found in his blood collected at the hospital. Instead, recordings revealed both the prolonged restraint of Mr. Floyd just before his death and also that he appeared agitated rather than lethargic, which could suggest tolerance to higher doses of fentanyl. The drug typically “causes you to become relaxed,” Dr. Wecht said. By contrast, Dr. Melinek said, Mr. Chauvin’s defense attorneys appear to be trying to use the medical findings to convince the jury that Mr. Floyd “was essentially a ticking time bomb, already had pre-existing conditions that made this endpoint happen, not because excessive force was used.” Only asserting that he was at higher risk of death from police restraint because of underlying health conditions or drug use would likely be legally insufficient, some experts said. What did his preliminary findings say? The medical examiner’s office had not finished its investigation when prosecutors filed a charging document saying that preliminary findings had shown no physical evidence to support a diagnosis of “traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.” It said that the combined effects of police restraint, underlying health conditions including heart disease and “any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.” Forensic pathologists said that in high-profile cases, it can be problematic to release findings early because they may be misinterpreted or incomplete. “I basically never release preliminary cause of death,” Dr. Banerjee said. What did a second autopsy of Mr. Floyd find? After the initial autopsy, forensic pathologists no longer have access to an intact body, and sometimes organs or tissues are unavailable, having been removed for further study. Even so, doctors sometimes document findings that an examiner missed in the first autopsy or that were not apparent. “There are multiple reasons you might see something at second autopsy that’s not seen at the first and vice versa,” Dr. Melinek said. Mr. Floyd’s family hired Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson to perform a second autopsy. Both experts said that pressure on Mr. Floyd’s neck and back during his restraint by the police led him to die of asphyxia, a term Dr. Baker did not use in his official report. After performing a second autopsy, Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson said that Mr. Floyd died of asphyxia. After performing a second autopsy, Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson said that Mr. Floyd died of asphyxia.Credit...Celeste Sloman for The New York Times The word asphyxia derives from an ancient Greek term that means “without pulse.” Doctors now use it to mean the deprivation of oxygen, which can occur for many reasons. At the center of the case is whether Mr. Chauvin’s actions led to any of them, such as inhibiting the movement of the diaphragm that allows the lungs to expand, or reducing the flow of blood carrying oxygen to vital tissues. Oxygen deprivation may occur not only from neck compression, experts said, but also from pressure on the back when someone is lying face down, and it may not leave major physical traces. The cause of death described by both Dr. Baker and the pathologists who performed the second autopsy amounted to substantially the same thing, some experts said, which was “that external pressure in a prone position to Mr. Floyd caused his death,” Dr. Banerjee said. Shaila Dewan contributed reporting. Sheri Fink is a correspondent in the investigative unit. She won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting and shared the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

FG approves 20 private varsities, says existing 197 too small

Friday Olokor, Abuja 5:57 am THE Federal Government on Thursday said the 197 universities in Nigeria were too small given the country’s growing population which presently stood at over 200 million. The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, stated this during the presentation of provisional licences to 20 newly approved private universities by the National Universities Commission. With the approval, Nigeria now has 99 private universities, and a total of 197 universities, private and public. “In relation to Nigeria’s population of over 200 million, the current 193 universities is quite low when compared to those of other economies such as, Brazil (209 million) 441 universities, Mexico (126 million) 375 universities, Russia (145 million) 741 universities. “In 2019, the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board announced that out of over 1.8 million candidates registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, only 612,000 were admitted in Nigerian universities, representing 34 per cent. This shows gross inadequacy in terms of access. The above scenario indicates that Nigeria needs more universities.” Read Also Private varsities experiencing influx of public school students Nothing wrong in NUC approving 20 universities at once, there are opportunities for varsities to tap –Caleb University VC, Owens-Ibie NUC approves Enugu Federal College’s degree programmes The universities granted provisional licences included Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo State; James Hope University, Lagos; Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano; Capital City University, Kano; Ahman Pategi University, Pategi, Kwara State; and University of Offa, Kwara State. Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Prof. Sunny Eromosele, promoter of Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo State, hailed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for approving the establishment of the universities.

Ten Unbelievable Things about Nigeria

April 4, 2021 3:48 am

 

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SimonKolawolelive By Simon-Kolawole, Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

  SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE! BY  SIMON KOLAWOLE

Dissonance. Is that the right word to describe the contradiction between word and action? Like the man putting up a “No Smoking” sign while a slowly burning stick of cigarette is trapped between his lips? There are too many things I cannot understand about my country. They look so simple, so commonsensical and so doable — like plucking low-hanging fruits — that they shouldn’t elicit any argument or foot-dragging. Yet, for decades on end, government after government, president after president and governors after governors keep going in circles. They will proclaim one thing as policy and do everything possible to undermine it. Is it an IQ problem? Or wickedness? Or blindness? Or plain incompetence? I will highlight just 10 of these unbelievable things today. Heartbreaking!
One, getting a certificate of occupancy (C of O) is hell. In a country of 200 million people with an unemployment rate of over 30 percent and a worsening crime rate, the least commonsensical thing you expect of government is to make life as simple as possible for private businesses so that they can create jobs, add value and accelerate economic growth. Not in my Nigeria. A simple C of O that can enable entrepreneurs use landed property as collateral for loans is the most difficult document to get in many states. This locks down billions of dollars in the real estate – with the multiplier effects hurting several other sectors of the economy. This is to say nothing about planning permits and ridiculous building charges that make life even harder for the entrepreneur.

Dissonant!
Two, we want to create jobs but kill small businesses. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the engine room of economies. That is where the jobs are. For instance, SMEs represent 95 percent of all businesses in the EU — and, overall, 85 percent of the jobs in Europe. In Nigeria, we claim we want to create jobs and combat crimes — but it is like you are committing a crime when you open a little shop. Rather than help you find your feet or leave you alone, government agencies will come after you with hefty levies and AK-47. You would think you have just killed somebody. The federal capital territory is the most notorious in this war against SMEs. I have written a million times on this malady and I will not stop until we have listening and reasoning leaders. Counterproductive!
Three, we can neither import nor export without tears. We import virtually everything we consume. That is a fact known worldwide. Common sense dictates that we should be able to import hassle-free to save our lives. Some of the most traumatic and chaotic ports in the world are located in Nigeria. Your goods can be stuck agonisingly for months, accumulating demurrage and extortion. Our neighbours also depend on imports but their ports are far more efficient. Government after government, nothing has changed. Now, don’t let us even talk about exports. We say we want to promote non-oil exports, but it would have been easier for my great grandmother to pronounce “cushion chair” than for you to export a bag of ginger. We can’t import. We can’t export.
Absurd!

Four, we owe pensioners N30,000 and pay N200 million severance to fat cats. After you have been governor (minister, commissioner or whatever) for four or eight years and stolen billions and bought up all the houses in Dubai and Grenada, you will still get a severance pay running into hundreds of millions – as well as a pension package that includes a mansion in the state capital and another in Abuja, with three new cars every three years — in addition to cooks, gardeners, drivers and all what not. Yet a retiree who served for 35 years (and is now treating diabetes and hypertension) is owed a pension as little as N30,000 a month! What kind of society is this? This is one of the most unbelievable things about Nigeria. Man to man is so unjust, in the words of Bob Marley. Wicked!
Five, we collect so much biometric info but millions of crimes remain unresolved. The government captures our fingerprints in at least seven ways, namely: (1) voter registration (2) driving licence (3) SIM registration (4) BVN (5) national ID (6) pension verification and (7) integrated personnel and payroll information system (IPPIS). There is every chance that the government has the key biometric information on robbers, murderers, kidnappers and terrorists. In advanced societies, this is a huge bank for security agencies to resolve crimes. In Nigeria, the SIM card info is about the only thing that police find useful – and that is to track kidnappers. Pray, does the police force of the world’s largest black nation even have a modern forensic lab? We are just collecting biometric data for fun.

Baffling!
Six, we have multiple security desks at international airports. I must first acknowledge that after decades of complaints, the security agents at check-in counters of international airports no longer require you to open your suitcases for inspection. They now do that with scanning machines. This has reduced the stress. However, it is a thing of shame that two officials – one from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the other from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) – still have to check your travel documents at the points of departure and arrival. This is a waste of time and personnel. I travel quite a lot and I must confess that Nigeria is the only country that does this.

In nearby Ghana, only one immigration official checks your documents. Isn’t NIS also a security agency? Shallow!
Seven, political cases always get priority in court. In a country that cares about the lives of its citizens, the justice system will no doubt prioritise issues that affect them. In Nigeria, though, it is always political cases that get quickly dispensed with by the courts. Politicians are enjoying everything at our expense. Two courts can grant different injunctions on the same issue within one hour of each other. But thousands of human rights cases that will benefit ordinary Nigerians will go on for decades untouched and unresolved. There are thousands awaiting trial and vegetating in police cells and prisons all over Nigeria. Courts keep adjourning. Let a politician bring a frivolous case asking for the opponent to be disqualified and the court will sit and decide same day. Mindless!
Eight, some Nigerian missions abroad are a big disgrace. Have you tried calling the Nigerian high commission in the UK recently? There are eight numbers listed on the website but none is working.

It either doesn’t ring or nobody picks. What does it take to answer phone calls? You can even create a call centre in Nigeria to be answering calls on behalf of our missions abroad. We will be creating jobs for young people as a result. I can understand if it is difficult for us to invent a telephone — that requires some IQ. But take phone calls? How simple can things get? Phone calls, of course, are the least of the complaints. To apply for a passport is not something you want to do at some of our foreign missions. Well, your foreign mission is only a reflection of your country. Shameful!
Nine, we outsource bureaucratic work to rent collectors. One of the biggest scams producing overnight billionaires is the menace of “commission agents” — they do what government agencies were set up to do and end up collecting outrageous commissions. One company was to collect $2.15 billion to help us “calculate” arrears from oil production sharing contracts (PSCs). All the information is with FIRS, NNPC and DPR. For using their calculators, the agents were to pocket over $2 billion in a country that does not have drugs in public hospitals! Somebody else is waiting to be paid $3.2 billion for helping states “calculate” Paris Club refunds. A private company was pocketing billions for doing a “secure anchorage” job on the high seas — a clear mandate of the Nigerian Navy.

Fraudulent!
Ten, FEC meeting is always about awarding contracts. When you hear that 10 million children are out of school, you would think that this is what the next federal executive council (FEC) meeting would spend hours on, discussing the tragedy and working out policy responses. You are deceiving yourself. When the meeting is over, the press conference is all about announcing contract awards. This has been the shameful tradition since 1999. Can you imagine the cabinet of any serious country announcing at the end of its meeting that it has just approved the award of contracts to supply trashcans to the capital city? We have done that before! FEC is all about contracts, contracts and more contracts! These things look little but they say a lot about the quality of thinking.

Tragic!
This list is by no means exhaustive, so you are free to add yours. Back to my question: most of these things look so simple to address, but why are we not making the necessary changes? For instance, what is so difficult about making sure C of O is issued seamlessly to unlock the endless economic benefits — if not that something is wrong with us? Why do we need to pay anybody billions to calculate Paris Club debts due to states and councils or how much oil companies owe in PSC arrears — if not that we are a bunch of unpatriotic people? Why should giving incentives to SMEs — so that we can tackle our huge unemployment burden — be such a big deal? If we can’t help them, must we hurt them? Is it an IQ problem? Or wickedness? Or blindness? Or plain incompetence? Unbelievable!
Caution: if you read this article and think I am suggesting that the Nigerian case is hopeless, then you are not reading between the lines.
In fact, these are the things that give me hope: that it does not take much to make Nigeria a better place for the citizens. Just very simple things. Little tweaks here and there. All we need do is use our brains and put the interest of the country above other considerations. There is nothing I have listed here that will require an Albert Einstein or a Lee Kwan Yew to do. It is just common sense. Bits and pieces that can move mountains. And herein lies my unbreakable optimism: that someday, we will have the much-desired competent and patriotic leadership with the simple understanding that changing Nigeria is not rocket science. Hopeful.
========

AND FOUR OTHER THINGS
CODE OF MISCONDUCT
Mallam Danladi Umar, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), has been caught in a storm after a viral video appeared to show him assaulting a security guard. I have read accounts, including an official statement from the CCT, and I must say every bit is disgusting. Is it the suggestion that Umar was too big to be asked to obey parking rules? Or the disturbing ethnically charged use of “Biafran” in an official communication from a federal government official? Or the assault on grammar in the press statement? In a civilised society, Umar should have quit or the national assembly would have started the process of removing him by now. But this is Nigeria. Sigh.

YOU’RE ON CAMERA
The Lagos government has equipped its law-enforcement agencies with body cameras in yet another first among Nigerian states. According to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the body cam is intended for use to enhance safety as well as increase transparency and accountability in the activities of the agencies. However, I see a situation where if properly managed, the body cams can go beyond the intended purpose by also providing footages that can help resolve some issues, including robbery and missing persons. Lagos plans to deploy digital tools for security operations across the state. Since 1999, Lagos has always shown an appetite for innovation and modernisation. Kudos.

SILENCING SOLUDO
Prof Chukwuma Soludo, one of Nigeria’s leading lights, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday when gunmen attacked him at a town hall meeting as he prepared to launch his governorship campaign in Anambra state. Am I surprised? No. The Nigerian political culture is steeped in violence. One of the requirements to be a Nigerian politician is to have your own armed thugs and militias — both for offensive and defensive purposes. It is that bad. There is something fundamentally wrong with us in Nigeria. It is so sad that three policemen were killed by the assailants but we have to be thankful that Soludo is still alive. I hope Soludo will not be intimidated out of the race. Courage.

FFK AND THE JAB
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, is a known COVID vaccine conspiracy theorist. He had consistently advocated against taking it — in the belief that Bill Gates had something evil in his mind against Africans. Surprisingly, he has changed his mind and taken the jab. Rather than disparage him, I think we should commend him for being honest and open about his change of mind. Even President Donald Trump took the jab, despite the stance of his eccentric followers. Some of these pastors and governors pretending to be anti-vaccine have probably flown to Dubai and taken the jab secretly while their gullible followers will continue to worship and defend them. Hypocrisy.

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