faulker002

By Olu Fasan Nothing agitates me about  Nigeria  more than its parlous state and uncertain future. So, it’s a huge privilege to be asked to write for this great newspaper, a welcomed opportunity to use its respected medium to contribute to public discourse on the state of the nation! *President Buhari  The questioning of institutions and received wisdom is a democratic virtue, and a skeptical lack of deference towards leaders is the first step to reform. So, this column will provoke thought and speak truth to power. In that spirit, and to set the scene for future discussions, I want to use the column’s debut to draw attention to an issue that should concern every well-meaning Nigerian: the fragility of this country and its worrisome lack of progress. The truth, let’s face it, is that  Nigeria  is not working. Indeed, according to political scientists,  Nigeria  is not an effective state because it lacks the ability to get things done. Think of any glob...

By Olu Fasan  Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of  Lagos  state, has been thrown under the bus. He will not serve a second term in office not because the people of  Lagos  state rejected him in an election but because his godfather, Bola Tinubu, pulled the plug on his re-election bid. When somebody dies, Christians often say, quoting Job 1: 21, that  “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away” . *Tinubu and Abode    Well, in  Lagos  state politics, Tinubu gives and Tinubu takes away! He is the god of  Lagos  state politics, the lord of the Lagos Manor! In 2007, before leaving office as governor of the state, Tinubu gifted the governorship to his protégé, Babatunde Fashola. Eight years later, in 2015, Fashola didn’t know his place. He too wanted to be a godfather by making one of his own protégés governor of the state against the diktat of his own godfather. But, forgive the colloquialism, godfather pass godfather! Fashola lost out, and ...