[quote]“The way a cat walks is not the way it catches rats” South African Proverb.[/quote]   Around this time last year the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) held a major conference on the economic and political fortunes of the North. Last week the region was again involved in a number of meetings which focused on its challenges and dwindling opportunities. Beginning with the first Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation Memorial Lecture delivered by the reknown international diplomat, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the last week also witnessed two major gatherings of politicians, academics, professionals, media executives, religious leaders and an assortment of elders and young people all of whom had something to say or wanted to hear about the alarming state of society and economy in the political and geographic North. There were also smaller, but significant events: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar delivered the Shehu Yar’Adua M...

“A pot that can no longer boil water should be discarded.” —Sudanese Proverb The intense quarrels which broke out among PDP big-wigs long before President Jonathan presented the 2013 budget proposals to the National Assembly do not  appear to be abating. They are, in all probability, likely to worsen if the disputes over the 2012 budget implementation continue to be sources of friction. The ruling party is living up to its reputation as a working contraption which feeds off the weaknesses of our political system, and delivers less and less to the quality of governance. A stranger to this tendency for the PDP to tear itself up every once in a while, and still find a way to stay on its feet will be thoroughly baffled. But Nigerians familiar with the disconnect between political power and the capacity to win elections and deliver service will most likely just note this particular round of fights within the PDP. Younger Nigerians...

“Though the lion and the antelope live in the same forest, the antelope still has time to grow up” Ghanaian Proverb The United States Government had taken up to advertising its standard position on the offensive video which has stirred up wide spread muslim anger on Pakistani television in the last few days. In spite of this, the Pakistani authorities encouraged its citizens to join the popular protests against the video (read: US government) on Friday. So far the protests have claimed about 20 lives in Pakistan alone; and anger at the US does not appear to be abeting. Nigerian muslims joined the protests in numbers in Zaria and Kano, although these passed off peacefully. It is clear that the anger of muslims will take more time to simmer down, and the US and the West will make more efforts at damage control. Until the next provocation, and the next outpouring of outrage. These periodic outbursts of anger of muslims at events w...

“Though the lion and the antelope live in the same forest, the antelope still has time to grow up” Ghanaian Proverb A major casualty of the fury in Muslim nations over a movie made in the United State which insulted the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was the U.S Ambassador and three other US citizens. They died during a siege in Benghazi, a city which has been the frontline and symbol of the Libyan people’s uprising against their late leader, Muammar Ghaddafi. That uprising involved the very active, and some may say, even decisive involvement of the US and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The events in the last few days in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and many other Muslim countries has refocused attention on the difficult relations between the West and Islam. I have decided to start this two-part series on Islam and the West with a comment I made for our Radio and Television station which was broad...

“It is ridiculous for hunters to argue about the skin of the lion when they have not killed it.” Tanzanian Proverb THERE is a popular fiction in Nigerian political language which is covered under a generic term, true federalism. It is built around the claim that there are true federal systems in the world, and the one we operate in Nigeria is not one of them. It says that if Nigeria operates a true federal system, most of its short and long term political and economic problems will disappear. It claims that we can move from this untrue to true federal system if we allow an unfettered and all-inclusive conclave of ethnic groups (or their polite name, “nationalities”) to agree and adopt a federal system of our choice. In the past few months, the demand for revisiting the nature and limitation of our federal system has been manifested in the clamour for political space by powerful interests. The demand for state police, borne ...