• Main News
  • About Us
  • Contact
Premium Times Opinion
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
  • Home
  • Democracy and Governance
    • Bámidélé Upfront
    • Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Okey Ndibe
  • Economy
    • Ifeanyi Uddin
  • Issues of the Day
    • Adeolu Ademoyo
    • Aribisala on Tuesday
    • Dele Agekameh
    • Pius Adesanmi
  • Politics
    • Ebeneezer Obadare
    • Femi Fani-Kayode
    • Garba Shehu
    • Hannatu Musawa
    • Zainab Suleiman Okino
  • Guest Columns
  • Faith
    • Article of Faith
    • Sunday Ogidigbo
    • Friday Sermon
    • Elevated Sight
  • Home
  • Democracy and Governance
    • Bámidélé Upfront
    • Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Okey Ndibe
  • Economy
    • Ifeanyi Uddin
  • Issues of the Day
    • Adeolu Ademoyo
    • Aribisala on Tuesday
    • Dele Agekameh
    • Pius Adesanmi
  • Politics
    • Ebeneezer Obadare
    • Femi Fani-Kayode
    • Garba Shehu
    • Hannatu Musawa
    • Zainab Suleiman Okino
  • Guest Columns
  • Faith
    • Article of Faith
    • Sunday Ogidigbo
    • Friday Sermon
    • Elevated Sight
No Result
View All Result
Premium Times Opinion
Home Editorial

EDITORIAL: Nigeria, Nigerians and the Great Expectations for 2016

by Premium Times
January 5, 2016
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

Abuja City Gate
Nigeria has started 2016 grappling with modalities that will make the year a more peaceful and progressive one for its people. The Federal Government has continued to make efforts to overcome some of the country’s difficult national concerns.

Last year was a difficult one for Nigeria and Nigerians, especially with the security crisis in the North-East and deteriorating state of the economy. It was also a year with a lot of promise, best symbolised in the successful general elections and transition to a new government at the centre and in some states in the country. In 2015, the Nigerian people demonstrated determination and commitment to democracy during the elections and resilience as insecurity grew.

One of the greatest challenges last year was the Boko Haram insurgency. Like in the 2014, Nigeria lost part of its territory to insurgents that had the audacity to raise their flags on territory they had wrestled off our armed forces. Over 20,000 people have been killed by the insurgency so far, 2.2 million people have been internally displaced, and at least 175,000 have fled as refugees to the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, creating a huge humanitarian crisis. President Muhammadu Buhari gave a deadline to our armed forces to defeat the insurgency, which expired on December 31st, 2015.

Significant progress has been made in degrading the capacity of the insurgents to fight. Most of the territory lost has been recovered and the insurgents are on the run. As they run, however, they continue to kill and destroy. They have also expanded the suicide bombing missions often using innocent young girls.

Our wish for 2016 is complete success in eliminating the insurgency. This would require a continuation of armed combat from the armed forces. It would however require even more improved intelligence, raising the security consciousness of communities to monitor their society to stop infiltration. Above all, religious and traditional leaders need to be more proactive in socialising their followers against indoctrination into radical extremism. Let 2016 become the year the Nigerian polity and society is able to organise to totally defeat extremism.

The Buhari Administration has prioritised the struggle against corruption in its agenda and they have had a clear focus on it since coming into power. There have been shocking revelations about mega-looting from our treasury and prosecutions have started. It is gratifying that the Federal Government is clearly committed to prosecuting corrupt public officials and recovering the loot they took. It is not easy fighting corruption because the resources at the hands of corrupt individuals are immense and the culture of corruption is deep rooted and omnipresent. Precisely for these reasons, there must a national conversation about the most effective strategies for combating corruption. The President and his Advisory Committee on Corruption should engage Nigerians on the strategy they have adopted to get wider input and carry other anti-corruption crusaders along.

Our wish for 2016 is the development of a strong anti-corruption movement that would lead the campaign and create traction in the war against corruption. As the year proceeds, we hope to see successful prosecutions of corrupt public officials who are sent on long jail terms and from whom the loot stolen is recovered.

Nigeria’s territorial integrity has been strained in 2015, not only because of the Boko Haram insurgency but also due to sharp mobilisation over the reincarnation of Biafra, threats of resumption of militancy by Niger Delta and Oduduwa Republic militants, in addition to persistent conflicts between Nigerians defined as indigenes and settlers. All these indicate unease regarding the centralised and lopsided nature of the Nigerian Federation. The National Conference called by the Jonathan Administration to address these issues made some useful proposals.

In 2016, Nigerians must find ways of continuing the conversation about the nation and how best to build and consolidate it. How best can we share powers between the federal, state and local governments in the country? Is devolving political and economic powers to the states, local governments, cities and other municipalities at the grass roots level in the country the best way forward? How do we address the persistent problems associated with the lack of competence, transparency and accountability at the local level? Nigeria cannot afford another huge national conference at this time. Nonetheless, modalities to continue these conversations must be devised and practicalised.

Over the past few weeks, another fault line has been revealed by the clash between the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as the Shiites, and the Nigerian Army. The Shiites have, over the past decades, turned themselves into a group with no respect for our laws and have often made the lives of ordinary Nigerians neighbouring their places of activity extremely difficult. Be that as it may, as it is usually said, two wrongs cannot make a right. The massacre of hundreds of their members in an extra judicial manner is totally unacceptable. A high-powered judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the issue should be established and those found to have broken the law must be punished.

Over and beyond the specific clash, we need to accept that there must be regulation of the activities of religious organisations in general. We continue to allow them break our laws at our own peril. Massive noise pollution from religious organisations, indoctrination into cult organisations, blocking of streets and highways and inciting people with hate and dangerous speech are all issues the Nigerian State has to address.

Our prayers for 2016 in this regard is that Nigeria must cease to be a country where free-for-all action by groups are tolerated simply because they say that they are a religious group.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • Pocket
  • Share on Tumblr

Related

Previous Post

CBN’s Forex Restriction: Any Hope for Growing and Legitimate Enterprise?, By Ahmad Salkida

Next Post

Interrogating the Budget of Buharinomics, By Femi Aribisala

Related Posts

EDITORIAL: The Urgency of Tackling Nigeria’s Second Wave of COVID-19
Editorial

EDITORIAL: The Urgency of Tackling Nigeria’s Second Wave of COVID-19

January 28, 2021
Monetary Policy and Barriers To Doing Business, By Uddin Ifeanyi
Editorial

EDITORIAL: Unearthing the Cogent Lessons In the NESG-CBN Economic Policy Imbroglio

September 16, 2020
The Corona Virus Challenge, Nigeria and Other Responses, By Reuben Abati
Editorial

EDITORIAL: COVID-19: Calling On Nigeria’s Billionaires and Religious Leaders To Step Up

March 27, 2020
EDITORIAL: Bichi Must Go; Buhari Must Halt Slide Into Despotism
Editorial

EDITORIAL: Bichi Must Go; Buhari Must Halt Slide Into Despotism

December 14, 2019
EDITORIAL: The Flaws In Governor Emefiele’s Five-Year Plan For Central Bank of Nigeria
Editorial

EDITORIAL: The Flaws In Governor Emefiele’s Five-Year Plan For Central Bank of Nigeria

October 16, 2019
EDITORIAL: President Buhari Must Release Sowore Now!
Editorial

EDITORIAL: President Buhari Must Release Sowore Now!

September 23, 2019
Next Post
Why Lai Mohammed Must Be Fired Immediately, By Femi Aribisala

Interrogating the Budget of Buharinomics, By Femi Aribisala

The Princess Bride and Other Non-Stories, By Chris Ngwodo

Nigeria: Power, Principle and Pathology, By Chris Ngwodo

Editorial

  • EDITORIAL: The Urgency of Tackling Nigeria’s Second Wave of COVID-19

    EDITORIAL: The Urgency of Tackling Nigeria’s Second Wave of COVID-19

  • EDITORIAL: Unearthing the Cogent Lessons In the NESG-CBN Economic Policy Imbroglio

    EDITORIAL: Unearthing the Cogent Lessons In the NESG-CBN Economic Policy Imbroglio

  • EDITORIAL: COVID-19: Calling On Nigeria’s Billionaires and Religious Leaders To Step Up

    EDITORIAL: COVID-19: Calling On Nigeria’s Billionaires and Religious Leaders To Step Up

  • EDITORIAL: Bichi Must Go; Buhari Must Halt Slide Into Despotism

    EDITORIAL: Bichi Must Go; Buhari Must Halt Slide Into Despotism

  • EDITORIAL: The Flaws In Governor Emefiele’s Five-Year Plan For Central Bank of Nigeria

    EDITORIAL: The Flaws In Governor Emefiele’s Five-Year Plan For Central Bank of Nigeria

Subscribe to our Opinion articles via email

Enter your email address to get notifications of new opinion articles as they are published.

Join 526,543 other subscribers

Most Popular

  • The Bad Consequences and Dangers of Adultery and Fornication (Zina) In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Bad Consequences and Dangers of Adultery and Fornication (Zina) In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • World Teachers Day and The Position of Teachers In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    World Teachers Day and The Position of Teachers In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • The Women Prohibited For Men To Marry In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Women Prohibited For Men To Marry In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
  • Showing Gratitude To Allah For His Bounties, Blessings and Favours, By Murtadha Gusau
    Showing Gratitude To Allah For His Bounties, Blessings and Favours, By Murtadha Gusau
  • Islam and the Conditions For Marrying More Than One Wife, By Murtadha Gusau
    Islam and the Conditions For Marrying More Than One Wife, By Murtadha Gusau
  • You Will Be Held Responsible On What Happened To Your Children!, By Murtadha Gusau
    You Will Be Held Responsible On What Happened To Your Children!, By Murtadha Gusau
  • The Importance Of Keeping Secrets In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau
    The Importance Of Keeping Secrets In Islam, By Murtadha Gusau

Like us on Facebook

Like us on Facebook

Podcasts

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

  • Main News
  • About Us
  • Contact

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Democracy and Governance
    • Bámidélé Upfront
    • Jibrin Ibrahim
    • Okey Ndibe
  • Economy
    • Ifeanyi Uddin
  • Issues of the Day
    • Adeolu Ademoyo
    • Aribisala on Tuesday
    • Dele Agekameh
    • Pius Adesanmi
  • Politics
    • Ebeneezer Obadare
    • Femi Fani-Kayode
    • Garba Shehu
    • Hannatu Musawa
    • Zainab Suleiman Okino
  • Guest Columns
  • Faith
    • Article of Faith
    • Sunday Ogidigbo
    • Friday Sermon
    • Elevated Sight

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
 

Loading Comments...