This blog is cross-posted originally from http://www.akinblog.nl/ We have a Freedom of Information Act With the signing of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 just as the end of the last legislative session by President Goodluck Jonathan, a milestone has been reached in the fledgling democratic experiment that Nigeria embarked on just 12 years ago. The Enough is Enough organisation [...]

This is cross-posted from my blog at http://akinblog.nl As we savour the returns As the election season ends in Nigeria it is important to lay out in some form a whole series of ideas for electoral reform to improve on the experiences we had for the elections in April 2011. It goes without saying that despite the view of cynics [...]

The spread of the results in the recently concluded presidential elections in Nigeria are a serious talking issue, I present an analysis of the figures that make a lie of the accepted narrative about Nigeria. This is cross-posted from my blog at http://akinblog.nl Where we are There is every need to conduct a thorough analysis of the distribution of votes [...]

This was cross-posted from my blog at http://akinblog.nl Done and dusted A new Nigeria just hatched out of its egg in the last 48 hours wherein the presidential elections took place and all results announced with the declaration of a winner. As it stands, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been declared the winner of the elections having scored the highest [...]

This was cross-posted from my blog at http://akinblog.nl Being aware of rigging opportunities Giving some flesh to a tweet – @boosoolalab The problems could be efficiency, intimidation, access, bias and violence barring people from exercising their rights. In some Twitter exchanges last night I was engaged in a conversation about the prospects for freer, fairer and more credible elections for [...]

This is cross-posted from my blog at http://akinblog.nl INEC failing itself Now over 72 hours since the National Assembly elections were concluded in Nigeria, we find ourselves at crossroads of hope and possibility without the clearest indication of what the future really holds. As results from various Polling Units trickled in from messages sent with the #NigeriaDecides Twitter hashtag, this [...]

Temie Giwa My life is littered with great books. I tend to remember the important events of my life with the books I was reading at the time. The summer vacation from college when I switched my major from corporate law to international development, I read Nelson Mandela’s “Long walk to freedom”. Last year’s adventure all over Europe was my [...]

On Shell’s grip on the Nigerian government and their coordination with the US embassy The Guardian (UK) was one of the first to break the story: Cables from Nigeria show how Ann Pickard, then Shell’s vice-president for sub-Saharan Africa, sought to share intelligence with the US government on militant activity and business competition in the contested Niger Delta – and how, with [...]

A view of the law as imposed by the Kick Against Indiscipline Task Force and the disorder perpetrated by the chieftains of the National Union of Road Transport Workers through the protection racket network of area boys.

A review of Olufemi Terry’s short story ‘Stickfighting Days’ which won the 2010 Caine Prize This stark story of primitive violence has to it the quality of elemental fable. It is told in prose that is hewn often with a precise chisel. Yet I couldn’t help feeling shortchanged by the writer as I read the story for the third(?) straight [...]