4th August, 2008

When Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua was sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he advised his countrymen to lay aside cynicism and strive for the good society that is within the people’s reach. “Let us discard the habit of low expectations of ourselves as well as our leaders,” Yar’Adua admonished.

Mr. President promised to focus on accelerating economic and other reforms in a way that would make a concrete and visible differnece to ordinary people. Then he touched one of the most fundamental problems: “Equally important, we must devote our best efforts to overcoming the energy challenge. Over the next four years, we will see dramatic improvements in power generation, transmission and distribution.”

And to emphasise its seriousness in its avowed mission, the administration came up with a seven-point agenda comprising energy production and power supply, agriculture, wealth creation, transportation, land law reforms, security and poverty eradication through education.

Over a year after these promises, they seem like a mirage to the citizens. What is the problem?

Analysts situate this in the nature of Nigerian leadership, beginning with the President himself, his aides, ministers, judicial officers and the legislators.

It is an apparent confirmation of Chinua Achebe’s position that the trouble with Nigeria is “simply and squarely a failure of leadership”. In what areas do leaders manifest indiscipline? Why are things going from bad to worse for Nigeria? Why is the security situation worsening?

We answer these and other gnawing questions in this edition.

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We also give a report of how 18 people died during a fasting and prayer session in Abia State and TheNEWS‘ determination to make Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye and others pay in the court of law for accusing the magazine of forging the MTN call logs it published to support the Osun Tribunal Scandal story it broke. We cherish our hard-earned integrity as a newsmagazine and will not tolerate the clear attempts by some desperate people to drag our good name in the mud by mindlessly lying against us.