Article: Matters Arising On Osun State LCDAs

By Abiodun Komolafe

It's no longer news that some 31 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), 3 Area Councils and two Administrative Offices were recently created in Osun State  by the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration. As Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in the Bola Tinubu-led administration when Lagos State had its LCDA experience, one can safely state that Aregbesola has garnered experience sufficient enough to help him drive the newly-created lower-tier administrative units in Osun State.

Article: The Media Imagination in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

By Chido Onumah

The recent visit of President Jacob Zuma of South Africa to Nigeria presented an opportunity to rehash the view that Nigeria has not been given its due recognition in Africa. Of course, as expected, Mr. Zuma in his speech to the joint session of Nigeria’s National Assembly did touch on Nigeria’s role in the fight against Apartheid and its historical role in Africa. According to Mr. Zuma, “The people of Nigeria provided unwavering support and solidarity to the people of South Africa to unseat the last bastion of colonialism in Africa and enable us to attain our freedom.”

Article: Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) Needs Adaptive Reconciliation

By  Emeka  Chiakwelu

The much debated and contentious Petroleum Industry Bill 2012 (PIB) is a quantum leap in the remaking of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, if and when it becomes the law of the land.  Some Nigerians deemed the bill controversial because many of them have not read the bill but rather depend on the opposition of the bill to propagate their incoherence and distortions.  One thing for sure, the government of Nigeria must be applauded for initiating the task to reform and make some crucial changes in the most important sector of Nigerian economy.  The bill is not perfect; nevertheless it will re-launch the deteriorated sector into a solidify reformed and streamlined entity.