Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by M.J. Balogun
Nigeria’s public service reform foundation (III), By M.J. Balogun
As the third in the series of articles on public service reform, this one examines the earliest efforts at constructing the foundation of the career civil service. It starts with the contention that contemporary attempts at reforming the public service have failed to yield the desired results mainly because the preferred measures have not been equal to the challenge.
Nigeria's public service reform foundation (III), By M.J. Balogun
Posted On: 2024-08-21 Posted By: Premium Times Education Real Estate & Construction Premium Times Nigeria, Aug. 21 -- As the third in the series of articles on public service reform, this one examines the earliest efforts at constructing the foundation of the career civil service. It starts with the contention that contemporary attempts at reforming the public service have failed to yield the desired results mainly because the preferred measures have not been equal to the challenge.
Nigeria: Reform in Nigeria's Hard Environment (II)
In an earlier article, attention focused on the antecedents to public service reform in Nigeria. As argued in the article, a number of factors accounted for the increasing interest in reform. Among these are the atrophy of public service institutions and processes, widening performance deficits, impaired access to essential services, the rising cost of governance, and the demonstration effect of reforms undertaken in other countries, particularly, Great Britain.
Reform in Nigeria’s hard environment (II), By M.J. Balogun
In an earlier article, attention focused on the antecedents to public service reform in Nigeria. As argued in the article, a number of factors accounted for the increasing interest in reform. Among these are the atrophy of public service institutions and processes, widening performance deficits, impaired access to essential services, the rising cost of governance, and the demonstration effect of reforms undertaken in other countries, particularly, Great Britain.
Looking out for the next president, By M.J. Balogun
What matters most is a presidential (or gubernatorial) candidate’s vision, that is, a vision of a country that works for all. This vision must address the underlying causes of the challenges facing Nigeria — endemic corruption, kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, armed robbery, ritual killing, poverty and widening inequality, infrastructure decay, unemployment, secessionist agitation, and irredentism, to name a few.
UCL: Mbappe inflicts first loss on Flick as Chelsea approach semi-finals
It was a pulsating encounter but, in the end, it was Kylian Mbappe hogging the headlights with a brace that saw PSG beat holders, Bayern Munich 3-2 at the Allianz Arena. It was also Hansi Flick’s first UCL loss as Bayern Munich’s manager. The Bavarians started without their injured marksman, Robert Lewandowski, and also had Serge Gnabry missing because of COVID-19.
Is Diversity An Obstacle To State Construction? (III), By M.J. Balogun
The first ‘tribe’ in human history emerged as Eve joined Adam and both begot Cain and Abel. Close-knit as this quintessential first family was, it soon succumbed to conflict. Conflict arose not because of diversity, but due to a combination of factors, among them, avarice, rivalry, rancor, and plain misunderstanding. Nothing has changed.
Naira appreciates at black market
Naira strengthened against the U.S dollar at the unofficial market on Thursday, data posted on abokiFX.com, a website that collates parallel market rates in Lagos, showed. However, the domestic currency fell slightly at the official market. Naira closed at N485.00 at the black market on Thursday, this represents N1.00 or 0.21 per cent appreciation from N486.00, the rate it exchanged hands with the greenback in the previous session on Wednesday.
OPINION: Is Diversity An Obstacle To State Construction? (II), By M.J. Balogun
Diversity is manageable provided each party feels that the affiliation costs and benefits are equitably shared. In contrast, diversity gets out of hand where the signals coming from both culture and personality spell nothing but conflict and, therefore, trouble for the nation-state. The argument thus far is not that diversity is of no consequence in conflict situations.
Customs officer drowns in boat accident
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, on Wednesday, said it lost an officer in a boat mishap on Monday. The Public Relations Officer, Idaho Sulaiman, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos. He said the incident occurred at about 6:10 p.m. on March 22, while operatives of the command, Akere Surveillance/Monitoring team under Idiroko Outstation, were acting on credible information along Vawhe-Isalu creeks.
Is Diversity an Obstacle To State Construction? (1), By M.J. Balogun
Realising that neither ethnic nor economic diversity by itself provides an adequate explanation for the raging conflict in parts of Africa, some analysts go for a combination of diversity indicators. To this class of analysts, it is a blend of diversity factors — notably, religious fundamentalism, ethnic disparity, economic deprivation, and governance failure — that undermines state construction efforts.
Unusual Politics In America Will Continue, By Bunmi Makinwa
Twenty presidents have been elected into office in the United States of America (USA) during the twentieth century and to date, and only six of them served for one term of the constitutionally provided two terms. President Donald Trump is one of them. He will leave office evidently as a furious, bitter and unhappy president. On August 9.
Africa and Europe: Partnering Against COVID-19 and For Health Security, By Amira Mohammed & Jutta Urpilainen
As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, in the coming weeks and months, African and European leaders will continue working together not only to ensure that the principle of global solidarity to defeat the disease prevails, but also to rebuild our livelihoods and economies together and have a recovery that is green, digital and fair… The COVID-19 response demonstrates the importance of multilateral and continental cooperation to fight common battles for the future.
Effiong Akwa and the NDDC, By Reuben Abati
Within three weeks of assuming office, Effiong Akwa has engaged with the National Assembly to get approval, finally, for NDDC Budget 2020, which will run till June. But he must remain focused and refuse to be dragged into the politics of the job. His assignment is simple: facilitate the completion of the forensic audit. By now, he should know that all eyes are on him. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was in the news for all the wrong reasons in 2020.
Nigeria: Change Models and Options (2), By M.J. Balogun
In contrast to the limited focus of restructuring, systemic reform proceeds from the underlying assumption that a system is never “suddenly” corrupt, incompetent or broken, but must have taken its time to acquire, perfect, entrench, and implicitly legitimise, or at least, condone, bad habits.
Why Have African Leaders Been Unworthy of the Mo Ibrahim Prize?, By Ebere Onwudiwe
As the great American civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once taught, character is everything. He asked that we judge people by the ‘content of their character.’ This universal insight should apply to those in leadership positions as well. People may fear leaders with flawed characters, but they aren’t respected. Period. This should make you cry, if it wasn’t so darn funny. What the heck is wrong with African leaders who want to be presidents for life?
BIC Ijomah: Tribute To A Colossus, By Emmah Ijomah
That is what he was: A colossus. Dr. B. Imeagwu Chukwumah Ijomah, a professor of Political Sociology, author, scholar, and institutional administrator. Ijomah graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1963, and after three years as administrative officer and assistant registrar at the same University, he proceeded to Northwestern University, Evanston, where he obtained a Master’s Degree in 1967 and a Doctorate Degree in Sociology in 1969.
Why Real Change Proves Elusive In Nigeria (II), By M.J. Balogun
It should be noted that each generation of leaders’ hold on power is a function of how successful it is in securing the support, and/or acquiescence of the People. A regime which fails to respond to the demands of a vocal and politically significant public must brace itself for turbulence and, possibly, short tenure. It is precisely in an attempt at preempting such an unwelcome development that succeeding generations of leaders invest in projects with maximum political returns.
IPPIS: Understanding the Position of ASUU and AGF Ahmed Idris, By Yushau A. Shuaib
I will appeal to the Federal Government and ASUU to place the interests of the nation and those of young Nigerian students, who have experienced a very disturbing disruption of their education so far, above all other considerations, as they move forward in ending the ongoing impasse. May the best decisions for the ultimate good of the public prevail.
Jerry John Rawlings: the Sneaky Elixir of Multiple Destinies, By Toyin Falola
“A great tree has fallen, and Ghana is poorer for this loss,” said Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, and he could not have said it better about the death of the great “Papa Jay”. His friends remind us that their Jerry (as they liked to refer to him) was loved for his openness, that he was exceedingly honest in many of his dealings, and that today, Ghana is really stable because revolutionary Junior Jesus was born there.
Why Real Change Proves Elusive In Nigeria (I), By M.J. Balogun
Nigeria’s state construction and maintenance challenges have persisted, not because they are beyond solution, but due to the failure to apply the intellect in the search for fair, equitable, and rational answers to vexing governance and public administration questions. The picture emerging so far is of a country wobbling from one pile of challenges to another since independence. Curiously, the country, Nigeria, has not buckled under, neither has it recorded any significant breakthroughs.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with M.J.
Contact M.J., search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack