But wow, things have been happening! I mean, I turn my back for one minute and then we see all sorts of things happening. Of course the swearing in of ministers and assignment of portfolios to them. Rotimi I was saying to you that there are so many angles to it, but from an IDEAS point of view, you know the issues that we’re looking at are Integrity, Democracy, Ethics and Accountability. And we have to recognise that an appointed minister is really an out … branch of the President, so they effectively represent the President in the task that he has assigned to them.

But you know it’s interesting that we mention the Oval Office, because in the … the occupant of the Oval Office and the previous occupant of our own equivalent which is – well I don’t know what the shape the office is, but the building itself is the, is Aso Rock – had been … has been causing quite a stir, with yet another of his famous open letters to a sitting Head of State. And having – in the run up to the previous elections – advised the President to resign, the former President Obasanjo has now written another letter in which he talks about the wave of insecurity in the country, and quite frankly, ends up by saying that the buck stops on the desk of the President.

Or a particular individual who, as we understand it now is in the hands of the Nigeria Police, and may face criminal charges, I thought that we should look at things in a … it in the context of Legislators and Accountability, because at the same time as the … Senator Abbo is being asked to account for his behaviour, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission has now taken up the mantle, or the gauntlet I should say, the gauntlet thrown down by Tracka Nigeria and some other NGOs in Nigeria, about the Constituency Projects.

in other countries from Indonesia to Kenya. So it’s been interesting. But I mean, I think that what’s been interesting about the EU Observation report, has been the reaction of the parties, which perhaps you’re going to get into when we get into the Public Square proper.

IDEAS Radio 7 June 2019
it’s the ministerial positions. At the State level it’s the …. the … it’s the … Sorry, at the State level it’s the Commissioners, okay. Now, you say Rotimi that “the appointed ones” for, but actually, it’s really specifically those ones. Because for example, when (I’m speaking from experience), when, if you’re appointed to a body like the Police Service Commission (as I was), then the people, the Senate that is screening me knows that I’ve been appointed … that’s what I’ve been appointed to.

IDEAS Radio 31 May 2019
The inauguration of the President and the Vice President with 29 State Governors and their Deputies on Wednesday the 29th of May, leaves us with just the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly and 36 State Assemblies, and that will be all for Countdown 2019.

IDEAS Radio 24 May 2019
Well it is, because we hardly tend to know the spouses of the male judges, it’s very rare that we know what the spouses of the male judges are involved in, whereas we tend to know what the spouses of the female judges, who they are, and what they are doing. In fact, it’s not just that sometimes they are prominent in their own right, as was the case of Justice Atinuke Ige, or Justice Mary Odili, or … Justice in fact, Abubakar, Justice Fati Abubakar. They all had husbands who were …

IDEAS Radio 17 May 2019
Our big topic today on both the IDEAs segment with Ayo Obe and on the main programme: Is the N4.68 billion welcome package for Nigeria’s incoming National Assembly members legal or ethical? Welcome. With us in the studio today is Nigeria Info Politics Editor Georges Macnobleson-Idowu.

IDEAS Radio 10 May 2019
Our big topic today on both the IDEAS segment with Ayo Obe and on the main programme: Are Local Governments finally going to get their rightful financial autonomy? The National Financial Intelligence Unit has recommended that the Joint State Local Government Account can only be used to receive money, and that Local Government funds can only be disbursed after they have reached the rightful Local Government account and only for Local Government purposes. The deadline for implementation is June 1. So we start with that with Ayo, she will help us clarify what the Constitution says as well, as well as her informed and educated opinion on these recommendations. And shortly after, we will engage you, our wonderful listeners.