Rivers police commissioner, Adesanya dies

The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Francis Mobolaji Odesanya, is dead. He was aged 56.

According to  the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Odesanya died  after a brief illness. He was on admission at Sterling  Hospital Ahmedabad-Gujarat in India.

The Ikenne-Ogun state born police officer joined the Force on the 1st February, 1986 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and rose through the rank.

He served as Deputy Commissioner of Police Department of Operations and that of Finance and Administration in Rivers State before he was promoted and posted as Commissioner of Police Rivers State Police Command on the 20th July, 2016, the position he held until his sudden demise on 31 January 2017 on admission at Sterling Hospital Ahmedabad-Gujarat in India.  

The Inspector General of Police and his management team have sent condolence message the family.

A condolence register has been opened at the reception of the Force Headquarters and Rivers State Police Command headquarters, Port Harcourt for the personnel of the Force and members of the public to write their condolence messages.

Burial arrangements will be announced after consultation with the family. (NAN)

APC's Oghuma defeats former Jonathan's SSA, Jude Imagwe in Etsako by-election

Johnson Oghuma: wins Etsako House of Reps seat

Mr Johnson Johnny Egwakhide  Oghuma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged the winner of the Etsako Federal Constituency by-election in Edo.

Oghuma, a former member of the State House of Assembly  emerged winner with 39,876 votes to defeat the People’s Democratic Party candidate Mr Jude Imagwe who polled 18,193 votes.

The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Shola Omotola, who announced the result at about 00:45 am on Sunday said the APC candidate won having scored the highest number of votes cast.

Omotola said that out of the 59,301 votes cast, 58,427 were regarded as valid votes and 874 votes were rejected.

Speaking to newsmen, Oghuma, who will be 57 years old in March,  assured the people of the constituency of effective representation.

“I want to assure Etsako people that I will not fail them.

“I will represent them well and their voices will be heard and I will not disappoint them,” he said.

The bye-election came following the election of the former holder of the seat, Mr Philip Shuaib, as Deputy Governor of the state.

Oghuma was born on 3 March 1960  in Fugar.

After his primary and secondary education, he went to  Bendel State University, now Ambrose Ali University  to read Economics.  He obtained a Bachelor of Science  degree in 1985.

He later got a Master of Science  degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, Akoka in 1990.

He is also a  fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria.

Three South East Governors set to decamp to APC

• Selected former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani as the leader of the party in the zone.

• 3 South East governors to join APC

• Zone to back Buhari for second term in 2019

Photo by Abacityblog

Former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, is now the leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast, while the party in the zone would support President Mohammadu Buhari for a second term in office should he seek re-election in 2019.

These were parts of decisions taken at the meeting of Southeast APC stakeholders held at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC), Owerri, yesterday.

The meeting had dignitaries like Sen. Nnamani, Emeka Offor, Ifeanyi Araraume, George Moughalu, Tony Eze, Ebuka Onunkwo, Jombo Offor, Eze Madumere and members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) in attendance.

In his speech, the host Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, said he left the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to join the APC at its formative stage because APGA was seen as an Igbo party and not a national party. He stated that he joined APC against all odds because he knew that Igbos would achieve their political aspirations within Nigeria only through a national party.

He said: “Now that Igbo leaders are together in APC, Nigerians will hear us. There is a vacuum of leadership in the Southeast APC. I am a governor. My brothers Chris Ngige and Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu are ministers. Hence, the importance of Ken Nnamani coming at this time. I decline leadership of Ndigbo in APC. With Nnamani, the question of who is the leader of APC in the Southeast has been answered. Nnamani is the leader of APC in the South-East.”

He continued: “Senator Nnamani should then work with other leaders like Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Jim Nwobodo and a host of others to give Ndigbo political direction. Those who have joined the party or who want to join should do so to build the party and not to cause confusion. APC is the right party for the Igbos, and the only party that can guarantee Igbo presidency.”

For him, “we are going to support President Mohammadu Buhari for the eight years he is going to lead the nation. This is the time for Ndigbo to come and work together. We are also going to use the Anambra election to show that APC has arrived in the Southeast. The Igbos played bad Politics in 2015. Today we have lost a lot. We are not anywhere because of our bad politics.”

Okorocha also disclosed that three serving governors in the Southeast were in touch with him and would soon join APC, adding that being the only APC governor in the Southeast does not give him joy. He advised that other political leaders in the geo-political zone should take advantage of the moment and come into APC.

Nnamani, in his speech, said the Igbos needed more of their leaders at the national leadership of the APC where decisions are being made, and even at the National Assembly and other strategic areas.

The former Senate President said: “Some of us going into APC are not doing so because of hunger, but in the interest of the Igbos. We should play politics of ideas and avoid abusive words. Ndigbo do not have the ingredients for opposition politics. We do not have the media or business or money to play opposition politics, but we won’t ask for handouts.”

He continued: “How the Yorubas voted in 2015 should be an eye-opener. They voted both sides, but the Southeast put their eggs in one basket. I am not of the view that everybody should be in APC, but those who have seen the need should do so. If Gov. Okorocha has realised that he needs more hands in APC, he should be commended. We are the worst enemies of ourselves. If we work together we will go very far. This is the time to play national politics”.

Nnamani further explained that “some people could say we have the Deputy Senate President, but he does not attend the meeting of APC caucus where important decisions are taken. We must think ahead.

The benefit of that office is therefore personal and does not enhance the political fortunes of the Southeast people.”

Source: The Sun

More pictures showing President Buhari on vaction released

President Buhari and wife Aisha in London

To douse speculation over the health condition of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Government on Sunday in released more photographs of the president with his wife in United Kingdom while on vacation.

The photographs showing Buhari and his wife came after an earlier one released on Friday showing Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and some persons with the President.

The two photographs were released by the Special Assistant to the President’s Wife on Media, Adebisi Olumide-Ajayi. The President and his wife were standing in one while they were sitting down in the second photograph.

Buhari wore a brown pair of trousers, a sweater and a white skull cap in the pictures.

The photographs were released amid increasing rumor over the state of health of the President since he announced his decision to embark on a short vacation during which he is also scheduled to carry out medical check-up. (The Sun)

Islamic preacher with 86 wives is dead

Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Masaba

Nigerian Islamic preacher with 86 wives, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Masaba, is dead.

His Personal Assistant, Alhaji Mutairu Bello, confirmed Masaba’s death in Abuja on Saturday.

He said that the preacher died in his residence in Bida, Niger State, on Saturday, after a brief illness.

“From Allah we come, to Him we shall all return; we announce the death of Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Bello Masaba this afternoon. He was aged 93, and died after a brief illness,” Bello said.

Masaba would be buried at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan 29.

A sobbing Bello said that the preacher had a premonition of his death and prepared for it.

“Baba (Masaba), told us that his time was up; he personally told me that he had completed his divine assignment and was ready to meet his creator.

“He also told us to remain dedicated to the cause of Islam and urged us never to deviate from his teachings on righteousness, piety and total submission to the will of Allah.

“He warned us to shun adultery but said that we should marry our women because it is ‘Hallal’ (right), before Allah,” Bello said.

Masaba came to limelight in mid-2008 when it was reported that he was married to 86 wives contrary to Islamic law which provides that a man can only marry a maximum of four wives.

At a meeting at the palace of Etsu of Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar  he was ordered to divorce 82 of the wives, a directive which  Masaba said he was not going to comply  with as he insisted that he did not violate any Islamic law.

The Etsu of Nupe later gave Masaba 48 hours to leave the Nupe Kingdom saying that his safety could not be guaranteed

However, the cleric rejected the directive and sued the Emirate for violating his fundamental human rights.

Masaba was arrested in Oct. 2008 and arraigned before a Shariah court. Before his trial commenced,   the police  said that they did not find anything incriminating when they searched his house.

He was, however, detained in the prison on the orders of the Sharia’h court which later transfered the case to a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Minna after declaring that it lacked jurisdiction to try him.

A Federal High Court in Abuja in Nov. 2008 ordered the release of Masaba from prison and asked the Inspector general of Police to ensure the protection of his fundamental human rights.

Masaba was said to have fathered 180 children and claimed that he never pursued any of his wives. Rather, he said, they sought him out due to his reputation as a healer

Many of his wives were much younger than he was, and a few were younger than some of his elder children.

In several interviews with  media outlets some of the wives claimed that he was a good husband who was meeting all their needs. (NAN)

Kogi APC protest against Melaye, Faleke

Senator Dino Malaye

The crisis rocking the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a new turn on Friday when some members protested against Senator Dino Melaye and Rep. Abiodun Faleke.

The peaceful protest which was held at Kabba was  led by the state Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria ( ALGON), Mr Taufiq Isah, who denounced Sen. Dino Melaye and Hon. Abiodun Faleke for working against the interest of the party.

Melaye currently represents Kogi West senatorial district in the Senate while Faleke was the running mate to the late Gov.Abubakar Audu and also represents Ifako -Ijaiye Federal constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives.

They accused them of working against the interest of the Yoruba speaking people of Kogi State and urged them to desist.

The protesters also carried their grievances to the palaces of traditional rulers in Okunland and appealed to them to call the duo to order.

“Their utterances and actions are against the development of the various communities in the western senatorial district of the state, “ Isa,  said.

The protesters later assembled at Kabba where a communique issued at the end of a stakeholders meeting was read by Isah.

In the communique , the stakeholder “denounce, reject and disown in all ramifications all action, utterances and activities that are inimical to the progress and development of Okun people”.

It denounced actions and utterances against the administrations of President Muhamadu Buhari and Alhaji Yahaya Bello and their new direction policies.

“Their actions are at best, self serving, insensitive to the yearnings of Okun people, a misdirected fight for positions which are of no benefit for the Okun people they claim to be representing,” the communique read.

Addressing the protesters at Kabba, a traditional ruler, the Obadofin of Kabbaland , Chief Michael Yusuf, said anyone working against Bello was an enemy of the people of Okun.

He expressed the support of the entire people of Okunland for Bello and charged him to continue with his programme of charting a new direction for the state.

In his reaction, Melaye described the development as unfortunate, accusing the protesters and the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello of working against the interest of the party.

He also expressed shock that the people opted for protest to celebrate one year in office of Bello, saying that “Kogi is celebrating one year of agony, pain and distress “.

The senator, who spoke through his special assistant on media, Mr Gideon Ayodele, said that the protest was “ a minus for the state government to be celebrating one year in office and the only APC senator from the state is not present.

“ The state chairman of the party is not present, the three zonal chairmen of the party are in Abuja and 16 out of the 21 local government chairmen are in Abuja.

“This is to tell the whole world that the governor is working in isolation of the structure of the party in the state. Whatever they are doing, they are doing it for themselves and it is for their pockets only,” he said. (NAN)

SGF Babachir Lawal not cleared yet: Presidency

SGF, Babachir Lawal

The Presidency has given a clarification on the letter written to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari concerning the report of its investigation of allegations against the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr. Babachir Lawal.

Speaking on a BBC HAUSA program “Ra’ayi Riga,” an audience participation programme on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, decried attacks on the President which he said were unwarranted because his letter to the Senate did not dwell on whether the SGF was guilty or not guilty.

“What President Buhari has done is simply to act in a response to a report by the SGF, Babachir David Lawal, who insisted that he and the companies cited were not given a fair hearing by the National Assembly.

Malam Garba Shehu, decried attacks on the President which he said were unwarranted because his letter to the Senate did not dwell on whether the SGF was guilty or not guilty.

“President Buhari’s communication to Nigeria’s lawmakers was simply this: If the SGF was not given a fair hearing, can you now give him one?”

The Presidency added that the report in discussion, was an interim one and a final report was, therefore, being expected.

Malam Garba said it would not have been advisable to act on the matter before a final report was received from the legislature.

He said that as fervent as President Buhari is about the war on corruption, “he believes in due process and in fair hearing, without which our democracy cannot be taken seriously by Nigerians or the international community’’. (NAN)

PHOTO: Buhari receives guests in London

Buhari receives guests in London where he is vacating while his traducers are celebrating his demise 

Subsidy Scam: Ada Ugo-Ngadi, Wagbatsoma jailed for 10 years

Ada Ugo-Ngadi escorted by prison officials

Convicted fuel subsidy fraudsters Mrs. Ada Ugo-Ngadi, Managing Director of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited and Walter Wagbatsoma, the company’s chairman, were today sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court for defrauding the Federal Government of N754 million in oil subsidy claims.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the convicts before the court on August 1, 2013 alongside Mr. Babafemi Fakuade, an official of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on charges of forgery, conspiracy and altering of document to commit fuel subsidy fraud.

The judge however, found Fakuade not guilty and acquitted him on the charges.

The court had in its ruling of January 13 found the duo of Wagbatsoma and Ugo – Ngadi guilty of all charges and convicted them but could not pass sentence on them due to the dramatic Collapse of  one of the convicts, Ugo- Ngadi in court. She was subsequently hospitalized.

Justice Okunnu in her judgment today sentenced Wagbatsoma and Ugo-Ngadi to a minimum of ten years in prison for the six count charge proffered against them by the EFCC.

“For each of the counts of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences the defendants are sentenced to ten years in prison.

“For the count of conspiracy to commit forgery, the defendants are sentenced to seven years in prison

“For the of offence of forgery, the defendants are sentenced to eight years in prison,” Okunnu said.

The Judge noted that the sentence passed was a total of 69 years for each of the convicts but the sentence was to run concurrently.

In the course of pronouncing judgment on Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Justice Okunnu gave an order of restitution for Ontario Oil and Gas Limited to return N754million to the Federal Government.

The conviction and sentencing is the first of the many cases of oil subsidy fraud currently under prosecution in various courts.

As the proceeding ended, prison warders, lawyers of the convicts and their family members molested the cameraman of EFCC for taking pictures of the convicts.

Police file fresh criminal charges against ex-governor Suswam

Dr. Gabriel Suswam

ABUJA – The Federal Government through the Office of the Inspector General of Police, has entered two separate criminal charges against the former Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam.

Suswam who piloted affairs of Benue State from 2007 to 2015, was accused of fraudulently diverting over N3.1billion from coffers of the state.

Suswam In the two sets of charges marked FHC/ABJ/CR/255/ 2016 and FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2016, containing six and two counts respectively, FG also cited former Commissioner of Finance in Benue state, Mr. Omodachi Okolobia and one Janet Aluga as co-defendants in the matter.

Meantime, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, has directed Police to transfer the case-files to his office.

Police prosecutor, Mr. David Igbodo made the revelation when the cases were called-up for mention before trial Justice Gabriel Kolawole on Wednesday.

Igbodo said the cases were sent to the AGF owing to “the quantum of evidence” uncovered by the Police. Sequel to his application, Justice Kolawole adjourned the matter sine-die (indefinitely).

Suswam and Okolobia were previously docked before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the same high court on a nine-count money laundering charge. ‎

The defendants who were arraigned on November 10, 2015, were accused of diverting proceeds of shares owned by the Benue State government and Benue Investment & Property Company Ltd.

Though they pleaded not guilty to the charge, the EFCC however maintained that it has sufficient evidence to prove that they committed an offence punishable under section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012.

Source: Vanguard

Anambra Guber: Soludo, Andy Ubah, Ifeanyi Ubah, vie for APC gov ticket

Andy Ubah, Ifeanyi Ubah, Chukwuma Soludo: In the race for Anambra APC ticket

A former Governor of the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo and twelve other aspirants have indicated interest to contest for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in the Anambra State governorship election expected to take place later this year.

Other contestants are Sen. Andy Ubah, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, Chief George Muoghalu, Chief Barth Nwibe, Mr Obinna Okonkwo and Chief Paul Chukwuma.

The rest are Dr Chike Obidigbo, Chief Raph Okeke, Chief Tony Nwoye, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, Chief Obinna Uzor and Prince Donatus Okonkwo.

Mr Emeka Ibe, Chairman of the party in the state, made this known to newsmen on Tuesday in Awka.

Soludo, Ifeanyi Ubah, Andy Ubah have all contested for the governorship seat in the past, either on the PDP or Labour Party platforms,  but failed. Andy Uba won election as governor of Anambra State and was sworn in on May 29, 2007 but was removed from office fourteen days later by a ruling of the Supreme Court.

Ibe stressed that there would be no automatic ticket for any aspirant, adding that they would all participate in the state`s primaries to emerge as candidate for the election.

“We will give all aspirants equal playing ground. There is no special interest in any aspirant.

“We will hold transparent primaries for them because they are all qualified to unseat Gov. Willie Obiano.

“Any of them who emerges as our candidate in the state is capable of removing Obiano from office,’’ Ibe said.

He added that the party would embark on continuous membership registration exercise before the end of the month to accommodate those who want to join in the state.

Ibe, however, said that anybody with criminal records would not be allowed to join the party in the state.

He maintained that there was no zoning arrangement in the party, adding that new members would have equal rights as old ones.

The tenure of the current governor ends on March 17 2018.

(NAN)

ECOWAS troops to stay in The Gambia for 6 months

President of ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Marcel de Souza.

The ECOWAS Commission has said its coalition force in The Gambia would remain for the next six months, as requested by President Adama Barrow.

Mr Marcel de Souza, president of the commission  said this while briefing members of the diplomatic corps and partner organisations on the political situation in The Gambia on Tuesday in Abuja.

De Souza, however, said that retaining troops in that country would be decided by the Chiefs of Army Staff.

“By the end of the week, the forces will fall back.

“Barrow would like us to have a sufficient force on ground for about six months; we will see which troops will be withdrawn and which would be retained.”

He said that the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia was to secure peace contrary to reports that there was a military force in the country after former President Yayah Jammeh’s departure.

“We needed to have a specific strategy and prevent a single shot being fired and bloodshed.

“Orders were given for forces to move to Banjul; it was a force to secure the situation, the environment and the life of Barrow, not a military move.

“What if there was an assassination attempt on his life, it will question the whole process.

“We are waiting for a report, by today or tomorrow we will be able to indicate that Barrow will return,” he said.

The commission’s president said that member countries handled the costs of maintaining the troops.

He also confirmed that the Gambian armed forces welcomed the ECOWAS coalition force.

He reiterated that Jammeh departed The Gambia for Equatorial Guinea on Friday after final mediation efforts by presidents Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania and Alpha Conde of Guinea.

He also said that the requests made by Jammeh which were also contained in the joint declaration by ECOWAS, AU and the UN were under review.

He said the requests had yet to be validated by the authorities.

ECOWAS issued an order for military intervention in The Gambia to oust Jammeh at the stroke of midnight Jan. 19 when his mandate ended. (NAN)

Arms Cash: Dasuki, 5 others re-arraigned

Sambo Dasuki

Abuja - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday re-arraigned, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser (NSA) and five others, for alleged diversion, and criminal breach of trust.

The others were Bashir Yuguda, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the NSA, Dalhatu Investment Ltd., Sagir Attahiru and Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State.

They were re-arraigned on a 22-count charge before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, and they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Baba-Yusuf ordered that the existing bail condition be maintained after listening to submissions of all counsel to the defendants and the prosecuting counsel.

The Prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), opposed the upholding of Dasuki’s bail, saying that he was still being held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was granted bail earlier.

Jacobs also applied for date to open his case against the defendants since they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

This, he said, was in accordance with Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which provides for day-to-day trial.

Dasuki’s counsel, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), objected, saying that the EFCC brought his client to court and not DSS.

He also said that ECOWAS court had earlier given a valid judgment on the issue and objected to the suggestion of Rotimi.

He argued that the day-to-day trial was when the case fully commences.

The counsel to other defendants aligned with Dr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Counsel to Bafaarawa, saying that Section 396 of ACJA should not be put above the provisions of in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Fagbemi said that the section provides for fair hearing and so it would not be right for the defendants to be arraign today and trial to commence tomorrow.

Baba-Yusuf adjourned till Feb. 24 for commencement of trial.

Dasuki and others were earlier arraigned on a 22-count charge bordering on diversion, conspiracy, bribery, abuse of office and criminal breach of trust of about N19.4 billion before Justice Peter Affen in December 2015.

The defendants were also granted bail by Affen in the sum of N250 million each with two sureties each in the like sum.

Affen said that one of sureties must be a retired or serving civil servant in Federal Government’s employment, reside within the court’s jurisdiction and own landed property in Abuja.

The case was consolidated and transferred to Baba-Yusuf’s court following an application by Chief Joseph Daudu, counsel to Dasuki. (NAN)

Jonathan's N9b failed stove project under investigation

The House of Representatives has given its committees on Anti-Corruption, Environment and Habitat six weeks to investigate former President Gooodluck Jonathan’s N9 billion “Clean Stove For Rural Women scheme”.

The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Abiodun Faleke (APC-Lagos), which was unanimously adopted by members through a voice vote to probe the contract of about N9.287 billion.

Faleke noted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a contract for the supply of 20 million units of clean stove and wonder bags under the clean stove scheme for rural women.

He added that the contract was at a unit cost of N464.00, amounting to about N9.287 billion.

The lawmaker said that following the approval of FEC, the Federal Ministry of Finance released the sum of N5 billion to the Federal Ministry of Environment for the execution of the project.

He further disclosed that Integra Energy Renewable Services Limited was awarded the contract for the supply of the 20 million units.

Faleke also said that the company was paid the sum of N1.3 billion out of the N5 billion released by the Ministry of Environment as mobilisation fee without due process.

The lawmaker expressed concern that less than 750,000 units were said to have been assembled and delivered at the velodrome of the National Stadium, Abuja, which was commissioned by former Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

He noted that there was no beneficiary present at the commissioning nor was anyone later given the stove to achieve its intended purpose.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the mandate of the committee saddled with the investigation will be to find out details of the contract, number of units supplied, their mode of distribution and names of beneficiaries on a State by State basis.

The committees would also determine the status of the balance of N952 million with the contractor, since 750,000 units of the clean stoves were supplied at a unit cost of N464 at the value of N348 million out of the N1.3 billion paid out.

The status of the balance of N3.7 billion which was outstanding from the initial payment to the Federal Ministry of Environment will also be confirmed by the committee.

The committees would also determine whether or not the clean stoves and wonder bags project had assisted in eradicating desertification in Nigeria for future consideration. (NAN)

Why Obama Just Wrote Articles in 3 Academic Journals

OBAMA, PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

In his final two months as president, Barack Obama restricted Arctic drilling, sanctioned Russia, named new national monuments and made one last dad joke. He also moved to imprint his seal on history in a quieter way: through academic writing.

This month, Obama published a Harvard Law Review article that sums up his administration’s efforts to improve the effectiveness and fairness of the criminal justice system. In Science, Obama argued that market forces will help drive a transition to clean energy. These articles share the positive outlook and tone of Obama’s Journal of the American Medical Association article in August assessing the Affordable Care Act and suggesting future opportunities for health-care reform.

This is not a normal political strategy. Obama’s law review piece is credited as the first scholarly legal article authored by a sitting president. Few individuals worldwide – much less presidents – have had the distinction of publishing papers in law, science and medicine journals.

Academic articles reach a comparatively small audience. They spend a lot of time sitting on library shelves or in online repositories. Some are never be read at all. (Scholars argue about what fraction of articles are essentially never looked at.)

So why, with all that’s going on in the world, would Obama take the time to pen academic papers?

He's writing for the future.

In an era of fake news and post-truth politics, the premium on authentic, thoughtful ideas is higher than ever before. Academia is a stronghold of ideas.

Academic books and journals are largely protected from both the partisanship and the faddishness that can dog other forms of media. And they endure. (You can look up a dusty old Pythagorean Theorem proof from 1876, if you want -- another rare example of scholarship authored by a man who also lived in the White House.)

More importantly, academia heavily scrutinizes the articles that posit groundbreaking and innovative ideas. It can take a long time, but eventually the best ideas are promoted and built upon. Think of Albert Einstein's early 20th-century papers proposing the theories of relativity, which were criticized before they became foundational.

By writing for journals, Obama can plant seeds that are hard to uproot. Even if his ideas are forced off the main political stage, they will still be evaluated and workshopped in scholarly discourse for years. If those ideas are right, then with enough time and development, they will grow to become consensus. As we’ve seen with issues like climate change, consensus isn't the same as complete acceptance. Nevertheless, scholarly debate can push ideas toward the center of public conversation (as, again, we’ve seen with climate change).

Moreover, through his writing, Obama can immortalize his optimism. Obama’s academic articles aren’t dry. They’re forward-looking, upbeat and packed with his trademark hope.

We have awhile to go before we see which of the ideas Obama has planted will flourish. But with time, consideration and a bit of magic, some of them might grow into big, strong beanstalks. Maybe there’ll even be a Golden Goose or two at the top.

Culled from Bloomberg