When Public/Civil Servants Speak Truth to Power  By  Prof. Tunji Olaopa
Politics

When Public/Civil Servants Speak Truth to Power By Prof. Tunji Olaopa

Politics tamfitronics AdvertisementIn this piece, I want to beam a critical light on the significance and role of the public/civil servant within the power dynamics of governance in the Nigerian government. My fundamental concern derives from the central imperative in public administration—the politics-administration dichotomy—that insists that the politicians and the administrators have distinct responsibilities which must be adhered to form a functional state. This is one foundational principle that is so useful for the attainment of good governance. However, its utility must be conditioned by contextual peculiarities in the governance and administrative reality of where the dichotomy is expected to work. I have been an ardent institutional reformer for many years,...
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NASA invites public to design Artemis moon mission navigation tech
Science & Technology

NASA invites public to design Artemis moon mission navigation tech

NASA Space Technology The Lunar Navigation Challenge, which officially opened on Sept. 4, invites the public to submit ideas for tech that astronauts will need to use on the moon during future Artemis missions.(Image credit: Freelancer)NASA is seeking the public's help for innovative solutions to help Artemis astronauts navigate in and around the lunar south pole.The Artemis program aims to land humans on the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions managed to achieve the feat over 50 years ago. Astronauts will land near the lunar south pole, where permanently shadowed regions may contain areas of water ice that could be accessed to support future missions to Mars.The Lunar Navigation Challenge, which officially opened on Sept. 4seeks ideas for a low-tech backup navigational device astronauts can use to find their way across the...
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How to fix public hospitals? Money is not the problem – keep politics out, says expert
Politics

How to fix public hospitals? Money is not the problem – keep politics out, says expert

Politics tamfitronics Politics tamfitronics Public healthcare is in a shambles and it is not due to a lack of money, but too much politics and ineffective leadership structures.A recent video of conditions at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg highlighted the problem of deteriorating public hospitals yet again. How do we fix our public hospitals? An expert says money is not the problem. The secret is to keep politics out of the national and provincial health departments.Professor Alex van den Heever, chairperson of the Social Security Systems Administration and Management Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, says government will have to basically change the leadership structures of the health department to fix the public health system.“One of the main challenges will be to create a separation of powers between the member of the executive...
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Public Voices Often Ignored in States’ Opioid Settlement Money Decisions
Health News

Public Voices Often Ignored in States’ Opioid Settlement Money Decisions

Health News tamfitronics The conversation wasn’t sounding good for Kensington residents on June 20.The Philadelphia neighborhood is a critical center of the nation’s opioid crisis, and the city had decided to spend $7.5 million in opioid settlement money to improve the quality of life there. But on that day, a Pennsylvania oversight board was about to vote on whether to reject the city’s decision.It was a thorny issue with major implications — both for Kensington residents and people across the state, as the decision could set a precedent for what kind of spending the board would allow for years to come.But a lot of people were shut out of the discussion.Pennsylvania’s board doesn’t allow members of the public to speak at its meetings, a rule that sets it apart from about two dozen similar opioid...
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