Nigeria, June 2 -- It is customary for governments in Nigeria to roll out the drums from time to time. They do so usually for purposes of self-adulation. Governments in Nigeria are given to self-assessment. This is irrespective of whether there is anything to celebrate or not. They hardly create room for independent appraisals. We had a surfeit of this celebratory masturbation last week in Nigeria. Governments across the states, particularly those that came into office on 29th May, 2023, presented their scorecards to the people. They told their stories with high drama. Since it was all about self-assessment, every sub-national government involved in the exercise scored itself highly. They all came out in flying colours.

That, of course, ...