Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The death of Professor Alex Gboyega, a retired professor of political science at the University of Ibadan, is the latest in a series of deaths of prominent Nigerians that have overshadowed the month of January 2022. Gboyega emerged from the former University of Ife scholar-practitioner framework of engagement, which demanded that there must be serious attention given to recruitment in a way that adds to the functionality of the institute of administration as a complement of the practice of public administration in the public service. His specialization straddled local governance, public administration and indigenous political institutions, telling a coherent and significant story about his research portfolio. The challenge of deploying the federal framework as the most formidable structure within which Nigeria could achieve national integration and development is highlighted by Alex Gboyega's 1981 essay and 2003 inaugural lecture. Contrary to the 1976 local government reform enshrined in the 1979 Constitution, the present state of the local governments and local governance is dismal due to the absence of local governance and its distinctive elements.