Damn our “leaders” if they like it, damn them if they don’t, the people have spoken. Enough of power vacuum, near constitutional crisis, and over heating of the polity all due to the fact that the ruling party (PDP) does not trust the Vice President (Jonathan Goodluck) to formally act as President until President Yar’Adua recovers from his illness. There is no choice other than to respect the wishes of the Nigerian people, power belongs to the people. Cracks have clearly emerged with the Executive Council of the Federation and the National Assembly due to the pressure from the people. Shadow government will be such that should coordinate massive public pressure (people’s power) to counter bad governance.
This was an idea I recommended in my Christmas message to Nigerians. It simply means forming a government in waiting by the opposition parties. But in the Nigerian case, the shadow government should be formed by opposition parties and representatives from the following; Political Groups, Non Governmental Organization, Civil Groups, Community Groups, Faith Organizations (churches, mosques, etc), Retired Civil Servants, Opinion Leaders, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Labour Unions/Leaders, Students Union Leaders, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists, Nigerian Medical Association, Bankers, Nigerian Bar Association, Members of the Nigerian Press, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Cultural Groups and any other groups, corporate groups or individuals that might wish to join.
Shadow government/cabinet is in operation in the United Kingdom where opposition parties have shadow cabinet members in all the existing ministries, For example Secretary of Defense (Minister of Defense) by the ruling party (Labour Party) has a shadow Secretary of Defense by the opposition parties (Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats etc). The British opposition parties are alive and strong, they provide tough checks and balances on the ruling party (Labour Party).
There will be nothing wrong to domesticate this method (shadow government) and apply it to the presidential system of government that we are practicing in Nigeria. It can be our own home grown democratic system. I have heard past Nigerian leaders talk about home grown democracy. This can be one of it. However, political theories of previous centuries (presidential system, unitary system, federal system, feudal system, theocratic system etc) can be adjusted, amended or combined together to fit in the Nigeria of 21st century, so long as it enhances good governance.
The essence of shadow government in Nigeria is to create a formidable opposition to the government in power. Opposition parties/groups are an important part of every democracy. In nearby Ghana, the opposition party (National Democratic Congress of Ghana) won the ruling party. In both Zimbabwe and Kenya, power is being shared between the opposition parties and the ruling parties. During the Babangida and Abacha era, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) formed a credible opposition to the military. They fought gallantly till the country was returned to civil rule. Presently our opposition parties/groups need a shadow government/cabinet structure hence my suggestion.
My other reason for recommending so many groups to join the shadow government is because, I agree totally with what former French President Charles de Gaulle said, “Politics is too serious a business to be left for politicians alone”. Shadow government will be able to critically examine every government policy and come up a better alternative for the Nigerian people. Where money is to be spent on projects, the shadow government should be able highlight how and who can do such projects better and at a lesser cost to the Nigerian tax payers. Shadow government will provide a training ground for future leaders. The benefits will be enormous to the Nigerian public.
My suggestion of a shadow system of government is such that, we will have shadow president, shadow vice president, shadow cabinet members, comprising of shadow minister of education, shadow minister of health, shadow external affairs minister, shadow minister of agriculture, shadow minister of finance etc. The same method (shadow government/cabinet) should be created or formed in 36 states of the federation and the 774 local government areas in Nigeria. In the case of states, there should be shadow governors, shadow deputy governors, shadow commissioners. Whereas, in the case of local government councils, there should be shadow supervisory councilors in all departments.
Since we have a bi-cameral legislature (The Senate and House of Representatives) at the federal level, it will be in order, to have one shadow senator from each senatorial zone and a shadow House of Representative member from each federal constituency of the federation. Same should apply to the states and local government areas.
Appointment or Selection Processes: Appointments or selection methods should be strictly by merit and through transparent processes. There will be no issue of putting round pegs in square holes, like what the past and present governments have been doing. I will suggest Option A4 system for selection process. I will also suggest that professional groups should be allocated to relevant shadow ministries, for example if medical personnel’s decides to join the shadow government, they should be assigned to the shadow ministry of health under a shadow minister of health.
Shadow government can commence now and terminate by May 2011 when the tenure of this present government will end. However there should be a transition plan for the shadow government that will start from May 2011. Politicians and people interested in this project can start working out the remaining modalities. Campaigning for different positions should also start. Nigerians in Diaspora can participate actively in the appointment, selection, and the shadow government itself. They can take part from wherever they might be. I will also use this medium to urge the various pro Nigerian groups in Diaspora to come together irrespective of their organizational differences. There are a lot they can achieve by coming together. Joining or co-starting a shadow government will be a good starting point.
The shadow government can start online or partially base online. President Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain relied heavily in online strategies during their campaign. During the last French presidential election, the two top contenders (Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal) generated the highest level of net activism. In Australia, their Prime Minister (Kevin Rudd) has continued to use online presence to keep electorates aware of his government’s activities.
Finally, I wish also to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Saturday, 30 January 2010
War Against Electoral Fraud In Anambra And Nigeria.
I condemn the recent Jos crisis and the assassination of Dipo Dina (former Action Congress governorship candidate of Ogun State in the 2007 election). I wish to commiserate with the families of innocent Nigerians that died in the Jos crisis and also with the families of Dipo Dina. Both incidents will run counter productive for attempts to launder Nigeria’s image abroad. Nigerians at home and abroad are deeply worried about the level of insecurity. Our fear of political assassinations, electoral frauds, electoral flaws, etc have increased as the Anambra election (February 2010) and 2011 general election draws closer.
The entire Nigerians will closely watch what will happen in Anambra election on February 6. Whatever happens in Anambra will further confirm what Nigerians will face in 2011 general election. But before then, let’s look briefly at past governorship elections in Anambra State, which is almost a case of total electoral frauds, flaws, and failures. Understandings of these electoral failures should form the basis to declare war against electoral fraud in Anambra State and Nigeria.
1983 General Election.
The old Anambra State witnessed bitter rivalry between the then governor (Chief Jim Nwobodo) and late Chief C.C.Onoh. Both men (Chief Jim Nwobodo and late Chief C.C.Onoh), had thugs who unleashed violence and intimidation to their opponents. There were serious electoral frauds leading to the “victory” of Chief Jim Nwobodo, but it was later quashed at the Supreme Court. Thus late Chief C.C.Onoh became the governor but his administration was short lived due to army takeover.
1999 General Election.
This election produced Mbadinujo as the governor and his “god father” Emeka Offor. The duo emerged by virtue of electoral fraud. The setback to Anambra State as a result of problems between the governor and his “godfather” cannot be quantified in monetary terms.
2003 General Election.
Serious rigging, electoral flaws and fraud were features of 2003 general elections. Anambra State gubernatorial election was a good example of 2003 electoral fraud. Dr Ngige was imposed on the state as the governor by perpetrators of this electoral fraud. When he (Dr Ngige) had misunderstandings with those that imposed him on the state, (his god fathers) he was kidnapped. Therefore, electoral fraud produced the first case of kidnapping of a sitting governor in Nigeria. Till date no one was prosecuted for that offence. Peter Obi later got his mandate through the court to become the truly elected governor of the state.
2007 General Election.
The 2007 general election witnessed the worst electoral fraud in the history of elections in Nigeria. President Yar’Adua acknowledged these irregularities. Again Anambra State was not left out. Andy Uba was declared the winner and lasted only 14 days in office. The court again restored Peter Obi as the governor. From the above analyses, Anambra State and her people have been victims of electoral fraud.
The Umpire
The same umpire (Independent National Electoral Commission) conducted both 2003 and 2007 general elections with catastrophic results. Why will the same umpire keep conducting further elections in Nigeria especially in Anambra? Why not disband them. If the military government disbanded National Electoral Commission (NEC), that conducted the freest and fairest election in Nigeria, why can’t the civilian administration dissolve INEC for gross misconduct of elections in Nigeria?
Realities of Electoral Fraud.
(a) Violence, destruction of properties, intimidation, killings, kidnappings, etc. Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo disclosed that intelligence reports gathered by the police in Anambra State ahead of Feb 6 2010 election showed that majority of the politicians contesting the elections have recruited armed robbers, militias, kidnappers etc to cause mayhem.
(b) Post Electoral litigations. Using Anambra State as an example, the present Governor Peter Obi has been to court much more than any governor in Nigeria past or present, all in a bid to reclaim his mandate. Atiku Abubakar (former Vice President) and Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu went to court against President Yar’Adua. This list(s) of post electoral cases are too numerous. Nigerians should wonder how much we are loosing by virtue of all these court cases.
(c) Military Interventions. Politicians usually ask for the military intervention each time there is electoral fraud. 1964/65 and 1983 elections are examples were the military intervened partly because of electoral fraud and corruption. At present (2010) some people have been asking the military to intervene due to the absence of our president. However, the military has proven to be worst than the civilians in corruption and maladministration.
(d) Lack of development, security, welfare, progress and prosperity. The primary purpose of every government is security and welfare of her citizens. Electoral fraud denies the citizens of these benefits.
Counter Electoral Fraud Measures.
The Ideal situation and the way forward should be to put to an end to electoral fraud, otherwise electoral fraud will put an end to us. It will not be an easy task. We should realize that “The history of liberty is a history of resistance” (Thomas Woodrow, 1812). Liberty from electoral fraud will require total resistance to it. Be that as it may, I have the following suggestions.
(1) Electoral Activism. We should all become electoral activist(s). Vote during elections and make sure our votes are counted. Follow your vote till results are announced. Keep your own records and be prepared to defend your votes in courts if need be.
(2) Election Monitoring. Every one should come out and monitor elections in his/her locality. Using your camera or telephone with cameras to record every proceeding in and around your voting centers. These video records could be too useful to counter electoral frauds. Please see further details on; http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/08/digital-cameras-and-mobile-phones-with.html
(3) Surveillance and spying. We should all keep high level vigilance and surveillance of our neighborhoods to spot any suspicious movements. Spying should be used, before, during and after elections. I have details of company that could supply high level surveillance cameras for these purposes.
(4) Every community/community leaders/village head(s), should organize the youths, elders, and women to participate in election monitoring of their locality.
(5) Faith or Religious Organizations (churches, mosques, etc) should get involved and designate groups within their fold that will help to monitor elections. Faith Organizations should draw inspiration from Pastor Tunde Bakare (Save Nigeria Project). I recommend they read an appeal I made to leaders of faith organizations in Nigeria on http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/06/appeal-to-leaders-of-faith.html
(6) Electoral Evangelism. There should be mass production of anti electoral fraud messages in DVD’s, CDs, and Cassettes/audio tapes to be distributed to people, because the media houses owned by government etc might not permit such messages.
(7) Re-introduction of Option A4 Electoral System. This method produced the freest and fairest election in Nigeria. Therefore it’s a preferred system. The weaknesses of Option A4 System are much better than the strengths of the present electoral act.
Long live Anambra State and May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
The entire Nigerians will closely watch what will happen in Anambra election on February 6. Whatever happens in Anambra will further confirm what Nigerians will face in 2011 general election. But before then, let’s look briefly at past governorship elections in Anambra State, which is almost a case of total electoral frauds, flaws, and failures. Understandings of these electoral failures should form the basis to declare war against electoral fraud in Anambra State and Nigeria.
1983 General Election.
The old Anambra State witnessed bitter rivalry between the then governor (Chief Jim Nwobodo) and late Chief C.C.Onoh. Both men (Chief Jim Nwobodo and late Chief C.C.Onoh), had thugs who unleashed violence and intimidation to their opponents. There were serious electoral frauds leading to the “victory” of Chief Jim Nwobodo, but it was later quashed at the Supreme Court. Thus late Chief C.C.Onoh became the governor but his administration was short lived due to army takeover.
1999 General Election.
This election produced Mbadinujo as the governor and his “god father” Emeka Offor. The duo emerged by virtue of electoral fraud. The setback to Anambra State as a result of problems between the governor and his “godfather” cannot be quantified in monetary terms.
2003 General Election.
Serious rigging, electoral flaws and fraud were features of 2003 general elections. Anambra State gubernatorial election was a good example of 2003 electoral fraud. Dr Ngige was imposed on the state as the governor by perpetrators of this electoral fraud. When he (Dr Ngige) had misunderstandings with those that imposed him on the state, (his god fathers) he was kidnapped. Therefore, electoral fraud produced the first case of kidnapping of a sitting governor in Nigeria. Till date no one was prosecuted for that offence. Peter Obi later got his mandate through the court to become the truly elected governor of the state.
2007 General Election.
The 2007 general election witnessed the worst electoral fraud in the history of elections in Nigeria. President Yar’Adua acknowledged these irregularities. Again Anambra State was not left out. Andy Uba was declared the winner and lasted only 14 days in office. The court again restored Peter Obi as the governor. From the above analyses, Anambra State and her people have been victims of electoral fraud.
The Umpire
The same umpire (Independent National Electoral Commission) conducted both 2003 and 2007 general elections with catastrophic results. Why will the same umpire keep conducting further elections in Nigeria especially in Anambra? Why not disband them. If the military government disbanded National Electoral Commission (NEC), that conducted the freest and fairest election in Nigeria, why can’t the civilian administration dissolve INEC for gross misconduct of elections in Nigeria?
Realities of Electoral Fraud.
(a) Violence, destruction of properties, intimidation, killings, kidnappings, etc. Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo disclosed that intelligence reports gathered by the police in Anambra State ahead of Feb 6 2010 election showed that majority of the politicians contesting the elections have recruited armed robbers, militias, kidnappers etc to cause mayhem.
(b) Post Electoral litigations. Using Anambra State as an example, the present Governor Peter Obi has been to court much more than any governor in Nigeria past or present, all in a bid to reclaim his mandate. Atiku Abubakar (former Vice President) and Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu went to court against President Yar’Adua. This list(s) of post electoral cases are too numerous. Nigerians should wonder how much we are loosing by virtue of all these court cases.
(c) Military Interventions. Politicians usually ask for the military intervention each time there is electoral fraud. 1964/65 and 1983 elections are examples were the military intervened partly because of electoral fraud and corruption. At present (2010) some people have been asking the military to intervene due to the absence of our president. However, the military has proven to be worst than the civilians in corruption and maladministration.
(d) Lack of development, security, welfare, progress and prosperity. The primary purpose of every government is security and welfare of her citizens. Electoral fraud denies the citizens of these benefits.
Counter Electoral Fraud Measures.
The Ideal situation and the way forward should be to put to an end to electoral fraud, otherwise electoral fraud will put an end to us. It will not be an easy task. We should realize that “The history of liberty is a history of resistance” (Thomas Woodrow, 1812). Liberty from electoral fraud will require total resistance to it. Be that as it may, I have the following suggestions.
(1) Electoral Activism. We should all become electoral activist(s). Vote during elections and make sure our votes are counted. Follow your vote till results are announced. Keep your own records and be prepared to defend your votes in courts if need be.
(2) Election Monitoring. Every one should come out and monitor elections in his/her locality. Using your camera or telephone with cameras to record every proceeding in and around your voting centers. These video records could be too useful to counter electoral frauds. Please see further details on; http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/08/digital-cameras-and-mobile-phones-with.html
(3) Surveillance and spying. We should all keep high level vigilance and surveillance of our neighborhoods to spot any suspicious movements. Spying should be used, before, during and after elections. I have details of company that could supply high level surveillance cameras for these purposes.
(4) Every community/community leaders/village head(s), should organize the youths, elders, and women to participate in election monitoring of their locality.
(5) Faith or Religious Organizations (churches, mosques, etc) should get involved and designate groups within their fold that will help to monitor elections. Faith Organizations should draw inspiration from Pastor Tunde Bakare (Save Nigeria Project). I recommend they read an appeal I made to leaders of faith organizations in Nigeria on http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/06/appeal-to-leaders-of-faith.html
(6) Electoral Evangelism. There should be mass production of anti electoral fraud messages in DVD’s, CDs, and Cassettes/audio tapes to be distributed to people, because the media houses owned by government etc might not permit such messages.
(7) Re-introduction of Option A4 Electoral System. This method produced the freest and fairest election in Nigeria. Therefore it’s a preferred system. The weaknesses of Option A4 System are much better than the strengths of the present electoral act.
Long live Anambra State and May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 24 January 2010
The Hypocrisy of Raising Money for The Haiti Disaster
“Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward”. (Matthew 6:2)
It is, unfortunately, that time in the world again. A disaster happened and the rich people of the UK and America are trying to outdo each other in being proclaimed heroes and philanthropists. Only it is all self-serving, hypocrisy and vain.
Liberty Scott, in his blog (http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2010/01/pity-haiti-and-vaticans-hypocrisy.html) wrote: “The earthquake has been devastating for a country beset for decades by corruption, kleptocracy, dictatorship and mysticism. It can only be hoped, and no doubt I expect private and government relief to come to this country with a history of being one of the most damned places in the Caribbean. It is ranked 156th by the CIA in per capita GDP, with the average of only US $800 per person per annum, alongside the likes of Cambodia and Chad, and the lowest in the Americas. If ever there was a country that long needed rule of law, a culture of reason and respect for individual liberty and property rights, and the end of kleptocratic violent government, it would be Haiti”.
So, Simon Cowell is organising Haiti charity song featuring Leona Lewis, Cheryl Cole, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Robbie Wiliams and Wyclef Jean, etc. And he is also receiving the backing of the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown asking him to put a Band Aid-style single together.
The selfishness, hypocrisy and un-thoughtfulness of these people are unbelievable. The millionaire is going to recruit other millionaires, make a record which will cost them next to nothing, and then sell it to the public, most of whom have already donated their pennies and cents to the Haitian effort. In other words, Simon Cowell et al are not really donating anything to Haiti (but they will claim they are donating their popularity, their names, their time, their talents, etc), but using other people’s money to become heroes.
On the long run, it is not you and me who bought Simon Cowell et al‘s record that will be recognised. Simon Cowell will be made into a hero without actually contributing a single penny of his multi-millions. And you can like him because of his TV’s X-Factor show, I don’t really care. He exploits, and everybody knows it.
Madonna contributed a quarter of a million dollars to Haiti, and is also joining a concert to raise money. Actor George Clooney is also said to be organising a Global Benefit where the rich will be called upon to attend a dinner at ridiculous high prices. Every so-called star will be glad to jump on the bandwagon and will be competing with each other to be seen and photo-opportunities abound. Has Mr Cowell announced that he will be personally donating any amount of money to the people of Haiti? If he has, or has donated quietly, I am yet to be aware of it. He’s a multi-millionaire like many others of his ilk. How many of the millions of millionaires and billionaires that we have in the UK and USA alone have donated personally towards relieving the suffering in Haiti? True, some of them have donated or done something quietly, but most of them like to announce what little good they are going to do only when the spotlights and the cameras are present.
Supposing Simon Cowell and all the millionaires and billionaires in the US and UK alone contribute similar or even much lesser amounts, then Haiti will be well on the way to being a country again, with much to spare, without poorer people of the world being made to pay for such through dubious buying of records or attending irrelevant and self-serving concerts and $1000.00 a plate dinners, where these stars like to wear their latest designs, see themselves and hear their own voices.
My point is: Concerts and other fund-raising activities are OK to raise awareness for a cause, or disaster, but when our so-called world stars (music, film, sports, etc) use the public (who made them rich in the first place) again to part with their money to give to relief efforts, it smacks of arrogance, insincerity, insensitivity, selfishness, hypocrisy and is ultimately and deliberately self-serving. They can easily donate money instead of making others donate money on their behalf.
The fact is all this hypocrisy had been going on ever since the Famine Relief in Ethiopia in the 80s, when the record “We Are The World” was made, fronted by stars like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, etc., as well the Bob Geldof-inspired Band Aid in the UK. Please don’t get me wrong, I did enthusiastically buy the album, and donated towards the fund.
I have nothing against raising money for charities and disaster relief, and I do donate my own pennies to these Cause, but when these rich, spoilt people hijack the efforts of the truly humanitarian, to get the accolades and recognition which they do not deserve, it is annoying.
A lot of people often try to transform the world even with all the various inherent obstacle and adversity, and faced with two types of issues:
a) Denial of a world that we do not like, withdrawing ourselves from action and trying to find shelter in the golden castle of our self-centredness, and ignoring all sufferings that surround us.
b) Sometimes we have recourse to certain compensatory action trying occasionally to help, sometimes providing some economic aid, or participate in a charity project, etc.
In any case both actions lack something elemental: they do not address the core of the predicament. To cure poverty and suffering you have to find the reasons behind their existence.
Then, probably one will discover that behind the economic and social misery lay the moral one, and that behind a terrible trade is dishonesty and disregard and that, at the end of the day, behind the human evils are unjust beings.
Now, to cure this disease we have to possess the right medicine: goodness, justice, genuineness and magnificence. And nobody can provide what he does not have.
So, we have to carry out a serious endeavour to change ourselves if we want to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings.
The true revolution is the revolution of the human being, for the most important duty that we have is to translate ourselves into a well-organized tool able to provide justice and goodness that will light the surrounding darkness.
The whole world can really do without the vanity and hypocrisy of these self-centred do-gooders. It is all hypocrisy. Not a penny of their own money is leaving their bloated bank accounts. In the aftermath of their supposedly good deeds, they get more attention, more publicity for their careers, acquire more fans, maybe get a knighthood or two (Arise, Sir Simon), and it is more money for their bank accounts.
This article is of course a personal opinion.
It is, unfortunately, that time in the world again. A disaster happened and the rich people of the UK and America are trying to outdo each other in being proclaimed heroes and philanthropists. Only it is all self-serving, hypocrisy and vain.
Liberty Scott, in his blog (http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2010/01/pity-haiti-and-vaticans-hypocrisy.html) wrote: “The earthquake has been devastating for a country beset for decades by corruption, kleptocracy, dictatorship and mysticism. It can only be hoped, and no doubt I expect private and government relief to come to this country with a history of being one of the most damned places in the Caribbean. It is ranked 156th by the CIA in per capita GDP, with the average of only US $800 per person per annum, alongside the likes of Cambodia and Chad, and the lowest in the Americas. If ever there was a country that long needed rule of law, a culture of reason and respect for individual liberty and property rights, and the end of kleptocratic violent government, it would be Haiti”.
So, Simon Cowell is organising Haiti charity song featuring Leona Lewis, Cheryl Cole, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Robbie Wiliams and Wyclef Jean, etc. And he is also receiving the backing of the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown asking him to put a Band Aid-style single together.
The selfishness, hypocrisy and un-thoughtfulness of these people are unbelievable. The millionaire is going to recruit other millionaires, make a record which will cost them next to nothing, and then sell it to the public, most of whom have already donated their pennies and cents to the Haitian effort. In other words, Simon Cowell et al are not really donating anything to Haiti (but they will claim they are donating their popularity, their names, their time, their talents, etc), but using other people’s money to become heroes.
On the long run, it is not you and me who bought Simon Cowell et al‘s record that will be recognised. Simon Cowell will be made into a hero without actually contributing a single penny of his multi-millions. And you can like him because of his TV’s X-Factor show, I don’t really care. He exploits, and everybody knows it.
Madonna contributed a quarter of a million dollars to Haiti, and is also joining a concert to raise money. Actor George Clooney is also said to be organising a Global Benefit where the rich will be called upon to attend a dinner at ridiculous high prices. Every so-called star will be glad to jump on the bandwagon and will be competing with each other to be seen and photo-opportunities abound. Has Mr Cowell announced that he will be personally donating any amount of money to the people of Haiti? If he has, or has donated quietly, I am yet to be aware of it. He’s a multi-millionaire like many others of his ilk. How many of the millions of millionaires and billionaires that we have in the UK and USA alone have donated personally towards relieving the suffering in Haiti? True, some of them have donated or done something quietly, but most of them like to announce what little good they are going to do only when the spotlights and the cameras are present.
Supposing Simon Cowell and all the millionaires and billionaires in the US and UK alone contribute similar or even much lesser amounts, then Haiti will be well on the way to being a country again, with much to spare, without poorer people of the world being made to pay for such through dubious buying of records or attending irrelevant and self-serving concerts and $1000.00 a plate dinners, where these stars like to wear their latest designs, see themselves and hear their own voices.
My point is: Concerts and other fund-raising activities are OK to raise awareness for a cause, or disaster, but when our so-called world stars (music, film, sports, etc) use the public (who made them rich in the first place) again to part with their money to give to relief efforts, it smacks of arrogance, insincerity, insensitivity, selfishness, hypocrisy and is ultimately and deliberately self-serving. They can easily donate money instead of making others donate money on their behalf.
The fact is all this hypocrisy had been going on ever since the Famine Relief in Ethiopia in the 80s, when the record “We Are The World” was made, fronted by stars like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, etc., as well the Bob Geldof-inspired Band Aid in the UK. Please don’t get me wrong, I did enthusiastically buy the album, and donated towards the fund.
I have nothing against raising money for charities and disaster relief, and I do donate my own pennies to these Cause, but when these rich, spoilt people hijack the efforts of the truly humanitarian, to get the accolades and recognition which they do not deserve, it is annoying.
A lot of people often try to transform the world even with all the various inherent obstacle and adversity, and faced with two types of issues:
a) Denial of a world that we do not like, withdrawing ourselves from action and trying to find shelter in the golden castle of our self-centredness, and ignoring all sufferings that surround us.
b) Sometimes we have recourse to certain compensatory action trying occasionally to help, sometimes providing some economic aid, or participate in a charity project, etc.
In any case both actions lack something elemental: they do not address the core of the predicament. To cure poverty and suffering you have to find the reasons behind their existence.
Then, probably one will discover that behind the economic and social misery lay the moral one, and that behind a terrible trade is dishonesty and disregard and that, at the end of the day, behind the human evils are unjust beings.
Now, to cure this disease we have to possess the right medicine: goodness, justice, genuineness and magnificence. And nobody can provide what he does not have.
So, we have to carry out a serious endeavour to change ourselves if we want to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings.
The true revolution is the revolution of the human being, for the most important duty that we have is to translate ourselves into a well-organized tool able to provide justice and goodness that will light the surrounding darkness.
The whole world can really do without the vanity and hypocrisy of these self-centred do-gooders. It is all hypocrisy. Not a penny of their own money is leaving their bloated bank accounts. In the aftermath of their supposedly good deeds, they get more attention, more publicity for their careers, acquire more fans, maybe get a knighthood or two (Arise, Sir Simon), and it is more money for their bank accounts.
This article is of course a personal opinion.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Policing Our Budget(s)
The Abdulmutallab (Flight 253 Jet Bomber) effects and President Yar’Adua’s sickness have the tendency to dominate discussion(s) among Nigerians. This is due to the negative consequences (criminalization of Nigerians etc) Mutallab has caused for innocent Nigerians. In the case of Yar’Adua, his sickness has caused serious political tension and near constitutional crisis. It is because of the above and many more that Nigerians marched under freezing cold to protest on the streets of London on January 15th. For our folks back home, the cold here in like living inside deep freezer. This is no longer global warming, it is global warning.
On the Save Nigeria Protest March; I wish to make a special appeal to Obama (United States President) to reconsider and remove Nigeria from the list of axis of fourteen evil nations. Rather what the United States authorities need to do is to search and scrutinize every dollar coming from Nigeria either through the passengers or through the banks. President Obama should encourage the European Union to do same for every euros or pounds that comes from Nigeria. This will be the best outcome of the Mutallab incident.
Before proceeding, I want to comment on the statement (warning) from Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to some government officials etc. It appears the house (Federal Executive Council) is divided or crack has began to emerge on loyalty or otherwise of some Yar’Adua’s cabinet members. May be the Vice President has started to act as the president with full executive powers since our President is sick? If so, did he follow due process, if not? Then why not? Or the Vice President has decided to learn from Guinea experience, where their leader Moussa Dadis Camara has agreed to let the second in command led the country. Whichever, what we need is good governance in Nigeria.
However, let me remind Nigerians not to get too distracted by Farouk Abdulmutallab’s incident and President Yar’Adua’s sickness. Let us keep one eye on the yearly budgets which various states in Nigeria are announcing. Ebonyi State announced a budget proposal of N72.6 billion; Ogun State announced a budget of N100.7 billion. Kano proposed N110bn for their budget, Kaduna proposed N196.7bn for 2010 budget, Yobe planned N62.42b for 2010 budget, and Anambra proposed N67 billion for 2010 budget. Proper implementation of all these budgets can actually have positive impact on our economy.
We need to police these budgets so as to trap all the money within the system. Moreover, the revelation by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) should be a recipe for policing our budgets. FAAC reveled that, a total of N4.174 trillion was taken from Federation Account in 2009 and shared amongst the three tiers of government (Federal, state, and local) as allocations. FAAC also revealed that a total of $5.5 billion was withdrawn from the foreign excess crude account in the same year and shared by the three tiers of government. If there are no leakages in the system, the amounts budgeted by various state governments and the federal government can stimulate the economy. We can try our best to block leakages in our system.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian banks, bankers, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Customs, and Nigerians will need to work in harmony to achieve this. We will also need the assistance of our foreign partners. The Central Bank should monitor the operations of the commercial banks very well. I will suggest That Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should post at least 2 staffs each at the foreign remittance department of every commercial bank in Nigeria. Their duties amongst others should be to verify every remittances leaving Nigeria.
I will also recommend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission post at least one staff to all finance and treasury departments of all federal, state and local government departments. I will suggest that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), State Security Services (SSS), and The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to create a covert unit mainly to infiltrate all financial institutions in Nigeria to prevent financial crimes. Proactive measures should be encouraged rather than reactive approaches. Let us remember that prevention is better than cure. Furthermore, I will suggest intense pressure on our law makers to pass the freedom of information bill this year (2010). It will aid the law enforcement agents to do their work and it will empower Nigerians to ask questions about government transactions. It will abolish the official secret act used to commit all sorts of government frauds.
Nigerian banks and bankers have a serious role to play to prevent capital flight. They are in a better position to assist in monitoring movement of states monthly allocations and by extension monitor our budgets. However the recent revelations about activities of some top bank executives (Mrs Ibru, Akingbola etc) does not encourage anyone to even entrust his money with these smart men and women who call themselves bankers. On this note, I will support Sanusi (Central Bank Governor) to introduce tough measures to regulate the banks and restore investors’ confidence.
I also want to ask the bankers (both junior and senior staffs) not to hesitate to alert the authorities whenever there is a suspicious movement of funds. I know it sounds odd or unethical, but that might be a saving grace. I will buttress my point using 2 examples. Recently a total of over 7,000 staffs were, sacked, retrenched, removed or dropped from various banks. But if some of these sacked bankers had alerted the authorities (EFCC, etc) as their bosses were misusing funds, may be things might have taken a different shape. When you keep quiet, be sure to be the next victim. Another example is, had the passengers on the same flight with our own under wear bomber (Farouk Mutallab) not prevented him; all of them would have died.
Henceforth, we should all shine our eyes and not let few people remove food from our table or cause us hardship. It will not be a bad idea if our bankers can volunteer useful information to our authorities. It will be better for the economy and our country if banks can sack one or two people for alerting the authorities than sacking over 7,000 staffs who kept quiet. I just hope we still have patriotic bankers.
The Nigerian Customs need to be awake to their responsibilities, especially with the Farouk incident. I hope the new airport scanners to be introduced should be able to spot those taking the government money overseas. Nigerians need to keep an eye on the Customs. We need to beam our search light on them to be sure they are effectively policing our borders. I also believe there will be patriotic Custom officers who will discharge their duties without fear or favour. Every little thing we do count for or against us as a people.
My concern is for the Nigerian system to trap all the money budgeted this year. My call to police our budget(s) is because our politicians can be clever with our money. Watch it, each time the monthly allocation comes, money/capital starts to fly up and down, in and out of the country and naira will start changing into euros, dollars, pounds, rand, etc.
Nigerians should not hesitate to volunteer information that will prevent capital flights. This is for the interest of the economy and our people. We can gather intelligence or become intelligent agents. There is nothing wrong to spy or do enhanced surveillance.
Finally, let me use this medium to commiserate with the people of Haiti and Nigerians living there over the devastating earthquake. Please let us contribute our quota towards the relief efforts to assist the people of Haiti. The world has become a global village, what happens in one part, affects the rest of the global village. I wish also to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
On the Save Nigeria Protest March; I wish to make a special appeal to Obama (United States President) to reconsider and remove Nigeria from the list of axis of fourteen evil nations. Rather what the United States authorities need to do is to search and scrutinize every dollar coming from Nigeria either through the passengers or through the banks. President Obama should encourage the European Union to do same for every euros or pounds that comes from Nigeria. This will be the best outcome of the Mutallab incident.
Before proceeding, I want to comment on the statement (warning) from Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to some government officials etc. It appears the house (Federal Executive Council) is divided or crack has began to emerge on loyalty or otherwise of some Yar’Adua’s cabinet members. May be the Vice President has started to act as the president with full executive powers since our President is sick? If so, did he follow due process, if not? Then why not? Or the Vice President has decided to learn from Guinea experience, where their leader Moussa Dadis Camara has agreed to let the second in command led the country. Whichever, what we need is good governance in Nigeria.
However, let me remind Nigerians not to get too distracted by Farouk Abdulmutallab’s incident and President Yar’Adua’s sickness. Let us keep one eye on the yearly budgets which various states in Nigeria are announcing. Ebonyi State announced a budget proposal of N72.6 billion; Ogun State announced a budget of N100.7 billion. Kano proposed N110bn for their budget, Kaduna proposed N196.7bn for 2010 budget, Yobe planned N62.42b for 2010 budget, and Anambra proposed N67 billion for 2010 budget. Proper implementation of all these budgets can actually have positive impact on our economy.
We need to police these budgets so as to trap all the money within the system. Moreover, the revelation by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) should be a recipe for policing our budgets. FAAC reveled that, a total of N4.174 trillion was taken from Federation Account in 2009 and shared amongst the three tiers of government (Federal, state, and local) as allocations. FAAC also revealed that a total of $5.5 billion was withdrawn from the foreign excess crude account in the same year and shared by the three tiers of government. If there are no leakages in the system, the amounts budgeted by various state governments and the federal government can stimulate the economy. We can try our best to block leakages in our system.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian banks, bankers, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Customs, and Nigerians will need to work in harmony to achieve this. We will also need the assistance of our foreign partners. The Central Bank should monitor the operations of the commercial banks very well. I will suggest That Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should post at least 2 staffs each at the foreign remittance department of every commercial bank in Nigeria. Their duties amongst others should be to verify every remittances leaving Nigeria.
I will also recommend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission post at least one staff to all finance and treasury departments of all federal, state and local government departments. I will suggest that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), State Security Services (SSS), and The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to create a covert unit mainly to infiltrate all financial institutions in Nigeria to prevent financial crimes. Proactive measures should be encouraged rather than reactive approaches. Let us remember that prevention is better than cure. Furthermore, I will suggest intense pressure on our law makers to pass the freedom of information bill this year (2010). It will aid the law enforcement agents to do their work and it will empower Nigerians to ask questions about government transactions. It will abolish the official secret act used to commit all sorts of government frauds.
Nigerian banks and bankers have a serious role to play to prevent capital flight. They are in a better position to assist in monitoring movement of states monthly allocations and by extension monitor our budgets. However the recent revelations about activities of some top bank executives (Mrs Ibru, Akingbola etc) does not encourage anyone to even entrust his money with these smart men and women who call themselves bankers. On this note, I will support Sanusi (Central Bank Governor) to introduce tough measures to regulate the banks and restore investors’ confidence.
I also want to ask the bankers (both junior and senior staffs) not to hesitate to alert the authorities whenever there is a suspicious movement of funds. I know it sounds odd or unethical, but that might be a saving grace. I will buttress my point using 2 examples. Recently a total of over 7,000 staffs were, sacked, retrenched, removed or dropped from various banks. But if some of these sacked bankers had alerted the authorities (EFCC, etc) as their bosses were misusing funds, may be things might have taken a different shape. When you keep quiet, be sure to be the next victim. Another example is, had the passengers on the same flight with our own under wear bomber (Farouk Mutallab) not prevented him; all of them would have died.
Henceforth, we should all shine our eyes and not let few people remove food from our table or cause us hardship. It will not be a bad idea if our bankers can volunteer useful information to our authorities. It will be better for the economy and our country if banks can sack one or two people for alerting the authorities than sacking over 7,000 staffs who kept quiet. I just hope we still have patriotic bankers.
The Nigerian Customs need to be awake to their responsibilities, especially with the Farouk incident. I hope the new airport scanners to be introduced should be able to spot those taking the government money overseas. Nigerians need to keep an eye on the Customs. We need to beam our search light on them to be sure they are effectively policing our borders. I also believe there will be patriotic Custom officers who will discharge their duties without fear or favour. Every little thing we do count for or against us as a people.
My concern is for the Nigerian system to trap all the money budgeted this year. My call to police our budget(s) is because our politicians can be clever with our money. Watch it, each time the monthly allocation comes, money/capital starts to fly up and down, in and out of the country and naira will start changing into euros, dollars, pounds, rand, etc.
Nigerians should not hesitate to volunteer information that will prevent capital flights. This is for the interest of the economy and our people. We can gather intelligence or become intelligent agents. There is nothing wrong to spy or do enhanced surveillance.
Finally, let me use this medium to commiserate with the people of Haiti and Nigerians living there over the devastating earthquake. Please let us contribute our quota towards the relief efforts to assist the people of Haiti. The world has become a global village, what happens in one part, affects the rest of the global village. I wish also to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Self-Flagellation and The Abdulmutallab Affair
Sometime not too long ago, it seems, in the early 1990s, I was at a London court to help interpret for a young Nigerian who had been charged to the court for armed robbery. I was sure the young Nigeria could speak perfect, if accented, English, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided they could not understand his accent and it would be in his best interest if someone were to interpret for him.
The judge, on hearing the charges, immediately called the Crown Prosecutor to his bench and told him he was not going to hear the case because he, the Judge, personally do not believe the charges were true. This, he said, is because if the young Nigerian had been charged for fraud or credit card or drug smuggling offence, he would have believed it. But for armed robbery in the UK by a Nigerian? No way! Nigerians do not commit that kind of crime, the Honourable Judge said. And he promptly admonished the Police and the CPS and threw the case out. End of the case.
How times have changed. Now, at the very beginning of a new decade, Nigerians, or rather, the country Nigeria has now been put on a US terrorist list because of the misguided and probably orchestrated act of a single Nigerian spoilt brat.
Don’t get me wrong. While we are exhibiting righteous indignation at being “defamed”, the truth is that Nigeria has always been on one kind of infamous list or the other for a very long time. We are on a corruption list (especially official corruption); on a money laundering list; on drug smuggling list since the 1970s; on fake drugs list; on a prevalent internal religious strife list; on an internal insecurity list (warnings to Western travellers on the high incidence of armed robbery within Nigeria and in the early 2000s, the incidence of kidnappings in the Niger delta area); on a fake passport and visa list by almost all Western countries and even in some other countries. And only God knows on what other hidden lists.
Thanks to “Mr Thunderpants” Umar Abdulmutallab (he hid his incendiary devive in his pants, stupid boy), Nigeria now ranks amongst the terrorist states of the world besides Yemen, Pakistan, Iran, etc. Now, the green passport, and most importantly, a lot of innocent, hard-working Nigerians all ovwer the world will be prime terrorist suspects anywhere they go carrying the Nigerian passport, or even if they are carrying another country’s passport, their names will give them away. I can imagine someone with my name, even on a British Passport, alighting from Arik Air at Heathrow being given the full treatment, including full body scanners, which strips you naked, exposing my already weak genitals, watched by many Immigration officers in the name of protecting against terrorism. It is not a pretty thought or sight or ordeal, I tell you. And here I am thanking God for clothes which hide the boxer shorts I have been wearing for close to 3 days.
So where are other countries on this list? Britain itself should be the No 1 suspect for terrorism, not the UK Government per se, but its very soft attitude towards terrorism. The UK is a hotbed of international terrorism. It is very soft on terror suspects, but we all know, don’t we? Just go to many of the East End mosques. And we know how softly the UK government handles Islamic extremists, fearing backlashes and putting economic interests before the safety of its people.
But what is really galling is the response of the Nigerian people; mind you, not the corrupt, clueless, inept, leaderless, Nigerian Government, but ourselves. We like self-flagellation and self-blame. We indulge in self-pity and self-denigration. And there we have it. Since this Abdulmutallab incident, we, as a people, have been wallowing in self-pity and blaming ourselves and everything in sight (I must admit I was perhaps guilty of this myself initially, but recent details that have come to light has made me remorseful about that)
Our plight is not helped by the low esteem other countries have for us because of our several dubious reputation – that of a corrupt, inept Government, and is further exacerbated by a sick absent President, whose whereabouts has been unknown by his people, and probably the whole world, for the past one month, while his cabinet and Party are playing hide and seek with our very existence as a nation, just because of personal selfish political interests, not for once thinking about the effect of his absence on the polity and the standing of Nigeria in the comity of nations.
That the USA itself has some hands in this incident is a foregone conclusion. We always like to listen to the CIA as if they are the only one carrying out surveillance on the world, but we tent to neglect the existence of that other great World Power, Russia and its Intelligence services. They have actually fingered the complicity and orchestration of the United States in this incident.
Recent alternative reports that I have read to rationalise the propaganda being spewed out by the United States (and it is always good to hear the other sides of stories) indicate that the United States, or rather the CIA, might never let us know the truth, to hide their complicity, if not orchestration of the whole affair. That of course does not negate the fact that a Nigerian, Umar Abdulmutallab was used as either a willing or enthusiastic tool. One thing for sure, he was fall-guy, or a decoy or victim or all of the above.
The United States, Indian and Israeli top security agencies have now been fingered as conspirators in the Christmas day attempt by Umar Faruok AbdulMutallab to detonate chemical explosives aboard Delta Airlines flight 253, from Amsterdam Schiphol to Detroit, the United States. According to Intelligence sources’ reports gathered on Prison Planet networks and “Forums” of Pravda, a Russian news and analysis medium, Abdulmutallab’s flight from Amsterdam to Detroit was said to be a false flag operation carried out by the intelligence tripartite grouping of the United States’ CIA, Israeli’s Foreign Intelligence Agency (Mossad), and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of Indian Intelligence.
One theory is that the CIA is trying to embarrass the black boy in the White House, President Obama himself. Hear US Senator. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), "I am troubled by several aspects of this case, including how the suspect escaped the attention of the State Department and law enforcers when his father apparently reported concerns about his son's extremist behaviour to the U.S. embassy in Lagos, how the suspect managed to retain a U.S. visa after such complaints, and why he was not recognized as someone who reportedly was named in the terrorist database”.
Another is that the connection of Umar with Yemen might also be preparatory to planning an invasion (openly or subtly) of Yemen by the US, under the guise of curbing terrorism, a theory reminiscent of the “weapons of mass destruction” excuse for invading Iraq.
Please do not forget America's foreign policy around the world and their predictable response is strategically based on self interest and self interest only. Unfortunately for Nigeria, for the past four decades we have been led (be it military or civilian) by corrupt, inept and inconsiderate leaders, who have shown a total disregard for the welfare of their own people. However, as Deen Uthman commented on Facebook, “the West have all along turned a blind eye to it, one, because of the oil, and two, because the money they've stolen resides in their financial institutions generating big profits and propping up their economies. Just like 9/11 with the Saudi's, it has suddenly dawned on them that there's a possibility maybe some of that money might be tunnelled into funding terror. Unlike like the Saudi's, apart from our (Nigeria’s) dwindling oil supplies we have absolutely nothing to offer the West. So they now categorise us has a failed state with a power void and brand the actions of one man to tag a country of 140 million plus people. With the current predicament we find our selves, believe me, humour affords us solace. We have a president gone missing and our political establishments and institutions do nothing. Why? Because they all benefit from the status quo of doing absolutely nothing. On the actions of one individual, millions of Nigerians around the world are now branded as terrorist with untold disruptions to our lives for years to come. Our leaders can't speak on our behalf, why? Because they are either tainted by corruption or incompetence.”
T West, on Blacklistpub.com rightly surmised this action “What we are seeing with the hypnotized Nigerian is the work of Western psyops that has been at play since the beginnings of their “War On Terrorism”. I say it’s their war on terrorism because they are the ones who created it and continue to sustain it. What we are witnessing is a massive psychological operation that is in operation outside the laboratory, feeding the engine that keeps you and virtually all of those you know transfixed on what these people want you to see. They want you to see chaos and, therefore, they create chaos, and do it while convincing you that they will bring or sustain peace, prosperity and continued democracy and even the spread of democracy. We have seen the opposite in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Gaza, Somalia, Yemen and now Iran”.
Furthermore, he wrote “The objective of CIA in London's setup of Umar, the Nigerian, with bomb which they knew would never explode, was to target Obama's determination to close down Guantanamo. A day or so prior to the Flight 253 incident, Obama Administration had released 2 prisoners to Somalia and several to Yemen. This whole situation with Flight 253 was orchestrated by the CIA of which certain elements are rogue and work in the interest of Dick Cheney and the Neocon agenda”.
Fellow countrymen and women let us stop all these self-flagellation. Nigeria is not guilty as charged of terrorism. I will admit that we are going to suffer a lot of inconvenience at airports all over the West for a long time, and since the US and its allies have determined that is to be, then it will be, probably until a true, fearless, focused leader appears to lead us one day.
Example of our self-flagellation include our quick and convenient excuses to point the fingers at various things in the country: the prevalent religious riots in the North; the Niger Delta militants, which some people are now calling terrorists; the rich children of the Northern elite who apparently derive their enormous wealth by merely being in government or favoured by people in government (I am not saying this not true, but is a biased consideration of all available facts), and even some people are now convinced that the country is a “failed state” just because one Abdulmutallab carried a bomb in his pants. We have even lost our self-respect as a people or individual.
Having said this, this is not the first time Nigerians have committed a mid-air terrorist act; remember some young people hijacked a plane to Mali or Chad during Abacha’s regime, but they were protesting against the corrupt, vile dictatorship of their own country.
So I hear the leaderless Nigerian government and legislature giving the US seven days to revoke Nigeria’s inclusion on the Terror List. I could not help but laugh. Yes, of course, they must be seen to be doing something; to be indignant, but after seven days expire, what will the Nigerian Government do? Will Nigeria not sell oil to the US anymore? Will they sever relationship with the US government? Will they tell all American companies to leave Nigeria? Or will they advise Nigerians not to travel to the US anymore for business, studies, visits to relatives, etc? Or are we going to create our own Terror List, or perhaps some other List and put the US on it?
But they are still running around like headless chicken, more concerned with their own personal survival as a result of an absent President who may never come back. Chaos and anarchy in the horizon! And you expect the great US to take us serious? The US even knows where our President is, or what has happened to him, but it’s not their business to tell us.
I do not believe in self-flagellation and self-pity for a crime I and my people have not even committed.
I leave it all to your imagination, rumination and self-conclusion. For me, the truth will pan out soon.
The judge, on hearing the charges, immediately called the Crown Prosecutor to his bench and told him he was not going to hear the case because he, the Judge, personally do not believe the charges were true. This, he said, is because if the young Nigerian had been charged for fraud or credit card or drug smuggling offence, he would have believed it. But for armed robbery in the UK by a Nigerian? No way! Nigerians do not commit that kind of crime, the Honourable Judge said. And he promptly admonished the Police and the CPS and threw the case out. End of the case.
How times have changed. Now, at the very beginning of a new decade, Nigerians, or rather, the country Nigeria has now been put on a US terrorist list because of the misguided and probably orchestrated act of a single Nigerian spoilt brat.
Don’t get me wrong. While we are exhibiting righteous indignation at being “defamed”, the truth is that Nigeria has always been on one kind of infamous list or the other for a very long time. We are on a corruption list (especially official corruption); on a money laundering list; on drug smuggling list since the 1970s; on fake drugs list; on a prevalent internal religious strife list; on an internal insecurity list (warnings to Western travellers on the high incidence of armed robbery within Nigeria and in the early 2000s, the incidence of kidnappings in the Niger delta area); on a fake passport and visa list by almost all Western countries and even in some other countries. And only God knows on what other hidden lists.
Thanks to “Mr Thunderpants” Umar Abdulmutallab (he hid his incendiary devive in his pants, stupid boy), Nigeria now ranks amongst the terrorist states of the world besides Yemen, Pakistan, Iran, etc. Now, the green passport, and most importantly, a lot of innocent, hard-working Nigerians all ovwer the world will be prime terrorist suspects anywhere they go carrying the Nigerian passport, or even if they are carrying another country’s passport, their names will give them away. I can imagine someone with my name, even on a British Passport, alighting from Arik Air at Heathrow being given the full treatment, including full body scanners, which strips you naked, exposing my already weak genitals, watched by many Immigration officers in the name of protecting against terrorism. It is not a pretty thought or sight or ordeal, I tell you. And here I am thanking God for clothes which hide the boxer shorts I have been wearing for close to 3 days.
So where are other countries on this list? Britain itself should be the No 1 suspect for terrorism, not the UK Government per se, but its very soft attitude towards terrorism. The UK is a hotbed of international terrorism. It is very soft on terror suspects, but we all know, don’t we? Just go to many of the East End mosques. And we know how softly the UK government handles Islamic extremists, fearing backlashes and putting economic interests before the safety of its people.
But what is really galling is the response of the Nigerian people; mind you, not the corrupt, clueless, inept, leaderless, Nigerian Government, but ourselves. We like self-flagellation and self-blame. We indulge in self-pity and self-denigration. And there we have it. Since this Abdulmutallab incident, we, as a people, have been wallowing in self-pity and blaming ourselves and everything in sight (I must admit I was perhaps guilty of this myself initially, but recent details that have come to light has made me remorseful about that)
Our plight is not helped by the low esteem other countries have for us because of our several dubious reputation – that of a corrupt, inept Government, and is further exacerbated by a sick absent President, whose whereabouts has been unknown by his people, and probably the whole world, for the past one month, while his cabinet and Party are playing hide and seek with our very existence as a nation, just because of personal selfish political interests, not for once thinking about the effect of his absence on the polity and the standing of Nigeria in the comity of nations.
That the USA itself has some hands in this incident is a foregone conclusion. We always like to listen to the CIA as if they are the only one carrying out surveillance on the world, but we tent to neglect the existence of that other great World Power, Russia and its Intelligence services. They have actually fingered the complicity and orchestration of the United States in this incident.
Recent alternative reports that I have read to rationalise the propaganda being spewed out by the United States (and it is always good to hear the other sides of stories) indicate that the United States, or rather the CIA, might never let us know the truth, to hide their complicity, if not orchestration of the whole affair. That of course does not negate the fact that a Nigerian, Umar Abdulmutallab was used as either a willing or enthusiastic tool. One thing for sure, he was fall-guy, or a decoy or victim or all of the above.
The United States, Indian and Israeli top security agencies have now been fingered as conspirators in the Christmas day attempt by Umar Faruok AbdulMutallab to detonate chemical explosives aboard Delta Airlines flight 253, from Amsterdam Schiphol to Detroit, the United States. According to Intelligence sources’ reports gathered on Prison Planet networks and “Forums” of Pravda, a Russian news and analysis medium, Abdulmutallab’s flight from Amsterdam to Detroit was said to be a false flag operation carried out by the intelligence tripartite grouping of the United States’ CIA, Israeli’s Foreign Intelligence Agency (Mossad), and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of Indian Intelligence.
One theory is that the CIA is trying to embarrass the black boy in the White House, President Obama himself. Hear US Senator. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), "I am troubled by several aspects of this case, including how the suspect escaped the attention of the State Department and law enforcers when his father apparently reported concerns about his son's extremist behaviour to the U.S. embassy in Lagos, how the suspect managed to retain a U.S. visa after such complaints, and why he was not recognized as someone who reportedly was named in the terrorist database”.
Another is that the connection of Umar with Yemen might also be preparatory to planning an invasion (openly or subtly) of Yemen by the US, under the guise of curbing terrorism, a theory reminiscent of the “weapons of mass destruction” excuse for invading Iraq.
Please do not forget America's foreign policy around the world and their predictable response is strategically based on self interest and self interest only. Unfortunately for Nigeria, for the past four decades we have been led (be it military or civilian) by corrupt, inept and inconsiderate leaders, who have shown a total disregard for the welfare of their own people. However, as Deen Uthman commented on Facebook, “the West have all along turned a blind eye to it, one, because of the oil, and two, because the money they've stolen resides in their financial institutions generating big profits and propping up their economies. Just like 9/11 with the Saudi's, it has suddenly dawned on them that there's a possibility maybe some of that money might be tunnelled into funding terror. Unlike like the Saudi's, apart from our (Nigeria’s) dwindling oil supplies we have absolutely nothing to offer the West. So they now categorise us has a failed state with a power void and brand the actions of one man to tag a country of 140 million plus people. With the current predicament we find our selves, believe me, humour affords us solace. We have a president gone missing and our political establishments and institutions do nothing. Why? Because they all benefit from the status quo of doing absolutely nothing. On the actions of one individual, millions of Nigerians around the world are now branded as terrorist with untold disruptions to our lives for years to come. Our leaders can't speak on our behalf, why? Because they are either tainted by corruption or incompetence.”
T West, on Blacklistpub.com rightly surmised this action “What we are seeing with the hypnotized Nigerian is the work of Western psyops that has been at play since the beginnings of their “War On Terrorism”. I say it’s their war on terrorism because they are the ones who created it and continue to sustain it. What we are witnessing is a massive psychological operation that is in operation outside the laboratory, feeding the engine that keeps you and virtually all of those you know transfixed on what these people want you to see. They want you to see chaos and, therefore, they create chaos, and do it while convincing you that they will bring or sustain peace, prosperity and continued democracy and even the spread of democracy. We have seen the opposite in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Gaza, Somalia, Yemen and now Iran”.
Furthermore, he wrote “The objective of CIA in London's setup of Umar, the Nigerian, with bomb which they knew would never explode, was to target Obama's determination to close down Guantanamo. A day or so prior to the Flight 253 incident, Obama Administration had released 2 prisoners to Somalia and several to Yemen. This whole situation with Flight 253 was orchestrated by the CIA of which certain elements are rogue and work in the interest of Dick Cheney and the Neocon agenda”.
Fellow countrymen and women let us stop all these self-flagellation. Nigeria is not guilty as charged of terrorism. I will admit that we are going to suffer a lot of inconvenience at airports all over the West for a long time, and since the US and its allies have determined that is to be, then it will be, probably until a true, fearless, focused leader appears to lead us one day.
Example of our self-flagellation include our quick and convenient excuses to point the fingers at various things in the country: the prevalent religious riots in the North; the Niger Delta militants, which some people are now calling terrorists; the rich children of the Northern elite who apparently derive their enormous wealth by merely being in government or favoured by people in government (I am not saying this not true, but is a biased consideration of all available facts), and even some people are now convinced that the country is a “failed state” just because one Abdulmutallab carried a bomb in his pants. We have even lost our self-respect as a people or individual.
Having said this, this is not the first time Nigerians have committed a mid-air terrorist act; remember some young people hijacked a plane to Mali or Chad during Abacha’s regime, but they were protesting against the corrupt, vile dictatorship of their own country.
So I hear the leaderless Nigerian government and legislature giving the US seven days to revoke Nigeria’s inclusion on the Terror List. I could not help but laugh. Yes, of course, they must be seen to be doing something; to be indignant, but after seven days expire, what will the Nigerian Government do? Will Nigeria not sell oil to the US anymore? Will they sever relationship with the US government? Will they tell all American companies to leave Nigeria? Or will they advise Nigerians not to travel to the US anymore for business, studies, visits to relatives, etc? Or are we going to create our own Terror List, or perhaps some other List and put the US on it?
But they are still running around like headless chicken, more concerned with their own personal survival as a result of an absent President who may never come back. Chaos and anarchy in the horizon! And you expect the great US to take us serious? The US even knows where our President is, or what has happened to him, but it’s not their business to tell us.
I do not believe in self-flagellation and self-pity for a crime I and my people have not even committed.
I leave it all to your imagination, rumination and self-conclusion. For me, the truth will pan out soon.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Religious Crisis, Terrorism, and Our Security.
This must be a very difficult time for Nigerians and Nigeria itself, especially with recent events such as; Bauchi crisis (Kala Kato), the attempt to blow up flight 253 by Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, the second Nigerian who caused a security concern on the same flight no 253 to Detroit (though he was truly sick), the bomb blast at the Superscreen Television Station, our sick president, fuel scarcity, fire at African Independent Television (AIT) station and farmers/herdsmen crisis in Nasarawa State (a lot of people died while many were displaced).
These are not very good image projectors of our country. It’s simply a public relations disaster for all. Please make no mistake about it, Nigeria and Nigerians will surely pay the penalty for all these image problems. To me, image is every thing. The re-brand Nigeria Project championed by Madam Dora Akinyili (Information Minister) should now be allowed to finally rest in peace, because recent events have rubbished it.
When I wrote about Boko Haram crisis, published on national newspapers, international media and my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/08/ignorance-is-disease.html), I prayed to God that, let this be the last time I will write about religious crisis. I don’t know if I should repeat that prayer here. However, I wish to express my sympathies to all the innocent Nigerians who were displaced, or who lost people or properties due to this crisis. I condemn all kinds of crisis be it religious or otherwise. I also condemn all acts of terrorism. I will ask all Nigerians to unite and condemn all acts of terrorism and all kinds of crisis (religious etc). In crisis, just like in terrorism, many innocent people die. Am sure Nigerians will agree with me that these twin evils (religious crisis and terrorism) are amongst the biggest threat to us (Nigerians) and all human races.
We have a duty to fight these menace and other societal evils. Alhaji Mutallab (father of the flight 253 bomber; Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab) has given us a clue on what all of us should be doing. Alhaji Mutallab reported his son to the American Embassy and the Nigerian Security Services when he suspected the strange behaviors of his son. This singular act should be emulated by all Nigerians. Its worthy of commendation. This approach should be used to fight other crimes in Nigeria. Please report any one you’re not sure of his or her motives. This should be applicable to all top officials in both the public and private sector. I was glad when a friend told me, that he went to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office personally to hand in a petition about a certain government official.
I remember the tenure of ex Governor Buba Marwa of Lagos State. He launched Operation Sweep (an outfit of the Lagos Police Command tasked with fighting crimes in Lagos State) he asked people living in Lagos (Lagosians) to volunteer information anonymously if they are afraid to mentioned their names. Thus people started volunteering information without their names and it helped the crime fighters (Operation Sweep). In the same manner, Nigerians should volunteer information if possible without their names. This will surely help to fight crimes. If we fail to act, we might end up being the victims. I urge Nigerians in Diaspora to volunteer information on where the wanted bank chiefs are staying in abroad. It might be helpful for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
If the other passengers traveling with Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab (flight 253 bomber) had failed to act, all of them would have died. That is the more reasons why, we Nigerians have to volunteer information that will prevent crime(s), corruption, bad governance etc. A better way to know what people are doing might be through surveillance and spying. We can borrow the techniques used by the former East German Secret Police (Stasi). In the former East Germany, people were spying each for the good of the state. Cuba used similar method at the early days of Fidel Castro’s revolution. This method has the potentials of reducing crimes drastically. No sacrifice will be too much for the security of Nigerians. “Security for few is insecurity for all” Nelson Mandela.
On this note, may I inform our people that I have concluded research and now have details of a company here that, deals on specially made security and surveillance cameras. These cameras are ideal for the following purposes; election monitoring, investigative journalism, individual/community protection, home protection, private investigators etc. I recommend these cameras for all those hoping to monitor elections in Nigeria especially the Anambra State governorship election coming up in February 2010. Also these cameras are a must for all Nigeria’s investigative journalist(s).
In August 2009, I did highlight how we can monitor elections using our cameras. Details are on my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/08/digital-cameras-and-mobile-phones-with.html). Please feel free to pass this information to other Nigerians who might need the facilities mentioned above, but might not have read this piece. These devices (security and surveillance cameras) could be used to enforce accountability on the part of our rulers.
Talking about accountability and as a starting point, Dr Rilwanu Lukman (Petroleum Minister) should tell Nigerians the reasons why he should not be sacked for leaving Nigeria at the heat of the fuel scarcity. This is despite the warning given by the Vice President (Goodluck Jonathan), that the Petroleum Ministers (Dr. Rilwanu Lukman and his junior counterpart Mr. Odein Ajumogobia) should not travel for the Christmas holiday due to the fuel crisis. He (Rilwanu Lukman) violated the order given by the Vice President. By so doing, he disrespected the office of the Vice President. I suggest his removal as a minister. Fuel scarcity creates insecurity for people.
Rilwanu Lukman has truly shown his insensitivity to the plight of the suffering Nigerian masses. He and his likes should understand that Nigeria and Nigerians have changed. Insensitivity of this kind might make people take laws into their hands. Not too long ago, there was a failed attempt to kidnap the education minister (Dr Sam Egwu). One of culprits claimed that they wanted to kidnap Sam Egwu because of his inability to resolve Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. Thank God, the strike has been called off. Remember some Nigerians hijacked a plane when June 12 1993 election was annulled. This was in protest to the annulment. Our “rulers” have to be very careful now. Times have changed. No more taking Nigerians for granted.
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
These are not very good image projectors of our country. It’s simply a public relations disaster for all. Please make no mistake about it, Nigeria and Nigerians will surely pay the penalty for all these image problems. To me, image is every thing. The re-brand Nigeria Project championed by Madam Dora Akinyili (Information Minister) should now be allowed to finally rest in peace, because recent events have rubbished it.
When I wrote about Boko Haram crisis, published on national newspapers, international media and my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/08/ignorance-is-disease.html), I prayed to God that, let this be the last time I will write about religious crisis. I don’t know if I should repeat that prayer here. However, I wish to express my sympathies to all the innocent Nigerians who were displaced, or who lost people or properties due to this crisis. I condemn all kinds of crisis be it religious or otherwise. I also condemn all acts of terrorism. I will ask all Nigerians to unite and condemn all acts of terrorism and all kinds of crisis (religious etc). In crisis, just like in terrorism, many innocent people die. Am sure Nigerians will agree with me that these twin evils (religious crisis and terrorism) are amongst the biggest threat to us (Nigerians) and all human races.
We have a duty to fight these menace and other societal evils. Alhaji Mutallab (father of the flight 253 bomber; Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab) has given us a clue on what all of us should be doing. Alhaji Mutallab reported his son to the American Embassy and the Nigerian Security Services when he suspected the strange behaviors of his son. This singular act should be emulated by all Nigerians. Its worthy of commendation. This approach should be used to fight other crimes in Nigeria. Please report any one you’re not sure of his or her motives. This should be applicable to all top officials in both the public and private sector. I was glad when a friend told me, that he went to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office personally to hand in a petition about a certain government official.
I remember the tenure of ex Governor Buba Marwa of Lagos State. He launched Operation Sweep (an outfit of the Lagos Police Command tasked with fighting crimes in Lagos State) he asked people living in Lagos (Lagosians) to volunteer information anonymously if they are afraid to mentioned their names. Thus people started volunteering information without their names and it helped the crime fighters (Operation Sweep). In the same manner, Nigerians should volunteer information if possible without their names. This will surely help to fight crimes. If we fail to act, we might end up being the victims. I urge Nigerians in Diaspora to volunteer information on where the wanted bank chiefs are staying in abroad. It might be helpful for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
If the other passengers traveling with Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab (flight 253 bomber) had failed to act, all of them would have died. That is the more reasons why, we Nigerians have to volunteer information that will prevent crime(s), corruption, bad governance etc. A better way to know what people are doing might be through surveillance and spying. We can borrow the techniques used by the former East German Secret Police (Stasi). In the former East Germany, people were spying each for the good of the state. Cuba used similar method at the early days of Fidel Castro’s revolution. This method has the potentials of reducing crimes drastically. No sacrifice will be too much for the security of Nigerians. “Security for few is insecurity for all” Nelson Mandela.
On this note, may I inform our people that I have concluded research and now have details of a company here that, deals on specially made security and surveillance cameras. These cameras are ideal for the following purposes; election monitoring, investigative journalism, individual/community protection, home protection, private investigators etc. I recommend these cameras for all those hoping to monitor elections in Nigeria especially the Anambra State governorship election coming up in February 2010. Also these cameras are a must for all Nigeria’s investigative journalist(s).
In August 2009, I did highlight how we can monitor elections using our cameras. Details are on my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/2009/08/digital-cameras-and-mobile-phones-with.html). Please feel free to pass this information to other Nigerians who might need the facilities mentioned above, but might not have read this piece. These devices (security and surveillance cameras) could be used to enforce accountability on the part of our rulers.
Talking about accountability and as a starting point, Dr Rilwanu Lukman (Petroleum Minister) should tell Nigerians the reasons why he should not be sacked for leaving Nigeria at the heat of the fuel scarcity. This is despite the warning given by the Vice President (Goodluck Jonathan), that the Petroleum Ministers (Dr. Rilwanu Lukman and his junior counterpart Mr. Odein Ajumogobia) should not travel for the Christmas holiday due to the fuel crisis. He (Rilwanu Lukman) violated the order given by the Vice President. By so doing, he disrespected the office of the Vice President. I suggest his removal as a minister. Fuel scarcity creates insecurity for people.
Rilwanu Lukman has truly shown his insensitivity to the plight of the suffering Nigerian masses. He and his likes should understand that Nigeria and Nigerians have changed. Insensitivity of this kind might make people take laws into their hands. Not too long ago, there was a failed attempt to kidnap the education minister (Dr Sam Egwu). One of culprits claimed that they wanted to kidnap Sam Egwu because of his inability to resolve Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. Thank God, the strike has been called off. Remember some Nigerians hijacked a plane when June 12 1993 election was annulled. This was in protest to the annulment. Our “rulers” have to be very careful now. Times have changed. No more taking Nigerians for granted.
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Monday, 28 December 2009
A Happy New Year To Nigerians? Not For Me It Is!
I just chatted with a friend, Gani on Facebook this morning (the morning after Boxing Day) and the first thing I told him is that I am a sick, frustrated, despondent and discouraged Nigerian. Gani shared my views and all I listed above but, true Nigerian as he is, he counselled me not to even think of ever giving up. He himself was all wrought up because as a devout Moslem, he was sad about the Nigerian bomber incident.
The year 2009 is about to come to a permanent close, never to be seen again. Human beings have been in this world since only God knows. Nigeria has been there floundering like a captain-less ship in the sea of the world for the past how many years.
It is the usual rites that we perform year in year out. We wish ourselves and our families and friends, and sometimes, foes alike, a Happy New year, hoping and praying that the next New Year will bring joy, success, etc to all of us. We pray for Nigeria to witness change; we pray for its deliverance from the evil and corrupt cabal that hold us hostage and condemn us to poverty, genocide, hopelessness, suffering and despondency. We do this every year end, but the subsequent New Year hard fares better. It is the same old thing. No change of heart from our rulers.
The hypocrisy is even more galling. Our rulers send out Yuletide and New Year messages, urging Nigerians to bear with them. Then they have the boldface to “task” Nigerians to be all kinds of things they are not offering by example. They tell us to pray for the nation, so that when we close our eyes, they can steal our wealth; they tell us to tighten our belts while they are not tightening theirs; they promise us that the New Year will bring better electricity generation and supply, yet they waste billions of our money on fake power projects; they tell us they will do the roads, and the moment they say it, thousands are dying on the death-trap roads they say they are going to repair or build; they promise to improve education, healthcare, etc and what do we have year in year out? Zilch, zero! I can understand if the money is not there, but Nigerians, can you believe we have no money to do these things?
What a life for Nigerians? We open newspapers everyday to be treated to yet more corruption scandals perpetrated by our ruler and civil servants, and now bankers. Each scandal more scandalous than the other; the figures misappropriated into private pockets more massive than the other. And the worst thing is that as soon as they are exposed, they are swept under the carpet. They seem to get away with it everytime.
Look at the previous years. Halliburton scandal is no longer in the news and the top people fingered are still walking about and rubbing it in our faces; Siemens scandal is no more, and one of the main perpetrators, Senator Jubril Aminu is even being considered for the position of Vice President in case, Goodluck Jonathan becomes the Acting President.
What happened to the Independent Power Projects Probe led by Senator Elumelu where it was discovered that Obasanjo spent $26 billion (or is it $16 billion, who knows?) to improve the power supply during his eight years in power and there is still no light in Nigeria? What is happening to the investigation of the Railway Project which the Chinese used to siphon away billions of dollars and our train is still not running? Many more scandals are still around and probes promised with virtually no results. NNPC probe; fertiliser probe, communications probe, you name it; every department of government, federal, state or local have skeletons on their closets; the embezzlement, graft, theft, bribery, corruption, mismanagement, misappropriation of funds going on are just too much, you lose count and makes your head dizzy.
Nigerians must be the most forgetful people in the world, or maybe we are too easily ready to forgive and forget, to our everlasting misfortune. What about the many scandals that befallen even the Federal House of Representatives and the Senate? These are our lawmakers. How many laws have they passed this year alone? Please, if you know, let me in on the secret, because I can’t remember any law passed this year, yet they have carted away billions in salaries and expenses for doing nothing. And you think that is fair, Senator? Representative? You think that is good value for your people? You think your people like that?
This year, just when it seems the Nigerian Judiciary has come of age (Bode George and Andy Uba come to mind) and can be trusted to do the right thing, then comes Justice Awokulehin in an Asaba court who could not find any guilty verdict in a 170-count charge against Mr Ibori, the thieving and ex-convict Ex-Governor of Delta State, who, all Nigerians, and even the UK authorities, know is a common thief, a vagabond in power.
Some caution here. Either the EFCC lawyers are deliberately incompetent or Ibori knew how to spread money and tamper with justice, or perhaps a combination of both, are still to be determined. But it is again an insult to Nigerians that the man immediately thanked God and restated his faith in the much abused “rule of law”. That is all they do, Nigerian politicians; despite their crimes against humanity, they are quick to profess their religious belief in God.
Can any Governor, ex or current, any Minister, ex or current, senior civil servant, ex or current, come out and tell Nigerians that they have not stolen a kobo from the treasury? I dare any of them to come out and say that to me, personally, and I will tell them a thing or two. Let that person come and tell Nigerians that they were there in charge of our money and they did not steal a kobo.
Let me digress a bit. Power is transient. When you have wealth, you are only a custodian of that wealth, which is supposed to be used to better the life of the ones who do not. A wealthy man is a mere custodian of wealth, because nobody in this world is born with wealth. You can be born into a wealthy family, but nobody comes into this world with wealth. You only become wealthy when you are in the world, if God wishes it. And, more importantly, you leave this world without wealth. Nothing at all! So why all the acquisition of wealth when you cannot make use of it for the benefit of your fellow human beings while you are still enjoying God’s time on earth?
To cap the insult, we now have an obviously incapacitated President for over a month, who his people said can rule from outside the country. I have never heard of such asinine argument. The Constitution is there to be followed, but nobody is following it. What they tell us is to pray for his recovery. Indeed, we do pray, why, I don’t wish anybody dead, but let us do things for the interest of 140 million people, not a few thousand who stand to gain from this stalemate.
As a matter of fact, VP Jonathan may not really be the ideal man to rule Nigeria (I will admit we’ve never had ideal persons to rule Nigeria) but we must follow the constitution and if it says it must be that luckiest of man, then so be it.
For many years, I no longer heed the calls of these hypocrites on New Year’s Day calling on or “tasking” us to help improve Nigeria. It is not for me or for many Nigerians to improve Nigeria. What do we have people in Government for? It is only when we see them doing what they are elected to do, or appointed to do, that I can join them in doing it. That is why they are there. They have to convince me that they are there to do things for me and other Nigerians, and not for themselves. The way it is, I have never seen that happening in my 53 years on earth.
However, my friend Gani and some others I bared my mind to on Facebook, put some new hope in me. I woke up feeling despondent and hopeless, but as I began putting my thoughts down in this article, I felt a surge of hope.
You see, Nigerians have this sense of fatality, a flaw in our otherwise rich cultures. We never try to accept things as either an Act of God, or a natural occurrence that will lead to some other thing, perhaps positive, when things happen (although I will admit that this may be due to the fact that it seems to happen to us with too much frequency). For example, why don’t we see the incapacitation of President Yar ‘Adua as a test of our resolve, or as a test of our nascent democracy? Why don’t we look at it that it may be a catalyst for a bigger and more positive change? Every thing that occurs to Man has a reason. Even, the corruption problem or image of the country might be turned into a positive thing in the future.
So, the new phrase nowadays in Nigeria is “Change Agent”, A change agent is a noble aspiration. The assumption, of course, is that change is for the good, not purely destructive change. In my mind, change is akin to "making people better". Which is something we should all strive for.
A change agent is someone who "alters human capability or organizational systems to achieve a higher degree of output or self actualization." Beginning with the end in mind, the goal of a change agent is obviously to make changes that will endure. The result of change agent activity is to enable people to do more, or find a new and better perspective on life. Sometimes this latter idea is the foundation for future change which achieves outcomes that were previously not attainable. Change Agents must have the conviction to state the facts based on data, even if the consequences are associated with unpleasantness.
Yes, unpleasantness is the key word here. Is there anybody out there who is ready for some “unpleasantness”? I am sure there are, despite our self-deprecating notion that we are cowards.
I am of the conviction in this coming year, penultimate to the election year of 2011, which Nigeria is going to see real Change Agents in action. Let the Iboris, the Aoodoaakas, the Odilis, the Ubas, the Soludos, the Sarakis, the Obasanjos, the Anenihs, the Babangidas, the Danjumas, the Isa Yugudas, the Lukman Rilwans, etc prepare for the worst this coming year. They will not have their ways.
Another caution. I have just read a piece title The Principle Works! by Ope Ajayi, a Champion For Nigeria, in which he contends that though we say that the “problem in Nigeria is the failure of leadership. I am not saying that we do not have leadership challenge but we are not better than the leadership that we have. Whoever we call our leader is a direct reflection of the people; we do not deserve better leaders at least for now. Leadership is a reflection of the citizens. Corruption seems to be synonymous with Nigeria because majority of the Nigerian people participate in it, not a few but the majority does it, the majority will always get along rather than stand out.
Everything we do at our individual micro level has a direct effect on the country as a whole. No matter how little, it will tell on the future because everything is a seed. If you ever shunt a queue, bribe to receive Drivers Licence/ vehicle papers, you are not better than those who loot our treasury. You have both planted the same kind of seed”.
I cannot agree with him more. I have always said that we the people of Nigeria, or the society we have created, are as much to blame as the leaders we foisted on ourselves. Yes, foisted. We all opened our eyes, and even collaborated with those who are still raping and looting the country. Nobody can be absolved. We are all culpable.
In the meantime, in spite of the contradictions, I wish Nigerians a Happy New Year that will bring the desired change, finally.
Maryam Babangida’s Death.
I was just finishing this article when I heard about the demise of Mrs Babangida. As written before in another article, when it was first rumoured of her death, I am not one to wish anybody dead, nor is to spit on anybody’s grave. It is no use recounting all the problems she and her husband created for Nigerians, which we are still in today. Suffice it to say May her soul rest in peace. The evil that men do, lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones; so let it be with Caesar. We come to this world with nothing; we leave with nothing, despite all we acquire and the way we acquire them. It is a lesson that I wish all of us, especially those in positions of power and have access to our treasury and who keep behaving as if they own the rest of us, will learn and take to heart, and most importantly, remember everyday in their actions (or non-actions) to their fellow men and women in Nigeria today.
On the lung run, the massive money that she and her husband stole, extorted, embezzled, misappropriated, looted, mismanaged from their fellow Nigerians have could not save her. And to make it worse, many Nigerians do not have any sympathy for her family nor care about her death.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36. The Holy Bible)
The Nigerian Suicide Bomber
At first I thought it was a joke – a Nigerian suicide bomber, a guy born with silver spoon in his mouth? And he was so brainwashed, he was actually sympathising with the war in Afghanistan. Holy Shit! Why wasn’t the damn misguided fool fighting against the injustice, poverty, corruption and all the ills of his own country, Nigeria? And especially the against the plight of the “talakawas” of the North, where the likes of his father ride roughshod over the poor?
And an advice to my countrymen! Because of this dastardly and damaging act by this misguided idiot, please don’t be ashamed to be Nigerian. Nigerians have been denigrated, persecuted, rightly or wrongly for the past five decades by both foreigners and our leaders alike. It could not get worse. Continue to be proud, as long as you are not hiding anything and not into criminality.
I will continue to use my Nigerian passport to travel.
The year 2009 is about to come to a permanent close, never to be seen again. Human beings have been in this world since only God knows. Nigeria has been there floundering like a captain-less ship in the sea of the world for the past how many years.
It is the usual rites that we perform year in year out. We wish ourselves and our families and friends, and sometimes, foes alike, a Happy New year, hoping and praying that the next New Year will bring joy, success, etc to all of us. We pray for Nigeria to witness change; we pray for its deliverance from the evil and corrupt cabal that hold us hostage and condemn us to poverty, genocide, hopelessness, suffering and despondency. We do this every year end, but the subsequent New Year hard fares better. It is the same old thing. No change of heart from our rulers.
The hypocrisy is even more galling. Our rulers send out Yuletide and New Year messages, urging Nigerians to bear with them. Then they have the boldface to “task” Nigerians to be all kinds of things they are not offering by example. They tell us to pray for the nation, so that when we close our eyes, they can steal our wealth; they tell us to tighten our belts while they are not tightening theirs; they promise us that the New Year will bring better electricity generation and supply, yet they waste billions of our money on fake power projects; they tell us they will do the roads, and the moment they say it, thousands are dying on the death-trap roads they say they are going to repair or build; they promise to improve education, healthcare, etc and what do we have year in year out? Zilch, zero! I can understand if the money is not there, but Nigerians, can you believe we have no money to do these things?
What a life for Nigerians? We open newspapers everyday to be treated to yet more corruption scandals perpetrated by our ruler and civil servants, and now bankers. Each scandal more scandalous than the other; the figures misappropriated into private pockets more massive than the other. And the worst thing is that as soon as they are exposed, they are swept under the carpet. They seem to get away with it everytime.
Look at the previous years. Halliburton scandal is no longer in the news and the top people fingered are still walking about and rubbing it in our faces; Siemens scandal is no more, and one of the main perpetrators, Senator Jubril Aminu is even being considered for the position of Vice President in case, Goodluck Jonathan becomes the Acting President.
What happened to the Independent Power Projects Probe led by Senator Elumelu where it was discovered that Obasanjo spent $26 billion (or is it $16 billion, who knows?) to improve the power supply during his eight years in power and there is still no light in Nigeria? What is happening to the investigation of the Railway Project which the Chinese used to siphon away billions of dollars and our train is still not running? Many more scandals are still around and probes promised with virtually no results. NNPC probe; fertiliser probe, communications probe, you name it; every department of government, federal, state or local have skeletons on their closets; the embezzlement, graft, theft, bribery, corruption, mismanagement, misappropriation of funds going on are just too much, you lose count and makes your head dizzy.
Nigerians must be the most forgetful people in the world, or maybe we are too easily ready to forgive and forget, to our everlasting misfortune. What about the many scandals that befallen even the Federal House of Representatives and the Senate? These are our lawmakers. How many laws have they passed this year alone? Please, if you know, let me in on the secret, because I can’t remember any law passed this year, yet they have carted away billions in salaries and expenses for doing nothing. And you think that is fair, Senator? Representative? You think that is good value for your people? You think your people like that?
This year, just when it seems the Nigerian Judiciary has come of age (Bode George and Andy Uba come to mind) and can be trusted to do the right thing, then comes Justice Awokulehin in an Asaba court who could not find any guilty verdict in a 170-count charge against Mr Ibori, the thieving and ex-convict Ex-Governor of Delta State, who, all Nigerians, and even the UK authorities, know is a common thief, a vagabond in power.
Some caution here. Either the EFCC lawyers are deliberately incompetent or Ibori knew how to spread money and tamper with justice, or perhaps a combination of both, are still to be determined. But it is again an insult to Nigerians that the man immediately thanked God and restated his faith in the much abused “rule of law”. That is all they do, Nigerian politicians; despite their crimes against humanity, they are quick to profess their religious belief in God.
Can any Governor, ex or current, any Minister, ex or current, senior civil servant, ex or current, come out and tell Nigerians that they have not stolen a kobo from the treasury? I dare any of them to come out and say that to me, personally, and I will tell them a thing or two. Let that person come and tell Nigerians that they were there in charge of our money and they did not steal a kobo.
Let me digress a bit. Power is transient. When you have wealth, you are only a custodian of that wealth, which is supposed to be used to better the life of the ones who do not. A wealthy man is a mere custodian of wealth, because nobody in this world is born with wealth. You can be born into a wealthy family, but nobody comes into this world with wealth. You only become wealthy when you are in the world, if God wishes it. And, more importantly, you leave this world without wealth. Nothing at all! So why all the acquisition of wealth when you cannot make use of it for the benefit of your fellow human beings while you are still enjoying God’s time on earth?
To cap the insult, we now have an obviously incapacitated President for over a month, who his people said can rule from outside the country. I have never heard of such asinine argument. The Constitution is there to be followed, but nobody is following it. What they tell us is to pray for his recovery. Indeed, we do pray, why, I don’t wish anybody dead, but let us do things for the interest of 140 million people, not a few thousand who stand to gain from this stalemate.
As a matter of fact, VP Jonathan may not really be the ideal man to rule Nigeria (I will admit we’ve never had ideal persons to rule Nigeria) but we must follow the constitution and if it says it must be that luckiest of man, then so be it.
For many years, I no longer heed the calls of these hypocrites on New Year’s Day calling on or “tasking” us to help improve Nigeria. It is not for me or for many Nigerians to improve Nigeria. What do we have people in Government for? It is only when we see them doing what they are elected to do, or appointed to do, that I can join them in doing it. That is why they are there. They have to convince me that they are there to do things for me and other Nigerians, and not for themselves. The way it is, I have never seen that happening in my 53 years on earth.
However, my friend Gani and some others I bared my mind to on Facebook, put some new hope in me. I woke up feeling despondent and hopeless, but as I began putting my thoughts down in this article, I felt a surge of hope.
You see, Nigerians have this sense of fatality, a flaw in our otherwise rich cultures. We never try to accept things as either an Act of God, or a natural occurrence that will lead to some other thing, perhaps positive, when things happen (although I will admit that this may be due to the fact that it seems to happen to us with too much frequency). For example, why don’t we see the incapacitation of President Yar ‘Adua as a test of our resolve, or as a test of our nascent democracy? Why don’t we look at it that it may be a catalyst for a bigger and more positive change? Every thing that occurs to Man has a reason. Even, the corruption problem or image of the country might be turned into a positive thing in the future.
So, the new phrase nowadays in Nigeria is “Change Agent”, A change agent is a noble aspiration. The assumption, of course, is that change is for the good, not purely destructive change. In my mind, change is akin to "making people better". Which is something we should all strive for.
A change agent is someone who "alters human capability or organizational systems to achieve a higher degree of output or self actualization." Beginning with the end in mind, the goal of a change agent is obviously to make changes that will endure. The result of change agent activity is to enable people to do more, or find a new and better perspective on life. Sometimes this latter idea is the foundation for future change which achieves outcomes that were previously not attainable. Change Agents must have the conviction to state the facts based on data, even if the consequences are associated with unpleasantness.
Yes, unpleasantness is the key word here. Is there anybody out there who is ready for some “unpleasantness”? I am sure there are, despite our self-deprecating notion that we are cowards.
I am of the conviction in this coming year, penultimate to the election year of 2011, which Nigeria is going to see real Change Agents in action. Let the Iboris, the Aoodoaakas, the Odilis, the Ubas, the Soludos, the Sarakis, the Obasanjos, the Anenihs, the Babangidas, the Danjumas, the Isa Yugudas, the Lukman Rilwans, etc prepare for the worst this coming year. They will not have their ways.
Another caution. I have just read a piece title The Principle Works! by Ope Ajayi, a Champion For Nigeria, in which he contends that though we say that the “problem in Nigeria is the failure of leadership. I am not saying that we do not have leadership challenge but we are not better than the leadership that we have. Whoever we call our leader is a direct reflection of the people; we do not deserve better leaders at least for now. Leadership is a reflection of the citizens. Corruption seems to be synonymous with Nigeria because majority of the Nigerian people participate in it, not a few but the majority does it, the majority will always get along rather than stand out.
Everything we do at our individual micro level has a direct effect on the country as a whole. No matter how little, it will tell on the future because everything is a seed. If you ever shunt a queue, bribe to receive Drivers Licence/ vehicle papers, you are not better than those who loot our treasury. You have both planted the same kind of seed”.
I cannot agree with him more. I have always said that we the people of Nigeria, or the society we have created, are as much to blame as the leaders we foisted on ourselves. Yes, foisted. We all opened our eyes, and even collaborated with those who are still raping and looting the country. Nobody can be absolved. We are all culpable.
In the meantime, in spite of the contradictions, I wish Nigerians a Happy New Year that will bring the desired change, finally.
Maryam Babangida’s Death.
I was just finishing this article when I heard about the demise of Mrs Babangida. As written before in another article, when it was first rumoured of her death, I am not one to wish anybody dead, nor is to spit on anybody’s grave. It is no use recounting all the problems she and her husband created for Nigerians, which we are still in today. Suffice it to say May her soul rest in peace. The evil that men do, lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones; so let it be with Caesar. We come to this world with nothing; we leave with nothing, despite all we acquire and the way we acquire them. It is a lesson that I wish all of us, especially those in positions of power and have access to our treasury and who keep behaving as if they own the rest of us, will learn and take to heart, and most importantly, remember everyday in their actions (or non-actions) to their fellow men and women in Nigeria today.
On the lung run, the massive money that she and her husband stole, extorted, embezzled, misappropriated, looted, mismanaged from their fellow Nigerians have could not save her. And to make it worse, many Nigerians do not have any sympathy for her family nor care about her death.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36. The Holy Bible)
The Nigerian Suicide Bomber
At first I thought it was a joke – a Nigerian suicide bomber, a guy born with silver spoon in his mouth? And he was so brainwashed, he was actually sympathising with the war in Afghanistan. Holy Shit! Why wasn’t the damn misguided fool fighting against the injustice, poverty, corruption and all the ills of his own country, Nigeria? And especially the against the plight of the “talakawas” of the North, where the likes of his father ride roughshod over the poor?
And an advice to my countrymen! Because of this dastardly and damaging act by this misguided idiot, please don’t be ashamed to be Nigerian. Nigerians have been denigrated, persecuted, rightly or wrongly for the past five decades by both foreigners and our leaders alike. It could not get worse. Continue to be proud, as long as you are not hiding anything and not into criminality.
I will continue to use my Nigerian passport to travel.
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