By Adeola Aderounmu.

We have a country of an estimated 140 million people and we have a small group of people who have held us as hostages in our own country since independence in 1960. Self determination or self governance, if I understand it very well, should be a means by which the people who own a territory or a country will be able to advance the course of that entity for the benefit of all and sundry. In an elementary school, it would sound like: no child left behind. In reality, that is not a possibility, there will always be a child left behind but that would be a case of an anomaly and not intent.

 In Nigeria, ordinary citizens have been left behind by intent for 47 years. This article will not do a recount of all the stupidity that has been displayed in governance over the past 4 decades. However, recent occurrences indicate that the hope of millions of Nigerians who are alive today is baseless. Just a little over 8 years ago, these millions of people heaved a sigh of relief when the military went back to the barracks. Little did they know that they were about to experience the reign of the callous one. The 2007 elections and the outcomes remain a monumental disaster that time and appeal cannot take away.

Early signs of the present illegitimate government have indicated that the more Nigerians continue to wait for the turning point, the farther away they are from the promise land. In a country where resiliency is the attribute of the general masses and siddon look a phenomenon that must be learnt and followed, the continuous abuse of political offices will never abate. Never! In the character of a self acclaimed righteous one who ascended to leadership through a bastardize presidential election and a ferocious Attorney General, modern Nigeria provides a classic example of a laughingstock.

If the recent reports linking Mike Aondoakaa as the helping hand that is now assisting looters to escape without prosecution, then we are in real soup. We are damned! When true patriots and real progressives were crying foul after the charade that took place in April 2007, sycophants reared their ugly heads and faces for the umpteenth time. Hear them, “…this is the first time we are transferring power from civilian to civilian rule, let us give this (illegitimate) government a chance in the name of moving the country forward”.  What actually happened was that, in our usual manner, power was transferred from one fraudulent administration to another and Nigeria continues to take giant strides backward. In the comity of nations, our present status is pathetic.

Now that the self acclaimed servant leader is beginning to show his real colours especially with the highly questionable characters of the tropical gangsters that surround him, those who advocated and fronted for them should please cover their heads in shame. Oh! I forgot, shame is a virtue in Nigerian politics. The so called president in Nigeria was never prepared for that office. He was bundled in to fulfill certain political arrangements all to the detriments of the nation at large. He was never prepared for the office and will never be. Those who radiated signs of born-leaders have never ascended to the number one position in Nigeria. How a cabal, either in uniform, mufti or transformed oversize khaki has succeeded to place us under a siege for more than 47 years remains inexplicable.

Anyone who could neither see nor understand the handwritings on the wall, and therefore still hoping for the better days ahead, should please wake up from her nightmare. Where are the better days ahead? We have been ruled by dictators who stole and emptied our national treasury. We have been ruled by civilians who gave us stones in place of the bread that they promised us. Nigerians have been deceived for more than 40 years by the same clique of dubious elements or their progeny who have done extremely very little to improve the lots of the country and exceedingly very much to improve their personal lots. How can we make progress when we have not started to do things the right ways? How can there be solutions to our problems when all that have suggested as common good never saw the light of the day?

The Nigerian masses have now reached a point where they must salvage this beautiful country for their unborn children and children’s children. No doubts, a handful of generations have been unnecessarily wasted. Nigerian intellectuals and hardworking people at home and abroad have not been able to impact positively on the mainstream of Nigerian life. Where we are today is an immeasurable negative nautical miles from where we took off in 1960. As a nation, Nigeria is not making progress at all. GSM phones and the emergence of foreign-style cinema houses are not indicators for progress.

Of course, despite the haphazard mode of life, there are people who are enjoying in Nigeria. Politicians are undoubtedly the champions. Those who have executed one dubious contract or another are lords. Many are living on advanced fee fraud and there are honest people who have worked hard to earn decent livelihoods. Still, the majority of Nigerians, several millions to be sure, are living in absolute penury (severe poverty). If anyone is hoping that Nigeria’s course will be advance by a dubious chemist, that person has fallen into the expected political gimmick-trap.

In all, a new dawn of hopelessness seems to have crawled back into our daily existence. Great Nations of today took the steps towards greatness using different means. There were sacrifices made in the past that the generations of modern times are enjoying in such nations. France, America, Russia and China are classical examples of countries where revolutions took place. Sweden was a country plagued by poverty and misadventures until about a century ago. Almost a fifth of the people went abroad, to the US especially. The rest at home sat down and discussed the way forward for their lives. They discussed every aspect of their lives and to this day, public discussions, debates and true voting remain acceptable approaches to handling issues in Sweden which is one of the most developed countries in the world today.

In Nigeria, we will continue to deceive ourselves if we allow the status quo to persist. The Politicians are untrustworthy and they have no conscience. Non-participatory mentality of the people must change. The people must find a way to participate in governance instead of been forced to accept what a cabal dictated. The people must find a way to end for all time the corruption mentality that has not only destroyed our economy but also made a few greedy people wealthy at the expense of the majority. The good people and the teeming masses must stand up and request for a say in the running of Nigeria. All of these approaches to ending the reign of evil can be achieved through discussions or dialogues. There must be a way to bring the ordinary people into the mainstream of our politics so that they can decide what they want and how they want it. This country belongs to all of us and it is our right to participate in the matters that shape our lives. The last probable option will be to do it by force.  The people must utilize the best option that is open to them so that prosperity can be a bestowment to the generations unborn from this land flowing with milk and honey.

Adeola Aderounmu.

Keen watchers and commentators on Nigerian political spheres are anxiously awaiting the end of the longest 2 weeks in the life of Patricia Olubunmi Etteh. To those of us who have never fancied the present governing administration (some say caretaker govt.) and the never-ceasing corrupt public office holders in Nigeria, the events surrounding the dilemma of the Speaker of the Lower House is one more reason to seek the long overdue positive changes that continue to elude us as a nation. Indeed, the travails of Patricia cannot be overflogged just as Nigerians will not be justified if they ever stop highlighting the problems in our peculiar political landscape.   

There is a school of thought that does not encourage highlighting our problems. They believed that all have been said already when it comes to that aspect. Instead, they want us to come up with solutions or suggestions that will help us solve these problems. As a matter of fact, I once wrote an article titled: Nigeria, what more to write? That article featured here on the village square. Since that article, I have had more reasons to continue to write more about our problems and sometimes suggesting the way forward in some of my essays. For example, How to count Nigerians was an article that also featured here.

Many of the problems in Nigeria are traceable to failure of the political class or governance in general. Some of the problems are due to our actions or inactions as fellow citizens of Nigeria. In far away Burma, we have just seen monks who are not only praying for their fellow citizens but also leading the way to show how not to tolerate bad governance or wrong policies. The uprisings in Burma have since been crushed (as usual in their history) by the repressive military regime but the message that came with the protests stands. No amount of oppression can crush the message and the reminder that the leader of the political party that won an election in that country in 1990 was denied her mandate and she is still under house arrest. Here, we have a case that is very similar to our situation in 1993. Perhaps IBB learnt from the Burmese junta.

Our own Gambari, in a twist of fate, was sent to appeal to the military government in Burma. That was not his first time going to Burma anyway. Can anyone guess the conversations that would have taken place? Gambari, an outstanding UN special envoy notwithstanding, would have been reminded (supposing he has short memories) of the history of real and fathom coups and military rule in Nigeria.  He would have been reminded of various treasonable felony trials, the corruption in our system, the failure of governance, the unnecessary killings of thousands of people over the years and the spread of poverty in Nigeria. To avoid any unnecessary argument and to cut his stay short, the military government in Burma will ask Gambari if there were real elections in Nigerian in 2007 or a wuruwuru abracadabra.

The last card I would imagine must have been the ongoing travails of our speaker. The Burmese government could have asked Gambari to tell Yar Adua that they need 6 million dollars in Burma to build more estates for the protesting monks. They would not care that Gambari is representing the United Nations. The recent demonstration in Burma was vehemently crushed even at the time that Gambari was visiting; a hallmark for absolute disdain for either the presumed character of his person or the constituency he represents.

Back to Nigeria! There is no way we can start finding solutions to our problems since we have not started doing things the right way. Solutions will come with the right people in governance emerging from the right processes. What is the difference between Yar Adua, David Mark and Patricia Etteh? Yar Adua accepted a mandate that he knew was faulty. On that basis, he sold his conscience on the platter of power. David Mark has refused to declare his assets or his source of wealth but we know he is ashame because almost everyone in Nigeria now has a mobile phone. Patricia misappropriated 628 million naira and she is clinging on to the seat of the speaker. Has anyone stopped to ask why or how she has the gut to say that she has not been indicted? Does this hairdresser own a dictionary? 

The truth is, there is a pattern in our political system such that shame is a virtue. It is highly recommended to be corrupt as that seem to be the only way to carry on politically in Nigeria. I have written before that corruption is the only thing that is organized in Nigeria. This is the reason David Mark supported Patricia and this is the reason the 14 days recess for the lawmakers will be a landmark attempt to scuffle the verdict flying around in the court of public opinion. Here is an example of where our inactions as a people continue to contribute to our woes. We are too timid as a people and we have no leader in the sense of it. We permitted the worst election in human history to stand. Are we going to allow the trend to continue? For how long? Will Patricia succeed in her quest to promote shame? The monks not only prayed in Burma, they put their prayers into actions. Imagine what will happen if 140 million people speak with one intellectual voice and follow that with actions!

May the glory of Nigeria come, soon! 

By Adeola Aderounmu.

A writer is someone who can transform her chaotic thoughts and opinions into meaningful expressions. A true writer does not write but she is inspired to write. It is almost impossible to set out to be a writer. Writing is something that exists inside and what a writer has to do is to create a piece from the fountain that flows inside. One of the important things that a writer needs, in order to transform the rumblings of her mind, is the time to write. Indeed, allowing for the sufficient time, an excellent essay or story will derive its impetus from within. The sufficient time in this case could be from a few minutes to many years depending on the story line.

Inspiration that leads to true writing cannot be forced. However, it is possible for it to be triggered. Reading is probably the best concept that can trigger the inspiration of a writer. True life experiences are compelling sources of inspiration. Listening in its various ramifications is also a good but probably a lesser trigger for inspiration. In the absence of true inspiration, plagiarism and unneessary writings may be the unwanted outcomes of wide reading. This is why the impetus from within is a hallmark of a true writer. Indeed, the ability to write concisely and meaningfully is a gift.

It is astonishing that a writer will benefit from what she has published by reading through them over and over again. It is not impossible for a writer to ask herself some questions such as these: when did I write these stories? How long was I thinking about these before they became a whole? Writing can take different forms or shape, but it is not impossible that the entire content of the write-up (essay, book, poetry etc) is formed even before the first word is written. The entire writing is like a journey but the road to the destination is already revealed to the writer at the onset. This is what makes inspirational writing to be distinguished from that which is forceful or impulsive.

Impulsive writing is very common among editorial writers or columnists. Surely, impulsive writing is an integral part of writing which requires staying in touch with local and global details no matter how minutes these details are. It allows for (comparative) analogy and empirical treatments of topics or situations. It is possible for almost everyone to engage in one discussion or the other but it is impossible for everyone who engages in discussions to put their chaotic thoughts to paper in order to derive meaningful opinions. This is where the role of writers becomes imperative.

There is nothing wrong with impulsive writing. It is a way through which journalists, for example, have been able to act as watchdogs in many societies. It is a reactionary method which, when meaningfully utilized, help to keep ardent readers or the general public abreast of important information. The problem here is that some impulsive writings are unnecessarily long and tiring to read. In our modern world, people want to read facts as quickly as possible and they would not be interested in a piece that is unnecessarily long. Dividing a long piece into several parts could be beneficial but the first part must be enticing enough otherwise the readership tumbles.  

I thought of the best way to end this piece and the idea of a disclaimer cropped up. However, it is unnecessary to indicate that any similarity of this essay with any other one elsewhere is simply coincidental because it took a few months to put these chaotic opinions together without making reference to any literature.

A big thank you to wordpress.com for this avenue.

Adeola Aderounmu.

It started to snow at about 2am and it didn’t stop until 4am. Being a delicate (some say dangerous) city, no one was awake at that time except a few groups of people who must work overnight. Among these groups are the men in masks. In the believing minds of these masked men; they were sure that the God of the innocent people in bed was watching afterall. They could not withstand the cold and snowfall. So, for the first time in their tumultuous career, they retreated before it was too late for them. They would have frozen to death. The nurses at the various hospitals could not explain what was happening to the patients or to one another. Silence and panic ran simultaneously in their minds. The security guards on Marina road and elsewhere ran to get warmth and shelter.

 That night, for the first time in a thousand nights, Lagosians unconsciously found a reason to close their windows. It was cold inside though there was no electricity to power the blades of the fans and ACs. It was unusually cold, yet many people did not even think about looking out through the windows while closing them. Instead, more blankets were retrieved from the closets here and there.

It was midweek: traders and civil servants must set out as early as 5am. Danfo drivers and molue drivers must wake up, many of them only get about 4-5 hours of sleep everyday. It is hard to make ends meet. Alas! Practically no one could get out of their homes that day. The snow measured 15cm from level surface. That was a lot! Many were shocked and confused. Some went back to bed hoping to wake up from their nightmares later. But it was not to be. It was for real, snow came down in Lagos: this odd occurence defiles all geographical or meteorological explanations.

The homeless people could not escape this judgment that came to town unannounced.  Painfully, they froze to death, all of them. Even many people inside their houses were freezing but they stayed alive using all the blankets and warm clothes at their disposal. For the first time in their lives, Lagosians appreciated the warmth that the sun brings yet they have always tried to shield themselves from it. The sun will not come to Lagos at midnight.

Everyone was certain that this was going to be a work free day. Lagosians have always believed that they must hustle everyday. They bustle through life daily, like it is normal. They are convinced that is how life should be. Apart from the occasional strikes called by the Labour Unions or announcements to stay at home for predetermined elections, Lagosians never believed in holidays. Getting an annual leave is difficult and some jobs do not even have off days.

That morning (with many strapped in 5 to 6 clothes) confusion reigned supreme in Lagos. Everything and everyone stood still. The whole of Lagos has been taken over by snow and there was no one to stand up to it. Television and radio stations were running of course; people who worked on night shifts would have to continue for as long as possible. No one could drive and there were no danfos on the roads. Additionally, there are no winter tyres to carry on and no one was sure of where the roads started or ended. This has been difficult even without snow. Even the bold danfo and molue drivers could not dare the steering wheels. Firstly, there are no passengers and secondly their knowledge of the canyons and pot holes was sufficient that they would be heading for a suicide mission. Emergency services were virtually absent as all flights into and out of the airport were suspended.

People could still move around in their neighborhoods but such movements were very restricted and were only undertaken when necessary. No food canteens were opened so people were forced to cook in their homes and those who have not been in that habit swore loudly. It was easy to trade blames when nobody has been paying attention to the needs at home. Today, no one could play busy. Some children cried for food as desperation set it in some homes. On a day like this, everyone appreciated the importance of having dry/stored food at home. However, not everyone could sustain that wish.   

The midday sun that appeared was appreciated more than all the miracles in the churches and mosques since the 1980s when religion became a means to wealth and deceits. After 2 hours of intense sunlight, the unexpected snow was no match for the tropical heat. The ice melted and everywhere was wet but at least people heaved a sigh of relief. Lagosians are used to the resultant flood. There was no rapture and the world has not ended afterall. Gradually, life returned to normal but it was too late to start any hustling now. Millions of people including the area boys, the agberos, the under-age pure water hawkers and even the policemen at check points took that day off. Those on essential services went about their normal duties. Traffic was light (but clumsy due to the flood) and life was relatively easy on Lagos roads. The governor addressed the state around 6pm but many people didn’t care about the speech.

Instead, Lagosians gathered at various spots. The temperature was perfect resulting from a blend of the midnight snow and midday sunshine.  Smokers found good reasons to warm their internal organs. As they gather over drinks and under fumes from cigarettes, many elderly people worried and argued on theories that brought snow to Lagos. No one won the arguments but those who spoke loudest were people who have sojourned abroad especially those who have experienced snow. There was a particular man who was going around with a picture he had taken in 1975 when he visited the Soviet Union for a 2 weeks course and it had snowed on him then. He felt his time had come to explain more about his experiences then. He spoke about the trucks and tractors that are used to remove snow and that never had life stopped for a minute before in places where there is real winter. That man could have spoken forever but NEPA took light. People became discouraged and left the bar immediately. This is why the youth preferred the sports bar. It cost a little more to be there but they cannot sacrifice the champions’ league games for any kind of speech, be it from a governor or an excited pensioner.

Thy Glory O’ Nigeria!