Africa

Multiple Charades

/ Adeola / Leave a comment

You need to know that the enemies-the Unbroken-exist and they are universal.

You need that knowledge to understand why a robber who stole mobile phones can be sentenced to death by hanging in record time while politicians and the elites who stole billions of dollars-under the same justice system-are receiving awards internationally.

 

Multiple Charades

By Adeola Aderounmu

Adeola Aderounmu

A former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Haliru Bello Mohammed, earlier this month appeared before the court in Abuja, sitting on a wheel chair.

Until that day nobody knew that he was ill or when he became paralyzed. Only his immediate family members must have known of his paralysis.

Since the sacking of the primitive and evil government of Jonathan Goodluck, a significant number of the main actors have disappeared into exile or become mysteriously invalids.

The list of the probable invalids grew longer when Haliru Bello arrived in his wheel chairs.

I think that his medical certificate should be on demand on his next day in court. Haliru Bello Mohammed may be truly paralyzed, but his doctors must be able to back his claims.

The department of health in Nigeria should find the growing number of political invalids (especially from the Jonathan era) very useful in updating the health statuses of public officials.

For real, both the federal departments of statistics and health should find the figures useful for the purpose of documentation and national planning.

In particular as parasitologists some of us should be interested in the causes of paralysis in adults.

The former chairman and his doctors should be able to provide data showing the etiology, symptoms and treatment of his illness.

Did he beome infected with some existing microbial organism of medical importance? Could it be a new type of microbe that the rest of the population or the political class should be wary of?

Is Bello Mohammed a rsik to the society? Does he need quarantine so that he does not spread a new and dangerous virus in the society?

Was his paralysis caused by stroke? Was that a result of the stress or tension that arose because of the knowledge of his imminent arrest and probable imprisonment should he be found guilty?

These information are important in preventive medicine and national planning. They must not be neglected.

Nigeria cannot add a new virus to the prevailing lassa fever currently on tour in Nigeria. Hold Bello Mohammed down now.

There are other dimensions with the fight against corruption in Nigeria. They are not funny. They have become like parts of the tradition in Nigeria. None of them is new and this will not be the last time we will be repeating them.

Reminding ourselves of what is wrong with us should one day bring out the consciousness that we need to turn on the real button of change.

Cross-carpeting at all levels is a permanent survival kit for all criminal politicians in Nigeria. Did anyone miss the news that Jim Nwobodo’s switched from PDP to APC ? This is one out of the thousands of annual cases in Nigeria.

The people do it, the politicians do it. The reasons are the same. Lack of principle and bad family names among others.

Whilst the clampdown on the Jonathan’s men and women is necessary, there is nothing in Nigeria today that prevent the total clampdown of all criminals in past and present government except the will to do so.

If anybody misses the point that the looters in PDP remain looters in APC after cross-carpeting, or that they team up with the ready-made criminals in APC, then it is a shame.

If you think that the monies that Nigeria lost to corruption under the regimes of Babangida, Shonekan, Abacha, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo and Yar Adua are not worth chasing, then you don’t love Nigeria. Every kobo counts.

The judiciary lost its good name many years ago when money became the basis for judgements and outcomes in courts. The politicians and military gangsters paralyzed the judiciary.

The weakened judiciary and the short-arm of the law in Nigeria are among several reasons the political and economic charades in Nigeria are permanent.

How many cases of corruption have been logically concluded in Nigeria? Many of the cases were sent into permanent coma either through bails or irreversible adjournments. Several more were not even visited.

Nigerian invented a charade called plea bargaining for extremely corrupt politicians and elites.

Last week l stated that the support for tyranny is dangerous.

The best way to get fairness and justice for more than 100 m Nigerians living from hand to mouth is for everybody to demand a total independence for the Nigerian judiciary.  The justice system must work otherwise justice will never be served.

But Nigerians are not united. We antagonize ourseleves in ways that help perpetrators of evils and injustice to thrive. We have come to the un-agreeable conclusion that all Nigerians must be corrupt.

Nigerians must learn that once the voting or selection season is over, they are not to stay on the same side as the politicians. The people should learn the difference between civil responsibilities/patriotism and being slaves to political manipulations.

In all of these messes the outstanding and undeniable fact is that is that majority of Nigerian politicians are psycopaths. They are totally mentally sick and incurable.

If the Nigerian judiciary had been functional and effective, if Nigeria’s health system had been remarkable, several Nigerian politicians would have gone to prisons nicely. Their terms in prisons would have been done in conjunction with treatment for various mental ailments.

The men who supervised the looting of more than 200 billion naira or the women who made 40 billion dollars disappeared from a nation’s national treasury cannot be sane people.

I don’t understand how a robber who stole mobile phones can be sentenced to death by hanging in record time while politicians who stole billions of dollars-under the same justice system- can have their trials lasting forever.

Mr. Goodluck Jonathan under whose command atrocties were committed leading to the total draining of the Nigerian treasury is receiving awards after awards in foreign countries.

Even Ngozi Iweala under whose watch monies were looted away from the Nigerian treasury has also received international awards.

You need to be suffering from mental slavery not to understand this familiar trend. It is the same way some famous world rulers who are war criminals are being eulogised and even given peace prizes.

Still, it is madness.

Anyway, the Nigerian judiciary needs to sit up. They have to help the people in their fight for freedom. The judiciary must win back its independence.

For those criminals who want to go and see their doctors abroad, the request should be turned down on the basis of the fact that there are hospitals in Nigeria.

Politicians facing trials and even the others (from the president to the last man at the local government) should be restrained from travelling abroad for medical tourism. They should be ordered by the courts to stay back home in Nigeria to enjoy the medical facilities that they have provided for the people.

One speedy way to improve public health care provision in Nigeria is to implement such a ban and entrench it in the constitution.

Recently also, l wrote about the total disappearance of the loots that are recovered or returned to Nigeria. It remains an issue that recovered loots have not been utilised for obvious projects for the people to see the actual effects of the loots and what they are worth.

In the absence of visible, completed extra-projects specifically financed with recovered loots it is safe to assume that the loots were relooted because loots are not used when budgets are made.

When you talk about budgets in Nigeria, people don’t know if the budget is in the National Assembly or if the goats have eaten it. We don’t even know which version they are now referring to. The budgets grew legs and then re-emerged in newer dimensions.

In the end, the fight against corruption in Nigeria remains an optical illusion, a part of the charade.

The more you look, the less you see.

Now the former military generals of the Jonathan era are coming to trials too. So far, it’s all trials and no judgements. Back door settlements and plea-bargaining made possible by the EFCC have taken over the role of the judiciary.

This is a shameful democracy. A laughable justice system.

The politicians are getting richer, new political recruits are made and the circus continues.

The rich get richer, the poor gets poorer and the ranks of the Broken and the Unbroken are rearranged.

The charade continues.

The daily human struggle for existence, for living in Nigeria continues too.

The economy is paralyzed, the Naira almost valueless.

Salaries are not paid. Jobs are cut off. Unemployment remains high.

The prices and availability of fuel are perfect on government papers while the reality bites the people to death daily.

Government is full of promises. Government says ”smile”. People are suffering as the disconnection between the government and the people gets thicker.

What we are saying now is what we have said before. I am not tired to repeat it again next week.

We are not talking about baby mammas here. We are talking about serious issues that concerns the largest collection of black people on earth. The future of the black race is at stake.

The people need to know that the political system is wrong and not working. Let’s take a took again at what we benefitted and how Nigeria made progress under regional government before the useless unitary system was enforced by the military.

Does anyone think that militants will still exist again under regional government? Will there be a Boko Haram if Northerners determine their own future?

The pipelines are now in flames again and Mr. Buhari is not in Nigeria. What do you think?

We need to enlighten our people, free them from mental and religious slavery.

One day they will understand. One day, now or in the future or in the next generation of thinkers, we-the people-will be on the same side and the march to freedom will begin.

aderounmu@gmail.com

Still Not Another Great Year

/ Adeola / Leave a comment

In historical context, the real (coming) liberation of Nigeria is not a biafran agenda. That sounds genocidal. It is the people’s agenda that will bring freedom.

Still Not Another Great Year

By Adeola Aderounmu

Which Way Nigeria?

One of my closing articles last year 2014 was titled lt Was Not A Great Year.

I recognized, though, that 2014 was a breakthrough for someone or some people.

It is the same for 2015. The year will end soon.  Femi got engaged to Ann. Someone got married. Another got a job. Someone finally laid the foundation for a house or one family finally moved to their dream home.

Perhaps someone started school in Accra or in the US.

These feats like building a mansion or having the economic means to attend the school of one’s choice outside of Nigeria could be hard-earned personal achievements or breakthroughs.

Some feats are definitely based on ill-earned wealth like looting of state or national treasury. Some people robbed the bank and some cheated some corporate bodies here and there.

In my world, genuine achievements are the only ones worth celebrating.

In my personal opinion, for Nigeria and Nigerians especially the common people with whom l associate, 2015 will not be remembered as a great year.

I don’t even want to think about the sorrows of Mama-ibeji whose two sons were gunned down by a psycho policeman because no one in position of authority in Lagos state is taking the responsibility for the tragedy.

For those in authority and for all those who have grown insensitive to the real meaning of life, it is merry as usual no matter where the next tragedy is aiming.

In 2015 more Nigerians slided down into the unemployment curve.

Generally poverty remains rife and sadly a persistent way of life for several millions.

Social injustice took a turn for the worse.  Hate crime and crimes in general increased.  Apathy and inaffection took control of millions of people.

War continues to ravage some parts of Northern Nigeria. Despite the claim of technical victory of the Nigerian government, killings linked to foreign religions and faiths escalated. Even killings related to pure tribal killings escalated in different regions.

What is technical defeat? Deceits in Nigeria has helped in the inventions of varbose terminologies. In 1993 we learnt that annulment was different from cancellation. So again l ask, what is technical defeat or technical victory?

The response of the Nigerian army leading to the summary execution of some fundamentalists in Zaria will continue to attract attention and condemnation for the present government.

Religion has laid fertile grounds to future violence and catastrophes in several parts of Nigeria. I don’t see a way out soon. Telling people to do away with religion in Nigeria is a license to creating more enemies for yourself. They don’t understand history.

I will remember many things about 2015.

Some of these memories won’t be about new developments. They will just be part of the shock that l have lived with most of my life.

Millions of people are living in Nigeria without a mind of their own. They cannot think for themselves about what is good and right. They don’t see or understand how governments and religions have made them zombies.

People’s mentalities have been permanently deformed. There are no cures.

In 2015 Nigerians are still listening to the same old music-that their politicians are criminals. The latest revelations have been dubbed Dasuki-gate.

I prefer to call it the Dasuki-Jonathan-Iweala gate. It is not different from the Babangida-gate when billions of dollars disappeared into thin air. It is not different from the Obasanjo-gate. It is the name that keep changing, Nigerian politicians are hard-core criminals.

Now, it is Dasuki that is talking. His arrest and confessions are enough to trigger a revolution in Nigeria.

I cannot ”shop” or ”buy” that denial that Buhari did not benefit from the Dasuki-Jonathan-Iweala gate. No, not yet.

Why should l believe all the confessions of Dasuki and take off only one of them because it is about Mr. Buhari? I can as well just dismiss all his confessions in that case.

True, the APC-led government is now acting under immense pressure in recent days.

I don’t feel sorry for Mr. Buhari and his supporters. They can try all they can. They can explain or justify all they can. What is unchangeable is that the Dasuki-Jonathan-Iweala largesse went round and came round.

Dasuki may have just bought his freedom by implicating Buhari. If he continues to talk, it will get messier. Suddenly a bail could be granted!

Who know? Nigerians may have heard and seen the end of another make-believe trial.

APC is not the solution to Nigeria’s problem.

It is the people of Nigeria who will determine when enough is enough.

They will do this by first, occupying and sacking the senate.

They will choose good men and women of impeccable character to sit and discuss how they want to live and pursue happiness. Soon, they will find it that this is do-able without a rotten and wasteful senate.

They will talk about what kind of life they want their children and grandchildren to live.

They will sit and plan a system of government that will work 200 years from now and forever more.

They will learn from history that this is how great nations arose, that no country was served with greatness on a platter of gold. It may take time, but this is where Nigeria’s greatness will be molded-when the people make up their minds.

When a senate is cutting ribbons to launch suggestion boxes then you know that the conquerors of Nigeria are truly insane.

When the people are ready, without a single loss of life, they will negotiate their existence within or without Nigeria.

It is not a Biafran agenda which sounds genocidal already. Rather it is a liberation-of-Nigeria-agenda and the people will orchestrate and carry it out.

This madness where a few privileged people have successfully sustained a permanently corrupt and haphazard system that enslave and punish more than 100 million people must come to an end.

It is arguably the biggest tragedy in the world unfolding since 1960.

Hence it is sad that at the end of 2015 the Nigerian government in its infinite mercilessness continue to make decisions whereby the people pay for the sins of the criminals in government.

The latest is the credit card palaver. It was the end of year present for all Nigerians for their resiliency.

It was a topping on the recurrent annual ritual of petroleum products scarcity.

These came on the heels of the biometric verification process that robbed millions of Nigerians the opportunity to run their bank accounts simply because they don’t live in Nigeria.

I could give a million reasons why 2015 was not a great year. Imagine if l delve into the health, education and infrastructure areas. What about if l went ahead to discuss the power sector and the failure of the manufacturing sector.

One thing is undeniable. Nigeria is now a backward country compared to the rest of the world.

There is however no end to this argument that 2015 was not a great year for Nigeria.

For me, to even imagine what lies ahead of Nigeria in 2016 under the prevailing global crash in oil-prices and other revolutionary advances around the world is totally hearbreaking

aderounmu@gmail.com

Corruption, Biafra And The Untrue Claim Of Igbo Marginalisation

/ Adeola / Leave a comment

Looking at the composition of government between 29 May 1999 and 29 May 2015, persons from all ethnic groups have participated in running down Nigeria financially and economically.

Corruption, Biafra And The Untrue Claim Of Igbo Marginalisation

By Salimonu Kadiri

Mr Salimonu Kadiri

Mr Salimonu Kadiri

In Nigeria up to January 15, 1966, where the name of the President was Nnamdi Azikiwe and the name of the President of the Senate was Nwafor Orizu, it must be the most uninteligent propaganda to assert that the Igbo were marginalised in Nigeria since independence.

After the civil war Igbo soldiers and civil servants who were in the service of the Federal government before the war were re-absorbed and those due for pension received it. Even Ojukwu who led the rebellion applied for and received pension as a Lieutenant Colonel the rank he held in the Nigerian Army before the war.

From 1979 to 1983 when civilians ruled Nigeria, the Vice President was Alex Ekwueme and the Speaker of the House of Representatives was Edwin Ume Ezeoke. During the military rule of Ibrahim Babangida from 1985 to 1993 Ohaneze Ndigbo was so pleased with him that he was honoured with Igbo traditional title of ‘Ogugua Ndigbo’ meaning ‘the Comforter of Igbo People.’ It is noteworthy that Babangida’s Minister of Finance and National Development was Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu.

In the eight years of Obasanjo’s Presidency, Igbo played prominent roles in his government. After the exit of Theophilous Danjuma as Minister of Defence in 2004, Obasanjo appointed Thomas I. Aguiyi Ironsi the son of General Ironsi as Minister of Defence. Between 1999 and 2007, there were not less than four Igbo Senate Presidents.

When the Senate President, Evan(s) Enwerem, was impeached for fraudulent change of name and certificate forgery he was replaced with Chuba Okadigbo who in turn was impeached for breaching financial regulations by granting anticipatory approval for street light contracts. He was suceeded by Adolphus Wabara who also was impeached for collecting bribes to pass budgets and was replaced by Anyim Pius Anyim.

While Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was Obasanjo’s Minister of Finance, Charles Chukwuma Solhdo was Governor of Central Bank and Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke was Director General of Nigerian Security Exchange Commission. Special Adviser to Obasanjo on Political Matters was Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife and no one could see Obasanjo without first passing through Andy Nnamdi Uba. Up to 29 May 2015, the only position in Nigeria a person of Igbo ethnic group did not occupy since the return of civilian rule in 1999 is just the Presidency.

In the last four years of the government of Goodluck Jonathan, persons of Igbo ethnic group featured prominently in very strategic positions.

Here follows some examples:

  • Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was Anyim Pius Anyim
  • Chief Economic Adviser to President Jonathan was Professor Nwanze Okeidigbe
  • irector Budget Office of the Federation was Bright Okogwu
  • Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement was Emeka Eze
  • Director General Bureau of Public Enterprise was Benjamin Ezra Dikki
  • Director General, Security Exchange Commission was Arunma Oteh
  • Director General Nigerian Security Exchange was Oscar Onyema
  • Managing Director AMCON was Chike Obi
  • Governor of Central Bank after Sanusi was removed was Godwin Emefiele
  • Managing Director of Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund was Uche Orji
  • Director General, Housing Fund was Sunday Iroha
  • Managing Director, Bank of Industry was Evelyn Oputa
  • Director General of PENCOM was Chinelu Onuoha
  • Director General, Debt Management Office was Dr. Abraham Nwankwo
  • Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economy was Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Finance was Anastasia Nwokobia
  • When Professor Bert Nnaji was removed as Minister of Power, he was replaced with Professor Chinedu Ostadinma Ndubuisi Nebo
  • Minister of Health was Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu
  • Minister of Labour and Productivity was Emeka Wogu.
  • When the late Ashiru was removed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2013, he was replaced by Viola Onwuleri
  • Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations and up till date is Professor Mrs. Joy Ogwu
  • When Stella Adaeze Oduah was removed as Minister of Aviation in 2013, she was replaced with Osita Chidoka.

The list can be made longer in exposing persons of Igbo ethnic group that held strategic positions in Jonathan’s government but permit me to reflect on the removal of Stella Adaeze Oduah as Minister of Aviation.

In 2011, the budget for fuel subsidy was N245 billion but by December 2011 the sum of

N1.7 trillion had been paid out by the Ministry of Finance without supplementary budget.

After January 2012 uproar over Jonathan’s plan to remove fuel subsidy, subsequent enquiry showed that billions of naira were paid for unsupplied fuel and that the government was subsidizing thieves.

Among the subsidized thieves was the Minister of Aviation, Stella Adaeze Oduah, who parallel to her ministerial post was also Director General of a company, called Sea Petroleum and Gas (SPG). She owned 99% share of the Company while the rest 1% was shared between those identified as Elisabeth Stewart, Josephine Oduah and Erotomi Buwa.

The Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments discovered in September 2012, that SPG collected one billion, nineteen million, five-hundred and seventy-one thousand six-hundred and nine naira as fuel subsidy without supplying any fuel. She was not alone in oil subsidy thievery under Jonathan that was not punished in that era of impunity (na me dey there, who fit catch me).

In what appeared to be power passed position, Stella Adaeze Oduah was found to have exceeded her internal budget approval limit of N100 million by approving N643 million for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the purchase of 54 vehicles including two bullet-proof cars at $1.6 million in 2013. When the transaction was exposed, it turned out that the Minister of Aviation, Stella Adaeze Oduah was Igbo, the then Acting Director General of the NCAA who authorised the purchase of the armoured cars, Mr. Joyce Nkemakolam was Igbo, Director of finance at NCAA who carried out the order of the DG, Mr. S.Ozizi was Igbo, The Minister of Finance that granted a waiver (no import tax) for the purchase of the armoured vehicles, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was Igbo, the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement who issued the Certificate of no Objection, Emeka Eze was Igbo; the Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Hope Uzodinma was Igbo; the Chairman House Committee on Aviation Nkeiruka Onyejeocha was Igbo; and the car dealer who sold the armoured cars, Cosmas Maduka was Igbo.

Yet some people have the gut to say Igbo were marginalised in the governance of Nigeria. That is completely untrue.

The second perceived injustice that necessitates demand for Biafra is the creation of only five states in the Southeast geopolitical zone as compared with other zones that have six or more states. The primary purpose of creating state is to bring governance closer to the people and the larger the landmass, the more there is need for State creation.

The five states of Southeast: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo–have a landmass of 29, 388 Square Kilometres and a population of 16, 431, 555, according to 2006 census.

Compared to the six South-south states comprising of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo and Rivers which have 94,924 Sq. Km., landmass and a population of 21, 044, 081, according to 2006 census, it will be unjust to have the same number of states in the Southeast as in the South-south with a landmass that is approximately five times bigger in size.

Although the Southeast is densely populated, it possesses the smallest landmass among the six geo-political zones and it should not have been more than three States in view of its landmass. In his Pirate Radio Broadcast, Nnamdi Kanu had talked about Igbo superiority, Hausa/Fulani parasitism and Yoruba cowardice.

He wants a Republic of Igbo land for Igbo alone but at the same time considers Asaba, Agbor, Ikot-Ekpene, Uyo, Eket, Ogoja, Calabar, Annang, Yenogoa, Warri, Ahoada, Ughelli, Degema and Port-Harcourt as part of Biafra’s 25 provinces. Apart from the Nka Igbo of Asaba and Agbor the South-south is composed of the Ijaw, Urhobo, Edo (Benin, Esan, Iromi, Auchi, Agenebode, Sabogida Ora) Itsekiri, Isoko, Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Efik, Ogoni and Ikwere.

Going by what happened during the civil war I don’t believe that the South-south will be willing to be integrated into Kanu’s Biafra. Victims of past tragedies should be less gung-ho about future ones. At moment we have three rival groups fighting for the secession of Biafra. These are IPOB, MASSOB and BIM.

A faction of MASSOB led by Uchenna Madu supports KANU’s led IPOB while Ralph Uwazuruike’s faction has formed Biafra Independent Movement, (BIM). Uwazuruike’s group has accused IPOB and Madu’s led MASSOB of perpetrating mayhem in the Southeast and South-south recently and blamed them for destruction of property and loss of lives during protests.

Biafra is not yet achieved and there is sharp disunity among the leaders. What then do we expect if the secession of Biafra is accomplished? South Sudan became independent from Sudan but soon after that the leaders of South Sudan, President Salva Kiir from Dinka ethnic group and Vice President Riek Machar from Nuer ethnic group, began to fight among themselves which culminated into a civil war that is still going on.

So far, the Igbo in other parts of Nigeria have not abided by the directive of Uchenna Madu’s faction of MASSOB, to return home to Igboland. Abiding by that directive, would have been the most peaceful way of achieving Biafra but many Igbo wisely consider MASOB’s directive as asking whales to leave the ocean to come and swim in a pond of water as a directive to embark on self-extinction.

Looking at the composition of government between 29 May 1999 and 29 May 2015, persons from all ethnic groups have participated in running down Nigeria financially and economically.

Therefore, there are as many, if not more, illegitimate ethnic Igbo millionaires/billionaires as there are in other ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Nigerian millionaires do not own factories and do not manufacture anything but poverty by stealing appropriated funds for national development.

President Buhari has promised not only to stop the looting of our collective patrimony by privileged few but to give investigative institutions free hands to arrest looters from the immediate past government, for the purpose of recovering looted funds.

It should be a unique opportunity for all Nigerians to support Buhari to sanitize Nigeria from thieving officials, but instead he is not only confronted with the menace of Boko Haram but Biafran secessionists.

If the resources of Nigeria are properly managed and the results are justly distributed among the citizens, the country would be a paradise for all of us. At the moment Nigerians are sleeping at the petrol stations to get fuel into their vehicles. Yet, Nigeria exports crude oil after reserving 445,000 barrels a day to be refined at the four refineries in the country for domestic consumption.

A barrel is equal to 159 litres which make 445,000 barrels to be 70,775,000 litres crude oil per day. If the over 70 million litres are refined, Nigerian oil refineries will be producing not less than 50 million litres of petrol per day apart from other derivatives such as diesel, bitumen, kerosine and some other chemicals.

Since the daily consumption of petrol is approximated to 40,000,000 litres, it means Nigeria would not need to import petrol and pump price would not be more than 30 naira.

But Nigeria’s four oil refineries have been plunged into comatose in order to pave way for massive and lucrative import of refined petroleum products while at the same time, the managers and directors of the comatose refineries are receiving full pay and allowances for producing nothing.

So in the coming year, I wish that we Nigerians may speak with one voice to the government of Nigeria. I wish God to punish those who have looted or are still looting Nigeria. I wish for God vengeance on members of the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature that have been or are still part of the looting.

I wish that the lives of those whose harmful designs of cannibalistic theft have denied majority of Nigerians quality healthcare, infrastructural development, clean and potable water, good housing and functional education, be cut off in gruesome manner as God did to Ananias and Sapphira in the Acts of Apostles Chapter Five.

CONCLUDED

Ogunlakaiye@hotmail.com

 

At 55, Nigeria Still Crawls

/ Adeola / Leave a comment

Without complete and due accountability, without a system of government that removes power from one man in one place now called Abuja, Nigeria will crawl even when she celebrates 100 years of independence.

At 55, Nigeria Still Crawls

By Adeola ADEROUNMU

Adeola Aderounmu

Adeola Aderounmu

The present status of Nigeria is still fragile, more like in the heartbreaking mode.

Week 40 of 2015, 4 days to Nigeria at 55 and Mr. Buhari is not in Nigeria. There are no ministers to run the various ministries and federal departments. There are no blueprints or references or working documents to measure the performance of government.

This is lack of respect for more than 160 m people! It is disregard to the principles of democracy and good governance. It is a way of creating confusion in the land.

Candidly l don’t think Mr. Buhari knows the difference between civilian rule and military rule yet. It is disgraceful that the APC and Mr. Buhari cannot produce ministers more than 100 days after their mandate came into effect. They are not ready to lead the country and if care it not taken Nigeria’s economy will suffer greatly. The people will become poorer.

Surely the saintly, angelic ministers must appear someday. But how the APC-mandate under Mr. Buhari will unfold will be of historic significance.

No one has spoken openly about how public education will be revived and made affordable. No one has spoken about housing, standard of living and the welfare of the citizens. No one has spoken about how to move Nigerian hospitals away from religious or revival centers to structures where lives can be saved and cherished.

The pictures emerging from New York showing how Mr. Buhari and Mr. Obasanjo are mingling with Mr. Gordon are extremely insignifcant to the welfare of Mama Taju and Baba Chukwudi who are waiting in Ilasamaja and Onitsha respectively for the blueprints on the education of their children and how their future can be ensured.

Buhari OBJ Gordon

Buhari OBJ Gordon

This has been the pattern, that Nigerian rulers and the conquerors of Abuja continue to maintain a distance from the people. The reliance on the ineffective unitary system of government and the insincerity of the state and local governments are perfect scenarios for misgovernance and maladministration-the hallmarks of public service across Nigeria.

I remember the assault on us when Nigeria became 25 years as an independent country. There were all sorts of sponsored jingles on the national TV channels and radio stations.

Arise, salute the nation, come join the celebrations, Nigeria is 25, Nigeria is 25. Every day, every time, this jingle was imposed on our minds and melted into our subconsciousness.

Nigerian rulers are ruthless and they lack respect for the citizens. The jingles in 1960 and the jingles in 1985 orchestrated by the civilians looters and the military gangsters respectively were part of the greater plot to enslave Nigerians.

Sadly in the days approaching 2016 the majority of the Nigerian population are living as slaves. It is even sadder that the people who are living as slaves do not realise this. They have become so pre-ocuppied with different survival strategies that they do not even have the awareness that they  are living the lifestyles they didn’t choose, one which the power to change will always be in their hands.

The immediate post-independence generation is gradually fading away without winning back the Nigeria of their dreams. They allowed the criminal politicians and the military gangsters among them to get away just like that because of tribal or ethnic sentiments among other unacceptable reasons that promote evil over good.

Similarly the entire post-independent generations are entangled in a struggle between hope, promises and fading dreams. They grew up seeing their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, their friends and families carting away the treasuries from the local, state and federal governments.

Some of them are direct or indirect beneficiaries of this social malady. The majority are on-lookers shouting every weekend in mosques, shrines and churches. Some are disconnected totally from reality and thereby choose to kill, maim or kidnap others. They turn their anger and frustrations on fellow citizens using religion as a platform. Religion will remain among the most dangerous inventions of man.

As a result of the network of political gangsterism in Nigeria, the fight for a common country with fairness for all was lost a long time ago. It does not appear that the struggle for the emancipation of the masses will be fought again unless the civil society become organised and united.

When I am doing fine and when my family is doing better than our neighbours, l don’t care. This slogan is the hidden Nigerian anthem.

The selfishness and the evil in the hearts of men in any country are stumbling blocks working against the spirit of patriotism and the achievement of the common good of all.

There are radical ways to bring Nigeria back on track.

The government must work for the people and the people must work for the government. The political system must be right and the institutions of government must be functional.

All the things that have crumbled must be revived at the same time. Education, Health, Housing and Roads among a growing list of the things that have made life less worth living in Nigeria. Family planning and citizen orientation will avail much.

At some point the people must find the trigger to orchestrate the fight for what they want and how they wish to live a better life. The government full of corrupt people and treasury looters will not offer it to them on a platter of gold.

It must be emphasized that only an insignificant proportion of the Nigerian population have had it well. Even then they have co-existed with the wretched population in the same environment that is full of abnormalities.

All the sad situations in Nigeria are well known. Some people want critics to proffer solutions and we reply by saying the answer lies in good governance and accountability. It is as easy as doing what is right, condemning what is wrong and making sure you leave every situation better than you met it. How hard is that?

We have added that the political system and the political structures are not working. They give room to the emergence of criminals in public services under a unitary system that makes dictators out of democrats and tyrants out of soldiers.

Nigeria is always at a crossroads, the choices that the people and the government make each time are always on the wrong side of history. For example, Saraki is on trial and the man has not even resigned! Nigerian politicians are special breeds of criminals, hard-heartened and die-hard looters.

What decision can Nigeria make at this time? Another easy question!

After Saraki’s trial and wherever the law leaves him (free or in prison), Nigerians have a collective responsibility to continue this process of cleaning the political and public arenas.

There are Halliburton criminals in Nigeria and they are friends of Buhari, even travelling the world with him! Buhari is not even ashamed of what ordinary citizens are ashamed of. He is not yet a good ruler! It still looks like the birds of the same feather.

Nigerians have the power to occupy the entire country until the judiciary orders the police to produce all the Halliburton criminals in court. Let’s see where the judiciary will leave them when their trials are over.

Why should Nigerians even stop there? There are several hundrerds or thousands of politicians and military gangsters living in Nigeria and abroad who have looted the treasuries. Do they have 2 heads while Saraki has one?

Again, Nigerians have the right to occupy their country or the judiciary until justice served to one is served to all.

There are many ways to move Nigeria forward and two signals that need to be clear are that stealing is corruption and that no one is above the law.

One way not to move Nigeria forward is the ruling government playing the role of the opposition. The APC leadership has perfected the art of responding to PDP’s disruptive PRO machinery. The government that should lead is stupidly playing the opposition because of its lack of creativity and initiative.

As all these play out, if some people remain above the law, more than 90% of Nigerians will continue to live forever as slaves no matter the style of governance.

The way to make Nigeria great is to make every single citizen account for their time and service to country and humanity. Without complete and due accountability, without a system of government that removes power from one man in one place now called Abuja, Nigeria will crawl even when she celebrates 100 years of independence.

aderounmu@gmail.com

Why Are Our Politicians Criminals?

/ Adeola / Leave a comment

The overbearing nature of the systemic corruption becomes the burden of the people, the states and the country. Invariably corruption is accepted as a way of life in Nigeria.

Why Are Our Politicians Criminals?

By Adeola Aderounmu

Which Way Nigeria?

One of my earliest articles in the Nigerian Guardian Newspaper (precisely in 2002) was titled: Why Politicians Steal. Since then I have made references to that article several times.

It is still very shocking that nearly all Nigerian politicians are criminals.

In my opinion, since they are all stunningly rich whilst in office and their lifestyles/wealth accumulation afterwards does not reflect their salaries or allowances, l am going to conclude that they are all guilty until proven innocent.

Why are they all criminals?

There are no easy ways to explain how Nigeria got to this point. It reminds me of the irreversible reactions from my chemistry lessons.

In Nigeria you almost cannot get anything done anywhere in the country unless someone’s palms are laced with bribes, kickbacks or advance fees in form of fraud. Hence the overbearing nature of the systemic corruption becomes the burden of the people, the states and the country.

Invariably corruption is accepted as a way of life in Nigeria. It is the system and the way things work.

In Nigeria government and governance collapsed a long time ago giving way to corruption as a highly organised syndrome in the society.

It must be the organised nature of corruption that makes it possible for a respected former governor like Fashola to be in the news for the wrong reasons in recent weeks, no matter if these are the handiwork of his enemies or detractors.

Someone submitted a quotation to drill 2 boreholes for N139 m and the state approved it. The state (represented by Fashola) and the contractor (representing the people) are both criminals.

This is just one example of the thousands of contracts awarded across Nigeria monthly.

Through contracts, inflated wages and allowances and in many other ways Nigerian politicians remain criminals in their dispositions.

Why are the local government chairperson criminals? Why are the state governors’ criminals? Why are the state and federal lawmakers’ criminals? Why are all the former presidents and former heads of states criminals? Must they be criminals?

I heard that when completed projects are commissioned in Nigeria, that contracts are given for the purchase of the pair of scissors used in cutting the tapes or bands. The average cost of the pair of scissors usually ends up at N150 000!

The person who got the contract, the person who approved it and the public official (chairman, governor or president) who used a one-time pair of scissors that cost N150 000 are all criminals.

Next time anyone needs a pair of scissors to cut tape in Nigeria, please send me an email or give me a call. I will send one for free. My only request will be that the N150 000 should be donated to the motherless babies home in lsolo because someone will add the N150 000 to the expenditures anyway.

Nigeria politicians remain criminal because that is what the system requires, sadly. It doesn’t have to be so. I heard that if a man or a woman tries to be honest and trustworthy, that he or she can be murdered by friends or colleagues.

People who try to be honest at places of work or in public services are soon disowned by friends and families.

When good people become endangered species, the result is what reflects in the daily lives of the ordinary masses-the downtrodden.

Nigeria is rotten in uncountable ways. People who are not willing to play ball are neglected, cast aside or even never given the opportunity to emerge as public servants or contributors to the success of the society.

In this sense the country Nigeria has been a tragic occurrence since the years that precede the civil war years.

But are there ways to get out of this ugly situation? How can the people be cured of their permanent fixation on corruption as a means of succeeding in the country? Nigeria does not have a specific dose of ingredients or actions that will cure her.

It is very difficult to know what should come first in an attempt to move this country away from these criminalities that fill the minds of all and sundry. The majority of the people have never known a system that works correctly.

The majority of the people have been wrongly orientated for most part or all of their lives.

Education is no longer universal in Nigeria and civics, history and citizen responsibilities are off the curriculum. People grew up seeing that their existences are like a rat race and the ultimate goal became to be materially better than your friends and neighbours no matter how you do it. This is so tragic!

The only thing that has mattered in Nigeria since the collapse of governance almost 5 decades ago is how one takes the shortest cut to wealth. Family values collapsed as many parents became incapable of raising normal children in an abnormal country. Even politicians mentor their wards and godsons to be criminals like them.

But there are still many people who are representing Nigeria positively in various ways at home and abroad. There are good families and there are good parents.

Yet, one is worried about the several questions that beg for answers and solutions.

How can the majority be educated or given the appropriate orientation that will help to reduce or eliminate the criminal tendencies in them either in private or public institutions? How can Nigeria one day revert to that point where a proposal for a borehole will reflect N1m or N2m if that is the correct cost rather than an exaggerated N70 m?

The alternative costs to Nigeria’s corruption-ridden contracts and looting of treasuries are inestimable. Does the Lagos State government for example know how many Lagosians that can be housed with N70m? Then multiply that by 2…Then let us imagine the scale of corruption nationally!!!  Tragic! Painful!

There must be a particular action that will set the ball rolling.

How can Nigeria stop choosing criminals to serve them? How can Nigerians stop seeing criminality as a normal way of life? How or when will this falling country be able to finally round up all the political criminals still parading themselves around town as saints?

I can reiterate two things that l think are important for Nigeria and Nigerians.

First is the political solution that all beneficiaries of the political nonsense in Nigeria do not want to discuss. Just now Nigeria remains a game and whoever captures the center controls everything.

At this moment it is Buhari and APC who decide who a criminal is or not. To some extent it seems the EFCC is wriggling its tail in recent months after many years of nonsense job done. The EFCC itself is rotten! The judiciary is lame.

A correct political system will remove the power at the center and allow the different regions to develop at own pace. Some 50 something years ago Nigeria was among the best countries in the world under the regional system of government. Why is it so hard or impossible to implement the system that works best? It baffles the intelligent minds.

A correct political system will settle the nonsensical discussions and arguments about the useless federal character to a large extent. Resource control can be discussed so that another idiotic war does not break out.

The second issue is independent of the first. It is about the institutions of governance, how they can be managed correctly and productively.

For a dysfunctional unitary system (as it is now in Nigeria) or a decentralized regional government, it is still important that criminals are not in positions. This is a dilemma for Nigeria or the states.

Under any kind of system, the persistence of criminals everywhere and in political offices anywhere in the land will continue to show in the low standard of living, the high cost of living, lack of electricity, lack of social justice, lack of social amenities, lack of public schools, low life expectancy, high mortality rate, increase in number of uneducated people and many other vices that are characteristics of a poverty-ridden country/a failed country.

One solution that has never failed in history is the genuine revolution masterminded by the downtrodden masses who have lost everything to the oppressors and losing their own lives became the ultimate price for the freedom of their children and children’s children.

aderounmu@gmail.com