Democracy

Naija: Charity Begins Abroad

/ Adeola / 4 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

If all the corrupt politicians and other corrupt people in Naija are to be arrested while abroad and put on trial, we will likely have a state of emergency.

What I mean is that there will be almost no one left in the seat of government in Naija and several businesses both private and public will need sudden adjustments to be able to continue with their functions or activities.

This is not an exaggeration. Corruption is a way of life rather than an exception in Naija and it must stop.

Naija’s seat of power will be empty if international laws make room or allowance for the sort of criminal prosecution that James Ibori is undergoing in UK.

Think about all the corruption charges and criminal activities that have been swept under the carpets in Naija since time immemorial.

It is impossible to write the list all over again; one can go mad trying to do that. Which one do you want to start from and where do you want to end?

Summarily you will hardly find any member of the ruling class both ex- and present at federal, state and local levels that are not soiled in one form of corruption/ looting charges or the other. You will hardly find officials who are not living above their income + allowances.

There are many probes that have been undertaken but we always end up at square one. That means that nothing comes out of the probes. Instead the discovered loots from Naija and abroad are redistributed and everyone goes mute. When it is not that, it is one corrupt group providing cover to another one.

Ideology departed naija long time ago.

The end result is the devastation of Naija by those who have promised to uphold the constitution, the rule of law and service to humanity. The outcome is the disgraceful ranking of Naija among the poorest countries in the world.

Time and time again I have refused to come to terms with how (probably) the most blessed country in the world became a home to some of the poorest people alive. This incomprehensible agony may follow me to my grave. It’s the greatest pain I bear.

How and what do you want to think about Naija. They tell us to stop complaining. How can we? Everyone of us must continue to use the means / medium available to him or her to continue to address the issues affecting Naija no matter how little the contributions seems. We will never have a perfect country but we must do all we can to pursue the optimal conditions-that aim at peace, happiness and the fulfilment of our dreams as individuals and as a nation.

Just the other day another Naija who has shamelessly contributed to the under-development of our football over the years was finally exposed far away in Switzerland. Amos Adamu, instead of accepting his fate, instead of repenting and turning a new leaf went bragging about his innocence. Evidence don’t lie, not when they are available in audio and video. If he pushes his luck too far the evidence may surface on YouTube sooner or later.

A person like me can only wish, but International laws are not going to change to the extent that they will allow all the corrupt people in Naija to be arrested and prosecuted while on wasteful adventures abroad.

I do not mean / and I have never stated that oyinbos are not corrupt but the differences are too clear. When oyinbos–as individuals-are exposed or caught in the acts, they tend to resign and then face court actions. Naijans don’t resign. They get promoted after each corrupt activity.

Even if a newspaper or news outfit in Naija publishes a story about one corrupt officer or public servant. The story may not appear twice.

The affected officer/ his people will kill the news information by several means. The journalist can be bribed and kept silence forever. The journalist could even be literarily killed like it has happened several times in Naija. The newspaper/ news outfit company may even see such information as a means to enrich the organisation as a whole. Blackmail may set in.

In the end the story dies. Poverty spreads and the moral decadence is aggravated.

There are thousands of cases of Naija officials who have escaped from the arm of the law even under the EFCC since its inception. EFCC as it was in the beginning is still the same today-selectively and inconclusively pursuing justice. It makes no sense. The essence of our lives remains eroded by the consequences of all the things we have done half way or totally neglected.

In 1983 Mrs Obi my class teacher at Central Primary School, Festac Town, taught me that nearly does not catch a bird. Throughout life, my father told me that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. I have learnt many things in my life. These things indicate to me that the people who have managed to hold the rest of us hostage in Naija are abnormal people.

The rest of us have loads of sacrifices to make if we want true freedom and normal independence. To this day, it’s absolute madness at the helm of affairs where corruption continues to beget corruption.

The cost of the destruction and devastation that has befallen Naija are inestimable. We could have built a bridge that goes round the world if we wanted. We didn’t. Instead we created emperors, tyrants and dictators who have total evil intents and wicked purposes.

For example, if we look at the cost of going to school alone in Nigeria, we get an overview of the doom ahead. Whilst every nation of the world strive to provide basic, compulsory and affordable or free education to their citizens, Nigeria continues to make it harder and harder for ordinary people to get education. It is as if that is the plan for the slavery of the future.

We have gone through the first slavery. We have gone through first colonisation. Both perpetrated by oyinbos. We are now enduring second (internal) colonisation. Yet the present indicates that the future might be worse. I am not a pessimist but when you take education away from the people, you make their emancipation even harder.

I could write forever about my pains and frustrations as a naija person. But my message as usual, is that we should put an end to the stupidity that reigns in our public institutions. I know that it is possible to turn things around. I’ve been searching for the turning point for naija.

Rather than trying to fix problems, wouldn’t it be better for us at every point in time to ensure that we do the right thing, seek peace, fairness and justice?

In all that we do, because no one will build this nation but ourselves, Charity must begin in Naija.

Okey Bakassi and the Nigerian Mentality of How Politics Works

/ Adeola / 3 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

Okey Bakassi’s real names are McAnthony Onyegbule. He was a guest on The Teju Babayface Show sometime ago. He is currently the Executive Assistant to the Imo State Governor.

The position of the Executive Assistant is one of the thousands of positions in Nigerian Politics that are unconstitutional, irrelevant and wasteful.

Think about this, there are 36 states in Nigeria. Each Governor has an almost redundant Deputy Governor. Governors have several assistants, Deputy Governors have several assistants. All the assistants have deputy assistants. The chains continue down the ranks creating one of the most wasteful forms of governance in the world.

The situation is the same in the House of Assembly and House of Representatives both at the state and national leverls. Each non-thinking dude or madam creates a similar links of deputy, assistants, executive assistants and so on.

In my world, these types of situations are classical social madness.

On that particular episode of The TejuBaby face Show, Okey Bakassi as he is fondly called said so many things about Nigerian politics which made me conclude (once again) that hope is far from Nigeria.

He mentioned that what journalists write about Nigerian politics is far from what is going on in the government houses.

He also mentioned that “when you are inside” you see things differently and that there are many things on how government functions that are not known to the rest of us.

I was furious when he spoke because his body language was obvious. It gave him away as “now one of the corrupt”.

What journalists write about Nigeria may not always be the truth for sure. The reason is because Nigerian Press has been overtaken by the Nigerian Factor. Many Journalists are corrupt, they accept bribes in different forms-cash and kind-from the politicians.

There may be a few corrupt-free journalists left in Nigeria but they are rare species. This means that sometimes we still get to read or hear the truth about how corrupt and silly our politicians are. It means that on rare occasions we still get to know the “truth” about some things in Nigeria.

Many newspapers are owned by corrupt people, godfathers and all sorts of dubious characters. I have almost stopped reading Nigerian newspapers. It is so-so hard to find honest inputs in the Nigerian press.

Opinion writers and editorial stuffs are even sometimes based on the brown envelope syndrome. No Nigerian newspaper is free of this shame.

Corruption-escalated by tribalism, nepotism and ineptitude-has eaten deep into all the possible things and places in Nigeria.

“When you are inside”. What does Okey Bakassi mean by this expression?

We have asked for a transparent and honest form of government. We got nothing close. Even the present government in Nigeria is a serious scandal to the black race.

There is no attempt to fight or stop corruption because the custodians of power are travelling in the same boat as the guilty and the criminals.

When the people we know and trust enter into/ or become part of government, the first thing they do is to disappoint us.

There are thousands of names of people whom we trust. People whom we thought, Oh this is going to be better. Alas..! As soon as they are inside everything changes.

Nigeria is likely to remain a hopeless country (forever) in terms of political greatness if this mentality is not erased once and for all.

Nigerian politics has been used by people to transform their lives. One month after entering into politics, a Nigerian politician or some funny assistant can afford to send all his families abroad-to live or study there permanently.

Why can’t they fix Nigeria and let their families stay here in Nigeria like the rest of us?

They scoop our monies and loot our treasury. The truth they spoke when on the outside suddenly departs them “when you are inside”. They are now agents of lies and deceits.

I am not talking about only Okey Bakassi now. I am talking about a typical nice and well brought up Nigerian person. He/ she enters into politics and become evil in nature.

It is evil and wicked to steal, loot or to partake in stealing and looting in whatever ways.

Every kobo stolen in Nigeria adds to the persistent and increasing level of poverty. Every ½kobo taken one way or the other in the wrong manner adds up to the devastation of lives.

Look at Nigerian roads, schools, hospitals and all that is common to the common people. What you get is disaster..! After all these years and after all we have said and done, Electricity is almost absent in Nigeria!

Yet when one of us gets into government house as assistant or even the speaker of the house of rep, what we get back are monsters who suddenly forget about the transiency of life and power.

They forget completely the purpose of life. At that moment, a form of psychopathic madness characterised by egocentrism and demonic urge for money, wealth and acquisition of inexhaustible riches take over.

I will never come to terms with Nigerian politicians and public servants buying houses and property abroad with monies that should have been used to serve the people in Nigeria. We destroy our motherland while pretending to be doing good. We lie and make it a way of life. We kill those who speak the truth.

Nigerian politics is peculiar. It beats me that murderers, looters, thieves and generally incompetent people are running for the presidency and other government houses in Nigeria. Where is law and order?

If this is the best dish we can serve Africa and the rest of the world, the rest of us “who are outside of government” really have ourselves to blame for the type of stories coming from Okey Bakassi and the extremely low of quality of life that we live.

“When you are inside” My Foot!

N18 000 is Still Minimum [Poverty] Wage

/ Adeola / 5 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

There was a strike in Nigeria on Wednesday November 10. These strikes were called by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

These Unions reached an agreement with the Nigerian government in 2009. As a tradition the government didn’t keep its part of the agreement.

The people want a raise of the Minimum wage to USD120 (about N18 000). The present minimum wage is about USD 60 or N9 000.

The goal is to eventually get the minimum wage to USD350 which is about N52 200.

This is touching, sad and extremely irritating. In 2010 there are people earning USD 60 in Nigeria!

More sadly there is no unemployment benefit, which means that some people don’t earn or gain anything at all at the end of the month.

This is the same country where the politicians earn more money when compared to the US president Mr. Obama. Nigeria is one of the largest producers of crude oil in the world and our politicians are probably the highest paid in the world.

Irritatingly they are also grouped among the most corrupt persons on planet earth.

These demands for wage increase reduced the Nigerian labourer to almost a piece of unappreciated rubbish. Very sorrowful and extremely painful against the backdrop of a country that tries to preach that it is the giant of Africa.

If we put the national earnings of Nigeria since 1960 side by side with what the workers are demanding we see one of the biggest contradictions of the century.

We need no reminder that Nigeria has been mismanaged and plundered by her rulers and dictators in various forms-military and civilian authoritarianisms even to this day.

The strikes have been suspended. What the Nigerian government should do is to assess the standard of living of the average Nigerian and work out appropriate wages that will ensure good quality of life for all and sundry.

Apart from money, infrastructures must be provided or reinstated. Food, Water and Housing must be provided for all. Good roads and modern schools cannot be left out. Along with good health, these are the indices of poverty.

Nigeria must fight corruption by all means and ensure that the dividends of the oil and other revenues trickle down to the last man/woman on the street. By all means we must become more productive and transform our economy for the better.

Unemployed persons should receive benefits while active measures are taken to reduce the rate of unemployment both in the skilled and unskilled labour forces.

The strengthening of our democratic structures and empowerment of public and private institutions through manpower development and the acquisition and utilisation of technological knowhow are not least among the exigencies facing Nigeria.

The outcomes of the 2011 electoral processes will be a decisive factor that will shape the things to come.

Anyway, with the cost of living in Nigeria today no one should be earning less than N200 000 as monthly wages. This is about USD 1 300 and it is definitely not a bad proposition. This is what the labour unions should be struggling to achieve and not a poverty wage of USD120.

With probity, accountability and functional economic variabilities, the issue of inflation should not become a threat or hindrance to the good life that we deserve.

October the 1st 2010. The Black Friday in Nigeria.

/ Adeola / 5 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

October 1 2010 has now gone done in our annals as the Black Friday.

In the last one month alone there have been several reasons for the selfish Nigerian government to annul the useless and stupid celebration that is going on worldwide today.

The reasons culminated today in the deadly bomb attacks carried out by MEND-Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta. MEND is a militant group that emerged from the Niger Delta and Goodluck Jonathan definitely know more about them than the rest of us. Goodluck Jonathan is also from the Niger Delta.

The attacks are condemnable like any other terrorist attack. We must condemn in the strongest way possible all forms of attacks that aim at innocent people or ordinary citizens of Nigeria. Two cars exploded and more than 35 other cars were affected.

21 people are reported injured with 8 confirmed deaths. There are other unconfirmed reports stating that 15 people are dead. It’s a sad day in Nigeria. What a black October! The first day of the month for that matter and a Friday!

In more than 10 articles I have condemned the use of more than N17b for the celebration of failures and the promotion of evil and corruption. Several genuine and patriotic Nigerians have done the same. But in the eyes of the evil ones and the corrupt people those of us who write and speak the truth are the unpatriotic ones.

The 50th anniversary of Nigeria has exposed Nigeria the more as a nation of corrupt, wicked and evil rulers.

This week more than 2 million Nigerians became homeless. Dams ran over and rain fell. People became homeless overnight and it did not even occur to the government of Nigeria as an emergency. It was hardly mentioned in the news in Nigeria. It was a no issue. The attention was on the looting of the treasury through the 17 billion naira party.

17 billion naira can change Nigeria forever if it is genuinely used to bring NEPA back to life. Under Obasanjo 16 billion naira grew wings and we heard nothing from the investigation conducted in the National Assembly. 17 billion naira would have changed the face of Nigeria forever. But No. They prefer to party and jolly with it. This is the most useless form of governance on the face of the earth. Party, party, party while the people suffer.

Also this week innocent children have been kidnapped in Abia State of Nigeria. This is morally wrong. You don’t kidnap children. It is a very wrong step from all possible perspectives.

Children are the future. You don’t use children in sending messages of this nature. Children are never to be used to settle scores if such even exist in this situation.

Kidnapping is a crime. All hopes have been kept alive that the children will be found alive. Their lives are changed forever. They will have nightmares and they will probably be traumatized for the rest of their lives judging by the Nigeria that I know.

If the children are returned or found alive, please let the first destination be to the hospital or to a renowned child psychologist. Let no one hire crowds to sing and let the church services wait. Give psychological help first.

What is the message of the kidnappers? They want money-Yes. What else? They are not pleased or happy with the situation of things in Nigeria. Who is?

The inclusion of children in this evil venture has made headlines all over the world. Was that the objective? That has been achieved. Can the children now be released?

One thing that I know for sure is that this particular criminal act (plus the car bombings) has put Nigeria on the international spotlight at a time that Nigeria is celebrating her 50th anniversary-the biggest wastage in history.

It is like a nightmare. We are spending so much money to showcase the failures of governance and the decay of infrastructure everywhere except in a few places in Abuja and elsewhere where money has been buried by Nigeria’s corrupt and looting politicians.

The kidnappers chose this time to change the targets of the type of victims. It is not a coincidence. They planned it because they know that the government of Nigeria has earmarked billions of naira for every state government in Nigeria and the embassies abroad to spend and lavish away.

Invariably the crazy thing is that families are weeping and are devastated but the criminals are expecting the governor of Abia State to come up with the money for ransom. You don’t have to watch criminal minds to deduce the timing and the execution of the evil acts.

I am really sad. I have been sad many times just because of Nigeria. Have I mentioned that I am the weeping blogger? I still cry for Nigeria and Nigerians. The people deserved a better life. Nigeria is worth crying and dying for. It’s a country that provides unbelievable contrasts. It is possible that more than 70% of us are poor and wretched. Altogether we are 140m people, or more.

We are not able to manage our affairs successfully. We widened the gap between those who have and those who lack. The gap is huge and enormous such that many have lost hope.

Part of the hopeless lots cannot withstand the oppression of the politicians and corrupt people. They joined them in their own ways-kidnapping and state terrorism. All forms of criminal activities to survive the desperation created by the Nigerian government since 1960 has added to the loads of nonsense and rubbish that continue to negate genuine attempts.

There will be no justification for any kind of evil. But since our judicial system is crippled and the enforcement of law and order is a fairytale, all kinds of evil and atrocities go unpunished. Even Jonathan mentioned today on CNN that the judicial system is weak. Some of us know that that is why he and his other corrupt lots have escaped justice. What a country!

In Abuja and across the world where Nigeria is represented drinks are flowing. On NTA last night you could see people playing with bottles of wine just like that. Nigeria’s monies are going up in flames while our sisters and female friends from Delta State and other places are being used as prostitutes and slaves in Mali of all places on earth. In whichever place the news itself is a disgrace to Nigeria.

Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (Naptip) should be commended for its efforts in combating human trafficking. They have now told us that thousands of Nigerian women are sex slaves in other West African countries.

It is as a country that we have failed to stop our girls from carrying out this trade in Europe. We have now also failed to stop them from plying this trade in our neighbouring countries.

What does our government care? They are busy at this time distributing gifts and medals to themselves for lack of electricity and the spread of ignorance and disease. They are drinking and making merry in style and splendour while our scavengers are keeping vigil at the rotten garbage heap looking for the source of their next meal ticket. What a contrast?

The kidnapped children and their families are in trauma. The sex workers face an uncertain future as ever. MEND the militant groups are hitting wrong targets to send strong messages about what lies ahead-terrorism. We fear that we might reach a complete state of lawlessness and absence of central government. We are getting close.

The rest of us continue to worry about our next meal and if it will be safe to go out this night. We are also worried about our salaries being paid. Roads and schools give us sources of concern. From now on we are going to be afraid to get into our cars not knowing if bombs have been planted in them. Is this the life we chose?

We are not sure of anything. We are so unsure of the future. We are worried. We face uncertain elections and we don’t know where the unwinding road will lead us.

After the merry making let these rulers emerge from their madness and drunkenness and provide security for lives and property. Let them tell us the plan for our women, children and mothers. We are looking forward to the plans that will give us hope and dignity. I salute all Nigerian optimists; they give me hope in this season of hopelessness.

___________________ _____________ _____________

FOOTNOTE:

The kidnapped Children have been freed.

Mohammed Fawehinmi’s Bold Steps Against Babangida

/ Adeola / 1 Comment

By Adeola Aderounmu

I must say that I find it timely and very instructive the reports emerging from the late Gani Fawehinmi’s chambers.

Mohammed the son of the late eminent lawyer has advised Nigerians to ignore Babangida and to ensure that they do not cast their votes for a dictator.

He warned Nigerians that Babangida is likely responsible for the deaths of Dele Giwa, MKO Abiola and Gani Fawehinmi.

It is getting interesting.

The things we know are now been re-echoed by individuals who know the inside stories.

Babangida continues to deny involvement in the letter bomb that exterminated Dele Giwa in 1986. As a blogger I’m wondering if the reports that he sprayed Gani’s prison room with carcinogenic substances are mere rumours or true stories. But this revelation by Gani’s son is instructive. AND who knows how he participated in the poisoning of Abiola when Clinton’s men were visting MKO right before his death. Or are we looking at his indirectly involvment by the June 12 1993 annullment.

Whichever way we look at it Nigerians must be ready to lay their lives for the future of this country. Evil men like Babangida who kill, maim and murdered in the name of power should NEVER again lead Nigeria.

In fact, that this man is free baffles all reasonable logic. What is wrong with Nigeria and Nigerians? Where is the rule of law? How can a dictator who committed treason be contesting for the position of president? Have we forgotten the June 12 1993 saga and the thousands of people who died? Have they died in vain? Shall we all queue up and die in vain? Shall our struggles be in vain?

I still don’t know when someone will wake up in this country and see that things are done in a civilised way. If we continue to allow lawlessness and crimes including corruption to go unpunised, I’m afraid that we are far from our redemption.

Everything is like a bad dream because nobody in Nigeria wants to face the reality of civilisation and social justice, not even the so called rulers. We have no leaders.

This country needs some form of deliverance. From where? I have no idea. It appears we all slept and put our heads in the same direction.

I hope Nigerians are listening to Mohammed and I seriously hope the message will be sent far and wide even to those who have no sense of history and the rest of us who are myopic in our opinions.