Election matters

Nigeria, Too Serious for Facebooking.

/ Adeola / 13 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

We live our lives in such a way that the consequences are equal to burning down a museum. We hide from the past, forgetting to learn from it, pretend about the present and having no inkling of how to prepare the future for the next generation. We live for now, grabbing everything on the way, leaving behind filth and rot.

By forgetting the past too easily especially without making the necessary amedments, Nigerians render themselves too gullible. They get so carried away my trivial things. Will I succeed in convincing anyone that Nigeria’s situation is too complicated to be resolved on the pages of social networking media?

I have been on facebook for a while now. Among many other benefits facebook helps people to find you no matter how many years that they have been out of reach or touch.

I know many people who have boasted to leave facebook but who always return to the network. Once you get used or addicted to the functions on facebook it is extremely hard to depart. Facebook can become a part of your life. So facebook is good for some purposes, no doubt about that.

The other week foreign media were out writing about how popular Goodluck Jonathan is, on facebook. Indeed the public media outfit of GJ have been doing loads of work promoting his image. You can’t take that credit away from them, excellent job.

In their gullibility Nigerians have flocked to the fan page of Goodluck Jonathan. They are taking the baits that it is GJ who has been responding to all their comments. No doubt it is GJ’s page but to assume that the man has such a space of time on his hand to sit down, read and respond to every other comment or suggestion on his facebook is actually ridiculous. That’s where the publicist and media men come in.

The manner in which the social contact on GJ’s page is progressing is delaying and denying us of the emergence of the truth and progress we seek.

On GJ’s page Nigerians will be told what they want to read or hear. In real life the richest and the probably the most corrupt politicians in the world don’t give a damn what is going on any social network. The maladministration of Nigeria is independent of any transient conversation on facebook.

The goal is clear. Nigerians are being distracted and the man who inherited the 2007 charade buys himself the time to lay his grand plan. It’s politics and that’s not a crime in politics.

While Nigerians are being face-raped by some dude behind the keyboard GJ was dishing out National Honours to the some people among which are criminals who have been disgraced out of office. You won’t find a greater face-rape or insult on Nigerians. It’s easy to guess the recipients of the next National Scandal Awards. The gangsters in the House of Representatives will definitely make the award.

The necessary criteria for national awards in Nigeria are too predictable. Your ability to loot and act like an agbero are added advantages.

But really how can a sane mind suggest or award looters and thieves? The truth that is constant and which we have mentioned times without number is that our rulers and conquerors are all corrupt and birds of the same feather. Oh Gullible Nigerians..!

As if the national award insult was not enough. As Nigerians continue to mingle with GJ or the dude behind the keyboard somewhere in the universe on facebook, the amount for the celebration of 50th year of failure was increased from N10b to N17b.

I’m still thinking. Who wants to celebrate failure? Why would anyone do that? I guess the answers lie in the lack of conscience and the concept that politics is a means to scoop away Nigeria’s wealth by those who know nothing about management and national wealth creation.

But let not Jonathan or his media group get carried away by their common rising popularity on facebook. Lady Gaga has over 14m fans! If the numbers of fans is a measure of relative success and impact then you guys are no where to be found on the visible spectrum scale.

It will be hard as usual to dissuade Nigerians from this distraction. They think it’s important. In recent years it has been increasingly difficult to help Nigerians use their head above emotions.

It will be more difficult in the years ahead. Intellectual Myopism is on the rise in Nigeria. The indicators in Nigeria show that the emergence of GJ has increased the intensity of tribal politics to a level never seen before in Nigeria. Nigeria today is probably more fragile than ever before in our history. 2011 may be the final test of coercion.

Which is why attention should be shifted back to the real world. Words will never be enough, not even words that can be manufactured by any dude on facebook on behalf of GJ. Simple actions are more effective than volumes of expressions. What are we doing now to address our situations?

It’s quite positive that fresh hands have been injected into the electoral system. I read that they need some huge sums to start off. Maybe N53b can be added to the N17b so we can get a world class electoral list. Why is the N17b party to acknowledge failure so important?

At the earliest opportunity we the people must elect leaders to replace the rulers and emperors in Nigeria. I’m sure that there are people in Nigeria who are sincere and effective. A sound election appears to be our best means to rekindling the quenched hope.

In the meantime I strongly hold the view that GJ or whoever is remoting Nigerians on facebook should spend less time in deceiving Nigerians. To pretend to want to learn about our national problems through facebook is the apex of a ridiculous presidency.

A Niger Deltan President?

/ Adeola / 3 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

By stroke of fate Mr. Goodluck Jonathan became the (ruler) of Nigeria.

We must not forget that this man was handpicked by Obasanjo to become the Vice President in 2007. Obasanjo it was who also handpicked the late Umaru Yar Adua.

History has recorded the observations that some of us made on the useless election of 2007. We say Never Again to such shame and stupidity of the highest order.

We now look forward to the future. We are keen to see if we have learnt our lessons and if we can actually sit down, think, plan and conduct credible elections. The 2011 elections are just around the corner. It won’t be long.

If Mr. Jonathan succeeds he will become the first president of Nigeria from a minority group. History will be made. It’s not a pain to wait for 2011.

Before then however history is already recording the deeds of Mr. Jonathan. In fact history has his records already since he became a prominent Bayelsa State politician. Unfortunately the stories are bad especially regarding his wife. The EFCC under Ribadu probably has an unfinished task.

There are many tasks that Mr. RIBADU left undone. The Andy Uba dollars-in-presidential-jet saga will be a life time stigma. It is indelible. Conscience-the open wound that truth only can heal-is my best word on such matters. The rest is common sense.

But one manipulative advantage you get when you are protected by impunity and reach a position of authority is to destroy files or influence cases to your benefits. Mr. Jonathan has done well so far. Kudos!

The more pressing issue however is that for over 50 years the people of the Niger Delta have suffered. Nigeria’s oil is from the Niger Delta. 150m people depend on this oil since 85% of our national income is derived from the sale of crude oil. Who knows where the other 15% comes from?

Some of the poorest people in the world live in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria. They have no access to basic infrastructure. Their environment has been destroyed and polluted by international oil companies. In the Niger Delta foreign nationals live like kings and queens while the indigenes are suffering.

Indeed there have been a lot of politics destroying the development agenda. State governors from the Niger Delta area must also be held accountable for many of the vices in the Niger Delta. They played politics while the ordinary people suffer.

Without delving into the history of the violence and the poverty, we must now focus our minds on Mr. Jonathan. He is from the Niger Delta. As the ruler of Nigeria, what will he do to bring social justice and freedom to his people?

When the northerners were in charge we blame them for negligence and tribalism. We accuse them of stealing and looting. How will Mr. Jonathan correct some of the anomalies of the previous governments?

How will he ensure that oil spillage ceases and that the oil cabal is checked so that progress and development can take place in his home region? What measures will Mr. Jonathan take to ensure that the Niger Delta becomes more beautiful that the administrative Abuja?

Abuja was built with oil money. How does Mr. Jonathan want to ensure that oil money is used to build the villages, cities and towns where the oil is extracted?

He might say he want to win in 2011 first before he starts to act. It might be too late. You can never be sure of tomorrow. You must seize the day-today. You must start that process of amendment now, not tomorrow, not 2011.

This opportunity to build the Niger Delta and the rest of Nigeria of course is a rare one considering the history of Nigeria dominated by hegemony.

If Jonathan fails to deliver to his people now, the chance may slip by. Nothing is guaranteed in Nigeria. Nothing is sure in this life, only death.

He might say we didn’t elect him. That is right. I have no real or legitimate president all my life and I’m almost 40.

Shagari was rigged in 79 and 83. Obasanjo was rigged in 99 and 03. Umaru was packaged in 2007 and Jonathan inherited Umaru’s burden. At other times I was ruled by maniacs, dictators and tyrants. I have endured!

This is why so much is at stake now and in 2011. I’m longing for a leader that I can call a president. Someone I can be proud of.

There is so much expectation, not the first time though, and the anticipations are huge as well.

People are longing for a change. A change they can believe in.

Unless a purposeful leader emerges the change will not come.

A purposeful leader and his household will, show good examples, be prudent, be selfless, corrupt-free and above all lead with a sense of purpose and vision.

Wasting billions of naira on a useless celebration or party while we wallow in permanent darkness due to lack of electricity is not a good sign.

My Random Reflections @ 38

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Adeola Aderounmu

Time waits for no man. This is the third in the series of my random reflections about Nigeria written on my birthday.

I must confess it was really hard to find things to discuss about.

Exactly 3 years ago I argued that there is almost nothing new to write about in Nigeria.

Many of the things we complained about 30 years ago are still unresolved. Nigeria’s problems must be one of mankind’s greatest puzzles.

I refuse to overflog the issues.

However it is just necessary that we continue to remind ourselves of our potentials and our collective failures.

Nigeria remains a potentially great nation with very bad rulers. We are missing true leaders.

This country has been captured and recaptured by people who imposed themselves on us by force. Truth does not expire and time does not transform illegality into legality. The misapplication of the law can conveniently do the latter.

Evidently the rulers of Nigeria never learn from history and in the arrogance of their minds and their avoidable misconceptions about power they continue to repeat the same old and silly mistakes. Together we remain in doldrums.

The one who rules Nigeria today by inheriting the remnants of the 2007 charade will now spend billions of naira celebrating failures. Meanwhile pensioners are dying on the verification exercise queues. Some schools remain closed while our children roam the streets missing lessons and examinations.

I promised not to overflog the issues.

But one should never look beyond Nigeria’s political arena for the definition of insanity.

Nigeria is taking a turn for the worse with each passing year because as a nation of over 140m people, we lack a good leader. We are missing true leaders. Blood suckers-those who attempt and succeed in taking as much from us as possible-continue to reign in Nigeria.

We need a change that can work for Nigeria.

Maybe in 2011, 51 years after independence we will finally be able to count our votes. We’ll see where the electoral reforms take us and if we can finally have genuine democracy and legitimate government in Nigeria.
With the different views we have on election and election matters in Nigeria and considering our volatile tribal inclinations it will take a great deal of education and public enlightenment to have a successful election in 2011.

To be honest 2011 is not the magic year. A lot of water has passed under River Niger since June 12 ‘93. I don’t know the probability of getting to that threshold level.

But our best shots, we must give!

I’m still working hard on the goals and plans that I made @ 37

I’m afraid of time. I may never be able to do all I wanted to do, for myself, for humanity. I may never be able to write all the books that I had in mind.

I have plans but the family remain a fundamental time-taker. Daily work is essential too.

I must continue to look for the right people and the right moments. A number of thing will surely fall in their rightful places in due times. I’ve got to keep on moving, keep all dreams alive.

Well it’s my birthday and as a tradition I have never failed to celebrate for the past 15 years. I’ve learnt to count my days and apply my heart to wisdom.

The celebration this year has been two-folds. The first was with my family on Saturday at the countryside and the second with my friends on Sunday at our home. But my birthday is July 12th so the celebration can continue because I’m usually on hols this time of the year since 2002.

I have challenges but there are reasons for me to celebrate and share with others. Not least was an additional professional academic degree last spring.

Greater challenges lie ahead. Not least the task of building Nigeria. Nigeria is sinking because of Nigerian-made factors that suit a few and enslave the rest.

I still believe in Nigeria as a workable project if we can break that cult-like rulership and enthrone the true pillars of democracy.

2011 will provide a testing ground for our institutions. We’ll see if we manage to build them on principles or if we still left them aimlessly on selfish people.

The modes and outcomes of the 2011 elections will provide a quick insight into what lies ahead in the new jubilee.

The outgoing one (1960-2010) is a complete disaster and any form of extraordinary celebration (or looting mechanism) attached should be considered as a crime against ordinary Nigerians.

History will not be kind to the protagonists of such wastage in the land of the resilient.

aderounmu@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/adeola

Mad Politics and The Nigerian House of Thieves

/ Adeola / 8 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

There was a serious fight in the Nigerian House of Representatives yesterday. The fight was about some 9 billion naira which some members like Bankole may have misappropriated. Bankole is the speaker of the house.

I am not going to discuss about the money per se since I don’t know if the allegations are true or false. I will discuss what I know.

I don’t know how easy it will be to find a Nigerian politician who is not a thief. What has actually separated Nigerian politicians ideologically is “how much they are able to steal”.

Nigerian Politicians as exemplified by this useless people in the house of representatives / assembly are mostly interested in the amount of money that they take home everyday.

These useless people fighting over money are the most paid politicians in the history of man. They sit down every other day talking rubbish and doing nothing, yet they go home with unbelievable sums of money at the end of their seat-warming sessions.

Since 1999 when Obasanjo was president, in how many ways have the actions and activities of the members of the house of assembly improved the lots of Nigerians? How have these spoilt and famous thieves contributed to the education, health and social well being of Nigerians?

Yet they still have the guts to openly display their madness and ineptitudes. They did that right in the presence of young school children who are visiting to observe proceedings in the house. Just imagine the legacy they are trying to pass on to the next generation!

I am so ashamed of these sets of Nigerians who exchange blows in the house of assembly simply because some members have stolen more money than them. Is this a case of bad riddance to good rubbish?

How are we going to solve our national problems when the people who are supposed to be lawmakers are fighting over the amount of money that they have been able or not able to steal?

Dimeji Bankole became the speaker when Bunmi Etteh was accused of stealing. But Dimeji is alleged to have stolen more money that Bunmi. Infact there are insinuations that Dimeji is likely the biggest thief in Nigerian politics today! If there is any iota of truth in these allegations, Dimeji then has turned out to be a disgrace to my generation.

The issues are not so simple. Nigerian politics is a disaster. In my book, the entrapment of a nation, I stated that Nigerian politics is a tragedy of modern era. It is so bad and so sad that it has now become a serious embarrassment to the black race. The conclusion is that Africans cannot successfully rule themselves or that the attempts by Africans to rule themselves have resulted to extreme failures-poverty, diseases, environmental disasters among many other man-made disasters.

Nigeria as represented by our politicians is a disgrace to all of us. We have failed to have decent elections and we have continued to breed thugs and nonentities as politicians. It is an hallmark of national failure. We don’t agree that Nigeria is a failed country but it is as a matter of fact.

And just wait. Mr. Jonathan is planning to spend 10 billion naira on October 1st 2010 to celebrate 50th anniversary of Nigeria. Again, wait. What is Nigeria celebrating? 50 years of failure? 50 years of internal slavery? Are we celebrating our short life expectancy, closed schools, bad roads, complete lack of electricity?

Nigerian politicians are fools! Big fools!

10 billion naira???

9 billion tore the house of thieves apart and 10 billion naira on celebration of failures!

I don’t know how the rest of you are thinking but from my point of view, that suggestion of 10 billion is insane and only an insane person can plan to celebrate his or her failures.

What about using half of that money to fix LUTH? What about using the other half to acquire cancer testing machine instead of these thoughtless politicians going abroad to do a test?

Our politicians are like aliens. They are probably not living among us.

The problems in Nigeria are going to increase if we don’t start telling these irresponsible politicians where our shoes are pinching.

Stop that celebration now!

Plan for the election next year, make it free and fair

Give us electricity; we are tired of living in the Stone Age

Give us water, we are tired of water borne diseases and lead poisoning

Give us good schools, we can’t send our children abroad (to Ghana, UK or US)

Bring cocoa and oil palm back to the West and the Groundnut pyramids to the North

Do something about the coal in the east and the steel wasting in Ajaokuta

Stop using international collaboration to destroy the Niger Delta

Give us good roads, we are tired of loosing loved ones on the road daily

Plan our environment, we are sick of wastes and pollution

Give us good health facilities, we want to live long

Stop stealing our monies, it is our commonwealth

Count our votes, we want to be part of the change to come

Do these things and much more!

If these things are in place or in progress by the time we are 51 years as a nation, I don’t think we will worry if you decide to spend 20billion on the anniversary. For now there is nothing to celebrate.

Tears and sorrows fill the land, stop wasting our money!

Stop fighting over our money.

Shame on Nigerian politicians!

To the rest of us, we must fight for our freedom. Freedom, social justice and all the good things that come with them will not be given to us on a platter of gold.

Jonathan’s Choice of VP reduces the rest of us to Pawns

/ Adeola / 3 Comments

Adeola A.

Namadi Sambo will become Nigeria’s Vice President. The main reason of course is to allow Mr. Jonathan to contest for the presidency in 2011. Politically a good move because even if Namadi Sambo decides to run for the presidency as well, it will provide a checkmate for the intention of Ibrahim Babangida.

Ordinarily we should not be talking about Babangida. Mr. Ibori has been arrested in Dubai and will be repatriated to the UK or Nigeria. Babangida stole more money than Ibori. No one will understand how the justice system works in Nigeria. Some people like Babangida and Obasnajo remain above the law.

So if Babangida remains in the presidential race instead of in kirikiri prison, then his ambitions have just been checkmated because it is not clear if either Jonathan or Sambo will win the PDP ticket next year. Mr. Goodluck Jonathan just played the chess game of his life but we remain the pawns. Yes the ordinary Nigerians were not in the consideration when the selection was made.

I don’t think Mr. Jonathan had constant electricity or regular water supply in his mind when he made the choice. He sat down probably with some political strategists and planned his own survival. The rest of us are pawns and we can rot away for all he cares.

Knowing fully well that Sambo is an IBB-boy as they used to say, Jonathan has now politically pitched IBB and Sambo against each other in terms of political ambitions. Sambo will of course like either of these 2 things: 1) to continue as VP for as long as Jonathan is president and then becoming a president when Jonathan bows out. OR 2) Outrightly gunning for the presidency in 2011 depending on how circumstances play out in the months ahead.

Jonathan will be hoping for the luck to continue. There may be a deal though: Sambo will probably lie low for as long as Goodluck live his new dream-president for as long as possible.

It’s a dilemma for everyone anyway but we remain restless. We are worried about the real rewards of true democracy. Nigeria is lost. We have no leaders. Rulers after rulers continue to emerge.

We are looking for ways out of our poverty. We long for electric power, water, good roads, good schools. We long for simple but quality existence. All we get is politics of bitterness. All we see are cruel and mean politicians who continue to play the game of life with our presence and future.

If Mr. Sambo is confirmed, it will be another interesting chapter of our nation to see how the duo of Jonathan-Sambo lead Nigeria forward. Time will time whose interests were in focus when the choice and decision were made. In 2011 all the possibilities would have been exposed. Sometimes the pawns survive while the knights, king and queen do perish. In Nigeria this is so true, evil rulers and bad politicians persist but we have seen them come and go. The last chapter remains unwritten.