Nigeria

Inaugural Truths

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By Adeola Aderounmu.

This is not a historical day for our nation for it doesn’t mark any important milestone in our march towards a maturing democracy. For the umpteenth time since we have refused to cast off the shackles of colonialism almost a half-century ago, we have again managed another stupid selection and the most useless transition from one autocracy to another.

We acknowledge that our selections were actually a charade. Thankfully, we lack well-established legal avenues of redress, and I urge anyone aggrieved to pursue them. I also doubt that our experiences represent an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Accordingly I will set up a shadow panel to examine the entire electoral process with a view to ensure that we do not raise the quality and standard of our general selections, and thereby destroying our autocracy.

This occasion is not historic also because it doesn’t mark the generational shift when the children of independence will assume the adult responsibility of running the country at the heart bleed of Africa.

My fellow citizens, I am never humbled and never honoured because you didn’t elect me and the robotic vice president Jonathan to represent that generational shift in the task of destroying a just and great nation, where its people have no chance to attain their fullest potential.

Sadly we are always starting from the scratch. We are unfortunate to have been misled for the past 8 years by one of the nation’s greatest disappointment, Mr. Obasanjo. On behalf of the looters union, I salute you, Mr. Obasanjo, for you lack of vision, your failure and your misused strength in destroying the roadmap towards that united and economically thriving Nigeria that we keep dreaming of.

Many of us find it easy to believe now, and even before you assumed the rigged presidency 8 years ago, the national conversation was about whether Nigeria deserved to remain one country at all. Today we are talking corruption in Nigeria and how it has already stopped us from becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020. That is a measure of how far our country has been looted. How can we thank you?

The administration of Mr. Obasanjo has destroyed the foundation upon which we could have built our future prosperity. Over the past 8 years Nigerians have reached a national consensus in at least four areas; to destroy the concept of democracy and to make a mockery of the rule of law; destroy the economy driven primarily by the private sector; display 100% tolerance for corruption in all its forms, and finally destroy our government to ensure inefficiency and bad governance. I commit myself to these wicked tasks.

Our goal now is to destroy the greatest accomplishments of the past few years. Relying on a 7-point hidden agenda that did not form the basis of our contact with disenfranchised voters during the recent jamborees; we will not concentrate on building the physical infrastructure and human capital in order not to take our country forward. We will not focus on accelerating economic and other reforms in any way that will make a concrete and visible difference to the ordinary suffering masses.

Our economy already has been set on the path of doom. Now we must continue to do the unnecessary work to create greater unemployment, higher interest and exchange rates, increase inflation, and maintain an unstable exchange rate. All these will decrease our chances for rapid growth and aid further underdevelopment. Central to this is destroying our basic infrastructure. We have no plans for mass transportation, especially railroad development. We will make the railroad plans unrealistic.

Equally important, we will not devote any effort to overcoming the energy challenge. Over the next 4 years we will see a dramatic catastrophe in the power generation, transmission and distribution. These plans will mean big if we disrespect the rule of law.

Our government is determined to destroy the capacity of law enforcement agencies, especially in the police and EFCC. The state must not fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting life and property.

The crisis in the Niger Delta does not command our urgent attention. Ending it is not a matter of strategic importance to our country. I will not use every resource available to me; I don’t need your help, to address this crisis in the spirit of injustice and corruption.

We have a bad starting point because our predecessors already launched a master looting plan that can serve as the basis of a comprehensive extermination of all the issues. We will not involve all the stakeholders in working out a solution.

As part of this effort, we will not move quickly to ensure security of life and property, and we will not make investments safe. In the meantime, I will not appeal to all the aggrieved communities, groups and individuals to immediately suspend all violent activities. They should disrespect the rule of law. Let us not allow the impending dialogue to take place in conducive atmosphere. We are not all in this together, and we will not find a way to achieve peace and justice.

As we work to aggravate the challenges of the Niger Delta, so must we also spread poverty throughout the country. By spreading poverty, we spread disease. We will not make advances in public health; to spread the scourge of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases that hold back our population and limit our progress.

We are determined to eliminate the war against corruption, more so because corruption is itself central to our goal of spreading poverty. Its corrosive effect is not too visible in all aspects of our national life. This is an area where we have made little progress in recent years, and we will destroy the momentum.

We also are committed to destroying our human capital, if we are to pull the economy down. We must revive elite education in order to create more inequality, and citizens who cannot function productively in today’s world.

To our larger African family, you have our commitment to the goal of African disintegration. We will continue to collaborate with fellow African dictatorial states to increase conflict and enslave our people in the chains of poverty. To all our friends in the international community, we pledge our continuing infidelity to the goal of conflicts in Africa and war in the world.

Fellow citizens, I ask you all to march with me into the age of regression. Let us not work together so that we can uphold our shameful vices of dishonesty, indecency, wickedness, immodesty, selfishness, oaths of secrecy and lack of accountability. These destructive vices determine societies that will fail woefully. We have chosen to fail.

I will not set a worthy personal example as your president. I must travel abroad for treatment.

With all the obstacles that confront me, I have the confidence and faith in my abilities that I will not overcome. After all, I am a Nigerian. I am not resourceful and I am not enterprising. I just have it within me that my country can be a worse place. To that end I offer myself as a self-serving leader. I will listen but there is nothing I can do. How can I serve this type of country with humility?

To fulfil my selfish ambitions, I have asked all leaders at all levels-whether a local government councillor or state governor, or cabinet minister to maintain our style and our attitude. We must act at all times like demi-god, with aggression and foolishness. I ask you, fellow citizens, to join me in re-destroying our Nigerian family, one that defines the failure of one by the sadness of many.

I asked you to set aside hopefulness, and concentrate all your energies on watching us as we wine and dine with fellow looters. All hands cannot be on deck, we have our tropical gangster group.

Let us join together to aggravate the pains of today while destroying the expected gains of tomorrow. Let us embrace cynicism and not strive for the good society that we know is a mirage. Let us embrace the habit of high expectations of our leaders as well as ourselves.

Let us start justifying every shortcoming with that acceptable phrase “the Nigerian Factor” as if to be a Nigeria is not to settle for less. Let us never recapture the mood of optimism that defined us at the dawn of dependence, that legendary cannot-do-spirit that marked our Nigerianess. Let us not join together, never, to build a society worthy of our children. We are wasting our talents. We have stupid people in government. They don’t have the ability.

The challenge is not great. It is too easy to loot and be corrupt. The time is not yet now.

I can never thank you. You did not vote for me. God bless me.

Inaugural Lies

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By Yar Adua (2007)

This is a historic day for our nation, for it marks an important milestone in our march towards a maturing democracy.

For the first time since we cast off the shackles of colonialism almost a half-century ago, we have at last managed an orderly transition from one elected government to another.

We acknowledge that our elections had some shortcomings. Thankfully, we have well-established legal avenues of redress, and I urge anyone aggrieved to pursue them.

I also believe that our experiences represent an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Accordingly, I will set up a panel to examine the entire electoral process with a view to ensuring that we raise the quality and standard of our general elections, and thereby deepen our democracy.

This occasion is historic also because it marks another kind of transitional generational shift when the children of independence assume the adult responsibility of running the country at the heart of Africa.

My fellow citizens, I am humbled and honored that you have elected me and Vice President Jonathan to represent that generation in the task of building a just and humane nation, where its people have a fair chance to attain their fullest potential.

Luckily we are not starting from scratch. We are fortunate to have been led the past eight years by one of our nation’s greatest patriots, President Obasanjo. On behalf of all our people, I salute you, Mr. President, for your vision, your courage and your boundless energy in creating the roadmap toward that united and economically thriving Nigeria that we seek.
Many of us may find it hard to believe now, but before you assumed the presidency eight years ago, the national conversation was about whether Nigeria deserved to remain one country at all.

Today we are talking about Nigeria’s potential, to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world by the year2O2O. That isa measure of howfarwe have come.And we thank you.
The administration of President Obasanjo has laid the foundation upon which we can build our future prosperity.

Over the past eight years Nigerians have reached a national consensus in at least four areas: to deepen democracy and the rule of law; build an economy driven primarily by the private sector, not government; display zero tolerance for corruption in all its forms, and, finally, restructure and staff our government to ensure efficiency and good governance. I commit myself to these tasks.

Our goal now is to build on the greatest accomplishments of the past few years. Relying on the 7-point agenda that formed the basis of our compact with voters during the recent campaigns, we will concentrate on rebuilding our physical infrastructure and human capital in order to take our country forward.

We will focus on accelerating economic and other reforms in a way that makes a concrete and visible difference to ordinary people.

Our economy already has been set on the path of growth. Now we must continue to do the necessary work to create more jobs, lower interest rates, reduce inflation, and maintain a stable exchange rate. All this will increase our chances for rapid growth and development.
Central to this is rebuilding our basic infrastructure. We already have comprehensive plans for mass transportation, especially railroad development. We will make these plans a reality.
Equally important, we must devote our best efforts to overcoming the energy challenge. Over the next four years we will see dramatic improvements in power generation, transmission and distribution.

These plans will mean little if we do not respect the rule of law. Our government is determined to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies, especially the police. The state must fulfill its constitutional responsibility of protecting life and property.

The crisis in the Niger Delta commands our urgent attention. Ending it is a matter of strategic importance to our country. I will use every resource available to me, with your help, to address this crisis in a spirit of fairness, justice, and cooperation.

We have a good starting point because our predecessor already launched a master plan that can serve as a basis for a comprehensive examination of all the issues. We will involve all stakeholders in working out a solution.

As part of this effort, we will move quickly to ensure security of life and property, and to make investments safe.

In the meantime, I appeal to all aggrieved communities, groups and individuals to immediately suspend all violent activities, and respect the law. Let us allow the impending dialogue to take place in a conducive atmosphere. We are all in this together, and we will find a way to achieve peace and justice.

As we work to resolve the challenges of the Niger Delta, so must we also tackle poverty throughout the country.

By fighting poverty, we fight disease. We will make advances in public health, to control the scourge of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases that hold back our population and limit our progress.

We are determined to intensify the war against corruption, more so because corruption is itself central to the spread of poverty. Its corrosive effect is all too visible in all aspects of our national life. This is an area where we have made significant progress in recent years, and we will maintain the momentum.

We also are committed to rebuilding our human capital, if we are to support a modern economy. We must revive education in order to create more equality, and citizens who can function more productively in today’s world.

To our larger African family, you have our commitment to the goal of African integration. We will continue to collaborate with fellow African states to reduce conflict and free our people from the leg chains of poverty.

To all our friends in the international community, we pledge our continuing fidelity to the goals of progress in Africa and peace in the world.

Fellow citizens, I ask you all to march with me into the age of restoration. Let us work together to restore our time-honored values of honesty, decency, generosity,
modesty, selflessness, transparency, and accountability. These fundamental values determine societies that succeed or fail. We must choose to succeed.

I will set a worthy personal example as your president.

No matter what obstacles confront us, I have confidence and faith in our ability to overcome them. After all, we are Nigerians! We are a resourceful and enterprising people, and we have it within us to make our country a better place.

To that end I offer myself as a servant-leader. I will be a listener and doer, and serve with humility.

To fulfill our ambitions, all our leaders at all levels whether a local government councilor or state governor, senator or cabinet minister must change our style and our attitude. We must act at all times with humility, courage, and forthrightness.

I ask you, fellow citizens, to join me in rebuilding our Nigerian family, one that defines the success of one by the happiness of many.

I ask you to set aside negative attitudes, and concentrate all our energies on getting to our common destination.

All hands must be on deck.

Let us join together to ease the pains of today while working for the gains of tomorrow. Let us set aside cynicism and strive for the good society that we know is within our reach. Let us discard the habit of low expectations of ourselves as well as of our leaders.

Let us stop justifying every shortcoming with that unacceptable phrase “the Nigerian Factor” as if to be a Nigerian is to settle for less. Let us recapture the mood of optimism that defined us at the dawn of independence, that legendary can-do spirit that marked our Nigerianess. Let us join together, now, to build a society worthy of our children. We have the talent. We have the intelligence. We have the ability.

The challenge is great. The goal is clear. The time is now.

I thank you and God bless you.

ANOTHER USELESS ELECTION

/ Adeola / 4 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

You would have thought the season of madness was over. But alas! It has become an established trait-Nigeria will NEVER be able to conduct a free and fair election. In Ekiti state Western Nigeria, the shame of a nation has been brought to fore once again.

We are back to what we discussed in-toto in 2007 when Mr. Yar Adua was forced on Nigerians because that was the wish of those who have taken our nation into custody. Nigerians are still living in custody 49 years after the country became independent.

The election results in Ekiti have now been fully doctored to meet the taste of the evil ruling party. Elections in Nigeria remain a political nightmare. It is still one thing that Nigerians are not good at. It remains a do-or-die affair as Obasanjo mentioned in 2007. It has always been like that before he confirmed it-that politicians are out there to win at all cost!

The underlying factor here is corruption. A politician in Nigeria can steal and loot as much as he or she wants and get away with it. This is why everyone wants to get into political offices. This is why violence, mayhem and absurdity have come to characterize Nigerian Politics. Politics is the easiest way to wealth in Nigeria. Politicians are mainly thieves who want to satisfy their evil desires. There are few exceptional, dedicated politicians in Nigeria-you can count them on your finger tips.

So, the shame of this nation continues. This country Nigeria cannot conduct a single credible election after 49 years of independence. The only election that seemed credible which was conducted in 1993 was cancelled by the military gangsters headed by Babangida. Nigeria is yet to recover from that rude shock and it seems the country is jinxed for eternity.

In Ekiti we have just seen the demonstration of another abuse of the word-democracy. The so called giant of Africa is behaving like a dwarf among intelligent nations. This country needs help!

Peddling Corruption

/ Adeola / 1 Comment
    By Adeola Aderounmu

Why Nigeria May Be Named As The Most Corrupt Nation in 2009

Nigerian politics thrives on lies, deceit and shamelessness. In 2009 Nigeria will probably be named as the most corrupt country in the world. The chances are high and the risk ever present.

Nigerians have been named in the Halliburton bribe scandals and the so called Attorney General of Nigeria Mr. Aondoakaa is still beating about the bush on a matter that is before the entire world. Such a silly attitude reveals a lot about nonentities in power in Nigeria.

Abacha is not alive and therefore cannot answer to any bribery accusation. What about Abdulsalami and Obasanjo? Non-invisible NNPC officials have also been named. The truth is none of these men will suffer under the short arm of the Nigerian law. They are free, untouchables and unaccountable. It doesn’t matter what has happened to Halliburton in the US, Germany or Switzerland. We are talking about Nigeria and “nothing dey happen”! “No shakings”!

Nothing will happen because in Nigeria there is no rule of law and corruption is a way of life. In Nigeria corruption is fought with mouth and on the pages of newspaper. Those who suffer from the consequences of corruption in Nigeria can go to hell! They are the over 70m people who cannot afford a single decent meal under a 24 hour period. They probably also include an additional 20-30 percent who are living one less than 2 dollars per day.

Aondoakaa cannot prosecute Obasanjo or Abdusalami or any other corrupt Nigerian politician for that matter. He cannot, because he was brought in by one of the most corrupt processes ever to have taken place in Nigeria. He was rewarded with his position because Ibori his master invariably took over the running of Nigeria when Obasanjo was disgraced out of power. Elsewhere, I have stated that this illegal regime in Nigeria lacks the morality to pursue the rule of law. I think that I have been justified.

The EFCC also cannot prosecute Obasanjo or the other corrupt people involve in the scandal. Farida is the second stooge for Ibori. I felt so sorry for those men discussing democratic license on AIT on 5th April 2009 because though they spoke the truth, they could not hit the nail with the correct hammer. They, like millions of Nigerians, wanted the Nigerian government to do the right thing but they refused to say why the government will not do anything. I have also stated that in Nigeria only the masses and defenceless like me suffer from the hands of the law

An illegal government borne of corruption cannot fight corruption. One of the guys on the AIT program named Mr. Memedu Andrew of ACTIONAID mentioned though that in 48 years of Nigeria’s existence, more than 64 trillion naira has disappeared into thin air. This according to him is equivalent to the stealing of Nigeria’s Federal Budget for 20 years!!! Then I knew I was right all along when I wrote 48 years of waste at the end of 2008

What kind of indices are used to measure corruption? I have looked macroscopically on a global level and I cannot find a nation more corrupt than Dora’s Nigeria. Sincerely, the microscopic details need to be made clearer. In a country where more than 90m of the citizens are deliberately deprived of their dignity and human rights I found no other competitor for the most devastating effect of corruption perpetrated by a clique.

Halliburton and the corrupt non-Nigerian officials have been prosecuted and made to face the music in other countries but nothing has happened in Nigeria. Yes America is corrupt, UK is corrupt, Sweden is corrupt but corruption with a face is punished in these countries. In Nigeria corruption with faces are rewarded.

If Aondoakka or Farida dare to prosecute Obasanjo or Abdulsalami the event will trigger a chain reaction that will probably lead to that cleansing that Nigeria has been longing for. It is a process that is vital to branding of Nigeria and the eradication of mass poverty. But these beneficiaries of corruption (that is Aondoakaaa and Farida) will not dare to start a process that will consume them in the end. This is part of the biggest problems we face in this country. We have no heroes!

We need heroes, we need a reaction and a system that will throw corrupt people where they really belong-JAIL. With the current perception of the Nigerian government, this is most unlikely. Therefore when the results for corrupt nations will be announced in 2009 Nigeria will make a lucky escape if she does not sit tight at the bottom of the ladder. If this Halliburton case is aligned with the Siemens Scandal, the Power Probe in the Senate and the hundreds of other probes that have been swept under the carpet, I do not see any reason why anyone should raise an eyebrow if Nigeria has no competitor for the bottom spot as the most corrupt country in the world.

I was shocked to my bone marrow when Umaru was lamenting the absence of Nigeria from the G-20 meeting that took place in London recently. I was shocked because the meeting did not say C-20 which would have meant top 20 most Corrupt Nation. I would have been surprised if that type of invitation was not extended to Nigeria. Even the hosting would have been billed for Abuja-the cradle of corruption. Really, is Nigeria a part of the global village? How could anyone one miss the purpose of that meeting in London? Did they mention Ghana-must-go bags or illegal oil rigs? Did they mention money laundering or kick backs?

Which other government in the world emphasises so much on the rule of law and due process without taking definite steps towards actualising the slogans? Obviously none! It is better to keep quiet and do something than to make so much noise and do nothing. In 2009 Nigeria, the best rebranding that can be done is to prosecute and jail all the corrupt people that we now know by names.

The next step towards a successful rebranding will be to count our votes as soon as possible. Those fake rebranding jingles being sounded across the country are actually contributing to poverty and impoverishment and any partaker in such operations is a pure enemy of Nigeria. If the money being wasted on this worthless project is used to deliver bore holes to some communities, innocent children and the fragile elderly will be saved from water-borne diseases and untimely deaths. Such people like Dora and her gang who are busy rebranding corruption can only do so because of the insanity of our political culture. For now they can carry on with their mad acts under one of the most corrupt governments known to man.

The Nigerian government will not raise a finger about these cases going by the recent declaration of Aondoakaa at the recent FEC meeting in Abuja. Even Dora appeared during the week saying Nigeria will prosecute the Nigerians mentioned in the Halliburton scandal. What a propaganda machine? These people don’t care about the image of Nigeria. They only care about the personal wealth they amass. They are in a war of “who is the richest” through looting. They care about these perishable earthly things more than the decency and dignity of their fellow country men. They don’t give a damn about the situation of the over 90m Nigerians living desperately below the poverty level.

Finally, I do not look forward to any Nigerian official denying or even crying when the international reports that may confirm Nigeria as the most corrupt country in the world in 2009. The Halliburton and the Siemens scandal, among several others are there for all to see.

If we (the ordinary masses) cannot do anything about it and we let our government take us for a ride one more time, then we must be ready to live with all those unpalatable national and international stigmas that plainly reveal the stupidity of rebranding.

Becoming a Stateless Nigerian..!

/ Adeola / 5 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

Around 1989/1990 I applied for the Lagos State Scholarship Board Award /Grant. The intended study would have allowed me to pursue a medical career at foreign University. When I was invited to the interview there were strong indications that I was a top candidate because I had scored 6 distinctions in all the subjects that I took in the GCE exams.

Backed by strong recommendations from two of my secondary school teachers added to 6 more distinctions and 2 credits in my WASC I was confident of my upcoming sponsored academic trip abroad.

As the interview progressed it seemed that all was well until one woman on the panel of interviewers asked me what became the critical question. I know one Aderounmu at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and you are actually a carbon copy of him, do you know him, she asked?

I answered in the affirmative because she was referring to my dad’s cousin Bukola Aderounmu whom I’d hardly met. I cannot even describe the man in 4 sentences yet I was being told at this interview that we look alike. By asking that question, the woman was actually trying to let everyone know that my family is from Ogun State. The interview ended and I never heard a word again from the LSSB.

To give a clearer picture: I was born in Lagos and when I started primary school my father always made it clear to me that my state of origin is Lagos but I discovered later that my parents are actually from Abeoukta in Ogun State. It became a tedious routine to always make those trips from Festac Town to Agege Local Government at the beginning of each school year.

I had to collect proof of origin every term and of course tax clearance certificates of parents. Was my dad avoiding this trip to Abeokuta to obtain evidence of origin? How convenient it was to say that we were from Amuwo Odofin Local Government when the local governments became proliferated just like that!

I remembered that at a certain point when we could make our own decisions, the children all reverted to Ogun State. But what do I know about Ogun State? Before I left Nigeria in 2002, I can count on my fingers how many times I have been to Abeokuta.

In 1986 age 14 I went to Abeoukta to attend a chieftaincy title ceremony of some family members. I was held spellbound to discover that we even had a McGregor in our extended family! I cannot remember any other time that I went to Ogun State before then.

Around 1988 or thereabout I went to Igbogila to visit my grandfather who had left Abeokuta and relocated to this quiet town perhaps even before I was born. Up to this day, I don’t even know if Igbogila is in Oyo, Osun or Ogun State.

My third memory of Ogun State was when I went as a tourist taking along with me the members of NAZS, UNILAG chapter. It was during this excursion in 1994 that I re-discovered places like Lantoro and Olumo rock. We went to a famous abattoir but I don’t remember where.

Interestingly in December 2001, I went to Abeokuta with some colleagues from MEDILAG. We attended the wedding ceremony of a friend and co-researcher. While the wedding ceremony was in progress, I quickly dashed out of the church and waved down a taxi. I told the driver that I was going to the house of the Produce Buyer.

Apparently, my mother’s father Fidimaiye Majekodunmi was a famous merchant in his days. He died in 1972 just before I was born but in 2001 the taxidriver could still take me to his house unhindered.

I had no address with me and my mother just told me to mention produce buyer to any taxi driver. It worked like magic! I arrived safely in front of the house and my grandmother was shocked but overwhelmed with joy that her grandson came. My grandmother died a few months later and I was already in Europe at that time.

I am still happy that I saw her that fateful day sometime in Dec 2001 and it was very shocking to see that my mother’s family house is just next door to Olumo rock. From my grandmother’s room, I could almost touch Olumo rock that I had climbed as a tourist in 1994. I was moved to tears. I mean, I came as a tourist to my parents’ homeland.

But I remain worried about my present Nigerian status. Lagos is still the only place that I know. In fact, I can get lost once I go outside Festac Town. My conscious and unconscious trips to Ogun State are definitely less than 10 occasions-of which I remember 4. I almost did my youth service in Lagos but I was contented with knowing Ibadan for those 10-12 months.

During my service year I was always back to Festac at least once a month. While I studied at UNILAG, I went back home every weekend. I could fall sick if I missed any of those Saturday or Sunday football games on our stony field. It was almost criminal to even miss the church service before the Sunday games.

I am afraid that I actually don’t have any (political) constituency in Nigeria. Lagosians will be quick to tell me that my name is Ogunish and tell me that I look like one Aderounmu or Majekodunmi, that my family houses are in Abeokuta and Igbogila-and where is Igbogila for goodness sake?

Ogun State will not forget to tell me that I don’t know my way around the state. I don’t even know the size and economic strength of the State. But I can read those in the books. I’m good at that. In both situations, the segregation and discrimination in our society will be exposed and exploited.

Nigeria is a society that is seriously segregated and divided. We go abroad and complain of racism but we are more racist to one another in Nigeria than the Americans or Europeans are towards us.

My father must have had one Nigeria in mind when he decided to tell us that we (his children) are Lagosians. We were all born in Lagos. We went to school in Lagos and had very little contact or connections with Abeokuta.

Even my grandfather made Igbogila his home, owning houses and farmlands. My father did not even bother to inherit any of those materials. He wasn’t bothered with parental possessions/inheritance. So who inherited my grandfather’s landed property? My father’s mother was based in Agege for all the years that I knew her. There were no Ileya Festivals without a traditional visit to Iya Eleja. She would have sponsored the Aso Ebi well in advance. Oh my God, how we dressed in uniforms-children, grandchildren and great grandchildren!

My mother’s mother was called Mama Onifade because she settled and lived on Onifade Street after she returned from her several years of business sojourn to Ghana. She went back to Abeokuta towards the end of her life. As a Medilag student/employee, I was excited to rediscover Onifade Street near the second gate exit of LUTH. It was nostalgic when my mother told me that was where we went visiting Mama Onifade.

Here I am paying huge taxes in Stockholm and contributing to the development of Sweden and not even certain of where exactly I belong in Nigeria. I know my way around Europe but I can easily be declared missing if I take a trip within Nigeria. Where is my constituency in the federal character system? Have I become a stateless Nigerian? I think so.

But I would rather serve on merit than on federal character-a subtle licence that has destroyed the foundations and efficiency of the nation. I would love to be taken for what I am and the principles that I radiate rather than where I come from. I long for home but please give me a state or even a constituency first!

………………
This article was published in the Nigerian Punch Newspaper onb April 11 2009

On Becoming a Stateless Nigerian