Nigeria

Corruption Rebranded

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By Adeola Aderounmu.

On March 17 the project to rebrand Nigeria was launched in Abuja. At the occasion where Yar Adua was represented by Goodluck Jonathan, Dora Akunyili likened her pet project to WAI of the military era. It is shocking that this launching became a reality less than one week after Dora was sweating and lamenting at the National assembly where she was summoned to defend the funding for the project.

At that hearing she lied when she said that the rebranding is by Nigerians and for Nigerians. Which Nigerians was she talking about- mama Risi who is selling rice on the street or Papa Victor who does not know how to get to work tomorrow? Could she be talking about the loads of unemployed Nigerians?

Prior to this launching which would have gulped millions or billions of naira on its own, I have read with dismay the call to rebrand Nigeria. It is one of the most inappropriate calls I’ve heard in recent time which unfortunately and tragically has now been realized.

If Dora Akunyili and the pro-branders are not aware, then may I humbly tell them that Nigeria cannot be rebranded? The obvious brand-able things in Nigeria since 1959 are corruption, underdevelopment and massive looting.

It is true that some countries go for branding in order to promote their national businesses and trade. But at this point Dora and her protagonists (especially those seeking political favours) must be told that branding or rebranding as being loosely tagged in this case is not the same as tourism promotion.It is also absolutely not the same as Idiagbon’s WAI.

Malaysia-truly Asia is one of the most popular tourism promotion slogans on CNN. That is not branding. To bring people to Malaysia for tourism, the country has done a lot of work to raise the country from being under-developed to a growing world economy. Malaysia boasts one of south-east Asia’s most vibrant economies, the fruit of decades of industrial growth and political stability-(BBC)

Nigeria does not need rebranding. This project will amount to another white elephant project that will drain the treasury. Even the lazy lawmakers in Abuja were shocked as they do not even know where the money for the project would be coming from. Their fears cannot be described as genuine anyway because as political jobbers/opportunists, they will not let any amount of money fly in their faces without their own cuts. But after Dora’s visit the deal was sealed and delivered!

Dora should have diverted her “informative” energy inwards. She should be informing the concerned authorities about the urgent need to provide this country with constant electricity, good roads, security of lives and property, good schools for all, employment opportunities, sense of belonging, human dignity, respect, voting rights, rewards for labour, and dividends of (true democracy).

The Nigerian leadership has an obligation to ensure transparency in governance, prosecutions of corrupt people in both public and private offices and preservation of the institutions on which the unity of the country resides. After doing these things and much more to improve the standard and quality of lives, the branding is then complete.

There is no greater branding than the quality of lives that the people have. If Dora Akunyili is representing Nigeria at a global fair say in Canada for example, how would she rebrand Nigeria to the business community? Should they start their businesses in Nigeria and import electricity from Europe or America? I have no doubts in my mind that rebranding is the making of a shallow non-creative mind.

Elusive Electoral Reform

Probably the most important proposal on the recommendations of the Electoral Committee set up by Umaru Yar Adua was overturned by Yar Adua himself and his co-travelers. The ideology behind the FEC decision is to promote dictatorship rather than preserving the constitutional roles of a president. Nigerian politicians in their myopism do not always see the need for positive changes and progress.

Nigerians should insist as they have done now on the retention of all the recommendations of the Electoral Committee. Total expunging of the operations of the present Electoral Commission is one of the several useful steps towards building a true democracy for Nigeria. We are yet to democratize Nigeria and the longer we wait, the lower our standard of living drops. All forms of dictatorial tendencies should be vehemently resisted.

The electoral committee gave a landmark proposition in suggesting that laid down procedures should be followed in the appointment of an Independent Electoral Commission chairman. My interpretation of the procedures is that the process should rest on an institution and not on a person.

That institutions, and not persons, do function is paramount to building a successful society or nation. Many institutions in Nigeria including the office of the presidency have failed because they depend on people rather than viable blueprints and guidelines.

What is about to be taken away from Nigerians yet again by Yar Adua and the FEC is the golden opportunity to build one of the outstanding pillars on which the survival of this nation should rest upon. For as long as our elections do not work because of our malformed behaviours and absence of credible electoral institutions, then hardly will anything work out well.

The temporal man in charge of Nigeria learned too quickly the national mentality of Nigerians and obviously he is riding high on that belief that Nigerians have short memory-they forget how things should be done the right way. Perhaps they don’t even know how things should be done because since their colonial master left in 1960, they have not put one right step forward, democratically. Goodluck Jonathan was right; rebranding Nigeria will not work like Big Bang. However, only a Big Bang can put Nigeria on the world 20 by 2020.

Nigeria: An Elusive Electoral Reform

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By Adeola Aderounmu

After spending weeks and months touring the country in search of a genuine and workable electoral process, the electoral reform committee had their most important proposal overturn by the FEC-Federal Executive Committee.

A sitting president in Nigeria wants to keep the constitutional right to appoint the head of the Electoral committee. This overturn is not actually to suit Yar Adua. It is meant to suit anyone who finds himself in that maximum position.

Nigeria is ruled by a cabal and they are the ones that have actually rejected that proposal. They are making it clear that an incumbent (legally or illegally bundled into power) should hold on to the most viable source of self-perpetration.

True, it is the constitutional right of the president but who says that the constitutional cannot be amended? And what is even wrong for once to abandon such an ego-boosting function and allow a free flowing form of democracy? Everything is wrong with that in my country where the winners of political offices are the men and women with most money to spend and much more to loot.

And after listening to the views of some political gladiators I know that democracy is far from Nigeria. Nigerian politicians are ever selfish and those controlling the instrument of governance are the least people in search of change.

There is nothing wrong, to hand over the process leading to the emergence of the electoral chairman, to the National Judiciary Commission. If the NJC is controlled by the presidency, then the control should be removed. Nigeria and Nigerians must allow institutions to work.

Nigeria will not work until the institutions start to function. We must eliminate the reliance on people and leaders-they have all failed and that is why probably 40% of Nigerians are unemployed and more than 90m people are living desperately on less than 1 dollar per day.

Atiku Abubakar Needs Help

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By Adeola Aderounmu

Once out of power, many individuals cannot handle the situation. They get so illusioned about the realities of life that they start to do (sometimes) crazy things and express (quite often) unbelievable expressions.

Atiku Abubakar is the former vice president of Nigeria. He occupied that position for 8 years (1999-2007).

Now, Atiku says that Nigeria’s problem is leadership.

This is what I don’t understand about Nigerian Politicians. When did he realise that leadership was our problem? What did he do about it as the VP for 8 years? He mentioned that Obasanjo was not prepared to be a leader?

Why would any sane person be the vice president for a leader whom you know is not ready for such a position.

The other day, Atiku went to Otta to reconcile with Obasanjo.

If we put this statement side-by-side with the visit to Otta, it means he is telling us that he is ready to be our next president.

I hope that dream never comes true.

Atiku belongs to the group of politicians who have milked Nigeria dry. He stole, and stole and stole. This is the same with Obasanjo. They both stole as much as they could and we remember very well, the bitter war that they fought over the third term agenda of Obasanjo.

If Atiku is forgetful, someone should show him the way to his favourite clinic-The London Hospital. He needs a checkup before his senility surpasses that of that man in East Africa.

AND can someone nearby tell Atiku to shut-up!

He is making a fool of himself with his actions and utterances. He must stop insulting our collective intelligence.

8 years of Atiku-Obasanjo must NEVER be allowed to re-surface in Nigeria under any guise, not even as Atiku as president.

I hope the people will be allowed to vote for once in their life time whenever the next election is schedule to hold. I hope Nigeria gets out of the stagnation of 49 years!!!

With someone like Atiku thinking of leading Nigeria: No greater hopelessness!!!

Benjamin ‘Kokoro’ Aderounmu (1925 – 2009)

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The Nigerian Guardian Editorial (Sunday Feb 8 2009)

Benjamin Aderounmu, better known as ‘Kokoro’, the unmistakable and widely- known tambourine-playing minstrel, died in a Lagos hospital on Sunday, January 25, a month to his 84th birthday.

Kokoro’s life is clear proof that disability is not synonymous with inability. Born into a polygamous royal family in Owo, Ondo state on February 25, 1925, he became blind at age 10 and while this halted his formal education, he refused to be beaten by life’s adversity and he developed his unique art of singing to the accompaniment of tambourine to support himself. A jealous step mother was said to have been responsible for his condition. He relocated to Lagos in 1947 and soon became active in church activities in addition to his exposure to such major musicians of the period as Ayinde Bakare, Bobby Benson, and Victor Olaiya.

Over the years, Pa Benjamin Aderounmu transformed his peculiar type of music into a one-man entertainment band that was widely received for the depth and wisdom in his lyrics and he was, in the 1960s and 70s, a regular feature on Federal and Western region radio stations. In later years, he featured as a performer at Tunde Kuboye’s Jazz 38 in Ikoyi.

Tributes to Kokoro have come from the high and the low as if he did more than play the tambourine to remarkable effect. He has been variously eulogized as ‘a national cultural treasure of inestimable value’ by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, an ‘uncommon talent’, by artiste and teacher Tunji Sotimirin, ‘and an encyclopedia of Nigerian music who knows music from the four corners of the country, according to UK-based producer and musician Lekan Babalola.

While he was never rich in monetary and material terms, he was nevertheless celebrated in life by an appreciative audience, including socialites at whose parties he was always welcome as an aside act. And in death he left a good and widely known name.

He influenced younger artistes too, as testified to by former member of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Band, Duro Ikujenyo. Said he: ‘he was blind but he taught me how to arrange songs… he also taught me a new spiritual approach to writing song’. Sotimirin says that the blind minstrel ‘inspired many of us’ and female Jazz musician Ayinke Martins adds that ‘his songs and plays touched my soul greatly and inspired me’. It all goes to show that that the man can go far who discovers his talent and works hard at it. Kokoro was physically challenged but he was a man of great measure.

Kokoro performed for close to 60 years but never released an album in his lifetime. An early attempt reportedly failed due to the foot-dragging of the record companies. We commend the efforts of the Lagos state government to put Kokoro’s works in permanent audiovisual format for posterity. This collection is expected to be launched at Kokoro’s posthumous birthday next February. Besides, in life and in death, the Lagos government has also been generally supportive of the late minstrel and his family including giving him a two- bedroom house as well as paying part of his hospital bills. These are indeed how a responsive – and responsible – government should act toward its citizens and we especially commend Governor Fashola’s sense of duty in this respect.

It is said that adversity will either make a man, or break him, depending on how he responds to it. Pa Benjamin Aderounmu triumphed over life’s challenges, as evidenced by the celebration of his life, even in death, by many from various walks of life. The lesson he teaches us is that men and women can who are determined and are willing to apply themselves are bound to overcome adversity and life’s many challenges.

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Benjamin ‘Kokoro’ Aderounmu (1925 – 2009).

Merry Christmas Nigeria!

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By Adeola Aderounmu

Merry Christmas Nigeria!

It’s Christmas again!

Merry Christmas Nigeria and Nigerians!

It’s another Christmas and my heart warm greetings to Nigerians all over the world. We have endured another long and tiring year so far. We have seen some breakthroughs this year for a few of our brothers, sisters and neighbours. We have also seen the failures that continue to impede the progress of many of us and thereby depriving us of that happiness that we sought.

Many of the circumstances that steer our lives have remained beyond our control. It will be like that for some time to come because of the ugly political landscape where everyone is scooping for “self”. One thing is sure and very predictive-a CHANGE will come to Nigeria soon. It will be inexplicable but it will usher in a new dawn of prosperity. It will happen!

As we approach 2009 many of us are keeping the dreams and hopes alive. That is the best way to go about it. Keeping it alive!

We cannot afford to give up at any stage of our lives. Where there is life, there is hope. Where there is hope, there will be a way. Let us not forget to make plans even though we live in a very nasty society where plans and dreams have been crushed without mercy. Our plans are actually the things that give us hope. That is the way it works. The CHANGE to come will help us to realise our plans-the dreams.

This is my short Christmas message of hope and support because I know what it is to live in Nigeria when you are struggling against all the odds that are in your way.

Dreams do come true. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Merry Christmas once again!