PDP Places Nigeria on a Keg of GunPowder

By Adeola Aderounmu

BBC reported that the continued ill-health of Nigeria’s ruler Mr. Yar Adua poses a problem for Nigeria’s constitution. If he were to step down or die, he would be replaced by Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, who is from the country’s southern Niger Delta region.

But according to the ruling People’s Democratic Party’s own formula for sharing power among the country’s regions, the president must be a northerner. Herein lies the recipe for disaster. I have continued to mention that Nigeria has serious problems and the fact that a party like the PDP is in control is worrisome.

From the start I am not impressed that the farce committed in 2007 was used to imposed Yar Adua on Nigerians. The guy was fraudulently bundled into power by the machinery of the PDP majorly controlled by retired generals who have committed treason against the people of Nigeria. These military men and their civilian accomplices have continued to loot and plunder the Nigerian treasury. It is very disheartening also that these tropical gangsters think that they can decide (without elections / votes) who rules Nigeria at any given point in time.

That Nigerians are resilient and quiet gives an indication of our level of reasoning. Perhaps these events are connected to how our collective intelligence is viewed and it is easy to play down the IQ of our race.

What is happening in Nigerian Political space is absolute madness and idiocy. The kind of people parading themselves in our senate/ house of assembly and the interests that they serve are absolutely ridiculous. Nigerians have to stand up one day and say enough is enough.

Indeed, our constitution given by the military leaves spacious rooms for amendments. Despite the fact that I dislike the illegal regime currently parading itself in Nigeria I cannot help but wonder why a vice-president will not be able to take over IF in case the ruler takes his exit.

Nigeria cannot stop producing amusing dramas all over. It is only in our country that a known thief would be made the president of senate and all sorts of people lacking integrity would parade themselves as honorables. It is in Nigerian only that the Attorney General knows himself as a stupid liar and defender of corruption. Still, we do nothing about these anomalies. What a country..!

Election or no election, succession or no succession, Nigerians must know their silence means stupidity. Poverty will continue to spread like wild fire and the standard of living will be similar to pre-industrial revolution. That we lack electricity defines where we stand in the order of things. The Nigerian system needs an overhaul. 140m people cannot sleep and face the same direction. To do that is to leave our destiny to chance. It is better to take it in our hands for the sake of our children’s children.

Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) in Nigeria

By Adeola Aderounmu

I made an entry on my blog on Nov 21 2007 called

All Nigerians Should Join and Support CACOL

Since then some people wanted to know how to locate CACOL or become members. I am not a member myself and it would be nice to become a member of such a vibrant body. As a matter of fact I would have suggested that body to be named Coalition Against Corrupt People in Nigeria. It is not only the rulers or leaders that are corrupt.

Nigeria and Nigerians are suffering from serious crises that affect our individual and collective mentality of how we should live our lives. Almost everyone cuts corner in his or her undertakings. But I do agree that when the head is rotten then the whole body stinks. This is why CACOL may be a worthwhile adventure. Cure the head and the body becomes healthy perhaps.

Just imagine if we could prosecute and imprison all the corrupt rulers in Nigeria. You hardly see any leader. 99.9% of public servants and politicians in Nigeria are thieves. Big thieves and looters.

The Coordinator of CACOL Mr. Debo Adeniran was on my blog page to drop the needed information. This is the link to CACOL
CACOL ONLINE

Email: cacolc@yahoo.com

So, to all those who have requested for the information, you have it from the original source.

And how nice that Mr. Adeniran found my blog. I thought that was interesting.

Professor Sam Okoye, Top Nigerian Scientist, Dies in London

(original story in http://www.saharareporters.com)

It is good to celebrate great Nigerians like Prof Sam Okoye and to use people like him to project the good sides about Nigeria. It is so very unfortunate that our Politicians ruined our country and they ruined the lives of many to this day.

Original post from saharareporters.

Professor Samuel Ejikeme Okoye, one of Africa’s top astrophysicists, died in London on Wednesday, November 18, according to a statement authorized by his family. The family did not release the cause of death.

Professor Okoye, who hailed from Amawbia in Anambra State, was born on July 26, 1939.

Professor Okoye earned a B.Sc (First Class) in Physics from the University of London and a PhD in Astrophysics at Cambridge University. He was the first black African to obtain a doctorate in Radio Astronomy.

An internationally renowned scientist, he will be remembered by many readers for his scientific columns for The Guardian which he wrote for more than four years. His columns, which focused on information technology as well as advances in scientific ideas, drew a wide readership because of his ability to convey difficult scientific ideas in accessible language.

Professor Okoye was a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science as well as the Royal Astronomical Society of the United Kingdom. For five years, he served on the governing council of the Pugwash International Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In addition, he was a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, International Network of Engineers, Scientists for Global Responsibility, and the International Astronomical Union.

For many years, Professor Okoye lectured in physics and astronomy at the University of lbadan and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he achieved the rank of full professor in 1976. At UNN, he also served at various times as Director of the Division of General Studies; Head of Department of Physics and Astronomy; Associate Dean and later Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences, and Dean of the School of Post Graduate Studies. In 1978, Professor acted as Vice Chancellor of UNN.

Professor Okoye’s numerous scientific papers and publications span the ionosphere physics, solar physics, and the theory of extragalactic radio sources and cosmology. He also authored a monograph, Viable and Affordable Policy Objectives for a Nigerian Space Programme. He co-edited two books, Basic Science Development in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects, and The World at the Crossroads: Towards a Sustainable, Equitable and Livable World.

Apart from Nigeria, Professor Okoye also lectured in the Netherlands, the US, and the UK. From 1990 to 1993, he served as a visiting professor/senior research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, and Fellow Commoner at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge.

He was a member of Nigeria’s official delegation to the United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Space in Vienna, 1981 as well as a member of a panel charged in 1984 with producing an integrated energy policy for Nigeria. From 1986-1988, he was the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Awka campus of the Anambra University of Science and technology (ASUTECH).

Professor Okoye was a consultant to the United Nations on the development of space science and technology in developing countries (1979-1986).

In late 1993, he was seconded from the UNN to the Federal Government. He served as the pioneer science attaché and head of the Science and Technology unit of the Nigerian High Commission, London.

Professor Okoye taught or inspired a generation of Nigerian scientists who hold high academic, industry and bureaucratic positions in Nigeria and around the world.

His family will be announcing funeral arrangements in due course.

For enquiries, contact:

Dr. Chike Chuka
chikechuka@hotmail.com
Tel: +44.797.478.4340

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Austin Jay Jay Okocha-Probably the Greatest Footballer since Pele. An unsung hero

Austin Jay Jay Okocha-an unsung hero

Jay Jay is arguably the best footballer ever from Nigeria. He is the most underrated player ever in the history of world football!!! No Nigerian or African living or dead displayed the same level of skills and techniques that Okocha gave to football. Okocha is one of the rare players who did in big matches what they would do on a training pitch. While at PSG in France, Brazil’s Ronadinho learnt so much from Okocha and he went on to display some of Okocha’s skills in big matches as well.

Okocha’s exploit at Bolton Wanderers are well documented and famous. For the Nigerian national team we are still looking for a replacement for the midfield tactician albeit a magician.

Okocha was a past winner of the BBC African footballer of the year. But Okocha was never recognised by CAF-The Confederation of African Football. This is a very serious indictment on CAF and the fact the Okocha is no longer active does not imply that CAF cannot make amends.

CAF must admit its error of judgment that Okocha never received the African Footballer of the Year award despite his popularity and contributions to the game in Africa and Europe. My advice to CAF is to use the World Cup in South Africa 2010 to make amends for this catastrophic error. There is nothing wrong if CAF institute an award or awards that will honour the likes of Okocha as part of the opening ceremony for the Mundial.

Even FIFA is not left out of this international scandal. If either David Beckham or Michael Owen has a quarter of Okocha’s skills and abilities, they would have won the award of World Footballers of the year at different times. It will remain one of the unsolved mysteries of this century that neither CAF nor FIFA gave Jay Jay Okocha the awards that he ought to have won, African and World Footballer of the year. Don’t ask me what year. Let them search their consciences.

That Liberian George Weah won the awards in the past is not enough for Africa. It shouldn’t be “symbolic” that an African had won it before. An African should win awards on merit.

Even the Nigerian sports establishments cannot be left out in this scandal. They didn’t do enough to presents Okocha’s peculiar case to the rest of the world. Austin Jay Jay Okocha remains a legend and should rank among the best 10 footballers of all time. I see him in the same rank as Maradona and Pele.

Nigeria qualify for South Africa 2010

African Representatives at the 2010 World Cup

Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroun, Nigeria and Host South Africa are African representatives at the 2010 World Cup. Either Egypt or Algeria will join the list after the play off coming up in Sudan.

I didn’t believe that it was possible for the Tunisians to give up their lead to Nigeria in the final game when they lost to Mozambique in Maputo and Nigeria beat Kenya away from home. I mean, if Nigeria was the country on top before the last games I wouldn’t want her to slip. I still feel so sorry for the Tunisians: they blamed the heat in Maputo and the artificial surface.

Mozambique has a very strong home record plus the fact that they wanted to qualify for the Africa nations’ cup-Angola 2010. They took their destiny in their own hands because Nigeria could have lost to Kenya anyway. But Nigeria survived even to my own surprise beating Kenya 3 goals to 2. One of the goals seemed to me like it was scored from the offside position. Why the referee overlooked is best known to him or Fifa rules that lies somewhere. Yakubu Aiyegbeni appeared to be alone in the Kenya 6 yard box when he netted for Nigeria.

Congratulations to the Super Eagles of Nigeria. However they do know that they will need more than luck at the Mundial in 2010. It is up to the Nigerian Football Federation to put things in order even before the Nations Cup in Angola. Going to the world cup with a fire brigade approach, ineptitude and useless preparations will be catastrophic for Nigeria. Nigeria should start preparing for the World Cup in South Africa today.