2011 elections

Nigerians And The Burdens of History

/ Adeola / 2 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

Nigerians are watching and listening as political schemers start or continue to test the political field once again.

I looked at all the candidates and it is hard to see any of them that should not be rotting away in prison.

Nigeria and Nigerians are saddled with the burdens of history-that constantly deny the truth.

We know who these men and women are. We know how they ruined the country.

They killed, maim, got drunk at the altar of power and they left devastating effects on our lives. They stole or they continue to steal. They gamble and struggle for power then and now.

Elections and elections’ results remain the most important single factor affecting progress and development in Nigeria. I have argued about this elsewhere (see my blog for details).

In 2011 history will repeat itself in Nigeria. This is not the first time I’m sending signals about things to come in Nigeria. It takes no prophetic ability to interpret these clear signals. It takes amazing and enormous stupidity to ignore them and pretend that everything is alright.

The Nigerian 2011 elections are disasters waiting to happen. How can we conduct credible elections without proper identification schemes? In my previous blog entry I have explained these things in details.

Fake identity cards are common all over the world. This means that there will be loads of opportunities to cheat in the forth coming elections in Nigeria. I have expressed my fears about this, how it will play out and how rigging, violence and bitterness will dominate the elections.

History will again repeat itself in Nigeria, probably more fatal. I’m not a pessimist. I try to place reasons above emotions at all time. I succeed for the most.

When you expect Nigerians to rise up and defend the good, they are no where to be found.

The ways we do things are just wrong. The reason for the failure of the followership is also attributable to greed, selfishness and the “cut corner / get-rich-quick” syndrome. Our methodology and approaches to issues are sources of concerns to global observers.

Why are thieves, looters, murderers and useless people campaigning on national televisions when they should be serving terms for their atrocities? I don’t get it.

We are standing on the wrong side of history. We are no where near the truth. It is ironical because Nigeria probably has the largest number of churches and mosques in the world. This is classical case of religion gone astray. We are far from the truth, we are all hypocrites. We confirm that there is no relationship whatsoever between how people call the name of their gods and their abilities to apply the right sense of judgement. Vanity upon vanity..!

It beats me that prominent people (if they are out there somewhere) and the rest of us are watching and saying nothing about the impossible task facing INEC. We don’t need elections in 2011. What we need is the re-structuring of the entire process/ machinery that will give way to successful elections in Nigeria. What about the horse before the cart?

Let us stop and think for a while. We may be able to reason together. Our lives remain in our hands.

2011 Elections in Nigeria, Jonathan Should Contest

/ Adeola / 10 Comments

Adeola A.

Goodluck Jonathan is a citizen of Nigeria and by providence the current “president” of Nigeria. The current debate about whether or not he should contest in the 2011 Presidential election is a very-very stupid debate.

Goodluck Jonathan belongs to PDP which is obviously a very strong party but also a very deceitful one. This party has been in power since 1999 and under these past years Nigeria has become more corrupt and the percentage of people that have slipped under the poverty level has escalated. Under the PDP Nigerians have continued to suffer due to the lack of the basic things of life like water and electricity.

PDP to many of us remained the nest of killers as confirmed by Wole Soyinka. That party boasts of looters and evil rulers like Babangida and Obasanjo. Co-looters like Atiku have found their way back to the fold. Ogbulafor the chairman of the party is currently standing trials for the monies he stole under Obasanjo and Bode Geroge is cooling off in kirikiri maximum prison. Ibori is on the run. In so small measures, the PDP continues to destroy Nigeria because they have no masterplan to get us out of the doldrums. The primary interest of Nigerian politicians remains to make money, get rich and care about self.

Anyway the current in-house trouble within the PDP is how to prevent or stop Jonathan from contesting in 2011. The Northerners in that party in their characteristic manner since 1959 do not want power shift to the South, let alone Mr. Jonathan from the Niger Delta region. What a useless mentality?

This is my take. Mr Goodluck Jonathan is a Nigerian and by provisions of the federal constitution of Nigeria is free to contest for electable offices including the position of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. Unless he is sentenced to prison term for stealing, armed robbery or other crimes that can prevent him for pursuing his dreams, I see no reason (until then) why he cannot be allowed to contest for the office in question.

Indeed Goodluck belongs to PDP and he knows the evil nature of his political party. He knew how he was handpicked for the office of the VP by Obasanjo. This PDP party for Mr. Jonathan is a necessary evil. How he will overcome remains his personal dilemma and invariably a national problem. National, because if the status quo is maintained in the PDP, the unity of Nigeria will suffer a severe blow on the head. The system may collapse and the fears of critics may be fulfilled. The people in the leadership of the PDP have always put themselves before the nation. Isn’t that tantamount to treason?

From another perspective the outcome of the in-house fight in the PDP is one issue. The other issue is that irrespective of the candidate that would emerge from the PDP, that should be one part of the story. Who says that Mr. Jonathan would be the president if he becomes a candidate? Who says that the northern candidate in the minds of the northerners will win come 2011?

There are other political parties in Nigeria. They must present their own candidates too. It shouldn’t matter where the candidates are coming from. It is more important that we have candidates who are not corrupt. We want candidates who have not participated in the looting and destruction of Nigeria. There should be possibilities to present formidable candidates that will challenge the evils that have been perpetrated by Mr. Jonathan’s party since 1999.

2011 is a new golden chance. Bring in the electoral reforms. Give us a level playing field. Bring the PDP candidates be it Jonathan or Danjuma or Mustafa or Galadima or Shagari. Let us put them against one or two lovable, sincere and trustworthy Nigerians and above all let us count the votes.

We must not bring or accept the likes of Babangida or Atiku. In fact we should continue to mount pressure for the prosecution of Babangida, Obasanjo, Atiku and Ibori. These men and their accomplices stole Nigeria to dryness. Babangida alone stole more than 20 billion dollars. This money is enough to build a new country and bring some European countries OUT of economic recession. Where is our money Babangida?

No one can boast that Jonathan is not corrupt. The money stolen by his wife has not helped matters at all. Who, in Nigeria is not corrupt?

Let Jonathan contest but let him or the PDP do that in a normal democracy. In 2011 let MY VOTE COUNTs.

Everybody is on Strike in Nigeria

/ Adeola / 2 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) is on strike
Doctors are on strike
Radio and Television (RATTAWU) workers are on strike
NEPA (National Electric Power Authority) staffs are on strike

What kind of country is Nigeria really?

It is in this same country that politicians cart away billions of naira annually by ensuring that their own exaggerated salaries, allowances, and bonuses are paid as promptly as possible. The politicians are sharing billions of naira daily through their takeaways while the rest of the population continue to struggle between thick and thin to get their own rewards for their different labours.

ASUU is fighting brain drain and the decay of infrastructure in the public Universities. ASUU has been doing that for ages and the agreement they had with the Nigerian government in 2001 is the crux of the matter in 2009. Sometimes it is very difficult to understand the real problems. For example, how can agreements made in 2001 remain unfulfilled in 2009? It’s sickening!

I am sure that the other strikes are also related to unfulfilled promises on the part of the Nigerian government. NEPA staffs are also threatening strike actions! Isn’t that funny? There is almost no electricity in Nigeria and the PHCN or NEPA staffs are planning a strike. It appears that they know something that the rest of us don’t know. We’ll see where this takes us next.

The bottom line is that I see a government or successive governments devoid of both mission and vision. A delusionary government that wants to be one of the top 20 nations in 2020….someone should tell the rulers to shut their mouths and stop deceiving themselves. In 2020 the government will be looking at 2050. This can only be prevented through drastic changes in government attitudes and drastic measures that will promote sincerity of purpose and visionary leadership.

As the country remains in paralysis mode, the current emphasis is now how to capture government houses in 2011. Two years to the next election, evil plans have already been laid to rig elections and once again ensure that the votes are not counted.

INEC has not been restructured and the important recommendations of the election committee have been set aside to continue to ensure that autocracy is the norm rather than democracy.

Nigeria is not yet a serious country. When she is ready, first she will fight corruption and get rid of it from her system. Second, she will arrest and jail corrupt men and women and thirdly, she will lay the foundations for strong democratic structures.

Starting from the top, Nigerians need to be re-orientated on how to build a strong and vibrant nation. Surely selfishness, corruption, election rigging and looting are not parts of the prerequisites that will determine the 20 biggest economies in 2020.

Certainly an inactive, illegitimate and non-vibrant leadership is a big minus for a sleeping giant of sub-Saharan Africa. Pity!