Naija Reflections

NBA IKEJA PRESS RELEASE

2012-01-17T00:50:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE

The Good people of Nigeria.

The Nigerian Bar Association Ikeja Branch strongly and unequivocally disassociates itself from the recent announcement of the suspension and truncation of the protest and strike of the Nigerian people against the hike in fuel price by the NLC/TUC. Even before Monday, the 9th day of January 2012, the Ikeja Bar had started a campaign against the said hike in line with the directives of the National Executive Committee meeting of the NBA held at Eket in November 2011. From the 9th till today the 16th January 2012, the Ikeja Bar was in the forefront of the protest against the fuel price hike using the platform of the organised labour as well as that of the Civil Society Groups whilst not losing our lawyers identity.

Much to our chagrin, grave disappointment and unimaginable shock, labour which had appeared seemingly resolute in the stand against the hike in fuel price suddenly capitulated, dramatically somersaulted and shamelessly backpedalled on the very popular stand that the pump price of PMS remains N65.

We make bold to say that the announcement by Labour that it has accepted the N97 per litre price of PMS as unilaterally fixed by the repressive Federal Government of Dr Jonathan is completely unacceptable to us. We consider the acceptance by Labour to be a betrayal of the masses of Nigerian people and an unholy compromise of the sovereignty of the people of Nigeria with a Government that has shown gross insensitivity to their needs, demands and yearnings.

Our position on this matter is that the Nigerian masses should ignore Labour and continue their peaceful opposition to the increase in the pump price of PMS. We have said it before that Government cannot be above the Governed since the former is the servant of the latter and the vast majority of the Nigerian people after listening to all manners of argument on the issue have remained resolute that pump price should remain at N65. We call on all other professional groups whether blue collar or white collar to join us in continuing the peaceful protest and resistance to the increase in pump price. Nigeria belongs to all of us and not only to the cabal and their cohorts in Government who believe that they have a monopoly of wisdom and are the Encyclopedia of knowledge. The blockade, the invasion and unlawful occupation of the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Square Ojota and several parts of Lagos like Yaba, Ojuelegba, Palmgrove, Anthony and Maryland by military personnel and other security forces is unconstitutional, oppressive, obnoxious, abuse of power, reckless, provacative and a disturbing throw back to the fascism of the military years. Likewise, the tear gassing of our colleagues, Bamidele Aturu, Ebun Adegboruwa and other citizens this morning whilst in a peaceful procession along Ikorodu Road as well as the prevention of Femi Falana from accessing Gani Fawehinmi Park Ojota and the NLC Secretariat, Yaba by the military is equally unconstitutional and condemnable. Nigerains have a right to go to every part of Nigeria in peaceful assembly and without participation in any criminality. Both Sections 40 and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 supports this contention.

Finally, our passionate appeal is that the protest against increase in pump price MUST continue. N65 or nothing!

DATED THIS 16TH DAY OF JANUARY 2012.

ADEBAMIGBE OMOLE. (CHAIRMAN)
ADESINA OGUNLANA
(GENERAL SECRETARY)

Jonathan grapples with expanded protest agenda

2012-01-15T05:14:00.000-08:00

By kunle fagbemi
President Goodluck Jonathan has not only united his opponents against himself in a way no president or head of state before him has done, he now faces the distinct possibility of either being impeached or swept away through a revolutionary wave of popular protests. From Lagos to Abuja, Ibadan to Kaduna, and in many other cities in Nigeria, West, North, East and South, hundreds of thousands of protesters stormed venues designated for rallies against the removal of what the Jonathan government described as fuel subsidy. The protests were both remarkable and eye-opening, not only for the revival of Fela’s music in Lagos, and its restoration to its place of genius and primacy as protest music, but also for the seething public disdain for government’s ineptitude.
The call for change was less strident in Abuja than in Lagos, but it was no less meaningful and poignant. From Femi Falana to Tunji Braithwaite, from Ganiat Fawehinmi (Gani’s widow) to Pastor Tunde Bakare, and to hundreds of well-to-do professionals, musicians, and Nollywood actors, the message was the same, as if by a prior consensus. Braithwaite and Falana put it very eloquently and forcefully that the protest had gone beyond the reversal of the fuel price to N65/litre. It was time to reclaim the people’s mandate so that power could reside with the people, they thundered. From one speaker to another, it was call for Jonathan to resign. If the call takes root, Jonathan may find himself fighting battles on three fronts – Boko Haram, fuel price hike, and calls for his resignation.
In Abuja, though rally speakers were more restrained in calling for the kind of revolutionary change that is sweeping through the minds and sentiments of the Lagos protesters, they left no one in doubt that their frustrations with the inertness of the Jonathan government were equally volatile and intense. There seems to be a sense of apprehension in both Lagos and Abuja that the Jonathan government had misread the mood of the moment, and might also have underestimated the anger of the people. Speakers drew attention to the government’s subsidy arithmetic and undermined its basic assumptions. They followed this up by pointing at the very many contradictions in the system, the decadence and laxity in government, and they then summed up their presentations by demanding the restoration of subsidy before any negotiations could take place.
The mere fact that the protest rallies were attended by mammoth crowds of the young and old, and male and female everywhere it held should underscore both their popularity and the depth of alienation in the system. The Jonathan government obviously failed to appreciate and measure the anger out on the streets. Many government officials reportedly poured scorn on analysts who condemned Jonathan for poorly timing the fuel subsidy measure. But it is now clear that the burgeoning menace of Boko Haram terrorism and the yet-to-abate Arab Spring have deeply influenced and inspired the Nigerian protests. Many speakers in some of the rallies made references to both Boko Haram, which is on the verge of instigating a civil or sectarian war, and the Arab Spring, from which the battle cry of Occupy Nigeria was coined.
If Jonathan heeds the House of Representatives motion asking the president to reverse the price hike, he may still be able to douse the incipient calls for his resignation. This is, however, only a possibility; it is not assured. But if he fails to take the window of opportunity opened by the Reps and decides to stick to his fuel subsidy plans, the call for his resignation or impeachment, which is still limited to whispers in many rallies, could start to blossom into non-negotiable calls for the fall of his government.
The massive protests have presented Jonathan two terrifying and unnerving dilemmas. First, if he fails to revert to the old fuel price, it seems clear he will not be able to govern well again or at least do it in an atmosphere of calm. He was really never in his elements even in time of no protests, what with series of goofs and gaffes. In times of crisis, he has even more difficulties. Worse, if the protests continue, his government may very well be swept away, for even now, the organisers are finding it difficult to keep a handle on the protesters who are yearning for a firmer and more assertive show of force. Second, if Jonathan reverts to the old price of petrol, the positions of members of his economic team would become untenable. The reason is that leading members of the team have sworn that without subsidy removal, the economy would crash. With the return of subsidy, it would sound contradictory to entrust the management of the economy into the hands of those who have concluded that the economy could not be salvaged without subsidy removal.
Just as no one could tell where the Arab Spring would lead when it began, it may be difficult on this first enthusiastic day to determine how it will all end for both the protesters and to the increasingly unpopular Jonathan government. It is, however, beyond doubt that the massiveness of the protest in some parts of the country showed the popularity of the cause. It is indeed a historical first to find Nigerians from all professions and from all corners of the country unite against an unpopular policy, and to some extent, an unpopular government. Jonathan has not inspired anyone; it is hard to see anyone inspired to defend him when the chips are down, for in the end, the people have drawn a line between Jonathan and democracy.

Protests Paralyse Nigerian Cities

2012-01-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

Nigerian cities were groaing yesterday under a crushing weight of strikes, protests and rallies to force a reversal of petrol prices.

The protests were staged in more than 30 state capitals and towns.

Professionals, activists, workers, students, artisans and ordinary Nigerians hit the streets, carrying placards and singing anti-government songs. They heeded calls by the Nigeria labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which asked workers to shun work indefinitely, in response to the sudden withdrawal of subsidy on petrol on January 1. The government’s action sent petrol price jumping from N65 per litre to between N138 and N200.

The government said the cash to be saved from the subsidy that has been withdrawn will go into infrastructure, jobs and diversification of the economy. Labour disagreed.

The seat of government in Abuja was grounded by the protesters who prevented government officials, including ministers, from getting to their offices. The rally was addressed by labour leaders.

In Kano, the protest was hijacked by hoodlums, who attempted to break into the Government House. In the ensuing melee, a 15-year-old boy was reportedly killed. Many others were injured, hit by stray bullets, it was learnt.

Four people, including three in Benin City and one in Lagos, died.

Two ex-governors - Balarabe Musa and Hamid Alli-led the protest in Kaduna.

Protests and rallies were held in Abeokuta, Minna, Ibadan, Ado-Ekiti, Osogbo, Awka, Enugu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Makurdi, Bauchi and Gombe and Oyo, among other state capitals and cities.

Businesses were shut down in Lagos. Airports and seaports were grounded.

The economy lost billions of naira.

The Federal Government pleaded for peace, saying dialogue remains the best way to resolve the matter.

In Lagos, the Labour team took off from the NLC Secretariat in Yaba with a fairly large crowd, which grew as they trekked along, sensitising the people on the reason for the protest.

The team was led by NLC Deputy President Joe Ajaero. TUC President General Peter Esele was represented by Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) President Sunday Olusoji Salako.

A Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) ambulance with registration number FST 564AA followed the crowd.

The crowd was massive but it was little compared to those already at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, where the long walk terminated and speeches were delivered.

The Save Nigeria Group (SNG) organised the rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Park. The crowd gathered there as early as 8.00am.

They moved through Ojuelegba to Jibowu, Fadeyi and Palmgrove, where a group of hoodlums tried to cause trouble, pelting the protesters with stones and other objects. But they were prevented by the police who employed force to stop the protest from being hijacked.

Save for the face-off with the hoodlums, the police were civil as they accompanied the protesters.

The SNG team was led by Pastor Tunde Bakare, the vice presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in last year’s presidential election.

Apart from Bakare, there were pro-democracy activists, such as Lagos lawyer Femi Falana, activist Yinka Odumakin and Dr. Joe-Okei Odumakin, Chief Dele Momodu, elder statesman Tunji Braithwaite, Mrs Ganiat Fawehimmi and her son, Mohammed, among other activists. There were musicians and actors – its members. Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Wasiu Ayinde, Ras Kimono, Dede Mabiakwu and others.

The crowd was so large that it stretched as far as the Maryland Bridge.

Ajibola Wahid, a lawyer, could not understand why the government could not arrest its members.

“I am protesting because the government cannot punish us for its inability to arrest 41 Nigerians who are behind the subsidy rackets.”

There was a huge podium from where the leaders addressed the crowd. A big electricity generating set was installed. The protesters threatened to remain at the Park for days to come, should the government fail to revert petrol price to N65.

At a point, a helicopter hovered over the crowd of protesters. But they were unmoved.

Songs of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was booming from the giant speakers and the crowd sang along.

Bakare said with or without subsidy, poor Nigerians would still lose out. He urged the government to tell the people how much the country is making from oil daily and make available the cost of daily production.

He said successive administrations paid for Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries with nothing to show for it.

“The problem is corruption. More than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s earning is spent on their salaries and emolument. The corruption has to be removed,” the pastor said.

Salako said he could not say how long it would take but he knew that the people’s will would prevail. He warned banks against opening during the protests.

To Ajaero, reversal to N65 per litre is not negotiable.

Lagos Lawyer Femi Falana, accompanied by his son Folarin, said the people are angry because successive administrations have denied them the benefits of democracy. He said if they resolved to revolt, nobody can stop the revolution. He insisted that the people have the right to protest, saying inspite of having to address protest rallies for over 35 years little had changed in the polity.

Elder-statesman and Second Republic presidential candidate Dr. Tunji Braithwaite said “the revolution has started” and it cannot be stopped”.

“We have been ruled for a long time by mosquitoes. It is not only about fuel price, what about corruption. This is going to be a mother of all revolution. We will re arrange our affair,” said the 76-year old lawyer.

The widow of the late activist, Chime Ubani, Ochuwa, also attended the rally.

There were also leaders of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Air Transport Workers, among many others.

source: thenation newspaper

Nigeria Will Rise Up Again By Pat Utomi

2010-10-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

New Dawn for Nigeria?
Fifty years of nationhood, a golden moment to behold. A time of jubilee. But the land is somber. It seems the celebration is for and by a powerful few. In most of Nigeria it is just another day. But we need not despair. In spite of how things look, the signals are actually encouraging, the omens good and the prospects bought. Nigeria will rise up again and the labours of our heroes past will not be in vain.
It is easy to be despondent when you are unemployed as many of our youth are, angry when your relative has been kidnapped for no just cause or you are in debt or unable to find finance for this great small business idea that will make the misery index not an experience lived but a story of the lot of abstract personages. I have struggled to contain the emotion of personal displeasure of being a victim in many of the games that leave Nigeria prostrate, and to, as objectively as is possible for a human, there being no such thing as complete objectivity in these matters, to immerse myself in the data.
The growth numbers of different economic institutions at home and abroad, the Failed States index, the Jobless Growth study of the World Bank; the Generation Next report, the Newsweek report on the misery centres of the planet in which only Burkina Faso ranked worse than Oil rich Nigeria; and I come away greatly encouraged that Nigeria will rise up again and be paradise dreamt of in 1960.
All things considered, as one European Ambassador to Nigeria who served in China said to me recently, Nigeria keeps reminding him of China 15 – 20 years ago when he wrote reports about the likelihood of China’s take off and people at the home office politely filed away his reports. I can feel it in my bones that Nigeria is set to explode unto the global scene with outstanding economic growth, a new sense of pride and commitment to its natural leadership role in Africa.
As I review things, I see a huge population living abroad, broadening skills and supporting relatives in a way that has made for the strong domestic demand that drives above the premium annual GDP growth rates; combine that with the Youth population that can yield massive demographic dividends as our democratic effort begins to produce leaders whose objective is advance of the common good, not the pleasures of power, and the pillage of the commonwealth. I can project growth that makes China look like modest accomplishment. I know, therefore in my heart that Nigeria will rise up again.
Indeed I think it self-evident that if our elite can discover its mission and decide in the Franz Fanon sense not to betray it, that we will go from de – industrialization in which manufacturing collapsed from 13 per cent of GDP to less than 3 per cent of GDPs to one in which our factor endowment yields value chains into global markets where we are extremely competitive creating millions of quality jobs. Here I pay tribute already to such initiatives by people like Pedro Egbe in Oil and Gas in the Niger Delta but expect same for Gum – Arabic and Chemical Industry corridors in the North West, Food Processing in the North Central and Rubber in the South West. Surely Nigeria will rise up again.
It is not by accident that I fell in love with a song and appropriated it is my personal anthem.
Nigeria will rise up again, Nigeria will rise up again, (twice)
God will heal our land, restore us anew,
Nigeria will rise up again.
But it will rise not in the acrimony of self first in search of personal comfort-zones. It will rise in the realization that “I am because we are”, and that all can work together for a win – win outcome. Nigeria seems like a crippled giant because of a zero – sum mentality. We can all win if we work together. The trouble with the speed of the spirit of Nigeria soaring in flight remains a challenged middle class too wrapped in the pursuit of individual comfort zone that they forget that “ I am because we are”. The Nigerian spirit in ascent has to draw strength from new thinking that gives up the zero – sum mindset in which someone else’s success is seen as the loss of another. A win – win logic in which we discover the mission of our generation and collaborate in its pursuit will quickly see Nigeria rise again, a new set of values, replace this present times of a collapse of culture. The urgency of now is getting all to work together for advance of the common good rather the dominant way of plotting the end of the dream of your neighbour as assurance of your victory, Nigeria will rise up again.
As we celebrate 50 years of Independence and we seem separated between those in power and positions of privilege who celebrate and most of the rest are left wondering what is going on, a sense for the possibilities which profit all, especially as it is clear the present modus vivendi is not sustainable, should bridge the imagined divides between stakeholders, that Nigeria may rise up again. Surely we can overcome the many injustices that mark Nigerian history and God will heal our land that Nigeria may rise up again. The peace and prosperity symbolised by our flag should rally all to a common vision so that Nigeria will rise up again.
• Utomi, Political Economist, Professor of Entrepreneurship, and Business Angel was candidate for President in 2007.

2011: Nigerians angry as Senators double jumbo allowances By Patrick Okohue

2010-06-28T16:20:00.001-07:00

2011: Nigerians angry as Senators double jumbo allowances By Patrick Okohue
Nigerians are angry; many are getting frustrated and are screaming on top of their voices. Their frustration is all geared towards the same direction. They are miffed that in a country where hunger,
lack and squalor are the order of the day, its National Assembly seem to be insensitive to their plight.
Their outrage stems from recent report from the upper chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate, where Senators are demanding for an upward review of their basic allowance from N43Million quarterly to a staggering N100 Million each, to enable them tackle perceived and real opponents ahead of the 2011 general elections.
Many Nigerians are saying that what the take home of the Senators presently is outrageous, yet the lawmakers seem not content and are asking for more.
Many are now asking the rationale for Senators asking for so much. Speaking on the demand, a concerned Nigerian said, “the lawmakers care more for themselves than the masses that voted them into power, I wonder if we have sat down to access the performance of the Senators so far, how many bills have they passed that have enhanced the lives of the masses that voted them, how many of them really know their senatorial district, how many of them do go home to know how their people are faring.”
“They are all in Abuja, buying land in Abuja, building houses in Abuja and looking for areas to invest and even outside the country, it is very unfortunate and if I have my way I will say let all of them go and face the EFCC, because they don’t have anything to offer, can you compare what they are demanding to the number of bills they have passed on education, now education is going down every day and nobody cares about that.”
That only represents the feeling of many Nigerians who are concerned about the type of representation they get, but the Senators are not disturbed by the outrage, provided they can get what they feel belongs to them, because according them, the House of Representatives have already shared theirs, why not the Senate.
According to a source, the Senators quest is in line with their findings that members of the House of Representatives are being well financially rewarded by their leadership and have wondered why that same cannot also happen in the Senate.
In a text message that went round among Senators, the arrow head in the push for the allowance increment is called on his colleagues to put pressure on the leadership of the Senate to increase the allowance of members because “this is election year.”
According to the text message: “My distinguished, each member in the House of Representatives has improved earnings from N25million to N43Million. This is an improvement of forty percent. Reps members are also getting on Prado 4 by 4. This is election year. We should rise up and demand from the leadership what is due us. Our entitlement in the budget is nothing less than N100Million per Senator. David Mark leadership will open up if we request for it. N100 million or nothing”.
If the proposal sails through as expected, it means the Senators would be sharing the sum of N10.9 Billion from the nation’s treasury. These figures do not include non-regular allowances—vehicle loan, furniture allowance, estacode, duty tour allowance and severance gratuity—which are paid separately to each legislator as they become due.
The present demand will make each Senator to be entitled to N100 million per quarter and N300million per annum, each principal officer will be entitled to N450 million, Deputy Senate President N600 million and Senate President N900 million per annum.
This is coming on the heels of alleged recent increase in the allowances of members of the House of Representatives from N25 Million to almost N40 Million from the same source, representing the sum N14 Billion shared by the lawmakers.
According to remuneration package released in 2009 by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), each of the 107 senators besides the Senate President and his deputy will receive N11 million in basic salaries and regular allowances every year while a member of the House of Representatives will get N9.9 million. Previously, a senator was getting N17 million while a House member was collecting N14.99 million.
The new agitation by the senators for an upward allowance review is not in line with the remuneration package prepared by the RMAFC.
An analyst wondered why the lawmakers will deceive Nigerians, making them believe that they conceded to a reduction in their remuneration last year because of the hardship in the system, only to turn around to demand what is far in excess of what they conceded.
Sources within the Senate noted that already some members have started mobilizing their colleagues to arm twist the Senate leadership to approve the increment.
A Senator from a North Central state is said to be leading the pack of Senators making the demand.
According to findings, quarterly allocation to each member of the House of Representatives has increased from about N25Million to close to N40 Million in the last three years while those of senators have remained in the neighborhood of between N35 million to N45 Million within the same period.
Putting it in perspective, another concerned Nigerian, Andrew Pinneh while responding to an online news report on the issue noted, “we have to put things in perspective first and try and understand the kind of politics we are building and encouraging in Nigeria, whether we are promoting good governance that supports the rule of law and order or we are promoting political decadence or political industry?”
“You see the country we had fashioned our democracy after does not pay as much as what our House of Representatives and the Senate are currently being paid. Currently, the file and rank of the US Senate and House take home a year is $174,000 (N26,274,000), the Majority and Minority leader $193,400 (N29, 203,400) and the Speaker $223,500 (N33,748,500).
“Compare this figures with what our own House and Senate are asking for. Mind you all other benefits paid to these guys are in line with the federal civil service scheme, which is similar to our own civil service. How much does a Permanent Secretary or top civil servants take home a year in Nigeria? Is this in line with what these politicians are asking for? Are we supposed to use the taxpayer’s money to induce party polity and campaign or they are supposed to source their funding by themselves! It is a shame for our dear nation the way the polity is playing out.
“In the UK, a Member of Parliament takes home a year £64,766 (N14, 896,180) about half of what its Nigerian counterpart is receiving. In fact, the Nigerian political office holders are about the most highly paid. But how do we benchmark their performance in relation to their counterpart around the world, we can say that the comparison is infinitesimal to their colleagues around the globe. The results speak for itself.
“We need to ask ourselves, how credible and capable are these politicians seeking re-election for 2011; we all need to draw a checklist of their performance and evaluate to see how many of them are actually capable or credible of being re-elected to the House or Senate. Can you imagine some of them seeking pay rise to help them get re-elected? This is unheard of any where in the world, what parameters do we have in place to checkmate this kind of mindset within our political elite? This calls for concern for all of us,” he said.
He is not alone, Yusuf Olayinka was even more sarcastic in his remarks, to him the demands of the politicians can only be likened to insanity, “these politicians to me are just lunatics. They talk about sharing public fund like is nothing, where an average Nigerian can not afford to eat three time a day.”
“Where degree holders will be forced to serve the country for a year (NYSC) and be kicked out after that and leave them with nothing. A country where all roads are death trap, a country where police rob innocent people of their belongings in broad day light.”
Another respondent shares Olayinka’s sentiment when he said, “this democracy is a demonstration of craziness. Lunatics are never aware of their immediate surroundings where poverty, ignorance and disease are the trade mark.”
But, M S Daura sees the demand as a challenge that all Nigerians will have to address through prayers “I call on all right thinking Nigerian to engage in prayer, may the almighty God take care of our oppressors. May them be oppressed by the lord for what they are doing to us. They are a bunch of lunatics and need to be controlled.”
In anger, Henry Stolly sees the demand as daylight robbery, describing the lawmakers as “dare devils, Constitutional robbers, greedy gluttons. Worse than this, is a silent nation consenting to this nonsense. These robbers live in affluence and luxury, whereas the majority of the populace lacks the basic amenities to live a comfortable life.”
“Oga Senator, do you think N100 million is enough? What about N500 million, or may be you guys should even be paid in dollars or pounds sterling. I foresee a revolution coming, judgement is coming and its coming fast and by the grace of God there shall be a national cleansing in the leadership. May THE ALMIGHTY GOD put zeal in the hearts of men in this nation to hasten this revolution; it is long awaited.
“Every thief in power shall not be spared. How I pray that a “Jerry Rawlings” would be born in our generation. Ah! I think enough is enough of this looting. Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. I think this time their agbada don hook barbed wire. Woe betide the man or whosoever that would approve such proposal. You are proposing an increase to bribe yourselves back to power.
For Yerima Waka, “they were never voted in to office” and therefore described them as “gangsters and treasury looters,” praying that, “if they succeed in this their ungodly looting, may peace not be found in what ever they do. May God expose them to shame and disgrace and may all kind of calamities be fall them.”
Another respondent, Isacco noted that “in the abundance of water the fool is hungry.” He urged the lawmakers to go home and rethink if this period of our nascent democracy and decide whether such request is necessary.
Yinka Adedayo, said, “if this is the kind of money available to these guys, why won’t they marry 13 year olds from Egypt? This is a sick country and the more we, the citizens sit back and accept this rubbish, then the more it will continue....... It’s enough for a call to arms!! I am a pacifist, but if I think this way, then the MEND way seems to be justified.”
Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Gabriel Giwa-Amu, described the situation as pathetic, “the case of the Senate is a pathetic situation, people in the first place who were never elected, if you look at the spate of tribunal judgements and all that.”
“These are people who had no visible means of income before some of them rigged their way into where they are, these are people who went there determined to plunder. Do you know that when a man says that he has N50million in a decent society, it is taxable, but here you have Senators and House of Reps members who avoid taxes, who flaunt stolen money, they act with impunity and enjoy immunity.
“When Festus Keyamo made a complaint of the car scam against Bankole, what was the result, it is only recently that people are saying that that scam was actually true, meanwhile Keyamo was hounded, harassed over that matter, the death of Bola Ige nobody knows who pulled the trigger till now, so when you have a system that cannot check itself, you will still have these problems, because the psyche of the people is now programmed to going there to embezzle.
“A teacher who rigged election to become council chairman can now boast of four houses and over ten cars, because everything is tailored towards corruption, but for the forthrightness of the press, I will say even judges fear you the press, there are some judges who would have given judgements one way, but when they see the avalanche of report , they quickly pretend to be impartial, but at the end of the day, provided the judgement is what it ought to be. So it is the press, not even the EFCC or ICPC, it is the fear of being revealed that has made these institutions at least tilt towards decency, if not don’t be surprised if you hear that your Senate President goes away with N20billion, there is nothing you can do about it, but for the fear of adverse publicity,” he said.
The demand has also not gone unnoticed by the opposition, the Action Congress (AC) in a release signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, accused the lawmakers of looting the national treasury, “and trashing the Constitution by unilaterally awarding themselves huge perks that far outweigh what was approved for them by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the only body Constitutionally-mandated to fix public officers’ pay.”
The party called on the RMAFC to speak up on the issue and the anti-graft agencies to immediately launch an investigation into it.
“The amount approved as monthly pay by RMAFC, including all allowances, for each Senator is N929,000 per month or just over N 11 million per annum. For each member of the House of Representatives, the approved amount is N917,000 per month or about N11 million per annum.
“But the lawmakers unilaterally allocated to themselves, as allowances, N27 million per quarter or N9 million monthly for each House of Representatives member, and N45 million or N15 million per month for each Senator, in addition to the amount approved by the RMAFC. It is public knowledge that they are now seeking to raise the allowance even higher.
“With the illegally-approved sums of money, each Senator will pocket N720 million in four years, while each House member will get N540 million. These sums do not include the approved pay by RMAFC which they also collect. Apart from being illegal, it is obscene, in a country where a huge chunk of the population lives on less than 1 US dollar per day,’’ AC said.
The party said when this over-sized perks are put side by side with the equally humongous allowances of principal officers in both chambers of the National Assembly, it is clear that the federal budget is largely being used to service our lawmakers, who are now acting like the ‘Pigs’ in the book ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell.
“Yet-undenied media reports said Senate President David Mark gets N250 million per quarter; Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu N150 million; and each of the eight remaining principal officers N78 million. Little wonder that Nigerians are yet to see the dividends of democracy, over 10 years later.
“Ours must be the most expensive democracy on earth, and if nothing is done quickly to stem this looting tide, it may come to a time that there will be no money to run the government beyond paying the bloated salaries and allowances of our public office holders,’’ it said.
Also speaking on the vexed issue at a recent media interaction, President Goodluck Jonathan promised to discuss the issue with the leadership of the National Assembly with a view to having a proper understanding of the matter and also finding a way around it.
His words: “Not too long ago, the former chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Commission noted that the Nigerian President is the least paid President, but our late President then felt that this is not the time to increase wages and remuneration, because people will misunderstand it.”
“My self and the leadership of the National Assembly discuss from time to time at various levels informally, if this issue is becoming so topical I will again discuss with them, I also think that probably there may also be some misconception.
“I think people are looking at the total budget of the National Assembly and dividing it per head and that is a very wrong way, as if all the money they require is for them to spend for themselves, no, the National Assembly even though they are not meant to do roads, they are not meant to handle capital projects, but they furnish their offices, they buy some operational vehicles, communication equipment and things like that.
“There capital budget may not be much, but the overhead, off course they travel a lot, quite a number of their operation has to do with their oversight function, they travel out of the country, they travel within the country, they sit from Tuesdays to Thursdays, Mondays and Fridays they don’t sit, committees sit at will conducting town halls and all that, probably people are beginning to take funds for overhead as if they are funds for allowances, that is my ordinary thinking,” he said.
But, it will be noted that neither the Senate President, David Mark nor the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole has publicly made any statement with regards to the issue.
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2011: Nigerians angry as Senators double jumbo allowances By Patrick Okohue

2010-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Nigerians are angry; many are getting frustrated and are screaming on top of their voices. Their frustration is all geared towards the same direction. They are miffed that in a country where hunger,
lack and squalor are the order of the day, its National Assembly seem to be insensitive to their plight.
Their outrage stems from recent report from the upper chambers of the National Assembly, the Senate, where Senators are demanding for an upward review of their basic allowance from N43Million quarterly to a staggering N100 Million each, to enable them tackle perceived and real opponents ahead of the 2011 general elections.
Many Nigerians are saying that what the take home of the Senators presently is outrageous, yet the lawmakers seem not content and are asking for more.
Many are now asking the rationale for Senators asking for so much. Speaking on the demand, a concerned Nigerian said, “the lawmakers care more for themselves than the masses that voted them into power, I wonder if we have sat down to access the performance of the Senators so far, how many bills have they passed that have enhanced the lives of the masses that voted them, how many of them really know their senatorial district, how many of them do go home to know how their people are faring.”
“They are all in Abuja, buying land in Abuja, building houses in Abuja and looking for areas to invest and even outside the country, it is very unfortunate and if I have my way I will say let all of them go and face the EFCC, because they don’t have anything to offer, can you compare what they are demanding to the number of bills they have passed on education, now education is going down every day and nobody cares about that.”
That only represents the feeling of many Nigerians who are concerned about the type of representation they get, but the Senators are not disturbed by the outrage, provided they can get what they feel belongs to them, because according them, the House of Representatives have already shared theirs, why not the Senate.
According to a source, the Senators quest is in line with their findings that members of the House of Representatives are being well financially rewarded by their leadership and have wondered why that same cannot also happen in the Senate.
In a text message that went round among Senators, the arrow head in the push for the allowance increment is called on his colleagues to put pressure on the leadership of the Senate to increase the allowance of members because “this is election year.”
According to the text message: “My distinguished, each member in the House of Representatives has improved earnings from N25million to N43Million. This is an improvement of forty percent. Reps members are also getting on Prado 4 by 4. This is election year. We should rise up and demand from the leadership what is due us. Our entitlement in the budget is nothing less than N100Million per Senator. David Mark leadership will open up if we request for it. N100 million or nothing”.
If the proposal sails through as expected, it means the Senators would be sharing the sum of N10.9 Billion from the nation’s treasury. These figures do not include non-regular allowances—vehicle loan, furniture allowance, estacode, duty tour allowance and severance gratuity—which are paid separately to each legislator as they become due.
The present demand will make each Senator to be entitled to N100 million per quarter and N300million per annum, each principal officer will be entitled to N450 million, Deputy Senate President N600 million and Senate President N900 million per annum.
This is coming on the heels of alleged recent increase in the allowances of members of the House of Representatives from N25 Million to almost N40 Million from the same source, representing the sum N14 Billion shared by the lawmakers.
According to remuneration package released in 2009 by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), each of the 107 senators besides the Senate President and his deputy will receive N11 million in basic salaries and regular allowances every year while a member of the House of Representatives will get N9.9 million. Previously, a senator was getting N17 million while a House member was collecting N14.99 million.
The new agitation by the senators for an upward allowance review is not in line with the remuneration package prepared by the RMAFC.
An analyst wondered why the lawmakers will deceive Nigerians, making them believe that they conceded to a reduction in their remuneration last year because of the hardship in the system, only to turn around to demand what is far in excess of what they conceded.
Sources within the Senate noted that already some members have started mobilizing their colleagues to arm twist the Senate leadership to approve the increment.
A Senator from a North Central state is said to be leading the pack of Senators making the demand.
According to findings, quarterly allocation to each member of the House of Representatives has increased from about N25Million to close to N40 Million in the last three years while those of senators have remained in the neighborhood of between N35 million to N45 Million within the same period.
Putting it in perspective, another concerned Nigerian, Andrew Pinneh while responding to an online news report on the issue noted, “we have to put things in perspective first and try and understand the kind of politics we are building and encouraging in Nigeria, whether we are promoting good governance that supports the rule of law and order or we are promoting political decadence or political industry?”
“You see the country we had fashioned our democracy after does not pay as much as what our House of Representatives and the Senate are currently being paid. Currently, the file and rank of the US Senate and House take home a year is $174,000 (N26,274,000), the Majority and Minority leader $193,400 (N29, 203,400) and the Speaker $223,500 (N33,748,500).
“Compare this figures with what our own House and Senate are asking for. Mind you all other benefits paid to these guys are in line with the federal civil service scheme, which is similar to our own civil service. How much does a Permanent Secretary or top civil servants take home a year in Nigeria? Is this in line with what these politicians are asking for? Are we supposed to use the taxpayer’s money to induce party polity and campaign or they are supposed to source their funding by themselves! It is a shame for our dear nation the way the polity is playing out.
“In the UK, a Member of Parliament takes home a year £64,766 (N14, 896,180) about half of what its Nigerian counterpart is receiving. In fact, the Nigerian political office holders are about the most highly paid. But how do we benchmark their performance in relation to their counterpart around the world, we can say that the comparison is infinitesimal to their colleagues around the globe. The results speak for itself.
“We need to ask ourselves, how credible and capable are these politicians seeking re-election for 2011; we all need to draw a checklist of their performance and evaluate to see how many of them are actually capable or credible of being re-elected to the House or Senate. Can you imagine some of them seeking pay rise to help them get re-elected? This is unheard of any where in the world, what parameters do we have in place to checkmate this kind of mindset within our political elite? This calls for concern for all of us,” he said.
He is not alone, Yusuf Olayinka was even more sarcastic in his remarks, to him the demands of the politicians can only be likened to insanity, “these politicians to me are just lunatics. They talk about sharing public fund like is nothing, where an average Nigerian can not afford to eat three time a day.”
“Where degree holders will be forced to serve the country for a year (NYSC) and be kicked out after that and leave them with nothing. A country where all roads are death trap, a country where police rob innocent people of their belongings in broad day light.”
Another respondent shares Olayinka’s sentiment when he said, “this democracy is a demonstration of craziness. Lunatics are never aware of their immediate surroundings where poverty, ignorance and disease are the trade mark.”
But, M S Daura sees the demand as a challenge that all Nigerians will have to address through prayers “I call on all right thinking Nigerian to engage in prayer, may the almighty God take care of our oppressors. May them be oppressed by the lord for what they are doing to us. They are a bunch of lunatics and need to be controlled.”
In anger, Henry Stolly sees the demand as daylight robbery, describing the lawmakers as “dare devils, Constitutional robbers, greedy gluttons. Worse than this, is a silent nation consenting to this nonsense. These robbers live in affluence and luxury, whereas the majority of the populace lacks the basic amenities to live a comfortable life.”
“Oga Senator, do you think N100 million is enough? What about N500 million, or may be you guys should even be paid in dollars or pounds sterling. I foresee a revolution coming, judgement is coming and its coming fast and by the grace of God there shall be a national cleansing in the leadership. May THE ALMIGHTY GOD put zeal in the hearts of men in this nation to hasten this revolution; it is long awaited.
“Every thief in power shall not be spared. How I pray that a “Jerry Rawlings” would be born in our generation. Ah! I think enough is enough of this looting. Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. I think this time their agbada don hook barbed wire. Woe betide the man or whosoever that would approve such proposal. You are proposing an increase to bribe yourselves back to power.
For Yerima Waka, “they were never voted in to office” and therefore described them as “gangsters and treasury looters,” praying that, “if they succeed in this their ungodly looting, may peace not be found in what ever they do. May God expose them to shame and disgrace and may all kind of calamities be fall them.”
Another respondent, Isacco noted that “in the abundance of water the fool is hungry.” He urged the lawmakers to go home and rethink if this period of our nascent democracy and decide whether such request is necessary.
Yinka Adedayo, said, “if this is the kind of money available to these guys, why won’t they marry 13 year olds from Egypt? This is a sick country and the more we, the citizens sit back and accept this rubbish, then the more it will continue....... It’s enough for a call to arms!! I am a pacifist, but if I think this way, then the MEND way seems to be justified.”
Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Gabriel Giwa-Amu, described the situation as pathetic, “the case of the Senate is a pathetic situation, people in the first place who were never elected, if you look at the spate of tribunal judgements and all that.”
“These are people who had no visible means of income before some of them rigged their way into where they are, these are people who went there determined to plunder. Do you know that when a man says that he has N50million in a decent society, it is taxable, but here you have Senators and House of Reps members who avoid taxes, who flaunt stolen money, they act with impunity and enjoy immunity.
“When Festus Keyamo made a complaint of the car scam against Bankole, what was the result, it is only recently that people are saying that that scam was actually true, meanwhile Keyamo was hounded, harassed over that matter, the death of Bola Ige nobody knows who pulled the trigger till now, so when you have a system that cannot check itself, you will still have these problems, because the psyche of the people is now programmed to going there to embezzle.
“A teacher who rigged election to become council chairman can now boast of four houses and over ten cars, because everything is tailored towards corruption, but for the forthrightness of the press, I will say even judges fear you the press, there are some judges who would have given judgements one way, but when they see the avalanche of report , they quickly pretend to be impartial, but at the end of the day, provided the judgement is what it ought to be. So it is the press, not even the EFCC or ICPC, it is the fear of being revealed that has made these institutions at least tilt towards decency, if not don’t be surprised if you hear that your Senate President goes away with N20billion, there is nothing you can do about it, but for the fear of adverse publicity,” he said.
The demand has also not gone unnoticed by the opposition, the Action Congress (AC) in a release signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, accused the lawmakers of looting the national treasury, “and trashing the Constitution by unilaterally awarding themselves huge perks that far outweigh what was approved for them by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the only body Constitutionally-mandated to fix public officers’ pay.”
The party called on the RMAFC to speak up on the issue and the anti-graft agencies to immediately launch an investigation into it.
“The amount approved as monthly pay by RMAFC, including all allowances, for each Senator is N929,000 per month or just over N 11 million per annum. For each member of the House of Representatives, the approved amount is N917,000 per month or about N11 million per annum.
“But the lawmakers unilaterally allocated to themselves, as allowances, N27 million per quarter or N9 million monthly for each House of Representatives member, and N45 million or N15 million per month for each Senator, in addition to the amount approved by the RMAFC. It is public knowledge that they are now seeking to raise the allowance even higher.
“With the illegally-approved sums of money, each Senator will pocket N720 million in four years, while each House member will get N540 million. These sums do not include the approved pay by RMAFC which they also collect. Apart from being illegal, it is obscene, in a country where a huge chunk of the population lives on less than 1 US dollar per day,’’ AC said.
The party said when this over-sized perks are put side by side with the equally humongous allowances of principal officers in both chambers of the National Assembly, it is clear that the federal budget is largely being used to service our lawmakers, who are now acting like the ‘Pigs’ in the book ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell.
“Yet-undenied media reports said Senate President David Mark gets N250 million per quarter; Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu N150 million; and each of the eight remaining principal officers N78 million. Little wonder that Nigerians are yet to see the dividends of democracy, over 10 years later.
“Ours must be the most expensive democracy on earth, and if nothing is done quickly to stem this looting tide, it may come to a time that there will be no money to run the government beyond paying the bloated salaries and allowances of our public office holders,’’ it said.
Also speaking on the vexed issue at a recent media interaction, President Goodluck Jonathan promised to discuss the issue with the leadership of the National Assembly with a view to having a proper understanding of the matter and also finding a way around it.
His words: “Not too long ago, the former chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Commission noted that the Nigerian President is the least paid President, but our late President then felt that this is not the time to increase wages and remuneration, because people will misunderstand it.”
“My self and the leadership of the National Assembly discuss from time to time at various levels informally, if this issue is becoming so topical I will again discuss with them, I also think that probably there may also be some misconception.
“I think people are looking at the total budget of the National Assembly and dividing it per head and that is a very wrong way, as if all the money they require is for them to spend for themselves, no, the National Assembly even though they are not meant to do roads, they are not meant to handle capital projects, but they furnish their offices, they buy some operational vehicles, communication equipment and things like that.
“There capital budget may not be much, but the overhead, off course they travel a lot, quite a number of their operation has to do with their oversight function, they travel out of the country, they travel within the country, they sit from Tuesdays to Thursdays, Mondays and Fridays they don’t sit, committees sit at will conducting town halls and all that, probably people are beginning to take funds for overhead as if they are funds for allowances, that is my ordinary thinking,” he said.
But, it will be noted that neither the Senate President, David Mark nor the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole has publicly made any statement with regards to the issue.
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'This House' By Koya Oyagbola

2010-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

It is time to see Nigeria for what it is – a big house. How many of you would countenance someone coming into your living room to urinate and defecate? How many of you would allow yourselves to be bribed with a light bulb from a house when the whole house belongs to you? Then why would you allow someone to buy your vote? Why would you allow someone to exploit you? Don’t you know the whole of Nigeria is your house? Can’t you see that? It’s time you all started to hold this house in high esteem because for all I’ve said so far, I’m less concerned about past privations I’ve faced. I’m less concerned about the ingratitude my mother and other members of my family have experienced. What really concerns me is what it says about this house called Nigeria. If people as accomplished as my mother can face such difficulties and if a son from such a family can face such struggles, what hope is there for the humble subsistence farmer and how many fledgling Einsteins, Flemings, Goethes have we deprived of faith and trust before their geniuses could take root? How many more Koya-Oyagbolas are we stifling and trying to snuff out with our indifference even now as their geniuses struggle to take root? Unless you wish to spend your life in a desert it’s time for every single Nigerian to stand up and say, there will be no more incivility, no more neglect, no more anguish in this house. It’s time Nigerians stood up to those of little faith who attempt to urinate and defecate in this house’s living room...

FOR COMPLETE ARTICLE SEE: http://koyaoyagbola.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/this-house/

I have a dream

2009-12-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

No, I am not Martin Luther King. Neither am I Joseph the dreamer. But, I also have a dream. God has not changed. As it was in the beginning, so it is now and ever shall it be. I truly have a dream.
I have a dream that Nigeria shall soon be restored; the land shall be healed. Once again, Nigeria shall be a land flowing with milk and honey. As Jericho was healed, the situation of Nigeria shall once again be pleasant.
It is a dream; perhaps a revelation. Nigeria shall be rid of vampires and pests, cankerworms and caterpillars. The devourers shall be rooted out and the people of God shall rejoice. All those who have held the country down, who have profited from the tears of the children of God shall be humbled and humiliated. It is my dream.
There shall be showers of blessing in this country. No more mercy drops. There shall be abundance of food and drinks. The land shall no longer bring forth thistles and thorns. It shall no longer be a country of the poor, one scorned by the mighty nations, made a foot stool of the great countries. This is my dream.
I have a dream. This country shall no longer be a state of beggars shipped across states. There shall be abundance of everything. Those in power shall be those elected by the people, not those selected by a few. The polity shall be rid of strong men and godfathers. The democracy practised in Nigeria shall be one man, one vote. I have a dream.
I have a dream; that the United States of America shall one day, very soon, operate at the same level, on equal terms with Nigeria . In that day, Nigeria shall truly be respected as the giant of Africa . All nations of Africa will covet the status and achievements of Nigeria . The economy shall blossom and the politics shall be right. The atmosphere shall be refreshing. Nigeria will rise again.
This is my dream. It shall come to pass. I want to believe that those reading this will claim it and shout Amen. If anyone doubts, he should read 2 Kings Chapter 7 of the Bible. My dream is akin to the record of Elisha in 2 kings Chapter 2, verses 19-22. Nigeria shall rise again. The foundation shall be healed. The people of God, long held down shall be free again and the dreams of independence that the Lord showed to the founding fathers shall be realised. This is my dream.
Has anyone taken time to study how God specially packaged this country? Has anyone noticed how God put different vegetations together in this country? How many countries have as much as the crude oil available to this country? What about the solid minerals? Is there any part of this country that cannot thrive on just agriculture? Nigeria is blessed, but some people decided to curse the country. But, thus says the Lord of hosts, the same yesterday and today. And forever. The one who promised and will surely bring it to pass: "Who shall curse those whom I have blessed? For how long shall my people who are called by my name be held down? This is the day of deliverance. My people who have gone astray shall be gathered again and shall fulfill their destiny. I shall fight for my people and they shall hold their peace." So says the Lord and so shall it be.
The Lord has said that, upon this mountain ( Nigeria ), there shall be deliverance. If God be for us, who can be against us. The people of God shall possess their possession. Abrahamic blessing shall be the people’s.
Yes, I have the dream, but the people of God must reposition themselves. They must obey the word of the Almighty, they must believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is able to do it; that he is ready to do it. They must accept that as it recorded in James Chapter 1, doubters shall not partake of the inheritance of the God of Israel, the Jehovah Jireh.
You may call this political theology. I have been cured, myself, of my deep seated cynicism and pessimism. Now, I truly believe. If it is said of my God, it shall come to pass because no word that proceeds from His mouth shall return to Him void.
I have a dream. I have the dream. Nigeria shall rise again. No longer shall other countries, mighty countries of the West and the East, trample upon this great country. Nigeria shall no longer be a potentially great country. It shall be a truly great country- militarily, economically, politically. The spirit of division and rancour shall be defeated. The people of Nigeria shall be united and war against the enemies at the word of the Lord.
Peace shall reign in the Niger Delta. The North shall no longer be seen as the obstacle to development. The west shall work with the East and the North with the Souther minorities. So shall it be. It is the message. For as many as believe it shall be counted as their destiny to be part of the abundance.
I have a dream. This is the dream.
By Bolade Omonijo

NIGERIA NEXT: THE BEGINNING OF A BEGINNING By Tunji Orishalade Esq.

2009-11-03T16:22:00.001-08:00

Said Jack L. Wacker, on The Foundations of Democracy: "The system to which this label refers, however, has been going through a series of modifications and transformations and the system that exists today bears little resemblance to the neatly balanced edifice constructed by the framers."
The above observation cannot be more apt when having in mind the Nigerian type of democracy. It is more of a situation of a boy – child not resembling the father. It is anathematic. The basic and simple definition of democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people. The question is: has there been a government of the people and for the people in Nigeria at all? It is an emphatic No! Government ought ordinarily to cultivate a cheerful and willing obedience to its governance by putting in place some palliative measures for the people, but that is lacking in the Nigerian setting. What exists is a cheerless, forceful and commanded obedience.
In recent Nigeria, notwithstanding the mad celebration of ten years of democracy by some megalomaniac politicians, there is still no democracy in Nigeria and the decisions of the various tribunals all over the country bear testimony to this. In most cases, the occupiers of elected political offices are thump–up leaders, not the peoples’ real representatives. This is why it is not surprising that their actions and inactions have been anti-people and unconscionable.
What really have been the dividends of democracy to Nigerians over the years? Absolutely nothing, except sorrows and tears. The government cannot really pin– point anything concrete. Socially and psychologically, Nigerians have been degraded and dehumanized by government polices. The government had deliberately sidelined education in order to get Nigerians ignorant and not knowledgeable enough to query its policies and fight for their rights. Education, which had in the past been given prime position, is of no concern to the government of the day. Take a look at our public schools and see the infrastructures on ground vis-a-vis the comfort of the students. They are really demeaning. All these constitute sharp opposites to what obtains in private schools, being largely owned by the people who had served in some of the governments under reference and had their resources, largely from what they made from same. There have existed some serious governments in this country, even at state levels who had given education a priority and committed huge sums of money towards ensuring its smooth running. As far back as 1971, the East Central State government of Nigeria proposed to spend £29,440,730 for its services during that current financial year. Its Administrator then, Mr. Ukpabi Asika, in a broadcast in Enugu explained that education, alone would take the largest single share of the budget with an estimated expenditure of £12, 177, 380. In the same year also, Governor Abba Kyari of the North Central State of Nigeria proposed a budget of £19.2 million, the highest ever, and gave a whooping £5million to education.
The resources of this country are large enough to fund free education at all levels, but the government would just not do it, because it pays it to keep the mass of the people in perpetual ignorance. Apart from the decadence in the educational sector, others are equally bundles of neglect.
In Nigeria of 2009, some communities are still praying to have portable water and electricity. All these are traceable to the greed and avarice of our politicians cum leaders. Some of them after loading their bank accounts with both local and foreign currencies, buying houses all over the federation and overseas, and taking time to arrange a ring of miscreants and praise– singers around themselves, using them as bullet– proofs. These categories are drawn from the children of the same people they have impoverished. The political leaders, drawn from the executive and legislative arms, on periodic basis, smile to their banks whilst the bulk of their people cry to their beds, if they have any. Imagine a situation where in a country so much lacking in basic necessities, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria collects an average of N30million on a monthly basis for doing virtually nothing, when an amount not up to the said sum is needed to put certain infrastructures in place for the benefit of the teeming majority.
Ours is now a chaotic and disorderly society, everyone is lord unto himself and there is the mad rush to make money by all means. The security personnel are only interested in what comes out to him personally in cases assigned to him for investigation. Energies and experiences exerted on the criminals are to raise his bargaining power. The check-points existing nationwide are equally there for personal gains and you are only stopped or delayed if you did not "roger" them instantly upon sighting. Whilst one is not holding brief for them, if you ask them why they do all these, they would always justify same via one inefficiency or the other in the system. The other professionals are equally not exempted. The need for money has been seriously glorified. And worst of all, unlike in the past, nobody ask questions these days.
The neglect by government and the monumental rot in the system throwing a lot on the society these days and the consequences are immense. The Niger–Delta situation has been with us since the days of Adaka Isaac Boro and nobody listened to him, but rather he was put away through a sordid and well-orchestrated official conspiracy. The current unenviable situation in the country now is that we have a new set of leaders, right from the hamlet cum village settings whom the neglect and rot in the system had thrown at us. They have no moral standing to justify the forceful and underserved leadership roles bestowed upon them. The signs of the times are ominous, very unhealthy and are pointers to grave things coming in the future. Even right now, there are talks and calls for revolution in the country.
The French Revolution which began in 1789 was signaled by the inability of the French people to get bread on their tables and thus a mass protest was taken to the Palace of the King, Louis XVI.
The series of Revolutions in Russia, popularly called The Russian Revolution commencing from March 1917 and ending in November of same year, spurred up Vladimir Lenin. The change was stirred by the weak and inefficient system of government of Czar Nicholas 11 with the autocratic, corrupt and anachronistic elements surrounding him, like the present day Nigerian leaders, was out of touch with the needs and aspirations of the Russian people, majority of whom were victims of the wretched socio – economic conditions which prevailed in the then Russia. Much like the average Nigerian leader, the Czar had disowned and rejected the advice of the British Ambassador to Russia, Sir George Buchanan who advised him to "break down the barrier that separates you from your people to regain their confidence".
In Cuba, the corruption and misgovernment of Pulgencio Batista gave rise to an uprising led by Fidel Castro. The uncomfortable situation in the country and the dictatorial regime gave impetus to the assemblage of willing countrymen who rallied round the revolutionary leaders. Despite Batista’s launch of operation Verano to quench the uprising, calling in use seventeen battalions, tanks, planes and ships, they were defeated by the infinitesimally small volunteer army led by Fidel Castro, Che-Guevara, Raul Castro, Camilo Cienfluegos and others. Batista eventually fled to Spain after he and his Generals had viewed the situation as hopeless. Castro and his forces took over Havana and the battle ended, with the will of the people triumphing. The rest also is still history.
The type of situation that brought up Flt-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings in Ghana is doubled in the present day Nigeria.
Nature, they say, harbours no vacuum. It shall continue to manufacture events, depending on the situation on ground. Prior to this time, there were no tribal militias in the country, but now there are OPC, APC, MASSOB and the latest addition, the Niger-Delta militants. The Boko Haram sect and the Shiite Muslims groups have reared their heads to show us they exist. There are great suspicions that we have Talibans in our midst. Nobody knows their mission and aims. The uncared-for Almajiris in the North, with those of similar plights, aimless and unclear dispositions in the East and West are still very much within us. They all would not continue to live and walk unpredictably into the future. Nothing is impossible. All the signs are pointing to the igniting of a small fire, the spread of which no one can yet predict. As nature asserts, there would definitely be a beginning of a beginning, the time, direction, format, drive, coverage and route of which nobody knows. Let Mallam Musa Yar’Adua and the rest so-called leaders listen to the wise counsel of Sir George Buchanan given ninety-two years ago, under similar circumstance and break down the barrier that separates them from their people to regain their confidence.
God bless Nigerians.

COUNTERFEIT LEADERSHIP

2009-11-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

The ability to recognise good leadership is almost as important as good leadership itself.
Real leadership is often hard to detect because of the rules and biases built into social, academic, and professional system. Hence, we are short on leadership and long on counterfeit, our coffers are filled with pyrite, and our offices are filled with pirates.

As I monitor all the hunger, starvation, poverty, unemployment, avoidable deaths that never got the chance of being avoided because of lack of miserable few naira notes to save that life, but, very far from the reach of he that was to have saved, it all came back to me in several folds. There and then, I realized that Nigeria, as a “great nation,” lacks true leadership.

Show me a true leader and I will show you a man, who is clouded by his love for people and sensitivity to their emotions and needs. Helping people feel happy and secure comes easy for such man. He fights to create lasting values at all times, always leading from the inside, knowing that character is power. He’s usually principle centred. He has the ability to keep everyone engaged, according to their propensities. He is an expert at delegation and empowerment. Finally, he must be a servant-leader who leaves behind a culture of enduring excellence.

I look at myself and I sometimes thank God for the little He brings my way everyday, which, in turn, helps me take care of all the outside responsibilities that knock on my door step every now and then. I would love to do more but am limited. The truth is that there are limited numbers of my impoverished people who I can put smiles on their faces even if for few days. How can a man who dedicated himself to the service of this country suddenly turn a beggar in the street all because of pension-pocketing by our so called leaders? Haba! Most mornings when I wake up, I find myself still in bed pondering over the happenings in my country.

I had a dream of what I expected my Nigeria to be, but wherever it took flight it is only answerable by the monkeys we have in high places. We can only help ourselves to be who we have thought, dreamt and vision ourselves to be. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and turning yourself a victim to the system, please no matter how small, let’s put heads together and start something that will give us the desired fulfillment we crave. I have finally seen that the “Nigerian system” is growing grey hair and only our determination to succeed can see us through, else we find out too late that it’s all greyed. Saying no to my parents’ dream for me and saying yes to my own dream left me in a state of poverty for years, but I got out of it with all the determination and focus I could gather. I only focused on where I was headed.

Let’s come together and find a way out of this dungeon of messed up leadership. If you agree with me that the system can be purified, then let’s purify it by being busy for ourselves and the Nigeria of our dream. Never you forget that sometimes, hunger dey wire me too, but my guy, I still dey kampke.Nigeria is faced with all manner of hardship. Many people live in penury because of bad leadership.

I believe that under proper leadership, people are showered with adequate food, health and wealth. When the leaders are rogues, the people suffer and live everyday in lamentation thereby, making the society to become a venture of tremendous speculation, frustration and diminishing returns. Bear in mind that the best leaders deliver. When a leader believes that he now has all the power in the world to gather opulence unto himself, then, we have an unhealthy situation at hand and this is the case of the Nigerian people and all the suffering and frustrations of the exceptional Nigerian youths. Power is wonderful when used properly.

The leader of high conscience creates a culture that stimulates people to do the right thing in the right way and at the right time in the society. The primary concern of most counterfeit leaders is continually how to use people to make things happen rather than making things happen for the people.Most of our so called politicians often speak of progressive conceptions of leadership and spirituality merely to win adherents and supporters, and in the same vain, they often use God’s name to bolster their efforts and pursue their personal agenda- while actually having little or no interest in God’s consciousness. General Buhari once said, “if getting to the other side matters to you and you must eat with your enemy to get there, then eat with him but while eating, use a long spoon.’’ This is what happens in Nigeria.

The system is corrupt. No level playing field. No values to imbibe. Any man who never had dream of becoming president, governor, or minister but is suddenly put there by man “godfatherism” is certainly a counterfeit leader. Why? A leader, first of all, must have a plan, purpose and direction. When it never crossed your mind to become or run for office, but you are made a leader by another, you, in more cases than none, stand a chance of being ordered, pushed, directed and planned for by the man that has put you there. We have another group whose interest is to actually be in a position to change things for the better. They, therefore, go all out to get elected.
I say to these ones, welcome saints among many sinners. But for how long do you intend to remain a saint? Of course, you change after a while because now you see what power is like, you want to keep coming back for every other voting season and will do anything to be voted back into power, and to accomplish this desire to be powerful again. Stealing becomes your surname, if you run into the shadow of your old self. You don’t even know who you are anymore.
Do we have to excuse the saints that later became sinners because of the system? Every patriotic Nigerian must have the will-power to resist anything that conflicts with your conscience. If you allow yourself to be soaked into the system, it then means that you are valueless. What does one leader use against another leader in time of crises? Money! So, stealing of public fund becomes a necessary partner.
The only way money stealing is masterly carried out in Nigeria is through the help of the political cartel.

For Nigeria to be a better place, the powers-that-be must be destroyed to create opportunities for bright Nigerians who still have dreams of what a great Nigerian should be. The problem must be uprooted to create room for better leadership. Over time, system has instilled counterfeit leadership in the Nigerian people, which makes it possible for a saint to go in but on the long run changes to counterfeit leadership because he lacks the will to say no to wrong.
If you allow your wall to crack, then you will have lizards run into it, thereby, falling it. A leader must be strong on positive values. If you allow “godfatherism” into your leadership then you have already allow your wall to crack. Your weakness is always the arena for your failure. Whatever area a leader is weak is likely the area he will sell out his people. If someone has a weakness for money, again, that will be his arena of failure. If our leaders will learn to control their senses and thus gain the strengths needed to overcome their weaknesses, they will not disappoint or embarrass themselves or their citizens. No one can be a strong leader without regulating the senses.
I thought a true leader is ABOVE DUPLICITY. This simply means that a true leader should be straightforward in both words and conduct. A true leader is he that understands before he goes in. The leader should not allow himself to be too mild, or he will be disregarded by both the governed and the godfathers who will only toss him around. He must also avoid the other extreme (of being too fierce), for then, the people will fear him, which does not create a happy state of affairs. But for a country like Nigeria, fierceness is imperative for a leader to overcome godfatherism.A leader’s duty is to his people. He should be ready to take care of them with no care of pleasing himself.
He should subordinate his own wishes and desires to those of his people, only then should he think of his comforts, appetites, aspirations, and pleasures. Good leadership means thinking first of the welfare of the people before thinking of oneself.Having said all of this, I want to say that Governor Babatunde Fashola is indeed, making many Nigerians proud but then again, I pray he has the will-power to continue to withstand godfatherism, to continue all the visible work he is doing, which is constantly spoken of by the people and even the so-called leaders. You must never give room for your wall to crack to avoid lizard invasion. You must be at alert always to be able to study your foes and friends incessantly.
I dare say that you are doing a good job in Lagos, which qualifies you, for “now,” as an authentic leader in the alternative of a counterfeit.Finally, all our counterfeit leaders who take pleasure in making the lives of Nigerians miserable, by all their incessant stealing of public funds, should always wake up in the morning to remember that there is a word called nemesis. Na God go punish all of una!

Charles Oputa (Charly Boy)

WE ARE ALL GUILTY

2009-11-03T01:39:00.000-08:00

Day in day out, the average Nigerian is violated in such ludicrous ways that will induce any conscious individual to understand that truly, we don’t belong yet to the class of people for who respect is a necessary component of existence.

Sometimes I feel that Nigeria is nothing but a zoo with us the animals running from pillar to post with no direction. No matter how hard we tried, we could never absolve ourselves of foolishness for being thirsty in the abundance of water. This piece has nothing to do with our yahoo, yahoo leaders, who are bereft of any ideas on how to move this country forward.
Yes, we have political break dancers, who are uninspiring; we have unimaginative leaders who don’t even know why they are there to serve, who believe that leadership starts and ends with how smart a thief they could be, and how much they need to become gods others should serve, lick their ass and sing their praise.

How can we ever free our conscience when we publicly adulate the same creatures we accuse of derailing our country, only because they can afford to booze the whole town to hell? There is a form of morality laundering that goes on when thieves who have looted the public treasury return to their villages to offer a few scholarships to the children of the same men whose efforts they frustrated and robbed with state power. This piece is not about the bad leadership we have been cursed with, because from where I stand, these bad people are in no hurry to leave the stage, and by implication, that only means that this rot will continue; our poverty, frustration, stress will escalate; our hopelessness will always be on the rise. As their accounts swells, their future guaranteed, or so they think.

This piece is about you and me, who are as guilty as sin, who will sit and complain endlessly about the rot we live in, failing to do nothing about our situation, failing to even make an honest attempt to do things differently, failing to accept that we the followership are just as guilty as the leadership.
You reading this, in what ways have you tried to improve your environment or pimp the mindset of the people you hang around with? You reading this, do you believe in Nigeria or you are one of those who really don’t give a hoot about the direction we are all headed? Maybe you are the lucky few, who will relocate to anywhere if things don’t work out for Nigeria; you have an option; that’s your excuse. Right? What about the rest of us who have no option, are we all investing in our instalmental death without knowing it?
Among all the evil, we somehow have shown ourselves to be resilient or even impervious to the catastrophic conditions that have kept us dazed. We all continue to pursue wealth as a way of increasing our immunities against the daily fiasco of living in Nigeria. In reconsidering the game, we have spunned enough blame for our problems to cover the entire universe in this our alienable exercise to direct our own affairs, but if we ask ourselves where we fit in this rather consternating picture, the honest answer is that we are all guilty.
We are guilty as charged for complacency in the presence of a moribund mediocrity. We are guilty for suffering and smiling and doing nothing to change the equation. We are guilty for allowing these yahoo, yahoo leaders to oppress us and mislead us this way, because some of us are busy waiting for crumbs that will fall from their tables in our direction. We are guilty because we are the problem with Nigeria not the leaders, after all, our leaders didn’t drop from the moon, they are full blown Nigerians too.
I have always said that this country will be redeemed by its exceptional youths, but the question is, are the youths ready? Have you considered the fact that there is little or nothing the leadership can do when you, the youths wake up in your numbers to say enough is enough? In the beer parlour, on the side walk, from the parks to our private homes, we keep saying we need a change, but how many of us are ready to ignite this change. Now my guy, let me run the list for you, (a) how many of us pay our bills without bribing our way out, (b) how many of us pay our taxes, (c) do you obey traffic rules? (d) Do we tell our friends or relatives who are in power the truth all the time? (e) do we say enough is enough and stand by it or do we change our tone as soon as water don pass under bridge?, (f) do we still believe in Nigeria or have we given up on Nigeria?, (g) how many of us accept gifts and contracts from the same men we condemn?, [h] do you sincerely see corruption as offensive to your senses?, (i) are you truly ready for freedom?, (j) are you ready to pay the price or die instalmentally?

Ask yourself if you are ready to change because that change must start from the people, only then would you be bold enough to confront your potorpotor leaders to retrieve your stolen future and readdress your present position in the scheme of things. Great Nigerian youths, you have the power. Purify your soul and purify the land. Your word is power for the people, because I believe it is time to stop suffering and smiling. I never finish o! What about over commercialization of religion that continues to threaten the ideal role of the so-called men of God as healers of the soul.

The anti- corruption crusade of our government, ICPC, and EFCC, will be meaningless if we cannot, within ourselves, establish the highest criteria for moral character and standards, which then is collectively projected and suffused into our social consciousness and will as a universal good. We must, as a people, rediscover and mobilize our innate conscience on a higher plane for more glorious returns. We must, as a society, develop the kind of radar that will provide early warnings when pestilence walks with smiling faces. We must decisively deal with tough questions regarding ourselves and those around us, for only through this way can we truly familiarize ourselves with each other enough to trust one another. Many of the Nigerian youths that I have met and from time to time synergize with, as much as my love pours out to you all, sympathizing with your stolen future, I will never support those who feel that yahoo, yahoo, 419, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, stealing, drug addiction, violence etc is an option in getting out of this mess. If any young person out there is saying that the only way to succeed in Nigeria is to be fraudulent and dishonest, I will then ask, how did Charly Boy make it?

’’Finally, great people of this country, this piece is not for everybody; it is for the few, who are sincerely pained, the few who are ready for a change, the few who have told themselves the truth by finding out from the above listed, what role they have played in the way our nation has turned; it is for the very few who feel, believe and agree that we can do better, that we can live better.
I am troubled by what I see everyday around; the country is looking like it is never going to get better, so great Nigerian youths, the time has come for us to finally make it better. Our future lies in how determined we are. If you feel the way I feel about this country, I need you to write me, call me, visit me; let’s connect; let’s find a way out of this mess, for two heads are better than one. It is better not to have a friend than to have one who is a thieving governor. Whatever you are doing and wherever you may be this very moment, just know that I love you my great Nigerian youths. Let’s purify the land now!

Charles Oputa (Charly Boy)

UNCREATIVE LEADERSHIP

2009-11-03T01:24:00.000-08:00

As I woke up this morning from a disturbing nightmare, I keep thinking if we going to get any better as a people and as a country.
Are we forever going to remain a nation of consumers (like the locusts) and fraudsters? Are things ever going to improve or have we set ourselves up for one endless bottomless fall to becoming a failed state? Let me not attempt to share my nightmare with you, least it becomes your “day mare.”

How did we find ourselves in this rot? Why did we allow ourselves to sink this low? Are we all guilty or is it just the fault of most of the uncreative leaders we have had for donkey years? Our lives can be filled with creative moments, whatever we do, as long as we are flexible and open to new possibilities, willing to pulse beyond the routine.
America is going through one of the toughest times ever; yet, everyday I watch CNN, I can feel the concern of the leadership. Poor Obama inherited all the mess: debts, unemployment, which his predecessors created. I hear his words of encouragement to Americans. I see his all hands-on-deck attitude approach to leadership. He is aware that his people have never had it so bad. He is going the extra mile to change the face of Washington and politics, just to calm the pulse of frustrated Americans, whose American dream may be crumbling. Are you with me?
Am talking about bright ideas that get you out of a logjam, like figuring out how to squeeze three more feet of closet space out of your bedroom, or how to pack more time into your day, without giving up any of the other things you have to, or love to do.

The other day I was with one of the ministers and he kept complaining about how he can’t even find time to answer his phone anymore; how his friends and village people keep packing themselves to Abuja; how, because of all the winches, he can’t concentrate and do his work. Hmmm! If a minister is saying that, what will your president say, having in mind the Nigerian situation and condition? So, all you people in Aso Rock and on the corridors of power, could you please tell me, how President Obama manages to do his exercises in the morning, makes time with his family and special time for his two lovely kids everyday, in the middle of all the wahalas he inherited?Consider the myriad faces of creativity.

Groundbreaking ideas, like debts-for-land swaps that save tropical forest while helping impoverished countries; Ghandi’s strategy of protesting injustice with non violence; Grand visions of hope and truth that show the way to others; the bill of rights; Martin Luther king’s “I have a dream” speech. Whether great or small, each of these examples points to the essence of a creative act, one that is both novel and appropriate. An innovation is different from what’s been done before, but that’s not enough; it can’t just be bizarre or eccentric. It must “work.” To be creative, it must somehow be correct, useful, valuable, and meaningful.

However, it’s not enough just to be novel and useful. An important dimension of creativity, especially the kind of efforts that influence others and for which people become famous, is the audience. There is a crucial social dimension to the creative act. “Being creative means you do something, which is, first of all, unusual, that other people take it seriously. I mean the Charly Boy image has always been unusual, but the reason many no longer dwell on the persona any longer is because they have found the image somehow adaptive to first arresting attention long enough to pass serious social and political messages, and bottom-line, it being effective.

So, if I say I have found a way to convey twice as much information in the same period of time to make you enjoy it more, that’s creative, and even if it’s very unusual, it would catch on because it’s an effective thing to do. Indeed, many of the world’s most creative people have had to spend years pursuing their crafts in a lonely vigil, hounded by “badbeles,” people who just didn’t get it at first. Virtually none of the great men and women whose creative drive has transformed the discipline in which they worked was met with acceptance at first. Most were attacked, (like Charly boy) but knew in their hearts that theirs was a right course anyway. Any creative effort that does not take hold in a given field must be persuasive to others; this social dimension makes creativity akin to leadership. A successful leader is a successful creator.

A successful creator is someone who gives other people a different way of looking at things or at the world. People who are creative are always thinking about the environment in which they work and operate in. They are always tinkering. They’re always saying: “What makes sense here; what doesn’t make sense?” and if it doesn’t make sense, can I do something about it?

However, in Nigeria, as usual, we become narrow minded in the ways we think about creativity. We tend to think of creativity as rare field, artists are creative; musicians are creative, poets, filmmakers, dancers etc are. What about the bricklayer, the politicians, the ministers, the lecturers? For them to stand out, they must be creative.Creativity begins with an affinity for something; it’s like falling in love.
The most important thing is for an individual to feel some kind of strong connection to something. People who are passionate about what they are doing don’t give up easily. When frustration comes, they persist. When people are resistant to their innovation, they keep going anyway. Sticking to it is the genius.

The word leadership has a lot to do with role modelling, strong and quality character, sincerity of purpose, motivation and influence, humility, commitment, service, passion and most importantly creativity. Emphasis is placed on the later because it is the nucleus that sustains the rest with an ambiance of beauty, innovation, effectual quality for governance and true leadership.
Creativity, in itself, defines leadership because true leadership can only be achieved in an atmosphere of outlandish creativity. Leadership sets standard, defines the standard, epitomizes the standard, communicates the standard, implements the standard, replicates the standard, reviews the standard and most importantly, leadership translates the standard into tangible, accessible and substantive realities.

Our country Nigeria has continuously suffered wickedness of all sorts. The leadership has not been able to rise to the occasion for want of creativity. Crimes, ranging from bribery and corruption, siphoning of public funds, abject poverty, infrastructural collapse, moral decadence and social vices and much more, have now become the order of the day.
Most of our leaders have travelled abroad to see how things work in other countries; they enjoy themselves in the host countries and admire how things work. And I will always ask, how come they never learn anything from all that they see? How come from one government to the next, it’s always the same story, no difference, nothing to show for all our years of independence? How come we have always had leaders who lack passion, who never want to standout or do something great, leaders who are never interested in writing their names in the book of history, thieving leaders who are bent on impoverishing Nigerians? Is it that they really don’t care?

Charles Oputa (Charly Boy) in the sun