Nigeria-US relations and Donald Trump by Reuben Abati

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-pBAI5Cxib1tU9NR8uE4sqVPUvf-1eLgsgtB1SVo_PEJxwAyzbNn0ngG6Ppp8XnX86m5EYbwKyhLLK-ufeSRFmjuQ5qM9eo56Fkm4LENhCUrXxwBlFufuhOwe0c7DfYSi1z4ApOlwG51/s1600/l.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-pBAI5Cxib1tU9NR8uE4sqVPUvf-1eLgsgtB1SVo_PEJxwAyzbNn0ngG6Ppp8XnX86m5EYbwKyhLLK-ufeSRFmjuQ5qM9eo56Fkm4LENhCUrXxwBlFufuhOwe0c7DfYSi1z4ApOlwG51/s1600/l.jpg" /></a></div> I do not share the view of those who assume that by some kind of miracle, in the shape of electoral-college defections, Hillary Clinton would still, on the strength of winning the popular vote, supplant Donald Trump as US 2016 President-elect.<br /> <br /> We might as well begin to live with the reality of a Trump Presidency, sad and traumatic as that outcome may be. And coming to terms with that, despite our disappointment, calls for a forward-looking approach on the part of the Nigerian government.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>The United States remains Nigeria’s most strategic partner. More than one million Nigerians live in the United States and a significant percentage of that immigrant population has distinguished itself in academia, the health sector, public service, and other aspects of American life. Nigerians are perhaps the most visible and the most influential set of immigrant Africans living in the United States today. It is indeed possible to argue that there is no neighbourhood or community in Nigeria today that does not have at least one representative in America.<br /><br />       I know many families who have never been to Abuja but who talk about America with such frightening familiarity without ever seeing the inside of an aircraft. Their claim to such glory is the presence of a cousin, a son, a daughter, an in-law or other relatives, in the United States - it doesn’t matter if the fellow is a failed husband or wife, or he or she is washing plates, or doing security guard work, a jail term, or struggling to survive as a human being, or he or she is permanently trapped in America because coming home could be a vote for shame. <br /><br />      Nigerians love America, thus. The British colonized our country and Britain still remains a second home of choice for many middle class Nigerians, but America holds more than a special attraction for many wannabe Nigerians. America is Nigeria’s land of golden dreams, the country that our youths want to flock to.  Many of our politicians have Americans passports. The only Nobel Laureate that we have also holds an American Green card. Churches and mosques across Nigeria hold special prayer sessions for that Green card and when you have a child living in America, you are free to assume that the Living God has answered your prayers.<br /><br />     In terms of trade, Nigeria is America’s foremost partner in Africa. The United States through the auspices of the Nigeria-US Bilateral National Commission and similar diplomatic commitments in the African Union and ECOWAS and through other international protocols is actively involved in Nigeria’s health, security, agriculture, financial and human rights sectors. We are in addition, a big market for America’s exports in Africa and a stabilizing force for global security within the region and the continent.  Where the problem lies and where a foreign policy challenge needs to be addressed, is the emergence right now, of an incoming President who has expressly declared that African Presidents are thieves and that Nigeria is particularly a problem, because its leadership is both “corrupt and insensible”.<br /><br />     Person-to-person diplomacy is perhaps more relevant than government-to-government relations because the former impacts greatly on the latter, and any student of international relations can only ignore this at great cost. We have, despite our cultural, diplomatic and trade relations with the United States, an in-coming American President who hates immigrants, Muslims, and who considers Nigerians a threat to the US working population.<br /><br />     Whatever the situation might be, Nigeria has a duty and a responsibility to defend the interest of Nigerians doing business with the United States in one form or the other. Our residual interest in American politics and its outcomes should go beyond individual interests, and political emotions and rest on Nigeria’s corporate interest. Strategically, what does Donald Trump’s victory mean to us? What are the implications for Nigeria’s relationship with the United States?  What are the plans in place or in process, to protect Nigerians and Nigerian Americans who may suddenly find themselves in a threat situation under a racist and isolationist American Presidency? What can or should the Nigerian government do to protect Nigerians in the US diaspora from the uncertainties of America’s transition?<br /><br />      I have seen a couple of congratulatory messages here and there and a lot of casual commentaries on the subject, but what we need is far more strategic thinking at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The officials should wake up and realize that it may no longer be business as usual with Washington. Our last ambassador to Washington DC, Professor Ade Adefuye was a well-educated diplomat and scholar with vast international exposure and a robust, aggressive personality. He brought that to bear on his job, and he achieved results. Right now, we don’t even have someone of his rank and stature in Washington. The Senate is busy still staring at the list of ambassadorial appointees, and no one knows when many of the critical vacancies will be filled. We need a man or woman in Washington post-haste: an ambassador who can represent Nigeria’s interest, and who can settle down, even without presenting letters of credence,  long before Donald Trump’s inauguration, and who must be the right man or woman for the job.  The Trump Presidency is interested in America only; every other diplomatic post in that country must look out for its own interest. America is too important to the world, too tied to the global network of interests to be allowed to disconnect.<br /><br />      At other levels, Nigeria must seek more active cooperation and collaboration with the United States. We need not be told that Nigerians living in the United States today are just as anxious as the Mexicans.  There is no gainsaying the fact that the incoming American President considers Nigerians a terrible set of immigrants. He has in the course of the campaigns shown a capacity to seek out groups and peoples and demonize them. In the interest of those vulnerable Nigerians (because no matter what, some Nigerians are linked to the US forever), and all the other strategic interests between our two countries, the Nigerian government must engage the emerging Trump establishment in Washington DC, proactively. It is not enough to just send a rhetorical congratulatory message. That is mere routine. But it is worse that President-elect Donald Trump has not deemed it necessary to call any African leader on phone. African leaders must learn to stand up for themselves but what measure of respect should we expect with the kind of leaders we have across Africa? And what quality of respect should any of our leaders give to a man who said this, referring to Nigeria:<br /><br />     “No sensible President continuously travels round the globe while his country Nigeria is in terrible hardship and economic mess. It can only happen in Nigeria where all that matters to the President is the full introduction of Islam, the annihilation of his political opponents and absolute extermination of the old Eastern Nigeria. Buhari, prior to his questionable victory at the polls as the President of Nigeria made lots of promises which he obviously failed to keep and in most cases denied.”<br /><br />      There are usually consequences for this kind of effrontery in diplomatic relations. If Donald Trump ever offers to visit Nigeria, President Buhari must snub him. Donald Trump also said:<br /><br />“Look at African countries like Nigeria or Kenya for instance, those people are stealing from their own government and go to invest the money in foreign countries. From the government to the opposition they qualify only to be used as a case study whenever bad examples are required.<br /><br />   “How do you trust even those who have run away to hide in the United States, hiding behind education? I hear they abuse me in their blogs but I don’t care because even the internet they are using is ours and we can decide to switch it off from this side. These are people who import everything including matchsticks.<br /><br />    “In my opinion, most of these African countries (like Nigeria) ought to be recolonized again for another 100 years because they know nothing about leadership and self-governance.”<br /><br />         The man who would be sworn in, January 20, 2017, as President of the most powerful country in the world also said: “To make our country big and powerful again, we have to get rid of Muslims, Mexicans and Africans, and in particular of Nigerians. They take us away from our work, job places intended for honest diligent Americans. When we don’t give them jobs, these Muslims arrange terrorist attacks.”<br /><br />     “We have to move Africans. Nigerians are everywhere now. I was at the meeting in Alaska and only Africans were everywhere. How do you think where they are from? From Nigeria! I saw them in each state where they got a job. Why can’t they find a job in the hometown in their native country?’ I know, because corruption reigns in their country. Their government plunders people. Therefore, they come here and take us away from our work.<br /><br />     “When I become a President, we will send all of them home. We will construct a wall along the Atlantic coast. We will colonize them, because probably, they haven’t felt what is it from (the) British.”<br /><br />      Nigeria and Donald Trump! It is left to the Nigerian government not to behave as if these statements do not matter. The typical response could be that these declarations are true and  they may well be, but in diplomatic relations, such aggressive conduct, carried through in formal situations, would be considered consequential. In view of what and who Trump is however, Nigeria needs to fashion out a new policy towards the United States in line with our foreign policy objectives. One point is that President Trump may not necessarily be the Trump of the campaigns. But knowing his mindset, we should build our defences. Our foreign policy team working on Nigeria-US Bilateral National Commission should see the urgent need to define and protect Nigeria’s strategic interest as the United States goes through an uncommon transition between now and January 2017.

Nigeria-US relations and Donald Trump by Reuben Abati

I do not share the view of those who assume that by some kind of miracle, in the shape of electoral-college defections, Hillary Clinton ...

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I Am Convinced That Aso Rock Is Full Of Evil Spirits By Reuben Abati

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="image-container" itemprop="image" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="reuben-abati" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" height="225" src="http://4a7jjc25uykf24u8sd3k8m5n.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Reuben-Abati.jpg" width="400" /> </div> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Reuben Abati, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has revealed that there are spiritual forces in Aso Villa that prevent Presidents from performing their functions and serving Nigerians to the best of their abilities. Mr Abati who made this revelations in an article published in today’s Guardian recalled several incidences of fire outbreaks at the Aso Villa during his stay there. He also gave accounts of how Villa occupants suffered a myriad of health problems, including the former first lady Patience Jonathan.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Read the full, revealing, article below:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <strong>The spiritual side of Aso Villa – Reuben Abati</strong></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> People tend to be alarmed when the Nigerian Presidency takes certain decisions. They don’t think the decision makes sense. Sometimes, they wonder if something has not gone wrong with the thinking process at that highest level of the country. I have heard people insist that there is some form of witchcraft at work in the country’s seat of government. I am ordinarily not a superstitious person, but working in the Villa, I eventually became convinced that there must be something supernatural about power and closeness to it. I’ll start with a personal testimony. I was given an apartment to live in inside the Villa. It was furnished and equipped. But when my son, Michael arrived, one of my brothers came with a pastor who was supposed to stay in the apartment. But the man refused claiming that the Villa was full of evil spirits and that there would soon be a fire accident in the apartment. He complained about too much human sacrifice around the Villa and advised that my family must never sleep overnight inside the Villa.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I thought the man was talking nonsense and he wanted the luxury of a hotel accommodation. But he turned out to be right. The day I hosted family friends in that apartment and they slept overnight, there was indeed a fire accident. The guests escaped and they were so thankful. Not long after, the President’s physician living two compounds away had a fire accident in his home. He and his children could have died. He escaped with bruises. Around the Villa while I was there, someone always died or their relations died. I can confirm that every principal officer suffered one tragedy or the other; it was as if you needed to sacrifice something to remain on duty inside that environment. Even some of the women became merchants of dildo because they had suffered a special kind of death in their homes (I am sorry to reveal this) and many of the men complained about something that had died below their waists too. The ones who did not have such misfortune had one ailment or the other that they had to nurse. From cancer to brain and prostate surgery and whatever, the Villa was a hospital full of agonizing patients.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I recall the example of one particular man, an asset to the Jonathan Presidency who practically ran away from the Villa. He said he needed to save his life. He was quite certain that if he continued to hang around, he would die. I can’t talk about colleagues who lost daughters and sons, brothers and uncles, mothers and fathers, and the many obituaries that we issued. Even the President was multiply bereaved. His wife, Mama Peace was in and out of hospital at a point, undergoing many surgeries. You may have forgotten but after her husband lost the election and he conceded victory, all her ailments vanished, all scheduled surgeries were found to be no longer necessary and since then she has been hale and hearty. By the same token, all those our colleagues who used to come to work to complain about a certain death beneath their waists and who relied on videos and other instruments to entertain wives (take it easy boys, I don’t mean nay harm, I am writing!), have all experienced a re-awakening.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Everyone who went under the blade has received miraculous healing, and we are happy to be out of that place. But others were not so lucky. They died. There were days when convoys ran into ditches and lives were lost. In Norway, our helicopter almost crashed into a mountain. That was the first time I saw the President panicking. The weather was all so hazy and he just kept saying it would not be nice for the President of a country to die in a helicopter crash due to pilot miscalculations. The President went into a prayer mode. We survived. In Kenya once, we had a bird strike. The plane had to be recalled and we were already airborne with the plane acting like it would crash. During the 2015 election campaigns, our aircraft refused to start on more than one occasion. The aircraft just went dead. On some other occasions, we were stoned and directly targeted for evil. I really don’t envy the people who work in Aso Villa, the seat of Nigeria’s Presidency. For about six months, I couldn’t even breathe properly. For another two months, I was on crutches. But I considered myself far luckier than the others who were either nursing a terminal disease or who could not get it up.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> When Presidents make mistakes, they are probably victims of a force higher than what we can imagine. Every student of Aso Villa politics would readily admit that when people get in there, they actually become something else. They act like they are under a spell. When you issue a well- crafted statement, the public accepts it wrongly. When the President makes a speech and he truly means well, the speech is interpreted wrongly by the public. When a policy is introduced, somehow, something just goes wrong. In our days, a lot of people used to complain that the APC people were fighting us spiritually and that there was a witchcraft dimension to the governance process in Nigeria. But the APC folks now in power are dealing with the same demons. Since Buhari government assumed office, it has been one mistake after another. Those mistakes don’t look normal, the same way they didn’t look normal under President Jonathan. I am therefore convinced that there is an evil spell enveloping this country. We need to rescue Nigeria from the forces of darkness. Aso Villa should be converted into a spiritual museum, and abandoned.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Should I become President of Nigeria tomorrow, I will build a new Presidential Villa: a Villa that will be dedicated to the all-conquering Almighty, and where powers and principalities cannot hold sway. But it is not about buildings and space, not so? It is about the people who go to the highest levels in Nigeria. I really don’t quite believe in superstitions, but I am tempted to suggest that this is indeed a country in need of prayers. We should pray before people pack their things into Aso Villa. We should ask God to guide us before we appoint ministers. We should, to put it in technocratic language, advise that the people should be very vigilant. We have all failed so far, that crucial test of vigilance. We should have a Presidential Villa where a President can afford to be human and free. In the White House, in the United States, Presidents live like normal human beings. In Aso Villa, that is impossible. They’d have to surround themselves with cooks from their villages, bodyguards from their mother’s clans and friends they can trust. It should be possible to be President of Nigeria without having to look behind one’s shoulders. But we are not yet there. So, how do we run a Presidency where the man in the saddle can only drink water served by his kinsman? No. How can we possibly run a Presidency where every President proclaims faith in Nigeria but they are better off in the company of relatives and kinsmen. No. We need as Presidents men and women who are willing to be Nigerians. No Nigerian President should be in spiritual bondage because he belongs to all of us and to nobody.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Now let me go back to the spiritual dimension. A colleague once told me that I was the most naïve person around the place. I thought I was a bright, smart, professional doing my bit and enjoying the President’s confidence. I spelled it out. But what I got in response was that I was coming to the villa using Lux soap, but that most people around the place always bathed in the morning with blood. Goat blood. Ram blood. Whatever animal blood. I argued. He said there were persons in the Villa walking upside down, head to the ground. I screamed. Everybody looked normal to me. But I soon began to suspect that I was in a strange environment indeed. Every position change was an opportunity for warfare. Civil servants are very nice people; they obey orders, but they are not very nice when they fight over personal interests.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The President is most affected by the atmosphere around him. He can make wrong decisions based on the cloud of evil around him. Even when he means well and he has taken time to address all possible outcomes, he could get on the wrong side of the public. A colleague called me one day and told me a story about how a decision had been taken in the spiritual realm about the Nigerian government. He talked about the spirit of error, and how every step taken by the administration would appear to the public like an error. He didn’t resign on that basis but his words proved prophetic. I see the same story being re-enacted. Aso Villa is in urgent need of redemption. I never slept in the apartment they gave me in that Villa for an hour.</div>

I Am Convinced That Aso Rock Is Full Of Evil Spirits By Reuben Abati

Reuben Abati, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former Pr...

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PENDULUM: 21 Years Of Sadness and Joy

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JCXvTYVxmGnvdg_LgV-3RmVdw_HDKZCldt3t1-68PehEVQh2MAuf00jRLZ_xynV4cUyzt7HkqFfxxX-AFewTLaDXmAqtzbBpG_h_BFqJbYk4pjT2lkWCkhU1pGANatiLe_SMqtTFhK1S/s1600/MAHAMA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JCXvTYVxmGnvdg_LgV-3RmVdw_HDKZCldt3t1-68PehEVQh2MAuf00jRLZ_xynV4cUyzt7HkqFfxxX-AFewTLaDXmAqtzbBpG_h_BFqJbYk4pjT2lkWCkhU1pGANatiLe_SMqtTFhK1S/s400/MAHAMA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div dir="ltr"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr"> By Dele Momodu <br /> Fellow Africans, exactly twenty-one years ago, on July 25, 1995, I set forth at dawn. My destination was exile. I needed to dialogue with my feet and escape in a jiffy from my dear beloved country without any prior notice. Nigeria was under a most brutal and brutish military dictatorship. Once you were considered a dissident, you were a target for incarceration or extermination. I still don’t know how my name crawled into the evil register but I was accused of knowing about a pirate radio station, first known as Freedom Radio and later changed to Radio Kudirat. But it was all a cook-up. The long and short of it was that I needed to travel speedily and navigate through the forests of a thousand daemons.</div> <div dir="ltr"> I succeeded in crossing through a smugglers’ route into Cotonou, Benin Republic. I was too scared to stay too long in Cotonou and so decided to meander my way to Lome, Togo. Since I couldn’t speak any smattering of French, my best and ultimate destination was Ghana. I crossed the border at Aflao and waltzed my way to Accra that evening. I was instantly stunned by the peace I found on ground after the fiasco I left behind in Lagos and my young family I was forced to abandon without any chance of negotiation.</div> <div dir="ltr"> President Jerry John Rawlings was in power. He was the dream ruler Nigerians craved. We had been regaled with tales of an audacious revolution. Though many Ghanaians did not fancy his coup and bloodletting propensity, Nigerians felt our country needed such Rawlings’ treatment to teach our corrupt leaders an enduring lesson. I spent the next three nights exploring and plotting my eventual migration to the United Kingdom. I found Ghana very hospitable and discovered the true meaning of Akwaaba!</div> <div dir="ltr"> I departed Ghana on the night of July 28, 1995, and landed at London Gatwick on July 29. Ghana remained permanently etched in my mind. I dreamt of a day I would be able to return to the tranquillity of Accra. I spent the next three years under most excruciation conditions. Exile was not an Eldorado despite the unparalleled hospitality and avuncular protection of the British Government.</div> <div dir="ltr"> It was exile that miraculously gave birth to Ovation International magazine. Time would not permit me to go into the story of its Immaculate Conception (to borrow a popular Catholic expression) and delivery. That is for another day. Our Board decided on a few pertinent projections. We will promote Africa and debunk the malevolent prejudices against our continent. We will celebrate the beauty of Africa and encourage social and business interactions amongst our people. We shall produce a world class magazine that would be the pride of Africans at home and abroad. We decided to concentrate all attention on West Africa before spreading out to other regions. Nigeria and Ghana became our priority countries.</div> <div dir="ltr"> Before my first and forced trip to Ghana, I had encountered the old Gold Coast on the pages of literary works by The Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Kofi Awoonor, Ayi Kwei Armah and company. I was particularly enthralled by the seminal work of Nkrumah and the thesis propounded in his book <i>Africa Must Unite</i>. Nkrumah introduced me and got me addicted to pan-Africanism though I had read pan-Africanist and Negritude works by Walter Rodney, Frantz Fanon, Chinweizu, Amilcar Cabral, The Nwalimu Dr Julius Nyerere, Leopold Sedar Senghor and others. I was exceptionally touched by Dr Nkrumah’s vision and was particularly convinced that Africa would never make appreciable progress unless Africans can join hands and lift themselves up.</div> <div dir="ltr"> We decided to expand our operations to Ghana and launched big in Accra. We were delighted to welcome then Senate President of Nigeria Rt. Hon. Adolphus Wabara, then Governor of Lagos State, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and a few of his Commissioners. From the Ghanaian side, we had Hon. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey of blessed memory, Alhaji Asoma Banda who told us how he got his big break in Nigeria, and so many distinguished personalities. I had met and fallen in love with President John Agyekum Kufuor at Alhaji Banda’s house and decided to support his government. We were more interested in the development and progress of Ghana and not the politics. We invested heavily in Ghana and provided jobs and created employment opportunities for Ghanaian youths like we did in Nigeria and elsewhere.</div> <div dir="ltr"> Pioneers and pathfinders always suffer and indeed we got burnt but remained unbowed. We were ready and determined to raise Africa up. If we couldn’t make sacrifices for our continent why should non-Africans invest in us? Just imagine that not a single Nigerian bank existed at that time in Ghana. Many even thought Nigeria was synonymous with drug-trafficking and obtaining by false pretence (otherwise known as 419) but we changed that ugly narrative by showcasing the great men and women of Nigeria, some of the brightest human beings created by God: Mike Adenuga Jr, Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez, Fifi Ejindu, and showcased their Ghanaian counterparts. This synergy has yielded bountiful harvests. Today, many Nigerian companies are operating in Ghana. Despite occasional skirmishes like husbands and wives do, we have learnt to live together in peace or hurly-burly. We are happy and proud to have made our modest contributions. Ovation has since become one of the biggest Nigerian brands in Ghana today.</div> <div dir="ltr"> It was with great delight that I received a refreshing letter from the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) announcing the award of a Doctorate Degree (honoris causa) to be bestowed on me at the convocation ceremony of the prestigious institution today. I am truly honoured and full of gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua Alabi and members of the Governing Council of the institution for such a wonderful gesture.</div> <div dir="ltr"> Just a few weeks ago, I visited the university to see things for myself. I was deeply impressed by the great work Professor Alabi and his team have done to sustain and improve the culture of excellence and the quality of professionalism that the institution has become renowned for.</div> <div dir="ltr"> The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) was founded in 1965 as a private professional business education tuition provider. It was taken over by the government of Ghana in 1978 through the Institute of Professional Studies Decree, 1978 (SMCD 200). It was subsequently established as a tertiary institution with a mandate to provide tertiary and professional education in Accountancy, Management and other related areas of study by the Institute of Professional Studies Act, (Act 566), 1999. The university was the first and is still the only public institution with the mandate to offer both academic degrees and provide training for higher professional education in Ghana.</div> <div dir="ltr"> With an estimated student population of about ten thousand as at 2012, UPSA is fast growing into a world-class institution of knowledge, molding today and tomorrow’s leaders in relevant fields of human endeavor. In 2008, the university received a Presidential Charter, conferring on it the status of a fully-fledged public university. The university offers undergraduate and master’s degrees in several programmes.</div> <div dir="ltr"> As I inch closer to my conclusion, let me not fail to acknowledge a man whose work as a public servant has deeply inspired not just the people of Ghana but many across the African continent and beyond. I’m talking about no other person but His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, the President of Ghana. The rare leadership he has provided as President of Ghana continues to illuminate the path of many, breaking borders and charting the course of a new brand of development that is not only excellent but also visible and tangible. His calmness, simplicity, humility, passion and devotion to public service continue to demonstrate the stuff that truly great leaders are made of. History will be kind to him.</div> <div dir="ltr"> Over the past few days, I took some time to reflect deeply on the conferment of this award of an honorary Doctorate Degree by this great institution. A careful observation of the trajectory of my exit from Nigeria to exile in Britain and my passage through the city of Accra over two decades ago is explainable only by what may be described as the unseen but unmistakable hand of destiny. Who would have thought that a journey that began with sadness twenty-one years ago would today crystallise in this rare moment of honour and victory.</div> <div dir="ltr"> To God be all the glory!</div>

PENDULUM: 21 Years Of Sadness and Joy

By Dele Momodu Fellow Africans, exactly twenty-one years ago, on July 25, 1995, I set forth at dawn. My destination was exile. I nee...

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Do Nigerian Leaders Ever Watch Television? By @DeleMomodu

<p dir="ltr">Fellow Nigerians, you must be wondering why I chose this title for my column today. If you wait a moment and you want to know the real reason, I shall explain in the next few lines. Television has become a most important platform in the world of media today. Its attraction derives from the simultaneous usage of audio and visual mediums. As a young boy growing up in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, I used to marvel at the magic behind this extraordinary human invention. As a “bush” boy, I actually imagined at some point that some people must have been smuggled into television boxes by those wizards and goblins called oyibo (White people). Till this day it remains the eighth wonder.</p> <p dir="ltr">In those days, television was a rarity. It was mainly in black and white. Only one big man, Chief S.O. Fadiora, popularly known as Baba Larele, had television in our neighbourhood. We had the privilege of standing by his window to watch some programmes. This opportunity fired our imagination. We saw events from far-flung places. We watched football. We enjoyed musicals. We savoured boxing. Wow, Mohammed Ali was the greatest. We had to stay awake and endure the giant mosquitos making a feast of our exposed parts anytime he was fighting. Even Nigerian television paraded exciting programmes. The adverts were nice, decent and easily remember-able. Life was good and Television was a must watch for us.<br></p> <p dir="ltr">If television was that important then, you can imagine how powerful it has become now with live broadcasts in vivid colours from any part of the globe. There is no subject under the sun that is not covered by television. You can virtually study from the comfort of your home. You can visit anywhere in the world without going near any airport. You can witness human advancement at the speed of light and the collapse of nations at the drop of a hat. The world has become one box office movie. Everything has been demystified and decoded. Television has of course been amplified and expanded by its social media variants through You Tube and other variants.</p> <p dir="ltr">Where am I going with this preamble? It is simple and straight-forward. No serious leader should have excuse for failure. Ideas are available practically free of charge to those who need and want it. Power is no longer a product of abracadabra. Videos, smartphones, laptops, iPads, and others have contributed immensely to the growth of television. Social media has even done so much to bring information nearer home. Any information can be obtained without fuss or stress. You can build or penetrate any library in the world. Information is knowledge and knowledge is power. How come our leaders have refused to take advantage of the globalisation of anything and everything?</p> <p dir="ltr">Someone sat down somewhere in Dubai and said he wanted to build the tallest building in the world which used to be the exclusive preserve of American cities. The same man sat down and decided that the biggest airport in the world can be built in a tiny Arabian desert. He didn’t have to travel or globetrot. Anything he wanted was handy at the touch of a button. He probably got ideas first from watching television and thought to himself I could do this better.</p> <p dir="ltr">I got inspiration for this column this week from watching the Brussels, Belgium, attack on television. Even as I sit down to write this the whole world is still gripped and held spellbound by events unfolding in that country which are being beamed live on diverse global news channels. They’ve killed our sleep at night and replaced it with insomnia. My brain is pounding and racing with endless questions about why we are not able to replicate these things despite being blessed with some of the brightest and smartest human souls on earth.<br> The first lesson I expect our leaders to learn from watching the spectacle on television is that our present problems would never go away until we learn how to do things differently. For example, the war against terrorism is largely a matter of intelligence combining the resources available to different arms of security forces especially the Police. In Nigeria we drag the army out of their barracks to fight terrorists with weapons of war. Watching Belgium on television, the army plays a lesser role and they are called out in very extreme conditions. What this tells me is that we need to retrain and upgrade our ragtag police force. They can’t achieve much in their current configuration. They must be well educated, trained, equipped, empowered and remunerated. The Police is the umbilical cord that joins humans and society. It is not the Army or indeed other segments of the Armed Forces. It seems that we have allowed our recent past which has been dominated by military oppression and suppression to overshadow the activities of our security forces and how they operate. That is not the way of the world and it is not how we will make progress if we are to secure our people and even borders. The truth is that the military is ill-equipped for the task and role thrust upon it by our leaders not because they do not have the equipment but because they do not have the temperament and domestic savvy required for operations such as this. On the contrary all the military should do is to complement the efforts of the other members of the security forces like the Police, DSS and other ‘civilian’ security agencies.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second lesson is the power of determination and tenacity. The Belgian government launched a blistering counter-attack after the bombs that reverberated through the airport and Metro. True, the security forces appear to have missed early warning signs, but they quickly made up for their lapses in the manner in which they responded to the dastardly and cowardly attacks. Since the bombings, the security offensive has been relentless and productive. What is noteworthy is that the media has been kept as informed as possible. The result is that the people, who are probably the most significant object of security, are fully involved in the security operation, contributing their quota by supplying valuable information, like the taxi driver who provided the valuable nugget of information that led to a second suspect being sought in relation to the Metro bombing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nearly two years after over 200 young girls vanished into thin air in Chibok, nothing tangible has come out of the search by the former and present governments. I appreciate the fact that the Government has apparently very recently rescued about 830 hostages from Boko Haram in Borno. In this regard one must commend the security forces and the Government. But this success merely highlights the dismal failure with regard to the Chibok girls after a couple of years. In relation to the missing girls, the body language was and continues to be very worrisome. Life seemingly continues as normal. What should have been a national tragedy uniting us was even politicised. The few selfless individuals who chose to draw attention to this unprecedented disaster were treated with disdain. In Belgium, about 30 people died and 300 were injured and the world was literally brought to a standstill because the government knew the huge responsibility bestowed on it. It was reminiscent of the attitude to the French shootings and killings earlier on this year. Our leaders get angry when asked to do their job. They take it personal, forgetting that this is one of the reasons they were elected into their positions in the first place. You become an instant enemy.</p> <p dir="ltr">The third big lesson from watching Belgium on television is what I saw as efficient and coherent management of Information. Every department explains its role and achievement or challenges. I did not see any Information Minister, Special Adviser, Senior Special Assistant, Presidential Media Support Group, I Stand with the President Group, Special Adviser Social Media, Special Assistant, Chief of Staff, National Security Adviser and others competing to take charge of media. There was no cacophony of misinformation. No one harassed the Media. Even two prominent Ministers offered their resignations but were rejected. Government elsewhere would have taken hurried decisions before realising that sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don’t know. It would be impossible for new Ministers to know what to do in the middle of this crisis. Better to chase the hyena away before returning to the hen later.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fourth lesson is the level of preparedness. Everything needed and necessary was ready and pulled out immediately the bombs exploded; ambulances, oxygen, blood, dogs, fire trucks, hospital facilities appeared in a jiffy. Even hotels were converted to emergency clinics. The nation and the world stood together. Effort was made to identify victims dead or alive. Within days so many suspected or confirmed terrorists were trailed and apprehended. I saw a sense of mission and commitment. There has been no attempt to trade blames yet. Errors have been identified and accepted. But people have moved on immediately because there is a common enemy to be overcome. No political party or politician took advantage of the brouhaha to advance personal ambition. It is obvious there are sharp disagreements and undercurrents here and there but everyone is doing what needs to be done for now. There is always time for recrimination later.<br> The fifth lesson I learnt from watching television is that Nigerian leaders are too flamboyant and ceremonial. Even in the middle of our intractable crises, we have refused to tone down the pomp and pageantry of power. Our leaders still waste our dwindling resources on over-bloated personnel. Our leaders still travel abroad with security aides in full military regalia. If they watch television and take time to study protocol and etiquette they would realise that their style has become outlandishly archaic. Why should journalists want to capture the speech of a President and they are forced to take pictures of two people because of an outdated security trend. As mundane as this may seem, it is one of the things that shows the world that we are not serious. I saw Nigerian First Ladies in the past roaming the streets of Washington DC and London with uniformed orderlies. Why are we so uncouth? I have not seen world leaders or indeed their spouses being obviously attended by uniformed men abroad. The truth is that effective and efficient security of leaders is now an unobtrusive thing. I often wonder how an Aide-de-Camp dedicated to taking a bullet for his charge can do so from behind the person? Indeed what can he even see from that less than vantage position that would enable him to protect his ward? Na wah!</p> <p dir="ltr">I’m very convinced that our leaders must watch good channels on television. It is impossible not to do so given the preponderance of votes in their budgets for this purpose. We have a few Nigerian channels but something must be done to bring NTA up to date with the rest of the civilised world. It is shameful that a country as big and powerful as Nigeria is not able to run a world class television channel that would compete with CNN, Al Jazeera, Sky, Fox, BBC, CCTV News, French, Russian, Chinese and others now rocking the world and expressing the views of their home country owners. A nation as strong and powerful as Nigeria should have a voice of its own. This is what Nduka Obaigbeina is doing with Arise News and Tony Dara did with NN24 before it went under. These are geniuses who like their forerunners Raymond Dokpesi, Gabriel Igbinedion, Osa Sonny Adun, Steve Ojo, Busari Gbadeyanka, John Momoh, Ben Murray Bruce, Bola Tinubu and others invested heavily in television, a casino of sorts. Lack of enabling environment and too much government control has made television business extra tedious in Nigeria. A government of Change can turn things around for the better if it sets its priorities right. But it would amount to nothing or mere wishful thinking if the leaders don’t watch television or prefer channels that engage in hero-worship.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is time for a CHANGE!</p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbkCrZicIyTKJGiL65oqqJo2lEtO5rJ94xGi4ibudvAjZrAOwb5ne9rfjOcBT0GqSRaKBJ1dNKSFkpO2tr4qZBerByALCNZpD-C2eWX687syK2qX5LUFkcVr4JC0760A1CeYCrW5yuU__/s1600/TwImg-20150125-115919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbkCrZicIyTKJGiL65oqqJo2lEtO5rJ94xGi4ibudvAjZrAOwb5ne9rfjOcBT0GqSRaKBJ1dNKSFkpO2tr4qZBerByALCNZpD-C2eWX687syK2qX5LUFkcVr4JC0760A1CeYCrW5yuU__/s640/TwImg-20150125-115919.jpg"> </a> </div>

Do Nigerian Leaders Ever Watch Television? By @DeleMomodu

Fellow Nigerians, you must be wondering why I chose this title for my column today. If you wait a moment and you want to know the real reaso...

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Nigerians Are not Ready For Change by Adeyemi Babatunde

<p dir="ltr">As a Nigerian that I am, and will always be, gives me the liberty to write my view with love, compassion and understanding in my heart. This piece is out of political affiliation, gimmicks and intrigues. It's the best to purge my heart feelings and eschew from all form of sentiments, prejudice and bias. It is my firm belief that our nation Nigeria is just on the verge of announcing her arrival to the World as the rising sun of the new age. This is not the time we should be regretting our actions for voting "change" , laying emphasis on the woes of this administration and planning for another election when the first appropriation bill is yet to be approved by the National Assembly, which is a pause to the development of this country. Eight months ago we took a bold step with high hope, excitement and optimism of a better Nigeria by electing a new President who we believe has what it takes to build a country that we can be proud of, where due process and sanity in all sectors with high respect for the rule of law will be the order of the day. It is very unfortunate that today our hope is gradually dashing out as the ruling class has obviously displayed to the entire world that only the personality of the President, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR is ready for the change we all clamoured for, while others ( senators,Governors  reps ,labour leaders, etc.) are mere opportunists, pretenders and dubious set of greedy leaders who hides under the integrity of the President to rob us of our mandates and continue in their dubious and fraudulent dealing at Government corridor. I am specifically unhappy with the situation of things in this country because am a victim of the circumstance but let us recall that the journey of a thousand miles start with a step. The day I was born wasn't the day I started crawling or talking, farmers would wait for days, months, and sometimes years before planted crops could be harvested, even those in academics would study for years with various researches before they can  be elevated to become a Professor. Then why can't we stop murmuring, complaining and becoming more impatient because we all know how corruption has eaten up virtually all the sectors of this country and we cannot expect a miracle in a short period. Few days ago I was listening to the Governor of Ekiti State sending abusive words to the President saying that "he is the voice of the voiceless and if the president hit him he is dead", something came to my mind that instant, to me he is a rabble rouser because there is nothing he is doing towards the development of his state than riding motorcycles, cutting meat in the public and all sorts of irrelevant things he is using to gain public attention while to some people he is a patriot.<br> A statesman looks for how his country will be transform, share policies, support the government and proffer solutions to pertinent  problems that affects the country not planning about electing another leader in the next election. Constructive criticism is welcomed because it puts those in corridor of power on toes.We are yearning for change but are we really ready? It seems to me that we Nigerians don't know what we want. Israel is a case study, they had the best leaders any nation could ever dream or think of. Their leaders were kind, great and supreme but the people didn't know the value of such leadership, they complained, grumbled, whined and demanded for better leaders.<br> Let me take you back to the class of history for a moment, Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America, he is probably the most popular and loved president in America today. He was brutally assassinated in office, despite the numerous success he achieved, and the emancipation proclamation to release black slaves yet he was so much hated and killed at the age of 56. Another example is Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who built his country from a third world to a first world country, he's a modern example that you cannot have a good leader without some excess. He ruled his country for 30yrs and achieved huge success during his tenure which other world leaders envied and admired. After he left he was regarded as the greatest political leader of his country and was recognised only after his death.<br> When people clamour for a good leader, the leader would either be hated or rejected within an ample period of time. The change we voted for is a short walk to a long destination, it is something that cannot be achieved overnight. The truth is Nigerians are impatient, we want drastic change, miracle and magic within the short period of time the mantle of leadership was given to Buhari and since it can't be done then we should not support him?.<br> The point am trying to make is that the biggest problem of our nation is not the "leadership" is we the "people". The very individuals who called for good leadership would also call for his head. Why? Because he demands for the right things to be done that would bring temporary discomfort to the people.</p> <p dir="ltr">For example, it might require people not to jump queues irrespective of your status. I believe he would stop all the corrupt practices in the land which some people might interpret as taking away their bread, etc. Most importantly, instead of us waiting for a good, kind and angelic leader we must know that change must begin with each and every one of us. We all as citizens of this great nation must get rid of our wrong mindsets. We must individually take responsibility to reform our lifestyles. We must intentionally declare war against our own wrong attitudes, actions and inactions.<br> If this change does not happen first in the populace, this same populace with their wrong value systems would crucify any leader that comes to rule them with the right values. I therefore call for patience, tolerance and support for the government and its policies.. I belief that if we imbibe those virtues and change our mindset the change we clamour for will come to stay.<br><br></p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEKR8GF31clmb2T9NO83BrezvpVAV5ogKIdITIZbgnT89EvU-aeiLaWfjve8Vi5yg91jtrylbX3pnBaZUPP4KfuVgv6g60Nf7sv-Fh1dVO_j6s3YEpY4mVB2yolxG8p243lU9NKzd69mK/s1600/IMG-20160318-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEKR8GF31clmb2T9NO83BrezvpVAV5ogKIdITIZbgnT89EvU-aeiLaWfjve8Vi5yg91jtrylbX3pnBaZUPP4KfuVgv6g60Nf7sv-Fh1dVO_j6s3YEpY4mVB2yolxG8p243lU9NKzd69mK/s640/IMG-20160318-WA0000.jpg"> </a> </div>

Nigerians Are not Ready For Change by Adeyemi Babatunde

As a Nigerian that I am, and will always be, gives me the liberty to write my view with love, compassion and understanding in my heart. This...

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The Misogynists in the Nigerian Senate

<p dir="ltr">What Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South) did with her presentation of a bill on gender and equal opportunities on March 15, is the equivalent of trying one’s luck. But she deserves praise for her courage and progressive views, and for forcing the issue so well. The subject has generated useful debate and the Senate President has been forced to reassure the public that the bill will be re-presented, after it has been re-drafted “to address some of the reservations that were expressed on the floor of the Senate.”<br> This is the third time that the Senate will throw out this same bill. Senate President Bukola Saraki knows too well that to address the expressed reservations is to kill the bill completely. There may be no hope of a misogynistic Senate passing a Bill that seeks to empower women and the girl-child, protect them from discrimination and violence, rescue them from being treated like chattel, and ensure that women play more prominent roles in public and private decision-making processes. The Bill further seeks to protect the rights of women in marriages.<br> It should not be surprising that the male-dominated Senate (102 men to 7 women) rose against the Bill. A few male voices supported Senator Olujimi, but those against the Bill were determined. They quoted the Bible. They cited the Quoran. They dismissed any thought of women having more powers or voice or being treated like equals to men. They even cited culture and tradition. One newspaper stated matter of factly, that Senator Olujimi “incurred the wrath of Northern Senators”. When the matter was put to a vote, the naysayers of course won. So, given the gender imbalance in the Senate and the shortage of enlightened men on the floor, if that Bill is presented a thousand times, the outcome is predictable. It is perhaps for this reason that a different kind of strategy will be required to make any progress in the important fight for the treatment of women’s rights as human rights.<br> Nigeria is signatory to different international conventions on the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against women. The Constitution also forbids discrimination against any person on the grounds of gender and circumstances of birth. Long before the internationalization of the struggle for women’s rights and its NGO-nization, there have been records of valiant Nigerian women pushing the envelope and demonstrating through advocacy and individual accomplishments that women are capable partners in society’s development, and that they deserve full citizenship rights.<br> But just as was demonstrated again on the floor of the Senate, religion, culture and male chauvinism are major stumbling blocks. Even some of the most educated men around cannot stand the idea of women being given more opportunities. Those male Senators who shot down the Olujimi Bill must have been wondering what gave her the effrontery to suggest that men and women should begin to share power and opportunities as equals. The man who led the assault against the bill and who reportedly later celebrated the victory is actually the same man who was once publicly upbraided for marrying a 13-year old girl, a girl about the age of his granddaughter! In that same Senate, one of the members while declaring his assets sometimes last year, listed his two wives as part of his assets!<br> A gender and equal opportunities Bill should help provide stronger legislative framework for protecting women from all forms of discrimination, but legislative intervention may well not be enough. The real battle-field is in the identified areas of religion, culture and tradition, and the absence of political will to enforce relevant laws that promote social justice. Societies don’t just move from one level of enlightenment to the other: leadership is required. But as it is, Nigeria has leaders who are male chauvinists, whose attachment to culture and religion prevents them from understanding the true meaning of human rights. This is why it seems so difficult to convince Nigerian patriarchs that certain religious and cultural practices simply do not make sense.<br> What kind of culture or tradition allows a man to marry a child, for example? What kind of tradition recommends that a widow should be humiliated and subjected to inhuman practices in 2016? In some communities in the East, a woman cannot taste the new yam of the season as they call it. Men must taste it first. Among Igbos, even the most enlightened man will not allow a woman break kolanut in a gathering of men. Leviration is still practised in some Nigerian communities. One year after the millennial deadline on gender equality, there are still families in Nigeria where the girl-child is considered fit only for marriage, and so when male children are sent to school, the girls are asked to hawk wares, until they are ripe enough to be married off. In other places, wives cannot inherit their husbands’ estates, and daughters are disinherited on the basis of gender. Patterns of this discrimination against the female gender exist even in workplaces today, and significantly in politics. I recall the case of one of these banks, which once instructed female employees not to get pregnant, within the first year of employment! And in politics, women are organized as separate groups with someone called Woman Leader, whereas there is no such equivalent for men.<br> The manifold existence of constructive gender discrimination explains the speed and alacrity with which the gender and equal opportunity bill is always dismissed whenever it is brought up in the National Assembly. The advocacy for women empowerment and an end to gender discrimination is also severely limited. It is restricted to non-governmental organizations, and a few influential voices in society who understand the issues, attend international conferences and who over the years have been organizing workshops and rallies to conscientize political, religious and traditional leaders. But this has not quite helped, and this may well be because the majority of the core affected women are excluded from the campaign.<br> The Biodun Olujimis of Nigeria are not necessarily the ones seeking freedom from discrimination. They can hold their own, they can negotiate power at many levels; the ones in need of help are the poor women and girl-children who are trapped under male domination, poor, disempowered, voiceless, and incapable of realizing their potentials to the fullest. The ones in need of help are those poor widows who are humiliated by in-laws, the millions of girls who are out of school just because they are female, the under-aged girls who are married off to old men, against their wish, and the army of dispossessed women whose lives have been condemned to a routine of raising children, fetching water and working on the farm.<br> These victims themselves need to be mobilized into the struggle for the full recognition of the human rights of women. They need to be given a voice. It is not a task for NGOs alone. The struggle must become more inclusive. We have Ministers and Commissioners in charge of women affairs and social development. They are busy travelling from one international workshop to the other. Such a department of government can do a lot more. To get Nigerian men to respect the human rights of women, the womenfolk must work together and support each other, and develop the kind of advocacy that was defeated last Tuesday into a sustainable, organized movement. The tone of the advocacy should also change: too often, gender and equal opportunity issues are presented as pleas, as if women are seeking favour and understanding from the men: please-give-us-more-powers, allow-us-to-also-exercise-authority; we-want-more-women-in-government. For as long as the language of negotiation sounds that beggarly, not much progress can be made. Nothing short of an organized women’s movement around the core issues is what is required.<br> In the long run, education is probably the best policy option. Every child must go to school and no child should be allowed to be an artisan until after secondary school education. Once upon a time in this country, the social welfare department used to arrest any child found on the streets during school hours. The disparity in the education of men and women in Nigeria is alarming, given the fact that women constitute about 50% of the national population. The school drop-out rate for the girl-child is as high as 44%! There are extant laws, which prescribe punishment for parents who keep their children out of school; such laws must be enforced. State governments should vigorously promote education at all levels.<br> Education is the strongest weapon for liberating people from the clutches of harmful religious and traditional practices. Education in this regard means being enlightened enough to know what parts of religion and tradition are humane and progressive. Even where these prove resilient on the basis of social legitimacy, the truth is that it will be difficult to maltreat a woman who is fully aware of her rights. The Senators opposing gender equality and rights would never allow their own daughters to be exposed to any form of indignity. They quote culture and religion out of sheer hypocrisy. Their reliance on the Holy Books to justify the inferiorization of women as the weaker sex is dubious.<br> Successful women should be prepared to support other women. More women should take interest in politics, and seek political power at all levels. Nigerian women must get into the arena and seek decision-making positions, to enable them influence and implement policies. Let Nigerian women form their own political parties and contest the public space with the misogynists. The women’s movement in Nigeria has lost its steam. Some Nigerian women are involved in partisan politics but they either end up behaving like the men, or they claim they are technocrats with no interest in feminist matters. They reinforce stereotypes and even work against the interest of other women seeking progress. Such women cannot lead the struggle; new recruits and role models are needed. To give meaning and bite to Senator Olujimi’s kind of intervention, progressive Nigerian women must unite and re-organize.<br> About the Author:<br> Reuben Abati is a columnist in The Guardian and former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan.</p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSJhCmEHMqDCYkTuHM4c5GtZ5EbnUXxp2Dr-Xbf27lHmlIgqDGzoMKdNwpTwi5rLfT0dd0fEkxS3MXv3SHHWRn7A5CfNzNBQpiDEbeqwdIy9uek6dQ5hhmmzEnB8ramHJgJUySII_nAhH/s1600/ReubenAbati1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSJhCmEHMqDCYkTuHM4c5GtZ5EbnUXxp2Dr-Xbf27lHmlIgqDGzoMKdNwpTwi5rLfT0dd0fEkxS3MXv3SHHWRn7A5CfNzNBQpiDEbeqwdIy9uek6dQ5hhmmzEnB8ramHJgJUySII_nAhH/s640/ReubenAbati1.jpg"> </a> </div>

The Misogynists in the Nigerian Senate

What Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South) did with her presentation of a bill on gender and equal opportunities on March 15, is the equ...

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THE MINISTERS ARE WORKING BUT INFORMATION IS SCANTY By Dele Momodu #pendulum

<p dir="ltr">Fellow Nigerians, I have been greatly troubled by the spate of criticisms and vicious attacks against the Buhari government. You cannot blame me. I was one of those who went all out to campaign for the change movement. Naturally, we must take credit for whatever success President Buhari achieves and face the public odium for its failure, God forbid. My fervent prayer had been that Buhari will not fail because the disgrace would be too monumental for some of us.<br>   I decided to go on a solo rescue mission hoping to make my modest contribution in the process. What I discovered through my interactions with some of our leaders is that majority have been too scared of talking for whatever reason. My unlettered mum used to tell me a Yoruba adage that “lack of effective communication is the beginning of foolishness and backwardness.<br> I have since had the opportunity of chatting hither and tither with some of the key cabinet members, officially and unofficially and realised that this government should jettison propaganda and let each Ministry provide its road maps to Nigerians. For example, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola is a super technocrat who has been saddled with so much. After our one hour long telephone conversation, he allayed my fears substantially on the intractable power problems in our country. He is meticulously plotting his paths through the labyrinth of electrical wilderness. Very soon, he believes, we shall enjoy some relief. He is not someone to be fazed on intimidated by daunting challenges.<br> Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is another Minister in charge of one of the most essential sectors of our economy, transportation. In the last few weeks, he’s been able to breakdown his plans and activities. I was very impressed when he acknowledged the foundation laid by former President Goodluck Jonathan and how the Buhari government would work assiduously to bring our transportation to its most modern level ever. His ideas are ambitious but practical.</p> <p dir="ltr">I have been mostly worried about the petroleum sector. The long queues have returned with a vengeance. The price of oil has fallen globally and our fattest cash cow has been growing leaner. Dr Ibe Kachikwu is a brainbox I have known for decades. They don’t get better than him in that industry. What then is the problem? To change any system is not always very simple. Those who used to make easy money would do anything and everything to frustrate the changer. My probe revealed some of the obstacles militating against this government but slowly and steadily hope is rising.<br> Change is in the air. Although it has been slow in coming it is gratifying to note that the patience of the longsuffering Nigerian masses, especially in the area of delivery of petroleum products is going to be rewarded after all. I’m willing to wait a little more for the magic wand to blossom.</p> <p dir="ltr">President Muhammadu Buhari has never hidden the fact that apart from the security situation and the fight against corruption his major love is to reproduce his feats in revamping the petroleum sector in respect of which he had two bites at the cherry, firstly as Commissioner for Petroleum under the military administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo between 1976 and 1979 and more recently as Chairman of the Petroleum Task Force (PTF) under President Olusegun Obasanjo. As it was one of the first acts of his present administration was the appointment of Nigerian and Harvard trained Dr Ibe Kachikwu as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). Kachikwu’s appointment was hailed as all those who know him as a first rate appointment and one likely to sanitise the petroleum sector after the tales of corruption and mismanagement that we had been regaled with. When Kachikwu was later appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources thuds being the first person to combine the dual roles of Group Managing Director of NNPC and Minister no one batted an eyelid as Kachikwu had already distinguished himself as an astute manager of this depreciating national economic pillar and a savvy administrator capable of utilising and maximising the use of scarce resources.<br> It is also a demonstration of the fairness and objectivity of Dr Kachikwu that he has been quick to accept that some of the groundwork of what he has been doing at NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was laid by previous administrations. However what he has excelled in is to bring his vast array of talents and contacts to bear in taking the NNPC to the next level by insisting that things must work rather than just jettisoning them. Thus he has intensified work on preserving the security and integrity of the pipeline network by combining more traditional methods of manual security with proven scientific methods. The result is that our pipelines are becoming more secure and we will soon begin to see the changes that have been rung.</p> <p dir="ltr">In agreement with President Buhari that we cannot have refineries and still be importing petroleum products Kachikwu has gone to great lengths to oversee the revival of the ailing refineries in the country. It is clear that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has taking the President’s marching orders to heart and he has definitely been making giant strides in this respect.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For the first time, Nigeria’s refineries are now ready to work”, Dr Kachilkwu said at a press briefing on Tuesday. “For the first time, our refineries are ready now to work. Crude has been pumped from Brass to Port Harcourt. Pipeline is being used for the first time in six years. For the first time we are able to pump to Ilorin, we have not done that in 10 years.”<br> The Minister of State also said that NNPC has saved Nigeria N1 trillion in what would have been subsidy payments and a further $1 billion under an efficient and effective importation programme which he has put in place. He has also listed some other achievements in the petroleum industry in the short period of time that he has taken command of the sector.<br> He said the change at NNPC is only just starting, adding that NNPC which should ordinarily be a cash cow but has been seriously haemorrhaging in the past will be delivering profit in two to three months. He expatiated by stating that from the innovative trend of publishing reports on the Corporation’s activities Nigerians would see that the Corporation has gone from an average deficit of over N30 billion to N3 billion in a period of six months.<br> Dr Kachikwu added “If you continue on this tangent, this company should continue to show monthly profitability in two to three months. That would be dramatic, and that is even before we have even started – because we haven’t started.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Looking at specific initiatives that Dr Kachikwu has deployed, the Direct Sales-Direct Purchase (DSDP) initiative seems to be one of the most dramatic. Kachikwu modestly attributes the adoption and unqualified success of DSDP to all Nigerians who through their suggestions and concern led to him and his team coming up with the final concept of DSDP. DSDP was adopted to replace the much maligned and abused Crude Oil Swap and the Offshore Processing Arrangement (OPA). The aim was to reduce corruption and introduce and entrench transparency into the crude oil for product exchange transactions carried on by the Corporation. To achieve this, the bidding process has been thrown open. In addition, because the assessment process is transparent and is based on the global and or national track record of performance of the respective bidding companies, the influence of the Minister or GMD of NNPC is greatly reduced. The effect is that bid winners are selected on merit rather than on the basis of ‘man know man’ so that the entire process can now be said to fully comply and be in tandem with global best practices.<br> Before the advent of DSDP, crude oil was exchanged for petroleum products through third party traders at a pre-determined yield pattern. However the DSDP option eliminates all the middlemen and gives the NNPC control of the sale and purchase of crude oil with its partners with the expectation that the initiative would save the Country at least $1 billion annually. In effect the policy is aimed at reducing the gaps inherent in the OPA and the losses incurred by the NNPC in the past.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another positive outcome of the new arrangement is that it would help the country to grow indigenous capacity in the international crude oil business and generate employment opportunities for indigenous companies because the Minister is determined to encourage fellow Nigerians by ensuring that they are selected to participate in the initiative albeit through the transparent process that has been evolved.<br> The DSDP initiative also gives other government agencies such as the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Nigeria Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the opportunity to be a part of the bidding process in order to engender adherence to due process.</p> <p dir="ltr">Notably Dr Kachikwu has implemented a price modulation policy which has rid the Federal Government of the burden of subsidy on imported petroleum products since January 2016. As Dr Kachikwu said on Tuesday “Look at the fact that with the removal or connivance on the removal of subsidy cost, you are saving the nation N1 trillion. For the first time this organisation is not worrying about where to get the next subsidy money or who is going to pay it.”<br> “But imagine what it looks like if you succeeded in identifying and doing all those. Imagine what it would look like if every business unit followed the same principles and monitored cost at those various levels.” For this reason Kachikwu has gone forward to unbundle the monolithic NNPC and established 5 profit units as separate entities with two further administrative units which owing to their very nature are supportive of the entire organisation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kachikwu said that for the first time, NNPC has met up with 75 percent of its responsibility to the federation account, highlighting the new ways of the corporation.<br> “This is simply through your 20 fixes; you deciding to cut costs, and to watch your expenses and there’s still a huge amount of expenses you still need to cut.<br> There is definitely more to come from this man as he next targets the elimination of the perennial fuel scarcity in the country.</p> <p dir="ltr">AMBSAM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION</p> <p dir="ltr">On 28th March, 2015, (the day of the Presidential and National Assembly elections) Epe, in Lagos State, was thrown into deep sorrow and mourning following the tragic death of five illustrious sons of the town in a boat accident. These young and promising gentlemen are Olakunle Adewale, Olawale Mogaji, Gbolahan<br> Mogaji, Muiz Bello and Shamsideen Agoro.</p> <p dir="ltr">These young men were on election-related assignment to some remote villages in the Epe area where water transportation was the only means of movement. Whilst they accomplished their assignment they sadly didn’t return alive. A sixth person, Tunde Salawu, who was not involved in the boat accident also died about the same time whilst on election-related assignment. The tragic boat incident and the death of Salawu was unprecedented in the history of the town and brought grief and anguish all round.</p> <p dir="ltr">The untimely death of these gentlemen takes on added significance when one takes into account that Epe is the hometown of the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, a governor who I admire a lot because of the silent but painstaking and decent way that he is continuing in the transformation of Lagos State and building on the legacy of his predecessors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Given the circumstances of their demise and the vacuum apparently created at family level, the immediate consolatory step envisioned after the sad development was to institutionalize a programme that would immortalize them and keep them in our consciousness. In this direction, a group of concerned and public-spirited individuals established a not-for-profit, non-governmental foundation known as AMBSAM Memorial Foundation in honour of their memories. (AMBSAM is derived from the initials of the victims).</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the objectives of the Foundation is to cater for the immediate dependents of the departed. The Foundation will also be used as a spring-board to alleviate the suffering of other less privileged and vulnerable youths in the community regardless of religion or gender. I associate with the spirit and intentions of the founders of the Foundation because all too often we give no regard at all to causes such as this. In other countries this kind of initiative is the norm and it is my hope and expectation that in the not too distant future tragedies such as this and the Lekki Gardens disaster as another instance will occupy our consciousness through overt acts and will not be swept under the carpet after a couple of months. My colleagues in the Media, both traditional and social, bear a huge burden and responsibility in this regard. We must never forget our basic humanity and there is no better way to remember than to remember innocent victims like those now honoured by the AMBSAM foundation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The launching of the Foundation is slated to hold on Monday, 28th March, 2016 to coincide with the first year anniversary of the incident. The concept of the AMBSAM Foundation is salutary and should be commended particularly as it honours otherwise nondescript Nigerians!</p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_36x2sP0lwGc7FR2HAGBdveIPnEz2DB5FSCoUrkrXTVHkfze_bh6IIi1hWBepSsO0BbaGSIHp1sVo31Ifpd1mKoOB8gPF7EYwzEi8XMEa-wVKANam-yqPkMXus7xylisvBNYUOUfLALKk/s1600/TwImg-20150125-115919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_36x2sP0lwGc7FR2HAGBdveIPnEz2DB5FSCoUrkrXTVHkfze_bh6IIi1hWBepSsO0BbaGSIHp1sVo31Ifpd1mKoOB8gPF7EYwzEi8XMEa-wVKANam-yqPkMXus7xylisvBNYUOUfLALKk/s640/TwImg-20150125-115919.jpg"> </a> </div>

THE MINISTERS ARE WORKING BUT INFORMATION IS SCANTY By Dele Momodu #pendulum

Fellow Nigerians, I have been greatly troubled by the spate of criticisms and vicious attacks against the Buhari government. You cannot blam...

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OCHOLI DID NOT EAT FROM THE FOOD HE COOKED by Adeyemi Babatunde

<p dir="ltr">Death is an inevitable obligation of every living souls on earth. The name James Ocholi was personally unpopular to me in this country political terrain, I got to know his name when a ministerial nominee from my State (Oyo State), Barrister Bayo Shittu mentioned his name during the screening by the senate that "Ocholi was sent to him by President Buhari to pacify him and reduced the rate at which the feud between him and the incumbent Governor of Oyo state and the then All Progressive Congress gubernatorial ticket holder" which he believes was marred with irregularities and violation of rule of law, he mentioned how the SAN played a major role and addressed the internal wrangling amicably. <br>   As an ardent supporter of President Buhari, I believe in his principles, character and leadership qualities. This made me develop interest to know the people he entrusted with his herculean tasks that's when I came across this man's name again and I searched about him and got detailed information about this reputable man. I was amazed and entangled with what I read, saw and heard about this highly intelligent former Saleem University Chancellor .It was through him I got to know that it does not matter if a cat is white or black as long as it catches mice. He was an exceedingly courageous, inherently honest, highly intelligent, extremely loyal, humble and God fearing man.<br> Like the President said in his tribute to the late achiever, he was a man among men, an emblem of loyalty and an Iroko among trees. Ocholi was one of President Buhari trusted confidant and ally which he entrusted all legal issues to, he discharged his duties  without any form of  incompleteness. He was among the few gubernatorial aspirants of CPC that President Buhari toured and campaigned for from wards to local governments and other nooks and crannies of Kogi state. He lost the election to Capt Idris wada in 2011 and accepted defeat with a goodwill message and successful tenure.    Throughout those years he was moulding himself, making consultations and reconciling on how his beloved country will survive from impunity, corruption and maladministration and be among the comity of developed nations. I wasn't surprise when the arch Bishop of Kogi and labour Minister was paying their tributes during the service of songs to the departed soul, Senator Ngige said he played an unusual role during the merger which metamorphized into APC, he forgot ego, pride  hierarchy and worked under a junior lawyer who was not a SAN and subjected himself as his deputy to make sure the change he desired come to stay. Many tributes and accolades have been said to the father of five wards he was a devoted Christian, a good husband, a leader par excellence, a bridge builder, a generous man who adopted a son making five children he left behind. It is a pity he is no more, it is sad that we lost him by a ghastly accident with wife and a son, it is pathetic and tragic. <br>   The legal luminary  will solely be missed by Saleem family  worldwide , the Igala community, The great people of confluence state, the judiciary arm and the entire country. <br></p> <p dir="ltr">By Adeyemi Babatunde Hamed </p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1o6wxxtF5D2o0ZM3Pt3GitMPk6ZhjclAmo-FfBZh44VABXWW9jx6NL4czdO3ncBk6PEkfv9YmsI3ZMD_iF_xZ0LcEq2_zs9_Cpxr32-eoC9F-gZC3Nqfx2-0VM6L0fzGiLLcz4b72B2O/s1600/IMG-20160318-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1o6wxxtF5D2o0ZM3Pt3GitMPk6ZhjclAmo-FfBZh44VABXWW9jx6NL4czdO3ncBk6PEkfv9YmsI3ZMD_iF_xZ0LcEq2_zs9_Cpxr32-eoC9F-gZC3Nqfx2-0VM6L0fzGiLLcz4b72B2O/s640/IMG-20160318-WA0000.jpg"> </a> </div>

OCHOLI DID NOT EAT FROM THE FOOD HE COOKED by Adeyemi Babatunde

Death is an inevitable obligation of every living souls on earth. The name James Ocholi was personally unpopular to me in this country polit...

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Gender and Opportunity Bill, Nigeria Senate and Nigeria culture by kayode Abiodun

<p dir="ltr">Recently, the Nigerian Senate stopped the second reading of the Gender and opportunity Aka GOB. The GOB bill titled "Bill for an act to incorporate and enforce Certain provisions of the United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women " sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujimi of Ekiti South Senatoral district. The Senate president after discourse from different senators puts the Bill to vote and Nays have it. This sparked reaction from eminent Nigerians especially social media activist, the Misogynist and Feminist, the Nigeria Senate trended through out the day on twitter with each individual sharing his/her opinion on the said Bill. </p> <p dir="ltr">An inward look at the proposed Bill depicts that the GOB bill seeks to promote equality, development and advancement of all persons in Nigeria, it also speaks on the women freedom of movement, female economic activity and girl access to education. It further point out concerns on equal rights for women in marriage, divorce and property /land ownership and inheritance.  The bill also seeks to appropriate measures against gender discrimination in political and public life and prohibitions of violence to women.</p> <p dir="ltr">From the above paragraph, at glance, one can easily conclude that such a Bill will be panacea to Discrimination of women and abuse but a microscopic view of the GOB bill shows that the bill contravened some of our Religion and Cultural believes. Our Cultural belief is that Man is the head of Family and the woman would in turn support the man in his endeavors. Hence the popular saying  " Behind a Successful Man is a woman. The culture states the Man has the head and the woman has the neck. Even our holy books showed that women should be held in high esteem. The Bill is also a repetition/ segregation of some provisions of the 1999 constitution. </p> <p dir="ltr">The above paragraph maybe confusing, so let's dissect the GOB bill point by point. <br> The bill seeks to promote equality, development and advancement of all person in Nigeria: this is a repetition of chapter 4 S. 33 and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution. That is a basic human right irrespective of Gender.<br> The bill also speaks on women freedom of Movement, female economic and girl right to education : Every person (irrespective of gender ) has  a fundamental right to freedom of movement and economic activity according to Chapter 4  section 34,36, ,40 and 41 of the 1999 constitution as amended.  As per the girl education, it shouldn't be categorized for the girl child alone. Education should be  a basic right of child irrespective of gender According to UNICEF 2012 summit. <br> The Bill seeks Equal rights for women in Marriage, divorce, property land ownership and inheritance: No sane church, mosque or Registry would marry off people without the consent of the groom, the bride and their parents, so, where is the inequality in Marriage. Same way with Divorce, moreover, Any discontented person can seek for divorce and I was made to know that the Child of the parents seeking for the divorce would be asked to choose between the parent.  On property and land ownership, I don't think any of the land impedes any woman from acquiring landed properties. In fact, where I stay, Most landed properties are owned by women. We don't need a Bill for this. On inheritance, I think that should be a personal choice, no law or bill should how inheritance should be shared. <br> Adoption of special temporary measures to eliminate discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for the Majority of Nigerians : I think this makes sense. I do support this point. <br>   Lastly, the bill seeks appropriate measures against Gender discrimination in political and public life and prohibition of violence to women: on Gender discrimination,  to buttress the point made by Deputy senate president that 70% of Nigerian lawyers are women and there are also a large percentage of female judges " I think the electoral act and electioneering provisions in the 1999 constitution didn't discriminate against any body so far the qualification are met. We have woman senator, deputy Governor, speakers of house of assembly in the past. On prohibition of Violence to women, I think it's good but isn't there a bill on domestic violence already in the National assembly? </p> <p dir="ltr">        CONCLUSION<br> After dissecting the bill, one could see that eve though GOB was proposed good intentions, but the bill wants to Categorize specifically for women A fundamental human rights meant for both gender. The Law is established as rule of law not segregated for any gender, so I advise the Ever Gallant Senator Abiodun Olujimi to go back to the drawing board and modify the bill entirely. I think what Nigeria need is to make a bill that protect Nigerian women from Domestic violence. The Nigerian women should also dream big and aim high. Nowadays, Most girls lack ephemeral ambition, there is need for reorientation to eradicate the inferiority Complex. </p> <p dir="ltr">Also I want us to remember this popular saying that the greatest harm can come from best intention. Before I drop my pen, let me ask these question, <u>we</u> are clamoring for equal rights, should female law enforcement agents be allowed to go to war front? </p> <p dir="ltr">Kayode Abiodun writes from his village in Ayegun Ibadan and can be containing on twitter @abiodunsays </p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4OvdzXrEmyUD0nR0eJfbHcapL0hhKITXTe-5pGjoacDK6LIlkndalagw-QdfVa6H04XedwFNWMphFBs91gPi6Z84bHN-EantcVVVL77joJ6fIuO2kEUkNYhTFVsVrtXAJzBlKxO0BBAl/s1600/IMG_20160317_120443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4OvdzXrEmyUD0nR0eJfbHcapL0hhKITXTe-5pGjoacDK6LIlkndalagw-QdfVa6H04XedwFNWMphFBs91gPi6Z84bHN-EantcVVVL77joJ6fIuO2kEUkNYhTFVsVrtXAJzBlKxO0BBAl/s640/IMG_20160317_120443.jpg"> </a> </div>

Gender and Opportunity Bill, Nigeria Senate and Nigeria culture by kayode Abiodun

Recently, the Nigerian Senate stopped the second reading of the Gender and opportunity Aka GOB. The GOB bill titled "Bill for an act to...

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Simon Kolawole: After wasting Nigeria for 16 years, the PDP is in no position to brand Buhari a failure

<p dir="ltr">If I may quickly say this, I was not really a fan of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari until I read his interview in TheNEWS magazine some time in 1994 — nine years after he was overthrown in a coup by General Ibrahim Babangida. Questioned on the things he got wrong as military head of state, Buhari replied candidly (and I paraphrase): “We made mistakes, but they were genuine mistakes… we were in a hurry to change Nigeria.” That instantly won me over. His perceived highhandedness was not for personal profit; it was in desperation to reform Nigerians. In one sentence, I saw honesty, I saw patriotism and I saw authenticity. I became his disciple from a distance.</p> <p dir="ltr">I started dreaming of a Buhari presidency precisely in 1998. I can’t remember everything now, but I was then the Features Editor of THISDAY. Mr. Victor Ifijeh, then the Editor, drew my attention to a public lecture on leadership by Buhari and asked me to write a “Man in the News” feature on him for the Friday Review section. After going through Buhari’s speech, whose details I cannot now recollect (which means I’m finally getting old), I convinced myself that this was the kind of leader Nigeria badly needed. I started praying that one day, Buhari would lead Nigeria again. The inimitable Gen. Sani Abacha was the head of state then.</p> <p dir="ltr">I would later get close to Buhari. I sized him up at close quarters and made my conclusions. One, he is very passionate about the progress of Nigeria. He believes that the country can be far better than this. Two, he believes the major problem obstructing our progress is leadership deficiency. In an interview I had with him in March 2001, he complained about the growing lawlessness in the land under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s leadership, concluding: “Instead of the dog wagging the tail, it is the tail that is wagging the dog.” Three, he told me in May 2009 that Nigeria had been ruled by “leaders without conscience”, and that was why we had not developed “despite all our resources”.</p> <p dir="ltr">I saw in Buhari a leader who would not spend his days in office feathering his nest. I saw a leader who would not condone stealing of public funds. I saw in him a strong personality who would take a decision and stand by it, not being tossed by every wind of doctrine. However, unlike most of the modern-day Buhari fans, I was very much aware of his limitations. I knew he would be highly constrained by his worldview. I worried about his economic philosophy. I also worried about his likely choice of core team members. Above all, I knew his handling of the Nigerian situation as a military man was not replicable in a democracy. I was quite realistic.</p> <p dir="ltr">In truth, I was not expecting magic in the event of him becoming president. I did not expect him to change Nigeria and Nigerians in four years, much less in 10 months. It so happened that in 2015, after three failed attempts, Buhari became the choice presidential candidate. The anti-Jonathan movement found a ready symbol of change in Buhari. They quickly created him in the image they wanted: a flawless magician, the ultimate messiah. I was very worried for Buhari at some point. For instance, on January 25, 2015 — more than two months before he won the election — I did foresee trouble in an article with the title: “Buhari and the Burden of Expectations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">I wrote: “To be honest, I don’t know whether to rejoice or sympathise with Gen. Muhammadu Buhari anytime I read all the sweet comments about him on social media — especially on Twitter. I don’t know any presidential candidate who has been so idolised in recent times — which is an excellent accolade any politician will gladly take. On the one hand, it is good for him. He will not be complaining at all. No politician will complain about such good fortune, especially with only a few weeks to an election. On the other hand, my God! The expectations are sky-high. Incredible. From what I am reading, Buhari is expected to perform nothing short of magic in Aso Rock…”</p> <p dir="ltr">I am, therefore, not surprised by the increasing murmurings and grumblings against Buhari in less than 10 months. A country perpetually reliant on fuel imports, littered with bad roads and sick hospitals, living in darkness, churning out illiterates as graduates — let’s face it: the turn-around maintenance of Nigeria will take longer than 10 months. I’ve always told my friends no president can transform Nigeria in four years or even eight years. The most important thing, I keep emphasising, is to have patriotic and competent leadership taking us in the right direction. That way, we would know that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory ahead.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having said that, however, I am really getting worried about Buhari’s second coming. Yes, he has confronted Boko Haram decisively. Although the jury is still out, at least the soldiers are no longer running away to Cameroon on “tactical manoeuvre” or complaining about embezzled allowances. For once, there is sustained seriousness in the war on terror. Yes, Buhari has laid down the marker in his anti-graft war, even if it is not all-encompassing. At least, there is some activity on that front. We could use a more comprehensive strategy that includes moral suasion as well as institutional and administrative reforms, in addition to enforcement. Something is happening all the same.</p> <p dir="ltr">But I worry about Buhari’s speed and economic philosophy. I admit that he met enormous challenges on ground. Only a magician would have killed all the cockroaches, mosquitoes and rats within 10 months. The PDP brigade, still hurting from their humiliation in the general election, are trying to force the issue, trying to brand Buhari as a failure already — yet their party had 16 whole years to address power shortage, dependence on fuel imports, infrastructural decay, comatose healthcare and stunted education. They wasted a golden opportunity. They are certainly not in a good position to describe Buhari as a failure before his first anniversary in office.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nevertheless, I am very disturbed that Buhari does not yet have an economic direction. Neither is there an anchor. There is no clarity. What we are getting are mixed messages, bits and pieces here and there. I am hearing sweet statements and poetic promises, a lot of rhymes and alliterations, from APC leaders and ministers. There is no proper articulation so that we can have an idea of where we are headed. There are so many dots that are not connecting. I have this impression everybody is just doing their own thing without any overarching strategy to connect these dots. I can’t see coherence. I can’t see a roadmap. I can’t see what to hold on to.</p> <p dir="ltr">Agreed, Buhari is not an economist. But you don’t have to be an economist to lead a nation to prosperity. All you need is a damn good economic team worth its onions. The team must have an anchor. We are neck-deep in an economic crisis and this requires emergency reaction. Even though Buhari is a strong character who stands by what he believes in, there must also be some flexibility. Economic crises are better tackled with a combination of antidotes. It is good that Buhari is a patriot and an honest man. It is good that Buhari means well. But meaning well does not solve these problems. He must also do well. The economy is in limbo, let’s be honest about it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr. President, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. We need to see your development blueprint. We want to understand your policies, programmes and strategies. We want to see the goals and the goalposts. Your party says one thing today, you say another tomorrow. That you met a mess on ground is the same reason the majority of voters chose you. If they wanted the mess to continue, they would have maintained the status quo. And while we cannot expect you to clear the mess in 10 months, we need a mental picture of where you are taking us. I have no doubt that you can turn out to be the best Nigerian president ever, but where is the beef?</p> <p dir="ltr">AND FOUR OTHER THINGS…</p> <p dir="ltr">BUHARI AND MTN</p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday, when President Muhammadu Buhari accused MTN of “aiding” the killing of 10,000 Nigerians by Boko Haram, I shuddered a bit. The president shouldn’t be making such public statements, I told myself. MTN clearly erred by failing to register 5.1 million subscribers and many of us have condemned the telecoms giant, but such a weighty allegation coming from the president is unnecessary — in my opinion. It is good that there finally seems to be a headway in the resolution of the issue, and I hope a good lesson has been learnt by all concerned, from operators to regulators. Valuable.</p> <p dir="ltr">NNPC CONFUSION</p> <p dir="ltr">Kindly give me a call if you understand what Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum resources, is up to. When he became NNPC GMD last year, he reduced the directorates to four, saying we needed a “trim” organisation. Now that he is minister, he has increased them to seven “fat” units. He calls them “independent” units, meaning they are… erm… independent. Yet he says this is not “unbundling”. Independent but not unbundled? Independent? And I understand NNPC is fast becoming family business. At this rate, Diezani Alison-Madueke, former petroleum minister, may end up as a saint in record time. Nigeria!</p> <p dir="ltr">SEAT BELTS</p> <p dir="ltr">One lesson to be learnt from Sunday’s tragic accident that claimed the lives of James Ocholi, minister of state for labour, his wife and son, is that using seat belts is advisable no matter where you sit. Generally, only those on the front seats use belts. There is also the issue of overspeeding. Without excessive speeding, many accidents would not be fatal. Vehicles are easier to control within reasonable speeding, although our lawmakers are fighting to prevent the introduction of speed limiters by FRSC. Ocholi was such a lovely and lively man. My heartfelt condolences to his young family. Heart-rending.</p> <p dir="ltr">MILES APART</p> <p dir="ltr">Nigeria’s fault lines are easily magnified, as we saw yet again in the Mile 12 market crisis in Lagos. We were told a pregnant Yoruba woman was knocked down by a “Hausa” (probably not Hausa but a northerner or even Chadian) motorcyclist. In a normal society, the first thing is to get emergency treatment for the victim, not to ask of the culprit’s ethnicity. (It could well have been a Yoruba or Ibibio motorcyclist!) You then take the offender to the police for the law to take its course. But it ended up as Hausa vs Yoruba. Such a primitive pattern. Senseless</p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidezvdn8vjejHoAHXy9bhy1nQm1FEVVRxBI617RMreP6YX6KEOq5Q3xNLsPMDMXXXfJ0wFwjh3133hSDuU0Od03SLqwYc_alV_zXF8vYP9jcA-zyN-oKyb8QYrfe3z8BSw7zdfBspxPhAe/s1600/simon-kolawole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidezvdn8vjejHoAHXy9bhy1nQm1FEVVRxBI617RMreP6YX6KEOq5Q3xNLsPMDMXXXfJ0wFwjh3133hSDuU0Od03SLqwYc_alV_zXF8vYP9jcA-zyN-oKyb8QYrfe3z8BSw7zdfBspxPhAe/s640/simon-kolawole.jpg"> </a> </div>

Simon Kolawole: After wasting Nigeria for 16 years, the PDP is in no position to brand Buhari a failure

If I may quickly say this, I was not really a fan of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari until I read his interview in TheNEWS magazine some time in 1994 ...

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President Buhari: Don’t Offend Those Kids, by @DeleMomodu

<p dir="ltr">"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them,<br> For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven…”</p> <p dir="ltr">-Matthew 19:14</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your wealth and your children are only a trial,<br> whereas God, with Him is a great reward (Paradise).”</p> <p dir="ltr">-Quran 64: 15</p> <p dir="ltr">Fellow Nigerians, the holy books are replete with anecdotes of the importance of little ones. The Prophets actually frown at anyone trampling on the rights of children. They are considered innocent as they did not come to the world of their free volition. This is why children are treated as delicately as eggs. They can do no wrong and cannot be punished like we do to adults. Even in war situations, everything is usually done to protect them. Every May 27 is dedicated by nations the world over as a public holiday to celebrate children.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nigerian children are exceptionally brilliant and gifted. They are also very ambitious and adventurous. They excel in every field of human endeavour. Anywhere you go, you must find one or more Nigerians at the top. The secret is simple and straightforward. Our craving for knowledge is unassailable. Education is thus the master-key that unlocks the door of prosperity. That is why our parents say the best inheritance that a child can be given is education. I certainly grew up with that aphorism and I also saw the practical side with my mother sacrificing all pleasures to pay for my education at one of the best secondary and tertiary institutions of the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nigerians have been travelling abroad for studies as far back as the 19th century. An Egba man from Abeokuta was recorded to have travelled to England where he graduated and qualified as a Medical Doctor in London. On November 17, 1879, Christopher Alexander Sapara Williams was called to the English Bar. Same with Herbert Macaulay. They both returned home to become influential in Nigerian politics. Since then too many Nigerians have travelled by sea and air in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece. Even long after the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier institution of higher learning, was established in 1948, it was still the dream of many young Nigerians to travel abroad. And the various Governments of the day supported their ambitions by granting many scholarships to allow them to fulfil their dreams and return to contribute their quota to national development.</p> <p dir="ltr">The reason and purpose of my sermon today is predicated on one major controversy, the debate over whether to cancel the concessionary allocation of foreign exchange at official rates to Nigerian students abroad. As a matter of fact the speech and body language of President Muhammadu Buhari has shown unequivocally that he does not consider those schooling outside Nigeria the priority of his government. I beg to disagree Sir. We should stretch the argument and logic by all means. When asked why he sent his own kids abroad, our people’s General retorted that he could afford it. But I wish to say categorically that education should never be the exclusive preserve of those who can afford it. Poor people have sacrificed to send their children to the best schools and being assisted by Government to do so is not a bad idea. Why does this administration not want to be different by demonstrating its vision of transforming Nigeria through quality education? Indeed, the debate negates President Buhari’s much-appreciated and advertised credentials as a friend of the poor.</p> <p dir="ltr">Education is the ultimate leveller. The best schools in the world are not likely to admit anyone based on your bank statement. The students still have to undergo very intensive and rigorous examination, interview and general screening exercise. I cannot over-emphasise that it is the dream of every reasonable and loving parent to send their children to the best schools all over the world whether they can afford it or not. It ought to be the dream of every responsible government to help its youths attend Ivy League schools and donate them to the academic world. Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Buchi Emecheta, Ben Okri, Chimamanda Adichie and others would probably have remained local champions if their talents had been limited and restricted to Nigeria. I’m not sure they were all born with silver-spoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is wrong to say those who cannot afford school fees should return home. What it means is that the children of the rich and those of privileged government operatives would be the only ones remaining to attend great institutions. No government should encourage such disparity. I quite understand the frustrations of this government and sincerely sympathise with our President but no investment is bigger and better than encouraging our children to rule their world by exposing them to global experience. Those encouraging the President to take anti-people decisions are doing him no good. This government can step on powerful toes but it should not invite the wrath of the younger generation who are not the cause of our backwardness.</p> <p dir="ltr">Are we saying students who are already in schools all over the world should return home because they campaigned and supported APC in their collective wisdom or stupidity? When some of them went out of their ways to vote for change I’m sure it was not to make their situation worse but they would have expected some marked improvements in their lives. It is not their fault that our economy has taken a cataclysmic fall. We should not punish them for the recklessness and rascality of the elders. No matter how bad the condition of our nation is today, the kids should remain under our firm protection. They should not be made to regret their support for the change movement.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some may argue that Nigeria cannot afford this and that harsh decisions have to be taken in the face of our really despondent situation. However, education should not be on the blacklist of banned items because brains are not commensurate to goods. Nigeria alone has not been able to provide jobs for our army of unemployed. Most of them are naturally unemployable within and outside for various reasons. Nigerian universities are not highly rated and the certificates are not well regarded. The few jobs available at home are thus reserved for those who have been to good schools while many of those who studied abroad often get employed in a jiffy by blue chip companies. Why do we want to deprive our kids such opportunities when we have nothing good to offer them right away?</p> <p dir="ltr">Our foreign exchange basket is leaking not because of school fees but largely because of the profligacy of various governments of the past, including the present, and the terrible lack of fiscal discipline. For many decades, a country that is supposed to be secular has spent its resources on sending pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem. There is no doubt that religious obligations are important but education cannot be treated less so. Indeed, if there is a choice between government support of religious pilgrimages and education, I am sure even the sensible pilgrims will choose education.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is important to guide our kids and encourage them to work and study hard if they wish to enjoy government loans, subventions and scholarships. This can be activated simultaneously with the rehabilitation of our campus infrastructure and the reactivation of our school curricula to meet international standards. We cannot cancel something for nothing but should replace nothing with something. That should be our goal. Nigeria desperately needs its best brains to germinate and blossom all over the world. Nothing should be done to discourage and frustrate them. We should make the necessary sacrifices for them and not the other way round. Nigeria would be greater and thankful for it sooner rather than later.</p> <p dir="ltr">Even when we have something in the form of good educational institutions, we must not be parochial, insular or myopic especially when the world has become a global village. It will take a long time before we can come anywhere near our desired destination of good schools for our children. If we eventually breed a decent crop of teachers, where are the physical and material resources that will complement them and provide sound thorough education the kind of which we received many years ago? In those halcyon times, no Government ever toyed with the idea of effectively outlawing foreign education for the middle and lower class or even the wealthy upper class! Every Nigerian, rich or poor, has a right to education wherever they choose, based on the suffering they are prepared to endure and Government must assist and not scupper this choice.</p> <p dir="ltr">As if to buttress my views, I met a young Nigerian two days ago who rekindled my hope in the unlimited possibilities available to some of our youths. The story of Ayodele Daniel Dada of the University of Lagos has been a celebrated one in the media both traditional and social. We were requested and challenged by many youths to find and promote the academic exploits of this prodigiously gifted genius who had a 5.0 grade point average in Psychology. The Ovation Media Group took up the challenge and we assigned The Boss newspaper, our online publication, to locate and invite Ayodele over. It was a most difficult task which yielded fruits after a few days of camping around University of Lagos, Akoka.</p> <p dir="ltr">I was surprised when Ayodele walked into our offices. The first thing that struck us was his mild manner. He was simple, modest and humble. We asked him a couple of questions and he came across as someone who truly knows his onions. We asked about his future plans and he revealed his dream of travelling out to the United States of America to study at Yale and hopefully meet his academic idol, Professor Robert Sternberg. I asked if he has any scholarship yet and he said No.</p> <p dir="ltr">Life is indeed very strange just as God is very merciful. Ayodele arrived at a time a good friend of ours, who wishes to remain anonymous, was also visiting. Our friend listened to Ayodele’s trajectory with rapt attention and immediately got hooked. The good news is that our wonderful friend has offered to help Ayodele realise his dream of attending Yale. The offer came when I asked how he would feel if the foreign exchange debacle renders his plans useless and he said he would be totally disappointed and heartbroken. I’m sure there are many Ayodeles carrying their dreams around the way Jesus carried His cross in Calvary. No one should be subjected to such pain and anguish at this time and age for God’s sake.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to a Yoruba adage: “if the Gods cannot make our lives better, then they should please leave us the way they met us.“</p> <p dir="ltr">True, President Buhari should do nothing to aggravate the agony of his core supporters, the Nigerian youths. They are already suffering enough under the weight of the economic crunch. This is my kobo advice Sir.<br>   #pendulum </p>

President Buhari: Don’t Offend Those Kids, by @DeleMomodu

"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven…” -Matthew 19:14 “Your wealth ...

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