The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday

Developmental democracy and its malcontents

Does an inexorable and inevitable relationship exist between democracy and development? Most contemporary democratic theorists and pro-democracy activists will unhesitatingly answer this question in the affirmative. Learning from the glaring failure of various forms of ‘developmental dictatorship’ such as one-party, one-man, military or defunct communist dictatorships to impact positively on the well-being of their societies, advocates of liberal democracy proclaim the virtues of this form of government from the hill tops.

Drawing from Professor Richard Sklar’s notion of ‘developmental democracy’, they posit that democracy is the best form of government with the highest capacity to guarantee progress and development. But in what circumstances and within which context can democracy be a handmaiden of development? The answers, of course are obvious: a strong, competent, visionary leadership with character and integrity; a free, independent and objective press; respect for the rule of law; a vibrant and vigilant civil society and periodic elections that are free, fair and reflective of the popular will. But the ultimate acid test for democracy is whether or not, it is helping to promote the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number of the people’ through good and transparent governance.

There is the school of thought, which posits that the greatest impediment to the actualization of Nigeria’s trapped potentials is fundamentally structural. They thus argue that the country cannot make progress unless she is radically re-structured with devolution of greater powers, responsibilities and resources from the centre to the federating units. Of course, this column has consistently supported the advocacy of re-structuring. Nigeria needs it badly. But the present structure of the country is no excuse for the abysmal governance she has experienced over the last 15 years particularly at the federal level. What is going on in many states especially infrastructural renewal, even with dwindling revenue from the Federation Account is simply amazing.

I have had cause to write in this place on the phenomenal work that Governor Ibikunle Amosun is carrying out in Ogun State. Of course, this is part of the dramatic wind of change blowing across the South-West, including Edo State. Even though less ideologically driven than a Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi or Adams Oshiomhole, Amosun, like Abiola Ajimobi or Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) operates essentially as a technocrat and pragmatist. The tremendous physical transformation all over Ogun State today is a function of visionary leadership, determination, focus and incredible financial ingenuity. This column has no regrets for recognising Amosun as Grand Commander of Infrastructure Renewal (GCIR) earlier in the year. That recognition is even more pertinent and justifiable today. Rather than resting on his oars and lapsing into complacency, Amosun has girdled his loins for even loftier performance with clearly discernible evidence throughout the state.

A few months ago, yours truly had the opportunity along with other senior journalists to accompany Senator Ibikunle Amosun on an inspection tour of projects in the state. We commenced our tour at about 9am taking off from the Government House, Abeokuta,in the same Coaster bus with the governor. Even though we were able to cover only three local governments, our tour did not end till well past 7pm! One thing that struck me was the quality of the roads constructed by Amosun throughout the state. Every road constructed, the Amosun government insists, must meet the Ogun standard in terms of depth and width as well as the provision of such road infrastructure as street lights, drainage channels, pipe ducts and pedestrian walkways. Thus the roads in the serene, idyllic rural town of Aiyetoro are of the same quality as those constructed in Abeokuta.

When our team got to Ota, I was completely amazed at the transformation the town has undergone under Amosun. Virtually all the previously deteriorated roads of the town have been re-constructed, expanded and modernised. Those who used to go through hell to attend a popular Pentecostal church in the town can now move more easily and comfortably. Between Agbado and Akute, the Amosun government is building five new bridges at different levels of completion in addition to the on-going massive road construction along that stretch. The quality of life in Akute and adjoining communities is truly horrifying. It is amazing that successive governments had simply abandoned the people to their fate over the years. What is astonishing is that the infrastructure revolution being undertaken by Amosun is felt throughout the state simultaneously.

Everywhere we went, the crowds thronged our bus when they realized it was the governor inside. In Akute, an old woman prayed fervently for Amosun raising her hands up to her neck to demonstrate the difficulty residents of the community had crossing the stream before Amosun’s intervention through the bridge construction.I strongly believe that many of those who denigrate the governor on the pages of newspapers or on television dare not go to many of the communities Amosun is transforming to campaign against him. Some would say that, after all Amosun is doing nobody a favour and the money he is using to provide qualitative infrastructure and services does not belong to him. Yes, but others passed the same way before as governors, had access to the same funds but squandered the opportunity to leave enduring legacies.

Ordinarily, a governor who has posted such a commanding performance like Amosun should be the pride and toast of his party. He is a great electoral asset. But what do we have here? Some of the bitterest opponents of Amosun are right within his own party. This is quite understandable. To embark on the unprecedented infrastructural modernisation of Ogun, the way Amosun has done means that political entrepreneurs who live on politics, will be starved of the largesse they have been used to. They will not go down quietly. But the self-styled godfathers and ‘oracles’ of Ogun politics must beware of standing in the way of the developmental democracy through which Amosun is elevating the ‘Gateway State’ to new heights of socio-economic progress. They should be told in no uncertain terms to stop distracting Amosun.

One of the vicious misinformation campaigns waged against Amosun is the allegedly astronomical cost of roads constructed by his administration. This is plain mischief. As the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite, has explained, the state has expended N166.7 billion so far on the construction of 306.55km of roads that cut across the three Senatorial Districts. Noting that many of these roads have a bridge component, the commissioner notes that the cost of constructing a bridge is different from that of a road. He urged people to “please go round and see what we are doing. They are standard roads that will stand the test of time, not shoddy projects”.

Many of those who are trying so hard to distract Amosun today, and bounce back into political relevance, were responsible for the victory of the PDP in the state in 2003. The progressives lost control of Ogun in 2003 because of the sheer arrogance, ineptness and complacency of the incumbent government. Many of my friends in Ogun State told me excitedly about how they had voted for PDP then because they were tired of gubernatorial tyranny and insensitivity of those now proclaiming that they dined and wined with Awo as if that is a criterion for leadership. Yes, the PDP engaged in massive rigging of the 2003 governorship election in the South West. But the complacency of the party structure and leadership made the rigging that helped rout the progressives possible.

To worsen matters, once the progressives lost control of Ogun in 2003, those self-proclaimed political ‘oracles’ and ‘war generals’ promptly fled the state and took refuge in Lagos in a most cowardly manner. They failed to offer leadership when it mattered most. It was the moral, logistical and intellectual support from outside Ogun that enabled the progressives to re-organize and gradually but steadily fight their way back to victory in the state in 2007. If everybody had abandoned ship like those who now parade themselves as the ‘oracles’ of Ogun politics, would the progressive resurgence of 2007 have taken place?

I call on Governor Amosun not to compromise on his commitment to developmental democracy. However, he should be gentle as a dove but wise as a serpent in dealing with those malcontents who crave the resurrection of a discredited and better forgotten era.

May 31, 2014
Talk is cheap

Talk is cheap. Super Eagles have mouthed how they hope to lift the 2014 World Cup diadem. And the chorus from Nigerians, including those in government, is rapturous. Add this to the clarion call for prayers; then you are in the mood for the biggest football fiesta in the world- 2014 FIFA World Cup slated to begin in Brazil on June 12, – a watershed in Nigeria’s political history.

No surprises for predicting that Nigeria can lift the trophy on July 13. What will surprise everyone will be a repeat of the South Africa 2013 Cup of Nations, where the coach resigned his appointment.

Surprised? Don’t be because the media is awash with the story that the coach is being chased by six countries, 13 days before Nigeria’s opening game against Iran. I won’t be surprised if nothing happens from his employers or the government. We begged him not to resign last year. It is appropriate he tells us that we should join the queue for his services. We better react. But the coach knows that nothing shocks us here until a calamity happens. We react after the disaster. It is in our character.

No surprises if our players hold their thighs or hips, complaining about cramps. No surprises if we get to Brazil to find out that many of our players hid injuries like they did at the 1998 World Cup in France. In Nigeria everything is possible. All we need to lift the World Cup diadem, for many, is to appear on the pitch. Others will chicken out. Our national anthem will be sung and our players will take a bow. The fans will celebrate the fact that they saw our boys. It doesn’t matter if they paid gate fees.

Nigeria’s quest to lift the World Cup is hinged on fans’ support and prayers, not entirely on the skills of our players, most of who were not tested for more than three-quarters of the last season. We are banking heavily on luck. Yet we forget that what we call luck in any adventure comes from concerted efforts. Prayer, support and luck cannot get any team the World Cup; the players must be skillful enough to compete at the highest level.

Wednesday’s game against Scotland was meant to test the players’ fitness levels. The game was another opportunity for us to improve on our FIFA rankings on a match-free day. One hopes that we don’t find ourselves in the setting before the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan, where the Eagles did well in all their warm-up games, only to play so woefully at the Mundial, drawing one game, losing two and scoring only one goal through Julius Aghahowa against Sweden.

Eagles have been slow out of the starter’s bloc at big tournaments under this technical crew. They have been wasteful in front of goalposts, largely because of our strikers’ inefficiency. Our strikers aren’t match fit; nor have they been lethal in front of the goalposts for their clubs before big games like the World Cup. This flaw has put pressure on the team, with the Eagles’ defence standing out.

Sadly, most of our defenders have warmed the bench like the strikers. Only Efe Ambrose played regularly for Celtic this season. Elderson Echiejile didn’t get enough matches for his French side. Injury kept Joseph Yobo on the sidelines. Godfrey Omeruo played sparingly for Middleborough in the lower league in England. Will the three friendly games be enough to raise the defenders’ fitness? Godfrey Oboabona also didn’t feature regularly for his Turkish side. Reports of Oboabona’s form have been laced with scoring own goals, he also scored match-winning goals for his team and injuries – if we must believe what was reported. Will the coaches stick to the defensive pair of Oboabona and Omeruo? Will Yobo feel happy sitting on the bench in Brazil? Are we not back to the rancorous past with this arrangement? Or will Warri Wolves defender Egwekwue springs surprises and break into the team’s central defensive position? Egwekwue has good height but his movement of the ball among his mates doesn’t suggest that he could upset the team’s defensive applecart.

The story of our midfielders gives hope when you consider the fact that John Mikel Obi and Oguenyi Onazi have played well for their clubs anytime they are fielded. But my problem with these two players is that they play in the same defensive positions. Our coaches have kept faith in Onazi manning the central defensive position. This setting frees Mikel to play in the attacking midfield position and he hasn’t been at his best during our matches. But this is not surprising because he plays defensively for Chelsea, whenever he is fielded by Jose Mourinho.

The big poser will be if our coaches will play Mikel as our defensive midfielder. If it happens, then Onazi would be benched. Did I hear you say it is forbidden? I agree because he has been the fittest in most of our matches. Do the coaches now play two defensive midfielders in Mikel and Onazi? Who will then play the offensive role in a squad where the coaches still rely on the 4-2-4 formation? Would the ploy of deploying the wingers to drop into the midfield when we lose possession of the ball help the team? Indeed, Joel Obi is another fantastic defensive midfielder – if fit. He could also function in the offensive position. I hope the coaches get the midfield arrangement right because that is where the game would be won, drawn or lost. The supply of passes to the attackers must be seamless if we hope to win matches with aplomb.

What we have in the midfield on the bench is also defensive, if we consider Nosa Igiebor. I hope Nnamdi Oduamadi and France-based star Sunday Mba recreate the form that earned them the shirt in previous matches. One only hopes that Oduamadi, who hasn’t been regular for his Italia Serie B side is fit. Mba is a good player. The issue is if playing for Bastia in the second division has improved his game.

Upfront leaves the coaches with Emmanuel Emenike as our undisputed best. But that is where the problems will begin in Brazil because he would be a marked man. He would be bullied out. He would be tackled viciously. Attempts would be made to test his temperament, knowing that if Emenike isn’t playing well, Eagles totter. So, who will deliver the goals when Emenike is ‘arrested’ by our opponents? Ahmed Musa? Shola Ameobi? Or are we banking on the sublime skills of Victor Moses like we did in the group stages of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa? Or will Babatunde Michael live up to his boast of being Nigeria’s version of Lionel Messi at the Mundial? Far-fetched, if you ask me, but we have been told to believe in this squad.

Tactics play a critical role in determining the outcome of matches. On Saturday night, the soccer world watched how Real Madrid recovered from the ‘dead’ to beat Atletico Madrid, courtesy of a 93rd minute header from a defender, Segio Ramos. Real Madrid’s goal didn’t come from prayer, crowd support or luck. It came from the perfect reading of the match trends by Real’s coach Carlos Ancelotti. As the game moved towards its closing stages, Ancelotti introduced three players who changed the tempo and direction of the tie – to the consternation of Atletico’s players and technical crew.

Indeed, the last ten minutes saw Real Madrid leave its 4-4-2 formation for the 3-5-2, largely because they had to score the equaliser to be in the match. Even with this arrangement, Ramos, part of a three-man defence surged forward for that precise header, having seen that Atletico had marked everyone upfront from the resultant corner kick. That initiative caught the opponents unawares. It was the moment that gave Real its tenth title.

Matches are won from the bench. Only teams with quality players can win titles because the effect of the changes will manifest in how the team plays subsequently.

Scotland’s game in London on Wednesday exposed some of the flaws in the Super Eagles. No surprises that goalkeeper Austin Ejide fumbled. No surprises that the Eagles’ defence couldn’t curtail the Scots especially from the flanks. Those fielded in the first half were recuperating players and bench warmers. No surprises that the coaches made changes in the team’s attack. Those replaced were not better than Ikechukwu Uche and Chinedu Obasi. Now we know that the Eagles’ bench cannot change the trend of the matches, except something drastic happens before June 16. I’m not surprised because we cautioned about taking our best to the World Cup. The World Cup will be tougher; so our coaches must pick our best. Good luck Nigeria. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise.

May 31, 2014
Okorocha inspires peace in Imo communities

The dark cloud of strife has blown over in Imo State communities, thanks to the efforts of Governor Rochas Okorocha. No fewer than 632 communities are relishing a new era of harmony, many residents happy to have a king reign over them.

Before the governor’s intervention, such a peaceful atmosphere was unheard-of for decades. Several communities were locked in endless rancour and even outright hostilities, monarchs against claimants or subjects against their kings. In some cases, lives and properties were lost when feuding factions took up arms against one another.

Such tussles and communal crises have now been resolved by the state government through the alternative crisis resolution mechanism initiated by Governor Okorocha. New kings have been crowned; pending court cases have been settled at no cost to the litigants and once again communal peace and genuine kinship have returned.

One of the communities now enjoying its reprieve, after 28 years of a kingship tussle which polarised the community and stagnated its development, is the Amaimo Ancient Kingdom in Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state.

Tracing the history of the communiy’s crisis, Chief Japheth Duru said the last traditional ruler of Amaimo Ancient Kingdom, Eze Jude Ohiri Alaribe, died in 1986, adding that since then the community had not known peace as the battle of succession tore the people apart.

He said that immediately after the death of the monarch, his eldest son, Prince Macilinus Obinna Alaribe, hijacked the throne, even though it was not hereditary. Duru said the younger Alaribe was crowned by ‘foreigners’ as the traditional ruler of Amaimo Kingdom.

According to him, “after the mourning of the king, Eze Godwin Ehirim was selected in line with the customs and traditions of Amaimo and subsequently presented as the traditional ruler to the local government authorities for onward presentation to the state government but the son to the late king who had already usurped the throne went to court and that was how the legal battle started.

“The matter lingered until Governor Okorocha set up a committee to reconcile all kingship tussles in the communities that the will of the people prevailed and Eze Ehirim was recognised and presented with a Staff of Office, which no doubt has put to an end all litigations and crisis that had stagnated Amaimo for close to three decades”.

Other communities also began to experience peace; in many of them, new kings were installed.

Presenting the Staff of Office to over 103 traditional rulers in the first phase, the governor commended the leaders of the various communities for supporting the initiative of the government to restore peace and order which had eluded them for long.

Okorocha stated that the crisis which had bedeviled the communities, which he said made most of the communities ungovernable, had impeded development and prosperity and hindered government’s plan of massive rural development.

He added further that, “when we came into power, most of the communities were eaten up by crisis and hatred, some have been in Court for over 30 years over kingship tussle and such situation impedes development because nothing good can thrive under the atmosphere of rancor and acrimony.

“So the first thing we did was to move in and summon the whole communities and enlighten them on the need for peaceful coexistence. And we adopted alternative crisis resolution and resolved the entire kingship crisis. At first the people were skeptic but we were confident that it will be possible and today peace has returned.

“Now government is working with the new monarchs to fast-track development in the rural areas. Most of what we achieved in the rural communities would not have been possible without the cooperation of the people”.

The Imo governor however urged the new monarchs to see their power as a trust that can only be justified when used for the good of the people and improvement on their wellbeing by attracting developmental projects and improved agriculture in the localities.

He regretted that most communities in the state depend on farm produce cultivated in northern states, adding that with the return of peace and unity to the communities, every household should cue into the palm to palm programme of the government by investing the N300,000 given to each community to plant at least one hectare of palm seedling and other crops for their sustenance.

The governor insisted that, “any society that cannot feed itself is a faulty society”.

Okorocha expressed his happiness that most communities which were ungovernable due to kingship tussles will now experience peace, calling on the new traditional rulers to be honest, hard-working and treat their subjects with fairness and equity irrespective of past misunderstandings.

He prayed thus; ”may the name of the Lord be glorified and may your ruler-ship bring peace, may you live long”.

The governor informed royal fathers who still have disputes in their communities to resolve their differences before they will be recognised by government pointing out that “no Eze should be imposed on anyone.”

The Commissioner for Community Government Council, Chief Val Mbamara said the presentation of the staff of office registers the prestige of Ezeship stool in the State and charged the new traditional rulers to live above reproach.

Mbamara urged the monarchs to work without bias against any person or group of persons, stressing that government is for everybody; “handle your job with care so that the stable of justice will not collapse.”

The Commissioner also charged the royal fathers to work in synergy with his Ministry and the CGC Officials to propagate the message of the Community Government Council (CGC) to the people at the grassroots.

May 29, 2014
Gej: Poverty of conspiracy theories

No serious and objective analyst can rationally blame President Goddluck Jonathan for being responsible for the multifarious challenges that have left Nigeria at the brink of state collapse. The seeds of the appalling poverty, misery, ignorance, physical and moral decay as well as descent to sheer anarchy were sown during decades of gross misrule by a succession of visionless and corrupt leaders.

There are two contending schools of thought as regards how President Jonathan has risen to the challenges of his office. There are those who accuse Jonathan of inept, effete, spineless and pedestrian leadership. Consequently, they contend that the problems of the country, which predates his tenure have worsened under his watch.

The other school of thought has a more sympathetic and favorable view of Jonathan’s leadership of Nigeria. As far as they are concerned, the country’s present travails – Boko Haram insurgency and other assorted forms of violence including pipeline vandalisation and massive oil thefts- are all part of a grand conspiracy to undermine Jonathan and make the country ungovernable for him. This position was strongly and passionately argued by Professor Femi Aribisala in his characteristically provocative column in The Vanguard of Tuesday, May 13, titled “A season of conspiracies against Goodluck Jonathan”.

Where others see stagnation, decline and retrogression in diverse sectors of our national life under Jonathan, Aribisala believes the country is indeed taking ‘giant strides’ with the much trumpeted ‘Transformation Agenda’ being implemented by the Jonathan administration. For him, Jonathan is not the worst President Nigeria has ever seen and even ranks among the ‘better ones’. Among the wonders of the Transformation Agenda, the professor avers, is the revelation that Nigeria’s newly rebased economy is the largest in Africa; President Barak Obama’s recent declaration in 2012 that Nigeria is ‘the world’s next economic giant’, and the country’s hosting of the 24th World Economic Forum (WEF) – an indication of Nigeria’s emergence as a frontier market in the world economy. Aribisala is impressed that Nigeria is reportedly the number one destination for foreign investments in Africa, Aliko Dangote is the 23rd richest man in the world, and that Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina was named Forbes magazine’s African of the Year 2013 – a reflection of the successes of the Transformation Agenda in the agricultural sector. He also attributes the reported seven percent growth in the Nigerian economy over the last few years to the administration’s policies including what he sees as ‘extensive rehabilitation of rail and road networks nationwide’.

Well, in the first place, Dr Jonathan has absolutely no reason to be the worst leader Nigeria has ever had. In fact, he has no excuse not to be the best. No leader before GEJ has had his level of formal education. He is the first doctorate degree holder to preside over Nigeria’s affairs. Again, as the current President, Jonathan has the opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of his predecessors. He should naturally post a more stellar performance. Beyond this, Jonathan knew the enormity of the challenges confronting the country when he campaigned vigorously for re-election in 2011 and made rosy promises to transform the country if given the mandate. Measured against his documented promises in every state of the country during the 2011 electioneering campaign, Jonathan’s performance has been dismal.

Of course, Professor Aribisala knows only too well that statistical growth does not necessarily translate into concrete development. The same international organizations that have hailed the statistical gimmickry of Nigeria’s rebadged economy, also rank Nigeria as hosting a huge chunk of the country’s poorest people.

Agriculture Minister, Akinwunmi Adesina, may well bask in the glory of his Forbes award. That does not detract from Nigeria’s continued food dependency or the grim reality of the over 70 percent of our population who live on less than one dollar a day. Yes, Aliko Dangote may be a symbol of our entrepreneurial ingenuity but his example also vividly helps illustrate the gross inequality that characterizes our malformed economy – a gulf between the haves and the have-nots that has widened under Dr. Jonathan’s watch.

Contrary to the view from Professor Aribisala’s observatory, federal highways across the country remain dilapidated compared to the vigorous and impressive road construction efforts in many states of the federation. What is being celebrated as the transformation of our railways or airports is a sick joke.

According to Aribisala, “Jonathan is not the object of so much attack because he is incompetent, but because he comes from the minority South-south. Moreover, a Northern cabal that has been out of power for 15 years is desperate to return”. He thus reasons that the entire Boko Haram insurgency including the abduction of the Chibok school girls are carefully calculated and orchestrated to make the country ungovernable for Jonathan and abort the possibility of his re-election. Now, this argument ignores the fact that the Boko Haram extremism predates Jonathan’s election and actually flared out of control under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Again, even if it is true that terrorism is being utilized as a weapon to make the country ungovernable for Jonathan, does he not as Commander-in-Chief possess sufficient powers not just to find and bring such sponsors to book but to also more effectively contain the insurgency? Are those allegedly undermining Jonathan also responsible for the massive corruption under his watch that is giving the rag tag Boko Haram insurgents an edge over Nigeria’s military? As the US has pointedly noted, “Corruption prevents supplies as basic as bullets and transport vehicles from reaching the frontIines of the struggle against Boko Haram”.

Professor Aribisala joins the Jonathan administration in laying the blame for the Chibok tragedy on the Borno State government. But he does not address the fact that Borno is under a state of emergency and the President is directly in charge of the territory through his military commanders. The massive corruption that has hobbled the efficiency of an otherwise competent and professional Nigerian military is certainly not a function of any anti-Jonathan conspiracy.

I do not deny that such a conspiracy may exist. If it does, Jonathan can effectively neutralize it through competent, visionary, elevated and responsible governance. The mediocrity, ineptness and flagrant corruption that have flourished during GEJ’s tenure, cannot be excused by any resort to dubious conspiracy theories.

As a result of what he sees as the northern conspiracy against Jonathan, Professor Aribisala contends that Jonathan must be voted back into office by all means in 2015. Interestingly, he does not deny that corruption thrives under Jonathan.

But according to Aribisala, once GEJ is re-elected “we will insist that the corruption that has gone through the roof under his administration must finally come to an end. The time is long overdue. Some malefactors must be arrested, prosecuted and jailed. No more pussy-footing; Nigerians require a transparent government and we require this “yesterday”. Thus, we will first reward a corrupt administration with re-election and then expect the same government to miraculously undergo a born again experience and launch a fierce onslaught against the corruption that guaranteed it electoral success in the first place. It cannot get more weird than that. So much for the poverty of these conspiracy theories.

On Brf’s successor (2)

The battle to succeed the iconic governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji FAshola (SAN) is gathering momentum and getting more interesting. The APC is inevitably bearing the burden of its exemplary record of governance in the state. Its highly prized ticket will be fiercely contested. Oba Rilwan Akiolu caused a stir when he threw the weight of his office behind Mr Akin Ambode’s aspiration. Supporters of some of the other aspirants have been throwing mud. But they would have grabbed the opportunity with both hands if the respected Oba had thrown a supportive nod in their direction. After all, he equally was unflinching in his support for a then little known BRF in 2007. And governor Fashola has also wisely admonished against unduly allowing religion to influence electoral choices in the state in the next election. Luckily religion has never been an issue in Lagos elections. In 1999 and 2003, Tinubu a Muslim defeated Funsho Williams, a Christian in the governorship elections. And in 2007, BRF, a Muslim won against accomplished Christian opponents like Jimi Agabaje and Femi Pedro. I am unaware that any aspirant in the 2015 race is flaunting religious credentials. But the governor’s words of wisdom should definitely be useful to those with a Boko Haram extremist mindset who, luckily, are far away from Lagos.

May 24, 2014
Silence please, Siasia

Our players have started again. They are boasting about their potentials to play in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. They reckon that only Argentina stands on their way to qualify atop the group. There is nothing wrong with these players expressing their wishes. My worry is that they are raising the hopes of millions of Nigerians.

I’m not too sure we have the fans who would accept a poor outing. Please, players and coaches, tread with caution. It is better to shock the fans with a superlative outing than to raise their hope, dash it and cause pains. A word is enough for the wise, as they say.

It is true that the Eagles are not the only ones talking about the World Cup fixtures. My fear is that these other countries’ fans seldom take the law into their hands, like ours. Our fans seem to have this mob mentality.

Wonders cannot stop happening here. I read in Monday’s newspapers Samson Siasia’s revealing remarks on some of the bench warmers invited for the Eagles’s World Cup task in Brazil, beginning with the opener against Iran. Siasia’s comments were germane, except that he listened to nobody when he held sway as Super Eagles coach.

Siasia should spare us his analysis, having failed to accept pleas from concerned Nigerians to recall Vincent Enyeama to the Eagles camp. Siasia started the process of shutting out stars, such as Obafemi Martins. Nobody could talk to Siasia when he was coach. If Enyeama had manned the goalpost against Guinea in Abuja, Nigeria would have qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Siasia was the biggest culprit in picking half-fit players to the Eagles. In his Eagles were many clubless players. He had a fixation for his under-aged achievers, even when many of them had lost their form at their clubs in Europe. His camp was more or less a rehabilitation centre.

I hold Siasia responsible for the failure of the youths discovered by the late Yemi Tella to graduate into the Super Eagles. It really hurts that members of the 2007 World Cup winning squad do not form the pivot of the Brazil-bound Super Eagles, despite the impeccable soccer they played in Asia under the late Tella.

I recall my altercation with Siasia in Beijing over his decision to bench Osaze Odewingie and Victor Anichebe. He asked me to face my media job. Thank God, Siasia ate the humble pie when Osaze and Anichebe scored in the next game against Belgium, after his bench warmers flopped in the previous 2008 Beijing Olympic Games tie.

It is clear that nothing would be done to the 30-man list to include Ikechukwu Uche and Chinedu Obasi, not forgetting Brown Ideye. Uche and Ideye scored for their Spanish and Israeli sides last weekend. We are being told to pray and support the squad. Will I join the prayer sessions? God forbid. Football allows upsets, but not when the team is lopsided – as ours.

My worries stem from the fact that our best striker on the list, Emmanuel Emenike, was benched in the Fenerbahce FC of Turkey’s last game, raising the poser about his fitness – less than 20 days to Nigeria’s first game.

How about those players who ignored the coaches’ directive to join the team in London for the May 28 friendly against Scotland from their European clubs, only to call him to announce that they were in the country? The puzzling aspect is that the players expected that their tickets back to London would be paid for by the NFF. What a cheek. Who knows when they sneaked into the country and what they have been doing? Argentina’s gazelle Lionel Messi joined his mates in Argentina’s camp on Tuesday, underscoring the importance he attaches to the Mundial.

Another bone of contention is what our invited players are doing between now and when they converge in England on May 26, ahead of the May 28 international friendly against Scotland. Last Saturday, I watched Ecuador drill Holland in a titanic clash that ended 1-1. Both teams played with contrasting styles, yet it was the Dutch who struggled to cope with the doggedness of the Ecuador lads, who muscled out their hosts. The Dutch were rescued from a home defeat by the sublime skills of Robin Van Persie, who riffled home a belter, having controlled perfectly a long ball from his side’s defence.

What amazed me in this game was the passion exhibited by both teams’ players, in spite of their hectic European season. The speed of the game was frightening. It gave me concern against the backdrop that most our Eagles stars have not seen regular action.

The lame excuse that it could be an advantage to us is spurious because it is little that an unfit player can do. No matter how compact and united a team is, it still needs the brilliance of exceptional players to make the difference during matches, like we saw with Van Persie’s super strike against Ecuador.

Only fit players can strike the ball with such accuracy. Listening to the commentators during Saturday’s game in the Netherlands, one heard how both teams were preparing to storm Brazil. As at Saturday, both coaches knew those to make the final 23-man squad, unlike Nigeria, where those to make the cut would emerge 24 hours to FIFA’s June 2 deadline for lists’ submission. In fact, for Holland and Ecuador, their players will hit Brazil departing from their home countries.

Can we say so for our Super Eagles? If the coaches’ plans are to be taken seriously, the Eagles will fly straight to Brazil from the US. What a pity. We will be subjected to the agony of watching other countries send forth their soccer ambassadors with pomp and ceremony simply because we have an insensitive government that cannot provide its citizenry with a national carrier.

Indeed, in the days ahead, we would see pictures of countries with national carriers emblazoned with such countries’ colours. The chosen aircraft will take their players and officials to Brazil. Can Nigeria assign any aircraft to such designs? Or are we thinking of storming Brazil on commercial flights? The England side was decked out in suits before heading out of London this week. It was colourful. Their suits fitted.

Then, I asked, what will be the Eagles’ national dress? Agbada or Babariga? The conservative England management has begun talks with their manager Roy Hodgson to extend his stay till Russia 2018 World Cup, despite the fact that the Englishman would be 71- years-old at that time.

They have hinged their negotiations on the fact that Hodgson has listed an England side for the future with nine of them being under 21 years. Can we say so of the Eagles? What is the average age of the Super Eagles? Did the coaches consider that before picking Nigeria’s 30-man squad? It simply means that the results of the 2014 World Cup for the England FA chiefs don’t matter.

The FA men are planning for the future, having seen a manager guide England through an unbeaten World Cup qualification series.

Are we thinking along this direction like the English? Have the Nigerian coaches picked players that suggest that they are looking into the future? Do we depart from Brazil in crisis? Do we expect the coaches to give their best when their future isn’t cast in stone? Will we return to the proverbial drawing board? Isn’t it about time we build on the gains of major competitions? Will Brazil be another battle ground to wash our dirty linens in the public? Aminu Maigari and his board have complimented Stephen Keshi thorough the rejuvenation of the Super Eagles. They have crossed swords during the relationship. But it helped the Eagles to achieve the feats that we craved for.

Let us continue with them. They will get better. Let us pray the voice of reason prevails after the Mundial, irrespective of our lot. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

May 24, 2014
Boko Haram, politics and a dishonest world

JUDGING from headline news about daily Boko Haram killings in Nigerian newspapers this week alone, one would wander why foreign nations like the US and Britain have not asked their citizens to flee Nigeria or avoid it like a plague altogether, instead according that dubious honour with alacrity to Thailand where a coup took place during the week. Yet both Nigeria and Thailand are vibrant democracies where elections are the identifying hall marks although the difference as shown this week is that while the Thai army has suspended the constitution, it has not included the part that concerns the key part of Thailand’s stability, which is the Thai monarchy. On the other hand, in Nigeria according to reports, the army chief of finance at a military training course for army accountants lamented that the army cannot defeat Boko Haram because it was underfunded and bureaucracy was hampering the release of even the meagre funds to an embattled army expected to end the Boko Haram horror swiftly, by first finding and bringing home safely our 200 Chibok girls. Obviously the difference is clear in the workings of the democracies of Thailand and Nigeria and that is food for thought today. We will however top the menu to be served with an icing on the cake in terms of the US involvement in Nigeria and its recent criticism that only the US is helping Nigeria on Boko Haram while the globally vocal France and Britain are yet to show up in Nigeria to contain Boko Haram as announced with fanfare since the unfortunate abduction of the Chibok girls last month. In all these situations we are going to show how good faith and honesty were lacking in the governance of the nations mentioned as well as their accomplices, not only in the practice of democracy but also in the conduct of diplomacy. We end up with some comments on Egypt’s presidential elections this week end, where populist democracy is being buried as the army chief returns in a key election, in a new democracy that puts priority on the security and stability of Egypt, rather than the sort that saw out former Egyptian dictator Housni Mubarak in Egypt in 2011. Which also was the kind that the army stamped out so, nastily albeit bloodlessly in Thailand this week. Starting with Nigeria, it must be said that in spite of the Boko Haram horror and the showing of CNN reporters in the hamlets of Chibok patrolling with vigilante groups at night, the president is yet to visit Chibok even though whole world has taken the plight of the Chibok girls to heart. The reason is quite clear. One does not need presidential spokesmen to clarify that this president is seeking re election and even though containing Boko Haram is in focus, it is not in contention with that democratic pursuit .So the politics of re election must go on willy nilly and in spite of Boko Haram and the Chibok girls. This surely explains why the president was reported to have told demonstrators in Abuja that they should direct their protests on the Chibok girls at terrorists and not his government as done in other places experiencing terrorism. In addition the president cannot be expected to lose key states where elections are expected soon to a rampaging opposition that is far ahead and proactive in proffering solutions to Nigeria’s numerous socio economic and political problems while being burdened with the issue of Boko Haram when, anyway, the government has renewed the State of Emergency which the governors of the three states of the North East never wanted. More importantly the Americans have brought in drones and anti terror experts stationed in neighbouring Chad and would soon take care of Boko Haram while the business, or is it politics, of governance and re election go on as usual and undisturbed. Which makes plain common sense although the huge security and stability implications are there for all to see. Thailand’s democracy however was a different kettle of fish before the army intervention this week. Too many demonstrations by pro and anti government forces represented by the red and yellow shirts and election by proxy by the Shinawatra family of the former Prime Minster wanted for corruption in Thailand, paralysed business and the Thai economy such that ordinary Thais are relieved by the intervention of the army. Of course the Thai politicians have themselves to blame, as from Thailand’s political history they knew that the army could always come in. They could even have been invited by the monarchy which like that of Britain is very much revered in Thailand. So, in brief, on Thailand let the politicians rue their excesses in terms uncontrolled, frequent and paralysing demonstrations for now and hope to strike a deal with the military soon, so as not to prolong military rule. As said earlier, it was reported widely this week that US Secretary of State John Kerry took a rare swipe at France and Britain over their promised help to help Nigeria fight Boko Haram and find the abducted Chibok girls. John Kerry spoke at an anniversary dinner in the US and noted that France criticised the US for not attacking Syria over the use chemical weapons by the Bashar Assad regime after Kerry had elaborately shown the civilised world that the American government had ample evidence to punish Assad. Obviously Kerry was trying to tell the French who know more about the Sahel where Boko Haram is operating to be more forthcoming in helping Nigeria to fight Boko Haram as promised instead of developing cold feet at the last minute. At least the US Secretary of State wants France to use the same zeal it used to put pressure on the US to attack Syria on chemical weapons earlier, on its promise to help Nigeria fight Boko Haram in its backyard in Africa . Which really in recent times, given the decisive French military interventions in Mali and Central African Republic, is what ECOWAS sub region or the treacherous Sahel and its creeping desert where Boko Haram and militant Islamists operate with impunity, have become for France in Africa. Definitely as a concerned Nigerian I do not think the US Secretary of State is asking too much of France this time around and would appreciate a quick and positive French rethink on the matter to save Nigeria from terrorism. Lastly the presidential election in Egypt provides another dubious face of democracy very much tied to security and political stability. The presidential elections have two candidates but one of them is there just to make up the numbers. The Egyptian army is mid -wifing the delivery of its erstwhile boss former Field Marshal Fatah El Sisi as the next elected president of Egypt. Not surprisingly, move is viewed with relief and satisfaction by most Egyptians after the tumult and violence of two street revolutions that overthrew former dictator Housni Mubarak who was deposed in 2011 and replaced by elected president Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood which has now been branded and outlawed in Egypt as a terrorist organisation and its members sentenced to death en masse in recent times. Today, the fate of both Mubarak and Morsi are extremely different while that of Egypt is being put firmly in the hands of Sisi by the ongoing presidential elections. Morsi is awaiting trial for treason and in prison and the penalty for that is the death penalty. Mubarak on the other hand is in military custody and was this week fined pittance and jailed three years for corruption and massive embezzlement while in power for almost three decades. It is clear that under Sisi, Egypt will slide back to a highly controlled democracy that puts human rights at arms length while guarding and protecting jealously its stability and security against its own version of Boko Haram which is the Islamic Brotherhood which it has driven underground again by banning. So Egypt has defined its own democracy on its own terms which was what then Field Marshal Sisi told a Pentagon official when he asked the Americans to see Egypt through Egyptian eyes. Now those eyes will be converted or metamorphose to another round of Pharaonic democracy when the rituals of democracy confer the presidency of Egypt on Sisi in this presidential election in the mould of past elections that created a long line of military dictators. Its pedigree goes back to the late Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, and Housni Mubarak with the Muslim Brotherhood condemned to political perdition and its formerly elected president Mohammed Morsi awaiting the call of the executioner. Really under these circumstances it is very difficult to say long live Egyptian or Pharaonic democracy. Yet, this is the destiny of Egypt in the ensuing Sisi presidency after this election. Sadly to me this is vintage democratic fraud and farce at its best and one can only wonder what will happen next in Egypt, in the name of democracy.

May 24, 2014
Bring back our country

Bring back our girls. This has become the most popular refrain across the world since the abduction on April 14 of over 200 school girls by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno State. It is a grand irony. The Boko Haram has the objective of spreading fear and hate. It seeks to erect walls of discrimination and prejudice between people. Its satanic fanatics strive to sunder the bonds that bind people together. They labour to sacrifice human love and solidarity on the altar of a blood guzzling deity. But the rubble and ruins – physical and psychological – of their destructive acts have become the building blocks of human compassion and unity across ethno-cultural and national boundaries.

Thus, the Chibok girls are no more just girls. They are no more just Northerners. They are no more just Christians or Muslims. They are no more just Nigerians. They are now the common property of humanity. Across nations, continents, cultures, languages and faiths, they are simply ‘our girls’ – symbols of our shared humanity. Out of the darkness of the Boko Haram bestiality, the light of human empathy, benevolence and care shines brightly. The terrorists aim to turn neighbour against neighbour. But rather their bestial acts are reinforcing the realization that we are our brother and sister’s keeper. Surely, the merchants of hate are not winning.

Where are our girls? They are somewhere in the cavernous belly of Sambisa forest. What exactly is the crime of these innocent girls? It is simply that they realize that the human mind is a terrible thing to waste. They know that a mind not nurtured degenerates into a barren swamp, an inner Sambisa forest of decay and rot. They thus summoned the courage, despite the threat of Boko Haram to dispel the darkness of ignorance through the light of education. They dared to cultivate and nurture their minds into beautiful and beneficial gardens through the acquisition of knowledge and skills. It is for this reason that they have been forced for one month now to inhabit an environment meant for rodents, reptiles, insects and feral beasts. But even more dangerous than these animals are the Boko Haram monsters in human skin holding these girls captive.

Yes, by all means we must bring back our girls. We must rescue them from the belly of the Sambisa whale. When we successfully do that, we must then face the challenge of liberating our country from the Sambisa fortress of poverty, want, ignorance, criminal corruption, crass inequality, mass unemployment and gross underdevelopment (apologies to the inimitable Tatalo Alamu). A forest is a veritable heart of darkness. After over $16 billion gone down the drain, Nigeria remains helplessly embedded in darkness as electricity supply remains pathetically epileptic. Like Sambisa, like Nigeria. So sad.

During the week, there was this incredible story from Owerri. A hungry lion had reportedly escaped from the Nekede Zoo causing panic in the town. People dashed for the safety of their homes. Parents rushed to pick their children from schools. Much earlier, in the same zoo, a lion had reportedly killed and eaten another lion – an allegation being investigated by an ad hoc committee of the state House of Assembly. Mercifully, the state police command later dismissed news of the escaped lion as the handiwork of a false alarmist.

Well, the story of the Owerri lion may have been a hoax. But believe me, the doors of Nigeria’s national zoo have long been flung wide open and lions, hyenas, jackals, pythons, chimpanzees, baboons and an assortment of other beasts – many in human skin – are on prowl across the land. Do I exaggerate? Are you under the illusion that Sambisa forest is limited to some remote part of Borno State? No sir; that dreaded forest has migrated right to your back yard. Our country has become one sprawling jungle of fuel subsidy scams, kerosene subsidy rip-offs, pension fund fraud, kidnapping, ritual killing, armed robbery, lynching, rape – an arena of sheer anarchy.

Kindly cast your mind back. Very recently, 710, 000 unemployed Nigerians were made to apply for jobs of which there were less than 5000 vacancies. Each applicant was made to pay a fee of N1000. Some still faceless consultants smiled to the bank with a cool N700 million. The applicants were crowded like cattle into various stadia across the country to write shoddily organised examinations. In the riotous process, 16 precious lives were lost and scores of others injured. Yet, not a single head has rolled for this crime. In fact, some of the hyenas responsible for the fiasco are sitting pretty on the country’s highest decision making body presiding over our affairs. Where but a zoo can this kind of thing happen?

Let us take another example. Cast your mind even further back. Do you remember a certain man called Abdulrasheed Maina? He was the chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force (PRTF). Under his watch,over N400 billion was allegedly embezzled. Our ordinarily somnolent and lethargic Senate was alarmed enough to investigate the matter. Maina was summoned to appear before the Senate committee. He bluntly refused. The Senate issued a warrant for his arrest. The police claimed they could not find him. Yet, at that very time he reportedly moved around Abuja in long convoys and in powerful circles heavily guarded by the very same police.

Exasperated, the Senate passed a resolution asking President Jonathan to sack Maina as PRTF Chairman. Citing the need to adhere to civil service procedures, the presidency demurred. Faced with the possibility of a serious show down with the Senate, Aso Rock blinked. The same President directed the Head of Service to take disciplinary action against Maina and also ordered the Inspector General of Police to effect his arrest. Just then, the miraculous happened. Maina simply vanished into thin air. Everybody has since forgotten about the matter. Yet, thousands of pensioners continue to languish in poverty and die in penury. Where but in a community of jackals can such impunity be tolerated?

Yes, by all means we must bring back our girls. The international community can and is doing a lot to help us in this regard. But how do we bring back our country? No one can do it for us. The responsibility is ours. We must be determined to hold our governments accountable and ensure that our votes count in free and fair polls. This column joins the campaign to bring back our girls and our country…alive.

Bolaji Uthman:

For whom the bell tolls

The news came like a thunderbolt. It was on Friday, May 9, that the funeral bell tolled. For whom did it toll? For Alhaji Bolaji Uthman – a consummate journalist, impassioned historian,ardent intellectual, dedicated and industrious civil servant, an adept public information manager, a proud Lagosian and moving encyclopaedia of the state’s history. Always thirsty for knowledge, Uthman was pursuing his doctorate degree at the Lagos State University (LASU). The numerous awards he won in the Lagos State public service testify to his invaluable contributions as an Information Officer in the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy to the development of the Centre of Excellence. Along with Mr Frank Ajayi, a retired Director in the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Uthman worked so hard, long and assiduously for the establishment of the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) where he was the Director General until his passing. The magnificent LASRAB building at Magodo testifies eloquently to Bolaji Uthman’s enduring legacy. He gave generously and unselfishly of his time, talent and deep well of knowledge to many younger ones that he passionately mentored. Bolaji Uthman thus lives on through them. Each time the funeral bell tolls for one, it tolls for all as the poet, John Donne, reminds us. One man’s death only signals the imminent death of all men. Dear Uthman, friend, brother, sparring partner and comrade, you have done your bit. Rest in peace in Allah’s bosom.

May 17, 2014
The England example

NIGERIA is a huge joke. We want to compete with others at the global stage, yet we do things differently. Sitting in my office on Monday afternoon, I called most of my colleagues to watch how England Manager Roy Hodgson tackled questions about the players he picked for the World Cup.

Hodgson explained why certain players were dropped. Those excluded lost their positions due to poor club form or reccurring injuries, he disclosed. Hodgson didn’t abuse journalists who asked what Nigerian coaches see as “insulting” questions.

For instance, Hodgson was asked if he thought England could lift the World Cup. His face wreathed in smiles, he sent the audience into a bout of laughter by saying there wouldn’t have been the need to clinch the qualification ticket, if England didn’t want to lift the trophy.

Hodgson’s interview was colourful. Everyone in the hall departed with smiles and not a few journalists exchanged cards with the manager. The session also gave the English FA an opportunity to celebrate their corporate sponsors, whose insignia formed the backdrop of the stage where the manager addressed the world. After the conference, the media were awash with all angles to the interview. The applause was loud.

All doubts cleared. Everyone left the hall happy with what they heard. With this setting, it is difficult for anyone to run the English manager aground over his team list because he was unambiguous in his responses to questions.

This classic show was not done by the English alone. It was fanfare when the Brazilians unveiled their 23-man squad, with their coach telling us that he has four captains. What it showed was that every detail of the Brazilian side had been sorted out to avoid controversies. And it was done publicly. The Germans followed suit. Yet,for us, such fanfare doesn’t exist.

Look at how the England manager handled the issue of dropping Ashley Cole. Knowing that Cole is a big player, Hodgson called the Chelsea star to explain why he wouldn’t be in the squad to Brazil. Rather than describe Cole as not being mature, like our coaches do, Hodgson kept mute when asked why Cole was excluded.

Instead, it was Cole who resigned from international football, having been told by the manager that he wouldn’t make the team. The fact that Hodgson told Cole of his fate before releasing the list gave the Chelsea star the opportunity to quit international football. Talk about a manager who knows how to treat players who have done well for their country. Not ours. Cole had glowing words for the England manager unlike the barbs thrown between our coaches and our stars.

In Nigeria, it is forbidden to ask the coaches to sit with their employers, the NFF. It is a taboo to even suggest that Super Eagles’ coaches should face the press to explain why they took decisions that affect all of us. Eagles’ coach can attend scheduled meetings on our World Cup preparations when he likes. He can be in meetings without submitting the team list. He is infallible. Why our coaches are scared of facing the media is curious. With such a setting, the media are awash with questions that our coaches should have answered, only if they emulate others. Today, the media war has pitched supposed enemies of the coaches against their spin doctors. What a shame; washing our dirty linens in the public!

Spin doctors are back. They are rooting for the lopsided Super Eagles’ World Cup list. They want us to support those listed. Many have asked us to support the coaches and pray fervently to beat teams at the Mundial, who picked their best lads. For these spin doctors, it doesn’t matter if we carry orthopedic players to the World Cup. What these lickspittles don’t understand is that each of the countries at the Brazil 2014 World Cup is bringing 23 players. What it means is that every position has two players who can hold their ground against any opposition. The composition of teams that have released their lists is such that those who will sit on the bench are as good as those playing. In fact, it is clear that those who will be benched during their matches will be doing so on tactical grounds, not based on incompetence. The implication is that when tactical changes are made, it rubs off immediately on how they will play. Can we say this about the Super Eagles’ flawed selection?

The story of Nnamdi Oduamadi’s return to action for a Serie B side is laughable, especially when he was substituted in the 64th minute, in a game that his side lost at home. Yet our coaches are talking about what he did last year at the 2013 Confederations Cup against Tahiti, a country that our group’s opponents beat groggy with goals. A player who cannot command a regular shirt for a Serie B side isn’t fit to be invited to any World Cup camp. The World Cup is the platform to celebrate excellence, not mediocrity, like Nigeria’s 30-man squad portrays.

These coaches and their hacks played down the sterling performances of Ikechukwu Uche, his 13th La Liga goal and Chinedu Obasi’s goal that sealed a UEFA Champions League slot for Schalke 04 next season, after a troublesome injury-ridden year. Rather than cover their heads in shame and urge the coaches to invite Uche and Obasi immediately, they have asked us to pray for the team’s success in Brazil as if the remaining 31 countries at the Mundial don’t know how to worship our Creator. One thing is clear; God doesn’t condone indolent workers. Our God is fair to those who do the needful before seeking his mercy and favour.

Uche’s and Obasi’s goals last weekend for Villarreal and Schalke 04 represent warning signs from God, reminding the coaches to rescind their decisions.

No one would grudge them if Obasi and Uche show up in the Eagles camp. Those rooting for Obasi and Uche’s inclusion are not asking the coaches to take them to the World Cup. What they are saying is that they are our best in this fading season and should be allowed to fight for shirts on grounds of merit. The majority cannot be liars while four coaches are right. Have we asked what the privileged 30 would be doing before they report to camp on May 26, ahead of the May 28 friendly against Scotland in England?

What our coaches do not realise is that the world is a global village. They would be laughing at us in Brazil because, as African champions, we have the talents to rattle the world, only if our coaches can hide their mercantile tendencies and pick our best such as the duo mentioned.

Countries going to the World Cup have used their qualifying games and friendlies to pick players who will plug the weaknesses in the teams. We cannot say for Nigeria, where her best strikers have been dropped for half-fit loyalists. Our Eagles have not scored more than three goals in any game, except for the historic comeback against Morocco at the CHAN tournament in South Africa. Yes, we scored six against Tahiti but others in the group scored more than that against the team. Goals will count in picking teams that will emerge from the group.

Who will score the goals for us in Brazil if Emenike is injured? Far-fetched question it may look, but it is a possibility. Will coaches have the courage to play Mikel Obi in the defensive midfield role like he does for Chelsea? If Mikel is injured, who can fit in his place? Of course, Mikel is renowned for picking up cards, so our coaches must talk to him.

We are experts in post mortem. We will ask the relevant questions after the competition, yet repeat the same errors in subsequent World Cup competitions.

As I was concluding this column on Tuesday night, the story broke of how Argentines hit the streets to protest the exclusion of Carlos Tevez from the country’s 30-man list for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. They were dispersed by the police, not after they vowed to take their complaints to the country’s president.

I had written about Carlos Tevez’s decision to take his family on holidays in the summer. So, no one can accuse him of stage-managing the exercise. The people have had their say; the Argentine coaches have had their way. But one thing is clear, the coaches’ future rest with how well the team performs at the Mundial.

Silverbird television’s anchorman Niran Adesina asked if I would lead the protest for Ikechukwu Uche’s inclusion in the Eagles. I no wan die; papa dey for house; pickin dey for house; sister dey for house. So, policeman go slap your face, you no go talk, once sang the great one, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti of blessed memory in his Zombie album.

Is Ade scared of leading the protest? No. I don’t want to be seen as leading such protests. But we have a lot to learn from the Argentines. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

May 17, 2014
Why America & Co. should find the girls quickly

VIRTUALLY everything you expect in a tragedy is present in the Chibok abduction saga. There are genuine tears and heartfelt grief from Chibok town itself to the entire nation and right across the world’s cities and towns. There is also high drama, a good dose of politicking, even money-making, to say nothing of official clay-footedness, cluelessness and denial, among other distractions. The Americans have also stepped in, as have the world’s leading powers and they have one thing in mind: to find the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls, free them from their captors and bring them home. To do that, the United States and the world powers it leads must overlook the apparent distractions and do what they came to do, and do it as fast as possible. Everything depends on it. Since Boko Haram terrorists swooped on Chibok and took the schoolgirls away, each day has brought up everything but the girls. We have had issues with the actual number of the abductees, and then with whether anyone was indeed abducted in the first place. Some even declared matter-of-factly that there was no abduction else the identities of the victims including their pictures would since have been available. Politicians have fussed and fought over the Chibok girls. Activists have shouted their own contribution. Designers may also be making some cool cash judging from the thousands of black body gear and red headscarves sported by energetic protesters. The insurgents have also taunted the grieving nation and its leadership, saying in a video that the girls would be sold, and that there is a market where humans are articles of trade. That hurt because when the purported leader of the sect was mouthing off those words, Nigerians and everyone else were clueless as to the whereabouts of the girls and what had become of them. The sect’s position has now been modified with a swap deal offer: you free our detained fighters and we release your girls. It is unclear how the Jonathan administration will respond. Some say the government should accept the exchange proposal, some that it should not. The confusion is characteristic of the administration’s approach to the sect. In one breath President Goodluck Jonathan has threatened fire and brimstone, leaving no room for dialogue; in another he has cooled things down, reaching out with a right hand of peace. This ambivalence may have unsettled the U.S. and the international community considering that Jonathan vigorously opposed the Obama administration’s push to designate Boko Haram a terrorist organisation. Now, the U.S. and United Kingdom have accused the Nigerian government of shunning their initial help offer to join in the rescue effort. This is in addition to reports that the authorities were informed of the Chibok raid long before it happened. This is damaging to the Jonathan administration and deepens the grief of the missing girls’ parents and everybody else. Still, America and the world powers should help find the girls and bring them back alive. The Nigerian government may have had an unhealthy spell of footdragging in accepting foreign help, and Jonathan’s men and service chiefs may also have too combatively defended the government’s dodgy rescue efforts, but that is no reason why anyone who can help should not. In fact, there are reasons why America and company should help bring the girls home safely and quickly too. The President, who continues to assure that the girls will be found, has admitted that he and his security team have no idea where they are, even though they have combed the Sambissa forest where the insurgents are believed to be hiding. The Americans and Europeans should help a government and its people in need because they cannot help themselves. Economic interests should also spur the West into making a success of the rescue efforts. America and Europe know that much of their future lies in Africa, its untapped or under-tapped resources, and its people. Since Nigeria holds out the most tempting promise in this regard, the West has a duty not to allow the country sink. There are other reasons. One is that if our military hardware and personnel are incapable of sorting out the Chibok nightmare, the same cannot be said of the famous might of the West. This is an opportunity for Obama, Britain’s Cameron and the rest to prove their prowess. The drones, which Nigeria does not have, should bring back valuable information leading to where the girls are kept. Our emotions and well-being are at stake, but so is the integrity of the world powers. Another reason is the Chibok girls themselves. One month away from home and their familiar environments is enough to haunt them every second of the day. What about their parents? They have been going from Chibok to the Yobe State Government House watching the video released by Boko Haram and mass produced by the state government. It is an agonising, child-identification exercise, not a pleasure cinema pastime. Many of the abducted girls have been recognised by their parents, but that alone brings little comfort. What is the joy of identifying your child in the clutches of terrorists if the child is not brought home alive? That is the scenario the U.S. and the world powers must quickly do everything possible to avoid.

May 17, 2014
Sorry country

It angers. It provokes. It repulses. It humiliates. It disgusts. I refer to the chilling video of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and his fellow armed gangsters taunting the Nigerian state, mocking the Nigerian people and celebrating the desecration of womanhood. In the video, Shekau is surprisingly relaxed. He exhibits confidence and a disturbing bravado. This is in sharp contrast to the seeming confusion and even hysteria emanating from Aso Rock. Boko Haram is obviously playing deliberate psychological games to further frustrate the Nigerian state. Is it this assortment of deranged and deluded ruffians that has virtually put a resource-laden Nigerian state to sword? Cry, the sorry country.

Shekau gloats over the abduction of over 200 Chibok secondary school female students: “I abducted your girls. I said Western education should end. Girls, you should go and get married. I will sell them in the market by Allah”. It is instructive that thousands of girls across northern Nigeria are risking their lives to obtain an education despite the primitive threats of Boko Haram. Thousands of families are making the sacrifice to send their female children to school despite the ceaseless bombing campaign of Boko Haram. This shows that the extremists are a minuscule minority in the north. They are not winning the battle for the minds of the people.

In an earlier video recording a year or two ago, the Boko Haram chief had boasted that he loved killing human beings like fowl to the pleasure of his strange Allah. Shekau’s Allah kills. His Allah enslaves. His Allah defiles innocent women. This certainly is not the Allah that has motivated Islam to be a force for human progress and civilisation in the arts, sciences, culture, scholarship and statecraft across centuries. This is why I support the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in his characteristically restrained criticism of the Jama’atuNasir Islam (JNI) for reportedly ‘accusing the Federal Government of persecuting Muslims under the guise of fighting terrorism’. The JNI and other Muslims should firmly, decisively and unambiguously denounce and distance themselves from the murderous Boko Haram and also support every effort to exterminate this poisonous virus. Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu in recent published articles have shown the right example in this respect.

For me, the Shekau video has also evoked a feeling of profound pity. Pity for Nigeria- a ‘crippled giant’ (apologies to Professor EghosaOsaghie).Pity for Shekau and his followers, enslaved minds in urgent need of salvation if not beyond redemption. But then, Shekau and his misguided followers were not born this way. They are the bastard offspring of the abduction and serial rape of the Nigerian treasury by the predatory elite over the years. The resultant appalling poverty, want and criminal inequality particularly in Northern Nigeria have spawned the teeming army of jobless youth that provides ready foot soldiers for Boko Haram and international terrorist outfits like al qaeda.

Of course, I agree that the northern political class must take primary responsibility for this situation.

It makes absolutely no sense to blame the Jonathan administration for the Boko Haram menace. The conditions for this kind of extremist terrorism had been laid over decades of gross misrule by successive administrations. But then Jonathan is currently at the helm of affairs. The buck stops at his table. Leadership is not about excuses. It is about taking responsibility and finding solutions to problems. It is about radiating confidence, a sense of purpose and inspiring hope in people even in times of deep despair and seeming hopelessness. The Jonathan administration has failed abysmally in this regard. And nothing better showcases this failure than the very embarrassing intervention of the First Lady, Dame Patience in the abducted girls’ affair.

Why did Dame Patience have to step in so forcefully, meddlesomely and unconstitutionally in the matter? It was to fill the vacuum created by her husband’s lethargic leadership. I refrain from joining in mocking her elocution or her occasionally lapsing into pidgin English. For me it is the motive that matters and I believe she meant well. As a mother she felt for the abducted girls and their parents. As a wife she was understandably protective of her husband and his job. It is only natural. This was probably why she was even persuaded to entertain the thought that the entire abduction saga was carefully stage managed to undermine her husband’s government. I would probably reason the same way if I was in her shoes. Let no one cast the first stone. My view is that her tears were genuine and heart felt. Her plaintive cry, ‘There is God O, there is God O…’ was no Nollywood acting. It came from a pained heart. In truth, despite her excesses, I admire Dame Patience’s originality, spontaneity and utter lack of pretension. I simply wish Dr Jonathan, the custodian of the constitutional mandate, had such fire in his belly.

The scandal really is that the intervention of the First Lady even took place at all and in full glare of cameras. And even after it had happened, it was so lackadaisically allowed to get into the public domain. The blame goes first to Dr Jonathan who should be firmly in control on the home front and offer the leadership on the domestic terrain to avoid such occurrences. Also to blame are the plethora of aides – media, security, protocol, administrative etc – who are paid to advise, guide and protect the First Lady. The presidency is not just President Jonathan and the First Lady. It refers to the entire expansive bureaucracy that exists to help shield their weaknesses and project their strengths. I fear that if the President and his wife decide tomorrow to take a swim in the Atlantic Ocean, their aides would most respectfully allow them to go ahead with full media coverage for the event! It is either the duo is not getting good advice or they are refusing to listen to such advice. This should not be so.

In a similar vein, Dr Jonathan’s disastrous outing in his last media chat is utterly inexplicable. His defence of the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke’s alleged expenditure of N10 billion on chartered private jets as well as her refusal to cooperate with the House of Representatives in getting to the root of the matter did incalculable damage to his person and exalted office. His exaggerated claim that the Minister has appeared before the House over 200 times is most astonishing. It appears to me that there was little or no preparation for the chat. The leader is in many ways an actor. No serious actor goes on stage without thorough preparation.

The president’s media and strategy team should have anticipated the burning issues of the day and the likely questions. Rehearsals should have been held with his aides serving as the devil’s advocate posing him hostile questions and preparing him to respond effectively and persuasively to them. The president should have been tutored carefully as regards his body language and the need to be sensitive to the public mood. With adequate and thorough preparation, there is even no need for the presidency to hand pick the panellists thus undermining the credibility and subverting the purpose of the media chat.President Obama has excellent leadership skills but he also has his weaknesses like all mortals. But he smells like a Rose most of the time because his aides have the competence and are allowed to do their jobs as professionals.

What all this points to is the fact that the country suffers from a severe deficiency of leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan. This is the vacuum that Dame Patience so disastrously sought to fill as regards the abducted Chibok girls with disastrous consequences for the country’s image. This is why a member of the Federal Executive Council like the Internal Affairs Minister, Abba Moro, can comfortably retain his seat on the body right under the president’s nose after the recent tragic immigration service recruitment saga. The sad but bitter truth is that Abubakar Shekau is offering more effective leadership to Boko Haram than President Jonathan is doing for Nigeria and that is a key reason why we remain such a sorry country.

May 10, 2014