The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Buhari as Nigeria’s El Libertador?

    SIR: It is impossible for an individual to save a country from ruin and disintegration, the reason why genuine statesmen at swearing-in ceremonies into offices the world over are all in agreement that they can never solve all of their country’s problems but that they will set the direction to liberate their people from deprivation and promote social stability.

    It is no longer shocking to hear and read ridiculous smear campaigns against office-seekers like we read daily these days in Nigeria. Over $2 billion dollars was spent in the last US mid-term elections on television advertorials that were not on issues but the pouring of sludge and flak on political opponents.

    But the electorates in the US were sensible as they filtered the facts out of these tall tales on the screen of truth and chose their candidates. These wise selections led to the recordings of some firsts: Mia Love became the first black republican woman elected to congress and Sarah Blair at 18 years old became the youngest state lawmaker (West Virginia Legislature).

    Will the US account be duplicated in Nigeria in the February 2015 presidential elections? Especially since the central government has been led by the PDP since 1999?

    Many commentators these days have been cheering the Buhari candidacy for the reason that he has always genuinely aspired to be president. He’s not like other candidates who have transformed over time to becoming simply establishment dramatis personae.

    These pundits have associated Buhari with John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln who in fact wanted to be presidents. These men won elections and went into the presidency with agendas that have outlived their terms of office and left a mark for posterity.

    For emphasis they say, Kennedy asked for the civil rights act which Lyndon Johnson signed into law on his death allowing blacks to vote and be voted for and Lincoln fought the American civil war in 1861 with the south that led to the end of slavery.

    Others have also said that this country is too complex to govern effectively and needs the character of a Buhari, whose term of office is likely to bring conflicting parties together to unite Nigeria. Under powerful leadership, Nigeria could become a great nation that would be built using federal power to shirt-front daring regional leaders believed to be sponsoring terrorism against Nigeria, as well as the numerous rabble-rousers for painful division within the nation and end insurgency.

    Buhari’s training in armament and military strategy they say will be needed to promote security and keep the country secure bearing in mind that he played a major role in a war that led to the unity of Nigeria and also ensure that the armed forces remain apolitical during elections especially as those units have been reported to look the other way when trouble-shooters rig elections in times gone by. Maybe like George Washington, Buhari only wants to put the country on the right course away from incitement to rebellion. Buhari had already proved his intentions when he didn’t promote himself beyond Major General when he was head of state and  he never energetically stopped  a coup that toppled him even with fore knowledge because it  could have led to many deaths.

    It remains to be seen if these calculations and anticipations will come true.

    I have had to ask some analysts what chance Buhari has in view of the massive elitist incidences of blackmail against him, some of which are funded.

    I was told by these doyens that the late Simon Bolivar of Latin America was blackmailed as well, but he is in our day celebrated in that part of the world and outside it, including the US, India and many other parts of the world.

    Buhari and Osibanjo, pundits hope, in combination with other stakeholders, will help prevent Nigeria from breaking up. They expect them also to form an all-inclusive government which they suggest does not exist at this time under the present regime. They also hope that the team can promote tolerance of other faiths and rule Nigeria with a firm hand.

    They go further by supposing that under Buhari’s  and Osibanjo’s stewardship, there might be a scrapping of security votes especially in a country that has not been at war from external aggressors, monies for which can be used to develop the polity instead of being used as a personal fiefdom.

    After all, if Buhari can give away a major part of his pension only to subsist on a fraction when many would not buck the current trend, it is presumed that he can sacrifice so much more for his country.

     

    • Simon Abah,

    Port Harcourt.

  • That letter from Akinyemi to Buhari, Jonathan

    SIR: The open letter by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Nigeria’s former Minister of External Affairs and deputy chairman, 2014 National Conference, to the two major contestants in the next year’s presidential election; President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will continue to generate mixed reactions in the polity because it touched on issues that border on our corporate existence as a nation.

    Akinyemi, a Professor of Political Science, had written that shortly after the appointment of the late National Security Adviser to the President, General Owoye Azazi, he met with him (NSA), at his own request,  to discuss the state of the nation on the eve of the 2011 general elections. At the said meeting, he allegedly told the General that he was neither worried about the conduct of the elections nor its outcome, which he expected President Jonathan to win. Rather, what really worried him was the management of the purported violence that would ensue after the elections, which he said would be massive. He disclosed that he suggested to Azazi the ways, in which the violence likely to be ensued, could be contained but that his advice was not acted upon and at the end, elections took place, Jonathan won and “all hell broke loose” because the conflict-controlled measures offered to Azazi were not adopted.

    Akinyemi averred that now that the nation was “back at the same crossroads again” and this time, it was likely to be more precarious, dangerous and severe than the 2011 experience due to the

    “very notorious prediction from the United States of America’s semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015″.

    Akinyemi concluded his letter by offering two ways out of the gloomy situation: That both presidential candidates should meet and sign a Memorandum of Undertaking  (MoU) that would commit them to civil and peaceful campaigns devoid of threats by preaching the imperative of peaceful elections, taming of party supporters, preventing violent protests and holding of a pre-election meeting between the candidates and the assemblage of 10 “council of wisemen” that would assist in managing the envisaged post-election conflicts.

    Despite the stark reality that all is not well with us as a nation, the options propounded by the well-respected Professor may, however, not be too helpful in finding solutions to the identified problems. We should ask: to what extent are the presidential aspirants truly liable for the conduct of their supporters?

    At the root of the identified problems is the current structure of the federation. Over the years, the various geo-political zones have never ceased to complain of one form of marginalisation or the other bordering chiefly on resource allocation, infrastructural and political advantage. That is why every ethnic or tribal group wants to gain power at all cost in a bid to redistribute national resources to regions. These agitations as pointed out by Akinyemi, did not just start now. So, why should the presidential aspirants sign any MoU and be held liable for the perceived injustice in the system?

    The real solution to the nation’s problems include the practice of true federalism, good governance, promotion of the rule of law, conduct of free and credible elections and the smooth functioning of

    our public institutions as opposed to the glorification of individuals, personalities or “council of wisemen”, as recommended by Akinyemi. When public institutions like INEC, the judiciary, police and other law enforcement agencies are made to function efficiently and effectively, most of the problems afflicting us as a nation will be surmounted. This is what is obtainable in other progressive nations around the world. He should join others to ensure that the identified problems facing us as a nation, and the way forward – as highlighted in report of the National Conference, of which he was an active player – are implemented without further delay.

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University Of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

  • Re: Babangida endorses Jonathan

    SIR: Penultimate week, all the major newspapers splashed the above as their lead story. This was  as a result of the so-called visit to the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, by the President Goodluck Jonathan, but which was made public courtesy of the members of the journalistic profession.

    This writer is not surprised, like other Nigerians about the open endorsement of President Jonathan. This is because of the well-known antecedents of the former Head of State as a strong foe of General Muhammadu Buhari, taking into account how General Babangida overthrew the erstwhile Head of State in 1985. Since then, General Babangida does not believe in General Buhari, though they have reconciled the differences they have.

    The bottomline of this piece, is essentially that no matter what, General Babangida, cannot and is not in a position to direct the position of the north now. This is because he has lost the goodwill he has to speak on behalf of the north.

    He has lost his esteem in the eyes of the people of this country more especially he failed in his capacity as a former leader of this country and as a soldier, to use the opportunity he has to comment or advise the government to adopt measure(s) to halt what is happening in the north due to the activities of terrorists especially in the North-eastern parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

    The reason why General Babangida believes in the present administration is simply because he can still call the shots either they are proper or not than under General Buhari, who is a strong advocate of things to be done in the right way. It is pertinent to stress the point, that General Buhari will neither condone nor give room for corruption to thrive in whatever ramification. This time it is really the crossroads for Nigerians for a change and from all indications, the people are ready to vote Buhari.

    Things have degenerated to a level that requires the services of people like the General to move the country forward. Nobody has the capacity to put asunder the change being advocated by the people, who have not seen anything meaningful done under the ruling party, especially under the current President onathan.

    The likes of General Babangida are the architects of the myraid of problems  confronting this great country, ranging from corruption, lack of development and unemployment of teeming graduates.

    The fourth attempt for the presidency of this great country by General Buhari is consistent with the call by the people of the country, who want a radical departure from misgovernance, corruption, nepotism, etc. It is better for GeneralBabangida and his likes to be quiet as the people are ready to give them the shock of their lives in 2015.

     

    • Usman Santuraki,

    Jambutu, Jimeta-Yola.

  • We’ve seen these theatricals before

    SIR:  I am amazed; indeed in utter bewilderment. I never knew we have so many philanthropists in this country- so many good people. I had never in my wildest imagination thought of so such selfless people, ready to go hungry for the comfort of others. See how he sat in dust with the lowly. Did you see how humble and humane he is – dining with the poor and interacting with destitutes?

    But wait o!

    Why are all these coming a few weeks to 2015? If I remember clearly, it was like this just before 2011, 2007, 2003 and even 1999. What could 2015 have in common with these dates? What is 2015?  It is another year of election, the General Elections in our cherished democratic Nigeria.

    Our politicians make very good actors. Is it not actors that shed off their real self to be something else on stage? Indeed the stage is here for our politicians and they are already in form to put up their best to convince; to sway the expectant audience.

    The stage is excited if not hot: Those who never came to their villages are back; who never knew their constituents now hold regular town hall meetings; familiarizing and identifying their needs. Those who never smiled now stop at public places, roll down their glasses and beam artificial smile, handing out cash. The better actors alight from their cars and buy those ‘inferior’ goods from the previously dirty market women, paying more than the goods are worth. My town which have not known light for years now have a few solar street lamps courtesy of our ‘able’ representative at the lower federal legislative chambers.

    But shall we run our businesses, light our homes and iron our rumpled clothes with 10 street-lamps mounted in the market place a few months to elections? A fellow constituent remarked “we have never seen him make any contributions at the legislative floor”. Everyone around agreed. I do not disagree with them either. My people would ask, “Shall we let them chop garri with our brain?” Never!

    For your information, pretenders, Nigerians are now ready to flush out actors to vote in credible and selfless leaders who would not need this last minute rush to woo electorates. But my fellow electorates, remember, we are not flushing out waste in the toilet lest we need water but we are disallowing self- centered people into power so we need our Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). One more thing Mr. Pretender, we will accept all the money and items you have to offer and still vote our conscience. After the elections, you can sue us for breach of contract.

    Lastly, for those who have concluded plans to snatch ballot boxes, or stuff away ballot paper under their wrappers, just make sure you have an appointment with your doctor because you will be beaten to stupor, your intimidating profile notwithstanding. It happened in 2011 and will repeat in 2015 unless you have a rethink. And hungry fellows who may be contracted to snatch ballot boxes, you are not spared, just that you may not survive yours, hunger and money inclusive. Leave such work for their children; after all, they would be ones to gain from the corruption of their fathers if they succeed, although not this time.

    Pretenders 2015! Your tricks have worked for so long and won’t work again. The spell is off our eyes. We shall vote right and protect our votes!

    • Uzoaganobi Ebuka

    Imo State

  • Celebrating US-Cuba’s new start

    SIR: Not many people saw it coming yet it did. In fact, not many would think this day will ever come but it did and that in itself is a sign that nations in conflict could resolve issues through diplomacy. President Barack Obama, after months of furtive negotiations with the Cuban government, announced a number of sweeping changes that would kick-start economic, political and diplomatic relations with Cuba. The announcement formed part of Obama’s post-2008 election policy shifts where a “new start” in relations was promised between the two countries.

    President Obama had in 2011 relaxed some travel restrictions but the implementation remained stalled so long as Alan P. Gross, a US government contractor arrested in 2009 and sentenced to 15 years in a Cuban prison was still held. The role played by the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis in the negotiations is remarkable. In fact, he helped to encourage the talks through written letters to both countries’ president and even hosted a meeting at the Vatican in October to finalise the deal. Both presidents even went as far as talking for the first time in over 50 years on the phone for more than 45 minutes to formally seal the deal.

    As a step forward, Cuba released Mr. Gross (released separately on humanitarian grounds because he was, according to officials, not technically part of the release deal) and the US in return freed three imprisoned Cuban spies caught in 1998. Part of the deal will see the US easing restrictions on remittances, travel and banking. Cuba will follow up by allowing more internet access and releasing 53 Cubans identified as political prisoners by the US. Also, Cuba will be removed from the US terrorist list which will pave the way for a much deeper bilateral cooperation in the area of counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism among other related security issues. The most important highlight of this new policy is the resumption of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies in Havana and Washington respectively.

    The new start in is a right step in the right direction. Now is the time to kick-start a viable process that will end the 54 years of political debacle that has divided families and wounded lives. This is not only victory for Latin America but also Cuba and the US. This is victory for American foreign policy and international peace. Despite growing dissatisfaction with this policy shift among the Republican dominated Congress and a number of Latin American states, it is hoped common sense will prevail. The new start is certainly a win-win situation for both countries; a laudable initiative and a very important opportunity for the US to change the world’s perception about its foreign policy decisions. The cold war has ended and so should the sanctions and embargo on Cuba.

     

    • Raheem Oluwafunminiyi,

     Lagos

  • Between Goodluck and Buhari

    While the Jonathanians cannot distinguish their boss from renowned cerebral entities like Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Madiba Mandela and even our Lord Jesus, they have continued to rant and rabble-rouse as they leave issues by refusing to highlight his major achievements viz-a-viz the basic tenets of his proposed “transformation” agenda and the impact to a common Nigerian. The Goodluck apologists have only told us the sudden increase in GDP which according to them has led to Nigeria being the largest economy in Africa.

    Needless do I accentuate the fact that a country’s GDP does not measure the environmental impact of growth, nor sustainability. A good economist will attest to the fact that it’s possible that GDP is growing up but median income going down and poverty rate increasing. Hence, the criticism of GDP as a flawed metric of economic growth by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

    Indeed, Nigeria’s problem never started with GEJ, but further aggravation of the economy and the infliction of pains on the masses rather than amelioration by this administration cannot be quick to be dispelled. The over one million internally displaced persons had their own share of the woes; this will undeniably deny their children access to basic education. The drama behind the captured Chibok girls still lingers in our memories, even with the hope of them returning to their parents fading away as recently admitted by the federal government.

    The recent pronouncement by the Minister of Power that power generation and transmission has dropped to about 2000MW calls for serious concern, despite the huge investment in the power sector. The commercialisation of education and lack of basic infrastructure in our learning institutions show the level of gross incompetence of this administration, just to mention a few.

    As of today, most Nigerians would agree with me that the presidential contest is between Jonathan and Buhari. We might not have found an angelic saviour, yet we have been provided with the next best alternative. Buhari, popularly called Mei Gaskiya (The Custodian of truth), has been birthed for the fourth consecutive time on a rescue mission. A man whose integrity and reputation has not been soiled by the murky waters of Nigeria’s politics, a man who believes stealing is analogous to corruption. Little wonder because of his increasing acceptance, he had been painted to be a religious bigot and a semi-literate “jackboot” by those who have refused to account for the “missing” $20bn federation account. As part of their plot to resist common sense revolution, they call him an old man, while they fail to realise that those who governed India and led her to one of the best twenty economies through their policies are octogenarians. They fail to realise that the common man has preference for a secondary school certificate holder who has integrity and can give them electricity to a PhD holder who cannot preserve their territorial integrity, give them quality education and security.

    It is time for Nigerians to choose between hope and despair, between accountability and looting, between leadership and ruler ship, between a visionary and visionless leader, between mass employment and unemployment and ultimately between light and darkness. I agree with a columnist who said we need Buhari more than he needs us.

    Give us GMB/OSINBAJO…..Sai Buhari

    Adetayo Peter

    archallusmcb@yahoo.com

  • The murder of hope

    The focus seems to be GEJ must go, everyone has his eyes on the man, his power is overestimated, the opposition envies it, his party wants to keep it. The fact, however, remains that institutions must be built to work so the disposition of leaders does not define our fate as it currently does. A governor can make the payment of workers’ salary a non-issue and can’t be held accountable because he is in bed with the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the judiciary is also powerless because he can politically blackmail them; he can starve them of funds or buy them over with funds.

    Leadership is an industry requiring many units to function if any real gains would be made. The designers of democracy put in place a system where there is effective monitoring of the actions or inactions of each component part. The systems to check our democracy are faulty, the people are ignorant of the role each man should play. We blame a single individual for the failure of multitudes, we forget about the legislative arm of government that we elected to monitor the executive. When did the House or the Senate rise above their internal corruption to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the Executive?

    Leadership has failed mostly because those we ‘elected’ to monitor leadership are in a sworn covenant with the leadership to impoverish us. The senate president is hand in gloves with the Executive, and hence can’t be expected to speak for the electorate. The legislatures have abused our trust more than any other group. They pass budgets for security year in year out and forget to ask questions about implementation. The man in the streets is being raped and battered with the consent and connivance of his kin who he elected to protect him.

    We can’t have faith in the “Old Governors’ Forum”, that is what the Senate has become.

    By Ekitumi Ofagbor

    Ofagbor88@yahoo.com

  • Fall in oil price, good for Nigeria

    SIR: The commonsensical principle that has long been abandoned is now to be used. Why must we wait until there is a shake up before doing the right thing? Over the years, the oil sector has been and is still the alpha and omega of Nigeria’s revenue, a status promoted by successive administrations in the country.

    Past and present governments in the country are never ready to pay attention to other sectors. You suggest Agriculture; it is irritating to them. They felt that investment in agriculture will not yield quick profit, so, they wouldn’t be able to embezzle quickly; therefore, the suggestion is jettisoned. Ondo State has the largest deposit of bitumen in the world; what are we using it for? These are just few out of many.

    As it is known to everybody, oil is a non-renewable resource; whether we like it or not, it will finish someday. As fate will have it, the oil is now even being struck by an artificial hurricane.  Now that things are falling apart in the oil sector and oil price is on the decline globally, I heard Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala say “as part of austerity measures, we are focusing on non-oil sector”.  I think the fall in oil price is good for Nigeria because our government has now made us to know that they become reasonable only when we get into trouble.

     

    • Jamiu Idowu Esho,

    Eruwa, Oyo State.

  • Now that all is calm in Ogun APC

    SIR:When there was crisis in the Ogun State Chapter of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),I was one of those who blamed Governor Ibikunle Amosun for the way his SIA structure fenced off the original ACN members in making appointments and dispensing patronage!

    In fact, in several wards, they had parallel executives! Of course, Chief Olusegun Osoba would have none of this and so there was tension in the chapter, which the national body sought to resolve. Unfortunately, it seems the more the national body tried to resolve the issue, the more the dissenters dug in. This got carried into APC. The National Assembly members who spearheaded this dissent became quite truculent. While all this lasted, some of us suggested that for peace to reign, the National Assembly members be given automatic second term ticket while they would close ranks with, and campaign for Amosun’s second term.

    All that has become unimportant as the dissenters have now revealed their agenda and moved over to join their fellow Tinubuphobists, who are envious of Tinubu’s rising profile and are doing everything to undermine him by floating all sorts of fringe parties, SDP, UPN, etc!

    It is surprising they have not also floated the Action Group!

    Now they have left, the genuine APC members now know who we are and have to roll up our sleeves to rally round our party. Those who have defected wanted to play God and we should let them know that we got this far in spite of their subversiveness. If God be for us who can be against us? All members should ensure they collect their Permanent Voters Cards to ensure they can vote. Now we know who our members are and go out to woo in more members.

    We should ensure we vote for all APC canditates!

    •Abiodun Sopitan

    Lagos

  • Still on the Ogidigben EPZ fiasco

    SIR: A lot has been said already about the groundbreaking ceremony of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Ogidigben, in Warri South-West LGA, Delta State, intended to take place on Friday November 14, 2014, but was abruptly cancelled at the last minute by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    As it were, the Ijaws, have been opposed to the EPZ being named after Ogidigben community which gives the identity of its location in Itsekiri homeland that is deservedly so. They demanded that since the project site also included some Ijaw communities in the Escravos, a claim that is absolutely false, it should be called Ogidigben-Gbaramutu EPZ, to give it both Itsekiri and Ijaw location identity.

    To resolve this gratuitous controversy, and specifically to pacify and gratify the raging Ijaws, Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan changed the name of the project to “Delta Gas City”. Although this was completely outlandish and unfair to the Itsekiri people in the Escravos as they felt unjustly short-changed and undermined, nonetheless, they, in their usual nonviolent disposition, did not raise dust with the change of the cognomen in order to give peace a chance.

    But like an aggressor that would not be mollified, the Ijaws kept making more spurious and avaricious demands, such as monetary compensation and parity of recognition with the Itsekiri by the Delta and federal governments. So they warned the President not to come to perform the EPZ groundbreaking ceremony until their demands are met.

    Initially, it seemed the President had called the bluff of his kinsmen and he gave his word that he was coming. Alas! The President chickened out. He succumbed to the intimidation of his kinsmen. Perhaps the only other rational way to explain the President’s conduct in the panicky cancellation of the EPZ groundbreaking ceremony, is that he sees himself as an Ijaw president who must do everything to pander to and protect Ijaw interests and agenda to the detriment and total disregard of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and perhaps other ethnic nationalities in the country.

    As a Nigerian, I cannot help but view the President’s conduct and action as horrendous, reprehensible and inexcusable. The call-off of the EPZ groundbreaking ceremony by the President is condemnable in all ramifications.

    The other explanation that the President aborted the groundbreaking ceremony in order to avoid bloodshed is nothing but to give legitimacy to the use of terror as a means to press and enforce one’s demands in Nigeria. The implication of this is an invitation to anarchy. By the way, did the federal government not grant amnesty to militants for surrendering their arms? Should it not be a serious security concern to the President that his kinsmen made such an open show of arms and ammunitions in their possession in spite of the colossal amount of money the federal government is expending on the militants in the amnesty deal?

    I am inclined to suspect an orchestrated conspiracy and subterfuge in high quarters in government against the Ogidigben EPZ project. The ploy is to stir up a crisis over the location of the EPZ in Itsekiri homeland so that the crisis will then become a pretext or excuse for President Jonathan to move the project elsewhere, possibly to Bayelsa State.

    Let me say that though a minority tribe, Itsekiri have right to exist as a people. They have right to their homeland. No amount of threat of terrorism or pogrom against them will alter that truism, EPZ or no EPZ.

    • Samson Ebrohimi,

    Lagos.