The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Hope springs eternal

    There is so much death in this country. So many tears. So much evil. So much betrayal. So much sadness and so many tragedies. So much corruption and deceit. So many shattered dreams, broken hearts and wounded souls. So much injustice and insensitivity. So much greed and want. So much bloodshed, blood-letting and blood-spilling.

    Welcome to Nigeria- the Federal Republic of Shattered Dreams. A country in which sadism, failure, iniquity, injustice, wickedness, persecution, cover-ups, lies and abuse of power are enthroned. A land in which “men of God” do not pray but instead sell the anointing and buy private jets. A country where common decency, kindness and human compassion has no place. A nation in which the rulers pay homage to the baphomet and make open sacrifices to Satan.

    A country where ignorance and mediocrity is exalted and in which excellence and knowledge is scorned. A nation in which truth has no place and in which those that tell it are hated and treated with contempt. I weep for my country and each day I pray that God delivers her from the blood-sucking and relentless demons that plague and afflict her. Yet, despite all, hope springs eternal.

    The foundation for our current situation was laid many years ago and since that time we have seen so much suffering and failure at virtually all levels. We were plagued with leaders who lacked vision, who lacked intellect, who lacked sincerity of purpose and who were antagonistic to those that dared to challenge their visionless and purposeless policies. Our country is currently bedevilled with so much negativity that it is easy to look around and just give up. Yet I say that we must never give up because “hope springs eternal”.

    The Bible says though the night may be dark yet “joy comes in the morning”. The wise ones say you cannot have a message without a mess. You cannot have a testimony without a test. You cannot get to the top of the mountain without first going to the bottom of the valley. This is true. And out of Nigeria’s “mess” shall surely come her “message”. Out of Nigeria’s “test” shall surely come her “testimony”.

    We have been to the “bottom of the valley” and therefore we shall get to the “top of the mountain”. Our dream for a better Nigeria shall never die and neither can our collective prayers be in vain. I refuse to give up because I know that the God that I serve never fails. He alone rules in the affairs of men. He alone forges the destiny of nations. Out of a deep void and formlessness He ordered the creation of the world. He established it by the power of His word and He gave us dominion over it.

    In the same way He created Nigeria for His purpose and for His glory and that purpose and glory shall surely be established. It shall come to pass and it will be manifest to the entire world. We shall see it and we shall be established in it as a nation and as a people. If God can do it for others, He can do it for us too. We can be great and, by the grace of God, we shall be great. This is my dream and this is what I see. And believe me when I tell you that it is prophetic.

    A Nigeria where every man and woman, regardless of faith, ethnicity, status or political persuasion finds a common cause and relishes in our collective humanity. A Nigeria where the rich have a conscience and the poor have hope. A Nigeria where joy and peace reign supreme and where bombings and killings are a thing of the past.

    A Nigeria where the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac and the adherents of the two great Abrahamic faiths of Islam and Christianity live together in peace, harmony and mutual respect. A Nigeria where the secularity of the state is respected yet where God is revered and honoured by all. A Nigeria where the knowledge and fear of the Living God reigns in the hearts and minds of the people.

    A Nigeria where every man is His brother’s keeper, where leaders show compassion to those that they lead, where justice is done to all and where political persecution has no place. A Nigeria where decency is rewarded, where dissent is tolerated, where non-conformity is encouraged and where equity is enthroned. That is the Nigeria of my dream.

    A Nigeria where youth unemployment is low and where every individual, no matter how high or low, can aspire to any position and live his or her dream. A Nigeria where human life and human dignity is sacrosanct and where fairness is the watchword of every soul. That is the Nigeria of my dream.

    I have no fears about the future of this great nation because the God that I serve never fails. The Bible says the nations are “as a drop of water before Him”. He sits above the circles of the earth and He counts the earth as His footstool. Yet despite His sheer awesomeness and majesty, with Him lies great compassion and mercy.

    I am persuaded that once we make the right choice our date with destiny, as a people and as a nation, will come far sooner than we can possibly imagine. In his book titled “The Wretched of the Earth” Frantz Fanon said the following- “each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover it’s mission and fulfill it or betray it.” Past generations in Nigeria have not lived up to expectation. This is the bitter truth.

    Dr. Martin Luther King jnr., after delivering his celebrated and inspiring “I have a dream” speech, was felled by an assassin’s bullet on April 4 1968. To those that killed him, his dream died with him. Yet they were wrong. They did not know that great dreams, once birthed, never die. That is why the Word of God said “if the princes of this world had known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory”.

    If those that murdered Jesus, and the devil that inspired them to do it, had known that He would honour His word and rise up three days later they would not have crucified him. They persecuted Him, they humiliated Him, they beat Him, they tortured Him, they spat on Him and they killed Him yet they could not kill His dream or abort His mission. His dream lived on and became a reality for all mankind to see.

    It was the same with Martin Luther King. They killed him but his mission had already been achieved and his vision came to pass 45 years after his sacrificial and selfless death. This is indeed the stuff of which dreams are made. Great things are birthed in great dreams and if you dare to dream nothing is impossible.

    I have a dream for Nigeria. I have a dream that one day Nigerians will see themselves as Nigerians before anything else and they will not regard their country and its people as a collection of strange bed-fellows that do not love or trust one another.

    Yet this dream can only be fulfilled when those amongst us that call ourselves leaders preach, practice and display discipline, temperance, holiness, morality, restraint, tolerance, mercy and the fear of God in the conduct of our affairs. It can only be made manifest when we stand up and fight against evil, tyranny, injustice, indecency bad governance, the abuse of power , political persecution and sheer wickedness.

    I have come here today to tell you that Nigeria and the Nigerian dream lives on and that it shall be made manifest for all to see in the fullness of time. I therefore urge you to be strong, to hold your heads up high, to be proud of who and what you are and to stand firm. The vision is for an appointed time. Though it may tarry it shall not prove false. Just hold on and always remember that, despite all, ‘’hope springs eternal’. God bless you and God bless Nigeria. Happy new year.

  • When the colonialists were here

    SIR: The few legacies left behind by the colonial masters have been totally neglected, bastardised and abandoned. At the time when the colonial masters were here, we had running and potable water across the country; water that flowed from taps, water that Nigerians could drink without nursing the fear of catching cholera or typhoid. When the colonial masters were here, we had motorable trunk A’ roads as opposed to the dangerous, pothole-riddled roads of today. When the colonial masters were here, the railway system worked effectively; one could travel from Lagos to all the former regional capitals on rail. They had specialized wagons to carry cattle, sheep, goats; even eggs were freighted by railways. The trains had specific wagons for transporting petroleum products across the country and special compartments for carrying granite and sand. But today, it is a deplorable story that even with the type of resources we have; we can not provide modern railway system for Nigerians.

    When the colonial masters were here, we had a police organization that was effective and respected by Nigerians across the country and military that was thoroughly and absolutely professional and well disciplined. Those were legacies of the colonialists which our so-called nationalists inherited.

    But today, the military that have been drafted to man road-blocks in order to curb crimes and incessant security breaches have turned checkpoints into bribe points. When the colonial masters were here, we had stable power supply. When the colonial masters were here, we could travel from North to South and from West to East without fear. Today Nigerians are bombed by faceless bombers, killed and abducted by robbers and kidnappers on daily basis. What we have today is a total departure of all that we have inherited.

    When the colonial masters were here, we had sound and vibrant educational sector and general hospitals across the country that provided excellent medical care to all Nigerians irrespective of their status.

    Today, it is a well known fact that in the last 50 years, Nigerians expectations on good governance which is the focal point on which all other issues are to be founded have not been met. For most Nigerians that have lived and died in the last 50 years, the reality of their existence as a citizen has been absolute regret. We are absolutely regretful because since our independence, we can only boast of corruption, insecurity, ASUU strike etc. Majority of our citizens reel in abject poverty while the fortunate minority clutch government power and wealth at the expense of millions who lack water, food, security, safety, clothing, health, shelter and peace of mind.

     

    • John Akevi,

    Bauchi

  • Case for dialogue without constitutional strings

    The decision to host a national dialogue in the wake of many National problems is good. It should be seen as opportunity for citizens to participate in decision-making aimed at finding solutions to National problems. However before the final whistle is blown for take – off, there is need to reflect on the appropriate name and nature of the proposed national gathering- a name and conference that would win the confidence and support of majority citizens and preserve the peace and unity of the country.

    Based on current mood of the nation and careful review of reactions to the Advisory committee, it is clear that Nigeria needs a non – constitutional conference – a fact finding and problem solving summit devoid of constitutional apron – strings. We suggest NATIONAL MANAGEMENT /LEADERSHIP SUMMIT to proffer solution to identified problems and sift those for Executive and Legislative actions. What the country desires is not a brand new constitution but new progress – minded elites with the right attitude to do the right thing such as the provision of man’s basic needs, fair-play, justice and equality of all citizens before the law as already contained in 1999 constitution. The furore observed during the Advisory committee’s work was over a constitutional conference and not a national dialogue per se.

    Part of the assignment of the Okorunmu’s Advisory Committee was to “submit report to enable government brief the nation on the nomenclature, structure and modalities of the dialogue”. But given the hard ideological posture and persuasiveness of an influential section of the elites and the body language of the committee, there is the fear that it might not come out with recommendation based on reality of today but on some preconceived ideas of few but powerful and influential educated elite who had been spoiling for a constitutional conference for no just reason. The sharp division within the elite and hostile reaction to the idea of a conference as being diversionary suggest a house on fire and thus unsafe place for constitutional conference aimed at redesigning country.

    A creative interpretation of the advisory’s committee’s terms of reference will show that government desired maximum participation of citizens in the preparation for the proposed conference to enable her make informed decision. However, for many reasons, this was not possible: citizenry participation was low. In particular, a section of the elites rejected the proposal and boycotted the committees work. There was so much rancour and heartaches caused by ‘warring’ parties whose extreme positions precipitated some crisis of confidence. What became obvious was a mixed grill of reactions both for and against a constitutional conference but those against seems more in number and outside the corridors of power. But as Nigerians, the feelings of opponents could not be ignored without hurting the cause of the proposed conference itself.

    Most of the issues being peddled are not serious enough, many of them are not even constitutional while some are already contained in the 1999 Constitution and can easily be handled by the National Assembly which has the power to amend the constitution. Some are ridiculous and laughable. Contrary to the elites who argued that a constitutional conference is the only way out, there are other ways to attain the same goal. One of such ways is the Management / Leadership Summit. It is far less costly, more cost effective and easier to organize than a constitutional conference. This is even more so when most of the serious problems of the country are operational and managerial in nature – for example corruption, sectarian disturbance, insecurity and unemployment, kidnapping and poor governance.

    There are other reasons for ruling out a constitutional conference. One of them is the democratic structures already in place especially the National Assembly and the need to strengthen them. The framers in their wisdom laid down procedure for amending the constitution. President Jonathan was elected to serve the country and protect and defend the constitution and not to set it aside or replace it by rewriting a new one as some of the educated elites have been pushing with impunity and disregard for laid down rules for constitutional amendment. Let’s learn to play by the rules of the game, grow, nurture and strengthen our institutions instead of trying to cut corners.

    All the elite’s talk about lack of Nigerian inputs to past constitutions and their ‘military imposition’ are untrue and insincere. Apart from the fact that that there was Nigerian input because the military men were foremost Nigerians and worked together with civilians, there is never a time all Nigerians would gather in one room for purpose of constitutional writing. The writing of a constitution is not everybody’s business but a select few working on behalf of others. The 1999 constitution is thus not fraudulent in stating ‘we, the people of Nigeria’…Will a new constitution now be said to be written by ‘we, the people of the mars?’And will all Nigerians be put in one room or field for purpose?

    Decision to hold a constitutional conference ought to depend on popular demand and driven by maximum citizenry participation and active support of the elites. But this was not the case. Participation of citizen has been low leaving scanty empirical evidence of support for a constitutional conference. Participation became a popular approach to governance in the1970s when it came to be realised that people are more eager and willing to support programmes and projects which they were involved in formulating, executing and evaluating. Thus citizenry participation became the vogue and the Advisory Committee was to facilitate this through wide consultation with citizens for the planned national dialogue. There is no doubt that that the concept of popular participation is a powerful tool in modern management if properly applied because we need maximum citizenry participation for the success of programs. Part of those to be mobilized for the proposed

    National Dialogue was the elites’ class but unfortunately a significant part of it proved difficult and unwilling to participate.

    This should be a major source of worry for the planned national conference – even much more so for a constitutional conference. It is an unhealthy signal because in practical terms it means that many people including a significant part of the elites would not support and accept the decisions of the conference.

    Many of the problems today such as terrorism – sectarian uprising and kidnapping, armed robbery, election rigging /malpractices, religious and ethnic intolerance, corruption, unemployment, poverty, underdevelopment, tribalism etc have nothing to do with the constitution but the ineptitude of the elite. Issues of structure had been addressed long time by breaking the big three regions inherited at independence to 4, 12, 19, 21, 30 and 36 of today to allay the fear of domination in the country. However the elites suffering from over – dose of classical notion of federalism and affliction of being like the Jones syndrome or greed for power have continued to twist things for unpatriotic reasons as though the world –nay Nigeria had been stagnant since 1914. They blame constitution unduly. Nigeria is not in need of new constitution but a new set of patriotic and development oriented elites with positive attitude to nation-building. In short, constitutional conference held a thousand times cannot solve the nagging problems of the day without good men with the right attitude on stage to do what is good and right. Most of the issues peddled for constitutional conference betray ignorance, lack of creative thinking, insincerity, unpreparedness by the elites to accept the common nature of humanity, equality and brotherhood of human beings as well as their unwillingness to make strategic sacrifice in the national interest.

     

    • Abhuere Ph.D, FNIM is former Director Corps Welfare and Inspection NYSC Abuja

  • Re – Centenary fixations

    SIR: My dear Kunle Abimbola. I have just finished reading your article of the above title and I cannot but get in touch. Talking of job creation, I am tempted to ask rhetorically why our leaders deliberately lie to us. I begin to wonder if the art of lying forms one of the pillars of governance, or whether it is diplomacy by another name. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (I admire and respect that woman, so much), would quote figures of over a million jobs created while Akin Adeshina of the Agriculture ministry and other ministers will reel out figures equally of the millions, of jobs created. Where, if I may ask?

    Of course, from experience I do know that some ‘lucky’ Nigerians have reported for deployment without being interviewed nor were such spaces advertised by way of due process except recommendations from the presidency, the National Assembly and other such institutions. Any wonder why why productivity is low, effective supervision is drastically abridged and accurate statistical data on staff strength is usually a guess work.

    Or still, maybe the advertised ones where you have to pay some non-refundable sum for places that have already been filled. So, the job has been created by the privileged few for some privileged few.

    When Obasanjo characteristically issued his ex-cathedra for the demolition of toll-gates across the nation’s highways, I told my children (my only reliable audience and constituency) that it was a ploy to create contract opportunity for the “boys” who in future will get another contract for the re-construction of same. Party patronage. Period.

    All these geo-political quotas for the so-called Centenary celebration, Kunle, can they be sustained and MAINTAINED? What is happening to the National Arts Theatre at Iganmu, the National Stadium, Surulere and Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) all in Lagos, NIGERIA? My patriotic answer is that we don’t have the required maintenance culture.

    So, the centenary fixations are fixated on the contracts to be awarded or have been awarded from the centre or how else do you think the funds for the 2015 presidential elections would be sourced? Happy New Year!

    • Myk Aiyemo,

    Abuja.

     

  • Amaechi and PDP’s regret

    From the look of things, it does not require the help of a soothsayer to tell the world that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been regretting and also fighting already lost wars of vendetta against the G-5 governors. There is no gainsaying the fact that the PDP has left its obligations for fights of the governors, which were the imminent behaviour it exhibited that compelled the governors to pitch their tents with the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is today receiving ovations from many members of the public for dazing the PDP diplomatic uppercuts.

    If you have seen a wounded snake in the bush before or have wounded one yourself and took a very keen observation of her, you would notice that she bites every object on her way; or if you have seen an entrapped dog before, you would notice that she cries more than any wailing group of persons. These are better ways to describe the drive of the once self-acclaimed largest party in Africa, known as and called the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Since Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and four of his fellow governors moved from the perceived problematic PDP, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the PDP has not concealed its open regrets. Even when many legal luminaries had said before and after Amaechi and co moved out of the PDP that they have a right for free association, the PDP is going to court of law to seeing that their seats are declared vacant.

    The discreditable side of the PDP is that it refused to address almost all the issues raised by the former G-7 group as the reasons they were not happy with the party before five of them genuflected. Gov. Amaechi, for one, told the world that the reason the G-5 governors moved to the APC was because Mr. President failed to resolve the issues the G-7 governors had raised, hence they took a position. The PDP did not go to court to ask Mr. President why he was unable to meet the requirements of the governors, but here is the party exposing itself to the gallery for public ridicule.

    Unlike the PDP and Mr. President, Gov. Amaechi has no personal antagonism with the two. Political calculators knew that those calling for Amaechi’s head for telling the leadership of the country where it should get things right, were only doing so out of sheer sentiment that Mr. President perhaps said that he went to school without shoes or because he said that he is a PhD holder or because he is from the South-South region. The PDP did not go to court to ask Mr. President the reason Rivers State continued to lose her oil wells in some parts of the state like Etche and Kalabari. The PDP did not see these inimical acts as affecting the Rivers masses. It, perhaps, thought that the former oil wells in Rivers State that were given out to other states, would affect Amaechi alone.

    Gov. Amaechi should be praised for the position he took in joining the APC in order to give room for peace. Notwithstanding, if there is any person or party today that is still making problems in and out of Rivers State, that party is the PDP and some of its members.

    Gov. Amaechi has a way of surviving in troubles, which no person should think that his joining the APC would bring to an end his political career. His developmental activities might be diminishing in Rivers State, but from accounts it was noted that the federal allocations to the state has also diminished. No one should think that Amaechi has taken Rivers State back to slavery by joining the APC. Afterall, no member of APC has been recorded as the leader or part of the troubles orchestrated against Amaechi in the state, but some Rivers persons who want to slave the state by magic or design, hence they pose in making sure that the governor is removed for them to have their ignoble and inglorious way to manipulate the state. It is unconstitutional for anyone to say that Mr. President must test power for 8 years for fairness, equity and justice to play in the six regions of Nigeria.

    But to Amaechi, he sees as ignorant and self-seeking those who line their political perception on the margin of religion and ethnicity. This is just the bane of the PDP and the reason it has lost out even though it still brags as the leading party. The PDP has become a victim of its manipulation, but is only shy to make the world know that it is regretting, except through its vendetta language we can read.

    Odimegwu Onwumere,

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

  • Abdul-Mumini Jibrin should apologise to Ngozi Iweala

    If you truly want to test a man’s character and maturity, give him power. Sometime I wonder at the level of immaturity exhibited by our law makers. The recent brawl between the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the House of Rep. Committee Chairman on Finance, Abdul-Mumini Jibrin, during a recent parley on the state of the economy is simply another childish display by our honourables. For God’s sake, the woman has every right to make her point clear, why not allow her to talk and establish her case. I don’t want to believe that the Chairman’s action was premeditated but for him to act in that manner simply shows his lack of emotional intelligence and maturity. Committee chairmen must treat their assignments with utmost sense of dignity and objectivity. If he has any issue with the person of the honourable minister, he should at least respect her office and not close up on her rudely. Besides, it is expected that public office holders should model the right behaviour and conduct in the discharge of their assignment. His action fell short of that. If the Chairman is placing his argument on the fact that the honourable minister complained of not too fine, his approach would have been more humane. I think the committee should apologise to her because the Chairman’s attitude is condemnable and unsatisfactory for a public office holder of that status.

    Alexander Ighoro

    Warri, Delta State

  • Tormenting darkness across the land

    Tormenting darkness across the land

    It should have been an illuminating piece of news; but, on the contrary, it brought further darkness because of the confusion it generated. President Goodluck Jonathan sounded unbelievable in his New Year’s message to Nigerians when he declared, with unconvincing optimism, that his administration would ensure that the people enjoy better electricity supply in 2014. As if the sugar-coated idea was not enough, he left many people wondering what he was talking about when he said, “Government will also strengthen regulation of the sector, and closely monitor electricity delivery to increase this beyond 18 hours per day.” Did Jonathan imply that the country was already enjoying at least 18 hours of power supply daily? He couldn’t have been serious, and definitely should not be taken seriously, if that was his intention.

    It is no news that Nigerians have adjusted to the dark, with the inexcusable failure of successive administrations to fix power supply in the country. So Jonathan’s words were most likely treated with the sort of bemused smile that comes when a politician makes a politically correct but ridiculous statement.

    Listen to him: “In 2014, we will continue to prioritise investments in key sectors, such as infrastructure development, power, roads, rail transportation and aviation. In the past year, the Federal Government completed the privatisation of four power generation companies and 10 power distribution companies. We are also in the process of privatising 10 power plants under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).” He added, “We shall boost investments in transmission to ensure power generated is properly evacuated and distributed. In this regard, we have already mobilised an additional $1.5 billion for the upgrade of the transmission network in 2014 and beyond.”

    Words are not enough! This truth was evident a day ahead of Jonathan’s speech when an entire town took to the streets in protest against an incredible five-month blackout. The scene was in Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. “We have been in darkness since September,” said the leader of the protesters, David Adesina, who explained that their action was triggered by the failure of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to repair a faulty transformer after the community had made an advance payment of N250, 000.

    Hopefully, this episode will not be prophetic, and electricity users across the country will not have to experience the prolonged darkness that is tormenting Omu-Aran. However, it is a serious cause for concern that such dark examples persist even in the era of privatisation. As the private power distribution companies settle down to business, it would be interesting to see how much difference they will make to the country’s electricity challenges, and how much professional value they will add to the new way after a long and unrewarding period of government control in the sector. But, certainly, the IBEDC example is neither positive nor promising.

    Jonathan’s hyperbolic picture of the power supply situation, even with its dishonest foundation, sadly demonstrates a limiting mentality that can do the country no good. It would appear that the president cannot visualise a Nigeria that enjoys electricity round the clock; and that is why he could, even if untruthfully, only speak of “beyond 18 hours per day.” Even in his imagination, he could not see the possibility of “24 hours per day” and boldly proclaim it.

    Such conscious limitation is part of the tragedy of political leadership in the country. Another related aspect is a grand poverty of vision. These recognisable twins of under-development, unfortunately, continue to plague the country, and Jonathan’s case offers little relief or hope. His message did not bring the much-desired light; rather, it was, ironically, a testimony to undesirable darkness.

  • Olabayo’s prediction on Aregbesola

    SIR: When a new year approaches, soothsayers suddenly come alive. Given that our society is largely driven by superstition, rather than knowledge and reason, all kinds of predictions are made, usually by charlatans who know that fearful and gullible people will take them seriously. Over the years, half of these predictions have turned out to be guesswork that a dim-witted person with half sense can anticipate, while of course, the other half will turn out to be false.

    ‘Prominent politician, musician and actor or actress should pray very well to avoid sudden death’, has become a notorious line in the fraud that has become predictions over the years. Of course, given the dangerous lifestyles and occupational hazards of these professional groups, death is always at the corner and it does not require a soothsayer to tell us that. At any rate, the life expectancy in Nigeria is 47 and it takes the grace of God to surpass it and so nobody should scare us. Sooner or later, we will all die, soothsayers et al.

    One of the aims of these false predictions is to sow the seed of fear and make the victims to rush to the soothsayers for prayers and to stop the predictions from coming to pass. This is where the soothsayers make the kill. Big men have big money and can afford to spend big to avert a catastrophe.

    This brings to mind the recent prediction of Primate Olabayo on Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State. Primate Olabayo was reported to have predicted that Governor Aregbesola should pray against being kidnapped in 2014. Ordinarily, this should be tossed into the dustbin. Governors are the most protected persons in the country. The best hands in the service are posted to guard them and there has been only one recorded breach in Anambra State when the then governor, Dr Chris Ngige, was abducted and a charade of his resignation played out. It turns out there was really no kidnapping, but that the script was written and directed by the highest office in the land with the security agencies being made unwilling players in what later became ‘transparent subterfuge’, to quote Wole Soyinka.

    The idea that a governor could be kidnapped could have been laughable, only that it is tragic. Could Olabayo therefore be playing another script? Is there a plan to kidnap Governor Aregbesola in his re-election year and the dastardly act made to look like the work of some local hungry bandits?

    How do we relate this with the allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that President Jonathan has a 1,000 hit list and confirmed by Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who claimed that the list is real and his name is on it?

    I am asking Governor Aregbesola not to be deterred and cowed by false prophets and their prophecies. He should continue the good works he is doing in Osun.

    We have taken note of this false prediction and we know those to be held responsible, in case of any shenanigan, just in case.

    • Dr Olu Joseph,

    Surulere, Lagos

  • Still on OBJ’s letter

    The Greek writer Sophocles may have long predicted Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s vitriolic vituperations in the open letter, aptly entitled, Before it is too late to the embattled President Goodluck Jonathan. In specific terms, Obasanjo’s allegations  include the President reneging on his earlier promise to spend only one term in office, made to the top hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in  Obasanjo’s presence; treating the  rampaging, hydra-headed monster of corruption with kid gloves, gross incapacity to rein in the evil of insecurity as evidenced by the spatter of kidnappings and the Boko Haram insurgency.

    He is accused of  promoting ethnic chauvinism, supporting opposition parties for electoral victory, protecting murderers and open romance with them, stoking the fires that threaten the unity of the ruling PDP and of course, the most dangerous of them all – having some 1,000 Nigerians on his watch list and allegedly training snipers as it was during the dark days of the dreaded Sani Abach-led  military regime.

    This sad, sordid and scary scenario painted graphically in the 18-page letter ignites some burning questions. So grave and grievous is this singular allegation about the training of snipers all in the bid to hang to power come 2015 that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project(SERAP) swiftly sent a petition to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Christof Heyns urging him to ‘ask the Nigerian government to halt any alleged training of snipers for political purposes.”

    SERAP also wants a thorough investigation to be carried out to fish out the masterminds and bring them to speedy justice. It reminds that ‘the government has a particular responsibility to protect all citizens and other residents in the country against human rights violations. The right to life is widely regarded as the supreme right. The training of snipers will invariably lead to a pervasive climate of insecurity and the absence of the rule of law.”

    The second question centres on Jonathan’s   lukewarm and tepid response to the fight against corruption. Under this administration, concerned Nigerians have watched with utter disbelief how issues of gargantuan corruption are brought to the public space only for them to be swept under the carpet, deliberately. At first they generate so much public concern but soon they peter off and suffer what physicists would call the Doppler effect.

    How many instances can one recount? While poor Nigerians were subjected to untold agony over the removal of fuel subsidy, some smart Alecs in the name of fuel marketers were loading premium spirit direct from Port Harcourt refinery, off to ships waiting on the high sea, some papers were signed and the same fuel brought back to Nigeria and sold to the country at exorbitant prices! Amongst those fingered as responsible for the ripping of the country are sons of PDP stalwarts. The same Nigerians who were regaled about how the proceeds of the increase in fuel pump price from N65 to N97 per litre would be channeled into the SURE-P as buffer for their unjustifiable pains are now being told that some N500billion of the expected revenue inflow has suddenly grown wings. Not long after that, the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi  raised his voice a pitch higher to let Nigerians know that some tidy sum of N8 trillion naira expected as oil revenue from NNPC is nowhere to be found! And as the agency makes spirited attempts to douse the flames of public angst against such an outrage of financial recklessness or outright pillaging of the national coffers,   the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal adds his patriotic concern about the antics of a sitting president whose body language condones corruption in the corridors of power.

    Only recently, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State asked the Finance Minster, Okonjo-Iweala to tell Nigerians how many barrels of crude oil we produce and export on daily basis but no answer yet even as theft of crude oil goes on with spree.

    What has happened to Arumah Otteh after all the grave allegations leveled against her at SEC? What about Stella Oduah and the inflated contract for the purchase of two bullet-proof cars for N255million? She is still sitting pretty at her plush office as the Minister of Aviation at a time a fellow Nigerian who allegedly stole N500 was asked to provide N20,000 for his bail? How much more of this open stealing of our common patrimony can we take, at a time  when pension funds of those who served their country meritoriously running into billions are converted into private pockets by the untouchables?

    That brings us to the insecurity challenge as highlighted by Obasanjo. Though, one must symapthise with Jonathan for having the Boko Haram menace taking on a dangerous dimension during his tenure, how do we explain his obvious helplessness to combat it headlong and protect ordinary citizens from being sent to their early graves? With billions of budgetary allocation earmarked for stemming the tide of the blood-letting and with the state of emergency declared in three North-Eastern states one would have expected much more pro-active measures. But with Police Headquarters in Abuja bombed in broad daylight, with the UN headquarters suffering a similar fate and with the Air force base in Maiduguri razed to rubbles  in an early morning raid, nothing could be more telling of this administration’s inability to live to up to its responsibilities of protecting us all. So, sad!

    While patriotic Nigerians may not bother themselves too much about the crack in the PDP House that is fast falling, as Karl Meir would caption his book, it is interesting to note that Jonathan has been the piper dictating the ugly tune for the hard line posture of PDP helmsman, Tukur telling anyone who cares to listen about instilling discipline in a party whose antecedent is that of aiding and abetting corruption. Still, we must come to terms with the grim fact, that here in Nigeria, corruption has a million mesmerizing colours.

    One is that of a desperate president playing the ethnic card to further his vaulting ambition. Only that would provide the answers to the verbal missiles from the likes of Asari Dokunbo of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force rising to the rooftop to threaten Nigerians that hell would be let loose should Jonathan not be allowed to contest and win the presidency come 2015.And you ask yourself what manner of democracy are we operating. Only that would make us understand why the president’s Ijaw kinsman, Chief Edwin Clark has suddenly become his alter ego, defending all manner of absurdities that characterize the current maladministration. We may not begrudge his desire to start his own university, as his is located in Nigeria instead of Dokubo’s in the Republic of Benin. Perhaps, even our Christendom would have been saved some embarrassment if the jet-loving Pastor Ayo Oritsejefor is not the one calling the shots and using it as mask behind which every percieved enemy of President Jonathan must be given a dose of his restless tongue lashing.

  • Ogunro: Good guys don’t die, they live forever

    Contradiction: that word does amaze me to no end. And most especially when it applies to the life of a man! It is even more intriguing when applied to the life and times of Sesan Ogunro who was shot in the night of December 22nd at the MKO Garden neighborhood by unknown gunmen. That was a man who would never hurt a fly, a man who was always cool and calm; always in smiles. He was always at peace with himself.

    Ogunro abhorred all forms of violence and would let go of any material thing without thinking twice, yet he was shot- an irony. What were the odds therefore that he got shot and killed at a place of worship and peace, not even anywhere on the road? A place known for all he stood for and lived his life by? The contradiction in violence against the calmness of the church and its premises where the gunmen cut him down baffles me. Would it be right to describe this as murder in the cathedral? Ogunro hardly ventured into the night but he was shot in the night. Yet another contradiction! Before I proceed further, I need to quickly dispel the rumour making the rounds that he was shot by the robbers because he resisted them and was unwilling to surrender his car keys when he was accosted by the gunmen. What a wicked rumour!

    Unknown to many, that Sunday evening’s encounter with robbers was not his first. It was probably the third. One which I still recall as he once narrated to me is that of an evening almost two decades ago. He said he had pulled up at a petrol station somewhere in Ikeja to fuel his Mercedes Benz 300 coupe which was one in town back then when some gunmen accosted him demanding for the keys of the car. Pronto, he surrendered the key and pulled out his wallet, and told them that the car was low on gas and was to hand over fuel money when suddenly one of them recognized him saying ‘Eminent Man, good guy, return his car key to him’. Thereafter they simply vamoosed. Few days later, the car was up for sale.

    So, Ogunro would never resist an armed person for he would warn that you do not challenge a man holding a gun. What happened on that black Sunday as recounted to me by some people at the scene was a robbery gone awry. He had got to the place of an ongoing robbery right in front of his church where he attended a carol service along family members and panicked, which triggered another panicked reaction from the robbers causing them to shoot him at close range. He would then battle for another three hours before he finally died at about 12:45am on Monday morning. In another clime, my egbon would have survived that fatal gun wound.

    A seasoned marketing communications professional and a strategist, Ogunro’s foray into the realm of political communications took off when he played a big role in the Bashorun MKO Abiola Presidential election campaigns of 1993 which was won but denied. Most will still remember the “MKO is our man o o” campaign pay off which was his brainchild. Since then, his signature had been seen in Tinubu and Fasholas’ election campaigns of 1999, 2003 and 2007, 2011. He served as political communications advisor to several other election campaigns.

    Born of Mr and Mrs Folorunso Ogunro of Ise-Ekiti, Sesan Ogunro spent his childhood in Lagos before proceeding to the Elite Christ’s school Ado-Ekiti where he had a distinguished academic career in the arts especially fine arts. His late father, who had had a stint in the military, later worked as an accountant at LUTH before retirement. Ogunro got reconnected to his Ekiti roots during his sojourn at Christ’s School Ado. He was always fond of telling people how Christ’s School shaped his life for which he was always grateful. After secondary school, Ogunro returned to Lagos and began working as a Journalist at Radio Nigeria and enrolled at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism then on Lagos Island where he obtained his Diploma. From there, there was no looking back for him as he would later venture into the exciting and glamorous world of advertising.

    For those of us who were close to him, there was no dull moment as he was capable of making jokes out of any issue. He was an indoor’s man who would glue to his TV watching his favourite Manchester United FC on weekends. To ensure he did not miss his team’s match he would only be in a place where there was a generator just in case of public power failure. As a big fan of Man U, you dared not call him on the day his team got defeated. He never drank alcohol but water and homemade juice. He hardly attended parties unless extremely important.

    Remembering Ogunro and the good times we shared together will linger forever. How can I forget my frequent visits to his office and our lunch of ice- water soaked gari and roasted groundnut? Or the pounded yam and vegetable soup quickly organized by Dennis or Yusuf? How can I forget Sesan Ogunro? Forty eight hours before he was fatally shot, we were gisting and laughing merrily at Southwestern Hotels Ado-Ekiti where he insisted I must return to Lagos for Christmas. He made promises which I know he would have fulfilled.

    Despite all, Sesan Ogunro lived a fulfilled life full of great achievements within his 61 years on this earth. He was a loving husband, a caring brother, a doting father and grandfather. He had touched many lives so profoundly that the mere mention of his name will continue to open doors for members of his family. Ogunro is truly unforgettable.

    To his aged mother whom he would hail during discussions as “say mummy,” I pray God comfort her because I can attest to mama’s closeness to her first son. To his lovely wife Dupe, his children Dami, Sesan Ogunro Jnr.(Bobo), Fade and Timayo, I urge them to take heart as we are consoled in the good works their dad left behind. To our dear Sesan Ogunro, good guys don’t die, they live forever. Unforgettable, that’s what you truly are.

    • Ekundayo, Commissioner for Information, Ekiti State, is Ogunro’s cousin.