Rapid urbanization has forced millions of Nigerians to live in slums and squatter settlements, as the country’s population is growing faster than its ability to build new housing. Today, more than 80 percent of Nigerians live in substandard housing conditions, and many lack access to electricity.
However, for some, relief is on the way thanks to a company called Comprehensive Design Services (CDS).
The company caters to people who would not otherwise have access to home ownership.
It seeks to improve the living standard of Nigerians by providing affordable houses, reliable renewable energy, clean water and recycling strategies.
CDS was launched by architect and social entrepreneur Chinwe Ohajuruka, who was the Sub-Saharan African Laureate of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards in 2015. “Comprehensive Design Services aims to turn challenges in the Nigerian built environment into opportunities,” she said.
In 2012 CDS was one of 17 winners (out of 495 entries) in the African Diaspora Marketplace (ADM II) Business Plan Competition in the United States.
Between 2013 and 2015, CDS built 12 affordable green housing units in two locations in Port Harcourt, four of which belong to the government. Ohajuruka said, “People’s lives have been changed for the better because eight families [38 people] now live in decent homes with access to clean water, improved sanitation and renewable energy. More importantly, they now live with dignity.”
The group is currently preparing to build its next multi-housing development comprising approximately 40 small homes including studios, one-bedroom and two-bedrooms houses.
Last year, Nigeria’s Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that factors working against home ownership in Nigeria include the high cost of land, lack of financing, high interest rates, high material and construction costs, and delays in obtaining titles to land and buildings.
Ohajuruka believes that few housing developers are interested in affordable housing, as the profit margins are not large. “We have seen a need, and have developed ways to build decent housing quickly, affordably and sustainably,” she said. “We are trying to lead by example, to improve the lives of Nigerians with simple, sustainable housing.
We are trying to tackle large, complex problems with simplified solutions, one home at a time. We design, engineer and build compact homes that are self-cooling, solar-powered and water-sufficient. They combat climate change in a natural and groundbreaking way.”
She explained that the technology is quite simple and is called Bio-Climatic Design. “It means designing and engineering the buildings to suit the climate by going back to first principles: keep out the sun, rain and insects; maximize natural ventilation and natural lighting; raise the building off the ground for flood prevention and control, and capture rainwater where possible.”
Water comes from underground boreholes, pumped using solar power.
“We have the best climate in the world, but our buildings have become hot, stuffy and dark, requiring fans and air conditioners,” said Ohajuruka. “We should work with the climate in the design of buildings and not against it.”
She explained that CDS did not invent the technology; the country’s traditional architecture was better suited to the climate than many modern buildings. “We simply revived and modernized traditional architecture principles. We are not the only ones doing it in Nigeria. There are many climate-conscious architects who are doing similar and better work.”
Initially funded with a grant from USAID and Western Union Foundation, CDS is now working to raise funds from the private sector. Ohajuruka said that CDS’s constructions typically cost 25-50 percent less to build than similar homes in similar regions, and consume 50-75 percent less energy. “That is why they are called affordable and green.
The cost varies according to the quantity: the more we build, the cheaper they become because of economies of scale.”
Nonetheless, she noted that it will take a major effort to curb the country’s housing crisis.
“I am of the opinion that that we have to do much more if we hope to close the 17 million housing unit deficit. Sustainable thinking will have to be deployed on a massive scale,” she said.
“Our greatest challenge to date has been that all we have done so far barely scratches the surface of what needs to be done. Scaling up our operations has not been easy.
It has often been said that if you want to understand a problem, try to solve it. We now understand firsthand why providing affordable housing is a global problem.
To the glory of God, we have started on a path to success, and there is no looking back, no matter how formidable the challenges are.”
Over the long term, Ohajuruka’s goal is to replicate the model across Sub-Saharan Africa. She remains optimistic: “Our progress is slow but sure.”
It all started when Edouard Claude Oussou witnessed an unsettling incident in Libreville, the capital of Gabon.
A child was dropped off at school, waited a few minutes until his parent was far enough away, then took off in the opposite direction from his class.
This fairly common scene illustrates the wider problem of Gabon’s educational system. The country’s grade repetition rate is the highest in the world – twice the African average – while the primary completion rate is low, at 37.2 percent, according to the World Bank.
After seeing this scene, which helped to explain the prevalence of academic failure in his country, Oussou began to ask himself a number of questions. How can parents be kept informed about their children’s movements in the school environment, so that learning that their child failed is less of a shock at the end of the trimester? How can success be guaranteed for the greatest possible number of students? The 35-year-old Gabonese entrepreneur was inspired to create Scientia (Latin for “knowledge”), a mobile app that aims to encourage better academic performance.
Scientia has three facets which work together to ensure its effectiveness. First, there’s an online platform available in a mobile version and a range of formats including SMS, allowing users to follow a pupil’s activity in real time and on a daily basis. Depending on whether the user is a parent, school principal, teacher or administrator, the application displays a different interface and has different settings.
For example, a school principal has access to a platform that offers a global view of the lesson programs of all the teachers working at the institution and enables him or her to track and manage students, teachers, assessments and even grades. It allows the principal to communicate with teachers and administrators about a range of topics.
Teachers are able to manage and input data on the classes they teach, notably relating to assessments, grades and behavior. SMS alerts can be sent out to parents to warn them that their child is absent from a lesson, that there is an exam coming up, homework to be done, or that their child has been disciplined.
The data recorded and processed by the platform help indicate the quality of the teaching and pinpoint areas for improvement. Additionally, the data show each student’s weak points by tracking academic progress over a sustained period.
Finally, the app helps pupils to stay motivated at school and develop new learning techniques and concepts. Other student-tracking programs don’t take a child’s personal development into account, but Scientia is different in that it includes modules on personal development, leadership and self-confidence. Indeed, the aim of the startup behind the app is to help every pupil start thinking about his or her choices for the future, and to offer support in preparing for life as an adult. It’s an innovative approach that gained recognition at the EU-Africa Business Forum (EABF), organized ahead of the African Union-European Union Summit held in November 2017 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
To prevent personal data leaks, the Scientia system is hosted on a secure server, with a certificate that is visible each time a user logs in. There is an account password for security, and during each session the system safeguards the pupil’s information. A user can only see the information for which he or she has authorized access.
Oussou explained that one of the major challenges he faced when developing Scientia was the question of how to make the application accessible to all, while finding a way to pay for it. “We ask partner institutions to increase monthly school fees by 3,000 CFA francs (USD 5) per student. This charge is then shared between the institution and the Scientia project,” he said.
Although the Scientia system is already being implemented in five schools in Libreville (of which three are state schools), the app has not yet gained widespread popularity among Gabon’s education workers. “It’s new technology and that means a new way of doing things. It often takes time to adjust,” Scientia’s creator said. He is still waiting for official authorization from the Ministry of Education for the system to be used in state schools.
Scientia has already sparked interest outside of Gabon, notably in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and even Guinea-Conakry. But first and foremost, Oussou would like to see his project benefit his local education system, which has been weakened by a series of strikes and is struggling to cope with high numbers of students. In the words of George Jacques Danton, “After bread, education is the first need of the people.”
Adho mukha. Chaturanga. Uttanasana. These words are becoming part of the prison lingo in Argentina, thanks to a group of young yoga instructors who created the “Moksha – yoga in jail” project.
On a sunny day, you can hear phrases such as “hands to the center of the heart,” “open up your chests,” “now, cobra” and “exhale as you transition to crescent lunge” in the yard of the 48th Penitentiary Unit of the San Martín state prison in Buenos Aires.
Following these instructions, 30 barefoot inmates with their eyes shut quietly try to imitate the poses that a female instructor, Milagros Colombo, gently demonstrates. Behind them, there is a multicolored mural, painted by the inmates with specific objectives in mind. Gratitude, willpower, patience, resilience, responsibility, freedom and peace are some of the words they have painted.
“During the two hours of class, you forget about your problems. We do plank, downward-facing dog, chaturanga and end up feeling relieved, relaxed. You feel free doing yoga; you leave the world for two hours. You’re so focused that you don’t want the class to end,” says Lucas Roldán, a 33-year-old inmate who has been in prison for the last eight years.
Like him, 250 inmates participate in the yoga lessons that Moksha has organized since 2015 in two units of the San Martín prison, with the goal of transforming lives now and in the future. The idea was born out of the instructors’ desire to share the benefits of yoga with the most vulnerable.
COMMUNITY. Yoga in Penitentiary Unit No. 48 of San Martin. MOKSHA: yoga in jails. Photo: Fernando Massobrio
“All of us instructors live and breathe yoga, and it’s a treasure so valuable to us that we asked ourselves where we could share it,” says 29-year-old Colombo. “The prison sector is neglected in many aspects. So if these men can make the most out of their time here, they’ll have more opportunities once they leave, and we will all have better neighbors.”
This penitentiary is a study in contrasts. Locks, bars, spiked fences and uniformed guards characterize the enclosure, while the neatness of the place, with its large, well-kept gardens, creates an unexpected sense of peace. The inmates behind bars greet the Moksha volunteers as they walk through the halls, but they can’t even shake hands.
Roldán knows that yoga changed his life. For this reason he anxiously awaits the weekly lesson each Thursday. Some mornings, he even meets with other inmates to practice poses. “It’s much more pleasant at that time of day because you can hear the birds. People often think the worst of us for being arrested for theft or for killing a police officer. And maybe they think we should be left in this place to rot. I’ve achieved profound change here,” he says.
Roldán is one of a group of inmates in maximum security who sometimes tag along with Moksha volunteers to teach yoga in medium-security wards. There, they encounter convicted sex offenders, who have a particularly bad reputation among fellow inmates. “It was another open door. This is reintegration, like Pope Francis said, we shouldn’t discriminate; we’re all humans. When they invited me, I didn’t hesitate. We’re all prisoners, they have their problems and we have ours. We were given an opportunity, we wanted to give one to them,” says Roldán.
The project has continued to grow as other wards ask for access to classes, including the women in Unit 47.
Gabriel Márquez Ramírez is passionate about yoga. “Two years ago, the instructors came to teach us the philosophy behind yoga and its positive impact. I practice every day because I like it; it centers you, it relaxes you, it takes away negative thoughts, it serves both body and mind. I love yoga,” says the 24-year-old inmate, adding that he hopes to become an instructor one day. “It cleanses body and mind, you learn to better nourish yourself and you become a better person. Here, the atmosphere has completely changed.”
Currently, 20 instructors volunteer for the Moksha project, which aims to acquire non-profit organization status. For now, it is wholly funded by private donations, with plans to grow.
“Yoga brings a huge amount of self-awareness, and the possibility to be present in body, breath and mind is liberating. [In Sanskrit] the word moksha means inner freedom through presence. Yoga liberates us from stress, creates peace of mind and helps us to experience a moment of presence so we can decide how to act, talk, think and react. That’s our goal,” says Colombo.
Her dream is to teach exclusively in prisons one day, to make it her full-time job. “This all stems from a sense of vocation, and we need more support to make the project grow,” she says. “We would also love to create a training program in the prison, so that inmates can become instructors and come work with us once they are released, as a form of social reintegration. With their experience, it would be easy for them to teach in new prisons, as living proof of what can be accomplished when you choose to live in a different way.”
As communication technology develops, people have access to more information than ever before, literally at their fingertips.
But how many of us can say that we are truly well informed?
Headlines tend to paint a bleak picture of our world: conflict, terrorism, hunger, climate change, social injustice – the list goes on. We are indeed facing complex and seemingly insurmountable challenges. Yet the full picture also offers solutions and reasons for hope.
In 2015, 193 countries agreed to work toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals. An ambitious plan to guide global development until 2030, the goals are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, establish peace, and ensure prosperous, fulfilling lives for all. They can only be achieved if people everywhere – governments, the private sector, civil society – embrace them.
Around the world, there is a growing grassroots movement to support the Sustainable Development Goals. Brilliant, innovative women and men are finding local solutions to global problems, helping to build a better society and economy for all. These entrepreneurs inspire others to replicate their solutions to issues such as health care, quality education, decent employment, clean energy and access to water.
A drive for positive change is gaining momentum. More and more people are working to help social entrepreneurs have a larger echo by supporting positive impact finance or investing in them and accelerating their approaches (such as the Skoll Foundation, Ashoka, Impact Hub, the One Young World Summit etc). These growing initiatives also find a way to scale up by developing connections with traditional businesses. And in turn, their disruptive and impact oriented approach help transform big corporations by inspiring more virtuous business models and products.
The news media can play a vital role in highlighting and spreading stories about innovative changemakers across borders. For the past six years, Sparknews has invited media from all over the world to take part in Impact Journalism Day, joining forces to publish articles about positive initiatives in special supplements or online reports, reaching 120 million people on the same day. Many of these media have now started to include solutions-oriented stories in their day-to-day coverage.
You, too, can participate in helping these projects to scale up and have even more impact. Share the stories that impress you the most on Facebook and Twitter (#ImpactJournalism, #StoryOfChange, @Sparknews, @TheNationNews).
We can all take part in writing the future of our global story.
Christian de Boisredon, founder of Sparknews and Ashoka Fellow & the Sparknews Team
For Victoria Oga, life has always been challenging and hard. The 19 year-old girl dropped out of school at age nine after her parent couldn’t continue sponsoring her education.
Oga just like many female teenagers in Makoko dropped out of school before reaching age 13.
Whilst parent try to get their child past nursery and primary, few get lucky crossing to secondary.
Most parents would prefer they learn trade, tailoring or join them in the old family business of fishing.
“I dropped out of school at a tender age. Initially I stayed at home for some years and also join my mum in the fish business, but three years ago I was brought here to learn tailoring,” Oga said.
Marshaling through the murky water leading to the community in a canoe paddled by young boy, the smell from excretes and the dirty water pervades the airwaves, as this reporter ventured into Makoko, a Lagos suburban area.
Entrance to the community
Meandering through the community on a hot Thursday morning, a child was spotted atop a makeshift shack toilet, with an old woman across calmly sitting at the frontage of a celestial church which views welcomes visitor, surrounded by children in an attentive manner to the tales of the woman.
With a population now estimated to be 250,000, Makoko according to World Population Review, detailing World Bank statistics, is said to be amongst identified 9 of the largest slum in Lagos.
With Education at its lowest ebb in Nigeria, Makoko is not immune from the alarming number of out-school children in the country, with non-availability of government schools in the community contributing to the problem.
Located in Lagos mainland Lagos, the waterfront part of the community is largely harboured by the Egun people who migrated from Badagry and Republic of Benin and whose main occupation is fishing
Mostly known as Makoko to outsiders, it is a six separated villages spread across land and water: Oko Agbon, Adogbo, Migbewhe, Yanshiwhe, Sogunro and Apollo. The first four are the floating communities, known as Makoko waterfront; the rest are based on land.
The Lagos State Government and both local and international NGOs epithet is Makoko-Iwaya Waterfront. Both united by the water, upon which a larger percentage of the community population depend for livelihood, as well as the Yoruba language, which serves as a lingua franca in a settlement where multiple languages are spoken: French, English, Yoruba and Egun.
In 2012 under the administration of Babatunde Fashola, the State government declared Makoko illegal and unsuccessfully tried to evict its residents in order to raze the entire slum, arguing that the living conditions were unsanitary and that it violated environmental legislation.
Education in Nigeria
According to the UNICEF, Nigeria has 10.5 million out-of-school children-the world’s highest number. Sixty per cent of those children are in northern Nigeria.
About 60 per cent of out-of-school children are girls. Many of those who enrol drop out early. Low perceptions of the value of education for girls and early marriages are among the reasons. Some northern States have laws requiring education of girls and prohibiting their withdrawal from school. Girls’ primary school attendance has been improving, but this has not been the case for girls from the poorest households.
With children under 15 years of age accounting for 45 per cent of the 171 million populations, the burden on education has become overwhelming for the nation currently facing numerous social challenges.
Many of those who struggle to enrol in school, drop out early, UNESCO says.
Education in Makoko
The riverine community boast of no government schools, but have some poorly run private schools across the community.
The only outside school ever to be situated in the area, was the now collapsed Makoko Floating School. A steep three-storey with a triangular roof, built and designed by Nigerian architect Kunle Adeyemi of NLE Works – in partnership with organisation including the Heinrich Boll Foundation, United Nation Development Project (UNDP), the Federal Ministry of Environment Africa Adaptation Programme, Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and the Makoko waterfront.
A makeshift private primary school visited by this correspondent, houses more than 100 pupils. The school, crammed in the midst of residential houses, is situated in an obscure area, boast of three badly built slum-shack classes.
Pupils are being taught in French
When asked why the pupils are being taught French in an Anglophone country, Vice-Principal John Abraham said paucity of funds is reason they haven’t been able to employ an English teacher to teach the pupils.
The school
Also adjoining schools situated in the community are poorly built, understaffed and having half-lettered teachers with a school having not more than three five teachers or three teachers sharing more than 8 subjects amongst themselves.
The situation in the community goes beyond lack of quality education, as cases of child abuses are also rampant with some becoming the breadwinners of their family instead of being in school.
A 13-year-old canoe paddler, Dudu Ebince told The Nation that he could not remember if he ever attended school.
Dudu, who upon sighting this reporter, with four of his co-young canoe paddlers rushed to his side in the little English language they could mustered asked with faint smile on their faces, the reporters’ destination.
“I may have gone to school when i was little, but I can’t remember. I am a canoe paddler, I ferry people from this bank to anywhere they want to go inside Makoko and make between N1000 and N1500 per-day depending on the day” Dudu said to the reporter conveying him to his destination in his rickety licking canoe.
Dudu
“While on market day, I make a lot money transporting people who come here for business purpose”.
Effect
While the community has a communal system of administration and management with local chiefs and community leaders, Makoko underdevelopment has greatly affected the community.
45-year-old Avleci Gerard, a community leader who owns a tailoring shop training dropout students on clothes sowing in his main-shack slum building relayed with graphic details of how lack of proper education and healthcare has been affecting Makoko.
Avleci who speaks no English or the Yoruba, the official language of his host community, spoke with The Nation correspondent in Egun and translated to the reporter by, a High School dropout now under the care of Avleci.
“We don’t have government presence in this community. There are no government school in this area and we don’t have government hospitals either. Government should know that we are Nigerians and not outsiders. Saying those in waterfront are not Lagosians is wrong. We have been here for more than 100 years and people currently here where born here and not as if they were brought from somewhere to inhabit this place’’ he said.
“We are suffering here; our major source of livelihood is fishing, which was passed down to us from our fathers and forefathers. We have been here for years and have nowhere to go”.
“They want use to relocate from this area to dry land, but to where exactly and they are asking us to leave. We are only here because we are fishermen and we must feed our family. Our business, everything about us is connected to this place and not just that were just living here for living sake”.
Gerard Avleci
“That’s why you that are closer to government should leave us and not chase us away from here. We feed through the meagre we get from fishing. Because of no hospital here, we have lost so many people to different ailments that could have been easily treated, if we have had a functioning hospital. We want you to help us”.
“Family here without any means of livelihood that depend on the fish business also are also facing eviction from government. You could see small children also engaging in canoe paddling as a means of making money, some use it to even feed their family”.
Avleci on his cloth sowing business said he started it as means to help school dropout so that they don’t fall into wrong hands.
“I started tailoring business 10 years ago and I have trained more than 60 people and in those ten years, I have really not made anything. I only use it to help those children, so that they too can have something doing, it’s not as if I make money from it, but as I just have to do it, it’s my own way of contributing to this community and their life. I also lecture them in our local dialect and we have someone who comes over here to teach them little English and other subjects.
Abu Bukola, a community teacher told The Nation what the community needs is government assistance and not eviction
“What we need is government assistance in our community. What we have here as a houses are slum shack and something that’s good. We all know that a foundation that is not strong crumbles easily”. Those are the kind of houses we have here are part of Lagos and Nigeria and deserve better from the government” he said.
Bukola, Community teacher
“What I think government can do is to assist people here by maybe establishing businesses for them with an agreement on how they would pay back and maybe also to construct a small building for them. People here just need small government assistance. They are not lazy, but hard working and if government is will to help, I believe they will really appreciate and best use of any assistance rendered”.
Cases of teenage pregnancies also are rampant and getting out of control, with a close direct observation seeing many teenagers in Makoko with children.
A mother with her child
Apart from Victoria, more than 15 teenagers are also under the care of Gerard, with more female than boys as all thrive to make meaning of their life and community.
Esther Moses who is billed to finish in August is thinking of prolonging her stay as she has no means setting up her own business.
“I don’t think I will be leaving here. I don’t have money and my parents also don’t have money to even buy me machine not to talk about getting a shop. So I may stay here for a while and maybe when I get money, I will pay for my graduation, get a machine and also shop” she said.
Otodo Gbeme eviction
Avleci during his interview with The Nation said the Otodo Gbame eviction by the Lagos State government in 2017 was one of the trying times in the community, as most those evicted migrated to Makoko with their properties and families.
The Lagos State government between November 2016 and April 2017, Lagos State authorities forcibly and violently evicted more than 30,000 residents from the Otodo-Gbame community on the outskirts of Lagos city.
In a report by Amnesty International, ‘The Human Cost of a Megacity: Forced Evictions of the Urban Poor in Lagos’ released in November 14 2017, the human right agency details the repeated forced evictions of the Otodo-Gbame and Ilubirin communities carried out since March 2016 without any consultation, adequate notice, compensation or alternative housing being offered to those affected”.
Accusing the government of Inconsistent government response, lack of safeguards and a need for investigation.
The report also documents at least three occasions between 9 November 2016 and 9 April 2017, when the residents of Otodo-Gbame were attacked by armed men who they identified as being from the neighbouring Ikate Elegushi community. At least 15 people sustained varying degrees of injuries, while one person died during these attacks. Also, on 16 February 2015, Ilubrin community was attacked by armed men, and two children went missing (bringing the total number of people reported missing by the two communities to 17).
Some evictees drowned as they fled police gunfire, while at least one was shot dead.
“These ruthless forced evictions are just the most recent examples of a practice that has been going on in Nigeria for over a decade in complete defiance of international law,” said Osai Ojigho, Amnesty International Nigeria’s Country Director.
“For the residents of these deprived communities, many of whom rely on their daily fish catch to make a living, the waterfront represents home, work and survival. Forced evictions mean they lose everything – their livelihoods, their possessions and in some cases their lives.
“The Lagos state authorities must halt these attacks on poor communities who are being punished for the state’s urban planning failures. The instability and uncertainty created by forced evictions is making their lives a misery as they are left completely destitute.”
Amnesty International spoke to 97 evicted people as part of its research, all of whom told a similar story of being made homeless and losing almost all their possessions.
Communities under attack
Between November 2016 and April 2017, Lagos state authorities forcibly and violently evicted more than 30,000 residents from the Otodo-Gbame community on the outskirts of Lagos city.
In the first eviction, at midnight on November 9, police and unidentified armed men chased out residents with gunfire and teargas, setting homes on fire as bulldozers demolished them.
Panicked residents tried to run to safety amid the chaos, with eyewitnesses reporting that some drowned in the nearby lagoon as they ran from gunfire.
Evictee Celestine Ahinsu told Amnesty International: “After a couple of days we started seeing the bodies floating. I saw three – a man with a backpack and a pregnant woman with a baby on her back. The community youths brought the bodies from the water. The relatives of the pregnant woman and child came to take their bodies.”
Nine people are believed to have drowned during the eviction and another 15 remain unaccounted for.
Of the 4,700 residents who remained in Otodo-Gbame after the eviction, some slept in canoes or out in the open, covering themselves with plastic sheets when it rained.
Four months later, in March 2017, state security forces backed up by unidentified men armed with machetes, guns and axes forcibly evicted residents who had remained.
When residents protested, they came under attack from police. One man, father of two Daniel Aya, was shot in the neck and killed.
The forced evictions were carried out in direct violation of court orders issued on 7 November 2016 and 26 January 2017. In some cases, residents were evicted while they showed police a copy of the court order that was supposed to prevent the government from demolishing their homes.
Meanwhile, 823 residents of the nearby Ilubirin community were forcibly evicted between 19 March 2016 and 22 April 2017.
After being given just 12 days’ written notice of eviction, Lagos state government officials and dozens of police officers chased residents out of their homes, and demolished all the structures in the community using fire and wood cutting tools.
Evictees subsequently returned to the area and rebuilt their structures, but these were demolished six months later with just two days’ oral notice and no consultation.
What happened in Otomo Gbeme is what we don’t want here. That’s why we want to give our children proper education so that they won’t face what we have been facing from government. We have lost a lot of people, Avleci told The Nation with a worried expression on his face.
Out of school children engage in canoe transport business to fend for themselvesA teenage girl canoe paddler search for customersSome engage in selling to people
The word “fake” in this context is seen as something not real, false, fraudulent or counterfeit of the original. Fake lifestyle on the other hand is pretense based on what you are not.
The Nigerian campuses in recent times have become topsy-turvy as a result of the malady exhibited by some students who pretend to be what they are not in the real sense, making others around them feel inferior because of their flamboyant lifestyles among other excesses.
Moreso, the students living fake lifestyles try all their best to buy every latest wears such as clothes, shoes, make latest hairstyles, buy latest phones to intimidate their fellow colleagues in school.
Again, these set of students do not mind getting starved or extorting others to belong to the proudly acclaimed “hottest babes/most expensive on campus”.
They sometimes claim to be children of politicians or associates of high caliber of people in the society but in the real sense, 90% of these set of fake students come from average or very poor homes with their parents or guardians working very hard to make ends meet for both them and their siblings.
In contemporary time, these categories of students follow trends by ascribing themselves names like boss lady, slay mama, slay queen or slay king etc in the name of fashion.
Meanwhile, they extort money from parents, guardians, older siblings and even go the extra miles of “scamming” people, cohabiting with rich men popularly known as sugar daddies just to furnish their rented apartments with sophisticated gadgets and furniture and in turn distort their education in the process.
This trend on Nigerian campuses is really alarming as those who are not in the game may be left wondering if there’s a price to be won in the long run.
The academic performance of these students however is seriously affected as many at times they perform so poorly in their academic activities. They hardly attend lectures but how they manage to pass with higher grades still becomes a mystery to other minors as the said students always have a way of buying themselves through.
In conclusion, the above trend might be so difficult to stop because the perpetrators are mostly secretive and deceptive in nature but the university authorities can put a check on this malady by implementing schemes that will best cater for the needs of students on campus. A vivid example is organizing workshops or seminars that will propel the entrepreneurial skills of their learners and in turn “fake life” on campus will become a thing of the past.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday in Russia and 32 nations will be vying for the planet’s biggest soccer prize.
Africa will be represented by five countries – Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia.
The teams have been put in fairly competitive groups and will be aiming to go one step further than the quarter final finish recorded by Cameroun (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) when the tournament kick off with the opening match between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia at the magnificent Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
HAMED SHOBIYE, Deputy Editor, Online, x-ray the chances of Africa’s five representatives in Russia.
EGYPT:
The seven-time African champions will be featuring in the premium soccer tournament for the first time since 1990. The Pharaohs unexpectedly saw off the challenge of group E favourites Ghana’s Black Stars to secure the ticket for Russia.
The Argentinian- born Hector Cuper has put together a cohesive unit that will ruffle few feathers in a simple looking group A comprising the hosts, two-time world champions Uruguay and Asian heavyweights Saudi Arabia.
Regarded as poor travelers, the Egyptians are expected to break their age-long hoodoo of not going beyond the group stage in major soccer tournaments by picking one of the group’s second round tickets alongside Uruguay.
In their previous two appearances in FIFA World Cup, the North African powerhouse record of two draws and two defeats in 1934 and 1990 in Italy make them one of the poorest sides in the history of the tournament.
Coach: Hector Cuper
The blonde Argentine was in charge of the great Valencia side that dazzled the world with its refreshing brand of football at the beginning of the millennium.
He led the side that included Gazka Mendieta, Claudio Lopez, Ariel Ortega and Joeslyn Angloma to successive UEFA Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001 against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Before that, he led the unheralded Spanish side, Mallorca to a second place finish in the now rested European Winners’ Cup in 1999.
Cuper’s stint with Inter Milan was not very successful, but his recent exploits with Egypt has cemented his place as one of world’s elite coaches.
Key PLAYER: Mohamed Salah
The reigning African Player of the Year is the man carrying the hopes of millions of Egyptians in this year’s tournament.
The Liverpool star scored 46 goals across all competitions last season and his form will determine how far the Pharaoh will go in this year’s World Cup.
The Egypt’s talisman is one of few players expected to light up the tournament in Russia.
MOROCCO:
Morocco was the first African team to progress beyond the group stage in FIFA World Cup.
The Jose Faria’s tutored side that included stalwarts like Aziz Bourdebala, Mohammed Timoumi, El-Zaki Badou, Abdulrazaq Khairi and Merry Krimau stunned the global soccer audience by finishing top of group E ahead of England, Poland and Portugal at the 1986 tournament held in Mexico.
The team lost to eventual runners up West Germany by 0-1 in the second round.
The Moroccans are playing in their first World Cup since 1998.
In France, the Atlas Lions refreshing brand of football captivated the watching world and came agonizingly close to sealing a second round ticket behind the defending champions Brazil in group F.
The current generation led by Juventus defender, Mehdi Benatia, picked the group C ticket ahead of West African giants Ivory Coast on the last day of African zone qualifiers. The Moroccans stunned the star –studded Ivoirians at their Abidjan cauldron with 2-0 victory and sealed a fifth appearance in FIFA’s premier soccer tournament.
The Coach: Herve Renard
The shrewd Frenchman has carved a niche for himself as a top class coach with two AFCON victories under his belt.
Henard, who worked with Claude Le Roy during the latter’s stint with Ghana, has transformed the Atlas Lions into one of the most formidable teams on the continent.
The team scored eight goals and conceded none in the last round of African zone qualifiers. The fine blend of youth and experience in midfield and attack make the Atlas Lions a dangerous dark house in Russia.
However, no one is giving the North African giants any chance of surviving a dangerous looking group B comprising two European heavyweights in the shape Portugal and Spain.
But finishing ahead of Iran in third place will be a huge success for the former African champions in Russia.
Key Player: Mehdi Benatia:
The towering Juventus defender is a pillar of sort for the Atlas Lions. His defensive qualities and inspirational leadership will be very important in Russia where the Moroccans will come up against one of the greatest strikers on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo.
NIGERIA:
When the draws for the African zone final round qualifiers took place in June 2016, no one expected the Super Eagles to pick the group B sole ticket ahead of Cameroun, Algeria and dangerous dark horse Zambia.
Nigeria surprised pundits by qualifying for its sixth World Cup with a match to spare in November.
The team started the group stage with a 2–1 win over Zambia in Ndola and defeated Algeria 3–1 in the second match at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Super Eagles defeated Cameroon 5–1 home and away in a back- to- back contest and became the first African team to qualify for the World Cup after defeating Zambia 1–0 in Uyo.
The present team has drawn comparison with the great team of 1994 that included Austin Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, late Rashidi Yekini, late Thompson Oliha, late Stephen Keshi, Samson Siasia, Finidi George, Daniel Amokachie and Emmanuel Amuneke, with its refreshing brand of football.
The inspirational skipper Mikel Obi, Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi, Chelsea wingback Victor Moses and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho are expected to pull the strings for Super Eagles in Russia.
Paired in a tough-looking group D alongside two-time world champions Argentina, 1998 bronze medalists Croatia and debutants Iceland, Nigeria is expected to slug it out with Croatia for the group’s second ticket for round of 16 behind the South American powerhouse.
Coach: Gernot Rohr
The Franco-German coach has surprised many with his organisation and technical ability since his appointment in 2016.
The ex-Bayern Munich defender has instilled discipline and organisation into a side that flattered to deceive in previous tournaments.
Key player: Mikel Obi
Regarded by many as the glue that holds the team together, the ex-Chelsea anchorman’s leadership qualities and tactical discipline are one of the key factors behind the Super Eagles recent success.
Russia 2018 may be Mikel’s last World Cup as he will be too old in 2022 when Qatar hosts the rest of the world.
SENEGAL:
The 2002 World Cup quarter finalists expectedly secured the group D’s sole ticket ahead of South Africa, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde.
The team has a fine collection of talented players plying their trade in top leagues in Europe and success in Russia will depend on how Coach Aliou Cisse harnesses the resources at his disposal.
Coach: Aliou Cisse:
The captain of the Senegalese squad to the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan has successfully moulded the current team in his own image. Determined, skillful and athletic, the current generation of Teranga Lions has been tipped to progress beyond the group stage alongside Colombia in a very open group H where all the teams have equal chances of picking the second round tickets.
Key player: Sadio Mane
The power playing Liverpool striker carries the hopes and expectations of soccer mad West African nation hoping for repeat of the 2002 exploits in Far East.
Sane alongside veteran Moussa Sow are expected to provide the goals that will lift the 2002 AFCON runners up to glory in Russia.
However, anything short of second round ticket will be unacceptable to their compatriots back home in Dakar and other major cities in the country.
TUNISIA:
The Tunisians are regarded as the weakest of the five African representatives in Russia.
The Carthage Eagles was the first African team to win a World Cup match after defeating Mexico 3-1 in the 1978 tournament held in Argentina.
But since that famous night in Buenos Aires, Tunisia had played a total of 990 minutes at the World Cup without victory.
Russia 2018 will be the North African giant’s fifth appearance in FIFA World Cup and has never progressed beyond the group stage in four previous participations at the quadrennial tournament.
During the qualifiers, the former African champions made hard work of a very easy group that included DR Congo, Guinea and Libya and only secured qualification after a nail-biting scoreless draw at home against already eliminated Libya on the last day of the African zone preliminaries.
Paired with England, Belgium and debutants Panama in group G, the Tunisians are expected to exit the tournament in the first round.
However, a third place finish ahead of the inexperienced Panama will be a huge morale booster for the perennial Africa underachievers.
Coach: Nabil Maaloul
The former Tunisian international cemented his reputation as top coach in his homeland after steering the team to fifth World Cup qualification ahead of the much-fancied DR Congo.
But the Carthage Eagles’ performance in Russia where Maaloul will pit his wits against England’s Gareth Southgate, Belgium’s Roberto Martinez and Panama’s Hernan Dario Gomez will determine how far he has progressed as tactician.
Key player: Wabhi Khaziri
Khaziri, the on loan Rennes hitman, is the makeshift striker with Tunisia’s hopes on his shoulders.
A step into the premises of Adebola Baptist Nursery & Primary school, Surulere Lagos casts a mixed feeling of emotion. While the cheer of children seated in classrooms offer a feeling of hope, the sordid sight of infrastructural deficit within the school environment presents a distraught mental picture of the quality of education available to children in government owned public schools.
While the cream and brown paintings of some of the classroom blocks have lost their shine, the roof covering some of the blocks have caved in. The entire topmost floor of a particular classroom block has been left to the exposure of harsh elements as a result of a blown off roof.
While the Lagos state government gears up effort in providing quality education in the state; majority of learning facilities in public schools lie in a state of despair. Also, the fact that many of the school environments are not befitting for future leaders clearly demonstrates the need for citizens to also join hands in pushing for quality education.
Members of Bond Club Surulere in a group photo with pupils of Akinsemoyin Primary School Surulere
A social movement for quality education
This realization of education as the only veritable tool for socio-economic development prompted Bond Club, a social club of professionals who had their childhood in Surulere to donate exercise books to selected primary public schools.
No fewer than 3000 exercise books were donated to six public primaries within Surulere local government. The exercise books distribution which started in the early hours of Thursday 7th of June saw members of the club interacting with pupils and head teachers of the primary public schools visited which are Surulere Baptist, Adebola Baptist, Estate Baptist and Akin Jacobs memorial Baptist primary schools. Other primary schools which benefited from the scheme include Akinsemoyin and Randle Nursery and Primary schools, Surulere
Speaking on the gesture of the club in addressing needs in the education sector of the state, Mrs Helen Ononogbu, the Head Teacher of Randle Primary School, commended the club members, praising them for squeezing out money to donate books to vulnerable children, despite the hardship in the economy.
“Giving our pupils writing materials is a way of encouraging them to perform. Some of their parents are poor while some of the pupils work as house helps and as such, are unable to buy writing materials even though education is free,” Ononogbu added.
Mr Dickson preseting a pack of exercise books to the head mistress of Akinsemoyin primary school Surulere
Agnes Okubanjo, Head teacher of Akinsemoyin Nur/Pry school who received the books on behalf of her pupils, relived sad experiences of how some parents have no money to buy writing materials for their wards, leaving them to just stare at the black boards when lessons are ongoing.
“Parents would be very happy for the books given to their wards. It will make learning and teaching more impactful”, she submitted while handing copies to the pupils as they pose for a group photograph.
Speaking on the motivation for the book distribution, Mr Gbolahan Dickson, the immediate past president of Bond Club said the group decided to embark on an educational endowment initiative in order to ameliorate the plight of children in the community where they had their childhood.
“We are friends who have known each other for 30 years and we all grew up in Surulere. We wanted to give back to the society and we realized that a lot of schools don’t have amenities. We thought it’s best to start with education because one cannot go wrong by investing in education,” Dickson said.
While the book distribution was on going, a mid-aged man donning a simple native dress was busy observing the environment. Mr Ademola Oriola, a founding member of Bond club observed that pre-primary sections of all schools visited lack play instruments needed in a nursery.
“In a particular school, a classroom was converted into the headmistress’s office since most of the classes are not conducive for learning. As a young club, we believe in giving back to the society. Hopefully, we would be able to step into rebuilding some of the infrastructural deficit in these schools,” he said while responding to questions of future intervention projects of the club.
According to UNICEF, children from the poorest households are four times more likely to be out of school than those of the richest households. In Lagos state where education is free, getting learning materials is still beyond the reach of many parents owing to the high poverty rates in the country. As the United Nations continue to canvass for increase in literary rate for boys and girl as a major target of the SDGs on education; there is no gainsaying the fact that grassroots social movement such as the Bond of Surulere have cogent roles to play.
As the battle for the Abere Governor’s office and the Okefia Government house draws near, politicians in Osun State of the living spring, have started positioning themselves for various political offices. They have as well been mapping out strategies that would help and sustain their aspirations to win the ticket of their various political parties.
Of all the political positions at stake, the governorship, coming up in few months from now, is the most crucial and very significant to the entire people of Osun State as they are hitching to know who takes over from Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Right now, serious politicking has been started, all over the state, while, the stakeholders in the coming election are not leaving anything to chance or willing to succumb to hindrances that could make them lose out either in winning the tickets of their various political parties or the final governorship election.
Already there were different schools of thoughts as to how the governorship election should be held. For over a year now, politicians and political parties have been coming up with diverse opinions and formula, as to what should be done. While some believe it must be strictly on senatorial Zoning, others believed that it should be based on federal constituency, while some people were of the opinion that it should not be either of the two suggestions but the opportunity should be given to who is fit and has the capability to deliver the state and turn it around in a more diverse way that would complement the efforts of the present government of Governor Aregbesola and even surpass it.
Although there are over 20 political parties with arrays of politicians, known and unknown, tested and just coming up aspirants, jostling for the curveted seat at Abere, and Okefia, only one political party and a candidate would eventually emerge the winner. But of all the political parties, only two of them, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is now ruling the State are in hot contention. Those are the parties where notable and strong aspirants have come out for the big battle. Some of these aspirants have tried their chances ones or twice, while some are coming out for the first time.
From what is happening in Osun state today, the issue of where the governor should come from is still generating a big heat and concern among the people. Since the present political dispensation in 1999 two senatorial zones out of the three have been producing the governor. Chief Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola are both from Osun Central while the incumbent Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola who would be ending his second term of eight years in November this year is from Osun East Senatorial district.
Right now only Osun West Senatorial district is yet to produce the governor and that is why the clamour that the zone should be the next to produce the governor without any ambiguity, and for equity, justice and fair play. Both traditional rulers and those that matter in the zone are putting everything they have to ensure that the chance does not elude the zone. As at today, notable politicians have shown interests in Osun west and the battle there is tense as well.
Whatever the case may be, the criteria for the next governor of the State, is very high as it was being said that whoever would come after Aregbesola, should be honest, dedicated, loveable, and transparent and prepared to take the state beyond the present level and industrialize it.
Of all the aspirants in the state and Osun West in particular one of those who fits into the qualities needed is Dr. Ezekiel Oyebola Oyemomi. He is among several aspirants contesting under the Platform of the APC. To many people in the state, he stands out as it was believed that he equally has all it takes to be at the helms of the affairs with everything that would uplift Osun state
As he said recently, ‘’I will not only allow for continuity, I will follow the guideline and strongly implement all the cardinal programmes of the APC if elected as governor’’. He also indicated his intention and wealth of experience to build the state to an enviable position. Even from the opinions of labour, peasants, artisan and both market men and women, and even some politicians across the political parties, he is most favoured. The general impression is that he has not been enmeshed in any controversy either politically or economically. They see him as a neutral person, humane and not in any way involved in dirty politics as well as engaging in politics with bitterness.
From the feelers in Oyemomi’s camp, he has already mapped out how Osun state would contribute to the economic development of Nigeria, especially with the enormous cocoa, Palm kernel and timber. Not this alone, he is ready to take the advantage to develop live stocks, food crops, cash crops and other agricultural products that would form very big investment for the state.
As a former Federal Permanent Secretary of Housing, Women affairs, Defence, Agriculture and to cap it all the office of the head of service, he has a wide range of experience to transform the state in all the areas where he was directing the policies of government at the federal level.
According to his camp, Oyemomi believes that Osun state by now should be one of the major states in the country, producing the raw materials for the Agro allied industries in the country and he is ready to pay greater attention to this. One major advantage which has not been tapped by previous Administrations as they should is the Solid Minerals which are still being tapped illegally. He believes that if all these areas are well harvested the state would even be free from depending on federal allocation and create sustainable employment for the youths.
While he would ensure that the state is well protected security wise, he would go further to introduce a new Housing scheme that would favour the workers and the generality of the people in the state. It was argued that Oyemomi being a kind hearted person would want to ensure that his housing policy would be unique and different from what has been obtained in the country ‘’because he believes that everybody must have shelters to lay their heads’’
According to one of his supporters, what pains Oyemomi most and why he wants to rule is that he wants to change the attitude and orientation of the people to be self sustaining and eradicate poverty level this has hindered the growth and progress of individuals and the entire state. He is also interested in embarking on various projects that would constantly put money into the pockets of the people.
What people say about him is complementary to his aspirations and mission for the state. Some people believe that his utterances and the way he carries himself, he appears to be humble and honest. They also believe that he talks about issues, what affects the people and how he intends to tackle them. They argued that with what he has rolled out, coupled with the manifestoes of the APC there are indications that he is serious and ready for the job to take the State to greater heights.
There is no doubt that whoever would rule Osun State now would face some challenges, but whatever the challenges that may arise, Oyemomi seems ready for them. He has already assembled a strong think- tank committee of technocrat, politicians, industrialists and economists who are working on different areas of the likely challenges that may confront his administration if he emerges the governor of the state.
Oyemomi’s mission is the driving force to ensure a better tomorrow for the generation coming and yet unborn that is why his articulated and well thought out programmers’ especially on agriculture and housing would change the face of Osun and add value to the people He would as well give prominence to the indigenes and home based politicians in terms of political appointments. The local artisans and contractors would also be favored and patronized for trade and business to grow.
The notion now in his camp and amongst his admirers is that it would be a disservice to Nigeria, the State and the people, if Oyemomi is not given the opportunity to fly the flag of his party APC as he stands shoulder high among other contestants. They also called for transparency in the primaries which should also not be a game of imposition as they were sure that if the primaries is allowed to free and fair, Oyemomi is in a better position to clinch the ticket of the party as he is also equal to the task.
An old Chinese proverb says: Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil. This short proverb sums the intensity of attacks against President Muhammadu Buhari, not leaving the ratcheting up of violence in some the States after a period of relative calm, in the wake of the political tsunami honouring the heroes of June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was annulled thus preventing the widely-acclaimed winner, Chief M.K.O Abiola (of blessed memory) from taking office as the President of Nigeria.
Even at that time, it was pretty obvious that the unjust annulment was a huge elite conspiracy, well beyond the schemes and machinations, for which the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida had established a formidable reputation.
June 12 annulment was inspired and supported in spirit, cash and in kind by high-level citizens who saw an opportunity for themselves and cashed in upon it.
Beyond the coterie of two dozen or so military officials whose names have been documented as literally having had a gun to the head of their Commander-in-Chief in trying to induce the annulment, there were tens, possibly hundreds of co-conspirators who either forced the annulment in one way or the other, or joined the sustenance of the injustice done to Abiola and Nigerian voters which, from then evolved into an industry of a kind, supplying incomes and conferring privileges of state upon those in the plot.
Many have forgotten by now that an interim government was contemplated at that time and a number of retired army generals were on queue, having been invited to get ready to head it. There was the foremost social scientist of the Yoruba stock who prophesied to the then rulers, on the day the announcement of election results was suspended that “the Yoruba will not be angry with the Head of State if he will go ahead to annul the election.” Then he did it.
In the media, there were many who conspired against the June 12, including the publisher who told their editors not to “lose your heads over this June 12. After all, was it not Abiola who thwarted the ambitions of …?”
In the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE where I was one of the three Vice Presidents at that time, rising to become the full occupant of the office a few years later, we had our own battles. For example, when Vanguard newspaper correctly quoted me as asking that Abiola be freed or, in the least be tried in court because detention without trial, even under the military was wrong, newspapers, both of them now out of print circulation, the New Nigerian (which still maintains an online presence) and Today, lambasted me for expressing that view. Their editors, themselves members of the executive committee of the NGE said in a counter statement that those views were not of the Guild since, as they said, the organization hadn’t met to take a position on the matter.
If you are counting the large number of Nigerians united by that annulment, and who must now be very, very angry with President Buhari for righting that wrong which nourished them, one must not leave out the men and women in the temple of justice who used one subterfuge or the other to keep June 12 buried and its biggest symbol, MKO Abiola in detention until his end came (or was induced). Naturally, there is also the fear of the unknown. What will come after this?
Remember that since the incident took place, no past administration in 25 years has asked the question, why was the election annulled? Who annulled it? What were the consequences? Beyond Abiola and his late wife Kudirat, how many people did the nation lose? In terms of the economy, how much was lost? How much of a dislocation was it, socially, politically and internationally? Overall, how much damage did it cause the nation?
Now would there be an inquisition into all of the things that happened? I have not been briefed if there is going to be any. Neither have I heard of any discussions on this. I cannot, therefore, speculate.
Should anyone be afraid? Our very erudite and sharp minister, Lai Mohammed said no Nigerian should fear for their rights under President Buhari, unless they are guilty of wrongdoing. I haven’t still mastered the art of predicting army Generals, not even this one. On this question, only the President can say “yes” or “no” if there will be a probe as many have begun clamouring for.
Understandably, anger against the new Democracy Day and honour to Abiola in a few quarters, the intensity of attack on President’s person would mount as the momentum he gains becomes manifest, even as we recognize that the opposition had been gearing up for offensive towards 2019 elections.
In normal times, even before the shocking master stroke honouring Abiola, President Buhari is a leader who had not been in the good reckoning of a powerful, very vocal section of the country’s elite. The reason is basically that they would lose when you put in place corruption-free governance, institute economic growth with special focus on farmers, and a strong drive for inclusiveness particularly regarding women and marginalised sections.
The Buhari Administration has annoyed these groups by putting in place long neglected infrastructure, establishing a social welfare scheme, the Social Investment Programme targeted at the basic needs of the common citizens and has given the country a major jump in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings.
Railways and federal roads are being rehabilitated and new ones, including a standard gauge rail are being put in place to bring better and more efficient transportation services. Power generation and distribution have more than doubled with many consumers reporting 16-17 hours and in some parts of the country, actually enjoying up to 22-23 hours of power supply a day.
Foreign relations have improved and the awesome investments in defence and security sectors are paying off through peaceful economic activity in the Niger Delta and the on-going restoration of normalcy in the northeast and north central states.
President Buhari’s journey to the Presidential Villa had been long and tortuous– having contested three times and ended with appeals at the Supreme Court before he was fourth time lucky. A candidate many had taken as the unlikely one considering that he had been a man who is separate from the political establishment. That he emerged at the contest as winner was itself enough to rattle the political elite.
In trying to explain the gush of criticism and increasing resort to blackmail by those who have lost out under this honest man of humble origins, and frank dispositions, who has succeeded so far in running a clean government, it is important to note that these are qualities that only a few Nigerian politicians possess.
To borrow the words of another writer, “bitterness is inevitable for those who have been pampered and coddled and suddenly the suckling tit is removed from them and they become ordinary citizens without anything “special” or appropriating disproportionate political clouts.’’
If you read the history of our country, hardly do we have the top elite joining hands for the good of the nation. While Buhari’s tsunami on June 12 has stoked the anger and the fear of this group, the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day and the conferment of National Honours on MKO, his running mate Ambassador Kingibe and the foremost pro-democracy activist, late Gani Fawehinmi was, in another breath, greeted with great enthusiasm and warmth by Nigerians, most especially on the social media.
Barely after 48 hours by my count, there were over 150,000 Tweets on Twitter Trend discussing the new Presidential directive. Thankfully and expectedly, over 80% of these Tweets and reactions hailed Mr. President’s decision.
In what could be described as a twist, many of such applauses came from well-known opposition voices like Femi Fani Kayode (@realffk) amongst others.
The story on Facebook was not an exception. Nigerians were thankful to President Buhari for upholding Democracy and staging a surprise when it was least expected.
Below are compilations of some of the Tweets from Nigerians, hailing Mr. President’s directive.
@Busayo: Effects of PMB Declaration on #June12
1. Heroes of Democracy have been honoured & recognized
2. Injuries caused by IBB annulment start to heal
3. Those that have apathy for Democracy and voting as a result of annulment have been convinced to participate
It is a masterstroke
@TheNationNews:June 12: NUPENG commends Buhari for honouring MKO, others
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for officially announcing June 12 as the new Democracy Day in…
@Yinkanubi: I must confess that I didn’t see this coming. But with the stroke of his pen @MBuhari just did to MKO and his legacy what the man that claimed to be his friend and the one that claimed to be his kinsman could not do – Give him his due worth. #June12 #ThankYouMrPresident
@MP_Muye: FUTURE QUIZ QUESTIONS FOR OUR KIDS.
When is Democracy Day? – #June12
Who declared it? – President Buhari
Who finally honoured MKO Abiola GCFR? – President Buhari.
Who started the honouring process? – President Buhari. #PMBStartedIt, #PMBFinishedIt
Best President? – PMB. ✅
@AsiwajuOladimej: Whether what PMB did on June 12 is political or not, the most important thing is that, MKO Abiola has finally been honoured. #June12
@Iameneji: I can’t even describe how I feel today with this masterstroke from PMB
By 1pm, Saturday #June12, 1993, I have started dancing because results have started trickling in. Then evil struck!!!! I am always very emotional about Gani Fawehinmi. He radicalized me. I feel elated now
@ChangeHasComee: It is a welcome development. This is what we have been waiting for over the years. Good Nigerians have made several calls for Chief M K O Abiola to be recognised as a Nigerian President. For this government to have done this, it is a welcome gesture — Mohammed Fawehinmi #June12
@mrbhiyi: Buhari’s greatest weapon might be his not talking too much. All those accusing him of being a dullard should have a re-think. That #June12 card is an Ace. Especially at this crucial period. Like @OmoGbajaBiamila said, it is a well weighed through pass to South West
@Rouvafe: Kudos to Buhari for honouring M.K.O Abiola with that post-humours GCFR Award & officially announcing #June12 as Democracy Day. Few people are this benevolent in their last days in office.
@abdulljalo: Whether the president’s decision was politically motivated is discussion for another day. Let’s permit the families and supporters of the victims of that great injustice bask in the joy of justice served to their loved ones. Congratulations to family of Late Abiola, GCFR #June12
@afroconomist: The recent announcement by @MBuhari led govt by moving democracy day from May 29 to June 12 is a very plausible one which in fact has brought up several sides to the coin. Here’s a few things you need to know about the day. #Thread #Threads #RT #June12 #June12DemocracyDay
@ClaraCharles021: When is Democracy Day? – #June12, Who declared it? – President Buhari, Who finally honoured MKO Abiola GCFR? – President Buhari, Who started the honouring process? – President Buhari. #PMBStartedIt, #PMBFinishedIt
@akinscarce001: The posthumous award of GCFR to the late Aare Ona Kankanfo, Bashorun M.K.O Abiola and declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day in his honour. Today I am a proud Egba man. I am a proud Nigerian. Talk your own. #June12
@justemdee: About the new Democracy Day changed to #June12 from May 29th by @MBuhari. This is not about the 2019 Elections or the Yorùbás, it’s about Nigeria and Nigerians. If you ask me, it’s a CEMENT to the foundation of DEMOCRACY in Nigeria.
@BashirElrufai: The re-scheduling of Democracy Day to its rightful place of June 12 is fitting, fortuitous & apt as no democratic ideals were ever truly served on May 29 prior to 2015. Sai Baba.
@DeeOneAyekooto: Generations unborn will ask” Why is June12 our Democracy Day”. An election that sidelined tribe & religion, Abiola won, IBB annulled, Abacha stole, Abiola was killed for, OBJ inherited, PDP refused to recognize for 16yrs but Which PMB put in its rightful place in history on June 6, 2018.
@etinmagbe: I’m still over the moon on the June 12 Democracy Day declaration! Thanks @MBuhari for making this right after 25 years!
@raufaregbesola: President Buhari has secured for himself an incomparable position in history for surmounting the courage to take this historic step of recognising June 12 as ‘Democracy Day’ and honouring Chief Moshood Abiola posthumously.
@realffk (Femi Fani Kayode): I commend @MBuhari for announcing June 12th as our new Democracy Day. This is long overdue and I am pleasantly surprised. I also commend him for honoring Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12th 1993 presidential election, with the posthumous award of GCON. This is great news!
@MaupeO (Maupe Ogun): This is more than BREAKING NEWS! June 12 now democracy day!!!…(In Lucky Dube’s song…If I’m dreaming…don’t wake me uppppp)…
@akinalabi: Whether you like it or not, it was a great move by the President to change the Democracy day from May 29 to June 12 and also for posthumously honouring MKO. You are probably worried because his PR has risen and your man would likely lose to him.
@iSlimfit: June 12 declared as Democracy Day. Finally, Chief MKO Abiola got his well-deserved recognition. This is not about the Yorubas. This is celebration of a National Hero who won a free and fair election but was cheated.
@walekareem: Nothing but praises for @MBuhari for honouring June 12 – real democracy day- and the memories of Chief MKO Abiola
@tosinadeda: Honouring MKO Abiola is long overdue; it’s a great move for someone who paid the sacrifice for democracy, BUT…….But what? You are upset because the man you hate is the one that made such a move, & and it’s somehow giving your headaches. Purge your soul.
I have nothing to add, in concluding this short piece than to call attention of those who annulled the election and all those that helped to sustain the injustice to yet another old Chinese proverb: all relationships have happy endings; if not happy, then it is not the end.
The resurrection of June 12 in the beginning of a new chapter in the annals of Nigerian history. How this will end, it is premature to say.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
