If you discover someone on phone lying about his location: shout change #
It his first coming as head of state in ‘84, with his stern-faced deputy, General Tunde Idiagbon, standing ramrod by his unsmiling self, General Muhammadu Buhari launched what one now hopes would be only the first phase of his War Against Indiscipline (WAI1). If WAI was in 1984 conceived as a crusade, essentially against general indiscipline, and targeted, essentially, at the problem of idleness in the work place by public servants and to address some social laxity amongst the citizenry at large; which then resulted in Nigerians queuing up at bus stops, a Second Phase War Against Indiscipline, in the year of our Lord 2015, when Nigeria has turned full scale, a Sodom and Gomorrah –no thanks to PDP’s congenital profligacy spanning 16 years – must be much deeper, more encompassing and must interrogate far more areas than it did in its first coming. It must enlist all, and every Nigerian, and have no go areas even if it appeared to dovetail into the functions of some other agencies of government.
In the article: ‘Nigerians Talking About The Change We Need’ (Sunday 12 April, 2015), I showcased those things that could be regarded as WAI’s underpinning fundaments and they can very well be repeated here; though there are much more as we shall see shortly:
CHANGE STARTS WITH US:
When somebody in the car ahead of you throws wastes on the road, drive next to him, roll down your window and shout, “change!” ,#ChangeNigeria.
When you are on a queue and someone tries to force his/her way in front of you, scream “change!!”. #ChangeNigeria.
At the point of entry, either at an air or sea port, or at a border with our neighbours, a custom or immigration official shows up asking for bribe, shout Change. # Change Nigeria.
If you see display of fake products in a supermarket or drug store or spare parts shop: shout Change. #Change Nigeria.
To any lecturer that is hell bent on collecting bribe, in cash or in kind: harass him with Change. # Change Nigeria.
To any public/private servant stealing from our national heritage, shout Change! # Change Nigeria#
When a police officer stops your car and says “Oga, anything for the boys?” tell him, “change!” #ChangeNigeria
When you walk past any Nigerian who throws paper or banana peel on the floor, stop him and tell him, “change!” #ChangeNigeria.
If the church opposite your house is using a loud speaker to disturb the neighbourhood, visit the pastor & say, “change sir!” #ChangeNigeria
If you are in a bus and the driver is driving like mad, shout “change!” #ChangeNigeria.
If the mosque opposite your house is using a loud speaker to disturb the neighbourhood, visit the Imam & say, “change sir!” #ChangeNigeria.
When somebody is trying to jump a queue either at the bank, fuel station or at an ATM stand: shout Change. #Change Nigeria #
When an electricity official cuts your light unjustly, trying to extract a bribe: shout Change. # Change Nigeria#.
If you discover someone on phone lying about his location: shout change #
If you discover a man or a woman cheating on the spouse: whisper CHANGE!
When a fuel attendant wants to under dispense fuel into your vehicle, remind him about “Change” #Change Nigeria#
Nigerians, in all spheres of life, must be ready to talk, even shout, when we observe any acts of indiscipline and, in particular, when agencies of government, are seen to be under-performing or their chief executives are committing serial acts of illegality as I have personally done in the past concerning some agencies and would also do in this piece about another high profile agency.
In the article: ‘Defending Bigotry And Cant At INEC And FCC’ , (September 16, 2012 ), I took the two commissions to task over a series of issues relating to membership of committees in INEC. Though it must be stated early that Professor Atahiru Jega reacted very quickly to the issues raised by immediately re-jigging the committees, the culpability of the latter commission remains till date because, as I shall show below, other agencies of government are still neck deep in nepotism – which was, of course, not the problem with INEC. In the article under reference, I had written as follows: ‘ … INEC and the Federal Character Commission have to do more to convince Nigerians that they have no ulterior motives. Nothing can be more indicative of the synergy between the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Character Commission in their determined bid to protect inequity at INEC than the fact that while Prof Jega had caused Kayode Idowu, his Chief Press Secretary, to do a lengthy defence of INEC’s indefensible management composition, Prof Oba has, himself, resorted to granting newspaper interviews to achieve the same result. But only the unwary can be deceived by either of these two professors who head very vital, indeed strategic, national institutions’.
I expect that when I cite another public agency, allegedly committing, and has committed, massive irregularities in its employment system, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission would have a different explanation from what he said in the INEC case. Said Professor Abdulraheem Oba then: “the Federal Character Commission is essentially focused on the public service recruitment at the entry point only. That is when we ensure equity of opportunity of all persons to be able to enter into an establishment by drawing the benchmark for merit.” Speaking further, he said: “at the management level, we encourage all establishments that when it comes to management positions, there must be a practice of equity of distribution of offices among the various interest groups in Nigeria. Our circulars say that that for all establishments, all management positions must be advertised and made public.”
If the above position is true, then he must be ready to explain to Nigerians something about the veracity, or otherwise, of the following information which has gone viral on the internet as it concerns the National Communications Commission (NCC). Readers should please not rush to the conclusion that I am affirming what, as at now, is only an allegation. And, if of a fact, the named Chief Executives committed those out rightly illegal acts, they will, in my view, not be more guilty than those in charge of the Federal Character Commission for permitting such impunity as none was known to have been reprimanded or punished during their tenure. It should therefore be appreciated if the named, former and serving NCC Chief Executives, and the Federal Character Commission, would respect Nigerians, and take time out of whatever it is they now do, to react to the following allegations contained in an e-mail captioned: ‘The Shocking Roll Call Of Nigeria Communications Commission’s (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman’s/CEO’s’.
1. Engr. C. IROMANTU(1993 to 1999)-6 yrs from S/EAST..he employed 168 new staffers..149 from S/EAST
2. Engr Emmanuel NNMA(1999 to 2000) 6months; from S/EAST..he employed 79…66 from S/EAST.
3. Engr Earnest NDIKWE(2000 to 2010)10 yrs; from S/EAST..he employed 310 …288 from S/EAST
4. Dr. Eugene JUWA (2010 to date)5 yrs; from S/SOUTH..he employed 188..110 from S/SOUTH, 60 frm S/EAST!
5. From 1993 to date ALL major Contractors, Consultants, Contracts & Interventional Capital Projects are 90% tilted in favour of S/EAST & S/SOUTH
Let me quickly say that whoever knows where Chief Executives from other parts of the country have done, or are doing the same thing, he/she should kindly, very quickly, inform the columnist so we could also advertise their iniquitous and shameless behaviour. It is also my sincere hope that this unfair treatment meted out to Nigerians from other parts, and perpetrated by individuals from sections of the country at the helm of affairs in not less than 70 percent of regulatory agencies in President Jonathan’s Nigeria, is not symptomatic of what is happening in the other agencies.
It is also hoped that in the new spirit of CHANGE, this write-up will not be subjected to the usual scurrility which the likes of Sam Omatseye, Chairman, Editorial Board of this newspaper, and, lately Ambassador Bade Afuye (Retd), and Remi Oyeyemi were subjected to by Igbo readers for doing no more than express their opinions on matters that concern us all.
