The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Transformation

  • APC’ll provide genuine transformation, says aspirant

    An aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo North Senatorial District, Nathaniel Adojutelegan, has appealed to the people to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections. Adojutelegan is aspiring for a seat in the Senate.

    Adojutelegan spoke at Iwaro Oka Akoko while concluding his tour of all the 72 wards in Ondo North Senatorial District.

    He said: “With the warm reception I received during my interface with the youths, women, elders and opinion leaders across the nook and cranny of Ondo North Senatorial District, I am optimistic that the APC is now the party to beat.

    “I have no doubt in my mind that our great party will clinch majority of the seats in the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate come February, 2015.”

    The Arigidi-Akoko-born lawyer and philanthropist had impacted positively on the lives of many people in the area. One of the major amenities he had provided for his people was in the area of water supply. He single-handedly sunk boreholes in various parts of the district.

    He expressed his optimism that, with support of the people across the country, the APC would form the government at the centre after the 2015 general elections.

    According to him, the APC is the only party that has people-oriented programmes that could bring genuine transformation to the citizens.

    The aspirant lamented the spate of corruption in the country, noting that unemployment, insecurity and other social vices that bedevilled the country currently are issues the Federal Government should show serious commitment to curtail.

    Adojutelegan urged the electorate to support his mission to enable him to provide quality representation for his constituents at the National Assembly.

     

  • Uncommon transformation in Akwa Ibom sport

    Uncommon transformation in Akwa Ibom sport

    I have listened to the several political drums emanating from various parts of the country in praise of some governors that have spent eight  years and are currently vying for the Senate to be addressed as Distinguished Senators. I can’t but be provoked at the fact that some of these men had the opportunity to transform the fortune of their state through the instrumentality of sport as a tool for such change.

    While researches have shown that all stadiums in Nigeria are owned by government either at the state or federal level yet we still have some state governments that posterity will continue to judge for their inability to invest in sport related projects.

    From the West to the North and South to East of Nigeria we can see evidently those governors that have committed resources in the development of sport in their respective states. While there are other states that are totally out of the equation in terms of having a befitting stadium to be identified with, we some that have done very well in this regard.

    One begins to wonder what kind of people are appointed as sport commissioners in those states where stadiums are not built and those overseeing stadiums that are totally dilapidated. I make bold to say that any state in Nigeria irrespective of its meagre allocation from the Federal Government has got no right to deny its citizens from having a befitting stadium in the state.

    Although, I have not been opportuned to visit the new stadium in Akwa Ibom State but those who have been there relayed what they saw. A senior friend of mine told me that the stadium is not different from the Bird Nest stadium in China where Nigeria played the Olympic Final Match against Argentina in 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    The decision to appoint a state commissioner for sport I want to believe should be to ensure that sport as a sector is driven and developed in the state.But in a situation whereby Some sport commissioners are just portfolios to fill in the gap in the State Executive Council calls for a very serious concern to those of us who are ardent crusader for a change in the political space, especially in the appointment of sport commissioners in states.

    Any Commissioner of Sport that fails to attract investment into sport infrastructure development within the state is not fit to be so recognised. Sport should be a driving force in the development of any state if properly galvanized because it has a far reaching effect in the life of the people and the entire citizenry.

    At times, I sit down to ask myself what kind of people are appointed in those states that cannot boast of a good playing field. There is no way a state will invest in sport infrastructure and not benefit from such investment if the state is serious about the development of the sector. Future leaders are created from sport field worldwide and the reductions of negative vices are also achievable in places where we have sport facilities.

     

    The Akwa Ibom Uncommon Transformation Story

     

    We need people with the vision for uncommon transformation like in the case of what is currently on-ground in Akwa Ibom State if there is nothing else to use in remembering the tenure of the  Governor Godswill Akpabio I for one and millions of sport loving Nigerians will forever remain grateful to this uncommon transformer that has transformed the face of sport facility construction by setting a basic standard for the world to see.

    Courtesy: NairaLand.com

    I have often said before now, that we have what it takes to be a host heaven for major sporting events around the world but we need to do the needful first and that is construct a world class facility and also ensure there are tertiary health care provider not too far from the stadium that is well equipped, followed by hotels of world class standards, with good security and transportation system you will always host major sport events.

    The Akwa Ibom experience is a challenge to all state governors that have failed to invest in sport during their time as  governors of their respective states. I can assure you that no meaningful development can be as rapid as the one that will take place around a stadium because it is an open invitation to creative sport related businesses to strive.

    While appreciating the good work that has been done, I wish to challenge all other governors on the need to see sport as an important aspect of their transformation agenda. Funny enough we have some governors that have failed woefully in this area and they are always the first to congratulate the National Teams each time they win a trophy.

    On behalf of the sport loving Nigerians, I congratulate the good people of AkwaIbom for having this befitting sport complex and also thank  Governor Akpabio for ensuring that his uncommon transformation also affected sport one can only hope and pray that the facility will be maintained properly.

  • Dirty deal of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria

    There is nothing more interesting to a Nigerian politician than establishing a legacy with their name on it. This is the hallmark of the country’s politics and it is worrisome.

    It is either Seven-point Agenda for Umaru Yar’dua or Transformation Agenda for Goodluck Jonathan. So, the term “transformation” is used to christen any pro-Jonathan agenda. Wherever we see or hear it, either in a newspaper or radio station, we believe it is Jonathan’s handiwork. In fact, any movement which wants to have the ears and eyes of the presidency either uses the president’s picture as a logo or uses his regime’s catch-phrase, ‘transformation agenda’ to complement whatever name they wish to have.

    It is not a new thing in Nigeria. We all know that any agenda code-named ‘transformation’ belongs to the president, his aides or one of his town criers. They venerate his name, not because of what he has achieved, but for his money.

    The Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) has become the lousiest cockerels ever. No doubt, it is a pro-Jonathan movement, christened after his image, his mind, motives and, of course, agenda.

    TAN disguises itself as a group which is mobilising Nigerian youths to champion the cause of peace and one-Nigeria agenda. The TAN group and or groups hiding under them, sucking from the same breast are heavily sponsored by the presidency. They have the right thumb of His Excellency and, of course, the ruling PDP.

    What TAN’s agents do is to hawk the name of President Jonathan around, his agenda and that of his party. TAN has little or nothing to do with the much-touted One Nigeria Agenda. The agents go around on social networks, establishing contacts with youths who they know are social media freaks, promising them scholarships, recharge cards, clothings, jobs, cars, connections, and frivolous trips to foreign countries. All that is needed of the beneficiary is to be a Nigerian citizen and a registered voter, possessing a valid voters’ card.

    To join TAN, one has to start by liking their Facebook page and later register as one-star ambassador, one of its many ranks. When you create an online account, you will be asked to invite others to like the page and also register. The more people you deceive into joining the trend, the higher your rank and the more dividends you get.

    The TAN coordinators and executives are a set of opportunists who nose around for support for Jonathan come 2015. They hire other youths who work under them, charged with the duty of mobilising votes for the president ahead of 2015. Every mobiliser or coordinator or whatever they are called has a mandate. When they come in contact with youths, they dangle some carrots at their face and cajole them to join the team for selfish benefits.

    Like the ancient serfs who serve their pot-bellied masters, TAN and their secret agents are sent into the Nigerian wilderness to scout for votes for the ruling PDP. From the web page to the bill boards, TAN has made its campaign appear like the handiwork of desperados. TAN displays strong support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid, hiding under the cloak of youth development, promotion of peace and all what not.

    If presidency wants to provide such privileges for Nigerian youths, it should do that through the federal ministries, parastatals and state institutions. What is the stake of TAN in Nigeria?

    Nigeria has outlived this stage of politics and political scams. A performing politician, president or governor does not have to go fishing for votes. A governor or president who is convinced of his achievements should not be hanging his hooks all round for votes. His works should speak for him. Nigeria has achieved some feats in the global community, thus we should possess a more-informed political culture than what TAN tries to preach.

    As far as Nigeria is concerned, TAN is winding back our collective experience, sense of nationhood and solidarity. TAN is resurging with a mushroom approach to politics this time and age. The idea of making the youths to register and lend support for President Jonathan in 2015 is clearly a defeatist approach to Nigerian development. Could that be an indication of the fact that the current administration has nothing else to show to pull political support?

    TAN is destroying the future of the youths of this generation. Instead of engaging them in competitive human development activities or equipping them with skills in preparation to face the challenges of the 21st century, TAN is not only busy singing praises of the Otuoke son, they are also doingfishing votes in the most shameful way.

    We are all observers and activists in this political phenomenon called Nigeria. We have a good knowledge of the fact that previous governments have tried this and it never worked for them, at least to their expectation. They set up support groups which went around deceiving youths with empty promises, to gather votes for their patriarchs and matriarchs. But they ended up not achieving anything after getting hold of power.

    If President Goodluck Jonathan wants to retain power, it is not bad. It is his constitutional right and nobody can deny him of that. He should lay claim to his achievements these four years or so that he has served as head of state. If Nigerians see his achievements and want him to come back, they will vote for him. He should avoid working with militants and street urchins and choose people who are driven by the genuine passion for a better Nigeria.

     

    Emmanuel just graduated from Political Science, UNICAL

  • Group applauds NSE’s transformation exercise

    The Capital Market Solicitors’ Association (CMSA) has commended the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on the various strategies aimed at deepening the market, urging them to strengthen its investors’ protection initiatives.

    The Chairman of the Association, Uche Obi, who said this in Lagos yesterday, noted that Nigeria would be better positioned to achieve its economic and developmental plan if it had a world class capital market.

    Obi, who observed that the Exchange had carried out a lot of reforms aimed at deepening the capital market in terms of liquidity, depth and volume, said, it still had some way to go to match exchanges in advanced economies.

    He said: “It would also be considered a good exchange when it is very easy for people to change positions. Looking at the structures, we have to ensure that the Exchange is capable of protecting the investors, especially the retail investors who are very vulnerable.

    “It has to be an Exchange that can guarantee fairness across board; an Exchange that has adequate mechanism to resolve investment disputes expeditiously; and an Exchange that will be able to, in an era of globalisation, align with rules available in other top exchanges across the globe.”

    Obi explained that in a situation where cross-border trade is becoming very common, the NSE should be able to relate with other exchanges so that products on the NSE can be traded on other exchanges.

    He disclosed that the focus of its yearly business luncheon for 2014 would be on   ‘Transformation of the Nigerian Stock Exchange into a world class Exchange’, adding that the goal was for stakeholders from all segments of the capital market to find ways to speed up its transformation exercise.

    The event, scheduled to take place in Lagos on September 17, according to him, would be chaired by the Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission with its Director-General, , Ms. Arunma Oteh as guest of honour.

    The Vice-Chairman, CMSA, Mrs. Yinka Edu, explained that the theme of the yearly event was timely considering the numerous changes in the capital market in recent times.

    She said: “If you look at the Exchange in the last five year, you will notice that so many changes have taken place; different products have been introduced. Five years ago, we were just trading equity in the market and there was really no depth. But now we are looking at debt, funds, ETFs… various products have come on stream.”

    She explained that the Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Oscar Onyema, would be the guest speaker and would be supported by a panel of discussants such as  the  Seplat Petroleum Development Company Chief Executive, Austin Avuru;and the  Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, Chief Executive,  Ms. Yewande Sadiku.

    The CMSA is the umbrella body of about 250 law firms and in-house counsel of accredited operators practicing in the Nigerian capital market.

    Its objectives include the enhancement of practising standards among practitioners affiliated to it, conducting advanced training and capacity building programmes, protecting the interest of members in capital market policies and transaction and acting as a self-regulatory organisation for its members.

  • Fed Govt sets aside N922m for certified wheat seeds

    The Federal Government said it has approved N922m to mop up 7,000 metric tonnes of breeders foundation and certified wheat seeds in order to expand the wheat value chain in the country.

    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina disclosed this in Kaduna yesterday.

    The Minister who was represented by the Northwest Regional Director of the ministry, Dr. Nyam Y. Leo at a press conference in Kaduna  said the Federal Government was embarking on an awareness campaign to encourage wheat production in the country.

    According to him, the programme which started in 2012 saw wheat farmers in the country planting grains not certified nor hybrid wheat seeds which led to decline in productivity.

    He said: “The Minister was in Kebbi and Zamfara states recently and revealed to the whole world potential of Nigeria’s wheat production especially in Baklori Irrigation Site.

    “In view of this, I have already approved N922million to mop up 7,000 metric tones of breeders foundation and certified wheat seeds for the envisaged expansions in the wheat value chain.”

    Dr. Adesina who said the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), is a tool by the Federal Government to improve agricultural production which will lead to continuity, consistency, commitment and value chain.

    He said: “We’re repositioning the ministry to reduce dependence on food imports, increase crop yield, enhance incomes for farmers, reduce poverty, increase foreign exchange, enhance food security and ensure national security.”

    The approach mapped out by the ministry to achieve these goals according to Dr. Adesina, include decentralisation of power to states and regions, farmers registration and data base, input supply, value added industries, attract foreign and private sector involvement and partition for sustainability.

    Dr. Adesina also expressed delight that all the states in the country except one, have keyed into ATA and this step according to him, will make the country to emerge as a major exporter of wheat in the near future.

  • Our transformation yielding results, says Union Bank

    Our transformation yielding results, says Union Bank

    The management of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc has assured that the transformation of the bank is on course and yielding good results.

    Against the background of modest decline in performance in the first half, the bank said its underlying performance has remained strong as it continues to implement key elements of its transformation programme.

    Group Managing Director, Emeka Emuwa, said the bank has continued the implementation of it’s transformation initiatives, which he stressed, have been delivering results.

    He said the bank has continued to invest heavily in its technology infrastructure to enhance operations and customer service delivery as all branch links have been upgraded to fibre optic connections.

    “The bank also continues to invest in people, hiring into key strategic senior roles. Notwithstanding the significant investments made in these areas, Union Bank maintained strong underlying performance and sustainable profitability. We remain focused on our long term strategic priority of ensuring banking becomes simpler for all our clients, whether retail, corporate or commercial,” Emuwa said.

    The Chief Financial Officer, Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Oyinkan Adewale, noted that the bank’s loan book has continued to grow, as it focuses on driving business in key sectors of the economy, including oil and gas and manufacturing.

    “Loans are up 55 per cent compared to same period for June 2013. The bank has so far successfully completed the sale of four subsidiaries, with two other divestments almost completed, in compliance with CBN’s Regulation 3 and in line with the strategy to focus on core banking activities. The bank is aggressively focused on recoveries, with N3.5 billion recovered in the first half of 2014 versus N1.5 billion for the same period in 2013,” she said.

    Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc witnessed modest declines in incomes and profit during the first half. Gross earnings dropped to N49.6 billion in first half 2014 as against N56.2 billion in comparable period of 2013. Interest income had declined from N41.2 billion to N36.6 billion while net interest income dropped from N29.7 billion to N25.1 billion.

    Net operating income stood at N36 billion as against N39.5 billion while profit before tax dropped from N9.8 billion to N6.5 billion. Profit after tax stood at N6.3 billion in first half 2014 as against N9.4 billion in first half 2013.

    Meanwhile, loans and advances to customers increased by 47 per cent to N261.1 billion as against N177.7 billion in December 2013. Customer deposits stood at N480.8 billion compared with N482.7 billion by December 2013 while Total assets dropped from N1.003 trillion by December 2013 to N979.7 billion by June, this year.

  • Photo: Education sector transformation

    Photo: Education sector transformation

  • Transformation Agenda’ll boost agric

    The Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) will create opportunities for home grown food manufacturing, the Deputy Director, Department of General Administration, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Ademola Adeyemo, has said.

    According to him, the sector  has a competitive labour cost base to supply to  food  manufacturing  so long as it is done in areas where the advantages can be enjoyed.

    He said thriving crops, fruits and vegetables sector is an enabling  food  processing to spend money on the much-needed capital infrastructure, which is expected to lead to high demand for food processing  products.

    He said the sector will  meet major equipment requirements by having a proven, capable and reliable manufacturing capacity at  its disposal.

    Agribusiness, he said, is a high-tech commercial sector, which includes the production, processing, distribution and marketing of agricultural products and the manufacture of farm machinery, equipment and supplies.

    In the next few years, he  said, the sector would see growth in corporate agriculture and larger operations requiring skilled employees, including farm managers, agronomists and veterinarians and managers in human resources, finance and communications.

    He  said there is a  booming demand from export markets and a growing interest in food provenance and safety.

  • The transformation is televised

    Patriotism is indeed the last refuge of political scoundrels. Whilst we are still on the subject of the epochal crisis rocking Nigeria, has anybody been following the antics of a group of self-styled patriots and intellectual carrion feeders who go by the name of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, whatever that means? Sounds more like the infamous Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) and the infamous Dr Aitkins in felonious concert with the author and authority himself, Authur Francis Nzeribe.

    Something new always comes out of Nigeria. This is the first time in the history of this noble concept that transformation is being televised and trivialized, and by “ambassadors”, too. Transformation has become a tea party. Rather than rolling up their intellectual sleeves to furnish Jonathan with a position paper on the manifest inadequacies of his underperforming government, they have taken to flights of fancy and abuse of platform.

    One would have thought that this empty and pretentious lot would have come up with a rigorous explanation of how transformation can even be whispered in the context of inefficiency, outlandish corruption, a culture of in your face impunity, lack of accountability, sensational stealing of public funds and cosmic incompetence. Instead they have taken to familiar grandstanding, working themselves into a froth with meretricious bunkum. It doesn’t add up, or let us say that it adds up only in their personal bank accounts.

    Snooper finds their adverts canvassing and campaigning for Jonathan amidst a monumental crisis of the state particularly offensive and an assault on good taste and common sense. What type of transformation agenda would further seek to inflame passions at this fragile moment? At this moment when Jonathan needs to rally the entire country behind him, they are busy fanning the embers of discord and disaffection. At a time when an entire nation is traumatized by the Chibok tragedy, telling Jonathan on television prime time that those who are for him are so much more than those against him is particularly callous and polarizing.

    I had been told that an ambassador is somebody paid to lie for his country abroad. But it appears that this new set of “ambassadors” are paid to lie for their principal principally at home. If this is how serious countries set about transformation, Lee Kuan Yuan , Monhatir Mohammed and Pandit Nehru would be squirming wherever they are. Snooper is bothered about why this kind of national scam appears to be particularly attractive to a particular section of the national intelligentsia. But this is a story for another day.

    As profiteers of power and parasites of national misery, let our ambassadors go and enjoy their loot. Nobody is grudging them their good luck. A fool and his money will sooner be parted. And money no dey smell, even where it is procured in the most putrid of circumstances. But our friends must remember that you cannot purchase happiness with the proceeds of other people’s misery and unhappiness. Let them ask their forebears who walked the same path to perdition.

  • Arsene Wenger and Nigeria’s Transformation Ambassadors

    “Arsenal fans have put up with nine years of failure for the love of one man…” – Author Unknown

    The pen can be mischievious. It will often lead you in the direction of trouble, of its own accord. This time it has led me in a direction closer home than I will willingly go – the Emirates Stadium. But with trepidation I go, expecting that a knock might come from an Arsenal fan in my corner.

    I assume we are mostly agreed that Nigerians are fanatical about their football. The English Premier League has stolen its way into our lives, courtesy of smart marketing and the domination by foreign-based cable TV, which has edged out local TV to become the default broadcast platform of the day. We now have millions of Nigerians who passionately follow the European football leagues and devoutly worship at the temple of the god of soccer.

    Of these devotees, Arsenal fans are in a class of their own. They are passionate, committed and proud proponents of a philosophy they believe is akin to the renowned tiki-taka made popular by FC Barcelona. Indeed, in the English Premier League, the team plays a peculiar variant of free-flowing football, pleasing to the eye, even though it has not yielded the desired results (trophies) in the last few years. Even though Spurs fans are quick to remind us the brand of football Arsenal lays claim to was originally theirs, who really cares? Definitely, not Arsenal fans. They (especially the Nigerian base) like to believe they have the patent over some kind of champagne football. They gloat over this. But can you blame them? Fans are entitled to believe what will make them feel good, even if they have to rebase the GDP of the club in the process, to have something to hold on to.

    But even the most ardent of fans will agree that it has not been smooth-sailing for Arsenal, having not won a single trophy in the last nine years. There is good news in the offing, though. With the fourth place trophy almost assured, the team is in in the finals of the FA cup. What does it matter that Arsenal had to rebase its strategy by featuring a team with an average age of almost 30 years to be able to beat Championship team, Wigan, in the semi-final match? Setting aside the acclaimed commitment to youth, an excuse often touted for the extended years of failure by the team, to make it to the final speaks to the flexibility required, that has not always been there . Whatever the case, the opportunity to end the barren run beckons for Arsenal.

    But what has Arsenal really been doing wrong? Analysts have, over the years, situated the deficiencies around Arsene Wenger’s obstinate belief in an obsolete template. But many Arsenal fans will hardly ever agree to the fact that the beloved Professor could be the problem, given his record. They will often take an attack on Arsene Wenger as an attack on their team, often taking on the messenger rather than the message. As one season ends, they promise themselves the next season. “In Arsene, we trust”, they would chorus.

    A new season begins, Arsenal catches fire. The team raises the hope of her fans. They begin to sing the old song to critics – did we not tell you? Can you see us now? Even when analysts tell them to take it easy, they would brush aside caution and spread their hopes in the sun for neighbours to see. Before you know it, a needle goes into the balloon. And within weeks, the leak is apparent to all, hope lies in tatters at the Emirates. Wenger’s water bottles are all over the place. Then the battle for the fourth place trophy begins. The team barely makes it, there is relief, and hope is rekindled for the season to come. The new season comes, history sneaks in to repeat itself, all over. That has been the story of the last nine years. In spite of this, some of these fans resolutely locate the problem everywhere else. but at the doorstep of Monsieur Arsene Wenger. But for occasional moments of loss-induced high fever, these fans resign themselves to an unquestioning love of Arsene Wenger. Even when the perfomance of the team does not justify the devotion, they hold on to love.

    This devoted lovers of the French man remind us of the fans of our own leader, who has been busy with the transformation of Nigeria in the last five years. Does Arsene Wenger’s barren run remind us of the years of the locust? Does it remind us of the productivity of our Lee Kuan Yew, courtesy of the world-class transformation agenda? Transformation Ambassadors liken our man to Nelson Mandela. They remind us of all the good work he has done. They tell us it is just that their man does not like to talk about it. They tell us – what we see is not what it is.

    For some of them, their love is founded on ethnic affiliation, pseudo-religious, bread and butter considerations or some feel-good it-is-our-turn-to-chop syndrome. But it is not about them, it is about our today and tomorrow. It is about them asking us to endure this barren run for the love of their man. They are so lost in love with their own Arsene Wenger that nothing else matters. Some umbrella-wielding sympathisers of our Martin Luther King are so love-stricken that any voice raised contrary to theirs is dubbed partisan. No matter is sacrosanct, when it comes to this undying love. And they crawl the net, seeking to spread the good news of transformation. They feel compelled to justify whatever the man does, irrespective of logic or reason. To them, dancing in the house of mourning is a show of strength. We ought to applaud the skelewu moves of the dancer, rather than condemn him. He is not fiddling, he is only dancing.

    Their Arsene Wenger cannot be faulted, even when it comes to his team selection or substitutions made in the course of the game. He takes out Bolaji Abdulahi, a world-class striker and replaces him with…who again? To spite an agent spotted in the camp of another team, he takes out proven striker and replaces him with a man who cannot score a goal to save his life. Arsenal fans have been asking their manager to buy world-class players for years now! Guess who he just bought? Musiliu Obanikoro! How does he guarantee winning the Emirates Cup with him in the Defence! Imagine how long it took him to take out Stella Oduah from the team. Commentators, pundits, fans have shouted themselves hoarse, but Diezani and Abba Moro are still an integral part of the team. Even when Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has been sidelined for a proper examination of his hamstring injury, the beloved Abba Moro is still in the team with a broken leg.

    But the fans of Nigeria’s own Arsene Wenger are unfazed. They are not moved. They tell you it was not easy for Barack Obama. It was not easy for Lee Kuan Yew. It was not easy for Nelson Mandela. It was not easy for Martin Luther King. So, it is not easy for Arsene Wenger. Even when their man’s team scores an own goal, they applaud him. The team suffers a painful loss in the hands of Nyanya bombers, yet the manager is not sober. He elects to continue with the campaign in Kano, all that matters is that new contract. He elects to dance in the house of mourning, the fans hail him. It is not easy for him, they tell us. He can do no wrong.

    Your Arsene Wenger can never do wrong? We agree. You cheer him, throw jibes at critics, accuse anyone with a contrary opinion of partisanship. We agree. But can you please wake up and face the facts? Nigeria is no Arsenal. There is the matter of 200 students kidnapped at Chibok. There was Buni-Yadi and Nyanya. We are losing lives daily, wasting young men and women. One might begin to think that Thomas Hobbes had this place in mind when he wrote about the state of nature where life is short, nasty and brutish. Please remind Arsene Wenger of Chibok, Buni-Yadi, Nyanya. Let him know there is more to life than a new contract. Let him know this barren run is long enough. Let him know this is not the time to dance.

    Transformation Ambassadors, please take a cue from the fans of Manchester United. The moment they saw through the “Chosen One”, they began to ask questions. They queried the results and labelled him the “Wrong One”. Today, the “Chosen One” has become the “rejected one”. Many Arsenal fans have also seen the light. They are singing a different song for Arsene Wenger, of late. The man too has been reading in between the lines. He has not been forthcoming in committing to a new contract. God helps him, should he fail to win the FA Cup. There are only so many barren years that even the most faithful fans can endure. Yours should not be different – how many lean years are you willing to endure for the love of one man?