Man in his natural state,is selfish! It is written into our DNA code.It is the blueprint for survival. Every organism on earth has only one mission: survival.
However,this self-centeredness, also carries within it a Trojan Horse! Selfishness,leads to the destruction of everyone! With the benefit of superior scientific knowledge,we now understand that no man is an island.
We know,for example,that when factories pollute the environment in China through the release of Green House Gases,it affects the rest of the world through global warming,and ozone depletion.
In a similar vein,when one country closes her eyes to armed insurrection,and lawlessness in a neighbouring one,she is only sowing the seeds for instability at home.
More than ever before,the maxim "we swim together,and sink together" holds true. When Marshall Macluhan coined the phrase "Global Village" back then,no one truly understood it then,today we have an idea of what he meant.
But not all of society understands that mankind,is one complex organism composed of individuals!
Each day,I look around me,and I see wealth,ostentatious wealth. This is almost always juxtaposed with poverty:grating,gripping,grinding poverty!
The colocation of the two,usually highlights their great differences! And sometimes,it does not seem to bother the rich!
They are content to live in opulent surroundings behind fortress-like walls,in the midst of abject ,acrid, arrant squalor!
It is almost as if,wealth sentences the rich to live in the proverbial gilded cage.They are free,but they live behind bars! They are rich,but they go around in armour- plated vehicles,with tinted windows;they travel incognito,and no one even appreciates them!
I would like to be truly rich one day, to the extent of not worrying about the cost of anything,but I sure would not like the restrictions. I would like to still walk the streets,and eat my roasted plantain,and peanuts.
The poor,on the other hand,sleep with their doors open,and travel on the backs of trucks,and even sleep outside at night because their rooms are too hot! If that is not ironic,nothing else would be!
The rich,and the poor,want the same thing;a good life. I am not saying that when a person works hard,he should not enjoy the fruits of years of toiling,sacrifice,and investment in knowledge.
No!
I am not a communist!
Instead,I am advocating that the rich should do all that lies in their power,to help the poor around them. The poverty of the poor,is the insecurity of the rich,and the comfort of the poor,is peace of mind for the rich.
We need to redefine our priorities! I am not preaching anything new,it is already being advocated by eminent people like Bill Gates,and the Sage of Omaha ,Warren Buffet,the rich need to give part of their wealth to ease the crippling poverty in the land.
These men have understood that wealth is a sacred trust! It is not a to be used to satisfy every whimsical notion that catches a man's fancy,it is a divine assignment to make a difference!
We cannot wait for the government's poverty alleviation programmes. They are a ruse,and a smokescreen!
As long as there is poverty,there will be insecurity,as long as there is insecurity,your money counts for nothing when an hungry,and angry, man is, holding a gun to your head. At that moment, you would want to exchange your money,to save your life.
The rich should look at innovative ways of making a difference. Give scholarships to indigent children in your neighbourhood,build a computer centre for the youths in your area,sink a bore hole for the community.
Do something. Because each act of kindness from you,is a strong bar in your security,and your security,is worth more than all your money. In addition,no act of kindness,goes unnoticed by God,and the poor it serves.
If you do not give your money willingly,with joy,you may find yourself parting with it,by force,and then,you would not be in a position to negotiate,and no goodwill,and gratitude will accrue to you!
Let us strive to build a better society,we all deserve to live in one,both rich,and poor!
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR NIGERIA,FOREVER!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
One desire that is universal,is the hope for a better tomorrow. Even where we may not be conscious of it,it is what motivates us,it is the reason why we work.
Today's activities,are the seeds of tomorrow. I have recently asked a young woman living with our family to go back to the village. I got tired of her antics. She was beginning to treat my wife like a junior wife,and that is where I draw the line. For want of a name,we will call her Alice.
Alice came to us after she had completed six years of secondary school.And she had the testimonial to prove it. And I was deeply troubled by this. I became worried when she tried to read the Bible one day in church,I had to force myself to close my mouth. I could hear the words,but they did not sound like English. They were like English words on square wheels,they just did not move.
Another thing that baffled me about this secondary school leaver,was that she could not write her name,or amounts in word,and figures! In addition,when she packed food in the deep freezer,she wrote in a language no other person could read. If she wrote stew,or you suspected that it was stew,you had to actually open the container to inspect it,before leaving it out to thaw. If not,you might be shocked in the evening,that it was the wayward beans you had been looking for that had thawed.
I kept asking myself the question,how did this girl pass English,and Mathematics in her final examinations?
I was informed,by those who knew better,that in village schools for instance,teachers actually wrote the answers to the questions on the chalk board,I was also told that this did not guarantee one hundred percent pass rate! Some students still failed despite the answers being laid on the plate,for them!
The same thing happened in many "special centres", another euphemism for cheating centres!
In precolonial,and early post-colonial Nigeria,the fact that a person had completed primary school,was enough for them to read properly,and write English! Many individuals went into the civil service from the secondary school!
Nothing could be more alien from the truth today. In fact,some people who allegedly possess first degrees,and even post graduate degrees, are intellectual disasters. Their command of English,is disgraceful.When they write,they rewrite all the rules of grammar,lexis,and structure. They actually make their own as they go along.
When you come across someone who is a science major,he is usually worse.Science students,in error,believe that they do not need English to solve quadratic equations! They forget that English is the language of science.
I have also noticed,that men are worse offenders, of the two sexes. Women seem to be more careful. If you are not careful when these people speak,you might loose your head from the linguistic ballistic missiles they toss around!
The problem is further compounded by our penchant for speaking pidgin English. I have even seen some schools where the mother tongue was the language of instruction.
With each passing year,the rot and "miseducation" continues. There are two levels of education going on today;there is the expensive private school version,and the devil-may-care public schools.
We have not been devoting the minimum ratio of our national budget to education. Most of what we devote to education,goes into the pockets of contractors.
In twenty years time,when the current crop of those in primary school would be entering the labour market,we would be shocked at the secret rot. Then it would be too late to do anything.
People who went to excellent public,and sometimes, free mission schools, are the ones destroying education today. They are busy making money from the system,with very little care for the impact of their actions. Their children school in ivy league institutions abroad,so they have little impetus to improve the system.
Our children are our future,we need to fight to give them a better head start in life.
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR NIGERIA,FOREVER!
Today's activities,are the seeds of tomorrow. I have recently asked a young woman living with our family to go back to the village. I got tired of her antics. She was beginning to treat my wife like a junior wife,and that is where I draw the line. For want of a name,we will call her Alice.
Alice came to us after she had completed six years of secondary school.And she had the testimonial to prove it. And I was deeply troubled by this. I became worried when she tried to read the Bible one day in church,I had to force myself to close my mouth. I could hear the words,but they did not sound like English. They were like English words on square wheels,they just did not move.
Another thing that baffled me about this secondary school leaver,was that she could not write her name,or amounts in word,and figures! In addition,when she packed food in the deep freezer,she wrote in a language no other person could read. If she wrote stew,or you suspected that it was stew,you had to actually open the container to inspect it,before leaving it out to thaw. If not,you might be shocked in the evening,that it was the wayward beans you had been looking for that had thawed.
I kept asking myself the question,how did this girl pass English,and Mathematics in her final examinations?
I was informed,by those who knew better,that in village schools for instance,teachers actually wrote the answers to the questions on the chalk board,I was also told that this did not guarantee one hundred percent pass rate! Some students still failed despite the answers being laid on the plate,for them!
The same thing happened in many "special centres", another euphemism for cheating centres!
In precolonial,and early post-colonial Nigeria,the fact that a person had completed primary school,was enough for them to read properly,and write English! Many individuals went into the civil service from the secondary school!
Nothing could be more alien from the truth today. In fact,some people who allegedly possess first degrees,and even post graduate degrees, are intellectual disasters. Their command of English,is disgraceful.When they write,they rewrite all the rules of grammar,lexis,and structure. They actually make their own as they go along.
When you come across someone who is a science major,he is usually worse.Science students,in error,believe that they do not need English to solve quadratic equations! They forget that English is the language of science.
I have also noticed,that men are worse offenders, of the two sexes. Women seem to be more careful. If you are not careful when these people speak,you might loose your head from the linguistic ballistic missiles they toss around!
The problem is further compounded by our penchant for speaking pidgin English. I have even seen some schools where the mother tongue was the language of instruction.
With each passing year,the rot and "miseducation" continues. There are two levels of education going on today;there is the expensive private school version,and the devil-may-care public schools.
We have not been devoting the minimum ratio of our national budget to education. Most of what we devote to education,goes into the pockets of contractors.
In twenty years time,when the current crop of those in primary school would be entering the labour market,we would be shocked at the secret rot. Then it would be too late to do anything.
People who went to excellent public,and sometimes, free mission schools, are the ones destroying education today. They are busy making money from the system,with very little care for the impact of their actions. Their children school in ivy league institutions abroad,so they have little impetus to improve the system.
Our children are our future,we need to fight to give them a better head start in life.
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR NIGERIA,FOREVER!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Water As A Fundamental Human Right
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| Children fetching water in a well,in a dry river bed in Adamawa State,Nigeria. We need to extend some fundamental human rights to them too. |
It is an attempt to bring clean water to about one billion people who currently are without,and sanitation to over two and a half billion others.
It looks like a last throw of the dice for the United Nations.After this resolution,which is binding on all members,including those who abstained from voting,the UN has no elbow room to maneuver.
It is because it understands that water,is not a luxury item! It is not like electricity,or even education,which,if a person is without,he could still survive,even if it is in a non luxurious state!
When I was growing up a while back, one phrase I constantly heard in different news items,was the phrase "by the year two thousand"!
We were told by numerous newscasters then,that there would be health for all by the year two thousand! We also heard of shelter for all by the year two thousand! To this illustrious list was added water for all by the year two thousand! I could not wait for the year two thousand to come. It seemed,to my myopic,innocent,and gullible mind then,that the water they also promised for all,would become a reality by the year two thousand.
The year two thousand assumed,to me,the same import as the second coming of Jesus Christ!
Alas! I was wrong! I did not know then,that it was because the world was grappling with problems it could not solve then,that it deferred the solving of these problems to the year two thousand.
The year two thousand has come,and the world,at least on my side of the globe,seems worse now,than it was then!
I believe that the United Nations has taken this uncommon step of making water a fundamental human right because the issue cannot be deferred to the next millenium! If we have to wait,half of the world would probably die of water borne diseases by then! I would not be surprised,if all the other goals that could not be achieved by the year two thousand,are also elevated to the same status as human rights!
When about eight percent of the world's population are in danger of dying from water borne diseases,it is a veritable call to arms.
Without water,a person will die! Without clean water,a person is exposed to all manner of harmful pathogens that would ultimately end that person's life.
So access to water has now been placed on the same pedestal as the traditional fundamental human rights! The traditional fundamental human rights,are those conditions the world has agreed to,as being necessary for the survival of life,or for the peaceable enjoyment of same! They are not a luxury,they are basic,germane, and a sine qua non for the sustenance of a civilized lifestyle.
Because of this,no government is permitted to deny her citizens any of these rights, under the guise of exercising her sovereign rights as a nation.
That is why, when a government,denies her citizens any of these rights,it is slapped with a charge of crimes against humanity. That is a crime against the fundamentals upon which all nations on earth have agreed that without these,life cannot be sustained! This is what is happening with Sudan,and the Darfur Region.
If we are to arrive at a conclusion from the foregoing,when a government provides water for her citizens,it has not done anything special! The people are under no obligation to acknowledge the provision.They do not need to show gratitude by giving one government official a chieftaincy title,or a new wife; it is just like the air we breathe,it is supposed to be freely given. No questions asked!
But that does not negate the obligation of the citizens to pay their taxes,or pay water rates where these exist! What the United Nations is now saying is that the water must be there for the people to access,and pay for,where they can afford it.And if ,per adventure,the people are too poor to pay for this water,it should still be provided for them!
In the light of all we have looked at, it means that where a government has the resources to provide good,clean,potable water,and is negligent in doing so,it is a crime against her people,a violation of their fundamental human rights,and a crime against humanity.
Water can no longer be used as a bargaining chip.The people do not need to vote for the government in power for them to have access to water,neither should it be used as a tool of coercion.
In closing,I would like all of us to look around us,and score our various levels of government on their performance in the discharging of this fundamental human right! Are we being led by a group of violators of human rights,or is it that the United Nations would hail them as defenders of same!
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,MY NIGERIA,FOREVER!
(If you want to read more then go to my blog at www.standupnigeria.blogspot.com)
Nigerians Are All Corrupt!
Corruption,means to destroy,to rupture,or break.It also means decomposition. These are all biological definitions of corruption.
When defined like this,we find that every area of human endeavour is prone to it. We are very quick to accuse people in government of corruption,but what we fail to realize,is that we are the foundation stones for the superstructure of corruption in our land.
In our own "small way",with our numerous "harmless" acts,we corrupt the land. Corruption,is like a virus.The more there is in a system,the sicker the system is.
How many times have you thrown something out of a moving car? Did you throw it into the dustbin? Where do you think that item of refuse went? Have you seen how plastic bottles,and polythene bags corrupt our drains? Each time you throw something out of a moving car,you are engaging in corruption!
When you enter a public place,where people queue to be served,and because you are in a hurry,perhaps your children are in the car,or you would soon need to pick your child from school in five minutes time;you ignore the people on the queue,and put on a bold face,and go to the front of the line to be attended to,you have just corrupted that line! You have engaged in corruption!
Or is it the fellow who has a digital electricity metre in his house,but decides to bye pass it with an illegal connection that enables him to enjoy free electricity,what do you think he is doing? He is corrupting the power grid. He is consuming what he has not paid for. He is actually a thief!
And any time you chose to drive in the wrong direction on a way street,you are engaging in corruption you are making the road unsafe for those who are using it legitimately.It is the same thing that happens when you do not park your car properly because you have gone to worship God. When traffic builds up because of you,or other road users are constrained,what do you think you are doing? Worshiping God,while harming men? Your sacrifice of worship cannot be truly acceptable to God. You cannot break the laws of men,in order to worship God! He that must approach equity must come with clean hands!
A man who issues a dud cheque, is corrupting the business environment. He is undermining the trust necessary for the well being of business generally.
We seem to be very brilliant at finding ways to undermine the law,we even pride ourselves in being intelligent,and smart. A criminal,is anyone who breaks the law! It does not matter whether he has been caught,and prosecuted, as far as he has disregarded the laws that facilitate the civilized running of the state,that fellow,is an outlaw!
I have not even talked about drivers who use their bosses' vehicles to moonlight as taxi drivers,or parents who help their children to cheat in examinations.Neither have I mentioned people who cheat their employers out of a full day's work.
Corruption is all around us because we have developed the attitude of expecting to get something,for nothing,we are prone to corruption. Corruption is reaping where you have not sown,it is taking an advantage that has not been fairly gained,or conferred on one legitimately. It is using you skill,knowledge,beauty,and power,to gain an unfair advantage!
Every act of corruption,reduces the quality of life we all enjoy! It does not matter,whether there is an obvious person suffering some loss from the action;the truth is that because something was not done properly in the way it ought to have been,when it ought to have been,we all are the worse off for it.
It is a natural instinct that is at the basis for the primordial instinct of self-preservation. It is civilization,that moderates this tendency for corruption,and places on us the onus to work for the preservation of the system.
This is what some societies refer to as an open society. This is a place where all know their place,accept it,and legitimately work to improve themselves without harming the organism that sustains us all;society!
As I consider the points enumerated above,I see that I am truly corrupt too,and need to mend my ways. It is in doing so,that we can mend the system,and make Nigeria truly great!
Corruption is not some foreign entity in another country called government,it is a living,walking,human being,who tries to get something,for nothing! And that description resembles many of us!
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA FOREVER!
When defined like this,we find that every area of human endeavour is prone to it. We are very quick to accuse people in government of corruption,but what we fail to realize,is that we are the foundation stones for the superstructure of corruption in our land.
In our own "small way",with our numerous "harmless" acts,we corrupt the land. Corruption,is like a virus.The more there is in a system,the sicker the system is.
How many times have you thrown something out of a moving car? Did you throw it into the dustbin? Where do you think that item of refuse went? Have you seen how plastic bottles,and polythene bags corrupt our drains? Each time you throw something out of a moving car,you are engaging in corruption!
When you enter a public place,where people queue to be served,and because you are in a hurry,perhaps your children are in the car,or you would soon need to pick your child from school in five minutes time;you ignore the people on the queue,and put on a bold face,and go to the front of the line to be attended to,you have just corrupted that line! You have engaged in corruption!
Or is it the fellow who has a digital electricity metre in his house,but decides to bye pass it with an illegal connection that enables him to enjoy free electricity,what do you think he is doing? He is corrupting the power grid. He is consuming what he has not paid for. He is actually a thief!
And any time you chose to drive in the wrong direction on a way street,you are engaging in corruption you are making the road unsafe for those who are using it legitimately.It is the same thing that happens when you do not park your car properly because you have gone to worship God. When traffic builds up because of you,or other road users are constrained,what do you think you are doing? Worshiping God,while harming men? Your sacrifice of worship cannot be truly acceptable to God. You cannot break the laws of men,in order to worship God! He that must approach equity must come with clean hands!
A man who issues a dud cheque, is corrupting the business environment. He is undermining the trust necessary for the well being of business generally.
We seem to be very brilliant at finding ways to undermine the law,we even pride ourselves in being intelligent,and smart. A criminal,is anyone who breaks the law! It does not matter whether he has been caught,and prosecuted, as far as he has disregarded the laws that facilitate the civilized running of the state,that fellow,is an outlaw!
I have not even talked about drivers who use their bosses' vehicles to moonlight as taxi drivers,or parents who help their children to cheat in examinations.Neither have I mentioned people who cheat their employers out of a full day's work.
Corruption is all around us because we have developed the attitude of expecting to get something,for nothing,we are prone to corruption. Corruption is reaping where you have not sown,it is taking an advantage that has not been fairly gained,or conferred on one legitimately. It is using you skill,knowledge,beauty,and power,to gain an unfair advantage!
Every act of corruption,reduces the quality of life we all enjoy! It does not matter,whether there is an obvious person suffering some loss from the action;the truth is that because something was not done properly in the way it ought to have been,when it ought to have been,we all are the worse off for it.
It is a natural instinct that is at the basis for the primordial instinct of self-preservation. It is civilization,that moderates this tendency for corruption,and places on us the onus to work for the preservation of the system.
This is what some societies refer to as an open society. This is a place where all know their place,accept it,and legitimately work to improve themselves without harming the organism that sustains us all;society!
As I consider the points enumerated above,I see that I am truly corrupt too,and need to mend my ways. It is in doing so,that we can mend the system,and make Nigeria truly great!
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| Mr Tafa Balogun,the former Inspector General of Police |
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA FOREVER!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Let Us Destroy Our Children!
Humans,unlike most animals,do not come programmed with all they need to survive.They usually learn these skills from their parents,and other members of the society. In addition to learning survival skills like how to fish,or open a coconut,we also learn how to interact with other humans,this second type of knowledge is what is called socialization.
These two different,but related schooling,make up what is referred to as a person's frame of reference,and field of experience. Our frame of reference is a collection,or structure of values through which we view life. For instance,if you tell a native Ijaw man that you have good alcohol,what would come to his mind,is ogogoro,the locally distilled gin! If you tell a Scotsman the same thing,he would envision a bottle of Johnie Walker aged for one hundred years!
Your field of experience on the other hand,refers to the sum total of things done by you, and to you ;the things you have done in the past that become like a library,with which you compare everything that happens today.
For example,if your parents fought all the time when you were growing up,it would be difficult to conceive the picture of a home where there is bliss,and harmony.
Children,are like a blank canvas,whatever picture you paint on them,is what they would show the world.
That is why each time I see parents,especially mothers with children,driving against traffic illegally,I cringe! I have separated mothers for special treatment here because they have custody of the children most of the time. What you are doing when you break traffic rules,is that you are telling Junior,and Princess,that it is smart to do so!
When your children grow up,they would be worse drivers than you. And if care is not taken,you may be vicariously responsible for their deaths too! You showed them,directly,that it was safe to drive dangerously.
Yesterday,I saw a mother,and her two children at a petrol station,she had taken offence,and rightly too,at a man who was jaywalking. She lost her temper,and proceeded to trade insults with the fellow,I was embarrassed for her! Her children soaked it in,like a sponge. I pity whoever gets in their way in seventeen year's time!
Another way we ruin our children,is how we lie on the phone,we tell people,in the presence of our children,that we are not at home,and the child is listening,and programming her hard drive! Lying is good,mother does it a lot! When I was in school,I lived in the same compound as my landlady. Her blind mother,also lived with her. On some nights,I could not sleep,my landlady could be heard beating her blind mother. It was gut-wrenching. But I had one consolation,this my landlady,who had children of her own,was becoming blind from glaucoma,I knew her children would also beat her when it was her turn.
We are becoming derelict, in teaching our children, the values that have been handed down to us by a long,illustrious line of ancestors. These are the values that made us the decent people that we are today.
We may believe it does not matter now,but we would reap the vile fruits in our old age,when our children would be strangers,and monsters to us.
MAY GOD SAVE OUR CHILDREN,THE HOPE OF NIGERIA!
These two different,but related schooling,make up what is referred to as a person's frame of reference,and field of experience. Our frame of reference is a collection,or structure of values through which we view life. For instance,if you tell a native Ijaw man that you have good alcohol,what would come to his mind,is ogogoro,the locally distilled gin! If you tell a Scotsman the same thing,he would envision a bottle of Johnie Walker aged for one hundred years!
Your field of experience on the other hand,refers to the sum total of things done by you, and to you ;the things you have done in the past that become like a library,with which you compare everything that happens today.
For example,if your parents fought all the time when you were growing up,it would be difficult to conceive the picture of a home where there is bliss,and harmony.
Children,are like a blank canvas,whatever picture you paint on them,is what they would show the world.
That is why each time I see parents,especially mothers with children,driving against traffic illegally,I cringe! I have separated mothers for special treatment here because they have custody of the children most of the time. What you are doing when you break traffic rules,is that you are telling Junior,and Princess,that it is smart to do so!
When your children grow up,they would be worse drivers than you. And if care is not taken,you may be vicariously responsible for their deaths too! You showed them,directly,that it was safe to drive dangerously.
Yesterday,I saw a mother,and her two children at a petrol station,she had taken offence,and rightly too,at a man who was jaywalking. She lost her temper,and proceeded to trade insults with the fellow,I was embarrassed for her! Her children soaked it in,like a sponge. I pity whoever gets in their way in seventeen year's time!
Another way we ruin our children,is how we lie on the phone,we tell people,in the presence of our children,that we are not at home,and the child is listening,and programming her hard drive! Lying is good,mother does it a lot! When I was in school,I lived in the same compound as my landlady. Her blind mother,also lived with her. On some nights,I could not sleep,my landlady could be heard beating her blind mother. It was gut-wrenching. But I had one consolation,this my landlady,who had children of her own,was becoming blind from glaucoma,I knew her children would also beat her when it was her turn.
We are becoming derelict, in teaching our children, the values that have been handed down to us by a long,illustrious line of ancestors. These are the values that made us the decent people that we are today.
We may believe it does not matter now,but we would reap the vile fruits in our old age,when our children would be strangers,and monsters to us.
MAY GOD SAVE OUR CHILDREN,THE HOPE OF NIGERIA!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Nigerian Terrorism
In the arcane,subterranean,murky,and hard to define, world of politics,and diplomacy,the lines are blurred when it comes to defining anything. Take terrorism,for instance,one man's definition of terrorism ,is another man's definition of a freedom fighter,or patriot.
And both definitions are correct. Father time,is the ultimate judge of who exactly was what.
The international news channels,as usual,have been bombarding us with news of the latest attempt by Al Qaeda to cause chaos in the West.
So what exactly is terrorism? There is no universally accepted definition of terrorism. It is terrorism if you are on the receiving end,but something else,if it benefits you!According to one definition,it is the systematic use of terror to coerce,or force people,or an individual,to do something. Terror,is fear. So terrorism is the use of fear,to achieve an aim. Israel call Hamas,and Hizbullah, two Islamic organizations,terror groups,but to the people of the West Bank,and Lebanon,they are the only way they can fight what they see as Israeli oppression.
So who is a terrorist? When does a person become a terrorist? The crazy thing about the world we live in,is that the same individual,or group,could be labelled as a terrorist,or a freedom fighter,by the same source,at different times,under different circumstances.
The most famous terrorist ever,is Osama Bin Laden. We all know him as America's greatest enemy;but what many people do not know,is that Osama Bin Laden,was created by America! America armed him to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan! Then,he was a freedom fighter to America,and a bulwark against terrorism.
But the problem with a man who has been taught to use the gun,is that he does not unlearn that skill,and no longer trusts alternative means of dispute resolution! The way of the gun is faster,and produces better results for the man shooting the gun?
So how does this concern Nigeria? Where do we feature in the whole equation of terrorism?
Very much,I must sadly confess! Like Osama Bin Laden,Henry Okah,and many of the militants we currently contend with,were once hailed by people in the top echelons of government today,as freedom fighters! The numerous revelations coming out now,show how complicit our politicians are with them.It is convenient,and fashionable now to pillory these individuals,and subject them to public opprobrium, but the fact remains,they were created by people in government to fight personal wars.
Terrorism,or should we call it nationalism? Take your pick,has the same progression everywhere. It does not matter the culture,or the period,or the conflict responsible for it.
When people "make peaceful change impossible,they make the violent inevitable",in addition,when disputes are not resolved in a peaceful,and mutually satisfactory manner,it forms the nucleus for terrorism to grow from the resultant malcontent.
Furthermore,when people refuse to abide by laid down rules governing a process like an election,or the sharing of a nation's resources,the results,could form the basis upon which terrorist acts are committed. Lastly,but by no means the least,is when young unemployed people are armed by powerful individuals to fight a personal war,the cessation of that personal conflict,does not necessarily mean the end of armed conflict in that area.
All the necessary conditions mentioned above are ongoing,prevalent,and preponderant, in Nigeria today.
The militants,another word for terrorists,in the Niger Delta of Nigeria,were created by politicians to fight political opponents. When the politicians abandoned the boys on the attainment of their own objectives,the boys decided to work for themselves by terrorizing Nigeria's economic interests. It is easier to placate an "economic terrorist",than one who is fighting on the basis of an ideological injustice! You just give him money!
So far,what we have dealt with,are people who want money. When the general elections are conducted next year,if we do not conduct them in a transparent,and equitable fashion,we may end up with our own ideological terrorists! This is the type the British government has struggled with in Northern Island
for centuries. At the end of the day,they discovered that the only way to eradicate them,was not by force of arms,but through dialogue.
We are not prepared for this type of terrorist,but the conditions are perfect for his emergence! It is only when people subjugate the attainment of their own personal interests under the overriding attainment of national interest,that we will survive as a nation. This was what Al Gore,the democratic candidate did in America,when he refused to pursue a court case that would have hobbled America.Is it possible,for our politicians to rise to this rarefied height of patriotism? Or will they end up becoming terrorists,who inflict terror on Nigeria.
The truth is,at the end of the day,one man's terrorist,is another man's patriot,or freedom fighter!
GOD BLESS NIGERIA,MY NIGERIA,FOREVER!
And both definitions are correct. Father time,is the ultimate judge of who exactly was what.
The international news channels,as usual,have been bombarding us with news of the latest attempt by Al Qaeda to cause chaos in the West.
So what exactly is terrorism? There is no universally accepted definition of terrorism. It is terrorism if you are on the receiving end,but something else,if it benefits you!According to one definition,it is the systematic use of terror to coerce,or force people,or an individual,to do something. Terror,is fear. So terrorism is the use of fear,to achieve an aim. Israel call Hamas,and Hizbullah, two Islamic organizations,terror groups,but to the people of the West Bank,and Lebanon,they are the only way they can fight what they see as Israeli oppression.
So who is a terrorist? When does a person become a terrorist? The crazy thing about the world we live in,is that the same individual,or group,could be labelled as a terrorist,or a freedom fighter,by the same source,at different times,under different circumstances.
The most famous terrorist ever,is Osama Bin Laden. We all know him as America's greatest enemy;but what many people do not know,is that Osama Bin Laden,was created by America! America armed him to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan! Then,he was a freedom fighter to America,and a bulwark against terrorism.
But the problem with a man who has been taught to use the gun,is that he does not unlearn that skill,and no longer trusts alternative means of dispute resolution! The way of the gun is faster,and produces better results for the man shooting the gun?
So how does this concern Nigeria? Where do we feature in the whole equation of terrorism?
Very much,I must sadly confess! Like Osama Bin Laden,Henry Okah,and many of the militants we currently contend with,were once hailed by people in the top echelons of government today,as freedom fighters! The numerous revelations coming out now,show how complicit our politicians are with them.It is convenient,and fashionable now to pillory these individuals,and subject them to public opprobrium, but the fact remains,they were created by people in government to fight personal wars.
Terrorism,or should we call it nationalism? Take your pick,has the same progression everywhere. It does not matter the culture,or the period,or the conflict responsible for it.
When people "make peaceful change impossible,they make the violent inevitable",in addition,when disputes are not resolved in a peaceful,and mutually satisfactory manner,it forms the nucleus for terrorism to grow from the resultant malcontent.
Furthermore,when people refuse to abide by laid down rules governing a process like an election,or the sharing of a nation's resources,the results,could form the basis upon which terrorist acts are committed. Lastly,but by no means the least,is when young unemployed people are armed by powerful individuals to fight a personal war,the cessation of that personal conflict,does not necessarily mean the end of armed conflict in that area.
All the necessary conditions mentioned above are ongoing,prevalent,and preponderant, in Nigeria today.
The militants,another word for terrorists,in the Niger Delta of Nigeria,were created by politicians to fight political opponents. When the politicians abandoned the boys on the attainment of their own objectives,the boys decided to work for themselves by terrorizing Nigeria's economic interests. It is easier to placate an "economic terrorist",than one who is fighting on the basis of an ideological injustice! You just give him money!
So far,what we have dealt with,are people who want money. When the general elections are conducted next year,if we do not conduct them in a transparent,and equitable fashion,we may end up with our own ideological terrorists! This is the type the British government has struggled with in Northern Island
for centuries. At the end of the day,they discovered that the only way to eradicate them,was not by force of arms,but through dialogue.
We are not prepared for this type of terrorist,but the conditions are perfect for his emergence! It is only when people subjugate the attainment of their own personal interests under the overriding attainment of national interest,that we will survive as a nation. This was what Al Gore,the democratic candidate did in America,when he refused to pursue a court case that would have hobbled America.Is it possible,for our politicians to rise to this rarefied height of patriotism? Or will they end up becoming terrorists,who inflict terror on Nigeria.
The truth is,at the end of the day,one man's terrorist,is another man's patriot,or freedom fighter!
GOD BLESS NIGERIA,MY NIGERIA,FOREVER!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Politics Without Manifestos Equals "Politrics"
If there is one thing we do in Nigeria,that riles me,it is our proclivity to either rewrite universally accepted laws,or to assume that these laws do not apply to us.We believe,erroneously,that we are, somehow,exempt from their given influence.
When we come late to events, we explain it away with the euphemism of African time! The last time I checked,time was still a universal concept! When we fail in spite of our unfair,and overwhelming qualification to succeed, we call it the Nigerian factor.What we ought to say,is that we were careless!
We are almost like some national Ogbanje,or Abiku,a wicked, and vile,spirit child reputed by some cultures in Nigeria,to be destined to die in spite of whatever care,or love you give it.
It is a maddening frustration,and the most vexatious of griefs!
Why are we so?
Another way we try to rewrite universal laws,is the call in some quarters for us to collapse all the political parties into two "major parties". People point to America,and the England,as examples. They forget that we are practicing a democratic system;a system founded on the plurality of free,unhindered,and unforced, choice.
The examples such advocates give are not even correct,these countries do not have two parties,they both have two major parties,or two and half,if you count the Liberal Democrats!
Where would the freedom of choice be,if we force Marxists into the same party,as dyed in the wool capitalists?
Babangida,when he sullied,and muddied,the Nigerian democratic spring, tried it when he was Head of State,and it did not succeed.
The latest idiocy to appear on the political horizon,is indeed truly a Quixotic apparition.It is politics without a declaration of intent. People are not talking about the manifestos of political parties,all they seem to be preoccupied with,is where the president would come from,his/her ethnic group,who zoned what to who,and all the other tomfoolery!
Are we truly serious people? We have turned the presidency of a nation stuttering,and wheezing, because of successive bad leadership,into a beauty contest,a charade of the charades!
No one is talking about what he/she would do when he becomes president,the parties are silent,some would say,but they said they would fight corruption? So? How does that translate into jobs,how do we increase Foreign Direct Investment,how do we fast track our infrastructural renewal? How?
If you have attended,or watched a typical Nigerian beauty contest,you would have observed that a lot of times,many of the girls on display,are what Americans call bimbos,beautiful girls without brains. And the similarity between them and many of the gladiators angling to occupy Aso Rock,is quite uncannily close.
Playing politics without manifestos, is like asking a waiter at a restaurant you have never patronized before,to bring you anything he likes: you have no expectation,you have no right to reject what is set before you,and you have no choice. It is like a human being without a soul!
Dead!
Is this our gift to the world? Politics devoid of ideas,and ideals? Is this what we mean when we talk about our nascent,never maturing,democracy?
We have stumbled,and tottered, for fifty years to get to where we are now,and it is not a very good place,in fact,it is a horrid,and abominable, place!
If we are not to be sold a very red herring,we must demand from our parties,and their candidates,precise,and easily verifiable manifestos. We must not allow ambiguous, and nebulous,generalizations like,"we will construct roads,we will build schools,and fight corruption",those are normal things,that normal governments do everywhere!
We want to know,what type of roads are you going to construct,and why? Are you going to focus on roads in the rural areas to facilitate evacuation of agricultural produce for instance? Or,are you going to bring back the groundnut pyramids by moving Zimbabwean farmers to the North? These are the type of specifics we should hold them to,and they must have timelines that are verifiable?
Let us wake up.we must not allow our politicians to reinvent politics,it is a universal subject,and cannot be redefined by our politicians to cheat us as usual.
If we can do this,we would truly be laying the foundation for a truly great Nigeria. Not the hollow one we currently have,but a robust and savagely healthy nation!
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR GREAT NIGERIA,FOREVER!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Exclusion Of Women In Nigeria's Politics.
I love women! How can I not? I was born by one,I'm married to one,and I have one as a daughter. In addition to these,my first job in Abuja was with the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development.
I have watched women over the years call for increased slots for women in government. It is a desire to actualize that seemingly elusive goal that has driven me to write this.
I believe that women are not taken seriously in politics today,due to a deceptively devious design by men!
Men do not have any interest in women participating fully in politics. They have fostered this through one very simple,but deathly efficient tool;the comically named "Women's Wing".
Every party you look at today in Nigeria, has a "National Women Leader",who leads the "Women's Wing" But has anyone ever bothered to find out why it is so? Why is there no "National Leader" for men?
The men understand that by creating a Women's Wing of the party,they effectively can define what the women can aspire to. It is a way of saying politics is a man's game,but women would be allowed as adjunct,or auxiliary, members of the party. This move naturally,removes the women from the decision making process in parties.
They become a sideshow,and what a show they love to put on. Trust the women,they would usually deliberate back,and forth, on the design for the convention "aso ebi",or uniform, to be worn. They would discuss who should be engaged as caterer for the event,they would decide what colour scheme the decorations should follow,this is in addition to composing the convention anthem.
Sometimes,their work would involve vetting which musician would be invited for the gala night. Some women would argue that it is very important work,they would be hosting the men!
For the women to deliberate on all these,they would need to have a separate meeting from the men.
While they are busy doing this,the men are taking key decisions on who can attend the national convention,who can contest,who can be a delegate,where certain positions are to be zoned to,all this,sadly,behind the back of the women.
In most cases,these decisions do not factor the interest of women into the equation. Politics is a game for men!
When one of the women finally returns to the hall to ask for the chairman's view on an inane menu item,she would discover that the deed has been done. In desperation,like our very much beloved Sarah Jubril,she would throw her hat into the ring;and just to humour her,and because they know she does not have an earthworm's chance in a pool of catfish,they would put her name on the ballot.
So the poor creature goes around spending money on campaigning for a position that has been designed out of her reach!
Come convention day,the poor woman,would get only three votes from a possible three thousand!
How can we reverse this trend? It is quite easy,abolish these wings designed to perpetuate this injustice!
Why do we not have a wing for men in our parties? Because the men are declaring that the whole of politics is a man's business,and youths,and women,would only be allowed to have token representation.
The day women refuse to be segregated into some wing of the party,and demand full participation in all the activities of the party,they would find their fortunes changing.
It is not something that men would willingly give them,they have to fight for it,power does not change hands without a struggle.
Even in America,with her illustrious democratic history,the old perceptions are just beginning to change. Women are on the cusp of entering the land of political promise!
In our own case,women have a very long way to go,they are still in bondage in Egypt!And that is why they should start now.
MAY GOD BLESS THE WONDERFUL WOMEN OF NIGERIA!
I have watched women over the years call for increased slots for women in government. It is a desire to actualize that seemingly elusive goal that has driven me to write this.
I believe that women are not taken seriously in politics today,due to a deceptively devious design by men!
Men do not have any interest in women participating fully in politics. They have fostered this through one very simple,but deathly efficient tool;the comically named "Women's Wing".
Every party you look at today in Nigeria, has a "National Women Leader",who leads the "Women's Wing" But has anyone ever bothered to find out why it is so? Why is there no "National Leader" for men?
The men understand that by creating a Women's Wing of the party,they effectively can define what the women can aspire to. It is a way of saying politics is a man's game,but women would be allowed as adjunct,or auxiliary, members of the party. This move naturally,removes the women from the decision making process in parties.
They become a sideshow,and what a show they love to put on. Trust the women,they would usually deliberate back,and forth, on the design for the convention "aso ebi",or uniform, to be worn. They would discuss who should be engaged as caterer for the event,they would decide what colour scheme the decorations should follow,this is in addition to composing the convention anthem.
Sometimes,their work would involve vetting which musician would be invited for the gala night. Some women would argue that it is very important work,they would be hosting the men!
For the women to deliberate on all these,they would need to have a separate meeting from the men.
While they are busy doing this,the men are taking key decisions on who can attend the national convention,who can contest,who can be a delegate,where certain positions are to be zoned to,all this,sadly,behind the back of the women.
In most cases,these decisions do not factor the interest of women into the equation. Politics is a game for men!
When one of the women finally returns to the hall to ask for the chairman's view on an inane menu item,she would discover that the deed has been done. In desperation,like our very much beloved Sarah Jubril,she would throw her hat into the ring;and just to humour her,and because they know she does not have an earthworm's chance in a pool of catfish,they would put her name on the ballot.
So the poor creature goes around spending money on campaigning for a position that has been designed out of her reach!
Come convention day,the poor woman,would get only three votes from a possible three thousand!
How can we reverse this trend? It is quite easy,abolish these wings designed to perpetuate this injustice!
Why do we not have a wing for men in our parties? Because the men are declaring that the whole of politics is a man's business,and youths,and women,would only be allowed to have token representation.
The day women refuse to be segregated into some wing of the party,and demand full participation in all the activities of the party,they would find their fortunes changing.
It is not something that men would willingly give them,they have to fight for it,power does not change hands without a struggle.
Even in America,with her illustrious democratic history,the old perceptions are just beginning to change. Women are on the cusp of entering the land of political promise!
In our own case,women have a very long way to go,they are still in bondage in Egypt!And that is why they should start now.
MAY GOD BLESS THE WONDERFUL WOMEN OF NIGERIA!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The President We Need,And The One They Want,And The One We Deserve
There is a huge difference between getting what a person wants, or deserves,or truly needs. In the first instance, wants refer to the whole gamut of desires that may not be rooted in reality,or backed up by common sense.
When a person gets what he deserves,it means he has not been cheated,neither has he cheated the giver,he has received what he/she is qualified to get,or has worked for.
Needs,on the other hand, refer to an absolute prerequisite for survival,or sine qua none for continuance of life.
As I ruminate on the sketches appearing on our political canvas,one clear issues irks me deeply.
Are we,as a nation, going to get the president that Nigeria needs at this moment in time?
Or would it be that some people would get the president that they want;or would our complacency, deliver a president that we deserve,because we have let slip the fundamental,and cardinal reasons for electing a president in the first place.
I believe,that the president that we need,is one who would fix the problems of Nigeria. He/she might not succeed in doing so in eight years,but would have succeeded in putting us on an irreversible track of accelerated development,and modernization in the true sense of the word.
It would require deep thought,and bold political steps,to get us to the cusp of development.
We deceive ourselves into thinking that we are a developing,or modern nation. We even call ourselves the giant of Africa!
We are not!
What we are,is an oddity,an anachronism,a consistent inconsistency!
The Maitama,and Asokoro districts,in Abuja today,are some of the most modern,and "developed" areas in Nigeria. I live in Abuja,so I know,but what do I see when I drive through neighbourhoods in these areas,cart pushers, selling water in jerry cans! That is not an example of development, it is an example of the worst of the bizarre!
How can an area planned in the last twenty years not factor in how to provide water for residents?
If you go there in the evening,the deafening cacophony of all manner of imported generators,declare the wealth level of the various households in the area.
After fifty years of independence,we are still grappling with electricity generation in the midst of some of the richest hydro resources in the world!
Drive through most of the streets of Abuja,and you will see the ugliest contraption ever to come out India,the tricycle! In this day,as we speak,there is no efficient mass transit system in Abuja. And it is the case with the rest of Nigeria.Development seems to be like healthy skin peeping through a bad rash of eczema! The unsightliness of the two cohabiting,is galling.
When we get the president that we need,we would plan our development,and assign resources to the right areas,and have a holistic development.
But that is only possible,when we get the president that we need.
If on the other hand,some people get the president that they want;he/she would become,like all the others before,an ethnic champion,and a palace jester. He/she would wear the robes of a nationalist,and but pray the prayers of an ethnic bigot.
The fellow would only pander to the dictates of his/her ethnic group,and those who made him/her president. Contractors would become richer,and the people would become poorer. That has been the story of Nigeria,and we are in danger of writing a bad sequel.
The third possibility,is that we get a president that we deserve. Not the one that we need,or the one some people want,but the one that becomes the default by reason of our indifference,non vigilance,and carelessness.
This would be a president that belongs to everybody,but is useful to nobody. In politics they call such a president a consensus candidate,a person afraid to offend the powers that be,a weakling,and a worm!
This fellow is there because the majority that could have swung the vote in the right direction,did not come to the event. They were too busy twiddling their thumbs,and minding their business.
Such a president would be phenomenally pedestrian in his outlook,and unimaginative in the way he tries to solve our problems.
Believe me,we have problems,big problems.
They are in our education,in our economy,our banks,the power sector,in every imaginable area. Our problems would require deep thinking,and unwavering boldness to solve them.
My fear is that we may just get the president that we deserve,because some people want to enforce who they want on all of us,and this is not the kind of president that Nigeria needs.
MAY WE GET THE PRESIDENT THAT WE NEED
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Nigeria,As A Metaphor For Poverty.
There are as many definitions of poverty,as there are economists. One can also add the myriad definitions by lay people who can think,and it is to the latter I belong.
There are two basic schools of thought,one defines poverty as the condition of being alienated from education,health,shelter, etc,the other reduces it to subsistence on a monetary value;they say if you are living on less than one dollar a day,you are poor.
I do not completely agree with the two schools of thought. I believe poverty,from my observation of people in the different countries I have visited,is an amalgam of the two,and much more.
The value of a dollar in Nigeria,is about one hundred and fifty naira. If we are to follow the World Bank's one dollar benchmark for poverty,if you can afford one hundred and fifty naira everyday,you are not poor.
The globalization of this simplistic definition,is a gross error! And it is so for one simple factor,inflation.The cost,and value,of goods,and services,are not uniform all over the world!
What a dollar can purchase in Ulan Bator in Mongolia,is not the same in Berne Switzerland! If all you have to survive on everyday in Switzerland is two dollars,you will not last for long!
Meanwhile,if you are in the United Kingdom,and you are a citizen,the society ensures that you will survive better on less than one dollar a day,than in any of the two aforementioned places!This is due to the social security net in place. To the Mongolian,you are a King!
On the other hand,there is the definition that presupposes that access,or lack of it, to social amenities,is a sure benchmark. What the proponents of this definition forget,is that states are not run as charitable institutions! America,as advanced as the country is,was polarized by Barack Obama's health reform.
And even where these social infrastructure seem to exist,they may not be performing their fundamental roles.
A queer quirk can be observed when one looks at the Nigerian situation. In Nigeria,the figures do not just add up. Given variables elsewhere, are shifting,or non existent here. I'll explain. If all you have to survive in Nigeria is two dollars,you are worse than poor.
You could have access to all the social amenities,for example, hospitals,where you have to carry out your laboratory tests in commercial facilities outside the hospital, and pay commercial rates, and drugs that you have to purchase from commercial pharmacies.
Need we talk about schools where children are told to bring chalk,or their own furniture.Or is it electricity,where despite your being connected to the national grid,you are forced to generate your own electricity from generators,and still pay the power utility company for service not rendered at the end of the month!
In a nutshell,because of the uncertainties inherent in the system,a person who subsists on only one hundred dollars every month,which is fifteen thousand naira,is worse than poor!
And this is what encourages graft,kidnappings,extortions by uniformed personnel,and all the concomitant evils that have become synonymous with Nigeria.
Nigeria is an anachronism,people are living in lack,in the midst of plenty! They are not doing so under colonial rule,nor because of some armed conflict,or natural disaster!It is happening in peace time! And that is why it is scary. If people are poor like this,when there is peace,what would conditions be like in times of conflict,or natural disasters.
General Santa Ana,the famous Mexican General,whose defeat,led to the ceding of California to the Americans,was a man famous for "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory";in Nigeria today,we have patented the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
In adding to the definition of poverty,I would like to add that an inability to determine one's political will,and representation,a lack of transparency in the electoral process,is actually the ultimate sign of deep-rooted poverty.
For where an individual is denied transparent political representation,such a person is truly poorer than poor.
And in that regard,almost every Nigerian is living below the poverty line!
As we all collectively come together to right this injustice,
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR WONDERFUL NIGERIA,FOREVER!
There are two basic schools of thought,one defines poverty as the condition of being alienated from education,health,shelter, etc,the other reduces it to subsistence on a monetary value;they say if you are living on less than one dollar a day,you are poor.
I do not completely agree with the two schools of thought. I believe poverty,from my observation of people in the different countries I have visited,is an amalgam of the two,and much more.
The value of a dollar in Nigeria,is about one hundred and fifty naira. If we are to follow the World Bank's one dollar benchmark for poverty,if you can afford one hundred and fifty naira everyday,you are not poor.
The globalization of this simplistic definition,is a gross error! And it is so for one simple factor,inflation.The cost,and value,of goods,and services,are not uniform all over the world!
What a dollar can purchase in Ulan Bator in Mongolia,is not the same in Berne Switzerland! If all you have to survive on everyday in Switzerland is two dollars,you will not last for long!
Meanwhile,if you are in the United Kingdom,and you are a citizen,the society ensures that you will survive better on less than one dollar a day,than in any of the two aforementioned places!This is due to the social security net in place. To the Mongolian,you are a King!
On the other hand,there is the definition that presupposes that access,or lack of it, to social amenities,is a sure benchmark. What the proponents of this definition forget,is that states are not run as charitable institutions! America,as advanced as the country is,was polarized by Barack Obama's health reform.
And even where these social infrastructure seem to exist,they may not be performing their fundamental roles.
A queer quirk can be observed when one looks at the Nigerian situation. In Nigeria,the figures do not just add up. Given variables elsewhere, are shifting,or non existent here. I'll explain. If all you have to survive in Nigeria is two dollars,you are worse than poor.
You could have access to all the social amenities,for example, hospitals,where you have to carry out your laboratory tests in commercial facilities outside the hospital, and pay commercial rates, and drugs that you have to purchase from commercial pharmacies.
Need we talk about schools where children are told to bring chalk,or their own furniture.Or is it electricity,where despite your being connected to the national grid,you are forced to generate your own electricity from generators,and still pay the power utility company for service not rendered at the end of the month!
In a nutshell,because of the uncertainties inherent in the system,a person who subsists on only one hundred dollars every month,which is fifteen thousand naira,is worse than poor!
And this is what encourages graft,kidnappings,extortions by uniformed personnel,and all the concomitant evils that have become synonymous with Nigeria.
Nigeria is an anachronism,people are living in lack,in the midst of plenty! They are not doing so under colonial rule,nor because of some armed conflict,or natural disaster!It is happening in peace time! And that is why it is scary. If people are poor like this,when there is peace,what would conditions be like in times of conflict,or natural disasters.
General Santa Ana,the famous Mexican General,whose defeat,led to the ceding of California to the Americans,was a man famous for "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory";in Nigeria today,we have patented the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
In adding to the definition of poverty,I would like to add that an inability to determine one's political will,and representation,a lack of transparency in the electoral process,is actually the ultimate sign of deep-rooted poverty.
For where an individual is denied transparent political representation,such a person is truly poorer than poor.
And in that regard,almost every Nigerian is living below the poverty line!
As we all collectively come together to right this injustice,
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR WONDERFUL NIGERIA,FOREVER!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Why I have been silent
I am sure many have looked to me say something on the numerous missteps that we have taken as a nation,I decided to take the back seat,and watch what others would say. I have been impressed by the robust condemnation of the bomb blast,I have been disappointed by those calling for one candidate,or the other,to be disqualified.
I have even been more disappointed by our playing the ethnic card in matters as weighty as who becomes the president of Nigeria. As I looked at the political,and economic,landscape,one expression from the Bible came to mind,2 Tim 3:7"ever learning,but never coming to the knowledge of the truth".
One would think that with the body of knowledge available to us,and the influence of other nations our people have traveled to,we would naturally embrace what is right,and just. No! We obstinately refuse,and continue to play the same politics our ancestors, Zik, Awo, Sardauna,and the others played. Politics that strengthen our tribes,and weaken our nation.
When are we going to get it? That is how "hunter gatherer" civilizations decided who got what. It is primitive,shameful,unjust,and retrogressive.
If we must survive in this modern world, we must embrace an open and fair society.A place where you are not judged based on what tribe you are from,but on what you are bringing to improve us all.
Barack Obama is admired by many of us today,we like the fact that a black man is president of America.
What we fail to realize is that if he had been born a Nigerian,he would never be allowed to contest for the office of a ward councillor. We would tell him the position has been zoned somewhere apart from his place,or we would tell him he is not the right religion!
As we take stock, change our ways,and arrive at the knowledge of the truth,and accept it,
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR NIGERIA THAT BELONGS TO ALL OF US,FOREVER!
I have even been more disappointed by our playing the ethnic card in matters as weighty as who becomes the president of Nigeria. As I looked at the political,and economic,landscape,one expression from the Bible came to mind,2 Tim 3:7"ever learning,but never coming to the knowledge of the truth".
One would think that with the body of knowledge available to us,and the influence of other nations our people have traveled to,we would naturally embrace what is right,and just. No! We obstinately refuse,and continue to play the same politics our ancestors, Zik, Awo, Sardauna,and the others played. Politics that strengthen our tribes,and weaken our nation.
When are we going to get it? That is how "hunter gatherer" civilizations decided who got what. It is primitive,shameful,unjust,and retrogressive.
If we must survive in this modern world, we must embrace an open and fair society.A place where you are not judged based on what tribe you are from,but on what you are bringing to improve us all.
Barack Obama is admired by many of us today,we like the fact that a black man is president of America.
What we fail to realize is that if he had been born a Nigerian,he would never be allowed to contest for the office of a ward councillor. We would tell him the position has been zoned somewhere apart from his place,or we would tell him he is not the right religion!
As we take stock, change our ways,and arrive at the knowledge of the truth,and accept it,
MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA,OUR NIGERIA THAT BELONGS TO ALL OF US,FOREVER!
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