VOX POPULI

VOX POPULI

It is a great day for Nigeria my country, democracy has won. The people have spoken, and they have been heard.

Unseating the incumbent is usually an impossible task in Africa, so improbable is its success that the incumbent usually just sit back and wait for the attack, assured in incumbency that victory is certain but the dire need for change gave us the audacity to dream of it in an environment where the proposed had never been achieved. 

Today it has been realized, the incumbent has conceded defeat to the challenger, but in reality, the victory belongs to the Nigerian people. The people rose up, demanded change, voted, protected their votes and God blessed all the efforts.

This victory belongs to the people of Nigeria either you voted for the winner or not. The expected benefits will be enjoyed by all Nigerians. We have started to take our rightful place in the political affairs of our nation, now we can beat our chests and say that we are indeed part of the governance of our country, we are part of the team saddled with the responsibility of moving Nigeria forward and allowing Her Her rightful place, we will be heard.

While we celebrate the victory, it must be noted that if and when we feel that those elected to serve us have failed, we will change them too. Incumbency has lost its place in our national polity.

They may have told us what we wanted to hear to enable them get our votes, but they have also politically weaponized us with the armaments needed to evaluate their tenure and effect the necessary change if needed when the time comes: our collective voice.

Power has returned to the people.

It is a great day in Nigerian politics.

This is just the beginning.

God bless Nigeria.

MO IBRAHIM AWARD BLUES

MO IBRAHIM AWARD BLUES

For a fourth year in a row the Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance in sub-Saharan Africa has not been awarded. This $5 million initial payment, plus $2 Hundred Thousand a year for life prize was set up among other things to reward/encourage: democracy, good governance, and transition in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the information on the foundation’s website (http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/ibrahim-prize ), the criteria for this award are:

• former African Executive Head of State or Government
• left office in the last three years
• democratically elected
• served his/her constitutionally mandated term
• demonstrated exceptional leadership

Using indexes grouped into the following categories:

• Safety & Rule of Law
• Participation & Human Rights
• Sustainable Economic Opportunity
• Human Development.

I will like to believe that like most of us, Mr. Mo is of the opinion that majority of the problems in sub-Saharan Africa is hinged on corruption, and corruption is most exhibited by the siphoning, conversion, and outright theft of government funds by leaders. This attempt by Mr. Mo at encouraging good leadership however laudable is just that: an attempt.

Majority of the African countries in the sub-Saharan belt sit on a lot of funds either directly, through their natural resources, or from foreign aids. Eliciting good governance through material benefits would only serve to compare the immediate benefits of being Head of State to the prize (a huge gamble). For example, a country like Nigeria that makes billions of Dollars from the sale of crude oil and enjoys numerous foreign aids can hardly be enticed into good governance along this line; a corrupt president can ensure his lifelong benefits in the first year of the presidency.

Using money as bait for good governance may bring an un-intended consequence of replacing one form of greed for another. If the leader has money as the primary reason for coming to office, then getting it through the prize can still serve that purpose, but would it have produced a good leader? If being selfless is a basic criterion for good leadership, then can this winner be considered a leader in its true form? If rewards for serving are put on the front burner, then the motive for leadership is already distorted and the ideals which the foundation is seeking to promote are lost. 

Delayed gratification is actual a virtue, one we are yet to acquire in this part of the world, especially among our leaders, and certainly not in this “now-now generation” (we want instant results). I can just hear a leader think, “wait till after am out to make money when am sitting on it now, who lives by a river and washes his/her hands with spittle?” The gamble is too great.

There is also the small matter of EGO! “A foreigner will be the one to judge my performance, how dare they?” this line of thought should not be over looked bearing in mind that majority of the affected states have high nationalist sentiments and these feelings run deep and long. How does this affect performance? How many Nigerians will take a Ghanaian telling them their country is better than ours without our patriotic instincts kicking in to defend our pride, knowing very well we may be wrong? This goes for a lot of countries too.

 While this article does not seek to bash the award, it does poke at the ability of this noble gesture to sustainably address the leadership issues we have in sub-Saharan Africa. While corruption is a problem, it is not the only one. There are conflicts, diseases, terrorism, harmful cultural practices, tribalism, and others that are not a direct result of bad or inadequate leadership that need to be addressed and considered.

 In my opinion, concerning Nigeria, the award does little or nothing to instigate good governance in Nigeria. The quality of politics and leadership produced at the levels of government lack the ability to regard the symbolic or actual benefits associated with such. Simply put the award in reputation and actual terms is of little or no value to the average Nigerian leader, most especially when expressed in monitory terms. As in the words of a former President: money no be problem, na how to spend am be.

Thankfully, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has other programs aimed at developing the man power of Africa; the leadership award is just an aspect of their activities.

It is time leadership in this part of the world is seen as a call to service, one that requires the leader setting aside his/her own personal benefits for the collective good of the led. The achievement of these goals and objectives is its own reward. No good parent raises children based on the fact that the children will reward the effort later. Satisfaction comes from the ability to provide the basic amenities, and luxuries where possible for the family; and seeing the children succeed and behave in ways that will make the parent always proud. 

We need to create mental and physical structures that produce and develop individuals ready for the challenge of leadership. Our value system needs to change: the concepts of hard work, accountability, responsibility, and the like in our cultures have to be reactivated, and infused into our daily lives; for our own immediate benefits and transmission to younger upcoming generations.

Our notion and concept of leadership needs to change, only then can we produce good leadership and governance in the short and long term. 

God bless Nigeria.

PARDON D' AMNESTY

According to my Mariam Webster dictionary, amnesty comes from the root words amnestia (Greek) and amnestos (French), which mean “forgetfulness and forgotten” respectively. Pardon is defined as “excusing an offense without penalty”. An amnesty is really a pardon given to a large group of individuals. Forgive my etymological introduction along with these definitions, but I feel we really need to know the meaning of some of these recent admissions to our daily lingo, courtesy our government. So if we are to substitute these with their meanings, we can say the government has set up a committee to see if and how it can “FORGET” the atrocities carried out on the citizenry and people of this country; cue Michael Jackson: “all I want to say is that they don’t really care about us”!

It would be argued that anything that will bring peace should be explored, but at what cost? While the government is preparing to forget, what advise does it have for a girl that woke up with a family but went to bed being the only member of that same family alive as the others died in a church bombing during the day;  for the parents of James and John a set of twin boys whose throats where slashed in the presence of their senior sister and mother; to Nonso that has lost his livelihood because his shop had the misfortune of being situated across the narrow road from a church that was bombed; the families of seven foreigners abducted and killed in Yobe? Should they forget too?

While the committee sets off on its task, let me introduce another concept that seems to be forgotten or relegated, one that should be considered far above any other thing: JUSTICE. For the families that have been affected, for the Nigerian state that has been so treasonably challenged (by the way, treason is punishable by death), and for every other person that has been remotely connected in one way or the other.

This committee should consider the precedence that their decision would lay; fairness to consider Henry Okah and others convicted for the October 1^st bombings in Nigeria, and the evaporation of the moral right of the government to prosecute to the full extent of the law, every crime that falls within this ambit or lesser.

 I do not think the government will be doing itself any good seeking a path that portrays it as being weak and seeking a less confrontational way out of a situation that tests its military and intelligence strengths. Are we and any other person that hears this meant to believe that the State lacks the capacity to defend its integrity, protect its people, and bring to justice those that oppose these duties?

If accepted, the amnesty may end the attacks; but for how long before another group emerges? It would cast an image of a country that tacitly supports terrorism through inaction to the internationally community and cost us allies that choose confrontation over condoning.

Most of all, it would divert attention from the root causes, leaving them unattended to, ensuring the existence of a fertile ground from which other groups, and negative socio-economic vices could easily sprout. We have to attend to the issues from the root, not seemingly attempting to climb a ladder from the middle as is so often the case with tackling most issues in Nigeria.

Let the committee know that the eyes of Nigerians and the world are on them and also remember that the words are: “to build a nation where peace and justice (not amnesty) shall reign”!!!!!!

God bless Nigeria.

VOTING IN 2015

Over the course of this young blog, I have refrained from making any politically inspired posts largely because the blog is dedicated to changing our mind set from the contrived notion that the government is largely to blame for most of our problems, a notion that has kept us from seeing our part in our individual or collective successes or failures thereby hindering personal development and responsibility (In Nigeria, next to the devil being blamed for shortcomings the government comes a close second). But recent happenings have fortuitously redirected my path.

Presently we are being bombarded by utterances from notable people that the next election in 2015, Nigerians should be ready to vote out the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP). This we are told will be the antidote to the present unfavourable political and arguably negative leadership situation we have found ourselves. To this end, what I will rather call a “conglomerate” of political parties christened All Progressive Congress (APC) has been formed with the aim of voting out the PDP. Personally, I do not agree with this position. I vehemently and unequivocally disagree with this line of argument being towed by a lot of people. The facts and past experiences at my disposal lead me in a different direction.

I will attempt to make my case here on. Political ideology in Nigeria is absent, and where it manages to exist, is too weak for it to be a consideration. To come to me with a position that a political party in Nigeria is so in tune with its ideology to the point of ruining the country is at best laughable. There is no political party that has been able to project a strong ideology enough to supress the reputation of notable members in that party; PDP: incumbent, ACN: Tinubu, CPC: Buhari and so on.  In my own opinion, our political parties do not operate on an ideological level, something that is unintentionally exhibited by the number of people that normally contest with the incumbent during primaries. The flag bearer should represent the party and not self, more often than not this is not the case.  If memory serves me well, I cannot remember any incumbent American president, going through the primaries within his party if he decides to run for office again.

In Nigeria, we mainly vote people not parties. Majority of the people that voted in the last election did not vote based on party affiliations, most of them voted for the person and not the party. Our political choices are mainly determined by ethnic considerations and religious affiliations. So strong is this that it has become a political strategy within the country.  For the electorate, political parties are more of economic considerations in terms of who can spend more cash to buy votes, than they are anything else.

As far as I am concerned, there is really no difference between these parties: Manned by career politicians whose relevance, and continuous “employment” is based on their ability to remain politically/economically relevant; having self-preservation and wealth creation as their primary concern, and growth within the system as secondary; with the people and their needs being more of a distraction from their original plans. With majority of the members of these parties cross carpeting to meet the aforementioned, why should choosing one party over another be the answer. All of them are virtually the same, na who rig pass dey win, even when there is no need for it.

The APC and PDP thingy is even more laughable when you realize that some of the APC “stalwarts”, are actually former PDP senior members that fell out with the PDP and left. Now they have come back with pronouncements of how bad the PDP is, while they did nothing but partake in the largess that was flowing then, and contribute to the hydra headedness of the party. Their new affiliation seems more like an axe to grind, than a redirection towards good governance.  If not why is the emphasis not on providing good and credible leadership? Should General Mohammed Buhari with all his “glowing attributes” be left lonely at the polling booths if he decides to stand under the umbrella? Should I sacrifice the best candidate on the altar of voting a party out of office?

My take is this. The issue is not voting out PDP, it is voting in the right person, one that will begin to erase the lines that divide us and foster unity. A person that will provide the structures needed to support the development the country so badly needs. A person that will see the simplicity of Nigerians, and see that we as a people do not need much to be happy; the average Nigerian just wants the basic things in life, the rest they are prepared to work hard to get. We are a hardworking people.

Nigerians want a true and functioning leader, not a successful political party, and until we start to focus on this, then we are not ready to change the past and as the saying goes, “you cannot expect a different result doing the same things over”.

God bless Nigeria.

EDUNAIJA II: THE NIGERIAN STUDENT

Majority of our students have learning as the secondary reason why they are in school. Primary reasons range from: freedom from home, fun, status symbol, and the like. I know because it was the same for me, that's why I was so sad when I had to wait an extra year to get into school, and so surprised and angry with the level of work I had to do when I got in. "Is this what I have been struggling for"? I asked myself a couple of times, assignments, tests, pop quizzes, the thing tire me.

Learning became something I had to do, not the reason I was there. My head correct after some poor performances sha, them no dey tell blind man say rain dey fall na. But a lot of students, get stuck in this mode and hardly breakaway early enough to come out well, if they do at all.

if and when they do, they now have the unenviable discovery of being matched to the wrong course, either under or over challenged, but usual the later. Why? More often than not the reasons range from the student over estimating his/her own ability or underestimating the level of work needed to study the course (in addition to the choice of course being the handy work of someone else: parents). 

Rarely is it borne out of an interest in the course.Some even see it as a natural progression: science students naturally progress to read science related courses. So if there is an interest in the arts or social sciences, it does not matter, that has been reserved for the less "intelligent" students.

Distractions, let's not even go there. Them plenty, with the social kind being the most prominent chiefly among them, different forms of relationships. It is not unusual to see a girl being unable to do anything, and having her friends trying to console her inconsolable soul because her boo don break her fragile heart and don't for one minute think this is localized to the females alone, I don see correct bòbò when all men get to encourage on top heart break matter too. Others include recognition, occasionally business, and of course the new craze: social media.

 The average Nigerian student is content with doing just enough to pass. Unfortunately this has been brought about by the system most lecturers adopt. Research, innovation, discovery, and the like are rare. Holidays are a time to rest, not to brush up on what was learnt in school either in theory or practice. I cannot remember picking up my lecture notes to read during any of my holidays. It was just a time to rest from the “hectic” school schedule, party, play, and trade stories with other students from different schools. 

 Very few review their performance in their exams, seeking out correct answers to missed questions. Lecturers don’t, neither do the students, until they get to the carry-over class to take a second swing at it.

Ideally, students must be ready to face their studies, and come out with good grades and the ability to compete favourably with other students in the same field from other higher institutions. Sadly for the Nigerian student, this now includes students from foreign universities as more Nigerian students go abroad for studies and much more are coming back due to the lack of opportunities out there due to the global crisis. Now at days, the ease with which people move and interact makes it easier for them to end up on your turf or you on theirs. Whichever happens, there needs to be an acquisition of an appreciable level of competence to remain competitive and relevant in this continually shrinking world.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that school is just about books. Enjoy your stay, party, play, pray, and all what not, but not at the expense of your studies. Nothing available is worth trading for your studies, nothing I say. More so when your educational competence is the criteria with which you will most likely be judged by.

 People like Bill, Mark, Steve and a host of others who dropped out of school threaten to turn this post on its head, and make it a whole lot of crap; but it should be noted, that they had already acquired an appreciable level of required knowledge, competence and skill from high school coupled with an enabling environment for their reputable success. A luxury we don’t have in this part of the world as such, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

  So as you decide to show up, make sure you show up ready to be counted and not just to make up the numbers. Here is a tip my uncle taught me when I was in school, it worked for me, and I bet it will for you too. STAY ON THE FRONT ROWS IN CLASS (preferably the first 3). To mention a few reasons why:

• You hear directly from the lecturer’s mouth.
• Distractions are limited if they exist at all.
• You have a better chance of being asked a question, which will gauge your level of understanding of the topic.
• Somehow, it helps you build a network of “efiko” friends that will come in academically handy.
• It helps you build discipline and other like traits that come in handy later in life.

Greatest Nigerian student! Be more than all you are allowed to be and the sky will end up as your trampoline.

It is well with you. 

2013 Billionaire list

With glee I received the news that Forbes had released their 2013 billionaires list, so I decided to check if I had made the list this year. Just as I was about opening the list,Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, the Saudi investor called me to inform me that he had been listed at number 23. You cannot begin to imagine my surprise. 23^rd richest man in the world, how could they? What insolence?!

After commiserating with him, I proceeded with my check. Incredible! See the message I got:

This list is not complete oh. I am not on it. Certainly Al-Waleed was right. There is something wrong with the list. I called him back quickly so we could strategize on what to do next. Courts, occupy, boycott, what do we do? We wanted to show these Forbes guys that they cannot and should not mess with us.

How could they not recognize all my BILLIONS (in the making)? This is a travesty!

Even though being on the list at all, at whatever position still confers on us FIRST place status when compared to the other 5,999,999,000 other inhabitants of earth that did not make the list. That would mean we are part of the 1.66% of people that control the greatest share of wealth in the world; so what?  Greedy and egotistical, what else is there to be? We have more than all the money we will ever need.

Forbes shall hear from us big time, while we make haste to state our case………….. my alarm  goes off on my phone, time to wake up for work.

It has all been a dream (at least for me).

Mcheewwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I cried when I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet".

“MY OGA AT THE TOP”

As I watched the video of the interview of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps chap on channels television, a plethora of feelings and emotions flooded through me. Unbelief, disbelief, anger, and the like, all expressed in laughter. I just dey laugh, who be this ekpa? It even became funnier when I was wrongly told he was the Public Relations Officer, he actually is the Lagos State Commandant ( NSCDC) Mr Obafaiye Shem (from here on known as Shame). Incredible! But na Naija be this. Anything can and does happen.

A lot of people do not know why he was there in the first place, but who can blame them. There are certain situations that are so monumental; they overshadow anything and everything before and after it. This was such, though in a negative way.

Mr Shame was there to clear the air on the purported employment into the NSCDC. Let me give you copied examples of various fraudulent mails and sites with this information making rounds:

Nigeria security And Civil Defence Corp NSCDC Recruitment For 2013/2014Both Junior And Senior Cadre.people who really have a passion to become a perponnel and want to apply for any of this placement should visit or NSCDC At http://nscdc.wapka.mo bi for e-Registration......contact Mr Adewole michael On +2348167978763 for further enquiries and process.Also Empowered By The Federal Ministry Of Interior And Federal Ministry Of works Suleja Abuja.

Dr Musa Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corp NSCDC Recruitment form For Both Junior And Senior Cadre. The Federal Ministry Of Interior As Announced The Registration Process For NSCDC Recruitment 2013. People who really have a passion to become a perponnel and want to apply for any of this placement should visit http://www.federaljobs.tk for e-Registration...... Or Contact 07085717135 for further enquiries and process. Empowered By The Federal Ministry Of Interior Wuse Dr Musa Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corp NSCDC Recruitment form For Both Junior And Senior Cadre. The Federal Ministry Of Interior As Announced The Registration Process For NSCDC Recruitment 2013. People who really have a passion to become a perponnel and want to apply for any of this placement should visit http://www.federaljobs.tk for e-Registration...... Or Contact 07085717135 for further enquiries and process. Empowered By The Federal Ministry Of Interior Wuse Zone:5 Abuja. Zone:5 Abuja.

The federal government is commencing the anual recruitment for the Nigeria
Security And Civil Defence Corp for six different positions. For those
people who want to apply should prepare their CV and contact Dr Linus on
08143612486for their application form. Registration is ending around
December.

So you see there is an issue here. As hilarious as Mr Shame’s performance was, we need to really ask his oga at the top some questions other than the website address:

A.      How can you convince us as a people that employment into NSCDC is not being sold/given to undeserving people when you have someone in the mould of Mr Shame as a state commandant?

B.      Now that Mr Shem has not only brought shame to the NSCDC but has successfully deprecated the organisation in our eyes and those of fellow paramilitary and military organisations, what is his punishment; how is he going to be held accountable?

And to channels television:

A.      Why did you not get the PRO to come and answer these questions?

B.      Did you interact with this man before putting him on television?

C.       Why did you not just let him be when it was obvious he did not know what he was saying? Una follow the man until him fall. That was brutal.

D.      Finally, do you plan to ask for royalties for the Internet/musical/t-shirt/every-other hit the show has produced?

To Mr Shame, when next them ask you to come TV, do your homework, research, or send someone else, or better still ASK YOUR OGA  AT THE TOP before you go!!!!!!!

"Village Trouble"?

If you want to see an example of "village trouble", look no further  than Jennifer Lawrence. If to say na Naija babe, she for don send prayer point to her pastor, Imam, or her Babalawo.

I can’t remember anyone having so many fashion mishaps in one award season.

First at the SAG awards her dress came apart:

At the Oscars, she tripped on her dress and “crawled” halfway to accepting her award.

Who be your tailor sef? Or should I ask, “who are you wearing” (or not wearing well)?

Better still, come to Naija for prayers oh, cos we no know wetin dey for front.

Just for the laughs people.

Gob bless Naija.