tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18653387112214791002024-03-08T04:18:00.811+00:009JAINCUnfortunately, it's imperative that the description of this blog had to change. The political and economic circumstances have turned for the worse. I, alongside most Nigerians, had high hopes of this APC government to bring about changes in the administration of government. There has been a change but of the wrong sort. Nigerians are living in perilous times ; abatement is not imminent unless Buhari and his government change course. I hope to rewrite this description as things positively developIsaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-82872433995507566952021-05-17T18:40:00.000+01:002021-05-17T18:40:37.704+01:00THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OR THE HOUSE OF MAMMONISTS<p>This happens to be the second piece in my ternion of thoughts on the legislative arm of government. As I previously inferred, the usefulness of this arm of government is not an inscrutable phenomenon or too taxing a dilemma to boldly confront; it is one that needs to be overhauled to bring it into relevance so that it may begin to live up to its Constitutional responsibilities and intended purpose.</p><p>The House of Representatives, as a Constitutional entity, has always been an organ for self-preservation rather than that of improving the lives and livehood of their constituents and the country as a whole. I've often wondered how many of these guys aren't undeserving multimillionaires at the expense of Nigerians who daily wallow in unspeakable, and undeserved poverty, amidst an ocean of wealth being wickedly hoarded by these selfish, cruel and opportunistic members of the House of Representatives.</p><p>As a matter of fact, I challenge any member of this mob to explain what his/her political philosophy is! I guarantee you, dear reader, that you could count on one hand how many would even understand the question talk less of providing a coherent and intelligible answer. When we have largely politically unlettered and knavish individuals taking up seats in the House, should we have a high expectation of them doing any good (apart for themselves, of course)? What do they do apart from bickering with each other when the object of their ire against one another is the uneven distribution of money among members. Does anyone remember a notable policy debate on the floor of the House? When they are not busy 'padding' the budget, they holler about their individual 'constituency projects' funds that never see the light of day, the funds rapidly disappearing into a black hole that terminates in their pockets. Pecuniary matters provoke the angriest and loudest voices on the floor of the House, not policy considerations. They are, figuratively, an albatross around Nigeria's neck, a barnacle on its soul and a remora on its feet. </p><p>There is no point preaching to these guys. Any attempt at doing so would only attract ridicule, stigmatisation, or in the worst case scenario, a hole in the back of the head. How could they be reticent in the face of opprobrium? After all, they're lawmakers, and that confers on them an aura of inscrutability! The only relevant question right now is for how much longer could Nigeria weather this horrendous storm of misfortune, and the upkeep of this good-for-nothing claque of mammonists?</p><p>Our democracy has long been defaced by the virus of political ignorance and the cancer of intransigence among this lot. Hardly do they realise or care that, in the words of Edmund Burke (1729-1797) ".... the cement is gone; the cohesion is loosened; and everything hastens to decay and dissolution." What on God's earth would make these people have a collective epiphany? Your guess is as good as mine: NOTHING. As long as the gravy train continues its smooth ride to its destination of inevitable national ruination, nothing would stop the rot. Without the fear of sounding like a broken record, I reiterate my prior conviction, that only the appropriate and urgent Constitutional amendments could stop the gravy train in its tracks and halt the country's descent into an intractable chaos, upheaval and mayhem. Nigerians would be the losers otherwise, because most of these suckers have the ways and means of a clean getaway to their various châteaux abroad.</p><p>The vast majority of these members, unfortunately, do not even pretend to have a soul. How do they look Nigerians in the eye and not even acknowledge their immense suffering? Bilking and milking the system is their overriding preoccupation; sating their insatiable thirst for unearned and unmerited riches is their only desire.</p><p>Maybe a few clear and common sense comparisons ought to be made with the United States of America which most closely resembles our own political structure (in name only, of course!)</p><p>There are 435 members in the USA House of Representatives and 360 in Nigeria House of Representatives. USA's current population is 332,690,850 and Nigeria's is 211,400,708; meaning in the US, one Rep covers 765,000 citizens while in Nigeria, one Rep covers 587,000 citizens, which is obviously considerably less.</p><p>USA's GDP is $20.93 trillion and Nigeria's GDP is $442.98 billion (both figures for the year 2020) My very limited understanding of numerics tells me that the US economy is roughly 48 times larger than Nigeria's.</p><p>A US member of the House of Representatives earns a basic annual income of $174,000; in Nigeria it is N111,600,000, which is around $270,000 (at the rate of N413.40 to the $), that's almost $100,000 per annum more than a US House of Representatives member!! In addition to that lunacy, Nigeria's House of Representatives members are 'entitled' to wardrobe allowance, ludicrously expensive chauffeur-driven Jeeps, furniture allowance, and suchlike. All this in an economy that is dense with unemployment, abject poverty and extreme misery. Sheer madness and unimaginable wickedness cohabit in our House of Representatives.</p><p>See what I'm trying to get at? Juxtaposing these figures exposes the ludicrousness of Nigeria's cost of governance. It is like something out of a horror movie, but sadly, this is a movie not! It is a lot more than that to Nigerians because this is real life and it is playing out daily in their lives. How our economy could be expected to withstand and sustain that level of profligacy falls out of the realm of reason. It is simply insane! Insanity of an indeterminate order.</p><p>It is for these reasons, and a host of others which time and space preclude me from highlighting, that our political structure must be given a root and branch once-over before the gravy train runs out of track. That train must be forcefully derailed and replaced by one that all Nigerians can joyously ride on, and happily sing the songs of hope, freedom and true democracy on. </p><p>The Constitution in its present form MUST go and this House of Mammonists must be fired into oblivion!!</p><p>Thank you, my dear reader, for your time and not a little patience.</p><p>May the good Lord bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-73015323806469263762021-05-12T11:23:00.003+01:002021-05-12T15:17:31.446+01:00HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OR HOUSE OF DISSEMBLERS<p>The vast majority of Nigerians suffer under the burden of unfulfilled promises that democracy entails, the yoke of hopelessness and the curse of helplessness. It is not entirely unexpected because, right from the inception of this experiment (some might say calamity, which is wholly unchallengeable), the crop of politicians that have been coming to the fore have been for the self, not the country. Some might argue that this is not so, it would be their right to believe so. Mind, this is not about personalities, but the collective. Unfortunately, the preponderance of dissemblers in all the State Houses Of Assembly nullifies the relevance of the whole.</p><p>What has been the experience of Nigerians since democracy landed on these shores? Political assassinations, unrivalled corruption, blatant election rigging, great injustice, mass unemployment and unemployability, hunger, religious, ethnic and tribal unrest, infrastructural decay, kidnapping, armed robbery, beggary, the list goes on and on. If these were meant to be the so-called 'dividends of democracy', woe betide those who introduced it to Nigeria!</p><p>I've often raged against these so-called lawmakers at each stratum of our political structure, but my ire in this piece is against the State Houses Of Assembly up and down the land. I don't know what justification there is for assigning them such a grandiose title when, for all intents and purposes, they ought to be named 'State House Of Dissemblers'. What exactly is their real purpose? Or isn't it fair to ask? I couldn't possibly be the only irate soul pondering this irrationality in our polity. Look, it isn't fair to compare our own idea and practice of democracy with much more advanced and integrated ones; after all, they've been at it for eon. However, it's fair to say if they began on this kind of footing, they wouldn't be where they are today. At this rate, the realisation of true democracy in Nigeria would take close to a thousand years, and I'm an incurable optimist!</p><p>Many would argue that our Constitution is the root of all evil, and only the unenlightened and dissemblers would counter that with their self-serving narrative. Look behind the veil of the 'evil' Constitution and one would safely conclude it is a Constitution that birthed the government of the few, by the few, and for the few (our own version of 'the government of the people, by the people and for the people'); and upon that, our democracy was structured. What a perversion of reason and purpose! Is it then a wonder why our politics is out of sync with normalcy? Isn't our 'democracy' only a phantasm of the real McCoy?</p><p>Now, back on the utility of the 'State House Of Assembly'. How often do these dissemblers make and pass legislations that would be of material benefit to the people who supposedly elected them? They are only there mainly to ratify anything that comes from the State governor, or in times of conflict, rage against the governor and one another at the behest of some 'godfather'. What an absurdity!! See how deep and dark the hole is? When would Nigerians be able to proclaim seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, when the tunnel is so convoluted and endless? You couldn't make the farce up!</p><p>Here in Nigeria one will find politicians providing borehole drinking water facilities and they consider that the dividend of democracy. Having the presence of mind to provide a more meaningful and permanent solution to the lack of potable water is way beyond their extremely limited intellect. Haven't we seen, or at least heard of, politicians inviting the press and their communities to their launching of boreholes or some cranky project just to show their constituents how much they labour for them? Aren't there even those that distribute bags of nonsense and tins of crap to entice people to vote for them at elections? Yes, that is Nigeria's democracy!!</p><p>The good old Vaclav Havel (1936-2011), the First President of the Czech Republic, said ".....politics should be an expression of a desire to contribute to the happiness of the community rather than of a need to cheat or rape the community." How are these political truants contributing to their communities? They are ready and prepared to commit the most atrocious acts of crime just to get in there, with not even a wee pretension of their real aim. We call this democracy? Yes, the true cause of our political malady and malaise may be our Constitution, but not entirely. Is there such a thing as a perfect Constitution? The imperfections in the Constitution are being exploited to the max, no matter the debilitating impact on the country and the people and their welfare.</p><p>This is clearly not sustainable and sooner, rather than later, this powder keg situation will detonate unless this untenable state of the polity is carefully considered and speedily addressed. The Acts that established the State Houses Of Assembly need to be revisited and reformed to reflect the current realities. No Constitution is stagnant and it's continually evolving.</p><p>I concur that there's no perfect democracy anywhere in the world, but in advanced economies, its imperfections are constantly revised and polished. After all, that is one of the main responsibilities of any legislative body worth its salt. Yes, corruption is not unique to Nigeria, but in more serious democracies it is swiftly punished wherever it rears its ugly head, regardless of the status of the perpetrator. Here in my own country, it is overlooked, condoned and oftentimes even encouraged because the perpetrators know there's no consequence.</p><p>The noises of the malfeasants drown out the voice of reason urged by the extremely few conscientious members of the House. These people know the right things to do, but the system is so entrenched in debauchery, self-importance and greed that they think it easier to keep schtum and enjoy the gravy train ride while it lasts.</p><p>The only and surest way open to Nigerians is to demonstrate our unwillingness to keep toeing this path that has brought us nothing but sweat, tears and blood. The Constitution in its current form is simply an avenue to keep Nigerians in the bondage of hopelessness, manacled by poverty and chained to the fence of want.</p><p>Nigerians are in a state of funk and there can be no doubt about that.</p><p>This Constitution must go!!!</p><p>Thank you for indulging me your time and patience.</p><p>May the good Lord bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.</p><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-27493124871769859122021-05-08T16:47:00.000+01:002021-05-08T16:47:31.131+01:00DECLARATION OF WAR<p>There arrives such a time when a madman, having been cornered with nowhere else to turn, spins around and spoils for a fight. That time arrived a painfully long time ago; social disruptions of volcanic proportions would have broken out, but for the legendary reticence of Nigerians. The country is now in such a precarious situation that the dam of self-restraint and forbearance may soon be broken, and the consequences distinctly untellable. The not-too-long ago #EndSars nationwide protests could be like a garden party in comparison. The Declaration Of War on the security, peace, safety, liberty, wellbeing and the right to the pursuit of happiness of individual Nigerians is all apparent. Fear of the present and the apprehension of the future are indelibly etched on their faces.</p><p>It is trite to say that the prime responsibility of government is the security of its citizens. Is it then not an incontestable indictment on the government, having unconscionably failed Nigerians for far too long in our expectations of the delivery of this most basic, and yet the most important, of its responsibilities and constitutional functions. Where security is missing in action, could it be countenanced that peace, safety, liberty and the individual right to the pursuit of happiness remain unbreached? Some may be of a counter opinion, but my conviction (and I am most certain that of an overwhelming majority of Nigerians) is that this government and previous ones are guilty of crimes against humanity. Now you get my drift; this jeremiad is not particularly about Buhari's government (though it may be argued that it's got much worse under him) but about the culture of palpable nonchalance about the security and general wellbeing of Nigerians by successive governments since a generation or so ago.</p><p>I'm straining all sinews to make this not a direct attack on this APC government, nor an animadversion on Buhari's conduct in these most dire of times (justifiably or not), but it's fair to say, without fear of contradiction, that Buhari and his APC government have spectacularly failed in this basic area of governance. This government has fluffed its lines and lost the plot; it obviously doesn't have a clue nor the wherewithal to arrest the situation any time soon. The government is unbelievably overwhelmed and it's a direct consequence of, not its inability in the first instance, but chiefly its unwillingness and timorousness to rein in the evil perpetrators and fomenters of heinous crimes (against patriotic, peace-loving and hardworking Nigerians.) They visit, upon Nigerians unspeakable terror with such indescribable brazenness, and with alarming regularity. When has kidnapping become a multi-billion dollar business in Nigeria? Kidnapping is no longer a monopoly once enjoyed by Boko Haram, the irrational and patently deranged terrorist group masquerading as an aggrieved religious one that has turned religion into derision.</p><p>Kidnapping is now frighteningly quotidian in most parts of the country and no sane Nigerian feels either safe or secure, with the attendant impact on the fluidity of business and the salutariness of life.</p><p>Governments, the world over, are meant to combat such egregious crimes, not govern them. These enemies of the people have perverted all reason and annihilated all ideas of morality, humaneness and peaceful coexistence. Still, the government folds its arms across its chest, as if watching a contest between sense and nonsense; between progression and retrogression; between lawfulness and lawlessness; between order and disorder. If the government were to have acted effectively much sooner and swifter I doubt we would have found ourselves in this unenviable T-junction of trepidation and despair, nor would a sense of hopelessness have conquered the spirit of man.</p><p>In the face of all these atrocities being waged against the nation and its honourable citizens, the so-called legislative assembly (assembly, they certainly are; legislative, they veritably are not. What a misnomer!) deliberate while they unwaveringly injure our commonweal. The Nigerian edifice is being torn down by insecurity, deprivation, and hunger; sovereign bankruptcy is knocking ever harder on the barn door; inflation has so long ago been let off its leash, and the vast majority of Nigerians are forever battling harder than ever to feed themselves and their families. The prices of basic household commodities and foodstuffs are rapidly getting out of the reach of most. As if this were not a most debilitating set of afflictions, primary healthcare is in a state of an almost irrecoverable coma. Mass unemployment dances unabashedly on the streets. Private businesses on their knees under the burden of seemingly unstoppable deterioration of the economy. So then, what exactly do these people in the State parliaments, the House of Representatives (what a sick joke!) and the Senate (an even sicker joke!) deliberate upon? A fair and pertinent question to ask, I may opine.</p><p>As much as I do fear fatiguing your attention and over-indulging your patience, please permit me to throw my widow's mite into the bowl of opinions about how extricate ourselves from this bondage of undeserved insecurity and unmerited desperate want? If Nigeria was meant to be some sort of Paradise at its inception, it is now, unquestionably, Paradise Lost.</p><p>In the first instance, the onus is obviously on the Federal Government, and without a shadow of a doubt, on Buhari's shoulder and conscience, because the buck stops with him. He needs to immediately shed the appearance of being in government but not in power. He needs to begin to fulfil his oath of office, to the Constitution (with all its imperfections), and to the people of Nigeria. This is a time to be bold and be brave, and not be intimidated by a cabal that will only lead him to ruin. This is no time for equivocating. His first loyalty must be to Nigeria and Nigerians. The insidious influence of the so-called cabal, under whose spell he has been for quite a while, is destroying his reputation (or the little he has left), and will most certainly tarnish his legacy in any way imaginable. As a person that fought tooth and nail for both of his Presidential terms, I could not be accused of being anti-Buhari in any shape or form. May I also add, I have no party affiliation nor do I desire nor need one. This is for my love of country and its people; for their upliftment, their peace, and their happiness. Let there be a Declaration of War on insecurity, avarice, want, unemployment, hunger and, of course, corruption that courses through the veins of this government every single day. (It's funny that Buhari's and the APC's battle cry is no longer corruption!)</p><p>I could not overemphasize the uselessness of the current setup of governance, but that is not Buhari's issue but a Constitutional impediment that he has to grapple with. In my honest opinion, the legislative arm of government is hideously bloated and absolutely unfit for purpose. Its disbandment couldn't come sooner; its total and complete reformation can't be put forward for much longer; it's a despicable drag on the nation's coffers and advancement. However, that is not the matter under discussion now.</p><p>Secondly, a serious, honest and urgent review of the security situation in the country should be carried out so that current threats may be decisively dealt with without fear or favour, but with fervour. The review must also identify potential threats to any part of the country and swiftly nipped in the bud. This should not be a review that is not populated by career politicians, pettifoggers and obscurantists, but by people with proven integrity and renowned expertise in the area of security (of which there are thousands in Nigeria) and dedicated revisionists. The aim should not be to vilify, but to vivify. Any attempt to influence the review should be robustly rebuffed. The review has to assess the efficacy of the policy of giving amnesty to terrorists that have been captured. I'm no security expert and I don't profess to be one. However, I find the policy rather bizarre, naïve and self-defeating. Quoting the great Samuel Adams (1722-1803) "He who has strength to chain down the wolf is a madman if he let him loose without drawing his teeth and paring his nails." Why set terrorists free only for them to return to their lairs with renewed vigour? Is the silliness and dangerousness of that policy much too complex to comprehend, or much too obscure to perceive? The review also has to pay acute attention to the vexing and taxing issue of the Fulani herdsmen, who maraud and savage villages and towns, displacing locals and decimating their livelihoods. This menace should be tackled head-on once and for all. Their audacity and brazenness is unparalleled in the history of this nation. It would be great to know what and who lie behind their mind-numbing savagery. They are nothing but untamed terrorists; uncultured and uneducated in any meaningful way. For goodness sake, this is the 21st century!! If all of these were to be pursued with honesty, speed and purpose, Buhari may yet redeem himself no end and leave an enviable, albeit a moderately injured, legacy.</p><p>Thirdly, I am of the firm belief that the evil of insecurity intertwines with the shambolic state of the economy which engenders hunger, deprivation, unemployment and utter hopelessness. I hate to believe that this government intends to leave Nigerians much worse off than when it got into power, because this most certainly is the situation now, and has been for years. Wouldn't it be a thing of joy if the government were to take the improvement of the economy to heart? Whatever economic or fiscal policy this government is pursuing is clearly not working and will not work. Why not review and change course (and cause) and think of the welfare of all instead of that of a few, for once? Is the mind-boggling disparity in people's fortunes not a matter of concern? The vast majority of Nigerians live a hardscrabble life, eking out a living. It's just so unconscionable of this government to pretend that all is well. It fails to remove its earplugs; claps its eyes shut and refuses to shed its knavish countenance. I'd like to know how many Senators can stand the heat of direct sunlight for eight hours a day, just like tens of millions of Nigerians face every single day. I'd just like to know how many of the offspring of House of Representatives members hawk goods on the highways everyday instead of being in school. I'd simply like to know how many State Assembly members and Governors have to scrape the bottom of the barrel each day just to have a meal. This unjust concentration of wealth (our commonwealth, by the way) in a few pockets should concentrate the mind of a just and fair government. If injustice is inadvertently ingrained in the Constitution, isn't it time for Nigerians to demand a series of amendments to redress the balance? However, before such a time arises to do so, the government is under an obligation to bring relief and succour to the long-suffering Nigerians who daily bear the brunt of this unfairness inherent in the system. That is the least the government could do. The ebullience of the Nigerian character is being put through a slow and very painful death, and the buoyancy of its spirit is almost totally deflated. The government daily gives the impression of having shut the door of mercy and the window of hope on Nigerians.</p><p>Finally, while 2023 occupies the mind and time of the politicians, we Nigerians should wake up and smell the coffee. We should strive to educate one another on the need to assess the character of those we wish to cast our ballots for, and not assess them by how many branded tiny bags of rice or 'gari' they throw in our direction. Nigerians no longer have a need of, nor use for, 'stomach infrastructure'. What we want and have long deserved is People Infrastructure. 'Professional' political thugs need to be enlightened to realise that they ought to be fighting for their country, not the uncaring and deceitful politicians. There's honour in dying for one's country; dying for a politician is a total waste of life, a needless death and a certified dishonour. The polity is jam-packed with reprobates who deserve nothing but reprobation. 'Gimmicky slogans should be ignored; meaningful and tangible promises should be segregated from flighty and fanciful dreams. We've seen it all before and, trust me, we'll see it over and over again.</p><p>Thank you for your time and patience.</p><p>I check out.</p><p>May the good Lord bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-68542041418777184192020-05-07T14:44:00.000+01:002020-05-07T15:05:49.273+01:00UNWORTHY OF OFFICE, UNAPPRECIATIVE OF POWER.<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I never, not even once in my
wildest imagination, thought I’d be driven to write in this fashion about this
Nigerian government. A government in which I had placed a total faith in its
roadmap for the revitalization of the country and had sought to defend all along
the way despite its missteps and palpable vapidity. I’ve now reached the stage
where I’m no longer prepared to pretend things would get better under this
Buhari/Osinbajo government, with all the jobbery <span style="background: white; color: #1d2129;">(and
frankly, robbery)</span><span style="background: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span>in the political establishment that the
duo of Buhari/Osinbajo undertook to deracinate.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
It’s a straight choice between
my loyalty and love to Nigeria or continuing with my obviously blind loyalty to
the never-ending promises of this government; choosing the former is, for me, a
no-brainer. It may come as a rude shock to some of my friends and colleagues
that I felt obliged to air my utter disgust for, and distaste of, this
government, but turning a blind eye to the suffering of the vast majority of
Nigerians in these desperately uncertain times would have been the apogee of
ignorance and epic evilness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
No, I neither thought nor
hoped this government would magically turn Nigeria into an Eldorado of sorts
out of the ruins of foregone misrules. I, nonetheless, hoped it would augur a
turnaround in our fortunes as a country and people or at least usher in a
revival of hopes so long ago dashed. Is Buhari evil? Not at all. Is Osinbajo a
bad guy? Not in a million years! Doesn’t it then beggar belief that these two
top guys have been distinctly incapable of wrestling influence from the wreckers
of our commonwealth? At the end of the day, the buck stops with them,
especially with Buhari.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Without running the risk of
turning this sober writing into a philippic or a vituperation, let me state
clearly the last straw that broke the camel’s back for me. Actually, there are
two straws!! The first is the management (or shall we say the mismanagement?)
of the CoVID-19 health crisis. It’s all perfectly cool to issue stay-at-home or
shelter-in-place orders so as to slow the spread of this virulent novel disease.
Governments all over the world are doing it or have done it. These orders are
not the panacea, and this obvious fact has eluded the government for far too long.
Without the goodwill and the implicit support of the people, these orders solve
nothing. Now, answer me this question: what mitigative efforts have been made
by the government towards securing a high enough level of cooperation of the
people. The vast majority of Nigerians rely on daily trading to survive and
feed their families and you’re asking them to stay at home without making
provisions for their sustenance for the period the order would last. All we
hear is unhelpful propaganda about smidgens of hardly esculent food items being
handed out while others complained of long expired food products being
distributed in ever so tiny amounts. Where then is the humanity in this crude indifference
and sheer callousness? I can bet the farm not a single Nigerian politician or
any of their family is going without, and they have more than an adequate supply
of food and drinks at this crucial time!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The second straw, so to speak,
is the proclaimed intention of the government to use the billions donated by
well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies for the so-called Supplementary
Budget! What on earth is wrong with this government? Would there not have been
a Supplementary Budget without those donations? Weren’t those donations made to
alleviate the suffering of the people in their hour of need? If the government
wouldn’t cater for people’s needs, why go on to rob them of the vast sums
donated? It’s all so morally wrong and so eminently unfair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
To Buhari/Osinbajo and the unisonous
political class of unedifying traits: when you eat, remember the tens of
millions starving or dying of hunger-related diseases up and down the land.
When you sleep at night, remember the starving children who are unable to get a
wink of sleep due to unmerited hunger and unwarranted ailments. When you meet
to discuss the direction of this dear country of ours, remember the judgement
of posterity. It’s not too late to right the wrongs done to the people and it’s
not too late to refocus attention to the promises made to the people when you
were asking them to trust you to do the right things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Believe me, it’s not too late.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-70847405493721558352020-04-19T12:06:00.000+01:002020-04-19T13:37:36.453+01:00ON THE OTHER SIDE<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Much has been suffered, tens
of thousands have paid the ultimate price for our inhumanity, and many
thousands more, sadly, will still pay the price. The pestilence that is
Sars-CoV-2 has brought, into sharp focus, the grotesquely dysfunctional nature
of modern day human existence and co-existence. Yes, the affliction is truly global, but those
at the sharper end of this distention have borne, and are still bearing, the
brunt of this incongruity are the poorest of the poor the whole world over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Politics and political
affiliations be damned at this point in human evolution! Politics will not save
humanity; humanity, in essence, must save itself from the nonsensicality of politics. The drawstring that is politics (be it Left, Right or Centrist)
must be set aside if humanity is to emerge healthier at the end of these
debilitating times. To beat this pandemic, endemics would need to be banished;
unity of purpose and oneness of direction are what would pull humanity out of
this dungeon of hopelessness, despair, disease and forlornness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
It is a great deal disheartening
to see the so-called leader of the free world and his conjoiners further destabilising
the already wonky world order in these perilous times. What sort of human being,
never mind a leader, would elevate political survival above the common good at
a time like this? People are dying in their thousands every single day all over
the world, and right now, most especially in America. Still Donald Trump is
beating the drums of disobedience, affray, donnybrooks and disarray (even
evoking the 2<sup>nd</sup> Amendment!) by being the cheerleader of the hellions
and cat’s-paws who are determined to
break the chain of common-sense that says staying at home is the surest way to abate
the chain of transmission. Yes, we’re all hurting by being restricted like
never before in most of our lifetimes. Yes, tens of millions of people are
going hungry (the disproportionate percentage of which are in 3<sup>rd</sup>
World countries!). Yes, the world economy is in doldrums, and millions of jobs
are imperilled. What exactly is the alternative to our short-term pain? ‘Roaring’
world economy without the brains and brawn to power it? Not a care for those extremely
poor countries whose healthcare systems are simply non-existent? The West, and
many other countries in the so-called civilized world, spend trillions of
dollars per annum on defence, yet spending a few billions in a collaborative
effort to beat this dreadful disease is too much of a stretch for them! Where,
then, is their humanity? Bust economies will recover, lost livelihoods can be
restored over time, but lost lives are gone for good. There is, ergo, a clamant
necessity for the nihilistic weltanschauung of Trump, and his army of rhapsodic,
and corybantic agitpropists, to be defenestrated. An American President
encouraging anarchy in the United States of America? I haven’t the vaguest what
the world did to deserve this! If there ever was an epiphanous moment, <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">or </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">aperçu</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">,</span> in our
evolution as a species, this is it.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Moving on, however. What is
very clear now is that the world will never be the same again after this
mayhem. What the world would look like post-CoV-19 is anybody’s guess. Would we
emerge into a more equitable and peaceful world? Would the clamour of the West
to recoup the financial losses occasioned by CoV-19 drive it to be, even more
than ever before, aggressive in its policies, in monetary, humanitarian and
ecological terms? Would inequality of means, incomes and opportunity remain a pesty
barnacle? It’s a toss-up of the coin at this point in time, but the omens are not
that great with Trump and his like-minded sidekicks like Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Hungary’s
Orban, Philippine’s Duterte, and a few others of similar ilk, in positions of
authority and influence. Not to mention Russia’s Putin, and even China’s Xi.
The world is in a bind! Is it really too much to ask these people to err on the
side of prudence, compassion, humanity, humility and sapience?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Then again, we can all huff,
puff and bombinate to our collective heart’s content, but without paying heed
to the ways and means by which we live our individual lives, the prospects for
our revival and rebirth are going south by the minute. One hopes that we’d be
kinder to nature so that nature gets to be kinder to us; the effects of climate
change are real and we must not be held captive by the cris de coeur of the
denialists. We must strive to save the planet to save our species. It doesn’t
get much starker than that. To take better care, and cognizance, of our planet is simply not
facultative. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
We may even be kinder to one another. What a world that would be!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Maybe, just maybe, 3<sup>rd</sup> world
countries’ leaders, like mine, in Nigeria, would finally wake up and smell the
coffee. What is the point of impoverishing your people when, no matter how much
you got stashed away in safe havens and banks all over the world, when death
comes knocking they amount to zilch? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This pandemic may yet be a turning point in the
affairs of the world, but whether it’s for better or for worse, only time will
tell.</span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-80983583016553447572019-04-16T13:43:00.000+01:002019-04-16T14:13:24.027+01:00DEAL OR NO DEAL? <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
It's barely eight sennights ago since the conclusion of
the 2019 Nigeria Elections but seems like a millennium ago, and thankfully, things appear to have calmed down a
little but for the small matter of Atiku’s challenge at the Tribunal. This,
actually, is the raison d'être of my little observation and comment today.
Though not quite attuned to the whole legalistic procedure at the Tribunal (me
being semi-illiterate in matters of law), a couple of developments caused me to
blink at a rate of knots.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The big question which is at loggerheads with my sanity
is “are the legal practitioners representing both sides of the argument the crème
de la crème of the legal profession in Nigeria?” Were that to be so, it would
take a thousand aeons before the legal profession in Nigeria catches up with
the rest of the civilized world. Little wonder the socio-political problems in Nigeria
have been incalculably exacerbated by the pervasive tomfooleries in the country’s
legal profession. Mind you, this is not to bracket all legal practitioners in
the same corner, as there are still quite a few doing the best they can in very
difficult circumstances, but the various legal bodies need to step up to the
plate and, as a matter of urgency, clean the Augean stables. Failing to expeditiously
do this can only ensure improprieties to further metastasize in the rank and
file of the profession and continue to bring infamy to the ‘noble’ profession. Onnoghen
is a case in point, and only God knows how many corrupt lawyers and judges are
operating like auctioneers whose questionable services are only available to
the highest bidder. Their clammy hands and bottomless pockets are always at the
ready for the conveyor belt of douceurs being operated by the very corrupt and the inordinately greedy. When the concept of ‘do ut des’ is employed only in strict matters of
the law, rather than in the ‘transactional representation’ sense, the mud that
has stubbornly stuck to the profession would begin to be lifted and true
justice would begin to prevail, and the profession would indeed be noble again. Isn't it about time, then, we got rid of 'Deal Or No Deal?' lawyers and judges?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Now, to the matter at hand. Atiku, through his legal
representation, petitioned that Buhari, the INEC, and the APC robbed him of
victory at the polls. He claimed to have outscored Buhari by at least a couple
million legally cast votes, citing the INEC server as his source. The INEC has repudiated
this claim and insisted it does not have a server via which voting results were
transmitted. The existence or not of a server is the bone of contention here.
To me, as a layman, the onus is on Atiku to prove the existence of a server,
and not the INEC to prove the non-existence of one. Straightforward enough, in my
opinion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
On Buhari’s and APC’s part, they considered Atiku’s claim
to be rebuffable since Atiku is not even a Nigerian, and by extension, he was
even not eligible to stand for election in the first instance. How this constitutes
a rational defence of their position beggars belief! If this line of defence
were to hold water, a large swathe of the eastern and south-eastern parts of
Nigeria would have large populations who would not be qualified to be called
Nigerians. The major strand of their argument in this respect is that Atiku was
born in an area that used to be part of Cameroon, but then became part of
Nigeria. If that were indeed the case, wouldn’t those former Cameroonians have
become Nigerians by default? You see, instead of them defending their victory
at the ballot box with credible and legally sustainable arguments, they
resorted to pettifogging as if this approach would serve as a roborant to their
defence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Both sides are supposed to be ably represented by eminent
lawyers! Where is the relevance in their eminence? This was why I ranted
against the legal profession earlier on. The opaqueness in the profession is
robbing conscientious lawyers of well-deserved prominence, robbing the general
population of true justice and destroying the very fabric of society.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In conclusion, for Nigeria to begin to overcome its tsuris and exit the
darkness of its archaic existence, the legal profession has to purge phlyarologists and
philargyrists from among its ranks so as to send a long overdue message to the venal
skunks who are in politics only to pick the pockets of Nigerians and deny them
their commonwealth. Nigeria is behindhand in many areas of human existence and enterprise, but without the basic structure of the law upheld, no notable progress can be made. The long and short of it is that the future relevance of Nigeria is in the hands of the third arm of government and its constituent elements. It's as simple as that.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-71878182478962487422019-01-30T13:00:00.002+00:002019-01-30T13:14:00.585+00:00OLUSEGUN OBASANJO - A SAD FOOTNOTE OF HISTORY<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Throughout human history there always have been
individuals who stood out from the rest either for good or for bad. History is
replete with distinct heroic feats of men and women of substance, and
pernicious forays by villains and troglodytes. Naturally, heroes are remembered
with veneration, awe and affection, and the villainous with derision and
irksomeness. Most countries of the world have been blessed with more true
heroes than celebrated bandits; Nigeria is an exception to the rule. It may be
pertinent to recite the verses of our National Anthem to drive home a few
salient points:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Arise, O compatriots</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Nigeria's call obey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">to serve our fatherland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">with love and strength and faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The labour of our heroes past<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">shall never be in vain,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">to serve with heart and might<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">one nation bound in freedom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Peace and unity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">O God of creation,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">direct our noble cause<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Guide our leaders right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Help our youth the truth to know<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In love and honesty to grow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And living just and true<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Great lofty heights attain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">To build a nation where peace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And justice shall reign<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The 5<sup>th</sup> verse acknowledges the
labour of our past heroes while the last couple of verses advocate peace and
justice. A little dose of introspection wouldn’t go amiss here: Who, since the assassination
of General Murtala Muhammad, could anyone confidently point to as a true hero among
those in positions of authority and power in Nigeria today? Is Nigeria remotely
close to the attainment of peace and fearless dispensation of justice? Is it a
coincidence that Nigeria’s greatest misfortune commenced in earnest when the picaresque
Obasanjo took over from the venerated Murtala Muhammad, and exacerbated with his
fraudulent military-civilian handover in 1979? Nigeria hasn’t recovered ever since.
Olusegun Obasanjo is the worst evil that has befallen Nigeria since the Civil
War!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I’m not about to invest valuable time and space
in enumerating Obasanjo’s litany of treasonous misdeeds, these are
well-documented by infinitely more resourceful writers than my humble self. The
essentialness of this piece is to bring to focus the root cause of Nigeria’s
myriad of today’s problems, and to emphasise his irrelevance to the current
social and political discourse. The pomposity of his actions and words hide the
unambiguous fact that he is a deeply flawed and an insecure monstrous scuzzball
who parades himself as a sagacious and heroic mensch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Simply put, Obasanjo has jumped the shark ages
ago, but has relentlessly sought to bring himself back into relevance, aided and
abetted by his army of sappy and gnathonic finaglers. I know of no Nigerian who
deserves more than Obasanjo to spend the rest of his miserable days in prison. He
is ugly on the outside and infinitely even more so on the inside; no amount of
light can permeate the darkness of his heart. He is everything antithetical to
all norms of decency, a vulgarian of unassailable proportions. Those that say
he is immoral are a tad kind to him, but immoral he most certainly is not. He
is amoral beyond human perception, and that trait has been with him all his
sorry life. The sordidness of his character is encyclopaedic; he is the most
self-serving, two-faced whiffler I have ever known. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Nigerians now know the true measure of this mendacious
skunk called Olusegun Obasanjo because his art of reinventing himself is well
and truly dated, and Nigeria and its people are much better for it. The
evidence of his utmost irrelevance is growing by the hour, as we continue to
rebuild our country and reshape our future. The days of his endorsed looters
are just as numbered as his. The season of true muckraking is about to begin;
there’ll be no hiding place for the rapists of our commonwealth, peace and
stability. History shall not be kind to Obasanjo in any way, shape or form. His
legacy is congested with bitterness and ill-will towards Nigeria and its
people. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Obasanjo is spent and gone. May we never see his like again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-86607017070438546702018-12-13T15:33:00.000+00:002018-12-13T15:33:01.370+00:00DESTITUTENESS IN SUPERFLUOUSNESS<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dispassionateness is nigh impossible in matters of national consciousness and human misery, which is why it's salutary no end to debate, without caterwauling, the best course for a nation to take in times of peril. It is not without precedent that diverse views emerge in the process of mapping out the best way forward but what is detrimental to an honest and frank debate is resorting to name-calling and decrying opposing viewpoints. Salient arguments are drowned out amidst the cacophony of sequacious ranting and raving of impertinence, and nugacities come to the fore. Most of us Nigerians, myself included, have been guilty of such despicable acts, but isn't it about time we outgrew such infantilities and come together as one people with inseparable destinies?</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The success of Nigeria is a success of all and we must shy away from political players who seek to divide and rule purely for their own benefits and those of their circle of influence. How many of us political e-warriors have benefited from the largesse of oil wells being shared among them? How many can afford to give their offsprings a decent education or adequate medical care? Pointedly speaking, how many diasporic Nigerians can afford to repatriate and contribute to the upliftment of our country? These are the considerations that should be concentrating the minds, and we shouldn't let the cunning distractions of the political players deflect our focus. We, thankfully, have a relatively high degree of personal freedom (of choice and of speech) in Nigeria but are we using this to good and efficient effect? Are we directing our ire at the appropriate quarters? We need to begin to resist the temptation to tear ourselves apart while those actively seeking to abrogate the very freedom we're taking for granted get away with murder. When it fully registers in our national consciousness that most of these political players are nothing but disseminators of egregious falsities and disreputable dissemblers, we would begin to chart our way back out of the abyss that we as a people have sleepwalked into.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This inevitably brings me to the rather thorny issue of the 2019 elections. While each and every Nigerian has the absolute right to determine who to vote for , or which policies to get behind, we should not blind ourselves to the real possibility that such choices could be made out of loyalty (either borne out of consanguineous relationships, religious affiliations, friendships, or suchlike). The point I'm trying to make is that such considerations should be the least of our worries, and that the cause for the common good is far greater than any superficial relationships. No reason to vote for one or the other is invalid, but some reasons are infinitely more valid than others. The main problem with our psyche these days is that most of us hardly think of the 'other'; it is always me, myself and I. When we begin to think in terms of 'us' rather than 'me', we would see our weltanshauung reshaped and refocused for the common good, and our politics would begin to reflect such. For our politics to change, our views and attitudes have to change, and the reasons for voting in people into positions of authority would move away from the archaic and uninformed considerations of the past.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All political parties are littered with indecorous and venal bilks. However, among the rubble of sordid characters are those with enough amour-propre to merit being considered for election to positions of authority. Our expectations are, unfortunately, limited due to the dearth of worthy candidates, but the pool of perspicacious candidates would start to widen if sanity is brought back into governance. The malaise bedevilling Nigeria is one of destituteness in superfluousness. A country endowed with so much having to make do with so little, with a huge swathe of the population eking out a living. Nigeria in a suspended state of perversion!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In light of all of the above, I make no bones nailing my colours to the mast of Buhari. Is Buhari an angel? Hell, no! Is Buhari of unimpeachable character? I'd say to a high degree, yes. Love him or loathe him, he's the only one of the two with good prospects of winning that I can say, with a hand to my heart, that Nigeria stands a better chance with. Atiku comes with so much garbage that it would take a millennium for a garbage truck to be rid of it. Is Atiku the kind of person to lead Nigeria to sanity? Absolutely not! Coupled with Saraki, the ship of State would run aground before one can say 'Hi'. I say this with no malice, but with a conviction of purpose. Many may disagree and they are entitled to, and I would defend their entitlement no end. This is exactly why I do not begrudge Obasanjo for declaring his support for Atiku, but I sincerely wish the man could just melt away from the political scene; the damage he's caused Nigeria is incalculable. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If Nigeria is to move on from the Dark Ages of opportunistic pilfering of our commonwealth, we need to be mindful of the fact that 2019 could be a major turning point for good, or for ill. So, we need to use our votes wisely and conscientiously, not for the immediate rewards of today, but for the accruable benefits of tomorrow. The small gains made to date must not be frittered away by the illusion of nirvana or Fata Morgana under an Atiku presidency.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
May peace and sanity reign in the land. </div>
</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-48046162152338461442018-10-17T11:57:00.000+01:002018-10-17T11:57:26.375+01:00A SMORGASBORD OF BILKS<div style="text-align: justify;">
We're now well into the political cycle that matters the most in Nigeria, and it is hardly a surprise that intrigues, of all shapes and sizes, have been oozing their way into the already fetid political firmament. Another round of political realignment has manifested; the usual regrouping of persons (or non-persons, for that matter), with individualistic tendencies, has occurred and still occurring. This is one of the most important, if not the most important, elections of modern times. It is a stark choice between progress (albeit slow) and a rapid retreat to what brought us to these troubled, and troubling, times. It is a tale of a formidable army of revanchists and recidivists duelling it out with our, largely collective, future, hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian people. I say this without implying that those that represent that collective future are saintly, but most certainly less complicit. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Democracy is hollowed out by the absence of meritocracy; democracy unaligned with meritocracy is all but codswallop and a <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">façade</span>. It is wholly demeaning to Nigerians when proven kleptocrats don the garb of democracy and prate spurious nonsense to lure, to woo and to trap. I am yet to see a leopard change its spots, and yet, we're being deluged with promises of utopia when dystopia is the glaring legacy of their sixteen years of misrule, and its unsalutary consequences. Their belief, or hope, that Nigerians are as gullible as during the dark years is symptomatic of their collective cerebrum atrophy. Their grouping is a patent anachronism that I am confident, and pray that, the Nigerian populace would roundly reject in 2019. I may be accused of being tendentious, or unduly catastrophizing the contemporary Nigerian malaise, but allow me to explain myself without being unnecessarily verbose. Here are the 'whys', my people:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The PDP were in government for sixteen years during which Nigeria recorded its highest rates of growth due mainly to the stratospheric average price of crude oil for much of that period. Can anyone, in good conscience, point to any discernible progress, both economic and social, that Nigeria made in those wasted years? Well, apart from their much-vaunted 'achievement' of mobile telephony! Is it unfair to point out the wretchedness of our schools, hospitals, transport systems, security and employment? Is it unjust to point out the insanely rapid growth of multi-billionaires in their ranks, most of whom had never broken a sweat in their entire sorry lives? What are we to make of the fuel subsidy scams? Isn't it ingenious to put all the blame at Buhari's feet, whose government has only been in power for less than four years? Has it ever occurred to the PDP brigade and their sympathisers what might have been if Saraki and Co hadn't hijacked the leaderships of both the Senate and the HoR?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So many questions that we, Nigerians, need to honestly ask ourselves in our bid to fashion out a better future not just for ourselves, but those yet unborn. It may be mistaken that I'm drumming up support for the APC, but that couldn't be further from the truth. All I need to do is look at the facts before me, and the experience behind me. All I need to do is look around me and see the height of misery, and the depth of forlornness, in my people's eyes. All I need to do is look at the decay in every facet of life, and imagine what might have been if most of our democratic life had been judiciously spent. I have my beef with Buhari and his government but I realise I need to cut them a slack, considering the relatively short period of time they have been in power. Is four years really long enough to undo and unravel the mess we were plunged into for sixteen forgettable years? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know what my choice is. I'd rather go along with slow and steady progress than with a government comprised of a smorgasbord of bilks. Nigerians should not, and would not, let the finaglers back in through the postern.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
May the good Lord bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its beautiful people.</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
<br /></div>
.<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-75680257590337862282018-07-25T13:32:00.000+01:002018-07-25T13:32:05.581+01:00THE PHALANGE OF GAMMONERS<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Things are really heating up now in the race for the
custodianship of Nigeria’s soul in 2019. Alliances and dalliances are being
made and broken in equal measure, and intrigues abound, like never before, in
the relative short history of Nigeria’s political evolution. Saying this was
not expected would effortlessly fall into the realm of idiocy and mental seism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The most pertinent question amidst all these
shenanigans relates to the astuteness of the electorate in determining the
course of the next phase of our political evolution. Are we willing and ready
to discard the well-trodden path of self-mutilation by stealth, and embrace a
new dawn of real political awakening? Are we tired of the soggy political
gamers that have been cunctators of Nigeria’s progress since time immemorial?
Have we leapt into the new era of defenestrating the venal obscurantists that
have held Nigeria hostage for so long? Can those that follow the politics of
‘stomach infrastructure’ still stomach the infrastructure of deceit and
hopelessness? These are some of the searching questions that need to be
addressed in the most absolute of terms before we can hope to begin to chart a
different course. Words are no longer enough, inches of written columns no longer
suffice, and apathy is no longer a viable option. Action, courageous action, is
the only way forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Whence the courageous action? Some may ask, seeing
especially that a large proportion of the population is fatigued after years of
undeserved impoverishment and unwarranted hopelessness. Most Nigerians have
become so thewless that they are now accustomed to regarding their rights as
privileges. Courageous action emanates from within; a conscious decision to
reject the fetid politics of old and usher in a regime of awareness that
scuttles the destructive agenda of the picaresque political Svengalis. The
resentment of the current order must be total and unequivocal, regardless of
our political colourings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The issues confronting Nigerians as we begin the tentative
steps towards 2019 are myriad, and require decisive confrontation. The
bickering thieves in the corridors of power up and down the land won’t do this
for us, and as such, the onus is on each and every one of us to wake up and dam
the ferocious wave of discord and destruction being concocted by these rogues in robes. We
need to stop arguing among ourselves, so the thieves don't take
advantage, as they have always done, and sow the seed of discord even more. We
should keep our eyes on the ball, for the prize is worth fighting for with
every ounce of energy in our being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">On a personal level, I have no time for any political
party, but that does not mean I am apolitical in any sense. My personal
politics lies in the belief that we can no longer entrust the present, and the
future, of Nigeria in the hands of scofflaws who are determined to prolong the
misery that we have endured for so long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%;">As unaffiliated as I am, I’d much rather keep
Buhari in place than have him replaced by the likes of Saraki, Atiku, Ekweremadu
and Kwankwanso. The mere thought of having this mishpocha of renegades in
control of Nigeria feels me with absolute dread, and sends a mammoth shudder
down my spine. There is no disguising the fact that I have my beef with Buhari,
especially with the way he began his tenure and his apparent reluctance to deal
decisively with the herdsmen issue, but his integrity is hardly in doubt. This
phalange of gammoners are not only contending with Buhari, but with you and me,
and the kind of future we wish to bequeath to our children and grandchildren.
We need to stop genuflecting to corruption and stand up to be counted because
to revert to the ways of old could very well be the last straw that breaks Nigeria’s
back. You decide.</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-40981591051887257692018-05-04T14:50:00.001+01:002018-05-04T15:21:18.534+01:00THE CASE FOR TABULA RASA <div style="text-align: justify;">
The sorry tale of Nigeria's contemporary political meandering has a sting in its tail, and that sting is in full manifestation now. The chicken has come home to roost, and the feckless pococuranti have run the Nigerian ship aground with naked imperturbability. It's absolute nonsense to even remotely opine that the immediate future is looking good under this cloud of indifferent political abandonment of helpless Nigerians by the dissemblers roaming the corridors of power. Each day that goes by brings its own set of woes and unending befuddlement. Reshaping the Nigerian political landscape is no longer an option; an uncompromising and total annihilation of the current political class is the only credible option, and that is unequivocal.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When the National Assembly and State Assemblies are populated with politically deranged and morally corrupt nonpersons, the future is nothing but bleak. They have no time for the betterment of the people, only for their abyss-like pockets; they spend more time on recesses and foreign trips than they do on their constituents' needs and legitimate concerns. Their repugnance of the people is legendary and plain. These dullards are of as much use as used toilet paper; Nigerians need them like a hole in the head! Ex-governors cross over to the Senate while ex-Senators amble over to their respective Government Houses; it's a revolving door of sycophants and benighted incorrigibles. The House of Representatives is no better; a chockablock of timeservers whose moral compasses have been broken since their most unfortunate conceptions, and who would stop at nothing to make life even worse for their so-called constituents. They commission boreholes, wells and other boondoggles which they shamelessly claim as their constituency projects. What insufferable buffoons!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Don't get me started on Governors! What on earth has Nigeria done to deserve these picaresque characters? While a few of them are actually doing all they can in these depressing times, most of them are just there, packing money into their attics and foreign bank accounts while their children school, and they, and their families, medicate abroad because they've ruined the Nigerian system.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Presidency is so weak that it barely has any discernible purpose to Nigerians. It's so laughable when feeble accomplishments are lauded and pressing matters are painted over. Security of persons and property has taken the back seat while the increase in foreign reserves is touted as the greatest accomplishment of any government since humanity began.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Nigerian political system is a deadly concoction of itinerant cockalorums and implacable obscurantists. The Nigerian political space is an intricate web of mishpochas that stifles dissent by any means, and chokes life out of any movement or thought that it considers a threat to its pitiful existence and cursed prominence. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We voted for a PLAN FOR CHANGE; all we got was a CHANGE OF PLAN. Could the case for a TABULA RASA be any stronger, considering what the status quo would mean for you and I? Serial and sustained uprisings are required to dislodge these twerps who, remora-like, depress our quest for a change of direction, and slow down our march out of the doldrums that the Nigerian state has evolved into. Time for truckling is over, my fellow Nigerians. Our fate is in our hands; the future of Nigeria is at stake. All of us need to activate our passion and energise our intent. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We need to create the room for a TABULA RASA. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-15491187835122339432018-02-02T12:48:00.000+00:002018-02-02T12:48:23.842+00:00WHERE ARE WE HEADED, AND AT WHAT PACE?<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Who would have thought I’d be sitting down here today,
just a little under three years after giving my unequivocal, albeit visceral, support
to Buhari in his quest for the occupancy of Aso Rock, musing about the manifest
ineffectualness of the very same Buhari. Nigerians hardly need reminding what
issues afflict them – almost everything has gone wrong and going wrong. I’m
still in a state of disbelief; actually, shocked to the marrow that I could
have vouched for this President. I, along with many millions of Nigerians, had
no foreboding of the impending disaster that has culminated into the shambles
that is the Nigerian state today. It is gut-wrenching to now realize that we
were boondoggled into voting this feckless government into power. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
I’m sick and tired of the dated and absurd narrative
that nobody could have made a great deal of difference in two years of being in
office. Well, it’s almost three years now and most economic indices indicate
retrogression rather than progression. There are more than three million more
unemployed than when Buhari took office; the chaos in the financial market is
unabating; the war on corruption has become a battle of wits; Fulani herdsmen
have become the wrecking ball on societal cohesion. The only stability there is
is in the business of corruption; corruption is still profitable and
unpunishable. The judiciary remains the bedrock of corruption and the legislature
is as fetid as ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Has Lai Mohammed any shame at all? Does he even have a
heart? He goes about churning out mind-boggling numbers that are supposed to indicate
progress being made in making things better for Nigerians. If infrastructural
expenditure has gone up that much, why are there many millions more unemployed
than when his mob took office? Why hasn’t there been much of a headway in the
fight against corruption, which was the central plank of their campaign? Serious
corruption at the very heart of the presidency goes unpunished and brushed over;
the government is now a mishpocha of sorts. Why is crime against the person and
property on the rise? Education and medical care facilities are deteriorating
by the hour; still blandishments about Buhari’s achievements rain out of Aso
Rock with reckless abandon. One could go on and on, but the crux of the matter
is Nigerians were angry at the laissez faire way Jonathan’s PDP conducted the
affairs of state, but now they are distressed to a point unimaginable even in
2015. It is trite to say we are at crisis point; the window of redemption is
ever being so tightly shut, and the door of recovery is just that a little
ajar. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Why has it all gone pear-shaped? The gamut of issues
can be crystallized into one: frugality of ideas in the high echelons of power.
The corridors of power are littered with venal apple-polishers whose sole
interests are their pockets and political relevance. It is one thing to have a vision,
it’s entirely another to envision a clear pathway to actualizing it. Words mean
absolutely nothing when unaccompanied with meaningful action to achieve the
desired beneficial outcomes. The business environment is dire, and hope for a
resuscitation of the comatose confidence in the ability of government to
correct the multitudinous ills afflicting the economy is virtually dead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Where are we headed? As things stand, it goes without
saying that we’re headed in the wrong direction as a nation, and those steering
the ship of state are criminally oblivious to the fact. To boot, we’re headed
in the wrong direction at a frighteningly fast pace! The impending political
intrigues are like dark clouds in the horizon, and would most certainly muddle
the already choppy waters that much more dangerously. I’ve often opined that
we, Nigerians, are a docile lot; and we, by allowing those at the helm to get
away with murder, are the architects of our nation’s misshapen economy and
political misfortunes. The political space is condensed with despicable scofflaws
and downright outlaws, and yet we allow them to get on with their destructive
practices. It may be true that we can’t all be politicians to counter the
corrosive effects of the arrant mismanagement of our affairs, but it is a
truism that each, and every one of us, has the right, and the responsibility,
to vet those we elect into office. Our vote is our voice. Many a Nigerian has
vowed never to vote again, but I say this to them: if you abdicate your civic
responsibility, you lose your voice and you give up your right to those making
your lives a misery. It is a double-whammy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The cliché that all politicians are the same, that they
all belong to the thieving elite, is tiresome. If we could remove the herd
mentality from our political psyche, we might begin to sanitize the polity and stem
the rate of decay of our national being. It is now time for Nigerians of
conscience, myself included, to put our heads above the parapet by purposefully
entering the fray and stop limiting our involvement to just the ubiquitous
righteous outrage on social media. Mere words and angry expressions of
indignance get us nowhere; we must rise above the politics of ethnicity and
religion. It is only then we might be able to break free of the shackles of
want and poverty. The future of Nigeria is at stake, so is ours and that of yet
unborn generations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The rottenness in our society cannot be allowed to
fester for much longer, otherwise a point of no return would be Nigeria’s
destination. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
While the churches are busy feathering their own nests
at your expense, they have little or no interest in speaking out vociferously
against the injustices being meted out to their congregations up and down the
land. Their main calling is the business of tithing, offering and thanksgiving,
not mindful of the lengths their flocks have to go to in order to stuff money
into their ever-bulging pockets. Preaching prosperity amidst pervasive government-inflicted
suffering is their stock-in-trade, and cavorting in their private jets and
mansions is their bailiwick. Justice, compassion, mercy and eternal life have
all been redacted from their bibles. God will surely avenge the weak and the
helpless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
So, as we inch ever closer to the political campaign
season and the next round of elections, we need to be discerning and begin to
wrestle back our fortune, and our future, from the rampaging cabal, and make it
clear to them that their time is fast approaching its end. Time to put our
collective foot down. Mere words are unavailing. It is time for action. Time is
of the utmost essence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">May the good Lord bless you all, and the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-77470618027326044242017-12-22T12:24:00.000+00:002017-12-22T12:50:42.971+00:00THE WIDOW'S MITE<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The furore over the scriptural
relevance, or otherwise, of tithing has, to a large extent, caught the people’s imagination,
and has brought about a consciousness hitherto unseen in the religion of Christianity.
The spectrum of opinions on this unnecessarily contentious issue is quite wide,
and the debate/controversy is still raging, with no end in sight. A pertinent
question should not go unbegged: why did it stoke so much fire among the ranks
of the ‘men of God’? This is a question that is gravid with so many others,
which, if care is not taken, would mask the central debate about the validity
or correctness of the tenet of tithing. Slanging matches, vitriolic verbals and
social media warfare, are indicative of the divisiveness inherent in
religiosity in today’s Nigeria.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The aim of this discussion is
not to be a stoker of further ire, but to explore the reasons behind the
volcanic eruption of emotion on both sides of the argument. To get a perspective of
where I’m coming from, I’ve been on the vexing, and taxing, issue of the
dynamics of religion, especially Christianity, in Nigeria for a number of years.
I make no secret of the fact that I consider most so-called men of God
particularly distasteful and downright dishonest; I also know that a great deal
many Nigerians are in concordance with me on this. I would not pretend, for
even one second, to be sufficiently schooled, scripturally, on the tenet of
tithing, or indeed a host of other religiously contentious issues, but as they
say, the proof is in the pudding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
It is supposed to be the
responsibility of the ‘men of God’ to educate, mentor and direct their flocks
in the ways of the Lord, and part of that responsibility is to lead by example.
Their inability or failure to lead by example is the core of the flocks’ disbelief
of what they say and the erosion of their hitherto indisputable spiritual authority.
Financial immorality, lack of social responsibility and emotional disconnect
are the character flaws that people now associate with those who are expected
to lay claim to the moral high ground. I watched the other day, in shock horror,
a video clip of a sermon by Pastor Adeboye in which he pronounced that ‘men of
God’ take people’s money because that is the only way people can be taken out
of poverty. I thought either my hearing was failing me or my eyesight was
playing tricks on me. The presumption that people only sought God because they
were poor is an assault on common sense, and frankly, it’s nothing short of
spiritual terrorism. How many times have we seen or heard ‘men of God’
soliciting billion, million Naira donations from the pulpit? This is the kind
of disconnect from the reality of the vast majority of their flocks that make
the ‘men of God’ so impervious to common sense and blinded to both the spiritual
and temporal needs of their flocks. Where is the principle of the ‘widow’s mite’
in the Church these days? Mark 12:41-44 says: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
“Jesus sat down opposite the
place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money
into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor
widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling
his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put
more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth;
but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
We note here that Jesus didn’t
admonish the poor widow for putting in some derisory amount in the bowl, but
rather acknowledged her from-the-heart contribution to the ministry. Most church-going
Christians in today’s Nigeria are just like this widow, and instead of
focussing on them, they are often ignored by our ‘men of God’ and their needs
are immaterial to them. The rich get all the recognition and the poor gets
overlooked. What then is the difference between their spiritual and temporal
existence?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Churches are built almost on a
daily basis, but lives are being pulled down every minute of the day. Schools
and universities are established but way beyond the reach of the very flocks
they proclaim to cater for. Why then should all hell break loose when such
deviances are noted and frowned upon by discerning people? Rather than do a
reality check, the ‘men of God’ engage in argumentum ad hominem. They attack
the character or motive of the accuser and leave the central argument
unattended. How many times have they lashed out at the political class for the
political and social ills bedevilling Nigeria? How many of them, for instance, have put their expensive
private jets to good use by helping to repatriate Nigerians in distress in
Libya, who are being sold for $400 or less into slavery? What exactly are they
about? When the tenet of tithing is questioned, they come out in arms! Spiritual
intimidation and employment of fear are two of the tools in their armoury. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Most ‘men of God’ in Nigeria
today scrimshank, at best, and are patently fraudulent and self-serving, at
worst. Folks go to church for spiritual maintenance or revival, but oftentimes,
they come out of church with the heebie-jeebies. Why should the debate about
tithing be a casus belli if they had nothing to keep their grubby claws on?
Prosperity teaching is now king; Kingdom preaching is a tedious anecdote. I am
unabashedly ambivalent on the tenet of tithing. My overriding view is to do as
the spirit in me directs in order to advance the ministry. I would not set up a
direct debit to pay tithe, nor would I succumb to half-baked intimidation or an
implied sense of guilt from any quarter. The Lord sees the heart of each and
everyone and it is only He we are accountable to on the day of judgement.
People need to smell the coffee and free themselves of man-made doctrines and
spiritual 419.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">May Christmas bring you all truly glad tidings,
and may 2018 be a year to remember for good. Shalom.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-37966314588216308402017-10-24T13:18:00.000+01:002017-10-26T16:11:08.105+01:00THE DISAVOWAL OF TRUTHINESS<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is a verisimilar notion that Buhari, or at least those in his tight-knit circle are working tirelessly to make the critical mission of sanitizing our polity and public life an absolute impossibility. It is my unhindered contention that Buhari has failed Nigerians spectacularly and there are no redeeming considerations whatsoever. I feel eternally ashamed and utterly betrayed to have been part of this charade. Our once darling Buhari has now become, of his own choosing, I might add, the bête noire of the vast majority of Nigerians. Considered a mensch pre-2015 by most Nigerians, his true intentions first surfaced when he acquiesced to the PDP's quest to make Bukola Saraki the Senate President. It was there and then he and his government were compromised, and as they say, the rest is history. I have beaten myself up too many times for being a sucker and unmindful of the principle of 'caveat emptor'. He welshed on his promises to Nigerians and we are the worse for it. This government doesn't feel like, but it is, a sad continuation of the previous PDP government that was decisively defenestrated by Nigerians in 2015. Despair has replaced disappointment and hopelessness has usurped anger.<br />
Amid the chaos that this government has become, and the wanton destruction of the hopes of Nigerians, nothing worthy of positive mention has happened, or is likely ever to happen. The cacophonies about confronting corruption head-on have morphed into whimpers of submission; the atmosphere of renewed optimism has degenerated into an ambience of resignation. What could be more dispiriting than seeing thieving politicians and shysters continuing to play significant roles in government? What could be a greater disservice to suffering Nigerians than seeing convicts and murderers at the helm of power? What could any reasonable person make of the surreptitious recall of Abdulrasheed Maina to an even more exalted role in public service? What! Are you having me on? Is this a bad dream or something? Such is the unruddered nature of this excuse of a government that Nigerians have never known it this bad since, arguably, the Civil War.<br />
Before the gloaters and PDP apologists go into overdrive, they should be reminded that the 18 years the PDP was in power was the catalyst of Nigeria's descent into the abyss of despair. Buhari's APC has only continued along that sad trajectory. The only depressing thing is that Buhari's ineptitude and sheer disregard for the minutiae of politics, twinned with his willful abdication of common sense, have exacerbated the forlornness that is so graphically expressed on the faces of Nigerians today. Buhari is beleaguered, overwhelmed and under siege. To even remotely entertain the idea of him seeking a second term in office is preposterous (and even treacherous!) and should be discounted outright with a disdainful blow as if swatting an overzealous fly.<br />
To say Nigerians deserve what they've got is wholly uncharitable and patently unjust. How were we to know that the egress from the PDP's trench would be the ingress into Buhari's hole? No, democracy hasn't failed us; we have failed democracy. Buhari's earlier shenanigans have now boomeranged and he has backed himself, and dragged helpless Nigerians with him, into an eerie corner that he has no clue how to get out of. The present is dire and the future is bleak; I decry my truthiness and my disavowal of it could not be more expressive. <br />
I make no pretensions to know the way forward, and I'm not sure anyone does. The precariousness of our national being has never been starker, and the likely danger that awaits never more severe. The total disintegration of societal cohesion is not impossible, and the complete breakdown of law and order not an absolute impossibility. If nothing propitious happens, and soon, anarchy would reign supreme, the outcome of which would be indeterminable. The Nigerian Titanic is going full throttle towards an immovable iceberg of mayhem, but there's still ample time to change course to avert a calamitous careening and an almighty sinking. Failure to change course simply isn't an option. Nigerians are hurting and hungry more than ever before; we have reached the end of our tether and we're at our wits' end.<br />
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</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-69280466747551520812015-11-11T13:19:00.002+00:002015-11-12T09:07:03.883+00:00COMPUNCTIONLESS THIEVERY AND THE TRAIT OF ALGOPHOBIA<div style="text-align: justify;">
Having just witnessed the swearing-in of ministers, and the President allocating their respective ministries, I am filled with even greater optimism for the sustainable future of our country. I am filled with enormous pride. Now, the serious business of government may be deemed to be afoot.<br />
Without doubt, there will be the usual dissection of today's momentous event, but I'm sure the overwhelming majority of Nigerians would just heave a sigh of relief at seeing the engine of governance rev into life at last. The patience of Nigerians must not be underestimated, and they deserve high praise.<br />
The theme that ran through this momentous event today was one of humility, moderation, dedication and accountability. As far as I was able to gather, round pegs were put in round holes, and we rightfully expect high level of performance from individual ministers as from today. The choices of Babatunde Fashola as the Minister for Power and Rotimi Amaechi at Transport, are particularly gratifying. The pace of governance has just gone up a few notches. I wish them all the very best of luck in their onerous endeavours, but they must tirelessly seek to justify the very essence of their appointments at this most critical time for our nation. There is no room for failure and incompetence would not be tolerated.<br />
On another note, the removal of Ibrahim Lamorde as EFCC Chairman by President Buhari yesterday raised the watermark of diligence and accountability in office even higher. Buhari's nonreticence in this regard is to be applauded, as this removes any lingering doubt as to the suitability of a clearly soiled Lamorde to preside over the affairs of the EFCC during this onslaught on corruption. As for the CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar, Nigerians expect a similarly decisive action were he to be found wanting in any shape or form. Whomsoever has been placed in a position to execute the fight against corruption and corrupt practices must themselves be above board. The anti-corruption drive needs individuals that are prepared to weather the storm that will surely arise against their persons and antecedence. I'm sure the judiciary is going to be cleansed just as well as it is a congregation of legal crooks and shameless thieves. It would be super hypocritical of anyone purporting to rein in the excesses of others if their own hands were just as, or even more, soiled.<br />
The transparency required in this slug against corruption cannot be over-emphasized. Justice must be served, be seen to be served, and served well in a timely fashion. Most of these indicted thieving morons, Bukola Saraki in particular, are adept at inflicting pain on Nigerians by their greed, but when the time to face the music comes, they look for ways to avoid the pain that their greed must most deservedly inflict on them. It is beyond reason how, while being compunctionless in looting the country dry, they exhibit the cowardly trait of algophobia. They seek to mask their sheepishness with their dogged attempts at avoiding the legal route to absolve themselves of their indictments. They confuse their convictible indictments with actual convictions. Nigerians say, 'go to court and face down your accusers', just like any other citizen would do. Ducking and diving will do the destroyers of our commonwealth no good.<br />
Again, the light has been lit today, and the light, we hope, will reveal the darkness that has bedeviled our country for a great number of years, and beguiled the citizenry. Nigerians expect and demand the crooks and their accomplices be smoked out and made to pay for their treasonous deeds. The flame of good governance has flickered into life and long may it burn. We want our country, our pride, our destiny, and our money back. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-57110723246940035742015-10-29T10:52:00.001+00:002015-10-29T11:02:22.503+00:00THE MONOTONY OF FOLLY<div style="text-align: justify;">
With so much going on in Naijasphere these days, it is little wonder why more important happenings are beginning to fade off or at least lessening in the intensities with which they started. We are running a great risk of reducing the war against corruption to a mere slogan. The organ of State may be grinding on, sotto-voce, but the voice of the people is being stifled by the endless postponements of judicial pronouncements on currently the most important fraud cases of all: CCB vs Saraki. It is without doubt that the whole world community is watching, rightly, with keen interest how this pans out. For Buhari and his government of change to earn and maintain credibility, and relevance, this case must be brought to a logical conclusion in a timely manner. This is not to say that the good works being done by the various election tribunals all over the country pale into insignificance, but the arrowhead of the fight against corruption and impunity remains the case against Saraki. The significance of this case cannot possibly be overestimated. Saraki, as the number three citizen of the country with a catalogue of dubious and corrupt practices going back decades, needs to be made a lasting example of. Nigerians have to show the world that the regime of corruption and impunity is well and truly buried, and that kakistocracy is now alien to us. Buhari, as the fugleman of this current dispensation, has to show even greater resolve and determination in this holy war against the ills of our society; he has to resist all attempts to attenuate the drive to instill the much-needed sanity and accountability in our polity. Now, I am not a legal expert and I don't pretend to be one, but the case against Saraki, even to a layman like me, appears to be solid and incontrovertible. Which is why he is resorting to exploiting legal loopholes, as per their wont, to wriggle his way out of the mess he created for himself. The louche, despicable and insanely corrupt Alpha Belgore is his wrecking ball-in-chief and as a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, has a truckload of dodgy judges in his pocket. Their opprobrious attempts to turn this case into a charade and donnybrook must be forcefully repelled.<br />
Buhari must, at all costs, not succumb to the gathering dark cloud of career thieves who are resolute in their struggle to destroy the overwhelming case against Saraki. The quiddities of this case must held aloft and collectively utilized as a flag in the faces of those who have destroyed our commonwealth, and remain determined to continue. Nigerians will not settle for anything less than seeing the wheels of justice in perpetual motion. The call for the overhauling of the justice system cannot be made loud enough; venal judges must be shown the egress and/or tried for their corrupt practices. Without just and upright judges, the justice system remains lame and the fight against corruption would be unwinnable. Reforming the justice system is, therefore, at the heart of this drive against the ills of contemporary Nigerian society. The destroyers in our midst must be dragged kicking and screaming into the present and be forced to be part of the zeitgeist. Being the poltergeists that they are, the time for their exorcisement is RIGHT NOW.<br />
It is trite to say that Nigerians need a fresh start and a new beginning. We cannot afford the garbage of the past to be part of our baggage on this new journey of national revival. If Buhari and his government fail, Nigeria sinks. It's as simple as that. Anyone that thinks this is scaremongering should have his/her head examined. Can we really carry on like this? The ineluctable fate of carrying on like this is nothing but doom. Think of the sorry state of our education system. Think of the dolorous state of our hospitals. Think of the nonexistence of accountability in our political, and public, lives. Think of the parlous state of our infrastructure and social fabric. Think of those who have never had to break sweat in their lives who control and squander the resources of our country. Think of the 179 million other Nigerians who have to bear, and contend with, the pain of insufficiency, hunger, unemployment, ill-health, avoidable bereavements and hopelessness every day of their lives. Is it that hard to think of all of those? Above all, think of the future of the young and the unborn generation. Apathy is just as bad as, if not worse than, complicity. We need to rise up together against these forces of oppression and depression, or we fall together for failing in our responsibilities to ourselves and the future of our children and country.<br />
This is why it is eminently important that CCB vs Saraki must be brought to a swift and logical conclusion. If we fail to break the monotony of our folly, the only way is down. Buhari must not relent and neither must he succumb. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-31690109942979306792015-09-20T18:11:00.001+01:002015-09-21T10:31:38.292+01:00A MOUTHFUL OF NOTHINGNESS<div style="text-align: justify;">
I suppose some people may think it rather presumptuous for anyone to say that, at long last, Nigerians have a real hope of their fortunes turning around for good. That is one outstanding quality of democracy. The nascent Buhari presidency has attracted a lot of debates, controversies and discussions about the direction of government, and more specifically, the much-vaunted war on corruption. As diverse as opinions have been, and will no doubt continue to be, two realities are incontestable: the dynamics of governance have changed and the focus of government has been realigned. It is simply not business as usual. </div>
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Buhari swept into office on the promise of change, and I haven't seen anything so far to indicate any departure from that. He promised a radical new deal and he has got down to business by diligently taking an overview of what criminal damage Jonathan and his rapacious mob wreaked on the country and what needs to be done to right the ship of state. The ROT (Rule of Thumb) is to be rid of the rot that has permeated the Nigerian political system over many decades, and elevated to unimaginable heights by Jonathan's disastrous six years in Aso Rock. I believe, most unequivocally, that Buhari has excelled in his handling of this program of change; he has been deliberate and calculating. Some may cry foul and insinuate he is targeting some perceived enemies but the preposterousness of such a stance is not lost on the long-suffering Nigerians. Detractors can make the snidest of remarks, they can talk as much tommyrot as they care to, the fight against corruption, impudence and impunity marches on. </div>
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The foundation for a better tomorrow is being laid and a substantial part of the rebuilding process is the bringing of every single corrupter of our commonwealth to book and repatriate all expatriated funds. These are much-needed funds that would go a long way in bringing succour to Nigerians, improve healthcare, education and the much-decayed infrastructure. We have ownership of the right to claim the right of ownership to the stolen funds wherever they may be stashed, and in whatever form. This is why it is so fitting that the fumigation of the political system is starting right at the top. Bukola Saraki must face up to the questions being asked of him at the CCT instead of launching a desperate legal battle that he is most assuredly going to lose, in the context of the current political mood of the nation.</div>
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The notion of 'innocent until proven guilty' hasn't been discarded from our legal lexicon the last time I checked. So, why does he feel the need for feeling persecuted when the facts of his prosecution were made absolutely clear in the charge sheet? Shouldn't he be laying a good example, as the supposedly Number 3 citizen and head of the lawmaking arm of government, by complying with the dictates of the law? Should it matter that the offences for which he is being prosecuted occurred in 2003? Without adjudging him to be guilty just yet, one could safely allude to the fact that the regimes of impunity of the prior decade have enabled him to escape facing up to the numerous inconsistencies and outright fraudulent claims as alleged. This really has nothing to do with Buhari; an organ of state established in the Constitution is performing its constitutional duties. Saraki may sponsor bogus protests in his defence both at home and abroad, he should realize that the impunities of yesteryear have been overridden by the regime of accountability established by the new sheriff in town. I expect Saraki to be just the first of many that will, in due course, fall on their swords and disgorge all they have wrongfully gobbled up from the piggy bank of Nigerians. High time Saraki realized he's got a mouthful of nothingness, a mindful of fears and a rather lapful of problems which may render him mightily tearful in the end. The sooner he gets on with it, the better for him and the country. The queue is long, bro, so please don't hold the others up and don't be a clog in the wheel of justice. It's either 'hero' or 'zero' for him. Time will tell.<br />
Going forward, this cleansing process would not be complete if it were limited only to politicians. These thieving politicians steal mostly by proxy, and those proxies must be sniffed out of the banking system and given the same treatment as politicians for aiding and abetting. As such, it behoves the EFCC, ICPC, CCB, Central Bank and all other relevant bodies or authorities to crank up the volume of their investigative, supervisory and prosecuting powers in tandem with the prevailing wind of change sweeping across the country. There must be cross-sharing of information and coordination of actions for the drive against corruption to properly succeed. Unexplainable and unexplained wealth must be thoroughly investigated and if need be, swiftly prosecuted without fear or favour. They can be sure that Nigerians have their back, because we simply have had enough. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-71739536418874558482015-07-28T14:35:00.001+01:002015-07-30T10:06:45.095+01:00SLAM FOR FLAM<div style="text-align: justify;">
The eight weeks into Buhari's government have attracted differing opinions as to where we are now at, or put it another way, where we are not at. The initial, and earlier, consensus was that he was slow-pacing and many Nigerians found this almost unnerving and disconcerting. I was one of them! Not that I'm completely bowled over by recent developments, but I have become a lot more understanding of the ascribed slowness of Buhari. We rightly expected him to hit the ground running but many of us forgot to evoke the age-old adage: "Bi omode ba subu, a wo iwaju; bi agbalagba ba subu, a wo ehin wo." I'm sorry if you're not of the Yoruba extraction, but it literally means inexperience causes the young to focus ahead and ignore the cause of a heavy fall; but wisdom enables the experienced to look back and analyze the cause of the fall in order to avoid the same fate in the future. I am of the humble opinion that Buhari is being very deliberate in his approach to the myriad of problems he inherited, and he doesn't want to be seen to be witch-hunting (as some in the opposition are already claiming), neither does he wish to be seen as undemocratic in his dealings with the affairs of State. The rule of law must take precedence if he is to be seen to be fair to all, and have no fear of none. The decadence in our political system is beyond compare; diligent application of the law and religious observation of the dictates of the Constitution have to come to the fore in order that we may unravel the misdeeds of errant politicians and officials.<br />
Indeed, the patience and the dogged pursuit of incriminating information are beginning to pay off. Only yesterday, news emerged that the Police had concluded that the Senate Standing Rules were falsified prior to the elections that produced Saraki and Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. Several indictments may well likely follow and Salisu Maikasuwa, the Clerk to the National Assembly, has a lot to answer for. Saraki and Ekweremadu flammed their ways into office, and in doing so committed a serious act of felony against the Nigerian State and its people. These deliberate acts of buffoonery should not go unpunished, and Buhari has a perfect opportunity to redress the injustice, and where better to start than from the Senate? These clowns think they are above the law and they can rewrite our Constitution from the comfort of their sofas! Saraki, Ekweremadu and others that played a part in this most ignoble of acts should be made to face the music if the mantra of change is to have any credibility; there should be slam for flam and they should be made to realize that flam is not glam. Swift action in this regard would send a chill down the spines of thieving politicians, officials and their collaborators up and down the land.<br />
In another development, words reached us that Diezani Allison-Madueke, our erstwhile Petroleum Minister, is currently undergoing a treatment of chemotherapy somewhere in London. While I hesitate to doubt her misfortune at being diagnosed with breast cancer (and mind you, I take no pleasure in learning of her fate), I find the timing a wee bit curious. One question that immediately came to mind was if Jonathan had still been President, would she and her family be volunteering this information? It's so often the case that when the gloves of justice are about to deliver a decisive blow to our thieving politicians, they, all of a sudden, develop ailments that need to be treated abroad. When Diezani was busy destroying the Nigerian edifice with her 'I-am-untouchable' attitude towards the blind looting of our commonwealth, she didn't think of her mortality for one minute. Now that the pendulum has swung in the favour of the deprived, cancer is consuming her. How the greedy and the unkind fool themselves! I, for one, pray for her quick recovery so that she may be able to give account of her treacherous stewardship to the nation when the time comes.<br />
The s*it is beginning to hit the fan and we must brace ourselves for the avalanche of revelations about the ravenous consumption of our commonwealth that has left the suffering majority of Nigerians scavenging for crumbs. The hands of history are tapping on Buhari's shoulders and he must embrace this unique opportunity to right the wrongs that have been meted out to Nigerians and deliver on the promises he made. The tide has most certainly turned.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-27641689824864020912015-07-09T15:47:00.001+01:002015-07-09T15:47:53.310+01:00THE SPECTRE OF HEBETUDE<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It's kind of difficult not to empathize with the general feeling among Nigerians that the pace of change espoused by the Buhari administration is rather slow, after all, I used to be of that opinion also not quite long ago. While not attempting to trivialize this genuine sense of impatience and doubt among the populace, it is important not to lose sight of the enormity of the challenge the Buhari government faces. I'm confident in the belief that even the hardiest of opponents of the Jonathan government would have been horrified by the extent of the rot that awaited Buhari. I'm equally confident that Nigerians would be more than horrified when the full details of the rot eventually emerge, as they no doubt will.<br />
A simple analogy might suffice here: a prospective home buyer views a residential property from the outside without being allowed to venture inside to conduct an appropriate appraisal of its condition. The home buyer is intent on buying the property, basically a blind purchase, hoping that the cost of bringing the property out of its state of disrepair wouldn't be that forbidding. Purchase agreed, contract signed, and the new owner enters the property for the very first time, and he realizes he has just purchased a bomb site!! What does the new owner do? A sensible first step is not to bring in his furniture and other belongings to fill up the place, but to assess the situation and begin the arduous task of clearing up the mess as quickly as possible. After clearing the mess, redecoration may then begin to make the place habitable and then move in his belongings. Now, imagine a desperate situation in which there's a small fire upon entering the house for the first time. Well, the fire has to be put out before the whole property is engulfed by smoke and fire. Here ends my analogy.<br />
The house fire I alluded to refers to the mindless power tussle in the NASS that threatens to destabilize the APC before it even begins to sift through the humongous amount of debris that Buhari inherited. Now, let's deal with a couple of urgent and important issues here.<br />
First of all, I couldn't, for the life of me, comprehend a situation whereby indicted individuals could be in positions of great influence in this government of change. Besides, further information has emerged that the Senate Standing Order was falsified before the Senate leadership elections were held. If this were so, then shouldn't such be speedily and thoroughly investigated, and the wrongs righted, and shouldn't the perpetrators of such alleged fraud be appropriately punished in this era of change? Why should personal ambitions get in the way of propriety in the pursuit of the common good? This fire of impropriety and blatant impunity must be put out; fire fighting must precede debris clearance and redecoration; the foundation for good governance must be firmly established or else the whole change project would be a pie in the sky. Thank goodness for Reinhold Niebuhr when he said "Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."<br />
Secondly, what about the disputed withdrawal of $2 billion from the ECA? Okonjo-Iweala's account has been roundly disputed and utterly rejected by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), comprising of the Finance Commissioners of the 36 States (and unrecognized by the Constitution, by the way.) The FAAC said it did not approve the withdrawal because only the FEC has the invested power to do so, thereby rendering the withdrawal illicit. Shouldn't Iweala be made to answer for what amounted to a fraud? This is only an example of the rot that has eaten up the whole machinery of government and one can only imagine the depth and width of the rottenness Buhari has to contend with.<br />
Buhari has been in office for a little over five weeks. While the need to sort out the inherited mess properly is acknowledged, Nigerians expect a bit more urgency in the execution of the task so that the green shoots of the success of the change programme may begin to appear. Nigerians need to be reassured from time to time and the activities of government must be adequately communicated to us in a timely fashion so that the spectre of hebetude may be banished for good. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-48292582093821336002015-06-26T13:44:00.000+01:002015-06-26T13:44:07.173+01:00FRATRICIDAL POLITICKING<div style="text-align: justify;">
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To say this state of affairs was totally unexpected is to
push naivety to the extreme. What was totally unexpected was the deafening
silence by Buhari that has greeted this unwholesome hijacking of the Legislature by Saraki and his abettors. Whether he is being measured in his response to the catastrophe
threatening to engulf his government, or he is simply overwhelmed by the
tsunami of political machinations in the Legislature, remains to be seen.
Either way, Buhari is woefully under-performing; there’s no two ways about it.</div>
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Nigerians voted for what and who they believed would herald
in the change they so desperately needed and wanted, they didn’t vote for a
continuation of the disaster of the depressing past. Let the truth be told, one month on
from the inauguration of the Buhari government, it has been nothing but a
nightmare and a disaster. Within the space of a month, the Senate has gone on
recess twice and no ministers are in place. Basically, as we speak, there’s
virtually no government in place and the whole mantra of change is in absolute
disarray. The buck stops with Buhari. Period!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Regular visitors to my blog might have noticed that I’ve
gone back to the title I thought I would discontinue, but we seem to be back to
the dark days of despair and desperation and I’ve had to revive it. I am seriously
hurt and deeply saddened. What are we to make of this unseemly impasse in the
affairs of government? Will Buhari prove the skepticism of some people right by
being a toothless grizzly bear? Is this the same Buhari of old, and has he been
pushed right into a corner from which he cannot extricate himself? Is he prepared,
wittingly or unwittingly, to dash the hopes of Nigerians by wasting the golden
opportunity they so gallantly fought for? The omens are not good, and the signs
point to the fact that the PDP has hijacked the change agenda and the regime of
impunity gathers pace anew. Right before our very eyes and under our nose, obnoxious
carpetbaggers have torn our hopes to pieces and destroyed the very foundation
of a new tomorrow. The APC, so far, has failed spectacularly in government and
it would take a monumental effort, or even a miracle, for it to recover from this
self-inflicted wound. The APC had two clear months before its inauguration as
the party of government to prepare itself but allowed the euphoria of victory
to blind it to the realities of government. We have been robbed, and not for
the first time!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The APC campaigned on the basis of dismantling the
corrupt edifice that was the PDP government and replace it with a conscionable
and purposeful one that would do Nigerians justice and give them hope for a
better future. Those campaign pledges have largely been forgotten and the
jostling for influence in the new government has superseded the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians. In all these, Buhari hasn’t said a word! Buhari said he belonged to
nobody and to everybody, but he is wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Buhari belongs to Nigerians
and to Nigerians only. He should get off his backside and tackle these
depressing issues head-on, and show Nigerians that we have not made a disastrous mistake
in putting him in Aso Rock. It is true that one month may be too little to fairly
assess him and his readiness to do proper business with Nigerians, but he has been too
sluggish to respond to events of huge national importance. His reckless taciturn disposition so far is seriously unsettling Nigerians and angering them no
end, making them wonder if they had traded zero for nought.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Where is the new way of doing things when Senators and
Reps are being allocated billions and billions of Naira in insanely titled ‘Wardrobe
Allowance’ while several States in the country haven't paid salaries to workers in months? Which other Legislature in the world has that? It is on record that
Nigeria has the most expensive Legislature in the world, the least productive
and the most corrupt by far. The brigandry Saraki is fomenting in the Legislature is
designed to put a brake on the change agenda, undermine the Buhari administration and deny Nigerians the rights they
overwhelmingly voted for. This budding bloc will have serious ramifications for
the Buhari government and destroy the APC as a party of relevance if definitive corrective actions are not expeditiously taken. Saraki and
his cohorts should be treated like what they really are; they are selfish and arrogant garbed leeches, and
political opportunists that would stop at nothing to subvert a government that
means well for the long-suffering people of Nigeria. Whatever needs to be done
to stop this evil bloc from becoming a malignant cancer in the colon of government has to be done pronto, and reverse the slide back into
the darkness of the recent past. Saraki must be stopped at all costs, and by any means necessary.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Buhari, Nigerians are waiting on you, and our patience is
wearing thin. You’re the President and it’s about time you started acting like
one, for goodness' sake!! The honeymoon period is over now. This fratricidal politicking has to be brought to an end, and fast. No more pussyfooting. No more dillydallying. You're not a tenderfoot and it's about time you stopped acting like one. The time is ripe
to prove your worth. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-37175027595175869072015-03-20T12:55:00.002+00:002015-03-20T12:55:50.766+00:00INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS: THE NIGERIAN CONTEXT<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
It just occurred to me to contextualize
the notion of ‘happiness’ on this International Day of Happiness. Oftentimes,
we, in a reflex kind of way, equate ‘pleasure’ with ‘happiness’. While both are
intrinsically transitory in nature, ‘pleasure’ is infinitely more transitory,
more physical and has a greater possibility of being triggered by exogenous
forces. ‘Happiness’ is generated internally and it is a state of being. Now, constantly
doing things and engaging in acts that give one pleasure may lead to a happy
state of being, but it is not a given. If that were invariably so, wealthy and
successful people ought to be the happiest people in the world. In fact,
studies have shown that suicide rates are higher among the wealthy than the
poor, even though some studies also found that unemployed people are, in fact,
72 percent more likely to commit suicide than people who are working (the
keyword here is ‘likely’) That is enough to deconstruct the myth that money is
all that one needs to be happy. No doubt, money helps to make life more
tolerable, and by extension, can improve well-being and aid the attainment of a
state of happiness. In the same vein, conjugal bliss is not guaranteed by
affluence, as truistic as that may sound. Money has been found by numerous
studies to be an iceberg in the sea of marital concordance. One such study in
Sweden concluded that the probability of divorce increased as the woman began
to earn as much or more than their spouse. This is especially true of many Nigerian-born
couples in the diaspora. Generally speaking, marriage now seems more like a union
of financial resources than of love. The point that money is not the panacea
for happiness has never been more forcefully made.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Wouldn't it be appropriate
then to ask oneself an honest question: “What is ‘happiness’ to me?” In the
quest to understand oneself, honesty has to be at the forefront. It is not the
government’s duty to make us happy; it is only the government’s duty and
responsibility to provide an enabling environment for us to engage in the pursuit
happiness. This is a basic human right. When the government fails in that most
important of regards, it is no longer fit for purpose. Such enabling
environment encompasses areas such as gainful employment, prompt and effective
healthcare, provision of widely accessible education at all levels, efficient
and safe transport infrastructure, the provision of adequate security, and so
on. With all these tools in place, the onus now falls upon the individual to go
on the pursuit of their happiness. Indeed, a text from the American Declaration
Of Independence on July 4 1776 says it all:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
“We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these
ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute
new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety
and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established
should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all
experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils
are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they
are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing
invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute
Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,
and to provide new Guards for their future security.……”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
See? This brings me full-circle to the extremely
dire situation in Nigeria. Aren't we living under a despotic dispensation? Aren't
abuses and usurpations the order of the day? Haven’t our safety and happiness
as a people been trampled upon and severely compromised by Jonathan and his mob from hell?
Hasn't corruption eroded our confidence in the brightness and sureness of our collective
future? If the answers to these are resoundingly ‘Yes’, aren't we right then to
want to right the wrongs that have reduced the vast majority of Nigerians to
trembling wrecks and no-hopers? Isn’t it our duty to defenestrate the rapacious
and thuggish destroyers of our commonwealth? Nigerians are groaning under the
weight of unjustness and callous disregard for our safety and happiness. All
we demand is a fair chance to change the order of the day, the order of play
and the course of our history; and elect a government that would usher in a new
era of hope in these most uncertain of times. It is not fatuous to demand
change, it is our inalienable right to feel safe and possess the ability to
pursue happiness. We want a government that has humanity and humility emblazoned on its
heart, and one that understands that most soulful of Chinese proverbs: “Doing good is the greatest happiness.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
May the 28<sup>th</sup> of
March 2015 be the day that our hope is reborn, when sanity takes its pride of place
at the heart of government and probity is sat on the high table. Our destiny is in our hands at last; our golden
chance is at hand. Our resolve must overwhelm their determination to extend their evil rule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
May the good Lord bless the Federal Republic Of Nigeria and its beautiful people. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-61679903218027803082015-03-03T12:58:00.001+00:002015-03-03T13:08:05.321+00:00IDUS MARTIAE <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
The deliberate hiatus in this blog has enabled me, more than ever before, to ruminate the dark clouds rapidly descending on Nigeria. We are sleepwalking into the abyss of confusion and a disorder of the greatest order; each passing day brings us closer to a date with catastrophe and ruination. Pessimism isn't in my constitution, but with Jonathan and his mob hand-guiding us into oblivion with none of us taking any notice, I have to, for once, don the cap of, at best, a cautious optimist or at worst, of a pessimist. Throughout the history of 9JAINC, I have always, without fail (either subtly or impatiently), emphasized the very urgent need for us as a people to destroy this political infrastructure that threatens our very existence as Nigerians. I am unrepentant in my intolerance for this army of political opportunists and jobbers that have reduced the overwhelming majority of Nigerians to beggars and no-hopers. My constant vituperation against these harebrained insolents, God-forsaken political thugs and common thieves prancing about the corridors of power is borne out of the almost irreparable damage they have inflicted upon Nigerians. Nigeria is nothing but a shipwreck right now. We have looked on, with arms folded, while they tear our hopes to shreds and stubbornly plant their obnoxious snouts in the trough of our commonwealth.<br />
I am not in the mood to rehash, but it is pertinent to look back (yes, in anger!!) and see where we were, where we've been, where we are, and with the current course, where we're heading. The tailwind of corruption is relentlessly pushing us against the headwind of hopelessness and perdition. Permit me to reiterate what I wrote on my Facebook page on 09 February 2015:<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><b>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I absolutely respect the fundamental principle of the freedom of choice, and always will. What I will never respect, nor condone, is choosing to hide behind this noblest of principles to engender and propagate pure evil. What Nigerians go through on a daily basis can best be described as utter hell, yet some people are so misguided and callous as to discountenance the hellish reality of life of Nigerians. That same hell is about to be unleashed on the perpetrators of unbridle</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">d evil, their conspirators and apologists. They may delay the inevitable by six weeks, but their hell will surely come. </span></b></i><i style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><b>My prayer is that the good Lord may run the lives of Jonathan’s supporters and apologists the way he has been running Nigeria. If they have so much confidence in the way he has been running the country, they will not hesitate to say Amen. </b></i><i style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><b>For the avoidance of doubt, I do not dilly-dally, and I must advise those that find the truth unpalatable, and those whose minds are numbed by money, should unfriend me as a matter of urgency. I do not keep unconscionable friends either in real life or on Facebook. Quality is more important to me than quantity. </b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><i><b>More to follow." </b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This may be perceived by some folks as being OTT, but the more discerning ones who have the spirit of humanity in them would certainly beg to differ, There is no contradiction in being a lover of all the tenets of freedom and being an implacable antagonist of pure evil. Pure evil is trampling upon the rights of people by denying them the most basic necessities of life. They are being denied by blind corruption by those who think they could just do whatever they want and whenever they like. Pensioners dropping off like flies; University graduates of many years' standing doing odd jobs just to survive; hospitals look more like a mushroom of bus shelters. Don't even talk about schools!! One would be considered inhuman if one used them as a poultry!! This sicko of a man goes about boasting about how many universities he has established, but fails to mention the disreputable state of the existing ones and the corruption that pervades the so-called Ministry Of Education which at one time was headed by the insufferable Wike, one of the lap dogs of Mrs. 'Na Only You Waka Come?' </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jonathan has even found the time now (out of his very 'busy' schedule) to go to a couple of the Boko Haram-infested areas. Of course, with elections coming he suddenly remembered some human beings actually do reside in that part of Nigeria. What a skunk!! He may empty the Central Bank in pursuit of his doomed ambition to return to Aso Rock, but he will, as he already knows, meet with failure. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Allow me to educate (which would be in vain, anyway) these bandits and common thieves in power today. John Ponet, in 1556, posited in his 'A Shone Treatise of Politike Power' (in consonance with John Of Salisbury in the 'Policraticus', circa 1159) that if governors, kings or those elected into positions of authority fail in their duties and violate their trust, then they have forfeited their power. As such, it behoves us, the people, as custodians of natural and divine law, to ask them to relinquish their positions voluntarily, or be forcefully removed. When an elected official has turned himself into a tyrant, and is apathetic to the demands, the needs and the cries of the governed, tyrannicide may well be the only tool left to deploy. Abraham Lincoln contended that assassinating a tyrannical leader is morally justified when the governed has exhausted all legal and peaceful means to get rid of him.<br />
Let me, before you dismiss my logic as jejune, emphasize that this is not a switcheroo on my part. I do not condone violence against the person, no matter how justified it might be. My point is that our current situation calls for a tyrannicide, albeit at the ballot box. Jonathan must suffer electoral tyrannicide and if he refuses to bow to the will of the people, he shall deserve whatever comes his way. The Ides Of March may be the 15th of March, but Jonathan's Idus Martiae may well be the 28th of March.<br />
I am cautiously optimistic that he will heed the yearnings of the people, but I also have that infinitesimal pessimism that he may well attempt to shift the polls once again, or resort to a subterfuge of some sort. Whichever way he chooses to play it, he's a goner. I pray he doesn't bring Nigeria down with him.<br />
Long live Nigeria.</div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-51757290868162656642015-02-10T11:41:00.000+00:002015-02-10T11:44:52.337+00:00THE TRULY INFERNALLY DESPICABLE ONES<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
You know, sometimes, one is stumped for words; not
exactly for the reason of a lack of what to say or write, but for the reason of
how to effectively sequence what to say or write. The madness of the past month
or so has so ‘scrambled’ my brains that I’m trying to rationalize what exactly
is happening in my beloved country. Even as I write this piece, I’m in a daze!
What other country in the world could be so impossibly tolerant of the
foolishness, and utterly evil disposition, of these truly infernally despicable
ones running the affairs of government? I’m literally bumping along from wall
to wall trying to find my balance in this maze of political and psychological
mayhem that has been visited upon Nigeria.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
For a start, ample audio evidence has surfaced that the
June 2014 Ekiti State governorship elections were massively rigged. I listened
to this only yesterday and I had a tear or two in my eyes; not for the rigged
elections, but for the ramifications for our future as a deserving member of a civilized
world. I also had a tear or two in my eyes while listening to the audio
recording of the plot to rig those elections because none of the actors showed
any discernible trait of someone who has ever seen the four corners of a
classroom. So crude in speech, so unintelligent in thought, and so inhumane in
conduct. To think that these miscreants form part of the rulership of my
country is absolutely and utterly insane. It is frighteningly beyond the pale. As is their wont, nothing will ever come out
of this abhorrence. The truly infernally despicable ones are in charge; for now.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Moving on, it is a little heartening to see the
determination and readiness of Nigerians to radically alter the course of their
history. The deceit of the past has been laid bare and the reality of the
present has been brought to the fore. Nigerians doggedly and patiently queuing
up to collect their PVCs is a sight to behold because it is a very marked
departure from the apathy of the past. The wave of support for the opposition has
caught the buffoons in power by surprise, and even their hardiest cronies,
supporters and apologists have realized that their reign of terror,
unimaginable level of corruption and unprecedented level of insecurity have
come an end. They are doing what they do best: trying to muddle the waters and
divide the country along religious, tribal and ethnic lines in an attempt to
dampen Nigerians’ enthusiasm and eagerness for change.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
Buhari has been accused of not having the prerequisite
qualifications to stand as a Presidential candidate, having realized that their
previous innuendo casting him as a Boko Haram sympathizer no longer washes.
They have accused him of being old. They have tried to turn Nigerians against
him for being the head of a military regime that began the process of
sanitizing Nigeria. Nigerians have resoundingly repudiated all of their feeble,
incoherent and risible infantile attempts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
When they have failed, they came up with the postponement
of elections on the nonsensical basis of security concerns. Elections were
postponed by six weeks, as according to them, they needed the time to clear the
Boko Haram-infested areas. They would need to do in six weeks what they have
pointedly failed to do in six years!! What tomfoolery!! The areas of the three
north-eastern states overrun by Boko Haram have a combined total of 17 local
governments, while the country has well over 700 local governments. Those areas
are predisposed to vote for Buhari anyway, so the whole rationale for
postponing the elections is fundamentally flawed, and only glaringly shows
their level of desperation. The truly infernally despicable ones are clutching
at straws as power is slipping through their fingers and they don’t like it one
bit. They have only succeeded in pushing back the truly inevitable. Their hell
will descend upon them and their ilk. There’s no escaping that. Their grim fate
awaits them. The truly infernally despicable ones will meet their
Waterloo. Guaranteed. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-73389147292341534662015-01-19T16:31:00.003+00:002015-01-19T16:31:56.692+00:00R.I.P<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." (Edmund Burke; January 12, 1729 - July 9, 1797) </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I chose this particular quote because it drives right to the heart of the matter I want to touch on today. It's often said that a country deserves the leadership it gets, and as much I'd like to reject such a notion, something inside of me says there might be a grain of truth in it. It may not be too brutal to say Nigerians probably deserved Jonathan. As James Balog rightly noted, "Hindsight can be merciless. People of any given era often look back in time and wonder how their predecessors could have been so dimwitted." </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, we were hoodwinked in 2011 and Jonathan rode on the crest of the sympathy of Nigerians to be voted into office. In years to come, our children and grandchildren may look back upon this period of our national history and turn up their noses at the choices we made. I said 'may' because we have a golden opportunity to correct our collective folly and so that future generations could applaud us for recognizing the hole we dug ourselves in and extricated ourselves. That future generations may be thankful that we exploited the benefit of hindsight to the max. This brings me to the crux of this submission.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The danger of apathy is far greater than the danger posed by the return to power of Jonathan and his thieving mob. To think of going another four years with this disastrous regime is simply out of the question. Nigeria is still salvageable now; another four years of this hell would most definitely be the end of Nigeria as we know it. Anyone that thinks this is scaremongering surely has big question marks against their sanity and/or human values. If you think your vote only counts for one and that it wouldn't make a difference and you've decided not to cast it, think again. If you think that your voice is only one of tens of millions and you chose not to speak up against the devil that is destroying your hope, think twice. Don't choose to do nothing because you could only do a little.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The PDP are now so desperate that they're hauling the kitchen sink at Buhari and by the special grace of God, the generality of Nigerians are wiser and more aware. Even their death wishes for Buhari have been roundly condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians; it only served to show the depth of their fear of the very immediate future. The politics of desperation is in its last throes and the politics of 'stomach infrastructure' is well and truly kaput. A new era of hope and verifiable service delivery is almost upon us.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A government that would respond to the yearnings for good governance, robust fight against the cancer of corruption and forge a coherent strategy in the fight against the terror of Boko Haram and other forms of insecurity is what Nigeria deserves now, and it is what Nigerians demand.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A government that would strive to repair the damage done to Nigeria's international standing, that would move Nigeria up the positive indices and push Nigeria down all the negative ones is what we need at this critical juncture.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A government that is run by conscientious people with proven track records in service delivery and intolerance for graft is what we're getting in February, as God lives.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A government that would look after the needs of the poor, the unemployed, the invalids and the sick is our destiny.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I can say, without any sort of equivocation, that this PDP government is dead. It is R.I.P because it has been RIP (Reckless In Power)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All the thieves and those that colluded with them are beginning to pack their bags and ship their families abroad because they know the sword of Damocles is bearing down fast on them. They can run but they can't hide. They will pay for the destruction they caused and be punished for the hopes of millions destroyed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nigerians will heave a collective sigh of relief come the end of February, and I pray that you and I witness the rewriting of our national history.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
God bless Nigeria and all of its well-meaning and long-suffering people. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1865338711221479100.post-40502903637099393792014-12-31T07:34:00.001+00:002014-12-31T07:34:15.919+00:00OF, BY AND FOR THE KLEPTOMANIACS<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now in the last few hours of 2014, the majority of Nigerians can heave a sigh of relief knowing that their future is in their hands at last. Most have been especially waiting to see the back of 2014, and justifiably so. An average human being, at this time of any year, would look back on the year about to expire and either count their blessings or rue their losses. I'm comfortable in claiming that most Nigerians would be doing the latter, without a shadow of a doubt.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The year 2014 has been a continuation, and a deepening, of the miseries of the recent prior years. Individuals' stories are both unique and general. Pensioners continuing to be robbed of their entitlements; hospitals rendered useless by doctors' strikes and a most severe dearth of the most basic of medical supplies, resulting in needless and avoidable deaths of tens of thousands; educational institutions continuing to resemble animal pens, with teachers demoralized and helpless; our children's future being continually blighted and parents' hope destroyed. Lives being destroyed by unparalleled high level of corruption, terrorism, kidnappings, robberies, joblessness, hunger and an absolute lack of primary healthcare. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet, billions of dollars wing it out of our shores on a daily basis with reckless abandon. Politics has assumed a wholly different meaning and taken a totally new turn. Democracy has been redefined and re-engineered by emotionally blind politicians and mentally challenged political operators. Democracy in Nigeria is not a government of the people, by the people and for the people; it is a government of the kleptomaniacs, by the kleptomaniacs and for the kleptomaniacs. NEPA, and many other state assets dished out among themselves under the guise of privatization. Nigerians continuing to pay more for less. Oil blocks remain the kleptomaniacs' new currency, and political patronage their legal tender. Sycophants call the shots while their political masters look on and take pleasure in their disregard of the welfare and well-being of the very people they profess and pretend to serve. Fools!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone that cries out against the injustice being meted out on an hourly basis to Nigerians is an enemy of Jonathan; anyone that points to his blatantly obvious helplessness, unintelligibleness and the rudderless nature of his government would immediately attract the ire of his 'chop-make-I-chop' brigade and apologists. The plight of Nigerians is no concern of theirs and the future of the country is not even a remote consideration in their warped thoughts. All that matters is the perpetuation of Jonathan in office and the indeterminate elongation of the increasingly intolerable suffering of Nigerians.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You see, Jonathan can mobilize soldiers, armed policemen, faceless DSS operatives, and balaclava'd armed bandits to terrorize law-abiding citizens, yet does absolutely jack when it comes to defending Nigerians against the scourge of Boko Haram and the industrial-scale siphoning of our nation's main income earner in the Niger Delta. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's pointless to keep on highlighting the scale of the fraud that Jonathan is, the overwhelming majority of Nigerians have lived with it for nigh on six years now. Him and his army of thieves can post pictures of phantom 'completed' projects on the Internet, Nigerians aren't gullible. They can roll out reels of fictitious economic 'successes', Nigerians have 'shined their eyes'. The day of reckoning is only just round the corner. They can huff and puff, beat their chests and attempt to intimidate Nigerians in February 2015, but they are doomed and their house of cards has finally crumbled. </div>
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I dare Bastard Okupe, Conman Abati and all the other matchstick sycophants to remain in Nigeria and defend their stolen loot after the elections. Let the illiterate and thuggish Asari Dokubo continue to make threats, Nigerians will not be moved in the slightest. Jonathan may be Bastard Okupe's 'Jesus', but he's an albatross around the necks of Nigerians. Jonathan may be in office for a chiliad but he'd never amount to anything. Out of his depth and out of sorts. Above all, he is now out of luck! Goodluck is out of goodwill. The die is cast.</div>
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2015 is the year that Nigerians will cross the Rubicon and begin the onerous task of rebuilding our country, our international reputation, our institutions, our trust and our unity. We will not be robbed this time, or ever again. Nigeria will no longer tolerate a dud in office, it's as simple as that. A President that is unable to hold an intelligent conversation with a kindergarten kid for five minutes isn't worthy of office. A man that has brought worldwide shame upon Nigeria shouldn't be in office for a minute longer. The worst government in Nigerian history will come to an end. The most ravenous cabal ever to roam the corridors of power in Nigeria will be destroyed.<br />
I wish the great people of Nigeria a truly happy and prosperous 2015. May our collective wishes be fulfilled and may our collective will remain unbroken. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">It is no longer sufficient to moan about our dire situation.
Adopt your own particular means of letting the politicians,
and other public office holders know how you feel about things.
Do not trade your rights for silence. You're also responsible
for turning things round. Play your part.</div>Isaac Olumuyiwa Olarewajuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667966063240588233noreply@blogger.com0