YOUR "BOY" IS GRATEFUL.

I don't quite know why my father didn't name me after himself on the day I was born to mark the arrival of his first son and why I have just three names to the best of my knowledge. I may not know why I was born in Lagos at the Island maternity hospital to be precise and why my journey thereafter has gone the way it has. 

Many who know me from primary school may remember that I did well academically. The teachers expected that mainly because my older sister was a mini-star at that time. They must have thought brilliance was entirely genetically transmitted. Something I know for sure was that I was terrified whenever I made progress from one class to another. Terrified that I would fall short but I guess the blessing of having a familiar pool of mates around kept me interested in all that was going on. 

Many of the things I learnt as a child came from both home and school; my uncles, aunts and a few cousins passed on whatever knowledge they had and I am immensely grateful for having so many people around at those times. The Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers in primary school were completely disciplined and competent men and women. Chuka Ofili, Adedotun Akinlabi, Brent Nartey and Eddie Bugz will remember arriving school early to meet a regular course of Mr Ojomalade's "mental maths" problems to solve from lacombes (do pupils still use those books these days).Yinka Awobokun provided the comic books for our relaxation and Latasha Ngwube introduced me to the world of Nancy Drew and just about every series authored by Enid Blyton. Those days were surely fun and my friends made it truly worthwhile. 

I believe that most of the truly durable friendships are forged from secondary school; the friends who knew how we really looked in our natural state and stood by us even on our worst days. I am grateful to all those bonds initiated during those days or even after. There were times when the urge to rebel was high; days when the consequences of failure neutralised any confidence I had within. The companionship with and good examples of my friends such as Uwa, Tope "Mijo" and Charles just to name a few kept me going. I remember vividly how three or four of us would stroll around surulere visiting our folks from house to house with the strolling party getting larger and larger. We would play SEGA, SNES or whatever game console existed before the the advent of Playstation and sometimes we would extend our voyage to FESTAC, Ajao Estate or Ikoyi...anywhere our people lived. There were no considerations of ethnicity, religion or whatever social parameters in determining our friendships. We dwelt beyond the realm of just mere existence; we were human. 

I had to wait over two years to make it into the university of Ibadan. The beginning of that period was approximately 17 years ago. My last SSCE paper was Yoruba language on the 4th of June and the jitters of not knowing what next drained my battery. Four days later was my birthday and there was really no hint of celebration until later in the day which somehow coincided with the news of the demise of the one the cap fit. The JAMB exam that year had already yielded a POLYJAMB score due to no fault of mine; perhaps I was too overconfident. I went to sit that exam wearing a pair of white bathroom slippers because I didn't see what the big deal was about the exam. To cut the long tale short, it rained that morning causing a late start. That was the year they started mixing question papers and in the midst of the chaos, it took more than 30 minutes to find the physics, chemistry and biology paper I was meant to write yet the examination ended at the scheduled time. 

The following months went by in a flash and I truly do not have any memories of those days. It took finding a group of "alive" people in church to get going again. We played football, prepared for examinations, danced and had so much fun together. This was the necessary jolt before the conquest of Ibadan began. The Diya boys, Wole and his crew, Tosin and all the guys I prayed together with made life worth living. 

University would have been a waste if it was all about earning degrees. Genuine and durable friendships are also possible in such environment despite the abundance of "fake" people. I remain grateful for my many law friends, the medical family and those I encountered in church. There's so much to be grateful for. 

I'm grateful for my family, I'm thankful for the sacrifices my parents made I would never trade the experiences. People may not have a clue about what we have gone through in our lives good or bad; the only clue we should let them know is the volume of good that we offer them and the world despite all odds.

I am grateful for my wife, I'm still amazed that I deserve such a wonderful person who only makes me better. 

I'm grateful that I played table soccer and played "Whot" with my folks and all sorts of games. I'm grateful for the discipline and the stress we thought my mother was dealing to us when we were younger. I'm grateful for voltron, superted and Terahawks; I'm grateful for Nancy Drew, Hardy boys and famous five. I'm grateful for getting JAMBed and surviving chemistry 157, I'm grateful for general surgery resit and every examination success. 

I'm grateful for Nigeria and every night slept in pitch darkness and stale air. I'm grateful that she thrives; I won't ever forget I paid 90 naira for accommodation in freshman year. 

I may not always say or show it but I don't forget. This is another opportunity to say thank you to all who have remembered me today; I'm eternally grateful. 

Esé púpò. The Lord reward you.

JUST READ: IT WON'T KILL YOU

JUST READ: IT WON'T KILL YOU

This here reveals what is fundamentally wrong with many Nigerians and to a lesser extent, it shows us one way the press aid in promoting confusion especially with delicate matters.

The caption used by whoever put this story up mainly serves as fodder for those who cannot help themselves but view Nigeria through sentimental spectacles. Oh Mr Mohammed Kari is a Muslim and a Northerner so he must be a Boko Haram sympathiser or an islamic fundamentalist; one of many who have made up the "skewed" appointments made by the president.

The matter in the story is about Insurance and these people do not even bother to know if he is competent for the job or if his sector approve of him. For these Nigerians, any name like Ibrahim or Ahmed or Abdulwahab must be northern and muslim but this is not always the case. To them, northern Nigeria is made up solely of the Hausa and Fulani tribes. Explaining to them that someone called Ibrahim may actually be from Nassarawa state and be a christian is futile because their superficial inclinations readily truncate the synapses to their central nervous system thereby preventing them from reasoning effectively.

I engaged a fellow on twitter yesterday who in response to a tweet "6 South African and only 1 Nigerian University are in the list of Africa's top 10 universities" by BBC Africa tweeted "Nigeria is a fraud and a failed state we need BIAFRA". The fellow's tweets ranged from approving the call to bear arms to paying glowing tributes to the warmonger Nnamdi Kanu. At one point he tweeted that there would be no room for Islam in Biafra in response to a question I asked about what would happen to Igbo muslims in Biafra. Laughable remarks like this from folks of every race, clubside, deity (or lack thereof) or political affiliation flood cyberspace and this is regretably the main symptom of people who do not learn from time and search things out.

Mr Kari may be from Kano but the most important thing should be if he knows the job. The report indicates that he is being moved from being the Deputy commisioner to the Commisioner of the NIC; why should that be difficult for some folks to comprehend?

The folks who saw this post on the channels TV facebook page most likely did not click on the link to read the full story before they jumped on the "ikebe" of "Buhari is the president of Northern Nigeria" and "the Southeast and Southsouth are geting overlooked in this government". If they did, they'd have realised that the story is only about 6 short paragraphs long . Nigerians do not read and it is a tragedy. Beyond equiping Nigerian schools with infracstructure and equipment; there needs to be an urgent drive to promote Nigerian history and culture across the land irrespective of age; numerous middle aged and elderly Nigerians have completely marred information about the Nigerian state.

The last paragraph of this channels report has the following statement: "President Buhari has also renewed the appointment of Mr. Joshua Okpo as the Rector of the Maritime Academy, Oron for a second and final term of four years." If these Nigerians took time to actually read and inform themselves; they would have been patient enough to get to the last line and read that a non-northerner got his appointment renewed for a second term.

That is the point I have an issue with the media outfit. The terrain is tender at the moment, the caption could have reflected Joshua Okpo's renewal since they chose to squeeze his appointment into the last paragraph as if his parastatal is of less importance as Mr. Kari's. They have offered their platform to breed ethnic and religious fundamentalism which they need to be wary of.

http://www.channelstv.com/2015/07/31/president-buhari-appoints-mohammed-kari-as-commissioner-for-insurance/

Jide akeju
2-08-2015

"REFUGEE KAMP"

"REFUGEE KAMP"

                                               

April 29th 1990 was a Sunday evening and I sat down in one corner and watched on as my mother rushed to iron our school uniforms in preparation for our return to school the next day.  Professor Babatunde Fafunwa's 6-3-3-4 education policy alteration was yet to take effect so it was going to be the start of second term at all schools according to the old system. 

We had enjoyed a treat only four days earlier because it was my youngest sister's birthday but that euphoria soon evaporated when my mother heard shouts and screams if "ilé yin jó o", "the house is burning come out! !!". She must have left the iron plugged in when she frantically bundled us all out of the house and down three  flights  of stairs and into the open space outside. We soon realised  that the two topmost flats  above ours (which was in the middle of the block of six flats) was on fire; many neighbors tried  desperately to get buckets of water up the stairs to fight the fire while a few others including my father took their vehicles to notify the federal fire service at Stadium.

The fire service eventually made it with at least two vehicles positioned in front and behind the burning block. What ensued thereafter was that the fire razed through the two flats while the fire fighters propelled water into the middle flats thereby causing a flood in our house and spoiling our school uniforms. They were unable to reach high enough to attack the fire raging upstairs because of the poor quality equipment they had. 

The world seemed to stop on that day  and all of us children (probably about 9 of us) were whisked away to our neighbor's flat where we spent a few days while our parents sorted themselves out. We were effectively homeless for several months because the house was badly flooded and the repairs took a while. We were however fortunate to remain lodged within our estate in a flat which was uninhabited but used by a group for their meetings. That arrangement was known to us as refugee camp; it was not our property and we were not free to do as we liked even though we slept there. 

I remembered this phase of my life because a property on my street got razed during the night today. The fire that consumed the roof and other items  must have been initiated by an electrical fault and it raged on for a few hours.  I understand that the federal fire service at Stadium was called but they said they had no battery to start their engines and water.  The Lagos state fire service eventually arrived probably after about 2 hours but it must have been too late to extinguish the monster. 

More than a few Nigerians live in their home nation like refugees especially within the more densely populated states such as Rivers, Lagos and the federal capital Abuja. The population of these areas continues to increase daily,  a sad reflection of the lack of development for decades now. The finances of the union are localised to a few regions and controlled by a handful of power brokers.  Everyone feels they have to be in these highbrow states to make it even if it means living in obscure locations and under adverse conditions.

I felt very sorry for the elderly couple and those who live with them in the now burnt building.  Their lives could probably be in pause mode at the moment while they try to figure out where the reboot button is. Many onlookers and sympathizers came to see for themselves the charred remains and the media houses did not shy away as well. 

Two important questions we need to ask are: 1. What are the factors responsible for fires in Lagos?  And 2. Why is the system arguably ineffective in controlling fires? .

The erratic power supply,  abnormal and unsupervised electrical     connections, storage of combustible materials,  gas explosion,  arson,  use of defective electrical appliances,  sporadic bush and refuse burning,  smoking and the overwhelming amounts of generators in use all over the state can all be tagged as potential causes of fires in the land.  Most of these issues however are man-made,  preventable and a reflection of the caseous necrosis inherent in our system.  

If the economic situation of the nation had been well managed over the years,  many would have remained outside of these highly active spots instead of coming to Lagos for example to live under bridges, in choked up accommodation which promote disease spread and in perpetual servitude to any benefactor.  If power supply was decent; there would have been no need for generators and all kinds of illegal connections and petroleum products storage.  Why would anyone purchase a third-hand or infinity-hand  appliance if he could afford a new one?    

Many areas considered as residential zones while growing up in Surulere Lagos are now almost taken over by fast food joints, boutiques, banks,  telecommunications companies,  supermarkets and of course religious organizations. Just about anything is permissible now and the city councils appear to be all at sea about their primary duties to the people they ought to serve. Buildings that ought to provide shelter for people to lay their heads and sleep are now locked up all night while slums proliferate uncontrollably.  Everyone is hopeful of making it in Lagos and think it will be shameful to return to their modest roots or reach out to a region of less entropy to eek out a living and do more than just survive with one's dignity intact.

The original development plan of Lagos (if any existed ab initio) must now be in paradise because a place which used to be the capital of Nigeria is now nothing but a nodular mass of disorganised regions multiplying out of control.  The roads are generally very bad in many areas and there seems to be no standard for building construction observed by contractors.  The local government chair persons are gods in their own right with most of them devoid of any workable development plans. 

I think it is high time the state government put their foot down to stop this drift and truly transform the state. It is clear that more ambitious projects by the state are ongoing at a few choice locations  but they should realise that the local governments need urgent liberation to do their work and ensure all and sundry benefit from the system irrespective. 

Nigerians deserve to eat,  sleep or feed like proper human beings and not be treated like outcasts in whatever region or state they find themselves.  It is not until internal displacement becomes rampant across the nation before we realise that anyone who is only able to do these things at a level less than a pet dog is in a refugee camp and in need of urgent help and compassion from all and sundry. 

If the fire engines of a fire department could not function due to batteries,  we can just imagine the number of hospitals unable to function because they lack one very basic item or the other.  Let us continue to sing it loud into the hears of our stewards till they dance to our rhythm and that we refuse to be refugees in our own backyards. We should also be prepared to weather the storms of change as well. 

OYO TO OGBOMOSO->On Your Own

OYO TO OGBOMOSO->On Your Own

I must use this medium to rant about the state of the road that connects the town of Oyo with Ogbomoso. What on earth is that? What “jazz” did the incumbent governor of Oyo state put in his mouth when he campaigned in Ogbomoso? They made to expand the road which cuts through Ogbomoso past the Baptist Seminary and Bowen University Teaching Hospital several months ago and with one flimsy looking roundabout at the end, the roads are now practically abandoned. The road that runs past the Federal Government College Ogbomoso

is now characterized by craters everywhere; they never overlaid it with bitumen but put street lights that I believe have never worked for a day.

It is good that the highway from Ibadan to Oyo is a really good and smooth ride likewise the stretch from Ogbomoso to Ilorin. Why then did the Federal Government abandon the Oyo-Ogbomoso link leaving all and sundry with no option but to endanger their lives on a very narrow single carriageway with numerous moth-eaten patches and several dangerous bends and undulations? I cannot forget a really close shave while driving on that road last year. I practically froze as a tanker swerved just in time to complete its overtaking of another tanker; I could not move forward neither could I move to my right because my vehicle could have tumbled.

Ogbomoso.

The tankers and other articulated vehicles have no other route and the drivers are basically their own sheriffs and immune to the law of the land. Some state governments built “ultramodern” trailer parks but these remain unutilized by these men who prefer to park on the sides of the road long enough to obstruct traffic or cause accidents. I believe the constant parking of these vehicles contribute to the wear and tear our primitive roads endure on a daily basis. The regular friction between rubber and gravel and between steel and bitumen can only give rise to points of defect that will hardly get addressed by those who ought to get the job done.

We need to hold these government officials by the gonads at all levels so that we can help ourselves at least by limiting the hazards lurking around to take our lives. The elections are now over and some of these governors who have abandoned road expansion projects should be reminded to wake up the contractors who have been fully paid or fully pay those they owe. What is the point of looking forward to plying the Ibadan to Oyo and Ogbomoso to Ilorin highways when one’s heart could stop in one’s mouth on the Oyo-Ogbomoso road?

Washed away

An online report from July 5^th 2013 had the then Minister of Works Mike Onolememen declare at the commissioning of the Ibadan-Oyo dual carriageway that the Oyo-Ogbomoso portion of the Ibadan-Ilorin road was already under construction at a cost of 47.5billion naira. We need to remind those in charge now that that 43.25km of black road is overdue for commissioning. We should remind Governor Ajimobi to discard his blue suit from his US mission and get down to serious business with the roads in his state. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara needs to be reminded that the road from University to Adewole appears unexpanded and unfinished.

I remember listening to the Governor of Lagos Akinwunmi  Ambode on a radio show in the build up to the general elections. One of the things he said he would focus on was Lagos roads. He spelt out how the local governments would address a certain number of roads every year till all the roads are covered during his tenure. These are the things we should remind these political juggernauts about and keep them on their toes instead of dwelling on 97% and 5% and who was not taking notes on Nigeria’s side when President Buhari met with Obama in the oval office. The roads to my church in Surulere are sorry and devoid of patience and places like Okota, Ejigbo and FESTAC are a no-go for me. The odds of me showing up for events in those areas are really slim except my wife is doing the persuading.

Angels do not lay asphalt and foreigners will not come to help us mine our bitumen stores without swindling us. The United States have an Interstate highway system which was birthed in 1916. General Dwight Eisenhower championed the manifestation of this system in 1956 and a few decades later those ideas became reality. The Germans have their Autobahn constructed with asphaltic concrete linking the entire nation. It is not enough to just approve billions on a yearly basis at executive council meetings for the same projects and not ensure such highways are completed and standardized. If it will take us using concrete and burn more rubber as long as the roads last longer then so be it.

It is high time we put an end to mediocre followership; let us make demands from the stewards we elected to office. Our highways ought not to be rollercoasters and mine fields; anybody who does not and cannot perform should not get reelected based on sentiments.

THE UNFINISHED HIGHWAY.

THE UNFINISHED HIGHWAY.

The last time I had the opportunity of travelling on Nigeria’s oldest highway was in February just before the original dates of the 2015 general elections. I had the “pleasure” of doing same this week and there was nothing thrilling about it. I managed to film parts of the journey in February with my phone in order to debunk claims by the supporters of the former president who continued to brag that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was indeed transformed but I did not eventually upload the videos. I must state that there is little difference in terms of progress made on that highway despite the five months since then.

The Lagos-Ibadan expressway is still characterized by the presence of the charred remains of ”autobots and Decepticons” with the basic requirement of Super Mario tactics to drive safely. It is not unusual to encounter tow vehicles and market women trying ever so hard to salvage whatever they can from their upturned baskets of tomatoes following a truck crash. One thing that may not be commonly seen is a “Red Bororo” with all four legs bound falling out of the transporting truck. The stretch of the road from just after the Redemption Camp to Sagamu is pretty much a smooth ride and now appears to be three lanes on both sides. Julius Berger was awarded to reconstruct that portion of the road in July 2013 and since the job has been considerably done; their vehicles and tools are off the road.

There is still no evidence of work from Sagamu all the way to Ajebo. The active Reynolds Construction Company end of the project begins just after the Foursquare Gospel Church camp ground at Ajebo and terminates just before Guru Maharaj Ji’s “One Love Family” compound in Ibadan. It may be important to look back at how the 2013 contracts were awarded by the past Jonathan administration in order to understand certain issues.

http://www.channelstv.com/2013/07/05/jonathan-flags-off-n167-billion-reconstruction-of-lagos-ibadan-expressway/

The reconstruction project estimated to be worth N167 billion was contracted to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited and was flagged off by the former president himself. The much shorter Section 1 (Lagos-Sagamu Interchange) went to Julius Berger while section 2 (Sagamu Interchange-Ibadan) was for RCC and everything was expected to be completed within 48 months. Mike Onolememen the former minister of works however informed the nation in January 2015 that August 2017 appeared more feasible because only 30km out of the entire 127km was completed about 18months after the contracts were awarded. I am not certain if much has been gained since he made that statement.

This highway practically connects Lagos to the rest of Nigeria like the aorta takes oxygenated blood away from the left ventricle to the rest of the body. It was commissioned in August 1978 during Olusegun Obasanjo’s time as a military head of state (I believe that most of Nigeria’s post-independence major road constructions can be traced to the military). The Federal Government entered into a Public Private Partnership with Bi-Courtney in 2009 to develop sections of the highway but little or nothing was done save a few billboards adorning the expressway showing a futuristic design that never left “imagin-nation”.

This road like many other partial or phantom projects continues to be sinkholes for the nation’s resources. Sagamu to Ore remains a death trap; Oyo to Ogbomoso should not even be a road for vehicles while the 2^nd Niger Bridge was used to confuse many prior to the elections. We should make serious demands that the new administration take these road and bridge projects seriously. I know a few including brilliant colleagues who were injured, maimed or killed since I started plying the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in 2000. Why should a road that claimed the lives of precious Nigerians and foreigners alike 10-20 years ago still be in the same sorry state till 2017? A massive portion of the Agege motor road at the Idi-oro axis has become a crater and the road to Apapa is in need of urgent attention. I believe it is our duty as citizens to hold the appropriate governments accountable and pressure them to do their duties. They do not get to pay for repairs when our vehicles get damaged; we are the ones who bear the brunt so we must not let them off the hook.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/politics-state-federal-roads-dicey-onolememen-minister-works/

The Lagos-Ibadan expressway like all our roads is like a blood vessel. We suffer the risk of thromboembolism as individuals and as a nation due to the unnecessary struggles we have been made to go through as a people. The ever bumpy and prolonged rides may just be the primary or secondary cause of death of many Nigerians on a daily basis. Those who do not get to die now may just have their lifespan cut short from increasing wear and tear on a daily basis. It is high time we put an end to this “suffering and smiling concept”; this is 2015 and the baby born on the day the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was commissioned in 1978 is going to be 38years old in August. Those who have things working for them do not have two heads and do not also have all brands of religious centers lining their expressways; they simply sign the contracts and ensure the job gets done in good time.

P.S: Ibadan people; Bodija was really dirty especially outside the market. Those guys driving micras all across town still do not know how to drive and someone should please inform them to stop perpetually hanging their left hands out of the window.

CONGRESSIONAL INTRIGUES: A CALL FOR PATIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE- 2

CONGRESSIONAL INTRIGUES: A CALL FOR PATIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE- 2

PATIENCE

Some folks seem to be developing a surge in systolic blood pressure because they feel that they have not seen any palpable change in the country since the president was inaugurated on May 29^th. They appear to have lost touch with reality and have failed to grasp the length, breadth and depth of the economic and social destruction which have been meted out to this country. A few have recently become aware of the treasonable utterances of an Ojukwu-esque orator and spokesman of a certain Radio Biafra whose sympathizers are still deeply pained and depressed from the fact that a “Northerner” is now the president of Nigeria again. They blame the president solely for the troubles in the National assembly as if he elected every one of them. They suddenly want ministers to appear from the blues despite the fact that the Ahmed Joda led transition committee report was recently received. They want Buhari to dash out of the starting blocks devoid of caution so that they can cry out….false start!!!

Germany- G7 meeting https://dayamisolomonblogspot.wordpress.com

I agree the president should have fired certain criminal elements of the past administration or at least have his chief of staff appointed by now but I am not all that bothered because it will end up being a brilliant choice whenever he or she is announced. It is not as if President Buhari has been visiting West Germany and the African Union with area boys and suicide bombers. I guess people simply censor what they view on the news concentrating of whether the president stood up against protocol while addressing pressmen or not. The nonsense constantly spewed by supposedly young Nigerians against the president and his party is extremely disturbing. The abuse leading up to the polls has not ceased; someone claimed that the APC utilized propaganda and abuse to win the last election when we all know that the constant insults from the president’s wife and his aides against General Buhari played a massive role in Jonathan’s fall from grass to shame. Another fellow while trying hard to make sense of the Jonathan’s woes in the elections said that it was the former president’s naivety which allowed Tinubu to install Tambuwal as the speaker in 2011. These Nigerians are simply amazing.

I published a piece on the 31^st of December 2014 titled “SAI BUHARI: THE EISENHOWER EFFECT” http://jideakej.blogspot.com/2014/12/sai-buhari-eisenhower-effect.html. I went back to read a little bit more about the 34^th American President who was a five-star General in the US army. His cabinet was said to have been devoid of “personal friends, office seekers or experienced government administrators”; those who were so used to a certain system and bureaucracy simply did not get a look in. it is on record that the members of this cabinet were recommended by two individuals; his eventual attorney general and his former deputy in the US army during WWII who was a 4-star General. He is still rated as one of the really good American presidents despite his relative inexperience. This may be attributable to the caliber of individuals he surrounded himself with and the way he interacted with them.

We have a completely warped system of governance in Nigeria that will require radical measures to correct. I am certain the president is interested in appointing those best suited for this action but many Nigerians are still locked up in their narrowed mindsets and blinded by nepotism and other such vices. Some misguided ones are hell-bent on returning Nigeria to the captivity of the PDP cabal and waiting patiently for Nigeria to implode so that Biafra or Lower Niger can emerge from the ashes. Eisenhower in his farewell address to Americans at the end of his second term warned them against the policy and monetary relationship which existed between legislators, the national armed forces and the arms industry. This was termed the Military-Industrial-Congressional complex and he said “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought by the military industrial complex”. He emphasized that only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry could ensure the much needed balance. We may not have this specific complex in Nigeria but what we have is a National assembly committed to ruining the fabric of this nation and directly and/ or indirectly aiding the plunder of the resources of Africa’s largest asset. Why should these over pampered 469 individuals be provided mansions, cooks, newspapers, combat clothes and even hardship allowance when students have no hostels and young girls are taken from their parents? Why should they go on recess with their bank accounts bursting as a result of astronomical allowances when young helpless mothers bleed to death after childbirth and their young ones die because of the lack of basic facilities and utilities inclusive of clean water, and electricity?

Perhaps we should reschedule our elections into the Senate and the House like the mid-term elections in America so that they can be some stability at the outset of any new executive. The president and his crew will come good in time and they will work to curb the excesses of this assembly but will be resisted. The office of the Citizen is the only antidote to neutralize opportunists and gluttons. We have to support the president to do the job he has been elected to do, I believed very early that he was suitable for the job and there is yet no reason to alter my stance. By September 2 1945, WWII was finally over and the Allied forces had defeated the Axis powers despite suffering casualties numbering about five times of what the Germans incurred. The cold war soon ensued and the super powers retreated to their trenches.

I think it is good that the campaign by the Saraki   camp has happened early on in this republic. Whatever has happened is still open to remedy; it would have been terrible if this ship had set sail only for such a rebellion to occur midway. The real enemies are those who are fighting personal battles to fill their pockets and maintain the status quo and they must be resisted. I have not seen or read the bye-laws of the National Assembly and I wonder if the pump and pageantry about the 20 principal offices have any actual constitutional backing in that document or if the lawmakers since 1999 simply formulated their own protocols to pulverize Nigeria and become billionaires. They got away with 3 million naira furniture allowances then; one wonders the value of the other heists they have gotten away with ever since. A few people have posted on several social media platforms that the PDP rarely or never had issues with the appointment of their principal officers. That assertion is not entirely true considering the fact that they had a far more apparent majority in both houses since 2003. However the PDP were notorious for circulating currency to ensure things went their way most of the time; the incumbent president does not seems to be a fan of such measures yet some people have described that as the peak of naivety and inexperience.

Wike www.punchng.com

We have very serious issues to deal with like governors and government appointees being unable to account for months to years of unpaid workers’ wages. A certain governor recently reversed a Supreme Court ruling to confer privileges and benefits accrued to former governors of his state upon an individual whose election was annulled in 2007. Nigerians must be alert and properly knowledgeable; a postgraduate degree and ability to “blow” grammar does not equate common sense. Nigeria was saved from destruction and we have another chance at redemption; let us not waste it because of hate and other primitive sentiments.

j'olee

27/06/2015

  

CONGRESSIONAL INTRIGUES: A CALL FOR PATIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE-1

CONGRESSIONAL INTRIGUES: A CALL FOR PATIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE- 1

Nigeria just before March 28, 2015 was like the infamous RMS Titanic headed for the iceberg which perforated the right flank and exposed her to the cold icy salt water that eventually drowned hundreds trapped onboard as the grand ship sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic. Unlike the Titanic ship whose crew was unable to steer her away in time from the death blow of the floating freezer; Nigeria was saved from exsanguination by a “galaxy alliance” of rebels and villains.

Titanic Model at the Merseyside Maritime  Museum Liverpool. (c)JoleeAkeju21/08/2014

It may be a little over the top if I liken Nigeria under the administration of the recently sacked vandals dominated party to the Third Reich presided over by Adolf Hitler. Within twelve years, a dictatorship fueled by aggressive propaganda controlled practically everything in Nazi Germany and eliminated any political and religious opposition. Adolf “blessed” with great oratory skills (unlike Jonathan) appeared to sedate an entire nation and rode on their “love” to mount his domination project characterized by crushing and harnessing nation after nation. Simultaneously, the Empire of Japan was charging forward in her campaign to dominate Asia and the Pacific; both nations had the same agenda so it was logical for them to join forces. The People’s Democratic Party like Nazi Germany fell under the cosh of an aspiring emperor whose court jesters branded as the best President in Nigeria’s history and likened him to a chromosomal translocation between Mandela Gandhi and Yew King jnr. He was also described as “Jesus Christ” at one time by a false prophet called Bastard.

The persecution of Christians was rampant in Nazi Germany and a similar if not more intense measure was practiced throughout the existence of the Soviet Union. Violence and terror was the tool to crush Christian gatherings and the underlying motive was to break their resolve and spread atheism within their territory. Joseph Stalin reigned over the Soviet Union during the 6 years which the Second World War lasted and he was by no means a saint. By 1939, Hitler’s army had engulfed most of the lands around Germany prompting Stalin to work out an understanding with the Führer in August of the same year. It was a treaty of non-aggression and a commitment not to ally with any perceived enemy of the other garnished with the license to invade Poland, parts of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and parts of Romania in September of 1939.

The Molotov-Robbentrop pact did not last very long as Hitler ordered his Wehrmacht to metastasize into Soviet territory. Hitler’s troops had silenced Poland and France leaving the United Kingdom as the main resistance to the relentless Germans. Water definitely overwhelmed “garri” when Japan took apart Pearl Harbor in December 1941 forcing the United States to upgrade from passive sponsor to active combat duties. A more elaborate Allied force was complete in January 1942 led by 4 super powers; United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union and China…yes China. This was an alliance of necessity just like the Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party and a fragment of the All Progressives Grand Alliance gathered together in an attempt to mount an effective and last gasp challenge to unseat the party which had boasted that they would rule for 60 years.

Would it have made any sense if the British and Commonwealth nations opted to wage the German resistance on their own because of whatever the Soviet Union was guilty of? The eastern sector of the war had to be prosecuted by USSR and China while the other theatres in Africa, Asia, the Pacific and West of Germany required a monster effort from the fusion of the other nations. There was a fracture line visible within the ruling PDP at the time caused by the failure of Jonathan to coexist peacefully with certain influential elements who should be credited with ensuring that he was rewarded with over 22 million votes at the 2011 presidential elections. Patience Jonathan was tormenting her “son” in Rivers while her husband was supporting the reinvention of mathematics which ensured that 16 became greater than 19. Bukola Saraki of the Ilorin Empire voiced his opposition during the fuel subsidy scam and coffins of his alleged misdemeanors as Kwara state governor (2003-2011) and as Director of the deceased Societe Generale Bank (2003) were exhumed. The likes of Danjuma Goje, Saraki and Ali Ndume who were all PDP senators transposed to join forces with the already formed APC to attempt to depose the “keep doing it” president. Does anyone really think that Buhari and Tinubu were foolish to form this hydrogen bond? With the benefit of hindsight, should anyone really be barking that this relationship was naïve and uncalculated?

"Trusteeship of the powerful" https://www.pinterest.com/pin/44684221273060496/

TACTICAL MANEUVER OR MUTINY?

I really am not all that bothered by the recent happenings and combats within the National Assembly. It surprises me that some people claim they are surprised that the members are capable of scheming and undressing one another. I was busy attending to a patient at the Accident and Emergency room of the National Hospital Abuja in October 2007 when I witnessed as anesthetists tried in vain to resuscitate Dr. Aminu Safana who slumped during a house scuffle in defence of the then speaker of the House Patricia Etteh who was eventually impeached. “No be today fight and gidigbo dey start for that mansion”. Something more intriguing is the attempt by more than a few to accurately decipher what it has all been about since the inauguration of both houses. Opinions range from an implosion within the APC to a direct revolt against the “godfathership” of a certain Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Some have indulged in gloating about the delayed fulfilment of Doyin Okupe’s prophecy while a few others have exclusively blamed the president; accusing him of naivety and his Party of lacking democratic ideals. Do they really lack true democratic principles and what is the current struggle really about?

Nigeria’s system of government can be said to have been copied from the model utilized in the world’s grandest democracy. We adopted the presidential system of government for the executive while we also chose their bicameral system of congress but with a touch of terminologies and offices much more popular with the British parliamentary system. When it is very convenient, those in power especially the executive claim privileges which can be equated with or surpasses such enjoyed by the president of the United States. The first in line to succeeding the US president under stipulated circumstances is the vice president who also doubles as the senate president irrespective of whether his party is majority or otherwise in the senate. The next in line is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, followed by the president pro tempore (usually the most senior member of the majority party in the senate) and lastly the Secretary of state (Foreign minister in other climes). This pathway of succession does not in any way translate to elevating the offices below the president’s to near equal status with special privileges independent of regulation. They do not have any such offices as deputy senate president or deputy speaker unlike what is practiced in Nigeria. The US congressmen understand their roles and try as best as they can to conform to their respective parties’ agendas a task handled by the elected whips. There are no unnecessary duplication of offices like what is evident on the website of the Nigerian National Assembly where 10 principal officers each for both the 109 Senate and 360 House of representatives are displayed. Perhaps it is the logic of glorifying the three traditional regions and six geopolitical zones of Nigeria that has led to the glamour which has characterized the offices of deputy this and deputy that. It is almost certain that those who would struggle for these largely daycare offices would need to balance numerous equations before gaining the right to occupy the houses, jets, exotic vehicles and full benefits accrued to the holders. One wonders how people forget that it was the same type of election which brought the senior senator for Ebonyi and the junior senator from Kogi into congress; why should any one of them attain superstar status because he suddenly got the license to preside and bang his gavel.

House of Representatives members have visited other nations under the guise of getting training without necessarily imbibing any values to develop our system. In both chambers of the National assembly, the chief presiding officers are supreme and can do just about whatever they please and get away with it. They decide what letter to read and what bill is allowed to get to the floor. In the US, the senate president and the president pro tempore rarely indulge in the actual process of presiding over legislatives duties even though in theory they are the top 2 in line for that duty; the same applies to some extent in the House of representatives. The task of presiding officer actually gets to rotate among junior senators of the majority party in order for them to gain valuable experience. What is ongoing in the Nigerian National assembly is an anomaly. I do not believe that the two presiding officers (Saraki and Dogara) are representing the interest of their party but appear to be deriving their main backing from PDP members and a group of loyal party members. Ali Ndume lost his bid to become deputy senate president to Ekweremadu and he has now been named as the Senate majority leader; I really do not understand how this is an APC leadership problem considering the fact that a group of rogue members have decided to have their way at the expense of the party they claim to belong to instead of decamping. It happens with cancer cells and I suppose a suitable therapeutic regimen could be administered soon or later.

Even though Saraki could have won enough votes to become senate president assuming there was a straight contest against Senator Lawan, it would have been obvious that the APC caucus backing him were in the minority. I believe that it is wrong for any such individual to continue in his pursuit to do as he pleases disregarding the wishes of the party he claims to belong to. There are 60 APC senators to PDP’s 49; I do not believe that at least 30 of those APC members are loyal to Saraki even if we include those who may belong to the camps of Kwankwaso, Goje, Dino Melaye and Yerima. I do not think it is right for Saraki or Dogara to announce principal officers for the APC caucus if such do not have the backing of the majority. It is selfish and should not be accepted by those concerned.  The Republican Party is in the majority in the US Congress and their congressional leaders do their best to ensure that their agenda is promoted irrespective of whatever good intentions and fantastic ideas the Democratic president may have. Nigeria’s presiding officers in the National Assembly should not be seen as antagonists to the intentions of their party.

Saraki lands in Ilorin aboard Presidential jet. http://pulse.ng/local/saraki-senate-president-gets-hero-s-welcome-in-ilorin-photos-id3886999.html

Some have suggested that president Buhari may be in sync with these presiding officers because of his lack of intrusion. I do not know if any of these ones read the press release by the APC caucus of the House after the scuffle and undressing session. It was read by a certain Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura from Katsina who clearly denounced the actions of the speaker. I want to believe that Mr. Daura is most likely a relative of the president, a close one at that. Would he be opposing the speaker while Buhari is in tune with Dogara? I guess I am just seeing things; who knows? I may just be so wrong. If Bukola Saraki is incubating any Presidential ambition, I really do not think he is doing himself any favor.