Baked to Death in the Sahara

I stumbled on a video (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=691603344188871) posted on FB showing scores of dead Nigerians in the baking heat of the Sahara Desert. The eerie video was no different from a similar one on Nigerians marooned and isolated in the Sahara en route Europe aired by CNN recently.

I once talked a GIRL from embarking on this trip in 1994. She had the list of all the safe houses and pass phrases including the fees and brief for migrats who wish to go on this journey through Benin – Togo – Ghana - Boukina Faso-Algeria – Europe. She said it was full proof and she knew many who had made it to Europe. I thank God she listened to me and is now happily married and still lives in Lagos.

Emmanuel Mayah, the renowned award winning investigative journalist documented the travails of migrants in his exposé Europe by Desert: Tears of African Migrants. in a recent interview he said “Nigerians are being executed in Libya; many have perished in the Sahara while trying to cross the desert on foot; many have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea trying to cross from Morocco to Spain and hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are in prisons in different countries. Many are at a point of no return; they have no money to buy food let alone transport themselves back to Nigeria.”

So from the above, it’s a known fact that Nigerians go on this trip and from various routes all across West Africa, but I am a bit worried about this video. It raises a few questions. How can all these men slump and die at the same time, within the same area? Even more worrying is the fact that the dead all seem to be bent over hiding their faces - as if they were been robbed or hiding from someone/something. Since there is no evidence of blood, I will eliminate gun shots but what about poison? Another worrisome issue is how the nationalities of the individuals were ascertained. The clothes worn by the deceased do not seem to originate from Nigeria (debatable). To me they look like those worn by our other west African neighbors.

I ask these questions because from that same document I mentioned earlier, I learned that locals from the communities migrants pass through despises these migrants, especially as the local operators are usually the same people that organize other vices in these same communities - gunrunning, smuggling, armed robberies, child trafficking, name it. Similarly, the locals are also very aware of the large sums of money they carry (usually US$). In fact their handlers have been known to rob migrants and drop them off in the middle of the desert to die. This is well documented by Aljazeera, CNN, BBC, and you can watch all this on youtube… watch the video -

While one can easily dismiss this all by saying the migrants are to blame. Why should Nigerians, especially the (Igbos including Delta and Edo states) continue to rub our name in the mud? Why do they think that they must seek greener pastures at all cost? Some have been known to “Sell all that they own to secure a bleak chance in a foreign country only to reach there and end up hawking / Hooking on the street in J’boug, Italy, Israel, Turkey, etc. These questions are debatable, but I blame the state, our leaders and the Federal Government. Nigerians are scattered all over the world, most of them struggling to earn a living in communities that loathes them. The federal government should look into these issues and ascertain or verify the events that led to the death of these people with a view to curb the trend.

To my mind, if our communities are made more habitable, if there is better transparency, if our leaders are more responsive to our cries, if there is more security of lives and property, then and only then will our people stop seeking greener pastures. What is your take?
 

A Presidents OK should stand for something!

Two days ago, the President of the federal republic asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to stay action on the proposed restructuring of the nations currency - the Naira. While his action may have put to rest, the widespread uproar in the polity fueled by what I can only describe as MIS informed "Ojuolegba" economist. Though I'm not a subject matter expert, I have listened to erudite economist on the same topic. Much so that the Presidents actions angered me... For a knew this policy was aimed at more gain than pain.

Aigboguns article "The Presidents OK should stand for something" caught my eyes in BusinessDay of the 21st Sept. Read on....

This is a very sad day for Nigeria. " President Goodluck Jonathan has collectively made every Nigerian look small by his capitulation. By withdrawing his approval to the Central Bank to introduce the N5000 notes, the president set a very dangerous precedent, regardless of the argument for or against the policy. And by this his singular act, he has unwittingly reduced the office he swore to protect and given the world cause to doubt if they can do business with his government.  

It is not for nothing that the state governors insist on using a red ink pen in their official communication. And it is also not for nothing that the president uses green to write. It is because of their exalted offices. It is because it is expected that the president's approval will stand for something.

Presidents must at all times listen to their people but a leader must also be able to make up his mind and be ready to defend his position. That is the covenant he has with those he has to lead. It will be unthinkable that the president's U-turn should meet with the approval of serious Nigerians.  

What should the world now think of us? That our president cannot sign a bilateral agreement with other leaders of the world and hope to keep the bargain? Who on earth will take Nigeria serious if this were to be the case?  

At the time of their choosing, the people will always have their say, and by the constitution' also have their way at least once every four years. Presumably, this president consults before coming to a decision, and one Just hope that he did just that before consenting to the apex bank's recommendation to proceed with the N5000 note.  

After this, the people can chose to have their say. And the president should not have to play to gallery all the time, especially because economic policies do not always have to be based on popular opinion. And it is why Spain, Greece and even the United Kingdom are all pursuing austerity policies today, to the chagrin of their people.  

This is so because governments and those privileged to lead them do not just have to think about what the people will say today. They must focus more on their place in history because what is public good can sometimes appear blurred in the midst of an unorganized debate. It is in this light that I held a different view on the petroleum subsidy withdrawal debate. Which is that any subsidy on consumption rather than production, any subsidy which exports jobs elsewhere is bad, no matter what it is called by.

It is also for this reason that I took exception to the opposition to the decision by President Obasanjo and Okonjo Iweala to invest $12bn or so in the landmark deal to end Nigeria's excruciating foreign debt. It is for this same reason in the early nineties when I was secretary of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, I sought to get my colleagues to dialogue with leaders of the private sector who were at the time canvassing a government policy permitting entry or participation of the private sector in Nigeria's telecommunications sector. Today editors who virulently opposed that policy are carrying one or two and in some cases three phones in their pockets.  

It is for this reason that I respect my mentor and bene¬factor Professor Pat Utomi who in the heat of that debate had maintained that if the only way to get the private sector in meant allowing Abacha to allocate all the GSM licenses to his family he will vote for it, knowing that as he rightly said, a time will come when Abacha's children or grandchildren will be forced to sell some or all the licenses to other Nigerian investors. It is also for this reason that I yet cannot find common ground with my friend Joe Ajaero who worked with me many years ago at the Vanguard but is now eading the electricity workers union to oppose the privatization of the moribund state ppwer company, PHCN.  

In Nigeria of 160 million people, everyone is a Central Bank Governor and every one seeks to have a view on government policy, regardless of how uninformed he or she might be. The road transport workers union leaders weighed in to be heard on the N5000 note issue. Even the okada riders also wanted to be heard. Unfortunately, many who should know, sought to side track the truth while the debate lasted just to be seen to oppose the policy simply wanted to be heard or because they have become, members of the opposition. Or perhaps as was the case of the legislators, it had to do with Sanusi who had the courage to say they did not have to bleed the national treasury dry by insatiable quest for higher pay in a nation where millions wallow in abject poverty.  

In all of the debate, one thing is clear. There is no respected body of opinion to suggest the view that the introduction of N5000 notes will bring' about the doom some said it was capable of causing. I am led by common sense, which teaches me that it is more cost effective to print one N5000 note instead of printing five NIOOO notes, as is the case today. It will also be cheaper to transport, store and use one N5000 instead of five N1000 notes. And what is more, I do not have to use or carry a N5000 note if it does not serve my purpose.  

Central banks around the world will not get into a debate of what currency notes to issue. They just go on to print it and announce its introduction when it is ready. Sanusi should have done exactly this and it is a pity he did not. After this, one must hope that we all accept that good leaders and those that Nigerians need, are not leaders who just pander to public opinion but those who are capable of reaching out with the clarity of their vision and the power of their thought to that future which the people may not yet see today' .    

Aigbogun is Publisher of BusinessDay and it is his second ever opinion piece submitted to a newspaper since entering journalism in 1982.   That our president cannot sign a bilateral agreement with other leaders of the world and hope to keep the bargain? Who on earth will take Nigeria serious if this were to be the case?  

The Harmonization of Salaries in the Federal Civil Service

As I have always maintained. Democracy, as practiced in the world today, is too expensive. Lets join the rest of the progressive world who are seriously trying to apply technology to bring government closer to their people - Direct Governance.

You may recall that on December 20th 2010, on the heels of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central bank revelation that the National Assembly appropriates over 25% of the national budget. I published an article titled Who Let The Dogs Out and Say No to looting of Nigeria. Both articles addressed the gulf between the rich and the poor and reflected on my view on "A Promise is comfort to a fool.." which focused on Labors strike on minimum wage. In those articles, I suggested that labor should go a step further and ask a downward review of the "Maximum Wage".

A lot has happened since then, Nigerians have become increasingly aware of what is going on. In deed, this awareness has had a rob-on-effect on the business as usual in all three arms of Government. A cursory look at news today, tells you of all sorts of public hearing into very elaborate in-your-face corruption. From the NNPC, Central Bank of Nigeria, Security and Exchange Commission, to the Nigerian Police Force. These are all welcomed developments and attest to the fact that we can change if we really want to. As long as prosecution of those found guilty is not swept under the carpet, the slow and sure journey towards state building has begun.

I was therefore happy to read in the dailies that a committee has been setup to review "Downwards" the salaries of public servants. (http://africanspotlight.com/2012/03/nigeria-fed-govt-to-reduce-salaries-of-public-servants/)  The harmonization of salaries in the federal civil service is expected to reduce the strain of recurrent expenditure and produce an acceptable public salary structure. Hopefully the state governments will borrow a leaf and do the same.

What the F*#!# is Kony 2012?

The tweets and pings all over "Social Networkdom" went crazy this week about the Invincible Children's viral video on YouTube (With over 76million views). The on video was about Joseph Kony - a renegade war lord in East Africa and leader of the "Lord Resistance Army" (LRA).

I learned about Kony in a documentary on "Child Soldiers" several years ago and was appalled to learn that something as bad as that was happening in our time.

War is a bad enterprise and history tells us that many a nations were built on prosecuting war. History also tells us that child conscription has always been a tool in the war lords hands - from Hitlers Youths, to LRA child soldiers. Little wonder why the International Court for Criminal Justice was set up to haunt down and prosecute the like of Kony. Ten years on, the ICC has only recently prosecuted its first suspect.

Not wanting to be left behind, I watched the viral video and couldn't help but notice the well scripted dialogue and the powerful effects that surly have helped it attain the status of the most viral video on earth (so far). These are the hallmarks of a well funded program. - As my people say, "Better Soup, na money kill am". There was no doubt in my mind that I had to be part of this cause. That I had to lend my little quota to ensure the success of this dream. Only thing that held me back was the fact that I could not pay with my Nigerian debit card.

A casual research into the Kony 2012 over the internet threw up counter claims on the matter both from within Africa/Uganda (See Kony 2012 is Bullshit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ8q1fEqYIM&feature=relmfu ) and in the United States (see KONY 2012 ~ A Powerful SCAM? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J2P4Diu-TM&feature=related). While it is clear that LRA perpetrated criminal acts in the past by abducting, raping and conscripting children into war, what is not clear is weather it is a scam for the Vincible Children.

Typical of me, I choose not to dwell on the above issue but rather consider other matters relating to it. One interesting thing that is coming out of all this is that this is a ploy for AFRICOM (The African command of the US military) to invade Africa. See Infowars.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv4UwyGFKks&feature=related. Yet another take on it is the discovery of oil in Uganda, and like moth to a flame - US goes where the Oil rigs go. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xYL5bPIVmg&feature=related) The concluding part of the Koni 2012 video bears it all for those who have eyes and ears to see (or hear) - They give you 3 choices, 3 choices that ensure that the money comes to the Invincible Children. The emotional burden to make the right choice is heavy but there you have it, the choice is yours. What do you believe?

What I see clearly is that the instability of erstwhile peaceful countries is fast eroding. From Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, to Nigeria... I see a reoccurring decimile in all these stories coming out of Africa - AFRICOMs and the US governments ploy to gain a foothold is repeating itself in every minor conflict in Africa.

I know that there is no smoke without fire, so does the romour that the US strategy to kick China out of Africa be destabilizing all would-be trade partners hold any water? Is there really a concerted efforts by the western nations to destabilize Africa? Is the present chaotic religious and social upheavals in Nigeria connected in anyway to all of these? Those are the thought on my mind this hour, what are you thinking?

Sucker Punch! What a big laugh it would be if...

2012 did not come with the pomp and pageantry that marks every new year. I have been quite for the past few months, but I have watched with keen interest, the gradual but imminent revolution that is seizing my nation – Nigeria. At last we can say for certain that today the 14^th January 2012 we stand at the door post of our revolution and history beckons.

It is very important that we stand back and assess what has transpired in the past few weeks.

The Christmas day bombing of a Catholic Church in Madala, Suleja (near Abuja) marked the beginning of a series of events that will shake the foundations of this country leading to a reawaking of the masses to assert their fundamental rights and demand [for the first time in Nigeria’s history] that their leaders be accountable to the Masses, the people. 

I will not bore you with the details of the events that brought us here,  because several  interesting articles of have been writing about them. The national debate on why Nigerians should support governments move to remove the oil subsidy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7mFz6dlqug&sns=fb). The passage of the 2012 fiscal budget.  The Christmas day bombing and subsequent sporadic killings in Northern and Southern Nigeria (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zye0qajNTLc).  The declaration of a state of emergency in several local government areas in the North East. The “Surprise” removal of Oil Subsidy on the eve of the New Year and its attendant direct effects on the livelihood of common masses. And the subsequent on-going strike action called by the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

As I scroll through the interesting SMS’s, blogs and tweets of friends and family, it is very clear that the masses are tired of the same stories all over again.  From where I seat, the motivations are diverse; whose story are you buying? The governments story; as eloquently expounded by Central Bank Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and IMFs “Economic Hit Woman” and Nigeria's’ Hon. Minister for Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala? Or, are you on the masses side - with civil society, activists and the labor who demand the subsidy reinstatement? Perhaps there is yet another set of people who do not care about subsidy but would love to see a more concerted effort towards changing the way Nigeria is governed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAoLBCmB_Ms&sns=fb). Regardless of what group you belong to, we can all agree that what we want is to see progress, for ourselves and for the nation and our children yet unborn.  However, what is not clear is the motivation, why are some on the street, while others declare an electronic crusade in support of the government? I have not yet read any article that clearly sorts out the various schools of thought that abound concerning the situation in the country yet if you read in between the lines of our leaders are doing, one might make an inference and that is exactly what this piece will try to address. 

Being such a paranoid mind, I have decided to briefly examine all these conspiracy theories in a bid to make sense of the situation – Some are clear and straight forward, while others are mere blue sky thinking - I have made sure to take every aspect of our present problem into consideration; The Islamic fundamentalist sect - Boko Haram, Removal of the PMS subsidy, the plight of the Nigerian masses, The existence of the so called “Cabal”, the silence of the lambs, and the passion with which some government officials speak about the issue.

1.   Conspiracy Theory No. 1 – Divine Intervention; The invincible hand of God.
2.   Conspiracy Theory 2 – Honest Truth; The Government is broke.
3.   Conspiracy Theory No. 3 – The Usual Suspects; Politicians want to “Share the money”.
4.   Conspiracy Theory No. 4 – The Bear & the Eagle; Uncle Sam is at it again.
5.   Conspiracy Theory 5 – Sucker Punch! Jonah is no fool after all.

... to be  completed tomorrow

Peter Odili & Abubakar Atiku Featured In US Hgher Education's Dirty Little Secret ..

As a Rivers Man, I just couldn't resist this one... An article written by Arvind Ganesan and curlled from Sahara Reporters. just thought I should share.

Libya's human rights crisis shined a much-needed spotlight on the relationship between universities and their more problematic funders. In this case, the London School of Economics (LSE) agreed to take about $2.4 million from the foundation controlled by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan strongman, Muammar Gaddafi.

LSE is not alone. American University in Washington agreed to help a former Nigerian vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, and his wife, Jennifer Douglas, set up a university in Nigeria, despite persistent allegations of corruption against him. In return, American University received about $14 million in "consulting fees" between 2003 and 2007 for its work on this project. American University officials told U.S. Senate investigators that their due diligence on Abubakar uncovered some rumors of corruption, but they ultimately decided to proceed.

Later, the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed that Ms. Douglas received about $2 million in bribes from Siemens AG, the German conglomerate, on behalf of her husband. Siemens paid a record $1.6 billion fine since this was part of a global bribery scandal, but the Abubakars were both abroad and outside U.S. jurisdiction.

Another case in point is Lincoln University, the oldest historically black college in the United States, which has an interesting relationship with Peter Odili, governor of Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers State from 1999 to 2007.

Human Rights Watch documented how Odili's administration, with a budget of about $1.3 billion in 2006, provided little money for primary schools or other basic services that state and local governments are supposed to provide. Instead, Odili channeled enormous sums directly to the governor's office -- tens of millions of dollars earmarked for entertainment, gifts, and the purchase of jet aircraft. Travel must have been important since he also allocated $65,000 a day to his office for travel and transportation. We concluded that a huge portion of the state's funds were lost to extravagance, waste and corruption.

In contrast to primary schools in Rivers State, Lincoln benefited greatly from Odili's generosity. By the end of 2006, he had become one of the school's largest donors, with at least $1.64 million in donations. During that year, it gave him an honorary degree, held a luncheon in his honor, and named a building after him. Nigeria's federal anticorruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, says it has a strong enough case to prosecute Odili. But in 2007 Odili somehow managed to secure an outrageous court injunction -- widely condemned as a mockery of the judicial process -- that permanently barred the agency from investigating, let alone prosecuting him.

A year later, though, the commission said it had completed its investigation into Odili's "wanton looting of the treasury of Rivers State" and was ready to arraign him on corruption charges. The judge reaffirmed his injunction and nothing has happened since. In April 2008, Odili began a four-year term on Lincoln's Board of Trustees.

In the London School of Economics case, the donations from Gaddafi's son came in 2008, a year after the school awarded him a Phd. The university had also agreed to accept about $3 million in other donations from Libya. This scandal cost Sir Howard Davies his job as director of the university. The school disclosed that it had received about $500,000 from Saif's pledge that it would use for scholarships. It also said it will no longer accept Libyan funds, inevitable anyway since the British government had frozen any U.K.-based assets that belonged to Gaddafi and his family a few days earlier.

Universities are undoubtedly under pressure to find financial support and to maintain high standards, especially as government funding becomes scarcer. But that does not mean they should allow abusive and corrupt officials or their families to launder their images in exchange for money.

There should be better rules to keep this from happening. After all, the London School of Economics did not act until Saif's father literally began to kill his own people in a brutal attempt to cling to power. American and Lincoln universities have not fully explained their relationships with Abubakar or Odili. And schools in the U.S. have no legal obligation to investigate whether funds they might take are tainted by corruption.

One modest step would be to make universities investigate whether donors are implicated in abuses or corruption before accepting their money. If they do decide to go ahead, those donations should be disclosed and the information easily accessible to the public. There may be good reasons to keep some donations anonymous, but that rule should not apply to money from rulers or their family members who are implicated in abuses or pose a risk for corruption. Those relationships cannot be good for a school's reputation -- as the London School of Economics just learned.

Fortunately, governments can step in to ensure that schools are more transparent. Last November, the G-20 group of governments announced an anti-corruption initiative that includes a commitment to prevent corrupt officials from spending their funds abroad. They should include enhanced due diligence for universities as part of their efforts. That might give officials an incentive to spend money on their country's schools instead of using that money to get a building named after them abroad.

Arvind Ganesan is director of the business and human rights program for Human Rights Watch.

My heart goes out to the Innocent in "J" Town! 2

My brother China had come into town ahead of the football match between Nigeria and Ethiopia billed for Sunday 27 March 2011. As part of his duty tour, he interviewed English premier league Wigan Athletic’s and Nigerian International, Victor Moses’. His story revealed how Victors parents were killed in Kaduna almost a decade ago. (read http://www.naijafootball247.com/2011/03/how-wigan-athletics-victor-moses.html)

Sad story indeed. Though the tragedy ultimately propelled him into a brilliant career, what l take away from it is how long will this violence last? How long will our so called law enforcement agents look the other way in the name of religion and cowardice? This is exactly what I have been writing about. This is the concluding part of my article "My heart goes out to the Innocent in "J" Town!" where I examined the calamity that have besieged the once peaceful Jos, capital of Plateau State.

Exactly my sentiments... perhaps the other little boys he played with (who may have been more talented) are yet to be discovered. That is what happens in a repressive and wicked system where people are blinded by religion and tribalism. If he had stayed on in Nigerian and played his life out, he may not have made the national team too.

Here is one interesting article on the same issue http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/notes/naomi-lucas/who-is-the-north-part-2/10150156355578779 - exactly my sentiments.

My heart goes out to the Innocent in "J" Town!

Woke up to learn about the fresh violence in Jos, only a few weeks after boiling over. It had me thinking of this endless nightmare and how it all started, why our leaders are clueless as to how to solve it, the far reaching implications and what may help to solve it.


Nigeria's religious crisis go way back in history... not remotely connected to the earliset clash that was a result of a failed coup 'detar by the military in 1966 - ultimately leading to civil unrest and eventually civil war. If like me, you are old enough to remember or an ardent follower of history, you may have heard of Zango-Kataf crisis. in Kaduna State. Maitama, etc.

Over the years, a forward-looking, well meaning society would have learned the lessons and forged a path that should ensure that such conflicts remain what they are - History. None-the-less, we have watched as countless number of innocent lives are wasted on a daily basis all over the nation, while our so called government, like their endless battle(s) with corruption - pay lip-service to the violence. Ostensibly, these crisis all seem to be either religious or politically motivated, however, there seem to be a more elusive phenomenon at play. No doubt, the political elite in their bid to whip-up sentiments, and geaner votes, have played their regular "trump card" - religion. As Carl Max said, "religion is the opium of the masses" - Spurred on in their drunken stupor - Christian and Muslim alike, have drenched their lions with the blood of their neighbors, soiled the once tranquil city state with their bloody hands and unleashed a reign of terror on Jos. What remains to be seen is why the authorities have fail time and time again to curb the re-occurrence.

In order to elicit an enduring solution , I have attempted to trace the history of Plateau religious crisis -

• September 7, 2001 - religious riots in Jos resulted in more than four years of bloodshed, killing thousands of people and displacing thousands of others.
• In 2004 an estimated 700 people died in Yelwa, Plateau state.
• November 27, 2008 - Religious crisis erupts, 40 churches razed down as angry Muslim youths who suspected election fraud, attacked Christians and their properties.
• November 28th and 29th 2008, Reprisal attacks leaves 500 dead people in its wake (100 Christians killed by the mod, and 400 Muslims killed by police before the riot was quelled),
• July 17, 2010 - Mazah (only nine miles from Jos)
• July 21 2010 - Dutse Uku and Nasarawa Gwom reprisal attacks by Christians. in 30mins alone over 300 were dead
• December 2010 -

The nightmare rages even as I write - Local rights groups say over 1,500 people have died in inter-communal violence in the Plateau since the start of this year alone. Yet not much has been done to prosecute the extremist on both sides. Who are these extremists?

I talked to some Plateau natives with a view to understand what the problem is, where it is coming from? Who is the aggressor? and perhaps propose a lasting solution different from what we have tried until now.

In the final analysis, my comparison left me with mixed feelings. Everyone I talked to tended to say the same thing - regardless of their political or religious affiliation - Firstly, they both see the others as the aggressor (we and them mindset) regardless of facts before hand. They were both very angry and both consider this crisis as war - Even a very senior colleague of mine (*** ******* - name withheld), was so furious that he swore that he would kill a Christian if he had the opportunity... made me wonder when this crisis will end, if such a "seemingly" enlightened, responsible, educated man with a family and a good job would stick his neck that far to mutter such an evil thing. But no matter on which side of the divide you stand, so much pent up hate and anger has eaten up the masses that they appear to be ready to kill for what they believe.

Secondly, they all contend that the problem is the Soldiers deployed to keep the peace. The Nigerian army may have fared well in several international peace keeping assignments, but their reputation at home is full of "sorrow, tears and blood! - their regular trade mark!!". (see my article titled "Do you know where your neighbor is?" from 2010). It would appear to me that they would prefer a battle to the finish" than to have any force mediating between them. The Christians contend that the Muslims always attack first, and the soldiers prevent the Christians from retaliating, unwittingly giving the Muslims the upper hand. So it is no surprise that Christians want the soldiers to be withdrawn. The Christians like Bishop Kwashi say “We are the victims of any Islamic anger... years ago, it was the Danish cartoons. Now they are trying to lay it at the feet of the elections. We have become a convenient scapegoat and target for those with grievances about events both home and abroad.” alluding to the already popular fad that there exist a silent Jihadist campaign to take the nation (the earth) at all cost. Religious motivated crisis all over the nation are only proof of that campaign. Bishop Kwashi implored international media, he made the plea: “Please, if you have evidence of anywhere where Chris­tians have sparked off a riot or done anything wrong, please be honest in telling it. But if not, stand up for justice … “We want the support of the Church worldwide to understand that we have never initiated crimes against the Muslim people.” To my mind, though their claim sounds like good logic, what is not very evident is the fact behind the crisis - the embers that fuels the Jos fires - Politics.

In a democracy, in a so called federated Nigeria, a few people - minority, yet who are indegenes want to lord it over a majority Hausa Fulani who form the majority in a local government. This conundrum, to many a no brainer, but to many others, neither here nor there. I will explain...

..................... To Be Continued ........................

Do You Know Where Your Neighbor Is?

Preamble
It is so easy to wave away thorny issues like political and religious motivated conflicts in far flung parts of the world. We hear about Afghan and Iraqis been killed every day, but take little or no notice, except in a remote case of the involvement of a friend or relative. We hear about suicide bombers in Pakistan killing countless number of innocent poor people everyday – It is easy to dismiss all for our general lack of facts that allows us to see first-hand or feel what the other party feels.

Early this year, sequel to the unsuccessful mission of Mutalab aka “diaper bomber” on 25th December 2009, Nigeria was classified as a terrorist nation and all (including me) cried foul! We all wondered how millions of peaceful Nigerians could be so labeled, because of the actions of a single deranged man. But alas, today we know for certain that militancy is in our midst. We now hear about car bombs at public places on special occasions – we hear about endless religious conflicts between cult-like renegades who mask their deeds in the name of God. We hear about freedom fighters armed by politicians whose only objective is to promote an atmosphere of fear that allows them to continue to plunder that which belongs to the masses. While many may say this is all a new phenomenon that reflects the yearning for freedom, justice and equality. What we have not stopped to consider is its antecedence – our history.

Mans Wicked Heart
In a heated debate over the story of creation and evolution with my friend Otuije Otuije, I reminded him about 16th century, when Christian Europe, in the name of God had slaughtered thousands of Muslim children, men and women – We called that holocaust “the Crusades”. Mans wickedness to man is chronicled in the annals of history – from the crusades, to the holocaust, to the Jihads, etc.

Coming closer to home, barely four years after colonial Britain pulled out, Nigeria has been plagued on all fronts, since our trigger-happy war lords, like their tribalised forbears laid their bloodied hands on the mantle of leadership (leading to a civil war in 1967) we have not known peace. Then, like now, countless numbers of people in the west and north of Nigeria carried on, like nothing was wrong. To most, the turmoil and suffering of innocent children, men, and women in Eastern Nigeria (their erstwhile fellow Nigerians) were too far off to be felt. To others, Biafrans (innocent of not) deserved it for the audacity exhibited by their leaders. Due to self preservation, I am not surprised at their selfishness and folly, I can not argue justly who is right and who is not, However what baffles me is how all this go on under our very noses, like they say "in our own backyards" and yet nobody wants to talk about it. That is why I wrote this article.

The More You Look – The Less You See
In 1988, as a youth in Port Harcourt, I watched the most horrible video of my life . The videos was shot from a helicopter, and showed soldiers shooting villagers in a market place… Sounds familiar? Sounds like any Vietnam war movie? Well, No! This was Nigeria, Rivers State, Ogoni Land, Nigerian Soldiers and the Helicopters belonged to Oil giant – Shell.

This was before Ken Saro’wiwa was killed and the MOSOP (see factsheet on ogoni & shell). The VHS tape was smuggled into town by sympathetic foreigners and was very instrumental to the international declaration that gave every Ogoni the leeway to seek asylum in Europe and America. I was stunned to see how far a company would go to protect its investment and even more so, to see how a nation, lead by blind men could help to ensure same.

'The flames of Shell are flames of Hell,
We bask below their light,
Nought for us to serve the blight,
Of cursed neglect and cursed Shell" - an Ogoni Song

We havent learnt the lessons, this same act was to happen again in 1999. Thanks to Timaya a notable artiste from the deep south, most Nigerians would never know that entire villages were wiped out in the south to ensure the steady flow of crude oil.

“They don kill them mama, dem papa, I say they don kill dem mama, dem papa… everyday for Nigeria na so my people dey die…“

two decades on, and the story is still the same. The captions on recent papers – all paint the same eerie picture that suggests that this is still been practiced today in 2010. Captions like:-

• 17 Movement of the Actualization of the Sovereignty of the State of Biafra (MASSOB) members arrested for hoisting the Biafran Flag in Abia State.
• "General" John Togo, The New Face Of The Niger Delta Insurgency, Speaks
• Multiple Bomb blasts on Christmas day
• Oron Communal Clash
• President of Human Rights Peace Justice Foundation gunned down
• Jos Crisis – Allegations of bias not fair on soldiers
• Bombs hit Political Rally in Yenegoa
• Boko Haram Kills 3 in Fresh Maiduguri Attacks
• Jonathan urges military task force in Abia, Akwa Ibom to wipe out kidnapping

The story remains the same, Still freedom fighters and politicians, Still - multinationals standing in the corner. Still, the rest of the world stands aloof, Still the curse of the black gold takes yet another life. Still, many people (even those so close to home) are not aware of this systematic destruction of innocent lives in nearby states. Case in point, Sahara reporters just got an interview with self styled Gen. John Togo of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF).


Though the interview clearly portrays John Togo as an uninformed, misguided renegade of MEND, through all, what stands out clearly for those who have ears to hear, is that the delta – the goose that lays the golden egg, is dying, her innocent children, men and women are been slaughtered by the Joint Task Force headed by the Nigerian Army on a regular basis. The commentary on Sahara Reporters all seem to be focused on the persona of the actant and not on the idea behind their rebellion. What will it take for the Nigerian state to listen and act justly for cries of Isaac Adaka Boro, Ken Saro-wiwa, ... and I dare to add... John Togo. Something seems to be missing, why cant the rest of us see the sorry situation in the south? Why will people not consider the reasons that lay beneath this gory picture? Robert Nestor made popular this saying "He who feels it, knows it." Do I feel it cos I saw those images of beefy Nigerian soilders shooting innocent children in a village market? Do I feel it cos I know what that living next to a gas flaring site is the next thing to being in hell? Do I feel it cos I know that paddling a canoe is no mean feat for a grown man, how much less for a woman who has to go several miles away from her fising ground to fish due to water pollution and activities of the oil companies? Do I know this because I am from the Niger Delta and have first hand knowledge of what my people go through? To my mind, the readers have been 'lead on' to think the way they do. Mostly due to the fault of the media who often sell a one sided story.

While I applaud Sahara Reporters for the interview, it would have been better to get footage (if only still pictures) to better inform the rest of Nigeria and the world at large. Footage of the Christmas Day Bombs in Jos clearly shows how unresolved political or religious crisis can lead to wanton destruction of lives and property. Does the audaciousness exhibited by these few justify the killing of innocent women and children? Does the few seats in the local Jos council justify the killing of hundreds of people? I think not, We have to go back to history to learn how to right these wrongs. When the Crusaders captured Jerusalem, little did they know that only 200 years later Saladin would take it back, little did they know that a few hundred years on, Bin Laden would take the fight further. While Shell BP (British Petroleum) and the Crown covertly armed Nigeria against Biafra and watched millions of innocent children, men and women killed. In their quest to keep the oil flowing, they continue to prod the Nigerian government in her fatal dance with the love of oil to rub and kill the innocent. History will tell, one bright shinning morning, when the tables will turn. 3 decades after the Nigerian Civil War, the hatred of the minorities still persits - or what other reason will make a Northern dominated army open fire on innocent villagers. Thousands of years on, Christians and Muslims are still fight to make Jerusalem - or why else will someone decide to detonate a bomb on Christmas day.

Concerning the Jos crisis, Okey Duke Paulinus (the friend of a friend) wrote:-

Cried as i watched... I had in d past did a study on what could be in d mind of those who kill fellow human being in d name of God..In d course of d research i found that weird belief smeared with masked view of God' personality would a...always influence one to feel elated, happy and even rejoice as he/she massacre fellow sibling, mother, friend kids etc. Sometimes when a thief kills he may feel remorseful but when a religious bigot kills he would feel most fulfil and thankful to his perceived God... Hope the right interpretation of God and His personality would b communicated to those who kill in God' name..If not ... May the souls of the believers who lost their lives in Jos mayhem rest in peace."

So while you eat your jollof rice this season, while you are mesmerized by the twinkle of your 8 foot tall Christmas tree, while you sit under the pale blue sky awaiting the new year, give a thought to your neighbor and ask yourself how well he is.

Naija Leaks?

In all successful societies of the world there are three aspects of human endeavor that permeates all facets of daily living. 1. That well thought out laws exist, are made or modified to fit the ever changing environment. 2. An effective means of enforcing the law by way of police, civil defense and other law enforcement agencies. 3. A proactive media to report both sides of any issue to all and sundry.

For my dear nation, Nigeria - I have written severally about the inefficiency of running this colossal engine of representative governance, its inherent cost implications, and its self-servicing policies, but I have said little of the (lack of) law enforcement. That is a story for another day. For today, I am going to write about the importance of the media.

Societies who fight oppression have often employed the "Power of the Pen" to garner grassroot support. As it is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. From the French revolution, through the American civil war, to every society that has had an uprising or revolution of some sort. The importance of the media can not be over emphasized. Even in times of oppression and anarchy, participants have used the media as a catalyst to promote their objectives. From The Jacobite, Hitler and the holocaust, Mao and Red China, Castro, Rawlings, etc.

I therefore find it appalling to open every other newspaper to find non-critical issues been pushed forward everyday. Considering the fact that for decades on end, the Nigerian masses have cried out for a change, for transparency, for a new order.

I could not find any empirical evidence to show what the average Nigerian news paper publishes - matters of public interest, sports, politics, general information VS those that generate income - paid adverts, etc. This would have created a rich picture of what the media is doing. this data will preclude pure commercial adverts that promote a product or service. None-the-less, a cursory look at the top nations tabliods shows that many published items are skewed towards creating an opinion (suggesting they were paid for) rather than giving both sides of the story and allowing the readers to draw a conclusion. Little wonder why in a bid to ensure their relevance in today's Nigeria, unnecessary attention is given to the same people who have plundered and raped this nation over the years.

What is the National Union of Journalist thinking? Are they aware of this? Or is the ever-present Naija demon forcing us to do it our way. Why do we give politics so much audience and ignore other important things like promoting efficiency, education, preventing crime and violence? Why do we promote opulence to the detriment of our generation? What is the NUJ doing to restore honor and dignity amongst our people? Even a little child in Nigeria values money more than his name, and young girls would rather suffer under an abusive relationship as long as the dough keeps flowing. Little wonder why the corridors of power are full of people who have little to offer, people whose only passion is to amass wealth at the expense of their fellow citizens.

Don't get me wrong, while I agree that there must be paid adverts, one expects objectivity, reasoning and creativity that all adds up to the greater good of the poor and downtrodden. A balance between the truth and commerce. To condone the sale of publicity is akin to selling the polity to the highest bidder and keeping the masses in perpetual darkness. It is only in Nigeria we talk about brown envelopes (the act of bribing a journalist) - to me, its nothing but black mail. Nigerian press will publish anything if you pay the price.

I asked my good friends Ndu Okeke, and Kari (both seasoned journalist), to inform their technology correspondents about my wind turbine project they both thought I must present some brown envelopes before this can be published.

For the past decade, been responsible for web communications of two separate corporate bodies has exposed me to many journalist within and outside Nigeria. One simple question I always put forward to them is "Why don't you write about what is really going on [the truth]?" Their response has also interestingly been simple... "Those stories don't sell newspapers or pay the bills". Obviously, newspapers and other electronic media need money to run, however they owe a greater responsibility to the societies they serve.

World over, journalist syndicate (publish) on other tabloids using pseudo names to avoid been victimized by the powers that be. In countries where the media is reluctant to publish the materials, journalist have gone a step further to publish internationally. With the advent of internet technology, more and more people are turning into journalist (even me - blogging for over 3 years now). Yet the average Nigerian journalist has chosen to be docile, and report only what is paid for and ignore the rest. Programs like "Newsline" that focused on tell the truth on the street and investigating issues that concern the average man have all been hijacked by the rich. Newline today is a showcase of the rich and the powerful, their childrens weddings, and what new toys they buy at the expense of the masses.

Since I was a teen, I have heard rumors of IBBs refineries in south America, reasons why an oil giant imports refined products. No journalist has investigated and published a single article. I have read over the years that Peter Odilli owns one of the finest hospitals in Africa, and not a single investigative work has been carried out. This brings to question their professionalism. The freedom of information bill (wonder under which table it sits now) may not help to wrestle power out of the hands of the powers that be in Nigeria, it requires a courageous and creative mindset that is lacking in the crop of present brown envelope hunting journalist. A few serious blogs have evolved, but I fear they may be in cohort with some notable politicians. Non-the-less, the likes of Saharareporters.com seems to be getting it right on a local level.

Perhaps one of 2010 ground breaking phenomenon is Wikileaks - http://213.251.145.96/about.html- a body that has existed for over 4 years and has a mission to tell the truth that others are too scared to tell by assuring the anonymity of their sources. Their profile says

"We believe that it is not only the people of one country that keep their own government honest, but also the people of other countries who are watching that government through the media."

The question now is if the Nigerian journalist would take advantage of this and supply the truth to a more courageous [my emphasis], creative reporter far removed form the our oppressive regimes. Will nations potentially come to face legal consequences as a result of evidence posted on WikiLeaks? Even the USA is in awe of this mode of enforcing transparency.

But like Wikileaks, I believe publishing improves transparency, and this transparency creates a better society for all people. Better scrutiny will lead to reduced corruption and stronger democracies in all society's institutions, including government, corporations and other organisations. A healthy, vibrant and inquisitive journalistic media plays a vital role in achieving these goals. We are part of that media.

Scrutiny requires information. Historically, information has been costly in terms of human life, human rights and economics. As a result of technical advances particularly the internet and cryptography - the risks of conveying important information can be lowered. In its landmark ruling on the Pentagon Papers, the US Supreme Court ruled that "only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government." We agree. Nigerian journalists over to you.

Who Let The Dog Out II?

When Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central bank brought to our attention, the fact that the National Assembly was responsible for 25% of the national budget. I published an article titled Who Let The Dogs Out. The article addressed the gulf between the rich and the poor and reflected on my view on "A Promise is comfort to a fool.." which focused on Labours last strike which should have gone a step further to ask for a downward review of the "Maximum Wage".

I suspected that the coming days were likely to usher in something out of the ordinary. The captions on tabloids were not disappointing. The Nations "Jumbo Pay of Lawmakers" by Dapo Fafowora caught my eyes. It highlights most of my views concerning the outrageous and unholy figures our lawmakers earn. In his own words,

This huge pay is damaging to the overall health of the national economy and is in the long run, unsustainable... it simply does not make any economic sense to commit such vast amounts to administrative costs, when there is a crying need to invest more in such critical; sectors of the economy as education, health, and infrastructure.

Dapo chronicled the total emoluments of the 1st republic Nigerian politicians. I was stunned to learn that the chief justice of the federation earn more than the Prime Minister. Like me, he seems to be calling for a reduction in the total emoluments of our lawmakers, citing the 1st republicans. All in all, he opined that representative democracy is expensive, and therefore needs a review.

While I agree with all he had to say, I disagree with his reference to revert to the old. eGovernance for me is the only way out. Call me an optomist or T.D. (Technological Determinist: one who thinks that technology solves all problems) but only a more refined form of direct democracy can bring us out of this strangle hold.

As usual, who will bell the cat?

All is not lost... when I look around me, I see changes in many areas. Even the politicians are now tinkering with eVoting. They know that it is inevitable, while the PDP seems to be averse to internal democracy - and pokes at eVoting with a long stick, the Action Congress on the other hand embraces. ACN is already using electronic forms of democracy, I wasn't surprised to learn that droves of PDP middle class are joining up. The citizens are not left out either - Across the nation, several student unions now conduct their own elections on electronic platforms. Soon, all of us will be so attuned to it that we will reject all other forms.

Back to the matter at hand. Will the lawmakers reduce their remuneration? or will this also be swept under the carpet like 2 previous bills by Yar' Adua to cut all public officers earnings by 20%? Only time will tell. I know the lawmakers are all campaigning for 2011, and will come back with a vengeance. SLS Beware!

Who Let The Dogs Out?

What a week!!! It all started on Monday, when I read (with joy in my heart) that at over the weekend at convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS as he is fondly called) the Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria in his typical down to earth manner stated that the National Assembly appropriates 25.4% of the nations budget (N136.3b out of N500b yearly). I was not only happy that someone in government could stick his head out that far, but It also reaffirmed my stance that democracy is too expensive and that 3rd world countries like Nigeria should rather look for better forms of “direct” governance other than representation. These ideas I have written about in my article titled “a Promise is Comfort to a Fool”.

Over the years we have watched the senate bully Nigerians - bureaucrats and technocrats alike, at the slightest provocation. I knew that Lamido’s statement would set off several people in the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly and reckoned some arm twisting would be in the offing any time soon. As usual, I expected them to deploy their No. 1 weapon – Bullying. This underarm bully tactics in the form of a public hearing had gotten the desired results in the past – El’Rufai, Ribadu, Okonjo Iweala, and Soludo all faced this same fate at one point or the other.

So I was not surprised when I learnt that SLS had been summoned by the Legisla”thieves”. In a battle of wits (though with half wits) I watched with much admiration as SLS boldly held his own amidst several angry lawmakers and their barrage of questions all bent on eliciting an apology from the CBN governor. The proceedings where clearly laughable, the lawmakers drew the short straw this time as they unsuccessfully wrangled SLS. I guess the Omesire led senate committee must have planned to send a strong message to the Nigerian public, by inviting the press to a public hearing. However, one thing they didn’t count on was the unwavering character of the CBN governor. So much so that the Nigerian Television Authority (including its world-wide satellite channel) abruptly stopped airing the proceedings, when it became clear that the wrangling was proving futile amidst cheers from the spectators present.

To Nigerians and international observers alike, the facts are clear, the whole idea wasn’t about where he got the facts from, but the truth the gulf between the rich and poor in Nigeria is unprecedented. And the activities of the rich, especially the lawmakers heats up the system and creates bubbles – Unnecessary price hikes without an underlined increase in value. For instance, the rent regimes and real estate is such that one wonders why an undeveloped plot of land in Abuja can sell for as high as N400,000,000.00 (about $2,666,666.00). Only the rich can thieve in such an economy. It is behind this backdrop that SLS commented that the law makers activities are inflationary. This is in line with my idea that rather than increase the minimum wage alone, something should be done to the maximum wage the senators are getting.

This charade, though insightful - in terms of the quality of representation at the national assembly, but it is also eventful in our onward match towards good governance. We need good people. Men and Women who know what they are doing. People whose only interest is the future of Nigeria and our unborn children. People who are not thinking of what they can take out, but what common good they can create from what is available, people who are bold enough to stare these goons in the face, and still have the decorum to say the truth. People who are passionate and integrity – Men like Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Hear him:-

“My name is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi” my name is not CBN Governor. I will not be the CBN Governor for ever, but I will always be a Nigerian… I enjoy my job but if you want me to quit, I will honourably quit”

On his own part, the Minister of Finance Mr. Aganga had earlier threatened to cut the budgetary allocation of the Assembly. Something he quickly denied in the face of clear hostilities. By so doing, wrote himself out of my good books. But we hope others would act when called upon and not be overwhelmed with cowardice and fear. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, a powerful agent of government declares publicly that he is ready to vacate his job based on principle. But that will only make them happy. We should be ready to also stand up and be counted amongst the change champions. I will design a flyer urging the NAS to apologize to the Governor.

This storm is not over yet. I know the days to come will be action packed in this never-ending soap opera. It is time to act. I wonder what Nigeria would be like, if 5 more people like SLS were strategically placed in different sectors? Would we have the sorry state of affairs we have today? Would a “convict” lead a panel of inquiry? Would the NAS be a law unto itself? Would I be writing this, or sitting lazily in my boat off the Lagos lagoon? If someone who we all know has good intentions is forces out of office, would we seat and watch or would we stand up and make that match to NAS to press home our demands? Do we have to wait until then to act? Shouldn’t the Labour union act on this and set the ball rolling? – Isn’t this revolution we so long for at hand? Starring us in the face. How will history write these days? “Another Opportunity Missed” or “How the cookie finally crumbled”.


PS.
I hear the lower house has also summoned SLS before it, with a view to further disgracing the governor - Makes one wonder who advises them, cant they see the writing on the wall? Who is going to be the fall guy today?

Naija - Majoring in Minor

Preamble:
I recently went on a road trip to Ilorin Kwara state – a round trip journey of over 1400KM all in the name of felicitating with my boss on the occasion of her daughter’s wedding. I knew Ilorin had few if any flights on a good day, and with the joining of two “Rich Kids” all flights were fully booked. So I decided to hit the road. As you may have imagined, the journey was as terrible as hell, the road was worse than you can imagine – Hill and gully rides that saw as crawling at less than 60km/Hr for most part of the journey. The outward leg from Abuja – Okenne – Kabba – Ilorin took 7 hours 30mins, while the return leg via Ekitti took about 6 hours. So I spent more time sitting in the car than I spent at the Church and reception combined.

Throughout my journey and indeed, at the wedding ceremony, I couldn’t help but notice how diverse our cultures are, from subtle hints in the architecture in each village, I watched how straight lines made way for Islamic arches in great and small buildings... I watched how the dressing of the common villager changed to reflect Christian and Muslim values. On the several 2011 election posters that littered each community, I noticed the Yoruba names of aspirants in the middle of Kogi State (reminded me about one of my old blog articles on Igbo names and Ikwerres in the deep south). As we approached Ilorin, I noticed the strong Muslim presence and recalled that history of the Usman Dan-fodio led Jihad that brought Islam as far as the Ilorin in western Nigeria. All this gladdened my heart – to see how dynamic culture is, and how civilisation propelled by education and enlightenment can change a people, regardless of how remote their location. The expeditions of Usman Dan-fodio, Mungo Park, John & Richard Lander (the Lander brothers) and the early Christian missionaries have all added their unique hue to the kaleidoscope before me.

As expected, I must have seen something wrong, something odd, something most would ignore or not bother about. Yes indeed. I noticed how blinded the present Nigerian is about carving his own identity, distinct from the norm. I noticed that despite the evolution of things around us, that we have decided to chart our own course – even if it leads to nowhere... Before I am beheaded, let me outline the things I noticed.

• That there were only a few modern buildings in each village I passed – probably belonged to the political elite in the community – ex Senators, Representatives, and local councillors
• But there was always a (new) hotel, even in the midst of poverty – probably belongs to the politicians, built to accommodate his guests on the event of a country side getaway, funeral, turbaning, etc.
• The ever increasing loot of the political elite is evidenced by the size of the houses they build – I saw forts, castles, not palaces and mansions as we are used to. No doubt this is fuelled by their unholy remuneration – something I have written about in the past.

To my mind, one obvious thing that was missing was standards. We lack standards, our yardstick for measuring success is not based on any firm globally acceptable benchmark, but on our ignorance and greed. I will elaborate on some of these issues in the months to come, but for now, I will concentrate on only one, standards on the road.

Everybody Say Yeah Yeah!

For most young Nigerians at home, Fela Anikulapo Kuti is perhaps one character they would rather not be associated with. I was seriously put off by one “oyimbo wanna be” Nigerian girl I met overseas when she professed her hatred for Fela. For yet another category of Nigerians (the over 35’s) Fela represents the courage, passion and simplicity that most of us lack. Fela is one man that stoke his neck out (more often than he needed to) in defence of the poor and down trodden, this fuelled his legendary Afro rhythm that inspired a nation and captivated the world.

The World? Ostensibly, Felas genre of music – aptly tagged “Afro Beat” is for Africans at home and abroad. However, you would be surprised to learn how popular this charismatic, eccentric artiste is – From experience, i know that one of the few GOOD things I hear about Nigeria from foreigners is about music and football.

In the 1989 as a naive teenager in a crowed dance floor in far away Perth, Scotland, I was stunned to hear those unmistakable “Sorrow, tears and blood” anthem from the 1978 “Coffin for Mr. President“ album. The lyrics “Everybody run, run, run, everybody scatter scatter” could have made sense to the sole African in the club, but I couldn’t help but wonder why, the rest carried on like they could understand what he was saying. My conclusion was that white people would dance to any funky beat regardless of what was being said. That was to change a few years down the line in the then popular South London Nigerian hang out called “Calabar” where I met Fela’s number 1 fan. Arnold... A blue eyed English man who had fallen head-over-hills with Nigeria. Having never visited the country, he learnt how to speak Pidgin English from listening to Fela and hanging out with Nigerians over the years. His passion for Afro Beat appealed to me, as I also have a taste for exotic music far removed from my social and political culture. But I don’t think I could have gone for all Tarrus Riely and Sean Pauls concerts, yet Arnold had not missed any Fela concert anywhere in continental Europe.

Fela Abami eba! Immortalized on Broadway!
In a classic case of a prophet not known in his own kingdom, Fela’s fame outside Nigeria is unrivalled by any other black African musician. Something his son Femi still rides on to date. Like his mother Olufunmilayo before him, The Anikulapo Kuti’s activism runs deep (Beko Kuti is one of Nigeria’s foremost civil activist). There have been several calls for a posthumous award in honour of his fearlessness in his bid to entertain, enlighten and promote our culture. Yet, these have fallen on deaf ears.

Interestingly, the main antagonist Fela sang about throughout his life and their stooges still prowl the corridors of power today. Little wonder why there has been any significant move to honor him. While we wait for our deaf, blind and dumb leadership to rise to the occasion. Other nations and organisation have imortalised this legend - recently Fela’s life and music has hit Broadway.

FELA!, http://felaonbroadway.com/ is the most critically acclaimed new musical of the season, has already received three Tony Awards: Best Choreography, Best Costume Design for a Musical and Best Sound Design of a Musical! Featuring Kevin Mambo as Fela and Grammy award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Patti LaBelle! At the US tour Mitchelle Obama was among the dignitaries at the star studded launch. Read more.

A Promise... is Comfort To a Fool!

1st shocker yesterday was a court ruling upturning Emmanuel Uduaghan's 3 and half years tenure as governor of delta state. Then the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC and Trade Union Congress 3 days warning strike to press home their demand for a N18,000 minimum wage. But like Emperor Nero and his court, the Federal Executive Council celebrated the day by approving billion dollar DCC contracts while Rome burns. It is really annoying when our government bury their head in the sand or look the other way while the poor suffer. But even more annoying is that fact that we always do as they expect us to. A people deserve the leaders they get. We are gullible, easily impressed, and worst still, lack standards.

Why am I wailing again this morning? Well, I was sad to learn that the strike is over just because the President met with the union leaders and as usual, settled the score with yet another promise. A mere promise, like the several promises made to Teachers, Lecturers, Doctors, Nurses, etc... but as the saying goes - a promise, is comfort to a fool.


Who Are The Goons?
You and I, and the so called Labor leaders! Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of those lazy people that want to down tools and stay home for weeks unend. I am also not one of the bourgeois who enjoy the status quo and relish at every event that impedes on the growth of the poor and down trodden. A person whose attitudes and behavior is marked by conformity to the norm. Rather, I think the strike shouldn’t have been about only raising the minimum wage, but reducing the remuneration of top public officers. Yes, that’s one sure fire way to bridge the gap between the upper and middle class in Nigeria.

In situations such as this, it is always nice to compare. While researching the issue, I found 2009 figures that show that the average US senator earned $174,000 par annum (See US Senate Salaries since 1789). A conservative estimate using the official exchange rate works out to roughly N24,360,000.00 I was alarmed to learn that this is not even enough entertainment allowance for their Nigerian counterparts. The Nigerian senator earns N43,000,000 quarterly - N129,000,000 annually (about $908,450.00). In fact the several people before me have written about the unholy sums the Nigerian government pay their lawmakers. (See Nigerian Senators Earn 10 Times more than their counterparts and An appendix while the nation rots away. Little wonder why you can find all forms of luxurious effects in our society, where an undeveloped piece of land cost more than a town house in Virginia USA, yet the masses still suffer in abject poverty.

In all, we can conclude that the Nigerian senator is not only the highest paid law maker in the world, but earns 10 times more than the president of the United States of America. How ironic, in a country where millions have to make do with less than $1 a day. Even more worrying is the fact that they want more (See 2011 Election: Senators want N10.9 billion quarterly) No doubt Nigeria is ripe for a revolution, these self servicing law makers should be done away with, I support the strike, and I am not happy with the focus of labour unions. NLC should not be looking only towards raising the minimum wage, but go further to reduce the maximum one. How much work does a law maker do? Why should they earn so much? Little wonder why Nigerian politicians perpetuate themselves in power – who would walk away from such a sumptuous dish? Little wonder why they are ready to kill to remain there, and what do we do to help? fan their fire by asking for a raise on all levels while there is nothing in the offing to sustain the endeavor. This drama is akin to a house hold whose output is marginal but where the father drives a Jaguar and the kids no longer see reason why they should trek, and are therefore demanding for a VW beetle - in comparison to their neighbors who run a successful family business and the Father drives an average Japanese salon and the kids ride bus. While one family is able to gradually climb the ladder of economic growth, the other will soon run out of fuel money in the first year alone. If only things were this easy to explain, life would have be a bed of roses in deed. That is why I often think from my ass. yes out of this world.

My Blue Sky "A**" thinking – the Way Out.
First off, let me say that true democracy is unattainable (if at all feasible), no nation in the world can boast of practicing true democracy, Surprisingly, democracy cannot be easily explained, Abraham Lincoln’s popular definition as “the government of the people by the people and for the people” (Lincoln, 1863) is actually a Utopian idea that still exists to date. Consequently, the concept of governance has evolved 3 main forms. 1. Representative type where people select (or elect) representation. 2. Citizens participation, where representation deliberate with citizens to reach a consensus. and lastly 3. a Direct form where everyone plays a role. Yes,everyone. Until recently with the advent of technology, this 3rd form of governance was beyond any society. but it is now possible - Like me, Ari Orr thinks this has made representation obsolete -

"THE ANTIQUATED, COMPLICATED, SLOW, AND EXPENSIVE, SYSTEM OF ELECTIONS, PARLIAMENTS, AND GOVERNMENTS, IS OBSOLETE TODAY. WHY KEEP A DOMINATING, ALIENATING, INEFFICIENT, EXPENSIVE, AND CORRUPTIVE SYSTEM WHEN A MUCH FREER, FASTER, CHEAPER, AND INCORRUPTIBLE SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE?

”
I have often been accused of being a Technological Determinist (one who thinks technology solves all problems) in fact a bosom friend of mine calls me TD. But I am not alone, some civilized nations are already thinking of Direct Governance, one in which people make their laws through public participation in eGovernment. Utilizing tools like referendums and public portals to engage citizens in the conduct of governance. Direct Democracy advocates like Orr see public officers like Senators and false forms of representative government as the evil that must be done away with. These complicated technical problems of bureaucracy of public office continue to be the major reasons why other forms of governance are wasteful and expensive. He surmises that “Today, for the first time in history, it is possible for millions of people to make every political decision themselves, directly - without representatives” (Orr, 2000). The huge expenses spent in running these complex structures should be used to develop our infrastructure and alleviate poverty by creating more jobs.

Nigeria's problems are complex, solving them completely for now is only an Utopian idea, yet it needs to be tackled, Who will bell the cat?

...and there was light.

I remember vividly as a toddler, sitting at the back of my Mums Puegot 404 on our way back from a weekend in the village. As we drove into my estate, I noticed how we were suddenly enveloped in darkness as a power failure from the local utility ensued. I realized it did not affect the headlamp of the car and as all inquiring minds, I asked my Dad why. His answer was short - "NEPA!" and everyone in the car broke out in laughter... I thought the joke was on me, I was too young to understand why they were laughing, but almost 3 decades on, recent events have reminded me to laugh. NEPA - What a joke!

The Power Holding company went on strike yesterday (25 Aug 2010) and called it off early this morning! I am sure a lot of Nigerian stand up comedians will have a field day on this one. So they eventually decided to formalize their 5 decade old prank? If an old man like me witnessed frequent power cuts as a toddler and after so many years the problem still persists, then we truly have a problem. The practice has only gotten worse, its a mixed grill as usual. The 'Haves' and 'Have Nots' - Some people have never experienced a power cut at all, I know of an area in Abuja that has 24 hours of steady power supply, yet there are other locations across the nation where you would be lucky to squeeze out 5 hours from the utility company. In Lagos, NEPA truck patrol the town looking for any "Owanbes" that are yet to 'settle'. When I fist moved to Abuja in 2000, I was so used to the every other day power cut in Lagos that I was afraid of losing my electrical equipments to a constant 24 hour service. Who says they don't know what they are doing? Nigerians have leant how to profiteer over every single issue. The lecturers have strangulated the educational institutions, and Government is playing dumb, while private schools smile to the banks every year.

Too many questions come to mind - What is the difference with not being on strike and yet no power? How difficult is this thing? Is it rocket science? Even if it is how are other dwarf African nations doing it? (Sorry, I hear Nigerians are Giant of Africa). If NEPA has been secretly striking for 50 years, shouldn't we round their bosses up and jail them?

As the vice president of my estate care taker committee, l lead an entourage to visit our local PHCN office to familiarize ourselves on their activities, etc. (the real reason was to know who calls the shots) I learned quite a lot in the short time we were there. I had always thought PHCN to be a crude backward company using ancient equipments Mongo Park would recognize, but i was shocked at their state of the art computer room, where they could switch off power for any street they liked. they call it load shedding. A typical process played out in our presence. A walkies-talkie holaed out some "Base Yanky Papa Oscar" bullshit! and then "Drop 2, 5, and 12 - My girlfriend Mama need light on Port Harcourt Street". I was shocked to learn that their bosses and girlfriends could determine whether you sleep in a pool of sweat or went to work with a well ironed shirt the next day. It was then I realized what Nigeria must do if she was to solve this power problem.

We have examples to follow, We solved a similar problem with Nitel and landlines... Competition. Sack all the top management and privatize PHCN. Address the distribution problem by first reverting to evenly phased allocation of houses. Then Lease the distributed network of lines to different companies to run (PHCN can not be a private monopoly).

But there are still issues to be dealt with. like retired police and soldiers took to robbery at the end of the war to make ends meet. retired NEPA staff are responsible for the rewiring that leads to congestion and overload and blown transformers across the country. When the officials take you offline, their former counterparts reinstate you. When the blue phase is down, the entire street unwittingly jump to the red phase, bug it down for a few hours and when it over loads and blows out, everyone jumps on the yellow phase, and the circle continues. Back in the days each house was on one phase (just like here in the west only 2 lines comes into your house). Encourage private distribution to the grid. Allow people who have solar, wind and alternate generation plants to add to the National grip. Okay enough of the dreams - I am aware that a group of those people who want us to continue in our suffering wont allow this. The so called cabal that control the importation and distribution of Generators. Who are these people? How do we know that they truly do not want us to succeed?

Brings me to the role of the press. In any nation that thrives, the press plays an important role of watch dog! If you open the pages of the tabloids, you can easily discern what the focus of the paper is on - the quality of the news material goes along way to form public opinion. The message must persuade, detect, amplify, thematize, and dramatize issues that are pertinent to the survival of that society. Our national dailies continue to focus on personalities rather than issues. The newspapers were full of IBB and Atiku related news instead of issues that affect the people directly. What will a real investigative expose on the power issue be like, not really about how much Government has put into it (we are tired of hearing about that), but reveal the faces of this so called cabal. Yes I am not naive, I know papers will not publish negative stories of their creditors. but Journalism has answer for that too - it is called syndication. Publish your work on other peoples papers, in other countries if need be. Technology has even exaburated the issue by blogs, emails, twit, and Social Networks etc where these information can be sold. That is the only way we can wrestle this thing out of their hands. The same thing has to be done for the transport industry - Nigeria has no flag ship in aviation, no railway... What a joke!

N.E.P.A. stands for Never Expect Power At-alltimes (though they masqueraded themselves as the National Electric Power Authority for a long time) and recently, it was aptly re-branded as P.H.C.N. - Please Hold Candle Now! What a joke.

Nigeria Police- Failure To Act Is A Crime!!

As most of you already know, I am a keen follower of some "disgruntled" Nigerian elements... people like me, who are saddened by the happenings in our homeland. Men like Donald Duke whom I had prepared all around me to vote for in the Baba botched elections, I hope he will run again and usher Nigeria into a new era.

I also like some not-so-popular characters like my "demolition king" Nasiru el-Rufia who thought the visions of our fathers should not be thwarted by the rich and powerful - though his activities as FCT minister remain quite debatable, we cant deny the fact that he stubbornly restored the beauty of that city - and the lessons learnt are now been applied in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Owerri. I also love and have made contact with another fearless men - Ribadu who dared touch the lions tail. Ironically, most of these men played a major role in the administration of someone I am not so fund of - but thats a story for another day.

Nasiru recently (late January 2010) invited short notes on what we think Nigeria needs (I guess he is polling ideas) and I gave him my 10 cents worth on the issue. I decided to publish it after seeing the gory picture on the right. Apparently taken after a robbery incident on Benin - Lagos express way.

I got it off a certain Henry Ajofors Status. which claimed the dead bodies were victims who could not provide cash or valuables to the robbers - at gun point the bus driver was asked to run them over. Another spin on the story says the vitims were crushed when an unsuspecting bus driver ran into the highway robbery at night. Whichever way you look at it, I think it is a failure of law enforcement. I doubt that the situation would have presented itself in the first place, if the police were doing a good job at combating crime.

Below is my short (abridged) reply to Nasiru's invitation on how Technology can help Nigeria.

===========

Dear Nasiru,

It gladdened my heart to read your special invitation to send in our thoughts about our dear country. I am a man of not so many words, and really can’t resist the temptation to wait until I have written down something nice. So I will take my chances and hope you will project and see where my thoughts may lead.

Like most like-minded Nigerians, I have often contemplated the source of our problems. Drawing from pre-colonial history, religion, culture, the civil war, until date. I still cannot put my finger on it, but I will not put it past the people.

Nigeria’s problem is the state of mind of the people that call it home – I am a keen believer in the fact that “a people deserve the leaders they get”. We may continue to grope in the dark, until we recognize the fact- that until we seek to preserve our heritage for the common good (not self), we are doomed to live in shame. You will do well to argue that saying the people are to blame is not fair, and probably too open ended. I know that there is no simple solution to our common problems which stern from Eroded cultural values, religion, rule of law, greed, self servicing representation, etc to name a few. We all know these problems, none-the-less, what continues to elude us is how to set about solving it. My answer? – Technology! (Information Systems)

I am not a student of law, nor am I a politician. I have spent the last decade and a half developing and applying technology to solve corporate problems both in the UK and at home in Nigeria. I am about to conclude a masters in eGovernance in a bid to veer off and see how I can apply technology to solve problems of governance in Nigeria. Technology knows no friend or foe, speaks no particular language and bears no allegiance to any political party, not even its creator. This easily lends itself to remove the subjectivity and inefficiency of human mediation in aiding governance. Technology challenges professionals (even politicians) as it ostensibly sets to demystify their activities. Most aware public officers have taken to IT to mediate- Pls see how, the Obama administration blogs, the Australian government uses IT, and how Nasiru El’ Rufai blogs…

Unlike those who feel Information Systems are easy fixes, even here in the west, introducing technology to governance has been fraught with huge challenges that often end in failure, but a well structured programme that brings value to both the governed and the government has ushered the west into a new era where the citizenry feel they are part of the government thereby increasing the gulf between the 3^rd and the 1^st world.

It is the lack of this conjoined IS systems that paints a sorry picture of the state of affairs in Nigeria. The west cant understand why we cant fish out 419ers, they cant understand why elections are rigged over and over again, they cant understand why people are gunned down and the police have no clue and leads to start their investigation, they can’t understand why there is not database of records or births death, marriages for the country. Now, imagine a Nigeria where technology links up the registry (birth, marriage, death, vehicle) to Law enforcement (police, courts, intelligence). Where, data is mined for elections, census? Where the CBN, AGF, Government agencies share data. Technology is the leading edge the west has over the 3^rd world.

A society where there is peace and safety (checked by technology), where the police and its agencies will enforce the law (aided by technology), prosecute the guilty (based on scientific facts not cohesion), where the electoral process is devoid of subjective human intervention - will ultimately lead to one where no man is above the law.

There is no blueprint on how to evolve a technologically driven society, but a good start is to introduce it in school to produce a information systems savvy citizenry, while encouraging inter- agency IT convergence. I am very keen on this convergence and plan workshops to government agencies to see how I can get involved.

I am running late for an appointment, but would like to hear your take on this.

Kind regards

************ - Shakabula