It is really funny how you try to make sense of the world and it just doesn’t add up. A lot of things that should ordinarily be are out of place and a lot of things that shouldn’t be the way they are allowed to stand to please some people and people with common sense are appalled.
A discourse on Iraq is an over flogged issue. However, the reverberation around the world is enough to drive sane people to seek workable solutions. I have been thinking about something for a few weeks now.
The United States of America invaded Iraq going against all international norms, conventions and rules of engagement, also not forgetting the UN was not in support of the war from the beginning.
America allegedly invaded Iraq because they were suspected of having Weapons of Mass Destruction. Overtime, that reason was found to be untrue. Even if Iraq had weapons of Mass Destruction, did Saddam Hussein leave anybody in doubt that he had the capability and the will to launch an attack against any country? Though, the invasion was later being justified because Saddam was a monster who was killing/terrorizing his own people. Was he the only one who killed/terrorized his people? There are lots of other countries where their leaders are disconnected from the people and they are terrors to their own citizens.
The fact which is out there on the table is that President Bush sanctioned the invasion of Iraq and is a very good candidate for the International Criminal Court in the Hague. A lot of people have been killed, maimed and millions of people will never return to normalcy.
What more does the ICC need to prosecute the former President of the USA?
07 July, 2009
21 June, 2009
Dear Mr. President by P. O. Agbo
Dear Mr. President,
I'm sure you are tired of people saying you are not performing as a
president. Mr. President, for your own name in the annals of Nigerian
history, pull out the check book and contact these companies listed
below immediately. If you call these companies, Nigeria's power
problem will be a thing of the past. These are companies with decades
of experience in everything Nigeria needs to move the country forward.
If you start the process of solving Nigeria's power problem by
contacting these companies, Nigerians will forever remain grateful.
1. Bechtel USA
www.bechtel.com
415-768-1234
2. AECOM USA
www.aecom.com
213-593-8000
3. ABB
www.abb.com
Mr. President, call these companies, sit down and ask them to:
1. Give you a satellite image of Nigeria:
Sit down around a table, draw a line going from North to South, Draw
another line going from East to west. Ask them to give you a quote to
build a six lane freeways that goes along these lines.
Draw a circle half way from the center of the previous line. Ask them
to give you a quote on how much it will cost to build another six lane freeway
and railroad along this circle you just made.
2. Ask them to give you a quote on how much it will cost to build a
21st century power generation and distribution grid.
3. Ask for a 5 year commitment for them to run the power station and
train Nigerians on the job.
Mr. President, you will not solve Nigeria's infrastructure problem by
going anywhere else. Please, this is the 21st Century, how can you
award a contract to a company where Nigerians cannot get online and
see the company previous projects. How can you give Nigeria's money
away without a serious due diligence to see if the company has the
wherewithal to handle a project of that magnitude. You have a duty to
lead Nigeria out of darkness, please Sir, do something. I am hopeful
these 3 companies will give Nigeria a chance and come and help us.
Stop your Ministers from looting Nigeria's treasury by bringing all
these companies from Asia and Eastern Europe to loot our treasury.
Remember few billions was given to Chinese Engineering & Construction
Company to build railroad. Sir I have been searching the web to find
this company, to see the projects they've done before, to see a blue
print of what they are going to build for Nigeria. I have not seen
anything.
Fighting online bloggers and press is not going to solve any problem.
These journalists are doing what journalists do: report on things that
affect Nigerians. Every single one of these online reporters have
cried for Nigeria just like I have. To watch a country so richly
blessed be plundered by a bunch of kleptomaniacs makes us all cry. To
see the police shoot innocent Nigerians and call them armed robbers
makes us all cry. Mr. President Nigeria belongs to all of us. Large
percentage of us want to come home but how can we do that when you,
the President, cannot guarantee the safety of property or life. Nobody
hates you as a human being. We hate that you are in that office and
seem not to know what to do.
Stop the killing in Niger Delta, enough is enough. Get these multinational companies devastating the region to become partners, build
schools, bridges etc in the region where they tapping oil and reaping
100% returns. Remove the name militants and talk these Nigerians. An Army should never point a weapon at its own citizens.
Out of these companies, choose one for power and one for the road
construction. Sir, they are afraid that a new government will come in
and not pay them. That's one of the reasons why reputable American
companies doesn't want to do business with Nigeria. So open escrow
account and write a check for the whole project. These companies do
not abandon projects. They do not give kickbacks. They will get
Nigeria back on track. Do something Mr. President, Do something. Obama
chose to go to Ghana because we have become irrelevant. Do Something.
Show the world you know what to do.
These kids who are being called militants, kidnappers, 419ers will
have the ability to open a bakery and know that power will not go out.
My mother, Mr. President will be able to sell cold water knowing that
power will not go out. A country without middle class cannot survive.
Sorry, I had to break it down to you like this. We love our country.
To solve our problem doesn't take a rocket scientist. And as you can
see, no mention of tribe or ethnicity here because we are all the
same, Nigerians. I am tired of my fellow country men and women saying
"na God/Allah dey doam". No, we have to do this. God has done his part
by given us the resources. It is up to us to use the resources to
better our people.
Create Your Legacy. Like Obama said "You will be remembered by what
you built, not what you destroyed."
Thank You Mr. President.
P. O. Agbo
Los Angeles.
etep007@gmail.com
I'm sure you are tired of people saying you are not performing as a
president. Mr. President, for your own name in the annals of Nigerian
history, pull out the check book and contact these companies listed
below immediately. If you call these companies, Nigeria's power
problem will be a thing of the past. These are companies with decades
of experience in everything Nigeria needs to move the country forward.
If you start the process of solving Nigeria's power problem by
contacting these companies, Nigerians will forever remain grateful.
1. Bechtel USA
www.bechtel.com
415-768-1234
2. AECOM USA
www.aecom.com
213-593-8000
3. ABB
www.abb.com
Mr. President, call these companies, sit down and ask them to:
1. Give you a satellite image of Nigeria:
Sit down around a table, draw a line going from North to South, Draw
another line going from East to west. Ask them to give you a quote to
build a six lane freeways that goes along these lines.
Draw a circle half way from the center of the previous line. Ask them
to give you a quote on how much it will cost to build another six lane freeway
and railroad along this circle you just made.
2. Ask them to give you a quote on how much it will cost to build a
21st century power generation and distribution grid.
3. Ask for a 5 year commitment for them to run the power station and
train Nigerians on the job.
Mr. President, you will not solve Nigeria's infrastructure problem by
going anywhere else. Please, this is the 21st Century, how can you
award a contract to a company where Nigerians cannot get online and
see the company previous projects. How can you give Nigeria's money
away without a serious due diligence to see if the company has the
wherewithal to handle a project of that magnitude. You have a duty to
lead Nigeria out of darkness, please Sir, do something. I am hopeful
these 3 companies will give Nigeria a chance and come and help us.
Stop your Ministers from looting Nigeria's treasury by bringing all
these companies from Asia and Eastern Europe to loot our treasury.
Remember few billions was given to Chinese Engineering & Construction
Company to build railroad. Sir I have been searching the web to find
this company, to see the projects they've done before, to see a blue
print of what they are going to build for Nigeria. I have not seen
anything.
Fighting online bloggers and press is not going to solve any problem.
These journalists are doing what journalists do: report on things that
affect Nigerians. Every single one of these online reporters have
cried for Nigeria just like I have. To watch a country so richly
blessed be plundered by a bunch of kleptomaniacs makes us all cry. To
see the police shoot innocent Nigerians and call them armed robbers
makes us all cry. Mr. President Nigeria belongs to all of us. Large
percentage of us want to come home but how can we do that when you,
the President, cannot guarantee the safety of property or life. Nobody
hates you as a human being. We hate that you are in that office and
seem not to know what to do.
Stop the killing in Niger Delta, enough is enough. Get these multinational companies devastating the region to become partners, build
schools, bridges etc in the region where they tapping oil and reaping
100% returns. Remove the name militants and talk these Nigerians. An Army should never point a weapon at its own citizens.
Out of these companies, choose one for power and one for the road
construction. Sir, they are afraid that a new government will come in
and not pay them. That's one of the reasons why reputable American
companies doesn't want to do business with Nigeria. So open escrow
account and write a check for the whole project. These companies do
not abandon projects. They do not give kickbacks. They will get
Nigeria back on track. Do something Mr. President, Do something. Obama
chose to go to Ghana because we have become irrelevant. Do Something.
Show the world you know what to do.
These kids who are being called militants, kidnappers, 419ers will
have the ability to open a bakery and know that power will not go out.
My mother, Mr. President will be able to sell cold water knowing that
power will not go out. A country without middle class cannot survive.
Sorry, I had to break it down to you like this. We love our country.
To solve our problem doesn't take a rocket scientist. And as you can
see, no mention of tribe or ethnicity here because we are all the
same, Nigerians. I am tired of my fellow country men and women saying
"na God/Allah dey doam". No, we have to do this. God has done his part
by given us the resources. It is up to us to use the resources to
better our people.
Create Your Legacy. Like Obama said "You will be remembered by what
you built, not what you destroyed."
Thank You Mr. President.
P. O. Agbo
Los Angeles.
etep007@gmail.com
A cashless World
Imagine a world without cash. Imagine a world where physical money becomes extinct. What would a world like that be like?
Before the invention of the paper money by people in China a long time ago, people have always had forms of transaction which invariably leads to Trade-by-barter of goods and services.
Since the introduction of paper money that has different values, it has subtly become the next free-flowing thing after water.
In today’s world, what can you do without money? You can certainly move around with your debit and credit cards in your wallet and do most of your transactions but a bill or a coin to toss here and there is not at all out of place.
Taking reality into cognizance, the world from the UK to the Cayman Islands, Somalia to Italy, Niger to Taiwan does not have the capability to eliminate cash from the system.
Imagine taking your card to Bolade Oshodi, Lagos to swipe your card for just two oranges. Even if the orange seller tells you there is a machine available for use, you’ll probably think it is a ploy to steal your card information.
Cultures, Norms and Values will be challenged leading to a new world order.
Some people will flow with the dynamics and make more money while some would become poor in no time because they can’t just get the concept and survive without physical cash in their transactions.
By legislation or something, if everybody in the world, residents and visitors alike need to have a consolidated card that will contain their bio-data, bank account details and balances…I presume that financial crime will drastically reduce. There would be financial accountability that will make the world a sane place. Morals as well are bound to be on the increase as some people would not want to have a traceable anomaly behavior to them.
Developing countries will now have a real chance of infrastructural development.
People in developing countries can now walk the streets at anytime of their choosing without the fear of the men of the underworld.
In developed countries, illegal immigrants will be virtually non-existent.
What is your take on this?
Before the invention of the paper money by people in China a long time ago, people have always had forms of transaction which invariably leads to Trade-by-barter of goods and services.
Since the introduction of paper money that has different values, it has subtly become the next free-flowing thing after water.
In today’s world, what can you do without money? You can certainly move around with your debit and credit cards in your wallet and do most of your transactions but a bill or a coin to toss here and there is not at all out of place.
Taking reality into cognizance, the world from the UK to the Cayman Islands, Somalia to Italy, Niger to Taiwan does not have the capability to eliminate cash from the system.
Imagine taking your card to Bolade Oshodi, Lagos to swipe your card for just two oranges. Even if the orange seller tells you there is a machine available for use, you’ll probably think it is a ploy to steal your card information.
Cultures, Norms and Values will be challenged leading to a new world order.
Some people will flow with the dynamics and make more money while some would become poor in no time because they can’t just get the concept and survive without physical cash in their transactions.
By legislation or something, if everybody in the world, residents and visitors alike need to have a consolidated card that will contain their bio-data, bank account details and balances…I presume that financial crime will drastically reduce. There would be financial accountability that will make the world a sane place. Morals as well are bound to be on the increase as some people would not want to have a traceable anomaly behavior to them.
Developing countries will now have a real chance of infrastructural development.
People in developing countries can now walk the streets at anytime of their choosing without the fear of the men of the underworld.
In developed countries, illegal immigrants will be virtually non-existent.
What is your take on this?
18 June, 2009
Iran
On the eve of the Iranian elections, an Iranian friend of mine, Majid walked up to me and asked me whether I was following the Iranian elections. I replied in the affirmative. We talked for a little while on what the election portends for the people of Iran.
When you meet an Iranian for the first time, you will be forgiven for having the misconception that you are meeting a potential terrorist.
As far as I know, democracy as it should be is still alien to the people of Iran. How and why did a cleric become the Supreme Leader? Isn’t that title supposed to be God’s?
For a while now, world news is not complete without a mention of the alleged role of Iranian-backed activities in Iraq, their grandstanding against the United States on Nuclear Programs and their defiance of United Nations sanctions.
The elections gave the people of Iran two choices. The first choice is to stay with Ahmadinejad and rubber-stamp his continued opposition to the United States and make continuous headline news for all the wrong reasons on major news channels all over the world.
The second choice is for them to break away from the past and embrace the world. I have met a lot of Iranians and they are not just Iranians. They are human beings, intelligent, active people always shying away from trouble.
The people of Iran are tired of being of Ahmadinejad that has put them at war with the world. They want to meet the world on their own terms and not what the establishment says. The women are tired of being oppressed in the name of Religion. They want to dress as normal people and interact with their fellow countrymen on their own terms. They are simply tired of being remotely controlled and being zombies.
Of course, Ahmadinejad is not the cause of the Present perception of the Iranian people. That can be traced back to the US embassy holdup from 1979-1981. I have read about the experience of a French-American-Iranian whose father worked for the Iranian Oil Company in the 70’s.
The grouse of the Iranian people is that Ahmadinejad with the backing of the establishment that he represents is worsening their situation.
The Presidential election as we understand was a farce and is causing a lot of unrest and reverberations around the world. Since the Islamic uprising of 1979, Iran has never seen anything like this. The people have taken a stand.
I cannot begin to imagine the backroom deals going on right now to calm the situation but any deal made with Mousavi is going to hold up for just four years. Any attempt to rig future elections would be met with better organized and well-orchestrated opposition.
The situation in Iran should be noted by people from Africa and the rest of the developing world where sham elections are conducted and justified. The people can rise up to say defend their votes and not allow any Supreme Leader or Court to decide their fate.
When you meet an Iranian for the first time, you will be forgiven for having the misconception that you are meeting a potential terrorist.
As far as I know, democracy as it should be is still alien to the people of Iran. How and why did a cleric become the Supreme Leader? Isn’t that title supposed to be God’s?
For a while now, world news is not complete without a mention of the alleged role of Iranian-backed activities in Iraq, their grandstanding against the United States on Nuclear Programs and their defiance of United Nations sanctions.
The elections gave the people of Iran two choices. The first choice is to stay with Ahmadinejad and rubber-stamp his continued opposition to the United States and make continuous headline news for all the wrong reasons on major news channels all over the world.
The second choice is for them to break away from the past and embrace the world. I have met a lot of Iranians and they are not just Iranians. They are human beings, intelligent, active people always shying away from trouble.
The people of Iran are tired of being of Ahmadinejad that has put them at war with the world. They want to meet the world on their own terms and not what the establishment says. The women are tired of being oppressed in the name of Religion. They want to dress as normal people and interact with their fellow countrymen on their own terms. They are simply tired of being remotely controlled and being zombies.
Of course, Ahmadinejad is not the cause of the Present perception of the Iranian people. That can be traced back to the US embassy holdup from 1979-1981. I have read about the experience of a French-American-Iranian whose father worked for the Iranian Oil Company in the 70’s.
The grouse of the Iranian people is that Ahmadinejad with the backing of the establishment that he represents is worsening their situation.
The Presidential election as we understand was a farce and is causing a lot of unrest and reverberations around the world. Since the Islamic uprising of 1979, Iran has never seen anything like this. The people have taken a stand.
I cannot begin to imagine the backroom deals going on right now to calm the situation but any deal made with Mousavi is going to hold up for just four years. Any attempt to rig future elections would be met with better organized and well-orchestrated opposition.
The situation in Iran should be noted by people from Africa and the rest of the developing world where sham elections are conducted and justified. The people can rise up to say defend their votes and not allow any Supreme Leader or Court to decide their fate.
31 May, 2009
Cheating the system...
Why do Nigerians like cheating the system?
We Nigerians have created and cultivated a very negative image of ourselves to the world.
Everybody likes the good things of life but we have an insatiable desire to acquire the very best of things the world has to offer. In trying to acquire these stuffs, we go to unimaginable lengths in trying to do so.
What got me thinking a few months ago is the yahoozze culture that an alarming proportion of Nigerian youths are involved in…IT has now become a way of life insomuch that a lot of people have perfected the art and now people undergo training to become certified yahoo dons…
Even People who are not into ‘yahoo’ have a tendency to do the wrong thing needlessly as if we have been accursed with the spirit of wrongdoing.
We always try to find a shortcut to do things in and out of the country. We don’t ever want to go through the normal channel…A Nigerian believes there is always a way round everything.
For days, I mulled over the question, why do Nigerians like cheating the system?
I wondered if it was malfunctioning gene in our genetic make-up that is responsible or we were made to be so by the Creator?
Perpetuation of bad acts is not peculiar to Nigerians, home and abroad alone. Nationals of other countries also engage in nefarious activities.
The main reason why we get picked up on is the fact that our country is seen as the arrow-head of the black race. Therefore, Nigerians are expected to blaze the trail in the socio-economic & political landscape on the African continent and our country, Nigeria is supposed to be a good model for other African countries.
Unfortunately, such is not the case.
Nigerians like cheating the system because the system has never been fair to them.
The system has been manipulated to favor an elite few while a lot of people out there, out of the establishment suffer the brunt of their misdeeds.
So, if a naija youth does something to skirt the system and he is successful, he’s happy because in his own thinking, he has been able to conquer the system.
That is why Nigerians are ever so ready to break laws or experiment with law breaking because it gives them a sense of victory over a system.
It doesn’t matter in which system you find us…Rules are meant to be broken!
May 5, 2008
Olukunle Samuel Sogeke
We Nigerians have created and cultivated a very negative image of ourselves to the world.
Everybody likes the good things of life but we have an insatiable desire to acquire the very best of things the world has to offer. In trying to acquire these stuffs, we go to unimaginable lengths in trying to do so.
What got me thinking a few months ago is the yahoozze culture that an alarming proportion of Nigerian youths are involved in…IT has now become a way of life insomuch that a lot of people have perfected the art and now people undergo training to become certified yahoo dons…
Even People who are not into ‘yahoo’ have a tendency to do the wrong thing needlessly as if we have been accursed with the spirit of wrongdoing.
We always try to find a shortcut to do things in and out of the country. We don’t ever want to go through the normal channel…A Nigerian believes there is always a way round everything.
For days, I mulled over the question, why do Nigerians like cheating the system?
I wondered if it was malfunctioning gene in our genetic make-up that is responsible or we were made to be so by the Creator?
Perpetuation of bad acts is not peculiar to Nigerians, home and abroad alone. Nationals of other countries also engage in nefarious activities.
The main reason why we get picked up on is the fact that our country is seen as the arrow-head of the black race. Therefore, Nigerians are expected to blaze the trail in the socio-economic & political landscape on the African continent and our country, Nigeria is supposed to be a good model for other African countries.
Unfortunately, such is not the case.
Nigerians like cheating the system because the system has never been fair to them.
The system has been manipulated to favor an elite few while a lot of people out there, out of the establishment suffer the brunt of their misdeeds.
So, if a naija youth does something to skirt the system and he is successful, he’s happy because in his own thinking, he has been able to conquer the system.
That is why Nigerians are ever so ready to break laws or experiment with law breaking because it gives them a sense of victory over a system.
It doesn’t matter in which system you find us…Rules are meant to be broken!
May 5, 2008
Olukunle Samuel Sogeke
30 May, 2009
Letter to Mr. President
Mr. President Umaru Yaradua, saanu o. Mo ki yin toloogun toloogun, mo sit un ki yin t’alagbada t’alagbada.
Friday 29th May marked two years of your administration in Nigeria…God be praised!
With a very heavy heart, Mr. President, I have to tell you this…I am ashamed of you. I’m ashamed not because of your reported sickness but by the under-performance of your government and your lackadaisical attitude towards governance. By the way, May God bless you with good health.
By the time your predecessor, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration clocked two years on 29 May 2001, a lot of achievements had been recorded.
Civil servants were motivated to work…salaries had been increased…the NLC was championing the cause of the people and their leaders were not clamped in jail…the economy was growing.
Civil servants could afford a decent car without being tied up in debts. Parents could afford to send their children to decent private schools instead of the misfit public schools we have around. Businessmen and women had hopes of making it in life through hard work. The environment was just right for investing. “Gbemu Aremu” became a slogan, not because OBJ paid anybody but it came about because people credited him with the boom in the economy.
Though fuel price was increased, it was affordable and available.
Furthermore, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd.) was junketing around the world trying to redeem our dear country’s image…we never felt at any time that the country was without a leader.
Bilateral relations between Nigeria and other nations were improving and the hitherto sleeping giant of Africa was beginning to be reckoned with in the comity of nations. Technocrats started taking over ministries. Institutions to combat corruption started springing up.
Mr. President, I am sorry to have to tell you that your administration has disappointed Nigerians. Nigerians never trusted you for a second because of the way you came by the office but they hoped that you would at least prove yourself to be the true servant-leader that you are self-styled.
You have proven to be nothing more than a dove “mouth-piecing” for serpents, an assertion I held since 2007.
I would have loved to sit at your feet and let you regale me with the tale of the situation of things when you took over government: the unaccounted millions of dollars, the bad state of our Federal Roads, a grossly abused electoral process, politicized EFCC, epileptic power supply, corrupt-ridden NNPC, NPA, demoralized police force, etc.
Spare me, sir! Mi o ko je…
A leader in your position takes ultimate responsibility takes the full responsibility for everything that happens under his watch.
Though you started on a good note by reversing some anti-people policies put in place by the OBJ administration, I have to ask you: What has been the resultant effect on the lives of Nigerians?
Your ministers, special advisers and some members of the NASS have been busy quietly eating the cake meant for the whole nation. What has your government been doing to stop them or get them to share with the masses? We are not asking for too much…just a bite that will hit us like the “gbemu” that OBJ hit us with at this same time of his administration is enough.
Mr. President, can you name five ministers in your cabinet that have done anything significant? I’m sure that the Minister of Justice and & Attorney General would be first on the list…hmmm…
The truth is that the only news-worthy thing about their portfolios is whether they returned or conveniently forgot to return unspent funds at the end of the year.
On 29 May 2007 when your government was inaugurated, you promised Nigerians and the world that you would set electoral reforms into place. You just sent the honorable members led by Justice Uwais on a wild goose chase…though the rerun elections since the inception of your administration fell short of being credible, we still kept faith with you…e go better…the charade, maiming and killings that characterized the Ekiti elections showed us the kind of elections that your government is capable of organizing with extensive preparations. Kai! You disappointed Nigerians again…worse still, I’m ashamed of you. I’m pretty sure that the mothers, wives, husbands and children of those killed during that period will not spare a moment to pray for Gods blessings on your health and your administration.
You might also want to argue that you are building a strong foundation for tomorrow…eh…what about today? Ti a ba fi ogun odun pi le were, igba wo lo ma to ja?*
You keep hiding behind your rule-of-law mantra but magistrates are now being beaten up on court premises by the Police. Rule-of-law, my yansh…
Your sycophants have been busy using state powers and resources to hound and rubbish opposition and progressive Nigerians.
I love my country but I keep being embarrassed at your actions and inactions that is making my beloved country look like a joke. You have unleashed the military on people you are supposed to dialogue with, protect and serve…people who are agitating for a fair share of their own resources…
In short, you are a colossal failure and I would be surprised if you achieve anything meaningful after your first & second terms. We’ll just have to bear with you for a second term because it looks likely that you’ll foist yourself on us…OBJ doesn’t have to do that for you this time around.
Friday 29th May marked two years of your administration in Nigeria…God be praised!
With a very heavy heart, Mr. President, I have to tell you this…I am ashamed of you. I’m ashamed not because of your reported sickness but by the under-performance of your government and your lackadaisical attitude towards governance. By the way, May God bless you with good health.
By the time your predecessor, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration clocked two years on 29 May 2001, a lot of achievements had been recorded.
Civil servants were motivated to work…salaries had been increased…the NLC was championing the cause of the people and their leaders were not clamped in jail…the economy was growing.
Civil servants could afford a decent car without being tied up in debts. Parents could afford to send their children to decent private schools instead of the misfit public schools we have around. Businessmen and women had hopes of making it in life through hard work. The environment was just right for investing. “Gbemu Aremu” became a slogan, not because OBJ paid anybody but it came about because people credited him with the boom in the economy.
Though fuel price was increased, it was affordable and available.
Furthermore, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd.) was junketing around the world trying to redeem our dear country’s image…we never felt at any time that the country was without a leader.
Bilateral relations between Nigeria and other nations were improving and the hitherto sleeping giant of Africa was beginning to be reckoned with in the comity of nations. Technocrats started taking over ministries. Institutions to combat corruption started springing up.
Mr. President, I am sorry to have to tell you that your administration has disappointed Nigerians. Nigerians never trusted you for a second because of the way you came by the office but they hoped that you would at least prove yourself to be the true servant-leader that you are self-styled.
You have proven to be nothing more than a dove “mouth-piecing” for serpents, an assertion I held since 2007.
I would have loved to sit at your feet and let you regale me with the tale of the situation of things when you took over government: the unaccounted millions of dollars, the bad state of our Federal Roads, a grossly abused electoral process, politicized EFCC, epileptic power supply, corrupt-ridden NNPC, NPA, demoralized police force, etc.
Spare me, sir! Mi o ko je…
A leader in your position takes ultimate responsibility takes the full responsibility for everything that happens under his watch.
Though you started on a good note by reversing some anti-people policies put in place by the OBJ administration, I have to ask you: What has been the resultant effect on the lives of Nigerians?
Your ministers, special advisers and some members of the NASS have been busy quietly eating the cake meant for the whole nation. What has your government been doing to stop them or get them to share with the masses? We are not asking for too much…just a bite that will hit us like the “gbemu” that OBJ hit us with at this same time of his administration is enough.
Mr. President, can you name five ministers in your cabinet that have done anything significant? I’m sure that the Minister of Justice and & Attorney General would be first on the list…hmmm…
The truth is that the only news-worthy thing about their portfolios is whether they returned or conveniently forgot to return unspent funds at the end of the year.
On 29 May 2007 when your government was inaugurated, you promised Nigerians and the world that you would set electoral reforms into place. You just sent the honorable members led by Justice Uwais on a wild goose chase…though the rerun elections since the inception of your administration fell short of being credible, we still kept faith with you…e go better…the charade, maiming and killings that characterized the Ekiti elections showed us the kind of elections that your government is capable of organizing with extensive preparations. Kai! You disappointed Nigerians again…worse still, I’m ashamed of you. I’m pretty sure that the mothers, wives, husbands and children of those killed during that period will not spare a moment to pray for Gods blessings on your health and your administration.
You might also want to argue that you are building a strong foundation for tomorrow…eh…what about today? Ti a ba fi ogun odun pi le were, igba wo lo ma to ja?*
You keep hiding behind your rule-of-law mantra but magistrates are now being beaten up on court premises by the Police. Rule-of-law, my yansh…
Your sycophants have been busy using state powers and resources to hound and rubbish opposition and progressive Nigerians.
I love my country but I keep being embarrassed at your actions and inactions that is making my beloved country look like a joke. You have unleashed the military on people you are supposed to dialogue with, protect and serve…people who are agitating for a fair share of their own resources…
In short, you are a colossal failure and I would be surprised if you achieve anything meaningful after your first & second terms. We’ll just have to bear with you for a second term because it looks likely that you’ll foist yourself on us…OBJ doesn’t have to do that for you this time around.
13 April, 2009
A Brief on Zimbabwe
The greatest disaster of leadership begins to happen when a leader wilfully convinces himself that there is no other person that can lead effectively as himself...Olukunle Samuel Sogeke
The Republic of Zimbabwe, the official name of the land fondly referred to as “Zim” is a country in Southern Africa bordered by Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.
The current population estimation is 13.3million people. An interesting fact worth mentioning is that over 90% of the adult population is literate.
The official languages are English, isiNdebele and Shona.
Interestingly, the Motto of the Zimbabwean people, “Unity, Freedom, Work” does not reflect in the daily lives of the local people. Though the average Zimbabwean is educated, hardworking and resourceful, there is no work to do. The labor market is highly controlled by government, which makes it difficult for employers to recruit workers who are literate and often highly skilled. Zimbabwe is the home of Arthur Mutambara, a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe who is a renowned Robotics Professor and NASA robotics specialist.
The Republic of Zimbabwe was a former colony of the United Kingdom. The British Southern African Company played a prominent role in establishing British rule and the disruption of a once orderly and prosperous land.
Zimbabweans like subjects from other British colonies were veteran World War II Veterans who have largely been uncelebrated and their place in history erodes with each passing day.
In the Republic of Zimbabwe today, men and women who live above 37 and 34 respectively have reached the official end of their lifetime. Every extra day they live is just a bonus that they are just too happy to experience.
The genesis of Zimbabwe’s current travails is traceable to the domination of the country’s political system & mineral resources and by the colonial masters. Chimurenga, an unsuccessful revolution by the Shona people of Zimbabwe to reclaim their land led to a massive loss of their remaining land and the government at that time effectively ceded control to Europeans.
However as I have maintained in some other fora, I refuse to hold any white man or woman responsible for the plight of the African Continent. Though they contributed largely to its origin, the resources at the disposal of the Continent plus the gains from trade which have been squandered or embezzelled outrightly have been more than enough to right the wrongs of the 19th/20th Century.
The downfall of a country begins when its leader with the ultimate responsibility usually, the President or Prime Minister sees himself as the only one capable of managing the affairs of State usually with a gentle push from sycophants. At the point where that happens, attention/priority shifts from programmes capable of developing the country to putting machinery in place to propagate his self-rule. The country is gradually steered towards a course of destruction where it is extremely difficult to recover from in extremely unquantifiable terms of wasted human potentials and eventual loss of sacred human lives.
The praise and admiration people had for Mugabe has effectively given way to scorn and ridicule by people within and outside of Zimbabwe. He has overseen the metamorphosis of his country from a once prosperous nation into one plagued by hunger and diseases.
Currently, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC-T faction and incumbent Prime Minister has successfully battled Mugabe to relinquish partial control of the country using legal and diplomatic moves and more importantly winning elections in the Presidential elections of March 29, 2008.
The battle Morgan Tsvangirai waged is similar to that Mugabe against minority rule pre-1980 Zimbabwe.
The vast majority of Zimbabweans are hungry, frustrated and in dire need of protection from the police and armed forces. Lives have been wasted, people have been displaced and a once prosperous nation has been plagued with the curse of leadership.
However, there is hope for Zimbabwe.
Affluent citizens of Zimbabwe have started asking themselves how they got to this point and what they can do to help their country. Most importantly, the vast majority of Zimbabweans have elected someone they trust to lead them but Mr. Mugabe still would not allow that...
//This is a piece i wrote for the soon-to-be-launched Hope for Zimbabwe website, a charity organisation founded by Miss Azaliah Mapombere
The Republic of Zimbabwe, the official name of the land fondly referred to as “Zim” is a country in Southern Africa bordered by Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.
The current population estimation is 13.3million people. An interesting fact worth mentioning is that over 90% of the adult population is literate.
The official languages are English, isiNdebele and Shona.
Interestingly, the Motto of the Zimbabwean people, “Unity, Freedom, Work” does not reflect in the daily lives of the local people. Though the average Zimbabwean is educated, hardworking and resourceful, there is no work to do. The labor market is highly controlled by government, which makes it difficult for employers to recruit workers who are literate and often highly skilled. Zimbabwe is the home of Arthur Mutambara, a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe who is a renowned Robotics Professor and NASA robotics specialist.
The Republic of Zimbabwe was a former colony of the United Kingdom. The British Southern African Company played a prominent role in establishing British rule and the disruption of a once orderly and prosperous land.
Zimbabweans like subjects from other British colonies were veteran World War II Veterans who have largely been uncelebrated and their place in history erodes with each passing day.
In the Republic of Zimbabwe today, men and women who live above 37 and 34 respectively have reached the official end of their lifetime. Every extra day they live is just a bonus that they are just too happy to experience.
The genesis of Zimbabwe’s current travails is traceable to the domination of the country’s political system & mineral resources and by the colonial masters. Chimurenga, an unsuccessful revolution by the Shona people of Zimbabwe to reclaim their land led to a massive loss of their remaining land and the government at that time effectively ceded control to Europeans.
However as I have maintained in some other fora, I refuse to hold any white man or woman responsible for the plight of the African Continent. Though they contributed largely to its origin, the resources at the disposal of the Continent plus the gains from trade which have been squandered or embezzelled outrightly have been more than enough to right the wrongs of the 19th/20th Century.
The downfall of a country begins when its leader with the ultimate responsibility usually, the President or Prime Minister sees himself as the only one capable of managing the affairs of State usually with a gentle push from sycophants. At the point where that happens, attention/priority shifts from programmes capable of developing the country to putting machinery in place to propagate his self-rule. The country is gradually steered towards a course of destruction where it is extremely difficult to recover from in extremely unquantifiable terms of wasted human potentials and eventual loss of sacred human lives.
The praise and admiration people had for Mugabe has effectively given way to scorn and ridicule by people within and outside of Zimbabwe. He has overseen the metamorphosis of his country from a once prosperous nation into one plagued by hunger and diseases.
Currently, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC-T faction and incumbent Prime Minister has successfully battled Mugabe to relinquish partial control of the country using legal and diplomatic moves and more importantly winning elections in the Presidential elections of March 29, 2008.
The battle Morgan Tsvangirai waged is similar to that Mugabe against minority rule pre-1980 Zimbabwe.
The vast majority of Zimbabweans are hungry, frustrated and in dire need of protection from the police and armed forces. Lives have been wasted, people have been displaced and a once prosperous nation has been plagued with the curse of leadership.
However, there is hope for Zimbabwe.
Affluent citizens of Zimbabwe have started asking themselves how they got to this point and what they can do to help their country. Most importantly, the vast majority of Zimbabweans have elected someone they trust to lead them but Mr. Mugabe still would not allow that...
//This is a piece i wrote for the soon-to-be-launched Hope for Zimbabwe website, a charity organisation founded by Miss Azaliah Mapombere
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