NICHOLAS IBEKWE DESERVE A NATIONAL AWARD

  Do Nigerians really know what they want? This question might sound very simple and even stupid, but the answer will be very helpful to catapulting our nation into the El-dorado of our dream. A young journalist by the name Nicholas Ibekwe did something we have been clamoring for in our nation and from its citizens from time immemorial, especially those in the professional sector of our nation, whose services are determinant if our nation is to survive the onslaught of this cankerworm that has eaten deep into the very foundation of our nation. The young man honorably turned down a N50, 000 bribe, often called “brown envelope” by the corrupt wing of the Nigerian press.

  The moment a man receives any form of incentive from those who are not his employers and those who are directly involved in the case he intends to inform the general public about, his report ceases to be genuine, unbiased and unadulterated. Unfortunately, as is often the case in our dear country, rather than praise this young man for his conviction and good professional ethics, a lot of Nigerians especially the bamboozled slaves of self-styled “gods of men” have come upon him with all sorts of criticisms for doing something noble by divulging the bribery scandal involving Prophet TB Joshua and some corrupt group of journalists to the tune of N770, 000 on the premise that they reported the catastrophe in which more than 80 people have so far lost their lives, without the needed and the necessary journalism objectivity.

  Rather than recommend that the federal government include the name of this brave young man, Nicholas Ibekwe for a national meritorious award, we are allowing a group of brainwashed Nigerians to insult and threaten a noble man who has emerged from the normal Nigerian box to prove that 170 million people cannot all be tagged as corrupt persons. In fact, apart from the necessary investigation to be carried out to determine the real cause of the collapse of the building and the compulsory indictment of Prophet TB Joshua if found guilty of any wrongdoing, especially in the area of the post-rehabilitation of the building without the necessary legal urban developmental and construction permit of the Lagos State government, a parallel investigation should be carried out to clarify the alleged bribe issue to ascertain that no crime was committed.        

SUFFER NOT ONE BOKO HARAM TO LIVE

  Many people might not like my take on this issue but the destruction that the Boko Haram sect has done to our nation and the pains it has caused the citizens of our great nation is unquantifiable, I will be very disappointed if any Nigerian government decides for any reason to extend mercy/amnesty or any form of pardon to these undesirable elements and soldiers of the devil known as Boko Haram.

  For so many years, we have heard our government invite them to a dialogue and a peaceful settlement to no avail, the constant image of one or various sons of a dog who calls himself/themselves Abubakar Shekau threatening the elected democratic government of our nation and the entirety of our citizens on youtube and daring to proclaim a caliphate on any part of our great nation makes the crimes of these dumb heads unpardonable.

  They should not be treated as repentant criminals or captured war soldiers but dangerous criminals and killers who had the opportunity of allowing peace to reign but chose to continue to terrorize our peace loving citizens, killing and maiming many, including babies and pregnant women until our military had them rounded up. They should be wiped out in their entirety to send the signals and serve as a deterrent to any more sons of dogs in any part of the country thinking of disrupting the peaceful coexistence of our people.

  The Boko Haram sect has mocked the strength of our armed forces, jeopardized economic activities in our country, especially in the north eastern part of our nation and even threatened the unity of our nation and does not deserve any discreet or tactful treatment other than a death sentence for all its members.

  I will not like to end my particular opinion on this very important issue without thanking our brave men and women in the Nigerian armed forces for their convincing and very high level of patriotism, we crave their indulgence to pardon us because some of us have put their professionalism and commitments to doubt at some key points in this ordeal. We implore them to continue to work diligently for the protection and the defense of our sovereign territory. 

THE DANGER IN OBASANJO´S BACKING OF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

  I have watched this movie before or a very similar one, with the same plot, the same intrigues and the same fall out. I do not have anything against Hon Aminu Tambuwal although his being the leader of the Nigerian House of Representatives is not enough curriculum or yardstick to determine his aptness for the office of the presidency. My real problem is rtd. General Olusegun Obasanjo who is championing his candidacy. An adage in Yoruba translated into English says that whoever must give someone a gift of clothes makes it necessary to first have a glance at what he, the giver is wearing.

 Can anything good come out of the man who ruled our 54 years old nation intermittently for 10 years and the only man in our history to have done so as a military Head of State and later as a civilian president, with an unusual and a very golden opportunity to have been able to right his wrongs and finally rise to the olympus of our hearts but chose rather to further descend into the depth of massive social hatred with myriad anti people decisions and policies during his second coming which should have served as his correctional tenure? The man who sold out all the public corporations that caused our nation so much to acquire and establish in the first place, the man whose choice of succession after his own illegal bid to govern our nation for three consecutive terms running, failed, were the tandem of the late Umaru Yar´adua and the incumbent Nigerian President, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

  A man whose actions have proved beyond doubt to be a strong advocate and custodian of the unjust and condemnable status quo, tyrannically instilled on our nation after the civil war by the military junta, the same corrupt status quo which has remained the bane of our development and progress as a people.

  I just hope that Nigerians would be wise this time around, and not accept any imposition or cajoling on them of any candidate, especially by Rtd. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who would do Nigeria and Nigerians better if he retires permanently from government and all government issues, the suggestions and pieces of advice that could not serve him to bring Nigeria back on course from its many decades of failure and ignominy is honestly not going to be useful to us at this point in time in the history of our nation.

  Nigerians should free our dear nation from the shackles of post colonial slavery, which is what Rtd. Gen Olusegun Obasanjo and his cohorts represent in our country.           

2015, TIME TO HAVE AT LEAST A FEMALE GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA

  It is a pity that 54 years later, Nigeria is yet to have a lady in the apex positions of government. Most Nigerians, especially the womenfolk themselves appear to conform with the petty political offices given to them by our patriarchal Nigerian political elite. If as far back as the pre-colonial era, when the Europeans were still compelling their women to the kitchen and the bedrooms back in their countries, Nigeria already had women leading in the war fronts and reigning over kingdoms as queens.

  We had the queen Amina of Zaria, Queen Idia of Benin Kingdom, the Efusetan Aniwura of Ibadan, the Madam Tinubu of Lagos, and even women like Nma Elizabeth Effiong who together with other market women in Aba revolted against the British colonial administrators for the taxation policies imposed on market women as far back as 1929. Then we had other women pace setters like Mrs Funmilayo Ransom Kuti, mrs Margaret Ekpo, Hajia Gambo Sawaba, Professor Grace Alele Williams….

  And today we have very well capacitated and intellectually prepared women who have proved their mettle beyond doubts in all fields of human endeavors, women who have proved that they are much more prepared to be in the forefront of socio-political and socio-economic power-steering of our nation than be saddled on the backseat of our political odyssey, women like the Late Prof Dora Akunyili, Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Chief Bola Kuforiji Olubi, Chief (Mrs.) Folorunsho Alakija, Senator Florence Ita Giwa, Miss Chimamanda Adichie, Princess Stella Oduah and very many more that one begins to wonder why at this stage of our democratic dispensation we are yet to produce a lady governor, a lady senate leader and a lady president.

  What is holding back our women who in most cases are even better qualified and intellectually more capacitated than their men counterparts from assuming relevant positions in our government? Nigeria is losing a lot due to this unreasonable relegation into the back door of a very essential part of its human resources. Let us break this patriarchal jinx that has bedeviled us long enough and give our women the chance to be at least governors for the first time in Nigeria come 2015 even though I cannot comprehend why Nigeria is yet to produce a female president or vice president since 1960 with all the incompetent line-up of male Heads of state and presidents that we have doled out in all these 54 years of self rule.   

       

"TELEPHONE IS NOT FOR THE COMMON MAN" - DAVID MARK

  The election and choice of Senator David Mark as Nigerian Senate president is in itself a mockery of our democratic institution and a bastardization of the ethics of democracy, you cannot represent the people if you are naturally anti-people. The problem with us is that we forget too easily. How can a man who as Minister of telecommunication said that telephone is not for the common man and did not at any time come forward to apologize for such a barbaric statement end up being the umpire in our highest law making chamber?. It is outrageous; it shows how unserious we are as a nation. A man that could not contribute anything positive into a nation when he had absolute power to do so and had his actions protected by a decree cannot contribute anything under a dispensation where he needs the votes and decisions of others to effect a resolution.

  Nigerian voters should learn to vote wisely and prudently or at least ask their candidates to show their credentials, to showcase the practical and commendable things they have done in other capacities that would now warrant their presenting themselves at the service of our nation at a more sensitive and a much more complex office. We can only give what we have, if we continue to put authoritarian and persons lacking innovative acumen in the positions where they are expected to be innovative then we are only wasting our precious time as a nation. What are the achievements of Senator David Mark as two times military governor and once a minister of telecommunications that would justify his being elected into the office of the Nigerian senate President?   

             

WISHED THE HEAVENS WOULD FINALLY SPEAK OUT

  There was a time in Nigeria when Pastors lived exemplary lives; an austere and honorable kind of life within the stipulated dictates of the almighty God as endorsed in the holy book, then our problem was just our government. But today, self styled pastors have taken the total advantage of the desperation and dejection created by our vicious and corrupt leaders to join the train of avaricious capitalists to further bamboozle an already dejected society and cart away the remnant of their riches.  

  Needless to begin to dwell on how a lot of Nigerian pastors have swooped on the deterioration of our academic institutions to set up private universities from tithes and offerings collected from members whose children cannot afterwards gain access into these institutions of learning because of its exorbitant tuition fees.

  Most of these pastors who were very humble at their uncomfortable beginnings have grown to become so pompous and draconian in their approach and interactions with the rest of the society, like most power drunk politicians they too now see themselves above the law and oftentimes act as gods over their teeming desperate and dehumanized fans. Excusing themselves on the premise that no one should accuse or attack the anointed of God.

  Very recently, notable Nigerian pastors have been involved with illicit activities that further reiterates the impunity they have acquired with their status, among them Lady Pastor Helen Ukpabio popularly known as the witch hunter, she had acted with reckless impunity in Nigeria and believing that she can act with the same impunity outside our shores but got the shock of her life when the British government deported her shamefully.

  Another of such Pastors whose acquired wealth has made to assume an uncontrollable status is Pastor Mathew Oshimolowo who is presently being investigated by the British authorities in a fraudulent case. Then also is Pastor Chris Oyakhilome whose condescending tone on the role and the position of the woman in matrimony and his controversial exculpation of masturbators from any sinful act against God generated a public debate and just when some of us were still trying to digest that, his wife has filed in a divorce suit against him on the basis of his alleged adulterous activities, and he is taking it with his usual aura of pomposity which is very characteristic in almost all these our modern day self acclaimed men of God.

  Also in the list is Pastor Oyedepo who is alleged to be worth 93.m pounds sterling, and currently being indicted by the British government for cynical exploitation of church members in Britain, to the tune of 16.7 million pounds sterling.

  Recently in Nigeria, 80 people have been declared dead so far in the collapse of an illegally constructed building belonging to Pastor T.B Joshua who is alleging a conspiratorial terrorist attack as the reason for the collapse of the building, rather than admitting the illegality committed by converting a two storey building into a five storey building without the necessary permission from the competent authorities.  

  Just some days back, we had of the seizure by the South African authorities of a private jet belonging to the President of the Christian association of Nigeria CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, with about $10 million undeclared currency on board which the federal government of Nigeria has immediately come out to say was money meant for the acquisition of arms for the Nigerian army for use against the Boko Haram. Although, the Pastor had tried to disassociate himself from any responsibility about the purported arms deal by claiming that he had an agency that is accountable for the leasing out of the private jet who was responsible for eventually leasing it out to government agents for whatever use without his own knowledge, his response still leaves many doubts in the air.

  What is worrisome is the way these self styled men of God have institutionalized their activities and in many instances linked it directly with the existing government agencies in Nigeria in order to assume even more powers and act with even more impunity, feasting on the 2^nd hand victims of a dysfunctional government with reckless abandon, each one claiming to be the real voice of the heavens on the earth. 

WHEN PRESIDENT JONATHAN OFFENDED THE PEOPLE OF GWOZA

  Although I do not expect any Nigerian president to be able to personally visit all the towns and the villages that make up our vast nation, Nigeria, it is practically impossible for any president to be able to do that, but then at least, one would expect a Nigerian president to be adequately informed in details before hand, by those in the information department of his cabinet, who are being paid to assist the president in collating information and channeling these vital information to the president to avoid him ridiculing himself in public as we saw very recently with President Goodluck Jonathan while he was at a meeting with the exiled emir of Gwoza asking a question like “where is gwoza sef?”

  What that goes to show is that the Nigerian president does not care sufficiently enough about his people and their situation, which may not be the real case but that is what this grave error infers, because it is unacceptable that with the level of terrorist activities going on in that area, with so many innocent Nigerians killed on a daily basis by the Boko Haram that our president will come to ask in public the exact location of where Nigerian victims are being slaughtered.

  Most of the times, we often blame the president, but in issues like this, except of course that the president´s memory fails him assuming that his special assistants and his special adviser on media and publicity Dr reuben Abati and his senior special assistant on public affairs Dr Doyin Okupe had already given him such information, the two men should be held accountable for this kind of public ignominy. A president of a country cannot under any circumstance commit such an unforgivable blunder.

  Dr Reuben Abati and Dr Doyin Okupe should do less of sycophancy jobs and concentrate more on ensuring that our elected president is not found wanting at very important moments like this. For less professional irresponsibility people are laid off their jobs in other countries.   

WHO WILL WIN THE ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP THIS YEAR?

  It will take more than a catastrophe for the same five big premiership clubs not to dominate the Premiership competition this season; I think that for the first time in a very long while, most of the clubs playing in the premiership have signed on very decisive players from all over Europe and even beyond to construct very formidable teams. I might even Endeavour to say that the premiership this season has more quality and efficient players in all its teams than there are in any other European league. It maybe because of the economic recession that is affecting countries like Spain and Italy whose leagues have always been known to be much more competitive in terms of quality and effectiveness.

  Be it as it may, I want to stake my bet on Manchester united as my favorite club to clinch the Premiership title this season, my argument is based on the fact that they are the most compact team if we have to consider all the various departments on the field of play, It is unfortunate though that it took Manchester united so many costly experiments and time after the exit of sir Alex Ferguson who had stamped his identity on the team for 20 years and as such left the team in a situation that became very difficult for a redirection.

  But thanks to Louis Van Gaal and the very good and carefully selected players that Manchester United signed on this season, among them, the indefatigable and very skillful Angel Di Maria, and his argentine team mate and one of the most progressive defenders in the world, Marcos Rojo, whose superlative performance for Argentina in the world cup left no one in doubt as to his technicality on the field of play. Then also is Ander Herrera, one of the best midfielders in the Spanish league in recent times, referred to by many as the heart of the Lions of Bilbao, his former team, Athletic Bilbao. Then also is another utility player with proven skills, one of the surprises in the last world cup in Brazil, Daley Blind of Holland and a striker that needs no introduction because of his effectiveness and goal poaching skills, Radamel Falcao who is perhaps the best striker in the world today. Coupled with some already established stars in the Manchester united line up like Wayne Rooney, Van Persie, Juan Mata and a host of others the team would be doing everything it can to be in the race for the title this season.

  Although the team still needs some time to finally get its acts together, no one should doubt that when it finally does, it will become the team to beat in the premiership, and lucky enough, the team has a very good manager in the person of Van Gaal, a coach who has proved his mettle in the world of football.

  Another team that will sure be in the contest for the crown this season is Chelsea f.c, for the first time in a long while, Jose Mourinho appears to have incorporated the much longed for, good flowing football to his traditional tactical and austere kind of play, the incorporation of a tested and very creative player like Cesc Fabregas to join with Eden Hazard in the midfield alongside Shurle, Ramires, Willian and co whose duty shall be that of creating goal scoring chances for Diego Costa who proved last season with Atletico de Madrid that he is a constant danger to the opponents with his runs into space and his mastery in the art of goal scoring. Loic Remy and the indefatigable Didier Drogba who is back at Chelsea after his sojourn in Galatasaray would be supplying the goals that Lukaku, Eto´o, and El niño Torres could not supply the team last season, the choice of Luis Felipe is another prove that Mourinho is opting for an attacking football this season, so from my point of view, Chelsea stand a better chance this season than they did last season and the experience of Jose Mourinho in the premiership as against Louis Van Gaal is one key point in Chesea´s favor this season. My point of view is that it will need a very good Manchester United team to stop them from clinching the trophy this season.

  The third candidate for the premiership crown and with the permison of Manchester united and Chelsea is no doubt Manchester city, although they had not signed too many new players this season but that may still play to their favor as they already had a compact team from last season with key players who have been playing together for some time now, the coach, Manuel Pellegrini had insisted on experienced and well tested players among them Lampard and Sagna to further make the team more compact and consistent. So if everything goes according to plan, Manchester City will also be in the race for the title they are defending this season  

  I think that the gunners, Arsenal will pool surprises this season if they succeed in believing their possibilities and not fizzling out at very important moments of the season as always. The problem with Arsenal is basically their philosophy of going for young players with the possibilities of great progression, sometimes experience matters a great deal in football, a combination and a very good management of young and experienced players is very important in the game. The last time Arsenal won the premiership was 10 years ago, and at that time they had players like Kanu Nwankwo, Thiery Henry, Patrick Viera, Ashley Cole, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Friedrick Llungberg etc, in the squad, maybe they need to go back to the kind of philosophy they had then, that made the team so successful rather than depending on inexperienced players to help them clinch such a competitive title as the Premiership, not withstanding I think they are very much going to be in the race this season more than they have done in recent times and the incorporation of former Manchester striker Danny Welberk might be positive for them if Welberk is more fortunate with goals this season than he had been in the recent past with Manchester united .  

  The last contender for this year´s league title is Liverpool who for several moments last season touched the title with the tip of the finger until they finally fizzled out of the race in the very last moment of the league, I am not particularly expecting them to be as close this season to winning the trophy as they were last season, and I am not expecting the controversial Maria Balotelli to automatically regain his full concentration enough to make the fans of Liverpool forget Luis Suarez so easily. Balotelli is a very good player but it is no secret that he lacks the composure necessary to play football and his actions could be detrimental to the interest of the team at key moments during the long competition. 

A BRAVE SOLDIER IS A DEAD SOLDIER

  I thought that I would never again come to have the kind of feeling that I have right now, I thought that with the coming of the third republic and the coming into power of a democratically elected government in Nigeria, I would never come to feel like a bloody civilian again in my life, an acronym the military often used to humiliate those of us who are not uniformed like them in those agonizing years of military rule.

  Then, to those of us who do not understand most of the barbaric reactions in some of our officers, who do not understand why they are very swift to use their guns rather than their mouths especially when dialogue appear to be the very best bet, we are immediately called bloody civilians to remind us of our limitations and to somewhat make us understand that the military is a peculiar race whose activities cannot be understood by the uninitiated, bloody civilians.

  I did not understand why a rare gem and an intellectual phenomenon like Mamman Vatsa should have to die in the hands of those who are his childhood friends and military men like him but neither did I understand why Mamman Vatsa would plot a coup against his very friends and colleagues, I did not understand why the military would kill the very best pilot it has at the time, Squadron leader Martin Olufolorunso Luther, despite the American government plea to spare the life of such a well trained Pilot but then I did not understand why the best Nigerian pilot would involve himself in a coup to overthrow his government, knowing that the punishment for that is death. Well, maybe they are right in saying that I am a bloody civilian and just cannot understand their modus operandi.

  Today, the Nigerian military has sentenced 12 young Nigerian officers it sent to fight the Boko Haram without adequate arms and proper feeding to death for mutiny against their commanding officer. The young officers went wild, accusing their commanding officers of inadequate military, logistics and food provisions necessary to enable them match the enemy. It was alleged that some colleagues of theirs were killed under a sabotaging situation they related to the deliberate irresponsibility of their superior officers and out of that annoyance of losing their colleagues they were said to have carried out a mutiny in which they fired shots at their commanding officer´s vehicle.

  I have watched video footages of shabbily armed Nigerian soldiers fighting against a better equipped Boko Haram at some point of this war on terror, which means that these young officers had some justification for their reactions….. Oh, did I say justification? Pardon my effrontery; I am sure speaking from a bloody civilian point of view.  What is surprising, is that the Nigerian government has not dared to sentence any captured Boko Haram fighter to death since the very first one was captured up till date despite the atrocities they committed on our nation and our citizens, but the Nigerian army will be swift to kill those whose erroneous actions and overzealousness did not result in the death of anybody.

  As a bloody civilian, I want to plead on behalf of these innocent and young Nigerian officers, I do not think that they deserve death for their actions, they did not refuse to defend their nation, they only asked that their nation rise to its responsibility of providing them with the necessary equipments to carry out their duties in the most optimum condition. Long live the federal republic of Nigeria.          

PROPHET T.B JOSHUA; WHEN DOOM CAME KNOCKING

  His ways are not our ways acclaimed a verse in the Holy Bible in its reference to God almighty, another one said that he will use the foolish things of life to confound the wise, as a foolish man myself, I get confused more and more, each day, with the unfolding divine occurrences in our world. How better can one comprehend the fact that a pastor who sits in Nigeria and sees the calamities that would befall Malaysia and all the nooks and crannies of the world, long before it occurs, who has been alleged to have made prophetic proclamations that have all come to pass did not see that the next calamity was going to befall his Church guesthouse and kill his innocent church members.

  Well, no initial plan is affected by this unforeseen occurrence rather than the fact that it further buttresses the proof that accidents occur and that the only real prophecy is the one that God has willed to happen. One thing about T.B Joshua, the self acclaimed Prophet of God that I do not really appreciate is his constant use of fear to dominate his followers, prophecy is not all about calamities, bloodshed and evil, I have hardly seen him and most Nigerian self-styled Pastors come out to proclaim success, victory, peace ….. as they proclaim catastrophes. Which makes one begin to wonder if God is a catastrophic God, definitely not, the truth is that it is more beneficial to these so called men of God to spell doom in God´s name as a way of controlling the minds of their followers.

  Let us forget about all that for now and dwell on the collapsed building, which according to Prophet T.B Joshua in a security camera footage released by his church alleging a conspiracy theory and argues that a plane had continuously hovered above the building few minutes before it eventually collapsed, and as such argued that it was some form of terrorist attack that had eventually brought down the building. I think that this is only a form of omitting one´s responsibility; Doubting Thomases like us will still ask why he had not seen it coming as he normally saw every other thing before they happened? The truth is this, some illegalities were committed, a foundation initially made to carry a two story building was purported to have been transformed much later into a five story building with possibly substandard building materials which could not stand the shock wave of an overflying plane.

  I just hope that the Nigerian government, most of who are adept fans of these self-styled prophets of doom does not sweep this criminal case under the carpet and that a detailed investigation is carried out to ascertain the real cause of the collapse of the building that has so far seen 42 people dead. I smell involuntary manslaughter and crave for true justice on behalf of the dead persons.        

BRIGADIER ADEKUNLE, "THE SCORPION", NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR PRINCIPAL ACTOR DIES AT 78

  I woke up to the news this morning of the death of one of the key players in the darkest history of our nation, Brigadier Adekunle, popularly called the Black Scorpion. Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle was born in Kaduna to a Yoruba father from Ogbomosho and a Bachama mother from the north eastern part of Nigeria 78 years ago. A sandhurst trained military officer who was commissioned as a 2^nd lieutenant on the 15^th of October 1960, barely 14 days after the Nigerian independence from Great Britain.  And member of one of the very first UN peace keeping force to Congo in 1962.

  He served in different military positions and even became the Aide de camp to the governor of the Eastern region Dr Akanu Ibiam before the commencement of the civil war in 1967, but it would be the civil war that would eventually shoot him into national prominence after he successfully led the 7^th and the 8^th battalion to the popular sea borne assault on Bonny and the subsequent liberation of most towns in the then Mid-western state that had hitherto fallen into the hands of the Biafran soldiers. “The black scorpion” was also actively involved in the food blockade which strangulated and wreaked the most havoc on the Biafran populace, killing especially little children in their millions.

  But today, the same feeling that I had when the Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu died has been revived once again inside of me with the announcement this morning of the passing on of “The black scorpion”, Brigadier Adekunle, one of the major players in that war. Must heroes be made out of obnoxious and senseless wars? And especially in a war that involves brothers, as was the Nigerian civil war? There is this sardonic tinge to wars of the characteristics of the Nigerian civil war, it only showed the failure of government, the ruthlessness and instituted disunity existent in our nation. And if today, the Nigerian nation survived a war which motive was to break Nigeria apart, after sacrificing over 1 million of its population, then would it be morally right to celebrate any of the participants of that ignoble war as heroes?

  Personally, I think that the greatest error of that war was not only allowing it to commence and to elapse a period of three years but the failure to hold people accountable on both sides for war crimes perpetrated during that bleak epoch of our history.  If you permit me, I would rather refer to the likes of the late Benjamin Adekunle, “The scorpion” as an unfortunate victim of that war rather than as a hero of the same, because, history as taught us that the hero of a people is the villain of another people, and since we still remain the same people, it becomes deeply irrational to celebrate all or any of the principal players of that war, especially since the fragmentation plan did not succeed. Let us not forget that war is a state of lawlessness and it will be unlawful to lawfully recognize those who took advantage of that lawlessness to act lawlessly. Notwithstanding, I wish to recognize the bravery of a soldier’s response to the call to duty and wish that the departed soul of Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle continue to rest in peace, while this marred nation continue to strive to find its feet.   

THE INDIOS WHOOP THE VIKINGS´ASS 2 - 1

  For the second time this season, Atletico de Madrid has beaten their arch rival Real Madrid in the La Liga derby. "The colchoneros" or "the Indios" as they are known beat Real Madrid "The Vikings" in their home ground Santiago Bernebeu by 2 goals to 1. The first goal came in the 10^th minute of the game when Koke´s corner kick found the head of Portuguese midfielder Thiago who leapt past Christiano Ronaldo and Benzema to score the curtain raiser in the six yard box after a very bad collective defensive play by Real Madrid who seem to have a very great difficulty lately, defending dead ball situations in their area. After the goal, a considerable section of the Real Madrid fans present at the match began to boo Iker Cassillas anytime he came in contact with the ball, even though the fault of the goal was not his, another section would immediately react, by applauding him and chanting his praise to counter the unease that was generating.

  Cristiano Ronaldo who had been blamed by Sergio Ramos for his role in Thiago´s goal and who had not taken the blame in good faith would invent a penalty kick after an incursion into the atletico Madrid vital area and feeling a slight charge from Sequeira he fell down and the referee awarded him a penalty kick. Cristiano Ronaldo would convert the penalty kick himself to give Real Madrid an equalizer in the 26^th minute of play.

  But in the second half of the game with the introduction on the field of play of Turkish schemer, Arda Turan and French wonderboy, Antoine Grizman, Atletico de Madrid took absolute control of the game, and it would only be a question of time before the winning goal would come in the 76^th minute after a beautiful collective play that had Juanfran crossing out a low pass which Raul Garcia let past between his legs to place Arda Turan on course for a clear chance which the Turkish player shot with his right foot into the far corner of the net where Iker Casillas could not reach in spite of his long dive.

  It would be recalled that Atletico de Madrid also beat Real Madrid by a loan goal to clinch the very first competition of the season, the Spanish Super cup, although many Real Madrid fans had argued then that Atletico de Madrid approached that final match with many violent play which the referee unfortunately did not sanction, but with what happened yesterday evening at the Santiago Bernebeu stadium, those who had accused Atletico de Madrid of never wanting to play good football each time they met Real Madrid had to swallow their words as the Colchoneros played a very high class and skillful football that mesmerized their opponents.

  The question this season is, how far can Real Madrid go in their quest for winning the many trophies in play without the presence in the team of Angel Di Maria and Xavi Alonso, two very key players in the team who had to leave the team to sign for Manchester United and Bayern Munich respectively this season under a controversial situation that is still bleeding in the Spanish football panorama? We have from now until the end of May next year to determine the answer to this question.         

KESHI APPEARS TO HAVE LOST THE NEEDED PASSION

  Keshi´s insistence on using Mikel Obi in the Super Eagles regular team despite confessing that he is not in his best form because of his not being a regular player with Jose Mourinho´s  Chelsea shows how dishonest and unserious we can get at times with selecting the best and most qualified persons to represent our nation in any capacity. The question that readily comes to mind is, how can someone who is not useful for Chelsea be useful for Nigeria?  Jose Mourinho is a world class coach who has won practically all there is to be won as a coach and if he is not fielding Mikel Obi in his team as a regular player he must genuinely have a reason. Footballers improve through continuous participation and involvement in the game and a player who is not regular in his team in Europe cannot be in the best physical and mental shape to play in a highly physical competition as an African qualification match.

  Keshi started very well with the super eagles, especially when he made the players understand that the national team jersey shall no longer be cheap for any player and that anyone who must be in the team must deserve it by proving it, today, Keshi appears not to have the zeal and the impetus to lead a formidable team like the one we saw in 2013 clinching the Africa nations cup in South Africa. And the team today is just a reflection of a surrendered coach who appeared to have lost the passion desired to continue to be competitive.  

  Nigeria is not playing well nor scoring goals today because we lack a creative midfield, Mikel Obi is not in form since a very long time now and is seriously affecting our game, he gets late to all disputed balls in the midfield and each time he tries to adventure into the attack to connect with the attackers, he gets tired in a second. So why is Keshi insisting he should always play? In football, past glories and contributions are useless, what really counts is the present form of every player, so Mr Keshi, if any player is not playing regularly and playing well for his club side please leave them out of our national team. Nigerian national team is not a junkyard for mediocre players. Let only the top best represent our nation. If you know you are tired of doing this job, let another person come in.   

PONMO IS UNTOUCHABLE!

  More than 70% of the food consumed today in all industrialized nations has some atom of health hazard in them; they either contain some harmful chemical materials in their production, elaboration, preservation and packaging…. Even the potable water we drink. If harmful beverages like Coca-cola, coffee or very poisonous things like cigarettes and alcoholic drinks are still at the fingertips of just anybody in Nigeria, including under-aged persons, then any idea to ban people from eating hides and skin popularly called ponmo in Nigeria would amount to a terrorist action against the masses of our country.

  What a sensible and an effective government does is create a functional standardization units, where food chain is controlled exhaustively before getting to the final consumer, unfortunately, most African nations, Nigeria inclusive, do not protect their citizens from possible food poisoning or general health hazards from uncontrolled food quality checks and uninterrupted laboratory investigations, anything gets to our market and straight into the consumers ´pot.

  I am happy that the ban on ponmo being contemplated this time even has nothing to do with health issues because then it would have meant that our government is beginning to show concern for our people, but as is expected and according to the agriculture minister the ban is being contemplated purely on economic conditions; Ban Nigerians from eating ponmo so that there can be enough for exportation as leather material rather than continue to primarily consume it. Is that not madness? Won´t we rather satisfy our local demand first before thinking of export? And if indeed we want to really boost export can´t we look for other incentive ways to increase the production of hides and skin rather than opting for a ban on a delicacy that was prompted by hardship on Nigerians in the first place?

  The eating of ponmo which has turned today into a general tradition in Nigeria started as a struggle for survival among poor folks decades ago, It was the only means that so many people had to ingest their compulsory ration of protein, although today, due to the improvement in our cuisine, ponmo has ended up becoming a choice-meat for so many people. What is surprising and at the same time disgusting is the speed at which our government contemplates and decides on anti-people policies and are hardly ever seen taking decisions that reflects the true yearnings of the people. Sometimes, one gets the notion that those who are elected into policy making offices in Nigeria lack the sensibility and the capacity needed to serve our nation. If anything is long overdue to be banned in Nigeria that thing is definitely not Ponmo but criminality in government, so Mr. Minister, Ponmo is not the enemy, corruption is.        

MALLAM NUHU RIBADU: HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN?

  It will be very difficult if not impossible to honestly know if Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is a friend or a foe.  His chameleonic and very slippery lifestyle since he first came into limelight under the auspices of his godfather Rtd. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo as the chairman of the anti graft economic and financial crimes commissions (EFCC) where his achievements left nobody indifferent.

  Many Nigerians still believe today that since the exit of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu from the EFCC, the anti graft commission has been transformed into a toothless bulldog and another of those many irrelevant institutions for the sheer wastage of public funds and are advocating for its dissolution. It would be recalled that under the chairmanship of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu many key government agents and agencies were detained and arraigned for the first time in the political history of our nation before a financial crimes court thereby creating a resurgence in the faith of Nigerians in our law and our constitution which had hitherto been fashioned in a way that influential persons are always treated as the sacred cows and are always getting away with whatever crime they commit, especially corruption and financial crimes.   

  But another political school of thought argue that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was not the hero that many Nigerians thought him to be, they say he was a corrupt tool that rtd General Olusegun Obasanjo used to persecute his political opponents and those who at some point fell out of his favor. Subsequent actions of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu especially since his return from exile are appearing to give credence to these allegations. It would be recalled that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu at his return from exile joined the ACN and even contested as its presidential flag bearer, a party led by Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom Ribadu had once reffered to as the most corrupt Nigerian, ever.

  And while most Nigerians were still trying to digest that, Malam Nuhu Ribadu made an unexpected move towards the PDP, claiming he was only answering a national call to duty after he was called upon by the presidency to serve as the chairman of a 17-member petroleum revenue special task force, a duty he performed with no significant input if one is to consider the fact that the findings and the submissions of the committee he led has really not improved the petroleum sector seen by many Nigerians as the most corrupt sector of our economy.

  The sudden silence of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu on key issues affecting the nation lately, especially the insurgency in the north continue to attract all sorts of criticisms. One does not understand how such an outspoken person like Nuhu Ribadu and some key northern elements are not making any cogent pronouncement on the issue of Terrorism that is affecting Nigeria, especially the region of the country where they come from. His decision lately to vie for the governorship ticket of Adamawa State under the PDP was the last straw that his critics needed to conclude that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is just another power hungry Nigerian lacking any honest ideology worthy of public support. Although he was consequently humiliated by the PDP power brokers and refused the gubernatorial ticket, many are already classifying him among Nigerian political prostitutes, who are ready to do anything to get to power. His popularity has dropped drastically in the national political panorama and maybe that is his reason for wanting to withdraw to his state where he believes he is still relevant.

  If Mallam Nuhu Ribadu left so many doubts as to his patriotism and his honest resolve at the helm of affairs of the EFCC under the Gen Obasanjo led government, he is unfortunately dissipating those doubts today to his utmost disadvantage and fast joining an endless list of dubious Nigerian politicians who are ready to remain relevant in the Nigerian political scene at all costs.        

A HERO NAMED “OBASANJO”

  I sincerely did not expect that I would one day be saying something in favor of Rtd. General Olusegun Obasanjo, but here am I praising an Obasanjo after all.  I have tried as much I can to make this piece not have anything to do with the septuagenarian and former Nigerian Military and civilian leader, but much as I tried, I just cannot avoid mentioning the name, OBASANJO.

  A new Nigerian hero was born into our nation where lately the word hero has become a taboo word in our national dictionary. Lt Col. Adeboye Obasanjo was shot on the leg two days ago when the Boko Haram sect attacked a platoon he was leading.  Lt. Col. Adeboye Obasanjo, an army engineer attached to the 3^rd Division in Jos, Plateau State and son of the former Nigerian head of state, Rtd Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo led his platoon when they came under heavy enemy attack in Baza, Adamawa State where 24 other Nigerian military personnel were killed and an armored tank belonging to the Nigerian army allegedly seized by the Boko Haram.

  On behalf of other patriotic Nigerians, I wish to thank Lt. Col. Adeboye Obasanjo who is presently recovering in a military hospital from bullet wounds sustained and the rest of our brave soldiers who against all odds are still continuing to engage the deadly Boko Haram sect and defending the integrity of our nation. We are indeed very grateful for all your efforts, heroes of our time.     

IN FAVOR OF PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN

  President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan would no doubt go down in the modern history of Nigeria as the most unjustly treated Nigerian President whose real contribution in the political and administrative development of our nation would never be justly measurable.

  Let me state categorical clear that I am not a pro Jonathan and I still continue to believe till date that Nigeria since independence has not yet produced any real leader whose achievement could be rated above average or even close to the average line, considering the human and the natural potentials of our great country, Nigeria.  Let me also state that I personally do not believe in the sham constantly sold to us as democracy in Nigeria and do not believe in any of the constituted political parties today or before now, to me they are all the same group of self centered elites in power or desperately seeking power in order to enrich themselves at the expense of our dear nation and its teeming population.

  Haven said that, I must confess that one thing accidentally appears to be speaking in favor of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and that thing is no other than the fact that never in the history of Nigeria have we had the kind of security challenge that we have today, not even during the cruel civil war era of 1967 and 1970 because then it was a region fighting against Nigeria and the idea was clear on both sides and the level of violence employed was immeasurable, every Ibo man and woman and even children, were considered as potential enemies and their extermination was not seen as unfair or disproportionate by the Nigerian authorities, that was the same feeling too that the Igbos at the time nurtured about Nigeria and Nigerians. This is not intended to justify the barbarities committed on both sides of the divide during that condemnable war but to prove that today´s war on our nation lack a conventional battle field and a recognized enemy or enemies since it is accepted that unlike when the whole Igbo people were considered as enemies, today it cannot be said that every Northerner is an enemy neither can it be said that every Muslim is an enemy which makes it much more difficult to fight the menace of the Boko Haram except we want to identify the whole northern region as our enemy which will be very unjust and out rightly irrational even though we know that a lot of northerners are sympathizers of this sanguinary group and that some of them even within the government and the corridors of power are helping to complicate the management of the crisis.

  Even during the the Niger-Delta upheaval under rtd Gen Olusegun Obasanjo led civilian regime or the late Gen Sani Abacha led military government we cannot match the situation with what is prevalent under the government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Let us not forget that both, General Obasanjo and General Abacha were trained military officers who still had their loyalists in the army as at the time of the crisis and as a result could easily manage the crisis effectively through the efficient collaboration of their loyalists in the armed forces, which is not the same case with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is the first civilian President in Nigeria to actually face the problem of full blown terrorism since the problem was only at a teething stage during the late President Yar A´dua government.

   Unlike the Boko Haram, the Niger-delta struggle had a clear cut and negotiable face to it, it also had a humanitarian undertone to its struggles, many oil infrastructures were bombed and sabotaged but there was really no massive and indiscriminate killings of Nigerians at least of the magnitude that we are seeing today with the Boko Haram, if we must be honest to ourselves, the Niger-Delta geo political zone was before the arms struggle the most unfairly treated region in the Nigerian federation, a nation cannot be getting close to 70% of its wealth from a region and allow the region to suffer such a blatant developmental imbalance as was done for decades with the Niger-Delta region. But in all the years that the Boko Haram have taken up arms against the federation, their activities have been void of any sanity and if the frequent declarations of their spokesperson, Abubakar Shekau is anything to go by, then it does not fit in nor create any atmosphere for any form of dialogue much less, amnesty.

  The pathetic thing is that those who are masked behind the Boko Haram, first ensured that they had initially destroyed the Nigerian armed forces and are still constantly weakening its strength through a politicization of the military and the strategic positioning of saboteurs within the rank and file of the Nigerian armed forces and within the intelligence services. The efficiency of a smaller Cameroonian force at their border in frequent armed face off with the Boko Haram is evidence to how so inefficient we have rendered our own world highly rated armed forces.

  President Gooluck Ebele Jonathan unfortunately is not a military man in a nation that was intermittently prepared during over four decades to be governed by the military, a nation that still has Buhari, Obasanjo, Babangida and Abacha´s loyalists in its army much more than it has President Jonathan´s loyalists and much more than it has patriots and nationalists. Take for instance when Gen Obasanjo was president, he could call on a handful of batallion commandants who are his boys and trust them to carry out a top secret operation on the enemy without a prior leakage of the plan, today under President Goodluck Jonathan we are seeing that it is practically impossible, the enemy is always a step ahead in intelligence collation and a much more devastating military reaction than our armed forces.  

  The only way that the incumbent president can tackle this menace efficiently is to pay more attention to the political wing of the Boko Haram than its military wing; the government should arrests sponsors, armed suppliers and ideologists of the group and begin to deal with them. The presidency should for once be honest with Nigerians and stop treating this very complicated and dangerous issue with vague attitude.