NIGERIA; THE GOOF CONTINUES

  A MISTAKE NOT CORRECTED ON TIME GIVES BIRTH TO A SERIES OF MISTAKES, WHICH IF NOT CONTROLLED COULD MAKE FLAWS AND MEDIOCRITY TO BECOME A NORM. I REMEMBER RAISING THE VOICE OF ALARM LIKE SOME OTHER WELL MEANING NIGERIANS ON DISCOVERING THAT NO ONE WAS INDICTED NOR REPRIMANDED WHEN SOME NORTHERN ELEMENTS CAME OUT PUBLICLY TO SAY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE THE NATION UNGOVERNABLE FOR THE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF OUR GREAT COUNTRY, NIGERIA, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN. I REMEMBER THAT SOME PEOPLE LASHED OUT AT THOSE OF US WHO CALLED FOR OUR SECURITY SERVICES TO SWING INTO ACTION AND DETAIN THOSE WE BELIEVED HAD VULNERATED THE LAW OF OUR COUNTRY BY EXPOSING OUR TOGETHERNESS AS A PEOPLE TO UNDUE CONTRAVENTION, THEY ARGUED  THEN THAT UNDER A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT PEOPLE ENJOYED THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH. FREEDOM OF SPEECH? EVEN WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE SECURITY, PEACE, STABILITY AND EVEN THE DEMOCRACY OF OUR NATION WERE BEING THREATENED, IN A VERY SERIOUS WAY BY SOME PERSONS WITH THEIR UNMEASURED UTTERANCES?

  ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN NO DIRECT LINK, AT LEAST OFFICIALLY, TO THE VIOLENCE AND THE INSTABILITY THAT ENSUED SOON AFTER THESE DECLARATIONS, THE TRUTH IS THAT OUR NATION HAS NOT KNOWN PEACE SINCE THAT UNFORTUNATE DECLARATION AND THE SUBSEQUENT IMPUNITY. TODAY, HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF AND VINDICATING THOSE OF US WHO WARNED THAT THE FAILURE OF OUR GOVERNMENT TO ACT DRASTICALLY AT THE TIME COULD SET AN UNHEALTHY PRECEDENCE FOR SIMILAR ACTIONS OR DECLARATIONS IN THE FUTURE. NOW THE THREAT HAS SHIFTED TO THE SOUTH-SOUTH CAMP, WHERE SOME ELEMENTS ARE BEGINNING TO THREATEN THE STABILITY OF THE COUNTRY SHOULD THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN WHO HAPPEN TO BE FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTH NOT WIN IN THE ONCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SLATED FOR THE 14^th OF FEBRUARY 2015. AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, A KEY NOTHERN FIGURE AND FORMER NIGERIAN CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF DURING THE GENERAL OBASANJO MILITARY REGIME, ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES OF NIGERIA´S MANY OIL WELLS, BESTOWED ON HIM AS A GIFT BY LATE NIGERIAN DICTATOR, GENERAL SANI ABACHA, GENERAL T.Y DANJUMA (RTD) HAS COME OUT TO CALL FOR THE ARREST OF THESE ELEMENTS FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTH, THE SAME MAN WHO WAS QUIET WHEN THE NATION AND ITS ELECTED PRESIDENT WAS THREATENED NOT TOO LONG AGO BY SOME NOTHERN ELEMENTS.

  IT IS A PITY THAT WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES ARE COMING TOGETHER TO FORM A LEAGUE OF NATIONS, NIGERIA IS ALWAYS ON THE EDGE OF DISINTEGRATION DUE TO TRIBAL AND RELIGIOUS BIGOTS WHO ARE HELL BENT ON USING OUR DIVERSITY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE AS OUR STRENGTH AS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY.

 ALTHOUGH MANY NIGERIANS HATE TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH BECAUSE OF OUR CHEAP PARTISANSHIP AND TRIBALISTIC DISPOSITIONS, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY PERSON TO BLAME FOR THE EXCESSIVE AND UNCONTROLLABLE DECLARATIONS FROM ALMOST EVERY SIDE OF THE DIVIDE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE HE IS FAILING TO RULE OVER A UNITED COUNTRY AS IT APPEARS BUT BECAUSE HE IS FAILING TO ACT AT VERY DECISIVE MOMENTS SINCE ASSUMING POWER AS THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AND THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE NIGERIAN ARMED FORCES.

  IN VERY MANY ISSUES ESPECIALLY AS AFFECTS OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE UNITY OF OUR NATION, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN HAS BEEN OVER TACTFUL AND OVER SENTIMENTAL, SOME SAY THAT IT IS A WAY TO AVOID DRAGGING THE NATION INTO ANOTHER CIVIL  WAR BUT I AM OF THE OPINION THAT AS LONG AS THE IDEA IS TO MAINTAIN AN INDIVISIBLE NATION, WE MUST NOT COMPROMISE OUR SECURITY AND THAT THE CUSTODIAN OF OUR LAWS, FIRST ON THE ECHELON OF POWER AND RELEVANCE, THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF SHOULD HAVE ORDERED FOR THE ARREST OF THESE PERSONS THROUGH THE PERTINENT SECURITY SERVICES AND A LAWSUIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST THEM BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION FOR A SUSPECTED CASE OF TREASONABLE FELONY.

  IT IS SO UNFORTUNATE THAT THE NIGERIAN ARMED FORCES HAS IN RECENT TIME BECOME PARTISAN AND GRADUALLY ALIENATING ITSELF FROM ITS PRINCIPAL ROLE WHICH IS NO OTHER THAN DEFENDING AND PROTECTING THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF OUR NATION. THE DUTY OF THE NIGERIAN ARMED FORCES IS NOT TO MEDDLE WITH POLITICS BUT TO DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION FERVENTLY, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO OR WHAT PARTY IS AT THE HELM OF AFFAIRS IN OUR COUNTRY. NO SINGLE NIGERIAN, NO MATTER FROM WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY, MUST BE PERMITTED TO THREATEN OUR ELECTED PRESIDENT, OUR CONSTITUTION OR OUR NATION THE WAY SOME NORTHERN ELEMENTS DID WITH IMPUNITY NOT TOO LONG AGO AND THE WAY THAT SOME ELEMENTS FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTH ARE DOING TODAY.

  NIGERIA SHOULD INDEED BE GREATER THAN ANY ONE PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS, WHETHER THEY ARE CALLED BUHARI, LAWAL KEITA, ADAMU CIROMA, TOMPOLO, ASARI DOKUBO, OBASANJO, BABANGIDA, GOODLUCK JONATHAN, DANJUMA OR WHATEVER….., WE MUST BE VERY COHERENT AND UNCOMPROMISING IN DEALING WITH ISSUES THAT COULD THREATEN AND JEAOPARDIZE THE UNITY AND THE STABILITY OF OUR NATION, A STITCH IN TIME IS ALWAYS VERY APPROPRIATE IN TACKLING NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES.    

WILFRED AGBONAVBARE; A HERO GOES HOME

  The death of former Nigerian international goalkeeper, Wilfred Agbonavbare has once again opened the endless debate of whether or not it is indeed worth it to live and die for Nigeria, here was a man who spent the better part of his youth defending the Nigerian national colors in all categories in football only to be abandoned by the same people he brought countless joy and national pride to.

  For so many years, those of us who live in Spain have witnessed the unstoppable crash of a meteoric star and have wondered severally how a man who had given his all for his nation could be allowed to wallow in such a humiliating condition. Before the news of his cancer was made public, it was really hard to tell anyone that the same man that I used to go and watch play at the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos in the 80s was the same man that I was really seeing in Spain, it was more or less the demystification of an age-long icon.

  Each time I saw him, a question often repeated itself in my mind, can´t the Edo state government do anything to improve the life of this man, at least make him a coach with the Edo state sports council? And what about the Nigerian football association? And how come the Nigerian federal government gave national honors to some notorious and corrupt criminals and not patriots like Wilfred Agbonavbare?

  And eventually when the news of his battle against cancer came up, I remembered his football colleagues, especially our national super eagles, and wondered if there was not a way they could have organized a solidarity match to raise the fund for his treatment when it was obvious that he was having difficulties in keeping up with the bills for his treatment. As always, it took the kind gesture of outsiders, this time his former clubside Rayo Vallecano in Spain to donate towards the struggle to save the life of our dying patriot in far away Spain.

  Now, we can all bring out our heads in shame, me first, to write about a man who we all abandoned for so many years but who God has finally decided to grant eternal rest, a man whose tears we all pretended that we did not see, whose pains meant absolutely nothing until they became incurable. I hope that our nation will at least take care of his children now that he is dead so that when they sing our national anthem, the part that says that "... the labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain" will indeed make some sense to them. REST IN PEACE, HERO OF OUR TIME. Adios, Wilfred Agbonavbare

HIS OFFICE, LET ANOTHER TAKE

  HOW CAN THE PRESIDENT OF A COUNTRY WAIT UNTIL ONE MONTH BEFORE AN ELECTION TO BEGIN TO DO THE RIGHT THING; VISIT BORNO STATE AND REDUCE PETROL PUMP PRICE? I REMEMBER WRITING SEVERAL ARTICLES TO SUPPORT THE STEPPING INTO POWER OF THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT THEN THE VICE PRESIDENT AFTER THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT YAR´ARDUA AND THE IRRATIONAL SCHEMING OF SOME POWER BROKERS TO PREVENT HIS VICE FROM ASSUMING HIS POSITION, I REMEMBER TOO THAT THE WHOLE NIGERIANS, IRRESPECTIVE OF TRIBE STOOD BEHIND THE VICE PRESIDENT UNTIL ENSURING THAT HE WAS RIGHTFULLY MADE THE PRESIDENT OF OUR COUNTRY, I ALSO REMEMBER HOW PRESIDENT JONATHAN PAID US BACK FOR OUR SUPPORT WITH THE REMOVAL OF A SUBSIDY THAT WAS NEVER A SUBSIDY IN THE FIRST PLACE THEREBY CAUSING HARDSHIP TO THE SAME MASSES WHO STOOD BY HIM ALL THE WAY TO ASO ROCK.

  I REMEMBER INNOCENT NIGERIANS WHO WERE SHOT AND KILLED IN THAT STRUGGLE AND ONLY LAUGH WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW A MILITARY LEADER WHO RULED THE NATION UNDER A DECREE KILLED DRUG PEDDLERS AND JAILED JOURNALISTS BUT NEVER REMEMBER THAT A CIVILIAN PRESIDENT WHO RULED UNDER A CONSTITUTION ORDERED THE SHOOTING OF INNOCENT NIGERIANS EXPRESSING THEIR RIGHT TO PEACEFUL MANIFESTATION.

  DON´T YOU KNOW THAT IN ASSUMING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF A COUNTRY PRESIDENTS ARE MADE TO SWEAR THE OATH OF OFFICE TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, IN OUR CASE AS NIGERIA WHOSE SECTION AND SUB-SECTIONS TALKS ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF LIVES AND PROPERTIES OF NIGERIANS IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY AND THE PROTECTION AND THE DEFENCE OF OUR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AS A NATION? DON´T YOU KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS CONSPICUOSLY FAILED TO LIVE UP TO EXPECTATION IN THIS KEY DUTIES?

  WHY ARE WE ALWAYS SENTIMENTAL AND ALWAYS APPROVING AND SUPPORTING MEDIOCRITY? NO NATION IN THE WORLD DEPENDS SOLELY ON GOOD LUCK FOR ITS ADVANCEMENT, OUR MILITARY LEADERS IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS CATASTROPHICAL FOR THE INTEREST OF OUR NATION, MAY BE EXCUSED FOR THEIR BAD GOVERNMENT, AFTERALL, WE DID NOT ELECT THEM INTO OFFICE, IN FACT AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THEY NEVER EXISTED BECAUSE THEY WERE ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENTS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ONES WE ELECTED AND THEY HAVE SHOWN TO BE EVEN MORE INEPT THAN THOSE WHO FORCED THEMSELVES ON US?

  HONESTLY SPEAKING, I DID NOT EXPECT THAT IN 2015, SOME NAMES WILL STILL BE NECESSARILY REPEATED IN THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF NIGERIA, NAMES SUCH AS OBASANJO, BUHARI, BABANGIDA, DAVID MARK, JEREMIAH USENI, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, DANJUMA, GOWON, EDWIN CLARK, DAVID WEST…. TO MENTION BUT FEW, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE FAILED AND CONTINUE TO FAIL, OUR OPTIONS HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO THE BEAREST MINIMUM. I SINCERELY THOUGHT THAT PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WAS GOING TO MARK A NEW ERA IN THE POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT OF OUR NATION, BEING THE FIRST PHD HOLDER TO BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA BUT LIKE HIS PREDECESSORS, HE TOO HAS FAILED WOEFULLY, MAKING THE EXCUSE THAT WE ARE NEARER TO THE EPOCH OF NEWBREED POLITICIANS UNTENABLE.  

  ANY PRESIDENT THAT DOES NOT IDENTIFY THAT THE ONE AND ONLY PROBLEM FACING OUR NATION IS CORRUPTION AND IS REALLY READY TO SACRIFICE EVEN HIS LIFE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IS NOT WORTHY TO RULE OUR NATION, UNTIL CORRUPTION HAS BEEN SQUARELY DEALT WITH, ANY INTENTION TO ADVANCE IS A RIDICULE.

  IT IS THE FAILURE OF THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, THAT IS CONTINUING TO MAKE THE LIKES OF BUHARI RELEVANT EVEN TODAY IN NIGERIA, IF THE PRESIDENT HAD FULFILLED THE EXPECTATIONS, ESPECIALLY OF THE MASSES OF OUR COUNTRY, WHO IDENTIFIED WITH HIS HUMBLE BACKGROUND BEFORE BECOMING THE PRESIDENT, PEOPLE LIKE BUHARI WOULD HAVE WITHDRAWN THEMSELVES TO OUR MUSEUMS OF ANTIQUITIES, IN FACT THE 2015 ELECTIONS WOULD NOT HAVE POSED AS A KEEN CONTEST BUT A MERE WALKOVER IN FAVOR OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN.

  UNDER PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, NIGERIA AS A TROPHY ONLY DRIFTED AWAY FROM THE HANDS OF THE TRADITIONAL CURRUPT OLIGARCHY, INTO THE HANDS OF ANOTHER CONSTITUENT AND EQUALLY CORRUPT IF NOT MORE CORRUPT OLIGARCHY. A YORUBA ADAGE SAYS; “YE god, IF YOU CANNOT IMPROVE MY SITUATION, BETTER LEAVE ME THE WAY YOU MET ME”. I WOULD RATHER BE IN THE HANDS OF AN OLD BUT HONEST LEADER WHO IDENTIFIES OUR PROBLEM AS A COUNTRY TO BE CORRUPTION AND IS WILLING TO FACE THAT PROBLEM HEAD-ON AND PREPARED TO SET A STANDARD AND SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF HIS CABINET MEMBERS, THAN BE IN THE HAND OF A YOUTH WHO THINKS THAT CORRUPTION IS NOT A PROBLEM AND PRETENDS TO SHY AWAY FROM IT.

  LET US RUMPLE SENTIMENT AND THROW IT INTO A THRASH CAN, GOODLUCK JONATHAN IS NOT THE MESSIAH WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR, SO LET US CONTINUE TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR LEADER, THE GOOD THING IS THIS, POWER DEPENDS ON US AFTER EVERY FOUR YEARS. LET US GIVE THIS MAN WHO HAS BEEN SHOWING HIS UNFLINCHING INTENTIONS FROM 2003 THE CHANCE AND SEE WHAT PLAN HE REALLY HAS. IF WE CAN GIVE THE FATHER OF CORRUPTION SUCH AS OBASANJO THE SECOND CHANCE, THEN WHY NOT A MAN OF WHOM FRIENDS AND FOES ALIKE HAVE TOLD US IS INCORRUPTIBLE. IS THAT NOT THE QUALITY WE WANT IN OUR PRESIDENT? I WOULD RISK THE NEXT 4 YEARS BUT UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BUHARI AND SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF IT.  

WHAT IS WRONG, AFRICA?

  I HAVE BEEN SURPRISINGLY FOLLOWING THE REACTIONS OF SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, CONCERNING THE WORLD LEADERS´ MARCH IN PARIS TO CONDEMN THE RECENT TERRORISTS ATTACK IN WHICH 17 PEOPLE DIED, MOST OF THE COMMENTS LAMBASTED AND QUESTIONED THE HYPOCRISY BEHIND THESE WESTERN LEADERS, WHO DO NOT REGARD SIMILAR ATTACKS ELSEWHERE, ESPECIALLY IN NIGERIA AND SOME OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE, IT WOULD BE RECALLED THAT RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE PARIS ATTACK WAS GOING ON, A TERRORIST GROUP IN NIGERIA KNOWN AS THE BOKO HARAM WAS SAID TO HAVE KILLED 2,000 NIGERIANS (UNOFFICIAL FIGURE) WHICH THE GOVERNMENT LATER PUT AT ABOUT 150.

  MY OWN REACTION TO THAT IS THIS; WHY DOES THE BLACK MAN ALWAYS LOOK FOR LOVE AND COMPREHENSION FROM OUTSIDE WHEN HE DOES NOT EVEN LOVE NOR UNDERSTAND HIMSELF AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES?

  HOW DID OUR OWN LEADERS TAKE AND REACT TO THE NEWS OF THESE MASS KILLINGS IN BORNO STATE? HOW HAVE THEY BEEN REACTING TO THE DIFFERENT ATTACKS CARRIED OUT BY THE BOKO HARAM GROUP?

  THE TRUTH IS THIS, NOBODY WILL EVER FOLLOW A MAN WHO DOES NOT TAKE A STEP, THE FRENCH PRESIDENT AND THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATED EVERY MECHANISM AND MACHINERY AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO ARREST THE SITUATION AND IMMEDIATELY REPUDIATE THE KILLINGS OF ITS CITIZENS IN THE HANDS OF THESE TERRORISTS, BUT ON THE CONTRARY, OUR GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA HAS ALWAYS MADE IT APPEAR AS IF NOTHING IS AMISS AND THAT LIFE GOES ON…. I SAW OUR ARMY DEFENCE CHIEF COME ON THE AIR TO IMMEDIATELY REFUTE THE ALLEGATION THAT 2,000 PERSONS HAD DIED IN THE BOKO HARAM ATTACK, IT WAS AS IF HE WAS EVEN PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE FIGURE WAS ONLY AROUND A 150 PEOPLE. IF OUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT VALUE THE LIVES OF ITS CITIZENS, WHO THEN DO YOU EXPECT TO VALUE IT FOR US?

  ABOUT 20% TO 27% OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET OF 2014 IN NIGERIA WAS ALLOCATED TO SECURITY, THAT IS ABOUT N1 trillion, YET WE READ EVERYDAY IN THE MEDIA HOW BOKO HARAM MEN STORMED A MILLITARY BARRACK AND ALL THE OFFICERS IN THE BARRACK FLED LEAVING BEHIND THEIR ARMS AND AMMUNITIONS TO THE TERRORISTS.

  YES, SOLIDARITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT SOMETIMES THOSE WHO HAVE A PROBLEM NEED TO START FIGHTING HARD SO THAT EVENTUALLY PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE CAN SEE THAT YOU HAVE DONE YOUR BEST AND NEEDS HELP TO COMPLEMENT YOUR EFFORTS. 

  

  WHEN THE WORLD GATHERED ON THE ISSUE OF THE ABDUCTED NIGERIAN GIRLS, SOME TIME AGO, COLLAPSING ALL THE SOCIAL NETWORK AND THE INTERNET WITH A COMMON CAMPAIGN TO BRING BACK OUR GIRLS, WHAT CAME OUT OF IT? THE LAST WE HEARD FROM OUR SERVICE CHIEFS WAS THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THE GIRLS ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE AND THAT THEY WILL SOON FREE THEM, THAT WAS MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AGO.

  THE TRUTH IS THIS, THE WORLD AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ARE FED UP OF US, AFRICA IS REFUSING TO GROW IN SPITE OF ALL ITS NATURAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES. OUR WOES ARE NO LONGER SHOCKING NEWS, WE HAVE MADE CATASROPHE APPEAR A NORMAL OCCURRENCE, AND TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY THE DEATH OF A MILLION APPEARS EQUALLY AS IRRELEVANT AS THAT OF ANY STREET DOG WITHOUT AN OWNER. 

  UNTIL WE REALIZE IN AFRICA THAT WE ARE WHO WE´VE GOT AND BEGIN TO ADDRESS OUR CHALLENGES WITH HONESTY, LOVE AND THE TRUE SPIRIT OF BROTHERHOOD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN THE WORLD´S LAUGHING STOCK.