BEFORE WE PARTY

History has again been written today for the people of Ekiti State and then, the entire Nigerians.
We certainly have seen couple of Governors lose their seats after a long drawn judicial battle and as such may not be so carried away by the recent judgment in Ilorin that unseat Segun Oni. What is special about the pronouncement of Kayode Fayemi as the real winner of the 2007 general elections is that it is as I write the longest appeal process to end on this note in the history of Nigeria's democracy.
In this special attribute yet lies the lesson of this episode in our collective history as we crave for a truly democratic atmosphere and a relatively balanced field for every Nigerian to participate.
It is not out of place to clink glasses of champagne to celebrate the conscious effort of the Judiciary arm to wake from her age long slumber compared to her back-footed sister arms. It is quite reasonable to roll out drums to jubilate the enthronement of the true wishes of the Ekiti electorate. Very much in order it is, to channel our prayer points in this direction that every other state currently held hostage by perpetual rape of justice be unchained by the dispassionate venom of the blindfolded effigy. We can go ahead to party but before we do, what lessons have we learnt.
The best of organisations and indeed nations are those that have preserved their past in preparation for the challenges of today and the unknowns of the future. Those that have remained focused even in wild celebrations and calculative in sober times. Verily I say unto you, those that have had a taste of justice, had fought tenaciously and indefatigably. Nothing about it is free and the first step to having a feel is to speak out.
We should proceed to ask ourselves what has taken it so long for the truth to be said. Were the facts presented before the Ilorin appeal court different from those that have been placed before other courts and tribunals? Were these facts viewed under different goggles? Would it be fair to conclude that it is within the scope of human errors to have missed these salient facts by other judges or were the omissions borne out of deliberate and willful manipulation of facts and truth?
If it is so established, would it be out of place to seek that we escorts these set of vultures to the gallows before coming back to raise our glasses. I can't stand the fact that these dishonourable men would still adorn the wig and gown and seat on some other cases. God forbid I stand before them!
If we refuse to take this bold step, justice in Nigeria may end up being a mere compensation by the ruling class to divert the watchful eyes of the masses.
Without sounding unnecessarily personal, I do not owe Kayode Fayemi a congratulatory message, i am sure hundreds of it would greet pages of national dailies; all sponsored by allies and sycophants. In similar vein, my write up seeks not to portray Fayemi in the light of a freedom fighter.
I owe the People of Ekiti who remained resolute even in the face of harsh brutalities. They spent endless days fasting and praying for justice to be done. Today, prayers have been answered; I equally owe the honourable men of the bench who chose the path of truth and refused to mortgage the mandate of Ekiti people for frivolous gifts. I owe Nigerians who have followed closely the Ekiti massacre of truth and false proclamation of office for the past three years.

We must also consider the length of this legal tussle and the resources that must have been committed to its execution. You would agree with me that it is not a common man's task. How many teachers, farmers or pensioners whose means of livelihood is tailored by genuinely earned remunerations would have been able to pursue this case thus far? How many inmates today, have continued to languish in prisons as a result of miscarriage of justice and their inability to afford legal charges? How many students' activists have been kept out of school because all they can afford is free legal services? How many more would still suffer grave injustice because of the true cost of Justice?
This is not the democracy we truly hoped for. We have only withdrawn into our shells and taken the best of what we are offered by the system. We have always wished for a system that enthrones principles and vision; not moneybags and over-laboured generals.
By my estimation, the only difference between Oni and Fayemi is the name they individually answer and the party they represent. Beyond that, they both represent a part of the rich few who have continuously held the poor majority to ransom.
Fayemi, would assume office and proceed to change the cabinet. The Oni allies need to be discharged for his boys to come in. That may just imply that Oni's selection was never based on merit but political connections; nothing says Fayemi's would be better off.
What is for sure is taxpayers' money would service yet another avoidable waste.
Just for quick rethink, how does one explain the fact that a Segun Oni who knew that he was never elected as governor, would be the one seeking tenure elongation? Men are just desperate and devilish.
The quest for fame and office more often than not exposes weakness and man's true appreciation and use of power. Fayemi has been enthroned; events of the next few months and years would vindicate me.
Good people of Nigeria, let's take sometime out to ponder over these and more from every other corners of thought. It would definitely shapen the type of party we are to throw before we party.
God bless Nigeria.
N:B
I hope Prof. Jega would not wait for people to ask him to relief Madam Ayoka Adebayo if she's still in service. She doesn't appear to me like a person that would be shameful enough to quit the INEC job.
INEC Chairman Sir, do the needful.

THE CHILEAN INSTANCE: MISION CUMPLIDA

This is yet another of my piece that should be perused for the fun of it and probably pick a few lessons. I am sure there is.
Many of you must have watched or atleast heard of the rescue mission in Chile; so, there really shouldn't be any need to bother you with so many details.
I picked interest in this event because it is something that has to do with Chile. If it were the US, Britain or any of those big names, it might not have appealed to me beyond my understanding of appreciating human dignity. But Chile has a history, one that does not make it a particularly 'ready made' and fantastic economy or even a place of immediate visit priority some few decades back.
This is the same Chile led by Pinochet between 1973 and 1990. To however say it was outrightly terrible under Pinochet might be totally unfair; though it was quite despotic. My point is that we actually saw development after the exit of Pinochet; just like the gradual process we have always wished for. In a space of twenty years, a new Chile, poetically referred to as the slender lady, was born and today we are all witnesses to what people oriented government means.
The little introduction points to the fact that every country has her peculiar story. Her history! None should therefore take as an excuse her dark days for her current problems.
Some 69 days ago, miners were trapped some 2257ft deep in the ground, while going about legitimate business. Give it to them to have demonstrated so much courage all through these trying days but you may ask, what is courage in the face of neglect?
The manner the case had been handled from the beginning by the Chilean authority doesn't deserve any less an ending as it witnessed today. The whole world stayed glued to TV sets, social media sites and radio transmitters to celebrate a government's response to the distress calls of her subject and a true definition of servant leader. Especially for a government of this tiny country at the end of the world as it is fondly called by her citizens, coming from a recent earthquake on February 27, this year.
The world today was united in celebrating human dignity.
Like I said, it is just a pointer to what we are not getting right, not necessarily to chide anybody.
At different times, our rescue system has been put to test and sadly we have failed. It is on record, the attitude and utterances of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the President of Nigeria aftermath the January 27 bomb blast at Ikeja cantonment. We have seen leaders pay lip service to distress calls over and over again. We can't but marvel at the approach of the Chilean government.
I have watched our own Jonathan visit sites destroyed by erosion and listened to him talk about it; it's nowhere near Sebestain Pinera's warm posture today.
The President was on ground to personally welcome miners on first hand with his first lady. Ours would have either gone unnoticed, or they would have been received by a red cross official only to be flown to Aso Rock after a month or two when Mr. president is less busy and a lavish 'Welcome Back to Life Party' thrown in their honour. Of course, such party would have a local organising committee and taxpayers’ money would have been misused again.
Just for the records, the Last miner, Luis Urzua, came out at exactly 22 hours and 37 minutes and he, the Chilean President was there for these 33 people. His presence there didn't stop other state functions nor was the first lady carrying retinue of servants.
Behold these simple first citizens, handling state matters.
I am sure Madam Patience Goodluck would not be watching this; but if she is, by accident, I pray she picks the lessons therein. There is more to offer your people, no matter how low they are, than flying around the globe at the expense of tax payers.
It would be more than a thing of joy to be a Chilean today. The Chilean anthem was sang with so much emotion after which Mr. Pinera made a brief but reassuring press statement.
I look forward to when our leaders can be as selfless without first considering the attached political gains.
A time when Nigerians wallowing in foreign prisons, their own collapsed mine, would get the attention of our government. A time when our citizens being brutalised and sentenced to death without (fair) trials would have a government stand for them.
For me, the thought of people having your back, working hard to get you succour, that singular feeling some people actually care about your welfare is enough to keep you alive for 69 days plus the grace of God.
Also for us as Nigerians, the conduct of the Miners has for the umpteenth time, emphasized the need to combat our challenges as one. It doesn't matter what religion we profess or the language we speak. Neither does it matter, the tribe we belong to.
What matters, is that, we are a people confronted by the same problems of leadership. A people starved of sincerity of purpose and commitment on the side of our leaders. A people wishing for a better Nation. There is no better time to ponder on Unity.
By this, I say congratulations to the 33 miners, the Chilean government and her people. Just as I call on our Leaders to take selflessness to the next level.
Viva Chile
Viva Nigeria
Viva World

BOMB BLAST @ 50

I have waited all these days to be told that the whole story about the October 1, 2010 bomb blast was a dream or better still a firework display gone berserk. Of a truth, I have made some comments about it on facebook; those were just to represent my immediate reaction to events around me.
Now that it appears to be nothing but the truth, then I can in the first instance re-affirm my facebook comments and then take a step further to present my views on the blast as a concerned Nigerian.
To start with, I, and indeed, a lot of Nigerians especially those who follow international news on terrorism should by now know that it is not a new thing for terrorist groups to claim responsibility for certain acts. There is this tendency to claim responsibility for attacks on supposedly secured places. Beyond the fact that such claims reduce the confidence of the public on the security promises of the government involved, it also paints a wider-than-ever picture of the terrorist group.
For MEND to have therefore come forward to claim responsibility is a question of reinventing the wheel and an attempt to step up their status to a terrorist group. If you for whatever reason address them as such, I have nothing to argue about; but for me, they continue to be an over-pampered militia group made up of opportunists with misplaced priorities.
Given that they have now taken that infamous but atleast BOLD step within the Nigerian context, the least person that would come to say they didn't do it shouldn't have been the President of our dear country, Dr. Jonathan. E. Goodluck. He is not alone in this anyway, when Michael Jackson died on 25th of June, 2009, President of the United States, Barrack Hussein Obama was the first to rule out homicide long before the matter was investigated; but a thorough country he leads, homicide was actually confirmed though nobody, atleast for the much I know, held Obama for his premature submission.
I would have expected a serving president and an aspirant for the seat come 2011 to display some level of direction and leadership by ordering immediate investigation rather than taking brief for mercenaries.
His unpardonable goof takes two very serious dimensions. One, MEND claimed responsibility; Mr. President said they weren’t responsible. By implication, Mr. President is either telling us MEND is not as matured for such attacks or that they are too sophisticated to target a distant from Eagle Square. Maybe, the MEND he knows would have gone straight for the jugular, blow up the whole of Eagle Square!
Second, of what use are the retinue of aides and media assistances if he must say a word, especially on an issue that should be subjected to serious investigation. Our man just had to say something fast enough to get credit, just as he banned every “footballing” activity to pacify an irked nation after our appalling performance at the world cup. A performance, which in my opinion, is fallout of maladministration and lack of will.
It is now the word of Mr. President against that of our security outfits. How else does one explain the arrest of Henry Okah far away in South Africa, if Mr. President is so sure MEND did not carry out the bombings? Are our police at their games again?
For all I care, the series of allegations flying around do not really make any sense to me and I refuse to take part in any discussion that has to do with them.
My reason is strictly informed by the characters involved. Henry Okah, Raymond Dokpesi, Jonathan Goodluck, “People trying to sabotage government effort” (as christened by Mr. President), the Nigeria police and other security outfits. Whom amongst this can I vouch for? None!
It pains me to place Okah by our President, but what difference does it make if they are now both involved in the mud fight. Of course, you wouldn’t expect oppositions who have been looking for a way to discredit Mr. President’s already discredited election bid to keep quiet at a time like this. The current political culture calls for such, so I very well understand the words from the Atiku and IBB camp especially.
What would have impressed me as an individual is really not the immediate unmasking and/or arrest of the mindless criminals behind the attacks, that in the real sense, might never happen, but a statement from the security outfits, something like, a word coming from the head of the Nigeria police bomb squad. That would give me a feeling that my country is organized. I am not even sure the place was sealed off after the event or did the bomb squad visit the spot. If they did, what are the preliminary findings?
By now, we should have had an idea of what kind of bombs where used, where such bombs could be found in Nigeria and some Hollywood kind of reports you get after LAPD bomb squad visits a scene. These expectations truly sound Hollywood; my apologies to Mr. I. Ringim.
He doesn’t appear to head an outfit positioned for such.
One golden lesson to be learnt apart from the fact that Nigerian politicians would do everything to remain in power or get into power, is that we are a much disorganized nation that needs a well informed leadership structure to put things in the right order.
Another lesson, and on this one, I don’t mind standing alone, is that, outright amnesty was never a solution to the crisis in the Niger Delta region. The real symbols of the struggle wouldn’t have even needed anything amnesty, the Saro-Wiwas I mean. When a group of over-zealous and armed idle men get supports from rich untouchables to wreck havoc within some regions causing the country a lot of embarrassment and resources, are pacified with such blanket offer called amnesty, you shouldn’t expect anything short of this.
A more principled government would have instead attended to their real and genuine grievances of the Niger Delta people and ask the armed bandits to lay down arms with minimum punishments maybe; but what we have is an escapist leadership even under the late Yar’ adua. Till date, the demands have not been met and they are not likely to be met judging from the insatiable craze for wealth this armed business has opened for the militant groups, the larger than life status of their patrons, support from outside the country, dirty dealings of the multinationals and above all, the irresponsible stance of the Nigerian government in the face of providing basic amenities for her people.
I am pained by the fact that innocent people have once again, like always, being killed to score political points. While I wouldn’t have even wished death for any of these corrupt and unprincipled leaders, they just have to suffer for their misdeeds; it would have been a different story if the bomb exploded inside Eagle Square. A story of pythons swallowing pythons may not be hard to tell as against that of sharks eating up fingerlings that would be.
This and many more are the questions we need to ask a nation at 50. The wasteful spending are by the way; key security issues are far more pertinent and they in many ways question the so called celebrations.
We truly cannot place our country side by side USA and co, but would we, after a sober reflection on our past, say we have done too well. I don’t care what the histories of other countries are nor do I agree we have to follow the same torturous path these advanced countries followed before becoming what they are, what I care about is that my country should learn from the history of others and get things done properly.
These are my thoughts for this country at a time like this and always when the issues bothering on leadership crisis cross my mind. I am just one of very many good citizens of Nigeria who have a lot of hope in this country. Such hopes, I may not necessarily be alive to witness but let my children and grandchildren have a fair share of the better Nigeria I am hoping for now.
Take this as a parting teaser, if Mr. President is very sure, as he has claimed he is from Niger Delta and knows his people too well, that MEND didn’t orchestrate the bombing of Friday, October 1 as against the claims of MEND and security reports; I think he stands a chance, a good one at that, to tell us who did the bombing.
With these said, I am still very proud to be a Nigerian and also very sure we would get it right one day.
Proudly Nigerian!

WHICH WAY TO GO

For the first time, I hope to be very brief with my piece. As an upcoming writer, I have always thought so much word would adequately convey my points; sometimes, it does help but on particular issues, it amounts to waste of time. One of such issues is that which bothers on Nigeria.
Now that I am writing about Nigeria again, I want to be brief so much so that what would really convey my point is the brevity and not necessarily the piece itself.
Enough said. Suddenly, the so much over advertised and over debated 50th anniversary celebration is here. To say a whooping 7 Billion Naira would go down the drain is another stale gist.
I am just as convinced as a lot of people out there that the said anniversary is a shameful display of bad leadership, corruption, and abuse of the rule of law.
So, why waste time?
I have engaged a couple of friends on facebook and other media sites on the possible outcome(s) of 2011; it has been very educative and broad. Nigerians are sharp analytically and brilliant. Oh Nigerians, what a people?! If only we could act as much as we speak.
My particular concern is the Presidential elections simply because of the characters seeking that exalted office.
None of the candidates has been spared in the course of this multi-perspective discourse by people. They all seem to have questions to answer.
While we are not God and we have no control over future events, it is permissible within the political scenarios to make calculative predictions based on public opinions, campaign strategies, manifestos (though they don't count) and many other factors and then focus on three or four likely candidates.
My four candidates in no particular order and reasons are:
Jonathan Ebele Goodluck (JEG): He is favored by the strength of incumbency, array of sychophants and goodwill-seeking governors and bootlickers.
He's financially competent based on his network, to power a strong campaign and effect proper mobilisation. Though he is viewed by some quarters as betraying the zonal arrangement, I don't share that point view.

Despite this, I have a personal misgiving for JEG and I am so unrepentant about it. He doesn't represent anything par say. He is not known with any particular principle, no style, just dry! Very soft, bereft of ideas and doesn't have any history of winning people's mandate. He has always reached the top by chance. What it takes to solve the problems of this country is way beyond chance but a well articulated workplan directed by a strong willed individual.
He also appears to me a puppet and an extension of the old syndicates who have held this country by her jugular. Some kind of marionette holding office in trust.
Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB): The self style evil genius is favoured by his clout, gut and agelong hold on the political nerve of this country. IBB also has enough money to mobilize every sort of machinery needed to give a strong fight. He is a beneficiary of the zoning agitation and also has on his team a list of top notch, all time corrupt public officers.
My view of him is, he is a familiar evil whose first opposition is his past. He masterminded so many unity-threatening policies that many Nigerian can't afford to overlook.
The best slogan I would suggest is "RETURNING TO REDEEM". That's about all he has left to do. One other thing that would give him a load of trouble is the party, PDP factor.
He is a major player on the list of over recycled leaders who appear to be richer than Nigeria.
Atiku Abubakar (AB): The Turaki Adamawa is also very rich owing to so many years of mismanagement in the Customs, 8 years as VP and some croonies doing his bidding. Like IBB, he is also a standing pro-zoning beneficiary.
He also seem to see more or better put has a well worked out plan than we think to have returned to PDP at a time like this. With the level of sympathy and warm reception he enjoyed with the then Action Congress, one would have expected he stayed back to consolidate.
For me, AB is as bad as those he tried to paint bad then; this unequivocally makes him very hard to trust, disloyal and hypocritical.
He is also a part of the cabal and cannot make a better leader in Nigeria.
Nuhu Ribadu (NR): The former EFCC no-nonsense tiny figure has very few but key things working for him. He has a publicly percieved impeccable anti-corruption record, that's one thing Nigerians are craving for. His sympathy soared to an amiable height when the Mike Okiro led-Nigeria Police rolled out its arsenal against this young man.
He also has a tremendous support of youths. Trust me, if the youths turn in their numbers as being mouthed on facebook especially, NR is unstoppable.
Please, note my bias, NR is my favourite.
For me, yes, I share his strong points too and would readily label his shortcomings at EFCC as inevitable human error!
However, I do not see NR as a magician who is going to turn Nigeria around at the flip of a magic wand just as my support for him doesn't extend to ACN automatically. It's to be negotiated. He only, to me, reprents a paradigm shift from the usual straight jacket (s)election process that revolves round some old but untiring individuals.
That is a proper step in the right direction; we would have successfully cut off the country from the grip of death. With this achieved, things can begin to be sorted in their right places.
My guess is, NR would run on the platform of ACN. If he does, we would be a little more than unrealistic to feel he would operate without the influences of the Lams, Akandes and Tinubus. This is to suggest that his leadership would have a taint of the usual political approach of nepotism and all.
The Buharis should take a well deserved rest and just respect himself. Chris Okotie, if he still hears God's voice as he claims, should check the voice again, it could be coming from a drunken friend in his backyard. Pat Utomi should manage his Lagos Business School and also start his education policies from LBS and make it affordable before aiming to manage the Nigeria education sector. Who else? I can't see.
2011 would definitely be interesting and also represent our chance of putting this country on a right track.
You may want to ask yourself again, which way to go?
I told you this would be very short, isn't it?
Happy birthday Nigeria.
N:B
Apart from the billion set aside for the independence day celebration, tax payer money has also being set aside to celebrate (im)Patience Jonathan's 50th birthday tagged 50 at 50.
Isn't that wonderful?
Hail 9ja!