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Publish Fake Election Results, Go To Jail, INEC Warns Media Professionals, Others

2019-02-02T13:39:00.001+00:00

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned media professionals, accredited election observers and social media users against publishing results of the forthcoming elections not endorsed by the commission’s returning officers.

INEC National Commissioner, Mr Festus Okoye, who gave the warning on Friday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, at a sensitisation forum for the media on the 2019 general election, noted that announcing results were legally reserved for returning officers.

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According to him, Section 123 (4) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) stated that any person who announces or publishes an election result knowing same to be false or which is at variance with the signed certificate of return commits an offence and is liable on conviction to 36 months imprisonment.

He called on media professionals to properly study the constitution and the Electoral Acts and apply them accordingly in their reportage to avoid misinforming the public who, he said, rely solely on the media for information.

“The constitution is the fundamental law of the land and all other laws are dependent and flow from its provisions. The Electoral Acts set out the procedure and processes for the conduct of elections in Nigeria and the third are the regulations and guidelines as well as the manuals issued by the INEC for the conduct of elections.

“Media managers must have good knowledge of the dynamics and nuances of the electoral processes. Media manager that does not have such knowledge is a danger to the electoral process and a danger to democracy,” Okoye said.

He warned media organisations and observers against violating the secrecy of the vote by attempting to record how a voter is voting or how the voter has voted even though they were allowed to polling units, collation centres and distribution centres.

The INEC National Commissioner, while soliciting for symbiotic relationship with the media for successful general election, said the commission was determined to conduct credible elections that meet international standards.

Okoye explained that the commission was not going to relent on arresting anyone caught going into the polling cubicle with a camera phone, because according to him, it aides vote selling and vote buying.

Speaking on INEC and voters education, Mr Victor Aluko, while stressing that men constitute highest number of registered voters in the country, urged eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or risk not being allowed to vote at the election.

Earlier, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, represented by the commission’s Administrative Secretary, Mr Charles Ibanaga, enjoined social media users to be factual and objective in their political reportage and do away with fake news.

PDP accuses APC of plans to import foreigners for elections

2019-02-02T11:32:00.001+00:00

• Asks Security Agencies To Probe Presence Of Nigerien Governors, Others In Kano Rally
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of intention to import more foreign nationals into the country to influence the general elections, especially the presidential election.
Consequently, the party charged security agencies to immediately carry out comprehensive investigation on the security and political implications of the presence of two Nigerien governors and other foreigners during the APC presidential rally in Kano on Thursday.

National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, speaking at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, venue of the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in the state, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify APC’s presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, from the February 16 election for allegedly importing foreign nationals to influence the polls.

Secondus described as shameful, the APC rally in Kano, where governors and other persons from neighbouring countries, especially Niger Republic, attended and openly campaigned for Buhari, saying such action shows that the ruling party intends to import more foreign nationals into the country to influence the elections.

He said a vote for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was a vote for freedom from poverty, hunger and insecurity, adding: “Governor David Umahi is the best governor and I know that you are going to vote for him again.

“Let me warn INEC that what we witnessed yesterday (on Thursday) was the worst that we have seen in the country, where people from other countries, like Niger and Chad, came to influence the elections in Nigeria.”

Briefing journalists yesterday in Abuja, PDP, through its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged: “President Buhari and the APC, in their desperation, have compromised our territorial integrity as a nation and this portends grave danger to our national security and the sanctity of our electoral process.

“For a nation contending with insurgency and banditry, the involvement of mercenaries from neighbouring countries in the APC rally must be condemned by all and sundry. This is particularly against the backdrop of claims by Buhari that killer herdsmen ravaging our nation are mercenaries who are infiltrating from the Sahel region.”

The PDP noted that already, there was apprehension that “miscreants who came from Niger Republic to Buhari’s rally are being offered accommodation in our country by the APC to unleash violence immediately it is clear that Buhari is losing in the February 16 presidential election.”

On account of this, PDP demanded an urgent and thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the presence of politicians and thugs from Niger Republic at the rally, urging the Presidency and APC to immediately explain the “roles being played by Issa Moussa, Governor of Zinder, and his counterpart from Maradi, Zakiri Umar, both of the Niger Republic, who were sighted decked in the attires and official logos of the APC in our political affairs”

“Our security agencies must immediately investigate and lay in the public domain, the circumstances leading to their presence.”

In PDP’s opinion, “the presence of the Niger Republic Governors at President Buhari’s rally signposts a direct assault on the credibility of the Presidential elections. This is particularly against the backdrop of INEC’s plans to allow Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in that country to vote in our election, a situation that opens the way for aliens to infiltrate as IDPs and participate in our elections.”

It asked: “What was the true purpose of the invitation of these foreigners to the APC rally in Kano on Thursday? What secret deals did APC leaders make with them at the expense of our national security?

“We, therefore, call on all Nigerians, irrespective of creed, ethnicity and political affiliations, to rise

Buhari’s govt has failed Nigerians– ASUU

2016-05-07T04:36:00.001+01:00

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Friday, received a damning verdict from the Academic Staff Union of Universities. ASUU, at its 19th National Delegates Conference held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said Nigerians were yet to experience the much talked-about change Mr. Buhari promised the nation.
The administration has failed the people, ASUU said.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, was represented at the event by his Special Adviser, A.B. Baffa.
The president of ASUU, Nasir Isa, while addressing the conference, said, Mr. Buhari was waging a “half-hearted” fight against corruption, and that the poor was getting poorer, while “a tiny club of nouvea riche, treasury looters, phantom contractors, subsidy scammers and rent collectors are flowing in scandalous opulence and manipulating the legal structures of the state to escape. “One year after, there has been no positive change in the major indices of growth and development, be it poverty reduction, safety and security,disease control or access to basic amenities and public good,” he said.
Mr. Isa said the government appearedto have no direction in its policies, thereby causing Nigerians to be disillusioned with it. “The disappointment of Nigerians stems from the fact that we have a government whose leadership promised change but which is not practising transformation (deep, fundamental change).“Democracy in Nigeria is still seen superficially as what leaders do for the people rather than government by the people,” ASUU said. Mr. Isa, whose tenure as ASUU president comes to an end at the two-day conference, said the Nigerian government has abandoned a socialist welfare state prescribed by the provisions of Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution, and embraced unfavourable policies handed down by IMF and World Bank. "As intellectuals, we know the Nigerian condition is a reflection of the conspiracy between African rulers and agents of Bretton Wood Institutions particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB),” Mr. Isa said. "The conspiracy was consummated inthe 1980s when these institutions for the protection and advancement of capitalism, came up with their ‘standard reform package’ now known as the ‘Washington consensus. package was designed for the African and other underdeveloped economies in order to perpetuate their to the capitalist world. Many of us would recall General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s debate on this ‘consensus’ in 1985/86.“Even though the Nigerian people overwhelmingly rejected the IMF/WB loan, the Babangida Government still went ahead to implement the key neoliberal prescriptions of devaluation of the Naira and trade liberalisation. “President Olusegun Obasanjo and hissuccessors from 1999 have unabashedly intensified the implementation of this package through criminal privatisation and commercialisation of public assets, infaithful surrender to the Washington ‘consensus.’“In all of these, the Nigerian ruling class is unmindful of stiff resistance by the labour movement, civil society groups, the media and other progressive forces in the country. This is much unlike what obtains in other climes such as the Asian Tigers (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea) who got industrialised without surrendering their economies to the prowling reach of local and foreign marketers of the ‘Washington consensus’,” the union said.Mr. Isa said ASUU must not relent in working with other progressives to fight for the common good of Nigerians.
He announced that ASUU has donated an initial sum of N20 million to help ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians displaced from their homes and communities in the North East, due to the insurgency in the region. He said the amount was in addition tothe N5million earlier donated by the union to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical assistance to the victims of the Nyanya Motor Park bomb blast.The ASUU president paid glowing tributes to late Eskor Toyo, a revered professor of economics, whom he said was “a great institution on his own right”.Mr. Isa said of late Toyo: “He was a grand meteor, an economist who attained an unparalleled height in the discipline, a historian’s historian, an unusually endowed political iconoclast who offered himself to the vagaries of life and yet remained a credible spokesperson for the voiceless members of our world, an Africanist, a rare intellectual warrior, awriter who wrote to right the wrongs of his time, an educator who spoke to conscience.”
The Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu, in his goodwill message to the conference, said the Buhari administration was “peerlessly committed to the resuscitation or restoration of the Nigerian Project by confronting the evils of corruption, unemployment, insecurity and indiscipline”.
Mr. Adamu called on ASUU to supporthis Ministerial Action Plan, which he said was designed to reposition Nigeria’s ailing education sector.

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Nigerian refineries can’t meet demands even at optimal capacity – Kachikwu

2016-03-30T02:26:00.001+01:00

Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, said on Tuesday in Abuja, that the refineries in the country could not meet local demand of petrol even if they functioned at optimal capacity.

Kachikwu while briefing the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) on the lingering scarcity of petrol said that the refineries if repaired, could not even meet up to 50 per cent demand.He said that the design of the refineries hadalready created gaps in refining Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) even if the refineries were to function at full capacity.

“The design of the Nigerian refineries was such that the component of PMS versus other products was almost a 50/50 per centrelationship.“Most world refineries now provide PMS to about 70 to 80 per cent ratio. “So, even if the refineries work as being designed today, they will still provide less than 50 per cent of what we consume in this country.“In any case, it is geared to producing only half of that, but the design of the PMS quotient of the total production is only 50 per cent.

"So, even if it worked perfectly, we will still have a gap, this is why we have gone to try and increase the capacity,” he said.The minister added that the ministry was striving to utilise other sources of refining petrol while also depending on the coming on board of private refineries like Dangote refinery. He said that the non-performance of the refineries was due to a number of factors, including fraud and lack of holistic maintenance.

The minister said that due to the long period of non- maintenance, a lot of components were bad and as such after every major repair, another component went bad almost immediately.

“We have also had issues of fraud, it got to a point where I started wondering whether as we repair this, somebody was going out there to destroy, so that contracting will be done.

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, we have not done a serious, conclusive turn around maintenance of these refineries; the refineries are averagely 30 to 40 years old, the equipment are far dilapidated.

“So, even with the best in terms of top level engineers who are there working night and day and trying to make things work, I just said no refinery is working right now.

“We supplied crude and they started for oneday and they shut down because the CD unit packed up.“So, it is one thing after another, it is an ageing process and the right thing is that we need to holistically refurbish our refineries,” he said.

The minister, however, said that refineries never die, and as such the nation’s refineries could be improved to work perfectly like others; even older refineries around the world were still functional.

He said that scrapping the refineries was not a solution to the challenge.

“The answer is to spend time, put in the right financial resources required, the right skills and get those refineries working.

He added that part of the restructuring that was done was to give the refineries some level of autonomy; so that they could prioritise their problems, seek third party funding and ensure the refineries worked.

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Let Biafra Go For Sake Of Africa Liberation

2016-03-30T02:10:00.001+01:00

BY IKEM ONUOHA

An Igbo man sees the entire world as his village, while an Hausa man sees Kano as the universe and a Yoruba man sees Lagos as his entire world. Nigeria is just too smallto contain the Igbo man’s dreams, aspirations, industry, commerce and expertise. He needs a platform to rule and dominate the entire Universe which is Biafra. He does not really need oil to survive sincehe does not work in the civil service, public service, or does he constitute the majority of politicians or government contractors but earnestly needs freedom to control his destiny.
His dominion is in the area of invention, creativity, industry, development, commerce and the provision of goods and services for the good of mankind and not religious, cultural or political dominion. He has capacity to drive the world technologically like the US, the UK, Russia, France, Germany, China and Israel. An average Igbo man is far betterthan an average Yoruba or an average Hausa-Fulani: intellectually, economically and industrially, not withstanding his money that Awolowo stole to develop andempower Yoruba land, or his properties that Gowon destroyed and others he dashed out. He carries the blessing of Abraham, Nigeria will remain cursed as she continues to curse and undermine the Igbo man. The only way Nigeria will see light is by blessing and letting Biafra go.

The blood of the Igbo man slaughtered by Hausa- Fulani, the blood of the pregnant Igbo woman whose womb was slit open to kill her and the unborn child by Hausa-Fulani, and the cry of the Igbo child starved to death by Yoruba will continue to speak against the Nigeria project. Nigeria is doomed and under a curse, and therefore needs to make atonement, restitution and seek forgiveness from the Igbo man. Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba should bury their facesin shame, how would you explain why an entire military affair as regards to the 1966 coup led to the slaughter of millions of Igbos in Northern Nigeria.

What about the massacre of the Igbos in the bloody riots ofJos and Kano in 1945 and 1953 respectively in Northern Nigeria and the cycle of Igbo slaughter ever since then and now crowned by the Boko Haram insurgency. The plotters of the 1966 coup were not all Igbos. Even at that, Nzeogwu did not consult his kith and kin before embarking on the coup? Why should an ordinary Igbo man pay for what was clearly a military rebellion? Several officers of northern origin took part in Nigeria’s first military coup.

The “Igbo coup” tag attached to the assault ignores the fact that scores of northern officers took part in the Lagos operations, and even assisted Nzeogwu when he stormed the residence of the Northern Region’s premier: Ahmadu Bello. Nzeogwu was later to describe the detachment of troops accompanying him to Bello’s house as “a truly Nigerian gathering” (New Nigerian – 18th January 1966). Nzeogwu pointed out that the northern soldiers accompanying him “had the chance to drop out. More than that, they had bullets. They had been issued with bullets but I was unarmed. If they disagreed they could have shot me….most of the Other Ranks were Northerners but they followed”.

Among the prominent northern soldiers that helped Nzeogwu to overthrow the Northern Region’s governmentwas John Atom Kpera. Kpera later became the military governor of Benue State. Many of the soldiers that accompanied Major Ifeajuna when he abducted the Prime minister, Tafawa Balewa, were also northerners. As much as Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba, not withstanding heavy grip on the Nigerian resources, civil service, public service, politics and government contracts etc., decide to remain backwards, or being held back by their religion and culture. As much as the Igbo man continues to progress Abrahamically, fearlessly propelled by his culture and strengthened by repression and harsh antagonistic economic policies, the hatred,jealousy and envy towards an Igbo man will have no bounds.

The Federal Character Policy – that allows mediocre to insult the talented and skilful – and the Educational less Disadvantaged States policy –that allows dullard to sit in class with the exceptionally gifted – are wrongly misapplied as an anti-Igbo policy and have ironically brought the beneficiaries further down and the Igbo man further ahead. How would you explain why 55 years of independence and operation of these policies some tribes still join the civil service, public service and politics with primary school certificates to debate and reason with professors and PhD holders from other tribes? Nnamdi Azikiwe joinedpolitics with Ph.D, while Emeka Ojukwu and Chukwuma Nzeogwu joined the Army with Msc and Bsc respectively. What place is worse than a country where the ill-educated and mal-informed control the affairs of the well-educated and well-informed, where the non-talented and non-gifted control the affairs of the gifted and talented, the Igbo man is caged in Nigeria and unequally yoked with his neighbours, and desperately needs freedom?

The Igbo man is dominating the entire world and has left Nigeria behind long ago. He isan all-round global player and seeks international jobs and offers across the world in the global contest, like in the United Nations Organisations, the World Bank, the IMF, the Commonwealth, etc where he is appreciated and appraised. He is just not in tiny Lagos or Abuja, Kano, Kaduna etc, he is in every country of the world where he feels safe, secure and free, even in Arab nations,but never in Nigeria. You cannot hold an Igbo man down to catch up with him. Nnamdi Azikiwe was born in Zungeru in Niger State in 1904, so when did his father settle in the North? Emeka Ojukwu was also born in Zungeru in 1933. Chukwuma Nzeogwu was born in Kaduna in 1937.

The Igbo have cohabited with Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba for hundreds of years in their own land, yet he remains an easy prey for slaughter due to envy and jealousy. He is more Nigerian than every other Nigerian. He built Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Abuja, etc because he is development-minded and sees the world, not just Nigeria, as his village – the reason he is hated, envied and killed. He needs Biafra so he could bring light, not just in Nigeria, but in the entire African continent, and frees Africa from mental slavery. The Igbo man has set new records in the US and in the UK in education, in science and in technology, if given the opportunity through Biafra, Africa will see light.

The views and ideas are solely that of the writer and not that of The Republican News

Read more: https://therepublicannews.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/let-biafra-go-for-sake-of-africa-liberation/?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C5622758227

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El-Rufai will not withdraw religious bill despite criticism— Aide

2016-03-29T12:26:00.001+01:00

Malam Uba Sani, the Political Adviser to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said the governor will not backtrack on his programmes for the state despite criticisms.Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, Sani accused mischief makers of being responsible for some of the criticisms against the El-Rufai’s policies.Sani said, “You may accuse Governor El-Rufai of anything but you‎ don’t even have to know him too well to deduce that the governor is not the type to be swayed by any form or shade of primordial religioussentiments,”“We are not going to get tired of explaining to our people that all the policies, programmes as well as legislations currently being implemented or about to beimplemented by the El Rufai administrationwill always be in the best interest of the state. They will also be for the good of the people who overwhelmingly elected the governor into office.He said El Rufai will not betray the people that elected him. “The governor has deep knowledge of the state and knows how easy it is for persons who do not mean wellfor the state, to orchestrate negative religious issues given the seemingly sharp religious divide in the state.”The aide stated that the religious bill beforethe State House of Assembly that has come under so much criticism was not a new law, noting that it has been in existence since 1984.“My understanding is that previous administrations in Kaduna State that had either enacted or retained this law were responding to outbreaks of religious violence in the state over time.“So, like we have severally explained, in further amending this law, the government is only seeking to discourage the use of religion for violence and division. Kindly note however, that this law does not in any way abridge, threaten or violate the freedom of worship as enshrined in the constitution of our great country,” he said.

Read More: http://dailypost.ng/2016/03/29/el-rufai-will-not-withdraw-religious-bill-despite-criticism-aide/?utm_source=dp_twt&utm_medium=twitter

2016 Budget provision in Trillion Naira

2016-03-29T10:25:00.001+01:00

Expenditure: N2.6 trillion Capital expenditure: N1.5 trillion Deficit: N2.2trillion Debt service N1.4trillion Statutory transfers N351 billion National Assembly: N115 billion; Universal Basic Education: N77.110 billion; National Judicial Council: N70 billion; INEC: N45 billion Niger Delta Development Commission: N41.050 billion Public Complaints Commission: N2 billion National Human Rights Commission: N1.210 billion. Group life insurance for all MDAs N14,690,036,516: Armed forces enhanced retirement benefits of Cdres N1 billion Severance benefits of Delta Steel coy/Pension pay-off; N2.795 billion Military retirees NHIS N2,544,110,811 Admin and monitoring of OHSCF Group Life; N36 million Pension verification and administration; N200 million Entitlements of former Presidents/Heads of State and Vice Presidents/Chief of General Staff N2.3 billion Public service reforms N1.5 billion Domestic Debts: N1,307,400,000,000; Foreign Debts: N54.480 billion Sinking fund to retire maturing Loans: N113.440 Interior Ministry: N451,942,552,070 Education: N367,734,727,223 Defence: N312,213,355,618 Health: N221,412,548,087 Youth & Sports Development: N72,297,326,595 Petroleum Resources: N54,336,926,923; Foreign Affairs: N39,440,096,249; Information & Culture: N38,729,446,483; Works, Power & Housing: N422, 964,928,495 Agriculture: N29,632,584,416 Science & Technology: N25,554,038,310. Presidency: N21,676,277,888; NSA : N56,791,291,063 SGF: N45,890,745,817; H o S of the Federation: N6,270,657,023; Justice: N17,389,782,636; Environment gets N14,515,408,468; Transportation gets N13,667,122,591; Water Resources gets N7,219,056,441; Solid Minerals gets N9,402,106,704; Industry, Trade & Invests: N10,410,294,458; Finance gets N9,994,990,976; National Planning gets N7,737,100,536; AGF gets N2,480,584,708; Labour & Employment: N7,735,604,366; Niger Delta: N1,261,723,837; ICPC: N5,029,989,359; Communication & Technology: N9,885,909,120; ICRC: N838,569,623; FRC: N320,198,366; Special Duties SGF: N65,604,713 Women Affairs: N1,216,723,837

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/2016-budget-provison-in-trillion-naira/

NAIJA IN POLITICS OF NO CHOICE

2014-08-19T13:01:00.000+01:00

A high profile Nigerian politician widely celebrated for high level of integrity in dealing with corruption has joined the bang-wagon of ‘if you can’t beat them, you join them’. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who was former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and presidential flag bearer of the former Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) – a party which metamorphosed into the APC – in the 2011 general election has decamped from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

On the eve of the ‘jump’, Ribadu revealed that ‘there was no difference between the PDP and APC, in terms of the character of the people who constituted both parties’. Speaking through his spokesman, Mr. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, He said, “In Nigeria, especially in politics, you can’t say that this is an exclusive party for the people who are thieves or this is for good people. This clearly confirms saying that Nigerians are between the devil and deep blue sea.

We are left without a credible alternative, no choice…..heading towards one direction (Leadership quagmire). All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed Nigerians by their inability to provide real and credible alternative to People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In fact, many believe that APC is worse than PDP as it is clearly two men party who see their personal ambition and interest as primary objective of the party.

Politicians in Nigeria have only one interest which is to capture power and use it to perpetuate themselves and to further their personal interest. No one is exempted from this. Unequivocally, Ribadu jumped from APC to PDP just for one reason. To make sure his governorship ambition is guaranteed. Not for the common man in the street…….time is gone when they deceive us that their actions are in the interest of the masses.

With selfishness, ethnicity, greediness and religion at the driving seat of the so called alternative party for Nigerians, surely APC has sown the seed of its eventual destruction. During the early stage of the formation of the party, Nigerians were optimistic that they will soon have a credible party that will be the voice of the people. Presently, that enthusiasm has gradually faded away due to the level of internal democracy in the party which is adjudged by many as worse (dictatorial) than that of PDP.

Must we pray over everything in Nigeria? When are we going to have selfless politicians that think of the people first? Are we going to continue like this while few people pocked the wealth of the country without being questioned nor brought to book? These and more questions are critical issues begging for answers as we gradually come closer to 2015 elections. Know that your vote is your power. Don’t sell it because it to a large extent determines the future of me and you. VOTE WISELY.

Nigeria: Where are we going?

2014-06-30T16:24:00.002+01:00

Nigeria: Where are we going?

One morning a man woke up from sleep and called his wife and four children to come out for morning devotion after which he hurried out to clean his car in readiness for the day activity. Chukwuma a native of Umulolo in Okigwe Imo state left his house early that bright and promising day bearing in mind that he have to get money from wherever to pay school fees of his two children that are studying in University of Abuja.

On Wednesday June 25^th, 2014 bomb blast was heard at Emab Plaza in Abuja killing tens of people and destroying property worth millions. Chukwuma’s death was announced as a victim of the blast among others. Sun, joy, happiness of a family have been suddenly removed and jeopardizing the future of the children.

Nigeria has become another Afghanistan. Where should we go from here? Living in total uncertainty is now the order of the day and gradually becoming dominant way of life. Does it mean that minority can actually remove sleep from the eyes of the majority? Does it mean that Boko Haram is actually wining this war of spreading terror to all parts of the country?

Just the other day, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu banned women from attending masses (church services) with handbags for security reasons. They (Boko Haram) are actually winning this war. What can be done that have not been done to flush out these miscreants? Or is the government and armed forces incapable of flush these miscreants from the system of Nigeria? Should we leave this entity (Nigeria) to another place? Is there any other country we can truly call our own? Should we continue to fold our hands while politicians play politics with our lives? Or should we just hand over the situation to God and go to our homes while our men, wives and girls are being killed, kidnapped and raped.

One thing is certain….We cannot continue like this anymore. Sometimes I am tempted to call out the youths for war against Boko Haram. But on a second thought, I ask myself….. Who is really the actual enemy of the people? Is it the field soldiers that execute the plans or the sponsor of the plans?

One BBC survey revealed that most of the executors of Boko Haram activities are not members of the group but paid assailants. It is time Nigerians begin to make move to bring to book the funders of Boko Haram activities instead of just catching the foot soldier. Due to the presence of many factors (Unemployment, poverty etc) limiting the capability of some marginalized groups such as youths, these bourgeois (Unscrupulous politicians and religious fanatics) will continue to have ready market to recruit executors of their selfish intrigue.

This country is for all of us. I see a time when people will once again walk on the streets of Abuja and other parts of the country without fear of being killed by suicide bombers. However before that time will come, government must rise up to its primary duty of protecting lives and property by fearlessly fishing out the sponsors of Boko Haram and other criminal element in other to restore peace and security to the country. Security is every bodies business therefore all hands must be on deck to flush out these enemy of the people and return the country to what it used to be.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Okechukwu Ajaegbu

Search for Common Ground

Averting Election-Related Violence in 2015 Elections

2014-05-26T11:37:00.000+01:00

It is widely understood that the ultimate guarantor of social peace is robust democratic institutions such as elections. Elections that give voice to the people are in essence a critical means of social conflict management through peaceful deliberations and decision-making processes in which ‘winners’ carry out promised policy initiatives and programs and ‘losers’ are given opportunity to serve as a loyal opposition, and to try again in future competitions. Yet there is high probability that when election is ill managed it leads to breakdown of law and order in the society as it was after 2011 Nigeria presidential election.

According to the conflict resolution scholar Louis Kriesberg, conflict is a general term that “arises when two or more persons or groups manifest the belief that they have incompatible objectives”. For the purpose of this article, election-related violence or conflict is define as acts or threats of coercion, intimidation, or physical harm perpetrated to affect and or react to electoral process or that arise in the context of electoral competition. When perpetrated to affect an electoral process, violence may be employed to influence the process of elections such as efforts to delay, disrupt, or derail a poll and to influence the outcomes.

Election-related conflict has devastating effects on governance and development. When such violence occurs, it often impairs the function of the governmental institutions that emerge from processes where violence has tainted the fairness of the process and the legitimacy of election outcomes. It can also degenerate into loss of lives and property as it were in the 2011 presidential election that left more than 800 people dead. Therefore as 2015 electing is gradually coming, there is need to recommend ways to preventing election-related violence in other to avert a repeat of history.

Strategies Aimed At Preventing Electoral Violence

It is imperative for Nigeria to build strong and credible institutions which would increase the level of public trust and confidence in the electoral process as a prerequisite for democratic-building and conflict management. Below are ways to prevent election-related violence:

1. Election management body should assert its independence by resisting attempts by either the government or political parties to influence it unduly. The independence of the election management body must go beyond legislation to include the ability to carry out its work in an independent manner that is obvious to the public.

2. Electoral staffs should be trained to handle election-day complaints effectively before they escalate into violence.

3. There should be a law backed up by the constitution to punish any electoral law offender. This punishment should be big enough to deter politicians and other actors that intend to rig the election or cause violence.

4. Intensive voter/civic education programs concerned with election campaigns and polling, and also special programs/ activities aimed at preparing parties and candidates for election loss.

5. Political parties should educate their members against lawless acts that will disturb the peace, before, during and after an election. There is the need for political parties to work hard to strengthen their support base instead of seeking opportunities to rig elections through intimidation and vote buying.

6. Media should refrain from hyping baseless allegations that will heighten political tension before, during and after an election. The responsibility of the media should include educating the public against acts of violence during elections.

7. There should be continuous dialogue among electoral stakeholders (political parties, INEC, human rights organizations, security forces etc.) to create an agreement on the rules of the game and also build-up commitment and relationships (exchange of information, regular meetings, contingency planning). Dialogue efforts are essential not only centrally but also on lower levels, ensuring that district/village level conflicts are resolved and that all actors respect the codes of conduct.

8. Election results should be announced as soon as possible to eliminate thoughts and pressure to manipulate the result.

9. The government (Incumbent government) should ensure that all suspicion that it can manipulate the electoral process in its favour is removed.

10. There is need for law enforcement agents to maintain peace during and after the election without being bias.

As National Assembly is amending the Electoral Laws, I urge those responsible to shade all personal gains and amend those laws that make it impossible to have credible election in Nigeria while we hope that the military in collaboration with the citizens deal with the threat posed by Hoko Haram to the continued co-existence of the country.

Okechukwu Ajaegbu

Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement

Blog- www.stateofthenationpolity.blogspot.com

Tweet- @okeyajax

RISING ABOVE TERROR IN NIGERIA

2014-05-12T09:57:00.000+01:00

In recent weeks, the world has risen against campaign of terror in Northern Nigeria by outlawed terror group that has unequivocally demonstrated that they have the capacity to plan and successfully carryout violence against innocent Nigerians. Since 2009, Boko Haram has killed more than 2000 Nigerians is various States of northern Nigeria with thousands rendered homeless and billions of Naira worth of properties destroyed.

Though the aim of their mission is vague, it have been established that their activities are in total violation of human right. The recent Nyanya bombing in Abuja and abduction of about 300 Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State have once again put Boko Haram activities in pages of world newspapers. Everybody is now crying #BringBackOurGirls yet the government looks short of ideas and as days go, it is more likely that these girls will go same way others abducted by the group went.

Desperate situations deserve desperate actions. It is time government begin to correct those factors in Nigeria that fuel violence instead of crying and looking for assistance from the world when its actions over the years has encouraged desperation among its citizens.

Deprivation theory by Ted Gurr provides clear insight into reasons why people take up arms against their State. Relative deprivation is the discrepancy between what people think they deserve and what they actually think they can get. People can get used to a bad state of affairs, even one that offers so little access to life-sustaining resources that members of the group are starving or dying of remediable diseases or exposure. However, if there is a significant discrepancy between what they think they deserve and what they think they will get, there is a likelihood of rebellion. Gurr posits this to be the case because there is a feeling that their expectation cannot be met if the current statuesque is maintained.

A situation where government officials and or politicians use government fund to live in affluence at the expense of other Nigerians cannot just continue but measures must be activated to begin to bring high profile individuals to book. How can politicians be buying jets with government money every year when ordinary Nigerians do not even have means of livelihood? According to recent CIA report, more than 70% of Nigerians are living in less than $1.25 a day; yet billions of Naira disappear from government account everyday with no one charged to court or brought to book and the President is reported as saying that corruption in Nigeria is over rated. Is it when the country is completely sold that corruption in the country will be duly rated?

Government over the years have systematically planted what we are ripping at this time. My regret is that this Boko Haram violence is meted on the suffering masses. Nigerian economic growth has not been in line with the aspirations of the people and has not been driven by higher productivity. The public perception is that there has been little job creation; yet graduates are turned out every year in thousands to saturate the already over saturated labour market. Consequently, the country is producing army of idle hands that are cheap recruits for criminal activities against the State that have failed to give them meaningful means of livelihood.

It is time government declare State of Emergency on unemployment in the country. If energetic youths are engaged meaningfully, common sense posits that many will not be available to be recruited for crime. It is time people in government realize that the best way to fight crime is to give citizens meaning for living. Most Nigerians do not have means of livelihood due to economic hardship as a result of corruption and years of mis-management of resources by the government.

While Boko Haram activities and other criminal elements are being clamped down by the armed forces, it is expedient for the government to re-orientate itself and be more responsible and also fashion ways to improve living standard of Nigerians as the only way to restore lasting peace in the country.

Nigeria is the only country we can call our own. Let us give peace a chance.

Okechukwu Ajaegbu

Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement

Blog- www.stateofthenationpolity.blogspot.com

Tweet- @okeyajax

POLITICS OF HATE: IS THERE A NIGERIAN?

2014-05-06T08:13:00.001+01:00

POLITICS OF HATE: IS THERE A NIGERIAN?
In the First World such as US and Great Britain, there are phrases showing citizen allegiance and patriotism to the fatherland such as ‘God save the Queen’, I love America etc. Just like the biblical saying that God loved and gave his only begotten son as a condition for us to love back, so did America give (job, education, opportunities) to her citizens for them to give back what they were given. That is the genesis of patriotism in such countries buts down in Nigeria, the story is different.

A country that has over 80 million youths with more than 60 million unemployed or underemployed leaves little to be desired. How can you believe in Nigeria when she does not believe in you? A country that provides little or no opportunity for her citizens to self-actualize. A country citizen’s right are trampled on by government agencies with no one held responsible. A country people are killed on daily bases by terror groups in the North and criminal gangs in the South yet nothing critical is done to counter such in future. Nigeria has given little to her citizens to demand patriotism from them.

On 16^th of April 2014 South Korea ferry sank with more than 300 people dead or missing and the Prime Minister on Sunday, 27^th of April, 2014 resigned stating that he is taking responsibility of the disaster because he felt that the government did not handle the situation very well. After months the Nigerian Immigration Service under direct supervision of the Honorable Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro conducted a recruitment exercise that not only defrauded jobless Nigerians their hard earned money but also claimed about 20 live and left thousands with various levels of injuries; no one has accepted full responsibility, no one has resigned or been sacked, yet we claim that those in government are there for the people. That is the picture of much Nigeria has given her citizens.

Talking of security, no one is safe anymore. After the Nyanya bomb blast that claimed at least 72 lives, nothing new has been put in place apart from long roadblock that has proved counterproductive and was unable to stop the second attack. Instead of the political class to brainstorm and find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis, PDP was busy drafting a long letter that accused APC of being behind series of attacks that have been attributed to Boko Haram. That is how the political class view the suffering of the masses by using it as a means to score political point. What we only hear from the military and Polices is the familiar phrase ‘we are on top of the situation’ yet nothing is done and people keep suffering and dying every day.

Is this the country you will give your all?

From the political class to ordinary Nigerians on the street one can hardly find who that believes in Nigeria Project. On 16^th April 2014 a high profile politician created a state (Northern Nigeria) in Nigeria State. He addressed his broadside to “Fellow Governors and Citizens of the North.” Nyako insists: “Northern Nigeria is on its own’’. Commenting on Boko Haram killings, he claimed that these incidents are orchestrated by “the Hitler-like evil-mindedness” of the government of President Jonathan. Says Nyako: “the Administration has hired militia from all across especially North Africa who have been deceived into accepting to come because they were made to believe that they would be fighting infidels.” From his memo it is clear that even as a governor in Nigeria; he does not trust nor believe in the ‘common project’.

State of the Nation Polity in strong terms rejects the position of Nyako that the Federal Government is directly fighting her citizen. However, is of the opinion that though Nyako was extreme in the use of words such as genocide, we should not jettison core issues convened by the memo. Government at all levels have been systematically and indirectly waging war against Nigerians through lack of creation of meaningful opportunities for citizens to actualise their potentials. This has been achieved through many years of uncontrolled squandering of our national wealth and systematic denier of Nigerians basic means of livelihood.

Notwithstanding all the persecutions, abuse of right of the citizens by government agencies, corruption and outright short-changing and defrauding of Nigerians in the name of recruitment, we will not totally lose hope in Nigeria. Thanks to the ongoing National Conference though there are doubts on its capacity to give Nigerians people’s oriented constitution.

Nigeria is the only country we can truly call our own, therefore while we hope that those in government realise that they are there to sever the people, we urge well meaning Nigerians to shave their swords and give peace a chance for us to have meaningful development in our fatherland.

Okechukwu Ajaegbu

Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement

Tweet- @okeyajas

Watch Video of Abuja bomb bast

2014-04-23T12:35:00.001+01:00

SAY NO TO IMPUNITY: AGF PROSECUTE OSUNBOR, OLAFEMI, AYOOKA OTHERS FOR ELECTORAL OFFENCES

2014-04-22T12:00:00.000+01:00

With the alarming exponential rate of crime increase in Nigeria, one wonder if there will ever be a time the cankerworm will abet. The worrying aspect of the issue is that corruption has eaten into the fabric of Nigerians to the extent we can no longer differentiate right from wrong. In a country billions disappear from government accounts and a situation government officials openly participate in election rigging without being prosecuted after indictment by relevant body is a shameful situation. Yet the President is quoted as saying that corruption is over rated in the country.

There is need for institutions that have the responsibility of prosecuting corrupt Nigerians to brace up to the challenge and save our country from becoming a failed State. In line with the indictment of 41 persons for alleged violation of electoral laws and commission of other criminal offences by The Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), STATE OF THE NATION POLITY therefore charges the Attorney General of the Federation to live up to her responsibility and prosecute the indicted persons.

This will serve as a deterrent, to uphold sanctity of the ballot and to ensure greater respect for democratic values among citizens. There is no other way abuse of office or corruption can be discouraged in the country if those indicted are left to patrol round the streets free.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Irony of Figures: Nigeria’s Economy Surpass that of South Africa

2014-04-05T11:10:00.000+01:00

Come 6^th April 2014, National Bureau of Statistics is expected to release gross domestic product figures based on 2010 production patterns in Africa’s most populous country, the first time Nigeria has overhauled the data in two decades. The report will counter the report of World Bank in 2012 that put Nigeria’s GDP at $263 billion and that of South Africa at $384 billion.

According to London-based Renaissance Capital Ltd, the revision may boost the size of the economy by as much as 60 percent to between $384 billion and $424 billion; which means that Nigeria is set to lead Africa as the largest economy surpassing that of South Africa.

Most populous country in Africa with more than 170 million citizens of which 80 million are youths and 60 percent of the youths unemployed is set to become the largest economy in Africa. This is what I call the ‘Irony of figures’ (A situation where growth is only limited at the realm of figures).

Practically, Nigeria economy growth rate and living standard of the people are negatively correlated. What we are experiencing is a situation where the more figures of Nigeria economy continue to rise, the more living standard of the people continue to reduce. Suggesting that growth of economy completely means nothing to common Nigerians.

The National Bureau of Statistics survey on poverty published in 2012 shows that 61 percent of Nigerians were living on less than a dollar a day in 2010, up from 52 percent in 2004. Just early this week World Bank released report that classified Nigeria into countries with extreme poverty; yet the economy is on the rise. A recruitment exercise conducted by Nigerian Immigration Service nationwide for less than 5,000 positions attracted more than 700,000 applicants and leaving about 20 applicants dead and thousands injured due to overcrowding of the poor organised exercise.

The above is to show that it is time Nigeria government declare unemployment as a matter on national emergency. A political analyst on Channel Television yesterday (3^rd April 2014) advocated that though government cannot employ everybody, government can employ majority of the people since she is yet to provide the conditions that will enable private sector to thrive. The pressure of high recurrent expenditure on the economy is less than the multiplier effect of unemployment on the economy. It is time government rise up to her duty and transforms this growth to development on living standard of citizens.

This country is owned by all and not exclusive property of few money bags. In a country billions disappear from government account without trace yet the president was quoted by Punch Newspaper on his trip to Namibia that corruption in the country is over rated. This is clearly showing that the president is either ill advised or unaware of the level or impact of corruption on Nigeria economy.

Let us watch and see what comes out of the ongoing National Conference. However, it is high time Nigerians take their destiny into their hands as obtainable in other countries such as Egypt.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS NOW.

Monetization of National Conference

2014-03-27T10:16:00.000+00:00

One of the delegates taking a nap during session as reported at http://news.naij.com/62875.html. You should remember that the delegates Of National Conference get paid N1.45 million after sitting for one week.

READ MORE:http://news.naij.com/62875.html

It is expected that the ongoing National Conference will provide answers and solutions to the many problems that have kept Nigeria struggling with the rudiments of national development. Though different from the popularly advocated Sovereign National Conference, Nigerians welcome any conference that can proffer solutions to their problems.

As Nigerians wait for the outcome of the ongoing National Conference, questions arise on the capability of the conference and its delegates to meet the desires of Nigerians. What will be the outcome of a conference that is made up of the same people that have been ruling us or have been at the corridor of power in last five decades? Can they objectively decide the future of Nigerians when they are part of her problems? How can a conference that is made up of majority of old people and politicians effectively decide the future of young Nigerians? The issues are endless and include the financial packages for the delegates and their level of patriotism to Nigeria.

It is expected that a conference of such magnitude should have delegates with some level of patriotism to Nigeria and or the group they belong. People should be selected by their groups on the basis of what they can contribute and not of what they can get out of the conference. The monetization of the services of the delegates added flaw to the composition of the conference. Due to the money involved, ranging from 9million to 12million, many people lobbied their way to the conference based on what they can get out of it. This is why the monetary package should be de-emphasised in to ensure that it is only people that have something to contribute that are sent as delegates. This may explain why some delegates sleep while the future of Nigerians is being debated at the conference; and others (delegates) spend time explaining and debating the justification of the money government is paying them. This leaves many Nigerians to wonder if most of the delegates are not part of Nigerians that are crying over National Assembly jumbo pay.

However, without spending much time crying over a spilt milk because it is late and counter-productive engaging on debates over the composition and money budgeted for the conference, we want to stress and encourage the delegates to jettison any selfish interest and work to put their names on the good page of Nigerian history by prioritizing to objectively proffer solutions to the many problems of Nigeria. Finally, we advocate that the outcome of the conference should be subjected to referendum.

INEC Showing Signs of Better Nigeria

2014-03-14T15:01:00.000+00:00

It is almost a fact that no government institution in Nigeria can function up to 50% capability. If not, how can you explain the situation that Nigeria is still battling and hustling to import petrol when she is one of the largest exporter of crude oil in the world and the largest in Africa with mega oil refineries that can sustain West Africa? A country where billions of dollars are plunged into generation of electricity yet every year we are still targeting 10,000 megawatts when countries like South Africa with one third of our population can boast of 44,000 megawatts? Is it in the area of corruption? Where $20billion just disappear from NNPC coffer without single arrest of any person. In fact, virtually all government institutions in Nigeria are either not functioning or underperforming.

Without going into comparison of INEC led by Prof. Jega and that of Prof. Iwu, I wish to commend present INEC led by Prof. Jega for demonstrating that government can actually function efficiently. Going by the current organisation displayed by INEC in the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) distribution and ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Osun and Ekiti State, INEC has proved to Nigerians that they are capable of overcome their traditional logistic problems and organise themselves efficiently in virtually all aspect of the exercise.

This is a litmus test that Nigeria can really work if there is political will (kudos to Jonathan). Presently I can proudly say that INEC is the most responsive and efficient institution of government in Nigeria. They have risen from the slumber of logistic problems experienced in last election in Anambra State to demonstrate that they have learnt from their mistakes, by addressing most of the challenges they encountered during the election in the PVC distribution and ongoing CVR in Osun and Ekiti.

Though INEC has shown great improvement from what we use to know, there is still much to be done. During the PVC distribution in Ire Town Boripe LGA Osun State, the permanent voter card was not arranged in alphabetical order and there were not enough security men to cover the whole polling Units at same time which meant that one security man have to cover two to three polling units at the same time. Also in this ongoing CVR exercise, the DDC machines in most registration units were not functioning very well and it led to slow down in speed of voter registration in the affected units.

However INEC need to be commended for rising to the occasion to address most traditional challenges that characterise their former exercises. I also wish to use this medium to ginger INEC to replicate even a better result in the coming elections; and also charge all stakeholders that contributed to the success being recorded by INEC to not stop at this level but also do more in the coming elections to help provide Nigerians free and fair election.

Nigerians are watching!!!

Centenary celebration: Lord Luguard and Queen of England honoured for invading Nigeria

2014-02-26T10:05:00.000+00:00

The Nigerian government lastSunday released a list of 100 persons that have been named as winners of Nigeria’s Centenary Honours Award and topping the list are the names of those that forcefully killed, siphoned our economy, enslaved us and took away our able bodied men and women. The people are no other than:

1. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II;

2. Frederick John Dealtry Lugard;

3. Dame Flora Louise Shaw, Lady Lugard.

Though I have reservation about centenary celebration because of trillions of naira that will be wasted on it in a country hundreds of people including school children and women are raped and killed due to insecurity in Northern Nigeria, more than 60% of youths are unemployed, corruption on the increase, and arguably no government parastatal is performing 70% of its capability. However if it must be celebrated, I think it should be more of a sober reflection than flamboyant celebration and honouring of people. It should be a time we think about the existence of this entity called Nigeria and the way forward.

I don’t have much against the government honouring people that have contributed positively to the cause of Nigeria but how can we celebrate and honour people that systematically enslaved us in our fatherland, took away our able bodied men and women including rights to govern ourselves and siphoned our economy practically for just selfish interest.

What is wrong with President Jonathan’s advisers? Or is it now a thing of joy that we were robbed by the British? The world is laughing at us…..what a shame.

Why will we honour those that forcefully imposed their will on us and contributed to a large extent to structural problem that is facing our country which has consumed millions of innocent people; all because of the greed of the British to exploit and siphon the economy of Africa. It is even JUST, to have a representative of British government every year during our independence celebration to apologise for the inhumane practices they meted on Nigeria which has contributed to a large extent the underdevelopment of the country.

Instead of using this opportunity to reflect on where we are, where we are supposed to be, and look at the way forward, our government is busy wasting our scarce resources and making a fool of the dignity of lives that were wasted in the cause of our independence by honouring the perpetrators of the crime (Colonisation).

Sanusi suspension: Jonathan and body-movement

2014-02-21T09:19:00.001+00:00

Nigeria political space is so unique that there is hardly a dull moment such that no day passes without Nigerians begin kept busy guessing and pounding over latest happenings in the polity. Events happen every day as if they were programmed from the beginning. Ranging from flying letters, corruption allegations, party defection, to resignation of ministers.

It may be right to say the country is heading somewhere; yet the one million dollar questions remain: where are we going to? What is the undertone driver of decisions made by political actors in Nigeria? Is it for 2015, development of the country, selfish interest or as Reuben Abati is always quoted ‘decision has been taken in absolute good faith and in the overall interest of the Nigerian economy’?

Just yesterday as Nigerians were guessing and yet to fully digest the way forward on issues concerning fund mismanagement, corruption allegations and suspicions bothering on NNPC remittance into federation account, Special Adviser to the President Reuben Abati announced that ‘Being determined to urgently re-position the Central Bank of Nigeria for greater efficiency, respect for due process and accountability, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has ordered the immediate suspension of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from the Office of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria’.

Though the Federal Government gave reasons for suspending the CBN Governor, yet we know that the action was not unconnected to the manner and position of Sanusi on the missing NNPC 20 billion dollars. Whether Sanusi is guilty of the allegations on him or not is not in my domain to determine, but of interest to me is the agility of the president to swipe into action and suspend a complainant of massive systematic corruption based on reports of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria while National Assembly indictment of corrupt political office holders was not enough to propel the president into action. This confirms the suspicion of Nigerians that the government does not have the political will to fight corruption in Nigeria. If not, how else can one explain the motive of government wielding the hammer on Sanusi for his suspicion of huge fraud at NNPC instead of swiping into action to determine and bring perpetrators to book?

It was expected that FG will put more effort on investigating the allegation of missing NNPC 20 billion dollars as a way of reigniting its corruption fight and winning support and confidence of Nigerians instead of attaching political motive to it. If the suspension is going to bring back the missing $20 billion, then it is fine. However, we will keep advocating on the missing money until the truth is established and every issue connected to it are brought to logical conclusion.

Shame: Political Party Defection Now Lucrative

2014-02-13T02:39:00.001+00:00

In a country rated as one of the poorest in the world with over 80% of its citizens living below one dollar a day and millions dying of poverty related diseases; politicians busy themselves exchanging millions of dollars for just defecting from one party to another.

Political landscape of Nigeria has been witnessing series of accusations and counter accusations, ranging from allegations of corruption, flying of letters, to missing billions of dollars that is not accounted by NNPC. It baffles common knowledge on how billions of dollars that more than double national budget can disappear and not accounted by NNPC; yet instead of government to investigate and bring people involved to book, it is busy blaming CBN Governor for mistake in the reporting of the actual missing figure.

Though the above NNPC cases is under investigation, other events are unfolding in the polity with allegations and counter allegation that Lawmakers are being bribed millions of dollars to defect from one political party to another. What a flagrant display of shame in a country where over 60% of youths are unemployed, with more that 20% of the remaining 40% underemployed.

It is now clear to all Nigerians that the interest of these politicians is centred on self aggrandisement and not in the interest of the poor and defenceless Nigerians. If not, how do APC for example convinces Nigerians that former member of PDP defecting to APC automatically become a progressive? This whole scenario (party defection) is now seen as an end in itself (Lawmakers selfish interest) and not a means to an end (National development).

Power struggle between PDP and APC has now taken new dimension with Lawmakers seeing it as lucrative and cashing in millions of dollars just to defect to the party of the highest bidder at the expense and deceit on Nigerians. Yes…deceit of Nigerians because defection from one party to another does not guarantee development nor does it represent a new way of doing things. This is because there is no ideologicaldifference between PDP and APC nor are there any new thing APC can do different from what PDP is currently doing. However the only difference between PDP and APC is just that one is struggling to keep, use and maintain power while the other is trying to capture power and simply do nothing different from what the ruling party is doing.

While politicians are busy squandering the common wealth of the country, we shall continue to advocate for Good Governance and enlighten and or empower Nigerians and the world on why there is no meaningful development in the country until our voice is heard.

God keep Nigeria.

Unemployment: A Strategy for Alienating Youths from Politics

2014-02-10T12:29:00.000+00:00

Youth participation in the mainstream politics of Nigeria has been dwindling in recent years. According to 2012 National Baseline Youth Survey Report of National Bureau of Statistics (2013), 49.4% of male youths and 50.6% of female youths were not registered voters. The survey revealed that about 61 percent of those who have leadership training are males, while their female counterparts are 39.3 percent; thus revealing gender disparity in their participation.

Youths make up an increasing share of the world population, and yet youths are often excluded from national and international decision-making structures that affect them. Before and few years after independence, Nigeria politics was dominated by youths such as Dr. Herbert Macaulay, Ernest Ikoli, Chief H O Davis, J C Vaughan, Oba Samuel Akinsanya, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, and Obafemi Awolowo among others. The efforts of these youths led to Nigeria’s independence and again contributed in driving the struggles for democracy in the 80s and 90s.

The question now is what happened to Nigeria youths that they are not participating in mainstream politics of Nigeria. Abraham Maslow's Need for Hierarchy theory provides insight on how Nigeria youths are continuously and strategically alienated from participation in the politics of their fatherland.

To pursue a political dream in Nigeria requires a lot of fund and candidature of a political party usually go to the highest bidder. Therefore perpetually keeping youths to dedicate much of their time in search of job tactically negates their ambition and automatically make them to see politics as a secondary need. According to Maslow, when primary needs such as shelter, clothing and food are not met; other needs such as political aspiration and participation becomes secondary need and cannot motivate people.

With youth unemployment level at 60% and majority of the remaining 40% underemployed, Nigeria youths are tactically starved of fund. This can explain why majority of youths participating in politics are at the rudimentary level (such as participation in the campaign for elder statesmen that refuse to retire) where they are given little money to meet their primary needs.

When one is unemployed and lack basic need of life, participation in the mainstream politics cannot motivate such individual. It is time those in government address youth unemployment as a way to empower Nigeria youths to participate in mainstream politics and contribute to the development of the country.

Self-defence: Joe Corruption is Nigeria major problem

2014-01-28T14:29:00.002+00:00

‘Corruption is not the cause of all the problems confronting Africa. In terms of security, Boko Haram is the biggest challenge we (Nigeria) have at the moment’

The above statement depicts a man without knowledge of the difference between cause and effect of underdevelopment in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general and is not expected to come from a member of the academia; yet the quote was credited to President Goodluck Jonathan at the just concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, while making his contribution to a televised debate titled ‘Africa’s Next Billion.’

For the President to say that corruption is not the major problem facing development in Nigeria shows the level of disconnect between the Ruling Class and over 100million Nigerians living in abject poverty and clearly reveals why government is busy romancing with officers indicted of corruption. Instead of government to face and tackle the root cause of Nigeria underdevelopment, government is busy hiding under Effect of poverty caused by monumental endemic corruption and mismanagement of public fund.

It is most unfortunate that our President has a “kindergarten” understanding of corruption and its concomitant effects. He seizes every speaking opportunity to make excuses why he cannot fight corruption. Boko Haram, Kidnapping and other security problems facing Nigeria is just effect of massive poverty in the country maintained and serviced by endemic corruption and misappropriation of public fund. For example, 2014 budget proposal presented to National Assembly for approval has about 70% of the 4.6 trillion budgeted as recurrent expenditure while about 30% for capital expenditure; yet the budget was titled ‘2014 Budget for Job Creation and Inclusive Growth’. It is only the government will explain how 30% of the budget can provide employment for over 100million unemployed Nigerians. This depicts the sincerity of the government to tackle security and unemployment problems facing Nigeria development.

Studies have shown that people will not be available to commit violent crime if they are meaningfully engaged in productive activities. With massive youth unemployment (0ver 60%), it is normal and expected that many unproductive energetic youths are available to be recruited by unscrupulous Nigerians for selfish reasons. This is just a clear logic of Cause and Effect relations.

No wonder why the present government has shown lackadaisical attitude towards fight against corruption in Nigeria. Some of the probes that show lack of political will to decisively deal with the menace of corruption include: The KPMG report that indicted the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation for corrupt practices; the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative audit report exposing 10 years of corruption in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry; the probe of the Pension Fund Management by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment, State and Local Government Administration; the Security and Exchange Commission probe that exposed alarming revelations of corruption in the capital market; the probe of the oil subsidy regime by the Ad hoc- committee of the House of Representatives; the non-prosecution of those indicted in the Halliburton LNG bribery scandal, the recent Stella Oduah BMW scandal and the unsatisfactory explanation the NNPC has given for the $10.8bn of crude oil earning the Central Bank of Nigeria declared missing. The major problem is that most of this reports if not all has been swept under the carpet; with government still romancing and fraternising with indicted officers.

It is time government directly face the root cause of Nigeria development problem instead of beating round the bush.

Invasion of El-Rufai Abuja residence: SSS/FG chasing shadow

2014-01-26T09:41:00.001+00:00

With the latest invasion of the Abuja residence of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai by armed SSS officials with arrest warrant, one wonder if there is still anything called Freedom of Speech inNigeria constitution. Earlier, El-Rufai was detained in a hotel at Awka during Anambra State Governorship election and his freedom of movement infringed upon from 15-16^th November 2013 without any cause or formal charge. During the period as reported by Premium Times, he was not only restricted to the hotel, he was denied access to his congregational prayer as a devout Muslim, and kept incommunicado without access to anyone and or the press.

Deputy Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasir El-Rufai was quoted at a conference in Abuja last Wednesday that there might be violence if the 2015 general elections were not credible. The statement credited to him geared SSS to swift into action to invite and or arrest him to explain in detail what he meant on the ground that the statement is inciting. One wonder why the SSS had suddenly found its agility, after feigning deafness when people like Edwin Clark, Asari Dokubo and Chukwuemeka Ezeife issued a direct threat to Nigeria’s continued existence over President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition.

For me, El-Rufai statement is a public knowledge because it can’t be business as usual if 2015 election is rigged by any party and is in no way inciting nor require further explanation unless SSS wants to tell us that there are plans to short change Nigerians again.

However, Federal Government and its arms should concern themselves with redeeming their image from allegations of corruption, developmental issues, and perceived deafness to issues bothering on corruption and romance with government officials indicted with corruption allegation.

The problem is that government agencies have turned deaf ear to cardinal issues critical to Nigeria development and have continued to chase shadow. After months of indicting current Aviation Minister of corruption by House of Representative, Federal Government is yet to disassociate itself from the minister nor any anti-corruption arm of government willing to take the case to court; maybe it has been swept under the carpet as usual with such cases.

Thanks to an anti-corruption group, ‘Say No Campaign’ that gave EFCC 14-day ultimatum on Friday to investigate Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, based on the House of the Representatives report on the ministry’s purchase of two armoured BMW cars for N255 million or face court prosecution.

Nigerians are watching.

Youth Participation in Peace-building Processes

2014-01-22T09:30:00.000+00:00

The available body of literature addressing the roles of young people in armed conflict provides evidence of extensive child and youth involvement in warfare (Obaje and Okeke-Uzodike, 2013). For instance, Ukiwo (2003) draws attention to the role of young people as key actors in the escalation of violent conflicts in Nigeria’s Plateau State city of Jos, while other scholars emphasis the notorious use of violence by youths during Europe’s political crises and conflicts of the 1930s. Therefore since youths are at centre stage of most conflict in Nigeria, their incorporation into peace-building processes is bound to facilitate the realisation of sustainable peace in society, by redirecting the energies of young people to the implementation of constructive peace projects. Furthermore, incorporation and utilisation of youths in peace-building processes would facilitate their transformation from agents of violent conflict, to agents of peace in their societies.

According to 2012 National Baseline Youth Survey Report of National Bureau of Statistics (2013), more than five million youths indicated they were involved in conflict resolution at one level of governance or the other. “But the response of the youths shows that most of them are involved in conflict prevention at the community level representing 64.9 percent, while 30.9 percent are involved at the ward level. “Only 1.6 per cent are involved at the state level. This is a clear alienation of youths from participation on issues that concern them.

A study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (2005:9) states that: There is an automatic tendency to problematise youth as a factor in violent conflict while overlooking their many positive contributions to a society, including their potential role in sustaining the social fabric and peace, as well as their survival in impossible environments.

Therefore it is pertinent to stress that a conflict situation or violent conflict cannot be brought to rest, managed or transformed, without adequately exploring how the energy of its primary agents could be redirected for the attainment of sustainable peace in a society or country. Hence, enhancing structures that promote the participation of youths in peace-building processes will actively contribute to young people’s engagement with decisions and activities that affect their wellbeing. Policies and institutions that enable investment in children and youth to succeed at the micro and macro levels should be encouraged. These could take the form of full multi-sectoral programmes that target youth in specific areas of activity, such as employment creation and/or peace-building projects (Hilker and Frazer 2009).

Deceit: 2014 Budget for Job Creation and Inclusive Growth

2014-01-20T08:54:00.000+00:00

Nigeria polity in this 2014 has been very busy with events and happenings ranging from cases of corruption, forgery and massive party defection to flying of letters in all sides. Recently, the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala presented to National Assembly 2014 budget which is in the tune of N4.6 trillion. This is the first time a sitting president delegate such sensitive task to a minister in the history of Nigeria democracy. Though the president is not under constitutional duty to present the budget himself to the National Assembly, we know that this historic delegation of duty must not be unconnected to events that has been unfolding in the polity as it relate defection of members of PDP to APC.

However the status of who that present the budget to National Assembly is not of much interest to Nigerians but the content of the budget. Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala in her presentation of the budget titled it ‘2014 Budget for Job Creation and Inclusive Growth’; leaving us to wonder how budget worth N4.6 trillion with 72% of it as recurrent expenditure and just 27% for capital projects can create jobs for about 40 million unemployed youths in the country.

Is it not time these people in government stop taking us as illiterates? This clearly shows that government is only ranting about being serious in the project of job creation than real actions. If not, why will they set aside only 27% of the budget for capital expenditure? Meaning that the cost of running government is still of more important to them than the plight of millions of unemployed graduates.

In her presentation, she revealed that government programmes on reducing unemployment is actually working with only ‘Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria’ (YouWIN) programme so far has created over 27000 jobs across the 6 geo-political zones of the country.

In a country with over 40 million youths that represent about 80% of the working class unemployed, I don’t know how a programme that created unconfirmed 27000 jobs should be judged as successful.

Thinking of the quality of the so called jobs that have been created, what is the vision of a country that employed unemployed graduates as ‘Keke Napep’ (tricycle) riders? Is this what we want for our future leaders? Must every government that comes keep deceiving Nigerians? These are some of the questions that are begging for answer.

However, based on the drama that is happening on the polity, it appears that only the minister can explain the rationale behind the 27% capital expenditure as a budget for job creation and inclusive growth. Maybe if the man on the street benefit from Keke Napep, he may be tempted to say he has benefited from the all inclusive budget? God save us.