Office of the Citizen

Donald Trump: Will America Become Gay?

2020-11-08T02:01:00.006+01:00

Last week, the United States held an election in which Americans were to decide who will lead their nation as president for the next four years. The choice was between the incumbent president, Donald Trump and immediate-past vice president, Joe Biden. In the hotly contested race, provisional results favour Joe Biden to emerge as the 46^th President of the United States. While the Democrats are celebrating their victory, the Republicans are questioning some of the events in the election week with President Trump making it clear he will challenge the results at the US Supreme Court.

#EndSARS: A Crocodile's Smile Versus the People's Anger

2020-10-18T12:38:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

In the past few days, Nigerians from all walks of life have been occupying major cities including the Federal Capital Territory, protesting against police brutality. What began as a mere online campaign under the hashtag #EndSARS, has metamorphosed into a national movement with no signs of abating any time soon. The protest was originally staged against the murderous activities of a unit in the Nigerian Police known as the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS). The unit is better known by its original acronym, SARS.

Letter to my President

2018-06-29T11:54:00.002+01:00

Source: Daily Post

By Msonter Anzaa

“When the judges did not judge the truth or protect the interests of the oppressed, when the judges connived with tyrants to frustrate the rule of law, the question that arose was clear: who would judge the judges? The quick answer was – the people.” Major Adewale Ademoyega; Why we Struck: The Story of the first Nigerian Coup.

Your Excellency, I hope you are doing well. You are my president first of all because you have taken the oath of office as President of Nigeria and I am a Nigerian. Secondly, I happen to be one of those millions who queued in the 2015 general elections to vote you into office. I exercised that duty voluntarily because I believed that you had the capacity and willingness to give our nation that push she desperately needs to break out of the grip of the tyrants of evil.

Benue: The Beginning of the End?

2018-01-12T12:36:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On New Year day, another edition of the Annual Fulani Killing Festival was held in communities across Benue State. And this latest outing was not devoid of the barbaric pattern that has become the signature of the Fulani’s presence. The details of the massacre – the diligent butchering and wholesale mop-up of humanity – are already out there in the press. In the twinkle of an eye, people who were preparing to celebrate the New Year – to thank God for surviving the economic hardship which is another deliberate creation of the leadership of our nation over the years – those people were slaughtered like rams. They did not die in battle; they were murdered, several of them in their family compounds or farmlands. Children, barely old enough to say “Fulani,” were cut to pieces on the very pieces of land they called home. In three days, seventy-three people went down.

Biafra: The Road not being Taken

2017-09-13T21:04:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

At the moment, there is palpable tension in the South East State of Abia, where the Nigerian Army has been clashing with Biafran agitators belonging to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB. The Army says it is in the South East for a routine military exercise code-named “Python Dance” which involves a display of military might and is aimed at curtailing the wave of kidnapping, armed robbery and agitation sweeping across the region. The governor of Abia State has imposed a 3-day curfew on the state capital. Following clashes at the house of IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB members are reportedly pouring into the town in their numbers to express solidarity with their leader. Nnamdi Kanu has revealed that IPOB has set up a secret security outfit. The federal government is asking the court for permission to re-arrest Kanu for allegedly violating his bail terms. The cycle is typical of the one preceding the Nigerian Civil War.

While this is going on, its implications are not lost on Nigerians. The social media are awash with speculations and alarms about a possible descent into another civil war. Well-meaning Nigerians are calling for calm and urging restraint. Attempts at mediating some form of peace by governors of the South East have largely been unsuccessful. Therefore, at a time when decent daily living is almost beyond the reach of the majority of Nigerians due to economic hardship, when Fulani aggression against indigenous communities has become a regular routine and the Boko Haram insurgency is still touching the nation where it hurts, Nigeria is freewheeling down the slope to another war.

Nigeria: Healing the Wounds of History – A Book Review

2017-09-11T21:12:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

Author: Isola Taiwo

Pages: 40

Publishers: Do it 9ja

Nigeria: Healing the Wounds of History is a book which focuses on the decay in Nigeria’s educational system and how it translates to the conditions that predispose this nation to becoming a failed state – mass unemployment, economic recession, youth despondency, high crime rate and general mediocrity. The author is a graduate of Human Anatomy from the University of Maiduguri, a prolific writer with works in national dailies, and a community volunteer. He draws from his personal experiences having traveled from several places in the south – where he originates – to other places in the core north of the country during which he has conducted seminars and coaching classes for thousands of students.

He introduces the book by raising thought-provoking and yet palpably true questions about the quality of graduates produced by our educational system. He observes that the average Nigerian graduate cannot sustain an intellectual discussion and warns those whose only desire in the system is the acquisition of a certificate. In chapter one, he traces the history of Nigeria’s educational system to the colonial days arguing that Britain’s aim was not to serve the interests of national development but only to provide manpower which the colonialists used to exploit the nation. Unfortunately, this trend continued after independence as Nigerians continued to see “education as an escape route from poverty and possibly the maintenance of the lifestyle they had seen from previous colonial masters. Education was not seen as a tool of national development.”

Thoughts on Monitoring Social Media

2017-09-09T21:53:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

It emerged recently that the Ministry of Defence is monitoring the conversations of Nigerians on social media. This is a move to check hate speech in the wake of several provocative pronouncements made against certain ethnic groups by others in the country. Although there has always been a degree of friction among ethnic groups in the country, a new dimension was introduced recently when the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, gave the federal government an ultimatum to conduct a referendum in the South East regarding the secession of Biafra. Shortly after that, a coalition of northern youth associations gave an October 1 ultimatum to all Igbos living in the North to leave, although they have reportedly suspended that call. For a rather long period of time, these pronouncements were not roundly condemned and the proclaimers prosecuted as is expected of a lawful society. Consequently, hate speech and hate music went viral on social media with some of it sneaking into conventional media. This continued until the return of President Muhammadu Buhari and the notification by the Ministry of Defence that it is monitoring social media.

Now the Center is No Longer Holding

2017-07-21T01:31:00.002+01:00

By Odey George Ogbaji

Chief Obiugu Okonu is the present king of Ekpa Enehi Kingdom. His father was Chief Omeka. Stories have it that when Chief Omeka died, the whole village allowed his corpse stay for eight days thinking he would still wake and continue his leadership as the king. This was simply because of the love they had for him. He was wealthy, tolerant,

and to crown it all a peace lover. On one of those occasions when the land of Obime was about going to war against the people of Obiayi over the land beside Omogugu stream, he called the king of Obiayi and paid him alongside his chiefs. When Okonu finally became the king after the demise of his father, as royalty demands, he had the right among many other rights to marry as many wives as possible. So Okonu married four wives from the four communities that make up the Okpa Enehi kingdom. His late father had been married to two wives with in-laws cutting across the four communities.

Personal Reflections on Biafra

2017-06-10T20:25:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

The Nigerian polity is currently heated. Apart from the president's health challenges which have virtually relegated him to the background, there are renewed agitations for the independent State of Biafra. Not only that. There is unease in the Middle Belt state of Benue where leaders of Fulani cattle breeders associations are vowing to disobey an anti-open grazing law made by the state. They have even gone a notch higher to claim that they were the original inhabitants of the Benue valley and are involved in a struggle to assume control of its natural resources. Since then, the Benue people and government have been kicking, urging the federal government to call the Fulani to order and thwart their agenda of occupation.

Which Way, Nigeria?

2017-02-23T09:22:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

“By 1945 our people would say, ‘I am a Nigerian, I come from Kano.’ But by 1960 they would say, ‘I am a northerner, I come from Kano.’” – Major Immanuel Ifeajuna, one of the 1966 coup plotters.

Crisis can happen in any community and Nigeria is not an exception. However, by now, observers of the Nigerian situation must be worn-out by the country’s seeming propensity for crisis. There is hardly any part of Nigeria today that is not aching. The Niger Delta region – where oil is produced – is still kicking uneasily. The South-East is also agitating for its right to self-governance. Pockets of reports emerge now and then, of skirmishes involving the police and supporters of Biafra, sometimes leading to loss of life. As if this is not enough, those Nigerians who are not participating physically in any of these crises, are sorting it out with one another on social media. The conversations in various groups and forums online are recklessly inciting and incurably vulgar, showing an appalling lack of responsible and mature behaviour. Quite literally, our people are at one another’s jugulars. And these combatants are clearly lined up on unmistakable sides of the ethno-religious divide.

An Indigenes' Approach to Change in Benue

2016-06-23T11:51:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

Photo from pulse.ng

These are very difficult times for our state and our people. The economy has been brought flat on its belly. Life is becoming excruciating. Families are having to do without essential needs. Workers are not being paid their wages promptly. The governments at the federal and state levels are making hard financial choices. They can no longer meet their obligations with ease. There is already an ongoing discourse both online and offline, about what the government ought to do to arrest this demoralizing trend and restore us to our once robust life as a nation. But while that is going on, is there not something that our people can do in their capacity as ordinary citizens – farmers, school teachers, wheelbarrow pushers, market women and school leavers – to rescue our land from this tightening grip of poverty?

A Candid Advice to El-Rufai

2016-04-05T16:08:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

El-Rufai

These must be testing times for the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Since it became public knowledge that the executive council has sent a bill to the State House of Assembly to regulate the activities of religious groups in the state, there have been reactions daily across the nation. The reactions come from several quarters and equally vary in harshness and method of delivery. I contemplated writing on the subject matter for a long time before arriving at the decision to write today. My reluctance was first of all because the real issues were so crowded in so much emotion and sentiment that I could not easily ascertain them. Secondly, since the issue of religion is such a dicey matter in Nigeria, I needed to take time to educate myself on the content of the bill and the core of the arguments about it, in order to be balanced and clear in my own perspective.

Life in an Agatu Village

2016-03-29T13:26:00.000+01:00

A segment of the road showing one of the culverts

The findings of a writer, Msonter Anzaa, who was in Agatu during the Easter weekend.

Agatu may well be like the biblical Nazareth from which nothing good could be expected. In recent years, the otherwise remote local government area of Benue State, has become popular for rather sad reasons. It is the site of several stomach-retching incidences of well-programmed, systematically executed and lavishly funded human massacre. The Agatu massacres have a peculiar horrible quality - the invaders spare neither the elderly nor the infants. Their obvious agenda is to expunge the entire community from existence. If one only follows events there from the far comfort of the city, one would think the Fulani aggression is the only problem of the community. But as I found out when I visited Obagaji, the local government headquarters, the land of Agatu has other problems too.

Conspiracy of the Rich

2016-03-07T12:13:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

A market scene source

“Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them” Ecclesiastes 4:1.

All over the world, human nature is essentially the same. Those who are privileged tend to take advantage of the less privileged. The rich are always obsessed with becoming richer. In Africa where law enforcement institutions are weak and there is a widespread loss of personal morality and no fear of God, this scramble for more riches is bloody and callous, taking what belongs to the general society and sharing it among the few. Ultimately, the rich become richer and more powerful, while the poor become poorer and weaker.

Rape of a Nation

2016-03-01T12:20:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

"Bittterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies" (Lamentations 1:2).

The times are hard for Nigerians. Economically, majority cannot foot their bills anymore as a people. Some state governments cannot pay workers' salaries. Meanwhile, in the news every now and then, we hear of how much was stolen from which sector of the economy by which official of government. The numbers are so great that many of us have lost the ability to imagine their actual sizes. In Nigeria, the currency for stealing is millions. We are used to hearing of the quantum of theft that attends our public life. Corruption is a familiar word here, so much that some people have made an industry out of "fighting" it and have quite curiously become wealthy as a result. However, never was there a time when our nation witnessed such scale of theft of public funds as we saw in the last four years of the PDP-led federal government. Individuals literally shared bags of public money without regard for the public good or personal morality.

Making Progress on Biafra

2015-12-07T12:36:00.000+01:00

Some pro-Biafra protesters Credit

By Msonter Anzaa

"I found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that Nigeria was disintegrating, that I had to leave my house, leave Lagos, leave my job." Chinua Achebe; There was a Country.

More than a textbook topic for history students post-1970, Biafra has become an undying emotional and political issue with significant implications for the future of Nigeria and Africa. Agitations have
been palpable on the subject since the end of the Civil War, taking various forms from small motor park or classroom talk to hot debates at national conferences. The summary of the argument is that the Igbos and the minorities of South East and most of South-South Nigeria feel that as currently constituted, the Nigerian federation does not and cannot adequately represent their aspirations. These aspirations include equal political representation in the federal government, adequate economic empowerment, equal distribution of national resources, equal career prospects in critical sectors like the armed forces and the petroleum industry. More commonly, the perceived marginalization is represented by the non-occupation of the office of president by an Igbo man even though the ethnic group constitutes the third largest in the country.

What if Anti-Corruption war is Political?

2015-10-12T13:13:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

Image: PointBlank News
After observing the on-going anti-corruption crusade by the Buhari-led federal government, it strikes me to note that attitude-wise, Nigerians have neither grown up nor changed. We seem condemned to revolve in cycles. As it appears to me now, it must be an unexciting task to lead this nation as president. For a long time, the consensus was that the biggest trouble with Nigeria was corruption. It was why our nationals were treated with suspicion in foreign countries. It was why certain financial services like paypal were not available to us as a people. We did not exactly like the image it created about us and longed for a leader who would rescue us from its grip. It was in this situation that we elected Muhammadu Buhari to do for our nation what it seemed we could not do by ourselves. Few months into the task though, we have begun to cry foul.

2015: Leave Nigeria Alone

2014-07-10T09:41:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

I often marvel at the attitudes of some Nigerians to issues of national importance. Many people in this country do not yet feel that this country belongs to them and whatever affects her affects them also. They erroneously believe they can go on with their lives independent of whatever becomes of the country. They therefore think the issues that fill the newspapers and the television are the business of the politicians and those in government. When they make comments on national issues using social media, most Nigerians are irrational, reckless and betray a disturbing degree of ignorance concerning very basic issues.

Calling the International Criminal Court to Benue

2014-04-01T09:34:00.000+01:00

Image source

“An evil done by man to man shall never go unpunished. If not now then later, and if not by man, then by God, for the triumph of evil over good is but temporary.” Dele Giwa.

“Whenever the vicious population shall be permitted to gather and burn churches, ravage and rob provision stores, throw printing presses into rivers, shoot editors and hang and burn obnoxious persons at pleasure and with impunity, depend on it, this government cannot last.” Abraham Lincoln.

It is no longer news that the reign of terror in the North East Nigeria has extended to the North Central, affecting the states of Nassarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Benue. In Benue, the terror disguises itself as a primitive clash between Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers. It began in Agatu local government area last year where an entire community was sacked by gunmen. Since then, the crisis has steadily increased both in scope, magnitude and sophistication.

Time to Work

2014-03-17T12:24:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

No fewer than 18 people lost their lives at the weekend during the “recruitment test” organized by the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, when a stampede erupted at the National Stadium, Abuja. At least 70 others were admitted at the National Hospital, Abuja for various degrees of injuries.

ASUU: What is wrong with the FG?

2013-08-15T12:34:00.002+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

“My good woman, perhaps you will see many a day when all the food in the house is a loaf of bread. Even so, give every child a piece and send your children to school.”

The 16^th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was a man greatly committed to education. When he made this statement to the wife of a soldier, who came to the president to complain that she no longer received the allowances due to her husband, America was at war against the states of the South. Mr. Lincoln himself received no more than a one-year worth of formal education. Yet because of his intense desire to learn, he grew from a crude farm boy in the countryside – being a fighter, trader, boatman, postal worker, lawyer – to become the President of his country. It is remarkable that even in the 18^th Century the American government knew that its country could not develop without education. Today however, about three centuries later, its Nigerian counterpart is still struggling with itself to decide whether education is important at all.

Does the Nigerian Education System Prepare Students for the Work Environment?

2013-05-17T08:54:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

“Let us be clear – we are failing too many of our children. We’re sending them out into a 21^st century economy by sending them through the doors of 20^th century schools. “In many states, students are taught the anatomy of a flower as many as six times over the course of their education. Yet, they are never taught what they need to become a productive citizen in a global economy.” Obama (2005).

These are not the best of times for the Nigerian educational system. Suffering from lack of adequate funding, proliferation of substandard schools and inadequate manpower, the system is a shadow of its original self. Concerns have been raised at different times on various forums regarding its deplorable state. The number of graduates leaving the schools is increasing, while the number of those prepared for the work environment is dwindling. This essay looks at some of the notorious issues in the sector, presents evidence of its failure and suggests practical remedies.

Post-UME: A Curse or Blessing to Nigerian Students?

2013-04-25T11:47:00.002+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

Introduction

There was a period when the process of applying for admission into Nigerian universities was easier than it is today. Those days, all one needed do was sit for the Universities Matriculation Exams, UME, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. Upon successful performance in the exam, the candidate was almost sure of securing admission into the institution of choice. Most times, the admission letter was processed and sent to the applicant’s mailing address. However, following the introduction of the Post-Universities Matriculation Examination, Post-UME, by the universities, this changed. These days, candidates have an extra hurdle to cross. A lot of debate has gone on regarding whether the Post-UME is a blessing or a curse to Nigerian students in their quest for higher education. This essay argues that the exam is a curse and advances reasons for this position.

Should State of Residence Replace State of Origin?

2013-04-15T11:11:00.000+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

As a growing nation, Nigeria grapples with a number of contentious issues bordering on her nationhood. One such issue is whether state of residence should replace state of origin as a means of identifying a citizen’s relationship with the society. This essay looks at both practices and argues that state of residence can replace state of origin as a more liberal and beneficial means of identifying an individual with his community.

Alamieyeseigha: The Unpardonable Pardon

2013-03-26T13:19:00.001+01:00

By Msonter Anzaa

Another controversy dished out recently from the kitchen of Aso Rock was the “pardon” granted the former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Dieprieye Alamiseigha and others by President Goodluck Jonathan. Chief Alamieseigha had been arrested for money laundering by the London Metropolitan Police in 2005. However, while on bail, the Chief simply disappeared from London and landed inBayelsa. The State Assembly was not impressed by that behavior, so it impeached Alams and the EFCC took over. He was convicted and sent to jail.