WHY THE PEOPLE INSULT THE LEADERS

It is quite disturbing to witness insults and personal attacks on our political leaders. I am totally against insulting these people even in the face of their wanton recklessness and failure in leadership. It gives one reason for concern to see the rapidly growing rate at which Nigerians take to insulting these people.

Taking this matter to the people, I was made to understand that the people know well enough not to resort to personal attacks of the leaders and in some cases their family, however they choose so to do because the leaders in their depravity and passion for corruption have ceased to blush. In other words, they have lost every sense of shame and they almost begin to revel in the idea of looting and plundering the treasury of Nigeria. They go about on reckless sprees of display of opulence and affluence which they are known never to have dared before they came into office.

Ordinarily, one would not want to wash one’s dirty linen in public and for the same reason, one would not want to discuss our domestic differences in public. Now where is the boundary between domestic and public in this matter? Again social media has further compacted human existence to a great many miles becoming just a click away. Other than the impact of globalization, Nigeria being an emerging economy has become a subject of interest to many people and many nations. Many people focus attention on Nigeria like never before; mostly because of their own vested interests which mostly is economy oriented. In effect, Nigeria is more of a golden fish that has no hiding place.

The mere fact that the attention of so many people is focused on the democracy, economy, security and quality of life of the people in Nigeria is enough reason for our leaders to be cautious in the way they expend national resources. The reverse unfortunately is the case as they have thrown caution to the wind. Our leaders see themselves first and forget completely about the need to serve the Nigerian people while they hold office in the Nigerian government.

Many of the people I spoke with mentioned that we should patiently wait and see how Mr. Reuben Abati will soon begin to condemn and criticize this government once it is made publicly official that his services are no longer required by the government of the day.

The score card shows no reason why Nigerians should be satisfied or happy with the manner of service that this government is giving Nigeria and Nigerians. After 50years of actively participating in international sports like the Olympic Games, the level of our participation still remains at the basic games that individuals can individually sponsor without them expecting the support of the government. We see games like Kayak and canoeing where the young Johny Akinyemi, a Nigerian-born Briton entered and contested as a Nigerian citizen. We have abundance of rivers that can be used for training for such spot and with the support of the government; the spot can be further developed in Nigeria. However, what we see is a Nigerian governor travelling for the Olympics with an official entourage of 15 aides at the expense of Nigeria.

The epileptic power supply has caused many small businesses to fold up in Nigeria. For the last 20years or thereabout Nigerians have had to depend on privately-generated electricity supply which they provide for themselves using diesel and petrol generators.

The issue of security and continuous raging of violent insurgent attacks continues to put Nigerians on edge as no Sunday goes by without horrifying news of bloody attacks on Christians and Muslims in the north (?) One cannot be certain of where the next attacks will take place. The total population of the people holding Nigerians to ransom by these violent groups is not up to five states of Nigeria and to date, they still have Nigerian security and military operatives by the jugular.

The government in a dishonourable show of shame attempted to offload the burden of its inability to account for oil resources that were pilfered by fuel subsidy con-artists and even after they have been identified, the government is still having difficulty taking decisive punitive action against them because of whose children they are. Nigerians are aware that some of them have been arrested and bailed while some escaped arrest altogether and this give and take does not mean anything in Nigeria.

Too many foreigners enter Nigeria without proper documentation and they go about their business without government officials taking any meaningful actions to discourage such lawlessness. Accusations and counter-accusations continue to fly about the origins of the group of people who attacked a burial procession near Jos that left some fine gentlemen politicians and other people dead and several others injured.

Foreigners are allowed to drive cars in Nigeria without owning the drivers’ licence issued by the Nigerian government.

Foreigners operate their businesses in Nigeria using standards that do not comply with international regulations and they get away with it. A typical example is Dana Airline; their planes were inspected and certified good to go when in fact they were not. This cannot happen in another African country like Ghana.

Things that should be done are left undone and almost in every way, the people are made to suffer for the incompetence and recklessness of our leaders. It results in frustration and the people naturally resort to insulting the leaders.

WHAT THE GENERAL FAILED TO ADDRESS

The address given by the current president of the Senate of Nigeria, the retired General David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark at the 2012 Senate Press Corps Retreat which took place Michael Opara Auditorium, Umuahia on Thursday, July 26, 2012 has earned the amiable General diverse reactions from members of the Nigerian public especially among younger people who are more active on the internet as a means of gathering updates and news. The various reactions started trending last Friday and I was amazed when I hit twitter and I saw how furiously and fiercely Nigerians were reacting to what the General must have said at the lecture. Most of the reactions the General has stirred so far have been negative and other cases abusive.

Being a fan of David Mark for his decidedness on national issues, I set out to read and understand what warranted so much hostility. I finally settled down to read the address on Sunday afternoon and I saw many cases where the General missed the point on the contribution of social media to the role of media and good governance in Nigeria.

The first thing I like to point out is the need to recognize the media as the voice of the people; simple and plain. Any other added words will be to give the definition more words so it does not seem too basic. The first role of the media is to carry and to amplify the voice of the people. The government would normally use the media to reach the people and manufacturers and producers as well will also use the media to reach the people. It is all about the people first and last.

There was a time the number of media operators was restricted by the dictates of the government. That changed and many more people became involved in media practice and journalism. To a large extent, government censored and controlled the news that was being disseminated by the media. Government misled people with information that was being circulated; where it was made available, government doctored the news greatly. For political reasons and for the purpose of propaganda, the government manipulated news to the disadvantage of the people.

The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has over the years acquired a very bad image for its style in news coverage and dissemination. NTA has a very bad reputation among Nigerians and whether the people like to believe it or not, no right thinking news seeker will tune to NTA. The bureaucratic bottlenecks and protocol at NTA makes it a huge laughing stock among media practitioners. The NTA has proved to be another major drainage by which the resources of Nigeria are wasted for no reason. It is only normal that the state has a television station otherwise; the NTA should be recommended for privatization.

Without bias, I make use of social media a lot for my work and I depend heavily on Reuters for news of Nigeria and the rest of the world. While gathering news on social media, experience has taught me to identify credible news carriers from mediocre and peddlers of sensationalism. It is surprising that the General takes or believes that other people take every news item on social media seriously. Effectively, we have over time come to know the pretenders from the contenders.

Technology has further pulled down the barriers that hindered communication. Very little can be hidden from the people now that we have more sophisticated devices for news gathering and broadcasting. In effect, every individual who has access to mobile phone device is a broadcaster of news of some sort. Personal discipline will now ensure that news that uplifts people and promotes good governance is being broadcast and not just a question of earning the notorious reputation of being the first to broadcast breaking news which will later evolve to be a false alarm.

What I believe the amiable General should have addressed is the need for responsible news coverage or responsible journalism. The passage of the Freedom of Information Bill has little to do with today’s social media; it is more for independent media practitioners that were at the receiving end of the government’s harsh reaction each time they aired news that had not been approved by the government. Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television and many newspapers like the Guardian Newspapers received hard knocks from the government for jumping the gun in publishing and broadcasting news without the approval of government in the past.

The good General also enjoys the use of social media and like he mentioned, there are demerits attached to the freedom of news via social media; however one or two media outfits have been sued for libel and misrepresentation and for people who are credible enough to put their names on their work on social media it clearly indicates that they are willing to take responsibility for what they author.

Also the good General needs to know that these days, going to school to read mass communication and journalism are thoughts of an older generation (old school). Professionals in other fields now get certified with professional certificates that allow them to practice journalism professionally but every person who has a mobile phone is a journalist.

Once again, I say the media is the voice of the people. Like the good General pointed out “a nation that is full of poor, hungry and ignorant people cannot claim to be on the path of good governance.” Faced with a challenge such as this example cited by the General, how do the people air their grievance? It is what journalists see and hear that they will broadcast and the General has aptly stated it; governance that is not good does not promote happiness among the members of the society.

Now that the people have the platform to air their dissatisfaction what better medium is available to do so than the freedom that alternative journalism provides on the internet?

We must continue to stress that the media is the voice of the people.

GOD bless Nigeria.

LAW AND ORDER

We received with heavy hearts, the news of the transition of President John Evans Fiffii Atta Mills of Ghana yesterday evening; he died earlier in the day after a very short illness which was attributed to cancer of the throat. He died in a military hospital in Accra, Ghana. Grief always makes people say that life was brief and the death of President Mills has by no means been an exception.  We commiserate with the good people of Ghana as a whole and the immediate family of the departed in particular.

I was surprised to hear that his deputy had been sworn in as the new President of Ghana. This is pleasing especially coming from a neighbour West African country. And again we shift in emotions as we congratulate the good of Ghana and Mr. John Dramani Mahama for the confidence reposed in him by the good people of Ghana to lead the democratically elected government.

What has happened in Ghana within the last 24 hours is the perfect example of law and order. Nigeria is not a lawless country as some people want to make her look. Nigerians can be quite organized and peaceful too in conducting their affairs if they understand the motive. I have on several occasions observed “area boys” in Fadeyi area of Lagos, Nigeria and seen how orderly they can be in their activities; for instance, the boys on one side of the road never ever interfere with the activities of the boys on the other side of the road. Such activities are largely sharp practices or outright illegal activities but they find a meeting point where they exist side by side in peace. The same goes for loading in taxi parks and bus stops. It could get rowdy once in a while, but it does work.

At a time like this, I remember when the democratically elected President of Nigeria took ill and eventually died. His illness and eventual death was shrouded in so much secrecy that it was only his wife who knows the actual date that he died. While Nigerians waited anxiously for news of the state of health of their President, strange activities were going on in government. The budget was signed in his name, huge contracts were being awarded in his name and Imams and Pastors alike were hired to give colourful versions of that state of his well-being. Some claimed to have seen him jogging while others said they had breakfast with him

While the people waited, the deputy did not dare to assume office to hold brief for the ailing President and when the pressure from the United States of America requesting for a concise briefing from the deputy on the actual state of health of the number one man became intolerable, the President suddenly died. To date controversial issues that were raised when the President was away from office have remained unaddressed and the mysteries surrounding the initial hesitation to allow the deputy to take office also remain mysteries.

I wonder why Nigerians still believe that they are more socially or democratically exposed than Ghana; if things can take such an orderly turn why do we still claim to be the “giant of Africa?” True, Nigerians are sharp, but sharpness without law and order tends to be chaotic; making us look like fraudulent people.

Nigerians should mourn, not for President Atta Mills but for what we are slowly turning Nigeria into. We have not added any value to the Nigeria that our “past heroes” left for us to inherit. May our children not curse us for being a wasteful and reckless generation.

GOD bless Nigeria

LAW AND ORDER

We received with heavy hearts, the news of the transition of President John Evans Fiffii Atta Mills of Ghana yesterday evening; he died earlier in the day after a very short illness which was attributed to cancer of the throat. He died in a military hospital in Accra, Ghana. Grief always makes people say that life was brief and the death of President Mills has by no means been an exception.  We commiserate with the good people of Ghana as a whole and the immediate family of the departed in particular.

I was surprised to hear that his deputy had been sworn in as the new President of Ghana. This is pleasing especially coming from a neighbour West African country. And again we shift in emotions as we congratulate the good of Ghana and Mr. John Dramani Mahama for the confidence reposed in him by the good people of Ghana to lead the democratically elected government.

What has happened in Ghana within the last 24 hours is the perfect example of law and order. Nigeria is not a lawless country as some people want to make her look. Nigerians can be quite organized and peaceful too in conducting their affairs if they understand the motive. I have on several occasions observed “area boys” in Fadeyi area of Lagos, Nigeria and seen how orderly they can be in their activities; for instance, the boys on one side of the road never ever interfere with the activities of the boys on the other side of the road. Such activities are largely sharp practices or outright illegal activities but they find a meeting point where they exist side by side in peace. The same goes for loading in taxi parks and bus stops. It could get rowdy once in a while, but it does work.

At a time like this, I remember when the democratically elected President of Nigeria took ill and eventually died. His illness and eventual death was shrouded in so much secrecy that it was only his wife who knows the actual date that he died. While Nigerians waited anxiously for news of the state of health of their President, strange activities were going on in government. The budget was signed in his name, huge contracts were being awarded in his name and Imams and Pastors alike were hired to give colourful versions of that state of his well-being. Some claimed to have seen him jogging while others said they had breakfast with him

While the people waited, the deputy did not dare to assume office to hold brief for the ailing President and when the pressure from the United States of America requesting for a concise briefing from the deputy on the actual state of health of the number one man became intolerable, the President suddenly died. To date controversial issues that were raised when the President was away from office have remained unaddressed and the mysteries surrounding the initial hesitation to allow the deputy to take office also remain mysteries.

I wonder why Nigerians still believe that they are more socially or democratically exposed than Ghana; if things can take such an orderly turn why do we still claim to be the “giant of Africa?” True, Nigerians are sharp, but sharpness without law and order tends to be chaotic; making us look like fraudulent people.

Nigerians should mourn, not for President Atta Mills but for what we are slowly turning Nigeria into. We have not added any value to the Nigeria that our “past heroes” left for us to inherit. May our children not curse us for being a wasteful and reckless generation.

GOD bless Nigeria

COMING OUT OF THE DARK

Nigerians believe that the amalgamation in 1914 of the north and south regions of Nigeria was an unwelcomed development. They still see it as an act of deliberate perversion of justice on the part of Lord Lugard. A lot of historians record the origins of the conflicts that resulted in the civil war of 1967 to the actions of Lord Lugard. Lord Lugard did not exactly have an easy experience with Nigerians of the southern region who as it were, were more educationally and politically exposed than the simple minded Nigerians of the northern stock. Lord Lugard did everything possible to favour the north over the south; he gave all his support to securing a stronger and more stable political and economic position for the north. He also constituted the army employing 90% northerners.   Other seeds of discord were sown in the foundation of Nigeria that have to ensured that the north and the south can never come together on a common pedestal trusting one another. The military coup of 1966 which saw the execution of some of Nigeria’s most prominent political leaders further compounded the several problems that Nigeria already had.

By virtue of his many travels and holding office in many countries like India, Hongkong,Uganda, Sudan, and many other African countries, Lord Lugard was believed to have a very sound knowledge of Africans and their ways. He wrote several dispatches while working in the northern part of Nigeria and the decision to amalgamate the north and the south of Nigeria was based mainly on his counsel.

He went on to write the book the “Dual Mandate” which was published in 1922. In the book, he wrote on indirect rule in colonial Africa. He also gave reasons why Britain must hold on tightly to Africa which were basically economic. Some of his justifications included spreading Christianity and ending barbarism. He also saw state-sponsored colonization as a way to protect missionaries, local chiefs, and local people from each other as well as from foreign powers. Also, for Lugard, it was vital that Britain gain control of unclaimed areas before Germany, Portugal, or France claimed the land and its resources for themselves. He realized that there were vast profits to be made through the exporting of resources like rubber and through taxation of native populations, as well as importers and exporters.

In his book he also gave what he believed to be a clear description of the mentality of the native African which he rationalized to be sufficient to describe Nigerians as well and in his words, ”In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless, excitable person. Lacking in self control, discipline and foresight. Naturally courageous, and naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity, fond of music and loving weapons as an oriental loves jewellery. His thoughts are concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment, and he suffers little from the apprehension for the future or grief for the past.

His mind is far nearer to the animal world than that of the European or Asiatic, and exhibits something of the animal’s placidity and want of desire to rise beyond the state he has reached. Through the ages the African appears to have evolved no organized religious creed, and though some tribes appear to believe in a deity, the religious sense seldom rises above pantheistic animalism and seems more often to take the form of a vague dread of the supernatural. He lacks the power of organization, and is conspicuously deficient in the management and control alike of men or business. He loves the display of power, but fails to realize its responsibility…he will work hard with a less incentive than most races. He has the courage of the fighting animal, an instinct rather than a moral virtue… In brief, the virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children, whose confidence when it is won is given ungrudgingly as to an older and wiser superior and without envy… Perhaps the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are his lack of apprehension and his lack of ability to visualize the future.”
{.-Lord Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, The Dual Mandate, pg.70 (1926)}

Lord Frederick Dealtry Lugard (22 January 1858 – 11 April 1945)

Lord Fredrick Lugard like every other individual is entitled to his own opinion. Secondly, Nigerians of the southern region gave Lord Lugard many reasons to detest their uncompromising demand for self-rule. There were well educated professionals among them and they contributed in every way to hasten the departure of the British. Lord Lugard was biased and his loyalty and sentiments leaned heavily towards the north. He made things as difficult as he could for the south in favour of the north. Many of the seeds of discord sown by Lord Lugard have blossomed and matured into fruit-bearing plants today and their effects stare us in the face. Lastly, a man can be called any name by anyone; it is the one the man answers to that is his name. Lord Lugard has done his bit and gone the way all men born of women go. His writings are not curses, even if they were curses, 52 years together as a nation is enough to break the potency of such curses. It is time to come out of the dark and stop blaming the British or Lugard for our failure to make appreciable progress.

Someone once told me that in a pack of Africans, you will always identify the Nigerian distinctly from the others. There is something unique about Nigerians that makes us stand out among other Africans. For many people who are non-Nigerian the world over, there are diverse records of encounters with Nigerians. It is a shame that quite a lot of Nigerian citizens have gone bad and are giving every other Nigerian a bad name all over the world. In spite of this infamous reputation there are certain circles where Nigerians are highly respected, appreciated and desired.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no general or common description that would fit majority of Nigerians and there are so many varied descriptions that I still cannot settle for a particular one as the official or general description of Nigerians.

I am a Nigerian and I have been one for over forty years. I have lived most of my life among Nigerians and I believe that I am in a good position to describe Nigerians. My description of Nigerians is neither official nor is it professional but by and large it is an accurate description of Nigerian people.

Nigerians are predominantly warm, laidback and very casual people in their approach to all issues. Nigerians may truly find some ideal that challenges their intellect but Nigerians will never stick out their neck enough to want to or agree to die for any cause.

At this point, I dare say that fewer Nigerians know that our national flag is made up of two and only two colours; fewer Nigerians know by heart the wordings of the national anthem and the national pledge. These three elements are common to all Nigerians, we as a people must know them just as we know our personal names.

For the entrepreneur who wants to record a breakthrough, he must be (seriously) familiar with the map of Nigeria, the culture and traditions of the people. Such a person must approach Nigeria with personal interest at heart. Be it in the service or production industry, he will have to come early to the realization that as much as he can offer sub-standard products and services, that is how the next entrepreneur can do same.

Once again, all Americans say “GOD bless America,” America is recognized by all nations as the most developed of all nations. There is no basis for competition between Nigeria and America but there is no harm in aspiring to be one of the strongest and the fastest growing of the developing countries. Margaret Thatcher once said, “she did not see the likelihood of a woman ever ruling as PM in Great Britain,” well history is the best authority to refer to over that view point.

What (where) are our values as a people? As soon as we can truthfully answer this question, we will be able to draw up a table of standards of how we approach business and life.

Approach to business and approach to life cannot be clearly separated. When we consider simple questions like these, it becomes clearer.

i.                 Do you see the need to pay your utility bills? What about taxes?

ii.                Do you see the need to treat your workers like human beings or like you would want your own relative to be treated?

iii.               Do you bother to take time to consider what you intend to say before shooting it out; do you have any regard for your audience?

iv.               Do you take the pain to find out how the next man’s name is pronounced before you make an attempt to pronounce it?

v.                How do you handle power when you are given authority?

We will need to begin with learning and practicing small chunks of self respect as well as mutual respect as a first step towards stepping out of the dark. It is a long journey but if we get it right at the foundation stage, the rest of the journey will be a pleasure. Once again, we will need to believe that Nigeria is our country and the only home we have. Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and not just the northerners or the westerners or the easterners. We must show Nigeria some love for her to yield her abundance to the people.

GOD bless Nigeria!

AFTER LIGHTS OUT

Without much ado, “after lights out” in this context simply means when the audience have dispersed. Audience? Yes, we always have an audience watching but at some point, we are left to conduct our lives, affairs and business without the presence of an audience.

Politicians and leaders are saddled with the ever-present audience who criticize without mincing words. The audiences of these people always find it easy to judge and condemn them very loudly at every opportunity. Praise and applause come at a very high price when politicians and leaders are performing on the stage of national affairs and life issues in general. True, our leaders and politicians have put themselves in the position where they no longer command the respect of followers and for the few who are acknowledged and applauded, they have earned same.

The drift of this discourse is along the line of when the audience comes under scrutiny especially when no one is watching.

i.                 A leader in church who leads a house fellowship in his house who is more of an odd jobs man than a self-employed man who is popularly known in the neighbourhood as a 419 deals runner. As the spirit moves him, he holds parties in his house for his young apprentices when the successfully hit an unsuspecting victim. In times of drought of deals, he lashes out at his wife and beats her up publicly. She is a woman, his pastor is not watching and for those who are watching, there is nothing they can do to him because he is very popular among the men in the neighbourhood.

ii.                A man of the cloth fantasizes about having carnal knowledge of young male church members. Eventually, the opportunity is served on a platter of gold when a young male church member spends the night in his flat. He takes the opportunity and vandalizes the young man; he faces the law and serves his term and returns boldly to the pulpit. Scripture also recommends that elders test them and only if they approve of them, should they be appointed. Where and who are the elders? Thankfully, GOD is watching.

iii.               A househelp works and serves to the best of his ability expecting that at the end of the month he will receive his wage which he has earned by giving his service in advance. Unfortunately the man of the house does not see the need to keep his own end of the bargain rather, he sees the opportunity to deny the man of his hard earned wage not because he cannot afford to pay but because his pastor is not watching, his friends/colleagues are not watching and above all, he has the power and there is nothing the house help can do about it.

iv.               An unprofessional employer of labour puts up an advert for vacancy in his organization conducts tests and interviews and hires unsuspecting young people to work in marketing and data collection units of his organization. The employees joyfully start work and put in their best only to be told at the end of the month that their services are no longer required. The company would have increased the clientele base a little without paying for the service because of the unprofessional style of the man at the helm of affairs; he is untouchable, unsackable and unshakeable. Above all, the people he has respect for do not know of his sharp practices.

v.                You live in the metropolis consuming electricity supplied by government, water provided by the government and your thrash is taken away by government but you become indifferent and unreasonable when you are requested to pay for services you have enjoyed. Not because the bill is on the high side but it is your nature not to pay for what you have already consumed; moreover, your pastor is not watching, your friends/colleagues are not watching you.

vi.               You complain and condemn Nigeria for not meeting up with the international standards that you are accustomed to but you also refuse to pay your taxes when required. News for you is that majority of the world economic heavy weights were built on taxes.

vii.             You peacefully and successfully lived in America and Europe for so many years without violating the laws because you know full well that they would fling you back to Nigeria on the next available flight if you break their laws. You return to Nigeria of your own free will and because you have returned from abroad, you don’t want to live within the laws of Nigeria. And you venture to complain that Nigerians are lawless and unruly.

These are only a few case studies of people who are allowed an insignificant amount of power and the end up misbehaving and maltreating other people; what then gives them the impetus to condemn the one who has been entrusted with the authority to administer an enormously wealthy and resource full entity like Nigeria? You really are no better than the one you condemn; infact, you are worse because you cannot even conduct yourself decently.

We clamour without cease for change, for a better deal in governance and administration but it all boils down to cacophony especially when we are not giving a good account of ourselves.

We will only begin to see change as soon as we begin to do things with the attitude that we are aware that someone is watching, or that someone we hold in high esteem is watching; we would be less likely to be flippant, frivolous and reckless with whatever responsibility is placed before us. We would be careful not to pirate or counterfeit the work of another.

GOD bless Nigeria.

TWITTING TIPS

For a long time, I kept a twitter account which I did not quite know how to use and of course like every new thing, it appeared to be quite complex.

A friend told me that as soon as I got the alert that someone followed me on twitter, I should be respectful enough to follow the person back. And so I waited patiently and after a very long time, it occurred to me that I need not wait to be followed first before following back.

I followed some people on twitter and they also had the sense to follow back but a lot of people did not and I quickly unfollowed them. I am working at building a reputation and it is essential I link up with people who are enlightened and fully liberated from egoistic misconceptions.

It is like a crossword puzzle to me when I tick and cross out and I feel very satisfied performing these mental exercises every week. Then it occurred to me that some “important” people follow some other people they consider worthy of following. I follow these “important” individuals and endure them until I have time to run through the list of people they follow and take out the names of people I believe I like to follow.

Some people by virtue of the name they have built for themselves over time have earned a large followership and still gain more followers without much sweat and of course the type of messages and propositions they receive puts them in a position where they don’t necessarily have to follow everyone who follows them. It takes a very high sense of humility which should not be taken for granted for such a person to follow a follower on twitter.

Also it occurred to me that when we respond and make comments in line with other people’s twits, we showcase some of our intellect which is actually what most people seek on twitter. Everything goes on Facebook but on twitter, there is a clean and thorough sieving.

I tried the approach of some phoney people who promised large followership if one followed them but it turned out to be simply based on the principle of being respectful of yourself and the next man.

Finally, I discovered that some quacks also use other people’s names on their personal profile. Where is your sense of individuality? You completely extinguish it by doing so.

TOMORROW PEOPLE (Concluding Part)

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

PART FOUR:  RETRACING OUR STEPS

The Nigerian case is particularly sad especially when we take into consideration the fact that Nigeria is not the African country with the largest land mass or the most complicated political challenges. A country like Egypt is by far bigger than Nigeria and Egyptians have succeeded in recognizing Egypt as their own country and not just that of the northerners or the southerners or the easterners.

North or South, Nigeria is made of human beings who may have been taken advantage of in the past but it is high time, we came out of the darkness so that we move forward. Whatever injustice we believe has been done was done over 50 years ago; even things that are cast on stone can be demolished and re-constructed. Rwanda returned after a very bitter genocide and the country is flourishing today. Ghana came out of the darkness and has experienced a turn around so there is nothing that says that Nigeria must remain the way it was originally designed by the British.

Sadly we delude ourselves that Nigeria is a democratic republic but the truth is that Nigeria is practicing civil rule simple. The head of government is fond of taking unilateral decisions that fail to carry the people along. Corruption is stifling the government to the point of choking the life out of it.

The original three regions that were carved out by the British were further divided until we now have 36 states in a country that has made very little progress since the departure of the British. It is further disturbing to hear Nigerians clamouring for the creation of more states. It simply goes to show that we have failed to understand that the modern world government is established on big, strong and growing national force.  Nigeria can be fragmentized to the point of meaninglessness because Nigerians hardly ever agree on a common issue.

There have been calls for a sovereign national conference and in the words of Dr. Beko Ransom-Kuti, “It is important to say that British rule was not forged on negotiations with Nigerians, but negotiations with ethnic nationalities. So also there was no "Nigerian position," but ethnic nationality positions. The 1960 independence, to our knowledge, was preceded by a curious finding conducted by Henry Willink supported by Gordon Hardow, Philip Mason, and JB Shearer which compiled a report on July 30 1958 now known as the Willink Commission of Enquiry. I advise the senators to read carefully the various positions of nationalities visited by the British agents in compiling their reports. It is of note that every nationality in the space called Nigeria had a position and there was not and will never be a 'Nigerian position' except that imposed by the few people in power.

That Willink report noted in its introduction: "The boundaries of the territory now known as Nigeria were first defined in 1907. The word Nigeria was then 20 years old the unity and indeed the separate existence of Nigeria and their concepts are of recent growth". It should be noted that the 1953 Conference that preceded Willink report, the attendants of the conference went as 'ethnic' representatives and the conference recommended that Nigeria should be a federation of three regions. So all along, ethnic nationalities have been the hallmark and essence of Nigeria. It is instructive that the years preceding 1960 and particularly since 1966 when unitarism was introduced, Nigeria has not known peace but, war, coups, and extreme poverty.”

Politicians have failed to agree to the convening of this conference however, it has been mentioned time and again as the solution to the many problems of the Nigerian unity, peace and continued existence as one entity. No matter how long the SNC is delayed, it will still be convened.

Once again, let us all be reminded that this is the only country where Nigerians are allowed to exist freely; it is home to Nigerians and Nigerians have no other place to call home except this land. We must take interest in the governance of Nigeria by getting actively involved and not just be spectators or critics of the excesses of an insensitive lot of politicians. We must cease to envy the luck of corrupt politicians and actively shun them for being corrupt and unpatriotic; as often as we can, let us make it known to them that we know that they are corruptly enriching themselves on the resources of the people.

We must each believe that it is our duty and responsibility to nurture Nigeria; if we continue to loot and plunder resources intended for the development of the land, there will be nothing left for future generations of Nigerians.

We must rise above the level of seeing ourselves as members of our tiny kingdoms, empires, fiefdoms, etc and begin to see ourselves of the larger entity named Nigeria and be totally committed to her growth and upliftment.

We must inculcate in ourselves and as many Nigerians as possible the spirit of being merciful to Nigeria and showing her some love.

GOD bless Nigeria.

TOMORROW PEOPLE (Part III)

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

PART THREE: THE MONSTER WE HAVE BEFORE US ALL

The “fox” has been gone for so many years unless we deliberately refuse to believe that it has gone. Nigerians are still blaming the British for what they consider to be injustice done by amalgamating the north and the south. Like I mentioned above, a big, strong and economically vibrant single nation paid the colonial administrators better than two countries especially with the French and the other European nations threatening to encroach on the Nigerian territory. Nigeria is not as large as a country like Egypt and inspite of tribal or religious conflict, Egypt remains one country.

A deeper study of the history of Nigeria will reveal a clearer picture of the ideology and the foundation of such ideology being practiced and institutionalized in northern Nigeria towards other Nigerians. Research revealed that the north requested for additional three years to enable them prepare for independence while the south were in a great rush to be rid of the British supremacy. The north did not invest much in education; while the south invested all, scratched and scraped to send their children to school in Europe and America, the north simply continued administration and politics at the level they were accustomed to.

The suspicion of the British and the north was that the south being richer and having more educated people who had become learned in the ways of the international legal system would have taken advantage of the north. The south resisted the British for much longer than the north and even when the army of Major Lugard seemed to have subdued the south, there were still very strong suggestions of resistance from the south. History has it that Major Lugard greatly loathed the people of the south of Nigeria and preferred the north and gave all the support he could to the north. The earliest political groups which emanated from the north focused mainly on the interest of the north and the objective of the northern elite was to consolidate and further strengthen the position of the north in its claim to supremacy in the Nigerian political scene. The southern politicians on the other hand focused on a united Nigeria in the spirit of nationalism.

That seed of suspicion sown in the very foundation of the political structure of Nigeria has grown and continues to flourish in the minds of the people of Nigeria. This gives room for exploitation by Europe and many other international powers that have seen the vast wealth of Nigeria which they realize has the potential to put Nigeria on the same pedestal with economic heavy weights of the world. That seed of suspicion has ensured that the north and the south never agree on any issue even in the interest of Nigeria.

That Nigeria will take a giant leap in the world economic scene if the north and south come together as one and work in harmony for the economic advancement of Nigeria is not news; what will be news is that many economies will collapse if the north and south unite in harmony in the interest of Nigeria.

Strangely one or two leaders who have led Nigeria along the line of true unity and nationalism were quickly cut short by promoters of discord between the north and the south of Nigeria. It is a very pathetic picture to look at; even more depressing is the pride and arrogance that Nigerians display in fanning this evil passion to drive Nigeria into the ground.

From the rich history of Nigeria, we see that Nigerians are people who worship the supreme deity as they identify Him; the British saw this among the Nri-Igbo people and they realized that in order to control the people, they had to get the then Eze to denounce the supremacy of their deity the “Ikenga.” Most Nigerians believe in the efficacy of their local deities and they know that they will not get away with making mockery of their deity but will willingly and easily defraud another even in the place of western worship. I always like to use the example of a time when the Oba Market in Benin went up in huge flames and in the typical predatory way of man when confronted by danger, people rushed in and looted other people’s property. The Oba of Benin being a no-nonsense King sent for the Aiyelala worshippers to invoke the wrath of the deity against anyone who had collected anything that did not belong to him or her. As soon as the announcement went round the kingdom, people started to return everything they had taken away and nothing was spared.

Nigerians know very well that the western religions they pretend to practice allows room for their excesses and they are taking full advantage of the situation. It was a crime for a man to take his own life as he will be accused of having desecrated the land and his family would be held accountable by the King, the Gods and the laws of the land but not only does a man take his own life, he even takes the life of others willfully and without remorse.

TOMORROW PEOPLE (Part II)

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

Fredrick Lord Lugard, First Governor General of Nigeria1914-1919

PART TWO: INFLUENCE OF THE BRITISH

According to history, the boundaries of Nigeria were drawn as a result of trade and overseas territorial ambitions of some Western European powers in the nineteenth century. The territory was assigned to Britain. The name, Nigeria, was suggested in 1898 by Flora Shaw who later became Lady Lugard to designate the British Protectorate on the River Niger.

Adventures of early explorers like Mungo Park and the Lander brothers exposed Nigeria to European traders who were mainly focused on slave expeditions. By early nineteenth century, the obnoxious trade in slaves which had flourished in the region was in the process of being abolished. Consequently, European traders began to turn their attention to trading in palm produce, pepper, ivory and other articles which provided raw materials for European industries. The Europeans restricted their trading activities to Lagos and Delta ports of old Calabar, Brass and Bonny while sending out scouts further into the communities in the hope of improving trade opportunities. The British were particularly keen on claiming Lagos and the Yoruba hinterland and as soon as the opportunity was served by way of internal conflicts in the ruling houses of Lagos, they offered their support to Oba Akitoye in exchange for the total annexing of Lagos in 1861.

The interest of the British in Nigeria is primarily economic and remains economic. In 1898, then Major Fredrick D. Lugard formed the West African Frontier Force initially with 2,000 soldiers of whom 90% were northerners and a few men from the middle belt area. It is on this foundation that the Nigerian military is structured with majority of military intakes coming from the north.

When the Royal Niger Company's Charter was withdrawn in January 1900, the whole of Nigeria came under direct Colonial administration. The territory was then divided into:
(i) The Lagos Colony (1861 - 1960)
(ii) The Protectorate of Southern Nigeria (1900 - 1914)
(ii) The Protectorate of Northern Nigeria (1900 - 1914)

History also has it that when the three regions were created, certain amounts of money was released to each of the regions for initial administrative and other expenditure. It is recorded that under the guidance of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the west focused mainly on education and invested greatly in educating as many as were willing and a lot of educational institutions were commissioned within a very short time.

The British needed the Railway from the North to the Coast in the interest of British business. Amalgamation of the South (not of the people) became of crucial importance to British business interest; the conquest of the Benin Kingdom in 1896 paved way for the creation of the Southern Nigerian Protectorate on January 1, 1900.  Sokoto was not conquered until 1903 and after that, the Lord Lugard (British) created the northern Nigerian protectorate. What is critical and important are the reasons Lugard gave in his dispatches which include:
i.                 “North is poor and they have no resources to run the protectorate of the North.
ii.                They have no access to the sea;
iii.               The South has resources and
iv.               The South has educated people.”

In addition, Lugard’s dispatches to London led to the Amalgamation of the north and south in 1914.

Amalgamation should have reconciled and enlightened the two divisions including the people and provided a firm basis for establishing closer cultural, social, religious, and linguistic ties vital for true unity among the people. The seeds of suspicion sown between the north and the south birthed division, hatred, unhealthy rivalry, and pronounced disparity in development. But what the British amalgamated was the Administration of the North and South and not the people of the North and the South, which is one of the root causes of the problems of Nigeria and the Nigerians. It was the basis on which Nigeria got independence in 1960.

Following the departure of the British, the first major uprising in the north took place leaving many Nigerians dead and destitute; following the execution of Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi in 1966 and more violence in the north, the late Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Ojukwu called for all Igbo in the north to return home and the Biafra republic was declared.  The civil war broke out on July 6, 1967. There have been several other violent uprisings emanating from the north. With every season, these uprisings become more lethal and more sophisticated. There is no telling that the present Boko Haram group will be the last of violent insurgence groups terrorizing Nigerians in the northern part of Nigeria.

The question of whether we can co-exist in harmony as one nation is answered by the fact that “united we stand, divided we fall.” We not only fall, but are captured and enslaved. History showed that as smaller units many Nigerian kingdoms were sacked by hostile, superior armies and absorbed them into their own kingdoms. It took the intervention of the British Army to restore many of such small kingdoms to the body of Nigeria. Many Nigerian historians view this as in the interest of the selfish motives of the British; a bigger, stronger Nigeria is by far better than smaller fragments that are scattered all over the  African continent.

TOMORROW PEOPLE

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

I had the privilege of attending the Lecture organized by the “Save Nigeria Group” which was delivered by Prof. Niyi Osundare. I felt the need to attend the function as a bonafide citizen of Nigeria. I had earlier in the year attended all the rallies held during the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos and I saw the opportunity to continue along that line in the interest of the nation. I attended as a concerned citizen, hoping to take one or two bullet points and move on to other issues. The nagging question I came out of the conference with was “what could interest Nigerians more than the present state of the nation?” It is true that there are a lot of Nigerians who have overcome their money problems; one thing they all have in common with the majority who still exist on or below the average standard defined as the level of poverty is the fear of security of their lives and their property.  The experience turned out to be so profound that the decent thing to do after the lecture was to take up my history books one more time and as much as possible re-trace the faulty and weak steps of Nigeria as a nation. I embarked on the exercise with the hope that if we can identify where we got it wrong, we would be able to gradually re-direct our steps in the direction of a possible solution.

In addition, the recent protest over the name change of University of Lagos gave me reason to conclude that the a lot of young Nigerians do not know much of the history of Nigeria; students of the university did not know what the man MKO stood and fought for in Nigeria and Africa. For the benefit of Nigerian adults born after the 90s, I strongly recommend that they spare a little time and read up what they can find on Nigerian history.

PART ONE: THE COLOURFUL MIX OF THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE
A brief outline of the history of Nigeria before the discovery of Nigeria by the earliest explorers who came from the Great Britain, Nigeria was made up of kingdoms, states and empires with colourful culture and traditions, keen sense of trade and commerce, meaningful worship and a thorough sense of administration and leadership.

The wealth of resources and the flourishing trans Atlantic slave trade exposed the great potentials that Britain and other European countries saw in Nigeria.

Our rich history books show that the three major regions were made up of kingdoms, states and empires that were not strangers to one another. They were more like siblings within a household who were familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each other. They knew who the strongest among them was and they knew the ones that they conceded power to.

The East was made up of the Igbo, the Ibibio and Efik, the Kalabaris, the Ndonis and the Akwetes.

Prominent among the people of the east was the Nri kingdom (i.e. Nri-Igbo). The administration of the kingdom was not military in nature but the kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence and was administered by a priest called the Eze-Nri who managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the people and possessed divine authority in religious matters. Nri’s culture had permanently influenced all of Igbo culture, especially through religion and taboos; it brought new advanced concepts of the creator and of the universe in general. British colonialism as well as the Atlantic slave trade contributed to the decline of the Nri kingdom. Administration was not by military force but by ritual oath where people converted to the Nri kingdom spread to Idah and Igala regions. The British invasion forced the reigning Nri to renounce the ritual power of the religious cult known as the “Ikenga.” The Nri’s did not trade slaves, and they were not battle inclined but preferred interaction and transactions by ritual oath. The Igbo were predominantly farmers who excelled with yam, palm produce, nuts, etc.

The North was made up of the Hausa, the Fulani, the Nupe, the Kwararafa, the Kanuri, the Benue stock of Tivi and Idoma, etc.

The Hausa Empire made up of traders and warriors who endured assaults and invasions from the desert and also by the Fulani jihadists who eventually conquered the Hausa Empire. The Fulanis absorbed the Hausa kingdom and turned it to Hausa-Fulani Caliphate. They connected and accepted each other until the British in 1906 restored the Hausa dynasty in Daura.

The Fulanis are nomadic by nature; the Fulanis and the Hausas had a common enemy in the Songhai Empire which ruled Gobir by tyranny and despotism. As a result of the oppression, the Fulanis were forced to scatter all over northern Nigeria and into other African countries.

The Kanem people evolved to become the people of Bornu; the Bornu Empire spanned land spaces that spread into Chad, Niger and Cameroon. They fought fierce and bitter battles from internal conflicts, rebellions and invasions from the Bulala. Intermarriages between the Bornu and Kannembu people brought about the Kanuri nation. Following the annihilation of the fierce Sayfawa warriors of Sudan that subdued Kanem-Bornu Empire, the British re-absorbed Bornu kingdom into Nigeria as a territory of the Bornu Emirate.

Borgu Empire had its origins traced to Kisra, a town in Arabia; it comprised Bussa (the spiritual centre), Illo (the commercial centre) and Nikki (the political centre). These regions of Borgu were part British and part French and they related well with each other having respect for each other’s area of competence.

The Bida Emirate is a traditional state in Nigeria; it is the successor of the Nupe kingdom which had its headquarters at Bida, Niger State.  The Etsu Nupe was the head of the state and leader of the people. The military might of the Nupe kingdom was quite a formidable force until the British Niger Company troops finally took Bida and established a puppet ruler and making Bida the first British colonial regime.

The Kwararafa kingdom comprised of tribes along the Benue rive in what is today known as eastern Nigeria. It was located on the southwest of the Bornu Empire and south of the Hausa states and to a large extent the kingdom was attacked, conquered and absorbed into their powerful neighbouring territories. The Kwararafas recognized the superiority of the Bornu kingdom; they were attacked and further reduced by the Fulani jihad of the Sokoto Caliphate.

The West comprised of the Yoruba, the Egba, the Ijebu, the Ilaje, etc., the Lagos people, the Awori, etc., the Edo, Esan, Ora, Afemai people, the Itshekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, etc.

The Benin kingdom is located midway between the east and the west. The Benin kingdom was one of the last kingdoms to fall to the British Army owing to its military might and skills. The system of rule practiced in the kingdom under the rulership of Ogiso was military and royal protection in exchange of use of resources and implementation of taxes paid to the royal administrative centre. Culture and tradition were heterogeneous and grouped according to smaller units within the kingdom under the supervision of a local “Enogie” (Duke) appointed by the Oba. According to history, almost all the kingdoms in the west of Nigeria have their origins traced to the Benin kingdom.

The great Oyo Empire rose through the astounding organizational skills of the Yoruba; wealth was gained from trade and its powerful cavalry. It was the leader of all western kingdoms and it spread to as far as Dahomey kingdom of FON in today’s Benin Republic. Slave trade reached its peak in the Oyo Empire. Created from violence, the empire was bound together by mutual self-interest. The Oyo kingdom became a protectorate of Great Britain in 1888 before further fragmenting into warring factions.

There are many other tribes within Nigeria that are too many to mention in this discourse however available history books chronicle in great detail the exploits and splendor of the colourful mixture of the people of Nigeria.

The common denominator is the influence of the British Empire to secure, administer and colonize and much larger united Nigeria. History has also shown that had it not been for the intervention of the British, many Nigerian communities had already been absorbed into other countries. The British had the military might to ensure that all communities within the Nigerian territory were safely secured within one entity.

The mix of the people of Nigeria shows a nation that is complex and made of little countries that were greatly diversified in every possible way. The British recognized that ruling the people would be an uphill task however for economic reasons, the British went ahead and amalgamated the Northern and the Southern Nigerian territories.