Please if you write a silly book,

don't invite Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to make a presentation. ,

I guess Olaniwun Ajayi has learnt from this.

Sanusi faults Olaniwun Ajayi on Northern domination

The Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,

surprised guests present at the Muson Centre for the launching of the

book of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi at the Muson Centre in Lagos .

The book titled:

" Nigeria, Africa's Failed Asset" attracted many important dignitaries, intellectuals and some governors. The argument by discussants centered on whether or not the colonial masters laid the foundation for the problems Nigeria is currently facing.

Many argued that the British loved the North and that was why it gave more than 50 percent of the National Assembly seats to the North at independence.

Sanusi, however, stole the show when he spoke. His speech was anchored on the plank that the British and Nigerian rulers are responsible for the state of the situation Nigeria finds itself today.

Below is his unedited speech.

"Let me start by saying that I am Fulani (laughter). My grandfather was an Emir and therefore, I represent all that has been talked about this afternoon. Sir Ajayi has written a book. And like all Nigerians of his generation, he has written in the language of his generation.

"My grandfather was a Northerner, I am a Nigerian. The problem with this country is that in 2009, we speak in the language of 1953. Sir Olaniwun can be forgiven for the way he spoke, but I cannot forgive people of my generation speaking in that language.

"Let us go into this issue because there are so many myths that are being bandied around. Before colonialism, there was nothing like Northern Nigeria . Before the Sokoto Jihad, there was nothing like the Sokoto caliphate. The man from Kano regard himself as bakane. The man from Zaria was bazazzage. The man from Katsina was bakatsine. The kingdoms were at war with each other. They were Hausas, they were Muslims, they were killing each other.

"The Yoruba were Ijebu, Owo, Ijesha, Akoko, Egba. When did they become one? When did the North become one? You have the Sokoto Caliphate that brought every person from Adamawa to Sokoto and said it is one kingdom. They now said it was a Muslim North.

"The Colonialists came, put that together and said it is now called the Northern Nigeria .

Do you know what happened? Our grand fathers were able to transform to being Northerners. We have not been able to transform to being Nigerians.The fault is ours.

Tell me, how many governors has South West produced after Awolowo that are role models of leadership? How many governors has the East produced like Nnamdi Azikiwe that can be role models of leadership? How Many governors in the Niger Delta are role models of leadership? Tell me. There is no evidence statistically that any part of this country has produced good leaders.

You talk about Babangida and the economy. Who were the people in charge of the economy during Babangida era? Olu Falae, Kalu Idika Kalu. What state are they from in the North?

"We started the banking reform; the first thing I heard was that in Urobo land, that there will be a curse of the ancestors. I said they (ancestors) would not answer. They said why? I said how many factories did Ibru build in Urobo land? So, why will the ancestors of the Urobo people support her?

"We talk ethnicity when it pleases us. It is hypocrisy. You said elections were rigged in 1959, Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu rigged election in 2007. Was it a Southern thing? It was not. "The problem is: everywhere in this country, there is one Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba and Itshekiri man whose concern is how to get his hands on the pile and how much he can steal.

Whether it is in the military or in the civilian government, they sit down, they eat together. In fact, the constitution says there must be a minister from every state.

"So, anybody that is still preaching that the problem of Nigeria is Yoruba or Hausa or Fulani, he does not love Nigeria . The problem with Nigeria is that a group of people from each and every ethnic tribe is very selfish. The poverty that is found in Maiduguri is even worse than any poverty that you find in any part of the South.

The British came for 60 years and Sir Ajayi talked about few numbers of graduates in the North (two at independence) . What he did not say was that there was a documented policy of the British when they came that the Northerner should not be educated. It was documented. It was British colonial policy. I have the document. I have published articles on it. That if you educate the Northerner you will produce progressive Muslim intellectuals of the type we have in Egypt

and India. So, do not educate them. It was documented. And you say they love us (North).

"I have spent the better part of my life to fight and Dr. (Reuben) Abati knows me. Yes, my grandfather was an Emir. Why was I in the pro-democracy movement fighting for June 12? Is (Moshood) Abiola from Kano ? Why am I a founding director of the Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Development (KIND)?

"There are good Yoruba people, good Igbo people, good Fulani people, good Nigerians and there are bad people everywhere. That is the truth. "Stop talking about dividing Nigeria because we are not the most populous country in the world. We have all the resources that make it easy to make one united great Nigeria . It is better if we are united than to divide it.

"Every time you talk about division, when you restructure, do you know what will happen? In Delta Area, the people in Warri will say Agbor, you don't have oil. When was the Niger Delta constructed as a political entity? Ten years ago, the Itshekiris were fighting the Urobos. Isn't that what was happening? Now they have become Niger Delta because they have found oil. After, it will be, if you do not have oil in your village then you cannot share our resources.

"There is no country in the world where resources are found in everybody's hamlet. But people have leaders and they said if you have this geography and if we are one state, then we have a responsibility for making sure that the people who belong to this country have a good nature.

"So, why don't you talk about; we don't have infrastructure, we don't have education, we don't have health. We are still talking about Fulani. Is it the Fulani cattle rearer or is anybody saying there is no poverty among the Fulani?", he said.

This is a great message to our generation.

Are we truly ready to develop and unite Nigeria?


[url]http://www.cometonigeria.com/news/nigeria,_africas_failed_asset_-_a_response.html[/url]

This CBN Gov actually took his words out of my mine because this is the same stuff I have been saying about Nigeria politics. But the problem is that not all Nigerians think this way. I have been saying it before that the problem with Nigeria is not ethnic or tribe, it's the problem of greed, corruption, maladministration etc. From Borno to Delta states, from Lagos to Sokoto and from Rivers to Abuja, every part of Nigeria is being ruled by greed and corrupt individuals. Nigeria problem is not an Igbo man, Hausa/Fulani man, Tiv man, Ogboni man or Yoruba man, it's simply CORRUPTION!

Good talkWith this man in the presidency i think he must do something +ve to us.

Good talkWith this man in the presidency i think he must do something +ve to us.

I love this man´s intellect and courage to speak the truth anyway and to anybody. These were the same similar words i was speaking on the Biafra thread yesterday about bad people everywhere and corruption knows no tribe or ethnicity.

I hope one day SLS would be oprating from Aso rock in a capacity to lead us to the promise land.

adisalago:

Please if you write a silly book,

don't invite Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to make a presentation. ,

I guess Olaniwun Ajayi has learnt from this.

Sanusi faults Olaniwun Ajayi on Northern domination

The Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,

surprised guests present at the Muson Centre for the launching of the

book of Sir Olaniwun Ajayi at the Muson Centre in Lagos .

The book titled:

" Nigeria, Africa's Failed Asset" attracted many important dignitaries, intellectuals and some governors. The argument by discussants centered on whether or not the colonial masters laid the foundation for the problems Nigeria is currently facing.

Many argued that the British loved the North and that was why it gave more than 50 percent of the National Assembly seats to the North at independence.

Sanusi, however, stole the show when he spoke. His speech was anchored on the plank that the British and Nigerian rulers are responsible for the state of the situation Nigeria finds itself today.

Below is his unedited speech.

"Let me start by saying that I am Fulani (laughter). My grandfather was an Emir and therefore, I represent all that has been talked about this afternoon. Sir Ajayi has written a book. And like all Nigerians of his generation, he has written in the language of his generation.

"My grandfather was a Northerner, I am a Nigerian. The problem with this country is that in 2009, we speak in the language of 1953. Sir Olaniwun can be forgiven for the way he spoke, but I cannot forgive people of my generation speaking in that language.

"Let us go into this issue because there are so many myths that are being bandied around. Before colonialism, there was nothing like Northern Nigeria . Before the Sokoto Jihad, there was nothing like the Sokoto caliphate. The man from Kano regard himself as bakane. The man from Zaria was bazazzage. The man from Katsina was bakatsine. The kingdoms were at war with each other. They were Hausas, they were Muslims, they were killing each other.

"The Yoruba were Ijebu, Owo, Ijesha, Akoko, Egba. When did they become one? When did the North become one? You have the Sokoto Caliphate that brought every person from Adamawa to Sokoto and said it is one kingdom. They now said it was a Muslim North.

"The Colonialists came, put that together and said it is now called the Northern Nigeria .

Do you know what happened? Our grand fathers were able to transform to being Northerners. We have not been able to transform to being Nigerians.The fault is ours.

Tell me, how many governors has South West produced after Awolowo that are role models of leadership? How many governors has the East produced like Nnamdi Azikiwe that can be role models of leadership? How Many governors in the Niger Delta are role models of leadership? Tell me. There is no evidence statistically that any part of this country has produced good leaders.

You talk about Babangida and the economy. Who were the people in charge of the economy during Babangida era? Olu Falae, Kalu Idika Kalu. What state are they from in the North?

"We started the banking reform; the first thing I heard was that in Urobo land, that there will be a curse of the ancestors. I said they (ancestors) would not answer. They said why? I said how many factories did Ibru build in Urobo land? So, why will the ancestors of the Urobo people support her?

"We talk ethnicity when it pleases us. It is hypocrisy. You said elections were rigged in 1959, Obasanjo and Maurice Iwu rigged election in 2007. Was it a Southern thing? It was not. "The problem is: everywhere in this country, there is one Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba and Itshekiri man whose concern is how to get his hands on the pile and how much he can steal.

Whether it is in the military or in the civilian government, they sit down, they eat together. In fact, the constitution says there must be a minister from every state.

"So, anybody that is still preaching that the problem of Nigeria is Yoruba or Hausa or Fulani, he does not love Nigeria . The problem with Nigeria is that a group of people from each and every ethnic tribe is very selfish. The poverty that is found in Maiduguri is even worse than any poverty that you find in any part of the South.

The British came for 60 years and Sir Ajayi talked about few numbers of graduates in the North (two at independence) . What he did not say was that there was a documented policy of the British when they came that the Northerner should not be educated. It was documented. It was British colonial policy. I have the document. I have published articles on it. That if you educate the Northerner you will produce progressive Muslim intellectuals of the type we have in Egypt

and India. So, do not educate them. It was documented. And you say they love us (North).

"I have spent the better part of my life to fight and Dr. (Reuben) Abati knows me. Yes, my grandfather was an Emir. Why was I in the pro-democracy movement fighting for June 12? Is (Moshood) Abiola from Kano ? Why am I a founding director of the Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Development (KIND)?

"There are good Yoruba people, good Igbo people, good Fulani people, good Nigerians and there are bad people everywhere. That is the truth. "Stop talking about dividing Nigeria because we are not the most populous country in the world. We have all the resources that make it easy to make one united great Nigeria . It is better if we are united than to divide it.

"Every time you talk about division, when you restructure, do you know what will happen? In Delta Area, the people in Warri will say Agbor, you don't have oil. When was the Niger Delta constructed as a political entity? Ten years ago, the Itshekiris were fighting the Urobos. Isn't that what was happening? Now they have become Niger Delta because they have found oil. After, it will be, if you do not have oil in your village then you cannot share our resources.

"There is no country in the world where resources are found in everybody's hamlet. But people have leaders and they said if you have this geography and if we are one state, then we have a responsibility for making sure that the people who belong to this country have a good nature.

"So, why don't you talk about; we don't have infrastructure, we don't have education, we don't have health. We are still talking about Fulani. Is it the Fulani cattle rearer or is anybody saying there is no poverty among the Fulani?", he said.

This is a great message to our generation.

Are we truly ready to develop and unite Nigeria?


[url]http://www.cometonigeria.com/news/nigeria,_africas_failed_asset_-_a_response.html[/url]

Absoulte and simplistic rubbish. Greed, corruption and maladministration are human vices that exist in every country in the world.

The problem is to do with the System, and non-accountability. The System "comprises" of an ineffective State and lacks accountability.
The Secular nature of the State has been compromised and it's Constitution is meant to be non-discriminatory and should stipulate that
we are all equal in the eyes of the law of the land and subject to the same rules. Once, specific groups within any given "pluralistic polity"
start messing with these fundamental principles, then they are adding layers of complexity to the rules in order to obscure the rules of the
State which will eventually lead to reducing the effectiveness of the State.

Any legal eagle will confirm the arguments above.

Another aspect to discern of the ineffective State is how certain institutions deemed part of the State's apparatus are ridiculously
ineffective or non-existent. An example would be the National Tax Body of the FR. How effective is it, or is it ignored by the rich
or wealthy? In most modern economies is it feasible for political actors not to pay taxes? In Nigeria, the focus seems to be on
individual actors declaring their assets, in other words, a declaration of how much one is worth, with no concern for the source of
that individuals wealth, and how much he has paid in taxes and if that information tallies with what was declared.

I can cite numerous examples in modern economies where leaders have got in serious trouble for flouting taxation laws, names that come
to mind, is President Clinton and the acquisiton of properties and Tony Blair in the UK for simply buying a property for his Son to stay
in whilst attending Uni in a particular part of the UK. The point is that the system exists, and you flout it at your peril.

If Al Capone was in Nigeria of today, he would get away with murder, and the point i'm making is that they could not convict him for
moon shining but they managed to secure a conviction on a technicality, that of "tax evasion".

Similarly, if Pablo Escobar was in Nigeria today, he would get away with more than murder, because he would not have to declare the
source of his earnings, which was the Cocaine Trade.

Cases to consider are the non-conscientious Military Dictators of the 80's and 90's that are normally worshipped in the Northern part
of the country and generally detested in the Southern part of the country. When IBB declared his interest in the PDP primaries as the
"Northern Candidate", I asked a simple question which seemed to rattle some Nigerian's, well, mainly his supporters.

IBB, even though he was the military president of Nigeria at one stage in our history, he was still only a "civil servant" a military
General, hence what is the source of his wealth and how much had he paid in taxes over the years? And if there was no answer to this
question, or it did not tally up, then why couldn't the OBJ Administration (led by a Southerner) indict IBB for misappropriation of funds
or embezzlement? Or why was the OBJ Administration willing to do deals with Abacha's son regarding the Abacha family being able to keep
part of the looted funds if they returned the bulk of the money? Why is it that in the Haliburton saga, none of the big names mentioned
have not been indicted or prosecuted, or why is it that Cecelia Ibru only got 6 months for her crimes? How is it that the problem with
a corrupt extortionist Police force has existed for so long without being rectified?

The answer is primarily that the State, and its apparatus have been rendered ineffective. The State's role at the moment seems to have been
reduced to "maintaining order" by any means necessary to the advantage of Multinationals and Foreign Investors; and "Distributing the funds
in the coffers of the State".

Afterall, when a virus is detected on a computer, the focus then shifts to being able to identify, isolate, purge or eliminate it and most
importantly, make sure you have systems in place, checks and balances in the System that prevent it from reoccurring. It is completely
nonsensical to focus on the fact that somebody painstakingly coded a virus or trojan which ended up on the discerned computer.

The extra Constitutional arrangements that exist in the State, polity and Body Politic have all served to render the State, ineffective.
Issues pertaining to Zoning and the implementation of Sharia Law in certain local States in Northern Nigeria in my humble but informed
opinion are examples of extra constitutional arrangements that have rendered the "Secular State" ineffective.

To fix this situation, we need to fix the State. We need to "revert" to when the State worked, to when we had a "Secular State", to what
was agreed on in the run up to independence.

Nigerians hate to hear the truth, but Lugard (even though being a Colonial vampire and in my opinion the source of our current problems)
enforced the Secular State for a reason, and the economy and system has never been as efficient as it was then.

We have to acknowledge that Nigeria was formed by "alien conquerors", an alien civilisation of which there were individuals that strongly
opposed the amalgamation of both contiguous British colonies because they knew that it would eventually cause problems in the future or it
would not be conducive to the progressive development of the Country, afterall, they were aware of what had happened in India a couple of decades prior.

It is only because of Lugard's ego that he forcefully pushed through his will of forming the largest (most populous) African Nation State.

It is time to have a mature but rational discussion about "the effectiveness of our State"  and the "state of our union".