As a child of the eighties, I and millions of others my age grew up in the era of the Military Heads of State. I personally was old enough to see buhari, ibb and abacha seize power turn by turn style. Over those years we saw a steady decline and accelerated rot of particularly the ibb era. Power supply became erratic, violent crime grew in freuency and the poverty index swelled because our economy began to stagnate leading to massive umemployment caused by capital flight and the fleeing of many companies, especially foreign business owners.

Ibb's plague sparked dreams of deliverance into a bright future free from military rule that had brought us nothing but repression and chaos. As fate would have it, 1999 was the year that the military would return to the barracks and democracy would return to allow us rebuild our country in freedom, honesty and unity. Well... we know how it looks 13years after. Corruption is at unprecedented level, national consciousness is dead and ethnic sentiment is at its highest level EVER, the economy is paraplegic and sputtering to cut the crap, the entire nigerian project as represented by the Fourth Republic could be described as being at the lowest point in history.

The question is how did we get it wrong? I personally think that the blame should rest at the feet of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo. As the repository of all our hopes for nigeria his actions or lack of, set tthe pace. Listing all his sins will take ten pages but what set the tone for a corrupt and diseased democracy can be traced to an incident (for those who can remember) in 1999 when it was revealed by Tell magazine and a couple of other publications that he attenpted to bribe members of the House of Reps with ghana must go bags full of cash to buy their obedience. That I believe was the moment when the frightened devils became bold and stealing became normal again like it was under the military. Only this time the civilians are making the khaki boys look like amateurs.

I've been trying to get online copies of Tell magazine so I can pinpoint the particular event. Still looking

Because those of you who were children in the 80's have yet to step up to your responsibility as citizens.

Nigeria is not going to serve you freedom on a platter of gold. You have to take what is yours and so far, it seems you 80's/90's children don't even consider yourselves worth much.

@o.poster,
you are still confused over what you want. in all the military presidents you mentioned, who do u think jonathan as a civilian is better than? if satan is made the president of nigeria(God forbid)i am 100% sure satan will do better than any person pdp had, is and will present.
pdp and all their members are occultic members and are blood thirsty.
if you want to believe me, go and read proverbs 29:2l it can only get worst as long as pdp is around.with these photocopy presidents we have, we are directly under the rulership of their cult leaders who use these tissues(presidents) to melt out hardship on the masses.

Kobojunkie: Because those of you who were children in the 80's have yet to step up to your responsibility as citizens. Nigeria is not going to serve you freedom on a platter of gold. You have to take what is yours and so far, it seems you 80's/90's children don't even consider yourselves worth much.

Abeg can someone help me translate bullshit into french so I can qualify your comments aptly. What do you know about responsibility or the sacrifice that students like myself faced when I got teargassed and once locked up overnight at panti for joining street marches with pro-democracy groups during the june 12 struggle. What do you know about sacrifice or taking destiny in your hands. What did you ever stand up for?

@1025 - read my post again we are saying the same thing

nku5: As a child of the eighties, I and millions of others my age grew up in the era of the Military Heads of State. I personally was old enough to see buhari, ibb and abacha seize power turn by turn style. Over those years we saw a steady decline and accelerated rot of particularly the ibb era. Power supply became erratic, violent crime grew in freuency and the poverty index swelled because our economy began to stagnate leading to massive umemployment caused by capital flight and the fleeing of many companies, especially foreign business owners.

Ibb's plague sparked dreams of deliverance into a bright future free from military rule that had brought us nothing but repression and chaos. As fate would have it, 1999 was the year that the military would return to the barracks and democracy would return to allow us rebuild our country in freedom, honesty and unity. Well... we know how it looks 13years after. Corruption is at unprecedented level, national consciousness is dead and ethnic sentiment is at its highest level EVER, the economy is paraplegic and sputtering to cut the crap, the entire nigerian project as represented by the Fourth Republic could be described as being at the lowest point in history.

The question is how did we get it wrong? I personally think that the blame should rest at the feet of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo. As the repository of all our hopes for nigeria his actions or lack of, set tthe pace. Listing all his sins will take ten pages but what set the tone for a corrupt and diseased democracy can be traced to an incident (for those who can remember) in 1999 when it was revealed by Tell magazine and a couple of other publications that he attenpted to bribe members of the House of Reps with ghana must go bags full of cash to buy their obedience. That I believe was the moment when the frightened devils became bold and stealing became normal again like it was under the military. Only this time the civilians are making the khaki boys look like amateurs.

I've been trying to get online copies of Tell magazine so I can pinpoint the particular event. Still looking

I certainly think OBJ's egotistical mien has led him to make terrible choices that have had horrendous implications for Nigeria. Pertinent you talk about the 80ties because around the start of that decade was the beginning of OBJ's malevolent actions led by his vengeful streak and dislike of empowering performers who are natural leaders. OBJ supported the rigging out of Awolowo in 1979 for a dull and listless teacher called Shehu Shagari. That was the beginning of our woes. No less than Ojukwu described Awolowo as "the best President Nigeria never had" while the same Ojukwu posited that Obasanjo should be taken to the back of his house and shot.

Awolowo, for all his faults, would have been a developmental President and perhaps the father of modern Nigeria. This was something OBJ could not let a fellow Yoruba man achieve if he could help it. The rest, as they say, is history. In recent times, OBJ continues his penchant for backing mediocrities and looters he knows will destroy Nigeria.

By supporting the ascent of the likes of Yar Adua, David Mark, GEJ et al to very influential offices, OBJ was sealing the fate of Nigeria because he knows ,100%, that those men will use such positions to impede the progress of Nigeria. In the SW, the less said about OBJ's backing for outright criminals, looters and misrulers, the better.

Below, Ojukwu speaks on Awolowo:

http://tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/politics-today/5973-my-views-on-awo-zik-and-obasanjo-ojukwu.html

Chief Obafemi Awolowo
In political terms, he would be considered an adversary of the Igbo given the intense rivalry between him and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. As a leader of the modern cast, he has left Nigeria standards which are indelible, standards beside which future aspirations to public leadership can be eternally measured. He was, for a long time, the only Nigerian leader that enunciated principles and played down personalities. He was a brilliant political administrator and a most erudite teacher. He not only identified himself wholly with the aspirations of the Yoruba people of Nigeria but also he was able to convince the Yoruba people of Nigeria that he, only he epitomised the highest point of their political aspirations and consciousness. He was loved, he was feared but above all he belonged to the people he professed to lead. At his death I had the singular honour of proposing for him this epitaph that has endured — ‘he was the best President that Nigeria never had.’

Many have wondered what I meant by this, but I believe the statement was clear. Nigeria would have benefitted from his presidency because of his innate presidential qualities. Nigeria must continually regret that he never, for many reasons, had the opportunity to serve at the presidential level. Awo was a leader of great stature. He was a leader who was eminently successful. That he did not fulfil a presidential ambition cannot detract from his leadership, and us, poor us, who were not his people, must continue to regret that our own leaders had not led us as he did his people or achieved for us as he did for his people.

He perceived his job as leading his people and God bless his soul. He did a lot for them. Whenever he saw an opportunity for his people, he went for it. He had a dream for the Yorubas and was steadfast in the pursuit of that dream. He knew where he was going and he took his people with him without deceit. That is why he will remain immortal in the area of his influence.

@ Gbawe - Spot on! What pains me about Obasanjo is that no man has ever had the opportunity to write his name in gold as many times as he has had. In addition to choosing shagari over awolowo, he forced donald duke/el - rufai to step down for yar adua/ GEJ. At times it makes me feel like weeping

Why are we asking how come rather than pro-offering solutions?

I think IBB had one great idea - the 2 party system which would have given us a true alternative to the ruling party rather than the "madness" we see being played out!one alternative would stop the ruling party from "buying" lesser alternatives who would of course have spilt the vote thus weakening any perceived "stronger" alternative!

But the jokers in the 2 houses of the NASS currently have their heads so far stuck up their backsides that rather than building a stronger polity, they continue in the same old pattern of manouvering (each man to himself) into stronger positions in search of relevance rather than governance!

Ultimately, the citizenry will have to find a way to take and\wrest control if the military doesn't!

nku5:

Abeg can someone help me translate bullshit into french so I can qualify your comments aptly. What do you know about responsibility or the sacrifice that students like myself faced when I got teargassed and once locked up overnight at panti for joining street marches with pro-democracy groups during the june 12 struggle. What do you know about sacrifice or taking destiny in your hands. What did you ever stand up for?

See how spoilt the average mind is. So because you got teargassed back in 1993, you have done all you can?? ROFLMAO!!

Kobojunkie:

See how spoilt the average mind is. So because you got teargassed back in 1993, you have done all you can?? ROFLMAO!!

^^ you are a better internet troll than you are a comedian. I repeat what have you ever stood up for in your life.