An interesting write-up I just read on pointblanknews.com. A week old but of course still relevant:

It is not just raining in Nigeria,it has started pouring. Pouring real
heavy. Almost everything is going wrong and there seems to be no
end in sight. To make matters worse our president is just carrying on
as if all is well. Truth is,we have never had it this rough!This tough!
Recently the house of representatives set up an ad hoc committee to
look into the fuel subsidy management(which we have always
suspected was
rotten) .The committee just concluded its investigation and has since
submitted its report. Boy,does it stink!
They opened our eyes to the scam that has been going on at the top
for
years.#1.06 trillion was fraudulently paid out!A scam supervised by
the NNPC and PPPRA supposedly government agencies. Independent
and major oil companies 'hammered' from this scam. They just would
not kill this Nigeria. They would not milk this cow called nigeria dry.
Craziest of all the findings was the fact that #999 million was paid to
unknown entities 128 times,amounting to #127.872billion within 24
hours on the 12th and 13th of january 2009.So somebody visited
banks 128 times to pay in monies? This is sad,ridiculous and at the
same time funny!
We also found out that the actual amount paid out as subsidy was
#2.5trillion as against the official figure of #1.3trillion,against the
#1.6 trillion figure quoted by the accountant general and against the
#1.7 trillion quoted by the CBN.We have always suspected they
have been in it together.
I commend the house of representatives for firstly appointing
honourable Farouk Lawan to head this Ad hoc committee-believe
me there was no better Man. Here is a man whose courage is in huge
contrast with his height. One house member I have always
respected. One Man I hold in high esteem.I knew he was going to do a
good job.
Honourable Farouk Lawan and his team did not disappoint. They did
a thorough job. Atleast now we know that Okonjo Iweala,Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi and Allison Dezieani Madueke were just on a mission-
too have us all fooled. They must really think us so too.
I must confess I was numero uno on that list(of those that were
coned). In one of my articles during the fuel subsidy strike period,I
had suggested the need to give the government a chance and a
benefit of doubt.I actually came to that conclusion after watching
Okonjo Iweala on AIT and how she emotionally defended the
cause.How speedily infrastructures were going to be in place and
all.Would you blame me,I just want the best for Nigeria.Boy was I
dissapointed.
Now we know that the fuel subsidy payments which increased from
#261.1billion in 2006,to #278.8 billion in 2007,#346.7billion in
2008,#2.5trillion in 2009 and same in 2011 was as a result of
corruption in the highest places and not all those crappy creepy lies
Okonjo and co were feeding us.International crude prices?please!
High exchange rate?Tell that to the birds.Increase in numbers of
Nigerians and cars?Laugh out loud.
We are in a period of scams and more scams.Somebody actually had
the heart to steal people's future.I am talking about the Pension
scam.There is another one brewing at the federal airport authority
of Nigeria,where projects that were never provided for in the budget
and programmes that never took place were actually funded.Where
did the money go?
Now I actually thought heads would have been rolling by
now.Forget the refund!In other climes people would have been
jostling for spaces in differnt jail cells all over the country.Some
would have been prosecuted(China comes to mind).The president
has been unneccessarily quiet.Infact the government I understand is
trying to make us believe Farouk Lawan and his team made some
mistakes!They must really really take us for fools.
We have seen the light and there is nothing the government and his
government can do about this.The chicken has finally come home to
roost.Some of them even try to rob it in,that the committee was out
to witch hunt.How can some unscrupulous,selfish,wicked,corrupt
and heartless entities try to play politics with these findings.Telling
us people were being targeted because of 2015 elections,when we
already suspected these sleazes had been going on for years.We just
needed proof and God bless Hon Lawan and his team for giving us
just that.
The president could not tell us who the corrupt cabal were pre(and
post)subsidy strike,now that the wind has blown and we have all
seen the romp of the chicken,why are heads not rolling?In other
climes some of these entities who are still in government would have
resigned.This can never happen in Nigeria and we all know that,so
pray Mr president,why have these corrupt officials in your
government not been shown the exit door and ofcourse prosecuted.I
understand Deziani Madueke was in charged at NNPC when all the
practices were going on.
For a while now Nigeria has been Afghanistanized,no thanks to the
Boko Haram.No day passes bye these days without a bomb
detonating and killing people.All innocent people.Innocent people
who just want to survive in this our God forsaken
(?)country.Innocent people who find life so hard on a daily
basis.Innocent people who do not care if boko haram wants western
education whatsoever or not!Day in Day out we are left with
sorrows,tears and blood from Maiduguri to the FCT.
I was particularly close to tears when on my way to church last
sunday I heard about the attack on a lecture theatre at the old site of
the Bayero University,Kano.Faithfuls were attacked around
8:45am.Improvised explosives were thrown in the lecture
theatre,those who attempted to flee from the scene were gunned
down.Pheew!Professors Ayodele and Andrew Leo of the chemistry
and library departments respectively, amongst others lost their
lives.Now we are loosing our best brains.
Boko Haram is taking the bold step of starting a war with the media.I
don't think anybody has ever won a war against the media.Boko
haram is even threatening to blow up more media houses(lives too
ofcourse).
The country is not safe anymore and the President is urging us to go
about our normal business?Normal life?In the face of all these
bombings?The president says we should not panic over the growing
manace of violent terrorist activities.How nice.You know what,we
do not want to go about our normal lives.No,we cannot.I mean how
can we?Him,his cohorts and their families are safe,so can live
normally.Out here Sir,we are not safe,and cannot live normally!
I don't even know the presidents plan on how to curb this menace.its
all talk.
Today one hears the government is about to negotiate with them,the
next day one hears the representative boko haram brought to the
table is arrested.That's how we are going to end this?
I do not support negotiating with terrorists,but if its going to bring an
end to these wanton,unneccessary killings,then why not.
I was watching Mrs Anniko Briggs on AIT recently where she said
there was need for negotiations-Negotiations with boko
haram,MASSOB,MEND,MOSOP,et al.Why not just put an end to all
the grudges.Whatever would make for blood spills again.We need
an end to all these because at the end of the day,its still us,the
poor,suffering masses,that die!We just kill ourselves.Sometimes I just
feel its a tool used by the elite to get rid of the poor.
If he thinks negotiation is not an option,what's wrong with declaring
state of emergency in the most affected states.Put someone in
charge,give him resources as well as deadline to stop this menace.
I am tempted to think that the president is confused.Enough Sir.Its
time to stand up and do something before you are left with no people
to govern!Please!
The president has been quiet on issues affecting the masses since he
came into office.Much has really not changed since he came
in.Nothing to cheer about.
Its all talk.Talk,about improving the power situation.Talk,about
building railways to ease our sufferings.Talk,about building
infrastructures.About giving us good health care facilities.About
taking graduates off the streets by creating more employment
opportunities.Infact one would be amazed by the number of
graduates that roam the streets these days searching for none
existent jobs.
Talk,about building affordable houses,so people can have where to
lay their heads.Talk,talk and more talk.
President Jonathan would not be the first to be full of talks alone
without action.We do not have any issues with the president
talking.No be him get him mouth ni?We have been enduring and
tolerating empty promises.One thing we have and are concretely
holding on to is Hope.Hope for a better Nigeria.
Can you,Mr president atleast act this once so we would not be wiped
out by terrorists.We need to be alive,to realize this hope.Yes,and
when I say terrorists,I mean both the ones that use bombs and pens!
They are the same.