Lai Mohammed: “..the Fulani herdsmen are from Mauritius. They are here in Nigeria because of climate change…” (modified) Mbok!

Ganduje: “…I’m only pretending to sleep at functions…” (modified) Incredible!

Aregbesola: “I do not have a bank account as I have not earned salary since becoming a governor” (modified) Say what?!

Femi Adesina: “Buhari has fulfilled his campaign promises” Aibo!

Lai Mohammed: “One masquerade can create 1000 jobs” Jesus wept!

Fashola: “Increasing meter installation will improve power supply” Iskaba!

Excuse me sir, but do I look stupid to you?

Never have we had it so bad as youths in Nigeria than today. Great hope had we as a new dawn was birthed in 1999. Democracy! Freedom of speech, square pegs in square holes, consummate and sound politicians as elected officials, an informed electorate or so we thought. We were already poised to get back on track and show the world the stuff we were made of. Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia etc. were put on red alert. We were the new bride. Everybody courted us. It was 1960 all over again. Patriotism, hard work, national integration, unity, oneness were the new slogans. We were going to encourage the government in power irrespective of the situation on ground to succeed.

Eighteen (18) years after, every leader we have produced has been a monumental failure. Right from Obasanjo to Yar’adua to Jonathan to Buhari and now Osibanjo have all been failures. World over (Europe, Canada, Singapore, South Korea etc.), the electorate has always elected updated officials who can handle the country’s economy and guarantee prosperity for its citizens. In Nigeria, the reverse has been the case. The next elected official has always proved to be grander in ignominy and ineptitude than the predecessor. America and UK can afford to elect goats literally as leader of government and would still be better off than Nigeria because of the existence of a working structure that does not depend on the office of the president/prime minister to function, and a clear separation of power among the various arms of government that ensures effective checks and balances.

Let me digress a little. The PM in UK is expected every Wednesday to address the house of Commons. This Q&A session sees the prime minister answering questions from parliamentarians and defending policies. Never have I seen such brilliance and intellectual engagement among elected officials. Questions asked are very well thought out, concise, intelligent and engaging. The PM is also prepared to give satisfactory answers and provide insight. David Cameron, a university scholar was my favourite. In Nigeria, the unthinkable happens in the green and red chambers. It’s either the members are bereft of ideas to move their constituencies forward or are deluded into a false sense of importance. On a typical legislative day, it is not uncommon to see parliamentarians arguing for a ban on foreign wives to save forex to asking a public official to wear uniform to debating on lowering the age of marriage for girls etc. My prayers have been simple these days – Lord take these guys and give us fuel scarcity.

The courts in the UK and USA have proven their mettle in throwing spanners into the works of the prime minister of UK and president of USA. Theresa May had the supreme court deny her bid to trigger article 50 without input from the house of commons while Trump’s executive travel ban was frustrated by an inferior federal court. In Nigeria, judgements of lower courts are brazenly disregarded when it goes against the government. I watched Buhari say on live TV that he was not going to release Kanu despite subsisting court order to that effect. I wept!

The statements introducing this write up are a selection from the national sphere of the utter nonsense being spewed by our elected officials daily. The incredibility of these thrash seems to have been lost on most of the youths. The Nigerian youths have become brain dead that these leaders gather us at functions, spew these nonsenses at us and go without any repercussions. We are quick to burn petty thieves but neglect the big man whose theft means a person’s lineage up till the fourth generation (biblically) might be perpetually poor. We praise Obasanjo, Jonathan, Patience, Anenih, Tinubu, Fashola, Oshiomole, Babangida, Ibori, Uduaghan, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia, Dangote, Otedola, Peter Obi etc. at functions and are grateful to even have a photoshoot with them. Heck, we go bonkers if they so much as give us their complimentary cards. They are saints and are allowed to pontificate pompously around and inundate us with how saintly they are. We cannot think and ask them questions as simple as “Sir, can you explain how you came about Ota Farms considering your financial state prior to 1999?” or “Sir, what was your role in the crash of Transcorp and UBA shares?” or “Sir, how well did you manage depositors’ funds in your bank when you were CEO?” or “Sir, how have you come to own or be linked to over 15% of prime-time estate/property in Lagos?” etc. Never, Nigerian youths are eager for some peanuts from them and would employ flatteries and ego massaging to curry favour from them.

I am reminded of Sampath’s retort to Kulfil in Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. “No, I do not want an egg he said, I want my freedom.” The Nigerian youth is no doubt caged. The elders and elite have told him and conditioned him to believe that he can never excel without their help. The exiting elders have on multiple occasions told us how we do not have what it takes yet to take charge of governance. They have orchestrated the downfall of puppets like Bankole, Salisu Buhari, Yahaya Bello, Ribadu etc. and pointed to them as examples of failed youths. We begin to wonder at what gathering youths assembled and picked misfits to represent them. The “failure” of these puppets have emboldened “grave near” personalities to still cling to power. What is the reaction of youths to these folks – “Twale sir!”, “Baba o”, thunderous applause after empty speeches etc. Nigeria is indeed a comedy.

In a recent discuss with a colleague, I pointedly told him that the current acting president lacked the mental capability to be president. His reply was stereotype – “but he is a professor.” And so? Who have done the greatest damage to universities in Nigeria if not the professors. Is being a professor at 33 a guarantee for successful governance? No. Jonathan has just proved this. I continued by saying that at a time like this, Nigeria could benefit from a young person with a lot of international exposure and a consummate understanding of finance, technology disruption and governance at an international level all of which the acting president lacks. Being articulate or a lawyer is not enough as shown by the minister of finance, we need someone with the clout and knack to make deals and proffer solutions that have far reaching positive effects on the populace. South Africa’s Rand plummeted simply because one man was removed as finance minister. That’s clout. Theresa Ma can’t sack Boris Johnson – that’s clout. I’m no campaigner for anyone but folks like Akinwumi Adesina (AfDB president), Sanusi (erstwhile CBN governor), Okonjo Iweala (erstwhile finance minister) Aruma Oteh (erstwhile SEC DG and currently VP/treasurer World Bank), Oby Ezekwesili (erstwhile VP World Bank) etc. are some Nigerians with both local and international exposure to reposition the country. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the current FOREX crisis was exacerbated by the lack of fiscal responsibility on the part of government. The CBN is mainly concerned with monetary policies while government backs it up by being fiscally responsible. However, the lack of understanding of their duties means a misalignment of intentions and the resultant effect – chaos.

Two years into a new government and cleaning up Jonathan’s mess is still an excuse. Honey, please get me my gun. Two years into governance and no clear direction or blue print on economy recovery. I don’t mean a colour book with no details, I mean sound statistically and economically well laid out blue print with realistic projections and achievable goals. Two years into a new government and more jobs have been lost than created. Two years into a new government and we are still looking for our president who went missing sometime last month. Two years into a new government and Fashola still thinks that that we can generate sufficient electricity from a sugarcane plantation in Adamawa. Honey look under the table for the bullets. During my visit to Drax power station in North Yorkshire some time ago, I was made to understand that the processed wood stock (biomass) used in heat generation was from USA. This is a 4000 MW 50% coal and 50% biomass co-firing plant and the largest single power station in the UK. Furthermore, 1.5 times the quantity of coal was needed for biomass to generate the same quantity of electricity (due to the higher calorific value of coal). Yet, a lawyer feels it would be economically viable to generate electricity from a sugarcane plantation in Adamawa. Honey, have you seen my scope please? The same lawyer feels that increasing the number of metered customers will improve electricity supply. Aim and fire at will!

Nigerian youths, we can’t allow this to continue. “The man dies in all who keeps silent in the face of tyranny.” Charity no doubt begins at home. Let’s begin to ask the questions that matter. Let’s begin to prove to these folks that we can be anything we want to be without them. Let’s begin to develop self-worth and self-esteem for ourselves. I want you to know that these elites are cowards. They are very scared of our potentials. Let’s realize the power we hold in our numbers and begin to demand from them accountability. Think of the future you want to leave for your children. How many of the elites of yester years have responsible children today? Where are the children of Abiola, Azikiwe, Balewa, Enahoro, Awolowo etc. Their parents bestrew the Nigeria political scene but have left no worthy successors. Their estates in ruins, their memories now a distant reflection. Worse fate awaits the kids of today’s elite who have contributed to the continued imprisonment of the Nigerian youth.

As I have said in previous post, this is not a call to secession but a clarion call to responsibility on the part of youths. We have no other country than Nigeria and must not allow it to be left in shambles for us. We owe it to ourselves and the future generation to salvage this country and rescue it from the grip of these charlatans and irresponsible folks who mean us no good.

Happy reading!

cc;
lalasticlala
Mynd44
Seun
OAM4J

mehn this one na English comprehension oo

Oga OP please pack your load from the zoo and go back home to bia-anus! October 1st is almost here! Let the rest of us in the zoo resolve our problem.

Lots of sense...Please remove the gun and bullet parts, the pen is mightier than the sword. A perfect thoughts provoking write-up.

Nigerian Youths... the time is right!

I tire for this biafra. 1st oct.

the title is misleading..

for those who can't read or who are to lazy to read all his epistle..


the writer is beseeching youths to pull a "kanye" on this old cargo politicians.

they have taken Nigeria for a zoo. they keep recycling themselves and keep ruling us.

iffa hear buhari 2019 ehn, I am commuting murder.

I don't know, are you?

chibuzorAbia:
Oga OP please pack your load from the zoo and go back home to bia-anus! October 1st is almost here! Let the rest of us in the zoo resolve our problem.

You will continue talking about BIAFRA and forget the whereabout of your president. This is how the North has programmed it.

Honestly the OP tried....my real comment when I finish reading it..

As in..