Simon Kolawole is Thisday Editor and has a regular column behind Thisday Newspapers every Sunday


One of my favourite pastimes, if you care, is listening to Nigerians discuss their leaders. It is always interesting. It has become more interesting with the advent of internet blogsites where people say whatever they want—whether or not it is true, whether or not it makes sense. Just write whatever you like. It’s a free world. Abuse anybody. Insult a whole ethnic group and call them a bunch of parasites or scammers or cowards. Have fun. All is fair. Some blogsites are so negative you can never read any positive comments there. If you try to make reasonable contributions, the way others would swoop on you would make you realise you don’t belong to that community. 

As Dr. Wale Adebanwi wrote many years ago, “it is treasonable to be reasonable in an unreasonable society”. Those bloggers want blood and it is only blood that can satisfy them. If you live outside Nigeria and rely on this platform to make up your mind, you will conclude that there is no hope for this country. Everybody in Nigeria is a thief. Everybody is incompetent. Everybody is hopeless. No governor is doing well. No minister is doing well. No commissioner is doing well. Everybody is a rogue from head to toe. Nothing is working in Nigeria. It is Armageddon everywhere. Nothing good can ever come out of this country. These would be your conclusions.

As we get closer to the presidential election—which is considered to be the most critical—I have taken time to observe the comments being passed on the candidates by the various segments of the society, both on internet and non-internet platforms. I find those comments quite amusing. At the end of the day, nobody is fit to be president of Nigeria! Maybe we would have to go and plead for the Pope to take over—that is if the Pope himself is good enough! Nigerians take the candidates one after the other and tear them to pieces. What exactly do we want?

President Goodluck Jonathan, they say, is too soft, too humble. I heard people criticise him for allowing governors in his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to hold him to ransom in the days before the presidential primary. He should have insisted on having his way on the order of primaries! He should have used the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to deal with them! This was the same reason President Olusegun Obasanjo was vilified—for using the EFCC against his political opponents. So what exactly do we want? Jonathan is also accused of not solving all of Nigeria’s problems since he became president last year. We expect him to, in one year, build all the roads that were not built in 50 years, magically turn around the education sector that collapsed systematically for decades, provide uninterrupted power supply that has been our headache for decades and so on and so forth. Because he has not done these, then he is not qualified to be president. Don’t vote for him!

On the other hand, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), is guilty of being too straightforward! He is not a politician! He is too rigid! He is a dictator! He belongs to the past! His ideas are archaic! So don’t vote for Buhari! Malam Ibrahim Shekarau of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has not achieved anything in his life! He is a religious extremist! He is just a smooth talker because of his teaching background! Don’t vote for Shekarau! What exactly do we want?
Malam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is too inexperienced to rule Nigeria! He has never contested for any political office before so he has no chance! He was Obasanjo’s attack dog with which the former president whipped his political opponents! He’s an associate of corrupt politicians! Don’t vote for Ribadu! We also dismiss Professor Pat Utomi, the candidate of Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), with a wave of the hand. Let him go and contest as a senator first! He is wasting his time! He can only speak good English! He has nothing more to offer! Nigerians, what exactly do we want?

To be honest, I myself also say some of these things once in a while, but at the back of my mind, I always recognise the absolute reality of life that we can never get a perfect person to rule Nigeria. We can never have a designer president. There is no perfect candidate anywhere. But I also accept that some of these questions and issues being raised are legitimate and should actually be raised in a democratic setting, for the sake of getting quality leaders to pilot our affairs. However, I believe we are so negative that we hardly see anything good in others. We must accept the undeniable fact that whoever emerges president will have one weakness or the other, one fault or the other.

My resolve, which I would love to recommend to Nigerians, is that we have to constructively engage whoever wins the presidential election. We have to devise ways, in our various corners, to help in the governance process, so that our dear country can progress. If our real interest is the development of Nigeria, it shouldn’t matter to us if our preferred candidate wins or not. Somebody must win and somebody must lose. Rather, we should be concerned with how we can make sure good governance is delivered to Nigerians within the realities we find ourselves. We must pursue our aspirations for Nigeria within this natural fact: that we would never produce a perfect president. Such is life.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/pope-or-president-choose-one/88520/


I totally agree with Simon on this one. Nairaland would have been a major influencer of the Nigerian political scene if we used our power right!! But it is viewed by the world as a site for angry children to come off and throw very denigrating punches at both the government and each other. If only all the tribalism and insults could cease and we can change our complaints to positive action, Nigeria would be better for it!!

I didnt see him mention NL

WTF

fstranger3:

I didnt see him mention NL

WTF

Even if he did, this is what democracy is all about. It wasn't that long ago when all political parties in Nigeria were adopting the sadistic Sani Abacha as their sole candidate, while Nigerians just watched in amazement.

Mr. Kolawole should get used to the new order. No one controls the flow of information anymore.

^^

I know.

The five fingers of a leprous hand.


May God bless Ige's memory.

Short story. . .  . *in a yoruba accent* I feel sorry, very sorry for anybody that relies on NL for advice. Esp on political matter. Infact, not only NLdi, other Nigerian sites as well.

Nigerians on NL. SMH! Fake doctors, fake business students, etc  

Ileke-IdI:

Short story. . . . *in a yoruba accent* I feel sorry, very sorry for anybody that relies on NL for advice. Esp on political matter. Infact, not only NLdi, other Nigerian sites as well.

Nigerians on NL. SMH! Fake doctors, fake business students, etc

That's right. Not to mention that people like Mr. Kolawole were being herded to prison for writing less than what we read daily on Nairaland. Some sensible, some amusing and some downright stup.id.

Ileke-IdI:

Short story. . .  . *in a yoruba accent* I feel sorry, very sorry for anybody that relies on NL for advice. Esp on political matter. Infact, not only NLdi, other Nigerian sites as well.

Nigerians on NL. SMH! Fake doctors, fake business students, etc 

Hey, some of my best friends are fake doctors, and I plan to be one someday, because I look good in a white coat, with a stethoscope hung around my neck.  Please delete your discouraging words, you enemy of frogress.

Jakumo:

Hey, some of my best friends are fake doctors, and I plan to be one someday, because I look good in a white coat, with a stethoscope hung around my neck. Please delete your discouraging words, you enemy of frogress.

LOL

Why don't you just become one right away? Why someday!

Jakumo:

Hey, some of my best friends are fake doctors, and I plan to be one someday, because I look good in a white coat, with a stethoscope hung around my neck.  Please delete your discouraging words, you enemy of frogress.

Lol you will not kill me someday

Aigbofa:

That's right. Not to mention that people like Mr. Kolawole were being herded to prison for writing less than what we read daily on Nairaland. Some sensible, some amusing and some downright stup.id.

Abi o. I dont want to point my fingers (but my elbow will do) at some NL members 

most of what one reads on NL is BULL SHIOT.

the only thing that is right is tribe/religion rule Nigeria and will continue to be like that

^^^ Well, considering that much of what is discussed here is that which you find in the daily papers that circulate to all Nigerians in the country, I think you get a better education of what is going on in the country here, than if you were in Nigeria.

It is very clear that nairaland was referenced in that writeup and there are so many truths so i hope we all learn. I am very happy that he is in line with my thoughts and most of my actions here. We better fix this site so it can be a very credible interest group within Nigeria.

Kolawole should get used to the paradigm shift. These are not the days of the IBB or Abacha where a few tainted folks speak and it's assumed that they speak for everyone. This is how a viable democracy grows, every one to his's opinion.

Simon is missing the point.
Part of the reason why blogsites are popular in Nigeria and people base their opinions on the comments there is because the mainstream media have failed us.
While  bloggers bay for blood, mainstream journalists dance to various drums that are invisible to the readers.
For example, the way theypraise some governors, even when you leave in those states you see a mismatch between the articles and reality.
How can blogs not be popular when we were witnesses to the 'Azu of Punch' drama, who was later rewarded with a top position in Thisday and givingthe privilege of spewing his garbage on the back page of Thisday on thursdays? We have not forgotten Segun Adeniyi o!and we saw journalists trooping to Hiltop in Minna to pose for fotos with the gap toothed fellow and collect transport envelopes?
Simon has a point but he and his colleagues are part of the problem, they do not have the moral right to complain.

Simon is doing exactly what he is accusing Nairaland of doing bringing out the negatives. He forgot to add that from this blog a group of strangers keep children in school, pay hospital bills and even in political discussion we are not all negative on the same Nairaland supporters of a candidate are using their money time and energy to campaign for their candidate. Simon missed it.
Nigerian newspapers especially this day has failed, i remember the infamous role they played during the Yardua sickness saga, they defended that illegality as if their life depended on it, giving false news and negatively reporting Save Nigeria group rallies, now they have changed paymasters. Simon spare us, we have our brains and can make informed decisions, we will not depend on you to spoonfeed us

@Papabrowne
Nairaland wasn't mentioned - but it sure was an apt description of the site. I used to contribute, albeit not regularly, at the religious forum until it got very dirty - abuses, name calling, etc. Moved over to the Politics section with the hope that I could learn new things. I admit, the religious section is baby stuff compared to the Politics section.
I indeed recognised that quite a number of contributors do not live in Nigeria and, efforts to mention that it is not as bad as they may think tends to infuriate them. So, I just shake my head, smile some at the ignorance level, worry at the degeneration of language and manners (even if online where posters bask in anonymity), and thank God I am old school - yeah, I like the sound of that.
Your posts, I must admit, usually are refreshingly informative and very 'street', but then, perhaps, it would be nice if you don't dumb down to the mutt antics of this age - as they say: 'don't play with pigs; you'll get dirty. What's more, the pigs love it'.
Anyhow, I suppose this is the rave of this age.

aisha2:

Simon is doing exactly what he is accusing Nairaland of doing bringing out the negatives. He forgot to add that from this blog a group of strangers keep children in school, pay hospital bills and even in political discussion we are not all negative on the same Nairaland supporters of a candidate are using their money time and energy to campaign for their candidate. Simon missed it.

Nigerian newspapers especially this day has failed, i remember the infamous role they played during the Yardua sickness saga, they defended that illegality as if their life depended on it, giving false news and negatively reporting Save Nigeria group rallies, now they have changed paymasters. Simon spare us, we have our brains and can make informed decisions, we will not depend on you to spoonfeed us

You are drifting off tangent. Stick to the issues he raised, abeg.

na_so:

You are drifting off tangent. Stick to the issues he raised, abeg.

Am not drifting he accused bloggers of only being negative critical and judgemental and am disagreeing with him, Bloogers are not all about the negative, a lot of positives too, Blogging is becoming a culture because the papers are too commercial.

aisha2:

Simon is doing exactly what he is accusing Nairaland of doing bringing out the negatives. He forgot to add that from this blog a group of strangers keep children in school, pay hospital bills and even in political discussion we are not all negative on the same Nairaland supporters of a candidate are using their money time and energy to campaign for their candidate. Simon missed it.
Nigerian newspapers especially this day has failed, i remember the infamous role they played during the Yardua sickness saga, they defended that illegality as if their life depended on it, giving false news and negatively reporting Save Nigeria group rallies, now they have changed paymasters. Simon spare us, we have our brains and can make informed decisions, we will not depend on you to spoonfeed us

Of course I expect you to defend the direct product of your handiwork, but I'm not being patriotic when I say the Nigeria portrayed in Nairaland is far different from the Nigeria I live in.

So, now am I to believe that sickos like EzeUche, Dede1 and OnlyLies only exist on the web?

I dont understand  - All of the issues being discussed online stem from articles being read on Nigerian Newspaper hence i fail to see where issues are different to what is on ground.   If blogers are calling for blood i would say it is better and shows a more advanced set and i wish same online attitude could translate to what we have on ground rather than celebrate mediocracy.

blacksta:

I dont understand  - All of the issues being discussed online stem from articles being read on Nigerian Newspaper hence i fail to see where issues are different to what is on ground.   If blogers are calling for blood i would say it is better and shows a more advanced set and i wish same online attitude could translate to what we have on ground rather than celebrate mediocracy.

True words, but the thirst for "blood" on this forum seems to be unquenchable and seems to be consuming every positive side of our collective nationhood such that this forum is becoming little more than a congregation of blood thirsty Vampires.

blacksta:

I dont understand  - All of the issues being discussed online stem from articles being read on Nigerian Newspaper hence i fail to see where issues are different to what is on ground.   If blogers are calling for blood i would say it is better and shows a more advanced set and i wish same online attitude could translate to what we have on ground rather than celebrate mediocracy.

Also, the beauty of democracy is that every eligible voter has a candidate. Now those voters will talk-up their candidate and talk-down opposing candidates. So we have a situation where all candidates are lionized and castigated at the same time. This is further amplified by the fact that almost anyone can comment online including non-Nigerians. In his write-up, he forgot to mention this. Nigerian blog sites are no different from those of other countries. He should try reading blogs on huffington posts, CNN, etc

As Dr. Wale Adebanwi wrote many years ago, “it is treasonable to be reasonable in an unreasonable society”. Those bloggers want blood and it is only blood that can satisfy them. If you live outside Nigeria and rely on this platform to make up your mind, you will conclude that there is no hope for this country. Everybody in Nigeria is a thief. Everybody is incompetent. Everybody is hopeless. No governor is doing well. No minister is doing well. No commissioner is doing well. Everybody is a rogue from head to toe. Nothing is working in Nigeria. It is Armageddon everywhere. Nothing good can ever come out of this country. These would be your conclusions.

Is it a lie?
Has he read other 'blogsites' where other countries discuss their own leaders?
Anyway, I can't blame him much. Living in Nigeria with an ignorant concept of how things ought to be done the right way will remain a morally comprehensible task for most who have never had the fortune of living outside Nigeria without taking occasional 'breaks' or 'vacations' from madness!

To be honest, I myself also say some of these things once in a while, but at the back of my mind, I always recognise the absolute reality of life that we can never get a perfect person to rule Nigeria. We can never have a designer president. There is no perfect candidate anywhere. But I also accept that some of these questions and issues being raised are legitimate and should actually be raised in a democratic setting, for the sake of getting quality leaders to pilot our affairs. However, I believe we are so negative that we hardly see anything good in others. We must accept the undeniable fact that whoever emerges president will have one weakness or the other, one fault or the other.

Is the blogsphere not part of the democratic setting?

Blazay:

Is it a lie?
Has he read other 'blogsites' where other countries discuss their own leaders?
Anyway, I can't blame him much. Living in Nigeria with an ignorant concept of how things ought to be done the right way will remain a morally incommprehensible task for most who have never had the fortune of living outside Nigeria without taking occasional 'breaks' or 'vacations' from madness!

  Sorry, but its your likes and your warped up sense of right and wrong that represent the greatest problem on this forum. Ngr is a peculiar nation with her own peculiar challenges that must be tackled in the context of her environment and its people. Just cos u live in some Western country does not give u any superior perspective about events in the country yet u and your Kobojunkie-like ignorant crew keep proffering all sorts of far fetched and ideologically deformed solutions to every single problem in the country. Perharps your naivety wld have been easy to overlook if you and the rest of your crew were not so deeply immersed in your silly Sardonism.

When I was reading Simon's column yesterday, the same thought came to mind - I knew he meant our dear NL. I was even about sending a mail to him on that issue now, when I came across thsi thread.

I am sure if you ask Mr. Simon about nairaland, he'll ask naira what? Let's not be overally patronizing.

Vigilante:

I am sure if you ask Mr. Simon about nairaland, he'll ask naira what? Let's not be overally patronizing.

You missed it. Nairaland is very well known among Nigerian journalists and editors. In fact, any Nigerian editor that doesn't know NL, has not been doing enough internet research. Joseph Adeyeye, the former editor of Saturday Punch expressly mentioned NL in one of his column writings some two years ago. Pius Adesanmi, teh popular NEXT and SR columnist has also mentioned NL in his writings in the past. Dele Momodu also knows here very well, and I have discussed NL with him in the past.

I can confidently say Simon Kolawole knows NL and there is a 90% likelihood that he meant NL in that article.

the write up makes no sense to me.
if nigerians say there is no good roads in nigeria, all u need to do is point to the good roads and someone will be here to be ur witness.
the death rate as a result of accidents in nigeria is high and i will use CD JOHN(the comedian) and Chidinma(koko mansion girl) as example so it is left for the author of that article to say it is a lie they are both alive.
our power supply is crazy, let the author os the article disprove that.
no matter how negative we are on all these issues, the big question here should be, are these things true or false.
he works with thisday and as such has some truths to hide to protect his company and his job but for those of us here, all we loose from time to time is our ids which we can replace within minutes.
as long as i am concerned, there is no need to die in silence pretending that all is well when all is not well. those outside nigeria begin to confirm the stories as soon as they land at MM. the weather, the officers, the ppl and u need not a prophet to tell u that u are in nigeria.
the man that is even talking is part of the much criticised nigerian press so i still question his moral stanadards to judge others.

To be honest, I myself also say some of these things once in a while, but at the back of my mind, I always recognise the absolute reality of life that we can never get a perfect person to rule Nigeria. We can never have a designer president. There is no perfect candidate anywhere. But I also accept that some of these questions and issues being raised are legitimate and should actually be raised in a democratic setting, for the sake of getting quality leaders to pilot our affairs. However, I believe we are so negative that we hardly see anything good in others. We must accept the undeniable fact that whoever emerges president will have one weakness or the other, one fault or the other.

And who's fault is that eh? Absolute bollocks of a write-up!!! Maybe the reason we are so negative is because the negatives always trumps the positives every single time! Mschew!!!

From my observations based on the replies on this thread, I can only deduct that:
1. Pro-GEJ posters agree with the article; and
2. Pro-Buhari posters disagree with the article.

And the reasons behind their different views? Well, I'd like to leave that to your imagination

^^^^^^FACT!!

I think the reason is that the Buhari supporters happen to be very negative, aggressive and intolerant of other peoples choices and this article aptly describes them, so naturally they wouldn't agree with it.