God1000:
He's an unstable man, he behaves so weird sometimes, I started disliking him since the day he announced his support for Donald trump.

So many african americans don't like him, I think he has mental problem

He's a genius. I love him more, since he declared support for Trump, without minding the opinion of others

Jennifer663:
Such a nice post .

Most people are not interested in posts like this actually

Former Presidential Candidate, Mr Gbenga Olawepo Hashim writes about the debt the world owes Niger Delta.

*THE DEBT THE WORLD OWES THE NIGER DELTA*

The oil palm war in Nigeria written by ace blogger and peace advocate, Hamzat Abdulrazaq reminds us of the debt the whole world owes the region called the "Niger Delta" today.

Palm oil nut was first native to this area before it was taken abroad, and in the 19th century, provided the lubricants for the industrial machines of United Kingdom and most European countries. By the late 1800's, palm nut/oil became dominant in the trade between the region and Europe.

"Trade" in those days, were not as normal people understood it. The Europeans wanted and dictated the terms, their desire was to control, leading to battles with local chiefs such as Jaja of Opobo and Koko in Nembe. The dreaded British Navy invaded the region on January 20 1895, burning down Brass, at a period, when the invasion of Benin was also accomplished.

When we talk about the fact that Niger Delta provided the Energy for Europe and America as some middle Eastern countries started doing in the 1940's and 50's, for the Niger Delta the story started over one and half century earlier with palm oil.

Incontrovertibly, the story of the rise of Europe as an industrial power is incomplete without the story of the "black oil" from the Niger Delta. Between the late 19th century and early period of the second half of the 20th century, the Niger Delta was the foremost producer and exporter of the palm product.

Today, Nigeria hardly accounts for any significant production in palm oil. According to the National President of the Oil Palm Producers Association (OPGAN), Chief Joe Onyuike, Nigeria imports 80% of her current need and requires investment of about 500m USD to bridge the gap.

Over the centuries, about 40 industries utilise the palm nut oil as raw materials. They include Soap, Magarine, Chocolate, tooth paste etc. Yet, it was from the Niger Delta that the first seedlings of this important crop traveled to the world. Next time, when you see the thriving fourty industries associated with the "black oil", remember the sweat and the blood of the Niger Delta people, as well as the historic contribution of their land.

As it was with Palm oil, so also it was with cocoa from the South West, and the hide and skin of Northern Nigeria and the cotton. Nigeria and indeed Africa made enormous unpaid for, and unacknowledged contributions to the wealth of the world.

Turning to the mass production of those things that made us more relevant some two centuries ago, and using them to feed the associated industries at home in Nigeria, holds the key to our industrialization and sustainable employment.

*Gbenga Olawepo Hashim*

My tour around Niger Delta

In the past 2 months, I have moved from Portharcourt in Rivers State, to Yanagoa in Bayelsa, to Warri in Delta State and Benin in Edo State.

All these movements were done by road.

Just like me, thousands of vehicles are moving in and out of these places every day unharmed.

But if we go by media reports or narratives on social media, nobody should even contemplate going close to some of these places.

Ofcourse, we can not downplay the existence of insecurity in the country, but there's difference between the real insecurity on ground and media created insecurity.

The sensational narrative on the media is not even aimed at helping the real situation, it is rather aggravating it.

Let's do better

*The Oil Palm War in Nigeria*

By Abdulrazaq Hamzat

Prior to the discovery of crude oil, Nigeria is the home of the black oil, now known as the oil palm.

In the 19th century, shortly after the end of slavery, a part of Nigeria, now known as Niger Delta was identified as the origin of oil palm and its people were killed in their thousands by the British invaders, just to have access to the black oil.

This is the story of the first oil war, which was fought in the 19th century, in a small part of the area that eventually became Nigeria.

Historically, all through the 19th century, palm oil was highly sought-after by the British, for use as an industrial lubricant for machinery.

During Britain's industrial revolution, the country needed resources such as palm oil to maintain their industries and from their slave trade experience and dealing with a part of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, they are aware that palm oil is a native business in the area.

Palm oil, of course, is a tropical plant, which is native to the Niger Delta.

Malaysia’s dominance in the oil palm industry came a century later, after the seed was transported to other parts of the world.

Because of increasing global demand, by 1870, palm oil had replaced slaves as the main export of the Niger Delta, the area which was once known as the Slave Coast.

At first, most of the trade in the oil palm was uncoordinated, with natives selling to those who gave them the best deals.

Native chiefs such as former Jaja of Opobo became immensely wealthy because of oil palm.

However, among the Europeans, there was competition for who would get preferential access to the lucrative oil palm trade.

In 1879, George Goldie formed the United African Company (UAC), which was modelled on the former East India Company. Goldie effectively took control of the Lower Niger River.

By 1884, his company had 30 trading posts along the Lower Niger. This monopoly gave the British a strong hand against the French and Germans in the 1884 Berlin Conference.

The British got the area that the UAC operated in, included in their sphere of influence after the Berlin Conference.

When the Brits got the terms they wanted from other Europeans, they began to deal with the African chiefs.

Within two years of 1886, Goldie had signed treaties with tribal chiefs along the Benue and Niger Rivers whilst also penetrating inland. This move inland was against the spirit of verbal agreements that had been made to restrict the organisation’s activities to coastal regions.

By 1886, the company name changed to The National Africa Company and was granted a royal charter (incorporated). The charter authorised the company to administer the Niger Delta and all lands around the banks of the Benue and Niger Rivers.

Soon after, the company was again renamed. The new name was Royal Niger Company, which survives, as Unilever, till this day.

To local chiefs, the Royal Niger Company negotiators had pledged free trade in the region. Behind, they entered private contracts on their terms. Because the (deceitful) private contracts were often written in English and signed by the local chiefs, the British government enforced them.

So for example, Jaja of Opobo, when he tried to export palm oil on his own, was forced into exile for “obstructing commerce”. As an aside, Jaja was “forgiven” in 1891 and allowed to return home, but he died on the way back, poisoned with a cup of tea.

Seeing what happened to Jaja, some other native rulers began to look more closely at the deals they were getting from the Royal Nigeria Company.

One of such kingdoms was Nembe, whose king, Koko Mingi VIII, ascended the throne in 1889 after being a Christian schoolteacher. Koko Mingi VIII, King Koko for short, like most rulers in the yard, was faced with the Royal Nigeria Company encroachment.

He also resented the monopoly enjoyed by the Royal Nigeria Company and tried to seek out favourable trading terms, with particularly the Germans in Kamerun (Cameroon).

By 1894, the Royal Nigeria Company increasingly dictated whom the natives could trade with, and denied them direct access to their former markets.

In late 1894, King Koko renounced Christianity and tried to form an alliance with Bonny and Okpoma against the Royal Nigeria Company to take back the trade.

This is significant because while Okpoma joined up, Bonny refused.

A harbinger of the successful “divide and rule” tactic.

On 29 January 1895, King Koko led an attack on the Royal Niger Company’s headquarters, which was in Akassa in today’s Bayelsa state. The pre-dawn raid had more than a thousand men involved. King Koko’s attack succeeded in capturing the base. Losing 40 of his men, King Koko captured 60 white men as hostages, as well as a lot of goods, ammunition and a Maxim gun.

Koko then attempted to negotiate a release of the hostages in exchange for being allowed to chose his trading partners. The British refused to negotiate with Koko, and he had forty of the hostages killed.

On 20 February 1895, Britain’s Royal Navy, under Admiral Bedford attacked Brass and burned it to the ground. Many Nembe people died and smallpox finished off a lot of others.

By April 1895, business had returned to “normal”, normal being the conditions that the British wanted, and King Koko was on the run. Brass was fined £500 by the British, £62,494 (NGN29 million) in today’s money, and the looted weapons were returned as well as the surviving prisoners.

After a British Parliamentary Commission sat, King Koko was offered terms of settlement by the British, which he rejected and disappeared. The British promptly declared him an outlaw and offered a reward of £200 (£26,000; NGN12 million today) for him. He committed suicide in exile in 1898.

About that time, another “recalcitrant King”, the Oba of Benin, was run out of town.

The pacification of the Lower Niger was well and truly underway. The immediate effect of the Brass Oil War was that public opinion in Britain turned against the Royal Nigeria Company, so its charter was revoked in 1899.

Following the revoking of its charter, the Royal Niger Company sold its holdings to the British government for £865,000 (£108 million today).

As a result of the instability in the region, Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia where the oil palm fruit had been planted became the new destination for oil palm and soon after, they became leading producer of the black oil, until the mid 1940's, when Nigeria reclaimed it's leading status after moving beyond the oil palm grove, to Oil Palm plantation, with improved seeds.

Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (Nifor), established in 1938 was responsible for this improved seeds.

Nigeria maintained it's leading status from 1940's until the outbreak of civil war between 1966-1970, when the oil palm business was disrupted and many plantation destroyed.

Malaysia overtook Nigeria as leading producer in the 80's until Indonesia took over them in the mid 2000's.

Today, Nigeria is the 5th highest producer of oil palm in the world, after Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Colombia.

Although, Nigeria's production is less than 20% of its consumption.

This means that, Nigeria imports more than 80% of the oil palm it consumes annually.

*Abdulrazaq Hamzat can be reached at discus4now@gmail.com*

Change must begin with you

?

*Where did British colonial loot go?*

As at 1938, during the end of colonialism in India, British loot in India was pegged at minimum of $45trillion.

$45trillion loot, just in one country.

But how many countries did Britain colonized and looted from?

90.

If British looted $45trillion in just one, out of the 90 countries it colonized, can we really place a value on the economic value of British loot during the colonial era?

That's not the focus of this piece.

What is Britain's GDP today, 75years after looting $45trillion from 1 of the 90 countries it colonized?

According to 2020 data, Britain has $2.7trillion GDP.

If you calculate it properly, Britain's current GDP is 1/17 of the countries loot from India.

The question one would then like to ask is that, where did Britain loot go?

Abdulrazaq Hamzat

Jesuisbelle:
My great grandmother made it to 108. My dad's family all planned a surprise birthday party for her 108th. There were so many people there. She was found in her room the next morning. Passed peacefully in her sleep.

Wow.

May her soul rest in peace

Do you know anyone above 100 years? Share their pictures, name, location and age so that we can celebrate them.
#Over100

*Why Labor Party got lost in Osun*

In Osun election, ADP came 3rd with over 10k votes. Another party simply known as A came 4th with over 4k votes.

PRP came 5th with over 2k votes.

Labor Party's position is lost amongst the rest.

Many people on this platform don't even know about the existence of the above mentioned parties.

Nobody dey give the parties hype on social media, but still, they have more votes than the online noise makers.

Actually, ADP had more than 5 times, what Labor Party has.

This is what often happens due to structure.

In 2018, ADP actually had more than 40,000 votes in the governorship election. They built a pretty rooted structure due to the capacity of their then governorship candidate.

This time around, the structure could not be sustained by the party, but they still manage to have over 10,000 votes, despite limited publicity.

If you still don't know what a structure is, na you know.

*Ethno-religious division*

Since 1999, Nigeria has always had the Christian-Muslim ticket at the presidential level, but the ethno-religious division continue to get wider.

Why?

So, if Muslim-Christian ticket of major parties since 1999 didn't close the religious divide or reduce tension and suspicion, but instead continue to expand it, what exactly would such ticket or absent of it achieve in 2023?

My opinion is that, Muslim Christian ticket will not and has never solved any issue of religious divide, what will solve the problem is capable leadership that is not scared to take difficult decision.

It's always difficult to accept difficult decisions, many would fight against it and they have a right to do so.

Difficult decisions are not always popular, sometimes, it is very difficult to swallow, but they are usually necessary.

If More than 20 years of Muslim-Christian presidency has brought us this much division and continue to expand the division, we definitely need to try something different and Bola Tinubu has led the search for a new direction.

It's okay to disagree with it, it's okay to fight against it, but it is also okay to explore it and at the end of it all, we would all be better for it.

Abdulrazaq Hamzat

*The live of a police officer is more valuable than a thousand criminals- KMC*

_Sympathize with police over killing of officer_

A leading Pro-democracy group, Kwara Must Change has sympathized with the police over the killing of a police inspector by criminal elements.

The group also commended the tireless efforts of the police in keeping Kwara safe, despite the challenging times and limited logistics.

In a statement by the Convener of Kwara Must Change, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the group said that the live of one police officer is more valuable than a thousand criminal and it urges the police to fish out all criminal elements across the length and breadth of the state.

According to Hamzat, Kwara is a state of harmony and the police will be given all necessary support by the people to continue to maintain the peaceful nature of the state.

Hamzat also stated that, the loss of an officer in the hand of some criminals is truly saddening, because police doesn't get the required commendation they deserve for the many life threatening sacrifices they make.

Kwara Must Change therefore commend the sacrifices of the police and thank them for doing their best.

Making sense from Gov Abdulrahman's political nonsense
By Abdulrazaq Hamzat

The Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is playing a strange kind of politics that is not known or understood by many, including some of his ally and associates.

His approach to politics and political balancing has been described by some as political nonsense.

In the absence of context or understanding of Gov. Abdulrahman's approach, confusion and even misunderstanding is inevitable, hence my decision to make sense from the governor's political nonsense.

First and foremost, it must be understood that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is an highly experienced politician, but he's not a typical politician.

He's an experienced politician because he was born into a political family and have been playing the game at top for over 20 years, leading to his eventual emergence as a state governor. But he's not a typical politician because, politics for him is not a profession, but a hobby, which he plays, only after being done with his main business.

To a typical politician, politics of who gets what and how is the ultimate, but to Abdulrahman, politics is only a means to an end, it is not an end on its own.

A typical politician will see failure to get political office, either elected or appointed as ultimate blow, but Gov Abdulrahman see's beyond that. In his mind, there's much more that can be done with or without political office.

Because politics is just a means, not an end on its own, all those who share in the ideal of the bigger picture will understand that there's much more that can be done, with or without political office. Unfortunately, most typical politician may find it hard to understand this.

The 2023 electoral season is on and the drama of the recently concluded primary election played out in public eyes.

Many expected the game to go in a certain way and since it didn't go that way, they raise all sorts of complaints. Others expected certain people to win and since they didn't win, then things didn't go well. We also have those who expected support from certain quarters and since those people didn't support them, bitterness sets in and all sorts of conspiracy theories are concorted.

I have heard people say that the governor is supposed to have done this and that and they maybe right. Others say the governor is supposed to have come out to support this and that person which may not be outrightly unjustifiable, and some even claimed that the governor actually supported certain individuals and none of the claims were backed by any evidence.

In an effort to truly understand what has happened, those who are familiar with the process have explained that, Governor Abdulrahman canvassed for direct primaries ahead of the election, but most of the stakeholders preferred indirect, with some even preferring concensus. The governor's preference for direct primaries was outrightly rejected.

Our own group, the Kwara Must Change canvassed for direct primaries in all political parties in the state and some delegates in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), who thinks a direct primaries would deny them adequate utilization of their delegateship, which they worked hard to get, actually approached us to engage us on our advocacy on direct primaries.

They argued that, almost all the stakeholders in the party wanted indirect primaries, but because of Kwara Must Change advocacy on direct primaries, which they believe the governor is holding onto to push further on his own preference for direct primaries, they feel that if we tune down our position, the governor would be alone on that idea and he would have to support the position of the stakeholders to conduct indirect primaries.

However, since this is democracy where majority will always carry the day, both leading parties in the state did indirect and concensus primary election respectively.

What this means is that, despite Governor Abdulrahman's preference for direct primaries, he didn't get his way, neither did he forced it down the throat of the members.

Additionally, many within the government of Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq resigned to pursue their ambition.

In one federal constituency, 3 people resigned from the same government to aspire and they are all close to the governor. Almost all of them and their supporters described themselves as the governor's choice, but at the end of the day, only one would succeed.

In all the primaries, hardly would any candidate not describe themselves as the governor's choice amongst all of those close to him, but there was no evidence that the governor actually announced anyone as his candidate. I stand to be corrected though.

The closest to this, was the governor's preference for women. But this is just a preference, not something that was imposed or mandated in anyway.

Some stakeholders who keyed into the governor's preference for women only decided to work for the emergence of women in their own constituency and some didn't. If we go by the governor's preference for women, as seen in the recent gender composition bill passed by the Kwara State House of Assembly, which mandated the state to produce a minimum of 35% and maximum of 65% for either of the gender, the recent primaries would have produce a minimum of 35% women, but this didn't happen and the governor didn't force it either.

What this means is that, the governor didn't get his way on direct primaries, neither did he gets his way on his preference for women.

So, if the governor didn't force his preference for direct primaries on the party, neither did he force his preference for women, I find it strange that he would be accused of working against some particular aspirants, who are actually his friends and associates.

Ofcourse, some of his aides could advance their ambition or their friends' ambition using their proximity to the governor, but from all indication, he seems to have removed himself as much as he could.

The truth of the matter is that, governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is like President Muhammadu Buhari, who belongs to everybody and belongs to nobody and his disposition is to provide a level playing field for all aspirants, since all those contesting are his people. He did have preferences, which is natural, but he didn't impose his preference on anyone.

Ofcourse, it is normal that some people think they are more closer to him than others and that they are his preferred aspirants, but whether they are his preferred aspirants or not, the fact is that, he didn't lift a finger to unfairly aide their candidature over those of others, who are equally his people.

The governor's decision not to unduly aide one person over the other, is what some people consider as treachery, which I believe is untrue, unfair and an outright misrepresentation of fact.

Although, those who believe the governor should aide them due to their loyalty over time have a right to such expectations, but the governor also have a right to remain neutral to ensure all aspirants enjoy the fruit of their efforts.

Let me conclude by saying that, incumbents who have sense of entitlements because of their loyalty to the governor have forgotten that, there are many people who are not in public office, but are equally supportive and loyal to the governor, using their own hard earned resources, time and capacity and it would be unfair for the governor to use his priviledge position to unfairly tilt the primaries in favor of the incumbents over the independent supporters who are equally loyal.

*_Abdulrazaq Hamzat writes from Ilorin _*

https://arewaagenda.com/making-sense-gov-abdulrahman/

*Nigeria's role in halting Ethiopia's conflict*

A little over a month ago, Ethiopia Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed came to Nigeria to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Information later emerged that the Ethiopia PM did not only come to discuss bilateral issues with Nigeria, but he actually came to meet with the representative of tplf.

Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed reportedly met with Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) delegates in Nigeria.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who is AU envoy to the horn of Africa has been working behind the scene to facilitate the mediation efforts in Ethiopia to bring the ongoing crisis to a halt.

The meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari is the first round of such mediation, which has created a communication avenue between both parties.

*Tinubu Vs Obi's leadership credentials*

Political parties apart.

I want to address this subject, to ensure that we do not continue to elevate mediocrity due to sentiment and personal poor judgement.

See, I know some people like Peter Obi. It is okay to like him. I like him too.

But making his candidature look like a better candidate than Tinubu is a gross misjudgment by anyone who hold such view with all due respect.

By every standard of leadership, Tinubu rank higher than him, no matter the criteria.

This is not about personal likeness or political party, remove party or any of such perochial consideration, Tinubu's objective assessment will always place him above Obi.

So, let's keep political parties apart, let's address the person of Peter Obi and Tinubu based on what we know about their previous leadership engagement.

One fundamental leadership fact that has been established is that, there's no success without successor.

The quality of your successor will either consolidate whatever success you claimed to achieve or expose your deficiency as a leader.

If you have ability to choose good successor, it would mean that you have ability to select the right team. And if you did selected right team during your administration, there's great tendency that you would have achieved something good with the team.

However, if you couldn't select a good successor, it is doubtful if you actually selected the right team during your administration and if you do not select the right team to run your government, your claim to success would be doubtful.

This simple analogy works perfectly well to assess the capacity of any leader.

Now

Let's put Obi besides Tinubu and apply the formula.

Tinubu:

1. Claimed to have performed well as governor

2. Claimed to have selected quality team

3. Claimed to have selected good successor

4. ?

Obi
1. Claimed to have performed well as governor
2. Claimed to have selected quality team
3. Claimed to have selected a good successor

4.?

The point 4 is determined after the tenure of both men are assessed based on the output of their successor.

Did the point 4 justify the claims made by both men?

Tinubu

4. His successor is good, Fashola. Built on the vision he initiated. Started new one's. Proved to be a quality successor.

3. Since his decision making ability on the choice of successor is good, it is likely that indeed, he actually selected quality team during his administration. Fashola was his chief of staff, now a Minister of works. Prof Osinbajo was his commissioner for Justice, now the vice president. Aregbesola was his commissioner for works, now Minister of interior. Fowler was his revenue man. Now the chairman for federal inland revenue. Ambode was his head of service, now a former governor. Etc

2. Since he indeed selected quality team during his administration, he most probably provided land mark projects of quality and governance because a quality team certainly have capacity to do that. Eko Atlantic, the brt transport reforms, the revenue transformation, the judicial reforms, etc

1. Since he provided landmark projects and initiatives, selected quality team during his administration, choose an excellent successor, he's most likely an excellent leader.

Obi

4. He had an average successor, if not poor one, Obiano. The successor never built on the vision he initiated. Took a different approach, without any result. No legacy of performance.

3. Since his decision making ability on the choice of successor is poor, it is doubtful, if not outrightly false that he selected quality team during his administration. We do not know any of his team, neither have they recorded any personal success after him.

2. Since it is doubtful or false that he selected quality team during his administration, it would be highly questionable that he achieved greatly or built any enduring project of vision, because the quality of the team he put together is highly questionable. We don't know of any endearing project he did that is still visible.

1. Since it is obvious that he selected an average of poor successor, with questionable claim of quality team during his administration and an outrightly questionable claim of vision, it is most likely that his claim to performance is also questionable and his leadership credentials is questionable.

If I am to recommend any of the two gentlemen for the leadership of this great country, irrespective of their political party, it is only wise, fair and reasonable that I recommend Tinubu.