flexing11: a*d u believe ur gej is clea*,,,ope* ur e*es,,,,,dis govt is too corrupt a*d d eco*omic is melti*g dow* eac* da*,,,
NOT HALF AS CORRUPT AS PAST GOVTS. THIS IS THE BEST SO FAR.. GEJ HAS NO CONTROL OVER OIL PRICE THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE DECLINE IN ECONOMIC INDICES AND DONT EVEN TALK ABOUT THE MISSING us$20b COS SANUSI (PRO BORN TO RULE) IS NOT EVEN SURE OF THE FIGURES OF HIS ALLEGATION. IS IT INSECURITY ASK THOSE WHO ARE READY TO SHED BLOOD(PRO BORN TO RULE) ABOUT IT AFTER ALL THE ARE THE ONE WHO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO GO AND DIE. LOOK IT IS CLEAR THAT THE BORN TO RULE PEOPLE ARE WORKING OVERTIME AND KILLING THEMSELVES TO DISCREDIT GEJ IN EVERY OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BUT YOU SEE GEJ DID NOT PUT HIMSELF THERE, GOD PUT HIM THERE. NO MAN CAN REMOVE HIM COS WE ARE ALL BEHIND HIM. GEJ TILL 2019!!!!
emusmith: I am not "condemning" LADIES for smoking or drinking but somehow somehow, different people from different places (especially in our Nation) have something to say about a LADY smoking or taking alcohol.
What's yours?
It just habit. does not give anyone the right to draw conclusions. maybe dad smokes to smoke and she pick the but took a drag and got hooked dont mean she's not decent and responsible.
Sweetlemon: All of you low IQed idiots criticizing Osinbanjo for frolicking with artistes simply because he's a pastor. Get this piece of info into your skulls. Pastor Osinbanjo has ceased being just any Pastor since the day he declared interest in politics. For heaven's sake he's aspiring to be the VP of Nigeria, not the VP of Christians or the VP of RCCG. What does that tell you? That he has to come down to everybody's level of course if he wants votes from Nigerians as a whole. Surely you don't expect him to campaign in church or crusades only, how would you feel if Buhari campaigns in mosques? Won't you accuse him of all sort? Get this last piece of info deeper into your heads, Nigeria is a SECULAR country. The people first before religious beliefs. Tu comprehend?
Lamido had a lot of expectations from GEJ, without any sympathy for the confusion his brothers are trying to cause GEJ. You lost sight of the cost of fighting your BH.
As if we dont know Lamido had a burning ambition to be president and amaechi as his running mate, na them confuse amaechi(MUGU 1 of south south). without Lamido 2015 is already for GEJ (GOD'S anointed).
Image123: I'll need good proof to whatever you claim Buhari said. Despite that, the present government has also been culpable in saying a lot of inciting and divisive statements. Buhari cannot foist Islam on us, i take that as an empty threat that holds no water. GEJ is president and commander in chief of Nigeria, paid heavily to be. He should do the needful if he knows the people shedding blood and causing mayhem. The current administration has not demonstrated control of larger Nigeria despite having so much money and aid, Nigerian army, police, Navy, airforce, sss, dss etc.
sandy4lv: So Christmas was celebrated then in Nigeria
BUHARI IS THE PRESIDENT GENERAL OF MIYATTI ALLAH IN WEST AFRICA (FULANI COMMUNITY) HE MUST TELL US WHY HERDS MEN CARRY ARMS AND WHERE THE PROCURE THE ARMS FROM. HE MUST ALSO TELL US WHY THEY ARE BLOOD THIRSTY AND WHY HE HAS NEVER CALLED THEM TO ORDER. BUHARI SUPPORTS SHARIA HE IS NOT THE RIGHT MAN TO LEAD A COUNTRY LIKE NIGERIA EVEN IF HE HAS A FAKE POPE AS HIS RUNNING MATE.
Image123: You're getting needlessly emotional, please be objective and pass your points maturely. Buhari isn't a fanatic, neither can he foist Islam on Nigeria. He had that opportunity as a military man with a fellow muslim deputy Idiagbon. This is a democracy and that would be much harder. I have heard GEJ call his cabinet members boko haram and given excuse that they are his brothers and how he needs to be careful in attacking them. What is GEJ waiting for if he knows the proven sponsors of boko haram? What about Sherif Modu that was indicted? What do all these have to do with the calumny on Buhari? Is it a crime to be a Northerners and not be pdp?
Are you saying buhari did not say what i said he said? Am I telling Lies? Please make you point and stop using your imagination.
let me give you one more fact: BUHARI IS THE PRESIDENT GENERAL OF MIYATTI Allah WEST AFRICA (THE FULANI COMMUNITY). And as we know this group of people have been shedding innocent blood and causing mayhem everywhere in this country(cos somebody is arming them). Now tell me is it that he cannot control his kinsmen or colud he be their sponsor? Do you think that this man can control larger Nigeria going by this fact?
Image123: The last thing we need is calumny and a campaign built in lies and smearing and distorting other people's image. The current government have done nothing concrete about boko haram except for unfounded allegations. They have shown little or no care to the wanton loss of lives. I'm yet to see the president do more than the president of Sri Lanka concerning boko haram. Of course everybody condemns boko haram, please do more than condemn on Twitter through Abati. The current president lives largely in denial and considers boko haram actions as just excesses happening in the fringes. He's not just the president of Abuja or Bayelsa, he should do more and stop finger pointing and playing opposition party politics. Arrest Buhari already if he's the one responsible for boko haram. As far as i know, not one attack has been carried out in Otuoke or Bayelsa or involving the people in power. Instead, the current government has made a lot of money from this crisis. God will definitely judge, but it will be a shame if we do not use the talent, power and opportunities God has given us to better our country. Righteousness exalts a nation but sin remains our reproach in this country.
Are you talking/typing in your sleep? Your post is very abstract, uniformed and full of imagination. anyway let me give you some fact to Digest. 1. Buhari is a fanatic with desires to foist islam on all Nigeria (HIS PERSONALLY VOICED THE WISH FOR SHARIA ON ALL OF NIGERIA. FIND PIC OF STATMENT BELOW)
2.Buhari said Declaring war on BH is declaring war on Northern Nigeria just as muslim Northern elder statesman shettima ali mongunu said BOKO HARAM are our children GEJ must treat them with love. Serving Muslim Northern police commissioner ZAKARI BIU escorted an apprehended BH kingpin responsible for the death of 50 Christian worshipers (RIP) inccluding women and children Kabiru Sokoto out of of police custody to freedom serving Senator NDUME and senator BAMA are proven sponsors of Bokoharam, Kaduna State House of Reps member and youth leader of APC Hussein DEI DEI is exposed as sponsor of BH. Many northern Muslim leaders and elites are sponsors of BH, only when they are caught do we get to know their identities so you see that the situation is not a random insurgence scenario but an organized calculated engine of destabilization and distraction against Govt. these people sponsor hide and shelter their children, brothers,sisters and friends who are active bh field agents so how will you an outsider single out a BH when they are all bh at heart cos they dont want GEJ immediately he won the 2011 elections you know what happened. USE KADUNA STATE AS A CASE STUDY, WHEN PATRICK YAKOWA (CHRISTIAN) WAS THE GOVERNOR, THERE WHERE BOKO HARAM BOMBINGS EVERY WEEK BUT WHEN THEY TOOK HIS LIFE AND A MUSLIM IS NOW THE GOVERNOR KADUNA STATE HAS BECOME VERY PEACEFUL(BOMBING HAVE STOPPED) use your head (dont be a mumu. place blame where it is supposed to be) They cannot cross to the Christian south cos they will be like fish out of water & conspicuously different.
I bet you where one of the people shouting all the nonsense when Azazi RIP was NSA but Now that Dasuki is in that office you have forgotten about it.
IF to better our country entails voting in terrorist or giving to intimidation then you must be MAD in the head
oliy24: I can vow, you school [/b]in Igbo land. I did my nysc there, I said it, Education should be [b]scrap in Igbo land. they should travel to Lagos to get education if they desire. thank God most of my friend arguing with me are on naira land, hope they are reading all this. if PEJ was a lecturer and my 2 years old neighbour English is far better. and good Jonathan did a mistake, its not a crime. but someone defending it is main reason why the igbos education be scrap
shobam1410: THIS WAS HOW (BUHARI) CONSTITUTED HIS GOVERNMENT WHEN HE WAS HEAD OF STATE Dec 31 1983-1985 It is a pity that many have given themselves to deceit by agents of political jangaroos. General Muhammadu Buhari's Governors 1984-1985 1. Allison Madueke - Christian-Anambra. 2. Jeremiah Useni - Christian - Bendel. 3. Micheal Bamidele - Christian Ondo. 4. Oladipo Diya - Christian - Ogun. 5. David Mark - Christian - Niger. 6. John Kpera - Christian - Benue. 7. Dan Achibong - Christian - C/Rivers. 8. Ike Nwachukwu -Christian -Imo. 9. Oladipo Popoola - Christian - Oyo. 10.Bitrus Atukum - Christian - Plateau. 11. B.L. Letimah - Christian - Rivers. 12. Salaudeen Latinwo - Muslim-Kwara. 13. Gbolahan Mudasiru - Atheist-Lagos. 14. Sani Sami -Muslim - Bauchi. 15. Abubakar Waziri - Muslim - Borno. 16. Muhammadu Jega - Muslim - Gongola. 17. Usman Mu'azu - Muslim - Kaduna. 18. Hamza Abdullahi - Muslim - Kano. 19. Garba Duba -Muslim -Sokoto General Out of 19 governors , 11 were Christians and 8 Muslims. Buhari's Ministers; 1. Domkat Bali - Christian - Defence. 2. Onaolapo Sholeye -Christian-Finance. 3. Emmanuel Nsan - Christian - Health. 4. Sam Omeruah - Christian-Information. 5. Tam David West - Christian - Petroleum. 6. Patrick Koshoni - Christian - Works. 7. Chike Offodile - Christian - Justice. *Clement Isong - Christian Gov, CBN. Defence, works, petroleum, justice, finance and CBN governor were all Christians. Let us stop the baseless accusation against this revolutionist and face reality. We shouldn't just because we want to kill a dog, give it a bad name. Before 2011, he had christian VP's, His VP in 2011 was a christian, his VP now is a christian. What more do you people want from this man? When did being honest, disciplined and straightforward become an anathema in Nigeria? When will we stop to crucify people with good intentions at the expense of celebrating criminals?
lets gv dis man a trial and if e fails, den we shld loose hope in our leaders
though gej isn't dat bad but I wll never frgt his statement in 2011 so will I trust u wen u r nt a man of ur word?
Buhari KE!!! U want a Nigeria that will strangulate and annihilate non-muslims and further marginalize the south and consolidate ill informed leadership stereotyping and chart our nation in the course of perpetual Mediocrity? If yes SHAME!!!
lets gv dis man a trial and if e fails, den we shld loose hope in our leaders
though gej isn't dat bad but I wll never frgt his statement in 2011 so will I trust u wen u r nt a man of ur word?
Buhari KE!!! U want a Nigeria that will strangulate and annihilate non-muslims and further marginalize the south and consolidate ill informed leadership stereotyping.
babyosisi: The man should have been kicked out of the military as a junior officer that's if he passed the qualifying exams to NDA in the first place But he is from sokoto or somewhere in that vicinity They use 2% to admit them to FGC,same with NDA
NA so, mediocre qouta system products. Na them distroy Nigeria.
WOCKHARDI: Are you see what I am saw. They are carrying brooms in a carnival organized with Rivers State money.They couldn't even get decent looking ones.More like the type used by people that collect poo at night in those days.No offence meant please.
some patriot in that crowd suppose collect that broom take wipe am for that fat mouth wey dey inface.
fagbalex: well that's her own cup of tea, all we know is that the time for change has come........ we are tired of clueless ness, we are tired of stealing is not corruption we want a new Nigeria.
any change from GEJ to Buhari is simply from frying pan to hellfire!!!
1stCitizen: Doyin Okupe just embarrassed President Jonathan by asking "Stealing and corruption, is there a difference?" See original tweet and responses from Nigerians below
[size=8pt]corruption is prostitution for grades in school or for promotion at work, corruption is police collected bribe and allowing a traffic offender go. A corrupt person ask for inducement to do his job, a corrupt person is morally bankrupt.
Stealing is taking what is not your own with out permission of the owner or owners,
a thief is a criminal there is a big difference!!!![/size]
jpphilips: FELLOW NIGERIANS, IS THIS THE PRESIDENT YOU DESERVE?
May the Judgment of God not befall us and our families if with our votes we deliberately return a Govt of Hunger, corruption and death to the Nigerian people. Kindly distribute through your BBM and Whatsapp contacts, enough is enough!!
November 2014, Jonathan shocked Nigerians with the news that Boko haram has taken control of 6 towns in 4 LGA’s the height of incompetence in balkanizing the Nigerian state, a week later, Nigerians were blown away by series of austerity measures handed to them for their stupidity in 2011.
The naira was devalued at the pretext of drop in oil prices but Nigerians never asked why the Naira never appreciated when the oil price was increasing? If the foreign reserve were not stolen, Nigeria would have weathered the storm for at least 6months like we did during the global melt down of 2004 and 2008, unfortunately, the incompetence of the Jonathan administration has brought grave consequence on the Nigerian people, Inflation and high cost of energy are likely consequences.
According to Will Ross of the BBC “He said he hoped a parliamentary investigation would also find out why the country's Excess Crude Account had fallen from $11.5bn to under $2.5bn in a year - arguing that Nigeria's savings are a vital buffer against any drop in the global oil price and without this "rainy day" account, the economy is vulnerable and exposed.
October 2014; Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the Federal republic of Nigeria uses a militant Asari Dokubo for black market gun running, evident from the grounding and seizure of over $10m by the South African authorities. September, 2014, The Nigerian Government admitted ferrying over $10m in a private jet for arms procurement, where do we draw the line between money laundering and arms procurement? I asked myself about the recent helos that was delivered by Russia recently if it was purchased in the same manner, agree with me or not, Jonathan is neck deep not just in corruption but money laundering.
August 2014: As a result of the unabated corruption in the Nigerian Military, Mutiny of July gave rise to Boko haram declaring a caliphate on Nigerian Soil, Gentlemen and Ladies, Jonathan Has once again made a history of Incompetence. Never in the history of Nigeria have we ceded territories to bandits.
July 2014: saw a president who went to sleep while neighboring West African countries battled with the Ebola virus, his negligence paid off when Patrick Sawyer brought the deadly virus to Nigeria unabated. Since August 2012, when the Ebola outbreak began, The Nigerian govt had no single emergency response plan in place. $11m emergency fund and N480m budgeted for the control of infectious diseases in the 2013 budget never got to the Lagos state government, the Nigerian Ebola Epicenter. Still in June, we saw the worst abuse of his Royal majesties powers when he barred APC Governors from attending a rally in Ekiti state with soldiers, meanwhile Boko Haram is still having a field day in the North. The senate revealed to Nigerians how the president Mis appropriated over 685b kerosene subsidy fund
May 2014: [/b]left us with this shocking statement “Jonathan, who was asked to comment on the allegations of corrupt practices leveled against some of his ministers, had said that nobody was above mistakes and that if he were to be acting based on reports on each of them, “no one will stay for more than six months in office.” [b]Mere stealing we call corruption" Still in the same month after the corrupt tales of embezzlement and diversion of military budget, the clueless one finally offered Amnesty to a terrorist group, the first of its kind, in the world. An Indication that the Jonathan’s administration is run by a den of thieves.
April 2014: reminded us the climax of Jonathan’s administration where he went on a jamboree while book haram held over 200 young girls, hostage, April never ended before the Dizeani madueke’s 10billion naira scam reached a climax.
March 2014: just before the centenary celebration where Abacha of all people was a beneficiary, scores of Innocent school children were murdered in Adamawa sate.
Feb 2014: saw the illegal suspension of the CBN Gov.at a time the nation was in dire need of foreign direct investment, the Kidnap of the president’s foster father is a realistic score card on his strides on security. January 2014, a presidential committee was set up to investigate the October scandal of stella odua who came with a guilty verdict, yet she kept her job.
December 2013: ushered the yuletide of Obasanjo’s “before it is too late”, several corruption allegations and the extremism of the Jonathan’s administration, the impunity of plundering the people’ s common wealth and the tenacity of talking drums like Abati who have earned a reputation in insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians.10 bullet proof vehicles purchased by DICON for its top brass
November 2013: the CBN Governor raised an alarm that under Jonathan’s watch, the NNPC diverted $49billion dollars, fellow Nigerians, are we not tired of condoning corruption?
October 2013: ushered a month of corruption coronation in Jonathan’s camp, where the Aviation minister coerced the NCAA to purchase 2 fairly used armored 2008 BMW to the tune of $800,000 each.
September 2013: President Jonathan took a record breaking 600 men entourage for the UN General assembly in New york
August 2013: After the billions of dollars spent in revamping the nation’s airports, skytrax world airport ranking for Africa showed Nigeria didn’t make it to top 10 in Africa neither did it make it top 100th place in the world. Whereas Ethiopia and Mauritania made it to position 9th and 8th respectively, what a shame.
July 2013: transparency international rated Nigeria as the 8th most corrupt country in the world.
June 2013: World Bank appraised him thus;
“Nevertheless, improvements in social welfare indicators have been much slower than would be expected in the context of this growth. Poverty reduction and job creation have not kept pace with population growth, implying social distress for an increasing number of Nigerians. Progress toward the fulfillment of many of the Millennium Development Goals has been slow, and the country ranked 153 out of 186 countries in the 2013 United Nations Human Development Index” the World Bank said.
May 2013: The president after wasting tax payer’s money on an entourage as long as the third mainland bridge went sleeping while his foreign affairs minister represented him in his presence during the AU summit in Addis ababa. Just outside President Goodluck Jonathan's office sat 17 ambulances, just in case he or one of his aides fell ill. They were seldom if ever used.
No actual health-care facility nationwide had as many, and in fact a few still have none at all. But as soon as a Nigerian newspaper took a photo of the ambulances and published a story about them, they suddenly disappeared -- probably to an underground garage.
March, 2013: we witnessed the height of moral bankruptcy when Mr President granted presidential pardon to the biggest criminal in the history of our democracy, Alamesigha to prepare him for a senatorial seat.
February 2013: amidst the short fall in crude prices, the president smuggled into the 2013 budget a 2bn appropriation fund for the office of the first lady
February 2013: the office of the presidency denied vehemently that the first lady was on vacation in Germany only for them to organize a survival party with tax payer’s money. Is this the kind of leader you want to hold to his words?
In January 2013: the erst while madam due process and former minister for education challenged the charlatans of jonathans’ administration to a debate on accountability of $67b as expected, honorable cowards and pen thieves, absconded as usual
November 2012: President Jonathan approved 2.2bn naira for the construction of a banquet hall in the villa. At a time our debt profile was all time high
As commander in chief, he stood dumb while a military helicopter was used for "kabu-kabu" at oronto douglas father’s burial that error in judgment alone claimed the life of a sitting Governor. and the most brilliant NSA Nigeria has ever produced.
October 2012: blatantly refusing to appeal the ICJ’s decision on ceding bakassi, thereby throwing Millions of Bakkasi indigenes into pandemonium
refusing to cut down on foreign trips and cost of Governance, contrary to his Nationwide address of 7th Jan 2012.
October 2012: Mr president’s administration spent 1.5 billion to patch the 3rd mainland bridge, 4 months later, triple of that amount was expended again on maintenance alone, Talk about waste and incompetence
August 2012 : He said our foreign reserve is 42billion usd , is that not only on iweala's notepad? How can you have external debt of 48bn usd and come home to deceive us that we have reserves? How much services that 48bn plus interest annually? Nearly 25% of 48bn.
August 2012: Under his watch militants earn 10% of the Nation's revenue, $22.5m, $9m and $12.5m for tompolo, Ateke and Asari as national honors.
He twisted facts during the Independence Day speech on his fight on corruption, in contrast to what the transparency international claimed. By august 2012, 2012 budget implementation was just 13%
over 5, ooo Nigerian lives gone, Mr president is still trading words and negotiating with boko haram, we remain grateful that a quasi state of emergency came to be, at least I cant imagine an SOE where the State Govs sit tight to control state funds while the FG fight their battle.
July 2012: its 3yrs gone and he is yet to commission from scratch a new power plant worst still fired the only human being in his cabinet who knows his onions in the power sector.
July 2012: Mr President earned a congratulatory message for implementing local content policy by importing 200 luxury brands at the cost of over 13.5 million each for a 4 day first ladies summit. While our manufacturing industries beg for patronage.
June 2012: Almost all teaching hospitals in Nigeria have no functional dialysis machine, the most sought of this equipment cost just 5m naira. Statistics has it that more than 60,000 Nigerians die yearly of a kidney related ailment, however, he jets out with his cohorts to seek medical help elsewhere.
ferma is seriously patching federal highways with a budget of over 80 billion naira, there is no coordination between, the MND, NDDC and Federal ministry of works on road maintenance, same contract is awarded over and over before the job is done.
JUNE 2012: Under his watch, the giant of oil and gas reserves is undergoing its worst energy crisis in the world.
tanker drivers alone can cripple his supply network as they wish not to talk of ordinary Niger republic coming to our rescue via imports.
In case you have not heard, Nigeria is very close to Afghanistan on security progress under Jonathan's watch.
June 2012: Education is in crisis. With adult literacy at 57 per cent, overall illiteracy at 66 per cent and more than 10 million out of the 30 million children of primary school age not in school, no serious government should be comfortable. When 40 million adults in a population of 170 million are illiterate, the country is ranked 161 out of 180 countries in the United Nations Comparative Index of Literacy 2012, and has an unemployment rate of 23.7 per cent, it’s no longer news that only 26% of school leavers gain admission into the universities and only 5% are employed after school thanks to ASUU’s 6 months strike.
June 2012: Mr president’s economic blind men have blessed us with all time high of 37.5% inflation though his mickey mouse cbn governor is still claiming 28%, wondering what he will be claiming now that all bankers are at home, naira devalued, unemployment on the rise etc He still maintains a single digit inflation on paper, I dey laugh.
Mr president is the only Nigerian president that has not initiated a successful programme even Abacha did better with ptf while IBB with FSP and MAMSA, Mr president is still confused with ''YOU WIN''and SURE-P, with zero benefit to the Nigerian people. on that same vein, Nigeria has the second record high job cuts within the last 2yrs, if in doubt ask the bankers and manufacturing industries. before his ascension into power, the naira was in a sorry state of 150 to 1 dollar today, Jonathan has handed us an unstable 182 to 1 dollar
June 2012: The dana crash is a testimony that Mr president’s aviation is comatose, not even the attorney general could challenge the allegations of the dana staff in court, in a national disaster of that magnitude? The girl could have served as a prime witness in a class action against dana Less than 6months of inconclusive investigations, DANA air hit the Tarmac again.
Still on military, Nigeria has the most under educated junior military officers, before you ask how, Mr president is too lazy to ask him self why imo with highest national examination enrollments still have the least NDA and police academy enrollments, while borno and zamfara as educationally less privileged, have higher quota than Delta and Anambra put together in military enrollments. Nepotism and corruption at its best Mr President is the only head of state in the world whose wife is a ministry of its own.
January 2012: Under Mr president’s watch, a 250bilion subsidy programme rose to 2 trillion naira yet no arrest, no conviction, no sack, the best miserable Nigerians could get was an AWOL attorney general after 7days of protests. Height of incompetence and corruption.
Mr President is the only president in the world whose parliament gulps 75% of the national budget as alleged by the CBN Gov. yet they still soak themselves in $625m bribery scandal. Jonathan has not even initiated let alone fulfilling a single campaign promises except the one that he needs to surround himself with brain dead women in his cabinet.
Nigerians say thank you Sir, for your 6 wasted years of leadership.
Obviously you have been dying to vomit all this HOGWASH.
you are blaming the wrong person!!!!! put a square peg in a square hole and the problem is solved. Unless you and them want GEJ to succeed , he cannot succeed, afterall boko haram are your children, brothers and friends. Ask Atiku how he did it in Adamawa state.
9jafreak: First of all, I congratulate you warmly for winning the nomination of your party for the presidency of Nigeria.
Though you and I are different in ethnicity and religion, we have many important things in common. I am a few years older than you – which means that if you and I had been Yoruba boys born in the same Yoruba town or village, we would have belonged to about the same age-grade Association ( with us Yoruba, age-grade loyalty is traditionally a very important factor of life). Moreover, you and I were young Nigerians in an era, the 1950s, when our up-and coming country of Nigeria was a source of great pride to its citizens, and an emerging titan eagerly awaited by most informed people all over the world.
The three regions of our federation (East, North and West) were engaged in an ambitious rivalry for progress and for improvements in the quality of life of our people. They were able to do that and achieve considerable successes because our constitutional structure gave them much leeway to manage their own affairs within the common Nigerian family. We arrived at independence in 1960 believing that our country was set on the path to becoming the blackman’s world power of modern times.
Unhappily, now that you and I are in our seventies, there is nothing left of our country’s ambitions and pride – indeed, there is hardly anything left of our country itself. Relentlessly crooked up, violated, robbed and depleted since 1960, our Nigeria seems now to be stumbling towards its demise.
As you prepare for your election, I decided to write you this open letter concerning our country, because I know you will understand the pain and expectations behind my words. The purpose of most of Nigeria’s rulers since 1960 has been to weaken and even destroy regional and local initiatives in order to gather all power, control and influence together at the federal center. Their success in doing that has enabled them to remove the management of development far away from our people, and to institute at the federal centre a viciously corrupt, wasteful and incompetent monstrosity. Reduced to the status of beggar clients of the federal robber barons, the state governments, as well as the local governments, collapsed and fell in line as submissive incompetents and mini-robbers.
In the process, real and productive enterprise quickly declined among our people, as the best and most ambitious rushed to join the ranks of the sharers of fraudulently acquired wealth from the public coffers. Our schools and universities, our public service, our police force, our military, our judiciary, all our governmental agencies (electoral commission, secret service, central bank, ports service, immigration service, public examination bodies, etc) – all collapsed under the weight of crooked control, massive corruption and generalized disloyalty. Poverty descended mightily into our country and became the lot of the overwhelming and increasing majority of our people. Our government itself admits that, today, about 70% of our citizens live in “absolute poverty” and that that percentage keeps increasing. With the growing poverty have escalated horrific crimes, a culture of dishonesty, a rush of our youths to Salafist fundamentalist terrorism, and mass flights of the educated to other lands – all of which are compounding the poverty.
From your well-known record as a leader of our country, I know that you are not only aware of these things, but that, in common with many members of our generation, you are seriously pained by them. I confess that I was very angry with you during your brief stint as military ruler, 1983-5. First, you seemed to me to be power-drunk at the time—because you made no distinction between the corrupt who had been stealing and sharing public money under Shagari and those who were known to have been resisting the robbery. I belonged to the frontline of senators who were well known to have, on the floor of the Senate, resisted the mass corruption, and yet your military government detained me (and many like me), and I languished for four months in prison without any accusation–even without being asked any question by any official.
And then, you and Idiagbon expended most of your obviously shining capabilities in pursuing nebulous and amateurish programmes like WAI (War Against Indiscipline), when what our country really needed was (after you had fiercely shot down corruption as you did) to massively divert our enormous oil revenues into investments in the lives of our people–through programmes for expansion and diversification of education, modern job skills development, entrepreneurial development, small business development, promotion of modern farming, policies for improving the quality and reputation of our labour force and thereby attracting investments and businesses into our country, policies for promotion of exports, etc. Put a people to work and persistently multiply the economic opportunities available to them, and the attraction to prosperity through competitive enterprise will gradually suppress indiscipline in their land. Fanciful programmes like WAI can have no lasting benefit or future – as I hope you must know by now. That is why the man who ousted you, Babangida, was able quite easily to wipe out all the patriotic gains of your regime.
Furthermore, I though t it was a pity that you did not appear to recognize that the over-centralization that was being given to our federation was the foundation of our ills as a country. You were wrong in thinking that punishing the corrupt leaders would destroy corruption abidingly. What is needed is to change the system into which corruption has been built. In our country’s case, we needed (and we need) to reduce the magnitude of our federal government and empower our state and local governments, which are nearer the people, to bear most of the burden of development. Then we need to give recognition and respect to our various nationalities in structuring the federation – which should mean that our larger nations would each constitute a state, and contiguous groups of our smaller nationalities would be assisted to form states, just as the Indians sensibly and profitably did in the 1960s.
By refusing to go that route, Nigeria has abysmally depressed its nationalities. For instance, my Yoruba nation came into Nigeria in 1914 as easily the fastest modernizing nationality in Black Africa; and we entered into independence with Nigeria in 1960 as the development front-liner and pace-setter in Africa. Today, we are a battered, poor, and disoriented nation, and most of our achievements have been wrecked, thanks to our being part of a Nigeria that destroys its peoples. Every other Nigerian nationality has similar stories to tell. My brother, I am, by nature and by upbringing, averse to merely lamenting an evil development; I act to change it. My potential urge, even as I write this, is to exert myself with others like me towards pulling my Yoruba nation out of Nigeria if Nigeria will not change course – and that is something that we Yoruba are perfectly capable to achieve if we are pushed to start upon it. And the same is true of some other persons and nations. In short, let’s not ignore or minimize the danger of Nigeria’s dissolution.
I know you have what it takes to change and save Nigeria. I wish you luck in your election – and I wish Nigeria luck.
Politics › Re: Buhari’s Popularity On Social Media Was Bought- Reno Omokri by calaway(m): 11:04pm On Dec 29, 2014
