We have produced many of such in Africa but our environment kills many destinies. I remember a primary 5 pupil in my primary school who built a car. Today, I weep to see him wasting with ogogoro addiction.
Dialpad: I am not a fan of Peter Obi or labor party but it seems there is something wrong with you upstairs....
He's just a sample. Peter Obi is not perfect but he is one of the best that Nigeria has produced. So everyone who hates him passionately like Omokri and Onanuga can't be sane.
Peter Obi dey protest like say e be Saint, but make we no forget say na the same man wey dey dodge real issues.
Him kind of protest na for social media, while real leaders dey face real problems.
Protest wey no get tangible result na just noise.
I dey wonder when e go stop the drama and start to deliver for the people wey him dey claim say him wan help.
E no go fit fool everybody forever.
Read the post you are responding to and you'd see how stupid you sound. Don't be rushing to respond without first reading. It makes you expose your ignorance to the public. As revealed in the post, Obi's kind of protest is the most impactful yet you open your mouth waaaa to say his protest no get tangible results. After starting the abuses now, you'll be the first to start playing the victim card.
I just read “an open letter” written by one Pascal Okeke to Mr. Peter Obi. After going through the letter, I realize a fundamental wrong political attitude Nigerians have that is causing so much trouble to us as a people. So, I'm using this means to address it.
Before I go ahead, here's the letter in question: _______
AN OPEN LETTER TO HE PETER OBI - THE LABOUR PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION - By Pascal Okeke
Dear HE Peter Obi,
As a strong, dedicated supporter and observer of your political journey, I write this open letter with a sense of urgency and a deep concern for the future of our beloved nation hoping that you will find time to read through it and act.
Yesterday, I read about the departure of Kenneth Okonkwo from your camp, citing your perceived weakness, and this has brought to light the critical need for strong, decisive leadership in these challenging times.
In the last presidential election, you ignited hope among millions of Nigerians who longed for change and good governance. The "Obidients" movement became a powerful force, representing the collective aspirations of citizens tired of the status quo.
However, post-election, there has been a noticeable gap in leadership, a void that must be filled if the movement is to sustain its momentum and achieve its goals.
Throughout history, effective leaders have not only inspired their followers with their vision but have also taken concrete actions to guide and protect their movements.
Consider the examples of Adams Oshomole, Buhari and President Tinubu, who, during their times of opposition, led protests and championed change campaigns. Their active involvement kept their supporters motivated and their causes relevant.
In contrast, there is a growing perception that you have been reluctant to take similar decisive actions. This has led to a sense of disillusionment among many of your supporters. They see you as the beacon of hope, yet they feel abandoned in the ongoing struggle for a better Nigeria.
Your reluctance to lead has also emboldened emergency politicians who, having ridden on the Labour Party's ladder and your name to victory in the last election, now act with little regard for your leadership.
This lack of regulation and oversight threatens to undermine both your brand and that of the Labour Party. It is imperative that you take control, set clear expectations, and hold these politicians accountable to the values and goals of the movement.
The upcoming nationwide protest on August 1st, 2024, presents a pivotal opportunity for you to reassert your leadership. Nigerians are clamoring for good governance, and they look to you to lead this charge.
By actively participating in and leading this protest, you can demonstrate your commitment to the cause and reinvigorate the "Obidients" movement and what they represent.
Your leadership at this critical juncture can unify and energize your supporters, sending a strong message to both your allies and opponents that the quest for a better Nigeria is far from over.
This is not the time for reluctance or inaction.
It is the time for bold, visionary leadership.
Your Excellency, you have the potential to be the leader that Nigeria needs.
The foundation has been laid, the supporters are ready, but they need you to lead them.
Step forward, take charge, and show the nation that you are committed to the fight for good governance.
The future of Nigeria depends on it.
And we must come together to move this leation from Consumption to Production!
Your Brother + Friend, #iampascalokeke
_______ Now, here are the points I urgently need to address in the letter:
About Asking Obi To Emulate Tinubu And Buhari
First off, let me make it clear that Mr. Peter Obi doesn't need to join street protests to prove that he is a true leader, indeed, the only true national political leader that Nigeria ever produced as I wrote recently. And I'm saying he shouldn't join the protests based on some reasons that I am going to make clear shortly.
That Buhari and Tinubu joined street protests in their time of opposition shouldn't be a ground to ask Mr. Peter Obi to do the same. If not for any other thing, it's an insult to ask Mr. Peter Obi to follow the examples of these people.
Or, if anyone is asking Obi to follow the examples of these people you mentioned, are you also ready to see him follow their examples in other respects? For instance, should he also follow their examples in how they manage public funds (such as getting bullion vans filled with cash for buying votes, as Tinubu did once)? Should he also follow their examples in encouraging violence any time he is not declared the winner of an election (as Buhari did in 2011 for example)?
I know your answer is going to be an emphatic “no” to the two questions above. So, on what ground are you using the past political moves of Tinubu and Buhari to measure acceptable leadership moves expected of Mr. Peter Obi?
On Obi's Leadership ‘Weakness’ Based On The Recent Statements By Kenneth Okonkwo
One reason Nigeria will hardly ever be emancipated is that we easily encourage wrongdoing based on our need for momentary convenience. And we try to make such wrongdoing a whitewashed rule for everyone to follow.
For example, in Nigeria, a governor who lets only the people decide who succeeds him is considered a weak leader while a governor who uses the power of incumbency to single-handedly decide who succeeds him is considered strong. That's because our psyche as a people have been so messed up we've forgotten our rights as well as what is right.
Let me ask: Who is the right leader in a democracy such as we're supposed to have in Nigeria? Is it a leader who allows democracy to take its full course or the one who doesn't?
In a sane democratic society, if a leader is perceived to have tried to influence a democratic process, there'd be a public outcry against him. But here, the opposite is the case - a testimony to how much of a dysfunctional society we are.
You all can see how we encourage our so-called leaders to misbehave and deny us our rights and honor with absolute impunity. In Lagos, for example, Tinubu has made sure he decided who became a governor in the state since leaving the seat in 2007. And, he has also had every governor of the state tied to his apron strings since then.
Any Lagos governor who has ever dared to be a real man by maintaining allegiance to the people instead of Tinubu, has been dealt with by the Lion of Bourdillon. Fashola tried it and almost couldn't get a second tenure until he accepted to remain tied to Tinubu. Ambode tried it but wasn't as lucky. That's how Tinubu has enforced the absolute loyalties of his long line of successors.
In contrast to this, in Anambra State, Obi finished as a governor and left the scene to mind his business. He never influenced the choice of who succeeded him - after all, he had nothing to hide. He never tried to influence any of his successors while on the hot seat.
Now, what Obi got for respecting the people and the seat of the state governor this way is an insult. That's why one of his successors (Prof. Soludo) could dare to make a career out of demarketing Obi. Meanwhile, if Obi had taken the path of least resistance by using his power of incumbency as Tinubu did, someone like Soludo could never have had the opportunity of being a state governor.
Now that Obi wouldn't influence the inner workings of the Labor Party to suit him, it is again considered a weakness!?! What's wrong with us as a people? Now, let me remind us this: Obi's attitude to the seat of a state governor that he once occupied is the right one instead of Tinubu's. Also, his democratic attitude to the party he belongs to is the right one too.
Why Peter Obi Shouldn't Join Any Street Protest
Let me start explaining this point by saying that Peter Obi is a rare national treasure that law-abiding Nigerians can't afford to lose. With this, I go ahead…
Tinubu and Buhari may have joined street protests while they were in the opposition, knowing that those in power then were people of conscience. But the situation is different now.
We don't have any reason to believe that the caliber of people in the position of leadership in the country wouldn't use the opportunity of a street protest to kill Obi just to have a free ride in corruption without anyone to checkmate them.
Peter Obi's Kind Of Protest Is The Best And Therefore Should Be Encouraged By Nigerians
When Peter Obi was the governor of Anambra, the members of the house of assembly continued to approach him to inflate the state budget to make room for humongous ‘official stealing’ but he continued to reject their proposal. Even when he was threatened with an impeachment, he refused to bulge. Even after he was illegally impeached and the long costly legal battle through which he got the stolen mandate back, he still refused to use his position to rob his people. That's a better way to protest.
When Obi was chosen to become the PDP Vice Presidential flag bearer, he went to seek God's face at Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria. The priest there asked him to make an unaccounted financial donation. Obi insisted on knowing the exact project he was donating to so as to allow him the opportunity to be accountable since he's a manager of public trust. That's a better way to protest.
When Obi was seeking to become the PDP Presidential flag bearer in 2022, it became obvious that the PDP Presidential ticket was for sale to the highest bidder against the acceptable democratic norms of the country. He refused to accept that as many others did. He left to pursue his aspirations elsewhere. That’s a better way to protest.
Imagine what would have happened if Obi submitted to the injustice of PDP in 2023. If he did, the biggest political mass movement in the history of Nigeria - the Obidient Movement - would never have been born.
Obi has been protesting in a like manner almost everyday. His protests have been bringing better changes than any street protest ever did. Therefore, this is the best way to protest. So, let him continue with that. Let him not follow the crowd. After all, following the crowd is the bane of our democracy today. The kind of protesters we need mostly in Nigeria are people who stand their grounds uncompromisingly against wrongdoing on a normal day. That, to me, sounds like Peter Obi.
Conclusion Due to the urgency of this message, I hastily put it together in a couple of hours. So, kindly forgive any typos or other errors it may contain. Thank you.
Chinkoalhaji34: The real game-changer is not protest, but action that actually moves the needle, not just noise.
"Not protest but action" you said. Is protest not action? Protest can bring genuine solutions. It just needs to lead to constructive solution-based engagements as the article says.
Please, this proposal is a bit out-of-the-box. So, I urge you to calm yourself down, go through this and see how it could change the story of Nigerian youths very fast and forever.
But before I go ahead, this is basically about engaging the governments in such a constructive way that they have to respond positively. Again, it is about tackling the roots of the problems. So, let's address these preliminary issues before we delve into the main issue.
First, The Nigerian Youths Should Be Ready To Take Responsibility
It's easy to blame the governments only. But, the youths will continue to sound incoherent and therefore immature until they identify their roles in the Nigerian project and also demonstrate clear willingness to fill those roles as soon as now. This later attitude, more than the former, makes them come across as responsible adults that they should be.
To explain this, I have to make it clear: The game-changer demand I am talking about has to do with modalities to make the governments invest in the youths in a way that makes Nigeria a major exporter of in-demand tech skills using our huge youth population. Among other things, this requires that our youths should shun mental laziness.
One bitter pill that Nigerian youths need to swallow to heal them of their many woes is that they are actually overwhelmingly mentally lazy. They may not be equally physically lazy, but where the empowerment lies in today's economy is in mental, not physical work. So, a country's economy cannot but suffer if its youth population predominantly displays mental laziness.
See How To Be Certain That Most Nigerian Youths Are Mentally Lazy
A casual visit to the Nigerian web space immediately reveals an overarching level of toxicity and complacency being displayed by a high percentage of the youths. Amid the deeply poor economy, you wouldn't believe that most Nigerian youths will rather dissipate their energies on non-issues like tribal banters and sexual/sexist topics, rather than discussing ideas that can change their situation.
An old saying goes that “ideas change the world”. In other words, ideas change a country for good. Another saying goes that “ little minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, while great minds discuss ideas”.
In contrast to these time-tested sayings, the majority of Nigerian youths continue to display an unwillingness to deal with tough ideas that lead to genuine solutions. For instance, how many of our youths today can sit down to study an expository information resource (like this very one) for 3 to 4 hours? Your guess is as good as mine.
Although many people now seem to think that "school is a scam", it's actually ever true that "readers become leaders". It's especially true in today's knowledge economy. But, our youths are generally not inclined to acquiring knowledge. Hence, the saying that “my people perish for a lack of knowledge” applies here.
I have been saying that Buhari was probably right when he held that Nigerian youths are lazy. After all, he was a head of state in his 30s and returned to be a head of state again after 40 years because the generations that passed in those 4 long decades were too weak to fill the position he left.
I Am Saying All These To Underscore The High Need For Mature Constructive Engagements At The #EndBadGovernance Protests - And How
So, there was a vacancy for 40-year older military dictators Obasanjo, Buhari and many others like them at different levels, to come back and rule the country again all because the intervening generations were mainly composed of weaklings who couldn't foot the bill. This is bitter truth though. So, I wouldn't be surprised to see many of the contemporary Nigerian youths kicking against it.
Meanwhile, I am saying all this to underscore how much Nigerian youths need to use this opportunity of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests to show the leaders that they are mature enough to be truly and fully respected by the leaders. This can only happen to the extent that the youths are able to CONSTRUCTIVELY engage the governments of the day.
Therefore, let this not be another occasion to make incoherent statements, and give our cruel governments another opportunity to use the youths and 'shine'. Even more importantly, let the youths be so wise that they don't end up as tools in the hands of some unscrupulous, selfish political opportunists.
It would be a shame of the highest order for the digital age Nigerian brains to keep letting the analogue age outwit them. So, what should they do?
The Youths Should First Understand Their Problems From Their Roots - And Have A Solution Proposal Handy
If #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria must not pass as another mere social media hashtag play, then, the youths need to think clearly about:
1. The roots of their many problems 2. The solution to them
This article needs to be short lest I lose most of the intended audience. The article is therefore meant to be so short that it can't fully accommodate the scope of this point just now. But, I hereby try to summarize as much as I can...
This is the main problem of the present-day Nigerian youths: Their economic value or power has been stolen over the years by the previous generations of the Obasanjos and Buharis.
Therefore, the present-day Nigerian youth is forced to depend on the previous generations to live. For instance, many contemporary Nigerian young people can feed only by working as physical or digital thugs to the older generations. So, they have to spend their energies and lives defending the very people who stole their destiny or they can't live to tell the story. So awful!
It's actually the main reason the Buharis and Obasanjos ruled the country in their 30s and 40s and returned to power after some 30 to 40 years outside the ring. And when they returned, countless Nigerians their age when they first ruled, were still tied to the apron strings of their parents or almost so, and begging for crumbs from their high tables.
You can do almost nothing without genuine economic power. Without commensurate economic power, nearly everything you do inevitably turns into rabble-rousing, noise-making. Instead of this not to happen, the oppressors would infiltrate your ranks using media and money powers.
So, a game changer demand at the #EndBadGovernance protests must be one that would speedily put economic power into the hands of today's Nigerian youth. And what the Nigerian youths need to use to successfully make this demand is what they have that the older generations don't have, namely, digital assets and prospects.
This is one of the reasons I took time talking about the knowledge economy somewhere above👆. The world is running a purely knowledge-based economy. But Nigeria is hugely cut off as a result of leadership ineptitude as well as youth laziness.
Until Nigerian youths get true economic empowerment, they will always be willing or unwilling tools in the hands of the older generations. I will yet publish my personal findings on why the Obidient Movement actually failed despite the huge promise it held, and you will see how even the Obidients were teleguided by the corrupt establishment to work against themselves.
This Is The Whole Point Of This
To avoid getting this much longer, the whole point of what I am trying to say borders on ironing out an arrangement with the three tiers of the Nigerian government, on how to empower millions of Nigerian youths to earn from the global workplace and marketplace.
This should become normal. And, it has the potential to actually turn a good number of our economic minuses into pluses. For instance, the poor performance of the Naira can become an advantage if this is implemented well. To iron out every gray area and block every loophole, the arrangement is going to be elaborate. The problem is: I don't know how many Nigerian youths would be willing to shun mental laziness and study this with me.
Calling for 'days of rage' may sound attractive to destructive mindsets. But, that's the exact mindset setting the average Nigerian youths backward and attracting disrespect from the older generations to the younger generations. And it makes the rest of the world look down on the average African.
The path I am proposing will involve a comprehensive plan for the government to empower the youths to export in-demand tech skills massively via the remote job environment. To be fair to all involved, it should be planned in such a way that the governments (from federal to local) will comfortably and quickly recoup the investment to make the process absolutely transparent and sustainable. It will also involve roles the governments need to play to remove historical barriers on the path of the Nigerian youths fully hopping on the global economy train.
As more issues arise along the line, we address them. But, as I said earlier, this will involve a fundamental and all-embracing attitudinal change in the average Nigerian young. Without this, absolutely nothing will be achieved once again. Hence, we'll keep moving around the vicious circle without really making progress.
So much destructive energy driving the average Nigerian youth (as exemplified in the avalanche of toxicity displayed on the Nigerian web space) needs to be transformed into a constructive one and rechannelled for the spot-on purpose.
Indeed, We Are Already Discussing This Matter
We will discuss this further. I hope to have occasions to enunciate this idea ever more clearly.
But for now, can we discuss the much I have presented here so far? For instance, does it make any sense at all to you as a person? Is there any point that isn't clear to you? After all, this is all about you. Is there any point you want to contribute to this? Or, do you disagree with the whole point of this?
Let the constructive engagement start here already. See this as an opportunity to participate actively and maturely in national discussions. It's much like being a senator or a house of reps member in your own rights.
Make your point below in the comment section or here on X. You are free even to write a full rejoinder and link it up below. What matters most is that your contribution helps towards a more constructive - and therefore more successful - #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests beginning from August 1, 2024. It's an opportunity that we shouldn't allow to slip through our hands - like #EndSARS and the Obidient Movement 2023. Thank you. _______ In addition to the above, I also endorse the following demands as presented by Omoyele Sowore with the exception of the #Daysofrage' hashtag
We didn't have refinery here for years, yet we've been exporting crude oil. Then, we've been importing refined oil. How insane!
Now, Dangote blazed the trail and built a refinery, before people start crawling out from their holes to talk nonsense. Arewa or not, I don't care because you sound paid to do this.
No matter the monopoly, Dangote refinery needs to be encouraged. It will provide many employments and business opportunities to Nigerians. It will attract foreign talents. Above all, it will help to make various crude by-products cheaper in the country.
The only thing the Government needs to do about it is to regulate it using extant laws. Meanwhile, how true is this allegation that the Tinubu family owns Oando and that Oando has acquired AGIP which was used to sell up to $2 billion worth of fuel to Nigeria in 2023 alone?
That means they ended up hurting you the more. They forced you to share your phone number with the X public. Your privacy is now deeply compromised. If I were you, instead of issuing threats, I'd just go ahead, use the collected evidence and sue them for damages. At least, you'd get paid a few millions for your troubles.
GeneralPula: I checked the video and didn’t see any Booooooo
Thank you. I was already suspecting that I was mad before I saw your comment. Watched without earphones and didn't see any booing. So, I was about using earphone in case they booed in a kind of whisper 😮💨.
This is commendable! This video shows Bishop David Oyedepo, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, Apostle Joshua Selman, and 8 other pentecostal pastors whose names I don't know, praising Catholics and the Catholic Church to high heavens. Hear what they have to say...
kestolove95: Mr gbajue master, they always tell you something before they die...
Both you and all who liked your ungodly comment are under an unavoidable eternal curse for attacking an innocent man for mourning the dead. Do, say, write, or think whatever, you can't shift this curse away.
callmevirus: Ereluroz I bu onye Igbo or ABI na copy and paste?
From EreluRoz's straightforward reasoning, you should have known that she is Igbo. Very balanced in her thinking. But she's so mature also because she's a bit fat (burly), dark in complexion, and married with kids. She'll soon become Ebonyi State commissioner of information.
SpaceX: The world need a competent leader; and scamala isn't it. A leader with vision, charisma and highly intelligent. Scamala can't debate a toddler she is an incoming disaster and Obama knows this deep down. Trump is the Messiah period. With Trump the whole world will know peace, his is going to hold people accountable and prosperity will dwell among us. Good bless Trump.
Mean while scamala is having a photo shoot with her so-called sycophants.
Tochitee: Pandora people and their idiotic assertions!!! Shetimma it has been agreed that Shetimma is taking over from tinubu after is 8 years tenure! God bless southwest God bless south south God bless northwest God bless northcentral Godbless nottheast
Because you are ungodly, God is blessing those you didn't bless the most.
Over the last 24 hours or more, I have been arguing with some young Nigerians online about this. Some youths think I should be more civil about it. Others think I am nuts for saying that the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protest is a part of some Northern agenda to oust Tinubu and install Shettima in Aso Rock.
Do you know what? I realize that young Southern Nigerian brains actually think that, just because it is tagged #EndBadGovernance, then that's actually the root motive.
How can young 21st century Southern Nigerians be so easily deceived en masse? Didn't you see Northern politicians holding meetings with ex-President Buhari?
Didn't you hear Atiku and Northern groups declaring "total support" for the protests? Yet, they opposed protests against an arm of the police under an administration that clearly and actively sponsored terrorism against us all.
Believe it or leave it, there is a Taliban-like scenario rearing its ugly head here. Or, haven't you heard of a group of armed people who blocked the Abuja-Lokoja highway for hours and no Federal Government presence could confront them?
Many people are saying I should keep quiet and let the protest hold. Some think it's all about Tinubu and Southwest - how stupid? Some are saying I'm Yoruba because I am calling for the South to protect the Tinubu Administration as the North protected the Buhari Administration even when it committed the worst crimes. Ndị e riri eri ka unu bụ.
This is not the time to be politically correct which is all about cowardlily sitting on the fence. If we all keep quiet without taking clear sides now, maybe, we'll be forced to do so when terrorist forces finally take hold of the reins in Aso Rock.
Tinubu is not the best of presidents, I thoroughly agree. He's not even close to performing up to average. But we don't have to cut our noses to spite our faces just because of this.
Instead, let's get ready to take back the country at the polls in 2027. To achieve this, the first thing we must do is to achieve economic emancipation at the individual levels: Because the corrupt establishment has weaponized poverty against the Nigerian masses.
Therefore, if we must take on the corrupt establishment and be successful at ousting them in 2027, we must do everything to build ourselves up economically and individually. And the destruction of young Nigerian lives and our little infrastructure that is sure to attend these North-backed protests cannot contribute any economic or political plus to us in any way.
For instance, remember those very patriotic young Nigerians we lost to #EndSARS in 2020! What political or economic plus has their deaths brought?
On the contrary, here is a colossal minus their deaths are: Imagine that one of those patriotic self-sacrificing hearts ended up becoming a Nigerian President in his 40s!
It happens in America. It just happened in Senegal. So, why can't it happen here?
Therefore, young Nigerians, this is a time to be really smart. You can only be smart to the extent that you are politically and economically constructive rather than destructive.
I have far more to say concerning this. But, this is getting too long for now. So, to avoid boring you, I stop here for now. Meanwhile, I will appreciate it if you tell me how you feel about the points I've raised below👇.
As future and current leaders, let's learn to participate constructively in national discussions. If you want to participate in a more socialized atmosphere, go here. Thank you.
SEE ALSO: Onanuga, Igbokwe, And The Futile Devilish Attempts To Hang #EndSARS And #EndBadGovernance Protests On Obi, Obidients, Or Igbos
You guys are not getting any younger.. Make una brace up, this is childish I swear..
Who be you guys? You're just being over sentimental. How you're insulting me without any provocation shows that you're not any better than what you're condemning. Sanctimonious hypocrisy!
Politics › Re: Protest: Brave People Are Now Hiding Inside Mortuary Ke? by dumahi(m): 11:22am On Aug 01, 2024
