₦airaland Forum

GenBuhari:
At least Buhari is a worthy hero

Worthy hero? What heroic feats has he done?

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala should be the one running for president. Not Buhari who is not even in her league. Let us take a look at her impressive biography.

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Born in June 13, 1954, to Professor Chukuka Okonjo of Ogwashi Uku, Delta State, Dr Okonjo Iweala, who parades an intimidating resume is unarguably the first woman to hold either of those positions. She served as finance minister from July 2003 until her appointment as foreign minister in June 2006, and as foreign minister, until her resignation in August 2006.

Currently serving as as Managing Director of the World Bank, not only does she get royal treatment on the global stage, Okonjo Iweala is of a royal homestead from the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Uku.

Iweala-Okonjo, who was educated at Harvard University in 1977, earned her Ph.D. in Regional economics and development from the Massaehusetts Institue of Technology. Prior to her ministerial career in Nigeria, she was vice-president and corporate secretary of the World Bank Group. In October 2005, the powerful woman led the Nigerian team that struck a deal with the Paris Club, a group of bilateral creditors, to pay a portion of Nigeria’s external debt (US $12 billion) in return for an $18 billion debt write-off.

She also introduced the practice of publishing each state’s monthly financial allocation from the Federal Government in major Nigerian newspapers. She was instrumental in helping Nigeria obtain its first ever sovereign credit rating.

In 2007, Okonjo-Iweala, whose NGO, NOI Global Consulting, partnered with the Gallup Organisation to introduce an opinion poll, the NOI poll, into the Nigerian polity, is a fellow of the Brookings Institution. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Global Financial Integrity and on the Board of Directors of the World Resources Institute.

The Managing Director of the World Bank has four children. The eldest, Onyinye Iweala received her Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology from Harvard University in 2008 and graduated from Harvard Medical School this year. Her son, Uzodima Iweala, is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Beasts of No Nation which was published in 2005.

https://igbohistory.com/images/brugges2006/3.jpg

He only gets massive support from one region, because of ethnic and religious affiliation. That is the only reason why he is able to draw big crowds. I have not seen this level of support from him in the Middle Belt or South.

The "urban" culture not only impacts some Africans, it also impacts other groups such as Asians, Hispanics and people from Europe. This is the price you pay when you live in the United States. I have seen some very "urban" Hmong (Asian) and Philipinos, as well as some very "urban" Armenians in California. Africans are not immune, and if you go to Houston or the DC suburbs, you will find many Nigerians who have embraced this lifestyle. Remember that DC's #1 rapper is a Nigerian. Wale! The point I am trying to make, is that there is nothing wrong with the "urban" lifestyle as long as they remember their roots.

Seun:
There are two troubling things I learned about Buhari/Bakare from the following story, told by Bakare:https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-633717.0.html
http://www.facebook.com/notes/cee-won/casting-demons-out-of-bakare-by-dimgba-igwe-of-daily-sun/200852143269405

My two areas of concern are:

1)  Buhari was presented with a running mate who was better in every way: an experienced economist, former finance minister who convinced western countries to forgive Nigeria's debt, former world bank VP, and not corrupt.  As an Igbo woman, she would appeal to southerners and progressives, and with Obasanjo's support, they could win the South-West.  But Buhari preferred a pastor of a small church as running mate, even though the pastor wasn't complaining.  Is this good judgment? Or was the man just put off by the idea of running with an[i] Igbo woman[/i]? 

2)  Bakare was indirectly given the option of resigning to make way for a better vice-presidential candidate, and he didn't take it.  He agreed that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was a better candidate, but he wouldn't step down unless asked to.  Why was that?  Its troubling.

Well said Seun!

The points that you raised are very good.

^^^

Of course Nigerians are too blind. They say that he should for Senator or Governor of his state, but the man is destined for greater things. People say they want change, but they are not willing to vote for him. It is very sad I must say. Either way, the people who support him, will not have a guilty conscious, because we know that he is the best for Nigeria.

Very good move.

On a side note, Beaf my brother, I have a question for you. Do you support PDP or just President Jonathan?

Pat Utomi reminds me of the Prophet Elijah and his battle against the prophets of Baal.

Utomi is Nigeria's Elijah.

[img]http://kcsg.files./2010/04/mt-carmel-elijah.jpg[/img]

Political violence not surprising, says Utomi

Yusuf Sanusi 29/03/2011

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), Prof. Pat Utomi, yesterday said the violence being experienced in the country is expected.

Speaking in Lagos, he said: “I am not surprised at the renewed spate of violence as we progress towards the election month. We actually asked for it by creating the favourable condition for it.

The citizenry as well as the civil society organisations must take responsibility for allowing public office holders to exercise power without accountability. When we look on politics as an avenue for amassing wealth instead of an arena for service, there is no way we would not have this kind of situation on our hands.

“It is more lucrative and even easier to be a politician than being an armed robber or a 419er. So, all those people that should have been armed robbers and 419ers have rushed into politics.

“Politics should be seen as an arena for public service, a kind of altruistic social responsibility. People that have made their marks in their various callings coming together to give back to the society.

“We should be having people of sterling quality with private means becoming senators and representatives without asking for a kobo from the common purse. We should be having governors that would not collect salaries; ministers that would collect very minimum allowances and perks.

“But what do we have? We have professional politicians, people with no other skills or alternative means of livelihood, who would be useless in any other endeavour, coming into politics and contributing next to nothing to uplift the lives of the people.”

He said until political office was made less financially rewarding, there may be no end to violence.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/32151.html

https://www.patitospost.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/utomi-logo2.jpg

^^^

I like your quote by Diderot. One of my favorite philosophers besides Rousseau and Spinoza.

The Japanese haven't forsaken their culture. These pictures should illustrate the point I am trying to make.

https://i1.trekearth.com/photos/30752/wedding_under_the_shrine-1.jpg

https://jspivey.wikispaces.com/file/view/shinto_priest.jpg/31071885/shinto_priest.jpg

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2908484159_d4b0bb5d8b_o.jpg

^^^

Say that to your Obas Yankee boy. Forsaking traditional values. But I can understand why, you were raised in a Western setting. That is why I cannot blame you. You can't even speak your mother tongue.

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/3736220580_3f90358560.jpg

tyrant11:
I JUST HOPE YOU HAVE YOUR BAGS PACKED. ODUA NATION WILL SOON COME INTO FRUITION.

And will you kick Igbos out of this Odua Nation? Stop talking nonsense.

aletheia:
^^^My party? So because I don't support Buhari, it means that I am in PDP. It is exactly such intolerant and zero-sum attitudes that made me hesitant about lending my support to Buhari even though I was somewhat sympathetic to his cause. I guess I was wise to wait. As they say "time reveals all". BTW: I dare you show just one post where I have canvassed support for PDP or GEJ to justify your allegation that PDP is "my party".

In fact, from now on I am going to actively campaign against General Buhari. Anyone but him has my support.

That is how they view things. If you don't support Buhari, then you must be a PDP supporter. The zero-sum mentality needs to stop.

Utomi is the answer!

https://www.patitospost.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/utomi-logo2.jpg

Pat Utomi should be leading this nation!  

[quote author=Kilode?! link=topic=633857.msg8012873#msg8012873 date=1301430180]Well said, Mazi Ezeuche.

May Amadioha and other Alusi's continue to protect our cultures. . .
[/quote]Agreed. There was a particular type of beauty in our traditional beliefs.

It is up to us to protect them before it is too late.

And instead of seeing each other as enemies, Africans need to focus on the enemy who continues to mock our histories, culture and languages. We all know who they are.

I respectfully disagree with you my brother.

What do people expect from this man? He was a former military head of state. The man should not be anywhere near politics.

namfav:
islam is not a middle eastern religion, fool, and islamic names are the beauty of our faith

Islam is a Middle Eastern religion. Just like Judaism and Christianity. Do you even know your own religion or are you just talking nonsense?

Islamic names = Arabic names

Arabs are native to the Middle East, not Africa, yet many Northern groups have forsaken their beautiful African names for these foreign names.

I am happy to have a fully indigenous African name.

One thing to learn from Japan is that they have not forsaken their culture or religion for Western ways and customs. Africans need to learn to have pride in our traditional customs.

What is this nonsense above?

Nairaland has some weird individuals posting on these threads.

slimghost:
We will get there! GEJ all the way

Yes we will

I think change can come if the either we go to back to our pre-colonial state or purges. Either way, you cannot overcome the ethnic affiliation, religious affiliation or regional affiliation without this happening.

Who says that democracy is the right thing for us?

The Japanese had to overcome a lot to get to that point. Learn about Japanese history and you will see how the island has seen its fair share of conflict over the centuries. The warring Daimyo and their vassals fighting for control of the island. It wasn't until the Tokugawa Shogunate, in which the Japense people seen real unity.

And they were able to modernize during the Meiji restoration, where the Japanese Emperor was seen as paramount.

I would say that Northern Nigerian culture is more Middle Eastern than African, because of their strict adherence to Islam, which is a Middle Eastern religion. Many Hausa even choose to bear Muslim names instead of their indigenous African names.