Where did we go wrong Nigerians? Where? The All Progressive Congress made all the promises and not me. The APC, and not me, have always been the proponents of the ‘Change’ mantra, so why should PMB tell me to change? Besides what do I need to change in me? Should I go from wearing my Aba made cloths to Okirika, or should I move from my brick house to a mud house? I never went round Nigeria promising those 3 million jobs, 780,000 immediate jobs. I did not tell Nigerians that subsidy payment is a fraud. I did not promise one free meal a day to Nigerians. I never had a campaign poster that said Kelechukwu Uzoka for Change. I never said “If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility, and I will fix it. That is what it means to lead”. PMB these were your words. There have been plenty go lows in this administration but last week saw the depths of it with the #ChangesBeginsWithMe re-orientation campaign. Instead of PMB coming out to address the hunger in the land he came out to tell Nigerians to Change!

A friend of mine who watched the launch of the #ChangeBeginsWithMe campaign noted that he was convinced that PMB finds it difficult to understand the problems of Nigerians from within Nigeria – he only understands us from afar and may only understand the current recession when he travels out again. Besides, the launch of this new campaign was an outright waste of scarce resources! In the course of a conversation with another friend on the ineptitude of the present administration in crises management, the fine gentleman noted that it would appear that PMB foresaw our present situation and increased the budgetary allocation for his feeding Ten Billion Naira to ensure that he keeps feeding fat with his family and the ‘Aso Rockers’.

Before we decide whether or not to succumb to this new regime of change, can PMB authoritatively tell us one thing his administration has done that has positively affected the citizenry? Even the very word change has been given a negative connotation by PMB’s attitude towards governance. It is now “change” where you are tagged an opposition because you ask the right questions which this government is supposed to answer, but cannot; it is now‘change’ where common things are becoming scarce ; it is now “change” where the Fulani herdsmen take over and continue, as a going concern, the genocidal business of Boko Haram with little or no reaction from the government; it is now “change” where feeding becomes a luxury; it is now “change” where there is a panic capital flight and massive divestments on account of government’s uncertain body language, inconsistent policies, and mismanagement of functional policies put in place by previous administrations; it is now“change” where loyal public and government officials feed fat while civil servants are owed salaries “back-to-back”. Dear PMB, we are not deceived by the slashing of your basic salary or the other mini gimmicks you employ to sway the uninformed. If you want to be serious, kindly slash the allowances by 50%, slash your budget and spending by 50% including those of your cabinet members. Reduce the presidential fleet and convoy, let the law apply equally to all.

PMB it was you and your APC that promised us Change during the campaigns, the citizens never promised you change. Please do not change the rules in the middle of the game. The Change has changed everybody except you, your party and your government. Stop singing Shaggy’s ‘It wasn’t me’ when citizen try to hold you accountable to your campaign promises. Do not throw the broom at us.

A Message from the Streets

If you can do nothing about the current economic situation and hardship in the country, please return us to how you met us pre May 29, 2015, when we bought a bag of rice at N9,000, a bag of fertilizer at N3,000, a bag of cement at N1,200, then we even had a functional and Independent electoral umpire unlike the ‘Inconclusive National Electoral Commission’ we have now. If Goodluck Jonathan is with all of our money, why did you not collect it from him when he came for the Council of States meeting last week? Maybe you should start handling your personal twitter handle @Mbuhari personally, you will feel the streets from there, or better still disguise yourself and go shopping or walk the streets and seek the opinion of those you claim to lead. Continue laughing at the cartoons while Nigeria gradually grinds to a halt. Let me expose one truth, PDP 16 years is better than APC one and half years economically.

You can fool the people sometimes, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

#BuhariBringBackOurNigeria

Happy Eid Mubarak. Daalu

Kelechukwu Uzoka is a Lawyer, Political commentator, Social activist and Legal consultant.
He tweets via @kcuzoka and can be reached via mail kcuzoka@gmail.com

Still available and price slashed

kaezydon:
Car For Sale.
Model: Lexus Rx 330 2006 edition

Condition: Tokunbo (Tincan cleared and good as new from US)
Full option, Leather seat, reverse camera, GPS system, ABS, Anti-theft, 5.1 DVD surround sound system (all factory fitted).

Location: Airport Road, Lagos

Asking Price: N3.3million.

If interested just call Barr. K.C on 08067310024.

Please share cos my buyer may be on your wall. Thanks.

Call me if you are interested

Wisdomval67:
Will it fly for 3.1 million

Wisdomval67:
Will it fly for 3.1 million

Call the number if you are interested

Car For Sale.
Model: Lexus Rx 330 2006 edition

Condition: Tokunbo (Tincan cleared and good as new from US)
Full option, Leather seat, reverse camera, GPS system, ABS, Anti-theft, 5.1 DVD surround sound system (all factory fitted).

Location: Airport Road, Lagos

Asking Price: N3.3million.

If interested just call Barr. K.C on 08067310024.

Please share cos my buyer may be on your wall. Thanks.

Baylam:
lol 1.6what?? How much is 2006/2007 honda accord (DC) simplesoul05 come carry your brother comot for here oo

It's now going for 1.3m bro... buyer needed urgently

2004 model Honda Accord EOD for sale.

Tokunbo, 1st body.
AC factory fitted.
Alloyed Wheels
Automatic Transmission.
ABS system
In perfect condition.

Price: N1.3million
Location Gbagada, Lagos
Contact: Barr. K.C on 08067310024

Re: Olisa Metuh's case.

I guess we are all aware of the case of the embattled PDP publicity Secretary Chief Olisa Metuh for allegedly receiving N400million from former NSA Sambo Dasuki. During investigation there where a lot of hullabaloo from the EFCC ranging from Metuh destroying and eating up his statement to not co-operating in investigations. After about two weeks of media trial, detention and investigation he's been charged to court and like any defence lawyer would do, Metuh's counsel brought an application for bail since the offences charged are bailable. The D day came for the hearing of his bail application and he was brought in handcuffs, why??
Dasuki the alleged chief sharer was brought in with Starched cloth without handcuffs, Alhaji Jafaru, President Buhari's ally was never handcuffed, Raymond Dokpesi was neva handcuffed the question begging for answer is why was Metuh on handcuffs, is it not the same justice system that all of them are facing??
Some media houses have it that the minister for interior Dambazzu gave an order and threatened the comptroller of Kuje prisons that Metuh must be brought to court on handcuffs. Apparently if it's true then this government is out to humiliate n shut out the opposition. Democracy thrives on, 1)the supremacy of the constitution, 2)Separation of powers, 3)rule of law and 4) a vibrant opposition but from all indications The APC led government of Muhammadu Buhari wants to take us back to 1984 shut down the opposition and make Nigeria a one party state.
See what is happening to our economy now Naira to dollar n other foreign currencies is on the lowest since 30years. Should the economy be sacrificed on the alter Killing corruption. Don't get me wrong am not against the fight against corruption am 100% in support of it. But We need to build strong institutions to take care of these cases and not personalities that can be removed from office anytime. There was a time when people were scared of the EFCC & ICPC but now the story is different, how many high profile convictions have they gotten in the past 8 years?? Let us build strong institutions that will last generations and we will see things work out themselves. Let's allow democracy thrive on the four tenets mentioned above and our politicians will start being proactive.
What ever this government is doing let it remember that what is good for Boniface is also good for Boniyansh...

Kelechukwu C Uzoka. Esq
Founder Advocate for Justice Initiative Nigeria.
He can be engaged on Facebook, Twitter and instagram @kaezydon
He blogs at www.kelechukwuuzoka.

Re: Olisa Metuh's case.

I guess we are all aware of the case of the embattled PDP publicity Secretary Chief Olisa Metuh for allegedly receiving N400million from former NSA Sambo Dasuki. During investigation there where a lot of hullabaloo from the EFCC ranging from Metuh destroying and eating up his statement to not co-operating in investigations. After about two weeks of media trial, detention and investigation he's been charged to court and like any defence lawyer would do, Metuh's counsel brought an application for bail since the offences charged are bailable. The D day came for the hearing of his bail application and he was brought in handcuffs, why??
Dasuki the alleged chief sharer was brought in with Starched cloth without handcuffs, Alhaji Jafaru, President Buhari's ally was never handcuffed, Raymond Dokpesi was neva handcuffed the question begging for answer is why was Metuh on handcuffs, is it not the same justice system that all of them are facing??
Some media houses have it that the minister for interior Dambazzu gave an order and threatened the comptroller of Kuje prisons that Metuh must be brought to court on handcuffs. Apparently if it's true then this government is out to humiliate n shut out the opposition. Democracy thrives on, 1)the supremacy of the constitution, 2)Separation of powers, 3)rule of law and 4) a vibrant opposition but from all indications The APC led government of Muhammadu Buhari wants to take us back to 1984 shut down the opposition and make Nigeria a one party state.
See what is happening to our economy now Naira to dollar n other foreign currencies is on the lowest since 30years. Should the economy be sacrificed on the alter Killing corruption. Don't get me wrong am not against the fight against corruption am 100% in support of it. But We need to build strong institutions to take care of these cases and not personalities that can be removed from office anytime. There was a time when people were scared of the EFCC & ICPC but now the story is different, how many high profile convictions have they gotten in the past 8 years?? Let us build strong institutions that will last generations and we will see things work out themselves. Let's allow democracy thrive on the four tenets mentioned above and our politicians will start being proactive.
What ever this government is doing let it remember that what is good for Boniface is also good for Boniyansh...
Kelechukwu C Uzoka. Esq
Founder Advocate for Justice Initiative Nigeria.

The Nigerian Law School Result is out for November 2014/2015 Academic year.
It was a fantastic result as it recorded 71% pass rate.

See Photos

The All Progressive Congress (APC) won the last general election massively by overthrowing the People’s Democratic Congress (PDP) the self-acclaimed largest political party in Africa. Now APC is the majority and ruling party in Nigeria. But since after winning the election I still think otherwise because the only thing I see the APC doing is still the same thing they have been doing since their formation accusing the PDP as if PDP is still in power. One may ask, is it that the APC were never ready for governance or that winning the elections came to them as a surprise. The All Progressive Congress is still in the campaign mood six months after being sworn in, if this campaign mood last till the next general election in 2019 then Nigeria is doomed. This campaign mood governance still makes them feel like the opposition party that they cannot even unite in the National Assembly and trying everything possible to hold Nigerians to ransom by their ‘opposition mentality of governance’. Since the formation of APC they have been attacking the PDP and accusing Jonathan’s government of financial recklessness and misappropriation. Now six months after getting into power APC’s story have not changed, all we have been seeing in newspaper headlines is President Buhari accusing Jonathan’s administration of looting trillions of naira and billions of dollars of Nigeria’s money, PDP killed and buried the economy of Nigeria. Oga Buhari please if Goodluck Jonathan is with our money why have you not asked him where he kept it throughout his visit to you in Aso Rock. If it is true that PDP rendered Nigeria bankrupt for the past 16 years, Obasanjo and Atiku are your closest paddy and I hope their recent visit to Aso Rock was for them to tell you where they kept our billion trillions.

APC will kill corruption, APC will bury corruption and President Buhari is not corrupt has been the campaign mantra of the APC and from all indications the only policy that this government have as regards how to give us steady power, basic infrastructure of living and making our economy attractive. For President Buhari to tackle corruption he has to build institutions and an independent judiciary that will do the work without fear or favour unless he want to leave the duty of being our president and become the prosecutor and judge of the anti-corruption tribunal but just like the legal maxim ‘nemo judex incusa sua’ you cannot be a judge in your own case. If we want corruption cases to be fast tracked my opinion is that an anti-corruption tribunal should be established by an Act enacted by the National Assembly but the body language of the 8th National Assembly does not seem as if they are ready to do their primary duty rather they are busy fighting over who heads which committee and why were juicy committees not given to ‘our party men’. Now my question is, are all the committees not important for the development of Nigeria? If you do not like the committee you head please vacate your seat as a law maker.

The other day some APC Senators led by Senator Oluremi Tinubu walked out of a plenary because it was presided over by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who is from the minority party, the PDP. This is a dangerous trend for our nescent democracy. It has been the norm and law that when the Senate President is unavailable to preside over the Senate sitting, his Deputy is to preside. The APC slept on its right to produce a Deputy Senate President and if they want to undo the ascendance of Ike Ekweremmadu as the Deputy Senate President they have the Nigeria 1999 constitution (as amended) for them to read.

Finally congratulations to The New Ministers of the Republic. But I ask myself why it took this government six months for the appointment of those persons most of us knew that will make the list of ministers. As a note of advice they should face the enormous task ahead of them and should not try to dabble dip into the politics of talk plenty and do less. Special congratulations to Baba Fash the trinity minister now all those boasting and cabashing that he has been making in Lagos when he was the governor, he should manifest it now. I and majority of Nigerians are expecting nothing less than 30,000MW of electricity being generated, distributed and transmitted in Nigeria by the last quarter of 2017. For the Lion of Ubima, yours is well deserved, you can now complete the Portharcourt monorail project which you could not do as a governor despite having everything at your disposal to do it then. For Lai Mohhammed the job is still the same.

Before I drop my pen Dear President Buhari please I need my monthly stipend of five thousand naira promised us during campaign which is now in arrears of about Thirty Thousand naira since your inauguration.

Kelechukwu Uzoka can be engaged on twitter and Facebook via @kaezydon
He blogs at http://www.kelechukwuuzoka.

STUPITY is when you go to London to campaign for people without PVCs. MUMU is when you go to London and fail to come back with your acclaimed Cambridge certificate. MUGU is when you did not go to school and you forge a certificate and come online to say SaiBuhari. FOOLISHNESS is when you have been shouting "up NEPA" since you were born but expects GEJ to become a magician within 4 years. AKPOS is when you read day and night to get a certificate and still want a semi-illiterate to rule you. 419 is when Buhari said he borrowed N27million for presidential form but Buhari's wife donates drugs worth N135million to displaced persons in Yola.

STUPITY is when you go to London to campaign for people without PVCs. MUMU is when you go to London and fail to come back with your acclaimed Cambridge certificate. MUGU is when you did not go to school and you forge a certificate and come online to say SaiBuhari. FOOLISHNESS is when you have been shouting "up NEPA" since you were born but expects GEJ to become a magician within 4 years. AKPOS is when you read day and night to get a certificate and still want a semi-illiterate to rule you. 419 is when Buhari said he borrowed N27million for presidential form but Buhari's wife donates drugs worth N135million to displaced persons in Yola.

APC sees nothing good in GEJ's administration. and its unfair to say that the Goodluck sat their for over 5 years and has done nothing at all. I was surprise that GMB did not say anything about the increase in exchange rate or our dependency on oil.

he and his party APC have been making tarnishing claims since. My major fault with this admistration is in the way that they tackled the boko haram issue. the gave them a soft hand.

wellmax:
Op is just dump. Were you expecting him to make tarnishing claims just becuase he's contesting? GMB is more matured than that.

"Hear him at Chatham House.

*** In April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy.
**** Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and
**** Our economy rated 26th in the world.
**** Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while
**** And our economy has grown at an average of 7%
- Muhammadu Buhari @Chatham House (Feb 26th, 2015)

Ten more days of hospital stay and Buhari will be campaigning for Goodluck Jonathan. This type of epiphany and clear thought has to be from good medication
READ his full speech here https://kelechukwuuzoka./2015/02/27/prospects-for-democratic-consolidation-in-africa-nigerias-transition-by-gen-muhammadu-buhari/

Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition.

Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them.

The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country.

So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. It convinced me that change can be brought about without firing a single shot.

As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.

In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002.

The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation.

But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of “free” increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. We can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty.
While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.

With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties.

It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach.

Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria’s fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election.

The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria.

But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure.

Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country.

You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue.

Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade.

But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?

The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery.

Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty. That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world.

With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted.

In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example.

On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference.

But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I’m running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.

In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly.

As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths.

In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely.

In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead, and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves.

Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition

Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch.

I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.

You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.

I thank you for listening.

The political atmosphere of Nigeria is now charged. A time of drama and intrigue, clandestine plots and stratagem, obfuscation and abracadabra. The primaries have been conducted winners have been declared while some losers are still crying foul. Some losers have gone to court or decamped and others have accepted their faith with the hope of compensation if their party eventually wins the elections. The royal rumble has started.

The most interesting part of the whole hullabaloo is which party/persons will occupy the Aso Rock Villa, the seat of power by May 29th 2015. We have two (2) major contenders in the race to Aso Rock. One of them is already there as an incumbent, the other has been in the race since 2003 but never made it to the finish line. The peculiar thing about both persons is that in 2011 one said he will only stay for one term if elected while the other said it’s his last race but unsurprisingly both rescinded their words and threw their hats in the ring. One came out as a consensus candidate the other had to go through the rigorous party primaries. One is in his late 50s and the other, in his early 70s. One is from the south and the other from the north. One is a Christian and the other a Muslim, the former has a Muslim as vice president and the latter a Christian vice presidential candidate. One has always been a civilian all his life; the other has a military background. One is the commander-is-chief while the other was a commander-in-chief. One is an advocate of transformation and the other is preaching change.

Now having made a brief introduction of both parties I will want to focus on the last sentence made in their introduction between transformation and change. My dictionary defined the word transformation to mean; the act of transforming or the state of being transformed, a marked ‘change’ in appearance or character, to alter, convert or make over. On the other hand change is the process of becoming different, to alter, modify or replace; to make something into something (transform).

Now the question here is what is the difference between transformation and change? What is the difference between PDP and APC because from my last calculation about 60% of the APC members now were at one time or the other, members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party. I seriously keep asking myself these questions what is it that the PDP want to transform and what is it that the APC want to change. APC is preaching change but some weeks back the wife of a former PDP governor who defected to APC was seen travelling with 25 Louis Vuitton designers trunk outside Nigeria.

Just yesterday Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola at a special APC rally held in Lagos described Jimi Agbaje the PDP gubernatorial candidate as a 60 year old who would be unable to cope as the governor of Lagos telling them that the job of governing just Lagos state with about 21million persons needs a younger man. But on the other hand APC are telling us to accept a 73 year old former dictator to preside over the affairs of about 180million Nigerians, 36 states and the FCT. What a nice Logic from APC the self-acclaimed party of change in Nigeria. Please has Mallam Nasir El-rufai withdrawn his statements he made some years back where he said that ‘Buhari is perpertually unelectable’?

As earlier said 60% of those in APC now where once strong stalwarts of the PDP whose interest where not accommodated and they left to join the APC just for convenience sake and not for the sake of change or transformation or whatever genuine reason to help our decayed system. The Nigeria political system is so bad that none of the political party have a streamlined political ideology. Take it or leave it our politics is still built around the person flying the party’s flag and not on the party itself. Our politicians are so selfish that even when we have a national issue like Terrorism ravaging some parts of the country instead of them coming together to find a permanent solution to it, they keep playing politics and throwing blames between themselves when the lives of people they are governing are at stake. Our political system still have a long way to go.

From my permutations the type of transformation and change that Nigerians are clamouring for cannot be given to us by the present generation of PDP and APC. They are just two sides of the same coin.

May all the Souls of Our Fallen Heroes and those who lost their lives in the recent Baga massacre rest in perfect peace. Amen

#IamBaga #AllForBaga

Kelechukwu Uzoka is an entrepreneur and consultant on politics, law, business, media and publicity.

You can find and follow me on twitter, facebook, skype and instagram ‘@kaezydon’. I also blog on http://www.kelechukwuuzoka.

Am yet to see A photograph of what he did in aba, ohafia, arochukwu,bende, isialangwa, isiukwuato,umunneochi etc. from ur pics all i see are umuahia north and south LGA. or is Umuahia the Only Place in Abia. please tell me @emindu since u are defending him.

Its been a very long time here and i know some of your missed me. But now am back.
This article was written by me and posted on my blog and major news blogs online i just wanna share it here for those that have been following the developments in abia state.
You can read more on www.kelechukwuuzoka. or follow me on twitter @kaezydon

I was scrolling through my twitter timeline on Sunday 9th November 2014 and one tweet caught my attention, it was a tweet from one of the twitter blogger guys who goes by the tweet handle @oddy4real, ‘Ayokunle Odekunle’ that he is in Umuahia, Abia State. On further probing I found out that he is on a ‘good governance tour’ in Abia. I ignored it as one of those twitter blogger’s joke since it’s a well-known fact that Abia State apart from the upgraded hospitals, Ubani market, new secretariat and high court building, the much celebrated conference center, and pockets of housing estates all in Umuahia. Abia state has nothing to show especially in its commercial nerve centre Aba in terms of government presence or governance apart from the huge, indiscriminate and multiple taxes imposed by Theodore Ahamefule Orji and his goons in Aba. But it wasn’t a joke as anticipated; because use on Thursday 13th November 2014 my twitter timeline was filled with the hashtag #TAOrjiFeedback. I decided to follow the hash tag only to discover that some bloggers or better put, twitter/social media influencers where imported from their different destinations probably from Lagos, Abuja and other South Western States to tour Abia state and maybe put the ‘good works’ of ‘Ochendo Umuahia’ on tweeter/social media map. I laughed and pitied the man called Theodore Orji on his desperado need for attention and acceptance in the Nigerian media. He is now trying to take it to the social media but it won’t work this time. Why hire bloggers from other parts of Nigeria to push your much touted ‘good works’ in Abia? Are there no bloggers or active twitter/social media influencers in the whole of Abia or is he scared of something, (his ineptness and mismanaging of God’s Own State for the past seven and half years). The truth is that since Orji Uzor Kalu anointed you, rigged you into power and brought you out from the prison in 2007 God has disowned Abia state while you and your family have owned it. It is better that the slogan of the state is changed to “T.A. Orji and Family Owned State”. The God in heaven would be so ashamed to own a state like Abia State especially with the way you and your household are running it like a fiefdom.

Yes, former Minister of Information Labaran Maku came on his Good Governance Tour and scored you as a performer, same with the team of PDP leaders that visited the state recently. Why would Labaran Maku or the PDP leaders score you as an underperformer, is it not the same party stalwarts, why would the kettle call the pot black, when you stashed their pockets with cash and other incentives? You still haven’t told Abians how much these two ‘good governance and media tour’ cost them or did you sponsor it from your private pocket? After all why should Abians care, the whole taxis, ticycles and buses you gave them on hire purchase are all branded with your stickers; Ochendo Global, Ikuku Ochendo Efesalam, Ochendo for Senate 2015, as if the vehicles were donated from your personal pocket and not from the hard sweats of Abians. In states like Lagos where we have an educated government and populace you can hardly see Fashola this or Fashola that. It is always Lagos state government this or that because it shows that the people are involved in governance. They know the cost of governance in their state unlike Abia where the cost and maintenance of governance is only known by the governor and his cronies. In Umuahia alone without exaggerating there are 30 times more billboards of Theodore Orji with his different propaganda and senatorial bid than the works he has done in the whole state.
Ohanku By Ngwa road Aba

Ohanku By Ngwa road Aba

In this brief exposition I will just concentrate on some of the statements from the thread #TAOrjiFeedback attributed to Governor Orji and his goons by the bloggers who attended the media tour and Q&A session.

“The bloggers are here to confirm that you are the governor that they have known you to be” – The P.A on E-Governance. I wonder what the work of a P.A in E-governance is. I won’t be surprise if he was the one that organized and invited ‘my fellow bloggers’ to Umuahia. If he is an expert on social media he would have known better ways to build a social media image for his media hungry boss. That is how our money is being wasted on extravagantness of exaggerated and unwanted portfolio offices.

“Before now, if you were invited to Abia, you won’t come because of the security situation. But we conquered that” – Gov. Orji. Yes oh, it is true. The security situation in Abia state between 2009 to 2011 especially within the Aba axis of the state, was so alarming that I and my family thought of relocating to Owerri or my hometown as we received several threat letters, text messages and calls from kidnappers. But the fact was that T.A Orji downplayed and did not do anything serious about the kidnappings to the extent that the kidnappers ordered banks and offices to close down in the city and the order was obeyed to the latter. If I remember those dark periods in Aba, I feel for those states hit by Boko Haram insurgency because the fear Aba citizens felt during that period when the state government and the police did nothing to protect its citizens was equal to what the citizens of Adamawa, Yobe, Borno etc are feeling now only that theirs have escalated to a full blown war. It wasn’t until the international media beamed its lights on Aba after the Kidnap of the 15 school children of Abayi International School on their way to school on September 2010 that Orji ran to Abuja to meet the President Jonathan to brief him about the situation in the state. If those innocent children were not kidnapped then, who would have known the state or nature in which Aba would have been till date? Thank God Osisikankwu was killed and showed no mercy by the military. If only our military men will use that vigour and vanquish Shekau, Boko Haram and free our innocent girls of Chibok and other Nigerian citizens held captives by these messengers of the devil.

“This government has been subjected to the worst propaganda and criticism, many because of anger” – Gov. Orji. He just shot himself on the foot with this words; Propaganda, criticism and anger; T.A. Orji spends almost half of Abia States budget on propaganda and media hypes, criticizing his former boss and venting his anger on those that don’t agree with his dictatorial style of leadership. If you don’t know this then it means you don’t read the paid news bars of AIT and NTA network news. Ask around for people who do. Have you heard of BCA radio and Television or about The National Ambassador Newspaper? These are the primary propaganda machine of ‘Ochendo Umuahia’ and his government. What pains me most is that the staff of these state owned media and press houses are being owed salaries of nothing less than three months. When I ask one of my friends who work with BCA radio on why they still praise this visionless man who doesn’t care about their welfare the answer I got was “K.C do want to employ me? Our prayers are that we will survive till 2015 and God will send Abia its messaiah” I was like oh, this people know the truth too and are still singing his praises. Oh pity, pity is what I feel for Abians. If you watch the type of hype they show on BCA TV for Orji even President Jonathan’s own on NTA and AIT cannot match it.

“We are ranked as one of the safest states in Nigeria” – Gov. Orji. Nice one for Abians. In terms of security maybe yes, but in term of investment and business it is a capital NO. Aba is the commercial nerve center of Abia State and generates over 60% of the IGR. Most of the companies and business in Aba have either relocated to nearby states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Imo etc. Why? Aba is neither safe nor conducive for some businesses because of neglect, lack of roads, infrastructure, multiple and exorbitant forceful taxation with thugs. Orji should tell us what happened to the once revered Aba Textile Mill, Golden Guinea Plc and Modern Ceramics Company? Aba is a lawless city. Imagine a situation where 5 different groups will come and ask you to pay for Infrastructure tax, when you bring the receipt of the one you paid to one group another group will come and say you haven’t paid to their group same thing goes for the multiple taxes paid by individuals and residents of Aba. Sometime this year a student was shot in one of the schools in Ogbor hill Aba because he and he’s fellow students prevented this tax thugs from barging into their school to demand for their own group of an already paid tax to another group.
EFCC is also waiting for you in Abuja

EFCC is also waiting for you in Abuja

“If you had known this state before now, you would have been hailing me till I leave” – Gov. Orji. Hailing you my foot! That’s the kind of thing you feed on, inglorious praises, that is what those sycophants around you are always doing, praising you and wouldn’t tell you the truth about the state of the people you govern. Don’t worry me and other concerned Abia citizens will be hailing you when you go back to the dungeons where you came out from. After all like one of your campaign billboards says ‘Abuja is waiting for you’ also remember that EFCC and ICPC have their offices in Abuja.

“I didn’t meet anything or money to start off a government. I met a debt of N29billion. But I didn’t want to talk” – Gov. Orji. You didn’t want to talk? How cliché of you? Were you not part of the government that left the debt? Or do you want to tell me that you did not know about the debt before you accepted Orji Uzor Kalu’s offer to be forced on the will of Abians? I can bet that if such debt existed when you became governor that 60% of that money was used to rig you into power because you never had enough money to campaign for primaries not to talk of winning an election in 2007. Why didn’t you tell Abians that you had no money to run their government or that their state is in debt to that amount as a duty of accountability you owe them? Only a gullible fool will believe this cock and bull tale. Ehen before I forget did you declare your asset in 2007 and 2011, and how much will you be worth by the end of your tenure in 2015 courtesy of Abians sweat?

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Ariria Market Aba After a light shower

Ariria International Market Aba After a light shower

“You have seen it with your korokoro eyes” – Gov. Orji. The bloggers have seen only what you showed them with their korokoro eye but I see the rot in Abia every day. You didn’t show them the death trap bridge along the Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia road where about 18 students all perished last year on their way for their JAMB exams; did you take them to the Ariaria International Market Aba, Ahia Ohuru Market in Ngwa road or the abattoir in Ogbor Hill Aba?

“When you hear Aba this Aba that; is there any country or state that doesn’t have its fair share of bad roads? The number of roads we have done in Aba is unprecedented. The projects we have done in Aba are unprecedented” – Gov. Orji. Please Ochendo why didn’t you name the unprecedented roads and projects you have done in Aba so far so that I can get a picture of it and show it to the whole world for them to judge you. When it comes to roads it is -70% because under your watch as the governor for the past seven and half years the roads in Aba have gone from bad to worst; is it the Aba-Owerri Umungasi Road, MCC road, Faulks road, Ukwu Mango, Porthacourt road, Asa road, Azikiwe road, Eziukwu road, Ngwa road, Ohanku road, Old express road, Ariaria road, Ahia Ohuru road, Omuma road, East road, Mosque road, Park road, St Michaels road, Umueze road, Osisioma road, Uratta road etc. just to mention a few. Just name any of the roads and I will snap it and publish it. At least Orji Uzor repaired some roads in Aba but because they were white washed roads they left with him at the end of his tenure.

“If you ask me questions, maybe some more facts would come out” – Gov. Orji. Since the bloggers did not some questions, I better ask them here? 1) Why where bloggers and social media actors based in Abia not invited to participate in this your social media assessment tour? 2) Why did you sack Igbos/Nigerians working in the state civil service without providing an alternative for them, do u know how many children you made orphans, fatherless, motherless and families you personally removed their daily bread from their mouth by that singular action? You pronounced Igbos and Nigerians non-indigenes in an Igbo/Nigerian state. God is watching you from the third heavens. 3) When last did you personally visit Aba on a tour or commissioned a project there? 4) What project(s) have your romance with the federal government brought to Abians (because the federal roads in Abia are in their worst shape)? 5) Why do you run Abia like a fiefdom and haven’t paid staff of the state civil service for the past three months? Answer these five questions first and I will shoot the rest in my next writeup.
Ahia Ohuru by Ngwa road Aba

Ahia Ohuru by Ngwa road Aba

“When I came on board, IGR was N200million, but now it is about N700million” – Gov. Orji. That’s like 250% increase. Congratulations on this feat it’s a welcome development and I hope the next administration will push it up to the N3billion target. But why has the infrastructural and social welfare of the people not increased by 250%, how is this money being spent?

“I have experienced the civil service, I have experienced the executive, and I want to experience the legislature.” – Gov. Orji. Why don’t you experience it at the state legislature or House of Representatives? What did your years in the civil service and executive add to Abians? You will also experience the judiciary soon too.

“When we started projects and governance was in 2011 when we went to PDP and liberated the government”. – Gov. Orji. Oga Orji if my data is right you decamped to PDP before 2011. And by starting projects and governance in 2011 what have you been doing with the states fund since 2007? Did Orji Uzor Kalu collect all with a gun pointed on your head? Was there no IGR or did the federal government withheld our allocation for a period of four years plus where did you get all the money to campaign and contest your reelection in 2011? Theodore Orji, you are the only one in bondage and needs liberation but it is still pity that till date you have not been liberated. I thought you said that you were democratically elected in 2007 and not handpicked and forced on Abians? So why the said bondage and need for liberation?

“No government can totally fix Aba. Unless you abandon all other areas to fix Aba, others will complain”. – Gov. Orji. Now these are the exact word of someone who got his highest vote from Aba and was voted into power by this same people. Why didn’t he tell the people of Aba that he cannot fix their city for them during his campaigns? Why the empty promises of good roads, pipe borne water, new markets and investment attraction? To show your aptest cluelessness you have no road map, manifesto or agenda when you were forced on Abians and rigged your way to power, if you have any publish it so that your administration will be accessed with it. Now you want to deceive the people of Abia central with that lying tongue of yours and move to represent them in the senate. Why zone the governorship to the people of Ukwa and Ngwa area if not to cover for your ineptness and lack of governance in Aba. When Orji Uzor handed power over to you he never said anything about zoning so why do you import it if not to politically divide Abians for your selfish gains. I weep for Abia especially Aba the land of my birth as I type this short piece on my bed. If only Abians can speak with one voice and repeat what happened in Imo in 2011 in Abia by 2015.