₦airaland Forum

If you are flying a kite for IBB, you better hand it back to him! IBB not a bad guy? Wonders shall never cease to happen in this dilapidated nation!

slap1:
To me, an IBB presidency is like a democratic coup. All the bad guys, especially OBJ, will leave Nija for dear life. However, IBB, in my opinion, is d kinda man we need right na. But when did we become such a darling to them white boyz? Anyways, when they finish meeting with IBB let them go and see Iwu. Finally, these people r coming too close for comfort.

What Senate??

It is coming to that now.

Each household, state, region must not let this impending collapse meet them unaware - be prepared to defend yourself. The ship of this state is under the control of criminal elements who in saner parts of the world would be spending multiple life times in jail or executed for all their heinous crimes.

Having reached the pinnacle of power they are not going to give it up without a fight. These people are throwing the body of a country's president around like football just for the sake of power and loot. They would have done exactly the same thing with their mother.

They will pay one way or the other, but they can save all of us some time by baring their faces, so the battle can be joined more quickly.

I am an eternal optimist, but even for me it is impossible to see Nigeria not at war or split by the time its golden jubilee arrives. That is the honest truth.

Yet, there is perhaps one last chance for a peaceful resolution - binding regional referenda to determine each region's desire to split or not. Those who are not interested in splitting can stay together.

One way or the other Nigeria's exodus is coming!

EzeUche:
Screw a coup!

I want outright Secession of the entire south, or at least the southeast.

Who is afraid of a big, bad coup? This is exactly what we need now.

Nigeria is a coconut that's being growing for 50 years, and now it is ripe. Inside is the sweet stuff, but the coconut must be broken to be enjoyed.

One condition though, it must be broken on the HEAD OF SOMEONE.

The coup makers should step forward now. Let's see if your heads are strong enough - otherwise, shut up and enjoy your loot until your time is fully ripe.

If you have read the book, "Of Mice and Men" then you already know what I am about to say.

For those who haven't let me summarize: It is the story of Lennie and George by John Steinbeck (1937). George was small, though strong and intelligent; while Lennie was literaly a buffoon, but one who possessed enormous strength. Lennie was completely incapable of controlling his strength or understanding the consequences of excessive strengh. The combination of a lack of intelligence and brute strength made Lenie a dangerous fellow, although at heart he was a gentle fellow who likes to pet mice, rabbits and any cudly thing - "I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof' things", he said. The only problem is that a small pinch by Lennie was enough to put all these animals to death - and he literaly killed each and every one he ever got. George was Lennie's protector and as long as he his around Lennie is under control. Lennie provided the strength to make both of them enough money in the early 20th century manual labor life. Lennie's lack of control and child-like mind kept the two in a constant crisis, while they pursued the dream of an acre and farm of their own.

I have always thought that the way Nigeria has been run since independence fits this story very well. A cabal who have acquired enormous strength one way or the other continue to rely on the people's resources to keep them out of trouble at many turns, but they are slowly killing Nigeria.

Well Lennie did commit the ultimate crime when an unaware woman flirted herself into his arms. [size=14pt]Here is the story of what happened next[/size]:

She took Lennie's hand and put it on her head. "Feel right aroun' there an' see how soft it is."

Lennie's big fingers fell to stroking her hair. "Don't you muss it up," she said.

Lennie said, "Oh! That's nice," and he stroked harder. "Oh, that's nice."

"Look out, now, you'll muss it."

And then she cried angrily, "You stop it now, you'll mess it all up."

She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie's fingers closed on her hair and hung on.

"Let go," she cried. "You let go!" Lennie was in a panic. His face was contorted.

She screamed then, and Lennie's other hand closed over her mouth and nose.

"Please don't," he begged. "Oh! Please don't do that. George 'll be mad."

She struggled violently under his hands.

Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie's hand came a muffled screaming.

Lennie began to cry with fright. "Oh! Please don't do none of that," he begged.

"George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits."

He moved his hand a little and her hoarse cry came out. Then Lennie grew angry.

"Now don't," he said. "I don't want you to yell, ".

And she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror.

He shook her then, and he was angry with her. "Don't you go yellin'," he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish.

And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.


[size=14pt]NIGERIA's neck is now in the hands of the cabal, her nose and mouth are closed shut. Nigeria is writhing to be free and you can see the terror on her face[/size].

Will she meet the ultimate fate this time or escape one more time.

Miraculous or not, if Yar'adua returns, even with rosy cheeks and fitter than a long-distance runner, he must first of all give a genuie explanation of why a country's president would be incommunicado for 3 months (and counting). Otherwise, Nigerians should refuse to "see" him.

My guess however is that:

1) He is being hanging in the balance since shortly after he left for Saudi Arabia;

2) His assistants are lying thieves who all need to be sacked - faking phone calls to other government officials and a BBC interview. In whose view Yar'adua could be suffering from a serious heart problem and yet performing the lesser Hajj a few days later. A man who is sound and fit, but fails to remember that he is the head of a nation of 140 million. A man who could sign a 300-page document, but not a letter to ensure his countrymen are not left rudderless. Lately, in their fantansies, he is being running and drinking kunu.

I am sure the decisive move to empower the VP was with the help of more competent intelligence agencies. They must have authoritatively informed their "friends" in Nigeria that there is "little hope" of Yar'adua's return to power.

Still, as long as there is life, there is hope, and I offer prayers for his eventual recovery.

Beaf:
With a little tact, we should see a Goodluck Jonathan presidency, come 2011. Just, so far as Yar Adua does not miraculously return.

As Prof. Wole Soyinka would say you are talking from the "four compass points of your mouth".

You can say what you want about Gen. Obasanjo, but please have the sense to see that IBB would always be a little worse. So Gen. Obasanjo never cared about democracy, but in your world IBB did? Please tell me how many coups Obasanjo conducted in Nigeria's history. So Gen. Obasanjo wanted to be a life President, and IBB didn't. IBB stepped aside only because Abacha made him. OBJ's ego-tripping third term agenda was stopped, as it should be, by the people and the Senate.

If we want to speak in absolutesm, then all soldiers that have ever taken the reign of government in Nigeria at any level, while in uniform, should be banned for life. Their extra wealth should be confisticated, including your hero, Ojukwu. But we know that is not going to happen now. They are (were) all in the same group. The lack of honor among thieves is the reason they are "enemies" at different points in time.

Onlytruth:
Obasanjo is the worst Nigerian leader of all time for being the MOST SELFISH of them all. This man had his paws on every deal in the country. Above all, he was UNSCRUPULOUS and never cared about democracy. He was also very devious and an expert at manipulating his political opponents. He empowered and protected CRIMINALS to run roughshod on the country, turning many peaceful regions into war zones, a typical example of which was my state Anambra. If Obasanjo had his way, he would have metamorphosed into a LIFE PRESIDENT. One of the few proud moments I have had as a Nigerian was when the national assembly under the leadership of Senator Ken Nnamani threw out his tenure elongation schemes.

Even the evil genius called IBB loved this country more than Obasanjo because he admitted his limitations and stepped aside. Obasanjo would have caused a war than step down if his term was not finished and he was roundly defeated by more honorable Nigerians. He was preparing to die in office! Everything Obasanjo did, he did for HIMSELF. As far as he is concerned, his love for Nigeria is synonymous with his love of himself. He didn't see any difference between the two. He was becoming the Nigerian state until he was reined in by morally superior and more patriotic Nigerians.

@mikeansy
If I didn't know your writings I would say you were an agent (Gentlelabs is definitely one - deny now o) of Gen. Obasanjo. However, I would have to agree with you that Yar'adua should have built on the Obasanjo admins achievement instead of chasing phantom enemies.

On the other hand, half of the blame for Yar'adua belongs to Gen. Obasanjo, aided by the Obj/Atiku wars.

There are only two persons that have had the opportunity to put Nigeria on the path of greatness. One is Gen. Obasanjo, and the other is Babangida.

Gen. Obasanjo had two good opportunities to ensure his successor was good for NIGERIA. In his first round it was Shagari, a serious mistake he has acknowledged. However, his second try turned out to be even worse aka Yar'adua. Gen. Obasanjo is a good, in another country, perhaps a great General, but he plays politics as if it was soldiering, relying on expediency and self-preservation, instead of what the people need and want.

As for Babangida, he is a pure idiot - yes I said it! Somebody will come here to say that I am calling somebody's father names. Well, there are millions of other people's fathers that his pure idiocy has destroyed and sent to their early grave. I hope he knows to keep himself far away from Aso Rock.

So, no Gen. Obasanjo is not really bad. He his a good soldier, a farmer and brilliant individual, but a very bad judge of character. That achille's heel is threatening his potential place as a father of Nigeria - nobody is the father of a bad country. He has a way of forging compromise, but the choice of Nigeria's leaders should be kept away from him. The people must be allowed to choose their leader so they can hold him accountable.

mikeansy:
The whole OBJ is the biggest trouble with Nigeria is one of the most regrettable and uninformed vicious myth of our generation.

It was deisgned by hopeless public officers scared of their own record and will rather blame others for their failures.

I think the fact that it really got traction emphasizes the need for more education, imformation management and institutionalization of records. So that when people come to office and choose to distort the records of their predecessors so that they will have such a low standard to be benchmarked against. We can tell them sorry you are not too smart.

Imagine what Nigeria would have been if . . . . . . .

Alliyu Modibbo concentrated on building on El-Rufai's records and improving Abuja rather than attacking his predecessors (Guess what the so called 32 billion Alliyu Modibbo accused El-Rufai of stealing was confirmed by Minister of State Remi Babalola to be in FCT account). You all know the Abuja El-Rufai left in 2007 and what Abuja is today.

The same is the story of Waziri at EFCC and Ribadu. Instead of fighting corruption Waziri was focused on Ribadu and accused him of not declaring his assets. after months and months of battling Ribadu, the Code of Conduct Tribunal led by Constance Momoh has admitted that actually Ribadu declared his assets before becoming EFCC chairman and after he left EFCC. Guess what? they still want to arrest Ribadu in other to declare him innocent. only in Nigeria.

Look at the Independent power project. They were at an advanced stage before OBJ left office. When he left The Yar'adua Government accused OBJ of spending 32 Billion on power project without achieving nothing. It turns out after months and months of probing OBJ and wasting everyone's time. only about less than 5billion was spent and there are actually power plants to show for that expenditure in various parts of the country as well the sea port waiting to be moved to where they are to be installed. But instead of continuity the Yar'adua government chose Politics over Progress.

and there are lots of examples like this. I don't want to mention the banks because the debates on that front are still fresh and the mistakes are yet to manifest themselves.

OBJ has his faults, but OBJ's goods far outweigh his ills. I think he is the best leader Nigeria has seen so far.

Two elections already in Ogun and Lagos States within a month - and the 2011 elections are still about a year away.

At this rate there will be no one to contest A.C. elections in the South West come election time.

Internal political violence has been the #1 political problem in the South West since the '60s. Until we solve that problem the huge potentials of this region will amount to nothing. People cannot slaughter each other in the name of politics like this and hope for progress. No Way! No How!

olafolarin:
Fashola is doing so well in Lagos because someone laid a solid foundation for sustainable development.He is brilliantly executing a well-concieved and planned program/projects.

Yes. His recent troubles might not be unconnected with "certain persons" who think he is getting too much credit - given how often his name is being mentioned for the presidency

olafolarin:
Buhari on the other hand is a disciplined leader with very good intentions for Nigeria.But he's been out of power for so long and he is regarded in most quarters as a strict conservative with zero tolerance for corruption.

Remind me what Gen. Buhari's record was again. From my viewpoint he is no different from Yar'adua, except that Gen. Buhari's ambition was more open. He headed a military government, but even then his name is not associated with the "few" things that could be counted as good during that period. He went on to serve Abacha as head of the PTF. Can you point me to his accomplishments here? No achievents? Then give me his plans, his speeches,etc. Otherwise those who think he is potentially a good president are spending money from a dream.

This is the same myth Gen. Obasanjo sold us on Yar'adua - we need to stop falling for this he's is strong line of argment.  That is a military thing!

But there's much at stake in Nigeria right now to risk Buhari's rustiness.

Great point.

Based on what? Let me see a manifesto and specific plans for:

Electricity
Transportation
Education
Health
Employment
Housing

and not just useless slogans such as "Free Education for All". I am talking about practical plans identifying the needs, the available resources, how to makeup for resource shortfall, standards for measurement of progress, etc.

Then we can begin to rank teams - it seems to me that we need to have ideas of who is likely to be in a potential cabinet as well.

So far Fashola has done good things in Lagos, but, true or not, there are allegations of corruption.

Besides as Yar'adua's case shows leading a state is not the same as leading a country. We also have the same evidence in the reputation of G.W. Bush as one of the best governors of Texas, who went on to become perhaps the worst President in history!

Your questions are pointless - how are the answers useful to you? The initial post, topic of the post and 4 pages of nonsense Yoruba-Igbo bashing was basically designed to "validate" a given conclusion. There was no attempt at judging the veracity or plausibility of this story.

Even if this story were true: Again, why was Sardauna calling Zik about Awo's proposal. Wasn't that the same as Awo-Sardauna, Zik-Awo, Zik-Sardauna. Do you spot who is being treacherous here? If you must find treachery then all three are treacherous. It also seems to me that Awo was able to see through the game being played by the two, and offered them exactly the same deal. On other hand have you considered the possibility that those who lost a war, just or not, will find excuses for the loss, and that many of the stories people are telling today are just that, stories from their fantansies?

If for some reason you really need answers to this kind of pointless questions what you need is get as many history books of the era as you can find and try to distill out the truth before embarking in cyber tribal-war. A war just as pointless as the questions themselves, in my view.

Ultimately you should go ask Awo himself, if it is that important

mekuszyx:
This thread will not be hijacked by people who do not want Awo discussed. We must get back to the topic and stop all the distraction.

Why was Awo trying to play on Zik and Sardauna?
Why was he prepared to be Finance Minister to either of them?
Was there desperation for power at play?

So you are saying this is not just some random minority opinion you people are selling over here on Nairaland.

I did my NYSC in Owerri and would have cursed out anybody that suggested that Igbo people teach their children that Yorubas were treacherous. What I saw were largely friendly people, hardworking and going through the same pains of an unworkable nation as people in the South West - I have never being to the North, but the story is probably the same for the generality of the people.

Now that I am hearing this from an Igbo man, purporting to defend the Igbo people, that position of mine is severely weakened. Your kind are the eventual ruin of your people.

hardywaltz:
While growing up we were always warned about Yoruba and thier treachery, i just thot they were living in the past, however my opinion was changed in my secondary school day (FGC usally had different tribes) where i got first knowledge of thier treacherous ways, through out my University day it got worse, and by the time i was doing my NYSC i learnt that Yoruba were cowards and treacherous. Since then i deal with them frm afar. My advise for every one, you can always trust the Yoruba's to be cowards, treacherous and backstabbers.
@ topic Awolowo or what everhe was called is best known for his treachery and tribalistic nature. That why he was neva President or Prime Minister

Nigerians are a funny bunch fighting wars for people long dead. I don't get into this kind of thread, but for once let me comment on this one.

What this story tells me is that all three sides were playing each other. Ask yourself why Sardauna was calling Zik with Awolowo's proposal then you would begin to understand that this story is either coming out of someone's imagination or that all three of them Sardauna, Zik and Awolowo were dealing treacherously.

I don't know which is true, but Nigerians need to focus on things that would move us forward instead of hanging on to what someone said or did not say aeons ago.

The article kept saying the British did not trust the Igbo or Yoruba, but the question is "Trust them to do what?" When you have answered this question you would begin to unravel the mystery of the nation called Nigeria.

mekuszyx:
This is an extensive interview. You can read all of it here,
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/02/13/how-the-colonial-masters-empowered-the-north-%e2%80%94-chief-mbazulike-amechi/

but the bolded part got me thinking about Awo

Would you say that the different approaches to decolonisation in the East as compared to the North made the British colonialists to load political advantages against the East and in favour of the North when they were about to go?

Definitely, it was Zik that opened the eyes of people. And then, the radical elements in politics were found more in Igboland and second to Igboland was the Yoruba side. The British colonial authorities did not allow themselves to trust the Igbo man or Yoruba man. The Hausa/Fulani was the man they could trust. And so, they gerrymandered the constitution that brought independence in such a way that made sure that the North had all the powers. If you go to my other book: Nigeria, the Two Political Amalgams you will see the figures I gave there.

In the 1959 election, the election that preceded independence, the NCNC, which was predominant in the East, having 50 per cent in the West and having a foothold in the North through NEPU, scored a total of 2,594,577 votes to capture 94 seats in the Federal House. The Action Group/UMBC alliance had 1,992,364 to capture 73 seats in the House.

The NPC scored a total of 1,992,179 votes to capture a total of 142 seats in the House. So, the constituencies were carved out in such a way that the North would always be in control, and if you look at subsequent delimitation of constituencies and the population figures, the North has always ensured to maintain this pattern of dominance because nobody will like to throw away his advantages voluntarily.

That was a creation of the white man. And two, when elections were over like this and there was no one with a clear majority, what usually happened was that somebody could be called upon to form a government. But in the case of Nigeria it was not like that. Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the NPC was not called upon to form a government. He was not invited by the Governor General to form a government. He was appointed Prime Minister. Balewa’s emergence as the first Prime Minister of Nigeria was by appointment.

What led to that? They could easily have invited him since the figures indicated they had the majority?

What happened was that even the North was not expecting that. They were afraid. But we knew that the British government wanted the North to produce the Prime Minister because they did not trust an Igbo or Yoruba Prime Minister or anybody from the South.

[b]After the elections and the three parties saw their standings, we were meeting at Onitsha a message came to Zik telling him that Awolowo was sending a delegation for the purpose of forming an alliance with the Action Group. They proposed that Zik should be the Prime Minister while Awolowo would be the Finance Minister. We were discussing with the delegation in Zik’s main sitting room when the telephone rang upstairs. Zik went up to answer the phone. When he was coming down the stairs, he said in Igbo, as if he was talking to someone upstairs: “agwo anyi na ya no bu kwa agwo isi na-buo!” meaning: “the snake we are dealing with has two heads!” When he came down, he told the Awolowo delegation: “Okay. Go and tell Awolowo that we are considering his proposal. We will send a delegation back to him”.

When they left, Zik told us that the telephone that he went to answer was from the Sardauna of Sokoto, and the Sardauna told him that a delegation from Awolowo was with him, offering the North Prime Minister and Awolowo the Finance Minister. This meant that if he got what he wanted from the North he would kick the East out and if he got it from the East he would kick the North out. There and then, Zik and the Sardauna decided that this man was a treacherous person and was not the type of person they wanted to work with in a government that would usher in Nigeria’s independence. It was on that ground that Zik and the Sardauna agreed to negotiate.[/b]

During the negotiation the North insisted that they should produce the Prime Minister, otherwise they were not ready for independence. In the agreement signed at the Lancaster House, it was agreed that if any Region said that they were not ready for independence, independence for Nigeria would be postponed indefinitely until all regions were ready. The North took advantage of that. Zik and the top leaders of the NCNC said having fought for independence and sacrificed so much, it was better to allow the North produce the Prime Minister so that the independence would be achieved.

Indeed lack of power is one of the most pressing problems confronting Nigeria today. However, the reason past admins and the current one have been unable to deliver on a megre 6000MW is because they keep using the same approach. That approach assumes you can waive a magic wand to bring electricity to the people. This is simply impossible. Suppose you have the funding and other resources, cooperation of all stakeholders, and competent and honest personnel to implement your plans this would still take 2-4 years. This is because of the process of acquiring powerplants, transmission equipment, etc. that simply take time. We all know that funding is perhaps the greatest constraint that when considered implies a 5-10 year plan, and only if you put a mechanism in place for a constant flow of investment into the sector.

As such, if like Yar'adua, you promise to declare a state of emergency on power then you are setting yourself up for failure or, like Obasanjo and Yar'adua, promise a certain MW within several months you are doomed.

I still say the first thing I would do is reconnect with the Nigerian people, let them feel progress, small as it may be, encourage them to participate, give them hope that is backed with action - a sense that they have a government that cares. Part of this is resolving the foundation of our nation by implementing a Freedom of Information Bill (immediate), Electoral Reform (immediate) and Constitutional Review (short- to medium-term). These three things would provide the long-term basis for eradication of corruption, economic vibrancy and nationwide education because these are all really symptoms of a house standing on a shaky or even no foundation. If that foundation is not rebuilt we are forever doomed to repeating the same process and getting the same results like a recurring decimal or a broken record.

Beware when you are promised magic, it is usually a trick.

buchio7:
Generation and transmission of Power wld be my first major focus

You are kidding right? If you had a chance to rule Nigeria, the first thing you would do is commit murder and injustice.

If you have the power to do that you would also have power to have them tried and jailed, and perhaps even convince your fellow countrymen that corruption needs to be punished by death, after due process.

I think you are really thinking of power that you would get through a military coup, insurrection and the like. My mistake.

consultmartins:
I will kill all bad past political leaders that ruined Nigeria. That's the first thing i will do.

This is a very serious question. To tell you the truth there is almost no single thing you could do right away that would change Nigeria. There is a host of them.

As such, the first thing would be to institute a bi-weekly press briefing or nationwide broadcast for explaining Nigeria's developmental challenges to the people and carrying them along with proposed solutions.

Substantively however, the most important thing would be a combined Freedom of Information Bill+Constitutional Review+Electoral Reform.

It seems undisputable that Gov Fashola has done a better job than most previous Lagos State governors. Be that as it may, I have no doubt that some shady deals have gone down - unless an angel has invaded the bodies of all the leaders in Lagos.

Still, Lagosians would be jumping from frying pan to fire if they allow Gov. Fashola to be harassed out of power. Knowing the nature of politics in Nigeria the current noisemaking is probably political, and most of those waiting in the wings would be bigger thiefs. 

If these complaints have any legitimacy and coming from clean hands, then the first task is for the LSHA to come up with legislation to plug leakages in how government funds are handled, rather than play into the hands of political mischief makers.

What Fashola has being doing for Lagos have lasting value if he his allowed to complete them.

My 2 kobo.

forpeace:
With allegations of corruption levelled against our dear Governor he intelligently responded by making it seem like BOURDILLON was after him rather than respond to the allegations.

HOUSE of assembly set up panel. .

INtelligent Governor uses his court and his judge to avoid investigation . .

ALMOST two weeks after allegations still no official statement or response to the allegations from the intelligent GOVERNOR

He's hoping the issue will die a natural death but truly should matters concerning the finances of the people be so easily swept under the carpet?

Oh yes, an angelic militarily leader is waiting in the wings to save the country!!!  A military takeover in Nigeria would declare all things fair game. How many pieces of Nigeria do you want with that?

Depilot:
Our president is now missing for over 70 days. None of the governors or other top government officials has any accurate info regarding when Yaradua will be back in the country. It is very pity and unacceptable. This is the best chance for a successful return of the military regime. Guess what? America will have no choice but to completely support the military regime. The future of Nigeria for the next 30 yrs is in the hands of the past/present politicians and their families. There is nothing better than a sensible/honest military leader to take over this country now, now. And I see it coming very soon, it is being discussed.

@marvix

I know what you are saying - the question is do you know what you are saying?

I thank you at least for admitting one thing:
"the ministers hav their mandates and can work witout supervision lik d president was supervisin them b4." Now I have no doubt about the incompetence of Yar'adua - we were merely guessing that the guy was sleeping on the job all this while, but you confirmed our worst fears. Examples of what you get when nobody supervises those he appointed to a job:

1. You get a minister of justice who gets on a plane to defend a well-confirmed corrupt former governor (both the EFCC & CBN have confirmed that the $15 million attempted bribe by this thief is breathing in the CBN - that is an admittance of guilt)
2. You get an education minister who measures the "quality" of our education system by the amount of teachers we can potentially send to another country.
3. You get the promise of 6000MW of electricity with nothing to show after 2 years.
4. You get promises that refineries will function in 5 months, but are commatose after more than 2 years.
5. You get promises of electoral reform that soon turn into panic when nothing is done and the one who promised it is neither dead nor alive. Elections are are around the corner my people.
6. They can't run an international youth soccer tournament - Alas, rain water was scooped from a field with broom and buckets!
7. Nobody in charge when a citizen, a fool for that matter- but a citizen nevertheless, commited international terrorism - suppose the guy actually succeeded. If that is not enough for you, suppose he actually succeeded in Abuja or Lagos, etc.

I can go on and on, but here is the last one: You get people who think they are trying to support the president arguing that he is a NON-FACTOR in the running of the nation  This is what you are actually saying, and now you know. Yar'adua and the present government are simply irrelevant to the average Nigerian. As I wrote in another thread earlier today, that does not mean that a nation does not need a leader - ONLY THAT THE CURRENT LEADER IS ALMOST AS GOOD AS NONE (perhaps even costing us more): See this thread "Do We Really Need a President in Nigeria": https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-390481.0.html#msg5422354.

marvix:
@naijamini the ministers hav their mandates and can work witout supervision lik d president was supervisin them b4.
What we are sayin is dat govt is not a one man show so if he is not around it does not imply dat govt activuties wld grind to a halt as a lot of people want us to believe. They don't understand dat dis is a democracy not d obj kind of democracy or the abacha style but a truly democratic govt.

@frankkky - yes you make a ton of sense! Did I disagree?

@marvix - your logic is impeccable too. Appointed ministers are still working - doing what exactly? Please tell me what they are doing so I can remove the veil that covers my face. Otherwise just go and spend the money they gave you, and shut up.

Also, please tell me how long the constitution should protect the president - perhaps 4 years would be enough! Hmmm,  I am waiting.

I am merely trying to help you and your masters see beyond your almost non-existent noses for once. God!

marvix:
@frankkky u mak a lot of sense naijamini dats not wat we are tryin to say the issue is does d presidents absence greater dan d problem of unemployment,fuel scarcity,power shortage,restiveness in d niger delta or has his absence stopped all d work on d 7point agenda is Goodluck himself complainin dat he is not allowed to work why shld we cry more than d bereaved d ministers say they are stil workin.
The truth be said politicians are just makin a mountain out of a molehill d constitution sought to protect d president by ensurin that he can't be stampeded into takin any decision and the onus is on d Vice President to tell d nation d capability or otherwise of d President he has gotten a lot of things by luck if he is interested in takin ova or tinks Yaradua can't continue he knows d necessary procedure he shld also not b stampeded into d presidency

Your post actually contains two questions:

1. Does Nigeria need a president? - The answer here is yes, our system of government requires it. Every nation must have a leader.

2. Is our current president better than none? - The answer here is not by much. This episode has shown that Yar'adua and the current leadership in general (perhaps previous ones too) are almost irrelevant to the life of the average Nigerian. Please read "The Irrelevance Of Governance In Nigeria": https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-386570.0.html#msg5373900.

That we can do without Yar'adua and the current leadership is a testimony to their INEFFECTIVENESS, rather than evidence that a nation, any nation, does not need a leader. Despite the danger inherent in the current situation the eggheads we pay in Abuja don't know what to do. We are fortunate that no African country with territorial ambition is in our neighbourhood! They are all Lilliputians who depend to some extent on Nigeria's largess.

Zuha:
For over 2 months, the supposed president of Nigeria has not been in the country and he did not officially delegate anyone to function in his stead. The country is now running on auto-pilot like an aircraft on cruising altitude and the legislature is incapable of saving the situation. Despite all these mess, the country has not imploded although this may not be too far off.

The question now is of what good was the president when he was in the country and hence do we really need him back? If so, how different will it be when indeed he comes back?

@frankky
Ranka dede to your impeccable logic. I use to make the same noise and mountain out of a mole hill, but your logic here is so magnificient. Now that I have seen the light let's carry this unbeatable logic a little further so that we can solve the problem once and for all. Here are my three points:

1. Since we don't really need a president to be on seat - let's go ahead and abolish the office of the Presidency altogether
2. Along with (1) we simply take the part of the constitution on the powers of the Presidency out.
3. From now on Nigeria would only have a VP, whose powers would be given by frankky, as at when necessary.

Hey we could take it to its great logical conclusion: Abolish national government, declare each state a nation and be done with it. How about that?

frankkky:
honestly i dont know why in nigeria we like making mountains out of molehills,i have observed with dismay the way the politicans are going about this issue,i even read yesterday that the CDS has ordered restriction of movement in the barracks haba,has it gotten that bad?fine the president is ill as any human being can be,let him be given sick leave thats all afterall the vice president can perform his tasks,haba even CEOS go on break it does not mean that company will go dead,nigeria is still functioning,the state govts are doing their job,so what the hell are vwe talking about?if we are not carefull about this issue it can turn to something else, a lot of polticans may hijack the situation for their own selfish motives.let us not create problems where none exists

As we continue to discuss and observe the ramifications of President Yar'adua's AWOL saga let me present a couple of initial lessons/observations.

Past/Current Governance in Nigeria is as Good as None: Near the beginning of this whole saga the AGF characteristically invoked his "tout" interpretation of the Nigerian constitution to suggest that presidential powers are not "exercised territorially" - implying that Yar'adua could lay on a sick bed in a distant land and yet rule Nigeria. At the time my reaction was "why not"  based on my view that the President and this whole administration were not doing anything relevant to the common man to begin with. At this point it has become a fact that would not change even if the VP were empowered to become Acting President. In fact, the VP is already in "charge", and as expected there is essentially no difference. Our government's idea of leadership is to create a crisis, by omission or commission, and then manage it. Yet, nations can only develop in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Putting down violence is not governance - even a kid knows that when fire breaks out what you do is put it out.

Governance is about those in Government: In the words of the late Michael Jackson, "All I want to say is that they don't really care about us". Restricting ourselves to the period since 1999 after the return of democracy to Nigeria one can demonstrate the "truity" of these words. Before the third-term agenda fight, the National assembly carried on the shame of constant infighting, bribery, and allocation of large sums of money to cater to their insatiable appetite. Many governors were found to essentially live abroad, spending and stealing the people's resources, and when caught red-handed dragged it out in the courts. Then came the third-term agenda, and its corollary a.k.a  OBJ&Atiku fights. The selection of Yar'adua and non-election of 2007 produced unending court cases, further fights and intrigues over appointments. The persecution of Ribadu followed promptly for being so bold to openly confront the high and mighty, and Ibori (whose $15 million in an attempt to bribe Ribadu is today lodged at the CBN) became the focus of attention. The AGF was soon to personally get on a plane to quash the case against Ibori in Britain - a shameful act that I personally considered to be above all else at the time, but subsequent events proved that to be so wrong. Then came Yar'adua's disappearances and the subsequent, visible, deterioration of his health. At this point many Nigerians began to sympathize with how the burden of the presidency seems to be draining the President, after all he is human. However, typical of governance in Nigeria even this potential source of national togetherness was handled solely with the interest of those in power alone in mind. For the past two months, the unconscionable disappearance of the president, with virtually no information to the nation, has dominated the lives of 140 million+ people. It goes without saying that all these theaters of the absurd provided no place for real people issues such as food, health, education, transportation, safety of life and property, etc. The precarious condition that this means for the nation was laid completely bare by Umar Abdul Mutallab and the subsequent listing of Nigeria by the U.S. as a nation of "interest" with respect to terrorism. We shall forever remember the people under who's watch Nigeria reached this height of ignominy in the comity of nations. If a count of headline articles in Nigerian news media were conducted, it is a sure bet that people-issues would pale in significance in relation to those about our leader's riches, births, marriages, payments, sickness, corruption, travel, court cases, etc.

Our Legislature is a Joke (and not even a good joke): Yar'adua's AWOL saga revealed a darkness of information associated with public administration in Nigeria. Legislative requirements would have compelled the presidency to provide necessary information for the legislature to fulfill their constitutional duties. Yet, when a group of legislators sought to re-introduce the freedom of information (FOI) bill the house of assembly erupted in a unison of "No"! What? Our President is missing here! It seemed that the house of assembly would be eager to start correcting defects in the system that allowed Yar'adua to hold the nation to ransom. Instead, this group of people are content with a burning house as long as they get to dry their wet clothes with the fire, forgetting that they are standing inside the same house. Yet,  the reaction of the house of assembly to the second introduction of the FOI bill is not surprising, since they had moved to enact a "Press Bill"  designed to muzzle information flow only a couple of months earlier.

Subtle Traps in the Nigerian Constitution: Despite some bad judgments, the Nigerian Judiciary as a whole has performed creditably well over the years. However, they continue to be subject to the inconsistencies and self-serving languages incorporated in the constitution. For example, while the rules governing the powers of the VP were essentially a copy of those in the United States constitution, a couple of vital changes were made. One, the role of the VP in the U.S. constitution (as President of the Senate) was knocked out of the Nigerian constitution. This change ensures that the Senate operates almost completely out of the sight of the Presidency, and left the VP without a constitutional role, except at the pleasure of the President. Two, the U.S. constitution calls for only a majority of either "the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as congress" to declare the president unable to perform his duties. The U.S. constitution allows the president to dispute such a declaration according to additional procedures. In the Nigerian constitution, this whole process was replaced with two-thirds of only the "executive council of the Federation", and a medical examination of the president. This innocent-looking changes failed to anticipate a president going AWOL and holding the nation to RANSOM for any reason, including medical ones. As such, Nigeria became a headless monster in which officials tell shameful lies and citizens dejected as important national issues are left unattended.

As the Yorubas would say: " Oba to je ti ilu toro, oruko re ko ni pare, oba to si je ti ilu baje, oruko re na ko ni pare". In essence both good and bad rulers would be remembered, but Nigeria is yet to really find a good leader to remember. Let's ensure that our next set of leaders are good for us.


[url]http://www.nigeriaanew.org/forum/index.php/topic,128.msg168.html#msg168[/url]

Andookaa says there is no violation of the constitution, but what about lack of common sense? Now that is a question for the ages. Laws for man, not man for law.

CNN Report on Nigeria Protest: http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/13/purefoy.nigeria.president.health.cnn

https://www.nigeriaanew.org/forum/media_files/where_is_yaradua.jpg

Picture from the Vanguard Article - Soyinka, Ojukwu, Buhari, others in protest march : Headlines Jan 11, 2010

Going by his BBC interview (if it was really him) Yar'adua does not seem to realize the enormity of his transgression against the people of Nigeria. He seems to think that it would be okay for him to take-off for 2 months (and counting) without proper procedures. The worst part of this is that his handlers keep claiming that he his is sound and fit. Unless sound and fit has been re-defined this makes his action even more egregious.

If Yar'adua knows what his best for him (and his condition) he simply needs to keep on pretending not to be well for the next 2 years, and effectively abdicate the presidency. That is his best course of action and most honorable at this point - stick with one lie!


[url]http://www.nigeriaanew.org/forum/index.php/topic,97.msg133.html#msg133[/url]

A glorious end (not suicide-bombing) is better than living like a vegetable when God has blessed you with a sound body and mind - only because of leaders that keep behaving like animals. It is probably preferable to sharing the same space with fart-heads like you!! May a dog eat your mouth, and your fingers!!

MrPrsdent:
talk is cheap

if he dies,who will eat the offerings and tithes?