₦airaland Forum

Africans Selling Out Africans In Africa Again By Farouk Martins Aresa

Posted: January 5, 2012 - 23:30

By Farouk Martins Aresa

Africans must wonder what the next generation is going to use to pay off the Chinese, the Europeans and the Americans. We are borrowing and spending on foreign contracts like drunken sailors and nobody listens to those that are crying that we are receding into another colonial future. It was the chiefs that sold us into slavery yesterday, it is the turn of the politicians today. While accumulating debts and paying some off with dwindling resources, they claimed it is for the future of our children while blind and selfish liars laugh to foreign banks.

Our taste for everything that looks unlike us or not made by us shows no limit. The politicians lead and create the consumption index. In those days Africans were selling gold in exchange for mirrors, today we are selling crude oil and losing highly trained graduates in exchange for foreign mega contract and jobs that have marginally contributed or improved our development since Independence. Until we have locally serviceable infrastructure and locally suited graduates to our problems, our industrial takeoff and job creation for our youth will lag behind.

Graduates of our institutions of learning and culture are the most vulnerable since they don’t reflect our thinking or philosophy towards life. It is perfectly acceptable for African universities to compete with foreign universities in sciences but our experiments and study groups do not have to be in the same laboratories. It does not have to be the same Bunsen burners or the same test tubes in elaborate laboratories built like those at (MIT) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We do not have to go out of the tropics to learn about tropical diseases. Our best example is training lawyers in local cases, though they pledge vigorous defense for criminals.

Indeed universal intensively trained engineers, doctors and PhDs are more drawn to foreign countries, when less suitably trained can be better locally. The Russians or the Chinese did not pride or look up to foreign universities as the benchmark for their success but they do steal foreign ideas and adapt them to their own. Nobody is asking Africans to rediscover slice bread but a Continent that has been deprived of it intellectual abilities must meet and reconstruct its educational system and culture towards independent goals in solving its local problem.

Fortunately, the solutions are in our hands, not in our stars. Africans have never been short of men and women of ideas and philosophies even in this new century. Some of us were privileged to have read Fagunwa, Achebe, Soyinka, Albert Luthuli or Nkrumah, Zik, Awo, Bello, Mandela, Nyerere etc. But our educated scholars would rather quote Milton, Max, Adams, Churchill and others whose philosophies may be comparatively good but actually parallel to our indigenous culture. They propel their civilization to what it is today, not ours.

We are not short of thinkers even amongst our present professors and politicians. Since power of the politicians drives our budget it is skewed to consumption of others’ products and not to home grown or made materials from infancy to finished products. Watch our politicians talk, you wonder where their ideas have been hiding but put them in charge, they lapse into self-indulgence chasing foreign consumer materials creating foreign jobs while neglecting us.

Let us pick on Sule Sanusi, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria as an example. One would not believe this is a man in charge of foreign exchange devoted to consumption making foreign money available to every Bobo that wants to import anything. The address or presentations he makes are opposite, squarely preaching production encouragement in allocation of our foreign currency but in practice, Central Bank allocation is for consumption.


Of course he is not the only one, his comrades in this hypocrisy is none other than Ngozi Iweala and Segun Aganga, present and former ministers of Finance. Their whole brain, especially the finance ministers are fabricated in foreign countries and their only way to Nigeria’s deliverance is to take orders from World Bank and International Monetary Fund. They are rewarded by all sorts of prizes, praises and unreliable rating agencies as they milk Nigeria for foreign interest.

One would think since Nigeria has a highly home-educated President, his advisers would be biased towards indigenous solutions to our economic problems. No, he showed his complex by relying on a former Finance Minister that paid off odious loans and penalties from a poor African Country to the richest nations on earth. Mind you, American and British best brains do not work for these international bodies, unless they have been used, spent and retired. Indeed, some of their best brains were beaten in class by African students in their own countries.

Since independence if each of the ministers in African countries were given a mission and ordered a failure if they cannot develop it from infancy or from farm to finished product, Africa would be exporting products not humans, at least to other African countries if not outside. Take Nigeria as the leading producer of cassava, what will it take Sanusi to convince the President to institute a program from farms to supermarket or Iweala to turn our oil into finished product or Aganga to turn our cotton and milk into lace and table milk, instead of importing same.

Sule Sanusi made more sense than the other two even during his presentation supporting the removal of oil subsidies. Yet each of them think the best place to start is to ask poor people already saddled with wages nobody can live on, police check points and toll gates leading to higher transportation fare, soaring food prices and dismal infrastructure on the shoulders of the poor to bear the brunt of oil subsidy removal. Cowards cannot face their colleagues first, so they ask poor people for more sacrifice that does not make as much dent as bleeders of coffers.

If Sanusi, Iweala and Aganga are so smart and daring, they could have demanded sacrifices from those powerful politicians and the highest paid civil servants to slash their privileges than create foreign contracts. By the time it reaches the poor folks to sacrifice the subsidy on oil, at least they would have been satisfied that the cabals that corner the subsidies have disgorged their loot. Oh no. The poor must pay first and keep on paying. They cannot dare those that sabotage Nigerian refineries and import took picks, it is the poor people they can dare.

They blame the attitude of Nigerians for preferring foreign products but never accepted the fact that those Nigerians copy and follow their tastes. Monkey see monkey
do. It is easier to say oil subsidy is not sustainable than to say foreign monies that is not printed in Nigeria cannot be available to frivolous consumptive tastes. Foreign reserve is spent as if it is easily replaceable. When in fact, all they care about is how much they can divert into their pockets before it is exhausted. We are selling ourselves out.

I do not understand why people are hiding behind taxes to wreck havoc on Lagosians. It has been said that the only government presence in that part of Lekki was the school built by Jakande years ago. People pay for their own security, water, electricity and now they have to pay to leave and get back into their houses. Na wo o.

With all the taxes, Fashola/Tinubu has generated more debt than the devil itself. How many grand and great grandchildren will it take to pay them off after Fashola/Tinubu are dead and gone? You do not cut your nose to spite your face in the name of taxes.

Omo Akotileta,

I was hoping and wishing you spill around me, which you just did. If you are a Lagosian at all, it is by way of Iragbiji.

However, this is not only about Lagosians, as the writer noted, it is about all Nigerians living in Lagos. I do not know how old you are but in those days Lagosians welcomed everyone. Any stranger that arrived in Lagos in the morning would be fed, clothed and given a roof before the end of the day. That was a common saying you never heard, anyway. Sorry folks, things have changed, everyone strives in the land of plenty these days.

Lagos has a unique opportunity to showcase Nigeria. During the time of the British, Ikoyi was it. It was Lagosians and other Nigerians that rivaled it with Victoria Island. You wont know that, both places are in disrepute in your time. Why, no services like PWD. You do not know the meaning of PWD, do you.

For those that do not know, Nigerians living in Lagos knew they had a duty to pay taxes. Indeed, if you are caught without paying, you lose more. But then we could see what taxes did. The aliens from Iragbiji have perfected tax collection into their pockets.

With or without Nigeria, Awolowo collected taxes in the West and Jakande collected taxes in Lagos, we witnessed what they did. But in Nigeria where everyone is blind, conspicous shows with maximum press of Tinubu/Fashola is the talk of the day and the one eye-man is the king.

Ekoile, you and your mentors will choke on that  university fees and tolls you collect. Watch!

Eko Ile:
Oloshi. Only a mad dog blames  our national problems  that's been manifesting since  independence one a many who just took  office a little over 4g years ago.

Is fashola the president of nigeria? Is he the only leaders and governor in nigeria? 

What's next ? Fashola is responsible for the air you breath too?



What a bunch  of  ignorant re, tards funny animals indeed.

This is what we are talking about. Pray, please pray that ignorance does not kill some people.

You do not know Jankade houses, small fishing villages and some inadequate shelters exist in, around and after your mentor toll gates?

Even if they don't, people are no longer free to come out and go back into their houses without paying toll taxes, and if they decide to go home on lunch, break or for fun without paying head taxes?

We are still waiting for one of you to mention the city and country where tolls are put in residential areas. Oh I remember a few local bridges made by neighbors around Eric Moore and Orile some years back. During raining seasons, there are human carrier that will also transport you from one side to another. Is that where your mentors got their ideas?

Where is that guy that cursed with Sango and Ogun again?

Akainzo:
Tell me all the people earning minimum wage of 18K per month live along the Lekki-Epe expressway?

It is this mad dog and call-boy-girl asss- licking named Eko-Ile that drives people crazy. He is well paid to behave that way while others are speaking from pain caused by greed of their politicians.

Read the article again and tell me how those on minimum wage or less with a working wife to make ends meet pay that wage on toll because they have an old jalopy to go find daily bread for their family.

The guy on another thread that was cursing with thunder and all sort was reprimanded because people do not understand the deepness of his pain. If the same guy manage to secure AK-41 and stated shooting people on Boudillon, they will respect him and negotiate with him like Niger Delta and Boko Haram. So what if he cursed? Can anyone cure his pain?

My only fear is that innocents will suffer in the next Agbekoya revolt.

This is why Nigerians need to wipe out leeches and their cronies.

See how they turn solid points upside down. Even using Moses. Moses took the children of God out of slavery. Fashola/Tinubu are selling Lagosians and their children into perpetual slavery. Can either of them pay off their debt or they are leaving it for the next generation to pay. Which next generation are going to pay. The ones without jobs or prospects or education today or imported investors that will pay what average Nigerians cannot.

Heear them talk about class when middleclass has been wipe out of the Country. Compare the salary, even the minimum wage of 18k to what these few tiny class are making. Bunch of bastards.

If Tinubu can, he will be glad to put toll on Boudillon to shake money out of his neighbors just as the Mafias do. Yet none of his cronies can tell us where in the world, tolls are put in residential neighborhoods, at the gate of your house, on existing roads or estate.

FINANCIAL CRIME HUNTERS CANNOT EVEN CATCH A MOUSE
07/12/2011 22:03:00 THEWILL

The story of Nigeria crime hunters is a sorry situation for those youths that are going to inherit an empty Country. There is no other way to explain a den of rats that are so fat, even the big cats back off. If it was the absence of cats that rats are taking advantages of, some of us can understand. This is a far worse situation in a country called Nigeria.

Where else do politicians, bankers and their cronies steal until loots start drooling from their mouth, even red-handed and they still go scot-free in the land of milk and honey? Oh, it gets worse my friends. If they get a slap on the wrist with the help of Senior Advocates of Nigeria and spend their little time in some cottage hospital, they throw a big party with the blessing of the Church and Mosque for how much money they have been able to retain.

Something has gone rotten in the land of African warriors that swear by the new forms of religion bestowed on us that looters can be forgiven for destroying the comfort and happiness of their fellow countrymen and women. Before we blame religion, the charity starts from our homes that have chosen looters as heroes of the day. Our children worship them and they help themselves to whatever they want amongst us. No questions asked.

We saw Bode George of Lagos State celebrate his home coming and lately Yekini Amoda Ogunlere alia Tinubu vowing to get even with the Federal Government by trying him unsuccessfully for violation of ethics for some foreign accounts opened while he was governor of Lagos State. Haba! How many times are they going to clear Tinubu again and again?

Tinubu has more money than God and everyone knows how he made the money but he has challenged anyone to prove that he stole a kobo! After all, he was cleared by Nuhu Ribadu that had claimed his looting was of international proportion. As soon as Ribadu became a politician, he backed off. Not only did he back off, he gave Tinubu a clean bill of health in exchange for a run as a presidential candidate of ACN. Abi, no be so?

In order to turn the sensitive stomach of those of us that can only catch small rat on the street that is unfortunate to be so poor and had to steal to feed a hungry belly, the fat rat that dares the big cat rode into Lagos in an open car with people singing his praise and congratulating him for his success at the Federal court since: they can’t touch this!

Oh heavens, where is Boko Haram when we them most. These unguarded youths and cleaner of rut have been distracted to become religious zealots instead of cleaning up the mess in our society. The fact that anyone, no matter how fat a rat; can loot above and beyond their heads, and come out, to celebrate is the beginning of Sodom and Gomorrah. Where is our conscience, our decency and pride as a Nation?

Nigeria is falling and tearing into pieces, not because we cannot unite as some people will like to fool us into believing; it is the injustice to steal the Country blind and get away with it that hails us ladies and gentlemen. We are imploding by the amount of resources we loot and give away to foreigners that help looters transact foreign exchange we can never have enough of.

The most patriotic Nigerians are the common people on the street that have given up on any services but have decided to labor on their own to provide for their family. The more they work, the harder it is to make ends meet. The politicians beg them to wait a little longer and in a very short time the people will live in paradise. They know they are liars buying time to loot some more. Even those that had their chances only to run the Country down wondering why it still survives want another chance.

They know that no matter how many times they make it back and whatever they loot, Nigerians will never punish them. Indeed, Nigerians will celebrate with them. There are no deterrents in our dear Country. The more you steal the greater the chances of getting away with it. Just as every dog has its day, every financial crime hunter has its price for now.

Watch, just watch cronies come out smoking defending their gods for pittance knowing their bag of rice will only last a month. For each of these ass lickers are others, asking how they can join them before they starve to death. Politicians have studied them and never give them enough to live on so that they can always come back for more.

Nigerians will turn anything to their advantage, like the rule of law to stay out of jail and civilized way of life to spend the loot on while stepping into gutter from their mansions. We have been fooled with increase in minimum wage as if it will buy us what we need to keep body and soul together. So if they pay us a minimum wage of 18,000 naira or even more, it can never buy us adequate food or shelter. The difference in income gap between the lowest and the highest ten percent is worst in developing countries. In Nigeria, it could be worse than 50 to 1 they have in Brazil while American youths Occupy Wall Street for 14 to 1.

Why? Nigeria is a developing poor Country, though with great potentials fretted away. The cost of food, goods and services increase with wage increase as if we live in a developed country. The cost of living is so high, even those developed countries will rather open factories in Asia where the cost of living is low and they can pay comparatively higher wages than the locals. So we have Europeans and Americans patronizing Indian and Singapore factories, hospitals and hotels as in tourism where their money goes further.

Our politicians do the same and more because they have money they do not work for and they are ready to spend it in Japan where cost of living is high or Arab countries where everything is subsidized. The problem is foreigners will tell you there is a lot of money to be made in Nigeria as long as you can hold your nose. They are welcomed by our politicians since the only projects they delve into are those with foreign exchange.

Tinubu is a typical example of what is wrong with our dear Country. The filthy rich can pay our high prices but ordinary Nigerians cannot. When was the last time friends join together to kill a cow or the last time ordinary people kill a ram for festival?

Written by Farouk Martins Aresa.

AGENTS OF THE RICH FLEECING DEAR COUNTRY TO DEAD

Nigeria Village Square

Africans have many ways of communications one of which is the Yoruba proverb that caution against the fleecing of dog that ends up killing both the dog and the flea. Ipa npa re, olohun npa aja. Before a revolution, we always witness celebration of greed in the high places while the working class is admonished for being poor because they are stupid and lazy. Indeed, many poor people spend so much of their time working two or three jobs, they hardly have time to think about how to milk the system. Yet, politicians and their agents demand more sacrifice from us.

They want to bring recurrent expenditure down by one hundred basis points per year in four years. In other words, by 4% in four years, just don’t get the rich mad. Ebele, if that is the radical change you promised for our future, you have started on the wrong foot. There are people like Nigerian trained Obiageli Ezekwesili ready to rock the boat you promised in Nigeria. Politicians may not agree with her echoing our voices on governors diverting local government allocation or Lamido Sanusi on jumbo salaries of politicians. We are waiting for Africa super-rich especially in Nigeria where billions are known stolen every day to hit them radically where it hurts, not hit the poor again and again.

Nigeria paid billions of dollars to Paris Club in interest and penalty that dwarf a loan the Country hardly needed then or now. In spite of OXFAM, Church of England, members of United States Congress and many respectable local and foreign economists crying out against powerful and rich countries taking such enormous amount from a poor African country, accomplices in World Bank worked out a deal, their greatest accomplishment, that made Nigeria paid more than we ever paid since the days of slavery.

We are in the days of greed is good because it is motivating and it is built on economic principle that has demonstrated the superiority of capitalist system of government. In order to be as successful, they must preach to Africa countries to move into the new millennium or perish. A fraction of their profit is calculated as foreign aid, development assistance, arms, genetically modified agricultural seed that can only be reproduced by big international corporations and foreign expatriates also bring them back huge profit. The suckers of these foreign aids see it as a welcomed development for Africa. None of all the aids combined to Africa is up to a billion of all the billions they took from Nigeria.

These same accomplices worked for World Bank, IMF and other International Thief Thief when they asked African countries to devalue our money. Africa middle-class has never recovered while IMF regretted, the accomplices, enemy within, kept quiet. There is a big complex in Africa that if you worked for international companies you must be better than those local economists from African universities; they will never listen to anyway. It does not mean all local economists are pure since we still remember respectable Mr. Ani, head of Peat Marwick that taught Abacha how to hide his loot. Another Nigerian President looking for foreign miracle, called one of the accomplices back again for encore, asking poor Nigerians for more sacrifice. What about shared sacrifice?

Segun Aganga and Okonjo-Iweala never emulate super rich billionaires in United States of America led by Warren Buffet that came out with conscience asking President Obama to ignore the no tax mongers because they are ready to share the sacrifices with the middle and working-class. The L’Oreal heiress Lillian Bettencourt of France also led her super rich colleagues declaring their willingness to pay a special contribution. More of the super-rich in other countries may follow. Of course there are people that will say the smart ones amongst the super-rich are being proactive before revolution starts, so that the unruly angry mobs will know which of the rich volunteered to pay more and which of them are scrooges. If foreign accomplices asking only the poor for sacrifice worked “miracles” for Obasanjo, it must work “miracles” for Ebele, abi no be so?

African leaders, politicians and business men and women always chose the rich outside the Continent to copy even when they leave their people in abject poverty. So it is not unlike them to compare their profit, salaries and loot to others as if they live and make their money there. Recently, Tea party politicians have made a name for themselves as selfish extremists willing to do anything to make a buck including bringing the Country down; hidden as tax breaks when tax is the lowest in generation in US. Watch World Bank, IMF and other International Thief Thief economists following the US Tea Party. Don’t get the rich mad. It is only the poor that can be asked to sacrifice.

Every country has law against aiding and abetting and receiving stolen property. But many banks in developed countries specialized in it while the law enforcements turn a blind eye to such crime even when they know enormous amount of money is coming from poor developing countries. While it is true that the super major international companies and rich also establish headquarters outside their countries to beat the tax system; poor countries suffer most from such practice. No accomplice researched that?

Rich people made countries poor by shedding their responsibilities for shared sacrifice. In Greece people do business under the table to avoid tax and the rich hide their money. While it is true that younger generation supporting the older generation social security and healthcare ratio calls for some creative modification, the developing countries have more than enough young population that are left uncared for. The only similarity is the greed of the politicians using that excuse to deny services in order to launder money.

Jobs creation is not a slogan, 100 basis points cannot create jobs. There is no choice, it is either massive job creation or another recession that will dislocate political parties, families and countries never seen since the depression. This is beyond ethnic ideology or political leaning except those deceiving themselves ready to kill a country with their greed as long as they gain power to allocate more financial resources to their pockets. By creating jobs either by government or business, demand for products and services is increased and more taxes are collected to take care of the young and old that spend all.

Greed is back in a big way. As the income gap between the rich and the poor widens, those fortunate enough to be born to the right parents, places and time think their achievement is through hard work, while others are losers that would not pull up themselves by their bootstraps. Never mind those without straps or boots. So the saying goes like if you work hard, no matter where your area code, zip code, postal code, postcode or location, you can make it. But we know quality of life depends on location.

Anyone that discourages hard work is a fool but a bigger fool is the one born with a silver spoon that derides those with born wooden spoon in their mouth. Sometimes the rich forget where they make their profit. If they do not increase middle-class, purchasing power and sell to the working-class in great numbers, they do not have demand and if there is no demand, they cannot make a profit. Even the rich that make money by trading in money and other creative financial transaction need the invested pension, savings, banking credit cards, loans and mortgages of the working–class. If they fleece dear country to death, there is nothing to go after but one another.

Farouk Martins Aresa

SOME WOMEN ARE NOT CUT OUT TO BE A WIFE

Women are usually more mature and smarter than men in spite of what many think. But most men want their gut instinct about a woman to be right. If they think she is a good girl, they want to give her the benefit of doubt in spite of suspicious evidence to the contrary. In the case of women, they can spot irresponsible men from a distant, no matter how he hides it. It is different from falling in love with a bad boy, which is a choice. They already know what is in store for them, though may wish they can change him.

Irresponsible men are easier to identify as a young person but harder to spot a girl that everyone expects to be a good wife and mother. Indeed, there are certain women that are attracted to irresponsible men they call bad boys. Many of them may do well in life as long as they do not turn to illegal activities. Some of them are even married to the best wives anyone can wish for and no amount of pressure will keep them away from those bad boys.

There are men and women that always get into bad relationships no matter how many times they try. A few are so well known and people can predict how long the relationship is going to last. In some communities, investigations are made before marriage in order to avoid a philanderer. In spite of that, some marriages break because we hate to see or accept the facts right before our eyes. We are not talking about relationships that break because of bad economic situation both partners have no control over. It is about being tied down as a wife.

As for young men, they know the party girls in school that flirt with everyone and party all night. If you end up with her, do not blame anyone if she refuses to shed old skin. Others girls forget about fun old days and may decide to settle down because she already had her fill. Take home a lady your mother will be proud of. The amount of divorce amongst young people is nothing to be happy about because of the consequences on the children.

Older men thinking they have advantage with money, have been warned to be careful after divorce or separation when looking for another wife, especially in the younger ladies. Women are much better as a friend sometimes than turning them into wives. There are certain distance that command respect as a friend than becoming husband and wife. Friendships are much better to handle than unrealistic expectations that must be fulfilled in a second marriage. Fortunately many women that are not cut out to be a wife prefer it that way too.

It is not only men that cannot be a good husband and father, there are laws to make them pay if they leave a woman pregnant and bare footed. Unfortunately so are some women that are not cut out to be a wife. There is a difference though, most women are good mothers no matter what they are to their husbands. The problem lay on the expectation of family and friends in the community. If community requires most women to get married, parents do not want their daughters and friends out for fear of being odd. Yet, many good women cannot find a good man.

Unlike some men bolting out of family responsibility, some women that are not comfortable being a wife can be hard working, responsible and in some cases catering for men and their children. Most of the symptoms are there early for women but families and friends keep on hoping that these women will change. There are cases where even the women struggle to be a good wife trying to be what is expected of them. Others try to have it both ways: a good wife while philandering like some men. While many can be discrete, others have affairs close by.

It is like the case of natural homosexual that family and friends try to cure with medical means or prayer. Usually, it is a misdirected effort in futility. Just as we have come to tolerate a man philanderer, we may have to let a woman, not cut out to be a wife, be herself instead of fooling their husbands, friends and family. We have to understand that a compulsive behavior require more than community norm to cure if that behavior is not illegal. The husband or wife has to realize that no matter what, the spouse will not change and it may be better to move on.

The same is not true about women that are not cut out to be a wife. Many men like them as girlfriends from a distance or on the other side but never a center of their life. There are men that are willing to marry an ugly girl as long as they know she is a good girl but others marry a pretty girl that gives them reason to being wary. The problem is that other men thinking like them may like the same ugly woman for the same reason. Being beautiful or ugly has little to do with being faithful. Every woman is endowed in some ways. Until you try, may not discover it.

There are cases, where friends and relatives are deadly against the choice of a man because they know the woman either for some reputation or suspicion. When a man is in love, he hardly listens until he finds out what others know. In cases where others keep what they know from him, the joke is on his head. By the time a man terminates the relationship, it could be out of shame because of what others know or out of disappointment.

A couple had an argument and the wife, a home maker told the husband a physician, that he knew that she would not normally marry a man below her like him. Puzzled by the argument, further information revealed that the lady was a high class girl at parties of the rich and famous before she married him. He was warned not to marry her but he rejected their advice. He might have been right to marry her based on the promise the lady made to forget her past.

This could have been a lady that was not cut out to be a wife but forced herself into that role based on family, friends and community pressure. Fortunately for her, she stayed in the role of a good wife, travelled out of the country and came back with her husband. By the time she got older and could no more be in demand as a party girl, she was glad with the decision she made and lucky with her choice of man.

These stories of women not cut out to be wives do not usually end up being rosy. By the time good time party girl realizes she has to settle down, time has gone. But then if she is a cash madam, toys boys are also available to fit into her life style. In that case, there is no loser. The family and friends just have to understand that just as some men are philanderers, there are some women created that way too.



Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Story from The Nigerian Voice News:
http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnews/58450/1/some-women-are-not-cut-out-to-be-a-wife.html

Published: Wednesday, August 17, 2011

EBELE LEGACY: RETURN NIGERIA TO TRUE FEDERATION NOW

Ebele will try his best to achieve the goal he sets out for himself as most Nigerians want: infrastructure, diminished corruption and jobs for our youths. However, his lasting legacy will be giving power of federating states back to the people in less than two years. It is the only way Nigerians will see reason to embark on cooperation between states for a mega project. When we realize two or more states and political parties must work together to accomplish a project that will benefit those states, we will be watching one another like a hawk to make sure resources are gainfully directed into the projects.

African politicians compare their status and salaries to countries they emulate in words only. Those politicians can be voted out or recalled in less than four years but African leaders look for ways to make a comeback or elongate their terms in office. If anyone wants to make an impact, it does not take four years to make a difference, no matter our bias or their political philosophy. We watch Obasanjo in Nigeria going for a third term and Rawlings in Ghana looking for all kinds of ways to make a comeback by proxy.

Ebele, if you cannot return Nigeria to a true federation in four years or less, you have failed. Every part of Nigeria has advocated for a true federation at one point or the other but whoever is in the center with so much concentration of absolute power corrupts, clings to unitary government. As soon as they are out of power, they sing a different tune. Only Ironsi knows what he was thinking when he started his Unitary Government as most of the North was vehemently opposed. As soon as they gain power, it was a different tune. Now that Ebele is in power, South-south must insist on federation, not breaking up of Nigeria.

Africa politicians have the same problem and hedonistic instinct as the tax dodging, selfish and greed invested Tea Party democracy. Politicians that go into government in order to reduce it and come out increasing its control in the individual life of the people while denying them sound infrastructure or welfare thereof, reducing access to education for children of others, refusing to provide for the old and the poor amongst us just to accumulate more than they can spend. At Whatever cost, the countries bleed to death. In a federating state, each to its philosophy but not all the states will suffer.

Some of our politicians are not different to Tea Party. Their problem and Tea Party democracy is, some extreme selfish people claiming they represent the views of most, force their ideology and selfish interest on the masses once in control. It is not that they possess some magic cure for the country, their self inflicted malady or the economic crisis, they are willing to exacerbate as long as they can exploit it for money. Little did Africans know they have the selfish identical twins of their leaders roaming America calling themselves Tea Pot Party. The only Tea in their Pot of Herb is you know what: cannabis.

By some peoples' power or luck Ebele was elected all over Nigeria with more than 25 percents of the votes in most states. Those that are waiting to trip him and called him a failed leader are already on the line sponsoring violence so that they can claim only people with military experience can rule Nigeria successfully. While he tries to appease them for peace's sake like Obama sucking up to the Republicans, they can't wait to sacrifice him for their goal. Majority of Republican and Democrats can see through Tea Pot Party but Democrats just lack the persuasive powers to bring independents to swing the elections to their side. Ebele, like Obama may give too much to appease radicals.

Watch out for African politicians learning from the masters or the crooks learning from third world masters, claiming selfishness is the way of life in the “civilized' world where extreme minority right wingers are imposing their version of democracy on the majority that are struggling to preserve right and dignity to the poorest. It is a safety net of social services still lacking in most developing countries. Some of the African countries even based their salaries and allowances on those of other politicians in the developed world emptying most of the coffer in their relatively poor countries with little left for infrastructure.

Tea Pot Party members are either yearning for the dark ages when they worked the serfs anyhow or want to turn their country into the third world. The way they go about it is convincing the weak, uninformed and feeble minded independents to vote their way, almost the same way African ethnic groups defend their sons and daughters in corruption. Whoever says power of persuasion to vote against yourselves is limited to certain group in Africa has never understood Tea Pot Party democracy in America.

The seniors were up in arms during the last election in United State. They gave Obama a “shellacking” because they do not want government in their Medicare. Little did they realized or were unconvinced that government provides Medicare. The Republican led by the Tea Pot Party called Democrats plan for seniors Death Panels that limit them access to Medicare. After winning the election, they saw the true face of Tea Pot Party that could care less about jobs, social security or healthcare.

If these were Africans practicing democracy, fellow Africans could have called them all sorts of names for working against their interest. But in United State it is almost suicidal to blame the voters. So nobody calls the so called independents, feeble minded people without conviction or let seniors know that they have been conned. Indeed, some of them still defend their positions as reasonable at the time. Well, what about now?

This is why we have leaders in Africa that think if we have democracy and exercise our free choice; they can use us the way Tea Pot Party members smoking whatever, use people in other countries. In most of the so called democracies in Africa, those leaders that lose elections and bow out are few. The power of incumbency is used to the maximum to get back in by any means necessary. Like the Tea Party members, African politicians and their cronies cause poverty, financial crisis, received bail out money, tax cut, sell government assets to themselves, leave job creation to small businesses, legalize tax dodging, legalize looting and come back to blame middle and working class people for all the problem in these countries. No blame, no responsibility for them.



Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Story from Modern Ghana News:
http://www.modernghana.com/

Published: Friday, August 05, 2011

ASIAN LADIES HAVE COME BUT NOT TO CONQUER MEN’s HEARTS

Go to any African major city airport, there are usually variety of people traveling out and into the city. What is more pronounced these days is the number of interracial couples coming back , traveling out or seeing foreign parents and spouses off. It used to be black and white, now you find spouse from far places from Africa. It is no wonder that Chinese and Japanese are part of them. It could be the love of Chinese food that is working or the exotic taste. Food is an important cultural attraction too.

Asian women have come a long way! They are only expressing personal choice other liberated women have enjoyed for a long time. It used to be a big thing to see white women and black men in a relationship. No more. The shoe is now on the other foot. White women are wondering just as black women do about them: if Asian women are conquering white men depriving them of partners. It is a myth, any women that knows how to treat a man and any man that knows how to treat a woman fairly, will keep one.

The new Asian immigrant ladies are hot. They never used to come as singles out of Asia and are usually married, following their husbands to other countries, like African women. There were few places one could see Asian men or women in the seventies except in the university libraries and China towns. When we relaxed at nightclubs on weekends in those days, no Chinese or Japanese could be found around. Well, a lot has changed, fast forward to twenty-first century.

It must be noted that there were Chinese and Japanese in Africa and the Americas way back and some Native Americans share the same features. These Natives and those that were put in camps in America during the war with Japan, are out of this discussion. In Africa some of the Chinese came to build the railways. At the same time they used to keep to their own communities as in California as well as China towns, so they hardly mix anyway.

The recent Japanese and Chinese immigrants have displayed overpowering influence of nurture over nature. The Filipinos were one of the first of the recent Asian immigrants that broke out of their environment. As the Asian men and women adapt to local food, the women start developing curves never seen before amongst their parents in Asia. These curves attract European men falling for boobs and African men falling for buddies or the exotic look. These characteristics are well pronounced in their second generation increasing interracial marriages.

Indeed before the flow of immigrants, Africans, Europeans and Americans that traveled far and wide either for pleasure or study marry home Asian Susies. On the other hand, we do not see that many Asian men marrying outside their cultures. Even those that did study outside home send or bring their wives with them. The same was true of African men since most of the African women in Europe and America were married in those days. These men found out that once the women get adapted, they are all the same.

The ladies are not waiting and interracial marriages are more common these days. The US census also bears out the number of people putting down non-white and none-black are on the increase. We wonder what the hell they are! Some call themselves Afro-Asian Europeans. They are not in any appreciable number to threaten the existence of any cultural or ethnic group, just humans expressing their choice and love across the cultures. Those men bringing back women from old countries, thinking of unadulterated cultures, also found out women are women in the same environment.

There is no cause for alarm amongst those wondering, especially white and black ladies that Chinese population will overwhelm men in Africa, Europe and America. The West Indies is the experimental spot. If Africans culture and population remain intact in those countries, nothing will change in the rest of the world. There are no other places where we have the mixture of ethnic groups than in the West Indies. Black genes is so strong, no ethnic group in the world can deny African blood in them, even in the Arctic region.

Yet, the black women in the West Indies are not short of African men. The relationship between blacks in Africa and the West Indies does not preclude marriage as in the USA and England. After all, “Stella got her Groove” from Jamaica. In Trinidad, Indians and Africans make up “Dougla”. The reason black women are not getting black men in England and America has more to do with socioeconomic situation of black men than women of other ethnic group snatching. A black man has no respect in those countries.

The latest study published by the Pew Foundation indicated that minorities as Hispanics and African families are hit harder by the recession. Median wealth of whites is twenty times that of blacks and the rate of unemployment amongst blacks is always twice those of whites. Even amongst the educated blacks, their income is not better than those of white high school graduates. The implication of this is the lack of equity in possessions of black families in United States and England that leave their children with very little.

These socioeconomic factors contribute more to shortage of eligible black men that can support a family than those taken by other ethnic groups. It is no longer true that rich black men do not see themselves as accomplished until they marry a white woman. Those days are fast disappearing. Worthy of note is that no matter where black women come from, once they enter USA and England, they suffer the same consequences as the native black women with less percentage of two family homes bringing up children.

So do not blame the exotic ladies from other places trying to make the same choice you enjoy as liberated women.

African men and women in Diaspora need to rediscover themselves and food is one of the most important cultural changes they must fall back on. Men used to provide shelter while women provide the food. There is great relationship in both. Black women have to learn how to keep their men by being themselves and rediscovering the source of their strength in cultural heritage. Nobody moves, rhythm, cook and articulate words better than a black woman. It is still true that the best way to a man's heart is through his belly. Food is more than eating, it is also companionship, sharing and celebrating. Chinese food cannot be that deep to black and white men. Food is so important, employers use it for interviews and other animals depend solely on it. Man does not live by bread alone.

However, attitudes to food tell more about us than we care to admit. There is nothing wrong with variety of food but consciously ignoring ones' culture has deeper meaning. Another point is the acts of cooking for some women has become passé and no longer cool. If a man meets other woman that takes food seriously, there goes your man. Food is a ritual that must be taken seriously. It is very important to eat together at least twice a week in spite of our busy conflicting schedules. If you are not eating with your spouse to develop that relationship, one of you is having lunch breaks or dinner with someone else at Mr. Biggs, Sweat-Sensation, Kentucky Fried joints, Big Mac or Mama-put-e.

Soul food in varieties like tuwo, edikan-ikan, opono, amola, kenki, isi-ewu, fufu, ofe-owerri, pilau, aki and salt fish, kuku and flying fish, corn bread, collard green, jambalaya, Cajun and jerk chicken are specialties worth learning and passing on to the next generations. Otherwise there are other exotic dishes that may appeal to your man and woman. There are many men that love to cook but they do it for pay as chef, not for fun most of the times. Any man that loves himself must also learn to cook some special dishes and if the woman can pay for shelter, we must adapt to take care of kids. Young people care less about these foods, so they eat from others.



Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Story from The Nigerian Voice News:
http://www.thenigerianvoice.com

Published: Saturday, July 30, 2011

Feel real sorry for the lady.
Even more so for her children.

Where are all her supporters during that difficult period with Oba? Please remember her children and start a fund for them. She led a cause and might have died as a result. So I expect human right activists, especially women to contribute to the fund for her children.

I am so impressed by the fact that he said it publicly.

This man has enogh money to send his son anywhere for as long as he wants holding a pen. Instead, he bowed to the wish of his son.

Yet, we cry everyday how we import glorified mechanics, plumbers, eletricians and carpenters into Nigeria as experts to work on mega project. Be serious, there are surplus pen pushers already unless you want to be a pen-robber. Nigeria needs skilled workers instead of importing them

PEACE: BOKO HARAM DEMANDS MORE THAN EBELE SECURITY VOTE

Terrorists cannot shoot their way into Aso Rock. Oh no, not in Nigeria. The two most prominent terrorists clamoring for attention in Aso Rock are MEND and Boko Haram militia. The history of terrorists taking power by coup, blackmail and threat are not new. A bill in the last Joint Houses of Thieves gave pension rights to past military leaders, in essence legalizing past military coups. When some dare devils forced their ways into power and were rewarded, there are others watching and waiting for their turns.

General Buhari is closer to the truth. What is the difference between military coups, armed robbers and terrorists taking over by tulasi? Boko Haram may have started out as religious fanatics, their financiers today are not, but they are adopting them locally to wield power. If the activities of a few fanatics keep on recurring without solution in sight after multiple committees, then you know those behind them are the powerful and the mighty. Every religious and ethnic fanatic has been curbed, crushed or had the heads of the snakes cut off. So if they are still cancerous, watch out for those behind them.

It must be understood that these religious and ethnic militia can be amorphous, and metastasize into splinter organizations. The financiers of these organizations can lose control of terrorists that bite the hands that fed them. We should remember the strong man of Ibadan, late Adedibu that started as a political thug and graduated into political king maker in the West; he had asked governors to tender their security allowance for peace to reign. MASSOB and Union of transport workers were rebuffed by Governor Obi as they got used to collecting local taxes, asking him to concentrate on Federal fund.
Military, religious and ethnic champions are terrorists that got control of Government since General Ironsi forced Nigeria into a Unitary System of Government making it difficult to compartmentalize damages by local police to cut off the heads of the snakes. Nigerians can make money and fame out of any situation including the promise to tackle terrorists in return for money and influence in the Government. Both Boko Haram and MEND militia are financed by those heavily endowed in positions of power. Boko Haram is now the most dreaded leader of opposition by instilling fear outside their enclave.

The situation grieves most Nigerians that are powerless to stop these terrorists. The rich countries groan at the cost of maintaining security driving some of them bankrupt. How relatively poor countries still struggling to provide basic infrastructure can divert the little resources they have to security as an added headache beats most imaginations. As for rich Nigerians, they fool themselves into building fortified houses without fire escape, armored cars and trucks to protect themselves. They are coming for all of us!

However, only a few of these militia organizations have been able to shoot their ways
into power in Abuja.  Though the military officers planned against one another by palace coup, they still enjoy exalted positions today. Once out of power, religious and ethnic riots can break out anywhere and nobody has been able to bring them to justice until compromises are made. We can set up as many committees to look into all these riots as much as we want, we still do not recognize the faces of these terrorists in or out of power. Boko Haram has managed to displace MEND as the terrorist in opposition while others chill for now until they roar again.

So far, there are people that believe as promised before the election, that Babangida, Buhari, Ciroma and some rich militricians in the North finance and influence, encourage or turn blind eye to religious groups destabilizing the North and Abuja, and gradually making their way southwards. The same is true about MEND in the South as some of us believe they are sponsored by powerful past and present governors and senior military officers. Indeed, some military officers that are terrorists in their own right became jealous and cried out that General Aziza that was retired from the Army by linking him to Niger Delta militia became the National Security Adviser. O pot calling the kettle black.

Rebels have become leaders of governments in Rawlings’ Ghana, Manachem Begin’s Israel, Otega’s Nicaragua, Castro’s Cuba, Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela and DaSilva’s Brazil. Major Ezeogwu was a rebel hero we wished his dream was accomplished in Nigeria. However, we must distinguish between those fighting for destructive or selfish ideology from those willing to die so that the country can be a better place for others. Various forms of these terrorists have left Nigeria in a worse shape than they met it.

Unfortunately, those Nigerians rebels that succeeded are reactionaries similar to the drug barons of Mexico have penetrated deep into our state governments and Armed Forces. We also have them in firm grip of political parties in Nigeria. Those that claimed they wanted to liberate us from corrupt politicians became worse once in power.  Most claimed they were ready to die for Nigeria but actually stalled on queue at the bus stop to finish their loot. We did not become a country that celebrate militias and coup plotters like IBB, Abacha, Boko Haram,  MEND, Oyenusi, Anini, Shina Ranbo and Obidiozor Otokoto by accident, we became complacent hoping only God would save Nigeria, knowing full well that only Nigerians can save Nigeria.

People that never gave Ibrahim Waziri’s politics without bitterness a chance, Aminu Kano as the only known Saint in Nigeria an opportunity, Awolowo the best manager we ever had in politics to raise the Country, Ezeogwu with pure intention derailed and Isaac Boro killed fighting for justice might have squandered peaceful coexistence. Buhari, one of the most dedicated fighter against corruption had his chance but failed to return due suspicion of parochial interest. Zik gave away his opportunity to rule in a silver platter.

Lost innocent lives that are stuck between these guerrillas’ tactics terrorizing the Nation in the battle for the control of Abuja bear the consequences when they strike as we saw recently in the bombing of the Police Headquarters in Abuja. Little do they realize that if most people on the streets are not safe, they are not save either. They also face the ignominy of being asked where they come from and why situations there are so bad. Instead of pointing four fingers to themselves, they point one to the other guy. Yeah, it’s always the fault of someone else and not mine.

Farouk Martins Aresa

Force hgtrs bombing: Suicide bomber was a foreigner (Sudanese or Somali national) from Interim report

- Sartuday Vanguard June 18, 2011

HYPER INFLATED PRICES BEGAT EMBITTERED MILITIA HUNTING US

Nigerians love life, it is unusual to recruit Nigerian as a suicide bomber. Family’s purchasing power find causes in slums of recruits for Boko Haram, Niger Delta, OPC, MASSOB, or Arewa. Believe it or not, the same family purchasing power drives pen and armed robbers into politics. If super inflated price all over the Country is killing middleclass, you can imagine what it is doing to disenchanted grassroots.  We either crush the oppressors or crash market hyper inflated prices. Solution will evade us as long as we tolerate takeover of our market by illegitimate excess cash since we think, looters create jobs. Yeah, they create jobs for militants to protect their political turf. The piece meal negotiation with one militant group will encourage others. 

Militants take a vow of poverty or seek life of looters. They demand respect as armed robbers do. What we must realize is that if looters do not work hard for capital or borrows it from banks with interest; pen robbers can afford to hold on to high prices as long as they want and even hoard goods and services until we pay through our nose. They have nothing to lose. Buildings can go unrented, goods can rot, services not patronized and they can even sell cheaper to other countries. It happened in California, at the mercy of energy companies. Looted money used to hire militants holding us at ransom could be used as legal small business capital creating jobs.

If the middleclass are complaining that they cannot afford hyper inflated prices of goods and services in the most expensive country in the world, what about those stuck as the working and poor classes paying the same price at the market? As the number of middleclass members is dwindling, they have increased the number of working class with little purchasing power left in their arsenal.  Even those working for hard currency can no longer cope with super inflated prices without commensurable clean income. Many traders and big business men and women are hidden faces or doubles for politicians buying at any price, drying up the market for the working class and the jobless. So poverty breeds militants faster than sound economics.

By the time they inflate contracts, inflate profit, inflate goods and services; potential militants or working class can only stare at prices Houses of Thieves encouraged. It has already been established that Nigerian politicians are the highest paid in the world. Though they and their cronies are less than ten percent of the population, by the time you count their contractors or partners, relatives and friend, they are still less than twenty percent. We are talking about less than 30 millions Nigerians at most in a population of 160 million pouring cash into the market to buy and bribe one another at super inflated amount. The Excess cash within a small clueless circle drives 80% or more than 130m into poverty and militancy, forget less than $2 US a day.

The politicians and business profiteers stealing us blind left, right and center and their cronies pump so much money into the market and buy at any price that they begat super inflation as can be expected. Now history, take the old unreliable 090 cell phones hyper inflated prices at the exclusive converted realm of the rich and powerful in Nigerians. Though, a short trip across the border to Benin Republic had revealed common people and market women using GSM. It is not surprising that it took so long to come to Nigeria. Even then, it took longer for the rich to accept those “cheap” phones. The money was there to monopolize 090 phones that the working class looked up with envy. Unfortunately for them, GSM 080 became a leveler. 

What is mind bungling is how goods and services that are two or three times the price in Benin Republic, Ghana, India, China, Europe and America still sell like hot olele in Nigeria. It does not make a difference where the goods are made since those manufactured in Nigeria can be exported and re-imported for sale at a higher price like lace materials. Even those goods that are not rebranded, be it Ijebu, Okrika or Hausa made still sell at exorbitant prices after asking the Government to ban imports. All the common man or potential militant wants, is affordable price or be recruited. Jacking up the price of homemade goods to that of imported, do not help.

We are not talking about oil alone here, it could be cement, goat, cow, lap top, internet or TV cable services. Their prices are completely out of reach for the average Dele, Chinwe or Abdul. Whatever it is, market is guaranteed double or triple price in Nigeria. Please ask anyone the cost of building, not to talk of buying a house in any cosmopolitan city or buying materials to build in your village. We already have a world record of building one kilometer of road for one million US dollars. Forget about naira my friend.  Nobody gives you quotes in naira anymore unless you can take it to Bureau de Change or mallam that may become militants without jobs. 

Please, if you do not want to exchange blows with this potential militant, do not come with the cost of unreliable power, water and other infrastructure. They have beaten that horse to death. We do not have to condone those lightly either. But to blame power and water every time for double and triple the price in India with 1.2b people or Benin Republic with only 8.8m people is like turning us into Zimbabwe with 12.6m people soon. In Zimbabwe we know that battle between dictator for life and external forces play major role. Greed is the major reason in Nigeria gouging of price of goods and services. China hangs pen robbers, crushes militants but improves quality of life leveraging 1.3b people to sell goods cheaper at home and abroad. 

The law of demand and supply is warped by Nigerians. Popular items made at home like cement are priced to those of imports while those of imports skyrocketed. One would expect that high demand at home will boost manufacturing industries providing jobs for youth and working class. No; saboteurs are ready to lay off workers to be recruited as armed robbers or militants. Thereby, decrease supply or hoard them turning into blocks until price climb higher again. This is the case for many products and our mentality to make excessive profit so that we can keep up with those vultures using cocoa bags to carry the loot home.  If it is not mongering for profit, greed or fear of exposure, how could Presidential fiat bring cement price down?

The point is that a vicious circle has been created and that has eaten deep into our mentality. We resent armed and pen robbers and those making maximum profit regardless of the cost of manufacturing products. Others use bribe, endemic in all transaction from government to private sector if excessive profit is not available.  In order to pay for higher prices of goods traders demand, send our children to private schools looters send theirs instead of providing good schools, travel out on vacations like looters rather than develop our own vacation or tourist attractions, seek medical help abroad instead of building good hospitals at home, drive cars we cannot manufacture at home and live it up ostentatiously. Militants are watching.

Farouk Martins Aresa
http://www.modernghana.com/news/335247/1/hyper-inflated-prices-begat-embittered-militia-hun.html
The Nigeria Voice

Even when the whole of Lagos State is stolen, some will not notice.

Can you imagine the kind of curses poured on this Gbengapro just because he dared.

No wonder people steal left, right and center and people turned a blind eye.

Federal House just pardoned or turned blind eye on former speaker Etteh, the same way Senate had pardoned Okadigbo.

Bankole too will get pardoned. Anyone wey say I nor go chop, no go chop mentalities.

Please understand.

Eko Ile is doing his job the best way he can. He gets paid to do it and may not even be a Lagosian. Just wait until opportunity comes up in his State.

Eko Ile, well done. O kare, omo e a so oko fun e. With all the debt you left your children if you are a Lagosian,

I always wonder what the hoplalala is about.

This is a state that generate more revenue far above others but also owe much more. Does not make sense.

While at the same time Tinubu pockets the lion share thru Fashola that can not deny him. If he does, both of them are going to jail and Tinubu may even get out of it.

Bad belle my foot. All these praise singers have been deprived for so long, crumbs is enough to feast on.

High revenue plus the highest tax plus international loans for grandchildren that will be sold into slavery to pay back.

Eko Atlantic  that no average Lagosian will ever touch or have the money to visit.

Dumdums

This must be a JOKE otherwise you are one hell of a mumu.

hercules07:
Good story, you refine your oil, you save the dollars needed for importation of refined products.

You are dead right, that is why the article was posted.

The head of some people have to be drilled to put sense into it before they understand a simple story. Here we aree bleeding left and right and some hard heads still do not get it.

ROBBING SANUSI TO PAY AGANGA WITH FOREIGN RESERVE

You want US dollars and pound sterling? Work hard for it with your sweat; sell your goods and services at international market, then collect. Please forgive some of us for being so hard headed. We just don't get it. How anyone can float hard currency that the Country does not print for every Sanusi and Aganga to buy anything they want anywhere in the name of freedom and democracy beats us. Everything America and Europe have, we all want but we do not earn the currency to pay for it. So Central Bank makes our foreign reserve available for any import that catches our fancy. Poor toothpicks have been picked on to death for making a case on our choice of import to emphasis our foolishness.

United States can print dollars and the rest of the world will buy it. China can print renminbi to make it cheap relative to the dollar so that more manufactured goods can be bought and exported to Africa, Europe and America. Those exported goods provide jobs in China and also build infrastructure creating and expanding cities and small towns that in turn raise the living standard of the people of China. If Nigeria cannot print dollars, it cannot not float dollar for every Sanusi and Aganga that wants to buy American and Chinese toys and gadgets. Only our manufactured and refined exports can control the value of naira not Sanusi or Aganga. Raw petrol we have, refine petrol not enough to even export.

Let us complicate the situation a bit more by throwing in devaluation of the naira. No patriotic Nigerian wants us to go back to the days of IBB when we sold out ourselves so cheap. Middle-class and working-class have not recovered. Many went to their grave poor and hungry. Moreover, if we devalue our naira, there are no domestic goods and services that will be so cheap in the world market that every country will be running to Nigeria to buy. Otherwise, cheap naira could have spurred production at home creating jobs for our youths and most able persons willing to work. Our devaluation did not create jobs.

The oil we sell is a necessity and it is dictated by world market demanding no action on our part. During the Arab oil boycott, Nigeria was the biggest supplier to some countries including the United States. It did not make us as unique or special like Saudi Arabia. Also, we do not have the largest oil reserve. We sell our oil to countries that have more reserve than we do. They build large reserve at home and buy ours to grease their economic activities. Whatever they use our oil for and ready to buy more from us, we can also use our own oil for the same thing to increase and boost our made-In -Nigeria exports. But if our goods are not attractive to us, we cannot attract world market, remaining consumers of theirs. One choice we have that every Sanusi and Aganga knows is that refined oil technology is already in the Country because we have some refineries. Why can't we be exporter of refined petrol as well?

So our progress is postponed and we blame God for not saving Nigeria when we know only Nigerians can save Nigeria. Many of us hate to believe that our politicians can be bribed to water down Petroleum Industry Bill or to delay gas flaring with impunity because the big oil companies dictate how they can bribe a country to ignore the air it breaths to reach economic independence. The blame game goes round and round. It is the reason we import almost everything and if Sanusi does not make hard foreign currency available, they may close shops leading to more problems. In that case, we humbly ask what will happen when we run out of foreign reserve. Everything we have been trying to prevent will stare us in the face. We have been told to stop blaming ordinary Nigerians for our low foreign reserve in spite of high price of oil in the international market that brings in more revenue as our reverse remain stagnant.

The percentage taken by the so called industrialists and business men that import “necessities” for their factories is what takes the lion share. Yet these industrialists, factories, importers and exporters have not lowered the unemployment in the Country. They in turn explained that any country that cannot encourage businesses by providing electricity and other infrastructure taken for granted in competing factories in other countries, cannot blame them. Good point! Is that an excuse for spending more on imported raw materials than the income you bring into Nigeria?

If we have strong export market, like refined petrol, clay brinks and agricultural industries made possible by dependable generation of power, more jobs will be created and the spending power of more people working will be increased. Since we love made in Nigeria (wink) and we patronize ourselves, there will be reduced demand for imported products and that will increase our foreign reserve. Many experts are blaming the governments at the Federal and state levels for too many mega projects that are heavily dependent on our foreign reserve. Most of the projects are inflated like spending one million US dollars to build one kilometer of road, creating world record. Not even US dollars printers spends so recklessly.

The obvious commodity is refined oil which Nigeria after all these years does not have enough of to serve us domestically at home. Therefore we sell hundreds of whatever crude oil to buy only one whatever refined oil from outside. Those of us that are neither educated enough nor mathematicians, use of our native intelligence tells us that if we are spending a hundred whatever to buy just one whatever, we are going to end up poorer like our grandfathers that sold gold to buy mirrors. Nigerians are building oil refineries in other countries but not at home. Some claim that oil is too cheap in Nigeria to make a profit while some blame too much subsidy to import refine petrol.

If you are following our logic or native intelligence and it makes some sense, you may wonder why we are spending so much money subsidizing importation of refined oil as Sanusi and Aganga cry out when we can spend that money on something else, like helping the poor. The poor and the working-class say: thanks but no thanks. The only benefit they derive from Nigeria being an oil producer is lower oil price like Venezuela. Any savings from the so called oil subsidy will disappear into deep pick-pockets. If that is the case, we may as well spend the subsidy on more refineries increasing supply to bring down the price at home and for export. It must be noted that in some areas we are already paying through our noses.

Without taking sides on oil subsidy, it may be noted that United States enjoys the lowest price of refined oil amongst the developed countries and any outrageous increase always become an election issue. Indeed, some economists have calculated the amount of factories and jobs that would be lost if the price of oil goes above certain limit. But we cannot use America whenever it suits us and dump it when it does not support our case. For example, U S is practically one of the biggest debtors in the world. Some of our economists have argued that as long as our foreign reserve is used to build infrastructure and service the economy, it is fine; compared to using foreign reserve to gamble shoving up naira.

Only local manufacturers that depend on local materials should be encouraged. Nobody else deserves foreign reserve that will sooner or later runs out if we do not prioritize our wants and concentrate on our needs. Africans outside copy those at home and those at home copy those outside. There must be something we can do before we run out of the main source of hard currency, which is easy oil at home. More of it is sold as raw material than the refined petrol, enough of which we do not even have at home. We made do and live within our means before oil, feeding the rest of West Africa. All we are preventing is eventualities that are bound to happen if we do not stop wasting our foreign reserve in the name of freedom to buy whatever we want.


Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Story from The Nigerian Voice News:

Published: Thursday, May 12, 2011

slimes:
My Guy go read constitution very well.

Constitution or not, in retrospect very insightful two years later.

thenigerianvoice.com NEWS

OUR NYSC MARTYRS AND THE BRAVEST VOTERS

The right to vote our conscience can be taken for granted when you are in your neighborhoods or around people that have the same political views as we do. No matter who lost and who won, the sacrifice of our youths for the Country of their future cannot be quantified especially when facing hostilities in an unfamiliar environment. The reason they are posted out of their states is to get familiar with their countrymen in order to foster unity. They share more risk than those voting for unpopular candidates in their communities, but risk they all take.

It must be emphasized that this election is not the first time National Youth Service Corps members have been threatened or died in the line of duty. They face hostile environment whenever they leave mums and dads to start their own lives. So, some of them sacrificed their lives all over Nigeria. As we console their families and must compensate them generously, we must remember those that also lost their lives for no reason other than voting for an unpopular party in their areas.

This is not about how gruesome they die, their families suffer enough. It is how courageous but defenseless they were. They did not go outside their country to fight or impose democracy; they were enforcing and exercising that right at home. When people talk about freedom as not free, this may be what they mean. Some die so that the rest of us can enjoy that freedom to vote for whoever we want. Those that say Nigeria export what we do not have at home will now take out the freedom to vote in an election.

Those perpetrators behind the mayhem are still the same privileged few that refuse to give up exalted position and power. Nobody relinquished power voluntarily, we have to take it away from them. They will be brought to justice at some point and time but verily we say unto you, they know that their time is numbered. We must go to the source of fire using messengers to commit their atrocities. If the messengers are even eliminated, they will find others to do their dirty jobs. The wretch they visit onto their messengers is worse than their sins to others.

There are those that claim that until we passed the banner of democracy from one elected government to another, we have not entrenched freedom. We did that, however crooked. But power always stays in the hands of incumbent in Africa, they noticed. Well, until we passed power from the ruling government to an opposition in a fair and free election, without force as in Ivory Coast, our democracy is still not solid, they claimed.

We have to be careful how we go about our own way of freedom or democracy. Those they want us to copy have parties based or different ideologies. Sometimes we pay lip service to it in Africa and if foreigners do not like some African ideology they look for ways to overthrow that government as they did in Congo to Lumumba. But in most cases our parties are not based on ideologies, they are based most of the time on greed and many times on ethnicity. Realizing this, we agreed on at least two thirds of all the states, not a state, to win presidential election.

Before we go into two thirds of the states in Nigeria, we must tackle the notion of passing power from an incumbent to an opposition in a free and fair election. If all the parties are the same “you chop and I chop more”, passing the banner from one to the other does not change their ideology of greed. We have to look for other methods. In Nigeria, the best method, unlike other countries may be a clean up and take-over of the same parties by dedicated individuals. In fairness to Buhari, he was able to start CPC from scratch. In that case it becomes a party of an individual. We already have those and do not need more. As the party gets bigger than the founder, collective interest must surpass personal interest or insatiable pocket.

Without our youth coppers involvement in a big way in this election, many of us wonder if Jega can be everywhere at the same time to conduct a free and fair election. The involvement of our young men and women in a special way designed by Jega and his colleagues provided a cautious environment for a congenial election that prevented massive rigging compared to the past elections. These young men were so dedicated, after all, it is their country and their future. They use their magic phones to communicate results and trouble spots instantly. Election riggers and trouble makers could not stomach their vigilance, so they snuffed lives out of some of them. It was a callous and dastardly act that kin brothers and sisters ashamed, condemned.

Many of us think it is because the youth coppers do not belong, and rightly so because they did not grow up in those communities. However, what about their own kin and blood with the same religion within the same compounds they slaughtered for voting for candidates they do not like. These are not infidels, they are not kaferi and they still vote for presidential candidates outside their areas. Fortunately, it happened across the land, North and South. All we have to do is look closely at the areas that gave a couple of the presidential candidates a geographical spread outside their home base.

Unlike the map we see dividing us into North and South, let us look at what the framers of two thirds want. Starting from the North, Ebele was able to carry more than twenty five percent in in about 31 out of 36 the states. Some are: Gombe – Buhari 60% Ebele 38%; Kebbi – Buhari 54% Ebele 40%; Adamawa – Ebele 56% Buhari 38%; Jigawa – Buhari 58% Ebele 37%; Katsina - Buhari home 71% Ebele 26%; Zamfara - Buhari 66% Ebele 25%; Niger - Buhari 64% Ebele 32%; Plateau - Ebele 73% Buhari 25%; Kaduna - Buhari 51% Ebele 46%; Nazarawa - Ebele 59% Buhari 40% and Sokoto itself – Buhari 59% Ebele 34%. Many of them voted for Ebele at the risk of their lives.

In the West we see Ribadu that could not get his home state catching more than twenty-five percent outside. Oyo – Ebele 56% Ribadu 29%; Ekiti Ebele 52% Ribadu 47%; and Osun – Ribadu 58% Ebele 37%. Of course those states that were far out were not included because the point that we are still one and the same Country is more pronounced in the states highlighted. The credit must be shared with most of the individuals in all states that made this election possible as free and fair without the interpretation of the Supreme Court. If nobody did, Praise Nigeria!


Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Story from The Nigerian Voice News:

Published: Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Is Tinubu from Lagos or there is no Lagosian capable enough?

Just watch Fashola and co take over the party from him. He who pays, as Fashola allow Lagos money, calls the tune.

The party is bigger than a crook like Tinubu who many of you do not even know his identity. One of these days you will find out that not only is he a drug baron, but a criminal that escaped from Agodi prison.

Lagosboy,

When people cannot face facts, they use insult. Most of them are area boys working and smoking ganja with Amoda Ogulere alias Tinubu.

FALLEN DREAMS OF THE MIGHTY

Watch how many more heavy weights will sink their boat. The man with the biggest ego right now is Bola Tinubu unaware of his imminent fallen grace. He feels he has captured the Yoruba votes. Not so fast my man. Nah! Nah man! Just watch. The West voted against Obasanjo not against Ebele, not for Tinubu but as individuals for the grace of Fashola influence in Lagos. They also wish for a governor like Mimiko in Ondo State. All you have to analyze is the votes spread between ACN and PDP. ACN won mostly by default from PDP implosion but could have won a couple of seats in Ogun State anyway.

Tinubu must learn from the strongman of Kwara politics, where Saraki’s ACPN that lost his clout. Fashola albatross is Tinubu and without the open wallet of Lagos State facilitated by Fashola, there is no ACN. He who pays the piper calls the tune. Fashola pays and is about time he learnt how to call the tune by paying Tinubu the same coin Tinubu paid his AD godfathers.

If the West is going to be the battle ground, with or without ACN and CPC alliance, Ebele wins the West. People now realize that Ribadu does not have what it takes to be a president, which is why he could not carry Adamawa his home State for ACN. ACN lost Ribadu senatorial seat and two others to PDP. ACN got 2 out of 8 Federal House seats, CPC with one and PDP had 5 in Adamawa. As much as they love Ribadu in the West, as a wasted vote, he caved in for Buhari. Sophisticated voters know that, Tinubu knows it and the West will not throw their votes away.

So back to square one between Tinubu and Buhari’s agreement that still fell apart because Tinubu insisted on the Vice-President slot. Bakare will not bow out, even for Tinubu’s nominees. So if Tinubu have to go along with Buhari original plan that he had rejected, he would look like a fool. Oh please, Tinubu is no fool. All he wants from Ebele is that he will not be prosecuted. No matter how attractive ACN and CPC may look mathematically even if there is a run off as ACN wishes, it does not add up because there are more important factors missing in this equation.

Buhari is an honest man but with a weakness for royalties and very vindictive. The explanation he gave for derailing the subway system in Lagos preferring loss of Lagos State millions deposit rather than put up less to accomplish the rail system never made sense then or in tears now. The money suitcases, that went “unnoticed” by his administration through the Lagos Airport still hangs on him. Not even a pastor as a running mate can improve his image or dictatorial stand. If he is made anti-corruption Czar, many looters will pack out of Nigeria. How great!

Fortunately, there are other men of timber and caliber that will perform well in that role better than Buhari and better than Ribadu. Jega is more determined to give us a credible election after the false start. If we can get acceptable election from Jega backed by Ebele, we can also get anti-corruption Czar backed by Ebele. There are too many decent Nigerians to think that a few of us can soil the rest. The problem with ACN and PDP is that their founders are so desperate, they will drive a hot shaft through their mothers to win an election. This is why we have old men crying do or die politics that are discussed in their board meetings. Rigging election by fiat is a well planned plot like a coup that involve more than the spokesperson. It is a culture of the same corruption we decry. What matters is getting there not how they get there.

Another brilliant candidate for president is Shekarau. The exposure made possible by the debates point to the fact that we still have brilliant men and women in Nigeria that can lift the Country up if they are sincere. Those that know him praised his performance in past positions. In spite of this, he failed to deliver Kano to his party, ANPP because of the rift between him and Buhari. So they split Kano and PDP won 11, ANPP 8 out of 21 House seats. In the senatorial seats PDP won 2 from Kano central and north while ANPP retained one. They may kiss up later.

The equivalent of a run off wished for by ACN is the same as if all Northern presidential candidates present a unity candidate. Since Buhari won where Shekarau voted, Kano may switch to Buhari anyway for presidential, Kwankwaso for gubernatorial leaving Shekarau empty. Ribadu is in a worse situation, he hardly has a say of where Tinubu’s ACN swings. The ANPP Ali Sheriff suffered the same fate in Borno in his run for the Senate because of the explosions, security and some claimed money extortion problem in Maiduguri. PDP Alhaji Zannah won with about 70,000 votes to the celebration of youths and akada operators. Wahala dey O!

So far PDP is doing fine in the North-western state of Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi and Zafara and Buhari CPC is trailing far behind PDP in North-central. This may change if there is a runoff. It may be a mistake for Ebele to be seen in the North to be in bed with Tinubu because PDP lost most of its heavyweight like former governors Agagu, Oyinloa and senators Adeleke, Omishore that won from prison in the last election by fiat and Iyabo has Obasanjo as her father. South-south looks good but attention must be paid to the creative way of voting in Akwa Ibom where bitter nuts and palm kernels were used to thumb-print. South-east may even revolt if too much attention is paid to Tinubu ACN in the West instead of the real voters that split PDP by implosion.

While Ebele cannot take the West for granted, he must also be seen as reaching out to even where PDP lost like in Katsina, Buhari home state where the daughter of Yar’Adua lost with most of the seats going to CPC. In Zamfara where Yarima’s ANPP beat Shinkafi’s PDP, they may return to Buhari in parties merger or run-off. Watch out for Kaduna that embarrassed PDP in the riding of Sambo, Ebele’s Vice-President; Nasarawa and Niger. They cannot rely on North-west alone. In order to maintain its national spread Ebele must fight for every vote in the North, not only later day converts. A reason he still dances with characters like Ciroma and Babangida.

Unfortunately for Buhari, with Tinubu’s ACN he cannot capture the whole North either. Nigerians are voting for individual candidates more in this election than for party leaders in the past elections. Left to individuals, they will be looking for the best candidates between CPC, ACN and PDP. If people had their choice they would replace those individuals they consider too corrupt or dictatorial as the party leader. Tinubu is both while Buhari has the benefit of just being a dictator.

Martins Aresa

Tsunami's fault, it killed our local election all the way from Japan to Nigeria. Their deep pockets from Nigeria to Japan will come back and hunt us. Instant justice does not wait until they get to hell.

FOREIGN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS KILL LOCAL INITIATIVES

We always blame Tsunami, Europe, others but ourselves for our own false starts in economic initiative and conduct of democratic elections leading to chaos. If a contract is not involved in mega foreign purchase order of goods and services, only those feeding on crumbs from the masters' table would go into it. While local contractors bribe their way or die waiting to collect money for their services, foreign contractors get paid promptly and fail us. The only game in town after 60s independence is still African partners using government resources, not individual money to establish Public Private Partnerships. Diversions of income to private pocket of state mega projects passed on to private cronies are easier to control by the same vultures.

African countries need infusion of technical and foreign investment to compete and grow in the international market if they will only accept us into trading partners' club as countries or regional partners. As attractive as this logic is, most school of thoughts will argue that as a continent or as individual countries, we have not moved appreciably ahead since our independence because we are still economically dependent. So far only individual Africans that are willing to serve as conduit or partners in luring out profit for foreign corporations while enriching themselves are encouraged.

Some of it has to do with the culture of individual liberty to pursue happiness. Even then excessive profit can turn into greed. Only about ten percent of the population in these countries we emulate holds more than fifty percent of the income and much worse in African countries. Most of the countries that are serious about development to generate economic activities will encourage foreign investment but not at the expense of meager foreign reserve based on dwindling natural resources. Be it diamond, oil or gold. Nobody pays you more than what they are getting from you, so Africa is always shortchanged.

One area that we can boast of progress, despite recent decay of our institution, is the number of educated Africans. No matter how we look at it, education is no more an exclusive pedigree of the children of colonial exposure, luck or the exceptional gifted. Poor children have penetrated the barrier of the educated class. While Ghana and Nigeria had made scholarships available to the children of freedom fighters in Southern Africa, the children of Western, Northern Nigeria or Ghana were also able to attend school compulsorily or by encouragement. Education is not enough, we need local markets.

Biafran technologies have gone to sleep after the war and acceptance of monthly allocation from Abuja. What we need in Africa to boost our infrastructure in engineering and technology is the introduction of barefoot technicians whose knowledge is specific to the needs of Africa's stage of development. It is share hypocrisy to think that we can jump into the 21st century ahead of innovation in Europe and America when we do not have the basis to support large scale development that is not uniquely perfected for our environment. Instead of improving on local technologies we discard them. African Arts and Science of past centuries have been exploited by those that appreciate them more.

Azikiwe, Nkrumah and Kenyatta encouraged black scholars from United States and Europe to come back home, enjoy independence and contribute to the development of Africa. It is true that most of those educated in those days were administrators, lawyers, doctors and nurses; a few of them were engineers, technologist and technicians. Comparatively, there were so many lawyers, doctors and nurses from Nigeria and Ghana that some of them were sent to South and East African countries after their independence.

Yet we stifle African thinkers like philosophers, historians and social scientist that could have directed and encourage our scientists to our unique abilities for development. If we had to do it all over again, it might have been wiser to produce more technologists or technicians than lawyers and doctors. The amount of money and time saved to train the professionals to international standard could have produced more engineers and technicians of health, legal aides, physician assistant or health officers but more important, greater numbers of technicians for nation builders of infrastructures. Isaac Asimov wrote in fictions to encourage real American science.

There are no shortcuts to the training of teachers for our school and colleges and they had more respect in those days than they do now. Whatever it takes to train a teacher, we get it back in multiples of students. If our lawyers and doctors were trainers in rural clinics and colleges we would have got students back in multiples. In short, highly skilled students were trained as professionals to go into individual career instead of encouraging them as trainers of trainers for infrastructure and nation building. Infrastructure and rural development should have been our priority. Art and science working together, left brain helping right brain fought for independence for all. Without enemies to fight, individual pursuit of greed took over.

Eager to be proud Africans and second to none, we went for international standard. As a result brain drain becomes easier and our professionals have no depth of knowledge in local practice. Apart from Drs. Kuti and Lambo in Nigerian medicine, we have to credit our legal scholars because they came to grips with introduction of local cases instead of English cases. We cannot say that much about their silly looking wigs. American lawyers and doctors did not fair well in those days as they were considered British inferior.

If we want health for all in Africa by certain time or year, the way to do it is not to wait until we produce enough doctors and nurses because we will never have enough of them, not even in the USA or Britain whose ratio to patients cannot be compared to ours. The way countries like Cuba, China and India got close to some reasonable ratio is with bare foot doctors. Many of us want the best in Africa but even then we refuse to patronize them. If we have the money we go outside for medical treatment.

Can anyone in China imagine a doctor that knows little about acupuncture? It is the best way to illustrate the point about African professionals. Our “experts” were way ahead of our development resulting in the production of theorists that could not get down and hit the floor running with local materials. In other words, we had many over educated professionals in highly respectable fields without enough midlevel technicians. Modern innovation does not mean civilized or better. The latest innovation is nuclear power but people are having second thought about nuclear power in view of Japan Tsunami.

This is why we have looters fooling us with Public Private Partnership only geared to foreign contracts in favor of their foreign accounts. As long as we lack technicians and hands-on engineer, we will continue to source them from outside. The only problem is that we will never have enough foreign exchange to buy them since they trade only in their local money, not ours. Their local money can be spent at home to generate business and jobs. Ours cannot be spent anywhere beyond our shores.

Source: Farouk Martins Aresa
Story from Modern Ghana News:

Published: Monday, April 04, 2011

Laughing out loud but at the same time sad, very sad.

That is Nigeria, the corrupt tempt the innocent and make fun of them for being poor.

So if they can not beat them, join them.