₦airaland Forum

I am Jagaban
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I dance on grounds where mere mortals dread to thread. I am Bola, son of Tinubu. I am a fighter. I’ve seen many battles and have won many victories. I was in the trenches for many years, fighting from the sidelines to enthrone my own on the throne. Today, my clan has produced the leader in our clime.
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I am Jagaban. I fear no foe neither do I bow to bullies. Ask Olu, son of Obasanjo. He banned us from our barns and seized our inheritance. I fought him like a man and trounced him like a champion.

When the old general invaded my region, Asiwaju was the only man standing. I stood tall and proud, and then expanded my territory to the entire Oduduwa land. From Osun to Ekiti, Oyo to Ogun, I installed my sons to the pride of my admirers and the envy of my detractors.
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I am Jagaban. They hate my guts and frown at my influence. They despise my wealth and envy my empire. When others deserted our clan in search of filthy riches, I endured the lonely nights and hatched my plot. I used my wealth to rebuild my clan and my influence to attract new brides.

Without the wealth they despise, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Lagos, would still be in the hand of foreigners. Without the influence they covet, I won't have been able to lead my people into an alliance with the people of the North.
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I am Jagaban. My loins have birthed lords and installed kings. I am a kingmaker. Who is the king without his maker? 'An Okro tree can never be taller than its owner'. Tell them that want to clip my wings that an eagle will always fly up in the sky. Jagaban is an eagle. Asiwaju will always glide with pride.
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I am the Jagaban of Borgu. Bring it on. Come prepared for he that wrestles with the gods must wrestle like a god. I'll fight for my pride, I'll defend my legacy and I'll bleed for dignity.

©Honest

In few days it’ll be 1 year since PMB assumed office with a promise to change Nigeria for better. Things have changed a great deal, but for worse. Nigeria is face perhaps with its worst economic crisis since independence and government response has been at best calamitous.

The joy that greeted Buhari’s ascension to power has fizzled away. A government that held so much promise and raised the hope of Nigerians has lost its groundswell of goodwill to the grinding hardship that has marked its one year of governance.

The change mantra that obliterated PDP from power has become a poisoned word. If it were possible, many would prefer a return of Goodluck Jonathan, the man whose modest efforts was derided, but is now being appreciated in the face of his successor’s foibles.

An opposition that labeled the previous government ‘clueless’, has demonstrated greater cluelessness and confusion as she grapples to find solution to the economic challenges facing the country it now leads. Needless to say, their economic policy is at best hazy, disjointed and riddled with contradictions.

President Buhari and his party are now confronted with a situation where they cannot fulfill many of their bogus campaign promises as both the barefaced lies they told Nigerians just to win power and the ones they told against the previous government, have now come back to hunt them.

To win election, APC made promises they were not ready to meet. It was a classic case of ‘the end justifies the means’. Unfortunately for PMB, he is now faced with a situation where his performance no matter how sterling, will be assessed against APC’s impossible promises. With the bad economic outlook, it will take a miracle to make any sterling dent on the nation.

Jonathan’s modest achievements which were downplayed or blatantly denied as meaningful by the then opposition are now receiving accolades denied it then. Some policies that were castigated as oppressive have been embraced by the same people that once repudiated them. Many would ask, what then was the need for change?

Truly, promises can win you friends but only performance can keep them. The APC and Buhari may wake up in 2019 to find out that no one is #standingwithBuhari.

#NoPeaceNobeef

Today, I am starting a campaign to boycott the eating of cow meat (beef), until the herdsmen discontinue the killing of innocent Nigerians.

From today, I'll only eat fish, egg, chicken and exclude beef from my menu. I urge my friends and family to do the same.

These killings by herdsmen have gone on for too long.

1.President Muhammadu Buhari should declare the menace of herdsmen a matter of national emergency and give them the Boko Haram treatment

2.The national assembly must not pass the grazing bill.

3.Fulani herdsmen should vacate farmlands they are presently occupying in the South East and elsewhere.

4. Security agencies should arrest arm bearing herdsmen and prosecute them.

5. Government should set up a commission of inquiry to determine the root cause of this menace.

Until then, #NoPeaceNobeef

Yesterday, I struggled to hold back tears as my neighbor told me the heart wrenching story of her friend.

Her friend was 7 months pregnant. She was expecting her second child. The first one is 4 years old and their previous attempt to have a second, have ended in 3 miscarriages.

Sadly, just when they thought this pregnancy would be different, she also lost the baby. No, the baby was murdered. She delivered a stillborn.

My neighbor who spent three days with her in the hospital was fuming with anger as she narrated her friend's ordeal. The night before she had the miscarriage, her husband had come back drunk as other nights.

He forced the wife to have sex with him. The woman pleaded with him that she was in no mood for sex, more so with the pains she was enduring due to the pregnancy. The drunk husband would have none of it.

He forced his wife, and had rough sex with her after giving her a thorough beating. The next morning, she started bleeding and was rushed to the hospital.

As the devil may have it, the doctor was not on call and the nurses and student doctor were the ones that attended to her. They gave injection to stop the bleeding, the bleeding continued. They gave another injection.

Then she started feeling unbearable pain, labor followed and she spent agonizing hours pushing out the baby.

The baby came out lifeless. 7 months of pain and discomfort without a bundle of joy. Who knows if the previous miscarriages were not a result of the husband's Ill treatments.

Men, your wife is not an object of pleasure. She doesn't exist only to satisfy your sexual cravings. It's her body, when she's tired and in no mood for ex, she has a right to tell you so and please respect it.

As for the woman in question, she says she loves her husband and doesn't want anybody confronting him on her behalf. I've since dried my eyes and gone on with my business.

Promhize:
"Following the discussions and based on the urgency of
the NSA’s memo, Dr Okonjo-Iweala requested the
President to approve the transfer of the requested amount
to the NSA’s Office for the specified purposes."

Now I know you have comprehension issues, "request the president to approve" not "request for permission to approve".

Seems you just learnt about the word "repugnant"

You are the one that seems to have comprehension problem. It is the job of the national Assembly to appropriate and approve funds not the responsibility of the President. It is wrong for Okonjo Iweala to disburse funds that were neither captured in the budget not approved by the NASS. Moreover, the money belongs to the Federal republic of Nigeria and should have been shared between the three tiers of government.

It is always good to understand issues to avoid making a nuisance of yourself.

benigneOne:
Really looking forward to getting this phone.

Op can it give orgasms ? I see sex there

How much is the phone?

The initial optimism that greeted the election of President Buhari is waning with each passing day. Today makes it 5 months since the APC took over government at the center. In these 5 months, nothing much has changed. Nigerians are certainly not expecting the new government to right the wrongs of PDP’s 16 years misrule in this short time, but they expect an accelerated sure footed progress in addressing the many ills plaguing our nation.

The policy direction of the government remains unknown, her economic strategy confusing and its agenda hazy since the APC came out months ago to openly repudiate their many campaign promises. The government is not just moving at a snail speed, it is on a downward spiral. To be fair, President Buhari inherited a distressed economy, but worryingly, he is not doing enough to halt its continued downturn.

It smacks of unseriousness that 5 months of after taking the oath of office, there are ministers to form the Federal executive council, to provide the obviously needed help to the President. It beggars belief that despite the dire economic straits we are enmeshed in, there is no economic adviser to provide actionable intelligence to the President on how we can avoid the looming recession. Clearly, the President needs help and his body language sadly suggests he is averse to it.

Even the fight against corruption has not gone beyond EFCC’s highly ineffectual ‘arrest and discharge’. One would have expected a well coordinated strategy to frontally attack Nigeria’s nemesis, not this empty rhetoric and distracting accusations by agents of government. One wonders why the Prof. Itse Sagay committee is yet to be inaugurated months after it was announced, their terms of assignment remains in the realm of conjecture. The expected trial of oil thieves and past corrupt officials is long on coming and the talks of it has become very boring.

The insurgency in the North East continues to defy efforts. The security situation is made more precarious with the resurgence of the nefarious activities of Fulani herdsmen who have gone on rampage with dare devil audacity kidnapping even elder statesmen. The government’s obvious marginalization of the Southeast in key appointments has give fillip to agitators of self rule. The recent widespread protest by the indigenous people of Biafra proves that there is large scale discontent in the land. Only an unserious government will think otherwise.

President Buhari and the APC have 48 months to deliver the change they promised Nigerians. They have lost 5 months to unnecessary drama, endless rhetoric and time wasting cautiousness. As things stand now, one is tempted to dismiss this change as a mere charade. They have 43 months to change the verdict. It is in our interest that they do so.

© Honest Offor
@honest4change

They called him a stooge, an errand boy of Ochendo. They accused him of signing a pact to part with a sizeable chunk of the state allocation every month to service his godfather. They ignored his sterling academic credentials and donned him in the garb of a powerless puppet. But, Abians saw beyond their propaganda and reposed their mandate in him.

Today, something beautiful is happening in Aba. A city once abandoned to rot and decay is wearing a new look. Even the deaf can hear the roaring sound of bulldozers clearing the earth for construction; the blind can see that government no longer exists only on billboards. It is only 100 days but the people can feel the impact of government.

The speed with which the governor deployed men and resources to the task of rebuilding dilapidated infrastructure in the premier commercial center of Eastern Nigeria, demonstrates that he is a man prepared for leadership and puts to lie the erroneous claim by his detractors that he is a mere stooge ill equipped to govern the state.

The real change is in Abia! 22 road projects are ongoing as I write. From Ukaegbu road to Umuojima road, from the decrepit Kamalu road to the notorious Old express road, contractors are working tirelessly to beat the deadline. Gutters that have been abandoned for decades are being opened up while the Aba river is being dredged to curtail the maddening floods that wreak havoc in the city when it rains.

Ghost workers that have fleeced the state 160 million naira every year have been weeded out without raising dust. The display of obscene wealth, distraction from praise singers, and sycophancy has been removed from the corridors of power. In its place, a serious government, a responsible and responsive leadership have emerged. You can see it as the governor crisscrosses the State daily, inspecting projects instead of sitting in the comfort of his air conditioned office.

Abia has long yearned for this kind of leadership; a leadership that understands the need of her people and has the requisite competence to unleash the economic potentials of Aba. That kind of leadership is what we have today under the captainship of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. In Ikpeazu, Abia has a leader who is obsessed with changing the face of the State, a man whose loyalty lies with the people not with any godfather.

For those still in court challenging the mandate freely given to him by Ndi Abia, it is imperative to remind them of the admonition of the holy book in Psalms 75vs7, 'it is God alone who judges, he decides who will rise and fall'. The destiny of Abia can only be decided by God and not by the chicanery of SAN’s.

Honest Offor hails from Isuikwuato Local Government area.

Negotiating with Boko Haram
With over 30,000 lives wasted by the Boko haram sect, millions of dollars’ worth of property destroyed, more than 1 million people displaced from their homes, insecurity is unarguably the biggest headache facing the Nigerian government.

The trillions of naira wasted in reining in this murderous sect would have found better use in other critical sectors of the economy. Despite spending over 3 trillion in the insurgency war, Boko Haram continues to run rampage killing scores of innocent citizens with IED’s.

The need for fresh ideas in the insurgency war has become more urgent with the renewed audacity of the terrorists since the successful transfer of power to the opposition party. Over 500 people are said to have been killed since May 29th. This is not just statistics; these are human lives that have been wasted.

The news of President Buhari’s readiness to negotiate with the sect on a possible trade off for the #Chibokgirls was received with mixed feelings at home. With what is known back home as negotiation being the amnesty program that turned militants into overnight millionaires, it is not surprising that people are kicking against any form of negotiation that will see a group that has nearly brought the African giant to her kneels evading justice for their heinous crimes against humanity.

This will not be the first time the government will be exploring this kind of option. During the Jonathan administration, this same attempt ended up with officials embarking on a somewhat jamboree trip to the Saudi to discuss with Boko Haram leaders on a ceasefire deal, a phantom deal that its only result was the death of hundreds of people who were murdered because the military were deceived to lower their arms.

While many will prefer that military action should continue and that the gains made by the outgone government in the twilight of its dispensation be sustained, current realities has shown that military action alone cannot guarantee total victory against the sect. Some even want the government to adopt the “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” stance of the US, forgetting that we do not have the strength of their armory or the swiftness of their intelligence gathering and that such grandstanding will continue to strain our already thinning resources.
No responsible father will abandon his daughters in the den of murderous abductors for this long when there are things he could do to negotiate their safe return. No right thinking government will recalcitrantly stick to hostilities as the only option to seeking lasting peace and security for its citizens. The humongous resources already expended on this war and the collateral damage occasioned therewith makes a case for negotiation to be included in the strategy for ending this insurrection. What must be stressed however is that such negotiations must never compromise the freedom of citizens or the secularity of the Nation State.

In this regard, the present government must be wary of falling into the booby trap of the sect. While it is urgent and important to secure the safe return of our daughters, any negotiation that will include amnesty for the terrorists or a total exoneration of the heinous crimes they’ve committed against humanity will be a very bad idea. Such deal will make nonsense of our laws and set a bad precedence for how crimes are fought in our clime.

President Buhari should continue the military onslaught against the terrorists while exploring opportunities for a possible discussion with the sect. But the Nigerian state cannot negotiate with the terrorists from a position of weakness and cannot afford to make concessions that will legitimatize the evil called terrorism.

Honest Offor
Twitter Handle @honest4change

Nigeria gained the respect and admiration of advanced democracies when on March 28th with the power of the thumb; we effected a change that was uncommon in African politics. The commonsense revolution that ended the 16 years reign of the PDP was predicated on the need for change. Barely one month after that progressive change, the new party in charge, the All Progressive Congress, has shown that the only thing has changed is the name of the party in power.

It is the same transactional politics of greed that saw 16 years of civil rule yield scant dividends that is fuelling the power sharing crisis in the ruling party. The shameful fight on the floor of the House of Representatives is about who gets what and who assumes what position. They are not concerned about the upsurge of terrorist activities in the North East, they are not worried about the violent flood that is threatening major cities, the ugly plight of internally displaced persons is not causing them any discomfort neither are they troubled by the scandalous level of unemployment in the country.

It has become clear that unless urgent and drastic citizenship action is taken, the change we voted for will be hijacked by the same elements that have held our progress by the jugular. The various interests that congregated to dislodge the PDP have drawn their daggers to carve out their share of the national cake even when it is evident that our economy is in tatters. It behooves on ordinary Nigerians whose votes conferred the legitimacy and authority on these legislatures to call their representatives to order.

Certain behavior should not be condoned on the hallowed chambers of the national assembly and when such unbecoming misdemeanors are displayed, they should be met with appropriate sanctions by the citizenry. In 2010 when the House of representative witnessed a fiasco of this sort, the key actors in that shameful debacle ought to have been sanctioned. Unfortunately, one of them has gone on to become a senator and is even nursing the ambition to become a governor. Until a member is recalled by his constituents for actions that embarrass decency, commonsense will not prevail in the way business is conducted in the National Assembly.

The point being made here is that the ruling party has so far shown that they lack the coherence to enforce the change on which premise they rode into power. It is discomfiting that nearly one month after inauguration, the new government is yet to come up with an administration that can tackle the myriads of problems facing our country. Nigerians must therefore move quickly to assert their authority as the real custodians of power and must demand from the ruling party a change in the way government is run.

Starting from the National Assembly, the era of fiscal profligacy and opaque handling of salaries and allowances must give way to transparency and fiscal conservatism. Nigerians must insist that financial books of the 8th Assembly should be an open secret. The era where ministers are ferried in private jets and are lodged in luxury 5 star hotels should have ended with the last administration. The new Ministers in this dispensation of change must accept to live by a different set of rules dictated by financial prudence, accountability and discipline. Governors cannot revel in opulence when civil servants and citizens are hungry, such inhumane actions should be confronted with civil disobedience.

The duty of citizens did not end with the elections, in fact, it started with the elections. We must vigilantly guard the revolution we kick started on March 28th to ensure that it yields the positive change we desperately desire. The ruling party will do well do get its act together or be ready to face citizenship action. Time is ticking and the patience of our countrymen is waning!

© Honest Offor
offorhonest@gmail.com

Perhaps, no State in Nigeria is worst hit by the decline in oil revenue than Osun state. When the oil price plummeted, our economy came to ruins and all the bragging by the former government that our economy was strong, was exposed as barefaced lies. Now many States including the Federal government are finding it difficult to meet their salary obligations.

It is so easy to blame the decline in oil revenue as the reason for the hard times, but truth be told our leaders are lavish in their spending. Every wise man should know that no matter how long the rains last, drought will come someday. Our leaders did not prepare enough for the lean days. The lean days did not take us by surprise, it only met us unprepared. The drastic drop in oil price has been long foretold when the US found shale oil but our leaders gave no ear to the warnings. Now, workers are the paying for government’s profligacy and lack of vision, the worst hit being Osun State where workers are owed over 6 months arrears.

I feel pity especially for Osun workers because I am an ardent supporter of the radical Governor of the State of Osun. After the shocking defeat APC suffered in the hands of Ayo Fayose, I quickly penned an article titled “before they capture Osun”, which was meant to call security agencies who intimidated voters in that election to order. I hear that now, some workers who voted for him are regretting their decision. I still believe that Osun people made the right choice by reelecting Ogbeni, and now is the time for him to turn the present challenges into opportunities for the greatness of his people.

Looking at the revenue shared by the three tiers of government for the months of March and April, one could easily notice the sharp decline. In March, FAAC shared 567 billion naira but in April, 436 billion was shared; a whopping 131 billion naira short of the previous month.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola made the following revelation during the inauguration of the new State House of Assembly. “The summary of five years reveal that in the two months of 2010, we received a net allocation of N4.2 billion and paid a total emoluments of N3.6 billion. This left us with a net gain of N573 million from our statutory allocation. In 2011 also, we got N29.9 billion net statutory allocation and spent N25.8 billion on emoluments with a net gain of N4 billion. However, in 2012, we got N28.4 billion and expended N31.6 billion on emoluments. This left us, for the first time, with a deficit of N3.2 billion. The following year, 2013, our statutory allocation had dropped to N26.4 billion while our emoluments rose to N36.9 billion. This gave us a whopping N10.4 billion deficit. In 2014, our statutory allocation fell further to N19.3 billion and by which time we were already defaulting on some of our obligations on emoluments, which had also dropped to N22.4 billion, but still left us with a deficit of N3 billion. In summary, between November 2010 and December 2014, we got a total statutory allocation of N108.3 billion and our expenditure on emoluments was N120.4 billion. It left us with a total deficit of N12 billion”.

It is time to stop giving excuses. States must look inward and strive for self-sufficiency through increasing their internally generated revenue and exploiting their natural resources. Wastages and profligacy must be stopped; workers cannot go hungry while their leaders fly in private jets. Prudence and financial conservatism must replace the culture of ‘spend it all’, which has seen our country down on its knees without any savings to help us absorb the shock. The begging cap should be replaced with the thinking cap and as a progressive thinker, Rauf Aregbesola should rise to the challenge.

In the interim, the new government should extend a bail out of some sort for States like Osun where life has become unbearable for civil servants.

Honest Offor is a Public affairs Analyst.
@honest4change

It was the last day of the 2011 campaign. The venue was the International conference Center in Abuja. My attention was transfixed on the television as I watched the General deliver his touching speech. “I have fought drift and purposelessness in this country. I have fought corruption and indiscipline. I have fought indolence and betrayal of trusts. I have fought the Nigerian civil war and struggled for the unity of this country in many ways …… and in all I’ve done; I have never touched a kobo of public funds”.


My heart brimmed with pride and reverence as I listened to him with rapt attention. As he continued with his speech, his voice trailed off and he battled to keep his emotion under control. The pain in his heart made his mouth to quiver feverishly, for a General, it was a rare sight. He removed his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. On that day, he showed a side of him not too well known.


Where I was sited, I battled with my own emotions as hot tears pricked my eyes. The tears in my eyes felt like a river threatening to overflow its banks. I yielded to its supremacy as hot tears trickled down my face. My sisters and brothers who ordinarily would’ve mocked me stayed quiet the whole time. They saw passion, pain and hunger for change written all over me. Not just in me, but also on the face of the General and countless Nigerians who broke down in tears for the love of country on that night April 13th 2011.


Exactly four years after that sober night of tears, lovers of the General had cause to have teary eyes again but this time, it was tears of victory. By some stroke of hard work, resilience, formidable alliance and masterful strategy, the opposition won power and an idea that once seemed impossible became an exciting reality. Expectations are high, hopes have been rekindled, and Nigerians now have cause to look into the future with optimism.


Change comes at a price. Nigerians paid the price by standing long hours against the scorching sun and in some places against torrential rainstorm to deliver the victory we now celebrate. The only thing they ask for in return is a fulfillment of the change promised. Nigerians want a break from the past. They desire a country where they can sleep with both eyes closed, they want the wealth of the nation to be enjoyed by all, they want a nation where honest hard work is rewarded and corrupt enrichment is sanctioned. A country where youths can earn a living through productive engagement. They yearn for sincere and honest leadership, one that is not immune to the suffering of the masses.


Change requires courage and demands patience. Courage on the part of the General and patience from the Nigerian people. Courage to make tough decisions and to curtail the appetite of vested interests who pooled their resources to realize his ambition. Patience is a hard currency in Nigeria. Our people must however realize that change is a process and that the ills of many years cannot be completely cured in a short time.


In the coming months, the change we clamoured for will demand more sacrifices from us, our expectations may take longer to materialize. As we move forward into the future, only a united nation, a vibrant and vigilant citizenry and a committed government can deliver the change we so desperately need.


Honest Offor
Please follow me on Twitter @honest4change

I hope all the TANoids that have been running their mouth since yesterday can now take a break. Our priority should be the NNPC audit report that shows bare faced stealing. The rogues in NNPC and NPDC including the big eyed Allison Madueke must go to jail.

Now that #APC has cleared the air, can we now move to better things like the NNPC Audit reports? Heads must roll, people must go to jail now that Baba has won.

@OP What's with this fixation with Amechi's photos. I don't know why you guys are stalking him. You'll soon post a picture of him stooling in the toilet.

I love the catchy caption 'the return of the General'. Bode George is already packing his stolen goods as soon as the General was declared winner.

ferhyntorlah:
Catchy narrative. I enjoyed reading it. We need more of this.

Monday March 30th
The mood in Aso rock was pensive. Aides and staff of the Villa wore long faces. Even some that were excited about the turn of events could not risk a smile for fear of being accused of gloating over their Principal’s misfortune at the polls.

Jona had just returned from his meeting with ECOWAS delegates. At the meeting, he had given them his word that he’ll stir the country away from major crisis. He paced up and down his bedroom uneasily. The news emanating from the field is not favorable, the temptation to interfere with the process was very huge and the pressure from his party stalwarts was enormous.

He caught his image on the mirror and could barely recognize the man standing before him. His eyes looked swollen from going many nights without sleep. The stress of the office he occupies has taken a toll on him physically and mentally. But he was determined to bequeath the nation a worthy legacy of credible election, even if it is the only thing Nigerians will remember him for. He has recently realized that his major undoing was paying heed to all manner of advice that only served to alienate him from the masses. This time, he was determined to do right by his conscience.

Jona picked up his phone and placed a call to his Service Chiefs. His message was simple “no one should interfere with the process, not even members of my party”. He was determined to satisfy his conscience even if it means losing out. He has made so many mistakes in the course of his leadership and he was not ready to add the dismemberment of the nation to it. For the first time in many months, he felt at peace with himself.

Tuesday 1.30pm
Mama Peace was glued to the TV like an ordinary Nigerian watching as Collation officers reel out results from different states. This was the first time she was feeling powerless since assuming office as the most powerful woman in Nigeria after the exit of Turai. This one was beyond her control especially not with an umpire that has just reprimanded Elder Orubebe like a school boy in the full glare of the world. She couldn’t take it any longer. She reached for her phone to call the PDP campaign office.

Femi was shell-shocked as he watched the shellacking his party was receiving in the hands of his former party. He never believed it was a possibility especially after the blistering media campaign he unleashed against the General. His thoughts were interrupted by the call coming into his cell phone. It was the President’s wife. ‘A toad certainly does not run in the daylight for nothing’, he knew that whatever made Mama Peace to remember him must be serious.

“Good Afternoon Ma”, Femi greeted
“Femi the Afternoon is not good oh, Mama Peace interjected”
“Please tell me say wetin you talk yesterday say PDP dey lead with 3 million in 23 States votes na true”.
“Madam, from our projections, we believed we were leading”, Femi said.
Which one be Projector again Femi, Mama Peace queried angrily.
“ Em em... I mean, we feel say we been dey win”, Femi stammered in a subdued tune. A long silence ensued and suddenly, Mama Peace exclaimed…. Chai, Chai, hmmmm... Femi Femi so, na so we waka comot.
The phone fell off her hands as she burst into fits of uncontrollable sobs.

Tuesday 5pm Nigerian time
General could hardly believe the unfolding history being made as the 35 states already announced has placed him on the threshold of victory. After 3 previous attempts that all ended in defeat, he knew better than to start celebrating yet. His phone buzzed, the caller was Aisha.

“Good evening Mr. President”, Aisha greeted her husband of 26 years. General smiled and responded, you know that it's not official yet Madam First Lady. Aisha could not believe what was happening. She had given up and had tried everything possible to dissuade Baba from what she thought was ‘a mission impossible’. She had watched in agony as her fellow woman denigrated her husband in the name of campaign while Ayo Fayose never failed to tear his husband into shreds at the slightest sight of the media.

The vicious documentary that demonized her husband and insulted her family, was difficult to stomach and she persuaded Baba to give up and throw in the towel. When Aisha was attacked in Kwara in the course of her campaign, General felt sorry for dragging her into a turf she had no strength to engage in. He was already used to their insults and attacks but he could not bear the pain his dutiful wife was passing through because of his ambition. Remembering all these drew tears from the eyes of the General. His perseverance and resilience has paid off, Aisha’s sacrifice has not been in vain. He allowed the tears of joy to flow freely!

Two large portraits stood side by side inside the study of Burdillon mansion; one, the picture of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the other, the portrait of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu. He gazed at the portrait of the man whose ideology shaped his political outlook. They may have different approaches to actualizing their ambition, while Awo is all brains, he combines brains and brawn.

His kinsmen in Afenifere derided him for wanting to equate himself to their mentor Awolowo. Even one moral misfit boy George made it his lifetime ambition after returning from prison, to send Jagaban Borgu on political retirement. He grinned widely in astonishment of what he has accomplished. That was his finest moment in his entire political career!

One man that could not control his emotion although his name was not on the ballot was Rotimi Amechi. It was a personal victory for him, a triumph of principles over greed. He has been hated by many for daring to challenge the First family, he was labeled a traitor. When his Deputy, Tele Ikuru, dumped him to join his transducers, he broke down in tears thinking he may have made the biggest mistake in his political career.

Plans have been concluded to deal with him when he leaves office and after General must have lost again. Just then he remembered what the scripture said in Lamentation 3vs37, “who is he that saith it and it cometh to pass when the lord has not commandeth it not?” He bowed his knees, threw his hands to the heavens as he sang to the Most High in tears, saying ….ibu ngalaba ji isi ulo mu eh.

The end
©Honest Offor
Twitter handle @honest4change

P.U Global Engineering services Ltd is one of the many indigenous oil servicing firms in Nigeria that owes its existence to the Nigerian content act, an act that was signed into law by Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Today, jobs that were hitherto outsourced to foreign firms because of lack of indigenous technology and skills can now be done in Nigeria. I am gainfully employed in that company because of the Nigerian content act and so are many other young Nigerians.

The YouWin program is a novel idea that has provided opportunity for thousands of Nigerians youths to actualize their dreams while creating job for in small numbers. Many people may not appreciate the GIS program but my friend Azubuike, whom we graduated together in 2010, calls it a lifeline. Having spent 4 years at home without a job, Azubuike like thousands of youths, have been provided the opportunity to learn on the job, while receiving monthly stipends from government. If the scale of these significant programs can be expanded to include more graduates, no doubt they can become the best youth programs in Africa after NYSC.

My only memory of the train was as a child when we visited my maternal village and we would scream in ecstasy at the sight of the locomotive. Decades later, our trains are back, sadly it is the same locomotive but if previous governments had invested in the sector, we could’ve had better trains. It is certainly not a feat worth to be termed transformational, but to deny it as a worthy achievement will be uncharitable.

The Benin Ore road, the Lagos Ibadan expressway, the Lokoja-Abaji expressway and other federal roads notorious for their dilapidated states, can now be plied with ease because of reconstruction works done on them by the Federal government. Perhaps, the most audacious achievement of this government is the unbundling of the power sector. Although Nigerians cannot enjoy steady power supply now, the process to a regime of constant power supply has been set in motion.

The most visible achievement of this government is in the Agricultural sector. A vocation that was once reserved for the elderly has been embraced by young people who now see it as a viable alternative to white collar jobs. We can conveniently say that we are diversifying the economy to Agriculture. Fertilizer racketeering, an age long cash cow for corrupt senior civil servants and politicians has been weaned and farmers can now access fertilizer with ease.

Beyond the physical modest strides this government has engineered, worth mentioning are the intangibles that deepen democracy, which this government has also advanced. The convocation of the national confab, the signing into law of the freedom of information bill, the independence of the legislature and the judiciary, the adherence to rule of law and the improved conduct of elections, are clear departures from the past and any government deserves commendation for these laudable feats.

Despite the modest strides of the Jonathan administration, it remains one of the most vilified governments in the recent past. This is not without reason; any country that loses over 13,000 of her citizens to a senseless insurgency cannot be patient with that government. This is even made worse by the scandalous proportion of corruption that has come to define this administration. Things would certainly be different had the President done better in these two key areas.

Even as an unapologetic critic of this government, I cannot deny the modest feats recorded by this government, to do so will be dishonest and I will never live contrary to my name.

© Honest Offor

Like her or hate her, you cannot ignore Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Dr. Patience Jonathan. She may well be the most popular first lady in Nigeria. Her popularity or notoriety depending on how you choose to describe her does not stem from any superlative program conceived under her first ladyship, but from her occasional grammatical gaffes.

She is the opposite of everything that endears people to her husband; authoritative, crude, arrogant, ambitious, controversial, cantankerous etc, are adjectives that can be used to describe her style. Dame wields power with imperial arrogance. When she comes to town, she shuts down traffic with her fleet of cars.

She brooks no opposition and does not suffer fools gladly. To go against her is akin to standing on the way of a moving train. When Timipre Sylva dared the Dame, he was thrown to the dogs. If not for the rare courage of the recalcitrant Governor of Rivers, he would’ve been cut to size, even at that, her men has ensured that Amechi’s last months in office are less than memorable.

To be clear, not everything about the Dame is Ugly, she is a great mobilzer and campaigner. Her love and support for her husband is commendable. Perhaps it is in repayment of that support that more women have been appointed into key positions in this government. The Dame of Aso rock would be better appreciated if she confines herself to the sidelines giving her husband the much needed advice and focusing on her pet projects.

Dame loves the spotlight but unfortunately, she lacks the elegance and finesse that should accompany such luxury. Her intervention during the mismanaged abducted Chibok girls saga, earned her public opprobrium instead of applause. Her commendable attempts to woo women for her husband’s reelection, has been enmeshed in a comedy of controversies. Words undignifying of her high office has been severally employed by her to castigate her husband’s major opponent.

The Dame should understand that her position as the wife of the President comes with certain august demands on her carriage and disposition. She represents the Nigerian women and must at all times strive to embody the positive virtues of the ideal African mother.

Propaganda has been raised a notch higher by politicians as a tool to whip up sentiments and garner support from voters. In Abia State, some candidates have made it their manifesto. In a contest that parades two eminent sons of Abia who are distinguished professionals in their own rights, amongst others, one is surprised why instead of campaigning on the strength of their superlative credentials; some of them have taken to cheap propaganda in their bid to discredit their opponent.

The election will be a straight contest between Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of PDP and Mazi Alex Otti of APGA. While the candidate of the PDP hails from Obingwa Local Government, a zone that has not produced a governor in the past, I do not know where the candidate of APGA hails from. This is because in a desperate bid to actualize his ambition, Mazi Alex Otti has denied his identity and his people to claim to be from a place where he is clearly not from.

This shouldn’t be an issue but it is because Mazi Alex Otti has been going round claiming to be a man of integrity who will work wonders, while casting the incumbent Governor and the PDP candidate in the mold of dishonest men who are only after the resources of the State.

Denying ones ancestry smacks of desperation as well as lack of character. This lack of character is further exemplified by the manner Dr. Otti quickly jumped ship to APGA when it became apparent he was going to lose in the PDP primaries. It revealed his lack of political ideology and shows that he is a man who is ready to trade anything for his personal ambition.

One of the things Dr. Otti’s men have consistently used to castigate Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is that he was foisted on the party by the Governor and that Abians should not support godfatherism. But looking at the manner in which he emerged, the flag bearer of APGA, one cannot help but shudder at the sheer hypocrisy of these politicians. Mazi Otti intimidated party members with loads of cash and literarily bought the party flag from Chief Victor Umeh (a revelation made by Chief Reagan Ufomba).

He cannot also deny that his candidacy is receiving the support of the former Governor. He has taken a moral high ground simply because he did not secure the support of Chief T.A Orji. If that had happened, I am sure he will have no qualms with godfatherism.

Perhaps a propaganda that offends commonsense the most is using the pictures of the late Igbo warlord, Chief Chukwemeka Ojukwu on billboards, apparently to swindle voters into believing that he has the support of the revered Ikemba. This is political opportunism taken too far. For what it is worth, Ojukwu may never have known him when he was alive and would never have supported the manner in which he grabbed the party ticket. It is a shame that the soul of our late leader is being desecrated for the sake of one person’s ambition.

For the records, Dr. Alex Otti is eminently qualified to be the Governor of Abia State, but he must pursue his ambition within the bounds of decency and honor. He can canvass for votes without spreading falsehood or running down his opponents.

Chief T.A Orji may not have performed excellently in Aba, but his best legacy albeit arguably, would be ceding the governorship to Ukwa/Ngwa zone. Now Aba people have the opportunity to drive the development of the Enyimba city through one of their own Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu. Come February 28th, they will confirm this assertion by overwhelming casting their vote for “OKEZUO ABIA”.

blemon44:
@op do you want to move backward with buhari

I don't want to move forward only to be taken backwards by the challenges we refused to confront. I will rather vote for BUHARI to CHANGE this country. Only then can we truly move forward as a people.

#FeBuhari

Can Nigeria #MoveForward with President Jonathan?

I love Nigeria and I’ll work for her progress. I place my country above partisan bias and her interest is foremost to me before regional or religious consideration.

I want my fatherland to move forward. The present parlous state of our affairs breaks my heart and I’ll want nothing more than for my dear country to move forward. But before I give President Jonathan my vote to move Nigeria forward for another four years, I demand genuine answers to questions that are bothering my mind.

So here they are;

Mr. President, will Nigeria move forward without our #Chibok girls? It’s been over 170 days since these future mothers were abducted, we may move forward but not their families and friends. Are we moving forward without these little angels?

Will Nigeria move forward without Baga and other territories that have been taken over by the Boko Haram sect?

Should we just forget about our missing millions of dollars and just move forward as if it never went missing in the first place? Do we not at least deserve an explanation as to how these monies were spent?

Can our nation truly move forward when corruption is a clog in the wheel of our progress and you are unwilling to sanction those who gain from this evil enterprise?

Can Nigeria truly move forward with Ministers like Abba Moro and Diezani Allison Madueke? While the greed of the former caused the death of young Nigerians, the appetite of the later is a burden on our falling economy.

Can this country move forward when oil thieves continue to steal our oil despite the millions militants receive to guard our oil installation?

Can Nigeria move forward when the distrust between Nigerians of different religion and region has driven us far from our founders’ intent?

Mr. President, if we are to move forward as a country, we must move forward TOGETHER. No one should be left behind, any territory or area should not be abandoned and no girl should be forgotten in the camp of Boko Haram. The promise of #forwardNigeria cannot be possible when we are unwilling to slay the monster called corruption.

Nigeria WILL move forward but first THINGS MUST CHANGE. I will vote for CHANGE because I believe that progress is impossible without CHANGE.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

©Honest Offor
@honest4change

Fellow Nigeria youths, this is a defining moment for us. In 38 days, our country will go to the polls. It is a contest that will determine the fate of our nation. We can either emerge from this election as one people or fall to the doomsday prediction that there may be no Nigeria after 2015.

The fate of our dear nation hangs precariously on the balance and destiny has thrust upon our young shoulders the task of safeguarding our common heritage.

We have the most stakes in the conglomerate called Nigeria. If anything happens to our country, we are the generation that will be most affected. Our future is before us, our aspirations and dreams, glorious as they may, be cannot be realized if our nation crumbles in ruins.

Our responsibility in the coming days should therefore be to unite this fractured union.

We must not join our fathers and grandfathers whose lives are already spent, in playing politics with religion and region.

We must not yield our strength to vices that will compromise the integrity of the election and threaten the unity of our union.

The mission of our generation is to ensure that this union does not disintegrate in our time. Our founding fathers fought for our independence in their prime, it is now our duty to protect her sanctity in our time.

We must preserve this nation so that our children after us can have a country they can call home.

Our choice at the polls will define how our nation will be governed but our choice after the elections will determine whether there will even be a nation to govern. We must therefore make both choices with patriotic consideration.

Where we are today as a nation, is a consequence of our past choices. We can have a better country if we make a better choice this time around. Our choices should not only be for the good of our family, friends or region; it should be for the interest of every Nigerian whether Muslim or Christian, Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba.

We must not allow our regional or religious allegiance blind us to the realities of the present. If we choose sentiment over commonsense in the coming election, we will be choosing to remain in the past. If we take up arms after the election, we will be destroying our future and those of others after us.

Fellow Nigerians, fate calls us to duty. Let it not be said of us by future generations that we did nothing when our nation needed our help the most.

In the immortal words of Shakespeare;

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life,
Is bound in shallows and in miseries
On such a full sea (Nigeria) is now afloat
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

May God bless you and may God bless our country Nigeria.

©Offor Honest
You can follow me on twitter@honest4change

The following events took place on Wednesday, November 26th 2014, at the executive chambers of the Federal executive council. The events are a product of the writer's imagination.

Presido sauntered into the council chambers and all the Ministers stood from their chairs as a mark of respect. Today, Presido was donning the Yoruba native attire; he gathered the free flowing agbada clumsily and rested it on his shoulders before taking his seat. The kind of position he is occupying demands wisdom especially with the accusation that he is marginalizing the “Mgbati” people, he decided to wear their native attire in the spirit of Federal Character not minding that he looked funny in it.

Presido cleared his throat as he studied item 4 on the Agenda, “request for procurement of 750,000 units of clean stove and 18,000 wonder bags”. He looked in the direction of the Minister of women affairs whose ministry is responsible for the proposal. “Oya Madam, let’s hear from you”.

“Your Excellency, in line with your transformation agenda (starting with the usual refrain among council members) and your 35% affirmative action policy, my ministry wishes to procure clean stoves and wonder bags to alleviate the suffering of our rural women. Presido chuckled at the mention of wonder bag, it was the first time he was hearing that word. The Minister reeled out so many benefits of the magic stove before taking her seat.

Dr. Adesina, the Agric Minister at this point signaled his interest to contribute to the debate. Mr. President he said, this is a good initiative. Just like we did with our E-wallet system that dismantled the fertilizer cartel, we can ensure that the stove gets directly to the rural women. This can help make our farmers live longer and contribute more to our drive for food security.

His colleague in Trade and Investment adjusted his tie and stood up to make his contribution. He looked at the Minister of Finance who had been busy scribbling down some notes and studying the proposal with keen attention as if she was seeing it for the first time. Your Excellency, we can attract FDI by contacting the South African manufacturer, Sarah Collins, to come over here and set up an assembly plant just like we did with the Automobile Policy. That way, we can provide jobs and increase the capacity of our local artisans.

The debate was getting interesting but Presido was worried that her Super Minister had yet to say something. Her silence meant she had some reservation about the proposal.

Sensing the gaze of Presido, she looked up and made to get up from her seat but not before adjusting her head gear. She started, “the only reservation I have about this proposal Your Excellency”… Ehen, I know she must have some reservations, this World Bank woman sef, Presido thought to himself.

Mr. President, Dr. Okonjo continued, in the 2014 budget we earmarked 90 million Naira for these items so I am surprised that 9.2bn is now being requested. I hope it will not be like the fuel subsidy when we overspent what was budgeted for and the NASS gave me 50 stupid questions to answer. My other worry is that we’ll need about 55 million USD for this procurement which will put strain on the Naira we are trying to stabilize. But on the other hand Mr. President, this initiative can create 5,000 direct jobs in the first tranche and another 20,000 jobs in the next four years. It can reduce mortality rate in the rural area by 20% and we can double that figure in the next 4 years.

Presido wanted to smile but restrained himself, her ability to conjure figures and statistics marveled him. He looked around the room as if searching for someone to bail him out and provide answers to the cogent questions the Finance Minister had raised.

His eyes rested on his chubby SSA on public affairs Doyin Okupe. Sometimes he wondered how this man can be adding weight even with his herculean task of keeping critics like the Loquacious Lia Mohammed in check.

The big man stood up and in his rambunctious manner, he started gesticulating even before he opened his mouth. Your Excellency he began, let’s look at political benefit of this initiative. This is a perfect campaign tool. Imagine the number of people that will vote for you if they receive this stove. No government since 1960 has ever thought of it and this goes to prove my assertion that you are the best president Nigeria had ever had. Presido grinned widely as other council members nodded their heads in agreement with Doyin’s submission.

Your Excellency, I will immediately contact TAN people to run an advert with the clincher “I have no stove to cook”, in fact we can distribute rice before the elections just like Ayo Fayose so that our enemies will not complain that people were given stove without food.

Presido agreed with him. For once, this man did not speak like an attack dog. He looked around and everybody seems to be in agreement. Even Madam Okonjo seems to have forgotten about the issue of due process. Maybe she has finally started reasoning like a politician.

Just as Presido was about to close the meeting, Mr. Abati walked over to whisper something to his ears. From the sudden change in his demeanor, it seems the Boko boys have struck again. Council confirmed it when he told Rueben “just go and edit the last speech and release a press statement”.

@honest4change

Civility, decorum and decency were discarded last week as lawmakers confronted Jonathanian impunity with rascality. When impunity meets rascality, chaos becomes inevitable. The commotion and show of shame that the world was treated to at the National Assembly is an embarrassment to democracy. Impunity is fast becoming an entrenched culture in our society and regrettably, the Nigerian Police as a law enforcement institution is at the forefront of championing this negative trend.

When impunity is not sanctioned, it gains ground and soon becomes a norm. One would have thought that the last has been seen of such unethical conducts, where elected leaders behave like rascals as we witnessed at the River State House of Assembly where lawmakers engaged in a vicious fight that saw one of them nearly clubbed to death with a mace. The world was treated to yet another sordid video that totally ridiculed the country as a nation where impunity trumps the rule of law. Not done with the usurpation of the authority of the Judiciary by withdrawing the Speakers security details, the Police IG and his men overreached their bounds by locking out the Speaker and APC lawmakers to possibly give the ruling party the leeway to impeach the man they had already stopped recognizing as the Speaker of the Federal House. Such act of desperation and obvious partisanship can only occur with the tactic support of the Commander in Chief.

While it has become needful to confront the impunity of the ruling government in a bid to salvage our democracy, actions that ridicules the nation as a society where ethics and good conduct are non-existent, cannot be the best approach. Scaling the fence like errant rascals under the guise of defending democracy is not a good example to the younger generetaion that see some of these leaders as role models. The leading opposition party is beginning to behave like a party of rascals, an adjective the President Jonathan used to describe the leaders of the defunct ACN.

Before the unfortunate incident of the NASS invasion, the leading figures of the APC had embarked on a mass demonstration to register its anger against the government. Nothing is wrong with peacefully venting your anger against government but when leaders who ordinarily should be decorous in words and action, begin to make statements that threaten ôthe sovereignty of the nation, it calls for serious concern. The Governor of Rivers State is turning to a rabble-rouser of some sorts with his unguarded and unstatesmanly tirades, the recent one being his vow that the opposition party will set up a parallel government if the election is rigged.
A rascal like the Niger Delta warlord, Asari Dokubo, can be forgiven if he makes such uncultured statement, but coming from a leading political figure and a man whose mandate was retrieved by the court, it is most unfortunate. Recall, that it was this same governor that supervised the beating of five lawmakers in his state that attempted to pull off a coup of some sorts against him. His Edo State counterpart also threatened ‘fire for fire’ if the ruling party attempts to rig the 2015 election. The consequences of such inflammatory statements is still fresh in our minds, the collateral damage occasioned by the 2011 post election violence can never be replaced. One would expect a party that promises ‘change’, to be decent in their pursuit for power.

Elsewhere in Ekiti State, the reign of impunity has begun as the Governor has given his support to 7 lawmakers that unlawfully impeached the Speaker in brazen disregard to the constitution. He probably took a cue from the President who also recognized a faction of the NGF that claimed that 16 is greater than 19. The nation is hanging precariously on a cliff and instead of taking concerted actions to calm the polity; the government is fiddling while Rome burns. Sometimes, I wonder how this government finds time to engage in politics when the troubles in the land are enough to keep them perpetually busy.

This culture of impunity must be halted. It is incumbent on the President as the leader of this nation to lead by example, to defend our constitution and to deepen our democracy.

Offor Honest tweets with the handle @honest4change.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, but of choice. Not something to wish for but to attain”

Destiny is a matter of choice. A decision left to chance ends in disaster. Countries that have made progress in the past did so by taking wise decisions and making right choices. As our nation begins a new chapter after marking our centenary, the need for visionary and competent leadership has become more urgent than ever. To lead Nigeria and her people in a new direction of inclusive growth, accelerated development, infrastructural renaissance, technological advancement and youth empowerment, there is need for the people of Nigeria to make the right choices in the 2015 election.

A wise man once said that “you cannot build a reputation on what you can do”. So in the contest for power, only those who through past records have shown their love for humanity should be considered for elective positions. One of such persons is a successful industrialist and philanthropist, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo. Born 55 years ago, the UNN trained lawyer is an indigene of Ojoto community in Idemilli North local government area of Anambra State.

Chief Sylvester Okonkwo is not a greenhorn in politics. As far back as 1991, he was elected the state publicity secretary of the defunct SDP in Anambra state. As a foundation member of PDP, he participated actively in what has become the largest party in Africa. He has participated in all the national conventions and congresses of the party and in 2011 general elections; he served in the committee that screened all the PDP governorship and Presidential candidates. Because of Chief Okonkwo’s dedication to duty and passion for transformation, the Governor of Akwa ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio appointed him a special adviser although he is not an indigene of that State.

The uncommon transformation and visible change that ‘the land of promise’ has witnessed, was made possible by the tireless effort of men like Chief Sylvester Okonkwo who worked closely with the Governor in helping him actualize his laudable vision. With his background as a lawyer, his unreserved love for his people demonstrated by his philanthropy, the vast experience he has garnered as an industrialist, a loyal party man and an aide to the best governor in Nigeria, it is no surprise that his people are clamoring for him to represent Anambra Central at the Senate.

Chief Sylvester Okonkwo will not be a bench warmer in the Senate, his training as a lawyer has prepared him for robust debate and critical thinking. He will continue doing what he enjoys doing best, which is helping the underprivileged, empowering youths and women, and contributing to the progress of the nation. The only way to predict the future is to take charge of destiny. The youths of Anambra Central senatorial zone, knowing that this wonderful man can secure a bright future for them, are rallying support for him to vie for the senatorial election. The People’s Democratic Party PDP will be making the right decision by giving the people’s choice, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, the party flag for the Anambra central senatorial election.

Steven Covey once said that, “what you do is far greater than what you say”. When the people of Anambra central go to the ballot next year, they will vote for Chief Sylvester Okonkwo not for the promises he will make but for the promises he has kept and the numerous community projects he has undertaken.

JCIN Cllr Anaduaka Churchill is a political affairs analyst. He is an NYSC Governor’s Honors recipient.

The Judiciary is the bastion of democracy and the fortress of the common man. The temple of justice is a sanctum of protection for the weak and the oppressed. In the absence of Justice, peace is threatened but when justice is served, peace and harmony is advanced.
This important arm of government in Rivers State has been paralyzed for over six months. Court rooms have been shut, justice has been placed on hold and the masses have been suffering with no hope in sight as to when this impasse will be resolved.

The latest attempt to find a solution to a crisis that is threatening the foundation of democracy in Rivers State, which was the meeting between the Governor and the State NBA, ended in a deadlock. No society can survive in the absence of justice and Rivers is not an exception. Hundreds of families have been consigned to the dustbin of economic hardship because of this imbroglio. Governor Amechi alluded to this sad reality when he divulged to the befuddled learned professionals in their meeting, that one of their colleagues ran to him for help because he could not pay a paltry #10,000 naira for his pregnant wife’s hospital bill, because the young lawyer has been out of job since the courts closed down.
One can only imagine the agony of the litigating public that have had to endure untold hardship these past months waiting for their cases to be heard or lawyers that can no longer cater for their families since their means of livelihood has been shut down. Only the prisons can tell us the number of inmates that have been confined in their cells on the awaiting trial list, because the courts have not been sitting. Simple misunderstanding and minor scuffles that the law can handle with fairness may have transmogrified to major crisis in some parts of the State, as people now resort to self-help in the absence of the scale of Justice.

At the heart of this crisis is the quarrel over who should rightly become the Chief Judge of the state. This simple matter of transition would not have been an issue if not for the penchant of leaders in our clime to politicize every issue. The constitution is explicit and unambiguous on the process for appointing a Chief Judge. Section 271(1) of the 1999 constitution empowers the Governor to appoint the Chief Judge but on the recommendation of the NJC, which must be vetted by the House of Assembly. Section 271(3) stipulates the qualification for eligibility for the CJ position which is 10 years. While Justice P.N Agumagu is qualified to hold the office of the CJ having spent over ten years in the bench, the NJC feels and rightly so, that the Noble Judge cannot become the Chief Judge of the High court since he is of the customary court. While section 271 deals with the jurisdiction of the high court, section 281 deals with the jurisdiction of the customary court. The NJC rejected the choice of Justice P.N Agumagu and went ahead to recommend the appointment of Justice Daisy Okocha of the State High court who incidentally is the second name on the list sent to the NJC by the Governor.

Whatever is the case and pending when this issue is resolved, this present crisis would have been needless if the provision of 271(4) is adhered to. It states “If the office of the Chief Judge of a state is vacant or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then until a person is appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office, or until the person holding the office has resumed those functions, the Governor of the state shall appoint the most senior Judge of the High Court to perform those functions”. Only the Governor can explain why he prefers to watch his people suffer instead of obeying the simple dictates of the constitution.

The overreaching quest to control the judiciary which ordinarily should be an independent institution is the foremost reason why this crisis has lingered. The fear that if the Judiciary falls into the hands of agents opposed to the Governor and government of Rivers State is the only reason why Justice Daisy Okocha has not been sworn in as the acting Chief Judge of Rivers State. It is very disturbing that an important arm of government is being systematically destroyed because of a dirty power struggle.

What is more, the present government has few months to go but the consequences of this debacle may resonate for many more years to come. The Governor who himself is a product of a fearless and courageous judiciary should understand the imperative of this arm of government and in fact should be at the forefront of strengthening this institution and shielding it from interference. This writer believes that as a progressive, the performing Governor of Rivers state should place the interest of the people far above his personal interest and any private political fight he has elected to engage in.
Justice has been delayed for too long. Enough!

Offor Honest is a public affairs commentator

: OMG I couldn't stop laughing at the adjective used in quantifying GEJ's magnitude of failure. 'Comprehensive failure', I can't help but agree with you. This administration is failure personified.

Ibnsultan:
If Jonathan has the fear of God in him..... He won't even vote for himself on Feb 14, 2015....... He is a comprehensive failure."

Why I love Nigeria

I love my country,
She’s the pride of Africa and the hope of the black race.

I love her people,
They are hardworking, strong and resilient.

I love our culture,
It is diverse, rich and colorful.

I love our values,
It teaches respect for elders, dignity in labor and unity in diversity.

I love our history,
It reminds us how our fathers fought for independence
And the prize we paid while fighting to stay as one nation.

I love our land,
Her grass is green, her soil is rich and her ground is blessed.

I love our story,
Our past may be troubled; our present may be mired in challenges
But we have a future to write a better story.

Written by Offor Honest