₦airaland Forum

Racoon:
https://www.thecable.ng/inec-directs-recs-to-suspend-plans-on-voter-revalidation-exercise/?fbclid=Iwb21leAQ_ZsBjbGNrBD9mr2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhjaHj8YYj0P7lgp7xemsuUPHKc8ls4YdnNkoYTj85yz_36_kEYzGpTmf91W_aem_UGG2Pahcn3Cw4isCFdxFvg

Interesting development

So the problem wasnt just d generals (anymore than it is wen we had Ph.D holder, and now a supposedly repented former general). The generals really delayed us as a country. To me, its quite a shame to see that most of them alive are still crucially relevant in the polity. They had their time. They had express, unbriddled power. They could do and undo (and to me they mostly chose to undo than do). They wasted extremely bright opportunities. And so were where we are now.

Now my friend @op. The way out.

I took all this time to show how we deliberately brought this recession on ourselves, demonstrate that we have since laid the foundation for a potential collapse of the young country. And so where we are is expected. TO COME OUT OF IT WILL NEED A DELIBERATE FULL REVERSAL OF THE TREND I DESCRIBED. AND WE MUST ENDURE THE PAINS FOR AS LONG AS (POSSIBLY LONGER THAN) IT TOOK TO CREATE THE PROBLEM. THAT'S AT LEAST FIFTY YEARS FROM NOW!
That's the truth Nigerians need to hear.

First, we need a wilful leader to start with. One person. I believe in one capable individual prepared to lead the necessary sacrifice than a group of mixed multitudes. A political party is only a vehicle for strange bed fellows. There will always be corrupt infiltrates no matter how holy they profess to be. Unfortunately in our current system u need some of the fellows to reach the position. But once there, its ur choice - to serve the fellows or to make a difference. Great societies have always started with leaders who chose the latter. History is awash with examples.

Jesus Christ gave up his own very life at 33 years! To save billions of people. Mahatma Ghandi of India, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther Jr., Nelson Mandela, y'all know their stories. It is only when such leader arrives in Nigeria, who thru not just his body language but his choices, decisions, utterances, policies, instil discipline, fairness, justice, hardwork, meritocracy, patriotism in every follower from his wife in Abuja to the beggar in Lagos, that FULL REVERSAL and thus true change could start. Such leader MUST use all his power to dethrone tribe (yes its possible), and unite the country. A constitutional earthquake to expunge nepotic clauses that feed indigeneship, clauses that crown governors and presidents overlords and pharaohs (like immunity, state control of LGAs, etc), that create electoral and criminal justice loopholes, and several other provisions is long overdue. In fact, I recommend a consideration for a strong, more representative unicameral legislature, an overhauled digitized judicial system, a deliberate effort reduce monetization and attractiveness of government to lazy hands looking for cheap money.

This is only the beginning of the foundation.

Second, recall that the progress these men started vastly outlived them. Therefore whoever takes over from such leader must continue the repair. We MUST deliberately remove our eyes from our biggest seduction - oil. I recommend searching for resources wherever we can find them (oil in the North is a fantastic idea to me), but with the mentality that it is for all, not for waste. However, agriculture and solid minerals should see increasingly more allocation cum attention than oil going forward.

I recommend a stupendous investment in education (@least 10% of GDP) and infrastructure for a long term, while simultaneously systematically reducing government recurrent costs. A NASS of 469 ppl paying over 2700 aides is simply outrageous. And that's NASS alone. Only in 9ja sha. We need to beef up anti corruption laws. But all that is nonsense without meaningful enforcement and swift judicial system. That's y someone will have effrontery to steal billions, knowing that if he ever got convicted, he'd just release a small fraction and go scot free. If there's a guarantee that someone who steals N5m today will find himself CONVICTED in prison by weekend, and we see ppl actually going to jail every weekend, trust me corruption will naturally die.

I recommend that we start pushing new frontiers. We can start to be bold to do RIGHT things our own way within international law, without necessarily depending on UK/US/UN nod in an awkward apprentice/master mentality we've been locked in for almost 60years. The world may hate Iranians and North Koreans (I'm not really their fan) but I learnt something from them. This ppl took their destinies in their hands, and they really answer to nobody. Today I read the North Koreans saying they r heading to the moon. North Korea!! Even if it takes them 50 years, I see them getting there.

What are we waiting for?

I rest my case.

drbashfx:
This is a well thought-out reply , and God knows you are right on every point . So how do we move on from here ; should we just throw up our hands and wait till the country collapse on us or our children's head .

The truth is that the best we can do is talk until we get to the level of making policies or become a policy influencer; till then we would keep holding those there accountable.

Really appreciate you taking time-out to read this lengthy article anyway .

I will show you the way out. Unfortunately, this way is very difficult for Nigerians (without true change) to endure. But for posterity's sake I will give it anyway.

Before the way out, we need to see where we came from and where we are. But relax, I won't bore u with excess history, just summaries.

First, there are several conspiracy theories about why the British chose to marry about three major inhomogenous peoples of different tongues, faiths and cultures at the time they did. Whatever their reason, this (I call it) apparent inhomogeneity was (and still is) a central, core, foundational challenge to the viability of the new country. So we saw ourselves together. Failure no. 1, we largely ignored the challenge. In fact we fed it by promoting our divisions (tribe, religion, etc) instead of our potentials in the ideals that unite us (hardwork, merit, mutual respect, etc). And so the challenge quickly morphed into a problem that saw the peoples killing each other in humongous pogroms and genocides.

Meanwhile, this new problem is complicated, or I should say, worsened by the discovery of an extremely powerful temptation and economic deception - OIL. The source easy slush funds without hassles. BOOM! Most hands left what they were doing and stretched for oil (the few hands that remained in agriculture and real sector looked like fools. Unfortunately the oil is not everywhere. It is milked from only a section of the country - a worse complication. Leaders quickly lost foresight. Followers became lazy and unproductive. Culture of hardwork and merit quickly eroded. Daubarchery, gluttony, wantonness and consequent vices became norm. Anyway, the rest is history.

Last summary is that we were ruled successively for decades by a bunch of generals who cared less about mathematics and economics than they did their AK-47. What do u expect @op? See, the problem isn't that we had dictators, the problem is we had shortsighted dictators who apparently didn't know thier left from their right.

@op. Going thru your post I'd agree with most of what u said. However, I'd point out that all your 4 points are only part of a broader rationale for our, well....collective failure as a people and country.

Nigeria's failure goes beyond Buhari and Jonathan. To me, successive heads of state (some of them still alive) failed. The Judiciary failed. The NASS, key MDAs, key appointees and advisers, several ranks and file in parastatals (including military and paramilitary) - key institutions that outlast individual presidents, and ultimately many of we citizens have failed.

Tell me what some other person other than Buhari/Jonathan would do differently. We voted (I assume) for change. But we know nothing has fundamentally changed. Nigeria's elitist mindset hasn't changed. Deep rooted petty politics, tribalism, nepotism, indecisiveness, selfishness and self aggrandizement over matters and assets critical to national survival have cost Nigeria decades of growth and development.

For instance, I love d point u raised about 9 Presidential jets. To me, a serious president should've identified and disposed wasteful official assets. But our president just last week carried almost 120 people to New York City, in a recession!!! Often, I see news of some billionaire's or governor's daughter showing off some multi-million naira jewelry or their wardrobes. And our so-called mods here will carry such useless news to front page. I know some Nigerians will attack me now, but that reinforces my point -

The mentality of opulence and extravagance hasn't changed. The celebration and cheerleading of mediocrity and incompetence hasn't changed. Even among ordinary citizens.

And that, my friend @op, is fundamentally the reason for Nigeria's continued failure.

I heard that the other day, Akara was shared free in Edo State. Lolz.

Put another election today, people will still collect bags of rice and vote to recycle the same incompetent opportunists.

Unless that changes, forget it.

Titheman:
I don't understand dis man o.. first d pope nw d archbishop

is he planing to convert?

Lolz