NIGERIA; POLITICS OR POORLITICS

I don’t know how you will define politics but for me it is the process of people bettering the lots of the masses in a country. Government has been defined as a process or an art of governing, or an institution of a country or state. Going by the definition of government then politics is an art of or the process of bettering peoples live through governance.
Democracy too has been rightly defined as the government of the people by the people and for the people. But in Nigeria, this is not the case as only few persons only benefit.
A politician is said to be a shrewd, prudent, discreet and diplomatic and expected to be artful in governance. A politician is expected to create wealth for the masses he is governing and this is expected to be his primary role and duty to the society or people that elected him.
The question now is when a politician chooses to create wealth for himself at the detriment of his people can it still be said to be politics, I beg to differ because I will rather call it poorlitics than call it politics.
Poorlitics is just the opposite of politics. It is the process of impoverishing the masses through governance. It takes the same process as politics but travel through different direction. While one focuses on the betterment of the people, the other is only concerned about impoverishing them. If after 59 years of self-governance (60 by October), our country is still much the same then we have had more poorliticians than politicians.
But again a section of the masses pass all the blame to Britain which colonized us, there by exonerating our poorliticians who should be held responsible for all the mess in our country, and accountable for bad governance.
They keep asking what has Britain done for us, but it will be better to rephrase this question and instead ask what has Nigeria done for Nigerians.
There is hunger in the land and what has caused it? Poorlitics. There is inflation caused by the indecision and under-sight by our leaders which is tantamount to poorlitics.
Our educational system is suffering from rot due to corruption, malpractice and incessant strikes. From primary school to the tertiary institution our schools are in a state of mess or you may say public schools because some private schools are definitely above waters but with exorbitant fees that cannot be afforded by over 80% of the masses, permit me to say that our education is a mess or better put in shambles. And will remain like that until we remove all the poorliticians who can afford to send their children to Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford and start electing politicians.
Our currency can be equated to a tissue paper in the international market; again you can trace the cause to poorlitics.
Our health sector is in shambles reason why many Nigerians who can afford it travel to countries with better health care facilities. We pay our health workers 5000 naira for hazards while our president get 30 million naira for haircut and the members of the parliament earn over 15 million naira per month for just sitting in the house and we expect our health workers to put their lives on the line to save us, I doubt that is possible. The rot in our health sector is also a product of poorlitics and until poorliticians are barred from going outside the country for health care then our hospitals will remain much the same.
The government can’t pay a minimum wage of 30,000 naira but according to the former minister of interior, the same government feeds a prisoner with 14000 daily. The minister of information said a political prisoner we all know was been fed with 3.5 million monthly and also built a house for him, this is surely poorlitics and not politics.
While an ordinary prisoner spends 420,000 a month and 5040000 a year, a political prisoner spends 42000000 a year and a Nigerian worker who earns 18000 a month makes a total of 216000 a year. While the prisoner enjoys free accommodation, he pays for accommodation and then fends for himself and his family. One would logically say that it is better to be in prison than work in Nigeria.
Yet some section of ignoramus will say Britain underdeveloped Nigeria. My dear Nigerians if Britain underdeveloped us then what have will done for our country? Again, poorlitics.
This not the country we dream of or crave for but if after 60 years we are still like this then it is time to stop complaining and take our destiny in our hand. Let’s get rid of all the poorliticians and bring in politicians to lead our dear country.
It is now obvious that for 60 years we have played poorlitics, now it is time to play politics. Over to you Nigerians.

Written by Victor Utomi
He is a writer, an entrepreneur, a business consultant and a speaker
For comments, you can reach him via victom.dmay@gmail.com or 08133933149

donbachi:
Why are they attacking him..when karma knows his father is a nigerian politician...since dem born una,una don ever see a nigerian politicians child become somebody for dis life?agwui ironsi,ahmadu bello,tafawa balewa,azikiwe,obasanjo,buhari,babangida,yar'aduas, and co,down to ur various states...name one.pls,i stand to be corrected.

I have never seen or heard of anyone

Adaogwashi1:
Op just because of little lockdown you people from south west are now talking about revolution, Buhari please extend the lockdown till may ending



I still remain Ada ogwashi

I am first a Nigerian and if you must know I am from delta state but a firm believer in nationalism over regionalism

politics 2020; introduction to politicians children. politicians children feeling bigger than Nigerians.

the troll tweet

Ezekwesili Asks Kaduna Governor's Son To Enroll For Anger Management Programme

Former Education Minister under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo , Obiageli Ezekwesili has urged one of the sons of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai whose name is Bello to get into an anger management programme.

Her advice was contained in tweets on Sunday (yesterday) after an online spat between Bello el-Rufai and a Twitter troll.

Trouble started when the governor’s son appeared to call US President Donald Trump “incompetent” and blamed him for the escalating coronavirus crisis in the United States.

Bello had tweeted that there is nothing as radioactive as an incompetent leader during a time of crisis. The United States of America is a case in point. A few states in Nigeria too.

The tweet had drawn a lot of reactions, with many Twitter users urging him to look inwards towards his father and the Muhammadu Buhari presidency in Nigeria. Buhari and el-Rufai belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

One of those who responded to the tweet @thanos_zer accused Bello of sending him a hate-filled tweet before blocking him.

However, taking to her Twitter handle, Ezekwesili said the tweet was unbecoming of el-Rufai’s son. She advised him to apologise and enroll for an anger management programme quickly.

Ezekwesili also in her tweet says she has always maintained that people can disagree without being disagreeable and can object without being objectionable. She maintained that healthy debates and divergences that arise are important for democratic development of societies.

@B_ELRUFAI Did I just see horrific tweets from your handle threatening gang-rape? What was that?

Why the ethnic vitriol toward Igbos? What’s that, Bello?

Too tragic.

You need to not just immediately apologize for those vile tweets but get into an Anger Management program quickly.

I have maintained that we can disagree without being disagreeable. We can object without being objectionable.

Healthy debates and divergences that arise are important for democratic development of societies.

https://mobile.twitter.com/obyezeks/status/1249366179430481922

orisa37:
RESTRUCTURING NEEDED URGENTLY NOT REVOLUTION. TO MAINTAIN NIGERIA AS ONE LET US GRANT FULL AUTONOMY OF POLICING RESOURCING AND ELECTIONEERING CONTROL TO OUR 36 CONSTITUTIONAL STATES AND THE FCT.

if you read the article In whole you will find out that the revolution I propose is very close to restructuring

orisa37:
RESTRUCTURING NEEDED URGENTLY NOT REVOLUTION. TO MAINTAIN NIGERIA AS ONE LET US GRANT FULL AUTONOMY OF POLICING RESOURCING AND ELECTIONEERING CONTROL TO OUR 36 CONSTITUTIONAL STATES AND THE FCT.

restructuring is an ambiguous word without a clear definition and it has been used as a carrot by our politicians to woo the masses.
if you still have faith in this current crop of politicians, I have lost mine. it's totally up to us to change them. the problem is the masses don't know their power.
we must now say oto ge to bad governance.

NIGERIA IN NEED OF A REVOLUTION?

Never before, in the history of our dear nation, has there been a great need for change in every facet of our national live than now. You can see this everywhere you go. From every little gathering, you hear complains and grumbling against the government and it will make you wonder a little, if the government is so unpopular among the people then who voted this government in? As usual in our political landscape, they may have come in through the back door.
Revolution Needed?
Revolution is defined as a political upheaval in a government or nation state characterized by great change.
Is this the kind of revolution Nigeria needs? I will say no, I will never support the overthrow of a democratically and legally elected government and will encourage Nigerians to shy away from that.
How then is revolution needed? There is another definition of revolution that caught my mind.
It is defined as a sudden, vast change in a situation, a discipline, or the way of thinking and behaving. That is what is needed in Nigerians, a change in mentality and behavior, a paradigm shift from the old ways.
A Nigerian believes in religion than in nationalism, he will do anything to save his religion but will not do same for his nation. He will do anything because of his tribe but will not do same to unite the tribes in his nation and this has made him both religious and tribalistic. He can kill in defense of his tribe and religion, forgetting that God who he fights for is so big enough to fight for himself. He can lean on God to change his story for many years forgetting that God will not do for man what he can do for himself.
Here we pray to God for good leaders forgetting that instead good leaders are elected, we forget that INEC don’t count prayers rather they counts votes.
The revolution we need is a change of the old guards. We don’t need PDP or APC anymore and we don’t need any politician who has been in any of these political parties, or that has benefitted from them.
Politicians have failed us it is time to hand over the reins of our government to technocrats and statesmen. By this I mean people who are more Nigerian than political, people who are more Nigerian than religious. People who believe in nationalism over regionalism. People who will discourage favoritism and encourage meritocracy irrespective of your region or religion.
People who will come in and draft a new constitution immediately because the 1999 constitution has failed us, a constitution that promotes corruption among politicians and justice for petty thieves will not take us to the promise land. A constitution that shields the elite but prosecute the common man is not a good one for us. A constitution that shield politicians from trial and give them the power of incumbency is in dire need for a change. A constitution that cannot unite us now will never be able to so we if we must change the narrative of our dear nation then I recommend a new constitution.
We have put our trust so much in the hands of these politicians and they have failed us repeatedly and now it is the time to take our destiny in our hands. If we need a new and a better Nigeria then we must fight for it because according to Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.
The next round of election may be far away but the masses must show their will in Edo and Ondo gubernatorial elections. We must vote and defend our votes even as we shun selling our votes because consequently when we do we sell our destinies to them. Always remember that no matter what they pay it will never be enough to sustain you for four years and when you sell your vote you lose the right to ask for change, you lose your voice and you lose good leadership. In the face of vote buying, remember the word of William Safire. The right to something does not mean doing it is right.
A new Nigeria requires a revolution of ideas, a change of plan and astute youths that are ready to bring change. They call us lazy but it is up to us to prove to them that we are not lazy. They buy our votes cheaply but we must now show them that we are tired of the old order. They use us to steal ballot boxes on election days but now it is up to us to prove to them that we are not just mere touts but Nigerians with equal rights as them and their children. They cause hardship and unemployment in the land just to break us and bring us on our kneels but it is up to us to prove to them that we are strong and resolute and that we are Nigerians and will not let the labors of heroes go in vain.
They fought for independence, now we must fight for progress and unity, they fought to free us from slavery and now we must emancipate ourselves from mental slavery. They fought to free us from colonialism and now we must fight to free our nation from regionalism. They fought to be heroes and now we must fight the villains in our political sphere that are sabotaging our dear nation and become heroes ourselves. They fought to deliver Nigeria from oppressors and now we must fight to consolidate their efforts.
Because a new Nigeria we seek, and a new Nigeria we must get. It will be unfair and shameful to pass the current state of our nation to the next generation just the way our parents bequeathed it to us. If they failed us then it behooves on us not to fail our children.
If we unite as one nation, one people then this dream for a new Nigeria is achievable. Over to you Nigerians!!!
Written by Victor Utomi
He is a writer, an entrepreneur, a business consultant and a speaker
For comments, you can reach him via victom.dmay@gmail.com or 08133933149

Inteltower:


Create a whatsapp group and share the link so that people will join

I second the motion

I am in

victom.dmay@gmail.com


as long is it remains national and not a regional concoction I am ready to give anything even if it means my life.

it is time to build the Nigeria of our dream

Don’t let them free captured Boko Haram members, weapons – Deby tells Chadian troops

 



Chad President, Idriss Déby has urged Chadian troops not to allow Nigerian soldiers free captured weapons or Boko Haram terrorists.



Déby in a viral video, warned that if they allow Nigerian troops to release the captured Boko Haram members, they will return to Chad and hurt them.

According to him, 90 percent of Boko Haram terrorist have been destroyed and the other 10 percent escaped to Niger and Nigeria.



He was quoted as saying, “This place will be our zone until Nigeria sends its soldiers. Stay with them for about a month. Do not let them free captured weapons or any Boko Haram terrorists, they will return to Chad and this will just hurt us.

“So let them just understand. We are not leaving the situation like this. In the next few days, I will speak with the President of Niger. You guys destroyed at least 90 percent of Boko Haram. That I confirm and can tell the world that 90 percent of Boko Haram is destroyed.

“The 10 percent that are left are running everywhere. Some have drowned and some ran to Niger, some to Nigeria but they will never come to Chad again. Chad is no place for Boko Haram.”



Recall that Deby had last month led his country’s troop to capture Boko Haram arms store in Sambisa.

The Chadian troops had freed Nigerian soldiers formerly in the sect’s captivity.

They also destroyed Boko Haram bases, killed several insurgents and recovered hundreds of weapons.

See the Crime Of the Top 5 Nigerians that were Granted Presidential Amnesty by president Buhari



Professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli

Ambrose Folorunsho Alli (22 September 1929 – 22 September 1989) was a Nigerianmedical professor who served as Executive Governor of the defunct Nigerian state of Bendel State (now the Nigerian states of Edo and Delta ) between 1979 and 1983. He was the first civilian governor.

After Ambrose Alli left office in 1983, things went south when the military government of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari took power, he was sentenced to 100 years in prison by a military tribunal for allegedly misappropriating N983,000 in funds for a road project. He was later freed when the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, paid a fine to the government. He finally got released from the Prison after the fine amount of one million naira was remitted by chief igbinedion


Late Chief Anthony Enahoro

Late Chief Anthony Enahoro was accused of treason when Crisis erupted in the Action Group (he was the Deputy National President) in 1962 and the leadership of the party was accused of plotting a coup against the federal government and was threatened with detention. In September, Enahoro fled Nigeria for London, travelling via Accra. The Nigerian government mounted pressure on the Labour Party-controlled British Parliament to extradite Enahoro by invoking the 1881 Fugitive Offenders Act. The London authorities detained him in Brixton Prison. His case was intensely debated in parliament until Harold Macmillan, the British Prime Minister, bowed to the majority’s argument. Enahoro’s asylum request was rejected and he was extradited in March 1963. The Nigerian government sentenced him to fifteen years’ imprisonment on charges of felony and treason in September 1963. The sentence was later reduced to ten years on appeal.

He was released in 1966 by the military government of General Yakubu Gowon and in 1967, Gowon appointed him Commissioner of Information and Labour, a position he was to serve in from the period of the Nigerian Civil War until 1974. He served as Federal Commissioner for Special Duties under General Murtala Muhammed in 1975 until the latter’s assassination.

He was released from the prison sentence but was never granted state pardon until 9th April 2020 when president Muhammadu Buharri granted him a presidential pardon.


Lt-Col Moses Effiong

Lt-Col Moses Effiong was accused of plotting coup along with some top military brass by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida in 1985.

Major E.J. Olanrewaju

Major General Adeniyi Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd) psc (+), ndc, M.Sc, was born on 8th May 1946. He was Brigadier-General. He later became the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the 3rd Armoured Division and member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC). He served as GOC for over two years between 1983 to 1985.

Olanrewaju was appointed Minister of Communications and member of the Federal Executive Council from 1995 to 1997. He pioneered the current de-regulation in the telecommunications sector and upgraded the communications system in different parts of the country.

he was arrested over the phantom coup along with other senior military officers and was sentenced to death. But a change in government in 1998 and used the Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, to release him and others after 14 months of incarceration. This granted him a new lease of life which he has dedicated to serving the down trodden and humanity, in appreciation of God’s goodness to him.

more

here are their comments

Buhari's BMC turns against Idriss Deby in calumny campaign over his Boko Haram onslaught



Since Chadian President, Idriss Deby began his recent onslaught against Boko Haram, a terrorist group operating mostly in Nigeria's northeast region, he has won the admiration of many Nigerians. But it is for the same reason that the ubiquitous crowd of President Muhammadu Buhari's 'hype men' on social media, known as Buhari Media Centre (BMC), have turned their campaign of calumny and propaganda against the Chadian president. 

Deby, leading his soldiers to confront the insurgents, is achieving huge successes against a group that has for the past decade, defied the combined army of Nigeria and its immediate neighbours which make up the Multinational Joint Task Force, inflicting pain, sorrow and death on millions in the region. But even in the protracted war against the terror group, the Chadians, one of Nigeria's neighbours, bordering Borno State, have, by many accounts, always stood out as the most formidable force in the war on account of their experience in asymmetric warfare.

However, their involvement have been hitherto limited because the insurgents operate mostly in Nigerian territory. Nonetheless, following the killing of 92 Chadian soldiers by the terror group a fortnight ago, Derby has led his Chadian soldiers to a more active effort against the insurgents. And the past few days have seen them kill several of their commanders and capture their armouries.

Weakened and battle weary, Boko Haram fighters are said to be beating frantic retreat. Derby in a broadcast on Monday in N'Djamena, called on factional leader of the terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau - who last week, released an audio clip calling on his men not to abandon the war amid heavy bombardment by the Chadian forces - to surrender or risk being killed in his Dikoa hideout.

But this otherwise commendable effort has, rather unsurprisingly, uncured the anger of the BMC. Reason being perhaps that in praising Deby, many Nigerians have called to question Buhari's leadership credentials, especially his capacity to tackle the terror group.

BMC represents, in many ways, a new tragedy of Nigeria's sad democratic journey. The group was apparently formed to blur logic and remove common sense from Nigeria's social discuss. And over the past few days, their attention have been focused on Deby. 

Rather than show gratitude to the Chadian president for his effort, known members of the group are now accusing him of even being a Boko Haram sponsor.

At various news feeds on social media platforms, suspected members of the group have continued to call to question, Deby's intentions. As the news of his asking Shekau to surrender of risk being killed broke, one, Oyelade Hamzat, noted that, "So he (Deby) knew where he (Shekau) all this time, Nigeria should declare Chad enemy state."


On their facebook page, 'Buhari Reporters' they have, for the most part of the week, dedicated to sharing contents critical of Deby's intentions, and even suggesting he has been an accomplice of the terrorist group.

1985 Coup: Mistakes That Led To Overthrow Of President Buhari

With reference to Gabriel Akinadewo report, a founding editor of the New Telegraph newspaper which elaborates on the mistakes Buhari made as the then-leader of the nation.


Buhari was not the “crazy-about-office” type of officer

After one of the meetings of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) in early July 1985, the then chief of army staff, Major General Ibrahim Babangida, told the head of state, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, that it would be necessary for him to embark on a tour of army formations in the country.

Babangida was not asking for too much as those formations were under his office. Babangida also told the commander-in-chief the need to boost the morale of officers and upgrade infrastructural facilities in the various divisions, brigades and barracks.

After a few minutes, the request was granted by Buhari. When Babangida left, Buhari thought about what some officers told him a few weeks earlier of an impending putsch. Although the details were vague, he was told that Babangida was part of the plot to remove him from office. But the problem was that Buhari was not the type of officer who was ‘crazy’ about office. Again, before he made any move, Buhari would demand for a cast-iron evidence. So, when Babangida came, telling him the need to make the army boys happy, he dismissed the earlier thought.

What he did not know was that Babangida was only using the tour as a decoy to perfect the final strategy for the plot which after its success on August 27, 1985 was hailed as a ‘palace coup.’

Babangida planned to become the most powerful Nigerian

It was no accident of history that Babangida became head of state 10 days after his 44th birthday. To observers, he had, for years, planned to become the most powerful Nigerian. He was only waiting for the right time and when the chance came, he grabbed it immediately.

During the December 31, 1983 coup which ousted Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Buhari was the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3rd Armoured Division, Jos. Babangida was the director, Army Staff Duties and Plans.

Although Babangida was older, Buhari was senior in hierarchy and he commanded troops. So, it was generally agreed that Buhari should lead the new regime but the moment Babangida was made the Chief of Army Staff, he put machinery in motion which paid off 20 months later.


Factors that led to the success of the coup

Three factors contributed to the success of the coup.

1. The first was that the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Major-General Mamman Vatsa, did not really push Buhari enough to move against Babangida.

Vatsa was closer to Babangida than Buhari because they were course and soul mates. And most of the officers used for the August 27 coup, especially the general officer commanding (GOC), 2nd Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Major General Sani Abacha, were also close to Vatsa.

Vatsa knew that the plot was thick and he tried to warn Buhari but Buhari’s attitude weakened him.

When Vatsa also told the chief of staff, supreme headquarters, Major General Tunde Idiagbon, of the plot, Idiagbon merely replied: "Let them try".


When the Babangida group knew about this, the rumour came out that Vatsa was ambitious to become the Chief of Army Staff and that was why he wanted to discredit Babangida.

With that, Vatsa "soft-pedalled" and that gave Babangida the advantage he needed.

Also, since Buhari became the head of state, he did not promote himself till he was removed. A disciplinarian, he believed that the rot left by the civilian administration must be cleared first. He thought first about the country before himself. Believing that Babangida was loyal to him, he left the army completely under his care. That was why he was easily overwhelmed.

When any report came to him, his belief was that the evidence must be strong before any move was made. That was why it took months for him to retire Lt.Col Mohammed Aliyu Gusau because he was waiting for evidence indicting him in the import licence scam, an evidence which was eventually supplied by the Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO) led by Alhaji Rabiu Rafindadi.

With the retirement of Gusau, Babangida, his closest ally, felt threatened and moved swiftly to actualise the plot against Buhari. In other climes, half of the evidence gathered was enough to nail Babangida.

So, the procrastination of Buhari led to the success of the coup against him.

2. The second success factor was that Babangida planted key loyalists in strategic units of the military, a move Buhari was not aware of. As Head of State, Buhari’s isolation from the military was given a high priority by the Babangida group.

Akilu was Babangida’s ‘main-man’ in the intelligence community, a counterweight to Alhaji Muhammadu Lawal Rafindadi, Buhari’s loyal head of the NSO.

The actual execution of the coup

In the actual execution of the coup, Babangida also played a smart one. He chose the celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir, when he knew security would be relaxed and alertness not at the peak, to strike.

On August 26, Muslims headed for mosques for morning prayers on Sallah day at the Ikeja Cantonment, but there were strong indications that a change of government was imminent.

Buhari, the commander, Brigade of Guards, Lt. Col. Sabo Aliyu and Buhari’s aide-de-camp (ADC), Major Mustapha Haruna Jokolo, tried to find out details to no avail. Idiagbon had already travelled to Mecca, together with Vatsa and a few others.

Babangida gave the task of arresting Buhari to officers he trusted. When majors Abubakar Umar Dangiwa, Lawan Gwadabe, Abdulmumuni Aminu and Sambo Dasuki arrived the State House, Buhari was waiting for them.

He was later whisked away after he was given the chance to dress in his official uniform. After Buhari’s arrest, it was clear that the coup had become a success story.

Then, Colonel Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro, director of manning (“A” Branch) and concurrent director of the department of armour at the army headquarters, announced that the Buhari regime had been deposed.

Hours later, about 1 pm, the more familiar voice of Abacha, who was to become the chief of army staff, announced the appointment of Babangida as the new head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Babangida immediately took the title of president.

Six Day War: the war that proved that Israel is above all Arab nations combined

If you wish to understand the nature and reason for the Arab vs Israel friction which has lasted for almost a century now, then one key event you need to understand is the Six day war which took place in 1967.

Six-Day War, also called June War or Third Arab-Israeli War was a brief war that took place June 5–10, 1967, and was the third of the Arab-Israeli war.  Israel's decisive victory included the capture of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Height; the status of these territories subsequently became a major point of contention in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Prior to the start of the war, attacks conducted against Israel by fledgling Palestinian guerrilla groups based in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan had increased, leading to costly Israeli reprisals. In November 1966 an Israeli strike on the village of Al-Samūʿ in the Jordanian West Bank left 18 dead and 54 wounded, and, during an air battle with Syria in April 1967, the Israeli Air Force shot down six Syrian MiG fighter jets. In addition, Soviet intelligence reports in May indicated that Israel was planning a campaign against Syria, and, although inaccurate, the information further heightened tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

Egyptian president Gamal Abdal Nasser had previously come under sharp criticism for his failure to aid Syria and Jordan against Israel; he had also been accused of hiding behind the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) stationed at Egypt's border with Israel in the Sinai. Now, however, he moved to unambiguously demonstrate support for Syria: on May 14, 1967, Nasser mobilized Egyptian forces in the Sinai; on May 18 he formally requested the removal of the UNEF stationed there; and on May 22 he closed the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping, thus instituting an effective blockade of the port city of Elat in southern Israel. On May 30, King Husein of Jordan arrived in Cairo to sign a mutual defense pact with Egypt, placing Jordanian forces under Egyptian command; shortly thereafter, Iraq too joined the alliance

In response to the apparent mobilization of its Arab neighbours, early on the morning of June 5, Israel staged a sudden preemptive air assault that destroyed more than 90 percent Egypt’s air force on the tarmac. A similar air assault incapacitated the Syrian air force. Without cover from the air, the Egyptian army was left vulnerable to attack. Within three days the Israelis had achieved an overwhelming victory on the ground, capturing the Gaza Strip and all of the Sinai Peninsula up to the east bank of the Suez Canal

An Eastern front was also opened on June 5 when Jordanian forces began shelling West Jerusalem—disregarding Israel’s warning to King Ḥussein to keep Jordan out of the fight—only to face a crushing Israeli counterattack. On June 7 Israeli forces drove Jordanian forces out of East Jerusalem and most of the West Photos and films of Israeli troops taking control of the old city of Jerusalem have proved to be some of the war's iconic images

The UN Security Council called for a cease-fire on June 7 that was immediately accepted by Israel and Jordan. Egypt accepted the following day. Syria held out, however, and continued to shell villages in northern Israel. On June 9 Israel launched an assault on the fortified Golan Heights, capturing it from Syrian forces after a day of heavy fighting. Syria accepted the cease-fire on June 10.

Coronavirus: Presidency’s Epic Reply to Wike after Allegation against FG


The Presidency has cautioned Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike against making unguarded statements amidst the existence of the global pandemic, COVID-19.

 Wike had accused the Federal government of politicizing the management of Coronavirus in other states of the federation after approving N10billion to support the Lagos state government.

 According to Wike; ““While Lagos State received a grant of N10billion as a commercial hub, Rivers State as the nation’s oil and gas hub that produces a greater percentage of the nation’s wealth has not received any support from the Federal Government,” he wrote.

 “One wonders why Federal Government should single out a state out of 36 States to give support. Does it mean that support will come when a State has a record of over 50 infected persons before it gets support.

 “No state should be seen as more important than any other state. This is a Federal Republic. No state is superior to others.”


But reacting to Wike’s outburst, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Ajuri Ngelale said there was no bases for the Governors comments.

Ngelale while speaking on a live radio programme in Port Harcourt said, “You will not hear anybody say the kind of things the Governor of Rivers state said.

“He (Wike) is not happy with the reaction of Rivers people to what he did. The kind of lockdown that has no concern at all for ordinary people.

“How can he lockdown markets where people can no longer access basic goods and services and he thinks that people are going to be happy.

“There are PDP members who felt embarrassed by what their Governor did.

“And because he wants to distract people from the mistake he made, he is now saying that Federal government is giving Lagos money, they are not giving us money.

“As we speak, the Federal Government is setting-up a 250-bed isolation centre in Rivers state without them asking for it,” Ngelale said.

so this is news worthy. nairaland needs a revamp

sapientia:
Disjointed write up.

Are you at war with paragraphs and spacing?

Your title is too broad which resulted in you actually grabbing at many points without exhausting any.

Thanks I will take note of that

president Buhari is a colossal failure and was never worthy of the seat of presidency. Jonathan was never perfect but Buhari was not an alternative.
it is now very obvious to everyone as it visible to the blind and audible to the deaf

FIVE years after President Muhammadu Buhari said, he would build one refinery each year for the next 4 years, make 1 dollar to be equivalent to 1 naira, give unemployed youths N5000 a month each, defeat Boko Haram in 1 year, create 3 million jobs each year. Nigerians are still waiting for the fulfillment of those promises.

As at March 30, 2020, one dollar equivalent to N367.00, and the president is yet to build a single refinery since he was elected five years ago.

Nigeria unemployment rate is at 33.5 per cent in 2020.

The fight against Boko Haram terrorist is far from being won, and the man who is doing all his best to defeat Boko Haram, Major General Olusegun Olaniyi was also redeployed for revealing the unimpressive sate of the service men.

The issue of unemployment have been played down by the current government, and Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, recently declared that Nigeria unemployment rate is at 33.5 per cent in 2020.

  According to Ngige, the high unemployment rate of 23.1 per cent, and underemployment of 16.6 per cent by the National Bureau Statistics (NBS) of 2019 report was alarming.


Check other promises made by the President during the 2019 Presidential campaign.

1. To engage one million N-power graduates and skill up 10 million Nigerians in partnership with the private sector.

2. To expand the school feeding programme from 9.3m to 15 million children, creating 300,000 extra jobs for food vendors and farmers.

3. To complete the Ibadan/Kano phase of the Lagos/Kano rail link.

4. To complete the Port Harcourt/Maiduguri line.

5. To complete the Itakpa/Warri link to Abuja, through Lokoja.

6. To complete the Second Niger Bridge and the East West Road connecting Warri, Delta State, to Oron, Akwa Ibom State, through Kaiama and Port Harcourt in Bayelsa and Rivers State.

7. To establish a peoples Moni bank.

8. To institutionalize the giving of soft loans of up to 1million naira to small traders, artisans and commercial drivers.

9. To increase the beneficiaries of trader Moni, market Moni and farmer Moni from 2.3 million to 10million.

10. To create more room for inclusion in government by achieving 35% in female appointments.

11. To give more access to youths as aides of cabinet members and through opportunities for appointments in board and agencies.

12. To introduce special mentoring programme in governance with young graduates working with ministers and other appointees.

13. To reinterpret the education curriculum through coding, robotics, animations and design thinking.

14. Retraining of all teachers in public primary and secondary schools to deliver digital literacy.

15. Remodeling and equipping of 10,000 schools per year.

16. To complete the 365 road projects under construction in all parts of the federation.

17. Provision of infrastructure and rebuilding the economy.

18. To sustaining the anti-insurgency war and curb insecurity.

19. To fight corruption and revamp the economy.

20. To develop 6 industrial Parks in each of the geopolitical zones.

21. To establish 109 Special Production and Processing Centres (SPPCs) across each senatorial district of Nigeria.

22. To develop the Special Economic zone to quickly concretize our made in Nigeria for export (MINE) plan.

23. To expand the social investment program so as to eradicate poverty.

24. To ensure completion of Manbilla Dam and Bridge.

25. To ensure the construction of the Makurdi Taraba Borno rail project.

26. To complete the bridges across the stretch of River Benue in Ibi local government area.

27. To continue to pursue agricultural policy by ensuring that fertilisers are made available at all the local government areas across the country, for easy access by farmers.

28. To resuscitate the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

29. To ensure the completion of the on-going Zungeru Hydro Power project.

30. To include persons of integrity in the cabinet.

Kindly tick the number of promises that have been kept and tell us in the comment section.

PROFFERING SOLUTIONS TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS PART THREE

DIVERSIFYING OUR ECONOMY

Diversification has become a matter of public discus owing to over 6 decades of dependence on the petroleum industries. No doubts our crude oil has turned out to be the proverbial golden geese that lays golden eggs and our over dependence on it has done us no good as a nation and as a people. The Nigerian government must encourage the diversification of Nigeria’s economy as a matter of priority and urgency as it is the only viable means to survive the current economic meltdown hurting the globe. With the rage of the Covid-19 it has become obvious that the after effect of the pandemic might be more scorching to Nigeria than the virus itself. The minister of finance has warned that Nigeria might go into recession in 6 month time. And in faraway Germany the finance minister of Hesse state committed suicide apparently after becoming deeply worried of the aftermath of the Covid-19. No doubts this is a trying to every Nigerian both the rich and the poor, the educated and the unlearned as everyone is going through financial struggles due to the effect of Covid-19 and this is because our government has refused to diversify our economy.
Subsequent governments in Nigeria have paid lip service to diversification apparently playing to the gallery just to win elections and more often than not we fall for the trick.
Why should Nigeria diversify its economy you may be pressed to ask
But then let me remind you that it’s only a fool that does things the same way and expect different results. And if our dependence on oil has brought us no meaningful growth and progress as a nation then it is about time we change our methods. As the same level of thoughts that brought us where we are today cannot not take us beyond this present level. A country where its custom service earns more than its federal inland revenue service is in dire need of diversification as that is a sign that the economy is not working. And the earlier we take to diversification the better for us as a nation.
What should Nigeria diversify into?
The Nigerian economy has various sectors that are not yielding income due to the way it is been handled and managed.
One of such sectors is the education sector which is in need of complete overhaul. Our education system have performed poorly over the years, causing the country to have lost over 16 billion pounds in education fee that has been paid abroad to foreign institutions, instead of to local ones, with the estimated amount expected to rise to about 22 million pounds by the end of 2020.
No nation of the world can grow above it education sector. Strong education programs in the area of economics and vocational studies should be of top priority and paramount importance in Nigeria. This will ensure we build a country of people who do not only understand the core tenets of building a thriving society but also people who have the vocational skills to implement and carry out local production in large scale.
Another of such sectors is our health care sector which is in dire need of a revamp so that people would see less of the need to go abroad for treatment whether specialized or unspecialized.
It was estimated by the healthcare federation of Nigeria that the country lost $1billion in 2013 to foreign hospitals. Over 5000 Nigerians travel abroad for medical attention every month and since the return of democracy in 1999 Nigeria has lost over $30 billion in revenue to foreign hospitals. Revamping our healthcare system will save us over $1.5 billion annually.
Until the advent technology farmers were the richest people in the world and until the discovery of crude oil our economy was built around agriculture. We hear of the groundnut pyramid in the north, sugarcanes and cereals, in the south we have the palm, rubber and cocoa plantations. But gone are the good old days when Nigeria fed Nigerians without importing food. Our agricultural sector needs an immediate revamp as we can’t continue to depend on other nations for food.
In September 2018 the former minister of agriculture Chief Audu Ogbeh said Nigeria spends $22 billion annually on food importation and according to the FAO Nigeria loses $10 billion in export opportunities annually which amounts to $32 billion. Agriculture is the highest source of employment in Nigeria and in spite of oil remains the base of Nigeria’s economy and providing the main source of livelihood for Nigerians. Even though agriculture still remains the largest sector of the Nigerian economy and employs two-third of the entire work force, production hurdles have significantly stifled the performance of the sector hence the need for an immediate revamp.
95% of the technology used in Nigeria is imported and we cannot continue to use our scarce foreign reserve to import technology hence the need for technology based education. Our technology based industries are sleeping and need to be re-awakened in order to stop the use of about $3 billion in the importation of various information and communication technology. We must stand up to the production of the machineries needed by various industries if we must grow as a nation. And if we must diversify then technology should be of great consideration to the government.
Since the economic reformation in china SMEs have become one of the driving forces of their economy. In 2019 the number of SMEs was estimated to be 32 million and generating more than $3 billion per annum and if we must diversify it is of a paramount importance that we take a cue from China.
We must do it the Chinese way by empowering our SMEs and providing a market channel for them. SMEs can become a driving force to our economy. China is seven time the population of Nigeria and as such population is not a reason for our backwardness. In China everybody has something doing whether learned or unlearned. It is common to train people and empower them in China if we follow this lead then we might end up among the world biggest economies.
You cannot talk about diversification without power. Electricity must be fixed first if there must be any hope of diversification as that will attract investors. It is not news that foreign companies are leaving the shore of our country to smaller nations because of lack of electricity. And investors are not willing to put in their money in businesses in Nigeria they produce in those countries with constant electricity, pay their tax to the government of those countries and sell their products to us.
It is high time we break this cycle of produce in another land and market in Nigeria thereby leveraging on our population to make large sales. If they must leverage on our population then we should make it compulsory they produce here but that is impossible without constant electricity. Hence the need to fix our electrical problems. If we must attract multi-international firms and investors to Nigeria then we must consider revamping our power sector.
Dependence on oil is not a sin but over dependence on it is a curse. Depending on oil means the buyers control our economy as they determine the price. We should ask ourselves these questions. What shall we do as a nation the day oil dries up in Nigeria or the day every nation on earth discover oil in their lands and have no more needs for our oil, then it will be too late to diversify. It is now or never for us as a nation.

Written by Victor Utomi
He is a writer, an entrepreneur, a business consultant and a speaker
For comments, you can reach him via victom.dmay@gmail.com or 08133933149

If you missed out on chapter one and two and wants a copy please text or mail me to get it

DanseMacabre:
Truth be told, I've never been panicky over the virus itself. What I've been apprehensive about is the current economic fallout, viz. economies nosediving, food scarcity and shortage, restricted movement, etc.

And in a country like ours, well, this spells disaster.

true word, that's my fear too

donbachi:
I will build a strong financial crime institution that will hand Death sentence to all past councillors,local govt chairmen,state assembly members,commissioners,governors,national assembly members/senators,ministers and presidents that stole to the tune of 100k while in office...and watch nigeria become great again.

Nice idea you have here dude

you will never find such articles on front page, shows that our MODS are youths.
a further prove that our youths are not prepared nor ready to lead

samuelivingston:
Good to know we still have some forward thinking youths in this country!

Instead of the relentless murmuring and grumblings pervasive on this space, we need more critical thinking leaders among our youths who would pave the way forward for this country and take their own destiny with their hands.

I made a similar post here:


https://nairaland.com/5737855/what-vision-nigeria

Thank you Mr Samuel a youth like you is what is lacking in this country. if it was a thread about Davido and Wizkid or Tacha and Mercy you will experience mass reading but a thread like this they avoid like plague. no wonder progress avoid us as a nation because people who should take the fore front of development are content with taking the back sit.
we keep hoping God will one day come down from heaven to help us or send a Messiah but we are our own Messiah. God has given us the capacity and the resources to build our nation and whether we build or not is totally left to us as a people and as a nation

make fear and hunger no come kill pass the virus

The truth, the lies about Covid-19 Virus.

Listen, there is too much fear and hysteria going on in Nigeria concerning this disease. This has got to stop.

Do you know that some people think that because the disease has no cure, everyone who got it will surely die?

Some people even believe that the Virus is airborne, which explains why they cover their noses and mouth while walking along the road?

Now get the facts;

1. About 500,000 thousand people got the disease worldwide, 23500 died.
The rest simply recovered.

Yes, 23500 deaths in 5months is on the high side. And that is because the Virus spreads so fast.

2. 90% of those killed by the Virus are elderly people whose Lungs are very week to bear the onslaught from this Cold related virus.
The young people who have died so far are also people who have Lung related sicknesses already.

And yes, we don't want all these people to die because we love them. But we are also helping them when we deal with the fear factor

3. How severe is the sickness caused by this virus?
Let's get the answer from Arsenal coach, Mikel Arteta who just recovered from the Covid-19 sickness;

"In terms of symptoms, it was a normal virus for me. I had three or four days which were a little bit difficult, with a bit of a temperature and a dry cough, and some discomfort in my chest. That was it". - Mikel Arteta

What Arteta is saying here is that our good old Malaria is more severe than Corona.
Forget the television pictures of Oyibo covered up with clothes and shivering like chickens beating by rain. It is because they are not used to Malaria and other things we suffer here to

Need I say more?
Ladies and gentlemen, the Corona virus causes Flu sickness. That means cold related sickness.
Do you even know that cough and catarrh are Flu caused by a virus?
Do you even know that Catarrh has no cure just like Corona?

You treat Catarrh by continuously dealing with the symptoms that shows up, until the Virus lives out it's lifespan and dies off.

4. This Virus can enter your body, live out it's lifespan and die off without you knowing that it was there.

5. For those that got it, what the hospitals do is to continue treating the symptoms (cold, fever, dry throat, etc) until the virus ends it's lifespan and clears out.

6. The reason sufferers are taken to special clinics is to prevent the Virus from spreading, and to have access to ventilators for those that have Lung/breathing problems. that's all.

7. The reason why the world is shaking is because this Virus is so contagious, spreads so fast, and therefore can send an entire city to sick bed in a week.
But in terms of mortality rate Malaria in Africa is higher.

So, it is good that we intensify all efforts to stop the spread of this disease. A healthy people is a strong people.
But let's stop the fear and the misinformation going on. Fear kills faster than the real Corona itself.

PROFERRING SOLUTIONS TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS PART TWO

MAKING OUR YOUTHS LEADERS

Nigeria is a great nation with good people, no doubts but our greatness is only on papers even how this greatness can be achieved is only on papers too as our leaders and policy makers focus only on the greatness of their pockets at the detriment of our dear nation.
We all grew up been told that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow but in practice it turns out to be a lie. The same people who tells the youth they are the future leader turns around and hold on to power, simply telling us we cannot be leaders until they die and consequently they all turnout to be the proverbial cat with nine lives.
Building a country of our dream is of paramount importance and we cannot neglect the youths with all their energy in the process of nation building as that will be undermining their strength and usefulness to the society in general. The youths have a huge role to play if and when sustained progress becomes a matter of interest to our leaders. Let’s not forget in a hurry that the man who moved the motion for independence, Chief Anthony Enahoro did that at the age of 30. If he was not too young to be involved in the quest for democracy then we cannot be too young to lead this nation. This brings to mind the words of Louis Van Gaal; if he is good enough then he is old enough. It is also a common parlance among us that Methusela’s age has nothing to do with Solomon’s wisdom.
But the question often asked is our youths ready to leady? The simple answer is no.
A youth that spend hours arguing who is a better footballer between Ronaldo and Messi cannot lead. A youth whose votes can still be bought is not ready to lead, a youth who still spend hours in bet and gaming shops is not ready to lead, a youth who get paid to snatch ballot boxes during elections as was witnessed during the last election cannot be said to be ready to take up the mantle of leadership, a youth that can still defend our old politicians with anything even if it means his blood is not yet ready to lead.
The painful thing is over 80% of our youths fall in these categories. Somebody said never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups and another man said it takes stupid people to elect a stupid president. If we say our leaders are stupid or foolish then we should do introspection and see what we are. The kind of leaders we elect shows our personalities.
We can’t keep complaining if they refuse to leave power to us then we must take it by force, not through violence but through the ballot, as the last data of voters released by INEC showed that the youths are over 50% of registered voters. It is time for our youths to step into the ring and take the reins of power. Our future is in our hands we can’t afford to further leave it in the hands of our present leaders. It is time for our youths to vote youths into power.
To create a better government were the masses are the reference point for everything the government does we need people who are ready to risk anything to create their own destiny and there are no alternative to the youth if we must achieve the Nigeria of our dream.
We have given our leaders the time to decide our destiny as a nation and as a people and with all the resources in their hands they have failed us overtime and now is the time to take our destiny in our own hands because only we can stand for ourselves and only we can chose our destiny.
It is time for our youths to rise, join hands together and build Nigeria. And to build we must remember that we must submit ourselves to be building blocks and to understand that the change you seek begins with you.
We must rise and take our destinies in our hands. It’s not about being a Muslim or a Christian or a traditionalist. We need leaders that will be more Nigerian than religious, leaders that are not regionists.
Whether we right the wrongs of the past and build a great nation is a choice for us to make but if we fail to end the derail, if we fail to end the rot of our institutions. If we fail to end marginalization and regionalism, if we fail to build the Nigeria of our dream posterity will judges us and the children yet unborn will curse us for passing to them a dead country and blame us each passing day for their woes. Not because we failed to make a difference but because we failed to try and instead of trying we joined hands with people who don’t have the interest of the country to destroy our country’
It is time to prove we are not lazy, it’s time to prove we can lead and now let the party begin.
‘Over to you youths’.

Written by Victor Utomi
He is a writer, an entrepreneur, a business consultant and a speaker
For comments, you can reach him via victom.dmay@gmail.com or 08133933149

If you missed out on chapter one and want a copy please text or mail me to get it

Take note please

*Avoid random links
*Avoid all these awoof data links, MTN is not sharing data
*Federal government is not sharing money
*Your bank is not sharing money
*Don't be unfortunate
*If Corona no see you catch, no allow scammers catch u.
*Use your sense
*I repeat, don't be unfortunate
*Ignore those links for your own good..
*A word is enough for the wise
*Stop forwarding as received without proper verification
*You don't work in a clearing and forwarding firm.

*There is no free money, there is no free credit and there is no free data anywhere in Nigeria !*

Don't make yourself a collateral damage.

�stay safe, stay at home �