Mr. Fix Nigeria!

419 Reasons to Love Nigeria

2011-09-08T04:34:00.005+01:00

Dating far back to the 80’s, the term ‘419’ has associated Nigeria and Nigerians primarily with online financial scams - ‘Advance Fee Fraud’. Most unfortunately, the situation exacerbated to such an extent that the internet became overwhelmed with such negative news attributed to Nigeria.

In response to this, ‘The 419Positive Project’ was initiated, with an ambitious objective of generating four hundred and nineteen positive attributes about Nigeria and Nigerians. “If you could tell the world one remarkable thing about Nigeria and Nigerians, what would it be?” Furthermore, in Peter Reilly’s Forbes blog post (Aug 28, 2011), he suggested a similar intervention to his Nigerian audience – “Make lists of 419 reasons to like Nigeria and Nigerians...” His suggestion came as one remedial to his previous post (Nigerians Switching From Greed to Fear), after some Nigerians took exceptions to his views. Other online posts by Chika Uwazie, Nmachi Jidenma and Akin Akintayo, have further lent a voice in this regard.

Pulling these ideas and suggestions together, an online rebranding campaign is being furthered. The aim is clear – to consistently inundate the internet with positive Nigerian attributes, such that when anyone types in ‘419’ in a search engine, it yields positive commentary about Nigeria, irrespective of the pre-existing negativity. This drive is labelled 419 Reasons to Like Nigeria. Awareness is currently being ramped up online, with the topic having trended on Twitter in the early hours of 2nd of September. There will be the big bang launch on October 1, 2011 (Independence Day), of at least 100 Nigerian blogs and sites listing four hundred and nineteen remarkable reasons to like Nigeria, with subsequent monthly blog publishing till the end of 2011.

Every Nigerian with a blog, website, and online presence of any sort (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, account etc.) is encouraged to volunteer and be a part of this campaign. With sincerity and candour, it is true that some, in times past, have contributed unfortunately to the prevailing negative association of ‘419’ with Nigeria, however, the time is NOW for us to counter-strategise by providing alternative content via an online rebranding initiative.

To register your interest, simply send an email to volunteer@419Positive.org, with the subject –CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER, and be sure to provide contact details (email address) so you can be reached subsequently. Volunteers will be contacted latest by the 9th of September, 2011.

Be a part of this drive...the time is now! Let’s tell the world 419 Reasons to Like Nigeria.

Crickets, Wine, Fresh Air….(chuckles)

2011-03-11T22:09:00.002+01:00

Crickets, Wine, Fresh Air….(chuckles)
By Tafa Osisiye

Err...I decided to just play around with a comical representation of the candidates, errr...I couldn't find a way to slot in a plea to vote for my preferred candidate-dele momodu so here i just said it, and feedback would be nice on which candidate you think the dancers correspond to. 'I really should just go now'. Enjoy!

Its selection time, the various actors step out and dance to new tunes. The one dancing apala switches to alanta, since the spectators seem to like that while the one that swayed languidly in the breeze like a maize stalk jumps and danced frenziedly.
Its selection time, everyone is making adjustments in a bid to sway the spectators.
Its selection time, the spectators cluster and lean into the circle.

One of the dancers runs and hugs the village’s pariah, welcoming him back to the fold of civilized community. ‘aburo, se o wa pa? I hope the food was manageable, don’t worry, you are out now, I want you to just relax and enjoy the fresh air…fi free’. The convict smiles in return and makes a two finger salute, peace from the cells.

Another of the dancers , to gain support, cuddles one who he has previously maltreated for wrongdoing. ‘Ah! man mi, are you ready to take on this role? Oh! That six tubers of yam issue? he waves his hands dismissively, ‘that was in the past, a phase I don’t like to remember, you know not even being able to spend time at my friend’s burial…chai!’ He stops to shake his head sadly ad pulls his friend closer. ‘Well, I hope we can put that behind us and win this dance’.

Another seems to realize the dance is drawing to an end, and this is the time to show hidden skills. He is galvanized into action and dashes from one end of the crowd to another; leaping into the air and throwing cartwheels within a beat. His knickers billow in the afternoon sun; the sun’s rays catch and throw reflections from his bronze scrotal sacs, dazzling everyone. ‘Ahhh! So he could do this, so he could do that? ’The spectators stare in awe at this new revelation’. Some keep him in mind while other dash to his side of the grounds. Whatever happens, this bronze balled dancer will be remembered.

Another fixes his glasses rims more firmly over the bridge of his nose and executes carefully practiced steps, he does not make any moves to impress and the spectators are convenient to forget him. ‘I have danced in Rome and in the Grand Hall at Britain, let those who check out my profile know I am fit to win. I don’t need to leap into the air or fraternize with criminals to win’. But the people don’t want a staid dancer, they want to see energy and leaps so they cast glances of commendation at him, wish their pikin will achieve his laurels and the romance ends.

Another hypnotizes a group of people to his side of the ground, he achieves this by swinging a glittering rosary and muttering unknown phrases, they approach like moths to a lamp and he dances to impress only these few, he makes choreographs to the rosary and they are infinitely pleased with that. No one is leaving and no one is entering this household.

There is a stringy man at a far corner, all weathered skin and a royal posture. He comes from a large clan and they scream themselves hoarse at his slightest of moves. ‘He is our father incarnated, you should select him, see what he did for us’.
Now the drummers beat the drum more fiercely, and the head drummer is in rapture. ‘Pour more water on my sweat bathed torso’ he shouts, ‘Pour palm oil on the drum skin so it does not burst, throw roasted crickets into my mouth whenever they hang open and I want six maidens to fan me with the widest cocoyam leaves that can be found in the land.’

They all hasten to do the drummer’s bidding-there can be no dance competition without music and the dancers have come too far to be let down, so they dispatch twelve maidens to the stream with large gourds for the drummer’s cooling water, six young men are given sharp machetes and kegs to get palm oil for the drum skin and all the children are driven into the forest to get the fattest brown crickets for the drummer. Now the audience is largely depleted because the music has to go on and some grumble about the wisdom of a dance which oils the drummer .The drummer smiles and promises the best of music if his desires are met, ‘More oil, more breeze, freshhhh air…’ he screams hoarsely.

GOVERNMENT MATTERS MOST, SO ENOUGH OF THE FAILING UPWARD SYNDROME!

2011-03-05T23:08:00.003+01:00

The wealth and poverty of nations inexorably depend on their domestic productivity and relative competitiveness. Hence the economic welfare of every citizen can only be guaranteed by nation-states that are governed by people who understand this very basic economic thought. No nation that has developed did so by having leaders who remained complacent in the face of the stark reality of very poor and declining performance of national productivity and competitiveness indices. History is replete with nations that were once great but became complacent or distracted at some point only to be overtaken by nations they previously looked down on. How many people still remember that Argentina’s economy was once highly considered during its most vigorous period, from 1880 to 1905, when its expansion resulted in a 7.5-fold growth in GDP, averaging about 8% annually? One important measure of development, GDP per capita, rose from 35% of the United States average to about 80% during that period. Growth then slowed considerably, though throughout the period from 1890 to 1939, the country's per capita income was similar to that of France, Germany and Canada. Compare Argentina’s economic performance with those of these countries today and you learn a lesson in how nations, like individuals regress.

Even more instructive is the history of many nations which were several thousands of miles behind others economically but which today are the locomotives that are keeping the global economy from completely running out of steam. No economic discourse is today complete without some perplexed acknowledgement by even the most cynical that China, India and Brazil have indeed come of age and have become the economies most deserving of the respect of all other economies. At another level, many a Nigerian perennially recalls when Singapore, Taiwan (China), South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam were economic contemporaries of our country. Nigerians rue the missed opportunities that made us the laggard nation among these former peers. For each of these countries, the stage was set for commencement of their economic transformation from Low Income Country (LIC) status to Upper Middle Income Country (MIC), MIC or close to MIC respectively by the advent of quality leadership at both their political and public institutions that in turn resulted in high public sector efficiency. At the epicenter of this efficiency was and remains the investment in leadership of the kind that drove a national vision which placed education, intellect, values, reward for only strenuous effort and hard work at the center of their development strategy. Once the public sector was set aright, it freed up the private sector and the rest of society to aspire to perform at their maximum possibilities. This explains why even for the US which is the bastion of capitalism, it was through the instrumentality of its public sector leadership that it used public policy, public investment, and public institutions to set the stage for the world leading economy we all admire.

Productivity and increasingly today, national competitiveness will continue to be the lynchpin to ignite and accelerate the capacity of nations to make economic advancements and play in the big leagues of the global economy. Those economies that consistently improve their efficiency, productivity and competitiveness are the ones that guarantee their citizens progressive improvement in their quality of life. Every government whether rich or poor after all has a universal responsibility which if performed confers it legitimacy not just constitutionally but from the hearts of citizens - and that is that through the leadership of the nation-state, citizens will on a sustainable path enjoy increases in standard of living. In recent years, the concept of competitiveness has emerged as a new paradigm in economic development inferring that increasing national productivity is not enough but the pace of that improvement must surpass that of other nations to avoid losing share of the international markets.

Government, business and citizens - through civic engagement- play different but profoundly complementary and collaborative roles to engender economic productivity and competitiveness. Of the three sectors that interact to crystallize the productivity and competitiveness of nations; namely, government (public sector), business (private sector) and civil society, it is the political class and the public sector leadership that is ultimately most responsible for how well the country performs. The Public sector is made up of these two key layers, the political leaders who are subject to more frequent turnover based on constitutionally-mandated electoral processes that promote democratic competition on the one hand, and the tenure-track civil service of technocrats which have a considerably longer term mandate to manage the bureaucracy that helps translate the vision of the former into concrete deliverables in the form of services to citizens. Hence, whereas the political actors are subject to the electoral test in deriving their legitimacy, the civil or public servants in the wider spectrum that includes not only the ministries and departments of the core civil service but also the agencies or parastatals, derive their legitimacy from a competitive professional process that recruits them on the ground that they are capable of implementing programs and providing efficient and effective services.

Usually of course, the political leadership can to a very significant extent determine the quality of the leadership of the technocratic leadership of the public service through the appointments they make regarding the heads of public institutions and the civil service.   Seeing that Government is the sector among the three that holds the strongest levers and the authority to provide the compelling vision around which all other sectors can construct their effective role playing, should the Nigerian citizens not immediately begin to take more than a passing interest in how entry into both the political and public service leadership space is regulated for quality? Effective public sector emerges at all levels of government where there is strong leadership capacity for it at the highest level of political authority. The criticality of the public sector’s role in national vision and strategy formulation, oversight, and implementation compels every nation aspiring to be productive and competitive to endeavor to have strong dynamic leadership of its public space and all its institutions. From the outset, the public sector in its vision setting role must have persons at both political and technocratic levels that can provide clear diagnostic of the problems facing the economy and articulate the compelling vision and solutions that appeal to a broad set of actors who are willing to seek change and implement global standard strategies to keep the nation’s productivity and competitiveness on a never ending race to the top of the global economic ladder. It is the primary responsibility of politicians and bureaucrats to set rules and practices that enable the productivity and efficiency of their national economies and progressive improvement of their country’s social indicators. When public decision makers possess the intellectual competence, the value constructs and the resilient capacity to use public policy, human and financial resources and institutions appropriately they set the stage and enhance the probability that their nation will climb up the league of productive and competitive nations.

The moral of my preamble therefore is that each of those previously contemporaneous economies succeeded while ours failed fundamentally because of the wide variability in the quality of leadership that pursued their nations’ visions compared to ours. Every great performance in life first starts with great ideas. As it is with individuals, so it is with nations. It is in the realm of ideas of that leaders espouse the kind of nation they really want to lead their citizens to build and bequeath to future generations. The Elite of every successful society always forms the nucleus of citizens with the prerequisite education, ethics and capabilities operating in the political sphere and the public service, providing the great ideas to build the nation and possessing the moral rectitude to always act in the public interest. Access to quality Education ensures that the elite group evolves constantly in every society. For as long as nations have public education systems that function, the poorest of their citizens is guaranteed to move up the ladder and someday emerge as a member of the elite class through academic hard work, strenuous effort and ultimate success at the higher levels of education . For every society that has succeeded therefore, it has taken such progressively evolving elite class to identify the problems, forge the political systems and processes, soundly articulate a rallying vision and use sound Public Policies and Prioritization of investments and requisite actions to over time build those strong institutions that outlive the best of charismatic and transformative individuals.

But it always does start with quality leadership in the public space investing in a sustained manner for lasting institutions to eventually emerge over time. Institutions do not just happen or emerge in fast food style. Period.

Sadly, it is here that the quality of the leadership of our political and public sector levels failed us the most. Truth is that there was no other time resembling now that we have most been faced with the preponderance of such variable quality of leadership of men and women in our political and public service all over the country with hardly the stretch of cognitive or values anchored ideas of what is needed to turn our nation around. We today find in our political and public sector space a “less than elite bunch” that has established a world record in their omnivorous and parasitic attitude to the public treasury. I have always maintained that it smacks of the lowliest vision for anyone who has an opportunity at the Federal level to serve in a way that is beneficial to our over 140 million citizens to obscenely choose to reduce that opportunity to feathering personal interest and serving a paltry collection of at most 3000 direct or indirect relatives and friends that can statistically be traceable to anyone individual. Just imagine the stupendous difference in impact ratios of those two widely different choices! How else can one explain the specter of majority poor quality actors at all levels of our national life once again seeking to gain ascendancy into the public space of our nation for local government, state and federal offices? Pray, what quality of productivity through compelling vision and policy articulation could some of these fellows ever generate to stem the tide of our seemingly endless descent into absolute mediocrity? In the face of our empirically established and globally acknowledged potential to have emerged one of the economic locomotives even as far back as two decades ago, should the citizens north, south, east and west of Nigeria not be more collective in mobilizing toward a successful legitimate action to show the Red Card to all such uninspiring cast of actors?

The quality of public debates of issues in nations can tell a whole story on the strength of performance of the leaders, the institutions and citizens’ participation. Such strength ultimately determines the performance of their economies and the well being of their citizens. What is the quality of economic discourse and policy making in our society today? Beyond the rhetoric and anecdotal mouthing of pedestrian solutions to deeply complex and protracted problems of our economic, social and political underperformance, what else have we been offered by this “less than elite bunch” of operatives of our public space? Unfortunately the abysmal, asinine basis for policy choices and the absolute absence of empirically tested contest of ideas in our clime is frequently followed by the rest of the world because of the power of information globalization and democratization. The summation of both our foreign friends and our foes alike is that all is not well with our leadership class. This has often earned me the empathy of some of the leaders on the continent to whom I have the privilege of providing economic advice by virtue of my professional responsibility. I have come to expect with embarrassment the “what is wrong with your country, Oby” question. Many a time as soon as an outstanding and well meaning African leader to whom I provided advice that was adopted and found efficacious finishes expressing appreciation; they follow up with that uncomfortable question. While I listen in deep pain, they then go on to recall the brilliance of one or two Nigerian acquaintances in their college days or in a previous career- and end the empathy talk with well-meaning utter wonderment at how a nation so blessed with such high quality human capital somehow always manages to monumentally underperform.

They are right. It takes a nation that is the epitome of a paradox and which lacks the capacity to deploy its leadership endowments prudently to end up the way we have once again done by ending a decade that started so promisingly for us in 1999/2000 in a spectacularly horrible way. We have squandered an incredible stock of excess crude account savings of over $27B (equivalent to the combined annual budget of over twenty five Africa countries) in just a period of four years with nothing of a productive investment to show for it. Neither our human capital nor our physical capital was built up from yet another tranche of huge exchange earnings and receipts from depleting natural resource just like it happened in the 70’s and the 80s. As I write, our Human Development Indicators are at the level of Chad’s! We simply once again in a new Millennium repeated the cyclical pattern of bad behavior with the common wealth from petrodollars. Each time I think of the scandal of our entrapment by the “resource curse”, I find myself concluding that it all happens because our nation is a place where the worst among us increasingly govern the best among us. Each time you assume we have hit the bottom in terms of the lowest common denominator of quality of leaders in our politics and wider public sector, another set comes along that makes the previous appear seemingly “not that bad after all”. For how long shall we continue to tolerate this deadly Russian roulette of the one eyed man (it has to be a man) in the land of the blind becoming king?

All this came into sharper focus for me when I was recently home as a Guest Speaker for Pat Utomi’s Center for Values in Leadership on the role of public policy in education and the future of Nigeria. It afforded me the opportunity to interact during the question and comments session with an amazing array of youths from all over the country. The painful mix of hope and despair that came through from their questions and comments, their vein busting angst against a nation-state that they evaluated as having failed them, their restiveness to have silver bullets that can solve the myriad of problems and constraints that hold captive their individual potentials, their trenchant distrust of the public space and most that operated or operate within it, their quest for a new nation where effort, merit, hard work, ethos and values of consistent integrity pierced through my spirit as I listened to them that afternoon. The experience brought back the fiery anger that rose up in me in 2006 upon reading the terrible findings of the various Education sector and system diagnostics that I had invested in as a basic fundamental for understanding the problems of the sector when I was asked to lead the reform efforts at that Federal Ministry.

That anger had fuelled the impatience with which I led the team effort for a comprehensive analysis-anchored restructuring of what had become a perfectly dysfunctional system that was failing our children especially the majority of them from poor homes that could not purchase the best private education. The “reform resistance army” that was used to mortgaging the future of our children fought with all their might to misrepresent, to distort and truncate those reforms from the outset but they had not imagined the depth of my angst-fuelled resolve to effect change even for the few months I was leading the effort. That same “less then elite” bunch remains in the public space today both within and outside the Sector indifferent to the fact that all of the most important indicators of failure of the education system that we had pointed out to the nation five years ago continue to worsen daily.
For example, we had been aghast at the trend that revealed that following yearly decline over the previous ten years, in 2006 only 26% of the children passing out of our secondary schools nationwide were passing with 5 credits including in English and Mathematics! Of course we proceeded to layout a menu of actions to stem the tide in 2007. Well, fast forward to 2010, the percentage had declined to 2%! And now there is no consequence and no accountability on the part of those that occupy the public space that is producing such monumental underperformance. Consider also that some 1 million youths annually seek to acquire University education but only some 250,000 will ultimately get a placement. Just imagine what that means in terms of the army of poorly educated, unskilled, disenchanted, frustrated and dangerous young people that constitute a huge productivity loss for our country. Consider that for the ones that end up graduating from higher institutions in the country, a well administered survey to track a sample of them over the last decade at that time came back with the sad revelation that over 82% of them had over the decade been without jobs with just about 12 % of this lot being under employed- that is, having a job that is really not at par with their training. Yet, what articulate voice of concern have you heard from our political class on such ticking time bomb? So, which elite are we grooming for the future leadership of our nation?

The heartbreak I felt for the young ones at the Utomi event whose voices rang with haunting fear that if nothing changed urgently, they risked becoming the “lost generation” is combined with the profound peeve that I have about the vexing syndrome that is fast becoming systemic and moved me to write these reflections publicly about my own country for the first time since I relocated from home a few years ago. The syndrome of shameful stratospheric rate at which our society now rewards leaders for their previous failures, their mind-boggling underperformance and their ignoble behavior is destroying our future. I listened intently and heard in the sometimes rebellious tone of the many that spoke up at the event, their despondency and frustration at the fact that they feel trapped in a nation that fails to realize what the rest of the world knows about the average Nigerian. It is that we actually thrive better when an environment allows us to work hard, put our best foot forward, compete pure and simple. Whenever those conditions exist, the Nigerian always wins and stands out. It is therefore not asking for too much that these young ones seek from their leaders the quality governance and leadership infrastructure that recognizes that the young and not the oil or other minerals on which the leadership currently obsesses are the true and lasting capital for our future.

After all, which example of a nation does History teach us ever advanced economically, socially or politically by giving all the incentives for higher offices to those leaders at the different levels of governance whose records of past failures or aberrant behavior were already well documented? I know of none. How come in Nigeria, the political class and appointees in the public service leadership have appropriated to themselves the entitlement to lead no matter how grievous their past track record of failure? Why have we allowed ourselves the opprobrium of being a nation that gives completely unearned promotion to higher responsibilities as a reward for failing? We have a bizarre case of moral hazard leading to even more reckless, opportunistic behavior. We have unwittingly instituted a vicious cycle and certainty of humongous future failure usually always worse than the one before. Our indifference is what earns well known underperformers and contemptible characters the opportunity and freedom to pillage and destroy the commonwealth even more dastardly the next time around. The time has come that we must all now listen to the wise counsel of a former leader of France, Charles de Gaulle who said “Politics is too serious a business to be left for politicians alone”.

We have performed considerably below our potential as a nation because lethargy and political manipulation by same locust class has stopped the citizens from coalescing in an effective way to demand for public accountability and sanction of bad, reckless, opportunistic behavior and underperformance of leaders. We had contrary to that wise counsel from the French statesman, left the business of managing the affairs of our nation to politicians and not even the best of them.

But there is hope. As our census data reveal regarding over half of our nation, we are presently one of the incredible nations of the young in an aging world. The generation that I refer to in all of Africa as the Turning Point Generation (TPG) do not carry the liabilities and albatross of their forebears. Their types in Nigeria for example are hardly moved by the spoils of the oil revenue dominant public treasury. They are eclectic in range and diversity of talents and are driven by ideas, creativity and innovativeness that push them to excel beyond the limitations that their own nation seeks to place upon them. The stoic among the Nigerian youths breaks through all constraints and aspires as a citizen of the globe to match or surpass the achievements of their peers in other nations. One thing holds them to a universal standard- the common language and ubiquitous social networking tools.

The incontrovertible fact is that it is an inextricable mix of great character, competency and capacity that are the core ingredients which progressively set off the best of public sector and political leadership for transformation of all the nations which we today envy. Inversely, those three ingredients have been on the decline in our nation over the decades since independence such that I could wager a safe bet that a tracking exercise of the trend in cumulative intelligence, integrity and capacity quotient of the actors in the Nigerian public space over the fifty years of our self governance would appallingly reveal a fast decelerating trajectory. When did we ever assess our leaders at every level of the public space of our nation based on these core attributes which are proven to make or mar nations? Most galling is how over the years as our standards eroded further, we watched with numbing indifference the orchestrated animus that this buccaneering group spews toward anyone that dares to stand against the grain.

I recall during our first term in government, the scorn and derision with which an eminently competent and capable Nasir El Rufai was treated by some of such fellows in that Administration when on one occasion as the DG of the Bureau for Public Enterprises he showed his strong character. He had reported to the National Council on Privatization and had one of his closest Deputy Directors sacked from the Public Service. This was an official that acted on the odious presumption that everyone that goes into the Nigerian public sector has a price either before or after a policy decision they are responsible for is made. So, he went ahead to collect and brought several tens of millions of Naira to Nasir from a celebrated entrepreneur who strictly based on BPE’s adherence to the rules of competition had won the right to purchase a publicly owned enterprise. Sadly, in a show of shame that followed, the one who did right was called names for not only being arrogantly competent and irritatingly capable but now also trying “to prove something about his moral superiority”. I recall the event here because at that time, it left such a lasting impression on me and was the catalyst that helped draw our kindred spirits closer as reform allies that we were for all those years we served together in the public sector.

It is now more urgent than ever for us to reject being defined by the worst among us. How did we allow this “less than elite” class to cunningly convince our society that no one who goes into the public space can stand above the undignified mess of pottage that is public sector corruption? Why has our nation allowed them to set such dishonorable standard such that when anyone takes a contrarian stance it is merely an indication of “being holier than thou” and that if enough time is spent dropping untruths about the person somehow something would stick? While advocating public service careers to many promising young professionals who regard me as their mentor, several have vowed that such toxic and deplorable symbolism of our public space has kept and will forever keep them away from venturing to serve the nation. The fear of the machination of the morally repugnant group that has seized our public space is keeping our best from exactly where they should be if the lessons of other successful nations are a guide. It is surely bewildering that this bunch succeeded in capturing the public space deploying their tenacious wiles to prevent the massive entry of the right quality of people that would tip the balance between the forces of destruction and those of construction of our nation. Only a people united and acting as a collective can end this anomie. Otherwise, it shall be woe unto our land since according to wise King Solomon in the Book of Proverbs, it is indeed “woe unto the city (nay nation) in which the beggars ride on horses and princes walk on bare foot”. Take a look around you…… It is an aberration.

Therefore, it is on this crucial agenda of setting new and highest quality standards of leadership for our public space that I have the greatest hope in the Turning Point Generation. They have everything they need to be our nation’s Game Changers. The role of the young in societies and their individual as well as group redefinition of their relationship with the nation-state, its institutions and those that lead the public space is a phenomenon that as we see around the world is incredibly inspiring for its deterrence potency. Our youthful citizens' willingness to invest time and effort monitoring public affairs is what can become the most effective filter for the quality of political leaders and policy-makers that emerge from among us and to be held accountable for what they do, and deterred from underperforming, pillaging and wasting public resources. Such public interest consciousness requires a shared set of values which go beyond narrow self-interest and, in particular, a widespread concern for public affairs. Once that subset of the youthful population -that was at the Education event- can make the connection between the causes of their stagnation, their nation’s underperformance and the incredible power they possess collectively to mobilize transformative change, they will instantly become the change they want to see happen.

For this youthful population, I wish to leave them with the knowledge that poverty in any part of our country leaves its victims with exactly the same devalued and depreciated human value regardless of the ethnicity of the non performing leaders who through egregious abuse of the public space consign their citizens to subhuman existentialism. It will take a nation state that has quality political and public sector leadership for the stage to be set for much needed stellar improvements in Nigeria’s productivity and competitiveness performance. It is such improvements that will begin to secure improved quality of life and a guaranteed future for our people, majority of whom are in their prime of youth today.

Without doubt, it is the rot in the quality of leadership across the spectrum of our nation’s public space that has trapped our citizens in pernicious poverty. The common enemy of the poor should therefore be anyone who though possessing the power in the public space to change the course of the poor, blatantly chooses to do otherwise. Some that walked that space including yours sincerely tried but their best was not enough. The massiveness of our nation’s problems requires much more than the episodic flicker of light in the tunnel that we have occasionally experienced since when I was born three years after our independence.

The kind of transformation that Nigerians deserve urgently is inconsistent with incremental, marginal change in the cumulative leadership quotient of our public space from its current lowest base. To take the nation out of the deep rot it currently finds itself direly requires a tidal wave tipping point triggered by collective forcefulness of vision, intellectually grounded competency, uncompromising strength of character, and indomitability of the capacity of every of our public leadership at all levels of governance.

Let those youths hear me now, your generation has a historical opportunity at a season like this. As I recently posted on my Face Book page to my friends, “when stuck @ a low equilibrium level of performance, the same-same solution will not work. You need a shocker to rupture the stagnation. Find the shocker and go for it”!

Reflections by Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education on events at a recent Speech she gave about Public Policy and the Future of Education in Nigeria at the 5th Annual Pat Utomi Center for Values in Leadership in Lagos, February 7, 20011.

Even If Buhari Picks the Pope as Running Mate...

2011-02-01T23:59:00.001+01:00

Former military dictator, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) has picked Save Nigeria Group (SNG) Convener Pastor Tunde Bakare as his running mate in the 2011 presidential election. I will not vote for Buhari and I have my reasons based on facts of our nation's past.

Buhari is a great man in his own right and I respect him as an elder statesman. But as far as a democracy is concerned in this digital age and time, Buhari is not the best that Nigeria has to offer.

Abuse of power is the worst form of corruption in leadership. Buhari abused power when he was military Head of State.

When Buhari seized power, he threw Alex Ekwueme into prison in KiriKiri and kept Shehu Shagari under house arrest. How do you explain such double standards?

During Buhari, journalists were brutalized, hushed and muzzled. Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor were jailed under the evil laws of the Buhari regime.

During the Buhari regime, 53 suitcases were smuggled into the country at a time the nation's borders were closed because of the change in the colour of the national currency in 1984. Have we forgotten?

Under Buhari's regime, there was a law against 18 year olds going to Hajj. Tunde Idiagbon took his 14 year old son to Hajj and nothing happened.

Lawal Ojuolape, Benard Ogedengbe and Bartholomew Owoh; these three men were ordered to be executed by Buhari under a retroactive decree for the crime of drug trafficking which didn't carry a death penalty wen they committed the crime.

The late Tai Solarin was imprisoned and refused treatment for his asthma by this same Buhari.

Secretary General of the ruling NPN Uba Ahmed who was Buhari's tribesman was arrested at the airport only to be released on Buhari's orders and allowed to fly out of the country.

Buhari, like IBB and Abdusalami Abubakar treated the Oputa Panel with disdain. He refused to show up at the panel.

I will not vote for Buhari in 2011; not even if he picks the Pope as his running mate.

BREAKING: Dele Momodu Picks Yunusa Tanko as Running Mate

2011-02-01T00:42:00.002+01:00

The Presidential Candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Bashorun Dele Momodu has picked Kano State born Dr. Yunusa Tanko as his running mate in the 2011 presidential election.

Until his selection, Dr. Tanko was the National Secretary of the National Conscience Party (NCP). Born on February 12, 1966, Dr. Tanko had his primary school education at the Army Children School, Ikeja, Lagos between 1974 and 1981 and proceeded to Ikeja Grammar School, Lagos where he completed his secondary school education in 1985.

Dr. Tanko holds a HND in Marketing from Kaduna Polytechnic (now University of Technology, Kaduna) in 1992 and bagged a Post-Graduate Diploma in Co-operative Studies from the same institution in 1994. In 2006, he obtained a second HND degree in Accounting from Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria which followed with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria as well as an MBA from the same institution. In 2010, Tanko, a practising muslim, was bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Leadership and Management from the Universal Christian Academy (UNICA) - a representative of Cambridge Advanced Technology Training in Affiliation with the University of London, United Kingdom.

A Chartered Accountant and member, the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), 2008 and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountant (ICMA) 2006, his working experience traverses civil service, politics and civil society. He has served in various capacities as Head of Accounts, National Population Commission, Kaduna, 1993-2000; Head of Revenue, Nigerian Immigration Service, Kano, 2000-2002 and Head of Finance, Team Nigeria Trust Fund Limited, FCT, Abuja, 2002 till date.

For 10 years, Dr. Tanko was NCP's Deputy National Chairman to Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN. In 2007, he was appointed Secretary to the Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN) - the Charles Nwodo led conglomerate of Nigerian political parties that gave General Muhammadu Buhari his first ticket in 2007 before he secured a presidential ticket from the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). Since 2009, Dr. Tanko has been Secretary of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) of all political parties in Nigeria led by Prof. G Nnaji of BNPP. Since 2003 till date, he has served as the Assistant Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) whose chairman is Alhaji Balarabe Musa. In 2007, he was running mate to NCP's presidential candidate Dr. Osagie Obayuwana. He is the Assistant Secretary to Dr. Usman Bugaje under the Tunji Braithwaithe led Nigerians United for Democracy from 2007 till date.

With a rich background in social activism, Dr. Yunusa Tanko is a Secretariat Member of the Pastor Tunde Bakare led Save Nigeria Group (SNG) and played a very prominent role as Field Marshal of the popular Save Nigeria Group (SNG) protest to the National Assembly in 2010. Dr. Yunusa Tanko is the recipient of the chieftaincy title - the Nwane iku de Neba 1 of all Ndigbos in diaspora.

This marks a fresh beginning for Nigeria. Bashorun Dele Momodu and Dr. Yunusa Tanko are two of Nigeria's brightest. As self-made and accomplished citizens, they represent that radical departure from the incompetence, the corruption and the general backwardness that is currently characteristic of our nation's leadership.

Signed
Ohimai Godwin Amaize
National Coordinator
Dele Momodu Presidential Campaign Organisation
Tuesday, 1st February, 2011

NATIONAL MIRROR: Bob Dee and Asiwaju Tinubu Were Once Chummy!?

2011-01-29T11:11:00.003+01:00

One picture will say in a thousand words what a whole book fails to do. This picture of ACN chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Ovation Publisher, Chief Dele Momodu (Bob Dee), was taken in exile during the glory days of NADECO. The two men were comrades and brothers in arms (as the picture roundly depicts) fighting for Nigeria’s liberation from the shackles of military dictatorship.

Fast forward to 2011 and it appears their interests and beliefs might have drastically changed. Chief Momodu is the presidential candidate of National Conscience Party and Asiwaju Tinubu has transmuted from ex-governor to ACN ‘kingmaker’.

Again, although Tinubu has presumably always maintained a politically progressive front, it is queer that Momodu who recently changed camps from Labour Party to pitch with Conscience Party, never so much as strayed the way of ACN. A Yoruba adage says ‘Twenty children cannot all remain playmates for twenty years’. Yet, it would be interesting to know how and where these two lost their chumminess or passion for similar ideals.

Culled from National Mirror, Friday January 28, 2011

Abuja Bomb Blast: A Condemnable Act of Terror - Dele Momodu

2010-12-31T23:15:00.001+01:00

Just as Nigerians were bracing up to the shock of the multiple bomb blasts in Jos last week closely followed by reports of violence in Yenagoa and Ibadan, news of a bomb blast inside the Sani Abacha Barracks in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on the eve of the new year has once again thrown our nation into grief and mourning. Unconfirmed media reports say casualty figures are on the high side.

The new year eve's bombing of the Abacha Barracks in Abuja, leading to the loss of innocent Nigerian lives is totally condemnable.

I sympathize with the families of Nigerians whose loved ones were affected by this deplorable act of violence and terror. I once again use this opportunity to call upon the government in Abuja to act speedily to restore calm and order to the capital city as fear and panic have begun to spread among law-abiding citizens.

I hope that all relevant security agencies will stop at nothing to bring the perpetrators of this recent horrible act to justice.

DELE MOMODU
Presidential Aspirant
National Conscience Party (NCP).

Our Time Has Come to Rescue Nigeria - Dele Momodu

2010-12-18T19:47:00.007+01:00

Our Time Has Come to Rescue Nigeria
By Dele Momodu

Our National Chairman,
Members of the National Executive Committee (NEC),
Other Party Officials,
Our friends and supporters,
Members of Team Dele Momodu,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Today marks a historic moment not just in my political career but in my life as a whole. God indeed works in mysterious ways. Tomorrow, December 19, 2010 will mark the 18th anniversary of my wedding which uncharacteristically was attended by Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN who was never known to socialize. Is it not strange and amazing, that today I am standing to declare for the political party founded by this great Nigerian? More still, is it not stranger that the National Chairman of this party fought one of his greatest battles as a lawyer for the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti who lived very close to this venue on Gbemisola Street some years ago?

The story of my life is not complete without its constant romance with the supernatural. I was born in a church and named Joseph. I dream big. And it was my dream of a better Nigeria that propelled me into taking a plunge into the murky waters of Nigerian politics. I had looked all around me, I had written thousands of essays, I had been involved in social activism from my undergraduate days, yet I noticed that things were going from bad to worse and our country was sliding perilously. There was no question in my mind that Nigeria has all it takes to be among the leading nations of the world. Our land is overflowing with milk and honey but there is little or none for the ordinary Nigerian to drink or lick. Our political landscape is littered with misfits. For a country that has produced some of the brightest brains on the face of the earth, it was both a physical and psychological torture to watch the nation fail in the hands of our "professional politicians."

I stand here today, grateful to God that a day like this has come. For me, this marks the beginning of a new order of things in our collective struggle to rescue Nigeria. My mission as a technocrat in politics is to rekindle our hope in the possibility of a new Nigeria that works. Today, I stand here knowing that my story is a part of the larger Nigerian story and that the need to build a new country out of the present rubbles must not be considered a personal ambition but a national assignment by every one seated here today in this room and the many more millions of Nigerians out there.

My decision to join the National Conscience Party (NCP) is based purely on principle. I am not looking for a job. If I wanted a job in government, then I would have rushed to the PDP where they share all the jobs. Today, I am happy to be welcomed home by my brothers and sisters at the National Conscience Party (NCP). This, for me, is a homecoming and together, I believe we can write the next great chapter in the Nigerian story. Nigerians have been crying and calling for change but in 2011, they have been confronted with the challenge of choice. One big question that has been on the lips of Nigerians is "We want to vote in 2011 but where are the credible alternatives to the current set of politicians"? Nigerians do not have to look too far. With a credible political party like the National Conscience Party (NCP) and Nigerians like me who have been welcomed to its fold, I am convinced we can make Nigerians believe again. Those who say Dele Momodu is not experienced enough to be the president of Nigeria are far removed from reality. It is only in Nigeria that we hear people say a customs officer can run for president, a police officer can run, everybody including illiterates can run but a man who was teaching A levels 28 years ago, a man who was private secretary to a Deputy Governor 27 years ago, a man who was a major contributor on the very influential opinion page of The Guardian newspaper 23 years ago, a man who was the founding editor of Leaders & Company 18 years ago, a man who was thrown into detention in 1993 by the Babangida government, a man who was forced into exile 15 years ago and was able to build a global brand from scratch under such tragic circumstances cannot run a nation where most of its past and present leaders have never done anything tangible for a living.

The news of my declaration for the National Conscience Party (NCP) attracted a loud ovation from Nigerians worldwide. For most Nigerians, it was a great move in the right direction. It was a masterstroke! But for a few cynics, the question was "What is he doing in Gani's party? Is he trying to take advantage of Gani's legacy to run for president in 2011?" For those who may not be aware, in a country where history is not compulsorily taught in schools and knowledge about individuals is scanty, it is only normal for such questions to be raised. For the records, those who knew me as a reporter would attest to the fact that I was one of the closets journalists ever to the great founder of our party - Chief Abdul-Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi. That mutual love between us endured to the very end. Gani taught me that you must always excel in whatever you do. You must settle for nothing less than the top position. You must be able to capture the imagination of your friends and foes alike. It is desirable to keep them guessing your next moves, while being consistent in your beliefs and ideology. Gani believed you must make a success of your own life through legitimate means before you can help the needy. He saw poverty as a cancer that must be fought with the agility of a pugilist. For him, education was a potent weapon against poverty. He detested any activism that could not uplift the dignity of man. Criticism, he opined, must generate positive results in man. He hated the traditional definition of an activist as a "miserable, squalid and perpetual grumbler." This was the basis for his elation when Chief Abiola became radicalized after June 12, 1993. He knew how difficult it was for such a man of means to leave his comfort zone and join the battle to free Nigeria.

Indeed, some Nigerians are experts in conspiracy theories. When the news of my declaration for the NCP hit the media, there were those who said: "Is Dele not aware that the National Chairman of his new party is close to an aspirant from another party?" But I told them, no one could be closer to Femi Falana than me; his friend and brother of over 30 years. Together, we fought many struggles right from school. There was never a time Nigeria was in crisis and I shied away from defending my country; be it under Obasanjo as a military ruler, be it under Babangida, be it under Shonekan, be it under Abacha, be it under Obasanjo again or be it under Yar A'dua's cabal. I was always steadfast on the side of the people. As a professional journalist, I have paid my dues. I have written essays about the Nigerian problem and its solutions. God had made it possible for me to create a global brand from nothing. I have used my magazine - OVATION International to cement a powerful bond between Nigerians and Africans at a global level. This product has provided employment for many of our youths with many spin-offs in the areas of media, fashion, lifestyle, hospitality, business and tourism among others. I have been a global player running our operations on all the continents in over 60 countries. I have promoted the unity of our people to the extent that if you go to a northern wedding today, courtesy of OVATION International, you find people dressing like southerners and you find southerners copying the fashion styles of northerners. There is no Nigerian today who is exposed enough who is not aware of the double brands called OVATION International and Dele Momodu.

I have studied the manifesto of our party; it's 10-care programme which is very similar to the one presented by my late mentor Chief MKO Abiola to Nigerians in1993 titled "Farewell to Poverty". I promise to enforce the cardinal objectives contained in the manifesto which we will soon make available to the world as our covenant with the people of Nigeria. They include; Employment Care, Food Care, Health Care, Housing Care, Education Care, Water Care, Electricity Care, Transportation Care, Telecommunications Care and Security Care.

Yet, even as I speak, there are those who are working hard to divide Nigeria and truncate this process of change; the shenanigans who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them today that there's no zoning or consensus Nigeria. There's no northern Nigeria or southern Nigeria. There's no Christian Nigeria or Islamic Nigeria. There is only one Nigeria! We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance and loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Not placing personal and party interests above our nation's interests. In the end, that's what the 2011 presidential election is about. Should we fold our arms again and watch our nation fail before our very eyes? No, our time has come to rescue Nigeria!

I look forward to a robust contest in our party primaries and I promise that if I emerge as the flag-bearer of our great party that together with our leaders and members, we will enforce the basic tenets of our party's manifesto for the Nigerian people.

I thank you for your attention.

THE TEXT OF A SPEECH DELIVERED BY BASHORUN DELE MOMODU AT THE OCCASION OF HIS DECLARATION FOR THE NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY (NCP) ON DECEMBER 18, 2010, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Write-The-Future! Win N5 MILLION!

2010-10-26T20:55:00.002+01:00

The Dele Momodu Presidential Campaign Organisation has commissioned Write-The-Future - a national competition in search of the best national development manifesto for the people of Nigeria written by a Nigerian.

The well-researched manifesto must have a bias for welfare and people-centered policies touching on all key areas of national development. Submissions must be presented with evidences of research, relevant data, facts and figures, references with a very practical outlook of issues addressed. Entries must be written in very readable and straightforward language.

The adjudged winner(s) of the Write-The-Future competition will be awarded a cash prize of N5 million (Five Million Naira) at the end of the competition when all entries have been assessed by a select panel of seasoned Nigerian technocrats, politicians and professionals. Aside from individual authorship of manifesto, joint authorships by a group or team are welcome though the same cash prize of N5 million will be awarded to whichever individual, group or team emerges as winner.

All entries should be sent to writethefuture@delemomodu2011.com and must reach the Dele Momodu Presidential Campaign Organisation on or before Monday 13th December, 2010.

NOTE: Participation is FREE and requires no registration. All entries become properties of the Write-The-Future Competition on the point of submission.

For more information, please visit www.delemomodu2011.com/writethefuture OR CALL 08123308670, 08055069220

SING4VOTE AND WIN N2.5 MILLION, N1.5 MILLION, N1 MILLION!

2010-10-21T19:25:00.003+01:00

SING4VOTE AND WIN N2.5 MILLION, N1.5 MILLION, N1 MILLION!

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE? VERY SIMPLE. FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW:

1. Any one can participate. Create and produce a none-minute song (jingle) in Pidgin, English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and any other Nigerian language of your choice for the Dele Momodu 2011 presidential campaign. The recorded song (jingle) should end with "OUR TIME HAS COME. VOTE FOR CHANGE. VOTE DELE MOMODU FOR PRESIDENT, 2011."

2. Write in not more than one hundred (100) words a music video concept for your recorded song (jingle).

3. Send the recorded song (jingle) in MP3 format along with the music video concept, your full names, phone number and address to sing4vote@delemomodu2011.com

4. Wait for the announcement of the thirty (30) shortlisted entries. They will be contacted and invited to a live event in Lagos where they will compete for the final three (3) winning positions.

NOTE; PARTICIPATION is FREE and open to all Nigerians both at home and in diaspora. ALL entries automatically become properties of the SING4VOTE Competition on the point of submission.

Deadline for submission is Tuesday 30th November, 2010.

For more information, visit www.delemomodu2011.com/sing4vote or call 08123308670, 08025367571.

N5 Million to be won in the Write-The-Future Presidential Manifesto Competition

2010-10-17T13:15:00.000+01:00

N5 Million to be won in the Write-The-Future Presidential Manifesto Competition

Coming a day after it unveiled the SING4VOTE competition - a competition in search of the best presidential campaign jingle and music video concept for the Dele Momodu 2011 presidential aspiration, the Dele Momodu Presidential Campaign Organisation has commissioned Write-The-Future - a national competition in search of the best national development manifesto for the people of Nigeria written by a Nigerian.

The well-researched manifesto must have a bias for welfare and people-centered policies touching on all key areas of national development. Submissions must be presented with evidences of research, relevant data, facts and figures, references as well as a very practical outlook. Entries must be written in very readable and straightforward language.

The adjudged winner(s) of the Write-The-Future competition will be awarded a cash prize of N5 million (Five Million Niara) at the end of the competition when all entries have been assessed by a select panel of seasoned Nigerian technocrats, politicians and professionals. Aside from individual authorship of manifesto, joint authorships by a group or team are welcome though the same cash prize of N5 million will be awarded to whichever individual, group or team emerges as winner.

All entries should be sent to writethefuture@delemomodu2011.com and must reach the Dele Momodu Presidential Campaign Organisation on or before Monday 13th December, 2010.

In a statement issued from the Dele Momodu Presidential Campaign Organisation, National Coordinator of the campaign, Ohimai Godwin Amaize said these two competitions were part of Bashorun Dele Momodu's vision of reaching out to the Nigerian people both young and old in a bid to encourage widespread people participation in the shaping of our nation's future. "The SING4VOTE and Write-The-Future competitions speak volumes about the type of governance the people of Nigeria will experience under a Dele Momodu presidency. Ours will be a people-centered government that speaks to the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people at all levels," he said.

Date of the formal launch of the Write-The-Future Presidential Manifesto Competition will be announced soon.

Tahir didn't deserve to die

2010-10-02T10:24:00.003+01:00

Tahir Hassan Zakari Biu was too much a fine gentleman to have been wasted just like that. He was an amiable young man who put smiles on the faces of all those around him. He was lively. He always spoke to me and his friends about his dream of a new Nigeria. I first met Tahir in 2007 during my national youth service at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abuja. Memories. I remember those days very well now. It's just like yesterday. We became friends in a few weeks of my arrival at the Commission and enjoyed such a warm relationship thereafter. Under the mentorship of Dapo Olorunyomi, the then Chief of Staff who was our boss, we became a family of young people; myself, Tahir, Abdul Elayo, Oby, Kalu, Sunday Ogidigbo - altogether young people with a dream and passion to build a new Nigeria.

The incident that caused Tahir's passing has thrown up a lot of questions on my mind. How could this happen right at the center of the nation's federal capital territory with all the security around? What was done about the warning issued by the perpetrators of this heinous crime? Now what was MEND trying to achieve by wasting the lives of innocent Nigerian citizens? Tahir and all others who died were not the problem. They are not the root of the problem. They didn't deserve to die. They didn't have to be sacrificed on the altar of Niger-Delta politics just like that. If it is frightening how life has become so cheap in Nigeria, it is even more dreadful that no one, not even those in authority are safe.

What a shame. At the tender age of 27, Tahir's dream of a new Nigeria has been cut short by the failings of the same system he believed so much in. It was enough that some of us thought there was nothing really spectacular to celebrate about Nigeria at 50. Still, we believed and expressed hope in the possibility of a new dawn only to be thrown into mourning with this irredeemable loss on a day we mustered faith to celebrate 50 years of great expectations.

When the news hit me last night, I was too dazed, too shocked to cry. But this morning, I wept like a baby. I remembered my last phone conversation with Tahir, just about three weeks ago. He was teasing me; "Ohi, I hear you are with Dele Momodu. You won't come and support Mallam? We dey miss you here o." He said that in reference to the former EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and I replied, laughing, telling him not to worry because we were one big family though we were on opposite sides of the 2011 presidential campaign.

I use to help Tahir with his Facebook; he knew I was very active online and gave me his account details so I could do for him some of the things he couldn't do by himself. This morning, logging into that Facebook account threw me into deeper grief. I just can't believe he's gone...

I pray for his parents, his widow (they wedded only last year) and their little baby girl. Only the Almighty God can grant them the strength to bear this loss.

The time has come for us to wake up from our apathy as a people. Today, it's Tahir. We don't know when the next bomb will explode, where it will explode and who will be the next victim. The future of Nigeria is in the hands of its people. If we can rise in 2011 to determine with our votes, a new set of credible leaders who can give us a future, Tahir and all those who have died as a result of the failure of the Nigerian system, would not have died in vain.

The Day Nigerian Youths Got Angry

2010-03-18T23:36:00.007+01:00

The Story of OUTRAGE: A MUST READ!

2010-03-14T18:19:00.004+01:00

PATIENCE is a young Nigerian entrepreneur. She wants to light up Nigeria but PHCN and the generator importers won’t just let her be. It is bad enough that she’s running at a loss buying diesel to power the generating set in her factory but the diesel is not even available for her to buy! PATIENCE is tired of the frustration. And as if that is not enough, her beloved mother, COMFORT and her 12-year old kid brother HOPE are slaughtered in cold blood during the killings in Jos! Now she’s left without COMFORT and HOPE. She’s disillusioned. Apparently, no one is coming to her rescue as the government seems unconcerned about her condition. In her quest to get her life back on track, she gets married to RAGE. Together they give birth to a child called ANGER. Within a few days, ANGER has grown into a brave young man called OUTRAGE. Now, you’ve got to see OUTRAGE. He’s such a fearless and resilient young man and he’s not sitting back complaining and whining on Twitter and Facebook like his parents. Every day, he’s screaming ENOUGHISENOUGH! But his landlord CHIEF DIMEJI JONATHAN DAVID is not taking him seriously. He’s being taken for granted like the little baby-boy ANGER. But he’s not distracted. His mind is made up. Whether they like it or not, he’s doing something about his frustration. On Tuesday the 16th of March in Abuja, he's marching with his friends to the National Assembly. And guess who’s leading the train to the National Assembly? His cousin ACTION!

For the Future, We March!

2010-03-14T18:12:00.001+01:00

2011 will mark a redefining moment in the history of our nation. If we do not register to vote, we cannot bring about the wholesome national transformation that we seek. If we cannot identify our leaders now and begin to mobilise support for them ahead of 2011, we need no prophet and no soothsayer to foretell that we are set for one of the biggest generational setbacks of the century!

Yes we may hold conferences and seminars; yes we may inspire the attitude of change in hundreds of our young people; yes we may continue the talking and I say yes, all that is good. But pray, how can we guarantee our future if we allow crooks and criminals to be voted into the seats of power?

Today's so-called Asian Tigers were not known for talking too much. They took ACTION! In 1989, the Tianamen Square revolution which led to the collapse of communist governments across the world was championed by students! Ask the Ukrainians about the Orange revolution where over one million people consistently took to the streets in freezing weather to demand for truth and justice!

Or is it the Iranians of very recent memory who far away from their comfort zones, took to the streets in their millions to fight for the cause they believed in? Even America, the world's greatest democracy is not left out with a long history of national greatness anchored on mass ACTION! Where are the Martin Luther King Jnrs of my generation?

Countrymen, citizen soldiers, should we wait till our nation becomes a pariah nation like Somalia before we awake to the reality of our national predicament? Four years have gone since they promised us 6,000 mega watts of power. See how they scramble among themselves over the allocation of oil wells when they have failed to give us a solution to the fuel crisis! Is this what the founding fathers of our country laboured for? Where are the fruits of the labours of our heroes past?

On Wednesday, March 10 and Tuesday March 16, 2010, Nigerian youths drawn from all sectors of the economy under the coalition – ENOUGHISENOUGH – will storm the city of Abuja to articulate concrete demands for credible leadership. But the struggle will not end in Abuja. It’s just the beginning. We will return to our various constituencies and circles of influence to begin mobilisation of fellow youths for the 2011 elections. We must get them to register to vote, vote at the polls and stand with their votes to the finish!

Countrymen, citizen soldiers, the die is cast and nothing shall stop us. On these two days, we march! For honour, we march! For our country, we march! For the future, we march! No fear, no pain...into the gates of Aso Rock we march; men and women, old and young, citizen soldiers, brave Nigerians....fearless for fatherland...we march!

Wouldn’t you rather come with us?

‘Maga No Need Pay’: Nigeria Gets Creative to Fight Cyber Scams

2010-02-07T16:15:00.002+01:00

http://microsoftontheissues.com/cs/blogs/mscorp/archive/2010/02/03/maga-no-need-pay-nigeria-fights-cybercrime-with-song.aspx

By Tim Cranton
Associate General Counsel, Microsoft

This week, a new pop song hits the airwaves in West Africa with a highly unusual message: Don’t be seduced by cybercrime.

Cybercrime is a global issue, but perhaps no form of cybercrime has been more associated with a region than the advance fee fraud collectively known as “Nigeria” or “419” scams (419 is the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud). Through schemes such as fake lotteries, bogus inheritances, romantic relationships, investment opportunities or – infamously – requests for assistance from “officials,” scammers promise an elusive fortune in exchange for advance payments.

West Africa is by no means the only source of these scams, but the region is stepping up to address their impact in a variety of creative ways.

419 scams have taken root in Nigeria’s popular culture. Scammers enjoy a rebellious, “cool” mystique, even producing songs and music videos that celebrate their own audacity. At the same time, 419 scam victims around the world are often stigmatized as naïve or gullible, which discourages many from coming forward.

This week in Abuja, Nigeria, members of the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit and Microsoft Nigeria are meeting with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission of Nigeria (EFCC) and other international stakeholders to plan programs to combat Internet fraud in West Africa.

One particularly innovative effort is a campaign to redirect the energies of young Nigerians drawn into cybercrime, which is known locally as “yahoo-yahoo.” On the campaign’s front lines are 24 ambassadors for the Microsoft Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria (MISSPIN). These young Nigerians work with local communities throughout the country to help establish productive online alternatives to Internet fraud and educate the youth of Nigeria on avoiding the trap of cybercrime.

MISSPIN Ambassador Ohimai Godwin Amaize is working to shift cultural perceptions of scammers and their victims through the B.L.I.N.G. project, which unites some of Nigeria’s most influential musicians around the problem of cybercrime. Their song, “Maga No Need Pay,” challenges young Nigerians to resist the temptation of “yahoo-yahoo” and avoid creating more maga, or victims. The song, an Afro Hip-Hop and R&B fusion, is intended to help inspire both national and international audiences.

I’m also proud to announce that on September 7-10, the EFCC will convene the 1^st West-African Cybercrime Summit in Abuja. Coordinated by the EFCC, Microsoft, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group (IMMFWG), this conference will bring together an international group of political leaders, decision makers, criminal justice authorities, industry representatives and other stakeholders from Africa and around the world to help:

Raise political awareness and commitment to combat cybercrime
Build capacity for scalable and sustainable solutions
Develop multi-lateral cooperation

These are by no means the first steps taken to fight advance fee fraud. In 2008 Microsoft joined with Yahoo!, Western Union and the African Development Bank to establish the Advance Fee Fraud Coalition. Last fall, Microsoft, Western Union, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Trade Commission launched a public safety ad campaign in Bing to help warn consumers about financial fraud.

Cybercrime knows no national boundaries. To fight it effectively we must embrace a variety of approaches – technological, legal, and cultural. Motivating individuals to reject cybercrime and pursue legitimate ventures begins with campaigns like MISSPIN and the B.L.I.N.G. project. With awareness, education and partnership, we can help make the Internet safer for the whole world.

I encourage you to check out “Maga No Need Pay” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGCnl6O6bnE. For more information about advance fee fraud in general, please visit http://affcoalition.org.

MAGA NO NEED PAY: The Lyrics

2010-02-02T08:10:00.007+01:00

This song was recorded for the B.L.I.N.G. project which was initiated by Ohimai Godwin Amaize as an ambassador of the Microsoft Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria (MISSPIN) a joint campaign by Microsoft and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) which seeks to re-direct the energies of young Nigerians from cyber crime to positive online engagements.

The B.L.I.N.G. musical collaboration project which enjoys the sponsorship of Microsoft has the benefit of having Cobhams Asuquo as producer, and an impressive line-up of artistes who volunteered to support the B.L.I.N.G. project: Banky W, MI, Modele, Omawumi, Rooftop MCs, Bez and Wordsmith. Also, several Nigerian celebrities like Fela Durotoye, Dele Momodu, Denrele Edun, Ofunneka Molokwu, Iyanya etc turned up at the video shoot which held last week in Lagos.

The song as well as its video has been scheduled for release this February. Below are the lyrics of the song:

Intro:
Echo: Eh!...Eh!...Eh!...Eh-Eh!...
Maga no need pay!
For me to buy correct motor,
For me to take make my dough,
Maga no need pay!
Eh! Eh!
Maga no need pay!

Verse 1: Omawumi
Reminiscing as I walk to my car,
Thinking about how it used to be,
For Ekpoma, I dey ride okada and most times I dey soak garri,
I wanted to change the way I lived
But I didn’t have to do those things.
Now I’m rolling VIP
And all the girls wanna be like me, yeah...

Verse 2: Modele
You ask me how I deal with my reality,
Gotta tell you truly it ain’t easy, no!
I feel the pressure to find something wrong to do
Then I remember you reap what you sow!
Now I’m sitting staring at the screen of my computer,
I’m thinking really hard about what truly matters,
What with all these data, just to catch a maga,
It could have been my father, or someone else’s brother

Chorus: Banky W, Cobhams Asuquo & Omawumi
Maga no need pay!
For me to buy correct motor,
For me to take make my dough
Maga no need pay!
No need for me to go cafe
I hustle hard to make my pay
Maga no need pay
No need to do Yahoo-Yahoo (to do Yahoo-Yahoo)
Maga no need pay!
Eh! Eh!
Maga no need pay!
Eh! Eh!...Eh! Eh!

Verse 3: Banky W
Seven in the morning, it’s a brand new day
Eyes still swelling, still at the cafe
Hustling real hard from Sunday to Sunday
Hoping someday that maga will pay
But maga no need pay
For me to live correct
They call me Mr. Capable, I gat my self-respect
No need to do Yahoo-Yahoo for me to cash a cheque
I don’t need no maga, just work harder now

Verse 4: Bez
Tell me what a boy like me should do
Thought I heard the guys that rule do Yahoo-Yahoo
And if I do not do it I’m uncool
I’ll be a fool to the girls in school
But maga no need pay to get a good degree,
Or have a great opportunity
Don’t have to hack and attack,
Make use of CD cracks
We’re keepin’ it original, now you know my swag

Repeat Chorus

Verse 5: Rooftop MCs (Soulsnatcha & Sokleva)
Soulsnatcha:
Twale officer!
What’s the problem sir?
Or there’s a law against cruising in a Range sir?
Sokleva:
I don’t know what you think we are,
Cos we roll in fancy car?
We’re making the sweet money,
I call it the candy bar.
Soulsnatcha:
All those wey maga pay,
Where dem dey today?
I’m straight no deceit,
My money get receipt!
Sokleva:
I don’t mess with cybercrimes,
But I make the cypher rhyme.
I get paid for my time,
Don’t need to scam a dime!

Verse 6: Wordsmith
I’m your role model’s role model,
There’s no second guessing whom...
Wordsmith was made to make you change like a dressing room.
I’m living proof that there’s dignity in labour,
My bars is life imprisonment and this is hard labour.

Verse 7: MI
My father said I was a star before I ever spit a bar,
He said when you travel far,
Don’t forget who you are.
Represent Nigeria,
Represent for Africa.
Even when the things were hard,
I place my future in my God, (Yes, yeah)
See my nation’s reputation suffers much condemnation,
This’ our situation.
Are we cybercrime criminals? No!
We are the mineral resources of our fatherland,
We must rise and take the stand.
Every day heroes are born,
All stereotypes are torn.
Things we did to cause us harm,
We off that and now we on,
Hard work, positivity,
Truth, reliability
Expose your ability,
Change our reality,
That’s word! (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Repeat Chorus 2ice

Outro with chorus in the background: MI
Cheer!
Nigeria!
Yeah, yeah...listen everybody,
Put your BLING up right now!
BLING in this case means we’re Brilliant, we’re Legitimate, we’re Inspired, we’re Nigerian and we’re Great!
It means that we do not have to do anything that we ought not to do to make money y’all!
We just gatto apply ourselves and work hard and be creative and innovative.
Be truly Nigerian.
We will get there, y’all!

Chorus till fade

http://sheifunmi.com/?p=2976

Artistes in collaboration against cyber crimes

2009-12-22T01:21:00.009+01:00

R-L: Microsoft’s Serge Ntamack, ‘Gbenga Sesan, MI, Dr. Jummai Umar-Ajilola, Citizenship Lead, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa and Project Initiator, Ohimai Godwin Amaize shortly after MI’s recording at Cobhams Asuquo’s studio

The Most Incredible MI couching his lyrics moments before his recording at Cobhams Asuquo’s studio

R-L: Miss Queen (NEXT), Ohimai, Cobhams and Femi Ogunyomi

R-L: Templer Olaiya (The Guardian), Femi Ogunyomi, Omawumi, Modele, Sokleva, and Cobhams

MISSPIN Music Project Initiator Ohimai Godwin Amaize welcoming Banky W to the first artistes roundtable which held on 25^th August, 2009 at the Microsoft office in Victoria Island, Lagos

A typical B.L.I.N.G. teaser

Banky W, Omawumi, Modele, Rooftop MCs, MI, Wordsmith and Bez are teaming up in the studio of Cobhams Asuquo for the recording of an anti-cybercrime musical collaboration. The artistes, who started voice recording during the week are working hard to release before Christmas what may be termed Nigeria's first unofficial anthem against cybercrime.

A recent report by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICCC) ranks Nigeria third (after the USA and UK) in the global list of countries with the highest rate of cybercrimes. But in a bid to provide a credible response to the challenge of cybercrimes, popularly referred to as yahoo-yahoo, Microsoft and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is partnering to launch the anti-cybercrimes musical collaboration.

Initiated by Ohimai Godwin Amaize, one of the Microsoft Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria (MISSPIN) ambassadors under the supervision of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), the MISSPIN song project is quintessential of Microsoft Nigeria's long-standing commitment towards improving Nigeria standing on the list of the countries with the highest rate of cybercrimes.

The song will be projected across relevant media platforms via B.L.I.N.G. - an acronym for Brilliant. Legitimate. Inspired. Nigerian. Great. B.L.I.N.G. is a pop culture strategy designed by Ohimai Godwin Amaize specifically for the MISSPIN campaign.

According to Microsoft's Citizenship Lead for Anglophone West Africa, Dr. Jummai Umar-Ajijola, this project means a lot to Microsoft because it will help ensure that everyone has access to the tools and contents they need online to achieve their greatest dreams.

"It further demonstrates our commitment to making the Internet a safe place to work, learn and play. This strategic project also demonstrates our commitment to Nigeria as an important country as it seeks to support the government in its rebranding Nigeria campaign. We are grateful to the highly talented artistes, the renowned producer and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria who have volunteered to work with us on this non-profit campaign. We look forward to more of such collaboration in the future to the benefit of the Nigerian people," Umar-Ajijola added.

The MISSPIN campaign is premised on Microsoft's resolve to redirect the energies of young Nigerians from cybercrimes towards productive alternatives on the Internet while ensuring a safer and more secure cyberspace in a world of increasing cyber insecurity. The precursor of the B.L.I.N.G. strategy was the launch of the MISSPIN campaign, on Saturday, October 25, 2008, at a red carpet event hosted in Lagos. At the event, Microsoft Nigeria and PIN inducted 24 young Nigerians as ambassadors of the MISSPIN campaign. Ohimai Godwin Amaize was one of these young men who made a commitment to take the anti-cybercrime message to his peers.

To Ohimai, "This musical collaboration is a big dream come true. Indeed, this is unprecedented not just in the music industry, but in the entire history of Nigerian pop culture. With this new song, I see young Nigerians reawakening to the realities of harnessing their God-given potentials for positive exploits. Gone are the days when we listened and danced to songs, which glorified criminality. This is a new beginning for Nigeria and we would be glad to receive more collaborative support from other music artistes in the near future."

The Executive Director of PIN, 'Gbenga Sesan, believes that the collaboration demonstrates the willingness of various stakeholders to support the need to redirect the energy of young Nigerians towards positive ideals। "We are extremely glad to be working with some of the music industry's best hands on this campaign, and are delighted that they have added their brand value to the campaign against cybercrime. Microsoft and PIN look forward to working with other partners in delivering the objectives of the campaign," he added.

Culled from The Guardian Newspapers

2011: Our Time is Now!

2009-11-07T16:02:00.000+01:00

It is said that "There are three kinds of people; those that
make things happen, those that watch things happen and those who don't know what's happening." Which one are you?

OUR TIME IS NOW!

2011 will mark a redefining moment in the history of our nation. If we do not register to vote, we cannot bring about the wholesome national transformation that we seek. If we cannot identify our leaders now and begin to mobilise support for them ahead of 2011, trust me, I need no prophet and no soothsayer to foretell that we are set for one of the biggest generational setbacks of the century!

Yes we may hold conferences and seminars; yes we may inspire the attitude of change in hundreds of our young people; yes we may continue the talking and I say yes, all that is good. But pray, what is the future worth without the desired CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP that will propel our nation into the heights of national greatness?

Today's so-called Asian Tigers were not known for talking too much. They took ACTION! America, the world's greatest democracy has a long history of national greatness anchored on ACTION + ACTION + ACTION! Go ask the Washingtons, the Franklins, the Lincolns, the Roosevelts, the Kennedys...go ask Martin Luther King Jnr...or if you choose, ask Obama!

What then is the problem with us? Why have we remained in our comfort zones? Should we wait till our nation becomes a pariah nation like Somalia before we awake to the reality of our national predicament? I scream a loud NO! And again I say OUR TIME IS NOW! The future is a responsibility whose time has come. We have a choice to deliver it with our actions now or neglect it at our own peril.

I am talking to you young Nigerian in that cybercafe! My heart pours out to you young Nigerian in that lecture room, in that church, in that mosque, in that office space, in that car, in that lounge, in that closet of yours! Have you pondered about the future you want to see? Does it matter to you what the future holds for you and your children? What are your dreams of the future Nigeria? Do you believe that dreams come true? Hold on a second...

Are you the leader of a change group or movement? You are an invaluable asset to this cause. I believe the time has come for us to take our advocacy to the next level. We may be involved in different dimensions of the change project but we are all committed to birthing a new Nigeria of our dreams. Where are my mentors and contemporaries in this cause? Where are my co-nation builders? Does anyone feel the agitations of my spirit?

If I am the only one who believes we can re-awaken the Obama phenomenon come 2011, then, kindly ignore this writing as the rantings of a visionless Nigerian youth. But if you believe as I believe that 2011 is a critical process in our national advancement, then engage me.

I am
Ohimai Godwin Amaize
mrfixnigeria@yahoo.com
07041405391

Will the killings continue?

2009-09-16T17:35:00.003+01:00

Since 1960 when the country gained independence, Nigeria has lost millions of her citizens to sectarian violence.

From the series of violent upheavals which are now relics of the country’s early post-colonial past to the civil war which claimed over three million souls, the Nigerian experience is like a bloody battle between sworn foes nurtured by the eternal echoes of a retribution that must be avenged again and yet again.

Sadly, in the midst of these national tragedies, it appears for the most part, that Nigerians have chosen to remain mute witnesses to the senseless recurring carnage which today situates itself in the nation’s body politic. But what can the people do?

Often victims of a failing order bedevilled by a tragically wobbly cohesion between the national promise and expectation, one can hardly surmise a coherent intervention from the people where the government itself has lost touch with the nation’s agenda for credible direction.

From the Maitatsine riots of 1980 to the Zango-Kataf riots of 1992, Nigeria has since been in and out of the bloody depths of sectarian violence. In 1999, about a 100 people reportedly lost their lives to two bloody days of ethnic violence in Lagos.

BBC reported that the trouble began when Hausa and Yoruba traders started fighting for control of a popular food market in Ketu on the outskirts of the city.

On October 15, 2001, protests in Kano state against American and coalition forces’ bombings in Afghanistan left dozens of people dead. Between June, 2001 and October, 2002, nearly 1,000 persons lost their lives in religious conflicts between Muslims and Christians in Bauchi and Plateau states.

In November 2002, as Nigeria prepared to host the Miss World Beauty Pageant, violent protests by Islamic groups, particularly in northern Nigeria, derailed Nigeria’s hosting of the event. In 2007, fights over Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed killed more than 100 Nigerians.

About 10,000 people have died in ethnic and religious violence since 1999. One wonders, will the killings continue Perhaps the answers are buried in the ruins of the recent past as Nigeria witnessed last July the sectarian violence unleashed upon Bauchi, Borno and Yobe states, claiming hundreds of lives.

Christened the Boko Haram riots, the violence was ignited by the Boko Haram group, a northern Nigerian Islamic movement opposed to Western education. Boko Haram means “Western education is sinful”.

Amid the social tension generated by the festering Niger-Delta crisis, one must observe the crisis beyond the matrix of a mere breakdown of law and order.

The extra-judicial killing of Mohammed Yusuf, leader of the Boko Haram sect recasts the issue in new dimensions, raising questions about the nation’s flawed law enforcement, the effect of harsh socio-economic conditions in the proliferation of sectarian violence while also hinting at the possibility of a hegemonial religious conspiracy theory. The emerging issues are disturbing.

Professor Murtalal Muhibbu-Din, Head of the Department of Religion at the Lagos State University, contends that the crisis was born out of anger and frustration rather than religious faith.

“What they said they were fighting against, such as Western education and Western values, are just smokescreens to vent their anger on the government.

That is why they are attacking police stations, which they see as government establishments,” he told IPS in Lagos.

The same could be said of the Niger-Delta conundrum. Agitation on behalf of the politically-marginalised and socio-economically deprived ethnicities for a fairer share of the oil wealth, have sustained armed resistance in the region till date.

Curiously, law enforcement agencies have yet to bring a single perpetrator of religious violence to justice. This, according to The Guardian, has “emboldened all sorts of religious fundamentalists who rise at will to visit mayhem on innocent people.”

As Nigeria continues in her troubled odyssey, one can only hope for a future that thrives on a coherent union and management of the nation’s diverse human and natural resources.

Achieving this will depend on the quality and ability of the nation’s leadership। Failing portends an imminent relapse into another round of violent uprisings that could degenerate into an irreversible national apocalypse.

Ohimai Godwin Amaize

September, 2009

Culled from www.234next.com
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5459846-146/Will_the_killings_continue__.csp

MakeYourVotesCount.org: The Nigerian reVOTElution!

2009-09-16T17:10:00.005+01:00

District 9: Deconstructing Brand Nigeria

2009-09-15T13:49:00.001+01:00

Not a few Nigerians were incensed with Oprah Winfrey when she maligned Nigeria and Nigerians in a TV discussion about the global scourge of cyber crimes. In an attempt to lend credence to her inflammatory pronouncement, Oprah purportedly played the video clip of a popular Nigerian hit-track that celebrates cybercrimes (Yahoo-Yahoo) to millions of viewers hooked on to her Oprah Winfrey Talk Show worldwide. Whatever that meant, I believe Oprah is entitled to her own opinion.

Only last week, Sony Corporation issued an apology to Nigeria over a TV commercial for its latest PlayStation which attacks with innuendo, the reputation of Nigerians. The Sony apology came shortly after Nigeria’s official image maker, Information and Communications Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili issued a release condemning and demanding an unreserved apology from Sony Corporation. Good for Nigeria and kudos to Madam Dora, Sony has withdrawn the commercial, but not before it had been posted on YouTube, entrenching our global reputation in the liminal limbo between death and dying.

And just as Nigerians were still smarting from the attack delivered by the Sony advert came a new assault, this time from the world’s movie capital – Hollywood. In District 9, a 2009 science fiction directed by Neill Blomkamp, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and released on August 14, 2009, Nigerians are portrayed as voodoo experts, gangsters, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, cannibals and an unintelligent bunch of weapon traffickers. For the sake of our cinemas, let me avoid a sheepish regurgitation of the plot within this discourse.

I saw District 9 on the evening of September 9, 2009. Shot on location in Chiawelo Soweto, South Africa, District 9, apparently another Hollywood sell-abroad in the league of movies like the famed Indian Slumdog Millionaire, grossed $US 37 million on the weekend of its release and has been attracting reviews some of which have critiqued it for its apparent selection and demonization of the Nigerian people. This is where I have a problem. Whether the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Sony and now Neill Blomkamp acted in good faith or whether they were right in their assertions about Nigeria is first, not as important, as telling ourselves the truth about Nigeria and the need for us to do something serious about it. Before we be begin to roar in outrage, before we begin to call for the heads of those who amplify our national notoriety, let’s do a bit of introspection here. Are we truly not what they say we are?

Talking about cyber crimes (Yahoo-Yahoo), we rank third globally. Corruption nko? Until Nuhu Ribadu appeared on the scene in 2004, Nigeria was globally reputed as one of the most corrupt nations of this world. Sadly, in the last one year, Nigeria has begun a steady relapse into the dark days of the past. Or is it prostitution? Let us leave Italy out of this matter. Our electoral process is reality stranger than fiction! Since independence, our leaders have been powerless about the power issue plunging the entire nation, particularly our manufacturing sector into the recklessness of fruitless darkness. Our terrible roads are probably too long an issue to discuss here. Or is it our sharply declining per capita income or lazy theories of seven sleeping agendas? Maybe we should talk about the deprived communities of the Niger-Delta and the resultant carnage unleashed upon us by militant youths who should be in school to make their families and our nation proud. Tell me; where else in the world do people get slaughtered over cartoons they know absolutely nothing about?

It is this same Nigeria of rock star bankers in shiny suits and armoured car convoys dishing out may-God-forgive-them loans in billions of dollars to their friends, families and well-wishers. It is this same Nigeria where people live and die to understand that the police who ought to protect them could indeed, be their worst enemy. Can we just wake up from this lame sentimental slumber and picture a country whose Minister of Education wasted over 150 million naira on his birthday and wedding anniversary party at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja while millions of Nigerian undergraduates are wasting away at home over government’s inability to provide better welfare for university lecturers? And then, when some overfed over-inspired overseas buffoon begins the lame game of name-calling, we cry blue murder! Are we not worse than what they even call us? Has our own Nollywood not portrayed Nigeria and Nigerians in far more injurious perspectives than this Hollywood flick we have made so popular by our untamed crocodile tears?

More worrisome is how far all these will go to validate the doctrine of rebranding Nigeria. These are perhaps some of Madam Dora’s brightest moments. And for all the self-styled consultants and apostles of branding and rebranding Nigeria, this is one glorious opportunity to step up their game; sell new ideas to the government, and get paid the Abuja way – all at the expense of taxpayers’ money. “Why I dey vex? Is it my money?”

If Nigerians can devote the same amount of energy and attention they expend on ignoble distractions like District 9, Nigeria will have moved a few more miles away from Hades. Our worst enemies are not the Oprahs, the Sonys or Blomkamps of this world. We are our own greatest enemies, and interestingly too, our greatest messiahs.

Regardless of the foregoing, for whatever it is worth, I am averse to the creative recklessness of Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, director and writer of the movie District 9, respectively. If it was contemptuous labelling the gang of neighbourhood terrorists in District 9, Nigerians, it was far more distressing calling their leader ‘Obasanjo’. At its best, this was creativity debased and by all means a demonization of our cultural dignity and identity.

By singling out Nigerians and the immediate past president of the country for such undesirably bizarre and stereotypical castings, District 9 comes crashing down the pedestal of ‘great’ science fictions placing the movie at the very heights of self-conceited racial prejudice. Coming from a South African director, and viewed from the lens of prevailing socio-political and cultural realities in the African continent, one can hardly deracinate its thematic preoccupation from its hideous xenophobic expression. Whatever good, satirical or allegorical outcome the makers of this movie planned to achieve, they rubbished with their audacity of slanted imagination.

By daring to depict the world’s largest conglomerate of black souls in such despicable candour, Neill Blomkamp plunges his audiences globally, into the paradox of distorted worldviews of not just Nigeria, but South Africa and the African continent as a whole. Let somebody remind the young South African director that this same Nigeria produced Africa’s first Nobel Laureate for Literature, the legendary Prof. Wole Soyinka. Philip Emeagwali, regarded as one of the fathers of the Internet, is a Nigerian. The Chinua Achebes, Emeka Anyaokus, Gamaliel Onosodes, Nuhu Ribadus, Chimamanda Adichies, and the Asas of recent memories are not from space like Blomkamp’s aliens in District 9. They are all Nigerians. Ikponmwosan ‘IK’ Osakioduwa, current host of the Big Brother Africa TV show ongoing in South Africa, is a young Nigerian. It is also on record that a Nigerian university, the University of Ibadan emerged winner of the recently concluded Zain African Schools Challenge. But all these are facts, the Oprah Winfreys, Sonys and Neill Blomkamps of this world chose to ignore because the good among us have allowed the bad and the ugly to take prime positions in our fatherland. Perhaps, more instructively, this is a lesson to future filmmakers.

For us as Nigerians, we have a long way to go. We are the embodiment of aspiration, audacity, ability and achievement in the entire African continent but we have this constantly nagging challenge of good governance which has brought the nation to its very knees since independence. Today, the way out may not be etched in a bloody revolution. No, maybe not yet. But before us, especially my generation of young people lies a formidable opportunity to kick out our bad leaders using the ballot box. If we can get it right with the quality of candidates that emerge as our leaders; if we can identify our potential leaders as candidates and begin to mobilise for them; if we can register to vote at the polls; if we can stay with our votes to ensure that they count, then the good men can have a chance to emerge and clean up decades of rot and rubbish in both high and low places. Then we will have no need for rebranding; we will begin to receive befitting welcomes in airports world over; we will have good, great movies named after us. Then, our story will become an inspiration to the world.

Ohimai Godwin Amaize
September, 2009

A great man is gone

2009-09-08T12:52:00.001+01:00

It was with great sadness that I received the sombre news of the passing away of Chief Abdul Ganiyu Fawehinmi (SAN), one of the greatest Nigerians that ever lived. He was a dear friend, father-like figure, mentor and extraordinary patriot; Chief Fawehinmi was a truly revered individual in every corner of Nigeria and abroad.

His untimely death is a tragic loss to Nigeria particularly at this moment in our history, but we must take consolation in, and celebrate, the fact that his life and principled example made him one of the few fathers of modern day democracy in Nigeria.

Gani was a selfless man who fought both the military and civilian dictators. His struggle came at a huge cost, but one that Gani was prepared to pay. He fought tenaciously for justice, fairness and equality. He symbolized the true image and spirit of Nigerian unity; he was a pillar for the poor and a fearless voice that spoke against the enemies of the people - the oppressors, the evil and the corrupt.

There is no question that Chief Fawehinmi played the most significant role in the development of modern law in Nigeria, from his law reports to the countless cases that he handled in our court systems, a good proportion of them on pro bono. Nigerians will forever admire this incomparable legal mind and remain grateful for the monumental role he played in several facets of their lives.

I first met Gani when I was a trainee Prosecutor in 1984-85 during the trial of the politicians whose unconscionable acts of corruption led to the demise of the Second Republic. Gani took a position against the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) which had opposed the use of the tribunal. He felt that the menace of corruption was so deeply embedded that some extraordinary tools were justified.

His stance gave legitimacy to the tribunal that tried the corrupt politicians. I suggest that subsequent events and history have proved Gani right as corruption still remains the single most debilitating disease to plague the country, indeed a malaise that continues to threaten the fabric of the nation. Gani’s efforts were consistently an igniting force in the major task of striving to eradicate the disease of graft and money laundering so that Nigerians can realize progress.

The privilege of meeting Gani at such an early stage of my career helped galvanize my work and defined my public life. I will ever remain indebted to him. Chief Fawehinmi’s friendship and unwavering support made the most significant difference during my stewardship at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). His encouragement and moral fuel energized my colleagues and me and helped us in our attempt to change Nigeria for the good. His support will be sorely missed, but I will continue to remember and be shaped by his legacy.

In the end, his enduring contribution lies in working towards the emergence of a generation of Nigerians who believe in justice, fairness and equality and who are not afraid to speak out especially for those who do not have a voice. Gani’s legacy will resound with us for generations to come. He has taught Nigerians, young and old, to stand firm in opposition to those who conspire against the common good of our commonwealth. In my last conversation with him he emphasized the need for all enlightened Nigerians to mobilize the citizenry for Change.

To Chief Fawehinmi, I say: dear friend, may your soul rest in peace. I send my deepest condolence to his family. To his closest circle of friends as well as multitudes of admirers, I say: Let us remain committed to the ideals that Gani exemplified in his words and conduct.

I regret that I am unable to be with his bereaved family and my fellow mourning Nigerians at his Jannazah. I pray to the Almighty Allah to grant this honorable man Aljanna. May Allah also give his family, friends and admirers the fortitude to bear his loss. Amin.

Nuhu Ribadu
Snr. Fellow, St. Anthony's College,
Oxford University, UK.

2009-07-24T01:20:00.001+01:00

Fire fights: In the dusty streets of Nigeria's northern city of Bauchi, a woman walks past a neighborhood whose houses were burned in recent sectarian violence. The city, located near the cusp of Nigeria's majority Muslim north and its majority Christian south, has often been the seat of conflict in recent years. Tensions picked up in February 2009 when a series of attacks and reprisals between Muslims and Christians left 4,500 displaced.

Culled from foreignpolicy.com

NIGERIA RANKS 15 ON THE 2009 GLOBAL LIST OF FAILED STATES

2009-07-24T00:24:00.003+01:00

"It is a sobering time for the world’s most fragile countries—virulent economic crisis, countless natural disasters, and government collapse. This year, we delve deeper than ever into just what went wrong—and who is to blame. " -foreignpolicy.com

Now, Nigerians on Facebook react to their country’s No 15 ranking on the 2009 Failed States Index

Stanley Achonu: i'm not surprised. we did well then

Ogobor Joseph: we will get it right only if the youths toll a new line from corrupt ways

Chibz Chukwunta: #15 is bad, there's no doubt about that. On the brighter side, it could be worse...change is coming, the revolution has begun...It's not a change that is going to occur overnight. Now, more than ever, Nigerians at home and in the disapora are on one accord--CHANGE!That, my friend, is the beginning...

Yese Micheal: Trust oga Musa- e go follow due process take us to the ''promise land'' a land flowing with cowbell and sugar

Onyeka Nwelue: Who's the arse that does the ranking?

Nwanbundo Onyeabo: good question Onyeka...

Akins Olatoyosi: Almost every day, we seem 2 get this kind of awards, it is not for us to say whether it is true or not, it is 4 us 2 take action so as to get out of this evil rank. We can all start to make Nigeria better from individual. Let begin to build then we shall build an ARK so that when the flood comes, we would all be safe.

Justin Chiddy Uzuegbunam: No matter how bad the country is, we must begin to see and say its strengths rather than continue to say bad about it. Yes we need change, but talking this badly about this country won’t inspire anybody to do good. I think it’s time we begin to talk like people with vision and not like people in a corrupt state of mind that senses only the evil around them. My people PLEASE, Build on our strength, not the weaknesses.

Q’dance Onikeku: Really? wow we are doing unbelievably well. i thought we should be around the top one... lol

Francis Akeredolu: dis is another corruption in disguise...how can we be 15 wen we re actually 1st? na ojoro

Ahonsi Iwebafa Gift: ranking 15, is like a child dat took 15th positn in a class of 30, and excitedly ran to his dad & showed him d report card, d dad was about commending him when d mom told him dat it was bcos d other 15 pupils didn't sit for d exams। so automatically he is last.

Phemmie Hardebolar: ha!! na lie o, we are number1!!!

Lee Ozwald Bronzeky: Not surprising at all!!

Facebook Monologues Part 1

2009-03-19T12:23:00.003+01:00

Is rebranding Nigeria one of the solutions to the challenges of our nationhood? Can we link same to the war against corruption in Nigeria? I posted this question to the members of the group – FIXING Nigeria on Facebook and the following discussions ensued. Have an interesting read.

“Rebranding is good if the product to be rebranded is a qualitative one. The first way to rebrand Nigeria is to ensure the rule of law in every sphere of the society। The thinking pattern of the people needs to change for better and we as a people need to start doing the right things।“The war against corruption can prevail as long as the law is allowed to have it's course. “It is only once the system has been sanitised that rebranding can be effective. A bad product is a bad product, rebranding or not.”

-Oyinlade Itunu-Abitogun

“RE-BRANDING, re- branding- don't we ever get tired ????????????????? A product is bad and you are talking of re- branding it!”I think all of that energy be put into proper implementation of the already existing laws of our land. We have so many issues- ELECTRICITY, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH, EDUCATION.............No nation can have good rep outside unless it's people first believe in IT.”
- Jecinta Keshy

“Ohimai: Yes! Oyin: Let's Look at this from another perspective. You would agree with me that quality is relative, and is a function of perception. Why do most still prefer to buy a Honda, rather than a Hyundai? It's certainly no longer because Honda is better. Infact, a particular brand of Hyundai seems to have better reviews than the Honda counterpart....and there are many other examples. Gone are the days when Nigeria had just a few people making a difference.Today, we have masterminds and leaders in all spheres and many more are budding, including the person that started this thread. The challenge is people and nations out there (including Nigerians) seem to still have the same old perception of us. we are not the same Nigeria we used to be.
”Actually, those with foresight can see the change already, but most people do not look deeply. Therefore, we have to 'help' people understand the change that is taking place. We must ensure a lot more Nigerians are ready for the organic growth that would overshadow this nation in just a few years.”Every nation on earth has her own challenges. We saw a new side of the US after Kathrina. The part they publicize for us to see is New York and the nice looking places. We have to rid the land of corruption and clean our house for sure, but believe me when i say we deserve a lot more respect, even at the moment.

Selah.”
- Adetayo Bamiduro

“For God's sake lets stop weeping for this country cos its just wasting tears,i dnt tink obama,martin luther,jesse jackson had 2 b weeping,they were sweeping their land by taking a drastic lead,they used their positions as known personalities to cause a little improvement in their homes,churches,communities before they got their peak achievement by improving their nation.Nigeria is a group of people,the people must learn how to connect wit other people,that's where branding nigeria would begin.it's nt about change in name and colour of flag and other things bt we have to brand our mind,character,values and attitude then we are branding our country.the ball is in our court,let the game begin.God bles Nigeria.”
- Mayowa Kuti

"What are we re-branding when the EFCC, ICPC are not only corrupt but a mirage. When we have ministers who are crooks, criminals and outcasts. They are known to be goof thieves who have stolen. There are more criminals in govt than out of govt. Who do they want to preach re-branding to? who needs re-branding more: the governors or the governed? Germane questions."- Olajide Fashikun

“This whole thing is like re-branding "My Pikin" and putting it back in the market. We have to stop all these cosmetic talks on re-branding, re-packaging, re-this, re-that. We know what our problems are. If we conquered "blackout”, fixed our roads and upgraded our ailing infrastructure, created jobs for a good percentage of the 40million unemployed Nigerians, paid more attention to tourism, agriculture and other critical sectors...things will speak for themselves. ”Wait, are we trying to re-order perception about Nigeria or what? I respect Prof. Dora but i knew she was going to land herself in a big palava. You do not Re-brand a system that is teeming with corrupt politicians, contractors and sycophants. If she is out to make a difference, she should push for a change in the internal workings of the system that birthed the prevailing perception about Nigeria.”It appears to me that her concern revolves around what foreigners think about the average Nigerian and not what they think about the LEADERSHIP WHOSE ACTIONS AND INACTIONS LED TO THE COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE NIGERIAN STATE…resulting in a generation of impatient and “quick-money-minded" Nigerians.”The last administration spent N1.05Billion on the Heart of Africa Project between 2007-2008 while N19.5 million debt was incurred.Her reasons for dumping the Heart of Africa Project is that it is elitist and externally driven…
God help us.”
-Timothy Ogene

“Look let us leave what the government is not doing and tackle what we as individuals can do. We as Nigerians are blessed not only with raw materials, but with talented individuals who can make positive changes in our country. Why don't we give the governmnent a break and see what we can do for ourselves. Sincerely speaking, thats is one ideology that the western world has that we do not and that is what is helping them till today. A lot of their major companies are owned by individuals. So let’s see what we can do about fixing this country by ourselves and forget about the governmnent because from all indications, governmnent leaders are not exactly ready to stop all these acts of corruption.”- Esiet Bassey

“It constantly amazes me how people try to cover up their own insecurities by capitalizing on those of others; and Nigeria as a country is no exception. One of the reasons why we are still where we are is because we are desperately trying to magnify the 'ok' instead of reaching out for the 'good' and the 'best,' by calling a spade a spade.
“Do u blame foreigners for treating us with disdain n disrespect when they know that even worse obtains in our own country? We should stop being concerned with what the world thinks n begin to focus more on what our people think because a good product will naturally sell even without adverts..."light cannot hide."

“Re-branding though not the ultimate solution, can be a step in the right direction because it is about creating the right image of Nigeria that we want to see in every sector of society, and this is not a Federal project but rather should be a pet project for every individual.

“Our problem is that 'nationhood' is still very elusive for us n until we see ourselves as one bound by national rather than ethnic ties, then we might as well be merely having a wish list. After all, can two work together except they be agreed? It is only foolish to keep on doing things the same way repeatedly and expecting different results.”
-Nkiru Nelson-Ezeugo

REBRANDING NIGERIA......?Rebranding Nigeria is not the issue. What we should do ourselves as Nigerians is to reflect on our attitudes towards each other, our work ethics, leadership and corruption. We have to really put God first in our relationship with ourselves, fellow humans and Nigeria as a nation.
QuestionHow many of us are proud to be Nigerians? How do we show it? Almost all Nigerian associations abroad have factions? Why? Greed and bloated egos. How many of us can make sacrifices for Nigeria no matter where we reside? How many of us can seek or take up political office without cutting corners, seeking or giving out bribes, without inviting Babalawos and thugs to harm our opponents? Let's start by cleansing our HEARTS, love ourselves and fellow Nigerians irrespective of tribe and avoid all the -isms.
Let us show concerns to the poor and needy by investing in meaningful projects in Nigeria. Create jobs and improve education/communities. We have leaders who stole our tax money and invested abroad instead of in Nigeria to give young people jobs (and we are complaining about crimes?). We give them chieftaincy titles and these glorify evil doers. All of over the globe, we can find corrupt leaders, America, England, China, name it - but the difference is that their leaders/politicians and corporate moguls, still utilize the public funds to provide social amenities and infrastructures to their people, thereby creating better life and jobs. Many of us in the Diaspora are enjoying these goodies. Don’t forget, some of us overseas, have parents who have stolen from Nigeria. They come here to lavish it and show off. Woe betides u. Judgment day is coming.
Go to Nigerian universities, hospitals, public schools, roads, etc, nothing is working because of the greed of our leaders. They get contract funds; squander it without executing the projects. We can't even talk about the lame duck members of Senate/Congress. Whose interest are they representing?
My comrades, Rebranding Nigeria, is not our problem. We, as a people should stand up against corruption, unemployment, nepotism, 419ners, kidnappers, police brutality and violent crimes, etc., before we can achieve positive development and image. Ask me how?
Start by visiting home if you are in Diaspora. Support the needy to the best of your ability. Create awareness, attend seminars and conferences, give press briefing on your project ideas to better the nation. Sometimes, ideas and innovation goes a long way in proferring solutions to issues. You never know who has an ear to listen and support them. Encourage your rich parents to extend their benvolence to other folks who deserve it. They should create scholarship endowments in higher institutions to assist the needy but intelligent students, and see to it that such trust funds are utilized properly.
God bless Nigeria and bless all those with positive thoughts and projects to better our homeland.
Emeka could be reached at emekkah@yahoo.com
-Emeka Williams

“I share many of the sentiments expressed thus far...we are underachieving because of our own corrupt leadership. We need a revolution, but not in the generic sense like a violent or non-violent overthrow of the current order. If there was ever a silver bullet to solving Nigeria's problems, it will be ELECTRICITY...affordable, and consistent electricity for all citizens. It would be the most democratic thing we have done since the '99 constitution, and without it, no EFCC, or any other authority will survive the insidious corruption that has plagued our country.”
-Ollie Ogunmokun

Good People, Great Nation

2009-03-19T11:41:00.002+01:00

The new slogan for a brand new Nigeria?

Rebranding Nigeria and Anti-Corruption

2009-03-17T13:14:00.008+01:00

Rebranding Nigeria: Through corruption or anti-corruption?

Prof. Dora Akunyili: Nigeria’s New Image Amazon

Nigeria: Image is everything?

NIGERIA, The Heart of Africa project: Swept into the dustbins of history

BRANDSARISE II...The Day UNILAG Stood Still!

2009-02-20T07:38:00.013+01:00

“When individuals rise, the community will rise, and ultimately the nation will rise.” The preceding quote culled from the forthcoming book – BRANDSARISE, constituted the overriding essence of presentations at the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment Season II held on Wednesday February 18, 2009 at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos.

Riding on the thematic platform – “Breaking Barriers, Taking Territories”, BRANDSARISE Season II was a star-studded experience featuring notable individual brands like Chief Dele Momodu, Charles O’Tudor, Uche Nworah, Joshua Awesome, TY Bello, Chude Jideonwo, Koffi Nuel, Sammie Okposo, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Sound Sultan, Ruggedman among others. In a soul-stirring presentation titled; “Wired to Win”, Founder of the Motivational Speakers Network [MSN] Nigeria, Mr. Joshua Awesome challenged youths to discover, nurture and deploy the potentials locked within them as this was the only way they could become impact-driven and life-changing personal brands.

On his part, Publisher of Ovation International, Chief Dele Momodu fought to hold back tears as he reminisced, chronicling memories of his troubled rise from being a nobody who could barely speak the English language to a celebrated media icon today. He summed up his life experience as a man who was “born to fly” challenging today’s youths to hold on tenaciously to their dreams regardless of life’s obstacles that are bound to confront them.

Mr. Charles O’Tudor, the Principal Consultant of ADSTRAT BMC Limited – host organisation of BRANDSARISE Season II, delivered the main presentation centered on the theme – “Breaking Barrier, Taking Territories.” In the presentation, which lasted over thirty minutes, the renowned Brand Strategist spoke passionately about the Nigerian situation attributing the nation’s travails to the dearth of sound and visionary individual brands who understand the strategic essence of leadership as a tool for social reconstruction. Mr. O’Tudor took the audience through a scholarly tour of global case studies ranging from national brands like Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and personal brands like Richard Branson and Bill Gates who harnessed the power of thinking within – defying borders and conquering uncharted territories. Noting that there is the urgent need for knowledge-driven individuals to arise in line with the current global realities as against the current arm-chair and kid-gloves disposition characteristic of the Nigerian experience, Mr. O’Tudor challenged young Nigerians to arise to their full potentials.

It was simply awesome watching renowned showbiz icons as TY Bello, Sammie Okposo, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Sound Sultan, Ruggedman, Koffi Nuel among others taking their turns to do the unexpected – speaking [as against singing] life-changing nuggets to young people. Perhaps, this phenomenon can be easily described as one impressively unique attribute that places the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment series on a class of its own.

It will be recalled that BRANDSARISE Season I, which was held at the Cultural Center, Calabar, CrossRiver State, was a huge success with over 500 young people in attendance. The event also featured renowned role model brands from the entertainment industry such as Ali Baba; Teju Babyface; Weird MC; Mr. Charles O’Tudor, the Principal Consultant of ADSTRAT BMC Limited and Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke who flagged off the event. Major corporate supports for BRANDSARISE Season II came from Visafone, Dudu Mobile, Seed Media, BusinessDay, as well as UNILAG FM. Mr. Kingsley Mordi, Head of Brand Management, Visafone who led the Visafone team to the event was on hand to present Visafone handsets, SIM packs, recharge cards and T-Shirts to participants who answered questions about the Visafone brand and facilitators’ presentations. He then pledged his company’s continued support and commitment to the BRANDSARISE initiative.

BRANDSARISE, as an initiative of ADSTRAT BMC Limited, made its debut as a series of articles published in BusinessDay over a period of time. A select compilation of these articles will be published as a compendium – the BRANDSARISE book, in the second quarter of the year. It addresses historical examples and approaches made by individuals, corporate and state entities at building their brands. It also provides strong insights into scientific and quintessential principles as adopted universally by various successful brands. From the youth perspective, it seeks to encourage individuals to rise, because when individuals rise, the community will rise and ultimately the nation will rise. BRANDARISE is taking the challenge of imparting and impacting the Nigerian youth with these values, as the custodian of the future, to rise to their full potential by discovering, developing and deploying their originality.

The Abraham Maslow hierarchy of need holds that as we move upward on the ladder, our physiological needs become displaced by the desire for self-actualization and satisfaction. ADSTRAT BMC Limited, arguably Nigeria’s leading Brand Management Consulting firm, has continued to record tremendous progress in the branding industry, by consistently setting the marks, raising the bars and inventing models. Having contributed immensely to the Nigerian branding experience, ADSTRAT BMC Limited considers the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment series as its Corporate Social Responsibility geared towards adding value to our nation in her odyssey to national greatness.

With the overwhelming success recorded at Seasons I and II of the BRANDSARISE Youth Empowerment, the BRANDSARISE train can only coast on to greater heights. Hence, ADSTRAT BMC Limited is currently fine-tuning strategies for BRANDSARISE Season III scheduled to hold at the nation’s premier University – the University of Ibadan.

Brand Strategist Charles O'Tudor delivering branding nuggets at BRANDSARISE II

Ruggedman

Sound Sultan

Ohimai Amaize of ADSTRAT, leading the National Anthem rendition

Cross-section of participants

Soft Mob! Chief Dele Momodu surrounded by AKOKITES

Comperes: Ferdinand Adimefe and Kemi Esan, both of ADSTRAT

Mr. Kingsley Mordi, Head of Brand Management, Visafone

DJ Jimmy Jatt

Joshua Awesome

Sound Sultan and Brand Strategist Charles O'Tudor

Chief Dele Momodu and a guest at BRANDSARISE Season II, UNILAG

Sammie Okposo and Ruggedman

Uche Nworah and TY Bello

February 18, 2009...UNILAG Main Auditorium...BRANDSARISE Season II...the day UNILAG stood still!

Beats of a Wandering Heart [I]

2009-02-19T16:36:00.002+01:00

My heart wanders
Into a distant land of broken silences

Chaos meets order, order meets chaos
In a mangled union of failed ventures…
Ventured at securing insecure vanities
Of a life at peace with body, soul and spirit.

Chaos…
Sprinkled cacophonies of pain and penury
Rend the stillness of a peaceful morn
Hope banished!
Love dispelled!
Joy impossible!

Frozen as a Rock,
The hands of a tyrant mob
Remain at ease with the pain
Unleashed upon menfellows by their sceptre grip of evil

Order…
Recovered fragments of shattered thoughts,
And deferred dreams,
Converge on the threshold of the future…
Hope regained?
Love returned?
Joy restored?

But it’s locked up in that which is to come – the aspirations of a generation
Driven by wounded passion, faith in God and country

And now…
Consumed in a wrestling bout,
Spent by the antics and tactics of an endless confrontation,
Back and forth – from past through present to future
Is a restless surge of heartbeats…
Birthing a matrix of boundless possibilities
Thoughts about a people…about a generation…
And whoever knows…a revolution?

Like Obama, Like Oshiomole

2008-12-30T18:12:00.005+01:00

It is no longer news how Barrack Obama, like a roller-coaster on wheels ran a presidential campaign which swept across the global political landscape leaving behind him indelible footprints in the sands of time. For whatever it is worth, the emergence of Obama as the first Black-American elected to the exalted position of President of the United States of America has redefined the history of the Black race world over. We cannot forget in a hurry the long tortuous journey of Blacks in America towards socio-political emancipation. Rosa Parks fought gallantly for it. The revered Rev. Jesse Jackson took a bold step in 1984 when he ran an unsuccessful campaign for the White House. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jnr. lived and died for this cause and there is yet a long list of many more heroes and heroines of the struggle. However, a far more interesting aspect of the Obama phenomenon is that away from the racial sentiments attached to his emergence, he ran a campaign visibly rooted in great passion and patriotism and then came to represent a new thinking in an overwhelmingly acceptable manner among Whites and Blacks alike. For this alone, the name ‘Obama’ will remain for a long time to come, a redefining reference point in the psychodynamics of global history and politics.

Barely eight days after the historic victory of Obama at the US presidential polls, somewhere here in the political climes of our country Nigeria – in the ancient city of Benin, former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), a man popularly referred to as ‘the Peoples’ President’, Comrade Adams Oshiomole was sworn in as the Governor-elect of Edo State on Wednesday 12 November, 2008. Earlier the day before, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, had declared Oshiomole who was the candidate of the Action Congress (AC), as the rightful winner of the April 2007 gubernatorial election in the state, a landmark ruling which affirmed the judgment of the lower Election Petitions Tribunal in the matter. For the people of Edo North Senatorial district, and by extension the impoverished and oppressed people of Edo State, this represents the desired change, a paradigm shift from the old order of corruption and godfatherism, indeed a new order of things! The emergence of a man like Oshiomole as governor of Edo State is significant in so many ways and draws great inspiration from the Obama experience. How?

Let me take us a little way back in the history of the nation’s Heartbeat State. As it has been since the creation of the state from the old Bendel state, you have the Edo majority tribes of the South, the Esan minority tribes of Edo Central and the Afenmai minority tribes of the North. When it comes to decisive political issues, the latter two put together are no equal match to the formidable force of the southern majority whose nerve centre and political Mecca had been the Benin Kingdom and palace of the Omo N’Oba respectively. Hence, Edo South has over the years taken the largest chunk in the political power sharing process. Edo South has so far produced three governors in persons of Sam Ogbemudia, John Odigie Oyegun, and Lucky Igbinedion who served a two-tenured eight years in office. On its own part, Edo Central has been lucky to produce the late Governor Ambrose Alli. But just like the politically repressed Blacks of America, Edo North (Afenmailand) had over the years been reduced to a second fiddle. For years, it remained the only part of the state that had never been privileged to produce at least one governor! Obviously, this was not because there were no capable or competent persons of Afenmai origin. But the truth is, politics is the name of the game, and the Nigerian factor always had its way.

In 1999, Alhaji Aziz Garuba, an eminent Nigerian from Edo North lost in his gubernatorial bid. What was his offence? He failed to get the blessings of ‘the Southern kingmakers.’Meanwhile, as the 2007 elections drew near, there was a lot of activity among politicians of Edo North extraction. Within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – the then ruling party several brilliant minds from Edo North including the then Deputy-Governor Chief Mike Oghiadome emerged. In an interview granted Afenmai Voice (a local newspaper) and published in its December 2004 edition, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, one of Nigeria’s finest politicians and an illustrious son of Edo North in the 2007 gubernatorial race under the PDP had declared: “The people of Edo North have never produced an elected civilian governor for this state and other zones have done so. So, it is only natural that while we have supported other zones to produce the governor, they should support us to produce the governor in 2007.” As political an appeal as this appeared, he had hit the nail on the head. The people of Edo North had been marginalised for years both in infrastructural development and political appointments. 2007 was the time to turn the tables. But it was not to be. The PDP political machine engineered a political process which saw Professor Oseiriehmen Osunbor from Edo Central emerging as governor-elect in an election where it was clear even to the blind that Action Congress (AC) candidate Comrade Adams Oshiomole (a worthy son of Edo North) had a landslide win! Immediately, Oshiomole, reputed for his doggedness as a fighter of tyrannical governments from the hey-days of Abacha to the Obasanjo era proceeded to the Elections Petitions Tribunal in pursuit of justice. After several months of a rigorous judicial exercise, the tribunal declared Oshiomole winner in the April 2007 polls. The PDP party, perhaps anticipating the possibility of a re-run refused to abide by the tribunal’s order. Prof. Osunbor, a distinguished professor of Law filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Benin seeking to invalidate the ruling of the tribunal. However, on Tuesday 11 November 2008, in a unanimous order, the Court of Appeal declared Comrade Adams Oshiomole winner in the April 2007 gubernatorial elections in Edo State. He has since been sworn in as Executive Governor of Edo State and the rest has become history.

Today, it is instructive for those who care enough that the long desired change has visited Edo State. Oshiomole, just like Obama represents a change the people of Edo State can believe in and more importantly, he has the right disposition and pedigree required to deliver hope and service to the people. He has shown this commitment and service to humanity right from his days as president of the NLC. When in April 2007, the people of Edo State trooped out to vote him as governor, you could feel the synergy which was activated between him and the masses, from the civil servants, market women, Okada riders, to the farmers. It was genuine and away from the rent-a-crowd syndrome which has beclouded our political space today. And as he delivered his inaugural speech amidst deafening cries of “Obama! Obama!”, the Peoples’ President did not mince words about the new ethical revolution he was bringing to the state. Truly, in the last few years, governance in Edo State has been reduced to the politics of mediocrity, roguery, and acrimony. Thus, the emergence of Oshiomole represents a paradigm shift, not only for Edo State, but for the people of Nigeria.

The Appeal Court ruling which pronounced him governor-elect has shown that amidst the institutional weaknesses of a troubled polity, we can still have faith in a critical arm of government as the judiciary. Oshiomole, recognizing the historical significance of his emergence at an auspicious time as this could not conclude his inaugural speech without alluding to Obama when he noted that we cannot really celebrate Obama in a country where we still hold on to primitive politics. He however declared that such debasement of the political process is not in our genes, observing that we can do better than the Americans. I concur with the Comrade Governor. Yes we can!

The Mission to Ibadan

2008-12-30T17:55:00.004+01:00

For nearly five decades, the Nigerian experience has been a potpourri of events orchestrated by the actions and inactions of her citizenry. Within several narratives, the stories have been told from different perspectives, leading to the emergence of a crowd of voices, ideas, and initiatives proclaiming and advocating for the rebirth of a new order. However, in the midst of the mounting consensus for change, the prevailing paradox is a flurry of excitement about the dream of a new Nigeria, an overwhelming zeal without knowledge, activity without productivity, glamour devoid of substance - a mere dissipation of passion without action. The truth is, in this journey towards national greatness, talk is cheap and will never be enough. So much has been said recently about what could be done to properly reward, honour and empower our national flag designer Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi. His story has been told over and over again. Over the years, numerous promises have been made by government, a few corporate bodies and individuals about how the old man and his family can be given a befitting treatment with a lasting impact on his health, welfare and the essence of our national heritage which he and many others who have also added value represent. A few good men and women have kept their promises and this has been helpful to Pa Akinkunmi. But to what extent?

Hence, upon the realisation of the need to match words with action, a team of young Nigerians led by renowned IT expert and social entrepreneur ‘Gbenga Sesan, visited the Ibadan home of Pa Akinkunmi on the eve of the October 1st Independence Day celebration in a bid to set the tone for a constructive agenda that will put an end to the unpleasant tales of indigence currently surrounding the unsung national hero. The meeting with Pa Akinkunmi and his family was hinged on a two-fold agenda:

1. A Nigerian Flag Foundation that will promote patriotic values among Nigerians while ensuring that no national hero (regardless of how minute his/her contribution) is forgotten. The Foundation may also cater for health and other welfare matters affecting Pa Akinkunmi, his family and other “forgotten heroes”.

2. A book on the life and times of the national flag designer, the proceeds of which will go to the Foundation (Trust) managed by a proper Governing Council or Board of Trustees.

Although Pa Akinkunmi was unavoidably absent as he had to leave earlier than planned for Benin City on that day, his eldest son Akin Akinkunmi stood in his place. It was a deeply emotional meeting which revealed how much help the family needed from well-meaning Nigerians who would be willing to assist. Akin, a 33-year old HND graduate of Building Technology is still unemployed and practically stays at home with Baba. He also recanted details of how early this year, his father was invited by the Governor of Oyo state, Otunba Alao Akala, on the premise that though he was an indigene of Ogun state residing in Oyo State, plans were being made to give him a deserving reward and honour soonest. Akin, his eldest son who accompanied him to the meeting was also promised a gainful employment by the governor. That was in February 2008. To date, several efforts by Akin Akinkunmi to reach the governor on behalf of his father have proved abortive.

He also spoke about how resources from a popular TV game show have helped them procure and renovate a property in Ibadan. As the meeting progressed, it became apparent that for any meaningful and sustained repositioning of the Akinkunmi family to occur, the first son of the family would need to be established on the pathway of responsibility and enterprise. Without probing further to get more information about why he hasn’t been able to apply his hands to work in a bid to help his dad and family, we knew it would be impossible to suggest anything constructive about empowering this young man – who can in turn build and sustain his family’s legacy. It was then with great relief and a unanimous bodily expression of ‘eureka!’ that we all jumped up the moment Akin revealed to us his passion. What was it about? He loves machines and would love to build capacity in the repair of generators, and has had plans to resume apprenticeship with a “generator house” but was held back by the need for funds to take care of his family while learning more about generators. We were happy that Akin opened up to us in a way that helped define what next needed to be done. At this point, we had spent about two (2) hours deliberating with him on the purpose of our visit to his family and the need to help him find purpose.

As the meeting drew to a close, the gathering resolved as follows:

1. That the “delegation”, working with others with interest in this cause, will commence work on the book project and, the Nigerian Flag Foundation initiative;

2. To help connect Akin with an employer (and mentor) who will provide him an environment where he can pursue his passion (generators);

3. That one thousand (1,000) letters be written and signed by one thousand (1,000) concerned Nigerians addressed to the Executive Governor of Oyo State, reminding him of his promises to assist Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi and his family. The letters should be sent on or before November 31st, 2008.

The following persons were in attendance at this historic meeting:
1. ‘Gbenga Sesan – Convener
2. Jide Adeyemi
3. Ohimai Godwin Amaize
4. Tayo Opatayo
5. Femi Giwa
6. Ferdinand Adimefe
7. Oreoluwa Ladokun
8. Akin Akinkunmi

As I Take a Bow

2008-09-08T21:01:00.004+01:00

Gamaliel O. Onosode, OFR is one distinguished Nigerian I admire and respect a lot! Who does not? Here is a man synonymous with the most desirable essence of greatness, a wonderful mentor, father-figure and role-model extraordinaire. In fact, there is so much to say about Big Daddy Onosode! Little wonder I felt so humbled and honoured when on the afternoon of Sunday 7th September 2008, I received a phone call from this great man. But this was not the first time I would be receiving a call from Big Daddy? So what was ‘so special’ about this call? He was calling from far away United Kingdom to congratulate me in advance on the event of my 24th birthday which was barely forty-eight (48) hours away, and also, the end of my national youth service year. According to him, he would have loved to call on Thursday 11th September, 2008 (9/11) the day of my exit from youth service, but would not be disposed during the period in question. Indeed, it was fulfilling to hear from this icon of integrity how impressed he was with what I considered my ‘little contributions’ to national advancement during the service year. I was deeply touched by this show of admiration for youthful productivity coming from such an esteemed Nigerian of the older generation. I was happy, and it reinforced my conviction in the rebirth of a new order in our march towards national greatness.

Without doubt, my national youth service year was eventful. I was posted to Abuja when as a matter of fact, I was praying for Lagos, and hoping to be posted to a media house where I would have loved to serve and develop my budding potentials in media practice. It was never to be. Destiny had ordained it otherwise and Abuja came calling. I had to respond. But it was not a rosy affair as majority of my readers would probably want to believe. It was as rocky as the rocky terrains of the federal capital territory! First, I found myself at the Yikpata, Kwara State NYSC orientation camp. I was among a number of Abuja-bound corps members who were deployed to the Kwara State camp for reasons of congestion in the Kubwa, Abuja camp. So, after a three-week gruelling experience at the orientation camp, I received a posting letter addressed to The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)! Alongside about nineteen (19) other corps members, I had just been posted to the EFCC. Now, this was one organisation that was always surrounded by some controversy over its epic performance in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. It was intriguing finding myself in such an unusual place of primary assignment. Perhaps I was lucky, I thought. But three (3) weeks later, the enthusiasm began to fade. After three (3) weeks of receiving and submitting our posting letters at the Commission, we were yet to be confirmed or accepted. What was the problem? Rumour had it that the Commission had just initiated a new policy where corps members will no longer be accepted to serve at the Commission. It came as a rude shock, but I remained resolute. I was optimistic something miraculous was going to happen, and it did happen. Finally, nine (9) corps members were accepted and I was one of them. Again, I thought I was lucky!

Having been issued a letter of acceptance, I began to pray about my deployment to a unit. My dream was to be posted to the Media and Publicity unit. I wanted to be in a place where I would be relevant and I thought the Media and Publicity unit of the Commission was the right place for me. But disappointingly, the Human Resources unit thought differently. I, alongside another corps member Ogechi Okoye-Oti, was posted to the Fix Nigeria Initiative (FNI) unit and for the first time I was feeling unlucky. I wondered what it was that they did at FNI. Later I learnt it was the crime prevention and public enlightenment unit of the EFCC. It still did not sound interesting enough until I resumed at the unit and my eyes were opened to the great vision behind the initiative. Now, for those who don’t know, Fix Nigeria Initiative (FNI) was initiated on the realization that the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies cannot effectively fight and eliminate corruption alone. Thus, FNI was created and positioned as a strategic brand that will enable Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the private sector to become active agents in the fight against corruption as well as seek to build partnership between the Commission and the media, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), public institutions, as well as the business community (including bankers, lawyers, manufacturers association, oil companies, and small and medium enterprises). It was about bringing the Nigerian people into the fight against corruption, and it was structured to engage the Nigerian society through the six (6) activity baskets (components) of Media, Youths/Gender, Professional, Faith based organizations, Labour, and Politics.

I was excited by the fact that there was something about media and youths in the vision of FNI. I discovered that so much had been done in those two (2) areas within the short period of its existence. FNI was launched on 12th October 2006. Under the media basket, anti-corruption media campaigns had been launched. There were TV and radio jingles, celebrity endorsements, capacity building for journalists, and the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA) among others. Youths were being actively engaged through the NYSC Integrity Clubs which were set across the country. Also, there were several fora such as the 1st National Youth Anti-Corruption Summit, a series of workshops on the dangers of cybercrimes and the enlisting of youth partners through the Cyber Brigades platform. All these and more were happening at the time we (corps members) resumed at FNI, and in no time, we had become actively involved in the whole process. We were given a free hand to work and garner great experience working. There was room for innovation and creativity. Ideas were always welcome and even the seemingly weak ideas were allowed a place of expression and then fine-tuned into brilliant concepts. We were not treated like corps members (except in the salary). We were allowed to travel on official assignments for the Commission, initiate and execute projects that furthered the crime prevention mandate of the EFCC.

Then came the idea of mainstreaming anti-corruption into popular culture. It was simply exciting! The popular culture programme was a total package of the things people see, hear and want to be part of. It encompassed musical concerts, reality TV, radio, fashion, graffiti, comedy, celebrities, sports, the Internet etc. It was a new way of thinking, thinking out of the box! I was assigned to handle this new vista of public enlightenment as Programme Officer, Popular Culture. Within a period of three (3) months, we had set in motion a chain of popular culture strategies one of which was the United Artistes Against Corruption (UNAAC) project. We were also talking with a number of celebrities for endorsement and had gone far with the idea of an anti-corruption reality TV show. How we flooded the Internet (Facebook especially) with this whole idea of the EFCC’s anti-corruption campaign is perhaps the most familiar to my readers who are ‘Facebookers’. There is so much I just cannot talk about here for several strategic reasons. But it was a great experience. You can imagine the feeling of nostalgia. How I miss those days!

There is one great man I cannot fail to acknowledge here for providing a great part of the inspiration that gave room for all these innovation – Dapo Olorunyomi. Uncle D, as we fondly call him was the then Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman of EFCC. He was also Director of the Fix Nigeria Initiative (FNI). Uncle D is that perfect boss you see only in the movies. He remains one of the brightest minds I have ever met on the face of the earth! He was more than a boss, he was a friend that made you six (6) inches taller the moment you met and interacted with him. Today, Dapo Olorunyomi is no longer at the Commission. He has since resigned his appointment. Today, the Fix Nigeria Initiative (FNI) is no more. There is a new thinking under the new leadership of the Commission. And as I reminisce, I wonder, must every good thing always come to an end?

Permit me to devote these next three (3) paragraphs to appreciating the contributions of all those who gave their support to me and to this cause in the last ten (10) months. The list is definitely a long one. But I will attempt a summary and if I missed your name, it wasn’t because I forgot you. You were just too special to be named among mortals! Gbenga Sesan, Fela Durotoye, Funmi Iyanda, Charles O’Tudor. I want you to know that you occupy a special place in my heart. Your support and encouragement cannot be forgotten. You are appreciated. One of the most significant things that happened to me during this service year was becoming a member of GOTNI - Guardians of the Nation International. Linus Okorie (Founder and President of GOTNI), I still remember the first day we met and how Fela Durotoye said to you, “Linus, I am handing over Godwin to you. Take good care of him.” Ever since, you have distinguished yourself as a wonderful brother, teacher and one of the leading lights of the emerging new Nigeria. Thank you so much. Time and space will not permit, I would have devoted an entire piece to Dele Osunmakinde, a great teacher of God’s word and my pastor at the Baptizing Church (TBC). You are just so wonderful sir! Joshua Awesome, Chido Onumah, Nduka Otiono, Obi Asika, Kenny Ogungbe, Yomi Odunuga, Nasir El-Rufai, Prof. Pat Utomi, thank you sirs for constantly exuding the inspiration. You have been great pillars of support. Meanwhile, I have deliberately left out some names for reasons best known to me. I hope and believe they will understand. God willing, my forthcoming autobiography will display the full list. That is a promise!

And thank God for Facebook. I met a few good men, and women too through this platform. Let me start with the RedSTRAT trio. Emilia Asim-Ita…I pause, because words fail me. You are excellent – one in a million! Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams, you were undoubtedly great pillars of support, especially towards the popular culture programme which I handled for the then FNI…thanks a great deal. Tosyn Bucknor, I remember the good old days, I hail and hope you don’t untag yourself from this note this time…lol! Now, there are three (3) gentlemen I met during this service year who have bagged my title of ‘Brother From Another Mother’. I am talking about Ferdinand Adimefe, Usman Imanah, and Uchechukwu Jerry Eze…you guys rock! I will not forget my cousin Chris (always aloof and afar), Oreoluwa Ladokun (Mr. Unusual), Kenny Adebo (he sparked off the Fix Nigeria revolution on Facebook), Lateef Yusuff (always there), Wordsmith Wellsaid, Aninoritse Odeli, Nwabundo Onyeabo, Messan Lanre, Awolanye Banigo, Ibrahim Sanusi, Sunday Ogidigbo, Kayode Ogundamisi, Godwin Odusami, Tolu Ogunlesi (Lagosians for Obama!), Ruonah Godwin-Agbroko, Denrele ‘Wenrele’ Edun, Martin Obono, Cosanna Preston, Anetor Irete, Qudus Onikeku (my partner in crime, you deserve a whole paragraph!), Tele Ogundeko, Chris Ihidero, Ofunneka Molokwu, Charles Alo, Emeka Okereke, Lee Ozwald Bronkoby, Muinat Atunise, Victor Gotevbe. Although I met a good number of you guys towards the end of the service year, I am indebted in thanks for making this whole experience worthwhile. Without you, Facebook would have been such a boring place to be.

I have a league of young friends and supporters who believe in this dream of a new Nigeria. Abimbola Fisher, Aramide Olorunyomi, Kofo Kego, Mustapha Atiku-Abubakar and all others too numerous to mention. I say thank you! To my over 1, 000 friends on Facebook, I say thanks a million! You guys are just so wonderful, though your messages and comments are sometimes flattering and most times humbling. My co-mentees at the Afrigrowth Foundation, Mrs. Dayo Keshi, and Mr. Jimmy Atte. I cannot thank you enough.

As I draw the curtain on this chapter, every time I cast my mind back to how it all began, it appears so distant in the past and so close it’s like yesterday। So much has been accomplished, and so much is left undone. During the service year, great ideas were conceived. Some were realised and some have been deferred. But here lies the prevailing paradox of life. You can’t always have it all done all the time. Sometimes we win, sometimes we let go to win some other time. Indeed, there is nothing to regret. For me, NYSC was a redefining moment of service to humanity. God bless Nigeria.

This is to the glory of God Almighty…to the memory of a friend – Henry Kalu who has been missing since June 17th, 2008, the editorial team at One Magazine...and to all emerging patriots of the new order.

Who Can Rescue This Rogue Republic?

2008-07-29T14:48:00.008+01:00

Nduka Otiono is currently FS Chia Scholar in the Department of English and Film Studies, University of Alberta, Canada, and Fellow, William Joiner Centre for War and Social Consequences, University of Massachusetts Boston.

The Piano Lounge of the Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja is perhaps the last place where a soul-stirring discussion about

Nigeria

and her myriads of challenges is expected to occur. The trappings of affluence, the conjured fantasies, and the recycled vanities on proud display, can almost leave you drowning in the waters of illusion – a false feeling that all is well, when so much is actually unwell.

My first encounter with Mr. Nduka Otiono was during my undergraduate days at the University of Ibadan where he lectured my class as a visiting scholar to the Department of English, and successfully initiated us into the cult of Metaphysical Poetry. Then he was still General Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and had carved a niche for himself as one of the leading lights of the literary movement in Nigeria. Mr. Otiono’s stay with us at the department was short. He soon left the University, leaving us to battle with the wits and conceits of the metaphysical poets. That was four years ago, and I had lost touch with him until about two months ago when I located him on Facebook one of the world’s fastest growing online social utility networks. So it was a meeting I eagerly looked forward to when I received a message from him on Friday 25 July, 2008 asking me to meet him the next day at the Transcorp Hilton on a brief visit to Nigeria from Canada where he relocated in the face of the depressing demands of the Nigerian system.

I had anticipated a short meeting. But it was not to be. We spent over five hours sharing thoughts on the travails of the Nigerian nation. Our discussion moved from the poverty and hunger in the land to the Niger Delta crisis and then to the failure in leadership. For the first time in a long while, I was listening to an intellectually insightful dissection of the Nigerian conundrum. At a point, it became so emotional tears began to well up my eyes. We looked at the power sector in Nigeria, attempting a sincere analysis only to end up with an emotional paralysis. We had thought; if only Nigeria could just fix the energy problem, a large part of our problems would be solved. With $16 billion we could have generated 16, 000 megawatts of power, sufficient to help drive the Nigerian economy to unimaginable heights of economic rebirth. But today’s sad reality is a seemingly powerless probe on a power sector bedeviled by inefficiency, corruption and a harvest of scandals. What is the problem with us?

In the course of our discussion, we were soon joined by one Mr. John, a friend of Mr. Otiono who works in one of the banks as a customer relations manager and later my good friend Ferdinand Adimefe, a budding author and youth corper serving at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja. Together, we all continued with this passionate talk about our national misfortunes. A little insight from the banking sector opened another can of worms. It was disturbing to hear how some of these financial houses had become homes to all kinds of immoral transactions. If you were not touched by the financial roguery, you only needed to hear how hundreds of Nigerian female graduates end up becoming sex merchants in some of these banks, many of which appear with attractively bright exteriors but thrive on the dealings of their ‘stinkingly’ rich interiors!

At a point, we were joined by Mr. Toni Kan Onwordi, Head of Corporate Communications, Visafone who exchanged banters with Mr. Otiono and then moved on. I had heard so much about Toni Kan (as he is popularly called), read a few of his write-ups and had come to admire him just like my big brother Tolu Ogunlesi who works in the same outfit. I wondered how the likes of this young man survived the frightful and sleazy conditions of the Nigerian media where you are constantly confronted with the two unpleasant options of starvation or having to embrace the brown envelopes. I saluted his resilience and prayed for some of my friends in the media who are fighting to remain men and women of honour in this untidy rat race of what may be termed for want of better description, a voodoo republic that thrives on the ‘lootocratic’ orgies of a heartless hegemony! I immediately recalled that Mr. Otiono had been in the Nigerian media for over a decade and once sat on the editorial board of the now world-famous Thisday newspapers. I do not intend to write Mr. Otiono’s biography. But I am convinced it was a good thing that happened to him when he experienced a paradigm shift from the Nigerian arena, proceeding overseas in order to retain the sanity of his body and mind.

The statistics are horrifying. I shivered with righteous indignation when UNODC boss Mario Costa mentioned that between 1960 and the present day, Nigerian leaders had stolen over $400 billion! With just $10 billion, the city of Lagos can be transformed to the mega city status it deserves with all basic infrastructures in place. Yet, recent research and development indices have revealed that the city of Lagos is a looming catastrophe. Thus, while cities like Dubai and Hong Kong continue to amaze the world with their advancement prowess, the city of Lagos has been marked as one of the disaster megapolis of the century – waiting to happen! Why should this happen to a nation so richly blessed? Our education sector has not fared any better. When Prof. Niyi Osundare, in his valedictory lecture at the University of Ibadan remarked that the universe has left our Universities, it was a death knell that sounded loud and clear. What is the state of our tertiary education today? What kind of graduates are we producing? Are we producing assets or liabilities to society? What is happening to the infrastructure, the laboratories, the libraries, the lecture rooms and the hostels? Is it not pathetic how much our Ivory Towers have fallen from the heights of social re-engineering to the depths of helplessness, becoming idle towers of subsidized illiteracy?

If that is not enough to jolt you, Nigeria currently has about 10 million school age children out of school; 4.5 million are potential primary schools pupils and the other 5.5 million, young men and women who should be in secondary school. When you combine that with the about 60 million adult illiterates in the country, one can hardly see any light at the end of the tunnel. Maternal mortality rate in the country is put at 1000 to 100, 000 births in our labour rooms. That is equivalent to 10 plane crashes everyday! The Nigerian situation is akin to a grotesque theatre of the absurd whose spectators are a ruthless elite sitting, watching and satiated by this spectacle of blood, tears and sorrow. In the midst of this disillusionment, the mass of the Nigerian people remain resilient. This is still their country, their home and their fatherland. They are deeply troubled and are forced to ask questions. They want to know why poverty reigns in their fatherland. They want to know why those in the positions of responsibility continue to let this great country down. Nigerians are asking questions, but are they receiving and acting on the right answers?

I come to one sad conclusion. The problems of this great country are man-made and if there will be any solutions, it will have to come from Nigerians themselves. But who is ready to bell the Cat? Who can rescue this rogue republic from the hands of these pirates? Here again lies the tragic irony. We have a nation populated by some of the brightest brains on the face of the earth who individually are geniuses in their own rights but have never been able to collectively fix any problem they set out to solve. It is a tragedy that swings the way of pessimism, but history does not prove me wrong. We are confronted by a very strong cabal whose only interest in Nigeria is driven by their devious doctrine of self-preservation at all costs. They are deadly and dangerous. They are few in numbers, yet very powerful. I also understand they have devised an efficient machine programmed to resist the change we desire in this great nation. They can get you sacked from your jobs, and make life unbearable when they think you have become a threat. That is why the efforts we have made so far amounts to little or nothing, because all this talk does little or nothing to them. They hardly even read or hear you talk.

But should we give up? A million times, NO! The change that we seek must prevail. We will not join them because we can beat them. It has not been an easy battle, but we must continue the fight and I see victory over this reign of mediocrity.

EFCC Partners Musicians..."It is a Good Thing" - 9ice

2008-06-28T15:47:00.016+01:00

UNAAC Teaser Poster

Mr. Gbenga Aroyehun with Denrele Edun

L-R: Deinde, Soulsnatcha, Sokleva, Anita Oden, a friend, Mr. Gbenga Aroyehun, Jah Bless and 9ice
Faze is not alone this time: with Cobhams Asuquo

As part of its effort to mainstream the anti-graft crusade into popular culture, a delegation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led by Mr. Gbenga Aroyehun had a meeting with some popular Nigerian musical artistes on Saturday 21st June 2008, at the Blue Ribbon Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Speaking on behalf of the convener - the EFCC, Mr. Gbenga Aroyehun spoke passionately about the social cost of corruption, noting that corruption affects two people - the beneficiary and the victim. “It affects us all and its social cost could be seen everywhere in Nigeria – bad roads, maternal mortality, etc. So aside from arresting and jailing culprits, the EFCC thinks that engaging all sectors of the Nigerian society through preventative means is one other concrete way through which corruption can be reduced, and a critical sector of the society which is highly appreciated by Nigerians including the Commission, and which the Commission can indeed use to strengthen this fight, is the artistes”, he said. Thus, the Commission intends to work with the selected musicians on a proposed platform - United Artistes against Corruption (UNAAC).

He highlighted the intended areas of work on this platform which he said include:

1. Coming together of the artistes to produce an all-time anti-corruption song or album.

2. EFCC taking the artistes around six (6) campuses in the six (6) geo-political zones of the federation. This is because since Nigerian youths identify greatly with the artistes and imitate their lifestyle, it will be easier to convey the message of anti-corruption to youths through their songs and performances.

In a goodwill message, multi-talented award winning Cobhams Asuquo, arguably Nigeria’s most sought after music producer today, said that he is privileged to be associated with the EFCC as he is someone who has often asked himself what Nigeria will feel like if we had everything in place. He noted that having everything in place will require putting off that one thing that affects Nigeria in every sector and has eaten so deep into the Nigerian society such that it is now a norm - corruption.

Abolore '9ice' Akande who became renowned with his chartbusting Gongo Aso commended the idea of involving artistes in the fight against corruption. ‘It is a good thing’ he remarked and also assured that all Nigerian artistes are ready to go with the idea. On his part, Soulsnatcha of Rooftop MCs agreed that it is a clever idea. Asserting Mr. Cobhams' opinion, he quoted Hitler saying, “Give me the music of the nation’s youth and I will take the nation.” He said people may listen to the rhythm of the music for the fun of it but at some point, they stop to look at the lyrics.

Messrs Ejeh Odeh and Kes Ewere of Tuface Idibia’s Hypertek Entertainment represented the multiple award winning superstar who was unavoidably absent. They equally expressed the willingness of Tuface to collaborate with the Commission’s efforts to fight corruption. Other appearances at the meeting include, Soundcity whizzkid Denrele Edun, Ayeni the Great and popular Showbiz journalist Azuh Amatus of The Sun newspapers.

The Ten (10) Values of a True Nigerian

2008-06-16T20:01:00.001+01:00

Behold the ten (10) values deliberated upon and then endorsed by young Nigerians at the GOTNI Leadership Summit in Abuja. History was made...just as in 1776, young Americans including the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson sat down to create the American Dream!

XENOpho WHAT??? UBELIEVABLE! The Human Carnage in South Africa

2008-06-06T18:25:00.007+01:00

A jubilant Xenophobe: How would Thomas Hobbes describe this?

It is an unfortunate incident that South Africans are repaying the world for keeping faith and assisting them against the apartheid regimes until the latter crumbled.

The pictures here are horrifying! These demented folks should realise that life is sacred and should never again do these against fellow human or animal beings.

I honestly think that the South African government should do something about unemployment rate which is put at 40%. History teaches us that when things are hard for nationals they look for scapegoats. The holocaust is a reference. In Ghana, in the 70s, Nigerians were thrown out and in the 80s, Nigeria retaliated but thank God they did not go the extreme way like the one under discussion.

Nigeria: Fight for EFCC's Soul

2008-06-05T16:52:00.005+01:00

ONCE Mallam Nuhu Ribadu left the headship of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for studies at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPSS), Kuru, Jos, there was no doubt that the controversy that trailed the man's tenure would be at the centre of whatever action anyone carried out on the institution.

Things are working out in frenzy. Lawyers of various esteems are claiming and counter claiming about the powers of the President to hire and fire the EFCC chairman at his pleasure. In this quest, the generous provisions of Section 2 (3) the EFCC Act which are clear that the President does not need any reason to fire the Chairman does not seem to matter.

It is rather worrying that these are preludes to appointing a new leadership for the EFCC, the main government agency charged with fighting corruption.

Although Ribadu got more than 100 convictions in court of law against corrupt persons and those who soiled Nigeria's name through Advance Fee Fraud popularly called 419, in addition to getting Nigeria's name struck of FATF notorious list, he sometimes got overzealous.

While it was desirable to have someone like him to give the EFCC bite at the beginning, his egregiousness lent some tainted bent to the fight against corruption.

What is going on at the EFCC may, at the end be some kind of reform. It is also a judgment on the past administration. But in correcting some excesses of the EFCC, care must be taken to ensure that the intention remains revving the fight against corruption.

As the Senate goes through the screening of Mrs. Farida Waziri, the new nominee for the position, it should also be asking itself whether the EFCC Act should not be amended to create more independence for the agency. The EFCC almost marred last year's elections by taking over screening of candidates, without any constitutional backing. This happened because the Executive wanted it.

The recent efforts at localising the importance of the EFCC chairman exhibits the extent of the desperation to whittle the powers of the agency. The Senate should screen the nominee factually, fairly, but firmly

Positions that diminish the importance of the post and the great job that is expected of the Senate in screening the candidate for the job should be disregarded.

The fight for the soul of the EFCC has resumed. The main casualty at the end of the day could be the EFCC which will never be the same again either because those who created it abused it thoroughly and robbed it of credibility or those who are taking over could wreck it because of known prejudices and self interest।

Culled from: The Vanguard newspapers

http://www.vanguardngr.com

Is Hip-hop Really Dead?: Final Chapter

2008-04-27T18:22:00.002+01:00

Is Hip-hop Really Dead?: Final Chapter

2008-04-05T12:02:00.004+01:00

Photos courtesy: Mr. Fix Nigeria.

2008-02-19T15:51:00.000+01:00

N1 Million for Dinner!

2008-02-18T15:18:00.007+01:00

By Ohimai Godwin Amaize

We have a great continent besieged with great problems. It is disturbing that Africa has retained the reputation of a continent replete with colossal absurdities. And our dear country Nigeria is no stranger to the shameful tune of torment and the macabre beats of a continental order still reeling from all the symptoms of a post-traumatic-stress-disorder. Everyday we wake up to the realities of a failed system foisted on us by our sheer ignorance of the psychodynamics of our civilization. We have spent years debating how the West underdeveloped Africa, but no one is talking about the debasing acquiescence of Africans to the superiority of Western concepts. It is true we have managed to overcome decades of colonial disorientation, but it is sad how much we remain entangled in the web of cultural deracination. The painful and yet prevailing paradox is the disappearance of our cultural values into the liminal limbo between the unafrican and the near-western! The result is the frenzy and pointless show of alien values in our media today. What is the problem with us?

I intend to attempt a brief, albeit seemingly digressive nosedive into the collateral manifestations of this growing media disproportion in African societies. The entertainment industry is no doubt a very profitable venture. So much progress has come to Africa through exploits in the arts, with music, theatre, etc. remaining the dominant genres of this sector. But a close look at music in Africa reveals a frightening descent from its critical status as an art form with great potential for social reconstruction, to a massive playground for sex and consumerism which are today considered ‘strategic’ tools for effective communication in Western media. But how did we relapse so fast into such distressing times?

It is shameful that the media in Africa continues in its sheepish admiration and regurgitation of negative portraits in Western media. Rather than getting involved in more public advocacy for greater sex education, our media have unwittingly collaborated with the Western media in its flagrant display of Western societies as sexually liberated, a situation which has created global sexual inequalities between Africa and the West. As a consequence, we have begun to pay the ultimate price for this socio-cultural derailment. The result is today’s disaster metropolis we call Africa – a continent despoiled by untold penury, famine and disease. If it is not bad enough that poverty continues to demobilize an increasing African population, the November 2007 UNAIDS/WHO report on people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) world over, which puts Africa on the top of the chart with an estimated 22.5 million adults and children in sub-Saharan Africa alone, calls for sober reflection. This is out of the estimated global total of 33.2 million PLWHAs! Increasingly, sex has been identified as the major means of transmission. How then do we talk about real development with such media irresponsibility to society?

Let me now focus on the situation at the home front. Here again in Nigeria comes another opportunity for media slumber. The Kora Awards, the most popular awards of the recording industry in Africa is coming to Nigeria. Founded by Ernest Adjovi in 1994, the ceremony enjoys great media attention annually and rightly so, because it is patterned after the American Grammy Awards which is the biggest and most renowned music awards for deserving musical artistes in various music genres worldwide. The Kora Awards, being its African prototype has strived since its inception to live up to the standards of the Grammys. Perhaps, in a bid to broaden the scope of the event, the organizers are throwing the carrot to Nigeria. Nigeria, I understand has been granted the hosting rights for the next five editions. This indeed, is a welcome development. It is another milestone in the Nigerian entertainment industry and a good omen too for tourist exploits in Nigeria. I have no problem with the Koras coming to town.

The media launch announcing the awards in Nigeria has been scheduled for 20 December 2007 at the Abuja International Centre. And as is usual with such events, there will be a dinner. I would have been glad to stop here at this point of the event plan and wish the organizers a very happy launch. But my attention was drawn to the outrageous idea of dinner tables of ten (10) seats being available for N1 million! Yes, I mean N1 million for just one seat! But what is wrong with that? Somebody is bound to ask. Really, I do not expect much hue and cry from a nation where scandals involving billions of dollars have become more popular than the names of our national heroes. But the danger in adopting what may be called a trite-matter position on this N1 million per dinner seat, is the seemingly harmless but precarious infiltration of our national psyche by the spirit of corruption. It is critical to call attention to how we think we are building our society. Why do we spend so much on the ethereal at the expense of enterprising social ventures? What do we invest our time and resources in? Through this continued love for pleasure and fanfare, are we not entrenching a feudal order over a fast disappearing middle class? What is happening to our consciousness? Why on earth will a dinner seat for just one night be worth N1 million? Is the food from Mars? Maybe you have the answers, but a quick introspection into the fall of the flamboyant Bourbon monarchy of France is instructive to those who care enough.

My problem with this N1 million per dinner seat should not be misconstrued as an attempt to undermine the idea of the Kora Awards or efforts by the organizers to showcase a world-class event. I am particular about the extraneous trappings of their fund-raising strategy. It is true a lot of money is required to stage an event as the Kora Awards. But there is room for corporate sponsorships and philanthropy. Even the Grammy Awards which is approaching its 50th anniversary depends on corporate sponsorships, and has established the Grammy Foundation since 1989 in its attempt to develop a give-back mechanism to the American society. For whatever it is worth, the Kora Award launch has succeeded in portraying Africans again as bad imitators of foreign concepts. This is happening in Nigeria, a country where poverty is still a major issue. Or is this the new face of philanthropy in fund-raising? It appears the organizers are over-fascinated with the status symbol or VIP syndrome which has heightened the race for money at all costs, especially among our youths today. I strongly believe the organizers could have raised more funds if they had welcomed generous donations from organizations and individuals in the spirit of charity. It is instructive that with the growing civil consensus against corruption (thanks to the anti-corruption agencies) we must eliminate opportunities that promote the laundering of stolen funds.

Indeed, not a few Nigerians can afford the luxury of a dinner seat for N1 million. We had seen even more ostentatious display of ill-gotten wealth before the EFCC anti-graft guillotine started taking its toll. But what do we expect from a country with a sickly tax-paying system? Let’s not even talk about Aso Rock where eye glasses and daily refreshments enjoy an obese budget of N1.5 million and N2.3 million respectively!