Facebook Monologues Part 1

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

The new slogan for a brand new Nigeria?

Rebranding Nigeria and Anti-Corruption

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!

“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]

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

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

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

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?

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.