Article/Opinion: Inauguration Blues, By Adewale Ajadi

Inauguration Blues, By Adewale Ajadi In recognition of the state of the country, the task at hand quite simply sets the platform for some assertiveness rather than aggression, which was expressed with the confidence of a man who does not waste his words. Mr. President is definitely committed to ending the Boko Haram insurgency, giving recognition and support to maintaining peace in the Niger Delta. The level of detail was just about right and bearable for such an occasion. Over the past few weeks of travel and commitments, it has become more difficult to write my contributory columns. The pressing subject has been to write about Malcolm X but there are so many things I want to say about him and his legacy that I am totally spoilt for choice. So for now my focus inevitably is the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the criticisms of the All Progressives Congress’s policy dialogue that preceded it. Like most Nigerians, I watched the inauguration on television – a vantage point that allows one to make object of the event. The story that emerged was one of authenticity, sincerity and humility. Authenticity because, of all Africans, Nigerians symbolically and instinctively express themselves in their cultural identities and finery. It was great to see the New President and his Vice President, as well as their spouses represent our indigenous glamour. The subsequent shame was that the New York Times, in one of its columns, misrepresented the Babanriga worn by Mr. President as a Muslim attire, consistent with the false, misleading and disingenuous dichotomy that polarises Nigeria in the mind of a badly informed world. Well, ignorance is a cloak many wear in African matters, one which the New York Times should be ashamed to be associated with. Far more endearing was the tone, mood and accent of the President’s speech. In a country where people are greatly taken by even badly copied western accents, it was quite endearing to hear the President’s sincerity, without any affectation of foreign or other intonation patterns and the honesty of his regional infection, a cementing of his resolute solidarity with the everyday Nigerian. As trivial as these might sound, it offers sharp relief from the Nigerian elites’ obsession with external validation, and affirms a level of integrity, not just in the substance of what it said but in a form and cadence that is genuinely us. I would truly have loved something of Mr. President’s vision of what kind of Nigeria he expects to see at the end of his tenure. It would have been even greater if he called the country to sacrifice, support and being part of the solution to national concerns. The inaugural speech was also revealing in its content. It was expressed with sincerity, clarity of purpose and a spirit of good will. The gratitude to the people, kind words for the former President and now definitive remarks about being owned by everyone and by no one. Magnanimous, big hearted, and with the abundance or generosity of spirit that plays very well for the President, whose austere visage hides a heart of gold. In recognition of the state of the country, the task at hand quite simply sets the platform for some assertiveness rather than aggression, which was expressed with the confidence of a man who does not waste his words. Mr. President is definitely committed to ending the Boko Haram insurgency, giving recognition and support to maintaining peace in the Niger Delta. The level of detail was just about right and bearable for such an occasion. In line with constitutional obligations, he set out his planned priority and goals with different arms of government and also different levels of executives, from the Federal to the Local Government. I think his choice of state and local government funding and jurisdictional issues highlight something that must have an irritating antecedent to find its arcane qualities in such a defining speech. Whatever his faults, Dr. Fayemi has put himself at the centre of designing policy solutions, organising our best angels to actualise these and grounding these efforts by institutionalising them. Even with its most cynical interpretation as being self-serving, the pay off is immense to any government focussed on service. I would truly have loved something of Mr. President’s vision of what kind of Nigeria he expects to see at the end of his tenure. It would have been even greater if he called the country to sacrifice, support and being part of the solution to national concerns. His speech at the Chatham House event had more of the soaring of vision, clarity of purpose and invitation to partnership that I had hoped for at the Inauguration but maybe that will come later. I have been informed by those present that his speech – from the heart – at the Banquet in the evening was quite one to listen to. As one of the participants and discussants at the policy dialogue held in Abuja a few weeks ago, I am totally surprised at how this intervention has been badly misrepresented in the efforts to discredit Dr. Kayode Fayemi. As people jockey for positions in the new administration, this most essential of priorities is being tarnished as part of the indictment relating to the Tony Blair angle. This is unfortunate because whatever the politics being played, the search for viable solutions to seemingly intractable national problems cannot be acceptable as the casualty. The participatory exploration of ideas, solutions and the creation of policies is a critical way ahead for anyone who is committed to our people, their development and prosperity in the country. Our security challenges, our teeming unemployed, our depleted treasury and badly organised efforts at collaboration will not be served by investing in discrediting rivals. Whatever his faults, Dr. Fayemi has put himself at the centre of designing policy solutions, organising our best angels to actualise these and grounding these efforts by institutionalising them. Even with its most cynical interpretation as being self-serving, the pay off is immense to any government focussed on service. At the very least, it is far more beneficial than reams of newspaper invested only in the purpose of discrediting rather than building up. Granted there will be the politics of personalities as offices are being pursued, however the real service to our people is the restoration of the disciplined efforts to identify effective solutions that address the problems we incessantly complain about. There are many who say we are stuck in analysis paralysis but root cause analysis is going to be critical; we must stop treating symptoms and focus on root causes. The critical root cause in the Niger Delta is not amnesty but a sense of injustice that must be engaged with, challenged and addressed. Whether amnesty helps or not will be determined by an objective review and assessment with the people, not just vested interests and middle men. I do not even think the policy dialogue went as far as we need to go. The reasons are these: the solutions to the problems we face today are not found in current conventional wisdom or accepted ways of thinking. The progress that we seek will only emerge from a process of continuous testing, learning and improvement, not just wholesale implementation of popular approaches. There is no problem faced by a complex country such as Nigeria that is not systemic in nature, so compartmental or departmental approaches are doomed to longer-term failure. Anything that is done without the participation, contribution and ownership of a broader spectrum of Nigerians cannot be managed and sustained on the longer term. Dr. Fayemi and his team offered a start and it was a platform to give priority to issues and ideas. Whether Tony Blair or his representatives should have been invited or not, their contribution on the journey of New Labour was insightful and helpful. We build these strawmen of personalities, design or process flaws, but they are distractions. President Muhammadu Buhari will only serve this country effectively in the battle for solutions and a departure from the unfortunate Nigerian obsession with being all knowing at doing the variation of the same things over and again. Our solutions will often come from our curiosity about the unknown. The real change emerges firmly from these spaces. We, most certainly, will not address structural unemployment without changing an economic system in which over 50 percent of our productive activities are within an informal economy that we largely ignore. Mr. President seems a man who loves simplicity but it must be an elegant and holistic simplicity. He must not allow the kind of counsel that confuses complexity with complication. There are many who say we are stuck in analysis paralysis but root cause analysis is going to be critical; we must stop treating symptoms and focus on root causes. The critical root cause in the Niger Delta is not amnesty but a sense of injustice that must be engaged with, challenged and addressed. Whether amnesty helps or not will be determined by an objective review and assessment with the people, not just vested interests and middle men. Boko Haram is also a fundamental issue of a breakdown of the culture of rule of law when, as the President identified, the extra judicial killing of its leader became a catalyst for the murder of tens of thousands of people. We, most certainly, will not address structural unemployment without changing an economic system in which over 50 percent of our productive activities are within an informal economy that we largely ignore. We are a country that rarely engages in original design, piloting and experimentation, learning the lessons of failure, and the discipline of continuous review and improvement. We barely engage in maintenance or effective management. We are all obliged to work together with the people serving at the discretion and pleasure of the President and his agenda. We will not allow these things to be reduced by rivalry, jealousy or cynicism. Back to the inauguration, as I watched President Buhari steer from the former President Obasanjo to greet dignitaries in the box, it is clear we have a truly learning and humble President. I, like many millions of Nigerians, will truly do well to take to heart the wisdom from the example that such an evolved character gives. Far more significantly for me, it is an honour to sacrifice and support this government as its ideas start to fully emerge. It will be a privilege to say President Muhammadu Buhari is a true Omoluwabi. Adewale Ajadi, a lawyer, creative consultant and leadership expert, is author of Omoluwabi 2.0: A Code of Transformation in 21st Century Nigeria .

Good Job! - The media towards election in Nigeria by Afolabi Oluwaseun

Good Job! - The media towards election in Nigeria by Afolabi Oluwaseun It is through that the media is the fourth arms of government which can neither be disputed nor elected into governance still they (media) serve as the watch dog for the government. I think we are getting their; "Democracy and not demonstration of crazyness" by giving the media freedom to perform their job and not being criminally censored, also allowing the society to perform their civic rights yep we are getting there. The media. Who are meant to educate, inform and entertain the society has taken a step forward in their normal ways of delivering these functions withe the collaboration of the new media which transfer messages, ideas, information through digital techniques and data network has helped in giving us a democratic elections in Nigeria compare to the mass media, anybody can be journalist (citizen journalist ) in New Media and it has helped to express people's will via Internet. So far the mass media and the new media has not been appreciated for the great job done, though that is what they are meant to offer but this has been delivered by the media perfectly. The mass media include; both print and broadcast and the new media is the the internet which consist of the social networks like facebook, twitter, blog, et al. To both the Journalists, cub journalist and citizen journalists, you all have put great effort in moving the nation forward. Towards the credible election of April 2015, the media has played magnificent and vital role in pre election, election and post election activities in our great nation Nigeria. The media which serve as the voice of the voiceless has helped in implementing the will of the people. Lets flashback to other elections held in Nigeria, this is still the freest and fairest election, in those past elections the strength of he media is notbas much as this may be because they are babies but now that the know the influence of media in the society is important. The media have dedicated to be agent of change. Even before the announcement of the election results from the presidential to the state house of assembly, we already know the winner we are just waiting for formality to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Though there are some looping holes in the election, which has totally reduced compare to the last elections with more effort from the media the holes will be covered inba gradual process and democracy will take over the nation. I won't drop my ball point without congratulating three individuals; the president elect General Muhammadu Buhari, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for accepting defeat and the Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega for organising and conducting credible and democratic elections. You all, the Media and Nigerians have set a pace for other countries to follow both in Africa and the whole universe. Looking forward in peaceful transition of power. www. twitter. com/aphorismcity

Aphorism City QUOTE OF THE MOMENT

Aphorism City QUOTE OF THE MOMENT; "Now matter how you are brilliant, you can never clap with one hand" #Aphorismcity Get the wallpaper @ https://m.facebook.com/Aphorismcity/photos/a.203262119823475.1073741826.195764517239902/491376901011994/?type=1&source=46

DID YOU KNOW?

DID YOU KNOW? Did you know an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain Did you know most lipsticks contain fish scales Did you know no two corn flakes look the same Did you know lemons contain more sugar than strawberries Did you know 8% of people have an extra rib

Poem: Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can't see. I say, It's in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say, It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. by Maya Angelou

Article /Opinion : The Amaechi Years: A Good Example of Common Sense Revolution, By Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The Amaechi Years: A Good Example of Common Sense Revolution, By Bola Ahmed Tinubu Indeed, even as we subscribe to the tenets of a Common Sense Revolution, we must retool ourselves, for the new leadership needs to embark on policies that will improve the general well being of the mass of our people. In the course of the historic campaign for the 2015 Presidential election, I was emphatic that the election itself was a great opportunity to popularise and test the noble idea of a Common Sense Revolution in Nigeria. Soon enough we found in the resonance of the APC Change mantra with the electorate a confirmation that Nigeria needed a Common Sense Revolution that was non-violent. Indeed there is a publication with that title authored by me in which I argue that Nigeria is ripe for a change of leadership and Nigerians must act in a Common Sense and rational way in choosing their leaders. The results of the March Presidential and House of Assembly elections and those of April have demonstrated clearly the desire of Nigerians for change. Elections over, both the leaders and citizens must brace up to meet the challenges required to build a better, more prosperous nation. Indeed, even as we subscribe to the tenets of a Common Sense Revolution, we must retool ourselves, for the new leadership needs to embark on policies that will improve the general well being of the mass of our people. Permit me to recall how I once attempted to encapsulate the idea of Common Sense Revolution: “…This revolution is not a violent one to tear things down, it is a revolution to rescue us from violence, injustice and poverty. It is a positive one to rescue, repair and restructure the nation and its institutions in ways that further collective prosperity and well-being. The only violence that is to be done is to violence, injustice and poverty themselves. At its essence, a common sense revolution is a call to return to a level of decency in the relationship between government and the governed, between each one of us and his neighbour…” That was at commissioning of people-centred projects on March 23, 2015 in Kano under the leadership of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. We are here today because one of the generals in the Common Sense Revolution Army, Rotimi Amaechi is bold and willing to show the world what he has achieved in the task of charting the critical path to total political and economic emancipation of the people whose mandate he enjoyed for eight years. In my view, our gathering to celebrate the landmark achievements of my brother, Governor Rotimi Amaechi in Rivers State in the last eight years is also another justifiable celebration of the idea of a Common Sense Revolution for development. The publication of the book, Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years is a timely service to history. This occasion is all the more remarkable because of the huge challenges Amaechi has been facing, especially in his second term, from an extremely hostile federal government. His role as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum invariably brought him into a bitter collision with President Goodluck Jonathan. The APC change agenda is anchored on the three Rs – Reform, Relief, and Recovery. It is the Tripod upon which Nigeria must operate in order to unleash her potentials. Governor Amaechi and most of the governors wanted a properly defined federalist relationship with the government at the centre. The President would have none of that, as in the notable example of the management of the federation account. This is, therefore, another great opportunity to salute Amaechi’s rare courage of conviction and sense of purpose. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has every cause to be proud of him. You can, therefore, imagine how gratified I feel at the immense intellectual efforts invested in the publication of Dynamics of Change . I salute the editors and authors of essays in the book. It is thoughtful of them to document the legacy of Amaechi in Rivers state. The high quality schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, security and human capacity projects, among others, richly documented in the book are a testimony that social democratic ideas can indeed be implemented in this clime. It is our hope that the legacy of governance for genuine development that Amaechi is leaving behind in Rivers would inspire state governments to make the welfare and security of the people the focus of governance. It is important to empahasise that security here includes social security, if the war against poverty must be won. The APC change agenda is anchored on the three Rs – Reform, Relief, and Recovery. It is the Tripod upon which Nigeria must operate in order to unleash her potentials. Rotimi will go on from here to continue to serve Nigeria in key positions. He will not be alone. He will share the company of many change agents and professionals who have cast their lots with the new political order under the leadership of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari. Once more, I congratulate Governor Amaechi as he leaves behind this proud legacy in Rivers State. This statement made at the public presentation of Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years in Lagos on May 14, 2015. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). http://blogs.premiumtimesng.com/?p=167585

Historical View : What to know about Goerge Hebert Walker Bush

Historical View : What to know about Goerge Hebert Walker Bush the Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush Born: 6/12/1924 Birthplace: Milton, Mass. George Herbert Walker Bush was born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Mass., to Prescott and Dorothy Bush. The family later moved to Connecticut. The youth studied at the elite Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. The future president joined the Navy after war broke out and at 18 became the Navy's youngest commissioned pilot, serving from 1942 to 1945, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He fought the Japanese on 58 missions and was shot down once. After the war, Bush earned an economics degree and a Phi Beta Kappa key in two and a half years at Yale University. In 1945 Bush married Barbara Pierce of Rye, N.Y., daughter of a magazine publisher. With his bride, Bush moved to Texas instead of entering his father's investment banking business. There he founded his oil company and by 1980 reported an estimated wealth of $1.4 million. Throughout his whole career, Bush had the backing of an established family, headed by his father, Prescott Bush, who was elected to the Senate from Connecticut in 1952. The family helped the young patrician become established in his early business ventures, a rich uncle raising most of the capital required for founding the oil company. In the 1960s, Bush won two contests for a Texas Republican seat in the House of Representatives, but lost two bids for a Senate seat. After Bush's second race for the Senate, President Nixon appointed him U.S. delegate to the United Nations and he later became Republican National Committee chairman. He headed the U.S. liaison office in Beijing before becoming Director of Central Intelligence. In 1980 Bush became Reagan's running mate despite earlier criticism of Reagan “voodoo economics” and by the 1984 election had won acclaim for his devotion to Reagan's conservative agenda. The vice president entered the 1988 presidential campaign and easily defeated Democrat Michael Dukakis. Bush's choice of Sen. Dan Quayle of Indiana as a running mate provoked criticism and ridicule that continued even after the administration was in office. Nonetheless Bush strongly defended his choice. George Herbert Walker Bush became president on Jan. 20, 1989, with his theme harmony and conciliation after the often-turbulent Reagan years. Bush's early Cabinet choices reflected a pragmatic desire for an efficient, nonideological government. And with his usual cautious instinct, in 1990 he nominated to the Supreme Court the scholarly David H. Souter, with broadly conservative views. In his first year, Bush was confronted with the Lebanese hostage crisis, the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, and the ongoing war against drug trafficking. His public approval soared following the invasion of Panama in late 1989. But a staggering budget deficit and the savings and loan crisis caused the president's popularity to dip sharply in his second year. This plunge followed Bush's recantation of his campaign “no new taxes” pledge as he sat down with congressional leaders to tame the budget deficit and deal with a faltering economy. In 1991, the president emerged as the leader of an international coalition of Western democracies, Japan, and even some Arab states that came together to free Kuwait following an invasion of the country by Iraq in Aug. 1990. The coalition forces defeated Iraq in only a little more than a month after Operation Desert Storm was launched on Jan. 16–17, 1991, and a nation grateful at feeling the end of the “Vietnam syndrome” gave the president an 89% approval rating. However, the high rating fell as the year went on, as doubts persisted about the war's outcome—Iraqi president Saddam Hussein remained in power and persistently avoided complying with the terms of the peace treaty—and as concerns began to grow about the faltering U.S. economy and other domestic problems. A major Bush accomplishment in 1991 was the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), signed in July with Soviet president Mikhail S. Gorbachev at their fourth summit conference, marking the end of the long weapons buildup. In the 1992 presidential election, Bush was defeated by Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas. The Bushes have four sons, George, Jeb, Neil, and Marvin, and a daughter, Dorothy. Another daughter, Robin, died at age three from leukemia. Son George served as governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, when he was elected the 43rd U.S. president. Jeb Bush was elected governor of Florida in 1998. See also Encyclopedia: George Herbert Walker Bush . Source : http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760625.html

Poem: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE by William Shakespeare

Poem: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE by William Shakespeare All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. http://m.poemhunter.com/poem/all-the-world-s-a-stage/ twitter. com/aphorismcity

DID YOU KNOW?

Can't Colour Countries Dates Distance Drink English language Famous people First Food Game Height History Human body Inventions Landmarks Length Months Most Movies Nature Numbers Only Places Products Quantifiable Size Sound Space Sport Speed Statistics Temperature Time TV Water Weight Words Year Did you know 11% of people are left handed Did you know August has the highest percentage of births Did you know unless food is mixed with saliva you can't taste it Did you know the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes Did you know a bear has 42 teeth www. twitter.com/aphorismcity

DID YOU KNOW?

Can't Colour Countries Dates Distance Drink English language Famous people First Food Game Height History Human body Inventions Landmarks Length Months Most Movies Nature Numbers Only Places Products Quantifiable Size Sound Space Sport Speed Statistics Temperature Time TV Water Weight Words Year Did you know 11% of people are left handed Did you know August has the highest percentage of births Did you know unless food is mixed with saliva you can't taste it Did you know the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes Did you know a bear has 42 teeth www. twitter.com/aphorismcity

QUOTE OF THE MOMENT : "Teachers Open the door but you must enter by yourself " Get the wallpaper @ https://m.facebook.com/Aphorismcity/photos/a.203262119823475.1073741826.195764517239902/489147677901583/?type=1&source=46 or @aphorismcity

Does Our President-Elect Intend To Keep His By Femi Aribisala Word?, Buhari asked for the vote and got the vote. But now that the election has been won, it is excuses galore! During the presidential election campaign, General Buhari observed in his “Manifesto and Vision for Nigeria” that: “The general trust level of politics, politicians and political leaders is at an all-time low. One may ask why? And we can as well understand why after years of broken promises.” But now that the election is over, Vanguard reports that, in a confession to APC governors: “President-elect, Major- General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has said that he is currently at a loss on how best to tell Nigerians that his promise of turning the economy around quickly upon assumption of office on May 29 may not be feasible after all.” In effect, our president-elect himself provides the latest edition of the broken promises he derides in his manifesto. Many of those promises were made in complete disregard of the parlous state of the Nigerian economy given dwindling oil prices. Father Christmas During the election, Buhari promised that under his administration, the Nigerian economy would achieve GDP growth-rate of 10-12% annually. He would create a Social Welfare Programme providing 5,000 naira monthly for the 25 million poorest Nigerians; provide allowances for unemployed Youth Corps graduates for twelve months; provide one meal a day for all primary school pupils; and create one million jobs for Igbo youths by revamping the huge coal deposits in Enugu State. He would also bolster the Nigerian middle-class by an additional four million new home-owners benefiting from a national mortgage of single-digit interest- rates; generate, transmit and distribute electricity on a 24/7 basis; and build 5,000 km of super-highway and up to 6,800 km of modern railway all by 2019, among other absolutely wonderful things. But when APC governors went crying to him that their treasuries are empty, in spite of the fact that they either emptied them themselves, or are in no position to determine their status because they are yet to take over the reins of office; Buhari pleaded for understanding. He said: “The expectation is too high and I have started nervously to explain to people that Rome was not built in a day. For this to be corrected, please, give the incoming government a chance.” However, the expectation is high because Buhari and the APC built them up during the campaign. They should blame themselves if they are now victims of their own deceitful success. PDP Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh observed that: “The APC has successfully used propaganda and lies to get to power. Now, let us see how they will use the same strategies to sustain it.” Apparently, many of Buhari’s promises during the election were never intended for fulfilment. Many of them were made for the singular purpose of winning the election. Having won the election, Buhari clearly has no more use for them. Therefore, he has been busy discarding them one-by-one. Recently, he advised Nigerians on a TV Continental interview that, unlike the Quran and the Bible, the APC position during the election is now subject to change. One chance At the APC South-East rally at Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Buhari declared that he would make the naira equal to the dollar if voted into office. He continued: “It is sad that the value of the naira has dropped to more than 230 to one dollar. This does not speak well for the nation’s economy.” But now that he is president-elect, Buhari no longer talks about naira-dollar parity. All he does is complain about the devaluation of the naira. When a Channels TV presenter asked him during the election campaign how he would manage the economy in the face of dwindling oil prices, he replied that he would first stabilise the oil market. But instead of telling us how he proposes to do this miracle now that he is president- elect, all Buhari does is complain to the newly-elected legislators of the Senate and House of Representatives that the decline in Nigeria’s revenues due to falling oil prices poses great danger to his development agenda. Buhari even promised during the campaign to kill corruption in Nigeria. He said: “If we don’t kill corruption in Nigeria, corruption will kill us. So, the choice before us is to resolve to kill corruption and free our country from the firm grip of corrupt men and women.” However, Buhari is no longer talking about killing corruption. All we are getting from him is that he and his ministers will declare their assets, and corrupt officials will be prosecuted. Surely Buhari knows that in no country in the world has corruption ever been killed; least of all in Nigeria. When he said he would kill corruption, he was merely using hyperbole to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians. But now the time for hyperbole is over. However, Bola Tinubu does not seem to have received the memo to that effect from APC HQ. Speaking after the election at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Tinubu declared that the APC would eradicate poverty in Nigeria. He said: “A progressive government must turn its face from the austerity policies of the outgoing administration that tried to manage poverty, but not end it. Such policies serve only to deepen and prolong the hardship of the average person.” APC eradication of poverty is yet another pie-in-the-sky. There is no template from any APC-controlled state in this regard. On the contrary, virtually all of them are in arrears with workers’ salaries for several months. Even Jesus the Messiah admits that poverty cannot be eliminated in this world. He says categorically: “You will always have poor people with you.” (Matthew 26:11). Read Buhari’s lips At a Town-Hall meeting in Abuja in March 2015 during the presidential campaign, Buhari made a solemn promise to bring back home the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls. He said: “I will give all it takes to ensure that our girls kidnapped from Chibok are rescued and reintegrated with their families.” However, with the election over, Buhari is now the paragon of caution and “double- speak.” In a speech made during the one-year anniversary of the Chibok kidnapping, Buhari said: “We do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued. Their whereabouts remain unknown. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them.” What are we to make of this volte face from our president-elect who nevertheless fashions himself as a man of integrity? In an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN during the campaign, Buhari boasted that he would defeat Boko Haram within two months if elected. Hear him: “We know how they started and where they are now and we will rapidly give attention to security in the country. And I believe we will ef¬fectively deal with them in two months when we get into office.” But now that he has been elected, Buhari categorically denies ever making such a promise. He now says in an interview with journalists: “I think I am too experienced in internal security to give two months deadline on Boko Haram. I don’t think I would have made that statement. I didn’t.” However, the record of his interview with Christiane Amanpour speaks for itself. It shows our president-elect can be economical with the truth. Anti-corruption flip-flops In order not to scare off dodgy members of his party with his anti-corruption rhetoric, Buhari promised to let corrupt sleeping dogs lie if elected. In his Manifesto, he says: “I, Muhammadu Buhari, have resolved that the task ahead of me is that of securing our nation and prospering our people, not looking backward to the failed policies and promises of the past.” At the North-West APC rally in Kaduna, Buhari declared: “Whoever that is indicted of corruption between 1999 to the time of swearing-in, would be pardoned. I am going to draw a line, anybody who involves himself in corruption after I assume office, will face the music.” This means as long as you steal money between 1999 and 2015, you have nothing to fear under a Buhari presidency. But now that he has been elected, Buhari is singing a different tune. He now says he will revisit the issue of the allegedly missing $20 billion from NNPC accounts. At a meeting with APC stakeholders from Adamawa, Buhari insisted that: “This issue is not over yet. Once we assume office, we will order a fresh probe into the matter. We will not allow people to steal money meant for Nigerians to buy shares and stash away in foreign lands.” This shows our president-elect is not a man who believes in keeping his word. He says whatever is expedient for him to say at any given moment. With so many failed promises, even before the inauguration of his government, it is clear that Buhari is in for a very short honeymoon. Nigerians are not likely to accept having excuses for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Excuses galore Buhari asked for the vote and got the vote. But now that the election has been won, it is excuses galore! However, Nigerians voted for change: they did not vote for excuses. When you go to a restaurant, you don’t go there to listen to excuses. You go there to eat food. It is really not the business of the clientele to know the difficulties encountered in cooking it. Buhari asked repeatedly to be president, making all sorts of promises. Now he is president-elect, we need no excuses from him. If everything is so bleak and bad, why did he ask for the job? Why did he make all those highfalutin promises to a gullible electorate? What Fela said about Buhari’s first-coming is equally applicable to his second-coming. He said: “The people wey no sabi dey jubilate, the people wey sabi dey shake their head.” Buhari discouraged Nigerians from being patient with Goodluck Jonathan. It is unrealistic for him to now expect Nigerians to be patient for him. What he promised during the election was magic. What he needs to provide now is that magic. We want to see the magic and we want to see it now. This demand is necessary in order to ensure that Nigerians will not fall for this same trick any time soon in the future. We must hold Buhari and the APC accountable for every single one of the empty promises they made during the election campaign. http://scannewsnigeria.com/opinion/does-our-president-elect-intend-to-keep-his-word/

Article :Wole Soyinka and the Igbo Question (1) Posted by: admin May 12, 2015 in Opinion BY HUHUONLINE The controversy that has excited intense public recriminations over statements by Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, to the effect that Igbos are champions of stomach politics, bears closer examination. The offensive comments are in the public domain and need no re-telling, not the least for the reason that they are so unedifying and most embarrassing to the foremost dramatist. Although Soyinka has come out to angrily deny making any such comments “regarding the Ndigbo voting pattern in the last elections,” this apparently, is an afterthought of a man who spoke before thinking. Even now, there is need to refocus on the implications of the overwhelming Igbo support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the wake of what evidently is a well- orchestrated campaign of vilification against the Igbos by certain groups, poised to hijack and imbue the incoming Buhari administration with the mentality that “this is our turn.” This is unacceptable. It is Buhari’s duty to protect the nation from cant and chicanery in pursuance of sectional interests. This is the challenge of leadership. From the public debate the issue has generated, no one is challenging Soyinka’s right to free speech. Far from it! The main grouse, and validly so, remains that, there is a concerted effort to cast the Igbo vote for Jonathan as a treasonable offence, for which they must be punished. Caught in a seemingly, even if unintended clannish grandstanding, Soyinka did not say anything new. If anything, his open celebration of bigotry only diminished his person. Without saying whether he was misquoted or that his remarks at the Harvard lecture were taken out of context, Soyinka said anyone who believes the “imbecilic pronouncements” credited to him is a moron and mentally retarded. Be that as it may; the fact is that Igbophobia – the systemic exclusion of Igbos from the commanding heights of authority in the nation, has been the hallmark of governance in Nigeria from the end of the civil war to the present. However, in substance and manner, the reaction of Ndigbo was hasty, equally imprudent, in a way that advertises a herd mentality; a pious tendency towards self-centered pedestrianism, which reinforces the stereotype of the Igbos as garrulous, clannish, over-bearing, and always ready to rally in furtherance of an Igbo hegemonic agenda. The result is that, in the face of such extreme provocation, the Igbos failed to demonstrate maturity and political sagacity. The anger, name-calling and insultive grandiloquence that characterized reactions to Soyinka, was unnecessary. It is bad enough that Soyinka finds himself in this controversy; it is doubly embarrassing for him to openly express such contempt for public opinion even if there was a gap between what he said and what the media transmitted, as he now claims. Calling people morons and mentally retarded is insultive and unbecoming of a man of Soyinka’s standing. The latest controversy comes in the wake of similar unedifying comments by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, shortly before the governorship and state assembly elections. Even though the palace, like Soyinka tried to walk back the unfortunate statements, made to some Igbo notables, who were the Oba’s guests, the royal faux pas went viral and generated enough bad blood to threaten the unity and peaceful co-existence between the Igbos and the Yorubas in cosmopolitan Lagos and across the country. The offensive statements tainted the Oba’s throne and portrayed him as a belligerent rabble-rouser. The Igbos had every reason to take umbrage at Oba Akiolu’s wish for the “settlers” to support his preferred gubernatorial candidate, failing which; the Igbos would be drowned in the lagoon. Before the Igbos crucify Soyinka, it is worth reminding them that their anger, however justified is misdirected. The allegations against the Igbos and their vote for Jonathan notwithstanding, the reactions of anger can make sensational headlines in the media, but it certainly will not resolve the “Igbo problem” which, to all intents and purposes has been institutionalized. The angry reaction was not even good politics. If at all Soyinka’s acerbic anti-Igbo remarks needed a response, Ndigbo should have formally given a measured one, which would have indicated seriousness commensurate to Soyinka’s weighty allegations, discomforting as such may have been. It is amazing just how anyone who loves this country and cares for its people can, reasonably, pretend not to realize that between the three major ethnic groups – Igbos, Yorubas and Hausa/Fulani – the Igbos have continued to be marginalized and treated with disdain as third class citizens in Nigeria. The travails Ndigbo has had to endure from sporadic outbreaks of anti-Igbo sentiments across Nigeria speaks directly to the bankrupt state of Ndigbo leadership and their failure to learn from the popular Igbo saying: “onye na amaghi ebe mmiri bidoro mawa ya, agaghi ama ebe o kwusiri” (He who does not know when the rain began to beat him would not know when the rain stops). The rain began to beat Ndigbo in 1914 when Lord Lugard amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates into the contraption called Nigeria. The Igbos became drenched in acid rain by systemic massacres: Jos (1945), Kano (1953) and the September 29, 1966 massacre in which thousands of Igbo men, women and children were slaughtered. This led to the civil war, which saw mass starvation and anti-Igbo genocide. And the bloody rain has continued to beat Ndigbo, resulting in anti-Igbo massacres – Kano (1980), Maiduguri (1982), Yola (1984), Gombe (1985), Kaduna (1986), Bauchi (1991), Funtua (1993), Kano (1994), Damboa (2000) and Apo 6 (2005). The ongoing nihilistic slaughter of Igbo people by Boko Haram is yet to be documented. But there is no question that a disproportionate percentage of the thousands of Boko Haram victims are Igbo people. The political expediency that dictated the emergence of the Hausa/Fulani-Yoruba axis of power has been consolidated by the overbearing disposition and insatiable greed of Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba political elite, who by deliberate and questionable policies have whimsically and arbitrarily emasculated the Igbos from political relevance in the commanding heights of authority in the federal government and its agencies. Unarguably, either by design or omission, these policies have become institutionalized, with Ndigbo getting the short end of the stick. The numbers don’t lie. An analysis of the six zones comprising the federation has the following breakdown in number of states: Northwest (7), Northeast (6), North- central (6), Southwest (6), South-south (6) and the Igbo-dominated Southeast (5). Local governments by design are the machinery through which governance is brought directly to the grassroots. It is the tier of government whose functions are calculated to impact directly on the people. Here again, the numbers don’t lie; Northwest (186), Northeast (112), North-central (115), Southwest (138), South-south (123) and Southeast (95). The federal constituencies are so designed in such a way that the transfer of resources is anchored on proportionality. Again the numbers don’t lie: Northwest (92), Northeast (48), North- central (49), Southwest (71), South-south (55) and Southeast (43). Even the Senate, where logic demanded equal representation as obtained in the USA, whose presidential system Nigeria copied, the Southeast is last with just 15 Senatorial districts; the Southwest, South-south, North-central and Northeast each have 18 districts while the Northwest has 21. These constitutionally entrenched structural injustices have far-reaching implications beyond questions of marginalization. These numbers represent the blatant reality that Ndigbo has refused to confront, preferring to revel in distractions about who said what against the Igbos. Forty-five years after the end of the civil war, the Southeast zone bears the unmistakable characteristics of a conquered and occupied territory. This is a national shame not just for Ndigbo, but for Nigeria! http://scannewsnigeria.com/opinion/editorial-wole-soyinka-and-the-igbo-question-1/

Good Job! - The media towards election in Nigeria by Afolabi Oluwaseun It is through that the media is the fourth arms of government which can neither be disputed nor elected into governance still they (media) serve as the watch dog for the government. I think we are getting their; "Democracy and not demonstration of crazyness" by giving the media freedom to perform their job and not being criminally censored, also allowing the society to perform their civic rights yep we are getting there. The media. Who are meant to educate, inform and entertain the society has taken a step forward in their normal ways of delivering these functions withe the collaboration of the new media which transfer messages, ideas, information through digital techniques and data network has helped in giving us a democratic elections in Nigeria compare to the mass media, anybody can be journalist (citizen journalist ) in New Media and it has helped to express people's will via Internet. So far the mass media and the new media has not been appreciated for the great job done, though that is what they are meant to offer but this has been delivered by the media perfectly. The mass media include; both print and broadcast and the new media is the the internet which consist of the social networks like facebook, twitter, blog, et al. To both the Journalists, cub journalist and citizen journalists, you all have put great effort in moving the nation forward. Towards the credible election of April 2015, the media has played magnificent and vital role in pre election, election and post election activities in our great nation Nigeria. The media which serve as the voice of the voiceless has helped in implementing the will of the people. Lets flashback to other elections held in Nigeria, this is still the freest and fairest election, in those past elections the strength of he media is notbas much as this may be because they are babies but now that the know the influence of media in the society is important. The media have dedicated to be agent of change. Even before the announcement of the election results from the presidential to the state house of assembly, we already know the winner we are just waiting for formality to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Though there are some looping holes in the election, which has totally reduced compare to the last elections with more effort from the media the holes will be covered inba gradual process and democracy will take over the nation. I won't drop my ball point without congratulating three individuals; the president elect General Muhammadu Buhari, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for accepting defeat and the Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega for organising and conducting credible and democratic elections. You all, the Media and Nigerians have set a pace for other countries to follow both in Africa and the whole universe. Looking forward in peaceful transition of power. follow on twitter www.twitter/aphorismcity