LET'S LOOK BEYOND POLITICS

By Prince Ehio

 

When you exercise or compete in sports, you notice several changes in your body. You breathe heavier and faster; your muscles hurt and you sweat. These are all normal responses to exercise whether you work out regularly, once in a while or whether you are a trained athlete. The same goes with the human mind and thought pattern.

As an exercise physiologist, it’s easier for me to use body functions to make my points. The human body is a complex machine that performs sets of processes to meet body demands. Every system in the human body is involved in how your body responds to strenuous exercise - how muscles, blood circulation, breathing and body heat are affected and how these responses can be enhanced by training. This is the same as government; it thrives on the performance or the completion of the processes involved in its various sub-systems and not for a single man (or single arm) to run.

Imad Mesdoua said ‘nation building means more than "visible institutions". It’s also being effective; it also means "setting an example" ethically. If Senators, Governors and others can break laws, then they can't challenge those who do same’. While we blame the federal government as citizens, the councilors, house of assembly members, governors, members of the house of representative and senators whom are elected just like the federal government also blame the federal government. So why did we vote them in?  Even the judiciary blames

The government. Is the judiciary not part of the government? My understanding of the tiers of governance in Nigeria is that we have, The Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Do we need to remind them? Are they not aware as the Executive pays their bills? This leads to a very pertinent question, why do we want our leaders in government to behave and talk like the civilized western world when we as citizens can’t behave or reason like the citizens of civilized countries?

I once travelled with a Nigerian from Heathrow airport. He appeared to be the best behaved Nigerian I had ever met until we got to MMIA. He immediately became noisy and littered the airport without qualms. When I asked about the sudden transformation, he replied without any regard saying, "This is Nigeria".

What have you done differently as a Nigerian in the last 5 years? We talk and accuse our leaders of cluelessness, corruption, ineptitude and indolence. Is there a state, local government or region in Nigeria enjoying excellent governance? If NO, have you asked yourself why? Is the problem with leadership or followership or both? Wouldn’t it be right to say that our leaders are who they are because of who we are? These are poignant questions every Nigerian must ask himself.

I follow a man on twitter who once said “A dog is missing and everyone is searching for this dog although for different reasons”. Some like the dog; some want to return it to the owner and some want to eat this same dog. Why would a leading state with a charismatic leader fight freedom of information bill? Or a presidential hopeful and party leader promise rot, burn and violence if elections are rigged. To quote him

"I say it again...if you rig this election we’ll roast you.” (We all know who I refer to here).

The above is particularly ridiculous where the assumption of every party on the losing end is that the election was rigged.

What is the problem with Nigeria? Ten Nigerians will give ten different answers. The common man on the street, on the print and social media and even in the beer parlor will claim and boast to know what decisions to take better than all past presidents since 1960 till date, and those who blame and keep blaming the present administration are blinded by their expectations. It is time for Nigerians to wake up from slumber and face reality. We are a unique people, a difficult people to rule or govern. Ask parents, managers, and directors.

I have my reservations with regards to information dissemination by the present administration in that it does not give out information or is slow to do so. It’s difficult to understand and most unacceptable that the presidential media team with all the government information machinery available cannot disseminate proper information to alleviate the worries of all Nigerians in these trying times. This is one of the reasons there is so much disaffection against this administration.

In the same vein I must admire the publicity of Lagos State Government in its resolve to share information in a timely manner even on issues that could be perceived as negative and deemed callous by citizens. For example, the FOI bill and the how State does not believe the bill should also relate to it and is even in court to defend that stand. Also the well documented case of housing projects the State has undertaken, where it has openly made a distinction between low cost housing and affordable housing. “llubirin”

In the world today, information is vital and with generational changes and innovations easy to share. This government needs to understand this and flow with it. (The three tiers of government)

Presently, all eyes and attentions are on #bringbackourgirls; this shouldn’t even be politics. This is criminality and wickedness and should be condemned with every strong term and at every opportunity. I have seen so many people pose with placards without knowing why they are carrying these placards. There are no clear reasons for these protests yet. I’ve asked questions over and over again with no answers. Is it getting to the boko haram sect or is this used to blame the government? Is this against government's delay in reaction?

While some have gained popularity or twitter followership, some have made money from it. I will not join politicians and activist to discuss but leave the security agents to confirm if these girls are missing and find them while also bring the perpetrators to book and end boko haram in Nigeria. Politicians and activist can’t and won’t go to the battle field or visit the dead soldier’s families to commiserate with them.

Lastly like pastor Tony Rapu asked "Does your driver sleep in the car while you sleep in the comfort of hotel rooms on trips? #ThereisGod

Let’s join hands to bring the change we want. Let’s put an end to double standards. This change can only come from our homes, churches, mosque, schools community, offices and on social media. Next time you want to discuss, criticize, or write, please look beyond the politics.

Prince Ehio tweets as @princewene

*Opinions stated are solely that of the writer.

THE HOPE THAT KILLS

Human beings have the amazing ability to adapt to what obtains in their environment. It is the reason we have survived on planet earth this long. It is the reason we have inhabited this earth for so long and have adapted even as the planet changed as a result of our activities.

Change is a never ending process. In life, there's no static. Its either progression or regression; movement is constant either in the positive or in the negative.

One of the major causes of discontent in world today is as a result of dissatisfaction with self; broken dreams and the eventual disillusionment. The onset of life is filled with hope and optimism for a brighter tomorrow. A man born is learns to believe that things will eventually get better. What happens when things don't get better?

It is amazing that in survey many years ago, Nigerians were regarded as the happiest people on earth. In a country were nothing really works, you start to wonder what the criteria was to label Nigerians happy. I prefer the more appropriate term "Hopeless hopefuls".

I have come to believe that the rare ability to numb ourselves to the harsh realities of today and live in an imaginary tomorrow with improved conditions is the reason we are what we are today. How does the average gateman who earns -N-20,000 monthly with a wife and four mouths to feed manage to break a smile? It is the belief that his situation can change in the blink of an eye.

This is one of the reason a revolution is near impossible in Nigeria. Everybody is content to live with the pitiable status quo and wait his turn even though it may never come. This mentality is killing us because we have become pushovers. We have no idea what a good economy looks like so we sit and wait or devise means to get a shot at the national cake.

This is not the way forward.

Take the ASUU strike for instance. The impasse between the Federal Government and the Union just clocked a hundred days and the curious thing is I don't see no protests. NANS is busy pretending to be the mouth-piece of the unfortunate students by lambasting the opposition party about how they are using the strike to score cheap political points.

Cheap, they say.

Isn't the job of the opposition to criticize? We may not like how they go about it but isn't that what they are supposed to do? Somehow, NANS has conveniently forgotten that the Federal Government has reneged on every deal it has signed with the Union. Why don't they condemn this shady attitude? Your guess is as good as mine.

How about the unfortunate plane crash that happened in Lagos sometime last week. Not to make light of the tragedy but "deadi bodi get e accident, yekpa!". Didn't Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti see this coming years ago?

The aircraft conveyed the remains of former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu and, wait for it, former Minister of Aviation during the Obasanjo administration. It is mind-boggling that Nigeria has had not less than 18 incidents of air mishaps since 1999, with at least 3 happening in the last 2 years.

The real tragedy of the most recent tragedy was the statement credited to the current Aviation Minister, Stella Odua that air crashes are "an act of God". Any right thinking human cannot help but marvel at the obvious mental flaw in such line of reasoning. The only logical conclusion to be drawn is that something is horribly wrong with those who have run the aviation ministry since the inception of the 4th Republic.

As if the mediocrity espoused by the current Aviation Minister wasn't bad enough, another former Aviation Minister, Chief Fani Kayode sought to correct her by saying air mishaps were the hand work of the devil. In what could clearly be ascribed to incompetence, these Ministers decided to blame God and the devil.

Wonderful!

The NCAA responded by reactively suspending the licenses of Associated Airlines; and of course Dana Air which was responsible for the death of 163 persons in June last year. Only God knows why Dana was granted the license to ever fly again in Nigeria after such a tragedy of such humongous proportions.

We all are to blame for the continuous misfortunes that befall us as a nation. The Nigerian man does not think right; something is horribly wrong with his mind. It is the reason he accepts what he sees as his fate and continues to hope that some day, God will come down from heaven to change things for him. Why will God come down to change things for us when we believe that every evil that befall us is His will?

This hope for a better tomorrow has become a poison. A seed that has bred the spirit of indolence amongst us. Perhaps it is time to reduce the spectrum of that hope that binds us all in misery to realistic limits. We have been pushed to the wall but we use our backs to break the wall so that we can be pushed further. That is not the consciousness of a people that need change. Only fools continue to do the same thing in the same manner and expect a different result each time.

It is time to do things differently.

I am @saymalcolm on twitter.

Gold-Plated iPhones: Is Nigeria Run By Humans?

As I write this article with Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti's Army Arrangement playing in the background, I feel the visionary maestro turning in his grave at the current happenings in Nigeria. The only word that sufficiently captures how I feel right now is rage. You should feel it too if you knew the cause of my rage.

There was chatter this morning about iPhones on social media but I didn't bother to investigate as I was very busy. However, the news came to me during lunch time and when it did, I can swear that my heart stopped for at least 5 seconds!

Here is a country grappling with man-made problems that threaten her very existence. The north has been ravaged for over two years with serious insurgency problems; we have witnessed heights of unemployment previously unknown; ASUU has embarked on what could probably be its longest strike yet in a bid to force the FG honour an agreement it signed with it over a decade ago, which is going on its third month yet the priority of this administration is iPhones!

The list of problems bedeviling Nigeria under the current administration can be represented by a number a whole lot larger than Metuselah's age but in the usual utter disregard of what's important, many Nigerians are still reeling from the shock after a foreign newspaper reported that the Nigerian Government have placed order for 53 gold-plated Apple iPhones engraved with the coat of arms, a shield and two horses worth N689m to commemorate Nigeria's 53rd Independence Day celebration!

Pray tell, Mr. President, what independence are we celebrating when the nation is in bondage? Bondage to corruption, insurgency, dilapidated infrastructure, a fatally-afflicted educational sector, a crippled health sector, the list goes on and on. Yet, a government that has refused to honour its agreement with ASUU, claiming it would shut the economy down can afford to go on splurge to buy 53 gold-plated iPhones with hundreds of millions, build a Centenary City for the FCT to celebrate the 1914 amalgam of Northern and Southern Protectorates with billions when existing cities can't boast of functional infrastructure, spend billions to maintain a wasteful fleet of private jets, contract our territorial waters security to militants to mention a few. If ASUU never had a reason to strike until their demands are met, they have one now. This is a fight that must be fought to finish.

It breaks my heart that these men in authority, our so-called rulers are not straight or measuring up and have hearts as black as endless pits. Their souls are evil as evil itself. How these oligarchs can, in the face of all Nigerians go through on a daily as result of visionless leadership, make such decisions without the fear of God or anything close to it continues to baffle me. It completely stupifies me that these acts continue over and over again, each worse than the former without fear of any form of consequence.

We the downtrodden, have contributed in empowering the political class to continually shit on our faces, taking it with a smile. In the eternal words of Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti, "suffering and smiling". We have given them the license to treat us as slaves because we have refused to open our eyes to realise our worth. We have refused to see that we have the power. We have adjusted to and are content with to live with the current culture of abuse.

I resigned a long time ago that the Nigeria of today is not yet ready for change. We have watched with folded arms as Nigeria became a theater of the absurd with each stupid and reckless government policy surpassing the other even though we thought it not humanly possible. We have the mind of a great mob - we don't think. Its easy to whip up sentiments and send us all on a wild goose chase with a catchy phrase and after we have expended our energies, a new distraction is put in place and in no time, we forget all that is really important.

With the current crisis going on in PDP, it has been my most fervent prayer that majority of Nigerians will snap out of their hypnosis and realise what a hydra-headed demon PDP is and for once, work to install a suitable replacement. Even with the massive political awareness because of social media, there's still a long way to go. As Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon said, "...2015 is inherently laden with a political thalidomide...". I'm inclined to agree, except we rise up and make concerted, co-ordinated and sustained efforts to ensure that sanity returns.

Enough is enough!

Malcolm O. Ifi.

#CHILDNOTBRIDE CAMPAIGN: MISGUIDED OR MISUNDERSTOOD?

This is just ridiculous!

The social media was agog with so much frenzy when news of what transpired in the Senate in the past week hit the media streets. I have received not less than 50 broadcasts on bbm from people claiming to be massively involved in the fight against the passage of a bill to legalize under-age marriage. I was shocked when I read most of these broadcasts and was greatly depressed because I realized that majority of us Nigerians are an ignorant lot!

If people spent half the time they do reading newspapers, listening to the news on the radio and watching news on TV or actually visiting google more often for current news headlines rather than reading gossip columns like Linda Ikeji's blog and other gossip media, they would be more informed. For Linda Ikeji's teeming fans, this is not a swipe at Linda Ikeji but a swipe at those of you who take her stories as the gospel truth. Y'all need to learn the difference between gossip and fact!

Contrary to what many people think as regards the issue, there wasn't an actual bill to legalize under-age marriage. What happened was during the on-going constitutional amendment carried on by the National Assembly, with specific regard to Section 29 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Senate Committee sought to amend the subsection stated copiously below.

Section 29 (1) provides thus;

"Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation"

Section 29 (4) further states thus;

"For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section
(a) "Full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;
(b) Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age." (Emphasis mine).

A probable but unwise interpretation of this subsection is that a girl who gets married at the age of 13 or less is of full age and can decide to change her citizenship regardless of her mental capacity. This was the bone of contention for the Senate Committee. The Senate Committee was of the opinion that the provision should be expunged because of this perceived ambiguity. This is where the problem started.

Senator Ahmed Yerima whom we all know as a "staunch" defender of Sharia Law swung into action saying that the section was against the tenets of Islam. I am no expert in Islamic affairs, but this in my opinion however, was no defense of Islam but the defense of his lecherous whims especially in the light of his condemnable marriage to a 13 year old Egyptian girl in 2009. His view is that once a girl is married, she has full mental capacity to renounce her citizenship and understand the implication thereof.

This, my friends, is a shitload of bollocks! I'll tell you why.

In all the hue and cry that followed, we all forgot something - and this is often the case when religion and emotions get involved in arguments - we skip the salient points. The subsection said "woman" and not "girl". The wording of the sub-section is clear and unambiguous. Except "Hon"Yerima and the other Senators who missed this are trying to tell me that the word "woman" is a synonym for "girl", what's all the fuss about?

For the "unlearned", any question of statutory interpretation begins with looking at the plain language of the statute to discover its original intent. To discover a statute's original intent, courts first look to the words of the statute and apply their usual and ordinary meanings. Only when that fails, can we deem such a statute to be ambiguous before recourse can be had to the intent of the legislature when making the law or other methods of statutory interpretation.

Amazingly, Ahmed Yerima gathered a few followers with his warped sense of logic and when it came up for a second vote, though the majority of senators voted that the subsection be expunged, they couldn't get the required two-thirds majority to expunge as provided for by Section 9(2) of the constitution which states thus;

Section 9(2)  “An Act of the National Assembly for the alteration of this Constitution… shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states.”

Therefore, in this regard, the majority of the Senate only failed to expunge the subsection because of the requirement of the above mentioned Section 9(2) which basically gave Yerima and his cohorts the power to hold the rest of the Senate to ransom. However, this attempt to expunge the subsection, though noble is misguided and highly unnecessary.

That being said, The Child Rights Act was passed into law in 2003 and Section 277 defines a child as anyone below 18 years of age. Also, Sections 21 and 22 of the Act effectively criminalizes child marriage and betrothal in Nigeria. What needs to be done is to push for The Child Rights Act to be domesticated in every one of the 36 states in Nigeria.

As at today, 12 states are yet to domesticate The Child Act and apart from Enugu State, the rest of them are states from the North. This in my opinion, is a deliberate ploy to undermine the efficacy of the Act.

Furthermore, any court that makes the mistake of towing the line of the thoughts of our obviously "unlearned" senators who sought to expunge the Section 29(4)(b) of the Constitution poses a serious threat to the applicability and enforceability to the Act as all enacted laws that are inconsistent with the constitution are void to the extent of their inconsistency because the Constitution is the grund norm of the nation and is supreme to any other law enacted. 

 Section 1(1) provides, “This Constitution and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

In addition to this, Section 1(3) provides, “If any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail and that other law shall to the extent of the inconsistency be void."

For avid social media users, please be selective in the information that you consume and take as fact.

This is my two kobo on the issue.

Malcolm O. Ifi.

A GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE INDEED: OKADA BAN IN PARTS OF BENIN CITY AND WHAT IT PORTENDS

Comrade Adams Oshiomole. Edo State Governor

On Monday 17th of June 2013, low-income residents of Benin City, Edo State began to feel the impact of the ill-advised decision of the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomole to ban the use of commercial motorcycles and tricycles popularly known as "okada" and "keke" respectively.

Residents have continued to express dismay at what is considered a betrayal of massive proportions considering the fact that Comrade Oshiomole stated many times over that he never intended to ban the use of this alternative and very convenient means of transport. As they trekked under the blazing sun, nice words about the governor were in abundant scarcity.

The comrade governor made this announcement a week ago after the state Security Council meeting at the Government House in Benin City. He listed Ikpoba Okha, Oredo and Egor LGA's which constitute the Benin Metropolis as the areas to be affected by the ban. The ban came to effect yesterday regardless of several protests against it since the announcement. The comrade governor attributed security challenges and fatality rates of accidents as the reason for the decision to ban the activities of commercial bike riders.

While the concern of the comrade governor is admirable, it is premature as it is illogical. While it is well-known that okada riders have proved to be nuisances on the roads as well as becoming tools to perpetuate crime, the same could be said for motorists. No mention was made of the fact that the deplorable conditions of the road infrastructure contributes massively to the accidents.

Okada riders in the Benin Metropolis.

Going down to criminality, it is quite unfair to point to some okada riders as the cause for the increasing wave of crime. How often to do we hear that robberies or kidnapping are carried out by the use of commercial bikes? Statistics would show that the governor's premise is a very faulty one as cars are just as often involved in accidents and used to perpetuate crime.

The insincerity of this anti-people policy is more glaring when no serious attempt was made to regulate the operation of commercial bike riders with legislation or other form of restraint. This ban is akin to throwing away the bath water along with the baby. Why didn't he come up with this policy before he ran for second term? It is highly hypocritical for the Comrade Governor to attribute this sudden change of heart to the increasing spate of accidents and crime wave when it was an agenda he nursed from the very beginning.

The economic consequences of this policy will have far-reaching effects. It is no news that unemployment in Nigeria is at its zenith while infrastructure, despite taking leaps in recent times, especially in Edo State under the comrade governor's administration, there's still a lot to be done. This ban will affect negatively a high percentage of the commercial riders who have this as their only means of income with no visible alternative. What becomes of their families? How many people can afford to take cabs which are still ridiculously expensive in Benin? Will this policy not bring about an increase in crime rate that it seeks to cure in the first place?

I find it quite inhumane that the poor have to be at the receiving end of every policy or legislation that attempts to sanitize the mess Nigeria has become. The failure of government in its duties has led the masses to improvise in order to survive. Taking that away without providing a viable alternative is heartless to say the least.

This is the norm for politicians in Nigeria who kowtow to the electorate when they seek their votes and afterwards, suddenly become insensitive to their plight. Comrade Adams Oshiomole has joined the long list of governors of Nigerian governors who have bitten the hands that fed them. His betrayal is particularly painful because it was the unflinching support of commercial riders and commoners who rallied together to ensure that his stolen mandate was returned. This is the thanks we get.

It is understood that most times, change is rejected but it is inevitable. No doubt, this ban will sanitize Benin Metropolis but this is a democracy. Alienating the electorate by carrying out unilateral decisions such as these without regard to the untold hardship it will occasion is not right. There was no form of consultation with those to be affected. In fact, they were lulled by a false of security that the comrade governor was of a different stock considering that at a time, he fought on the side of the common man. At the end of the day, all politicians are the same.

A word of caution to all politicians: it is apparent that when politicians enter into public service, they get faced with an entirely different reality as they enjoy the unnecessary trappings of office and inevitably develop amnesia to the reality on ground. Nigerians are suffering! If you will not better the living conditions of the people, do not make it worse.

With Oshiomole's embarrassing antics at the just concluded LG elections and this new policy, he has just alienated further the people who believed and voted him in. This may have dire consequences for the ruling party in Edo State, the Action Congress Nigeria (ACN) in the long run. The hero he was once touted to be has begun to diminish gradually in the eyes of many. He just may live long enough to see himself become the villain.

Malcolm O. Ifi.

Photo Credits: Google.

LEST WE FORGET WHAT IS RELEVANT

Hon. Dino Melaye

On Monday 15th of April 2013, the social media and news was awash with reports about an assassination attempt on the life of former federal lawmaker and Executive Secretary of the Anti-Corruption Network, Hon. Dino Melaye. According to him, he was coming from the National Hospital, Central Area, Abuja at about 9:30pm when the assailants who were in a Volkswagen golf car, overtook his car near the NNPCT towers, parked ahead of him and started shooting sporadically.

Dino Melaye's car

Two bullets hit his car but he managed to escape unharmed to a Police check point nearby for safety and also to report the incident with the wind screen of his Bentley badly cracked. However, a cracked wind screen was not enough to make the Policemen at the check point spring to action as the scene of the alleged assassination attempt was not their "beat".

In a swift response totally uncharacteristic of the Nigerian Police Force - barely 24 hours after, the Abuja Police Commissioner, Olufemi Ogunbayo released a statement refuting Hon. Melaye's claims of an assassination attempt. He stated that the lawmaker said he was on his way home from the National Hospital, Abuja in his air-conditioned car, all windows wound up listening to cool music when he noticed a Range Rover Sport Golf car drive past his (Emphasis mine).

He added that when the police went to the scene to investigate the incident, they didn't find any parked car or shell casings; neither did the questioning of residents reveal anything to support Hon. Melaye's claims.
He went further to construct what he understood to be an assassination attempt. In his words;

"If they had wanted to kill Dino, they do not need to drive and park meters away from Dino's car before shooting, they would have just blocked his car and shoot him at the spot, so that cannot be called an attempted assassination. And how then is it possible for you to be in your car wind up enjoying the air condition and a very cool music and then you hear a gunshot?"

So from the foregoing, they didn't really want to kill him. They probably were just playing with him...or trying to frighten him.

While I concede that there are still some unanswered questions - like how two bullets failed to penetrate a wind screen that is not bullet-proof (there are conflicting reports as to whether the car is bullet-proof or not), one cannot help but notice the spite and disdain in the report of Mr. Ogunbayo and many Nigerians as well.
I am not a fan of Dino Melaye but I agree that he has been the most visible activist in recent times, tirelessly hounding the government for its unfriendly policies. Is it so far-fetched to think that an attempt can actually be made on his life? I think not.

I find it highly pretentious for anyone who was not in the Bentley with Mr. Melaye when the alleged assassination attempt occurred to brand him as an attention seeker. Nigeria is an unsafe place as we all know. The sanctity of human life means nothing to those who have sworn to protect it and gradually, that i-don't-care-as-long-as-it-isn't-me-attitude is gradually becoming the norm.

Why did the Police men at the check point Mr. Dino Melaye escaped to refuse to act in a timely fashion rather than claim it wasn't "their beat"? It raises serious questions as to the ability of the NPF to handle a competent investigation. Mr. Ogunbayo claimed a forensic investigation was carried out; this strikes me as odd when no attempt was made to contain the scene of the alleged incident in a timely fashion. Any investigator worth his salt knows that a contaminated scene is useless.

I found it quite sad how many Nigerians lost sight of the original issue and began to cast aspersions on the character of Mr. Melaye because he drove a Bentley. Not many people really cared about whether the attempt on his life was real or not. What became center stage was how he could afford to own a Bentley. I don't care what Dino Melaye does for a living but knowing how vindictive the PDP-led FG can be, he would have been hauled off to court on numerous charges if there was evidence of any malfeasance against him. Take a chill pill people and focus on the real issues.

The attitude of NPF is the real reason we will never know if the assassination attempt was real or imagined. Little wonder why after many years and many political assassinations, we still have no idea of who the perpetrators are. No explanation was proffered as to how the cracked glass on Mr. Dino's Bentley came about. Instead, the Abuja commissioner of police came to regale Nigerians with tales of how an assassination, not an assassination attempt is carried-out in his opinion. He obviously haven't heard about drive-bys.

I'm not even going to talk about the part of how a gun shot is inaudible because a person wound up "enjoying the air condition and a very cool music" because it is as ridiculous as it sounds. Neither am I going to talk about the new brand of vehicle called "Range Rover Sport Golf"; probably assembled in Ogunbayo's garage.

These "Ogas at the top" are not so bright, are they?

Malcolm O. Ifi.

I am on twitter @saymalcolm

THE INACTION THAT IS KILLING US!

Nature knows no pause in progress and development, and attaches her curse on all inaction.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The Occupy Nigeria Protests was one of the rarest moments in Nigeria's history since her transition from military autocracy to a democracy. In over a decade of civilian rule characterized by a steady decline in our international image, severe infrastructural decay, political rascality, mindless looting of Nigera's common wealth by the political class, the emergence of an untouchable cabal, escalating crime and violence and the never-ending increase in the rate of unemployment and dismal standard of living; the masses arose against the oppressive policy of the PDP-led government.

For once, there was real fear in the heart of the government as they saw what could have easily turned into a peaceful revolution. Thus, they deployed the military to quell the rebellion while engaging in shameless subversion that finally watered down the demands of the aggrieved masses.

A year after the hullabaloo died down, the status quo remains. The promises made to effect positive changes to minimize the economic hardship its unsound policies have meted out to the populace have all but fizzled out. A year has gone by, yet there has not been a single conviction of the people who we have been led to believe are the illegal beneficiaries of our commonwealth. In fact, I dare say things have gotten progressively worse; the most recent being the unbelievable decision of the president to grant amnesty to Boko Haram; a terrorist group that is solely responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 innocent Nigeria and the wanton destruction of properties amounting to millions of Naira.

I am still yet to understand how this decision will change the anarchy the Northern part of Nigeria has become. Only a fool does the same thing every time and expects a different result. The shaky truce that kept the Niger Delta militants at bay since the amnesty organized by the late President Yar'Adua has finally given way with the killing of several policemen a few days ago in Bayelsa State of which MEND claimed responsibility after several threats to resume hostilities.

While I will never subscribe to engaging in violence to make a point except in extreme cases, it was apparent that the Niger Delta, being the primary source of Nigera's income suffered extreme neglect while oil exploration activities ravaged her habitat effectively killing off the means of livelihood of a large number of her residents. From that stand point, I couldn't fault the amnesty program on the ground that the militants had a "legitimate" cause for agitation. Sadly, the amnesty program has become another medium to siphon public funds. The Niger Delta is not much better off for the amnesty. The only beneficiaries seem to be the militant warlords and a few others. The root cause of the militancy is yet to be addressed.

With Boko Haram, it is an entirely different matter. Here is a terrorist group whose known agenda is to islamise Northern Nigeria; a mission that goes against the spirit of the Constitution. Aside from their independently fragmented structure which makes room for dialogue impossible, they seem to be only interested in causing carnage; they want to see Nigeria burn. How anyone can consider amnesty for this bloodthirsty bunch beggars belief. It is akin to America granting amnesty to Al Quaeda; an impossibility in today's world as we know it.

More troubling is the rippling effects that this singular thoughtless decision portends. In a nation where unemployment is at its peak, there has been no serious attempt to ameliorate it. What is to stop the emergence of more militant and terrorist groups as this is now the "legitimate" way to get the attention of the government?

I have no doubt that this PDP-led government seems determined to run Nigeria aground. However, we deserve an equal share in the blame. Yes! We all do. We, who stood by and watched elections get rigged; we, who refused to hold our legislative representatives accountable; we, who have stood by as Boko Haram has continued their wreck havoc on our fellow citizens and escalate the deep seated mistrust that lies as a result of our diversity. We seem to have forgotten the tenets of democracy; that it is a representative government. Even though, our laws are elitist, these "leaders" are answerable to us.

I am greatly saddened that the spirit that possessed Nigerians in January 2012 has dissipated. I am gripped with murderous rage each time I discuss with some PDP apologists who tell me elections are not won by noise-making on the social media but by bags of rice. As bitter as the pill may be, it is the truth. A clear evidence is the just concluded Council Elections in Abuja where PDP enjoyed a massive landslide winning five out of the six Councils.

I had thought that the Occupy Nigeria Protests had created a vibrant political awareness in us all. If there ever was a better way to send a message to this administration, it should have been a massive and total rejection of PDP in Abuja in the just concluded elections. Alas, we have all slithered back into our uncomfortable holes to suffer in silence and watch in dismay as mediocrity takes the center stage in Nigeria.

Fellow Nigerians, we are all we have. Its time to stop praying to God to deliver us from this mess. Our inactions put us where we are. Our inactions emboldened the men who lead us to treat us like slaves in our country. We must start over and get off our lazy arses and do something! The first step begins with the wait for 2015. A large percentage of us who yap about the misdeeds of this PDP-led government are not registered voters. Leave the social media and go out and register when the time comes and stand guard to protect your votes! Change will forever be a mirage if we sit and pray only as faith without works is nothing. The words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy are instructive;

"There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction."

I am @saymalcolm on twitter.

THE MAN WHOSE PEN WOKE THE WORLD TO AFRICA: A EULOGY FOR A LITERARY ICON: PROF. CHINUA ACHEBE (1930-2013)

Prof Achebe at different stages in life

My father is a great man. The realization only hit me recently when I remember how much my turbulent childhood contributed to who I am today. My father, though difficult is a great man for many reasons, principal of which is the stern and academic upbringing I received. My father's intellect has always been a wonder and today, I'm proud that some of that intellect flows in my veins. I was introduced to the world of books at a very young age - first by sight. My father possessed a personal library that was the envy of many - a habit he developed at a young age so at a young age, crammed books inside a bookshelf made of wood and glass in our sitting room was a familiar sight.

The books in that shelf were on various topics ranging from mathematics, economics and literature. I remember vividly seeing a red hardcover volume of one of Adam Smith's books. There were volumes of books by Karl Marx, Maxim Gorky; there were others by Niccolo Machiavelli, Gustav Sandgren, most of which I cannot remember now . The literary section boasted of many classics such as William Golding's Lord of the Flies; DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, Graham Greene's The Heart Of The Matter, Frederick Forsyth's autobiography on the Biafran Warlord titled Emeka, Dale Carnegie's Lincoln The Unknown, volumes of Harold Robbins amongst others too numerous to mention. There also was a tidy spread of James Hadley Chase which were pilfered over time - in fact, most of these books are missing now; something I regret deeply.

My younger brother and I got to discover the hard way how important this bookshelf was. We were engaged in our usual "rough play" when we crashed the glassy display of the wooden bookshelf. That day, the harmless-looking "koboko" which hung quietly in my father's bedroom had a taste of our flesh for the first time - my father was a firm believer in Solomon's sagely proverb of "spare the rod and spoil the child".

A larger section of the bookshelf was devoted to African writers which included Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Ferdinand Oyono, Camara Laye, Okot p'Bitek, Cyprian Ekwensi, Elechi Amadi, Chukwuemeka Ike, Wole Soyinka amongst others too numerous to mention. However, my father's favorite was his Chinua Achebe collection; he bought every one of his books that was available in print. That was how I got to know of the man. My first read was Chike And The River which was a recommended text in primary schools at the time. From then on, I attempted to read Things Fall Apart which was a popular TV series aired frequently but being a kid, I lost interest as the book was quite complex.

Achebe in 1958

I encountered Chinua Achebe in secondary school once again as Things Fall Apart was a recommended text. After reading the book and the heavy analysis of the book that followed as a literature student, I didn't wait for any further recommendation as I read voraciously No Longer At Ease, Arrow of God, A Man Of The People, Girls At War in quick succession during my spare time. By this time, I was totally convinced that Achebe was the greatest African writer ever after having read my fair share of the different African authors; a sentiment shared by Simon Winder, publishing director at Penguin. I wanted to be a writer just like him but it was a fancy that passed too quickly, just like my drawing skills which were heavily frowned upon. My fate was sealed by an unchecked admiration I expressed as a youngster for brilliant lawyer, Mr Matlock in the old sitcom, Matlock.

Over the years, as my mind matured, I began to appreciate fully the man, Chinualumogu Albert Achebe. He was born in 1930, in Ogidi, Eastern Nigeria, which is now part of Anambra State. He was awarded a scholarship and attended University of Ibadan where he studied English, History and Theology. After his studies, he was employed by the Nigeria Broadcasting Service as a scriptwriter. His first novel Things Fall Apart, the title of which comes from Yeats's poem "The Second Coming", has gone on to sell more than 10million copies and has been translated into more than 50 languages was already in the works when he went to England and was finally published in 1958. It was an instant hit in the literary world. Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka spoke of the book in glowing terms as the "first novel in English which spoke from the interior of an African character rather than . . . as the white man would see him".

Prof Achebe with Nelson Mandela

No Longer At Ease was published in 1960 and was closely followed by Arrow Of God in 1964.
Achebe's writing skills is without doubt one of the greatest to have graced literature. Asides being a novelist, he was a poet, children's writer, critic, editor and essayist. Achebe took his skills further and became a voice for black Africa. Nelson Mandela said that Achebe "brought Africa to the rest of the world" and called him "the writer in whose company the prison walls came down".

His essay, An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness (1975) on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in which Achebe argued that Joseph Conrad was a racist despite his disposition towards colonialism has been the catalyst for intellectual discuss on the subject ever since. In his words;

"I felt it was my duty as an African writer to reflect on the work of Conrad. But I won't return there although I am pleased it sparked so much discussion. It is good to show in stark outline what the real situation is, what the person at the other end of the whip is feeling. But I also understood that I must get on with my work and not dwell on one subject or book."

Achebe's Anthills Of The Savannah was published in 1987 and was shortlisted for the 1987 Booker prize. It dealt with the military regime that ran a west African republic. His final legacy to the literary world and Nigeria particularly was released last year and was the cause of much furor in political and ethnic circles. In There Was A Country: A Personal History Of Biafra, Achebe gave a passionate and personal account of the events that culminated in the nation's civil war of 1967 to 1970 - the devastation that it left in its wake and his disgust that Nigeria with all her potential has become a cesspool of corruption and injustice as a result of mediocre and selfish leadership. In this book which took the literary iroko some 40 years to compile, I had a glimpse of a man who was bitter about the failure Nigeria had become especially as hopes were high after her independence from Britain in 1960. It occurred to me that Achebe was saddened by the fact that he would never live long enough to see the Nigeria of his dreams rise from the abyss she had been plunged into by successive failures in leadership.

His foray into politics was brief; he joined People's Redemption Party at the end of the war and withdrew as he found that "the majority of people … were there for their own personal advancement"; a statement that still rings true today, thus his devotion to the academia.

An unfortunate accident in 1990 paralysed him from the waist down and forced his move to the US where he died. He expressed his longing to return home when he said in 2007; "I miss Nigeria very much. My injury means I need to know I am near a good hospital and close to my doctor. I need to know that if I went to a pharmacist the medicine there would be the drug that the bottle says it is..." - this in itself is a testament to the rot that has pervaded Nigeria as we know it today.

His disappointment at leadership in Nigeria led him to reject twice, attempts by the Nigerian government to confer on him national honours of Commander of the Federal Republic, first in 2004 and in 2011. He expressed his alarm and dismay at the political wranglings especially in Anambra, his home state that seemed determined to "turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom". He said in response to the attempt to confer him with national honours in 2004;

"I am appalled by the brazenness of this clique and the silence, if not connivance, of the presidency … Nigeria's condition today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence. I must register my disappointment and protest by declining to accept the high honour awarded me in the 2004 honours list."

Prof Achebe's other books include Girls At War And Other Stories (1972), Christmas in Biafra (1973) which won the Commonwealth poetry prize, The Trouble With Nigeria (1983) and numerous scholarly and widely published essays. Until his death at the ripe age of 82 yesterday, he was
a David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and professor of Africana studies in Brown University. He is survived by his wife, Christie; four children and six grand children.

Prof Achebe who is widely regarded as the father of African literature lived a full life and is a rare and irreplaceable gem who stood firm for what he believed. In the words of my brother who, like me was influenced by him;

"He was one of a kind, a giant of no small means, a warlord whose weapons were gold-plated in words, a gentleman with a godly demeanor, an advocate of knowledge and peace, he was all that an established man is, that a visionary should aim to be...one of Nigeria's greatest losses yet." 

In celebrating his life, let us remember and emulate what he stood for. He was a man of incredible genius, indefatigable energy and impeccable integrity who defended Africa with the pen. He had an undying belief in the greatness Nigeria could be; a hope we all must keep alive.

It is for this reason that I salute my father who introduced me to the world of this great man who inspired me, whose literary shoes can never be filled. May the solace of heaven provide you in no small measure, the peace that the deplorable state of Nigeria denied you for years.

Malcolm O. Ifi.

I am on twitter @saymalcolm