Now that we negotiate with terrorists

‘Facts emerged on Friday the 17^th of August 2012 that the Federal Government of Nigeria was considering some of the peace terms of Boko Haram, the fundamentalist Islamic sect, which had masterminded bombings in the North for more than one year’.

Some of the demands by this sect include:

·         Payment of compensation for twenty four of their members they considered “killed unjustly” by security forces.

·         Release of those clamped into detention without committing any crime

·         And once these conditions were met, they would cease fire

It breaks my heart to know that people who have openly terrorized a state or country will be given amnesty with such benefits that even graduates who have laboured so hard yet peacefully cannot even access.

When a truly peace loving citizen who have spent years on the road seeking for a decent job hears about the larger than life terrorists and militants are living, you will need a stronger conviction to deter him from seeing why it doesn’t pay to be a terrorist rather than an abiding citizen of Nigeria.

No matter the issue, is it right for a president to publicly embrace a militant/terrorist group{s} or anyone that has picked up arms against the state?

But Nigeria is a country where it pays to be peace hating, commotion causing, kidnapping and bomb throwing citizen cause that is where lies the act of forcefully taking your own share of the national case knowing fully well that those high up who have decided to corner the wealth and convert it into their personal account cannot just be bothered about their welfare.

How happy can a peace loving citizen be to know that Asari-Dokubo earns $9M a year, Ateke Tom and Boy loaf earns $3.5M per annum and Tompolo gets $22.5M all in a year just by having a ‘degree’ in militancy

So tell me, what exactly are we trying to promote...Tranquillity or Terrorism?

You know the Israeli intelligence has this statement credited to them and I am of the opinion that this exactly is what every intelligent unit should emulate: “It is GOD who judges terrorists, ours is to arrange their meeting”

But in our own case, we try to paint a picture that the next special people after those holding political offices are terrorists since they end up having their own share of the National cake forcefully whilst the peace loving citizens are left at the mercy of the crumbs which fall from the table of these privileged few.

We shouldn’t be surprised when another group takes over from where boko haram ceases fire knowing fully well that that is the cheapest way to get fame and make a fortune.

WE ARE SO QUICK TO FORGET

I doubt if anyone will remember this statement and I even dare those who live in the State in question to recall and check if their memory will fail them or not even as I quote: "Anybody scheming for another term is either bereft of ideas or has unprogressive plans: It is a Governor to a term and anyone who forces himself on the people under a second term guise will find shame waiting for him. I believe our people are wiser and sophisticated” This statement is credited to the present serving Governor of Ondo state, Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko in his campaign interview on NTA Akure 7pm on April 9,2007.

It was so amazing to hear this same Governor declare his intention for a second term on Wednesday 25^th of July, 2012. As much as I personally do not have an issue with declaration of a second term since the constitution makes room for such, I am of the opinion that it is very improper for a leader to eat his words and openly show to the world how much disrespect he has got for the word integrity. I still can’t come to terms that he seem to have forgotten that as a leader ‘Your word is your bond’

To make matters worse as a people, we allow events bye pass us and quickly throw them into the dustbin of history. How then can we ever hold these leaders by their words? We seem to forget that being a follower is equally as tasking as being a leader. We are always the first to make excuses for these lapses and why do we then wonder when the next person comes to inflict a greater injury to our already pitiable state? If you are still in awe as to why this has become a trend, I can say for sure that I am not. This is because the leaders have understudied us and have come to the conclusion that we are a people who forget too soon and quickly move on as if nothing ever happened.

I can bet that some people have even forgotten about the legal tussle which eventually brought His Excellency Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko into power; how then can they ever recollect the words this man spoke in the heat of the whole drama? These are the same words which should be haunting him as we speak but alas! My people have forgotten and the man has carried on as if words of such gravity were never spoken. I doubt even if his opposition have remembered this potent statement which they on their own can use to score political points but I am very sure they are busy cross-carpeting and scheming instead of strategizing.

A number of people have come to the conclusion that I must belong to an opposition to have done a research in order to dig up this archive material but they have simply forgotten that the followers have got the responsibility of ensuring the leader is not taking his people for a ride the same way the leader must ensure he serves the public honestly with the view of being accountable to them.

I for one will insist that if I can’t trust a man to keep his words, then he cannot be trusted with my future; and you will agree with me that we don’t need a Professor of Philosophy to prove this to us. Sounds rigid but on a second thought, has it ever occurred to you that a man who cannot stand for something will fall for anything? So on this issue; I insist that a man who hasn’t stood by his words have proven to me that he lacks integrity. But trust me that he might most likely get away with such except the people consciously play their followership role by ensuring they hold leaders by their words. The pertinent question however is ‘how can this come to be when as a people, we are so quick to forget?’

WHAT IF DANGOTE WANTS GRADUATES AS DRIVERS?

Many of us may be discontent with the business model of the mogul, touted as one of the richest in Africa and making Forbes list year after year as being immensely rich and taking his position as one of the wealthiest on the globe but for once lets logically look at this issue that has received a number of public outcries.

Fellow agents of change in Nigeria, I choose to differ for once on the reported public outcry against DANGOTE calling for Graduates as Truck Drivers. I will attempt to lead several basis for my position.

There is probably no gain consulting GOOGLE or the United Nation's data on the rate of unemployment in Nigeria as it stares us in the face everyday.  Everyday, on the streets of Lagos, I come across many well - spoken Graduates turned beggars with no means of livelihood. Many have become commercial motorcycle riders in a bid to sustain themselves and family.

As if this is not bad enough, many Graduates have become employed but not gainfully in less - than attractive employments. Take accounts - sourcing called 'marketing' in local parlance for example, not a few have become engaged in such contractual employments whilst security of such is based on the number of accounts which can be 'captured' Of course, left with no other choice, many Graduates have enthusiastically taken up these jobs faced with no alternative and professing their competence at their abilities to ''work well under pressure'' but alas, they got the boot too!

Even more interesting is the fact that few have clung on to their employments having lost value for their person, engaging in amorous relationships and pawning their bodies for this means of livelihood.

Everyday, I learn of the plights of my contemporaries and other Graduates working in degrading and unimaginable conditions including extended man – hours with little or nothing to show for such. To say this grieves my heart will be an understatement.

In recent times, particularly on our APAPA - OSHODI, OTEDOLA END OF LAGOS - IBADAN EXPRESSWAY, SAGAMU and other major highways in the country, innocent lives have been lost to trailer accidents. Few months ago, the newspapers were awash with the reports of two young men, both employees of a Courier Company who lost their lives in a trailer accident. Another set of four young men lost their lives at the same spot around OTEDOLA estate when a trailer tyre disengaged and slew them.

I was also informed of a trailer which was fleeing from FRSC men at the last Holy Ghost Convention, driving against traffic while commuters were lucky as it eventually plunged into the bush by the road side. The interesting reoccurring decimal is that the drivers are never apprehended.

I, for one think the time has come to leave the job of driving trucks to responsible and educated graduates who would consider road - worthiness of trucks and place premium value on their lives and that of other road users. I ask myself, where is dignity of labour? What business would I have considering the nature of the job when I am adding value and well remunerated? In my opinion, the real labour forces are those employed by LAWMA diligently sweeping the roads, making them impeccably clean. I doubt if they earn a lot and if they have life insurance policies taken out on their behalf. Lately LASTMA men have become endangered species, losing their lives and in retrospect, those of their families to senseless commercial bus drivers.

How is being a Graduate and driving a truck different from being a Pilot and flying a plane or being a Sailor or Captain and manning a Vessel? I am all the more grieved because the smell of the pretence reeks to high heavens when our Graduates eek hundreds of thousands of naira to procure South African, Spanish, Ukrainian and visas of other countries to live whilst working worse menial jobs. This tells me that the problem may not be the job but other surrounding circumstances which render the job undignifying.

The men have since been sending money home doing the job of security guards in UK and USA while the women are Nurses caring for patients young and old. The problem is our failed trust in us as individuals and as a country.

In conclusion, our grouse should not be that one of the greatest employers of labour is seeking to employ graduates as truck drivers but that their conditions of service must be encouraging and soul - lifting. Many Graduates may be employed but certainly not gainfully. They litter the cubicles of our banks, their bulk rooms, the Inland Revenue Services where they know or learn next to nothing about tax issues and our various government ministries.

We definitely require improved and enforceable labour laws, a sincere government which can genuinely improve the lot of the youths by providing quality education, make them gainfully engaged either as employees or owners of their own businesses whilst encouraging the right working conditions.

2012 Paralympics........Lessons to learn

It is no longer news that our Paralympians made the country proud by breaking former World and Olympics record whilst setting new ones, had our Country’s flag hoisted six times during the competition and to crown it all up, came home with thirteen medals {Six Gold, Five Silver and two Bronze medals respectively}.

I don’t know about you but for me, it reminds me vividly about the adage that says ‘There is ability in disability’ If the 2012 Olympians were given little attention, the Paralympians were completely ignored, if the Olympians were hardly funded, they enjoyed practically no funding, if the Olympians enjoyed media hype, the Paralympians didn’t have such luxury yet they shone like the million starts and achieved what the Olympians could not.

Take a look at a certain Yakubu Adesokan who won the country’s first gold medal with a world record; The 33 year old broke the world record in the men’s 48 category by lifting 178kg which is over three times his body weight. I mean that beats my imagination!

I can say that the dismal outing at the Olympics must have discouraged those who would have made an attempt to watch the Paralympics but alas the stone which the builders rejected ended up being the chief corner stone. Taking a very critical look at both the Olympics and Paralympics: After the former, the Minister of Sports could only come on board to tender explanations as to why the team had a dismal outing and I for one would have thought this excuses were meant to serve as a wakeup call for us to expect a much more disastrous outing at the Paralympics considering the fact that the ones who we would have referred to as being ‘able’ could not make us proud. Gladly, I was proven wrong.

There are a number of lessons to learn in all of this because the Paralympianshad a choice of failing and blaming the government but by sheer determinations chose to do us proud against all odds and in turn have their name written in gold.  I strongly believe that they had a beautiful outing because they were faced with two options: To Succeed and to Succeed. They realised that failing gave them no alternative as they practically had nothing to fall back on. Aside that, they could easily pass as the rejected ones who have been tagged as disabled and in some cases liabilities.

These same Paralympians had to manage whatever crumbs of the Federal Government allocation that was left after taking care of the 2012 Olympians who were treated as ‘priority’. But guess what? It was the class of people we will rather call physically challenged or commonly referred to in some quarters as disabled who ensured we made a statement by having our name on the medals table whilst ensuring the green and white flag got hoisted six times during the 2012 Paralympics. What an Irony!

National Horrors.....Sorry National Honours again?

What is the pedigree of the people we as a Country have chosen to honour year in and out? What are the definite yardsticks for such honours? How did they even make the money we seem to be celebrating? How come we don’t have an insight to their journey into stardom? How many of them made their wealth through embezzlement of public funds and how many honestly amassed wealth?

Has there ever been any summary of achievements that has warranted the people so honoured on this list? So how do you prove to the world that they actually merit the award as we are being told? All we ever see is a long list of names known and unknown, People with clean sheets amidst those who have at one time or the other been indicted for different offences ranging from corruption to embezzlement of public funds. What better definition of confusion can one deduce from this?

It is so disheartening that respected people in the society who are known to have made {and who are still making} invaluable contributions are hardly ever mentioned whilst some unworthy people receive higher honours. Year in and out, the story has been the same with National honours given mostly to government officials to whom you could not credit with any achievement. This is usually capped with some other characters-who, in another Country, would be in jail conferred with National honours

My former State Governor who only succeeded in being the repairer of projects State Governors before him initiated {Olusegun Obasanjo reiterated this on his visit to my State} found his way into that list about a year ago. This same man was indicted as the Minister of Power and Steel before he got ‘voted’ in as the Governor and up till today cannot pin point any major landmark in that State to warrant being honoured. How then do you think I being a citizen of that State would have any form of regard for such an award?

In my own opinion, giving out National honours to serving government officials is synonymous to giving out medals to athletes even before running the race. When people such as Bode George, Tafa Balogun, Cecelia Ibru, Dimeji Bankole and the likes are still carrying National honours, then you can tell the dishonour that has become of such a ‘honour’....little wonder the likes of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Hon Gbajabiamila rejected such a horror!

In Abuja, a cab driver Mr Umeh Usuah found and returned the sum of N18M a passenger forgot in his cab to its rightful owner, his name should be on that list.

Another is a Nigerian Aviation Handling Company {NAHCO} employee Salami Ibrahim who found and returned a wallet containing foreign currencies of 25,000 Pounds and 5,000 Euro totalling about N7.3million when converted. He found this huge amount of money while cleaning an aeroplane belonging to an airline. It might interest you that Turkish airline was the one who rewarded this man with an all expense paid trip to Istanbul despite the fact that the aircraft in question wasn’t theirs. This young man ought to also be on that list.

The thirteen medallists who made the Country proud at the just concluded Paralympics event more than deserve to be on that honour list because they ended up saving our face after the abysmal performance at the Olympics. They have made a statement against all odds and should be rewarded so as to instil confidence in the people that hard work pays.

I am tired of a Country who chooses to honour those who have deprived the common man of their rights to a decent life over/at the expense of those who have demonstrated unquestionable integrity, valuable character, honesty, done the country proud, been good compatriots and have written their names in gold.