Expecting a different result?

I laugh at times when I hear people wishing Nigeria well.....Truth is I am not convinced that we truly wish ourselves well. How often do we need to keep singing this song into each other’s ears before it sinks? Reality check...Is we just cannot get to that Promised Land by merely wishing.

As much as I do not want to sound like a pessimist, I must be sincere and logical enough especially when the facts and figures are staring one in the face. Nigeria’s decadence is worsening by the day but we keep wishing the result of such will turn out positively.

There is an adage that says ‘It is foolishness to do the same thing over and again whilst expecting a different result’ and in our case as a country, we do the same thing over and over again whilst expecting a miracle. Amazingly true really! We circulate the same leaders each time regime changes and we are not just expecting a different result but a drastic change. The reality of such decision is not only staring us in the faces, but the trend have been passed to  the children of such leaders to keep taking us for a ride since we are not really ready to change our modus operandi.

It is no longer news that two sons of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} chieftains were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission {EFCC} before the Lagos High Court for alleged fuel subsidy fraud. The duo of Mahmud Tukur, son of PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur and Nasamu Ali, son of the party’s former National Chairman, Alhaji  Ahmadu Ali and others including Christian Taylor, a foreigner were among the 20 suspects who allegedly defrauded the Nigerian treasury of N13 billion.

I don’t know if it came as a shocker to most of us but I for one was not surprised a bit and my reason is not farfetched:  This has been the trend since inception of democracy and these leaders have only succeeded in passing the baton to their children to keep up the race of amassing dubious wealth whilst trying so hard to erase the track records of such activities.

It is so disheartening that these leaders obviously have no plans for us but rather than honourably stepping out of the stage, they keep scheming to stylishly find a way of remaining in power whilst cunningly paving the way for their children to come eat out of the National cake. The children on the other hand appear even fiercer than their parents who seem ‘outdated’ as regards the sophisticated ways of scamming

.

The chance to change this awful trend keeps staring us in the face every four years but we still haven’t come to the realisation that doing the same thing over again will NEVER yield a different result but rather deepen our crisis. Things have gone from bad to worse despite having the deciding factor in our hands. What an irony! As long as we don’t decide to change this trend of circulating these same set of leaders who obviously have no vision to take us to the Nigeria of our choice, we will keep having them loot our National treasury with their lineage coming to inflict a greater damage.

Then tell me why we should keep deceiving ourselves that we will get to the Promised Land when we have not even taken the first major step in the right direction which is doing things differently.

Follow on twitter@Ifeoluwaleo007

IT IS NOW A CRIME TO BE POOR IN THIS COUNTRY

We live in a country where the poor are treated with so much disdain, have become downtrodden, their dignity continually eroded, seen as worthless, and keep being denied a sense of belonging. In the case of justice, there is ever anyone willing to plead their cause. They are always the ones at the receiving end whenever most policies are put in place and this is because they are more often than not never considered; Government will demolish their abode without an alternative provision, electricity tariffs are being jacked up without giving thinking about how it will make life more difficult for them, fuel prices are increased without ensuring adequate palliatives measures are in place for them, they are killed and no one seem to give a hoot about them and to add insult to the injury, the middle class sees them as the ones who they can lord it over since they also much have a sense of belonging.....All because we are a part of the lawless society we have found ourselves.

To make matters worse, hard work isn’t seen as one which pays anymore as it has been replaced by cutting of corners, sharp practices; get rich quick syndromes and what have you. There is even this common statistics to prove the point to you:

Big Brother- 3months =$300,000

Drug dealer- 2days =$300,000

Politician- 24hours =$300,000

Armed robbers- 10minutes =$300,000

Graduate- 100years =$300,000

Lecturer- 500years =$300,000

With the above, you will agree with me that hard work is not on the list of ways to make it in this country {at least looking at the statistics}. Little wonder people will do whatever it takes to be involved in any form of illicit act just to make money since the society and even some churches ‘worship’ the one who have got money regardless of how such wealth was amassed. No one cares about the source of your wealth as long as they can benefit from it. You even find those who should be leaders of tomorrow scrambling for anything that will allow the society see them as a success.

On the other hand, people will do anything ranging from ritual killing, scheming, snatching ballot boxes during election knowing that politics have become the easiest way to amass money in our society. If you take a deep look around, you will find that apprenticeship have almost gone extinct just because people are no longer content with learning the ropes.....Sad but true.

In reality, money comes before every other thing because the people have come to accept that once you are rich, every other thing is secondary including integrity. Once you are rich, you can buy virtually anything including the conscience. You have it all including justice because it is believed to come with a price tag. You can even go as far as collecting a poor man’s land, house, even wife and go scot free. 

Then tell me why anyone will not see it as a crime to remain poor in a society where the poor practically have nothing to live for........

Follow on twitter@ifeoluwaleo007

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?’ 

follow on twitter@ifeoluwaleo007

WHY SHOULD OUR YOUTH CORPERS BE THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB?

It is no longer news that our youth corpers have been posted to highly volatile states like Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Kaduna and Kano once again. What baffles me is that such unfair decisions are being made by people whose children are nowhere close to such places. It is enough trauma for parents to send their children to higher institutions and they are not even certain of when the child will be graduating {Save for private Universities}. ASUU is a factor they have to battle with and that is if the institution doesn’t experience internal crisis like student’s unrest and what have you. All these contributes in ensuring a child who ordinarily should spend four years on a course using up to six years studying the same course and that have given birth to the saying tha ‘On gaining admission to a higher institution you spend 4+X number of years’. Sounds like a joke but this is the reality we have found ourselves in as a country.

After school, it is expected that the child must undergo a year of compulsory service to the Nation and that is where the NYSC scheme comes into play. Under this scheme, the graduate will to be posted to any part of the country where he/she is expected to carry out duties as the place of primary assignment dictates. Before now, this scheme didn’t pose any threat to the lives of the youth corpers as their security was guaranteed regardless of what state they have been posted to. Corpers were treated with so much dignity and respect as the host community saw them as one of their own.

But since tribalism, ethnic difference and all sorts of religious intolerance have begun to rear its ugly heads, the story has changed. Corpers who used to be protected by members of the community have now become preys of the same whenever conflict of any form arises. I remember the 2011 crisis which erupted in Bauchi State after our current president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was announced the winner of the presidential election. Some aggrieved parties in Bauchi state decided to turn their grievances on the youth corpers who at that time were serving in the state burning, killing, and maiming some of them whilst a large proportion of them sustained varying degree of injuries. All these happened despite the corpers running to the nearest police station for succour. The Irate youths in this state overpowered the policemen on duty and were able to lay hands on these youth corpers. Till today, I honestly do not think anyone has been brought to book as the issue has been long forgotten.

Now with the seemingly insecure situations in these volatile parts of the country, I just cannot believe that a government who genuinely cares for the same citizens it has sworn on oath to protect will insist these young and vibrant youths be posted to places where their security isn’t guaranteed. Is anyone asking them why they haven’t brought their own children to serve the land in such unsafe places?

I thought being leaders, they will lead by example and allow their own children be posted to such places first then others can be convinced that really what is good for the goose is good for the gander. But NO, their children are safely tucked away in some foreign countries whilst they watch other people’s children who have chosen to serve their country being offered as sacrificial lambs on the altar of political/religious intolerance

What other definition of ‘UNFAIR’ can really match this?

Follow@ifeoluwaleo007

THE GOVT IS KILLING US AND WE ARE SILENT...........

Once again, a Dangote owned truck with registration number XA 985 BBR rammed into two young men and crushed them to death. This unfortunate incident happened on Wednesday 18^th of July, 2012.

It is high time we said ‘Enough of this injustice’. Why should heavy duty utility vehicles ply the same bad roads as regular vehicles? Why do we not have railways as an alternative route for all these heavy duty trucks after over fifty years of independence? Knowing they constitute a driving force in the economy, why don’t we have structured time movement peculiar to only them if they must really ply the same bad roads with regular vehicles due to unavailability of alternative routes?

Most of these heavy duty truck drivers drive with reckless abandon knowing fully well that their size gives them advantage and will most likely not be hurt in anyway whatsoever

A burning question is for how long will the government indirectly mortgage our lives just because of their own personal interest? We have more than enough to build railways as an alternative route for heavy duty vehicles and even if that would have proven too costly, how about construction of an alternative road for this purpose? We all watch things deteriorate and keep quiet whist moving on with so much ease. Are we all waiting for our close relative/friend to fall victim before lending our voices to this course? Why must we be content with putting up pictures of the affected as our display pictures {DP} and writing RIP as the only means of speaking out?

Isn’t it time for the movement to change the course of events? We have never been empowered as much as we are now and that power is of the media. I grew up knowing the pen to be mightier than the sword but now that I am grown and with the world becoming a global village, I have come to the conclusion that the media is mightier than the missile. We all have these devices from blackberries, ipads, iphones and androids, even the simpler phones which can perform as much when loaded with internet data, so why must we only use them to put up RIPs and display pictures of the departed when we can use them to send out powerful messages to those who have sworn on oath to protect us? Why can’t we use these devices to inquire into deaths we hear about everyday and in turn send out strong messages which will definitely have its multipliers effect? It is very simple: Once such messages are well written, look for friends with high number of followers on twitter, mention them and ask for a retweet, put the messages on a blog, facebook and ask people to pass these messages to help the course. Then blackberry empowers you to send broadcasts which in turn can be rebroadcasted until the message gets to the policy makers. We have these tools on our hands but we seem not to realise how potent they are. The power to demand the right to life lies in our hands, let us all use it instead of keeping quiet and watch the government treat us like we have got no value.

IF ONLY OUR LEADERS WILL HELP UPHOLD THE LAW-FASHOLA AS CASE STUDY

We wake up to different dimensions of matters arising in this country and it makes us wonder before going to bed what exactly we will be waking up to the next morning.

One of such came up just yesterday but this time with a ray of hope in the midst of doubts as to if we are actually being led or ruled.......and it was indeed very catchy: “Lagos Governor arrests two top military officers for traffic offence”

The story has it that Col. Ki Yusuf who drove in an army green Peugeot 406 and registration number BO1-150 NA and staff sergeant Adeomi AJ who drove in a black Toyota Camry were spotted and accosted by His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola for violating the law by driving on the dedicated Bus Rapid Transit{BRT}. The Governor openly expressed dismay saying ‘Those who should have shown the highest form of discipline and professionalism were the ones violating the law’.

This readily brings to mind that we still have some leaders who will practice what they preach. His Excellency we all know doesn’t engage the siren even whilst on official duty, he doesn’t drive one way neither will he abandon the road for the BRT lane no matter the urgency of the assignment at hand which is why he moves around almost on a daily basis without fellow drivers having knowledge of his presence.

Being the no 1 citizen of the State and living by the saying “No one is above the law” he automatically expects everyone to be law abiding enough to also be guided by this. Governor Fashola standing up to uphold the law in this regard further strengthens the law and this singular act will definitely stand as a deterrent to anyone who intends violating the laws of Lagos State especially as regards traffic matters.

If only the leaders in every facet of the country helped in upholding the laws of the land, then we all will be swimming towards the Nigeria of our dreams. If only the president will declare his assets then others will have no choice other than to follow suit. If only the government officials indicted in various reports were punished, then those coming behind will know a precedence of zero tolerance of corruption has been set and it will keep them from engaging in shady deals. If only people who have been found culpable of an offence will not be circulated and forced on the people as against their wish just because they have been loyal to some god fathers, your guess is as good as mine. If only those who have been pronounced guilty are not celebrated and given titles, then we will be singing an entirely different song. If only our leaders have demonstrated a strong intolerance for corruption and acknowledge the law as being superior to everyone including their humble selves ........Then tell me how a follower will be so bold as to want to break the same law{s} his/her leader would do anything to uphold.

Follow me @ifeoluwaleo007