January 17, 2010
Life has become so cheap in Nigeria. And guns are readily available everywhere. Unemployment and corruption amongst most public officials have remained the bane of problems militating against the growth of the most populous black nation in Africa. It is a statement of fact that Nigerians are very angry at the moment.
Recent statistics have proven that over 70 percent of Nigerians live below One dollar per day, yet some public office holders illegally stashed money meant for infrastructural development in the country into their private accounts abroad.
Every year, the nation’s tertiary institutions churn out millions of graduates, yet only few hundreds are employed, while the remaining are in the labour market, in search of jobs that are not readily available. In the whole of Africa, Nigerian universities have no place in history.
We have become so spiritual that most people now anchor their trust on the sovereignty of God to turn their rather bad situation in the country around for the better. Hope has gradually developed ‘wings’ and flew away.
The country is enveloped in total darkness and Nigerians have become recipient of failed promises of 6,000 Megawatts electricity. There is evident leadership vacuum and inept albatross among the ‘mafias’ of this country in the corridors of power that has consistently held the nation to bondage. As if all these problems are not enough, Umar Farouk Abdu Mutallab, a Nigerian has now put us on the map of countries with nationals with international terrorism inclination, to usher us into New Year.
A revolution is needed. If not, our country becomes a land of anarchy, lawlessness with consequent probability of disintegration. It is clear that only those who are benefiting from the existing malady and chaos would read it differently. Nigerians now wear long faces. Suffering, smiling and despair are now written on the peoples’ faces.
Let me say it emphatically that the military option of coup d’etat is out of the question in my call for a revolution. I am mindful of the possibility of the danger it poses to my life in the hands of the agents of misrule and chaos that beset the country. Obviously frustrated Nigerians are now calling for the Rawlings Option. At this juncture, we must remember that the Rawlings Option is cleaner and more successful variant of the Kaduna Nzeogwu first military putsch against the First Republic.
The kind of revolution we need is of the people. Already, people are at the point of taking their own lives by themselves without a government to look up to for any need. For fear of insecurity, people are providing their own security. This is the time the civil society must converge in oneness by way of mass demonstration to press home the desired change needed to free Nigerians from the shackles of slavery.
articleadslinks
For the umpteenth time, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the president of the country has become an albatross and the greatest liability Nigerians have to endure. For two years that Yar’Adua had been in the saddle of leadership, his style of governance is ‘movement without motion’. And his much-hyped 7 point agenda is faceless. Still, Nigerians, regarded happiest people on earth seems unhappy by empty promises of the former governor of Katsina State bedridden for 56 days at the royal section of the King Faisal Hospital in Saudi Arabia.
For personal reasons and selfish interest, Yar’Adua’s spin doctors have gone to town that the president is recuperating from his bout of health problems, yet the man has been unable to address Nigerians, not even for once. But Nigerians heard from some of the spin doctors of Aso Rock, that he signed the 2009 Budget on his sick bed. For how long would Nigerians be deceived? Nigeria has become the butt of jokes by international communities, comedians, cartoonist and political analyst.
The storm of mass revolution is gathering gradually and who knows how many Mutallabs, we have in the country-people who are tired and frustrated with way governance is run in the country and ready to dare the military or Aso Rock goons?
The restive Niger-Delta youths are pointer for this change, if anything untoward happens to Goodluck Jonathan, a South-South former lecturer, from Ijaw area of Bayelsa State in a bid to ‘deny’ him the presidency slot, in case Yar’Adua ‘quit the scene’ because when Yar’Adua steered the ship of the country, he made no impact. How about the several carnages, arson and ‘religious terrorism’ in form of Boko Haram and rest that shook the foundation of the Northern part of the country?
This is the time for all advocate of peace, good governance and democrats to come together and fight the redundancy in Nigeria’s leadership, not through the barrel of gun, but in one voice for civil disobedience.
The Fourth Estate of the Realm-the press should not rest on its oars, but fight through their various medium to ensure that this democracy we fought for with our blood is not a thing of the past.
Otumu is Associate EDITOR for Scroll Magazine. Mobile +2348023006123 www.scrollnigeria.com
articleadsbanner
Recent statistics have proven that over 70 percent of Nigerians live below One dollar per day, yet some public office holders illegally stashed money meant for infrastructural development in the country into their private accounts abroad.
Every year, the nation’s tertiary institutions churn out millions of graduates, yet only few hundreds are employed, while the remaining are in the labour market, in search of jobs that are not readily available. In the whole of Africa, Nigerian universities have no place in history.
We have become so spiritual that most people now anchor their trust on the sovereignty of God to turn their rather bad situation in the country around for the better. Hope has gradually developed ‘wings’ and flew away.
The country is enveloped in total darkness and Nigerians have become recipient of failed promises of 6,000 Megawatts electricity. There is evident leadership vacuum and inept albatross among the ‘mafias’ of this country in the corridors of power that has consistently held the nation to bondage. As if all these problems are not enough, Umar Farouk Abdu Mutallab, a Nigerian has now put us on the map of countries with nationals with international terrorism inclination, to usher us into New Year.
A revolution is needed. If not, our country becomes a land of anarchy, lawlessness with consequent probability of disintegration. It is clear that only those who are benefiting from the existing malady and chaos would read it differently. Nigerians now wear long faces. Suffering, smiling and despair are now written on the peoples’ faces.
Let me say it emphatically that the military option of coup d’etat is out of the question in my call for a revolution. I am mindful of the possibility of the danger it poses to my life in the hands of the agents of misrule and chaos that beset the country. Obviously frustrated Nigerians are now calling for the Rawlings Option. At this juncture, we must remember that the Rawlings Option is cleaner and more successful variant of the Kaduna Nzeogwu first military putsch against the First Republic.
The kind of revolution we need is of the people. Already, people are at the point of taking their own lives by themselves without a government to look up to for any need. For fear of insecurity, people are providing their own security. This is the time the civil society must converge in oneness by way of mass demonstration to press home the desired change needed to free Nigerians from the shackles of slavery.
articleadslinks
For the umpteenth time, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the president of the country has become an albatross and the greatest liability Nigerians have to endure. For two years that Yar’Adua had been in the saddle of leadership, his style of governance is ‘movement without motion’. And his much-hyped 7 point agenda is faceless. Still, Nigerians, regarded happiest people on earth seems unhappy by empty promises of the former governor of Katsina State bedridden for 56 days at the royal section of the King Faisal Hospital in Saudi Arabia.
For personal reasons and selfish interest, Yar’Adua’s spin doctors have gone to town that the president is recuperating from his bout of health problems, yet the man has been unable to address Nigerians, not even for once. But Nigerians heard from some of the spin doctors of Aso Rock, that he signed the 2009 Budget on his sick bed. For how long would Nigerians be deceived? Nigeria has become the butt of jokes by international communities, comedians, cartoonist and political analyst.
The storm of mass revolution is gathering gradually and who knows how many Mutallabs, we have in the country-people who are tired and frustrated with way governance is run in the country and ready to dare the military or Aso Rock goons?
The restive Niger-Delta youths are pointer for this change, if anything untoward happens to Goodluck Jonathan, a South-South former lecturer, from Ijaw area of Bayelsa State in a bid to ‘deny’ him the presidency slot, in case Yar’Adua ‘quit the scene’ because when Yar’Adua steered the ship of the country, he made no impact. How about the several carnages, arson and ‘religious terrorism’ in form of Boko Haram and rest that shook the foundation of the Northern part of the country?
This is the time for all advocate of peace, good governance and democrats to come together and fight the redundancy in Nigeria’s leadership, not through the barrel of gun, but in one voice for civil disobedience.
The Fourth Estate of the Realm-the press should not rest on its oars, but fight through their various medium to ensure that this democracy we fought for with our blood is not a thing of the past.
Otumu is Associate EDITOR for Scroll Magazine. Mobile +2348023006123 www.scrollnigeria.com
articleadsbanner
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });