CORRUPTIVE TRADITION
OBJ is wisely trying to destroy a corruptive tradition for future performance expediency on the part of politicians and others who hold positions of authority. His goals may seem a little fuzzy and it may be because he doesn’t have a clear map on how to curtail or eradicate years of corruption in a nation completely destroyed by devilish looters. It will take more than OBJ to completely address corruption in Nigeria. It also, will certainly take OBJ a while to achieve his goals because of the obstacles he faces. His inconsistency in approach bothers a lot of independent observers. His continuous disregards of honest criticism continue to create a seminal issue as it relates to embracing his corruption fight. His seemingly missed priority as to how to address the problems of the nation indicates a sense of frustration on his part and failure in general in the eyes of others. The National Political Reform Conference is a toss up strategy to see what comes out of it. He may not even be sure, if he will accept their recommendations if it turns out to be too abstract from his plans.
RECOMMEDATIONS
Today, Education, the equalizer that sets the framework of a growing nation is completely dead in Nigeria. I literally mean this point. To achieve sustainable and positive change, education must be completely overhauled. Teenage Pregnancy is a subject that is often overlooked as it is buried among the varied complicated list of problems faced in the country. Nigeria’s teenage pregnancy problem is mutating so fast that Nigeria is now listed as the number four worst Nation in the world as it relates to teenage pregnancy (www.savethechildren.org). With approximately 10.8% of our 15-year olds having babies, the subject of who gets these children pregnant is an issue that must be addressed. A nation that allows pedophiles to exist as regular individuals with no consequences for their actions reflects a weak justice system and a decaying social system. OBJ must understand that these issues continue to reflect a government that is ineffective because of its fragile and chaotic policies.
It is disheartening, sad, and sometimes factually emotionally painful when the expectations of the populace are broken year after year, government after government, by those that aspire to leadership positions with claims to make a difference. With each fascist dictator, the country has seen no improvement. With each regressing government, Nigerians have been reduced to barking dogs with broken teeth. They are lost on how to get the basic amenities of life under the ruthless, greedy governors they are forced to have. Sadly enough, select individuals continue to call for a pacifying approach to picking the next leader. If the country really wants to see progress, then, a leader that can ensure results is what is needed. A specific group can’t be pacified to make them happy. Though several reasons have been raised as per why an appeasement process is best, I am not convinced. Those behind the concept have failed to tell us how a nation of multiple ethnicities can be satisfied by a pre-designed rotational presidency.
For one, the South-South is yet to produce a president since independence and that is not enough reason for me to vocalize support for a president from that region. In analyzing the realities of the process, an ethnic-appeasement approach could stagnate national growth. It is idealistically unrighteous and regionally sanctimonious, in addition to being a selfish avocation. OBJ knows people will lie, squirm, make up stories, and self-authenticate issues, (present and past) to justify or achieve their goals and/or desires. He knows that the Tiger never losses its stripes and the Leopard never losses its spots. If effective reform is to apply ethnic approaches, the system will not only collapse, it could lead to more division.
Some people often love to grade performances on a comparative basis or on a curve. This is perhaps, how they know best. In our rush to compare IBB to OBJ; Buhari to OBJ; OBJ to Rawlings and so forth, we must realize that the environment is different and the world is no longer accepting of the Rawlings mechanism as good as it sounds right now for a country like Nigeria. Perhaps, we just have to aspire for a positive change through a balanced approach that takes the wealth from those who stole it and redistribute it to create a middle class environment. Nigeria’s problems can’t be completely resolved in a whisk as growing or great nations are never completely developed. What is most pressing right now is safety and poverty. The commonality between poverty, safety, AIDS, cults, regressive education, etc., is obvious. What is not obvious is why there continue to be a growing gap between the very rich and the poor.
3 comments
Hello Sylvester
I came accross your article on OBJ while surfing the net for a spelling for the names on my hitlist.I read you first article with excitement in finding someone who shared my views and your second with dissappointment at you cowardice in taking action in a way that might actually fo something. So not to worryI dont share your fear…I am going to put the names i have on my blog page http://inside9ja.blogspot.com Pls feel free to add your comments on my blogpage and any names of our local crooks that I may have neglected to mention so that I can add them…..kindly forward my page if you may to anyone who can……..with IBB billboards at every corner it is time to take action!
We pray for the seed-planter(President Olusegun Obasanjo) for divine wisdom to steer us off the path of crisis and waste; we pray for our smart brothers like the commentator above who still believes in Ibrahim Babangida that God may open his eyes to see the light; we pray for extremists who are busy wishing for a bloody resolution(revolution) that it may not consume both them and the oppressors.We pray for God to give us an Appollos who will water the seed not one to uproot thereby bring us back to perpetual slavery. In the words of the Great Zik of Africa one that will "restore the dignity of man" (Nigerians) The masses are gullible but God is merciful. He will surely give the increase provided we get an Appollos.That sacred duty is on President Obasanjo and Ahmadu Ali alias Ali–must-go.They fail at their own peril.President Obasanjo has indeed lived up to the Bill of the raison d'etre for his election but he owes us "duty of care" so that further injury is averted or insult added to injury. President Obasanjo would have been a great disappointment to Nigeria and indeed the Black race if the best he could provide us for leadership succession is Ibrahim Babangida or his likes and the world is again watching.Thanks Dr Fasal for highlighting the complexities of our situation.For giving us the benefit of your depth of learning as we the enlightened are supposed to do.We need no NPRC to tell us that coup plotters and their cohorts are banned from contesting elections. Nor will anybody worry himself looking for any substanciation of Ibrahim Babangida's curruption when we did not give any to pursue Abacha's loot.Should President Obasanjo vacate office in chaos or hand us over to one of his "comrades in arms" particularly any former military ruler his place in history would have been self-determined – the dust bin. Then there would be no reason to distinguish between him and Ibrahim Babangida/Sanni Abacha who invented chaos in their self-succession bid. God forbid!
Hello Dr. Sylvester Fadal. And thanks a lot for your obsevation of the new development taking place today in Nigeria.i will like to firstly coment on the following statements of yours "What is not obvious is why there continue to be a growing gap between the very rich and the poor".if you can remember in 1928 when the women of eastern Nigeria held an very effective protest against high level taxes and the low prices of local products for exports.Our local products which are many don't have valour in the international market because it is those that buy our products are the very same people that tells us how much we should sell our products too.beside our producers can't even compet with forign products in our country because the forign producer have their product subvention by their government. the same that prohibits our government to not promote local farmers in nigeria.This can answer your concern of why the gap between the rich and poor in our comunities.
Reading through your article my attention was first drown to your recomendations to the Obansenjo Government.I quit agree with you that education is an important instrument to nation building.Now that we have gotten about 20billion dollars of relief in deptwe sincerlly hope that most of this money will or should be invested in the education sector.can still remember Whan i was a student some years back in Nigeria teachers sometimes had to wait for three to four mouths before receiving their mouthly take home.Such actitudesis a setback to any countries education programs. I an of the opinion that teachers the police-men and the medical practicionars of any country should be well remunarated for their jobs because of the following reasons.
1) teachers have a responsibility to educate the future generations and leaders of the country. whan a country fall to prepared its youths the future of such country will be cloudicated.
2)Goodhealth services is nessecary to breed an interesting society. a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.
3) Whan our police-men a well paid they will definatly not be entized by the chicken changes to be offerd as bribe to avert bringing a law breaker to justice.
You also made mentiond of the group called South- south. it is possible that among this groups of politicians their should be some brillient and sincer personalities.my opinio of mejorities of the so called South- South groups of politician are mere oppotunist looking for ways to gring themself to the lime lights steping on the heads of all the populies of the entire south south zone. When they gets to the top the only responsibility they will have is to their friends and families. this is not a new development in nigeria its only that nigerians dont seems to have memories of the actitudes of their politicians that got to the top through the back of their people and later abadon this same people to their faith.
The peolpe of the then Borno state should remember the promises made to them by malam … befor he bacame Governor and see if any of such promises where materialised. also the people of the old Bendel state ondo state River state Imo state so on and so forth.
Nigerians in respective of their tribes or state of origen should not sell their vote for a half bag of rice or for N50.rather their vote should be an instrument to affect change in our comunities changes for our lifes and that of our loved once.friends children family members living abroad should educate loved once back home of this developmentin this way we will be changing the socil-political situations or condictions in nigeria.
"OBJ is wisely trying to destroy a corruptive tradition for future performance expediency on the part of politicians and others who hold positions of authority". I quit agree with you and many Nigerians too are of the opinion that Obasenjo has a moral responsibility to Nigerians who trusted him with the future of our country we are not expecting less of him. besides he has gotten the best of nigeria as a person.therefore it is logical that he try to give backto where he received so much and help eradicate the vimpires that are socking the nation to its bones.
I dont agree with you that he should prevent or promogate laws preventing past or corrupt leaders from contesting for presidency in the future. Democracy is a proces that gives the people the right to decides whom to trust the authority of the nation.many past leaders may have realised their mistake and will be willing to work to repair old scores.Frankly I am confidence that past leaders like Abrahim Babangida and its ability to do great things for nigeria if he is in the right political atmospher.i will for ever be greatfull for his forsight in the construction of Ecomog that helped prevent more bloodbath in Libaria and other west Africa was like a sheep without a pastor and the entire world was looking and expecting our cry for help but Babangida saved us from that disgreca and mess. since then Ecomog has continue to play an active and important role in the socio-political affairs of west africa and indeed the entire africa continent.
Sincerlly most of our past leaders has had some good ittentions.but fail to bring it to realisation because of pressure from political vimpires that are always behand the scenes and presure from the international comunity.BuhariBabangida and even sani Abacha had from good plans for nigeria. the worst is that many of them became selfish. insteed of working for the benefits of nationthey were saphonig the nations wealth into international banks
lastly anybody that sold his vote for N50. or a half bag of rice should not expect any good from politicians. we should lean to use our vote judiciously for the benefits of the nation.