The Youth in Nigerian Democracy:Removing the Smoke screen

It was once reported that a former head of state of this country,Nigeria,stated that the youth are not ripe enough to take control of affairs....do I blame him? Hell no!
A Yoruba adage has it that "igba ni yo so ibi ama fokun ko lorun e" meaning that it's a gourd/calabash that tells what part of it shall we tie our rope! By implicative meaning,IT'S THE YOUTH THAT HAS THE ONUS RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL WHEN IT'S READY TO TAKE OVER...NO ONE'S GONNA LET US HAVE IT ON A PLATTER...WE GOT TO FIGHT FOR IT!
Unless we strife for a change,we would continue to fit in ONLY as mere tools in the hands of these old men.Unless we strife,unless we fight! But how do we do,you may ask...it's not that difficult...it begins with a change in our core believes about ourselves,country and our togetherness as a nation.WE NEED TO START THINKING AND ACTING AS NIGERIANS AND NO MORE AS A TRIBESMAN,MUSLIM,CHRISTIAN OR TRADITIONALIST...NO MORE OF THOSE...IT'S TIME TO START THINKING AS NIGERIANS! This is not possible without proper civic education that we so much lack as youth.
Let me warn that this is not going to be easy neither is it going to be done overnight but the fact remains it's possible and attainable if we work at it!
Majority of us,the youth,are so carried away by the peanuts we receive from destructive errands we run for these selfish old guys,so much that we find it difficult to think straight anymore. It's as bad as accepting ANY JOB AT ALL...INCLUDING CRIMINAL AND DESTRUCTIVE MISSIONS from these evil men so long it would yield cash. In fact,there's no longer such things as good or bad, constructive or destructive,right or wrong anymore in the hearts of the youth ...these days,boys would sell their conscience and lives for a mini bag of SEMOLINA OR RICE!
We all know what I'm saying,I don't need to expantiate further...during Ekiti elections campaign period,pictures of able bodied men and women were displayed on facebook queuing for mini bags of rice and a sum of N3000 in the PDP camp...it was actually cooked rice in the APC's camp....have we turned beggers/destitutes/refugees...I mean what for,what else? People's votes of course! But wait a minute,do they really need your votes to win elections???
This KEY question is a vital question the youth have to ask themselves and seek a genuine answer to: "Why do they have to go all the way to procure such a large amount of goods and merchandise to appease you guys ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DON'T REALLY NEED YOU TO VOTE?
Some would even say that "I would collect the money and vote someone else"! It would have been a bright idea should it be that winners are determined via ballot. The truth, my brother, is that all those goodies you receive during elections are to silence you,it's a price they pay for your conscience! Once you are paid,no matter the results,you cannot complain,your presence at their rallies are evidences that you support their candidature... so as you can see, they are no fools, all they need see is that you take their bribes,they don't need your vote...the moment you do that,they happily proceed with all forms of malpractices without any qualms.Simply because you have sold the right to rig elections and power to embezzle as much as they can when took the rice and money from them!But should you have rejected their peanuts, things would have turned out differently.
One;they can't be sure you are for them or not;two:rigging might prove difficult since you refused their bribe,you are most likely going to protest any wrong doing at the polls and thirdly, since it's a collective decision of the majority,you would have become a multi headed Hydra that can't be defeated as they won't know who or where to strike...
....such is the power of our unity...like I've said before,NOTHING can stop us if we unite to strife for a goal!
....later!
Regards,
Abdurrahman,
http://www.therichkidstreasurebox.com

The Youth in Nigerian Democracy:The GREATEST CON of all!

It's rather unfortunate to learn that our President would stoop so low to the extent that he would take advantage of the high unemployment rate in the country to ensure his re-election come 2015. I caught wind of this devilish move on a group on whattsapp that I belong to. It was announced to us as a new way Jonathan is helping to improve the lives of the youth. He informed us that GEJ is paying ALL youth N50000/month, as a youth who is dire need of a better offer than he currently gets,I hurriedly logged onto the site to register... it was a site put up by TAN,the transformation agenda of the President. However,I'm the type that's extra careful of his source of income,so,I inquired for what would I do to receive the cash.
My brother,I was surprised that all I had to do is to 'preach the Gospel of Jonathan' and gather at least 200 faithfuls for Jonathan's re-election! Chai! How unfortunate!
Why would Jonathan be so desperate for followership if he had done well,why does he have to bribe the youth to win come 2015....most importantly,WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM???
These were the questions flashing through my mind when I learnt of this heinous crime of the president. Instead of creating jobs for the teeming youth,Jonathan would rather take advantage of them to achieve his selfish and greedy goals...how pathetic!
The painful part is that the uninformed majority of the youth would jump on this deadly poison called an offer and gulp it up without thinking or inquiring as from where would the money they are paid is coming from...this is due to the fact that,as far as they are concerned,it's there own share of the national cake! Haba!
Despite the fact that these sought of bribery happens everytime there is an election,the youth still can't resist the temptation...they accept such peanuts and starve of government's attention for another 4 years,during the period of starvation,you hear of all sorts of condemnation from all corners especially the youth who took the bait and worked acidously to ensure the corrupt is elected over the up-right candidate.
I mean, it's no news that whoever bribed the electorates to be voted to power has no intention to do it right,yet,we accept the peanuts they offer in exchange for the access to power. The power to receive billions in allocation every month for the next 48 months,the power to borrow at high interest rates without being questioned on how such monies are expended.
This is why places like the Niger Delta is still in shambles despite the billions their governors receive from the FG.....they receive the biggest chunks of the allocation,yet,their people still wallow in abject poverty.This June alone,Akwa Ibom received about N110 billion! Despite it's little size and smaller population compared to Kano that received just around N19 billion.
These guys receive so much and gives so little that I begin to wonder how ignorant the Nigerian youth are of these truths. I mean,ordinarily,one expects the youth to ask questions,but,instead of doing that,what do they do? They go all out in praise singing for the corrupt leaders hoping to get small kickbacks from such politicians.
When you ask them as to why,they would ask you in return,what else can they do,there're no jobs out there for them...afterall,it's still better than stealing!
Whenever,I get such response,I cannot but pity the situation of the majority of the youth...because I get such responses quite often,I realize how bad and hopeless the state of the youth is who,unfortunately, is damn too confused to find a way out. But that doesn't mean that there are no way out,it would just take time and energy which I know the youth have in excess should they know the way to go.....so,what is the way out???
The way out is not far fetched,truly,our destiny lies in our hands.THE WAY OUT IS NETWORKING!
The youth MUST learn to work together IRRESPECTIVE OF RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC DIFFERENCES!They must understand that no one really cares about them,politicians only use and dump them at will...and that in order to succeed,they need to see themselves in a different light from the usual view of being instruments of crisis and crime in the hands of politicians. They must start to see themselves AS THE FUTURE OF TOMORROW,AS SUCH,MUST START LEAVING LIKE A LEADER THEY ARE TODAY.
KNOWLEDGE IS KEY. We must learn to harness our potentials and energies to forge a better tomorrow for ourselves and the generation next. When we eventually agree to unite and make the changes we so much deserve,NO ONE CAN STOP US! We shall discuss this much further next time!
Regards,
Abdurrahman,
http://www.therichkidstreasurebox.com

The Youth in Nigerian Democracy

Nigerian democracy has survived the past 15 years with constant improvement and understanding of the system by the populace,but,however,it's quite evident that we still have a very long way to go.
We all know how hot the polity is presently.It's quite unfortunate that the Presidency is head bent on heating it up the more.Just as it's mentioned in my previous post on this blog,we have experienced more of politicking during this regime than we ever did since the beginning of the current republic.
Another thing that is worthy of note is the incidence of widespread corruption we have experienced at a much higher scale during this current regime. There's an escalating rate of corruption... it's so high that in a singular act of such corrupt practice,Nigeria lost DOUBLE the money we lost to the Abacha's... I'm talking of the $20 billion un remitted petroleum revenue for which Sanusi was sacked.
Corruption was going on at such alarming rate that the President had a hard time debunking the upsurge, so much so that he was caught on air claiming that STEALING IS NOT CORRUPTION! Imagine!  Chaaai! There's God ooooo!
Boko Haram insurgency is another very unfortunate occurrence during Jonathan's regime that would NEVER be forgotten....it's the very first bombs are used on a large scale to terrorize in Nigeria. (Nigerians are already used to kidnapping for a ransom...the tactics of MEND...the terror group down South that claimed to be freedom fighters).
Especially,the ridiculous story built around it. The story is that boko haram is an ISLAMIC TERROR GROUP THAT'S TRYING TO ESTABLISH AN ISLAMIC STATE UP NORTH.
It's quite amusing that so many would fall for such a white lie against Islam and the Northern region of the country! A careful analysis of the sect's activities CLEARLY SHOW THAT THE SECT IS A POLITICAL AND NOT A RELIGIOUS TOOL PUT IN PLACE TO UNSETTLE THE NORTH. For the following Reasons,boko haram is NOT an Islamic sect.
Firstly,they terrorize the people while one of Islam's most basic principles is that DO NOT OPPRESS AND DON'T BE OPPRESSED. Secondly,they abduct people against their wishes and demand huge ransom in exchange. The Chibok Girls incidence is the most popular of such abductions. The Quran CLEARLY kicked against such actions when it categorically prohibit the inheritance of women against their own wishes. A third reason is the fact that they killed a Muslim cleric and an Emir which is STRICTLY PROHIBITED in the QURAN.
As such and coupled with a statement credited to the formal Security Adviser of Jonathan himself,late General Azaazi who categorically stated that "BOKO HARAM IS A FALL OUT OF THE INTERNAL CRISIS OF THE PDP",it's more than clear that boko haram is a political tool as against a religious sect as we are expected to believe it is.
Boko Haram is nothing but a political tool designed and implanted in the north to unsettle the North and possibly cause the secession of the country.But,thank God Who has held us together as a country for so long,Most Nigerians have read the insurgency rightly and have understood the fact that it's a delibrate handiwork of some greedy,desperate and inhuman politician who shall, by God's Grace be exposed for who they are and shall be publicly disgraced for sowing the seeds of crisis and terror amongst us and for trying to ensnare Islam with their evil ways. They plan,but,God also plan and God is the Best of Planners!
Yes,his tenure has recorded a couple of successes too...like the YUWIN program for the youth and the rice farm he recently commissioned in Nasarawa state not forgetting the rehabilitation of airports and road networks across the country but his failures and negative records by far supercede his positive records. The gigantic flaws of this administration are too many,this is why the little positivity he recorded are looked down upon and rounded down to ZERO!
The most painful of all the unfortunate developments happening in Nigeria is that THE YOUTH OF THE COUNTRY HAVE EITHER JOINED FORCES WITH OUR CORRUPT LEADERS AND ARE IN FACT ON THE VANGUARD OF THEIR CAMPAIGN TEAMS OR THEY LOOSE OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN RALLIES,BECOME THUGS FOR THE RICH...OTHERS BECOME ARMED ROBBERS,KIDNAPPERS OR CON MEN.
Is this how it ought to be,are we really a wasted generation, isn't there a way for us to turn the table round and become THE MOST USEFUL GENERATION OF ALL TIMES??? These and more questions shall be answered on my subsequent posts on this blog, stay tuned and bookmark this blog now.Thanks for your time!

To our success,
Abdurrahman
http://therichkidstreasurebox.com

Jonathan's regime:Politicking or Good Governance?

Can you point to 3 MAJOR achievements of the Jonathan's regime? Please note that the completion of road projects and the privatization of the PHCN cannot be taken as achievements. Unless the road is NEWLY constructed from scratch,whatever you do on it would be put under maintainance not achievements and the sales of the PHCN in itself is not an achievement on its own,until we begin to experience 24/7 electricity supply as a result of the sales,it remains an on going project not an achievement.
I don't know how you evaluate achievement but you would agree with me that any project that has no DIRECT impact on the lives of average Nigerians remains an on going project, not yet an achievement. IT HAS TO HAVE DIRECT IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THE AVERAGE CITIZENS OF COUNTRY.
In a situation whereby people like Ngozi the Minister of Finance would come and tell us how much our foreign reserves have grown and how much is being traded on the stock exchange market and present them as achievements is unacceptable. Even the SURE-P projects of the present regime,how many lives has it touched,how many people are directly affected by SURE-P? A few thousands at most....they can't even boast of half a million! Now,is that an achievement? I don't think so. This is not about criticizing Jonathan's regime,no,rather,its about counting the cost of democracy and trying to harmonize achievements of democracy with its costs.
So far so good,in my opinion,the costs by far exceeds the achievements. Nigeria pays EACH of 109 senators more than Obama,the PRESIDENT of the USA to whom Nigeria as a whole is a loyal servant. If each senator get paid more than the US President,one cannot but wonder how much Jonathan is paid for doing next to nothing as the President of Nigeria. The major thing I have seen and observed so far is criticisms and counter criticisms.
Today,its about Nigerian government forum leadership,tomorrow,its about impeachment moves next tomorrow,we are either talking about how the first lady went for a rest and not a  medical checkup or how she'd replied her critics....or wether Jonathan would contest come 2015 or not. No one's talking about improved health care system,the boosting of agricultural production,creation of cottage industries to add more value to our agric products or even the establishment of food banks and reserves for the country....talkless of improvment and further development of our education systems. Jonathan's regime has been much more concerned about politicking than National development.
However,this is not the issue of the president alone. When you enter states controlled by the opposition parties too,the story is still the same although to a very much lower extent,the bottomline is still the same - politicking is taken much more seriously than the delivery of good governance. The reason behind this unfortunate development is not far fetched...its the people.
People have IGNORANTLY submitted their dignity,pride and birthrights to the political class. This is why you would see people,old and young,men and women,literates and illitrates are turning politicians and loyal servants of political leaders. Who cares about due process these days,is there anything called professionalism in today's Nigeria? Carpenter dey construct bridge in Nigeria so long he is well connected politically. Everyone is in one political party or the other not for good governance and the delivery of democratic dividends but for their selfish interests alone. This is why I don't blame Jonathan for everything... in fact most of the problems we face today are not his fault but those of others like the governors,LG chairmen,Councillors,Senators and honorables among other VIPs.
In case you haven't observed,our democracy is so structured that the impact of political leaders that are indigines of the land is far more felt than those that are not.5 out of the 7 of our political leaders are indigines namely;your councilor,LG chairman,state rep,federal rep and Senator are all indigines of your locality,its only the governor and president that might not come from your place DEPENDING on the state. Now,IN A SITUATION WHERE POLITICAL LEADERS THAT COME FROM YOUR AREA REFUSE TO DELIVER GOOD GOVERNANCE TO YOU,WHY CRUCIFY JONATHAN FOR THE SAME OFFENCE???
My message,therefore,is that Nigerians should pay less attention to WHO WINS THE ELECTION  and pay attention to WHAT SUCH A LEADER OR PERSON ACHIEVED DURING HIS TENURE!!!

ASUU Strike:Right or Wrong?

Its been 4 months long since universities nationwide has been closed down due to the on going industrial action of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU. Ever since,students have been sent back to their parents/guardians. NANS president and some youth leaders have been reported to have blamed the lecturers for the strike action. The lecturers are head bent on the continuation of the industrial action despite alleged threat to their lives and the 'no work,no pay' tactic of the FG. But,who is to blame? Let's look at the issue very critcally.
Usually,before an industrial action takes hold,there would have been a formal complaint made to the authorities in reagards to the problem causing the rift. There would be no reason to press further if the problem is solved promptly. But in a situation where the complain is not taken seriously after series of complaints are made,the union then go on a warning strike to register the seriousness of the employees' grievances. Employees go on full fletched,indefinite strike as a last resort.
Considering carefully the series of events that leads to the proclaimation of an indefinite strike action,you would agree with me that the 4 month long strike is very much preventable. Especially considering the fact that this agreement was reached since 2009 and Jonathan was very much in power as the vice president...at least (can't recall if he had become the acting president then). If you would consider the fact that Jonathan was once a lecturer too,you would now understand and appreciate the very high level of irresponsibility displayed by Jonathan's regime who used to be a lecturer himself!
I can not but imagine the great contrast between the feelings of the president when he was a lecturer and without doubt had participated in such strike action as a member of ASUU. In a situation whereby a lecturer turn president,a former educationist,would delay the implementation of lecturers' agreement with a government he fortunately now head for 5 years only to drag ASUU and Nigerian students into a now 4 months old industrial action and come out to blame it on politicking,one cannot but wonder what type of lecturer the president was during his lecturing days!
Was he a passionate lecturer that appreciate the value of education and the invaluable positive impact education can make on nation building or was he the passive lecturer that was in the education system simply for it economic gains...that is a food for thought my brother. Ordinarily,one expected that lecturers would enjoy the most and that the quality of education would be greatly improved. But,what do we have in our hands? A former lecturer as president who has refused to grant the laudable demands of his....former couleagues ( abi,levels don change na!),kai! This is very embarassing...a very big show of shame if you ask me!
On whether it is wrong for ASUU to go on strike,it has never been wrong.I mean,in a situation where your employer takes you for granted and treats you like a slave,it is only natural that you stand up for your rights and tell the bully of a boss that you are no slave and you deserve some respect which you have fairly earned through your work/services. This is exactly what the lecturers are doing right now and they need our support...even if their only demand is an increase in salary!
In a country where the ward councillor who,as far as I know adds NO VALUE to his community gets paid over N300 000 and his wife goes home with N50 000 monthly,why would it be a crime for a lecturer who adds value to his community on daily basis to go home with N500 000/month and his N150 000?!
Nigerians need to get their priorities right and fight for the right things. Our politicians are clearly un patriotic in their dealings. The money is there,let them spend it on us,they should meet ASUU's demands and give them the chance to prove themselves. If after meeting their demands,they still graduate 'half baked' products,then we know who to blame.
So the next time someone say something about the strike in your presence,you should know whose side you should be as a true patriot.
My heart goes to the students whose academic pursuits have been staunted as a result of this strike.I want you to know that this is only a little delay that is meant to ensure that you resume into a better academic environment,a much more highly motivated and happier lecturers and possibly a better training than you should have received. If you are in your final year,see it as your little contribution to ensuring a better university environment than you are about to leave behind. In short,I want the youth to see this as a beginning of a form of revolution whereby our political leaders are made to face their responsibilities as leaders squarely!
Right here,I rest my case and happy eidil Kabir celebration. Avoid eating too much meat,ensure you eat a lot of vegetables and fruits along with the meat.BARKA DE SALLAH!!!

Independence day,wetin we dey celebrate sef?!

Congratulate Nigerians on Nigeria's 53rd anniversery as an idependent state and what you'll get as response,most often than not would be negative. The negative responses are as a result of several reasons,but,in my view,the variety of reasons behind these negativity can be traced back to a MEGA reason of THE DISBELIEF OF THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE IN THE NIGERIAN PROJECT!
Most Nigerians do not belief in Nigeria,very few Nigerians are proud of their country. This is why we experience communal clashes in Nigeria,we don't see ourselves as one. Allow me to show you how this singular factor have contributed to virtually every problem we face as a nation.

I dare say it all began with our founding fathers that were responsible for the creation of the first 3 major political parties in Nigerian history. True,they joined hands to rid the country of British rule,but,unfortunately and sadly too,they were the author of our greatest problem as a country. THEY CREATED POLITICAL PARTIES IN LINE WITH TRIBAL AND ETHNICAL DIVIDES OF THE COUNTRY.As a result,people's way of thinking was conditioned along ethnical lines and unfortunately,we are still yet to break away from this evil and viscious circle of tribalism. Over the years,several criminals have been created from this tribal bias and we have refused to bring the culprits to book,guess why...TRIBALISM! This is why Nigeria have failed to develop all this while. People commit heinous crimes and should be brought to book but we disagree and shield them from prosecution simply because they are our tribesmen.
If a hausa man is caught,the Arewa Elder's Forum would stand by and protect him,when the criminal is a Yoruba,OPC would claim that if he were to be a hausa,he would have gone scot-free! The Ibos are like that too. This has been the case in Nigeria till date.
Despite the fact that Jonathan is not performing,ex- militants from Niger Delta would threaten war if he is not elected as President the second term. The Notherners too insist on the next President being a hausa,is that democracy please???
Personally,I have no problem with anybody from any part of the country becoming president,my problem,however,is lack of accountability on the side of our elected leaders. No one complains of lack of performance (if the person in question is of our tribe),rather,we busy ourselves with verbal tribal wars. It's quiet unfortunate we,the youth,refuse to see through the smoke screen (guess its too thick for us!), we do not realize,that all these talks of National Conference,presidential candidature of Jonathan ....etc are all in the interest of the aristocratic few and not in the national interest.
Tribalism born of our lack of faith in the Nigerian project is the major problem we face in this country. My clarion call,therefore,goes to the youth of this country,guys,lets wise up and network to make things happen. Lets shun all the fake,selfish and tribalistic conflicts manufactured by the criminals created through the ethnic and tribalistic political culture of the past. Its high time we started seeing ourselves as Nigerians and not as hausas,yorubas or ibos. Let us all denounce the so called "federal character" - a curse and enemy of progressive competitiveness that's enshrined in our constitution. And remember as always that NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAS NEVER AND NEVER BE THROUGH POLITICS BUT THROUGH ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT.
I,therefore,implore you all to denounce your membership to political parties and connect,mingle and communicate with one another nationwide for economic advancement. Lets do business! For this is the key to National development!!!
We may not have much to celebrate right now,but,at least,we are still together even after 53 years of independence,that is worth celebrating,so let us celebrate and at the same time reflect on our experience as a nation so as to hatch a progressive plan for the future!
One more thing,help spread this message by taking just a minute or two to share this message with your friends on facebook,twitter,google+ and any other social bookmarking site you may belong to,thanks for your time.
God Bless you,
God Bless Nigeria @ 53,
happy independence day!!!
Regards,
Abdurrahman.

2013 budget dey?

I was watching TV one quiet morning when a news headline from the national dailies was quoted which reads thus:"2013 budget unimplementable". It wasn't quite surprising to me,really,however, it was quite amusing that the first budget failure is happening NOT DURING MILITARY RULE but a civillian rule! Especially,the supposed best tenure in Nigerian history.
Its unfortunate that things can go this bad,I mean, every Nigerian and all businesses operating within our territories always look up to the national budget for economic direction. Its the budget of the country that helps businessmen to carve out a most effective business plan which has direct and indirect effects on the on Nigerians. It helps businesses to determine whether to employ more staff or to retrench some of their present employees,it also help to know whether to increase production or even shut down production of some products. This is because THE NATONAL BUDGET IS A YEARLY FINANCIAL PLAN THAT SHOWCASES THE GOVERNMENTAL ECONOMIC POLICIES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE YEAR.
You see,without a national budget,its quite difficult to tell what direction the nation is heading to financially and economically which in turn makes it difficult to tell which business to invest into and which business  you need to stay off from. As a result,businessmen tend to be cautious and either stop production or reduce it to the bearest minimum which is the reason why the economy seems to be at a grand halt.
A nation without a budget has no plan for the year,NO PLAN on spending for the year. He who fail to plan,they say,plans to fail!
In a situation whereby the president and his ministerial cabinet with their legion of special advisers that are paid so heavily to deliver democratic dividends to Nigerians have failed to deliver the very basic instrument of national economy,one cannot but wonder what people in government are actually doing in office?
Is it that the President refused to present a budget or the members of the national assembly refused to endorse it? Or,could it be that the unnecessary and rather childish 2015 second term ambition and the PDP faceoff has pre-occupied the President so much so that he has forgotten all about the budget? I mean,no budget for the year 2013... its very ridiculous!
The fact that he is currently changing his cabinet seems to have dashed all hopes that anything is happening this year. No budget,another first from President Jonathan...abi 2013 budget dey?