NIGERIA: IS THE FUTURE DEAD?

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Nigeria nears her make or break point. Back then when the soldiers were in power, everyone wanted the return of a democratic government. No one would have thought we will be where we are now today but that's the way life is.

Nigeria has to be one of the most unfortunate countries, not because her people are not intelligent. Nigerians are creative and innovative. Unlucky Nigeria has never had the right leaders. Probably the right-thinking Nigerians are not interested in politics, maybe they are trying but the touts are too dominant, or the right-thinking Nigerians change after all. The worst scenario is if no Nigerian actually has a good mind ( I doubt but its not impossible considering the experiences we have had). 

We should be more concerned about the future than about the present or the past. The mind of almost every youth, of almost every little kid out there already works like that of a typical Nigerian politician.

I had an experience back in secondary school that signifies the extent corruption has infiltrated the young Nigerian's mind.

French wasn't a popular subject in school, many of us used to refer to French in Yoruba as "Ede kede ti iya mi ati baba mi ko gbo ti won fi ipa ko mi" meaning "French is the nonsensical language none of my parents understands but I'm being forced to learn in school". The Principal wanted us to understand French so she stylishly got us a young French teacher with great flair for teaching to encourage us to like the subject. Not like we didn't have French teachers already, just that they could not get us to like the subject.
On arrival, the new French teacher started what he called French Students' Association to grab our attention. It did work, everyone was talking about it for weeks. Two students (a boy and a girl) volunteered to be President, so an election was to take place.

Only French students were allowed to vote, loads of students joined the French classes again then left after the election(Typical of Nigerians). I opted not to go back to French classes so was resigned to role of a spectator until...

The male presidential candidate came to me and asked me to be his campaign manager. I accepted his offer, it was the perfect chance to be a part of the fun that was unfolding. I don't know what made me think like that but I did. I told the guy to buy biscuits,sweets and and give students. The strategy was effective because most voters were on his side before the election.

The girl didn't give gifts to students so had very few supporters. I thought she was going to resign. But her few supporters shocked everyone at the time of election. After voting took place, my candidate was announced the winner. A section of the voters (J.S.S 1 students) tried to cheat. It was impossible to submit more than one tiny sheet with the name of your choice candidate on it, the young students allegedly folded more than one tiny sheet inside a bigger one.

I think I should be ashamed of the role I played in that story but at least I know better now. I'm sure most people have had similar experience.

57million people the world over are out of school; 10.6million of them are from #Nigeria. That is twice the size of Singapore. #Nigeria
— 'Seun Fakuade (@seunfakze) July 13, 2013

Seun Fakuade is a good Nigerian, the founder of The Bootcamp programme and Beacons. I opted to embed some of his tweets in my article because our opinions are the same here. I know he won't mind.

Just how many Nigerian youths and kids stand a chance to be useful to the country tomorrow. Statistics revealed that about 10.5 million Nigerian kids are out of school(the world has 57 million kids out of school). You can see how much Nigeria is responsible for illiteracy in the universe. Most of the out-of-school children are from Northern Nigeria.

The implications of abandoning our children and subjecting them to sub-standard learning will haunt my generation. #Nigeria
— 'Seun Fakuade (@seunfakze) July 12, 2013

Who cares? They dont give a damn about this children, so long as their own can study abroad and are insulated from the rippling effect
— 'Seun Fakuade (@seunfakze) July 12, 2013

No country builds her future in this manner. You can't have at least one out of every four kids roaming the streets and expect a better tomorrow. So much pain inflicted on the children, do you call that building the future? The insensitivity of the Government to matters like this has already yielded fruits (Terrorism). Nobody has ever cared about the many children in the North roaming the streets. Some of them have grown over the years into terrorists. When no one cares for the children on the streets, their parents have no source of livelihood, some get low wages so what do you expect? Engineers? Doctors? Who takes the blame?

Instead of the Government to make significant efforts to correct the situation the presidency has opted to waste all their time on issues that do not concern the masses. I will save my rants for the future as Mr. Fakuade's tweets have done a bit for me.

Optimistic Nigerians still believe Nigeria will be great one day while the pessimists have ruled out Nigeria's slightest chance to be a success story. Nigeria, a nation whose growth has been hampered by corruption and tribal and religious differences. Nigeria, the nation that refused to resist the rogues from moulding her, so weak, so vulnerable. Nigeria, where the sun sets in the morning, whose people have learnt to endure whatever hardship. Nigeria is a nation anxiously and practically waiting for her dying day.

This is the time to start thinking of the future. I refuse to be pessimistic about the future of my country. I will never admit Nigeria's future is dead but I've to admit the future is dying. Nigerians have to wake up! Be sensitive to national issues! Voice out against bad governance! 

Things are bad now... but we need to fear more for our future!!!

THE FOLLY OF TODAY'S MEN

A tightly packed group of today's men and women seems to be on the defensive of the Jonathan administration. They pick issues with virtually no relevance,aiming to confuse and distract the masses. Foolishly,they claim to be wiser than everyone else out of the current government.

There is no basis for the make-believe of this people other than they are privileged to be in the corridors of power. They have become so engrossed in their political ambitions that they fail in their responsibilities. It is unfortunate to have such a counterproductive group of people at the peak of affairs in the country inflicting so much pains on an otherwise powerless public. Honestly,we are being led by a bunch of scoundrels. 

They really don't care about the people but their pockets which get fatter day by day. So,they are doing their best to attack some other politicians. These politicians who themselves are not saints but threats to the scoundrels in power have fallen victims of their un-pitiable frustration.

Maybe it's a Nigeria problem but in advanced countries we see people who think they are capable to lead,contest in elections to get into power. In those countries public service is seen as a privilege not a chance to exploit their people. Some of them perform up to the expectation of their people and put in a good effort to battle terrorism in their countries. The ones who can't perform near expectation know when to resign and allow others have a go. 

The lecturer returns to his teaching job,the newspaper chief editor returns to his anti-government publishes,the artiste returns to his studio. They take the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of their nation. They are afforded the chance to contest in the future as better people.

It is quite pathetic that the today's men do not even see themselves the way they should. They lazily talk about their political enemies instead of getting to work. Their desperation to hold on to power has deafened them that they cannot distinguish the voice of the angry masses from the voice of other dastards.


It is in the large interest of the country that the public are made to know that in a democratic government,the people have the right to question their leaders. Let no one pretend like activism is some privilege. Nigerians will not allow any group of people to mess with the present and future of the country. Those who find themselves in power must be told to get to work or out of office.


Those who think they are bigger than the whole Nigeria and can do no wrong. Yes,the failed leaders in the past left lot of mess but the today's men are in fact adding to the mess. They have the ball in their possession but do not know how to use it. They have the whistle but cannot control the game and the players. They don't even know the political climate is the same as far as the people are concerned. They better stop the excuses and perform their responsibilities.


It's very funny and ironic that these men know the wrong the past leaders have done. They say the yesterday's men were corrupt,the people want to know why they have not been brought to book. One of their responsibilities is to ensure justice so why are they shamelessly bragging about their own ineffectiveness?


Too bad,someone handed power over with the country's electricity at a very bad state and apparently someone shut the Port-Harcourt airport and so on...How much has all this got to do with the today's men?Why is there no significant improvement in the electric supply when the resources are available?I don't know much about the evident transformation they are talking about. I certainly can comment on the roads I've seen around me,here in Nigeria and they are really terrible. I don't think any Nigerian cares who is awarded the road contracts,we just want to see the good roads. 


The people in power at the moment just make me think,"Can anybody possibly be worse?"We all know what the typical Nigerian politician can do when in control of public money,authority and influence. And Yes,some of them are right to say we have had enough.


It's a pity that the today's men have refused to learn from the mistakes of the yesterday's men. They fail to realize that they too will one day become history. They seem to be blindfolded by the power they are enjoying. Carelessly,they risk the lives of the masses. They spend the time they should use in thinking hard to solve the numerous problems they and their predecessors have created posting absolutely irrelevant junk on the internet. The  advice for the today's men is to do what is right now before they join the yesterday's men.

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Sent from Samsung tablet

GOODLUCK JONATHAN: HAS NIGERIA FOUND HER MESSIAH?

I was just thinking of the whole Jonathan-Nigeria scenario,how the expectation of Nigerians has not been met,how we have been nothing short of disappointed. Then something struck my mind. Goodluck's rise to power has been the most miraculous in our history,the "Man Who Had No Shoes" defeated the strongest men in Nigeria's politics within and outside his political party. To think men who had the ability and charisma like Late Obafemi Awolowo never got the opportunity to be where Goodluck is now makes it even more special. I concluded that Goodluck Jonathan has to be divine for Nigeria. I decided to google search "Goodluck Jonathan Prophecy" to see what men of God said when became president. I stumbled on this...

Apostle Babatunde Joel Oyidi the General-Overseer of Elyon International All Christian Praying Ministry said that President Jonathan is not the political messiah of this country but only a forerunner to the right person. Here is his quote,"It is written that whatever a man sows that he will surely reap. Though, President Jonathan is a product of the corrupt system that produced him, yet God wants to use him to fulfil his purpose for this nation. His job in this country is only to prepare the way for the right president".

Let's analyse the prophecy. Prophet Oyidi said Jonathan is not the one we've been waiting for but the forerunner,that's clear. He said Goodluck is a product of the corrupt system,that implies that the right president will not be a product of the same corrupt system. So forget all the rogues parading themselves as the next president,the right man is not yet in the picture. I think this prophesy can only be fulfilled if and only if the present system is completely overhauled. Jonathan isn't going to lose any election as anticipated by most of us.

For many years the Israelis served the Egyptians until God said it was time. Had every Pharaoh been nice to them they would have refused to listen to Moses,they agreed to follow Moses not out of obedience but desperation. King Solomon overtaxed his people until he died,it took just a foolish proclamation by his son Rehoboam to start a rebellion. Same goes for Nigeria,we've have been maltreated for years but we've managed to survive. We've never been contented with what we get but we have been comfortable enough to remain in our homes during the Occupy Nigeria protest. Many of us live below a dollar per day but we can still afford fireworks(banga) to celebrate a new year.

Goodluck Jonathan has come to push Nigerians beyond our limit. I was discussing with a social media activist,Adenike Adebayo on twitter. She told me since Nigerians are afraid of dying a silent revolution will do,that people should just remain in their homes and refuse to go to work. I told her that will mean we don't mean business because by doing that we will be fighting only Goodluck whereas he's just one of our enemies. The whole system is our enemy,we will be wrong to run to any of the failed politicians for help,they simply want to take advantage of our desperation. Honestly,I don't know if I can join a protest where the government will use firearms on the masses but people fighting in other countries aren't fools. They too have been pushed to the wall. If we don't overhaul the entire system our "Real Messiah" will never stand a chance against the political tycoons who have looted millions of naira from our treasury.

Goodluck Jonathan is fulfilling his destiny,talk of fuel subsidy removal and the rest. If no one forces us to protest we will remain in our homes struggling,suffering and smiling,moaning where no one will hear us.

They say when the night gets darker,the dawn gets nearer. Goodluck Jonathan: Has Nigeria found her messiah?Its a yes for me but a different kind of messiah,have your say too. Our suffering will soon be over by God's grace,just be prepared to pay the price for true democracy. Positivity out of the indisputable negativity of Goodluck Jonathan's reign,so don't regret voting for that "man who had no shoes".

Happy New Year Fellow Nigerians...Your comments are welcome. Thanks for checking my blog and God bless.
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WHEN HIS GRACE EXPIRES

Sometimes you just wonder why that wicked man is living a good and peaceful life. You look at that unbeliever who's on top of your class. You just tell yourself,"This is Injustice". Its by His grace,God doesn't choose to make people's lives miserable just because they refuse to acknowledge him as God. He's not man,he gives us chance to repent.

Then Men begin to take his grace for granted. Some say there's no God. Some so-called Christians continue in sin because they know he's merciful. Many fake pastors lie against God. My dad told me the story of a fake pastor he met during his youth service,He said one day the man told him that God's name is best to lie and make money because if you lie against him,he will not speak out and deny you like man.

Not everyman even appreciates this grace. Some get overwhelmed by the Knowledge,Power or Riches God gave them,they begin to act like its their own doing. Man is not wise enough to know his creator does what he wishes with him. Just little wisdom is enough to make human beings misbehave towards their creator. So many stop going to church as soon as God blesses them,they become too busy for God. God is merciful,he won't take what he has given them just because they do not have regard for him. My room-mate told me the story of a poor man who went to church on a Sunday,the pastor then said,"If God has been good to you,rise on your feet now and appreciate him". Everyone was on his feet except the poor man,one of the ushers decided to approach him,the man simply told the man that God has not been good to him in anyway so he decided to obey the pastor. The usher told him that God at least gave him the privilege to be alive,the poor told the usher that he doesn't need the gift of life in poverty that God should take his gift of life and then walked out of the church. He later died that week. What a Foolish poor man!

The main essence of this post is that His Grace has got an expiry date for everyman. Man is destined to die once and then face Judgement. After death,there's no more grace for us. Everyone whose name isn't found in the book of life shall be casted into the lake of fire. God doesn't joke with his word,He's principled. All those atheists who have died can no longer come back to the world to repent. All those fake pastors will get no reward for whatever evangelism they do.

My message to you this christmas is that you sort yourself out with God,do not take His grace for granted now you have it. Because When His Grace Expires there will no longer be room for repentance.

Wishing you my readers,Merry Xmas and a Prosperous New Year!God Bless You!

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CHRISTIANITY: A WAY OF LIFE

The end of the world draws nearer day by day,it has now become massively important and necessary to know the truth,it has always been though cos people die everyday. Its risky not to know the truth. Some supposed men of God are out there to deceive people and give them wrong ideas. That's why the bible has warned us,1 John 4:1,We are to test every spirit and not believe everything. We have been warned about False Prophets.

Today,there are certain misconceptions in the church of God at large. Many Christians are ignorant of the priorities. Its really sad because so many will miss heaven because of this. I pray We all make heaven in the end.

Indoctrination has become common in various churches. Some Christians have been directly or indirectly made to believe they only need to observe certain doctrines to make heaven. Some supposed men of God tell their followers to pay large offerings in church to cancel their sins,Some even talk about "eternal security",So many hardly preach about salvation,The devil is indirectly or directly using many of them. Unfortunately,Man by nature can be gullible and dogmatic. Observing any doctrines will not give us the eternal life Christ promised us. Being a Christian is way beyond observing some doctrines. That's why You and I must not see CHRISTIANITY as a RELIGION but A WAY OF LIFE.

Whenever someone says,"don't eat this and that","don't wear such clothes in that colour"I just smile not because I find it funny though. Do people really believe eating some kind of food can bring bad luck or defile one???Did the Bible not tell us all food had been made holy???All those commands are that of men like the bible says,Colossians 2:20-23 which says it all. I'm not condemning "Observation of certain doctrines in line with the Bible"but like I said some are of men. "Black colour" for example is used to illustrate evil(devil,witches etc)in many parts of this world. This idea is only stereotypical of men. The bible never mentioned it,"Red" and "Black" representing evil is as a result of human imagination not reality. Whoever said "White" signifies holiness...I don't know. Whoever says that's what angels wear in heaven...I've not been there yet. But my purpose of writing this is that we direct our attention towards the main thing instead of bothering ourselves with unnecessary doctrines.

The Bible should be our guideline and the Holy Spirit our advisor. Do not get indoctrinated by fellow Men!!!Just remember that Man is destined to die once then face judgement. There will be no room for excuses. TEST EVERY SPIRIT!
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NIGERIA: WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM,WHERE WE ARE ,WHERE WE SHOULD BE,WHERE PRECISELY ARE WE GOING???

Fellow Nigerians,once again its another Independence day celebration in our country, Happy?Dancing? Definitely,that can't be the case with most Nigerians. Since Nigeria gained independence,we have never really had a true cause to celebrate any independence day. This Independence day wouldn't be any different from the past ones but I thank God I'm now grown enough to write about this today,few years ago I knew next to nothing. We need to examine our Past,Present and Probable future. Let's start with the colonial rule era. Are You Ready???

There's no need to waste much time here. Majority of us know the story of how Nigeria was colonised by british masters,how it all started when slavery was voted out by most of the world. Colonial masters penetrated through Lagos and ruled for many years. Lugard used "indirect rule" to control the country, the northern part was the weak link ,there was little gain for the country during his time. Clifford was a little better,some others came after him too BUT the British were never going to satisfy us. The british discovered how rich the country was in terms of resources and for their selfish agendum didn't want to leave anymore.

Around the 1930's and 1940's,the western education started to have effect on some Nigerians. There was emergence of very intelligent Nigerians who started to campaign for self-government,Nigerians became tired of the colonial rule. You definitely must know Obafemi Awolowo,he's late now. He led the struggle for self-government. Nigeria's tribalism problem was caused by the british colonial masters. That's something I openly blame them for,it was in our way while fighting for independence. Nigeria is just too "LARGE",the complexity can't be estimated. The northerners refused Awolowo's motion initially,they were backed by the colonial masters. Eventually,on the 1st of October,1960 Nigeria gained independence. The country entered another phase entirely.

So,they precisely got what they wanted. A Balewa-Azikwe led government was installed. Immediately,the North started to dominate the Nigeria Politics,a trend which has continued till date. Very soon,the minimal dis-unity the Nigeria's Independence heroes had aggravated,Awolowo was incarcerated for inciting rebellion against the government.

The country was in a disorganised state until a new era began,"Military Rule". The soldiers' perfectly organised coup resulted in the killing of some of Nigeria's strong men of that time,Tafawa Balewa,Ahmadu Bello,Akintola and some others. Aguiyi Ironsi became the first Military head of state in 1960.         

Tribalism became an issue again in the country in 1967,the easterners led by Late Col. Ojukwu rebelled against the government and formed their own republic,"Biafra Republic". This led to Civil war,Ironsi had died during the coup that led to Gowon's take-over of government. In 1970,the civil war ended when "Biafrans"surrendered.

Muritala in 1976,took over power from Gowon in a coup that wasn't bloody. He(Muritala)was showing signs of promise,Nigerians' Muritala dream was killed by certain ambitious men who assassinated him just three months after. Gen Obasanjo(Muritala's deputy)took over and was there till 1979. Then,another era began,a non-military one but Nigeria had not yet seen the last of  Military.

Obasanjo became the first Military head of state to hand over government to the Civilians again after the people's quest for end of military regime. Shehu Shagari became the first Executive President in Nigeria. Unfortunately,it ended the same old story. Shagari was seriously incompetent and Nigerians didn't h much justification for having requested for Civilian government. The tribalism was an issue during Shagari's time too,the oil refinery was not put in the right place all in the name of satisfying his people. It took four years but the soldiers were patiently waiting,eventually Buhari and Idiagbon emerged in a bloodless coup,their excuse was Shagari's incompetence. Many Nigerians welcomed them.

Back to square one as they say,same Military!Nigerians had to settle for soldiers again. The Buhari led government was relatively okay,they instilled discipline in the country and this administration will be rated later on as the least corrupt Military one. But Soldiers will always be Soldiers!!!The economy started to decline at a very fast rate during this administration. Babaginda later took advantage of Idiagbon's absence and executed a bloodless coup in 1985. Soldier go...Soldier come...

Ibrahim Babaginda's ambition was the reason he planned that coup and not for the love of Nigerians(I'm not afraid to say)he proved it anyway. He went on to led one of the most corrupt government Nigeria ever had(Full of deception). Nigeria had not seen the worst from Soldiers. IBB's corrupt government will be forever remembered for the unjustifiable cancellation of June 12,1993 election between Alhaji Tofa and MKO Abiola. That single event has gone a long way in deciding Nigeria's future,its one of the reasons we are where we are today. I don't want to talk too much about this. MKO Abiola and his wife died during this struggle(thanks To Sani Abacha). I'm not even going to accuse IBB much,he's still alive,maybe later on he can give a good explanation why he made his decisions. IBB is still remembered for the alleged assassination of Media-man Dele Giwa and the disappearance of several billions of dollars. IBB's eight years in power was a complete waste in my own humble opinion,He further destroyed the economy. His dubious interim government idea to shut Yorubas and the rest of Nigeria and world up by appointing Shonekan was messed up by Abacha who made another  big impact on our Past,Present and Future. Please don't get bored,Its Our Country!

When,Abacha took over,he refused to give any recognition to the June 12 election which the whole Nigeria believed Abiola won. Abiola tried declaring himself and was arrested and didn't come out alive(God only knows the true story). Abacha's government was more than corrupt,it was a really brutal one. Human rights were thoroughly abused,many activists were openly killed(Saro Wiwa and others). There was no such thing as "Law"during Abacha's time. Abacha later supposedly died of heart failure in 1998 and his deputy Abdulsalami Abubakar filled in for him as acting head of state. Abacha would go down into history as one of the worst leaders ever and one of the biggest money-looter of the century. Don't even talk of the economy.

Abubakar later organised an election which saw a Yoruba man take power in 1999,I think we already mentioned his name,Olusegun Obasanjo. Nigerians were glad once again,their hope lifted,expectations high,Obasanjo had come out of Prison to rule.

Obasanjo's era is recent so we should still remember a lot. Obasanjo in my own opinion did relatively "okay". He helped Nigeria to develop a lot and made a decent attempt to fight corruption. But he was still the typical Nigerian leader,we were the typical Nigerian people. He was never doing enough and we were never getting satisfied. Any unnecessary attempt to victimise OBJ might end up being defamation. OBJ almost got carried away by the benefits of being the No1 Nigerian citizen(Sit-tight syndrome). He wasn't perfect but its difficult to blame him,Nigerians did anyway but I won't.

Obasanjo had eight years in power as allowed by the constitution then he almost single handedly chose his successor,Umaru Musa Yaradua(They say it was for Shehu Yaradua). Yaradua was never a bad or corrupt leader,he became the first and the only leader to have declared his assets. Yaradua was not so healthy but in his little time as President he showed Nigerians he really cared(a trait nobody had actually showed). Yaradua had good intentions but his health failed him. He's the only one among the past leaders and the present one to have lowered the price of fuel causing a proportional decrease in cost of living. Maybe...If Only Yaradua had being healthy,we may be telling a different story by now. Rest In Peace Our Only President-to-have-ever-cared! 

Goodluck Jonathan as Yaradua's vice started acting when his health cause his absence for months before he eventually died.

Fast-Forward to 2011...At last we are almost where we are!!!Nigerians choose Goodluck Jonathan(the man who had no shoes) to lead them. He won the election out rightly. The Belief within and displayed by Nigerians had not been seen since Independence was gained. Most Nigerians had no doubt this young man from a poor background was the messiah. His name is "Goodluck".

Fast-Forward once again...this time to 2012!!!Hmmm...our President who was shoeless as a child has been disappointing. No longer in good terms with most Nigerians?You really can't blame Nigerians,We are not asking too much of GEJ,he actually isn't doing anything.  He hasn't showed Nigerians the kind of love Yaradua exhibited to us,he hasn't showed us the determination and bravery OBJ displayed instead he has told us "Babaginda"lies, exhibited Shagari's incompetence and displayed Abacha's inhumanity. Are you kidding me???Goodluck is the carbon copy of these three people rolled into one,Pathetic...Same lies again this morning,he claimed they have created millions of jobs for youths. Just how many Nigerians does GEJ intend to deceive,he presents a belief that is completely false this morning,a totally uninspiring speech. That aside, Do you really want me to take our time talking about removal of fuel subsidy???I don't think its necessary,we are still suffering due to that subsidy ish. Suddenly,Our Day Turned into Night,our light dimmed,our Joy turned into sorrow and our "Goodluck" we now call "badluck". This is where we are!

Where should we be???Suddenly its October 1st of 2012 and we are 52 already!!!Should we be smiling and cheering?Do we have any cause to cheer?If we wish to cheer,Would we be able to?52!!!Still no cause to be optimistic in the least,our hope fading away day by day and our belief dying fast. And we don't have anything to show for the independence we gained 52 years ago,our heroes' past labour completely in vain. We are not living the dream. Had Awolowo being here,What would he say,How would he feel? Nigeria isn't living the dream. We need to come out of our shells and face reality. Let's not even take pride in what some call us"Giant Of Africa"Its not for us as we are. We will need to do more to merit that reputation. Please do not compare Nigeria to some other inferior countries,don't think we are better than some other countries. Oh Nigeria!Arise from thy slumber!

How do you feel now?Great?I'm in tears as I write this. I don't know how you feel. My greatest fear isn't even our past neither is it our sad present but the future that doesn't look bright. They keep promising us stable power,good roads etc. This is no "animal farm". From every angle we look at the future,its not smiling at us. It definitely should not. Several predictions have been made that Nigeria will split. Politicians have been trying to cool the masses down about it. But its so obvious,isn't it?Even a 10 year old boy in the country will be looking forward to the 2015 elections,the hunger for power of some ambitious Nigerians(even past leaders)promises a terrible time in our existence. I expect even a 3-year old to know about a supposed terrorist group referred to as "Boko Haram"seriously threatening Nigeria's continued existence. Right now,the situation looks terrible. Even on this day,there is fear there could be bombings. Our tribalism problem has evolved into a live-threatening one,a long standing problem caused by the colonial masters and no leader has been able to get rid off till date.

There are times in life when You can't take a single step forward unless you take several steps backward which is the case for Nigeria. I know many patriotic Nigerians will not think this is a waste of time. Something needs to be done and very fast but What exactly is the way out of this mess???

Happy Independence day celebration anyway!Fellow Nigerians,once again its another Independence day celebration in our country,Happy?Dancing?Definitely,that can't be the case with most Nigerians. Since Nigeria gained independence,we have never really had a true cause to celebrate any independence day. This Independence day wouldn't be any different from the past ones but I thank God I'm now grown enough to write about this today,few years ago I knew next to nothing. We need to examine our Past,Present and Probable future. Let's start with the colonial rule era. Are You Ready???

There's no need to waste much time here. Majority of us know the story of how Nigeria was colonised by british masters,how it all started when slavery was voted out by most of the world. Colonial masters penetrated through Lagos and ruled for many years. Lugard used "indirect rule" to control the country, the northern part was the weak link ,there was little gain for the country during his time. Clifford was a little better,some others came after him too BUT the british were never going to satisfy us. The british discovered how rich the country was in terms of resources and for their selfish agendum didn't want to leave anymore.

Around the 1930's and 1940's,the western education started to have effect on some Nigerians. There was emergence of very intelligent Nigerians who started to campaign for self-government,Nigerians became tired of the colonial rule. You definitely must know Obafemi Awolowo,he's late now. He led the struggle for self-government. Nigeria's tribalism problem was caused by the british colonial masters. That's something I openly blame them for,it was in our way while fighting for independence. Nigeria is just too "LARGE",the complexity can't be estimated. The northerners refused Awolowo's motion initially,they were backed by the colonial masters. Eventually,on the 1st of October,1960 Nigeria gained independence. The country entered another phase entirely.

So,they precisely got what they wanted. A Balewa-Azikwe led government was installed. Immediately,the North started to dominate the Nigeria Politics,a trend which has continued till date. Very soon,the minimal dis-unity the Nigeria's Independence heroes had aggravated,Awolowo was incarcerated for inciting rebellion against the government.

The country was in a disorganised state until a new era began,"Military Rule". The soldiers' perfectly organised coup resulted in the killing of some of Nigeria's strong men of that time,Tafawa Balewa,Ahmadu Bello,Akintola and some others. Aguiyi Ironsi became the first Military head of state in 1960.         

Tribalism became an issue again in the country in 1967,the easterners led by Late Col. Ojukwu rebelled against the government and formed their own republic,"Biafra Republic". This led to Civil war,Ironsi had died during the coup that led to Gowon's take-over of government. In 1970,the civil war ended when "Biafrans"surrendered.

Muritala in 1976,took over power from Gowon in a coup that wasn't bloody. He(Muritala)was showing signs of promise,Nigerians' Muritala dream was killed by certain ambitious men who assassinated him just three months after. Gen Obasanjo(Muritala's deputy)took over and was there till 1979. Then,another era began,a non-military one but Nigeria had not yet seen the last of  Military.

Obasanjo became the first Military head of state to hand over government to the Civilians again after the people's quest for end of military regime. Shehu Shagari became the first Executive President in Nigeria. Unfortunately,it ended the same old story. Shagari was seriously incompetent and Nigerians didn't have much justification for having requested for Civilian government. The tribalism was an issue during Shagari's time too,the oil refinery was not put in the right place all in the name of satisfying his people. It took four years but the soldiers were patiently waiting,eventually Buhari and Idiagbon emerged in a bloodless coup,their excuse was Shagari's incompetence. Many Nigerians welcomed them.

Back to square one as they say,same Military!Nigerians had to settle for soldiers again. The Buhari led government was relatively okay,they instilled discipline in the country and this administration will be rated later on as the least corrupt Military one. But Soldiers will always be Soldiers!!!The economy started to decline at a very fast rate during this administration. Babaginda later took advantage of Idiagbon's absence and executed a bloodless coup in 1985. Soldier go...Soldier come...

Ibrahim Babaginda's ambition was the reason he planned that coup and not for the love of Nigerians(I'm not afraid to say)he proved it anyway. He went on to led one of the most corrupt government Nigeria ever had(Full of deception). Nigeria had not seen the worst from Soldiers. IBB's corrupt government will be forever remembered for the unjustifiable cancellation of June 12,1993 election between Alhaji Tofa and MKO Abiola. That single event has gone a long way in deciding Nigeria's future,its one of the reasons we are where we are today. I don't want to talk too much about this. MKO Abiola and his wife died during this struggle(thanks To Sani Abacha). I'm not even going to accuse IBB much,he's still alive,maybe later on he can give a good explanation why he made his decisions. IBB is still remembered for the alleged assassination of Media-man Dele Giwa and the disappearance of several billions of dollars. IBB's eight years in power was a complete waste in my own humble opinion,He further destroyed the economy. His dubious interim government idea to shut Yorubas and the rest of Nigeria and world up by appointing Shonekan was messed up by Abacha who made another  big impact on our Past,Present and Future. Please don't get bored,Its Our Country!

When,Abacha took over,he refused to give any recognition to the June 12 election which the whole Nigeria believed Abiola won. Abiola tried declaring himself and was arrested and didn't come out alive(God only knows the true story). Abacha's government was more than corrupt,it was a really brutal one. Human rights were thoroughly abused,many activists were openly killed(Saro Wiwa and others). There was no such thing as "Law"during Abacha's time. Abacha later supposedly died of heart failure in 1998 and his deputy Abdulsalami Abubakar filled in for him as acting head of state. Abacha would go down into history as one of the worst leaders ever and one of the biggest money-looter of the century. Don't even talk of the economy.

Abubakar later organised an election which saw a Yoruba man take power in 1999,I think we already mentioned his name,Olusegun Obasanjo. Nigerians were glad once again,their hope lifted,expectations high,Obasanjo had come out of Prison to rule.

Obasanjo's era is recent so we should still remember a lot. Obasanjo in my own opinion did relatively "okay". He helped Nigeria to develop a lot and made a decent attempt to fight corruption. But he was still the typical Nigerian leader,we were the typical Nigerian people. He was never doing enough and we were never getting satisfied. Any unnecessary attempt to victimise OBJ might end up being defamation. OBJ almost got carried away by the benefits of being the No1 Nigerian citizen(Sit-tight syndrome). He wasn't perfect but its difficult to blame him,Nigerians did anyway but I won't.

Obasanjo had eight years in power as allowed by the constitution then he almost single handedly chose his successor,Umaru Musa Yaradua(They say it was for Shehu Yaradua). Yaradua was never a bad or corrupt leader,he became the first and the only leader to have declared his assets. Yaradua was not so healthy but in his little time as President he showed Nigerians he really cared(a trait nobody had actually showed). Yaradua had good intentions but his health failed him. He's the only one among the past leaders and the present one to have lowered the price of fuel causing a proportional decrease in cost of living. Maybe...If Only Yaradua had being healthy,we may be telling a different story by now. Rest In Peace Our Only President-to-have-ever-cared! 

Goodluck Jonathan as Yaradua's vice started acting when his health cause his absence for months before he eventually died.
Fast-Forward to 2011...At last we are almost where we are!!!Nigerians choose Goodluck Jonathan(the man who had no shoes) to lead them. He won the election out rightly. The Belief within and displayed by Nigerians had not been seen since Independence was gained. Most Nigerians had no doubt this young man from a poor background was the messiah. His name is "Goodluck".

Fast-Forward once again...this time to 2012!!!Hmmm...our President who was shoeless as a child has been disappointing. No longer in good terms with most Nigerians?You really can't blame Nigerians,We are not asking too much of GEJ,he actually isn't doing anything.  He hasn't showed Nigerians the kind of love Yaradua exhibited to us,he hasn't showed us the determination and bravery OBJ displayed instead he has told us "Babaginda"lies, exhibited Shagari's incompetence and displayed Abacha's inhumanity. Are you kidding me???Goodluck is the carbon copy of these three people rolled into one,Pathetic...Same lies again this morning,he claimed they have created millions of jobs for youths. Just how many Nigerians does GEJ intend to deceive,he presents a belief that is completely false this morning,a totally uninspiring speech. That aside, Do you really want me to take our time talking about removal of fuel subsidy???I don't think its necessary,we are still suffering due to that subsidy ish. Suddenly,Our Day Turned into Night,our light dimmed,our Joy turned into sorrow and our "Goodluck" we now call "badluck". This is where we are!

Where should we be???Suddenly its October 1st of 2012 and we are 52 already!!!Should we be smiling and cheering?Do we have any cause to cheer?If we wish to cheer,Would we be able to?52!!!Still no cause to be optimistic in the least,our hope fading away day by day and our belief dying fast. And we don't have anything to show for the independence we gained 52 years ago,our heroes' past labour completely in vain. We are not living the dream. Had Awolowo being here,What would he say,How would he feel? Nigeria isn't living the dream. We need to come out of our shells and face reality. Let's not even take pride in what some call us"Giant Of Africa"Its not for us as we are. We will need to do more to merit that reputation. Please do not compare Nigeria to some other inferior countries,don't think we are better than some other countries. Oh Nigeria!Arise from thy slumber!

How do you feel now?Great?I'm in tears as I write this. I don't know how you feel. My greatest fear isn't even our past neither is it our sad present but the future that doesn't look bright. They keep promising us stable power,good roads etc. This is no "animal farm". From every angle we look at the future,its not smiling at us. It definitely should not. Several predictions have been made that Nigeria will split. Politicians have been trying to cool the masses down about it. But its so obvious,isn't it?Even a 10 year old boy in the country will be looking forward to the 2015 elections,the hunger for power of some ambitious Nigerians(even past leaders)promises a terrible time in our existence. I expect even a 3-year old to know about a supposed terrorist group referred to as "Boko Haram"seriously threatening Nigeria's continued existence. Right now,the situation looks terrible. Even on this day,there is fear there could be bombings. Our tribalism problem has evolved into a live-threatening one,a long standing problem caused by the colonial masters and no leader has been able to get rid off till date.

There are times in life when You can't take a single step forward unless you take several steps backward which is the case for Nigeria. I know many patriotic Nigerians will not think this is a waste of time. Something needs to be done and very fast but What exactly is the way out of this mess???

Happy Independence day celebration anyway!

GOODLUCK JONATHAN: IS IT TIME TO GO???

YES!this has become a subject of discussion everywhere in Nigeria to nobody's surprise. Nigerians are not happy with the way our country is governed and they are not wrong in anyway to be upset with the president. Things can't possibly be worse than they are,can they?We all have an idea how many people terrorists have killed in the north,the cost of living is beyond Nigerians as surveys show therefore standard of living has gone very low. All these have caused a shout by human rights activists that Goodluck Jonathan resigns from office.

I want to try not to allow my emotions rule me as I write this because if I do I will end up saying what I should not say. I'm seriously in support of Goodluck resigning from office even though I'm presently not imagining what happens after him cos it can't be foreseen. Gooduck is stubborn,who says he cares what we feel,how many of us die and how much democracy is harmed? But of what use will Jonathan's resignation be if our situation remains unchanged or even gets worse,I would be kicking hard at the ground in fury. Goodluck is obviously not doing well,he's a very bad leader but his resignation won't be sufficient to turn Nigeria around,WHY??

Now,if Goodluck resigns Nnamadi Sambo will act as president till an election comes up and a new leader takes over. At the same time if the house make good their threat to impeach him,another presidential election comes up all things being equal. The question now is:HAVE WE GOT ANYBODY AMONG THOSE WE KNOW ARE CLOSEST TO THAT SEAT BETTER THAN GOODLUCK???No,the answer is NO,we have none,not Buhari,not Atiku,not IBB definitely not,not any nigerian politician out there. That implies that we might not even stand any chance after goodluck. Things might even get worse,someone is making the nation ungovernable for him,Who knows who?Who knows what even Jonathan can do if he resigns or is impeached?

Jonathan is not our only problem in Nigeria as thought by an average Nigerian. Our politicians as a whole are our problem including the supposed men of God among them. They do not love the masses and won't do everything within their power to give us better living. So,let us not be deceived or fooled by any political aspirant just like we were deceived by Goodluck,let's not allow them give us the impression they are any different. OUR WHOLE POLITICS MUST BE CLEANED UP!!!My voice now is: GREEDY,WICKED AND LAWLESS POLITICIANS,PLEASE KINDLY RESIGN!!!