WHO WINS ONDO ELECTIONS?

The forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Ondo state is a complete test of powers within the All Progressives congress. This has generated quite some tension within most of the political parties As at today, also the proof of the weakening of the strengths of the Peoples democratic party became extremely clearer. The PDP candidate Eyitayo Jegede had his name removed by the Independent National Electoral Commission very few weeks to the elections to be replaced by Jimoh Ibrahim. All efforts to get the matter resolved in court before the governorship elections day proved abortive. That’s food for thought for PDP and bye bye to Ondo state for 4 years except something happens.

The crack in the APC is becoming more and more conspicuous. Besides President Muhammadu Buhari ,Governors support at gubernatorial campaign is a normal ritual for the APC leadership but today Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,  Lagos Governor Akinwumi Ambode and Osun state governor Rauf Aregbesola could not  be present at the Akure campaign ground of the APC. The other southwest APC governors are already considered by many to belong to the Chiarman Odigie Oyegun group. Remember Ayo Fayose and Rauf Aregbesola once had a meeting in September this year where comments were made on a possible realignment of forces.

This contest between Sola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy and Akeredolu of the All Progressive Congress is actually about whether Odigie Oyegun’s leadership without the Tinubu faction can win elections particularly in the southwest. If Oyegun can achieve this, then it is a litmus test to prove that Tinubu is not very relevant as his so called south west states have been taken right under his nostrils.

But the political clout of Oke and his acceptability by the people of Ondo state at this last minute has been with a bang. And I think the incumbent governor Olusegun Mimiko has contested elections in Ondo state for so long that he understands and knows from the political temperature who is going to win.  I knew in 2003 how Mimiko backed out on Chief Adefarati 3 weeks to the election and baba lost the elections due to the heavy impact of his cross carpeting. However INEC must stay apolitical and non-partisan as Ondo citizens might resist any form of rigging with physical confrontation. None must also tell us that rigging took place anywhere. Candidates must get their representatives at every polling booths and get all malpractices recorded on phone, wristwatch etc. There will be no space for medicine after death!

  Except a miracle happens, this keenly contested election is about leading to the demise of the PDP in Ondo state but a realignment of an old force that left Ondo state leadership and other southwest states  in 2003. This may be the beginning of the new realignment!

A POETIC ALLEGIANCE TO THE TINUBU POLITICAL SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

For Ideology, Intelligence and hard work

For trust antecedents and precedent

For being deep progressive and forceful

I know Bola Tinubu

For Hope in God and trusted men

For planning for patience and for strategy

For values of loyalty onto the peak

I prefer Bola Tinubu

For being glocal streetwise and remote

For intellect and admission of reality

For style for clout and for consistency

I stand with Bola Tinubu

I stand with Bola Tinubu

A Tinubu Political School of Thought!

www.herald.ng

©Tunde Instreamin

INNOSON AND THE GUTS FOR LOCAL PRODUCTION

Innoson is doing something that sparks my nigerianess. This automobile company, with an annual turnover of 3.6bn and state-of-the-art technology assembles cars in Nnewi, Nigeria. It also manufactures tyres, tubes, motorcycle parts etc. Amidst the noise of no infrastructure, Innoson is still managing to make cars in Nigeria. That, for me is no mean feat!

The Nigerian government goes all over the world looking for foreign investment when her local exportable potentials are never explored. It is always very painful when what you are looking for is right under your nose. If its true that you need 9m people to produce 60m cars, the meaning is that getting the 14 million cars plying Nigerian roads manufactured in Nigeria will provide 2.1m jobs!

 If Nigeria was a developed nation, the argument will clearly be that if Innoson can assemble in Nigeria, why can’t other automobile companies do same? Or is it that everything we manufacture is always considered as fake?

When I was growing up, the opposite of the word “original” was “china”. Today, you have to consider that country called China to make real profit in most enterprise. One thing is clear about that country. China believes in her people. If you don’t believe in your citizens, why should foreigners believe in them? Innoson is doing better than many auto companies that bring automobiles into this country and call them imported as if imported cars are made in heaven and can never crash. No country attains high quality production in a day.

If you want to increase your foreign direct investment, the first thing is to consume what you produce before thinking of export. Our attitude as government and as a people is the reason why the world puts us on their dumping plan. President Olusegun Obasanjo banned imported fruit juices in this country and the country survived. Within 10 years, all we saw was Coca Cola, Chi limited, Funman Limited etc all setting up fruit juice production plants in Nigeria making products for local consumption and perhaps today, exports! We cannot continue to be archaic in production and be voracious in consumption. Foreign exchange lost to importation of Rice, flour, refined petrochemicals etc are putting heavy pressure on the Nigerian economy.

Production for consumption must commence in this nation and the public policy to back this up has to be triggered against the heart desire of a few greedy elements. I want to see Ota farm eggs in my mayonnaise and Nigerian fruits in Shoprite. Nestle has to package that Suya spice! Aba will be better off as Nigeria’s china! Nigerian rice must start going through our throats and Innoson cars should be celebrated and used, first by the Nigerian government and then the Nigerian people. Sale of jobs through importation to Coutonou and some other countries that have even less comparative advantage in some of these imported products needs to stop.

We should not wait for the death of our brands before we use and celebrate them. Nigerians have to celebrate NIGERIA and her products. At least, the ones that we have comparative advantage in must be consumed by us. Electricity is not the reason why all forms of production in Nigeria cannot happen. If Innoson can do it, then it is not practically impossible. Innoson has to be celebrated for this feat, and every other company or focused people that are busy thinking of making our country, Nigeria a place, not less, but greater and better than it was handed over to us. Do help us God.

A car manufactured by Innoson   Photocredit: Innoson

TRUMP'S LEMON AS NIGERIA'S LEMONADE

Donald Trump, the newly elected president of the United States of America, at one of his election campaigns had this to say about Nigerians “look at countries like Nigeria or Kenya for instance, those people are stealing from their own government and go to invest the money in foreign countries.  From the government to the opposition, they only qualify to be used as a case study whenever bad examples are required. How do you trust even those who have run away to hide here in the United States, hiding behind education? I hear they abuse me in their blogs but I don’t care because even the internet they are using is ours and we can decide to switch it off from this side. These are people who import everything including matchsticks. In my opinion, most of these African countries ought to be recolonized again for another 100 years because they know nothing about leadership and self-governance.”  Checking all the sentences in this speech, the average Nigerian home and abroad hurts bitterly. But please let’s question each of these sentences and you will find that many of them are true even as I do not agree that we need to be recolonized. There is just a particular systemic clique that is causing problem in Nigeria which the 170m people in this country cannot touch. Even the law cannot touch them.

Donald Trump, Incoming President of the United States

As of November 2016 the population of the United States of America is 325.00m . The population of Nigerians residing in the United States is about 300,000 and the population of Americans living in Nigeria is about 30, 000. Nigerian students are the highest number of African students in the US. Nigeria has the highest population of immigrants of African descent but please note too that Nigeria has the largest population in Africa of about 170m people. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did estimate that 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants live in the United States as at January 2012. The difference is while there are some 3m illegal African immigrants in the US, there may be no illegal American immigrant in Nigeria. Hence Nigeria is truly an immigration burden to the United States. Amidst this musing, I have asked myself why we feel exactly that NAIJAEXIT will not happen one-day, when just some 3 decades ago, we, though more subtly, did same to Ghana. The thoughts of the story of Ghana-must-go bags, the immigration, emigration of Ghanaians into and out of Nigeria in 1980s and the state of that country today sparked off a more brutal resolution in me.

Leadership is a major problem in Nigeria as it is the permeable membrane that tolerates importation, corruption, unemployment and poor governance as Trump stated.  It is in Nigeria that corrupt people have more crowd than truthful people. It is in Nigeria that it is so difficult to put a thief in prison. Thank God for Buhari and these Aba-made shoes. It is Nigeria that imports  for consumption what it abundantly has. Infact amidst the 10 largest oil producers in the world, Nigeria is the only country importing her own resources to consume. It is in Nigeria that Innosson will be making cars as a Nigerian brand and it will not be declared the government’s official vehicle. It is in Nigeria that Nollywood will attain such great global heights and will still be having those structural issues. It is in Nigeria that thieves have so many defenders.

It is always very painful to recall that there are very incorruptible people in this country that you never get to know of. I mean people you can get into serious people trying to bribe them. Until someone presented Professor Dora Akunyili  to President Olusegun Obasanjo, no one ever believed a lady like that could do such a job. Nigeria has so many hardworking, incorruptible people that are never celebrated! We may be seen as corrupt but many citizens of these developed nations are very corrupt too. The difference is these countries developed a system that makes involvement in corruption and crimes a costly decision. We have had multinationals involved in corruption in Nigeria. We have the finest hands trained abroad do corrupt practices here. In some developed nations, power failures cannot even happen for 1 hour without door to door lootings. In the midst of hurricanes and earthquakes when the nation is mourning, many are busy looting freshly collapsed malls. This just teaches us all that there are just good and bad people everywhere but these developed countries keep bad people in prison and celebrate to elevate good people. Simple!

With this shame, it is so glaring that Nigeria must emerge and there must be no war. If there is, Ghana might run to Nigeria in the 1980s but no country in the entire West African coast can contain us. If we enter their academics, we will fill their classes. We will take their jobs and acquire their houses. This country just has to work. Nigeria needs young people that cannot be corrupted and we have them. We need professionals who know their onions that will crush this nonsense. We need intelligence to check these politicians, this police, this judiciary and this entire system. Thieves must get their blue uniforms and hardworking people must succeed. No country in the world has collapsed without crude oil proceeds hence Nigeria cannot be an exception. America is looking more for job creators that will help solve her unemployment problems .So should we be doing.

But I know Nigeria. As corrupt as it is being perceived, never ever allow her come to a conclusion that you are her common enemy. It will stretch close to death to stay alive to prove a point. Remember the story of a foreign commentator that said Nigerians are apes in 1996. Remember that Nigeria rose to that call on the final day. Nigeria identified Ebola in 2014 as a heartless enemy ready to obliterate her from human existence. We all know how it ended. On the day the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian executive and the Nigerian judiciary largely and  finally agree that corruption, poor governance and importation are clearly marked out as her lead enemy, corruption will present itself in its safest format and no one will move close because the consequence will be colossal. Even of products with very low comparative advantage, you will ask and re-ask CBN before you ever attempt to import. Those days of seamless judgments are less by one today!

THE NEED TO GRAZE THAT GRAZING BILL

I had promised myself that I will not for once talk about cattle grazing issues in Nigeria particularly the Grazing bill. I have not finished talking about human beings. So why should I now start with cows?  I need to finish talking about fundamental human rights before fundamental cow rights. However, in a country where cattle depart from their roles of being the beauty amidst wildlife, exotic sights for tourists and, where necessary, an alternative source of protein amidst many alternatives, it becomes an inevitable subject for discuss. So let’s reflect together!

Up till this week, fights between herdsmen and farmers have continued in Nigeria. In states like Ogun, Benue, Oyo etc, farmers and their farm products have been victims of herdsmen and their cattle respectively. These have severally triggered wild brawls that burst into major massacres and in some cases, loss of lives. Cows destroy farm crops with no apologies from their herdsmen. Moving cattle on the roads, sometimes major dual carriage ways had to be banned in some Nigerian cities because here, cattle excreta to some herdsmen is for road design as if other countries in the world do not rear cattle too. And when those grazing cattle initiate their parade on the autobahn of Lagos-Ibadan expressway where many vehicles left their breaks at home before hitting the roads, expect the massive burials of cattle. And then expect wars from their herdsmen. The reactions of these herdsmen have been terrible as they are ready to kill whatever kills their cattle as if human life and cattle life match each other. This is also to recall for reference,  the recent damage done by herdsmen and their herds some two weeks ago in Adamawa state. Killings of farmers by herdsmen still happened in Ekiti state around May this year.

In Owerri and Port Harcourt Airports in the last 2 years, cattle have stopped aeroplanes from landing on 2 occasions. In Port Harcourt, it even led to a collision with the cows. We were all glad the grazing of cows did not lead to a plane crash.  Should that happen, you surely would not have seen any of the herdsmen.  They will all disappear into the thin air. 

A herd of cattle    Photo credit: www.canalblog.com

Having read the proposed Grazing Bill, I concluded in my mind that in the world of cows, Nigerian cattle should have the biggest country in the world. They can go anywhere along the West African coast to merry and their herdsmen need no visa. They now do not need to struggle for local government or state reserves. By this bill, they will enjoy federal government reserves anywhere from the Sahel right to the fullest of Nigerian rain forests. They can eat whatever crops there and will be protected even by federal laws. The advocated grazing bill protects these herdsmen and their business as if  cattle rearing is the only agribusiness in Nigeria.  If cattle breeders enjoy FG Reserves, poultry farmers, pig farmers and goat farmers should have their share of federal reserves too. 

The bill also said nothing about the victims of grazing by herdsmen. It said nothing about the compensation of these hardworking female farmers who sweat hard for their farm products to mature only to have their crops damaged by herdsmen who see these women’s farmlands as the best lands to graze. What happens to those farm products do not matter as long as their cows have eaten.

When I saw section 17(1) of the Grazing Bill that said that all federal government lands and any other lands considered best for grazing and stock routes by the commission will be subject to the provisions of this advocated grazing law, I screamed!  . Definitely the lands where these poor farmers till for farming are extremely very good for grazing. That is the only reason why these herdsmen move their cattle there. If this continues and these farmers continue to resist and fight these herdsmen, all that is needed is that the cattle rearers will notify the Grazing commission of the suitability of the resisting farmers lands. The commission will then go on to work towards granting the herdsmen occupancy on behalf of the president. Definitely the lands of these farmers will be the first to fit into that clause as these are the farmlands that these herdsmen could not overlook such they were compelled to graze even when they saw crops on them. My question to the advocates of this bill is that “Is a grazing land now more important than a tomatoe farm or a cocoa farmland? Are these cattle rearers more important than these female Benue or Oke Adio farmers? Can we say cattle are more important than yams or cocoa? 

 A herd of Cattle     Photocredit : www.flickriver.com

The worst part of this bill is how section 18(1) of this Grazing bill challenges the Land Use Act of 1978. The grazing bill is seeking that the governor of the state where the desired or suitable grazing land is located should agree with the commission for reconstitution and revocation of the land for the purpose of grazing! Please note that the Land Use Act permits such revocation strictly for public purposes. So can we say that the lands all over Nigeria gotten for the grazing of the cattle of a wealthy few has therefore being acquired for “public purposes”? How is it that cattle rearing  is for public purpose but  tomatoe or cocoa farming is  not when there is no protein need in this country that cannot be met by  richer, healthier and safer alternatives like dry fish, snail, goatmeat? . Even the real poor in Nigeria cannot afford beef.  They eat fish, picked snails, ponmo etc.  If Nigerians do not eat beef in a year, they will never die of lack of protein. So what is this about exactly?

Once again, I support the Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose whenever this grazing bill is mentioned.  I will rather vote for those poor young and old farmers who remain in Nigeria’s inner creeks cum villages and have yet refused to beg for food. Greed and selfish interest is smiling on the pages of this bill. And because this is not in the best interest of every farmer that is not rearing cattle, I insist that it does not do the greatest good to the greatest number. Hence the bill itself should be grazed out of existence!

WHY MUST I STAND WITH BOLA TINUBU?

Hundreds of loyalists gathered together in a walk today to support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Lagos Nigeria. In the Walk called “I stand with Bola Tinubu”, followers gathered to express their displeasure on the sidelining of Tinubu by the Central All Progressive Congress Government of Muhammadu Buhari.

"I stand with Bola Tinubu" Walk in Lagos  Photo Credit: Stanley Ogidi

I have asked myself why exactly I should stand with Bola Tinubu. I would rather have loved to sit and split drinks with him (lol) and learn. Right from the time the ministerial list came out, Tinubu has become a little more quiet than normal and the bubble burst at the Ondo state APC primaries where Tinubu was forced to notify the president of anomalies and asked for the resignation of the Party’s national chairman, Chief John Oyegun. Interests rule politics generally but the question is what exactly does Tinubu want in Nigeria?

I wished Tinubu needed money. Buhari will have hit him with a Lifelong contract to calm him. But interestingly Tinubu has built so much legitimate means of making money that it will be too stupid to think that money is his problem. I am just sure he will look at those who bought Rolls Royce and published it in the newspapers as  SS3 boys. Second, By APC antecedents, I wished loyalty was the issue. Loyalty is spiritual to Jagaban and it is the inevitable pathway to the top. The question is “has there being disloyalty somewhere? Third, Around the time of Chief Bisi Akande’s birthday, Tinubu emphatically refused to take the position of vice presidency against the Chief’s wish. Tinubu had in his own analysis of Nigeria explained how events had overtaken such political strategy. Can we then still say greed for power is the issue?  

In all, most importantly, Tinubu by precedent, seeks a national party that will turn around Nigeria in an organic manner like Fashola did in Lagos. He will not fail to push it or influence it if necessary.  If he feels so sure that some sets of decisions are wrong, he will resist them particularly if he feels they are not in public interest. Choosing leaders, setting strategies and attaining landmarks are critical to Tinubu. He won’t object to speak out if he sees an oncoming blunder. But most importantly, could there be a clear gang-up against him in his own party? To tell you the truth, I do not know.

However, Tinubu has survived so many gang-ups and attacks. First, he survived the efforts to be rigged out at the 2003 elections. He was the only surviving AD governor in 2003 elections. Between 2003 and 2007, the only thing former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not do was to strangle him. Financially, the state was choked as federal allocations were kept away from the state when Tinubu’s Action Congress alone created new local governments in Lagos.  As this was on, Tinubu was in and out of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for money laundering allegations etc at different times. He came out of all unscratched! He was also severally dealt with at several Code of Conduct tribunals where he was finally cleared. Against very intense resistance from the outgoing Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and incoming Umar Musa Yaradua, Tinubu suffered intense resistance for his political ideology which as at then was unstoppable. The only man who really did not resist the Action Congress too intensely was President Goodluck Jonathan who never saw anything as a do or die affair.

That some non-Yoruba southerners  believe it was an error of the Yorubas to align with the Hausa Fulani in the 2015 elections is enough to tell us how far Tinubu has gone as far as Yoruba leadership is concerned. Even northern groups are warning Buhari to stay off quarrels with Tinubu currently. With deliberations going on to float a new party, APC should start getting ready for a shake-up. I’ve always known the party cannot break into just 2 parties but a minimum of 4 pieces at maturity. There will definitely be realignment of forces as the ideology isn’t the same anymore. While Ondo and Ekiti may realign back to Tinubu, Lagos will stand by him all the way. Some others might follow too.

 In all, One major thing a man like Tinubu must do is to keep his political clout and take care of his own base. Raise young people and perpetuate yourself. Raise a following from your people and those that believe in you. In all, Tinubu has done greatly even if he pulls out of politics today. Strategizing and mobilizing critical people to push a country of 170m people away from an incumbent 16 years old political party to lead the national government in a democratic order is a giant stride. Many of the Nigerian heroes past we talk about achieved this with a less educated, less populated and more loyal society. Even Awolowo’s wish could not survive Obasanjo’s tact.

For the antecedents, political clout, style and consistency, I stand with Tinubu. He will only get better by this crisis once again.

NOW THAT TRUMP FINALLY WON

Donald Trump finally won the presidential elections to become the 45^th president of the United States of America. While  the larger American population is excited about this, Africa is shocked!  But could this be a shock of victory? What should Trump’s victory really mean to the African? A disaster? If it’s so to you, please change your glasses!

Trump truly boasted to deport Africans particularly Nigerians taking the jobs of Americans etc. He promised to support by priority, the American cause to the fullest. As unfavorable as that sounds to the African mind, please note that the American state will still live by her constitution in amending policies and laws with proper legislation and referendum. It is a country that is scientific about solving her problems. However, America is telling Africa this time that it has to sit up. There is no more space for babysitting. A 56 years old country should know what to do.

What’s in this for Nigeria? What happens to Nigerians in the US as Trump takes off? Expect some deportation of illegal immigrants. Expect possible repatriation of non-American criminals too. In all these, there will always be a way for that well cultured African professional that is contributing positively to the American cause. Professionalism and excellence will still be supported in America but mediocrity, crime and other vices will be frustrated to suffocation. There will be always be agreements and MOUs as long as they hold no strain of terrorism. America is not moving to Pluto!

The Next President of the United States of America, Donald Trump 

With respect to international politics, expect stronger US-Israel ties. Expect a possible confrontation of Vladimir Putin on grey areas as he has flirted mostly with both friends and enemies of America to his advantage . I won’t be surprised at a sudden alliance with Assad.  Expect more transactional cooperation with most countries. Stop expecting those emotional support and aides America does without reward. A businessman is in charge this time.  Expect more violent reactions to terrorism.  Expect stronger alliances with Europe particularly Britain, Germany, France and those mostly threatened by terrorism for being kind to all kinds of safe and unsafe immigrants.

 Instead of Nigerians running to other countries hoping for better immigration laws, jobs, etc, America is simply saying Nigerians should rise up and exterminate this age-long corruption beast in Nigeria. Clean up your political system.  Run everything in your national life with checks and balance. Purge your Judiciary. Fix your infrastructure. Put thieves where they belong be it a judge or a jailer and have some rest of mind. Plan well. Feed yourself before thinking of feeding others. Trump’s win is telling Africa to stand well and take charge of her destiny. Should Africa align properly, this is the victory of the rule of law over crime, wastage and corruption. It is the victory of knowledge and technology transfer over underdevelopment. It is the magnanimous victory of potential over poverty.

This is a victory first for Africa- a ruthless attack on that coalition of systemic forces that has concluded that Africa must never develop!

NIGERIAN JUDICIARY VERSUS CORRUPTION

Justice Ayo Salami recently delivered a paper titled Corruption Eradication and the Nigerian Ethical Revolution at the Nigerian National Merit Awards. He spoke about his forced retirement and the need for ethical cleansing at the bench. 

The demon fighting Nigeria’s greatness is inside the court room. He does not go home. He is the one that tells corrupt officials to mention the worst case scenario. “Jail? if you have money very well enough in Nigeria and you killed no one with your hands, you can’t go to jail. The case will spend 70 years in court”. So he tells them.  The demon will repeat “if Obasanjo himself had a case that was in court for 20 years without judgment, then what is your own? Spend the money in the right places-police, bar, bench, witnesses, the right links and you are out- negative publicity might come but there is a way around it.” The only thing that scares Nigerians is jail! Sometimes Nigerians fear jail more than death!

Crime slaps the Truth in the Nigerian Court room so hard that sometimes Truth goes deaf, blind or dumb. At that explosive sound of the slap, innocence is shivering like a midget and Truth herself can no more talk! It has become very difficult to be right and bold together in Nigeria. The more you steal the more supporters you get. Infact the more you steal, the creamier the lawyers you can afford and perhaps the wider the backdoor you can escape through.

Crime and corruption has become so endemic and since no one goes to prisons except riffraffs here, it just made too much sense to steal government funds.   There are people who have been in prison for years for stealing goats and chickens. I have seen someone who awaited trial for 2 years for squeezing a woman’s breast while the people who spent monies for arms purchase (which led to loss of thousand of lives)  are going to be busy in court soon explaining away why they must never see prison. Never again in his life will he squeeze another woman’s boobs. So he told me! But the guy that diverted funds for hospital drugs or water projects will come to courts with 5 SANs. Any country where the citizens know that they can commit a crime and beat the law is a country warming up for a wild revolution.

I believe very strongly that as this dawn raid on the Supreme Court justices opened an irritating can of worms, it will also show incorruptible judges in this country.it will never leave us the same. The judiciary will read more from the law and never again from any bribe. However, government particularly state governments must take care of judges. The worst thing you can do to judges is to owe them dues and allowances.  We must recognize incorruptible judges and celebrate them with honours.  Best judgments, workaholic judges etc. must be recognized nationally. There are many lazy judges in Nigeria. If we can have our way, court proceedings in Nigeria should be recorded for post court view and audit. Organic problems need pragmatic solutions.

With the 7/10 Dawn Raid, Buhari has placed himself at the center of crushing the ribs of corruption in Nigeria but he cannot do it alone. Corruption in Nigeria is already systemic, grown up, extremely learned, strong and financially buoyant. It can buy anything, including judges, lawyers and witnesses. It can silence the truth but note today that it is the same bench it corrupted that will crush it! And that crush will be so fatal but for the good of all. Buhari needs Ayo Osinbajo,  Itse Sagay and the Attorney General of the Federation  to take decisions that will exterminate corruption and heartless effrontery in the public sector via the coming incorruptible bench. Should they fail, corruption will fight back, in no distant future and crush the four of them!

YAKASSAI AND THE YORUBA AGENDA

Former parliamentary secretary to the former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Tanko Yakassai some hours ago unashamedly stated that Restructuring is a Yoruba agenda. Restructuring in this context says nothing about secession. It basically identifies federating units and compels leveraged resource control which is actually what is called true federalism. To call this a Yoruba agenda could not have been caused by any other thing than Mouth Diarrhea.

South west economically does not control Nigeria, has minimal oil and is not the biggest region neither is it the wealthiest. Where then is the Yoruba agenda?

Im always ashamed when I see elderstatemen who take their eyes of their own naturally endowed groundnuts, cotton, leather, spice etc to concentrate on resources naturally endowed to other people. How can someone far up the savannah keep his mind fully concentrated on other people’s things while his own is untapped due to laziness? Why cant people develop with What God gave them?

It is this same spirit of bias that makes the government decide that some states are educationally less priviledged states such that if a student from Abeokuta and Funtua scored 240 and 200 respectively in UTME where the pass mark is 242, the Funtua student is surer to gain admission into a Federal University than the Abeo boy. Why? He is from an educationally less privileged state. Were we not in this country in the Abacha days when a Minister for education stated that he does not understand the cause of the madrush of the south for education? It is only in this country that Merit is told to make way for  race and creed to rule.

It is this imbalance that led to the civil war. It is this same imbalance that makes a less qualified person to become a judge or permanent secretary. When he wants his kinsmen in control of resources, he calls it federal character. When others ask for resource control or simply restructuring, he calls it a Yoruba Agenda or a secession plan. How myopic? Please tell me. Why should the oil gotten from Bayelsa be used to develop Ibadan or Kano when Kano has decided to stop her groundnuts? Why were more states created for the North by the North-Led military of the 19

Tanko Yakassai

60s? These are truly the pains of the neglected in this country.

The government just started dualising in full swing Ughelli to Port Harcourt roads less than 10 years ago. These are the cities that produced all the petrodollars used for those smooth dualised northern roads. The owners of the oil do not get the gains yet Yakassai says restructuring is a Yoruba agenda. Sincerely I am very sorry for him. The question is will the north allow Nigeria to continue if Oloibiri, Escravos and Port Harcourt were located somewhere in Borno? This is food for thought!

The spirits of fairness, equality and natural justice are not likely happy with this country. They can never be happy with elder statesmen who have no respect for true federalism or a scientific reward system!

ONE ON ONE MENTORING TO PROSPER

Poverty is fast becoming a more challenging problem in Nigeria that certificates and academic qualifications without hands-on mastery cannot handle. Universities are churning out more graduates that are not fit for industry. Most academic curricula in Nigeria have no plans for entrepreneurship, a critical demand needed for young graduates to succeed. Industries today want experienced hands that can get today’s things done yesterday. I will not be using this medium to blame government for not massively funding research, weak educational policies or its poor implementation. Everyone has his share of the fault.
Global Finance Magazine ranks Nigeria as the 62nd poorest nation on the face of the earth amidst lots of human resources eaten up by corruption, executive embezzlement through excessive government spending, bid rigging, inflated pricing, price fixing etc. which has in tactical ways moved the huge national income into the hands of privileged few. 
A continuum of this trend according to Human Development Report (2006) has left 92.4% of the Nigerian population earning less than $2 a day. It has left 57m Nigerians with no access to clean, safe water. Most importantly, Nigeria claims a large population of unemployed and underemployed people by contributing a whopping 14% of the entire global unemployment. The Nigerian Bureau of statistics declared that unemployment rate is 10.4%.
It is not uncommon in Nigeria these days to have graduates who have no mastery of any skill, art, sport, application or equipment. You may discover more and more certificate holders but may be shocked to find shallower understanding of even the language of instruction by which those certificates were acquired!
Looking closely at an analysis of successful entrepreneurs across Nigeria, it has become glaring that one-on-one mentoring and training has been one of the major ways great businessmen have emerged in Nigeria outside politics. The old generation of wealthy men such as the Odutolas, Ibrus, Fajemirokuns, Dantatas, Fagboyeguns succeeded through mentoring and hard work enmeshed in executive mastery.
National Training Laboratories (2015) stated that one-on-one training and teaching others transmits 90% of shared knowledge which is highest among other forms of learning such as group discussion, audio-visual learning, demonstration, Practice by doing etc That lecturing is the least mode of knowledge transfer by this report is most worrisome. Lecturing is more prevalent in Nigeria!
Africa’s richest multibillionaire is a product of teaching and mentoring. He was trained by Alhaji Dantata and directly taken through the rudiments of trade. He started out early, yearned to understand, worked dutifully, and paid his price for more than 5 years. Without much academic qualification, Dangote remains the wealthiest black man on earth and one of the greatest employers of labour in Nigeria. The rest is history. 
The likes of these old generation of successful men and even the younger ones has proved that Lagos is not automatically the source of mastery but may be a good upgrader and rewarder of it. They have shown to all that mastery through mentoring may be a better precursor for long lasting creativity and innovation. They have shown to all that knowing what to do is the most important thing and no matter how naturally endowed you are, there is no better replacement for training. Whether that training will be in a class, store, workshop or on a computer is a different line of argument entirely.
The Ibos of South Eastern Nigeria and the Fulanis of Northern Nigeria are major cultures that have sustained this agelong culture and legacy. It is very difficult to see an Igbo man begging on the streets. He might not be able to keep you in the classroom but within 6 years of hard work in his shop, you are empowered for life! You will learn how to weather the storms of business, trade or artisan-ship and will have acquired so much of financial education. Interestingly after years of true stewardship, he hands over to you your start-off Capital or start-Off Cattle. What an extremely organic yet most excellent way to raise true business leaders!
This was why I was not surprised when Steven Spielberg in his book, The Jewish Phenomenon mentioned the Igbo people of south eastern Nigeria as one of the most enterprising tribes on earth. This could also be linked to why the south eastern states ranks least on the poverty index report. As soon as Nigeria begins to align economically, no sooner than later will we discover that Aba is Nigeria’s China.
The over reliance on government-paid jobs may not be a way to self-fulfillment for citizens of a country of 170 million people. Infact, salaries may continue to be underpaid and unpaid in government parastatals. More countries after Ghana and Angola will continue to discover oil hence giving Nigeria’s main buyers other options. But masters in their art will not only create goods and services but most importantly Value. Life never resdponds to credentials. It responds only to current form and consistent training with knowledge update is the only way to stay in form. Training for mastery under an experienced and informed mentor or facility is pertinent for true economic empowerment in Nigeria

THANKING JEANS

How do I thank you Jeans? How do I? 
None in human history has multitasked and cubbed man like you 
Amidst the worst of Ottawa's winter, you played your part 
When Anatomy Viva got daily for me, you blessed me with warmth 
Cutting my spending, deleting my washing-ironing time 
While Permitting me to swot the more 
You stood for learning 

I dare not forget how you redefined smartness 
Accommodating the fat,short, slim and tall 
You stayed accessible to the poor and the rich 
Till I was able to get another, you constantly refused to wear or tear 
You remained dependable 

Must I talk about how you saved Kate from being raped 
Due to your thickness and fitness that blew the rape timing 
Should I ignore how you showed strong the similarities even in our differences when we wear you as a group by your shades? 
Need I celebrate by telling you that Engineers are already declaring you as their official uniform? 

Jeans is never quiet 
She is speaking friendship and Happiness, Perseverance and the "Go-through" spirit. 

Jeans leads! 

God bless Genoa, God bless Levi and God bless Jeans.

Loving Jeans

BIAFRA: THE VISION, THE REALITY AND THE EXCITEMENT

NEEDLESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PDP

Almost 2 years to the end of his tenure, President Muhammadu Buhari  simply shared with the public that he felt like absconding when he saw the national treasury after he took over the mantle of leadership. Going by this statement, the president inherited an empty treasury from the last PDP administration.

I have been asking myself when the ruling All Progressive Congress will stop blaming the PDP even when they spill ordinary milk. As far as this specific APC  stalwarts are concerned,  the PDP is responsible for the rain that damaged crops and the death of humans on the face of the earth. Even 9 months into their administration, PDP is still being held for power failure, economic recession, inflation and low purchasing power. Infact sometimes you will almost conclude that only PDP states are owing salaries when in the real sense, several APC states are lead debtors too.

Balderdash is what it will be called if anyone says that the PDP achieved nothing in her 16 years of rule.The PDP in her first 8 years in this country established the Global systems for mobile communications GSM, the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS, The National Open University NOUN  and the successful Pensions programme we have today.  These are programmes that clearly touched the lives of millions and are still running till today with many of them sustaining themselves. I do not want to mention the outlandish debt cancellation of the OBJ administration in 2006.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 8 years in this country groomed democratic norms- permitting an uncrushed opposition, a criteria needed for democracy to thrive. Jonathan respected and enforced electoral processes sometimes to his detriment! His time witnessed massive foreign direct investment that led Nigeria to the place of Africa’s largest economy. Jonathan’s government also led Nigeria through the first alternation of governments within a democracy. Jonathan secured the Freedom of Information bill, the Petroleum industry bill and boosted Local Content Policy. The enthronement of the APC today is based on that respect for democratic rule enshrined in the Leadership of the PDP at the time. We are not saying that corruption, poor infrastructure and insecurity did not thrive during the PDP era but the truth is that the PDP did not start them!

Despite these allegations by the ruling party, the APC till today is yet to provide the economic blueprint this country is following. FDI is declining and genuine investors are holding back. No genuine investor puts his money in an economy with inconsistent policies. Most elections held since May 29, 2015 has been fraught with massacres and inexplicable manipulations with Kogi, Rivers and most recently Ondo state for reference. Political and economic stability is critical for businesses to break even and then thrive.

A hungry man is an angry man.  Nigerians do not care about blocked wastage and anticorruption until the impacts of its dividends can be felt by that ordinary man on the streets. We can continue with this anticorruption noise for 4 years with yet no water, no good education, no roads and no power supply.

While lowering her voice on “fantastically corrupt” and “other room” comments, the Nigerian government should please solve national problems and tell PDP stories to the dogs. We are tired of them! If Power supply, portable water and poor infrastructure had truly been major problems before PDP took over 1999, then the APC should please drop her mics and ask for Tinubu’s spectacles with which he finds solutions to problems.

 PDP’s inactions should be APC’s shining edge. Nigerians are not interested in any presidential AWOL or kitchen turn-ons as long as there is food on the table. Tackle corruption but fix infrastructural problems. Block wastage but create an enabling environment for businesses.  Anything outside this to the Nigerian is just verbal gymnastics. Tell it to the dogs!

CBN WARNS AGAINST WONDER BANKS

The Central Bank of Nigeria finally confirmed that wonder bank schemes are scams! Kadija Kassim, the Head of Consumer Protection Department at the CBN, stated this during a mentoring programme for students of the Government Secondary School, Suleja, Niger State. In her words she stated “We have heard about the activities of MMM, but I want to warn you against it because they are wonder banks that are not regulated. Desist from their activities because they are fraudulent”. This statement has caused lots of arguments in many quarters. But why?

Get-rich-quick mindset has become a phenomenon in Nigeria as it is the fuel pushing Nigerians to all these Ponzi schemes and sports betting. How do I mean?

Do you know that About 60 million Nigerians between 18 and 40 years of age spend up to N1.8 billion on sports betting daily with an average of about N3000? As at now, Total number of youths between 18 and 40 are above 50m too. Do you know that the entire budget the government is working at for education in 2016 is 500bn? Do you know that 40 million Nigerian youths between 18 and 25 are unemployed? In the heat of recession amist 13.3% unemployment, 657bn still goes into betting! I mean, these are the reasons why it makes logical sense to government atimes to double taxes. With all the noise of recession, betting houses are as crowded as classes and the youths the government is borrowing for are busy betting away their few coins. Isn’t it funny?

Luck is at the Casino. He does not know you. Lucky is the god of gambling that every gambler’s mind prays to when he wants to throw the dice. His inner mind looks up in hope and shouts "Oh Lucky, Help me...." For life, Preparation will continue to meet opportunity at a J-curve. As for Luck, Every other thing luck brings returns to where they come. He is the only god that blesses laziness and seduces hardwork with a bikini called "waste-it!" Even the money we made legitimately is ready to jump out as SMS alert comes not to talk of the one deposited for gambling.There are few low hanging fruits out there. So when you pluck one and eat, learn to flatten your tummy. Everyone is waiting to collect what you have legitimately.

Worthy of learning is the music of Kenny Rogers “The Gambler" that says:

"On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

He said, "Son, I've made my life out of readin' people's faces,
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Now Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done."

 The Apex bank in Nigeria is saying this is the time Nigerians should not just walk away but run even as the scheme still runs smoothly now! Stop basing your livelihood on a Pascal’s triangle or some dotted dice. Don’t lose your money because of a football match or game played across the Atlantic. Self-disciplined people succeed on the indiscipline of others. Plan within your means. Go get the best skills. Pass the most respected exams. Start a business. Innovate. Stay off schemes and betting.Drop the dice and work to win!

Leave the scheme and drop the die!