TWO POEMS FOR THE ROAD

My Fears

There are four things which I fear.
Nay, but one which I truly dread.
First, the fear of big flying birds.
Second, the fear of great, high mountains.
Third, the fear of the words of Nostradamus
The worst, the fear it might again.

For Whom Can Not Be Renewed.

For whom cannot be renewed,
My love forever flows.
For whom in times of need,
I did always go.
For whom in times of help,
I did always turned.
For whom in times of misbehaviour,
I did need a scold.
For whom cannot be renewed,
. . .My mother.

©2001 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

GO AND REGISTER BUT WASH YOUR HANDS FIRST

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter’s registration exercise began last week on a shaky note amidst complaints and ululations from various quarters.  INEC has received criticisms born mainly from the snail speed of the process and the inadequate number of Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines deployed across various polling units in the country. In the first couple of days the machines did not arrive on time in several places and when they eventually did, making them work became rocket science.

Even in the face of these impediments, the ever optimistic Nigerian spirit has manifested itself once more with many embracing the process with enthusiasm. They have waiting on queues as early as 5am in the bid to get registered early. A man in Lagos provided his power generating set in order to enhance the smooth running of the process. However after he was registered, he packed his “kaya” and left. Another woman, also in a south west state of Ekiti made umbrellas available for INEC officials to shield them from the scorching sun. It seems most people have come to a common conclusion. Nigeria must work!  

WHY YOU SHOULD REGISTER

Bad governance is at the root of the Nigerian problem. It has nursed and bread corruption which has haemorrhaged the country in the last five decades. A credible voter’s register is a good foundation to lay for a free and fair election. Nigerian politicians have always tried to “bulldoze” their way into power. They want to capture power “by fire by force”. They are aware that a defective registration guarantees their perpetual control of state resources and they (politicians) would do anything to keep the status quo.   

In the recently conducted re-run elections in Delta state, results from Koko, a sparsely populated region had more votes than the summed votes from Sapele, Ugheli, Udu, and Effurun all of which are thickly populated.  As far as we can tell, the elections were-violence-free in most places but could it have been said to be fair? So who were these voters in Koko?

 In the South-South and several other states, we have managed to always produce more voters than were previously registered. The only way to address the conundrum of bad leadership in Nigeria is to have a credible voter’s register where every vote will count.

WHY JEGA’S INEC MIGHT WORK          

The leadership of the commission-Attahiru Jega- is seen as sincere unlike the erstwhile chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu. Jega enjoys a tremendous amount of goodwill. Iwu on the other hand is by far the most criticized Nigerian in history (closely rivalled by the evil genius and OBJ). He was so focused on electoral fraud that Jega will do  better by default. Iwu who was supposed to be the chief umpire became a true and loyal servant of the PDP. The PDP used Prof Iwu to capture power.  He de-registered candidates and flaunted several court orders at will. He was loved by corrupt politicians and feared by the opposition. Prof Maurice Iwu was a man in his own league. As it stands Jega can do no wrong. He can ask for 84 billion, keep schools closed and still enjoy goodwill from Nigerians. Jega must love this!

NEW TECHNOLOGY OR JUST PLAIN PSYCHOLOGY

By new technology, I don’t mean that the DDC machines were never in existence or that we manufactured them. What I do mean is that this is the first time that finger prints are being merged with other demographic data to make for a more transparent process. The Data collected would be unique in that an individual’s fingerprint would be used to identify him on Election Day. This is meant to obviate multiple registrations and voting which has become a trend in Nigeria.

This new system of registering voters is meant to be flawless. For example, if a Mr Lagbaja votes in “Ogboju” LGA in favour of ABC party and decides to better his party’s chances by going to “Kalokalo” LGA to place another vote, the machine recognises the similarities and voids the votes.  This is however not palpable in Nigeria and is at best wishful thinking. For the machine to detect election discrepancies, it would mean that all data gathered are centralised (meaning that data generated in Ikeja can be pooled from Surulere or even Abuja). For this to happen, there would have to be an active internet connection (or an intra net) connecting all polling centres to a server . And going by the problems already faced during the registration process, it just doesn’t seem possible.  What the DDC machines will achieve however is that it would reduce rigging by multiple registration in a single polling unit. It could also help in election petition tribunals.

PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS SIR

The DDC machines which are the fulcrum of the process have not lived up to the billing.  At first their sensitivities were said to be too high and could not pick the finger prints. So voters are instructed to wash their hands with soap or dip their fingers in solvents like alcohol to improve the sensitivity. The problem has made the process excruciatingly slow in that some people have to write their names on a waiting list. Zinox computers, one of the companies that won the contracts to supply these machines have helped by sending their engineers to all states of the federation to upgrade the software. Doing this has helped improve the sensitivities of finger print pads.

NYSC ADHOC STAFF

The failure of the NYSC adhoc staff to use computers has once again brought to the fore our derelict education system. Some of these graduates cannot spell Stephen different by Steven. This is really disappointing. Their excuse has been that the DDC machines are made to run on the Linux software as opposed to Windows and Oracle they are used to.

The Youth Corpers have also not done too well in people management. They may have been trained on handling DDC machines but they were not prepared psychology to deal with people. Crowds can sometimes become irate when things don’t do their way and they need experienced people to calm them down (Companies don’t have public relation departments for nothing).

The registration process has one more week to go. Am sure the government will extend the time. I have not registered yet but I will and I advise you all to do same but remember to wash your hands first.

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua 

TWICE TOLD ALBUMS

Two of Nigeria's loved and respected artists have delivered sophomores. While MI has taken it upon himself to embark on an "impossible mission", Asa claims there 's beauty in imperfection. Both albums are discussed below.

MI2

Sophomore slump or Comeback of the year is a title of a Fall Out Boy song, and it states the fates awaiting every artiste after a successful debut. Jude Abaga more commonly known as MI is one of such artistes, though following the innumerable collaborations, from the average ( TY Mix’s Omo Naija) to the sublime (think the Choc boys’ anthem), comeback is not quite the term. But there’s no question about the pressure he must have been to deliver the goods second time around on his own.

The Great Feast

How does he respond to this pressure? He tries to invite everyone to the feast that is the MI2 album. The first five songs all have featured artistes and if Talk about It was a little highbrow, MI2- with its several pidgin choruses- strives not to be.

Quickly, despite its subtitle it is not a movie but it has a movie theme that is frequently abandoned and this is good news for it becomes a distraction after the novelty wears off. The album opens with an audio ‘movie’ that features a kidnap and the funny politically incorrect line: “We don’t release those we kidnap, we are not Nigerians.” The movie- and thus the album- starts with the New Line Cinema score. Movie buffs would readily recognize the sound from the Rush Hour movies.

The music (finally) starts with Action Film featuring Brymo who provides a fitting chorus to MI’s wordplay: “so gifted he must know Santa.” MI’s flow has urgency to it like he knows he has to impress us quickly and he manages to. Still, the album doesn’t take off until highlife singer Flavour appears in the song Number one, where despite singing only the chorus and a bridge both in praise of MI, he jostles for supremacy even when Mister Incredible spits gems like, “They must be high like Aloha”. Flavour’s delivery is a reminder that be it politician, magnate or artiste, Igbo highlife reserves the right to effective praise singing.

Flavour isn’t the only recognizable artiste in MI2, there’s Timaya and Tuface, the latter features on a track previously released but with new lyrics for MI to play with: “Try to be nice and you feel Toni’s pain.” He drops gems, “Life is bisexual- anybody can blow” still both tracks do not add up to the sum of the artistes.

The track Beef sees MI responding to the misguided attempt of Kelly Handsome to start a feud. Truth is, it was never really a contest. That MI has devoted an entire track, after the beautifully dismissive line in the Choc Boiz Anthem, “Only one Kelly that I know- Kelly Rowland,” to the man raises more questions about MI’s range of topics on the album than it delivers the coup de grâce to a largely irrelevant singer.

MI who has said previously that he doesn’t need “to spit in vernacular because the flow is so spectacular,” eats his words repeatedly during the 70 minutes of the album but especially in the three vignettes of suburban Nigeria that make up the song My Belle My Head, and it is unlikely he develops bellyache, as production on the track is near faultless, the rap on the song is melodious and his pidgin is wickedly witty: “Hunger hook man for neck, shey na bowtie?” but the song suffers from a lack of street credibility. Lack of this had seen Jay-z taunt Nas in Takeover: You ain’t lived it, you witnessed it from your folk’s pad, scribbled on your notepad and created your life.” Though he spits in first person about caring for his poor mother- “make I turn slave, Kunta kinte-” and in cajoling a young man on the road to spare some change, you just can’t picture the short black boy in that circumstance. This is why a lyrically inferior track like Timaya’s Plantain Boy, would resonate more with the average Nigerian. The schoolboy in Mushin, the bus conductor in Benin and the longsuffering hawker in Abakaliki know the difference between rapping it and living it. It’s a fine song but it is not likely that those he’s trying to invite to this banquet would be tempted.

It also suffers from reluctance to push for higher social consciousness- a police officer in the third verse threatens incarceration rather than the accidental discharge that has become a staple of today’s headlines. But, these would only matter if the catchy tune does not distract which admittedly is difficult.

What you know

“Write what you know” is a sentiment relayed to the aspiring fiction writer. On evidence presented by this album, it is good advice for rappers: on the song Wild Wild West, The Jos crises receive treatment and what a treat. In production, delivery and lyrics, the intention and execution merge perfectly. Here, the movie theme contributes to the meaning of the song as the beat has a sweeping quality, precisely the kind one would expect in a movie scene showing a desolate landscape. And in a voice laced with love and bitterness MI- who grew up in the place- delivers solemn poetry:

“J town,

I miss how you were

Tell me how did this occur?

My memories of peace are a blur

And you were so pretty I swear

Driving through the city thinking

This is not her

She seems so strange

When did she change?

Blood in the streets, smoke in her sky

Can’t feel her heartbeat no hope in her eyes

Orphans, coffins

Bastards, caskets, mass burials

How we gonna move past this…”

None of the clever but ultimately pointless wordplay is delivered in the two heartfelt verses on this song and the sobriety is an achievement.

Honourable Mention

Amidst the posturing (and navel-gazing in Imperfect Me,) there’s the love song- which is pretty much obligatory in today’s LPs- One Naira. Waje, who excels in cameos shines in the midst of MI’s profession of love and fidelity: “I no go chop outside, no picnics.”

Other notable tracks include Undisputed and the punch line laden Represent with the Choc boiz.

Commercial Appeal

Talk about It thrived commercially on the strength of Safe, a song that relied on the brilliant play of lyrics from popular songs. Despite the stellar production of the tracks, no one song in MI2 has that potential. The album needs a grand video to push it. Chocolate City can’t afford to play it ahem… safe.

Verdict

“Even Brave heart had a late start,” he says on Epic. Well, as MI2 is not a classic record, fans would hope the reverse isn’t true for the Incredible Meister- that he hasn’t peaked too early.

BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION

A funny thing happened when I heard Be My Man, the first single off this album. It was on radio and the OAP hadn’t mentioned the artist. I was so impressed that I took some lines down so I could google to find the artist that had decided to bless me so. Midway into this ritual, I realized it was Asa singing.

I don’t blame me for the error. She has polished her vocals so that the Nigerian quality is beneath the surface- not that it would deceive anyone but the most distracted. Still, it is markedly different. Again she’s lost her shyness, perhaps the exotic sensuality of Europe has gotten to her: the girl whose mother admonished, “be careful if anyone comes to say I love you,” is intent on breaking her mother’s rule tonight ecstatically singing, she wants to be her man’s “woman every day.” It never gets to the voluptuous heights of say, Betty Wright’s Tonight is the Night, indeed it is performed with a delicate refinement (apologies to Prof Osofisan), still the message is obvious: the new Asa is not scared of love and its carnal incarnations. In fact, the first song of the album ends with the question: “Why can’t we be lovers?”

Forget her fine orthoepy on Be My Man, the songs Bimpe, Ore and Brother Ole remove the exotic cover and reveal the Nigerian within. Not only does she sing almost entirely in Yoruba in these songs, she also communicates common scenes in the average Nigerian neighbourhood. In the first she tells her lover’s sister- the eponymous character, she only tolerates her disrespect because of the love she has for the brother; the second sees a woman warning her “friend” to stop coming to her house as she has heard she seduced her husband. In the latter, a mother confronts a man in the neighbourhood telling him to stop teaching her son to steal, scorning him and insisting it is not a laughing matter; she warns him on behalf of what appears to be the neighbourhood. (This song continues from Awe, the inclusion of names that are funny to hear in her kind of music: Iya Sidi, Iya Mulika etc.)

There are more differences on the album, most noticeably mood. The album is more diverse and upbeat; she trades the delicious melancholy of the debut for a wider range: there’s the mocking tone of Brother Ole, the sweet and nostalgia inducing Dreamer Girl, the penitent Preacher Man, the ponderous Questions- which is strongly reminiscent of Disney’s soundtrack Colours of the Wind- and the absolutely heartbreaking Baby Gone.

Gone also is the frequent piano and guitar riffs of the debut, the instrumentation is more varied in what is an attempt to include soft rock elements into some of the tracks especially in Ok, ok- there’s even an unnecessary intense guitar strumming in Bimpe. But perhaps, she hasn’t quite mastered percussive instruments as save for Be My Man they don’t feature much.

In spite of these dissimilarities and its diverse content, its success is not triumphal. There are no risks, no unusually high notes, no outrageous pitching, no surprising collaboration, no intricate lyrics and hence no unexpected joy. Unsurprisingly it works; there would be no new fans but the old ones would be pleased or at the very least be grateful.

It would cause the listener to muse, to laugh, to cry and perhaps to dance awkwardly like a Caucasian or slowly like a jazz enthusiast. But, except you have a partner as crazy as say, Eva Greene’s character in The Dreamers or as wild as Bimbo Akintola’s in Out of Bounds, it would be better to listen to the album alone.

Bottom line

The debut had thrived on the sheer novelty of novelty; this one succeeds because- to channel Designer Impostors- if you loved Asa, you will like Beautiful Imperfection.

Not like that’s a particularly bad thing.

©2011 Aigbokhaevbolo Oris (First Published in Thisday Newspapers on 2nd January 2011).

ATIKU VS JONATHAN

The war drums have been beaten. The battle front has been prepared. The Venue: Eagle Square Abuja. Date: Thursday, 13th of January 2011. The two candidates are squared up for what may as well become a turning point in this nation’s history. The road has been rough, tough and arduous. It is now time for them to test their political weight against each other. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present... Atiku Vs Jonathan.

 THE CANDIDATES

Atiku Abubarka (Turaki Adamawa) can be described as the proverbial cat with nine lives. He is known for his political resilience. He is a juggernaut with political machinery that spans across the length and breadth of the country. Now he faces another sitting President in what seems to be his toughest battle ever.

Atiku Abubarka

 Atiku made his entry into mainstream politics in 1993 as an aspirant in the presidential primaries of the now defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) behind Chief MKO Abiola and Alhaji Babagana Kingibe. He won the 1999 governorship election in Adamawa state before former President Olusegun Obasanjo picked him as running mate. He fell out with his boss in the twilight of the Obasanjo administration over the third-term saga. He failed in his attempt to become president in 2007 as the candidate of the Action Congress (AC). On the 10th of December, 2010, he was anointed as the Northern Consensus Candidate by the Adamu Ciroma lead group. Atiku attended Jada primary school from 1954-1960 and has a diploma in Law. Atiku, who is considered to be one of the wealthiest men in Nigeria, has businesses all over the world. He is married to four wives. His first is Titi Abubarka (an Ilesha-born Roman Catholic), the others are: Rukayat (the daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa); Fatima (a lawyer) and Jamila Iwenjiora an Ibo woman from Onitcha. As a result Atiku is considered as one of the most detribalized northern muslim aristocrats. He has 27 children.

   PLUS

Atiku is credited as being behind the economic team comprising Charles Soludu and Ngozi Okonjoweala who were instrumental in helping with Nigeria’s debt relief profile. He was also key to the appointments of Malam El Rufai as Minister of FCT and the establishment of the Nuhu Ribadu Led EFCC. Many see him as responsible for all the positives of the Obasanjo Administration.

Atiku is a dogged fighter. He speaks for what he believes in and stands by it. A character lacking in many politicians in Nigeria. The way Atiku withstood Obasanjo over OBJ’s self succession bid has been hailed by many. Not many Vice Presidents will deny themselves a shot at another term in office with the President’s seat still in sight. And even if some might oppose, most will sit back (sidon-look approach) for fear of losing out in a power game.

Atiku has loyalist spread across the length and breadth of the country. They are die hard Atiku followers.

 



MINUS

Atiku has always wanted to be president since 1993. One would think he should relinquish his aspiration for the younger generation. People have tagged him as desperate because of this age long ambition. He is also considered unstable and untrustworthy because he has been the vanguard of several political parties that have different ideologies.
Rumor had it that a whole Turaki went to “dό-ba-lѐ” for Baba in Ota to pave way for a smooth return to the PDP. This singular action may have completely discredited his candidacy.

Atiku has carried a corruption toga for as long as I can remember. There is no viable explanation to how he came by his stupendous wealth. He says he made some good investments at the right time (Was this when he was a civil servant in the customs?). He has been investigated by different foreign governments and although has never been convicted, the “stigma” attached leaves a lot to be desired of a man who seeks the highest office in the land.   

His stand point on the zoning debacle has portrayed him as a politician who is not a nationalist. He says the next president must come from the north as though it were not in the hands of the electorate. This has created public perception of him being a member of a feudalistic northern oligarchy who believe Nigeria belongs to them.  

IMPLICATIONS OF AN ATIKU VICTORY

Ex President Obasanjo may as well look for a place to run and hide.
It also means that even if 22 PDP governors endorse you; never take their word for it.

Atiku has promised o relinquish power after one term in office and give the presidency to the Ibos (I have never really understood this part, aren’t Nigerians involved anymore?). Atiku could also decide to ditch the Ibos (this isn’t the first time it’s happening in Nigeria) and pick Jonathan as his running mate in order to have a more nationalistic outlook. It means the zoning arrangement will most likely continue to hold.

GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN

President Jonathan

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan depicts a typical fairytale story. His grass to grace life should serve as inspiration to anybody in need of confidence. How an Ijaw man born in Otueke can aspire to be President of a country like Nigeria was hitherto a figment of imagination. 

Jonathan began his career in politics in 1998 and was governor of Bayelsa state from 2005 to 2007. He was selected by the late President Yar’Adua to be Vice President. He later rose to become President after the protracted illness and eventual death of his principal.  Jonathan obtained a Bachelors’, Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of Port Harcourt. He is married to one wife, Patience and he has two children. 

His popularity among the youths has earned him credibility even though his government has not been known for any concrete achievement. On the 28th of June 2010, Jonathan created a Facebook fan page which according to CNN, he (Jonathan) has more Facebook fans than the combined tally of British Prime Minister and South African head of state, Jacob Zuma. He is often regarded as “The Facebook President” by CNN.

  

PLUS


President Jonathan’s ascension to president is seen as an act of God. His Presidency cannot be ascribed to being the orchestration of a political godfather. “God-fatherism” has been a bane of Nigerian politics. The likes of the Late Chief Adedibu and the Chris Uba in Anambra have shown us how not to play the game.

The President banks on his popularity among the youths. He considers himself as a “youthful” president. (How this would translate to votes in the primaries is another matter altogether).

The power of incumbency cannot be overemphasized. People usually follow the bandwagon. It doesn’t matter his antecedence or experience, in Nigerian politics, you can’t stop a moving train.

Jonathan has a listening ear. His administration has seen him resolve trade union disputes in the shortest period of time. The long fuel queues in petrol stations are now a thing of the past.

The way he handled himself during the protracted illness of his principal proved Jonathan to be a man whose loyalty can be trusted.

 MINUS

The recent spate of violent eruptions across the country have not helped Jonathan’s cause. His lack of experience in security matters (which is extremely important) has been evident. The buck unfortunately ends on his table.

President Jonathan’s administration has no clear cut manifesto of its own. He still carries the Yar’Adua hangover.

Many consider Jonathan has an opportunist who reaps where he has not sown. He has also denied any knowledge of the Zoning formula within the PDP (not exactly a gentleman I guess). This has put him in bad light.

IF JONATHAN WINS?

 Then the zoning formula which has helped to keep the polity stable may as well be gone for good.  If he does go ahead to win the general elections, it may be another 8 years. And then what happens. Will Vice President, Namadi Sambo decide to exercise his constitutional right? Won’t the north say, “Oya na awa turn”? What happens to Ndigbo? As much as am happy that a person from a minority (especially from the neglected Niger Delta region) can aspire to be the president and achieve his goal, the permutations may heat up the polity much later. 

Furthermore, in Nigeria, once the President and the Vice President positions have been filled, the Seat of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives are zoned among the other geopolitical zones. Does it now mean that David Mark (who is from Northern Extraction) will vacate his seat as Senate President? Will another Yoruba man retain the position of Speaker of the House?

MISSLES AND BOMBS…

As expected both candidates have not taken anything for granted. They have thrown everything at each other. Horse trading, mudslinging and smear campaigns have been the order of the day. I have watched with keen interest the smear campaigns ran by both parties and I have scored points.

TV Campaign

You have to love this: “If you bring PDP to power, you will regret it for the rest of your life”. The Voice of Atiku lambasting the PDP in the build up to the 2007 election. The advert ends with a narrator saying, “Atiku, what are you doing now looking for in the PDP”. I wonder whether the Turaki puts off his TV set every time that advert comes up.  Another one titled, “Atiku: From Pillar to Post” portrays the Turaki as an unstable politician. And ends with the line, “on what platform does Atiku now seek to be president.”

  If you thought MKO/ Kingibe’s political jingle is a classic, you should listen to this:  “Goodluck to you, Good luck to Me, Good Luck to everybody, Goodluck Nigeria eh is certainly not disappointing. Matter of fact, the song sweet die.

Score: Atiku (0): GoodLuck (3)

Newspapers

This is by far the most interesting print media campaign smear I have witnessed. The last election had some intrigues, but these ones sure take the cake

NIGERIANS MUST RESIST VIOLENT CHANGE: In response to Atiku’s misfire on a quote ascribed to Frantz Fanon  on violent change. Atiku (0): GoodLuck (1)

COMING TO AMERICA? On the US governments’ refusal of Atiku entry into their country based on corruption charges. Atiku (0): GoodLuck (2)

EXPERIENCE:  Atiku’s major campaign strength is his supposed wealth of experience over Jonathan. He says he has learned the ropes. But on a closer look, it doesn’t seem that way or does it? Atiku (0): GoodLuck (3)

APOSTLE OF VIOLENT CHANGE: (hammered again). Atiku (0): GoodLuck (4)

THE REAL DESPERADO IS… Yes I get the point but do you? Atiku (1): GoodLuck (4)

THE REAL DESPERADO AGAIN? Atiku (2): GoodLuck (4)

SEE HOW WELL JONATHAN PERFORMED IN BAYELSA: Well I guess they are trying to tell us he performed really badly. Considering the person given the score card is another politician who isn’t exactly his buddy. But still, not bad. Atiku (3): GoodLuck (4)

AND THE SUCKER PUNCH: Whoever thought of this is a genius…LWKMD Atiku (4): GoodLuck (4)

It seems this one ended in a draw. There will be no draw n the real primaries on Thursday. The power lies squarely in the hands of the delegates. The winner of the primaries would then be endowed with all the power and might of the PDP and may once again coast the party to victory. 

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

  

NEW YEAR AND THE ABUJA BOMBING

 It’s a New Year! The old passed and the new has come. The year 2011 marks the beginning of a new decade.  The last decade, we experienced a plethora of events that shaped history. The bombing of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, Barrack Obama’s ascendancy to President of the United States and the global economic recession are examples of developments that played pivotal roles. They may as well have cleared the path for future happenings.

As the New Year unfolds, one can only hope that the inadequacies of the previous years do not follow us like shadows. Most people pray for good health, great friends and of course more money. We all want a peaceful and serene life and usually aspire to be better individuals.  This may be the reason why many make New Year resolutions. Addicted smokers decide to kick the habit. Alcoholics resolve to reduce the “bottles” by one or two. The overweight woman promises herself to exercise more and to eat less and of course everybody’s favorite- trying to get closer to God. What exactly makes the New Year so significant in resolution making? It is perhaps because a New Year comes with a psychological boost. It gives a mental kick that tends to wipes your slates clean akin to an infant’s mind.

In reality, the majority of New Year resolutions never go beyond the first couple of weeks. People cannot seem to get their engines going after awhile. Their resolve begins to wane. The key word in staying through to anything is discipline. And the fact is that the majority of us lack this virtue. We see temporary defeat as failure and give up all together when faced with challenges. I personally believe that if one began his resolve on let’s say the 28th or 29th of December, he would have a better chance of accomplishing his goal. That way, his mind is programmed for continuity rather than commencement. Thinking about it, how does one suppose the New Year prevents the body from needing nicotine?  Does the New Year prevent an obese woman from binge eating? Why would an alcoholic suddenly stop drinking because of a change in the last digits of the year?  I find it particularly amusing.

Ok enough about resolutions!  I want to talk about more serious issues.

I have looked for the best words to describe the recent spate of violence that have erupted all over the country. From Bayelsa to Jos and now the FCT. Violence has taken a new dimension in Nigeria. Before now, it wore a mask but evil has been stripped naked. The things we only hear about from far away Afghanistan and the Darfur region have gradually begun to take centre stage in Nigeria. What used to be an anathema to the Nigerian nature is becoming custom.

The latest bomb explosion occurred right inside a Barracks. What sort of message does that send out to the international community? That soldiers who are supposed to protect our borders can be hit.  Scores of innocent people have been reported killed.  The inhumanity manifested by these iniquitous minds have sent a clear message to Nigerians-we are not safe. Our leaders cannot protect us, the police and other security agencies are impotent in curbing this problem. What good are a police and SSS that are only reactionary? They come out dishing out political rhetoric. “We will fish them out. This violence must stop. Enough is enough”. They collect estacodes for their brilliant speeches and the following week, a worse case erupts. The same old bullshit. Nothing ever gets done.  

The Jos crisis is a typical example. It is now no more a matter of if it will happen again but when. The signs and symptoms of a failed state have begun to show. These series of violence and kidnappings around the country underscores a canker worm that has grown into a monster. A monster called Impunity. If the murderers of women and children were caught and severely punished, the Jos problem might have been contained.  If perpetuators of the Boko-Haram Sect (Islamic fundamentalist group) had been appropriately punished (some of them got as little as five year jail terms), it would have sent a warning message. The law is meant to serve as a deterrent. But in Nigeria, everything is politics.  States governments go the extra length in trying to shield perpetuators as exemplified by the extra judicial killing of the Boko Haram leader in Bauchi.

About the Abuja bomb explosion, news began to filter in around 8:00 pm. I was busy trying to prepare myself for the cross over service when my friend in London sent me a facebook message about the blast. By that time AIT had not aired it so I had to wait for the news bar. They had actually gone on to read entertainment news.  Like clockwork, my phones began to ring with friends advising me not to go out anymore that a church (Dunamis) in the Jikwe area of Abuja had been hit by another bomb. The major weapon of terrorism-fear- had begun to circulate.  There was panic everywhere.  When NTA decided the bomb explosion was news worthy, they under reported the number of casualties (granted, information was sketchy but it seemed they were holding out). NTA now went ahead to report a second blast. This turned to be a rumor! The largest television network in Africa was reporting misinformation.  In fairness to them they said the reports were unconfirmed but I find it grossly irresponsible. Aljazeera gave what was required, accurate and factual information. This is not the first time in this country that security agencies have tagged some things “top secret” only to find out about it on CNN. If we cast our minds back to the Ikeja Cantonment blasts, it was lack of factual information that led to the death of people in the swamps.

The history of state targeted violence was first seen in the Niger Delta, where government oil facilities were being attacked by militants. The Boko- Haram sect came up with nihilistic intentions in trying to rid Nigeria of western civilization leaving hundreds dead. Yet nothing was done. The governments find the puns and live out the kings. Kidnappings started -like play like play- and has now become a lucrative business all over the country. I still haven’t heard one case of arrest let alone a conviction. The Government has lost hope. It cooperates quickly by paying ransoms to criminals to save itself any embarrassments.     

The Independence bombing in October ushered in a different dimension-bombs. No more cutlasses and guns. That’s child's play now.  It’s now explosives. The truth must be told, if we could not stop guns, how then can we fight bombs? There is anarchy in the land. The centre has not held. If this trend is not nipped who knows what will be next. Suicide bombers? Yes, God forbid abi? Of course, we are ever quick to look to the heavens for help. It’s not God that plants bombs, it people. We could have easily said God forbid fifteen years ago if someone had suggested Jos would be like this today. What stops the perpetuators for instance from strapping Al-magir boys scattered across the country with bombs?   It was a barracks this time around, why can’t it be a commuter bus. We must begin to take security serious.  Terrorism is one of the most difficult things to fight because it doesn’t have a face. It can be anywhere.  The only way this can be stopped is if those responsible are punished. They must be made examples.  At the time of this report, no group has yet taken responsibility for the Abuja attack but while we wait for our impotent security forces to uncover this mystery, we can only begin to speculate. Who would want poor civilians dead? And why hit a barracks? These guys aren’t stupid. If they blow up a military facility it’s to send the military a message. Their message is loud and clear.  My best guess is that this is political. It has little to do with ethno- religious crises.

So who are those behind this? And what do they want? What can Nigeria give in return for their freedom? These hawks want back their hold Aso Rock. They are not comfortable with the present occupants of the Villa. This is about contracts. Who gets what? It’s about oil blocks and power. They want it back. Nobody envisaged a Jonathan Presidency. And the way it’s going, it may be another four long years. Nigeria can burn for all they want. This is by no means an endorsement of the Jonathan Government. I hold no brief for him, matter of fact, far from it. Under his watch, we have had mayhem unleashed on innocent lives. He has been tepid and careful. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody. The elections are around the corner. Everything is about elections. For heaven’s sake Mr. President, people are dying! 

President Jonathan has to take the bull by the horn and bring this evil to justice. These politicians who would rather have the military come back won’t give up without a fight. Nigerians have been said to have a resilient spirit. But Young-Modulus' definition of elasticity did not envisage this. We have been taking past our limit.

But there is hope. This attacks show extreme desperation. They are losing the battle. They are throwing everything at us.  The only way we can fight back is to prevent them from ruling us. By our votes we can prevent them from “capturing” power again at least not for a while. It’s comes down to the 2011 elections. We can learn lessons from the Ivory Coast catastrophe how things can degenerate ever so quickly. We can see how playing politics can destroy a country. Nigerians need to come out in the forth coming elections and vote. Not just vote, defend their votes. We must take it beyond what happened in 93; where after Chief MKO was incarcerated, it became an ethnic debate. It became a Yoruba affair eventually. If we don’t fight for ourselves then we lose. God forbid (I say this with all my heart), if war breaks, these politicians will leave to their mansions abroad while poor citizens take refuge in neighboring countries. I say again, God forbid!

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua