OSAMA, OBAMA, AND GOVERNOR YUGUDA

Osama bin Laden

The world was greeted last week with the pleasant news about the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Up until his demise, Osama had been the United State's most wanted man for over a decade.  The death of the man responsible for the murder of over 3,000 people on September 11 2001 was met with jubilation and funfair in many US cities especially by Ground Zero in New York. Many held placards that boldly read: "thank you Obama" to show their appreciation to their President. The 25 million dollars bounty placed on Bin Laden’s head since 2001 did not seem like much of a motivating factor as the manhunt proved to be futile for many years. Some claimed he had died, others believed he was in the some cave or bunker planning his next terror attack. Osama bin Laden was found in the most unlikely place; not a cave or a hole as widely thought but in a 1 million dollar mansion in Abbattabad Pakistan. US Navy SEAL forces killed him and two other people in a “fire fight” bringing the hunt finally to an end.

Reports suggest that Bin Laden had lived in his Pakistani mansion howbeit in sparse conditions for about five years! He must have had a good laugh watching the frustrated efforts of the American military in Afghanistan. US intelligence got lucky and followed the trail of a courier that ultimately led them to Bin Laden’s hideout.  Two stealth helicopters carrying an elite squad of military men and a dog entered into Pakistani airspace and carried out a forty-minute mission. The helicopters used were some sort of new technology and the only reason the world now knows about their existence is because one of them malfunctioned and the team decided to blow it up after the mission.

Al Qaeda struck the United States of America some in 2001. The frailties and vulnerability of US was bare for all to see.  Everybody recognized that the world’s most powerful nation could also be hit. Americans did not feel safe on US soil anymore. Suddenly the assuredness and perceived cockiness was dealt an unlikely hand. The US seemed a bit demystified and the message of terrorism-fear-was engraved in the hearts and minds of her citizens.

President Obama watching the Pakistan Mission

Osama bin Laden was the heart and soul of Al Qaeda and he sold his hate ideology to fertile minds which took terrorism to a whole new level. This new recruits considered him a god and saw him as a rallying point in carrying out their wicked acts. His existent meant that freedom which America stood for was compromised. America and Americans didn’t feel so free. Osama was a constant reminder of their sordid past. Osama alive, gave vivacity and hope to his ideology which made the war on terror a lot more difficult to tackle. The US knew that finding Osama was quintessential to bringing down the Al Qaeda Empire.

Questions have been raised about why the US did not ask for the ISI’s (Pakistani intelligence) assistance on the mission. Apparently, the US government did not trust Pakistan.  They had had a terrorist in their country all these while, a few kilometers from the capital Islamabad and it was inconceivable that elements deep within the Pakistani government were not complicit.

The death of Osama has sent a clear message to every terrorist in the world. If you mess with us, we will seek for you, we will find you and we will kill you. This has brought to light the will and strength of the American justice system.  When crimes are committed, catching the perpetuators and bringing them to justice is essential for the strengthening of institutions. It instills belief and trust into the citizens. Osama remaining alive and in hiding was a spit on the graves of the families of the people that lost their lives.

President Obama

President Obama has taken most of the credit for the killing of Bin Laden and rightly so. He showed strength and character in leadership as the US president. When President Obama learnt that Osama bin Laden could be living in Pakistan and his hideout identified, he had several options available to him. One was to send in a drone or a smart bomb to reduce the house to smithereens. This option came with its attendant disadvantage. If you say you have killed Bin Ladin, people will ask for evidence. The evidence would have been buried in rubble and taken months to unravel and might have possibly seemed impossible. Doubts would first be raised over the legitimacy of the mission then questions would have to be answered about sending a missile into another country. People would see this as an affront on the Pakistan’s sovereignty. It would have been George Bush and Iraq all over again. Still, this would have been the easier, safer and most convenient choice. Rather, President Obama took the riskier but decisive action to send an elite squad into Pakistan knowing that failure would certainly end his reelection into the White House. The economy is considered Obama’s major strengths and a goof on security or intelligence matters would have heightened doubts about his capabilities especially as this was his first major decision on security issues. Memories of the 1972 massacre of the Israeli Olympic team in Munich and the snatching of Elian Gonzalez in 2000 would have played over in his mind.  But Obama was more concerned about the American people than about himself. He knew what finding Osama meant to them and America as a country and he risked his Presidency in the process. This kind of exemplary leadership is lacking in most leaders in Nigeria.

Governor Yuguda

Our leaders think about one thing only -themselves-when in office. I don’t have the words to describe the comments of Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi in reference to the slain Corp members during the post election violence. It is something you may have heard on radio or read in the papers. Governor Yuguda practically insulted the sensibilities of the parents of the killed youths in the raid. Hear him: “They (dead Corpers) were destined to experience what they experienced. Nobody can run away from destiny. When they were serving under me, they were the happiest in Nigeria. Immediately, I handed them over to INEC, it was the responsibility of INEC to protect them. They were not the only ones affected. My own house was burnt; they almost lynched my first son. It is part of their destiny. I was also attacked in 1979”. 

I have gone over Governor Yuguda’s comments over and over again to look for a sensible explanation or an excuse for his callous and insensitive statement. The first thing he says is that it is not Yuguda’s fault. It is the fault of INEC. What sort of leaders do we have? Leaders ought to take responsibilities and not push blame. Is INEC the chief security officer of the state? The governors collect over 400 million naira monthly for security vote outside their regular allocation to protect themselves and for state security. And now he openly declares and it is INEC’s responsibility to protect people within his state.

The truth is that in Nigeria, we have the wrong set of people at the helm of affairs. The kinds of people that seek elective office do not have any empathy for the populace. There is a total disconnect between the leaders and the led. Governor Yuguda goes on to say that they (the dead Corpers) were not the only ones affected; that his house was also burnt. Somewhere in the Governor’s mind, a house and life are one and the same thing. There is obviously no value for human life in his statement. He equates a burnt house to slaughtered human beings. Is the loss the same? He further takes the spotlight off people like late Obinna Okpiri by saying his own son was almost lynched. Now, we are supposed to feel sorry for him right? The Governor didn’t stop there, what he had said was not bad enough. He had one more parting gift for the parents of these youths. He tells us he too was also attacked as a Corper in 1979! So in essence, what is the big deal about people dying in Bauchi State? If it happened in a South West state as far back as 1979, why is everybody making Yuguda’s Bauchi look bad. The Yoruba’s are bad too after all. He then decides to go religious by bringing destiny into the whole picture. What part of destiny is it to have ones head hacked down with cutlasses? It is only left to the imagination what those Corpers were thinking as the group of irate almajiri’s came at them. No Mr. Yuguda, this was not destiny. Destiny is when there is absolutely nothing you could have done about a situation after you have tried everything humanly possible. We did not try to save this guys, the country put them in harm’s way. This was not destiny, it was madness. What Yuguda has done by bringing destiny up is absolving the killers of the Corp members of any wrong doing. By bringing up destiny, he has implied that God killed the Corp members and the almajiri’s were only willing vessels. He has told us not to blame anybody; not the almajiri’s, not the Bauchi people, you could probably blame INEC but whatever you do, don’t blame Yuguda. This was all about him and his attempt to absolve himself of any responsibility. These are the words a serving governor has left grieving parents with. That the love, affection, and resources they spent went down the drain because of destiny.

I have said this over and over and over again and I maintain my position. There can NEVER be peace without justice. Osama Bin Laden’s death has brought peace and the feeling of Justice to the minds of the families of those killed on 9/11. Obama was right when he said justice had been done. The killers of this slain Corpers MUST be found. There is no other way around this. They must be tried in the courts and punished. If they are found guilty, a state execution MUST be televised on national television and broadcasted on radio sets. This is the only way it would stop. As I write this, these killers are sleeping on their mats, eating food and polishing shoes while parents are crying.

The rather surprising thing about this is that nobody is talking about it again. The news is gradually fading. We have all gone back to our businesses like nothing happened. If they are not caught and brought to justice, nothing stops them from unleashing mayhem again. Sometimes I wonder how our leaders sleep at night. How does anybody justify not taking immediate action about the NYSC scheme?

A major problem we have in this country is that nobody tells the truth. Everybody is concerned about their own skins. It is unimaginable that no prominent person in government (Governor or even the President) has told Yuguda to apologize, clarify or withdraw his statement. In a normal country, Yuguda would have resigned by now. But here in Nigeria we are peculiar-one of a kind. Here we celebrate criminals and sew Aso Ebi’s to welcome them from prison. Here, the sons and daughters of looters seek elective office and are voted in. Here people win election while in prison. It is simply disgusting.

Governor Yuguda has said he was misconstrued and his words were taken out of context. But he has since not bothered to put it in context or tell us what he really meant. This is not the first time NYSC members have been killed needlessly yet all we do is talk. Their deaths aren’t affecting anybody. The only mention I have heard about this is that the National Assembly want to “debate” over it. One question; if it was a senator’s daughter or son mauled to death, would this be a subject for debate? Who exactly would be debating? The out-going members (over 50% aren’t coming back) or the in-coming ones who have to learn the ropes of the law making business first? The truth is that if we want to do something serious about this, we would have done it a long time ago. We don’t even have to repeal the law setting up the scheme for something positive to happen. We can start by preventing more youths from going to these death traps. I have friends serving in Bauchi and Kaduna and they are already receiving calls from their superiors to get back to work! Apparently we don’t learn from our mistakes. The sequence of sweeping ugly events under the bushel has started again as they are told to get back to work as if the almajiri’s are no longer in Bauchi. There is no plan to prevent the ugly past from repeating itself again. This is like offering someone who was caught cheating in an exam a double promotion. There is no plan to punish the states or the perpetuators. States like Bauchi, Kaduna and Niger ought to be punished for not protecting the lives of Corpers. It should serve as a warning so that the people that live in these towns will appreciate anybody in national service and do all they can to protect them if anything like this come up again.

In any other country in the world, no Corpers would be sent to these places for at least a year. But in ours, it has taken less than two months. Youth Corpers aren’t soldiers, most are actually kids just out of college in patriotic service of their fatherland. Obviously reforming the NYSC is not in the personal interest of some people so we will continue to pay lip service to issues like this. Honestly I am tired of writing about Nigeria. It is simply frustrating. All I desire is that we have good leaders. With good leadership a lot of these problems would be solved quite easily. If leaders are empathetic, then they will feel what every Nigerian feels. It would not be rocket science to solve simple problems.

The elections are over, and many new and old leaders have been (re)elected. We can only hope the old ones have learned from their past mistakes and the new ones aren’t on the same path of error. The only way forward is for our leaders to begin to take difficult but necessary decisions like President Obama. President Jonathan must begin to do what is right and not what is convenient or what will please any particular region of the country. Some decisions may not win him friends or votes but they will save plenty of lives. Obama, while watching the SEAL team inside Osama’s hideout must have questioned his decision but within him, he knew what Americans wanted. He knew they wanted Bin Laden’s head and he was prepared to give it to them even if it would cost him. He knew it was about justice and even if he failed, he was prepared to fail to please them. Let President Jonathan do same.

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

CONNECT THE WORD

Everything is connected! Or at least some things are in life as well as in art. Everybody has made a connection between seemingly unconnected events in their lives and as a tribute to these connections I have decided to share some of the connections I have made in art.

This is not an academic exercise and I am by no means referring to the extremes of such allusions as to Dante or Shakespeare nor do I mean the meat-and-potatoes type that you find in MI’s Safe, but of the midway kind, the type that requires a brain but not a sparkling erudition; the type that can be gotten with an average knowledge, curiosity and a memory. You may not even need a substantial portion of your memory dedicated to the art form, as most of the connections are made subconsciously and for the rest there is the internet, after all as Roger Ebert says, “for memory, modern man has Google.”

But even using Google efficiently requires effort and some skill especially when you only have the barest of data to insert in the search bar. So you do require an active brain and willing fingers after all.

 Sometimes you may get lucky: I saw the movie Going the Distance and it contains a hilarious Top Gun reference I’d have missed if I saw the movie weeks before. Let me explain: I downloaded the song Take My Breath Away a fortnight before I saw the film and it was only then I knew the artist and realized it was a soundtrack. So when Drew Barrymore laughed and said, “Take me to Berlin”, I laughed with her both because the scene was truly funny and because of the irony- I had wanted to see the movie earlier but seeing it later made me enjoy it more.

Sometimes “getting the joke” isn’t chronologically linear, that is, sometimes a recent discovery helps explain an earlier reference. I only just realized that the Green Day 2007 record Jesus of Suburbia was a play on the title of a 1990 book by Hanif Kureishi The Buddha of Surburbia. And I did not make the connection until this year when serendipity led me through a sequence of events: first I read the English novelist’s short story Intimacy in 2009, and then read an interview in 2010 where Tolu Ogunlesi quoted Mr. Kureishi when asked what it is to be a writer. This year I remembered that short story and “wikipediaed” Kureishi and got names of earlier novels- the Surburbia book was one of them. Voila!

There are high-falutin allusions that are made for classrooms and conference tables, but those discussed here are not for formal gatherings but for sitting rooms, chatrooms, bedrooms even, when the closeness you feel to the words or discovery are mirrored by the proximity of the listener to you. The type everyone has come across but are not entirely given to connect because sometimes the references are indirect and may cross genres or even media- Time magazine used EM Forster’s admonition, Only Connect, in a piece on Mark Zuckerberg who had never heard of the English novelist.

Most times the hindrance to connecting may be missing out on a previous event, other times it is the thinking that understanding the reference is immaterial to enjoying the material in itself. A true fan would tell you otherwise; he/she would tell you that familiarity with nursery rhymes and fairytales leads to a more robust enjoyment of the Shrek franchise and seeing more than a handful of horror flicks generates more laughs from the spoof Scary Movie.

Not many people know that the refrain at the end of Banky W’s Strong Thing is from the Notorious BIG song, N.O.T.OR.I.O.U.S  T.H.U.G.S: “So many girls/ I gat to find one/ All these girls/ is she the right one/My situation is a tight one/What you gonna do…” Of course not knowing this does not prevent anyone from dancing to the song, but perhaps it is good to know if you are involved in an argument on Banky’s songwriting especially as he carries the Umbrella remix albatross. There’s also the Obiwon line in Onyinye: “Don’t be a hard rock when you really are a gem,” that line is from Lauryn Hill’s That Thing and that crude last line delivered by Muna in Tha Suspect’s I no send You (remix) was used by Missy Elliot in her Under Construction album years ago.

A facebook friend made me realize that “I bet you think this song’s about you” from Janet Jackson’s Son of A Gun might have been modified from Carly Simon’s “…You probably think this song is about you” from the song You’re so Vain. Fast forward to 2010 and you hear that line almost rendered in its entirety in Mike Posner’s Cooler than Me. (In a rare example, a song lyric has been derived from standup comedy: American comedian Chris Rock joked sometime in the nineties that he’d never raise hit a girl but he would shake her vigorously, in the noughties, Kanye West relayed the same on the song Bittersweet.)

Lines are not the only features that can be connected, there are words rhymed by several artists spanning decades, spanning genres. Lips-hips have been used by everyone, from the rock band U2 to the rapper Too short; world-pearl-girl is another popular one, the earliest song I know to have used it is Prince’s Diamond and Pearls, Wizkid used it in his Gidi girl, Anita Baker in Sweet Love; dance-chance-romance and boy/toy rhyme are popular across genres too.

Connections can also be made with regards to concepts: every time Durella shouts Enemies, it should not be taken as a crude if meaningless chant but as a continuous interpretation of western hip-hop’s fascination with ubiquitous and often faceless ‘haters’. Rihanna might have gotten some people aghast with the song Rude Boy when she says, “Come here rude boy. If you big enough…” but few years ago the female R&B group TLC had sang a line along that line in Girl Talk, “When you finally get your blood flowing, it would be looking like a pinky with a glove on it…” You don’t need to be a genius to see the connection between both, a little attention delivers it to you.

If the repetitive lyrics in popular music appear to be the caused by lazy songwriting, it cannot be expressly said of some fiction writers when such is seen their works, to be sure even they borrow lines from previous works and religious books especially the Bible. There’s a line from James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room modified from the Psalms. While that reference might be obvious to the religious person there are some from books so diverse that it is near impossible to conceive of the authors meeting yet a connection can be made but only if a phrase or a sentence persists in the memory. I found the following in Joseph Kanon’s The Good German and Pete Hamill’s collection of short stories, Tokyo Sketches:

“Laughter after all was a form of intimacy.”

“…a bed laugh, intimate as touch.”

The first is from Hamill, the latter from Kanon. Both lines speak of the intimacy of laughter, a sentiment perhaps impossible to argue with and it is possibly the veracity of the opinion that gives both writers the appearance of originality. We would never know but I believe it would be stretching it to say Kanon- whose book is more recent- channeled Hamill, the more plausible rationale being like some science discoveries stumbled upon by two different scientists working independently of each other.  This accidental type of connection gives the most joy when discovered, as it appears you are privy to a secret even both authors are not aware of.

No one person can get all the references or make all the connections possible- the realms of knowledge are infinite and the individual mind is vastly limited- but it helps to at least make some effort at getting the reference and/or making the connection if the appreciation of any type of art form is to be robust. It is not merely a chore for the critic but to a lesser degree for everyone who gets some form of satisfaction from consuming a particular art form.

In conclusion, let me ask, the title of this piece is connected to a program on cable television, can you make the connection?

Aigbokhaevbolo Oris

11th April 2011: Asokoro, Abuja.

NYSC and the Killing of the Innocent

Murdered Corp Member

Madness is the only word I can use to describe the orgy of violence that erupted in some parts of Northern Nigeria following the release of Presidential election results last week.  Irate youths chanting “Sai Buhari” took laws into their hands leaving several people killed and burning properties including churches. Major victims of these attacks have been Youth Corpers, Christians and PDP supporters in these states. These senseless killings began in Gombe on Monday, a day after the elections and spread to other states including Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna. Questions about whether these attacks have been “spontaneous” have been raised.

The Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) issued a statement denying complicity in the violence. They simply washed their hands off the situation. The CPC Presidential candidate had these to say:  "It was so spontaneous that I didn't know about it. I did not ask them to start it, but I asked them to stop, especially the burning of churches and other religious places." He claims that people just “reacted to results” and said he did not know what triggered the violence.

So if it wasn’t the CPC supporters, then who was behind it? Who was angry enough about results that hadn’t officially been released? And who thought the victory of Jonathan was such a taboo as to foment the indiscriminate shedding blood? And what does Buhari mean by “responded to results”. My take is that there was nothing spontaneous about these crimes. People were instigated to kill! A Southern Presidency with Jonathan at the helm irked some people so much that they had to spill innocent blood. This was a premeditated act of evil. This was about power and nothing more.

Almajiri Youths

An independent study by The Council for Foreign Relations (CFR) on Electoral Violence in Nigeria had this to say in September of 2010: “…With the considerable resources available to him as an incumbent president and his Ijaw constituents in the Delta region pressuring him to stay in office, Jonathan has the means and the motive to seek a full term as president. If he chooses this course, powerful northern politicians may abandon the PDP’s elite consensus and challenge his candidacy. The stage would be set for a divisive and potentially violent electoral season featuring unprecedented public involvement. Even in the unlikely event that the elections are broadly credible, some losing candidates will almost certainly have sufficient grounds to convince their supporters that victory has been stolen, especially if the winner has a different ethnic or religious identity”.

If this report is anything to go by, anybody saying these killings were spontaneous is only being smart by half. There was a chance this might happen if the person who won the poll was a Christian Southerner! Jonathan who is referred to as “kafir” up north is also seen as a usurper and anything related to him or his victory was attacked. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubarka III was not spared. The angry youths burnt down his house because he was seen to be sympathetic to Jonathan when he advised voters not to vote along ethnic or religious lines.

Buhari and the CPC have claimed that 40 per cent of their votes were deducted when the figures were inputted into the INEC Excel sheets. Buhari scored 12,214,853 votes across the country and came second in the overall results. But if you mark his votes up by 40 percent across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, it would come to 20,238,088 which is lower than Jonathan’s 22,495,187 votes. He would still have lost. So what is the killing for?

Buhari who was accused of basing his campaign around ethnic and religious sentiment put lives in danger in the event that he lost the election to Christian or Southerner. His campaign team did not even cross the Middle Belt region to solicit votes in the South East and South-South. How could he have won an election when the North he clinched his hopes on was divided? There were only four states (Kano, Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno) than Jonathan didn’t get 25 percent of the votes which means  that Jonathan had a good number of votes from Northern states as well. 

As the killing spree went on, the mob went about attacking everything that they considered affiliated to GoodLuck Jonathan’s victory. They went after NYSC members. They concluded in their narrow minded thinking that because NYSC members were used as INEC ADHOC staff then they must have been used to rig Jonathan into powers. They didn’t have to look very far; their sponsors told them where to find the Corpers. They went to Azare, Giade and Itas Gadau, specifically to the Corper lodges in Bauchi states with one mission on their mind-murder. One of the ill fated Corpers was Obinna Okpiri.

Late Obinna Okpiri

Obinna Okpkiri, a 27 year old Estate Management graduate serving in Bauchi met with the cold hands of death as the blood thirst mob  cut him to pieces. They didn’t care whether he went to school or for how long. They didn’t care about the amount of investment his parents had  in him or what he had to offer his country. All they cared was for power to return to the North. All that mattered was “Sai Buhari”. Obinna was just in the way and they killed him and twenty four others. I did not know Obinna, but I have talked to people who knew him personally. He was the deputy governor in Anglican Hostel in Wailo orientation camp. He was said to be gentle and intelligent. He didn’t deserve this…

SHOULD NYSC BE SCRAPPED?

NYSC members have found themselves in the line of fire recently. The elections have put them in the cross hair of “civil unrest”. The issue on whether the scheme should be scraped has been on the front burner for some time now. Youth Corp members have become soft targets for people with anti-establishment and nihilistic mindsets.

The scheme was founded in 1973 by the Gowon administration and at inception had laudable intentions. It was meant to integrate Nigerians together after the Civil War. A man from the South West who had his tertiary education in the South East would be sent to a Northern state like Kano or Kaduna where he would learn and appreciate the diversities in the culture and languages of Nigeria.    The host community would usually be happy to receive him and make him feel comfortable. But now, taking up assignment in some states in Nigeria especially the northern part is a huge risk to life. Parents take huge risks allowing their wards enlist into the program because he (she) may not see their child again. And that’s the sad reality of the situation.

The scheme like every other Nigerian parastatal has become drenched in corruption. NYSC has been reduced to a means of getting cheap labor by the Government.   The intentions of the founding fathers have been lost. The scheme favors the northern states more and paradoxically, this is where corp members face the highest threats to their lives.

NYSC is no more about the service but just the discharge certificate. Serving members cannot just wait to get out. The Government has organized the scheme in such a way that the discharge certificate has become a prerequisite for getting any meaningful employment. Corp members undergo untold hardships in the states where they are posted to. But for the Christian Fellowships that provide temporary housing for these Corp members, many are left without shelter. The recent outcry over the failure of the scheme has been about the deaths of serving members but even the day to day hardships faced by this youths is enough to scrap it.

After the Suleja Bomb blast, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga came out boldly to say no Corp member died when  reports were to the contrary. After the sad event in Bauchi, the NYSC official report put the death toll at 4 when several others had been slaughtered. What is the lying for?

It is unfortunate that this country does not place value on the lives of its citizens. And this insensitivity has led to the loss of more lives.  Take the Independence Day Bombing for instance, the victims of the mayhem were carried to the National Hospital Abuja for treatment and the Nigerian Government was happy to announce to whoever cared to listen that it would cover the hospital bills! Can you imagine that? I work in the health sector, and what am about to say may surprise you. The bills were paid quite alright but the Government paid it for just one week. But at least, our wonderful Government kept its promise.

You are probably aware about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City. But what you don’t know is that the US Government paid out 1.1 million dollars EACH (USD) to the families of the victims irrespective of what country they are from. That is a country that takes lives seriously. That is a country that is sorry about putting citizens in harm’s way. British Petroleum (BP), the company responsible for the oil spill that gutted the gulf has paid out over 4 billion dollars in compensation to farmers and families affected by the disaster. And the Nigerian Government tells us on National Television that they will take care of the bills with smiling faces.

It is an open secret that the “big man's pikin” does not serve in NYSC. The man in government will influence in child’s posting to Abuja, Lagos or Port Harcourt. NYSC posting are for sale for as little as 10,000 naira. It is the poor man’s child that can neither influence or “sort” his way through that gets sent to Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe or Borno where he can be hacked to death.

When I was in the orientation camp, the daughter of the one of the presidential aspirant (before he dropped his ambition) came to the camp only to sign the “Book of Life” (a register used to collate names of Corp members in the State in question.) The NYSC officials tool the book to meet her in the armored jeep while the rest of us waited in the sun for our turn. I have nothing wrong with showing honor to the “elite” of the society but the lady should have at least come down from the vehicle. That was the only day she came to a camp that was meant to be for three weeks. She will definitely not be sent to a “war zone”. She will probably get her discharge certificate by FedEx in the United States while her fellow comrades die in Bauchi.

So do I think the scheme should be scrapped? No is my answer. I don’t think it should be scrapped out-rightly. The Corp members offer services in communities where help will otherwise never come. Some places in the Eastern part of the country have only Corper Doctors, pharmacist and nurses running the hospitals. And we all have grandparents and other relatives that go to these hospitals. NYSC members have also contributed tremendously to the education sector to fill the gap of inadequate manpower encountered in primary and secondary schools.

I believe that the scheme should take a break for a year or two and reform itself. There needs to be a reassessment of values the scheme once held. The intention of the program has failed woefully and needs to be revamped. By revamp, I mean that the scheme should be made voluntary. If you want to serve your country, you do so. A discharge certificate should not be used to force you.

However for those who want to enlist in the scheme, they should be paid handsomely for their services. Paying a Corper 150,000 naira a month is not too much to ask. That would certainly inspire any youth to take up employment anywhere in the country. In addition, adequate security must be provided. The death of any Corper whether by natural or “man made” means must be seen as a National tragedy. If a Corper is killed for any reason, the states in question will have no Corp member deployed to them for a year while those already deployed will be withdrawn. That way, the organization would be taken seriously. Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state has shown exemplary leadership by sending a plane to carry Corp members who are distressed from Bauchi State. Something the DG of NYSC should have done ages ago.  

PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Conflicts are an integral part of human society and Nigeria has had her fair share of them. From the Civil War in 1966 to the Zangon Kataf conflicts in 1992, conflicts abound in every aspect of everyday life. Major conflicts in Nigeria usually have religious, ethnic or economic undertone.  These three factors are interwoven in such a way that an economic conflict can quickly become a religious one. Politics is also a factor as politicians may use any of the aforementioned factors (economic, ethnic and religious) to serve their selfish motives.

In places like Jos for instance, the conflicts originally began purely as an economic struggle between the so called “indigenes” and “settlers” which strove for resources and political influence in the state. It began to appear to the minorities that they were from a particular ethnic group (Fulani) and also of a different religion (Islam). So it is easy for an outsider to conclude that that the conflict is between Christians and Moslems when in fact it is a much deeper one.

The metamorphosis from economic to ethnic and ultimately to religious is intricately delicate and can easily go from one boiling point to another in a short time especially when the people have lived in a society devoid of trust for a long time.

I believe that the majority of conflicts in Nigeria can be resolved with a working economy. A hungry man is always an angry man. The almajiri problem is a pointer to this. With the prevalent poverty experienced in the Northern part of Nigeria, these “kids” (if I may call them that) are picked up by Islamic clerics who feed and cater for them. Some of these clerics also sow seeds of hate and the potentials for destruction against the state are left to germinate. The almajiri belongs to this cleric or controller because he controls their stomach. Therefore it doesn’t take him anything to obey a benefactor who tells him to kill. It’s the least he can do.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

EQUAL RIGHTS TO CITIZENS: The mentality that a person is better than another in the same country is only a recipe for disaster. The Second World War was fought because a certain group of Germans (Nazi’s) saw themselves as better than another class of individuals (Jews) and this led to the massacre of over six million Jews. We can’t have a society where there is oppression of any kind whether economic or religious. The Niger Delta Crises and Uprisings in the Middle East are key examples. If a person has stayed in a place for an agreed amount of time, he (she) deserves to exercise the right to buy and own property in that place and even run for elective office.  I hope that one day we will have a Nigeria where an Hausa-Fulani Moslem will be the governor of Lagos and a Christian Igbo man can govern Zamfara state.

EDUCATION: This is the most effective way to solve the almajiri problem in the north. When people are educated they are empowered to make better lives for themselves. The sentiment in the south where people say, “If them no wan go school, make them no go,” will hurt us faster than we think. Legislation has to be made to make education compulsory at primary and secondary school level. There is simply no way around this.

Proper monitoring of what is been taught in the schools must also be done.  Islamic studies should be taught like mathematics and must not be the only thing taught in schools.

People in the southern part of Nigeria are not responsible for the apathy showed by mothers in the north to immunize their children but the continual existence of the Polio Virus (WPV) puts our own children in danger. A state legislation mandating Immunization may become necessary and stiff penalties should be set for defaulters. These mothers must be educated to understand the importance of immunization.

I also believe that the Government must not be involved in any state sponsored religious activity like travelling to Jerusalem or going for the Hajj. It should be a strictly personal affair.

JUSTICE: There can never be peace without justice. The blood of the innocent must be avenged. Nothing stops a man that has killed in cold blood from doing so again if he is not punished. Impunity creates impetus for more crime. The police have failed miserably in this regard. When suspects are caught, after some time, nothing is heard about the cases anymore. In Jos for instance, the murderers of women and children got as low as 5 year jail time. That judgment is disgusting. The Law must serve as a deterrent. I want to see a law where anyone who commits a crime like this should be given the capital punishment. His death must be broadcasted on National Television and radio. There are far too many sentiments whipped and politicking over every issue in this country. Government officials shield criminals and go unpunished. The Boko Haram sect leader, Yusuf Mohamed was killed extra judicially and today, nobody is saying anything.

A while ago, arms were smuggled into the country from Iran; the Iranians involved were granted bail. Nigeria maintains its diplomatic stance with Iran and is considering going into talks on nuclear power with the Iranian government!  What kind of country is this?

CONCLUSION:

This country has gone through a lot and the fabric that holds us as one is being tested on a daily basis. The enemies of progress want to destroy us  but I believe we pull through. We must resolve that the death of Obinna and other Corpers must mean something. The perpetrators of this act must be brought to book.

  

© Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

TRIBUTE

This article is dedicated to the Corpers that lost their lives in the needless bloodshed that occurred across some parts of the country. To Obinna and Co, may your souls rest in peace. (Amen)

ELECTION 2011: NEW PRESIDENT AND THE IMPLICATION FOR NIGERIA

The Nigerian spirit was once again tested on Saturday as  citizens from all works of life came to a cross road in deciding the next set of leaders to move the country forward. The Presidential election considered the most important in the series will produce the man who would steer the “ship” for the next four years. The winner of this election will also change the dynamics of Nigerian history in tremendous ways. The front line Candidates: President Goodluck Jonathan (PDP), Rtd. Gen Mohamadu Buhari (CPC), Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP), and Malam Nuhu Ribadu (ACN) after tedious campaigns around the country have all placed their fates in the hands of the ordinary man.

Voting began at 12:00pm in most part of the country and saw multitudes troop to various polling units scattered across the nation. The emerging results have reduced the contest into a two horse race between and the PDP and the CPC with the PDP looking the more likely to clinch the winner. From announced results, it is quite apparent that the ANPP and ACN cannot win this election. The reasons are obvious. The ACN candidate, Malam Nuhu Ribadu is a new comer into political circles and was considered a “weak” candidate by many observers. He was more of a candidate of convenience presented by his party and his candidature did not muster any real challenge.  The ANPP which was a major opposition party in the 1999 and 2003 presidential election has dwindled in influence primarily due to its unholy alliance with the PDP in the Yar’Adua lead Government of National Unity. Other than its influence in Kano, and Zamfara states, ANPP is almost  finished as a party. Although Ibrahim Shekarau may have shined in the NN24 organized presidential debate, the light did not culminate into votes for him or his party.

 I have earlier discussed the implications of a Buhari presidency in a  write up  titled BUHARI-BAKARE: STRANGE BED FELLOWS OR AN ACT OF GOD? I would focus now on the man Jonathan (Atiku Vs Jonathan), reasons he would  likely win this election and the implications of his presidency.

GOODLUCK EBELE AZIKIWE JONATHAN

THE GOD FACTOR

It is an undeniable fact that it was providence that thrust President Jonathan into stardom. It seemed like it was by the very “finger of God” that he was anointed President after the death President Musa Yar’Adua. A man who in 2003 was only a deputy governor of Bayelsa state. A man whose name made the news only because his principal was caught with his hands in the “cookie jar” (A very large cookie jar). He was later handpicked by Olusegun Obasanjo to serve as running mate to Late Yar’adua not for his élan, eloquence or, erudition but because he would appease the restive South-South youths. Jonathan who was sidelined by the infamous “cabal” within the Yar’Adua government and called names suddenly emerged to the highest position in the land following a Doctrine of Necessity enforced by the National Assembly. This is a true Cinderella story and music to the ears of Nigerians who see the Almighty in everything. In a country where religion plays a major role in the way people live their lives and relate to one another; nobody wants be seen to be fighting against God.

THE NAME “GOODLUCK”

President Jonathan should thank is parents’ everyday for this name. How anyone thinks they can win against a name like “GoodLuck” is puzzling? The name is catchy, and spellbinding. The name GoodLuck was a complete nightmare for other political parties as they could not even wish their supporters “goodluck” after their political rallies. If I remember correctly, the ACN mistakenly said goodluck once to bid their supporters farewell and later corrected themselves to the less effective “good day” when it was about 6:00pm.

ROBUST CAMPAIGN

Whether or not you accuse President Jonathan of using state resources to fund his campaign; you cannot deny the ingenuity and far reaching effects of his campaign team. GoodLuck Jonathan was all over the place. He bought over the advertisement industry. He was on TV, on radio, on every Nigerian internet site including social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. He carved a niche into the skin of every Nigerian. His Neighbor to Neighbor initiative took the other parties to the cleaners. I was coming out from church some time ago and a boy not more than twelve years of age came to me and tried to convince me to vote Goodluck. I was impressed. At that time, my vote was certainly not going the way of PDP but that little boy plunged a hole at my resolve.  I began to think, this Jonathan guy is so serious he even sent kids. Secondly, the entrance of Jonathan into the scene enlivened the Presidential race. It sure would have been utterly lackluster if it were Atiku vs. Buhari vs. Shekarau. Am quite sure the large turnout of voters could as well be credited to Jonathan’s candidacy.

HE OWES NO MAN NOTHING

Jonathan has no legitimate “god father” who can lay claim to giving “birth” to him. Although, he may have surrounded himself with the likes of Olusegun Obasanjo, Theophilus Danjuma  and Tony Anennih, to stabilize his hold on the presidency in the beginning of his administration, many see him as his own man. Nigerians who have been used to a certain clique of friends (and enemies) controlling majority of our resources by allocating oil blocks to themselves leaving hapless Nigerians to suffer in penury are refreshed by the fact that a new breed of politician in the image of Jonathan is on the scene.

The mere fact that Jonathan could have gone the way of Obasanjo by appointing a “customized” Jega that would be loyal to him the way Iwu was to Baba but didn’t is commendable. Prof Iwu was busy announcing results of governorship elections he had no business doing while votes were still being counted. The man should look for a place to bury his head in shame. GEJ chose to implement the electoral reforms he promised and appointed an impartial umpire when he knew he was going to run. This is like unlike any other leader Nigeria has seen.

IMPLICATIONS OF A JONATHAN PRESIDENCY

 NORTH- SOUTH DEBACLE

A Jonathan presidency will potentially put paid to zoning for ever. Nigeria has been torn apart several times by ethnic sentiments whipped by politicians. Jonathan, an Ijaw man from the South- South has caused a disruption in the zoning formula. If he wins, it would mean that any Nigerian irrespective of tribe or religion can become president. And that to me is the beauty of democracy.

OBSEQUIES OF “DEAD POLITICANS”

The so called oligarchies in the North (the Ciroma group, Atiku, Gasau, IBB) have lost whatever political clout they thought they mustered. It would be clear that Nigeria is for Nigerians and it is practically IMPOSSIBLE to become a president by seeking votes from any particular region. The candidate must appeal to all Nigerians and not only from the northern part.

Jonathan’s victory can also mean that the Obasanjo days of overwhelming influence may well be over. I do not believe President Jonathan would kick OBJ out of his kitchen cabinet but it has become obvious that the “power” OBJ has over Jonathan will dissipate. Baba, who could not return his Daughter Iyabo as Senator of the Federal Republic cannot claim to have any real loyalist anymore. OBJ is now like the Biblical Ahithophel whose counsel was discounted by Absalom thereby losing his relevance.

JONATHAN’S ALBATROSS

Simple: The PDP, the PDP and the PDP. Most Nigerians believe this party is the synonym for pure evil. One can only be as good as the people that surround you. Some argue that Jonathan is a good man but tainted by his party. But I keep wondering, did President Jonathan just join the PDP? Didn’t he benefit from the “Iwu guaranteed” election victories? Has he suddenly become born again? How he goes along to extricate himself from a party that has been miserably woeful in twelve (12) years would be interesting to watch. It would also be more interesting to see whether people the likes of Anenih, Madueke, Iyabo and Co. find their way into his cabinet time around. My solemn advice is for him to bring in technocrats and stop this recycling of people who simply have nothing to offer.

Again, how he hopes to tackle corruption when his cronies have hands deep in government purse is something close to an impossible task. All most members of his party are interested in is how to “chop and chop”. He may as well start giving out the contracts, appointments.  

CONCLUSION

The collation of the result is still ongoing but as it stands, Jonathan is coasting home to victory. But whoever wins, it is a victory for democracy. Nigeria has successfully conducted four elections without any interruption in the democratic process. This should not be taken for granted for any reason. Fine, the guys in the National Assembly maybe bleeding our economy dry but the Freedom of Information (FOI), Minimum Wage Bill and Local Content Bills have all been passed. The music industry and Nollywood have both blossomed all since the advent of democracy. These may not be seen as much but they are little strides in this Journey. It has taken America 200years to get where they are and it will not take us any less.

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

CHRONICLES OF THE PALM WINE SHOP. EPISODE THREE: OGA JEGA JAGA

(Music playing on a radio set in the palm wine store)

Who steal your bleaching (Foolish)

Your precious bleaching

You buy am for shopping, for 40 naira 

Ah, Oga Jega-Jaga welcome o, e b like say you hapi well well today sotѐ you dey follow sing

Madam Josephine, I just dey hapi o, Shame don catch bad pipu. God don shame all my enemis.   Dem wan put san san for my garri. But God pass them

Thank God o, abeg sidon make I give u beta pami. I prepare dis one especially for you sa

Thank you madam Josephine (tastes palm wine)

Ewѐlѐ! dis one strong well well o

You sure say dis one no go turn my belle?

No sa, na just the way you like am. Dis one go make you stand Gidigba!

Kai, Madam Josephine, I just dey reach here now, cool down first, that discussion na for later

Okay Oga Jega-Jaga. I just dey sensitize you, abi no be so una dey talk am (giggles)

Shey you hear say dem kill some pipu plenty for this election?

Dis politicians too wicked, Na just the thin wey dem go chop dem dey think. Everything Na just for their pocket. Only God fit save us from dem o. Na Bomb dey rain now. So dem go kill even pikin sef to take reach office tiff money. Election for dis side pissfull sha. All of us for dis yard com aside com vote. People no too deceive people. Election free and fair well well. My oga sef, vote o.

Anyway Na dem sabi, we go only try awa best. We no go kill awa sef for dis work. Me sef get wife and pikin.

Which one be your wife and pikin for dis mata now (frowns), abeg tuk beta jare. No just call that woman name for my side again.

You sef, you too dey vex. Come here first make I check weda than thin na how I take leave am. Ewѐlѐ! na still the same size sef, this ya husband na proper Mumu. E no just dey try. By the way, where our friend Lebele sef?

E travel dis morning go visit awa in-law for hospital (Smiling)

(Three Heavily Armed Police Men Enter the Palm Wine Store)

Eh eh, everybody lie down there. You are all under arrest for treason

Wetin apen oga police, wetin we do for you people

You are very stupid for that question, una no here say no movement for election. I say lie down dere. Your fada.

(They both lie down)

My name be Inspector Iwu, and dis two officers be sergeant Tafa and constable Balogun

We here say crime dey apen for here.

Oga no crime for here o. Instead of make una go catch pipu wey dey bomb everywhere na innocent civilian una wan harass. Na pami I dey sell for here and dis man here na my customer.

So na your customer dey hold your waist like this abi. (Holds her firmly). Oya give me two cups of pami now (He fastens hold on her waists and begins to go lower)

Officer, which kain nonsense be all dis one. Abeg leave me jare, Idiot. Shameless man

Oya make all of una drop small thin for the boys make we go. Country no easy at all

 Sergeant Iwu, stop and search all of them.

Hey no touch me dere o. That place resemble money so?  I no go give una any money. Make una go work proper work. No difference between police and tiff again.

Chei, Inspector Iwu, this woman don insult us. Make I fire am?

Oga police, abeg no fire anybody o.  Make una hear me first abeg. We no need all dis palaver. If una no who I be una no go dey do this kain thin walai.

Yes, who are you Mr. Man?

(Standing Up) I am Oga Jega-Jaga, the man of the moment. The man everyone is talking about (Spins round to show off)

Sergeant Tafa, abeg follow dis man with slap.

Kpoa (Sound of heavy blow on face).  Your fada, you dey crase. I say lie down there. I dey find money, you dey spin like peacock. Inspector Tafa, you don check the picture say e correct so?

Yes sir, na the person be dis. Im don talk am with in mouth sef, no need for foda story.  

 Sergeant Tafa, constable Balogun, oya faya ram.

Collect (Gun shot); Collect Again (Another Shot)…

(Inspector Iwu makes a telephone call)

Yes Sir, we don finish the job.  The person wey dey dagbaru all awa election don kpai. Back to business as usual sir. Thank you sa. Yes sa, we go file case of accidental discharge sir. No problem sir.  Yes sa, we go give am her share.

Madam Josephine, na ya share be this, take…

THE END

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

N.B: The characters used in this piece are fictional and semblance to real persons is entirely coincidental

CHRONICLES OF THE PALM WINE SHOP. EPISODE TWO: OGA JEGA JAGA

Broda Jona, you see the kain nonsense wey Oga Jega-Jaga do yesterday?

Oh boy, I just tire for the mata, Na common election we no fit do for dis country.

For Obodo Oyibo, nobody self they know say dem dey do election, Na only awa own must different

After all the money wey govament give the man, dem just carry the money chop. Madam Josephine, abeg come give us more pami, this country mata don tire man pikin   

Broda Jona, you never pay for the last cup o. I no dey sell credit for you again

Dis woman sef, when men dey talk serious mata like politicks, you no suppose cum spoil am wit ya bad mouth. No be me and your husband dey follow drink, abi u go charge only me wen na your Oga dey orda the drink?

Lie Lie, I no go gree for that one o. Me and my husband go settle awa sef. You go pay for every single cup wey you drink here. I don talk my own.

Oya Josephine, turn the pami inside im cup, Broda Jona go give you ya money, im just they follow you play.

You see, dis Oga Jega-Jaga  no just dey try at all at all. Im tell us say election go hold on Friday say shakin no dey. E kon let everybody enter sun dey wait before im talk say make we go house say dem don pospone am.

Abegi, make una leave Oga Jega-Jaga, no be the kain politicians wey we get for dis country make am use last minute transport the election material. No b just one year ago dem give am the money wey pipo dey expect magic so? If the election material come quick quick before the election, all dis useless politician go send agbero to tif am. So e gey why e be like dis. Remember say, God propose, man dispose, abi. Make we suffrey abuse the man abeg.

Madam Josephine, abeg shut up. Which kain pashia talk you don bring come dis side. Who put your dirty mouth inside dis mata sef?    

Eh-Eh-Eh-Eh, no just cuss me for my shop. You hear me so, Broda Jona. Abi God wan punish you?

Chei dis woman don touch the head of sapent. (Stands Up). You don find my trouble today. See this ashawo woman, you tink say we no no say Oga Jega-Jaga and ya husband dey share your yansh. You don use ikebe scatter the man head. Im don crase spoil election.

Lebele, and you dey here. Lebele, see wetin your friend dey talk en (Sobs)

Mr Man, God punish you. You dey crase. In short e no go beta for you. Why you go abuse my wife for my korokoro?

Mumu man, your wife dey give everybody your food chop, you stand for dere dey tuk. All man no say your pikin no resemble you.

Your Papa (throws punch, misses. Fight erupts. Glass breaks.)...

To Be Continued...

©2011 Ewoigbokhan Otaigbe Itua

NB: The characters used in this piece are fictional and semblance to real persons is entirely coincidental