The Worst Nigerians of 2013 Awards

by Eze Eluchie

About this time every year, our local media is awash with 'Man/Woman of the Year' bestowals on people who have moved the society forward. Considering the sorry state of affairs in Nigeria, one can appreciate the skepticism with which the people view the awardees of such 'honors' who, in most cases, turn out to be discredited politicians who surreptitiously paid for such bestowals.

In my opinion, our failure to properly identify and acknowledge those who have contributed towards keeping us where we are whilst the rest of the world continue to advance, partially contributes to the decadence in our system.

It is with a view to setting the records straight that the major identifiable sources of our problems will, for once now be highlighted in the hope that those identified will have a rethink and better their ways in future and encourage those towing their paths of infamy to retrace such naughty steps for the betterment of the polity.

The 'Worst Awards for the Year 2013' will be in 4 categories, to wit: The Worst Corporate Entity, The Worst Governor/State Agency, The Worst Federal Minister/Federal Agency and The Worst Nigerian.

The Worst Corporate Entity

For continuing in the dubious vocation of selling death and disease to millions of Nigerians, ensuring that the farmers involved in tobacco plant cultivation remain in abject poverty and their soil poisoned, and expending the enormous resources at their disposal to ensure that Nigerian authorities remain unable to join the rest of the international community in eradicating tobacco product related harm, multinational tobacco conglomerates operating in Nigeria, particularly British American Tobacco Plc, is hereby awarded The Worst Corporate Entity for Year 2013.

 The Worst Governor/State Agency

Spirited last minute efforts of Yobe State Governor, Mr. Ibrahim Gaidam, to edge out all others to claim this dishonor by evacuating his entire family and ruling Yobe State from the safe distance of Abuja, far removed from the daily attacks of Boko Haram terrorists which has decimated Yobe, whilst collecting pocketing and sharing all Federal budgetary allocations due to the State and at the same time pretending to conduct local council elections with ‘large voter turnout’, proved insufficient to unseat yet another State Governor whose penchant for deceit and maladministration is legendary.

For crafting a government rooted in mass deception, amongst other ploys: promising not to collect official salaries/allowances whilst in reality not bothering to govern the State with a Budget; promising ‘free education from primary to tertiary levels’ to all in his State without meaning any word of it; Spuriously executing fictional massive projects and creating equally fictional thousands of jobs (all in the pages of paid news-media; stage-managing the impeachment of the State’s Deputy Governor; jumping from one political party to another faster than the tempo of Samba dance; the initial award for Worst Governor of Year 2013 goes to the Governor of Imo State, Mr. Rochas Okorocha.

 The Worst Federal Minister/Federal Agency

During a year when citizens of Nigeria were incredulously deported within Nigeria, by some rascal State Governments; When elected representatives/politicians defected with impunity, from the party platforms upon which they were elected, in clear violation of the Nigerian Constitution and without the constitutionally stipulated consequences been effected; When virtually all the States in the Nigerian contraption violated, with impunity and no fear whatsoever of consequences, explicit constitutional provisions for Local Government Councils to be headed by elected officials; When, by its actions and utterances, it appeared there was no mind knowledgeable about domestic and international laws within a hundred miles radius of the Presidency of the Federal Republic; the Justice sector suffered untold harm and damages as a result of a gaping hole in leadership pat the Federal level.

For reneging from his responsibilities and not having the guts to throw in the towel, thus creating the impression that Nigeria is a contraption devoid of laws, the current Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke goes home with the dubious distinction as the Worst Minister for Year 2013.

 The Worst Nigerian

The winner of this ignoble award does not really require much attention as his antics has long been known to Nigerians and the international community. A former military dictator who was sentenced to death for Treasonable felony charges and thereafter foisted on the Nigerian contraption as an ‘(s)elected’ President, this character was once accused, by his own son, in sworn depositions before a Superior Court of Record of having had incestuous copulations with his daughter-in-law, and recently had one of his daughters publicly disparage and expose him as an unfit and improper character. A tyrant who desperately sought to alter the Nigerian constitution to perpetuate his strangle hold on governance and did not even have the guts to own up to the scam; a man who presided over Nigeria in an era when political assassinations and deployment of State security apparatus to witch-hunt real and imagined adversaries was the order of the day; a brute who flittered away most of what was left of Nigeria’s esteem and respect in the comity of nations by

The pitiably pedestrian efforts at orchestrating national instability as exemplified by his instigation of crisis within the ruling political party and in his treasonable correspondence with the President of the Federal Republic, coupled with the gravely negative impact of the several policies enunciated during his reign of evil (May 29th 1999 - May 28th 2007) continues to have on the Nigerian polity of Olusegun Obasanjo, makes this former despot the unequivocal recipient of this inaugural The Worst Nigerian for Year 2013.

This Awards will be bequeathed annually. I assure all that the nomination process for subsequent years will be made known to all for inputs as efforts are converged towards societal advancement.

Picture: The 'Baddie' trophy filled with victims blood.

Borrowing to rig elections II

By Eze Eluchie

The practice of criminally minded politicians to further pauperize their States and citizenry by borrowing huge sums to rig elections has become a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s pretense at democracy. These kleptocrats, having already squandered their States resources on themselves, their cronies and white-elephant projects, proceed to rub insult into the injuries they have already inflicted on the citizens of their States by mortgaging the future of generations yet unborn via spurious bank loans.

The financial institutions that dish out these suspect loans are in most cases, quite aware of and complicit in the fraud being perpetuated against the peoples who are ruled by these kleptocrats. As pay-back, some of these Banks (and senior management of the Banks) deliberately announce amounts far in excess of the real sums advanced to States as the sums loaned, knowing full well that the difference between real sum loaned and the sum announced will remain in their vaults and probably distributed as perks/bonuses to those who participated in the scam.

This rather unfortunate practice occurs not only in-country but is also widespread amongst international financial institutions dealing with countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Populations which are already suffering the pangs of abject poverty are most unfortunately further saddled with fictitious and imaginary debt portfolios.

As election approach, the haste to secure more loans rises to frenzy.

It is in the light of this that the recent arrest of the Speaker, Principal Officers and Clerk of Nigeria’s Kano State House of Assembly by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for surreptitiously trying to approve a bogus Supplementary Budget factored on placing Kano State into greater indebtedness via new loan facilities ought to be commended.

One is however worried that our law enforcement agencies (in Nigeria) did not harken to an earlier call I made regarding similar antics by the other States in Nigeria, particularly the Lagos State Government in an earlier post on my Blog (http://ezeluchie.blogspot.com/2013/09/borrowing-to-rig-elections.html  

When one realizes the nexus between the widespread poverty visited on populations in societies where State officials engage in such horrendous larceny/large-scale corruption on the one hand and civil strife, conflicts, organized crime and terrorism, the need for the recognition, investigation, prosecution and punishment of large-scale corruption as a crime against humanity as stipulated in Article 7(k) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court becomes quite clear.

The trans-international border nature of the large-scale corruption crimes as described above makes it pertinent that international law enforcement agencies must congregate efforts towards tackling this behemoth.

Picture: Logo of Nigeria' Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

Sanusi: Central unBanker of the Millennium II

by Eze Eluchie

All over the world, the office of a country’s Central Bank Governor (or Chairman of Federal Reserve Board) is occupied by responsible persons who realize that their utterances, activities and even mere gestures impact positively or adversely on national economies. In other climes the Central Bank Governor is an embodiment of moderation, stability, financial etiquette and decorum. A peep into the candor and conduct of other Heads of Reserve Bank’s elsewhere, such as Ben Bernanke, US Federal Reserve Chairman and Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank will illustrate what is expected of persons holding this high office. 

When a Central Bank Governor takes it upon him/herself to stir ridiculous fiscal controversies, champion divisive ethno-religious policies and causes, and engage the Governments of his country in media squabbles, all geared towards creating a semblance of fiscal instability, it becomes pertinent to question the utility and motives of such fiscal ombudsman.

The politically induced and widely publicized claims by Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Mr. Lamido Sanusi Lamido, aimed at tarnishing the image of the Nigerian State and rubbishing whatsoever was left of Nigeria’s fiscal standing in the international community, that Nigeria’s petroleum conglomerate (Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation - NNPC), defrauded the Nigerian State to the tune of an incredulous sum of U.S.$49 Billion, generated and spread shock waves locally in Nigeria and across the world, ridiculing the essence of the Nigerian State, casting aspersions on the Presidency and the entire managers of the national economy. The news of the monumental ‘revelation’ by Mr. Sanusi were reported in major financial news outlets such as the Bloomberg.com, New York Times and across the globe – all these media maligned the Nigerian economy in their reportage as unworthy of interest by serious investors.

It was thus a shocker of earthshaking proportions for Mr. Sanusi to recant his earlier assertions in the course of his testimony before the Nigerian Senate today. Mr. Sanusi shamelessly reversed himself and now claims he missed his calculations by a scandalous huge margin - admitting no such fraud might have existed.

In societies where honor is revered and esteemed, such as the Japanese, persons in Mr. Sanusi’s shoes would have long committed suicide.

If any iota of integrity, dignity and self-respect still resides in Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the only option open to him would be to resign from office as Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank and issue and ensure equal domestic and global publicity for an explicit and unambiguous apology to Nigeria, Nigerians and friends of Nigeria for the harm caused.

A restructured and renegotiated Nigeria will ensure the elimination of this level of ineptitude and rascality in high offices.

This unfortunately is the second time I am having cause to post on this character: http://ezeluchie.blogspot.com/2012/12/central-unbanker-of-millennium.html

Picture: Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

The Charming Prince from Persia

by Eze Eluchie

The sophistry and finesse required to maintain an edge over ones adversaries without resort to violence has always been a revered art form cultivated by civilizations across the ages. From the individual, to the community to the State level, those who have mastered this art have always been able to come out of seemingly impossible situations with all the benefits available and leaving their opponents wondering what truly happened.

At the level of interaction of States, whilst efforts continue to be made to document and codify approaches and steps of International Diplomacy, real success in this field is not usually attained via formal education but come about, like all art forms, from innate origins. And like all art forms, an individual or State acquires a definite edge if the art of diplomacy is ingrained and rooted in traditional ethos, values and daily life.

With recorded civilization and mastery of their environment dating back thousands of years and having attained globally renowned expertise in architecture, mathematics and the sciences, textile/rug manufacture and public administration and human management, the Persians, precursors to modern day Iran, are one people whose genealogy and history is steeped in diplomacy and can thus be appreciated as having mastered the art of international diplomacy.

Faced with the need to bolster national pride and present themselves as an alternative to a western hegemony that threatened to derail the prevailing sway held by theocrats in the Middle East, it was convenient for the leadership in Iran to present Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a boisterous brash-talking infant terrible who derived enormous pleasure in keeping the west on edge with his every comment and conveniently whipped up patriotic fervor amongst ordinary Iranians to extreme heights.

The leadership in Iran had however not contemplated the response in the form of excruciating sanctions that were beginning to bite hard and serve to stoke the embers of domestic discord and popular disenchantment.

What to do?  Replace the ‘infant terrible’ with a Prince that will charm the pants off the waist of the international community and try to turn back the hands of the clock without giving the international community anything of substance in return.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei and his inner council quickly drafted one of their ‘Crown Princes’, an acknowledged leader in the art of ‘diplomacy’ (using diplomacy here in its real context and not the dictionary definition), Hasan Rowhani, who had in a previous assignment as Chief Negotiator for Iran in its nuclear proliferation talks, openly boasted in his published memoirs, about his success at hoodwinking and bogging down entities adverse to Iran’s development of nuclear capabilities whilst surreptitiously ensuring that the Persian enclave recorded all the successes it desired towards attaining its quest.

 And like magic, the cosmetic change of titular leadership worked. In the course of the first international outing of the Charming Prince from Persia to the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations, everybody seemed to be falling over everybody to have a glimpse and probably shake the hands of the Prince from Persia. Red carpets were rolled out, phone calls were exchanged and even black-bow-tie Evening Balls and high profile interviews were conducted – and in all these events, the Charming Prince did not fail to continually flash that handsome grin which swooned those unfamiliar with, or who choose to blind themselves to, the reality that nothing had changed in Iran since the departure from office of Ahmadinejad.

The immediate neighbors and age old acquaintances of the Iranians, who share common history and antecedents steeped in ‘international diplomacy’ were quick to see through the charade and have been screaming at the top of their voices to the world to be extremely skeptical of the amiable mien being displayed. The new found camaraderie and previously unfathomable coalition between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which has called for more circumspect evaluation of Iran under Hasan Rowhani deserves greater consideration and attention. The call for caution in dealing with the new-Iran seems however to be falling on deaf ears of a world overwhelmed by tension and violence-fatigue in the Middle-East and reluctance to engage in more conflicts in a region already stretched by strife.

The West appears to be, once more, pandering and dealing with 'international diplomacy' at a level and scope which it has quite little appreciation and understanding of.

There appears to be need, in this instance, to follow the hunch of Iran’s neighbors, lest we have a new, and perhaps more sinister repeat of the North Korea nuclear proliferation debacle.

Picture: President Hasan Rowhani of Iran

The Audacity of Thieves.

by Eze Eluchie

“If you see a thief and you allow him to be stealing, what did you do?...You have stoned nobody that is why we are stealing”. You will stone me? Who have you stoned?...Me I want to steal only One Billion Dollars, let them bring it!!
If you don’t take your destiny in your hands, we, we will go, another ‘leader’ will come, and they will continue to steal..!!!!
- Rivers State of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi


The above statement made at a public event, supposedly in memory of global icon, Nelson Mandela, brings to the fore the seeming intractability of crime and corruption in the Nigerian system. Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, a Governor of one of the 36 states in the Nigerian contraption, had bluntly told his audience, which comprised hundreds of youths and members of the civil society, inclusive of Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, that not only was he and his cohorts, the politicians, robbing the people blind, but that he had a target of One Billion Dollars and that so long as the people were not ready to stone thieving politicians, the looting will go on.

More benumbing was the reaction of the audience after such audacious confessions. Whilst no one took up the challenge to cast a first stone at this self-confessed felon, the audience incredulously gave Mr. Amaechi a ‘standing ovation’ for his comments.

Presuming there were no stones at the venue to spontaneously respond to Mr. Amaechi's call, did the attendees at the event not go there with shoes?

The scene depicted at this event is merely symptomatic of the Nigerian society. Public officials whose only source of stupendous wealth is the access to loot State treasuries with impunity, walk the streets in lavish convoys, flaunting their loot to a hapless pauperized populace who are not only mesmerized but appear to deify and hero-worship the very characters who stole from them.

If the audience at Mr. Amaechi bragging and daring event had been populated by ne’er do wells, the uneducated and ignorant persons in society, one would have held out hope that with proper sensitization and enlightenment, the masses would realize the wool being pulled over their eyes and in due time be able to confront these self-confessed thieves. Alas, the audience at the event where Mr. Amaechi tendered his confession appears to comprise of suit-wearing suavely dressed professionals (and as I stated earlier, a Nobel Laureate, who in other climes convert their exalted positions to an instrument of public conscience and serve as societies moral compass) who are apparently knowledgeable and informed.

Where then lies the hope for societal sanitation for Nigeria?

Not only do thieves find their way to high political offices, they now brag about it and dare the populace!

Not too long ago, in view of the inability of our judicial system to rein in these set of criminal elements posturing as politicians (better referred to as polithievians), we had to rely on British Courts to jail a notorious ex-convict who still meandered his way to become a State Governor in Nigeria (James Onanefe Ibori). Should we not be striving to strengthen our system making it less conducive for criminals and able to hold these thieves to account for their misdeeds?

Perhaps one can only take consolation in the old adage which proclaims that: ‘Everyday belongs to the thief, but one day belongs to the owner’. It is truly hoped that our thieving politicians will be more audacious as Mr. Amaechi was at this public forum in Lagos, dare the people more, perhaps one day, tell us to our faces how dumb, foolish and unthinking we have been to have allowed them to continue to steal us blind. And perhaps one day, that proverbial red line will be crossed and the people will awake from their hunger-induced and ignorance-nourished slumber and do what is right – clear the stable of felons.

Holistic restructuring and renegotiation our contraption will eliminate such perfidious, insolent and reckless rulership.


Video: Mr. Amaechi's remarks - in the first portion he reads excerpts of Madiba's views before veering into his own thoughts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ug0ifwslG84

Picture: Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi

Olusegun Obasanjo: Truly the worst of his generation.

I have been opportune to read a sickening diatribe, dated 2nd December 2013, penned by no worse a character than the head of Nigeria’s erstwhile reign of evil, Olusegun Obasanjo, against present efforts at handling the Nigeria contraption.

It is simply preposterous that Olusegun Obasanjo, a notorious despot, immoral being, corrupt soul, and dirty character would have the temerity to begin to advice on governance in Nigeria after the terrible and unfortunate experience Nigeria has had with him.

It is only in a place like Nigeria that rascals like Obasanjo, whose desperate bid at self-perpetuation in office was truncated by the vigilance of Nigerians, who hunted down and ensured the elimination and or pauperization of persons he suspected of being adversaries and who converted State resources to erect personal fortunes for self and cronies, will be given a platform to insult the people as the effects of his misrule continue to manifest.

One would have thought that a man who had opportunity to rule over his country as a military dictator before being sentenced to death for his role in a coup plot and incredulously having a second opportunity at leading Nigeria, would have had the good sense to lead with grace, patriotism, compassion and a desire to serve his country and country men in truth, goodwill and honesty. Not Obasanjo. The man came back a more vicious kleptocrat, evil-minded dubious deviant, subverting State institutions (such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) to gestapo-like outfits and reducing Nigeria’s hard earned international position of respect to garbage.

Obasanjo should thank his lucky stars that he has a mild-natured man who is unwilling to inquire into the several atrocities committed during the reign of evil, as Nigeria’s current President. Otherwise this loquacious ex-dictator would be spending the rest of his miserable days on earth in a place where he belonged from the very onset of his foray in public life – behind bars.

Picture: Nigeria's ex-dictator Olusegun Obasanjo

After murder, Adams Oshiomole (Governor of Nigeria's Edo State) attains new lows

The same character who committed murder by ordering and ensuring the extra-judicial execution of prisoners whose appeals were still pending before our Courts (see earlier blog post: http://ezeluchie.blogspot.com/2013/06/nigeria-state-governor-adams-oshiomole.html) has once again taken governance to new lows in Nigeria.

The images captured on video (see link below), though typical of the character in question and symptomatic of the kleptocrats who rule over Nigeria, is so appalling and worrisome.

The attitude to the people! So pathetic!
  
The transcript from the conversation between Mr. Adams Oshiomole (Governor of Nigeria’s Edo State) and a hapless widow reads more like what one would expect from a horror movie:

Woman: I beg, I beg. My children are at home. Please help me. Please forgive me, I am a widow.

Governor Oshiomole: You are a widow, Go and die!


Good grief. I thought we had seen the worst forms of animals in governance in the era  when Nigeria had been ruled by despotic military dictators.

Apparently, the rascals who occupy high political offices in our present pretense at democratic governance think otherwise.

This is certainly one of the most disheartening and silly remarks ever uttered by any person who claims to have ascended to public office on the peoples mandate. 

Oshiomole, who happens to be one of the inept hypocritical creatures masquerading as 'progressives' under the APC banner, is whilst representative of his ilk, indeed a disgrace to the Office of Governor.



Video: Encounter between Governor Adams Oshiomole and widow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vw43BVPasDM

Picture: Mr. Adams Oshiomole, Governor of Edo State Nigeria.