Buhari: A President of Northern Nigeria?

by Eze Eluchie

In the 8 months since his inauguration as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ‘saint’ ‘Dr’. Muhammadu Buhari, in keeping with his resolve to maltreat States which gave him ‘5% votes’ during the last Presidential elections, despite several Presidential Visits to States in Nigeria's Northern region and a notorious penchant to frolic on wasteful foreign trips, has not deemed it worth his time to visit any of the States in the South Eastern zone and has only paid a fleeting 5-hour visit to only one State in the South South zone, Cross River State, to inspect a transnational highway project - clearly, we have a Northern President for Northern Nigeria.

When the foregoing is juxtaposed with lopsided Presidential appointments, targeted vindictive 'fraud' investigation and prosecutions and a contemptuous mien on issues concerning people from the so-called '5% vote States', sufficient cause for concern is created .

For how long will this anomaly continue?

In keeping with other near simultaneous reactions from the Presidency to posts on this Blog and my FB Page, I will not be surprised if within the coming week a hasty cosmetic visit is arranged to one of the ‘5% vote States’.

Let’s restructure and renegotiate the Nigerian contraption whilst there is yet time.

Buhari's '5% unequal treatment' statement:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QquR6J_UJU

Picture: The President, ‘saint’ Buhari, in one of his numerous visits to States in Nigeria’s Northern Region - on one of his visits to Kaduna State.

EFCC: The Corrupt Fighting Corruption!

by Eze Eluchie

Only in Nigeria.

Whilst the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has failed, despite repeated requests under the Freedom of Information Act and several summons to the National Assembly, to account for monies it ‘recovered’ and or seized from suspects in its execution of its statutory ‘anti-corruption’ mandate, the leadership of the agency continues to pretend to be tackling corruption by embarking on witch-hunting of perceived political opponents of the incumbent President or members of the opposition political party in Nigeria.

Why is the interim Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, making mockery of himself and his office by pretending to be investigating ‘arms deals’ under the immediate past administration when he has chosen to play ostrich over the fraud perpetuated by his predecessor in office, Ibrahim Lamurde, who has since escaped from Nigeria under the pretext of going for ‘medical treatment’?

The shamelessness inherent in the much publicized zeal with which the EFCC under Mr. Magu’s interim leadership is probing into transactions of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, deliberately blinding itself to its own rot, monumental frauds that had already been prosecuted on by foreign authorities (such as the multi-million Dollar Halliburton scandal) and hideous graft by members of ruling junta in Nigeria, is troubling. Such lack of scruples, in the much touted ‘war against corruption’ of the Buhari junta, can only mean that a blind eye will be turned to monumental fleecing of the national treasury.

In addition to my earlier stance that the EFCC be scrapped, it is important for the sake of posterity that the various characters who have manned this outfit be exhaustively probed and if found wanting, prosecuted and punished in a spectacular fashion. Corruption has diminished Nigeria and Nigerians. Those charged with responsibility for national anti-graft efforts who have manipulated the process to their selfish ends and or deepened the corruption monster in Nigeria should be made to account for the pains they have inflicted and or increased.

Mr. Ibrahim Magu, resolve the ‘mystery’ surrounding the over One Trillion Naira (over US$ 5 Billion) in recovered monies and properties recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes which has yet remained unaccounted for, before any pretense at ‘tackling corruption’.

Picture: Logo of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its present acting Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ibrahim Magu (center) and the former CEO who has absconded from Nigeria, Ibrahim Lamurde.

The Worst Nigerian Awards for Year 2015

by Eze Eluchie

As we continually ponder over why Nigeria, as an entity, continues to barely exist in the pitiable state (economically, politically, socially and otherwise) that we find ourselves, despite the limitless opportunities and potentials for greatness and meaningful contribution to humanity embedded in the country, it is important that those elements that have contributed to societal debasement and retrogression be identified, named and shamed with the dual hope that they will, on the one hand, thereafter reflect on their role in our collective sorrow and hopefully change their vile acts and mannerisms and on the other hand, acquaint the population in Nigeria about those who have contributed immensely to ‘why we are where we are whilst the rest of the world keeps on forging ahead’ and allow the people to decide what to do with such precursors of underdevelopment.

For this 3^rd Edition of the Worst of Nigeria Awards for Year 2016, there will, as in the previous year’s, be in 4 categories, to wit: The Worst Corporate Entity, The Worst Governor/State Agency, The Worst Federal Minister/Agency, and the grand prize, The Worst Nigerian. And the winners, on account of the anguish they have caused tthe Nigerian State and its citizens, they are actually sore losers, are as follows:

The Worst Corporate Entity:

When a corporate body rakes in millions of dollars in profits from a hapless population, manufacturing, distributing and disingenuously marketing a product that when used exactly as the corporate giant intends it to be used, will sicken, debilitate, destroy vital organs in the human body and ultimately kill not only the user of the corporate giants products but also others who have the misfortune of being around the users of such products, then such erring corporate giant has sunk low enough to merit the Award been accorded it here.

Some may be wondering whether such a company fitting the vile description above does actually exist and which product does nothing than harm its users when used as intended by the manufacturer.

Wonder no further, the winner of the year 2016 Worst Corporate Entity is British America Tobacco Plc.  The product in question is Cigarette!

The Worst Governor/State Agency.

In a contraption where most State Governors have unlawfully and criminally appropriated funds meant for the tier of government closest to the people, the Local Government Councils, to their personal use, in the process denying a vast majority of the population any meaningful benefits in almost two decades of supposedly democratic governance, it will take exceptional depravity, con and deviousness for any particular Governor to sink below his peers in their quest to dehumanize and vanquish the citizens over whom they administer.

By elevating fraud, doublespeak and trickery as cardinal principles of governance; implementing strident efforts at destroying the basic institutions (Town Development Unions) which citizens of his State had applied to cushion the effect of abandonment by government authorities; unconstitutionally and unlawfully deploying State Legislators as ‘caretakers’ of Local Government Councils in the State; claiming that the people of the State he is supposed to preside over are owing him a stupendous sum of over US$80 Million (for spurious ‘security votes’ which he claims to be entitled to); the Imo State Governor who has been christened ‘Ekwuo ozor, eme ozor’ (He who says something and does something else) by the people of Imo State, Mr. Rochas Okorocha, wins the Award in the category of ‘The Worst Governor/State Agency’.

The Worst Federal Minister/Federal Agency

Top contenders for this award included the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which is superintending over the notorious scamming of Nigerian electricity consumers by power companies who shamelessly levy households and premises for electricity not supplied; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which seems fixated with its role as a hound dog to target its investigative and prosecutorial powers over corruption cases on only persons perceived to be opposed to the regime in power to , and the Nigerian Military (particularly the Nigeria Army under the headship of present Chief of Army Staff, General Buratai) which seems unschooled on the role of the Military in quelling demonstration and generally interacting with the civil populace in a democratic dispensations – a situation that has led to the military killing several demonstrators (pro-Biafra activists in Onitsha {Anambra State, South East Nigeria}, Shi’ia demonstrators in Zaria {Kaduna State, North Central Nigeria}

In a polity where State agencies meant to serve the people are notoriously self-serving, nominations for this Award category are expectedly not lacking.

The Federal Ministers, who were appointed belatedly have exhibited shocking blandness, colorlessness and lack of creativity in their respective Ministries as one would have expected them to, in view of the lateness in their appointments, hit the ground running. The fact that seven months into an administration, none of its principal officers can be assessed tells the tale of where Nigeria is.

The Federal Agency whose incompetence, mismanagement and mishandling of its duties has caused more harm to Nigeria and Nigerians in year 2015 and which this wins the award in this category is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – an agency  which somehow, despite its limitless finances, always finds a way to botch any and all elections it has conducted over the past one year, in the process short-changing the population and serving as a conduit to impose misfits as rulers over the Nigerian state, rises above the field of failed Federal Agencies.

The Worst Nigerian

The role of leadership in moving any society forward cannot be adequately quantified. With effective leadership, a third rate economy (or 3^rd world country – whatever you construe this to mean)) can be transformed over a very short period into a leading player in global affair. The converse is unfortunately, also true.

In Nigeria, we have for virtually all of year 2015 being denied any signs of effective leadership at the national level. For the first 4 months, the then President, Goodluck Jonathan was embroiled in very distractive and strenuous efforts at securing a re-elections, this was followed by a 5th month of wasteful transition processes and since May 29^th when the incumbent stepped into office, the country has virtually run on auto-pilot and “body-language of the President”), without any recognizable policy thrusts or directions of governance save for the worn out recourse to sloganeering and blaming all ills on the immediate past administration.   

In other climes desirous of progress, the Civil Society Organizations would have risen up to the occasion to ensure that political leaders (in Nigeria it is actually rulers in control) are held accountable and made to serve the people. From the labour Unions, to the National Association of Nigerian Students, the ‘human right organization’, good governance and pro-democracy organizations, entities who should serve as the eyes, ears and minds of a largely illiterate and population have sold out their constituents for lucre.  

In Nigeria, rather pitiably, the Civil Society sector has been sucked into the rot which permeates the system. Objectivity has given way to parochialism; the intellect inherent in Civil Society is pandered to the highest bidder for partisan and non-altruistic ends, in the process denying our population, country and indeed the African continent the benefits of a working Nigeria. Of particular mention here are the Civil Society organizations which ‘monitor’ and issue ‘accolades’ or ‘condemnation’ (in keeping with the desires of their foreign funders) over the fiasco we refer to as elections in our clime.

As a collective, for failing the people, the Worst Nigerian Award for Year 2016 goes to so-called “pro-democracy and good governance” Civil Society organizations.

Picture: The Worst of Nigeria Award Trophy