I-weep-for-my-country-nigeria-and-its-bleak-future-in-the-hands-of-untrustworthy-political-leaders-time-for-all-nigerians-to-speak-out-more-to-prevent-the-dangers-ahead
September 7, 2020 | News
I WEEP FOR MY COUNTRY NIGERIA AND ITS BLEAK FUTURE IN THE HANDS OF UNTRUSTWORTHY POLITICAL LEADERS – TIME FOR ALL NIGERIANS TO SPEAK OUT MORE TO PREVENT THE DANGERS AHEAD
Recently, I noted how very sad it is that, while other countries are establishing capital punishment/tough stands against insurgency groups, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is comfortable with rehabilitating, re-engaging and pampering them in the face of increasing insecurity, which has continued to stunt the nation’s developmental strides and painting us negatively amongst the International Community of nations. This is a follow up to that right up, as we gather and look at some perspectives from other concerned stakeholders, who have equally raised some valid points worth considering and given needed attention as a people. One thing is certain from what these stakeholders had to say, and that is the fact that, the disposition, body language and actions of the present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, are suggestive of a Government that is, either practically clueless as to how to address the seemingly intractable problems facing the nation, or they are simply comfortable with the statuesque, and even encouraging it, in satisfying their self-driven agendas.
The bottom line is, every time one takes a careful look at all the issues playing out in the polity, one is often left more confused as to wonder whether we really do have a Government at the Federal, State and Council levels or not. In the words of a social affairs commentator, Smart Ofugara: “No leadership in Nigeria. No vision of where the nation should be in the next so and so years. No planning. No resistance to ineptitude. Greed everywhere, and the list goes on…” This is a country where, while majority of the citizens are daily suffering unimaginable hardship, hunger, poverty and dehumanizing living conditions in the midst of stupendous wealth and plenty, those few in the political class are daily enriching themselves, living in wasteful affluence and are abundantly paid with our collective wealth. Just like we see recently in Bayelsa State, where the Bayelsa State House of Assembly approved Diri’s N2.9Billion request to purchase official vehicles. And we cannot help but wonder, don’t they have official vehicles before now? And why so much amount of money to purchase new vehicles? What happened to the ones used by the immediate past Government? Besides, there are far more infrastructural projects needs of Bayelsans, which urgently need attention of the State Government. Yet, the State House of Assembly prefers instead to allocate funds for the purchase of vehicles – a liability item! With the situation in Bayelsa State, we can see that the two major political parties in the country are birds of the same feathers. But how can we achieve development by mere wishful thinking?
Away from this, the one that troubles me most is the issue of insecurity in the country, which the present administration has not been able to build ‘PUBLIC TRUST and CONFIDENCE amongst the majority of Nigerians with its past and present actions/dispositions in tackling the insecurity problem in the country, especially the ones caused by Fulani Herdsmen and the Boko Haram insurgents. In a well circulated short video by Roots Tv Nigeria, the leader of FCT Indigenes, Dalhatu Musa Ezekiel, noted that: “What the army is doing is RECYCLING INSURGENCY. They are simply recycling insurgency, and my worries and pain for the Nigerian people is that we have docile leaders. Docile leaders from different sections of this country, and from different ethnic nationalities. Leaders that have chosen to be docile; that have chosen to deliberately remain dumb and stooge, and walking sticks in the hands of youths. The last time I checked, we have prominent leaders from the South East, from the South West, from the South South, from the Middlebelt – who are seeing the excesses and seeing the misgivings by the ‘few individuals’ in this country, and are keeping quiet.
“I put it to them that in no distant time, if they think because they are leaders today, they have the backings of the security, they have all it takes to be protected; in no distant time, they will also be affected because there is no champion forever. They will not remain in power forever, and the evil that will befall Nigerian people, will catch up with them. So, it is high time they wake up to speak, and then decide, and take cogent and very correct decisions against this thing I see as recycling insurgency; the better for us. I don’t know if you are seeing the danger ahead. I am a trained forensic psychologist. It’s easier for you to rehabilitate somebody who is mentally retarded, either as a result of drugs or any other factor. It’s easier to rehabilitate and redefine his mindset and make him a better person, as well as re-engage him into the society. But AN INSURGENT IS AN EXTREMIST. He is not doing all that he is doing based on how much you are giving him. An insurgent is an extremist that can sacrifice even his life, and thinking what he is doing is to the glory of his God… Let me give you my take on this and where I am seeing danger ahead. Once upon a time, we had OPC (Oodua Peoples Congress) and these people terrorized the South West, and the Government dislodged them because of the excesses in their activities. They were never seen as potentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian army.
“The last time I checked, we had Bakassi and they were also pushed away by the Nigerian Security and Government, and their activities were banned. They were never seen as potentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian military. The last I checked, we had Niger Delta militants – The Avengers and all of the others. They were also given Amnesty by the Federal Government. These boys who had the potentiality to dislodge the Nigerian military, confront them headlong in so many instances, were never seen as potentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian military. The recent one is the IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) that were dislodged, and even proscribed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a terrorist group. I am aware that most of them are still in detention. This group of persons have never been seen as potentials that will be rehabilitated and engaged into Nigerian military. But here you have a terrorist people who have seen the Nigerian military to be their number one enemy. People who have come out headlong to confront the Nigerian army, killing them and other innocent people. They will just go and say they have surrendered, and then the next thing is Nigerian Government will still spend the taxpayers’ money…instead of prosecuting them according to the Act of terrorism, and probably hang them to death. Take them off the face of this country because they are terrorizing the people of Nigeria. Nigerian Government, aside the huge sum of money it is spending on security because of Boko Haram, will go again and pay more money in rehabilitating them. And the worst of it, engage them into the Nigerian military.
“If you are not seeing the danger I am seeing; if our leaders, docile leaders I call them, from ethnic nationalities; are not seeing the danger ahead, that will befall us in the near future, I am putting it to them that we all will be doomed. Some of us have sacrificed our lives to say, and to put on the table; nothing but THE TRUTH, and to help the near future. I see myself as a leader in the near future, and I will not be leading a country that will be in total chaos. America, as powerful as they are; I have never heard when they will arrest ISIS and then think they will now re-engage ISIS into American military. It is not done! American military are the ones instead, infiltrating ISIS to get intelligence report and then nip it in the bud on whatever situation they face, to curtail their excesses. But in the case of Nigeria, you are now seeing Boko Haram infiltrating the Nigerian military. And that is to tell you the danger that lies ahead. In the next 10, 20 years, we will have more than thousands of Boko Haram into our Nigerian military recycling insurgency – that is what I call it. And what that means is that, we have vibrant, able, committed youths of Nigerians…I give you the example of the FCT. The last recruitment list I saw from the Nigerian military, nobody, no indigene of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was enlisted in the list I saw. We have so many youths that want to join the Nigerian army, but the opportunity was not given. But here is an insurgent being given an automatic ticket to join the Nigerian military… What is so important that they want to make them officers of the Nigerian military? There is a danger that lies ahead. And let Nigerians see this and wake up from their slumber. And let our leaders of ethnic nationalities wake up and speak when it is time. Now, the issue is this, if you want to join the Nigerian military, how I see it is, just go and join Boko Haram. After one or two months, surrender yourself, and the Nigerian military will bring you in, they will go and do what they call rehabilitation, and engage you. That is what it means. The multiplier effect is negative. It’s very dangerous going ahead. And so, I call on the Nigerian people to again, open their eyes and say No to this ugly trend that is continuing in our society."
It is also appalling to note that, despite all the funds the Nigerian claim to be allocated yearly towards security assurance in the country, including the unaccounted Security Votes enjoyed by State Governors; the insecurity situation in the country has gone from bad to worse, especially under the present administration. And even the welfare and security gadgets/apparatus that ought to be made available and used by Security Operatives, are nothing to write home about. Making it look like the Government, are deliberating starving the country’s Security outfits/Forces of required funds for their well-equipping and well-staffing, to function as they ought to; for selfish reasons best known to only them. For instance, in another circulated short video online, Senator Ishaku Abbo Representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, noted that: “South-Africa has 50 million people, yet they have 1.9million Police officers, policing 50 million people. Nigeria has over 200 million people, with 300 thousand Police Officers, and we want security, how can we get it? If you look at the funding of the Police, it is nothing to write home about. Few days ago, we brought the IGP here, and he told us that they are doing operation somewhere. The next day, it was on the front page of newspapers. They attacked terrorists in Kaduna, and it was successful. And a helicopter was shot at with an AA rifle. Today, the Nigerian Police are still bearing AK47 rifles, and Boko Haram are using GPMGs (General Purpose Machine Guns)…”
Compare this situation to what is obtainable in other climes like the Netherlands, where it has been reported severally in time past that, Dutch prisons are closing because the country is so safe. In 2013, 19 prisons in the Netherlands were said to have been closed because the country didn't have enough prisoners to fill them. Then in 2017, five more were slated to have been closed by the end of the summer of that year. While these closures will result in the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs, only 700 of which will transition into other unknown roles within Dutch law enforcement, the trend of closing prisons follows a steady drop in crime since 2004. The problem of EMPTY JAIL CELLS has even gotten to the point where, last September, the country imported 240 prisoners from Norway just to keep the facilities full, according to an online report. And we cannot help but wonder, how the Government of Netherlands are able to bring to zero, the crime rate in that country? it all boils down to ‘good governance’ built on transparency, selflessness, commitment, people-driven visions and goals, and winning public trust. These are factors that are alien and unheard of within the Nigerian political space, for as long as we can remember.
It is only righteousness (right and honest living and accountability), especially on the part of the leaders, that will exalt a nation. Any PUBLIC TRUST that is founded and operated on lies, deception and selfishness, will never yield desired results for all, and will be on its way to destruction if care is not taken, which will in-turn affect those whose evil hands had abused the said public trust in the first place.
Zik Gbemre.
March 7, 2020
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
Recently, I noted how very sad it is that, while other countries are establishing capital punishment/tough stands against insurgency groups, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is comfortable with rehabilitating, re-engaging and pampering them in the face of increasing insecurity, which has continued to stunt the nation’s developmental strides and painting us negatively amongst the International Community of nations. This is a follow up to that right up, as we gather and look at some perspectives from other concerned stakeholders, who have equally raised some valid points worth considering and given needed attention as a people. One thing is certain from what these stakeholders had to say, and that is the fact that, the disposition, body language and actions of the present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, are suggestive of a Government that is, either practically clueless as to how to address the seemingly intractable problems facing the nation, or they are simply comfortable with the statuesque, and even encouraging it, in satisfying their self-driven agendas.
The bottom line is, every time one takes a careful look at all the issues playing out in the polity, one is often left more confused as to wonder whether we really do have a Government at the Federal, State and Council levels or not. In the words of a social affairs commentator, Smart Ofugara: “No leadership in Nigeria. No vision of where the nation should be in the next so and so years. No planning. No resistance to ineptitude. Greed everywhere, and the list goes on…” This is a country where, while majority of the citizens are daily suffering unimaginable hardship, hunger, poverty and dehumanizing living conditions in the midst of stupendous wealth and plenty, those few in the political class are daily enriching themselves, living in wasteful affluence and are abundantly paid with our collective wealth. Just like we see recently in Bayelsa State, where the Bayelsa State House of Assembly approved Diri’s N2.9Billion request to purchase official vehicles. And we cannot help but wonder, don’t they have official vehicles before now? And why so much amount of money to purchase new vehicles? What happened to the ones used by the immediate past Government? Besides, there are far more infrastructural projects needs of Bayelsans, which urgently need attention of the State Government. Yet, the State House of Assembly prefers instead to allocate funds for the purchase of vehicles – a liability item! With the situation in Bayelsa State, we can see that the two major political parties in the country are birds of the same feathers. But how can we achieve development by mere wishful thinking?
Away from this, the one that troubles me most is the issue of insecurity in the country, which the present administration has not been able to build ‘PUBLIC TRUST and CONFIDENCE amongst the majority of Nigerians with its past and present actions/dispositions in tackling the insecurity problem in the country, especially the ones caused by Fulani Herdsmen and the Boko Haram insurgents. In a well circulated short video by Roots Tv Nigeria, the leader of FCT Indigenes, Dalhatu Musa Ezekiel, noted that: “What the army is doing is RECYCLING INSURGENCY. They are simply recycling insurgency, and my worries and pain for the Nigerian people is that we have docile leaders. Docile leaders from different sections of this country, and from different ethnic nationalities. Leaders that have chosen to be docile; that have chosen to deliberately remain dumb and stooge, and walking sticks in the hands of youths. The last time I checked, we have prominent leaders from the South East, from the South West, from the South South, from the Middlebelt – who are seeing the excesses and seeing the misgivings by the ‘few individuals’ in this country, and are keeping quiet.
“I put it to them that in no distant time, if they think because they are leaders today, they have the backings of the security, they have all it takes to be protected; in no distant time, they will also be affected because there is no champion forever. They will not remain in power forever, and the evil that will befall Nigerian people, will catch up with them. So, it is high time they wake up to speak, and then decide, and take cogent and very correct decisions against this thing I see as recycling insurgency; the better for us. I don’t know if you are seeing the danger ahead. I am a trained forensic psychologist. It’s easier for you to rehabilitate somebody who is mentally retarded, either as a result of drugs or any other factor. It’s easier to rehabilitate and redefine his mindset and make him a better person, as well as re-engage him into the society. But AN INSURGENT IS AN EXTREMIST. He is not doing all that he is doing based on how much you are giving him. An insurgent is an extremist that can sacrifice even his life, and thinking what he is doing is to the glory of his God… Let me give you my take on this and where I am seeing danger ahead. Once upon a time, we had OPC (Oodua Peoples Congress) and these people terrorized the South West, and the Government dislodged them because of the excesses in their activities. They were never seen as potentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian army.
“The last time I checked, we had Bakassi and they were also pushed away by the Nigerian Security and Government, and their activities were banned. They were never seen as potentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian military. The last I checked, we had Niger Delta militants – The Avengers and all of the others. They were also given Amnesty by the Federal Government. These boys who had the potentiality to dislodge the Nigerian military, confront them headlong in so many instances, were never seen as potentials to be re-engaged into the Nigerian military. The recent one is the IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) that were dislodged, and even proscribed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a terrorist group. I am aware that most of them are still in detention. This group of persons have never been seen as potentials that will be rehabilitated and engaged into Nigerian military. But here you have a terrorist people who have seen the Nigerian military to be their number one enemy. People who have come out headlong to confront the Nigerian army, killing them and other innocent people. They will just go and say they have surrendered, and then the next thing is Nigerian Government will still spend the taxpayers’ money…instead of prosecuting them according to the Act of terrorism, and probably hang them to death. Take them off the face of this country because they are terrorizing the people of Nigeria. Nigerian Government, aside the huge sum of money it is spending on security because of Boko Haram, will go again and pay more money in rehabilitating them. And the worst of it, engage them into the Nigerian military.
“If you are not seeing the danger I am seeing; if our leaders, docile leaders I call them, from ethnic nationalities; are not seeing the danger ahead, that will befall us in the near future, I am putting it to them that we all will be doomed. Some of us have sacrificed our lives to say, and to put on the table; nothing but THE TRUTH, and to help the near future. I see myself as a leader in the near future, and I will not be leading a country that will be in total chaos. America, as powerful as they are; I have never heard when they will arrest ISIS and then think they will now re-engage ISIS into American military. It is not done! American military are the ones instead, infiltrating ISIS to get intelligence report and then nip it in the bud on whatever situation they face, to curtail their excesses. But in the case of Nigeria, you are now seeing Boko Haram infiltrating the Nigerian military. And that is to tell you the danger that lies ahead. In the next 10, 20 years, we will have more than thousands of Boko Haram into our Nigerian military recycling insurgency – that is what I call it. And what that means is that, we have vibrant, able, committed youths of Nigerians…I give you the example of the FCT. The last recruitment list I saw from the Nigerian military, nobody, no indigene of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was enlisted in the list I saw. We have so many youths that want to join the Nigerian army, but the opportunity was not given. But here is an insurgent being given an automatic ticket to join the Nigerian military… What is so important that they want to make them officers of the Nigerian military? There is a danger that lies ahead. And let Nigerians see this and wake up from their slumber. And let our leaders of ethnic nationalities wake up and speak when it is time. Now, the issue is this, if you want to join the Nigerian military, how I see it is, just go and join Boko Haram. After one or two months, surrender yourself, and the Nigerian military will bring you in, they will go and do what they call rehabilitation, and engage you. That is what it means. The multiplier effect is negative. It’s very dangerous going ahead. And so, I call on the Nigerian people to again, open their eyes and say No to this ugly trend that is continuing in our society."
It is also appalling to note that, despite all the funds the Nigerian claim to be allocated yearly towards security assurance in the country, including the unaccounted Security Votes enjoyed by State Governors; the insecurity situation in the country has gone from bad to worse, especially under the present administration. And even the welfare and security gadgets/apparatus that ought to be made available and used by Security Operatives, are nothing to write home about. Making it look like the Government, are deliberating starving the country’s Security outfits/Forces of required funds for their well-equipping and well-staffing, to function as they ought to; for selfish reasons best known to only them. For instance, in another circulated short video online, Senator Ishaku Abbo Representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, noted that: “South-Africa has 50 million people, yet they have 1.9million Police officers, policing 50 million people. Nigeria has over 200 million people, with 300 thousand Police Officers, and we want security, how can we get it? If you look at the funding of the Police, it is nothing to write home about. Few days ago, we brought the IGP here, and he told us that they are doing operation somewhere. The next day, it was on the front page of newspapers. They attacked terrorists in Kaduna, and it was successful. And a helicopter was shot at with an AA rifle. Today, the Nigerian Police are still bearing AK47 rifles, and Boko Haram are using GPMGs (General Purpose Machine Guns)…”
Compare this situation to what is obtainable in other climes like the Netherlands, where it has been reported severally in time past that, Dutch prisons are closing because the country is so safe. In 2013, 19 prisons in the Netherlands were said to have been closed because the country didn't have enough prisoners to fill them. Then in 2017, five more were slated to have been closed by the end of the summer of that year. While these closures will result in the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs, only 700 of which will transition into other unknown roles within Dutch law enforcement, the trend of closing prisons follows a steady drop in crime since 2004. The problem of EMPTY JAIL CELLS has even gotten to the point where, last September, the country imported 240 prisoners from Norway just to keep the facilities full, according to an online report. And we cannot help but wonder, how the Government of Netherlands are able to bring to zero, the crime rate in that country? it all boils down to ‘good governance’ built on transparency, selflessness, commitment, people-driven visions and goals, and winning public trust. These are factors that are alien and unheard of within the Nigerian political space, for as long as we can remember.
It is only righteousness (right and honest living and accountability), especially on the part of the leaders, that will exalt a nation. Any PUBLIC TRUST that is founded and operated on lies, deception and selfishness, will never yield desired results for all, and will be on its way to destruction if care is not taken, which will in-turn affect those whose evil hands had abused the said public trust in the first place.
Zik Gbemre.
March 7, 2020
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes