30

Dec

2008

Nigerians As Captives: 48 Years Of Waste! PDF Print E-mail
By Adeola Aderounmu
30 December 2008
Not everyone will agree that 2008 was another wasted year but in actual fact, it was wasted. To those who have managed to climb up and away from the poverty zone, it is a year of accomplishment. To those who have succeeded through hardwork and a little bit of luck, it is a wonderful year.

However, more than 90m Nigerians are still below the poverty level. Many of them living desperately on less than 2 USD per day. To be sure, there are some people in Nigeria who do not have any money or material comfort. These people are neither covered by any form of social security nor consoled by the any type of social amenity. They lack the basic things of life: water, food and good accommodation. In general, their standard of living is below acceptable human conditions.

Several millions of Nigerians will start 2009 just the way they started 2008-poor and facing extreme hopelessness. They will start a new year without electricity in their homes. Nigeria is currently generating less than 3000 MW of electricity! Power supply in the last quarter of 2008 is one of the worst in the history of Nigeria. There are many days of absolute power cut and (sometimes) intermittent supply of about 30min in 2 days. Is Nigeria really a country?

Yet Nigerians are addressing Yar Adua as president. What has he successfully presided over since he was illegally bundled into power by Obasanjo and Iwu? Nigerians know that they are being held as captives but they don’t know how to release themselves from the bondage.

No one can deny that the Nigerian masses are being held as captives by a clique of tropical gangsters who have “bought” the country and turned it to their paradise and our hell. It is so unbelievable that these monsters have held swayed for most part of the 48 years of Nigerian independence. It is also remarkable how they re-group and recruit new accomplices in order to ensure that evil and terror are perpetually unleashed on the common man.

For instance Yar Adua’s fake government is oiled by corruption just like the others before it. How long shall we repeat this? Everytime I hear Yar Adua condemning corruption, I get stomach pains. How can you condemn something that you are enmeshed in, something you are doing almost nothing about in the interest of the public even though you have the transient or stolen power to do so?

Can Yar Adua tell Nigerians why Ibori is not facing prosecution? Why did Lucky Igbinedion pay just 3 million naira after looting for 8 years? Why are all the indicted governors and Ministers from 1999 to 2007 free people? Yar Adua should please save us the hypocrisy of his pseudo-leadership. It is not possible to fool all the people all the time.

It is now known to all and sundry that Ibori is the one controlling the EFCC nowadays. This would explain why Farida is his foot mat. Ibori has perfected the act of escaping prosecution. This guy stole Delta State to dryness and he is enjoying a post-governorship immunity simply because he donated more money than anyone else in sponsoring Yar Adua to the global centre of corruption aka Aso Rock.

Among the people who have contributed to the waste and hopelessness in Nigeria, one should never fail to mention Obasanjo. In Nigeria today, NEPA is generating less than 3000MW and the misdeeds of Obasanjo and his co-looters is a principal factor in this debacle. For 8 years, this man deceived all Nigerians and made us believed in vain. Nigerian are invariably in for another ride of deceit-waiting in vain for a declaration of a state of emergency in the power sector.

Maurice Iwu has joined the long list of the men holding Nigerians as captives. All the elections held even after the sham of April 2007 are still condemnable. The worst political comment in the world in 2008 was made by Iwu when he said that the US should learn from Nigeria when it comes to conducting election. The comments of senile Mugabe (“Zimbabwe is mine” and “no cholera in Zimbabwe”) are child’s play compared to Iwu’s venomous utterances. Nigeria is surely condemned when men without defined visions or missions are in control.

Anyone who has been following the proceedings of the Nigerian Senate under the leadership of the mega-looter called David Mark would really feel sorry for Nigeria. There is almost no room for intelligent discussions and Mark is usually way off the mark when he makes his comments. Nigerians have sacrificed intelligence for stupidity and looting games in the Nigerian Senate and House of Assembly.

David Mark has no business in the Senate anyway. After participating in the looting of Nigeria, it is quite easy to understand the negative contributions he brings with him to the senate. The war on corruption, if we had one, should have engulfed his likes.

The reigning gangsters and looters in Nigeria are surely having a jolly ride with a man like Michael Aondoakaa in control of the legal system. He is not only shielding and defending the looters in Nigeria and abroad, his idea of rule of law is very instrumental in the spreading of poverty and deaths in Nigeria.

What these bad leaders don’t understand is that every little misdeed adds up to the misery of Nigerians. Why protect people who stole monies that they cannot spend in 10x their life span? Obviously he is gaining a lot in the process! One day na one day sha!

There is no way Babangida will not be on this parade. More than 12 billion dollars of Nigeria’s money alleged to be in his possession is enough to keep Nigeria in the doldrums for another decade or more. If 12 billion dollars is pumped into Nigeria’s scientific and medical research and development (R&D), almost all Nigerian scholars abroad will be heading home to contribute to the progress of the country.

We don’t need a prophecy to know that Nigerians will continue to suffer because of a few men in possession of the country’s wealth. If there is war on corruption in Nigeria, many of the people parading government houses in Nigeria today should be answering for corruption and crime against humanity.

There is no real anticorruption body in Nigeria and this is why politicians and government officials continue to steal. Obasanjo destroyed the EFCC by using it to crack down on all anti-third term groups and individuals. The rules have changed under Umaru-soft pedal for all and sundry. Slow and steady kill the case was the modification by Farida Waziri-a pure puppet.

If Nigeria has a proper anticorruption agency, it would be independent, open and sincere. The EFCC of today is a shield for the likes of Ibori and all the corrupt governors and politicians that served under Obasanjo. Those who served and lined their pockets before 1999 are not even moved. The only worried groups in Nigeria today are the yahoo-yahoo boys, cybercafé owners and of course the common man. EFCC has even dedicated a drama series to yahoo-yahoo boys on AIT. What a joke of an institution!

Forty-eight years of waste was solidify by the lukewarmness of the Nigerian judiciary. This organ of government has disappointed Nigerians over the years and more recently has produced highly questionable and contestable judgements. The court has made it possible for individuals who did not contest in elections to be winners. Serving convicts and ex-convicts contested and won elections in Nigeria. Imagine how many criminals are occupying political positions in Nigeria. The disposition of the Courts in Nigeria is one of the reasons that the police stations have been turned to firing squads. The Nigerian Police is a sick child on its own: a very sick child! When it mattered most, Nigerian law system usually becomes heavily compromised.

All of these evil acts that have confined Nigeria among the poorest nations in the world is actually the summation of the effects of a group fondly called “the cabal“. The cabal is the reason why sane and intelligent minds get to government houses and become stereotyped looting machines.

Even Nigerians who lived abroad before joining government have not been spared the initiation into the looting game. The cabal preaches a gospel of eat and go and don’t bug yourself with the status quo. This is why many nice people have become “new creatures” once they eat the forbidden fruits. It is because of the cabal that our elections have no values and are unworkable. The cabal is responsible for the annulment of the only free and fair election that took place in 1993.

The sins of the cabal are many but its prime approach is to promote fear and ignorance with the view of controlling the machinery of government forever. The newest approach being utilised by the cabal is the secrecy oath in the illegal presidency which is now being adopted across government institutions nationwide. What is secret about the illegality of the regime in Nigeria? What is the secret about the fact that they are all there to protect their personal interests and steal as much as they can just like the deceivers before them.

The problems in Nigeria are not going to be solved or ameliorated if we don’t take care of the stumbling blocks. Nigerians have been quiet for too long and everybody is after his or her own interests. It shouldn’t be like that. Some people have called for a revolution but Nigeria is a very complicated country and this complication is one of the weak points that the cabal and the corrupt leaders are using to oppress Nigerians more and more. Some people want the biblical call: To thy tent O’ Israel! The Niger Delta crisis, the threats of religious riots, tribal conflicts and secession bids are obvious indicators.

Rather than “every-man-to-himself” Nigerians should start thinking collectively of how rescue the over 90m people living hopelessly across the nation. We should come together and discuss whatever it will entail to capture this country back from the vultures who have been stealing and looting since 1960. If the outcome will send us back to our tents, so be it. Posterity should be the keyword.

After chasing Ghanaians out of Nigeria, they went home and built a formidable country that Nigerians are running to like rats. Ghana is now ranked as one of the most prosperous countries in Africa. The actions and leadership of one man changed Ghana forever. The lesson is that one man can make a difference. Enlightened Nigerians have the honour to take up this challenge and start building formidable forces and groups that will challenge the “status quo”.

We must do whatever it will take to break from this yoke. It’s too heavy a burden and one way or the other we all feel the effects. Let’s do what it takes to free our children and grandchildren from this burden.

Happy New Year!

Thy Glory O’Nigeria

aderounmu@gmail.com



Your Comments

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RobotRobot is offline

 # 1 | 31.12.2008 05:11

Everytime I hear Yar Adua condemning corruption, I get stomach pains. Several millions of Nigerians will start 2009 just the way they started 2008-poor and facing extreme hopelessness. We don’t need a prophecy to know that these poor Nigerians will continue to suffer because of a few men (and women) in possession of the country’s wealth. ...Read the full article.

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delemajekdelemajek is offline

 # 2 | 31.12.2008 08:08

Successive Nigerian & most African govts have proved their inability to meet even the basic needs of her citizenry, yet some will rush to NVS to critisize the UK govt & others for promoting harsh immigration policies.

'When you betray & sell your kinsmen cheaply, redeeming them will cost a fortune', says a local adage.

AA, how body?

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allaccessallaccess is offline

 # 3 | 31.12.2008 09:00

WRITER AND delemajek,

It is a shame nijja writers don't really get it yet they want the audience to listen.

it is sad really to read articles describing government as the problem while the people who allow such Governments to sit tight are average Nigerians like you two.

imagine all the stuff the writer wrote then concluded by saying Nigerians are calling UMYA a president after he blamed the likes of OBJ and UMYA for our problems.

then hear delemajek, government government!!! why do we have such culture of blame and finger pointing?

when will Nigerians realise they are their own worst enemies and are the only people who can decide how they live,,,,,,NOT GOVERNMENT.

The office of any government official is bigger than one man and the population of that nation are responsible for deciding who occupies that position to serve their best interest.

Many Nigerians went to school and universities, can write lovely papers and journals yet they are not as mentally educated as a 19 year old Swedish kid... who may reason more logically about socio-political issues.

90% of Nigerian educated article writers have lost the plot or never even had a plot in the first place.

some of our articles are a laughing stock among my European friends, they cannot understand where the logic comes from.

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RhemamanRhemaman is offline

 # 4 | 31.12.2008 09:02

Well said Delemajek!

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allaccessallaccess is offline

 # 5 | 31.12.2008 09:06

and oh, writer,

collective thinking will not work in Nigeria because of many factors, Nigerian Christians cannot live side by side the taliban. there are of course other tribal issues but islam is a big stumbling block to even superpower nations like american let alone weak southern nigeria having to fight that battle the rest of their lives.

there is a cancer in northern nigeria, the cancer of a backward religion that comes first to northerners. we must cut it out in cessation and then a revolution must happen to redifine nigerias nationalism, then we can plan for the future. People will die but that is what it has taken many nations for them to be where they are today.

you guys should remove that nigerian fear of speaking the truth and get your thinking caps on.

happy new year to you all!

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RhemamanRhemaman is offline

 # 6 | 31.12.2008 09:13


=allaccess;306945>WRITER AND delemajek,

when will Nigerians realise they are their own worst enemies and are the only people who can decide how they live,,,,,,NOT GOVERNMENT.

The office of any government official is bigger than one man and the population of that nation are responsible for deciding who occupies that position to serve their best interest.




@Allaccess,

Can you please clarify the above? How are we Nigerians our own worst enemies?

How do we decide who becomes our leaders when those who presently occupy power prevent and deny free and fair power changes? How can this be done except by a revolution, which in itself is a very complex endeavor in a complex, tribally/religiously divided country like Nigeria?

Maybe there is something i am missing, please enlighten us poor Nigerians about how to go about this, since you seem to be the "Illuminati" and tell us how you have contributed your quota to this?

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NWANZANWANZA is offline

 # 7 | 31.12.2008 09:25


=allaccess;306949>and oh, writer,

collective thinking will not work in Nigeria because of many factors, Nigerian Christians cannot live side by side the taliban. there are of course other tribal issues but islam is a big stumbling block to even superpower nations like american let alone weak southern nigeria having to fight that battle the rest of their lives.

there is a cancer in northern nigeria, the cancer of a backward religion that comes first to northerners. we must cut it out in cessation and then a revolution must happen to redifine nigerias nationalism, then we can plan for the future. People will die but that is what it has taken many nations for them to be where they are today.

you guys should remove that nigerian fear of speaking the truth and get your thinking caps on.

happy new year to you all!



You hit the bull’s eyes - right on the dot.

What are we going to do with the sharia courts that are clear abrasion to our constitution?

The agent's of division are busy working on creating more wasteful states in the East - searching for things that divide us.

We need to go back to our regional governments - six zones - before it is too late.

Nothing can be achieved with 36+ states and 800 blood sucking LGA's.

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delemajekdelemajek is offline

 # 8 | 31.12.2008 09:37

@Allaccess,

Since you know the solution(s) to the myriads of issue facing our people, please go ahead and write a decent article then, perhaps too sourcing 'logical' materials from your 'concerned' European friends!

I do not recollect coercing you or someone else into accepting on my opinion on AA's work.

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allaccessallaccess is offline

 # 9 | 31.12.2008 09:51

@ Rhemaman

This is laughable “How do we decide who our leaders become when those who presently occupy power prevent and deny free and fair power changes”
–comment not very common with Latin Americans or Europeans because they are not stupidly weak as to be enslaved for 300 years while keeping quiet and making statements like the above.

And then…

“How can this be done except by a revolution, which in itself is a very complex endeavor in a complex, tribally/religiously divided country like Nigeria”
– A statement telling me exactly how “Nigerians are their own worst enemies” No attempt to understand that Nigerians all face similar problems of rogue politicians whether in Zamfara or Edo state. Corruption resulting in poverty knows no bounds, it affects all parts of society.

You are definitely missing a lot after I went through what you wrote there, I may continue to enlighten poor Nigerians about how to go about this but are they mentally ready? How committed to change are Nigerians really, have they been pushed hard against the wall to revolt for change?

As for me I say…
There are no justifications for political authority in Nigerian in its current form. There has to be formal or informal mass mobilization and actions that undermine these rogues called authorities.

we must also remove Muslim Northern Nigeria from the union, cut out 13th century and move into the 21st.

@ delemajek,

All I am trying to say is, a fully grown Nigerian should have passed the stage of blaming unelected governments for the problem of any society. We as Nigerians are responsible for ensuring the rogue regimes rule and stay in power. The recycle process is also our doing as ordinary citizens. OBJ will not have been president if all Nigerians went into a massive demonstration on his 2nd term election. UMYA will not have been imposed on us if we challenged it with blood and might. Even the world will support us. But we let these regimes rule and yet people like you come here using childish uninsightful comments like Government is our problem. It is backward from the eyes of outside looker when read on cyberspace. That is all I am saying.

I don’t want people to read your comments and say “stupid Africa does even know his problem how can he fix it”

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delemajekdelemajek is offline

 # 10 | 31.12.2008 10:44

@Allaccess, you come across as if your own theory is water-tight!

Hear yourself :
''We as Nigerians are responsible for ensuring the rogue regimes rule and stay in power:yawn:. The recycle process is also our doing as ordinary citizens. OBJ will not have been president if all Nigerians went into a massive demonstration on his 2nd term election. UMYA will not have been imposed on us if we challenged it with blood and might. Even the world will support us.''. :lol: