Wole Soyinka: Debts Nigerians Owe Nigeria!

var sbtitle1521=encodeURIComponent(Wole Soyink...Read the full article.

[akuluouno]

Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA) brand of nationalism is a likely synonym for what Saul advocates. As we all know, YEAA brand of nationalism is synthetic, blind, brooks no opposition and sees everything that emenates from Aso Rock as akin to the pontifications of a pope. It also persecutes the real nationalists and patriots.
However until a follower of YEAA walks down Damascus Avenue and a miracle followed by a blinding light of Holy Spritiual proportions brings him back to his real self and name, we may continue to live with the tintinabulations of Saul.

[denker]

paul adujie, nna, am tired of you...really...na becos of you even me stop my annul donation to NVS! - indeed

...abeg go sidon for gutter...

[ebasain]

Is it true that Paul is working for Andrew Young's Goodworks? How can you explain

Paul's stance on Obasanjo, on the cabal of thieves in high places and the illegitimate

government of Yar'Adua?

[STTOPP]

Paul my brother thanks once again for shining the light on the number one "anachist" in our mist, these people are just masquerading as democrat, left to them they would consume us with their tired communist ideas. They are so irrelevant today it's killing them, they can't do too much about it.
STTOPP

[ibeogueri]

The problem with Nigeria lies with the elite in the society. They are the cadres of people their fellow countrymen emulate.
The elites have failed the Nation, they are the ones that travel abroad and thus know how things work, they are the ones who are exposed to the fine things of life, they have interacted with who is who in the world, yet they cannot replicate what they have learnt, other than ask us to protest elections.
Where are the people we are fighting for?
They are in London, New York and all other cities in Europe and America shouting for new elections. Where were they when Alex Ekwueme was robbed, did we hear their voice? We “fellow countrymen” have no faith in our elite anymore. That is why we no longer hearken to their call to arms. Mark me; all calls for protests will fail until the elites become responsible. The revolt in the Niger Delta really is a revolt against the elite. They have robbed us blind! Such disenchantment is growing. The real people we should chase out aren’t the government officials in power, but the corrupt hypocritical elite.
The word on the street is “get on with it”. Nigerians don’t care whether the elections were crooked or not, just get on with it.

[ajimoh]

What one reads here sometimes beggars belief! For instance: "The real people we should chase out aren’t the government officials in power, but the corrupt hypocritical elite. The word on the street is “get on with it”. Nigerians don’t care whether the elections were crooked or not, just get on with it" Hmm...Presumably, the government officials in power are just mere talakawas and not in the cadre of elites! Quite amusing muddle of thoughts!

On a serious note, Paul Adujie ought to be commended for his power of persuasive argument for the much maligned post of minister for misinformation in the care-taker regime of Yar'Adua! Anyone thinking the man does not know what he's doing ought to see their physician. As between the truth and Amala, I think the venerable gentleman has made his choice and announced it for all to hear. What a shame!

[myhotbrain]

I Love Nigeria, may God continue to protect you from those who wants to physically harm you for refusing to demand that the last elections in Nigeria be cancelled.

Simply ask our "patriots-cum-political activitists" what they individually and collectively do to ensure that the last general elections in Nigeria was free and fair.

For example, ask them the following questions:

1. Do they ask the numerous mushroom political parties to form genuine, viable political parties?

2. Do they expose the shenenigans of the people like Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Gen. Ibrahim Babaginda and was is not a fact that both men were alleged to have sponsored many of the mushroom political parties which are all vying for offices?

3. Is it not a fact that over 50 political parties which were registered to contest last elections are an unnecessary burden unto INEC's preparation for the elections?

4. Was it not a fact, then, that candidates were being substituted left right and center by the political parties and some of the candidates were jumping from one political party to another sometimes a few days, hours and minutes before the deadline?

5. So, really, did Prof. Wole Soyinka and his "learned" friends expect the last Nigeria's elections to be free and fair when all of the major actors are all on each other's throat for one reason or another which has absolutely nothing to do with President Obasanjo's supposed desire to run for the "Third Term"?

As much as I respect Prof. Wole Soyinka, I would really suggest to him to reflect deeper on all of the events leading to the 2007 general elections beginning from the last controversial elections of 2003, and what role each and everyone of these present opposition players played in those events?

To Prof. Wole Soyinka, I ask: can a farmer sow onions and harvest sweet-potato? If not, why in the world is he and his friends are now demanding for cancellation of the last elections instead of seizing this present opportunity to demand the formation of at least 2 strong other political parties in addition to the PDP?

President Yar' Adua should ignore these electoral moral activists who wants him to violate the Constitution of Nigeria in other to proof his moral high grounds. They must me told that those who refuses peaceful, genuine and positive electoral reforms should not cry foul when they have been rigged out of office by superior hands.


Peace and Love.

myhotbrain

[Abraxas]

Hi, folks!

No matter how desperate Mr. Saul Adujie Esq./IT electrician (alias I Love Nigeria pass Wole Soyinka) thinks he can be, there remains in effect, a standing order that he should not, repeat, NOT be seen within the outer city limits of Abuja, Nigeria.

The presidency has directed that Mr. Saul Adujie must NOT be allowed near any of Nigeria's foreign service offices in the USA for whatever reasons. He is also obliged to respect an undertaking that he signed at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday, 29 May 2007, NOT to lick the executive arsehole of His Excellency, Mallam Umar Musa Yar'Adua (GCFR), or carry out any acts of official praise-singing, sycophancy, or ego massaging on behalf of the Nigerian presidency, since his expired contract with General Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) will NOT be renewed.

Aso Rock Villa has been flooded with all manner of praises for UMY'A from all over the world for the singular act of confining Mr. Saul Adujie's nuisance value to the soak away pit of contemporary Nigerian affairs.

Obrigado.

Don Juan-Carlos ABRAXAS (III)

[ibeogueri]

Ajimoh,I do not think you got the full impact of the message,the government officials are part of the elite obviouslly.Dont quote out of context.
My hotbrain,nice write up you are well grounded.
I repeat,the words on the streets is simpe get on with it.
Chikena!

[vito]

Paul Aduje..Thanks a million times for your article.You are my man of the year on NVS.Keep the good work up to change the attitude and orientation of Nigerians toward our mother land.GOD BLESS YOU PAUL.I am glad thay you don't succumb to numerous bashings from different angles.
We need to move Nigeria forward and outsiders will not do this for us.

[Godwin]

Does Wole Soyinka sincerely think that the result of the last elections will be anything else?

There were only 3 candidates who had any chance of victory i.e Yar Adua, Buhari and Atiku but we know his views on Buhari so we can assume that he thinks Atiku should have won because in his mind only the 5 states (actually 7 states) won by the oppostion had credible elections and that all states won by PDP is assumed to have been rigged by him.

By consistently giving publicity to negative issues bothering Nigeria, I do not see him as helping the country to move forward.

Wole Soyinka may be a literary genius but as a politician he is mediocre to say the least.

[Eja]

Willfully naive. Instead of dissipating energies in their quest for 'national' relevance, why do these erudite elders not focus those energies and utilise them in more effective way? Serve those in the areas you live in. Others have suggested this before and you know that had there being a flaw in this argument, it would have been extravagantly shot down by now. Instead, this line of reasoning is ignored.

They pack up their luggages one more time and head off on a junket to wail at the altars of their alien gods.

They will not devote their short lives (we humans all have short lives) to the service of those in their immediate vicinity because it is harder for one who does this to achieve fame and 'greatness' in the wider world. There are no world famous local champions. Easier to strive for the label of 'national' hero. But, for you to be a 'national' hero, a nation has to exist? What are the characteristics that define the nigerian 'nation'? What is its culture? What do its people have as a uniting theme?

Our putative national 'heroes' are not only seeking to run before they can crawl, they are flapping their arms and awaiting the wind from abroad that will make them soar (perhaps as high as the american eagle).

The elites of nigeria exist in numbers and are so wide-spread that were they truly sincere in their motives, they would have already made a difference. Its been 47 years and more than a few of them have been active in nigerian affairs for that long. They could have made a difference were it not for the fact that their selected profile required that they seat atop some heap, any heap, and from those heights, dispense their weesdum. Far removed from local realities by their quest for 'national' relevance, they abdicated their rightful positions and allowed *****s and thugs to take those strategic points.

They seat atop some festering heap and crow as loudly as they can, seeking the attention of the so-called 'civilised' world.

Nigeria was not set up to advance Africans. Your first task, O glorious speakers for the 'common' man, is to set up nigeria so that it can serve the interests of Africans first and last. Once that is done, the rest will flow naturally.

Make the bricks, then build your mansion. But you are in a hurry, so, you build instead with straw or with kindling.

Some of nigeria's elites are naive and some are just plain dishonest. Hypocrites who critisize vehemently because they are far from 'power'. Latent abusers who preach the opposite of what they will do when they finally get the opportunity. Naive, crying to and seeking the aid of the silent-partners of our mis-leaders.

Overstand, over the centuries, nothing changed in the nature of the 'white' world's leadership; what you see as progress in those lands is a result of the successful exportation of the 'white' homelands natural poverty onto the heads of the indigenous peoples of the so-called 'third world'.

They have sold us their poverty and they have no intention of taking it back. Cry them a river if you like, you will still be wasting your time.

[katampe]

Originally Posted by Eja

Willfully naive. Instead of dissipating energies in their quest for 'national' relevance, why do these erudite elders not focus those energies and utilise them in more effective way? Serve those in the areas you live in. Others have suggested this before and you know that had there being a flaw in this argument, it would have been extravagantly shot down by now. Instead, this line of reasoning is ignored.

They pack up their luggages one more time and head off on a junket to wail at the altars of their alien gods.

They will not devote their short lives (we humans all have short lives) to the service of those in their immediate vicinity because it is harder for one who does this to achieve fame and 'greatness' in the wider world. There are no world famous local champions. Easier to strive for the label of 'national' hero. But, for you to be a 'national' hero, a nation has to exist? What are the characteristics that define the nigerian 'nation'? What is its culture? What do its people have as a uniting theme?

Our putative national 'heroes' are not only seeking to run before they can crawl, they are flapping their arms and awaiting the wind from abroad that will make them soar (perhaps as high as the american eagle).

The elites of nigeria exist in numbers and are so wide-spread that were they truly sincere in their motives, they would have already made a difference. Its been 47 years and more than a few of them have been active in nigerian affairs for that long. They could have made a difference were it not for the fact that their selected profile required that they seat atop some heap, any heap, and from those heights, dispense their weesdum. Far removed from local realities by their quest for 'national' relevance, they abdicated their rightful positions and allowed *****s and thugs to take those strategic points.

They seat atop some festering heap and crow as loudly as they can, seeking the attention of the so-called 'civilised' world.

Nigeria was not set up to advance Africans. Your first task, O glorious speakers for the 'common' man, is to set up nigeria so that it can serve the interests of Africans first and last. Once that is done, the rest will flow naturally.

Make the bricks, then build your mansion. But you are in a hurry, so, you build instead with straw or with kindling.

Some of nigeria's elites are naive and some are just plain dishonest. Hypocrites who critisize vehemently because they are far from 'power'. Latent abusers who preach the opposite of what they will do when they finally get the opportunity. Naive, crying to and seeking the aid of the silent-partners of our mis-leaders.

Overstand, over the centuries, nothing changed in the nature of the 'white' world's leadership; what you see as progress in those lands is a result of the successful exportation of the 'white' homelands natural poverty onto the heads of the indigenous peoples of the so-called 'third world'.

They have sold us their poverty and they have no intention of taking it back. Cry them a river if you like, you will still be wasting your time.

This was just perfect, you got it so right!!!

But, they can only fool the gullible and those that worship at their altar, and the gullible are in the majority.

The elites, most intellectual elites are fakes.

Some criticise Paul Adujie, unfortunately the said people are the mugus

[EezeeBee]

Originally Posted by Eja

Willfully naive. Instead of dissipating energies in their quest for 'national' relevance, why do these erudite elders not focus those energies and utilise them in more effective way? Serve those in the areas you live in. Others have suggested this before and you know that had there being a flaw in this argument, it would have been extravagantly shot down by now. Instead, this line of reasoning is ignored.

They pack up their luggages one more time and head off on a junket to wail at the altars of their alien gods.

They will not devote their short lives (we humans all have short lives) to the service of those in their immediate vicinity because it is harder for one who does this to achieve fame and 'greatness' in the wider world. There are no world famous local champions. Easier to strive for the label of 'national' hero. But, for you to be a 'national' hero, a nation has to exist? What are the characteristics that define the nigerian 'nation'? What is its culture? What do its people have as a uniting theme?

Our putative national 'heroes' are not only seeking to run before they can crawl, they are flapping their arms and awaiting the wind from abroad that will make them soar (perhaps as high as the american eagle).

The elites of nigeria exist in numbers and are so wide-spread that were they truly sincere in their motives, they would have already made a difference. Its been 47 years and more than a few of them have been active in nigerian affairs for that long. They could have made a difference were it not for the fact that their selected profile required that they seat atop some heap, any heap, and from those heights, dispense their weesdum. Far removed from local realities by their quest for 'national' relevance, they abdicated their rightful positions and allowed *****s and thugs to take those strategic points.

They seat atop some festering heap and crow as loudly as they can, seeking the attention of the so-called 'civilised' world.

Nigeria was not set up to advance Africans. Your first task, O glorious speakers for the 'common' man, is to set up nigeria so that it can serve the interests of Africans first and last. Once that is done, the rest will flow naturally.

Make the bricks, then build your mansion. But you are in a hurry, so, you build instead with straw or with kindling.

Some of nigeria's elites are naive and some are just plain dishonest. Hypocrites who critisize vehemently because they are far from 'power'. Latent abusers who preach the opposite of what they will do when they finally get the opportunity. Naive, crying to and seeking the aid of the silent-partners of our mis-leaders.

Overstand, over the centuries, nothing changed in the nature of the 'white' world's leadership; what you see as progress in those lands is a result of the successful exportation of the 'white' homelands natural poverty onto the heads of the indigenous peoples of the so-called 'third world'.

They have sold us their poverty and they have no intention of taking it back. Cry them a river if you like, you will still be wasting your time.

Whoa! Eja!!! What does it take to distill this your wisdom and introduce it into the water around Nigeria!!! I have to join the Gbam! Gbam!! Gbam!!! brigade.

[Godwin]

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=79858



Fighting for Democracy with ‘Sense’


Flashback: June 1993. Despite all the shortcomings of the transition programme of the Babangida Admin-istration, we held a presidential election that was generally seen as free, fair and credible. Chief MKO Abiola of the SDP won, but the military government annulled it. What happened next would forever be a subject of debate. Why was the election annulled? Up till today, no cogent reason has been given. We seriously suspect that it was because IBB wanted to sit tight. Whatever. But the political class behaved in a very selfish, immature manner that they squandered a very important milestone in the political history of Nigeria. The NRC first accepted defeat and then made a volte-face.


The leadership of the SDP opted to support a shaky and strange interim national government (ING). Little did it occur to the politicians that they were going to be the ultimate losers. Sooner than later, General Sani Abacha staged a coup and swept away the ING. Governors, lawmakers and other elected representatives lost their jobs. Those who thought Abiola would be the only loser were shocked later as they too were dislodged by the military coup. Case closed. Flashback: June 1998. General Sani Abacha, who had ruled Nigeria with an iron fist for over four years, suddenly died. Abiola had been clamped into detention by Abacha since 1994 for attempting to reclaim his mandate. The death of Abacha offered a new opportunity for a new beginning. The mandate Abiola got in 1993 had been poisoned by ethnic sentiments, and it had become glaring that he could no longer become president because of the change in political situation and circumstances. The civil society, rather than see reason, insisted that Abiola must be released from jail and made president. I was one of those who believed fanatically in this agitation. My opinion was that Abiola won an election and must be sworn in as president, no matter the number of years he had spent in jail. I was very idealistic about it. With the benefit of hindsight, I admit that I was foolish. At that stage in 1998, the most important thing was to get Abiola out of jail alive. Then we would discuss other details thereafter. But we kept insisting on the ideal. We said 'June 12 or nothing'. I believe Abiola was killed in detention to effectively put an end to the agitation. I will never make such a mistake in my life again. Now, the first law in agitation, to me, is: keep what you have and then look for better ways of perfecting it; make the realistic best from an ugly situation.Fast-forward to 2007.


Never in the history of Nigeria have we had eight years of unbroken civil rule. Never in the history of Nigeria have we seen a civilian president hand over to another civilian president. I witnessed this on May 29, 2007. All my life, it had always been a martial event, so I became very emotional as I watched the event on TV. My emotion increased when my senior colleague, Mr. Kayode Komolafe, said: "Simon, as I have witnessed this, I am also praying that during my lifetime, I will witness a PDP president hand over power to an ANPP or AC or whichever party president-elect." All my life, the change of government I have witnessed has always been through a radio announcement: "I, Brigadier Arijenin-umondaru, of the Nigerian Army, hereby make the following declarations on behalf of the Armed Forces" Yes, twice I have witnessed a peaceful handover, in 1979 and 1999, but they had a military anchor. To witness what happened on May 29 2007, for me, is a hope-raiser which I will always cherish.A lot of people have expressed their 'disappointment' with my view on the April polls.


"You said the polls were flawed and fraudulent, yet you stopped short of calling for the right thing to be done,"someone accused me recently. "So what is the right thing?" I asked. His reply was familiar: let the elections be cancelled, let us have an ING, let the ING conduct fresh elections, and so on and so forth. I am sorry, I will never fall for such naivety anymore and I will advise anyone who is dissatisfied with the elections to think of a more constructive alternative. I have gone beyond the stage of thinking we are going to have an ING that will be headed by Mr. Perfect, and elections that will be conducted by Professor Saint. Much more than that, however, I am not ready to help create some chaotic scenario, invite a more serious crisis and then wake up one morning to hear martial music on my radio."I, Brigadier Arijeninumondaru, of the Nigerian Army, hereby make the following declarations" That is how it usually starts. Next line: "We were all witnesses to the charade that was called elections last April. The local observers and the international community have condemned the elections in the strongest terms". Here we go again. "We cannot build an enduring democracy on a faulty foundation" My goodness! "This government is hereby" And then the clincher: "We will immediately set up a constitutional conference to have a constitution freely written by the people of Nigeria through their elected representatives. We have to build a strong and virile democracy"The next thing you hear is that all the parties are disbanded.


A new process for the formation of parties will be put in place. The Supreme Military Council will be constituted and those who lost out in the April polls will be appointed ministers and members of SMC. And we begin to go round the cycle for another five years or more. No, not again. We have seen this over and over again, and the end result has never been palatable. The military that always says it is out to correct the ills of civilian governments are often worse than the civilians. Much of the chaos, disorder and decay in the Nigerian society today were planted and watered by the military. Nothing pleases the coup plotters more than crisis and instability. They love it. It's a perfect excuse for them to step in. No, not again.Like I have been arguing for weeks now, the elections were flawed.


Personally, I am very bitter. I know for sure that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole won the governorship in Edo. I know that Dr. Rahman Mimiko won in Ondo. I'm very certain Dr. Kayode Fayemi won in Ekiti. PDP did not win in Imo. There is no doubt about that. But what are we supposed to do? Create a situation to bring down the entire edifice because of our misgivings and grievances? Why can't we give the election petition tribunals a chance? No matter what we think, a fair and sober appraisal of our democratic experience in the last eight years, rather than just the flawed elections of last month, will point to the fact that it has not been completely bad. Neither has it been a wasted experience. Democracy is about the rule of law, as opposed to arbitrariness exhibited by the military regimes that ruled Nigeria before now. Democracy is about periodic elections, free and fair voting processes, separation of powers, checks and balances, robust media, freedom of expression, and, above all, idelity to the Constitution, which is the ultimate manual for the running of the state. We have fared better on certain parameters and we can only get better.The most controversial feature of our democracy has been the inability to organise free and fair elections, in which one person will cast one vote, and in which every vote will count. A well-organised election needs an unbiased umpire, alert and neutral security forces and a level-playing field for all participants. In addition, a very efficient and impartial post-election litigation is crucial to ensuring that all grievances are addressed well within the laws of the land. Nigeria has not performed very well in these areas. The next step, expectedly, is to face these issues squarely and address them within the laws of the land.


The challenge of credible elections will require a great deal of statesmanship from President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, with the full co-operation of the National Assembly. A far-reaching amendment of the constitution should be of utmost priority. The attempt to amend the constitution last year was truncated by the third term clause. However, rather than throw the baby away with the bathwater, it now behoves on the incoming National Assembly to re-table the crucial amendments for the purpose of building strong and virile institutions that will make our democratic experience much more rewarding.We must fight for democracy 'with sense' rather than play into the hands of the crafty vultures who love to feed on the carcasses of discontent. A thousand years of experimenting with democracy is better than one day of military dictatorship. This I believe.

[EezeeBee]

Godwin, I completely agree with a concept in the quote you posted:

Originally Posted by Thisday Article

A thousand years of experimenting with democracy is better than one day of military dictatorship

[Mikky jaga]

When Abacha became Head of State, one of his sins was that he made Nigeria a Pariah Nation in the world. These set of praise singers sang that Nigeria was a sovereign state that could exist without the rest of the world.

When Abacha expired, and Obasanjo took over, he spent the first four years of his rule to tour round the world. Nigerians cried out that he should stay at home and face Nigeria's problems. These same set of praise singers were also quick to let us know that Nigeria needs the rest of the world to exist.

Now that Obasanjo has defecated on his exalted presidential seat, and the rest of the world are covering their noses in utter disapproval, the praise singers have come to town again saying Nigeria is not a Department of United States.

The problems of Nigeria are not the elites as some are trying to point out, but the praise singers that will not allow the Leaders know when things are going wrong with the country. To them, any action of the government of the day, no matter how odious is right and anybody that tries to point that out is unpatriotic. I hate that type of patriotism.

The man indeed dies in all who keeps silent in the face of tyrany. WS.

[akuluouno]

Mikky Jay,

Thanks for bring the thread back to the path of sanity. EeezeeBee, I am surprised by your submission. Experimenting with democracy is another name for tyranny. Mark you it is not all experiments that come out successful. Many end up as cataclysmal failures. Secondly this grand democratic experiment involves the use of human beings as the guines pigs, our pensioner parents, our pregnant sisters and mothers, our aged relatives, our young ones including my famous baby bin ladens up north etc etc.
Now let us see the experiment in action. Ballot boxes and votes are stolen in the open with active connivance of law enforcement authorities. Oyenusi, Lawrence Anini and Monday Osunbors of the world emerge as the leaders of thought of Nigeria.(Kleptocracy) another outcome of experiment in democracy. The experiment is still going on and it is still better than the best military government. Methinks both are the same.
Hey my people, as I am talking to u, a litre of fuel is over N150. Ditto kerosene which we use to cook. Yet we are asking why is the Rev Father not growing beards instead of talking of the fire that burnt him to death. You know among the Igbos, the same word is used for burning and growing of beard.
If Soyinka is not fit to talk about Nigeria, what of Pa Enahoro who has seen it all.

[katampe]

Originally Posted by Mikky jaga

When Abacha became Head of State, one of his sins was that he made Nigeria a Pariah Nation in the world. These set of praise singers sang that Nigeria was a sovereign state that could exist without the rest of the world.

When Abacha expired, and Obasanjo took over, he spent the first four years of his rule to tour round the world. Nigerians cried out that he should stay at home and face Nigeria's problems. These same set of praise singers were also quick to let us know that Nigeria needs the rest of the world to exist.

Now that Obasanjo has defecated on his exalted presidential seat, and the rest of the world are covering their noses in utter disapproval, the praise singers have come to town again saying Nigeria is not a Department of United States.

The problems of Nigeria are not the elites as some are trying to point out, but the praise singers that will not allow the Leaders know when things are going wrong with the country. To them, any action of the government of the day, no matter how odious is right and anybody that tries to point that out is unpatriotic. I hate that type of patriotism.

The man indeed dies in all who keeps silent in the face of tyrany. WS.

Bizarre logic, these folks should be in theatres and doing drama !