The Road To Kigali

The road to Kigali By Reuben Abati

I have just returned from Rwanda: a post-conflict society in transition, and I am angry with Nigeria. Fourteen years ago, Rwanda, former Belgian colony was a killing field; in the night of April 6, 1994 alone, about 800, 000 Rwandese: men, women children were killed in one of the worst genocides in recent history.

Blood flowed freely on the streets of Kigali and other parts of the country. But today there is no trace of war on the streets of Rwanda except perhaps outside Kigali and may be on the walls of the parliament building at Ministeri, with bullet holes which have deliberately been left as reminders of that country's encounter with the beast in human nature.

The Rwandese have been able to hide the scars of war, and build a new society that works. Twenty nine years after its own civil war, Nigeria has refused to function. It carries on as if it is still in a state of war. Nigeria is a perfect example...

Read the full article.

[ttonjo]

I have heard the argument that the reason Nigerians are difficult and ungovernable is because they live under harsh conditions. In Rwanda Value Added Tax is 18%, PAYE is 30%, rent is between $200 - $300 per month, for a modest three-bedroom house, a sim card (MTN or Rwanda Cell) is 1,000 FRW (N250). But the people obey the law and every evening they troop out to the many bars and restaurants in Kigali to enjoy their Mutzig (tastes like Star) or Primus (tastes like Gulder) Beer. Rwanda is something of a police state. The government does not tolerate corruption, there is a National Office of the Ombudsman which protects national integrity; misdemeanours are harshly punished, and the Tax Office, the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), is super-efficient. Every Rwandese pays tax, and each one of them has a National Identity Card. Nigerians don't like to pay tax. The country's National Identity Card Scheme is the biggest scam of the decade.

Thank God for the voice of reason. The above quotes are some of the problems facing Nigeria today.
Nigerians love to have almost everything for nothing. Majority are good at exploiting every loopholes in the book for their selfish purposes. And yet we expects 'manna to fall from heaven' to solve our various problems. The bible says: 'Shall we continue in sin and expect the grace of God to abound? God forbid!'

When Buhari Idiagbon's administration introduced War Against Indiscipline, WAI, to sanitize our deteriorating collective attitudes in the 80s, some people (like the devil incarnate General Ibrahim Babangida, and others like the late Chief Moshood Abiola and co), sabotaged their good intentions with their USELESS coup, and the result today is C-H-A-O-S. Nigerians lacked DISCIPLINE, period!!

Almost everybody is guilty of one scam or the other; be it forgery, tax evasion, Bribery & Corruption (i.e. our National I.D. anyway), and dishonest behaviours; especially some of our politicians who have got no regard for the laws of the country in their day to day living.

Bring back WAI and everybody will sit up. Chikena!!

[olusiji]

Just that a few accidents of leadership occur in circumstances born out of shock like civil strifes is no measure of a peoples rebirth. That very few Countries like Ghana and Siera Leone appear to be making smooth leadership strides cannot be adequate to believe that African Countries are making progress. How sustainabble is the current leadership in Rwanda will be be defined by transition of power to the next regime and the maturity of the current regime to not leverage on ethnicity to perpetuate itself.

[olutosin]

Still cant bring myself to reading write-ups by Reuben Abati. Wonder why he hasnt comeup with a defence.

[mathelize]

Reuben, can you please say something about the land?

[akuluouno]

Sir,

Thanks for your article and copious explanatiion of the landgate. We Nigerians have like the proverbial Eneka the bird become apprehensive of otherwise normal issues because of the pervasive nature of corruption in Nigeria which has coaught up with the likes of Dr Ransome Owan of NERC. May it not catch up with you in Jesus Name
Turning to Kigali, I totally agree with you that we missed an opportunity to put this country on the map to rapid development post civil war. It is after wars that nations devlelop new ideas for national development which they usually sustain given the horrible experiences of war. Europe, Japan and US all found their ways to rapid devlopment after their wars. Same with Rwanda and Angola.
In Nigeria what happened, a crass win-the-war euphoria embedded in epicureanism and materialism, took over. The elites hand in glove with the military settled for triumph of having meted out the final solution to the Igbo problem and revelled in euphoria akin to that of a serial rapist who suceeded after a long wait in raping the nubile victim of his fantasies. This state of affairs was boosted by the petro-dollars overflowing from the oil boom of the mid 70s which saw people like Gowon not only paying the salaries of some nations in Africa and the Caribbean but also declaraing that money is no longer the problem in Nigeria but how to spend it. And he did, importing all kinds of things from faeces, yes, faeces to the cement armada. The rest, are they not written in the Book of Jasher.
Today, we are actualy on the road to Kigali, ie pre-genociderather than on the road post genocide which involves rapid reconstruction and development.
On other post civil war missed opportunities, I do agree with you, but I know that there will be no remedial measures to be taken seeing that we are not a nation peopled by leaders with strategic ideas for national devlopment.

[Olamide]

I checked my calendar and used a calculator to check the years between today and 1970 when the civil war ended in Nigeria. That is 39 years and not 29 as mentioned in the article. Countries like Rwanda, Ghana, Sudan even with its imperfections are striving so hard to move forward while our own leaders are striving even harder to take us back into the stone age.

Nothing is going to change significantly in terms of quality leadership, improved infrastructure etc with the present generation of leaders. The Rawlins 'shock treatment' will be required to sanitize the system and send a message across to the vultures that it is not business as usual again in Nigeria. Our country is being handed over to Chinese peasants, Indian labourers and plumbers and Lebanese Ice cream vendors while our leaders are fiddling and congratulating themselves on their non-existent achievements. Go to Ogun state and see 'achievements' of our 'Dear Leader' on huge billboards bearing his pictures.

In Sudan and after 23 years of war, Khartoum is also very clean, organized, very safe and electricity and water are taken for granted. Wither Nigeria?

[nallanah]

RA, great article!

This is what I know and respect Mr Abati for; for the most part, the human interest angle to his write ups.

Well done Sir.


Now to this Land Matter,.............Members of the NVS, Villagers and JJC alike,

If any one thinks or knows that Mr Abati has done anything illegal, please, please, DO THE RIGHT THING. TAKE THE MAN TO COURT!!!......and let him explain to you how and perhaps why he was allocated a piece of land in Abuja.

I do not think Mr Abati OWES anyone on this forum an explanation in his private affairs, except it is PROVEN that some illegality has taken place.(I am not convinced that it has), because I have applied and been allocated land in Abuja. It is my right and everything was handled above board.

I think some of the attacks on Mr Abati are personal, and the truth be told, just plain lazy and mischievious; and sometimes quite disrespectful!

Something is happening on the NVS, and it does not look good at all.

[tanibaba]

Thanks Reuben for this great piece.

Perhaps it is time for us to know that development in any nation is made possible with the people committing themselves to it and having the right frame of mind.

Indeed it is disturbing to find "educated" Nigerians spending several man hours writing and reading speculations about a piece of land ( a piece of land in this massive Nigeria). There was no allegation, no information indeed nothing but unfounded insinuations (mind you no allegation) and they expect the accused to defend NOTHING.

That is warped thinking and if the country is made up in the majority of people with such brains and sense of justice then we are truly on our way to Kigali - not the Kigali of 2009 but the Kigali of 1994.

Once again thank you and please ignore these inconsequential beings. Just like Nallah observed NVS is being gradually taken from "the market place of ideas to the market place of barbarism " by these elements.


taslim

[Ofunwa Villager]

My vow is not to read your articles again untill you tell the villagers the circumstances upon which Moddibo made you an Abuja landlord. Am sticking to that vow.
Why the Nigerian sysytem would never work is because people like Abati who are in positions to set examples for others, 'chop' and clean mouth and pretend nothing has gone wrong.
Abati compared Nigeria and Rwanda without reminding his readers that the Rwandan government does not spend time drawing up lists of columnists and editors who would be silenced with gifts of pieces of land in Kigali. That is the hipocrisy we talk about.

[Ranter]

I do not think Mr Abati OWES anyone on this forum an explanation in his private affairs, except it is PROVEN that some illegality has taken place.(I am not convinced that it has), because I have applied and been allocated land in Abuja. It is my right and everything was handled above board.

There lived once upon a time,a man called eneke and he had a wife named enoko and they had a neighbour enuku.
One day Enoko prepared a wonderful Ewedu soup, the aroma spread all over the little village and stayed there for hours.
When everyone was fast asleep,Enuku tiptoed to Enoko's kitchen and was about to ravage the offending pot of soup when Eneke on a bathroom break caught him, with his hands in the soup.

Enuku, in his defense, said that he was checking if the soup was boiling hot as the aroma has taken too much time to disperse.

[ozoodoo]

See who is writing about corruption. This man does not seems to understand how the tons of brown envelops that he and his corrupt buddies in the media have over the years collected from the thieves in and out of government have contributed to taking our country to where it is today.

[ttonjo]

Originally Posted by nallanah

RA, great article!

This is what I know and respect Mr Abati for; for the most part, the human interest angle to his write ups.

Well done Sir.


Now to this Land Matter,.............Members of the NVS, Villagers and JJC alike,

If any one thinks or knows that Mr Abati has done anything illegal, please, please, DO THE RIGHT THING. TAKE THE MAN TO COURT!!!......and let him explain to you how and perhaps why he was allocated a piece of land in Abuja.

I do not think Mr Abati OWES anyone on this forum an explanation in his private affairs, except it is PROVEN that some illegality has taken place.(I am not convinced that it has), because I have applied and been allocated land in Abuja. It is my right and everything was handled above board.

I think some of the attacks on Mr Abati are personal, and the truth be told, just plain lazy and mischievious; and sometimes quite disrespectful!

Something is happening on the NVS, and it does not look good at all.

Thank God for the Voice of Wisdom. I do hope that those accusing him without FACTS
will listen to your counsel and stop behaving like 'bullying children at school playground.'

[Abatakan]

Thank you Ofunwa,irony lost on Reuben Abati,l wrote an article a while ago about Dele Momodu see below
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/...-the-he-3.html.
I thought you ( Reuben Abati) were different,like King Ebenzer Obey said`Anfani kilo je fun eniyan to jere gbogbo aiye to so emi re nu o`
To my non speaking yoruba fellows,it means what good is it to someone who got the whole world in his hand while losing his own existence.
Abatakan.
PS.Is it hard for him to comment/clarify?

[agbajo owo]

Originally Posted by olusiji

Just that a few accidents of leadership occur in circumstances born out of shock like civil strifes is no measure of a peoples rebirth. That very few Countries like Ghana and Siera Leone appear to be making smooth leadership strides cannot be adequate to believe that African Countries are making progress. How sustainabble is the current leadership in Rwanda will be be defined by transition of power to the next regime and the maturity of the current regime to not leverage on ethnicity to perpetuate itself.

The important thing is that they are laying good foundation. Even more important is the fact that most of these countries are carrying the citizenry along in the national rebirth. These will make the changes sustainable.

Let us start from the little beginning.

NEXT WEEK ASSIGNENT: When you get to your bank refuse to be favoured by the cashier over the talakawa that are on the queue

[TEchi]

Originally Posted by Robot

The road to Kigali By Reuben Abati I have just returned from Rwanda: a post-conflict society in transition, and I am angry with Nigeria. Fourteen years ago, Rwanda, former Belgian colony was a killing field; in the night of April 6, 1994 alone, about 800, 000 Rwandese: men, women children were killed in one of the worst genocides in recent history. Blood flowed freely on the streets of Kigali and other parts of the country. But today there is no trace of war on the streets of Rwanda except perhaps outside Kigali and may be on the walls of the parliament building at Ministeri, with bullet holes which have deliberately been left as reminders of that country's encounter with the beast in human nature. The Rwandese have been able to hide the scars of war, and build a new society that works. Twenty nine years after its own civil war, Nigeria has refused to function. It carries on as if it is still in a state of war. Nigeria is a perfect example...Read the full article.

I am usually disheartened whenever I read the progress of other smaller African countries compared to Nigeria with more resources but with corrupt and unbending leadership. The question now is how did small Rwanda with all the odd against her learn to bring about good leadership? How is small Ghana compared to Nigeria doing it?

How did some of these small African countries change their corrupt practices? Are Rwandans any different from Nigerians? Are Nigerian not made of the same dust as Rwandans or any progressive African country? Are we more greedy and selfish than any of the other countries?

Except for the language and ethnic difference we are from the same dust. Our conniving mischievous ways are no different from any of these countries. We just have not been contemplative enough about our future as a nation since the civil war.

What about our intellectuals, the economists, the psychologists, the sociologists, the political analysts, the theoreticians and so on. These are the heart of any civilized society. And I know Nigeria has them in abundance. These people are trained to sway the public opinions toward good governance. Why can they organize and educate the public selflessly.

I have not heard of any of them organizing civil disobedience for good governance throughout the country. Not a single one.

Do you remember the days of Apartheid in South Africa, the intellectual were sent to prisons and the youths all over take to the streets. Bad governance is as bad as Apartheid if not worst. They keep people down with rigor to struggle for their daily sustenance with no relieve in sight. Nigerians should not continue to bury their heads in the sand and just talk about the situation.

Nigerians must be organized for civil disobedience for good governance throughout the country, in every village, town, and cities. Nothing is going to change until the intellectuals, the economists, the psychologists, the sociologists, the political analysts; the theoreticians and so on sway the public opinion to revolt.

[denker]

Originally Posted by nallanah

I do not think Mr Abati OWES anyone on this forum an explanation in his private affairs, except it is PROVEN that some illegality has taken place.(I am not convinced that it has), because I have applied and been allocated land in Abuja. It is my right and everything was handled above board.

..stop spreading lies here...who are you to apply for land in abuja right direct from UK and acquired one...if it is true dat you got one...then am sorry to say dat you must be a criminal..one of dos corrupted creatures marauding dat namespace, Nigeria/Nigeria...nonsense!

PS: i dont give a **** wat you guys are talking, Abati must tell us how he got dat land and where he got the money to pay for it....period!

[Norris]

The name of this piece should have been called the Land to Abuja, sorry the Land to Kigali or sorry, infact I don't know lol.

Reuben you don't get it do you, your piece will now henceforth be viewed like that of Dele Momudu who preaches against corruption in his articles but dines and wines with the most corrupt in the society, celebrating them on the pages of his compromised Ovation. Gone are the days of such hoodwinking, millions are so very aware and learned these days.

Nigeria's problem is clearly due to the insensitivity and lack of accountability by the leadership to the led and you are angry with that? How come? What do we call your response to the Kigali Land? Should we be angry with you?

Na, I guess you don't give a hoot. Have a nice weekend Reu!

[nijalaw]

We are waiting to hear about the "road to Katampe".

As for the article I ain't reading it.

[KCO]

I would boycott this article If I were one of the RA's antagonists but wait.......they can't resist the temptation because they are hypocrites.