A Sad Yar`Adua And The G-20 Summit

A Sad Yar'Adua And The G-20 Summit By Reuben Abati PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua says he is sad that Nigeria was not invited to the just-concluded summit of the G-20 in London, United Kingdom. Does President Yar'Adua really expect Nigeria to be invited to the London summit? Hear him: "I must say that today is a sad day for me. And I think it should be for all Nigerians. When 20 leaders of the leading countries in the world are meeting and Nigeria is not there. This is something we need to reflect upon. We have the population, we have the potentials, we have the ability and the capacity and we have the will. What do we lack? Is it the will?" The President then added that Nigeria must rise and begin to give full expression to its potential. He is right about Nigerians being sad and that we have abused our potential as a country. The President is searching for reasons and he wants us to reflect on Niger...Read the full article.

abidde · Apr 5, 2009 , 03:58 PM

In my estimation, this is the most "important" essay Dr. Abati has written in the last year or so. It has some of the elements I seek in essays of this nature: measured anger and precise articulation, as opposed to hedging or dillydallying.

What was President Yar’Adua hoping to go do at the G-20 conference? Walk around looking dazed and helpless? His entourage would have contained 30-70people, most of whom would have used the opportunity to make financial deposit, visit with their mistresses, undergo medical checkup or engage in frivolities.

I totally agree with Abati. Nigeria is not a serious country. It has not been since the mid-1980s. And no state or non-state actor has paid Nigeria serious mind for almost two decades. No amount of rebranding or triple-branding will do Nigeria any good. None! In fact, the rebranding project is just another avenue by which to steal millions and millions of dollars.

You rebrand a country that can not feed its people and/or provide the most basic of all basic needs? What a stupid and dumb concept!

True, Nigeria is our country. After all these years, and in spite of all the troubles she has put us through, we still love her because she is our country. Sadly, Nigeria is a country that defies all logic and all known solutions. Common sense and decency has no place here.

Cliché or not, repetition or not -- Nigeria is a mess. The country is one giant bowl of fetidity, a place where the vast majority of the people live in sub-human condition: a country where you are either poor or miserable. More than seventy percent of the people are miserably poor!

Insofar as leadership goes, I am of the opinion that -- except for Generals Yakubu Gowon and Mohammadu Buhari -- all past and present Nigerian presidents/head of state, along with their deputies and ministers and governors should be Rawlingnized. Nothing short of this will give Nigeria a second chance at redemption.

The system is too corrupt, too diseased, too rotten; no amount of “democracy” will help solve the problems we have. Not even an Obama-like or a Mandela-type figure can save Nigeria. No! Nigeria is too far gone into the abyss for anyone to think that decent methods of governance can cure it of its socialized and institutionalized cancer.

As a result, thousands of the ruling/elite class must be legally and/or extralegally taken off the stage. Anything short of this method adds to the people’s pain and agony.

Again, kudos to Reuben Abati for a well thought out and a well-articulated composition.

Sabella Ogbobode Abidde

LAN · Apr 5, 2009 , 05:10 PM

Another good one Dr. Abati. Thanks.

@ Sabella, quote "In my estimation, this is the most "important" essay Dr. Abati has written in the last year or so".

I do not share your opinion this is the most "important" essay in 1 year.

Hope you are not blindfolded by Jealousy? If you don't mind, you may enrol in Abati's "School of Opinion Writing"

registration still open

omo naija · Apr 5, 2009 , 05:43 PM

Funny innit, a clueless president lamentations about exclusion of Nigeria from the club of serious nations (G20), Yar Adua should not lament, the man should resign, and tell Nigerians that he's incapable of governing a country as vast and complicated as Nigeria, we will all understand, and simply blame it all on Obasanjo... Nigeria is not a serious country, that is why we still lack the most basic amenities... I DEMAND THE RESIGNATION OF YAR ADUA AND HIS CABINETS, FOR INCOMPETENCE AND FAILING NIGERIANS (ha).
Kudos to Reuben Abati, I think he can really bites when he want to.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA AND AFRICA.

Observer · Apr 5, 2009 , 08:09 PM

In the past, we used to lament that Nigeria never had a president with a university degree. For the first time, we are having one; (please do not include Sonekan). Judging from the performance of Yar'Adua so far, I am not convinced he deserves the degrees he claims to hold. I expect a university graduate to possess the ability to analytically describe a problem and find solution to the problem; and based on his experience to be in a position to predict what other problems could arise in the future. This requires that the person must have the ability to use hard facts to reason logically in order to confront problems. Yar'Adua rather than facing realities, is living in fantasy land. He reasons like an ostrich with his head fully buried in sand.

Yar'Adua claimed he was sad because the world did not invite him to the party in London. UMYA just exposed his ignorance. Nigerians are sad alright, not because UMYA was not in London. We are sad because we have no electricity, no good roads, no security, no employment and because our children have no future. Above all, we are sad because we cannot choose our own representatives and leaders.

Yar'Adua and his party are visionless and Nigerians should not expect much from them. I agree with Abidde that we have to search for extra-legal means to get rid of especially the PDP which has truly captured Nigeria and Nigerians.

saemoenl · Apr 5, 2009 , 08:29 PM

It will be so annoying that the president do not know his class, should it be that this boy is still looking within Aso rock and Zamfara ( what is the name of that his state?) as a beautiful place when it comes to comparing between Uk, America, France to Nigeria.
Maybe, he is still in Zamfara and never travel to any of this country made mentioned and see the environment not to talk of GDP and other things that made them super power.
As you are thinking that Nigeria and South Africa are in the same class, that is to show us that giving you 50 yrs. in office, we will not expect nothing than our sickness. Foolsssssssssss
Ciao

datuouwadaberechi · Apr 5, 2009 , 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by Robot

Mr President is invited to compare and contrast and let him start with the power supply situation in both countries. Nigeria as at two days ago was down to a national power supply of 700 MW for over 140 million people! More than half of the country is in relative permanent darkness. President Yar'Adua is promising Nigerians a total of 6, 000 MW by December 2009. ........Nigeria is a de-industrialising economy with a thieving elite....
.... They were concerned that Nigeria seems to be losing its leadership ranking in Africa. We either fail to show up at international meetings, or we arrive late or we go there and make no significant impact, ....

President Yar'Adua wants to go to the G-20 Summit to enjoy all that photo-opportunity with Obama, Her Majesty The Queen and other world leaders and have Madam Turai join the G20 wives at the concert performance
Read the full article.

700MW for 140 million people!!!! words really are inadequate to comment on this. when we have far smaller and far less endowed neighbours who have gone past megawatts (MW) in relation to power supply for less than 10% fewer people.
na wah for WAEC as we say.

as for the bolded parts, i even thank God turai was denied the chance to go and flaunt some more ill-fitting clothes bought am sure, at the expense of tax payers courtesy of her connivingly contrived meetings!!!!

sigh!!!! words fail one!!!

abidde · Apr 5, 2009 , 10:47 PM

LAN,
How now? How body, how country, and how go dey go? Jealousy ke? Why not?
Here is why I am jealous of Reuben Abati, and will soon enroll in his school of opinion writing:
1. Reuben Abai has a PhD, I don’t
2. Reuben Abati is a trained lawyer, I am not
3. Reuben Abati is a columnist for the Guardian, I am not
4. Reuben Abati is commentator for other media outlets, I am not
5. Reuben Abati is world-renowned, I am not
6. Reuben Abati wine and dine with the who-is-who of Nigeria, I don’t
7. Reuben Abati is a millionaire, I am not…
The list goes on and on and on.
You now see why I am jealous of the fellow?
Na wa oooooooo our Naija people sef.
Sha, have a good weekend and a great week ahead. God bless you oooo
Mr. Sabella Abidde
(WASCE, Ilorin; GCE, Jos)

abdulmumin · Apr 6, 2009 , 12:04 AM

We keep on making excuses for this president of ours. We call him clueless which is quite convenient for him even though it has been confirmed that he can be quite sharp and decicive when it gets to dealing with such 'high priority' matters as NUHU RIBADU.

Mr President while revelling in his 'cluelessness' is incidentally very protective of his friends and benefactors. Today, James Ibori, Lucky Igbinedion, Peter Odili and all the other odious vermins who have raped this country blind strut the land as conquering kings while the 'clown in chief' mouths some nonsenses about the rule of law.

He appoints their proxies in highly sensitive government positions, attends or have his representative at their functions and watches or participates in the continuous rape by his party members yet he wonders why we are not at the G20. No sir. He should reserve that line for the marines. Certainly not me!

Mr President talked about declaring a Power Emergency upon ascension of office but went ahead to appoint Fatima Ibrahim as Minister for Power in the first instance. From this moment, it was obvious to me that he was a man who holds light by his words. Its 23 months gone and we are at 700MW!!! In a forward looking country, can an UMYA be expected to run even a high school?

For the President, marrying off his daughters to serving governors and activities such as campaigning in Ekiti are sure paths to G20. Let him keep dreaming with his eyes open!

In the end, we do get whatever type of leaders we deserve.

Iyke · Apr 6, 2009 , 06:58 AM

Mr President wants to go to London to re-brand. thats the thing in vogue now. He himself needs some rebranding.

Dapxin · Apr 6, 2009 , 08:05 AM

In my estimation, this is the most "important" essay Dr. Abati has written in the last year or so. It has some of the elements I seek in essays of this nature: measured anger and precise articulation, as opposed to hedging or dillydallying.

I read it early in the morning, and had the same sentiments. He was brave, straight to the point, and as you put it, had no time for dillydallying.

Thats what serious columnists do, and for once again, it was somewhat comforting to see him, flex the kind of muscle one knew he had.The kinda article that reminds you of the football slogan, [Abati, Take a Bow.....

As for Yardy, you never expect nada from a deadi booodi. Still, I argue Obasanjo should be shot!

Im too, for G20 ? Just imagine the bother or is it "disgrace" if you were Gordon or Obama. Why invite someone you can basically get to piss on his bed, by a cross continental phone call ? It would effectively be cheapening the seriousness of the brains out there, with all due respect to ourselves- thats the truth.

Such a clueless idi0t.

i-go-better · Apr 6, 2009 , 10:04 AM

I have a different angle to the President's shameful tears. I honestly think UMYA was mightily relieved Nigeria was not invited to the G20 summit. He would have been disoriented and scared to death like a fish out of water.

He only comes alive when in his comfort zone which is mainly among PDP sycophantic stalwarts. Otherwise, how can a man who expressed such presidential sadness suddenly found the extravagant conviviality he displayed in Ekiti State the following day!

Enyi · Apr 6, 2009 , 04:10 PM

First it was Vision 2010. Now, it is Vision 2020. The figures in these visions are supposed to be the calendar year, when we shall get to the promised land. As at the last time I checked my calendar, we are still in year 2009. This means that irrespective of the vision we use to assess our progress we are not yet expected to be in the promised land. If this true, why did the president lament? I had assumed we lament for what we miss and not for what is yet to happen.

tonsoyo · Apr 6, 2009 , 04:51 PM

Fantastic piece, Dr. Abati.

These people just don't get it, do they?
Thank God we did not get invited. Who wants an AIDS patient-looking clown in a parachute-looking clothing representing him in a gathering of world serious leaders?

We yearned for a graduate leader and what did we get? an educated e ediot . Gosh!

He went to a meeting where he rightly belonged, the C-100 meeting ( a meeting of hundred clowns) in Ekiti State.

G-20 ko, S-75 ni. Nonsense!

NWANZA · Apr 6, 2009 , 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by tonsoyo

Fantastic piece, Dr. Abati.

These people just don't get it, do they?
Thank God we did not get invited. Who wants an AIDS patient-looking clown in a parachute-looking clothing representing him in a gathering of world serious leaders?

We yearned for a graduate leader and what did we get? an educated e ediot . Gosh!

He went to a meeting where he rightly belonged, the C-100 meeting ( a meeting of hundred clowns) in Ekiti State.

G-20 ko, S-75 ni. Nonsense!

In as much as we all agree on the serious developmental issues in Nigeria, we should not insult or demean our current President.

We can call for him to resign from the presidency because he does not have the plan to move the country forward.

The 7-point agenda is not what we need at this point, and his kitchen cabinet is not giving him enough information to handle the crises.

Our problem started with Major General Buhari, IBB, and Obasanjo. As long as our military/political cabals are alive, we will not get anywhere.

Continuous manipulations and election ridging will always keep us down.

picato · Apr 6, 2009 , 08:42 PM

Schott’s Vocab | A miscellany of modern words and phrases
April 6, 2009, 11:15 am
Sit-Down-Look

A Nigerian expression meaning to passively observe.

In a recent editorial for the Nigerian paper This Day, Kennedy Ifeh suggested that the third world had become an impotent bystander to the global financial crisis:

Developed and emerging economies in Europe, America and Asia seem to have all abandoned the globalization relic and the promises of hope for mankind to adopt protectionist policies. World economy has suddenly turned Keynesian.

Governments are injecting stimulus bailouts and enforcing financial regulations. Only recently, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, unfolded plans that suggests [the] government’s move to nationalize banks. In all of these, countries of the third world are left in the dark and have helplessly assumed the status of the popular Nigeria phrase “sit-down-look.” …

In the face of obvious realities, the third world should look inwards and harness the powers from within towards a strong economic alliance and convergence of common interest rather than to hope for aids from the G20.

http://schott.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...sit-down-look/

Dapxin · Apr 6, 2009 , 10:16 PM

In as much as we all agree on the serious developmental issues in Nigeria, we should not insult or demean our current President.

Whats wrong with insulting a dead boodi ?

As for the rest of them, that perpetuated him, they deserve to be shot.

Cut the crap! Quickly!

And our president ? oh my. berrer shut up my typing mouth b4 I overrun it....disgusting!

NWANZA · Apr 6, 2009 , 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Dapxin

Whats wrong with insulting a dead boodi ?

As for the rest of them, that perpetuated him, they deserve to be shot.

Cut the crap! Quickly!

And our president ? oh my. berrer shut up my typing mouth b4 I overrun it....disgusting!

In my culture - we do not say bad things about the dead when we have the opportunity to chastise them while they are living.

We should press for his resignation and call for a new election.

I share your sentiment - some people need to be put down like a sick dog.

I believe in regional autonomy and renaming the country.

toksy · Apr 7, 2009 , 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by Nwanza

In my culture - we do not say bad things about the dead when we have the opportunity to chastise them while they are living

Same too, in my culture. That's the reason why we are cursing the son-of-a-b.i.t.c.x now at every opportunity we get before he snuffs it in Aso Rock.Yeye man, he should be convalesing in his village rather than junketing from one foreign hospital to another at my expense whilst doing Fxxx Axx for masses whose mandate he took possesion off.

We should press for his resignation and call for a new election.

We have been agitating for his removal even before he moved into Aso rock for many reason lest of all, his doggy health. The stubborn man just "taku" refused- hin say, hin no go gree! "Na hin time to come chop be dis and no yeye illness go stand hin way". And hin wife and all di whole famili support am sef. Dem say, di man must to die for Aso rock, come what may.

Na so answer come jam question O!!!

tonsoyo · Apr 7, 2009 , 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by NWANZA

In as much as we all agree on the serious developmental issues in Nigeria, we should not insult or demean our current President.

We can call for him to resign from the presidency because he does not have the plan to move the country forward.

The 7-point agenda is not what we need at this point, and his kitchen cabinet is not giving him enough information to handle the crises.

Our problem started with Major General Buhari, IBB, and Obasanjo. As long as our military/political cabals are alive, we will not get anywhere.

Continuous manipulations and election ridging will always keep us down.

This Yar'adullard is an eediot.

I am Tonsoyo and I approve this message.