BUHARI AND HIS BLOODY 2015 PREDICTIONS: The fallacies and realities

Can we say that the outburst of Gen. Buhari is a true reflection of the state of the nation or another political gimmick aimed at heating up the polity? One may tend to comprehend the General’s concern but his usage of words creates room for suspicion about his intention. How can a former Nigerian leader declare the govt of the day is “the biggest Boko Haram” when we all truly know the aim s and objective of the group, Boko Haram.

Truly Buhari’s unguarded alterances calls for a rethink on the kind of men and women Nigerians intend to elect as their leaders. Does Buhari truly love the Nigerian people he earnestly craves to lead again? If he does, then one need to ask him why does he wish them a bloodbath if all do not go well in 2015? Statements such as these are not the qualities of a true democrat that Buhari wants us to believe he is.

Who does Buhari aims to threaten by these statements? Why has Buhari continue to portray himself more as a Northerner than a Nigerian and yet he wish to lead a nation as diverse as Nigeria?

The CPC should urge its former candidate not to continue on this path because such behavior will dampen the image of the party rather score political points like it wants to achieve with this acts. It is high time our politician stop this war of word and get down to business by discussing critical issues as they borders on our collective existence as a nation.

Democracy as it is practiced in advanced societies portrays a transparent look for all to see. Even the opposition in such places contributes meaningfully to the advancement of the govt in power. Here the case seems to be the opposite. With the Acn joining the cue of rash statement made at the presidency, it is even more alarming to here Northerner governors supporting the call Buhari is making.

If the North cannot accept the fact that a minority is leading this country, then what is the basis for this democracy where individuals are allowed to rule base on where they are from? Indeed such a process will not last long and I want to think the PDP is truly learning from its mistakes caused because of the way it handles its “family affair”.

It is quite clear that there is a lot of loopholes with the kind of system we operate here but that cannot resolve our problem if we keep heating up the process with threat of bloodbath as the General has promised Nigerians. Buhari as a leader and elder statesman should not allow his ambition for power becloud his sense of reasoning. As the only legacy he can leave behind is to ensure that the tenets of democracy takes it root in this country and not with this outburst of his.

The PDP on its part must gather the moral fiber if it has any left to question and sanction the spate of corruption going on in this country. If it can tackle this, then a better day is ahead of Nigerians.

YEKEME

Dept of philosophy,

University of Lagos.

www.yekipedia.blogspot.com

yekeme4u@gmail.com

EDO ELECTION AND THE PROMISE FOR NIGERIA

The story made headlines both locally and internationally about the doggedness and resilience of the Edo people, but the most profound of it all is the man in the centre of this historical election, Adams Oshiomhole.

Despite the odds comrade Oshiomhole show us that he is indeed a man with a lion’s heart ready to challenge the status quo and the PDP Federal might. These happenings truly reflect that when good men go to sleep then the people will bear the consequences of having mentally and morally bankrupt men lead them. This victory is a clarion call to the sleeping giants in Nigeria to rise up to the occasion and save their people from the shame brought upon them by men who lack substance and character.

There is no doubt in my mind that with the triumph of Oshiomhole, men of pedigree will emerge in our political space to take over from these charlatans that parade themselves as political leaders in the country. The political dynamics is fast changing in the land and i hope that many of these so called untouchable politician will discern the mood of the people and give up their cling to power else the new breed of politically conscious Nigerians who now see and understand the inherent values of democracy will push them out of power.

Democracy is the most feasible system of governance that reflects the mood of a people; this is why the struggle for democracy in the continent of Africa is every day gaining momentum. To this end, elections such as the Edo experience will send a strong signal across the length and breadth that the people can no longer be taken for granted.

As Gov. Oshiomhole settles down to led his people for another second tenure, he must avoid distraction, put the people first in his fiscal policy formulation for Edo state and above all, work assiduously to ensure the further entrenchment to democratic culture in Edo so that when he leaves office the people can better decide for themselves who can carry on the mantle of leadership.

I strongly hold that the Edo experience is indeed crucial to future elections in Nigeria, this is why we must salute the bravery of Adams Oshiomhole and the attitude put up by the Edo people to ensure their votes do count.

Yek keme

Dept of philosophy

University of Lagos

yekipedia.blogspot.com

NDI-OKEREKE: THE ROLEX WRIST WATCH DRAMA

How embarrassing can it get, Rolex wrist watches another tool for corruption as we have seen and heard so far. If the so called prof. Ndi-okereke knew the implications of her behavior while at the while at the Nigerian stock exchange according to the nation’s editorial may 15^th “she would bury her head in shame”.

This is Nigeria where even those whom we know to be corrupt still carry themselves as leaders and elder statesmen. So Ndi okereke cannot be an exception. She is truly behaving the proper Nigerian way, knowing full well that she would get away with it. Irrespective of whatever we say or know about this Rolex wrist watch drama.

Just because of the bad decision and conduct of some in the helms of affairs in Wall Street leading to the failures and financial losses in corporate America, many want to jail. For me that is a society that would not joke with the hard earned money of the American people. That is one big lesson for us here on this part of the world……….

The fundamental strength of the Nigerian stock exchange is largely built on the confidence and trust of the investing Nigerian public and with madam Ndi-okereke making such unguarded statement; she further diminishes that trust repose on the stock exchange by the Nigerian public. Such mannerism is really uncalled for, especially in a country like ours that wants to make herself an investment destination for both foreign and local investors.

Many may not see the immediate effect of the okereke Rolex drama but in the long run when the NSE wants to boost her image and increase the worthiness of the financial market then we would understand that this little episode means more than what it seems.

 If what they are telling us is true, one would ask, why spend such money (189million) on such luxury just for some awardees? That act in itself is corruption inducing because objectivity and due process may be thrown to the wind when next transactions occur between both parties. This to a large extent is what is responsible for the failures and losses witness in recent times in the Nigerian stock market.

Yekeme

Dept of philosophy

University of Lagos

yekeme4u@gmail.com

ROLE OF JUSTICE IN SHAPING THE WORLD

Justice is one of the major concepts in political philosophy that still lacks a univocal definition, yet it is a vital ingredient for the survival of man as a social being.

Indeed, justice has shaped the world but the question is how has man come to see the true meaning of this conception. Many hold that it is as a result of the complexities attached to the social being of mankind makes the term increasingly intricate and difficult to pin down because of mans cultural variation and linguistic usage.

It is therefore the aim of this piece is to take a critical look at the nature of justice and the role it has played in turning society around and shaping the world for the better.

The survival of the human race is predicated on the template of justice. This is true because a critical examination of the hypothetical state of nature as espoused by philosophers such as Hobbes and Locke shows that if not the coming together of wise few who championed for the coming together of the rest in some kind of social contract, man would have long gone into extinction because in the state of nature, life was short, harsh and brutish. It was a dog eat dog world.

In their coming together, they set the pace for the emergence of a civil society regulated by concepts such as Law and justice which brings among others natural justice, socio economic justice e.t.c

Human civilization through the ages have had one form of justice or the other ingrained in its culture and mode of existence from the primitive stage of man to contemporary times of the rule of law.

It is justice that coordinates all what man has and will be, therefore justice is the panacea to mans and solutions to mans miseries in the context of human social evolution.

As a result of human rationalization, the codification of our laws aims to achieve this (justice). Hence man design constitutions charters, treaties e.t.c. Again how far has all these workings of man faired in the light of the challenges man is faced with in the 21^st century? Could one say that justice is a live experience in these modern times?

 However placed the argument is, justice truly has shaped the world. It has affected human psyche so much   that even our daily activities is geared toward attaining it. The most fundamental of it all is that justice has separated man from beast. The essence of our civilization is because of our gradual understanding of justice and our future will be determined by how much justice truly affects human social intercourse. Therefore, international organizations (the U.N), regional bodies and national governments must take urgent steps towards spreading the message on justice as a way of preventing wars and help the future challenges that await man in her match towards greatness.

Yek keme

Dept of philosophy, University of Lagos

Yekeme4u@gmail.com. www.yekipedia.blogspot.com

IBORI’S SENTENCING AND IT EFFECTS IN OUR POLITY

Former Governor James Onanefe Ibori who was perceived to be a god in the Nigerian political space has finally been brought to his kneels. A man who transverse the entire political terrains like a whirl wind and often described as a godfather and a hero has finally been shown to the world by the U.k court as a “common criminal”.

Clearly this sentencing has revealed to us (Nigerians) once again that the greatest obstacle impeding the collective growth of our nation is corruption. Many may celebrate the fact that Ibori finally got what he deserved but the question is how can the Nigerian state purge itself of these kinds of “common criminals” occupying political offices across the country? This is fundamental because we have seen from the Ibori episode that one man political positioning in society is capable of destroying the destinies of millions of people if he is not checked. The Nigerian state has often been taken for a ride by these elements for too long and now I wonder what lessons we can truly learn from this U.K court sentencing. The U.k is simply telling us that it has the moral fiber to sanction corruption if it rears its head away in their domain, a virtue the Nigerian system completely lacks.

For me, corrupt leaders will continue to rear their ugly head in our polity unless we ourselves take concrete and drastic measures against corruption and not wait until foreign countries prosecute our own leaders for such. What a shame on us.

This assertion therefore buttress the fact that our enforcement and judicial institutions are not only weak but they also aid and abet the corruption circle we all see today amongst the political class.

From Kaduna to Asaba, Nigerian court made a charade of this same case and discharged and acquitted Ibori but right there in the U.K, the almighty James Onanefe Ibori confessed to criminal charges and abuse of office. This therefore leaves me to wonder on what kind of  judicial institution we are building in this country?

Judgment such as this indeed proofs that the west will no longer tolerate leaders who will impoverish their own people and then steal from them just to go gallivant abroad. The U.K has clearly taken a bold stance, let us hope and pray that America, Canada and other European countries will follow suite in prosecuting these kinds of persons who will destroy their home countries and take to such places as safe heaven.

This should leave serious concern to us as a people, what kind of persons do we all give our mandate to lead us? Is this system of governance truly the best for the Nigerian state? How can our judicial institutions reflect itself as an impartial umpire in its judgments’ so we can truly get justice?

YEK KEME

DEPT OF PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

www.yekipedia.blogspot.com

SUBSIDY: The cabal and its kind of punishment

The house of representative’s investigations on oil subsidy has indeed revealed a lot of dirty practises in the nation’s oil sector. The cankerworms eating deep into the nations revenue source has to a large extent been expose though a lot still remains in the dark.
So far I would want to commend the nation’s House of Representatives for a job well done thus far?
During the heat of this event on oil subsidy, a lot was said about certain caucus, clique or what I described as the faceless cabals. As event went on in the probe instituted by the House of Representatives, it became clear that there is indeed a cabal running the nations oil sector.
The fundamental question therefore is who are these people? Why can’t they be brought to book for the havoc they have wrecked on the Nigerian people? Will the Nigerian people continue to suffer for what they know nothing of?
If nothing is done concerning these questions posed above then, believe you me, Nigeria is yet to learn from history and I make bold to say that we have silently reached an agreement with the devil to mortgage the future of our children.
In my candid opinion, I feel we may not get to the bottom of these issue of who these faceless people are and even if we do get them and prosecute them for their nefarious crimes, they will just be sent to luxurious hospitals in the name of prison to rest for awhile and in a matter of months they will come out and continue where they left.
This is the truth though some may consider it a bitter pill to swallow. The judicial and criminal system in this country is highly politicised especially when it comes to the prosecution of the who is who in contemporary Nigerian society.  Bode George, Cecilia Ibru and the like have been charged for crimes that could have gotten them death penalties in advanced countries like china and Singapore amongst others. Yet today these people bask in the euphoria of their ill gotten wealth after spending several months in some high brow relaxation centres they call prison. Imagine a Bode George leaving prison and here you have a society giving him a hero’s welcome back party. Even the church was not spared.
Indeed corruption has become so institutionalize and entrenched in Nigeria that if you choose not to be corrupt, people call you names. If this is what awaits this faceless cabal when we hope they will be caught, then it means the 1999 constitution which is the basis for our democracy is discriminative. Are there separate punishments for the high and mighty and a different one for ordinary Nigerians? If this is the case, then George Orwell’s animal farm depicts a picture Nigerians will sooner or later find themselves………………….
‘’ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS’’

YEKEME
DEPT OF PHILOSOPHY
University of Lagos
www.yekipedia.blogspot.com

THE HOPE OF NIGERIAN YOUTH IN THIS TROUBLED NATION

Civilizations through the ages have seen man always confronted with problems and challenges that have redefine and reshape human progress.

As man entered into a contract to live a civil existence, the journey towards making meaning has become the bench mark upon which societies have been adjudged to be civilize or relatively backward. This underscores the fact that the fundamental purpose for which man organizes herself into civil society is to create that mutual comfort for which every one uses as the basis for living a purpose driven life.

To this end, society creates that bond which makes man to always strive to be better than yesterday.

Nigeria today clearly reflects the opposite of what is said thus. For the foregoing account, A nation after over fifty years of independence is still grappling with issues of unity amongst her people.

Clearly this nation is troubled, troubled in so many fronts, from politics, economics, religion, cultural, ethnicity, education e.t.c.

Emeka Anyouku the former commonwealth secretary general stated during the last political reform conference held in the obasanjo years that “Nigeria is two generations behind the rest of the developed world”. What an irony you may say inspite of her natural wealth.

 Our country indeed is not only troubled but I make bold to add that it is sick and one could clearly say that it has lost track from the objective for which it was created, if there is any?

It is only in acknowledging these realities that we open our mind to the flourishing of ideas capable of transforming this land for the better. Anything contrary, not only means we are joking but making a mockery of our collective destiny as a nation.

The Nigerian youth, caught in the middle of this quagmire seem to have lost all hopes, belief and trust in the system that claims to serve their interest.

 Is there really that hope for the Nigerian youth in this troubled nation? Many young minds like me ask everyday?

How can there be hope when our higher institutions are shut down incessantly in recent history and all that is done is to fight over who gets what?

How can there be hope when the 2012 budget reflects security to be almost a trillion naira while education is just 400billion naira?

How can there be hope when almost 1.5million Nigerians wrote the last utme/jamb with barely four hundred thousand of them securing admissions in the universities?

How can there be hope with Waec and Neco witnessing massive failure?

How can there be hope when children rarely have the basics to complete their primary education?

These are just some of the questions silently running through the mind of our youth and it leaves them in awe since there is nobody ready to answer it for them.

If we completely take away the structures that will enable the youth of this country dream of a better tomorrow than today, then what kind of legacy do we bequeath the future?

Who are the youth?

UNESCO describes the youth as any person between the ages of 15 to 24yrs but I consider the youth to be any person with the courage and the heart for brighter tomorrow, for it is the youth that strives to better tomorrow because they know that they will be part of that tomorrow.

The youth in any nation are epitome of greatness and prosperity of such society. This is so because they carry the energy and potentialities to turn around things for the better.

They are the dreamers of tomorrow today. They are the hope that God is not finished with man and this is why when a child is born into a family, the joy of such family knows no bound.

Today, statistics shows that over 60% of Nigeria’s population is consisting of the youth. This means that Nigeria has what it takes to become whatever she wants to be if only we see the need to incorporate the youth in our developmental quest.

Today’s developmental innovations are championed by youth from Google to face book, youth are beginning to show the world how they want their tomorrow to look like. On the other side, recent uprising in North Africa shows a resilient youthful population to the government of their countries. From Tunisia where it all started with a youth putting himself ablaze to Egypt and then on to Libya, the youth are simply saying that we cannot be ignored, we are relevant if progress must be made. The youth of this country don’t want o be taken for fools any more, the just concluded labor strike on subsidy tells a good story of the Nigerian youth.

They are making statements through their actions, ingenuity, and these reactions of theirs are redefining human existence on planet earth.

The hope of the Nigerian youth

Though the hope of Nigerian youth seem to have withered away, now is the time the youth of this country have come face to face with history and we must dare to have that audacity of hope. A hope coming from the fact that though our fathers have failed us, we cannot afford to fail our own children. A hope built on the thought that we have no where else to call home except this God blessed land Nigeria. So we must make it work again.

In this troubled nation, we are the hope for peace, prosperity and the change Nigeria desires. We are the ones to heal the wound of this nation because we are the Nigeria of tomorrow today. To this end, we must begin to stand up, we must begin to talk and above all, we must begin to work.

Yes we must work, do something so you don’t remain idle and be tempted to do the otherwise.

Nigerian youth have gone to some of the best universities in the world and they come out amongst the best in their class and in some cases topping their class. Those that opted for other skills are becoming the best in their various fields be it fashion designing, farming, mechanics, cooks, barber/stylist, engineers, programming, software engineer, song writer, musician

You name it, Nigerian youth continuously proof that given the right environment and equal opportunity, they can become world champions.

I make bold to say therefore, that the hope of Nigerian youth lies in who we are and what we do.

The youth must dare to dream dreams because the trouble this country faces today id waiting for their ingenious ideas to solve them.

CONCLUSION

A Nation That Is Naturally endowed is technically a rich country but however, wealth without wisdom is prodigality of nature and will often lead to human misery, we must equip our youth with the necessary wisdom to turn our natural wealth for the benefit of all.

Louise Armstrong in his famous song what a wonderful world stated “I hear babies cry! I watch them grow! They will learn much more! then I’ll never know”. I say to you today, that Nigeria’s youth will learn much more than we all can ever know if we give them the enablement that will make manifest their innate abilities. When this is done in no distant time, Nigeria will not only pride herself as the giant of Africa but a power to be reckoned with in the world.

YEK KEME

Dept of philosophy

University of Lagos

www.yekipedia.blogspot.com

yekeme4u@gmail.com