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     

ASUU Strike And The Destiny Of a Nation

Yes the battle line is drawn, the ASUU strike is on. Universities are shut down and students sent home. I hope we are happy and I pray the reasons for the tussle are met at the end of this drama?

One question comes to mind as I put pen on paper to write this piece, what is the fundamental purpose of university education? For it is in understanding this question that we will begin to see the implications ofASUU strike on our collective good as a nation.

Anywhere in the world as we see today, one fundamental essence captures the imperative of university education. This is, university is the bridge connecting the imaginative creative mind (students) and the knowledgeable mind (Teachers).

When these two synthesize, new ideas emanate and this is what developed nations have used to transform themselves from nothing to something. Japan, India, China, America e.t.c are typical examples of this.

By this ASUU strike, not only have we put the gates of our ivory towers under locks and keys but we have equally put to stand still our quest for development and progress as a people.

Nations that understand the true meaning of university education take it as first priority. But why is ours different, a curious mind would ask?

Those in the corridors of power simply pay lip service to the issues at stake. After all, what are the contributions of Nigerian universities to the developmental prospect of the nation? Are they not just certificate printing houses when their graduate cannot even defend the degrees they carry around? The system is messed up they say, but it is so because that is who we are in this country. For you cannot hide your true character no matter how outwardly sophisticated you seems to appear.

The deception is just so much in this land, how can we do this to ourselves? If we waste away the vibrancy and potentialities of our youthful minds, then we have no one else but ourselves to be blamed in the near future where works of creative ingenuity becomes the order of the day for humanity.

The truth is, if we deliberately kill Nigerian universities via our actions and behaviour, then we should be prepared to live a borrowed life as a people.

MOBILE CULTURE AND THE NEED FOR INVENTIVE NIGERIAN MINDS

When new technological gadgets come out, Nigerian are amongst the first people in world to use them but when it comes to the creation of these gadgets, Nigerians are no where to be found. The question is who is fooling who? The west or us.

Day in day out technological gadgets are produced that are redefining the face of the earth and even transforming the way we live our lives in these contemporary times. This transformation is as a result of the “mobile age” we are in.
Yes culture is the totality of the way and how we live our lives. No one can live their life outside it. Our culture in this sense gives meaning to the way we see and interpret the world.
Today, the present generation of young people are living in what I would describe as the mobile culture. They want everything fast because they don’t have time to waste. They are always on the move. This explains the reason for the creation of technological tools to meet their diverse needs.
In taking a bird’s-eye view of happenings around the world today, I will say this is one of the best ages to live in because human existence is truly realizing its full potentials in all spheres of discovery, thereby making the world a better place to live in.
Man has succeeded in creating a global community where people have the necessary technological gadget/tools to communicate with each other.
The question that comes next is, who is doing the creation and who is doing the consumption? Europe, America and even recently Asia (China & India) are major stakeholders in the creation race while places like Nigeria and by extension Africa appear to be the consumers hence making their societies a dumping ground for all kinds of western ideas (technologies).
Many years have gone by since Walter Rodney wrote his famous book “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa”, yet it appears the issues Rodney discussed in this work remain pertinent and applicable to us till date.
Why must we remain behind the rest of the developed world and pretend to ourselves that we are amongst best simply because we use the latest technological gadget the products.
Truth is, the west will not take us serious no matter how much we buy from them until we begin to task our mind to create technologies that will compete favourably with theirs. China and India are doing it, so why can’t we.
Dr. Chiedozie Okoro of the dept of philosophy unilag opines that “Any society that does not cherish and sustain individuals with creative and inventive power and the urge to discover, will find it difficult to develop.”
Truly speaking, if we must raise our shoulders high amongst the committee of nations, we must start to create, else we would continue remain at the back waters of history.
This informs the need for the tutoring and grooming of the inventive Nigerian mind. The youth of this country must therefore rise up to this challenge. They must not continue to wallow in other peoples hi-tech inventions rather they must task their minds to redeem the name of their father land.
The rise of this mobile culture age must not lead to the death of creativity amongst us instead it should spur us to show the world what we too can do.
Karl Marx was right when he stated that mans essence is in his labour because the works of his labour are the expression of his creativity. Until we begin to create, we have no business complaining about what others create and we must ready to become a huge dumping ground for all kinds of stuff because as it stands, the west have not shown any indication that it will stop creating and just like every living being, consumption is necessary for survival.  This means that the vicious circle will continue unless we take our destiny in our hand.

Confusion Of The Nigerian Youth

The reality the average Nigerian faces is one of despondence. Statistics show that 70% of the population of the country comprises of youth.
The Nigerian youths are exposed to all kinds of information from the Internet to the cable channel; they have seen what youths in other parts of the world are doing especially in Europe, America and even Asia. The achievements of these people awe Nigerian youths and make them ask several unanswered questions.
The amazement and questions keep the Nigerian youth in confusion, hence the title of this write up.
Reports have shown how the youth in America and other developed places are contributing to the innovations and rapid development such societies are witnessing today.
From the Facebook revolution to other mind blowing technologies from Silicon Valley, to corporate and political governance, the youths in these societies are seen playing very crucial roles in the advancement of their society.
Back home in Nigeria, the situation is the very opposite. Not only is the level of development in Nigeria advancing at a very slow pace but the seemingly few places that the youths ought to be so as to contribute their ingenuity are occupied by men as old as their grandfathers. Yet these old hands are not willing to leave or retire in order for vibrant young minds to take over.
This explains why creativity in political governance, corporate Nigeria and even the idea of the youths believing in themselves is far from been achieved. (I really don’t know what he was trying to say here)
To this end, the Nigerian youth and by extension her counterparts in Africa who face similar challenges remain bewildered. They continue to ask what is wrong with the system? Could it be that their youthful vigour is not meant for the benefit of society?

Since our society discourages the constructive expression of youthful exuberance, we are now witnesses to the disaster that results when these creative minds are engaged negatively viz cybercrime, pornography, ATM fraud etc.

Albert Einstein who is acclaimed to be the father of 20th century creative exploits warned never to ignore the creativity of the youth. Societies that are regarded as advanced have adhered to this advice. Are we going to be left behind? The bomb blast at the police headquarters in Abuja attests to the fact that our youth are using their creative energy to harm the society.
The confusion is still on, how long will it last, I do not know but the consequences of this confusion are very severe…..