Nigeria at 52nd: The pains and gains of a nation

On Monday, 1^st of October 2012, Nigeria celebrate the 52nd year she gain independence from Britain and become an independent nation, though the celebration was done on a low key, but with the president call that he still remain resolute about his transformation agenda does not move Nigerians because they believed that with the huge amount of natural resources available in the country, the ruling elite has not harnessed it to the benefit  of the citizens, thus the independence does not worth celebrating.

here are the opinions of Nigerians about the celebration:

There are things to celebrate

Dr. Osahon Enabulele, President, Nigerian Medical Association

“In spite of the challenges affecting Nigeria’s health sector coupled with the unacceptably poor health indices, it is important to note that there have been some achievements recorded over the years in the sector.

“For instance, whereas most other public/government parastatals and banks have either collapsed or are at the verge of collapsing, the managements of most public and private hospitals in Nigeria have survived the travails and systemic decay of the Nigerian society. This is an achievement in itself. Of course, one cannot forget the tremendous milestones recorded in Nigeria’s health sector in the 80s and early 90s with general improvements in Primary Health Care, as well as noticeable improvements in institutional and human resource development.” 

 This is time to mourn

Olumide Olusoga, 30, a graduate of Sociology, Tai-Solarin University of Education

“This is the time for us to mourn the failures of our leaders. We have not seen any development or improvement in the country. Most people are running away from the country because there is no hope for them.

“We can only celebrate social problems, Boko Haram, unemployment and prostitution. Nigeria would have been better without independence because I believe that the colonial masters would have performed better that the crop of leaders we have had in this country”, he said.

 Let’s reflect on our failures

Mr. Gomba Obey, lawyer

 “I do not think we have any reasons to celebrate the Independence Day.

“At Independence in 1960, the hope for a better Nigeria were pretty high. It was believed that we could handle our affairs better than any other person.

“The experiences we have had since independence show that our belief that we can run our affairs is wrong, our hopes that we will be a secure and prosperous nation is dashed, and our struggles for independence were pointless.

“What we should be doing now is to remind ourselves of our failure and engage our minds on how to succeed. It does not call for celebration because there is nothing to celebrate.”

 The industrial sector is dead

Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, National Chairman, Coalition to Save Nigeria

“We have nothing to celebrate after 52 years of flag independence. In 1960, we had powerful political leaders and statesmen with very robust pan-African credentials. Today, we see ourselves more from the veil and prism of ethnicity as Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba or Afenmai. The great heritage bequeathed to us by the sacrifices made by our founding fathers have been squandered and dissipated by successive Nigerian leaders.

“Although immensely blessed by God with amazing human and material resources, Nigeria is still grappling with challenges in virtually every sector. The agricultural sector is comatose, the industrial sector is dead.

 Nigeria is going backwards

Abbey Jefia, Medical doctor

I would not really say we should mourn during our independence anniversary, but the truth is that we don’t really have anything to celebrate if we consider the fact that for the past 52 years, we have not achieved anything. As I speak right now, there is no fuel in Port Harcourt and the roads are bad, bad government, power is horrible, education level has gone down and the level of unemployment is worrisome. Generally, I think we are actually going backwards. I think Nigeria has not been blessed with good leaders.

 The past and present leaders have really done nothing. I remember when I was in secondary school, we had no generator in school, we had no borehole because the taps were flowing and we hardly had blackouts. Today, we have actually gone backward. Look at Ghana; Ghana has left us and I doubt if we will ever get to the level Ghana is right now. Let’s forget about the western world and look at Africa. We are still the sleeping giant. So, I will say there is nothing to celebrate. But at the same time, I don’t think we should mourn because we are not dead yet. Personally, I think we need divine intervention for the country to change positively.

No tangible thing to celebrate

Elder Wole Oyelese, ex-minister and PDP leader in Oyo State

“As Nigeria marks her 52nd year of independence, there really is no tangible or reasonable cause for celebration. What we should be doing is to mark a day of thanksgiving rather than a celebration of our shame as a nation.

“Nigeria has a lot of things to thank God for but hardly anything to celebrate. That we are still one country though not a truly united people who trust one another is one miracle and a major reason to give glory to God.

“That the ominously dark cloud of the Boko Haram insurgency, the petroleum subsidy removal riots and others did not turn into ethnic conflict is also a cause to thank God. That despite the corrupt acquisition of the nation’s wealth by unrepentant public officers and political office holders, our economy has not totally collapsed is also a reason to be grateful to God. What really is there to celebrate? It will take a people without a sense of shame or remorse to roll out the drums to celebrate given the level of challenges currently facing the nation.”

 Nigeria is slave to corruption

Prof. Victor Adetimirin, Head, Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan

“Our nation is in a state of crisis. We took Independence from Britain in 1960 but we are really not independent. Our nation is in slavery to corruption, instability, poverty, bombings, senseless killings and bloodshed. In 2012, loss of human life is the highest for any year in peace time in the life of our nation.

“We do not manufacture simple item like bicycles. Tyres for vehicles are imported. Refined fuel is imported laden with corruption of unimaginable proportion.”

 We can get better

Mr. Ndubuisi Enechionyia, member, All Progressives Grand Alliance

“Of course, Nigeria should celebrate. There are many negatives but there are still things we should be thankful to God for. One is that there is still a giant country called Nigeria.

“Two is that this giant called Nigeria can be woken up anytime the right leadership emerges and we can move on like Brazil, China etc.

“Three is that we are in a democracy, which can only get better with continuous refinement. The 2011 elections were the first elections since 1999 where result sheets got to the polling booths, so there is hope for the future.

 Nigeria working for few elite

 Yinka Odumakin, spokesman for Save Nigeria Group

“There is nothing  to celebrate as we have become an embarrassing nation to the world  as all our opportunities have been bungled by corrupt and visionless leaders.

“Nigeria is not working for the vast majority of its citizens because of the greed of its few elite.

“We are a showpiece for failed nations  and only shameless leaders would be  proud of what the country has become.

 Let’s revisit celebration of affluence

Eseme Eyiboh, former spokesperson, House of Representatives

The 52nd Anniversary of our Independence only reminds us as a people of our failure to take advantage of our enormous material and human endowments to develop and grow.

 It is a prompter to all of us as a people for our failure to give verve to Justice which is central to growth and development.

“The Anniversary is a wake-up call to revisit our current celebration of affluence in place of enterprise, to reverse the prevalent trend of leadership being taken as a gift instead of a responsibility earned and which must be accounted for

“On the whole, as a people, we have lacked the good conscience to continue to pledge to our nation Nigeria to be faithful, loyal and honest amidst the plethora of pervasive and self-inflicted astronomical rise in unemployment and powerty, insecurity and injustice, corruption and waste in governance.

“As a people, we have collectively lost the moral authority to continue to say “So help me (us) God!”

Nigeria should mourn, celebrate

Mr. Samad Sanusi, civil servant

“I believe Nigeria should both mourn and celebrate this Independence in the sense that the country is not what it should be after over 50 years of independence. We are not where we should be in terms of development. Our contemporaries like Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian and even African countries have left us far behind. Ghana which some years back had almost collapsed is now back on its feet. It has celebrated for years now uninterrupted power supply.

“Can Nigeria boast of even one day of uninterrupted electricity? The other countries like Brazil have gone far technologically. They have produced their own cars but Nigeria cannot boast of producing her own bicycle. So really we have nothing to celebrate except that we are still alive to witness this independence celebration.”

 Nothing to cheer about

Akintayo Iwilade, lawyer

“The October 1 date hardly inspires the people since what ought to be the gains of independence have eluded the country for too long.

With deficits in progressive political systems and structures, an  unproductive economic system, a mindlessly exploitative wealth distribution system, an embarrassing lack of science and technology, among others there is nothing to cheer about. 

“The peoples’ apathy towards the hollow rituals of October 1 can be considered perfectly rational. However, we need not mourn since those failures are not expected to define the country’s future. But talking of celebration, there is not much to cheer about.”

 Our values have been eroded

 Gbenga Fatodu, Lagos civil servant

“I don’t think there’s anything to celebrate about our independence, because it’s been 52 years of fruitless governance, corruption, insurgency, stiff hardship and poverty…So sad to see how things are getting worse and our economic system in comatose! Series of human carnage and civil unrest as characterised by insecurity are some of the horrors terrorising our land and turning an average citizen to a stranger in the land.

“Our values have been eroded. There are no basic facilities for education, health care, lives and property with total neglect for infrastructure. Our road networks have become death traps

“The nation is replete with tendencies more divisive than they were during pre-civil war era.

President Goodluck Jonathan  

The detractors of President Goodluck Jonathan will retort scornfully that he is a total failure, while his ardent supporters will scream that he is a huge success. But before we decide where to place him, let us look at a few indices upon which to assess him.

Through the Doctrine of Necessity by the Senate, President Jonathan was made the Acting President of Nigeria on February 9, 2010, when it was clear that the de jure President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was seriously ill despite claims to the contrary by his aides. 

With that, Jonathan became fully in charge. Upon the death of Yar’Adua on May 5, 2010, Jonathan was sworn in as the President the next day. At the presidential election held on April 16, 2011, Jonathan polled 22,495,187 votes to beat his closest rival and candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who polled 12,214,853 votes. And on May 29, 2011, Jonathan was sworn in again as President on the strength of his victory at the poll rather than on good luck.

Therefore, President Jonathan has been the substantive chief executive officer of Nigeria for more than two years now. That is enough time to gauge his performance as the leader of the most populous nation in Africa and the seventh most populous nation in the world.

What, however, are the minuses of President Jonathan? His biggest negative, many will say, is his inability to stop the violence from the Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram. From a radical group that fought policemen with guns, bows and arrows in 2009 in Borno State , Boko Haram metamorphosed speedily into a bomb-making, bomb-throwing, suicide-mission-savvy group that has become a terror in Nigeria.

 A few of the institutions the group has attacked include the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja on June 16, 2011; the United Nations building in Abuja on August 26, 2011; St Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madala, Niger State on December 25, 2011; and the office of Thisday newspapers in Abuja and Kaduna on April 26, 2012.

Even though the security authorities have recorded occasional results against this group, the fact that Boko Haram has continued to operate in some parts of the North, causing bloodshed and anguish, is a factor that irritates Nigerians. Nigerians have pointed out that since the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attack on the United States and the July 7, 2005 attack on the United Kingdom, no other attack has succeeded in these two countries. It is therefore viewed as a failure on the part of the President.

Another point is corruption, which has been a sore point facing the Jonathan’s administration. Despite the claims of the President that he has zero-tolerance to corruption, the fight against corruption cannot be described as robust since he became the President. 

The President has not displayed righteous anger against the pervading influence of corruption in the polity. Even though the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was viewed as selective in its fight against corruption, yet there was a clear sign that the war on corruption during his tenure was fervent and yielding results. Nigerians, especially public officers, were on their toes, for the fear of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission led by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu was the beginning of wisdom.

The economy is another point. Even though the economy of Nigeria is adjudged one of the fastest growing in the world, hovering at about seven per cent rate in the past few years, it beats economic logic that the poverty rate has continued to rise. According to records, about 70 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is put at 21 per cent, placing Nigeria at the 166th position in the world. These are pointers to the fact that even though the Nigerian economy is generating wealth, the wealth continues to disappear and never gets into the hands of the masses.

But it has not been all woes and misery since Jonathan became the President. One glaring achievement of his administration, for which his detractors try as much as possible not to give him credit, is the level of transparency with which elections have been conducted since he took charge. Unlike before when it was rare for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to lose an elective office, the PDP has lost many states that it had been in control of. For example, from controlling five of the six states in the South-West in 2003, the party now controls no state in that zone. In the election that just held in Edo State on July 14, the PDP lost too. 

Not only that it lost, the election was adjudged transparent to a large extent. But more importantly, unlike in the past when up to100 per cent turnout of voters was recorded in many states – which was clearly a sign of electoral manipulation – most of the elections conducted under Jonathan’s watch did not record up to 60 per cent turnout: a sign that ghosts no longer vote in Nigeria as they used to do.

There is also the case of revamping of derelict infrastructure. Even though some may say that the pace is slow, there is a clear evidence that infrastructure that had been left unattended to for decades is being taken care of. One is the airports, which were a source of embarrassment to the nation. 

Almost all the nation’s airports are currently undergoing extreme makeover. Roads are also being revamped. Some roads such as the Benin-Sagamu Expressway and Apapa-Oworonshoki Road, Lagos, which were in a sorry state, for many years, are being rehabilitated. Electricity supply, which had been a sore point for decades too, is receiving urgent attention, and there is a noticeable improvement in that sector. The abandoned railway transportation is also being revived.

Agriculture, which used to be the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy before the oil boom, is gradually being brought back to the front-row. Fertiliser distribution, which was always a thorny issue, seemed to have been tackled.

Since Jonathan took over, Nigerians seem to have forgotten that petrol scarcity, especially towards the end of the year, used to be the norm. Even though there are still unresolved issues about fuel subsidy matters, evidenced in the current scarcity, buying petroleum products had stopped being nightmarish in Nigeria for over two years now.

Our foreign policy, which used to leave us at the mercy of other countries, appears to have received a boost. Nigeria has put its foot down in dealing with countries that treated her shabbily. In addition, while the nation had jumped into conflicts in West Africa headlong hitherto (with the attendant huge loss of men and materials), since the coming of Jonathan, Nigeria has been vocal and in the fore-front in taking well-informed positions in conflicts in Africa, as she did on Ivory Coast and Libya, but our resources and men are no longer wasted fighting for countries that never give us credit after all our efforts.

In the final analysis, do we then describe Jonathan as a failure or a success? Hardliners hardly change their positions, no matter the strength of evidence before them. But for me, I would neither describe Jonathan as a success nor a failure. Rather, I would say that he has lost several opportunities to worm his way into the hearts of Nigerians but has taken advantage of a few. He has the potential to be a great president but seems to be too cautious not to step on toes.

 Nigeria’s situation is so serious that it demands robust and prompt attention and treatment. President Goodluck Jonathan must increase his pace or he will be out of rhythm.

•Onwuka, a brand management strategist in Lagos, wrote in via azonwuka@yahoo.com

RISING RATE OF KILLINGS BY THE POLICE, WHO WILL TAME THE MONSTER?

Babalola Yusuf Abiola

These days Nigerians are always assailed with reports of extrajudicial killings by men of the Nigeria police. In most cases, such tragic incidents are endangered by the refusal or inability of the victims to pay bribes.

While these extra judicial killings continue unabated, International Human Right Group has labeled Nigeria as a country where human rights are violated with impunity. According to a report published by the legal defense and assistance projects on extra judicial killing, arbitrary and summary executions in Nigeria over 1600 Nigerians were killed by law enforcement agent between 2006 and 2010.

According to the analysis, the impunity rate in 2006 was 83 per cent; in 2007 it was 89 per cent; in 2008 it was 83 per cent; in 2009 it was 88 per cent while in 2010 it rose to 95 per cent. This mean rather than reduce the spate of extra judicial killings in Nigeria have continued to be on the rise.

The recent ban on road blocks across the country by the Inspector General of police, Mohammed Abubarkar appears to have increased the rate of extra judicial killings in the country as research prove that police now round up commercial bus drivers, tricyclists and motorcycle operators at will to extort money from them for real and most times imaginary offences.

But as the nation is waiting for the release of the 2012 report, BabsB BlogSpot examined some of the extrajudicial killing perpetuated by the men of the Nigeria police in 2012 starting with Dele Oroja, the chairman of Three Wheelers’ Association of Nigeria, Meiran/Ilepo axis.

                                                            

• Officers of the Nigeria  Police brutalising a Nigerian IN Lagos... Recently. 

Dele Oroja, left home on the evening of Thursday September 6^th 2012, full of live and aspiration promising his heavily pregnant wife and aged parents that he will be back before dusk to feed his Domestic  animals but he never knew that will be the last time he will set his eye on his family members.

But as if Oroja had the inkling that death was lurking around the corner for him he never go out that faithful day until evening as he stayed back at home to supervise a construction project and also to discuss the wedding plans that is to hold in December with his spouse, but as this was been planned he never knew that all he was planning was only in fantasy as a trigger happy police man was waiting to cut short his life.

According to an eye witness account, the journey of no return started for Oroja who was also the Chairman, the Three Wheelers’ Association of Nigeria, Meiran/Ilepo branch on the penultimate day when one KEKE NAPEP carried a passenger who is a soldier. The police stopped the driver of the KEKE to demand N50 but the soldier told the driver to move on.

The police insisted the KEKE NAPEP driver must give the N50 bribe regardless of the soldier’s intervention. The action of the policeman got the soldier angry and the next moment he slapped him across his face. When the soldier slapped the policeman for resisting his authority, he attempted to retaliate and the soldier got furious again such that he dragged him down.

Just before the soldier slapped the policeman, Oroja who was the chairman of KEKE NAPEP operators in the area, had arrived at the scene and he supported the soldier against the police.  He simply told the soldier that the police were fond of mounting roadblocks at Ile-Iwe to collect money from KEKE NAPEP riders and motorcyclists, thus making life difficult for them.

With these words, the police marked out Oroja for his implicating comments.  Just the next day, Oroja strolled into a waiting trap, as it seemed by coming out that evening. Darkness provided the cover for them to attack Oroja who was shot; and the man died,” said an eyewitness.

However, there were protests from friends and colleagues of the deceased about the death of their love one from the hand of a security agent but all they say is now a story.

But as the bereaved families of Oroja were still living in the shock of the death of their bread winner, news about the death of a commercial bus driver, Monday Jacobs was reported as it was gathered that the driver collapsed after an argument with some law enforcement officials who intercepted him over a yet-to-be-determined issue.

Though the Nigeria police and the Lagos State Traffic Maintenance Agency (LASTMA), has been trading blame over who actually caused the death of the energetic driver.

                            

• Commercial Bus Drivers protesting the death of one of their own killed by the Officers of the Nigeria police in Lagos ... Recently.                             

According to the LASTMA General Manager “It was not LASTMA officials and it has nothing to do with LASTMA at all. The police officers who were involved in the incident have been handed over to the police at Ilupeju police station.

“Those who are saying that LASTMA officials killed the driver are far from the truth. Anyone who cares to know the true side of the story should go to Ilupeju police station, the officers in charge will confirm it. Those officers responsible for the killing of the driver were not operating with LASTMA at all; they were operating on their own.

“The bus conductor has made statement at the station. Based on that, eight of the policemen are already in custody. The bus conductor will identify those involved among the eight.”

He continued, “I have informed Deputy Commissioner of Police. LASTMA was not involved in what happened at all. Those officers were on different operation; it has nothing to do with LASTMA at all.”
Meanwhile, LASTMA spokesman, Richard Omolaja, gave the names of some of the officers simply as Mathew, Luqman and Legba.

But while these blame game is going on colleagues believes Monday Jacobs met his untimely death in the hands of those who are paid by the government to safe guard his life and property and thus called for proper investigation of the case.

One of the colleagues of the deceased who pleaded anonymity said “the police has always been a thorn in the flesh of commercial bus drivers especially since the ban of check point by the police boss, we are arrested for unconvincing offences in other to make us part with our hard earned money.

Now, they have sent this young man to his early grave, who will take care of his family members he left behind, certainly nobody, then his family will be left to suffer,” he concluded.

Also, recently a driver with the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) Mr. jimoh  fasasi, 56 was killed while heading to his Mushin home, he was allegedly brutalised by some policemen from the Surulere Police Station at Barracks Bus Stop, Lagos.

According to Eyewitnesses Fasasi was on his motorcycle when he was arrested at the bus stop by the policemen around 6pm for plying the bridge.

It was learnt that after a while, an argument ensued between the two parties and one of the policemen hit the driver with the butt of his gun.

Also another Eyewitness, who simply gave his name as Olalekan said, “The man was wearing a LASAMBUS uniform and I think he also showed them his identity card too. They still did not let him go. I did not think the altercation was serious when I heard them arguing.

“I was working on my motorcycle when I noticed the man fall to the ground. Those who saw what happened said one of the policemen hit him on the head with the butt of a gun and he fell down.”

Some other eyewitnesses said the policemen wanted the driver to bribe them but the deceased chose to call someone for help, adding that this infuriated the policemen, thus make them brutalise him.

Though visit to LASAMBUS office showed that Fasasi colleague were in sobre mood but an official said, “We were already on our way, because we thought that the fact that he was wearing his uniform should be enough for the policemen to let him go.

“Not long after that, we got a call from someone, who used his (Fasasis’) phone. The caller was shouting that we should hurry, that he fell down after he was hit with a gun and that he was foaming. By the time we got there, he was dead.”

However, a recharge card seller in the area, said immediately the policemen realised what they had done, they fled the scene and took the deceased away.

However, spokesperson of the state police command, Ngozi Braide, has denied the culpability of the men of the Nigeria police force in the death of Fasasi saying the Eyewitness accounts were far from the truth.

She said, “The policemen were there at the end of the bridge inwards the Ikorodu Road, to enforce the state traffic law. In fact, the policemen also impounded about 13 motorcycles at the same spot.
“The police will uphold the law no matter who the person is. That is why they were not deterred when he was calling his colleagues in the office.

“The eyewitnesses we talked to said after he begged and they did not listen to him, he wanted to rest under an umbrella owned by a recharge card seller there.

“They said he started panting and later fell. He then hit his head on the ground. His colleagues later arrived to carry the corpse. The police did not do anything to him,” she concluded assertively.