Vision 2023: @obyezeks, the best option for the south east! By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Have you ever thought of Nigeria giving the south east the opportunity to produce the next president? If no, why?

Have you ever thought of Nigeria giving a woman the opportunity to become the president, especially after 55 years of men dominance? If no, why?

Following the attempt of secession by Biafra in 1967, which brought about the infamous and highly criticized Nigeria-Biafra civil war (July 1967- Jan 1970) and its disastrous effects on the stability on the country, given the bitterness of the war, the restoration of peace and the reintegration of the Igbos into Nigerian life were pertinent. However, since the war was over in 1970, either knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or by coincidence, no one from the south eastern part of the country has held the highest position of the land.

Nigeria, divided into 6 geopolitical regions; North East, North West, North Central, South South, South East and South West, has after the civil war produced at least one president from each of the region except from South East and North East. The North generally has had more chances so this piece is about the South East.

Nigeria @ 55: I Choose To Remain Hopeful! By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

On Thursday, 1^st October, 2015, Nigeria turns 55. That is quite a milestone, in terms of age. But in terms of achievements, she falls far below her peers with Malaysia (1963) and Singapore (1965) miles ahead of her.

 

Just imagine Nigeria as a 55 year old human being, with only 10 years left before retirement, the situation will be dire if not bleak. What does she have to show for the many years of running round in circles?  It means the only investments she can boast of; are the many times she spent at the bar on alcoholic beverages, getting drunk and eating away her beauty. Ending up in a bad shape, like a malnourished child in an abandoned displaced refugee camp.

Nigeria gained her independence from the United Kingdom in the year 1960. 1960, is referred to as the Year of Africa, because of a series of events that took place during the year, especially the independence of seventeen African nations that highlighted the growing Pan-African sentiments in the continent. The year brought about the culmination of African independence movements and the subsequent emergence of Africa as a major force in the United Nations. These rapid political developments led to speculation and hope about the future of Africa as a whole.

Nigeria: Learning From The Aylan Kurdi's Tragedy By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Few weeks ago, Aylan Kurdi became the face of the unfolding human suffering.

It took a horror story about a truck full of corpses in Austria, and a poignant photo of a drowned child- Aylan Kurdi, to raise the pity of the world.

Who could not have been moved by the picture of this little boy whose father risked his life and the lives of his family, in search of a better life somewhere in Europe? The Kurdis were not sure how, but they needed to leave Bodrum, Turkey, and get to Kos, Greece, with its promise of a life free of war.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. Aylan Kurdi’s lifeless body washed up onto the shore of one of Turkey’s fashionable beaches as a grim reminder of how unjust and ephemeral life truly is.

For the past months, the refugee crisis has been building in Europe and European Union leaders have seemed divided and at a loss as to how to deal with it. Not since World War II has the world seen such a movement of people in search of safety. The International Organization for Migration has been consistently calling for those fleeing war-zones, dictatorship and devastation to be treated with dignity and within the bounds of international law.

Before Governor Tanko Al-Makura Descends Into Tyranny… By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

On Saturday, 12 September 2015, the news of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura assaults on a road user went viral. After the security operatives attached to his convoy allegedly beat up a road user, damaged her vehicle and destroyed her phones and iPad.

The road user; Ms Lois Lorvihi was traveling through Lafia, the capital of Governor Makura’s Nassarawa, with her younger sister, Joi and her brother Jerry, on their way from Makurdi to Abuja.

From the statements issued by both the accuser and the defendant, it was clear that there was a confrontation between Ms Lois Lorvihi and the governor. It was clear that both of them were at the junction where the said incident happened. It was evident that Governor Al-Makura`s convoy was behind Ms Lois Lorvihi.

What`s not clear in all of these is whether the lady intentionally stood in the middle of the road or perhaps slowed down because of the sharp bend after the bypass at Nasarawa-Eggon.

#100DayOfChange: A Magnificent Go Slow! By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Barely one month after Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was tagged “Baba Go Slow”. Ask me why? Because he decided to address the cumbersome nature of Nigeria`s challenges in a different way. He promised change and has changed his tactics from the usual way that has brought us down and failed us. Since what has been tagged the “norm” has failed us in the last 16 years of democracy, it was important for him to do things differently. He has delayed in appointing members of his cabinet as contrary to the way it`s being done before now that has ended up in failure. He`s taking his time to dissect each Ministry, Department and Agency in the view on taking the right decision on them.

Meanwhile, ask those that tagged him “Baba Go Slow” secretly if they have not started experiencing the change he promised? They might tell you No still, not because the change is not there but because they chose not to see it.

Open Letter To President Buhari: Sir, You May Have To Dissolve The Peace Council By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Your Excellency Sir,

This is the first open letter I will be writing to you since your inauguration as the President and Commander In Chief of The Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I will go straight to the point and won`t bug you with the facts and figure that you already know. Right now, you have become facts and figures yourself and there is no information that you are not preview to.

Sir, those that voted you and believe in you hold you in high esteem because of your level of integrity, discipline and courage in handling issues. Since you became the president, you have painstakingly taken your time to take every decision you have made. You have deliberately not appointed your ministers and other members of your cabinet because you want the best hands and less partisan Nigerians to work with you.

As you will recall Sir, the reasons why Nigerians voted en-masse for you are for you to wage war against corruption, recover stolen funds from corrupt person or group of persons that have plundered the nation and for you to reposition the nation on the path of excellence. These are the things they believe you can do which informed their decisions to vote for you. This is the more reason I believe you have been careful of the caliber of people you place in sensitive positions and in committees.

Local Production of Arms: A Mission Long Overdue. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

It is impossible to imagine a world without needs. The history of mankind is the history of his efforts to satisfy his needs. All the discoveries and inventions of science are a proof of man's urge to solve his problems.

Hence, when man feels the pinching need of anything, he begins to think of how he can satisfy his needs. He then sets his mind to the task of invention. Necessity gives the first impulse; the rest is the work of the intellect. The world is changing every day, and we must adapt ourselves to our changing needs and keep pace with them.

We actually may not have seen the need to revive the dead, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) before now. But as the terror of the deadliest terrorist sect- Boko Haram continues and the refusal of the US to sell weapons to us persists, there are many reasons for us to see the urgent need why we should produce our weapons ourselves.

So Why Was Sambo Dasuki Not Arrested? By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Government comes and government goes. Politician comes and politician goes. But public institutions remain with us. It is the more reason why we must strive to strengthen them and make them stronger than any individual. Painfully, rather for us to strengthen our institutions and make them strong, we build men. We build men that become stronger than our institutions and abuse them whenever they want to protect their interests and that of their loved ones. Corruption and weak institutions are parts of the challenges facing our nation today and are responsible for many of other challenges. No nation can strive where this duo exists.  If Sambo Dasuki was not stronger than the Department of State Security Service (DSS), he would not have been able to resist its operatives for hours.

Who Is Sambo Dasuki

Our Movement Against Corruption Won`t Last Without The Public Sector Reform. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

“President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war has started yielding dividends. Following blockage of leakages, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have increased from $28.57 billion at the end of May to $31.53 billion as of July 22, 2015.” – CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, during a press brief at the end of the Monetary Policy Committee, meeting, in Abuja.

Since the inauguration of President Buhari, the fight against corruption is being renewed. And the seeming dead anti-graft agencies- EFCC and ICPC, suddenly gained life. Like I have always posited, when the right leadership is put in place, institutions auto-adjust to suit it. The leadership of the anti- graft agencies knows that the President Buhari`s regime will not hold on to that phrase by the last administration, “Stealing is not Corruption” hence, it’s doing all it can to make public office holders accountable.

Meanwhile, you will recall that aside from the act of cluelessness displayed by the last administration; corruption was a bane the people voted against in the last Presidential election. The past administration was popularly known for the phrase; “Stealing is not Corruption and Corruption is not Stealing”.  It was an administration of self-enrichment and patronage, and of illegality. It will be of grave offence to Nigerians if the corruption they thought have been voted out in the last presidential election still rules with impunity.

The Pros and Cons of Negotiating With Boko Haram. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

The debate whether the Nigerian government is weak if it negotiates with the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram is out again. This was as a result of the statement credited to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. During an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), he was quoted to have said: if “Boko Haram is willing to negotiate, why not?”. Following that, a press release was issued from his Abuja office to clarify the government`s position on the matter. Part of the press release reads thus: Most wars, however furious or vicious, often end around the negotiation table. So, if Boko Haram opts for negotiation, the government will not be averse to it. Government will, however, not be negotiating from a position of weakness, but that of strength.

This statement has generated a lot of controversies as it has been widely believed that, it is only a weak government with less military might and poor intelligent gathering mechanisms that negotiates with terrorist. You see, in reality this is almost completely false.

The argument against negotiating with terrorists is simple: Democracies must never give in to violence, and terrorists must never be rewarded for using it. Negotiations give legitimacy to terrorists and their methods and undermine actors who have pursued political change through peaceful means. Negotiations can destabilize the political systems of a government, undercut international efforts to outlaw terrorism, and set a dangerous precedent.

Change: One Month On; The Big Issues.

Monday, 29^th June 2015, makes it exactly a month since President Muhammad Buhari became the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Since then, you cannot categorically say that he has not hit the ground running. It might not just be at the rate that you have anticipated. He has been here and there in search of solutions to the Boko Haram menace. Everywhere he goes; it`s been about finding a lasting solution to this scourge that has plundered our land for far too long.

With terrorism out of the way and with the new commitment against corruption, one can practically say that the President is on the right track towards giving Nigerians a sustainable change.

Although, one cannot shy away from the delay in key appointments, I really hope that the President is taking this into full consideration. With his cabinet readily on the ground, it is expected that the synergies will boost his achievements.

However, over the past one month, it has been from one issue to another. While some Nigerians are still in high expectation of the “Change” to come, some assumed the change has begun and others believe there can`t be any change.

This article will be looking at the big issues since President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in a month ago;

Nigeria: A Hub Of Opportunity Stalled By Greed. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Nigeria is the only place we can call our home; we have not another one to brag about if it fails.

The success achieved from the just concluded elections and the level of maturity displayed by the masses, have clearly shown, that Nigerians are on the move. They are ready to match up globally with the league of patriotic nations. The people went to the polls, conducted themselves in a decent manner, cast their votes and remained peaceful even after the declaration of the winners.

No longer can conversations about African democratic stability by the world stable democratic heavyweights be discussed without mentioning Nigeria. Nigeria is a nation on the move with a hub of opportunity. If nations are not looking towards Nigeria, they are missing out an opportunity to be part of and invest in something potentially great.

However, while the masses are tired of delay, and are no longer comfortable standing at a point with no appreciable growth and development, their leaders have been on the contrary. They prefer to keep the nation at a point as long as their greed is satisfied.

Subsidy Must Go; It Has Done More Harm Than Good! By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

 

In December 2011, I was back in Lagos from Umuahai, Abia State, to celebrate the Christmas break with my family and friends. My plan was to go back within the first week of the new year, 2012. I budgeted ten thousand naira (N10,000) for my transport fare both to and fro. The celebration was on and we were still in the mood of celebration, only for the Former President, Goodluck Jonathan to announce the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as Petrol. This removal suddenly increased the price of PMS from N67/L to N145/L consequently inflation hits the economy and everything went excessively expensive.

On getting to the park on the 4th of January 2012, same bus I boarded from Umuahia to Lagos for N3,500, was boarded back to Umuahia for N10,300. This time around it was not about the transport fare, but there were fewer buses that were ready to embark on the journey.

Why Lookest Thou For Change, When Change Is Here? Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Eight days after President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated; a friend called me and asked: Where is the Change President Buhari promised us during his campaign? I responded: Why Lookest Thou For Change, When Change Is Here? I went further and said, Change has begun, haven`t you seen it yet? It started right from the moment President Buhari gave his inaugural speech, when he said: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”

The message in that statement is obvious. It means; we now have a President that belongs to everybody. Everybody that is ready to act according to the constitution of the country and put the nation first before personal interests. It does not matter their ethnicity, region, religion or political affiliations. A President that belongs to nobody, that cares only about how to plunder the nation at all cost. It also doesn`t matter of what their ethnicity, region, religion or political affiliations is.

Dear President Muhammadu Buhari, Your Time Starts Now! By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

First and foremost, congratulations to you Sir on your election and inauguration as the fourth elected President of the Fourth Republic of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Against all odds, your election has finally proven and shown to many and the world at large that Nigeria is determined to achieve greatness and that with great dedication, commitments and consistency nothing is impossible to achieve.

I must admit, that your ascension to the highest office in the land came at a time when the country is in desperate need of a leader. One devoid of greed and with a strong passion for excellence. It came at a time when everything seems crashing and the centre no longer holding.

However, there is a reason why you were elected, to restore the lost hope to many Nigerians that have believed that it is impossible for anything good to emerge from the country.