The Recovery of General Sanni Abacha's Loots.

A few days ago, the United States returned another batch of money looted by the late General Sanni Abacha. Here is a breakdown of the loots recovered from the late Nigerian military despot so far:
1998 : $750m
2000: $64m
2002: $1.2bn
2003: $160m
2003: $88m
2005: $461m
2006: $44m
2014: $227m
2017: $322m
2019: £211m
2020: $311m
Ironically, the name of the late General is synonymous with what the Yoruba people refer to as an "abasha" (a stinker). Now, how could just one person loot so much staggering wealth at the expense of an entire nation? Yet, in spite of these evidences, the current Nigerian leadership refuses to believe that the late General Abacha was corrupt.

If Abacha had been fortunate to be alive today, he would have joined the ranks of retired Generals that are peacefully enjoying their loots. Like others, his wife, mistresses and kids would have carried on, flaunting the man's ill-gotten wealth in our faces. Those kids would not really need to study anything important in college or university. That is if they bothered with schools in the first instance. And they would not have to work. Going to casinos, playing polo or simply laying about somewhere, all day and every day would keep them occupied. When alive, what was Abacha, their father doing inside the Aso Rock Villa anyway? Such is the lot of poor Nigerians who merely tag along helplessly at the mercy of fully armed but mentally deficient leaders. No wonder, the country has remained stagnant for so long.

And lest we forget. Whatever happened to all of these recovered billions of dollars? Since 1998, no government has deemed it fit to render accounts to the public as to how these recovered loots were being disbursed or used. Could it be a case of one thief grabbing stuff while some other thieves taking it over? What a country!

COVID-19 as a Blessing in Disguise for Nigeria.

Excerpts from an article written by his Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie.

...But COVID-19 is also revelatory, a blessing in disguise, because it has exposed Nigeria as a country where quality of leadership is of low grade...
We are spending billions buying brand new cars for our political office holders, paying them sundry allowances, when we have no good hospital to handle the current emergency. Government impoverishes Nigerians, and, the same government has now decided to spray raw cash on the people it impoverishes. On prime-time television, we witnessed the spectacle of bales of naira notes, and a minister of the Federal Republic was doing the distribution...
In the same vein, we have heard how billions of naira are being donated to government without government telling Nigerians how the donation will be spent.
COVID-19 has also revealed to us that there are false prophets living among us. In a country where once you grab a Bible and a microphone you become a pastor or prophet or apostle, where you can become founder of a church without any serious theological formation, we have seen how some of our religious leaders have resorted to dishing out false prophecies. We have been treated to the cruelty of conspiracy theories woven by attention-seeking pseudo-apostles to nurture fear in the minds of people. We have seen how those who did not foresee any pandemic when, at the beginning of the year 2020, they claimed to be “prophesying” for Nigeria, now lay claims to have received a message.
Rather than join the government in providing palliative measures, we have also seen how some pastors have been asking their members to pay tithes even when those members are unable to venture out to earn their daily bread. Some who ventured out were brutalized by policemen and soldiers who are not held accountable for violating the rights of citizens they are paid to protect. Can’t we reason? Let us think!...

The Nigerian Leadership Crisis under General Buhari.

There is no gainsaying the fact

that General Buhari is the worst thing

that has ever happened to leadership in Nigeria.

Buhari's COVID-19 Speech.

I used to take the writings & comments of Reno Omokri with a "pinch of salt" because he was in a previous government that wreaked havoc on Nigeria due to clueless leadership.
   However, I can't help but concur with his analysis of General Buhari's speech on COVID-19.  Here is what Omokri posted on his official Twitter page after Buhari locked down Lagos, FCT and Ogun state:
1-General @MBuhari did not say anything new. @NOIweala already told us to wash our hands and maintin social distance. We want to hear what he plans to do to help. Nothing like that. Instead, he was praising himself. A robot would have done better .   2-General @MBuhari boasted about providing ₦15 billion intervention. Nonsense. That is $37 million for a population of 200 million people. That is less than the ₦150 billion he budgeted for NASS. India released $27 billion for food alone!  
3-How can the FG compete with the private sector in amount provided as relief? You collect taxes, oil rents and Abacha loot and all you give is ₦15 billion. The private sector gave more. Why do we pay you tax? Why do we have a government.  
4-General @MBuhari ordered a lockdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun. These areas have already been on lockdown for a week. Does it mean Buhari did not know? How can you ask people to stay in lockdown without providing a adequate reliefs to them.   5-General @MBuhari said the school feeding program should go on. Has he been living in a cave? @Google it. The states have been complaining that the program had been abandoned. He is unaware! So, students will stay at home and eat at school?  
6-Nigeria has a Strategic Food Reserve established by previous governments. If General @MBuhari had compassion, he should have ordered that the grains be released to Nigerians. After all, during Ramadan, Government shares good. Why not now?  
7-You can imagine the cheek of General @MBuhari talking about his useless #Tradermoni now! What nonsense! What is the relevance of tradermoni and NPOWER to #CoronaVirus if you are not mobilising beneficiaries as auxiliary health workers?  
8-In summary, General @MBuhari’s #CoronaVirus broadcast was just hot air! He did not redirect the $37 billion budgeted to renovate NASS or the $150 billion budgeted for less than 500 Reps and Senators towards providing relief for Nigerians  
9-General @MBuhari said he has instituted adequate fiscal measures. That is a lie. He has done little or nothing for individuals and businesses. No economic package for citizens forced to stay at home, even while NASS shares exotic cars  
10-Finally, if I have to describe General @MBuhari’s broadcast, I would say it was dishonest, disjointed, and symptomatic of the incompetence and cluelessness of a man who wants to feed school children while there are no children in schools.

Nigeria on Autopilot.

Right now, Nigeria is on "autopilot". The Chief of Staff who plays the role of the defacto president is in isolation, having tested positive for Corona virus. The president who actually is a window dressing, is Missing In Action. In the meantime, the Vice President is as good as a "glorified office boy" inside the Aso Rock Villa. Poor Nigerians!

How the Mighty are Falling in Nigeria.

In late 1983, one of the most powerful politicians in Nigeria was tipped off about a military coup. The man packed up his family and ran to France. Shortly after the advent of General Buhari's regime, many Nigerians were shocked to learn of the sudden death of the man due to a "mere" malaria. Unknown to them however, the French doctors had no clues as to how to treat the man's "mysterious" tropical disease. The lesson from that incident is simple: A time will always come when even the most powerful individuals can be brought to their knees and humbled in a most unexpected situation.
With COVID19, such a time has come in a very poetic manner for the few privileged Nigerians who are now stuck in a country they have mismanaged, looted and deprived of functioning hospitals, regular supply of electricity, good roads and other basic infrastructures.
Now, like the poor masses, the powerfully rich Nigerians have also begun to cry. Private jets, exotic cars, huge mansions and lots of cash have since been rendered useless in the face of a "mere" Corona virus.

The Ignorant and Myopic People are not Worth Fighting for.

When the Bolivian military finally got to find Che Guevara's hiding place. They got the information from a shepherd. Out of curiosity, they asked the shepherd: "Why denounce a man who is sacrificing himself for your freedom and well-being?"

The shepherd replied: "I denounce him because the crackling of his weapons always scares my animals in pasture."

When Mohamed Karim, the Egyptian who undertook to resist the assault on Alexandria by Napoleon, was arrested by the army and sentenced to death, Napoleon appealed to him and said:

"I have the trouble executing a man who has valiantly defended his country. I do not wish history to retain the image of me as a person who stifles the impetus of patriots that defend the integrity of their homeland. So, I promise you freedom if you pay ten thousand gold coins as financial compensation to my soldiers that the resistance killed."

Smiling, Mohamed Karim replied:

"I do not have the full amount requested on me  now. But the merchants of Alexandria for whom I fought are indebted to me by more than 100 thousand pieces of gold. They will pay this fine, for sure so that I will have my life saved."

Chained, Mohamed Karim was driven to the Alexandria market for a tour of the market in search of the sum on which his freedom would depend. But, to his great surprise and disappointment, no merchant cared about his fate. Worse, the merchants and the rest of the natives, accused him of being a troublemaker, destroyer of property, and undermining the economic vitality of the port city of Alexandria.

Napoleon, in view of this situation declared:

"I will concede that the sentence of capital punishment be executed...not because you killed my soldiers, but for having fought for cowardly people who cared more about their business than about their freedom and integrity."

Mohamed Rachid Rida, Syrian Arab reformator said: "To revolt on behalf of an ignorant people, is like to set yourself on fire in order to light the way for a blind man."

*Courtesy of Otunbzy*

Joke for the Weekend.

President Buhari of Nigeria met with the Queen of England in London and asked her...how do you run such an efficient government here? Are there any tips you can give to me? I want to help Nigeria.

QUEEN: The most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people.

Buhari: How do I know the people around me are really intelligent?

QUEEN: Oh, that's easy. Just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle. The Queen sent for Theresa May, the Prime Minister. Theresa May walked into the room,

MAY: Yes, your Majesty. You sent for me.

QUEEN: Answer this riddle. Theresa, your mother and father have a child, it is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"

MAY: Hmmm... that would be me.

QUEEN: Yes, very good.

When Buhari got back to Nigeria, he sent for Abba Kyari, his Chief of Staff.

Kyari walk in to Buhari's office.

Kyari : Sir you called me.

Buhari: Yes sit down and answer this; Your mother and your father have a child, it's not your brother and it's not your sister, who is it?

Kyari: I'm not sure, let me get back to you.

He asked all his staff in the office but none could give him an answer. Kyari then ran to Fashola.

Kyari asked:  Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or sister, who is it?"

FASHOLA: That's easy. It's me.

Kyari smiled and said, Thanks. Then he went back to speak with President Buhari.

Kyari: Sir, I have the answer to that riddle, It's Babatunde Raji Fashola...

Buhari got angry, and said to Kyari; No wonder Nigeria isn't moving forward, I am surrounded by dummies! The answer is... Theresa May! 

Basic Education on the Restructuring of Nigeria.

For those Nigerians still "geeked" by the term, Restructuring, here is an education by Chief Olu Falae: 

 

You know I am a leader in the South West and at the National convention, I was elected as the leader of the Yoruba delegation. So, I am central to the Yoruba position. The Yoruba position is my position and it is the same position I canvassed in my book, ‘The way forward for Nigeria’ which I launched since 2005 in Lagos. What we mean by restructuring is going back to the Independence Constitution which our leaders negotiated with the British between 1957 and 1959. It was on that basis that the three regions agreed to go to Independence as one united country. So, it was a negotiated constitution. 

This is because, if the three regions were not able to agree, there would not have been one united independent Nigeria. But because the three regions at that time negotiated and agreed to package a constitution, that is why they agreed to go to Independence together. When the military came in 1966 and threw away the constitution, they threw away the negotiated agreement among the three regions, which was the foundation of a united Nigeria.

This constitution we are using was made by late Gen Sani Abacha and the military; and Abacha came from only one part of Nigeria, so he wrote a constitution that favored his own part of Nigeria. That is why I am saying, let us restructure and go back to what all of us agreed before. That is the meaning of restructuring. The regions used to be federating units, but in today’s Nigeria, they would now be called federal regions because states have been created in the regions. So in the West, you now have federation of Yoruba states which would belong to the Nigerian union at the center. So, it is not like the region of old with all the powers. No. It is now going to be a coordinator of the states in the zone. That is what we mean by restructuring. And the regions would have a considerable autonomy as they used to have. For example, for the younger people, they may not know that every region then had its own constitution.

 

There were four constitutions at independence –the Federal constitution, Western constitution, Eastern constitution and Northern constitution. That was how independent they were and every region had an ambassador in London. The ambassadors for the regions were called Agent General so that you do not confuse them with that of Nigeria then called High Commissioner. So, Nigeria had four ambassadors in London. The ambassador for Nigeria then called a High Commissioner was M.T Mbu. The ambassador for Eastern Nigeria then was Mr Jonah Chinyere Achara, Western Nigeria was Mr Omolodun and for Northern Nigeria, it was Alhaji Abdulmalik. There were four of them. That was the kind of arrangement we agreed to, but the military threw it away and gave us this over-centralised unitary constitution.  

 

So, the military did not only throw away the constitution but a political consensus negotiated and agreed by our leaders of the three regions in those days. When we say restructuring now, we are saying let us go back substantially to that constitution which gave considerable autonomy to the regions. For example, each region at that time collected its revenue and contributed the agreed proportion to the centre. But when the military came, they turned it round and took everything to the centre. That could not have been accepted by Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe or Obafemi Awolowo.

 

So, we said this is not acceptable any more; we must go back to the negotiated constitution which gave considerable autonomy to the regions, so that they can compete in a healthy manner. For example, Chief Obafemi Awolowo wanted to introduce free education in the West and other regions said they could not afford it, but he went ahead to introduce it in the Western region. He said he wanted to pay a minimum of five shillings a day, while others were paying two and three shillings. He went ahead and passed the law, making five shillings the minimum wage in Western Nigeria.

 

There was no problem with that. In Western Nigeria, the constitution provided for a House of Assembly and the House of Chiefs. In Eastern Nigeria, there was no House of Chiefs because they did not think they needed one. There was no problem with that and that is the kind of Nigeria we negotiated in London, but that is different from what we have today. So, we are saying let us go back to that arrangement which all of us agreed at independence and not what Abacha imposed on us, which is very partial, unfair and one-sided. That is the meaning of restructuring; it is to restructure unfairness and give semi-autonomy to the federating units.

 

Chief Olu Falae is a leading Yoruba leader and was Head of the Southwest Delegation to the Jonathan National Constitutional Conference.

The Current State of Unrest in Nigeria.

Sometimes, one can’t help but wonder why too many of our folks, especially those back home just don’t care about the current state of the nation. While a whole lot of them are nonchalant due to selfish reasons, some others are simply burying their heads in the sands like a bunch of ostriches. The following statements, as made by seasoned columnists, aptly sum up the situation:

"Few Nigerians understand that our chaos, our urban rot and rural decay, our decrepit roads, hospitals, and universities, our power failures and water shortages, and our fuel scarcity are collective consequences of our wanton embrace of the ‘unthought’ and ‘unreflected’ society". -Pius Adesanmi.

"The Sultan of Sokoto was reported yesterday as expressing worries about the future of Nigeria. Given his position as the Caliph and his pedigree as a battle-tested General of the Nigerian Army, he should be worried. We should all be worried too. And I wish those in government share in these worries. Every sensible person knows the country is exactly in a pre-crash state, except God takes absolute control of the cockpit..." - Lasisi Olagunju.

“Boko Haram is festering, bandits are slaying, killer herdsmen are advancing, SARs are maiming, secessionist are agitating, militants are emboldened, young people are idle and hunger is killing you, yet all you do is muse on base things. .. like a Phoenix, common sense is buried somewhere in the ashes of this national mediocrity and it's resurrection (which will lead to an insurrection) is at hand…” - Senami Kojah.

Nigerians protesting against tribalism.

Leader of the Boko Haram terrorists.

Nigerian soldiers.

The Elevation of Incompetence by Shaka Momodu.

President Mohammadu Buhari of Nigeria

There is a struggle going on in Nigeria. It is a struggle between two evils – one, less so with a touch of human face and the other, extremely so – aloof, insensitive, unfeeling, deeply hypocritical and incompetent on a level never before seen in our country. My dilemma is not so much with choosing between the two, but about some people’s warm embrace of the latter. Ordinarily, one would think that the less dangerous of the two would be more attractive to many people. But I have been shocked by some people’s blind craving for danger masked in superlative adjectives of integrity, character, honesty, etc.

I must confess that I have been struggling to understand the rationale and motive of some of these people for their willful blind support for a man whose legendary lack of competence and capacity for the job of president of a diverse country as Nigeria has been established beyond a shadow of a doubt, not by murmurs of ill-feeling or whispers of rumours born out of partisan jealousy, but by loud evidence, albeit with the tragic consequences that have come through the massive decline in all facets of our national life. We are in strange times, an era where failure is hailed as excellence by a vocal group of revisionists hell-bent on continuing the path of destruction.

This government has been laying the blame for its poor performance on others. President Muhammadu Buhari’s supporters have remained in lockstep with him, creating excuses and celebrating his stunning incompetence as excellence. All policy decisions made by the previous government are bad in the eyes of this government which unfortunately has shown no intellectual depth, vision, rigour of character or creative ingenuity, to create superior alternative solutions. Sometimes I get amused when I read the president’s complaints and lamentations in the newspapers. I ask myself, how can someone whose government is totally bereft of ideas and energy condemn the work of others. A man who brazenly claims other people’s achievements the result of thoughtfulness has the temerity to condemn the same people for lacking imagination.

Let us even set all that aside and restrict our assessment to three key areas, viz., economic reforms, restoring security and intensifying the fight against corruption – the tripod upon which then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari anchored his vision to transform Nigeria. He received thunderous support from who’s who on this tripod, pushed through on the strength of the Buhari triangle of personal integrity, character, and ascetic lifestyle.

But as things stand today, can Buhari’s supporters really tell us from the bottom of their heart that he has delivered on his promise in the area of security? Some of us will not be surprised at the ”yes” chorus from the self-deluding Buharists. Buhari’s strongest selling point was that as a retired general, he was best equipped to deal ruthlessly with the anarchist Boko Haram. Of course that belief was somewhat not misplaced given his advertised track record. Well, it has proved to be misplaced after all – an exaggerated regard for a man who has repeatedly demonstrated contempt for values of national cohesion. In the mad hysteria of 2015, our nation was lured with sweet nothings into the hangman’s noose. Now in 2019, those same characters that lured the people are not done yet; they want to finally kick the stool off our nation’s feet. What is wrong with the black man of the Nigerian specie?

A report of the US-based International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) released last week spoke volumes about the state of the war against Boko Haram. Extracts from the report indicated that the Nigerian government had completely and comprehensively lost control of the engagement with Boko Haram and could show no instance when the government had tactical, theatre, strategic or information dominance of any aspects of the conflict. According to the report, as the insurgent groups grow stronger by the day, the government forces grow weaker and more beset by morale collapse.

It said: “It is fair to say that the Nigerian intelligence community itself is no longer sure what groups even comprise ‘Boko Haram’, nor has it addressed the international logistical, ideological, and support aspects contributing to the ongoing viability of the groups. The conduct of the war in the North is tied to the corruption in the military and Buhari — ring-fenced by his own team — is unable to tackle the issue.”

The report stated further that the leadership of the military, including the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno (rtd), rather than concentrate on how to defeat the insurgents is preoccupied with how to stop the leakage of information about the massive corruption running into the equivalent of many billions of dollars that has taken place on the pretext of fighting Boko Haram. All these happened on the watch of “Mr Integrity” and a “no-nonsense anti-corruption czar”.

When Buhari took office in 2015, we were dealing with a largely decimated Boko Haram. Four years down the line, our country is dealing with at least four major security threats, a strengthened and highly equipped Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa Province (ISWAP), terrorist herdsmen, and heavily armed bandits that have turned Zamfara State into a killing field. Recall that when 39 people were slaughtered in Zamfara in February last year, the state Governor Abdulaziz Yari lamented how he supported and campaigned for Buhari on the strength of Buhari’s advertised capacity to end insecurity in the country. Yari, a staunch Buhari ally, spoke the truth many in Buhari’s orbit would never admit when he thought he had seen the worst.

That is the tragedy of Nigeria. Needless to remind every concerned Nigeria that the Zamfara situation as in other parts of the country has progressively gone worse, and yet the government’s response has been lacklustre, aloof and totally irresponsible. Because of the worsening security situation in Zamfara State, Yari is now begging for a state of emergency to be declared. Unsurprisingly, Buhari insensitively launched his reelection campaign in Akwa Ibom on the back of the most recent killings in Zamfara. His campaign saw nothing wrong with that. They want to win the election by all means. Talk to those in his campaign team and all you hear is the pompous rhetoric of how they “will win in February”.

In the president’s home state of Katsina, Governor Aminu Masari has joined in crying out about the state of insecurity at an extraordinary security meeting in Katsina. This was how he put it: “Our state is currently under serious siege by armed robbers, kidnappers and armed bandits who arrest rural people at the grassroots at will and demand ransom, which if not paid, they kill their victims. The people of Katsina, in the 34 local governments, now sleep with one eye closed and the other opened.” Despite the poor situation in Katsina, Masari is still campaigning for Buhari, for whom he has vowed to deliver millions of votes for his reelection. Does this make sense? Is this not a classic case of suffering and smiling?

For these people, Buhari must continue not because he is performing, but because of their “conscientious stupidity”. What a shame! While we embrace incompetence, it is Nigeria that suffers and human lives that are lost. Have you not also heard? Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima has raised the alarm that the security situation is getting worse, but said he would not criticise Buhari because the president has given him (the governor) “unfettered access to him”. So because of that unfettered access, he cannot criticise the president, even when it is obvious the situation is getting out of hand? Another classic case of “conscientious stupidity”…Indeed, Buhari has become the nemesis of a progressive Nigeria. To those campaigning for him to continue in office, history will be less forgiving of what they have done to our country.



Corrupt Leadership in Nigeria.

The late General Sani Abacha

There is a department in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in Abuja, Nigeria. It is called the Affairs of the Former Heads of State. The department was said to have been established by General Sani Abacha by accident. 

A few weeks after seizing power from Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan  on November 17 1993, Abacha summoned Alhaji Usman Aliyu Shehu Shagari through the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Aminu Saleh (CFR) to Abuja. After a few days of futile search, Saleh reported back to Abacha that he could not locate Shagari, who by then, did not have a house of his own in Sokoto but in his village in Yabo Local Government Area. Unfortunately, there was no communication center to locate him in the village.

 

General Abacha was shocked that former President Shagari, whom he deposed through a radio announcement on December 31 1983 on allegations of massive corruption, did not even have a house afterall in his state capital of Sokoto. He then instructed Saleh to create a department in his office that must take ‘good care’ of former heads of state. Taking ‘good care’ includes catering for their families as well.

Of course it was common knowledge that Shagari's only house then was the face me I face you painted green white green on the road to Gwandu. It was the same house he built as a school headmaster many years before. 

That was not the end of that story.

Abacha built a befitting house for him which he moved into in 1997 at Police Commissioner's Quarters in Sokoto.

The situation was worse in the case of Tafawa Balewa, the erstwhile prime minister of the nation who had no bank account. He died in penury. His wife was rescued from "street begging" in 2001 by the then government of Gov. Adamu Muazu. 

The young people of today need to know that Nigeria has not always been ruled by corrupt leaders. Sadly, many of the young people are not interested in the History segment of the internet. All they care about is the small portion that covers the social media. 

Anyway, Tafawa Balewa and Shehu Shagari are just examples of the few imperfect but altruistic and honest Nigerian leaders with which our nation was once blessed. Ironically though, instead of being inspired by the pious lifestyles of our past leaders, many of the next generation of leaders (both military and civilians) have since become so financially insecure that their primary objectives in public offices are to embezzle the public treasuries in their respective trust. 

Naturally, the stress that comes from hiding and keeping track of those looted funds usually overwhelm them. Often, they are distracted from their duties and responsibilities to the public. And their children rarely amount to anything great in life. Rather, the kids become delinquents whose main occupation is to fritter away the same money for which their parents have sold their souls. Unfortunately, the accumulation of looted funds never guarantees a healthy life. And  neither will such looted "billions" ensure a long, fulfilled life for the foolish individual politicians. 

May the souls of our departed honest leaders rest in perfect peace.

Two Powerful Men Behind Buhari’s Slow Progress –Aisha.

(Nigeria's First Lady, Aisha Buhari) 

Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, yesterday revealed that the leadership of the country under her husband would have performed better, but for two powerful individuals standing as clogs in its wheels. Mrs. Buhari said there are two men in President Muhammadu Buhari administration who have constituted themselves as hindrance for the speedy progress of governance.

The President’s wife said that she is disappointed in men who rather than fight these two men will go to them in the night begging for favor.

The President’s wife, who spoke at a National Women Leadership Summit organised by a political group, Project 4+4 for Buhari & Osinbajo 2019, in Abuja, however, did not mention the names of the powerful persons. She noted that if not for the two powerful men, Buhari’s achievements in the last three and a half years would have been accomplished by the President in one year. Mrs. Buhari stated that the two people in government would never allow things to move fast.

The First Lady, however, stated that the President has done well in the delivery of good governance. The event was also attended by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo. Mrs. Buhari urged Nigerian women to rise up and fight.

(Nigeria's president, Mohammed Buhari)

When the Political Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojodu, was signaling to the First Lady to move away from the topic, she said: “I have realized that Senator Babafemi Ojodu, Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, and Dr. Hajo Sani, my aide, Sajo, and wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Osinbajo, are not comfortable with me saying this and want me to confine myself to my prepared speech, but we must say the truth.”

The President’s wife insisted that the two powerful people are retrogressive elements preventing the government from moving forward. This is not the first time the first Lady would be critical of her husband’s government and its functionaries.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Aisha had stated that Buhari’s government had been hijacked by only a “few people”, who were behind presidential appointments. According to her, the president did not know most of the officials he appointed. The First Lady stated that people who did not share the vision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were appointed to top posts because of the influence a “few people” wield.

Her words: “The president does not know 45 out of 50 of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. “Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position,” she said.

When asked to name those who had hijacked the government, the First Lady simply said: “You will know them if you watch television.” Asked whether the president was in charge, Mrs. Buhari had said: “That is left for the people to decide.”

(Nigeria's National Assembly in Session)

Meanwhile, Mrs. Buhari has observed that during the last election, women participated fully in the voting process and ensured that APC was elected. According to her, “That is why the government of President Buhari came up with social investment programmes targeted at them and their children in order to engage them and reduce the level of poverty among them.

“I wish to call on women to spread the good news and accomplishments of the present administration. “I also call on you to propagate our party manifesto which promises to change the lives of Nigerians and what it has achieved so far,’’ she said.

She called on women not to relent in their effort at sensitising and mobilising women to ensure the success of the party in the 2019 elections. Mrs. Buhari said with commencement of campaign for the 2019 elections, the key areas for APC women would be critical information sharing, security awareness and advocacy against vote buying.

She said that the summit had set the tune for Buhari/Osinbajo support groups to go on with the 2019 campaign.

The wife of the president, therefore, appealed to participants drawn from the 774 local government areas of the country to reflect on the achievements of the Buhari administration. In her contributions, the wife of Vice-President,  Mrs. Osinbajo, said that the APC government had performed creditably in the fight against insurgency and the rebuilding and rehabilitation of victims of insurgency and their communities.

On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Hajo Sani, urged women to be resilient in the effort to ensure the re-election of Buhari/ Osinbajo in the 2019 election. According to her, women are convinced that the Buhari administration had completed and initiated new road projects as well as other infrastructure developments across the country.

Sani restated the commitment of the wife of the President to better the lives of women and children through gender balancing in Nigeria. Also, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, appealed to Nigerian women to give the Buhari/Osinbajo a chance in the 2019 elections to consolidate on their achievements. Earlier, the APC National Woman Leader, Hajiya Salamatu Baiwa, urged APC women to shun campaign of calumny.

The Coming Generation of Nigerians Scares me.

While we have been busy talking about Nigeria of today, I wonder if we have spared a thought about how this country will be in the next TWENTY-FIVE years. 

On October 1, 1979, when Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari was sworn-in as president, 

- Goodluck Jonathan was just a 22 year-old undergrad of University of Port-Harcourt. 

- Shagari was 54 years old. 

- Ayo Fayose was 19 years old. 

- Bukola Saraki was 17. 

- Yemi Osibajo was 22. 

The generation of the likes of Shagari, Richard Akinjide, Adisa Akinloye, Sabo Barkin Zuwo, Sam Mbakwe, Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Ume Ezeoke,  Christian Onoh, Akin Omoboriowo, Olusola Saraki, Sunday Awoniyi, Garba Nadama, Awal Ibrahim and so on has gone for good! 

 Some of us in our 40s, 50s and 60s now, were  in school then, either in the university or secondary school. We had lofty dreams, both personal and societal. We were always motivated by nationalists and inventors who had impacted positively on the cause of humanity.  

We were voracious readers of novels and other books. Nelkon for our Ordinary Level Physics, Lambert for Chemistry, B.O ADELEKE and Goh Cheng Leong for our Geography, Phebean Ogundipe for Practical English, William Shakespeare Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, OLa Rotimi and Wole Soyinka for Literature and others like that.  

We were always flaunting our knowledge of current affairs. Inter-school quiz, Literary and Debating competition were the in-thing.  

Nowadays, students can hardly string a sentence together in English without errors.

Fast forward 35 years on and you are shocked and disturbed. Have you ever spoken to or engaged a 20 year-old boy? Ask him what motivates him and he is likely to mention music, hip hop to be precise. He has hundreds of downloaded songs on his phone. He can sing all of them off hand. He knows all the singles of Nice, Neato C, Timaya, Davido, Whiz Kid off hand.  

The babes among them take pride in enticing men old enough to be their fathers on social media with buxomly physique. 

But a typical young Nigerian of today does not know anything about history of nationalism in the country. Ideas about good society, responsible family and good conduct do not motivate him/her. They just want to make money because their friends that do  yahoo or some other scam or money ritual are rich and ride great, exotic cars. And the young woman that is into numerous ‘aristos’ drives an SUV or specifically,  a G-Wagon and splash it all over the internet!  

The things that interest him/her are things that do not add value. He /she has google but never uses it for advancement of knowledge but to download porn and other inanities. Yet, in TWENTY years time, they are the ones that will be contesting to become governors, senators, Reps members and even president.  

They belong to a generation that does not care about morality. They belong to a generation that is motivated only by money and its acquisition. By 2035 to 2040, they will be our senators, Reps, governors and so on. 

I wonder if we have ever spared a thought for how this country will look like under them. I told a man recently and these are my words: IF A GUY WHO IS IN LAGOS COULD USE FALSE PRETENCE TO OBTAIN $20,000 FROM SOMEONE IN UNITED STATES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IF SUCH A GUY BECOMES A STATE GOVERNOR AND IS IN CHARGE OF AN ALLOCATION HE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO OBTAIN UNDER FALSE PRETENCE? WHICH HIS STATE IS STATUTORILY ENTITLED TO...WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE MONEY UNDER HIS IMMEDIATE CONTROL? 

LEADERSHIP IS NOT A BUSINESS.

The time the Leader of the Islamic State, Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) demands from the people of the city of Hims (in Syria) to list out the names of the needy so as to assist them with a share of the State funds; what Umar came across shocked and amazed him. In the midst of the name of the poor and impoverished people was the name of the Governor of Hims, that is, Sa’eed Ibn Amir (RA).

Umar asked why the name of the Governor was included in the list of the needy. They replied: “He shares his salary to the poor and needy such that by the time the cycle completes, he is left with nothing”.

Then Umar asked further: Does he do things that you don’t want? They said: Yes.

1. He doesn’t come to attend to us until mid-morning

2. He doesn’t see us at night

3. In a week, he keeps away for a day without anyone seeing him.

Umar (RA) then asked him why? He (Sa’eed Ibn Amir (RA)) said:

1. The reason why I don’t come out until mid-morning is that my wife has been sick and I don’t have any helper at home, so I usually stay back to complete the basic domestic works, thereafter I will then come out.

2. Why I don’t see anyone at night is because I have set aside the whole day for the people, to respond to their needs. And I have set aside the night to relate with my Lord

3. Why I set aside a day in a week not to see anyone is because that is the day I take off my clothe to wash and wait for it to dry up because I have no other clothe aside this.

Umar (RA) burst into tears.

LESSON: *Leadership should be a sacrifice not a business*

Nigeria, What a Country?

Nigeria, my ancestral homeland, is a terrifyingly funny place. And it is so in view of the strange melodramatic intrigues that take place in its political landscape. In the early 1980s, the Lagos State government of Lateef  Jakande wanted to construct several Metro lines to link up the city of Lagos with the rest of the state. But due to political differences, the leadership of Shehu Shagari used its federal might to delay and frustrate the project's take-off. Shortly afterward, General Buhari came to government through a coup in 1984 and cancelled the project in its entirety. And now 34 years later, the same Buhari, now a civilian president, merely commissioned a one-line metro project (that was actually started by his predecessors) and the country was agog with massive celebration! What a country?