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Why Wenger Has Not Penned A New Arsenal Deal

Mohammed Useni
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Why Wenger Has Not Penned A New Arsenal Deal

Neil Moxley of the Sunday People has insinuated that the reason why Arsenal’s French manager, Arsene Wenger has not penned a new contract with the club is because he wants to be accorded the rights of taking transfer decisions at the London club.

Wenger wants to gain full control over the purchase and sales of players at the club.

The major shareholder at Arsenal Football club, Stan Kroenke has confirmed that the 64 years old French manager will sign a new long-term deal with Arsenal which may see him end his career at the club.

Arsenal has made it through to the Semi Finals of the FA Cup after a convinving 4-1 win over Everton yesterday.

Seize The Time – CSO Program Of Action For National Conference

Mohammed Useni
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Seize The Time – CSO Program Of Action For National Conference

PRO-DEMOCRACY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS ANNOUNCE PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR DELEGATES AND ALLIES IN THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE

 9TH MARCH 2014

SEIZE THE TIME: A CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE (A PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR PRO-DEMOCRACY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS)

BACKGROUND:

Because historically we have been at the fore of the social forces agitating for and demanding for a National Conference, we have chosen to engage robustly and critically with the National Conference now being convened by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

We understand full well that the decision to convene the National Conference was not an act of gratuitous charity on the part of a benevolent regime; but that it is rather a concession wrested from the hesitant hands of a regime facing increasing isolation and reduced popular acceptance.

Precisely because of this exceptional circumstance, as well as because of its timing; on the anniversary of a hotly divisive centenary and on the eve of a general election expected to be decisively contested; because of these reasons, we welcome the convening of the National Conference as an opportunity for decisive and potentially national transforming engagement.

OUR DEMANDS AND AGENDA:

The historical demands of the pro-democracy movement in Nigeria, driven by our collective aspiration for National Liberation, Social Emancipation, and fully participatory democratisation process shall remain the main pivot and shall be central to our participation in and engagement with the National Conference.

For the avoidance of doubt, these demands can be aggregated as follows;

  1. A comprehensive Bill of Rights spanning and including all known civil, political, socio-cultural and economic rights and which shall be consolidated into a single justiceable and enforceable chapter of the Nigeria Constitution.
  2. The adoption of a socio-economic framework aimed at guaranteeing the basic minimum to every citizen, and prioritising an inclusive economic revival plan that will eradicate poverty, hunger, homelessness and joblessness in the society.
  3. A regime of fiscal federalism that encourages healthy competition amongst constituent units of the federation while also ensuring that no section of the federation shall be left uncatered for.
  4. A genuinely mass participatory democratic polity that ensures the full involvement of citizens in decision making and implementation at all levels of government.
  5. A single citizenship of the Nigerian Federation for all citizens, with the only qualifying criteria for representation being agreed minimum residency status.
  6. Consensus on enforceable guiding principles for a comprehensive reform of the justice, security and law enforcement system, including a determination to expose and severely punish corruption.
  7. Open, unfettered discussions of all issues on the agenda of the National Conference in the full glare of Nigerian citizens.
  8. A National referendum as the only means for validating the resolutions of the National Conference.

OUR WAYS OF WORKING:

In order to be able to achieve these at the conference, Prodemocracy Civil Society organisations and their delegates shall commit to the following:

  1. Establish a National Pro-Democracy Civil Society Coordinating Secretariat in Abuja as interface between delegates, the wider civil society community and citizens in general. This National Coordinating Secretariat which shall be fully representative and which shall organise and coordinate technical support for civil society delegates and their allies as well coordinate the feedback processes shall be hosted in a central office in Abuja.
  2. Run the Pro-democracy Civil Society Coordinating Secretariat as a decentralised entity by establishing Zonal Pro-democracy Civil Society Coordinating Secretariats in each of the six geo-political zones – (Port Harcourt, Lagos, Owerri, Jos, Kano, and Maiduguri). These zonal coordinating secretariats shall be hosted by Pro-Democracy Networks/coalitions/organisations with effective presence in each zone.
  3. Throughout the duration of the National Conference, mass and representative meetings of civil society and citizens shall be organised on a weekly basis, every weekend, by the National and Zonal Coordinating secretariats to enable a continuous aggregation of the views of the citizens and ensure that delegates are accountable to their constituents.
  4. Weekly mass delegates meetings of citizens shall also be encouraged in each state of the federation before, during and after the National Conference.
  5. Active engagement with the media, as well as active utilisation of social media platforms for effective and widest possible interactive engagement with citizens as well as to disseminate updates and receive feedback.

IN LIEU OF A CONCLUSION:

Finally we are determined not only to utilise the National Conference to discuss all contentious issues in our 100 year history; but also to utilise the Conference to set the agenda for the 2015 general elections in particular, and for inclusive, participatory democratic governance beyond 2015.

This is the program of the Pro-democracy Civil Society Organisations for the National Conference. While as a general rule we shall not enter into any ambiguous broad alliances and blocs at the National Conference, we shall however conclude tactical alliances for the purposes of getting ours and other pro-people positions approved only on a case by case basis.

In this regard we welcome the active engagement of other delegates who share our determination to actualise the aspirations of other Nigerians, and look forward to working together with such delegates on areas of common agreement.

ISSUED BY THE PRO-DEMOCRACY CIVIL SOCIETY NATIONAL CONFERENCE ENGAGEMENT SECRETARIAT: ABUJA, MARCH 2014

SIGNED:

1.   Dr. Isaac Osuoka [Sankara]

2.   Auwal Musa Rafsanjani

3.   Ezenwa Nwagwu

4.   Jaye Gaskia

And The Winner Is… Check Out Complete List Of AMVCA 2014 Winners

Mohammed Useni
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And The Winner Is… Check Out Complete List Of AMVCA 2014 Winners

The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards 2014 (AMVCA) went down successfully last night at the Expo Centre of Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. The big shots in the African movie industry were present as captains of industries also graced the occasion.

Awards were given to deserving filmmakers, actors, actresses, makeup artistes, video and audio editors, cinematographers and other movie professionals at the 2014 AMVCA.

The movie, Nairobi Half Life was one one of the big winners on the night. A movie directed by Shirley Frimpong-Manso, The Contract was adjudged to be the best African movie for the year in review.

Below are the full list of winners:

-Best Movie of 2013 – The Contract

-Best Actress in a Drama Award – Tope Tedela for A Mile From Home

-Best Actress in a Drama Award – Nse Ikpe-Etim for Journey To Self

– Industry Merit Award – Peter Edochie

-Best Movie Drama goes – Frank Rajah Arase for The Price

-Best actor in a comedy award – Elvis Chucks

-New era award – Rita Dominic for The Meeting

-Trailblazer ward – Michelle Bello

-Best supporting actor in a Drama – Desmond Elliot for Finding Mercy

-Best supporting actress in a Drama – Bikiya Graham-Douglas for Flower Girl

-Best Director – Shirley Frimpong-Manso (Contract)

-Best Actor in a Comedy – Osita Iheme – (The Hero)

-Best Online Video – Amarachukwu Onoh – (Mother Tongue)

-Best Short Film award – Walter ‘Waltbanger’ Taylaur – (The Wages)

Best Documentary award – Dr Gilbert Chigbo – (The Deadwood)

-Best Indigenous Language (Hausa) – Abba Muko Yakassai

-Best indigenous language Yoruba award – Mercy Aigbe

-Best indigenous language Swahili award – Njoki Muhoho (Mama Duka)

-Best Television Series (Comedy/Drama) award – Fred Phiri (Love Games Episode 6)

-Best video editor – Shirley Frimpong-Manso – (Contract)

-Best sound editor – Obi Emelonye and Luke Corradine  (Last Flight to Abuja)

-Best Cinematographer – Christian Almesberger  (Nairobi Half Life)

-Best Writer in a Comedy award – Jigi Bello (Flower Girl)

-Best Lighting Designer – Mohamed Zain (Nairobi Half Life)

-Best Writer in a Drama – Shirley Frimpong-Manso & Hertey Owusu  (Contract)

-Best Make-Up Artiste Award – Elayne Okaya (Nairobi Half Life)

-Best Costume Designer – Chiemela Nwagboso (The Kingdom)

-Best Art Director – Barbara Minishi (Nairobi Half Life)

In Osun, Scarcity Bites harder As Petrol Now Sells For N120 Per Litre

Mohammed Useni
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In Osun, Scarcity Bites harder As Petrol Now Sells For N120 Per Litre

A litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) sold for N120 in Osogbo, the Osun capital, and its environs on Saturday, following the biting fuel scarcity in parts of the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the last few days has seen the return of the long queues to the filling station.

This development has led to PMS now selling for more than the stipulated N97 pump price.

In Osogbo, most of the filling stations within the metropolis, apart from Oduwoye and Conoil Oil, were only selling petroleum products in the early morning of Saturday.

Other stations simply shut their gates to customers.

At Ile-Ife, heavy queues were noticed in the filling stations which opened for business in the town, while many of them were under lock and key.

Most of the filling stations along Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Campus road were open but not selling to customers.

An official of one of the filling stations, who asked to be anonymous, told NAN they had been instructed to stop selling PMS.

He said this was as a result of the continued shortage in the supply of the product from the main depot in Ibadan.

“We have not been able to ascertain the real cause of the shortage, but we gathered that it has to do with non-payment of subsidy money to some marketers who have genuine claims,’’ the official said.

The manager of Conoil Oil at Mayfair area of Ile-Ife, Mr Femi Eluyera, described the scarcity as a national phenomenon which needed to be addressed headlong.

“It is a national issue. Osun is just getting its own share of the problem and I hope the situation will get better soon, but it requires urgent dialogue amongst stakeholders,’’ Eluyera said.

Also, the manager of one of the AP filling stations in Ilesa, who did not want his name in print, blamed government for the scarcity.

“The government knows where the problem is coming from. Its officials cannot pretend as if they do not know what is going on.

“How can you continue to deal with subsidy thieves with kid gloves, while you are callously withholding the money of those who have really imported petroleum products?

“Those marketers who are round-tripping and defrauding the government should be made to return all the money they have collected while adequate provision should be made for genuine importers,’’ he said.

Saatah Nubari: National Confab, Ogoni’s Are Part Of Nigeria Too

Mohammed Useni
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Saatah Nubari: National Confab, Ogoni’s Are Part Of Nigeria Too

When the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, announced in a live broadcast to Nigerians, that he was going to convene a Sovereign National Conference, I was among the vast majority of Nigerians who greeted it with enthusiasm. My reasons for supporting this planned national discuss weren’t farfetched, issues needed to be sorted out, we needed to get angry, talk about our grievances and most especially, reconcile our differences. The list of delegates earmarked for the National Conference has been released to the public, and after going through that list, saying I was disappointed would be an understatement—but I would rather understate than overstate, and in this case, overstating the facts which is tantamount to exaggeration, is quite unnecessary.
To be frank, the most important part of that list to me was the Socio-Cultural or Ethnic part of it. I immediately went right there, reading each name with care and diligence. I wasn’t trawling for a particular name; rather I was searching for a particular kind of name, a name that bore resemblance to arguably the most exploited ethnic group in Africa, the Ogoni’s. That name was missing, it was obvious, the Ogoni’s didn’t have a representative on that list, and in layman’s term, the Ogoni people aren’t going to be represented on the day the affairs of this country will be discussed, and the day people who’ve been oppressed will state their grievances.
It will be unfair to say that sentiments shouldn’t be brought into this issue, but I’ll be quick to point out that sentiment is one of the many factors that have contributed to the planned staging of this important conference. It would be necessary to refresh and remind everyone that when it comes to the Niger Delta struggle or the talk about injustice and repression, there isn’t a better synonym for oppression than Ogoni. This is a people who have had their sons and daughter murdered, their environment destroyed, to the point where the United Nations report on Ogoniland states that it will take about thirty years for Ogoniland to be returned to its past state. The fact that the Ogoni’s have always addressed the issues of injustice meted out to them peacefully, without carrying arms or detonating bombs, right from the days of the late Human rights and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa to the present set of leaders, should have made the organizers of this event make sure that the Ogoni’s are ably represented. The case is now different; the Ogoni’s have once again been shortchanged. They’ve been shortchanged maybe for their peaceful nature, they’ve been shortchanged because there’s no longer a Ken Saro-Wiwa to spearhead their peaceful cause and give it an international dimension, they’ve been shortchanged because they’ve drank too much of benzene infected water that they’re probably too sick to be allowed to speak. They’ve been shortchanged because they’ve bathed enough acid rain to cause them cancer, and cancer infected people are not needed when the conference finally holds.
I’ll be quick to silence the people who’ll want to be quicker by pointing out that a certain Justice Peter Akere whose name appeared on that list is an Ogoni man. It should be noted that there’s a huge difference between the Ogoni people having a representative, and the Rivers State Government sending an Ogoni man as part of the delegates to represent Rivers people. The former deals with an Ogoni person whose designated role is simply to speak on behalf of the Ogoni people he represents, he has the right to state our grievances and objections, our trials and tribulations, and most of all state our needs and what we’re expecting to gain from our participation in this conference. The later is much different, here Justice Akere is a representative of the people of Rivers State and his ethnic alliance has no meaning whatsoever. Here, his primary role is to speak for the entirety of Rivers people and push for their interest and satisfaction to be considered.
I’ll love to remind us that it’s been more than two years since the United Nations released their assessment on Ogoniland, and yet no meaningful step has been taken to ensure that the Ogoni people of Southern Nigeria have a better environment. The $30 billion asked by the UN to be earmarked for this project has also not been provided—nothing is too small to start with in the first place. Our rivers are still un-fishable, our rains are still acidic and a generation prone to cancer is been groomed. Our lands are still un-farmable, our periwinkles un-pickable. Our fishes are still un-eatable and our crabs un-catchable.
I love facts and truths, and whichever you choose; the Ogoni’s have contributed a whopping $30 billion to the Nigerian economy, which translates to about 4 trillion naira. If everybody was asked to pay for a chance to be represented, it is obvious that the Ogoni people have contribute both economically and with the blood of its sons and daughters to have a seat. The fact that the Ogoni’s have been a peaceful bunch shouldn’t and doesn’t mean they’re gun shy. The Ogoni’s deserve a representative; we’re a part of Nigeria too.
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Article written by Saatah Nubari follow on Twitter @Saatah

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Fredrick Nwabufo: We Are Boko Haram

Mohammed Useni
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Fredrick Nwabufo: We Are Boko Haram

As the Boko Haram “intifada” continues to transmogrify in monstrosity; upping the ante in barbarism and savagery, more Nigerians, undoubtedly, will be martyred. This is not a prognosis of doom, but a cringing deduction from the exegesis of the terror group. However, this article does not broach Boko Haram’s future killing statistics.
All around the navel and fringes of north-eastern Nigeria, Boko Haram roams cutting down feeble “usurpers” who are pawned by fate. From the rustic communities of Borno to the slumbering towns of Yobe; it is the same fate that binds them in one tragedy loop. Boko Haram has become to the inhabitants of this axis of infamy and horror a festering sore which they have to live with; a nightmare that has become a daylight reality.
And so it is, today Boko Haram has become the spitting image of evil; the belch from the bowels of hell. True as this representation of Boko Haram may be, the fact is that it has always been with us. Boko Haram has always been the subservient, quiet and docile demon in our ultra-religious space. And when that demon has soaked up enough contaminated religious water, it unleashes itself fiercely on obverse people knifing, biting, mauling and mowing. All tools in its killing kit, it unleashes to relieve itself of religious concupiscence.
“Religicide” (killing in the name of God) is the child of ultra-religiousness. It is common where religion trounces reason. And in Nigeria, an ultra-religious country, reason is a prisoner. Again, what ultra-religiousness in Nigeria connotes is incessant frictions and clashes arising from the collision of different religions or faith. And that means, even if Boko Haram is subdued today, something greater than it may rise from its ashes.
As a matter of fact, Boko Haram is a manifestation of the loss of reason, and it can be apparelled in the robe of Islam, in the hood of Christianity, or in the raiment of any religion. The Anti-Balaka, a collection of Christian militias giving the Boko Haram treatment to Muslims in Central Africa Republic is a clear indication that a delicacy of terror can be prepared and served by Christians too. The truth is, a mind fecundated by religion is schizophrenic, and as a result, it is dangerous behind the trigger.
Come to think of it, have we wondered why terrorism is common in ultra-religious societies? The Middle East, in spite of all its resources is a hotbed of violence, rape, child marriage and gender discrimination. One would have hoped that being ultra-religious; societies in the Middle East would be front-liners in promoting democracy, fairness, gender equality and peace. But sadly, that is not the case.
Ours is an ultra-religious society with little care for reason. We hold our religious beliefs arrogantly to our chests, and cease to reason out or think through what our religious lords feed us. We gulp down large morsels of religious tommy-rot, and challenge any authority that disputes our “truths”. We keep contaminating our minds with religious poisons until our guts cannot contain them, and then we puke the poisons on people of obverse faith.
Besides, while Boko Haram is waging a Jihad against the country, churches in Nigeria are waging crusades against the pockets of their adherents. Nigerian churches employ mind-bending strategies to keep their faithful mass of penitents under a regimen of compulsory and thankless giving. Nevertheless, that is a subject for another day.
Truth be told, beyond the political and economic reasons that have been given for the rising and thriving of Boko Haram, one neglected reason that may be the kingpin of the other reasons is religion. Boko Haram is the fallout of our ultra-religious society. Our society being ultra-religious gives expansive room for the mushrooming of dangerous sects and groups. It also engenders religious conflicts and schisms.
In the 1980s what appeared to be a harbinger of today’s Boko Haram rampaged through the north. It was Maitatsine and his boys. Then later, it was Musa Makaniki and the residue of Maitatsine boys. Many lives were lost in the riots that these ultra-religious men caused. These terrorists rose and thrived because the society in which they operated was ultra-religious.
So, as it is now, if the economic and political causes of terrorism in Nigeria are addressed, the same problem will persist because of the ultra-religiousness of its people.
The battle to stifle terrorism must be taken to the minds of Nigerians. Ridding the country of its ultra-religious garb is a necessary action that must be taken to salvage what is left of it.
Physical combat may stunt the growth of terrorism for a while, but it cannot kill its seed. The seed of terrorism in Nigeria today is religion.
Boko Haram’s ideology is pickled in religion. Steering the minds of Nigerians away from ultra-religiosity through seminal re-education may be the one way out of the one-end street of naked violence. We must de-emphasise religion!
The truth is, we are Boko Haram because we are an ultra-religious society.
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Fredrick Nwabufo writes from Abuja. Email:[email protected].

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President Goodluck Jonathan Escapes Air Mishap

Mohammed Useni
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President Goodluck Jonathan Escapes Air Mishap

President Goodluck Jonathan and some top government officials on Saturday escaped an air mishap at the Minna Airport, Niger State, when a presidential jet developed a technical fault, while they were aboard.

The presidential jet, Nigerian Air Force 001 (5N-FGT), had earlier conveyed Jonathan to Minna for the -Peoples Democratic Party’s North-Central rally which held at the Trade Fair Centre, Minna.

At the end of the rally, the President returned to the airport in company with top government officials, PDP state governors and party chiefs for a trip to Sokoto, from where he was scheduled to return to Abuja.

However, several minutes after Jonathan had bade farewell to those who accompanied him to the airport, and the door of the aircraft was shut, the aircraft failed to move.

After many attempts, crew members and engineers disembarked from the aircraft and made spirited efforts to fix the fault as armed security men took strategic positions around it.

While this was going on, Vice-President Namadi Sambo; President of the Senate, David Mark; all PDP governors, members of the National Assembly and members of the Federal Executive Council were watching under the scorching sun.

When it became obvious that the fault could not be easily fixed, the commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice Marshal Uko Ebong, ordered that a smaller presidential jet, 5N-FGW, which conveyed the Vice-President to the state be brought to fly Jonathan.

Jonathan disembarked from the faulty jet at about 3.30pm and quickly moved to the smaller aircraft.

He later left the airport in the smaller aircraft at about 3:35pm, leaving behind some of his co-occupants in the bigger jet.

Sambo also had to join Mark in another smaller presidential jet, 5N-FGV, which had earlier conveyed the Senate President to the state. Senator Barnabas Gemade and a few other dignitaries also joined them.

Those who were with the President in the faulty aircraft before they disembarked included the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu; Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih; former chairman of the party, Ahmadu Ali; former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, and some presidential aides.

At the time of filing this report, engineers were still battling with the faulty jet on the tarmac in the deserted airport while officials of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria were seen taking notes.

Some security men were left behind to keep watch on the aircraft.

When asked for what was wrong with the aeroplane, an official of FAAN simply said, “The return engine refused to pick.”

Another source who pleaded anonymity, said the hot temperature in the city led to the fault.

“What the commander said was that the high temperature affected the engine of the aircraft,” he said.

When asked why the hot weather did not affect the two other presidential jets, the source explained that the Air Force 001 is “more digitalised than others.”

The incident occurred despite the fact that in the past four years, at least N48bn has been allocated to the Presidential Air Fleet, a range of 11 luxurious aircraft which are at the disposal of the President.

According to the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan through the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in December 2013, a total of N4.91bn was earmarked for the Presidential Air Fleet.

For the maintenance of the 10 aircraft currently in the Presidential Air Fleet, N1.52bn was allocated.

This was apart from the N747m earmarked for the purchase of aviation fuel for the aircraft already in the fleet.

The government earmarked the sum of N2.66bn for other expenses on the PAF, including international trainings for the fleet’s personnel, rehabilitation/renovation/repairs of the PAF Barracks, completion of a hangar project, tyre bay tools and equipment, insurance premium, cleaning and fumigation services, 797 units of LG 2HP air conditioners for the PAF Barracks and refreshment and meals.

For the year 2013, a total of N7.5bn was allocated the Presidential Air Fleet, while in 2012, N15.6m was allocated for personnel costs; N969m for overheads, which included spare parts, checks, aviation fuel; and N16.8bn was allocated for a brand new plane for the presidency.

In 2011, an N18bn allocation to the PAF was tucked under a N105bn budgetary allocation to the “Intelligence Community.”

Also, in the 2010 proposal, the Presidency had proposed the acquisition of four new aircraft for the presidential fleet and had made a budget provision of N23.4bn in that budget for them.

Experts have put the combined estimated value of the 10 planes in the presidential fleet at about $390.5m (N60.53bn).

Content Credit: PUNCH

Tunde Leye: Africa, The World’s Cry Baby

Mohammed Useni
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Tunde Leye: Africa, The World’s Cry Baby

I am tired of what being African seems to mean. And this is not about what the West or Asians say. It is about what I have observed, from Boko Haram, to basket case civil wars, begging cap in hand for aid and economies that can be threatened by withdrawal of the said aid or that nosedives simply because the world doesn’t want our rocks or its extracts any longer. So in the past few weeks, my mind has been churning up a series of whys and whens.
When will Africa stop being the baby of the world? Why are we the ones who still find it so easy to descend to the lowest levels and kill ourselves in the most violent of manners over a few rocks? Why do we always seem to look for a reason to violently kill one another? Why are we the ones who must destroy every potential that we have and then rant and rave about how foreigners do not help us to clean up the mess that we make as if they have an obligation to do so. We have grown with an entitlement mentality as if we are the only ones that were colonized or exploited by our colonialists, when the rest of the colonized world has or is in the process of shaking off the memories and even becoming bigger than their colonizers. Why must it be us that cannot keep our internal peace and depend on French or English or American or Chinese to send their own citizens to come and die in our own lands to bring peace? We are the only set of people who have vast resources and cannot by virtue of our resources even be considered mildly important in the shaping of things in the world beyond securing how to extract these resources. Why are we plagued with mediocre big manism in our governments? Why does it seem the continent is gliding along rudderless and directionless, without a strong vision? How did we get from strong visionaries like Nkrumah, Nyere, Sankara and Lumumba to where we have the lackluster men and women in power now? Don’t we as a continent want more than being the basket case, the aid destination, the crutches-needing handicapped part of the world? Why do we befuddle ourselves with irrelevant Africa Rising conferences totally disconnected from the hard work our reality requires us to do? There is almost no African nation that refines what is extracted from within its soils. We are on a short aid-strengthened leash. Why are we still one of the places where education teaches people to be a little above colonial clerks without equipping them with the practical skills to solve the immediate problems in the society? Even the telling of our stories is dependent on non-Africans publishing and spreading them, yet we harp on and complain about the single story these people project.
The world owes us nothing and will hand nothing to us. As long as we allow ourselves to take the placebo pills of macro growth, reeling out figures that could as well be from the air without real development and impact on our people, we just might remain the eagle that never flew.
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A FEW OTHER THOUGHTS
Lagos State Government and the FOI Bill
The government of a said progressive state allegedly took a 90Million USD World Bank loan for rehabilitating the sorry state of public secondary schools in the state. When asked to give account of how this money was spent by SERAP, reports have it that not only did the state refuse to give this account, it also blatantly stood by its refusal to domesticate the Freedom of Information Act. I recall that the FOI act was one which the then Action Congress, now a part of APC, to which the Lagos State Government belongs, was very vocal about. It makes one wonder what we will see when the light finally shines on the very opaque Lagos State Government finances. I however can say that one hasn’t observed much improvement in the public secondary schools in Lagos.
The Armed Robbery Problem in the South West
Nigeria is facing serious security issues. In the North, there’s the Boko Haram crisis. In North Central, repeated clashes between herdsmen and farmers is the issue. In the South East and South South, kidnapping is rife. I’ve spoken to many smug South Westerners who like to say the region is the only one without such issues. But a trip out of the cocoon called Lagos tells one that this is an illusion. The fear of violent armed robbery is the overriding fear in the South West but unlike the other regions, it majorly goes unreported. In many areas, bank branches have been shut down due to the rapacity of these robbers. Many of these robbers are better armed than the police in the areas they operate. The state governors need to sit up and tackle this issue before it escalates even further into full blown orgy of violence. The guns that are use for robbery today will be turned on citizens during elections.
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Tunde Leye @tundeleye is a fiction writer. He believes that the stories written form a priceless resource that is the basis of society, all the other arts (film, music, theatre, visual arts) and hence he is committed to telling stories out of Africa that show it as it was, is, and is going to be.
Disclaimer

It is the policy of Newswirengr not to endorse or oppose any opinion expressed by a User or Content provided by a User, Contributor, or other independent party.
Opinion pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Newswirengr

Peter Obi Claims Anambra Has N75bn In Its Coffers As His Tenure Comes To An End

Mohammed Useni
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Peter Obi Claims Anambra Has N75bn In Its Coffers As His Tenure Comes To An End

The outgoing Governor of Anambra state, South East, Nigeria, Mr. Peter Obi has announced that Anambra state can boast of N75 billion in the  treasury even as his tenure comes to an end .

This is as a result of prudent fiscal management and governance, the Governor said while speaking at the presentation of his report card to the people of Anambra State. The event took place at the Women Development Centre, Awka.

Some of the notable guests present include: Business mogul – Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Former Commonwealth Secretary General – Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and Finance Minister, Dr Okonjo Iweala.

The outgoing governor diclosed he had invested $155 million (N26 billion), and that the state had a bank balance of N11.5 billion. The other sources of income was the Federal Government approved refund of N10 billion.

Speaking of investments during his tenure, he mentioned the N9 billion Independent Power Plant, N4 billion Orient Petroleum Resources, N3.5 billion INTAFACT, N900 million Awka Shopping Mall and other laudable projects.

Obi further stated that his government had gotten a  N620 billion allocation from Federal government throughout his tenure while agencies had donated N20 billion.

On road construction, Obi revealed his government oversaw the completion of over 800 kilometres of road network.

Dangote while commending Governor Obi’s accomplishments said Obi was one of the well-performing governors in the country as he had executed infrastructure projects and saved up money too.

‘Old Man’ Eto’o Silences Age Critics With Hobbling Celebration

Mohammed Useni
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‘Old Man’ Eto’o Silences Age Critics With Hobbling Celebration

Wondering how to silence your critics? Learn a lesson, two or more from Chelsea’s Cameroonian striker, Samuel Eto’o. Eto’o was called up at the last minute before Chelsea’s ring pre-match 4-0 victory against Tottenham on Saturday after Fernando Torres picked up an injury during pre-match warm-up.

After pre-match pleasantries and just seconds before kickoff, Samuel Eto’o provided comic relief when the cameras captured him sniffing his nasal spray while brightening and dimming his eyes like a cartoon character.

That was the first of a series of events for the Cameroonian who pounced on an error from Jan Vertonghen to give Chelsea the lead in the 56th minute, a goal which is 300th club goal. He also won the penaltywhich resulted in Chelsea’s second goal slotted in beautifully Eden Hazard after Tottenham defender,Younes Kaboul was sent-off.

Chelsea further condemned Tottenham to defeat with two late goals from substitute, Demba Ba who pounced on silly errors by the Hotspur defence set-up.

Eto’o’s first goal was made even more special when he appeared to hobble as he held the corner flag and began to move like an old man with one hand on his waist as fans roared with laughter and joy.
This was a perfect response to his manager, Jose Mourinho who had mocked him in an ought-to-be private conversation with a Swiss journalist recently when he said,
“The problem with Chelsea is we lack a striker. I have one [Eto’o] but he’s 32. Maybe 35, who knows?”
After that episode, Eto’o’s former lover worsened issues when she came out to say, Eto’o is 39 not even 35

Eto’o had responded to that issue at the time when he responded to journalists after Chelsea played away at Galatasary

“It takes more to worry me, I’m Samuel Eto’o,”  “Fortunately I can still score goals at 35-36 years. At 36 or 37, I still score goals against Manchester United. I came to the club thanks to Jose, but that doesn’t change anything.
“Certain things happen in life, you have to face them. I’m not going to cause problems in the dressing room. And I’m not so young any more, there are statements that I can no longer make.”

What Samuel said at that time did not have the kind of effect his celebration had yesterday. I have learnt an invaluable lesson from Eto’o on how to silence critics and I am sure you have also

Content Credit: www.austinaija.com

Despite Barca’s Loss, The Quest Is On – Martino

Mohammed Useni
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Despite Barca’s Loss, The Quest Is On – Martino

Despite watching his side play poorly and lose 0-1 to Real Valladolid on Saturday, Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino believes the La Liga title race is not over yet.

Fausto Rossi’s 17th minute goal condemned the Camp Nou side to a defeat.

Valladolid keeper Diego Marino saved lot of attempts from Lionel Messi. The defeat is Barca’s fourth for the season.

Real Madrid is currently at the summit of the league with one point more than the Catalans as they prepare to prepare Levante on Sunday. A victory against Levante will further widen Madrid’s gap.

“Whilst we still have a chance mathematically, we will keep fighting for the title,” 

“We struggled with our mobility, especially in the final 20 metres of the pitch. We couldn’t find the space. We had a lot of the ball, but lacked any depth.

“It is clear from today that we are not at our best. And we need to be at our best against Real Madrid,” Martino said

 

VIDEO: Toke Makinwa Lectures Ladies On How To Smell Their Honeypots

Mohammed Useni
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VIDEO: Toke Makinwa Lectures Ladies On How To Smell Their Honeypots

This week On-Air Personality, Toke Makinwa had an explosive topic on her weekly Vlog, TokeMoments .

She discussed how women could check how healthy their vagina is by smelling it and gives a quick tutorial on how to perceive the delicate region. Check this out:

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