I find this very interesting and I think it's worth sharing with everyone...
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not conned to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good reports and evil reports,
in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and
hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes".
Source: John Catoir "What a Day This Can Be"
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Which Way Nigeria?
I’m deeply saddened by recent sorry stories emanating from Nigeria. These events from the bomb blasts in Lagos to the Muslim upheaval and blood let in the North to say the least has turned our dear country into an object of mockery and ridicule in the comity of nations. This has also earned us free airtime in several reputable western media circles and a lot of buzz over the internet. Despicable and pathetic as these events might be, they are not particularly alien to our polity. This is worrisome because Nigeria is a country at the forefront of several peace keeping missions within the sub-region and beyond. These recent horrendous events sheds light on some of the deep seated divisions and animosities that continues to bedevil our country. Why cant Nigeria with all its military might quell these insurgencies and uprisings springing up by the day? Who should be held accountable for all these? What’s fuelling these crises? Would restitution or retribution extinguish this fire? These questions are germane to understanding the underlying factors behind the wanton killings and loss of properties that’s pervasive in our contemporary society. This piece will look at a broad spectrum of issues tied to the mayhems in Nigeria while zeroing in on the crisis in the North. In my quest to unearth some of the flaws of the Nigerian political system, I’ll attempt to draw comparisons between Nigeria and other countries that are beleaguered with similar problems.
In weaving this story together, one cannot dissociate history from the recent happenings in the country. Federalism in Nigeria emerged from the crucibles of a long history of military dictatorship. Historically, our present day federal system was born out of wed lock. It’s a product of a mismatch between our past inept military junta and their unquenchable thirst to further their own personal agenda. The North is predominantly Muslim while the South is mostly comprised of Christians. The Nigerian federal system started off with the division of the country into three regions and eventually into twelve states. This has of course tripled as Nigeria is now made up of thirty six states excluding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). There is nothing wrong with the creation of new states, if the intent of the government is to engender development and improve the lot of the masses. In Nigeria, this has never been the case since the “proliferation” and clamor for new states leads to the aggrandizement of wealth by the “folks” at the helm of affairs. It’s not my intention to bore you with all the nitty-gritties of federalism in Nigeria, however, understanding its fundamentals remains crucial for one to appreciate the root cause of these problems. In an ideal world, federalism entails power sharing between the center and the component units. The reality in Nigeria, however, is that so much power is vested in the central government which explains why most states are ticks that feed of the blood of the central government.
A lot of readers would wonder how this is linked to the crisis in Nigeria today. On the one hand, the uneven levels of development between the North, South and East is often perceived as a causative factor triggering ethnic tensions in the country. On the other hand, the tussle for power between the three main regions or ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) remains a recurring decimal that continues to rear its ugly head up in these squabbles. These two factors are the twin evils that Nigeria has been grappling with for so long. The South boasts of having a highly educated population while the North has a low level of education. This widely held view stems from the fact that Northerners are the least educated in terms of sheer numbers and not educational attainment (no figures to support this claim). Lack of education or illiteracy is often blamed as the primary cause of the rise in insurgency in the country. As I’ve said over and over gain in my previous posts, the importance of education to national development cannot be overemphasized. It increases peoples productivity and income, enables them to chart the course of their own lives and ultimately steer their own affairs. The self-styled Taliban group wrecking havoc in the North abhors western style education in lieu of madrasas (Islamic education). I’ll argue that the lack of education by most (some) Northerners is orchestrated by their leadership who for fear of being asked “hard questions” often turn a blind eye to the problem of illiteracy. This might be considered by some people as a sweeping generalization that doesn’t hold water. The non-prioritization of education is evident in most Northern states wherein the streets are dotted with beggars (Amajeris) Some states have made giant strides as well recently to reverse this trend. Most of these folks at a tender age are sent out on the streets to solicit for arms from passers-by by “mallams” who they must render an account to for their daily transactions. The leaders who are supposed to help fix things more often than not choose to offer hand-outs to most of their “illiterate” constituents as a sign of reciprocity and gratitude which further heightens this never ending cycle of illiteracy. As the saying goes “teach a child how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” I believe (this is just an assumption, I might be wrong) if these “self-styled Taliban militants” had due access to education or (I’ld rephrase) born into a society that adores education they wouldn’t pick up arms and kill their own people all in the name of “religion”.
The so-called “Nigerian-Taliban” has no known link to the “Afghan Taliban” led by Osama bin Laden. This group which has resorted to violence as a way to further their ulterior motives and cause has slain innocent men and women in the name of their “god”. Though this restive situation has been some what arrested, most security operatives remain on high alert to avoid further spillage into other Northern states. Is Nigeria degenerating into another Afghanistan or Iraq? Are we on the throes of anarchy? Evidence from Iraq and Afghanistan succinctly shows the dangers of sectarian violence. As we all know, the events that led up to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan differ from those in Northern Nigeria. However, one can draw a parallel between the latter and the former given the fact that three cases are by products of Islamic extremism. The Afghan and Iraqi case exemplifies that brute military force wouldn’t suffice to enthrone peace and democracy in a country. The afore-mentioned cases illustrates that violence only begets more violence and sustainable lasting solutions would never come by through the barrel of guns.
To be Continued..:-)
In weaving this story together, one cannot dissociate history from the recent happenings in the country. Federalism in Nigeria emerged from the crucibles of a long history of military dictatorship. Historically, our present day federal system was born out of wed lock. It’s a product of a mismatch between our past inept military junta and their unquenchable thirst to further their own personal agenda. The North is predominantly Muslim while the South is mostly comprised of Christians. The Nigerian federal system started off with the division of the country into three regions and eventually into twelve states. This has of course tripled as Nigeria is now made up of thirty six states excluding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). There is nothing wrong with the creation of new states, if the intent of the government is to engender development and improve the lot of the masses. In Nigeria, this has never been the case since the “proliferation” and clamor for new states leads to the aggrandizement of wealth by the “folks” at the helm of affairs. It’s not my intention to bore you with all the nitty-gritties of federalism in Nigeria, however, understanding its fundamentals remains crucial for one to appreciate the root cause of these problems. In an ideal world, federalism entails power sharing between the center and the component units. The reality in Nigeria, however, is that so much power is vested in the central government which explains why most states are ticks that feed of the blood of the central government.
A lot of readers would wonder how this is linked to the crisis in Nigeria today. On the one hand, the uneven levels of development between the North, South and East is often perceived as a causative factor triggering ethnic tensions in the country. On the other hand, the tussle for power between the three main regions or ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) remains a recurring decimal that continues to rear its ugly head up in these squabbles. These two factors are the twin evils that Nigeria has been grappling with for so long. The South boasts of having a highly educated population while the North has a low level of education. This widely held view stems from the fact that Northerners are the least educated in terms of sheer numbers and not educational attainment (no figures to support this claim). Lack of education or illiteracy is often blamed as the primary cause of the rise in insurgency in the country. As I’ve said over and over gain in my previous posts, the importance of education to national development cannot be overemphasized. It increases peoples productivity and income, enables them to chart the course of their own lives and ultimately steer their own affairs. The self-styled Taliban group wrecking havoc in the North abhors western style education in lieu of madrasas (Islamic education). I’ll argue that the lack of education by most (some) Northerners is orchestrated by their leadership who for fear of being asked “hard questions” often turn a blind eye to the problem of illiteracy. This might be considered by some people as a sweeping generalization that doesn’t hold water. The non-prioritization of education is evident in most Northern states wherein the streets are dotted with beggars (Amajeris) Some states have made giant strides as well recently to reverse this trend. Most of these folks at a tender age are sent out on the streets to solicit for arms from passers-by by “mallams” who they must render an account to for their daily transactions. The leaders who are supposed to help fix things more often than not choose to offer hand-outs to most of their “illiterate” constituents as a sign of reciprocity and gratitude which further heightens this never ending cycle of illiteracy. As the saying goes “teach a child how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” I believe (this is just an assumption, I might be wrong) if these “self-styled Taliban militants” had due access to education or (I’ld rephrase) born into a society that adores education they wouldn’t pick up arms and kill their own people all in the name of “religion”.
The so-called “Nigerian-Taliban” has no known link to the “Afghan Taliban” led by Osama bin Laden. This group which has resorted to violence as a way to further their ulterior motives and cause has slain innocent men and women in the name of their “god”. Though this restive situation has been some what arrested, most security operatives remain on high alert to avoid further spillage into other Northern states. Is Nigeria degenerating into another Afghanistan or Iraq? Are we on the throes of anarchy? Evidence from Iraq and Afghanistan succinctly shows the dangers of sectarian violence. As we all know, the events that led up to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan differ from those in Northern Nigeria. However, one can draw a parallel between the latter and the former given the fact that three cases are by products of Islamic extremism. The Afghan and Iraqi case exemplifies that brute military force wouldn’t suffice to enthrone peace and democracy in a country. The afore-mentioned cases illustrates that violence only begets more violence and sustainable lasting solutions would never come by through the barrel of guns.
To be Continued..:-)
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