IBB and Younger Generation Nigerians (This Day Newspapers 04-19-2010)

I have been following the reports, comments and media jamborees of former military president Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. I have noted a familiar pattern in all the news and reports about his intention to rule Nigeria again. In spite of all the opposition to his emergence, IBB is poised at forcing his way through to the ballot box.
We have gone this path before, IBB and his ambition is not new to most of us. When Olusegun Obasanjo became President in 1999, close watchers of IBB knew that he would one day want to try his luck as well. We are all aware of the attrocities of Obasanjo's government between 1977-1979, and how it was possible for him to still come back to rule because of the desperate nature of the political situation in 1999. The similarity of that time and what we have now is so compelling that an IBB would want to cash on it to the detriment of the peace and unity of this nation.
It would be recalled IBB ruled Nigeria between 1985 to 1993 following a military coup. He went ahead to kill his childhood friend and a very fine soldier Gen Mammna Vatsa in a fanthom coup in 1987, killed foremost journalist Dele Giwa in 1989, and in 1990 killed major Gideon Orkar in an attempted coup. In 1992, IBB eliminated our brightest set of young military officers in a planned and executed plane crash in Ojibo Lagos. Need I say more for Nigerians to understand the monster that wants to rule us again. As a young undergraduate in June 12, 1993, I was among the over 50 million Nigerians who filled out to cast our votes, too eager to end IBB misrule, in an election that was declared as the freest and fairest in the history of our nation. Yet the result of that election was canceled by IBB in his plot to prolong his misrule. This caused untold hardship to most Nigerians and invariably robbed Nigeria of her best opportunity of moving forward as a nation. The death of MKO Abiola, (the undeclared winner of that election) in Prison, the death of Gen Shehu Musa yar'Adua, and Mrs Kudirat Abiola, can all be traced to IBB. What about the countless innocent civilians who died during June 12 struggles of 1993. All these deaths are traceable to IBB misrule.
At 70 years of age, IBB should be retiring from politics and business, and be nursing his shame. He is merely capitalizing on Obasanjo's failed government to try to make Nigerians believe he too need a second chance. The answer to that is: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Period!
Now, come to think of it, we seem to be recycling the old order in Nigeria which is one of the bane of our progress as a nation. Nigeria is a country that can boost of the brightest minds in the world, yet we keep getting the worst kinds of leaders. The reason for this is not far-fetched. Our young people have sold their right to good governance to these old fools. So long as the young keep quiet these evil will persist. Its high time Nigerian youth rose up to oppose these evil men. We need to mobilize to say NO to another IBB in our national terrain. This country belong to us, and we wont let them destroy it for us. IBB is busy now trying to rule so that he would position his children to be our lords after him. See also the likes of Iyabo Obasanjo, Sarakis, Anenihs etc. We have had enough of these men, and we sure need a change now.
Nigeria still have great young mind like Rotimi Amaechi, Sullivan Chime, Fashola etc.  Nigerian youth need to rise up and encourage the likes of Prof Pat Utomi, an accomplished young Nigerian who have excelled in politics, academics and business; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a world class anti-corruption agent etc, to run for election in 2011.
The future of this nation lies in our hands. We need to act together to Stop IBB Now!
Sign up to Save Nigeria Group and Stop IBB Now Project.

God bless Nigeria

Sports Minister misfires on first day on the job (Vanguard Newspapers 04-11-2010)

I wouldn't be surprised if the current Sports Minister leaves us with tales of woes after his tenure. We seem to be threading on old paths yet again.. It is puzzling that successive governments in this country hardly take sports as of any significance. If there is any event that tends to unite Nigerians of all works of lives, beyond the primordial sentiments of tribes and religion, it is our strong bonding that is rooted to sports.  It is intriguing how quickly Nigerians tends to forgo these sentiments and become united during any international sporting event. The late Gen Abacha’s government realized this and was very effective in using sport for national unity during his time. That was why most of the greatest sporting moments in our history occurred during his time 1994-1996.

Given the present situation of the country and the fragility of our union as a nation, one would have thought that Acting President Jonathan, would have realized the usefulness of sports as a unifying factor for national unity, and taken the necessary steps in appointing of a credible sports minister who would be able to deliver the dividends to Nigerians. A good outing in forthcoming international sporting events would be a healing balm to the wounds of the nation.

Nigerians can forgive their leaders if they fail to articulate and implement good economic policies to grow the national economy, provide jobs, fight crime, build roads, hospitals and schools, but curiously would not forgive a government that made us not to excel in a soccer world cup, especially with world cup being played in African continent.

The current minister of sport doesn't seem to me as one who would deliver and that would definitely hurt  the strong image Acting President Jonathan is striving to build.

I hope someone is listening.

God bless Nigeria.

Anambra to recruit more medical personnel (Vanguard 04-09-2010)

While applauding this gesture which I see as a good way forward and a departure from the norm, the critical question is; what efforts are the government at all levels doing to retain these health workforce? The various government both at the federal, state and local level routinely dramatize this recruitment of health workforce exercise to get the approval of the people, yet do little to retain same.

Now you would ask, what does it take to retain healthcare personnel to deliver quality service?

It absolutely cost little in the real economic sense to retain a well motivated health workforce over time than to have continual attrition of health personnel due to poor management and strategic planning.

Over the years, health care personnel in Nigeria have complained of poor wage packages and unhealthy work environments as a major factor in the poor performance of the health system. Instead for the government to address these vital issues, the government would routinely embark on endless recruitment of personnel who will over time still leave the service to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Coupled with this is the fact that most government health workforce employment package does not come with clear opportunity for routine training of the health worker.

In line with the current trends of rapidly developing technology in healthcare, it is imperative that government should see in house training of health care personnel as necessary strategic approach to health workforce retention. Motivation of health workforce is also very important measure that can be accomplished through recognition and reward for excellence and quality service.

These measures would go a long way in checkmating health workforce attrition especially at the rural areas and improve the quality of service and patients outcome.

God bless Nigeria.                                                                                                              

Jonathan locks out new ministers (Vanguard 04-09-2010)

What better ways to send a message to the nation and the world that Mr Acting President means business. It is a well documented fact that the average Nigeria is never time conscious and that account to the fact that time management is a big challenge in the country.

Lets start from the situation in our tertiary institutions. A student gets admitted into the higher institution for a four year degree program, but ends up spending whooping eight years for no good reason at all. The managers of the ivory towers seems to have lost their sense of time management. How do you expect that same student after graduation to be mindful of time. As if that is not enough, he was made to waits another year or more for the national service call-up, because the managers of the NYSC program do not recognize that time is precious.

I think that time is ripe for people in governance in our nation to begin to do things right. If our dear Acting President would start the ball rolling, it behooves on the National Assembly to enact a law that would strengthen time management in Nigeria. Such laws would make it a criminal offense punishable by law for any public official to come late to any public function. With such laws, we could also tame the recklessness of our contractors who do not keep to time in handling publicly funded projects leading to wastefulness of our resources; make it mandatory for Universities/Colleges to graduate students on time, and stop wasting the time and energy of our youth.

Finally, I would say kudos to our dear Acting President for taking this bold step to make a difference. I hereby urge the Minister for Information, Prof Dora Akunyili, to rise up to the occasion and sharpen her re-brand Nigeria project to include effective time management programs in our schools and national consciousness.

We need world to know that Nigeria means business...NOW!!!!

God bless Nigeria.