Amos Oge KaluThe last bit of this series that majored on SO MUCH ADO ABOUT REFORMS went pretty viral with some blogs getting thousands of shares, it spoke to the issues about the REFORMS to nowhere, about the perfidy that underscores the so-called reforms of the present government, and the lies that attend the ‘our reforms are yielding results’ inveigle.
That effort compelled a response from the International Monetary Fund IMF, the same institution leading the government and our nation to Golgotha, the IMF boldly stated that the so-called reforms are ineffective, inefficient and ineffectual. They have disowned and denounced our voodoo economists and their spin doctors. Nothing is more bewildering than the fact that this government upholds falsehood and debauchery as an act of the State. Mayday!
I also challenged the Political Class to show how their individual and Party Manifestos can take Nigeria out of precipice to promise, until now none of them nor their Spokespersons has taken up the challenge to debate me on the issues. Some have said that I am shaking tables and taking the present government to the Cleaners, that’s not my motive, my unalterable commitment is to Make Nigeria Great Again, and this is a collective cross. Mayday!
UNLESS THE FOUNDATION IS REWORKED, WHAT CAN THE BUILDERS DO?
The above is a quote from the Holy Book, ‘If the foundation is faulty/destroyed what can the Builders do’. What REFORMS can fix a dysfunctional system without first reworking the defective and dysfunctional superstructure? We call a Unitary State a Federal Republic, we run an unwieldy and cumbersome pseudo Federalism and expect it to function well, we run a rent taking and rent seeking government and expect positive results, and we tax a system that is unproductive and expect growth, who does that? Only voodoo economists and unpatriotic helmsmen will do so, and expect positive results. Mayday!
OUR DEMOCRACY IS AT THE GUILOTINE, ONLY AN IMMEDIATE AND URGENT ELECTORAL REFORM CAN FIX IT.
There is no solution to the immediate troubles with Nigeria without first reworking the Electoral Process. Democracy is mortally flawed if the electoral process is murky and messy. Since the 2023 General Elections, the electoral regime in Nigeria has become a huge charade, and a shameful tapestry of absurdities. From that shameful election in February and March 2023 to the incorrigible episodes that followed in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi. As though not tired with the cloak of shame and infamy Mahmoud Yakubu and his INEC decided to break all known records in Electoral larceny and subterfuge in their conduct of the shambolic Edo State Governorship Election; and a few days ago they took State capture to olympic heights with the electoral malfeasance in Ondo. Without an urgent surgical rework of the ELECTORAL ACT democracy will die in no distant time in Nigeria. And this is a statement of the obvious. Mayday!
If the Electoral Process is not transparent and fair, only the messy and the corrupt will rise to power through rigging and electoral larceny, meaning that Nigeria is doomed and that horribly poor and mediocre leaders will superintend over this space ad nauseam ad infinitum. May God forbid. Mayday!
Very sadly, the words on the Street now is ‘only a fool will buy a form to run for an election if one is not a member of the APC’. The prevalent bullying of other Political Parties by the APC through INEC is the greatest singular threat to our democracy. And we must all rise up to the rescue. Mayday!
My big brother Dele Farotinmi has called for a Sit-At-Home on the 3rd of December, 2024 stressing the immediacy and urgency of ELECTORAL REFORMS. I am on all fours with him. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for ELECTORAL REFORMS starting with the immediate sack of the Electoral Criminal that superintends over INEC, to an INEC with a Short-Tenured protocol. I second the call for the immediate sacking of Mahmood Yakubu. And that must be treated as a National emergency. Mayday!
This government appears very unprepared for leadership and does not know that to fix a nation you must first have the buy-in and confidence of the people. They are failing on all scores. On account of the flawed election that got them to power, they have power BUT are apparently struggling for legitimacy, and instead of borrowing a leaf from the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who admitted that the election that brought him to power was manifestly flawed and proceeded with Electoral Reforms which earned him the support of the people, this government has continued to live a lie, and therefore suffers huge legitimacy and moral deficit.
This administration is deficient in good governance, deficient in sound economic policy, deficient in adherence to the Rule of Law, and deficient in good conduct. They are so poor in policy programmatic and leadership that they need a hoard of lying propagandists. Mayday!
I saw a piece that has gone viral regarding the size ditto the number of the SPIN DOCTORS of the present administration and I am compelled to reproduce it here.
“Cutting down on the cost of governance, a case study of President Bola Tinubu’s Media Team as at November 14, 2024
- Daniel Bwala (Special Adviser Public Communication and Media)
- Bayo Onanuga (Special Adviser on Information and Strategy)
- Sunday Dare (Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation)
- Tunde Rahman (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Media)
- Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Print Media)
- O’tega Ogra – (Senior Special Assistant (Digital/New Media)
- Tope Ajayi – Senior Special Assistant (Media & Public Affairs))
- Segun Dada (Special Assistant — Social Media)
- Nosa Asemota – Special Assistant (Visual Communication)
- Mr Fela Durotoye (Senior Special Assistant to the President — National Values & Social Justice)
- Mr Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Public Engagement)
- Mrs Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Strategic Communications)
- Mr Aliyu Audu (Special Assistant to the President — Public Affairs)
This is in addition to the Minister of Information.”
To that piece I added the refrain… “Because they are deficient in governance they need a hoard of lying propagandists.” Mayday!
Further to the very immediate call for Electoral REFORMS is the urgency of the call for True Fiscal Federalism, Devolution of Power and Resource Control. Nigeria will continue to fail unless and until we devolve power and give control of resources to the component regions.
The concentration of power in Abuja, and the bigotry of successive occupants of the Top position is one huge threat to the nation. The madness that the unwieldy Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution represents makes purposeful governance impossible. The lack of ownership ditto the absence of control of resources by the States makes waste, theft, banditry and corruption plausible and possible. And this nation will continue to slide to the abyss if nothing is done quickly. Mayday!
I am compelled before closing this series of my Mayday efforts to reproduce a piece forwarded to me by a very close Friend, who is Yoruba (the emphasis is necessary to kill the bias of jingoists). He sent it albeit in great pain and with a short note, “Prof, see what Tinubu has done to our Country, and see how he is portraying the Yoruba. In this bigotry of his, count my people out, we are not with him at all.” See the piece here below reproduced as received… And continue the conversation if you so desire. In all may your Soul rise up as Votary of Truth.
“THE FEDERAL YORUBA GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA.
The following offices and Heads of Agencies Appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and currently being headed by his tribesmen – Yorubas.
- President of Nigeria- Yoruba.
- Minister of Finance -Yoruba.
- Minister of Education – Yoruba.
- Minister of Trade and Industry -Yoruba.
- Minister of Petroleum-Yoruba.
- Minister of Marine & Blue Economy -Yoruba.
- Minister of Power -Yoruba.
- Minister of Justice -Yoruba.
- Minister of Communications – Yoruba.
- Minister of Interior – Yoruba.
- Minister of Solid Minerals -Yoruba.
- EFCC -Yoruba.
- CBN -Yoruba.
- BOI – Yoruba.
- FIRS -Yoruba.
- NIRSAL – Yoruba.
- DG DSS -Yoruba.
- Chief of Army staff – Yoruba.
- CG Customs -Yoruba.
- CG Immigration -Yoruba.
- Chief of Defence Intelligence -Yoruba.
- Perm Sec State House -Yoruba.
- Comdnt Guards Brigade – Yoruba.
- IGP – Yoruba.
- DG BPE -Yoruba.
- DG BPP – Yoruba.
- Chief of Staff – Yoruba.
- Accountant General of the Federation -Yoruba.
- Head of Service of the Federation -Yoruba.
- FCCPC – Yoruba.
- NEPA -Yoruba
- NIMASA – Yoruba.
- NSITF-Yoruba.
- PENCOM – Yoruba.
- AMCON -Yoruba.
- NPHCDA – Yoruba.
- NAFDAC -Yoruba.
- NiDCOM – Yoruba.
- NOA, – Yoruba.
- NEPZA -Yoruba.
- RETIRED CJN – Yoruba.
- CURRENT CJN – Yoruba.
- FORMER CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF – Yoruba
- CURRENT CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF – Yoruba
In addition to that, the following Yoruba’s are holding sensitive Committees at the National Assembly:
- Senate Leader.
- Senate Committee on Appropriation.
- Senate Committee on Banking & Financial Institutions.
- Senate Committee on Industries.
- Senate Committee on Marine Transport.
- House Committee Chairman on Finance.
- House Committee on Customs.
These don’t even include the federal commissioners or permanent Secretaries, judges and other posts.
Only yesterday, the Federal Yoruba government made four appointments to the post of DG of some federal parastatatals, three of those were given to Yoruba people namely
Mr. Olawale Olopade – Director-General, National Sports Commission
Dr. Abisoye Fagade – Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
Dr. Adebowale Adedokun – Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
This is the worst form of tribalism and those that occupied Nigeria in 2014 have suddenly lost their voices including the so-called anointed men of God.”
With such bigoted political ‘REFORMS’ that dwarfs Buhari’s ethnic irredentism and Bigotry who in this space will trust Tinubu. And who will believe anything he says? Do you yet wonder why Separatist voices are gaining decibel? Do you wonder why new terrorist groups are springing up? Do you wonder why the very sincere Yoruba are distant from him, with some calling for Oduduwa Republic, even with a Yoruba in power? Do you wonder why IPOB and pro Biafra agitators are gaining traction and fillip? Do you wonder why the South South and the Niger Delta agitators are waking up yet again? Do you yet wonder why the North is restive? I cry beloved Nigeria. Mayday!
Countrymen and women, we truly cannot continue like this, we must rise in unison and demand responsible and responsive leadership. We must challenge the present government and their apparatchik to hasten to a massive rework of the policy programmatic of this government knowing that Nigeria is in Trouble. Folks, indeed Nigeria is in So Much Trouble That Thinkers And Fixers Are Needed Urgently. It is Mayday!!!!
I’m CHUKWUDUMEBI.
Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr.
Convener COUNTRYFIRST MOVT. A Good Governance Advocacy Group.
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