BUHARI SINGLES OUT AND INTIMIDATES IGBO YOUTH CORPERS WHO VISITED HIM IN DAURA.

Nigerians are stuck with a most taciturn elected president who says very little on just about anything. That is when he is not in his most comfortable zone talking to the BBC Hausa Service or Financial Times of London among other foreign news outlets.

If and when our president condescends to speak to us directly, there are so many issues on which Nigerians find common ground, jobs, hunger in the land, electrical power, water, roads and other infrastructure. But no, our president does not address these issues. He chooses to pick out clearly unidentified Igbo youths who had blended unobtrusively among fellow Nigerians on a national assignment. I don't know what other Nigerians will call this action. To me that was crass intimidation. There is no information that these Igbo Youth did anything to invite the president's ire. That was most irresponsible. If the president thought that it was a good idea, I recommend a standard state visit to Enugu. He would then deliver his message to an adoring crowd massed in the Enugu Sports Stadium. .
In anticipation of such a visit, I say in advance, "Nnoo! . Welcome Mr President."

PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF! GEN ABDULSALAM ABUBAKAR ROOTS FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH-EAST

Really? I cannot imagine a situation where a northerner, no matter how well intentioned and well educated, will shine the light so that Ndigbo will see the way. Ndigbo lead (not rule), others follow. That's the way it is.

It has been over seventeen years since General Abdulsalam Abubakar, representing the rump of a long line of northern dominated military regimes, finally threw in the towel by allowing a close ally and former colleague, Olusegun Obasanjo, to take over the mantle of office as an elected civilian President. Forget Anambra State and the South-East. Since then for every complaint about the deprivation and neglect of Igboland, my response has been to point out that whatever the South or Igboland lost, has strangely not benefitted the north. Herein lies the true tragedy of our underdevelopment.

An underdeveloped north has presented a myriad of problems to Ndigbo. ‎If only half of the northern kids currently out of school are captured into the school system, perhaps 500,000 new teachers will be required from the South. In short, jobs for southerners. A vast majority will have to come from Igboland since as at now the South-East is involved in filling the gap in Lagos and environs.

Igbo entrepreneurs, traders, craftsmen, professionals, etc, would prefer a much larger middle class in the north, which will result from increased access to education, income equality and the investment by northerners themselves in economic activities across the entire spectrum. Currently the northern elite are happy sitting on the fence. This is unacceptable.

The above scenario represents but a part of the Eldorado that Northern Nigeria can become. It goes without saying that the Almajiri and its other offshoots like Boko-Haram can then be a thing of the past. Ndigbo have for decades looked outside their homestead for investment opportunities. For this they have been praised and also derided especially by other Nigerians who do not possess the temperanent to risk anything outside their immediate hamlets. I know a few Igbo entrepreneurs, (they are few indeed, but the number is growing), who have sworn never again to invest outside Igboland. Can anyone blame them?

I have written elsewhere, quoting Shakespeare, "Sweet are the use of adversity, . . " Is it not strange that it has taken this long for former Military Head of State, Gen Abdulsa‎lam Abubakar, to make such a high profile visit to Anambra State, specifically to Nnewi? There is confusion in the north and in Abuja. Hunger and starvation in the North-East. The wolf is among the chicken! Nobody seems to know what to do.

Ndigbo will develop Nigeria without any preconditions, but first Nigeria has to let it. I wish that the general will honestly confess about "the road not taken," and with his kinsmen, vow to make amends. Otherwise they will still live in their gilded hill-top mansions, with executive jets at their beck and call, but sadly with poverty, ignorance and disease as their neighbours and constant companions. That was exactly what I tried to put across when I responded to President Buhari's query, WHAT DO NDIGBO WANT?. Stop clipping our wings. Allow us to fly. Nigeria will be better for it. This is NOT a call for Biafra. The validity or otherwise of that agitation has nothing to do with the above analysis. It should stand on its own merit.

To conclude, I will say this to the old general, "Physicia heal thyself!" Your nice sentiments are most welcome, but it will profit this polity the more if you spend more time challenging your free loading and indolent brethren. Of course we have their equivalents down south, but thankfully, they do not predominate. I may sound harsh but I have no apologies. That is what Nigeria needs at this time. It is indeed a major achievement that everybody now recognises that Nigeria is broke. May the price of oil remains low for another ten years. Yes, quote me. That is my prayer.

http://www.channelstv.com/2016/08/22/abdulsalami-abubakar-rallies-support-anambra-industrialists/

FG CHASES PROCEEDS OF STOLEN CRUDE IN FAR AWAY UNITED STATES

The tools of forensic audit, currently applied to track various shiploads of stolen crude spanning perhaps the last ten years, have always been available. It is not as if someone suddenly discovered Pythagoras Theorem and we are shouting "Eureka!"

The only way Nigerians like me would take this current exercise with any seriousness is if and only if the government produces a comprehensive list of our big men and women who headed the NNPC, DPR, Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Organisation, the Nigerian Police especially the Marine Commands etc. A no-holds-barred forensic audit must then be extended to these individuals whose networth in billions of US Dollars kept rising from no visible economic activities, while the theft was taking place. It is not exactly rocket science determining the nature of laundromat services rendered to them by our banks. When it suits it, the Buhari administration has shown that this can be done. Anyone in doubt should go talk to the immediate past CEO of Fidelity Bank. Other examples abound.

There is enough in Nigerian law books to slap racketeering charges on these individuals, and of course the seizures. Corruption must not be construed to mean just stealing from the federation account.

I would not be surprised if the crooks, (if indeed they are indicted), would have among themselves some 100 lofty Nigerian National Honours to boot. . What a depressing thought.

FEDERAL GOV DUMPS PROPOSAL TO SELL SHARES IN NIGERIA LNG LTD.

t is a free world. Nothing stops Alhaji Aliko Dangote from making the proposal that the Federal should raise money to bridge the budget gap by selling its stakes in the Nigeria LNG Limited, Eleme-Indorama Petrochemicals among other investments. It is not by force. Dangote and the few who support his proposal should not be demonized for smelling an investment opportunity in Nigeria’s current economic predicament.

The thing that really gets me is the slant in the current news reports, "Federal Government yesterday dumped Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s proposal to sell Nigeria’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and other crown jewels to augment shortfall in revenue, . etc" Are we to understand that in a few short days, while the National Assembly was away on its weekly recess, an idea that has barely made it into the people's consciousness HAS BEEN TABLED, ANALYZED AND THROWN OUT? Behind their back? What were they thinking? Could the government actually have set that landmark disinvestment activity in motion within that short time frame? Even if it was a good idea? Only in Nigeria!

Some commentators have pointed accusing fingers directly at operatives in the current APC run government, instead of Dangote, for arranging to float this kite with the aim of cornering once again some crown jewels of the Nigerian economy, just like those before them. Our poiticians will never change. I wonder if indeed they were in anyway surprised by the shrill opposition from the enlightened public

I am of the opinion that until the Russians start giving away their gas for free as a strategy for remaining in contention, it is only a person or group with barely concealed criminal intent that will want to sell the most profitable of the few viable investments that the Nigerian government has ever gotten involved in. If those floating this silly kite didn't read any literature in high school, at least they had the equivalent of nursery tales and rhymes. Who among us has never heard of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs? That tale also has equivalents in most Nigerian folklore.

Haba Nigeria!

DID GOVERNORS ENDORSE SALE OF NATIONAL ASSETS, . . OUR CROWN JEWELS?

This report is a continuation of the kite flown earlier and credited to Dangote who incidentally does not owe us any duty of care.

I wish that someone would sum up the net present value of ALL Federal Government assets being considered for liquidation. 2) Revalue them again for the scenario of distress sale. 2) Divide it up equally or unequally (I don't care) and 3) Apply the sums to the cash flow analysis of the various states going forward the next five years.

I predict that only Lagos, Anambra and maybe three other states will survive the stress test.

Hence I insist on the governors and the various state legislators should quit beating about the bush, go back to the drawing board (I hope that have one) and design their way to development, viability and liquidity. That is the only logical thing that they should bring to the table. Otherwise, they stand disqualified to even contribute to the discussion. Can these governors kindly publish the development road map that they produced with Buhari after their original summit at time the word recession was still politically incorrect. The chicken have finally come home to roost.

After sharing the measly federal patrimony, then what? What kind of jokers are these?

THE ENUGU - ONITSHA EXPRESSWAY: IS NIGERIA COMMITTED TO THE TRANS WEST AFRICA HIGHWAY?‎

A couple of hours ago I read again the usual lament about the deplorable state‎ of the Enugu - Onitsha federal expressway. This one by my friend Ikem Okuhu was on Facebook. As expected, the reaction was fast and furious with accusing fingers pointed (correctly) at the Federal Government, a major South-East representative in the Federal Executive Council in the person of Dr Chris Ngige and of course the various Senators, Reps and others sleeping on duty at Abuja. I do not intend to toe that line today .

When Ikem stated "the only road linking Enugu and Anambra States," he completely missed the point. The tragedy is not local. The Onitsha - Enugu - Abakaliki - Ogoja - Mamfe highway, just like the Shagamu - Ofusu/Ohosu highway, are part of the Trans West Africa Highway to which our government committed over 30years ago. The agreements have been observed more in the breach. This is the only sensible way of looking at the omissions and commissions of those who pretend to govern Nigeria over the years.

That Ndigbo occupy a paricular stretch of this long road that starts at Dakar, in Senegal, is neither here nor there. I recently followed a report on Aljazeera concerning the upgrade of the Mamfe - Douala segment of this very highway, on the Cameroonan side of the border. The main thrust of the report was the fantastic economic impact on the lives of the people.

Stupidity will not allow our rulers to realise that if all the major roads in the South-East are properly built and maintained AND TOLLED, we may be able to collect enough revenue to build roads in other parts of Nigeria where the road projects are not exactly bankable. After all why on earth is it that it is only at the 2ND NIGER BRIDGE that state government participation and eventual toll collection is being envisaged. Mind you, I do not intend to address the issue of equity in this particular commentary. I have dealt with that in previous outings. The truth is that whichever way you look at it, the South-East rocks! . An editor in one of the national dailies writing on a different matter made reference to the Wise Men of the East. We are not exactly all wise, but our people cannot deliberately sit on the floor when they can afford chairs, or something to that effect. The same applies to roads.

In the final analysis, the Federal Government should, in the spirit of fiscal federalism, get out of the business of road construction, toll collection and maintenance. I do not derive any pleasure blaming an "outsider" over a matter that my brothers and I can take care of ourselves, if only we can get rid of this stupid and rigid structure.

RE: GUN-WIELDING HERDSMEN NOT NIGERIANS SAYS SULTAN OF SOKOTO

We have long reconciled ourselves with the rare public comments from the only official spokesperson of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association that we know of. I am referring to our President, Muhammadu Buhari, who, in the high profile position as a Patron, has so far successfully shielded the Association and its vast army of employees, the herdsmen, from the public outcry and strong arm response expected from our no-nonsense security agencies.

All entreaties that Buhari should distance himself from that association had fallen on deaf ears. However, it seems as if Buhari now has some competition. The revered Sultan of Sokoto has robustly stepped into the fray, claiming centre stage. This is not his first outing.

We finally have it on good authority that the gun-wielding cattle herdsmen, the serial perpetrators of so much mayhem in our polity, have after all been SHOWN to be foreigners. That implies that a good many have been apprehended, making it possible to identify them and hence come to the above inescapable conclusion. The problem remains that the concerned public do not have any record about such arrests.

It is really tragic to recall that a lily-livered minister, Audu Ogbeh, had glibly announced to the nation that “Fulani” herdsmen (armed or not), from all over the Sahel north and west of Nigeria, have an inalienable right to roam anywhere in Nigeria with their foreign herds. He reminded us that the ECOWAS protocol on freedom of movement of goods and persons mandated that freedom.

This is really funny coming from a minister of a country (Nigeria) where the freedom of movement of its own citizens as well as freedom of residence and ownership of property is yet to be guaranteed.

It is strange that “herdsmen from Chad, Niger Republic or Burkina Faso” should have more rights than I do in my own country and lawfully possess AK-47 assault rifles with which to enforce such rights.

Re: Much Ado about Restructuring – Writers War Room

RESTRUCTURING? - THE DISINFORMATION ‎CONTINUES.

Ahmed Musa Husaini‎ wrote among other things:

"Unfortunately, the federalism of the first republic did not only fail, but ended in disaster, marred by regional political crises and a bloody military coup that culminated into a bloody civil war whose scars are still visible on our body politic."

This conclusion is patently false. Neither the first military coup, the follow up revenge coup, the unrelenting pogrom on Ndigbo and anyone who unfortunately looked like them (see Abraham Ogbodoh), nor the invasion of the East was caused by a constitutional deficiency.

The pre-1966 federal arrangement a.k.a. Constitution, was the only one ever negotiated and agreed upon by the people of Nigeria and their elected political representatives. 

It is amazing that anyone including Ahmed Musa Husaini would disparage that constitution, whatever its flaws, on the premise that a bunch of ill-educated military officers, more in the mold of Idi‎ Amin, somehow knew better. Obviously they are being very economical with the truth. ‎ Which ones are the shining stars? Is it Gowon, Muritala Mohammed, Buhari in his first incarnation or Abacha? Excuse me! Ironsi never counted in this reckoning. Babangida on his part showed some flashes of brilliance but then soon showed his hand for a personal agenda and derailed. In short we have never had it so bad as far as lacking in a uniting and guiding philosophy is concerned. Hussain has said as much. Where then resides his argument against restructuring. He has lost me.

On INSTITUTIONS AND INTERNALIZED FOUNDING PHILOSOPHIES, Husaini‎ wrote, "Sadly, that is not easily achievable in a country where there is no nationally agreed version of our history, of our past; no nationally agreed consensus on where we are, who we are and where we want to be. On the contrary, each distinct ethnic or regional group has its own philosophy, perceived or declared, has its own aspirations, and these aspirations are for the most part mutually exclusive, mutually-rejecting and irreconcilable."

‎This writer has clearly illustrated the institutionalized‎ disdain for our "correct" history by his statement quoted earlier where he discredited the pre-1966 Nigerian Constitution meticulously hammered out by Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo. It is amazing how, with self-imposed amnesia, revisionists refuse to give them any credit for their political sagacity in working out compromises that ACTUALLY kept Nigeria one. How could the latter day apostles of this suffocating national "unity" of Jonah and the whale not have learnt that without their compromise, Eastern and Western Nigeria were poised to secure independence from Britain ahead of Ghana in 1957? There would have been no Nigeria ‎over which to subsequently disagree. 

I am of the opinion that Northern Nigeria would have been far better off as an independent nation, ahead of Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso. It is a great pity that most of our northern brethren have been deliberately dumbed down to believe that they owe their survival to someone else.

Hussaini also undermined his very own argument that things are just fine as they are and that we should simply soldier on. 

The plain truth is that this arrangement which we allowed to be imposed on us over the past 50years has not worked and will not work. The very group, the northerners, who claim to like things the way they are, would unfortunately not know what to do in the unlikely event that all oil revenues are appropriated for the north. It is as bad as that. We have addressed the Resource Curse enough that it does not need repeating. The north can only settle down to plan it's own development, and actually grow if the region is thrown into the deep end of the economic pool and left to its own devices. Entrepreneurs will sprout out of all the cracks and the woodworks. The people are neither stupid nor lazy. The parasitic elite are giving the hardworking northerner a bad name. Let me see who will call the much vilified but hardworking Fulani herdsmen lazy!

IS NIGERIA COMMITTED TO THE TRANS WEST AFRICAN HIGHWAY

A couple of hours ago I read again the usual lament about the deplorable state‎ of the Enugu - Onitsha federal expressway. This one by my friend Ikem Okuhu was on Facebook. As expected, the reaction was fast and furious with accusing fingers pointed (correctly) at the Federal Government, a major South-East representative in the Federal Executive Council in the person of Dr Chris Ngige and of course the various Senators, Reps and others sleeping on duty at Abuja. I do not intend to toe that line.

When Ikem stated "the only road linking Enugu and Anambra States," he completely missed the point. The tragedy is not local. The Onitsha - Enugu - Abakaliki - Okoja - Mamfe highway, just like the Shagamu - Ofusu/Ohosu highway, are part of the Trans West Africa Highway to which our government committed over 30years ago. The agreements have been observed more in the breach. This is the only sensible way of looking at the omissions and commissions of those who pretend to govern Nigeria over the years. 

That Ndigbo occupy a paricular stretch of this long road that starts at Dakar, in Senegal, is neither here nor there. I recently followed a report on Aljazeera concerning the upgrade of the Mamfe - Douala segment of this very highway, on the Cameroonan side of the border. The main thrust of the report was the fantastic economic impact on the lives of the people.

Stupidity will not allow our rulers to realise that if all the major roads in the South-East are properly built and maintained AND TOLLED, we may be able to collect enough revenue to build roads in other parts of Nigeria where the road projects are not exactly bankable. After all why on earth is it that it is only at the 2ND NIGER BRIDGE that state government participation and eventual toll collection is being envisaged. Mind you, I do not intend to address the issue of equity in this particular commentary. I have dealt with that in previous outings.  The truth is that whichever way you look at it, the South-East rocks! . An editor in one of the national dailies writing on a different matter made reference to the Wise Men of the East. We are not exactly all wise, but our people cannot deliberately sit on the floor when they can afford chairs, or something to that effect. The same applies to roads. 

In the final analysis, the Federal Government should, in the spirit of fiscal federalism, get out of the business of road construction, toll collection and maintenance. I do not derive any pleasure blaming an "outsider" over a matter that my brothers and I can take care of ourselves, if only we can get rid of this stupid and rigid structure.

Re: Abdulsalami Abubakar Rallies Support For Anambra Industrialists • Channels Television

I cannot imagine a situation where a northerner, no matter how well intentioned and well educated, will shine the light so that Ndigbo will see the way.  Ndigbo lead (not rule), others follow. That's the way it is.

It has been over seventeen years since General Abdulsalam Abubakar, representing the rump of a long line of northern dominated military regimes, finally threw in the towel by allowing a close ally and former colleague, Olusegun Obasanjo, to take over the mantle of office as an elected civilian President. Forget Anambra State and the South-East. Since then for every complaint about the deprivation and neglect of Igboland, my response has been to point out that whatever the South or Igboland lost, has strangely not benefitted the north. Herein lies the true tragedy of our underdevelopment. 

An underdeveloped north has presented a myriad of problems to Ndigbo. ‎If only half of the northern kids currently out of school are captured into the school system, perhaps 500,000 new teachers will be required from the South. In short, jobs for southerners. A vast majority will have to come from Igboland since as at now the South-East is involved in filling the gap in Lagos and environs.

Igbo entrepreneurs, traders, craftsmen, professionals, etc, would prefer a much larger middle class in the north, which will result from increased access to education, income equality and the investment by northerners themselves in economic activities across the entire spectrum. Currently the northern elite are happy sitting on the fence. This is unacceptable. 

The above scenario represents but a part of the Eldorado that Northern Nigeria can become. It goes without saying that the Almajiri and its other offshoots like Boko-Haram can then be a thing of the past. Ndigbo have for decades looked outside their homestead for investment opportunities. For this they have been praised and also derided especially by other Nigerians who do not possess the temperanent to risk anything outside their immediate hamlets. I know a few Igbo entrepreneurs, (they are few indeed, but the number is growing), who have sworn never again to invest outside Igboland. Can anyone blame them?

I have written elsewhere, quoting Shakespeare, "Sweet are the use of adversity, . . " Is it not strange that it has taken this long for former Military Head of State, Gen Abdulsa‎lam Abubakar, to make such a high profile visit to Anambra State, specifically to Nnewi? There is confusion in the north and  in Abuja. Hunger and starvation in the North-East.  The wolf is among the chicken! Nobody seems to know what to do. 

Ndigbo will develop Nigeria without any preconditions, but first Nigeria has to let it. I wish that the general will honestly confess about "the road not taken," and with his kinsmen, vow to make amends. Otherwise they will still live in their gilded hill-top mansions, with executive jets at their beck and call, but sadly with poverty, ignorance and disease as their neighbours and constant companions. That was exactly what I tried to put across when I responded to President Buhari's query,  WHAT DO NDIGBO WANT?. Stop clipping our wings. Allow us to fly. Nigeria will be better for it. This is NOT a call for Biafra. The validity or otherwise of that agitation has nothing to do with the above analysis. It should stand on its own merit.

To conclude, I will say this  to the old general, "Physician heal thyself!" Your nice sentiments are most welcome, but it will profit this polity the more if you spend more time challenging your free loading and indolent brethren. Of course we have their equivalents down south, but thankfully, they do not predominate. I may sound harsh but I have no apologies. That is what Nigeria needs at this time. It is indeed a major achievement that everybody now  recognises that Nigeria is broke. May the price of oil remains low for another ten years. Yes, quote me. That is my prayer.

http://www.channelstv.com/2016/08/22/abdulsalami-abubakar-rallies-support-anambra-industrialists/