Understanding the Menace; BOKO HARAM

I stumbled upon a blog which allegedly belongs to a member of the Boko haram, the authenticity of www.yusufislamicbrothers.blogspot.com however I am yet to confirm but by reading its contents,it was not so difficult to jump into that conclusion.

It however got me thinking. I read in a broadcast message that the leader of the Boko Haram sect has rejected President Jonathan's outstretched arm of peace and dialogue. I then ask myself "what does he want?".

The National Security adviser said the other day on national tv that Boko Haram would soon run out of suicide bombers, but I say what if they do not and if they eventually do,how much damage would have already been caused. As a way of tackling the problem from its root,have we asked ourselves "WHAT MAKES A PERSON decide to be a SUICIDE BOMBER or TERRORIST? ".

I once believed the answer to this question was illiteracy or a poverty stricken mentality when all hope of survival is lost. History, however tells us different because Bin Ladin and our very own Abdumutallab are from wealthy families,moreso they attended some of the best schools too.

It is believed that a coward cannot commit suicide because the act of taking one's life in the first place is an act of bravery. So in the normal sense of the word neither are they cowards,rather they are dedicated and devoted believers in their cause, the justification of such cause however is another matter and not the issue at hand at this moment.

Over the years, scores of Boko Haram members have been killed by security operatives but they have not been dwindling in numbers rather they seem to be growing and expanding. The truth is no matter how many boko haram members are killed, others would rise up in their stead.

what then must we do,to uproot Boko Haram? Kindly Leave comments

MY LIFE IS IN JEOPARDY

Help, my life is in jeopardy, what do I do. I am in big trouble. Wondering what is bothering me?.Let me give you an insight. I am a Nigerian youth and I am clueless about what to do about things I experience in this country daily, I am in a serious quagmire.

I don't have a job and with 18,000 naira how do I survive when 10 litres of fuel is now 1000naira and a bag of pure water is now 200 naira. Last time I was going to see a friend,I had to trek because the fare that used to be 50naira is now 120 naira. Even though my country produces crude oil,some members of the CABAL have stolen all our wealth and used it to develop foreign countries, just take a trip to dubai and see where our leaders have gone to lodge our money.

The government whom I relied on to protect me almost duped me in the latest fuel subsidy scam, how would a government who flagrantly wastes money and resources care about poor little me. How do I trust a government that lies and deceives me, the President and his vice are spending 1billion naira on food, the National Assembly who are meant to represent me and protect my interests by enacting credible laws are busy spending 320 million naira on each member, flying 1st class, driving in 29 car convoys and having allowances that would make Barack Obama envious. I have asked them to review the constitution but they would not listen,they would rather deliberate on increasing their salaries and allowances, how come they get to decide their pay by the way.

In addition, I live in constant fear, anyone carrying a bag around me is a likely boko haram suspect. I am scared of going to church, scared of going to crowded places, I am running scared for my life. The police,Navy,Army and air force don't know where to start from in stopping the Boko Haram menace, they eventually caught the christmas day bomber but in their incompetence,they let him escape. An average policeman is interested in collecting bribes rather than policing the streets.

Further more,I cannot graduate because ASUU is on strike. My course of study should take me 4 years to complete but here I am 6 years after gaining admission, due to no fault of mine. Even if I graduated at this moment,I would be useless in the international market because my teachers taught me based on archaic theories and principles. Basically I got a certificate and not an education.

The little money which is meant to serve as a buffer is also being squandered by corrupt politicians and the EFCC/ICPC I have now regarded as a dog whose bark is worse than its bite,that's if it even has teeth at all. Because if it did,I wonder what all these politicians who have embezzled my money are living like kings in their palaces instead of cooling off in prison cells.

My troubles are not yet over,please continue reading. I have not mentioned the decay in the judiciary and the slow pace at which the law strikes. Some judges have totally refused to separate themselves from the executive, prosecutors are incompetent, prison cells are filled with petty thieves and innocent victims who have no faith in the justice system, I wonder why it takes about 6 - 10 years to finish a case in our courts of law in the first place.

To add insult to injury, there is no electricity, many governments have pledged to solve the problem but still no light at the end of the tunnel, even after squandering billions of naira and dollars on the sector.

When I think about all these, I feel downcast, I don't know where a solution would come from but I would continue to keep faith and believe that one day,my country would have a transformational leader who would turn things around.

THE FACELESS ENEMY

" My love for Nigeria has been a compelling impetus charting the course of my life"- Eneche Akogwu (1980 -2012)

Channels tv news agent who died in the kano bomb blast on 20th January, 2012 on his facebook page.

 

Hours ago, agents of destruction and chaos took the lives of so many by a coordinated series of bomb attacks which rocked kano,the second largest city in Nigeria. At last count, 20 bodies have been recovered,however some unconfirmed reports claim to have counted about 60 bodies.

 

It is a shame that we cannot curb this menace taking over our society as our security chiefs and their respective agencies seem clueless in this fight against a faceless enemy. Obviously,the President and his security advisers cannot solve this problem alone, they need our help. We cannot over emphasize the importance of coperating and aiding security agencies in combating this evil.

 

However when we hear stories about terror suspects escaping from the police,it breaks our heart that their incompetence stinks to the high heavens. If only we had not been mismanaging funds meant for security over the years, we would be well equiped to investigate and nip this evil in the bud.

 

Who however do we blame for the loss of lives, the psychopaths who triggered the bombs or the officer who could not do his job? The voice of Eneche and the other souls who died yesterday cry out to us in anguish. Would their deaths be in vain and are we truly headed towards disentegration? Moreover what does the future hold?.

 

This questions i cannot answer as i go down on my knees in prayer for my great country, Nigeria.

 

Adedunmade Onibokun Esq.

Now that the Revolution has begun

Am I excited?, of course I am, the long awaited Nigerian revolution has begun and the people are saying a big NO to poor governance and bad leadership. Being an advocate who has always inspired social and political awareness among Nigerians, I am glad to see the spirit of the people awakening accompanied by an overwhelming cry for development and eradication of corruption.

The hash tag #OccupyNigeria is trending all over the world on social media and global News organisations. We are passing the message to our government the world,we would no longer be docile while leaders continue to drag us down the drain. Yes,#OCCUPYNIGERIA.

Standing up and saying no is however a personal thing. You have to ask yourself why you are standing in Freedom park or marching in solidarity. WHY AM I OCCUPYING?, is what you must answer. You do not need a complex jumble of words to answer this question,most times two or three words would do.

Your protest must be based on a conviction that inspires you to patriotism,not on a fool's journey inspired by mischief and irresponsibility. I am adding my voice to the loud cry because I know government on every level is functioning below par and my Nigeria must take its rightful place as a global leader among the comity of nations.

What about you Sir/Ma, why do you #occupynigeria?

WHY WE MUST OCCUPY

From where I sit and write, I can see words such as "corruption must stop" and "africa must unite" written on the walls while I watch from a privileged distance Femi Anikulakpo Kuti rehearse with his band. The melodious tunes of afro beat created by the late Fela Anikulakpo Kuti swells up in me great feelings of awareness.

I am painfully aware of the sacrifice we go through just to survive in this country. A hundred pages would never be enough to write the names of people who have died for this country, should we start with those who died due to bomb blasts and ethnic/religious crises or the martyr who died in Ilorin barely 72 hours ago.

I do not say you should occupy by targeting the government of President Goodluck Jonathan for he is not to blame for our woes. I ask you to occupy for the following reasons;

#occupy in protest of government and private sector corruption.

#occupy in protest of extra judicial killings and police inefficiency.

#occupy in protest of government waste.

#occupy in protest of the lack of transparency and accountability in the system.

#occupy in protest of our comatose health care system.

#occupy for all the reasons why the Nigerian man and woman finds it very difficult to succeed in business due to crippling over head costs.

#occupy in protest of our educational institutions where we are given certificates and not education.

#occupy in protest of our sickly Power sector.

#occupy in protest of our inability to enjoy benefits of democracy.

#occupy in protest for your life, your father's life,your mother's life,your sister's life, your brother's life, your child's life and the life of your unborn generations.

#occupy to end the reign of political and economic opportunists.

Government must not longer be business as usual. Demand that government be OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE.

Anybody born of a woman that says he/she would ruin Nigeria because of their greed would be cast away.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

PICTURES FROM SUBSIDY PROTEST

THE APRIL FOOL SUBSIDY PLOY

Now that I think about the proposed April 1st (fools day) date for removing subsidy,I ask myself how come I never thought of that. Everyone should have suspected foul play. I was totally blind sided when I got the news that subsidy would be removed effective from January 1st, I didn't know whether to run to the petrol stations for a quick fill up of my tank or just sit there in shock. Government really had me fooled this time,am sure they got you too.

Subsidy is gone and we are not sure of the implication this would have on the polity over the next few days,let's however have a quick look at an analysis of the economic and developmental benefits/disadvantages of subsidy removal. According to Government's figures the financial burden of petrol subsidy are:

 Between 2006-2011, the government spent N3.7 trillion on subsidy.
 Between January and November 2011, the government borrowed N850 billion to make up this year's N1.3 trillion fuel subsidy.
 As at October 2011, N1.3 trillion had been spent on subsidy in 2011 alone.
 It is estimated that N1.43 trillion would have been spent on subsidy by the end of 2011. 
 Without the removal of the subsidy, it is projected that N1.1 trillion will be borrowed to fund the subsidy in 2012.
 Finally Constant borrowing is not healthy for the economy.

Financial benefits of removing subsidy include:

 With the removal of the subsidy, the total projected subsidy re-investible fund per annum is N1.134 trillion based on average crude oil price of US $90 per barrel. Out of this:

 N478.49billion accrues to the Federal Government
 N41.03billion to state governments
 N203.23billion to local governments
 N9.86 billion to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
 N31.37billion as transfers to derivation and ecology, development of natural resources and stabilization funds

The decay caused by the corruption of subsidy beneficiaries includes:

 Most of the products subsidy beneficiaries claimed to have been imported found their way to neighbouring countries through unscrupulous marketers.
 Most of the products they claimed to have imported didn't come into the country.
 To highlight corruption in the name of subsidy, it is unimaginable that 15 vessels of products would land at the port the same day, considering the differences in the import allocations to the marketers. Yet, there is such a record.
 Some marketers collected letters of credit, got paid their subsidies, yet failed to repay the loans they collected from banks.

Subsidy does not improve local economy. With fuel importation and subsidy, government creates jobs for other countries and improves their economies. Any one who is presented with the argument for the removal of fuel subsidy would surely be convinced though the harsh economic reality is beginning to bite as fuel now sells for between 138 naira and 150 naira per litre. We can reasonably expect the instant rise in the prices of everything from transportation to food stuffs and especially crime.

This would be a difficult time for Nigerians, for it would take us a while to settle into this new economic reality. As I type this article under immense heat with sweat running down my face because I could not afford to buy petrol for my generator set, I however know that it is well with us by God's grace. Amen

Adedunmade Onibokun Esq.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.