The New Democrats

I read Nigerian dailies with complete fascination on the success of the Amnesty hand given the militants.Huge amunitions were given up by the ex-militants to embrace the gocts hand of peace.It is a commendable development considering  the danger in it.The Amnesty has worked well so far and i am really happy that most of the militants have embraced it.What is however left is on the part of the Federal Govt.They should engage the ex-militants in activities that will make them productive to the society.The FG should bear in mind that these folks get huge some of money from oil coys operating in their region in forms of ransom from kidnappings,bribes to avoid oil rigs being attacked or their facilities being bombed.They live large from these largesse.They afford conveniently the comforts and conveniencies of life from their illicit proceeds.
The FG should initiate a masterplan to develop the oil-rich Niger-Delta similar to what is obtainable in Dubai or texas.It should include Integrated Transportation Network,Mass Affordable Housing Project,Construction of 21st Century schools with its recreational and educational facilities,etc
Employment opportunities should be provided for the entire citizen of the region to afford them a legal means of livelihood.Foreign Oil coys operating in the region should utilise this great opportunity to employ qualified personnel from the region,engage in community development in their villages of operation,establish and financially support continuing education centers for ex-militants who wish to return to classes to pursue a career.
All these  if pursued differently will work together to form a big success for both the ex-militants,the FG,the oil coys and the entire citizens of the Niger-Delta.
Failure however on the part of the FG to do its part of the bidding will take Nigeria back to the gory days of militancy.It willm make development in the region more difficult and the trust people have in the Fg will have been completely eroded.The FG should not play politics with the post-amnesty phase of Niger-delta as it is the most crucial.All eyes are on the FG to live to its promise of rapid development of the region.Suffice to say that the PHCN dream of 6,000MW of electricity generation in Nigeria is hinged on consistent gas supply from the Niger-Delta region.So,the importance of peace in that region can not be over-emphasized.
Yar’Adua’s visionless rule has made Obasanjo something of a hero.He needs to step out of his day-dreaming,lacklustre attitude and rise up to the challenges of running a complex concoction called Nigeria.The president should know that his success in office will be judged from his handling of this post-amnesty phase,power generation,secutity of life and property,etcUptill  this moment in Nigerians life,he has been a monumental failure in every phacet of our lives just like his predecessor.He should hide his pride,bury his ego and take a queue from Lagos state’s Governor.Lagos is more complex and as such much more difficult to rule but Fashola made it seem so easy.

After 8 years of obasanjo’s misrule and Yar’adua’s 1st term almost over,i have completely lost hope in Nigeria’s democratic leaders.billions of dollars have been spent on the democratic process,actors and partakers but Nigerians are worse for it.

May God help our Fatherland.

It is just like yesterday that “Niger area” was renamed Nigeria with a distinctive landmass and boundary but divergent ethnicity and tribe.Its been a bompous journey ever since which have taken us through different and successive military regimes with intermittent democratic govts.
The long military rule forced on us amongst many things the 1999 Constitution.It is a military concoction rushed into law with little or no deliberations over its practicability.It leaves so much power and finance at the center making the implementation of a Federal system almost impossible.
Since the advent of the new democratic dispensation in May 29,1999 the workability of the Constitution has proven almost impossible.
The lawmakers have been very unmotivated because of their re-election fears,the state governors are also not so supportive because any new state creation will reduce the federal allocation to their and neighbouring state.Most important is the influence of political gladiators,ministers,lobbyists,political aides/God-fathers,and their hangers-on who benefit from the status quo.These last set of people benefit from the government in power as such will not want their means of livelihood threatened by a dramatic change in constitution.

In  advanced country like Germany where i live,Constitution amendment which will positively impact the lives of the populace will not take more than weeks to do.It’ll start with recommendation of such changes by either technocrats,academics,etc to the Executive.The judiciary will research its workability,impact and the possible consequencies on the german populace.Whatever changes needed will be done by the Judiciary before being sent back to the Chancellor.Next is the sensitisation of the politicans,media and the general public.this is the most important as there would be serious discussions on the theme by those in support and against the amendment.The real work is however done by the executive arm of the government in explaining the pros of the amendment to the lawmakers.By end of the month,Constitution amendment that have a dramtic effect on the lives of the people will be passed in the BUNDESTAG(Parliament).
The afore-mentioned process and procedure dont work exactly as i outlined it but a way very similar to that .It is however pertinent to note that judges,technocrats,politicians,lawmakers,political assistance,etc in that country are conscious of their jobs and are willing to impact positively the lives of the german populace.They are aware that their inability to perform excellently in office will automatically lead to being voted out of office come next round of elections.These people have the will,interest and are motivated to serve their country diligently without expecting anything in return.A good name and opportunity to serve the community to these people is worth more than wealth amassed on the blood of the poor populace.
The Nigerian politicians and political leaders however work in direct opposite not only to their German counterparts but also to any serious-minded Government which aims to better the lives of its electorate.Our political elite are like a set of scavengers with bottomless selfish appetite.They see any opportutnity to serve the country as an opportunity to loot .They aim to steal from Nigeria’s treasury to live large,buy choice properties,buy expensive cars and jewelry,guarantee their grandkids future,etc at the expense of the poor masses who wants just the basic things of life.
It is not too much to ask for;stable power supply(after spending almost $20b tax-payers money and still counting),clean and portable water,good roads network,cheap and affordable houses,free and qualitative education,security of live and property,etc.These are what the Nigerian people need and deserve.So much of our natural resouces have been sold with its proceeds plundered by successive military and democratic administrations.Nigeria’s role in the community of nations is now that of a lost kid.We have every sympton of a failed state with NOBODY to help us out of our present predicament.The economy is at its worst with resultant high unemployment rate.
While our political elite/leadership children and grandchildren study abroad where the education sytem is more stable and the certificates well respected,the Nigerian university students have been home for more than 4 months now because of the protracted ASUU crisis.A four year management degree program will now take longer than 5 years because of the industrial action by our University lecturers.I sincerely sympathise with the lecturers because a secondary school certificate holding lawmaker earns more monthly than a university professor.Students which are supposed to be Nigeria’s future leaders are now masterminds of fraudulent e-mails,kidnappings,419 scams,etc.Societal and cultural values have been seriously eroded because of the quest for quick wealth.This i believe is born out of frustration and lack of hope in the Nigerian Nation.
If all these are not symptons of  failed state,I really dont know what a failed state will add to it.

The new democracy in Nigeria is partly being scuttled by PDP.At its inception,the ideology is very good and its foundation members are though diverse but very detemined.But lack of internal democracy,vision,respect for rule of law,desperation to rule at all cost,adequate screening for its flagbearers,etc has now turned the party and Nigeria at large to laughing stock.All former military governors,appointees,lobbyists, and co-horts are card-carrying members of PDP.They seem to believe it is the party that reperesent their ideal looting,money lundering,fraud etc.
The failure of PDP is however a great sign for other parties.The emergence of LP,PPA,AGPA etc(which are formed by former PDP members) is as a result of ther need to better the lots of PDP.While some were forced out of the party(Orji Uzor kalu,Lar etc) others felt the party has lost its focus and as such is no more ready to relieve the sufferings of the people.
AC for now has been able to emerge as a credible opposition party with great vision,ideology,respect for rule of law,smooth internal democracy,etc probably because of its small size and quality of its leaders.Governors elected under its banner are the best in the country right now(especially fashola or Lagos state) and it(AC) is still the party to beat in South-West.
Obasanjo used everything in his disposal to drown AC especially in Lagos state but failed woefully.The eventual governor is now the only good news emanating from Nigeria’s politics and polity.Post-election feelers,observers and reportes in Osun and Ekiti states belived that AC won in both states but PDP rigged its way into office.Most glaring is the recent Ekiti debacle where independent observers,AC and ANPP supporters were lynched by PDP thugs in different parts of the city including within the Government House.
Oshiomole from Edo State however got his mandate from the Court and has started to run the state they way it should be after 10 years of misrule by the PDP.
Kano State governor is another “last man standing”.He won the seat on the flag of ANPP and has refused the bandwagon of defectors to the ruling PDP.He is ruling the cosmoplitan city with vision and purpose.He brings governance to everybody in the mainly hausa speaking but multi-cultured city and this endeared him to the minds of his people.
 
All these and many more makes the forthcoming 2011 elections more interesting.For one,the popularity of PDP will be tested in Anambra state which has its guber elections in 2010.With its array of highly qualified aspirants,the party may be confronted with a big problem of nominating a credible and aCCEPTABLE candidate that will word off stiff but determined and well grounded opposition from ETiaba of the PPA and the incumbent Peter Obi of the APGA.Etiaba’s mother(Dim Virgy Etiaba) is however the incumbent Deputy Governor.Etiaba himself was a commissioner in the Obi-led govt but resigned and decamped to PPA to pursue his governorship ambition.The former CBN Governor is also not leaving any stone unturned in catpturing the number one job of Anambra State.Just some days ago,he feted political gladiators in both Abuja and his Home  State.Just to celebrate “his successful tenure as the CBN boss”.He however confirmed peoples speculations by picking the neccessary forms for the guber poll under PDP.He has a branded name(at least before sanusi came in) and rely mostly on his success at the apex bank to convince all doubting thomases that he is the man for the job.

Bolstered by its landmark success in Lagos,its judicial success in Edo and hope of victory in Ekiti,AC has the impetus and might to aggressively campaign for votes in Oyo,Delta,Kogi,Kwara and Ondo states. In order to increase the number of states its umbrella come 2011.

The Ekiti tribunal is almost going AC’s way because of the array of evidences emanating from everywhere.With the aim of doing justice and rightly so,the tribunal judge as vowed to allow all neccesary evidence that will aid his eventual decision.He believes voters will should not scuttled and as such will ensure that whoever go the highest vote will be accorded.

Ogun state is however a greener pasture for the AC as the PDP is embroiled in a serious in-fighting and the former President’s daughter is not makings easier for the incumbent governor.Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello’s arrogance and lack of respect as displayed by her frequent walk-out parade on Otunba Ggenga Daniel(OGD) is an indication of an un-ending crisis.Despite serving as a Commissioner under OGD,Obasanjo-bello’s pride,arrogance and blinding ambitions has ballooned.Feelers believe that on expiration of his 2nd term,Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD)will have left a fractured PDP because of his affiliation with AFENIFERE.This will work well for both AC and ANPP which are both well grounded and mobilised in the rocky state.Some were even suggesting that OGD will decamp to AC and fund the flagbearer of the party for the comng 2011 elections.This will be a hard nut to crack as the current Speaker of the House Of assembly,Dimeji Bankole is also nursing a governorship ambition.Young,educated,vibrant,focused and definitely a progressive,the odds are that the PDP will not give up the Olumo Rock Government House without a bruising fight.

Alao-Akala of Oyo state is pursuing his 2nd term but fractured AC factions are joining forces to make this impossible.Disenfranchised former AC leaders in the state are returning to the party to form a great alliance prior to the 2011 elections.Those who went to PDP to support OBJ’s 2nd term are now returning back to AC to concretise plans to unseat the incumbent governor.Alao-akala however is optimistic of his success come 2011.He seems to enjoy good support from his people and his pursuing programs to better their lot.But if that is enough to earn him a 2nd term,is what we are not certain of.The former police officer from Ogbomosho will have to wait till 2011 to know his fate.

Dr. Mimiko and his Labour party as always surprised me.Being an integral part of Segun Agagu’s administration as SSG,Mimiko decamped to LP taking along his loyalists and neglected PDP members to pursue his guber ambition.Agagu rigged its way into office but was sent packing by the Judiciary following violence in areas of Agagu stronghold.Mimiko came into office with so much promise and iimmediately went after his predecessor.He has stopped almost all controversial contracts awarded by agagu,declared the state is indebted to the tune of N117b(which was hotly contested by agagu) and continues to go after Agagu’s politics and polity.While most believed Agagu failed both as a Governor and Minister,Mimiko’s ranks has swollen in tripple fold.His LP won the recent State House Of Assembly bye-election in Akure North Constituency with over 90% of votes casted leaving the remaining 10% for the remaining parties to share.He hoowever needs to do more to better the lives of the Ondo people.Some of the projects embarked upon by his predecessor might be controversial and inflated but are meant for the betterment of the populace.Those that are noteworthy should be continued while those unneccesary should be discarded.Failure to impact positively the lives of the enlightened Ondo people is an antedote to destruction.AC’s vibrancy and success in neighbouring Ekiti state can spread over making 2nd term ambition for him impossible.PDP however is still waiting on the sideline and preparing seriously for next election.Alasoadura (a PDP stalwart)boasted recently of being ready to spent over N2b to unseat Mimiko in the coming election.He forgot that Agagu spent more but was still unseated by the Judiciary.Obasanjo and Olabode -George spent the same amount on lagos state but lost woefullly to cash-strapped AC.Money might be the root of all evil but definitely will not buy you all you want and want.Nothing brings in more votes than a branded name,people-oriented projects and general good performance while in office.
As a political observer and commentator,I am seriously looking forward to 2011