Achike Udenwa Emerges Minister of Commerce

 

Last night the Yar;Adua’s administration put all doubts about her unseriousness to rest when the Ministry of Commerce portfolio was Chief Achike Udenwa the immediate pass governor of Imo State, South East Nigeria.

Throughout his stint in Imo State, there was no industrial chimney belching smoke. As recent as yesterday, the Chief Press Secretary to his successor Ikedi Ohakim, stated that there was infrastructural decay under the tenure of Chief Udenwa, although the CPS was responding to the story of a High Court Uruall Judge sitting under a mango tree. If this is the true position of things in Imo State, what is the evidence of achievement that made this administration to nominate and insist that Udenwa be made minister?

It will be recalled that there was protest at the gate of the National Assembly Complex on the day the Senate was screening Udenwa. This protest if nothing shows that Udenwa does not have the support and loyalty of the state he ruled for 8 years. Forget his answer to the effect that all politicians have enemies. But what Udenwa failed to tell us is that no ministerial nominee had his enemies marching down the gate of the Assembly on the day of their screening.

Another thing we should not lose sight of is that Udenwa whose name was among the first batch of nominees was delayed at the SSS, implying that his credentials may not be as starling as some of his paid loyalists are making out. At this juncture, I cannot help but imagine what it was that delayed his security clearance. Nigerians should now understand why some politicians are hell bent on frustrating the passing of Freedom on Information Bill (FoIB)

The immediate past Minister of Commerce was Charles Ugwu, the PDP flag bearer in Imo State during the April 14^th guber election. Udenwa against party primary result that favoured Senator Ifeanyi Ararume aided Charles Ugwu despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring Ararume as the rightful flag bearer of PDP. Consequently, a new election was conducted on the 28^th of April and PPA led by Ikedi Ohakim became governor.

With this history fresh on our minds, one cannot help query the rational behind the compensation with a ministerial appointment to a sitting governor who could not deliver his state for his party.

If Charles Ugwu could not deliver will his godfather deliver? Their inability to deliver is plainly because there is no functional industry or mega commercial activity going on in Imo State. The Industrial Estate on Owerri-Onitsha road, is a grave yard with only NBC and a handful of pure water companies working.

Ugwu who was the head of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), could not stem the tide of Chinese importations of substandard goods, especially textile.

Another draw back in this ministerial appointment is the generational question. Are there no able young men in Imo State that can fill the Imo State Ministerial slot? Why bring back an ex-governor? And an ex-governor that has nothing in terms of improved commercial activity during his ruin of the state to justify foisting him on the nation.

On a general scale, President Yar’Adua should quickly reshuffle his new lack luster cabinet as it is obvious that the present constituent of his cabinet will not move this nation anywhere near his 7 Point Agenda.

You need to see Dora Akunyili battling to keep a straight face while trying to spin out an image for the government.

How about the 72 year old Lukman? This administration is fast becoming a dump ground for recycled dead woods.

What are these ex-governors doing in the cabinet? Are they not tired that after 8 years they could not radically improve their states?

What new vigor will Ufot Ekaette bring to Niger Delta that he forgot to tell Obasanjo and other Heads of state he served that will warrant his appointment as Minister in charge of the virgin Niger Delta Affairs Ministry?

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Xmas; Ndi Igbo alago!

Finally, December 25^th is around the corner. For the past couple of months, I have been agonizing in prayers that the Pope will decree that Christmas has been postponed.

As the day dwindles to December 25^th, my hope to answered prayers diminishes. As I see my neighbours deforesting their bank account to buy Christmas ham pack to win their oga’s favour, my heart bleeds and I ask myself, why this subtle bribe and craze for Christmas?  Even the roadside chemist shop managed by Okoro(colloquial name for igbos), is winding down for Christmas, I am reliably informed that Okoro has made plans to migrated to Biafra(The Igbos when disenchanted with Nigeria , crave for a spiritual Biafra , where all their dreams will be met. Why this craze for exodus to the East? While musing on this, my wife quickly reminded me that the biblical Israelites moved east from Egypt towards their borrowed land.

The 1948 United Nation’s creation of the state of Israel has given the biblical Jah people a permanent state, though they are still fighting their landlords-the Palestines. But all over the world, Jah people are still searching for a home land that is corruption, tribalism, evil and unemployment free. This has been at the root of internally displacement of people and the brain behind regional conflicts. There is a constant movement of people but it becomes evident during the Christmas-New year celebration.

At this period of the year, there is a massive movement of people to their homelands to celebrate Xmas and be with their ancestral spirits to welcome the New Year.

Nigerians are not left out in this exodus. A visit to any city in Nigeria will evidence this mass evacuation. The air ports, motor parks and donkey tracks, all full to the brim with people wanting to go home. The Nigerians in Diaspora are not left out. Many dish washers and mortuary attendants in Europe and America, are also home bound, to escape the high cost of living through the harsh winter. Some are also coming home to find a “village girl” to dollar-mesmerise and break a long standing relationship. Village girls are getting wiser now as it is evident that USA has gone into recession and a good number of Africans in Diaspora are jobless and crave to come home but the shame of having nothing to show for the prodigal son years in Diaspora is keeping them far from home and those who will make it, will find to their dismay that the village girl knows where Wall Street is and may demand a glimpse of his Green Card before she will allow him “do”.

The local communities have dusted their leaking baskets of unfinished community projects, launching, fund raising and all sorts are lined up for this period. The rural churches and shrines are not left out. They organise abroad harvest and bazaar, despite having done first fruit harvest and the commencement of the un-earthening of the new yam sometime in October/November.

This is against the back-drop that our “illustrious son” has dispossessed foreigners and struck it rich in the last year and investing a token in the community is not a crime. Many questionable characters will be awarded chieftaincy titles, whose meanings are as dubious as the recipients.

This exodus is worst among the Eastern inhabitants of Nigeria. Most of them believe that they are the Jews of Nigeria and at the end of each year, they must reenact their fore-fathers escape from Egypt. A political angle to this is the exodus as a result of the pogrom of 1963-1966, that cumulated into the Biafran war. The current Jos mayhem has added a taste of nostalgia.

With this mentality, the average Easterner sees Nigeria as a land to be plundered and not a home. After all, on the eve of the biblical Passover, God asked the Israelites to ask of their Egyptian neighbours of anything.”…and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for and like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians” (Exodus 12:35-36)

In this exodus, many die on the road to the River Niger. The dilapidated federal roads are worst in the eastern part of Nigeria. The Bini-Ore road that conveys the conquering Alaba, Idumota trader is a death trap. Even with their latest modern day chariots, they still don’t make it to the “Promised Land”. The Abuja-Lokoja-Auchi/Onitsha strip is another killer to the dreams of those bent on exodus. A sore that has refused to be healed despite the crocodile tears by the minister for transport, is the Lokoja/Ajokuta road that leads to 9^th Mile. May travelling this Xmas, will spend at least a night on the road.

Those fortunate to escape into the “promised land” find at their ancestral homes, disputes, intra-family bickering and the fear of being poisoned, rules the day. Most of these returnees, fence themselves in and hardly attend to the needy widow next door, some go all out to secure the protection of the Nigerian Police throughout the two weeks they will hibernate at home. Crime rate swings from all time low in the villages to a record proportion and I ask myself, is it worth it? The dispossessed, come back to the City (Babylon/Egypt) in January and start scavenging for a living, commencing a new circle of saving for another waste come December ending.

So better be careful when Okoro comes borrowing in January to pay his children school fees.

Is this not a season of celebration of he who was rich and for mankind, he made himself poor? A man whose father has all things yet he was born in the lowest of places? A man whose first midwife was a dispossessed bull, who grudgingly kept awake after a hard day’s work at the trashing floor, through the labour cry of Mary.

Why this craze for Christmas? The cost of everything has doubled. Even the transport fare to the east will reach the Iroko top. Why can’t these bus owners help their brothers who want to go home? Is this commercialization the essence of Christmas? Why can’t the Pope for once, postpone Christmas?  

 

 

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SHOE

The character of a man/woman can be deciphered by the type of shoes he/she wears. More also the mood can be known by the manner the shoe is shined. The attention given to a shoe can tell a lot about the wearer; if he is wearing the shoe or the shoe is wearing him. The guys who want to feel among wear Sanchos cow boy boots as official shoe to convey the impression of a ruthless uprising executive. The humble ones, mind you, not the poverty induced humility, wear flat laced shoes to show that they prefer the quiet side of life with little complications.

Another interesting side of the shoe is that it affects the manner a person moves. I am yet to understand why ladies wear high heel that are most uncomfortable that they have to carry around bathroom slippers to ease the discomfort. Between the bus stop and the office table where they will hide the ill fitting shoes, you can tell a lot about a lady. If you are wearing a high heel shoe, the power to propel the body moves to the thigh and the lady gallops on as though the waist is going to break and instead of the bakassi dancing makosa which is the beauty of African woman’s rhythmical movement, she drags herself like a shapeless Mannequin. If you don’t believe me, check out any girl on a stiletto pointed 7 inches shoe.

   On a flat soled shoe, the weight is balanced, shoulder relaxed and the elegance of movement evenly distributed. The waist and hip are not over laboured in movement. You can also tell by the dragging, slapping or careful marching of the shoe, who is wearing a borrowed shoe. Just look at your son/daughter dragging your shoe as if he is navigating a canoe. Some adults also cruise through life wearing a borrowed shoe or merely bought it because others are buying it.

As the Nigerian media is awash with swipes at the judgment of the Supreme Court, my mind drifts to the big shoes left by Pa Obafemi Awolowo and the nagging question of who has inherited it. In the early hours of the departure of Pa Awo, every Yoruba politician climbs to power by claiming to be awoist. This thinking continued till the uninformed merger between AD and PDP in 2003 an action that saw the political gains of AD in the Ooduwa states (South West Nigeria in 1999 election were under the firm grip of AD but come 2003 they lost all except Lagos State which tilted and finally collapsed into AC)

In Nigeria, the current political lexicon is to address any candidate that lost election as opposition not putting into account how alike or radically different the parties’ manifestos are. Hence ANPP is opposition, PPA is opposition, AC is opposition. No observer asks have any of the Federal Legislators who contested on the platform of the se parties any way different from PDP legislators? Each time I hear them talk or see the Senators on TV I cannot help but think of the last page of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where the animals observing through the window could not see any difference between the Pigs who overthrew the Human and the human they overthrew.

So Atiku, who was accused by other parties that lost 2003 election as being the brain behind the rigging, is now opposition? Is Atiku any shed different from PDP? Take a look at Lagos State, where AC holds sway, are they implementing any policy that is different from that of PDP? Has the AC State House of Assemblies passed the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI Bill) in their state to show that they are radically different from PDP government at the centre?

Same applies to Imo State, where PPA is in control. Isn’t the governor demolishing houses that was the clarion call against PDP when Nasiru el Rufai was the terror of Abuja? Is there any difference between Ohakim’s junketing around the world in search of investors and that of PDP governors?

Has PPA that is in charge of Abia wherein the Aba the technological nerve of the South East rests done anything to improve the local fabrication industries? There was a time, made in Aba goods, especially shoes, competed favourably with those made in Italy.

Same applies to APGA in Anambra. There is Nnewi, where with nothing; Nigerians are manufacturing any spare part of an automobile.

What paid columnist who are claiming that Atiku represents the opposition in Nigerian politics is that the parliamentary system of government that threw up Awo as opposition leader is no longer operational and in this context he left a shoe nobody can fit into.

Those masquerading as opposition in Nigerian political sphere, should start marshalling out counter policies to the 7 Point Agenda of President Yar’Adua . They should revive their dead wood members of National Assembly to vigorously oppose and add life to the drab debate at the floors of the two chambers of the house.

As it stands, Nigerians have nothing to choose in 2011 and there is no clear cut ideological divide between PDP, ANPP, AC and PPA.

Which of these parties have a blue print on how to run Nigeria on a crude oil free economy? How many of them has a workable policy on free education? At this, I am honestly following Adams Oshiomole to see how he will implement all those issues he waged war against government during his tenure as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president.

Nigerians should stop debating the split decision in Buhari Vs Yar’Adua or the woeful defeat of Atiku in 6-1 opinion of the Justices of the Supreme Court and start setting agendas for 2011 election.

 

 

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Yar’Adua Knows Fate II: Buhari Loses again!

Finally the Supreme Court has thrown away the appeal of Buhari. In a 4 to 3 division among the Justices of the Supreme Court on the validity of the April 2007 election, Buhari’s petition was found to lack merit. 3 Justices descended. The lead Judgment was read by Niki Tobi JSC.

The Supreme Court has also dealt with judgment on Atiku Vs. Yar’Adua. Nigerians do not expect any different judgment from that of Buhari. We await and shall report the out come of the judgment which was filed on two main grounds.

One Atiku claimed that he was excluded and two that the respondent i.e Yar’Adua did not score the required number of valid vote to be declared winner.

The Supreme Court held that Atiku participated in the election and could not be arguing against a result of an election he claimed that he was excluded.

Having buried the petitions, its now time to start X-raying Yar’Adua’s administration. If you will recall, those in favour in Yar’Adua claim that his go so leadership style is due to the petition against his “victory”. With this burial, let us hope that Yar’Adua will move faster and start implementing the needful frictions to move Nigeria towards industrialization by the year 2020.

For the opposition in Nigeria, this burial should be a wake up call for them to start building a credible opposition and build towards 2011. Let those who will be shouting that the judgment was a political judgment, should start looking for a political solution as it is now tradition that the Supreme Court will not nullify any Presidential election in Nigeria.

Weep not oh Nigerians. Let all hands be on deck to build a credible opposition party that will give PDP a run for her money come 2011. Furthermore, Atiku and Buhari should step aside and allow fresh faces to lead the opposition into battle come 2011. Should they disregard this advice, the opposition will remain marooned and will never win election even bye election.

 

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Yar’Adua Knows Fate Today!

The event going on today in the hollow chambers of the Supreme Court ideally should have been earth quaking. But the absence of robust opposition has taken the quake out of the would have been historical day. Nigerians are disillusioned and careless in whichever the scale of justice tilts. By 10 am, the Supreme Court is set to deliver a requiem on the worrisome 2007 Presidential election in the appeal of Buhari/Atiku Vs. Yar’Adua.

Despite flashes of erudite and electorate favourable judgments, a good number of the pronouncements on the 2007 General Election have been a stab on Justice. I still bleed at the remembrance of Osun State and the questionable SMS between judge and Counsel. The shameless rape of procedure in Ohakim Vs. Ararume. What is holding the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal from delivering judgment? Why should the Court allow herself to be arrested by an appeal in Abuja Division commenced by Agbaso whose petition had been thrown out? With due respect to the learned Justices of the Court of Appeal Port Harcourt Division, I smell the hands of Esau and the swindler voice of Jacob. To ice the suspected fraud, the adjournment was at the instance of a letter and not a motion on notice; hence the lawyers and litigants were not informed about the abracadabra adjournment.

I wish today’s judgment will be different from that of 2003 or 1999 before it but should my wish come true which I doubt, Yar’Adua will get two years awuf and will not leave in 2011 as PDP will win any bye election with David mark as acting President for 3 months. God forbid! General Buhari the best presidential candidate in 2007 is now a political orphan with massive defection from ANPP into PDP’s GNU. Should the Supreme Court rule in his favour, on which political platform will he rule? Bear in mind that the Supreme Court in Rotimi Amaechi Vs. Celestine Omehia ruled that it is political parties that contest elections in Nigeria.

For ex-VP Atiku Abubakar who is more in USA than in Nigeria. There is no a formidable opposition built by him to make a dent should the judgment be in his favour and the election is nullified. Does AC have the following outside Lagos State to command a nationwide victory in a bye election? Forget Edo State. Adams won because of the labour movement and not because of AC. Had Adams ran as independent candidate, he would have still won. So AC should not beat her chest that in a free and fair election that they will scratch PDP. The problem with beating PDP is that Nigerian opposition parties are paper tigers with pseudo teeth. We all don’t like PDP’s indecisive go slow style of leadership but there is no credible alternative. When was the last time Yar’Adua commissioned any project? All we see is Tura traversing the length and breadth of Nigeria launching her NGO while Yar’Adua is marooned in Aso Rock. If Atiku, Buhari and Mike Ahamba (SAN) are serious, they should start building an opposition movement that will kick out PDP in 2011, if not the 60 years reign of PDP will be real and every election will be a violent storm in a tea cup to unseat PDP. Whatever be the outcome of today’s judgment, let us stop crying over spilt milk; start now to build a party different in structure and content from the current social /ethnic clubs masquerading as political parties.

 

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Devil On The Cross

Apologies to Nugigi Wa Thiong’o the author of a classic novel of the same title but there is no better expression to explain the event going down in Kaduna today. The Nigeria Police Force Disciplinary Committee among other cases of accidental discharges and fraud against serving officers will look into the dent on the discipline of the force by Nuhu Ribadu.
While contesting his demotion, Ribadu who had limited respect for the Courts, went to court to restrain the Police from refereeing to him as DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) and the authorities of NIPSS from stopping him from graduating. The Police reacted by forcing him out of the graduation hall for not being properly dressed. I wonder in which custom were they expecting Ribadu to appear. In a DCP’s ceremonial cloth or that of the AIG? DCP’s means he has accepted the demotion and the AIG’s it would have meant he was in direct confrontation with the establishment that made him. Although this was the devil’s alternative, not choosing any showed the coward in Ribadu. If I were Ribadu, I would have won the AIG’s ceremonial cloth since my matter is in court but a serving Police officer in a graduation sponsored by the NPF appearing in mufti, is the greatest disrespect for the institution that made him.
There is no reasonable Nigerian who doesn’t believe Ribadu started on a good footing his chairmanship of EFCC in the quest to rid Nigeria of her 419 image. What people know and refuse to accept about our one time hero is that he is a tragic hero and like Icarus he forgot that he owned his appointment and astronomical promotions to the whim of an old fox called ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo. Ribadu the fearless, who inspired some of us, lost our respect when he became a willing tool in the hands of OBJ against the enemies of OBJ’s self destruction called third term. Ribadu turned himself into INEC-disqualifying officer and where he cannot get to the target, a whole state’s House of Assembly members will be his guest till they are willing to relocate to their “base” with police protection to impeach a constitutional elected governor, protected by Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.

These ex this and that are now on the driving seat of this administration and for Ribadu is payback time. More also a good number of those Ribadu disgraced, like Senator Chimaroke Nnamani ex-governor of Enugu State whom we read hid in the Senate President’s office to avoid arrest by EFCC and Senator Sani Yerima, whom Ribadu accused of directly stealing from the Zamfara treasury are in the Senate. More worrisome for Ribadu is that Yerima under the GNU has President Musa Yar’Adua’s ears. Well no need to inform that the ex-governors where Yar’Adua’s colleagues and when Ribadu said over 32 governors were corrupt, if Governor Yar’Adua as he then was, was not one of them, most of his friends in the them Governors Forum must be gold medallist on Ribadu’s corruption stable.
Though I feel for him, he should have just resigned from the police rather than this tango of shame he is dancing with the police and sure won’t win. In other to keep the morale of the rank and file, the police should dismiss Ribadu from the force, before accidental discharge while cleaning the armoury happens or a friendly fire finds the wrong friend. Imagine what it will mean for the Nigeria Police for Ribadu to go scot-free? Any Constable can disobey order or posting to a particular district in Nigeria.
Another apparition that will be on the cross today, is Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Central Bank. The five South-East states in conjunction with the Sun Publishing Limited will commence her median economic summit in Owerri, titled igwebuike. This Summit is to brain storm on how to harness efforts for South-East Economic & Social Renaissance. This is a laudable initiative, especially with the absence of Federal Government presence in the South-East despite the pyramidal contribution of people of South-East in the development of Nigeria. From your neighbourhood chemist shop to auto spare parts shop, the South Easterner is there. To show how important these group of people are to the economic development of Nigeria apart from is, it is a trite travellers wisdom that no city is safe to sleep in if there is no igboman in it. Use your tong to count your teeth and tell me if there is no igbo man in your village. It’s these unappreciative gestures by the other geo-political zones, especially in denial of access to Aso Rock that has made today’s summit a beginning of more summits to come.

In as much as I agree with the spirit of the summit, my heart is pained that Charles Soludo is not one of the “confirmed speakers” or is he one of the discussants (Saturday Sun November 28 @ Pg 30). How can the modern day red caps of igboland gather without the brightest of the red in attendance? The United Nation in reaction to the economic meltdown of which USA has entered recession already gathered 10 best economists in the world to think out a way. Yes Soludo the economic agwu nshi is the only African/Blackman in that team. Yes the Soludo that bailed out the dying Nigerian banks and made investors comfortable and now banks are expanding their sphere of activities to other sectors. When the started the idea of consolidation, some sceptics though Soludo was playing Ludo with the bank. But now everyone is happy but none wants to pay due respect to the wizard who had the courage to implement his dream.
If the South East wants to brew a potent economic portion that will reduce the casualty of ndi igbos whenever a religious/ethnic/political murder breaks in any part of the geographical expression called Nigeria, I will not make case for the exclusion of Okonjo Iweala the economic witch at World Bank but Soludo’s name should have been listed, even if he won’t be there. There are some big masquerades that any deity who wants to be taken seriously by mortals must not afford to offend. Soludo has danced in the evil forest that the best brains in world dare to trade yet he has no honour among his people. If Nigeria is a killer of his heroes as is happing to Ribadu, must ndi igbo kill hers knowing that they are in the political minority? That the Nigerian nation has failed to congratulate Soludo is bad but his non-inclusion in Igwebuike has shown that ndi igbo are joining outsiders to say that their mother is a bad cook. If this grievous error is not corrected is akin to arming the enemy with the nail to crucify our saviour.

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