Impediments to a Nigerian Revolution
May 9, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba · 3 Comments
By: Che Oyinatumba
Apart from the shallow revolutionary content of the characters of Professor Ben Nwabueze’s gang, see Inconsequential Inconsistencies there are other impediments to a political upheaval in Nigeria.
Even the most pacifist in Nigeria, knows that the ingredients to reshape Nigeria are abound, pleading for blending to brew a revolutionary change. The ruling class is not left out in this understanding. Before the Nwabueze’s irritant call during his book launch, Professor Charles (prefers Chukwuma) Soludo had on Thisday Newspaper of Tuesday October 30th 2007 spoke out for the poor and oppressed of the land, expressing the fear that; if the rich does not do anything to keep the poor distracted, there will be an uprising that will consume the rich.
These calls are not for the benefit of the poor, rather the elite wants to reposition themselves in the new scheme of things. The slave is not fed out of love, but to sustain ‘it’ to produce move surplus for the master. Hence the co-pilots in the treasury looting with Obasanjo are now turning mouth piece for change, imprinting their faces as the new face of leadership in post Obasanjo regime. Of these entire “born against” leaders, the one I find absurd is Professor Jerry Gana. Gana served all the military heads of state to OBJ’s wasted 8 yrs. As is the fad with Orji Uzor Kalu, Atiku Abubakar, Fayose, Danye, Tinubu, Gana who was in government for 20years wants Nigerians to see him as a victim, a compatriot in suffering.
This brings me to the first impediment. The absence of opposition party / movement. After Atiku Abubakar and his gang of governors emerged from their clandestine meeting with chant of continuity in 2003, the official opposition party APP caved in. Not that APP was an opposition party in the real sense of it. (No party opposed the jumbo furniture allowance, the privatization of Nigeria chaired by Atiku, and other nefarious anti people policies of Obasanjo/Atiku misgovernance).
The human right community, bloodied by the long bout at the barricade against the military flattens out when they saw military apologists take over the gains of June 12 struggle. Some of these military apologists are still around in government for example Ojo Maduekwe-Foreign Affairs Minister. While some “activists’ mantra was on June 12 we stand, others ate on June 12. Even the running mate of the detained MKO, carpeted to the enemy. Who wants to cry more than the bereaved? The centre could no longer hold and things fell apart into NGOism.
These NGOs have dealt irreparable blow to the organizational strength of any movement towards a Revolution. Each NGO represents the interest of her donor agency/patron country. These agencies are not interested in curing the manifest ills in the Nigerian structure. They prefer reforms. Dario FO quoted in Sam Omatseye’s Not Yet a Revolution captures the role of NGOs.” Do people demand a really just system? We will arrange it so that they will be satisfied with one that is less unjust…
They want a revolution; we will give them reforms-lots of reforms, drown them in reforms and will drown them in promises of reforms, because we’ll never give than the real ones either”.
A good number of those chanting revolution are not ready. They are yet to shed the burden of Abraham’s sons. Being more Catholic than the Pope or holier than the Saudi King, Nigerians leave everything to God; even the simplest things like what meal to eat.
For a true Nigeria over haul, this opium must be banned and all those calling for revolution must start first by challenging these Israelite/Arabian interpretations of life in Africa and how to solve it. That which was/is applicable in the Middle East, can’t be applicable here. Till Nigerians or those parroting revolution start understanding that Nigerian problems can’t be solved by kneeling down or facing east but by hard work, commitment and honestly believing in Nigeria as their spiritual and earthly home, Nigeria will remain in the woods of undevelopment. Religion, should be a private thing and not (as is the case) a weapon of brain washing Nigerians to seek for a sugarcandy mountain somewhere.
Akin to this predominantly Middle East influence, is the uni-polar inbalance of power in the international arena. America as the sole super power will have to anoint a revolution before it can be successful. In the era of cold war before the collapse of USSR in 1991, KGB agents militarily and financially supported revolutions against American stooges. Mandela’s ANC benefited from this.
American foreign policy which is crude oil tailored, does not favour revolution, especially where such upheaval will affect oil price in the international market, destabilize regional “peace” and displace people.
Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) gave a ray of hope when she marched to National Assembly on May 8th 2008, to demand the trial of those fingered. While I celebrate this move, I wish to remind NLC that the Chinese Revolution did not end with Chairman Mao’s trek, or did India get independence after Gandhi marched down to make salt but both engaged in massive education of the masses, as a formidable force in wrestling out power from the oppressor.
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INCONSEQUENTIAL INCONSISTENCES.
April 23, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 2 Comments
By Che Oyinatumba
If you have not read or heard of the call for a revolution by Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN) during his book presentation, its either you have seen the emptiness of the call or the un-seriousness of the callers. Prof. Nwabueze first made this call during an interview reported in The Guardian of Sunday January 13 2008. At the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), the venue of his book presentation he was boldened by the presence of the new “enemies” of Obasanjo to pull the tiger by the tail. These characters: Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, G.O.K Ajayi (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) Orji Uzor Kalu, Ayo Fayose, Emeka Ngige (SAN) Otunba Fasawe. (For a comprehensive list see Cicero @ Thisday, the Sunday Newspaper April 6 2008, page 103.) Like you who have not read, I chose not to reply, for the “bellful” cannot prescribe revolution. These characters can’t withstand anything. Their primary interest, is how to undermine the genuine agitation of the masses, so as to be seen as a sympathetic class in the plight of the masses. For expose on the emptiness of their revolutionary credentials, read: Obasanjo, Nwabueze and Revolution by Femi Falana, Thisday April 14. (Back page).
I elected to do a rejoinder to this call, after reading Femi Falana’s reply to Kayode Komolafe’s Our Latter Day Revolutionaries, Thisday April 6th and Sam Omatseye’s Not yet a revolution in the Nation Newspaper of April 14th 2008. Juxtaposing Femi Falana and Sam Omatseye, I cannot but get into the fray.
Of all the comments I have read on this irritant call for a revolution, Sam’s Not Yet a Revolution is the most apt and a must read for what is left of the Nigerian left. In divers write ups, I have maintained that the dearth of credible opposition, in Nigerian political land mine, is the absence of an alternative based on ideology.
Most Marxists of the 70s – early 90s, have “torpedoed” into NGOism and international donor seeking beggars. The very few relics are working either as SA, PA or hangers on to politicians who were discredited in their university days. You have a situation where club/party boys, carparkites, loafers are now employing “ism” quoting, long bearded, non-conformist radicals of the 70s - 90s.
It is this lack of revolutionary elite (Sam Omatseye) and revolutionary organizations that made these bloated oppressors of the masses to call for a revolution.
Furthermore, the masses of Nigeria are disappointed by the so called “comrades.” The shallowness of this was exposed by past president Obasanjo, when he ridiculed a young chap from Niger Delta, who introduced himself as “comrade. Loquacious Obasanjo replied, “Even Adams Oshiomole is no longer a comrade.” This is an insight revelation, for Obasanjo, despite what people say, has a Machiavellian understanding of power and how to seduce his enemies. All those celebrating Adams victory in Edo, should watch it, as Adams may not be better (read last 2 pages of George Owell’s Animal Farm). Adams has started romancing Tony Anineh, the prince of Edo PDP, who foisted and sustained Lucky Igbenedion for wasteful 8years in Edo state.
I opened this can of worm because Sam listed wasted opportunities for a revolution and missed out the fuel increment rally that had Nigerians mobilized and ready for a showdown, only for Adam’s NLC to chicken out. The “revolutionaries” in the civil liberty/human right movement cried foul, especially with the death of Chima Ubani. Like Sam’s submissions, this also was wasted.
Is revolution feasible in Nigeria? In as much as there are inconsistencies in the character of the messenger, must we throw away his message? The messengers – Nwabueze and gang, (through leprous) have raised a mirror. Killing them (though they will be among the first victims of any uprising), will not change the message that there is a need to address the drifting gulf between the poor and the rich in Nigeria.
Nigerians are so traumatized by poverty that they only want the basics of life. Most Nigerians, will vote in a benevolent thief, who will steal with a basket, for the content of the basket will slip out and quench their hunger, provide light, give quality education and healthcare; there will be no need to go to Germany to cure “cold.”
Most of Nwabueze’s gang is employers of labor, what are the working conditions in the factory they own? For the SANs, what is the take home of a lawyer with 5yrs post call? Let everyone brighten the coner where he is. Revolution begins with rebellion of the heart, the challenge of the status quo wherever and whenever you see it. As the saying goes, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Nwabueze’s gang should sheath their dane guns, for the greatest impediment to revolution in Nigeria is the almighty United State. With t he unipolar imbalance of power after the collapse of USSR, any uprising must have the blessing of America, secure a steady flow of crude oil and guarantee that EU interests will not be attacked.
For Femi Falana who supports Nwabueze’s call, I ask where are the revolutionary elite to mentor a cadre of selfless Nigerians to die for the cause? The victims of June 12 are yet to be integrated by “big boys” of the human right community, who got lime-light via the sacrifice of these victims.
There is need to revive the “aluta” culture In Nigerian Universities, to challenge the evils that are daily oozing out in Nigeria. This can be done by building study centres, interactive forum between the mainstream labour movement and the student body. If these cadres on campus are not harvested, the dearth of viral labour movement will remain an epidemic and the quest for a just workers friendly environment will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained-Apologies to Bob Marley. Ex-while NANS comrades, who are now SAs, Pas should be discouraged from splitting National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), turning her into award awarding organization and a willing tool of agitation in favor of any politician that doles out the heaviest Ghana-must-go.
Akin to this, comrades across the divides, should join hands and build a labour party, arming her as a tool in the democratic overthrow of the existing oppressive political structure in Nigeria.
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The Trials of Brother Matthew.
April 22, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
By Che Oyinatumba.
As I reflect on the ills befalling the family of Nigerian ex-head of state, I can’t help but reflect on a Bible passage-2nd Samuel 1 Vs. 19 “the beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places: how are the mighty fallen!”
The cat was let out of the bag by Gbenga Obasanjo in an interview with Showore of Saharareporters.com during the criminal silence of president Obasanjo and his kitchen cabinet over the third term agenda. In what pundits called patriarchal fatwa, Gbenga was silenced and bided his time to strike back.
Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello the then commissioner in Ogun State took the shine off Gbenga when her identity crisis surfaced over questionable power project deal with an Austrian company. Ever since then, she has been attracting scandals like a frog to water.
Gbenga not wanting to be over shadowed released a bomb of an Affidavit in his divorce suit against Mojisola Obasanjo and averred that his estranged wife committed adultery with the ex-president. In as much as every family has its scandals, OBJ’s was made a national feast and even the guilty gleed and pontificated. Ex-president Aremu Mathew Obasanjo took it unlike his loquacious self and kept quiet, granting no interview to clear the indictment. I respect Obasanjo for this. What a mother hen sees and shout to the roof top, the sheep has seen much more and have remained silent.
The enemies of Obasanjo not being satisfied with the calm in Ota farm, after Gbenga exposed the bastard status of his children, went after the policies of the ex-president. These born again enemies of Obasanjo were all co-passengers in the band wagon that was used to loot Nigeria and were also active mouthpiece of the OBJ led government, when these policies were incubated and hatched. Even Jerry Gana who was in government for 20 years, is impotently calling Obasanjo names. Nigeria is indeed a land of no shame.
In these trying times of Obasanjo, the enemy number one is Musa Yar’Adua, whom Obasanjo brought from obscurity to lime light. Obasanjo had to break age long friendships to foist Yar’Adua on PDP and consequently Professor Maurice Iwu manipulated Yar’Adua into Aso Rock. Knowing that he stands on three uneven legs, Yar’Adua in a bid to form GNU (Government of National Unity), gain acceptance and mandate through the backdoor, agreed to sacrifice Obasanjo and went after him with a sledge hammer. Having toppled the pot of corn, all manner of birds are perking on the helpless Obasanjo. This ingratitude of Yar’Adua, exposes the weak character of Yar’Adua.
What these exposé at the various National Assembly Public Hearings have done, is to expose Nigeria as a corporate fraud. All the loot attributed to Obasanjo was looted with the help of Nigerians; a good number of them are the hypocrites calling for the probe of Obasanjo. Those calling for the head of Obasanjo, that Obasanjo should be tried, will not survive it should Obasanjo be docked. Not only did they keep criminally silent or spoke with both side of their mouth during the third-term debate, they participated in the loot of Nigeria before they lost out in the power play. They now want to use the anger of the masses to wage their intra class war, which will not benefit the poor they jointly impoverished.
This was the same quagmire we found ourselves in 1999-2003, when the mantra was kill what is left of Abacha’s family. The government went after Abacha’s loot, only for “some modern day” enemies of Obasanjo to reloot Abacha’s loot. Yar’Adua’s administration has spent close to a year without any policy definition, it ran Nigeria without a budget, and he has remained the minister of petroleum.
The provoked slave, who cannot match his wicked master’s strength, maims the master’s favourite goad, may have been the wisdom behind the earthquake attempts by EFCC to embarrass Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. My heart goes to Senator Iyabo, whose undoing is that she bears Obasanjo as a surname. Most of the ex-governors invited to EFCC were not put through this ordeal, yet they looted their state dry and are brandishing the proceeds. Weep not EFCC, Iyabo’s lawyers are burning the candle and will cite the ex-governor Peter Odili’s questionable perpetual injunction order to gag and chain EFCC from arresting her. Senator Iyabo will emerge from hiding armed with a court order!
Please let’s leave the Obasanjos and move forward. According to the late sage, Dr. Namdi Azikiwe, “a broken bottle has no mekwatarism”. We can prevent the other 9 green bottles standing on the wall from falling. There are a lot of shaky ministers in Yar’Adua’s administration, Professor Grange is off, and there are Yaus (the winner of Arugungu fishing festival that smuggled in a dead fish into the river to win the biggest catch) lurking around waiting to get to power. Till this anti-corruption crusade is backed up by massive anti-corruption education starting from primary 3, we are only scratching the surface and breeding more ingenious thieves with this exposure of only those in high places.
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Obasanjo Fights Back
April 20, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 3 Comments
By Ashimole Felix/Abuja
It is apparent that the National Assembly is learning the hard way that the gentility of the cat, is not synonymous with cowardice. Ever since the House and some questionable Nigerians started casting stone at the ex-head of state, he held his peace. The house and others mistook this studied silence for cowardice and some accomplices of the last regime have been casting stones forgetting that he who lives in a glass house does not throw stones.
The first counter attack by the Obasanjo group came at the wake of the Senate’s probe on FCT under el-Ruffai. The OBJ think-thank opened a file on the chairman of the committee and his “ill-gotten” 20 plots.
In a classical Mafia Manager manual, the OBJ loyalist have opened a can of worn, showing that the Honourable members may not be so honourable after all. In a leaked report to Sun Newaspaper of Sunday 20th 2008, the kleptomaniac tendencies of these honourables were exposed. It is now on record and uncontroverted that the house under Hon. Demaji Bankole may not be more honourable that under the disgraced Hon.Etteh.
This offensive was launched against the house for calling through her Chairman of the House Committee on Information Hon. Ubani that Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello should turn herself in and alluded that she is giving the House a bad name.
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Obasanjo Served Exile Notice.
April 8, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The people of Ota Ogun State, where the embattled ex-president of Nigeria resides, rose with one voice early this morning and stormed the streets of Ota; demonstrating and threatened to burn down the farm of the ex-president, if he refuses to stop interfering in their traditional politics. A section of the mob, wants Chief Obasanjo to leave town. The angry mob was dispersed by a team of riot police men. Some prominent members of Ota have left town for fear of arrest by security agents. This is the latest attack on the ex-president who have been fingered and ridiculed in all manner of infamous conducts perpetuated while in office.
While ex-president Obasanjo held sway, he influenced the installation of a traditional chief, who wasn’t popular with the villages. The saga continues!!!
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Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves
March 26, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has being doing a terrific job of placing Nigeria at enviable position on the world tourism map and make Nigeria a destination centre. But the just concluded 2008 Arugungu International Festival gave the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) a rude shock and reminded the international community that fraud, corruption and cheat permeates all facets of Nigerian life. In other sporting events, athletes take steroid and performance enhancing drugs to cheat but at the Arugungu festival, a competitor planted a fish at the base of the river, only to exhume the fish at competition time.
The biggest fish caught at the festival credited to Bello Yau was a dead fish smuggled into the river on the eve of the fishing competition. Nigerians are still dazed, figuring out how Yau, who is cooling off at Police detention pulled off this feat and deceived both the National Civil Defence Corps who helped him haul his phoney catch to the podium and the organisers who weighed the fish and declared it 65.95kg.
Yau’s accomplices have been held responsible for blowing the whistle on him, when things fell apart as a result of greed in the sharing formula of the rewards showered on Yau for netting in the biggest fish.
As Yau was busy catching a phoney fish, the House Committee on Power and Steel, opened a canister of nitrogenous corruption in the power sector. In a televised Oputa Panel de javu, the reason for the eclipse of Nigeria was revealed. It became clear to goat and chicken that the due process mantra of the Obasanjo administration was a ruse, to scheme out the companies and individuals he never wanted to partake in the sharing of the national cake.
Of all the companies that received mobilization fees and never went to site, 34 of them, which cumulatively raked in contracts worth $6.2 dollars, are not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). An ex-head of state, whose claim to statesmanship was his handing over to civilian kleptomaniacs, was fingered as Board Chairman of Energo Nigeria, which won N19.2 billion and has collected N13.2 billion without corresponding work. Which way Nigeria?
A development at the hearing that put a question mark on the political strength and will of the Committee to recommend punitive measure was the rousing applause Imoke received during the justification of his involvement in the fraud. A ranking senator descended into the role of cheer leader and hailed Imoke, who was a minister of power and steel. Another star performance was by Olusegun Agagu also a onetime minister of power and incumbent governor of Ondo State. Agagu argued that as a minister, I could not have awarded these contracts because they are well above the thresholds of a minister can award as contract” The contract was awarded by the federal executive council, Agaugu further said. Agagu’s defence point-blank means, I couldn’t have stolen more than N20 million at a time, there are others involved.
This brings the issue of due process. Whenever Nigerians complained that developmental projects were taking donkey years to commence, the ready wand waved is that the due process office is scrutinising the contractual terms, to make sure that Nigerians are not robbed blind by shylock contractors. The bubble of corruption in power sector was burst by President Yar’Adua, when the elevated Madam due process came with World Bank’s mandate to hood wink Yar’Adya into pumping more money in the power sector. Oby Ezekwesili was reminded diplomatically that during the administration she served as one of the star pupils, money sunk into the power sector, was commensurate to the pitch dark darkness Nigerians are going through. I am yet to understand why the House Committee did not call Madam Due Process to account how these contracts went through without her “righteous credentials” in Transparent International propelling her into resignation.
What I gather from all these dance of shame is that it is the Ministers, Special Assistances, personal Assistances that compromise the CEO, Head of State. The Head of State is not a technocrat, may not have an understanding of the nitty-gritty of the task at hand but have a burning desire to accomplish a goal for the betterment of Nigerians. These “trusted” aides, who are experienced and often PHD holders in their fields, should be held responsible for any short comings and be prosecuted for being a failure. Because we have a warp understanding of the concept uneasy lies the head that wears the crown and vicarious liability, many have stolen and looted the country blind, knowing that they will never be made to account. The pyramidal corruption that will be unearthed will shock Nigeria to her foundation the day SA, PA and Directors in Civil Service are probed. According to Agency report, the House Committee said “none of the contractors made substantial allegations against him (Obasanjo), so let’s leave OBJ and with a sledge hammer, go after those who have been fingered. Solomon in ancient Israel advised “catch us the little foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes”-Songs of Solomon 3 Vs 15. The likes of Yau are lingering in all facets of Nigerian life waiting for opportunity to manifest their evilness. Let’s save Nigeria now by going after the worms before they swell into an anaconda and squeeze life out of our fluctuating democracy
A review of timeless Tales from Arabian Night, especially the Arabian adaption of Robin Hood-Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ali Baba had only one horse, whose loot cannot march that of the other forty thieves combined.
Let us stop this over emphasis on arresting Baba and jailing him. Let me deflect your balloon, it won’t happen, for Baba belongs to the Institution of Ex-Presidents. Attack on Baba, will bring the other living ex-head of states, protecting him for an honest probe of Baba, will be a Frankenstein domino effect that will snowball into investigation backward up to Gowon. How many members of the House of Assembly do not owe any allegiance/his seat to any ex-head of state?
Governor Kanu
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