States are broke, says CBN governor

By Tony Akowe, Kaduna, Chris Orji, Enugu; Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi; Osagie Otabor, Benin; Damisi Ojo, Akure; Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt; Kolade Adeyemi, Kano; Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

 

The Nation, Lagos. 30/10/2011

 

GOVERNOR of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has said most of the states and local governments in the country are unviable.

He questioned the rationale behind the creation of more states, local government and ministries which are not economically viable. Sanusi's declaration lends credence to the assertion by the Senate that most states of the federation are financially unhealthy.

Speaking at a book presentation in Kaduna during the celebration of the 80th birthday of Prof. Adamu Baike yesterday, the CBN governor said that the time has come when the nation needs to take the difficult step of overhauling political structures which have ensured that states spend about 96 percent of their resources paying salaries and allowances.

Sanusi also faulted the wisdom behind establishing nine new federal universities when existing ones have not been adequately funded by the government. According to him, the paucity of funding has led to a mass exodus of students and teachers to better organised educational settings such as Ghana, South Africa and other parts of the world.

In his paper entitled “Re-invigorating education in Nigeria: 

 

An essay in honour of Professor Adamu Baike”, he said “ultimately, we will have to be confronted with the task of taking the difficult step of overhauling the political structures that we have.”

He asked pointedly, “Do we need 36 states? Do we need the number of ministries that we have? Is an economy where states spend 96 percent of their revenue paying civil servants an economy that is likely to grow in the long run? These are difficult questions that we need to ask. 

“We have created states and local governments and ministries as structures that are economically unviable and the result is that we do not have funding for infrastructure, we do not have funding for education; we do not have funding for health”.

This damning verdict by Sanusi will likely dampen the spirit of many who have been agitating for creation of more states in the country.

Apparently explaining the government’s expenditure portfolio, the CBN governor said, “I don’t know how many people know that 70 percent of the revenue of the federal government is spent paying salaries and overhead; leaving the rest 30 percent for 150 million Nigerians”.

What this means, according to him, is that there is no money for the provision of infrastructural facilities by the various tiers of government, pointing out that in an emerging economy like Nigeria, a well designed educational policy should be an integral part of its development strategy.

He argued that the present development strategies should include measures to invest in human capital that facilitates the upgrading of industries and engender the economy to attain optimal resource utilization.

While acknowledging the growth in the number of federal, state and private universities in the country in recent times, Sanusi said that “the recent decision of the federal government to establish nine additional universities will further increase the number of federal universities. 

“It is not the place of the Central Bank Governor to comment on education policy. But one wonders the wisdom behind creating new universities when the ones we have built are still suffering from underfunding”.

While lamenting the huge number of Nigerian students studying outside the country in what he described as “better organized educational settings” and the huge amount of money they pay as tuition, the CBN governor noted that the tuition paid by these students is more than the annual budget for all federal universities in the country.

In his words, “although there are no comprehensive data on the number of Nigerian students abroad, recent data have shown that there are about 71,000 Nigerian students in Ghana paying about N155 billion annually as tuition fees as against the annual budget of N121 billion for all federal universities.

“In other words, the tuition paid by Nigerian students studying in Ghana with a better organised system is more than the annual budget of all federal universities in the country,” adding that “Nigeria is today placed third on the list of countries with the highest number of students studying overseas”.

He noted that though the structural shift from 7-5-4 to the 6-3-3-4 system of education in 1983 was expected to address many of the perceived deficiencies and respond to the educational yearnings of the citizens for technological and self reliant skills, the system was endangered by funding challenges owing largely to the swings in economic fortunes of the country.

He contended that a sustainable financing framework should be established to support primary education which is the foundation to all other educational achievements, pointing out that inadequate funding and lack of funds could stifle the attainment of the Universal Basic Education goals.

Those who attended the book presentation include Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah,  Kano State Deputy Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, Gen. Martins Agwai, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Prof. Emeritus, Umaru Shehu, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi, traditional rulers and friends of the Baike family.

 

TOAST TO THE COMMONWEALTH

By

DR GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCON, GCFR
President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

AT THE QUEEN’S BANQUET, 62ND COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING (CHOGM) PERTH, AUSTRALIA

FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2011
 
PROTOCOL

Your Majesty, The Queen
Head of the Commonwealth of Nations

Honourable Julia Gillard, our respected host

Excellencies, Presidents and Heads of Government

Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

It is my special honour and privilege to be asked to propose a toast to the Commonwealth in the presence of Her Majesty, The Queen.

Let me begin by noting the special significance of this moment in the history of the Commonwealth, especially as Her Majesty will soon be marking her Diamond Jubilee and we might not have the opportunity to meet again as Commonwealth Family before the historic event. 

Accordingly, on behalf of all of us, I would like to join the Honourable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia and our host, to express profound thanks and appreciation to Her Majesty for leading the Commonwealth, these past six decades, with passion, dedication and commitment.

Our Commonwealth is remarkable not only because of the diversity of its membership, but principally because we are united by a set of shared values. Whether as rich, poor, small or large nations, we all aspire to live a life of freedom and dignity and to achieve economic and social progress for our people.

I believe these are precisely the same values that will ensure that our organisation remains relevant to its times and people in the future.

At her ascension to the throne in 1952, nearly 60 years ago, her Majesty captured the strength of our organisation when she noted that:

the Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the empires of the past. It is an entirely new conception built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: “friendship, loyalty and the desire for freedom and peace.”

The fact that the Commonwealth is now globally recognised as a force for good, particularly in the areas of democracy and development, bears testimony to the widespread acceptance of its established values and principles. We must build on these attributes and strive to strengthen our rainbow coalition of governments, civil society and businesses, all united in partnership to deliver public goods and beneficial outcomes to Commonwealth citizens.

Your Majesty

Excellencies

I have much pleasure in asking you all to please rise and raise your glasses in toast to the Commonwealth:

“THE COMMONWEALTH”.
__._,_.___

WRITTEN WORDS

In accordance with my promise to keep feeding you with content on my blog, I thought I share 2 poems that only my facebook followers might have seen. I have to reiterate again that there is no single stronger than family in this life. They will always support you and help guide you. What they say is true, "Blood is thicker than water". I love my family.

The 1st one is a politically motivated poem (THINGS FALL APART) and the other is one of emotions(LIKE AN ANGEL). I hope you like the content and my style.

THINGS FALL APART
Friday, April 16, 2010

A simulation of a life drawn on the gates of Aso Rock
Classic case of perception vs reality
Wealthy individuals, starving nation
Corrupt leaders, vitiated people
Separated by the differing amount of zeros in our bank accounts
With men swinging their agbada saying, "one thousand, five hundred"
We need to account for the days when we would go to the bank
exchange one Naira for one Dollar
The days new graduates would get a job days after graduation
New civil servants riding around in their Volkswagen Beatles
United by the greed we all share in our eyes
A nation where things fall apart
From the soldiers in the biafra war
to the coup d'etat that eliminated Aguiyi Ironsi and Fajuyi in 1966
The letter bomb,
boom shalakaboob
kaboom boom pow pow,
that spread the body of Dele Giwa in his living room on October 19 1986
As significant as the war shells that was left to fall apart in Ikeja cantonment
Not deciphered by the great mind of our past military leaders,
leading to
boom shalakaboob
kaboom boom pow pow,
this time louder, as more bodies fall apart
Yet the president responds with, "We are a nation of millions of people. We thank God it is just a couple thousands, it could have been more"
Gone are the days when the Eagles were super
When Okocha would dribble through a defense like a snake in a maze
When Oliseh would drive a shot that tore the net like a knife in the hand of a hunter
Oh, how do I forget "SAP"
The devaluation of the Naira that sapped us of our strength as a nation
Religious enmity, clowned under the disguise of zonal leadership
Hause today, Yoruba tomorrow and Igbo never
Clever, but we smarter than that
By we, I mean the youth that are now willing to stand up
The ones who scream #ENOUGHISENOUGH on the streets of Abuja
All we ask is to #LIGHTUPNIGERIA
Yahooze has become the order of the day
On this day, I ask to have it in another way
Cultural Hegemony edges money in the mouth of my culture
People shutting their lips in reward for a meal for their family
They have become an ally to the destruction of self,
refusing to get emancipated from mental slavery
Shutting their eyes from the evil jungle justice they see
Triggered fingers fingering the guitar of the late FELA
Where are the men who would revive Kalakuta Republic?
Where are the men who would change the coil in the lantern when the oil runs out?
Yes, the oil will not last forever
Remember the strife of the Ogoni people
The public unquestioned hanging of Ken Saro Wiwa
I do not expect us to fall anymore to this kind abasha
Abacha might have drained our resources
Luckily, in many of us, the source is gained
The government has for long put us in a portmanteau of conundrum
They have played us hide and seek as all things fall apart
They express their ability to word play as they play with words
just that in reality, they are playing with our oblivion

LIKE AN ANGEL
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Like an angel, she came into my life
Like I was trapped in a jail, I needed to escape
Messages, subliminal
Beauty, unexplained
Love so strong, hate so far
Life so sweet, my heartbeat fast
Want her to be mine
I swear she is so fine
Fine from far, fine when near too
Her words so soothing
Therapeutic, her touch is
Eyes, most innocent you will ever see
Nose, perfectly shaped like a bicycle seat
Lips so soft, honeycombs drops
Neck so firm, a gazelle would fear
Hips curved, my grip so firm
Bosom intact, four wrappers won’t hide them
Even more striking is her smile,
So bright, night never came
With her, joy seems eternal

When we make love, heaven seemed so near
We lock lips, gaze fixed
Hair stands, sweat breaks
Her hands gripping the silk sheets
Mine holding her back
We made love, doves seated at the window
Feet clenched, she would scratch my back
Eyes closed, she calls my name
With neighbors’ screaming
Eyes open, she calls again, chuckling
We shared jokes, time seemed to pause
Passionate the love we made,
Sensual the feeling we share
Zesty, things became
Alas, I knew she was mine to have
And I, hers to keep
Watch, as we go lay on the sand
With the lake in front of us,
We bade goodbye to the sun
Looking forward to dinner,  under the moonlight.

Her name is __________________

CONFUSED BEING

Many a times, the transition between phases of life comes with serious decision making. From nursery school, your parents decide what primary school you should go to. After primary, there is the secondary school debate. Single sex school or mixed? Religion based school? Government or private? Day or boarding school? Far or close to home? After Junior secondary, you decide if you want to be in the sciences or arts- If you would swap physics for government et al?....I will skip the remaining choices( believing you get the drift now) to the one that is of concern to me now. The compulsory National Youth Service comes to an end for me on October 6th, 2011( how time flies!) and now decisions are to be made over post graduate education? Entering the public service sector? Looking for job with a competent private firm? and my personal favourite- Self Employment. What decision I make would be dependent on many factors- I bet you will know which one it is soon. This decision should have been done and dusted a long time ago, but a couple things didn't go as planned. My reasoning: "Man proposes, God disposes".  

Another thing that makes me a confused being is the purpose of this blog. I started this blog as "where I express my mind, share my thoughts, help reveal other peoples thoughts, share reviews and notes I find interesting". I realized I don't blog consistently enough to be through to this purpose. I have since being thinking I could concentrate on something else that would not require daily or biweekly updates. Options aplenty for me in sports, entertainment, politics, finances and poetry. For those that are certain they know me well, please your advice would be well appreciated. I can say this for sure though(and the last time I will make this promise) I will be blogging on a more frequent basis. I have also been confused about what to do with my twitter handle. I changed it from dazedfaze to @MCMrLucas. I have been mixing the thoughts of Seun and that of my MC ego. I thought it was a good move at the time as I could increase the awareness of Mr. Lucas, but now I am wondering if it is right to mix them. I think I will keep it that way until I get a complaint.  

A friend asked me a question yesterday, "Seun, is there really worth in a long distance relationships?" I could sense the sadness in her voice. She's been with her bf( boyfriend) for 3 years, of which they've spent only about 6 months together in total. I truly am not one who is a big fan of long distance relationships, but I can understand if they absolutely have to exist. I usually advice though that a long distance relationship is best after you've been together in the same city and in constant physical contact for at least 3-4 months. Also, an insecure or jealous person is advised not to be in a long distance relationship at all. You save yourself the stress of wondering what the other is doing and having headaches and heartaches over someone who is miles or even countries and continents away from you. "Is my boyfriend cheating on me?" "He doesn't call me daily, I'm not sure he cares about me?". A long distance relationship is the most mature of relationship kinds. Do not venture if you are not a matured soul. Note: I am not an experienced man in relationship matters as I have not been in a good number. So my limitations ends with knowledge of friends relationships, and from my excellent ability to study human character. On this note, my answer is, there is a worth in a long distance relationship but it requires maturity, trust and an understanding nature from both players in the team. Lacking any of these, do not be in one. If you are currently in a long distance relationship or have been in one, please share your advice and/or experience. It could help someone.  

Arsenal Football Club of England is a major cause of confusion for me now. The team is in shambles at the moment, and has fallen far from glory.Like a disgruntled father and a wayward son, I cannot desert the club at this low points. What I am confused about is how much of the fellowship I should be enthralled in. Should I be a passive follower? Should I just watch the games and read the tabloids? Should I be an open critic of our doings? Should I put myself in the manager's shoes, support the team, defend the team strongly in public and hope these storm would pass? I think I would hold my thoughts for now, so I will have something to write the next time I am on here. If you have the time, I advise everyone to have a blog. Its therapeutic-it might not seem so but there are few things that feel better than a place to share your thoughts. They do not need to be caged. I ask that if you have the time, you should look through my previous postings, there are some interesting reads over diverse topics. Until my next blog, I ask God to bless you all.

Cheers.

This is Bad Luck

I cant fully express my feelings on the failure of Goodluck Jonathan thus far. For the good things, he has done since he assumed office on May 29th, he has spoilt it all by coming up with the idea of the proposed "single term tenure" and also the drama following the minimum wage law. I will take them one after the other.

First, the single term tenure

President Jonathan, why are you distracting the nation with an issue that affect you and other public holders when there are many other issues of concern that the electorate voted you into office for? The proposal by Goodluck is that public officers be held to a single 6 year tenure rather than the 2 terms of 4 years each. The reasoning is that it not only reduces the cost of electioneering in the Nigeria, which can be used on other things, but it also makes the political wars between running candidates reduce. Sir, Im sorry to say but this is the biggest nonsense I have heard since Obasanjo announced a third term.

Yes, you have made it clear that this propose bill does not affect you and Sambo. Great. But truth be told, did you realize that your bill would mean 6 years of the likes of Akala in Oyo, Doma in Nassarawa, Gbenga Daniels in Ogun et al? What is the incentive to offer good governance when I know I do not need the people to vote me in for a second term. This is even worse when the country has the worst record for battling corruption with Waziri and EFCC, just making noise without doing anything. (Anyone knows what became of the Dimeji Bankole story?. Just thought I'd ask).

The solution is not what you have proposed but for you to propose a bill that makes public offices less attractive. Nigeria pays her public officers the highest earnings in the world, and this is not matched with a good job or the country's earning. Why wouldnt I kill to be a governor if I know I can get as much as wealthy as 100 Indian office holders combined? Gone are the days when a lot of public offices were part time jobs as seen in the case of people like Abraham Adesanya in the early 60's: Court in the morning, House of Assembly in the afternoon on a peanut pay. People who made personal sacrifices to make Nigeria a great nation. I have statistics to back all my claims.
Another cure to this problem is efficient tools of combating corruption and bad governance. EFCC is just a joke. ICPC is an even bigger joke. The judicial system is an even worse joke.

It is quite sad but sometimes I prefer the military. We all know what the likes of Rawlings did in making Ghana what it is today.

Goodluck, work on the issues that affect the average man and not how your thieves in public office can stay in office longer. We do not care, sir.

Next is the drama that followed the minimum wage passage.

What kind of government makes a rule which is meant to be followed and then sits again with its citizenry to explain the rule when the rules are made to be obeyed by all and sundry. Its only in Nigeria that senators who work like 50 days in a year get paid tens of millions of Naira, while faithful hardworking civil servants are told they cannot be paid more than 18,000 naira a month. Governors are naming stupid portfolios such as adviser to the 1st lady on women affairs, and so many others, and they say they cant pay 18,000.
Im an economist and understand that things are not always as they seem. That paying 18,000 is not as simple as that. It becomes simple when many projects go abandoned, when billions of naira is stolen by politicians. A good government would cut unneccesary expenditure such as large cabinets and use the excess funds on nation development, not filling their pockets.

I and many of my fellow youths, love my country and we plan to get all you evil mongers out. So be prepared as this is my home and I will not let anyone ruin my home.

Shoutout to my friends at www.omojuwa.com, as they are part of this crusade to give meaning to our nation, because as it is now, Nigeria is a joke.

Ode to my father

As my consciousness awakened to know and recognize people,
I was introduced to my Father.
He was a man I feared for the most part, a well built man and a giant to me.
He didn't spare the rod, hence I can say I am not a spoilt child.
At a time when many men are playing the role of daddy,
I'm proud to say my daddy was also a father.
Sacrifices to ensure the joy of my future, aplenty.
I mean sacrifices to the detriment of his enjoyment.
You in me, a child who could achieve greatness.
Greatness more than I even think I can achieve.
Many a times, I take your life lessons for torture
Faced by the lures of youthful exuberances, so I stroll astray.
When life bites at me, into your arms I come running
Funny enough, you always receive me with bigger arms every single time.
You may have thought I didn't see,
Or that I hadn't heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word, though it took a while to accept.
Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we'd grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It's written on my heart.
Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be
The man I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.
I've grown up with your values,
And I'm very glad I did;
Whatever is good in me today,
I owe to your wisdom, your patience,
your strength, your love.
You taught me by example,
as a role model,
how to be my own person,
how to believe in myself,
instructing me without controlling me.
Even when we disagreed,
you held us together,
so our bond was never broken.
I understand what you did for me,
and I am so grateful that I have you
as my solid foundation, my rock.
I respect you, I admire you, I love you,
my guiding light, my father.
So here's to a man who for 20 odd years has devoted his wisdom,
hard work, wealth and love to me and my siblings.
On this day you celebrate 50 years on earth, I promise to start repaying
every sacrifice you have made on my behalf.
You are indeed a great dad,
Happy Birthday Father.
I love you.

The Future

Six years in the club with a history of 124 years seems to be nothing. Six years in the life of a club that had constantly been the only other winner of the premier league (since its new format in) besides Manure and of course 95 champions, Blackburn, until 2005. Since Arsenal went the league unbeaten in 2004, a lot has happened. Once Russian with a tanker load of money has taken over West London neighbors, Chelsea, and hired the win-at-all cost King, Jose Mourinho, who instilled determination, grit, a winning mentality and above all, trophies into the team. Also, our North London rivals, Tottenham have had a spending spree that is more like the man they hired as manager, Harry “Twitcy” Redknapp. They have since made the Champions League (CL) and made massive stride in getting to the Quarter Finals, losing to Real Madrid. Arab money has seen the blue side of Manchester, one where they have outlayed about $850M in the last 3 years to build a team which is sure to compete for the league next season and also will be making the CL this year.
My beloved Arsenal in all these time as not won a single trophy, turned over the squad twice, spent the lowest amount of money on player recruitment in the league’s top 7. I will not today be looking at reasons for our failure but the way forward. I will give a realistic spin on what Arsene Wenger should do based on his history of frugality and player recruitment. As far as Wenger is coach, we will not spend up to $35M on any player. We would always put priority in promoting or replacing from within.

Note: * means players I am indifferent about or more likely to stay than go.

GK
Current players: Almunia, Fabianski, Lehmann, Mannone, Sczcesny, Lehmann.

Almunia: This man must be sold or released this summer. No need to discuss why. ($2M)
Fabianski: Wenger will definitely not sell this man. From this season, we can say he is not a bad backup, at least in Arsene’s world of mediocre goalkeepers.
Mannone: Will be returning from Hull this summer. I believe he should be sold as I do not think he is good enough for Arsenal, neither will be content with being on the squad as the 4th choice. ($ 2M)
Sczcesny: Definitely the future of Arsenal. The question here is whether the future starts this coming season, or it is still years away. From the look of things, if he can build on this season, I personally do not mind him being #1 next season. I think Wenger shares my pessimism.
Lehmann: I would love the man to stay around and help train this boy. Possibly, see the end of our GK coach, Gerry Peyton as none of our GKs has made improvements.

Verdict: I do feel having Sczcesny and Fabianski as our main GK. Though I do not think this is strong enough, I know Wenger would not let them go and take a chance with them. With his in mind, I would love for us to sign an experienced goalkeeper (32+) and reliable-someone in the frame of Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer.

End of summer: Sczcesny, Experienced Goalie, Fabianski


Defence

Current players: Clichy, Gibbs, Traore, Vermaleen, Djourou, Koscielny, Squillaci, Sagna, Eboue

Clichy: I do not mind if this young man leavers. From a competent defender, rivaling the likes of Ashley Cole and Evra as the best LB in the league, he has become an inconsistent, low in confidence player. He makes too many mistakes at the back, and though he makes forward runs, his crossing seems to get worse every time. He can’t dribble, shoot, play good set pieces, which means his only offensive threat is providing width to the team’s attacks. We either sell him or he stays, we should get him some competition, making him know he has to get down working. Gibbs is not ready to provide that competition. I think Vermaleen can be moved to LB for some games, if we buy another CB.
Gibbs: His future and potential is undoubted. He is currently too injury prone and he is not ready to be commanding our LB position. Not a bad #2 though, especially if he keeps learning and not think he has arrived.
Traore: Arsenal has done enough for you to train you and put you in the spotlight. You would never have gotten to play for a team like Juventus with the potential you have shown. He is not good enough for us and we should grant him his “dream move to PSG”. ($3.5M)
Vermaleen: Many people believe Arsenal would not have shipped so many goals this season if this man was not out for all of the season. I certainly concur. He is the rock we need. In games where the opposition is superior or a good defense is needed all round, I say we move Thomas to LB. He has a good left foot, can cross, can make forward runs as we saw in his 1st season and he can definitely defend well. This would also put pressure on Clichy. This should only happen though if Wenger brings in a superior or equal defender into the squad.
Djourou: Barring the few mistakes he has made the last few weeks, he and Wilshere have proven to be the revelation of this season. He has grown so much from the Djourou we used to know and has seemed to bring aerial calm to Arsenal’s defense. If he can learn from his mistakes this season, like the one for Bolton’s winner (the backward header that led to the shot that led to the corner and losing his man for the goal), then we would have the league’s most reliable backup CB in our hand.
Koscielny: A man forced into the thick of action by Vermaleen’s injury. I would say he learned very fast as he had to learn on the job and he is calm about his defending. He needs to be more vocal and definitely has a future as a great defender. He needs to watch the rash challenges when they are not needed. Alongside Djourou, they provide the league’s best backup CB besides say tottenham.
Squillaci: I say this with a lot of confidence. Sebastian is not good enough for Arsenal. Knowing that Wenger just splashed $10M on him this summer, he is not going anywhere. I hope injuries never force us to use him for more than Carling cup games against lesser opposition.
Sagna: Arsenal’s Mr Reliable. One we all call “Timaya” in Nigeria. If only Sagna can work on his offensive game- his crossing and in box penetration, he would make a case for the best RB in the world. Yes I said it. He is no nonsense and has no time for all that Arsenal one-two at the back.
Eboue: Fond of him for his ever supportive spirit and understanding his role as a squad member. Eboue, I am really indifferent about leaving or staying in the club, as far as I never see him in the RB role. He can play the kind of role he played against ManU on Sunday. Just come in, few minutes to the end of the game and help us hold a lead in an offensive role as he is a good runner with the ball and has efficient crossing.
Verdict: We must buy Gary Cahill. He is English, strong, vocal and very good. He can be molded to a Tony Adams. Also if Carl Jenkinson is as good as Wenger says he is, and then we can get him as a backup to Sagna. Otherwise, we go for Gregory Van Wiel of Ajax.
End of summer: Clichy*, Gibbs, Vermaleen, Cahill, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Squillaci, Jenkinson/Van der Wiel.

Midfield

Current players: Rosicky,Ramsey, Wilshere, Fabregas, Song, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Arshavin

Rosicky: We love you but time to go.
Wilshere: Wilshere was Arsenal’s revelation of the season. Sadly, he might have to go back to the bench next season.
Ramsey: Young man, we have missed you. Next season is your time to shine. Will def. play a big part of our season.
Song: Can you play like you did against Manure? Forget about the forward forays and stay behind the line to protect the back 4. In as much as I do not rate Sergio Busquest, this young man does his job well. You were doing a perfect job at the start of the season, until you started scoring and neglected your role as “DM”.
Fabregas: 8 years of loyalty and excellent service, is what you have given Arsenal. We can understand if you want to leave on the back of not winning trophies, or jealousy that your friends in Barcelona are playing beautiful football and winning trophies, or you just miss home. What we cannot accept is you playing football like you do not care and being careless with the ball. If you choose the later, please you can leave. If you choose to stay, put your heart on your sleeves and let us win this football club, trophies. Love you Fabrepass.
Denilson: Time to go. Simply, not good enough for Arsenal.
Diaby: When do you plan to fulfill your potential? You arrived in 2005 and we see bits and parts of how good you can be. We also see 80% of the time how disastrous you can be. Holding the ball too much until you lose the ball, your obvious inability to use your size to play the Vieira role and moments of madness (Own goal against Manure, red card against Newcastle- as case studies). If you think you deserve a starting role, you can leave Arsenal. If you staying, you have to be contempt with being behind Jack and Aaron.
Nasri: Please renew your contract. If Fabregas leaves, you will be the soul of the team just like you were in Marseille and with France. Work on your finishing and learn to be more selfish. We have seen what you can do when you are selfish.
Arshavin: If it is the Arshavin I saw against Manure, and then stay at Arsenal. If it’s the one I saw most of the season, then it’s time to go back to Russia or be part of a deal to bring Eto’o to the club.
Verdict: We must buy Scott Parker, whether or not there is an exit or entry in the team. He is an engine and leader, something we need since Flamini and Vieira left the team respectively. If Fabregas leaves, we can bring in Eden Hazard. If Arshavin leaves, bringing in Ashley young will not be a bad addition.
End of summer: Ramsey, Wilshere, Fabregas*, Diaby*, Arshavin*, Nasri, Song, Scott Parker, , EdenHazard/ Ashley Young

Forwards

Current players: Walcott, VanPersie, Bendtner, Chamakh

Walcott: I think it’s time 4 this young man to move to a central role. He has blinding pace which I think he can use like Henry used to. His finishing is the best in the club since Henry and Eduardo. Fabregas’ defence-splitting passes will be key to this.
VanPersie: No comment. I love you. 19 goals in 4 months is an unbelieveable return for a man who spent the 1st half of the season on the sidelines. I though which we can get you to start scoring freekicks again.Also your hot shots are not going on target again.
Bendtner: Wenger needs to stop playing Bendtner out wide. He is not happy being a bench player at Arsenal. He can leave, as I understand his plight. If he stays, he should be brought to the middle and should understand he is not necessarily good to be a starter. I think the 4-4-2 I want us to revert to next season, will see him play more.
Chamakh: It is saddening that you never really lived up to what I expected of you. Like Squillaci, you just came in the summer and so I do not expect you to be sold by Wenger, besides you did a good job as our main striker in the 1st half of the season. I’m impressed you understand your role as a bench player. Just do your job and try to be more of a threat.
Verdict: We should bring in Samuel Eto’o. Besides Van Persie who is injury prone, we do not possess a constant goal scorer in the team. Eto’o has proved more than capable over the years. His experience also bodes well for the team. A player like Falcao would not be another option if he is not too expensive after his return of 36 goals in 41 games this season.

End of summer: Walcott, VanPersie, Bendtner*, Chamakh, Eto’o.

Squad for next season: Sczcesny, Schwarzer, Fabianski Clichy*, Gibbs, Vermaleen, Cahill, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Squillaci, Jenkinson/Van Wiel, Ramsey, Wilshere, Fabregas*, Diaby*, Arshavin*, Nasri, Song, Scott Parker, EdenHazard/ Ashley Young, Walcott, VanPersie, Bendtner*, Chamakh, Eto’o.

With this squad, I think we also need a formation change. We have to learn to be flexible with our tactics and stop using the same thing against all opponents, independent of their strengths. We sincerely have to take a page from Manure and use 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 as needed.

In a 1st choice 4-4-2 formation

Sczcesny---clichy, vermaleen, cahill, sagna---arshavin, fabregas, scottparker, nasri---eto’o , VanPersie

In a 2nd choice 4-3-3- formation,
Sczcesny---clichy, vermaleen, cahill, sagna---Song, fabregas, scottparker--- nasri, eto’o , VanPersie

In a 3rd choice 4-5-1 formation
Sczcesny---clichy, vermaleen, cahill, sagna---Walcott, fabregas, scottparker, nasri, VanPersie---Chamkakh

Lastly, rumours are circulating fast around the Emirates that after many years of service to the club, Pat Rice is going to retire from his position as Assistant. Having him replaced by the likes of Bould or Adams or Parlour would help us.

Have a great weekend.

Naija 2011

Its stale news now that President Goodluck Ebele Azikwe Jonathan is the president-elect and will be sworn in May 29 to lead this country for the next four years. It is also stale news that the majority of the local and international observers thought this was an above average election on the free, fair and credible scale, though not close to perfection. 48 hours after the result was confirmed, I can tell you a lot has happened within that time. A lot is categorized by the violence that erupted in the North. The media frenzy that followed this election is a welcome development in not only the information dissemination of the election proper, but also in that it is a major boost at a time where Africa needs to catch up with the use of the Internet and other social medias such as facebook and twitter to drive for transparency and accountability in the African leadership. Let us discuss the predictability of Ebele’s win.

You would not know much of Nigeria’s history if you did not expect Goodluck to win. You would be forgiven if you expected it to be a close battle, possibly a runoff between Goodluck and General Buhari. The reality though is that Goodluck won out rightly. It was expected to be a battle between North and South. So it turned out to be. What raises our hair though is the appeal Jonathan had in the North.

We noticed from this election that Nigerians did not vote for the party but for the individual in this presidential election. PDP has done enough in the last 12 years to ensure they would not be in Aso-Rock, Nigerian’s presidential residence, come May 29th but Good luck’s mass appeal has to be commended. While Goodluck was claiming wide margins of victories in the south-south and south-east of over 98%, he was coming close seconds to Buhari in the North with as low as 15% margins of victory for Buhari in the North. If these margins were not so close in the North, there was the very high possibility of a run-off between the PDP and CPC candidates, as you have to have two thirds of the vote in each of the 6 geopolitical zones or 25% of the electorate in each state.

As a person, Goodluck is liked by many as he seems to be one man who rose from the same challenges a majority of the people faced to be leader, and still seems to retain his calm. I can forgive Buhari though for thinking there must have been some rigging as the close to 99% Goodluck claimed in some states seem to be just excessive but maybe the man is just so loved there. Buhari has conceded that though he thought there was some irregularity, he would personally not be going to any court, except the leadership of his party thought it wise to go ahead. With this, he neither accepts the result-as he has not made any move yet to congratulate President Goodluck, nor this he reject his result. A move I think he is making for the sake of peace in the Nation. He has even gone as far as publicly distancing himself and the CPC from the rioters.

Some loyal Nigerian, I presume I can call them that, have taken it into their hands though, to show their unhappiness at the outcome of this election. They resulted to violence at a high scale, torching people’s homes, killing people and unfortunately some members of the youth service corps, participating as adhoc staff in this election. It is too early to associate this to any party and I sincerely feel no party has gone ahead to make them do this. Many of them have come out to result to this as they do not understand why a country with a “majority of northerners” would have an election won by southerners when they as Northerners voted for their likes. This disgust was expressed by torching home’s of credible northerners who supported the ambition of the southerner in Goodluck. PDP chairmen of Gombe and Kaduna, the Vice President- Nnamdi Sambo have lost properties in Gombe, Kaduna and Zaira. It is also unconfirmed news that the Gombe PDP chairman lost 3 children in the malaise.

I sincerely expected this though as many of this perpetrators are illiterate, uneducated, unemployed youths who find violence as a solution to many problems. Someone even joked to me that the youths of Kaduna would still have marred themselves in violence if Buharia won, on the basis of over jubilation or just to molest southerners in their state. Sadly, I might have to agree with this joke. What I did not expect or understand is the killing of the young men and women of the Nigerian Youth Services Corps, who have volunteered themselves to a national duty in the fight for national growth through a credible electoral process to produce credible leaders to take us to our promise land. I sincerely hope INEC, NYSC and the government are working round the clock on the safety of youth corps members, the compensation of the families who are affected and ways to avoid the breaking out of such violence.

At this juncture, it would be right to commend the Nigerian Police Force, The Nigerian Army,the media, local and international observers, the electorate, INEC, all ad hoc staff of INEC- University Professors and NYSC members for their role in the election. There is so much room for improvement towards perfection but your effort till now shows there is hope for the future and Nigeria can one day know peace, security, good governance and unity. President-elect Goodluck Jonathan, I must remind you that the work ahead of you is enormous and you must approach it head on, knowing that anything short of success will catapult this country back to the dungeons of unrest and poverty.

Man Up, Son

Its Monday, March 14th and I have taken the day off to "update my goals". I sincerely think everyone needs to do this from time to time, especially if you someone like me who always seems to be confident about plans, rather than being confident in actions. I'd explain what I mean by that in a second.
I have an older brother and father, who always ensure they remind me that I have goals to achieve, under a specific time period. Many people do not have this advantage of a caring family. I have come to accept a flaw of mine, which is that I am always confident things would work my way without me even trying it. Trust me, its wrong. I really appreciate this fatherly figures in my life and start acting like them or atleast ensuring that Im acting on the message they trying to entrench in me.

So I have been doing research for Grad School and decided not to just focus all my energy in one place. With this in mind, I have narrowed down some schools in the UK. Ofcourse, I cant really share on here my exact plans(stalkers and non well wishers,aplenty). I really have to be moving fast.

I remember years ago, jus after secondary school, when I had planned that by now, I would be done all things school, be well entrenched in my career. Well today, that is not the case. I clearly have been side tracked by the way. Luckily, I have people have not given up on me and want me to succeed.

In all these realization though, I have been getting frustrated recently. I do not know if my frustation is brought on by my challenges or by the fact that I feel so unaccomplished. I do not at this time in my life want to be dependent on my father for anything, but his prayers, blessing and advice. What is a man to do at this point? I really should get my act together and drop my pride( actually, I have none), ask for help and strive to achieve what I want.

On a lighter note, I have been contacted to write for Nexus Africa, a site that is about all things Africa.At Nexus Africa, we strive to highlight the great facets of Africa; from culture, history, entertainment and tourism to politics, business and economics.
We also strive to bring Africans together as well as to connect with non-Africans through upbeat exchange, engaging dialogue, informative articles and presentations all centered around enjoyable topics and themes. "Seun's World" is the name of my column and I hope you become followers and readers. Here's my first post: http://www.nexusafrica.ca/fight-corruption-joke/

The fight against Corruption: A joke

"I charged our anti corruption agencies to speed up the war against corruption, and respect no sacred cows in the process"..."Let the ordinary Nigerian be assured that President Jonathan will have zero tolerance for corruption"..."We will fight corruption!"

These were the words of President Goodluck Jonathan,when he declared his candidacy for the PDP presidential primaries on 18th September, 2010. For many of us, Jonathan though not a saint, is better than what we've had in the past in terms of corruptible leaders. He has taken strides to move the country forward such as the reduction in fuel scarcities in the country, the improvement in the country's GDP that have been very impressive compared to the rest of the world(3rd best GDP increase behind China and India) and many other things.
I personally have started noticing cracks in this man's staunch position to be a credible leader since the PDP primaries but I will not delve on those issues now. What really grinds my gears now is the way the PDP and the presidency celebrated the end of Olabode George's time in jail for corruption.Mr. George was released from the Kirikiri Maximum Prison on Saturday after serving a two-year jail term for mismanaging funds of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) while he was chairman of its board. The 15-month-old court case between Mr. George and others involved fraudulent awards of about 29,000 contracts worth N84 billion by the NPA's board of directors between 2001 and 2003. While some thought Mr. George's release would be a subdued affair, the politician, who emerged from jail clad in a white agbada, was received by hundreds of political associates and supporters who turned the event into a carnival of sorts. The motley crowd later rode in a convoy of vehicles to the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos for a thanksgiving service.Present at the service were senior PDP members including former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; minister of defence, Adetokunbo Kayode and Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel. Others were southwest leader of the party, Tajudeen Oladipo; the party's governorship candidate for Lagos, Ade Dosunmu, and a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose.Mr. George, apparently buoyed by the effusive welcome by his supporters, some of whom wore T-shirts proclaiming him the ‘Joseph of our time,' said he was ready to lead his party to future electoral victories.
To celebrate a man who siphoned about 100 billion of the country's funds after what many already argue was a short jail term is quite sad. That the celebration was lead by a former president and major power in the country in Obasanjo and that the presidency was represented by cabinet members is a big shame to our fight against corruption. A fight which our beloved president says he wants to fight to a halt. This is quite sad and makes me wonder what the future holds for us.
Below are some excerpts from concerned Nigerians who also join me in seeing something massively wrong in this.

"There is nothing wrong in rehabilitating a prisoner," ACN's national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed said. "But turning an occasion that calls for penitence and soberness to a carnival of sorts is a disservice to Nigeria. It also ridicules Nigeria in the eyes of the world." Mr. Mohammed said that despite the fact that Mr. George was jailed for stealing money meant for port management and development, "some clowns are now comparing him to Obafemi Awolowo or Nelson Mandela."Let us remind Nigerians that partly because of Bode George's grand larceny, it now takes five times the number of times it should take to clear a container; while the Apapa port can hardly handle some ocean-going vessels bringing in imported fuel, thus heightening the possibility of fuel scarcity," Mr. Mohammed said.

A leader of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Supo Ojo, said the kind of fanfare that followed Mr. George's release from prison was a revelation that Nigeria is in deep trouble. "It somehow makes Bode George the symbol of corruption in Nigeria and the extent to which corruption has eaten deeply into the system in Nigeria," he said. "We have been thinking that the situation is not so bad, but with what happened Saturday, it shows that even people in governmental position in this country are deeply corrupt and they eulogise corruption as part of their guiding principles, therefore we are really in trouble in this country."

Also condemning the revelry following Mr. George's release, the executive director of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Ibuchukwu Ezike, said the situation was a manifestation of the realities of Nigerian politics. "Instead of a person known to have stolen public funds and convicted of a crime to hide his face in shame, we see him rejoicing and people all around celebrating him. This is a manifestation of what is happening in the political class. We have a very corrupt political class in Nigeria, and it is this, the world should be fighting against," he said.

Mr President, I must say as a concerned Nigerian, I am higly disappointed in this and I pray you have a good enough explanation for your recent actions. You just recently went to the Ibadan and called the SouthWest governors "rascals", a term which sadly falls heavily on PDP governors in the state. An incumbent president should have more class, and be more careful with his words. Sadly, I still believe you have a lot to offer this country so please do not get distracted and let go of your virtues.

For Olabode, I hope he has plans to get rehabilitated and change his ways. Im friends with some of his kids and do not hate the man. I just hope he has learned and will become a better man.*

* Quotes where gotten from various Nigerian news sites.

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/seundazedfaze ....Guess whos back to formspring?

J.E.G.A

Ever since someone made me notice that J.E.G.A could translate for 'Jonathan Ebele Goodluck Azikwe, I have been questioning my undoubted faith in Jega. If you do not know who Jega or Jonathan is, this post might not be for you. But for the nice person that I am, I will tell you who they are quickly.

Jega Attahiru was the man summoned by the federal executive council to come fix arguably Nigeria's biggest problem- Unfair and rigged elections. Iwu, the former INEC boss was believed my many to be so corrupt, his continuous handling of the electoral body would bring the country to ruins. Jega, upon appointment has been able to show many that is a man to be trusted and believed to bring about the most credible and fairest election in Africa's history. I, can proudly say, I am one of the many. He has made sure he came out clean on many things- from whether he needed extended time to achieve his mandate, or how much he needs and many others.

Now Jonathan, is Nigeria's incumbent president, who is seeking reelection and for some election, since he is only finishing the time of his dead boss- Umaru Musa Yar'adua. Jonathan appointed Jega and we all fully supported the move upon the display of Jega's character.

Now I would not seat hear and tell you I'm impressed with all Jega has done till date- many I am not impressed with, which includes but is not limited to the non payment of ad-hoc staff, not sending observers to some primaries and so on. But I would say is that for the wrongs he has done, he has so far seem to be unbiased and incorruptible, at-least until now.

A big chance to test his resolve has propped up. INEC gave all parties a deadline to hold all primaries at all levels. The ruling party, which appointed Jega via its presidential candidate who is the incumbent president, has issues with some of its primaries and wants to hold reruns, which Attahiru has done well to say he wont accept the list of candidates from these primaries. If he sticks to his word, he would have the blessings and confidence of Nigerians at large, and you would see them reciprocate by turning out in large numbers to vote in the April elections.
If he gets it wrong and allows their candidates to run, then he would be seen as been a tool in the hand of the president to return the party to power in many positions in the country. This would be a failure for his much publicized self professed honesty.

Now the problem here is more complex. INEC currently is an arm of the federal government, funded by the government. Until the house and senate work on and pass a bill that makes INEC independent in the true sense of it, I mean work out a way to fund itself, then it would continue to be a tool for the incumbent government. Do you get it? I hope you do. If not and are still interested, please send me an email @ ookegbem@gmail.com.

What a coincidence with the name though. LOOOOLLLLLL
Thanks for reading. Your comments would be immensely appreciated.

Like An Angel

Like an angel, she came into my life
Like I was trapped in a jail, I needed to escape
Messages, subliminal
Beauty, unexplained
Love so strong, hate so far
Life so sweet, my heartbeat fast
Want her to be mine
I swear she is so fine
Fine from far, fine when near too
Her words so soothing
Therapeutic, her touch is
Eyes
Nose, perfectly shaped like a bicycle seat
Lips so soft, honeycombs drops
Neck so firm, a gazelle would fear
Hips curved, my grip so firm
Bosom intact, four wrappers won’t hide them
Even more striking is her smile,
So bright, night never came
With her, joy seems eternal

When we make love, heaven seemed so near
We lock lips, gaze fixed
Hair stands, sweat breaks
Her hands gripping the silk sheets
Mine holding her back
We made love, doves seated at the window
Feet clenched, she would scratch my back
Eyes closed, she calls my name
With neighbors’ screaming
Eyes open, she calls again, chuckling
We shared jokes, time seemed to pause
Passionate the love we made,
Sensual the feeling we share
Zesty, things became
Alas, I knew she was mine to have
And I, hers to keep
Watch, as we go lay on the sand
With the lake in front of us,
We bade goodbye to the sun
Looking forward to dinner, under the moonlight.

Her name is __________________

The Suspension of Nwodo

Nwodo left the corridors of PDP some years ago. Upon his return and immediate assumption of the chairmanship of the party in June 2010, he made a costly mistake. One he might have thought was too unimportant to affect anything, well today it has. Just two weeks ago, a lawyer in his state- Enugu had filed a complaint to the state judiciary to check the ineligibility and conspiracy behind his chairman. This many took with a grain of salt.
Days after this suit, what has now become Nwodo’s Achilles was another lawsuit filed against the ineligibility of Nwodo as chairman, because he is not even first of all a member, and hence should cannot vote or carry out any function within the party, even more so the national chairman’s role. At this juncture, one wonders, how can a party chairman not be a party member? Apparently when Nwodo returned to PDP, he did not register as a member (guessing he thought it was automatic) and even upon questioning in recent times, Nwodo confirmed all this.
The question that now beacons is that is the timing of his sake or suspension right or wrong? Given that H.E Nwodo had arrived this morning at Eagle Square for the presidential primaries to perform his duty as chairman. He had even given an opening speech until he was interrupted by party leaders and the party’s legal advisor claim that even though they have not seen the supposedly served interim order, it will in the best interest of the party to appoint the current vice chairman as acting chairman until the air is clear on Nwodo’s position. This he further states that would ensure the primaries are not jeopardized. Now, does this mean the order was never served to Nwodo or he never even knew about it? Well, my very much connected sources confirmed that Nwodo has been wittingly avoiding the deliverance of the plaintiff to him. Sadly, words spread faster than anyone’s wit.
It so sad because I personally like this man as I feel he is a good leader, good intentioned and willed. He to me is one to put PDP back in its glory, at a time when the party is facing the defection of party members to opposition parties whenever things do not go their way. Now optimism on what he can offer the PDP is not shared by many though, as some party faithfuls are not particularly impressed with the ways of the former governor. Nwodo has been championing the return or reigniting of “dead” party stalwarts who seem to have been forgotten. An example would be the former governor of Anambra state, Chief Chinwoke Mbadinuju. The reasoning behind this thought would be that PDP can get stronger if these stalwarts are involved in the affairs to give their experience and trusted followership to the party as individuals like President Obasanjo would bring. This one first thought would be an excellence way to go. People who do not see reasoning in this see this as not trusting new party members with the responsibility of galvanizing support or even worse, re introducing these people to run for positions that they can rather run for, especially as these people have served before.
In the middle of this whole suspension fracas, you would think Nwodo’s statesmen would be behind him at this point, but that is met with a big nay. On Monday January 17, 2011, Punch Daily released a publication, “South- East PDP passes vote of no confidence in Nwodo”. In this publication, it was said that the South East chapter of the party on Sunday, passed a vote of no confidence and further stated that Nwodo should resign or face the risk of expulsion from the party. This is really suprising I must say but it should be though. Recently, we heard news of faction between the suspended chairman and the governor of his state. This is the start of why the South East chapter is not on Nwodo’s side.
In as much as I am disappointed that something of little difficulty as ensuring you tie up all loopholes in a country like Nigeria where people campaign based on criticizing the oppositions position, rather than tell you what they can do (Atiku against Jonathan as a case study), I feel like this a time for us to all learn that there is a new wave rushing over the country’s judicial system. We now find the court system doing its job in ensuring that all legalities are been followed and justice is served. The regaining of the state house by Rauf Aregbesola and Gov. Fayemi and the re run in Delta State, shows the judges are now willing to punish the crooked and voice the opinion of the mass. I restate my adoration of Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and hope that this current warm air that is passing over him passes by. I would really like him to be re instated and supported as Chairman once again. Of course, for those who know me, there might be a bias in my adoration of him, as he is father to a good friend of mine.

Nigeria’s Promise, Africa’s Hope

By CHINUA ACHEBE

AFRICA has endured a tortured history of political instability and religious, racial and ethnic strife. In order to understand this bewildering, beautiful continent — and to grasp the complexity that is my home country, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation — I think it is absolutely important that we examine the story of African people.

In my mind, there are two parts to the story of the African peoples ... The rain beating us obviously goes back at least half a millennium. And what is happening in Africa today is a result of what has been going on for 400 or 500 years, from the “discovery” of Africa by Europe, through the period of darkness that engulfed the continent during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and through the Berlin Conference of 1885. That controversial gathering of the leading European powers, which precipitated the “scramble for Africa,” we all know took place without African consultation or representation. It created new boundaries in ancient kingdoms, and nation-states resulting in disjointed, inexplicable, tension-prone countries today.

During the colonial period, struggles were fought, exhaustingly, on so many fronts — for equality, for justice, for freedom — by politicians, intellectuals and common folk alike. At the end of the day, when the liberty was won, we found that we had not sufficiently reckoned with one incredibly important fact: If you take someone who has not really been in charge of himself for 300 years and tell him, “O.K., you are now free,” he will not know where to begin.

This is how I see the chaos in Africa today and the absence of logic in what we’re doing. Africa’s postcolonial disposition is the result of a people who have lost the habit of ruling themselves, forgotten their traditional way of thinking, embracing and engaging the world without sufficient preparation. We have also had difficulty running the systems foisted upon us at the dawn of independence by our colonial masters. We are like the man in the Igbo proverb who does not know where the rain began to beat him and so cannot say where he dried his body.

People don’t like this particular analysis, because it looks as if we want to place the blame on someone else. Let me be clear, because I have inadvertently developed a reputation (some of my friends say one I relish) as a provocateur: because the West has had a long but uneven engagement with Africa, it is imperative that it also play an important role in forging solutions to Africa’s myriad problems. This will require good will and concerted effort on the part of all those who share the weight of Africa’s historical albatross.

In Nigeria, in the years before we finally gained independence in 1960, we had no doubt about where we were going: we were going to inherit freedom; that was all that mattered. The possibilities for us were endless, or so it seemed. Nigeria was enveloped by a certain assurance of an unbridled destiny, by an overwhelming excitement about life’s promise, without any knowledge of providence’s intended destination.

While the much-vaunted day of independence arrived to much fanfare, it rapidly became a faded memory. The years flew past. By 1966, Nigeria was called a cesspool of corruption and misrule. Public servants helped themselves freely to the nation’s wealth. Elections were blatantly rigged. The national census was outrageously stage-managed to give certain ethnic groups more power; judges and magistrates were manipulated by the politicians in power. The politicians themselves were corrupted by foreign business interests.

The political situation deteriorated rapidly and Nigeria was quickly consumed by civil war. The belligerents were an aggrieved people in the southeast of the nation, the Biafrans, who found themselves fleeing pogroms and persecution at the hands of the determined government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which had been armed to the teeth by some of the major international powers. My fellow Biafrans spent nearly three years fighting for a cause, fighting for freedom. But all that collapsed and Biafra stood defeated.

It had been a very bitter experience that led to the hostilities in the first place. And the big powers got involved in prolonging it. You see, we, the little people of the world, are constantly expendable. The big powers can play their games, even if millions perish in the process. And perish they did. In the end, more than a million people (and possibly as many as three million), mainly children, died either in the fighting or from starvation because of the Nigerian government’s economic blockade.

After the civil war, we saw a “unified” Nigeria saddled with an even more insidious reality. We were plagued by a home-grown enemy: the political ineptitude, mediocrity, indiscipline, ethnic bigotry and corruption of the ruling class. Compounding the situation was the fact that Nigeria was now awash in oil boom petrodollars. The country’s young, affable head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, ever so cocksure following his civil war victory, was proclaiming to the entire planet that Nigeria had more money than it knew what to do with. A new era of great decadence and decline was born. It continues to this day.

What can Nigeria do to live up the promise of its postcolonial dream? First, we will have to find a way to do away with the present system of political godfatherism. This archaic practice allows a relative handful of wealthy men — many of them half-baked, poorly educated thugs — to sponsor their chosen candidates and push them right through to the desired political position, bribing, threatening and, on occasion, murdering any opposition in the process. We will have to make sure that the electoral body overseeing elections is run by widely respected and competent officials, chosen by a nonpartisan group free of governmental influence or interference.

And we have to find a way to open up the political process to every Nigerian. Today, we have a system where only those individuals who can pay an exorbitant application fee and finance a political campaign can vie for the presidency. It would not surprise any close observer to discover that in this inane system, the same unsavory characters who have destroyed the country and looted the treasury are the ones able to run for the presidency.

But we must also remember that restoring democratic systems alone will not, overnight, make the country a success. Let me borrow from the history of the Igbo ethnic group. The Igbo have long been a very democratic people. They express a strong anti-monarchy sentiment with the common name Ezebuilo, which translates to “a king is an enemy.”

There is no doubt that they experienced the highhandedness of kings, so they decided that a king cannot be a trusted friend of the people without checks and balances. And they tried all kinds of arrangements to whittle down the menace of those with the will to power, because such people exist in large numbers in every society. So the Igbo created all kinds of titles which cost very much to acquire. In the end, the aspirant to titles becomes impoverished in the process and ends up with very little. So that individual begins again, and by the time his life is over, he has a lot of prestige, but very little power.

This is not a time to bemoan all the challenges ahead. It is a time to work at developing, nurturing and sustaining democracy. But we also must realize that we need patience and cannot expect instant miracles. Building a nation is not something a people do in one regime, in a few years, even. The Chinese had their chance to emerge as the leading nation in the world in the Middle Ages, but were consumed by interethnic political posturing and wars, and had to wait another 500 years for another chance. America did not arrive at its much admired democracy overnight. When President Abraham Lincoln famously defined democracy as “the government of the people, by the people, for the people” he was drawing upon classical thought and at least 100 years of American rigorous intellectual reflection on the matter.

Sustaining democracy in Nigeria will require more than just free elections. It will also mean ending a system in which corruption is not just tolerated, but widely encouraged and hugely profitable. It is estimated that about $400 billion has been pilfered from Nigeria’s treasury since independence. One needs to stop for a moment to wrap one’s mind around that incredible figure. It is larger than the annual gross domestic products of Norway and Sweden. This theft of national funds is one of the factors essentially making it impossible for Nigeria to succeed. Nigerians alone are not responsible. We all know that the corrupt cabal of Nigerians has friends abroad who not only help it move the billions abroad but also shield the perpetrators from persecution.

Many analysts see a direct link between crude oil and the corruption in Nigeria, that creating a system to prevent politicians from having access to petrodollars is needed to reduce large-scale corruption. For most people, the solution is straightforward: if you commit a crime, you should be brought to book. But in a country like Nigeria, where there are no easy fixes, one must examine the issue of accountability, which has to be a strong component of the fight against corruption.

Some feel that a strong executive should be the one to hold people accountable. But if the president has all the power and resources of the country in his control, and he is also the one who selects who should be probed or not, clearly we will have an uneven system where those who are favored by the emperor have free rein to loot the treasury.

Nigeria’s story has not been, entirely, one long, unrelieved history of despair. At the midcentury mark of the state’s existence, Nigerians have begun to ask themselves the hard questions. How does the state of anarchy become reversed? What measures can be taken to prevent corrupt candidates from recycling themselves into positions of leadership? Young Nigerians have often come to me desperately seeking solutions to several conundrums: How do we begin to solve these problems in Nigeria where the structures are present but there is no accountability?

ONE initial step is to change the nation’s Official Secrets Act. Incredible as it may seem, it is illegal in Nigeria to publish official government data and statistics — including accounts spent by or accruing to the government. This, simply, is inconsistent with the spirit and practice of democracy. There is now a freedom of information bill before the National Assembly that would end this unacceptable state of affairs. It should be passed, free from any modifications that would render it ineffectual, and assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan. This can and should be achieved before the presidential election in April.

In the end, I foresee that the Nigerian solution will come in stages. First we have to nurture and strengthen our democratic institutions — and strive for the freest and fairest elections possible. That will place the true candidates of the people in office. Within the fabric of a democracy, a free press can thrive and a strong justice system can flourish. The checks and balances we have spoken about and the laws needed to curb corruption will then naturally find a footing.

And there has to be the development of a new patriotic consciousness, not one simply based on the well-worn notions of the “Unity of Nigeria” or “Faith in Nigeria” often touted by our corrupt leaders; but one based on an awareness of the responsibility of leaders to the led and disseminated by civil society, schools and intellectuals. It is from this kind of environment that a leader, humbled by the trust placed upon him by the people, will emerge, willing to use the power given to him for the good of the people.

Name Game

Deity, a word to describe her
Ebullient, my heart becomes at the thought of her
Bring me into your world, lets become
One. So identical, we should sync
Rather, it seems like we clash
Apart, we should become
Heartbroken, I should be.

To have to leave you, I cannot fathom
Only because I fear we will fail, a
Bargain of the weak hearted.
I know what I want and who I choose to
Love, is a choice of mine.
Obnoxious, you might call me
Bold, I will say I am
Awaiting your love, here I am

Atonement for my weakness I will make
Demands for your love, I will utter
Exuberant I have become, of what could be
Yearning for your passion, care and attention
Emotions run through me. I know what I want.
Masked by the images of what life could be
Only time will tell, that I am the one for you.

I ask of you, would you be mine?
Would you be my girl?

Sinking Ship, Renowned Captain

For many years, 5 to be precise, have my beloved ship, ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB, not won a trophy. This ship is definitely sinking and even sad is that it masked by a great financial position, young talented squad and exceptional training and medical facilities. One then wonders the reason why behind these strong components, the ship continues to sink.
I would start with each section of a football club and explain what is wrong with Arsenal and what needs to be fixed.

OWNERSHIP
However you look at it, private ownership of a football club by money spending oligarchs has become the order of the day. The emergence of Abramovich, Saudi Family, Glazer et al proves that with money from an outside force most teams can sometimes defy the notion that money does not buy trophies. At Arsenal, the model is such that the club is self sustaining-Spend within your means. You can only buy from the profits you've made, money is never borrowed to cover player transfers and never overspend on players. Paramount to making this work is a board with many individuals as shareholders and for the most part share an inner affection for the club. There are 2 ways to go at this point: First is the board can make bold moves and ensure the manager makes massive investment in player purchases for world class players and stop spending money on underpar players and hoping they return the favour by collecting cheap pay and maybe working extrahard to win trophies. The other option is to let someone buy the club, make the massive financial investment that the club needs to get back to the powerhouse it use to be in the EPL. Kroenke or Usmanov?

MEDICAL TEAM
I do not know what is wrong but the players at Arsenal seem to be getting injured at a more alarming rate than normal. I do not know if its just me but I noticed it was when Gary Lewin nd the Club doctor got called up into the England set-up(which shows how good they are) and was replaced with Colin Lewin(Cousin) and O'Driscoll. Its either these guys are not good enough and need to get fired. Whatever it is, this injury problem must be fixed before the start of the season? Arsenal had 7 bone injuries during the course of the season, most teams end @ 2 maximum. Until this injury thing gets fixed, Arsenal will not win a trophy because no matter how much depth you have, it would be bared. Big example would be at CB. With Djourou already out for the season, Vermaleen and Gallas getting injured, you would always be forced to have Silvestre and Campbell left. The norm is for every team to have 4 defenders: Arsenal had Djourou, Gallas, Vermaleen, Campbell and ofcourse minus one Silvestre. Is that wrong? Yet injuries took them to the bare bones.