KIDNAPPING, UNFIT PRESIDENT AND THE DEATH OF A NATION - By Chukwuma Iwuanyanwu

Source: http://www.huhuonline.com

Who will teach our pinhead rulers that the world is now a global village? My question is whether these charlatans browse the internet, listen to world broadcasting outfits and read some of the influential newspapers and magazines. Ok, if most of them are busy chasing the free ladies in Abuja and in other hot spots in Nigeria and planning how to siphon our commonwealth, do they hear from others, who read people like Sam Nda-Isiah of Leadership, the boys at Daily Independent, Guardian, Vanguard, ThisDay, Punch and others. So, it has come to the point that these rulers are now reprobates and requesting them to care about what the world says about Nigeria is disturbing them from their normal duties of self preservations. The news is that Nigeria's image is in a mess worldwide and leadership is the major problem. Leadership is nothing other than influence and if those who call themselves leaders fail to influence Nigerians positively, both home and in Diaspora, they have all failed the major mandate of leadership.

Do these hare-brained know that it takes a minute for any event in Nigeria to circulate around the world? I cannot count how many times I have called my friend in the government to ask him about a piece of news I read about Nigeria, only for him to confirm it the next day, that is after 24 hours I have read the news. What is happening in Nigeria? This guy told me that the governors and many people in authority are not after governance any more but busy on how to amass wealth so that the EFCC will not track them down. The latest scheme is when they get federal allocations, they deposit them with various banks, and the banks in turn used the large deposit to purchase foreign currencies (pounds, dollars etc.) from the Central Bank of Nigeria and they turn around to sell them to black marketers with huge profit margin. The profits made are shared between the banks and the depositors, so a governor does not make anything less than N200 million within a day. A clean business and the EFCC can not link them to any type of corruption. They are busy running around, so how can they read or hear what is being said, or written about Nigeria? From Abuja to all the states of the federal, those rogues are not there for Nigerians but for themselves and their immediate families; so governance has literally gone bye in the present Nigeria. No thanks to Obasanjo and Yar'Adua. How I wish Fela is alive!

The political space in Nigeria is now being populated by educated illiterates and illiterate millionaire traders and artisans, who have no clue of the definitions of leadership and the modern day governance at al levels. It is unfortunate that the superintendent of all these mess is no other than Umaru himself, who told us that he was once an analytical chemistry teacher at ABU, and who Nigeria had much hope in, despite his stolen mandate. Nigeria knew and they still know that it was Obasanjo that hung Umaru on us and we thought that Umaru could have utilized one of the mandates of education, rational thinking, to appease the offended Nigeria by taking rational decisions. A rounded educated man or woman does not obey, but agrees on issues. Obedience is the hallmark of military formation, the zombie style and why does Umaru obey what he is being told by those who do not wish Nigeria well? Yar'Adua is sick; he is a mere leaf that can be pushed to any direction by even, a gentle breeze. Why did Obasanjo do this to Nigeria?

Nigeria is dying slowly and this is under the watch of Umaru and the infamous political brigandage called PDP. Prof. Pat Utomi wrote that everything stands and falls on leadership. Nigeria is now a ship without a rudder. There is a limit to any stretch and 90% of Nigerians are unhappy. I am foreseeing a revolution that can consume the nation. This nation cannot stand any other civil war. I can see a time bomb. The Igbos are not happy, the Ijaws are not, the Ogonis, the Yorubas, the Binis, the Tivs, the Fulanis, the Hausas, the Nupes, the Igalas and the Ibibios. I love Nigeria as one, but the politicians are stoking the death of this great nation, called Nigeria. They are taking Nigerians for granted.

A friend called me from Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, May 10, 2009 with sad news. He has been preparing this business trip to Nigeria for months now and his business associates have all agreed to make this trip to Nigeria. Memorandum of Understanding has been completed, but when he asked them to bring their passports for visa, they shocked him with refusal not to go again; the reason being the incessant kidnapping that will finally kill our nation. I shrugged in my bed, for minutes, I did not utter a word. I was angry, I love Nigeria and out of anger, all I said was how I wish God would kill all the present rulers (not leaders), who are dragging Nigeria behind and replace them with people of good will and good conscience. On Sunday evening, May 11, 2009, I read in the Sun that Canada has stopped free medical treatment to Nigeria due to the kidnapping of the Canadian woman, Julie Mulligan in Kaduna. This medical mission is sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in collaboration with Association of African Physician in Canada. Chairman Mao said little spark that sets prairie on fire.

Only an idiot can take this matter unserious. In a country that does not care for her citizens medically and other social services, this is a big deal. Who are the brunt bearers, the poor who benefits from this medical mission to Nigeria? There are some other many potential investors, who will shun Nigeria because of fear of being kidnapped and the nation is the loser. If all the foreign investors in USA pull out today, American will fall, so a country like Nigeria needs foreign investors to survive as a nation, but who wants to be kidnapped by hooligans for ransom. In the early stage of 419, the government played ostrich and those crooks garnered too much money and they bought themselves political positions. It is not uncommon to see today that some of the state governors, federal and state legislators are 419 practitioners, so the vice has a strong foothold. Nigeria is on song again, the present kidnappers will amass dirty wealth and form a cartel that in 2011, most of them, will be state governors and legislators, and they will have small fries working for them. They will by that time reason that those state governments that imposed life imprisonment and death sentence on kidnappers will be revisited, because such moved will not in any way deter kidnapping, and will be against international dictates on human rights.

But who says Nigeria will survive? You can accuse me of seeing glass half empty instead of half full. Folks, it is really hard on our nation right now. Nigeria is a country one hears negative and debilitating news at the dawn of every morning. Check out this roll call: poor infrastructure, no power supply, no drinking water, no roads, dwindling education, no planning, official corruption, armed robbery, child trafficking, unemployment, youth revolts, high mother-child mortality rate, incessant road accidents, bribery, teenage prostitution, no medical care, abandoned babies, frustrated widows, fake drugs, no retirement benefits, political robbery, election rigging, contract scam, financial scam, run away inflation, high interest rates, nepotism, ethnic rivalry, oppression, suppression, victimization, lawlessness, anarchy, brigandage, short longevity, youth neglect, school drop-outs, kidnapping for ransom and no leadership at all levels, except in Lagos state where there is notable visionary captain. Fashola Babatunde, may God bless you. How can a nation survive these avalanches without stress and strain?

People opt for kidnapping because of two major reasons: greed and lack of employment. People opt for executive corruption because of lack of faith in the nation and unmitigated greed. There are two things that can cure all these mess: provision of employment and stringent laws. Those engaged in kidnapping may have reasons, and the only reason is lack of job and the government will be blamed for lack of concerted efforts in creating employment avenues for the teeming youths. There must be an alternative for these hooligans, but I still support the death penalty and life imprisonment passed by some state governments. The politicians, who are caught in corruption are supposed to face life imprisonment, there will be no option of fine; and we will see a reduction in executive corruption. I still agree with Lord Shang that when the law is stiff, corruption is reduced to barest minimum.

Yar'Adua has not given any sign that he wants to curb corruption in the high places. I was surprised when I read that he gave the EFCC the go-ahead order to go after those who are involved in the rural electrification project scam in which Ugbane was arrested. This shows that Ibori is not convicted yet for raping Delta state because Umaru is giving him a cover. The ugly implication about all these is that we have not built an anti-corruption agency, which will act on the laws establishing it without recourse to the presidency for directions. There is need for a referendum, so that Nigerians will vote on the type of powers we will give to EFCC, to stop the country from dying from corruption. Another problem is that, who will oversee the referendum, Maurice Iwu? Forget it! Even the legislators in Abuja will not give us the type of EFCC Nigerians desire, because they will protect their looting interests.

Yar'Adua has demonstrated in many ways that he is an unfit president and he will do us a favor by not forcing himself on Nigeria come 2011. He has shown time and time again that he has no answer to the myriad of problems confronting the nation. I am also begging the spin doctors and all other crooks in PDP to spare the nation from death by allowing this man to go and allow the UWAIS's Electoral Reform report to stand without tinkering. Loose this man and let him go. Nigeria is not a dummy nation that we continue circulating the dead woods like Anenih, Bode George, Iwuanyanwu Emmanuel, Babangida and his likes. This nation is gradually but steadily dying and we will wake up one day and there is no nation we can call Nigeria. Are you talking of rebranding, please, Dora stop that nonsense. Until then, May God bless Nigeria!

Chukwuma Iwuanyanwu is the Executive Director, Harcourt Foundation, Inc., Los Angeles, California.

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