Nigerians Are Crying "Otoge!" And Fearful of What's Ahead Post COVID-19 and 2023 Elections

ABUJA, Nigeria, July 25, 2020/ -- There Was A Country: Nigerians Cry "Otoge!" While Fearful of What Lies Ahead Post COVID-19 and 2023 Elections by Dorothy Jamilu

Millions of Nigerians are unable to fight or scream anymore, they are only able to cry, accept abuses and await death. They are the 90% majority of the nation. This group of impoverished Nigerians are often referred to by the 10% minority government as “unpriviledged” and “aggrieved” but wrong - they’re extremely abused people who have no hope, no money and no where to seek help thus unable to fight any further.

Several decades ago, Nigeria’s leadership changed hands from colonialism to low-class leadership. Men with minimal vision, ethics and intelligence, took over the baton to lead a country of over 150 million people. These men became leaders of the millions of Nigerians with PHDs, MBAs, LLMs and several progressive Degrees. At that time, Nigeria was very well developed. Oil riches overflowed and our educational system was one of the world’s best. Fast forward to the new millennium of 2000, Nigeria had degenerated significantly. Government leadership continued to evolve around low-class, visionless men of which many have a long history of criminal activities from forged documents to money laundering. There’s Adams Oshiomhole, an uneducated tailor who became governor of Edo state and subsequently chairman of one of Nigeria’s top 2 political parties. There’s Hope Uzodinma, an uneducated driver who became Senator and subsequently Governor of Imo state. Nigeria is not merely a corrupt, bad or condemned country, Nigeria’s problem is a complete failure of transition of power to high caliber leadership. In 1985 1 Naira traded for 1 Dollar. Today, you need over 400 Naira to buy a dollar. When low-class men or women take over any leadership position in the world, whether in government, business or not-for-profit, minimal developments emerge. Post-colonization era transitioned power to low-class Nigerians and the nation has suffered heavily since then. Between now and 2023, it is a must that power migrates from low-class leadership to the very best high-class leadership. Over 165 million people are depending on this all-important transition.

Top 10 most damaging effects of low-class leadership in Nigeria:

1. Hunger is rampant, clean water is scarce, stable electricity is elitist
2. Education suffers and illiteracy is spread across several generations.
3. Poverty is enormous at over 70% making it one of the leading causes of death.
4. Safety is compromised and fear and intimidation evade the minds of majority of the population.
5. Corruption becomes systemic that even really good people start to falsely believe corruption is a norm or necessity.
6. Public resources are misused or converted to personal resources. Police force, army and the military are mistreated, underpaid, uneducated and abused. They in turn abuse the 90%.
7. Bright minds become paupers, unable to attain their potentials, dreams and ambitions.
8. Infrastructure suffers, Companies suffer, Employment suffers, Migration Increases.
9. The media is owned, controlled or bribed by the current governing class and content is usually filled with believable well-crafted lies.
10. Quality, modern healthcare is non-existent as most of the 10% continue to fly out to developed nations for their health needs.

The most hefty cases of human rights abuses Nigerians will never forget:

1. The brutal killings of Funsho Williams, Bola Ige, MKO Abiola, Ken Saro Wiwa and others.
2. The Biafran, Asaba and Odi Massacres
3. Boko Haram Killings of over 30,000 people and the Chibok Schoolgirls Kidnapping
4. The inhumane derailment of Niger Delta despite billions generated from oil revenue
5. The brutal land grabbing of Maroko, Otodo Gbame, and other areas that displaced and rendered poor millions of citizens
6. Cruel and inhumane use of Nigerian Police Force to extort citizens daily
7. The inhumane conditions citizens live through daily with lack of electricity, water, food, no hope, no progress and human rights constantly suppressed

Buhari, as current foremost leader, must rise to fulfill all pledges of the extremely important position he strongly sought and campaigned for. He must know that he cannot fight corruption alone or with a few cabal members or allies. He must seek out the very best Nigerians to join him in the fight. What Buhari must do now to avoid the manic revolution that lies ahead:

1. Immediately shuffle and appoint only the best leaders in positions under his control. Getting the hierarchical structure right starts with him and the executive arm of government. Appointing anyone who has worked in or directly generated wealth from the current system of corruption will lead to failures. Getting recommendations of appointees from men or women currently in the corrupt system will also lead to failures. We need a new wave strictly of high-achieving, ,ethical and progressive leaders like Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, Adebayo Ogunlesi, Patrick Utomi, Arunmah Oteh, Doyin Salami, Omoyele Sowore, Mezuo Nwuneli, Dambisa Moyo, Innocent Chukwuma and like minds who can decide to willingly and passionately take on the enormous challenge of ethics and progress. Nigerians must start having healthy conversations about their highest-potential leaders.
2. IMMEDIATELY release and start dialoguing with Omoyele Sowore.
3. Immediately prosecute Amoda Sangodele Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has been noted as the greatest criminal that ever existed in Nigeria. This is your second term as President and Amoda Songodele continues to loot and own Lagos? His wife is a senator, his son is a demi god amongst the youth and his loyalists are in all key positions across the nation. What’s going on? Are you a powerful or powerless president? Prove to the nation that you are the powerful one. This will be your one greatest legacy.
4. Immediately call on El-Rufai to Release Mubarak Bala of Humanist International who was imprisoned for exercising his right to freedom of speech and religion.
5. Critically review all cases of human rights abuses and strengthen the development of effective policies starting with the national constitution.

This we hope will initiate the starting point to a better future for all Nigerians. We are yet to ask for social security benefits and palliatives that citizens desperately need during this difficult COVID-19 pandemic era. The very minimum the nation requests from Buhari right now is the above points. Once we have the right minded people in power, we will tackle all challenges gradually until we have a comfortable standard of living for all Nigerians and visitors. Effecting the above points will be the starting point to the end of human rights abuses, extreme corruption, criminal governance and bad leadership. Nigerians must save Nigeria now. We also call on the good-hearted leaders around the world to also support and help save Nigeria now.

When discussing Nigeria’s future in relations to this article, please use hashtags #enoughisenough #revolutionnow #endtinubuism #otoge #forabetternigeria #nigeriadecides #nigeria2020 #Nigeria2023

What we are calling on Nigerians and supporters around the world to do every day:

1. Create and share content daily #forabetternigeria until Buhari effects all requested points.
2. Even if your life is going perfectly okay and the corrupt system is working for you (i.e. the 10%, current and past ambassadors commissioners, lobbyists, advantaged foreigners, monopolized billionaires etc), adjust your mentality to clearly distinguish right from wrong. Over 160 million lives are at stake if these government wrongs continue. We must move upwards with what’s truly right and fiercely desist from what we all know is wrong.
3. Do not copy and paste press releases from any government office in Nigeria without first investigating thoroughly. The greatest lies have come from these offices. Any content shared during these times should be extremely well investigated. Enough of officials stealing and then lying to cover up facts. Virtually every content coming from Nigerian Government offices are false, fake or tainted due to the monumental lack of checks and balances.
4. Moving forward, If you’re looking for wealth and power, stay out of Nigerian Government. New Government must be servitude-based with a strong focus on policy development and for the benefit of the entire nation.

We collectively must achieve legal and immediate results towards the Nigeria of our dreams starting with getting the right people in power who will establish systems, structures, checks and balances.

References:
https://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/nigeria0705/nigeria0705.pdf

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/nigeria-borno-state-attack-coronavirus/2020/06/10/0147e06a-ab1b-11ea-a43b-be9f6494a87d_story.html

https://dailytimes.ng/nigerians-dig-out-photo-of-deputy-gov-of-edo-shaibu-presenting-best-tailor-award-to-oshiomhole-in-1986/

https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/289737/analysis-the-resignation-of-365-soldiers-from-the-naf.html

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/04/27/is-there-any-hope-for-hope-uzodinmas-late-associate-family/

Thank you,
Dorothy Jamilu
Organization For A Better Nigeria
[email protected]