By
Eddy Aghanenu
The campaigns are here again. Everywhere is buzzing. The unemployed and the poor masses are becoming useful once again in the hands of desperate politicians. The rented crowd is here again.
If you are probably from another planet and does not know anything about rented crowd, then the best place to learn about it is Nigeria. During elections, politicians in order to prove that they are popular, rent crowd for their campaigns. At the end of the day, terms such as ‘mammoth crowd’, ‘massive crowd’ are used to describe such gatherings. Due to the economic situation, the masses are rented for peanuts. They are faced with a lot of hazards – long trips on very bad roads, venue to sleep, feeding and lack of medical care. In most cases, politicians do fulfill their own side of the bargain. The contract amount are sometimes not paid.
An example is the recent ‘mammoth crowd’ that attended Ibrahim Babangida’s recent declaration for the presidency in Eagle Square, Abuja. According to The Nation of Friday, 17th September, 2010, the crowd rented from Minna in Niger State have not been paid their allowance of N5,000 per person. Ironically, Minna is the home town of Ibrahim Babaginda.
According to Yau Ibrahim, the spokesperson of the commercial crowd, they promised an allowance of N5,000 for the trip. The money was supposed to be paid before the trip. Unfortunately, this was not done. They were assured that they will be paid on the way. This was not to be. Finally, they were told that the money would be paid at the venue. It was an unfulfilled promise.
The commercial crowd has now besieged the Government House, Minna, for their money.
Expect more of such stories as the campaign progresses. This is what you get when politics is turned to ‘a do or die’ affair.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
MINORITY WINS THE VOTE
By
Eddy Aghanenu
The macabre dance can never cease in Nigeria. The political drama is getting more interesting by the day. The political intrigues are getting hotter with the passing of each day
Everyday brings in new definition of democracy. New concepts of democracy are emerging every day. Take the recent happenings in Ogun State. It is the state of the exponent of ‘do or die’ politics, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. It is also the state of the Speaker of House of Representative, Dimeji Bankole.
It is in this state that the unusual took place. In the early hours of Monday, 6th September, 2010, eight members of the state House of Assembly broke into the hallowed chambers with a borrowed mace and ‘impeached’ the Speaker and suspended fourteen others. Not done yet, in a matter of minutes, some controversial financial bills sent to the House by the Executive, were hurriedly passed. The bills were previously rejected by the House of Assembly. You can say it is the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob.
The minority has won, but it is a pyrrhic victory. It is only in Nigeria that this can happen. This is what the nation gets when political representatives are selected and not elected. The drama of the absurd is still on. Governance has gone to sleep and the people are irrelevant in this show of shame.
Eddy Aghanenu
The macabre dance can never cease in Nigeria. The political drama is getting more interesting by the day. The political intrigues are getting hotter with the passing of each day
Everyday brings in new definition of democracy. New concepts of democracy are emerging every day. Take the recent happenings in Ogun State. It is the state of the exponent of ‘do or die’ politics, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. It is also the state of the Speaker of House of Representative, Dimeji Bankole.
It is in this state that the unusual took place. In the early hours of Monday, 6th September, 2010, eight members of the state House of Assembly broke into the hallowed chambers with a borrowed mace and ‘impeached’ the Speaker and suspended fourteen others. Not done yet, in a matter of minutes, some controversial financial bills sent to the House by the Executive, were hurriedly passed. The bills were previously rejected by the House of Assembly. You can say it is the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob.
The minority has won, but it is a pyrrhic victory. It is only in Nigeria that this can happen. This is what the nation gets when political representatives are selected and not elected. The drama of the absurd is still on. Governance has gone to sleep and the people are irrelevant in this show of shame.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Nigeria At Fifty
By
Eddy Aghanenu
The country will be fifty by October this year. What have we got to show in our fifty years of nationhood? It is a litany of woes, failed opportunities
What will the Government be celebrating come October 1st. Is it the strides we have made in economic, social and political spheres or the non realization of the dreams of our founding fathers? A quick reflection of the past fifty years has shown that Nigeria and Nigerians have not enoyed the fruits of independence.
Within the period, there has been a bloody civil war that claimed millions of lives. Within the same period, the military hijacked power from the people for a period of over thirty years. All democratic structures were destroyed and corruption was elevated to new heights.
Today, Nigeria, rich in human and material resources, is one of the poorest countries in the world. With the advent of the new democratic dispensation, one would have expected some positive changes. Rather than doing that, the government is maintaining the status quo and not much has changed.
Today, Nigeria is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries in world. The looters of the nation’s treasury are walking freely in the streets and flaunting their ill gotten wealth, yet the nation is seeking to go borrowing.
Today, the health sector is in a state of collapse. Medical facilities are not available. Where they are available, they are beyond the reach of the common man. The result is an increase in child mortality rate. The average life span is on the decrease. Health workers are constantly on strike. Fake and expired drugs are now openly sold in the markets and commercial vehicles.
Today, the education sector has collapsed. Educational infrastructure is non existent. The high rate of failure in external examinations for high school students is alarming. A student ends up spending five to six years for a four year course. Tertiary institutions now produce half baked graduates.
Today, in the name of globalization, Nigeria has become a dumping ground for junk and fake products from the West and Asia. Our industries are closing down daily and moving to neighboring countries where conditions are more favorable. Rather than develop our agricultural sector, we go about importing rice from all over the world. The government is selling all her investments to the same looters of our economy in the name of privatization Unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world. The value of the naira is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is ironic that a country that produces over two million barrels of crude oil per day continues to import refined products.
Today, electricity supply is epileptic in spite of the billions of dollars meant to revive the energy sector. Potable water for the citizenry is non-existent. Shelter for all will continue to be a dream
Today, Today, the security situation is getting worse. In order to protect themselves, Nigerians have to barricade themselves in their self made prisons. People have lost confidence in the police force. From Tivland to Ijawland, there are extra judicial killings as calls on the army in time of crises. Elective positions are for the highest bidder. Political assassinations are on the rise.
Today, children have become bread winners as unemployed parents have decided to engage their children in commercial activities. Child labor is no longer news. The only means for survival for some of our young girls is to resort to prostitution in foreign lands in this AIDS infested world. Slavery is back. Brain drain has become a problem as our best materials go outside our shores to seek greener pastures.
Today, our environment has been degraded. From Sokoto to Bayelsa in the Niger Delta, the story is the same. Desert encroachment is no longer a threat but a reality. The sea eats our lands. Our water and farmlands are daily being destroyed by mining and industrial giants.
In short, there is nothing to cheer in our fifty years of independence. It is not yet uhuru. The federal, state and local governments must direct their energies towards improving the lives of the people, ensure justice and equity. Until this is done, Nigeria will continue to wallow in disease, hunger, ignorance, unemployment and international capitalist conspiracy.
Eddy Aghanenu
The country will be fifty by October this year. What have we got to show in our fifty years of nationhood? It is a litany of woes, failed opportunities
What will the Government be celebrating come October 1st. Is it the strides we have made in economic, social and political spheres or the non realization of the dreams of our founding fathers? A quick reflection of the past fifty years has shown that Nigeria and Nigerians have not enoyed the fruits of independence.
Within the period, there has been a bloody civil war that claimed millions of lives. Within the same period, the military hijacked power from the people for a period of over thirty years. All democratic structures were destroyed and corruption was elevated to new heights.
Today, Nigeria, rich in human and material resources, is one of the poorest countries in the world. With the advent of the new democratic dispensation, one would have expected some positive changes. Rather than doing that, the government is maintaining the status quo and not much has changed.
Today, Nigeria is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries in world. The looters of the nation’s treasury are walking freely in the streets and flaunting their ill gotten wealth, yet the nation is seeking to go borrowing.
Today, the health sector is in a state of collapse. Medical facilities are not available. Where they are available, they are beyond the reach of the common man. The result is an increase in child mortality rate. The average life span is on the decrease. Health workers are constantly on strike. Fake and expired drugs are now openly sold in the markets and commercial vehicles.
Today, the education sector has collapsed. Educational infrastructure is non existent. The high rate of failure in external examinations for high school students is alarming. A student ends up spending five to six years for a four year course. Tertiary institutions now produce half baked graduates.
Today, in the name of globalization, Nigeria has become a dumping ground for junk and fake products from the West and Asia. Our industries are closing down daily and moving to neighboring countries where conditions are more favorable. Rather than develop our agricultural sector, we go about importing rice from all over the world. The government is selling all her investments to the same looters of our economy in the name of privatization Unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world. The value of the naira is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is ironic that a country that produces over two million barrels of crude oil per day continues to import refined products.
Today, electricity supply is epileptic in spite of the billions of dollars meant to revive the energy sector. Potable water for the citizenry is non-existent. Shelter for all will continue to be a dream
Today, Today, the security situation is getting worse. In order to protect themselves, Nigerians have to barricade themselves in their self made prisons. People have lost confidence in the police force. From Tivland to Ijawland, there are extra judicial killings as calls on the army in time of crises. Elective positions are for the highest bidder. Political assassinations are on the rise.
Today, children have become bread winners as unemployed parents have decided to engage their children in commercial activities. Child labor is no longer news. The only means for survival for some of our young girls is to resort to prostitution in foreign lands in this AIDS infested world. Slavery is back. Brain drain has become a problem as our best materials go outside our shores to seek greener pastures.
Today, our environment has been degraded. From Sokoto to Bayelsa in the Niger Delta, the story is the same. Desert encroachment is no longer a threat but a reality. The sea eats our lands. Our water and farmlands are daily being destroyed by mining and industrial giants.
In short, there is nothing to cheer in our fifty years of independence. It is not yet uhuru. The federal, state and local governments must direct their energies towards improving the lives of the people, ensure justice and equity. Until this is done, Nigeria will continue to wallow in disease, hunger, ignorance, unemployment and international capitalist conspiracy.
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