Inspirational and Socio-Political Blog.

Thursday 29 January 2015

Ahoy Nigeria: Buhari or Jonathan? - Part 1

The election into the office of the president of Nigeria is due on 14th of February. The two major contenders are the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party and General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.

If President Jonathan wins the election, there is no better way to predict the future of Nigeria for the next 4 years except by looking at his last 6 years of leading Nigeria. 

President Jonathan’s government in the last 6 years in my opinion is one full of dreams and in those dreams are pictures of a great nation.  However those pictures have only remained at the dreams stage. The way to turn the dreams into reality is completely non-existent for the past 6 years. No noticeable sense of direction at all.

Nigerians would agree with me that the administration has not done enough to affect the nation positively.  Looking through the last 6 years of President Jonathan’s administration, only those benefiting directly from his government by means of their ‘stomach infrastructure’ that would think otherwise.  Not much needed progressive changes have been recorded for the last 6 years; it all appears that things are getting worse. Most Nigerians are really struggling to cope with life and the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government does not appear to have taken notice of the intensity of the sufferings and if they do, do not have a clue as to causing the needed changes.

Nigerians are dying daily in their thousands from preventable diseases, religious violence, lack of clean water, lack of electricity, bad road network, poor standard of living, extreme poverty, poor medical facilities and many more.  The life of an average Nigerian is worth less than a chicken and they die in unbelievable large numbers. President Jonathan and his crew do not appear to understand the size of this pandemic and have often exhibited high level of indifference to the plight of Nigerians.

President Jonathan had often said that Nigerians would see how well he had performed when he must have left office.  I can’t but wonder how Nigerians would see what President Jonathan’s administration had done, when his gone, if we cannot see them now that he is still in power.  His utterances most often comes across as very patronising and seeking of Nigerians pity, not to talk of those of his wife. 

This is not what we need; we need a president who has got the bite to cause the change. To help the President understand this better, we all can see his performance now and it is nothing but shambles.
This is the reason Nigeria’s successive governments would repair a 10 kilometre road and invites CNN to cover the launching of the road; they would build a bridge or make a well in a village and invite Aljazeera to cover it.  They’d call a big musician; make party in celebration of a project that should be a normal daily occurrence.

It is shameful to read local and foreign news showing projects that the successive Nigerian Governments class as achievement. They spent millions on project that should cost a lot less and make loads of noise so this is seen as if the administration is working miracles.  The projects are made more obvious because successive Government have greatly under-performed and every little thing done by the incumbent government is blown beyond proportion.

Since Independence on 1st of October 1960, every Nigerians had advocated for a better nation. They have asked for their basic needs to be met by successive governments, however due to high level corruption, lack of accountability, wickedness and greed have not allowed the expectations to be met; it has been disappointments and setbacks from the successive governments. 

By all standards, any government not able to protect and provide the basic needs of its citizen is a failed one.  Nigeria so far is a failed nation, only its very resilient citizens have kept it going.
Nigerians voted for President Goodluck Jonathan believing he is the god, sent to deliver the mostly poor Nigerians from the web of poverty and introduce the change they have long waited for.  He came across as knowing what poverty is, having experienced poverty at its worst himself, this is the reason that Nigerians voted for him with all their heart in large number, believing he is the messiah. However his case is like that of a poor man who got drunk for one night and forgot about his poverty, he failed to realize that when his drunk stupor wears out, he would be back to his status quo.

President Jonathan is yet to do what he promised Nigerians in the past 6 years, yet wants another 4 years to complete what he has not started, can’t get that.  Although being a president, President Jonathan may never be poor again, but he should understand that what goes around comes around.

As much as the problem of Nigeria did not start with President Jonathan’s administration, he came to power promising to fix things, but has not done that over the last 6 years and has not shown he’s in the right direction to start fixing Nigeria.  I believe Nigeria is too big for him to handle; he is highly incapable to comprehend the enormous task involved and how to prevent or avert the disaster we are in.  If a football team is not performing, the coach gets sacked!

Can I trust President Jonathan with another 4 years?  I would say not, can you?

Nigerians by now should be enjoying adequate security, stable power, comfortable transportation, good policing, quality health services, good road network, general clean environment, increased jobs, transparency within the various sectors, technological innovations, reduction or complete eradication of poverty and many more to give every Nigerians a fairly good life cycle.  Nigeria is rich enough to provide these basic services and I do not think these are too much for Nigerians to ask for.  I cannot get as to why we are still where we are today. It must be a curse too big for President Jonathan to wave off.

In the next part, we’ll discuss about the old horse, General Muhammadu Buhari, see you soon.
Abiola Olaifa writes from UK

Visit abiolla@gmail.com, write to abiolla@gmail.com


Friday 16 January 2015

STAB IN THE DARK: A LOOK AT NIGERIA'S 2015 ELECTION.


On 1st October 1960, with joy and happiness Nigerians agree to an independent country devoid of foreign involvement.  All accepted this as the way forward towards leading a united country and governing themselves and building a nation by themselves and for themselves.  The independence would give a chance, guided by traditions and beliefs, culture and religion.

Looking back in time, I am beginning to wonder if this independence is not the curse Nigerians have had to live with.  We have proved over the past 54 years of obtaining our new independent status that we are not capable of leading ourselves.   Our once divided communities have divided further, now into more tiny pieces. Our voice of cohesion brought about by the independence is now our voice of war and blood. Everything about Nigeria is a joke and is difficult to imagine, not to talk of believe that we are where we are today.

Nothing good works in Nigeria, only the bad thrives.  The level of poverty and corruption is mind boggling.  I cannot but feel very sad for the country and its citizens. All have endured and suffered enough.  There is urgent need for change to a better life.  Nigeria is run like a ghetto city with a few rich in the means of many poor; the game everyone plays now is to hit it or miss it. No definite plan or road map yet in Nigeria, our accepted system is simply a shameful experiment. This worries me a lot, as we do not appear to be ready for a collective change or progress. 

Everybody in his or her own estate and the estate is fallen into parts

The game of ‘I cut your throat before you cut mine’ has reached a crescendo of immense propensity and the need to re-evaluate and re-assess is overly imminent as we approached another dimension in the nation’s history.

History is in the making and another opportunity to either re-shape our destiny or continue in our abyss of ineptitude has arisen.  Now is the time we have been waiting for to either correct the wrongs and chart a course for Nigeria or continue in the sinking ship.

Nigeria urgently needs a change and next month’s election is the opportunity we have to lead the change.


This is a massive year in the history of Nigeria and it is important that we get things right this time.  Our destiny is in our hands and we must not be bought over by money, chicken or bag of rice as was always the case.  The need to live and build together should transcend politicians’ lies and corruptions. 

Vote Right. Guard your vote and let it count. 


As we vote our national and local leaders, let’s vote with a total conviction that we are voting for candidates whose presence can affect Nigeria positively within a short time-frame to help forestall the impending doom.  We do not need any more leaders who lack the clues needed to lead the country. 
Nigeria has already reached a tipping point and without a quick emergency wedge, it may spill over to the detriment of the future of the nation.

My biggest concern is that we all clamour for a great country, commiserate with the developed nations, but most of us jump into the same wagon as our self-gratifying, eye service, ‘paddy-paddy’ style leaders , whose apparent interest is in their own selfish and corrupt ambitions.  We are not doing enough to break this circle of maladministration in the high places of our economy.  

As much as we do not want Nigeria to break, we also do not want it to continue to be a laughing stock.  Lets come together to build a nation we all can be proud of and dispense with sentiments and superstitions.  We no longer require God to give us a great nation; he has already done it and blessed the country with various resources.  It is in our part to use the resources to our advantage, natural, human and capital. We have a duty to guard what belongs to us and entrust the management to competent hands. 

Now is the time to do what is right and vote right.


By all standards, corruption has become a norm in our society and many Nigerians readily share in it. Corruption has reached a very dangerous height and except we start the drive to curb this, we may all be in the driving seat of a drowning vessel.   No nation thrives on corruption.  With this in mind, where is the future of our country and that of our children? Let’s ask ourselves these questions as we make up our minds as to the candidates we choose to captain our ship come the next election. 
Nigeria has failed and many times too. No need to re-emphasis this more, much have been said already.  However we must start to understand the propensity of the havoc already done to our nation and the need to get things right this time and choose right.

Let us all go out with strong determination to cast our vote for the right candidates.  We all can see how far we have come since October 1st 1960, with this in mind; let’s not make this another stab in the dark.  Let’s come together as one and vote for the right candidates devoid of ethnic or religious sentiments.

This is also a call on all candidates who are contesting the elections to do it with the fear of God.  The head that will wear the crown will surely do, therefore refrain from killing and violence.  The position you seek is not about you and your family, not about private jets and mansion in London and Dubai.  It’s about our sinking ship Nigeria and keeping it afloat.  Be Nigeria conscious and put your self-desire away. You have committed to serve Nigeria, serve you should.


God bless Nigeria.

Written by Abiola Olaifa, from UK.
 abiolla@gmail.com