Nigerian Senate and Bad roads

I watched the debate of the Senate today on NTA as the Senate President presided. The issue was about bad roads and accidents. The debate was undermined in the direction of calling for a state of emergency regarding the condition of some major roads linking State capitals and the various geo-political regions of Nigeria. There is urgency about road rehabilitation. When I travelled on Ubolor-Afor to Oturkpo road, I was worried that the Senate President had not been able to get work to be done on this important road in his senatorial zone. This is the most direct link road between the Benue-Plateau and South-East. This road has been in disrepair for several years, having failed portions with deep potholes that cannot allow a sane driver move at more than 30 km/hour. Action is required soonest. The President seemed to dilute the argument to engage the Minister of Works to focus on some roads quickly. The Senate President cannot afford to fail in this aspect.

Kerosine and Firewood

Today, kerosine sold for 200 naira per litre. Ten hundred naira per gallon. This is a country that the poor has no place, even when there is an agency charged with poverty eradication (NAPEP?) and Ministry of Poverty Alleviation in some States. What is going on?

In this town, kerosine is hardly seen in filling stations and you cannot buy the commodity at the official pump price of 50 naira per litre. Only the black market thrives and everybody that can do something watches.

Our government that has every reason to help has failed to help, even after NTA has broadcasted the news of our problems to the nation. The FGN has neither ears nor hands in it.

We live in a town where the trees are treasured for the shades under the blazing sun that can drive the ambient temperature above 40^oC. In desperation, people cut our shady trees in search of firewood. No kerosine, no cooking, but the trees come to our rescue.

As the trees disappear, the wind breakers give way to the fast moving winds from the north of Africa. The desert encroaches as fast as we create the enabling environment. I guess the government expects the scenario in order to have reason to set up a commission for the prevention of desert encroachment and mount campaigns for tree planting.

FGN watches as the sahel is threatened by sand duns which take over the farmlands and bring famine to the doorsteps of those they have sworn to cater for. Anyway, if there is no food to cook, no firewood burns. A country in a vicious circle because of stupid politics. Can we rebrand?

Re: ASUU vs FG: A national tragedy

....In fact trying right now to appeal to both sides in this great conflict ruining our nation’s future is worse than talking to a wall; it amounts to talking to two walls at the same time.......Dele Sobowale (Vangard, September 27, 2009)

The strike is being sustained by the inaction of FGN. We have a government that failed to think up a solution to a problem. Without a solution, we wait on God and pray. Remmber we are very religious. Dele, you did not offer any opinion on the way forward. The wall you face is fragile and can collapse with the sound of sweet music. The melodious voice of reason transcends the seemingly impevious wall of bigotry and sophism. Sing to the wall in the tone of a flute and you will hear the echo. ASUU and FGN may come to the dancing floor and we shall see the hostile hug of friendly enemies. We are waiting to give a begrudging standing ovation.

FGN and Governor Oshiomhole, the mediator

Recently, Governor Oshiomhole visited the Minister of Education, Dr Sam Egwu to mediate on the ASUU labour conflict with FGN, proposing a win-win!

I hope the mediator understands a win-win situation.

Egwu thinks: I am in charge and I have the power. Hang on until I defeat you.
ASUU thinks: This is our country and in our constituency, we call the shots. Not Egwu.

This is a time bomb for our demoncrazy or democracy. We wait to see the outcome. Any government that cannot generate relevance from consensus-building mechanisms is planning the beginning of its end. That is the law of politics except it employs dictatorial instincts of the power-driven maverick, which can only be transitory in effect.
Our hope lies in a government that knows the tenets of democracy, the rule of law and the proper use of state power on behalf of the people.

Acting for the people means speaking to ASUU until a consensus is reached (ie democracy) , finding ASUU to be in breech of the law (ie using the court properly) and not using state power to weaken a democratic institution like ASUU (ie against the people). Let them analyse the options. This strike has the destiny of making or unmaking a political ruling class that Nigerians have been thinking about its future.

The python and the hunter story

Nobody knows how the python basks in the sun
Nobody dares to see how the gaping mouth swallows
The hunter’s meat is dry
Dried enough to fill the mouth
Tough enough to defy the teeth
Though the barking canines can grab
They cannot chew a morsel
Tell ASUU, we see no python
Tell Mr President
The hunter is dead
Let’s find a place to meet and tell our stories

ASUU Vs FGN

ASUU strike has been on for more than two months and FGN has been watching with "no-work-no-pay" threat. That's no solution to the problem on the ground. This is a test of our democracy. Let's have a win-win situation and get over this logjam. Is it a wait-and-see situation? If we cannot resolve this as giants of African politics, we need to invite experts and consultants on conflict resolution. We can find them in Nigeria like we found Sanusi. Without this approach, FGN is risking loss of confidence and political suicide especially with an attempt to cripple the union. There is no political future for this country if the only avenue of workers to ventilate their position through the trade union is crushed. A government that cannot handle the governed in a manner to retain public respect and relevance is ultimately going to have a weak foundation. I have faith in this government, but I am beginning to question the basis of that faith. This slow motion is creating a notion of ineptitude. Let's move forward and have the universities reopened with all issues in proper perspective.

What do we pledge to Nigeria?

Nigeria has become an orphan. A kind of destitute. Everybody takes a kick and feels an exaggerated sense of patriotism for being verbally poignant. What Nigeria needs now more than anything is the enacting of the Nigeria pledge in words and action. It will be to our utmost interest to see that Nigerians understand the true meaning of patriotism and nationalism. We are driving in diverse directions and at the same time want to have a national destination. If Nigeria must survive, we have to live our national lives in the spirit of the Nigerian pledge. Thanks to that guy who wrote it. I hope the legislators and other political leaders start every action on our behalf with its recitation. It should be their mantra. The National Orientation Agency has a big job to do. I miss the MAMSER? times. The rebranding campaign is a scratch on the surface.