For the Love of Country by Abdulrahman Usman Leme

Dear Nigerian Voter as you go to the polls on 28th of March 2015, permit me to refresh your mind on some of the things you already know , in the last six years that I describe as the worst administration in Nigeria’s history. Many of these things I will mention you already know them, but for the love of country I decided to pen down this reminder on some of the most pressing issues you should reflect on before casting your vote.

I was born in the late 80s during the military era and I say this without mincing of words that as despicable as the military regimes were, those days were the best part of my life so far as a Nigerian. I grew up appreciating the beauty of our diversity and I was a Nigerian first before aligning myself with any group, region or culture. Life as a Nigerian was promising, I was raised in a multi-cultural neighbourhood where respect for one another, discipline and tolerance were the hallmark of our peaceful co-existence. I had a passion for patriotism burning in me, each day I was looking at ways that I can contribute to make Nigeria better, when I grow up.

But today we have been pitched against each other by this self-absorbed first family, we attack each other both online and on our streets , we have sacrificed our friendship on the altar of the ambition of one man, remember that the Nigeria of today have been reduced to a group of sectional enclaves we are being led by a toxic leader a man who do not care about people he swore to protect, a man who is characterised by sheer incompetence, a man who had six years to transform our country at a time when the country was earning billions of dollars in revenue but chose to enrich himself and his cronies and subjected us to all forms of hardship.

We’ve had our share of bad regimes, but Goodluck took it to a whole new level. He is the epitome of incompetence. When people say Jonathan is a bad leader, I totally disagree; you have to be a leader first, before you can be categorized as good or bad. Believe me, Jonathan is NOT a leader in every sense of the word.

I watched one of the campaign ads for President Jonathan’s re-election campaign and the mantra is “for the love of country” vote Goodluck then I ask myself where was this love for country when Nigerians from Mubi to Buniyadi Southern Kaduna to Okrika , Wukari to Maiduguri from lagos to jos from Benue to Bama and many other parts of this country were either killed in their sleep, abducted or robbed in broad day light. Over 13,000 (Thirteen Thousand) lives have been lost to the insurgency alone, not to add those that died as a result of government’s negligence, and the millions that have been displaced as a result of one crisis or another.

Again I ask where is the love for country in those newspaper ads and documentaries on some TV stations promoting hate speeches targeting some of the people who have given their lives to keep this country one in the most ridiculous and unimaginable forms . As if that isn’t terrible enough, the first lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan has continued to display her crass ignorance and throwing all kinds of insults at the people of the north in particular, and the nation in general.

It is safe to say that the last six years have been the worst part of our nation’s history and with your PVC come 28th of March 15; you can help rescue our country from the hands of these cynics. We can’t afford to have another four years of this abuse of power total disregard for the rule of law, impunity and massive looting of our wealth, we cannot continue to live with traitors like Asari Dokubo threatening and intimidating us No! We CANT.

Dear Nigerian voter if you are a civil servant remember a certain pension boss is yet to account for billions of naira if you are a student remember the NIS scam, ASSU, ASSUP strikes. If you are business man remember the value of your capital today compared to what it were six years ago ultimately as Nigerian remember the millions of naira stolen in the name of fuel subsidy.

Vote for change, the younger generation and generations yet unborn will celebrate you for standing against modern slavery, nepotism and bigotry posterity will remember you for choosing for your country leadership that is based on integrity, uprightness and love for country for the love of country vote APC vote Change!?

First 100 days of Buhari in Office by Abdulbaqi Jari .

  It is a tradition that leaders of countries from around the world do celebrate their first 100 days in office. The first 100 days of a new leader of a country is crucial and determines how his administration will be. In Nigeria, the first 100 days of Buhari if he succeed, it will be Nigerians that will celebrate not his own self.
    In my opinion, the following will likely be among the first major effect of Buhari first 100 days in office.
   Firstly, after swearing in of Buhari on may 29 if emerged victorious in the March 28 election, Petroleum, Kerosene and  other Oil products will stabilise and be abundant in the market. This is because, the scarcity of the products is deliberate and unnecessary. Also, filing station owners will be afraid to close their stations for no reason as  they are aware that Buhari was once a petroleum minister and he is well conversant with the nature of the market.
   Secondly, general availability of products and service will manifest in his first 100 days. From network services, power providers, civil service, marketers and retailers etc, God willing, everything will start to be doing well as they all fear Buhari because of his anti-corruption stand.
   Thirdly, there will be relative currency stability, security and discipline. This is due to the fact that, most of the corrupt government officials and business tycoons will run on exile or will quickly abandon their corrupt practices. Corruption is directly related to security. Most of the money budgeted for security in Nigeria is mis-used by corrupt government officials. Of course, Naira will stabilise against the Dollar relatively.
   Fourthly, respect for the office of the President, other official government positions and confidence in governance will greatly increase. This is because, Buhari is courageous and will not tolerate controversy and corruption.
      Lastly, Nigeria's image and the respect for Nigerians will be redeemed. The world will respect Nigeria because it has good leaders voted by the people. The world will respect Nigerians for their maturity, peaceful and legal change of a corrupt government. That will be in the first 100 days.
   That will not be the only things to happen God willing. Among few un-notice thing to happen will be; there will be no office of the first lady, no extravagant spendings in Aso villa, unity and trust among Nigerians will start to increase,  and their will be no claim and counter claim by different government officials and agencies. I can't wait to see Nigeria change. God bless Nigeria.

One month to to a year since the Abduction of Chibok Girls.

By  Tuesday 10th of March 2015, it will mark 330 days, (11 months) since the abduction of over 200 girls from a government secondary school in Chibok town, Borno state. It is sad that up to now, the  government has not provide a genuine and tangible information about the where about of the girls 11 months after their abduction. It is most unfortunate that despite global intelligence partnership, the girls where about is still unknown talk less of  freeing them. 
   With over 8 billion dollars spent on security in the past 4 years, the federal government opt to have rescued Chibok girls and all other Nigerians abducted. That will at least closely justify those billions spent in the name of security. Until early this month, the more the government is spending more money on security, the more unsecured Nigerians and Nigeria are/is becoming respectively. There is the need for budget security first (from corruption), before we can achieve any national security.
    It is at the peak of sadness and unbecoming that Nigerians have virtually forgotten Chibok girls, as if nothing of that magnitude has happened. Only Hadiza Bala, Ezekwesili deh protest in Abuja, Dia ris God oooo. As brothers keepers, Nigerians should have aided in regular prayers for their release, support their parents, and ensure that government protect other children especially females, as still; rape, forced labour, and other child killer practices are still occurring in Nigeria with no sign to ease soon. Nigeria still has more than 11 million out of school children, the government should wake up to its responsibilities and secure Nigerians and Nigeria.
   Due to my prayers for Chibok girls, I shall marry One when ever they set free all of them. That will ease tension and will help in assuring them of men ready to marry them without thoughts to any thing as to what happened in the hands of their captors.
   The counting, prayers, protesting and the solidarity won't stop until Chibok girls are set free. May Allah give us good leaders after this election, may the elections be free, fair and credible. Amin.

Nigeria 2015: The Igbos Best Bet By Abdulrahman Usman Leme

It is the month of March already and all eyes are on Nigeria for an unprecedented, highly competitive and historic election – arguably Africa’s biggest election. Nigeria is poised for a historic election amidst so many political and economic challenges; some of these challenges are already threatening the existence of the country.

Like all elections in the past, the major determinant of the election outcome is not necessarily the interest of the Nigerian populace, but the interest of some vested interest from different quarters across the geo-political zones.

Since the return of democracy in 1999, the only zone out of the six that is yet to produce a president or vice president is the South-east region – arguably the most politically marginalised zone since the events of January 1966 that led to the civil war, which eventually subdued the region economically and politically.

While many are of the opinion that the 1966 coup led by major Kaduna Nzeogwu (an Igbo), which saw the execution of the First Republic politicians, majority of whom are of Northern extraction and the attempt to secede from Nigeria as the main reason why the Igbos are yet to be trusted with power at the centre by the political class. Some believe that after failing to establish the Biafran state, the Igbos are not really interested in power at the centre. Although some of the Igbos still dream of ‘the land of the rising sun’, rising out of the Nigerian state, they are still a major stakeholder in Nigeria’s politics and have continued to contribute to the Nigerian state at different levels and in different individual capacities.

As the 2015 elections draws closer, the two major political parties have continued to woo support from different interest groups, and as usual the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is seen by many to win majority of the South-eastern states, but the question here is, is the PDP really the Igbos best bet? I will attempt to answer this question using two points. First we look at this from political perspective, politically since 1999 the PDP, despite winning majority of votes from the South-east, they have never picked a presidential or vice presidential candidate from the South-east (Igbo), so the for an Igbo presidency by many Ndigbos like the second niger bridge is still far-fetched dream under the PDP, as the Party is expected to field a Northern candidate in 2019, if they win the forthcoming elections. The second point is the economic perspective. If the Igbos are not really interested in having an Igbo president, then known for their entrepreneurship skills and as captains of our industries, they must at least support a government that can put in place sustainable economic policies that can enable them continue to run their businesses. Here we look at the current PDP government seeking re-election under President Goodluck Jonathan and judging by the current economic turmoil the country is facing, I doubt if majority of my Igbo brethren are really smiling – especially those involved in the import and export business, the dwindling oil price and the devaluation of naira by the government has no doubt affected their numerous investments. But like I mentioned earlier on the outcome of elections in the past are not really determined by the issues affecting the common man. Of course with President Jonathan sharing his largesse in millions of dollars to woo the support of the South-east leaders and not ruling out sentiment, one could argue that the Igbos would rather vote for Goodluck ‘Azikwe’ Jonathan than Muhammadu Buhari. And in the likely event of disintegration they’d rather aligned with the oil rich Niger-Delta if not for the resources, but for possible re-union of the defunct Eastern region.

However, the APC have continued to seek for the Igbo support and many Ndigbos have identified themselves with the APC, notably Imo state Governor Rochas okorocha, Ogbonnaya Onu, Chris Ngige and many others.

General Buhari himself in the past, through his party the defunct ANPP twice have given the Igbos an opportunity to be on the presidential ticket; Late Chuba okadigbo in 2003 and late Edwin Ume-Ezeoke in 2007 an opportunity the Igbos never had under the PDP. Arguably the Igbos best bet is the APC as the PDP is expected to field-in a Northern candidate and a South-western candidate as running mate in 2019.

While I dream of a Nigeria where zoning will not be a factor in determining who lead our country, I believe the APC is not only the Igbos best bet but a child of necessity that Nigerians from all sections should embrace it as this will set a new dawn in our political landscape and henceforth Nigerians will have the power to elect their leaders base on competency, character and track records, regardless of their religious, sectional or ethnic affiliation instead of depending on some zoning formula of a certain political party.

God bless Nigeria!

Why Instagram might ban Kano State and Kaduna State ( joke) - Isa Ahmed (Gombe)

Shugaban instagram ya nuna matukar damuwa akan yadda yan Najeria ke bude accounts din instagram. Wato Faifai wanda aka fi sani da " yan arewa masu.." Yanzu haka abun ya koma iskanci hadda yan arewa masu Alatu, Yan Arewa masu tsuwaiyu, yan arewa masu neman matan aure, yan arewa masu rashin karatu da sauran su. Bincike ya nuna mana cewa kanawa da yan kaduna na cikin wanda suka shahara wurin yin irin wannan abu a instagram. 

Shi dai mai instagram ya ce nan gaba za a hana kanawa da yan kaduna amfani da instagram. Saboda idan ba ayi hankali ba za su mayar da instagram tamkar kantin kwari da kuma obalande. 

Labari daga Isa Ahmed (gombe) 

Message to NASS by Abdulbaqi Jari

  Allow me a space to call on  federal and state legislature to quickly enact a law that will regulate bore hole drilling in Nigeria. It has now become a fashion by well to do Nigerians to drill a bore hole in their private residences for their personal usages. It has been found that drilling  bore holes in an area do affect the Acuifer (water level) in that area. It is a selfish act for single family to negatively affect the lives of thousands of people by depleting the water level as people are used to well water because many cannot afford bore hole.
      For the sake of the people and peace, it will be wise if the legislature will enact a law that will regulate such selfish action that can cause Choas and misunderstanding among neighbours. That will go along way in checking this trend and bring back sanity and maintain the water level for the betterment  of the society and people at large.