For the past 3 months, I have been embroiled in the battle of thought on sharing my opinion about the charade of change that is been perpetuated by my Buharist friends. It became more difficult to remain silient when one is opportune to read various comments that show lack of understanding of Nigeria polity, in particular how Nigeria as a country should proceed in the midst of high level of Corruption, Boko-Haram Insurgency and development. In order not to bore people with a very long epistle of analysis; I have decided to break this piece into 3 parts. The first part look at corruption and what are the prospects of change with a GMB presidency in this regard, the second part discuss the dilemma of Boko-Haram insurgency, why GEJ has failed and the reasons why GMB will not succeed
either. In this part I proposed a way forward that is based on robust research on how Nigeria should respond to terrorism even though it might take years before we achieve significant success. In the third part, I will discuss my choice between GEJ and GMB for 2015 election, reasons why I make such choice will be articulated meticulously without any fear of favour.

GMB and Corruption war

Nigeria is a country of paradoxes: it makes billions of dollars annually as revenue from only one resource (i.e., crude oil); yet millions of its people are wretched. In fact, over seventy percent of its population is said to be enmeshed in extreme poverty. A major causal factor responsible for this disheartening and unacceptable situation is that occupants of state offices in Nigeria use their positions to criminally accumulate wealth for themselves at the expense of the welfare and wellbeing of the masses. The reality in Nigeria is that the Nigerian state is controlled by a very greedy and rapacious ruling class whose essence is self-aggrandizement, and to the members of this class, the welfare of the citizenry means very little or nothing. The point has to be reiterated that in Nigeria, state offices are used by their occupants primarily for wealth acquisition. We do not need the grading by Transparency International to know that it is not a miracle that those who got into public office with the deafening sound of Nairalessness number themselves among the rich, the truly,
stinkingly, mind-bogglingly rich in our country today.

The Nigerian state is controlled by a rogue elite, a group of
persons whose primary goal is to enrich themselves and to
privatize as much of public resources as possible. The situation in the country indicates that there is a complete
prebendalisation of state power and virtually all acts of public officials involving public expenditure or public goods of any kind have led to the appropriation of state finances or property by officials, and the routine operations of
government are being subjected to prebendal rules. when the Nigerian politician (PDP or APC) or government official has acquired enough property in Abuja, Lagos, Dubai,
Johannesburg, London, Washington, and Toronto; when he has acquired a private jet; when his fleet of expensive exotic cars in Nigeria makes his compound look like a car dealership; when he boasts a permanent year-round reserved room in Sheraton or Nicon Hilton, agony and restlessness set in. What to do next? Ah, yes, let me colonise other areas of life of Nigerians. Let me take my loot into other zones, other spaces that ordinarily ought to be inviolable. Just a few instances of how the Nigerian state has been used by public officials can be seen in the Nigeria’s Fourth Republic
which took off on May 29, 1999 with Olusegun Obasanjo as the
country’s president. Prior to his assumption of office as the
head of theNigerian state, Obasanjo was widely reported to be
materially bankrupt and almost in a state of mendicancy. But
by the end of his two terms as Nigeria’s president in 2007,
Obasanjo had become a proud member of the country’s
stupendously-wealthy class. Obasanjo is a very wealthy man
indeed today, not because of his business acumen or artistic
endeavours, but for the sheer fact of having been President of
Nigeria for two consecutive terms, if Obasanjo had left office
the same way he did when he was military head of state, he
would have gone hungry again in no time; so he took no
chances this time around as he not only made certain of his
own massive personal financial security, he made certain of
same for members of his family, his cronies and acolytes as
well. The same corrupt Obasanjo Joint Task Force (JTF) on
corruption headed by Nuhu Ribadu the (then) head of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said
Jonathan was in possession of properties he could not explain
within his legitimate income. Yet OBJ enforced GEJ on us as the
Vice President to Yaradua to appeal to the Militant in Niger
delta even though he is not the most competent candidate as
of that period in time (I will discussed this further in the 3rd
part of this piece). OBJ is now the pillar of change in Nigeria?
What a shame

However, it’s easy to blame the people sitting in power. Of
course they are certainly the ones making immoral and
moronic decisions that impact negatively on the people they
are meant to serve. The government should be responsible for
infrastructure, education, nourishing and protecting home
industries and making sure international trade is as beneficial
as can be. But Goodluck Jonathan, Namadi Sambo, and those
under and around them did not arrive on a spaceship from
planet Corruption. They are, after all, former ordinary citizens.
I came across a Nigerian forum a while ago in which the issue
of tax was being debated. One poster claimed that it was
probably for the best that Nigeria wasn’t fully developed
because perks of evading tax made life, for him, a lot more
comfortable. He went on to tell an anecdote about how his
brother was taken to court in the United Kingdom over
refusing to pay a TV licensing fee, and described how systems
such as these were “a nuisance”. I remember watching a news
programme years ago asking young Nigerians what they would
do if they were in power. One boy, aged around 10yrs, said
''chop [steal] money.”
In Nigeria, it’s normal to play ‘the game’. From bribing airport
staff when one enters the country to paying 20 naira to
policemen at so-called ‘checkpoints’ dotted along the main
roads to allow you to get on with your journey. Travelling to
my father’s house in Lagos from abroad we were stopped by
policemen, armed with guns, who demanded a search of our
car. In the glove compartment was a sum of money given to
me for the father of my friend, to pass on to their relatives.

Of course the policemen demanded a large portion of that
money. Money that had entered the country legally and money
that was not theirs to take, after much pleading, they finally
accepted a smaller proportion of the money and went on their
way. Corruption, like any virus, has spread throughout all
sectors of society. From politics, to education, from the top to
the bottom, no one seems to be immune. But Nigeria is going
to need some sort of cure – some sort of revolutionary change
in mindset to change the status-quo. It’s easy to blame ‘them’
but what ‘you’?

Unfortunately, the war against corruption is only limited to the
center because of the headlines, the corruption from the
grassroots is more massive than that of the center.
I don’t know if Buhari will come down from Abuja to deal with
the police collecting bribe in Ekiadolor road to Benin or the
idiots at the airports that make your life miserable because
you are travelling with foodstuffs (your country of destination
is not complaining that you are bringing the food into their
country and yet to carry it from Lagos is like a war from Syria,
any attempt to proof your right, you might miss your flight).

The saddest part of the story is that if you are determined that
you will not give bribe, there are thousands of people that are
behind you that are willing to pay. When a bus driver refused
to give 20 naira to police, it is the passengers that will be
shouting on him to give bribe because they are late for their
appointments, so GMB will stop that too right? My Buharist
friends have argued that, GMB cannot solve Nigerian problem
in 4-8 years but he will set up a foundation that will put us on
track. You are talking about foundations, who are those people
that going to enforce the rules, policies, and discipline that
GMB will put in place. Are they Americans or Germans, are
they not Nigerians? Please with all honesty, you still believe
there is anything GMB can do without you and I becoming
more patriotic and carry out our responsibilities dutifully.
When you and I still continue to celebrate money over
intelligence and embraced the mentality “Olowo soro Talika ni
ohun ni idea” (when the rich is talking what kind of
contribution can you get from a poor man), or “ti omode
balowo eje ka ponle” (if a child is rich let us honour him/her).

Developed countries that we are trying to emulate don’t give a
shit about your status; you will not want to even think of going
into corruption ,Netherlands prime Minister and my
professors ride bicycle to office but in Nigeria a graduate
assistant is using Camry 2007, with what salary? (let us keep
our mouth shut for the professors).

Getting jobs (government and private) in Nigeria is not on
merit but rather its depend on who you know. To my entire
firebrand Buharist change agent, what is your salary and what
is your assets, are you not living beyond your means? For me, I think the very high importance placed on devotion to one’s
family in Nigeria that actually encourages corruption, at least
in the form of nepotism. Most Western countries are much
more individualistic, which is bad in some ways but at least it
creates more of a culture of people getting ahead on their own
merit. The moment you are elected into office, you will be
bombarded with series of ridiculous request and if you don’t
comply you become enemies of the society. What about you
getting a job, plethora of stuffs that you yourself cannot afford
will become other of the day (Aso-ebi for 10 years burial
ceremony remembrance, weddings and birthdays where you
will have to display how God has blessed you).
It goes without saying that the pressure on those that travel
abroad is even more enormous; it explains why some
Nigerians resulted to crime and in turn eventually bring shame
to the name of the country. I remembered last year when I travel back to Nigeria after finishing my Masters, some idiots
are making mockery of me because I did not come back with
car. Hey continue to make references to people that have
travelled just like me in the area and in short period of time
came back home with material. Trust me, it was very painful,
no congratulation for my academic excellence, since then that
particular area has become a taboo for me. I hope GMB will
change that too.

My Buharist friends also maintained that when the head is
bad, it will affect other part. I don’t buy that concept, so it is the
President incapability that affects a LG chairman not to deliver?
Make no mistake; there are many that will benefit from a
reliable leadership of a LG chairman or governor rather than a
president. I have witnessed a situation where the President of
SUG failed to impact the lives of students while a faculty
president performed beyond expectation. If their theory (when
the head is bad, other part will not function) is correct, all
governors, senators, LG chairmen, Reps of APC, CAN, AD,
ANPP, APGA, ACCORD, LP and many more have all failed to
performed and deliver the dividend of democracy to the
masses because of PDP bad leadership, surprisingly, majority
of all this PDP stalwart are now in APC and you call that change
or foundation for change. I know there will be lots of people
that will disagree with that theory because we have witnessed
good leadership across all this parties. They also forgot that,
we are not in Military regime where mere allegation can lead
you to jail. It is not what you know but what you can proof at
the court that matters. Alleged me if you like, you can’t just
send me to prison on corruption, you have to proof it, this
might take years or GMB will also become judge.

Maybe GMB will use his power to reduce Senators (PDP and
APC) salaries that are twice higher than that of President
Obama?. My brothers and sisters I dont live in fantasy, the
change start from you and I and not GMB You are talking
about. This is my thought on corruption in Nigeria and why
GMB ticket is just like pouring a tea spoon of salt in River Nile:
It does not exonerate the GEJ administration or discredit GMB
as a person, rather it is an attempt to raise the consciousness
of Nigerians that are busy enjoying the fantasy of change
without carefully analyzing the dynamics that are involved in
the topic of discourse “CHANGE”

True talk... Buh we all ve to start from somewhere and Dats where CHANGE is needed! Sai Buhari!!
NEXT

To each his own.

The author shot himself severally and as such his conclusion is not logical.

GMB 2015

If their theory (when
the head is bad, other part will not function) is correct, all
governors, senators, LG chairmen, Reps of APC, CAN, AD,
ANPP, APGA, ACCORD, LP and many more have all failed to
performed and deliver the dividend of democracy to the
masses because of PDP bad leadership, [size=15pt]surprisingly, majority
of all this PDP stalwart are now in APC[/size] and you call that change
or foundation for change.

You read my mind, my exact sentiments.

OP.......you assumptions are too positive on GEJ?

I live in Lagos.....and I'm fully on ground, there is no way GEJ will take 40% in Lagos.

The dynamics and sentiments are so much against him....forget NL noise makers.

@Op, thanks for ur points that seems unbiased but at an indepth look no thanks, u re just trying to canvass support for Jonathan indirectly, and save us the preaching of change starts with you bla bla bla....there's no way the body can be fine if the head is decayed, we must first of all seek a good head after which the preaching of individual change, without a good head, individual change can never be achieved. The question u need to b asking is if Jonathan has failed or not, if he has what's the alternative and if he hasn't failed prove it with facts why he hasn't failed but you preaching faith to us and forgetting that faith goes hand in hand with action, u re only wasting your time and trying to play on our gulibility, for your information, our ppl are now wiser than all of these your jagbajantis epistle.

The need of the common man is simple, very very simple, common man on the street is not concerned about corruption, economic index, GDP or all the long turanci u ppl postulated every now and then, what the common man need are basic necessities of life which are

1) safety...... Safety of his life and property
2) he wants to b able to adequately support his family....feeding, shelter, basic education etc
3) affordable healthcare
4) equal opportunity, this is where employment comes

If a government cannot achieve all these basic needs, its clear that such govt has failed its people.
Let's look into all these basic needs first before we start debating which economic postulation he adopted or not adopted

Obama once said "NIGERIA does not need a strongman, it needs a strong institution". And I countered him by saying: we need a strongman to make our institution strong. The OP forgot in his piece that the LGs are not autonomous, some state gov't seems not to be working, hence our resort to FG which we see as the umpire of our failing nation. If the other tiers of gov't are as productive and effective as they should be- Nigerians will think of their council chairmen and state govt before thinking of president/FG, but the reverse is the case. For example, lagosians think of their governor before thinking of the president.
Like buhari said, the system has been compromised and alot of work needs to be done to get things right- uncommon political will.
Nigerians are the most easy to lead people on earth; If the top is right, the bottom will be right too.

ilugunboy:
OP.......you assumptions are too positive on GEJ?

I live in Lagos.....and I'm fully on ground, there is no way GEJ will take 40% in Lagos.

The dynamics and sentiments are so much against him....forget NL noise makers.

this post should be directed at passingshot's thread.