It may sound naïve, especially for a person who is obviously a partisan, but my concern and alarm have little to do with the who won or lost in the National Assembly leadership election palava. Easy as this can be lost on the gladiators; we could be collectively sabotaging the poor ordinary people of Nigeria desperate for change. Could this elite which has consistently failed to find its mission and do for its people what their old classmates in schools in the US and UK and elsewhere in the West, have done for their people in Asia and Latin America, unwittingly miss this window built on a change mantra, and betray another generation. It was with this spirit of wondering how easily we chase power, unmindful of purpose that I exclaimed on seeing the political bloodletting in National Assembly leadership selection. My reaction was oh my God, not again. With the process and outcome clearly signaling disunity, lack of discipline and weak goal setting, and severe goal displacement, the least impact would be challenged implementation of what the people voted for.
Oh no. Its not happening again Not again in my life time? But it was happening. The sense of dejavu was not just troubling, and evidently palpable, it had a puzzling force that left you feeling and wondering how is this possible; the way you feel when a 747 or an A380 is tossed around by mere wind in clear air turbulence. The vote for change had run into turbulence at the inauguration of the National Assembly. It was not about who won or who the battle was against. It was about a public brawl and the change agenda.
It was about the ordinary people who had persevered so much in the face of underperforming and uncaring governments beholden to special interests and so seemingly unable, or unwilling, to go where less endowed rivals in other parts of the World have gone, and dramatically improved the lot of the people. To drive a change agenda for which the people voted in April, legislative Common purpose was a clear imperative. To go to legislative inauguration without Party discipline and with a fractions mode and the old ways, of , money and personality politics in top flight, was to betray the voters of this country, and that is what 9th June means to me. Hope has again been annulled and for the third time in my life a costly battle for change has again been hijacked. As 1993 and 1999 so seems to have gone 2015, if the people do not fight back.
I was lamenting these things when someone called my attention to and advertised full page opinion by some concerned APC members in Daily Trust Newspaper of the 9th of June. That Advert was so reminiscent of the kinds of Advertisements published in 1993/94 by the Concerned Professionals that I did exactly the same thing I did in 1993.
In that year many of us had canvassed a change agenda. The social Democratic Party and its flag bearer, Chief MKO Abiola had come to symbolize that change. Two days after that historic vote I journeyed to the United States to attend a convention. It was at that convention that a Ugandan delegate came up to me, very angry saying “you Nigerians, you Nigerians, whenever Africa is set for progress you drag us back”. I was not sure what he was talking about, but that was how I learnt of the annulment of the June 12 elections. I immediately packed my stuff and went up to my room and began writing an OPED piece that would appear under the title “We Must Say Never Again”. That piece resulted in the founding of the Concerned Professionals. That body acquitted itself well in the struggle against military. It was a principle based struggle. They may have sent policemen to beat us up as we protested and sent assassins after a few like myself but the principle was not lost on them.
When Abacha passed and they withdrew under pressure we erred in thinking our work was done. The politics of the last 16 years that followed, left Nigerians so exasperated that they jumped on the Change mantra. So uplifted were they with the outcome that they assumed their World would change dramatically come May 29. Such was the expectations that analysts worried the expectations were unrealistic and bordered on expecting miracles.
Then comes June 9. For days before the vote for National Assembly leaders I kept saying that for me it was not about a particular candidate but about a process that shows party discipline and national consensus around an agenda for change. If the process gets fractured, I had warned what will happen will include a return to the old ways of vote buying in which goals of the common Good are traded off in the old goal displacement ways, for money and self-interest. Then there is the loss of speed on consensus critical for change legislation. My song was clearly a borrowed verse from US President Lyndon Baines Johnson, and Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohammed: It is better for all to be inside the house pissing out, than for some to be outside the House pissing in.
It is easy to see it as a simple political game if you miss the cost of these simple games for why Nigeria is poor and our society is marked by much disharmony. You may then analyze New PDP vs other groups in APC, or checking certain power blocs. Even many of the actors who presume to be acting in self-interest have embraced a narcissism that has blinded them to their own long term self-interest, as they embrace short term personal gain. Because of this the ‘only business in town’, politics, manages to do continuous damage to the real sector businesses which give life to a majority of the people. But to the short sighted, it does not matter, this is politics. So my view was, sort these things out, whether in smoke filled rooms, or in a sanctuary of truth and love for the suffering poor of this endowed society. The signaling from a public brawl that will bruise egos and carve cleavages into the polity and etch animosities into the relationships even in intra party affairs may create momentary victories but they have a sad way of amounting to phyyric victories and delaying the reclaiming of the promise of Nigeria.
With mountain high challenges in the economy, trailed by an unemployment time bomb; security problems that go beyond the Boko Haram and Kidnappings, and Electrical and Petroleum sectors, in much need for reform, even as corruption, failing education and healthcare make us a tribe of refugee around the planet; now was not the time for politics as usual.
I have tired of worrying about Raw political power, quest for possessions and quick inclination to predation (The 3Ps) muzzling Purpose, to prevent progress, in Nigeria. The 9th of June brought it home again. There could be merit in the pocket wars and persons that were the target of breaching the consensus for change on that day, but the consequence will no doubt be progress deferred. The big losers, the people; the small mechanic who needs electric power for a job to earn the next meal, the farmer who remains in subsistence because poor infrastructure locks him out while public officials live like Lords off a wobby state, To the truth and prescription the citizen typically go away forlon for they swallow the lies of politics as usual. The only solution for me is people power. The people must say to a political class riding roughshod on their well being: enough is enough. People power must come to save the people recovering from the euphoria of a promise of change that seems deferred again.
What was the purpose of the vote for change? The purpose is an elite that for one generation failed a people and denied them the progress they deserve and desire, should change their way and bring progress to the greatest number of people. The patience had worn thin. Now it is the people must now take back their country anyway they see fit. They cannot watch as Singapore escapes Third World status, South korea, became one of the most knowledge-driven high income societies on earth and Brazil go from potential to a top 10 economy in the World. These countries found a patriotic elite at some point that sacrificed for progress. Since Nigeria has been repeatedly denied such by its elite the people may have no choice but to rise up and save themselves. There were enough blames for June 9 to go around, from the APC Party hierarchy whose complicit role was put forward in the Advert I referred to in morning in The Daily Trust by some concerned APC members, to PDP leadership whose business, no doubt, is to make the party in Government uncomfortable but who must know that in decent societies a government must be allowed to settle in and not for legislators to collaborate with those across the Isle in ways that can be disruptive. Fortunately, it’s never too late to begin again. PU

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Ok noted

Was there a change in the first place when you have old wine in new bottles and you expect it to taste differently .

They can no longer hijacked Nigeria. We are wiser, smarter and more involved this time around. No cabal or gladiator can hold us to ransom anymore. We will blow a lot of whistle dis time around.

Maxymilliano:
Was there a change in the first place when you have old wine in new bottles and you expect it to taste differently .

Ask him oooh

Maxymilliano:
Was there a change in the first place when you have old wine in new bottles and you expect it to taste differently .

gbam

lizu4chizu:




Ask him oooh

Pat Utomi is just being naive.


Keeping an average Nigeria politician from treacherous acts is like keeping a goat from eating yam.

Everybody with his opinion about the meaning of the word Change. Prof I think you have your personal reasons for singing this song

@Prof it is unfortunate that we are in such a crazy situation. The party in power like the defeated party have no ideology. It was about gaining power. There can't be change without clear ideology and alignment of purposeful interest. It is very sad but we can only hope for the better.

APC chanji



Ba chanji

Whether we have military or democracy, I fear the results will always be the same. The main problems we have is selfish interests & greed. What happened on Tuesday was a total mess. That was another consolidation of the fact that most of our politicians are unpatriotic. It displayed how apc's house is so scattered contrary to unity of broomsticks displayed by the broom in their logo. Apc had candidates for two posts but party members went against it. Where does that happen? They wanted to curb Tinubu's influence which is a good thing but is that the democratic way? If they wanted to curb his influence, saraki & dogara should have won their party's primary. What Saraki did may be legal but it showed one of the loopholes in democracy. It is very funny how some people are justifying Saraki's action because of Tinubu's overbearing attitude. Tinubu's overbearing attitude is not the biggest issue here, but Saraki's betrayal & its effect on Nigeria's image is. What do you think of a man who dumped pdp for apc because pdp was 'bad' then because of his ambition connived with the 'bad' pdp & sold his 'good' apc out. And that is the man that should be Nigeria's number 3 citizen? What effect does that have on our image? Positive or negative? Do you think that on evidence of recent events someone like Saraki will sacrifice anything for the good of this country? With educated snitches like that at the helm of affairs, the hope for change is a mirage and the biggest loser is the average Nigerian.

A house divided amongst itself cannot stand..
The APC legislators spent weeks bickering and quarreling like market women while the nation watched and waited...eventually, d opposition took advantage of the situation as they were wont to do, as Any opposition party in Any clime would do.
APC dropped d ball and it's bin picked up...all this wailing and teeth gnashing ain't necessary.
The Senate president is a longtime card carrying member of the party,who is a believer in d party's ideologies and APc still has D majority in both houses, so what is All the cry about

Nigerians voted for change and This will not be acceptable as d basis f d excuses y promises couldn't be delivered on.

I for one won't accept it.


nuff said

ECOTERRORS:
Everybody with his opinion about the meaning of the word Change. Prof I think you have your personal reasons for singing this song

the message is the most important here not the messenger. The message is spot on regardless of his reasons.

do u expect me to read all these?

OK

mr pat always has a solution, wt did he achieve during shagari era, wat happened to Volkswagen Nigeria and bank phb nr solutions provider. until Africans change thier mentality, no change for us

I was surprised he was fooled in the first place not to have seen Tinubu at the helm of affairs and understand what gang actually stands for.

Wuruwuru politics. Vagabonds in power.

Olumidzti:
Whether we have military or democracy, I fear the results will always be the same. The main problems we have is selfish interests & greed. What happened on Tuesday was a total mess. That was another consolidation of the fact that most of our politicians are unpatriotic. It displayed how apc's house is so scattered contrary to unity of broomsticks displayed by the broom in their logo. Apc had candidates for two posts but party members went against it. Where does that happen? They wanted to curb Tinubu's influence which is a good thing but is that the democratic way? If they wanted to curb his influence, saraki & dogara should have won their party's primary. What Saraki did may be legal but it showed one of the loopholes in democracy. It is very funny how some people are justifying Saraki's action because of Tinubu's overbearing attitude. Tinubu's overbearing attitude is not the biggest issue here, but Saraki's betrayal & its effect on Nigeria's image is. What do you think of a man who dumped pdp for apc because pdp was 'bad' then because of his ambition connived with the 'bad' pdp & sold his 'good' apc out. And that is the man that should be Nigeria's number 3 citizen? What effect does that have on our image? Positive or negative? Do you think that on evidence of recent events someone like Saraki will sacrifice anything for the good of this country? With educated snitches like that at the helm of affairs, the hope for change is a mirage and the biggest loser is the average Nigerian.

is it undemocratic to vye for a position?
First the position was 'zoned' to the NC- when saraki threw his hat in the ring
The position was shifted- The President said he's not interested in who becomes the Senate president hence its an open contest
like it should be! Saraki continued his negotiations with all members but one mallam Lawan was counting on godfatherism instead of putting in some hard work

What exactly has Ahmed Lawan done before? How many bills has he sponsored?

Nigerians want Change but these ever greedy Politicians don't

The best we can do is force these politicians to change

DisGuy:


is it undemocratic to vye for a position?
First the position was 'zoned' to the NC- when saraki threw his hat in the ring
The position was shifted- The President said he's not interested in who becomes the Senate president hence its an open contest
like it should be! Saraki continued his negotiations with all members but one mallam Lawan was counting on godfatherism instead of putting in some hard work

What exactly has Ahmed Lawan done before? How many bills has he sponsored?

it is not undemocratic to vye for a position but it is undemocratic to loose your party primary then sell your party to the opposition party which you dumped. He should have found a way to win the apc primary. Please humour me, which bill has Saraki sponsored in the house that has been beneficial to you or Nigerians generally?

#same old politicians wey rule Nigeria before.

#same old politicians wey spoil Nigeria before.

#obasanjo carry all of dem,all of dem dey there now.

Courtesy of abami.

ednut1:
mr pat always has a solution, wt did he achieve during shagari era, wat happened to Volkswagen Nigeria and bank phb nr solutions provider. until Africans change thier mentality, no change for us

Too many dumb fellas like you on nairaland is the reason knowledgeable folks now avoid the forum like plague. A situation that's completely opposite to the early years..

While it is obvious that you didn't take your time to read the write up, your attack on the person of pat utomi while ignoring the message he was trying to pass gives you away as plain silly.

#TotheTopic The aftermath of may29 saw hopes and expectations of the average Nigerian skyrocketed only for the actions of a few greedy persons in saraki and his connivers cause a significant dip in the optimism that Nigeria can be great again. I for one, do not expect anything good from a pdp-led (by proxy) legislative arm. The set of people from which we have fought so hard to rescue ourselves have worked their way back to the top. Like the professor, I expect every well meaning citizen to speak out against this development, it is bad for our hard-fought victory.

Olumidzti:
it is not undemocratic to vye for a position but it is undemocratic to loose your party primary then sell your party to the opposition party which you dumped. He should have found a way to win the apc primary. Please humour me, which bill has Saraki sponsored in the house that has been beneficial to you or Nigerians generally?

there was no primary...there was a 'mock election'; whatever that means- a day to the real deal.
If the lections were open and teh candidates were not imposed, the opposition would have a say anyway and being able to get the support of the opposing party surely is desired quality
I'm interested in Ahmed Lawan leadership qualities or are/were APC supporters simply following the herd?

The change automobile is jerking seriously. Buhari the mechanic has implored that we be patient,it looks like a carburetor problem. He claimed they sold him bad fuel and it would take a while to clean up the engine. How long we don't know. Some of his apologists say it may take up to a 100 days. So that means we either wait in the car whilst it is being fixed or find alternative accomodation. Either way, this is not going to be a smooth ride.

Electing one man then sitting at your home expecting maximum change won't cut it. It is the duty of the good people around to maintain the pressure by protesting , sitting in, rioting and generally focussing the searchlight on all subsequent elections, appointments and postings till more 'good people' get into government.. . That is the only way an entrenched 'change environment' can be maintained. Even if one is forced to agree that buhari is the real change, . It is the quitness that followed that allowed the emergence of a totally corrupt Saraki. The same lukwarm attitude will permit the appointment of corrupt men into the cabinet. Which raises the question; is Buhari really an apostle of change if he comfortabily allows the emergence of corrupt characters to head different government portfolios? I just think that our general desperation for change in Nigeria, has made the public generally vulnerable to all sorts of manipulations by all kinds of double-faced politicians.

Maxymilliano:
Was there a change in the first place when you have old wine in new bottles and you expect it to taste differently .

Biko help me ask am. Interacting with this APC ppl have really turned utomi naive. How the mighty has fallen

If anything, the current crisis only shows that there is little or no difference between the APC and The PDP.

The more things change,the more they remain the same

Tinubu was just greedy and too assertive ....

Had it been Tinubu/APC party leaders didn't force Lawan on the senate ( the same system that PDP used and failed against Tambuwal) but asked both Saraki and Lawan to go and test their popularity on the floor while the same should be done for Gbajabiamala/Dogara........ which is the true definition of the mantra of CHANGE.

PDP would have helped Tinubu to take care of Saraki by revenging how the G7 decamped and brought Jonathan down........... in this case, The PDP prefers to tango with the devil they have always known than one Jagaban...... I believe BAT has learnt his lessons, Saraki is a political godfather too and a Maradona who also has Messis (G7s led by Atiku) in his camp.

When you preach Change and still wanna do it the same old way, you will become Tinubu.

owobokiri:
Electing one man then sitting at your home expecting maximum change won't cut it. It is the duty of the good people around to maintain the pressure by protesting , sitting in, rioting and generally focussing the searchlight on all subsequent elections, appointments and postings till more 'good people' get into government.. . That is the only way an entrenched 'change environment' can be maintained. Even if one is forced to agree that buhari is the real change, . It is the quitness that followed that allowed the emergence of a totally corrupt Saraki. The same lukwarm attitude will permit the appointment of corrupt men into the cabinet. Which raises the question; is Buhari really an apostle of change if he comfortabily allows the emergence of corrupt characters to head different government portfolios? I just think that our general desperation for change in Nigeria, has made the public generally vulnerable to all sorts of manipulations by all kinds of double-faced politicians.

The question should be; wont he-Buhari be accused of being dictatorial by forcing a candidate on a supposedly independent arm of government?

DisGuy:


The question should be; wont he-Buhari be accused of being dictatorial by forcing a candidate on a supposedly independent arm of government?

I was refering to the names being mentioned as possible ministers in his government. The Amaechis, the Fasholas and Fayemis and the fact that going with the word on the streets, some of these names were submitted by even far more grossly corrupt godfathers like Tinubu, Obasanjo and Danjuma. There are many clean Nigerian technocrats determined to serve. Why behave as if there is a paucity of honest men).

ednut1:
mr pat always has a solution, wt did he achieve during shagari era, wat happened to Volkswagen Nigeria and bank phb nr solutions provider. until Africans change thier mentality, no change for us

Thank you my brother. Pat and his mates stole bank Phb dry. The oloriburuku is here forming change agent.