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Showing posts from 2016

Dear 'Leaders of Tomorrow'...When is Tomorrow?

To set the stage, who can be called a youth or an adult? UNESCO sees youths as persons aged between 15 and 24 years. There are three classes of adults: the young/early adults who are aged 20 to 40 years, the middle-aged adults who are aged 41 to 60 years, and late adults who are aged 61 years and above. Now to the issue at hand, I often hear my fellow young adults complain about how ‘we’ were deceived as kids to believe that we will be the leaders of tomorrow -a tomorrow that never seems to come. This idea that we were deceived as kids and are currently being denied access to power as adults is a widely held notion which has recently been fortified with the election of a 72-year-old Buhari as President and the appointment of  43-year-old Justin Trudeau as Canadian Prime Minister. At 2 years, Justin met with the then Nigerian Head of State -Yakubu Gowon in 1973. While Justin is now a leader is his own country, Gowon and his mates are still very relevant and in charge in Nigeria.  Trut

Stand with Buhari? Really?

It hurts me when I still see Nigerians fighting over their allegiance to either GEJ or Buhari. Just recently, someone actually accused me of being pro-Jonathan because I pointed out the weakness of this present administration. It is sad because to me....and in reality...the GEJ vs Buhari contest ended with the elections. This continued contest between the GEJ and Buhari camps -though only existing in little minds, serves the counter-productive purpose of suppressing objectivity and preventing us from demanding more from our so-called leaders. I know that there are Nigerians today who would not see any good in Buhari's government just because they support GEJ. I also know that there are Nigerians who think GEJ would win if they castigate Buhari; so they are prepared to #StandWithBuhari even if he sets the podium ablaze. But what really is the contest? Buhari is now in charge and in Aso Rock while GEJ is in Otuoke. I dislike it when I raise an issue about Buh

Story Story...Once Upon a Subsidy (Final Part)

Sequel to the first part which talked about OGB...an average Nigerian who is facing harsh realities in today's Nigeria; this divination considers the thinking, pains, wishes and arguments of Nigerians concerning the new fuel price. Since the present hike is usually discussed in comparison to the hike in 2012; the narrative in this divination also considers that.  The Last Administration, Fuel Price, and Subsidy Removal At an actual pump price of N144.70, the Federal Government under Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) was paying N79.70 for every litre of fuel consumed in Nigeria. However, in January 2012, the government announced the removal of fuel subsidy and caused fuel price to move from N65 to N141. The government had argued that without the subsidy, they could save up to N1.2 trillion yearly, which then can be invested in the infrastructural development around the country. This was strongly opposed by Nigerians who cited their distrust of the government and argued that

Story Story...Once Upon a Subsidy (Part 1)

So here is Mr. Okoro Gbenga Bello (OGB), a common Nigerian struggling to survive in the current economic clime. OGB hasn't received his salary since January and on the 1st of May, 2016 he was told that he had been laid off as his employers struggle to keep the firm alive. OGB is confused and frustrated... no job, no money, power supply has taken for the worse yet the bills have increased, fuel has been scarce and he had been paying over N120 per litre, cost of transportation has gone up, food stuff too. He got home to see a white paper with green printings stuffed into the Windows of his face-me-I-face-you apartment...he definitely knew it was from those devils at PHCN. His electric cable has been cut and he was asked to pay N10,000 as bill plus reconnection fee. How could all these happen to him just when he has no job? By the 3rd of May, OGB was really struggling...he called a friend to send him N1,000 and the friend agreed. OGB got an alert on his phone that the N1,000

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce: Simply Brilliant or Just Shooting Blanks?

It is said that one should be the change he desires in his society. While this sounds melodious and smart (I have said it too), it is only realistic in: a self-governed society without leaders or elites a society where each and every member is making efforts to change his/her personal behavior in order to attain the desired societal change.   In a society like ours, significant societal changes lay with the elites or the ruling class. Personal behavioral changes would be little steps towards a societal change that may only be observed by the people in the individual’s immediate environment.  Having started with the term ‘change’, you shall be pardoned for thinking that this another pro- or anti-APC/Buhari divination…well, it isn’t. This divination is about the amiable Senator Ben Murray-Bruce. By the virtue of being an Honorable Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ben Murray-Bruce -as well as his colleagues - is among the ruling class and, therefore, is an el