It is about the narrative - absence of progressive narrative is what the author is talking about. A compelling progressive narrative is as important, if not more important, than recruiting, infidel PDP members.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Is APC the New PDP? By Chido Onumah | Sahara Reporters
Is APC the New PDP? By Chido Onumah | Sahara Reporters
Obasanjo’s ‘Satanic’ Letter By Chido Onumah | Sahara Reporters
Obasanjo’s ‘Satanic’ Letter By Chido Onumah | Sahara Reporters
May be someone should ask President Obasanjo of the where about of his good friend, former President George Bush. He is enjoying his retirement; not interfering with the Obama's Presidency, or writing self-serving letter, laced with bogus claims. Obasanjo should go and mind his farm. he ruled Nigeria for about eleven years. If he is that good or was that good, his last eight years at Aso Rock would have taken Nigeria to the promise land. Instead of working with his Vice President, with a view to building a lasting and enduring legacy, he spent his last four years in government scheming to subvert the constitution in order to create another Third Term of four years. He failed woefully in his clandestine maneuvering. Feeling unrepentant, he went on a retaliatory adventure, openly frustrating his VP out of the political process using the EFCC. He succeeded - first, they disqualified him, later they beat a retreat. At that point it was too late for his VP to be relevant in the race.. He did not only frustrate his VP, but he succeeded in preventing more eligible candidates from running at the PDP Primaries. I do not give a 'damn' about the veracity or otherwise of his letter - it is like the pot calling the kettle black. He cannot impose another President on us again. This time, the choice is ours.
Monday, December 23, 2013
YES, I AM IN - READY TO RUN
Introduction.
I want to use this opportunity to thank every one of you for your very valuable insights. Trust me; you guys will be the first to hear from me about the name of the Political Party at the appropriate time. The truth is I am not an ‘accidental public servant.’ I am prepared – fully prepared in every respect imaginable. More prepared mentally, morally, and physically than most of the major participants presently on the scene, as well as those who came to the scene in 1999.
Indeed the political process is corrupted, but that by itself is not enough to stop credible candidates from getting involved. Yes, politics is said to be dirty. It is dirty because credible candidates are unwilling to get dirty. Thus, creating opportunities for opportunists and political careerists to dominate the scene. That has to stop.
Yes, I am in, and it's going to be an exciting time - a new dawn in our local and national politics. This is a crusade, motivated in part by an honest resolve to take power back to the people, collaborating with government and private institutions, with a view to meeting the demands of the people within a reasonable time.
As I take this new step, my mind is alert, my conscience is clear, and my motives are real. Yes, I have been around, writing and developing ideas for leaders. Yes, I write what leaders read. Yes, I am going to run, and run a good race. Believing as I always do, that God is watching over me - I shall not want because the Lord is my Shepherd.
I want to use this opportunity to thank every one of you for your very valuable insights. Trust me; you guys will be the first to hear from me about the name of the Political Party at the appropriate time. The truth is I am not an ‘accidental public servant.’ I am prepared – fully prepared in every respect imaginable. More prepared mentally, morally, and physically than most of the major participants presently on the scene, as well as those who came to the scene in 1999.
Indeed the political process is corrupted, but that by itself is not enough to stop credible candidates from getting involved. Yes, politics is said to be dirty. It is dirty because credible candidates are unwilling to get dirty. Thus, creating opportunities for opportunists and political careerists to dominate the scene. That has to stop.
Yes, I am in, and it's going to be an exciting time - a new dawn in our local and national politics. This is a crusade, motivated in part by an honest resolve to take power back to the people, collaborating with government and private institutions, with a view to meeting the demands of the people within a reasonable time.
As I take this new step, my mind is alert, my conscience is clear, and my motives are real. Yes, I have been around, writing and developing ideas for leaders. Yes, I write what leaders read. Yes, I am going to run, and run a good race. Believing as I always do, that God is watching over me - I shall not want because the Lord is my Shepherd.
I will come up with a public statement in early 2014.
Suffice it to emphasize at this juncture that there are more than twenty registered Political Parties in Nigeria at the moment. Therefore, there is room for anyone contemplating a run for public office. What is sad though is that there are no visible ideological differences between any of the dominant political parties.
It is now strictly a personality factor - the main reason the so-called political godfathers and influential leaders of political parties are readily disposed to fielding candidates who are susceptible to manipulations. In that case, it is your ability to live up to the expectations of the people that voted you into office that makes the difference.
Right now you cannot distinguish APC from PDP, or PDP from New PDP. In other words, it is simply futile praying for something new in terms of a grandiose developmental initiative or a marshal plan that is sustainable from any of the dominant political parties.
Therefore, it doesn’t make any sense for me to remain on the fence hoping and praying for change from APC. It is about control of the narrative - a progressive narrative IS MISSING AT THE MOMENT. Yes, I have been around, and I write what leaders read.
It is now strictly a personality factor - the main reason the so-called political godfathers and influential leaders of political parties are readily disposed to fielding candidates who are susceptible to manipulations. In that case, it is your ability to live up to the expectations of the people that voted you into office that makes the difference.
Right now you cannot distinguish APC from PDP, or PDP from New PDP. In other words, it is simply futile praying for something new in terms of a grandiose developmental initiative or a marshal plan that is sustainable from any of the dominant political parties.
Therefore, it doesn’t make any sense for me to remain on the fence hoping and praying for change from APC. It is about control of the narrative - a progressive narrative IS MISSING AT THE MOMENT. Yes, I have been around, and I write what leaders read.
One: When I wrote “Game Change: The Uncertainty of Sovereign National Conference (SNC) and a Case for Progressive Option”, published on March 16, 2012, I made a strong case for a political alignment of Southern Progressives and Northern Mavericks and Intellectuals, with a view to assuming control of the federal government at the national level. I hold that view with the best of intention, believing that fresh-start within the context of Nigerian structural reformation connotes fresh insights from contemporary and social-culturally diverse progressive Nigerians at home and abroad.
But, as I write, the same new party that evolved from that romance (APC) is now running after the same likes of Obasanjo and all the discredited PDP natives with tainted public records who debased our federal system and wrecked a supposedly great nation-state.
But, as I write, the same new party that evolved from that romance (APC) is now running after the same likes of Obasanjo and all the discredited PDP natives with tainted public records who debased our federal system and wrecked a supposedly great nation-state.
We expect APC to embark on a vigorous search for enthusiastic and aggressive progressive candidates at home and abroad, making speeches around campuses and public places, defining and spreading a brand new progressive narrative all over the country, with a view to suffocating PDP and their protracted power game. Sadly, and very contrary to every reasonable expectation,
APC is now running all over the place, gravitating towards, and co-opting the same worn-out opportunists who shamelessly corrupted our entire political system. Without any doubt, the struggle is no longer how to enshrine in the political system a brand new, vibrant, and robust political order, with an ascertainable ideological framework that is radically opposed to what President Jonathan and his PDP represent. Surprisingly, it is presently all about how to nail President Jonathan and kick him out of Aso Rock. I find that undemocratic and blatantly retrogressive because that was not the original goal when I and other progressive commentators in the social media initiated the call for a handshake across Niger and Benue.
APC is now running all over the place, gravitating towards, and co-opting the same worn-out opportunists who shamelessly corrupted our entire political system. Without any doubt, the struggle is no longer how to enshrine in the political system a brand new, vibrant, and robust political order, with an ascertainable ideological framework that is radically opposed to what President Jonathan and his PDP represent. Surprisingly, it is presently all about how to nail President Jonathan and kick him out of Aso Rock. I find that undemocratic and blatantly retrogressive because that was not the original goal when I and other progressive commentators in the social media initiated the call for a handshake across Niger and Benue.
No, you cannot separate President Jonathan from PDP. They are one and the same. If President Jonathan is going down, every fragment of that old order, every trace of it, including the New PDP must be erased from our political system. That vacuum has to be filled, thus making the need for credible progressive candidates to become active participants in the emerging new order. Until the true progressives step on the scene, waging an aggressive and real battle for vote counts, the political careerists will not learn a lesson.
Two: When you vote people into office, you do so with a clear conscience – expecting that they represent you and your interest diligently as a true fiduciary. Today the reverse is the case. They only come to town when they want to distribute money to you to buy your conscience and by your vote.
Today, Abuja is their primary abode, and when they come to town, they do so surround by armed Police Men, displaying their automatic rifles with reckless abandon as if they are traversing an enemy kingdom. If your hands are clean, and you are living up to the promises that you made during the election, you will not have any need to surround yourself with armed Policemen when you visit your own village. A man of the people is always a man of the people anytime. You all know who I am.
Two: When you vote people into office, you do so with a clear conscience – expecting that they represent you and your interest diligently as a true fiduciary. Today the reverse is the case. They only come to town when they want to distribute money to you to buy your conscience and by your vote.
Today, Abuja is their primary abode, and when they come to town, they do so surround by armed Police Men, displaying their automatic rifles with reckless abandon as if they are traversing an enemy kingdom. If your hands are clean, and you are living up to the promises that you made during the election, you will not have any need to surround yourself with armed Policemen when you visit your own village. A man of the people is always a man of the people anytime. You all know who I am.
Three: A Senator, for instance, should be able to comprehend to a reasonable degree, the scope, content, and legislative intent of every Bill he is called upon to vote on. Nigeria of 2015 and upward is no longer going to be the Nigeria of yesterday. Decentralization of our federal system and devolution of power, as well as semi-autonomous status for the federating states, are the slang of the moment.
Therefore, an aspiring representative should be able to make an educated distinction between a Unitary System, Federal System, and a Confederation option. And as we match towards convening a sovereign national conference in early 2014, you need an authentic and credible representative, adequately schooled in the legalese encapsulating law making, with a thorough understanding of the relationship between law and public policy to represent you at the National Assembly following the completion of the conference. Yours truly has been a major contributor to the cause of defining that new Nigeria that will emerge, come 2014 and beyond.
Therefore, an aspiring representative should be able to make an educated distinction between a Unitary System, Federal System, and a Confederation option. And as we match towards convening a sovereign national conference in early 2014, you need an authentic and credible representative, adequately schooled in the legalese encapsulating law making, with a thorough understanding of the relationship between law and public policy to represent you at the National Assembly following the completion of the conference. Yours truly has been a major contributor to the cause of defining that new Nigeria that will emerge, come 2014 and beyond.
Four: Yes, I have been around. I have been around developing common sense ideas steadily, making significant impacts in the political process of nations. I wrote, “Obama: Citizen United, Invisible Resistance, and the Hacking of American Democracy” which helped to turn around a Presidential campaign for good. I am the author of “Immunity: The Scope and Extent of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” - one of a kind article that brought new insight into the use and abuse of interlocutory orders by lawyers and judges in our courtrooms. Yes, immunity does not follow a Governor to the Senate. I made it a public record on the main street.
Yes, I have been around. I covered the concept of true federalism before it became a national issue. I have written extensively on the Sovereign National Conference and the Decentralization of the Federal System. See “The Search for True Federalism: Balancing Feudal Interests with Southern Greed and Opportunism”, posted on my Blog on January 2012.
Yes, I have been around. I covered the concept of true federalism before it became a national issue. I have written extensively on the Sovereign National Conference and the Decentralization of the Federal System. See “The Search for True Federalism: Balancing Feudal Interests with Southern Greed and Opportunism”, posted on my Blog on January 2012.
Yes, I have been around, writing what leaders read.
Five: When the idea of State Police came, I was the first to kick against it immediately the National Governors walked out of the meeting where the decision was taken. My fear was grounded in the unavoidable dictatorship of State Governors. The following day, the Arewa Conservative Forum, also kicked against it, using the exact term that I used: the dictatorship of the State Governors. That position was echoed by the Association of Retired Inspector General of Police, followed by the Presidency.
Also, I demanded a comprehensive Almajiri educational program beginning from the Elementary level in the Northern region similar to what Awo and Action Group did in the old Western Region and what Governor Abubakar Rimi’s government did in Kano during the Second Republic. And we have it now. I proposed the reintroduction of Highway Patrol and a SWAT Team for the Nigerian Police. Today, there is Highway Patrol, but not yet a SWAT Team. Yes, I have been around, writing what leaders read – way more relevant to our national issues than those of them right here at home.
Five: When the idea of State Police came, I was the first to kick against it immediately the National Governors walked out of the meeting where the decision was taken. My fear was grounded in the unavoidable dictatorship of State Governors. The following day, the Arewa Conservative Forum, also kicked against it, using the exact term that I used: the dictatorship of the State Governors. That position was echoed by the Association of Retired Inspector General of Police, followed by the Presidency.
Also, I demanded a comprehensive Almajiri educational program beginning from the Elementary level in the Northern region similar to what Awo and Action Group did in the old Western Region and what Governor Abubakar Rimi’s government did in Kano during the Second Republic. And we have it now. I proposed the reintroduction of Highway Patrol and a SWAT Team for the Nigerian Police. Today, there is Highway Patrol, but not yet a SWAT Team. Yes, I have been around, writing what leaders read – way more relevant to our national issues than those of them right here at home.
Yes, I am involved.
Five: My Blog, Hamiltonatlarge.blogspot.com, is about two years old, and it is, to some degree, a true definition or reflection of me. Indeed, you have something on record for your judgment, and when you stand with me and support me, you will go to bed each night confident that you have a child, a brother, an uncle, a father, a cousin, and above all, a friend and a lawmaker you can trust.
Let that revolution of ideas start from Esan Land. After all, it was an Esan dude, in the person of late Chief Anthony Enahoro who first moved the motion for self-rule from Great Britain in 1953 at the Western House. Yes, I have been around, and I write what leaders read. I trained with the best and the brightest in the field of Management and Administration. And they taught me how to make the government work for the people.
Let that revolution of ideas start from Esan Land. After all, it was an Esan dude, in the person of late Chief Anthony Enahoro who first moved the motion for self-rule from Great Britain in 1953 at the Western House. Yes, I have been around, and I write what leaders read. I trained with the best and the brightest in the field of Management and Administration. And they taught me how to make the government work for the people.
Six: Water and Electricity are inalienable rights and essential basic needs for every Nigerian; they ought not to be a campaign issue. The Odu River, at Idumhangho-Ewohimi, in all her majestic purity, is still bubbling with fresh water as never before. And the beautiful Dam at its bank is still as strong as it was when it was first constructed in the early seventies.
If you don’t know, now you should know that The Odu River, with its Dam, is capable of generating and supplying clean water to the entire Esan land year-round, if only the political leaders at the scene since 1999 know exactly what to do.
If you don’t know, now you should know that The Odu River, with its Dam, is capable of generating and supplying clean water to the entire Esan land year-round, if only the political leaders at the scene since 1999 know exactly what to do.
Seven: Yes, every community needs men and women with great ideas and with genuine motivations for power.
When the late Pa Awo and his Action Groupers and the Unity Party of Nigeria told you that they will provide you with free education and quality healthcare delivery, they did so with facts and figures and executed the program successfully. Today, that is rare, because of one and only one reason: greed. That has to change. They run away from challenges that call for intense brain work. That has to stop.
When the late Pa Awo and his Action Groupers and the Unity Party of Nigeria told you that they will provide you with free education and quality healthcare delivery, they did so with facts and figures and executed the program successfully. Today, that is rare, because of one and only one reason: greed. That has to change. They run away from challenges that call for intense brain work. That has to stop.
Eight: It takes enlightenment to know the enlightened. A community deserves a genuine representative who knows how to identify greatness and unique qualities in others – a representative who is not afraid to surround himself with men and women, very dedicated and more knowledgeable than he is on a specific issue.
Pa Awo did that with remarkable success in the Old Western Region. And President Bill Clinton, my hero, took it to another level for the eight years that he was in government in the US - surrounded himself with the best minds that his Presidency could buy.
Pa Awo did that with remarkable success in the Old Western Region. And President Bill Clinton, my hero, took it to another level for the eight years that he was in government in the US - surrounded himself with the best minds that his Presidency could buy.
Nine: I am a true Progressive - an unrepentant Awoist. I espouse the philosophy and ideological mindset of the late sage, especially his egalitarian approach to governance. My views on political and national issues (as you will see on my Blog) are consistent with those of prominent Nigerian progressive commentators of our time.
Indeed, Pa Awo is no more, but there is a Senator presently whose accomplishment within two years in office is second to none. His name is Babafemi Ojudu. And he is from Ekiti State. He is a Senator after my heart. Yes indeed, he is a role model of immense attributes who I intend to work with, learn from and emulate, if the need is, for the good of Esan Land.
Above all, I count on your love and support. I look forward to a fruitful debate on the issues with the other candidate or candidates anytime anywhere. This is an exciting time in Nigerian politics, and I call on my friends to get involved. Let’s go for the change we talk about and write about every day. Yes, I have been around - writing what leaders read. Yes, I will run, and I will run a good race.
Ten: That's my Coca-Cola.
Indeed, Pa Awo is no more, but there is a Senator presently whose accomplishment within two years in office is second to none. His name is Babafemi Ojudu. And he is from Ekiti State. He is a Senator after my heart. Yes indeed, he is a role model of immense attributes who I intend to work with, learn from and emulate, if the need is, for the good of Esan Land.
Above all, I count on your love and support. I look forward to a fruitful debate on the issues with the other candidate or candidates anytime anywhere. This is an exciting time in Nigerian politics, and I call on my friends to get involved. Let’s go for the change we talk about and write about every day. Yes, I have been around - writing what leaders read. Yes, I will run, and I will run a good race.
Ten: That's my Coca-Cola.
Finally, in the words of President Barack Obama, “The first piece of advice is this. Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table. If you decided not to set yourself at the table, you have to make sure you have a say on who does. It matters. My second piece of advice is never to underestimate the power of your advice. The last one is simple, but perhaps the most important. Persevere. Persevere. Nothing worthwhile is easy.” Commencement Speech at Bernard College, New York. 2012.
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