Making Senses of the Rejection of RUGA and Cattle Colony.

Indeed there is no disputing the fact that the Sabon Gari community in Kano State is populated by Ndigbo and non-Hausa/Fulani merchants and non-state settlers. What is also not disputed is that since the history of the birth of the Sabon Gari business district in Kano, there has never been a story of the beheading of the natives, raping of their daughters and wives, kidnapping for ransom, or destruction of their private properties and places of businesses by the Ndigbo or the Yoruba. On the other hand, we have seen numerous pictures and videos of Native Police, engaging in wanton and indiscriminate destruction of alcohol, worth millions of Naira that belong mostly to Ndigbo. And most often they are never compensated for the destruction. 

Today, Nigerians cannot distinguish between a Nigerian-Fulani from a Malian-Fulani or Senegalese-Fulani or Niger Republic Fulani. If it is true as President Buhari has stated in the past and corroborated by Governor El'Rufai that the killer herders are non-Nigerians; and knowing that the foreign killer herders do NOT have problems entering and leaving Nigeria or settling comfortably in any Hausa/Fulani Quarters anywhere in Nigeria; therefore, it is taken as proof beyond a reasonable doubt and conclusive to boot that when RUGA and Cattle Colony are established, Miyetti Allah will have no problem populating the camps with the same foreign hired killers who are doing their dirty jobs today throughout Nigeria. (Maybe you want to reread that long sentence again). That is the major reason that RUGA or Cattle Colony is unadvisable and rejected. You cannot confine the settlers to a bounded area. That would be inhuman. But as long as they practice intolerance of other cultures, harbour extreme religious views, and are openly disdainful of the ways of life of the natives, the idea of the Cattle Colony is an environmental timebomb that will blow Nigeria into pieces. That explains the rejection. 

Finally, what is unfolding within the Republican Party in America today is an echo of the situation that has plagued Nigeria for years in the hands of the Hausa/Fulani tribe. It is the story of a negligible number in a party or in a tribe, turning the party or the tribe against the popular view and the interest of the whole country. I have met with a few Hausa/Fulani in high places who have helped me, even when they don't know my name, and where I come from or expect anything from me in return. And the same story is true of most Republicans in the US - benevolent and compassionate. However, the rejection or condemnation of the whole lies not in the views they hold or propagate about others or the nation at large, but because of the unrepentant and harden-minded intolerant few who dominate and call the shots within the party or the tribe. The right to self-defence is inalienable. As long as the dominant few remain unhinged and unchecked, there will always be wars and conflicts. The rejection and condemnation of the greater majority within the party or the tribe will continue to gain currency and always be acceptable. Therefore, the healing process that will culminate, if at all, in national acceptance, must start from within. To be continued. 

 

Retired Captain Aliyu Umar and the Leadership we Are Missing.

While I was on an extended visit to Nigeria between 2015 and 2016, I wrote his name down as one of the few forthright Nigerians deserving of an important public office and one I will not hesitate to offer an appointment, specifically, Minister of Interior, should a miracle happen and I am the President of Nigeria, even if it is for one day. On the same list, I jotted down the names of Samson Itodo, Tilewa Adebayo, Dr. Emeka Ekenga, and Ismail Igaka. It took me a year and six months of continuous observations of their works and pronouncements in public places to identify with them emotionally.

I picked the five Nigerians, not because they are educated, but because they are deep, forthright, honest, intelligent, and emotionally connected to the issues they talk about and care about.

My main goal in social media is policy statements, writing what the leadership can read and easily adapt to and work with. My focus is not exclusively on writing public policy statements, but also, on identifying with people of noble virtues, and knowing who is who among Nigerian politicians, technocrats, as well as my friends and family members in social media. I want to know is fit for public offices and the appropriate office. It was in that context that I fell in love with the five Nigerians on the list, while I was in Nigeria.

Most often, I write and take a stand on some daunting national issues happening in Nigeria at any given time. I do so, especially when I am not on the ground to take action or in the position to deal directly with the people who are in the position to take action. And that's why I write. On the other hand, if I am home in Nigeria, it is imprudence on my part to engage in writing about the same people who I should be talking to directly. So, my approach has always been to seek out the leadership where they are and participate in what they do.

And that was how I became a conference and seminar jockey at Abuja, beginning in 2008. Invited or not, I will get in, or gate-crash. "Oga, your name is not among the invited guests or registered participants." I know. "Okay, take this guest pass." Thank you. And I will work in. You can't look at me standing before you at the front of your desk and turn me away.

I wanted to know what the political leaders and leaders of business and industries are discussing or talking about on how to grow our GDP or move Nigeria forward economically. I figure it is easier and faster for me to penetrate them via conferences and seminars than opinionating. And most often, my opinion or question normally turns out to be the highlight of the conference.

A good example was the "2016 IGP Annual Police Lawyers Conference / Inauguration of the NBA Police Lawyers Forum and Award Night." The Chief Justice of the Abuja High Court was around as well as the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association at the time, Barrister Augustine Alegeh. The Chief Justice rehearsed my comment during the Q&A, focused on how to eliminate the animosity between the members of the Police Force and the civil society. Surprisingly, the comment was the highlight of the event and the summary of the news carried by the NTA about the conference the following evening.

And that was how I became emotionally and intellectually connected with the five names on the list. And that is why I gate-crash conferences and seminars. I am not on the run and I am not in exile. My involvement or opinionating is more than making my voice heard. It is about having my imprint on the ground on how to move Nigeria forward. And I have done that successfully on most national issues.

For instance, I went back to school to study for the LLM programs in Energy and Environmental Law and policy because of what I observed at two of the conferences that I attended in Nigeria in 2008 and 2009.

One of the conferences was organized by the House of Representative Sub-Committee on Oil Producing Areas. The second was organized by the Nigerian Energy Commission (NEC) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

I wasn't comfortable with the poor representation of the Niger Delta and the hostile environment at the first conference. In a similar vein, I wasn't comfortable with the poor quality of papers and presentations from the speakers who came from NERC. In addition, there was disagreement between the gentleman from NEC and some of the delegates from NERC over the disbursement and spending of public funds. It was disgusting.

So, I went back to the US to do dual graduate degree programs in law: LLM in Energy and LLM in the Laws of Natural Resources and Environmental Law and Policy (oil and gas, and mining). Please, don't ask me why I didn't get a job or work at NERC or NEC since my graduation in 2011. That's a story for another day.

Anyway, when I got back to the States, news came that all the top guys who represented NERC at that conference were sent to prison without trial on the order of the late President Yar Adua on the allegation of squandering public funds. I saw it coming. Observing them at the conference throughout that day, I knew they were not up to the task. So, I was not surprised at all that they were bundled into prison.

In a nutshell, I am not one of those living overseas that Nigerian-home-based commentators and political leaders are wont to categorize as hiding in the comfort of their own home in America and using social media and the internet to foment trouble at home. Not me, I am not a social or political activist. I am a public policy wonk, interested in making Nigeria a great nation and a happy place to live in by using my brainpower. I am not writing because I know how to use the English Language. I write because I know the issue, the problem, and the answer to the problem better than those who are in the position to address the issue, and the problem, and proffer a solution.

I am more interested in an idea-based revolution than one with guns. Some people strive to make a change through protests and placards. While others do it via writing, strategic engagements, and deliberation. So, you can have Booker T Washington and you can also have Marcus Garvey at the same time. Also, you can have Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr simultaneously. As long as the struggle is defined for the helpless individuals in our midst, it is okay. The mechanics for meeting the ends are irrelevant. It's about knowing who you are and building your niche to do the public good.

Finally, it takes enlightenment to know the enlightened leadership traits to discern quality leadership in others. Watching the video playing below, you will agree with me that my views of Aliyu Umar in 2016, even though I have not met him, were not in error. He is forthright, articulate, brilliant, and thought-provoking. And God willing, I am confident that the two of us will partner or pair up to work for Nigeria one day.

By the way, Tilewa Adebayo is a lady (advanced in age) and I would not have had any problem appointing her as my Foreign Affairs Minister. She exudes a powerful presence, aura, and dignity. I love her. Anyway, Nigeria is never short of great minds; all that is required is for someone in leadership positions to find them and recommend them for leadership positions.

Saying Goodbye to Cicely Tyson:

She was unmistakably Classy, Gorgeous, Resplendent, and Fabulous. She was simply a one-of-a-kind Diva - self-assured, with a glowing beauty, in and out. Indeed, she was a Lady and a "Real Sister."

"The Autobiography of Jane Pittman" was the first movie that I saw in Nigeria, courtesy of Bendel Television in Benin City. And that was more than thirty years ago. In that movie, there is a scene, which I consider memorable, where she is seen, walking a considerable walk to go and drink water from a water tap with a sign written: White Only. I didn't really know much about racism or the history of slavery in America at the time or how explosive it was. 

Anyway, as a movie addict at the time, and as young as I was, a time came, when I started having trouble with the way Black Characters die in most movies. No matter how handsome, masculine, tough, and intelligent African American characters are in most movies, they are always the first to die or be killed stupidly. Also, they are always the ones who like food and eat voraciously. And most often I asked myself, does it mean "Oyinbo no dey hungry or them no like food?" Worst of all, I hardly see African American couples in a loving or romantic scene. And whenever it happens, it comes across as gross and crude. I couldn't explain why. 

However, when I arrived in the US, I also found out that most African American comedians do talk about them and joke about them in derision on their shows as well. That's when I realized that it was a "Hollywood thing." Be that as it may, Cicely Tyson refused to be stereotyped by Hollywood or pigeonholed into playing a character that manifests the "dark" assessment of people of colour from the "prejudiced" lenses of white scriptwriters and movie directors. But that audacity and sense of pride came at a huge cost. (Please, see an excerpt from President Obama's tribute, coming shortly on this piece).

Thank God, Hollywood has undergone an incredible astronomical change in scripting and directing. So, eating foolishly and dying stupidly by black characters in movies are now things of the past. 

(By the way, if you are wondering why elderly African American women are into Nigerian movies, wonder no more. Nigerian ladies and actresses are bringing to the whole world the essence of black beauty, wealth, love, romance, compassion, style, just name it, which Hollywood didn't allow the world to see about African American ladies for many years).

So, I would like to end this tribute by copying a whole paragraph from President Barack Obama's tribute to the departing Amazon of a Sister. It sums up the true story of Cicely Tyson and adds flesh to the theme of my treatise. 

In the words of President Obama: "At a time when parts for actors who looked like her weren’t easy to come by, she refused to take on roles that reduced Black women to their gender or their race. Sometimes, that meant she would go years without work. But she took pride in knowing that whenever her face was on camera, she would be playing a character who was a human being — flawed but resilient; perfect not despite but because of their imperfections. Across all of her performances, in legendary productions ranging from “Sounder” to “The Trip to Bountiful” to “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” she helped us see the dignity within all who made up our miraculous — and, yes, messy — American family."

May her soul rest in peace.

The Story of Ruby Nell Bridges Hall Can Only Happen in America

Ruby Nell Bridges Hall (born September 8, 1954) is an American civil rights activist. She was the first African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis on November 14, 1960.

What you are seeing in the video playing below is the extent of the Federal might in a full display so that 6 years old Ruby Bridges can attend an all-white Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana, following the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Brown vs The Board of Education which ordered all schools to desegregate. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had no alternative but sent Federal Marshalls to accompany little Ruby to school, every day, beginning from November 14, 1960. In spite of all the odds that the minority population faces and the decades-old civil rights abuse and racial tensions, the Ruby Bridges story can only happen in America. And that's thanks to the rule of law.

 

Why Irabor's Appointment is Worth Applauding.

More than a decade ago, the position of Nigerian Inspector General of Police (IGP) was vacant. And IBB was the Military President at the time. What he did will amaze you. The next top four Police Officers to succeed the departing IGP were all from the same state - Bendel State. Out of the four was the light-skinned crack detective from, I believe, Irrua of the Esan Tribe, Mr. Omeben. The other three were all Lawyers. Two out of the three Lawyers hold the LLM (Masters degree) in Law. If I remember correctly, Retired AIG Casimir Akagbosu was one of them. What did IBB do? He retired the four of them and gave the IGP to someone outside of the Bendel region who was in every respect imaginable, not as qualified as the least qualified of the four officers from Bendel State. And that's how the leadership positions in our Armed Forces and Security networks have been skewed out of the reach of those who are much more qualified. And the rest is history. 

Today, the talk of the town is the retirement of the last batch of Service Chiefs and the appointment of new faces, headed by Major General Leo Irabor from the Ika tribe of the old Bendel State. By now you must have known a bit of his bio or some reading of who Mr. Irabor, the new Defense Chief is. According to Premium Times, he is from Delta State and a Regular Course 34 officer and was promoted to Major General in 2014. He is also an alumnus of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College Ghana, the National Defence College Bangladesh, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Programme, USA. He has a first degree in engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and holds two Masters Degrees from the University of Ghana, Accra, and Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka." And that's outstanding.

I am not going to indulge in an unnecessary reading of President Buhari's mind or those of his chicken cabinet on why they picked Major General L. Irabor to be the new Chief of Defense Staff. President Buhari could have retired him in line with the existing ethnic-influenced "purging" culture prominent in the military and no one would have cared. And that's the way it has been, until this appointment. That President Buhari didn't traverse the confidence-killing path of the past, even though what he did was the right thing to do, deserves my praises. It is a new dawn. And Mr. Irabor must go about his job as if every new day is his last day on the job. 

With this appointment, the world now has a new understanding of the Nigerian top Military Officers, to wit, they cherish academic accolades like their counterparts from all over the world. And there is a lesson to be learned from his background, especially by the junior officers coming up the leadership ladder that indeed quality education does matter, and at the right time, the sacrifices will pay off. Laudable as that may be, the question at this juncture is whether his appointment will restore confidence in the leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces and stop our beloved country from sliding into extinction.  

What I do know for sure is that Major General Lucky Irabor has a treacherous road to traverse ahead of him. If he must rescue the Armed Forces from sliding into self-annihilation and save the union from disintegration, his first task is to restore the disappearing esprit de corp and loyalty in the military. The institution has been massively infiltrated by the enemies and the trust factor, massively compromised. Thus, making the battle against bandits and the Boko Haram sect intractable. 

The rate of casualties in the ranks and files of the armed forces is alarming. How can you explain this: There was an attack against the military today by the Boko Haram set and three of our soldiers died and five members of the Boko Haram fighters also died. What happens to the training? Or are we saying that bandits and terrorist groups in Northern Nigeria have better training and better education than members of our Armed Forces in modern warfare and terrorism? 

And talking about training; some of the videos in the public domain depicting sordid pictures of brutality and gruesome beating of our young recruits in training camps must stop. They are hard to watch. How do you expect young men and women who are subjected to that kind of inhumanity to turn out to be civil when dealing with the general public? Above all the psychological orientation is not there to aid them in surmounting ambush or unannounced attacks from enemy combatants. And that explains the high rate of deaths anytime there is an attack between them and the Boko Haram terrorists. 

Also, the financial appeasement, whether by the state or federal government, must stop. You can never win or have peace if you create a vacuum for your enemies to occupy and negotiate from a position of strength. The solution is obvious. Do what Idris Debyy did about two years ago. And I called it President Barack Obama's model. It requires taking the fight to the enemies' bedrooms until they surrender. You disorganize them and make them uncomfortable. They will capitulate when they become the hunted. 

Finally, the institution under your control is called the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the Armed Forces of one ethnic group. This is the time to repackage and restore total confidence a sense of belonging and equal rights across the ranks. What happened at the Ugwuneshi community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State a few years ago and the attack on a community in Ogun State a few days ago painted a story of a military institution without credible leadership. Deploying military trucks and personnel to every corner of the country to arrest the youths and beat up elders who feud with Cattle Herders will polarize the armed forces along ethnic lines toward a total collapse.

Therefore, if you must keep Nigeria from disintegration, take the military out of the crisis between the Cattle Herders and Host Communities. It is a political problem and not a constitutional issue. Let the politicians deal with it. The killer herders are cultured and indoctrinated to believe that they own the land, and if they have to kill to protect the land they acquired without the approval of the host community or state government, it is a fight worth fighting and bloodshed worth shedding. That mindset must first be purged and purified for any peace initiative to be sustainable. If you can bring the political leaders and the cattle merchants to that understanding, you are on your way to the remake of Nigeria as a great and peaceful nation-state. Good luck. 

Senator John Kerry and the Rise of President Barack Obama

The one you help to climb today may turn out to be the ultimate changer of your destiny. Not many people could pronounce the name of the handsome and Ivy League-educated Senator from Illinois until the Democratic National Convention of 2004 that was held in Boston, Massachusetts. On July 27, 2004, Senator Obama delivered the keynote address and he left no one in doubt that he is here for the long haul. Thanks to Senator John Kerry who was the Democratic presidential candidate at the time, Senator Barack Obama, made his national debut as a gifted communicator and a budding star to watch out for in the Democratic establishment and at the national stage.  

That he was set for the big ticket was not lost on us in his speech. The following lines speak volumes. "Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America." And that was the beginning of the journey to the White House.

Senator John Kerry ran and was defeated by Governor George Bush Jr., the Republican candidate. The gist around the Beltway at the time was that Senator Kerry's goal was actually to be the Secretary of State (Minister of Foreign Affairs). Here is his dilemma. You can put your Presidential ambition to the test by participating in the presidential primaries. The culmination of that dream is in the hands of the people - the electorates. On the other hand, becoming a Minister or Secretary of State is at the mercy of another individual, not the electorate or the people. 

Another gentleman at the time who was and has been nursing a Presidential ambition was a fellow Senator, Mr. Joe Biden, whose ultimate goal was to be the President of the United States of America. Several times, he tried, and several times he failed to cling the ticket. He never made it through the primaries, much as he tried. 

Then came the 2008 Democratic Primaries, involving Senator Barack Obama, Senator Joe Biden, Senator Cris Dodd, Senator Mike Gravel, Senator John Edwards, Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor Bill Richardson, Governor Tom Vilsack, and Mr Dennis Kucinick, a House of Rep members from Ohio. 

Midway into the primaries, most of the candidates dropped out and endorsed Senator Barack Obama. One of those who did was Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and he was the first to endorse Barack. It was a huge gamble on his part because Senator Hillary Clinton was favoured to win the primaries. I still remember hearing Senator Joe Bidden on national TV, declaring "yes" to a question whether he would accept if asked by candidate/Senator Obama to be his running mate.  

Contrary to all expectations, when it was all over, Senator Barack Obama, edged out Senator Hillary Clinton and went on to cling to the Democratic ticket. Following Senator Obama's victory, this author, like most Democrats, wanted Senator Obama to pick Senator Joe Bidden as his running mate. And thank God, he did. And for eight years he was the eye and ear and the ultimate political confidant of President Barack Obama.

Today, former Senator Joe Bidden, former Vice President Joe Bidden, is now the 46th President of the United States of America - the culmination of a childhood dream thought to be insurmountable. His decision to withdraw from the Democratic Primaries on January 03, 2008, ahead of other candidates, opened the floodgate for a nationwide endorsement of the Senator from Illinois.  And he did it when he had nothing to gain and when the chances of Senator Barack Obama winning the Democratic Primaries and the Presidential election were not assured. 

Now, let's do a flashback on the Democratic Primaries of 2008. When Obama won the primaries, Senator Hillary was indisputably the most popular choice for Secretary of State. And she got it ahead of the Presidential election. So, it was quite understandable why Senator John Kerry didn't get it. However, when President Obama came back for his second term, defeating Governor Mitt Romney, the natural choice for Secretary of State was Senator John Kerry. 

I still remember vividly hearing the now-late Senator John McCain addressing Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State inside the Senate Chamber when he was yet to be nominated by President Barrack Obama. Evidently, his colleagues knew from the onset the dream of his heart. And President Obama wasted no time appointing Senator John Kerry as his second-term Secretary of State. He was in office from February 2013 to January 2017. 

Today, former Senator John Kerry, and former Secretary of State John Kerry, are in the news again. He is President Joe Biden's pick as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Another globe-trotting national assignment.

Thanks to Senator John Kerry for being there for Senator Barack Obama when America didn't know his name. The 2004 Democratic National Convention blasted the newly minted Senator from Illinois into the limelight. And the keynote address was delivered with the ferocity of a man, not just destined to lead the free world, but one who is already prepared to do so. So far so good, Senator John Kerry has gotten more than he ever anticipated when he opened the door to Senator Barack Obama in 2008. 

Search your mind, are you sitting on the ambition and dreams of others? You may never know, you might be Senator John Kerry or Senator Joe Biden who opened the doors of their dreams when they gratuitously extended the ladder to the ambitious Barack.

Debating the Leadership Structure of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

I do not share this story to tell the American story, but to tell the Nigerian story as it relates to promotions and career advancements in the Nigerian Armed Forces. Over the years, I have ceaselessly pondered over the disparities in the ethnic and geographical makeup within the leadership structure in our entire Armed Forces. And I have my reasons for concern. Recruitment into the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Airforce is based on Federal Character and Quota System - equal representation. However, at the top, you hardly find equal representation based on quota or national spread that defines the recruitment or entry-level? 

So, the question begs to ask, how come will never have the same percentage of Southerners at the recruitment level, making it to the level of a General or Major General concerning the number of Northerners making it to those levels respectively from the recruitment level? There is no disputing the fact that Southerners, at the entry level, have better qualifications, academically speaking. Surprisingly, that academic advantage does not reflect in the scope of their acceleration in climbing the leadership ladder in the Armed Forces. Reading the New York Times story today strikes a chord and my questions seek no further probing or clarifications.  

Please, find below the New York Times explanations of the convoluted career path of Africa Americans in the US Armed Forces and the institutionalized obstacles that continue to define or retard their success story. In our own situation in Nigeria, the institutionalized obstacles are at the auspices of the Hausa/Fulani mafia who dominate the top echelons of our Armed Forces and our entire security networks post the civil war. Now you are beginning to understand why a negligible number of Southern Military Officers make it up to General and Major General levels in their entire military career. They are systematically eliminated or unceremoniously retired or dismissed without cause as their stars begin to shine. 

The New York Times Story is Below.

Chief Justice Roberts and the Making of the Obamacare

With Justice Roberts, a Republican appointee at the helm of affairs at the apex court where Republican-nominated Justices are in the majority, it was taken as a done deal that Obamacare is over. Convinced beyond doubt, Republicans matched to the apex court with enthusiasm, anticipating the expected, they were wrong. Justice Roberts was unwilling to be a willing tool in the arsenal of the President and Republicans to turn the apex court into a toothless bulldog whose decision was expected to reflect political persuasion. Today, unlike in the era of Justice William Rehnquist and Antonio Scalia, no one can predict the decision of the Supreme Court again. And that's awesome. 

As the curtain falls on his stranglehold of the Republican party, I want to use this opportunity to pay tribute to the following individuals, the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, Justice John Roberts, the Vice President, Mr. Mike Pence, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and last but not the least, Capitol Hill Police Officer, Eugene Goodman. Their courage under fire reinforces the belief that the much cherished American values and the much-talked-about strong institutions are what they are because of the patriotic zest and selflessness of those involved in upholding the tenets. Let's do a highlight of their encounter with the power and the system and how their individual decision makes the institutions stronger. 

Justice John Roberts:

If Chief Justice John Roberts had wanted to kill the Affordable Healthcare Act, he would have succeeded in doing so by concocting all the legal and technical loopholes in the world to strengthen his resolve. He never did. And the Supreme Court is richer for it. Three times, the Chief Justice stopped him from killing the Affordable Healthcare Act; otherwise, known as Obamacare. Once, he actually wrote the majority decision, keeping the healthcare Act intact. It was as if he had a premonition that the man who wants to kill the Act doesn't understand its rudimentary and has nothing in the work to replace, either. In the process, the Chief Justice saved thousands of Americans from untimely death that would have resulted due to lack of healthcare coverage.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

The Speaker of the House of Representative would just have remained comfortably indolent, submerged under the weight of an omnipotent President and justifying her helplessness with relish. She never did. And America is better for it. She was David and he was the Goliath. He called her unprintable names and treated her as a commoner, unworthy of her seat in congress. But she stood her ground, gallantly defiant of his unceasing bullying and resolute on her mission to mobilize the laws at her disposal to do the needy. And twice she succeeded. But for her toughness and doggedness, the budding dictatorship would have found a firm foothold on the affairs of Union in DC. Consequently, supplanting our democratic culture and cultivating all the idiosyncrasies of Kingship and royalty that George Washington feared and rejected. Nancy was truly an Esther on call.

Vice President Mike Spence:

The Vice President, Mr. Mike Pence, would have in cahoot with Senator Ted Cruz, Mr. Ruddy Giuliani, and Donald Trump Jr., amplify the dubious narrative of a rigged election to justify his refusal to certify the Electoral Courage vote. He refused to be a stooge. And the vote was certified. He is quintessentially Vepee personified - everything a President could ever ask for in a Vice President. Mr. Pence was more than loyal, faithful, and subservient. He was the King Maker, until the 6th day of January 2021. Mr. President looks forward to seeing Mr. Pence capitulating, toeing unhinged, and in accord with his subversive maneuvering. He was wrong. Vice President Pence declined to subscribe to his challenges and demurred. He went to Congress as constitutionally required and presided over the certification of the Electoral College vote and pronounced Joe Biden the President-elect. The rule of law prevails. And Mr. Joe Biden was officially declared the President-elect. Thus ending two months-long voyages of futility.

Capitol Police Officer Eugen Goodman:

Capitol Hill Police Officer, Mr. Eugene Goodman, in the face of a bloody storm, declined to be a victim of indecision. He looked left, fathomed the vulnerability of Mike Pence and our lawmakers performing their constitutional duties, and instead, turned right and goaded the deadly mob and their mission on the path to a fiasco. He did not only save lives, but he also saved the institution that George Washington and his friends built. Today, Vice President Mike Pence is alive. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is live. House Majority Whip James Clyburn is alive. And hundred of other lawmakers are alive, contrary to the Banana Republic electoral fortune anticipated by the Oval Office. God guided and walked along with Goodman up the staircase. And Goodman saved the day, saved the Congress, and saved American Democracy. No one can say for sure what would have happened if the mob had gained entrance to the joint session while Vice President Mike Pence was presiding. It didn't happen. God worked with Goodman and Mike Pence is alive to call the vote. And American democracy is richer.

 

They Saved the Union

Justice John Roberts: Three times, Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court stopped him from killing the Affordable Healthcare Act; otherwise, known as Obamacare. Once, he actually wrote the majority decision, keeping the healthcare act intact as if he had a premonition that the man who wants to kill the Act doesn't understand the rudimentary of the act and has nothing in the making to replace it. In the process, the Chief Justice saved thousands of Americans from untimely death due to lack of healthcare coverage. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: She was David and he was the Goliath. He called her unprintable names and treated her as a commoner, unworthy of her seat in congress. But she stood her ground, gallantly defiant of his unceasing bullying and resolute on her mission to mobilize the laws at her disposal to do the needy. And twice she succeeded. But for her toughness and preparedness to 

Vice President Mike Spence: He is quintessentially Vepee personified - everything a President could expect of his deputy. Mr. Pence was more than loyal, faithful, and subservient. He was everything Mr. President wanted. Until the 6th day of January 2021. He looks forward to Mr. Pence capitulating to his subversive maneuvering, by refusing to proceed to Congress as constitutionally required and preside over the counting of the electoral votes and declaring Joe Biden the President-elect. He was wrong. Vice President Pence declined to subscribe to his challenges and demurred. The rule of law prevails. And Mr. Joe Biden was officially declared the President-elect, thus nailing the neutralizing his last card.

Capitol Police Officer Eugen Goodman: Today, Vice President Mike Pence is alive. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is live. House Majority Whip James Clyburn is alive. And hundred of other lawmakers are alive, contrary to the plan of all The President Men. Goodman saved the day, saved the Congress, and saved American Democracy. No one can say for sure what would have happened if the mob had gained entrance to the joint session while Vice President Mike Pence was presiding. We would rather not dwell on what would have happened. It didn't happen, thanks to a Goodman at the door.

 Happy new year, once again, family. Please, do not develop apathy towards the dream of this institution that we laid out when we started. The fact that you are not hearing from the Exco or the BoT doesn't we have abandoned the dream. The struggle is still very much robust and evolving, the Exco and BoT are working round the clock to ensure that we commence action on the site any time soon. Please, remain upbeat and optimistic about the goal, believing that its culmination will happen in our lifetime. Trust me, the leadership is on the mission you trusted onto their care. Please, let me use this opportunity to remind those who have not made their pledge to do so. And as always, I want to remind those who have made pledges and yet to redeem it not to relent on their oars. Following the suggestions form the Treasurer, Owanlen Obeahon, you can break the payment down into multiple payments. Once again, stay in faith, believing that all will end well. Stay safe and remain blessed.  

 Why the Nigerian Diaspora Won't Stop Crying For Nigeria.

For instance, American Universities are already mobilizing their Admission Counselors and Alumni members to contact and interview prospective students or applicants for the 2021/2022 academic year that is set to begin classes in August or September in 2021. In fact, most Universities have started dispatching admission letters to students who are starting classes in August 2021. 

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, students in the 2019/2020 academic year, have not taken their final exam. In other words, if you were in 100 Level for the 2019/2020 academic year, you are still in 100 Level today, January 13, 2021. Also, the candidates or applicants for the 2020/2021 academic year that should have started classes in August or September of 2020 and round up in May or June of 2021, are yet to be notified or issued an acceptance letter. 

This is just one example of why we cry and lament for our Father's Land. So, the much-overhyped leadership ambition on our part has nothing to do with our concerns and spirited engagement on Nigeria wahala. It is hard to standby and watch helplessly as neophytes are taking Nigeria down the path of lawlessness and mediocrity. 

They cherish quality education and they appreciate the values of quality education. And they live no stone unturned in ensuring that they send their children overseas to take advantage of the orderliness of the western culture and educational system. Why must you continue to allow them to Lord it over us and our resources at Abuja, squandering our riches, destroying our educational system, and sponsoring their children overseas with public funds? That's not cool. Nigerians should be ready to rally around those who know the essence of power and responsibilities and vote them into public office. 

Debating Wheelbarrow and Cutlass as Empowerment Tools in Niger Delta.

"The Honourable Minister of State, Labour & Employment and Former Min. of State, Niger-Delta Affairs, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has launched the Special Public Works Programme (774,000) jobs in my own Local Government Area (Uvwie LGA) in Delta State. Festus Keyamo commenced the programme by empowering the Youth with Cutlass and wheelbarrow, promoting agriculture."

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/01/social-media-reactions-keyamo-launches-774000-jobs-in-grand-style. 

Please, those of you who have access to Mr Keyamo should start contacting him immediately. Delta State is an oil-producing state. To think that distributing Wheelbarrow and Cutlass are the best way to kickstart career empowerment in your community is an unmitigated human error. With this resume, can Festus go to Effurun tomorrow and ask for a vote to go to the Senate? I don't think so. He has to find ways to undo the damage. The first start is to bring into his inner circle,  smart and independent-minded Advisers who will not be afraid to confront him with the truth and what he doesn't want to hear. Wheelbarrow and cutlass are no longer good enough for "Abokis," talkless of the sophisticated Niger Delta folks. Come on, friends!

President Bill Clinton is the most educated and best-prepared American President of our time. He graduated from Georgetown with a Bachelor's degree. Went to Oxford, England as a Rhode Scholar for a two years master's program, before proceeding to Yale Law School for his Law degree. You cannot be smarter than that, not even Brack Obama. With all that visible intellectual prowess, you would have thought that President Bill Clinton would likely emerge an intellectual snob, not all. Of all his kitchen cabinets only George Stephanopoulos graduated from an Ivy League institution - Columbia. All the other guys were just street smart and well-grounded in public policy. And they were never afraid to confront Bill Clinton with the best options in any debate. 

I am publishing this protest piece here because of the respect I have for every one of you as friends and as alumni colleagues. Otherwise, I would have published it on my Facebook page. I love Festus and I want him to succeed. He should go and hire new Advisers as soon as possible. The Federal Government will pay their wages, not him. Is it too much for Festus to go to the Department of Political Science at Uniben, AAU, or DELSU to hire a Lecturer as an Adviser? That's what Northerners do. Festus is a smart lawyer, that's it. He doesn't know much about public policy or political economy. Whatever position he holds next in Delta State will depend substantially on the use he made of this present position for the people of the Niger Delta. As at now, wheelbarrow and cutlass do not cut it. 

The worst mental infliction or psychological torture you can subject yourself to is grieving over the assumption or rumor that your lady friend who you can't date, doesn't have the capacity to date, or in the position to date or marry is falling for or has a soft spot for another guy you have no cause to hate. I have seen so many good ladies losing out on quality relationships on the strength of the gossips or self-serving opinions of their trusted men friends or Pastors. 

Happy New Year, once again, my friend. Hope your family members are doing well.

My niece, Emiehi, told me that she came over to your office and that you gave her some money. Please, I want to thank you for your generosity. But the one thing you didn't realize was that with that money you gave her for her transportation, she was able to repair her phone and called me. She just told me that. And I want to thank you. My regards to brother Monday. By the way, you have a little sister those days, where is she? Hope all is well with her as well. 

While Chief Dangote is building Cement factories all over the African world and raking in millions of dollars in profit annually, the successive administration in Edo State couldn’t manage or run our own cement factory located at the Okpella Kingdom. Dangote didn't force Edo State Government out of the cement business via price war. We just couldn't run ours. 

Talk about Bendel Brewery! The Brewery business has never been that lucrative in Nigeria. When I was growing up, you could count the number of beer available in the Nigerian market – Harp, Gulder, Star Lager, Stout, and Crystal. Today, Beer comes in various styles and shapes too numerous to count. And as always, the struggling Nigerian guys still relishes the age-old habit of drinking their sorrow away with equanimity. Yes, there is still a huge market out there for booze, but not for our beloved Crystal. While Nigerian Brewery and Guinness are flooding the market with uncountable brands, our state-run Bendel Brewery couldn’t sustain the only brand it has. 

There is a pattern to all these stories.

The setbacks that bedeviled the three mentioned companies in this essay are not market-related or the lack of it. It has everything to do with the hiring process, nepotism, and political patronage. Embezzlement of public funds is a collateral matter. It thrives because political leaders like those mentioned in this essay cannot overcome the culture of patronage, populating top management positions with opportunists, stooges, and candidates whose major goal hinges not on profit margin, but on how to get rich fast and pay homage to bosses and sponsors.

The world that we live in today contains countless people that are trying to accomplish their dreams and support their families. As a result of focussing heavily on self-improvement, we forget that there are others with problems of their own. We immediately resort to giving another person's worries “the cold shoulder” simply because they aren’t ours. The solution to this problem is simple. People need to learn the importance of being empathetic towards others.

Society has people in this cycle in which we would care about things that would bring us to gain or happiness. For instance, worrying about your next payday or how you're going to buy those expensive sneakers to show off to your friends. But in the midst of all these, I wonder. When was the last time you thought of the jobless and the poor? Or the hungry kids we see on those Unicef commercials? The disabled and elderly have to get constant care and attention in nursing homes or hospitals. I sincerely hope that a select few of us actually can make an attempt to care. Then there is the emotional aspect of this topic, broken marriages, children growing up in single-parent homes, and abusive relationships. The list of these burdens goes on and on but they are overshadowed by closed minds only focusing on success. 

               Next we move onto the rejection of others when they would need help the most. Whether it is because of their notability or their appearance. An example of this is found in Wonder in which Auggie who has an unusual appearance is then bullied and mocked repeatedly by others. There is even a game developed by the kids that single him out and made him untouchable, called the plague. However, ignoring this summer then stops Auggie's loneliness in school and then sits with him during lunch the rest of the story. The way he dealt with rejection during the story stood out to me the most. In the face of being verbally abused and ridiculed they stayed at ease and patient. He always gave people a second chance whenever they offended him . or said something rude. These things said so much about his character.

               Moving on to the topic of how Boo dealt with prejudice we see how he was scrutinized for just staying in the house. He was basically made a scapegoat in the story by being blamed for all the problems that happened in the town. But he then proves how he isn’t a bad person by saving  Jem and Scout after this, he then was viewed as a hero and no more a “Boogeyman”.

The way scout dealt with rejection was accepting Atticus’ reasoning of how to respect life, and to not be affected by cruelty. 

              Finally, the reason why intolerance and prejudice are easier to commit than respecting someone's problems is that people don’t feel as if they would have to connect with someone on a more personal level. If the problem doesn’t have anything to do with them in the first place. It’s also explained in this analogy: It’s easier to tear something down than to build it. Another reason may be that tolerance of certain things may not have been taught so that understanding of personal issues can be easier. The resolution to this is reassuring the person that everything is going to be okay, by relating it to your own experience.