KWANKWASO and The Sins of Illiteracy: Balancing Cattle Rustling with Malicious Destruction of Farmlands by Fulani Herders - The Way Forward!

"I want people to go round Nigeria to know that everybody has got land. It is good for people to go round, at least, this country or beyond, to realise that Nigerians are Nigerians; everybody comes from somewhere. But it is good for us to go round to see other places, to understand them, and interact with them so that we can have a very peaceful Nigeria. This is what we are working for. So, when you see those people making the threats in the South-West, advise them to shut up” - Sunday Newspaper (online edition) of October 26, 2015 by Mr. Kwankwaso, the former Governor of Kano State, reacting to the communique issued by the Elders of the Yorubaland at a meeting held on October 08, 2015 at Ibadan, sequel to the abduction of Chief Olu falae and related atrocities by Fulani Herdsmen in the South-West region of Nigeria. Emphasis mine. 

A Synopsis:

The lackadaisical instinct of the overwhelming majority of the cattle owners in Nigeria over the indiscriminate destruction of lives, cash crops, and farmlands in the Middle-Belt, Southwest and Southeastern regions of Nigeria by Fulani Herdsmen assumed a dismal absurdity of late. And the stakeholders and those with vested interests in the industry are not complaining. They have every reason not to. It is about strength - they have it, they love it, and they cherish it.

The first rule of thumb in combat is to situate yourself at a competitive edge and operate from a position of strength. And that's what Fulani Herdsmen and their principal owners enjoy the most. Strength. Going by their modus operandi, the law of Trespass and Trespass to land is alien to them. Cultivated or not, the land belongs to no one but the fittest. Therefore, the herders have the unqualified right to graze where and how they please. And the stakeholders are happy. Yes, happy at the peril of defenceless land and farm owners. However, with Cattle rustling, it is a different standard. The trespassers, the culprits, deserve the ultimate punishment.

Cattle rustling is not new. It is as old as the profession of Agriculture and animal husbandry. Historically, it was a disturbing phenomenon in North America and Australia in the olden days. Today, it is making a dramatic comeback in some parts of the Northern region of Nigeria, with brazen bravado. Surprisingly and contrary to known antecedents, the stakeholders are on the alert, worried. And the Governors in the affected states are experiencing sleepless nights. They are worried. Everybody is worried. And the NTA is in town, worried, and covering the story with unparalleled vigour.

A few days ago, some of the Governors held a meeting in Kaduna to find solutions to the dreadful criminality ravaging the cattle population in the region. According to Vanguard of October 26, 2015, Alhaji Aminu Masari, the Governor of Katsina State, who chaired the meeting, said: “As you know, we have a joint agreement to fight cattle rustling and some acts of criminality in our states. So far, the result has been very encouraging, and we want to renew the cooperation because this phase will end on October 26, 2015." 

I bear no grudge against the Governors involved in the talk. And I have no reason to. Nevertheless, I find the wilful blindness on the part of the stakeholders that encapsulates the highly documented atrocities of Fulani Herdsmen in the rural communities of the Southeast and Southwest very provocative. More disturbing is the fact that none of these Governors who, without any doubt, have a good understanding of the principal employers of the erant herders, thought it worthwhile to organize and develop sustainable mechanisms aimed at diluting, and possibly, permanently eliminating the known hazards posed by Fulani Herdsmen outside of their immediate enclaves.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander. It is about investment interest and how to protect it. Much as the affected Governors and the stakeholders in the cattle business depend on the proceeds of their cattle for sustainability, so do owners of farmlands in Nigeria who have been contending helplessly with the atrocities of Cattle herders depend on their cash crops as sources of income and sustainability.

So, telling the Yoruba elders to shut up for grieving out loud as Mr. Kwankwaso was reported saying at Ibadan is not just crude, but patently asinine. And excusing the documented mayhem of the herders and blaming them on illiteracy, as Mr. Kwankwaso argued, is, to say the least, ludicrous, and too rickety a defence. If cattle rustling is a crime that must be eliminated by whatever means necessary, invariably, the culture of forceful entry into the farmland of another and turning the cash crops therein into pasture by cattle herders must also be labelled a crime against humanity that must come to an end. 

Exacerbating a sordid state of lawlessness by words or actions is not a show of strength. Mr. Kwankwaso is the wrong messenger for the Cattle merchants of Nigeria. If his visit to the Great Oyo Empire is meant to intimidate and instil fear in the people, he is living in the past. His sense of braggadocio is on a slippery slope. The logic that influenced that supreme poise or the premise on which it is built has not been tested. No part of Nigeria is a conquered territory. We fought the civil war because we wanted to keep Nigeria one. It was a unification struggle, not one of conquest. Oba Ovonramwen of Benin gave the British invaders a bloody nose - a one-of-a-kind resistance in the history of the slave trade.

I am not holding brief for anyone, not for any tribe, and not for any region. I am an Esan man. And I am a concerned Nigerian. Thanks to the Internet and Social Media, what becomes of Nigeria of today, tomorrow and years ahead is no longer an exclusive decision of those in the Federal Capital Territory as it was of Lagos/Kaduna in the forties, fifties and sixties. If it is not reasonable, equitable and mutually beneficial, trust that it will not sell. It will fail. That is the new attitude. Therefore, Abuja must take note. And Kwankwaso must take note.

A Disturbing Reality:

Just a few days ago, the man most bloggers love to hate, the self-acclaimed Mr. Irrepressible, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, stated, "... if the government refuses to protect us from them, we shall take strong measures to protect and defend ourselves and our people. There is no crime in self-defence" -Vanguard, October 27, 2015.

You don’t have to like Chief Fani Kayode or be one of his fans to share his concerns. Cattle Herders, or precisely, Fulani Herdsmen, have been around us over the years, protected and undisturbed as they traverse far and beyond the Plateau and the far South for pasture. But the wanton nature and the level of lawlessness that their grazing activities assumed in the past few months left no one in doubt as to the nature of the conquering spirit that inheres in them by the new dispensation. And I am compelled to call into question the scope of the immunity that they so brazenly celebrate and abuse.

For the first time, I am feeling despondent about my country and the future ahead. I would like to give the President the benefit of the doubt that he is in control. But suffice it to say at this juncture that he is completely detached from some disturbing realities on the ground.

Fulani Herdsmen are on the loose - killing, maiming, raping, kidnapping and ravaging farmlands and destroying cash crops down the Middle-Belt and the larger Southern region of Nigeria, with intent to kill and inflict serious bodily harms on anyone daring to stop them. And the President has not seen the need to rise up to the occasion and plead for calm.

Indeed, the President is making waves, garnering goodwill on the international scene, while things are no longer at ease at the home front, contrary to much-anticipated expectations. I wholeheartedly espouse the philosophy of delegated authority. The President cannot be in all places at the same time. Be that as it may, there are some sensitive domestic issues with global implications that the President must approach with concerted effort.  If you build it well, buyers will come. The number one drawing factor for foreign investments is peace at home. Nigerians are yearning for a leader, a father figure. 

A few days ago, some women from four local government councils in Enugu State protested to their State Governor to protect them from Fulani Herdsmen. These women deserve praise for not resorting to self-help or self-defence. How long that show of restraint will last is a guesswork. And that is the immunity that the Herders presently enjoy - the restraint and tolerance on the part of their victims.

A few weeks earlier, an elder statesman, the very personable Olu Falae, was abducted at his farm, only to be released about four days later after his family members parted with a huge sum of money. On his release, he was warned not to talk, or else he should expect another visit. He did talk. And, as promised, they came back a few days later, wreaking undaunted, more havoc on his farm and crops.

It is not enough for the President to make a demand on the IGP to find and rescue Chief Olu Falae, according to a press release; he must be seen to be in charge, talking to the Nigerian people, while the field workers are on the ground taking care of business. 

Given the protest from well-placed individuals and organisations in the affected communities, one would have thought that the Presidency, using a non-regular channel, would mandate a respected traditional ruler or an elder statesman as emissary to the State Governors and Traditional Chiefs in the affected localities and plead for calm. That’s what leadership is about. 

What we saw was an exuberant and incoherent Mr. Kwankwaso inventing some pedantic explanations for the mental state of the herdsmen, blaming a lack of education as the reason for their malicious adventure. I think Governor Kwankwaso should go and reread the defence of madness or malice. You cannot excuse an act when the perpetrator knows or has every reason to know that what he is doing is wrong or contrary to the law. It is about common sense. Take the law out of it. The standard is to do to others as you would expect others to do unto you. You cannot be so illiterate to the extent that you lack the mental state or ordinary faculty to distinguish farmlands from uncultivated grassland.

Let's get one fact straight: there is peace in the land today, because the victims are not ready to take the law into their own hands, referred to as self-help. And a time will come when self-help or retaliatory measures will become virtuous, acceptable and applauded. And that is not a development that the President wants to experiment with. This is the time for the government to intervene. That is the thesis of this essay - looking inward, what ails us, why they cry, and the way forward. And that is the reason I am writing this essay.

Indeed, The Communique Was Not Stupid:

At this juncture, I would like to reproduce some excerpts from the communique issued by the elders of Yorubaland at a summit titled, "National Insecurity and the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen in Yorubaland", held at Ibadan on October 08, 2015.

"They have violated and killed our women like Mrs. Ayesi Balogun, who was raped and killed by Fulani herdsmen on February 7, in Asa in Yewa North Local Government of Ogun State. A newly-wed lady was reported to have been raped by the same Fulani herdsmen in the same community.” “Regrettably, the Nigerian law enforcement system has woefully shown it cannot protect our people, given the plethora of reports that different communities have made to them with little or no action at all.” “Therefore, given the gravity of the situation and the apparent unwillingness  of the Nigerian state to put an end to this siege and also because we cannot afford to leave our people at the mercy of violent herdsmen who not only destroy their economic activities but also rape our women and kill innocent people.” "Summit demands immediate end to the lawless nomadic cattle grazing in Yorubaland and asks all those who want to engage in cattle business in any part of our land to do animal husbandry by establishing ranches.” -  Some excerpts from the Communique at the auspices of Yoruba Elders on October 08, 2015. Emphasis mine.

I do not subscribe to the call for the disintegration of Nigeria. Nevertheless, as an individual or group, you have every right to defend yourself, your family and your property by appropriate measures consistent with applicable laws in the face of clear and present danger or when you feel violated by an intruder whose definition of preemptive rights is akin to a page from a mob scene and where the enforcer of peace is overpowered by the ghost of the intruder. Yes, let there be peace, but there can never be peace where the aggressor misunderstands his victim's peaceful disposition for weakness.

The most disturbing outcome about the coverage of the Elders' meeting was that the most important clause in the communique - the call for the establishment of ranches by Herdsmen- was never covered by the press. According to a paragraph in the communique as seen earlier: "The Summit demands immediate end to the lawless nomadic cattle grazing in Yorubaland and asks all those who want to engage in cattle business in any part of our land to do animal husbandry by establishing ranches." Emphasis mine. I think the Yoruba Elders deserve praise here. Take it or leave it, this is what the grazing industry in Nigeria will look like.

In a similar vein, the Enugu State House of Assembly, according to the Saturday Vanguard of October 03, 2015, "began a public hearing on a bill to make provisions for the control of nomadic cattle rearing in the state." Accordingly, "the bill provides for the establishment of grazing areas in each of the three Senatorial zones of Enugu State, and the nomadic cattle rearers shall ensure that the cattle are confined within the grazing areas as provided." Excellent.

These are measures that, if adopted and complied with, will go a long way in checkmating the lawlessness of the Fulani Herdsmen. From what we have seen above, the Elders of Yorubaland and the Enugu State House of Assembly did not demand total cessation of grazing activities in their respective regions, but that those willing to remain should embrace the culture of ranches, which is the vogue in most developed countries of the world. Eventually, we will have to come to that realisation in Nigeria to ensure sustainable peace. The earlier the government of President Buhari and all the vested interests and stakeholders in the cattle business come to the conclusion that indeed, acquiring grazing land is a better alternative, the safer for everyone.

Farming is no excuse for illiteracy, just as illiteracy is not a justification for lawlessness:

According to the Today Newspaper (Online edition) of October 26, 2015, on the solution to the incessant crises between local farmers and Fulani herdsmen, Kwankwaso called for their education. In his words:  “I am Fulani. My parents settled many years ago. My father went to school, and I have been to school. My children have gone to school. Now, I don’t think I will get cattle and go into a forest; that is education for you.” Today, October 26, 2015.

Farming is no excuse for illiteracy, just as illiteracy is not a justification for lawlessness. I do not know the world that Mr. Kwankwaso is coming from. As a kid and as a teenager, I went to the farm just like the other children in my community. And most often, especially on weekends, we spend the night on the farm and come back home the following day. It was a culture - a way of life. And we were rich and comfortable. And I was brought up living an above-middle-class lifestyle.

You cannot deny these kids basic education, confine them to a rudimentary heritage and turn around to blame their intolerance and barbaric proclivities on a lack of education. The intolerance of others and the barbaric exploits they are accustomed to are ways of expressing strength based on the indoctrination they acquired from the likes of Kwankwaso and their faceless employers.

August 2010, I drove from New York City to Denver, Colorado (about three days ride), and the moment I drove by Kansas City, what I saw next on both sides of the I-70 West Freeway for the next twelve hours of driving was nothing but farm, farm, and farm, with cattle and cows feeding unhinged, unmolested on the lustrous field. Why can’t we replicate something of that nature in Nigeria? And that was part of the communique issued by the Yoruba Elders, which was under-reported.

And while at the University of Denver, I came across students introducing themselves in the classrooms as farmers or living on the farm. These are lawyers, Master's level students like me, pursuing specialisations in Natural Resources and Environmental Law and Policy, telling me with pride and joy that they live on the farm with their parents and siblings. No matter the level of the education they have acquired, whether in and around the mountain region of Colorado or Wyoming, they always come back home to their farmlands.  It is a way of life – a profession, an inheritance that must be preserved. In other words, farming does not stop you from acquiring education. It is about the government's attitude.

Every politics, as the saying goes, is local. As an Esan man, I was brought up a farmer. My Dad was a farmer - a very prosperous one - before he died. My Dad, like his colleagues in the community, had two farms. One was closer to the house – about 45 minutes walking distance. The other was a bit further off – about two hours walking distance from home. The one closer to the house was called "Obhiwe" (the small farm), and that was the one we went to every day after classes at School. The upper farm (Iwe-noqhua or Ugbodu) was the real farm  - the one we go to on weekends. On the side, my Dad had a huge cocoa plantation and a coconut plantation. And we were brought up well grounded in all the activities on the farm and at the plantations - harvesting cocoa and fermenting the seeds, or working on the farm, clearing the weeds and tending to yam and cassava.

In addition, every child in the community must be at school. It wasn't compulsory, but it was a culture, more than compulsory. There were elementary schools all over the community. When I was in the Grammar School, I was a boarding student, but on most weekends, I would travel home to assist my Mom on the farm. Then she was a window. It is the same culture all over the present Edo State. I spent about three years at a rented apartment in Downtown, Benin City, and for the three years that I was there, there was never a Saturday that the Landlord and his children, both boys and girls, did not go to the farm at Ekosodin village. Today, all of the children are University graduates and happily married. 

So, what are we talking about, that you are illiterate because you are a cattle farmer, and therefore your sins are forgiven you? And because you cannot separate what is right from what is wrong, therefore, Chief Olu Falae and defenceless farmers in the Middle-Belt and South-East should willingly sacrifice their cash crops for you to be able to nourish your animals? No sir. Mr. Kwankwaso, your excuses do not hold water. Succinctly put, you are fanning the embers of war.

If I may recall, you openly lampooned President Jonathan after the recent Presidential election, telling the world that you and your people know how to mobilise the almajiri and the uneducated talakawa to vote out the President who gave them a good education. It is only in Nigeria that someone of your status in the society can utter such a sacrilege and still be standing, politically.

Governor Kwankwaso and the Cattle merchants are as guilty as the hoodlums who kidnapped Chief Olu Falae on his farm. They are as culpable as the herdsmen who raped and murdered defenseless women and girls toiling in their farms. And they are as guilty as the herdsmen who knowingly trespassed onto the farmlands of others and violently appropriated the crops the rightful owners spent time and money to cultivate.

Today, Nigeria is at peace because the brutalities and the indiscriminate destruction of farmlands are coming from the privileged, protected Fulani Herdsmen. You, Mr. Kwankwaso, cannot tolerate such carnage and ceaseless attacks on your farmlands, were the reverse to be the case. Yes, I said it. None of the faceless cattle merchants can tolerate what is happening in the Southeast, Southwest, and what has been happening in the Middle-Belt for decades, were they to be on the receiving end.

We know "what's up." If one Fulani Herdsman is injured or attacked in the Southeast or Southwest, thousands of immigrant merchants are sure to lose their lives and belongings in the Northern region. And that is the unverbalized bargaining chip - touch my herders or my cattle ravaging your farmlands, your brothers in our towns and cities are history. It is vile. It is diabolical. And it is retarded a mind game.

Moving Forward:

It is no longer a secret - never was - that the President once travelled to Ibadan, Oyo State, to intercede on behalf of  Fulani Herdsmen in that part of the country who were facing some challenges. Then, he was only a respected retired Military Officer. Today, he is a different person. He is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria - our President. To him, no tribe or region is more important than the other, and every industry or trade deserves as much protection as the other. It is time we provide designated grazing land for nomadic Fulani Herdsmen, as the culture is in advanced climes, similar to what the Elders of Yorubaland outlined in the communique.

I am not the enemy. Those we should call to order are the stupendously rich Kwankwaso and the vindictive Cattle merchants who send unlettered and barely literate herders with pricey herds on a voyage to the unknown - armed with dangerous weapons, traversing friendly territories with aggression, shooting at sight defenders of protected rights, ravaging private farmlands with impunity, and unleashing brutal sex and extorted kisses on unwilling defenseless participants.

I want to point out that this paper purposely left out details of specific instances of gruesome attacks unleashed on defenceless farmers in the Southeast in the past year. At the end, I want this paper to be remembered as the final thought, the deciding thought on what has been a very polarising issue in one of the most dominant markets in our local economy.

We have to talk about it. Not because I hate the Fulani or the Cattle merchants. But because they are the invaders, the aggressors, pushing Nigeria to the brink of economic crisis and ethnic conflagration. A crisis that will surpass in scope and style the boko haram insurgency and the activities of the Niger-Delta militants combined. Time is of the essence. The President has the goodwill to negotiate permanent peace. The best way to start is the establishment of grazing ranches.

Chief Olu Falae has a dam at his farm. And that is the attraction, according to the elder statesman. If we have two or three dams in each of the states in the federation, specifically set aside for grazing areas, it will go a long way to ensuring peaceful co-existence between the host communities and the Cattle Herders.

As a final thought, the Middle-Belt cannot be vanquished of the aborigines - the land is their ancestral land. In addition, the now docile Igbo women will dance naked, if the need be, to protect their farmlands and ensure the virginity of the meek in their midst. AK-47 is not the answer. The law of vicarious liability is alive and well in Nigeria. You cannot separate the principal merchants from the acts or omissions of their agents, the herders. I am not an ethnic chauvinist, but I will not be blinded by political correctness to deviate from the truth or close my eyes to disturbing reality. Politically, I am progressive. And I believe in one great Nigeria of equal rights and justice where my Edo State has the right and power to define the use of her land and resources, and a Nigeria where no Kwankwaso will invade my privacy or impugn the integrity of my elders.

Yes, I believe in one true, strong Nigeria where my right to serve my nation is not defined or circumscribed by my place of birth or the opinion I share on my Blog. Talk, I will talk, about what ails us, a nation-state, proffering practical and common-sense solutions as appropriate, rather than embarking on a separation or disintegration campaign. I don't want my son and his generation to start all over again, discussing 1914 and the ills of amalgamation, true federalism and the barbaric exploits of some Fulani Herdsmen occupying his Father's land.

Let's change the narrative starting from this very moment. And that depends largely on the nature of CHANGE that President Buhari is willing to pursue. Yes, I believe in one Nigeria. Let's give grazing ranches a chance. The first step is to set up a Federal Task Force for Land/Sight Acquisition. Next, the Task Force will, among other things, collaborate with State Governors, Stakeholders in the industry, Financial Institutions, and Community Leaders to secure suitable grazing land for cattle merchants and their herders. I beg to move.

Interpreting the New Mandate in Nigeria!

President Buhari is quite familiar with the history and attributes of the first five or ten people that he recruited to work with him. And this is the invisible team. Something similar to a behind the scene team that I recommended on my Facebook Timeline the very month he was elected President of Nigeria.

The decision, therefore, about who is hired next or has been hired is the collective action of that invisible team - the first five or ten people. In other words, what becomes of the progressive dispensation or the change mandate is dependent on the state of mind of this invisible team recruited by the President and their subjective interpretations of Buhari's ideological state of mind. So, call it Buhari dispensation if you wish, but it is certainly no longer a progressive mandate.

From all indications, majority of those presently called to serve knew nothing about the struggle. They were comfortable living a different Nigeria - a constituent of the same decadence pleading for reform. And between us and them, it was, and still, a different world - a different reality.

I am spending my fifth month in Nigeria, and I have come to realize, disappointingly though, that Nigerian political leaders will never send their colleagues to jail for corrupt practices. They are birds of the same feather - they party together and they eat and wine together and fellowship together and fund religious projects together. Yes, religious project!

And no one is asking where the money is coming from. So, they (the politicians) would rather scheme on how to swindle the other guy out of power and office than scheme or collaborate with law enforcement agencies on how to send him to jail for stealing public funds.

Granted, this is an old story. former Governor Ibori, in the eyes of the Nigerian legal system, is a man of impeccable character. And to his own people, he is a "God sent" who abhorred corrupt practices and knew nothing about squandering of riches. But the court in the UK ruled otherwise.
oday, there are many Iboris in our midst - highly celebrated and revered by those they are grooming for the next phase.

Now, we can only weep for a stolen mandate whose course knows no Awo or Aminu; and for a dream whose fulfillment is now on trial, subject to no judge and no jury, but the whims of the king who remember no Sadat and dream not of a Murtala.

Hope and Pray

Weep not, brother; God did not give us the Niger Delta, the Plateau, the Ekiti, and the land that nurtured the ground nuts pyramids for us to grieve and wail uncomforted.

And I am hopeful. Yes, in spite of everything, I am hopeful - supremely confident that the future will be better than today. The expectation is high, and Pray the President cannot afford to disappoint the black race.

Debased or subservient the soul of our armed forces has become, you cannot overrule the evolvement of a Jerry. Nigerians are not oblivious of who stole what. And time is of the essence.

We cannot and must not watch, when it is apparent that you cannot recoup the stolen wealth from those you accused of culpability.

And on a lighter note:  To you my diaspora buddies, don't believe the hype about homecoming. Unless, of course, you have a ready job waiting for you. It is not easy penetrating the corridors of power in Naija.

Don't get me wrong; Nigerians are very loving and happy people, willing and ready to indulge you with sumptuous fish dinner unsolicited. But trust that there is neither apprenticeship nor sponsorship program for fish hunting.

And the recipe: forget it, broda. It is as elusive as your visa. So, grudge no one, but pray, pray brother, pray sister that your family members do not give up on you fast - feeding you and sustaining you until God knows when.

Alex Aidaghese
alexaidaghese@gmail.com
+234 (0) 708 695 1511

We Write What Leaders Read - A Short Story!

Each time I publish a thought-provoking essay on my Facebook Timeline, friends and family members would always suggest that I send the piece to any of our daily newspapers for publication. I would just concur and let the discussion die. Sometimes, I would tell them, I have a blog where I publish my views. But when they persist, I would take a step further and tell them that I know who I write for, and they know where and how to find my views on a given issue. And I am emboldened the more by that understanding. So, the more knowledge I gain of my audience, their influence, and status in the larger society, the more I strive to refine my craft and the more I embrace the solemn real estate maxim to wit, if you build it right, buyers will come. The goal, therefore, is to find ways to maximise our intellectual capital to maximise the returns on our investment, expressed, not in the reading of our earnings statement, but in the quality of the satisfaction you enjoy on your visit.

As I have always maintained, I took to Blogging because I have one or two stories to tell - common-sense-related stories, most often, told in unique ways. Stories are likely to generate profound impacts in the politics of nations worldwide. Thanks to Google and the Internet, I can tell my stories my own way and at my convenience, making invaluable impacts in the way we live, the way we govern and the way leaders manage changes at home and abroad. It is about change anchored on progressivism.

For instance, exactly three days after I published the previous post on US Military support to Cameroon, the US Special Envoy and Coordinator for Communication and Counterterrorism came to town. And he had an audience with the Vice President. He stated inter alia, "We are having so many challenges, but we are hopeful that under the leadership, we will be able to establish partnerships and be able to make a strong difference going forward."  Yes, indeed "... so many challenges ... but ... hopeful that under the [new] leadership ... establish partnership ... make a strong difference going forward."  Go back and reread the preceding piece. "Why Not Nigeria: The US Military Support To Cameroon."

If I may add, a few days later, a delegation of top UK Military Officers came to town as well. They met with some of our top Military Officers, among others.

I did not start yesterday. 

I wrote my first Op-Ed piece in the mid-eighties, when an Italian Ship dumped toxic waste at Koko, very close to the city of Warri, in the present Delta State. I was a School Certificate holder (Grammar School graduate) when I wrote the piece. I mailed the first copy to the Daily Times office in Lagos and hand-delivered the other copy to the office of the Nigerian Observer along Airport Road in Benin City. Both newspapers published the piece a few days apart from each other. It was titled "Toxic Waste Terrorism", and it catapulted into prominence the hazardous import that the Military Government then was initially clueless about and which none of our Diplomatic Missions in Europe thought fit to alert their home Government about. It later became a global scandal.

It wasn't about the vocabulary or name recognition, but more about the substance, the novelty of the subject matter, and the fluidity of the language. A ship laden with toxic materials was at high sea for months, roaming and fishing for a vulnerable harbour to deposit the waste materials, and none of our Diplomatic Missions in Europe had knowledge of it or saw it fit to place the home government on the alert. It was a huge embarrassment. And we spare no one. That's part of what we do here - drawing attention and proffering solutions as appropriate.

I have been around the newspaper industry in Nigeria and abroad since my teenage years, starting with the Nigerian Tribune and Time Magazine. For the five years I worked at my first job out of Grammar School, I had access to the Daily Times, The Guardian, the Nigerian Observer, the New Nigerian, Sketch, Tribune, and the National Concord at my office every morning. I remember one of the senior guys in the same room with me, said jokingly: "I stop buying The Guardian, because Alex reads, not just the Op-Ed, but every line and every word in the paper, and I don't have that kind of appetite." He was right; being the youngest dude in the room, I would wait for all the senior guys to skim the paper, and when they had all done, I would appropriate it and have it with me until 5 PM - the closing time. It was fun. I was simply untouchable. 

In no time, I became acquainted with the writing style of most of our established writers. My favourites were Dr. Stanley Macebuh, Dan Agbese, Ray Eku, Nosa Igiebor, Sonala Olumhense, Dare Babarinsa, Odia Ofeimun, Lade Bonuala, Olatunji Dare, Hasan Mohammed, Chief Duro Onabule, Dele Omotunde, as well as Professor Ojetunji Aboyade writes occasionally for The Guardian. Most often, I brag about the fact that I bought the first copy of The Guardian, Newswatch, Tell, The News, and all the major brands that came out in the eighties and early nineties. So, I have a good understanding of what the expectations of the readers are.

From the pages of the Nigerian Tribune, I learned the difference between news analysis and an opinion piece. So when I was growing up, it didn't take me time to realise that what most of our Columnists do is just news analysis - regurgitating issues in the news as an opinion piece.

I also noticed a fundamental difference between an opinion piece written by a writer at the Kaduna-based New Nigerian newspaper and an opinion written by one from the Lagos/Ibadan axis. From the very first paragraph, you know what the New Nigerian writer is talking about. You cannot say the same of most of our writers from down south. You have to wait until you get to the third paragraph.

In addition, they are more into style and polemics, and not as direct, practical, blunt, and issue-oriented as the New Nigerian columnists. Why must you devote an entire piece, repackaging a developing story in the news as opinion? I don't have much problem with that. But I do have a problem if you don't have an opinion - a personal opinion on how to do it differently. It is still the trend these days.

A columnist should be able to look beyond the news, creative. That thinking informed the style of this Blog. It's all about the fresh perspectives - looking beyond and seeing beyond the routine and the jejune. If you are still at a loss on why Nosa Igiebor, Dare Babarinsa, Dele Omotunde, and Osifo Onome Whiskey left the Newswatch to float the Tell Magazine in the early 90s, now you know better. That is the spirit I brought to bear on this Blog - going ahead of the news, influencing the news in the process.

"Run, Barack, Run", that was the title of an opinion piece written by the irrepressible Mr. David Brooks of the New York Times, a Republican, on October 19, 2006. At the time of the piece, Mr. Barack Obama was a first-term US Senator, while Mr. Brook was and still is an unrepentant conservative. But he was a writer, a columnist for the number one newspaper in the world. He saw something in the freshman Senator from Illinois worth unravelling. He didn't hesitate to urge the Senator to rise up to new challenges, even though the conservatism in him is in total conflict with the liberal philosophy of the man he is urging to take a step of faith for the Oval Office. And the rest is now history.

But in the beginning, it was a treacherous part to traverse. 

In the mid-eighties, I sent an article to a National Newspaper; they did not publish it, but a few days later, the gist of my essay was the theme of an editorial published by the same newspaper. In other words, they crafted an editorial based on my opinion, using my materials, without actually publishing my opinion. The Internet or Social Media changes all that. Now I have control over my intellectual property, dispensing it gratuitously at my pleasure.

That's by the way.

Still on the general public, I wrote a piece, titled "Nigeria is at War, We Should Stand With Our President", and I emailed it to two national newspapers, but none of them published it. Just take it in stride, Alex. I counselled myself. A few days later, seeing a disturbing news item in the Punch newspaper, I embedded the same story in the discussion section following the news. To put it mildly, the outcome, the reception, the response from Nigerians at home and abroad was explosive - overwhelmingly explosive. It was as if a major earthquake was happening on social media. As at the last count, we had more than One Hundred thumb-ups - profoundly unprecedented. I can boast that there is yet to be another piece in the history of our involvement in social media to enjoy such overwhelming approval and a unanimous endorsement. 

The outpouring of encomiums, of prayer, and goodwill messages on me brought out the best about Nigerians - happy and very passionate people, searching and yearning for real heroes. The mature language of those who responded was indicative of the calibre of Nigerians who came to that discussion forum that very day. I will never forget one particular comment and those of a few others. The guy wrote: "I am speechless and amazed at your write-up. Well articulated and very vast too. We need more people like you on this forum who are Objective, intelligent, constructive, and Organised. Keep it up, Bro." Another wrote: "I am glad more Nigerians are beginning to look at issues objectively. God bless you." And another wrote "Woooooooooooooooooooooow, I Luv you, man. You are a true citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What a comment." This man of God wrote, "God bless you, right-thinking Nigerian, may you live long." And another man of God wrote, "Thank you, Sir, for speaking the truth. God bless you. These guys did not know who I am, because I did not sign the comment with my real name. 

By the way, the piece put an end to the debate on whether or not President Jonathan was right in proscribing the Boko Haram sect and declaring a State of Emergency in Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno States. See "North Kick against the ban on B'Haram, Ansaru" and the lead comment NonAligned Progressive - Punch, June 6, 2013.

Yes, I have been tested. Never had any course to doubt my conscience and the weight of the views I hold or share in the public space. What you are reading here is just the tip of the iceberg of what we have accomplished with the power of the pen in the past three years. Not just in Nigeria, but all over the world.

 I am not there yet, but as Peter would say in Acts 3:6-16 (KJV), "Silver and cold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

Indeed, I write, not because it is a trade or passion, but because I strive for what is pure, noble and achievable. Indeed, it is practically impossible to place a value or a price tag on any of the essays on this blog, but then, those who benefit dare to be thankful to God. It is their time.

I am not perfect, and I am not by any shape or form laying claim to perfection. Simply put, I am amenable to change. If you are persuasive, that is, being able to marshal convincing and superior arguments, trust that I will listen and make amends.

Once, I pulled a story I wrote about Dr. Ahmad Gumi, yes, the bombastic Gumi, following a series of emails between me and an unknown sender who expressed reservations over the content of my essay about the man of God. Initially, I edited the story and expunged the contentious paragraphs because the person was very polite. However, after further discussions with this person, I realised that he or she meant well, not necessarily for my safety or related issue, but for the fact that I should not, through anger, become part of the same shortcomings that I condemn in others. That was the gist of his or her protest or argument. It was a polite exchange - nothing profane. A few days later, I deleted the entire story, crediting the guy or lady for my decision. And I got a thank-you note from the unknown soldier.

Parting Shot:

As a closing up, I have made a purposeful stride redefining and influencing coverage of public affairs in Nigeria, proffering common-sense solutions as appropriate. But for Social Media, the number one article on this Blog ("Immunity: The Scope and Extent of Section 308 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria") would not have made it to the public space.

(1) As I write, someone somewhere is reading it, making an informed judgment on what has become of our justice system. That is the story since its publication about three years ago.

(1) For close to a decade now, Nigerians have been lamenting about the corruption in the judiciary, without someone actually identifying the nature of the corruption, its pattern and dimension, until we wrote the number one article on this Blog - the essay on the Immunity Clause. In it, we indicted influential lawyers and judges for their deliberate derailment of the course of our justice system through the use and abuse of discretionary power - adjournments and injunctions. Today, the two words are now on the lips of every lawyer and every public affairs commentator. You hear it here first.

(2) On the issue of immunity from the trial, those who ought to know didn't know the difference between Speech and Debate Protection enjoyed by members of the National Assembly and the immunity protection under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution dealing with Executive protection. So, it was a culture for former thieving Governors to buy their way to the Senate, claiming immunity from prosecution for past offences as Governors. Thanks once again to the number one article; that perverted notion has been debunked. Today, it is general knowledge that Section 308 does not extend to members of the National Assembly. In light of that understanding, they are now scheming to expand the boundaries of the Speech and Debate protection that they enjoy to include criminal offences and prosecution similar to what is obtainable under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

(3) Indeed, we have come a long way, helping to define new approaches to complicated national issues. For instance, those in a position to act didn't appreciate the enormity of the social malaise inherent in the purposeful abandonment of the Almajiri population and how to overcome it, until I developed the Integrative Model - Western education on one hand and the Quran on the other on this Blog. All thanks to social media, and kudos to President Jonathan for experimenting with the idea. Also, the essay on the education imbalance between the northern region and the southern region and how to bridge it is the number two essay on this Blog.

So, it is not the number of articles that you have written or how many speeches you have made. But have you changed a life? Can your audience identify with your work?

What about the leadership and the political leaders? Do they have any cause to be apprehensive of your opinion or welcoming of your opinion on a given issue? It is about the weight and the content, the credibility and goals of the author. 

Yes, my conscience is clear, my content is weighty, and I write what leaders read. And I am the author of "Obama: Citizen United, Invincible Resistance and the Hacking of American Democracy", posted June 08, 2012, about five months before the last US Presidential election. One day, just one, that essay will make the news and get the credit it deserves. Thanks to the progressive pundits at MSNBC, who wholeheartedly embraced it and made it their main talking point from the very day it was published until the election day. As I said somewhere else on this Blog, the piece remains my greatest achievement, yet. The piece didn't make me rich, but the outcome was inspirational, a reminder that the training, the sacrifices, and the reading through the years were not in vain. That effort was like going for a driving test, without first learning or having to drive any car prior to the test, but acing the test like a pro. 

First, my talking points competed against the verbal instructions from a Mayor who is a Rhode-scholar, who dictated in unequivocal terms some no go areas in the campaign that the Obama's team must not dare, followed by a memo by two first-class, and of course, tested political consultants/operatives, repeating condescendingly the no go areas as instructed by the Mayor, and lastly, a stern warning by a former Governor, reinstating in a defeatist tone the calamities associated with venturing into the no go areas vehemently counseled by the previous three gentlemen. But we said no - no-a vehement no. Arguing that the Obama team do the exact opposite - focusing directly on the enumerated no-go areas. And they did, and my talking points won. Then, came the second round: my talking points were put to the test against the opposing candidate, and the impact was one of devastation. It revolutionised the campaign, and the polls were unanimous - the talking points successfully defined the opposing candidate, casting doubt on his candidacy and projecting him as a quintessential Wall Street guru, without a trace of human kindness. And the outcome was a sweet victory. Yes, I am not a field worker; I write policies.   

Finally, to those of you established writers who have taken the pain to write about and condemn the Immunity Clause, you don't have to buy into my arguments for the retention of the Immunity Clause, but you will agree with me that there are many Nigerians, known to have openly embezzled public funds, but who are going about unperturbed, even though they do not enjoy immunity protection. So, it is not the law, but the enforcer.