Menendez: Why Nigeria vote key to U.S. terror fight

(CNN)Nigerians are scheduled to head to the polls this Saturday in what will be the most closely watched elections in Africa this year.

The poll will test the strength of an electoral process that has been marred by violence and flawed results throughout the country’s short democratic history. The stakes are high, and there is a very real danger of prolonged violence across the country if the electorate questions the legitimacy of the outcome. The conduct of the elections will have long lasting repercussions on both Nigerians and the U.S.-Nigeria relationship.

Robert Menendez

Against the backdrop of these elections is the ongoing threat and destabilization caused by Boko Haram, a group that has killed more than 10,000 people in northeastern Nigeria during its five-year campaign of terror, and kidnapped hundreds more, including young girls. These actions have shocked and horrified Americans.

What many Americans may not recognize is how important the relationship with Nigeria is for the United States. We have economic and security interests that are at stake in this election, especially as Nigeria has been one of our strongest allies in the region since military rule there ended.

In the last decade, the U.S. has trained and equipped thousands of Nigerian soldiers who have participated in peacekeeping missions in Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia, helping bring a measure of peace and stability to nations in the West Africa region. But now we need Nigeria to be a front-line ally against terrorism, particularly as Boko Haram pledges fidelity to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, Nigeria also has the largest economy in Africa and has the continent’s largest population. Indeed, it has been identified as one in the next set of prominent emerging economies, making it a tantalizing target for U.S. private investment. It is also Africa’s No. 1 oil producer, although an increasingly diversified economy — for example in the agriculture sector — provides a myriad of opportunities for more robust trade with the United States. Ultimately, a stable Nigeria will mean real economic opportunities for Americans — a win-win proposition.

Yet despite this potential, the uncertain electoral environment and other serious challenges stand in the way of a deeper bond.

 

The reality is that endemic corruption remains an obstacle to more cooperation, especially when you consider the Nigerian military’s poor performance fighting Boko Haram, despite security spending reportedly being around $6 billion last year — clearly, much of the money meant for the military is not being spent on salaries, equipment or materiel.

Similarly, weak governance remains an impediment to Nigeria’s progress and enhanced ties with the United States. Nearly 70% of those in areas in the north live in absolute poverty, according to recent data, as compared to about 50% in southern areas of the country. Such failure on the part of the government to address poverty and inequality facilitates Boko Haram’s recruitment effort and foments internal instability.

The Nigerian people clearly believe that these issues must be addressed. According to an Afrobarometer survey released in January, 74% of Nigerian citizens said that their country is going “in the wrong direction.” Half of Nigerians surveyed expressed significant concern about political intimidation or violence in the current election environment.

 

If the Nigerian leadership rises to the challenge of tackling these difficult issues, there is nothing standing in the way of even closer ties between our two countries. But it is not just about the leadership — this election offers the chance for all Nigerians to choose their future, and decide which policies will shape the next four years. Their example, for better or worse, will be watched — and perhaps even replicated by other African states.

The decisions made in the coming days and weeks will shape U.S.-Nigeria relations for years to come. But more importantly, they will determine the future for Nigeria’s people. The world is watching Nigeria’s historic choice with great expectation and even greater hope.

Source: The African Opinion

Buhari's Presidential Ambition and the Mystery of 10 Dangerous Phenomena: Revisited

Introduction

                In modern politics, the electorates are beginning to appreciate the benefit of a holistic participation in electoral process- contributing to opinion pools as well as partaking in debates. While this fact is more evident in established and more decent democracies, operational in the developed nations of the West; citizens of nations under ‘force rule’ of the military and the bastardized kind of democracy, characteristic of many developing countries of Africa and other ‘Third Worlds’ are nonetheless making concerted efforts to be part of the system that chooses who governs them. This they do either through bloody revolution or ‘brain’ reformation, which is a better option!

If our politics would be good, we need a decent democracy; if we must attain a decent democracy then, the place of a competitive, strong, but healthy opposition cannot be over-emphasized. This is one of the most glaring qualities of American kind of democracy, where the two main opposition parties- the Democrats and the Republicans have had a fair share of power over the years.

Well! America is a more civilized and saner clime, where the political and legal institutions are so strong, and the citizens have a say in the political process. Africa is a different clime, and Nigeria is from another planet. Here in Nigeria, the ruling party wants to rule for sixty years- an odious ambition too loathsome for an average Nigerian!

That is why when the All Progressive Congress (APC) emerged as a strong opposition party to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigerians shouted ‘hurray’ with array of hope. However, in choosing their presidential flag bearer for the 2015 election, APC goofed!

Buhari as a person is not a worse devil than Jonathan, neither is Jonathan a better saint than Buhari; after all, the African kind of politics has no saintly version. However, at this point in the political and socioeconomic state of the nation, Nigeria, Buhari presidency represents certain dangerous phenomena that Nigerians should do well to avert, otherwise, the earlier-feared prediction of a disintegrated Nigeria come 2015, would become a stark, but fearful reality.

Nigerians should not wait for a bloody revolution to correct the potential ill Buhari’s presidency would spell on the nation; this is rather the time to employ the tactics of ‘brain reformation’, by stopping Buhari right at the poll.

Here are the outlines of the 10 negative and fearsome phenomena Buhari’s presidential ambition represents, and why Nigerians should be wise enough to reject him at the poll.

1.       Perpetuation of Old Men Politics: 

One of the greatest problems of African politics is the recycling of the old ‘cargoes’ with senile sentiments, bereft of innovative ideologies. If the Civil Service and Labour Market  will deem a man or woman above 65 years, too old to have a meaningful contribution to an organisation, how foolish are we to think that Buhari with an official age of 73 would do the magic of restructuring Nigeria of over 150 million people? Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola once said that Jimi Agbaje, who is in his mid fifties is too old to rule Lagos, what a political paradox to hear from the same ‘saint’ Fashola that Buhari’s age does not matter? Does it smack of sabotage and betrayal against the common sensibilities of the Nigerian youths that APC has in their ranks, the likes of Fashola, Rochas, Amaechi, Pat Utomi and their likes, and they went ahead to pick the old man, whose real age may even be 84. Atiku, in all numerous sins, could have made sense to us. Nigerian youths would be the greatest fools to vote for their great grand-father Buhari!

2.       ‘Born to Rule’ Mentality of the Core North: 

Nigeria today is a 54-year old indepent nation, and by October 1 this year, she would be clocking 55. For this period of five and a half decades in the life of the nation with over 250 ethnic groups, the core North, representing the Hausa/Fulani has had a taste of the leadership of the country for about three decades, yet they want to rule us to perpetuity. The commonest slogan in the whole of North, especially North East and North West, presently is, ‘Power must return to the North’. The Imams as well as the politicians preach it with every hateful vigour and bloody intimidation, that one stands a threat to his/her life for mentioning ‘Jonathan’ in the North, except for scorn or defamation. No wonder, even the ‘good man’ Jega was swayed and compromised to win it for the Northern brotherhood. And that is the cause Buhari represents- winning it for the Hausa/Fulani dynasty. Unfortunately, Ndigbo would be on the receiving end!

3.       Military Regime through the Back Door: 

Democracy is fast gaining a foothold all over the globe, that it is becoming near impossible for the military to interrupt the democratic process through coup.  However, here in Nigeria, our past military leaders are still having inordinate quest for power, that they are doing everything possible to come back and contaminate our democratic process with their ‘force rule’. Abacha had nearly succeeded himself as a Civilian President before fate took him away. Babangida has tried his luck to come back, even after his 8-year misrule. The cabals imposed Obasanjo on all of us, and after eight years, we learnt our lessons in a hard way- a lion is a lion even in sheep’s clothing! Now this same Obasanjo, who could have won the award of the most corrupt and autocratic leader in Africa, is supporting his old military partner-in-crime, so that they would make their final swoop on our collective gains. And how Nigerians still listen to Obasanjo, shows our gullibility and shared ignorance. With all the prominent positions Buhari has occupied in this nation over the years, yet with no meaningful achievement, won’t it be right for Nigerians to him, ‘Buhari, what seekest thou in Aso Rock’! Vote Buhari in, and the military is back in power, and the rule of law would be jettisoned. Even Falana would not talk again!

4.       Imposition of Islamic mandate: 

All over the world, Islam has set out a move to conquer and control the politics and economy of nations, so that they would have the stronghold to fight America (This is an open secret). In Europe and other part of the Western world, they are trying to achieve this mandate by buying up major corporations and institutions. But here in Africa and other countries in Asia, they understanding our vulnerability and the ineptitude of our leaders, are employing the use of force to conquer. No matter the counter claims in some quarters, Boko haram is a brain child of this Islamic mandate, as ISIS is; and all Muslim leaders all over the world, including Buhari are subscribed to it. They know that to conquer Africa, Nigeria should be a starting point. I weep whenever I see how myopic we are in Nigeria. Even other African countries know it too well, that’s why they joined in the fight against Boko haram, knowing that Boko haram is not just seeking the heart of Nigeria, but Africa as a whole. Buhari is an avowed loyalist to this Islamic mandate and their quest to take over Nigeria. Remember his statement sometime ago:

“I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria. God willing, we will not stop the agitation for the total implementation of the Sharia in the country.”

Richard Grenell, former spokesman for the United States Ambassadors to the United Nations, recently warned the Obama administration to ‘wake up’ to the growing threat of Nigerian turning into an Islamic state. He said:

                “Buhari’s election as head of state would be a disaster for Africa. It would also signal trouble for the West’s fight against the Islamic State and terrorism throughout the Middle East. The decision by the 73 million registered Nigerian voters could have a profound impact on the future of Africa.”

What else do we need hear to make informed decision? This is not about APC or PDP, North or South;  it is about the continual survival of Nigeria as a united nation.

5.       Looming Emergence of another ‘Doctrine of Necessity’: 

      

      We all remember what happened in the case of the late Yar’adua; how Obasanjo, knowing fully well of the health condition of Yar’adua, still imposed him on the nation, thereby doing great disservice not only to Nigeria, but the Yar’adua’s family and the entire northern family. Obasanjo was only after a selfish gain. It is very clear Buhari is very sick, and may not cope with the enormous challenges of running a nation as big as Nigeria. He has been running out of the country on medical trips, and the APC men are covering up, while Nigerians sheepishly buy in. this time, it is not only Obasanjo doing the evil work, but Tinubu also. Tinubu went to the ridiculous extent of saying that even if Buhari is on wheel chair, they would vote him. No wonder he placed his man, Osibanjo as the running mate, so that at any ugly instance, the power goes back to Yoruba, even without putting up a fight; then Nigeria and the North would lose again. #Tinubuisverycrafty!

       Also read: APC mandate for Nigeria

6.       A strangling of the Confab Resolution: 

      Every Nigerian should do well to have a copy of the just Confab resolutions, and how beneficial it would be to have those resolutions implemented. Unfortunately, as applaudible as that Confab was, Tinubu and other APC Chieftains, in their usual manner of criticising every innovation of the Jonathan-led administration, were the first to condemn it, alluding that it was a waste of the nation’s resources. What a pity of a mischievous conscience! Be sure that if Buhari becomes President, all about the Confab resolutions are dead and buried, including the creation of additional state in the South East to correct the imbalance.

7.       A Cruel Attempt to Marginalize the Minority: 

      While there is no written code in our Constitution that an incumbent President must rule for two terms, it has nonetheless been enshrined in our consciences to allow the incumbents to complete two terms, even at State levels. But the way the North and APC men are going about it, with their propaganda and hate campaign against the President, portrays an ugly sign of how a minority group can be marginalized. Obasanjo was terribly bad, but no such hate campaign was levelled against him the way it is with Jonathan. With all that Jonathan has achieved, you still hear these enemies of a decent society blacklisting Jonathan as the worst President in the Nigerian political history. Obasanjo and Tinubu are now saints!

8.       Imminent insecurity Woes (Militants would return to the Creek): 

      Nigerians be warned! I am not saying that Jonathan cannot lose election; after all, this is democracy- the citizens have got the right to choose who governs them. But there is another version of politics playing out here. It is not out of place to say that APC has hijacked all the political structures in Nigeria in order to win this election by fire and force. It is not out of place to say that even the ‘good man Jega’ has been bought over. Imagine the incumbent President being stoned during his campaign rallies; imagine an ‘APC Judge’ ordering Mr President to withdraw the soldiers from the states during election, so that APC thugs would find it easy to slaughter those who would dare vote for Jonathan, especially in the north; imagine APC threatening to form a parallel government if they lose (Amaechi repeated it yesterday)! That is to say, they want to claim Aso Rock by all means and at all cost. If Nigerians support this satanic desperation, the Niger Delta militants would return to the Creek; and then the combination of insecurity threat that would emanate from the militants and book haram would compound our security woes.

9.       A Backward Trend in all Sphere: 

      The begging question is, ‘Are we moving forward or backward’? If we are ready to move forward, why are we preparing to vote for a man who lied about his certificate-the one he has not- and APC said that does not matter! What progressive move is there in electing a 73-year old general, when APC reminds us daily that power belongs to the youth! How would our economy fare under Buhari, who has no minute knowledge of macroeconomics, as he disgraced himself few days ago at Owerri, by promising the more enlightened people of the South East that he would make Nigerian Naira equal in value to the US Dollars, if elected- the same way he promised to stop the fluctuating price of oil! What can the man do, who is busy shouting ‘change, change’! but refused to attend public debate to tell Nigerians how he would bring about the touted change! We can’t afford to go 1000 steps backward, by electing Buhari.

10.   A Destabilization of the Nation, called Nigeria: 

      The combination of the foregoing factors, if left unattended to, by taking the right step in voting right, might lead to the fulfilment of the dooming predictions and prophesies that Nigeria would cease to be a nation by 2015, and then the enemies of our common wealth would have a field day!

I wish to end this article here by saying that nobody hired me to write, as I’m not a member of any of the main two political parties-PDP and APC. I’ve written out of patriotism and my genuine concern for the good cause of this great nation, Nigeria. As a Christian, I keep praying for the peaceful co-existence among all of us- North and South, East and West.

I have taken the burden to write this article; the ball is in our court. Let’s do the right thing and save our nation from impending woes!!!

      ...Written by Mr Chima S. Ezuo, a good citizen

APC's Abbreviation for Change

For those who may want to know what APC as a party is up to as regards their program for Nigerian citizens, below is their 7-point agenda, which they have been religiously following through, since they came up as the main opposition to the ruling party, PDP:

1.       Abuse President Continuously: Every APC member has been mandated to do just one thing- abuse the President, Goodluck Jonathan continuously. That’s why during the campaign before the APC Convention, all the five leading aspirants- Buhari, Atiku, Amaechi, Okorocha, Nda-Isah- all took their turn to abuse the President.

2.       Accommodate Political Crooks: If you check the ranks and files of APC Chieftains, they are the most corrupt people we have in this country. Think of Atiku, Tinubu, Amaechi etc. Even Obasanjo is now ‘a born again’ patron of APC. Simply get disgruntled with PDP, come over to APC, and you become a ‘saint’.

3.       Assume Power Craftily: The APC game is a picture of what the Antichrist would do in the last day. They now appear saintly, portraying a false look. Buhari is now dressed with a garb of a lamb, even though, he is a wolf. But the truth remains that APC is here to fulfil an Islamic mandate, which is to Islamize Nigeria and the rest of Africa. When the late Gaddafi predicted that by 2015, Nigeria would cease to be a nation, he was just reading the script from that mandate.

4.       Acquire Public Commonwealth: The APC agenda is to capture power, then take control of the economic and political structure of the country, which would enable them unleash their terror on the people. They are even threatening to form a parallel government if they lose. That shows their desperation for power.

5.       Attack Peaceful Co-existence: Do we notice that since APC came up as opposition party, they have succeeded in dividing us with their hateful languages. Go to the social media and see how Nigerian youths attack and abuse one another along ethnic and religious line. That’s the hate APC created.

6.       Adulterate People’s Conscience: With their high-level propaganda, APC tries to adulterate and poison the good conscience of the great Nigerian people. The Buhari we see now was the one who instigated the northern youths to slaughter our dear Youth Corp members during the last general election. Today, they want to confuse us all by portraying every action of the present administration in bad light. If a student fails Mathematics in WAEC, it is Jonathan’s problem; if you have headache, go and sue Jonathan!

7.       Atonement Party for Criminals: Presently, all it takes to be a saint is to join APC. You can be a criminal, a corrupt politician and/or anything that defines dirty politics that is characteristic of politics in this clime, just join APC and all your past atrocities are purged!

8.       Annihilate Professing Christians: By the time APC assumes power tomorrow (if God permits), you would then discover that APC is a pure Islamic party with an Islamic mandate. At such a time, Boko-Haram would assume full executive power to execute professing Christians and those who are perceived as fake Muslims.

Nigerians have come of age, and should be in the know of what we need at this time. We need change, but a change for better!

5 Things Buhari Cannot Do If He Becomes President

As 2015 Presidential election draws close in less than 24 hours, the clamouring voice of change is heralding all over the place. Of course, change is permanent, as the saying goes! But I wish to ask Nigerians, 'with what are we making the change'? If we say Goodluck Jonathan is not good enough, have we thoughtfully ask the question, 'Would Buhari be better than Jonathan'? Methink it would amount to 'penny wise, pound foolish' to jump from 'fry pan' to fire.

Those who hold the belief Buhari would be the next messiah for Nigeria are supposedly goofed! Unfortunately, some of the areas he is going about, making promises that he would arrest, are the exact things he cannot do, if elected. Even if Buhari can perform magic, as he has been trying to convince into believing, be sure he cannot do any of the following:

1.     Buhari cannot end Boko-Haram insurgency:  Boko-Haram is an Islamic mandate tool to destabilize Nigeria, and Buhari is subscribed, as well as sympathetic to that mandate. Rather than end Boko-Haram, he would use it to fight Christians and Ibos.

2.     Buhar cannot fight corruption:  Many people are still talking of War Against Indiscipline (WAI) of 1984! Today is 2015; and many of Buhari’s supporters and godfathers are the most corrupt men in Nigeria. If Buhari would want to fight corruption, then he would definitely start with Obasanjo, Tinubu, Atiku, Amaechi and the rest; but he cannot do that, as he has no such courage to do so, in spite of his military antecedence.

3.     Buhari cannot unite the nation:  Buhari is a tribalistic and Islamic fundamentalist to the core. And he can never change in this area. He is just in the race to win it for Islam and the northern brotherhood. He has shown it in words and deeds and remains unapologetic about it.

4.     Buhari cannot boost Nigerian educational standard:  One thing is that Buhari is not even interested in the formal education. If he has been, he would have mobilized other northern elites over the years to revive as well as contribute towards resuscitating the dwindling educational fortunes of the core north. His present certificate saga attests to his low profile regard for sound knowledge and education. To him and his cronies, the modern Nigeria does not require education to stand out. Illiteracy can do the job! #illiteracyshouldnotruleoverus!

5.     Buhari cannot salvage the economy: Salvaging the economy has nothing to do with all the baseless and false promises of doling out certain amount every month to low income earners, stopping the fluctuating price of oil, making Naira equal in value to US Dollars; and very many other ‘sweet promises’ from a man that had no pass mark in microeconomics, not to talk of macroeconomics. Over the years, you cannot trace any economic developmental effort initiated by Buhari in this country. According to a popular saying among my people, You don’t learn to become left-handed at old age’!

I have said it over and over again that if we have had a better candidate, then Jonathan should go; but it’s so clear Buhari is never a better one in every meaningful statistics. 

Read this article on why Buhari should not rule us

Nigerians should not make the mistake of ‘jumping from fry pan to fire!