Why Have I Chosen to Blog?

Shroud

2009-09-03T16:07:00.003+01:00

We Love To Bless
Yet We Live Overwhelmed With Stress
Our Real Issues Are Never Printed By The Press
So We Continue To Wade In A Murky Mess

We Hope To See The Sun Break Out
And When We Think It Will, A few Begin To Pout
Casting Into Us Sufficient Doubt
That They And Not We Should Be Stout.

We Run Around In A Maze
Like Blind Mice We See Through A Haze
Maybe Someday We Will Be Fed With Sufficient Maize
So We Begin To Develop A Piercing Gaze. 09

Minding My Own Business

2009-08-24T14:41:00.005+01:00

I know I have issues...plenti, plenti, but with God on my side I will sort them out. Issue no 1 the inability to mind my own business ah ah I must see, I must vex, I must talk, even that sensible spirit of reason that tries to butt in don tire sef.

So it was a cool evening and I was on my day home, trekked to the BRT park on Secretariat road as usual (na exercise o money dey)and then got on the bus to Yaba hoping for an uneventful journey home.

The bus as usual took its time to fill and then 3 girls come in together, the giggly...small brained sort who would have been blonde if they were Caucasian. They sit just in front of me and I sigh, I get a feeling my trip home will be filled with a bit of drama.

In a few minutes the three giggly pigs soon start chattering away, pure unadulterated meaningless talk (yes just before you judge me, I'm ageing in the worst possible way...I suffer from intolerance)so they begin to run their mouths and soon pass amongst them selves a bag of boiled groundnut each (good I thought that should keep them quiet for a while).

I settle down to a few moments of peace and quiet till I noticed something dropping on the floor. I feel a slow anger begin to build as I look in aghast at a member of the bimbo's obviously eating her groundnut in relish and dropping the shells on the bus floor.

I knew it I say to myself, bimbo with no sense, no respect, no decorum and no thought for cleanliness...I mean what was I to expect obviously it was ok to drop trash on the floor and have dogs clean up after you. I looked pointedly at her giving her my piercing evil look, which she didn't understand as she just shelled and flung away.

Finally I said what I wanted to say and she stopped...as usual all my words were uttered in my head and she only stopped when she was done...honest I should go for counselling.

The Peoples of Akoko Edo and the Tower of Babel

2009-08-12T14:56:00.005+01:00

I love my end of the world, I absolutely love it, I don’t go there often and I’ll most likely count the number of times I’ve been there on all ten fingers. But I love my end all the same...maybe it’s the scenery...the hills...the language I listen to but cannot speak or the whole essence of just having your roots planted in a particular region (so when you are asked, where do you come from you have a name appended to a particular location).

I was talking to my father recently and while we were gisting away about languages of the region, he suddenly said he won’t be shocked if the tower of Babel was built and destroyed in Akoko Edo. I actually found the possibility intriguing.

Now this is his theory; (which I’ve beefed up, thanks to Google) If from one neighbouring village to the other, different languages are spoken; so different, so dissimilar that not a word is understood i.e. if an individual from Ugboshi not knowing the languages in this general locality were so dissimilar attempts to speak to another individual from Imoga, Igarra, Ososo or Somorika the result would be utter the exchange of gibberish or incomprehensible chaos.

So if you have a local government with about 20 odd villages and towns and between these villages, you have about 10 or more different languages spoken on the average isn’t that just plain weird.
So just imagine this; many BC’s ago, the peoples of the earth all spoke and resided in one particular spot, presently called Ugboshi or Igbo Ola Oke and so the people of this great area came together in agreement with their King (my ancestor, the original Omoluabi) to build a great tall tower that would go all the way up to Eledumare, so they could see Him as often as they wanted (the tower can now be seen as a huge rock in Somorika).

They came together in harmony speaking this unique tongue (Okpameri). Bringing mortar, water and bricks, they begin to build a tower. One fine sunny day, Eledumare looked down and thought “this is what happens when pikin eye don open” deciding enough was enough He struck down the tower.

The people looked around in confusion, as many other tongues emerged—slowly grouping together as similarity in tongue would permit, and so gifts were handed down to these groups of people as the creator deemed fit—ultimate wisdom was given to the Ugboshi people and the other gifts which were given to the others, became secrets which will only be unearthed in Gulder Ultimate 8. (You actually thought I would tell you what those secrets were abi).

So that’s all folks I hope that I have been able to make you think, confusing you a bit that Akoko Edo may just be the centre of the world...the point of the tower of Babel.

EBIRA Akoko-Edo LGA (Igarra)

EMAI-IULEHA-ORA Owan LGA
ESAN Agbazko, Okpebho, Owan, and Etsako LGA's
GHOTUO Owan and Akoko-Edo LGA's
IBILO
IKA Orhionwon LGA
IKPESHI Etsako LGA
IVBIE NORTH-OKPELA-ARHE Etsako and Akoko-Edo LGA's
OKPAMHERI Akoko-Edo LGA
OKPE-IDESA-AKUKU Akoko-Edo LGA
OLOMA Akoko-Edo LGA
OSOSO Akoko-Edo LGA
SASARU-ENWAN-IGWE Akoko-Edo LGA
UKAAN Akoko-Edo LGA
UNEME Etsako, Agbazko, and Akoko-Edo LGA's
YEKHEE Etsako, Agbako, and Okpebho LGA's

Breaking News

2009-08-03T12:35:00.006+01:00

It’s about 12noon, and the residents and workers of Boyle street Onikan Lagos, were glad they had generators in their offices and so couldn’t feel the heat of the midday sun, and so with the aid of a mechanical contraption, they didn’t have to sweat excessively.

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Although in the past few weeks, the nations provider of that very scarce commodity—‘electricity’ had provided epileptic service but with sudden bursts shocking long hours, (we suspect they may have fallen asleep or had been bribed at these moments) we hear they have gone on summer vacation to the Bahamas or some exotic Island where they will no doubt enjoy the fruits of their labour (I mean all the monies from connecting back lines has to be spent someday).

So on this hot day about 12pm, (we have mentioned this haven’t we) our top agent that female of incomparable beauty, that genius whom Einstein would have envied, that defender of the masses, that upholder of justice, that deep thinker of thoughts unknown; agent 90210 aka Fifi, was out on a secret mission.

On her way to this very important mission, she was called to spy on bags which a seller form Iraq had just brought into the country. These bags had the potential to hide shoulder held blast guns (whatever those might be).

Suddenly Fifi spots some men in pinkish-purplish shirts and black trousers walking about and deflating tyres, and just when they were about to walk up to her mini parakeet aka the fifi van, she gives the stance of peace and goes into fight mode.
Yes I know you’re probably wondering what this is all about yeh!

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So it’s about 12noon on Boyle street Onikan and men of the task force in purple and black trousers are seen with a tow truck lurking around with a bunch of policemen for support. Soon they form two groups and from both sides of the street they begin to deflate tyres.

I’m wondering what’s going on when a policeman walks up to the car I’m leaning on and asks that it be removed. Soon the word goes round and people begin to leave their offices to find out what exactly is going on. In less than 5 minutes there’s confusion when car owners realise their tyres have been deflated and for what; tax hadn’t been paid for the car park.

Now was this a proper car park, nope it was just space which had been converted into a parking lot because there wasn’t enough parking space in the various buildings along the street. Was it obstructing traffic? Nope it was well away from the road.
So before I could blink a whole bunch of lawyers were out on the street screaming blue murder (you bet these revenue collectors/tax invaders/thieves in uniform didn’t know they would be dealing with a whole bunch of people who would be quoting and counter quoting).

Well I loved every bit of the scene as it unfolded from the punch throwing to the screaming to the tax collectors realizing they had just backed up the wrong alley. It’s amazing how Nigerians will suddenly all human right activists when a bunch of them are together and they are been victimised.

BRT Injustice

2009-08-03T10:58:00.005+01:00

As ususal I got on my favourite mode of transportation (at least it will be my favourite until I get my metallic blue drop top Mercedes Benz C class with my customized plates)and as usual I got to it on that two wheeled dangerously driven contraption driven by a greater majority of Malo's althought today I was lucky to get a driver of the Nah variety.

So I got to my favourite mode of transportation the BRT (the red A/ced variety) looking forward to a comfrotably seated air conditioned ride to Obalende. Hm of all the unlucky things that could happen on a bright sunny day,when I was in a good mood too this bus took off and I expecting to hear the heavenly sound that A/c's make when they are on only heard silence.

Hellllllllllooooo why wasnt the a/c on and why was the driver not saying anything, I elongate my neck to see if his window is open and amazingly it is. What and my fellow Nigerian citizens on the bus were not saying a word. Ok my neighbour kept on muttering under his breathe loud enough for my all hearing ears to catch none the less why the a/c wasnt turned on. Why indeed but did he say it out loud...No, did these industrious Nigerians on their way to seek wealth say a word...no...did they open the windows...no they must have felt and imaginary cooling effect I certainly did not feel.

After stewing in my seat and calling all those who were in the bus MUMU's, DUMMY'S, COWARD's and the reason why everything goes wrong in this country for not asking the driver why he didnt turn on the a/c I vowed I would ask the driver...posing as a daughter of one of the Lagbus managers why he didnt turn on the a/c...threaten to have him reported...write down the number of the bus as I got down...and then stroll happily to work (tongue in cheek) victory at last...I'm definitely not a mumu.

So we get to Obalende...I get off my seat determinedly, beginning to stew all over again at the injustice of not getting the full worth of my N100 ride. Good Im almost the last to disembark and I get close to the driver...so why didnt you turn on the a/c I asked...

I finally disembark with a slight frown on my appenged to my fore head...mulling over the reason that was racing through my head.

Just maybe his cooling system was faulty...just maybe what happened was definitely a technical problem...I guess I'm just a Mumu like everybody else on that bus...because I didnt have the liver to ask...of all stupid reasons not to ask...what if the driver was rude and threw me off the bus...Lol gosh I'm a Coward.

My Tribute to MJ

2009-07-20T14:48:00.004+01:00

I know I didnt go oooooooohhhhhhhh and aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh
Neither did I think I would swoon when you were eventually sighted
Always wondered why fans passed out at your concerts
Constantly telling myself that I would never do.

When tales started floating in, in of things which you did
I took it with a pinch of salt
Judge and Jury I did not become.

Album after album
Song after song I follwed
Listening and learning the lyrics to the ones I thought were exceptional.
Sang made up verions of songs I loved when I was a child

Tried to dance the Moon Walk
and constantly said hehe and shumukapong

Yes you were a part of me
Thats what I hold on today
Certain events, certain memories that you were part of
Through the songs you shared
And the years that rolled by

I've only been able to shed a tear
For I tell myself you were neither my brother nor my friend
But my heart is heavy still
For I feel a part of me
Is lost today

The NLNG Prize for Literature

2008-10-10T11:48:00.014+01:00

I pride the fact that I can be totally objective even when my friends or family are involved, so again I'm faced with knowing one of two people in a situation that could strengthen the fact that Nigerians are just a bunch of overly corrupt and plain stupid people who would rather think of who they know and how the bond of being ex-classmates or relatives could out-weigh something as simple as looking at 'wait for it' WHICH IS THE BETTER BOOK arrghhhhhhhhhhh.

So before I go of tangent, I will introduce to my present bane of contention, The NLNG writers award. This group like the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature or the Booker Prize seek to give out prizes mostly cash to outstanding writers. The authors and their books who get nominated our all are all trimmed down by a panel till a final selection is made and these are entered for the award and the winner of the award should be chosen based on the books CONTENT.

Where such side attractions like the authors state of origin, schools attended, Cause presently pursued and who is known well and how come into play, then the award is said to be RIGGED, BIASE AND NOT TRUE TO WHAT IR SHOULD STAND FOR.

It's the 5th edition of the NLNG Prize for Literature, the two main contenders are Jude Dibia for the book Unbridled and Kaine Agary for Yellow Yellow.

Print media coverage for these two writers has however been suspiciously sided and so I wonder has a winner been chosen already and if this winner has been chosen, pray tell on what grounds; content of the book or knowing who the organizers are. An amazing occurrence in the build up to the finals of the book prize which should all end tomorrow is the ability for friends of friends to come out and bad mouth one writer to favour the other. How is it possible we let this happen without shutting these Idiots up. So I wonder how Ms. Miss Pamela Udoka (author of a children's book Rejected Blessings) could publicly call one of these writers a 'Bad and Corrupt writer' on what grounds and why not in the privacy of her own home where she could have been applauded by her friends and family.

There was also the comment in the Guardian's review page for the 10th of October very sadly today, a day before the final announcement "the new face of Nigerian literature is a woman, and when the curtain draws for 2008 Nigerian Literature prize tomorrow, one feminine...or mascu-feminine writer will emerge..." Yep this is what an obviously paid off writer in one of Nigeria's well reputed newspapers deemed it fit to be able to string his words together.

So will these books Yellow Yellow and Unbridled be judged objectively or not? Or has the winner been chosen based on who is known where and for how long, be the final outcome?

I know who has been reportedly chosen but lets see if corruption and a twisted mentality wins the day.

We await the results patiently.

My Past My Future

2008-10-08T16:17:00.005+01:00

Dear Lord,

Please, please forgive Me for all the things Ive done, I know I haven't been exactly amazing or outstanding when it comes to doing the things I ought to have done, but now I realize all these and ask for your forgiveness especially now that I need a favour.

Well I know you know what I want since You're all seeing and all knowing so I'll code my request knowing You dear Lord understand perfectly what I need.

I humbly request that the lil bambino you've given enters the world strong and healthy and beautifully formed with all senses intact and his thinking faculty superb. Ok lord I know half the world most likely knows what my request is but I seriously need this request granted so that my past doesn't affect my future and my belief becomes strengthened thrice as much as it was before.

Thank you for listening.

Hummingbirds

2008-10-06T14:01:00.005+01:00

Okay I know a hummingbird is a bird not even found in Africa, but this morning there I was minding my own business doing my own thing and slam it just popped right into my thoughts how WE might not be Hummingbirds literally but figuratively we do something they do.

So I'll tell a little story about what Ive observed about Nigerians, when it comes to how daft and incompetent our Government is. We have 3 groups of Nigerians, the screamers (the Niger delta advocates), the back benchers (those who don't give a flying f&%ck and who don't care if the shits thrown helter-skelter as long as they don't smell or are touched by it), and finally the hummingbirds ( moi and a whole lot of people who murmur, curse and stamp our feet all in private of course and talk mostly under our breathe and think 'hell its not as if I can do anything about the situation').

So we the poor Nigerian Hummingbirds who sometimes are filled with so much hope for an improved, brighter tomorrow, also look in disgust and become quickly disillusioned when we see something as simple as deliberate flaunting of traffic rules, then we once again fall into the very pits of depression and the utmost conviction that there can be no hope.

I ask myself why we are such an active group of back benchers, whether we are Niger delta activists, screamers or hummingbirds. Why do we have the innate ability to take things as they come, which can be oh so annoying. Yeah it took centuries for America, Great Britain and other developed countries to attain the level of development and orderliness they have today, but in this day and age when our progress should be faster because we have the great advantage to copy must we attempt to give the same excuse?

To St. Patrick

2008-09-08T12:21:00.001+01:00

INTRODUCTION

Kachifo Limited, publishers of Farafina Books, Farafina Educational and Farafina Magazine, is proud to announce the release of their latest fictional novel: To Saint Patrick. The novel is a gripping and courageous debut from Eghosa Imasuen, one of the next generation of great Nigerian writers.

SYNOPSIS

It's the year 2003 in an 'alternate Nigeria,' a prominent member of the NPN political party, veteran journalist Chief Johnson, has just been murdered. Two small time crooks are found with a bag full of his bloody clothes. They will take the fall to assuage the public, although some evidence suggests they may just be innocent... Is it politics as usual?

To Saint Patrick rewrites Nigerian political history, presenting the reader with a series of 'what ifs': what if Major-General Murtala Mohammed had survived the 1976 coup attempt, and had run for a 2nd term?; What if Babangida was simply on the sidelines—an honourable gentleman?; What if our democracy was healthy?

A beautifully written tale of adventure, sci-fi, intrigue, and a dash of love, To Saint Patrick is a must read.

REVIEWS

"To Saint Patrick is a novel that – on the strength of the originality of its premise alone, not to mention the beauty of the telling – has created a new class of Nigerian literature to which will belong all books bold enough to attempt to imaginatively stoke the controversial fire that is Nigerian history."

- Tolu Ogunlesi, Author, Listen to the Geckos Singing from a Balcony

To Saint Patrick is available in major bookstores, and from Farafina at 25 Boyle St, Onikan, or www.kachifo.com. Its recommended retail price is N1000

They are Amongst us

2008-09-05T16:18:00.003+01:00

Somebody please pinch me, I decided to stay quiet hoping that when I make my next post I'd be writing "He is back or dead or we have at least confirmed he is alive" but No neither of these things have happened.

And with the certainty that aliens have suddenly given Nigerians a sort of 'blank pill', nobody is screaming blue murder or freaking out. The dailies still report President Yar'adua is still in Saudi for the lesser hajj.

How stupid do they think we really are.

I'll keep Me, Myself and I posted.

Im out

Motherhood

2008-09-02T14:53:00.004+01:00

Sometimes I wonder, were we really, really cursed, (and the loud thundery voice goes) ye shall suffer great pain in the process of bringing forth, excruciating back tearing, men cursing, teeth shattering pain (duration not specified) and after this episode (known as childbirth) peaceful forgetfulness and the frolicking starts again yeah!

And then as if that’s not enough we have to contend with CR 101 (the basics of child rearing), CR 201 (the headaches of child rearing), CR 301 (I wanna strangle my child during the process of child rearing) and on and on it goes, these lessons we weren’t prepared for.

Well I’m at CR 301; yep I wanna strangle my child, no not in a mean way, in a loving way that will make her see reason.
I actually admit it’s my fault; I have smothered my kids in a not too African way. Kiss mummy... hug mummy, mummy loves you and all that bla... always used the word spank not beat always said please, Mickey mouse this and Donald duck that, no wholesome ijapa and yanribo tales.

Kai and now what do I have a 6 year old who wants to kiss and hug everybody who walks her way not realising it was meant for family and family only. Not her friend next door, not the washer man and the gardener and certainly not the total stranger who comes knocking onthe door.
So I think will wholesome African thrashing do...or will an episode of exorcising do the trick, or should I let her be and hope she out grows it.

Gosh I need help.

Its Day 2

2008-09-02T12:08:00.003+01:00

Yep it's the second day of my little tale "WEY OUR PRESIDENT", the papers have been silent in fact its a waste of money buying one at the moment. I read a copy (ok ok flipped through) a copy of the Guardian this morning and in my usual non expectant way I noticed with some excitement that it was unusually BORING, DRY ah ah. You mean this Country is actually Presidentless at the moment, truly amazing.

Well its just buttressing my conspiracy theory, Something is not right, Amiss, Yeah Outright Fishy. Me thinks since he was moved to Germany genetic cloning is in the works, so if 'Yar' does turn up it will be his clone, not he THE PUPPET TRYING TO BREAK OFF FROM HIS MASTERS STRINGS.

But who would know.

President Yar' Adua: To be or not to be...

2008-09-01T12:38:00.004+01:00

Last night no, early this morning actually somebody I know, got a call from somebody he knows, who is a Senator informing the this person I know that Yar'adua was dead. Now considering the source of this information I would have had no reason to doubt it till a This Day reporter reported he spoke to the president last night and he was alive.

Considering the fact that we have been lied to all week as to his true health status and the fact he was moved to Germany and was put on life support all I can think of is Who is Fooling who, and why.

Knowing that the truth will definitely be known really soon, I wonder why we constantly have to be woven into a web of deceit these people try to justify when its almost too late.

Ive attached 2 articles showing the fact that the president was really ill last week and has been for sometime.
And yes they both justify my theories that we virtually have a ruler who is more of a figure head than an actual ruler.

A Nation On Tenterhooks

By Sonala Olumhense

Last week, I expressed my concern about President Umaru Yar'Adua's style, and its impact on his substance. Given the passage of President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, I felt he should be concerned about his legacy.
Were is Mr President? Nigeria a Country kept in Limbo.

At the time, my focus was the death of Mr. Mwanawasa, and its lessons for my own country. I was unaware that even as I wrote, President Yar'Adua was in poor health.

On Wednesday, 20 August, he left for Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah, the lesser hajj. He was expected back in Nigeria three days later to prepare for an official visit to Brazil which was to start on 26 August.

On that day, the President did not return.

By Tuesday, when he was supposed to have been leaving Abuja for Brazil, he was still not back in Nigeria. Neither was he flying to Brazil from wherever he was.

On Wednesday, August 27, the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting was held in Abuja under the chairmanship of the Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan. It was a big meeting, for three reasons.

First, Mr. Jonathan, like other members of the government, did not know where his principal was, or his exact condition.

Second, Mr. Jonathan had not been sworn in as Acting President, although he could, and apparently conducted the meeting in his capacity as Vice-President.

The third reason the FEC meeting of last Wednesday was so important is that it emerged with humongous federal contracts. One of them, for the expansion of Phases I and II of the Escravos-Lagos pipeline, was for N73 billion. That is not the kind of sum a head of government opts to sign by proxy.

Still, the falcon did not know where the falconer was. Naturally, the tension that was gripping the country was waiting outside the Council chambers that day in the form of journalists.

Remember when In his conversation with Yar’Adua, Obasanjo placed the then party candidate on the speaker to the hearing of party members at the campaign ground. He had jocularly asked him: “Umoru, they said you are dead. Are you dead? Yar’Adua was said to have answered that he was alive, and he later addressed party supporters from his hospital bed.

Council members put up a brave face. Foreign Minister Madueke and his college in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr. John Odey, insisted that the president was undertaking the lesser hajj, and would "return anytime from now."

So, what was Madueke doing in Abuja instead of being busy in Brazil in connection with the presidential state visit? He was asked. I could imagine the man shifting from one foot to the other: "I am here now on state matters," he said, adding, "State matters mean that things are adjusted and readjusted."

Although he and his colleague insisted they had spoken with the President on the phone, it was clear they were acting, without the benefit of a Nollywood licence.

In other words, they either did not know what they were talking about, or were lying. SaharaReporters had reported that, contrary to the official reason given for the president's trip to Saudi Arabia, he had actually left for medical care.

It would later report that the president was seriously sick, and that the planned official trip to Brazil had been cancelled.

Late last week, government officials continued to deny everything. They denied the president's ill-health. They denied the visit to Saudi Arabia had anything to do with his poor health. They denied the visit to Brazil had been cancelled, allowing only that it had been postponed.

Still, nothing was being heard from the president. The louder questions were coming from the eloquent silence of the Vice-President, who had clearly delegated the waffling and lying service to lower officials. Twice, the scheduled decoration ceremonies of the new service chiefs had to be postponed.

As I was concluding this article on Saturday morning, The Punch was reporting that President Yar'Adua had had surgery in Saudi Arabia, following the failure of drugs to improve his condition. This would further confirm the original SaharaReporters story. It would also confirm that Ministers Maduekwe and Odey had lied on Wednesday when they insisted the President was performing a religious obligation and would return to Nigeria shortly.

That, however, is not even a problem. And we do have a problem: a convoluted crisis of leadership.

For over one year, under Yar'Adua, Nigeria has lacked the energy and initiative to move forward. Federal government officials have attributed this malaise to his desire to ensure that things were done properly. There have also been arguments that his rigged party nomination by his predecessor, and the rigged election that brought him to office were holding him back.

But now we find that the most formidable opponent may be the simplest one of all: the President's health. It was a problem during the electoral campaigns, and despite routine denials, has remained so in his first 15 months. The death of Zambia's Mwanawasa less than two weeks ago only reminds Nigerians about just how real losing a national leader can be, and is responsible for the current tension about Yar'Adua's situation.

As a people, Nigerians must get behind President Yar'Adua with their prayers and good wishes. I hope he recovers quickly, and returns to work.

Whenever he does, I hope he remembers that many a Nigerian leader, caught in a hail of coup d'etat bullets, never had his nine lives. Whatever they had achieved by the time the shooting started was usually the final chapter of their story.

Despite the flawed elections that propelled him to office, or perhaps because of them, Yar'Adua has been blessed to call himself leader of Nigeria. He didn't earn that title. If this spell of poor health is his final bow, he will become the laughing stock of this era. That, unfortunately, would be the legacy he has earned.

It is true he has only ruled for one year. But exactly how many days are required to drive a stake into the ground and say, "No more!"

I do not know. All I know is that no leader that wants to make a change waits until the manual is written, typed and bound. He does not wait until that manual is edited and proof-read and printed in colour. John F. Kennedy said it well: "A man does what he must, in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures, and that is the basis of all human morality."

I hope Yar'Adua lives a longer, healthier life. If it does not, it would be sadder still to reflect on the filthy men and women and institutions and graveyards and garbage heaps he could have cleaned up in one year.

It would be tragic to think about the mess he became a part of when he had the rare opportunity to rise above it and prove, in one year, that there is so much gold in our land.

It would be tragic to think about all the men and women of merit and intelligence and skill and patriotism that we never got to learn about because, during his presidency, the limelight continued to shine for the indolent and the corrupt and the ruthless.

He can start to change all that right away, beginning by being honest with his country about his health.

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Yar’Adua’s ill health: Who is fooling who?
By Jackson Udom
Sunday, August 31, 2008

Yar'Adua Nigerian Leader, Umar Yar’Adua may have had a burning desire as a child to contribute his own quota at any level to the development of the Nigerian nation. This patriotic zeal, no doubt, may have also led to his emergence as the governor of Katsina State from 1999-2003.

Throughout his tenure as the Katsina State Governor, little or nothing was heard of his deteriorating state of health, maybe because he was then overseeing affairs in just an insignificant area of what he now governs.

Going down memory lane in the build up to the 2007 presidential race, President Yar’Adua was the last aspirant to enter the presidential race because when others were already winding up their campaigns, Yar’Adua was on the standing block. Yar’Adua’s last minute entrance into the race, according to information gathered, may have been due to his poor health condition which was gradually taking its toll on him.

Unconfirmed report had it that when Chief Obasanjo intimated Yar’Adua of his desire to make him (Yar’Adua) succeed him, he was said to have vehemently objected to the offer, citing his dwindling state of health. Obasanjo was said to have told him pointedly not to be bothered about his state of health because immediately he emerged the president, the country will be ready to spend anything to keep him alive as its president.

The fragile health condition of the former Katsina State governor became a public issue when it dawned on the members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had concluded plans to impose the Katsina-born politician on the party and Nigerians.

The pages of both local and foreign newspapers later began to be awash with the news that Yar’Adua was not healthy enough to govern the country. Though the news was countered by the then government, which described it as the wishful thinking of the opposition, it however peaked when Yar’Adua, the then presidential candidate of the PDP few days before the conduct of the presidential election in 2007, was rumoured to have slumped and immediately flown abroad for medical attention. He was rumoured to have been exhausted by the rigorous campaign programmes of the party which took him to the 36 states of the federation.

In the thick of the arguments and comments which trailed the death rumour of the then presidential candidate, Chief Obasanjo had put a call through, at the campaign ground, to Yar’Adua on his sick bed in Germany. In his conversation with Yar’Adua, Obasanjo placed the then party candidate on the speaker to the hearing of party members at the campaign ground. He had jocularly asked him: “Umoru, they said you are dead. Are you dead? Yar’Adua was said to have answered that he was alive, and he later addressed party supporters from his hospital bed.

It was in that precarious state of health that Yar’Adua contested and was declared winner of the April, 21 2007 presidential polls. Since he was sworn in as the president on May, 29 2007, the Nigerian leader’s failing health condition had made news headlines for well over four times and in all these, the president’s media managers had publicly denied the media report.

In sane climes, health conditions of leaders are not shrouded in secrecy. Presidents of nations have had causes to undergo surgical operations in hospitals and they had also made it public. Then why is that of the Nigerian leader different?

Just recently, the Nigerian leader was reported sick and had to travel to Saudi Arabia for urgent treatment for a yet to be disclosed ailment. But the sensibilities of Nigerians were once again played on by the government in collaboration with the president’s media managers, when they went on air to lie to over 140 million Nigerians that their president had gone on lesser hajj and would leave there for a State Visit to Brazil. But investigations was later to reveal that even before he left the shores of the country for the purported lesser hajj, his health condition had degenerated to the extent that if he had waited a day longer, something fatal would have happened. Yet, his media adviser, Segun Adeniyi and the Information Minister, John Odeh had along been economical with the truth, declaring that the president, to their own knowledge was hail and hearty, whereas, the ailing president had just undergone renal surgery for kidney transplant in King Fahd Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

Nigerians have been speaking on the development since it became public knowledge and they also have thumbed down attempts by the president’s men to keep the true position of things as regards the president’s state of health from Nigerians.

According to the chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Dr Olapade Agoro, “we have been deceived for so long in this country over the true health situation of the president and it has to stop.” In his reaction, the National chairman of the Alliance for Democracy, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa said, “Nigerians should be glad that the surgery was successful,” while the publicity secretary of the Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Mr Yemi Adaramodu, described it as injury to national interest if the true position of the president’s state of health cannot be ascertained by Nigerians. “Yar’Adua is no more a private person. It is quite instructive that the vehemence of government officials against the FoI Bill tends to establish the fear that every skeleton in the cupboard of public officers should be kept from the glare of the people. Yar’Adua’s health and even social conditions should be made public at all times.

They must be privy to what is happening to their leaders at all times so that they offer advice. It is, however, regrettable that government activities since the president travelled out. Nigerians cannot, at this time afford presidential lacuna which is bound to hamper development. It is therefore necessary for us Nigerians to know if there is any problem with our leaders.”

However, elderstates man, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai thinks differently on the development. He stated that, “there have been so much hype over the health of the president and he should be left alone to recover if he actually had a surgery”.

He also took to the cleaners opponents of the president who have been calling on him to handover to someone else, saying “It is for him to decide whether he can manage himself or not. If he can manage himself there will be no need for him to handover to anybody. Why can’t we leave this man to do his job and leave all these insinuations especially as there is no official announcement on this. When a man is ill and cannot carry on, there is nothing to be done. So, let us leave him to decide.”

Commenting on the development, journalist cum politician, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan declared, “I want to believe there is a serious problem. Segun Adeniyi, the president’s spokesman is a fine journalist and he has been doing an effective media work for the president. But for the president to be shielding the truth about his health and activities from him and the information minister is preposterous. This act has, no doubt, put a lot of credibility question on these aides and for the country, it is very unfortunate. I hope we are not back to the primitive voodoo era, where Marabout’s and spiritualists ruled the country through our leaders. The lies about the lesser hajj is even unintelligent. What is lesser hajj and what religious importance is it to leave serious state matters that affect the lives of over 180 million people?”

In his reaction Comrade Ejike Okolie, berated the president’s media managers for lying to Nigerians, on the precarious health condition of the president. According him, it is only in Nigeria that we play politics with everything. Why Nigerians can’t be told the true health condition of Mr. President, after all he is being treated with the tax payers’ money. I was ashamed when I watched the media adviser to the president struggling to paint a picture of what is not real to Nigerians. Why can’t Nigerians know what is happening to their president? It is really uncivilised. What they thought is hidden is now before the public. It is sad and unfortunate.”