All Loot and no Work makes Me a Rich Man

"The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury” has been a popular quotation on many websites since the global financial crisis of 2008. The quotation is usually attributedto George Washington (1732-1799), but there is no evidence that he ever said it.

Dear reader, please pardon me if it appears that you are being suffused with another entrée on corruption in our notoriously corrupt country. But don’t you just have enough of day-to-day corruption scandals on the pages of our newspapers and in beer parlours, with no sign of abating? And there doesn’t appear to be anything done about the scandals? What would it take for us to do to arrest the situation?

My late English Literature teacher and former governor of Oyo State, Lamidi Adesina, fondly known as Lam Ade (may his soul continue to rest in peace), used to scare the hell out of us when he wants to punish us by saying “you are sitting on a keg of gunpowder, which is about to explode” or “you are tottering on the edge of a precipice, and you are about to fall inside” or “you are walking at the edge of a razor blade, and you will be severely cut”. In those days, those warning phrases used to strike terror into our simple hearts, because what they mean was that the offending student was nearing expulsion from the school.

The Immunity Clause: To Stay Or Not To Stay

It is perhaps expedient for me to begin this article by acknowledging that I am also contributing to a debate which has been raging for a long time, and to which thousands of Nigerians all over the world have contributed their own opinions. While I do not want to appear repetitive, it is instructive to note that I will definitely not have the last word on this matter, for as long as the debate continues to rage. Hence I am not daunted to contribute to it, because my little voice will add more to the debate.

The debate about "expunging, excising, removing, repealing the immunity clause in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" has been going for a long time,  well before President Yar'Adua went to Switzerland and stood up to be counted as an opponent of this expansive immunity clause. Why he had to take that position well away from Nigeria is a bit baffling to me, but then he was speaking in front of representatives of multi-national corporations called "Partnership Against Corruption Initiative", so what else do you expect him to say when confronted by powerful multi-national entities who are obviously scared of, and rightly concerned about  their investments, current or potential, in Nigeria of today noted for its corrupt culture?

Missing – Why Is Our Money Always Missing? By Akintokunbo Adejumo

When it comes to public money in Nigeria, the word MISSING has taken on a whole new sinister meaning. Every day, it is one massive amount (usually in billions, soon to graduate into trillions) of money missing from the coffers of one government ministry/department/agency or the other. The states are not left out and I bet the local government are only able to keep a lid on it because the torch is not shone on them, and we tend to underestimate the fraud and theft going on in these other two tiers of government. It is corruption at its best (or worst, depending on semantics). But unfortunately, to the poor masses of Nigeria, it is no laughing matter. It is a matter of life and death to them, actually, more death than life.

An Evening With Senator (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu

On Saturday 5^thApril 2014, at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel in London, the Association of Nigerian Academics in the UK (ANAUK) led by Councillor Adedamola Aminu, the acting Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth and a lecturer himself, recognised the achievements of Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, OON, former First Lady of Lagos State, and now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She was recognised by ANAUK as an outstanding Nigerian whose various initiatives has contributed greatly to education, youth development and empowerment in Nigeria.

I am writing at great risk to myself and my reputation, because knowing my people, I might stand accused of “being bought” or induced to write this, or at best, naivety. People will also ask a lot of puerile questions or statements such as the source of her or Tinubu family’s money, or her husband’s wealth, or using tax-payers’ money, blah, blah, blah.  I will say, people, figure that out for yourselves. I know who I am and that is what matters to me.

I normally do not attend such events, even when invited, honouring our mostly errant and irresponsible politicians and rulers from Nigeria. In fact, I cannot recollect attending any event featuring any Nigeria politician/leader held in London or even in Nigeria, since 1999. And it is not for want of invitation, because most times, I am always invited. But I always decline, because of my abhorrence for this set of Nigerians who I see as people who do not have any plans for me and my people. I am a cynic and sceptic when it comes to bestowing honour, awards, kudos, and recognition on our politicians for many reasons, the chief of which is: what does such award and recognition transmute to in terms of good governance, development, progress and alleviation of the hardship and poverty of our people?

I was privileged to be a witness at this particular event for Senator (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu, and also to learn and see first-hand (at a previous outing), and not hear-say of the accomplishment of this most humble of leaders and womanhood, one of our leaders. Also, the pedigree, integrity and credibility of the group that came up with the award convinced me to attend. Most members of ANAUK are known to me personally - Cllr Adedamola Aminu is a brother and also, like myself, and Ibadan man and I hold several of them in the highest esteem and admiration. And as my friends, colleagues and family know of me, I am very economical with giving kudos to our Nigerian politicians. In fact, I don’t do it. I rarely find a word of praise, respect or even commendation for our political leaders, simply because of the following reasons.

First I believe that if they are doing something worthy of recognition (not of praise) they are only  doing the work/job we employ them and pay them billions to do at the expense of any other development of the country. They wanted the job, they asked to be elected to do it, we trusted them and we elected them (please note that the word  ‘elect’ is used with some reservations here, because mostly we get our rulers by selection, rigging and cheating). So let them do it without any noise or propaganda.

Secondly, most of them do not even do what they are elected to do and as such I do not respect them. Of course, anybody who cheats or rig themselves into any elective position is automatically not worthy and is always a thief who went in there to make money and acquire wealth by looting the treasury. It is obtaining money and power under false pretence.

Third, most of them are so arrogant and are liars who embellish their achievement in attempts to fool the people. Their propaganda machines are always in full operation, spewing out lies and deceit and in fact, a lot of them believe in their own lies.

It was not what I read or heard about Senator (Mrs) Tinubu that made me write this; it was not what transpired during the award ceremony and dinner, with encomiums heaped upon her by the many dignitaries, either from Nigeria, living in the UK or even non-Nigerians who were present; it was what happened afterwards between the honourable Senator and my wife, outside the hall, after the event. My wife went up to her, surrounded by her aides, and expressed her delight at hearing such good things about her, and her fears of returning to Nigeria because of the apparent lack of concern by the people ruling us. To my surprise, this humble, well-bred, well-educated lady, a very rare gem member of her political ilk, took time to explain several things to my wife.  This convinced me of her sincerity; it convinced me, as my wife said afterwards that she did what she was doing for the people in Nigeria, poor or rich, because it was an innate and inherent trait for her. It is natural for her to do good things for people. She has a good heart, as a wife, a mother, an educationist, a politician and most especially, as a compassionate and benevolent human being, conscious and grateful that God has put her in a position of strength, power, wealth and opportunity to help the less-fortunate and the weak of her people.

I will not try to list all that she has accomplished during both her terms as the First Lady of Lagos State for eight years and now as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as this essay will too long. Suffice it to say, I believe she did all these things, NOT because she has to do them, but because she wanted to do them. In fact, I suspect it was because of this that she begged her husband that she wanted to go into the Senate, and he agreed.

Let me state here that I have never been supportive of her husband as a governor of Lagos State and as the chieftain of his party, APC. Readers who have read most of my articles on Asiwaju Tinubu will know that I have never been kind to him in my criticism of his brand of politics and his acquisitive nature and disposition. In fact, I was very harshly critical of Asiwaju Tinubu prior to the 2011 elections when he appeared to have imposed his wife, now Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on the people of Lagos Central Senatorial District, and I was one of those who made a lot of noise about the then ACN party imposing favourites of Asiwaju Tinubu on the people, especially in Lagos State.

I have seen and observed a lot of politicians in Nigeria, from presidents to governors, federal and state legislators to local government chairmen, both inside and outside Nigeria and come to know that when Nigerians (and as a matter of fact, Africans) get to positions of power, they dispense with humility. They become arrogant, they think they are mini-gods, and some of them actually behave like gods. Even the sycophants and lackeys (called special assistants or advisers) that buzz around them often assume false airs of importance. At this event, there were several other senators, members of the House of Representatives and minor local government political officers, and the body language politics of most of them reeks of what I described above.

Not so Senator Oluremi Tinubu! Her body language was that humility, down-to-earth and a consciousness of the fact that it was only the Grace of God that got her where she is today. She was humility-personified. She is the sort of ruler/politician that Nigeria so much craves, in terms of focus, vision, hard-work, sincerity, integrity and hope for the people. I have taken a very different view of this lady whom I had never met and whose my previous perception has always been negative, mainly because of the reputation of her husband.

Her book “The Journey of Grace – My Faith Walk” is another conviction to me. I read the small book when I got home, and I was wondering to myself why I never researched this woman all these years before I virtually condemned her. The book was full of Christian virtues – another surprise, knowing that her husband is a Moslem. I am sure she is living up to, and practicing what she was preaching.

There were several highlights of the events, but one which I must mention was the testimony given by Ezenagu Alexander, a University of Cambridge post-graduate Law Student, and a beneficiary of Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s contribution to education in Nigeria. This young man, an Igbo, mentioned the fact that he is not Yoruba, but this did not debar him, and many other non-Yoruba from Lagos State in enjoying the benefits of Senator Tinubu’s charity and vision.

Another worthy highlight was when one of the speakers, Dr Chris Imafidon, a UK-based educational consultant to governments and institutions in Europe, in his tribute, averred that it is an insult to call Mrs Tinubu, a politician, knowing our politicians in Nigeria, but that he regards hers as a mother, philanthropist and educationist.

In her acceptance speech, the Senator from Lagos Central confirmed that ANAUK had not asked her or solicited for any money to organise any event for her or to give her any award, but in recognising their efforts and genuineness, she announced the creation of a Hardship Fund (the establishment of the fund is an extension of the work she is doing in Nigeria through her New Era Foundation, which provides opportunities for disadvantaged children) in aid of Nigerian students struggling in the UK to cope with school fees and accommodation expenses, and has already made an initial contribution of US$20,000.00, and she urged all other Senators, House of Rep members and Lagos House of Assembly members to contribute to the fund. This was widely applauded by the guests.

Now, some might ask me or say, oh well, she’s just doing with the money she earns as a Senator, what she is supposed to spend the money on – constituency projects.  Yes, indeed, I asked myself that too. She never claimed to be a millionaire, as one would have assumed, being in government as first lady of Lagos State for eight years. In a video clip, she told us that when she was the first lady, she had gone to a previous first lady, the wife of former Military Governor of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson, to ask her for advice in what to do as first lady, and also as an attempt to introduce continuity in government (something that doesn't happen in Nigeria). It was the advice and ideas she received that she used during her eight years as First Lady, establishing the Annual Spelling Bee competition, Annual One-day Governor, Junior Chef Competition, building classroom and science blocks, etc.

The point here is if she’s spending the money she earns for constituency projects, and we don’t want to call it philanthropy (and I am not sure of this) or the proceeds of the ill-gotten wealth of her husband, then she is spending it well and appropriately and at least returning some of it back to the society, even if as a result of some conscience, unlike many of her colleagues who just convert such funds to their personal use or spend it buying and distributing bags of rice, beans, and Indomie or bicycles and televisions to villagers and women in the name of empowerment. Apart from this, she has, through legislative oversights, helped secure funding for many other projects. And note here, she’s not spending her husband’s money.

The bottom line is: Senator Oluremi Tinubu is not just doing her job but she’s doing it well, with a lot of sincerity, focus and approbation. If only fifty percent of our legislators and other politicians are like her, I guess the country will not be in such a muddle as we are now.

I salute the Cllr Adedamola Aminu, acting Mayor of Lambeth Borough and current ANAUK President; Dr Bisi Adewole, Vice President; Ms Dolapo Ajakaiye, Social Secretary; Mr Toyin Coker, General Secretary and other members of the Association of Nigerian Academics in the UK – ANAUK for discovering a rare diamond and beacon of hope in the quagmire of self-service, greed, mediocrity and corruption that has become the lot of Nigerian political leaders.

It is unlikely that I will meet this woman again, but I just want to urge her to keep doing the good she’s doing. There is still a lot more to be done for our people. She cannot do it alone, so she has to influence her colleagues in politics and governance. We need more of her. And such politicians will be recognised and go down in our minds and books as those who did their utmost best.

Let the Truth be told always.

The Evil That Men Do……Does Not Mean Anything in Nigeria

This article is not meant to hold brief or a rejoinder for Prof Wole Soyinka – I am most confident he, and others, can do this for himself more effectively than me; rather it is to seek to protect Nigerians from the insult and onslaught of the spectre of brazen and barefaced arrogance, insensitivity and deception that our society is having to contend with on a daily basis.

When I first read Sadiq Abacha’s response, or rather, reaction to what he perceived as an insult from the esteemed Professor Wole Soyinka’s comment about his (Sadiq’s) father, the late General Sani Abacha, my first reaction is to say “How dare you? Who are you to write against WS?”  But on second thoughts and a few mulling, I had to admit that Sadiq wrote very well, even if the content bordered on the ludicrous and the typically arrogant. And of course, I do not believe that just because Wole Soyinka is a revered and world-renowned master of letters, no ordinary person should stand up to him. No! Why not? Wole Soyinka is a mortal like Sadiq, and he has no monopoly of wisdom, intelligence or letters. But like a friend said to me, it is better and more civilised he wrote than sending hired killers and kidnappers against his protagonist.

But our country is a society where nobody speaks or accepts the Truth; least of all those who have benefited from the corrupt and illegal system. It is a society where corruption, depravity, greed, self-centredness and deceitful acts and actions by anybody in power are celebrated by the very people suffering under the yoke of mismanagement of resources and abuse of power.

Most of our rulers (and the followers), probably due to some warped and debased genetic aberration do not seem to have any sense, understanding and appreciation of the difference between Right and Wrong; between Good and Evil.

Such people cannot have a conscience. And this is why, even excusing filial loyalty, Sadiq Abacha cannot see, understand and admit that his father, Sani Abacha, is generally, not only within the shores of Nigeria, but also internationally, considered the most despicable and corrupt despot in Nigeria's history.

But in a way, don't blame Sadiq too much, or at all.  First, he sees others of his father's malevolent ilk and company, however less notorious in atrocity and depravity, walking and swaggering on the streets of the nation with unconcealed arrogance, looted wealth and lack of remorse, being worshiped by the same people they have wrought havoc of poverty and underdevelopment on, and whose counsel on national issues are still being sought by those who still hold them, albeit dubiously, in high esteem;  the system being rotten and lacking in morals and integrity. His words reflect the insensitivity of this breed of people.

Secondly, I don’t expect him to denounce his father who assembled treasures and probably, limitless wealth for him and his siblings, that is why I appreciate and deign to him, "filial loyalty". The side of your father you see at home is usually totally different from the side others see from outside, so goes the saying. You can pardon the young man, after all, if he doesn't defend his own father, who will? But he could at least have kept quiet. And if he sees any slander in what is being said about his father, then he could go to court and sue for defamation of character. Unfortunately, by his letter, he has inadvertently, and with a delusion of grandeur, awoken very bitter memories and hatred in the minds of many of his countrymen and women, especially those who suffered or lost greatly under his despotic father.

The sad truth is that Sani Abacha, Sadiq’s dad was not just a heartless dictator; he was also notoriously known to be a thief all over the world. Whereas the Jonathan government seem to ache from regressive forgetfulness, Nigerians and indeed the entire world still remember Abacha’s reign of terror, slaughter, treasury looting, political intolerance, suppression of free press, and vicious elimination of opposition figures.

On the issue of Professor Wole Soyinka criticising every government, somebody, a friend actually, came up and asked me why, if Wole Soyinka know so much that he can criticise every time, why didn’t the eminent Nobel Laureate contest to be the President, or at least any other political office. I shook my head.  Look at world history, and in particular previous detestable communist countries and despotic rulers; how many government critics have ever been subsequently either elected or appointed into positions in government? If that has happened, how many of such sincere critics get out of government with their integrity intact? Does it mean that when you criticise a government, you want to take over from them and correct the wrongs? No, Sir. You criticise because you want governments and people to change, and not because you want to taste or be in power.  And those you criticise will seldom let you come near power anyway, even if you try it democratically. What happened to that most famous of Nigerian government critic, Gani Fawehinmi's National Conscience Party? Did Nigerians even vote for him or members of his party? In the presidential election of that year, 2003, the NCP candidate, Gani Fawehinmi, came a very distant fifth, polling 161,333 votes or 0.41% of the popular vote.

Sometimes it's not really the fault of the people siding with evil; it's more the fault of the people who choose to celebrate it and the society that chooses to keep mute about it. Governor Amaechi of Rivers State once said that until the people started stoning them (the governors and other rulers, himself included), they will not stop stealing.  Stealing in this context, in my own view, doesn't mean robbery or pilfering in the true sense of the word, it entails every aspect of corruption, mismanagement, ineffectiveness, and bad governance. That Sadiq Abacha is talking back or writing back in support of his father's award isn't much his ignorance, but the foolishness and bad sense of timing and judgement on the part of the government bestowing the award on his father;  and who despite the gloom that permeates our country over the mass murder of our children in Yobe;  the unremitting killings in the states of Adamawa and Borno; the massive scandals of missing billions and so on, still deemed it fit to enact a show of shame and heedlessness in the name of the Centenary celebrations.  If this government had not chosen to insult our feelings to 'honour' the late tyrant, there would have been no need for any of these letters, or has anyone of us heard of any Sadiq Abacha’s or any Abacha’s voice in recent years?   Sometimes I wonder if Nigeria will ever see a good day again; if we will ever live in good times again, where and when truth and decency will prevail over evil and the debauchery we see every day and openly.

I have been engaged on Facebook and other social media with some of my countrymen and women who were praising the president for suspending the governor of CBN. It was appalling to have the exchange because it shows how much our society has become one that choose to embrace all sorts of evil over good. Ours has become a society where corruption is celebrated heroically and the real heroism is side-lined. This is a depraved society where thieves come home to a rousing welcome, instead of being shamed and chased out of town; a society where thieves donate millions in tithes to the church and the pastor and the congregation look away from his transgression but look up to the thief for favours and advice.  

So this is what one can expect from children of today’s corrupt public officers, civil servant and others who I label as “Owners of Nigeria”.  I remember watching footage of Abacha's wife’s interview in the media proclaiming her deceased husband's innocence.  She's a beneficiary of the nation's looted wealth. So now we know what to expect of the children and/or relatives of our other rulers, military or civilian, and others of the late great Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s “VIP - Vagabonds In Power” classification in future i.e. to defend their father's record in much the same way.

It is no wonder then that the children and family of our rulers over the decades, whose sole assertion to fame (or rather, notoriety) is that of expert  and adept  treasury looting, election rigging, coup d’états,  genocide, mismanagement,  ineptness and bad governance, can now and often come out and insult our collective intelligence on a daily basis. But, you see; it is not fully their fault, it is partly our fault.

Our greedy, selfish, conscienceless and corrupt rulers know it, and they know we know it and you know they know it too.

Let the Truth be said always.

Of Planes, Trains and (Armoured) Automobiles

"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."  - Thomas Jefferson

Does the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master, we should not, must not, fear it.  We should be mindful of the difference between Government and government officials (People in Government - PIGs, I call them). Of course, a government is made up of people/officials. In moderately decent societies, governments are made up of both the governors and the governed.  What I am saying here is that if there are no people to govern, then a government will not exist. At the same time, it is the PIGs that make governments work or not work; that make governments good or bad. So the effectiveness, performance, goodness, reputation of a government is reliant on the type or quality of PIGs in there.

So, is it possible to have thousands of mediocre, greedy, selfish, corrupt, inept, insensitive or ineffective PIGs to the point that they are running our country down, or have been running our country down for decades? No, I refuse to believe this. There must be some elements of goodness in some of our politicians and civil servants who make up the PIGs. And in the society of 150 million too, if we agree that government is all-inclusive. We live, eat and sleep with them; they are not superhuman or gods as we like to see them, or as they like to be perceived, are they?

The sense of insecurity or rather phobia of our rulers is due to the little conscience left in them, that made them feel guilty because inside them is that little voice always telling them they are not doing what is good for their people; that they are not doing what God and Man prescribes to the powerful and privileged to do for the less powerful and privileged.

Yes, they have to feel insecure and beleaguered and if you look closely, that siege mentality is always there, as long as you are guilty of bad-governance. And our people, their people do not help matters with their, sycophancy, toadying and apotheos-ification.

And that brings us to the issue of armoured cars for government officials, and the title of this article, which is coined from the movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” an extremely comical and enjoyable film. However, the plot of the film has no bearing at all with our problems in Nigeria.

I just related it to the fact that the issue concerns Nigeria’s aviation industry (Planes) and the recent Associated Airlines crash in Lagos which took the lives of many people (may the souls of the departed rest in peace and may God give the families affected, the fortitude to bear the losses of their departed ones); and the cries (mainly unheard and ignored) to our governments to make rail travel (Trains) a major mode of transportation to cheaply and safely move people, goods and services the length and breadth of Nigeria.

And of course the scandal of (armoured) Automobiles involving the minister for aviation buying two armoured BMW vehicles, for her official use, for a breath-taking and ridiculous (obviously inflated) sum of $1.6 million.

Let me say here that I am sure she is not the only minister who would have bought armoured cars (or something similarly outrageous) for their official, if not personal use. Some of them are probably shaking in their boots now expecting discovery and exposure. Some madness in the recent past (not only armoured cars, but a flagrant exhibition of profligacy and complete disregard for fiscal prudence and public sensitivity) among others is listed below:

·         2013: the Aviation Minister, by her own admission, and corroborated by her own aides, got two BMW bullet proof cars by forcing some agencies in the aviation sector to cough up the money.

·         2013: it was alleged that the Governor of Oyo State bought 33 SUV’s for party leaders in all the 33 local government councils in Oyo state.

·         2012: allegation that the Governor of Osun State, bought two bullet proof Hummer Jeeps at N120m

·         In 2011: the allegation that the Lagos State Governor bought three bullet proof jeeps at N600m. He took two for his official use and dashed one to his political mentor.(it is no wonder why the opposition’s silence on the minister’s armoured cars issue is deafening)

·         Niger State Governor allegedly bought cars for all traditional rulers in his state some time ago.

·         Ekiti State governor allegedly bought between 10 and 17 SUV’s for traditional rulers in the state.

(Feel free to refute any of the above, says Oshine Oyedeji, a friend and brother. And these are only the tip of the iceberg; there are many more such excesses in the federal, states and even local governments they are hiding from the public)

In all sincerity, shouldn’t we be investigating, or at least castigating all these wastes and illegal use of public funds too?  What is good for the goose is good for the gander isn’t it?

So what are they armouring for? It is because they are afraid of their own people - the same people who a while ago, they were sitting with and enjoying their company.

For our incumbent minister of aviation, her aides said when she took over in the ministry, “she took bold steps and some of these agreements were reviewed and some were terminated, and these moves disturbed some entrenched interests in the sector, and within this period, she began to receive some imminent threats to her life; therefore, the need for the vehicles…..It should be noted that these vehicles are not personal vehicles and were not procured in the name of the honourable minister; they are utility vehicles and are for the office of the minister, and if she leaves the office, she will not be taking the vehicles along with her.”

Isn’t that nice to know? That she will leave the cars for her successor. Are they ever audited on leaving office? And “imminent threats” from who?

But wait a minute, isn’t this an illegal purchase (with public funds) as with the others listed above? Even the way in which the money was raised to purchase the cars was illegal and coming from supposedly cash-strapped agencies. Did those governors pass the motion to buy cars for monarchs or so-called party leaders through their respective Houses of Assembly? We need to come to terms with the reality that the government has lost the war on corruption. We all know there are lots of excesses going on in government ministries, departments and agencies. They are veritable breeding and festering grounds for massive corruption.

Beyond this, the scandal, now dubbed Oduahgate, to a certain degree explains why our airspace is perilous, unstable, and indeed lethal and fatal; why huge sums of money poured into the sector have been largely ineffective in revitalizing the sector and why those running our air transportation system are preoccupied with their own wellbeing and pockets.

The calls for the sacking of this patently inept minister are certainly not misplaced, no matter how hard her sycophantic supporters try to make out, and the Federal Government must resolve to cleanse the aviation sector, initiate widespread reforms and weed out the servile and inveterately corrupt bureaucrats that have prevented it from performing and delivering. Most importantly, we have to deal with the endemic corruption and the monumental waste of scarce public resources epitomized by this distended, mediocre and over-pampered public agency.

The scandal couldn’t have come at a worse time; what with university students sitting at home idle and depressed for the past four months due to the same profligate government not meeting their teachers’ demands for better conditions in the campuses, but I always wonder why it is only when a disaster like a plane crash happens that now brings to the fore and to the public, the corruption and excess that go on in government departments. Certainly, the minister had been enjoying her armoured cars until the Associated Airlines crash came, and with her insensitive and utterly out-of-place remarks about “inevitability of plane crashes” and “act of God”, her misdemeanour was dug up and exposed. Now they are scouring the corridors of her ministry for the whistle-blower.

Meanwhile, in London they are building more underground railway lines in order to contain the impossible challenge posed by London's careering population increase. But in our dear country Nigeria, which is four and a half times the size of the entire British Isles, and where we do not have even one underground railway station to boast of; yet merry old London, whose city is but one square mile in size and probably has more cars on its road than the entirety of the Nigerian state, is mindful of the dangers of too many cars and not enough roads to accommodate them. With the exception of Lagos and Cross-River States, which have expanded to overhead cable cars, the very real danger of stress-related diseases where traffic crawls to a standstill is being disregarded (if it was ever even thought of) at our peril! More railways lines would reduce stress-related diseases associated with too many cars on too few roads and general mayhem in our driving habits. Rail travel is also cheap and is the safest mode of transportation the world over (Courtesy: Dilibe Onyeama)

The British stand vindicated. When they were ruling us they put in place a developed railways system that served all parts of the Nigerian state - such that long-distance car travel was not necessary (I have written severally on this and brought to attention the rich and exotic  history of the Nigerian Railways, especially the Lagos Light Steam Tramway of 1906). Where are they now? What became of our railways? Who and what ruined the Nigeria Railways?

Let our rulers do the right thing....build and repair the roads; upgrade the railways; build and equip hospitals and schools; revive and invigorate our agriculture, they should administer their states with their own children in mind to access the facilities they create, and maybe then Life will not be as hard and death will not be so imminent either.

If a minister or any other public official is seen to be doing the right thing they are supposed to do and being paid to do, all these calls and abuses and insults will hardly be necessary. We will even be sympathetic and understand trying to do a good job in challenging circumstances; but our leaders are not even trying and they take their jobs as if they are at play, and it is their right to play with our lives.

So, should the Honourable (let’s give her that, until proven otherwise) Minister resign? My first inclination will be for her to resign, but that only happens in decent and considerate societies; and ours, let’s faces it, has long ceased to be classified as a decent society. So if she resigns, what about those I mentioned above? What about numerous other public officials, who should not only have resigned, but actually be in jail with the keys thrown into the Atlantic Ocean, but who are still in positions to steal and abuse their powers?

And there are hundreds of political jobbers and opportunists now gathered around like vultures to take her place, and perpetrate the same, if not worse, atrocities.

Shouldn’t the whole Jonathan cabinet resign for one reason or the other? Shouldn’t the ministers in charge of education resign for the prolonged ASUU strike that has kept our youths away from the University for the past 4 months? Shouldn’t the ministers in charge of petroleum not resign and take responsibility for the massive theft of our petroleum? Shouldn’t the power ministers resign for our epileptic electricity and energy problems? Shouldn’t the transport and works ministers resign for the neglect and lack of maintenance of our roads? And those in charge of the armed forces for the security problems in the country and the implication of the Nigerian Navy in illegal oil bunkering? And so many other ministers who are idle and just stealing money and making deals?

Shouldn’t the President himself resign for saying that a little stealing of money from the treasury is NOT corruption?

And therein lays the dilemma for us.

And we have a sad but not surprising note: It is rather worrying, nauseating and pitiful to read that some people, due to sharing the same ethnic background or coming from the same village with the Honourable Minister support her unethical behaviour. It is not unexpected: one of the problems and reasons why we cannot move this country forward - politics of ethnic or religious or personal loyalty! A distinctly and distinctively African malaise, characteristic of multi-ethnic Nigerian and ignorant educated illiterates, whose trademark is sycophancy and political jobbing. These are the people who allow the constant manipulation and corruption by the government, and its corrupt agents and officials; these are the people who always stand in the way of truth, sincerity, accountability and good governance to satisfy their own selfish ends; the foot soldiers of corruption that put barriers against those that are fighting corruption and ready for a change. The same people who see no wrong with the likes of Alamieyeseigha, Ibori, Igbinedion, Dariye, Fayose, etc.

We are inspired by the spirit and we shall continue to relay the message. They ignore their own people at their own peril. A wise person needs but one word to change.

I say, Let the Truth be told always!!!

A Little, Humble Tribute to Late Chief Segun Okeowo

Truly and indisputably, the last of the great student leaders of Nigeria

By

Akintokunbo A Adejumo

akinadejum@aol.com

“Nigeria, March/April 1978: The Minister for Education, Col Ahmadu Ali under the Obasanjo Military administration, had just announced that the Federal Government of Nigeria intended to increase the cost of feeding for University and other tertiary institutions’ students. At the time also, students pay about 98 Naira per year to secure accommodation on campus. The room is shared with one or two or three other students, depending on the size of the room. Postgraduate students often have a room to themselves.

Previously, the cost of eating at the institutions’ cafeterias was as follows: Breakfast, 10 Kobo; Lunch, 20 Kobo and Dinner, 20 Kobo, making 50 Kobo in total to get a full three-square meal a day at our institutions of higher learning in those days.

Now Minister Ali wanted to increase it as thus: 20 Kobo for breakfast and 25 Kobo each for lunch and dinner, making a total of 70 Kobo per day. The National Unions of Students, under the leadership of one Comrade Segun Okeowo, a second year student at the University of Lagos, entered into negotiations with the government, but Obasanjo’s government was adamant, and later talks broke down.

The students took to the streets in protest shouting “Ali Must Go”. The protests, I believed started at the Universities of Ibadan, Lagos and Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and spread to others, including Ibadan Polytechnic, and most other tertiary institutions in the South West and Bendel State.

I was at the forefront of the demonstrations at the University of Ibadan, although I was not a member of the Students Union Executive Committee. Those were the days. We fought running battles with the Mobile Police stationed outside the gates of the University. Throughout the over a week that we boycotted classes, throwing stones and taunting the “godo-godos”, as we called the ferocious mobile, anti-riot policemen, not once did they enter the University. I guess that was their orders. And not once did the students destroy any building inside the campuses.

After about a week of this standoff, the universities were closed by the Federal Government and every student advised to leave the campus. It was painful and inconvenient for students who came from afar to study at the various universities and polytechnics across Nigeria. At Ibadan, students from the South Eastern part of the country had to hurriedly charter luxury buses to take them back home to Aba, Enugu, Port Harcourt and the rest, leaving behind most of their belongings, because eventually the universities will be re-opened”. Culled from my article, Reminiscences of Nigeria, 10 June 2009 (http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/akintokunbo-a-adejumo/reminiscences-of-nigeria-12.html )

Chief Segun Okeowo may be as old as 73 when he died earlier this week (Tuesday, 28 January 2014). He had already acquired NCE) National Certificate of Education) with some years of work experience before enrolling for his first degree at the University of Lagos. That was the basis of his maturity when he was the President of the National Union of Nigerian Students, NUNS (precursor of the NANS). He led Nigerian students in the “Ali Must Go” demonstrations in 1978, while I was in my second year at the University of Ibadan, and he was at University of Lagos, being the President of NUNS. I, and a lot of other ordinary, but politically-aware students and student leaders of the day, were very active in the “Ali Must Go” protest against Obasanjo's military government then,(Obasanjo and his military junta was very rattled by this famous students demonstration)  and interacted a bit with Chief Okeowo, mainly through meetings and liaisons. During the crisis, he refused to be cowed, intimidated, bribed, induced, despite all the pressure mounted on him to call off the strike.

For his role in the protest, Okeowo was expelled (we called it “rustication” in those days) from the University of Lagos where he was a second-year English major student. He finally completed his degree five years later at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1982, graduating with a second class honours degree in Literature in English, much thanks to Professor Wole Soyinka and lots of other radical lecturers that made his obtaining a full degree possible for him at a time he was being treated as an 'outcast' by the then ruling military junta.

Mr Okeowo was a member of the 1976 Constitution Drafting Committee, CDC, constituted to write what later became the 1979 Constitution. He created a stir when he appeared for the inaugural meeting in an all-red overall suit with a Kangol classic hat to match. The CDC chairman, the late Justice Udo Udoma screamed in dramatic outrage accusing Okeowo of “platform acting” than preparedness to help write a constitution.

The Obasanjo government subsequently took him out of the CDC. It was sweet revenge for Obasanjo after Okeowo had led the notable revolt of Nigerian students against the price hike on student’s feeding introduced by the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime in 1978. The protest was dubbed the “Ali Must Go” protest taking its name from the then minister of education, Col. Ahmadu Ali, a medical doctor and army colonel who himself had been NUNS president as a student at the University of Ibadan.

By1989, he was the Principal of Ogijo Community Grammar School, Ogijo, Ogun State (a secondary school near Ikorodu - at the border/boundary of Ogun and Lagos States).  He was transferred to RSS (Remo Secondary  School, Sagamu and was also a one-time President of All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPS, Ogun State branch.

He once honoured a colleague's (a classmate of mine, Kamaldeen Ekemode, former Provost, Lagos State College of Primary Education (LACOPED) invitation to him for a one-day lecture for the students of Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Campus and continued to interact with him thereafter until he (Chief Okeowo) was posted as a principal to Makun High School, another secondary school in Sagamu, Ogun State. The man will always put on the same uniform as his students; a disciplinarian, a teacher and great leader. You will see that he read Education, knew and was passionate about education and teaching all his life.

He was, I would say, the last of the truly great, sincere and focused student union leader in Nigeria. Not the half-baked, ill-educated and ill-disciplined, corrupt and avaricious types we have these days, running around the campuses and pledging and attaching their loyalties to unscrupulous leaders and politicians in return for positions and riches.

One of the great achievers of his time when education in Nigeria was all about making sure there were opportunities accessible for everyone who required it within Nigeria, there was passion and the quality in Segun Okeowo. He made his mark in this world; a modest and great man, in deed and indeed, and an unsung hero, a veritable Champion for the Nigerian masses.

Segun Okeowo was a celebrity and a true patriot both when alive and in death. He sincerely contributed his quota for the emancipation of the Nigerian students (including the generation yet unborn) and history is already made and prosperity will judge him right. This is at variance with what is obtainable in the Nigerian society of today of leaders in all strata sacrificing their subjects for financial gain or other form of compensation. I was a student and student union activist in those days and I can convincingly say that genuine service from the heart has since died and we are left with eye-service, sycophancy, lust for lucre and corruption.

In those days, it was “aluta continua” (the struggle continues) NOT “a-looting continues” as we have it today. God have mercy, everyone is guilty of one thing or the other that led this nation into complete MESS. Though the lives of those standing on the truth are being threatened by the day but it is not enough for you to “join them if you can't beat them”.

He remains, in my view, a true Nigerian that should be celebrated and even studied compared to all the leaders we have today ruining and running the country to the ground and who, despite all available evidence, still want to force themselves into the history book. The generation of Segun Okeowo played active roles in the emancipation of Nigerian youths.

It behoves us to emulate the virtues Uncle Segun Okeowo left behind. He doesn't really need anybody’s prayers any more but wish above all things that you do something to make Nigeria a wonderful place to live in. Many Nigerians are forced out of the nation by the day. He is gone for good. May the Lord keep his family together in peace and grant them the fortitude to bear the great loss as He fills up the vacuum. Nigeria indeed miss you, people in genuine struggle also miss you.

Aluta continua and adieu!

May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen