I am sure that most political parties/political leaders in Nigeria, watched as Gordon Brown (Ex British Prime Minister) resigned from his position after accepting responsibilities, for his Labour Party defeat in just concluded United Kingdom general election. Every political dynasty has an end, so did Gordon Brown’s premiership that ended on Tuesday May 11th 2010. I am also sure that most Nigerian political parties/political leaders, watched Obama’s electoral victory, and the opposition victory in nearby Ghana. All these elections mentioned above have thrown a lot of challenges to Nigeria, especially as we approach the 2011 general election. To that extent, Nigerians should demand from all political parties the following(s);
Political Parties/Groups Manifesto(es).
As a matter of necessity, all political parties in Nigeria should produce their manifestoes. These manifestoes should be made available both online and hard copies. Nigerians need to know their programme(s) and why they are seeking power. Political parties should be ideologically based. Mega party or coalition of parties should come up with manifestoes as well. Parties also need to make public their internal constitution. This is with a view to knowing if there are internal democracies within the parties themselves. The should also make public their websites. Interestingly, the last time I checked all the parties, many had no operational telephone numbers talk less of a website. Operational websites should be a basic requirement for Nigerian political parties. This will enable Nigerians in Diaspora to participate in politics.
Campaign Funding.
Parties should disclose to Nigerians the sources of their campaign funding. Donations, fund raising, gifts etc to parties should be disclosed. Person(s) or corporate bodies making any donation should also be known by the Nigerian public. Cost(s) of election campaigns should be disclosed. As at October 15th 2008, before the November 4th 2008 American presidential election, the United States Federal Electoral Commission revealed that McCain campaign organization had spent $262 million dollars while Obama had spent $564 million dollars. Methods of campaign (electronic, print, telephone/sms, etc) should be disclosed. Obama campaign organization made use of over 1 billion text messages during his campaign.
Academic Qualifications.
Political parties should make public, academic qualifications of all those seeking to contest under their platform. Party leaders themselves should tender their certificates for the Nigerian public to scrutinize. Academic certificates are now a big factor in politics and elections. People have used fake certificates to gain political positions. In Iran, former interior minister (Ali Kordan) was sacked for faking a law degree from Oxford University United Kingdom. In Nigeria, Salisu Buhari (Former Speaker of the House of Representatives) was forced to resign after discovering that he forged his certificates.
Security Clearance.
Evidence of security clearance from Interpol, Nigerian Police Force, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and State Security Services of each aspirant, should be made public by all parties and the candidates themselves. Nigerians deserve to know if political office seekers have criminal records in any part of the world.
Assets and Liabilities Declaration.
Political parties should make public, evidence of assets and liabilities of every aspirant. Sources of these assets and liabilities should be disclosed as well.
Leadership Debate(s).
This is non negotiable. Nigerians should insist on leadership debates by political aspirants. No elective position (councillorships, local government chairmanship, states House of Assembly, gubernatorial, House of Representatives, Senatorial, and Presidential) should be exempted. Parties should arrange live debates for Nigerians to evaluate candidates
Health Check(s).
Political parties should furnish Nigerians with comprehensive medical examination certificates of all aspirants. There is no guarantee against ill health, but Nigerians deserve to know the medical history of all those seeking political offices. Certain sicknesses should not be a barrier to seeking elective positions. This requirement (health check) should be applicable to all elective positions in the country, starting from the ward councilors to the president.
Age.
Age MUST become an issue in Nigerian politics. But I will not tell the political parties the age requirements for party members seeking to contest elections. All I will suggest to Nigerians is; there is no point voting people who are above retirement age. McCain (the last Republican Presidential candidate of America) was 72 years when he contested election. His (McCain) age was among the reasons why he lost election. David Cameroon the United Kingdom Prime Minister is 44 years old.
The Electorate (Nigerians).
We owe ourselves and the country a duty to make the right choices during the general election next year (2011). We also need to mobilize one another against electoral fraud. I suggest all electorates to become electoral activist(s). Vote during elections, stay around till the votes are counted, follow the returning officer(s) or delegate people to follow the returning officers till the overall results are announced. Monitor elections in your locality. Go to pooling stations with hidden cameras or spy cameras. Better still; take pictures with your mobile phones.
All Nigerians should be on their guards since the National Assembly has not passed Justice Uwais electoral reform recommendations. I advocate Option A4. We are also yet to see a radical transformation at the Independent (Dependent) National Electoral Commission. Therefore, electorates should get ready to defend their votes. There are two choices for the electorates (Nigerians) to make, either take action that will bring about changes or keep quiet and allow the corrupt politicians to completely destroy us. Our little actions can change a lot. For every action to manipulate election there should be a reaction to counter it.
Finally, please remember to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Sunday, 25 April 2010
BBC 2 Documentary: Welcome To Lagos.
Please do not get me wrong, this documentary is a public relation(s) disaster for Nigeria, Nigerians and every thing Nigeria stands for. But I tend to have a different view about this documentary. My opinion is that, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC 2) deserves special award and commendations for finding time, resources and manpower that went to Nigeria to do such an eye opening documentary. Please permit me to thank BBC 2 for this wonderful efforts and exposure. I suggest British Broadcasting Corporation should do more documentaries on Nigeria.
This documentary should become a major challenge for our own media outfits like, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television, Silver Bird Group, Daar Communications Plc, owners of (African Independent Television [A.I.T.], and Ray Power Radio Stations) to expose many dark sides of our society, with a view to prompting positive actions from the government. On this note, I recommend Covert Journalism/Reporting for all Nigerians. These days every one can become a reporter (iReport) and publisher due to information technology. Therefore, we should expose the good, the bad and the ugly in our society. Covert, surveillance and spy cameras are also recommended.
For the benefit of those who have not watched it (welcome to Lagos), I enclosed here a weblink for episode 1 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s3bmx/Welcome_to_Lagos_Episode_1) and episode 2 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s5x5w/Welcome_to_Lagos_Episode_2).
The above documentary is similar to an earlier drama/film (Blood and Oil) shown by the same channel BBC 2. The above film(s) and documentaries are highly recommended. First, it shows the level of decay. Secondly it shows absence of government. Thirdly it shows the determination and how people work very hard to survive in the face of government imposed hardship. It also revealed that there are a lot of human resources to be harnessed for national development. The people in the documentaries (Welcome to Lagos) exhibited several entrepreneurial and survival skills.
I understand that the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (Dr. Dalhatu Tafida) protested to the controller BBC 2 against the documentary (Welcome to Lagos). Ironically, the government he is representing and past governments did more to push people to the slums. An example was the Moroko evictees who were forceful evicted by the ex military ruler (Babangida) in 1990. Till date (20 years after), many of them are still going to court for compensation. Many have died in the course of pursuing their resettlement claims.
Though Moroko then was not properly developed, all the ex ruler (Babangida) did was to forcefully evict people from their homes. By so doing he pushed people to the streets which would have led to more slums. Thank goodness he (Dr. Dalhatu Tafida) did not deny the existence of the slums in Lagos in his protest message. On behalf of poor Nigerians whose pain, anguish and neglect by the government necessitated the making of these documentaries, I declare his (Dr Dalhatu Tafida) protest letter null and void.
The authorities that asked Dr Dalhatu Tafida to protest or the Nigerian High Commissioner himself should bury his head in shame for the failure of Nigerian government to provide basic amenities like houses, electricity etc. How much will it cost the nation to provide houses, steady power, water etc for its population compared to how much that has been looted by government officials. Olabode George for instance misappropriated about 85 billion naira. Imagine what this amount could do for those people shown on the documentaries.
In the same manner that the British Broadcasting Corporation used documentaries (Welcome to Lagos) and drama (Blood and Oil) to expose the neglected part of the Nigerian society, and even cause the federal government to react (protest letter from The High Commissioner to the BBC 2), let use films, documentaries, drama on DVDs to propagate political evangelism and change. Picture effects are a powerful means of communicating to people. Perhaps this method (political evangelism) could cause the government to react positively for our people.
Finally, please remember to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
This documentary should become a major challenge for our own media outfits like, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television, Silver Bird Group, Daar Communications Plc, owners of (African Independent Television [A.I.T.], and Ray Power Radio Stations) to expose many dark sides of our society, with a view to prompting positive actions from the government. On this note, I recommend Covert Journalism/Reporting for all Nigerians. These days every one can become a reporter (iReport) and publisher due to information technology. Therefore, we should expose the good, the bad and the ugly in our society. Covert, surveillance and spy cameras are also recommended.
For the benefit of those who have not watched it (welcome to Lagos), I enclosed here a weblink for episode 1 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s3bmx/Welcome_to_Lagos_Episode_1) and episode 2 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s5x5w/Welcome_to_Lagos_Episode_2).
The above documentary is similar to an earlier drama/film (Blood and Oil) shown by the same channel BBC 2. The above film(s) and documentaries are highly recommended. First, it shows the level of decay. Secondly it shows absence of government. Thirdly it shows the determination and how people work very hard to survive in the face of government imposed hardship. It also revealed that there are a lot of human resources to be harnessed for national development. The people in the documentaries (Welcome to Lagos) exhibited several entrepreneurial and survival skills.
I understand that the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (Dr. Dalhatu Tafida) protested to the controller BBC 2 against the documentary (Welcome to Lagos). Ironically, the government he is representing and past governments did more to push people to the slums. An example was the Moroko evictees who were forceful evicted by the ex military ruler (Babangida) in 1990. Till date (20 years after), many of them are still going to court for compensation. Many have died in the course of pursuing their resettlement claims.
Though Moroko then was not properly developed, all the ex ruler (Babangida) did was to forcefully evict people from their homes. By so doing he pushed people to the streets which would have led to more slums. Thank goodness he (Dr. Dalhatu Tafida) did not deny the existence of the slums in Lagos in his protest message. On behalf of poor Nigerians whose pain, anguish and neglect by the government necessitated the making of these documentaries, I declare his (Dr Dalhatu Tafida) protest letter null and void.
The authorities that asked Dr Dalhatu Tafida to protest or the Nigerian High Commissioner himself should bury his head in shame for the failure of Nigerian government to provide basic amenities like houses, electricity etc. How much will it cost the nation to provide houses, steady power, water etc for its population compared to how much that has been looted by government officials. Olabode George for instance misappropriated about 85 billion naira. Imagine what this amount could do for those people shown on the documentaries.
In the same manner that the British Broadcasting Corporation used documentaries (Welcome to Lagos) and drama (Blood and Oil) to expose the neglected part of the Nigerian society, and even cause the federal government to react (protest letter from The High Commissioner to the BBC 2), let use films, documentaries, drama on DVDs to propagate political evangelism and change. Picture effects are a powerful means of communicating to people. Perhaps this method (political evangelism) could cause the government to react positively for our people.
Finally, please remember to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Undue Attention.
I have been following with keen interest the decision by the former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida to contest the 2011 Presidential election. Personally, I don’t think he (Babangida) will go far. A good example was when ex head of state (Gen Gowon) tried to contest the presidential election in 1992/93. He (Gowon) failed in his primary constituency. In the case of Gowon’s attempt, Option A4 Electoral System was in place. Though that we have a different electoral law in place now, he (Babangida) will be shocked the way he will loose election. I also think, he might be seeking undue attention because events have relegated him to an obscure background.
History has indeed consigned him to garbage heap of forgotten tyrants. People should not loose sleep about his plans. Its just that one still wonders how people like him think, otherwise there are other things he should have engaged himself with, other than seeking to come back to power. I had in some of my articles advised him (Babangida) to use his influences to work for the re-introduction of Option A4 Electoral System back to our legal books. He should also use his contacts to lobby the present government to posthumously announce the official winner of June 12th 1993 presidential elections and for government to pay compensation to the families of Abiola.
Quoting Thewill (an online news publication; http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/4209-Nigerian-Youths-Are-Not-Capable-Leading-Nigeria-IBB.html), Babangida said that Nigerian youths are not capable of ruling Nigeria. I strongly disagree with him. Rather his statement is an acceptance by him, that he lacked leadership skills when he ruled Nigeria as a youth.
I am also sure that some of his (Babangida) colleagues, associates and friends (birds of the same feather) might want to contest other elections (Senatorial, gubernatorial, etc). Now that he has declared his intensions to run for the highest office of the land, patriotic Nigerians should also declared their own intentions to mass mobilize Nigerians to vote the rightful candidates. Action should be equal to reaction. I had in my previous articles suggested to Nigerians on the need to start political evangelism using various kinds of media outlets. For the sake of good governance in Nigeria, let all patriots become political evangelists. In addition, this will be an ideal time for Nigerians to constitute a shadow judicial process and retry all cases like Dele Giwa’s death etc.
Amongst the most potent means of political evangelism will be to prepare messages on DVDs, CDs, Videos, etc on local languages. Nothing can compare with picture effects. Using home videos and televised religious evangelism as case studies, one will agree that many people have been changed through those means. In the same manner people can be mobilized after viewing political messages. Another reason for this method (political messages on DVDs, CDs Videos, etc) is because government and some private television stations might not like to air such programs. Therefore DVDs/Video recordings will suffice.
Times International Magazine of April 19th 2010, pages 18-19 showed where people of Southern Sudan gathered to watch an educational film on fair elections. A well prepared political/electoral documentary on DVDs can have serious impacts on voting patterns. In case of any documentary in line with the above suggestions, I will recommend the following to be included (a) clips/films of how people of Eastern Europe resisted and dismantled communism (b) clips/films of how Thai people (Red Shirts) exercises peoples power (c) clips/films of how South African resisted Apartheid (d) clips/films of motivational speeches by Martin Luther King Jnr, (e) clips of speeches by our own Tunde (Pastor) Bakare etc.
Political evangelism methods have the potentials of increasing political awareness amongst our folks. We can also choose the direct marketing strategy, whereby we meet people one on one and advise who not to vote. Firstly we can start with our immediate and extended families then proceed to the community levels. I know that many people might be vulnerable to following the money bags, that’s why patriotic Nigerians will have to increase their political evangelism so as to win more souls to see reasons to vote rightfully.
Finally, please remember to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
History has indeed consigned him to garbage heap of forgotten tyrants. People should not loose sleep about his plans. Its just that one still wonders how people like him think, otherwise there are other things he should have engaged himself with, other than seeking to come back to power. I had in some of my articles advised him (Babangida) to use his influences to work for the re-introduction of Option A4 Electoral System back to our legal books. He should also use his contacts to lobby the present government to posthumously announce the official winner of June 12th 1993 presidential elections and for government to pay compensation to the families of Abiola.
Quoting Thewill (an online news publication; http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/4209-Nigerian-Youths-Are-Not-Capable-Leading-Nigeria-IBB.html), Babangida said that Nigerian youths are not capable of ruling Nigeria. I strongly disagree with him. Rather his statement is an acceptance by him, that he lacked leadership skills when he ruled Nigeria as a youth.
I am also sure that some of his (Babangida) colleagues, associates and friends (birds of the same feather) might want to contest other elections (Senatorial, gubernatorial, etc). Now that he has declared his intensions to run for the highest office of the land, patriotic Nigerians should also declared their own intentions to mass mobilize Nigerians to vote the rightful candidates. Action should be equal to reaction. I had in my previous articles suggested to Nigerians on the need to start political evangelism using various kinds of media outlets. For the sake of good governance in Nigeria, let all patriots become political evangelists. In addition, this will be an ideal time for Nigerians to constitute a shadow judicial process and retry all cases like Dele Giwa’s death etc.
Amongst the most potent means of political evangelism will be to prepare messages on DVDs, CDs, Videos, etc on local languages. Nothing can compare with picture effects. Using home videos and televised religious evangelism as case studies, one will agree that many people have been changed through those means. In the same manner people can be mobilized after viewing political messages. Another reason for this method (political messages on DVDs, CDs Videos, etc) is because government and some private television stations might not like to air such programs. Therefore DVDs/Video recordings will suffice.
Times International Magazine of April 19th 2010, pages 18-19 showed where people of Southern Sudan gathered to watch an educational film on fair elections. A well prepared political/electoral documentary on DVDs can have serious impacts on voting patterns. In case of any documentary in line with the above suggestions, I will recommend the following to be included (a) clips/films of how people of Eastern Europe resisted and dismantled communism (b) clips/films of how Thai people (Red Shirts) exercises peoples power (c) clips/films of how South African resisted Apartheid (d) clips/films of motivational speeches by Martin Luther King Jnr, (e) clips of speeches by our own Tunde (Pastor) Bakare etc.
Political evangelism methods have the potentials of increasing political awareness amongst our folks. We can also choose the direct marketing strategy, whereby we meet people one on one and advise who not to vote. Firstly we can start with our immediate and extended families then proceed to the community levels. I know that many people might be vulnerable to following the money bags, that’s why patriotic Nigerians will have to increase their political evangelism so as to win more souls to see reasons to vote rightfully.
Finally, please remember to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 4 April 2010
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