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Friday, November 28, 2008
The Patriots And The Anarchists!
The Patriots And The Anarchists!
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
May 25, 2003
What should Nigerians do with the �The Patriots� And Their Persistent Unconstitutional Demands? The Patriots Say Dismantle And Decimate The Constitution! How should Nigerians react to these suggestions? The Patriots The Anarchists And Strange Bedfellows Are made? Should Nigerians consider The Patriots and opposition groups as one and the same thing? The Patriots As Anarchists? Who are these people? Is this how �The Patriots� want to be seen and remembered? Working hand-in-hand with the disgruntled elements? These are some of the questions that have been welling-up in my mind a millions times since Friday, when I first learnt of this controversy!
The Patriots have apparently not learned any lessons from their very recent experience? The Patriots admonished Mr. Obasanjo and gratuitously advised him against running for re-election in his pursuance of a second term as president of Nigeria, President Obasanjo, thereafter, exercised his constitutionally entitled and guaranteed right to run for re-election for a second term and the rest, as they say is now history!
The Patriots appears to be saying that the best way to strengthen our constitutional democracy is to dismantle it? Why is it that too many Nigerians, these days seem to be bereft of logic and common sense? Too many Nigerians who are ordinarily intelligent and reasonable individuals, now appear to b all bitten by the bug of illogic and illegality?
I read the latest suggestions emanating from the self-acclaimed group, the so-called �The Patriots� without a minimum of surprise; But nonetheless, it left me however, to wonder whether, logic is failing some of our senior members of the Nigerian Bar?
How else can any lawyer or anyone at all, explain the fact that Barrister F.R.A Williams SAN, who has practiced law before Nigerian political independence, practiced law before many Nigerians were alive and practiced law before I was born! And the very eminent Professor Nwabueze, the formerly erudite and prolific constitutional law writer, are now engaging in very high profile frivolity and exaggerated futility as they toy with matters of national importance to Nigeria?
Abrogation of the Nigerian constitution is not a legal remedy to the constitutional disagreement or alleged elections fraud or irregularities!
Why couldn�t Mr. Williams and Mr. Nwabueze convince their successful businessmen counterparts in this exclusive club called The Patriots, that the remedy to constitutional infraction is not a recommendation to disregard, decimate and dismantle the constitution!
Here now however, The Patriots resurfaced like a hydra-headed snake, as they make new and more gratuitous suggestions! To the effect that Nigerians should summarily suspend the constitution and operate outside of it! These suggestions has been rightly described by Mr. Osuntokun of Mr. Obasanjo Campaign Organization as unpatriotic and unconstitutional advise by The Patriots!
APGA and ANPP have been engaging in many shrill shouting marathons, indulging in numerous threats and protests, Buhari and Ojukwu have made the strangest bedfellows in their efforts to blackmail and intimidate the rest of us and now The Patriots have again come with their refrain replete with ill-advised, ill-timed advice with ominous undertones! The Patriots seem to always be saying, �Let us disregard and dismantle the Nigerian constitution!� What sorts of eminent Nigerians citizens are these?!!!!!
President Obasanjo must let APGA, ANPP, Buhari, Ojukwu, all the other prophets of mass action, anarchy, chaos and lawlessness KNOW THAT the rest of us Nigerians know where to find gunpowder! Just because we advocate peace and stability, just because we prefer to be law abiding and respect the constitution of Nigeria, does not confer the monopoly of violence, the monopoly of access to gun powder on Buhari/Ojukwu/Okadigbo APGA and ANPP!
Lest We Forget!
The President and PDP have variously made peace overtures to Buhari/Okadigbo/Ojukwu and others but to no avail!
The president and PDP have been strenuously magnanimous in victory, in efforts to secure peace, some group of Emirs and Elders, Political and religious leaders were involved, but the feelings of the opposition was inflamed instead of assuaged!
But the charlatans have rejected all peace moves!
So if according to Adisa, Buhari is stubborn and has legendary capacity to be angry? Who says Obasanjo, other Nigerians cannot cultivate stubbornness and capacity for anger and whatever else? People should not take refinements as weakness!
How long must the president and PDP and all Nigerians continue to accept threats and intimidation from these characters?
And as for those senile so-called Patriots? They should shamefully bow out! This is not the first time that they are offering extra constitutional measures as solutions to purely constitutional challenges! And coming in less than a week to the inaugurations? Why?
All Nigerians must Decry The Patriots� Call For Interim Government! All Nigerians should take cues from the comments of well meaning Nigerians featured in The Guardian Newspapers May 25, 2003 article which is quoted below, and it said among other things, �The Patriots� comments continues to draw sharp criticisms and condemnation from a cross section of Nigerians.
It should be stressed that the call was most unpatriotic albeit designed to truncate the country's stride towards full democracy. They advised the Patriots to be conscious of their sensitive positions as elders in the country whose interventions must always be prudent and judicious�
1. Most Rev. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, the Archbishop of the Province of Lagos of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) said the call was an open invitation to destabilization of the country.
2. The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), equally made of eminent citizens and elder statesmen, has taken a very critical position over the call The Y.C.E. faulted The Patriots call; and they were alarmed by the call, which is a direct invitation to anarchy. The Patriots� reasons are aberrant action are very confounding and illogical". The YCE questions the "patriotic credentials of the Patriots" if they could even call for a hurried amendment of the constitution "The Patriots call coming after the aggrieved have heeded the voice of reason and taken their cases to the election tribunal is rather suspicious and sinister. Are the patriots calling for the dissolution of the tribunals or as eminent jurists, are they declaring loss of confidence in the judiciary, an institution they have served meritoriously for many years?" The Patriots call as suspect and that it could be having a hidden agenda. The source said that the Yoruba elders would call on Nigerians to defend their mandate and to resist any action to abort the country's democracy
3. The 1986 Nobel laureate for Literature and consistent commentator on the polity, Prof. Wole Soyinka, had described the call as "insidious" and lacking in thorough thinking. Soyinka said it was unbelievable that a group made up of such eminent names in the society would be canvassing a subversion of the constitution and asking for rules of a game to be changed mid-course; just so to satisfy the imperative of an emergency. "We all have a responsibility to ensure that this democracy is sustained". .
4. Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State, also said the call is an invitation to chaos. "I condemn totally the attempt to invite foreign nations into internal matters of this nation", he said adding "Also, there is no basis for interim government in the constitution of Nigeria, either in fact or in law".
5. In his own reaction, Gen. A. O Aduloju, former Commandant, Command and Staff College, Jaji, said, "before the presidential primaries, our so-called Patriots had taken it upon themselves to pick up our constitution and remodel it, prescribing a five-year political term of office once and for all for a President. They did this with so much impunity to the extent of suggesting that the amendments of the constitution should be binding on the incumbent President. "The Patriot' rendered the same tune during the impeachment debacle between Mr. President and the National Assembly.
Now that the nation has successfully had an election and all the world has acclaimed its success, to the extent that all the world powers, and major countries of the western world, the European Union, the eastern bloc, African countries etc, have all acknowledged victory for Mr. President and recognised him as the winner of the April 19th election nation-wide, the 'Patriots' now comes up with the same old tune of unpatriotic and retrogressive song, demanding a cancellation of a concluded and successful election that had caused the nation money, property, time, and lives. Aduloju a former presidential aspirant of the defunct Nigerian Republican Convention, continued: "They should note that there is no country in the world where an election exercise was done 100 per cent foolproof", he said while recalling the last US election that produced George W. Bush as American president.
6. Mr. Alabi is Wondering why the respected elders chose this critical moment in Nigeria's history to align forces with agents of destabilization. Alabi whose CAFI those who are clamouring for the cancellation of the election results are unwittingly inviting chaos and anarchy, which will eventually sweep them away. Alabi also regretted that the elders, who among them are eminent lawyers, have by their recent utterances lost faith in the constitutional provisions regarding election tribunals, where aggrieved politicians are already seeking redress. "Their regrettable position can only undermine the rule of law and precipitate lawlessness", he said.�
My conclusion is that �The Patriots" are bereft of ideas! The Patriots have willed themselves into monumental irrelevance in Nigeria and history!
I flinch and even shudder at the suggestions by some Nigerians that �mass actions and other disruptive or violent behaviour should be allowed to thwart inaugurations on May 29, 2003! No individuals or group of persons, Nigerian or foreign should be allowed plunge Nigeria into anarchy or chaos, all in the name of having grievance or being aggrieved! No! Illegal behaviour as enunciated in numerous public threats must be nipped!
Nigerian constitution must be strengthened not decimated, disregarded or dismantled!
Enough of the Buhari/Okadigbo/Ojukwu threats and intimidation! Enough already!
God and Allah have always blessed Nigeria and will continue to dos so, even more abundantly!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
May 25, 2003
What should Nigerians do with the �The Patriots� And Their Persistent Unconstitutional Demands? The Patriots Say Dismantle And Decimate The Constitution! How should Nigerians react to these suggestions? The Patriots The Anarchists And Strange Bedfellows Are made? Should Nigerians consider The Patriots and opposition groups as one and the same thing? The Patriots As Anarchists? Who are these people? Is this how �The Patriots� want to be seen and remembered? Working hand-in-hand with the disgruntled elements? These are some of the questions that have been welling-up in my mind a millions times since Friday, when I first learnt of this controversy!
The Patriots have apparently not learned any lessons from their very recent experience? The Patriots admonished Mr. Obasanjo and gratuitously advised him against running for re-election in his pursuance of a second term as president of Nigeria, President Obasanjo, thereafter, exercised his constitutionally entitled and guaranteed right to run for re-election for a second term and the rest, as they say is now history!
The Patriots appears to be saying that the best way to strengthen our constitutional democracy is to dismantle it? Why is it that too many Nigerians, these days seem to be bereft of logic and common sense? Too many Nigerians who are ordinarily intelligent and reasonable individuals, now appear to b all bitten by the bug of illogic and illegality?
I read the latest suggestions emanating from the self-acclaimed group, the so-called �The Patriots� without a minimum of surprise; But nonetheless, it left me however, to wonder whether, logic is failing some of our senior members of the Nigerian Bar?
How else can any lawyer or anyone at all, explain the fact that Barrister F.R.A Williams SAN, who has practiced law before Nigerian political independence, practiced law before many Nigerians were alive and practiced law before I was born! And the very eminent Professor Nwabueze, the formerly erudite and prolific constitutional law writer, are now engaging in very high profile frivolity and exaggerated futility as they toy with matters of national importance to Nigeria?
Abrogation of the Nigerian constitution is not a legal remedy to the constitutional disagreement or alleged elections fraud or irregularities!
Why couldn�t Mr. Williams and Mr. Nwabueze convince their successful businessmen counterparts in this exclusive club called The Patriots, that the remedy to constitutional infraction is not a recommendation to disregard, decimate and dismantle the constitution!
Here now however, The Patriots resurfaced like a hydra-headed snake, as they make new and more gratuitous suggestions! To the effect that Nigerians should summarily suspend the constitution and operate outside of it! These suggestions has been rightly described by Mr. Osuntokun of Mr. Obasanjo Campaign Organization as unpatriotic and unconstitutional advise by The Patriots!
APGA and ANPP have been engaging in many shrill shouting marathons, indulging in numerous threats and protests, Buhari and Ojukwu have made the strangest bedfellows in their efforts to blackmail and intimidate the rest of us and now The Patriots have again come with their refrain replete with ill-advised, ill-timed advice with ominous undertones! The Patriots seem to always be saying, �Let us disregard and dismantle the Nigerian constitution!� What sorts of eminent Nigerians citizens are these?!!!!!
President Obasanjo must let APGA, ANPP, Buhari, Ojukwu, all the other prophets of mass action, anarchy, chaos and lawlessness KNOW THAT the rest of us Nigerians know where to find gunpowder! Just because we advocate peace and stability, just because we prefer to be law abiding and respect the constitution of Nigeria, does not confer the monopoly of violence, the monopoly of access to gun powder on Buhari/Ojukwu/Okadigbo APGA and ANPP!
Lest We Forget!
The President and PDP have variously made peace overtures to Buhari/Okadigbo/Ojukwu and others but to no avail!
The president and PDP have been strenuously magnanimous in victory, in efforts to secure peace, some group of Emirs and Elders, Political and religious leaders were involved, but the feelings of the opposition was inflamed instead of assuaged!
But the charlatans have rejected all peace moves!
So if according to Adisa, Buhari is stubborn and has legendary capacity to be angry? Who says Obasanjo, other Nigerians cannot cultivate stubbornness and capacity for anger and whatever else? People should not take refinements as weakness!
How long must the president and PDP and all Nigerians continue to accept threats and intimidation from these characters?
And as for those senile so-called Patriots? They should shamefully bow out! This is not the first time that they are offering extra constitutional measures as solutions to purely constitutional challenges! And coming in less than a week to the inaugurations? Why?
All Nigerians must Decry The Patriots� Call For Interim Government! All Nigerians should take cues from the comments of well meaning Nigerians featured in The Guardian Newspapers May 25, 2003 article which is quoted below, and it said among other things, �The Patriots� comments continues to draw sharp criticisms and condemnation from a cross section of Nigerians.
It should be stressed that the call was most unpatriotic albeit designed to truncate the country's stride towards full democracy. They advised the Patriots to be conscious of their sensitive positions as elders in the country whose interventions must always be prudent and judicious�
1. Most Rev. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, the Archbishop of the Province of Lagos of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) said the call was an open invitation to destabilization of the country.
2. The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), equally made of eminent citizens and elder statesmen, has taken a very critical position over the call The Y.C.E. faulted The Patriots call; and they were alarmed by the call, which is a direct invitation to anarchy. The Patriots� reasons are aberrant action are very confounding and illogical". The YCE questions the "patriotic credentials of the Patriots" if they could even call for a hurried amendment of the constitution "The Patriots call coming after the aggrieved have heeded the voice of reason and taken their cases to the election tribunal is rather suspicious and sinister. Are the patriots calling for the dissolution of the tribunals or as eminent jurists, are they declaring loss of confidence in the judiciary, an institution they have served meritoriously for many years?" The Patriots call as suspect and that it could be having a hidden agenda. The source said that the Yoruba elders would call on Nigerians to defend their mandate and to resist any action to abort the country's democracy
3. The 1986 Nobel laureate for Literature and consistent commentator on the polity, Prof. Wole Soyinka, had described the call as "insidious" and lacking in thorough thinking. Soyinka said it was unbelievable that a group made up of such eminent names in the society would be canvassing a subversion of the constitution and asking for rules of a game to be changed mid-course; just so to satisfy the imperative of an emergency. "We all have a responsibility to ensure that this democracy is sustained". .
4. Alhaji Lateef Jakande, former governor of Lagos State, also said the call is an invitation to chaos. "I condemn totally the attempt to invite foreign nations into internal matters of this nation", he said adding "Also, there is no basis for interim government in the constitution of Nigeria, either in fact or in law".
5. In his own reaction, Gen. A. O Aduloju, former Commandant, Command and Staff College, Jaji, said, "before the presidential primaries, our so-called Patriots had taken it upon themselves to pick up our constitution and remodel it, prescribing a five-year political term of office once and for all for a President. They did this with so much impunity to the extent of suggesting that the amendments of the constitution should be binding on the incumbent President. "The Patriot' rendered the same tune during the impeachment debacle between Mr. President and the National Assembly.
Now that the nation has successfully had an election and all the world has acclaimed its success, to the extent that all the world powers, and major countries of the western world, the European Union, the eastern bloc, African countries etc, have all acknowledged victory for Mr. President and recognised him as the winner of the April 19th election nation-wide, the 'Patriots' now comes up with the same old tune of unpatriotic and retrogressive song, demanding a cancellation of a concluded and successful election that had caused the nation money, property, time, and lives. Aduloju a former presidential aspirant of the defunct Nigerian Republican Convention, continued: "They should note that there is no country in the world where an election exercise was done 100 per cent foolproof", he said while recalling the last US election that produced George W. Bush as American president.
6. Mr. Alabi is Wondering why the respected elders chose this critical moment in Nigeria's history to align forces with agents of destabilization. Alabi whose CAFI those who are clamouring for the cancellation of the election results are unwittingly inviting chaos and anarchy, which will eventually sweep them away. Alabi also regretted that the elders, who among them are eminent lawyers, have by their recent utterances lost faith in the constitutional provisions regarding election tribunals, where aggrieved politicians are already seeking redress. "Their regrettable position can only undermine the rule of law and precipitate lawlessness", he said.�
My conclusion is that �The Patriots" are bereft of ideas! The Patriots have willed themselves into monumental irrelevance in Nigeria and history!
I flinch and even shudder at the suggestions by some Nigerians that �mass actions and other disruptive or violent behaviour should be allowed to thwart inaugurations on May 29, 2003! No individuals or group of persons, Nigerian or foreign should be allowed plunge Nigeria into anarchy or chaos, all in the name of having grievance or being aggrieved! No! Illegal behaviour as enunciated in numerous public threats must be nipped!
Nigerian constitution must be strengthened not decimated, disregarded or dismantled!
Enough of the Buhari/Okadigbo/Ojukwu threats and intimidation! Enough already!
God and Allah have always blessed Nigeria and will continue to dos so, even more abundantly!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Nonsense Of Elections Monitors From America And Europe
The Nonsense Of Elections Monitors From America And Europe
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 26, 2003
Why are Nigerians and Africans always willing to play catch-up in compliance with American and European inconsistent and ever shifting policies that have had avalanche adverse consequences on Africans? Why do Nigerians and Africans care what the BBC, VOA or EU, UK and USA thinks of our elections? Why do we need this insulting supervision? Why do we accept this condescending, patronizing and disrespectful oversight? If this is not colonialism, what is?
President Thambo Mbeki of South Africa and all reasonable and right thinking Africans should be asking and answering the question, why should Africans accept American and European supervised elections?
Good leadership for Nigeria and Africa must be what is determined by Nigerians and African peoples, without the palpable discourtesies of America and Europe, without the gloriously empty and strident criticism of elections result in Nigeria by the Americans and Europeans, criticisms that surprisingly coincides with the vehemence of the Nigerian opposition parties, particularly, the ANPP and APGA, even though these two parties and their candidates entered the contests too late and even the so-called flag bearers of both parties have had checkered and unsavory political histories and they therefore came to the elections with insurmountable baggage, that they could not overcome, and this was clear to all discerning persons from the moment of their late entry into the contests!
Since the just conducted elections in Nigeria, I have been grappling with the meaning and worth of African political and economic independence, it is perplexing!
Why have Africans allowed ourselves to play and continue to play the ward and vassals of America and Europe?
What is independence, what is sovereignty in the presence of this frenzied foreign interference in African internal domestic affairs?
Why are Africans so polite and nice to others, even though the Africans receive nothing for this lap dog behavior?
I am grappling with the meaning of independence amidst a lack of tangible respect for the African by the Americans and Europeans! Why are we not aggressive? Why do we always play nice to them?
Is this in anticipation of Foreign Aid? No! Not at all! It is true that both the informed and the ultimate ignoramus are agreed that Africa is the most needy of all-the world? But that has not ensured receipt of foreign aid flowing from America and Europe to Africa, on the contrary, the bulk of foreign aid does not flow to Africa!
Freedom of information enables anyone to ascertain the facts! In the US for example, anyone can check and verify the fact that 90 percent of American foreign aid is not directed towards Africa or at poverty alleviation, this information is publicly available through the US State Department, US Department of Defense etc.
Therefore, if the poor excuse for Africans not asserting themselves is explained by the fear of losing foreign aid from America and Europe, or the fear of not having loan guarantees from the IMF and the World Bank? It is very POOR excuse! The public record and the history of foreign aid by America and Europe clearly indicate that aid does not go to the neediest, or that aid is not determined by true need and so, foreign aid by US and EU countries are determined by other extraneous factors of geopolitics and not needs based assessments of aid recipients, the altruism or benevolence on the part aid donors, for the benefit or to uplift the target recipients!
Since the fall of the former Soviet Union (USSR) the IMF and the World Bank has given loans loan guarantees to Russia and the different republics that evolved from the former USSR, than these same financial institutions have given to African countries during the same period, lets say, since 1990 to 2000regardless of need and size of population.
Africans were never sworn enemies of America and Europe, but no one could say the same of the former Soviet Union! For several decades, the USSR was a sworn enemy of the US and Western Europe, the were mutually assured to destroy each other! They all armed themselves to the teeth for that single purpose! The Soviet Union was said to have committed large and disproportionate amount of its national resources to the pursuit of the destruction of capitalism, and the US and Western Europe, equally committed big chunks of their resources to the annihilation of communism and communist states!
In this contest, the USSR was the first to blink, hence the disintegration of the former Soviet Empire! The USSR�s economy faltered and crumbled, alas, the US and the West won the stare-down! The crumbling of the Soviet Union was said to have arisen from mismanagement, corruption and the single-minded devotion of a majority of its national efforts and resources to military defense hardware and the destruction of capitalism.
When the Soviet Union/USSR became self-destruct, the US and Western Europe rushed to the rescue of the Soviet Union/USSR! The US/Western Europe were falling over each other in stampede and haste to bail out the Soviet Union/USSR failed states and failed economy! Rushing to aid a formerly self-avowed sworn enemy? A former enemy who became self-destruct because of its blind pursuit of the destruction of capitalism which the US and Western Europe represented! When it comes to Eastern Europe, the US and Western Europe are magnanimous! How Africans? Who is rushing to our aid?
Conversely, Africans have never been avowed enemies of the US and Western Europe! Africans have never been sworn enemies of anyone! And yet, Africans have not received the corresponding amount of foreign aid, loans or loan guarantees when compared with the former Soviet Union/USSR and all of Eastern Europe in the formerly Soviet Union sphere of influence or satellite states! Add slavery and colonialism to this mix and you will arrived at exemplified disparities, double standard, inconsistencies and selective treatments meted onto the Africans historically and continuously!
I have also mentioned that monumental mismanagement and corruption that existed and still exists in disintegrated republics of the former Soviet Union! So, what explains the reasons why the countries of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europeans countries continue to receive foreign aid and other favors more than the ever permanently friendly and obedient Africans? Everyone, for the right or wrong reasons believes that the needs in Africa is dire and greater than in any place else, but why is it that foreign aid, loan and loan guarantees to Africa is non-existent or disproportionately less to Africans compared with countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe?
Israel is famously the best friend and ally of the United States in the world and particularly in the oil rich Middle East which in the region of the world that the US considers strategically important to its national interests, and the US has for the better part of a hundred years poured money, loans, loan guarantees, armaments, intelligence, direct investment etc into Israel; And yet, Israel has quite often ran its domestic and foreign policies counter to America�s national and strategic interests! The US despite all its help for Israel, does not ever attempt to suggest, let alone dictate Israel�s domestic or foreign policy as the US and Europe do with the Africans! What is worse is that Israel, the friend and ally of the US has repeatedly been found spying on America! African spy?
North Korea is another current case in point, North Korea is not a friend of the US and it has made that clear over and over again, North Korea is not democratic! And yet, the US entered an agreement in 1994 to foot North Korea�s Utilities and Food bills, the US has done so upwards of ten years and continues to do so even as North Korea publicly declared actions that it has taken that are inconsistent with the agreement with the US, in pursuit of nuclear weapons and WMD etc.
The Vietnam war led to the premature death of more than 50,000 American military personal about 30 years ago and yet, the US has more investments and better economic and diplomatic relations with Vietnam than with Nigeria or any other African country for that matter! Please find or locate Vietnam on TI corruption index, Vietnam also has no democracy! So what is the basis of these disparities between their treatment of the Africans and the rest of the world?
Why then do Nigeria and other African countries feel the need to be polite and obedient to America and Western Europe? The US and Europe has a millionth percent more respect for Asians and Arabs than for the Africans, in matters of culture, politics, economy etc.
There are more democratic countries in Africa than in the Arab-world, there are more US and European investments in the Arab world! China is not democratic, Pakistan is not democratic and neither Afghanistan, but just look at the US and European interests, investments and engagements in these and other Asian countries and measure against a corresponding interest, investments and engagement with African countries! The disparities are permanent a feature, the inconsistencies are ingrained and inexplicable!
Why then are the Africans always playing catch-up? Why are the Africans always eager to comply? Always, Africans eager to please and be polite and obedient to US and the EU?
Begging is not a position of strength, Kneeling is not a position of strength or respect, all Africans must realize these and start to act accordingly! America and Europe has always benefited from Africa and Africans! From slavery to colonialism to Africa�s current scourge of brain drain, not to mention diamond, petroleum and other plethora of resources! Why beg? Why be compliant, why be polite and eagerly friendly? Especially when it has never worked and has never benefited the Africans! Why????
The world is interdependent, America and Europe truly need us more than we need them!
Africans are too friendly! And the Americans and Europeans have become accustomed to taking the Africans for granted, they have learned to be effortlessly insensitive to Africans� hopes and aspirations, they have learned to be disrespectful and to discountenance the feelings of Africans, they have learned to be disrespectful, patronizing and condescending to Africans and African interests! Why do we bother to please them always? Why do we bother to be polite, to please and be friendly? Appease America and Europe�s complacency about matter African? Why?
Why do we crave the approval and the supervision of America and Europe over our national elections? There were election frauds in Florida USA and in multitude of other states in America in the 2000 elections that awarded presidency to George Bush, and all discerning people are also aware that election irregularities were not peculiar to the 2000 elections in the US, there has always been movements in America for campaign and election reforms! African Americans are deprived of their fundamental rights and voting rights historically in America, this has been accomplished with gerrymandering, literacy and property litmus tests and many other hogwash barriers, obstacles and impediments are placed in the way of the African Americans in America, to stifle their progress!
Who monitored Americans then? Who monitors the Americans now? In Florida during the elections in 2000, the majority of those who were deliberately disenfranchised were disproportionately more of the African Americans citizens! What a wonderful coincidence! A coincidence that is consistent with American brutalities directed at the African Americans! The scalding, scathing and scorching indignities and inhumanities that has historically been directed at the African Americans is legendary but true and factually documented!
The same America now produces the National Democratic Institute and the National Republican Institute and these façade of democratic pretensions were allowed to �monitor� and �moderate� the general elections in Nigeria?!!!!! Whatever happens to the adage �Charity Begins At Home�!!! or Physician Heal Thyself or Physician Take Thy Own Medicine and the biblical one? Remove The Log Your Eyes Before The Peck In Others�? Why did Nigeria and why do Africans cede our economic, political and spiritual independence to Americans and Europeans? Why do we think them altruistic and benevolent? Why do we give them such high pedestal? Pedestals that they are quick to put into use in their permanently and consistently demeaning and disparaging words and actions regarding anything African?
Why did Nigeria invite or allow the Americans and Europeans to monitor our internal political processes? So that we can have a seal of approval from the BOSS? Why do we need a governess? Why do we need a guardian at litem? Why are we acting like colony or protectorate? Why is Nigeria and Africa polite, compliant and eager to be friendly? America and Europe has never done right by Africans and judging by historical data, they never will! Why do we always think that they wish us well and mean the best for us?
Here now we have the monitors� tactless and undiplomatic condemnations and damnations that is full of generalizations, here we now have report that does great disservice to democracy political institutional development, a report that goes beyond stating noted imperfections or benign flaws, instead the monitors have ambitiously, carelessly consigned the whole electoral process in Nigeria to a toxic dump and sore losers are seeking to cash in on it, for their selfish and individual benefit, the monitors� report that is replete with overbroad generalizations! �Nothing Works In Africa�
The land allocation dispute in Zimbabwe is a clear case in point, where Britain and others clearly jettisoned the pre-independence Lancaster House London Agreement that favored land redistribution in favor of Black Africans in Zimbabwe who are historically discriminated and marginalized in the distribution of land, a valuable resource and Britain has instead engaged in campaign of calumny against President Mugabe and the people of Zimbabwe in complete disregard for the wishes of the majority in Zimababwe.
United States joined Britain in blackmailing President Mugabe and pressuring Zimbabwe to continue to respect the suzerainty of White Zimbabweans and allow them to continue to have a strangle hold unto the land distribution in favor of the minority White population in 90 to 10 ratio with the majority Black Africans! Events coalesced to bring the US to their conspicuous support for Britain negative campaign against President Mugabe and Zimbabwe, America was desperate for Britain�s Blair�s continued support for the invasion of Iraq and the apportionment and misappropriation of Iraqi resources!
President Obasanjo of Nigeria and his counterpart of South Africa President Mbeki and Mr. Mbeki�s elder, President Mandela expressed openly and publicly their aversion to the American and British invasion and occupation of Iraq and also expressed their aversion to the pressuring and sanctioning of President Mugabe and Zimbabwe over the land redistribution imbroglio, the land fiasco arose from Britain and others neglecting to keep their parts of the pre-independence Zimbabwe brokered land re-distribution agreement!
America and Britain are tied mountain climbers in these policies of oppression of Iraq and Zimbabwe, America and Britain will climb or fall from the mountains together, this is clearly indicated in their vindictive post elections pronouncements in Nigeria! America and Britain through their undercover and subterranean agencies and organs, NDI, NRI, BBC, VOA have had the first opportunity to vent their joint bile against President Obasanjo for joining in the criticisms of America and Britain�s skullduggery and chicanery and wayward oppressive policies against Iraq and Zimbabwe!
And they have found a willing tool in the disgruntled Mohammadu Buhari who arrogantly believes that he has a birth right to be Nigeria�s democratic president, even though he does not possess a scintilla of democratic credentials or tenets needed to preserve democracy, the constitution and Nigeria as a single political entity!
Many have said that Mohammadu Buhari has no patience for any democratic process, others have said that he does not care about constitutional provisions, rights and freedoms, now, additionally, all Nigerians should be asking and answering more questions of Buhari, that is, does Buhari believe in Nigeria�s legal system? Does he believe in the tribunals and the courts established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Does Buhari believe in the continued existence of Nigeria as one nation? Otherwise, why is he and Don Etiebet making the inciting statements?
Is mass action not the same thing as riots and violence in present day local parlance in Nigeria? Why will a former head of state who is supposed to have some respectability and decorum or sense of national security interests, resort to incitements, threat of riots and thuggery?
I understand that "MASS ACTION" in local parlance, means violence or anarchy? Mr. Buhari or anyone who aspires to become a democratic president in Nigeria or anywhere should NOT advocate violence or anarchy!
This goes to prove a lack of respect for the constitution and a democratic process! It should be clear to everyone, that if you allege fraud? Then you must provide proof and evidence as you go to the courts or tribunal, not of mass actions, what is mass action?!
Why have an aversion to the duly constituted tribunals? Buhari absented himself from the Justice Oputa Panel Does he also plan to ignore the Election Tribunals or the Court System in Nigeria as a whole? And this same rules hater wants to be the president of my country?
Can anyone imagine what would have happened to someone as arrogant as him, but for democracy, laws and order and rules? He entered the race late, bulldozed all his forerunners for president on the ANPP ticket, ANPP did not campaign vigorously, ANPP was said to be cash strapped and bedeviled with infighting and all manners factions, ANPP had no significant spread and showing in most parts of the country and yet the ANPP expected to win? They did not! Instead of going back to the drawing board with some dignity intact, they are irresponsibly calling for bloodletting, anarchy and chaos? Nigerians and Nigeria must show these elements the redness of our collective eye!
The ANPP has had this bad strategy all along! They did no work, and they were set to blame their late start and poor campaign ant their resulting abysmal failures on others and rigging or whatever else, I alluded to this ANPP bad strategy in a previous article, where I compared President Obasanjo to his main challenger and compared their campaigns.
Buhari was the underdog of the race and he the audacity to skip debates with incumbent?
Buhari is at the verge imposing anarchy and violence and discord on Nigeria, if he succeeds, he would have become an incredible instrument and tool in the hands of America and Britain and others who resent Nigerian leadership that seeks to assert our country and clout on the world stage! Those countries that are envious and would do anything to cause the disintegration of Nigeria, in order to control the abundant of resources in Nigeria, the criticisms visited on the benign imperfection of the general elections results must be seen and analyzed from this perspective.
Mohammadu Buhari wants to turn Nigeria into another Ivory Coast? Liberia? Sierra Leone? The former Yugoslavia? Somalia? or Afghanistan? and the league of disintegrated republics? What exactly is Buhari thinking? Why is he making outrageous and outlandish utterances and pronouncements? What is he willing to do to become president by any means? It was through a coup in 1983; What are the shenanigans and warped intrigues that he has at work, on overdrive this time? Nigerians must watch Buhari very very very closely!
The Vice President of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said it best, when �he decried the threat by the defeated presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), as the ranting of an ant full of fury but without effect, asserting that the law enforcement agents would deal decisively with any politician who incites the public against the administration.
The vice-president further described Buhari as an apolitical person who was drafted into the presidential race without a clear focus and political foresight� �Buhari is not a politician and can never be a politician� BBC Hausa service of April 24, 2003 as reported on Daily Independence online edition of April 25, 2003
Mohamadu Buhari aspires to lead Nigeria, but he is willing to cause chaos and foist anarchy on the nation? He is willing to ignore all clear and present dangers posed by America, Britain and others who are seeking revenge against President Obasanjo and President Mbeki for their assertfulness! America and Britain are seeking to exact their primordial vindictiveness and Mohamadu Buhari is willing to a tool and an instrument to Nigeria�s enemies? Buhari wants to open the door for them against Nigeria! This is the man who would be president of Nigeria? No! Not now, and not ever!
All of the above lead me to ask questions regarding why Nigerians and Africans implicitly and explicitly trust America and Europe over our internal and external affairs? Why did we need the supervision and approval of these American and European election monitors in Nigeria or anywhere in Africa? Is it not clear to all now, that the pronouncements of these monitors are calculated and indicative of their evil machinations? Why do we believe that they are looking out for our best interests? They never have! History is my witness!
God and Allah have always blessed Nigeria and will continue to do so!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 26, 2003
Why are Nigerians and Africans always willing to play catch-up in compliance with American and European inconsistent and ever shifting policies that have had avalanche adverse consequences on Africans? Why do Nigerians and Africans care what the BBC, VOA or EU, UK and USA thinks of our elections? Why do we need this insulting supervision? Why do we accept this condescending, patronizing and disrespectful oversight? If this is not colonialism, what is?
President Thambo Mbeki of South Africa and all reasonable and right thinking Africans should be asking and answering the question, why should Africans accept American and European supervised elections?
Good leadership for Nigeria and Africa must be what is determined by Nigerians and African peoples, without the palpable discourtesies of America and Europe, without the gloriously empty and strident criticism of elections result in Nigeria by the Americans and Europeans, criticisms that surprisingly coincides with the vehemence of the Nigerian opposition parties, particularly, the ANPP and APGA, even though these two parties and their candidates entered the contests too late and even the so-called flag bearers of both parties have had checkered and unsavory political histories and they therefore came to the elections with insurmountable baggage, that they could not overcome, and this was clear to all discerning persons from the moment of their late entry into the contests!
Since the just conducted elections in Nigeria, I have been grappling with the meaning and worth of African political and economic independence, it is perplexing!
Why have Africans allowed ourselves to play and continue to play the ward and vassals of America and Europe?
What is independence, what is sovereignty in the presence of this frenzied foreign interference in African internal domestic affairs?
Why are Africans so polite and nice to others, even though the Africans receive nothing for this lap dog behavior?
I am grappling with the meaning of independence amidst a lack of tangible respect for the African by the Americans and Europeans! Why are we not aggressive? Why do we always play nice to them?
Is this in anticipation of Foreign Aid? No! Not at all! It is true that both the informed and the ultimate ignoramus are agreed that Africa is the most needy of all-the world? But that has not ensured receipt of foreign aid flowing from America and Europe to Africa, on the contrary, the bulk of foreign aid does not flow to Africa!
Freedom of information enables anyone to ascertain the facts! In the US for example, anyone can check and verify the fact that 90 percent of American foreign aid is not directed towards Africa or at poverty alleviation, this information is publicly available through the US State Department, US Department of Defense etc.
Therefore, if the poor excuse for Africans not asserting themselves is explained by the fear of losing foreign aid from America and Europe, or the fear of not having loan guarantees from the IMF and the World Bank? It is very POOR excuse! The public record and the history of foreign aid by America and Europe clearly indicate that aid does not go to the neediest, or that aid is not determined by true need and so, foreign aid by US and EU countries are determined by other extraneous factors of geopolitics and not needs based assessments of aid recipients, the altruism or benevolence on the part aid donors, for the benefit or to uplift the target recipients!
Since the fall of the former Soviet Union (USSR) the IMF and the World Bank has given loans loan guarantees to Russia and the different republics that evolved from the former USSR, than these same financial institutions have given to African countries during the same period, lets say, since 1990 to 2000regardless of need and size of population.
Africans were never sworn enemies of America and Europe, but no one could say the same of the former Soviet Union! For several decades, the USSR was a sworn enemy of the US and Western Europe, the were mutually assured to destroy each other! They all armed themselves to the teeth for that single purpose! The Soviet Union was said to have committed large and disproportionate amount of its national resources to the pursuit of the destruction of capitalism, and the US and Western Europe, equally committed big chunks of their resources to the annihilation of communism and communist states!
In this contest, the USSR was the first to blink, hence the disintegration of the former Soviet Empire! The USSR�s economy faltered and crumbled, alas, the US and the West won the stare-down! The crumbling of the Soviet Union was said to have arisen from mismanagement, corruption and the single-minded devotion of a majority of its national efforts and resources to military defense hardware and the destruction of capitalism.
When the Soviet Union/USSR became self-destruct, the US and Western Europe rushed to the rescue of the Soviet Union/USSR! The US/Western Europe were falling over each other in stampede and haste to bail out the Soviet Union/USSR failed states and failed economy! Rushing to aid a formerly self-avowed sworn enemy? A former enemy who became self-destruct because of its blind pursuit of the destruction of capitalism which the US and Western Europe represented! When it comes to Eastern Europe, the US and Western Europe are magnanimous! How Africans? Who is rushing to our aid?
Conversely, Africans have never been avowed enemies of the US and Western Europe! Africans have never been sworn enemies of anyone! And yet, Africans have not received the corresponding amount of foreign aid, loans or loan guarantees when compared with the former Soviet Union/USSR and all of Eastern Europe in the formerly Soviet Union sphere of influence or satellite states! Add slavery and colonialism to this mix and you will arrived at exemplified disparities, double standard, inconsistencies and selective treatments meted onto the Africans historically and continuously!
I have also mentioned that monumental mismanagement and corruption that existed and still exists in disintegrated republics of the former Soviet Union! So, what explains the reasons why the countries of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europeans countries continue to receive foreign aid and other favors more than the ever permanently friendly and obedient Africans? Everyone, for the right or wrong reasons believes that the needs in Africa is dire and greater than in any place else, but why is it that foreign aid, loan and loan guarantees to Africa is non-existent or disproportionately less to Africans compared with countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe?
Israel is famously the best friend and ally of the United States in the world and particularly in the oil rich Middle East which in the region of the world that the US considers strategically important to its national interests, and the US has for the better part of a hundred years poured money, loans, loan guarantees, armaments, intelligence, direct investment etc into Israel; And yet, Israel has quite often ran its domestic and foreign policies counter to America�s national and strategic interests! The US despite all its help for Israel, does not ever attempt to suggest, let alone dictate Israel�s domestic or foreign policy as the US and Europe do with the Africans! What is worse is that Israel, the friend and ally of the US has repeatedly been found spying on America! African spy?
North Korea is another current case in point, North Korea is not a friend of the US and it has made that clear over and over again, North Korea is not democratic! And yet, the US entered an agreement in 1994 to foot North Korea�s Utilities and Food bills, the US has done so upwards of ten years and continues to do so even as North Korea publicly declared actions that it has taken that are inconsistent with the agreement with the US, in pursuit of nuclear weapons and WMD etc.
The Vietnam war led to the premature death of more than 50,000 American military personal about 30 years ago and yet, the US has more investments and better economic and diplomatic relations with Vietnam than with Nigeria or any other African country for that matter! Please find or locate Vietnam on TI corruption index, Vietnam also has no democracy! So what is the basis of these disparities between their treatment of the Africans and the rest of the world?
Why then do Nigeria and other African countries feel the need to be polite and obedient to America and Western Europe? The US and Europe has a millionth percent more respect for Asians and Arabs than for the Africans, in matters of culture, politics, economy etc.
There are more democratic countries in Africa than in the Arab-world, there are more US and European investments in the Arab world! China is not democratic, Pakistan is not democratic and neither Afghanistan, but just look at the US and European interests, investments and engagements in these and other Asian countries and measure against a corresponding interest, investments and engagement with African countries! The disparities are permanent a feature, the inconsistencies are ingrained and inexplicable!
Why then are the Africans always playing catch-up? Why are the Africans always eager to comply? Always, Africans eager to please and be polite and obedient to US and the EU?
Begging is not a position of strength, Kneeling is not a position of strength or respect, all Africans must realize these and start to act accordingly! America and Europe has always benefited from Africa and Africans! From slavery to colonialism to Africa�s current scourge of brain drain, not to mention diamond, petroleum and other plethora of resources! Why beg? Why be compliant, why be polite and eagerly friendly? Especially when it has never worked and has never benefited the Africans! Why????
The world is interdependent, America and Europe truly need us more than we need them!
Africans are too friendly! And the Americans and Europeans have become accustomed to taking the Africans for granted, they have learned to be effortlessly insensitive to Africans� hopes and aspirations, they have learned to be disrespectful and to discountenance the feelings of Africans, they have learned to be disrespectful, patronizing and condescending to Africans and African interests! Why do we bother to please them always? Why do we bother to be polite, to please and be friendly? Appease America and Europe�s complacency about matter African? Why?
Why do we crave the approval and the supervision of America and Europe over our national elections? There were election frauds in Florida USA and in multitude of other states in America in the 2000 elections that awarded presidency to George Bush, and all discerning people are also aware that election irregularities were not peculiar to the 2000 elections in the US, there has always been movements in America for campaign and election reforms! African Americans are deprived of their fundamental rights and voting rights historically in America, this has been accomplished with gerrymandering, literacy and property litmus tests and many other hogwash barriers, obstacles and impediments are placed in the way of the African Americans in America, to stifle their progress!
Who monitored Americans then? Who monitors the Americans now? In Florida during the elections in 2000, the majority of those who were deliberately disenfranchised were disproportionately more of the African Americans citizens! What a wonderful coincidence! A coincidence that is consistent with American brutalities directed at the African Americans! The scalding, scathing and scorching indignities and inhumanities that has historically been directed at the African Americans is legendary but true and factually documented!
The same America now produces the National Democratic Institute and the National Republican Institute and these façade of democratic pretensions were allowed to �monitor� and �moderate� the general elections in Nigeria?!!!!! Whatever happens to the adage �Charity Begins At Home�!!! or Physician Heal Thyself or Physician Take Thy Own Medicine and the biblical one? Remove The Log Your Eyes Before The Peck In Others�? Why did Nigeria and why do Africans cede our economic, political and spiritual independence to Americans and Europeans? Why do we think them altruistic and benevolent? Why do we give them such high pedestal? Pedestals that they are quick to put into use in their permanently and consistently demeaning and disparaging words and actions regarding anything African?
Why did Nigeria invite or allow the Americans and Europeans to monitor our internal political processes? So that we can have a seal of approval from the BOSS? Why do we need a governess? Why do we need a guardian at litem? Why are we acting like colony or protectorate? Why is Nigeria and Africa polite, compliant and eager to be friendly? America and Europe has never done right by Africans and judging by historical data, they never will! Why do we always think that they wish us well and mean the best for us?
Here now we have the monitors� tactless and undiplomatic condemnations and damnations that is full of generalizations, here we now have report that does great disservice to democracy political institutional development, a report that goes beyond stating noted imperfections or benign flaws, instead the monitors have ambitiously, carelessly consigned the whole electoral process in Nigeria to a toxic dump and sore losers are seeking to cash in on it, for their selfish and individual benefit, the monitors� report that is replete with overbroad generalizations! �Nothing Works In Africa�
The land allocation dispute in Zimbabwe is a clear case in point, where Britain and others clearly jettisoned the pre-independence Lancaster House London Agreement that favored land redistribution in favor of Black Africans in Zimbabwe who are historically discriminated and marginalized in the distribution of land, a valuable resource and Britain has instead engaged in campaign of calumny against President Mugabe and the people of Zimbabwe in complete disregard for the wishes of the majority in Zimababwe.
United States joined Britain in blackmailing President Mugabe and pressuring Zimbabwe to continue to respect the suzerainty of White Zimbabweans and allow them to continue to have a strangle hold unto the land distribution in favor of the minority White population in 90 to 10 ratio with the majority Black Africans! Events coalesced to bring the US to their conspicuous support for Britain negative campaign against President Mugabe and Zimbabwe, America was desperate for Britain�s Blair�s continued support for the invasion of Iraq and the apportionment and misappropriation of Iraqi resources!
President Obasanjo of Nigeria and his counterpart of South Africa President Mbeki and Mr. Mbeki�s elder, President Mandela expressed openly and publicly their aversion to the American and British invasion and occupation of Iraq and also expressed their aversion to the pressuring and sanctioning of President Mugabe and Zimbabwe over the land redistribution imbroglio, the land fiasco arose from Britain and others neglecting to keep their parts of the pre-independence Zimbabwe brokered land re-distribution agreement!
America and Britain are tied mountain climbers in these policies of oppression of Iraq and Zimbabwe, America and Britain will climb or fall from the mountains together, this is clearly indicated in their vindictive post elections pronouncements in Nigeria! America and Britain through their undercover and subterranean agencies and organs, NDI, NRI, BBC, VOA have had the first opportunity to vent their joint bile against President Obasanjo for joining in the criticisms of America and Britain�s skullduggery and chicanery and wayward oppressive policies against Iraq and Zimbabwe!
And they have found a willing tool in the disgruntled Mohammadu Buhari who arrogantly believes that he has a birth right to be Nigeria�s democratic president, even though he does not possess a scintilla of democratic credentials or tenets needed to preserve democracy, the constitution and Nigeria as a single political entity!
Many have said that Mohammadu Buhari has no patience for any democratic process, others have said that he does not care about constitutional provisions, rights and freedoms, now, additionally, all Nigerians should be asking and answering more questions of Buhari, that is, does Buhari believe in Nigeria�s legal system? Does he believe in the tribunals and the courts established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Does Buhari believe in the continued existence of Nigeria as one nation? Otherwise, why is he and Don Etiebet making the inciting statements?
Is mass action not the same thing as riots and violence in present day local parlance in Nigeria? Why will a former head of state who is supposed to have some respectability and decorum or sense of national security interests, resort to incitements, threat of riots and thuggery?
I understand that "MASS ACTION" in local parlance, means violence or anarchy? Mr. Buhari or anyone who aspires to become a democratic president in Nigeria or anywhere should NOT advocate violence or anarchy!
This goes to prove a lack of respect for the constitution and a democratic process! It should be clear to everyone, that if you allege fraud? Then you must provide proof and evidence as you go to the courts or tribunal, not of mass actions, what is mass action?!
Why have an aversion to the duly constituted tribunals? Buhari absented himself from the Justice Oputa Panel Does he also plan to ignore the Election Tribunals or the Court System in Nigeria as a whole? And this same rules hater wants to be the president of my country?
Can anyone imagine what would have happened to someone as arrogant as him, but for democracy, laws and order and rules? He entered the race late, bulldozed all his forerunners for president on the ANPP ticket, ANPP did not campaign vigorously, ANPP was said to be cash strapped and bedeviled with infighting and all manners factions, ANPP had no significant spread and showing in most parts of the country and yet the ANPP expected to win? They did not! Instead of going back to the drawing board with some dignity intact, they are irresponsibly calling for bloodletting, anarchy and chaos? Nigerians and Nigeria must show these elements the redness of our collective eye!
The ANPP has had this bad strategy all along! They did no work, and they were set to blame their late start and poor campaign ant their resulting abysmal failures on others and rigging or whatever else, I alluded to this ANPP bad strategy in a previous article, where I compared President Obasanjo to his main challenger and compared their campaigns.
Buhari was the underdog of the race and he the audacity to skip debates with incumbent?
Buhari is at the verge imposing anarchy and violence and discord on Nigeria, if he succeeds, he would have become an incredible instrument and tool in the hands of America and Britain and others who resent Nigerian leadership that seeks to assert our country and clout on the world stage! Those countries that are envious and would do anything to cause the disintegration of Nigeria, in order to control the abundant of resources in Nigeria, the criticisms visited on the benign imperfection of the general elections results must be seen and analyzed from this perspective.
Mohammadu Buhari wants to turn Nigeria into another Ivory Coast? Liberia? Sierra Leone? The former Yugoslavia? Somalia? or Afghanistan? and the league of disintegrated republics? What exactly is Buhari thinking? Why is he making outrageous and outlandish utterances and pronouncements? What is he willing to do to become president by any means? It was through a coup in 1983; What are the shenanigans and warped intrigues that he has at work, on overdrive this time? Nigerians must watch Buhari very very very closely!
The Vice President of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said it best, when �he decried the threat by the defeated presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), as the ranting of an ant full of fury but without effect, asserting that the law enforcement agents would deal decisively with any politician who incites the public against the administration.
The vice-president further described Buhari as an apolitical person who was drafted into the presidential race without a clear focus and political foresight� �Buhari is not a politician and can never be a politician� BBC Hausa service of April 24, 2003 as reported on Daily Independence online edition of April 25, 2003
Mohamadu Buhari aspires to lead Nigeria, but he is willing to cause chaos and foist anarchy on the nation? He is willing to ignore all clear and present dangers posed by America, Britain and others who are seeking revenge against President Obasanjo and President Mbeki for their assertfulness! America and Britain are seeking to exact their primordial vindictiveness and Mohamadu Buhari is willing to a tool and an instrument to Nigeria�s enemies? Buhari wants to open the door for them against Nigeria! This is the man who would be president of Nigeria? No! Not now, and not ever!
All of the above lead me to ask questions regarding why Nigerians and Africans implicitly and explicitly trust America and Europe over our internal and external affairs? Why did we need the supervision and approval of these American and European election monitors in Nigeria or anywhere in Africa? Is it not clear to all now, that the pronouncements of these monitors are calculated and indicative of their evil machinations? Why do we believe that they are looking out for our best interests? They never have! History is my witness!
God and Allah have always blessed Nigeria and will continue to do so!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Difference Between Obasanjo And Buhari
The Difference Between Obasanjo And Buhari
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 13, 2003
In this final week before the general elections in Nigeria, the voters should be mindful of the distinction between the stellar democratic credentials of Mr. Obasanjo and the strangulating and unrepentant arrogance of Mr. Buhari
The similarities in both men ends in having been in the same military establishment in Nigeria, the disparity in their attitude is night and day contrasted
Mr. Obasanjo did not plan any coups that overthrew any democratically elected government in Nigeria, Mr. Obasanjo�s first coming as the nation�s leader was bestowed on him by fate, subsequent to the assassination of his brother patriot General Murtala Mohammed and this have in the past led Obasanjo�s detractors to label him the reluctant one, He acted positively at once, eminent Nigerians were gathered together to constitute the Constituent Assembly Constitution Drafting Committee and democratic elections was followed with the inauguration of President Shagari in 1979.
Mr. Obasanjo did not try self-succession in 1976 as did Mr. Babangida in 1992 as did late Mr. Abacha in 1997, only General Abubakar in handing over in 1999 acted in a manner similar to Mr. Obasanjo�s in 1976, and it was clearly in certain very peculiar circumstances, to say the least.
Again, fate led Obasanjo to the helms of steering the state�s stern in 1999 as General Abubakar handed over to civilians and a democratically elected government; Whereas, Mr. Buhari on the other hand overthrew the democratic government that Mr. Obasanjo had installed, this was coup plotting and an illegal act against the constitution, an expression of his hunger for power by any and all means!
Mr. Buhari�s painful legacy is current history in Nigeria, and it is there for all to see, Many Nigerians voiced their opinions against his government at the time i.e. 193-83 to 1985 and in 1984 I wrote an article that appeared in the Nigerian Tribune and it was titled �Which Way Nigeria?� And then as now, I feel compelled to remind Nigerians of Mr. Buhari�s attributes, particularly now, because, it is clear that he has not changed.
Mr.Buhari refused to attend the Justice Oputa panel that was established to help reconciliation in the land and the Oputa panel was considered as efforts towards the entrenchment of democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria and prominent Nigerians who have had leadership roles were invited; Mr. Obasanjo attended the proceedings and testified, even though Mr. Obasanjo is the sitting president, and he could have feigned being too busy to attend, he could have decided to hide behind presidential immunity, but instead, he magnanimously attended the hearings and cooperated, as mark for respect for the commission, as mark of respect for democracy and the entrenchment of law and law and order, if prominent citizen do not show good examples of obeying duly constituted commission, authorities and the law of he land? What examples are set for the average citizens?
But the undemocratic Mr. Buhari flagrantly disregarded his invitation to the Justice Oputa panel, he arrogantly behaved as if he was above all Nigerian laws and above criticisms or reproach, and now he is saying that he will obey the laws and be the symbol of law and order and now says he will not behave like he was still a General in the army who is not accountable to a commission or anyone, he is now seeking votes too!
Whereas Mr. Obasanjo has repeatedly explained and in some circumstances justified his record of active service to Nigeria, on some occasions, Mr. Obasanjo has even apologized for federal actions that were necessitated by the circumstances, no doubt, but Mr. Obasanjo in order to assuage the feelings of the aggrieved, apologizes for past actions, Mr. Buhari is on the exact opposite side of the spectrum!
Mr. Buhari has again and again behaved as if he is infallible! He never has apologized for Decree Two and Decree Four! Buhari has not apologized for trying to put Mr. Umaru Dikko in a crate and barrel, Mr. Buhari has not apologized for jailing countless Nigerians during his tenure as head of state from 1983 to 1985, His stubbornness clearly indicates his strong opinion of himself as an infallible person, can Nigerians afford a leader that think himself infallible?
All human being make mistakes, hence all pencils are manufactured with erasers attached, so that we can clean up our mistakes when they occur, but Mr. Buhari and his handlers seem to think him saintly and infallible, therefore having nothing in his past or present to apologize for? Whew!
It is a remarkable how some of Mr. Buhari�s defenders like Mr. Sani Mohammed attempts to revise history and turn logic on its head, in Mr. Mohammed�s piece that featured in the Vanguard on April 7, 2003, Mr. Mohammed argued straight-aced that General Buhari�s coup making in 1983 was a patriotic act, when he said �Certainly that coup remains the greatest testimonial to Buhari�s patriotism� Some of us used to believe that coups are undemocratic, nay unpatriotic! But thanks to Mr. Mohammed, we all now know that coup plotters are patriots! Did the national assembly not recently prescribe life imprisonments for these sorts of patriotism? These sorts of defense of Mr. Buhari are laughably pathetic!
Mr. Buhari has had many opportunities to express himself and attempt to sell himself as a reformed person, with some pretensions, at least to some democratic credentials, but at each opportunity, he shirks from chances to attempt a repair of his unpopular and undemocratic records arising from his participation at the helms of Nigeria�s leadership in the past!
Mr. Buhari�s arrogance is pervasive, or how else can one explain his attitude and public utterances? He is the challenger and an underdog in the general elections, and yet he has had the audacity to skip major public debate opportunity with the incumbent! Most candidates in Mr. Buhari�s position would have leaped and jumped at such singular opportunity to explain himself and try to look good standing and debating with a current president, Everywhere else, it is usually the incumbent candidate that does not want to debate and confer prominence on a challenger!
Mr. Buhari has instead been committing lots of gaffes and goofing-offs on serious issues and he has been committing further blunder against his own unpleasant image with the electorate, with his careless pronouncements on major issues like the National Identity Card Project, the Onshore and Offshore Dichotomy issues etc.
He keeps displaying his famed penchant for parochial and limited vision of Nigeria, instead of trying to convince and persuade the voters, that he is reformed and that he is national and broadened in his thinking and outlook!
Mr. Buhari and his handlers are not working hard to canvass for votes, but instead, they are working to frustrate those who are working so hard to win the elections fair and square! The ANPP instead of campaigning seriously, are seeking a change or shift in the election dates or to terminate democracy altogether by their subterranean activities!
Those who are not adept at persuading, canvassing and convincing others in a democratic setting and with democratic means, are resorting to threats, blackmail, frivolous lawsuits and calls for interim government etc! And accusing others of political murders etc!
Mr. Buhari and his cohorts have been accusing others of plans to rig the general elections, they are engaging in these false allegations without a scintilla of evidence; So that when Buhari and the ANPP loose the elections, they will have recourse to this oft-repeated trumped-up-charges of rigging.
The truth is that Mr. Buhari is not a good candidate, he did not enter the presidential race in time or early enough, ANPP have not made enough efforts in its campaigning and they do not deserve to win the presidency or dog-catcher position; And presently, they are busy setting up all kinds of excuses for their eventual and certain loss! Blaming others for their poor choice of candidate, timing, ineptitude and poor strategy.
What is Mr. Buhari afraid of? The truth! How does anyone explain the draconian Decree Two or Decree Four or the crating of Mr. Dikko or the jailing of so many Nigerians without justification? How does anyone explain jailing Mr. Shagari? A man well known or perceived as a gentle, religious and kind, well known as a meticulously incorruptible gentleman from Sokoto; Mr. Buhari is unlike the late General Yar Adua a spotless and unblemished character, who was active in enthroning democracy in Nigeria.
The choice is therefore clear on April 19, 2003! Mr. Obasanjo admits fallibility of the human specie, he has even apologized where he felt the necessity or need to do so, he has expressed desires to reform some of his policies needing reform, Admits mistakes!
In contrast, Mr. Buhari boycotts debates, Mr. Buhari avoids and neglects and disregard summons or invitations from duly constituted Justice Oputa panel, Mr. Buhari is known to have expressed his disdain and impatience with the democratic processes, Mr. Buhari has an overwhelming arrogance that enables him to disrespect and disregard everything constitutional and democratic!
Do Nigerians really want any person with this inflated sense of self? Nigerians must show Mr. Buhari and his ANPP that we have been paying keen attention to his public conduct; Nigeria�s history should compel the electorate to a quick rejection of Mr. Buhari on April 19 and such a resounding rejection response, will send a specific message to Mr. Buhari and those other persons who are anti-freedoms and anti-democratic, the message that Nigeria has positively changed!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 13, 2003
In this final week before the general elections in Nigeria, the voters should be mindful of the distinction between the stellar democratic credentials of Mr. Obasanjo and the strangulating and unrepentant arrogance of Mr. Buhari
The similarities in both men ends in having been in the same military establishment in Nigeria, the disparity in their attitude is night and day contrasted
Mr. Obasanjo did not plan any coups that overthrew any democratically elected government in Nigeria, Mr. Obasanjo�s first coming as the nation�s leader was bestowed on him by fate, subsequent to the assassination of his brother patriot General Murtala Mohammed and this have in the past led Obasanjo�s detractors to label him the reluctant one, He acted positively at once, eminent Nigerians were gathered together to constitute the Constituent Assembly Constitution Drafting Committee and democratic elections was followed with the inauguration of President Shagari in 1979.
Mr. Obasanjo did not try self-succession in 1976 as did Mr. Babangida in 1992 as did late Mr. Abacha in 1997, only General Abubakar in handing over in 1999 acted in a manner similar to Mr. Obasanjo�s in 1976, and it was clearly in certain very peculiar circumstances, to say the least.
Again, fate led Obasanjo to the helms of steering the state�s stern in 1999 as General Abubakar handed over to civilians and a democratically elected government; Whereas, Mr. Buhari on the other hand overthrew the democratic government that Mr. Obasanjo had installed, this was coup plotting and an illegal act against the constitution, an expression of his hunger for power by any and all means!
Mr. Buhari�s painful legacy is current history in Nigeria, and it is there for all to see, Many Nigerians voiced their opinions against his government at the time i.e. 193-83 to 1985 and in 1984 I wrote an article that appeared in the Nigerian Tribune and it was titled �Which Way Nigeria?� And then as now, I feel compelled to remind Nigerians of Mr. Buhari�s attributes, particularly now, because, it is clear that he has not changed.
Mr.Buhari refused to attend the Justice Oputa panel that was established to help reconciliation in the land and the Oputa panel was considered as efforts towards the entrenchment of democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria and prominent Nigerians who have had leadership roles were invited; Mr. Obasanjo attended the proceedings and testified, even though Mr. Obasanjo is the sitting president, and he could have feigned being too busy to attend, he could have decided to hide behind presidential immunity, but instead, he magnanimously attended the hearings and cooperated, as mark for respect for the commission, as mark of respect for democracy and the entrenchment of law and law and order, if prominent citizen do not show good examples of obeying duly constituted commission, authorities and the law of he land? What examples are set for the average citizens?
But the undemocratic Mr. Buhari flagrantly disregarded his invitation to the Justice Oputa panel, he arrogantly behaved as if he was above all Nigerian laws and above criticisms or reproach, and now he is saying that he will obey the laws and be the symbol of law and order and now says he will not behave like he was still a General in the army who is not accountable to a commission or anyone, he is now seeking votes too!
Whereas Mr. Obasanjo has repeatedly explained and in some circumstances justified his record of active service to Nigeria, on some occasions, Mr. Obasanjo has even apologized for federal actions that were necessitated by the circumstances, no doubt, but Mr. Obasanjo in order to assuage the feelings of the aggrieved, apologizes for past actions, Mr. Buhari is on the exact opposite side of the spectrum!
Mr. Buhari has again and again behaved as if he is infallible! He never has apologized for Decree Two and Decree Four! Buhari has not apologized for trying to put Mr. Umaru Dikko in a crate and barrel, Mr. Buhari has not apologized for jailing countless Nigerians during his tenure as head of state from 1983 to 1985, His stubbornness clearly indicates his strong opinion of himself as an infallible person, can Nigerians afford a leader that think himself infallible?
All human being make mistakes, hence all pencils are manufactured with erasers attached, so that we can clean up our mistakes when they occur, but Mr. Buhari and his handlers seem to think him saintly and infallible, therefore having nothing in his past or present to apologize for? Whew!
It is a remarkable how some of Mr. Buhari�s defenders like Mr. Sani Mohammed attempts to revise history and turn logic on its head, in Mr. Mohammed�s piece that featured in the Vanguard on April 7, 2003, Mr. Mohammed argued straight-aced that General Buhari�s coup making in 1983 was a patriotic act, when he said �Certainly that coup remains the greatest testimonial to Buhari�s patriotism� Some of us used to believe that coups are undemocratic, nay unpatriotic! But thanks to Mr. Mohammed, we all now know that coup plotters are patriots! Did the national assembly not recently prescribe life imprisonments for these sorts of patriotism? These sorts of defense of Mr. Buhari are laughably pathetic!
Mr. Buhari has had many opportunities to express himself and attempt to sell himself as a reformed person, with some pretensions, at least to some democratic credentials, but at each opportunity, he shirks from chances to attempt a repair of his unpopular and undemocratic records arising from his participation at the helms of Nigeria�s leadership in the past!
Mr. Buhari�s arrogance is pervasive, or how else can one explain his attitude and public utterances? He is the challenger and an underdog in the general elections, and yet he has had the audacity to skip major public debate opportunity with the incumbent! Most candidates in Mr. Buhari�s position would have leaped and jumped at such singular opportunity to explain himself and try to look good standing and debating with a current president, Everywhere else, it is usually the incumbent candidate that does not want to debate and confer prominence on a challenger!
Mr. Buhari has instead been committing lots of gaffes and goofing-offs on serious issues and he has been committing further blunder against his own unpleasant image with the electorate, with his careless pronouncements on major issues like the National Identity Card Project, the Onshore and Offshore Dichotomy issues etc.
He keeps displaying his famed penchant for parochial and limited vision of Nigeria, instead of trying to convince and persuade the voters, that he is reformed and that he is national and broadened in his thinking and outlook!
Mr. Buhari and his handlers are not working hard to canvass for votes, but instead, they are working to frustrate those who are working so hard to win the elections fair and square! The ANPP instead of campaigning seriously, are seeking a change or shift in the election dates or to terminate democracy altogether by their subterranean activities!
Those who are not adept at persuading, canvassing and convincing others in a democratic setting and with democratic means, are resorting to threats, blackmail, frivolous lawsuits and calls for interim government etc! And accusing others of political murders etc!
Mr. Buhari and his cohorts have been accusing others of plans to rig the general elections, they are engaging in these false allegations without a scintilla of evidence; So that when Buhari and the ANPP loose the elections, they will have recourse to this oft-repeated trumped-up-charges of rigging.
The truth is that Mr. Buhari is not a good candidate, he did not enter the presidential race in time or early enough, ANPP have not made enough efforts in its campaigning and they do not deserve to win the presidency or dog-catcher position; And presently, they are busy setting up all kinds of excuses for their eventual and certain loss! Blaming others for their poor choice of candidate, timing, ineptitude and poor strategy.
What is Mr. Buhari afraid of? The truth! How does anyone explain the draconian Decree Two or Decree Four or the crating of Mr. Dikko or the jailing of so many Nigerians without justification? How does anyone explain jailing Mr. Shagari? A man well known or perceived as a gentle, religious and kind, well known as a meticulously incorruptible gentleman from Sokoto; Mr. Buhari is unlike the late General Yar Adua a spotless and unblemished character, who was active in enthroning democracy in Nigeria.
The choice is therefore clear on April 19, 2003! Mr. Obasanjo admits fallibility of the human specie, he has even apologized where he felt the necessity or need to do so, he has expressed desires to reform some of his policies needing reform, Admits mistakes!
In contrast, Mr. Buhari boycotts debates, Mr. Buhari avoids and neglects and disregard summons or invitations from duly constituted Justice Oputa panel, Mr. Buhari is known to have expressed his disdain and impatience with the democratic processes, Mr. Buhari has an overwhelming arrogance that enables him to disrespect and disregard everything constitutional and democratic!
Do Nigerians really want any person with this inflated sense of self? Nigerians must show Mr. Buhari and his ANPP that we have been paying keen attention to his public conduct; Nigeria�s history should compel the electorate to a quick rejection of Mr. Buhari on April 19 and such a resounding rejection response, will send a specific message to Mr. Buhari and those other persons who are anti-freedoms and anti-democratic, the message that Nigeria has positively changed!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Crooks, The Gullible, And 419 Scams Or Wallowing In The Mud ?
The Crooks, The Gullible, And 419 Scams Or Wallowing In The Mud ?
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 1, 2003
Everyday, there is something new about the 419 scams and the perpetrators or 419ers? The latest episode is the new twist that I read from the web page of gamji.com, new twist is now even not so useful a term in this context, as there is always a new twist or modus operandi by these crooks.
There are now several websites specifically dedicated and devoted to this nuisance, yes it is more nuisance than anything else. This is not writing to defend the scam artists, but I am beginning to wonder why 419 scam artists are now the only Nigerians that people want to talk and write about? I understand that some members of the international public has this huge appetite for scandals, especially when it emanates from Africa, therefore only stories form Africa that titillates is fit to appear in the newspapers and on the internet; Ebola! AIDS! War in Africa! Three Kenyans dies fishing for cell phone in a cesspool!
Nobody seem interested in the fact that there are more than 26,000 Medical Doctors of Nigerian origin in the United States, nobody seem interested in the other uncountable professionals of Nigerian origin in Europe and America, Lawyers, Doctors, Economists, Information Technology Professionals, Nurses to name a few.
We know it is said that, it is big news when a man bites a dog, but it is no news when a dog bites a man, but even so, why is it? That those who talk about a few shady characters of Nigerian origin are happily oblivious of the majority of Nigerians who are hardworking and are exceptional and exemplary citizens in Nigeria, in America, Europe and Asia? Why do they suffer from this shattering amnesia when it comes to positive Nigerians and positive events emanating from Nigeria and all of Africa?
Majority of Nigerians the world over contribute immensely to the communities in which they live, they work, they pay taxes, these Nigerians participate in all that is good, they volunteer their time and money to improve their place of residence outside of Nigeria.
It has become tiring and irritating that 419ers or fraud is the only dinner joke that some people are happy to repeat about Nigeria! Let us talk about Philip Emeagwali the Information Technology whiz kid instead, he is of Nigerian origin! And many, many more overachievers of Nigerian origins! Let us talk about Shade Adu the singer, he is of Nigerian origin! Let us talk about people of Nigerian origin who are contributing their quota of service to international institutions, persons of Nigerian origin currently serve the World Bank, International Court of Justice and even the United Nations!
Nigeria is a country of more than one hundred and twenty million people, and like every country, Nigeria has her share of the good, the bad and the ugly, but too many people are singularly focused on Nigeria's few bad apples, why?
I recommend that Nigerians and Nigeria should stop losing sleep over the above scams and schemes, and for the following reasons:
The following paragraph which is in quotes, appeared in the Guardian of Nigeria recently
"And speaking on how to curb the illicit trade, the Nigerian Ambassador to Czech Republic, Mrs. Julie Ayorinde, has asked foreign governments to prosecute their nationals who collaborate with Nigerians in the scam. She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend that the foreign collaborators are as guilty as their Nigerian accomplices are.
But giving details of Pacovsky's interaction with the embassy, the statement explained that "It is on record that any time Pacovsky was in the embassy, the deceased would spend hours attending to him, advising him against getting involved in fraudulent business dealings with people he did not even know." It claimed that the fraudulent activities of Pacovsky in Nigeria were well-known to the Czech authorities.
"The deceased had on several occasions attempted to stop Pacovsky from continuing with his fraudulent activities, but to no avail." The embassy lamented that instead of heeding Wayi's advice, the Czech murdered him "in cold blood" and shot another embassy official who attempted to assist the deceased.
"Pacovsky shot both his victims several times at point blank range, which shows a clear premeditated intent on his part," it added.
Ayorinde, however, said that it is criminal for anybody to want to get easy money through dubious mean, and asked, "is investing money to steal someone else's money not criminal enough for the authorities?" She lamented that at present, the onus is on diplomats to pay for the crimes committed on both sides, and noted that prosecuting the collaborators by their home governments will drastically reduce the scale of the scam.
The envoy disclosed that some recipients of '419' letters were difficult to convince that the letters were fraudulent, adding that some of them still obliged the fraudsters even after being warned by the embassy. "Some of them don't believe these letters are fake. When they burn their fingers, they come back to us. Why should an educated person fall prey to faceless fraudsters?" "Why should people send their account details to someone they do not know, or go to another country to deposit money?" she queried."
Another reason why Nigerians should lose no sleep regarding scams; Colombia is a country reputed for its Cocaine production and supply to entire world; So, If someone from Colombia, writes to you and informs you that he has $50 million worth of Cocaine, this is criminal and you know, then he ask that you supply your personal information, including your banking details, to enable him process the drugs/narcotics, to bribe the Customs and other Security or Law enforcement officials etc; Would you oblige him? Probably not, I certainly hope not!
But suppose that you are gullible, stupid and criminal enough, to volunteer your personal information and banking accounts details? To enable someone and yourself engage in what you know is a criminal enterprise/undertaking?
The crooks are very HONEST, they tell the gullible sucker from the beginning, that they, the crooks are attempting to perpetrate fraud on someone else, other than the gullible sucker, and the gullible sucker says to himself, WOW! This is one DUPE, this is one FRAUDSTER, this is one CRIMINAL that I can TRUST, Look! The crook is not trying to dupe me! The crook is trying to dupe someone else, some country elsewhere or some company elsewhere!
The gullible and sucker, then says to himself, Let do it! And engages the crooks in the art of meaningful dialogue and negotiations, then, the HONEST crook, now dupes the gullible sucker!
Why do Nigerians and Nigeria have to apologize for these?
These Gullible and Suckers, even have the audacity to want to enforce their illegal and criminal transactions in courts! What temerity they have!?
How is trying to steal money from the Nigerian government or company or from taxpayers any less criminal than trying to aid and abet a crook in his efforts to import or export Cocaine? $50 million is $50million! Whether stolen from Nigerian taxpayers or as proceeds from drugs/narcotic transactions! Helping to commit any crime is EGREGIOUS!
Why are foreigners who shamelessly display avarice and greed and the highest moral turpitude portrayed as victims of crimes? They are no victims, perhaps only victims of their own greed and get-rich-quick schemes! Why do they do it?
Anyone willing and able to do legitimate business in Nigeria should go through legitimate channels e.g.
Nigeria High Commission, Embassy or Consulate
Chambers of Commerce of any Country
Chancery sections of Diplomatic outposts
Banks and Financial Institutions
Lawyers everywhere
Physical Visit to Nigeria
Consult your home government first
Rotary International (there are sister chapters in Nigeria)
And many more legitimate avenues/channels, unless of course, you believe the HONEST Fraudster and Dupe over and above the list A to H!
Even some of our citizens seem to glorify and elevate these scurrilous and odious disparagement, it has become such a recycled garbage, that one would think that we as Nigerians should begin to re-examine our role in repeating this slander against our country; Every visit to chat rooms on the internet where Nigerians are present, inevitably lead to a discussion about the latest of the latest of latest 419 stories!
Henceforth, well meaning Nigerians should desist from wallowing in the mud with those who are glad to malign Nigeria or bring Nigerians and Nigeria to disrepute, the idea of repeating this slander or even embellishing it, does not help Nigerians, whether at home or abroad, it ruins our collective reputation, it acts as a stigma to our collective decency and integrity.
Perception is reality, and image as they say in public relations, is everything! We should not give currency and credence to the odium being spread about Nigerians, Majority of Nigerians are law abiding! Why should we allow others to define Nigeria's collective reputation, solely based on the negative behavior of a few bad apples?.
Perhaps it will help to drive the message home to always remind ourselves that we are no participants in these scams and further, that we personally know of nobody in our family that is involved and moreover, the percentage of our population involved in this negative conduct, is alarmingly insignificant, hence we should reject the automatic response of those who are quick to resort to sweeping generalization about Nigerians and African!
We should realize that those who repeat these titillating stories to us about these fraudsters are really talking about us, not the fraudsters! We should not join the hilarity of dinner jokes when it includes these sweeping generalizations about Nigerians and Nigeria, We can broaden the horizon of those present by discussing Nigerians who have excelled in legitimate professions or any calling of human endeavors.
We should not recoil in shame or embarrassment, We should not be cowered or cowed, commentaries relating to these bad apples are usually to make the Nigerian cringe or feel uncomfortable and apologetic, it is mostly an attempt to distract and humiliate, always ask the commentator, 'Is there anything else that you know about Nigerians and Nigeria?'
A good beginning could be informing all those present that we are 120 million Nigerians, we are good, decent and hospitable people, narrate Nigeria's human and mineral endowment and more, if the listener is receptive, recommend a visit to different websites where more relevant positive information about Nigeria can be gleamed.
But if she is belligerent, mention to him and her that you regularly receive junk mail regarding spurious offers for the enlargements of different body parts, but that you casually ignore such offers! Add that you know hair transplant and all claims to grow new hair on a bald head is hocus-pocus and that you usually promptly discard such mails.
I personally receive up to 100 junk emails daily, making all kinds of propositions, legal and illegal, 'earn a college degree without a day in class or study' and I do not call the SWAT team, the US Marines or my lawyer for help, the a function on my computer called delete!
News Flask/Breaking News! When you receive solicitations? Delete!
While at it, remind her of the fact that, you regularly receive junk mails informing you that 'you may already have WON TEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!' but that you do not get excited or sue any company or country, you just trash the outlandish and outrageous offers of deceits and get-rich-quick schemes! Mention that crooks are beasts of no nation, that the recent spate of corporate failures including Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia etc were not because of Nigerians! There is a loss of more than $42 billion to fraud yearly in the US and none of these frauds are connected with the 419ers pittance of nuisance value.
Is Mafia, Corruption or Fraud a Hausa, Ibo or Yoruba word?
Self-respecting Nigerians should reject these negative stereo-types, labels and stigma that we do not deserve, we should quit wallowing in the mud with pigs and detractors of Nigerians and Nigeria, they are actually enjoying it! Stop them!
You may also ask if him to tell you where the 'pyramid schemes' were invented, or where 'cold call telemarketing' was invented, or to explain 'piggy-backing or' 'churning' or 'lemon law' or 'bait and switch' are all about? There are endless examples of fraudulent examples that people with negative bent indulge in, negative people who are not Nigerians!
Give Nigeria a break! Enough already!
Everyone is welcome to do business in Nigeria, with Nigeria, but do so legitimately, do so through proper channels.
There are abundant and boundless opportunities in Nigeria. God Bless you as you take your businesses and investments to Nigeria
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 1, 2003
Everyday, there is something new about the 419 scams and the perpetrators or 419ers? The latest episode is the new twist that I read from the web page of gamji.com, new twist is now even not so useful a term in this context, as there is always a new twist or modus operandi by these crooks.
There are now several websites specifically dedicated and devoted to this nuisance, yes it is more nuisance than anything else. This is not writing to defend the scam artists, but I am beginning to wonder why 419 scam artists are now the only Nigerians that people want to talk and write about? I understand that some members of the international public has this huge appetite for scandals, especially when it emanates from Africa, therefore only stories form Africa that titillates is fit to appear in the newspapers and on the internet; Ebola! AIDS! War in Africa! Three Kenyans dies fishing for cell phone in a cesspool!
Nobody seem interested in the fact that there are more than 26,000 Medical Doctors of Nigerian origin in the United States, nobody seem interested in the other uncountable professionals of Nigerian origin in Europe and America, Lawyers, Doctors, Economists, Information Technology Professionals, Nurses to name a few.
We know it is said that, it is big news when a man bites a dog, but it is no news when a dog bites a man, but even so, why is it? That those who talk about a few shady characters of Nigerian origin are happily oblivious of the majority of Nigerians who are hardworking and are exceptional and exemplary citizens in Nigeria, in America, Europe and Asia? Why do they suffer from this shattering amnesia when it comes to positive Nigerians and positive events emanating from Nigeria and all of Africa?
Majority of Nigerians the world over contribute immensely to the communities in which they live, they work, they pay taxes, these Nigerians participate in all that is good, they volunteer their time and money to improve their place of residence outside of Nigeria.
It has become tiring and irritating that 419ers or fraud is the only dinner joke that some people are happy to repeat about Nigeria! Let us talk about Philip Emeagwali the Information Technology whiz kid instead, he is of Nigerian origin! And many, many more overachievers of Nigerian origins! Let us talk about Shade Adu the singer, he is of Nigerian origin! Let us talk about people of Nigerian origin who are contributing their quota of service to international institutions, persons of Nigerian origin currently serve the World Bank, International Court of Justice and even the United Nations!
Nigeria is a country of more than one hundred and twenty million people, and like every country, Nigeria has her share of the good, the bad and the ugly, but too many people are singularly focused on Nigeria's few bad apples, why?
I recommend that Nigerians and Nigeria should stop losing sleep over the above scams and schemes, and for the following reasons:
The following paragraph which is in quotes, appeared in the Guardian of Nigeria recently
"And speaking on how to curb the illicit trade, the Nigerian Ambassador to Czech Republic, Mrs. Julie Ayorinde, has asked foreign governments to prosecute their nationals who collaborate with Nigerians in the scam. She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend that the foreign collaborators are as guilty as their Nigerian accomplices are.
But giving details of Pacovsky's interaction with the embassy, the statement explained that "It is on record that any time Pacovsky was in the embassy, the deceased would spend hours attending to him, advising him against getting involved in fraudulent business dealings with people he did not even know." It claimed that the fraudulent activities of Pacovsky in Nigeria were well-known to the Czech authorities.
"The deceased had on several occasions attempted to stop Pacovsky from continuing with his fraudulent activities, but to no avail." The embassy lamented that instead of heeding Wayi's advice, the Czech murdered him "in cold blood" and shot another embassy official who attempted to assist the deceased.
"Pacovsky shot both his victims several times at point blank range, which shows a clear premeditated intent on his part," it added.
Ayorinde, however, said that it is criminal for anybody to want to get easy money through dubious mean, and asked, "is investing money to steal someone else's money not criminal enough for the authorities?" She lamented that at present, the onus is on diplomats to pay for the crimes committed on both sides, and noted that prosecuting the collaborators by their home governments will drastically reduce the scale of the scam.
The envoy disclosed that some recipients of '419' letters were difficult to convince that the letters were fraudulent, adding that some of them still obliged the fraudsters even after being warned by the embassy. "Some of them don't believe these letters are fake. When they burn their fingers, they come back to us. Why should an educated person fall prey to faceless fraudsters?" "Why should people send their account details to someone they do not know, or go to another country to deposit money?" she queried."
Another reason why Nigerians should lose no sleep regarding scams; Colombia is a country reputed for its Cocaine production and supply to entire world; So, If someone from Colombia, writes to you and informs you that he has $50 million worth of Cocaine, this is criminal and you know, then he ask that you supply your personal information, including your banking details, to enable him process the drugs/narcotics, to bribe the Customs and other Security or Law enforcement officials etc; Would you oblige him? Probably not, I certainly hope not!
But suppose that you are gullible, stupid and criminal enough, to volunteer your personal information and banking accounts details? To enable someone and yourself engage in what you know is a criminal enterprise/undertaking?
The crooks are very HONEST, they tell the gullible sucker from the beginning, that they, the crooks are attempting to perpetrate fraud on someone else, other than the gullible sucker, and the gullible sucker says to himself, WOW! This is one DUPE, this is one FRAUDSTER, this is one CRIMINAL that I can TRUST, Look! The crook is not trying to dupe me! The crook is trying to dupe someone else, some country elsewhere or some company elsewhere!
The gullible and sucker, then says to himself, Let do it! And engages the crooks in the art of meaningful dialogue and negotiations, then, the HONEST crook, now dupes the gullible sucker!
Why do Nigerians and Nigeria have to apologize for these?
These Gullible and Suckers, even have the audacity to want to enforce their illegal and criminal transactions in courts! What temerity they have!?
How is trying to steal money from the Nigerian government or company or from taxpayers any less criminal than trying to aid and abet a crook in his efforts to import or export Cocaine? $50 million is $50million! Whether stolen from Nigerian taxpayers or as proceeds from drugs/narcotic transactions! Helping to commit any crime is EGREGIOUS!
Why are foreigners who shamelessly display avarice and greed and the highest moral turpitude portrayed as victims of crimes? They are no victims, perhaps only victims of their own greed and get-rich-quick schemes! Why do they do it?
Anyone willing and able to do legitimate business in Nigeria should go through legitimate channels e.g.
Nigeria High Commission, Embassy or Consulate
Chambers of Commerce of any Country
Chancery sections of Diplomatic outposts
Banks and Financial Institutions
Lawyers everywhere
Physical Visit to Nigeria
Consult your home government first
Rotary International (there are sister chapters in Nigeria)
And many more legitimate avenues/channels, unless of course, you believe the HONEST Fraudster and Dupe over and above the list A to H!
Even some of our citizens seem to glorify and elevate these scurrilous and odious disparagement, it has become such a recycled garbage, that one would think that we as Nigerians should begin to re-examine our role in repeating this slander against our country; Every visit to chat rooms on the internet where Nigerians are present, inevitably lead to a discussion about the latest of the latest of latest 419 stories!
Henceforth, well meaning Nigerians should desist from wallowing in the mud with those who are glad to malign Nigeria or bring Nigerians and Nigeria to disrepute, the idea of repeating this slander or even embellishing it, does not help Nigerians, whether at home or abroad, it ruins our collective reputation, it acts as a stigma to our collective decency and integrity.
Perception is reality, and image as they say in public relations, is everything! We should not give currency and credence to the odium being spread about Nigerians, Majority of Nigerians are law abiding! Why should we allow others to define Nigeria's collective reputation, solely based on the negative behavior of a few bad apples?.
Perhaps it will help to drive the message home to always remind ourselves that we are no participants in these scams and further, that we personally know of nobody in our family that is involved and moreover, the percentage of our population involved in this negative conduct, is alarmingly insignificant, hence we should reject the automatic response of those who are quick to resort to sweeping generalization about Nigerians and African!
We should realize that those who repeat these titillating stories to us about these fraudsters are really talking about us, not the fraudsters! We should not join the hilarity of dinner jokes when it includes these sweeping generalizations about Nigerians and Nigeria, We can broaden the horizon of those present by discussing Nigerians who have excelled in legitimate professions or any calling of human endeavors.
We should not recoil in shame or embarrassment, We should not be cowered or cowed, commentaries relating to these bad apples are usually to make the Nigerian cringe or feel uncomfortable and apologetic, it is mostly an attempt to distract and humiliate, always ask the commentator, 'Is there anything else that you know about Nigerians and Nigeria?'
A good beginning could be informing all those present that we are 120 million Nigerians, we are good, decent and hospitable people, narrate Nigeria's human and mineral endowment and more, if the listener is receptive, recommend a visit to different websites where more relevant positive information about Nigeria can be gleamed.
But if she is belligerent, mention to him and her that you regularly receive junk mail regarding spurious offers for the enlargements of different body parts, but that you casually ignore such offers! Add that you know hair transplant and all claims to grow new hair on a bald head is hocus-pocus and that you usually promptly discard such mails.
I personally receive up to 100 junk emails daily, making all kinds of propositions, legal and illegal, 'earn a college degree without a day in class or study' and I do not call the SWAT team, the US Marines or my lawyer for help, the a function on my computer called delete!
News Flask/Breaking News! When you receive solicitations? Delete!
While at it, remind her of the fact that, you regularly receive junk mails informing you that 'you may already have WON TEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!' but that you do not get excited or sue any company or country, you just trash the outlandish and outrageous offers of deceits and get-rich-quick schemes! Mention that crooks are beasts of no nation, that the recent spate of corporate failures including Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia etc were not because of Nigerians! There is a loss of more than $42 billion to fraud yearly in the US and none of these frauds are connected with the 419ers pittance of nuisance value.
Is Mafia, Corruption or Fraud a Hausa, Ibo or Yoruba word?
Self-respecting Nigerians should reject these negative stereo-types, labels and stigma that we do not deserve, we should quit wallowing in the mud with pigs and detractors of Nigerians and Nigeria, they are actually enjoying it! Stop them!
You may also ask if him to tell you where the 'pyramid schemes' were invented, or where 'cold call telemarketing' was invented, or to explain 'piggy-backing or' 'churning' or 'lemon law' or 'bait and switch' are all about? There are endless examples of fraudulent examples that people with negative bent indulge in, negative people who are not Nigerians!
Give Nigeria a break! Enough already!
Everyone is welcome to do business in Nigeria, with Nigeria, but do so legitimately, do so through proper channels.
There are abundant and boundless opportunities in Nigeria. God Bless you as you take your businesses and investments to Nigeria
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Crooks, The Gullible, And 419 Scams Or Wallowing In The Mud ?
The Crooks, The Gullible, And 419 Scams Or Wallowing In The Mud ?
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 1, 2003
Everyday, there is something new about the 419 scams and the perpetrators or 419ers? The latest episode is the new twist that I read from the web page of gamji.com, new twist is now even not so useful a term in this context, as there is always a new twist or modus operandi by these crooks.
There are now several websites specifically dedicated and devoted to this nuisance, yes it is more nuisance than anything else. This is not writing to defend the scam artists, but I am beginning to wonder why 419 scam artists are now the only Nigerians that people want to talk and write about? I understand that some members of the international public has this huge appetite for scandals, especially when it emanates from Africa, therefore only stories form Africa that titillates is fit to appear in the newspapers and on the internet; Ebola! AIDS! War in Africa! Three Kenyans dies fishing for cell phone in a cesspool!
Nobody seem interested in the fact that there are more than 26,000 Medical Doctors of Nigerian origin in the United States, nobody seem interested in the other uncountable professionals of Nigerian origin in Europe and America, Lawyers, Doctors, Economists, Information Technology Professionals, Nurses to name a few.
We know it is said that, it is big news when a man bites a dog, but it is no news when a dog bites a man, but even so, why is it? That those who talk about a few shady characters of Nigerian origin are happily oblivious of the majority of Nigerians who are hardworking and are exceptional and exemplary citizens in Nigeria, in America, Europe and Asia? Why do they suffer from this shattering amnesia when it comes to positive Nigerians and positive events emanating from Nigeria and all of Africa?
Majority of Nigerians the world over contribute immensely to the communities in which they live, they work, they pay taxes, these Nigerians participate in all that is good, they volunteer their time and money to improve their place of residence outside of Nigeria.
It has become tiring and irritating that 419ers or fraud is the only dinner joke that some people are happy to repeat about Nigeria! Let us talk about Philip Emeagwali the Information Technology whiz kid instead, he is of Nigerian origin! And many, many more overachievers of Nigerian origins! Let us talk about Shade Adu the singer, he is of Nigerian origin! Let us talk about people of Nigerian origin who are contributing their quota of service to international institutions, persons of Nigerian origin currently serve the World Bank, International Court of Justice and even the United Nations!
Nigeria is a country of more than one hundred and twenty million people, and like every country, Nigeria has her share of the good, the bad and the ugly, but too many people are singularly focused on Nigeria's few bad apples, why?
I recommend that Nigerians and Nigeria should stop losing sleep over the above scams and schemes, and for the following reasons:
The following paragraph which is in quotes, appeared in the Guardian of Nigeria recently
"And speaking on how to curb the illicit trade, the Nigerian Ambassador to Czech Republic, Mrs. Julie Ayorinde, has asked foreign governments to prosecute their nationals who collaborate with Nigerians in the scam. She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend that the foreign collaborators are as guilty as their Nigerian accomplices are.
But giving details of Pacovsky's interaction with the embassy, the statement explained that "It is on record that any time Pacovsky was in the embassy, the deceased would spend hours attending to him, advising him against getting involved in fraudulent business dealings with people he did not even know." It claimed that the fraudulent activities of Pacovsky in Nigeria were well-known to the Czech authorities.
"The deceased had on several occasions attempted to stop Pacovsky from continuing with his fraudulent activities, but to no avail." The embassy lamented that instead of heeding Wayi's advice, the Czech murdered him "in cold blood" and shot another embassy official who attempted to assist the deceased.
"Pacovsky shot both his victims several times at point blank range, which shows a clear premeditated intent on his part," it added.
Ayorinde, however, said that it is criminal for anybody to want to get easy money through dubious mean, and asked, "is investing money to steal someone else's money not criminal enough for the authorities?" She lamented that at present, the onus is on diplomats to pay for the crimes committed on both sides, and noted that prosecuting the collaborators by their home governments will drastically reduce the scale of the scam.
The envoy disclosed that some recipients of '419' letters were difficult to convince that the letters were fraudulent, adding that some of them still obliged the fraudsters even after being warned by the embassy. "Some of them don't believe these letters are fake. When they burn their fingers, they come back to us. Why should an educated person fall prey to faceless fraudsters?" "Why should people send their account details to someone they do not know, or go to another country to deposit money?" she queried."
Another reason why Nigerians should lose no sleep regarding scams; Colombia is a country reputed for its Cocaine production and supply to entire world; So, If someone from Colombia, writes to you and informs you that he has $50 million worth of Cocaine, this is criminal and you know, then he ask that you supply your personal information, including your banking details, to enable him process the drugs/narcotics, to bribe the Customs and other Security or Law enforcement officials etc; Would you oblige him? Probably not, I certainly hope not!
But suppose that you are gullible, stupid and criminal enough, to volunteer your personal information and banking accounts details? To enable someone and yourself engage in what you know is a criminal enterprise/undertaking?
The crooks are very HONEST, they tell the gullible sucker from the beginning, that they, the crooks are attempting to perpetrate fraud on someone else, other than the gullible sucker, and the gullible sucker says to himself, WOW! This is one DUPE, this is one FRAUDSTER, this is one CRIMINAL that I can TRUST, Look! The crook is not trying to dupe me! The crook is trying to dupe someone else, some country elsewhere or some company elsewhere!
The gullible and sucker, then says to himself, Let do it! And engages the crooks in the art of meaningful dialogue and negotiations, then, the HONEST crook, now dupes the gullible sucker!
Why do Nigerians and Nigeria have to apologize for these?
These Gullible and Suckers, even have the audacity to want to enforce their illegal and criminal transactions in courts! What temerity they have!?
How is trying to steal money from the Nigerian government or company or from taxpayers any less criminal than trying to aid and abet a crook in his efforts to import or export Cocaine? $50 million is $50million! Whether stolen from Nigerian taxpayers or as proceeds from drugs/narcotic transactions! Helping to commit any crime is EGREGIOUS!
Why are foreigners who shamelessly display avarice and greed and the highest moral turpitude portrayed as victims of crimes? They are no victims, perhaps only victims of their own greed and get-rich-quick schemes! Why do they do it?
Anyone willing and able to do legitimate business in Nigeria should go through legitimate channels e.g.
Nigeria High Commission, Embassy or Consulate
Chambers of Commerce of any Country
Chancery sections of Diplomatic outposts
Banks and Financial Institutions
Lawyers everywhere
Physical Visit to Nigeria
Consult your home government first
Rotary International (there are sister chapters in Nigeria)
And many more legitimate avenues/channels, unless of course, you believe the HONEST Fraudster and Dupe over and above the list A to H!
Even some of our citizens seem to glorify and elevate these scurrilous and odious disparagement, it has become such a recycled garbage, that one would think that we as Nigerians should begin to re-examine our role in repeating this slander against our country; Every visit to chat rooms on the internet where Nigerians are present, inevitably lead to a discussion about the latest of the latest of latest 419 stories!
Henceforth, well meaning Nigerians should desist from wallowing in the mud with those who are glad to malign Nigeria or bring Nigerians and Nigeria to disrepute, the idea of repeating this slander or even embellishing it, does not help Nigerians, whether at home or abroad, it ruins our collective reputation, it acts as a stigma to our collective decency and integrity.
Perception is reality, and image as they say in public relations, is everything! We should not give currency and credence to the odium being spread about Nigerians, Majority of Nigerians are law abiding! Why should we allow others to define Nigeria's collective reputation, solely based on the negative behavior of a few bad apples?.
Perhaps it will help to drive the message home to always remind ourselves that we are no participants in these scams and further, that we personally know of nobody in our family that is involved and moreover, the percentage of our population involved in this negative conduct, is alarmingly insignificant, hence we should reject the automatic response of those who are quick to resort to sweeping generalization about Nigerians and African!
We should realize that those who repeat these titillating stories to us about these fraudsters are really talking about us, not the fraudsters! We should not join the hilarity of dinner jokes when it includes these sweeping generalizations about Nigerians and Nigeria, We can broaden the horizon of those present by discussing Nigerians who have excelled in legitimate professions or any calling of human endeavors.
We should not recoil in shame or embarrassment, We should not be cowered or cowed, commentaries relating to these bad apples are usually to make the Nigerian cringe or feel uncomfortable and apologetic, it is mostly an attempt to distract and humiliate, always ask the commentator, 'Is there anything else that you know about Nigerians and Nigeria?'
A good beginning could be informing all those present that we are 120 million Nigerians, we are good, decent and hospitable people, narrate Nigeria's human and mineral endowment and more, if the listener is receptive, recommend a visit to different websites where more relevant positive information about Nigeria can be gleamed.
But if she is belligerent, mention to him and her that you regularly receive junk mail regarding spurious offers for the enlargements of different body parts, but that you casually ignore such offers! Add that you know hair transplant and all claims to grow new hair on a bald head is hocus-pocus and that you usually promptly discard such mails.
I personally receive up to 100 junk emails daily, making all kinds of propositions, legal and illegal, 'earn a college degree without a day in class or study' and I do not call the SWAT team, the US Marines or my lawyer for help, the a function on my computer called delete!
News Flask/Breaking News! When you receive solicitations? Delete!
While at it, remind her of the fact that, you regularly receive junk mails informing you that 'you may already have WON TEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!' but that you do not get excited or sue any company or country, you just trash the outlandish and outrageous offers of deceits and get-rich-quick schemes! Mention that crooks are beasts of no nation, that the recent spate of corporate failures including Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia etc were not because of Nigerians! There is a loss of more than $42 billion to fraud yearly in the US and none of these frauds are connected with the 419ers pittance of nuisance value.
Is Mafia, Corruption or Fraud a Hausa, Ibo or Yoruba word?
Self-respecting Nigerians should reject these negative stereo-types, labels and stigma that we do not deserve, we should quit wallowing in the mud with pigs and detractors of Nigerians and Nigeria, they are actually enjoying it! Stop them!
You may also ask if him to tell you where the 'pyramid schemes' were invented, or where 'cold call telemarketing' was invented, or to explain 'piggy-backing or' 'churning' or 'lemon law' or 'bait and switch' are all about? There are endless examples of fraudulent examples that people with negative bent indulge in, negative people who are not Nigerians!
Give Nigeria a break! Enough already!
Everyone is welcome to do business in Nigeria, with Nigeria, but do so legitimately, do so through proper channels.
There are abundant and boundless opportunities in Nigeria. God Bless you as you take your businesses and investments to Nigeria
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 1, 2003
Everyday, there is something new about the 419 scams and the perpetrators or 419ers? The latest episode is the new twist that I read from the web page of gamji.com, new twist is now even not so useful a term in this context, as there is always a new twist or modus operandi by these crooks.
There are now several websites specifically dedicated and devoted to this nuisance, yes it is more nuisance than anything else. This is not writing to defend the scam artists, but I am beginning to wonder why 419 scam artists are now the only Nigerians that people want to talk and write about? I understand that some members of the international public has this huge appetite for scandals, especially when it emanates from Africa, therefore only stories form Africa that titillates is fit to appear in the newspapers and on the internet; Ebola! AIDS! War in Africa! Three Kenyans dies fishing for cell phone in a cesspool!
Nobody seem interested in the fact that there are more than 26,000 Medical Doctors of Nigerian origin in the United States, nobody seem interested in the other uncountable professionals of Nigerian origin in Europe and America, Lawyers, Doctors, Economists, Information Technology Professionals, Nurses to name a few.
We know it is said that, it is big news when a man bites a dog, but it is no news when a dog bites a man, but even so, why is it? That those who talk about a few shady characters of Nigerian origin are happily oblivious of the majority of Nigerians who are hardworking and are exceptional and exemplary citizens in Nigeria, in America, Europe and Asia? Why do they suffer from this shattering amnesia when it comes to positive Nigerians and positive events emanating from Nigeria and all of Africa?
Majority of Nigerians the world over contribute immensely to the communities in which they live, they work, they pay taxes, these Nigerians participate in all that is good, they volunteer their time and money to improve their place of residence outside of Nigeria.
It has become tiring and irritating that 419ers or fraud is the only dinner joke that some people are happy to repeat about Nigeria! Let us talk about Philip Emeagwali the Information Technology whiz kid instead, he is of Nigerian origin! And many, many more overachievers of Nigerian origins! Let us talk about Shade Adu the singer, he is of Nigerian origin! Let us talk about people of Nigerian origin who are contributing their quota of service to international institutions, persons of Nigerian origin currently serve the World Bank, International Court of Justice and even the United Nations!
Nigeria is a country of more than one hundred and twenty million people, and like every country, Nigeria has her share of the good, the bad and the ugly, but too many people are singularly focused on Nigeria's few bad apples, why?
I recommend that Nigerians and Nigeria should stop losing sleep over the above scams and schemes, and for the following reasons:
The following paragraph which is in quotes, appeared in the Guardian of Nigeria recently
"And speaking on how to curb the illicit trade, the Nigerian Ambassador to Czech Republic, Mrs. Julie Ayorinde, has asked foreign governments to prosecute their nationals who collaborate with Nigerians in the scam. She told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend that the foreign collaborators are as guilty as their Nigerian accomplices are.
But giving details of Pacovsky's interaction with the embassy, the statement explained that "It is on record that any time Pacovsky was in the embassy, the deceased would spend hours attending to him, advising him against getting involved in fraudulent business dealings with people he did not even know." It claimed that the fraudulent activities of Pacovsky in Nigeria were well-known to the Czech authorities.
"The deceased had on several occasions attempted to stop Pacovsky from continuing with his fraudulent activities, but to no avail." The embassy lamented that instead of heeding Wayi's advice, the Czech murdered him "in cold blood" and shot another embassy official who attempted to assist the deceased.
"Pacovsky shot both his victims several times at point blank range, which shows a clear premeditated intent on his part," it added.
Ayorinde, however, said that it is criminal for anybody to want to get easy money through dubious mean, and asked, "is investing money to steal someone else's money not criminal enough for the authorities?" She lamented that at present, the onus is on diplomats to pay for the crimes committed on both sides, and noted that prosecuting the collaborators by their home governments will drastically reduce the scale of the scam.
The envoy disclosed that some recipients of '419' letters were difficult to convince that the letters were fraudulent, adding that some of them still obliged the fraudsters even after being warned by the embassy. "Some of them don't believe these letters are fake. When they burn their fingers, they come back to us. Why should an educated person fall prey to faceless fraudsters?" "Why should people send their account details to someone they do not know, or go to another country to deposit money?" she queried."
Another reason why Nigerians should lose no sleep regarding scams; Colombia is a country reputed for its Cocaine production and supply to entire world; So, If someone from Colombia, writes to you and informs you that he has $50 million worth of Cocaine, this is criminal and you know, then he ask that you supply your personal information, including your banking details, to enable him process the drugs/narcotics, to bribe the Customs and other Security or Law enforcement officials etc; Would you oblige him? Probably not, I certainly hope not!
But suppose that you are gullible, stupid and criminal enough, to volunteer your personal information and banking accounts details? To enable someone and yourself engage in what you know is a criminal enterprise/undertaking?
The crooks are very HONEST, they tell the gullible sucker from the beginning, that they, the crooks are attempting to perpetrate fraud on someone else, other than the gullible sucker, and the gullible sucker says to himself, WOW! This is one DUPE, this is one FRAUDSTER, this is one CRIMINAL that I can TRUST, Look! The crook is not trying to dupe me! The crook is trying to dupe someone else, some country elsewhere or some company elsewhere!
The gullible and sucker, then says to himself, Let do it! And engages the crooks in the art of meaningful dialogue and negotiations, then, the HONEST crook, now dupes the gullible sucker!
Why do Nigerians and Nigeria have to apologize for these?
These Gullible and Suckers, even have the audacity to want to enforce their illegal and criminal transactions in courts! What temerity they have!?
How is trying to steal money from the Nigerian government or company or from taxpayers any less criminal than trying to aid and abet a crook in his efforts to import or export Cocaine? $50 million is $50million! Whether stolen from Nigerian taxpayers or as proceeds from drugs/narcotic transactions! Helping to commit any crime is EGREGIOUS!
Why are foreigners who shamelessly display avarice and greed and the highest moral turpitude portrayed as victims of crimes? They are no victims, perhaps only victims of their own greed and get-rich-quick schemes! Why do they do it?
Anyone willing and able to do legitimate business in Nigeria should go through legitimate channels e.g.
Nigeria High Commission, Embassy or Consulate
Chambers of Commerce of any Country
Chancery sections of Diplomatic outposts
Banks and Financial Institutions
Lawyers everywhere
Physical Visit to Nigeria
Consult your home government first
Rotary International (there are sister chapters in Nigeria)
And many more legitimate avenues/channels, unless of course, you believe the HONEST Fraudster and Dupe over and above the list A to H!
Even some of our citizens seem to glorify and elevate these scurrilous and odious disparagement, it has become such a recycled garbage, that one would think that we as Nigerians should begin to re-examine our role in repeating this slander against our country; Every visit to chat rooms on the internet where Nigerians are present, inevitably lead to a discussion about the latest of the latest of latest 419 stories!
Henceforth, well meaning Nigerians should desist from wallowing in the mud with those who are glad to malign Nigeria or bring Nigerians and Nigeria to disrepute, the idea of repeating this slander or even embellishing it, does not help Nigerians, whether at home or abroad, it ruins our collective reputation, it acts as a stigma to our collective decency and integrity.
Perception is reality, and image as they say in public relations, is everything! We should not give currency and credence to the odium being spread about Nigerians, Majority of Nigerians are law abiding! Why should we allow others to define Nigeria's collective reputation, solely based on the negative behavior of a few bad apples?.
Perhaps it will help to drive the message home to always remind ourselves that we are no participants in these scams and further, that we personally know of nobody in our family that is involved and moreover, the percentage of our population involved in this negative conduct, is alarmingly insignificant, hence we should reject the automatic response of those who are quick to resort to sweeping generalization about Nigerians and African!
We should realize that those who repeat these titillating stories to us about these fraudsters are really talking about us, not the fraudsters! We should not join the hilarity of dinner jokes when it includes these sweeping generalizations about Nigerians and Nigeria, We can broaden the horizon of those present by discussing Nigerians who have excelled in legitimate professions or any calling of human endeavors.
We should not recoil in shame or embarrassment, We should not be cowered or cowed, commentaries relating to these bad apples are usually to make the Nigerian cringe or feel uncomfortable and apologetic, it is mostly an attempt to distract and humiliate, always ask the commentator, 'Is there anything else that you know about Nigerians and Nigeria?'
A good beginning could be informing all those present that we are 120 million Nigerians, we are good, decent and hospitable people, narrate Nigeria's human and mineral endowment and more, if the listener is receptive, recommend a visit to different websites where more relevant positive information about Nigeria can be gleamed.
But if she is belligerent, mention to him and her that you regularly receive junk mail regarding spurious offers for the enlargements of different body parts, but that you casually ignore such offers! Add that you know hair transplant and all claims to grow new hair on a bald head is hocus-pocus and that you usually promptly discard such mails.
I personally receive up to 100 junk emails daily, making all kinds of propositions, legal and illegal, 'earn a college degree without a day in class or study' and I do not call the SWAT team, the US Marines or my lawyer for help, the a function on my computer called delete!
News Flask/Breaking News! When you receive solicitations? Delete!
While at it, remind her of the fact that, you regularly receive junk mails informing you that 'you may already have WON TEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!' but that you do not get excited or sue any company or country, you just trash the outlandish and outrageous offers of deceits and get-rich-quick schemes! Mention that crooks are beasts of no nation, that the recent spate of corporate failures including Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia etc were not because of Nigerians! There is a loss of more than $42 billion to fraud yearly in the US and none of these frauds are connected with the 419ers pittance of nuisance value.
Is Mafia, Corruption or Fraud a Hausa, Ibo or Yoruba word?
Self-respecting Nigerians should reject these negative stereo-types, labels and stigma that we do not deserve, we should quit wallowing in the mud with pigs and detractors of Nigerians and Nigeria, they are actually enjoying it! Stop them!
You may also ask if him to tell you where the 'pyramid schemes' were invented, or where 'cold call telemarketing' was invented, or to explain 'piggy-backing or' 'churning' or 'lemon law' or 'bait and switch' are all about? There are endless examples of fraudulent examples that people with negative bent indulge in, negative people who are not Nigerians!
Give Nigeria a break! Enough already!
Everyone is welcome to do business in Nigeria, with Nigeria, but do so legitimately, do so through proper channels.
There are abundant and boundless opportunities in Nigeria. God Bless you as you take your businesses and investments to Nigeria
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Collective Responsibility and Obligation Of Making Democracy Succeed In Nigeria
The Collective Responsibility and Obligation Of Making Democracy Succeed In Nigeria
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
March 31, 2003
Nigeria has a date with destiny on April 19, 2003, this is a day pregnant with so much meaning, the meaning of unity, the meaning of peace prosperity and the meaning of Nigeria�s national purpose and the meaning of Nigerians� cohesion in efforts to attain our national mission as one great nation united and prosperous.
Well meaning Nigerians must prove all prophets of doom and the nay sayers wrong, Nigerians must prove to the world that the coming general election is not the harbinger to disintegration, war and anarchy or the eventual failure of the Nigerian nation as a geographic entity.
April 19, 2003 must pass in Nigeria like any other day, except that it will usher in the instruments of entrenched democracy and all the ideals that are associated with the concepts of participation, equality, justice, peace and progress; April 19 must pass without the negative attachments and foreboding, without the shock and awe that some have predicted, without the apocalypse and Armageddon that has been forecasted by detractors of Nigeria�s steady march to the promised land.
The long awaited general elections should take place without acrimonies. Nigerians appreciate the importance of crossing this threshold. Nigerians must therefore approach that day with words and actions, approach with caution, with circumspection, not trepidation or intimidation.
Nigerians must demonstrate our ability to carry out this important national assignment without rancor and without violence and without playing into the hands of those with insidious and invidious agenda for our country, Nigerians must be on high alert and be singularly focused on the success, complete success of this exercise of electing our fellow citizens to positions of leadership.
We must shame those who under estimate our sense of order and our penchant for respecting the laws, rules and regulations of the land, we must demonstrate, to those who under rate our sense of responsibility, composure and decorum; We must shame those who say or believe erroneously, that we will falter and fail on April the nineteenth.
Our national purpose, our mission and survival as a nation will be given additional impetus as the general elections are conducted peacefully, therefore giving all Nigerians a cause to celebrate on May 29, 2003 marking the re-dedication of the leadership in our journey to national revival, rebirth and Nigeria�s renaissance.
It is now up to us, we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by anything or by anyone, Nigeria�s monumental march toward long lasting democratic ideals must culminate in celebration and cheers and nothing less.
As we all wait to congratulate our preferred candidates, we should be mindful of our words and actions from now on, this is because our utterances and our actions are the catalyst for peace and progress and a new dawn upon our nation; As we all wait to exhale in joy and jubilation with our preferred candidates, we should be mindful of the positive impact, that our sense of responsibility has on our enduring democracy and new freedoms, we need democracy, we need freedom to enable us all pursue individual fulfillment and complete national development that heralds greatness.
No one should engage in utterances or actions that will portray Nigeria in bad light, or actions that will mar or derail our hard fought democracy and freedom; Nigerians are all are aware of what the alternative is; No Nigerian should wish for the way we were, five years ago! This is the time to jealously guide the system of government as we now have, let the system take firm root and we the people will turn the rigorous practice of democracy in Nigeria into a self-regulating and a self-cleansing process, with a self-sustaining built-in essential elements bereft of external and extraneous undemocratic interventions.
Nigerians must look forward to April 19 with all positive and magnanimous dispositions, we must not engage in acts or activities that would bring us and our nation to disrepute and ridicule; In the famous words of the late Mr. Waziri Ibrahim, the political henchman from Borno state, Nigerians must on April 19, pursue political matters with the attitude of �politics without bitterness�! Nigerians must show the entire nation, nay the world, that voting and elections in Nigeria are not do-or-die phenomena.
Nigerians must prove to all the world that we are a mature nation, a nation capable of looking after national elections and other national events and that we are poised and ready to participate in the global scheme of things, Nigeria is ready to be on the world stage, we must demonstrate that we can handle national and international assignments.
A peaceful elections this season, and a successful and celebratory swearing-in will be a reassurance for all Nigerians, at home and abroad, that all will be well, that all is, in fact well! A peaceful election and inauguration will boost domestic and foreign confidence in Nigeria, it will be proof that we are on a steady march to greatness, it will be proof investments and contributions to Nigeria�s renaissance is wise.
Conducting free and fair elections is the single strongest indication that the pillars and foundation of our democracy is in place, this will be the solid and concrete proof that our current system has come to stay and that, it is in fact formidable.
My great expectations are that, the process will run smoothly and that all persons, who hitherto played the ignominious roles of predicting disintegration and anarchy, will endure private embarrassments of sorts, on their own, for even doubting Nigerians� comportment when it matters most! We should all look forward to flawless electioneering, and at the end of it all, we should then get up to speed with the important business of turning Nigeria into the republic that we all can be proud to call ours.
Nigerians should do everything to make the forthcoming elections a success; Nigerians should see the elections as an appetizer that is included in a fourteen-course-meal, therefore, we must do all we can to be finished with the appetizer, so that we can settle down to enjoy the main course.
Based on this perspective, we must all be sensitive and be aware of the momentous implication of what is ahead. We must appreciate with every keen sense, the far-reaching ramifications of every innocuous utterance and every seemingly benign action that we may become engaged in, from now on, we should be cognizant of the profound effects of our conduct, particularly, our public conduct.
Nigerians must show each other, must show, one another, humanity, respect and humility, we must demonstrate discipline and a focus determined by our national interests, we must eschew self-interest as an over-riding principle. We must put Nigeria first.
When we abide by all these seemingly very simple practices and attitude, the elections will take place on April 19, almost effortlessly, Nigerians everywhere will be impressed, and even the world will be impressed! Nigerians will have cause to smile and be proud.
We will usher in a new era, a new dawn and the Nigerian century will begin in earnest, the revival, the rebirth and the renaissance that is already in progress will speed up, everyone would see and be convinced that, Nigeria is moving full steam ahead and that we are not going back to the days of pariah nation status.
Nigeria�s promised land is here!
God Bless all those who wish Nigeria well, Bless Nigerians and Nigeria.
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
March 31, 2003
Nigeria has a date with destiny on April 19, 2003, this is a day pregnant with so much meaning, the meaning of unity, the meaning of peace prosperity and the meaning of Nigeria�s national purpose and the meaning of Nigerians� cohesion in efforts to attain our national mission as one great nation united and prosperous.
Well meaning Nigerians must prove all prophets of doom and the nay sayers wrong, Nigerians must prove to the world that the coming general election is not the harbinger to disintegration, war and anarchy or the eventual failure of the Nigerian nation as a geographic entity.
April 19, 2003 must pass in Nigeria like any other day, except that it will usher in the instruments of entrenched democracy and all the ideals that are associated with the concepts of participation, equality, justice, peace and progress; April 19 must pass without the negative attachments and foreboding, without the shock and awe that some have predicted, without the apocalypse and Armageddon that has been forecasted by detractors of Nigeria�s steady march to the promised land.
The long awaited general elections should take place without acrimonies. Nigerians appreciate the importance of crossing this threshold. Nigerians must therefore approach that day with words and actions, approach with caution, with circumspection, not trepidation or intimidation.
Nigerians must demonstrate our ability to carry out this important national assignment without rancor and without violence and without playing into the hands of those with insidious and invidious agenda for our country, Nigerians must be on high alert and be singularly focused on the success, complete success of this exercise of electing our fellow citizens to positions of leadership.
We must shame those who under estimate our sense of order and our penchant for respecting the laws, rules and regulations of the land, we must demonstrate, to those who under rate our sense of responsibility, composure and decorum; We must shame those who say or believe erroneously, that we will falter and fail on April the nineteenth.
Our national purpose, our mission and survival as a nation will be given additional impetus as the general elections are conducted peacefully, therefore giving all Nigerians a cause to celebrate on May 29, 2003 marking the re-dedication of the leadership in our journey to national revival, rebirth and Nigeria�s renaissance.
It is now up to us, we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by anything or by anyone, Nigeria�s monumental march toward long lasting democratic ideals must culminate in celebration and cheers and nothing less.
As we all wait to congratulate our preferred candidates, we should be mindful of our words and actions from now on, this is because our utterances and our actions are the catalyst for peace and progress and a new dawn upon our nation; As we all wait to exhale in joy and jubilation with our preferred candidates, we should be mindful of the positive impact, that our sense of responsibility has on our enduring democracy and new freedoms, we need democracy, we need freedom to enable us all pursue individual fulfillment and complete national development that heralds greatness.
No one should engage in utterances or actions that will portray Nigeria in bad light, or actions that will mar or derail our hard fought democracy and freedom; Nigerians are all are aware of what the alternative is; No Nigerian should wish for the way we were, five years ago! This is the time to jealously guide the system of government as we now have, let the system take firm root and we the people will turn the rigorous practice of democracy in Nigeria into a self-regulating and a self-cleansing process, with a self-sustaining built-in essential elements bereft of external and extraneous undemocratic interventions.
Nigerians must look forward to April 19 with all positive and magnanimous dispositions, we must not engage in acts or activities that would bring us and our nation to disrepute and ridicule; In the famous words of the late Mr. Waziri Ibrahim, the political henchman from Borno state, Nigerians must on April 19, pursue political matters with the attitude of �politics without bitterness�! Nigerians must show the entire nation, nay the world, that voting and elections in Nigeria are not do-or-die phenomena.
Nigerians must prove to all the world that we are a mature nation, a nation capable of looking after national elections and other national events and that we are poised and ready to participate in the global scheme of things, Nigeria is ready to be on the world stage, we must demonstrate that we can handle national and international assignments.
A peaceful elections this season, and a successful and celebratory swearing-in will be a reassurance for all Nigerians, at home and abroad, that all will be well, that all is, in fact well! A peaceful election and inauguration will boost domestic and foreign confidence in Nigeria, it will be proof that we are on a steady march to greatness, it will be proof investments and contributions to Nigeria�s renaissance is wise.
Conducting free and fair elections is the single strongest indication that the pillars and foundation of our democracy is in place, this will be the solid and concrete proof that our current system has come to stay and that, it is in fact formidable.
My great expectations are that, the process will run smoothly and that all persons, who hitherto played the ignominious roles of predicting disintegration and anarchy, will endure private embarrassments of sorts, on their own, for even doubting Nigerians� comportment when it matters most! We should all look forward to flawless electioneering, and at the end of it all, we should then get up to speed with the important business of turning Nigeria into the republic that we all can be proud to call ours.
Nigerians should do everything to make the forthcoming elections a success; Nigerians should see the elections as an appetizer that is included in a fourteen-course-meal, therefore, we must do all we can to be finished with the appetizer, so that we can settle down to enjoy the main course.
Based on this perspective, we must all be sensitive and be aware of the momentous implication of what is ahead. We must appreciate with every keen sense, the far-reaching ramifications of every innocuous utterance and every seemingly benign action that we may become engaged in, from now on, we should be cognizant of the profound effects of our conduct, particularly, our public conduct.
Nigerians must show each other, must show, one another, humanity, respect and humility, we must demonstrate discipline and a focus determined by our national interests, we must eschew self-interest as an over-riding principle. We must put Nigeria first.
When we abide by all these seemingly very simple practices and attitude, the elections will take place on April 19, almost effortlessly, Nigerians everywhere will be impressed, and even the world will be impressed! Nigerians will have cause to smile and be proud.
We will usher in a new era, a new dawn and the Nigerian century will begin in earnest, the revival, the rebirth and the renaissance that is already in progress will speed up, everyone would see and be convinced that, Nigeria is moving full steam ahead and that we are not going back to the days of pariah nation status.
Nigeria�s promised land is here!
God Bless all those who wish Nigeria well, Bless Nigerians and Nigeria.
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Benefits of Nigerian Unity and The Perils of Disintegration
The Benefits of Nigerian Unity and The Perils of Disintegration
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 5, 2003
Nigeria is not a perfect society, I have never in my private or public comments stated otherwise, Instead I have often stated that there are no perfect societies anywhere else, hence the discussions about the good and the bad in the context of Nigeria�s situations should be in comparative, must not be in vacuum; And that the challenges that Nigeria is facing should be measured in global or universal human perspectives; I strongly believe that violence, war or disintegration are not the ultimate or desirable solutions to our national challenges, notwithstanding suggestions to the contrary.
In the recent past, critics have called me simplistic, naïve or even worse, is the erroneous accusations and painful charge that I am anti a particular ethnic group or region, despite these painful charges that I am anti any Nigerian, I am still optimistic and enthusiastic about all that is Nigerian and positive about Nigeria, the unfair labels and castigations are therefore distractions from meaningful dialogue which is all that I advocate.
I am saddened by the names that I have been called regarding an ethnic group, Because my comments are motivated by sincere, pure and honest intentions, it is a surprise to have managed to elicit and engender labelling and castigation of my person by some; Being anti any Nigerian represents the exact opposite of what I advocate and stand for in relation Nigeria; Ironically, some of my critics admit that they have not bothered to read the article written by someone else about Nigeria, which I had criticized to warrant their wrath. Give a dog a bad name in order to hang it?
But still, there were these reactions to my criticism of the said article, how can those who are critical of my response honestly do so? Their actions are exactly like reacting to a book critic�s comments about a book that they have not read?
My criticism of the author arose from his comments on page 100, but you do not know the contents of the book or particularly issues raised at page 100, It is as if you are saying, I have not read the book, I detest your criticism of the author and the contents of his her book, what logic could explain the interpretations of the unknown?
Nigeria and Nigerians united and prosperous and greater, is all that fills my heart and this belief in one Nigeria remains my motivation in all I write about Nigeria.
It is too common these days for some Nigerians to want to impose their views about the so-called sovereign national conference and other sundry matters on everyone else and insist on why disintegration of Nigeria is the only choice that Nigeria and Nigerians have and any disagreements with their ideas or concept is an invitation to be labelled anti East West South North.
Again and again we are told that a sovereign national conference is a panacea or a be all and end all or the magic pill that Nigeria needs or that disintegration will be the next best alternative, I vehemently disagree and must add that in Democracies, Dialogue, Debate and Discourse are key elements for success.
There are so many examples of disintegrated republics that are full of anarchy and lawlessness, Nigerians should take a look at these failed republics and be more cautious in their advocacy for violence, disintegration and war cries, these tattered republics abound in Africa and Europe Somalia, Liberia Sierra Leone the Congo the Hutu and Tutsi of Rwanda and Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, Chechnya, Afghanistan, the Sudan, Burundi and more recently the Ivory Coast etc. Shouldn�t the human catastrophes in these failed republics deter warmongers and advocates of disintegration of Nigeria?
Why are some Nigerians so desperate for violence, war or disintegration of sorts? And anyone who disagrees is promptly called anti East anti West anti North? Why can�t the motivations be nationalism and patriotism? Or desire for constructive dialogue and debate and desire for peace?
Why can�t Nigerians negotiate their differences, even if it means Nigerians holding their noses while negotiating, so long as there are some negotiating going on or taking place? Some Nigerians seem hell bent on spilling some blood, but seems to forget that war is not a friendly undertaking or pleasant endeavour; And as is usually the case everywhere in the world, those who usually suffer or die from the vagaries of wars are often not involved in the clamour for war
The Nigerians who are abroad, who like myself, ran away from Nigeria when the economy made life very difficult as it broke, should be the last group of Nigerians asking for disintegration or war. In the event of war, are these warmongers in the Diaspora going to volunteer as foot-soldier if and when the war starts?
Who amongst us can foretell how a war would turn out? Who will be the victor or vanquished? What domestic or foreign intrigues that will surface? Until you punch a person, you never can predict his/her reaction or level of strength.
Who can foretell what the human cost and consequent catastrophe and attendant conflagration may spiral into? Who among Nigerians can foretell whose views and battle-plan in the national dispute will prevail? Who can tell the human cost and how many republics Nigeria will become or end up when all is said and done?
According to statements attributed years ago to the retired General Danjuma (the current Defense Minister) �No nation fights two civil wars and remain intact� he was quoted as saying so some 25 years ago and that is still relevant and correct today; Warmongers beware, Lets ponder.
In previous public comments, I emphasized repeatedly that the way forward for Nigeria is to improve the economy, nurture our national resources without leaving any group or component part of Nigeria behind; Instead of fighting each other over what we currently have.
Some Nigerians are currently too consumed with mutual disdain and mutual suspicion based on religion, region and state or ethnicity; I am not unaware of the enormous diversity of our nation and the inherent conflicting interests within our republic, but these interests are not mutually exclusive ; Is it now impractical and impossible to emphasize the positive?
Why are the vocal minority so determined to compel the rest of us to accept that war and disintegration are the only options that all Nigerians have. Why is it that those who are screaming with their screeching tongues, as to how the sky in Nigeria is falling, are the ones with the correct and only opinion?
Yes, we have challenges and we have national issues that needs to be addressed and resolved from meaningful dialogue, negotiations and constructive engagement; In my opinion these are the only reasonable and responsible options; Not resort to more violence, war or disintegration..
These analogies that follows, comes to my mind as I think of Nigeria, they are about rivalry and the decay of valuable properties of some deceased politicians in Nigeria of the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s, these politicians left immense wealth to their Children, this great deal of wealth was allowed by default to rot, because of sibling rivalry and battle royal between widows and the children, these families, instead of sharing the wealth or getting together to manage the wealth or appointing an objective third party manager or company, allowed their rivalry and schism to becloud their best judgments and so for upwards of 40 years, the properties decayed and the wealth deteriorated and disintegrated
The family above allowed pettifogging to get in the way of great opportunity to have great fortune with little efforts at managing them and the properties were in the best parts of Lagos, and with time, became dilapidated and lost significant value. This is similar to the disagreements and squabbles, mutual suspicions and disdain that Nigerians currently have regarding revenue sharing and derivation debate, issues that are now in the way of Nigeria�s singular opportunity, more than ever before, to use and enjoy our national fortune in a democratic setting.
Secondly, a personality that was associated with the June 12 political imbroglio, also had left a huge amount of properties and the surviving children and family are currently engaged in a bitter dispute, and their disagreements has by default caused the properties and businesses to lose value or become bankrupt due the lack of a concerted effort to resolve issues amicably and absence management, of the said wealth or properties he left behind.
These examples are similar to what might happen to Nigeria and Nigerian resources; Because in the event of more violence, war or disintegration, we will suffer and neither the favoured parts or the marginalized parts of Nigeria will be able to benefit from the fabled resources from which comes the derivation principles or the, On-shore/off-shore dichotomy; I do not want this to happen to Nigeria; But some Nigerians appear to be unwittingly and stridently working too hard to make war and disintegration become fait accompli for Nigeria, by their utterances and commentaries, and constantly predicting doomsday in Nigeria that they forecast will occur before during or after the 2003 general elections.
Our national quarrels and squabbles over power sharing and the distribution of resources are normal and expected and are not unlike other societies or unlike incidents of other human interactions and interrelations outside Nigeria, but what is unacceptable, is allowing our family quarrels deprive us of collective good judgments, and then head to violence , war and disintegration, so that, Nigeria, like the deceased politicians� families in my above analogies, will neither have country nor resources to argue or squabble over and none of the current component parts of Nigeria will get to enjoy our country or our prized resources.
We should reflect on these, it is very easy to destroy and it takes gargantuan efforts to build or rebuild. anything anywhere in the world.
For those of us, who are far away from home, We should be recommending positive improvements for our country based on our positive experiences and beneficial exposures in our new environments as to how some things are made effective and efficient in the different parts of the world where we now live and how Nigeria can replicate such effectiveness or efficiencies for Nigerians in Nigeria, mind you, not everything I see in America that I want for Nigeria, I do not want Nigeria to ape other models.
Our Nation endures, nationalism and patriotism is not a fleeting experience, whereas, resources can be fleeting, leadership can be fleeting, but the corporate entity Nigeria should not fleet or wither.
Remember, �:If they drink the oil, Nigeria go survive� Nigeria namu ne, naka ne, obu ikem, obu ikeghi, Nigeria temi ni, ti iwa ni, so an old Nigerian song goes! Resources may come and Resources may go! Nigeria is yours and mine!
The facts of Nigeria�s past are that, first, there was Groundnut/Peanuts in the North and Cocoa pyramids, Coffee pyramids in the South West and Midwest and then the Coal and Cashew pyramids in the East, Rubber pyramids in the South East and now the current mother of all resources, the black-gold aka petroleum oil and its derivatives in the Niger Delta.
Nigerian resources that became national income earner at one time or another have been derived from different regions and different states or ethnic grouping locations and in all of these, there has been inequities in distribution and sharing of resources ala unfairness to the chicken that lays the golden eggs
We are all aware also of all the environmental impact, pollution and spillage of fish ponds, farm lands and communities that are ruined in the process oil prospecting and exploration and why these communities have been deserving of adequate compensation from time immemorial, it amounts to preaching to the converted to re-state the worthiness of the case of proponents of derivation; Schools, Hospitals, Roads, Employment and other social amenities are all in order to say the least.
However, all of us Nigerians should learn not to take absolute positions on national issues, including derivation; Life is not comprised of graph of straight lines, there are always variables, such that, sometimes, life goes in spirals and meanders and change is a constant in life, change will come and if we bear this axiom in mind, perhaps Nigerians will then, and should ask, what will happen if geologists find plutonium and uranium and some other precious metals/minerals in my hometown tomorrow?
Now, assuming that my state has no oil, and so my hometown is neglected, will I not be vengeful and spiteful with my new found plutonium/uranium/precious metals/minerals wealth when it is discovered in my hometown?
Nigerians should be magnanimous and be their brothers� keepers or fellow citizens� keepers in the circumstances, we should not seek to operate like the biblical prodigal son, products fall out of favour, out of fashion, prices fall and more, new technologies emerge. Nigerians should behave like the profound Christians and profound Moslems as everyone often claim.
If Nigeria disintegrates, you will need an import license and visa for the privilege of paying more for cattle from Jigawa and Adamawaa or Cross Rivers and hence the slippery slope argument, everyone will demand more for their products, I charge more Naira for my cattle, you charge more for your oil.
Niger Delta deserves adequate compensation for national wealth derived from the soil in the geographic part of �the whole� which Niger Delta is sub-sect of, meaning Nigeria.
So now, why don�t we have equitable distribution with particular deference to the oil producing states but without minimizing or compromising Nigeria�s national interests which requires all Nigerians to be willing to sacrifice to protect the states that do not currently produce Oil as in the Niger Delta, or produce Cattle as in Obudu, Yola and Damaturu, Groundnut/Peanuts as in Gboko and Kano, Rubber as in Edo, Cocoa as in Okitipupa, Plutonium in Bauchi or Uranium as in Langtang and Diamond as in Jos or Safire and Rubies from Abagana or Umuazare?
Let suppose for a moment that some new sort of resources becomes Nigeria�s new major Export or foreign exchange earner or new energy source that relegates oil? This is quite likely and very possible; What if the new resources and products are not what we now know? Produced from different region or states?
In the United States, a special tax or levy is imposed on citizens, so that those American who live in rural areas are provided affordable telephone service, that means, those of us who are residents of major cities in America, subsidized the telephone services of our American brethrens in the rural areas! Otherwise, connecting them with telephone service will not be cost effective or economical for the telephone companies to obtain a fair market price or to make profit, phone service will be so expensive in rural America and rural dwellers could not afford telephone service without the subsidies from us city dwellers! Most rural dweller in America are poor.
Lets look out for each other�s interests in Nigeria. Some of these resources mentioned above and others mentioned above, are all present in Nigeria and are many more likely, there are infinite possibilities for all. Why can�t we get along, We should get along, some people have even said that Nigeria is holding the black race back, Nigeria success it is said, is Africa�s and the black race�s success, Nigerians should focus on what is positively beneficial to Nigeria.
Where are the Nigerians who are superbly enthusiastic about Nigeria? Whose infinitude of patriotism is beyond reproach, whose luminosity of vision is precise and clear, whose sense of appreciating national interest is immense, and unblemished and spotless,
Where are the Nigerians whose love for Nigeria we dare not question, where are the Nigerians whose commitment and passions and dedication are steadfast and unflinching and unwavering in the pursuit of Nigeria�s national interests?
I am for one Nigeria, united, greater, better and more prosperous and occupying our pride of place in the world!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 5, 2003
Nigeria is not a perfect society, I have never in my private or public comments stated otherwise, Instead I have often stated that there are no perfect societies anywhere else, hence the discussions about the good and the bad in the context of Nigeria�s situations should be in comparative, must not be in vacuum; And that the challenges that Nigeria is facing should be measured in global or universal human perspectives; I strongly believe that violence, war or disintegration are not the ultimate or desirable solutions to our national challenges, notwithstanding suggestions to the contrary.
In the recent past, critics have called me simplistic, naïve or even worse, is the erroneous accusations and painful charge that I am anti a particular ethnic group or region, despite these painful charges that I am anti any Nigerian, I am still optimistic and enthusiastic about all that is Nigerian and positive about Nigeria, the unfair labels and castigations are therefore distractions from meaningful dialogue which is all that I advocate.
I am saddened by the names that I have been called regarding an ethnic group, Because my comments are motivated by sincere, pure and honest intentions, it is a surprise to have managed to elicit and engender labelling and castigation of my person by some; Being anti any Nigerian represents the exact opposite of what I advocate and stand for in relation Nigeria; Ironically, some of my critics admit that they have not bothered to read the article written by someone else about Nigeria, which I had criticized to warrant their wrath. Give a dog a bad name in order to hang it?
But still, there were these reactions to my criticism of the said article, how can those who are critical of my response honestly do so? Their actions are exactly like reacting to a book critic�s comments about a book that they have not read?
My criticism of the author arose from his comments on page 100, but you do not know the contents of the book or particularly issues raised at page 100, It is as if you are saying, I have not read the book, I detest your criticism of the author and the contents of his her book, what logic could explain the interpretations of the unknown?
Nigeria and Nigerians united and prosperous and greater, is all that fills my heart and this belief in one Nigeria remains my motivation in all I write about Nigeria.
It is too common these days for some Nigerians to want to impose their views about the so-called sovereign national conference and other sundry matters on everyone else and insist on why disintegration of Nigeria is the only choice that Nigeria and Nigerians have and any disagreements with their ideas or concept is an invitation to be labelled anti East West South North.
Again and again we are told that a sovereign national conference is a panacea or a be all and end all or the magic pill that Nigeria needs or that disintegration will be the next best alternative, I vehemently disagree and must add that in Democracies, Dialogue, Debate and Discourse are key elements for success.
There are so many examples of disintegrated republics that are full of anarchy and lawlessness, Nigerians should take a look at these failed republics and be more cautious in their advocacy for violence, disintegration and war cries, these tattered republics abound in Africa and Europe Somalia, Liberia Sierra Leone the Congo the Hutu and Tutsi of Rwanda and Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, Chechnya, Afghanistan, the Sudan, Burundi and more recently the Ivory Coast etc. Shouldn�t the human catastrophes in these failed republics deter warmongers and advocates of disintegration of Nigeria?
Why are some Nigerians so desperate for violence, war or disintegration of sorts? And anyone who disagrees is promptly called anti East anti West anti North? Why can�t the motivations be nationalism and patriotism? Or desire for constructive dialogue and debate and desire for peace?
Why can�t Nigerians negotiate their differences, even if it means Nigerians holding their noses while negotiating, so long as there are some negotiating going on or taking place? Some Nigerians seem hell bent on spilling some blood, but seems to forget that war is not a friendly undertaking or pleasant endeavour; And as is usually the case everywhere in the world, those who usually suffer or die from the vagaries of wars are often not involved in the clamour for war
The Nigerians who are abroad, who like myself, ran away from Nigeria when the economy made life very difficult as it broke, should be the last group of Nigerians asking for disintegration or war. In the event of war, are these warmongers in the Diaspora going to volunteer as foot-soldier if and when the war starts?
Who amongst us can foretell how a war would turn out? Who will be the victor or vanquished? What domestic or foreign intrigues that will surface? Until you punch a person, you never can predict his/her reaction or level of strength.
Who can foretell what the human cost and consequent catastrophe and attendant conflagration may spiral into? Who among Nigerians can foretell whose views and battle-plan in the national dispute will prevail? Who can tell the human cost and how many republics Nigeria will become or end up when all is said and done?
According to statements attributed years ago to the retired General Danjuma (the current Defense Minister) �No nation fights two civil wars and remain intact� he was quoted as saying so some 25 years ago and that is still relevant and correct today; Warmongers beware, Lets ponder.
In previous public comments, I emphasized repeatedly that the way forward for Nigeria is to improve the economy, nurture our national resources without leaving any group or component part of Nigeria behind; Instead of fighting each other over what we currently have.
Some Nigerians are currently too consumed with mutual disdain and mutual suspicion based on religion, region and state or ethnicity; I am not unaware of the enormous diversity of our nation and the inherent conflicting interests within our republic, but these interests are not mutually exclusive ; Is it now impractical and impossible to emphasize the positive?
Why are the vocal minority so determined to compel the rest of us to accept that war and disintegration are the only options that all Nigerians have. Why is it that those who are screaming with their screeching tongues, as to how the sky in Nigeria is falling, are the ones with the correct and only opinion?
Yes, we have challenges and we have national issues that needs to be addressed and resolved from meaningful dialogue, negotiations and constructive engagement; In my opinion these are the only reasonable and responsible options; Not resort to more violence, war or disintegration..
These analogies that follows, comes to my mind as I think of Nigeria, they are about rivalry and the decay of valuable properties of some deceased politicians in Nigeria of the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s, these politicians left immense wealth to their Children, this great deal of wealth was allowed by default to rot, because of sibling rivalry and battle royal between widows and the children, these families, instead of sharing the wealth or getting together to manage the wealth or appointing an objective third party manager or company, allowed their rivalry and schism to becloud their best judgments and so for upwards of 40 years, the properties decayed and the wealth deteriorated and disintegrated
The family above allowed pettifogging to get in the way of great opportunity to have great fortune with little efforts at managing them and the properties were in the best parts of Lagos, and with time, became dilapidated and lost significant value. This is similar to the disagreements and squabbles, mutual suspicions and disdain that Nigerians currently have regarding revenue sharing and derivation debate, issues that are now in the way of Nigeria�s singular opportunity, more than ever before, to use and enjoy our national fortune in a democratic setting.
Secondly, a personality that was associated with the June 12 political imbroglio, also had left a huge amount of properties and the surviving children and family are currently engaged in a bitter dispute, and their disagreements has by default caused the properties and businesses to lose value or become bankrupt due the lack of a concerted effort to resolve issues amicably and absence management, of the said wealth or properties he left behind.
These examples are similar to what might happen to Nigeria and Nigerian resources; Because in the event of more violence, war or disintegration, we will suffer and neither the favoured parts or the marginalized parts of Nigeria will be able to benefit from the fabled resources from which comes the derivation principles or the, On-shore/off-shore dichotomy; I do not want this to happen to Nigeria; But some Nigerians appear to be unwittingly and stridently working too hard to make war and disintegration become fait accompli for Nigeria, by their utterances and commentaries, and constantly predicting doomsday in Nigeria that they forecast will occur before during or after the 2003 general elections.
Our national quarrels and squabbles over power sharing and the distribution of resources are normal and expected and are not unlike other societies or unlike incidents of other human interactions and interrelations outside Nigeria, but what is unacceptable, is allowing our family quarrels deprive us of collective good judgments, and then head to violence , war and disintegration, so that, Nigeria, like the deceased politicians� families in my above analogies, will neither have country nor resources to argue or squabble over and none of the current component parts of Nigeria will get to enjoy our country or our prized resources.
We should reflect on these, it is very easy to destroy and it takes gargantuan efforts to build or rebuild. anything anywhere in the world.
For those of us, who are far away from home, We should be recommending positive improvements for our country based on our positive experiences and beneficial exposures in our new environments as to how some things are made effective and efficient in the different parts of the world where we now live and how Nigeria can replicate such effectiveness or efficiencies for Nigerians in Nigeria, mind you, not everything I see in America that I want for Nigeria, I do not want Nigeria to ape other models.
Our Nation endures, nationalism and patriotism is not a fleeting experience, whereas, resources can be fleeting, leadership can be fleeting, but the corporate entity Nigeria should not fleet or wither.
Remember, �:If they drink the oil, Nigeria go survive� Nigeria namu ne, naka ne, obu ikem, obu ikeghi, Nigeria temi ni, ti iwa ni, so an old Nigerian song goes! Resources may come and Resources may go! Nigeria is yours and mine!
The facts of Nigeria�s past are that, first, there was Groundnut/Peanuts in the North and Cocoa pyramids, Coffee pyramids in the South West and Midwest and then the Coal and Cashew pyramids in the East, Rubber pyramids in the South East and now the current mother of all resources, the black-gold aka petroleum oil and its derivatives in the Niger Delta.
Nigerian resources that became national income earner at one time or another have been derived from different regions and different states or ethnic grouping locations and in all of these, there has been inequities in distribution and sharing of resources ala unfairness to the chicken that lays the golden eggs
We are all aware also of all the environmental impact, pollution and spillage of fish ponds, farm lands and communities that are ruined in the process oil prospecting and exploration and why these communities have been deserving of adequate compensation from time immemorial, it amounts to preaching to the converted to re-state the worthiness of the case of proponents of derivation; Schools, Hospitals, Roads, Employment and other social amenities are all in order to say the least.
However, all of us Nigerians should learn not to take absolute positions on national issues, including derivation; Life is not comprised of graph of straight lines, there are always variables, such that, sometimes, life goes in spirals and meanders and change is a constant in life, change will come and if we bear this axiom in mind, perhaps Nigerians will then, and should ask, what will happen if geologists find plutonium and uranium and some other precious metals/minerals in my hometown tomorrow?
Now, assuming that my state has no oil, and so my hometown is neglected, will I not be vengeful and spiteful with my new found plutonium/uranium/precious metals/minerals wealth when it is discovered in my hometown?
Nigerians should be magnanimous and be their brothers� keepers or fellow citizens� keepers in the circumstances, we should not seek to operate like the biblical prodigal son, products fall out of favour, out of fashion, prices fall and more, new technologies emerge. Nigerians should behave like the profound Christians and profound Moslems as everyone often claim.
If Nigeria disintegrates, you will need an import license and visa for the privilege of paying more for cattle from Jigawa and Adamawaa or Cross Rivers and hence the slippery slope argument, everyone will demand more for their products, I charge more Naira for my cattle, you charge more for your oil.
Niger Delta deserves adequate compensation for national wealth derived from the soil in the geographic part of �the whole� which Niger Delta is sub-sect of, meaning Nigeria.
So now, why don�t we have equitable distribution with particular deference to the oil producing states but without minimizing or compromising Nigeria�s national interests which requires all Nigerians to be willing to sacrifice to protect the states that do not currently produce Oil as in the Niger Delta, or produce Cattle as in Obudu, Yola and Damaturu, Groundnut/Peanuts as in Gboko and Kano, Rubber as in Edo, Cocoa as in Okitipupa, Plutonium in Bauchi or Uranium as in Langtang and Diamond as in Jos or Safire and Rubies from Abagana or Umuazare?
Let suppose for a moment that some new sort of resources becomes Nigeria�s new major Export or foreign exchange earner or new energy source that relegates oil? This is quite likely and very possible; What if the new resources and products are not what we now know? Produced from different region or states?
In the United States, a special tax or levy is imposed on citizens, so that those American who live in rural areas are provided affordable telephone service, that means, those of us who are residents of major cities in America, subsidized the telephone services of our American brethrens in the rural areas! Otherwise, connecting them with telephone service will not be cost effective or economical for the telephone companies to obtain a fair market price or to make profit, phone service will be so expensive in rural America and rural dwellers could not afford telephone service without the subsidies from us city dwellers! Most rural dweller in America are poor.
Lets look out for each other�s interests in Nigeria. Some of these resources mentioned above and others mentioned above, are all present in Nigeria and are many more likely, there are infinite possibilities for all. Why can�t we get along, We should get along, some people have even said that Nigeria is holding the black race back, Nigeria success it is said, is Africa�s and the black race�s success, Nigerians should focus on what is positively beneficial to Nigeria.
Where are the Nigerians who are superbly enthusiastic about Nigeria? Whose infinitude of patriotism is beyond reproach, whose luminosity of vision is precise and clear, whose sense of appreciating national interest is immense, and unblemished and spotless,
Where are the Nigerians whose love for Nigeria we dare not question, where are the Nigerians whose commitment and passions and dedication are steadfast and unflinching and unwavering in the pursuit of Nigeria�s national interests?
I am for one Nigeria, united, greater, better and more prosperous and occupying our pride of place in the world!
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
The Benefits In Self-Definition And Self-Assertion
The Benefits In Self-Definition And Self-Assertion
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 29, 2003
On a recent Sunday I was invited to lunch in the home of a Nigerian friend, while I awaited for the pounded yam to be made, we engaged in small talk or banter as friends do, and I had asked her if she was rooting for any candidate in particular for the general elections currently going on in Nigeria, she offered a nimble and muddled answer which was limited to whomever God and Allah selected, was good enough! She is always the ultimate diplomat!
As I discovered quickly that she was not ready to state specifics, I gladly changed the subject, especially as I did not want to be a bad guest; She was being nice inviting me to free lunch on this Palm Sunday, after she had returned from her several hours at Church; She had in her kitchen, a pot of soup replete with all kinds of meat and poultry, fish and snail, it was bound to be good, it is not my first free lunch with her and she is good at this thing, she is depriving the world of her true skills, which is cooking! If she ran a restaurant anywhere, I would be an avowed customer, particularly here in New York, where finding good quality authentic Nigerian/African dishes are not a common occurrence; But she currently spend her days working as a very competent Accountant, for the City of New York, no commercial cooking, thank you very much!
In the kitchen, while I was giving her some moral support,(which was limited to talking about Nigeria) I noticed some hair braiding threads, the type that was common in Nigeria in days past, the ones for string braiding, and as I often do, I decided to find out the country of manufacture, and it turned out to be China, China makes a majority of products that we use here in America, and I announced to her that her thread was imported from China, she countered that her mother sent the threads and that it could have as well have been made in Nigeria, except that for some reasons, that amounts to no reasons at all, many good and qualitative products that are actually made in Nigeria, are deliberately and intentionally mislabelled as made in Italy or some other European Country! I reminded her how �Made in China� or �Made in Taiwan� or �Igbo Made� products used to be a euphemism for counterfeit or inferior products in Nigeria! Now everything in America is Made in China!
The illogic of stamping Made in Nigeria products with foreign labels, she explained, is just so that Nigerians would have a better appreciation for the product in question, if it is perceived as imported from Europe or made by some foreigners, especially white foreigners! This, she explained further, made practical business sense, as the only interest the Nigeria manufacturer or creator of any such product has, is to make profits and not concerned with the philosophy and nationalism of mislabelling and giving credit for creation and manufacture of such products to somebody else�s company outside of Nigeria!
In America, products made with Union Labour or locally manufactured are always accordingly stamped, e.g. �Made in USA with pride�, or �Union Made� and they print union and proud on products! But here I am! learning that the reverse is the case in Nigeria! How can we not be proud of our productive ability? It takes a great thinking capacity and creativity or talent from the conception of any product to its actual manufacture and use! What is there for some Nigerians not to be proud of their efforts! What is there that makes the consumer prefer foreign products over Nigeria Made or put more accurately, what makes a consumer prefer a mislabelled product actually made in Nigeria? Why is the same product more satisfactory because it bears a dubious foreign label? Made in Nigeria, but with a fake label proclaiming that it is imported! What is this? Our psyche is, foreign is better?
Is this also why some Nigerians prefer imported pasteurised oranges juice from abroad to fresh squeezed tropical Nigerian oranges, which usually comes without any artificial sweeteners and preservatives that are found in foreign juices for longer shelf life?
I have been told that this practice is pervasive! Tailors put New York, London Paris instead of Aba, Abeokuta Zaria! On the fine and qualitative clothes that they labor to tailor and produce; And local manufacturers of guinea brocade actually stamp their made in Nigeria textiles as if it was made in Holland, India, even Cotonou or some other foreign country! We as Nigerians must change this attitude! Why must we hide or deny our critical intellectual resource? Our creativity should be a thing of joy and pride!
I remember that as a young person, only the poor actually sew their clothes by visiting a clothier and a tailor, the upwardly mobile in the society went to the stores for imported already tailored clothes also known as �ready-made� But since living in the United States, I have found that a premium is actually attached to or placed on the taste of those individuals who can afford custom tailoring! Which is the exact opposite of what we did in Nigeria! The poor in Nigeria are usually the ones who use the services of custom tailors. As everyone knows, clothes tailored to your measurements fits best, the contours of the individual, whereas the factory mass produced �ready-made� is made for an indistinct person, any person, and it does not therefore account for the individual specific nature of how our body parts were assembled by the creator in heaven.
I make bold to say that this poor psychology should not be allowed to permeate our psyche as Nigerians! Not only in manufacturing, but also in general outlook on life as a whole! Nigerians Economists should try to re-define economic concepts to fit local circumstances, they should not just swallow the Adam Smith, Keynesian and Malthusian theories and ape these concepts! We as Nigerians should re-define and refine modern medical technology and medicine to cure and or prevent Malaria and other diseases that are spread by the ubiquitous mosquitoes! We should not just help the multinational pharmaceutical companies to make millions of dollars by simply prescribing the now mostly ineffective medicines the multinationals make for malaria! We have enough doctors, pharmacists and other sundry health professionals!
In the diplomatic and international relations arena, are we aggressive and awake when issues affecting Nigeria and African arise or are contemplated by non-Nigerians/non-Africans? Are we aggressively pursuing and protecting our national and continental interests? Are we constantly allowing things be what they are by omission and default on our part?
Another Nigerian friend of mine is College Professor, she shuns Nigerian students, she says that she is embarrassed to be identified with Nigerians! I did not know this, until I visited her at her work place! A Nigerian student noticed my Nigerian flag label pin and greeted me cordially and made friendly enquiries, at the end, the professor �confidently� told me, I know there are many Nigerian students here, but I never let them know that I am a Nigerian! I gently rebuked my friend expressed my disappointment and surprise.
Her rationale? Being associated with Nigeria depresses her! And she gave her examples, pointing to news items from different newspapers of Nigerian origin on the Internet; One reporter discussed Nigeria�s fabled bid to host the World Cup Soccer Events and the reporter or sports journalist adamantly give a million reasons why Nigeria hosting was a bad idea forever! No road, no five star hotels, no transportation networks, no airports etc etc. The American Embassy will never give sport persons of Nigeria visas, because of this and that and the Americans do not take such nonsense from anyone Nigerian! And on and on and on, he went! (Nigerian journalist as spokesperson for the US embassy?) He said the Americans were so upright and the Americans denied the Falcons visas, because of some Nigerian officials, he then condemned the Falcons and Soccer in Nigeria to eternal damnation! Whew!
Another reporter was a travel and tourism journalist, he writes that tourism is major earner in-all-the-world, but it will never succeed in Nigeria! And as is customary, he too recounted a different version of litanies of woes why rain never falls in Nigeria, the sun will never shine in Nigeria and why clean air would soon be a thing of the past in Nigeria! And why Nigeria must forget any efforts in trying to make tourism work!
The education correspondent discussed the education sector, instead of recognizing the challenges that are present, like poor economy and competing projects and limited resources, criticize efforts as perhaps inadequate and proffer solutions? No! He too wrote that the education sector will never amount to anything in Nigeria, what with ASUU strike? There are empty and decayed facilities and buildings? And this and that and that etc.
Then, comes the political reporter? The mother of all journalistic undertakings in Nigeria! He writes, about the elections and has the last word on why democracy will never this and never that in the Nigerian environment and why anyone who thinks or expect otherwise, should enlist the help of multiple specialists in mental health and a combination of psychiatry and African fortune tellers and psychics etc.
In the Arts and Culture section, the Nigerian journalist wrote that the World Poetry Day was not well planned or funded or celebrated and narrated why it will remain so forever and ever and ever!
The professor ended by asking me to explain the doom and gloom that pervades and dominate conversations and journalistic efforts emanating from Nigeria? Where is the good news? Can someone find some good news? There are certainly things that are going well in Nigeria? There are surely plans that are working out as originally intended? Why is it no longer sufficient for journalist, critics and commentators to make observations and sprinkle the observations with workable ideas? Why are so many Nigerians insisting that Nigeria is in a state of anomie? What is the benefit of this doom and gloom pictures that are being painted and doled out every minute? Why are some Nigerians engaged in this self-fulfilling prophecy? As a man thinketh, so he becomes? Why are so many Nigerians of the belief that present situations are insurmountable and irredeemable? Why do some Nigerians appear to hold the opinion that Nigerian circumstances are so peculiar, so unique and novel, unlike any other, hence defies any human solution that is possible anywhere else? Nigerian challenges are not different or impossible compared with the rest of the world! Our short term and long term interests are not served by bad attitudes!
I have in the past stated my wonder as to why some Nigerians seem to accept all kinds of unsavoury labels accusing us of fraudulence and every crime in the book, as if we are markedly different from the rest of the world, the truth is, we are like everyone else, we produce architect, lawyers, doctors, librarians and computer technology experts like everybody in other countries and occasionally we have negative product and that becomes the focus of our detractors and even some of us; Why?
Nigerians must engage in a soul searching and engage in self-definition anew! We should no longer respond with docility, we should be strident and vehement in our rejection of the negative labels, that others scheme to pin on us because we are the next competition, We should cease saying that we brought it all upon ourselves! We did not! If a few out of one hundred and twenty million are wont to act as aberrant as some humans everywhere in the world with the same or similar circumstances do, it should be seen as such, an aberration.
Nigerians should become more assertive and confident, it is said that, begging is not a position of strength, kneeling is not a position of dignity, it is not the case that our accusers do so out of benevolence and altruism or because these are just the facts! We owe it to ourselves and offspring and our Nigeria, to ensure that our country has good reputation and we should learn to insist that we as individual and our country as a collective, be accorded respect and dignity, to do otherwise is short-sighted, even those Nigerians who now are happy to have several citizenships, other than Nigerian citizenship, should remember a constant, people will always look at you, or hear you speak and know that you are a Nigerian or an African or when you are successful, they will ask you where you were born or where you were originally from, this vexing question also arises when you commit a crime or when you are wretched and poor, where are you from or where are you originally from or what is your place of birth are questions, that all immigrant are frequently asked, all over the world! So why do some Nigerians waste valuable time denying their Nigerian-ness? Instead, of investing time being the best Nigerian that they can be?
We might as well plan ahead by building a good reputation for ourselves, our families and Nigeria as a whole, If we have something about our lives worth the attention of any person, we would probably be glad to introduce ourselves and our origins as natural course of events in human lives; Even if we have renounced our Nigerian citizenship, we should acknowledge our origins and our source; This is in our best interests as individuals and as a collective, no matter our location on earth or our circumstances! Nigerians have permanent stake and permanent interests in Nigeria and all the good things that Nigeria stands for and represents and that is forever!
God and Allah have always blessed Nigeria and will continue to do so.
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
By: Paul I. Adujie
New York, USA
April 29, 2003
On a recent Sunday I was invited to lunch in the home of a Nigerian friend, while I awaited for the pounded yam to be made, we engaged in small talk or banter as friends do, and I had asked her if she was rooting for any candidate in particular for the general elections currently going on in Nigeria, she offered a nimble and muddled answer which was limited to whomever God and Allah selected, was good enough! She is always the ultimate diplomat!
As I discovered quickly that she was not ready to state specifics, I gladly changed the subject, especially as I did not want to be a bad guest; She was being nice inviting me to free lunch on this Palm Sunday, after she had returned from her several hours at Church; She had in her kitchen, a pot of soup replete with all kinds of meat and poultry, fish and snail, it was bound to be good, it is not my first free lunch with her and she is good at this thing, she is depriving the world of her true skills, which is cooking! If she ran a restaurant anywhere, I would be an avowed customer, particularly here in New York, where finding good quality authentic Nigerian/African dishes are not a common occurrence; But she currently spend her days working as a very competent Accountant, for the City of New York, no commercial cooking, thank you very much!
In the kitchen, while I was giving her some moral support,(which was limited to talking about Nigeria) I noticed some hair braiding threads, the type that was common in Nigeria in days past, the ones for string braiding, and as I often do, I decided to find out the country of manufacture, and it turned out to be China, China makes a majority of products that we use here in America, and I announced to her that her thread was imported from China, she countered that her mother sent the threads and that it could have as well have been made in Nigeria, except that for some reasons, that amounts to no reasons at all, many good and qualitative products that are actually made in Nigeria, are deliberately and intentionally mislabelled as made in Italy or some other European Country! I reminded her how �Made in China� or �Made in Taiwan� or �Igbo Made� products used to be a euphemism for counterfeit or inferior products in Nigeria! Now everything in America is Made in China!
The illogic of stamping Made in Nigeria products with foreign labels, she explained, is just so that Nigerians would have a better appreciation for the product in question, if it is perceived as imported from Europe or made by some foreigners, especially white foreigners! This, she explained further, made practical business sense, as the only interest the Nigeria manufacturer or creator of any such product has, is to make profits and not concerned with the philosophy and nationalism of mislabelling and giving credit for creation and manufacture of such products to somebody else�s company outside of Nigeria!
In America, products made with Union Labour or locally manufactured are always accordingly stamped, e.g. �Made in USA with pride�, or �Union Made� and they print union and proud on products! But here I am! learning that the reverse is the case in Nigeria! How can we not be proud of our productive ability? It takes a great thinking capacity and creativity or talent from the conception of any product to its actual manufacture and use! What is there for some Nigerians not to be proud of their efforts! What is there that makes the consumer prefer foreign products over Nigeria Made or put more accurately, what makes a consumer prefer a mislabelled product actually made in Nigeria? Why is the same product more satisfactory because it bears a dubious foreign label? Made in Nigeria, but with a fake label proclaiming that it is imported! What is this? Our psyche is, foreign is better?
Is this also why some Nigerians prefer imported pasteurised oranges juice from abroad to fresh squeezed tropical Nigerian oranges, which usually comes without any artificial sweeteners and preservatives that are found in foreign juices for longer shelf life?
I have been told that this practice is pervasive! Tailors put New York, London Paris instead of Aba, Abeokuta Zaria! On the fine and qualitative clothes that they labor to tailor and produce; And local manufacturers of guinea brocade actually stamp their made in Nigeria textiles as if it was made in Holland, India, even Cotonou or some other foreign country! We as Nigerians must change this attitude! Why must we hide or deny our critical intellectual resource? Our creativity should be a thing of joy and pride!
I remember that as a young person, only the poor actually sew their clothes by visiting a clothier and a tailor, the upwardly mobile in the society went to the stores for imported already tailored clothes also known as �ready-made� But since living in the United States, I have found that a premium is actually attached to or placed on the taste of those individuals who can afford custom tailoring! Which is the exact opposite of what we did in Nigeria! The poor in Nigeria are usually the ones who use the services of custom tailors. As everyone knows, clothes tailored to your measurements fits best, the contours of the individual, whereas the factory mass produced �ready-made� is made for an indistinct person, any person, and it does not therefore account for the individual specific nature of how our body parts were assembled by the creator in heaven.
I make bold to say that this poor psychology should not be allowed to permeate our psyche as Nigerians! Not only in manufacturing, but also in general outlook on life as a whole! Nigerians Economists should try to re-define economic concepts to fit local circumstances, they should not just swallow the Adam Smith, Keynesian and Malthusian theories and ape these concepts! We as Nigerians should re-define and refine modern medical technology and medicine to cure and or prevent Malaria and other diseases that are spread by the ubiquitous mosquitoes! We should not just help the multinational pharmaceutical companies to make millions of dollars by simply prescribing the now mostly ineffective medicines the multinationals make for malaria! We have enough doctors, pharmacists and other sundry health professionals!
In the diplomatic and international relations arena, are we aggressive and awake when issues affecting Nigeria and African arise or are contemplated by non-Nigerians/non-Africans? Are we aggressively pursuing and protecting our national and continental interests? Are we constantly allowing things be what they are by omission and default on our part?
Another Nigerian friend of mine is College Professor, she shuns Nigerian students, she says that she is embarrassed to be identified with Nigerians! I did not know this, until I visited her at her work place! A Nigerian student noticed my Nigerian flag label pin and greeted me cordially and made friendly enquiries, at the end, the professor �confidently� told me, I know there are many Nigerian students here, but I never let them know that I am a Nigerian! I gently rebuked my friend expressed my disappointment and surprise.
Her rationale? Being associated with Nigeria depresses her! And she gave her examples, pointing to news items from different newspapers of Nigerian origin on the Internet; One reporter discussed Nigeria�s fabled bid to host the World Cup Soccer Events and the reporter or sports journalist adamantly give a million reasons why Nigeria hosting was a bad idea forever! No road, no five star hotels, no transportation networks, no airports etc etc. The American Embassy will never give sport persons of Nigeria visas, because of this and that and the Americans do not take such nonsense from anyone Nigerian! And on and on and on, he went! (Nigerian journalist as spokesperson for the US embassy?) He said the Americans were so upright and the Americans denied the Falcons visas, because of some Nigerian officials, he then condemned the Falcons and Soccer in Nigeria to eternal damnation! Whew!
Another reporter was a travel and tourism journalist, he writes that tourism is major earner in-all-the-world, but it will never succeed in Nigeria! And as is customary, he too recounted a different version of litanies of woes why rain never falls in Nigeria, the sun will never shine in Nigeria and why clean air would soon be a thing of the past in Nigeria! And why Nigeria must forget any efforts in trying to make tourism work!
The education correspondent discussed the education sector, instead of recognizing the challenges that are present, like poor economy and competing projects and limited resources, criticize efforts as perhaps inadequate and proffer solutions? No! He too wrote that the education sector will never amount to anything in Nigeria, what with ASUU strike? There are empty and decayed facilities and buildings? And this and that and that etc.
Then, comes the political reporter? The mother of all journalistic undertakings in Nigeria! He writes, about the elections and has the last word on why democracy will never this and never that in the Nigerian environment and why anyone who thinks or expect otherwise, should enlist the help of multiple specialists in mental health and a combination of psychiatry and African fortune tellers and psychics etc.
In the Arts and Culture section, the Nigerian journalist wrote that the World Poetry Day was not well planned or funded or celebrated and narrated why it will remain so forever and ever and ever!
The professor ended by asking me to explain the doom and gloom that pervades and dominate conversations and journalistic efforts emanating from Nigeria? Where is the good news? Can someone find some good news? There are certainly things that are going well in Nigeria? There are surely plans that are working out as originally intended? Why is it no longer sufficient for journalist, critics and commentators to make observations and sprinkle the observations with workable ideas? Why are so many Nigerians insisting that Nigeria is in a state of anomie? What is the benefit of this doom and gloom pictures that are being painted and doled out every minute? Why are some Nigerians engaged in this self-fulfilling prophecy? As a man thinketh, so he becomes? Why are so many Nigerians of the belief that present situations are insurmountable and irredeemable? Why do some Nigerians appear to hold the opinion that Nigerian circumstances are so peculiar, so unique and novel, unlike any other, hence defies any human solution that is possible anywhere else? Nigerian challenges are not different or impossible compared with the rest of the world! Our short term and long term interests are not served by bad attitudes!
I have in the past stated my wonder as to why some Nigerians seem to accept all kinds of unsavoury labels accusing us of fraudulence and every crime in the book, as if we are markedly different from the rest of the world, the truth is, we are like everyone else, we produce architect, lawyers, doctors, librarians and computer technology experts like everybody in other countries and occasionally we have negative product and that becomes the focus of our detractors and even some of us; Why?
Nigerians must engage in a soul searching and engage in self-definition anew! We should no longer respond with docility, we should be strident and vehement in our rejection of the negative labels, that others scheme to pin on us because we are the next competition, We should cease saying that we brought it all upon ourselves! We did not! If a few out of one hundred and twenty million are wont to act as aberrant as some humans everywhere in the world with the same or similar circumstances do, it should be seen as such, an aberration.
Nigerians should become more assertive and confident, it is said that, begging is not a position of strength, kneeling is not a position of dignity, it is not the case that our accusers do so out of benevolence and altruism or because these are just the facts! We owe it to ourselves and offspring and our Nigeria, to ensure that our country has good reputation and we should learn to insist that we as individual and our country as a collective, be accorded respect and dignity, to do otherwise is short-sighted, even those Nigerians who now are happy to have several citizenships, other than Nigerian citizenship, should remember a constant, people will always look at you, or hear you speak and know that you are a Nigerian or an African or when you are successful, they will ask you where you were born or where you were originally from, this vexing question also arises when you commit a crime or when you are wretched and poor, where are you from or where are you originally from or what is your place of birth are questions, that all immigrant are frequently asked, all over the world! So why do some Nigerians waste valuable time denying their Nigerian-ness? Instead, of investing time being the best Nigerian that they can be?
We might as well plan ahead by building a good reputation for ourselves, our families and Nigeria as a whole, If we have something about our lives worth the attention of any person, we would probably be glad to introduce ourselves and our origins as natural course of events in human lives; Even if we have renounced our Nigerian citizenship, we should acknowledge our origins and our source; This is in our best interests as individuals and as a collective, no matter our location on earth or our circumstances! Nigerians have permanent stake and permanent interests in Nigeria and all the good things that Nigeria stands for and represents and that is forever!
God and Allah have always blessed Nigeria and will continue to do so.
Paul I. Adujie is a Nigerian Lawyer and an Information Technology Professional
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