Joseph Sanusi’s call = redundant ol’ fail.

“Making farming mechanised in Ondo State, you will be surprised that majority of the unemployed youth will go to farm and unemployment will reduce,” Mr. Sanusi said.

There  goes, a one-time head of the biggest bank in the entire contraption, we know as Nigeria, at a party for Governor Mimiko’s electoral victory.  full report here

As they say, the devil is in the detail!

Let’s take it one after the other ( hoping you take the time to read the report).

The Sanusis’ of Ondo state should not be waiting on a celebration-party (in Lagos!) to ‘scream’ at their governor what policy he should be deploying to reduce unemployment. It is too easy.  Nearly disgracefully lazy. Very very cheap!

The Sanusis’  in our midst should have the seriousness of mind, given the level at which society elevates them and  their supposed credentials (here we have a former CBN governor) to not just say the obvious. But to demonstrate the obvious.

The Sanusis’ in our midst should not just stop at broadcasting policy ideas, they should have the depth to apply their minds, and convert the ideas into working and workable proposals – backed up with the right volume and quantity of data – on how the ideas will work.

And most especially, how the government should proceed, based on such proposals, and in what measureable ways, such proposals will create benefit for society.

This is what other former CBN governor’s do.

It is only fair to add, however, that we do not have the entire detail of exactly what Sanusi presented to governor Mimiko.

But on the basis of the report as found here, there can be only one conclusion on governor Sanusis’ call

Which = Fail.  You should be doing more sir!

We have had too much of such redundant repetitions.

On the other hand,  the  irresponsibility of an executive government, – yes! that of governor Mimiko -  still in election-victory-celebration-and-party-mode, months and months  after the fact, is beginning to shine… It is becoming a life-size fading mirage, that this government will be any different from the cheer ‘waste’ that was our lot under the Agagu led PDP thieving-crazy.

Still, one dreams…

Akunyilli in Akure: the disgraceful reBrand merchant…

Mrs. Dora. Akuyilli, -currently Nigeria’s Information Minister - turned out to be a massive con, despite all the substantially positive goodwill she seemed to have enjoyed in the administrative space of Nigeria, just until she took her ‘god-given-ministerial-job' few months ago.

I had monitored this woman, right from just about the time the master conman himself - general Obasanjo – appointed her as the NAFDAC chair some years back.

It was very apparent from day one, that she had energy. A buzz, and a rare dedication, to her portfolio. fair enough.

What anyone could not possibly envisage is how desperately relentless she would be, whilst promoting and propagating daylight trickery.

That is, she could basically dedicate as much energy, right in the negative direction. Thus, inverting the very notion of herself. Pathetic!

Hear her in Akure as reported here:

"We need to tell the world who we are, we must believe in ourselves, people have been shaving our heads in our absence, we need to tell the world that we are great."

Tell the world who we are ? that we are great ?

What a joke!

Here was a woman who carelessly, almost brainlessly, rationalises, the daylight murder of a citizen – just because the state i.e. Nigeria, that she milks day and night, robbed the guy of the decency of logical thinking, education and a decent living and yet criminalises him, in the dubious facade of ‘islamist’ Boko-Harams ?

Here was a woman, who does not find it redundantly obscene, irritable, and nonsensical, to sponsor – she’s yet to tell the world, where she got the funds by the way – the live television coverage of her daughter’s wedding, as the pretty junior Akunyilli married, wait-for-it an American- permit be to be that conservative – and it was all on AIT, Nigeria’s lone(well minus NTA) satellite television…

Here was a woman who sees no morons in overseeing that the NTA spends 8 billion Naira in the name of upgrading television equipment to digital High Definition standards…even when the whole country could not even enjoy black/white pictures of old due to a complete state of power-lessness…

It is now clear:
Mrs. Akuyilli has either been a massive fraud, even at her NAFDAC days, so much we were conned about the depth of her character,

or that,

she has also come to the all too apparent conclusion, that the country where her type of ‘god’ gives ministerial appointments (never mind its the dying president’s constitutional right)has already gone to the dogs.

So she might as well do all the ‘grabbing’ and stealing –how dare you ask me for proof), lying, and truth-mangling, and reality-mago-mago, that she can afford, while offending the rest of us, that still dare to be sane, with such outrageous proposition: “great country, great people”. Indeed. Ole!.

Mrs. Dora’s idea of rebranding is repugnant, idiotic and terribly disgusting – giving the existential realities of life on the streets of Nigeria.

She is a disgrace!

-------------------------------------------------

Governor Mimiko, as usual, defers to his political tactics sheet as he welcomed the reBrand merchant into town.

Sometimes, you have got to be brave, especially when you enjoy the goodwill of the saner mass of the society, by finding to call the powerful, but questionable default to order. I am suggesting he should have had more than this to say.

Hear governor Mimiko in the in the report:

"If mandate comes from the people, the leaders should be accountable. PDP members should cooperate with Yar’Adua in ensuring free and fair elections and sustenance of rule of law which he initiated."

One can understand the political jibe – targeted at the PDP, but are you kidding me gov ? Yaradua is incapacitated, you are supposed to know doctor;

Throw some punches….you are an executive governor.

And make it a proper jab, while at it.

A short message to my sister: An ASUU-stricken undergrad…

 

To my sister,
And other ASUU-stricken undergrads, in Nigeria:

As you continue to ‘waste’ at home, your university lecturers,
fighting what appears a pointless war with a brainless collection of gangster-government, may you be advised of these things. I hope it makes sense.

One, the pathway to your degree is suspended. But the degree in itself does not assure you anything.  So, you have to find a middle ground. Or what they call making the very best use of what you have got.

You will have loads of time on your hands and there will be waking days when you question the very essence of your citizenship – disillusion, hatred and anger, filling your heart – for the big “stop!” that has been written all over the page of your life for simply being a young Nigerian. 

I won’t mention the daily frustration of living in a namespace where absolutely nothing works. Comfort yourself in the old saying of a friend. Nigeria does not recognise that you exist.  It is sad but true.

I know you watch football, and unlike me, doesn’t follow Manchester United.

But one of the joys of watching Manchester United over the years, is the subtle lessons, that you find to learn  in the team’s philosophy, that to win, you must be relentless. even in the face of defeat.

You must never dwell on matters that are out of your hands.  But, whatever options that stare you in the face,  you must be willing to sacrifice all  - take huge risks – in order that your chances of winning gets amplified, sometimes even only by a fraction.

Luckily, you live at a time, where independent research is just a mouse click away. I know its expensive to come near the internet in Nigeria but there are few things you can do too, to get the best of the sometimes horribly slow internet connections but I would find time to discuss that with you in an other message.

Visit http://amazon.com and do textbook searches on topics you envision you would study once  you are back at school. Divest all that time and frustration into reading the books if you can find them.  Email me if you do need help purchasing the ones that are rare. Hopefully, we can do the maths, and do business. I know most of our public libraries are sitting museums…

As you read, it is important to ask yourself the most important question facing your generation. How do I solve the problems I face, as an individual and how can I use that knowledge, to resolve the problems we face as a society ? or As Fela Kuti once put it one of those timeless masterpieces – Mr. Follow follow –

“…//My brothers, make you no follow book-o// look  am and go your way…”

This is time to understand the dynamics, of catastrophic decisions of the past, that has got you into this perpetual half-time. We made ourselves 2nd-class, over the years, by never looking inwards  - at our own capacity to be in charge, and be best at it. If it is not from London or Washington, it is not ‘class’….that thinking…

For so long, we were programmed to go to school for the sake of a first-class, and the B.Sc. and strictly that.

With the illusion that everything beautiful will follow, even when the whole notion of study, is to sharpen the capacity of your brain, to solve problems.

I know you hate it, but the politics of Nigeria, from that of the faceless local government Chairman to that of the distant state governor, as maddening as they are , remains where the battle was lost….the reason ASUU can be offline fore 60days+, and no one is crying.

You must continue to pay attention to it, discuss it with your peers, and most importantly, contribute. I know, I know, you are thinking, these  politicians are beyond debate but that is because we let them. You and I.

I urge you to make it a point of duty to visit http://www.saharareporters.com on a daily, if not hourly basis just so you are aware of the mind-boggling rape of the namespace we all, mournfully accept as home.

It helps you to stay focused, i.e. know-what-is-going-on, especially that you don’t fall a fool, to the nonsense propaganda that are shot at you on NTA, or junkyard newspapers like Thisday. I hope you have outgrown your childhood fancy of poring through Ovation rating who is beautiful, and who is ugly now.  Now, you will understand why it was such a fruitless waste of time….and uncle used to be so annoyed at everything Ovation.

Essentially, this is time to find, a rhythm that is outside the confines of school – and painstakingly dance to it, in order that you may be the best in real-world problem solving – which is the ultimate reason you are after your B.Sc anyways.

Always remember you can ask your uncle to explain again, if you find the style of my writing too long-winded and restless.

I just happen to have so much to say, yet I know it wouldn’t express how much I miss, and feel sorry for you, but I hope it helps.

love always.

/Me.

Mimiko, August 2009: -The whinging governor ?

Before I begin,  a quick note: this is analysis as it it seems from 6000 miles away from the centre of the action.  So make of it what you will.

Pardon the title, but governor Mimiko better steps up to the hard realities of taking over governance from a well known, thieving crook in the brand of Olusegun Agagu.

Else, he accomplishes the ultimate title of a whinging governor.

Its August and he is been in charge of things for nearly 6 months now; 

Hear Mimiko:

"At the present level of income, and even without government embarking on any new capital project expenditure, it will take us at least 10 years to meet these commitments. The reality from the foregoing therefore is that the state would have to re-prioritise ongoing capital projects,"

It is very easy to  counter-argue  that the clearly overdrawn state of the state’s finances, as brazenly and effortlessly done by the doomed Agagu led disaster ties the government’s hands but then, no one has been put into prison for economic mismanagement  of a people’s funds yet;   Permit me to be that naive in the most basal state of Politics in Ondo state, a la Nigeria.

The reality is, if he does not take conscious efforts to balance the states’ books and demarcate, where he starts off, there is the hanging potential, that the Agagu people would find a way to make him take the responsibility for  their heinous waste of public resources so I get that.

But the reading one gets from the little snippet published on the frontpage of the Guardian – I believe there will be fuller details in the papers tomorrow – is that of a Governor that doesn’t quite appreciate the weight of responsibility, and ultimately the challenge of vision and leadership, carrying on.

Here is my fundamental contention: If it is going to take you 6 months to to have a firm grip on the state of you finances, then you had better be prepared to spell out, in more detail, how you intend to lead people out of the mess.

What you are going to do!

Essentially, telling us about the reality that stares your people in the face, amounts to one thing. Whinging.

Leadership is more, far more, demanding than that….

However, it is incredibly commendable that the governor, recognises the need to communicate directly to the people of the state – not sure how many citizens can be bothered to listen this days – on such critically important  issue.

That, I am sure, we can have more of.