I would like to draw our attention to the
fact that the situation in Nigeria; the poverty, the neglect and the suffering
of a people in a nation that boasts so much wealth, cuts across ethnic,
religious and sectional divide. Nigerians had hopes that President Jonathan
would deliver on his campaign promises of a breath of fresh air. What, and all
can bear witness, we have had so far is a stagnant, more pungent and massively
polluted air. Nigerians are choking, Nigerians are suffocating, Nigerians are
dying daily in their hundreds as a direct consequence of the actions and
inactions of the present administration at Aso Rock headed by a man they
trusted, a man they believed in, a man they thought identified with their
humble estate and a man they thought was worthy of them. What we got was a
president, but not the commander in chief of the armed forces, in effect, we
have a ceremonial president who has arrogated the power that goes with the
office he occupies to a nameless cabal.
Now be it known that the #OccupyNigeria
Movement which was birthed online, was not a spontaneous response to the so
called ‘Fuel subsidy removal’. The movement existed long before the fuel hike
many erroneously refer to as ‘Fuel Subsidy removal’. In our radio and TV
interviews, we stressed that the protests were about corruption and waste in
government. The fuel hike provided the much needed tip to jump as we felt it
was insensitive, it was cruel and it was callous for a government consisting multi
trillionaires to be placing more burdens on an already impoverished nation
while they, their families and close friends live in opulence with reckless abandon. Our campaign is not
personal, it’s about Nigeria and bad leadership. The protest was not borne out
of a desire to ridicule a southern, a christian or an Ijaw man, it was borne out of a
sincere and genuine desire to see the PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA live up to the
expectations of Nigerians as a whole. Recently, I was privileged to travel
through some towns and villages in Nigeria particularly in the Niger Delta area
and I was appalled and sickened at the level of poverty, degradation and pollution in these
areas. It is not enough for a few to enjoy absolute wealth that comes from
being ‘settled’ while the vast majority of Nigerians, particularly in the Niger
Delta scramble for crumbs or go without. Many of the ex-militants are now multi
millionaires and it seems the only way to rub two coins together is to become
one or ‘carry bags’ for one. What we advocate is a state that looks after its own people, not give them handouts such as the five bags of rice for a whole community in Delta state.
OccupyNigeria will not be bullied into
thronging the streets for side effects such as Boko Haram, an amorphous and
faceless organisation that enjoys more support and patronage than our lame duck
government. For those who are unaware, Boko Haram has moved to Yenogoa in
Bayelsa state. OccupyNigeria intends to face and tackle the root causes of our disgraceful
national state and by so doing the
issues of security (Boko Haram, armed robbery, extra-judicial killing,
intimidation of the masses by the law enforcement agencies, kidnapping, mass
raping etc) will be dealt with in one fell swoop. Our problem is a crop of
leadership that is massively corrupt and has looted the nation’s common wealth which
has left the vast majority of Nigerians living below the poverty line. Our
problem is a selfish bunch of looters who are buying up choice buildings around
the world while many Nigerians live in makeshift accommodations. Our problem is
a leadership that has failed woefully to connect with the people they asked to
serve. Rather than meet with ordinary Nigerians to see and identify with their
suffering, with a view to alleviating it, they prefer to hop from airport to
airport avoiding every opportunity to meet with them. We have a government that
has perpetually lied at all levels to the people they swore to serve.
Just for the benefit of those who are uninformed and those who think that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai represents a hidden northern agenda, I will mention here that when the late President Yar Adua was unwell,
incapacitated and ‘missing’, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (former Minister of FCT), Femi
Fani-Kayode (former Minister of Aviation), Nuhu Ribadu (former Chairman of the
EFCC), Lawal Batagarawa (former Minister of Defence), Nenadi Usman (former
Minister of Finance) and Andy Uba pushed for President Yar Adua to resign so
Goodluck Jonathan could be sworn in as PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA. These men were harassed and
intimidated with accusations of planning a phantom coup. EFCC harassed them
just because they stood for what was right. Are our memories that short?
If the same Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, who fought to have Jonathan
sworn in as PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA when Yar Adua, a northerner as him, was incapacitated, is
now on the side of Nigerians, calling on President Jonathan to clean up his
acts, we should be hailing him as a nationalist, one who does not care about
tribe and religion but cares only about Nigeria and her well-being. If the
Nollywood stars and singers who were paid massively to support Jonathan’s
presidential campaign are now doing the same for free, to press President
Jonathan to do right by the people of Nigeria and if the West of Nigeria, that dumped
their own presidential candidate to vote and support Jonathan are now on the
streets to protest his failings in government, that should say something to
those that are opening their filthy mouths against the peaceful and courageous
showing of the OccupyNigeria Movement. If people needed to be financially induced
to stage a support rally for President Jonathan and his team, it only means
that they are not proud of how they have treated Nigerians because we would support president Jonathan and his team for free if they did well! Let it
be known that Nigerians will occupy every mouth that opens in judgement against
their desire, determination and collective will to call a failing government to
order.
OccupyNigeria is working by educating the uneducated, correctly
informing the misinformed, presenting facts where government has been austere
with the truth and holding our government accountable, among others. OccupyNigeria
rounded Prof Jerry Sachs an Economist, Professor, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia
University and Special Advisor to UN Secretary-General, whose personal support
for the ‘Fuel Subsidy Removal’ was touted as that of the United Nations by our
lying government. After presenting the facts to Prof. Sachs, he was quick to
recant.
In the last few days Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, when
confronted with facts in her part of government has given answers such as, ‘I have
no idea, I’ll get back to you on that’, she has also denied that the ‘Fuel
subsidy removal’ was her brainchild saying for a second time, ‘I repeat, the
fuel subsidy removal is a government decision. I will not allow anyone to put
the blame for something I didn't do on me’. Did she say, “Blame”? This is enough for all well-meaning
Nigerians to join the likes of Tam David West to distance themselves from the
fuel hike that was touted as ‘Fuel Subsidy Removal’. We continue to prove daily that we have at Aso Rock, a group of people in government who know very little about what happens right under their noses.
#OccupyNigeria is here to stay and all we have done is leave
our calling cards, which has now put our corrupt leaders on notice that it will
no longer be business as usual and they know it. Nigerians are no longer a
people who would stir the water and make a run for it. No! We will swim and we
will win this battle against the agents of neo-colonialism that have taken us
captives for far too long. Nigerians are occupying wherever they are, all
around the world. It’s not yet uhuru but better days are coming because the
collective will of the Nigerian people will prevail as we will insist that our
deaf and dumb elected and appointed political office holders, listen to us.
I pay tribute to every Nigerian, the down-trodden and the concerned elites who had the audacity to take to the streets to insist on being listened to in a bid to curtail the excesses of a corrupt and an insensitive bunch of shameless idlers.
I hear all you say.And I am really upset with our politicians. I have been for ages.While we resist the corrupt influence of our leaders, it's also important that we address the corrupt culture of the people.I think this has often been overlooked. These same average Nigerians will fight to keep the status quo because corruption is all they know. Do we abhor corruption as a people? That's a good question to ask? Please bear with us if we don't readily embrace ElRufai. We honest Nigerians are quite suspicious of anyone who has had any past affiliations of any sort with the Nigerian government,regardless of the persons sincerity.It will take time for our paranoia to heal. As for OccupyNigeria,I do hope there are solid and practical plans to educate the people through the media and sell a captivating and mutually beneficial vision. Just protesting on the streets wont do it.
ReplyDeleteThe focus is straight and direct, all what we want is good governance. Corruption and wastage by government will be fight to a standstill. In this journey there is neither a permanent enemy nor a permanent friend. Anybody that is fighting for good governance, transparency and accountability is our friend and is part of us.
ReplyDeletevery true indeed. anyone that shares our vision for a progressive and developed Nigeria is welcome , that does not mean we will not have differences of opinion or personality.It only means we will focus on our collective vision for the country
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