Funmi Tofowomo Okelola,
In the latest BBC Hardtalk the veteran freedomfighter Albie Sachs talks about the kinds of institutions that could strengthen and ensure democracy in Nigeria...
Re- "Kanu and the Igbos are not the only one with grievances about Nigeria. Many Nigerians are tired of the current dispensation."
Fact is that Kanu, the Igbos and the Biafrans past and present, have forever been tired of Nigeria. Even in the good old days of Shehu Shagari said to be their godfather in his political heyday, the days of godfatherism, when Igbo-man Alex Ekwueme was Vice-president and Emeka Ojukwu received an official state pardon and a very nice pension.
And in the good old days of theír other special friend and benefactor, Dr.Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan during whose dispensation, among other blessings, they could count Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala being appointed first female minister of finance. With her in charge of the nation's purse strings,what else could they ever possibly want? The presidency of course ! Then they would be really happy and not "tired", perhaps even legislate and make it legal and constitutional to negotiate Biafra's exit from a future malfunctioning Nigeria, since they know - at least the forward-looking ones know that even if she/ he got the job, it's unlikely that an Igbo-man could be President of Nigeria/ all Nigerians for ever...
Fact is that Nigerians are always saying that they are tired. How many were not tired of Goodluck Joe and his administration, in his end days, said to "clueless"? How many Nigerians have not been "tired" with all past administrations going back to the very first dispensation, leading to the 1966 coup and the eventual push of some of the disgruntled ones for a two-state solution, one for the Igbos and one for the rest of the people not tired of calling themselves Nigerians, the two states Biafra and Nigeria living side by side in peace and harmony, (like Israel and the Palestinians) whilst - I guess, half of the Igbos would remain gainfully dispersed throughout the evil empire, the rest of what was once called the Naija Federation.
It was barely two years ago that our man Muhammadu Buhari cruised to victory, running on a platform of change, a change of all the things that the longsuffering Nigerians have been agonising about since independence: "Nigerians (are) languishing in poverty, the corrupt politicians, elders, and others (are) swimming in wealth, privileges and immunities"
Are you saying that there has been no change at all? Perhaps the change is like the go slow in Chidi's poem, like a nation in slow-motion, mired in corruption, "The bus moves like snail." or as in this report, please feel free to imagine Brer Buhari at steering wheel, at the helm of the Naija nation's affairs, the nation mired in corruption:
What could have gone so horribly wrong ?
But let's get to business now: They say that " Rome wasn't built in a day" and perhaps that's why the latest we hear is that "Buhari will complete his work by 2023 " I wonder if Nigerians are prepared to wait that long, if he doesn't get cracking now...
You say that "Nigerians must organize instead of agonizing." Who wouldn't agree with that? We could have some more details about how this organising must be done to the fullest extent that you are now agitating for, something like a two-million man march which you believe could either bring this government to its knees or at least achieve some system changes that would set the nation on a sure path to liberation. If you promise to lead I'll join the two million man march and swim with you. Day and night, two million of us the people could camp outside Aso Rock for a few months if it's not only going to make us tired
Mayer Hawthorne - A Long Time
Raul Midon : Sunshine (I can fly)
On Friday, 27 October 2017 19:47:04 UTC+2, Funmi Tofowomo Okelola wrote:
Mr.. Hamelberg,
Again, thank you. It's always a pleasure to read your essays. Well, mere 2% of Nigerians are more than sufficient to bring a new dawn to Nigeria. The so-called democracy in Nigeria is an aberration.
Kanu and the Igbos are not the only ones with grievances about Nigeria. Many Nigerians are tired of the current dispensation.
While many Nigerians are languishing in poverty, the corrupt politicians, elders, and others are swimming in wealth, privileges and immunities.
Yes, 2 million Nigerians should and must start a peaceful protest to start the agitation that enough is enough to incompetency, complacency, nepotism, old men/old soldiers in power, and suffering and smiling (sending love to the late Mr. Fela).
Nigerians must organize instead of agonizing.
I'm tired jare. I prefer to swim in positiveness.
Have a wonderful evening, Mr. Hamelberg
Funmi, Ondo, West Africa!
"On January 3, 1949, Oba Samuel Ladapo Ademola (1872-1962) the 7th Alake of Egbaland (1920-1962), abdicated the throne due to a strife with Egba women, led by Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900-1978) and her sister-in-law, Eniola Soyinka, mother of Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka (b. 1934) , on the issue of tax. The women were made to pay heavy taxes and were also maltreated. After days, months and years of protest, the Alake, who was regarded as a stooge of the colonial master, was removed and forced out of office and had to move to Ogbomoso (other records say Oshogbo) where he stayed till December 1950 before things came back to normal."
"Harriet Tubman was born a slave, managed to escape to freedom in the North, and devoted herself to helping other slaves escape via the Underground Railroad. She helped hundreds of slaves travel northward, with many of them settling in Canada, outside the reach of American fugitive slave laws. Tubman became well-known in abolitionist circles in the years before the Civil War. She would speak at anti-slavery meetings, and for her exploits in leading slaves out of bondage she was revered as "The Moses of Her People."
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment