Revolution without ammunitions. Pathways towards Nigerian second independence. Part 1

Table of Content

Page

Introduction

Abstract

Methology

Goals and objectives

CHAPTER 1 Protesting against the 54 million euro Hungary-Nigeria loan

CHAPTER 2Address to the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari:
You are in office but not in power

CHAPTER 3 Address to the Sultan of Sototo Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III:
Stop the herdsmen killers

CHAPTER 4 Addressing the Senate President of Nigeria,
Senator Bukola Abubakar Saraki: Law Maker or Law breaker?

CHAPTER 5 Address to The Nigerian People

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to thank my wife Catherine Enoredia Odorige who continues to encourage that I intellectually transfer my thoughts to the public space.

I am expressing my gratitude to János Herczeg for his concern and constant support for my activism. He has been a reliable friend in charge of the media production of this and other works.

I am grateful to my Manager Mcpherson Diegbe for his role in the management of the video production of this publication.

My deep appreciation to all Nigerians who voted me to lead them as the President of the Association of Nigerians in Hungary.

As the Founder and Global Coordinator of the European Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, I salute all coordinators of various European countries and beyond, for keying into my vision and expressing with confidence, that we share a common concern for the actualization of a second independence for Nigeria. Nigerian yearn for development.

I am always grateful to the government and people of Hungary which has provided a home for me and a safe environment for me to freely express my freedom of speech.

Nigeria will be free.

Introduction

Since the political independence of Nigeria in 1960, the country has expereienced various military misrule from 1966-1979 and 1983-1998 and civilian misrules from 1960-1963, 1963-1966, 1979-1983, 1999 till date.

Throughout these periods, Nigerians have suffered untold hardship as a result of the misrule of a few.

The security challenges have been a problem in Nigeria since the advent of Boko Haram terrorism in 2009. This was followed by the violent agitations by militants from the Niger delta region who resorted to individual settlements against their initial collective agitation against marginalization and environmental degradation. The existing security situation has been worsened by various herdsmen attacks who graze their cows from the North and kill farmers in their farms in other parts of the country. Women have been raped in their farms and their farms set ablaze by the terrorist herdsmen. Unfortunately, the government of Nigeria has been very slow, to an annoying point, that the killing of Nigerians by Nigerians from other parts of the country seem to be a re-occuring decimal.

Despite the huge natural resources, problems concerning insecurity, corruption and defranchisement of the populace from the democratic process has been one of the banes of governance. Old leaders are recycled with re-occuring promises and references to the youths as leaders of tomorrow. Many past military personnels return to politics with the same old civilians that have held various public offices for many years. As political promises, they continue to give hope to the citizens with promises to provide roads, drinkable water and the building of health educational infrastructures. All of these basic needs continue to be in short supply as most government office holders usually travel abroad for health tourism while they send their children to foreign schools. This has been exacerbated by the fact that corruption continue to be one of the greatest obstacle to national development.

The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari came into office 2015 by using the Change mantra as an instrument of political campaign. Unfortunately, corruption continue to be rampant in virtually all facet of government, including the Senate who have manipulated the instruments of power to be law breakers instead of law makers.

Unfortunately, experience has shown that it is mostly unsafe to embark on such a meaningful project within the territory of Nigeria as activists could be kidnapped, assassinated or arrested and detained without being arraigned in the court of law over a long period of time. This has been one of the factors why some Nigerians have been tongue-tied during military and civilian regimes.

Abstract

This publication is intended to address notable individuals and institutions in Nigeria concerning the insecurity in the country, the weak government response and the hydra-headed corruption promoted by the wasteful bicameral legislative system of the Nigerian National Assembly headed by the President of the Senate. One of the fulcrum of this publication focuses on the manipulations of democratic principles, bogus salaries appropriated to members of the national assembly against the set law of the country. It highlights the fact that lawmakers are the real law breakers in Nigeria as they manipulate the law for personal economic gains. I have highlighted the discrepancies in governance with the purpose of exposing the loopholes and making recommendations for transparency and good governance.

The fundamental goal of this publication is to fully galvanize Nigerians from all walks of life to stand up for a revolution without ammunitions in other to achieve a second independence where lies the true meaning of the country’s motto: Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.

Methodology

The texts of this publication contains five speeches that have been have been verbally narrated in video format as a public statement by the author to the addressees. This method is an efficient way of communication through the youtube broadcast medium using the Nelson M46664 channel. This has become necessary because of my awareness that many publications that addresses social and political issues mostly end up as academic exercises with limited coverage that does not affect the purposes for which they were written. The statements used here are very direct and mostly uncensored. They have attracted tens of thousands of views from many parts of the world on youtube. These are statements which ordinarily may not have the physical opportunities to be transmitted directly to the destined recipients. It has also been observed that in recent times, a growing number of people prefer audio-visual medium of information to the academic process of reading.

The use of the social media is also intended to expand the coverage of the publication in order to reach both the destined recipients and the generality of Nigerians and the international community. This is a way of conscientizing Nigerians towards what is going wrong with the country. This awareness is a veritable tool in awakening the people towards future elections by using the technique of a peaceful and legal revolution of the mind. The information gathered here relied on published and verifiable news sources as referenced accordingly.

Goals and objectives:

In addition, this publication is practically intended towards guiding Nigerians on how well to to make her leaders strictly accountable to the voters. Nigerians have been too silent. This is also an awakening call to Nigerian leaders to be awake to their responsibilities. Another goal of this broadcast method, is to form and strengthen a coalition of Nigerians in Europe known as the European Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, ECSDN. This coalition is a movement which was formed by the author and it incorporates Nigerians from different European countries and beyond towards promoting a common ideal for the propagation of a secured, democratic and corruption-free Nigeria. The ideals of this coalition and the purposes of these releases are visually transported to Nigeria through the media in order to make direct impact on the people. These articles and their videos are released and addressed to public officers, traditional leaders and political institutions of the federal republic of Nigeria in the middle of every month from 15 February 2018 till the next Nigerian elections which will hold between February and March 2019. This timing creates a frame work that continually gives Nigerians opportunities to review the polity and catapult the people into launching peaceful and legal revolutions that will usher a new generation of leaders and and develop a viable platform where public office holders are held accountable for their activities. It is my expectation that all documented monthly releases will serve as a reference political document for future elections and academic discourses. It is also expected that this will promote and ensure good governance and accountability because within the final pages of this publication, objective recommendations have been made to correct the anomalies.

CHAPTER 1

Protesting against the 54 million euro Hungary-Nigeria loan.

No one can fight corruption for Nigerians except Nigerians.

Everyone has to be committed from the top to the bottom to fight it.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Background:

The Nigerian Minister of Water Resources Engineer Adamu Suleiman visited Hungary in 2016 to request for a loan that will be used for a study on the causes of flooding at the rivers Niger and Benue in Nigeria. Without concluding the cost of the project with the government of Hungary, he returned to Nigeria and called a press conference of Nigerian journalists. In the conference which was posted on youtube, the Nigerian Minister dishonestly said that the Hungarian government had agreed to grant this loan to the government of Nigeria. As the President of the Association of Nigerians in Hungary, I made preliminary investigations about the authenticity of the claim by the Nigerian Minister and found out that there were discripancies in the claim by the Nigerian Minister. I strongly perceived that the loan will be corrupted by the agents of the Nigerian government. I also found out that the Hungarian company that was assisting the Nigerian government to get this loan from the government of Hungary was the same company that was set to execute the project in Nigeria. It was clear that the good intention of the Hungarian government would be corrupted. I sent various letters to the Offices of the President, Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and to the President and other government agencies of Nigeria protesting against the wasteful loan. It was clear that the amount was grossly inflated.

I went further to organize a protest march in Hungary with some Nigerians to further our protest letters. The aim of the protest was to visibly disencourage the Hungarian government from issuing this loan to the government of Nigeria. Alternatively, I suggested that the Hungarian government should embark on building visible and useful projects like hospitals and schools in Nigeria.

My speech, 24 August 2017. In front of the Hungarian Parliament building:

We are here right in front of the Hungarian parliament. We just marched from the Prime Minister’s office where we submitted a letter and we have come here to submit a copy of the same letter to the Speaker of the Hungarian parliament. These letters have been previously posted but we are here to physically hand them over again by hand.

Why we are here:

The Nigerian Minister of Water resources Engineer Adamu Suleiman visited Hungary and in his press briefing in Nigeria, he said that plans have been concluded with the government of Hungary for Nigeria to borrow 54m euro from Hungary to carry out a study about causes and prevention of flooding around the rivers Niger and Benue of Nigeria.

A study will end in a paper report and you need 54 million euro to further deepen the economic woes of Nigerians! 54 million euro for a study?

Nigerians in Hungary are saying a loud No to this loan.

We have written to the Hungarian and Nigerian govt to stop further negotiations about this loan in the interest of Hungary and Nigeria. This is due to the following reason:

Nigerian Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi informed Nigerians that the government of former President Jonathan gave a contract of N47 billion naira for the dredging of the said rivers.¹

Common sensically, when you dredge a river, it becomes deeper and the issue of flooding will cease.

We have some questions for Adamu Suleiman:

1 Why do you need a study to prevent flooding when dredging is ongoing? Are you requesting loan to duplicate a project that is currently on-going?

2 The so-called project that this loan is needed for, is it under the purview of the Nigerian Ministry of Water resources or of the Ministry of Transportation?

3 Is the Nigerian Senate and Federal executive Council aware of this loan?

4 Did the Hungarian government categorically agree to issue the 54 million euro loan before you confidently informed the Nigerian Press? If they did not, it means that you have brought a national disgrace to the Federal Republic of Nigeria because you wanted to impress the Nigerian press.

5 Do you know that the dredging of River Niger is ongoing at a sum of N100m as stated by Amaechi Rotimi?²

6 Do you know that Hungary also has intermittent flooding and they equally need this money to solve their problem?

7 Why did the Nigerian Ministry of water resources not add this request to the 2017 budget of Nigeria?

8 Do you know that many Nigerians have died on the road in search of greener pastures away from home due to our present economic recession connected to corruption?

9 Adamu Suleiman is an Engineer. Why does he not use the Engineers in the Ministry of Water Resources to do whatever study he wants to do?

10 The Federation Account Allocation Committee of Nigeria (FAAC) in the first quarter of 2017 disbursed N1.276 trillion to the three tiers of govt – local, state and federal. Statistics shows that out of this amount, N513 billion was spent on debt servicing and that represents 40.27% of disbursed funds.³ How can we develop when we keep borrowing in the midst of debts?

I cannot guarantee that Adamu Suleiman will not be embarrassed by Nigerians if he decides to visit Hungary in the future to pursue this loan because Nigerians here are very very angry about this.

We wish to make some statements here:

1 Now some regions are currently agitating for secession from Nigeria. In their hearts of hearts, many do not want to disengage from Nigeria. Rather, they are disenchanted at the way the economy has been operated for many years. Among other factors, it is this type of loan that has put us where are are today as a country. Some people in power want to get all they can and can all they get.

2 Nigeria has an estimated population of 180 million people and it is one of the most endowed countries of the world. It is laughable that you are coming to borrow from Hungary which is a country of less than 10 million people because some Nigerian leaders have already looted and spirited our common wealth! For those of us that read the bible: Esau sold his birth right for a pot of stew. 20 years later, Jacob stole Esau’s blessings from Isaac their father. Thereafter, Esau asked his father Isaac in Genesis 27: 38-39 38 „Do you have only one blessing, my father?” Isaac his father answered and said to him, "Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, And away from the dew of heaven from above.

What is the connection with this story ? You see, it is pathetic that few Nigerian leaders have stolen our common wealth since more than 20 years ago and they are now coming here, cap in hand, begging Hungary for a loan – asking for the left overs from a smaller country because they wasted their natural resources. Nigerians in Hungary are saying a resounding No that request.

You could have gone to Lagos state to borrow that money. There are also rich individuals and companies in Nigeria that Nigeria is too self sufficient for that. The problem is that the President of Nigeria has become too lenient for our liking. Some people that looted our treasury are still walking free when you should seize their loot, jail them and throw away the prison keys into the lagoon. Yet people who steal yams go to prison. It is this leniency from the President of Nigeria that will make a Minister of Nigeria to gather the temerity to come to Hungary to seek a loan that will be clearly corrupted.

Our Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the recent inauguration of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda said and I quote ”Africa can take leadership in various respect; leadership in our economy, handle the commanding heights in our economy, be directly involved in the destiny and future of our countries”⁴

That is a statement of fact!

When you hear about racism anywhere, it is not only about discrimination against the colour of your skin, they discriminate against us because we come from countries that are so rich, yet we are not able, for a long time, to wisely harness our bountiful resources for visible development.

If I am born into this Nigeria and I die in this Nigeria the way I met it, what is my testimony?

We can tell you what 54 million euro (approximately21 billion naira) can do in Nigeria.

We know that 54 million euro can equip our army to end terrorism in North East Nigeria.

54 million euro could conveniently settle internally displaced persons in Nigeria.

54 million euro could also be used to generate water, build good schools for children and hospitals in Kazaure local government of Jigawa State which is the birth place of the Nigerian Minister for Water Resources.

54 million euro could provide steady electricity to some parts of Nigeria.

Is it wiser to spend such an amount for a study to be reported on printed papers? If the Nigerian Minister has alternatives, will he spend his personal money like that for his unborn children to pay many years from now?

To the Hungarian Government we have this to say:

We demand that the government of Hungary should put an end to this controversial loan and find other ways in investing in Nigeria especially in the power generation sector. Hungary is a home to us here and Nigerians living here will not encourage any transaction that will be uncomfortable or detrimental to Hungarians on the long run.

The Ministry of Water Resources in Nigeria is not an income generating Ministry since Nigerians mostly provide water for themselves through private boreholes. Therefore, Nigeria may not be able to pay back this loan and Hungary may end up cancelling this loan as other countries have done for Nigeria in the past. That will be a loss to Hungarians on the long run and that is what we do not want.

We do not trust that the request for this loan is justified neither do we trust that the money will be judiciously spent if we judge by what the Nigerian Minister said.

Hungary is currently fighting illegal migration and has spent a lot to secure her external borders. If you give this unjustified loan and it is not judiciously spent, it will further impoverish the Nigerian people and the journey to Europe will continue. 54m euro is a huge amount when compared to what Hungary spent to build border fences against irregular migration in 2015.⁵

It has been reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, that the highest number of persons that have travelled through the meditereanean sea from January 2017, representing 21%, are Nigerians.⁶ This problem could be tackled from the root cause which is poverty which has resulted from the mismanagement and diversification of public fund.

Therefore we demand as follows:

1. That the Nigerian government should investigate the circumstances surrounding this frivolous loan reported by Adamu Suleiman and take appropriate actions.

2. As a matter of national dignity and accountability, the Federal govt of Nigeria should quickly withdraw further plans for this loan. This suspicious and wasteful loan has been published everywhere in the Hungarian media. Please note that the prostest you are seeing here today is just part one. When students, the civil society and the general public resume from holidays, subsequent protests will be monumental and sustained till our demand is met.

3. That Econonomic and Fiscal Crime Commission should as a matter of urgent national interest, arrest the contractors that collected money and abandoned the dredging of the River Niger as stated by Rotimi Amaechi.

4. We demand that the Nigerian President review the performance of some of his Ministers and make the necessary changes in line with the change mantra. Many Nigerian Ministers are not on the same page with Mr President.

5. We call on other Nigerian associations all over the world to safeguard our national interest within their domain just as we are doing now.

6. We demand, as a matter of urgency, that the Nigerian government should install an

e-passport production machine in Hungary to assist Nigerians in renewing their international passport as the Nigerian embassy in Hungary covers five other countries.

7. We ask that Nigerians should take their voices and arguments out of facebook and whatsapp and demand accountability from our leaders. No Nigerian own Nigeria more than Nigerians. We are were we are today as a country because of our long silence when a few persons spirited away our common wealth and common destiny as a nation.

We appreciate the work of the Nigerian embassy in Hungary but we disagree with them in their position in this matter. According to them, the agreement for this loan between Nigeria and Hungary has not been officially concluded. This contradicts what the Nigerian Minister of Water Resources said in his speech on youtube during the Press conference he conveyed.

We thank:

On behalf of the executive body of the Association of Nigerians, I wish to thank the Nigerian community in Hungary for their resilience and unbridled patriotism.

We thank Hungarians and the Hungarian media for their immeasurable cooperation.

We congratulate the dogged determination of the Social Economic Rights and Accountability of Nigeria in their continuing fight against corruption in Nigeria.

We also wish to thank all those who in their professional or private positions, did everything to pressurize us to call off this noble protest. This protest is not of self but of country. Your pressure strengthened our resolve. Nigeria comes first.

We pray:

Finally, we pray that God in His infinite grace and mercy will give our President Mohammadu Buhari excellent health, strength and wisdom to steer the ship of state to its divine destination.

Mr President, some of us standing here are die-hard Buharists and we believe in the unity and progress of Nigeria. Please leave a legacy in Nigeria so that we that support your government are not embarrased. There is no better time than now.

Three things you must do for us before you leave office: Give Nigerians stable electricity and food. Recovered loots and a little more could give us stable electricity. Secondly, as we diversify our revenue towards agriculture, support a bill to be passed in the Senate where it will become compulsory for each of the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria to operate a farm based on their highest comparative cost advantage. When every Local Government Council has a farm, each ward should also have a farm supervised by their respective Councillors.

We are also aware that the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation has given a grant of 30 billion USD to Africa for the production of rice. We could effectively key into that open window.

We humbly demand that you review the rate of borrowing. We cannot be consolidating and borrowing at the same time. That we recently borrowed 3.8 billion naira from the African Development Bank for the production of potato in conjunction with the Plateau state government⁷ is sad enough. The 9.8 million dollars seized from a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu ⁸ would have been enough to solve that problem.

Nigeria is too rich to borrow from any country; Nigeria is too rich to be poor!!

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

God bless the government and good people of Hungary.

Thank you.

Frederick Omoyoma Odorige

President.

Result of the protest:

Though my action was despised by those that promoted the project in Nigeria, my suspicions were confirmed when I received a letter from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in which it was stated that no amount was quoted to the Nigerian Minister for the project before he addressed the Nigerian press with a quoted amount of 54 million euro. This confirmed my suspicions that the intentions from the Nigerian side of the bargain was not honest. That money would have been grossly corrupted and mismanaged. The Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources discontinued the negotiation we made the matter public with our protest and various media publicity.

We believe that our action saved the Hungarian government a huge embarrassment if they had continued with the loan process. It also saved the Nigerian government from incurring further debts that would have been transferred to future generations. It would have been difficult for the Nigerian government to repay this loan because the Ministry seeking the loan does not generate adequate funds as most Nigerians privately provide water for their families. Alternatively, the government of Hungary might have written off the debt in the future as bad debt, which would have been a loss to the Hungarian people.

Posted on youtube Jd.hu. 24August 2017

CHAPTER 2

Address to the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari:

You are in office but not in power.

If you look at great human civilizations, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union, you will see that most do not fail simply due to external threats but because of internal weakness, corruption, or a failure to manifest the values and ideals they espouse.

Cory Booker

Today I wish to address the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Rtd General Muhammadu Buhari.

I am currently the President of the Association of Nigerians in Hungary. I have just become the chief coordinator of the European Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, ECSDN. We already have Nigerian Representatives in 21 European Union Countries while others are being incorporated. The name of the coalition speaks for itself.

Whatever I am about to say now is exclusive of the Nigerian association Hungary. My statements are my personal opinions and they equally reflect the opinions of the European Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria. As we gear up for elections campaigns in Nigeria, I can assure you that the pattern of campaign you will see and hear from this part of the world will be unprecedented in the history of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We cannot be afraid to speak in Nigeria and be afraid to speak about Nigeria outside Nigeria. Nigeria is bigger than the broom; it is bigger than the umbrella, the cock, light bulbs, handshake, clock, pine-apple, star and other party logos that seem to mock the very essence of our democratic values.

What is happening in Nigeria today is less than barbaric and absolutely unacceptable in every standard.

Think about this Mr President: When there were terrorist attacks in France, Belgium and the UK and other countries, you sent your condolences. Since the recent re-occuring massacres in Nigeria, how many Presidents or Prime Ministers of other countries have sent you condolence messagess? The answer is none. Why? because they have realized that killing has become part of our normal life style

In April 2011 you shed tears at Nigeria when you desired to be President. You wept about the insecurity, corruption and poor welfare of Nigerians. Those tears looked convincing then. Your failed attempts, persistence and your eventual winning of the Presidency in your fourth attempt showed your desire to Change Nigeria. Your coup which brought you into office in 1983 also promised a better Nigeria before your government was toppled.

At a media address of June 2012, you explained the reasons why you shed tears in 2011 thus: “I wept having seen how rich this country is and how God really blessed Nigeria, the whole world is almost envious of Nigeria….”⁹ Yes; but today, families are in tears, mourning, with you in government. Mr President, you are in office, but you do not seem to be in power!

Mr President, I am a card-carrying member of the PDP. Today, I do not belong to any political party. Like many Nigerians, I conscientously campaigned for you during your 2015 election with the hope that you will bring the needed change to our country. My facebook page Yoma Odorige speaks for itself. Your antecedents and desperate wish for positive change drove that conviction.

I put Nigeria above all political, ethnic and religious considerations. Today, I must admit that I am confused and dismayed at what is now happening in our country Nigeria. The scary security situation and hunger in Nigeria today is inexplicable.

Mr President, I have refused to judge your performance till now but some shocking situation in Nigeria today under your purview calls for grave concern.

I wish to base my statements here on the provisions of Chapter 2 section 14, sub-section 2b of the Nigerian constitution which reads „ the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government „

I also believe that it is your awareness of this aspect of our Constitution that made you to shed tears on National Television.

That we have reached a point under your administration where Fulani terrorists kindly referred to as Fulani Herdsmen, now slaughter Nigerians like cows, rape women, burn farmlands, kidnap and rob commuters on our highway with little or no government concern is a sad misnomer, very difficult to imagine. Your slow response to critical yearning of our people makes the situation even more troublesome. How did Nigeria slide into this mud? You heard of a Nigerian that slaughtered an Italian girl in Italy. How? He simply imbibed the Nigerian Fulani herdsmen mentality where some people just believe that they could rape women and kill people in their farms or country.

Mr President only the introduction of a State Police can address the security issues in Nigeria at this point. Governors do not need to cry to Abuja before security agencies are swiftly and effectively deployed to crises zones. States do not need to bury their dead weeks and months before the army introduces Operation Cat or Rat Race.

Your recent endoresment for a second term by the APC Governors and your aides at a period when the blood that soaked the earth of Benue state and other places is still fresh, shows how insensitive and self-seeking their actions are. If they kill everybody in Nigeria, who will you rule? Remember that as Nigerians are killing Nigerians in Nigeria, it is the same way Nigerians are being killed in South Africa, India, Libya and other places. They sell your citizens as slaves in Libya while organ hunters kill and trade in their body parts, all because of their desperate attempts to escape from Nigeria. Others have drowned in the meditereanean sea in search of greener pastures. You are the Grand Commander of the Armed forces with power over land, sea and air within the territorial space of Nigeria. When the leadership of our country appear to be silent about the slaughtering of Nigerians, on what ground can our lives be secured in foreign countries?

Human head in Nigeria is selling far lower than cow heads in the den of ritualists. Mr President, did you shed tears in vain? Nigerians have reminded you that the way you visited your son in hospital should be the same way you ought to have visited the states of slaughtered Nigerians. Remember how Nigerians trooped to visit you in London when you were ill. God has been fighting for Nigeria as a country. Remember how God plucked Abacha away when he became a demi-god. When rumour of your presumed death in London almost appeared true, have you not realized that God preserved you for a second chance? You called the bereaved people of Benue state to visit you in Abuja just the way you once called the Governor of Abia state to visit also, after the Abia massacre.

You Benue people, that travelled to Abuja to be consoled, you are a strange set of people. Were you among those that were truly bereaved, or you just went to Abuja to collect envelopes? You might have probably gone to Abuja to console Mr President because your people were slaughtered!

The Prime Minister of UK where you were hospitalized will put off all engagements in order to visit the scenes of such incidents or address the nation immediately. You never did. You even visited neighbouring Nasarawa State but could not visit Benue state where the Governor is in the same political party with you. It is a sad irony that even Governors of other political parties visited the people of Benue state to commiserate with them and supported them in several ways.

When a Police Officer recently pushed a man to his death in Benin City, the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki personally visited the family of the deseased.¹⁰ He is an APC Governor. That is what I call leadership. How can we attract investors in an environment with security challenges?

When Fulani herdsmen killed people from my home town Abraka, the Legislator representing our Local Government Area personally went to the Presidency to lodge complain. The Vice President of Nigeria sent a delegation to assess the situation. Did anything come out of it? Why do we need to set up committees to address or investigate cases of various brutal murder when we have security forces that could swiftly move into action? We must be pro-active. Have you heard of the US, UK or France setting up committees to have meetings over terrorist actions? The criminals strike today and within 24 hours their identities are revealed, their hide out busted, and they are arrested. You cannot fight security without capturing the biometric data of Nigerians on their national identity cards or installing surveillance camera sin public places. It should become compulsory that all private businesses of ascertained magnitude of public patronage, should install surveillance cameras within their business premises if you are prepared to supply electricity 24/7.

Sadly, the victims of herdsmen attacks do not receive any form of compensation from government as succour to cushion the loss.

It is ridiculous that Nigerians are now resorting to prayers because of the so-called herdsmen. This is not a time for prayers; it is a time for you Mr President to do your job as the person who shed tears at the way the country was being operated before you came into power. This is not a problem that needs God’s attention. I repeat, the problem of Nigeria does not need God’s attention. God has blessed us as a people and it is our duty to manage and harness our God-given resources. We must manage ourselves. Any problem caused by man can be solved by man. Now that the situation has worsened under your government, Mr President where are your tears now? Where is Federal Character if 14 of the 17 Heads of Security agencies are from Northern Nigeria? You might have done this to articulate and guarantee your position, but how has it secured the vast majority of Nigerians? Mr President, Boko haram has infiltrated all parts of the country in the name of herdsmen, and you are just slowing down? Whoever says that the Fulani terrorists are foreigners is only conjuring lame excuses. Any country that cannot secure her borders, has lost her sovereignty.

Nigeria does not rank among the first 20 beef and milk producers in the world, yet we do not hear about killing by herdsmen in those countries. How much has the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture learnt from best grazing practices of such countries?

Mr President, Nigeria is currently sitting on a kep of gun powder that is waiting to explode. Your sycophants have started campaigning for your re-election. Now your attention will be divided. If you did not act swiftly to address the security issues when the campaigns have not started, how can you address the issue when campaigns heat up? Your wife has been positively outspoken in your government. Since your advisers seem to be afraid to advise you, then you must listen to the well-meaning political statements of your wife which reflects the yearnings of Nigerians.

[...]

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¹ Amaechi: (2017, May 5). Jonathan Government blew N34b on River Niger. Dauda, O. The Nation. http://thenationonlineng.net/amaechi-jonathan-govt-blew-n34b-river-niger/. Retrieved 22 March 2018

² Sbibayan, D. (2017, May 5). Amaechi: Jonathan released N34bn for dredging of River Niger — but Buhari. The Cable, https://www.thecable.ng/amaechi-jonathan-released-n34bn-dredging-river-niger-buhari-will-get-done-n100m

³ National Bureau of Statistics, (September 2017). Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) August 2017 Disbursement http://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/pdfuploads/Federation_Account_Allocation_Committee_(FAAC)_AUGUST_2017_Disbursement_.pdf Retrieved 23 March 2018

⁴ Adetayo, O (2017, August, 18). We have shown we can solve Nigeria’s problems, says Osinbajo. Punch, http://punchng.com/we-have-shown-we-can-solve-nigerias-problems-says-osinbajo/ 23 March 2018

⁵ Nielsen, N. (2017, Sept. 01). Hungary demands EU payments for border wall. https://euobserver.com/migration/138849. Retrieved 8 April 2108

⁶ Punch, Nigeria, Eritrea top migrants taking desperate journeys to Europe-UNHCR. http://punchng.com/nigeria-eritrea-top-migrants-taking-desperate-dangerous-journey-to-europe-unhcr/ Retrieved 8 April 2108

⁷ Agbakwuru, J.(2017, July 27). Vanguard, https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/07/fg-takes-n3-8bn-loan-afdb-potato-production Retrieved 9 April 2018

⁸ Premium Time, (2017, February 10). How EFCC recovered $9.8 million from Yakubu, Ex-NNPC GMD

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/223140-efcc-recovered-9-8million-yakubu-ex-nnpc-gmd-see-mountains-dollars. Retrieved 9 April 2018

⁹ Idris, M.Y. (2013, April 8). Buhari’s 2011 tears, The Nation, http://thenationonlineng.net/buharis-2011-tears/ Retrieved 9 April 2018

¹⁰ Channels Television, (2018, February 9). Obaseki Pledges N10m For Family Of Driver Allegedly Killed By Police. https://www.channelstv.com/2018/02/09/obaseki-pledges-n10m-family-driver-allegedly-killed-police/ Retrieved 9 April 2018