The “Babangida Must Go” Protests

The “Babangida Must Go” Protests: A Missed Opportunity for Revolution

Young, obscure student leaders in 1989 led the best chance of a revolution Nigeria had at the University of Benin campus in May 1989. These young leaders staged a protest that became famous as the “Anti-SAP Riots”. This protest-turned-riot spilt into Benin-City and with pace to other cities in Nigeria, including Lagos, Port Harcourt and Ibadan. The masses were behind the student protesters with an incredible firmness. The people bought the persuasive message of the obscene leadership corruption and thoroughgoing military repression. However, it was a rejection of neoliberalism. The free-market Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP) Babangida introduced was merciless in impoverishing most Nigerians and spurred the citizenry. The people and the student protest were one people with a united aim. Guns borne of the repressive military regime no longer frightened the masses; they had nothing left to lose. (more…)

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Reflections on the May Elections

Reflections on the May Elections: The Relevance of Voters?

Never underestimate the wisdom of the old saying, “what Britain needs is another good war”. Peace, jobs, wages, NHS are boring and appear to be responsible for the national malaise in British politics. Or are they? The May 5th local elections are over, and the June 8th general election is on its way.

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2017: “Saint Buhari” and More Economic Stagnation

The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else – Chinua Achebe

In the year 2017, Nigeria’s economy is predictably going stagnate further without recourse to rescue. Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ will be mostly only fulfilled at the bottom level in the nation. The imminent threat of mass hunger will eventually overtake the ‘Nigerian genius’ of denying hunger when living with sharply decreasing calorie intake over time. Stuff higher than food and water will be harder to acquire or keep. Hopes for improving personal prosperity have never been higher but the economic, cultural and political climate has never been so decisively forbidding. Business opportunities, profits, employment, ethical credit, education, exchange rates are all facing steep decline.  It is all, sadly, a problem of leadership and the “Household of Buhari” is a big part of the problem. (more…)

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Buhari’s Choice and the Expected “Fashola Miracle”

When President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 general elections, he did so largely with the support of neutral and anti-PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) commentators. Everything bad in Buhari’s life history was to be forgotten and everything good was in ascendance. From another perspective, it was very difficult for practitioners of competent thinking to justify the pervasive profligacy behemoth of PDP while in power. The ministerial appointments Babs Fashola, Timi Amaechi and other ‘gubernatocrats’ that took more than half a year to make that was the start of the negation of support for President Buhari. Many thinking men deserted except the likes of Wole Soyinka turned their backs on and pens against Buhari. But many political miracles were promised by the Buhari government. Where are they? (more…)

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The Sambo Scandal & the “Owners of Nigeria”

Nigeria

The “Sambo Scandal” (concerning one Col Sambo Dasuki) is just another story when compared to the full scale of looting in Nigeria; it’s just ‘Hot Air’ and Hollywood. The Government of Nigeria (GON) since the military regime of Yakubu Gowon has squandered around $1 trillion on nothing but personal enrichment and the provision of mostly shoddy goods and services to Nigerians. Call it the “national cake” (that has no bakery) or the “pot of soup” (that has no kitchen), Nigeria’s wealth is on a daily basis being shared like cake and soup at parties for and by the “Owners of Nigeria Technostructure” (ONT) and at their very own imperturbable convenience. This situation is incredibly far beyond the stilted fanaticisms of All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters. (more…)

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