WHY SHOULD WE BOTHER VOTING?

Some Nigerians have made up their minds not to vote during the forthcoming elections because they believe the politicians will rig as usual. Rather than engage in the futile exercise of voting in vain, they will not bother voting at all. Voter apathy is high and many have decided to sit on the fence.

Why must Nigerians vote during the 2011 April polls? Has anything really changed that's worth the effort? Won't the politicians rig themselves into office as usual? What difference would the genuine votes make against the established rigging machinery? How much difference will their votes make against the humongous fraudulent ballots? Why not sit on the fence and watch? Adopt the "siddon look" approach?

Well, one problem with sitting on the fence for too long, according to David Lloyd George, is that the iron on the fence enters your soul. When you sit on the fence it is also easy to be shot from either side by the warring parties. Another reason not to sit on the fence, according to John Locke, is that the only fence against the world (and despicable politicians) is a thorough knowledge of it. You don't get that knowledge by sitting on the fence. You have to get off that fence sometime; otherwise no progress will be made. Wherever an opportunity or choice is given, one should exercise that right. That’s why we must not sit on the fence but choose! Let our voice be heard through our votes. Only actions give life strength.

We must decide, who among those aspiring for public office, best fits our vision of a leader. We can easily identify a leader. A leader is someone who walks the talk, someone who knows the way and can show the way. A leader is one with a proven track record that can turn around the tide of slippage. After identifying the candidate of our choice, we must act to support our decision.

We all need to take a stand. Our power lies in our choice, our vote.  All that might be needed to deter a burglar from robbing a house is the sound of a barking dog or voices speaking in the house. If we all sit quietly on the fence, the era of stolen mandates and rigged elections will not come to an end. We must let our voices be heard by casting our votes and protecting those votes as much as we can. Even if the preferred candidate isn't the perfect or the ultimate true leader, he should at least be heading in the right direction and be markedly different from those in the times past who got us to this sorry state. It is time to start the journey to building a new Nigeria - wielding our powerful votes as the weapons of change.

Prof. Attahiru Jega, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, seems to be a man of integrity and honour, determined to deliver free and fair polls. But he is just one man and can't do it alone.

Nigeria won’t make it out of the doldrums without the determination of the people to rescue themselves from poor leadership and governance.

The change we want may not come in one day. But the ship of democratic change and good governance will eventually berth in our country if we are resolute about the change initiative. We need to empower ourselves with knowledge and vote for capacity and capability and not religious leanings or ethnic background. It is by practicing the democratic tenets that we can strengthen our democratic processes and institutions.

Make that decision to vote! There is no value-added to the democratic ethos by being apathetic. Our effectiveness in bringing about positive change is zero when we don’t care.

IT ISN'T THE END OF THE WORLD YET!

There was a time when twin babies were killed in some parts of Nigeria out of superstitious ignorance. The babies were thought to be evil and were cruelly murdered while their mothers were driven from their homes to die in the jungle. That was until Mary Mitchell Slessor of Aberdeen, Scotland brought enlightenment and stopped the barbaric act.

There was also a time when men thought that the world was flat. The erroneous belief was also held by some religious clerics and became religious dogma. Eventually, overwhelming evidence proved that the earth was spherical.

Contrary beliefs or opinions to widely held tenets or doctrines were sometimes punishable by death in ancient times.

We should be able to discard prejudices and inherited antiquated ideas, no matter how dearly we hold them, especially in the face of superior logic or overwhelming evidence.

I've received some Facebook, SMS and BlackBerry messages from friends that got me worried lately. They insist I should forward some messages advocating that the end-time has finally arrived because of the earthquake in Japan. The quake also triggered a tsunami that made it to the shores of California, Oregon and Seattle. The 30-foot-high tsunami brought catastrophe to thousands of people.

The messages I received, point at increasing technology and natural disasters happening everywhere, wars and rumours of war. And that Jesus may be on his way back, possibly riding on a chariot of fire. We just have to be on our toes, they warn!

But even as Christians or believers, the scriptures advise that even the angels in heaven do not know the date nor the hour of the second coming of Christ. And clearly states that this coming will be like a thief in the night. I doubt they will be any electronic advance warning via SMS or BlackBerry.

What exactly is going on then in Japan? Is it not a sign that doomsday has finally arrived?

Historical facts and figures show that earthquakes have always happened around the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. It is shaped like a horseshoe and it is 40,000 km long. It is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, island arcs, and volcanic plate movements. It is sometimes the circum-Pacific seismic belt.

90% of the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. Tsunamis come when the quakes occur under the ocean and the earth’s crust or tectonic plates collide. Sliding past each other they sometimes get stuck. The problem occurs when they try to become unstuck. The quake in Japan was as a result of the Pacific plate crashing into the Eurasian plate.

In summary, Japan lies on fault lines of the earth. Japan's worst previous earthquake was of 8.3 magnitude and killed 143,000 people in Kanto in 1923. A magnitude 7.2 quake in Kobe killed 6,400 people in 1995.

In 1923, the news of such devastating earthquake would not have shocked the entire world in mere seconds as it has done in 2011. Those in neighbouring countries may have felt the vibrations but would not have known what exactly occurred. Different versions of the event will eventually be relayed as oral folklore as time went by.

We are actually able to view pictures of the devastation, in real time, thanks to technology. More people are now able to access information about such disasters that were previously unavailable until weeks, months or even years after the event.

Earthquakes have always happened along that fault line but we just have more access to information and news travels faster to a global audience. Countries sitting on the circum-Pacific seismic belt are bound to experience earthquakes. We are fortunate that our dear country Nigeria isn't on this belt. But we do have the mid-atlantic ridge threatening our coastlines such as Port Harcourt, Lagos, especially around the Lekki environs. What should probably trigger the doomsday warning bell is when the unusual starts occurring. When, for instance, catastrophic earthquakes inexplicably start happening in countries that are not sitting on fault lines, then we should be worried and possibly go to town with end-time predictions. That indeed will be a mystifying, fearful event and a great sign from heaven.

There are probably not more earthquakes happening recently as end-time or doomsday prophets may aver. It is just that we hear about them instantly now. Some religious persons have even attributed the catastrophe to the "sins" of the Japanese people.

Please let's reach out to the people of Japan in these difficult times and set aside the unfounded religious supposition and false innuendoes.

SNARES OF THE POLITICAL SEASON

The season of politicking is here again. It is always with us anyway. But the heat has intensified. Same old politics of rancour, bitterness and do-or-die.

Unrepentant politicians are up to their usual antics. They "rent" or "purchase" crowds of the downtrodden and unemployed for ragtag rallies. They employ and provide sophisticated arms to thugs and hire assassins to eliminate political opponents. They have stepped up their diabolical game in recent times and now detonate bombs at political events and in public places, maiming and killing hundreds.

University and polytechnic students short on cash and common sense are also recruited to swell political support for as little as N1000.

The unwary, the clueless and the unthinking, as usual, will fall prey to these vicious predators.

Religious extremists and incredibly crafty politicians need canon fodder to achieve their objectives. Osama Bin Laden, for instance, isn't going to blow up himself or his children as martyrs in a suicide bomb attack. Not at all. He is way too smart for that. It is the clueless morons, the misinformed, misled and misguided followers that he will recruit as suicide bombers - the expendables. The likes of 24 year old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab popularly referred to as the "Underwear Bomber".

Those who can't or won't think for themselves are easily lured by fanatical teaching, false dogma or the lure of easy money.

Intelligent and smart people don't bother me during this season. It is those who are clueless and gullible that get me worried. They are often cannon fodder.

About five students are feared dead in Akwa Ibom State and scores of others injured in the process of sharing the largesse given to them by Governor Godswill Akpabio to secure their support.

The students became agitated when they perceived that state government officials supposedly from the protocol unit of the Government House responsible for coordinating the money sharing exercise had hijacked some of the money promised.

N1000 was being shared to each of the over 3000 persons that were gathered, when a bus drove in and sporadic shooting ensued. The money was carted away by the intruders.

The Students’ Union President of UniUyo, Comrade Essien Udoma confirmed that scores of students have been hospitalized but could not confirm where the dead were taken.

The state Police commissioner, Mr. Sani Magaji confirmed that the police were called in to restore calm as the students began rioting over the incident. But he added that operatives did not fire live rounds at the students to quell the riot. Instead tear gas canisters and dud rounds were fired.

Students, drawn from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Uyo City Polytechnic and the Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit had gathered at the Government House on the invitation of the state governor who wanted their support in the April governorship election.

 

It was gathered that over 2000 fresh graduates of the state had converged at the Ibom Hall grounds as the governor had promised them cash and immediate employment if he gets their support come April.

In their reaction to the incident, the wily predators - that's the Akwa Ibom State government - banned all solidarity visits and political rallies to the governor’s office by prey and the clueless till further notice or when cannon fodder is required again. 

We are all responsible for the choices we make in life and live (or die) by the consequences.

CELEBRATING MORAL DECADENCE

In many churches, Palm Sunday is celebrated by the distribution of palm leaves (often tied into crosses) to the assembled worshippers.

It marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. According to the Gospels, on this momentous occasion, Jesus rode a donkey that had never been ridden. His disciples placed their cloaks on it, so as to make it more comfortable. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people there lay down their cloaks in front of him, and also lay down small branches of trees. The people sang (part of Psalm 118) - ...Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father.

The recent fanfare and jubilation marking the triumphant return of Olabode George from prison, by his followers and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) loyalists, assumed overflowing and euphoric dimensions, almost as much as the celebrated entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Media advertisements by supporters, family members and well-wishers, heralded the release of the man described by the party faithful as “The Lion Heart.”

Chief Olabode George being the humble and modest man that he is, rather than ride a donkey into town, emerged from jail clad in a white agbada, and rode into town in a 2010 black Toyota Prado SUV while some of his entourage rode in commercial buses chartered by party loyalists.

He was received by hundreds of praise singers, political associates and supporters who turned the event into a carnival of sorts. The surging crowd of supporters wore uniform cloaks or Asoebi which are Nigerian outfits made from matching fabric, worn by a group of people to a party, wedding, or funeral. The uniform Asoebi also identifies the particular group of wearers. The crowd waved PDP flags along the way like palm leaves. Bode George, who was in high spirit, acknowledged the greetings with a victory sign.

Mr. George’s teeming crowd of supporters sang his praises like the Psalmist. Some of them wore T-shirts proclaiming him the ‘Joseph of our time,' and 'Mandela of our time.' Apparently riding on the crest of the overwhelming welcome, Bode George said he was ready to lead his party to future electoral victories.

He later rode in a convoy of vehicles to the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos for a thanksgiving service amidst effusive praises. It was reported that with him were the 12 chosen disciples that went everywhere with him. Notably present were Matthew and John. The chosen 12 were former President of Nigeria, Chief Matthew Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo, the Minister of the Environment, John Odeh; General Tunji Olurin, the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Ayo Fayose, a senatorial aspirant and former governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Modinot Adedibu, Oyo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, Defence Minister, Mr. Adetokunbo Ademola, Dr. Adegboyega Dosunmu, Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and General Tajudeen Olarewaju.

Bode George is an ex-convict. A competent court convicted him on several criminal counts of fraud, over inflation of contracts and money laundering amongst others while he was Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and was sentenced to prison for two years. He has served his time and should, like any other jailbird, be accepted and re-integrated into society.

But what was the carnival all about? Political sentiments aside, it created unnecessary road traffic and pandemonium. There were even recorded incidents of fighting and hooliganism. Pickpockets disposed passersby of their valuables in the melee. This should have been a sober moment for the “celebrant”.

On the back of this celebration, opposition parties have questioned the sincerity of the ruling party and present administration in tackling the corruption monster.  They posit that they are sending wrong signals to the society with such fanfare. They decried it as appalling that mind-boggling stealing while holding public office is now accepted as normal and deserving of celebration after the "slap on the wrist" jail time.

The opposition parties contend that societal values have sunk to abysmal depths and that the entire show was a celebration of moral decadence. They also express surprise that the Defence Minister, Mr. Adetokunbo Ademola, even with the various flashpoints across the country, has time for such frolicking. They are even more astonished that he was sent as a representative of the President, Goodluck Jonathan.

With the April general elections looming, people are interested in the strategy the Lion Heart, party stalwart, ex-convict and former South-West vice chairman of the PDP intends adopting to lead his party to victory. If only he will heed the advice of the presiding priest at his thanksgiving service, Venerable Tayo Aduloju. The priest had warned politicians against corruption, saying that greed brings trouble.

Wise words spoken by the priest but will a Nigerian politician abide by such counsel after such overwhelming welcome and mammoth expectations in his political capacity to deliver?