Going overseas for medical treatment by government officials have almost become a culture among our so called leaders. It’s obviously a status symbol among our past and present leaders. I remembered when the former military leader, General Ibrahim B. Babangida went to Paris for a medical treatment. Even the wife of former President Obasanjo died in a foreign hospital while the husband was still in office. Top ranking government officials frequent overseas for medical attention. This is similar to what is happening in our educational sector, whereby leaders play politics and pay less attention to the problems of striking lecturers and decaying educational infrastructures because their children are studying abroad.
Apologies to Mr President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, you are guilty of this offence (overseas medical treatment). Recently Thisday newspapers of Tuesday 14th April 2009, online version reported that you have approved foreign treatment for ex-governor Turaki of Jigawa State and a serving senator to be flown to Germany. Senator Turaki was involved in a road accident. This accident might have been a function of bad road, failure of either the Federal Road Safety Corps or failure of the relevant government ministry that is in charge of checking the state of vehicles that ply the Nigerian roads. If the answers are in the affirmative, then it’s also a part of negligence on the part of government ministries.
By approving to send Senator Saminu Turaki to Germany for medical treatment, Mr. President has exhibited a bias mind. This is favoritism of the highest order. How many ordinary Nigerians have you approved their overseas treatment due to road accidents which was not their making? Or don’t you know that most road accidents in Nigeria are indirectly caused by negligence on the part government (bad roads etc). Every Nigerian should be equal.
Mr. President recently expressed sadness that Nigeria was not invited to the G20 summit in London. These and many more are most of the reasons why the world leaders do not take us serious. If we cannot treat ourselves in Nigeria then what is the point in answering the giant of Africa. This is also a clear indication that the ministry of health has died. All the yearly budgets allocated to the health ministry are of no use if there are no hospitals in Nigeria to treat our president and government officials. If our president and other top government officials rely on foreign medical treatment then what is the hope of an ordinary Nigerian? This is obviously the reason why the government is never serious with the health of ordinary Nigerians. What happens to the Nigerian masses in terms of what they eat and drink are of very little importance to the leaders.
By going abroad for medical treatments, you are directly and indirectly telling the world that there are no hospitals in Nigeria. This has reached an embarrassing stage. Moreover, chances are higher that when you go abroad for medical treatments you might be attended by Nigerian doctors or nurses. There are too many of them abroad driven by the Nigerian leadership problems.
This culture of going abroad for medical treatment by government officials have to stop. It’s a drain on the purse of the nation. Mischievous government officials will use it as avenue to siphon or launder money overseas. Going abroad for treatment will divert government’s attention from equipping the Nigerian hospitals. It has a multiplier effects on the health system in Nigeria. The best thing will be to put a ban on this habit. I suggest a bill to be sent to the National Assembly banning overseas treatment for government officials. I also advise that a bill should be sent to the National Assembly to ban the children of government officials from studying abroad until when their parents or guardians finish their tenure of office. This will make our government to be serious with issues concerning the health and education of the nation.
Imagine what the nation will be loosing if local, state and federal government officials keep going to abroad for all their medical treatments. If the federal government cannot stop this habit by government officials, then the alternative will be to fly every Nigerian who so wishes for overseas treatment. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. After all they use the state money for these treatments therefore I see no reason why every person should not enjoy this privilege. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Atiku Abubakar and His Nigerian Leadership “Project”.
Atiku Abubakar has made some serious allegations against the People’s Democratic Party lead government of Yar’Adua. Firstly he said that the Yar’Adua’s government has failed, since nothing positive is happening in the country. Atiku went further and said that, “I have no business with this government, the only thing I know is that nothing works, no electricity, how many towns and cities in this country that have pipe borne water? There are no roads, nothing is going on”. This comment was reported by the Guardian newspapers of Sunday, November 23 2008, online version.
Atiku Abubakar has also repeated his allegation that there is near absence of governance in the country and he alleged that the PDP lacked the capacity to drive the electoral process. He said that he will continue to speak out against the visionless and unpopular PDP government in Nigeria.
Am so surprised at the criticism of PDP by Atiku Abubakar. Atiku himself lacks the credibility to criticize PDP because he Atiku was among the founders of PDP. He won Adamawa state governorship elections under the banner of PDP before he was appointed the vice president under the same PDP. Atiku remained the vice president for eight years, only for him to decamp to Action Congress when PDP declined to give him the presidential ticket. Despite decamping to Action Congress party, Atiku remained more of PDP than AC.
Atiku had the sympathy of Nigerians when it was rumoured that he helped to stop the third term ambition of his former boss (Olusegun Obasanjo). The sympathy continued during the Obasanjo/Atiku face off which resulted in PDP denying Atiku their presidential ticket. Left alone Obasanjo didn’t want Atiku to contest elections at all, the Supreme Court judgement made it possible for Atiku. The former vice president later went to court against the irregularities of 2007 presidential elections which was conducted by his estranged boss. The entire 2007 elections have been described as the worst election in the history of Nigeria.
Nigerians thought it was all over between Atiku and PDP, only for the former vice president to visit Obasanjo on the 19th of January 2009 at his residence in Abeokuta. By the end of January 2009, preparations were being put in place for Atiku to return to PDP. Atiku had also met with some PDP governors. Trouble started when some elements within the PDP started preparing Yar’Adua for 2011 presidential elections, meaning that there will be no chance for Atiku.
Atiku’s comments about PDP’s inability to drive electoral reforms are right. But because Atiku himself is more PDP than AC, I strongly doubt if Atiku could have done any thing different if he was the president. Atiku should have also criticized the 1999 and 2003 elections which he was part off. Nigerians are aware of the shortfalls of the 1999/2003 presidential elections. By his actions, Nigerians will only take the message and leave the messenger. Political activities of this sort make me to believe that politicians play politics in a dirty way. Politics is not a dirty game, but politicians play it dirty, more especially Nigerian politicians.
There are a lot of ways Atiku can serve Nigeria other than being the president. Except he has other motives for aspiring to be the president of Nigeria. Former vice president of America Al gore, who served under Bill Clinton for two terms, contested the American presidential elections in 2000 with George Bush. He lost and told Americans than he will never contest elections again. Al gore took up a project towards finding solutions to the threats of global warming. He has won several awards since taking up this project. This project will touch more lives in America and all over the globe. Till date Al gore remains relevant in the world. Atiku can do similar thing in Nigeria and beyond, this can make him a better statesman.
Alternatively Atiku can use his influences at the national assembly to influence policies that will better the Nigerian masses. He can be the leader of opposition parties in Nigeria which we desperately need at this point in our polity. Atiku should remember that people are looking up to him. Whether he likes it or not, he is a role model to many Nigerians. Therefore he should try inspiring Nigerians in a positive manner. Dearest Atiku kindly use all your political knowhow to support the clamour for transparency in our electoral system. Use all your political strategies to make sure transparency is established in our electoral process. Please remember that history will judge whatever action you take. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Atiku Abubakar has also repeated his allegation that there is near absence of governance in the country and he alleged that the PDP lacked the capacity to drive the electoral process. He said that he will continue to speak out against the visionless and unpopular PDP government in Nigeria.
Am so surprised at the criticism of PDP by Atiku Abubakar. Atiku himself lacks the credibility to criticize PDP because he Atiku was among the founders of PDP. He won Adamawa state governorship elections under the banner of PDP before he was appointed the vice president under the same PDP. Atiku remained the vice president for eight years, only for him to decamp to Action Congress when PDP declined to give him the presidential ticket. Despite decamping to Action Congress party, Atiku remained more of PDP than AC.
Atiku had the sympathy of Nigerians when it was rumoured that he helped to stop the third term ambition of his former boss (Olusegun Obasanjo). The sympathy continued during the Obasanjo/Atiku face off which resulted in PDP denying Atiku their presidential ticket. Left alone Obasanjo didn’t want Atiku to contest elections at all, the Supreme Court judgement made it possible for Atiku. The former vice president later went to court against the irregularities of 2007 presidential elections which was conducted by his estranged boss. The entire 2007 elections have been described as the worst election in the history of Nigeria.
Nigerians thought it was all over between Atiku and PDP, only for the former vice president to visit Obasanjo on the 19th of January 2009 at his residence in Abeokuta. By the end of January 2009, preparations were being put in place for Atiku to return to PDP. Atiku had also met with some PDP governors. Trouble started when some elements within the PDP started preparing Yar’Adua for 2011 presidential elections, meaning that there will be no chance for Atiku.
Atiku’s comments about PDP’s inability to drive electoral reforms are right. But because Atiku himself is more PDP than AC, I strongly doubt if Atiku could have done any thing different if he was the president. Atiku should have also criticized the 1999 and 2003 elections which he was part off. Nigerians are aware of the shortfalls of the 1999/2003 presidential elections. By his actions, Nigerians will only take the message and leave the messenger. Political activities of this sort make me to believe that politicians play politics in a dirty way. Politics is not a dirty game, but politicians play it dirty, more especially Nigerian politicians.
There are a lot of ways Atiku can serve Nigeria other than being the president. Except he has other motives for aspiring to be the president of Nigeria. Former vice president of America Al gore, who served under Bill Clinton for two terms, contested the American presidential elections in 2000 with George Bush. He lost and told Americans than he will never contest elections again. Al gore took up a project towards finding solutions to the threats of global warming. He has won several awards since taking up this project. This project will touch more lives in America and all over the globe. Till date Al gore remains relevant in the world. Atiku can do similar thing in Nigeria and beyond, this can make him a better statesman.
Alternatively Atiku can use his influences at the national assembly to influence policies that will better the Nigerian masses. He can be the leader of opposition parties in Nigeria which we desperately need at this point in our polity. Atiku should remember that people are looking up to him. Whether he likes it or not, he is a role model to many Nigerians. Therefore he should try inspiring Nigerians in a positive manner. Dearest Atiku kindly use all your political knowhow to support the clamour for transparency in our electoral system. Use all your political strategies to make sure transparency is established in our electoral process. Please remember that history will judge whatever action you take. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 13, 2009
Neither Checks nor Balances
Nigeria needs a credible and strong opposition parties at the National Assembly and all state Houses of Assembly. I wish the Nigerian opposition parties could take a look at how the opposition Parties in the UK (especially the Conservative party) tackles the Labour party. The British Prime minister faces a lot of challenges and questions during the weekly Prime Minister Questions session at the House of Commons. Same applies to other advanced democracies. In Africa, Ghana has shown that opposition party can be very active. Am so sure that the National Democratic Congress of Ghana was able to win the ruling party because of their activeness. Same can happen in Nigeria.
In Senegal, the opposition defeated the president’s party in the local elections in the capital Dakar and other key cities. The son of the president of Senegal (Karim Wade) lost election as a result of this defeat. In Kenya and Zimbabwe, the opposition has made a serious in road into the government. Active opposition parties are an essential part of every democracy. In Nigeria, it appears the opposition parties do not have any bite on the ruling party. The minority leadership at both houses (Senate and House of Representatives) are supposed to be the arrow head of opposition. However it appears the opposition parties are not in existence. Even though the opposition party members are only small in number, their impact should be felt in the National Assembly and the nation at large.
Thanks to the Nigerian judiciary for some of their checks on the executive arm, including all their efforts at saving the nations democracy. They have done us proud, especially with the installation of the rightful candidates that won various elections. Nigerians would wish that the legislature could borrow a leaf from the judiciary and provide enough checks and balances on the executive. More of these checks should be provided by the opposition parties. The essence of every opposition is to form a shadow government. That is a government in waiting. They opposition parties in Nigeria should be able to speak the minds of the masses since the PDP (Peoples Destruction Party) has compromised itself.
The Nigerian press (print and electronic) has done marvellously well too, for without them a lot would have gone wrong. We are grateful to them for exposing all corrupt politicians. Nigerians are also happy for their own checks and balances on other arms of government. More is needed from them. The government at all levels need to be checked. This will help avoid excesses on the executive, the legislature or the judiciary. The extent of the decay in our polity requires that many Nigerians should get involved with the checks and balances. The condition in Nigeria is critical. Therefore I suggest all and sundry to start the process of checks on our government. Nigerians can do this in some many ways.
I suggest a coming together or a coalition of all the opposition parties, all related NGO’s, Civil Organizations, Trade Unions, Students Union, political activist(s), patriotic Nigerians, and Regional groups etc. with their combined skills and strengths, they can help in putting back Nigeria in the right track. I was glad when I saw the former governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande forming a coalition of about 30 opposition parties. I suggest all the groups mentioned above to unite and rally behind this coalition. There is an urgent need to work together at this critical stage in Nigeria politics. Please let all the groups mentioned above set aside their ideological differences and unify to provide a strong support base and lifeline to the minority parties/minority leadership at the National Assembly, including the states Houses of Assembly.
More Nigerians should start to speak out or send petitions to the authorities. Writing letters/petition can change policies. The pen is mightier than sword. Amnesty International members’ worldwide uses letter writing to lobby for improvements in human right conditions. More Nigerians need to start doing this. Send a petition to whoever is representing your constituency at the House of Representative or your Senator. If for some reasons some people cannot speak or write, I suggest they should identify themselves with NGO’s, groups, civil organisations etc which will project their views to the authorities. Non participation is the worst. It’s better for us to try and fail than not making any efforts.
All capable hands need to be on deck in reshaping Nigeria. The task of doing this will be too enormous for a little few to do. No changes can take place except Nigerians work for it. We should not expect a miracle without making efforts. With our combined efforts, the present leadership will have no choice but to yield to popular demand which are, electoral reforms, passing of freedom of information bill, removing immunity clauses, regular power supply, etc. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
In Senegal, the opposition defeated the president’s party in the local elections in the capital Dakar and other key cities. The son of the president of Senegal (Karim Wade) lost election as a result of this defeat. In Kenya and Zimbabwe, the opposition has made a serious in road into the government. Active opposition parties are an essential part of every democracy. In Nigeria, it appears the opposition parties do not have any bite on the ruling party. The minority leadership at both houses (Senate and House of Representatives) are supposed to be the arrow head of opposition. However it appears the opposition parties are not in existence. Even though the opposition party members are only small in number, their impact should be felt in the National Assembly and the nation at large.
Thanks to the Nigerian judiciary for some of their checks on the executive arm, including all their efforts at saving the nations democracy. They have done us proud, especially with the installation of the rightful candidates that won various elections. Nigerians would wish that the legislature could borrow a leaf from the judiciary and provide enough checks and balances on the executive. More of these checks should be provided by the opposition parties. The essence of every opposition is to form a shadow government. That is a government in waiting. They opposition parties in Nigeria should be able to speak the minds of the masses since the PDP (Peoples Destruction Party) has compromised itself.
The Nigerian press (print and electronic) has done marvellously well too, for without them a lot would have gone wrong. We are grateful to them for exposing all corrupt politicians. Nigerians are also happy for their own checks and balances on other arms of government. More is needed from them. The government at all levels need to be checked. This will help avoid excesses on the executive, the legislature or the judiciary. The extent of the decay in our polity requires that many Nigerians should get involved with the checks and balances. The condition in Nigeria is critical. Therefore I suggest all and sundry to start the process of checks on our government. Nigerians can do this in some many ways.
I suggest a coming together or a coalition of all the opposition parties, all related NGO’s, Civil Organizations, Trade Unions, Students Union, political activist(s), patriotic Nigerians, and Regional groups etc. with their combined skills and strengths, they can help in putting back Nigeria in the right track. I was glad when I saw the former governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande forming a coalition of about 30 opposition parties. I suggest all the groups mentioned above to unite and rally behind this coalition. There is an urgent need to work together at this critical stage in Nigeria politics. Please let all the groups mentioned above set aside their ideological differences and unify to provide a strong support base and lifeline to the minority parties/minority leadership at the National Assembly, including the states Houses of Assembly.
More Nigerians should start to speak out or send petitions to the authorities. Writing letters/petition can change policies. The pen is mightier than sword. Amnesty International members’ worldwide uses letter writing to lobby for improvements in human right conditions. More Nigerians need to start doing this. Send a petition to whoever is representing your constituency at the House of Representative or your Senator. If for some reasons some people cannot speak or write, I suggest they should identify themselves with NGO’s, groups, civil organisations etc which will project their views to the authorities. Non participation is the worst. It’s better for us to try and fail than not making any efforts.
All capable hands need to be on deck in reshaping Nigeria. The task of doing this will be too enormous for a little few to do. No changes can take place except Nigerians work for it. We should not expect a miracle without making efforts. With our combined efforts, the present leadership will have no choice but to yield to popular demand which are, electoral reforms, passing of freedom of information bill, removing immunity clauses, regular power supply, etc. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, April 5, 2009
London G20 Summit minus Nigeria!
“By any measure, the London summit was historic. It was historic because of the size and the scope of the challenge that we face and because of the timeliness and the magnitude of our response”. Barack Obama, United States President.
“This is the day that the world came together, to fight back against the global recession. Not with words, but a plan for global recovery and for reform and with a clear timetable”. Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister.
“Since Bretton Woods, the world has been living on a financial model, the Anglo-Saxon model. It’s not my place to criticise it, it has its advantages. Clearly, today, a page has been turned”. Sarkozy, French President.
“I would like to say that this is a turning point…but as a responsible man I cannot say this twenty or 25 years ago. One could not even imagine that such different countries with such different economies, such different mentalities and historic traditions would sit at the table and could agree in such a difficult situation on how to act, especially so quickly”. Medvedev, Russian President.
“We have agreed to set up a clear financial market architecture. We have taken an important step towards creating order in an area in the world where there was previously no order”. Markel, German Chancellor.
The excerpts above were how the world leaders described the London G2O summit which was a historic event. This summit ended on April 2 2009. Nigerian president Musa Yar’Adua expressed sadness and regrets that Nigeria was not invited to the London G20 summit. Dear Musa Yar’Adua, Nigeria was not invited because the Nigerian house is not in order; otherwise Nigeria deserves a sit on the G20.
Mr President (Musa Yar’Adua), since you have expressed regret over the exclusion of Nigeria from the G20, the task is now on your desk to put Nigeria on the right track so that the outside world would take us serious. Another G20 summit is coming up again in September 2009, perhaps if you can steer the ship of Nigerian state with transparency, honesty and selflessness the world might decide to invite Nigeria. Nigeria certainly deserves a place in G20 because of her size, her population (about 140 million), her strategic position in Africa, her position as the sixth largest oil producer, and the country with the largest black people. If for no other thing, Nigeria could go as an observer. After all Spain was invited, even though she is not a member of the G20.
Mr President (Musa Yar’Adua), this is another reminder that the world does not take Nigeria serious. To even make matters worse, Nigeria was grouped among some 20 failed states in an article that appeared on Guardian Newspaper of UK, Thursday November 27 2008 page 23. This will do a terrible damage on our battered image abroad. Our clamour for foreign investors will be a joke taking into account our poor image.
I will advise you to make a viable and transparent plan of action so that Nigeria and the Nigerian masses can benefit from the funds which the G20 pledged to developing nations. Nigeria is part of the global economy, therefore your government should fashion out a way by which Nigeria should benefit from this biggest global economic stimulus of our time as announced by the G20. However for us to benefit from G20 global economic recovery package, transparency will be highly needed on the Nigerian economic sector. Transparency is what your administration should endeavour to establish. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
“This is the day that the world came together, to fight back against the global recession. Not with words, but a plan for global recovery and for reform and with a clear timetable”. Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister.
“Since Bretton Woods, the world has been living on a financial model, the Anglo-Saxon model. It’s not my place to criticise it, it has its advantages. Clearly, today, a page has been turned”. Sarkozy, French President.
“I would like to say that this is a turning point…but as a responsible man I cannot say this twenty or 25 years ago. One could not even imagine that such different countries with such different economies, such different mentalities and historic traditions would sit at the table and could agree in such a difficult situation on how to act, especially so quickly”. Medvedev, Russian President.
“We have agreed to set up a clear financial market architecture. We have taken an important step towards creating order in an area in the world where there was previously no order”. Markel, German Chancellor.
The excerpts above were how the world leaders described the London G2O summit which was a historic event. This summit ended on April 2 2009. Nigerian president Musa Yar’Adua expressed sadness and regrets that Nigeria was not invited to the London G20 summit. Dear Musa Yar’Adua, Nigeria was not invited because the Nigerian house is not in order; otherwise Nigeria deserves a sit on the G20.
Mr President (Musa Yar’Adua), since you have expressed regret over the exclusion of Nigeria from the G20, the task is now on your desk to put Nigeria on the right track so that the outside world would take us serious. Another G20 summit is coming up again in September 2009, perhaps if you can steer the ship of Nigerian state with transparency, honesty and selflessness the world might decide to invite Nigeria. Nigeria certainly deserves a place in G20 because of her size, her population (about 140 million), her strategic position in Africa, her position as the sixth largest oil producer, and the country with the largest black people. If for no other thing, Nigeria could go as an observer. After all Spain was invited, even though she is not a member of the G20.
Mr President (Musa Yar’Adua), this is another reminder that the world does not take Nigeria serious. To even make matters worse, Nigeria was grouped among some 20 failed states in an article that appeared on Guardian Newspaper of UK, Thursday November 27 2008 page 23. This will do a terrible damage on our battered image abroad. Our clamour for foreign investors will be a joke taking into account our poor image.
I will advise you to make a viable and transparent plan of action so that Nigeria and the Nigerian masses can benefit from the funds which the G20 pledged to developing nations. Nigeria is part of the global economy, therefore your government should fashion out a way by which Nigeria should benefit from this biggest global economic stimulus of our time as announced by the G20. However for us to benefit from G20 global economic recovery package, transparency will be highly needed on the Nigerian economic sector. Transparency is what your administration should endeavour to establish. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
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