Seyi Oduyela

The role of the media is no doubt critical in promoting good governance and curbing corruption. The role of the media is not only to raise public awareness about corruption, cause consequences and possible remedies but also to investigate and report incidences of corruption aiding other over sight bodies.

A critical element of a country’s anti-corruption programmes primarily should be an effective media; and the effectiveness of the media depends on access to information and freedom of expression, as well as a professional and ethical cadre of investigative journalists. In addition, such issues as private versus public ownership of the media, the need for improved protection of journalists who investigate corruption and media regulation are critical. The corrupting of the media mission through excessive reliance on advertisers and sponsors is one of the major problems in Nigeria, where political manipulation remains a more powerful influence, but increasing commercialisation carriers with it real.

Sometimes, too, journalists’ stories can play a significant role in reinforcing the effectiveness of public anti-corruption bodies. Simply reporting in a regular, detailed way on the work and findings of these bodies can reinforce public scrutiny of them and, hence, the independence of such bodies from vested interests within the power structure that might otherwise be tempted to interfere in their work. Even when reporting on outright corruption or other questionable behaviour by public office holders does not lead directly to indictments, prosecutions or impeachment, it can still help shape public hostility to such activities that can ultimately lead to electoral defeat for individual politicians or, indeed, for entire governments.

While greater accountability from public figures to the public is important, the media themselves have to be accountable. That is awareness by journalists that whatever they write must promote, preserve and entrench the democracy for which they have been given a definite role in the constitution.

The most effective system for guaranteeing freedom of the press is one where the press itself must be able to make careful judgments on its own. Self-discipline, self-consciousness of media workers, the code of ethics that members of the profession accept are important elements of media accountability.

The tradition must provide for the press to be tough in its scrutiny of the work of those who enjoy the public trust. The press culture, evident in many democracies today, contains a sense that is the duty of the press to afflict the comfortable, in order to comfort the afflicted. Undoubtedly, such a culture can lead to press irresponsibility at times. Complaints about invasion of privacy by the press are not new. This is an inevitable price to pay, and an independent wise judiciary and an effective Press Council may be able to assist in checking excesses.

Primarily the media themselves must shoulder the burden of ensuring a responsible, independent media. They must demonstrate their independence objectivity and professionalism each and every day in order to earn public trust and confidence.

Just as we have problem with public figures, we also have with media employers who in turn are allies of some of the public figures. In some cases some of them are owners of media or assist media owners with contracts, so they protect them and whoever tries to expose such corrupt office holder set to lose his/her job. This has turned most media houses in Nigeria to commercial enterprises with profit motive. The owners of media do not ensure payment of wages and salaries; this exposes the journalists to corruption too. Some media owners use stories submitted by their reporters to blackmail those involved making money and later sending the story to the dustbin.

I have heard several times in news rooms a case of editors regarding certain individuals in our society as “friends of the House” These “friends” are protected, nothing negative comes out against them in the papers. I recollect a case of one Airline owner in Nigeria who owed his pilot, it was a case of fraud, the Airline was able to buy journalists covering the beat but one of them refused to be bought, he insisted on reporting it, the Public Relations Officer of the company got to my friend’s office before him, that was the end of the story. As he was settling down to write the story his editor walked to him, apparently acting on orders from “above” told him to drop the idea. My friend few months later was fired.

To me the issue of the freedom of the press goes beyond attack by the state and its agencies, it is more of welfare of the journalist than state intimidation. Yes the state intimidates; this may come physically or in terms of material harassment.

The last four year showed how money can determine who has what. Surprisingly there was a transfer of allegiance on the part of the Nigerian Media from the afflicted to the comfortable. We see clearly how states governments who did not do anything buy 23 pages of magazines and newspapers for what is coined as “special reports”, “Insight”, and so many annoying terms. When in actual fact it is glaring to the whole world that these governments did not do anything to improve the lives of their subjects. The press unfortunately took side with these rogues in power to insult the sensibility of poor Nigerians and deemed the hope of those who expect the truth from the media. as a media man myself I feel ashamed of myself that we failed our people and invariably failed our society. Rather than playing the watchdog the media become an accomplice of these corrupt office holders. It is amazing that no press saw anything bad in the way Governors of the oil producing states squandered the special allocations given to them. Bayelsa in spite of what it got cannot boast of any improvement in lives of its people.

Most journalists posted to governments houses as correspondents are on monthly payrolls of the respective state governments. I know correspondents who were redeployed by their employers based on recommendations of government that feel uncomfortable with the journalist’s stories. Their employers heeded because they are also contractors of the state governments. Take for instance journalists participating in the sewage scheme in Lagos State. How do they report if the scheme is not functioning well?

During the shameful media tour embarked upon by the Smart Adeyemi led NUJ in 2000, it was discovered that in Kogi state some of the uncompleted road works were contracts given to Smart Adeyemi the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ. No journalist on that tour reported it, same thing in Adamawa State. The tour was nothing but a conspiracy of the government with the NUJ to insult Nigerians. Most of these journalists came back from the tour buying cars, as their own “dividend of democracy.” Many of them today are forever grateful to Smart Adeyemi for including them on the tour, which in fact was responsible for his return for second term of misrule and misguided leadership of the NUJ.

That a large section of the Nigerian media has lost credibility, in the face of money politics is a factual statement. Journalists now feel at ease lobbying to become press secretaries than doing what they were trained to do. We now have journalists as press secretaries of Governors, Ministers, and Commissioners even Local Government Councilors.

Ministry of Information that should provide press secretaries for these office holders are by-passed and journalists who do not have civil service experience are brought in to do the job of civil servants.

Before 1985, civil servants from the Information Ministry are usually the Chief press Secretary to the government, but as soon as the Shehu Shagari government was sent packing by the military junta of Buhari, now a civilian presidential aspirant of All Nigeria Peoples Party, the idea of deploying Information ministry personnel to the State House as press secretary was abolished and Wada Maida was called for the US to be the first political appointee press secretary. And since 1984 no civil servant from the information ministry was appointed.

The politicians are becoming more tactical. They know that having a professional journalist as press secretary is a shield from investigation by the media. Rather than managing information and disseminating information about the activities of the government, the journalist now becomes and image launderer for the governor. His duty is to make sure that no negative story comes out in the papers against their boss. They quit their reporting and watchdog job to take up the job of fire brigade for corrupt officers to mop up negative stories on the street.

This new development is worrisome!

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Farouk Martins Aresa

The few worst Nigerians by nature are not suicide candidates for money they cannot spend or male/female companies they cannot enjoy on earth. If anything they are conspicuous spenders and other Africans know that much. Indeed, international crime watchers know these Nigerians shy away from violent crimes that forsake cashistic on earth. A clear evidence of that was a man paid to drive a truck loaded with explosive into a building in Abuja. He wisely put a stone on the accelerator to burn with the truck so that he could enjoy his life with the money he was paid.

History is full of instance where religions have been introduced as anesthetic to people’s brain so that they cannot use their minds. Anyone that questions slavery, wars, division of labor by ordained class, caste, right to subjugate others, inherent privilege and domination by land and resources has challenged the will of God and will be punished by the devil. If you obey and do as you are told, your reward in heaven is immensely abundant in ecstasy. If it is not a fair world, you are reminded that here is a temporary abode, our permanent home is heavenly bliss.

Where we find ourselves these days in terms of religion of mass destruction is not by accident. The preachers of doom and reincarnations of the devils like tin gods are consequences of lack of confidence in our own abilities as followers. In order to be seen and accepted as worldly and heavenly versed, we impersonate others religions without any control of where it leads us. We abandon ours that we understand and revere because Africans can swear in Mosque or Church without hesitating; but take him to Oshogbo or Okija shrines, you would notice the fear of God.

This is what we need to know to understand how a respectable preacher of faith in some of these foreign religions can stoop so low preaching war, annihilation and the destruction of one another in the name of God or Allah. If you cannot believe that a man of God can steal you blind while he lives in luxury, accommodate looters in the front row of his church or mosque and pray for suicide bombers, armed gangs and robbers before they leave for mayhem; now you know he only fears the God of Thunder and not foreign religions.  

So when you see an African killing a fellow African in the name of some foreign religion, he has a motive beyond loyalty to that religion. He wants you under his spell so that he could dictate to you the way his master dictated and consumed his mind. If he has been conquered by one of these foreign religions, that is the way he his trained by heart to conquer his fellow Africans for them. It is by remote control operated from outside our Continent. But no African can control others the way we are used to maim our bodies, steal our minds and resources out of Africa.

When we talk about God and devil, the only fear is the wrath of man that wants to be held in awe capable of unleashing famine and pestilence in anger for daring to question his authority. If God is for peace, fear no evil from him but be wary of the devils that usurp his power religiously all over the world to cause mayhem. Indeed, if we are saved from the religious wars by jihadists and “crusaders” quoting from these books, the world may be a better place.

Nevertheless, without God, people are intentionally wicked because they fear no repercussion for abusing their fellow men. So benevolent people have created God in every culture to warn erring creatures of his wrath if they stray and jail or ostracize those that must be punished for their sins against humanity. The process from heavenly bliss to hell differ from one culture to another but as the world becomes smaller and some domineering religion take over smaller ones, heaven and hell are becoming universally accepted.

Out of all the continents, only Africa has predominantly accepted religions that are not indigenous to Africans as the rule of worship while Christian, Muslim, Indus, Jew and Buddhism remain the principal religion of their areas. The only exception is the Africans Santeria in Diaspora. This is very important in the analysis of human behavior that calls for adherence to our culture only in the face of adversity. The same is true about African food outside Africa. Do all Africans have to be deprived to appreciate our God given blessings?

Just for the sake of those unfamiliar with Santeria. These are Africans free men and women before Columbus and slaves after Columbus that still refuse to allow their religion to die. Even in the face of punishment to adopt the religion of other continents, these Africans used symbols of Christianity to deceive their captors while actually praying to Sango, Oya, Oduduwa, Ogun or Orisha. When the Africans at home and those in Diaspora meet, we can guess who are more surprised at which religion the others are practicing.

The idea of one and only universal religion can never work because there is too much at stake for those in control of others destiny and are bent to impose on them. When it gets to the point of either you lose your life or the Bible, Koran and Torah; religion has lost its meaning. Religion is supposed to culture us, allow us to live in peace and harmony with the fear of God. No matter where you are and who are, God can hear you in your language not just in Latin or Arabic. 

This is how we lose focus and wrap religion around us the way others wrap the flag around themselves to justify whatever their wish. Exploitation of man by man will always go on and will be justified by whatever it takes, and if that is religion, so be it. Nobody is closer to God than your fellow man and the way you treat him or her show how close you are to God. So pass on an act of kindness.

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Farouk Martins Aresa

Nigeria is not a pet. If you love it, let it breath, do not smother it to death. We express our love of the Country in different ways. If it was not a durable Country, so called patriots that cannot do without its oil earnings, could have snuffed the daylight out of it. These “patriots” claim they are ready to die for Nigeria by bleeding the Country to death. Indeed, a few of them confess their surprise that Nigeria is still standing. It takes only some ants stinging a lion, the king of animals, from all sides to lay it to rest and die.

The truth is the stingers of Nigeria want to kill the Country because they have no intention for it to survive. So whenever they are in any position to grab, they loot the hell out of it. They have abandoned their stake in the Country. As long as Nigeria is still standing, they will come back for more until they see the end of it as a country. In disguise, they claim they will not let Nigeria disintegrate, but only until they have had their fill.  Whenever they are challenged, like an old woman in Igbo proverb, they feel uneasy whenever bones are mentioned. These looters display their uneasiness by stifling their opponents. Their way or no way, love Nigeria tender, please.

We have to sort out the real patriots in a country. There is a difference between those who are resigned to their faith because they have no where they can run to or accept them, so they stay and fight on. Unlike those of us who run in and out when it gets too hot in the kitchen. It is not a choice for many but a destiny. If we steal enough money to live outside coffers, vacation out of deep pockets, get medical check-ups and treatment outside that purse and send children out of our home without language or culture to identify with us; we can hardly claim to be patriots.

We have heard about bastards that sent thugs to go and rob their fathers never expecting that they would kill him. These thugs intend to kill Nigeria, disregard the lofty sacrifice they claimed they made so that Nigeria can survive, just as long as there is oil money to loot. It is the lice that suck the dog to death not realizing their own death wish, says a Yoruba proverb.

They fleece both government and workers by not paying salary to encourage bribes. Businesses followed their lead. It was an introduction of bribes for survival into our already stressed polity.  The habit of collecting payment on contracts they never perform has gone into their blood so when they go into business, the workers get paid last or never get paid at all. It used to be that a prudent businessman that took the risk gets paid last by making sacrifice for later profit.

There are some of those destined to survive inside the Country by hook or crook while others still play by the rules. Those that have decided to be criminals prey on the wrong set of people that are law abiding and are too proud to be outlaws. They are victimized in their homes and on the streets. In most cases, they are defenseless with no deterrents against criminals. Their lives are taken for granted and they die undeservedly. Most of the criminals dare not face their exploiters. Instead of facing the oppressors, they worship them as thugs and body guards. 

There are also two types of complainants. Those that criticize because they are excluded from the pot and cannot get their hands in. As soon as they are invited to looters’ club, the country is fine. There are also sincere critics who care about the future of their children and the country wondering what the next generation will be after they are gone. They desire no gratuity, favor or payback but a civilized community in their time and a bright future for our children and the unborn. The plight of the country is their constant obsession until progress is made.

All Africans, not only Swahili proverb know that it takes a village to raise a child. You are either for Africa or against us and if you are a party that contributes to the demise of any country in the Continent, you can call yourself an African but we know you as a Judas. If Nigeria breaks, there is no African Country big enough to take all of us. If we can just reflect on the massive looting, local and external debts with sheer indifference to the plight of our fellow men, there is nothing left for our children. A country that does not think about its children, lacks a future. Believe it or not, these vultures realize that and they just don’t care.

We have no sense of urgency in Africa to provide basic needs that will benefit everyone, no matter what your station is in life. The rich and the poor do eat, buy and ply the same road to and from their different activities in life. The sight of poverty, shacks and debilitated housing are revolting to the sight and also painful for those forced to use them. What we do is turn our minds away from those unpalatable structures that may offend us. Some of us have developed attitudes of “better them than me”.

It is not a disease common to Africans alone. Many of those we hold in high esteem also share this selfish notion that if the country collapses it will not fall on them because they have golden parachutes to greener pasture. That is why they will crave for allowances, benefits, exceptions or tax cuts they know the country cannot afford even if these estacodes come out of allowance of the poor: food, schools of children, pension of the old or the tolls contribution for old roads.

Survival of the fittest instinct from the jungle days of animals is entrenched in some people all around the globe and it is demonstrated in different form. In our part of the world, we wonder how those who claim they believe in the unity of the Country are willing to see the same people on their knees begging for basic needs. Some have displayed their disgust for our unity by massive stealing begetting militants that have usurped the good cause of the dispossessed.  

We are not that helpless. We must take on the bulls by the horn by throwing ordinary sands to disrupt their weddings and other ceremonies making it hard to celebrate their accumulations. We have to raise their blood pressure, track, and expose them overseas. Conspicuous spending and greed drives them. Those motives must be blocked to cut down on pillaging of resources.

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Farouk Martins Aresa

Only if men of “timber and caliber”, presidents, kings, chiefs and hard working Dele would think both ways before crossing into a different continent to mentor a young lady and not let their joy sticks get into their heads. Mature men sexual desire has tumbled thrones, careers, dwarfed accomplishments and turned some homeless just with a flip of the skirt by a young flirt. Given a second chance to do it all over again, mentoring or friendship not sex, would be the only focus. 

Sex itself is a natural behavior that we share with people we feel certain magnetic force of attraction to or an infatuation. In the spices of life, we may wonder if there is a relationship worth its salt that does not involve money or sex. However, most people will admit that at some point friendship was great between two people until they started sexual relationship. People could confide in each other freely before they started the sex thing.

The expectation created as a result of sexual relationship has consequences that demands time and money. If sex and money is left out, a relationship can grow forever because expectation is reduced to other form of psychological dependency that does not involve exerting energy that can be traded but may be emotional nonetheless. We sometimes want our friend to ourselves and less time with others even when there is no sexual or monetary reward.

When we talk about dislocation of relationships between older men and young women or cougars and young men it is always about sexual desires on the part of the older and the sniff of money prospects by the younger. There used to be noble men that went to villages to bring a little girl, send her to school and wait. So, we may have destroyed many happy relationships by placing too much emphasis on immediate sexual gratification when we should be mentors.

On the other hand, there are those cases where ladies have packed their belongings and vamoosed into helping hands because their husbands neglected to perform his most important duty. No, it does not depend on the post-puberty age if told she had been married to a family whose house she would have moved to. The better situation could be for the girl if too young to stay with the man’s relatives to avoid any temptations, until she was ready to be a woman. In other words, couples do not have to jump into bed immediately. But some men prefer to see the woman pregnant before they even tie the knot in case she could have difficulty later.

Yet, there are relationships out there between men and women that do not involve sex, a few of which is traditional or to disguise sexual orientations. A case in point: this “man” who got married to a young woman with children that lost her husband. She found out when “he” died that “he” was really a woman. There are also marriages with kept secrets that never had sexual tones. We need to explore the reasons most of the secrets in these asexual relationships last longer, so that we can learn more about the cost or burden of sexual relationships at any age.

If quality attention is all we can afford to spend in most relationships with loved ones, we may devote a longer time to one another without a break. It is what we do with our friends of many years but as sex and money creep in, we risk losing it. Ideally, our best friends should be our love mates so that we can last into the golden age when all the sex and money are immaterial at that point in our life. In some cases we wish our best friends, that we never have sex with or expect monetary reward or exchange from, were our spouses. Some girls prefer father figures.

The fear is always there that at some point the relationship would turn sexual. Police and Army had to come to terms with this when they started pairing male and female officers. The fear amongst police spouses was that if they never spent so much time with their spouses, nobody should. Since the fear has been overcome in the work environment, the Police and Army could not be exceptions. The price is the explosion of sexual harassment against older men superiors.

Can any woman and man enjoy platonic relationship without their spouse getting jealous? It gets a little more complicated when relationships are between male and female without sex, money, but commitment to others. Men and women are expected to spend most of their money in their families. The more time we spend out there, the less time for the families and the greater are the chances to stray away into the hands of others. If money and time are spent on others at the expense of those we have at home, that would be cheating.   

After all, we also expect reciprocal attention in asexual relations too. Otherwise, we expect to be paid in loyalty, cash or kind in return for the time spent listening, advising and encouraging others. Our parents do it for free expecting and hoping we turn out better in return, our African elders do it for free expecting same but counselors or psychiatrists expect to get paid for her time and attention. Unfortunately, some counselors have gone beyond their duty developing forbidden sexual attachments with their clients.

Men and women do befriend the same sex members confiding in them or telling them stories they would never share with opposite sex or their husband and wives. There are jokes at men’s bar or women’s spa that will always remain within the same sex. Indeed, those same words may be crude if uttered in the presence of opposite sex. The same type of words may be proper if they do not cross into vulgar or sexual daring of opposite sex they meet at the clubs or work.

Usually, time spent on others is enjoyed like those spent in bars with other men. The same is true of women. During this period, we spend time and money because we enjoy what we are doing. The golf clubs may not have women members but the wheeling and dealing may lead to contacts for better careers, prospects and other friendships that take time and money away from home. It becomes a debate whether Tigers and Cougars spend more at some gatherings to attract business contacts in order to bring money home or to attract younger males/females.

We cannot ignore or spend less time in our relationship and claim those spent outside have no sexual or monetary value. Some men are known for spending more money at clubs on food and drinks but less at home to feed their families. Others are known to be stingy with their friends but would spend generously like a drunken sailor whenever young ladies appear at the table.

Indeed, we can apply some of our platonic friendship to our sexual relationship at any age.

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By Lanre Aminu

“You can default in every arm of government, but you dare not default in the judiciary. That’s where God himself sits on the throne. You are therefore representing almighty God Himself as you sit on that throne”———- Justice Anthony Aniagolu, retired justice of the Supreme Court. The highly respected jurist affirmed in an interview, published in the November 12 edition of the NEWS, that no effort must be spared to rescue the judiciary from corruption, arguing that of all the arms of government, the one nearest to God is the judiciary. “Justice represents the almighty God himself. It touches the heart of God and once you are corrupt on the bench, you no more deserve to sit on that bench,” he emphasized. Aniagolu clearly sees judges as representatives of God on earth and will readily cite the Bible to support his assertion. Emphasizing on the need for the judge to possess the qualities of courage, honesty and integrity before he can adequately dispense justice, Hon. Justice Oputa in a lecture delivered at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife declared as follows: Honesty and judicial rectitude are thus the badge of a good judge. It is a calamity to have a corrupt judge, for money, its offer and its receipt corrupts and pollutes not only the channels of justice, but the very stream itself. Honesty and judicial rectitude are, therefore very minimal requirements of the judicial office. Less than that, no disciplined and responsible judiciary should accept; and less than that no discipline and responsible society would tolerate. The offer to, and acceptance of money and unlawful or immoral gratification by a judge can ruin every virtue of the judicial office. They snap at and break the brittle bond of confidence which unite our citizens with the court system. Thus scandalized and morally deformed, bewildered litigants no longer expect from the court a just decision. The entire experiment of justice through the courts then becomes an exercise in futility and justice becomes a sham or at best a counterfeit for nothing is as hateful and as odious as venal justice. Also relevant here is an address to the American Bar Association:  “A poor judge is perhaps the most wasteful indulgence of the community. You can refuse to patronize a merchant who does not offer good stock, but you have no recourse if you are haled before a judge whose mental or moral goods are inferior. An honest, high-minded, able and fearless judge is the most valuable servant of democracy, for he illuminates justice as he interprets and applies the law, as he makes clear the benefits and the shortcomings of the standards of individual and community right among a free people” I always believed, and still do, that Nigeria is not yet a failed state and that the Nigerian cup is only half full, rather than half empty. However, the unbecoming conducts of some judges which have totally eroded public confidence in Nigerian judiciary have shaken this believe to its very foundation. Not a few agreed with this writer that one of the strongest features of a failed state is a failed judiciary. For rule of law to work, it must depend on men and women that are imbued with passion for integrity. Institutions of state are artificial entities. It is human beings that take decisions in their names. Corrupt individuals make a corrupt institution. Where the activities of such individuals go unchecked, the ability of democratic institutions that are designed to sustain the rule of law is impaired. To state that corruption in the Nigerian judiciary has assumed a frightening dimension is merely stating the obvious. Many will agree with this writer that the major reason why this cankerworm persist in the judiciary and can not easily be curbed  is because its top echelon that have the power to bring erring judges to book is not free from the taint of corruption. In fact, evidence of posting “trusted” judges to specific tribunals and appeal court divisions to sway favourable judgements to a particular side abounds. The fore going explains why the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the leadership of the former chief justice of Nigeria, Idris Kutigi finds it difficult to bring erring judges to book. Evidence abounds: The cases of the election petitions involving the current senate president, David Mark and Governors Usman Dakingari (late president Yar’Adua’s son in- law), Sullivan Chime, Segun Oni, Gbenga Daniel, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Alao Akala of Kebbi, Enugu, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Oyo are good examples. The aforementioned examples are a major manifestation of the unholy alliance between the ruling party, PDP and the judiciary. It is on record that a particular judge was transferred from the Kaduna division of the appeal court after she had “delivered” to Jos division to “execute” a similar agenda. She did not only set aside the decisions of the lower courts nullifying the elections of Kebbi state governor, Usman Dankigari and senate president, David Mark, she also gave them their well deserved “victories” Another case which has brought the entire judiciary into disrepute is the one involving members of the Osun state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Thomas D. Naron. The judges were accused of exchanging telephone messages with Oyinlola’s lead counsel, Kunle Kalejaiye. It is unsettling that NJC is yet to come out with its findings despite the public outcry that trailed this unethical conduct of the members of the Naron led tribunal. It will be recalled that following the infamous 2003 general elections conducted by INEC, over 300 suits were said to have been filed at the various election tribunals across the country by aggrieved parties and candidates. There were allegations of corruption against some judges, some of which were later established to be true by the NJC, which consequently led to the dismissal of judges indicted. Even though in 2003, the number of judges sanctioned for getting their hands soiled in the cesspool of corruption was far lesser than the actual number, none the less, it was believed that some scapegoats had been made, which should serve as a deterrent to others. Unfortunately, however, the 2007 elections turned out to be one of the worst in human history. Both local and international observers promptly denounced this mockery of democratic principles and unambiguously called for a repeat of the polls. This led to the unprecedented deluge of election suits reportedly numbering over 7000 (as compared to 300 in 2003). It is not only unfortunate, but also disheartening that NJC is yet to bring to book a single erring judge in the present dispensation almost three years after it received petitions against some judges. It is on record that NJC is yet to take any action either in favour or disfavour of the petitioner and; or those accused till date. What further led credence to the public perception of Nigerian judiciary has been brazenly corrupts from the top is the clean bill of health given to all of them by the former president of the court of appeal, Umaru Abdullahi. He was reported to have said none of them was involved in any act of corruption, yet he himself was indicted in the petition written against judges that handled Abia Governorship Election appeal. In the aforementioned petition, Nigerian Coalition for Justice wants the NJC to determine how come the justices and the President of the Court of Appeal had high volume of banking traffic in their accounts. The damning verdict of some notable legal luminary and eminent citizens on the Nigerian judiciary is worth reproducing here: (1).In an interview with a national newspaper few weeks ago, Rtd. General Ishola Williams, chairman of Transparency International (TI) in Nigeria alleged that, “All the judges are just using the election tribunals to make money. All those who had gone through election tribunals are millionaires today. I challenge any one of them to say no.” This statement emanating from the chair of Transparency International in Nigeria, a highly reputable organization, which returns, every year, the position of each country on the corruption ladder, based on empirical facts is highly instructive

(2).Is there corruption and high profile life style among some of our judges? The answer to this question without any equivocation should be in the affirmative. Evidence of corruption abound. At least we have the example of two justices of the court of appeal being dismissed for corruption over their handling of an election appeal. We are also aware of the bribe scandal involving members of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Akwa Ibom state. Another case we are all familiar with is the one involving members of the Osun state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Thomas D. Naron. The matter is now before the NJC, but it appears no progress is being recorded. As I was writing this paper, I stumbled into a story captioned “ICPC probes five appeal court judges for alleged bribery. With all these facts, I was a bit surprised when the president of the court of appeal, His Lordship, Hon. Justice Umaru Abdullahi was quoted by several newspapers as having giving a clean bill of health to members of election petition tribunals handling various petitions across the country. He was reported to have said that none of them was involved in any act of corruption. ———— Being an excerpt of the paper presented by chief Emeka Ngige, SAN at the section on Legal Practice Forum (Civil Litigation Committee) of the Nigerian Bar Association, Annual Bar conference held in Lagos between August 17-21-2009

(3). “The recent election of Yar’Adua, if I were in the Supreme Court, I would have said the election was flawed and Justice Oguntade said so. To say it was flawed would have been more beneficial to the state because now people realized that you don’t just rig election, you will have to wait for what the court would say, they failed us there again by saying the election was alright, the facts don’t show they are alright. Judiciary has failed the nation. I went to Enugu and said you judges, they were all younger than myself, if you look at the electoral act, all the offences are created, who decides? It is the judiciary, if you don’t take bribe and say you are going to send people to jail, people will sit up, but because you people don’t do things like that, you are not only failing the nation, you are failing yourself, you are not contributing to the constitutional development of the nation and the judiciary has an opportunity that you may do all this things you are doing, but you are coming to us, they are not doing that, I am not blaming any individual.———– Professor Uvieghara, a former commissioner in the Nigeria Law Reform commission and a classmate of the former chief justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Uwais at the law school made the above statements at the lecture he delivered to judges in Enugu state

(4). “If they dare to rig in 2011, then you will see what we happen. People will be on the streets to fight because they know that that is probably the only way they can get solution or ventilate their grievances. If the court is not going to assist them, then why wait for the court? I would not probably advise any body to wait for the judiciary to get his mandate if you believe your mandate is being stolen. So that is the problem ————- Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, President, Nigeria Bar Association. In view of the above, which additional evidence does any right-thinking person needs to believe Nigerian judiciary has sold its soul to devil, have no modicum of integrity? What is also deductible from the above is that Nigerian judiciary has failed. It is an established fact that a failed judiciary is a sign post to a failed state. When citizens loose confidence in an institution of state like the judiciary, the only civilized method of resolving disputes in a sane political clime, they resort to self –help. It is self-evident that what we are witnessing in Nigeria today is a creeping relapse into the precursor of events of 1966 and 1983. The people resorted to self-help in 1966 and 1983, because they did not have hope of getting justice from the courts as the judiciary then was in the pockets of the executive. Under the scenario painted above, if remedial action is not taking urgently to restore sanity into the judiciary and consequently, the confidence of the people, it is mere wishful thinking for any one to think either democracy or the country herself will survive after 2011. The only way the sagging confidence of the people in the judiciary can be restored is for the chief justice of Nigeria and the anti-corruption agencies to fish out the rotten eggs. The NJC should conduct a thorough and in-depth investigation into the allegations leveled against some election petition tribunals and appeal court divisions handling election matters. The more controversial cases that has brought the entire judiciary into disrepute in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the public are: (a).The court of appeal, Port-Harcourt division verdict on Abia Governorship Election Petition, (b).The questionable verdict of justices Thomas Naron and Ali Garba led Governorship Election Petition trial and retrial in Osun, (c). Justice Hamma Baka led Governorship Election re-run petition in Ekiti. I am using this opportunity to call on the new president of court of appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami to personally lead the election appeal panels in the case of Osun and Ekiti that can still be redressed to save the image of the judiciary, while disciplinary actions should be taken against all judges that were to have soiled their hands. This is the only way the hope of the people can be rekindle in the judiciary and forestall the looming anarchy that may lead to the collapse of democracy and the country from 2011. A word, they say is enough for the wise.

Aminu is the National Coordinator, Odua Youth for Good Governance and a member of the Save Nigeria Group.

E-mail: rxk1968@yahoo.com, Tel: 08076124433

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By Lanre Aminu

“Success without honour is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but won’t taste good”——- Joe Paterno

The question is: If a crusader is deficient in credibility, who will believe is gospel? To say that Festus Keyamo, a self-styled human right activist has proved without any iota of doubt to be a restless blackmailer, hustler and a political jobber is to underscore the obvious. Observers of his nefarious activities in the media in the last two years will agree with this writer that he did not deserve to be taken seriously by any rational mind. My reasons for taking this position are not far to seek. Before my modest intervention, I had watched with a sense of bewilderment, the unrelenting smear campaign, malicious propaganda and outright falsehood being carried out against well-meaning and hard working citizens by Keyamo in the guise of fighting rfor the right thing to be done. It is on record that this writer has written two different articles in reputable newspapers like The Nation, THISDAY and Sunday Tribune to expose him in the last five months without a single response from him. To be precise, The Nation newspaper of Thursday, November 12, 2009, and Friday, December 25, 2009, Sunday Tribune of 20 December, 2009 and THISDAY newspaper of January 10, 2010 carried my expose on him. Silence, they say is an acknowledgement of guilt. If Keyamo has any modicum of integrity and reputation to protect, would n’t he had responded to mind-boggling allegations I raised against him? His shameless grandstanding and greed has also proved that he has no sense of shame. To drive home my point, certain portion of my previous write-ups on him is worth repeating here:  “It would be recalled that Festus Keyamo wrote a petition against Kenny Martins and other managers of police equipment fund alleging that they mismanaged the over N50 billion belonging to the organization. He said the evidences he had were enough to nail those he alleged to have mismanaged the funds. He also boasted that the EFCC’s decision to probe the matter was spurred by its petition to the presidency. Kenny Martins later revealed to the whole world the reasons why Keyamo launched relentless smear campaign against him and other managers of the police equipment fund. He alleged Keyamo was demanding for an additional two hundred million naira after his organization gave him ten million naira and a jeep. It is on record that after a trial that lasted for more than a year, two different courts exonerated Martins and other co-accused of all the wild allegations Keyamo leveled against them. While an Abuja chief magistrate’s court on Monday, 23 November, 2009 dismissed the forgery case brought against the coordinator of the foundation by the police, in the management of funds, an Abuja High court, on Tuesday, 24 November, also dismissed a case brought against Kenny Martins by the EFCC in the handling of the foundation’s finances. Discerning readers have no other choice than to believe the allegation (His demand for N200 million) Martins leveled against Keyamo after the courts decisions. In view of the above, should Keyamo who has prove beyond reasonable doubt to be a black mailer and rabble rouser be taken seriously by any right-thinking and unbiased mind? The answer is an EMPHATIC NO. Also, in his back page column of Monday, January 6, 2008 entitled: Ribadu entitled: Much ado about nothing, written in support of the removal of Nuhu Ribadu as E.F.C.C chairman, a portion of  Keyamo’s write-up goes thus: “Rather, permit me the immodesty to say that my comments are very untainted because, unlike those of my colleagues who have cried more than the bereaved, I do not, I have not, and do not intend to canvass for briefs from the E.F.C.C, neither have I and will not canvass for any brief from the past political office holders facing trial presently. In fact, neither of the parties are my benefactors” The chicken came home to roost for Keyamo after the ouster of Ribadu from E.F.C.C and Keyamo ate his words and starts taking juicy briefs from Farida Waziri led E.F.C.C. It became glaring to discerning minds that Keyamo defended the removal of Ribadu as E.F.C.C chairman because he was denied patronage. When keen watchers of this development (including this writer) challenged Keyamo for his fearful faux pax i.e. taking juicy briefs from E.F.C.C under Farida Waziri, he claimed he was handling the cases for the anti-corruption agency free of charge! It is not only unfortunate, but disheartening that the likes of Keyamo is posturing as a moral crusader marking the moral scripts of well-meaning citizens who are clearly shoulders high above him in matters of integrity and patriotism. It is frightening the rate at which pseudo-activist like Keyamo use the pages of newspapers to assassinate characters of well-meaning and hard working citizens in the name of activism. It is worth repeating that the likes of Gani might be vilified for his principle positions, but you can not fault the altruistic and patriotic motivations for his actions. It is baffling that the tribe of genuine activists and consistent advocates of the rights of the common man is dwindling in quality and quantity. I am of the firm conviction that any serious-minded critic, crusader or commentator that believes he has a reputation to protect, that wants to continue to remain relevant and be taken seriously by the people should always side with the truth, no matter its degree of unattractiveness. The foregoing motivated me to take up the case of the comptroller-general of customs, Abdulahi Dikko when I read the unwise and ill-advised affidavit sworn to by Keyamo’s collaborator, sorry, “client”, one Olajide Ibrahim as reproduced in Keyamo’s column in The Sun newspaper. It is public knowledge that The Sun is the only medium that gave sacred news pare space to elements like Keyamo to insult and bring people down, without giving those with contrary opinion opportunity to air their views. The illogicality of the affidavit of Ibrahim’s sold him and Keyamo out as men of shady characters, black mailers and hustlers. It stands to reason that any integrity-conscious lawyer would take up the case of some one who claimed he was an errand boy to a man that has reached the pinnacle of his profession and sworn to an affidavit that he, and not another person, forged  that man’s certificates for him. Is this not a case of he who is down, fear no fall? The question that has continued to agitate the minds of right-thinking people is: Why is Keyamo the only lawyer that always take up dirty cases that integrity-conscious lawyers like late Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba, Mike Ozekhome will not take for all the money in the C.B.N vault? In the light of the foregoing, is it not crystal clear to any discerning mind that Keyamo and Ibrahim are birds of the same feather flocking together? In a futile attempt to defend the indefensible i.e. To achieve his diabolical aim, after going to a regular court, Keyamo again chose to take the case of his “client” to court of public opinion where mob justice is the other of the day, in contrast to a court of law which work with evidence and proven facts, not with sentiments or fecund imaginations of hatchet writers masquerading as human right activist. The greatest consolation for those of us who are desirous of living in a society where rule of law, rather than the rule of man reigns supreme is that Keyamo is not having his way and will soon go to jail for contempt of court. In the words of OSCAR WILDE, “In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane” Is it not the height of sanity for some one who claimed to be a lawyer to say real justice lies in prejudging cases pending before a court of competent jurisdiction in the media? Submission of Lord Reid on Keyamo’s jaundiced view is very relevant here; He said and I quote:” What I think is regarded as most objectionable is that a news paper or television programme should seek to persuade the public by discussing the issues and evidence in a case before the court, whether civil or criminal, that one side is right and the other wrong— I think that anything in the nature of prejudgement of a case or of specific issues in it is objectionable not only of its possible effect on that particular case but also because of its side effect which may be far reaching. Responsible “mass media” will do their best to be fair, but there will also be ill informed, slapdash, or prejudiced attempts to influence the public. If people are led to think that it is easy to find the truth, disrespect for the processes of law could follow and if mass media are allow to judge, unpopular people and unpopular causes will fare very badly… I do not think that the freedom of the press would suffer, and I think that the law would be clearer and easier to apply in practice if it is made a general rule that it is not permissible to prejudge issues in pending cases” In the same vein Lord Morris agreeing with Lord Denning when he said “We must not allow “trial by newspaper” or “trial by television” or trial by any medium other than the courts of law” Needless distractions of well-meaning and hardworking citizens who meant well for this country by dishonest individuals like Keyamo and former Inspector general of police, Mike Okiro should be condemned by all those who wish this country well. For instance, the new police leadership under the integrity-conscious Onovo who has refused to succumb to blackmail of Keyamo to re arrest Martins, has attributed his (Martins) travails to the selfish motive of his predecessor, Okiro. Nigeria police is today counting its losses solely caused by the greed of the former IGP, Okiro. It is on record that the laudable projects Police Equipment Foundation has for police was stalled because Okiro did not get the bribe he wants from the project. Are we go to allow the fate that befell Nigeria police also be the lot of Nigeria Customs Service because of the greed and unethical practices of one man? Dikko’s catalogue of achievements as customs helms man in so short a time are visible to the blind and audible to the deaf. The records are there. A word is enough for the wise.

Editor: Aminu is the National Coordinator, ODUA YOUTH FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE

E-mail: rxk1968@yahoo.com,                 

              Telephone: 08076124433

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By Farouk Martins Aresa

Once upon a time, your grandmother had 5 children: Dele, Chinwe, Musa, Ita, Dafe and Dimka. Your great uncle Dele and Aunty Chinwe went to Europe and America to study, but got married and came home only briefly on holidays and when their father died. Oh yes, they had beautiful children but they never came home since they got married. Please don’t ask me about that branch of the family because your great uncle and aunty were buried in Europe and America.

No matter how home based Nigerians want to belittle or twist Diaspora help back home, the amount of money poured in through working and lower class at home from abroad contributed immensely to the economy. Hard earned money were sent through legal means, some through friends and more in goods and services that benefited many in Nigeria. Unfortunately, once this generation of Nigerians abroad passed away, their children would not render the same help which their parents considered their duty. So there is great need for permanence.  

If we are concern about our legacies not to become a lost generation in a family tree, we need to invest our seeds; that second house, the second or third car and in case the first marriage fails, the second must be grounded in Nigeria. We all pray for a lasting relationship but one spouse cannot hold us back. At least one spouse must be our incentive to go back. It used to be the exclusive realm of men to make sure their second wife was in Nigeria. Wow! Some smart women are going back home to marry men and make sure the men stay in Nigeria. Why?

Well, for the same reasons men are doing it. In the case of women, it may not be by design. It takes a while to get a visa and by the time the men finally cross over, the women have invested so much in the men, with a promising career or they might have established a business that made the hustle and bustle overseas less productive. The same is true about men if they have an ambitious wife who can resist glamour abroad and turn the money sent to them into gold.

Of course everyone wants to be with their spouse and children but a temporary absence to prepare for a longer stay together can be rewarding. Trust is hard to come by these days but there is no cheating a man or a woman can do abroad that they cannot do at home. Actually, Africa is more conducive to a healthy marriage than overseas where almost fifty percent of marriages amongst blacks end up in divorce.

There were Nigerians working in gold and coal mines for months before they go back home to see their families as in South Africa, Europe and America. In this case we are talking about ways Nigerians can establish at home before they become lost generation. The reasoning for those who work half a year abroad and come home is that the money made go further at home than it does abroad. It all depends on lifestyle and cutting our coat to our size. What good is our dead bodies sent home when investment in our families and people speak louder or longer?

It started long ago with some friends spending half a year abroad and half in Nigeria. But these are men, some of whom prefer casual jobs overseas like contracts or cab driving. Hard times have become silver linings. The incursion of women into this exclusive club surprised many of us. A friend in America was introduced to a lady in England both of who were single for a long time. She insisted on going back home where she was establishing a business.

Another lady went home, got married and became pregnant but the husband decided to stay behind in Nigeria or she decided to let him establish in Nigeria. She came back holding her head high like a snub. Even when their husbands joined them abroad, they prefer to return home to their jobs or business. Our general notion, at least amongst men is that it does not pay women to go back home as they prefer to stay abroad where they are better protected from the arrogance of power displayed by men at home. Wrong again?

It has certainly hit Diaspora Nigerians that former Diaspora Nigerians who went back home for reason beyond their control are hired to give those still abroad a bad name. They call them chickens who are so comfortable in indignity they suffer abroad despite their accomplishment, that they are not viable and so too soft to survive at home. This cannot be easily dismissed as envy when in fact many go home displaying success that is not invested on long term basis.

This envy or rivalry between home based Nigerians and those in Diaspora may be dismissed as storm in a tea cup, but black people have a long history of alienating one another. This is how envy in West Indians and Africans of England and Canada or between African American and Africans in USA started. It usually comes from a rumor generated by “bad belly” between Jamaican woman and Nigerian man who always marry one another more than any West Indian of African until personal problems were bloated to all Africans; or between African American and African who forsake them into slavery.

O.k. It may have some substance that may not be related to why we pull one another down but extending it to home based and Diaspora Nigerians must be quickly nipped in the bud before it grows wings into another generation. The losers here are the average Nigerians, majority of who cannot enjoy in the land of plenty while a few minority with hired guns monopolized all the milk and honey bestowed on our Country. Their children and cronies are everywhere trying to cause trouble between us for their selfish ends.  

Cooler heads between home based and Diaspora Nigerians must prevail, we are too close in the family tree to be at one another’s throat. Diaspora Nigerians must restrain ostentatious display of wealth, toys and mirrors acquired abroad. Otherwise they may be tempting some rascals to kidnap them for money they can never come up with.

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By Farouk Martins Aresa

There is no point fooling ourselves about some greedy access to Nigeria’s Treasury, since many without contact are waiting in the corridor for their turns to loot our assets to ashes. This war against Nigeria is longer and more deadly than the Biafra war. Yet these few Nigerians from a tiny part of our populace are our kin and friends. They are so powerful; nobody has been able to stop them thus far. Their worst punishment is a couple of years in prison hotels. Helplessly, we watch more of our children in the North and the South scavenge toxic dump to eke a living.

Give many Nigerians the choice of either a couple of years in prison hospitals as billionaires like Bode George, less years like Tafa Balogun or none like Andy Uba and Tony Anenih or die slowly of hunger, they would go to prison. If some Nigerians had a choice between crossing the desert pregnant, ending up in foreign prisons or a couple of years in Nigerian prison inns with billions waiting for them, they would chose Nigerian prisons. Indeed, soldiers would rather die gallantly fast by the hail of bullets in a war than die sluggishly of 1-0-0, 0-1-0, or 0-0-1 hunger in our land!

Nigerians have fought a civil war before, but not this type of deprivation that is invisible and undefined lacking concerted strategy to attack and cut its head off. It is almost a one sided battle as these general of looters conquer every institution in the Country like the spoil of war with impunity and little resistance because they are our kin and friends.  Since a few of our kin and friends have declared war of deprivation on us, we don’t need invading army as enemies.

During the Biafran war, we had generals on both sides fighting for a conviction, a cause or oil against formidable opponent. In the war against corruption, Nigerians are no match for these political generals.  All the training at Royal Military Academy and National Institute of Policy and Strategy Studies only taught us how to overwhelm our people not create surplus and conquer hunger. Instead, they are killing women and children with one of those weapons of war- hunger. After all, they claimed they only loot millions in US dollars compared to these new billionaires.   

Anyone who can hijack salaries can kill us slowly. You can see and quantify atrocities of war but our war of corruption is insidious. You have to do an analysis and prove intellectual correlation to corroborate evidence for the adherent of due process to convict. Even then, cronies would argue about it and compare it with their own paid research. By the time we finally agree on the culprits, the house has burnt to the ground and lives lost. Nigeria would be gone. Watch how angry supporters of convict, Bode George who had sued for libel, reacted at the court house.

If Chairman of Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Hamman Tukur, had it right that we are speeding recklessly to destruction, as if we and the looters don’t know that, no more Country would be left to manage. Some parts of Nigeria will merge with Niger, some with Benin Republic and the rest, maybe with Cameroon. A movie of Nigerians in Nollywood  carrying bowls to tiny West African countries asking for jara, may wake us up, or make us revolt.

So who will save us from ourselves but us? Every reasonable voice from the time of Awolowo’s dire warning of the consequences of our profligacy to that of a late convert, the new prophet of doom in charge of politicians excessive salary, Chairman of MAFC, always fall by the wayside.

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By Akubue Henry-Lagos

henrydking2000@yahoo.co.uk

 Decades have long passed yet Africans still wallow in the memories of colonization. The devastating effect of colonization dwindled the development of Africa due to the export of both human and material resources needed to achieve development in Africa.

Western world see Africa as a continent without any meaningful contribution to global growth. Hence, after the Second World War, United States embarked on a marshal plan to develop the devastated Europe leaving Africa to its fate. From the abinitio, the relationship between the West and Africa is of a feudal resemblance.

Therefore, the whole jamboree about the need to develop Africa by the West is a total fiasco meant only to prey on the continent’s resources. There is often the feeling of disgust and hatred towards African agenda; a continent of inherently inferior and savaged people only meant to be exploited other than explored.

As bad as their thoughts may be towards Africa, Pliny a Roman Philosopher is of the opinion that “ex Africa simper all quid novi” (There is always something new out of Africa). Despite the potentials and possibilities that abound in the continent, the antics of the West hinder its full utilisation.

Undoubtedly, the western antics have always come to lime light through the cooperation of Africa especially her leaders. African is a nation imbued with strong leadership potentials however it is most unfortunate that this important trait is far from being fully harnessed. Africa is viewed in this wise as a NATION due to one relevant semblance; BAD LEADERSHIP. Sad as it is, most of the leaders in Africa have over time turned themselves into vultures feeding on the cadaver of their citizens.  Usurping of the country’s wealth to the detriment of the masses has become the stock in trade of most African leaders. For every looting that takes place within the continent, there is an element of western influence in whose countries these loots are held in trust for the corrupt leaders.

We will not deny the fact that the west champions the campaign against corruption but are paradoxically the beneficiaries of such corrupt practices. Most of the ill acquired wealth which is stashed in western financial institutions has a replicate value on their economy. The succor provided by Swiss bank and other of such banks to these selfish African leaders serves as a comfortable nest for laying their ill gotten wealth.

Pertinently, leadership has to do with good stewardship. However, African leaders have been used to plunge the continent into further hardship and poverty. Therefore leadership deficiency has over time become a thorn on the flesh of Africans.

Unworthy of note is the economic tie between Africa and the West. It is ironic that Africans are still dependent on the west for their economic growth and development after many years of colonialism. Aids, loans and unequal economic ties between Africa and the West pose more dangers than benefits to Africans. There is a fundamental problem with development aid. It leads to dependence, thus leading to subtle subjugation of the receiving country to the lender. Flocking of the African market with western commodities creates an unhealthy rivalry with the home made ones. A developed western economy, flocking the developing or under developed African economy with their goods does nothing but inflate the dependency ratio of the continent on foreign goods. It is our onus as Africans to be diplomatic with most of the trade pact we sign with the west, as juicy as they may appear on the surface, have some subterranean adverse outcomes.

One of the detrimental aspects is the conversion of the continent into a dumping ground for most of the wastes produced in the western countries as can be seen in Cote d voire and Somalia, often with health hazards associated with them. In Somalia, the sea which is one of their greatest resources especially for sea food has been contaminated with the dump of nuclear waste.Also, Cote d’voire has its own side of the sad story where hundreds of tons of toxic waste were illegally dumped and has posed a serious health hazard.

 More so, foreign aids and loans will not in any way lead the continent out of poverty. In this regard, the Rwandan president Paul Kegame; in German tabloid, Handelsblatt said that,

The Europe and American relations with Africa had not helped to develop the continent. Rather, the continent needs real partnerships with foreigners who have the know-how and capital, who would share same with local companies. I would wish the western world invests in Africa rather than give development aid. We are not ignorant of the fact that there is need for aid – however it should be used to allow trade and build up companies.”

 Another aspect of our Africa’s nationhood where the west exerts its power and influence is in our education. Education is a veritable tool towards a people’s development but should be embellished properly with native content. African acquired a form of education that does not reflect the reality of the time, thus making our youth cultural albinos. Africa need to embibe a form of education with an African content, which duly reflect the realities of the time. Asians have learnt to embed the Asian content in their education hence are beginning to reap the benefits. The form of education in Africa glorifies the Western ideals, values and views thereby deempahsising the African spirit with its values.

 The first step towards actualizing our development is by building self confidence through our education. This will further replicate itself in growth and development of the continent. As true Africans, we need to embrace just like David Diop the African spirit of Africa, My Africa.

 Rightly said by President Barrack Obama; the development of Africa lies with Africans. Several other clarion calls have been made by Africans who believe in the African course ranging from the likes of Nkwame Nkrumah, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe, Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey, and Martin Luther to contemporary icons like Lucky Dube, Gani Fanwehenmi, and Femi Kuti who have fought bravely to liberate Africa from the shackles of post-colonial westernism.

All things being equal, our resources should be leverage for the development of the nation and not to be exploited for serving the West.

Therefore there is a clarion call for us to unify and fight the tsunami of bad leadership rocking the continent or rather nation to a stand still and liberate ourselves from the shackles of modern day slavery. If all hands be on deck, Africa will enjoy the joy of nationhood.

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