Burning Issues

29/03/2022

IN DEFENCE OF GOV. WIKE

Since his declaration over the weekend to aspire for the office of the President, there has been a synchronized rabid attack on the person of Governor Wike. Most of these attackers have thrown caution to wind and resorted to insults, name calling and what I will term the outward manifestation of pure and undiluted hatred towards him. One even went as far as saying; God forbid!

The question I want to ask these group of people is this; what excludes Gov. Wike from aspiring to the office of the president? Those who have declared their intentions, do they have super-human qualities? As they say in local parlance, do they have two heads? Why this rabid attack on a man who only did what many others have already done and are still doing? Are these attacks borne out of fear?

While this post is not a blanket endorsement of Gov. Wike's aspiration for the office of the President, I want to defend his right to aspire as every other person is doing. In defending his rights, I will provide verifiable evidence to back up my defence. It is not enough to insult a man who has done nothing but exercise his rights. Give us sufficient reasons why that man shouldn't aspire and we will listen.

Gov. Nyesom Wike started his political journey as a local government chairman in Rivers state. He was the LGA Chairman of Obiakpor between 1999-2007. Between 2007-2011, he became the Chief of Staff to Gov. Rotimi Amaechi. Between 2011-2014, he was Minister of state for education and Minister of education respectively. From 2015-date, he has been the governor of Rivers state.

Looking at his political CV, what excludes a man that has served at the local, state and federal levels from aspiring for the office of the president? Amongst those who have publicly declared their intentions, is there anyone that can equal the political journey this man can confidently boast of? The experiences he has acquired over the years in this political journey, don't they count for something? So why has his aspiration become a driving force for hateful and bile-filled attacks on his person?

In terms of performance in office, this man is heads and shoulders above his peers. Gov. Wike was the first governor to commission projects for 2 weeks consequetively. He is called Mr. Projects because of his performance in that area. He has invited different people to his state to commission these projects which were well televised. So why is a man who has performed far and above most governors not qualified to aspire to the office of President?

In terms of political stability, Wike is among the few politicians in this country that have never decamped from their party to another. We talk of political prostitution amongst the political class in this country. But here is a man who has demonstrated the fact that it is possible to sink and swim with one political party. Such uncommon consistency should count for something. We have seen serving governors decamping to the ruling party for whatever reasons. Why didn't he also follow that line?

I listened to Gov. Wike speak on Channels TV yesterday and I was impressed by his understanding of issues. He spoke about the controversial issue of women involvement in politics amongst other issues. He told the country how he ensured that all LGAs vice chairmen in Rivers state were women. He told us how he ensured that a minimum of 5 councillors in each LGAs were women. He also told us that of the 3 Senators from the state, 1 is a woman. It is also worthy of note that his deputy is a woman. Which other governor in Nigeria can boast of such support for women in politics?

Granted, Gov. Wike may sometimes come across as brash. But that is because he is deeply passionate. That brashness has helped him in getting the job done. While this may be a trait he may need to work on, it is not sufficient to disqualify him from aspiring to lead the country. If people with questionable academic credentials, corruption allegations, and many other not so palatable issues can aspire for the office of the President without backlash, why is Wike's case different?

Wike has addressed headlong the issue of bunkering which has not only impacted negatively on the revenues of the country, but it is having a hazardous impact on the lives of Nigerians living in Rivers state. In all, if we have 10 passionate and committed governors like Wike in this country, our story would have been different.

In an era where nobody has the courage to speak the truth for fear of whatever, Wike has demonstrated uncommon courage and fearlessness. While you may disagree with his modus, you are certain to always know where he stands on any issue.

It is therefore my considered opinion that like every other person, Wike has every right coupled with the sufficient political experience and track records to aspire for the office of the president. While people are free to disagree with me, I will like to see verifiable reasons why anyone feels that Wike is not qualified to aspire for the office of the President.

Gov Nyesom Ezenwo Wike - CON Official Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Nigeria

23/03/2022

Fellow Nigerians, for a long time, elected individuals have always sort the flimsiest excuses to jump ship from the party under which they were elected to another political party. Aside whatever they give as reasons, over the years, we have all come to know that greed, selfishness and personal interest are the overriding factors.

You must have heard that we borrowed this model of democracy from the USA. How many times do you hear that governors elected under the democratic party or republican party decamped because of one reason or the other? Even when they disagree with the President, they remain in the party. Senator Mitt Romney for example never agreed with Trump. Did he leave the party? No! But in our own case, a politician can decamp simply because he wasn't given rice at a party.

To justify this criminal and classless behaviour, they are quick to tell you that the politics we practice in Nigeria is not the politics of principles, but how to get to power. The good thing is that this madness is about to stop! Let us see how many elected politicians will still decamp if they know that they will lose their seats.

A typical INEC certificate of return carries the name of the winner and the political party that sponsored them. It is usual written; Mr Lagbaja of stomach party.... Now, it is expected that if Mr. Lagbaja decides to leave the stomach party for whatever reasons, he should return that certificate because the votes belong to the political party and not the individual. That is why the APC was allowed to replace the Late Abubakar Audu in the middle of an inconclusive election, and the votes transferred to Yahaya Bello of the same APC.

How many Governors, Senators or elected representatives will still go ahead to decamp once they know that they will lose their seats? Will they not stay back to find a solution to whatever the problem is? I am one of those that is eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court pronouncement on this matter so that we can rest this madness once and for all.

This judgement will bring some semblance of sanity into the political process. You can no longer get a mandate from party A, and then jump to party B and still keep that mandate. If you are convinced that the only solution is to move from one party to the other, drop the mandate and then we will know that you are serious.

Trust these criminals, as soon as it is clear that jumping ship will mean loss of office, this madness will stop immediately. Gradually, this chaotic political firmament will be sanitised...😁😁

03/03/2022

Imagine for a moment that we are in 2014, some fuel importers have imported adulterated fuel into the country that destroyed the vehicle engines of many innocent Nigeria, fuel queues are all over the country for weeks without end in sight, electricity supply is at its lowest with many families having to sleep in heat and darkness, and Jonathan is the petroleum minister. In the midst of all these, Jonathan without providing any solution to the crisis tells us that he is travelling to see his doctors in London for 2weeks and that we should sort ourselves out.

Also imagine that APC is the main opposition party and Lai Mohammed is the spokesman of the opposition. You can be rest assured that Jonathan will be roasted and his obituary pictures printed even before the presidential aircraft departs Abuja.

But today, all these and more have happened and nobody is talking. We have the misfortune of having the most docile, lathergic and outrightly useless opposition political parties led by the PDP in this country. Who is even the spokesman of the PDP? We knew Olisa Methu and Kola Ologbodiyan. Who is this new guy? Without checking, can anyone tell me his name?

It is shameful that in an election year and with the many failures of the ruling party, we have an absent opposition. Nobody is putting the APC on the spot for the disaster they have brought upon us. In 2014, the APC had a situation room for spreading fake news and lies. Lai Mohammed was one of the most effective opposition spokesmen in the history of this country. He was granting interviews, releasing press statements, appearing in various TV programs and was in everybody's face. Lai did his job well and became a household name.

In fact, aside other things that happened, the election was already won and lost in the media. This 2022 is also and election year, where are the opposition parties? Where is PDP? The PDP is thinking that just because people are disenchanted with the APC, that is sufficient for the to ride back to power. They will receive the shock of their lives. So far, they have been everything but serious and responsible.

The only person who is still giving the PDP a semblance of seriousness is Gov. Wike. But for him, I don't think anybody can hold the APC to account. It is Wike that is commissioning projects, it is Wike that is on TV granting interviews, it is Wike that is calling out the APC, it is Wike that is travelling to other states to give them moral support and encourage them, it is Wike that is challenging the federal government in courts, it is Wike that is playing the role of party chairman, party spokesman and all. The others are snoring and hiding under their beds. When food is ready, you will see them coming out with their large stomachs and mouths to come and devour without conscience.

Unfortunately, instead of commending him for giving the PDP a semblance of what an opposition party should be, some clowns feel offended by his manners and posture. Who else will do it if he doesn't? Should it be Wike that should be talking about the adulterated fuel and all?

As it stands today, there seems to be no viable opposition in this country. The APC with all their failures may as well walk away with murder and get elected in 2023. With this class of grossly irresponsible and directionless opposition, it is safe to prepare for the worse.

24/02/2022

Fellow Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari is on the verge of making history as the president to have made the most profound changes to our electoral laws. These profound changes are contained in the electoral bill that currently awaits his assent. To understand how important this bill is, the national conversation in the last couple of weeks has centered on the need for the President to assent to this bill. The bill itself has had to be re-worked to address some grey areas. As it is, the President currently has no reason not to give his assent.

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Fellow Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari is on the verge of making history as the president to have made the most profound changes to our electoral laws. These profound changes are contained in the electoral bill that currently awaits his assent. To understand how important this bill is, the nat...

17/02/2022

Fellow Nigerians, we are fast approaching the eve of another election and unfortunately, there is no 3rd force anywhere! We are still going to rely on the often criticized APC and PDP to produce the next president. This is the reality as of today, and I dare anyone to challenge this almost incontrovertible fact. With all the talk about the 3rd force that will give the 2 major parties a formidable run, there is nothing concrete to suggest that this imaginative force that is only heard and seen in fiery political speeches will be able to pull any weight in 2023.

The failure of the 3rd force can also be equated to the failure of the youths to make any bold attempt at coming close to power, not to talk of taking over. The end SARS protests happened and many thought that it will usher in a more deliberate attempt at political awareness and action amongst the youths. This didn’t happen. The message of the end SARS protests is almost forgotten as of today. As I write this, many youths are planning to work as thugs for some of those who have held this country down for years. At this point, I will want to draw your attention to the story of a certain Julius Malema.
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Fellow Nigerians, we are fast approaching the eve of another election and unfortunately, there is no 3rd force anywhere! We are still going to rely on the often criticized APC and PDP to produce the next president. This is the reality as of today, and I dare anyone to challenge this almost incontrov...

09/02/2022

Yesterday, videos of adulterated petrol from fuel stations went viral across various social media platforms. In one of the videos, an attendant was heard reporting the depot from which the product was lifted and all.

Hours after these videos went viral, the government, rather unapologetically, came out to issue what I will term a watery and unacceptable response to something as grievous as this. In a serious country, heads would have rolled by now. But this is Nigeria where the lives and safety of the citizens count for nothing.

There are several unanswered questions here and we must demand answers. Which agency is in charge of verifying the quality of petroleum products imported to the country? Who is in charge of verifying the product quality at the depot? Who dropped the ball? Who collected bribe to make this criminal act happen? Were fuel stations deliberately selling bad fuel just so that they can make up their cost? Which part of the world did this fuel come from?

As I speak, many vehicles have broken down with knocked engines. Nigerians who are already under the burden of economic hardship will now be forced to spend their scarce resources in buying engines for their cars. The government is yet to tender an unreserved apology and a workable compensation plan for this criminal act.

What we expect the government to do immediately is to reduce the price of petrol for the next 3months, apologize for this criminal act and sanction all persons and agencies involved in this harzadous adventure. This why a country like Nigeria should have her own refineries.

We can't be paying such huge subsidy and still get killed by bad product. This incompetence, corruption and wickedness must be punished!

02/02/2022

Why the Zoning Issue Must be Addressed

At each election season in Nigeria, there is a lingering issue that is sure to come up. It is the conversation around zoning. To those who don’t know, zoning is simply a power rotation arrangement amongst the constituent groups in Nigeria. The idea of zoning and the federal character principle bears some similarities which I will try to explain.

Our founding fathers came up with the federal character principle in deference to the multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural nature of our society. The federal character principle was meant to prevent the dominance of one ethnic or religious group over the other and to build a sense of national unity. To ensure that this principle is not abused, it was deliberately enshrined and clearly defined in the constitution of the country as seen below;

Continue here...

https://burningissues.com.ng/why-the-zoning-issue-must-be-addressed/

23/01/2022

As we begin the election year 2022, there is no better time to introspect on our political journey so far and what we urgently and desperately need to do to reposition this country on the part of irreversible progress. Amongst other items on the menu list, what should rank first in the minds of well-meaning Nigerians is the quality of candidates that should be on the ballot in 2023.

Continue...

As we begin the election year 2022, there is no better time to introspect on our political journey so far and what we urgently and desperately need to do to reposition this country on the part of irreversible progress. Amongst other items on the menu list, what should rank first in the minds of well...

22/01/2022

Fellow Nigerians, our democracy does not accommodate independent candidates. What this means is that we have to rely on the political parties to present candidates from which we will choose from.

Let it be known that next year 2022 is our election year. In 2023, we are only going to vote in February. In developed democracies, we should have known who the leading candidates are by this time. The citizens will then begin to scrutinize, analyze and check their background and all. But here in Nigeria, we have to wait!

The forces and orientation that drives our politics in Nigeria is backward. We have to look at zoning, religion, ethnicity, someone who can be controlled and other useless factors. Competence is never on the menu list for selecting leaders in Nigeria. We the citizens can change this trend beginning from the 2023 election.

While we wait for the political parties to give us their candidates, we can begin listing the qualities we want to see in the next president. Whichever party then brings a candidate that fits into those qualities, we vote accordingly.

My analysis of the 2023 election will be based on just 2 political parties; the APC and PDP. I have already stated my reasons yesterday. Winning a presidential election anywhere in the world is not a 6month project. All these overnight candidates who are only visible in Lagos and Abuja don’t have what it takes.

To win a presidential election in Nigeria, you need lots of money and firm structures across the country. As at today, how many political parties in Nigeria can boast of having functional offices in the 36 states of the federation? How many of them have functional local government chapters in the over 700 LGAs in Nigeria? How many of them can sponsor at least 2 party agents to all the polling units in the country on election day at the rate of N10,000 logistics fee per head?

As a responsible citizen, it is your duty to vote in an election. You have the right of choice and somehow, you are responsible for the quality of leadership we get in this country. It doesn’t matter whether you voted or not. We are all responsible.
For me, the following are the qualities we should look out for in the next president irrespective of the political party;

A person who can work with anybody from any part of the country.
A person who is truly detribalized and believes in the equality of all Nigerians
A person who can communicate with the citizens directly
A person who will select his appointees based on COMPETENCE
A person who will be decisive, bold and compassionate in taking decisions.
A person who believes in the sanctity of human life and is ready to defend it with all that may be required and necessary.

You are free to draw up yours. When the parties present their candidates, look for the one that meets these qualities and vote accordingly.

Tomorrow, I present the two candidates I would love to see on the ballot for the 2 major political parties in the country.

Note that these are my personal views and I am not in anyway imposing them or laying claims to some esoteric revelations.

Fellow Nigerians, our democracy does not accommodate independent candidates. What this means is that we have to rely on the political parties to present candidates from which we will choose from. Let it be known that next year 2022 is our election year. In 2023, we are only going to vote in February...

21/01/2022

WHAT WE MUST ALL DO
“To ensure that I participate actively in the next election cycle.” If this is not on your 2022 menu list, then I can safely assume that you are part of the problem we have in this country. All men and women of goodwill must endeavor to be actively involved in the next election cycle so that we can collectively save our country from collapse.

With the above, I congratulate and welcome you all into the year 2022. A year that will define our seriousness or otherwise as a country ready to fix its leadership issues. We must be deliberate, we must be persistent and we must all get actively involved at ensuring that we produce the desired leadership at the polls next year.

It is important that we all realize that 2022 is the election year. This is the year when political parties will choose the candidate that will be on the ballot in 2023. What happens in 2023 is voting. The election will be decided in 2022! To this end, the New Year marks the beginning of another election cycle. Are we ready?

Ordinarily, Nigerians should at this point be aware of the leading candidates waiting to succeed Buhari. But as it is with most things, Nigerians do things differently often in a negative way. Exactly 12months to a presidential election, we do not know who the leading candidates are. Aside whispers and rumors here and there, nobody has been bold enough to come out and tell Nigerians that he or she has what it takes to change our sordid narrative.

Everyone is waiting, holding nocturnal meetings and going into alliances that doesn’t have the interest of the citizens on the table. The conversations currently going on is most likely about elite comfort, how to share our collective patrimony and maintaining status quo.

We must resist this troubling routine. In his book; The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg gives a detailed explanation about the habit loop. The habit loop explains our cues (problems, situations or whatever), the routine we need to change and then the reward that routine change will produce.

To make a drastic change in any aspect of our lives, we must focus squarely on our routine. It is the routine that will eventually yield a positive or negative reward as the case maybe. In our own political case, our routine as regards our elections has always been that we wait for the political parties to throw up a candidate, they then whip up sentiments around that candidate and somehow, convince us to accept him.

To change this routine, we must force the political parties to choose only candidates that meet the aspirations of the citizens. While the politicians are having their nocturnal meetings, we the citizens can immediately begin a national conversation regarding what we want. Any political party that does not align with a candidate that meets these demands will be isolated. It is now clear to us all that religion, region, ethnicity and political party affiliation do not automatically produce good leaders. Like the saying goes, the hood indeed does not make the monk. An incompetent person does not suddenly become competent simply because a political party has selected them as their flag bearer. What is their track record on performance? What have they successfully done in the past? What are the verifiable stories around them?

We need to thoroughly investigate people before they get to office.

I am also making a passionate appeal to all these smaller parties that obviously do not have what it takes to win a national election. Go into mutually beneficial alliances with the major parties with clear demands and expectations. We don’t need a crowded ballot paper simply because individuals want to add the title; former presidential candidate to their resume.

Let we the citizens resolve to participate actively, identify a sellable and competent candidate, get any of the leading political parties to adopt that candidate based on national acceptance, mobilize and sell that candidate across the country and get him or her into office. It may not be as easy as it sounds. But this may just be the beginning of our progress march.

It takes action to change a narrative. Remember, had Rosa Parks not refused to stand up, it might have taken a longer time to end the segregation laws.

“To ensure that I participate actively in the next election cycle.” If this is not on your 2022 menu list, then I can safely assume that you are part of the problem we have in this country. All men and women of goodwill must endeavor to be actively involved in the next election cycle so that we ...

19/01/2022

As at 2015, it was safer to be called a criminal than a PDP member, supporter or sympathizer. Indeed, in some parts of the country, some people lost their lives and businesses simply because of their association with the PDP. There was a general angst, disenchantment, bitterness and hatred towards the PDP. The PDP was treated worse than a l***r, and seen as responsible for all the woes bedeviling the country.

To make matters worse, even those who were elected on the platform of the PDP didn't want to be associated with the party. After 16years in power, the party had just lost a presidential election and was going through the worst form of political humiliation imaginable. Nigerians were beguiled with tales of unbelievable looting and pillaging of the economy. Everything that was said no matter how outlandish was believed. It was as though there was a unanimous agreement that the PDP must never be allowed to rise.

GEJ who was supposed to be the rallying point went into political hibernation as he continued to suffer public bashing. He bacame more disassociated with the party as the stories of betrayal by his own party men started coming up. At some point, the pressure because too much that he had to go on vacation in Ivory coast to cool off.

There was one allegation that I still find extremely laughable till date. One former governor who also became a party Chairman in the APC accused a former PDP minister of stealing $27billion! He claimed a top US official revealed this to him. How much is the Nigerian budget that one person will steal that amount? But you know what? Many believed!

The EFCC under Magu added fuel to the propaganda by sharing pictures of how monies were recovered from graveyards, farms and septic tanks. Nobody bothered to ask who the owners of these farms were and what eventually happened to these monies. The propaganda and sensationalization was too strong to fight against. Nigerians were just satisfied to wake up daily to the news of something against the PDP. That to them was enough to make their day.

Within that period, the most popular phrase in Nigeria became; PDP destroyed Nigeria for 16 years. They were asked to change their name, members were arrested indiscriminately, people publicly relinquished their membership of the party, those who benefitted from the party in the past became some of its greatest antagonist and so on. It was a tale of gloom, doom and misery for the PDP. There seem to be no way back for this party. The party was literarily dead and buried. Another pharse the APC loved to use.

In one of the greatest comebacks in the political firmament of Africa, 4years later, this same PDP was able to win 17states plus the FCT in a presidential election, garnered over 11million votes, had the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Reps as at 2018 and became the rallying point of the opposition in Nigeria.

How did this dead and buried party rise from the dead to become a formidable opposition despite all the efforts at ensuring that it was crushed?

The answer is simply this; a man called Nyesom Wike and the monumental failure of the APC. That the PDP is still a political party today is primarily because of the massive, unbelievable and traumatic failure of the APC.

To be continued...

18/01/2022

Of all those who have publicly declared their interest to run for the office of the president in 2023, the most prominent so far is Bola Ahmed Tinubu popularly known as Jagaban. Jagaban is a household name in Nigeria politics for many reasons. Some see him as the ultimate kingmaker, while others see him as the most shylock politician in recent history.

In fairness to him, Jagaban has paid his dues in the political arena. He was at the forefront of the NADECO struggle and has held his own since the return of democracy in 1999. He was the only survivor after the AD raid in 2003. He held on to Lagos and the rest they say is history.

But has Jagaban done enough to get the presidency on a platter? I doubt much. Those who project Tinubu as the best candidate in 2023 based on his strategic thinking should not forget that Tinubu was one of those who sold Buhari to Nigerians.To the point that he was able to marshal an arrangement that kicked out a ruling party, he deserves accolades. But that is exactly where it ends.

For some strange reasons which may not be far from ingratiating himself to Buhari and playing safe, Jagaban has been less vocal on the security situation in the southwest. Even when people have pointed fingers to armed herdsmen who have invaded the forests as responsible, Jagaban has rather chosen the ignoble path of political correctness. When he paid a condolence visit to the Afenifere leader whose daughter was allegedly killed by armed herdsmen, his first reaction was to ask the rather provocative question; where are the cows?

The greatest challenge to the Jagaban presidency is his own party the APC.APC as a political party is the most disorganized and rancorous ruling party in recent times.They are also very dishonest even amongst themselves. In 2019, they lost 3 states to internal rancour until the Supreme Court intervened in Imo.

The party hasn't been able to hold a convention to elect, select or appoint a party chairman. Though they haven't come our openly to zone the presidency, it appears that unofficially, the APC have zoned the ticket to the south going by those who have now declared; Tinubu, Umahi and Kalu as at today. Rumours have it that Osinbajo is likely to throw his hat in the race and the gossip about former president GEJ decamping to the APC has refused to go away.

Whatever happens at the end of the day, Jagaban will have to dig deep into his bag of political tricks to get his party's ticket and then contend with the national election. It will definitely not be an easy or smooth ride for the man who has declared that this is his life long ambition. It will be a season of betrayals, backstabbing, desperation and tradeoffs. Relationships will be destroyed and secrets will be revealed. It will definitely be an interesting period for those who are politically inclined.

In the coming days, I will be talking about the major opposition party the PDP and their chances in the 2023 elections.