Gurara Herald

09/11/2021

Divine Justice is presently our recourse until new circumstances suggest additional avenues.

Why I Reported SOKAPU's Spokesperson To Security Agencies - Samuel Aruwan

Kaduna State Commissioner For Internal Security And Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan has stated the reason he reported the spokesperson of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, comrade Luka Biniyat who was arrested few days ago.

Briefing the press at the Nigeria Union Of Journalists Secretariat, he said, "My professional colleagues,

"I wish to address you this afternoon on recent disturbing allegations leveled against me, amounting to defamation of character, injurious falsehood and incitement of public disturbance."

"On 29th October 2021, my attention was drawn to an online publication authored by one Luka Binniyat. In this publication, Mr Binniyat quoted Senator Danjuma Laah of the Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, as stating that I am being used to cover up a genocide against Christians in Southern Kaduna."

"Before questioning the veracity of the purported statement, I am supremely concerned first, for the implications of such a statement on the peace and security of our state, because of the religious and ethnic sentiments it has conveyed."

"Furthermore, as a passionate journalist on leave of absence in public service, I am acutely aware of the burden of professional responsibility which must accompany accurate reportage for the consumption of the public."

"Crucially also, it must be known that this material has exposed my life and the lives of my family to grave and immediate danger."

"You must be aware of happenings in Kaduna State within the last forty years; thousands of lives and properties have been lost, and lingering bitter sentiments are still being managed, for reasons related to the allegations now leveled against my person."

"You may equally be aware of the recent mob killing and elimination of an entire family in Zangon Aya, Igabi local government area, after being stereotyped, as well as the killing of some locals in the Doka general area after they were labeled 'traitors', simply because they were liberal in an environment of ethnic and religious hostility."

"As such, I have been compelled to take the following necessary steps:

1) I have reported the matter to security agencies;

2) I have requested a thorough investigation by security agencies into the publication by Mr Binniyat.

3) I have alerted the national leadership of Nigeria Union of Journalists, as well as the Union's Kaduna State Council as a mark of respect.

I have also noticed some emotional mobilization to deflect attention from the crux of this matter which is injurious falsehood and defamation, and cloak my necessary reaction as an attack on freedom of expression. This total misrepresentation of the issue is simply roguish, petty and mundane.

I have therefore considered it necessary to address you on this matter, for your adequate information. This will also serve to inform you of the actions I have been compelled to take to stem the horrendous damage to my reputation intended by the author of the defamatory story."

"Thank you for your time."

READ MORE: http://www.kadunapoliticalaffairs.com/2021/11/why-i-reported-sokapus-spokesperson-to.html

03/01/2020

A CONCRETE PROOF OF GOVERNMENT’S INSENSITIVITY TO THE SUFFERING OF NIGERIANS
On 4th October, 2019 the House of Reps passed a Bill making it unlawful for the Nigerian Electricity Distribution companies to charge customers on the basis of estimated billing. This gained the applause of the affected public as a sign that the House of Reps had taken off on a good note in terms of delivering dividends of good representation. There were, of course, two hurdles before the Bill could become an enforceable law, the Senate had to approve it while the President was the last person to give its ascent. Incidentally at the time the Bill was passed by the Reps, the Senate was on recess while the President was outside Nigeria.
As pessimistically expected by close watchers of the type of government imposed on Nigerians, it is now three months since the people’s Bill was passed by the House of Reps with nothing apparently happening about making it active. Perhaps it has been killed by the strongest in the government who for personal interests, would not allow it to scale through the Senate to pass the bug to the President. This has confirmed in unmistakable terms, that the interest of the government is paramount even at the expense of the people. After all, the government is or some highly placed government officials are shareholders in a business that is the most inefficient in Nigeria yet charges customers the most bloated amounts and service provided that can give a customer with a threat of disconnection or resort the law for payment as determined by the customers response.
Electricity, no doubt, the main factor for boosting the economy of any modern system of industrialization is seen by personnel working within the system as a means of getting rich without having to work hard and efficiently for that wealth. They may be doing this in the full knowledge that, after all, politicians also earn large amounts without deserving such amounts. It is the survival of the strongest while the weak hangs himself if he is not satisfied with his status.
As the vicious circle widens, the economy of the country faces more crisis which may lead ultimately to a standstill unless something internal or external takes place to stop the worsening process. Nigerians are those who are capable of doing the checking to prevent the need for external forces intervention but their hands are tied behind them. As the supply of electric power is still very erratic and extremely unhelpful to the rapid growth of the country’s economy, the electricity supply companies have continue to expect immediate payment of their bills always estimated out of proportion to the consumption by customers because the Bill passed by the House of Reps has remained in the files without carrying the process to its logical end for the good of Nigerians. Whatever the reasons for government’s silence about this Bill, the expectations of Nigerians to have or to enjoy some relieves from the harsh situation in which we have found ourselves have remained frustrated because the government sees the customer’s benefit from the Bill as a loss to the powers enjoying the estimated billing system.
We still remain hopeful that the Bill will scale through eventually as pressure on government system of handling important national issues have been receiving more and more criticism from all the concerned parties.

30/12/2019

WHY THE PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM MUST GO
40 years of the presidential system has ruined Nigeria almost beyond redemption. It must give way to something more appropriate. Now is the time to begin the preparation of mind and body.
I feel utterly ashamed to call myself a Nigerian because of the self-inflicted devastation Nigerian politicians have imposed on Nigeria through an abuse of the presidential system of government.
I invite all well-meaning Nigerians –the Mass Media; the Academia; the Work Force; and the Business Class, in fact all who are not happy with the state of the Nigerian nation today to join the crusade.
We must trample on emotionalism and face the realities in a nation that is very ill with a life-threatening malady. We must shout loud and clear that it is timeout for the crop of politicians milking Nigeria dry today. We have no viable alternative to the necessary change. Those who have been asleep must wake up because our nation is in fire set by fellow Nigerians who have been beaten by the virus named SA**SM. We must rescue Nigeria from vandalism of the Nigerian State spear-headed by a squandermania of Nigerian money, causing unprecedented poverty in a country with potentials to compete favourably with most of the advanced nations on our planet. The convincing records are there for all to see.
Nigeria is definitely not ripe for the system of government we have been operating for forty years. The image of the nation has been very badly damaged just as most Nigerians have been bruised while the culprits go about their business as if nothing gruesome is happening to their fellow countrymen and women.
No, we must not allow this to continue. The sovereign status of Nigeria has been a curse because of wanton abuse by the political class who are always quick to justify their actions with more abuses.
The unscrupulous and gluttonous wining and dining must be brought to an end. We must therefore set the ball rolling towards putting a definite end to the presidential system by 2023 when the present government would have remained in power according to its legal mandate. If the present government decides to make the changes now, well and good. After all its mantra of change in 2014/15 supported giving Nigeria a better government than what we have today. But the government has failed woefully like its predecessors who also operated the presidential system to ridicule.
The period from 1980 to 2020 is a long enough period for us to come to a conclusion that Nigeria is definitely not ripe for the presidential system. We must revert to the parliamentary system or another new one that satisfies the hunger of Nigeria for a new beginning which must necessarily involve a complete change of the constitution now being used by the government to wreak havoc on Nigeria. Now is the time to start the process.

14/12/2019

ARE NIGERIAN POLITICIANS WORKING WITH THE JUDICIARY TO R**E DEMOCRACY?
During the early days of party politics in Nigeria, our members of the judiciary remained isolated, so it seemed at that time probably because most of the electoral victories or losses did not end in any court of law. It was as if Nigeria was a more decent society than it is today. Now, things have turned bad because of the decay in our society encouraged by poverty as the poor get poorer while the rich siphon as much as is possible into their private pockets, because they dictate every important decision-making process in an unusual money-driven economy.
Since Nigeria’s adoption of the presidential system of government, politics has become the most lucrative business in our society because of the numerous avenues through which public funds can be pilfered often with impunity as the law has been ambiguous about interpreting their dubious activities. We have said it in many of our posts that when it became apparent that our new system of government was most unsuitable for Nigeria, the mass media did not ignore this very obvious or deliberate error of judgment by our politicians by calling for an immediate return to the parliamentary system inherited from our colonial masters. We have seen how loud cries by many observers against the presidential system have been ignored as the politicians have pretended not to be aware of the cries because of the great advantages to them offered by the presidential system. The politicians have become so rich with unearned money that any desire to abandon their source of enormous wealth cannot be extinguished despite its disadvantages to the public supposed to have elected the politicians. So, the struggle for political positions has become so negatively aggressive that the destruction of lives of human beings and property in the process cannot disturb the conscience of the politicians in this unhealthy competition. This is where the judiciary comes in as the last hope for injustice. The effort to win at court level has involved so much money that those to rule on cases easily yield to the parties ready to entice them with unearned money. The outcome is that the politicians with their unearned money are ready to path with enormous amount to those who would decide in their favour because then, they would be in another position to accumulate more wealth for future squandermania to remain in power.
In a situation like this, there is an unholy alliance between politicians and the law officers that has been established to continue their debasement of the whole political process as long as their pockets are filled with large amount of money.
What makes the understanding between politicians and the judiciary unholy is that both parties have allowed the temptation to become a routine. This routine of making large sum of money without working for it has made our society a corrupt one where the need to work hard to keep the economy of the country going is no longer there because people are guided by the thought that the need to work hard is unnecessary. Thus, what matters is the ability to indulge in wrong doing as what is open to the citizens of the country.
It is to every intelligent, well-informed person in this country not a surprise that Nigeria has been the poverty capital of the world and only recently the World Bank has warned the government about the need to do something to prevent the country from sliding into extreme poverty. Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which has often encouraged Nigeria to borrow money has now issued a similar warning. If the present government of Nigeria does not take these as a very serious warning and an indictment, then it is not wrong to say that the government has completely lost focus within the first six months of its controversial return to power.
It is our considered view that under the present circumstances, the only way to move the country towards the light of development is to pull down the whole political structure and review our judiciary system in line with what obtains in more industrialized nations. That is what will necessitate the birth of an ALLIANCE OF ALL AUTHENTIC DEMOCRATS in early 2020. Keep following us for details.

06/12/2019

WHAT WILL HELP SOUTH-EAST’S NIGERIA’S PRESIDENCY IN 2023
In 1999 and 2004, Obasanjo was reluctantly supported by the far North to be the President of Nigeria to appease the Yorubas for the disappointing outcome of June 12.
Goodluck Jonathan was reluctantly allowed to succeed late Yaradua following a threat by the Niger Delta militants. He was therefore allowed to be President of Nigeria to appease the oil-rich Niger Delta.
The far North would definitely find reasons for rejecting a candidate from the South-East no matter the popularity of the party from which he emerges in 2023.
The only sure banker for the South-East is to do whatever is possible to strengthen the confraternity now existing among the South-West, the Middle Belt, the Niger Delta and the South-East.
The truth, which must be told, is that the far North has no intention whatsoever to relinquish power to any other region outside the far North. The longer this sad state of affairs is allowed to dominate the Nigerian political space, the more difficult it would be to have the President of Nigeria emerging from any part of the country outside the far North.
Nigeria as a country will continue to suffer from insecurity, poverty, nepotism and human rights abuse if the Presidency does not spread to other parts of the country and if the poorly prepared present constitution and the electoral laws are not altered to ensure justice, equality and brotherliness among Nigerians. Above all Nigeria cannot survive for long if the present presidential system of government is not replaced with one that best suits Nigeria in these present circumstances.

04/12/2019

SQUANDERMANIA OF PUBLIC FUND IN ZAMFARA STATE, AN EYE OPENER
What may be happening in all the states of Nigeria is becoming clear through the patriotic actions of the incumbent governor of Zamfara state where there is a disturbing revelation that the former governor, before leaving office, approved the payment of ₦360 million as gratuity and ₦10 million monthly pension for himself. His deputy and the speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly with his deputy were also not left out. It has been reported that when the news went public some politicians in other states saw the amount as too small which can serve as an indication that some states may have approved higher amounts to be paid to their governors and other politicians on leaving office irrespective of the number of years they had spent in office and the reason for their leaving office.
From the foregoing we can safely assume that whenever a politician in a category wins an election and assumes office, he is entitled to pension from public funds for as long as he lives based on the laws they unilaterally passed as their compensation on leaving office. That explains why an ex-governor who becomes a senator can continue to earn allowances he has fixed on his self for leaving office and still earn the staggering allowances he receives in his new office as a senator or member of the National Assembly.
When you put together what our political office holders earn all over Nigeria in a new office plus allowances from a previous office, the amount can become so large that it can contribute immensely to the high level of poverty that prevails in Nigeria today. It is no wonder therefore that the generous amounts our politicians have been paying themselves from public coffers must have been contributing to the high level of poverty in the country for the simple reason that when such large amounts are taken out of national revenue, very little is left to take care of other priority areas in the services rendered by the government for the overall development of Nigeria.
The revelation recently made by the World Bank that Nigeria is already sliding down to extreme poverty and unless something is done to stop it, that state of extreme poverty would be reached by year 2030, about 10 years from now. The World Bank also reveals that when that time comes, 30 million more Nigerians will join those who are already poor to become extremely poor in the next 10 years.
If our politicians do not see the report made public by the World Bank as something disturbing enough to make them take drastic measures towards improving the economy of Nigeria even if such steps include drastic reduction in their oversized income, then they must be extremely insensitive to the plight of Nigeria and therefore unworthy to remain where they are today.
What goes for governors and parliamentarians at state level also goes for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whose spending is so enormous that it must be kept secret from public scrutiny to avoid the dust that might be raised if made public.
Our politicians have been so used to spending public funds with no one to check them, even their conscience that there is now a need to pull down the whole political structure and replace it with a new one if we are to see any semblance of sanity in the Nigerian political space.

21/11/2019

Buhari’s Govt Is the Most Corrupt In Nigerian History. If you are in Doubt, answer these Questions. - Hope For Nigeria
1. What is the outcome of the Federal Inland Revenue Service N90 Billion corruption allegation and the 2019 Presidential Election?
2. Why is President Buhari seeking NASS approval to release N10.1 Billion to Kogi State on the eve of the Guber Election, after promising that no state will get a refund for FG projects done by them?
3. Why was the N25, billion corruption charges levelled against the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje dropped by the EFCC?
4. What is happening to the report of the House of Representatives Committee, indicting NEMA on the N5.8 Billion corruption allegation?
5. How much is President Buhari paying on subsidy?
6. What is happening to the N2.5 Billion NBC’s fraudulent contract?
7. Who owns the Ikoyi apartment where billions of Naira was discovered by the EFCC and why are we not hearing anything about the case?
8. When will the First Lady, Aisha Buhari’s ADC be tried for the huge allegation of corruption levelled against her/him?
9. Who reinstated and double promoted Abdularasheed Maina?
10. When will the NNPC $25 billion scandals be investigated and who are the people behind it?
11. What is happening to the N500 Million MTN bribery scandal?
12. What is happening to the embezzlement of IDP millions of Naira by the former SGF on the grass-cutting corruption allegation?
13. What happened to the N49 Million cash found at the Kaduna International Airport and who is the owner of the money?
14. Why is President Buhari still spending billions of Naira maintaining all the Presidential fleets he promised to sell if elected into office?
15. Why is President Buhari and his family still travelling abroad for medical care after promising he will stop medical tourism if elected as president of Nigeria?
16. And many more…
They came only to loot. - Hope For Nigeria
LIKE d PAGE if u have NOt done that already - Hope For Nigeria

21/11/2019

ALMOST FORTY YEARS IN POLITICAL WILDERNESS
For close to forty years, Nigeria has been wallowing in poverty with unsteady legs like a kindergarten in political wilderness. There is no gainsaying that this has been the greatest stumbling block in our quest for progress along with other less endowed nations of our planet. Some of them have in fact used Nigeria as a stepping stone in their great leap over and ahead of us.
After our childish euphoria of freedom from British colonial rule we have been on a honey moon for a long, long time while leaving fallow the vast uncultivated farmlands that have now been occupied by weeds and birds which road and fly over it unchallenged.
To worsen a bad situation, those who find their way, most of them, to positions to determine the future of the nation have become vampires and werewolves devouring whatever falls under their control with no regard to serve because they deride the words that described their terms of service.
Again, we have to say for emphasis that Nigeria is now a vast political wilderness infested with beasts, reptiles, disease-carrying insects and weeds which make us live like sinners or criminals in a dungeon because of the well intentioned activities of the self-motivated political class.
When Nigeria became independent in 1960, the type of government Nigeria inherited from the British was parliamentary. And despite the successes of the government that handed power over to us on a platter of gold, our politicians became so egocentric that they went on a search for the type of government that would satisfy their egocentrism. So, within a little over a decade of parliamentary governance, they sent feelers round for alternatives that would serve them better. That was how they arrived at the presidential system meant for highly developed economies where the rule of law was the order of the day and where there was a high degree of enlightenment spread all over the nation.
The presidential system of government may not be bad at all but it creates room for manipulation by politicians who are more interested in their selfish accumulation of wealth against the populace they are supposed to serve. So, as good as the presidential system may be, it can only operate successfully where there is a high level of patriotism based on a sound knowledge of democratic norms. It can never work where ignorance is the order of the day, where the law of the jungle holds sway as we now have in our dear country.
Happily, there are many enlightened and patriotic Nigerians who can turn the country around and could have made Nigeria the real pride of Africa if such persons had been placed from where they could formulate policies for the country. But such persons are not so negatively aggressive and accessible to unearned wealth that they can forcefully go close to the seat of power. They would rather remain at the background to watch events in the hope that sanity would one day prevail in the country or after a while when the right environment is provided for them to get to where they can exercise their wisdom.
By October, 2020 Nigeria would have experimented with the presidential system of government for forty years. What have we gained from this experiment or experience? The truth is that we have gained nothing of substance in terms of peace, stability and progress. A better way to put it is that we have retrogressed so much that most Nigerians are ashamed to call themselves citizens of this country. We have been living on a dream that one day we shall become a great nation. If wishes were horses, beggars might ride. We shall continue to wish and never have any opportunity to ride horses as long as we remain the way we are today.
Soon after the country’s experiment with the presidential system, it became painfully obvious that the country would never succeed in this expensive experiment. This was so evident to the mass media, who have been the voice of the people, that they made spirited attempts to tell Nigerians that the choice made by our politicians to resort to the system was a very bad one. But the politicians in their characteristic manner continued to run their business under the presidential system as if they were not aware of any voices from the mass media.
Only recently, just before the end of the last tenure of the present government, seventy one patriotic members of the House of Representatives, worried about the great harm that was being done to Nigeria by the presidential system, initiated action on what could have led to a return to the parliamentary system. But after the second reading of the bill, it has been silenced up till the end of the last session and there is no likelihood that any politician will say anything about it again.
While the matter was still pending in the National Assembly, we wrote at length in support of the seventy one legislators but our so-called representatives have developed a thick skin that would not be influenced by anything detrimental to their selfish interest.
We shall continue to use the social media to express our constructive views in the interest of the majority of Nigerians who have been passing through avoidable suffering caused by a government that is not sensitive to the feelings and aspirations of Nigerian citizens in the hope that sanity will eventually prevail to set us free from the high level of enslavement we have been passing through for years.

20/11/2019

FORTY DAYS TO THE BIRTH OF AN ALLIANCE OF ALL AUTHENTIC DEMOCRATS –AAAD
You have all seen the current political development in Nigeria that has given us no room for comfort. If we do not do something about it, the future remains very, very bleak. You and I are the intelligent Nigerians who can make things happen. We should make things happen otherwise we shall continue with the present sad situation to the detriment of our health and wellbeing under avoidable circumstances. Tomorrow, the 21st of November 2019, a post on forty years in the political wilderness will capture the political scenario in Nigeria for almost forty years and consider the prospect that lie ahead of us between now and 2023. Try by all means and get acquainted with the contents of this post as we prepare for the birth of AN ALLIANCE OF ALL AUTHENTIC DEMOCRATS.
Big things begin in a small way. We should therefore not look at what we are doing now as something insignificant. We hold the strong view that with the cooperation of leaders of the post on AAAD so much good will happen to Nigeria. You are an integral part of what will make that good happen now. You have seen how money politics has upset the norms of democracy and the progress of our country since independence. Posterity will not pardon us if we allow this to continue unabated. Once more we count on your active participation in the great crusade to place our country on the right path to stability and progress. Thank you.

12/11/2019

A HIGH PRESSURE POLITICAL GROUP IN THE OFFING – AAAD
A little over six weeks to the birth of an alliance of all authentic democrats, we are giving you below some of the objectives of this patriotic movement as we look forward to the birth on the 1st of January, 2020. For close to twenty years now, Nigeria has fallen prey to the most undemocratic forms of government, worsened in the past three years by nepotic and despotic government that will not listen to the voices of constructive suggestions and criticisms for the good of the nation. Since the government listens only to its own voice, this post is specifically for all Nigerian citizens who are aggrieved and want to see an end to a most unprogressive system of government and paralleled in the history of Nigeria. Please dear friend, get set to be an active player in this patriotic movement.
1. Insisting on a complete review of the Nigerian constitution. That is a new constitution based on the real needs of Nigerians including a review on the legal framework or system.
2. Urging an introduction of an equitable revenue and resource control that will increase the level of resourcefulness and efficiency of all Nigerians as well as ensuring that each group is properly rewarded for its contribution to national wealth.
3. To ensure that political power goes round the country based strictly on statistics and fairness.
4. Ensure a return to parliamentary government in view of the many disadvantages of the presidential system which has been in operation for about 40 years now with nothing positive to show for it.
5. A complete review of the present obnoxious and unproductive electoral laws.
6. To insist on special attention to health and education which have been relegated to the background over the years.
7. To recommend a more critical look of the need for character reform of all Nigerians.
8. To work assiduously for an end to the shameful political prostitution bedeviling the nation.
9. To call for a national conference and a possible referendum on how we relate to one another as Nigerians for unity and productivity.
10. To work for the actualization of at least five regions in Nigeria.
Think deeply and pray fervently to the Almighty for its success. Remain blessed.

02/11/2019

THE 35 YEARS JOURNEY IN A VICIOUS CIRCLE
In July 1984 following the events of December 1983, yours sincerely published a document in a magazine, not widely circulated, about the mentality of Nigerian politicians and what to do to effect necessary changes. Now, in 2019 we are still dancing within the vicious circle. The following is an excerpt from that publication to enable you compare the situation in 1983 with the political situation in Nigeria today.
“CAUSES OF NIGERIA’S MALADY
Soon after the military boys sent the defunct civilian government packing on 31st December, 1983, shocking revelations were made of the corrupt practices of the civilian regime. Noteworthy among them was their indulgence in amassing wealth far out of proportion to their immediate and future personal or even family needs. In just four years and three months some of them were believed to have ran away with as much as half a billion naira of public money. These and many other societal ills confirm the strong view held by deep and right thinking Nigerians that the country has been moving in the wrong direction, call it progress or growth. It further confirms the opinion held by some that solutions so far advanced by successive governments as well as Nigerians of various walks of life for curing the country of its ills have failed because they were made without a clear understanding of the root causes of such ills. In other words, the treatment prescribed for these ills had been made on the basis of observable symptoms alone. Even where a particular treatment applied appears to have achieved a measure of success, such success eventually turns out to be of temporary nature with the causes not completely removed. Thus, solutions applied removed only the effects and not the causes, leaving room for the reemergence of the supposedly removed ills.
LOVE OF MONEY, ROOT OF ALL EVIL
While this may appear like an exaggeration, it does contain a gem of truth especially in a country like Nigeria in which men and women have almost completely lost the true value of money. The propensity of Nigerians to get rich quickly by all means and at all costs makes money or its love the principal cause of Nigeria's malady today. Yes, there is no denying the fact that the almost morbid desire by Nigerians to amass wealth so as to outshine others in material possessions is the major cause of the evils in the Nigerian society today. Why have Nigerians allowed money to become their commanding master instead of an obedient servant? Let us now try to identify some of the reasons why money is at the centre of all that may be regarded as Nigeria's societal ills.
OVERWHELMING CLASS/STATUS CONSCIOUSNESS
As the society becomes more and more complex, which is a natural phenomenon in a capitalist system, problems of integration become more and more pronounced. While in the developed capitalist countries like Britain, the USA, France and others, the intermingling of the various classes in the society has brought about minimal class or status consciousness, the Nigerian experience has been a painful and horrifying one. In Nigeria, the development of a complex society has brought in its wake so much consciousness of class difference that those in the lower classes are always struggling, often to the point of obsession, for advancement to the highest class. Competition is so keen that some people are prepared to do just anything, ethical or unethical, moral or immoral, just or unjust, to enhance their status in society. Money has become the only visible means by which such enhancement may be facilitated and the desire for it has become so uncontrollable that ethics and morals are thrown to the winds in the bid to acquire wealth.
The society at large has encouraged this unwholesome attitude because money has now become the number one symbol of greatness, the ultimate in success, of one's position in the society and of happiness. Achievements are measured by the amount of money one has in terms of his material possessions and what he spends at social and religious occasions. Other contributions not quantifiable which one may have made take second place as long as money is not part of them. Our motto seems to be “the end justifies the means”, that is, what one has is more important than the means used by him to acquire it. That is why robbers, corrupt officials in government and private sectors of the economy who donate generously to tribal and religious groups are acclaimed true sons of the soil or saints worthy of emulation by others, and elevated to high positions of honour in such groups.
EXCESSIVE AND UNCHECKED ETHNIC AND TRIBAL SENTIMENTS
If we take a close look at the kinds of societies we have in countries like Britain, France, Germany, and even some countries in Africa, we find that they do not have many language groups as we do in Nigeria. This may have made the task of achieving national goals much easier than here in Nigeria. However, even in countries where the number of tribal groups is close to what we have in Nigeria, the various groups seem more willing to subdue their ethnic sentiments in the interest of national unity and progress than Nigerian language and ethnic groups. In Nigeria, each group does everything possible to strengthen their tribal and ethnic bonds through tribal meetings and cultural activities and emphasize on their superiority over the other tribes. Thus, tribal and ethnic loyalty becomes paramount in the life of every Nigerian. This breeds a sense of belonging and loyalty to one's group at the expense of the country as a political unit.
When a Nigerian attains a position of eminence and influence either in Government or in the commercial sector, his first preoccupation is to cater to the interests of those very close to him more particularly within his tribal or ethnic enclaves while others watch with envy and indignation. Charity, they say, begins at home, but, overdone, it becomes a cankerworm which can reduce to pieces the fabric of the society.

As long as this unhealthy rivalry goes on, the nation at large is the loser as competence, efficiency, and loyalty to the nation are relegated to the background.
RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS
Tribal, ethnic or language group consciousness which is deep rooted in Nigeria tends to affect almost all aspect of his life particularly the religious aspect. To the average Nigerian, religion comes next to his tribe in deciding where his loyalty should go. The Nigerian who is a member of any of the major religions holds the belief that his is the best even where he has little or no knowledge about the good points to the credit of the other religions. Where he does not hold such belief, it is forced on him. He therefore feels justified in doing anything to further the cause of his religion and considers his actions not only acceptable to his god but also capable of attracting to him some material or spiritual reward. Because of this, there is today a great deal of suppressed religious intolerance in the country which at times manifests in the form of violence and other forms of emotional outbursts.
WRONG UPBRINGING OF CHILDREN
Psychologists have discovered that the first seven years of a child's life are the period during which the foundation of his character in later life is laid. Thus, a child left without proper home training in this period is likely to become a problem to his parents and the society in later life. He is, in most cases, a more difficult child to discipline and tends to have little or no sense of responsibility. It is a national tragedy that many Nigerians now give very little or no attention to their children's proper upbringing, expecting the school teacher and the religious instructor to shoulder a responsibility which is purely that of the parents.
Many of us who spend very little time with our children give the excuse that we are out struggling to earn for their comfort. Little is realized that an incalculable harm is being done to the children through negligence of duties. What is the value of one or two million naira in the bank and probably a vast estate left for the children to inherit if they have not been brought up to appreciate the real value of such wealth, taking it for granted and not using it wisely. What chances have such children of making substantial contributions to the society and of bringing up responsible children if they have any later life?
EXPOSURE TO AFFLUENCE, UNDESERVED WEALTH
The exposure of many Nigerians to unearned wealth and affluence has been so sudden that most of us are just struck blind to reason and commonsense in forming our spending habits. The British, the Americans, the Germans, and the French, for example, moved gradually from the farms to heavy industries, passing through very difficult times, to get to where they are today. For most of us now living in opulence, it has been a straight jump from the farm hut, with little or no western education, to heavily furnished, air conditioned houses, offices, most expensive cars in the world and even luxurious private jet planes.
When a Nigerian observes that his nouveau rich neighbour who, from the look of things, does not possess any special abilities, suddenly buying this and that, and living a life far above what he deserves, feelers are spread to find out what is the source of such dramatic change. Should he discover the secret of his nieghbour's wealth and cannot follow his footsteps, he devises other means to acquire wealth, not only to become like the neighbour, but to beat him in the game of amassing wealth. This practice is rampant in the country because Nigerian families, especially members of the extended family system, mixed freely. The outcome may well be a resort to whatever one can do to get rich so long as there is a good chance of keeping away from the watchful eyes of the law or he knows how to bend the law to his favour if caught red-handed, or found out. Nigerians have acquired expertise at this game.
DEFECTIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM
To a great extent, our educational system has contributed to Nigerians societal ills today not necessarily by any act of commission but by our omitting a very important aspect of the system, moral education at all levels. We have copied the British and the American Educational systems without modifying them to suit our peculiar social circumstances. We have been deceived into believing that religious instruction is all that is necessary for growing children in primary and secondary schools. This keeps us out of touch with the realities of our changing times.
The end product of Nigeria's ills is that a political post and indeed any position of eminence, be it professional or purely administrative, which confers on a citizen enormous opportunities for making thousands or millions of naira in a short time becomes a goal highly priced, not for the opportunities in confers on the holder for service to the community but for prestige and the satisfaction of selfish interests.
It is not surprising that most Nigerians who have aspired to leadership within the political system operating in the country or in public or private sectors in the economy did so for purely personal reasons, far from a genuine desire to raise the living standard of those that they were supposed to serve.
Returning to the political office holder of the ousted civilian government, one might be inclined to ask what they wanted to do with all the money either found on them or believed to be in their possession. The answer is simply that they had discovered that all that was required to win an election to a political post in Nigeria was money, so why not accumulate as much of it as they could lay hands on? Did they not enjoy immunity to legal prosecution, and were they not in control of the law enforcement agencies?”
You can now see clearly that the vicious circle has become more vicious which may well be understood as a sign that drastic measures must be taken immediately to enable us break the circle to breathe in the breath of life that enables human beings appreciate their existence and live happily to fulfill their destiny. All informed Nigerians know that the political situation today is grinding the country to a standstill irrespective of the promises we have been reading and hearing about changes because corruption is only one of the problems bedeviling Nigeria.
I tried to get close to Buhari early in 2016 but failed because the thinking then was that anyone who made such moves was selfishly motivated. Later I made another attempt to reach him through those I knew were political associates with my program on Character Refinement but this again failed because they never responded to written requests to them.
By 2017 I concluded that Buhari was no longer himself, the one I adored so much in 1984 having been transformed beyond recognition. Even as one who is no longer a young person, I can say with pride that I have never been interested in the type of politics in the vogue in Nigeria and rebuffed attempts to pursue a political career because of my youthful activism.
The God I know and trust will never let me down as I continue with the mission to play whatever role He inspires me to play as a citizen of this country. For I know that the sufferings of the innocent and the downtrodden is only for a while.
I, therefore urge all young persons with political ambition to come closer to me for us to chart a new course for a bright new era devoid of selfishness and unity. May God continue to be our impartial guide and protector in the coming days.