NIGERIA MASSES PROJECT(NIMAP)

Nigerian problem is fundamental.

It is very clear that those who are real  adversaries to the people in this country will never allow anything that could make it move forward.It is those of them who are antagonists, of anything Sovereign National Conference wittingly.They are inimical; ill-disposed to the peaciful co-existence of Nigeria knowingly or unknowingly.


To be candid, it is very astonishing to hear that those at the head of affaires in Nigeria,has totally refused to convene Sovereign National Conference SNC.
You must agree with me that the true enemise of Nigeria people are those who has been blocking, Sovereign National Conference. They do not have Nigeria at heart all their interest is on the continous looting of the common wealth of Nigerian people,they are afraid of losing their position and not fear of losen Nigeria.This set of people are very,perspicaciously in looting public funds,and premeditatively, seeking an end of Nigeria by violence.


I want to make it  very clear to those of them who are against SNC that there is nothing wrong for Nigerians to come out and discuss how they are governed. No constitution amendment could replace it, because the problem of Nigeria is not constitution,but rather fundamental.It has been an issue this time the Nigeria's corporate existence must have to be discussed willy-nilly.The distribution of our common wealth is lop-sided,making it mandatory that we must seek for a true federalism where it will favour all the geo-political zones in the country.
The president Goodluck Jonathan and his legislators,who are opponents of SNC,must know that they were elected to that position by the people of Nigeria,therefore what ever the people deemed necessary for the good of the nation must be adhered to. The nation is made up of it's people and the people elected them to represent their interest! Be that as it may,the must be aware that,the pews can not be taller than the pulpit.


The aclaimed National Assembly being peoples representatives are all fallacy;they are all there representating their pocket and not for the people. To make it straight, for them not allowing Nigerians to hold the sovereign national conference is a clear indication that they are not representing the people but their own selfish interest.Most of them are just  POPEGA  politicians (politics of personal gain).As a people we have every right to chat a way forward of our country and must not be blocked by the few individual who has been looting the country dry.


 Mahatma Gandhi, of India once said this I qoute;"Government control gives rise to fraud, suppression of Truth, intensification of the black market and artificial scarcity.  Above all, it unmans the people and deprives them of initiative, it undoes the teaching of self-help...I look upon an increase in the power of the State with the greatest fear because, although while apparently doing good by minimizing exploitation, it does the greatest harm to mankind by destroying individuality which lies at the heart of all progress".
It is very clear to us today that those in government has been using their popular position (error) to suppress  the unpopular truth,we must agitate and defend the truth we know.




By Comr.Evan Akahson.

POVERTY ERADICATION IN NIGERIA HOW TRUE IS IT!

This is the time Nigeria people will rise up and seek to know the truth from the
leadership of this country,whilst a country like Nigeria is still having over 112 million people living under sub-jected poverty,according to the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) not long ago.
The story is the same from North to the South,hunger,homelessness,sexual
exploitation,diseases,child labour etc.

Things has remain acerbus bacuase of the non chalant atitude of the Nigeria people,who has refused to come out from their comfort zone and truly seek for their own right from the government who swore to protect them.There must be spirit of vivacity to achieve this.It is a true fact that in most part of Nigeria,some families are more than ten living in one room face me and face you.These same set of deprived people in other to make ends meet send their children and wards out to hawk goods on the streets due to lack of insufficiency.
Today Nigerians believe that living in this country is like living as a slave,where
deprivation is a necessity.
Having say that,it is the duty of government to provide aequus play ground for the people to help themselves out of the adstringo proverty in Nigeria.Such as giving its people quality education,empowerment of youths,special programmes for women development.

We must note that quality education is very important for human development and any body without education becomes hopeless in life. It is very true that lack of education is part of the things that constitute poverty.
It is certain that poverty is written every where in peoples face in Nigeria ,it could be feeled.In the past Governments has been made efforts to arret poverty in Nigeria,but how sincere they were,is going to be discussion for another day.
In 1979 General Olusegun Obasanjo introduce operation feed the nation (OFN).Then followed by President Shehu Shagari in 1980. The government of Babangida came out with Directorate of Food,Roads and Rural infrastructure (DIFRRI). After Bagangida's administration,then came in General Sani Abacha 1993-1998,established Family Economic Advancement programme (FEAP).In Chief Olusegun Obasanjo second comeing as the president of Nigeria,introduced the National Poverty Programme (NAPEP).

All this agency where meant to fight poverty in Nigeria. But it is quite amezing that non of this agencies was able to reduce proverty talkless of eradicating poverty in Nigeria and yet billions of dollars where sunk in this programmes, and no body has ever rising up to seek know how those funds where spent.
What is president Jonathan doing today to reduce poverty in Nigeria.It is very clear that he is not doing anything new in this matter. His government is nothing but an old wine in a new bottle.

To stop poverty in Nigeria corruption must be dealt with, we must create a competitive, and true federal political structure and restructure Nigeria economy if this poverty malady is to be redressed. Sovereign National conference (SNC)remain the answer to solve all this anomaly.
What Nigeria need is nothing but AEQUITAS EQUITAS!
I rest my pain.
Comrade Evan O.Akahson.

Religion of corruption in Nigeria.

Corruption has turn out to be come a religion in Nigeria.
It cought accross every devide from the little clerks in the office to the high profile 
politicians are all worshipers of corruption.


What will you say about ministers,commissioners,police officers,those at the stock 
exchange and brokers,military officers,recruiters of police and military,sportsmen and 
women,Judiciary,lecturers,government employees,you can count on and on corruption is seen and felt from the base of the chain to top of every part of Nigeria.


The most worrisome part of it is that corruption is not limited to only those who does not cliam to know God,even those who are among the most corrupts are highly religious and have family ties with religious leader's.


In Nigeria corruption has no boundaries,hence it has become the biggest religion in 
Nigeria. Corruption is not a luxury but rather a frustration of poor soul,the religion of 
corruption must be fought with every seriousness,the corruption of politics,and dishonest of souls and perversion of intergrity is unpardonable, and must be jailable.


One of the things that had contributed to the corruption and made it susceptible in the 
civil service is low salaries coupled with inflation.This low salaries brought in 
inefficiencies and less accountablity.Because the crime of corruption is easily forgotten 
in Nigeria,every other found it a better religion to join,since the law offers easy way to 


rejoin the mainstream and acceptance by the society.
Nigerians must shade all sorts of lure of luxury,unecessary personal status 
enhancement,false sense of elitism, if we can make Nigeria a free corrupt nation.
Nigerians must debate since we are in a democratic despensation,on how politicians fund their campaigns. This has been one of the area that breed corruption from our 


politicians,be that as it may,corruption,unetchical,ilegal and immoral campaign funding 
must be checked by law. If this nation can run a free curropt state,we have to stop every abuses that dominate politicians campaign financing.


Things we need to do to reduce corruption: 
1.There must be change in structure,where there is too much power vested on the leader(s) 
2.There must be laws strongly implemented consistently and swiftly to consequate corrupt practices. 
3) There must be adequate Compensation considering the standard of living in the 
setting.True; religion and religious congregations must support and promote anti-corruption drives.
Note this;It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.


I rest my pain!
Comrade Evan.Akahson.

Nigeria a poverty striking nation.

It is very astonishing that since the regime of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida,Nigeria has 
been fighting poverty alleviation. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo came in with the spirit of eradicating poverty which was of course imposible,he failed.President Yaradua came and could not do much. Then came in the aclaimed transformationist Dr.Goodluck Jonathan,who has not been matching his words with action. He has only succeeded in transforming Nigeria into a more poverty striking nation. 


The report of National Bureau of Statistics which has shown a staggering 112.519 million Nigerians live in relative poverty condition is a true indication that our past and 
present leader's in Nigeria are all myopic in thinking and has not what it takes to make 
Nigeria a less poverty striking nation. Are you  perplexed? Please don't be,Nigeria is 
truly in a state of discombobulation and arse-about-face.


This are the same leader's who promise to take us to pomised land when eclected into 
office, they became bladdered by power. Nigeria is country where 69 per cent of it's citizens are living in a poverty condition,it is some thing to worry about.Infact it is metagrobolize!Have we ever asked our selves,what ecxertly is going on with the anti-poverty and employment gerneration agency and invervention programmes goverments has been pretending to be carring out all this past years?


The people of Nigeria will no longer accept this situation whereby the collective 
resources of the people is bing enjoyed by the few priviladged once.
This present Government must wake up to the call and do something very drastic to 
redistribute peoples national wealth.At this present situation where only few people enjoy our collective patrimony is no longer acceptable.Time has come when the rich in Nigeria will lose sleep for the poor to eat.


It is very flabagesting, that those who have no shoes to wear yesterday; and today have uncountable shoes!should forget the fact that they were only favourd by God to have it. And most not forget their responsibilties to those who are today in the same situation they were yesterday.


Poverty level has continue to increase in Nigeria because the those who has been 
opportuned to be our leader's has no business being there,they do not have any VISION.To make it straight God did not call them hence, they have no clear MISSION,they call themselves no matter the kind of interpretation they may give to it. God can not give you a vision with out a mission,God can not give you a mission without a platt form to achieve that vision.


Those looter's who created platt form for themselves when the know too well that they have no vision, had only succeeded in using economic hardship and diprivation to distroy the life's of those who have the vision.


The only way We can reduce the high rate of poverty in Nigeria is to elect a leader with a clear vision. A leader who is lion hearted,the one that has the welfare of the masses at heart. We must no longer allow those Brahms-and-Liszt who are go bonkers,who are nothing but shitheads to contiue to lord it over us.
I promise to remain the praeconor preconor of the masses in Nigeria.


May God give us the audentia to seek for the right part.


Comrade Evan Akahson.

SNC DOES NOT MEAN DISINTEGRATION!

  
The trouble in Nigeria today began on the day the Europeans set foot on this shore,later called Nigeria. Let us look into a brief history on important dates the journey of this country called Nigeria began.As we can see that Nigerians has refused to learn from history,our leaders are only been malevolence,putting Nigeria in a state of nihilism.


In 1851 (December 26-27): Royal Navy warship bombards Lagos. Oba of Lagos (Oba Kosoko) flees to Epe, wounded.
On board the ship was Lt. Labulo Davies, probably the first Nigerian to be commisioned in a naval force.
1862 (January 1): Lagos Island annexed as a colony of Britain
1862 (January 22): Mr H.S Freeman appointed (first) Governor of Lagos Colony.
1877: George Taubman Goldie arrived in the Niger Delta in 1877


1885: Oil Rivers Protectorate proclaimed by the British after they had defeated of King Jaja of Opobo, the Oba of Benin and subdued all prominent oil merchants of the Niger Delta.
1892 (19 May): At the Battle of the (sacred) Yemoja River the British wreaks havoc amongst the Ijebu infantry with a British Maxim (capable of firing 2000 rounds in three minutes).
1893: Oil Rivers Protectorate renamed Niger Coast Protectorate with its capital at Calabar.


1890's: British Journalist Flora Shaw, later who became wife of Lord Frederick Lugard, suggests the name "Nigeria" after the great Niger River.
1897: The British overthrow Oba Ovonramwen of Benin. One of the last independent West African kings.


1900: Niger Coast Protectorate was merged with the colony and protectorate of Lagos and renamed Protectorate of Southern Nigeria


1914: Formation of Nigeria under Governor Frederick Lugard


1929 (October): (Aba Women's Riot). Women in Aba demonstrate against high taxes and low prices of Nigerian exports.


1954: The position of Governor was created in each region after the Federal System of Government was adopted.


1958: Nigerian Armed Forces came under Federal control. The Nigerian Navy was created.


1959: The new Nigerian currency was introduced


1959: Northern Peoples Congress(NPC)and Niger Delta Congress(NDC)go into alliance to contest parliamentary elections. The alliance earned the Brass Division a seat in the Federal Parliament for the first time.
1960(July): Sir Adesoji Aderemi becomes 1st Nigerian and 1st African to be appointed Governor in the Commonwealth. He became Goernor before Nigeria got independence.
1960 (October 1): Independence. Nnamdi Azikiwe ("Zik") becomes 1st indigenous Governor General. At independence, the Nigerian government consisted of three ethnic states united in a federation. Each state was controlled by a single dominant ethnic-based party.
How ever, the causes of conflict in Nigeria could be traced back to 1966 when there was a back-back military coup. The first was in January and led by a collection of young leftists under Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. 
It was partially successful; the coup which took the life of the then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the premier of the northern Region, Sir Ahmedu Bello, the premier of the western region, Sir Ladoke Akintola. 
Despite this, the coup could not be totally succesful to be able to set up a central government because of logistic reasons. Sir Nwafor Orizu, who became the acting president was then pressured to hand over government to the Nigeria Army, under the Command of General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi. The coup was conceived out of the disequilibrium and perceived corruption of the electoral and political process.


 It was however counter-acted by another successful plot, supported primarily by northern military officers and northerners who favored the NPC; it was engineered by northern officers, which allowed Lt Colonel Yakubu Gowon to become head of state. This sequence of events led to increase in ethnic tension and homicidal. 
The northern coup, which was mostly motivated by ethnic and religious reasons, was a vicious bloodbath of both military officers and civilians, especially those of Igbo extraction. This cruel demoniac against the Igbo increased their desire for autonomy and protection from the military’s wrath. By May 1967, the Eastern region had declared itself an independent state called the Republic of Biafra under the leadership of Lt Colonel Emeka Ojukwu in line with the wishes of the people. This coerciveness or vehement against the Igbo's has continued till date.


The Nigeria Civil War began as the Nigerian (Western and Northern) side attacked Biafra (South-eastern) on July 6, 1967 at Garkem signaling the beginning of the 30 month war that ended in January 1970. According to records avliable more than one million people died in the three-year civil war. These killings created a lasting wound in the heart of the bereaved and revenge rested at the hearts of the citizens. 
Could we allow the activities of Boko Haram to repeat history? No nation goes into war two times and come out safely.When one is pushed too much to the wall he look for defense mechanism.It is time for Sovereign National conference SNC,let the ethnic Nigerians deter min on how they are governed,since they were not part of forming the country Nigeria. 
SNC DOES NOT MEAN DISINTEGRATION,but if the people of Nigeria decide to go it's seperate ways so be it.


Comrade Evan Akahson.

A Call On Mr. President To Scrap The Office Of First Lady And Matters Arising

By Zik Gbemre, JP

Dear Sir: We find it appalling to notice the way some issues of lawlessness, shameful public shows are being practiced in Nigeria as if such practices are enshrined in the laws of the country. It has gotten to the point where the people, have been made to swallow and accept whatever rubbish being dished out by the government, to be accepted as a norm, and therefore, nobody should question its relevance or importance. This is the exact problem with the title; “First Lady,” with its flashy trend and public show, that is ascribed to the wives of the Presidents, State Governors, Local Government Chairmen and even Councillors. What started as a way of exuding influence and power beside the man on the Executive hot seat, has now been turned into an avenue of wealth accumulation and waste of public funds.

The rate at which the office of the First Lady, that has no iota of constitutional backing, is used by the government of the day to carry out some “sensitive government function,” is becoming a serious source of concern and nobody is asking questions. We were taken aback when recently, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was said to have commissioned the newly procured warship from the United States of America, by the Nigerian Navy; NNS Thunder, at the Naval Base, Apapa, Lagos. We could not help but ask: Why should the Office of the First Lady be the one to commission a sensitive national asset on Security? What constitutional bearing does the Office of the First lady have, to be given the responsibility to commission one of the country’s warship?

Since when has the office of the First Lady, which is occupied by the wife of the President, assume the responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria? If Mr. President is indisposed to commission the said NNS Thunder (as the Commander-in-Chief), we believe other government officials like the Vice President, the Minister of Defence etc, whose offices are recognised by the Nigerian Constitution; are there to appropriately represent the President in Commissioning the said warship. For us, the whole scenario is simply an abuse of power/office and misplacement of priority.

Since 1999, we have in countless occasions called on the Presidency to scrap the office of First Lady. But it appears we have been talking to brick walls, as the said office of the First Lady is daily gathering more storm that are obviously out of place, especially with the present government led by President Goodluck Jonathan, whose wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, is the number one culprit with others behind. However, we hope this time around, Mr. President will heed this genuine call and take the appropriate steps to have the supposed Office of the First Lady scrapped completely.

For a start, maintaining the so called Office of the First Lady is not a child’s play. They wield much power, wealth, and influence and access to them could open the door to unimaginable rewards. Although unelected and without any role in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they strut the landscape with large convoys, complete with a retinue of aides. They are usually accompanied by officials on the payroll of government, and they have unfettered access to state funds property such as presidential jets, vehicles, buildings furniture etc, and perks like overseas travel.

As earlier noted, the wife of President Jonathan, Patience, is the ‘Chief culprit’ as she currently parades herself as the ‘First Lady’ of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And at the State levels, the wives of the governors take the lower step on the ladder, a function which is replicated at the level of the local governments.

The crux of the matter is that the Office of First Lady in whatever levels of government is not enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and is not known to Nigerians as being a legitimate constituted and accepted Office. Yet, public funds are daily wasted through this office. His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to uphold the Rule of law and respect the Constitution as a cardinal principle.

Like we said, the so called “Office of the First Lady,” which President Jonathan’s wife occupies, has no place in the Constitution or on the list of the Federal Executive Bodies. It therefore stands to question where President Jonathan’s wife derives the powers to issue statements, commission sensitive security assets, and make pronouncements from an illegal office. It also belies good reasoning that Mr. President would attach Senior and junior government officials to such an office, even though he is well aware that this is in clear contravention of the constitution he swore to defend and obey.

For those of us who do not know, the so-called Office of the First Lady was made popular and known in the late 1960’s when Gen. Yakubu Gowon was Head of State. His wife, Mrs. Victoria Gowon, who was a trained Nurse, portrayed a lot of influence beside her husband, the General. This made her noticeable in the public’s eye, coupled with her various disguised philanthropic activities. Then came Gen.Murtala Mohammed (late), who had no time for the frivolous activities of the ‘Office of the First Lady,’ but was more interested in the acts of good governance. Gen. Mohammed, a no-nonsense brave soldier with the passion of improving the standard of living of the ordinary citizens paid no attention to the ‘Office of the First Lady’ and this relegated it to the background, making it nothing to write home about. Upon his calculated death, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) took over from his then boss and never gave impetus to the ‘Office of the First Lady,’ but rather strictly followed the footsteps of his predecessor, and ultimately handed power to a civilian, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Shagari, being the first Executive President on 1st October 1979, did not take note of the ‘Office of the First Lady.’ Although some say this is as a result of his having many wives to contend with, however, the ‘Office of the First Lady’ remained dormant throughout his stay in office.

Then during the time of Maj. Gen. Mohammed Buhari (rtd), who toppled the civilian government, there was nothing like the Office of the First Lady with its attendant ceremonious activities. It was all military affair. But everything concerning the so called Office of the First Lady was revitalized and given more muscles to operate (much more than Gowon’s regime), when Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) came into power in August 27. 1985. His wife, Miriam Babangida (late), carried the First Lady status on her shoulder as if it was a crown, and toured most parts of the world, living an affluent and flamboyant lifestyle, wasting public funds on disguised government activities said to help the needy in the society. Then came Gen. Sani Abacha (late), with his stringent autocratic selfish policies/degrees that brought untold pain to the masses, just like his predecessor had done while in office.

Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar’s brief stay in office, did not give much room for his wife as the First Lady, to be noticed by the Nigerian Public. And when former president Olusegun Obasanjo came back in 1999 as a civilian, he promised Nigerians in the first week of his administration that he was not going to be wasteful like the military regimes, and that he was going to scrap the Office of the First Lady since the position does not exist in the Nigerian Constitution. But surprisingly, as time passed by, Obasanjo swallowed his words like others and allow his late wife, Stella Obasanjo, whom he preferred to be first amongst others, to carry the First Lady status to another dimension with different NGOs. And of cause, the wives of the State Governors and Council Chairmen towed the same line through these years till today.

Surprisingly, there is a Ministry of Women Affairs, staffed by a full complement of civil servants and headed by an Honourable Minister. Generally, President Jonathan’s wife public function, as the so-called ‘First Lady,’ amount to a duplication of functions of the Ministry. Mr. President’s wife has also represented Nigeria at high level meetings around the country and overseas. It is worthy to mention here that the outcomes of such interactions can be readily challenged in court as illegal and of no effect.

Some have argued that the projects of first ladies and governor’s wives are non-governmental in nature. However, Nigerians would like to know who pays the Special advisers, Special assistants, Protocol Officers, physicians, security and Personal Aides usually attached to the wives of Presidents and Governors. At whose expense does President Jonathan’s wife travel around the country and overseas? This makes Nigerians worried about President Jonathan’s avowed commitment to probity and transparency. We believe Nigerians will be glad if Mr. President could publish the sources of financing of his wife’s activities as ‘First Lady’ since he succeeded the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. This would be a great achievement for his administration.

Sometime late 2010, a national newspaper reported that President Jonathan’s wife accompanied him to the United Nations General Assembly with 23 aides. These included her steward, security aides, personal physician, protocol officers and four of her friends. In March 2011, an aircraft that conveyed her to Sokoto State for a visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, reportedly developed a fault. Another aircraft had to be flown from Abuja to Sokoto to pick her and members of her entourage. Mr. President, these are some of the things that constitute a needless drain on the nation’s resources. And like we said, it is not in the nation’s interest for President Jonathan’s wife to occupy an office that has no Constitutional or legal backing.

We believe the wives of our Executive leaders can still be very powerful and influential at the home background of their husbands as leaders. There are Ministries and Commissions like we have stated, that are doing what the so-called “First Ladies’ are doing today, hence it is all duplication of duties. We believe whatever public services that are intended by the wives of the various Heads of government, such public services should be handled by these Ministries or done through the ‘Head of government,’ as long as the office is constitutionally recognised. The best place that the wife of Mr. President and the wives of state governors and local government Chairmen should be seen and heard are during ceremonies and occasions that requires their presence beside their husbands. Mr. President should not hesitate to have the so-called Office of the First Lady scrapped in its entirety, including their NGOs, Pet Projects and whatever Foundations (that are funded with public funds) under these offices.

Nigerians are not happy at the flamboyance displayed by Mr. President’s wife and other holders of such offices at the state and local government levels. They are even given ample airtime on state-owned television and radio stations, at the expense of Nigerian tax payers. On our roads, the convoys of the so-called ‘First Ladies’ cause agonies for other road users. We all recall how horrified people were at the extravagance displayed by the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. Due to the absence of public records in Nigeria, it is difficult to know if the extravagance of our so-called first ladies is at per or has surpassed the record left by Imelda.

Conclusively, we urgently call on President Goodluck Jonathan to consider it expedient to ask his wife to stop parading herself within the ambit of the supposed Office of the First Lady. Mr. President should withdraw all paraphernalia attached to this illegal office and direct his deputy’s wife and the wives of governors and their deputies and local government Chairmen to do same. If the President should feel a compelling need for such an office, it should be subjected to public hearing by the National Assembly where Nigerians will offer their views on the desirability of such at a time of competing needs and scarce resources. We know some of the aides of Mr. President may ask him to ignore this request but we can assure him that soon, Nigerians will demand scrutiny of the activities of his wife, in her capacity as the so-called ‘First Lady,’ through the instrumentality of the FOI Act. However, let us be truthful with ourselves and do the right thing as suggested. This we urge.

Sincerely,
Zik Gbemre, JP