My encounter with an Ijaw clan…

Below is a long line of conversation I had with some Ijaw youths at an online forum. Though long, I enjoin that you read through and understand the peculiarities therein…

Okah Ewah Edede wrote: The escape of the Hausa-Fulani Islamist cum Boko Haram terrorist Christmas day bomber, Kabir Sokoto, from the custody of another Hausa-Fulani Islamist cum Security Chief, CP Zakari Biu, is a harbinger of onrushing unpleasantness awaiting Nigeria in the nearest future. It is high time all Christians: Middle-belts, Yorubas, Igbos, and South-South start speaking with one voice. We shouldn’t only speak but should start gearing up for a showdown. It makes me very sad to say this because I love this country, but I can see Nigeria going the way of Sudan.
The Hausa-Fulani Moslems don’t love us Christians (Igbos, Yorubas, South-South and Middle-belts). They hate us with a terrifying passion; they are consumed with an insatiable appetite for our blood; they can’t stand the thought of a Christian ruling this country as a President. They believe it is their right to rule: an inheritance from Uthman Dan-Fodio.
Christians, we must be ready. We must stand up and fight. This is not the time for the cosmetic sentiment of ‘One Nigeria.’ One Nigeria can only be realistic if the Hausa-Fulani Moslems believe in it, but the sad truth is that they don’t! They despise the concept of a secular Nigeria with the principle of equality of nations. They only see a one Nigeria of domination where they are the Sheiks and we (Christians) are the slaves. They want to forcefully achieve the policy of total islamization of Nigeria!

Onari Georgewill wrote: Tru talk but our bros from the (south)west may not agree to the clarion call

Okah Ewah Edede wrote: That will be to their eternal damnation

Okah Ewah Edede wrote: I forgot to mention Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a die-hard islamic fundamentalist and Chief betrayal of President Goodluck Jonathan

Patrick Onyekachi wrote: Hmmmmm, ok oo

Shuaib Tsofo wrote: This is unfortunate

Jarni Ekpe wrote: Joe I strongly support you brother. Its high time we took a strong decision on(sic) voice as christians. Even with my eyes closed, I will never fear to confront these cowards called muslims.

Okah Ewah Edede wrote: Jarni Ekpe we all know rugged and trusted you are. You have proved yourself in many battles… Them be toys

Julius Williams wrote: I swear, dese abokis wud not survive 1yr without us.let’s 4gv dem, 4 dey dnt av the mental capacity to discern their stupidity

Jarni Ekpe wrote: @Joe….my broda, we are only retired but no(sic) tired

Abdulmaleeq T Ibrahim wrote: LOL Okah… I Luv Ur poems and paintings and I tnk dats about it… People like U no longer despise or put me in grief… You’ve inflicted yourself with a self-imposed detachment from the reality of the times. You seriously believe that the vultures take time to select their catch huh? You sound desperate, nonsensical and all together laughable. You sound every bit of the bigot you accuse others of. I pity how you must live every day of your life wearing such hate. Damn!

Julius Williams wrote: @abdulmaleeq, u just confirmed my feelings about u and ur aboki brodas (read my previous comment) hahahaha

Abdulmaleeq T Ibrahim wrote: With all due respect Julius, I would rather I have an intellectual discourse with people of saner minds than succumb to your spineless parables of pure ignorance and little grasp of the issue at stake. People like you, mere echoes of other people’s thoughts and sentiments sadly fill the vacuum of this terrible times we find ourselves. You are neither there nor here, bereft of sound judgment, dwelling forever in that long abyss of jaundiced prejudice. That you cannot offer anything of clarity to substantiate your nauseating claim does not permit you license to sing at will… Please let me discuss with a more elevated mind than yours…

Julius Williams wrote: ….u try, atleast u are the 1st aboki I know who writes gud grammer(sic), even tho u are stil as worthless as my early monin pupu

Santos Goinbeyond limits Dikeh wrote: @Abdul you r d bigot and if you were sensible enough to read meaning into okah’s write-up(s) you would understand that we all are pained by the continuous attacks and mutilation that you and your brothers have mercilessly continued to met out on our christian brothers in the North even with the inception of the so called Democracy!!!We(Christians) are a peace loving people but there’s a level of tolerance in every man even your prophet Mohammed!!! We have been drained long enough by you Terrorists and now GEJ is trying to undo the Evil done by the North which will be beneficial to every citizen Nigeria is suddenly heading towards disintegration? How come Kabir Sokoto was traced down to the Borno State Governors Lodge in Abuja? These are simple facts that you FOOLS will pay in the near Future!!!We ready 4 WAR!!! Long Live 9ja Delta!!! >====> Vallachi cap on,you 22 Rugged!!!

Julius Williams wrote: abdulmaleeq the foolish herdsboy

Abdulmaleeq T Ibrahim wrote: @Santos thank U very much for coming in, @least I can finally have an intellectual discussion wid sm1 of a capable mind, Julius was already suffocating me… Anywayz, I would @ dis moment wish to clarify and reiterate that it is most abominable and regrettable the senseless killings of Christians here in the North. It is wrong, it is ungodly, it is evil and must me condemned in the harshest of ways by any respecter of the liberty of men to co-exist. I support the governments crackdown on anyone involved and I pray that these atrocities, as mysterious as they might appear be unlocked and dealt with thoroughly…
Now I am vexed and amazed when you equate the actions of a few to the generality of a society. When you claim that the North has been ruling the country from inception at the expense of other tribes is not only lazy but spurious and misleading. That you should know, IBB, Abacha, Abdulsalam, Gowon and Buhari, though all from the North were not representing the region during their times… They were all dictators who forced themselves upon the nation with the tacit support of both northerners and southerners…
Lastly, if you people (South-South) do not believe in the Nigerian Project, you are all too welcome to declare such and pursue your aspirations as a people…but please do not disguise under the false pretext of marginalization and other mundane rhetoric that has become all to familiar in your bland commentaries…

Tunde Opajobi wrote: Beautiful analysis Abdulmaleeq, we are solidly behind you.

…SO HELP US GOD….

A Word from Abdulmalik Mahdi…

My fellow BB Activist,

 

After spending 2 days off the streets, disconnected from the masses of this country who had turned out in millions to demonstrate against the increase in pump price in PMS due the removal of ‘subsidy’ by the FGN, the NLC/ TUC have been intimidated and compromised into settling by the FGN.

 

This is after the unprecedented support across the entire country calling for the Govt to revert back to N65. Ordinary citizens for the 1st time looked at the budget line by line, appalled by the waste and corruption therein said enough is enough. The struggle became for more than just a price issue but for Good Governance and Accountability. 

 

For the 1st time the pple of Nigeria had the Govt on her knees. We had a chance to go beyond their token sacrifices and get concrete reforms in place. ASUU, cost of governance, review of 2012 budget with all the absurdities therein etc Alas Labour was only interested in pump price and settling.

 

We were warned that they were only taking us for a ride, warned that they will sell out. True to form, they did (insert obscenity). God punish them. However, we made the leap from Social Media warriors to the streets. We have tasted the power of numbers and we have seen how we can effect change even outside elections. We must sustain this tempo. We must organise, organise and organise. We must continue to share information and exposing corruption. We must hold our leaders at all levels accountable to us, especially the demi gods in the States.

 

We have nothing to ashamed of, we fought a good fight. N97 was not a favour done to us by our increasingly disappointing President. I have nothing but contempt for his Economic Team, NASS Leadership, and their cohorts in NLC/TUC. Let’s pray for them to use the same zeal in ending Boko Haram.

 

This is just the beginning friends, the journey is still far…let’s continue to be shinning examples in our daily lives and be model citizens. 

 

God Bless Nigeria.

Abdulmalik (Abu Maryam) Mahdig

PING, Twit and Share: The Birth of the Social Media Generation

I can still vividly recall my 2nd place finish in an online poetry contest almost a decade ago. That was the beginning of the internet era in Nigeria and local online forums then were few and rather ‘shallow’. Though we discussed socially conscious issues, most discussions were largely restricted within the confines of our domestic lives as individuals. The government then seemed rather distant and alien. Its policies abstract and shrouded in secrecy from the common man. Hell, I sometimes even forget we ever had an election in 1999. Fast forward 10years later and you have twitter Legend Japhet Omojuwa breaking down budgetary figures with such precision you’d imagine he’s some Harvard whiz kid. You have Egghead Odewale, Ogundamisi and the rest of the Canary family doing very fine online investigative journalism. You have Soni Akoji, Seyi Oseyemi, Abu Maryam and other youthful blood running insightful and many at times humorous comments on facebook on the affairs of the nation. Suddenly you have an army of young Nigerians, whose only fancy hitherto to now had been the English Premier League and Sex and The City, debating hardline national issues. Indeed looking beyond the current NLC/TUC and the government tussle over the removal of subsidy on petroleum in what has become a mini soap opera to many Nigerians, a gradually emerging phenomenon has indeed grappled the nation as of late. There is a shift, though gradual, in the mind-set and attitude of the average Nigerian youth as regards politics and affairs of the state. My friends and associates who have either displayed a passive interest or bland indifference and in some cases utter contempt to anything ‘political’, have quite literally awoken from the dead overnight. And in one massive stroke, the political ‘space’ has become inundated with die-hard activists, crusaders, bloggers and their ilk. They have over time ‘occupied’ it, making it theirs, exhibiting boundless talent, wit, energy and passion. All these of course wouldn’t have been possible without the social media platform. It has empowered them to express themselves in a way unheard of. Though divided along religious and ethnic fault lines, with the chasm widening by the day, these Nigerian youths have found succor on these social media websites, learning to voice their anger and frustration at societal wrongs and rot. For how can one explain the speedy gathering of over a hundred youths at the eagle square upon a 1-hour notice on the first day of the #Occupy Nigeria protests? How can one explain the alacrity with which information; both real and imagined is been disseminated across the land? How can one explain the growing number of youthful, zealous but quack economists, each postulating theories on how to go about this Fuel subsidy debacle? 

  The social media is indeed powerful a tool; so powerful indeed that the (mis)Information Minister Labaran Maku in an attempt to score cheap political points for his paymaster sought Nigerians to be grateful to this government for introducing ‘facebook’ to Nigeria. How preposterous! But like the popular ‘Pirelli’ slogan, ‘Power is nothing without control”, so also it goes that the social media platform has its alter-ego and if not approached and handled with the utmost care, it could mutate into some monstrous being. Sadly, mischief makers amongst us have cashed in on this fat cow, resulting in cases of breach of privacy, distortions and manipulation of sensitive information, callous propaganda of sorts and other nefarious deeds and misdeeds. So it behooves on well-meaning Nigerian youths to remain focused and resolute on the use of the social media for the common good of all. Also another point worthy of note is an admonishment to my fellow youths; that the struggle for liberty and access to a more dignified existence does not and cannot begin and end on your blackberry, facebook or twitter. Yes, they are veritable tool in the struggle, but circumstances develop and demand that a certain degree of balance must be achieved between the real and virtual worlds. I say this because I noticed a worrying trend in the last general elections where most youths would rather stay glued to their phones or TV ‘monitoring’ results as they come in. And even now, quite a large number remained indoors, refusing to join in the protests, observing events from the comfort of their gadgets, even as they’ve turned the whole issue into some circus of sorts, posting the funny and not so funny pictures and comments on the web. Even though these side attractions remain a source of comic relief, we must not be swayed and carried away from the matter at hand. While its not my intention to sound all philosophical or preachy at the moment, as these things are all too personal and one is at liberty to act as he deems fit for oneself; but the crux of the matter is with this nonchalance, we can never move as a nation from where we’ve been and where we are now to where we hope to be in the future. 

 And lastly, this #Occupy Nigeria concept transcends this fuel subsidy matter; its the peoples struggle and no one person or group can claim monopoly over it. Not NLC, not Tunde Bakare, not El-Rufai, not Dino Melaye and certainly not Femi Fani Kayode. Its about the Nigerian youth standing at the crossroads starring boldly at a failed generation of old men and women and proclaiming, ‘this shall not be our portion’…that ours and that of our children yet unborn shall be better. So help Us God…

Its about Trust and not Economics Mr. President…

Two weeks ago I wrote a piece detailing my feelings on the abominable Xmas day bombing of a church by the dare-devil Boko Haram. I called on Nigerians to rally round and face a common monster, little did I know that a more sordid monster was at our wake.

I must admit that I am no economic ‘sage’. I do not boast of a Harvard or Yale certificate. I’m just your average ‘Joe’ with the gift of discern, eking a modest living in this torrid land of ours. I write this a most embittered young man. I woke up on January 1st only to discover that my modest salary has been slashed in two by inflationary forces. I love driving my car at an average speed of 140km/hr on the highway but now I’m forced to go at 80km/hr. And to think that this untold inconvenience on my person was imposed by the same guy elected to safeguard my well being was all the more nauseating. My land is in a self-imposed ‘artificial’ chaos. Years of decay and systematic rot, powered by our leaders’ lackadaisical attitude towards the sanctity of trust handed to them by the common man has reduced Nigeria to a ‘base’ state; where anarchy looms and thrives. The central government; being the hub which galvanizes and directs other parts of the system has since been weakened and compromised; the consequence of which we glaringly witness today. For the common man; insecurity, desolate infrastructure, human rights abuses and other sharp inhumane practices have for long been inducted into his daily life, so much so that he has since resigned to fate. I cannot fathom the whole bruhahaha over this fuel subsidy issue. The argument is simple; its unbridled,’into your face’ capitalism versus a socially conscience case for the common man. It smacks of rigid and lazy calculation to assume that the common man living on less than $2 a day can survive with a 117% cost increase in virtually everything. True, the ‘subsidy’ regime practiced in Nigeria is so fundamentally flawed that it becomes suicidal to carry-on with it. It dithers our economy at the macro level. But my question to Mr President and his IMF trained ‘Super’ Minister is ‘what and who brought about this corruption? Who sustained the round-tripping? Who encouraged the over-invoicing? Who glorified the licensing patronage? Until this questions and more are answered and acted upon by the government, before the common man will make room for compromise and dialogue. I have outlined a few measures Mr. President should have taken before hurriedly announcing the fuel subsidy removal.

1. Let the government order a full holistic audit into the subsidy regime over the past decade and bring the unscrupulous corrupt beneficiaries of this sleaze to book. Thank God Unlike the Boko Haramites, these people are not faceless. We see them every time giving out huge donations at PDP campaign launches. We see their fleet of private jets lined up in hangers at Lagos and Abuja airports. We see them handed National Honors by the government every now and then. So unless they are paraded same way the petty thief is paraded and made to face the full wrath of the law, Nigerians shall and will never succumb to your sweet promises Mr President.

2. This one is simple…get our refineries working Mr President. Come on this thing isn’t rocket science. We are not asking you to build new refineries, we are simply asking that the obsolete ones we have be rehabilitated and brought back to service. With a combined refining capacity of 445000 barrels/day, (approxamtely 70,755,00litre/day) our refineries can sure cater for our national consumption and perhaps provide some for exports.

3. Lead the way in national sacrifice Mr. President. And I don’t mean the circus 25% cut on basic Salary you just announced. Substantially cut-down your allowances and that of the National Assembly. I was flabbergasted and at the same time moved when I read that the new Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti decided to forego his entire salary package because he believed the country is going through dire times. Okey I understand that you cannot entirely do so because you need to buy yourself new ‘shoes’, but you don’t need to wear Gucci or Prada to make a statement, we all know you are the No. 1 Big boy in the land. So cut down those allowances Mr. President. As symbolic as this might seem, it will nonetheless serve to inspire the people you rule and convince them that Yes indeed you are serious about the burden of government waste.

Like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai said, ‘…its not about economics but about TRUST’. Mr. President, its not about surrounding yourself with world renowned economists and corporate czars. Its not about elaborate power point presentations and promise-filled National addresses. Its about You literally coming down from Aso Rock to empathize with the common man. The challenges are dire Mr President but that doesn’t mean they are insurmountable. We need you first to be our President before you become a friend of the EU or UN.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… that we are a Nation too rich to be poor, too endowed to be ugly, too blessed to be cursed. The weeks ahead shall define where we are headed. I beseech that you rethink your decisions Mr. President, retrace your steps. I want you to remember that the ‘Protester’ was the ‘Man of the Year’ last year and the world has since changed the moment Mohammed Bouazizi set himself ablaze. A word, they say is enough for the wise.