Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

IS HE A MIRACLE WORKING MAN?


Hot on the heels of the 2015 general elections are a string of lobbying, real politicking and power tussles leading to May 29th, when the elected government is sworn in to power. Everyone is guessing what the cabinet will look like, and with a recent mention of the APC changing its manifesto, the debate is raging on, on why that happened, and whether the party will rescind on her pre-election promises. Flashback to pre-election days in February and March 2015, and vote canvassing were done via the media - conventional and new - in the form of hate speech, defamation of character, in documentaries, advertorials, townhall meetings and civic debates before the elections. While manifestos were thoroughly analyzed, concerns over issues like corruption, unemployment, maternal and child healthcare, domestic violence, security, foreign exchange, economy, foreign policy, inflation, rule of law and power were hugely on the front burner before the elections and seem to remain, as Nigerians continue to guess, how the incoming government will deal with Nigeria's plethora of problems.



Analysts say if the incoming government can do away with corruption and make power available to Nigerians, a lot of the problems currently plaguing the largest massing of black people on earth will begin to tow the path to self sufficiency and development. And recently, at a gas sector roundtable, the issue of gas to power and gas to transport were reiterated as means to alleviate a lot of the problems plaguing Africa's largest economy. However, while the problem is said to be with the transmission of power rather than generation and distribution which have been duly privatized between preceding governments, it is not clear if the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will be able to improve transmission capacity of the current grid, or a miracle is expected of Muhammadu Buhari in anycase. Prior to the elections, the Sell Your Vote webapp - j.mp/Sell2015, a scenario game asking Nigerians if they will compromise their votes by taking money from politicians, got some feedback which showed that Nigerians were no longer willing to take peanuts from politicians for shoddy showing while in office.







And believe it or not, Nigerians who have already set up the "Office of the Citizen" of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will seek to ensure accountability and transparency in the delivery of dividends of democracy, which like in 1959 till today, revolve around clean water, good roads, functional hospitals, free education, jobs and constant supply of power. Whether President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari is the Miracle Man from Daura, is something Nigerians will realise after May 29.
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Friday, 6 March 2015

WHERE'S THE GOOD LIFE?



What is better than the good life? Why do parents ask their children and wards to study hard, get good grades, and good jobs? Why do businessmen ‘hustle’ hard? Why was the United Nations formed? Why did Karrueche ‘Caro Uche’ Tran break up with Chris Brown? Well, argue with your data plan, but everything revolves around the good life. Even the growth of economies, and the running of governments, and the activities of the United Nations and the thousands of non-profits. And then the big matter of elections…

Depending on how you see it, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria’s federal firm charged with the conduct and regulations of elections, sought a good life for the polity, and that was why she deemed it fit to shift #NigeriaDecides from #feBuhari to #March4Nigeria. Trust me, it doesn’t matter which politician’s plans have been scrambled or enhanced with this change, the end game is that #WeTriumphStill, from this grueling ordeal as a nation.

However, I am told that since the election campaigns of 1954, the promises have been the provision of basic amenities like water, power, roads, hospitals, etc. Fast forward 61 years after, and the promises are the same. Worse, is the state of the power sector in the country, which has cranked up the cost of doing business; created a generator imports cabal; and a government which is yet to fathom how to upgrade the transmission infrastructure seamlessly. But can I blame them? The issues dates back to the era of the famed National Electric Power Authority, NEPA.

Young Nigerians are looking for jobs, careers, human security, justice in their lives, peace, and the good life…I am one of them. But we are tired of waiting for the opportunities, we are tired of waiting for power, and good roads, and better wages and salaries, hospitals, even light. This was what Deji Arosho a movie director and producer captured ahead of the 2015 elections, in the musical movie, “The Good Life”. In 30 minutes, featuring such star artistes like DJ Switch (Glo X Factor Winner 2013), Six Foot Plus (Jos bred popular artiste) Shaffy Bello-Akinrimisi (Award Winning Nollywood Actress) amongst other cast, Deji weaves the story of renewable solutions with elections, and seeks a common ground where everything might just lead to the good life, when politicians adopt issue-based campaigning, and talk about power. 


The movie, sponsored by the Heinrich Boell Stiftung Nigeria, buttresses the #PowerIsPower campaign by the same foundation, which has been drumming up civil society, to advocate for the inclusion of renewable energy as a power solution in the campaign manifesto of politicians at local, state and national levels. While Nigeria needs about 200,000 MW of power to feed her hungry population's demands, current output is pegged at 4,400 MW. This means that most of 170 million people are either spending a lot on hydro carbon powered generators or utilise kerosene powered lanterns, which remains hazardous to health.
Operating in Nigeria from Lagos since 1994, and then from Abuja in 2009, Heinrich Boell Stiftung Nigeria runs programs on sustainability, women’s rights and good governance. She supports activities that aim to identify greener development options, which would include growth models that promote responsible use of natural resources in times of increasing climate stress; but overall are gender sensitive and socially inclusive.

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Tuesday, 3 February 2015

A PLAY OF TIES AND FIGHTS



So, yet again on the issue of political thuggery partisanship and #NigeriaDecides, I got invited to an inter-party marketplace debate organized by @playforumng and her boss, Charles Okpaleke on Sunday, February 1st, 2015 at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. This time around, it was about political leadership amongst youths, and it was aptly called PLAY forum, with sponsorship from the @IRIglobal and the American aid organization, @USAIDNigeria.

And yes, it was a black tie event, so I went to play. And it was refreshing to see faces of party goons, e-rats, e-thugs, e-prostitutes enthusiasts from twitter. To be fair, the lighting, seating, stage, montage and sounds were of the best touch. And the tweet-wall was topnotch amazing. Well, until party supporters started using it to take swipes at each other. But overall, the event organizers were very professional. Except on the matter of time!


It was great seeing @donlaz4u, @mukhtar_dotun, @eggheader, @sandrasandygold, @ToluOgunlesi, @purehaire, @Estherclimate, @Keneike, @gentleojay, @bint_moshood again, a few other "bigz bwoiz and gehs" and to also know that the ninja - @countfreemont, was somewhere in stealth mode. And then ofcourse, that @mr_ochonogor and @martharrazi were somewhere in the hall, and refused to be found; and then @demolalagos whom I was seeing for the first time, and who afforded me the courtesy of a selfie. And the greatest part of the early evening was that it didn’t matter if they were aligned to @apcnigeria or @pdpnigeria.

Wait na, can’t I continue in to details of the night before you contest what I said? Kamdan. Gist never finish. Oh, and there was @chigurl, who didn’t afford me the chance of setting her P. Mehn, there were plenty beautiful gehs in the audience, and I just kept counting the faces and wondering why there are just a few gehs in my DM. And the few sef are not living and working and twerking in Abuja. Mschew. And then I was busy eyeing Nana from the side, while @tonyatambi was somewhere trying to spoil my runs by trying to find the venue.

And the lad ended up there in some sweet body hugging t-shirt, which left Nana’s smile from one ear to the other.

The guest speakers as well the guest acts didn’t disappoint. Of note, was the @JaiyeKeyz guy, who had this guitar looking keyboard, and for the entire time he was on stage, was just fingering the darn thing.

  As you’ll expect, there were more girls screaming than guys nodding. And even though the sound guys almost “effed” up @timidakolo’s act by not turning up the volume, dude kept at it, and from the depth of his bowels, sprang forth rendition that the hall was on her feet in no time.
Sprawled between these acts, were the handsome speeches of the delectable @obyezeks, whose #BringBackOurGirls’ troublemakers campaigners, stayed true, and were vocal from the start till the end the time I left. She mingled raw humor, sermon and truth in speech about why governance must never be about the individual, but about systems.





At a point, while she was referring to the best case practice of Singapore and Lee Kwan Yew, my mind veered to the popular TV advert “Lee Kwan Yew did it…”

And when @franknwekeII made the podium his own, he hammered on why now is the time to be partisan. He hinged on why leadership is no longer an option but a responsibility which must not necessarily be political, as the private and third sectors provide ample opportunities for young Nigerians to seize leadership for the collective development of the country.



He again, confessed his belief in systems, and expects a favorable result in the courts (dude was nudged off the senatorial race by god fatherism or party shenaniganism if you like).



Then the evening delved in to inter-party debates, with the panelists, entertaining questions from good governance, security and the economy. The moderators were @toluogunlesi and @chigurl.

As a fencist, I was keener in learning how the panelists will answer questions. I was eager to see young party policy strategists coming to the podium to answer questions with hard facts and future-proofing evidence. However, what transpired was a bout of mudslinging, name calling, accusations and allegations of misuse of trust. Some questions while irrelevant, were met with even more irrelevant answers.



Some panelists even had to take to screaming at the top of their voices, in trying to make themselves heard. I laughed a bit, then wondered what a calm demeanor and welcoming mien on the podium will do to get the audience to listen to you. One PDP panelist tried, aptly answered his questions with simple facts, but was before long, caught in the throes of screaming. Another APC panelist had the calm with his grasp and all the while I was there and he had to come on stage, he had his cool. Surprisingly, Doyin Okupe was sat in the PDP panelists section, and was doing more of tinkering and directing than talking. I heard he stood to talk at some point when I was already on my way home; and that was when the entire place turned in to some arena back in renaissance times when the Roman Empire held sway.





They said only suits and what was left of pancake make up distinguished men from animals in that hall. Well, I’ll say anyone who remained in that hall is…

So, I rushed back home to the comfort of le Bey, waiting with a hot shower, cocoa and erm, honey. I’d had enough of PLAY.




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