Corruption Is Not The Number 1 Problem In Nigeria- Jonathan

I listened to President Jonathan during the media chat yesterday and when the issue of corruption was raised, he answered that corruption is not the biggest problem in Nigeria. He said Transparency International assessment of Nigeria is a perception and not real. He said corruption is No. 4 or 5.

When asked what No. 1 and 2 are the president began to stutter. He came up with an answer that businessmen investing in Nigeria complain of access to finance as the No 1 problem of Nigeria.

Does this man knows what he is talking about? Perhaps corruption has eaten into the fibrics of Nigeria to the extend that the President does not see it as out bane in this country.  Corruption is everywhere and the president says it is not the No. 1 problem. Is there any hope of winning the war against corruption?
If corruption is not the No 1 problem in Nigeria, what is responsible for all the failed contract in power sector, the problem in the petroleum sector, the high cost of governance, the escalated contract sums, and so many problem in Nigeria.

The President needs to learn to be more presidential in his speeches. He needs to choose his words when he answers questions. His response should give hope to the common man on the street. We look up to the President for change in Nigeria. We voted him because we thought he understands our plight and will be fair and reasonable. We are not getting what we hoped for.

If he saays corruption is not the No 1 problem in Nigeria, let hm prove to us what is No 1 and convince us as such. I hope he is not covering up his cronies as the common man has in his thoughts. Most Nigerians do not believe the President anymore let him not make his reputation plummet the more with statements like the ones he made at the media chat.

God help Nigeria

#2015OnMyMind

#PoliticalGabriel

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Rational Thinking Can Help Us Get The Best Out Of Ourselves And Our Nation

A friend posted on Facebook on the issue of Rational Thinking and it got me thinking. I responded to the post and i decided to share my thoughts here too.

Her post is as below:

Olanike Adebayo

I make the move for a motion that RATIONAL THINKING be made a compulsory course in Nigerian secondary schools and universities. If you don't pass, you don't graduate out of secondary school and university.
The challenge will be how to implement considering the fact that most teachers and lecturers are not equipped with these skills.
Online mass training maybe.
How can people acquire qualifications and not be able to think simple ideas through.
# Seriously worried#.

 

Some commenters raised issue in response to her post which include slave masters and colonialism as well as using religion albeit Christianity as an instrument of oppression. You may want to read more on the issue by clicking the name above. However, I will reproduce my response to the subject matter here.

Gabriel Gabu Nmadu From my understanding, rational thinking is d ability of a person to subject any thot, message, statement, event, belief, practice etc to questioning in order to ascertain the rightness, correctness, authenticity or otherwise of d subject matter. Shd this ability be taught as a course in our schools? I am just wondering how d curriculum will look like.

I also want to comment of the forth and back btw Nd Okeke and Olanike. I think what Nd is doing is rational thinking -Subjecting a belief or practice to questioning using his own yardstick (afterall there is no standard way of thinking.) His conclusion might not be acceptable to all but at least he has exhibit rational thinking. I am a Christian and believe strongly in our Lord Jesus Christ but can we confidently say that whatever is happening today in churches is a representation of what God intended?

I agree that rational thinking shd be encouraged among Nigerians and I agree als that it has immense benefit to us as individuals and as a nation but what teaching it as a course is not yet clear to me.

 

Gabriel Gabu Nmadu I want to also address the issue of slave masters and colonialists raised by Nd Okeke. I think this blame game has lost ita lustre. Is there a law that says when u fall down u must not rise up. The continual blaming of slave masters and colonialists has kept us looking back perpetually while we attempt to moveo forward and this will make us trip and fall.

The coming of d westerners to Africa is not all doom in fact we hav a lot of landmark to point to including those listed by Adesoji. They left their beliefs and systems with us but nothing stops us from promoting ours if we feel they are superior. As long as we keep throwing blames we shall not make any reasonable progress. Slavery and colonialism hav passed, we are in today as free human beings in a sovereign state, what are we doing to make today and the future better?

 

Gabriel Gabu Nmadu @Nd Okeke You have raised salient issues as regards your view of Christianity as practiced. However, as inferred in my earlier post the people may be practicing it cannot pass the test when compared with what God intended. This does not negate the rightful place of the Christian faith. I will like to take the position of my Bishop, The Bsihop of Kaduna diocese who says he prefers to call followers of Christ as Christ-like rather than Christian. This way we can really define if a person is actually a true believer or not.

I agree that many people have used the instrument of religion for self-serving purposes and I say to them that they shall give account when they meet the Lord. If your focus is on the Lord Jesus and His Word, you will see less of these abusers of the Christian faith.

 

Just my simple thoughts to the subject matter. However, in another post i will discuss the issue of the effect of slave trade and colonialism on our development and what we should do to make our lives better and our nation a better place .

 

#PoliticalGabriel

 

#2015OnMyMind 

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Is The PDP Brouhaha In The Interest Of Nigeria And Nigerians?

The news is awash with the crisis tearing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart. The factionalisation into “New PDP” and “Old PDP” is at the center stage of newspaper reportage. All the fence mending and peacemaking meetings are the issues everywhere. But when I looked at it more closely I asked myself, all that is happening in PDP, in whose interest is it? Who will benefit from this crisis in the long run? Will it be the political actors or the Nigerian masses or the Nigerian nation?

I see these entire happenings as political interest of the gladiators. They are seeking to perpetuate their own interest. I am yet to see the interest of the Nigerian nation or her people being promoted by these people.

The Bamaga Tukur group or “Old PDP” is fighting tooth and nail to keep hold on the power they possess now. They are threatening the so-called dissidents with court cases and jail terms. They are calling them names and using unprintable gestures on them. The question is, what has Nigerians benefited so far from their leadership? I agree that they are just party members but their party is the one ruling this country for over fourteen years now. Can Nigerians come out to say that their leadership has been of immense benefits to them? Do they have anything outstanding to show especially with the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan?

The Baraje-led faction or “New PDP” has come out singing the song of change. They have taken a position as if they are putting power back in the hand of the Nigerian masses. They are blaming the old hands for failing Nigerians. The questions for them are plenty. Were they not part and parcel of this monstrous PDP for the past fourteen years? What difference were they able to make in their own domains that makes them different from the other group they are accusing? To remove an elected chairman or stop the President from running or whatever other demands they have, are these in the interest of the Nigerian masses or in pursuant of their selfish interest?

The President who is at the center of this all, what is his role in this? Whatever position he takes, is it in the interest of Nigeria or for his second term bid? Does he sincerely think that he has performed enough to warrant him seeking a second term? Can he confidently say that Nigerians on the streets will give him their votes like they did in 2011? Doesn’t it occur to him that he has lost the luster he has when he was candidate in 2011 when Nigerians see in him hope for a change? Is his transformation agenda really transforming anything? The corruption he professes to be fighting, are there indices to show that he is winning the battle? I was even thinking he will parley with the “New PDP” having seen how he accepted the Jang-led NGF faction.

Those others trying to make peace, Obasanjo, Anenih, and so on, have a few questions to answer. Is their effort at restoring peace to the warring factions in the interest of Nigerian masses or are they trying to maintain the structure that gives them relevance in the scheme of things at the detriment of other Nigerians? I heard some of them are actually pretending to be working to restore peace when they are actually fueling the crisis.

In my own opinion I see nothing new in the aspirations of the all the parties involved. They are fighting for their own selfish interest. They may claim that when there is peace within the party they can settle down to give us dividends of democracy, what have they done in the last fourteen years when there was no crisis. Our interest is not promoted in this matter. When they have their nocturnal meetings and some bucks exchange hands the matter will be amicably settled and business as usual resumes.

Nigerians have a role to play. We must demand for, and ensure we receive, good governance. We have the power in our ballot and we must use it effectively to bring the change we so much yearn for. We must vote out those who do not represent out interest and vote in those we feel can bring succour to our pains.we have the freedom to speak and we must not relent in speaking out. It is our God-given right, use it!

God bless Nigeria!

#PoliticalGabriel

#2015OnMyMind

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