National Dialogue is a 'Welcome Development'; Governor Aliyu says

Reactions continue to pour in over the planned convocation of a National Dialogue by the Federal Government of Nigeria; which by all status is a presumed acceptance of the widely clamoured Sovereign National Conference where stakeholders believe the destiny and future of Nigeria must be discussed. Apparently, while this sounded soothing during the Independence Broadcast, similar acts had been done in the past with no positive outcome.

All the past sittings and dialogues had resulted into flagrant waste of tax payers funds with nothing to show concretely. The worries of Nigerians are really simple: How well will this address the extremely tensed polity which arose from ethnic and religious sentiments but found succour in politics where a region will claim it has the right to almost always rule and another will believe the collective wealth of the nation is theirs? How well will this Dialogue lead Nigeria back to the part of true federalism and even abrogate the military-sponsored unitary constitution of 1999?

No doubt, true federalism or a genuine, viable and strong federal structure is the only panacea but the question is are Nigerian leaders true to that course? The region whose sole interest is to rule appears to be skeptical of such an arrangement according to public opinions while the region whose interest is to secure the black gold as well as the region of the learned are in favour of the Dialogue; though that is the best for the entity called Nigeria. The fear of some is being allayed by the Governor of Niger state while speaking in Minna.

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger described the plan by the Federal Government to convene a national dialogue to discuss the future of the nation as "a welcome development". The remark was made by him while he was inaugurating the SURE-P mass transport scheme for the 25 Local Government Areas in Niger state. He said the planned dialogue would ensure justice for all segments of the country.

"Mr president has constituted an advisory committee on national dialogue.We should not be afraid to discuss our future and our present situation; how we came about where we are and how we want to move from that place. Nobody should be afraid to discuss it, we should not be afraid of whatever may be the outcome of the conference."

Governor Aliyu expressed optimism that Nigeria would emerge stronger and remain one indivisible entity at the end of the conference. "Let us not be afraid of going to discuss with fellow Nigerians on how to move the country forward and ensure that we have justice in our body polity and in our society. So we welcome this desire and plan for the national dialogue," he said.

How this National Dialogue will lead to true federalism and move away from this unitary system is the main headache of well-meaning Nigerians. True federalism was the basis of Nigeria which ensured the developments of the regions immediately after independence. Since the discovery of the black gold, those who benefited immensely and massively from true federalism during the era of agriculture quickly changed the status quo again to suit their gluttonous cravings.

Nigeria: The bombshell on General Muhammadu Buhari

Larry Chukwuma Chime wrote:

I have now completely given up on the sanity of Muhammadu Buhari AND HIS SUPPORTERS. It is only in Nigeria that a man who embezzled N2.8 billion NNPC money while he was Federal Commissioner of Petroleum in 1978 will be cited as being better than others and have the effrontery to criticise other leaders. It is only in Nigeria that a man who led the criminal overthrow of a democratically elected government in 1984 would later wish to benefit from the same democracy. 

It is only in Nigeria that the man who, as Head of State, allowed 56 illegal suitcases of currency notes into the country through his ADC unchecked when there was currency change by his own government in the country at the time would be 'better than 100 Jonathans'. It is only in Nigeria that the man who enacted RETROACTIVE DECREES and used them to murder Lawal Ojuolape, Bartholomew Owoh and Bernard Ogedegbe would open his tribalistic mouth to criticise others. 

It is only in Nigeria that the man who enacted vindictive decrees which prescribed long jail terms for journalists for publishing stories which embarrassed government officials even if the stories were true resulting in the illegal jailing of Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor now wants to rule the country. It is only in Nigeria that the man who was overthrown in 1985 by Babangida and spontaneous jubilations erupted all over the country would have the guts to seek to replace people who are far better than he. 

It is only in Nigeria that the man who later accepted appointment as PTF Chairman under the MOST CORRUPT government ever in Nigeria's history and then commandeered more than 200 PTF vehicles for private use in his home in Kaduna would not be in jail today and would be described as being better than others. It is only in Nigeria that the man who embezzled billions of Naira of PTF funds through overinvoicing of contracts and the supply of fake drugs to hospitals, as sworn to in an affidavit by Group Captain Usman Jibrin, a board member of PTF, would be described as better than the man who is actually trying to clean up the rot that he and his other military despots created. 

Remember, he later said that Abacha did not loot anything from Nigeria! It is only in Nigeria that the man who lost election to only one Jonathan (not 100) and incited his supporters to violence which claimed the lives of innocent people including NYSC members has the nerve to still open his bigoted mouth and criticise actions designed to stop continued madness. It is only in Nigeria that a former Head of State would ask Muslims not to vote for Christians and, when he is criticised, would later lie on Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, that what he meant was that Muslims should vote for only those who can protect their religion. 

It is only in Nigeria that a former Head of State would refuse to condemn Boko Haram murderers in their evil activities including bombing innocent Christian worshippers in churches but is quick to support amnesty for the same murderers. It is only in Nigeria that a former Head of State will speak bitterly against a State of Emergency designed to root out monstrous criminals but turns around to advocate finishing off Ombatse cult members who have done exactly the same thing as Boko Haram. 

It is only in Nigeria that a former Head of State CANNOT speak or write simple and correct English and prefers to speak vernacular most of the time and then his supporters would insist that his meaning was lost in translation and he is better than a hundred Jonathans!. When this mad bigot overthrew Shagari in January 1984, he, out of crude tribalism, put President Shagari (who, according to late Saraki, presided over most of the shady NPN deals under his watch) under mere house arrest but clamped Vice President Ekwueme (who the tribunals later said was squeaky clean) into Kirikiri like a common criminal. 

Not done with this naked tribalism, Muhammadu Buhari sent soldiers to ransack Awolowo's residence in Ikenne and harass his household even though Awolowo was not a member of the government that was toppled. Believe me, any objective, dispassionate analysis of Buhari's activities must surely come to one conclusion and one conclusion only, namely: The only set of people whose IQ is lower than that of Muhammadu Buhari are his supporters.