Yet, our country has failed abysmally to live up to the lofty aspirations of the founding fathers of independent Nigeria. Our fundamental problem is the persistent phenomenon of agbata ekee leadership which has crippled everything. Corruption, ineptitude, hypocrisy, absence of accountability and transparency in governance, and lack of compassion for the less privileged etc have impeded the realisation of our developmental aspirations.

President Goodluck Jonathan specifying requirements for the nation’s enduring democracy.
Last week, this series ended with a poser, “how can we ever develop when every four years we go through the orgy of election induced violence master-minded by our political leaders?” In 2007, it was “do-or-die” according to someone who, if he were not the occupant of the innermost corridors of power, would have been considered fit for a straight jacket. Now read and read again the first statement.

And Jonathan does not have the time in the whole world for the 7-point agenda. But he can at least make an impression on energy and roads. Otherwise, he would not have done anything.
Stop Press:

Eastern Nigeria is endowed greatly with human and material resources. The energy and dynamism of its population could propel it, given right conditions, to tremendous economic and social growth that could rival India, China, Brazil, and have implications for the Central West African corridor, right down to the Congo.

We have done nothing to address the danger those powers have posed. Then came Professor Okon Uya. His tenure lasted a few months. Abacha did not conduct any elections before he died, but he had packaged a programme which would have had him in power with Chief Sumner Dagogo-Jack as a willing instrument. From 1999 elections, through 2003 to 2007, we have had three electoral commission chairmen – Ephraim Akpata, Abel Guaobadia and Maurice Iwu

In the bigger picture it may not be great news internationally after all more people die daily in Baghdad or Pakistan but it should scare us a lot more! The world has come to terms with the poison of religious fanaticism and violent crime is often no longer shocking but an emergence of killers like Derrick Bird should scare all of us.

It was alleged that all efforts made by the Police to ensure that the child survived failed as the baby later died. The Police image maker advised young girls against unwanted pregnancies and dumping of their babies in toilets or in uncompleted buildings after birth, and he described the action of the suspect as criminal. This advice was given as the poor mother was paraded before newsmen, and in an interview with newsmen, she regretted her action and begged for forgiveness.

He was reported to have called for fundamental changes in the structure of the polity, if this country is to develop at all. In effect, he called for scrapping the hyper-expensive presidential system, a reduction in the number and size of the nation’s parliaments, a return to the regional structure, which invariably will result in the scrapping of the 36 states and the 774 local governments that have become a horrific burden to the nation’s economy.

Lagerback and Maradona
Their coach is better now, I am told. Employed with very shallow managerial experience in 2008, the team that suffered shaky match days has found places in the cold for their initial worries and announced its readiness for Nigeria and the rest of the opposition they will face in World Cup 2010 with a comprehensive 5-0 whitewash of Canada in their last friendly. Conversely, our coach is just celebrating his third week of work with his boys!

The die is cast. We do not care whether we prepared well or not. All we are asking for is that the Argentines should be brought on.