When Glass is Shattered into Ice Sen. Aminu Lookman Enitan, Youth Senator at the Nigerian Youth Parliament

Danger! Take cover, Danger! When glass in shattered into a pond of ice, and humans are to take ice for cool refreshment, only the blind can be seen as safe. For his inner eyes shall go a long way to help, to identify some pieces of broken bottles in his cup. And the gospellers shall be wary of his gospel, for its outcome shall become unpredictable, and his faith shall be shaken by the uncertainty surrounding him.

The uproar between the presidency and the national assembly can simply be described with the paragraph above, and the intervention of the masses will give birth to a future of stronger uncertainties. I will not dispute the fact that the masses have began to react in some quarters (either sponsored or not, time will tell). While the masses get a larger share of the brunt.

However, I found it hard to comment on President Muhammed Buhari travel for medical treatment abroad after his promises during the 2015 electioneering campaigns BUT, I came to realize that it was a necessary decision at last. Any consultant or experienced doctor could prove that his ailment was treatable by them, the quality of their treatment wasn't the issue, BUT their ability to withstand pressure, stress and threats from desperate Nigerian politicians was a serious matter of concern. PMB never wanted to sacrifice the family(ies) of his Nigerian doctors at the expense of his health. We all witnessed the pressure on the UK doctors, and every visitor wanting to show their strengths in the presence of stunt believing disbelievers. If I could ask, where as our faith gone? Where has our respect for leadership and constituted authority gone? My humble appeal his, can we kindly respect President Muhammadu Buhari as we respect our religious clerics!

A popular saying state that "the leaders are a reflection of its people" and GOD stated in the Quran that "I would not change a people except they change (attitude, actions and reflections) themselves". Many complain of the quality of leaders we have in some legislative seats; do we know that an ignorant is a king in the land of the ignoramus. Forgive me for that, but when the presumed scholars, elites and men of integrity shy away from the electoral process. What better results do you expect? What quality of representation would you expect? And what right does he have to complain of the outcome of his actions? He who plays the piper dictates its tune.

The cases of Sen. Ali Ndume (of the senate) and Hon. Jubrin AbdulMumin (of the house of representatives) have so many similarities that when I look back, one realizes that the position of the judge is delicate one. I can say they both started on a displeasing note but while trying to make some corrections, it boomeranged.

Looking at the issues from the top, ask yourself "can we achieve the change we want with this situation? How and why did we make these decisions? What metrics would you use to determine who to vote as the next candidates? Am I ready to take Nigeria to greater heights?" and more.

Let's leave out sentiments, and watch out for 2019. Your decisions, this time again will determine who represents you in these places and others. The leader is a reflection of the peoples choices.

Awake! Nigeria Awake!
Awake! Nigerian Youths Awake!
Shun Corrupt Practices!
GOD Save Nigerians!
God bless Nigeria!

Sen. Aminu Lookman Enitan,
Youth Senator at the Nigerian Youth Parliament,
Rep. Lagos East Senatorial District,
Founder, Titivator Hub,
MP at the NYP,
Also manages Luqcom Informatics.
@Lukamins #YoungMPs #iSpeakYoruba #SDGYouth #MyLagosStory #LagosStory #SuccessStory #LagosAt50 #OneLagos #RunLagos #LagosFirst #iLivenLagos #Youth4Peace #GlobalGoals #Youth4Development #YoungInnovator #GlobalGoals #NigeriaUnite #Agenda2063
Whatsapp: 08088791225
BBM: D986360B
Date: 05-04-2017

🤓 Watch Out for the National Young Parliamentarians Summit 2017 🤓 _loading.............21%

https://facebook.com/AMINU-Lookman-Enitan-Youth-Senator-at-the-Nigerian-Youth-Parliament-1547867452184966/

On Cassava Farming and the un-seriousness of our Agricultural Leaders!

.,...last year the Rockefeller foundation launched a global challenge offering $1m to the winner of an innovation that can prolong Nigeria's cassava shelf life.

In my mind, I thought 💭 that would be easy, no country in the world grows and eats more cassava than Nigeria; so I am pretty sure a Nigerian would win this competition- No be to create a way make cassava no spoil for a few days before processing - in short, the title of the challenge mentioned Nigeria.

To my surprise, yesterday Rockefeller Foundation announced a United Kingdom institution as a winner. Yes, the University of Greenwich's Natural Resources Institute won $500,000 for coming up with the best method of preserving Nigeria's cassava .

This made me wonder : what are our institutions doing? OAU, ABU, FutMinna, YabaTech, UniLag etc?

What is our ministry of science and technology doing ? Still figuring out how to make pencils while other countries are innovating solutions for your domestic products ??? Shame .

The sad occurrence in this cassava challenge relates to nearly every sector in Nigeria's economy .

We sleep while other nations innovate.

We gossip politics; other nations participate.

We alienate ourselves from governance and socio -economic development while other nations practice inclusive governance.

Our competition lies in the grandest of weddings while other nations dwell in the greatest of inventions.

We pride in the cost of our imported auto luxuries while Ajaokuta's lays moribund... worse still is our being ignorant of the fact that the past  10 years, Rolls Royce has gotten  some alloys from Kogi state's illegal mines.

Do we blame our colonial masters again? Freedom was fought for by our national heroes, we simply enjoy the chains around our necks ... hence, we gladly place them back ...and in different forms .

Wake up Nigeria, your candle is blowing out...

Read about the Rockefeller cassava challenge here https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/cassavachallenge/

Have an Idea or Project? Thinking of ways to go ABOUT it? Here are tips to help YOU!

Do you seek Career Planning and Development Tips to ensure you are on the right TRACK IN LIFE upon Graduation through a Workplace and Enterprise Readiness Program?

I write this article to address a challenge a lot of folks encounter when we want to implement our projects and ideas.

In this write-up, I will share some key points on how to begin and the other factors you should or must consider to ensure that what you want to do is effective.

First and foremost, you need to ask yourself how this project or community based idea of yours serve your long term interest. You are not father Christmas spending money for the sake of just giving out.

Everyone will applaud your noble reason but your selfish reasons and needs being met is what will guarantee the lifelong continuity of the noble cause.

One free advice: Always ensure that whatever community development work you get involved is consistent with your long term career aspirations. We need growth and one of the best ways to grow exponentially is by giving back but ensure you give in areas you are most interested in professionally.

Be a Pharmacist, Doctor or Nurse interested in public health and how those without access to basic amenities can enjoy these facilities you think everyone must have. Be the Chartered Accountant that decides to teach ICAN to those just starting off or share some extra knowledge with secondary school undergraduates studying accountant as a subject or better, you can share your knowledge to Undergraduates on Campus.

Having established what you are passionate about and measuring or setting a standard to evaluate how it impacts your long term career professional.

The next phase will be thinking out the idea.

At this point, you really need to get a new exercise book or diary where you will solely document the ideas, action plans, steps to be taken, prospective partners, volunteers, financial resource and how to go about mobilizing it then laying out a simple strategy on how to ensure social media helps you enhance the little you are doing – the concept is to make quality noise that can ensure the kind people are noticing – it could be your colleague, manager or even your Boss.

Having gotten a new book, begin to scribble your thoughts  - every idea that flows, write them down. Then begin to reason out the target group and demography, location, sex, age bracket, who are the stakeholders I am to deal with (Obas, Baales, Imams, Chiefs or King), if possible the local authority or most influential person there. You must find this out in your writing then reach out to them through cold contact and recommendation.

After meeting the stakeholders via which you will agree on a date, place of executing the idea (agreeing with them that you will rent chairs or canopies) if need be for them from the community, make a commitment to renting those items. You don’t have to buy anything for the chiefs or authority, they will be excited about the good project you have planned out for them – don’t sound like you got all the money. Let them see through your passion. Its advisable you don’t go alone. Share the ideas with some of your friends you think might be interested, observe before you share with a dream killer or someone whose attitude might not be encouraging. Seek the energetic type or kind to share your ideas with.

Once you have sorted out stakeholders, begin to think of ways to raise funds – friends, family, savings, corporate organization (not advisable as they can kill your ginger and waste your time). Like I advise cut your coat according to your size, if your pocket can accommodate a small project, by all means implement your project with your own savings and the willing contribution of those around you. If you need a resource speaker for your event, don’t go about thinking of a big name, use the small trusted name that can deliver within your immediate reach rather than incur extra avoidable cost.

After you have sorted your cost and fund raising, you can begin to seek volunteers for the main implementation. At the first few stages, don’t run with a crowd if not you won’t achieve anything, do the undergrounds work – people are attracted to success stories and a likely success stories. No one understands your vision and passion better than you do so don’t depend on them to give you 100%. Having called for volunteers utilizing social media, word of mouth and through any other medium – even your colleagues can be dragged into the project because it aligns with all of you interest and aspirations.

Having called for volunteers, summon a meeting where the vision is shared and roles allocated based on the date you initially agreed with the community you want to impact. Going there with the same customized attire will help your packaging and brand visibility. Get a good shirt designer to make shirts for you.

Lastly, use social media to hype what you are doing and what you want to do. From the get-go, share a little of your thoughts on social media at the beginning, as you progress, meet people as regards the project – take pictures, share them explaining what you are doing there and ensure that on the final day of the project, take limitless amount of pictures - get a good photographer that will ensure you have make sense pictures.

Lastly, the intro part of your Facebook Profile should clearly state who you are and what you are passionate about by the side.

Examples:

Medical Doctor, Proper Breast-feeding Advocate and Child Mother Care Specialist

Legal Practitioner, Child Rights Advocate and Gender based Issues Expert

Family planning counselor, Children Educator and Human Capacity Development Professional

Use the samples to coin the issues you care stating clearly what you do professionally.

If you follow through with this, you will have a good one and grow exponentially.

EldaDavid be my Name!

#NonProfitSpecialist #HumanCapitalDevelopmentProfessional #TechnologyInclusivessEnthusiast #ProfessionalInclusionAdvocate #DreamInstigator #Inspirer #Motivator #LeadByExample #BeMyNameLegacy #PassionDrivenByValues

“You da” On YUDA! by Saanu Micheal

In Lagos metropolis, one of the common offensive way of asking money from the populace by street urchin, bus conductors, Agbero, is by saying “owo da” (give me the money) with a very strong commanding tone, followed by stretching forward an open palm towards the person requested to give the money. Many Lagosians will tell you this especially those that usually board yellow “danfo” bus regularly. What usually follows for any driver or conductor that refuses to bulge is high grade embarrassment, with boxing blows, sometimes blood flows freely, and their tooth gets boxed off.

It’s high time we begin to extend invitation to many youths that have sold out their minds to evil politicians on the altar of greed, foolishness and money in “You da” way   so that our engagement as a political party using the instrument of the YouthFul and UseFul Democratic Alliance will be justified later in the future. Just like Lagos tout will ask money from members of public in an offensive way, sometimes Lagosians give this money so as not to be embarrassed, maltreated and insulted by the tout considered to be in another world of his own where weed, hard drugs and all sorts of concoction rain supreme.

Haven’t we gotten to the point we need to be asking our youths “You da” on YUDA platform, indeed there is no time to check time.

If we really need to stop all the embarrassment, insults melted towards Nigerians home and abroad. We the youth need to start asking other youths “You da” on YUDA platform. Many Nigerians have faced so many difficulties lately from economic meltdown to high inflation, recession, extra judicial killings, xenophobic attacks, deportation from even African countries. It’s high time we start looking at youths who complain and still carry out the will of greedy politicians, we need to give them the look of disdain, the look that tends to tell them ‘You da’ on YUDA

Out of foolishness, some youths keep selling Nigerian future to politicians and this has always being the trend. Politicians will steal our money with the hope of spending a larger percentage on re-election bribes and money allocation schemes to the same youths who are meant to be on YUDA platform.

Youths need to be useful for the nation, we need to position ourselves strategically, let me tell you, if our future is so sweet and palatable in the mouths of older folks, I bet it, they will find it very difficult to release to you and I.  they are busy enjoying this future, let me tell you how, they still go to club at 60 , you think the kind of club you go where you suffer yourself , they are always on safari  and  they do expensive club, where they will have mad fun, they still travel to wherever country they want, they still eat whatever they want . 

They still dictate who should be employed and who shoould not.  Some will adjust their age so as to keep enjoying this future of some #mumu youths, because you really don’t care about the future. What you want to eat now is what you care about. some of them will ask you to collect tax from aged people , to be unfair to your fellow youths, shut down  struggling business who can’t pay tax, increase public fare  without proper consultation, write articles on blogs that are hateful, some of these older folks  will  even ask our youths to carry out assassination mission. These ones have closed their minds to values and God. I am extending invitation to you to become a part of the YouthFul and UseFul Democratic Alliance platform.

“You da” show up …….no time to check time

GIVE ME NIGERIA by John Chizoba Vincent. Cam'god.

GIVE ME NIGERIA

Hold your  tears and
give me this land
I will transform the stones
into wheat and flowers.

A man of action
talk less but act more,
give me this very country,
I will make her soar higher than the Eagle.

Sundown among men
freedom calls on mountains
we need no more strangers
we can build Nigeria with one man.

Give an hour to rule
I will make her green greener
make the white purer than ever
give water to those tired horses on her coat.

Give her to me with her pains
I have the cure to her ailments
I can satisfy her sexual urges...
She is not a stranger to development.

Give me Nigeria
then sit and watch me work...
I am not an offspring of greed
what they want is looking at me.


©John Chizoba Vincent.
Cam'god.

Frustration is waking up on Monday and having nothing to DO!

I know it can be very frustrating, annoying and discouraging waking up on a Monday and not finding what to do with your time, energy and maybe ideas.

Maybe you are Jobless, Cashless or even lack Business Clients that can bring you some income!

Maybe you are overwhelmed with academic failures, career failures, relationship failures and business failures!

I am here to tell you that the road hasn’t ended for you.

If you are frustrated by the lack of a Job that stares you on the face, the truth is that the Joblessness presents an opportunity for you to carry out a soul search for yourself where you dig deeper and know what other capacities you carry or what other skill you can adopt pending the availability of a Job. You must know that an offer will not be to you on a platter of Gold if you don’t have VALUE to give.

Atimes we are also particular about the salary or wages because we think we are bigger that the pay, it doesn’t matter how much you get paid at the first Job only if you can grab the opportunity and use it as pedestals to improve yourself and enhance your capacity. No hard earned experience is worthless.

If you are frustrated by a lack of consistent lack of income or sales and it is affecting your Business, seek a Job opportunity that gives you a little flexibility to do your thing by the side. You might lose the battle but not the war. Trust me, if you have proven yourself to be of immense value, you will earn flexibility. There is no need to roast in POVERTY because you want to stubbornly stick to your Dreams.

Think through this options as we go ahead in the new week to make sense of our INDIVIDUAL and collective #LIVES

EldaDavid be my Name!

#NonProfitSpecialist #HumanCapitalDevelopmentProfessional #TechnologyInclusivessEnthusiast #ProfessionalInclusionAdvocate #DreamInstigator #Inspirer #Motivator #LeadByExample #BeMyNameLegacy #PassionDrivenByValues

LEGACY ,OUR PURPOSE OF EXISTENCE by Olusegun M. Lawal

LEGACY ,OUR PURPOSE OF EXISTENCE by Olusegun M. Lawal 

Going through the  Legacy lane, it is catchy-phrase that has existence in what has been handed down by our predecessors or ancestors and its opposite has a thin line which is memory. Definition-wise ,LEGACY according to the Longman dictionary is something that happens or exists as a result of things that happened at an earlier time.

Etymologically, Legacy in a Latin word means (Legatia) which means Law.

From time immemorial, humans have tried to understand why memory must not be lost. It is an important part of what truly makes us human and yet it is one of the most elusive and highly misunderstood aspect of human attributes. We see ourselves as beings who capture space and time, making, creating and reshaping human history. The quality time we spent together with our loved ones, the trials and tribulations in the face of adversity and how we are able to sustain this planet to the way it is today.

Frankly speaking, legacy has been something which we only live for, which is believed to be the purpose of our very own existence, what you have and the way you have bequeathed into someone's life that will determine how people will talk about you later in life. Our legacy creates something great. It tells us how the nation continues to exist because of what the people in time past had provided for us which we use now in memory of them. Be it good or bad.

Memory is as important as humans. It is seen as a central attraction to the world because of our rationality, unlike animals who are only driven by their instincts. Legacy is important because it creates values to the society and without humans, the world would not have been a better place to live and that was why God told Man to continue the job of creation after the sixth day, reshaping and recreating for the unborn.

There are three things that paint the world; these are known as three L's of history

(1) The legacy that never dies.
(2) The fading legacy.
(3) The legacy that dies out.

(1) The legacy that never dies are those who have reshaped the world into a better place. People like Chinua Achebe, Kofi Awonnor, Fela Anikulapo  kuti, Festus  Iyayi, Nelson Mandela, Obafemi Awolowo, Moremi Ajasoro, Wole Soyinka, Ken Saro- wiwa Lansana Keita, Sophie Oluwole to name a few have actually done something great that their tales will not go out or fade as long as the Earth keep existing. What you say and how you are able to help your society and the ability to say No to evil even at the point of death.

(2) The fading legacy: Those that had done evil that people talk about, people like Lawrence Anini. AKA Ovbigbo in December 1986. The most notorious armed rubber in Nigeria history. People like Ishola Oyenusi, Youpelle Dakuro and others that shook the nation in dim-past.

(3) The legacy that dies out: Those that never did anything constructive. Those that came into the world as  commoners, these people neither create nor affect any life positively. They were born, grew up, married and returned to the Creator the way they came. They never thought of doing a thing in the society at all. This is what legacy does, it tells us the kind of people who created or destroyed. But to get the best out of everyone we must talk about the evil in the past and explain to the coming generations what they need to avoid and what they must do for their tales to be told in a positive manner.

Here is a quote from one of the greatest Roman philosopher, lawyer, politician and orator. Marcus Tullius Cicero, the life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. Everything we do today does not only affect us personally but tells of the family name of a person positively or negatively. In a communistic life, which as a social stigma  refers to a group of people or family that are perceived and served to distinguish them from other members of a society. It could be criminality attributes, associate not only with family but oneself, and for the fact that a person has done something evil can make it difficult for the family to wash out the social dirt the person has brought upon them. 

Here is a quote from the writer of "Long Walk To Freedom" by Nelson Mandela.

'What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.'

The only way to keep the human history moving forward and in strength for the betterment of us is to set a remarkable legacy that will help the little ones to know the best way of life, as life is a reflection of what we do, the mirror of our being. Legacy is good, set a quality time and reflect on the very best way you think will affect positively  the next generation. And this, we should be able to rebuild our own coexistence because if we leave this world and the world did not miss you; you have not lived at all. We were only a notional member of the society who would be eternally forgotten."

Let us imagine how our community, our nation and our continent will be if we can change our thinking positively. Soon, all of us here today will go into the past. When our teeth will no longer be useful for meat, when our time is up, and the sun is out of our faces. How would you want your legacy to be told to the next generation who are anxiously waiting to be fed with very nice stories of their ancestors would be determine by what you have done for the society. 

We are nothing but legacy and what legacy does in the life of others will determine our purpose of existence because legends and legend turn into myth.

I would like to end with this "When we leave a good legacy for the next generation, soon, the world will be as perfect  as  the paradise we had always heard about.

Cheers!

Gbenga Speaking at 'Young People Speak'

He is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) Originally trained as an Electronic and Electrical Engineer at Obafemi Awolowo University. He completed Executive Education programs at Lagos Business School, New York Group for Technology Transfer, Oxford University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Santa Clara University and University of the Pacific.

Register here to attend ‘Young People Speak’ on April 22, 2017! http://bit.ly/YoungpeoplespeakLagos

He will be speaking as a Distinguished Young Leader at the Young People Speak event in Lagos, Nigeria.

His consulting experience includes assignments completed for numerous institutions, including Microsoft, Harvard University and United Nations agencies, among others, in over 30 countries. A Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and former member of the United Nations Committee of eLeaders on Youth and ICT, he is a CyberStewards Fellow, Crans Montana Forum Fellow, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow , Ashoka Fellow, Ashoka Fellow, Our Common Future and Cordes Fellow, ‘Gbenga served as a member of the Presidential committees on Harmonization of Information Technology, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Sectors (2006), and Roadmap for the Achievement of Accelerated Universal Broadband Infrastructure and Services Provision (2013), and was listed by CNN as one of the Top 10 African Tech Voices on Twitter, and by Ventures Africa as one of 40 African Legends Under 40.

Register here to attend ‘Young People Speak’ on April 22, 2017!

http://bit.ly/YoungpeoplespeakLagos

Gbenga is married to Temilade Sesan PhD, an expert on Energy Poverty and Development issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gbenga is an example of a Young Nigerian particularly a Young Nigerian that has found his voice against the odds and tides and established himself as a Global Social/ICT Entrepreneur.

Register here to attend ‘Young People Speak’ on April 22, 2017! http://bit.ly/YoungpeoplespeakLagos

Gbenga is expected to espouse further on the kind of POLICY (CIES) the Government and Governments MUST adopt to ensure it can HARNESS the TRUE POTENTIALS of its Young People using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Register here to attend ‘Young People Speak’ on April 22, 2017! http://bit.ly/YoungpeoplespeakLagos Join Gbenga and 5 other distinguished Young Leaders as they set the pace for an #IdealNation (Nigeria).

This event will take place in Lagos, Nigeria and it is open to all Lagos based residents. Other States will host the same kind of event on the same day and time all over Nigeria.

This event is a Non-Political event and it is an innovative engagement and intellectual platform to foster deep conversations about #Nationhood #Nigeria #Dreams4MyFatherLand Register here to attend ‘Young People Speak’ on April 22, 2017! http://bit.ly/YoungpeoplespeakLagos This intellectual event is powered by ‘YouthFul and UseFul Democratic Alliance (A Political Party)

#YoungLeaders #FutureLeaders #GenerationUnborn #LifeLongLegacy #SecuringOurFuture #LongTerm #ChangingtheStatusQuo #PoliticalLeadership #YouthSynergy #TakingResponsibility #TakingOwnership

For our YOUTHS interested in SECURING OUR FUTURE! Register here as a member of Africa’s first Youth Oriented Political Party: http://bit.ly/YouthFulNUseFulPoliticalParty Kind Regards! Yours In Service (YouthFulNUseFul)

R for Respect, R for Resignation By Pius Adesanmi

Recently, Justin Trudeau was in the province of Quebec for a townhall meeting with citizens. He has been holding townhalls across Canada. An Anglophone Quebecois woman asked him a question in English, he responded in French saying he preferred to respond in the official language of the province.

Although French is the language of Quebec, there is an Anglophone minority in that province. English and French being the two official languages of Canada, the Anglophone minority woman deserved to have her question answered in English.

The national outrage was swift and major. The Prime Minister was condemned everywhere. Such was the intensity of the nationwide condemnations of the Prime Minister that I almost exclaimed Yorunigerianly: “ki ni Trudeau gbe ki ni won ju gan sef?”

Why were Canadians so aghast? It was said that the Prime Minister had disrespected a citizen. And by disrespecting a citizen, he had disrespected his office.

Trudeau has since been writing profuse letters of apology. He has apologized to the woman in question. He has apologized to Quebec Anglophones. He has apologized to Canadians.

Yesterday, I read another apology and nearly exclaimed, again Yorunigerianly: “wo, ogbeni yi ma f’idobale pa wa jare.”

I intend to draw heavy conclusions from this situation in the light of ongoing scenarios with President Buhari in Nigeria, sorry, in London.

I have been intrigued by the idea that respect for the highest office in the land starts with the occupant of the said office. I have been intrigued by the fact that Canadians are saying that respect for the said office and respect for the citizen are two indissociable elements of the political lifeworlds we refer to as statehood and nationhood.

In other words, as Prime Minister or President of a country, respect for your office – the highest office in the land – starts with you. To respect your office, you must start by respecting your employer – the citizen.

When these two fundamental prerequisites are met, a powerful symbolism emerges which automatically makes the people respect your office. For it to be respected, the highest office in the land must first be made respectable by the occupant.

From Obasanjo to Jonathan via Yar’Adua, I have written treatises on the Nigerian presidency. The most enduring of my reflections on that branch of the Nigerian state is, I believe, my essay, “Why the Nigerian Presidency is not Respectable.”

I wrote that essay in 2012. Its salience has returned to me as aides and supporters of President Buhari have intensified the familiar and sanctimonious calls we’ve been through with every President since 1999: “respect the office of the President!”

I call this category of compatriots Citizen Abobaku. We took civics to Citizen Abobaku during the respective tenures of President Buhari’s predecessors. I am afraid we must continue that task of civic engagement of Citizen Abobaku today.

The first thing to note is that throughout our recent experience with democracy, whenever Citizen Abobaku has been at his loudest, condemning his compatriots for not respecting the office of the President, it means he has run out of excuses, rationalizations, and justification of the incumbent President who disrespects that very office by: 1) continuously disrespecting the citizens, his employers; 2) reneging on campaign promises or failing to fulfill them.

Calls for respect also means that Citizen Abobaku has never really learnt to separate Nigeria from the person and body of the incumbent President he supports.

If we witnessed this scenarios with every President since Obasanjo, it has been raised to a level worthy of a Nobel Prize by President Buhari, his administration, and Citizen Abobaku who has been all over the airwaves taking umbrage at compatriots insisting on their right to be respected by President Buhari and his handlers.

If Citizen Canadian insisted on and got an apology from the Prime Minister for answering a question in the wrong language, can you imagine what would happen if this Prime Minister, knowing that he was ill and going to take care of his health in another country, wrote a letter to Parliament asking for a rest and recreation leave abroad instead? It would have led to so many problems at so many levels.

First would be the problem of not trusting the national health facilities under his supervision in Canada and going off to another country’s health facilities. Second would be the problem of who exactly is paying for the health safari. Third would be the most serious problem of all: lying to your country’s parliament to conceal the real reason and purpose of your trip. That is lying to the people. That is disrespecting the citizen. That is disrespecting the office of the President – the very office you occupy. Any single one of these itemized problems is an impeachable offence.

A combination of all of them would create not just impeachment but possible investigation and prosecution – in serious democracies. Ask our friend, Sarkozy in France. The former President is now facing prosecution for concealing certain aspects of the disbursement of his campaign funds. He is on trial for more than corruption. He is on trial for disrespecting the office he occupied and disrespecting the citizen through concealment of his activities.

Because Nigeria is never satisfied with little absurdities, the National Assembly decided that President Buhari would not outdo them in disrespecting his office and the citizen. The Senate President and the House Speaker took off to London to visit the President. They reported him hale and hearty.

Before the London trip, the Senate President also twitted vociferously about his telephone conversations with a “hale and hearty” President Buhari. Then he returned from London and read a letter from the President to the Senate asking for an extension of the President’s extended tenure in London on medical grounds.

On Twitter, spokespersons of the Presidency have been at their arrogant best, raining insults daily on citizens who dare to insist on respect. I did not want to dignify the utterly silly Femi Adesina with a mention in this treatise but he is inescapable. In tweet after tweet, he has been calling his boss’s employers - Nigerian citizens - unprintable names. He says they prefer to embrace lies no matter how many times he confronts them with the truth.

Yet, his television appearances are an ode to shallowness and incoherence. He is never able to get his facts straight. Who exactly is he talking to in London? He will begin to dance kokoma and palongo around that question. I don’t blame him. He understands fully well that he is operating in an environment where power overwhelms and there is not enough civic consciousness to engage him.

Citizen Abobaku is always in line, screaming that the people must “respect the office of the President” by unquestioningly accepting the latest stomach-churning incoherent verbiage coming from Aso Rock.

This maxim needs to be translated into every Nigerian language: respect for the office of the President starts with the President, not with you. It starts with everybody he appoints in the Presidency to help him serve you as citizen. And the first requirement of respecting their office is to respect you.

The entire situation of President Buhari’s trip to and stay in London is an epic of disrespect for the Nigerian citizen. Apart from the original grand deception (for which the President deserves impeachment as far as I am concerned), every aspect of the trip has been handled 

as if the dissemination of information to Nigerian citizens were a privilege.

Lai Mohammed – bless his soul! – even opined that the President is a victim of his own forthrightness. Translation Nigeriana: it is not you people’s fault that you feel entitled to information about the President. Shebi it is the President himself who on reaching London initially let you know that he is seeing his doctors. Na una fault?

When Lai Mohammed and Femi Adesina are in a mode so contemptuous of citizens and they enjoy a drumbeat of support from a large fragment of their victims, how does one even begin to teach such citizens that they are owed daily press briefings on the President’s condition by the Presidency? How does one teach such people that they are owed regular briefings by President Buhari’s Nigerian doctors who would have conferred and coordinated things with his medical team in London before holding such briefings in Abuja? The citizen is entitled to these things. It is not a privilege.

R stands for more than respect. R also stands for resignation whenever you understand that you are no longer in the position to carry out the solemn responsibilities of any office, especially the highest office in the land.

In Nigeria, resignation from office is a taboo word. Mention resignation and the supporters, political, religious, and ethnic “owners” of the concerned public official enter into a demented public orgy, screaming and foaming. A Nigerian can pardon rape. A Nigerian can pardon genocide. A Nigerian will never pardon you if you so much as hint the resignation from office of a politician he supports.

One of the many untenable reasons he is going to mobilize against resignation is – you guessed right – the need to respect the office in question. This is why we need more diligent workers in the national civics enterprise. We need to decriminalize resignation in the national imaginary of our people. The idea that it is unthinkable for my man to resign from office gave us Yar’Adua. It gave us Danbaba Suntai in Taraba.

I am not saying that President Buhari is anywhere near these circumstances. However, there are 180 million lives at stake. Those lives do not live in Femi Adesina’s alternative universe of milk and honey all over Nigeria. A state is always more important than any single citizen and that includes the President. One month away, poorly handled, is enough ground for resignation especially if there is no telling how exactly you would be able to handle compound problems on your return: the economy, insecurity, Fulani herdsmen, etc.

Resignation is not leprosy. Resignation is not a crime. In certain cases, it is a moral obligation, an ethical one. Where there is a conscience, it is a decision to be taken in loneliness, away from heehawing opportunists capable of convincing Sigidi that he can swim successfully across the river Niger. Sometimes, resignation is the only way to respect one’s country and one’s compatriots. Sometimes, resignation is the only way to enter history in a grand fashion.

President Buhari, take a measure of your conscience. If you know that even in the best of health, you are overwhelmed, go ahead and resign without listening to the fawning voices around you. Many of your overwhelmed predecessors had a chance to resign. None did because they were admired into perdition and ignominy.

The other day, I heard Femi Adesina saying that it’s still early days for you. You are just in year two of a four-year tenure and you have two more years to deliver miracle. Silly talk like this is what I call admiring one’s boss to perdition and ignominy. Sadly, the majority of your support base speaks like this. That is not how it works. You don’t really have any time left.

Perhaps many in your support base cannot tolerate the idea of your resignation because they fear the chest-beating reaction of the Lilliputian promoters of the corrupt era of your immediate predecessor who are still prosecuting the 2015 election. That is why they can’t even criticize you for not only not prosecuting the anti-corruption war properly but for also harboring your own clan of corrupt aides and associates. That is a shame because it puts such people in your support base in the same infantilist and puny partisan boat as the promoters of the last order.

Anybody who sees Nigeria above such clowning partisan pettiness should be able to give you the advice I have offered you here: respect your office by resigning if you know you can’t go on.

BY Professor Pius Adesanmi

Raise me a nation. How by Johnson Abbaly!

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