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Opinion

How APC Supervised the Collapse of Nigeria’s Democracy by Najatu Mohammed

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My fellow Nigerians, today, I speak about a topic that is both concerning and relevant to us all – the failure of democracy in Nigeria.

Democracy is often considered the best form of governance, as it is supposed to represent the will of the people and promote equality and freedom. However, there are instances where democracy fails to deliver on its promises. The past 8 years of the APC led government is one of such instances. From rampant corruption, to disregard to the rule of law, and finally, the blatant abuse of our democratic rights and institutions.

A reason for the failure of democracy in Nigeria is the presence of special interest groups. When a President is receiving Gold bars from a serving Governor without any explanation as to the origin or end use of these Gold bars, certainly democracy is on the brink in such a country.

These interest groups have maintained a significant amount of power and influence over our resources, which they use to shape policies that favour their interests and rig our elections against our collective interest and our collective future.

The just concluded presidential election has further exposed the inability of President Buhari to rule this country fairly and justly. A President that has never shied away from spitting on the laws of the land that has been entrusted to him to serve, and to protect. A President that has led the most inept and corrupt regime in history of Nigeria. A President that promised us free and fair elections after putting Nigerians through the most hardship recorded in the history of this country, only for him to fail to deliver on his electoral promises. A President that will openly and brazenly raise his ballot paper to the Public to show the world who he has voted for. With such an embarrassing action, not only did the President commit an illegal act by going against the secret ballot system enshrined in our electoral law, but also against the electoral law that calls for the end of political campaigns 48 hours before the election.

These unlawful acts by the President is a clear directive by the President to INEC and to the security agencies on what party to favour and to rig for.

This administration will unfortunately be remembered as an administration that has maintained contempt for the rule of law and never shies away from disobeying court orders.

With such disregard for the new electoral act, it is clear that INEC as an institution, starting with the Chairman of the commission has been compromised and therefore, the Chairman of the Commission should resign with immediate effect, as Nigerians cannot trust him to oversee the gubernatorial elections.

The INEC Chairman told Nigerians and I quote, “The system of using the BVAS for the conduct of elections has come to stay. There’s no going back”. Unquote. However, throughout the just concluded Presidential election, the INEC Chairman disregarded repeated calls by the relevant stakeholders to suspend the collation of results to address the complaints raised by party agents relating to failure of INEC to use BVAS for the electronic transmission of results. For over 24 hours, no result from a single Northern state was declared by INEC. Why?

Furthermore, as reported in multiple media channels, we want the INEC Chairman to tell us how a syndicate in possession of the BVAS machines was arrested in Abuja. How did non INEC Staff under the leadership of Mamood Yakubu get the BVAS machines prior to the elections to start with? What is the outcome of the Police investigation on this regard?

It is clear that Nigerians have been deceived by not only the President, but also by the INEC Chairman Yakubu Mamood who publicly assured Nigerians that using BVAS for the conduct of elections is here to stay. I believe this deceitful grand lie was part of the grand plan to rig the 2023 Presidential election in favour of the ruling party, the APC.

Moreover, a matter that truly breaks my heart is the failure of security agencies to address the issue of voters intimidation, snatching of ballot boxes, disruption of polling units etc despite repeated warnings and intelligence reports on threats against voters of certain ethnic groups and political parties across the country prior to the election. Our security men and women must understand that the struggle for a better Nigeria is also their struggle. This is a struggle for the future of their children. This is a struggle for the prosperity of our nation. This is a struggle for our collective destiny. I believe every security agent out there has a deeper insight into the situation of our country more than an average Nigerian does. Therefore, it is also the responsibility of the security agents to protect the larger population of Nigerians that truly want a change of their situation and have come out en masse to demand for it. The brave majority of us that have simply refused to allow another decade of our lives to be plundered by greedy and selfish politicians, will continue with this struggle to its logical conclusion within the parameters of the law and within the ambit of our rights.

Although it is true that most Nigerians no longer have confidence in the judiciary, most especially after recent supreme court judgements related to electoral matters. As we approach the courts, we must remain resolute, observant, and confident throughout the next stage of this struggle. Over 200 Million of us will not be held to ransom by a few corrupt individuals planted across our institutions. These corrupt individuals, be it in our Government houses, court rooms or INEC offices must realise that even the instruments of coercion such as the law enforcement agents are themselves victims of the greed of corruption and are also tired of this injustice. We are all tired of this decay. This struggle is not about Atiku Abubakar, or Peter Obi. This is a struggle for the youth of this country who constitute over 75% of the country’s population. We stand with the youth to see this struggle to its logical conclusion. The Nigerian youth must refuse to be used as cannon fodder by deceitful politicians. Already, about a decade of these youths lives has been plundered by the current Buhari Government. Another decade of their lives is about to be robbed from them by the same APC led Government. No way. No way. Ooh no way. The youth of this country must retrieve their future and their destiny. We stand with the youth of this country for the struggle for a better Nigeria.

The intimidation and arrest of opposition party members and activists for calling out the blatant electoral fraud throughout the Presidential election must cease immediately. No body can silence us, no body can silence the millions of Nigerians that have come out en masse to cast their votes. And definitely, no one will be allowed to steal those votes. No one. The level of oppression and injustice done by this government must be addressed and challenged by Nigerians lawfully. We will not be silenced. All citizens that have been killed, maimed, or injured throughout this election must get justice.

Never in the history of this country has the country been more divided and balkanised as has been under President Buhari. This government has enhanced division and tension between Muslims and Christians, Fulani’s and Hausa’s, Yoruba and Igbo’s. This tactics of divide and conquer due to failure of leadership must seize immediately. As for the INEC chairman and the politicians responsible for the decay of our democracy, while your children and wives have been flown out of the country in comfort and into comfort, the children of the poor are being used as political thugs, and being slaughtered by the hour. For how long will this injustice be allowed to continue?

Finally, we are grateful to the international observers who were honest, courageous and effective in leading to the conclusion that the conduct of the elections was deeply flawed.

As for the foreign entities that precipitously congratulated the perpetrators and beneficiaries of the fraudulent elections, we urge them to retrace their steps. Their actions in this regard is most harmful to the people of Nigeria.

I further urge the International Community that has witnessed this electoral fraud to continue to speak out against this injustice and to sanction anybody found guilty in this blatant theft of our country’s future, the blatant theft of the future of our youth, the blatant theft of the destiny of our youth, and the disruption of our hard earned democracy. Nigeria remains the largest democracy in Africa. The breakdown of our democratic system puts democracy across the entire African region in a state of limbo. Hence, we must not relent on saving the future of the African child.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Opinion

Voice of Emancipation: Thriving in a Global Crisis

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By Kayode Emola

The last year has been a nightmare for the common man, finding himself responsible for footing the bills of high inflation, high interest, and the cost of living crisis, in the midst of a number of trying situations. Many Western leaders want us to believe that these all stem from the conflict in Russia; yet they cannot justify how, in these same circumstances, the rich are getting richer, and energy companies are declaring hefty profits. Whilst at the same time, the poor around the world have been left behind to fend for themselves through all of these tribulations.

Many of us are oblivious to the wider picture, unconcerned with the global financial tsunami that is currently stirring. However, we are all feeling the effects of inflation and the rising costs of everyday items; none of us is insulated, even in our ignorance. Therefore, I am going to discuss a few of the global events and potential ways to mitigate the challenges. For those who are conscious, this may serve as a precaution to prevent them from falling into a ditch; whilst for the less aware, maybe a note of caution will manage to bring them back on track.

It is undeniable that inflation is biting hard, causing prices of everyday goods to spiral out of control. A large contributory factor in this was the recklessly excessive printing of money by countries in Europe and America during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, with their economies suffering, it raises speculation about whether this has given the West a hidden agenda in terms of their approach to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Unquestionably, in the circumstance of war, certain parties are guaranteed to profit, namely, those whose business interests lie in the production of munitions. One may therefore infer that such parties would have a vested interest in prolonging the conflict, rather than dispensing with rapid and decisive intervention.

No one can justify Russia’s use of force; however, a more meaningful approach could have been taken to avert the war. Russia had amassed troops at the border of Ukraine for over a month, thinking that this will give it leverage in negotiating with NATO and the European Union (EU) for Ukraine’s continued exclusion from these entities.

Perhaps if the United Nation had intervened in time, the situation could have been de-escalated in a timely and professional manner. Instead, Russia felt unheard by the Western democracies; and, as a result, we all are paying the high price, whether we like it or not. The thought that the war is likely to go on for several more years is one that should chill the spine of every person around the world.

What is currently Happening?

Recently, we have seen the impact caused by the current crisis on the banking sector. Rising inflation has caused central banks to raise interest rates worldwide. Peripheral banks that had sold long-term products at lower interest rates now have to pay the difference themselves, thereby potentially jeopardising their own financial stability.

Secondly, banks that have invested in long-term government bonds have seen the value of those bonds fall. This has not only put customers’ money at risk, but the market response to the two conditions has caused two internationally renowned global banks (Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse) to have to be forcefully taken over. Furthermore, the Germany-based Deutsch bank is also having trouble. It takes only one event or mistake for everything to spiral out of control, and the whole house falls like a pack of cards.

People have seen their electricity and gas bills triple in recent months; and pump prices of diesel and petrol have been similarly impacted. An average household in the UK that was previously paying less than £80 per calendar month are now paying in excess of £300 pcm just to keep their homes warm. Despite all of this, major energy companies are still declaring serious growth and profit. Just this week, it was reported that the chief executive of British Gas, Chris O’Shea, had been awarded a performance bonus of £1.4m last year, bringing his salary for 2022 up to £4.5m. Yet concurrently millions of ordinary people are unable to afford to even heat their homes.

Not only are energy costs increasing aggressively, but the central banks’ rising interest rates have led to mortgage rates returning to levels not seen since 2006, prior to the financial crisis. This has caused monthly mortgage repayment figures to rise by over £450 pcm, in some cases, a situation which is clearly unsustainable in the long run.

For my Yoruba folks, what does this mean for our survival? The mere fact that we are in Nigeria already sets us at a disadvantage when attempting to navigate the choppy waters of the global crisis. Despite the enormous challenges facing the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria last week increased its interest rates to 18%.

It is becoming clear that we must find a way to create our own financial system, in order to mitigate against soaring interest rates and inflation. We must put measures in place to ensure that the disastrous naira redesign policy, which devastated millions of our people, cannot recur in the future. A self-contained financial ecosystem built on blockchain technology would allow us to protect ourselves from hostile government policies. This would also help our people safeguard money for a rainy day.

Ultimately, we Yoruba need our own financial system. However, this is likely to be impossible until we exit from Nigeria. In the meantime, whilst we await the birth of our Yoruba nation, I implore us all to be aware that we are living in precarious times wherein only the prepared can survive. This is not the time to embark on frivolous spending, but rather the time to be careful and judicious with our finances. Protect your upside and ensure that your downside is covered, so that when the storms get heavier, you will be able to not only survive but thrive, when others are complaining.

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Adding Value

Adding Value: Get Connected to Succeed by Henry Ukazu

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Dear Destiny Friends,

One of the best things that can happen to any person is getting connected. Not only that, but having the best of connections. Connections come in various ways. There is always a distinct difference in the way you connect with yourself, children, parents, friends, colleagues, mentors, strangers, teachers, and boss. One must know what works with these people to connect with them, otherwise it might be difficult to get your desire, especially when it relates to opportunities.

You cannot underscore the importance of human or personal relationships. Despite getting formal education, good grades, and being the best in what you do, you must make an intentional effort to put yourself out there, and this entails relating with people both formally and informally.

The importance of human connection cannot be overemphasized; it’s just like a man who wants to get close to a lady. You must understand the love language, which can be words affirmation, gifts, acts of services or physical touch. All these entail connecting with the other person in the way they understand. When you use words instead of gifts, the lady might not respond positively; when you use gifts instead of time, you might miss the person, same way if you use words, gifts, physical touch but don’t show little act of service, she might see you as an unattractive being. This is why connection is very important.

Apart from being educated and doing what you need to do to succeed, did you know you need connection to succeed? Yes, you need connection to succeed because you might be the best singer, but if you don’t get an opportunity to sing, nobody might hear your voice. You might be the best writer, but if nobody gives you an opportunity to write, your work might not see the light of the day. We all need an opportunity to showcase our work to get publicity. The big question we need to ask ourselves is how do we connect to people?

Connection works in different ways. Everyone needs to have a connection. Your connection can be God, who you relate with spiritually; it can also be a mentor or benefactor who has the platform or access to the publicity you need. Most people even connect to a “god” who assists them with false wealth or opportunity. Your connection can be from the school you attended, social engagement/networking group you belong to or even strangers you meet on the streets. If you can engage them in fruitful conversation, you are setting up yourself for success

Connection can also be through a referral, recommendation, through marketing efforts, or an established platform. It could also be via your online presence where you share your work (article or videos)

To have the success you want, you need a connection with yourself, others, and your work. For connection to be effective, you must understand how your public, private and secret life works. Your public life is the way you relate with people while in public space, your private life relates with the way you relate with your family and close friends, while your secret life relates with the way you relate with yourself. Only you know this part of you, that’s why self discovery is very important. Let me explain how this works.

CONNECTION WITH YOURSELF

Self Leadership is a skill that needs to be developed if you are to maximize the potential you were given. You cannot connect with yourself if you don’t understand yourself. It is important to state that self-connection is the most fundamental and crucial of all connections because it will allow you to bring out the best in you, which means you’ll be able to tap into a purpose that lights up your life. It may come in the form of inner guidance, intuition etc. This connection is personal and can only be understood by you.

CONNECTION WITH OTHERS

As generally stated, success comes with a team. You need people to succeed in life. Without people in your life, your life might be hollow, especially when you need to get work done and can’t do it alone. While most problems you encounter stem from a connection to people, you wouldn’t want to live without them. It is instructive to note that connecting with the right people is hard and getting them to do things for you is even harder.

CONNECTION WITH YOUR WORK

You can connect with other people with your work. The desire to produce, contribute or create is in each and everyone of us. We all want the opportunity to engage in work that gives us great pleasure while being valued and handsomely rewarded. It is when you do your work perfectly well that your value will be noticed and appreciated.

A critical area of connecting with people is networking. Networking is about establishing, building, and nurturing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with the people you meet. Like I always say, we live in a connected and social economy with the invention of the internet and social media where the world is now a global village.

Do you know that networking has gone global? Yes, who you know might open the door for you, but who knows you will give you the seat. This is because you might know former President Obama, but the big question is, does Obama know you? You might know Henry Ukazu due to his global works on youths and Human Capacity Development, but does Henry Ukazu know you?

Experts agree that the most connected people are often the most successful. When you invest in your relationships -professional and personal – it can pay you back dividends throughout the course of your career because networking is a currency.

Networking is essential since it will help you develop and improve your skill set, stay on top of the latest trends in your industry, prospective mentors, partners, and clients, and gain access to the necessary resources that will foster your career development.

In conclusion, take time out today to think about the connections you have in your life and ask yourself, am I plugged into the right connection that will connect me to the success I desire? That should be your food for thought.

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator.  He’s a Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright to Success. He can be reached info@gloemi.com

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Opinion

The Flames of Character: Maximize your ‘Self’ for Global Impacts

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By Tolulope A. Adegoke

“The word ‘SELF’ connotes:

Sharing with

Everyone,

Loving unconditionally, and

Finding peace in your old age.

Your ‘SELF’ is what makes you or mar you. it is up to you to decide what to do with your “SELF””–  Tolulope A. Adegoke, Ph.D., MNIM, FIMC, CMC, CMS

If you do not think about the future, you may not have a brighter one.

If you cannot take a major step, you cannot have a future.

It is you acting deliberately in line with your goals.

Character is who you are when no one is watching. Charm is a woman’s strength, while strength is a man’s charm

Our job is not to see through one another, but to see one another through.

One of the most difficult thing to give away is kindness, because it is like a baton which usually return in unexpected manners.

When we hurt, there is no sweeter revenge than to forgive.

For every minute of anger, it is said that sixty (60) seconds of happiness is lost.

So, why worry? Chances make our parents, but choices make our friends.

Although, our tongues weigh practically nothing,

But how come so few a people can bridle it.

If you need a position, you must be positioned enough to have a mission.

If you need to fulfil your mission, you must have a clear vision.

Refuel your vision, through meditation for rejuvenation and revitalization.

To arrive at your mission, you must embrace stable or consistent submission.

If you must achieve your vision, then you must suspend the television for a while.

If you desire to be on the television, you must avoid the television as an addiction.

The height of your position is determined by the visions that you are exposed to.

And to have acute breakthroughs, you must actively breakthrough in your thoughts and in your words (and works).

One major thing that must break for you to go through is the ‘SELF’ in you…

The word ‘SELF’ connotes:

Sharing with Everyone, Loving unconditionally, and Finding peace in your old age.

Your ‘SELF’ is what makes you or mar you. it is up to you to decide what to do with your ‘SELF’.

Listen and download Spoken word single (MP3), titled: “CHARACTER” By Tolulope A. Adegoke via the link below:

https://www.reverbnation.com/tolulopeaadegoke/song/31231966-character-spokenword

OR contact: adegoketolulope1022@gmail.com

Thank you!

Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke is an accredited ISO 20700 Effective Leadership Trainer

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