In Africa 'some things don't change'

"How can we help change this narrative even if they put label on us"-Uche Okeke . Photo: Google

We have been looking at events in this part of the world to understand why they defy all attempts to embrace global best practices. Professor Sir Paul Collier says : "It is easier to rename countries than to change them". The controversy about 'Shithole' has just settled. There is a recent outrage when a French Journalist asked if there are bookstores in Nigeria,  but has it made any difference?

I have just read a new report where Nigeria's Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described what is happening at the state controlled Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation,(NNPC). He said the state controlled NNPC ''stinks despite regime change''. President Buhari says ''it's disgraceful that none of our refineries is working optimally, but he's the Petroleum Minister for almost four years, his Chief of Staff is also Executive Director of NNPC and his kinsman is also the head of the NNPC.

 Meanwhile Nigeria's thirty-six (36) Governors have accused the NNPC of failure to remit to the federation account the joint venture cash call for five years.[FEC Admits Shortchanging Nigerians To Fund Fuel Import; Independent January 31, 2018]

I learnt the head of the Petroleum Industry(NNPC), Mr.Maikanti Baru says the government now owes the corporation, so there may not be enough funds to fix the refineries or build new ones. The government simply turns into ''paper-tiger government'', that promises reforms and doing it their own way, at least they need to win the next election, and to win they must fund patronage politics. so where will they get the money to pay their e-fighters(social media warriors), traditional rulers, community leaders, women leaders, etc.

The World Economic Forum has just released a report that Governments wastes trillions of dollars annually fighting corruption instead of the provision of public services especially education, healthcare and infrastructure, in most cases the recovered funds are re-looted as we have seen in Nigeria.

  A Pan-Yoruba group Afenifere describes Nigeria as a ''huge killings field''; 'primitive and barbaric enclave and the state is either complicit or unwilling to stop the dastardly acts''. Amnesty International has just released a new video captioned : Why did the Nigeria Air-force do the unthinkable? .

Opposition leaders in Kenya have just sworn in their leader Raila Odinga as alternative President. Nigeria has just deported seperatist leaders to Cameroon, etc.. We all know the implications.

 The issues of 'corruption, political instability and resource management', have been identified as the major problems for the crisis in Africa, but there seems not to be genuine internal pressure to confront the status-quo. Till date it has remained winner takes all.

Until we decide to learn from the mistakes of the past, it will always remain 'development in reverse', endless outrage over 'shitholes' and bookstores. It's worst when the same people who are the reasons for the stagnation still wants to be incharge by endorsing themselves, manipulating ignorant people, and those who are only interested in what they will gain to endorse the status-quo.

I have seen couple of  playcards/photos describing  Raila Odinga as the 'President of the People' maybe  President Uhuru Kenyatta is the President of the Government,or the President of Another People,  that's just the beginnig.

 Nigeria's leading opposition party , the PDP has told a visiting UN-team that they don't trust the government to conduct a free and fair elections. We all know the reasons.

 In Africa, somethings don't change : 'Ignorance, Corruption, Civil-war, Plague', etc.

Uche Okeke.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable: 'Good news is no news'

It's now collectively accepted that the problem with Nigeria is the unworkable political structure. The ruling party has just released their committee report in this regard. This issue needs to be addressed urgently as pointed out by Governor Dickson of Bayelsa State, at least before the next-election in 2019. How this will be resolved is our collective guess. Even in liberal democracies, some governments are experts in falsehood, however this can help underscore the intergrity of this government, as they have enough time to implement their own recommendations.

There must be a change in mindset to move the country forward especially in changing times. According to Professors Anthony King and Ivor Crewe; the approach has been : "Don't bother to think at all. Decide first and think later"- [The Blunders Of Our Governments].

I have just read beautiful words of wisdom from Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo's daughter, reacting to what she described as 'cheap tactic' to divert attention from issues raised by her father on the state of the nation.

In her words:  "I hope that Nigeria someday comes out of it's death spiral to become a leading nation in the world. It is trying to be part of the Nigerian conversation when there is no positive impact to it. I really do not want to be part of it as i have found over and over again that speech and words are wasted on people who have no understanding of the responsibility on us as black people on this planet".[Iyabo Obasanjo Slams Buhari Supporters Over Open Letter , Punch 28 January, 2018].

The truth is that unless we address this important issue of restructuring, it's not yet uhuru. It doesn't matter who wins the next election or the political party that wins, the problem will always be there. What is happening now mocks universal idea of democratic governance and questions our committment to it. Anyone who doesn't share their view is an enemy that must be attacked, but the country belongs to all of us.

Things have been wrong for so long. Now is the time to think different. "These shifts in thinking depend upon ordinary citizens. Our politicians would only move beyond gestures once there was a critical mass of informed citizens''-Professor Sir Paul Collier[The Bottom Billlion; Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It; Oxford University Press.].

Governor Wike of Rivers state has described the Governor El-Rufai panel report as a hoax, while Dr Junaid Muhammed , a renowned northern politician says the ruling APC party is toying with the intelligence of Nigerians over the agitation for the restructuring of the country. [El-Rufai Panel Report A Hoax, Nigerians Insist; Guardian , 28 January, 2018]

This is the time to establish if these people truly deserve to be in-charge of our collective future.



Uche Okeke.

The LEAD Project Foundation: Make Nigeria Free for all; a lesson on free speech...

The LEAD Project Foundation: Make Nigeria Free for all; a lesson on free speech...: Today it's very easy to predict our government, especially now that elections 2019 is round the corner. The political system is becoming...

Nigeria's Democracy And It's Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable- Social Media : 'Free speech enables us to seek and find the truth and hold the government to account'

"Story tellers have got the world in their hands, they can fill a library with their stories"-Uche Okeke.

While technology is hailed as a liberator some government's now see it as a new enemy. Social media clampdown is cowardice, a sign of weakness and a failing government unable to let the truth see the daylight.

Effective government welcomes constructive criticisms and seeks new ways to engage with citizens in a collaborative manner. These are changing times, so in a rapidly changing enviroment the government needs to change its approach to governance and embrace inclusiveness.

 Social media is one good tool to change the system and create radical change. Sadly most governments are failing in their responsibility to create jobs for their citizens, so social media is now payback tool which should challenge governments to sit up not to shut down social media. Can you shut down what you didn't create?.

Social media is one sure way for citizens voices can be heard in a democracy, so that change can happen. In the words of ex-President Barrack Obama: "In a diverse society, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech, the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotory and blasphemy and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect".

 We have written about the need for free speech-'free communication of ideas and opinions' to flourish in a democracy, so every government must treat this fundamental right with great caution.

  Make Nigeria Free For All, A lesson on Free Speech.
Click on this link to read more: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2017/09/make-nigeria-free-for-all-lesson-on.html

Guidance of public opinion should be least of the worries of a performing government, it's only a failing government that worries about what people can see and hear a sad legacy of Autocracy. It's only through speech that the truth can be known

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur, he lives in London.

The LEAD Project Foundation: My own story: 'The Egyptians are no longer in my l...

The LEAD Project Foundation: My own story: 'The Egyptians are no longer in my l...: This page is about my journey to Social Entrepreneurship, the setbacks and the triumphs. A good ready (soon)

Why is democracy failing in Nigeria?, what can we do about it?

Despite challenges, democracy is very successful in America and Europe, especially the United Kingdom . So why is it failing in Nigeria?

According to Nick Clegg, Former UK Deputy Prime Minister, "Democracy can only be defended if we first understand how it is being attacked". This is the mission of this blog. It's a must read for anyone interested in our democracy, even if we may not have all the answers, but we can help change your world view so that you can be on the right side of history. 

We believe in inclusiveness. Democray can succeed if it's inclusive. One way this can happen is free and fair election that is also free from violence so that we can have good leadership capable of delivering a good future.

Today in Nigeria, democracy is under attack . Civil and Political liberties is under severe attack. There is also a new peril, the Fulani Herdsmen threatening security and national unity.  The government is only interested in the next-election and the prospects for free and fair election is doubtful given the desperation, repression, manipulation, nepotism, propaganda, insecurity and violence, etc. The bitter relationship between the Executive and the legislature adds to the nation's woes.

"Throughout my reading of history, political science and social sciences generally, I have never heard of any dictator or any tyrant under any system of government whether totalitarian or fascist, appointing his own niece to conduct elections in which he was either a party or going to be a party to; Buhari has done that"- Dr Junaid Muhammed , [Nepotism Is Too Prevalent in Buhari's Government; Independent, October 2, 2017]

Similarly, almost all the security heads, the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the head of the judiciary are the President's kinsmen, so this dampens any hope for credidble elections come 2019, the result is violence.

Follow us on our various networks to find out more about Nigeria's devastation by Autocracy. History is repeating itself.  Read: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/ wherever you are, even in remote villages , this can help to change your world view. We will soon be producing newsletters to reach those without internet access.

The truth is that the same politicians you die for, using you as thugs for election violence are the reason why you are suffering, because they don't believe in 'growth for all'. This is the time to think different!. The system works for just few people; their families, friends and associates. Do not allow yourselves to be used as political thugs.

Remember:  Nigeria is not a homogeneous society, so do not be fooled. The status-quo will never bring the desired CHANGE! . The solution is RESTRUCTURING- Move Power down to Identity , so that the people can take their destiny in their own hands including electing their own choice without interference and the protection of lives and properties of their own people..

Do not SELL your VOTES. They have the 'guns and the money', so it's carrot and stick strategy. Be bribed or be destroyed, so be wise.  Your vote is one way you can help make change happen, so ensure that you register to vote. Vote for any political party with credible candidates to instill confidence and hope for a good future.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable: Technology transforms the world not cows

Where will future economic growth come from?, certainly not from cows.Even 'flows of oil will one day run out', now think of reliance on cows.   Photo: Uche Okeke

I have been studying various arguements about the proposed cattle colony policy in Nigeria. The truth is that this policy has simply revealed how out of touch the system seems to have become in a rapidly changing enviroment. The system is strictly opposed to modernity and global best practices.  It has also revealed that the policy is purely individualistic idea exploiting a backdoor strategy not minding the implications to the society. It has also revealed the wide division in the society and never ending praise singing that has defined our politics, even when the society is sinking.

 It has simply supported various arguements that the government seems to have no 'direction, purpose or discipline', rather what I describe as Another Progressive Crisis.,on already devastated nation.  The government has simply demonstrated lack of knowledge of today's 'global economy creating opportunities for billions of people'. A good government should place the security and freedom of its citizens above other interests.

 In the 21st century technology is proven to be one of the main drivers of growth not cow. It's worst when there is no documented evidence about how the cow economy has contributed to improving the welfare of ordinary people in Nigeria. I don't know about the export value, or how much it has contributed to the nation's purse,  however, i'm convinced that this is not meant to be a major policy objective in an ethnic diverse society like Nigeria given the implications especially when it's proved beyound reasonable doubt that the borders with the herdsmen is very bloody.

Technology should serve as role model not cows. Our government should invest in our collapsed education system, 247-electricity and internet/broadband connection, that drives today's jobs not cow colony with it's continued devastation. Our government should invest in research and innovation, we don't even have refineries in all the states, so why must cow colony be a government priority?.

Individual states or regions with specialisation in cow business should harness such opportunity embracing markets and innovation approach for growth. Other states should also be supported to grow their own specialisations, be more innovative and productive not imposing cow colony on them or forcing them to learn about cow business, except if there is more to this.

According to World Economic Forum ; ''Technology will keep boosting growth. Technology reduces cost compared with all other industries, often all that is required to successfully become part of the global economy is an internet connection and a good idea'',[Where will future Economic Growth come from?; Kristel Van der Elst, 18 January, 2015, WEF].  not imposing cattle colonies on people with different values and cultures.

This policy has already added to the reputational damage ravaging the polity following the level of public discontent. In a rapidly changing world, especially in an ethnic diverse society political leaders need to demonstrate awareness of global best practices, to create a conducive society that is trusting , peaceful and citizens rights respected.

These are changing times, our leadership , and values, also needs to change. Voters should vote wisely during the next elections. Professor Ben Nwabueze has described the colony policy as ''a deadly trap'', we need not ignore it.

 Global best practices may be challenging to implement but its one sure way to ensure progress in today's world. Read More: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2018/01/now-is-time-to-encourage-digital-start.html

President Museveni says he loves President Trump even if he calls Africa 'Shitholes'. He concluded that President Trump was ''the best'' US President and that he was frank with Africans.(BBC Africa Highlights ; 23 January 2018).

 Meanwhile President Museveni has ammended his country's constitution to enable him remain a life President, despite widespread opposition and threatens to reintroduce executions in his country. That's just the whole point.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur.

Controvery as Obasanjo's letter unsettles leading political parties in Nigeria

Ex-President Obasanjo's recent letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him not seek re-election has generated mixed reactions . Though the presidency is yet to respond officially, everybody knows it's not a good electoral gain.

We learnt the President is currently meeting with the ruling party's South-West leaders who played a key role in his winning the 2015 presidential election. Some of the ruling party's Northern Governors and their members in the South-East Nigeria have already endorsed the president for re-election, which may have contradicted the party's position on inclusiveness,

Leading voices include the opposition PDP, party which was Chief Obasanjo's political party as two-term president. The party acknowledged that Obasanjo's advice to President Buhari vindicates their position on the president's poor performance but disagreed with him on their preparadeness to present alternative leadership. According to their spokesperson, Obasanjo's letter has 'rekindled the fate of ordinary people in the democratic process'. They said the party is more formidable to present credible leadership to Nigerians given the new challenge.

Meanwhile another chieftain of the opposition party PDP , the Governor of Ekiti State who is a vocal critic of President Buhari's bad governance has said that President Buhari should heed Obasanjo's advise and go home. According to him the President has already 'overstayed his welcome'. He accused ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of being one of the cabals who 'install and dethrone' governments in Nigeria. He also indicted ex-President Obasanjo as being responsible for deceieving the International community to support Buhari to become President in 2015.

Thisday newspaper has reported that a group of politcians comprising past and present Governors, Legislators and other political heavyweights are currently seeking to form a new coalition (political party), that will present alternative leadership to Nigerians come 2019, but weighing the option of meeting the electoral guidelines.

Nigeria needs the restructuring of the current political structure and a new leadership to build strong institutions, leveraging global partnerships to build a new society that is inclusive. This is the urgent task for Nigerians.

Uche Okeke.

Nigeria's Democracy and It's Crisis- Deliberate, Avoidable: Why is democracy failing in Nigeria?

Nigeria's ruling party(APC) leader, Chief Bola Tinubu and Chief Akande on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja Nigeria.

Note: Chief Akande has cited Nigeria's unworkable system as reason for President Buhari's failure and favoured the restrucuring of the current political structure for development. Photo: Google

They told us that democracy is the best system of government in the world. Anywhere there is democracy, liberty and wealth abound for all the citizens. Why is not working for Nigeria despite it's wealth in Natural resources?. What has gone wrong? Why has it gone wrong?.

Why is Nigeria's democracy not working for ordinary people, rather for few people?. What can be done to make it work? .Why do we still have conflict, killings, kidnapping, mass unemployment, import petroleum products, no 247-electricity, nearly 58 years after independence, etc.?

We may not have all the answers, but this blog is an attempt to help make some of our findings available to ordinary people who are the real victims of exploitation and social exclusion.

 First we need to examine our brief history, and where we are today to look at what has gone wrong and how it can be corrected. Thanks to today's technology we will be communicating some of the world's best answers to our readers. We will focus more on the current government.

Read our blog posts regularly, follow us on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Sign up for E-mail., as we continue to search for answers from some of the world's best thinkers.We love receiving feedback from our readers, as your comments and opinions would definitely add value to our work.

We have created a new page to gather useful comments and opinions from home and abroad to guide our readers. Click on this page to read more: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/p/blog-page.html.

Professor Ben Nwabueze asked a very important question: "We are one Nigeria, are we compatible?

I think providing a sincere answer to this thought-provoking question by our politcal leaders is one sure way to help make democracy work for the country.

Professor Sir Paul Collier said 'there must be a shared identity and shared value to lift ordinary people out of poverty'. Is it something our political leaders are willing to do?.

Together we can find out more to help effect the desired change in our society.

The status-quo has shown that change is  very imperative. Is that something we are willing to embrace?

Do we have active civil society willing to demand change from the way things are? or do we prefer to be bribed to endorse the status-quo?.

Why is it that the cleverest people in Nigeria do not make the top?.

How can we get ordinary people to elect leaders of their choice?

Why will this failure be of huge concern to the International community?

This is why you must be one of those who help drive future change. We are on a mission to ascertain why the world's best political system has failed in Nigeria and what can be done about it.

Uche Okeke

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable : Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo leads growing demand for regime change in Nigeria

                                         Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Photo: Google

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has added his voice to the growing demand for regime change in Nigeria saying that the President was 'voted to fix things that were bad not to engage in blame games'. In an open letter to the President which has dominated the headlines, he focused on the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to consolidate the democratic gains by not building inclusiveness desperately needed to achieve growth despite the huge goodwill he got from Nigerians.

He emphasized on his personality, inability to embrace team work, inability to shop for the best talents in the country, lack of knowledge of the economy, bias in the corruption war, poor human rights records, insecurity, the control by cabal , ''Poor understanding of the dynamics of internal Politics', nepotism,ethnic bigotry, ill-health, lack of hope for the future, etc, as some of the reasons for his poor performance and why he should not continue .

 He cautioned that President Buhari's health may impede his ability to perform in the long-term and suggested that the President should retire honourably to take proper care of his health and play Statesmanship role to the nation.

 He was very bitter that some APC Governors chose to endorse President Buhari for re-election on a day when the nation was mourning innocent civilians killed by the Fulani Herdsmen in Benue State.

Furthermore, he indicted the leading opposition political party for lacking the capacity to lead the country and the capacity to effect the desired change, thus suggested that a new coalition is needed to take the country to greater heights since the two leading political parties have failed to demonstrate the capacity and commitment to improve the welfare of the citizens. In his words, Nigeria needs :

 " change that will mean enhancement of living standard and progress for all. A situation where the elected will accountably govern and every Nigerian will have equal opportunity not based on kinship and friendship but based on free citizenship". 

Ex-President Obasanjo who recently obtained a PHD degree in Theology from the National Open University in Nigeria has also favoured the growing demand for the restructuring of the current political structure and advised the leadership to listen in that direction.

Click on this link to read the full text as we seek to provide independent analysis of the letter to the president. https://independent.ng/obasanjos-letter-buhari/.

This letter is of great help to our efforts to put together some of the reasons why democracy is failing in Nigeria and what can be done about it. 

Uche Okeke.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable; Be the judge; history is warning us

               Nigerians in London protest against the killings in Nigeria. Photo: Google .

The world is watching the headlines about Nigeria. History is also warning us about the horrific torture and pain that come from Autocracy. We must be mindful of the people spreading propaganda and misinformation, to please their pay masters. The headlines are there for everyone to see.

The truth is that the same politicians would be the first to switch camps. Ofcourse we respect individual democratic rights, but we must not loose sight of the big picture. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, i prefer the restructuring of the current political structure to one -in a- lifetime Igbo Presidency. I have been digging deep to ascertain if we have a better option. Restructuring is the best option.

 Ordinary people are limited by their immediate enviroment, Their search is always for 'short-cuts', so they become victims of the political merchants who are only interested in what they will gain. Those people are different from you and I. They have been around for too long, just for their families, friends and associates, so they will not just give up on beautiful opportunities. We are really learning from them. To them 'weilding power' is very essential.

The bottom line is, in the words of Felix Dennis; "the lure of wealth and the determination to acquire it remain a shinning constant in the world of ambitious men and women". It's as simple as that. This is why you must be one of those who think different in choosing the people to give authority over our lives.

We have been seeking to find out why democracy is not working for Nigeria and what can be done about it. Read our blog posts regularly and leave comments that will help improve our search.

Uche Okeke.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable : Whenever democracy is in peril ordinary people suffer

Agatu Orphans Protest Killings in Nigeria, seeks Eradication of Fulani-Herdsmen. Photo: Google.

We have been following events in our politics , now it's a bit easy to predict the politicians next move. The politicians especially in  Africa are simply interested in the next election, it's as simple as that, and they can use any strategy to achieve their objective, whether you call it thugs, secret police, etc, it's up to you.  The beauty of democracy is that you must need the people to win. If you are dividing , it maybe very difficult.

 The next election is sometime in 2019, but no one talks about development, it's all endorsement for re-election, i don't know if the constitution placed a time limit on such exercise. By now we ought to know better. If they cannot provide you jobs and basic services during the first tenure, the probability in the next tenure is also negligible, that is politics for you. They simply need you to win the next election.

 They say 'Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil'. In the words of Jeremy Paxman; ''Politicians exist because we disagree. As in all walks of life, people go into the trade with a variety of motives, some noble, some vain''(The Political Animal; Jeremy Paxman; Penguin Books). Some are chancers, they're different from us, so it's up to us to choose the future we want, because they simply want to keep their own jobs. No politician wants to be outside the corridors of power.

 Our whole mission is to provide alternative avenue to help ordinary people understand politics, to be on the safe side of history and make better leadership choices, by providing them useful information/ resources. We have seen the South-West coalition, maybe we're now going to see South-East coalition, the one they say is Igbo President. If the other coalition didn't work very well, i wonder how the new one holds the key to the future. In all we want the best for our country. We want inclusiveness. We want corruption to stop, we want the daily killings to stop.

Personally, I hate Autocracy, i don't know about you. I have been analysing why things are the way it is. The more i dig deeper, the more i want to know more. To me the best legacy to bequeath to the country is the restructuring of the current political structure, as the status-quo is the reason we're fighting each other, no matter how the politicians tend to pretend.

I have made so many enemies just for writing about social change. This is part of the struggle for social change so I'm not deterred. I have never been a politician neither have I ever held a public position, nor seeking to become a politician in the future.  I have earned every income i spend. I use my personal resources to campaign for social change. Now think of the politicians.

 To God be the glory, i found strength and time to contribute to social change, so that wisdom can replace war.  Our style of politics is very dirty driven by ancient greed. 'You must be deaf to all other interpretations of the fact' . Politicians are all the same, the game is resource control and power. They can do anything to hold on to power.

Finally in the words of Jeremy Paxman; "You cannot trust a word any politician says and if you shake hands with them, you ought to count your fingers afterwards. They are not people you would want your son or daughter to marry'', but in Nigeria, that's everyone's wish. This is why Nigeria politics is very different. So choose your leaders very well. Shine your eyes as we say in Nigeria.

 I have just read an article on Guardian, that said the 2018 FGN budget proposal for Education and Healthcare accounts for just 7% and 4% respectively. They even said it's yet to be approved, maybe they will slash it more to fund security and the next election, that's just the whole point.

 Read our blog regularly for Insight, and Independent Analysis. Leave comments and opinions to help improve our work. This will help you depend less on fake news and mass propaganda you see daily on some social media sites.

I learnt Facebook has changed their algorithm to make sure you don't see much. They said people are now seeing too much...., so newsletters now is one sure way to help ordinary people to be properly informed.  Remember, the Politicians and their Agents would not inform you about this new development. Now you have to be one of those who think different.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur.

The LEAD Project Foundation: [Nigeria]: Democracy And It's Crisis; Comments Fro...

The LEAD Project Foundation: [Nigeria]: Democracy And It's Crisis; Comments Fro...: Facebook: "Nigeria is becoming a lawless country, a country where there is no consequence for bad behaviour! I'm disgusted to find...

Democracy and It's Crisis; Nigeria today

Police Stop Bring Back Our Girls Civil Society Protest March To Aso Villa, Abuja Nigeria. Photo: Facebook.

One Nigeria: Are we compatible?- Professor Ben Nwabueze;  Vanguard, January 20, 2018.

We have written a lot about the need for inclusive democracy in Nigeria. In ethnic diverse society like Nigeria, inclusiveness is very important for the success of democracy. This requires a good leadership. However, the little gains made so far in the country's democratic journey is being eroded with Autocracy. Repression is now very high. There is huge decline in 'civil and political rights', now threatening individual freedom, security, unity and the prosperity of the country.

Read More: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2018/01/nigeria-democracy-and-its-crisis-new.html

According to Senator Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna State, Nigeria, writing on his facebook page: "There are people still kept in detention against a valid court order to release them, security reasons are used as excuses. There are people arrested for their opinions; security reasons are used as excuses; there are states where even protests and rallies are banned; security reasons are used as excuses. Excuses used by democratic governments are same as excuses used by dictatorial regimes". He also mentioned the brutal killing of an activist, labour leader and chairman of NASU , Kogi State, Abdulmuminu Yakubu. A State legislator was  recently kidnapped and brutally murdered in Taraba State for speaking out against the herdsmen., etc.

 Today, Minority rights is also restricted, and various ethnic minority groups seem to have lost trust in the federal government accusing the leadership of being partisan especially in the handling of the increasing atrocities of the Fulani-herdsmen in the country described as the world's fourth deadly terror group .

 Recently the South-East Nigeria leaders accused the federal government of taking sides with the 'marauding killers' and encouraging them by not taking adequate actions to deal with their atrocities in various communities across the nation, rather the President is pressing the state governors to donate land to the herdsmen in their various states, using different grazing policies even when it's proven that the borders with the herdsmen is always bloody.

The South-East Nigeria leaders said they are shocked a government that was in a hurry to call a non-violent civil society group, the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), a terrorist group has not done likewise with the herdsmen who sack towns and are killing people on a daily basis.

According to the leaders, "The way that the Federal Government is handling this matter falls short of explanation. It looks like the beginning of something that has been planned for a long time. Government's seeming silence is suspicious. The way something like this happened and nobody is taking responsibility leaves one wondering whether we have a government. These herdsmen use guns to sack villages and destroy farmlands. They sack towns and are killing people on a daily basis, yet the government has not called them terrorists. But they were in a hurry to call the IPOB a terrorist group even when they have no weapons and have not killed anybody before. On top of that, we have a bill on grazing reserves and cattle colony. Where on earth do we have that kind of thing in the 21st century? Cattle rearing should not be in the wilderness"-Chief Dozie Ikedife; Former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo ...
.
We are shocked government has not organised anything similar to Operation Python Dance and Operation Crocodile Smile to check herdsmen killing citizens in their homes". [Buhari Partisan Over Herdsmen Killings, Say South East Leaders; Guardian Nigeria , 21 January 2018].

We have just highlighted these as part of our research on 'Democracy and It's Crisis',  to encourage the urgent need to speak out for democracy in Nigeria. Lending our voices to the important debate about the future is one sure way to defeat tyranny.

Wherever you are, use your positions or platforms to speak out for freedom and human security. Whenever democracy is in peril, ordinary people suffer most. Now is the time to think different! .

 I visit Senator Shehu Sani's Facebook page a lot. In one of his posts, he concluded that "where public opinion does not count in the conduct of the affairs of government, a tyranny is established. Where court orders are flagrantly disobeyed for political or economic exigencies, an autocracy is founded".

Some Governors of the ruling party (APC), especially the Northern states Governors have endorsed the President for re-election, however there seems to be a big crack in the party given the body language of the South-West Governors and their political leaders who strongly favoured the restructuring of the country for better development. They have been conspicously absent in a recent dinner party hosted by the president and a recent endorsement campaign rally in their territory.

The Governor of Rivers State who is a leading opposition party voice, (PDP), has cautioned against voting for the ruling party come 2019 elections. According to him: the ruling party has been dead since 2015, so ''supporting the ruling party to continue it's rule come 2019 would be tantamount to digging the nation's grave''. [Wike Warns Against Voting For APC in 2019. Vanguard, January 19, 2018].

The Independent National Electoral Commission has disclosed that about 74 million people have registered to vote with the figures projected to hit between 80 and 85 million by 2019. The commission has also assured Nigerians that there votes will count in 2019 elections. This sounds very doubtful given the level of insecurity and violence, witnessed recently in some local government elections in some states.

Autocracy is detrimental to economic development especially in ethnic diverse societies. Governments should do more to build inclusive society that drives  21st century democracy.

Read More: Comments from home and abroad : http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/p/blog-page.html

We are seeking to find out why democracy is failing in Nigeria and what can be done about it . Kindly leave comments to help improve our work.

Uche Okeke.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable: We must be optimistic about the future; change is coming.

                           Take time to explore. Take action. Photo: Uche Okeke.                                   

Be Inspired , Change is coming. In Nigeria talking about political change is very risky due to long period of Autocracy. Till date free speech is under threat. We are currently witnessing the arrests and intimidation of individuals using government secret police. Today, technology has now empowered ordinary people as never before, to talk about obstacles that limit them and make development impossible.

According to David Howell : "No government, no administration, no political party can afford to neglect these new forces to which the digital age has given birth to. The power is now in the network and the network is driven by billions of individuals who connect to it everyday, every hour, every minute. The politicians cannot wish it away." -(People Power : The New Version; David Howell).

When we look at events around us, one sure way to make change happen is to take action. Campaigning on the internet can make a real difference in the world, especially now that internet population is ever growing. Post photos and videos of events around your territory. Publish your opinions . Anyone can make a difference. Change happens when we take action not by participatory obedience, even when we are sinking. When we take action, they listen.

We must change our world view and change the way we think about issues that affect our lives and welfare. The truth is that the government can also be the root of our collective problems. Governments can also lie to win public support when in reality they don't have solutions or ideas about how to solve the issues that affect our lives. It is happening now right under our nose. They employ opinion and community leaders to manipulate people and use thugs and secret police to brutalise those who wish to speak the truth. Even in online space, they have invaded the space with their die hard supporters using a combination of smear campaign, lies and propaganda to endorse and win public support for their paymasters.

We must be bold to talk about issues that cause inequality and poor growth in our society. Issues like corruption, poor governance, security, better public services including infrastructure for development. In Nigeria, security takes bulk of our budget,and other white elephant projects instead of investment in education, healthcare, etc. Our government spends more money to fund religious pilgrimage, pay traditional rulers, and fund unproductive federal agencies just to create jobs for friends and associates or a particular group and other wastes in patronage politics.

We are now witnessing the greatest social division and exclusion in history, where provision of public services is no longer citizens right. It is now determined by the total number of votes obtained by regions. We need to ask important questions about why the government cannot build refineries,etc. We need to talk about inclusiveness and greater citizen engagement, as participation in democracy is not limited to elections only.

 There is urgent need for a political structure that guarantees inclusiveness, building strong institutions and leveraging global partnerships for development including the myth of diaspora.

 We have emphasized that the greatest enemies of democracy are ignorant people united only by what they hope to gain.  We wouldn't say that they are deficit in knowledge, rather they are constrained by their immediate enviroment and the promise of riches and power given the status-quo. These are very ruthless sycophants, merchants of untruth spreading lies to win public support for their paymasters. We must be careful in listening to their silly narratives about social justice.

If we succeed in confronting social issues that stare at us and mock our daily existence then we will begin to understand that change happens not by the herds mentality. Change happens whenever the people decide that enough is enough, that they have now had enough of that bad situation. Change does not happen by celebrating tyranny and seeking for a scape goat. Change happens when we decline to listen to what other people say about us, or what we can gain. Together, we can change the way things are.

In the words of distinguished Senator Shehu Sani,from Kaduna State, Nigeria:  "the danger we face when we speak is nobler than the tragedy we are befaced with when we remain silent''. This is why you must be one of those who think different.

Keep up with great Insight and Opinions about our democracy. Leave your comments and opinions to help improve our research work. Read http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/, wherever you are. We can change the way things are.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entreprenur.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable: A New Nigeria is Possible ?- Uche Okeke

The burial of about 72 people killed recently in Benue State, Nigeria, by the herdsmen . Photo: Google Images.

"Killings in Nigeria has taken dimension of football competition ''- Senator Ike Ekweremmadu, Nigeria's Deputy Senate President.

All over the world democracy is now in crisis. Nigeria is not exception. Human freedom and human security is under threat. In Nigeria democracy is now in peril, there is widespread insecurity, division , human rights and minority rights are threatened. What is happening now mocks democracy. Repression is high and corruption has taken a new dimension,  Inequality and poverty is widening. We have talked about poor public services, including infrastructure, unemployment, etc.

 This government undermines democracy. The democratic institutions are at mercy of the government. There is little regard for the opposition and legislative organ with endless systematic plans to remove the Senate leadership. The judiciary witnessed the abduction of Supreme court judges and yet to recover from the shock. Only favourable Court orders are obeyed. The government even initiates court action to prevent accountability, as we have seen in some high profile corruption cases. The corruption war is stage-managed and biased.

 The government is only interested in the next election. The government endorses itself and invest in massive propaganda and manipulation to win public support, despite today's technology which has helped ordinary citizens to know the truth.
The general population live in endless fears and the prospects for free and fair elections is elusive given the situation of things. Furthermore, the prospects for violence especially during the next election is very high. This should be a huge cause for concern for the citizens and the international community. Today, Senior citizens, the Clerics, community and opinion leaders are crying out loud for change.

Nigeria currently faces leadership challenges and the need for a new political structure, that will guarantee inclusiveness. Autocracy is not the answer as we are now witnessing, especially in an ethnic diverse society.
The  World Economic Forum has warned of the collapse of democracy, the crumbling of the food supply chain. Natural disasters,and terrorist attacks, also made the top ten of terrifying series of threats to the world in 2018;. (World Economic Forum Boffins warn of a terrifying Series of Threats to the world in 2018 -City A.M Thursday 18 Janury 2018)

 Nigeria  is still battling the Boko-Haram terrorism in the North-East of the country, Kidnapping, Widespread Killing , general insecurity,  poverty, poor resource mangement, and the new peril- the Fulani herdsmen described as the world's  fourth deadliest terror group reign unopposed causing untold devastations across the country; mass rape, mass murder, mass destruction of farmlands and agricultural products, insecurity, etc.
Many states have rejected the appeal by the presidency to accomodate the Fulani-herdsmen citing the evidence of historical atrocities, rather urging the federal government to declare the Fulani herdsmen as a terrorist organisation. The situation now threatens the nation's unity with calls by various ethnic groups to take up arms in self-defence of their various territories.

The Niger- Delta millitants have just announced imminent attack on oil installations across the country if the issue of restructuring is not revisited. There is now various alliances across the country to demand the restructuring of the country.
 The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) have stepped up the demand for the whereabout of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who disapeared from the public alongside his parents during the federal military operation Python Dance in the South-East Nigeria, where his house was invaded by the federal soldiers. Now they have stepped up their agitation for the Independent State of Biafra, accusing the federal government of bias and division.

 A recent high court ruling to uphold the proscription of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation despite local and international  condemnation has further brought  the government and the judiciary into disrepute as the government is still resisting growing pressures to declare the Fulani-herdsmen as a terrorist organisation.
There is also great concern about the government's handling of the country's security, made worst by non-adherence to the federal character charter in appointment of the heads of the country's security outfits.

Various stakeholders have argued that the solution to the impending crisis is the restructuring of the current political structure which has failed to improve the welfare of ordinary people, rather induces Autocracy.
The essence of the restructuring is to guarantee inclusiveness by moving power down to identity to boost productivity,  saving cost of governance, building trust, transparency, efficient resource management,  greater economic diversification, and good governance.
 The benefits are numerous as the future demands the political leaders to get rid of what they have done in the past that is now not working and embrace what will work for today's generation. But the Presidency and the ruling party thinks otherwise, preferring the status-quo.

The president must deal with this imminent challenges to continue his reign.  What will happen ''when all the blood has been spilled and arguements settled''-Britannia,  remains our collective guess.
Our political leaders should do more to build a new society that is peaceful and inclusive.
This is the debt that they owe the society.
 Enough of the killings. I wonder why citizens of the same country would be killing fellow citizens and evading justice. Now is the time to think different, to secure our liberty and political rights.
Meanwhile the presidency has alerted the nation of the influx of foreign terrorists in the country. This now calls for strong leadership to take up the challenge to re-position the country on the path of greatness.

Read http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/. Tell us what you think. Write your comments and opinions to help improve our research. Sign up at to get our post direct to you. E-mail us at : theleadprojectfoundation@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and help share to your networks. It's our desire to make change happen.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entreprenur.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable : Why you must be one of those who think different

How can we overcome the obstacles that make decline inevitable?  Photo: Uche Okeke.

There is tension in the land . Governance is compromised. Restructuring rejected. No one talks about development. There is insecurity in the land.  Democracy is subverted, now in full crisis. The behaviour of political leaders now threaten our democracy and national unity.

 The government is not interested in modernity- harnessing 'markets and innovations' for the good of the country.  The positions seems to be ,we must accomodate the herdsmen or face the consequences. We're now back to the dark ages;  the 20th century politics and it's ugly devastations: Police state, mass propaganda, command economy, routinised terror, mechanised murder, etc.  Everything is bent on consolidating power.

What is the legislature, the judiciary, opposition and civil society doing ? . Now is the time to think different if we must salvage our subverted democracy. We must resist exploitation and repression. We must be able to recognise the difference between rhetorics and reality. Now is the time to think different.

Uche Okeke.

Read More: http://www.zurumnewsdigest.com/2017/02/buhariology-significant-lesson-in.html
I was inspired to write this blogpost , i think I'm now vindicated. History remains our best judge.

The worst tragedy in Africa- Ignorance, Plague, 'Aggression , the will to dominate'.

                             Nigeria's Democracy And It's Crisis. Photo: Facebook.

They say in the age of information, Ignorance is a choice. Decline is also a choice. Change must come from within if we are willing to move forward. How do we benefit from the new world if we are not willing to change. In the words of Professor Wole Soyinka, 'Aggression,and the will to dominate' is one of the major factors for conflict in our society. He warned that history is repeating itself.

The only way to achieve peace and development in the society is inclusiveness- 'balance of power'. Let no one fool us.  In Nigeria, the people want the restructuring of the current political structure to guarantee inclusiveness.  In an ethnically diverse society, no one ethnic group should try to dominate others. No leadership should try the idea of elavating any ethnic group above others.

The only thing that is conatant is change. The time has come for our political leaders to put the country above personal interests to give its young people a better future by embracing change not the status-quo.

I have read a lot of reactions from social media about racist comments credited to President Trump. Though there is no evidence to prove such allegations, having been denied by the president,  it should serve as urgent reminder that change is imminent. Our 'shortcomings' are so obvious that we need to look inwards and work very hard to change our approach to life.

A new report by Development Finance International and Oxfam UK put Nigeria last of 152 countries ranked on their commitment to reducing inequality.(Zurumnewsdigest, 19 July 2017). Similarly, Nigeria is ranked second worst electric supply nation in 2017 by SpectatorIndex.  (Nigeria Ranks Second Worst Electricity Supply Nation in 2017; Vanguard Newspaper, January 16, 2018). The Human rights abuse and Security challenges stare us in the face, Mass unemployment, Poor healthcare,  etc. The legislators have asked the federal government to declare state of emergency in security.

I also read a new report about Ethnicization of Nigerian Universities. According to the report, "Nigerian Universities have gradually become ethnic colonies , a sad reflection of the general drift of the Nigerian State". (Ethnicization of Nigerian Universities-Hope Eghagha; 15 January 2018). I have heard about a recent growth forcast by world bank due to global oil price gains, but the reality is different.

Look at the burning issue of the Fulani Herdsmen declared the world's fourth deadliest terror group, but our government wants us to accommodate them not minding the implications on lives and properties. The government is not interested in modernity. It's not interested in harnessing 'markets and innovations' for the good of the country, the government's only interest is to impose them on the country not minding the devastations.

We need to look inwards to see how we can remove the obstacles that challenge our collective development and make decline inevitable. I love reading 'The Bottom Billion'. According to Professor Sir, Paul Collier; "the bottom billion face a tragedy that is growing inexorably worse".

 The time has come to lend our voices to the important debate about our collective future. Let us not be fooled by gutter politicians who thrive on divisions , untruth and endless manipulations. It's worst when we isolate ourselves from global partnerships that that can help ''pull people out of the pit of poverty''-The Economist., created by the politicians. Perhaps this sounds better than 'Shithole'.. ., Time will tell.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur

UK Government to recruit overseas teachers due to shortage of teachers.

The UK Government is paying recruitment consultants huge sums of money to search for teachers overseas due to shortage of teachers in public schools. According to  reports,  the government is failing to provide enough teachers for the growing school population, due to high teacher withdrawal rate, citing 'high workloads'.
Schools are looking to some Commonwealth countries including New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa to recruit teachers .  Currently 8% of teachers in the UK are from abroad.  Photo: Uche.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable; The Profound Story of Conquest and Power

         Nigeria's democracy now face a new Peril- The Fulani Herdsmen. Photo: Facebook

"For our future world to be liveable the heroes must win their struggle. But the villains have the guns and the money and to date they have usually prevailed . That will continue unless we radically change our approach"-Professor Sir, Paul Collier; The Bottom Billion; Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, Oxford University Press.

In the words of Peter Jay, 'a single chapter will not be enough to present a comprehensive chronicle of the events of any period'. Our aim here is to add our voice to the important conversations about the need to restructure Nigeria. The time is now. There is urgent need to' modernise and liberalise' the country for peaceful co-existence, stability and growth. We have written extensively in this regard.

Our collective experience so far is the 'profound story of greed and conquest' where a group of ruthless sharks with monopoly of violence hijacked the country's resources and polity for their personal gains. Anyone pointing out flaws in the system is tagged an enemy and is disloyal to the country's interests. They are not accountable to the citizens, neither are they subject to the laws of the land. They create division for support base,  resist modernity and bribe opinion leaders to endorse them. They impose their henchmen to destabilise other territories for political control and gains and provide them with support.  Today we are faced with a new peril- The Herdsmen..

According to Professor Wole Soyinka, It is happening all over again. History is repeating itself and alas within such an agonizingly short span of time.  How often must we warn against the enervating lure of appeasement in the face of aggression and will to dominate'' [Impunity Rides Again; The Guardian 11 January 2018].

We have argued that in a hetrogenous society, like Nigeria, 'extreme' centralisation of political control is detrimental to economic development. The only alternative is the restructuring of the country by moving power down to identity, thus respecting the culture and identity of regions to champion local development. States/Regions can only achieve development if they take their own destinies in their own hands including the protection of lives and properties of their citizens as events have now proved.

Unless we restructure the country, then we expect inevitable future of conflict.  We must reject any government that denies us restructuring because such government thrives on the 'lust for absolute power', benefits from our collective sufferings, and lacks idea about innovation that drives the 21st-century. We must resist any government policy that commits us to endless future of conflict and possible civil war.

We must decline the power holders using us to unleash impunity and ruthlessness even depriving us fundamental human rights. Now is the time to collectively call for the restructuring of the country.

Uche Okeke.

The Story of Nigeria: Why is Oil not a blessing to Nigeria?

"It could be a more prosperous economy where oil did what it's done in Norway and lift the whole economy up, because its well used. The strategy has been to use the oil rigs to benefit a minority. They don't believe in growth for all"-Professor Sir Paul Collier. Photo: Google Images.

Nigeria,being a heterogeneous society, the benefits of oil accrue only to people in power. No transparency, No accountability, No plans for modernity, No incentive to invest in the country's future. Nigeria is the largest and richest economy in Africa , but despite having large resources of oil and gas millions of its citizens are poor. In our last blog entry we talked about how wealth in natural resources in ethnically diverse society induce Autocracy. Never has the totalitarian devastation of a country been so prominent than in this regime. The whole place is in flames-abuse of power, division, police state, routinised terror, selective justice, mass murder, dissent clampdown, corruption, mass unemployment, gross poverty, etc. Nigeria is ranked last on 152 countries commitment to reduce inequality. Nigeria also ranks second worst electric supply nation, etc. There is limited support for Entrepreneurship and human empowerment. The population is growing astronomically with poor economic infrastructural investment to support this demographic trend, just exorbitant salaries of the executive and the legislature including untraceable security votes. A new global report says Nigeria has overtaken India in poverty.  Read More: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2018/01/autocracy-vs-democracy-what-we-now-know.html  Today there is remarkable gain in price of oil, how that helps to improve the welfare of ordinary people remains the unanswered question. There is no accountability. There is high level of conspiracy and corruption taking place, and less incentive to build inclusiveness and invest for the future. They are simply interested in the next election as they control the security and election institutions. According to Professor Sir Paul Collier, The power holders do not believe in modernity and do not believe in growth for all. ''Repression is very easy''. No one can challenge the power holders or bring them to account.  Till date the government has monopoly of the oil industry and oil blocks are owned by few powerful individuals resisting reforms.  We have embedded the oil price chart on our blog for people to follow trends in global oil prices. So where is the change coming from? Oil funds the next election, and there is not proper checks and balances.. First, Nigeria is not a homogeneous society, and there is no shared identity, unlike Norway which is a homogeneous society that has built trust in the society and uses the dividend of oil to invest in the future. In Nigeria power holders invest in security to thwart accountability. The country has to address the issue of 'power-balance', which restructuring of the current political structure offers, sadly they are playing political football with the much needed restructuring debate, despite using this policy to win elections in 2015. In Nigeria, it has become the survival of the fittest where the strongest uses the benefit of oil to do as it pleases them, instead of the provision of public services including infrastructure for the future, and bullies anyone who questions their authority.  There is this 95%/5% development policy devised by the politicians depending on how each region votes for politicians in general elections. Voting pattern, has also become a determinant for public services provided by the government. Provision of public services is a priviledge not citizens right. The government invests in unproductive projects including medical and education tourism, private jets, funding of religious activities, traditional rulers ,etc, and bribe other people including community and opinion leaders in a position to demand accountability with political appointments into unproductive agencies. Some of the agencies do not add value to the economy. So the national budget is used to fund exorbitant salaries of the executive and legislators, unproductive workforce for electoral gains. A civil society group working on Social Accountability in Nigeria, Budget IT confirmed that about 43% of the capital projects have no impact on Nigerians. A whole lot has gone wrong. In this dispensation, the President is also the Petroleum Minister, the Chief of Staff is also the Executive Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission(NNPC), his kinsmen is the boss of the NNPC, so it's a difficult situation for checks and balances. All the security service chiefs are his kinsmen.This adds to the national mistrust having failed to adhere to constitutional federal character to guarantee equity.

 The National Assembly has raised several issues of non-compliance and massive scale of corruption in the management of the country's oil resources including a recent case of subsidy abuse by the management of NNPC. Subsidy exists without appropriation by the legislators, etc.
Similarly some state governors especially the South-East and South-South Governors have also raised concerns about non-disclosure and remittance of revenue from gains in oil prices in budgeting. According to the governors,'' allocations from the federation accounts do not seem to reflect the increase of crude-oil production and increase in oil prices''. They also accused the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation; NNPC of fraudlent subsidy payment. In their words: "the NNPC was fraudlently doubling the nation's daily petrol consumption from about 30 million litres to 60 million litres , and called for a thorough probe of oil subsidy payments from 2015 till date"; The SUN , 17 May 2018. The opposition parties have, also accused the government of massive fraud in the management of oil resources. The local refineries are not functional and there is reluctance to invest in local refineries to benefit ordinary people. The government still imports petroleum products from overseas, because it favours them as they have monopoly of the oil industry. At the local level, the  state governors are some of the richest in the country as they simply depend on monthly allocation from the centre.  They also do not diversify nor bother about modernity as it's  easier, cheaper and better to wait for easy monthly allocation funds. The states suffer in this regard leading to under investment and under-development. To the governors the status-quo is the best option. At the end of their two-term tenure they buldozze their way to the National Assembly as Senators to enjoy new benefits in addition to their retirement benefits in the various states they served, while ensuring that their relatives take over their former positions as new governors. The local government areas which are meant to be independent as the third tier of government are, also hijacked by the governors appointing their friends and families and associates as caretakers of the third tier of government thereby killing development at the local areas, causing mass unemployment, and emigration from the rural areas to the urban areas. There is remarkable thug business in the oil communities competing for the control of corporate social responsibility investments, often funded by the politicians. The legislators are also not accountable to their constituents. They enjoy some of the best wages least expected of an African economy.  Most people don't seem to know about their constituency funds and how much that is collected by their representatives on their behalf. They are only aware of publicised occasional direct poverty alleviation projects including hair-clippers, hair dryers, wheel- barrows, motorcycles, etc donated to constituents as public relation campaigns. Some only visit their constituencies when the next election is round the corner, so citizen engagement is only limited to elections often characterised by vote buying. Our findings show that ordinary people will only benefit from the gains of oil if the current political structure is restructured to free up resources concentrated at the centre to create more opportunities at the state and local levels. The current political structure is one major reason for the curse of oil in Nigeria as it's designed to serve the interest of the few. Only the powerful enjoy the benefits of oil in Nigeria, because they have the guns and there is no sign that they will yield to change, too soon..
The federal system of governance in Nigeria has failed to provide the basic welfare for all citizens instead uses the benefit of oil to invest in security, partonage politics and the next election to maintain the status-quo- 'conspiracy, corruption , business as usual'. The future demands change.

 Read More: http://www.zurumnewsdigest.com/2017/03/go-on-with-one-nigeria-2-use-huge-oil.html

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation.

Democracy vs Autocracy ; Voters Beware!

                                 Election Violence in Delta State Nigeria. Photo: Facebook

"Power is a dangerous thing and must be controlled at all times"-Neil McNaughton.

Naturally when things start going wrong people would be asking important questions.

We have been researching and analysing social issues in Nigeria and what can be done to enhance freedom and spread of opportunities to lift ordinary people out of poverty. Leadership styles are very important and help drive stability and growth in a society. It adds immense value to the general welfare of the citizens. This work assumes general knowledge of the definition of  Autocracy and democracy. Read More: https://prezi.com/ja8yvnkcpuwi/democracy-vs-autocracy/

 Nigeria is - a natural resource abundant and ethnically diverse society. Nigeria is a case study where wealth in natural resources induce Autocracy. Autocracy is associated with repression, exploitation and exclusion, the major factors for political instability, violence, rebellion and possible civil war. We are all witnesses to this narrative, given the devastation of  long military rule and the tyrannical nature of the current government which now threatens its democracy and national unity.

 It is very misleading to think we are in a democracy. The essence of democracy is to secure the blessings of liberty, prosperity ,and freedom not terrorism and tyranny. However, today the government is above the law of the land, threatens democratic checks and balance,takes unilateral decisions, does not obey court orders, discards federal character charter, rejects restructuring, divides the country along ethnic lines, indecisive about the fulani -herdsmen- the world's fourth deadly terror group terrorising and killing citizens. The government is  even imposing them on communities through-out the country through grazing policy, despite it's implications to national security.

 It engages in bias-corruption-war, bullies ethnic minorities, clampdown on opposition and dissent voices , repress free speech. There are poor and uneven distribution of essential public services such as education, healthcare and infrastructure, favouritism, no equal rights, pursues own interests, human rights abuse, blame games, propaganda, lies, manipulation online and offline, promotes 'wastage of resources through patronage politics', etc.

According to Professor Sir, Paul Collier, ''Autocracy has failed to generate conditions conducive to growth and its return  would hold no promise of improvement.  Autocracies are likely to be highly detrimental for economic development. Autocracy in ethnically diverse societies reduces growth,..., Typically in ethnically diverse societies autocrats depend upon the support of their own ethnic group. The narrower the base of social support, the stronger the incentive for economic policy to sacrifice growth in order to redistribute income to the autocrat's group"-The Bottom Billion; Why the Poorest countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It; The Natural Resource Trap. P.49&50 . Oxford University Press.

There is abundant evidence in this regard which has now sparked 'legitimate anger' among the citizens. In 2018, it's increasingly very difficult to deceieve people especially as it affects their own lives and future. This is what we're now witnessing. This is a lesson to tyranny, and merchants of untruth who build their success on endless manipulation of ordinary people.They thrive on a dysfunctional system. Today, technology has made it very easy to compile the list of controversial government policies.

 The 21st century requires leadership that enhances freedom, spreads opportunity widely, and respects diversity. It needs compassionate and caring leaders who can rekindle hope of a good future where everyone benefit from the wealth of the nation.

INEC has just released the time-table for the next general elections, come 2019. Let us make sure we register to vote to enable us participate in electing good leaders who can guaranty democracy,  freedom and prosperity that comes with democracy. "Power is a dangerous thing and must be controlled at all times"-Neil McNaughton; Political Ideologies. [P.15].

History can familiarise, and can also warn us, however, it's up to us to choose the future we want. Autocrats rely on the manipulation of elections using violence and government controlled institutions, now is the time to beware.

Uche Okeke  My View    .

The Tony Elumelu Foundation launches the 4th cycle of its Entrepreneurship Program

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has launched the fourth cycle of it's entrepreneurship program for 2018. A Pan African Entrepreneurship Development Program seeking to empower 1000 Young Africans to start, grow and scale up their new ventures by providing funding ,  mentorship and training.
The Foundation says, The entrepreneurs seeking to participate on the program are advised to complete  the online application at https://application.tonyelumelufoundation.org/ The Application Portal is open until Midnight March 1, 2018.  Photo: Google Images.

The LEAD Project Foundation: About Me:

The LEAD Project Foundation: About Me:: "Speak the truth to power. Question authority. The politicians have made a mockery of democracy. It's very imperative that we ta...

The Struggle for the future of Nigeria; 'Thinking needs to change'

Innocent civilians flee their homes during a recent invasion by Fulani-Herdsmen in Benue State, Nigeria.  Photo: Facebook

Ordinary people need to wise up to what is happening if we want to change the way things are.

"Our Politicians would only move beyond gestures once there is a critical mass of informed citizens"-Professor Sir Paul Collier; The Bottom Billion; Why The Poorest Countries Are failing and What Can Be Done About It.(Postscript), Oxford University Press.

Fifty-Eight years after independence, Nigeria is still struggling with the challenges of inclusiveness and growth, a sad legacy of prolonged military incursion into domestic politics. Till date the country is struggling to deal with the challenges of  'Corruption, Political Instability, Poor Resource Management' , Poverty, Sycophancy, gross underdevelopment, etc.

  The emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari  in 2015 was seen as a solution. Young People ignorant of his past records were manipulated by entrenched interests to help him win the 2015 elections, however his poor performance due to his personality and the pseudo political system which he wants to uphold has ignited nationwide call for restructuring, and regime change.

The truth is that by rejecting the restructuring of the country despite campaign promises, the leadership remains a greater part of the country's problem not the solution. The future recognises the need for restructuring for greater development and sustainability, but the leadership is yet to see anything wrong with the structure.

 Only the restructuring of the present political system will change the way things are, let us not be fooled .
The present structure is stifling growth and we are focusing on what wouldn't work. It's not the right system, it's very unfair and works for just few people- the elites, their families,  friends and associates.

The oil blocks are still in the hands of few people , the government has monopoly of the wealth of the country-the oil sector, whatever they tell us is what we believe.  The local government areas are hijacked by the same politicians and their thugs, appointing their families and friends as care-takers, stifling development at the local level.

I learnt the national assembly has approved the autonomy of the LGA's. This is a good step, only if the politicians will allow ordinary people to make success of it. More needs to be done to restructure the entire system if we truly mean well for the future.

Unless we do the needful, restructure the country to create more opportunities for many, there will not be much difference in the future.

Uche Okeke.

The View From The LEAD; There is now growing desire for regime change in Nigeria

Naturally when things remain increasingly very difficult, people will start asking important questions. Darkness will never overcome light no matter how how long you enslave the people. The truth is that Nigeria is a country full of talented people but struggling with the many years of devastation caused by militarism.

Today people are now tired of blame game. The change they have expected has failed to materialise. Till date the country is still struggling with the challenges of inclusiveness, infrastructural deficit and improved public services. The government is above the law of the land and chooses the law at will.

The leadership promised them restructuring but now believes there is nothing wrong with the current political structure, which many seems to believe its long overdue for restructuring. Youth unemployment is the highest of any government in history. More than 26% of the young population are unemployed and the President just advised unemployed youths 'not to just sit down and wait for employment from the government or organised private sector'.,whereas priviledged individuals are regularly getting jobs in choice areas . There is limited entrepreneurship support often characterised by beuracracy and political patronage.

Education and Medical tourism still remains a prerogative of the elites. Essential Public services including infrastructure is politicised with more partonage to a particular ethnic group. The country faces prolonged fuel crisis in the future despite gains in global oil prices, largely because of oil blocks in the hands of the few and continued government  monopoly of the oil industry , reliance on imports of petroleum products,  inability to build and improve domestic refineries. In some states wages and pensions are not paid and jobs are not even on the table.

The government's controversial economic policy has failed to adequately improve the lives of ordinary people rather food prices have remained on the increase. Most Importers are now out of job. There is widespread dissent and opposition clampdown using the government controlled anti-graft agency- EFCC and special secret police.

Security remains a huge challenge . There is increased activities of Boko-Haram terrorists in the North-East despite government's claim of defeat and horroffic activities of the Fulani herdsmen invading communities,raping women and children, destroying lives and properties threaetning  agriculture, food security .

 People are now fed up with the current politics of division, incompetence and dictatorial tendencies of the government, but, they are divided about trusting the opposition party . The dilemma is that any future leader must have the support of the two leading political parties to succeed. This is the hard task that await Nigerians come 2019 when the embark on the next presidential elections to choose their next President.

The remarkable thing is that the yearnings for a change of regime remains very paramount and imminent, despite self- endorsement and continued manipulations of the citizens.

Uche Okeke is the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation.

Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable : Restructuring is one sure way to achieve limited government

Hurray, Nigeria is selling two of its Presidential Jets in a bid to reduce the cost of governance. This is a good development. We have argued that some of the major reasons for lack of  growth is investment in white-elephant projects.

We learnt the government also spends more than N250Billion Naira on religious pilgrimmage, etc. There are these issues of unproductive federal agencies duplicating autonomous functions.

No doubt restructuring the country is one sure way to achieve the potentials for limited government and we encourage the government to listen to the voices of the citizens to restructure the country in-order to re-position the country for the much needed growth and sustainability. This could be a good legacy for the President.
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Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable: A view of the valley; Now is the time to think different if we must change the way things are.

Note: I write in my spare time.  Providing ordinary people access to the truth.  Photo: Uche Okeke

The society belongs to all of us so is the natural resources. We must be willing to embrace social change and focus on how we can help move the society forward. You don't need a permission to contribute to social change. We have just one life, so find a little time to give back to the society.

What is the problem? The big thugs and their big armies creating inequality and social exclusion in the society. They are above the law of the land. Anyone that disagrees with them is an enemy of the state.  The society needs inclusiveness for stability and sustainability. The society needs you!. Now is the time to think different. You can effect change from anywhere. We must change the way things are.

Today's technology has the potential to make change possible, so lets embrace it for good . In online space, in the words of  Susannah Butter: instead of making it a ''hostile place where anyone expressing an opinion that diverges from the accepted norm is shut down,'' and attacked. We must be willing to listen to both sides if we truly want to seen change happen. Free speech is a key part of democracy.

 We have carried out a series of research. Our findings confirms the evidence of daily experiences. what is happening in our society mocks democracy and development. This requires a new response, and a new approach.

There is urgent need for a Political leadership that will guarantee inclusiveness instead of social division, risk, deprivation, violence and destruction. No society achieves growth given the phenomenon.

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur.

And Change Still Did Not Come; The Hard Truth About Nigeria's Subverted Democracy

Innocent Civilians Flee the atrocities of the Fulani Herdsmen in Benue State, Nigeria.
'Terrorism and Deceitfulness has no future in a democracy'- Uche Okeke.  Photo: Facebook

Naturally Presidential New Year messages are meant to inspire hope to the nation, however what we have witnessed is a bit of "value failure ', leadership failure  which has generated a lot of mix -reactions among the citizens. This may not be a good electoral gain.
 From the most burning topics such as restructuring , unemployment, security , infrastructure, corruption, etc, the citizens seem very unhappy given the socio-economic and political challenges facing the country and the government response to the challenges.
The government simply seems to distance itself from the various challenges confronting the nation including unemployment and security which is the basic duty of government in a democracy. Similarly the government could not find any thing wrong with the national call for restructuring of the current political structure widely regarded as the sole reason for national stagnation and political instability. People are now beginning to wonder if they are in a democracy or autocracy.

 The emergence of a new security threat- the devastation of the herdsmen which now threatens the country's food security, the economy and national unity has received very little attention as if the security challenges is beyond the government. These herdsmen are tagged the 'fourth deadly terror group', now in the world. [See: 'Global Terrorism Index: Nigerian Fulani Millitants named as fourth deadliest terror group in world'- INDEPENDENT UK;  Wednesday 18 November, 2015.]
The daily murder of Innocent citizens by the herdsmen terrorists demand very assertive action not just a new normal as the President want us to believe in his new year's message. Some lives are not more important than others.
What marvels me is the 'by-stander' attitude of  the government. The government seems only interested in the next elections. I think it's time for the government to re-think their approach to governance if they truly want the best for the country. There must be increased determination to save lives and making the country safe for everyone.

Leadership comes with responsibility.
 Democracy is not just about elections only. What's the point of seeking for office if you lack urgency and ideas about democratic governance including declining responsibility in the face of national crisis, merely expressing shock when something goes wrong within your own government. We've also seen that  play out in corruption cases involving the current government officials. .
Recent events of the atrocities of the herdsmen has strenghtened the call for restructuring and more powers to states including the power to defend their citizens, since the federal government simply plays ''Bewildered Bystander" which simply worsens the situation.

The job of the President is to provide security for citizens. Nations go to war just for killing one of their citizens, but in our case our citizens are brutally murdered on a daily basis and we're simply told to treat it as a fact of life. Why are you the President? Why do you want to seek re-election?

Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur,  the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation.