The LEAD Project Foundation: Political Entertainment: Photos, Videos,....

The LEAD Project Foundation: Political Entertainment: Photos, Videos,....: Click on this link to see more: http://www.zurumnewsdigest.com/2016/12/ten-photos-that-made-our-list-in-2016.html?spref=fb Sou...

The LEAD Project Foundation: Opinion Matrix: Comments From Home and Abroad

The LEAD Project Foundation: Opinion Matrix: Comments From Home and Abroad: PUNCH "The discussion about the truth Nigeria needs has just begun. Is Nigeria working? No! . Can it work? . Only if we tell the trut...

Be Well-Informed as we hold the Government to account

"Everyday people can take action for a better future, helping to rebalance our view of the world and helping to spread the message about best practices to be replicated around the world. You too can be a part of this transformation"-Spark News.


There are conflicting and confusing messages out there. The powerful and their agents will always come up with a narrative to misinform. This is 21st -century where there are new ways of living and governing.


 It's very imperative we take control of the political narrative. A whole lot has gone wrong. Till date, the politicians are not much concerned about how it might be put right. To them it must be business as usual Power. Conspiracy and Corruption using cruelty and violence.


The Politicians have made a mockery of our democracy. "Politics is too serious a matter to be left to Politicians"-Charles de Gaulle.


 Stay well-informed. Read http://www.zurumnewsdigest.com/ and http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/ wherever you are.


Democracy needs well-informed citizens.  For News 247, news from trusted sources, the world's best media; Visit: http://zurumnews247.chayns.net/ticker.


 Anyone can make a difference in the world. Absolute freedom is the true essence of development.
"If we pursue the facts, the internet gives us an enviable power to convey them"-Timothy Snyder.

The remarkable truth is that we can collectively change the way things are. We must admit the flaws in our political system if we want to salvage our fragile democracy.


This is one way we can help bring change.




Uche Okeke.

Regional Autonomy: 'Redefining the future as Repairing the past'

NASS Adopts Confab Report For Constitution Review.  Photo: Google Images

"No one has clear view of the future, yet politics feel trapped in the past frustratingly partisan and often ignoring evidence"- Ian Birrell.




 Quite often our ignorance to these issues stops people asking the important questions about our fragile democracy- the abnormality, the imperfection of the system especially in the twenty-first century.


 We all know that the system is not working. The country inherited a political system designed for a ' colonial empire that no longer exists'. The result is an over -centralised, elitist political structure that serves the interest of few people and the people that helped them win elections.


 No doubt, there is decline in public confidence in the system that results in constant social protest and agitation for separation. There is growing distrust of the national government and the legislature, made worst in this dispensation with its dysfunctional politics of totalitarianism.


The country has failed to forge a new national identity, inclusiveness and resisting democratic reforms. The country as presently constituted is a political system built to serve 'vested interests' with no hope for ordinary people. There is widening inequality, great disconnect.


Now is the time to reform this obsolete system. We must not blame the BIAFRA Agitators who want to leave as there is limited prospects for social, cultural and economic advancement in this political arrangement.
Visit http://www.zurumnewsdigest.com/ to read more on our analysis of social issues in Nigeria.


 Regional Autonomy is overdue in Nigeria. It's the only way to reform this obsolete political system to address inclusiveness.
There is conclusive evidence about the benefits of Regional Autonomy as the regions stand to benefit more if they're allowed to take their destiny in their own hands for better governance, greater economic development, cultural, moral and social upliftment.


 Regional Autonomy is about the 'rebalancing of political and economic relationships' within Nigeria in order to meet the challenges of the 21st- century- a common President, common currency, free trade, etc. The regions will have 'their own parliament and domestic tax arrangements' and inclusive democracy that guarantees greater citizen engagement.


Regional Autonomy is about political and economic freedom, breaking the monopoly of ABUJA over the socio-economic and politics of the rest of the nation giving 'direct voice' to the people.


 Regional Autonomy is about new ways of living and governing for the twenty-first century which has proved very successful in most societies.


 Naturally, there must be resistance especially from the people that benefit from the status-quo.
 The idea of Ibo business investments in other parts of the country has nothing to do with the new political arrangement as those businesses will still thrive, paying due taxes to their host territories.


 There is absolutely no need for the Project Fear engineered by the politicians, as Regional Autonomy is simply 'a new mode of distinctive development' in the new era. We are now in the age of internet anyone can run businesses from from anywhere.


 The current agitation for independence is a result of continued marginalisation and doubtfulness of the Nigerian Project. The politicians and their agents- the sycophants must stop peddling the project fear and work with the National Assembly to usher in change.


This is twenty-first century where there is new ways of living and governing to ensure human flourishing, human security and human freedom. Ignoring the hard evidence is pointless.

The Acting President; Professor Osibanjo knows better than I do and should use his new position to build a new Nigeria on a shared value and shared identity to lift ordinary people out of poverty.

Professor Osibanjo must seize this moment to show his love for Nigeria by working with the National Assembly to bring a new era that will help the 'rebalancing of political and economic relationships within the Nigeria nation. This could be his legacy.


Now is the time to let his party, APC  and the rest of the country know that he deserves our trust to lead a new Nigeria. Again, APC manifesto promised us restructuring , now is the time to hold APC party to account..


 Regional Autonomy is the only way to end Nigeria's unending crisis, divisions, 'tedious tribalism', sycophancy, corruption, nepotism, autocracy, etc, which has raised so many questions about the future of Nigeria.


There is absolutely no reason for violence. We must unite for justice, fairness, freedom and peace and collectively defend freedom that comes with democracy.


Uche Okeke is the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation

Agitations for regional autonomy is not unlawful

Nigeria's acting President, Professor Osibanjo has recently declared agitations for  independence in the country as unlawful. This is wrong especially in a democracy. Photo: Google Images


 In the United Kingdom, there is a constant agitation for independence by Scotland and others, despite great devolution arrangement to protect the union. Nobody has ever threatened these regions with brutality or declaring their actions unlawful.


 It's very glaring that there is urgent need for reforms in Nigeria.
There is a great disconnect., no national identity. Ordinary people live independent of the government, and sycophants everywhere to do the bidding of their paymasters using great violence and cruelty. There is a lot of questions to be answered.


A political system that concentrates power in the hands of few people and a particular place is a not a good fit for the 21st century . It's pointless and must be resisted.


  "Nigerian citizens inhabiting regional states outside their ancestral territories experience political and economic disenfranchisement".- Rotimi Suberu.


 The acting President must not claim ignorant of this or is it because he is now the next President , thus,  the custodian of the status-quo.. 


"the pace of change itself is accelerating, the same rapid change occurs in politics."- Prof Warburg

This is 21st century where we must do more , move away from the status-quo and embrace the real change to free ordinary from economic and political bondage.

We cannot continue to gamble with the future prosperity and changes that drive the 21st century.


According to Mr Jefferson; Founder of the University of Virginia; "all laws and constitutions ought to sunset once a generation...Expecting a country 100 or 200 years later to live by the exact same rules is as much a folly as expecting a full grown man of six foot to six to wear the clothes he sported as a child"

'Biafra' and other ethnic minority agitations is a constant reminder that change may be hard, change is inevitable. These are grassroot activists pressing for common sense solutions.

We must listen to them ! Now is the time.....


The Vice President should listen to the Senate's advice to revisit the 2014 national conference report to help facilitate the restructuring of the country to ensure true federalism that fosters greater economic and social liberation.


We must remember that APC manifesto promised us restructuring so why is the Vice-President now trying to adopt the authoritarian style instead of promoting human rights and freedom that comes with democracy.    We are watching.... !

  According to Professor Wole Soyinka: "We are mixing up the arguement. When people say, especially former leaders and especially those who bear enormous responsibility for the question of breaking up or not breaking up, our roles in the first place, it always sounds hypocritical, dogmatic and dictatorial and that statement is that the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable. Now that for me is a falsity. Anything is negotiable. The right of people to determine their future is what is non-negotiable.Most nations come to be through negotiations".



Uche Okeke.

Quit Notice : There are a lot of lessons to be learned

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from the quit notice to 'Ndi Igbo' in the North. The remarkable truth is that the politicians have to acknowledge that the system is flawed and not working for ordinary people. Photo: Facebook


There is great level of abnormality, the imperfection is beyond description. The time is ripe for the politicians to listen and adapt to the realities of governance and adopt a different style.


 I read an article on a newspaper where a commentator was lamenting how a state governor appointed his immediate family, friends and associates in key government positions. These are some of the reasons that fuel the rise of groups like IPOB, Niger-Delta, etc.
 A group in Niger-Delta has just issued an ultimatum to Northerners and Oil Companies in the region despite the nation-wide consultations by the acting President against hate speech.


 We welcome the U-turn by the senate advising the federal government to revisit the 2014 National conference and consider the report of that conference.


 More consultation on everything now is needed as the acting President is currently doing, a radical shift to the  prevalent authoritarian style. Again, the politicians must 'listen , learn and adopt a different style of governance.


Everyone now acknowledges the need for inclusiveness ,recognising that the country can thrive better if there is unity of purpose. Now is the time to address this urgent need for inclusiveness to avoid sparking further confrontation. Confrontation becomes inevitable where the status-quo reigns supreme.


Uche Okeke

We are certainly living through interesting time in history

New age brings a lot of challenges. Whether you agree with me or not, this is an interesting time.

There is a radical shift going on; new political ideologies ,new voting pattern, they say is 'smart voting'. There is this problem of mass unemployment, the challenges of technology to wipe out existing jobs, the challenges of technology for greater activism,  widening inequality, climate change, etc.

 Our government keeps bailing out the states to pay pensions, i wonder how long, the government will continue to do that. I learnt there is a new proposal to the senate regarding additional funds to help struggling states to pay pension arears not to invest for the future or build a 21st century tax-system. I don't know who will  repay these loans,..., they say there is over-supply of crude oil, .... lets stop here.

 Budget IT has just released a new statistics of struggling states. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has suggested merging of states and regional autonomy to drive productivity. The Biafrans have held a successful memorial day to remember their dead heroes, ....They said, there was no order from above to kill innocent civilians. This is a big change...
The Northern Youths wants the Igbos to leave the North, etc.

This is the right time to ask the fundamental questions about the future of Nigeria. The nation's political leaders need to discuss it. There is no point pretending that it must be business as usual, exhibiting bitter dislike of key questions about the future.

This is the time to face up to the enormous challenge of addressing the very important issue about the future of Nigeria.  ''The institutions we've got are often in need of updating and modernisation''- Professor Sir Paul Collier.

 Restructuring the country remains the only option to foster social and economic liberation.

Uche Okeke