Growth is not too complex if we play by the rules in Nigeria

"The 21st century in one way at least, will be African. In  1990 sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 16% of the world's births. Because African birth rates are so much higher than elsewhere, the proportion has risen to 27% and is expected to hit 37% in 2050. About a decade later more babies will be born in sub-Saharan Africa than in the whole of Asia, including India and China"-The Economist. Photo: Uche Okeke

It's very possible to achieve growth and stability in Nigeria if we play by the rules, because politics and economics are interconnected. The current system works for 'the few' not for the whole, the power holders don't believe in growth for all. We must address the political system-expensive, wasteful, dictatorial, 'senseless acts of random violence', Good governance, equality, the big issue of corruption; both business corruption and political corruption, build strong institutions including the Independence of the judiciary and the legislature, strengthen the rule of law,  invest in growth policies-knowledge economy,  tech, infrastructure, better public services including education and healthcare, diversification, etc, women empowerment, free markets , global partnership. We must empower people not control . This population explosion presents both great opportunity and risk . The government we elected must be willing to guarantee individual rights and freedom; political and economic rights, eliminate political bias and favouritism to 'reinforce levels of generalised trust', and be willing to discharge its functions 'fairly and effectively'. The system must be inclusive, guarantee access to participation, open and transparent. If we continue to promote fragmentation, exclusion, wastes, corruption, selective justice, violently repressing civil liberties, use conquering techniques against some sections of the society including the 95%/05% development policy/public services policy, creating fear, terror, and uncertainty, the result will remain the same persistence of poverty, stagnation and instability. Everyone wins if we play by the rules. Citizens must be treated equally and their rights respected.

Find out more soon as we continue to research and communicate vital information which we hope could inspire action for the desired change.

Uche Okeke is a Statistician, Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation, and the Author of Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable-'Bribe & Bullet'. What Can Be Done About It.

Osun State Nigeria Governorship Election 2018 Result Live

"An unprecedented travesty of justice and shattering democratic values are ongoing in Osun state"- Senator Ademola Adeleke , opposition PDP Governorship candidate in Osun State Nigeria.
Osun state re-run election has confirmed elections in Nigeria as sham, barbaric, violent and shameful abuse of power. The country's reputation is being destroyed on a daily basis by dangerous politicians benefiting from a dysfunctional system that 'traps and exploits' the majority, delivering poverty instead of prosperity. Definitely things would get worst if this government remains in power, the signs are there for everyone to see- absence of rule of law and human rights, deplorable resistance to modernity. No doubt Nigeria's dysfunctional political system fuels 'crisis of democracy' so its long overdue for restructuring to guarantee good governance, human rights and freedom. Without freedom the future is not safe. It's impossible to have a credible, free and fair elections where the government is a player, referee, security, licensing authority. Everyone wins if we play by the rules. According to Senator Adeleke, the opposition PDP Governorship candidate in Osun State; "Applying all standards, today's supplementary poll is a non-event as all norms of electoral processes are violated. Voters are deliberately refused access to polling points at gun points". In his words; "we report to the whole world the brazen theft and daylight swindling of Osun people who are criminally denied their rights to vote and be voted for by anti-people conspiracy among INEC, security agencies and the ruling All Progressive Party-APC"-Adeleke rejects Osun re-run election,  Daily Trust Thursday, 27 september, 2018. The time for change is now. The current political system which empowers the executive to do as it pleases is long overdue for change. Find out more as we continue to advocate for a new system that is inclusive, a system that works for everyone, not just the wishes of the few, the power grabs. Everyone wins if we play by the rules.
Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation, and the Author of Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable-'Bribe & Bullet'. What Can Be Done About It.

Debate is an opportunity to put the 'politics and personalities' of potential leaders in Nigeria to test

"Debates afford candidates the opportunity to provide informative, concise summaries of their major policy positions and view points in a single evening"-Benjamin Knoll

Today election should be a contest not coronation. Election is a very important process of establishing a sound government to address the collective challenges of the country. Debate is very essential for democracy in Nigeria, to enable ordinary people access the quality of of the people that want to govern them. What we are witnessing is a scenario where leaders are imposed on the people through party politics with little or no idea about their politics and personalities.  Live debate should be a requirement for elective positions in Nigeria if we truly want democracy to thrive. We learnt debate is not a legal requirement for participation in election in Nigeria, there is urgent need for a new legislation to make it compulsory for those seeking elective positions to take part in live debate in front of the viewing public so that people can directly access and compare the ideas of the men and women who want to govern them. This has become very important especially in a new era of certificate forgery which has become a common feature of our local politics. We have just written a new blog post advocating the need for our politics to embrace modernity and global best practices, live debate has become the cornerstone of politics in advanced societies where the politicians are keen to face the viewing public with their key policies for evaluation. Live debate offers voters the opportunity to scrutinize candidates who has the potential to deliver, not just big claims to continue business as usual. The Modern age requires decent people with good education, experience, and expertise, solid track record in both the private and public sector including good knowledge of global affairs. Those aspiring for leadership positions should have independent mind, ideas and good policies not the ideas of god fathers seeking for personal gains; their families and associates. Live debate is one sure way for political leaders to identify with a wider audience instead of narrow demands of the party leadership which is one of the root problems of stagnation. Live debates is one sure way to guarantee competitive contest needed to ensure greater citizen engagement, transparency and accountability. Political debates have the tendency to eliminate vote buying now deeply embedded in our political culture and unnecessary damage to election institutions and the reputation of the whole country. No doubt, this can contribute to 'efficient institutional controls' and open and transparent government' in Nigeria. Live debates are educational. According to Benjamin Knoll; "debates afford candidates the opportunity to provide informative, concise summaries of their major policy positions and view points in a single evening". In his words; "research has shown that voters learn from debates. After watching a single debate, viewers are more accurately able to describe the platforms of the candidates and this often prompts them to seek out additional information about the candidates"- The Advantages and Disadvantages of Modern Presidential Debates, Hoffington Post October 02 2012. Debate is one sure way to give voters a real choice, and help them ascertain a candidate that actually understands local needs and can deliver even under pressure.

Uche Okeke is a Statistician, Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation and the Author of Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable-'Bribe & Bullet'. What Can Be Done About It

Find out more soon.

Politics in Nigeria is stuck in the dark ages, its time to embrace modernity

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Without my approval you are going no where"- Professor Richard Griffiths. Photo: Uche Okeke

What is the truth? What is the alternative? Nigeria has become an unfortunate story without an immediate solution. We must go beyond propaganda to embrace the truth. The truth is Polititcs in Nigeria is grossly stuck in the dark ages, we must embrace modernity to grow. The current system is grossly flawed; "characterised by patronage-the favouring of family and proteges, permeated by cronyism- the favouring of friends, clintellism- the favouring of regular business contacts and political associates and corruption- the giving or taking of bribes to secure a deal"-Professor Richard Griffiths. The politicians simply do as it pleases them due to mass ignorance and unwillingness to mobilise effectively and put pressure on the political elites to play by the rules. People prefer to be bribed; grab your share. A lot of people don't seem to understand the problems and the danger it poses to the future. We can do something about it. This blog is an attempt to help build an 'informed citizenry' that can help change the way things are. What is the truth? ; a new constitution created by the will of the people , a country where people are free from oppression. In a country where the government is above the law of the land, no inclusiveness, people live in 'permanent fear and terror', the quality of life in such a political climate is everyone's guess, a dilemma, a tragedy.  Nigeria ranks very poor on governance indicator. The World Justice Project- WJP measuring rule of law adherence, has Ghana as top performer in Sub-Saharan Africa, elections are not expected to be free and fair,  ofcourse we should not expect credible elections  in a political environment where the government is the referee, player, security and licencing authority. The people don't have a say in choosing their own leaders and the majority deliberately prized out of participation through exorbitant party nomination fees, and other gross abuse of government power, so we should not expect a sound government from such arrangement.  Embracing modernity is one sure way to address persistence of 'dysfunctional government, economic stagnation and societal disconnect' in Nigeria. Modernity is about Restructuring the current political system to ensure 'good governance, efficient institutional controls, open and transparent government'. The political system is the biggest threat to good governance , future growth and stability in Nigeria, so something must be done about it. The politicians are simply looking at the next election ignoring the big picture. The country faces the risk of population explosion and there seems not to be enough foundation to cope effectively with this trend given the usual economic and political corruption that has characterised the polity, due to the political system. The truth is that this government cannot get it right in four years given their position on the status-quo the same reason for stagnation and instability, so where is the future under this government? In the 21st century the country needs restructuring to create the new foundations on which the economy and prosperity of its people can advance, which independent/autonomous states offers; free from the political decisions of the centre. The centre is about fragmentation, sectarian divisions, economic and political corruption, political bias and favouritism, dictatorial, wastes and inefficiency etc. No country advances given this phenomenon where development is tied to the dictates of the 'few' at the centre- politicisation of public policies,. Modernity is about freedom, autonomy, adherence to the rule of law, fundamental rights, open government, order and security, regulatory enforcement, absence of corruption, educated leadership; people of expertise and experience leveraging global best practices and partnerships to drive growth and stability, not confusion, corruption and conflict, the 'damaging phenomenon of political corruption' . We must go beyond party politics if we truly want to solve the challenges of the future. These are the same "cliques improperly enriching themselves'', while manipulating the rest of the society. The focus should be a restructured Nigeria free from too much political interference of the centre. Economic development, growth and stability is not too complex, its achievable if we do the needful, play by the rules. All the societies that have embraced modernisation are peaceful and prosperous. The world needs to understand that the answer to Nigeria's problem is less to do with economics than the abuse of power, that's the whole point. This is the time to embrace modernity. The current system is not working, we must try something new; adopt game changing methods which restructuring offers.

Find out more soon. 

Uche Okeke is a Statistician, Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation, and the Author of Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable-'Bribe & Bullet'. What Can Be Done About It.

The centrality of trust in Nigeria, are we winning?

"Trust is a glue that holds societies together. A confidence in good governance in terms of openness and transparency as well as the efficient provision of public goods, would also reduce the incentive for social groups, however defined to grab shares for themselves''- Professor Richard Griffiths. Photo: Uche Okeke.

Trust is very essential to the development and growth of the society. So undermining trust leads to fragmentation of the society which poses a big threat to democracy and development. Find out more soon as we continue to advocate for a society that works for everyone. We only hope that policy makers will allow good reason to prevail instead of unneccesary pursuit of barbaric ideas that create more problem for the society instead of development. Ordinary people need to know how democracy is attacked so as to be in a better position to be on the right side of history. Everyone wins if people are well-informed , inspired to put more pressure on the politicians to follow the rules. Restructuring will definitely bring an end to the 'grab your share phenomenon' which characterises politics in Nigeria and pave way for good governance-'transparency and accountability' which will result to the desired growth and stability. But if people prefer to be bribed, bad governance will continue with its sad reward of stagnation, instability, that's the whole point. Click on this link to read more about resrtucturing Nigeria http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2018/09/restructuring-nigeria-is-one-sure-way.html This government has demonstrated bold political bias and favouritism especially in a heterogeneous society, bias and the use of instruments of government against the opponents, against ethnic minorities, skewed political appointments and politicization of policies, i wonder how the president will seek for votes from other marginalised ethnic minorities . This deliberate action undermines good governance-'openness, transparency, accountability desperately needed to achieve economic growth and stability. The government must be willing to guarantee individual rights and freedom and demonstrate the willingness to discharge its functions fairly and effectively. Find out more soon.

Uche Okeke is a Statistician, Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation and the Author of Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable-' Bribe & Bullet'. What Can Be Done About It.

There is no future for authoritarian rule in Nigeria in the golden age

"If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and moral then its not a political party , its merely a conspiracy to seize power"- Dwight D. Eisenhower. Photo: Uche Okeke

We should be concerned that Africa's largest economy is walking on a slippery path. This is not the time to allow prejudice, self-interests, outdated knowledge, etc, to overtake good sense. We must free ourselves from being 'prisoners of the map'; the distorted views of the politicians who exploit the collective ignorance of the masses, for selfish gains. Everything seems deadlocked and the government is simply interested in power grips. They said election of a dictator is a bad omen, we are just witnessing that. If things continue like this no one knows what the future holds as the government seems to be at war with everyone especially the leading opposition leaders branded as 'thieves' who destroyed the economy in the past. The government has increased its denial and misinformation campaign insisting that corruption not the restructuring of the dysfunctional political system which is the root of the nation's problem is its priority. Meanwhile there is abundant evidence of  the government's complicity in looting the country's resources in its very short term in government. Its recent attack is the global banking giant HSBC Bank. Sadly a government seeking global partnership has resorted to open confrontation with experts and global investors whose voices carry more weight in international circles. We learnt HSBC said they will ''expose all the secret President Buhari and his cronies are using to launder money abroad", this is just a tip of the iceberg. According to Channels TV,  both the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research unit of The Economist Magazine and HSBC Bank, UK had predicted in a report that a second term for President Buhari would "greatly stunt the economic development of the country". This is a common knowledge to any Political Economy student because politics and economics are interconnected. Dictator rule does not result in economic development. It's worst with a unitary-centralised political system designed by ruthless power grabs for their self-interests only, which the government has refused to restructure, so the future under Buhari is very gloomy for Nigeria. In their own words ; a second term for Mr Buhari raises the risk of limited economic progress and further fiscal deterioration". Denying and distorting information is an age long authoritarian tool which has no future in the modern era. The time has come to save democracy in Nigeria, because there's no future in autocracy, 'permanent fear and terror'. A populist government that claims every other person is corrupt except them is not the future we want. We must be honest and stop pretending that all is well. Everything history tells us about authoritarianism now stare us in the face, so we must learn from it. Today we have the 'solutions for yesterday's problems', only when we are ready. In the words of Michael Voisin; "the question is whether we are ready for what might come next". A small minority holding the rest of the society to ransome and the people do nothing. If we want a society that is fair, inclusive and prosperous , certainly autocracy is not the answer, rather restructuring of this monstrous political structure that have enabled autocracy/authoritarian rule in Nigeria. Unless we stop looking at the map designed by strangers we will be stuck in this 'anarchic state' whose prime object is to preserve its own existence by maintaining absolute power over its own citizens. This unwelcome situation could be avoided. In the words of Professor Richard Griffiths; "in a state of almost permanent fear and terror, life as we know would grind to a halt". We can do something about it.
Read More: http://www.theleadprojectfoundation.com/2018/09/restructuring-nigeria-is-one-sure-way.html

Uche Okeke is a Statistician, Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation. He lives in London.

Are we still in one country? says Nigeria's Southern and Middle-belt leaders. What's the alternative?

"History is replete with bullies who seemed formidable for a time only to crash by attempting too much or by under-estimating the quiet courage of honourable women and men"-Madeleine Albright. Photo: Uche Okeke.

Sadly some of us still see the world through the 'map' narrative- distorted views that tend to make us celebrate or fight for the status-quo, the same reason for persistence of poverty, mass unemployment, stagnation, insecurity and instability. The events of today vindicate us on a daily basis. Every where we direct our search we get the same answer; 'Restructuring Nigeria' is the solution to the dilemma we face; ruthless pursuit of self-interests. We can live with it or we change it, or we still wallow in the narrative; why bother to change it, the very distorted views of the power grabs; ruthless cabals with a 'distinct lack of conscience'. They don't believe in growth for all. Instead of investing for the future, they prefer to invest in guns/security for control. These people are not our friends and cannot be trusted with our collective future. What's the alternative? Ordinary people need to be aware of this peril; real and present danger that now stare us in the face.

 Read this blog regularly to help change your world view. The status-quo does not hold any further promise of change. It's our desire to provide ordinary people with abundant evidence of state failure so that they can be on the right side of history. Choose freedom not fear. No moral cause just a conspiracy to seize power. Think smart. Reject authoritarian rule. Reject political bribery. Demand Restructuring . Vote for committed democrats that will guarantee inclusive society, that's the future. The future is no longer a return of the society to the primitive state where life is 'short, nasty and brutish'. We can change the way things are. Now we have enough reasons to be worried.

Uche Okeke is a Statistician,  Social Entrepreneur, the Founder of The LEAD Project Foundation, and the Author of  'Nigeria's Democracy And Its Crisis Deliberate, Avoidable-'Bribe & Bullet'. What Can Be Done About It.