About Me
- Funmi Iyanda
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Funmi Iyanda is a multi award-winning producer and broadcast journalist. She is the CEO of Ignite Media and Executive Director of Creation Television
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Where is Africa Going Wrong?
A matter of Luck?
So Goodluck Jonathan is Yardua's running mate, one doesn’t even have time to digest a piece of information before something else occurs. Goodluck uh? What do l know about Goodluck other than his initial stance to stand by his embattled, embezzling, (where is Alamasiegha) governor during alamsgate and the fact that his name seem to be prophetic (we are culturally wired to believe that). The only other interesting thing l know about him is that l cannot count the number of times l have been told to take a project to Bayelsa under Goodluck. Anything from a nuclear plant to an ijapa and yanribo play. The alleged position is that Goodluck will “free” you some money for it. So a loyal and easily persuaded vice president and an unassuming, unambitious president. I see the puppets, what is the play about?
Question, why in a country that produced the Philip Emeagwali’s of this world are we going to be lumbered with a Goodluck/Yardua government? How do l know they’ll succeed? Well of course, the horse may fly and the king may die but barring any such eventuality what is to stop them? Talking about Emeagwali, a brain drained friend sent me this lecture article by him, excruciatingly true but how will it happen? Read more here
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16 comments:
If PDP didn't do things this way, then (like panadol) it cannot be PDP.
what do you expect for a BABA !
How would BABA have still gotten a firm grip on nigeria when 3rd term failed .
he needs a weak/lame ticket !
we need to act fast !
why in a country that produced the Philip Emeagwali’s of this world are we going to be lumbered with a Goodluck/Yardua government?
Funmi, because this is exactly what we deserve. Have you heard much protesting? Are the street filled with Labour protestors? Student agitators? Any campaign of any sort to challenge these selections? Of course not. So therefore we deserve what we get. Unfortunately.
Nigerian politics is so perverse, it beats all rationalization. Yar Adua was picked to spite Atiku and as a sign of OBJ's gratitude for Shehu Musa Yar Adua's loyalty during his (OBJ's) regime of the late 1970s. Jonathan was picked to pacify those waring Ijaw terrorists in the Niger Delta.
Hm...I feel the main reason why Jonathan Goodluck was chosen as Yar'adua's running mate is 'cos he remained loyal to his boss even when he was facing persecution. The brains behind the choice of Yar'adua didn't want the guy to have the same kind of problem Obasanjo faces with Atiku. Anyway, I hope the other party will form a coalition to wrestle power away from the ruling PDP.
hello funmi,
I don't get it at all.My friend was saying oh maybe its God that put Goodluck there, and I was like.."don't go there, God has nothing to do with this" God created man to be free to make choices and this clear in the bible.When men make bad choices we cant hinge it on God or the devil.When I saw Yaradua was the chosen one (of course chosen by man) I sought Gods face and I was comforted by Micah 2:1-5.
I know this sounds cliche but we really we have to pray and hope and do our own part to changing things in Nigeria.
I am not suprised that Duke stepped down..I mean he has charisma and great ideas but he and his fellow PDP guvs are birds of the same feather. When a guy is good looking and charismatic people are sometimes blind to the bad stuff ( IBB, Clinton) when a leader lacks in the looks department,his faults are more glaring (Abacha and even our dear Baba).
Imagine 2 people who never dreamed of even becoming governers now being candidates for the top positions in NIgeria?It makes no sense they have no plans at all, Goodluck for one is still in a daze that he has the power to approve such stupendous amounts of money and has not come down to earth yet.
I still continue to hope because this is my home.
My thoughts exactly on Jonathan. Jonathan ko, Jonathan ni!
Wasn't Philip Emeagwali facing some kind of legal battle of some sort. I think he kind of stretched the truth a bit when he claimed he was the "Father of the Internet." But hey, I won't knock all the great and fascinating strides he has made in technology. I heard the guy is sharp!
Funmi,
Great write-up as usual. I share your sentiments about the the 2 twats awaiting to be installed by Baba as he makes a retreat to the farm. However, on Emegwali I have my reservations. He is a fraud! Do some research on his background. He is pretty good at self promotion, but does a dissservice to accomplished Nigerian academics and professionals abroad.
Same goes for the guy who claims to have discovered some general theory. Cant recall his name. I will find some link disputing Emegwali's claim and share with you.
Update...found it...
http://magazine.biafranigeriaworld.com/cezeilo/2003nov09.html
Another discussion link on Emegwalis claims. I live in the US and have come across tons of Nigerians in very senior positions, quietly doing Nigeria and black people proud. Emegwalis endless promotion is a red flag!
http://chippla.blogspot.com/2005/12/philip-emeagwali-final-thoughts.html
Yes o Funmi. It was shocking to say the least that Goodluck was picked for this position.
But more shocking is the fact that Donald Duke, a celebrated "president to be" will also 'step down' or 'step aside' just like that.
Really, I wonder o.
well as runing mate am not surprised and to thinkl of it at such a time wen his government house was burnt is shocking or are u suprised dat his such a free giver and accepted to run with our reluctant aspirant. tell me out of all ur president commissioned for him which did he do is it de hospital or de roads which alameisagha didnt do but still money gets allocated,am not saying his done nothing but for christs sake lets be rational for once after all he backstabbed his oga or didnt he.sometimes i wonder at made rochas leave his party to go and get defeacted without pity.
it still beggars belief the choice of yardua/goodluck and the most ludicrous,the steppin down or aside of donald duke who to me has the grace and bearing of a president coupled with vision,ceative ability and imagination.am still numb on his issue until he wakes up from his {un}dignified silence,its really a shame for selling out cheaply and succumbing to our gerontocratic leaders who are suffering from senility and short circuited in terms of cerebral competence.
Toks-Boy is so right and l think that really is our leadership challenge. How to organize into strong committed and powerful pressure, labour, interest and opposition groups who will keep everyone on their toes and when neeeded rise againgst such flagrant disregard of the will of the people. As regards Donald Duke, perhaps it is the fear that no one will stand with him if he insists, perhaps they have something on him, perhaps he is not what he seem, perhaps...who knows, perhaps he should speak out.Finally, as chioma says Let us leave God out of this, and yes l wonder about Emegwali's "press" but then l have nothing to hold against him. He for me is just a pointer to the many eminent sons and daughters of Nigeria within and outside the country.
hello Funmi,
thanks for this oppurtunity to write oooo
Have you visited donanld duke's blog recently ,
comments cannot even be posted again .
he has urged us 'Dukist' to vote for the weak/lame ticket !!
No No No !
Well i thank God , we can see clearly now ,what ever it is No weak/lame man would get to Aso Rock come 2007 in Jesus name
~Emini
Does anyone even remember that the Amina Lawal case (the woman a Sharia Court sentenced to death by stoning)which provoked so much outrage,especially in the west,occured in Katsina State-under Yar'Adua's watch and as an outcome of HIS sharia policy in the state? What was his response to the entire episode? What does it say about Yar'Adua's orientation? Would he have allowed the stoning to go ahead? Did he have any opinion on the entire episode? Did he express any? Unfortunately, the Nigerian "voters" will not get a chance to drill him on these issues-they have little say in this pre-determined selection process. This politically and socially reclusive individual who's shown little or no interest in issues outside his immediate domain and who cannot be quoted on any single issues suddenly wants to preside over the affairs of this complex construct called Nigeria? Everyone appears to be mindlessly parroting the PDP's Mantra that Yar'Adua's Katsina state has a reserve of 6 billion Naira or so(Less than $45 million). What exactly does it take to achieve that? Options are i.a natural frugal disposition (which Shagari also shared by the way) that's projected as State policy or ii)simply a lack of ideas! I see no reason why a state as backward as Katsina should save up all that money. His choice of a running mate leaves me less confident. We can only wait and see but I need someone to answer the Sharia questions in the meantime.
I wish us all good luck...
Thinking about Nigerian politics is a sure way to get myself a splitting headache whenever i need one! what with the OBJs and the Atikus and Ubas! and now, Yaradua! Yara who, i say? this "Goodluck" thing is like a slap to the face.
what won't we hear in nija?
blog on!
I stumbled across your blog by accident, a link from somewhere or the other...
I'm a Nigerian girl, who was lucky enough to be able to leave Nigeria for England at quite a young age. I went back all the time, every holiday, every time I had a break... But slowly my visits became less frequent, and at the moment I haven't actually been to Nigeria in over four years.
I've been skimming through your posts for the past hour or so, and it's made me laugh at some points, and possibly quite angry at others... But ultimately you've made me miss home and I now know I have to visit early 2007.
My issue with Nigeria, and god knows I have a lot of them, is the huge problems with stereotypes and male/female roles in the country. I have travelled extensively, to developed and developing countries, and even in countries governed primarily by religion, I did not feel as angry as I remember feeling being an independent woman in Nigeria. I consider myself to be a feminist, I love women and my feminism is simply based on the fact that I think women should be allowed to do whatever they want when they want it, whether it's sit at home and cook for their husbands, or go out and earn more than him! Feminism is about choice.
I was younger when I left, I was a lot less tolerant, and quite frankly I ran as far away from the culture as possible... But you've inspired me.
I think you are an amazing woman, and you make me proud to be Nigerian, you are obviously extremely intelligent, and I am blown away by your skilled writing style... Honestly, write a book!
The point of my long comment was to say thank you. I hope you remain a role model for all the other women in our country.