The first in my series on the highlights of the milestones of the administration from 2019-2027. This is the first ever for a state governor not only in Nigeria, but also in Africa.
The documentary NFTs will last longer than photographs, films and videos for history and for posterity.
The crypto currency prize for this one is 20 ETH .
t is for the exclusive collection of the Governor gratis. NOT FOR SALE.
The other NFTs in the series will be in different formats of media.
Awo: The Best and Greatest Nigerian Political Leader Never Became President
Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo, GCFR (6 March 1909 – 9 May 1987)
,the best and greatest Nigerian political leader in the history of modern Nigeria never became the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The legacies of his outstanding visionary leadership are still manifested in Western Nigeria.
He was the first Leader of Government Business and Minister of Local Government and Finance, and first Premier of the Western Region under Nigeria's parliamentary system, from 1952 to 1959. And he is recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the nation for his key role in Nigeria's independence movement (1957-1960).
You don't need to become the President of Nigeria to be a great nation builder.
FOR THE RECORD: FAREWELL SPEECH BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
My fellow Nigerian brothers, sisters and friends of Nigeria.
2. I address you today, in my last assignment as a democratically elected President of our great and well-endowed nation, with a deep sense of gratitude to God, a great deal of appreciation to the Nigerian people and a modest sense of fulfilment.
3. Today we mark and celebrate another peaceful transition of power from one elected government to another in our steady march to improve and sustain Nigeria’s democracy.
4. This year we witnessed the most keenly contested Presidential Elections since the first Republic and this demonstrates that our democracy is getting better and more entrenched with each election.
5. We must as a nation improve and sustain gains we make in the electoral process, on an incremental basis for Nigeria to take its rightful place among Nations.
6. Our democracy provides for, allows and encourages seeking redress for perceived injustices, enabling some candidates and political parties that did not agree with the results to go to court.
7. Irrespective of the outcome of the various cases, I urge all parties involved to accept the decision of our courts and join hands to build a better Nigeria.
8. I salute the doggedness and resilience of all the Presidential Candidates and their political parties for believing in our judicial system by taking their grievances with the election results to court.
9. In the course of the campaigns, we had argued and disagreed on how to make Nigeria better but we never disagreed or had any doubts that Nigeria has to be better.
10. As your President, I call on all of us to bring to bear the strength of our individualism, the power of our unity, the convictions of our beliefs to make Nigeria work better and together with one spirit and one purpose.
11. To my brother, friend and fellow worker in the political terrain for the past ten years - Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu -, I congratulate you on the realisation of your dream, which was propelled by a burning passion to put Nigeria amongst the leading nations of the world.
12. You have indeed worked for this day and God has crowned your efforts. I have no doubt that your passion for excellence, reliance on competence, fairness in relationships, commitment to equity, loyalty to the country and desire for Nigeria to be globally relevant would come through for you, under God’s guidance, as you lead our country to levels higher that I am leaving.
13. You are the best candidate among all the contestants and Nigerians have chosen well.
14. The last eight years have been an exciting experience in my desire and commitment to see a Nigeria in which public goods and services are available, and accessible within a united, peaceful and secure nation.
15. Fellow Nigerians, on the strength of your overwhelming support for me and my political party, I started this journey with a great deal of promise and expectation from you. I never intended to be just politically correct but to do the correct things that will make meaningful impact on the lives of the common Nigerian.
16. This high expectation was not misplaced because, like the ordinary Nigerian, I had grown tired of watching the country progressively moving away from the path of correctness.
17. To ensure that our democracy remains resilient and our elected representatives remain accountable to the people, I am leaving behind an electoral process which guarantees that votes count, results are credible, elections are fair and transparent and the influence of money in politics reduced to the barest minimum. And Nigerians can elect leaders of their choice.
18. We are already seeing the outcome of this process as it provided an even playing field where persons without any political God-Father or access to money defeated other well-resourced candidates.
19. The Nigerian economy has become more resilient due to the various strategies put in place to ensure that our economy remained afloat during cases of global economic downturns.
20. You would all recall the supply chain disruptions and economic downturn that the world witnessed between 2020 and 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deftness of our response to the pandemic still remains a global best practice.
21. Furthermore, we increased the ability of the poor and rural Nigerians to earn a living, provided more food for millions in our villages and gave our women opportunities to earn a living.
22. Young men and women in urban centres were also supported to put their skills into productive use. Our administration also provided an enabling environment for the private sector to engage in businesses for which their return on investments is guaranteed.
23. The private sector proved a strong partner in our drive to build a resilient and sustainable economy as evidenced by the growing number of turn-key projects in various sectors of the economy.
24. In the course of revamping the economy, we made some difficult choices, most of which yielded the desired results. Some of the measures led to temporary pain and suffering for which I sincerely apologised to my fellow countrymen, but the measures were taken for the over-all good of the country.
25. Mindful of the need to ensure adequate infrastructure to drive economic growth, we completed age-long projects and processes notably amongst which are the Petroleum Industry Act, completion of some power projects, completion of the second Niger bridge and various important roads linking cities and states.
26. Our battle to ensure that all Nigerians live in a safe and secure environment has achieved considerable results. As I complete my term in office, we have been able to reduce the incidences of banditry, terrorism, armed robbery and other criminal activities considerably.
27. To sustain the gains made so far, I call on all Nigerians to be more vigilant and support the security agencies by ensuring that our values defined by being your brothers’ keeper govern our actions.
28. Up-till now, I still grieve for our children still in captivity, mourn with parents, friends and relatives of all those that lost loved ones in the days of the senseless brigandage and carnage. For all those under unlawful captivity our Security Agencies are working round the clock to secure their release unharmed.
29. Fellow Nigerians, you know how dear the desire in my heart is, to rid the country of corrupt practices that had consistently diminished our efforts to be a great country.
30. I did pursue this commitment relentlessly, in spite of the expected push back. I am happy that considerable progress had been made in repatriating huge sums of money back to the country and also taken over properties illegally acquired from our common wealth.
31. To improve service delivery, we began the implementation of a number of reforms aimed at producing an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-oriented (EPIC) Federal Civil Service and the results are beginning to show.
32. On the international scene, Nigeria’s influence continues to grow as exemplified by notable Nigerians occupying headship and leadership positions in renowned global bodies.
33. Our democracy is built on and continues to thrive on the principles of separation of powers. The leadership and members of the National Assembly deserve my appreciation for their patriotism which did not detract from their roles as a check to the executive arm.
34. I also want to use this opportunity to express my appreciation to a good number of Nigerians who provided their support and encouragement to help me navigate the exciting journey in moving Nigeria forward.
35. I cannot and will not forget the millions who prayed for me during my illness in my first term of office. I am constantly praying for you and for Nigeria to thrive in peace.
36. As I retire home to Daura, Katsina State, I feel fulfilled that we have started the Nigeria Re-Birth by taking the initial critical steps and I am convinced the in-coming administration will quicken the pace of this walk to see a Nigeria that fulfils its destiny to be a great nation.
37. I am confident that I am leaving office with Nigeria better in 2023 than in 2015.
38. I thank you all. And may God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
My Testimony on the 2015 Presidential Election, published by Lulu and Amazon.
When you joined the former national ruling party, People's Democratic Party (PDP), you were politically initiated into the cult of political Mafia of the rulers of Nigeria since 1970. They wanted you to become the Vice President to President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,GCON, another Dr. Alexander Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme; GCON (21 October 1932 – 19 November 2017) the Vice President of Nigeria from 1979 to 1983 during the Second Nigerian Republic serving under President Shehu Shagari as a member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). But when you left the PDP to join the Labour Party (LP) , you altered their political master plan.
They will never allow an Igbo man to be President of Nigeria.
President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be sworn in as the new democratically elected President of Nigeria.
Nigeria is ruled by political corruption. So, the presidential election was just political camouflage.
The political ignorance and stupidity of majority of Igbos is the fact that they don't realize that the Hausas, Yorubas and allied tribes of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are not ready to let anyone of those who wanted to separate from the sovereignty become the President of Nigeria.
Majority of the suppprters of Peter Obi are Igbos who are also supporting the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) fighting for the restoration of Biafra.
The political cabal of northern Nigeria will not hand over the reins of power to an Igbo political leader to become the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces. That can be dangerous for the national security of the federation, because majority of the Igbos in the military can now be fully equipped to take over the country. They will now achieve their dream of Biafra.
February 25, 2023 Elections: The Beginning of a New Nigeria
Only Patriotic Nigerians Are Celebrating the Victory of Democracy
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the national ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) won the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria that was held on Saturday, February 25. He defeated Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, People's Democratic Party (PDP) and presidential candidates of other political parties.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 presented the certificate of return to the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
*AN ELECTION...*
An election that has turned Lagos from APC to another party other than PDP;
An election in which El-rufai could not deliver Kaduna;
An election in which Ganduje could not deliver Kano;
An election where Labour Party won in Nassarawa;
An election where atleast 7 popular incubent governors lost their bid for the Senate despite spending massively, to "nobodys" who barely spent anything;
An election where an Okada man and a driver have been reported to have won a seat in the Federal House of Representatives;
An election where the son of a nobody has finally been able to become somebody without the help of anybody;
Yet, you want to rubbish that election?
Because we didn't reverse it all completely?
How do we not see that THE CITIZENS have won already?!
How can we not see that the will of a people has prevailed over established political "structures"!
How can we not see that this is a MASSIVE win for democracy, and then plan to build on this even if the overall result doesn't fall as desired?
How can we not see that this is indeed the first election that the voice of the people has really mattered and has officially killed the age long narrative that *votes don't count*?
Shouldn't we start to celebrate this massive win for Nigeria;
Knowing it's the beginning of massive things to come?
Knowing that something has shifted and true change beckons?
Will blood on the streets be the only indication of change? And what guarantees does that offer?
Do we not see, that what happens from here is the most important thing?
Do we not see that how we build from here, is what matters most?
Do we not yet understand that anger is NOT a strategy and doesn't exactly produce the right result, but it is only an emotion
which, if channelled postively, should birth the right strategies?
Do we not yet see that we have achieved for the first time what has been impossible since the rebirth of our democracy in 1999?!
Are we so blinded by unguided passion that we will rather throw out the baby with the bathwater?
And cannot see that a massive thing just occured?
How many of you calling for blood on the street, is truly ready and willing to shed his/her blood?
Have we not checked history?
Have we not seen that those that died for change still did not fast forward the process of change?
For change still happened completely, ONLY in the process of time.
Can we therefore not see the massive step we have already taken?
And for those shouting, "The violent shall take it by force";
Did you not read your reference completely to understand that violence is the language of KINGDOMS and not DEMOCRACIES?
What exactly do we want?
Outside of the bandwagon mentality and somewhat unguided passion, have we truly defined what we want?
Every election Nigeria has had from 1999, with the exception of NONE, has been marred with protests, disenfranchisement of voters, and violence of massive proportions!
This election is not different, neither is it unique in that regard!
Some of the "tipexing" and "record changing" we have seen, which gives us the illusion that something monumentally wrong happened this time around, has actually been happening in much worse dimensions since 1999.
The only difference which we can't seem to appreciate is that for the first time, we have now been given a system in BVAS, that will shine light on whatever happens in the backend, and therefore, for the first time in our democratic history, the average citizen has been given eyes behind the scenes!
What a WIN!!!
All of this, therefore, makes this
election, the "closest" to CREDIBLE, or if you like, the closest to REALITY that we have ever had!
The pointers are littered all over the results we see!
We must really learn to separate things and not muddle them up with emotions.
We must be sincere enough with ourselves, to know when we have stopped fighting for our country and are just now performing for our individual egos and straddling the lines of arrogance.
If there be any grievances as would legitimately be expected, should we not then go through the established legal framework to address same?
NIGERIA HAS WON!
This election shows that much!
This victory, however, is a continium;
And in our lifetime, we will enjoy the fullness of it!
The youngest voter in the history of democracy discovered in Nigeria during the 2023 presidential election on February 25. The Guinness Book of Records will like to celebrate him and interview him on CNN.
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 77TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS @UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WEDNESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER, 2022
#UNGA #UNGA77 #NigeriaAtUNGA#PMBatUNGA
Mr. President,
Heads of State and Government,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. President,
On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you on your well-deserved election as President of #UNGA77. I assure you of the full support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation during your tenure. I commend your predecessor, H.E Abdullah Shahid for the many remarkable achievements of the General Assembly under his leadership during these challenging times.
May I also congratulate the Secretary-General, Mr. @antonioguterres on his ceaseless and untiring efforts to promote peace, security and development, very much in line with his exalted role.
Mr. President, The first time I could have addressed this August Assembly was in 1984, when I was the Military Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thirty-one years later, I had the great privilege to personally address the Assembly in 2015, as the democratically-elected President of my country. As I approach the end of my second and final four-year term, I am reminded of how much has changed in Nigeria, in Africa, and in the world, and yet, how some challenges remain.
We are now more severely tested by these enduring and new global challenges, paramount among which are conflicts increasingly being driven by non-state actors, proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, terrorism, violent extremism, malignant use of technology, climate change, irregular migration, and disparities in opportunities for improved standards of living.
Despite the challenging international environment, the United Nations has proved that it can be strong when the will of its members is harnessed for positive collective action. The guiding principle of this extra-ordinary institution is the promotion of peace and security, development and human rights.
Latest in a chain of events challenging these principles is the Ukraine conflict which has already created strains that are perhaps unprecedented for a generation.Such a conflict will have adverse consequences for us all, hindering our capacity to work together to resolve conflicts elsewhere, especially in Africa, the Middle-East and Asia.
Indeed, the ongoing war in Ukraine is making it more difficult to tackle the perennial issues that feature each year in the deliberations of this Assembly, such as nuclear disarmament, the right of the Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, and the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for statehood and reduction of inequalities within and amongst nations.
The danger of escalation of the war in Ukraine further justifies Nigeria’s resolute calls for a nuclear-free world and a universal Arms Trade Treaty, which are also necessary measures to prevent global human disasters. In this regards we must find quick means to reach consensus on the Nuclear non-proliferation Treaty with related commitments by nuclear weapon states.
I remain firmly convinced that the challenges that have come so sharply into focus in recent years and months emphasize the call by #Nigeria and many other Member-States for the reform of the Security Council and other @UN Agencies.
We need more effective and representative structures to meet today’s demands that have since outgrown a system designed for the very different world that prevailed at its foundation in 1945. CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE.
Mr. President, This is the first meeting we are having here in New York without the restrictions that characterised the last three years. The COVID-19 pandemic ripped across National borders like a toxic whirlwind, leaving in its wake a legacy of pain and loss.
Happily, we also witnessed an incredible level of innovation and creativity from those who devised treatments & vaccines. These laudable achievements were underpinned by partnerships and international cooperation.
We have also seen the bravery, care and endurance of health professionals at every corner of the globe.I am happy to note that in Nigeria, our healthcare agencies were able to form effective local management and engaged international partnerships with multinational initiatives like COVAX and private groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation @gatesfoundation
These efforts helped mitigate the impact of the pandemic and we were mercifully spared the images
of overwhelmed hospitals, overworked healthcare personnel and high mortality which sadly we saw elsewhere.With #COVID19, we saw very clearly how states tried to meet the challenge of a threat that could not be contained within national borders.
The results were mixed; but at its best, cooperation among stakeholders was outstanding. It facilitated solutions that saved countless lives and eased the huge burden of human suffering.That same theme of unilateralism and the promotion of national interest competing with the common cause in the face of an existential threat has been our recurring experience in recent times.
In every address I have delivered to this august Assembly, I have dwelt on the issue of climate change, especially as it fuels conflicts and complicates food security. Climate change reduces opportunity and prosperity which, in Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia, also contributes to transnational organized crimes.
As part of Nigeria’s efforts at achieving our Global Net-zero aspiration, the current Administration last year adopted a National Climate Change Strategy that aims to deliver climate change mitigation in a sustainable manner.The measures we took at the national level also require climate justice. Africa & other developing nations produce only a small proportion of green-house gas emissions, compared to industrial economies.
Yet, we are the hardest hit by the consequences of climate change as we see in the sustained droughts in Somalia and floods of unprecedented severity in Pakistan. These and other climate-related occurrences are now sadly becoming widely commonplace in the developing world. We are, in effect, literally paying the price for policies that others pursue. This needs to change.
At the #COP26 in Glasgow last year, I did say that Nigeria was not asking for permission to make the same mistakes that others have made in creating the climate emergency. Fortunately, we now know what we can do to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and the related energy challenge. As a first step, we must all commit to releasing the financing and the technology to create a stable and affordable framework for energy transition.
Development Finance Institutions must prioritise de-risking energy projects to improve access of renew-able projects to credit facilities. There should be no countries “left behind” in this equation.Rocketing energy costs worldwide are, in part, the product of conflict and supply disruptions to Europe and the Americas.
Yet, we are all paying the price. It is, therefore, our expectation that this UNGA 77 & the upcoming COP 27 will help galvanise the political will required to drive action towards the fulfilment of the various existing climate change initiatives.
Another feature of the last decade has been the growing partnership between states and increasingly influential non-state actors.There was a time when the most important event at this Assembly was speech by the world’s most powerful leaders. Now a Tweet or Instagram post by an influencer on social or environmental issues may have greater impact.
Technology offers us nearly limitless opportunities and sometimes runs ahead of the imagination of regulators and legislators. At its best, social media helps strengthen the foundations of our society and our common values.At its worst, it is a corrosive digital version of the mob, bristling with intolerance and division.
When I began my tenure as President in 2015, distinctions were drawn between the experience of poorer countries and those apparently better able to manage the avalanche of unfiltered information.
Nigeria has had many unsavoury experiences with hate speech and divisive disinformation. Increasingly, we also see that many countries face the same challenge. Clearly, data also know no borders.
In confronting these challenges, we must also come together to defend freedom of speech, while upholding other values that we cherish.We must continue to work for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities to keep the most vulnerable from harm and help strengthen and enrich communities.
Efforts to protect communities from the scourge of disinformation and misinformation must also be matched with efforts to reduce inequalities and restore hope to our poorer and most vulnerable of our communities as a means to stem the many socio-economic conflict drivers with which we are faced.
In spite of our efforts, humanitarian crises will continue to ravage some of our communities. Nigeria, therefore, implores our global partners to do more to complement our endeavours.Indeed, the multifaceted challenges facing most developing countries have placed a debilitating chokehold on their fiscal space.
This equally calls for the need to address the burden of unsustainable external debt by a global commit-ment to the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to countries facing fiscal and liquidity challenges as well as outright cancellation for countries facing the most severe challenges.
Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Democracy is an idea that crosses time and borders.Certainly democracy does have its limitations. The wheels of democracy turn slowly. It can demand compromises that dilute decisions.Sometimes, it bends too much to special interests that exercise influence, not always for the general good, in a manner disproportionate to their numbers.
But it has been my experience that a democratic culture provides a Government with the legitimacy it needs to deliver positive change. In Nigeria, not only have we worked to strengthen our democracy, but we have supported it and promoted the Rule of Law in our sub-region.
In The Gambia, we helped guarantee the first democratic transition since independence. In Guinea-Bissau we stood by the democratically-elected Government when it faced mutiny.And in the Republic of Chad, following the tragic death of its President, the late Idris Deby Itno in the battlefield, we joined forces with its other neighbours & Int'l partners to stabilize the country & encourage the peaceful transition to democracy,a process which is ongoing.
We believe in the sanctity of constitutional term limits and we have steadfastly adhered to it in Nigeria. We have seen the corrosive impact on values when leaders elsewhere seek to change the rules to stay on in power.Indeed, we now are preparing for general elections in Nigeria next February. At the 78th UNGA, there will be a new face at this podium speaking for Nigeria.
Ours is a vast country strengthened by its diversity and its common values of hard work, enduring faith and a sense of community. We have invested heavily to strengthen our framework for free and fair elections.I thank our partners for all the support that they have provided our election institutions.
As President, I have set the goal that one of the enduring legacies I would like to leave is to entrench a process of free, fair and transparent and credible elections through which Nigerians elect leaders of their choice.Mr. President, The multiple challenges that face us are truly interconnected and urgent, and your choice of this Session's theme, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges” is apt.
In keeping with our obligations as Member States of this noble Organisation, we all must do our utmost to work with you toward resolving them. In this regard, I reiterate my Delegation's full & resolute cooperation.
Let me convey my final reflection from this famous podium.We live in extraordinary times with interdependent challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with sometimes a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future.
But if my years in public service have taught me anything, it is that we must keep faith with those values that endure. These include, but are not limited to, such values as justice, honour, integrity, ceaseless endeavour, and partnership within and between nations.
Our strongest moments have always been when we remain true to the basic principles of tolerance, community, and abiding commitment to peace and goodwill towards all.
"Great nations have not been built by building houses and skyscrapers, but by building lives and leaders."
- Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Author of "In the House Dogs" and other books.
When you do a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria and degradation of the government by corruption, you will see the genesis of the Nigerian crisis and the consequences which are now the worst fears and nightmares of widespread intellectual ignorance and violence.
It is unfortunate that while the educational institutions are collapsing, the federal government is celebrating pyramids of bags of rice and state governors are celebrating building flyovers while the drainage systems have collapsed.
The local governments cannot even clean up their streets with nauseating filthy environment of dirty inhabitants.
There cannot be good governance in the state of Intellectual ignorance and incompetence.
There is an epidemic of gullibility, irrationality and stupidity in every sphere of the dog eat dog Nigerian society.
The terrible predicament of intellectual ignorance is that the ignorant don't realize their ignorance. Living in denial of the truth is a common lifestyle among them. It is an oddity to be honest and straight.
The youths and elders are equally living in conceit and deceit.
Fathers and mothers have become pimps of their daughters.
The religious leaders are partners in crime of the rogue politicians and their rogue contractors in the private sector.
The country is full whited sepulchres
of rotten people with empty lives. And they don't even realize that they are empty in the vicious circle of their anomie.
- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Author of "In the House Dogs" and other books distributed by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers worldwide.
The Guardian’s commitment to excellent journalism in the decades ahead is, and shall be, non-negotiable under the enduring stewardship of first class editorial board with some of Africa’s finest brains and business icons
ABUJA, Nigeria, July 4, 2022/ -- Founded by Mr. Alex Uruemu Ibru (1945-2011), The Guardian’s (https://Guardian.ng) foundational rationale upon inception on July 4, 1983 was simple: to create an intellectually driven, independent newspaper presenting balanced and factual coverage of events comparable with the best in Nigeria and globally. Underpinning that was the philosophy of integrity, good conscience and high ethical standards.
Through the highs of lows of press freedom, human rights violations, breaches of the rule of law, by Nigeria’s military dispensation; to the return to multiparty democratic rule in 1999, and its inherent challenges in a complex multi-ethnic Nigeria, The Guardian has remained at the vanguard of the dissemination of knowledge-driven, evidence-based information, education and policy development, embedding the rule of law, proactively advancing women’s right; and straddling the diverse realms of economics, legal research, nation-building, politics, science and sports.
These phenomenal achievements have been made possible by a formidable team of experienced and excellent journalists including, but not restricted to, the likes of Lade Bonuola (the pioneer editor), Emeka Izeze, Martins Oloja (the current Editor-in Chief and Managing Director), Sonala Olumese, Professor GG Darah to name a few.
It is often said that the constancy of change is non-negotiable. Likewise, the constancy of The Guardian’s commitment to excellent journalism in the decades ahead is, and shall be, non-negotiable under the enduring stewardship of first class editorial board with some of Africa’s finest brains and business icons with impeccable credentials.
Happy birthday to The Guardian — Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru
As The Guardian Newspaper marks its 39th year on the newsstand today, its publisher, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, has commended the tenacity of readers, who have remained steadfast to the brand and also associates of the newspaper, who equally have continued to defend what it stands for.
In a statement issued to mark the day, the newspaper publisher also commended the advertisers for remaining loyal to the brand. Her words: “To our advertisers and advertising agencies, we can’t thank you enough for enabling us to keep the flag of our flagship of the Nigerian press flying.”
She added, “I would like to thank you for your commitment and loyalty to our brand for 39 years! We have been passing through some economic challenges that have affected our purchasing powers, but you have remained resilient. A load of our hearty thanks.”
She also said in the statement, “to all our associates and members of the editorial board, I salute your courage, confidence and grit. You have been wonderful, as you have sustained what we stand for these past 39 years. You have kept the faith by producing an independent newspaper established for the purpose of presenting a balanced coverage of events, of promoting the best interests of Nigeria…”
She continued: “As my late husband, the founder of this newspaper Dr Alex Uruemu Ibru always admonished us in discharging our fundamental objective, “good journalism matters to our quest for nation building.”
“We should continue to practise journalism as a weapon for mass reconstruction of our broken walls in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria. That is a good way of sustaining the legacy of my late husband, which is my passion.
“We will be alive by His grace next year to mark our 40th Birthday in style!”
Only last year, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had poured encomiums on the paper at the launch of ‘The Making of The Nigerian Flagship: A Story of The Guardian’, a collection of reminisces by earlier Rutamites, compiled by Aaron Ukodie and O’Seun Ogunseitan,
Osinbajo had noted: “The story of The Guardian Newspaper is significant, for the redefinition it represents for the print media in Nigeria, and for its uniqueness in bringing public intellectuals and academics into journalism and breeding a generation of talented journalists.”
He also said The Guardian upholds “the proud and illustrious tradition of the Nigerian press that practises journalism with a social mission and a commitment to speaking truth to power. It played an important role in the struggles that birthed our democracy, suffering proscription and the firebombing of its business offices at Rutam House.”
He noted that to grasp the significance of The Guardian, it is important to situate its odyssey within the larger Nigerian story and particularly in the context of the evolution of the fourth estate in the country.
“The Guardian is no longer just a newspaper house, but a public institution – one that has served as an exemplar and a model for generations of media practitioners who replicate its ethos and standards in different ways.
“The Guardian has embodied in these past years fidelity to the principle of balance, objectivity and fair-hearing, not only as a corporate culture but also as a moral obligation to the larger society; that insistence by the gatekeeper that leads are well investigated and reports are well researched before the copy is passed for publication,” the vice president added.
Birth of The Guardian
Though the idea of setting up a newspaper was sown early in Dr. Alex Uruemu Ibru’s life, the birth of The Guardian when he had become a contented businessman, a multi-millionaire with considerable influence in business, changed the narrative of newspapering in the country.
Ibru was fascinated by the power of the media as an intermediary between government, the people and business, and how indeed a newspaper could be used to set agenda for society.
The idea to launch a newspaper started in 1976 and The Guardian newspaper as a brand in 1978. However, due to the economic recession then, it was shelved, but later realised when it finally hit the newsstand on February 27, 1983.
Five months after, on July 4, 1983, the daily edition also came on board.
The print media company, after over five years of painstaking incubation began the journey of “providing the best and most authoritative newspaper” as it pursued its philosophical underpinning as “an independent newspaper, established for the purpose of presenting balanced coverage of events, and of promoting the best interest of Nigeria.”
It was conceived as a well planned and carefully thought out enterprise, which would present a balanced coverage and projection of news and views, uphold political neutrality and independence and elevate the tone of public discourse.
As a liberal newspaper, committed to the best traditions and ideals of republican democracy, The Guardian believes it is the responsibility of the State not only to protect and defend the citizens but also to create the political, social, economic and cultural conditions in which all citizens may achieve their highest potentials as human beings. And as the ‘flagship of the Nigerian press’, The Guardian directed successive governments and reading public on how best to live.
When the paper came, it was one addiction that everybody had, considering that Daily Times had sunk in reputation, because of its tilt towards becoming government ‘megaphone’. It was a peculiar taste that many could not wean themselves of.
The Guardian transformed the news business, serving the public with rich content in an enriching way. Temperate news presentation with elaborate backgrounding replaced sensationalist news packaging. Elevated prose found its way into news reporting and the front page was no longer the exclusive preserve of politics and political actors. Other less dramatic subjects found access there. There was noticeable effort to woo the discerning reader who enjoyed news beyond the headlines.
It was a new and strong voice that changed the standard of journalism in the country. It strove to fulfill that mandate. It gave voice to the voiceless and became the ‘conscience of the nation’.
As the ‘flagship of the Nigerian press’, The Guardian directed successive governments and reading public on how best to live. And for the staff, it was all about justice and the public good. For more than three decades-and-a-half, Rutam House has been like the Vatican.
With a team of intellectuals, mostly literary scholars (authors, creative writers, critics and academics in humanities), no doubts, the paper had no alternative than to lean towards intellectualism.
Stanley Macebuh, arguably one of the best columnists in the country, because of his style, language and logic, led the founding editorial staff of the newspaper, which he served as Executive Editor/Managing Director, while the then Associate Editor was Lade Bonuola.
Opinion writing equally enjoyed a renaissance that brought in specialisation. The editorial board attracted eggheads from campuses, thus, enriching the art of informed commentary.
Things were structured at The Guardian in such a way that a lot of professionals and statesmen were contributing regularly so that there was no dull moment when going through the Op-ed pages. Beside Olatunji Dare, a lot of seasoned writers like the late Prof. Tam David West, the late Prof. Claude Ake, the late Justice Kayode Eso, Bishop Hassan Kukah, Prof. Green Nwankwo, the late Chief Tony Enahoro, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the late Alade Odunewu, the late Alao Aka Bashorun, Nnimmo Bassey, the late Prof. Festus Iyayi and a host of others were always sending in their views on diverse issues from time to time.
In fulfilling its mandate, The Guardian established itself with the reading public as a newspaper of record and influence and as one of the major platforms for promoting the interest of the voiceless and the disadvantaged in society.
The Guardian Newspaper has consistently acted as a watchdog on matters that border on code of conduct for public officials and for private individuals in Nigeria as a whole. The newspaper was a strong force in the struggle against military rule.
During the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari, as a military Head of State and when The Guardian was just about a year old, its two reporters, Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor, were both sent to jail in 1984 under Decree No. 4 of 1984, which suppressed journalistic freedom. The paper’s political editor, Krees Imodibie, was killed in the course of duty in Liberia.
In his scholarly article titled “Journalism in Nigeria: A Historical Overview” and published in 1996 in “Journalism in Nigeria: Issues and Perspectives”, Prof. Omu wrote further: “The Guardian calls itself the flagship of the Nigerian press and so it really is. It has been indisputably the best newspaper ever produced in Nigeria and its brand of journalism has had a profound and provocative impact on Nigerian journalism.
“The principles, which it espouses and the standards which it represents, set it out as a national institution. In the poise and polish of its language, in its cultivated and intellectual approach to argument and controversy, in its penetrating and persuasive analysis and interpretation, in its promotion of ideological pluralism and in its endeavor to place events in their historical perspective, The Guardian has achieved great esteem in and outside Nigeria as one of the most authoritative newspapers in Africa. Its journalistic achievements are bound to influence the newspaper industry for a long time.”
Though the media industry, over the years, has gone through turbulent times, with so many publications going down before and after the birth of The Guardian, the publication has continued to be on the newsstand, providing scintillating reports for Nigerians and non-Nigerians.
The publication started as a 16-page paper but pre-COVID, it published on the average, 64 pages and sometimes, over 100 pages with increased advert sales. In the last two years, however, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a considerable reduction in pagination by virtually all the print media outlets.
In its 39 years of existence, great journalists such as, Lade Bonuola, Femi Kusa, Emeka Izeze, Debo Adesina, Martins Oloja and Abraham Ogbodo have edited The Guardian. The current editor of the paper, Mr. Alabi Williams, assumed duty on June 8, 2020 alongside other professionals who were also elevated to man different posts.
They are Kabir Alabi Garba (Editor, The Guardian on Sunday); and Francis Chuks Nwanne (Editor, The Guardian on Saturday). Two insiders had also served as Acting Editors for the newspaper: Jewell Dafinone (January to June 2016) and Dr. Paul Onomuakpokpo (July 1, 2019 to June 4, 2020).
These courage and professionalism that The Guardian represent have been bountifully rewarded and the harvest include, the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME), the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA), Cable News Network (CNN) African Journalist of the Year and many others. The Guardian was one of the early stars of DAME, winning the Newspaper of the Decade in 2001 and joint winner of the same prize in 2011 with The Punch.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Guardian.
Ideato Federal Constituency and Dr. Pascal Obi: When Continuity Becomes the Only Road To Travel
- By Clifford Dike
The legendary British writer C.S Lewis, perhaps had Ideato North and South federal constituency and the exhilarating performance of its representative in the House of Reps, Dr Chigozie Pascal Obi in mind when he uttered the timeless quote:"mere change is not growth. Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity there is no growth.
Conversely, a broad spectrum of Ndi Ideato ultimately shares C.S Lewi's sentiment on continuity judging by the current groundswell of support for his re-election to the House of Representatives
Who would not w.ant a continuation of a quality and people oriented representation? Nobody, of course and this explains why the Ideato nation insists it cannot afford not to return Dr. Obi to the House.
Apart from the need for him to continue with his superlative representation of Ideato people and delivery of dividends of democracy, political leaders and opinion moulders in constituency hing their desire for Dr. Obi's re-election on national interest as regards parliamentary stability and growth of participatory democracy such as ours.
The high turnover of federal Parliamentarians every four years, especially in the Southeast, according to them does not make room for a robust legislative experience as obtained in the United States and other participatory democracies around the world where some Parliamentarians spend upward of two, three decades in the hallowed legislative chambers.
A beautiful road is the darling of motorists and thus they keep plying it. This maxim finds definitive expression in Dr. Obi whose three and half years legislative journey is replete with quantum achievements.
When he was elected to the House of Reps in 2019 to represent Ideato North /Ideato South federal, his constituents entertained no doubt about his preparedness and capability to perform and he has not disappointed so far.
It is for this reason that the mantra in the constituency today is: Pascal, ga na agara anyi ije na Abuja ( Pascal will continue to represent us in Abuja).
In just three and half years in the House of Representatives, Dr Obi has brought the Ideato nation and indeed Imo state to national consciousness on the floor of the House through:
*Urgent call on the federal government of Nigeria to carry out full rehabilitation and reconstruction of Akwakuma - Orlu - Mgbee - Obiohia - Urualla - Akokwa - Uga federal road. It was adopted by the House and equally captured in the 2021 budget.
*A motion urging the federal government of Nigeria to create one more Federal Government College (FGC) in Imo State. Every state has three except Imo. This received instant approval and Obi, a result-oriented Federal Lawmaker insisted that it will be sited in Ideato Nation.
*A motion for the extension of Federal Medical Center Owerri to Ideato. It was also approved and included in the 2021 budget.
*A motion for the total turnaround of the National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu vis-a-vis workforce, facilities and structures. It gained approval.
*A motion for the canalization of river banks. This will protect our communities from excessive flooding during the rainy season.
*A motion urging the federal government of Nigeria to build more Ear/Eye hospitals in other parts of the country since the only Ear/Eye Hospital is located in Kaduna. It was approved, hence Ear Center for Lagos and Eye Center for Owerri, Imo State.
*A motion on the looming reoccurrence of Ebola crises in Nigeria: The need for the federal government to put in place detective measures in our airports, seaports and land borders.
*Calling attention to the need to construct a perimeter fence at the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri.
All communities in the federal constituency bear witness to Dr Pascal Obi's socio-economic and infrastructural blitz.
This can be gleaned from the total number of boreholes he has drilled at designated points within the following communities:
URUALLA
OBODOUKWU
DIKENAFAI
UGBELLE
ORIE UMUOBOM
UMUMAISIAKU
AMANATO
NDIANICHE UNO
OSINA
OBIOHIA
He has also either established or upgraded comprehensive Health Facilities situated.
Phase similar project is also ongoing at UMUALAOMA, UMUAGHOBE, UMUCHIMA, UGBELLE, UMUESHI, FMC ANNEX UMUEZEALLA - OGBOKO
Ideato is prone to erosion hence Dr Pascal Obi is paying special attention to roads and erosion control in the constituency.
So far, to his credit are a 1.5 Km Road at Akpulu, a 1.5 Km Road at Nneato-Ogwugwu Dikenafai, erosion control at Obiohia,
Solar-powered street lights at Umukegwu- Akokwa, Ozuakoli - Urualla and Obiohia - Umuago road.
A firm believer in human capital development, Dr Obi has established a plethora of various skill acquisition and empowerment programmes and centres across the constituency and has also, through his influence, secured federal jobs for several qualified persons in the constituency.
A seasoned optometrist who has transversed public life at a relatively young age, Dr Obi was born in 1970. He read Optometry at the Imo state university and later capped it with a Masters's degree in Public Health from the University of Nigeria Enugu campus.
A knight of the Catholic Church, Dr Obi joined the Imo State Ministry of Health Owerri in 1998.
He would rather rise to become The Acting Director of Public Health and Primary Health Care in the ministry and also the coordinator, of the National Programme for Prevention of Blindness (Vision 2020).
Former Governor of Imo State Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha appointed Dr Obi Permanent Secretary and Principal Secretary to the Governor, a position he held till August 2018 to seek elective office.
As another election year (2023) approaches, the mood in Ideato is that of unwavering determination to travel the Dr Pascal Obi's route once more,this time around through the Labour Party route.
As a deft politician who correctly guages the mood of his people and weighs their political aspirations and interest, Dr.Obi has keyed into the raging Peter Obi and the Labour Party revolution for the overall interest of the Ideato Nation.
Labour Party and its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi has become a national movement, a moving train every right-thinking politician who wants the best for his people must join hence Dr. Pascal Obi wasted no time in hopping in on board.
From all ramifications, the people's parliamentarian, the Avatar of Ideato politics, Dr Chigozie Pascal Obi ( Ugwusinachi) is a king awaiting formal crowning. The crowning will of course happen in February next year when the Ideato nation would have resoundingly voted him and the Labour Party for a return to Abuja!
***
Clifford Dike writes from Urualla, Ideato North, Imo State.
My iPost, the revolution of the news and entertainment industry in Nigeria to be launched soon.
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The following is the introduction of my yet to be published book, "Barack Obama, The American Dream and the American Nightmare"
For all my fellow bloggers in the blogosphere From those croaking like frogs on the logs To those barking and howling like dogs on their blogs Who are not afraid to break the news Like backbenchers screaming from the pews.
Introduction
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." ~ François Marie Arouet de Voltaire
"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."~ Franklin D. Roosevelt "Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat." ~Jean-Paul Sartre –posted 02/10/2008 at 10:46:07
Barack Obama has caused me to write a book I would not have written. His political audacity provoked me to write it. Barack Obama is like seeing the American Dream unfolding like the petals of a rose before our very eyes. I am not a true artist if I cannot depict what I see. Even a mirage forms an image we cannot deny. I will separate the fantasy from the reality of this American Dream. Yet Barack Obama would not have become so dramatic without the ironic passion of his fanatics. Barack Obama may end up as a cosmic irony in the political history of America. May God save Barack Obama from the fates of these interesting times.
–posted 02/10/2008 at 10:23:56
I have seen the parade of ignorance In the masquerade of arrogance.
I prefer to call this book political graffiti on the current affairs in American politics, some aspects of global politics, and other do-or-die affairs. Please read at your own risk. Most of the political notes are (1) comments I posted in my replies to various news reports and articles on the Huffington Post and (2) informed commentaries on my political blogs. The comments are regarding the principal presidential candidates of the Democratic Party in the course of their political campaigns for the presidential caucuses and primaries before the presidential election in 2008. The headings of the comments and commentaries are the titles of the specific news reports and articles on the Huffington Post and other sources; therefore, you can use the titles to trace the sources online. Reading the original reports, articles, and blogs will give you more details and make it clear why I made the comments or wrote the informed commentaries.
It is also an important documentary on how Barack Obama emerged as the first black President of America in the most turbulent period since World War Two and will be of immense benefit to everyone who is interested in the intellectual and political consciousness of Obama in the study of his life and the history of American politics in the 21st century.
The notes and commentaries are testimonies of my cosmopolitan political inclinations. I enjoyed the excitement of participating in the discussions on the dialectics, ethics, and polemics of American democracy and the glaring contrasts with the contortions and distortions of democracy in Nigerian politics and of course on the madness of terrorism.
All suicide bombers are mentally retarded morons. We should ban any religion promoting terrorism. Lest we forget, rape is also terrorism. Honor killing is equally terrorism. All terrorists should be arrested and deported to the moon where they actually belong since they are worshippers of the moon. No wonder madness is associated with the moon’s cycle. We, the civilized ones, cannot be safe in a world where terrorists are on the rampage. We must get rid of them before they get rid of us. No need for Guantanamo Bay—just deport them to the moon.
–posted 02/01/2008 at 14:24:47
Mrs. Stassinopoulos Huffington is my humorous address for the irresistibly bold and beautiful Arianna Huffington, the celebrated publisher of the Huffington Post and author of many books. This book is meant for entertainment and enlightenment, so enjoy.
~ Ekeyerengozi Michael Chima Orikinla Osinachi January 14, 2008 Bonny Island, Nigeria
Happy Birthday Google!
Thank you for bringing the whole world to our fingertips on the internet.
Thank you for giving us the widest space for every face to be seen and for every voice to be heard.
Thank you for promoting #democracy .
Thank you for promoting freedom of speech.
Thank you for promoting human rights.
Thank you very much.
We love you 24/7!
Realistically Profiling President Muhammadu Buhari on National Security With Facts
Part 1
Political leaders all over the world prefer euphemisms to harsh criticisms and don't often like political incorrectness in public. But flattery is the worst form of praise.
Saying the truth, whether bitter or sweet is the best in overcoming the challenges of the existential realities of life in the world.
Freedom of speech is fundamental to the establishment of true democracy and good governance in the political administraton of every federal government. But freedom of speech can be abused and misused. Freedom of speech must be based on facts and not falsehood.
I have read some news reports on those who have been arrested and even convicted for the defamation of the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari. They insulted him and so they were arrested and jailed after being judged guilty. But I have seen that those who have been prosecuted and convicted for the defamation of the personality of President Buhari were powerless poor people who could not afford the services of good human rights lawyers. Whereas, I have seen celebrated political activists and state governors of the opposition party lambasting the President with fury and vitriol in public and the law enforcement agents did not query or arrest them. Why?
The state governors have immunity? What of the political activists who insulted him and are still walking about freely from Lagos to Abuja.
Many have called him a criminal and a terrorist and other derogatory names on Nairaland and escaped prosecution and indictment.
The horrifying incidents of kidnappings and killings in different states have provoked the worst criticisms of President Buhari and blamed for the failures of the state governors in internal security. And majority of the citizens have also blamed him in ignorance of the separation of powers of the government administraton of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Majority of Nigerians are the underprivileged masses of poorly educated low income workers who are ruled by gullibility and the herd mentality of their religious beliefs of Christianity and Islam. And majority of them are also suffering from political amnesia, because they quickly forget the political history of Nigeria and the different political administrations and because they don't read, they often rely on hearsays, gossip and rumours for their assumptions and then jumping into ambiguous and erroneous conclusions on both the past and present current affairs in the country since the Independence of Nigeria on October 1, 1960 to date.
Whatever remarkable progress reports on the achievements and milestones in the administraton of President Buhari have been overlooked in the raging storms of insecurity ravaging the country. But the amnesia and ignorance of the majority of Nigerians would have been addressed by the Ministry of Information and Culture and not abandoned for Mr. Femi Adesina, the Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and his colleague, Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant Adviser on Media and Publicity of President Buhari.
I have read a lot about the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) that recommended community policing to assist in complementing the efforts of the federal government in combating home grown terrorism which actually is the best recommendation, because community policing will be more effective in the identification of the causes of the grievances for communal clashes between herders and farmers, inter-tribal conflicts and banditry.
Community policing will end communal clashes, kidnappings and killings in different states. And the state governors should be responsible for that and not always crying wolf and calling for the head of President Buhari for their failures to secure lives and properties in the various communities in their states.
Cases studies in the peaceful community relations and conflict resolutions among herders and farmers in other countries in Africa will help to end the recurrent horrifying incidents of communal clashes, kidnappings and killings in Nigeria.
