THE NORTH REMEMBERS

With the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari, the North has finally remembered they were born to lead or rather rule Nigeria. A sneak peak at his appointments so far tells the story:

Geopolitical Zones Representation.

source: Premium times

1. Aide de Camp to president: Lt. Col Abubakar Lawal, [Kano State, North-West and husband to President Buhari’s foster daughter].

2. Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the president: Femi Adesina, [Osun State, South-West].

3. Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity: Garba Shehu, [Kano State, North-West].

4. State Chief of Protocol/Special Assistant (Presidential Matters): Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure, [Jigawa State, North-West].

5. Accountant General of the Federation: Ahmed Idris [Kano State, North-West].

6. National Security Adviser: Babagana Monguno [Borno State, North-East].

7. Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Olonishakin, [Ekiti State, South-West].

8. Chief of Army Staff: Tukur Buratai, [Borno State, North-East].

9. Chief of Naval Staff: Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, [Cross Rivers, South-South].

10. Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, [Bauchi State, North-East].

11. Chief of Defence Intelligence: Monday Riku Morgan [Benue State, North-Central].

12. Director General, State Security Services, SSS: Lawal Daura, [Katsina State, North-West].

13. Acting Chairperson, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Amina Zakari, [Jigawa State, North-West].

14. Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA: Habibu Abdulahi [Kano State, North-West].

15. Special Adviser, Niger Delta Amnesty Office: Paul Boroh, [Bayelsa State, South-South]

16. Acting Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration, Safety and Security Agency, NIMASA: Baba Haruna Jauro [Yobe State, North-East].

17. Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission: Umaru Dambatta [Kano State, North-West].

18. Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS: Babatunde Fowler, [Lagos State, South-West].

19. Director General, Budget Office of the Federation: Aliyu Gusau, [Zamfara State, North-West].

20. Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Emmanuel Kachikwu, [Delta State, South-South].

21. Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, [ Adamawa, North East]

22. Chief of Staff to the President: Abba Kyari, [Borno, North-East].

23. Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service: Hameed Ibrahim Ali, [Kaduna State, North-Central].

24. Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service: Kure Martin Abeshi, [Nasarawa State, North-Central].

25. Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate): Ita Enang, [Akwa Ibom State, South-South].

26. Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives): Suleiman Kawu, [Kano State, North-West].

27. Director, Department Of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Modecai Baba Ladan. [Kano, North West].

28. Managing Director, Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, Ahmed Lawan Kuru. .

29. Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive of the National Insurance Commission, Mohammed Kari [North-West]

29. Executive Director AMCON: Kola Ayeye. 

30. Executive Director, AMCON: Eberechukwu Uneze. 

31. Executive Director, AMCON: Aminu Ismail. 

32. Group Executive Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru. 

33. Group Executive Director, NNPC, Isiaka Abdulrazaq. 

34. Group Executive Director, NNPC: Dennis Nnamdi Ajulu. 

35. Group Executive Director, NNPC: Babatunde Victor Adeniran. 

The question which calls to mind is if Northerners are the only technocrats in Nigeria or are the Southerners undeserving of vital appointments? or maybe GMB is the President of Northern Nigeria and Northerners.

OPIUM OF THE MASSES

In Nigeria, some days ago nine individuals were found guilty and sentenced to death by the Sharia court of Kano State for blasphemy. The reaction by most Nigerians was that of uproar, but some do not hold such view.

RELIGION IS TRULY THE OPIUM OF THE MASSES!!! and this infact has contributed to the underdevelopment of Nigeria, most especially Northern Nigeria. Nigeria needs to do away with its mixed laws and separate governance from religion.

MOTION WITHOUT MOVEMENT OR INSTANTANEOUS SUCCESS

One month after the inauguration of the current President of Nigeria, mixed reactions have trailed his performance as the President of the country with the largest economy in Africa (on paper). While his political party claims that a month under his watch has been filled with instantaneous success, the opposition party claims otherwise.

It is important to note that the president has been operating as a sole administrator (without a minister, chief of staff or other important assistants).

The indices of Buhari's success according to his party - APC are:

1. That Buhari has started making strategic moves to crush the Boko Haram insurgency by meeting and discussing strategies with neighbouring countries, and also instituting a joint military operation.
2. The USA and other countries of the west who deserted Nigeria are now offering help to the new found messiah of Nigeria.
3. The President has been working hard to plug holes, leakages and other fraudulent acts of public servants and institutions that have been embezzling funds meant for the development of the Country.
4. The President has been cleaning the mess of PDP.

The claims of failure by the opposition party - PDP is premised on the different electoral promises which the President made, yet has seemingly left them unfulfilled. One of such promises (as claimed by the PDP) is that the President promised to name the key members of his cabinet two weeks upon assumption of office.

As citizens, its better for us to leave the intrigues of politics which the ruling party and opposition party are playing and ask ourselves is it motion without movement or instantaneous success; for it is better for us to assess as citizens than to allow politicians define the situation of things in the country. Although it seems too early to start passing judgements or assessments on the new government.

On the side, what happened to the roads and drainages in Lagos which the APC were touting as a model for other states? for the rains are here, and its really affecting the populace of Lagos.

GIVE US POWER AND SAVE US FROM THIS SHAME!!!!

In the wake of fall in Oil prices, devaluation of the Naira and decline of the Nigerian economy, stringent measures have been taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria to salvage the depressive economic situation of the Nigerian State. One of such measures taken by the CBN is the inclusion of some imported goods and services on the list of items not valid for foreign exchange in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.

LIST OF ITEMS NOT VALID FOR FOREIGN EXCHANGE AT THE NIGERIAN FOREIGN EXCHANGE WINDOW
1. Rice

2. Cement
3. Margarine
4. Palm Kernel/Palm oil products/vegetable oils
5. Meat and Processed Meat Products
6. Vegetables and Processed Vegetable Products
7. Poultry - chicken, eggs, Turkey
8. Private Airplanes/Jets
9. Indian incense
10. Tinned Fish in sauce (Geisha)/Sardlnes
11. Cold Rolled Steel Sheets
12. Galvanized Steel Sheets
13. Roofing Sheets
14. Wheelbarrows
15. Head Pans
16. Metal Boxes and Containers
17. Enamelware
18. Steel Drums
19. Steel Pipes
20. Wire Rods (deformed and not deformed)
21. Iron Rods and Reinforcing Bars
22. Wire Mesh
23. Steel Nails
24. Security and Razor Wire
25. Wood Particle Boards and Panels
26. Wood Fiber Boards and Panels
27. Plywood Boards and Panels
28. Wooden Doors
29. Toothpicks
30. Gloss and Glassware
31. Kitchen Utensils
32. Tableware
33. Tiles - vitrified and ceramic
34. Textiles
35. Woven Fabrics
36. Clothes
37. Plastic and Rubber Products, Polyproplene Granules. Cellophane Wrappers
38. Soap and cosmetics
39. Tomatoes/Tomato Pastes
40. Euro bond/Foreign Currency Bond/Share Purchases

Source: http://cenbank.org/Out/2015/TED/TED.FEM.FPC.GEN.01.010.pdf 

 A quick glance at the list of items that are now invalid for forex tells the sorry tale of the power situation in Nigeria as well as the Nigerian manufacturing industry. Ordinarily, items such as tooth picks, wooden doors, clothes, woven fabrics and most of the items in the list can be produced locally but for the cost of generating electricity to power machines that will produce those commodities.
It is uncertain if there are local industries that have the ability to produce the afore-listed items due to the cost of power generation.
Let us watch out and see if the current president will keep to his promise of improving the power sector and save us the embarrassment of importing toothpicks and steel nails!!!!!!!!

Religion, the Opium of the People.

"Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition" - Karl Marx (1843).

The quote is not as negative as it may portray. "Religion", as we know operates only on "Faith" and therefore denies man of his companion "Reason" which has led man this far. Misconception therefore, may lead one down the valley of perdition. Curiosity, on the other hand is a basic instinct of humankind, when denied, Religion takes it's place. Inherent vice? According to Austin Cline "Religion is a set of ideas, and ideas are expressions of material realities. Religion is a symptom of a disease, not the disease itself". It is like a drug that alleviates the pain of the poor but doesn't eradicate them, It promises a better life in their next, it is illusionary, like an Opium that suspends the present pain.

Religion tells us to believe, Curiosity asks us to question. Curiosity is what propelled Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a fictional character though, it is what gave him his identity. In real sense, Curiosity is what drives man, the desire to know more, to know why certain things happen, to understand them and or replicate them has helped Man to evolve. Through the constant exercise of of asking "Why" and finding the answer, man Reasons. Reason is thought, logic and cognition, various synonyms for one act; thinking and not believing or hoping. It gives us the power of deduction through logical thinking.

Religion is basically asking man to get rid of his essence and denying man of his identity and right to Reason and its really affecting the so called "religious ones" since most of them are highly indoctrinated and dogmatic.

Religiosity is part of the problem with Africa, in their blind pursuit of Religion they have lost the ability to discern between the decision to take a logical step forward or belief in a supreme being that'll offer help spontaneously, praying more than they act, thus plunging deep and leaving it to the hope of divine intervention. As it is always said "Heaven helps those that help themselves". 

The idea is not to discard belief in whatsoever He or She is called, but to stay vigilantly, Religion is both a symptom and a drug, confuse the two an you'd either become Michael Sullivan (Road to Perdition) or a Junkie, there's no middle ground * Cersei Lannister voice.