Think Jamaica is bad? Try Nigeria

This was an article posted in the Jamaica Observer by an English MP by the name of Diane Abbott. I don't know what you make of it.
.................................................................................... .

As Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller takes the helm of the nation, there has been intensified debate about the state of Jamaica. And some Jamaicans are very gloomy about the current plight of the country.


There is no doubt that Jamaica faces challenges. But I travelled around Nigeria last week with a group of British MPs. This West African country is potentially much richer and more powerful than Jamaica could ever be. Yet, in certain crucial aspects Nigeria is in an even worse position than little Jamaica, and contemplating the Nigerian situation might cause even the gloomiest Jamaican talk show host to count their blessings.

Nigeria's greatest blessing has been oil; but it has also been its greatest curse. It is the sixth biggest oil producer in the world. Oil accounts for 95 per cent of exports by value and 80 per cent of government revenue amounting to billions and billions of pounds. But the discovery of oil has been an ecological disaster for the Niger Delta (one of the most populous parts of the country) where the oil is extracted.

Shell and other Western Oil companies have, in collusion with successive military dictatorships, raped the region. Petrol contamination of the water table has made local water undrinkable. Farming and fishing grounds have been ruined and gas flaring in the Delta is cited as Africa's single biggest contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

It is symbolical of the brutally exploitative nature of the oil industry in Nigeria that the natural gas by-product (which other oil producers like Trinidad liquefies and markets) is simply burnt in giant flares which cause incalculable environmental damage. This compares with Jamaica's experience with the bauxite industry where a more organised and genuinely patriotic civil society has been able to insist on reasonable environmental standards and some contribution to infrastructure.

Unemployment and destitution in the Delta are sky high. The local people are so desperate that the region is in a state of virtual civil war. Over 1,500 people a year are killed in Delta clashes.In Jamaica, religion is generally a force for good. And Prime Minister Simpson Miller has called on the churches for help in nation building.


OBASANJO has many achievements to his credit, but is trying to amend the constitution so that he can serve a third term. Nigerians are a deeply religious people with high levels of church attendance and a host of remarkable pastors. But religion has also been yet another cause of instability. Religious tensions between Christians and Muslims have caused periodic riots.

In 2003, there was serious rioting in the Muslim north because of the staging of the Miss World Beauty Pageant in Nigeria. In February 2006, there were clashes between Christians and Muslims following the publication of the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Dozens died and the Anglican Primate Peter Akinola was accused of stoking inter-religious tensions. The rioting was the more remarkable because most Nigerians had not actually seen the cartoons.

On this visit I asked some educated Nigerian Muslim women what they thought of the 2003 incident in which a Nigerian woman had been convicted of adultery and under Sharia (Muslim) law was sentenced to death by stoning. They insisted that the procedure had not been followed correctly. (Apparently there had only been one witness and there should have been four.)

So I asked whether, if the procedure had been followed correctly, they would have been in favour of the stoning. They said yes. Whatever the educational challenges in Jamaica, you would be hard put to find women (however illiterate) who thought stoning a woman to death for adultery was correct.

And when it comes to corruption, Nigerians make Jamaicans, and every other nationality in the world, look like mere amateurs. Billions of pounds of oil money have been looted by politicians. By 1998, 70 per cent of private wealth had been taken out of Nigeria. Under pressure from Western donors, the government is beginning to take action against corruption. The inspector general of Police and the ministers of education and housing were dismissed last year.

The minister of education is currently on trial for corruption, along with six former senators including an ex-Speaker. And a state governor was arrested at Heathrow Airport on corruption charges. But no-one believes that this is any more than scratching the surface. And there is a suspicion that the government is using the corruption issue to take out its opponents, while its own equally corrupt supporters sit tight.

Since independence in 1963, Nigeria has enjoyed only short periods of democratic rule, but there have been 29 years of military rule under a succession of generals. In 1999, the country returned to democracy with the election of President Obasanjo (himself a recycled general). He has many achievements to his credit and has appointed some able technocrats to key positions, including a brilliant woman finance minister on secondment from the World Bank.

But electoral democracy in Nigeria is a fragile flower. Now Obasanjo is trying to amend the constitution so that he can serve a third term; and there are even rumours that he wants the presidency for life.

Jamaica has some problems, but people who want to dub it a 'failed state' should look more carefully at other countries in the developing world with far more serious social, political and economic problems.

Vice President Atiku's plans on becoming President Atiku....

VP Atiku Abubakar writes Obasanjo
says he'll contest 2007 presidential election


When as President, you led us out of the ‘years of the locust’ in 1999, we inherited a country in deep economic crisis owing to decades of excessive, direct state involvement in all spheres of economic activity, corruption, inefficiency and unsustainable debt profile. Our physical infrastructures were in a serious state of dilapidation, and security of persons and property could not be guaranteed. Admittedly, we have encountered a lot of challenges in the implementation of these policies. These include the discovery that the level of infrastructural and, especially, institutional decay was deeper than we thought, stiff opposition from entrenched interests as well as serious inadequacy of the available number of competent and committed personnel. In spite of these enormous challenges, we have, under your exemplary, inspiring, patriotic and courageous leadership, made tremendous progress in moving the nation towards a private sector-led economy, improved infrastructure and security.

Your skilful conduct of our foreign relations has moved us far away from the pariah status which we inherited to a position where we command the respect of the international community. You have provided effective leadership not only in the West African sub-region but also in Africa and, indeed, the Commonwealth. Your untiring crusade for fairness in matters of foreign debt and international trade has brought a lot of benefits to all the disadvantaged nations of the world. Our journey so far may have been chequered but I have never shied away from challenges and responsibilities. Each time I have been assigned a role either on an adhoc or long-term basis, I have approached it with the determination to work assiduously and to act decisively to deliver the desired results.

Each time I was called upon to assist you in identifying individuals who could help in actualising our vision, I did so with the main objective of identifying those who can add value. By the same token, I should have no difficulty whatsoever in identifying those who can assist me in running this country efficiently if offered the opportunity. Besides, I believe that God will keep you physically strong and intellectually sound so that you can continue to assist and guide your successor. It is in the light of the foregoing that I write to respectfully inform you of my intention to offer myself as a candidate in the 2007 presidential election that is expected to usher in a new government at the expiration of our tenure in May 2007. I have come to this momentous decision with a deep sense of responsibility after careful reflection on the state of our nation, what we set out to achieve when many of us came together to form the Peoples Democratic Party at the end of the most brutal military dictatorship, what we have achieved in the last seven years and what, I believe, I can contribute in the years ahead to consolidate these achievements.”

Mr. President may be familiar with Henry Kissinger’s profound assertion that every statesman is, to some extent, a victim of circumstances because he inherits a situation which he did not create and he is the product of a background which he can no longer change. As two people with different backgrounds working together in a very challenging environment and dealing with enormous problems and different individuals, it is understandable that we have had some disagreements over the years. It is quite instructive that you have said repeatedly that we have no disagreements in personal or policy issues but we only have political differences. I am not ashamed of admitting the existence of political differences because it is in the nature of politics that none of us involved can claim to have retained our innocence. In the process, we may have been a bit unfair to each other and even to ourselves.

I only pray that we will live long enough to write our memoirs and that, with the passage of time, we will be as kind as possible in judging each other. Mr. President, let me assure you, however, that I do not and have never taken things personal. By the same token while I sincerely hope that you would support me in my effort to seek the mandate of the electorate, I will take it with philosophical equanimity if the support is not forthcoming. Whatever your decision in this regard, I will still hold you in very high esteem as a benefactor.

Wondering........how true..................

OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime
_____________________________

SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.
A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.
_____________________________

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife
can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a
man.
_____________________________

HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and
love him a little.
To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not
try to understand her at all.
______________________________

LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men
are a lot more willing to die.
______________________________

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he
doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't
change, and she does.
____________________________

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new
argument.
_____________________________

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling,telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

"Much Needed Build-Bridging & Howard Univ.'s Recognition Of Nigeria's Dr.Inyang"

Dear Friends,
It is other people's business to "share"(or rather,spread) bad news about Nigeria and have people give up rather easily on the country that has produced (and continues to----) some of the Brightest Minds in the World. This is not to say important news about everything bad with Nigeria must be swept "underneath the carpet". But,somebody must also try and share some encouraging news that rarely make the headlines. And this is where my "secretive" self and fellow compatriots at "Nigeria-Before-Self" come in.
In one of my earlier mails, I mentioned Dr. Uford- Inyang ( Director Of Nigeria's Institute for Pharmaceutical Research & Development or N.I.P.R.D ) while discussing about "Hope & Help On The Way For Sickle Cell Patients". The soon to be released drug "NICOSAN"("NIPRISAN") was developed by Nigeria's very own N.I.P.R.D . It's Director, Dr. INYANG, will receive an Award from his alma-mata ,Howard University ( a Prestigious University located in the heart of the World's most powerful Country,the good ole U.S of A ). Howard University is a predominantly African-American University which takes pride in searching for answers to the many problems (especially in Healthcare and Social issues) which plagues all people of African-descent and humanity in general. The Event will take place at the Howard Univ. Campus on Thursday April 6,2006 with many officials in Nigeria's Healthcare & Scientific Industry in attendance.

Unbeknownst to many, there has been an on-going collaboration between
Howard University,N.I.P.R.D & XECHEM NIGERIA PHARMACEUTICALS. The latter is a U.S-Based Pharmaceutical Company which decided to do something unique in Nigeria. Upon discovering the amazing potential of Nigeria's "NIPRISAN",a drug that's shown tremendous potential in the management of "Sickle Cell Disease", the C.E.O, Dr. Ramesh-Pandey decided to buy the patent and manufacture the drug "ON-GROUND". I must confess that, as a Practicing Pharmacist, I am truly sick and fed-up with Pharmaceutical companies always preferring to import "ready-made" (mostly
adulterated drugs) into Nigeria,my native land. This is why XECHEM Nig. holds a "Dear" place in my heart. The board members which include Nigeria's Prof. Soji- Adelaja ( a Distinguished Professor at "Michigan State Univ.") truly have there hearts in the right place. Nigerian students will benefit tremendously from visits and internship programs at the enviable site located inside the "SHEDA SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMPLEX" based at SHEDA , Federal Capital Territory. Nigeria.

Personally, I like to think of these emerging wonderful developments as
part of the on-going ties between The U.S.A, Nigeria & India (perhaps an "AXIS OF GOOD" in political terms). It is a wonderful thing when some great minds share similar views about what needs to be done in order to wake Africa's Sleeping "Giant" up from it's slumber. I remain a firm believer that Nigeria will become the Pride of all Africans in our lifetime and the "Axis Of Good" will certainly help speed up the process.

My Heartfelt Congratulations goes to Dr. Inyang and his wonderful staff at N.I.P.R.D.Much credit also goes to Dr. Ayodele- Coker ( Director of The Sheda Science & Tech.Complex or "SHESTCO"),Prof. ISOUN (The Minister For Science & Tech.), Prof. Lambo ( Nigeria's Minister For Health), Dr. Ramesh-Pandey(XECHEM),Prof. Soji-Adelaj(XECHEM),Dr.Segun- Ajuwon (C.E.O-National Hosp.,Abuja-Silent Operator), Hon. El- Rufai (The F.C.T Wonder Man ) and so many others who are doing Nigerians proud everyday. God Bless Nigeria,The U.S.A & India ("Axis Of Good").

Finally, I commend the good folks at Howard University for having the foresight to start a relationship that will help build the much-anticipated Bridge between Africa and it's people in America via the search for answers to difficult issues that affects us as a people. I predict other prestigious Universities here in the U.S will soon follow suit and discover the hospitality,uniqueness & magic in the African spirit by discovering Nigeria.

UP HOWARD !!!

Sincerely,
Tola - Sobande