Boko Haram, And Other Absurdities

Corruption Haram

Now we know there is an Afghan and Pakistani Taliban-style Islamic fundamentalist sect in Nigeria that regards western (and women) education as sinful and forbidden; that opposes the Nigerian Constitution and legal order; that seeks the overthrow of the current system in favour of an Islamic State founded on interpretations of Shariah that reject western values, civilisation and science; and that is prepared to use force and wage war to achieve its objectives. These are precisely the same items on the mission statement of the global Al Qaeda and Taliban, so the issue as to whether there is an actual connection between this group or other home-grown ones and global terrorism is really a moot point.
As usual our people will not bother to carry out a fundamental diagnosis as to why a religious zealot like Muhammad Yusuf can easily recruit hundreds or thousands of young men and women and convince them that western education is responsible for all the ills of the Nigerian society. Perhaps unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and absence of a structure of social welfare and law and order are the real issues? Or may be mis-governance, abuse of office, corruption, weak institutions of state including security agencies, an unrepresentative democracy which alienates the poor are the underlying factors? Probably it was easy for the leaders of the “Boko Haram” group to point to our western-educated ruling class who have so spectacularly mis-governed and impoverished Nigerians as evidence of the fact that such education leads only to materialism, selfishness, and wickedness? So why is Europe, Japan, Singapore and America generally better governed? And Iraq, Iran, Saudi-Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen less so? Unfortunately due to their limited education, the Boko Haram people attributed the greed and incompetence of their leaders to western education rather than corruption and lack of accountability. Perhaps we would all agree with them if their slogan was, “Corruption Haram” or “Election Rigging Haram”!

Yar’adua Versus Lagos

Apparently the federal government does not have enough problems in the Niger-Delta. The militants have brought our oil production down reportedly to around 1.4milliion barrels per day as against a budget of 2.02 million. The amnesty offer is under threat with complaints of ethnic cleansing at the NNPC, the trouble over the move of the Petroleum University to Kaduna and the anger of the Niger-Delta governors and legislators over the Petroleum Industry Bill. MEND and other sundry militant groups in the Niger-Delta have effectively demonstrated that while they may be unable to win a direct military confrontation with the Nigerian armed forces, they cannot be prevented from destroying oil infrastructure and shutting down oil production.
The regime is not sufficiently engaged dealing with ASUU, Doctors and other groups (including NEPA or is it PHCN workers!) who are threatening to go on strike. We are yet to find a solution to the electricity crisis that the country is currently facing or the nation-wide absence of governance that has now been elevated to an unprecedented level. No one has offered any realistic hopes to Nigerians that we would have free and fair elections in 2011 or anytime for that matter. Or that the Nigerian state, as our constitution mandates will take strong measures to abolish corrupt practices and abuse of office. Crime and insecurity, and a wave of armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom still pervade the land. And the macroeconomic situation remains dicey with plummeting oil production, falling reserves, a depreciating currency and an essentially stalled economic reform programme. No. Apparently Abuja’s major headache is the fact that Lagos State has Local Council Development Areas which were validly created by the state Legislature but which the National Assembly is yet to take action to ratify. In the government’s view, this is a grave constitutional issue that threatens to undermine our national unity and stability! Talk about leaving leprosy and fighting acne! Is this an indication of rapprochement between Yar’adua and Obasanjo? Or additional evidence that sooner or later, Nigerians will have to discuss and agree on the structure of our federal system?

Political Will

I have learnt in my short but interesting four and a half decades on earth to listen to people’s actions rather than their words. Taking off from the new pre-occupation with Lagos State’s LCDAs, I decided to explore a broader question. On which matters has the current regime demonstrated passion, commitment and political will since it came to office in May 2007, judging by actions rather than words? Well the answer is revealing-the removal of Nuhu Ribadu from EFCC; the non-implementation of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, destabilisation of NERC-the power regulator under that Act, and emphasis on new state spending on power rather than private investment; the “re-organisation” of the NNPC and the Petroleum Industry Bill; huge budget appropriations for defence and security expenditure apparently in anticipation of a military solution to the Niger-Delta problem; the eviction of Virgin Nigeria from the international airport in Lagos; the reversal of refineries and NITEL privatisations; the recruitment of non-PDP governors into the PDP and ensuring PDP victories in all election re-runs; appointment of regional loyalists to critical cabinet and government positions; the transfer of oil wells from state to state in the Niger-Delta; and now Lagos State’s 57 LCDAs. Mischievous people will add securing nice marriages for Presidential daughters! Is there a strategy behind the tactics?