This is the gutted remnants of the Nigerian Vice President-elect Jonathan Goodluck’s house in his home town.
The property was touched by some people believed to be members of the militias operating in the [tag]Niger-Delta[/tag]. This is the second instance Goodluck’s property will be vandalized. It is also on record the man had to be evacuated when a similar group attacked his official residence hours before the state elections in April.
Shouldn’t the people be rejoicing that one of their sons will soon be sworn in as the number-two citizen of Nigeria?
Akin, another Nigerian blogger discusses why this isn’t the case.
One would definitely expect the people of Bayelsa state to be rejoicing, given their resounding support for the PDP in the recent presidential election!
May 17, 2007 at 8:39 am
@Don,
You said that with no sense of irony or sarcasm.
@Imnakoya,
Thanks for the plug, what a picture to behold, you know his elderly parents had to be evacuated from the building - save us from children that are a bundle of trouble.
May 17, 2007 at 10:05 am
Akin - That is the virtue of blogging and interacting by email. Noone gets to see your face to figure out what you really think.
May 17, 2007 at 11:36 am
Maybe its time for many to stop rocking the boat in Nigeria- I mean these capitalist looters. Could capsize and maybe not many would be able to swim to safety. What goes round comes round but then many get what they deserve, goodluck or not.
May 17, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Black Looks is back!
May 18, 2007 at 8:35 pm
On another note, I’ve just read at the BBC that Nigerian President-elect Umaru Yar’Adua is thinking about introducing election reforms due to the savage international backlash in the wake of the recent scam elections. The EU is seriously discussing curtailing development aid to Nigeria, but that would only bring harm to people who need that type of assistance and do nothing to curb the appetite of the political and business fatcats responsible for the theft of the people’s voice (votes).
The BBC News website and Africa Confidential editor Patrick Smith have been asking if “people power” can make a difference in Nigeria? The answer is a resounding “YES!!! Yes Lord!” The people of the world will bring your dumba– down if you are caught in their headlights stealing their money, let alone stealing a national election. The people can bring you down and they don’t (always) need violence to do it, either.
That should be the message for the high-profile Nigerian bloggers who are thinking about quitting. Africa is “busting out” of centuries of neglect and all kinds of ills and miseries through the voice of her people and the millions of people who give a damn about Africa and Africans around the world. “If you have a voice, use it! Speakup and speakout for Mama Africa. Never, never quit on your mother!”
P.S. It’s good that the new Vice President-elect, Mr. Goodluck, used concrete in the construction of his house and not wood. A new roof and a little paint and the place could be looking as good as new. Concrete housing is the way to go if you’ve got lots of enemies running around with mathces and gasoline and a bad attitude. The “Delta Rebels” have got plenty of all three it seems. On the other hand, it could be an “insurance job” (arson)…
May 24, 2007 at 9:00 am
I will wait to see how the president elect hopes to reform the electoral act. Even is he has good intentions, I doubt if the multitude of legislators are clean-minded. Besides, several of they came into power by exploiting the loop holes in the system.
People power works better in societies where those in positions of authority recognize the rights of the citizens. Secondly, the yearnings of the people carries they are more organized. Thirdly, the effort must be intense and sustainable. The first requirement does not exist in Nigeria while the second haven’t been perfected yet.
The collective voices of Bloggers is definitely relevant since the People’s power concept is multifaceted, however, just ranting alone will not yield much result, particularly in a region and on issues like Nigeria’s.
BRE, 99% of homes in Nigeria are built with concrete blocks, so the Vee pee is not an exception. And I don’t think just paint and re-roofing will bring back his home; under intense heat, even concrete homes do sustain severe structural damages especially from cracks.
On it been an insurance scam? Not in Nigeria!
May 24, 2007 at 8:15 pm