In the Grandiose Parlor…

Chauffeur-driven, feeding fat on government allowances, locked up in the government-paid, generator-powered, air-conditioned enclaves, and surrounded by a retinue of personal and security aides, it is very easy to lose the pulse of the people on the streets, subsisting on less than $2 per day. This is exactly what is happening in Nigeria.

One fact has emerged clearly as riots enter Day-3, and Nigeria grinds to a screeching halt following petrol subsidy removal and subsequent increase in price: the government is not in tune with the masses. The tenacity, organization of the protesters and extent of the riots have shown that those calling the shots in government have indeed lost touch with the reality of the people they govern.

The subsidy removal argument as presented by the President Jonathan and his aides is poignant and sensible on paper. However, the petrol subsidy, as ineffectual as it may be from government point of view, is the only “social welfare” enjoyed by the common man on the street; it directly impact the lives of the people on daily basis. Besides, the “failure of the petrol subsidy”, as presented, is mainly due to government inefficiencies and corruption, perpetrated by a handful of elites. So why pass the burden on to the people without preparing and helping them manage the aftershock?

No matter how well the strategies for cushioning the effects of removal is, the street will not buy it! The federal government has little or no credibility with the people.

A better approach would have been to phase out the subsidy in stages, and at each stage, demonstrate to the people the gains and benefits of the removal in real life, not just on paper.

The situation in Nigeria is now a case of who blinks first, I would rather have Jonathan be the first to blink.  Jonathan, can you do this, please?

More on the petrol subsidy removal here:

• Naijablog: The Fuel Subsidy Removal Protests for Dummies
• My Heart’s in Accra: More thoughts on Occupy Nigeria
• YNaija: This is Why we are Angry

Nothing seems to be making sense in Nigeria any more (has anything ever, really?). As the uproar continues over Sanusi’s revelation, the enormous burden of keeping the 469 legislators becomes even more apparent: annual salary (plus benefits) for those in the House of Representatives and Senate are in the range of 204 million and 240 million naira, respectively. In US-dollar translation, Nigeria pays each of its 469 lawmakers more than one million dollars each year! Continue reading…

Some 26billon Naira has been stolen from Ondo State account at Intercontinental bank according to reports from at least two media outlets, SharpedgedNews.com and Huhuonline.com. [Update, 7/25: here are screen shots of the articles on Huhuonline and SharpEdgeNews, click to view.]

What do I care?

I do care as a indigene of the state. I care because this is a serious allegation that needs to be proved convincingly by the instigators. However, there are no indications that the report is accurate. Continue reading…

Growing up in Nigeria, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu spent his after-school hours raising poultry and cattle. After high school, as he participated in youth and citizens’ associations helping farmers, Ikegwuonu quickly became aware that the rural community had little access to information about farming practices and environmental issues.

Today, Nnaemeka is multi-award-winning activist/entrepreneur: he developed a sustainable community owned and managed radio through which farmers can share knowledge with each other. Continue reading…

“Welcome to Lagos,” is a BBC documentary showcasing the experiences of three Lagos slum dwellers: Olusosun rubbish dump, where thousands of people live on, and rake a living from, scraps and garbage; Makoko, the “Venice of Lagos”, the extraordinary floating slum on the Lagoon, where everyone travels round in boats; and the 1000+ beach squatters living adjacent to the Atlantic.

It is a pity that the government and some Nigerians would rather not have the documentary shown; there are reports of protests from the government and pockets of Nigerians living in UK and USA.

The government states the documentary is “an attempt to bring Nigeria and its hardworking people to international odium and scorn”, saying, It’s a “deliberate distortion of life in Lagos, and totally unwarranted.” Very strong words to describe an excellent piece of work, I think. Continue reading…

Niger state government has procured 50 oxygen fitted ambulances for highways at the cost of N3.6 billion (about $24million UDS) through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This is comes to about N70million per ambulance (about $480,000 USD). This is an outrageously inflated price! Continue reading…

Kudos to the Lagos State legislature as it passes a Disability Bill, probably the first of its kind in Nigeria.

Lagos building owners or ‘landlords’ must make their facilities accessible to people living with disabilities within five years, or be subject to a 5000Naira fine payable to the person on daily basis.

The question is how is disability defined, and who qualifies under this bill? Unfortunately, media report fails to provide clarity. Continue reading…