Tuesday 27 July 2010
playing-games-with-the-2011-elections
http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17852:playing-games-with-the-2011-elections&catid=38:columnists&Itemid=615
Saturday 24 July 2010
HOW GOVERNORS RIG ELECTIONS -BY DONALD DUKE.
http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17205:-how-governors-rig-elections-by-donald-duke&catid=73:policy-a-politics&Itemid=607
Sunday 18 July 2010
This is the time to negotiate what the future will be! Nigerians.
I don't know if you sense what I am sensing, with the turn of the election period upon us soon. In less than 10 months, Nigerians will have had the chance to cast their votes to those who they want to govern them for the next 4 years to come, starting from May 28,2011.
Really and truly, it should be a reason to celebrate and rejoice, that at last, we can get rid of these bunch who have held us hostage in this dispensation in many ways than one. And you and I can count many atrocities that we have stomached lately with the anticipation that their days are numbered, right?. The houses of our legislatures at the national assembly to mention the lest! And of course, the governors, and chairmen all through to the local councillors, all, have been behaving badly.
But as Nigerians, do we seize an opportunity when we see one, or do we just talk the talk? Are the days of these badly behaved cohorts, businessmen, cabals, our representatives, really numbered? Or we going to forget so soon? Are we too laid back,busy not being concerned about our future,but your own individual family and rather allow a free reign again? Are we going to be wiser this time around or not?
Look all around you, the newspapers, social network sites, campuses,TV talk shows, political events/campaign launch,etc, already , various candidates for the various political posts have begun to flaunt their largess, not their wherewithal and qualifications.
They haven't shown to us, their blue prints popularly called a manifesto nor mentioned solutions to specific problems Nigerians are facing, like the failed education system, health care, lack of security in the country, as proof to why they deserve to be our representative for that office, rather they are telling us of how we should trust them, that they can die and undo for the COUNTRY,NIGERIA. Mere words as we all know!
They are popular and wealthy and well connected, they are charming and charismatic, or uncharming and uncharismatic, but well connected. Their party or Godfathers are their life wires. We will also see monies changing hands, promises flying all about. We will see much more as the days go by.
As experienced Nigerians, subjected to the mediocrity in which our country has been for so long, we must not compromise but demand and elect the type of leaders we now want. After all it is said that a nation gets a leader that it deserves right? HMNN!!!.
Tried and tested, it should be this time, we need to be asking them about their pedigrees. We need to be asking who their associates are, what their values are and what they have stood for their entire lives. The watch word should be SERVICE and VISION.
So also should we be looking for credibility, accountability, transparency, fairness and equality practices in the candidates.
Most importantly we need to be looking at their vision for the country, leadership skills and statesmanship.After all to be a leader, you must have been putting yourself forward in other spheres of life. Others should be able to vouch for your sterling qualities, moreover, it should be glaring to all, an epitome of your lifestyle.
Then importantly, it is not enough to want change people, it is about doing all to see the change you want come to pass.And of course it doesn't come easy, nor cheap, it comes with self sacrifice as well as a collective. For example, no more excuses as to why you will not register and vote! You must 1st register, you must then be prepared to be in the know of the political parties,their ethos, their various candidates at the primaries.
You must get to know the candidates vying for various posts before the election day, you must know when their campaign train is coming to town and you must have your questions ready.
You must decide who you want to vote for and why.
You must be prepared to be true to your self and your conscience, as to whom you vote and why, if you sell your vote,you have remortgaged your future and that of your loved ones.
Then you must go out and vote
You must guard your vote!
Stop being a pessimist, stop saying things cannot change in Nigeria, things didn't get to this state overnight, so also can we not have a quick fix to the problem, some may say this is a waste of time, this can not happen in Nigeria, but so also did we use to think Nigerians can not stand up for their rights, but the Save Nigeria, Enough is Enough rally proved us wrong!
Be on the side of those that played their part, than the sceptics. You have to be the change you want to see in the world, Gandhi said. Let us start from our own attitudes and play our part in this forth coming election.
"Arise O compatriots".
Really and truly, it should be a reason to celebrate and rejoice, that at last, we can get rid of these bunch who have held us hostage in this dispensation in many ways than one. And you and I can count many atrocities that we have stomached lately with the anticipation that their days are numbered, right?. The houses of our legislatures at the national assembly to mention the lest! And of course, the governors, and chairmen all through to the local councillors, all, have been behaving badly.
But as Nigerians, do we seize an opportunity when we see one, or do we just talk the talk? Are the days of these badly behaved cohorts, businessmen, cabals, our representatives, really numbered? Or we going to forget so soon? Are we too laid back,busy not being concerned about our future,but your own individual family and rather allow a free reign again? Are we going to be wiser this time around or not?
Look all around you, the newspapers, social network sites, campuses,TV talk shows, political events/campaign launch,etc, already , various candidates for the various political posts have begun to flaunt their largess, not their wherewithal and qualifications.
They haven't shown to us, their blue prints popularly called a manifesto nor mentioned solutions to specific problems Nigerians are facing, like the failed education system, health care, lack of security in the country, as proof to why they deserve to be our representative for that office, rather they are telling us of how we should trust them, that they can die and undo for the COUNTRY,NIGERIA. Mere words as we all know!
They are popular and wealthy and well connected, they are charming and charismatic, or uncharming and uncharismatic, but well connected. Their party or Godfathers are their life wires. We will also see monies changing hands, promises flying all about. We will see much more as the days go by.
As experienced Nigerians, subjected to the mediocrity in which our country has been for so long, we must not compromise but demand and elect the type of leaders we now want. After all it is said that a nation gets a leader that it deserves right? HMNN!!!.
Tried and tested, it should be this time, we need to be asking them about their pedigrees. We need to be asking who their associates are, what their values are and what they have stood for their entire lives. The watch word should be SERVICE and VISION.
So also should we be looking for credibility, accountability, transparency, fairness and equality practices in the candidates.
Most importantly we need to be looking at their vision for the country, leadership skills and statesmanship.After all to be a leader, you must have been putting yourself forward in other spheres of life. Others should be able to vouch for your sterling qualities, moreover, it should be glaring to all, an epitome of your lifestyle.
Then importantly, it is not enough to want change people, it is about doing all to see the change you want come to pass.And of course it doesn't come easy, nor cheap, it comes with self sacrifice as well as a collective. For example, no more excuses as to why you will not register and vote! You must 1st register, you must then be prepared to be in the know of the political parties,their ethos, their various candidates at the primaries.
You must get to know the candidates vying for various posts before the election day, you must know when their campaign train is coming to town and you must have your questions ready.
You must decide who you want to vote for and why.
You must be prepared to be true to your self and your conscience, as to whom you vote and why, if you sell your vote,you have remortgaged your future and that of your loved ones.
Then you must go out and vote
You must guard your vote!
Stop being a pessimist, stop saying things cannot change in Nigeria, things didn't get to this state overnight, so also can we not have a quick fix to the problem, some may say this is a waste of time, this can not happen in Nigeria, but so also did we use to think Nigerians can not stand up for their rights, but the Save Nigeria, Enough is Enough rally proved us wrong!
Be on the side of those that played their part, than the sceptics. You have to be the change you want to see in the world, Gandhi said. Let us start from our own attitudes and play our part in this forth coming election.
"Arise O compatriots".