Nigeria at 50 ,the 2011 elections and the Nigerian Woman as a stakeholder.

Nigeria will be celebrating 50 years of independence come 1st of October, 2010. This definitely calls for celebration. As we can see the government of the nation is preparing for this day, with much pomp and pageantry, and so is the citizenry. The feeling is indeed in the air
As a woman and a social change agent, the issues and state of our Nation today has diverse effect on the Nigerian woman, on her level of growth and capacity.
History tells us of notable Nigerian women who fought gallantly and emerged in Nigeria's political landscape and nation building; the likes of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, Queen Amina to mention a few. Today, the Nigerian woman despite all she encounters still is, the bedrock of the family, holding it together. The number of women in top profile jobs and political office has surged, but despite these, the quality of life and circumstances of the Nigerian woman is still far from reaching an acceptable standard of advancement or development in modern Nigeria of today.


The Issues the Nigerian Woman faces

Violence against women; Physical, mental and financial abuse, sexual harassment and rape, domestic violence, under aged marriage and injustice is still widely perpetuated on the Nigerian woman, Eg the Ijeoma Okere saga, the ethnic massacre of women and children in Jos, Plateau state earlier in the year and the traditional ruler that publicly beat his wife in one of the states are a few that comes to mind.
The Nigeria woman’s mortality rate remains high and there is a direct correlation between her low status, violation of human rights and HIV transmission.
The healthcare sector is failing the Nigerian woman and children. Eg the recent incident of the twins that died, because medical personnel in an hospital, turned them away in the middle of the night, as their mother didn’t make a deposit due to the time of day and could not readily raise funds.
The public education sector has failed the poor, the grassroots and our youths, many of whom, have been left as hustlers, miscreants and cyber thieves rather than the gifted, determined, energetic future leaders that they really are
Widows are not left out.
The girl child and woman trafficking remain rife in our society.
The unemployment rate in the country has an end result on the Nigerian woman, family and her home.
Tribal and religious unrest has lasting effect on the Nigerian Woman and her family.
Lack of national security makes the woman most vulnerable.
Nigeria woman still faces huge under representation in democratic governance despite making the highest percentage of the population in the society.
Yes Nigeria should celebrate, this landmark event in our history, but it is also a time for deeper reflection. A time when we should take stock of the last fifty years, in order to prepare for the next 50 years of our great nation and negotiate what it will hold for The Nigerian woman and her loved ones.
I believe it is only by getting actively involved that the Nigerian woman can have her issues solved and better influence her society.So it is time to rise up!

THE JANUARY 2011 ELECTION.
Let us take more than a few seconds to reflect deeply about the political climate in Nigeria at the moment. Again the call for credible elections has been made, but I beg to ask the question? Are the aspirants out there, parading themselves as having the interests of us all, credible people, too. Both are together, credible aspirants and credible elections.
What is their pedigrees, and what does their manifesto say of them and their plan for us all? Without them coming forward themselves, would you ordinarily have chosen them to represent you?
This is no time for us to keep quiet and let it be business as usual. You see the problem continues because we choose to say there is nothing we can do about it. But I beg to differ. We can do something about it, by choosing to get involved. Be in the know of what is happening in your constituency, ask questions, contribute your own ideas, do not just keep quiet.

 WAY FORWARD!
Nigerian Woman, arise! Do not remain silence any more. Yes the whole society need to rise but as the bedrock of the family especially in the African culture, and the ones that is mostly affected by the system, we are the ones that have to take charge of the change, at least right now! because it affects us the most.
The Nigerian Woman of influence, I plead with you, the issues the Nigerian women faces, need you to rise up to influence true and lasting change for all of Nigerian women.
Now, more than any other time is when we need more women to rise up to begin to challenge the statusquo and to be negotiating a better welfare and well being for the Nigerian woman. No one else will do it for us but us.
If we keep quiet, everything else keeps quiet with us. Rise up and take the baton as the much needed role models and ambassadors of the society and champion the cause of that change the Nigerian woman need.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA.

Dame Jonathan inaugurates Women for Change Initiative Pet-Project

The First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, has said that for women to advance their rights, a comprehensive approach that could combat all obstacles such as socio-economic and traditional beliefs which “hinder women equality must be taken.’’

Speaking at the launch of her pet-project, Women for Change Initiative, Kaduna state chapter, Dame Goodluck said there was need to work “towards placing more value on each other and be there for each other by avoiding the “pull her down” syndrome.’’

According to her, they must come out in large numbers to vote for credible people in the forth coming elections must be focused united and build alliances in order to secure meaningful change.

She said the president had vowed to “see that every person’s vote counts in the 2011 elections,’’ and, therefore, urged women to come out en masse to participate in the electoral process.

The president’s wife said women played a significant role in the development of any nation, but lamented the situation whereby while women constituted only 8 per cent of the population in the parliament.

She said Women for Change Initiative was not to challenge the men, but to complement their efforts, adding that without the support of their husbands, they could not achieve anything.

In his speech, Kaduna state Governor, Mr. Partick Ibrahim Yakowa, said he was convinced that the “women for change initiative”, couldn’t have come at a better time than now “when there is an urgent need to mobilise, sensitise and arouse the collective conscience of the Nigerian women to the fact that the time has come for her to take mighty place in the society.’’

Earlier, in her welcome address, Wife of the Governor of Kaduna state, Mrs Amina Patrick Yakowa, assured of her commitment to “encourage, support and sensitise women to seek more elective positions’’ that would bring about holistic changes to all women in the state for good governance and political relevance
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 Report by -Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Kaduna

Wyclef Jean to Run for President of Haiti

If there were ever a time to dare, to make a difference,

to embark on something worth doing, it is now.
Author Unknown, from Dream Big

We all have our different gifting for different reasons and that is why you must never think you cannot give something back to your nation.
I admire the role Wyclef Jean is playing in his country Haiti. The latest being his declaration to run as president of the country.
Many may say he is not a politician, more could even say he is using his stardom to oppress his people indirectly. But I choose to see it differently.
I think he is the needed voice for Haiti to get the worlds' attention to their continued plight.
Every nation needs a vibrant economy and tourism  is a revenue generating industry that adds to its GDP.
 His position as president will enable that to happen in two folds, for the outside world to come see the rebuilding of the nation Haiti as well as explore its potential for investing. Aid and donations, will not be sufficient, If that is where they have to start from. Also this has to happen for the country's rebuilding.The people need to survive, so job creation is essential, with him as president and enlightened he will safeguard the country from investors exploitation through his policies.

The diplomatic world I will assume will accord him more respect and deal with his nation sensitively this time because he has the power to garnish media attention to any foul play or inconsistencies.

Secondly his fame will not dwindle and I for see his celebrity friends rallying round him for this exemplary role he has embarked on, they will not forsake him now or in the near future and  that is an invaluable asset he has got and should optimise.

I think he is putting his fame and fortune to good use, thinking beyond just himself but how that can help rebuild the nation and most importantly, he is living his purpose on earth, he is doing his own bit. That is what counts.

May God help you Wyclef Jean, May God help Haiti.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2008588,00.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rWm84z-zg

Nigeria making Progress but not insufficient -achievement-Millennium Developement goals.

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

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

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".