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
.
Report by -Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Kaduna
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
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
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".
Saturday, 1 May 2010
From me a Nigerian youth to you IBB.
Those that cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,-----George Santayana
He said he was only stepping aside when he left in 1993. Now he is ready to step back in ,come 2011.Former President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida on the issue of his aspiration to be the next president of Nigeria in 2011.
We have all been mentored, advised and even told point blank, not to duel on the past, be it when a relationship ends, or when a loved one dies, or you lose a job , a business,or even fail in a particular aspiration of yours. Your loved ones, friends and foe, will urge you to move on.
But is moving on from the past the same thing as forgetting the past? I readily have that answer, NO.
Moving on is not the same thing as forgetting the past. In fact you need to remember the past,by way of learning from it so that it guides your new decisions better and to shape your future.
Let us go back and remind IBB OF THE PAST,just in case he has forgotten. Or even to remind ourselves, to jolt our memory, to state why, why we are saying, NO TO IBB, why we do not want to make the same mistake again.
"Sir, I a Nigerian youth have this to say : I have heard you". "You have stated your intention, that you desire to return to public service to come and serve your people once more as their president"."Sir, your intention is honorable,every Nigerian should desire to serve their country, it is a beautiful ,well endowed country, but public service is about serving the public and not yourself, giving that you came into power through a military coup and your singular role as the Military head of state then, was to call and to oversee an early democratic election, and hand over to a civilian government, like your military counterpart Major General Abubakar Abdul Salami did in May 1999,"may I ask you, have your conducted the opinion poll , felt the pulse of the people of Nigeria on your aspiration?
If your answer is yes, does the outcome indicate to you that they think you are their preferred choice, is that your main driving force?
Or giving that you self imposed your self on the Nigerian people once and then adopted the title President, is your tactics, same of the same, just that, this time, its the cabal tactics?
The tactics of coming into power not through a free and fair election that all Nigerians know you are not a promoter of, but through election rigging, malpractices and declaring you as president elect, by the cabal government in power today? And have you had time to reflect on how you served or did not serve the public, the 1st time around? Well we Nigerians will remind you.
"Initially you were seen as a liberalizing force, because you released political prisoners and promised to return the country to democratic civilian rule by 1990 but of course you delayed the transition process by several years and increasingly brought it under your control to serve your own agenda ".
"Under your structural adjustment programme sir, only your Allies and any one who could be come one benefited, despite it being funded by the various monies borrowed in the name of the country from the world bank.
The structural adjustment programme did not bring about self reliant, long term national economy growth like it promised, instead the under the adjustments Nigerians, suffered and encountered increasing farming production yet increase in government earnings; privatizing state-owned companies to lessen the financial burden on the government yet increase in government earnings, reduction in the country's foreign debt but reliance on money earned from exporting oil,yet increase in government earnings and the devaluation of the NAIRA,to stimulate exports other than oil,yet the increase in government earnings.The governments earnings was consistent , simply because we still were sellingour Oil".from which we generated revenue.
"In 1992 ,in your 7th year in office, you created two ideologically espoused political parties and left the people with no real choice, but even when ,the people eventually took to the polls, you did not uphold their electoral mandate: the presidential election of July 1993, which was regarded as the most free and fair to have been seen in the country. It was annulled by you sir, and the outcome and effect of that? A dangerous political crisis in Nigeria, further tenure of tyranny,dictatorship and maiming, sparing no gender, both men and women,young and old activists, were maimed and many people were forced on exile under the Gunter of Sani Abacha sir, after he overthrew the interim government you propped up when you famously stepped aside"
"Your tenure sir, taught Nigerians that corruption was cool,and today our leaders have taken corruption and embezzlement to the level of trillions!" You taught them the rootlessness and malpractices we see today in electoral practices, they simply stepped up higher but worse,of course.
Lets not talk about unanswered killings, drug smuggling scandals ,that rocked your tenure sir and today? Many more have been killed and just like your tenure, unsolved,their killers not brought to justice,but known to all.
"You claim the Nigerian youth can not rule the country, yes you can say that because you mortgaged their future during your tenure sir, the dwindling and decadence of the education sector, started under your administration and the brain drain. One thing that we will prevent you of accusing us of, in the future, is not standing against you this time around. We know the kind of leader we want, it happens not to be ,YOU.
I am standing against you and everything you stand for. I do not know what you have forgotten to take along with you,when you left in 1992,but sir,Nigerians have not forgotten the past, these are some of the issues between Nigerians and you, all of these have shaped our political history, they cannot be waived aside.
"We shall not be condemned to repeat the mistakes of old sir.You were a mistake of old and will be a calamity of the future,our future. Let us heal our land of the pieces you left behind, its ripple effect is what Nigeria is today!
.
He said he was only stepping aside when he left in 1993. Now he is ready to step back in ,come 2011.Former President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida on the issue of his aspiration to be the next president of Nigeria in 2011.
We have all been mentored, advised and even told point blank, not to duel on the past, be it when a relationship ends, or when a loved one dies, or you lose a job , a business,or even fail in a particular aspiration of yours. Your loved ones, friends and foe, will urge you to move on.
But is moving on from the past the same thing as forgetting the past? I readily have that answer, NO.
Moving on is not the same thing as forgetting the past. In fact you need to remember the past,by way of learning from it so that it guides your new decisions better and to shape your future.
Let us go back and remind IBB OF THE PAST,just in case he has forgotten. Or even to remind ourselves, to jolt our memory, to state why, why we are saying, NO TO IBB, why we do not want to make the same mistake again.
"Sir, I a Nigerian youth have this to say : I have heard you". "You have stated your intention, that you desire to return to public service to come and serve your people once more as their president"."Sir, your intention is honorable,every Nigerian should desire to serve their country, it is a beautiful ,well endowed country, but public service is about serving the public and not yourself, giving that you came into power through a military coup and your singular role as the Military head of state then, was to call and to oversee an early democratic election, and hand over to a civilian government, like your military counterpart Major General Abubakar Abdul Salami did in May 1999,"may I ask you, have your conducted the opinion poll , felt the pulse of the people of Nigeria on your aspiration?
If your answer is yes, does the outcome indicate to you that they think you are their preferred choice, is that your main driving force?
Or giving that you self imposed your self on the Nigerian people once and then adopted the title President, is your tactics, same of the same, just that, this time, its the cabal tactics?
The tactics of coming into power not through a free and fair election that all Nigerians know you are not a promoter of, but through election rigging, malpractices and declaring you as president elect, by the cabal government in power today? And have you had time to reflect on how you served or did not serve the public, the 1st time around? Well we Nigerians will remind you.
"Initially you were seen as a liberalizing force, because you released political prisoners and promised to return the country to democratic civilian rule by 1990 but of course you delayed the transition process by several years and increasingly brought it under your control to serve your own agenda ".
"Under your structural adjustment programme sir, only your Allies and any one who could be come one benefited, despite it being funded by the various monies borrowed in the name of the country from the world bank.
The structural adjustment programme did not bring about self reliant, long term national economy growth like it promised, instead the under the adjustments Nigerians, suffered and encountered increasing farming production yet increase in government earnings; privatizing state-owned companies to lessen the financial burden on the government yet increase in government earnings, reduction in the country's foreign debt but reliance on money earned from exporting oil,yet increase in government earnings and the devaluation of the NAIRA,to stimulate exports other than oil,yet the increase in government earnings.The governments earnings was consistent , simply because we still were sellingour Oil".from which we generated revenue.
"In 1992 ,in your 7th year in office, you created two ideologically espoused political parties and left the people with no real choice, but even when ,the people eventually took to the polls, you did not uphold their electoral mandate: the presidential election of July 1993, which was regarded as the most free and fair to have been seen in the country. It was annulled by you sir, and the outcome and effect of that? A dangerous political crisis in Nigeria, further tenure of tyranny,dictatorship and maiming, sparing no gender, both men and women,young and old activists, were maimed and many people were forced on exile under the Gunter of Sani Abacha sir, after he overthrew the interim government you propped up when you famously stepped aside"
"Your tenure sir, taught Nigerians that corruption was cool,and today our leaders have taken corruption and embezzlement to the level of trillions!" You taught them the rootlessness and malpractices we see today in electoral practices, they simply stepped up higher but worse,of course.
Lets not talk about unanswered killings, drug smuggling scandals ,that rocked your tenure sir and today? Many more have been killed and just like your tenure, unsolved,their killers not brought to justice,but known to all.
"You claim the Nigerian youth can not rule the country, yes you can say that because you mortgaged their future during your tenure sir, the dwindling and decadence of the education sector, started under your administration and the brain drain. One thing that we will prevent you of accusing us of, in the future, is not standing against you this time around. We know the kind of leader we want, it happens not to be ,YOU.
I am standing against you and everything you stand for. I do not know what you have forgotten to take along with you,when you left in 1992,but sir,Nigerians have not forgotten the past, these are some of the issues between Nigerians and you, all of these have shaped our political history, they cannot be waived aside.
"We shall not be condemned to repeat the mistakes of old sir.You were a mistake of old and will be a calamity of the future,our future. Let us heal our land of the pieces you left behind, its ripple effect is what Nigeria is today!
.