Nigeria – Tuck Magazine

Administrator A message to Nigeria’s IG of Police and Simeon Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

S Martin photo

By

Prince Charles Dickson

The policemen did not attack the robbers

People: No mind dem

The policemen attacked the robbers

People: Dem just wan kill themselves.

I was watching some little kids play soccer. These kids were only five or six years old, but they were playing a real game – a serious game – two teams, complete with coaches, uniforms, and parents. I didn’t know any of them, so I was able to enjoy the game without the distraction of being anxious about winning or losing – I wished the parents and coaches could have done the same.

The teams were pretty evenly matched. I will just call them Team One and Team Two. Nobody scored in the first period. The kids were hilarious. They were clumsy and terribly inefficient. They fell over their own feet, they stumbled over the ball, they kicked at the ball and missed it but they didn’t seem to care. They were having fun.

In the second quarter, the Team One coach pulled out what must have been his first team and put in the scrubs, except for his best player who now guarded the goal.

The game took a dramatic turn. I guess winning is important even when you’re five years old – because the Team Two coach left his best players in, and the Team One scrubs were no match for them. Team Two swarmed around the little guy who was now the Team One goalie. He was an outstanding athlete, but he was no match for three or four who were also very good. Team Two began to score. The lone goalie gave it everything he had, recklessly throwing his body in front of incoming balls, trying valiantly to stop them.

Team Two scored two goals in quick succession. It infuriated the young boy. He became a raging maniac – shouting, running, diving. With all the stamina he could muster, he covered the boy who now had the ball, but that boy kicked it to another boy twenty feet away, and by the time he repositioned himself, it was too late – they scored a third goal.

I soon learned who the goalie’s parents were. They were nice, decent-looking people. I could tell that his dad had just come from the office – he still had his suit and tie on. They yelled encouragement to their son. I became totally absorbed, watching the boy on the field and his parents on the sidelines. After the third goal, the little kid changed. He could see it was no use; he couldn’t stop them.

He didn’t quit, but he became quietly desperate; futility was written all over him. His father changed too. He had been urging his son to try harder – yelling advice and encouragement. But then he changed. He became anxious. He tried to say that it was okay – to hang in there. He grieved for the pain his son was feeling.

After the fourth goal, I knew what was going to happen. I’ve seen it before. The little boy needed help so badly, and there was no help to be had. He retrieved the ball from the net and handed it to the referee – and then cried. He just stood there while huge tears rolled down both cheeks. He went to his knees and put his fists to his eyes – and he cried the tears of the helpless and broken-hearted.

When the boy went to his knees, I saw the father start onto the field. His wife clutched his arm and said, “Jim, don’t. You’ll embarrass him.” But he tore loose from her and ran onto the field. He wasn’t supposed to – the game was still in progress. Suit, tie, dress shoes, and all – he charged onto the field, and he picked up his son so everybody would know that this was his boy, and he hugged him and held him and cried with him. I’ve never been so proud of a man in my life.

He carried him off the field, and when he got close to the sidelines I heard him say, “Scotty, I’m so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son.”

“Daddy,” the boy sobbed, “I couldn’t stop them. I tried, Daddy, I tried and tried, and they scored on me.”

“Scotty, it doesn’t matter how many times they scored on you. You’re my son, and I’m proud of you. I want you to go back out there and finish the game. I know you want to quit, but you can’t. And, son, you’re going to get scored on again, but it doesn’t matter. Go on, now.” It made a difference – I could tell it did.

When you’re all alone, and you’re getting scored on – and you can’t stop them – it means a lot to know that it doesn’t matter to those who love you. The little guy ran back on to the field – and they scored two more times – but it was okay.

The Nigerian Police get scored on every day. They try so hard. They recklessly throw their body in every direction. They fume and rage. They struggle with temptation and sin with every ounce of their being – and Nigerians laugh.

I don’t do this all the time; pay compliment to an agency, institution or personality who ordinarily is doing his or her paid job, more so when that job is courtesy of my taxes. Albeit the fact that not many of us pay.

So I got an invite to the FHdqtrs Abuja; my friend Simeon filed a case or is it a petition? I had erred; I had betrayed his trust and taken him for granted over a mutual transaction spanning almost 8 years. The FHdqtrs sent some two fantastic officers. I would call them x and y for purpose of this admonition.

After two hours of interaction, explanations and interviews. I said to the officers I was wrong and I made a mistake, I apologized and while I had caused my friend pain. I was equally pained we had got to this point. And I was only left with pleading for his forgiveness. So to Simeon, I am truly sorry.

Simeon is Nigerian, the two officers were Nigerian, they came with a letter of invite and I asked them to take my word, promising and intending to keep it.

Part of the problem with us as a nation is that our fathers do not just lack honor but it has increasingly become difficult to keep honor. They do not intend to keep it. And yes, until you are up there you don’t know the pressure. You may be that odd good politician, bank CEO, teacher or artiste but how do you cope in a chain-line that thinks you are insignificant – One where tails you lose and many times heads you equally lose?

Many fathers do not want to take responsibility; so in this do good and seeing good series I commend the office of the IG that is listening to the SARS complaints. While there’s loads of anomalies in the system, one recognizes the attempt at trashing out pay issues and sundry matters bordering on welfare. I appreciate the fact that despite all the bad eggs and bad news that comes out of the police like other agencies, there are good Nigerians, like Simeon, like my friends x and y, men and women of the police, armed forces who work like media personnel trying to be the best they can be.

Like the IG, any man can be a father but it takes a real man to be a dad. All the hard times you Simeon had to be a father only reminds one of how tough leadership is in Nigeria, like the boy in the story, like me, you battle your capacities and you equally challenge the psychology of your wards. There is a dearth of fathers, fathers cannot please everyone, but they can do what is right. Nigeria needs fathers, good fathers, we need leadership, we need daddies to take responsibilities; when—Only time will tell.

Prince Charles Dickson

Currently Prince Charles, is based out of Jos, Plateau State, and conducts field research and investigations in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria with an extensive reach out to the entire North and other parts. Prince Charles worked on projects for UN Women, Search for Common Ground, and International Crisis Group, among others. He is an alumnus of the University of Jos and the prestigious Humanitarian Academy at Harvard and Knight Center For Journalism, University of Texas at Austin. A doctoral candidate of Georgetown University

Born in Lagos State (South West Nigeria), Prince Charles is proud of his Nigerian roots. He is a Henry Luce Fellow, Ford Foundation grantee and is proficient in English, French, Yoruba Ibo and Hausa. Married with two boys, and a few dogs and birds.

%%AUTHORLINK% A message to Nigeria’s IG of Police and Simeon Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Intellectualism and the Power of Social Analysis Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

pixabay image

By

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

Last week I read one short, stimulating post on the Facebook timeline of one Dr. and a great historian in making at the prestigious Bayero University, Kano. The said Dr. raised a big argument on the decline of intellectuals; and citing a French sociologist and philosopher, Pierre Bourdieu to back up his argument, he opined that one of the clear signs of the decline of intellectualism, although he did not say in which part of the world, is the proliferation, the way knowledge today diffuses into every nook and cranny, of ‘on-screen “intellectuals”‘, whom he passed, as the philosopher himself, as ‘fast thinkers, ‘who offer cultural fast food.’

Though I so much agree with this man of letters’ proposition/claim, I still see a way, although naively concluded, of justifying those pseudo-intellectuals’, as someone has termed them, decision to venture into social analysis to fill in the gap created by real intellectuals, who see no worth in discussing ideas in public, or out of fear of what will be their readers’ responses, have decided to keep mum.

Of course, what we have today, one may argue, by judging the trend and blistering outpourings of public affairs analysts, especially in social media for its notoriety although I so much cherish the media for their power and being the channels of propaganda and coercion – are pseudo-intellectuals, who take advantage of the absence of ‘real’ intellectuals to exploit our media. Despite all this one thing is evident. As Edward Said would say, there is too much defining of intellectual at the expense of the signature, the intervention and the performance that squarely define intellectual. For this reason charlatans cannot help capitalizing on this eternal absence.

Whether we take intellectual (intellectualism also being a broader term) as ‘an individual endowed with a faculty for representing, embodying, articulating a message, a view, an attitude, philosophy or opinion to, as well as for, a public, in public’, as Said argued in his lecture titled ‘Representations of Intellectuals, 20th century Frenchman of letters, Julien Benda’s narrative of being intellectuals ‘a tiny band of super-gifted’ individuals, or accept the Italian Marxist, activist and journalist, Antonio Gramsi’s definition that ‘all men are intellectuals one could say, but not all men have in society the function of Intellectuals’, which has led to the creation of two camps: traditional intellectuals teachers, clerics, etc), who are, so to speak, blatantly insular in their dealings and organic intellectuals (opinion moulders, advertizers, etc), who are always on the move and making it happen; something very important deserves our attention:

Using Said’s claim that ‘there is nothing as a private intellectual’ here as a powerful armour, I will argue that if those who have made a career out of controversy for its own sake and mongers of hate speech have the courage to take it to the public and win the hearts of the gullible why not real intellectuals? Conversely, those whom the less informed members of society look up to for inspiration, especially on heated topical issues have kept their knowledge in private – all their learnings are now part of their mental libraries – and have decided to inculcate them in the four walls of their offices.

It is not true that there is a drought of intellectuals of great repute like Dr. Bala Usman – of Ahmadu Bello University – of great memory, Aminu Kano, one of the Nigeria’s political scientists ever, the master story teller, Abubakar Imam or S’adu Zungur, a poet and a teacher, it is the zeal, the tenacious habit to take the bull of injustice by the horn and that sheer intrepidity to query/dare the power itself that have deserted our ‘silent’ intellectuals.

For example, without the labour of intellectuals like Mudi Speaking, Ijumu, Magaji Dambatta, Aminu Kano, who had seen the sufferings of the ‘talakawas’ and embarked on a mission to liberate them, both NEPU that came into existence in 1950s and PRP in 1979 with their ideology ‘Freedomalam’ one of the finest political ideology ever caved out and instilled in the hearts of the, mostly, downtrodden then – would not have come into existence. They believed first, and then, very then, went on about persuading others to accept it. There it was hitting the roads, emancipating the incarcerated.

One may ask: what powers and gains social analysis has? Quite alright! A classic example of the power of social analysis is Hamid Dabashi’s article, ‘Alas, poor Bernard Lewis, a fellow of infinite jest’. To the author, Bernard Lewis, using social analysis, has brought unspeakable sufferings and much bloodshed to the world. Lewis had not only spent almost all his life studying the people he so much loathed, but in the same vein, concurrently, through his writings, led to the destruction of many countries. This is evident in what led to Iraq and Palestine’s conquest. How? ‘Lewis was a historian of power and in power and for the power that rule us all and served happily and rewardingly’ there, as Hamid argued, as an intellectual.

Not Lewis alone, when we consider the happenings in our dear country, Nigeria, the situation is almost the same. Look at how farmers/herdsmen clashes have dominated the front pages of our newspapers, and under reportage of some issues of the same magnitude. Perhaps I can only speak for myself and nobody, nobody, will speak on my behalf.

In the same week, I read Muhammad Qaddam Sidiq’s article titled ‘Need for Arewa narrative abroad’ and published by Daily Trust, in which he wrote one jaw-dropping revelation of how PR firms in some western countries with influence in global politics in connivance with some pressure groups in Nigeria manipulate media in those countries into believing that Christians in Nigeria are victims of targeted and systematic persecution in the hands of Arewa Muslims; and how many illegal migrants (neither from Arewa nor are they Muslims) stranded in Libya and other countries feigned to be victims of Boko Haram terror in their bid to seek asylum with all the privileges attached to it. Why do they believe them? This may be the question that first comes into the mind. Nobody is ready to narrate our story should not be less an answer.

My suspicion is that our so called men of letters, today, are materialistic. They are so obsessed with practical aims. Their kingdom, unlike real intellectuals, who moved by disinterested principles of justice and truth, say, our kingdom is not in this world, is in this world.

Real intellectuals defend the weak, denounce and reject corruption, and face the storm of oppressive authority eyeball to eyeball, notwithstanding the consequences. They are, so to speak, Samaritans of some sort.

Today’s intellectuals, sad it may be, are at the forefront of supporting government policies, even if the policies are inhuman; and spewing out propagandas against the government’s perceived enemies even if they are pro-justice.

In the final analysis, ‘It is the intellectual as a representative figure that matters,’ Said wrote. Someone who represents an idea, who despite the high raised obstacles digs up forgotten issues or issues swept under the carpet to doggedly fight for the rights of his people and lastly liberates them; but how many can fit this description today?

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid, Kano based, is graduate of B.A English from Bayero University, Kano. He is a budding writer, social analyst, freelancer at Sunrise Language Practitioner (SLP) and regular contributor to Nigerian dailies.
His writings have appeared in The Communicator, a magazine published by Kano State Polytechnic and in Dailytrust, The Triumph and The cable newspapers. He has a strong interest in literary theory.

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Administrator The Emir and the Women of Kanam Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

TN photo

By

Prince Charles Dickson

So we took the long and tortuous road to Kanam, a local government some almost three hours outside of Jos. Did I say tortuous, well truth be told; it wasn’t really that bad a road compared to many a Nigerian road, or even roads in Plateau.

We were guests of WOPPI Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative. I must say I have been practically to all the 17 local governments of Plateau but not Kanam. The reception was something else. It was a project that was funded by Nexus Fund, a small but very creative group that helps local communities tackle mass atrocities and equally have a big focus on dangerous and hate speech.

Before I go far, Kanam is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is located in Dengi. We were at Dengi…the sight of herdswomen was almost a first for me, with their female farming counterparts. I am sure you read right. Herdswomen, who not only sold by-products of cattle such as; fura de nono but herdswomen and indeed female farmers. All united!

Kanam has an area of 2,600 km² and a population of 165,898 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 940. And trust me, as with many things Nigerian the Post Office that has that code barely works, not sure a letter has passed through it in ages.

The languages spoken in Kanam are Boghom, Jahr & Basharawa, of course Hausa is spoken, and then it has a proud community of Igbos. You remember, “No Igbo there, don’t go there myth”; Kanam fulfills it. There are Yorubas too, and other ethnic groups well represented in Kanam.

And so we know, Kanam shares borders with Bauchi state and it does with Taraba state too, but as is the case, there are virtually no pliable roads. There are families who are from either Plateau or Bauchi just by virtue of one bush path and choice.

Kanam has an emirate, and the emirate has a steeped history from Kano. They say the name Kanam itself was adulterated from Kano, they have a peculiar history that ties them to Kanam Borno Empire and also the Caliphate, and this adds beauty to them; Kanam is one of the only two emirates in Plateau.

Let me start from the sad situation in Kanam Boghom (also known as Bogghom, Bohom, Burom, Burum, Burrum, and the Hausa people calling them too. Burmawa, Borrom, Boghorom, Bokiyim) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken by the majority of people in Kanam local government of Plateau State, Nigeria. The Boghom people are mostly farmers, though some of them engage in rearing animals. Historically, hunting was a major occupation of the people too. But this area of Kanam like many suffers gross underdevelopment, in the rains like it is now; they are virtually no means of transportation.

The above is the story of many villages in Plateau and Nigeria in 2018.

Now to part of the meat of my admonishment, my friend the emir of Kanam HRH Muhammadu Mu’azu Muhammadu II is a perfect example of what I probably will refer to as ‘not-too-young-to-govern.’ He had contested the stool with his uncles and came out top. His people love him, he is urbane, educated and charismatic and it was obvious for all to see.

Nigeria needs leadership that is loved by all, an urbane, educated and charismatic ruler. The palatial mosque by his soon to be equally completed palace tells the story of vision. However while it may not be his direct responsibility one wanted to see these visions in the area of education, health, and more.

While we sat with the emir in his palace he pointed to an old woman seated with us; “we once used to go into her kitchen after playing to pick food as kids.” The old woman laughed and the emir proceeded to share his thoughts on gender and conflict resolution.

He said there was need to start paying special attention to the different experiences of women and it was critical in designing successful conflict management and peacebuilding programmes. He talked on the role women play and the obstacles they continue to face in post-conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Conflicts often force women to organize themselves to safeguard basic necessities and to carry out activities related to, for example, education and healthcare. These activities have a role to play in ensuring lasting peace and governments must ensure women are included in key peace negotiations at all levels.

There are obvious reasons why women are important to the peacebuilding process. For example, they constitute half of every community and men and women in partnership must do the difficult task of peacebuilding. Women are also the central caretakers of families and everyone is affected when they are excluded from peacebuilding. Women are also advocates for peace, as peacekeepers, relief workers and mediators. Women have played prominent roles in peace processes on the Plateau and Kanam particularly.

However, efforts to foreground the perspectives of women in peace processes and to prevent gender-based violence have met with limited success. Women’s participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding is limited by a number of factors, majorly cultural pressures against women putting themselves forward, that pressure women to refrain from travel, and not to engage in important public arenas. Where women do participate, they may not have the required education or training.

Having extensively spoken it was obvious that what WOPPI, and Nexus Fund had done with women in his domain was yielding results.

And whether it is the late Grand Khadi of old Benue-Plateau Justice Yahaya Kanam, Alhaji Inuwa Baba, on time SSA to both Obj and Jonathan, or Dr. Munatsir Kanam, a former Commissioner at the Nigerian Law Reforms Commission, or Professor Alhassan Gani current Vice Chancellor of Federal University Kashere. The just retired, Grand Khadi of Plateau Justice Adamu Kanam; Ibrahim Kafi one-time chairman of the Christian Welfare Board.

Great men from Kaman, but we need to give *ordinary women, like the emir stated the chance to take some form of charge. Kanam is one place that has never experienced a religious crisis and it is in Nigeria. In every Kanam family there is one Christian or Muslim. And so it is in Nigeria, but we have simply refused to fuse, to create synergy to develop…do we want to remain underdeveloped and in perpetual conflict.

Like I was told by the transition caretaker committee chairman, Kanam is one of the most difficult local governments to govern, and so is Nigeria, but for how long will the search for a true and thorough way—Only time will tell.

*To ordinary women like Hajia Lantana, Fatima, Bridget, Maggie, TMK, Patience, Justina, Hajia Mairo, and many women working to bring peace in local communities you are appreciated.

Prince Charles Dickson

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Administrator Nigeria’s 2018 Budgetary Allocation to Education Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Jerome-Mario Utomi

The ripple reaction that trailed the signing of the 2018 budget into law on Wednesday 20^th June 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari after a protracted wait by Nigerians has again demonstrated that efficiency of the government sector does not only affect the performance of the public sector but that of the whole country.

Interestingly, aside from the concern expressed by Mr. President that some strategic projects were slashed by the National Assembly, the breakdown of the budget passed reveals that the present administration is committed to developing the nation’s infrastructures as the details explain that the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing got jumbo sums amounting to N682.309bn, followed by transportation which received N251.420bn; N157.715bn for defense; N149.198bn for agriculture and rural development; N147.200bn for water resources among others.

The above development to Nigerians with critical interest appears heartening, because for the nation to function well, good public services are needed; roads and good transport networks, so that goods can be transported; a public infrastructure so that economic activity can flourish, and some types of basic regulation to prevent fraud and malfeasance.

No doubt, the effort of the federal government was praised, but along the way lies an inherent challenge as a further analysis of the budget revealed that a paltry sum of N102.907bn, and as previous years, hovers around the ‘customary’ seven percent of the sum total of the annual budget was allocated to the education sector.

A decision that is marred by non-compliance to the international budgetary benchmark on educational funding and fears of possible inability to meet the nation’s educational sector’s primary mandate; and as an effect, heightened the apprehension among Nigerians that the already not too impressive educational sector may further deteriorate.

From the analyses of their action, the vast majority of Nigerians are of the view that however noble the initiatives that informed the government’s decision to place other sectors ahead of education may appear, it remains antithetical to national development and renders Mr. President’s comment that ‘the 2018 Budget is targeted at consolidating the achievements of previous budgets and deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020’ as a body without a soul.

This visible gap in my view may have stemmed from a confluence of silent reasons with the most radical being the government’s inability to remember that globally, there is no leftist or rightist principle for lifting a nation from poverty to prosperity but can only be achieved by the government’s disciplined attention to education/ human capital development sector.

Looking at commentaries, Nigerians are particularly pained that the current administration failed to break away from the perennial underfunding challenge of the nations’ educational sector which is fast becoming a norm despite their promised hypermodern nation via education but instead had it compounded.

Not supporting the FG’s action is the fact that the allocation barefacedly fell short of the United Nations budgetary recommendation on education. For a better understanding of this line of argument, it would be recalled that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization had recommended a twenty percent and above nation’s budgetary allocation to education.

What is most frightening of this episode is that the FG has from this standpoint undermined the imperativeness of the United Nations’ 2030 sustainable Development Agenda which of course has education as one of its enablers.

This state of affairs has understandably raised a lot of worries and concerns among development practitioners as there is an accompanying belief at the global stage that if Nigeria fails to get the above right, Africa as a continent will in turn not get it right. And, if Africa as a continent fails, the 2030 sustainable development agenda as planned will be considered a failure the world over.

Counting their losses, the Nigerian students have since bemoaned the development which has dimmed their hope of accessing quality education while their teachers/lecturers and non-teaching staff laments the development with many wondering what the future holds for the educational sector in Nigerians.

This and other sordid developments may have informed the belief at the world stage that African countries are poor because those who have power make choices that create poverty; they get it wrong not by mistake or ignorance, but on purpose; a position that can only be understood by studying how decisions actually get made, who gets to make them and why those people decide to do what they do.

Markedly, this allocation to the educational sector has further exonerated Bill Gates off, and further reinforced his position as conversed during his recent visit to the country where he called on our leaders to deepen their commitment to human capital development in the country; a call that was roundly criticized.

In view of the above fact, it has become glaring that underfunding of the educational sector propels viciousness of poverty in the country as the analysis below explains.

‘A man denied access to quality education becomes poor; because he is poor, he may not have enough to eat; being under fed, his health may be weak; being physically weak, his working capacity is low, which means that he is poor and so on.’

Meanwhile, as the condemnation rages, different groups have equally voiced their displeasure. Expressing similar concern, different groups have voiced their displeasure with the latest coming from the ijaw Youth Congress, worldwide (iYC).

The group through a release dated Thursday 21^st, June, 2018 among other things described as insensitivity, retrogression and selfishness the action of the National Assembly’s reduction of the budget proposal for the Maritime University’s take-off grant and other key developmental projects while increasing the budget for their personal cost.

Such a reaction may not be a surprise to a student of history as it was such decisions from the previous administrations that rendered their region blighted, increased the social difficulties of the people; with no good record for survival as their environment has been polluted with half of their population unemployed and starved.

With these challenges in mind, we should therefore as a people not live under any illusion that we can effect economic growth; social progress and cultural development; promote peace and stability; collaborate agriculture and industry and expand trade without the FG reprioritizing their choices.

To get the above process catalyzed, the government should realize that the secret of successful development lies in reaching an ideal formula that can effectively use the skills of the people along with the right vision to build an enduring society.

What Nigerians assiduously need in this regard is human capital development built on a well funded educational sector.

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Jerome-Mario is a Social Entrepreneur and an alumnus, School of media and communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

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Administrator To the Ideal Workers with Love Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

I am among those who think workers should be celebrated, not only on 1^st May, International Workers’ Day, but every day. This is to celebrate the enormous contribution workers give to the process of nation-building. We should, as a means of paying back these ideal workers, fly broad-winged kites and gigantic balloons through the endless sky with their names boldly written on them. This is the little we can do to immortalize them. I am well aware that whether we do this or not, workers’ labour will never be in vain. For one day when a worker is long gone, a passerby will come and say ‘here lived one of the greatest gatemen, clerks, street-sweepers, typists or carpenters.’ The time will surely come.

As you pass by the workers, despite the toil and low wages, they hum to spur themselves on. Their pleasure comes from their sweat. They wake up early and go to bed late. And even in their beds they think of tomorrow’s work. They have sold out their time for the benefit of all. This one who sacrifices his happiness for others is called a worker.

Has not a worker other demands? He needs to send his children to school. He needs to put food on the table. He needs to look good. He needs to have some sleep. He needs to be with friends and family; but has only the little time he is allowed?

When I move from one street to another I see invisible pictures of workers that have constructed our bridges, streets and built our houses. Their traces are there in our places of worship. Somewhere in classrooms I see their vestiges. In hospitals I see their wide footprints. In our offices I see their pointers. At our gates they are there working day and night. They man our factories that produce the garments, shoes, bags, whatnot, we use. Some of them have gained a limp or two in the process of rendering their services to the public.

At our police stations we have workers that feed others at our courts. Those at our courts channel it to those at our prisons. Is there any place where there are no workers? Tell me? How often do we spare even a thought for those perfect workers from whose sweat germinate the seeds we plant, from the seeds thereafter come up plants and fruits; and then to finished products in front of us to eat. Have they not deserved some respect?

As an individual pinned down by his intentional predicates, since a man cannot be stripped of his society, history, orientation or belief, I will dedicate this special write up to one section of these workers. I will wave their spacious flag not because I downplay others’ efforts. No, they are equally important. I will always work harder if I have the chance.

I will today give golden medals to the ex-workers of Nigeria Airways once more. Although many of them are gone forever, I commend them in absentia as a token for the faithful services they rendered for this great nation. Many of them have used up their energies, exhausted their eyesight and worn out their lungs in this noble service to their fatherland. They worked, worked and worked until they could work no more. They are the true nation builders.

The struggle today is twelve years down the line. I watched different protests they staged. Guess who are the front-liners? You could hear the screeching sounds of their crutches. Some were wobbling. Rheumatism has eaten up their joints. The rows of these ex-workers converging to claim their pay-off are led by strong-hearted comrades. They push, push and push unrelentingly in search of justice. I could see, and still do, their flag-bearers waving colossal flags under the heavy rain and in sunny days.

Now and then sharp scythes of injustice reap the remnant mercilessly. The front-liners, in some cases, lose their lives. The scythes cut limb after limb but before the flag touches the ground the next person takes up the flag in a soldiery attempt to defend a nation – a nation of workers upon whose back mighty international ties and massive hinges of international relations rest – and of a sudden an invisible gold-studded crown with comrade inscription cut on it places itself carefully on his head.

I at once go upon my knees to pay unwavering loyalty to these ideal workers. There are workers who worked risking whatever they got until work took to its heels. The torments are unimaginable and the cries so deafening; but nobody seems to care and no mercy in sight. Some live on crutches forgetting the pleasure of legs; and some have thrown in the towel: they could no longer hold onto the rope of living. The suffering is so grudgingly incarnating itself in their families. It set up high barriers between them and hospital due to its exorbitant medical bills, schools for its skyrocketing fees and exaggeratedly grain of any type. Hollowed eye sockets, famished body, callous hands and cracked feet, falling sight and age are their frequent visitors.

So strange a move medical doctors in the Canadian province of Quebec have rejected a pay rise this year. I watch this with envy. They are luxurious and superior like statues. Are some workers better than others? By way of comparison, our workers here, especially the ex-workers of Nigeria Airways, are living dead.

My fear, my only fear, is when will these ex-workers be listened to? When will someone from those estates of the realm wipe out their tears even with the back of his hand? When will someone so high weigh their torment and fill in the patches created by their tears? I wish I own that muscled pen to sign the papers that will unlock the safe wherein their pay-off has been stored. Alas, I am a common-man-of-the-street. Who can neither speed up their trial nor intervene.

Despite this, I will work harder, harder, for the pleasure in it – for the human race in general. Some days beads of sweat from my hard labour will inspire, motivate and excite me and others until we push work to the next level – until Nigeria becomes great again.

We have to feel for our workers. They are the only and real assets we have. Our pride, wherever we are, rests in their ability to work. The very day we allow negligence to befriend them that very day will hatch lazy workers and unproductive ones.

If we refuse to listen to them or decline their demands what heart will listen to their torment? What soul will find a solution to our workers’ problems? As much as we need good workmanship in every workshop, office, classroom, hospital, factory, police station, barrack and airport, we need to treat our workers well and reward them handsomely.

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

%%AUTHORLINK% To the Ideal Workers with Love Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Sorrow, Tears, Blood and Nigeria Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Prince Charles Dickson

Curtains Raised…

Girls with skimpy skirts dancing with the mammalians dangling to the rhythm but their faces bore no radiance.

It was vintage Fela…

Eh-ya!

Everybody run run run

Eh-ya!

Everybody scatter scatter

Eh-ya!

Some people lost some bread

Eh-ya!

Someone nearly die

Eh-ya!

Someone just die

Eh-ya!

Police they come, army they come

Eh-ya!

Confusion everywhere

Eh-ya!

Seven minutes later

All don cool down, brother

Police don go away

Army don disappear

Them leave sorrow, tears and blood

Them regular trademark

Them leave sorrow, tears and blood

Them regular trademark

La la la la

[Verse 1]

My people self they fear too much

We fear for the thing we no see

We fear for the air around us

We fear to fight for freedom

We fear to fight for liberty

We fear to fight for justice

We fear to fight for happiness

We always get reason to fear:

We no wan die

We no wan wound

We no wan quench

We no wan go

I get one child

Mama dey for house

Papa dey for house

I wan build house

I don build house

I no want quench

I want enjoy

I no wan go

Ah!

So policeman go slap your face

You no go talk

Army man go whip your yansh

You go they look like donkey

Rhodesia they do them own

Our leaders they yab for nothing

South Africa they do them own

Them leave sorrow, tears and blood

Them regular trademark

Regular trademark

Them regular trademark

That is why;

[Chorus]

Eh-ya!

Everybody run run run

Eh-ya!

Everybody scatter scatter

Eh-ya!

Some people lost some bread

Eh-ya!

Someone nearly die

Eh-ya!

Someone just die

Eh-ya!

Police they come, army they come

Eh-ya!

Confusion everywhere

[Verse 2]

Ah, na so

Time go they go

Time no wait for nobody

Like that: choo, choo, choo, ah

But police go they come, army go they come

With confusion

In style like this:

Mimics sounds of motor vehicle

[Chorus]

In 2001 the Jos conflict at its peak had claimed several lives, and zones and divided walls. Christians in their wall, natives stayed put, Igbos in their comfort zone.

So this Hausa man drove into Apata a largely Igbo and by extension Christian enclave. He had firewood in his truck. The Igbos rushes and bought his truck empty.

Not until he was done and about to live did one Igbo man ask him, “how come you had the courage to be here”?

He answered, “I’d rather be killed here by you guys than be killed by hunger in my own area of Jos.”

The Igbos wanted his firewood and he their money…

I will tell us a second story from afar.

Robert E. Lee trusted few men more than Major General James Ewell Brown Stuart, or “Jeb” as he came to be known. Lee and Jeb had been friends for years before the Civil War began, serving together in the US Army in numerous military campaigns through- out the 1850s. Jeb was trustworthy, unflinchingly brave, and an expert in reconnaissance. Despite his peculiar flair for the dramatic (he would often lead his men into battles sporting a red cape, an ostrich plume, and drenched in cologne), Jeb was a serious soldier. General Lee said that Jeb was the only commander he trusted to bring him infallibly reliable intel. Lee called Jeb his “eyes.”

Jeb literally ran circles around the Union’s Army of the Potomac and reported every detail of their movement back to General Lee. Jeb’s intel gave Lee the advantage at Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. By the summer of 1863, momentum in the war was swinging toward the Confederacy.

But in the moment Robert E. Lee needed him most, Jeb didn’t show.

In June of 1863, Lee embarked on an audacious march north into the very heart of the Union. He ordered Jeb to parallel his march in the west, through the Shenandoah Valley. Instead, following a hunch, Jeb went east. He was attempting, against orders, to outflank the Union Army once again. But his decision left General Lee in the dark for eight days. During that time, Lee blindly stumbled across a group of soldiers in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who he assumed were a rag-tag local militia. Because Lee’s “eyes” were off wandering miles away, Lee had no clue that he had just encountered the western tip of the primary Union army.

By the time Jeb’s cavalry arrived in Gettysburg on July 2, he was too late. The battle of Gettysburg was nearly over. Furious, Lee called Jeb into his headquarters. All Lee could say was “General Stuart, where have you been?”

Had Jeb arrived when Lee expected him, historians say the battle of Gettysburg might have gone differently. Instead, Gettysburg marked the turning point in the war. General Lee must have asked himself again and again: “General Stuart, why were you late? Where were you?”

Where were you?

It’s a question we’ve all asked of somebody. Their absence or tardiness left us feeling abandoned, helpless, confused, and angry. If the stakes were high, we wondered if that person actually cared about us at all. Those moments when someone I depended on let me down have left me feeling helpless. When friends forget to call. When a trusted colleague doesn’t deliver. When a teammate doesn’t show up.

We are all crying and wailing about the wanton killings again. All the narratives, and counter narratives. The blame games, from government to individuals, are you part of the solution or we are on the sidon look button. Every crisis you see or hear about, close or far away will one day affect you too, that’s if it hasn’t affected you. There’s need for us to engage like the firewood seller beyond that are we responding or waiting for response…

So what are the security forces doing from local police to the military, who provides intel; why are they reactionary than proactive. The helicopters suddenly doing reconnaissance where were they.

If these killings are truly ebbed in the common narrative of retaliatory attacks, where are those to engender dialogue? For now the conflict merchants are smiling amidst tears, sorrows and blood from Zamfara, to Kaduna, Taraba and Plateau, Akwa Ibom and Adamawa, it’s an endless list of states with sad tales.

I am not prophesying doomsday, I see hope, though as always I remain cautiously optimistic about the Nigerian project, if there is any and what it is in the first place but trust me on this, before the year ends, there will be more killings, yes more killings, and another round of blame, wails, sorrow, and tears and Nigeria; for how long—Only time will tell.

Prince Charles Dickson

%%AUTHORLINK% Sorrow, Tears, Blood and Nigeria Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Nigeria: A Nation in grief and need of restructuring Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

AFP photo

By

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Justice, in the words of Thomas Aquinas, is the act of rendering to each person what is truly his or hers, and comes in two different forms; commutative and distributive.

While commutative justice calls for equality between two persons, distributive justice is concerned with the importance of each individual to the entire society; unfairly favoring of one over another is a fundamental violation of distributive justice.

In reality, Nigerians during the 2018 Democracy Day celebration received what analysts referred to as a glimpse of retributive justice as the government took steps to right the long-standing injustices done to some Nigerians and on the nation.

But somewhere along the line, that euphoria was again cut short, and justice once more raped by the mindless sack/destruction of a sleepy village in Barkin-Ladi local government Area of Plateau state, leaving the villagers decimated with dozens killed by the herdsmen.

On top of these woes came the petrol tanker’s inferno in Lagos that claimed several lives and left property worth millions of naira destroyed; developments that have since turned our country to a nation in grief, with the vast majority of Nigerians in their pain and hardship descending into despondency, the nation greeted with enormous sympathy from the international community.

Regrettably, as the nation deplores these avoidable occurrences, it becomes even more devastating when one recognizes the interrelatedness of these events and their common denominator- our leaders demonstration of power with neither commitment nor love; a state of affairs that is considered bad for morals, and a fault that the Government and the security agencies must share from its guilt.

Irked by these unpleasant realities, the relationship between Nigerians and the government as expected has suffered difficulty as many while reacting to Mr. President ’s visit to Plateau state lamented that what the people need is protection and not visits.

Also supporting the belief that the government may not have performed creditably well in this respect is the strong voice raised by the Afenifere, a Yoruba social-cultural organization.

The Group had in a communiqué among other things stated that ‘they are distressed that the response of President Buhari to the murder of hundreds of ours did not attract any word of sympathy or regrets’.

Expectedly, apart from the event of these past days painting us as a nation with one constitution, but follows different rules, it is also possible to discern three kinds of developments.

First, the inability of the FG to prevent or arrest the perpetrators of the nefarious act has lent credence to the earlier claim by the Catholic churches in Nigeria that ‘their recent protest was necessitated by the inability of the government to act on several verbal and written complaints by the church; with regards to insecurity and bad governance, with others asserting that the president’s silence towards the killings showed that a cow in the estimation of the president has become more valuable than human lives.

Another barefaced truth which stemmed from the above is that the Plateau incident has renewed the call, and underscores the imperativeness of states police as recently mooted by the nation’s Vice President; a call I believe has become not just imperative but eminently desirable.

To illustrate the effectiveness of the above call, Nigerians with critical interest have argued that if the state police had been in place, chances are that these gruesome killings in some sections of the country would have been better managed.

Above all, the event of the past days stands as proof that it will be difficult for this administration to stamp out injustice or live up to good intentions unless it becomes strong and determined enough to deal with all transgressors, and without exception.

But one area of interest to watch is for us to dispel this atmosphere of violence in this country. We cannot afford to overlook the root cause of these attacks as a random sampling of opinion indicates a rock-solid belief that what is fuelling these hostilities is the FG’s unwillingness to have the nation restructured.

As a believer in the unity of Nigeria, the truth must be told to the effect that the whole gamut of restiveness and resurgence demands the dissolution of Nigeria’s stem from mindless exclusion, injustice, and economic deprivation.

And, if appeasing the masses is the preoccupation of the Federal government, the template to solve these problems is already there: the Report of the 2014 National Conference. The holistic implementation of that report is germane to the survival of the Nigerians which is right now in its most fragile state since the end of the civil war.

Again, one thing seems to stand-out, the agitations for the death of Nigeria cannot go away when nepotism and sectionalism continue to be evident in the manner of political patronage and distribution of our common patrimony as currently obtained.

What Nigerians are saying in views is that this time is auspicious for the devolution of power, and enthronement of a true fiscal federalism.

To achieve a lasting peace built on justice, therefore, I will graciously urge Mr. President to overcome every temptation and have this nation restructured as Nigerians are committed to peace by any means necessary, but may not be committed to becoming victims of peace.

’The destiny of the ship is not in the harbor but in sailing the high sea’ and so shall our collective responsibility be, not to destroy this great nation but join hands to nurture and sustain it. If we are able to manage this situation and another social menace effectively and navigate out of dangers of disintegration, it will once again announce the arrival of a brand new great nation where peace and love shall reign supreme.

But then, no nation enjoys durable peace without justice and stability, without fairness and equity. To achieve this, we need greater trust in each other and the government on their part must apologize to Nigerians they have wronged.

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Jerome-Mario is a Social Entrepreneur and an alumnus, School of media and communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

%%AUTHORLINK% Nigeria: A Nation in grief and need of restructuring Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator We want ‘change’ but we do not want to change Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

When President Buhari first came up with the idea of change as one of his political manifestoes, many Nigerians, especially the people from the lower class, saw it as effortless. You will see people singing it. Some were shouting it at the top of their voices. You would see some imagining what their lives would be like in the first year of the Buhari presidency. That wishful thinking creates a wrong perception of what change really means.

In such circumstances when people were dying for change, I met an elderly person. He was a die-hard Buharist. His motorcycle was plastered with the glossy posters of the agent of change. He told me how he longed for change and how both Nigeria and Nigerians would live in an Eldorado-like setting when change was established. What I forgot to ask him was how ready he was to change himself for the better.

Everywhere one went, one met people discussing change and what it would bring to their lives. An assemblage after assemblage was formed, meeting after meeting held. People were eager to see the change, to experience it and to live with it. Did they know that change begins with one’s self? Did they know change means a new orientation or worldview?

In a country like ours, when the idea of change is evoked, what first comes to mind are the pictures of dilapidated blocks in our schools that need to be renovated; our poorly equipped hospitals that need doctors, equipment, medical consumables and drugs; our potholed roads that need to be rehabilitated; our falling standard of education; most importantly and our aversion to positive attitudes to life generally because attitude is altitude as no meaningful progress, individually and collectively, could be realized if we do not shed our negative attitudes and embrace positive ones.

Are many of our youth not cima-zaune (indolent) waiting for the government’s handouts or for officials to give them ‘a share of the booty’ – the so called national cake? Are we honest? Do we not celebrate crooks among us for ‘making’ it. Remember a party a former president, who claimed to have fought corruption tooth and nail, attended when a convicted corrupt official came out of prison after serving a jail sentence? What does this message send to our young ones?

I envisage the time it will take to inculcate discipline, morality, honesty and patriotism in the hearts of most Nigerians. To envisage this too, try imagining with whom you will trust your money today. Perhaps, only some banks can enjoy that pride of place?

It is true that change is inevitable. It may result from a new orientation or regime. It can be established by an adverse economic recession. It can also result from changing circumstances. If those mentioned are true of change, how many of us are ready to experience it? Has change nothing to do with the way we behave, work, treat fellow humans and train our younger ones?

It is clear many Nigerians are suffering from a wrong perception of change. To them, it will be a downhill movement and be won hands-down. Some even expected it to come in the form of manna. All one needs is to sleep, eat, watch, wear his best and laugh. One needs not to work or employ any laborious effort to achieve anything.

Three years later, Nigerians have felt how it is to sway in the swing of change. They are now seeing it as an uphill movement instead of a downhill one. They have now believed that governance is an institution that requires a collective effort to succeed and must be treated as such. Both the institutions and the administrators must drink from the sea of right attitudes to work and have faith in them. Generally, change is a task in many cases at human cost. How many of us are ready to sacrifice our lives for the country?

People are so obsessed with the idea of change but they do not want to change. While discussing economic recession and the rise in prices of goods and services I employed in one of my writings titled ‘Nigeria and the Common Man’ to bring the suffering, then, to the open, a civil servant who has strong distaste for change, for to him it is synonymous to hunger and death, asked me many questions to which I gave succinct answers.

In the course of the discussion that civil servant gave me the shock of my life. My thought was: Nigerians have tasted fake life characterized by misappropriation, looting, embezzlement and an ever-widening, huge gap between rich and poor; but his, as many of his kind, was quite different.

All his grumblings, distaste and abhorrence against change was, as he said, because there were no more leakages in the ministry where he works. Life now to him, as many Nigerians, is difficult for he used to get out of the leakages a makeweight to put food on the table. This as he concluded is the only thing that stops him from liking the Buhari administration. There are many cogent reasons he should have given for loathing the President, but he gave the baseless ones. Thousands of Nigerians are like him.

I know a private school – I won’t mention the name for obvious reasons – whose management board go for one another’s jugular vein. Sometimes junior staff have to intervene. The reason will surprise you. Both the principal and his vice are very greedy. Therefore one cannot give the other even a penny out of his crooked deals. And they too are waiting for the country to become better, thinking fairy bodies from the underworld will come to right the wrongs.

Often I hear them lamenting the current affairs of the state. They always talk of a sledgehammer of poverty in the hands of politicians that beats them to a pulp, forgetting that there are children under their care but whom they deliberately fail to shepherd as expected.

Recently we received a check of twenty thousand naira from a father and the director of our school to whose child we, I and a friend, give lessons. At our arrival at a branch of the Zenith Bank, we met two police officers engaged in a heated argument on current affairs.

One of them was enraged and he started swearing that he was ready to take on whosoever supports president Buhari. He has a right to his choices as a fellow Nigerian. There is no doubt about this; but one thing he had forgotten as a police officer was that he should not be partisan. And something in line with this write up is: he has forgotten how they block ways to extort money from motorists, not they alone, even other law enforcement agencies have followed suit. When one breaks the rule, all they want is some amount to let him go, not even considering the threat this may pose to others.

I listen with keen attention when people cite examples of development in other countries. I watch with envy when our academics cite examples of morality and discipline in other countries. I feel as if something pricks my skin when I listen or read of civil rights movements led by great minds like Martin Luther King Jr. or Gandhi of India; but the way they perceived the idea of ‘change’ is quite different from ours. Their perception of change was first placed upon a giant structure of truth and then laced with actions. They were the first to pay for it dearly with their lives.

Those are the countries reaping the sweetened fruits of their sacrifices. To have a better Nigeria, where opportunities abound, we have to pay the ultimate sacrifice of embracing positive attitude and renouncing negative ones. There is no alternative way to glory.

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

%%AUTHORLINK% We want ‘change’ but we do not want to change Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator For Those Boys Who Went Crying Blood And Water Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

John Chizoba Vincent

(for my Jos boys)

Jos was not just to all of us. Plateau made the chaos that took away your pure souls to where torment is. We would purgeall our sins for this. I am not happy at all. I am not.

Some feelings keep chasing me like a hound dog back into a dungeon of tribulation, to lines where angles of triangles demarcate fantasy and reality. The pages of our poetry are blurring into a muse of darkness. My eyes are dry crystals of oblivion reflecting the images of gore in the sunny bush of Jos but I cannot squeeze to spill tears again, for my tears are dried from their source.

Black is the garment of this tribute. So long a tribute would this stand to be after the genocide thrush hypertensive bullets into my heart.

Like the mood of the ink writing a dirge to the world of death for a home; a space for my boys, an entrance for shoes of mourners are opened for my kind to light a candle light to mourn.

You cannot come in if you do not have mission in this world. You cannot come into this earth if you are not missionaries with the feelings of the world’s movers. There’s no father and mother in this midnight on the land for the lost plateau boys. All we have left is a scanty long farmland with littered souls and spilled blood.

The stomach of the earth is full; he has lost appetite for these fleshes scattered here and there, he has no mouth to chew bones any more, too much of them to share with, not even a soul to dine with. All are scavengers.

Sometimes, my reasons are lost in the act of writing this. The country speaks the language of war. There’s no room anymore, upstairs is full and the downstairs is caged with spirits ascending with sad endings from their bodies; dry bones and bloated tongues planting seeds of discord in all corners. This land is a snake with a tongue drawing ants like humans into her mouth with pity.

I cannot tell you how I get here, nor do I know how you got there also. Remember I told you before this day that this land is a theater of tragedy leaving catharsis in our vain voices to a trailing cry. We are wailing our lips to yield no hands on our hearts till a reason is established why this happened. No one cares about this documented massacre in the cities of our land. This massacre that claimed a multitude of lives within a twinkle of an eye.

We are the same water that washed away our stains from our own flow; we swam on the epic of body of thorns laid on this bedrock of an epic elegy; we drown our own blood spilling names written in black pen. In our own nerves of negativity we floated into oblivion and absurdity of the African night depicted in a treasure of sin.

Boys, remember that the foundation and beauty of sin is the consequences that lay within it. Through these sweats of survival we keep sinking in this ocean of sorrow, lies and emptiness.

We keep hoping for a day of redemption to come. A call to the dead, a call to the undead nightmare we keep smiling to chase our reality away for us. You are the shadows to my light. I am faded colours of agonies emptying in lost glances.

Jos was not just to all of us. I am on research on the new midnight in Plateau. It always begins the same way, with the darkening condemnation of light in the prison of fates. It dwells in the bare chest of pain. When you grab it, it hallows with tablets of blood and bliss. List your fears inbetween dreams and aspirations till your home seeks dwellers. I make this bed for your absence from home.

The very first star of the evening glows to keep our dreams warm and save from a pretty poet like me. You fought so long to keep this sanity yet they took away your life bloodily. I can see the rainbow and the tears as the sun comes down in scorching hot flames.

Days gone by, the sky has become rotten with blood and cracked tears, what a silent night! For even the lanterns of heaven cannot bring us peace in this deep storm caused with a sword, guns found among our own brothers.

Showering into engraved countenances and drifting into a horizon of fear that betrayed our honesty, is the will of one man over another, the fight of one man over his brother; the supremacy of a sister over her brother. Many were defeated in the cause of this battle of supremacy.

What then do we fight for since we are not taking anything home after death? What then is the reward for you when we take life you can’t create? A thousand sufferers in our own home trying to find their feet. We’ve been left to our hopeless fate trying to figure out where the pain started and where it would end without causing more havoc to the coming generation.

It still sinks through the slow flow of broken eyes, the last shout of our brothers and sisters before death arrived. When they fled into the hands of those murderers, they once screamed and shouted for help, for a close gate that could save and guard them but none was seen. Nothing brought the news of this death to us except the wind. The wind brought the breaking news to us, the raven came also with a sighted song of elegy.

But we could not detect where and how it happened. Above the planes of the plateau, above the mountains of Jos, below on the ground of her grasses; the rivers and the oceans till the very existence of our reasoning in the morning of this havoc; only the first man of the throne could couple this drive into a little bit more of you.

But at the end of this ancient ancestral drama, we will write on blank paper as a tattered theme of abstraction and vantage of loss in the hands of those on whose shoulders we lean.

These memories shall remain a vague sea and ocean kissing the filtered sand. Miseries and memories, sadness and excitement, tears and laughter cluttered with gloomy experiences of what we have become in our own land owing to ourselves the shadows of dreams and smoke.

The intimidating and infiltrated violence displayed in its entirety would drop from the tears of the saints, hacking to drive home the little sanity that remains in us. Sometimes, I lose myself writing this, and other times I become another me holding the past and the present and the future together in oblivion.

We will come for you on the last day with an ambulance of truth and honesty. Then, our ancestral embraces will be for Africa alone, for we do not contribute to this pain they cause us. I will continue to write to you until the end of time, boys like no other boys.

John Chizoba Vincent

John Chizoba Vincent is a poet, actor, Novelist and D.O.P. He is the Author Of Hard times, Good Mama and letter from Home.

%%AUTHORLINK% For Those Boys Who Went Crying Blood And Water Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Where are Nigeria’s educated men and women? Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Prince Charles Dickson

If the educated citizen does not defend the pursuit of learning, it will not be defended at all. For there will always be those who scoff at intellectuals, who cry out against research, who seek to limit our educational system. Modern cynics and skeptics see no more reason for landing a man on the moon, which we shall do, than the cynics and skeptics of half a millennium ago saw for the discovery of this country. They see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.

But the educated citizen knows how much more there is to know. He knows that “knowledge is power,” more so today than ever before. He knows that only an educated and informed people will be a free people, that the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all, and that if we can, as Jefferson put it, “enlighten the people generally…tyranny and the oppressions of mind and body will vanish, like evil spirits at the dawn of day.” And, therefore, the educated citizen has a special obligation to encourage the pursuit of learning, to promote exploration of the unknown, to preserve the freedom of inquiry, to support the advancement of research, and to assist at every level of government the improvement of education for all Americans, from grade school to graduate school.

Secondly, the educated citizen has an obligation to serve the public. He may be a precinct worker or President. He may give his talents at the courthouse, the State house, the White House. He may be a civil servant or a Senator, a candidate or a campaign worker, a winner or a loser. But he must be a participant and not a spectator.

“At the Olympic games,” Aristotle wrote, “it is not the finest and strongest men who are crowned, but they who enter the lists-for out of these the prize-men are elected. So, too, in life, of the honorable and the good, it is they who act who rightly win the prizes.”

I would hope that all educated citizens would fulfil this obligation–in politics, in Government, here in Nashville, here in this State, in the Peace Corps, in the Foreign Service, in the Government Service, in the Tennessee Valley, in the world. You will find the pressures greater than the pay. You may endure more public attacks than support. But you will have the unequalled satisfaction of knowing that your character and talent are contributing to the direction and success of this free society.

Third, and finally, the educated citizen has an obligation to uphold the law. This is the obligation of every citizen in a free and peaceful society–but the educated citizen has a special responsibility by the virtue of his greater understanding. For whether he has ever studied history or current events, ethics or civics, the rules of a profession or the tools of a trade, he knows that only a respect for the law makes it possible for free men to dwell together in peace and progress.

He knows that law is the adhesive force in the cement of society, creating order out of chaos and coherence in place of anarchy. He knows that for one man to defy a law or court order he does not like is to invite others to defy those which they do not like, leading to a breakdown of all justice and all order. He knows, too, that every fellowman is entitled to be regarded with decency and treated with dignity. Any educated citizen who seeks to subvert the law, to suppress freedom, or to subject other human beings to acts that are less than human, degrades his heritage, ignores his learning, and betrays his obligation.

Certain other societies may respect the rule of force–we respect the rule of law.

The Nation, indeed the whole world, has watched recent events in the United States with alarm and dismay. No one can deny the complexity of the problems involved in assuring to all of our citizens their full rights as Americans. But no one can gainsay the fact that the determination to secure these rights is in the highest traditions of American freedom.

When Bishop McTyeire, 90 years ago, proposed it to Commodore Vanderbilt, he said, “Commodore, our country has been torn to pieces by a civil war… We want to repair this damage.” And Commodore Vanderbilt reportedly replied, “I want to unite this country, and all sections of it, so that all our people will be one.” His response, his recognition of his obligation and opportunity gave Vanderbilt University not only an endowment but also a mission. Now, 90 years later, in a time of tension, it is more important than ever to unite this country and strengthen these ties so that all of our people will be one.

The late American President John F. Kennedy made these remarks in Nashville Tennessee at the 90th Anniversary Convocation of Vanderbilt University, May 18, 1963.

When these remarks were made Nigeria was barely three years old as an independent nation, today we stroll towards our 58th independence day with little but no direction because our own educated class have simply refused to get it right.

The Nigerian state if anything like it does exist has been governed, ruled and her affairs directed by the best of her worst, and worst of her best, one week, one trouble, one drama very little to encourage has left us almost permanently on the edge. Very little is done from Zamfara to Uyo, Kaduna to Ogun, Benue to Lagos, Plateau to Umuahia to heal to repair damages, to unite this country, and all sections of it, so that all our people will be one.

The general elections are few months away but again the run-up is the same difference, we remain torn by same ethno-jingoist drive. We are not one, our youths whether lazy or hardworking are products of a land with no full meaning of their rights and their responsibilities.

The law is no longer an adhesive force in the cement of our society; we have created chaos out of order and anarchy in place of coherence. We have simply refused to treat ourselves with decency and with dignity. We subvert the law, to suppress freedom, or to subject other human beings to acts that are less than human, degrade our heritage, ignore learning, and betray our obligation.

Let me end in this manner, the Nation, indeed the whole world, has watched recent events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. No one can deny the complexity of the problems involved in assuring to all of our citizens their full rights as Nigerians.

In these moments of tragic disorder, a special burden rests on the educated men and women of our country to reject the temptations of prejudice and violence, and to reaffirm the values of freedom and law on which a free society depends…or else the next elections would be another charade, whether that is what we want—only time will tell.

Prince Charles Dickson

%%AUTHORLINK% Where are Nigeria’s educated men and women? Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator The Rise and Fall of Ekiti’s Agrarian Revolution Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

GN photo

Durodola Tosin and Ladi Adejumo

Poverty has traditionally been a dominant issue in Nigeria. Considering the high and rising unemployment rates in Ekiti State, poverty reduction strategies should be a priority. This is because a high level of poverty inevitably affects the involvement of the public in any democracy: in a society where able-bodied adults live below the poverty line and young graduates remain unemployed, they will invariably develop a jaundiced perspective of democracy and its processes. In summary, economic frustration typically breeds citizens’ apathy with the democratic process.

Although poverty manifests in a diverse manner, material poverty is widespread and visible while posing the greatest threat to democracy. As poverty leads to the erosion of public interest in democracy, it inevitably enables moneybags to hijack the process and even maintain a stranglehold on it.

In a way, poverty must be seen as one of the greatest threats to democracy as it weakens the peoples’ will while depriving them of freedom and independence of thought. Ultimately, the citizenry loses faith in the capacity of democratic institutions to improve their welfare. As poverty rises, people typically lose faith in the capacity of democratic institutions to improve their welfare.

Furthermore, poverty threatens democracy in at least two ways. First, the elite whose interest may not be democratic can easily manipulate the poor masses by channelling their energies into anti-democratic activities like riots and demonstrations, leading to civil strife. The most dangerous effect of poverty is the exposure of the poor to tyrants and demagogues who could easily rally them to weaken existing democratic institutions. Secondly, the illicit practice of purchasing votes thrives in poverty-stricken environments where obstructions to the seamless conduct of democratic business exist.

Poverty reduction in Ekiti was at the core of Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s first term mandate. He expressed this in the record employment programs and poverty reduction policy projects which were executed under his leadership. He immediately assembled a competent team and aggressively pursued the achievement of this objective by spearheading an agrarian revolution unprecedented in the history of the state. He pledged and achieved the following: revival of cocoa plantations leading to Ekiti State’s emergence as a leader in cocoa production; repositioning the agricultural sector to contribute up to 50% of Internal Generated Revenue (IGR); training and employment of Ekiti youths in mechanised agriculture by 2014. Dr. Fayemi understood that many unemployed young adults and adults expectedly depend on democracy to grow the economy to generate employment for them.

Of course, employment assures a better material existence which translates to strong and pro-active involvement of citizens in democracy. With employment, people can earn a living and pay taxes to enable government execute its development initiatives. It is also possible to do away with some vices prevalent among the unemployed when full employment is guaranteed. An idle hand is indeed the devil’s tool. High levels of unemployment and accompanying poverty is disastrous as it is presently in Ekiti.

Unemployment poses a great risk to democracy as the affected citizens shun the process while many participate in democratically subversive activities. Unsurprisingly, thugs, bandits and other undemocratic forces are typically recruited from the ranks of the unemployed.An unemployed person cannot pay tax or even meet family needs let alone patronise goods and services that are being produced in the society.

Also, as the population increases, the level of demand for services rises. It was on this basis that Fayemi’s government established the Youth in Commercial agriculture Development (YCAD) which employed 430 youths as follows; Y-CAD Arabic (cassava 150, rice 159), livestock (39), Nursery (25), Aquaculture (40), Afforestation (12), Oil Palm (5). This program added 15,000 indirect jobs to the economy of Ekiti State. Youths under this program achieved both the largest productivity (yield/Ha) and cultivation in Nigeria. Under Fayemi’s watch, Ekiti State’s yield was at 15T/Ha, which is higher than the national average of 12T/Ha. Another 150 YCAD youth cultivated between 5Ha-15Ha each of cassava. A total of 1,025Ha was cultivated in 2012 additional 700Ha was cultivated in 2013.

This YCAD program facilitated the cultivation of a total of 100Ha and 165Ha of watermelon in 2012 and 2013 respectively. While 460Haof maize was cultivated in 2013, 1000Ha of land was opened up in 2013 for arable crop cultivation. 200 youth farmers were trained in modern rice farming while 600 youth including traditional farmers were assisted to cultivate 3,000Ha of rice. This program accelerated the establishment of Fish farms were in the following areas as follows; Ado Ekiti (6), EfonAlaaye (8), Igede and IjesaIsu. A total of 106,000 juveniles were raised to smoking/table size fishes. 18 tree nurseries were raised 20,000 cocoa and 10,000 oil palm and seedlings. The unit raised 360,000 cocoa seedlings and distributed to farmers at N15 per seedling while209,560 oil palm seedlings were raised and ready for plantation in May 2014.

Indeed, Ekiti state was on the path of rapid agrarian revolution. Dr. Fayemi’s government ensured that the Garri processing factory established at EporoEkiti was managed by a YCAD participant which employed 25 people. Palm oil processing plant was also set-up and manned by 7 YCAD participants in Ire Ekiti. 37Ha of grasses and 5Ha of legumes was planted, tendered, sprayed, weeded and fully established. 150,000 Cocoa seedlings and 60,000 of oil palm seedlings were distributed to farmers at highly subsidized rates. 209,560 oil palm seedlings were distributed in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Farm settlement cultivable land before Fayemi’s administration increased from 1,849 hectares in 2010 to 4,349 hectares by the end of 2014 adding 2,500, a 235.2 % percentage increase.

Under his watch, the government embarked on the upgrading of Forest Governance in partnership with the European Union and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Over 1100Ha of cassava was cultivated in 2012 and ready for harvest in 2014. Institutional Buyers, such as Thai Farms, Nigeria Starch Mills, and DADTCO were on queue for all year round off-taker supply. Over 1,000ha was cultivated under the YCAD-Rice Expansion Programme in 2012 and 850ha in 2014. His government implemented the YCAD Nursery Operations – YCAD Participants which nursed over 300,000 already distributed to farmers across Ekiti.

As a visionary leader, there was successful drive for private sector in agriculture with over USD $300m commitments from both international and indigenous agri-business including:

AGCO establishment of 2,000Ha mechanised farm centre in collaboration with EKSG (USD $7m)

Dutch Agriculture Development & Trading Co (DADTCO) establishments of high quality cassava flour processing factory with the introduction on amorphous mobile processing factory unit across Ekiti with the state holding 15% equity.

However, the re-entrance of Ayo Fayose into Ekiti politics in 2014 marked an end to all the agrarian programs initiated by Dr. Fayemi. Over 20,000 youths that benefited directly and indirectly from the YCAD scheme were sacked in November 2014. The College of Technical and Commercial Agriculture in Isan Ekiti has not been funded since September 2014, while the equipment and tools within the college rots away. It is unsurprising that over 100 tractors distributed by Dr. Fayemi’s government for mechanized agriculture have been looted under the watch of Mr. Fayose. The agrarian sector which contributed over 50% of the state IGR of during Dr. Fayemi’s tenure has ceased to perform at that level.

Apparently undeterred by the parlous state of its economy,Ekiti state Governor, Mr. Fayose borrowed a total sum of N87 billion (domestic loan) between 2014 and 2017 while borrowing $31.6 million (external loan) with no socio-economic impact. In Debt Management Office’s latest bulletin, it disclosed that Fayose’s administration still had a fresh application of N25 billion in 2017 awaiting consideration.

This culture of crass opportunism, charlatanism and brigandage must stop. As the Election Day draws closer, the electorate has the deciding vote to restore the hopes and prospects of agrarian revival in Ekiti State. This must however, be a collective mission, one that moves beyond individual agendas. It must be devoid of self aggrandizement and crass opportunism. This is a task that must be tackled collectively. Is it not ironic that the campaign of the incumbent Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose has centered on continuity? Continuity of what? Reduction in agricultural productivity? Rise in poverty and despair? Oppression and dehumanizing circumstances? Economic and social insecurity? NEVER!

This is the time the electorate must think about the future of the state and the greatness that beckons under the right leadership. The growth of Ekiti state is dependent on the holistic approach that you take not only the Election Day but also beyond. Dr. Kayode Fayemi is committed to this development ideal, and so should you. His mission in public life has always centred on transforming the material conditions of the people. This also revolves around three imperatives; breaking the yoke of ignorance keeping Ekiti people down; liberating them from ill-health and other limitations that restrains them from achieving their potentials. While the third one is breaking the stranglehold of poverty which keeps people from living full creative lives.”In practical and policy terms, this for him has always meant prioritising social investments in education, agriculture, healthcare and other social interventions that reduce the cost of living, while raising the quality of life.

We need to understand that the basic foundation for democratic consolidation is the strength of the economy. Production is the generator of wealth through the production of goods and services for people’s consumption. An economy that is buoyant can generate a high level of production while a less buoyant economy can hardly sustain a high level of production. By production, I mean agriculture! Improved agrarian system is a way to meet the material needs of the citizens. Failure of Fayose’s administration to rise to the occasion and be counted has put the future of agriculture and Ekiti state’s economy in jeopardy. The number of economically displaced persons keeps rising, while the democratic order is breathing laboriously due to the economic burden. Indeed there is much that has to be repaired and redressed in Ekiti before it can go forward.

A mechanised agrarian sector will not only change the status of Ekiti State in Nigeria but will also offer a tremendous opportunity for our teeming youths to be creatively and productively engaged. The first task however depends on the decision of the electorates this month. Your PVC is the greatest tool to elect a leader of unimpeachable records, to help revive the agrarian sector in Ekiti state and reposition it for wealth creation and productivity.

Our farmers deserve better.

Durodola Tosin

Tosin Durodola is the Editor-in-Chief of Core Magazine Africa and LJCMA.

He is the Convener of Kayode Fayemi Youth Support Movement (KAFYSM). He is a former Broadcast Journalist at the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and Bloomshire Media Nigeria. He has written and published over 20 research papers on history, politics, foreign policy and international relations in National and International periodicals. He is currently writing a book on “Nigeria and the UN Security Council: A Critical Analysis of the Challenges in her Quest for Permanent seat”.

He holds a Bachelors degree in History and International Studies from Bowen University. He is a Masters candidate of Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Ibadan.

Contact: tosin.durodola@thecoremagazine.org or oluwatosinduro@gmail.com

Ladi Adejumo

Ladi Adejumo is a Media strategist and PR expert.

%%AUTHORLINK% The Rise and Fall of Ekiti’s Agrarian Revolution Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Nigeria: 2019 General Election and the looming failure Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Demystifying the time-honored saying that; ‘the powerful never lose opportunities – they remain available to them, that the powerless on the other hand, never experience opportunity – it is always arriving at a later time, remains a remarkable political lesson Nigerians gave to the world in 2015.

The lesson was predicated in the way and manner the ‘poor masses’ against all permutations voted the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) out of its preeminent position after sixteen years reign and, had them replaced with the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Three years after the feat was achieved, the nation’s political space has again become ‘hot and cold’ breeding different political off-springs with the Reformed All Progressive Congress (R-APC) emergence as the newest.

While this is ongoing at the parties’ enclaves, a higher level of intrigue like that of 2015, seems to be brewing among Nigerians irked by the leaders’ inabilities to create a government that works better and costs less as promised.

The people’s grouse, looking at commentaries is hinged on the feeling that their interests and opinions expressed over time has neither evoked positive response from the government nor the government made a conscious attempt to enter into their lives and participate in their struggle- eliciting accusations that the present crop of leaders manipulates, and undermines the viability of democracy customarily designed to stand on the tripod of; openness, reliability and responsiveness.

In line with the above table of ideology, Nigerians from the analysis of their recent actions have understandably become more courageous than conscious and, are no longer ready to assist the government covers its shame.

Supporting the above sentiment is that in recent times and in the clarity of our visions, our leaders took some steps/decisions which I will safely describe as disastrous in the following areas; security, justice, and fairness, human survival, peaceful coexistence of the nation.

Actions, that prompted Nigerians with discerning minds to conclude that with the way the country is stumbling and fumbling from one crisis to the other without any response to permanently solve our national problem through restructuring, the present administration has become anything but intellectual.

To really appreciate the feelings of people, it is a common knowledge that hitherto, Nigerians were uninterested in entering the political fray themselves, but instead, relied on politicians whom they felt would ensure their security and stand-up on their behalf against poverty and unemployment.

But with the current realization that their lives means little or nothing to the people they voted as leaders, that their security is afterwards in the hands of God via prayer, that the leaders preoccupation is the politics of ‘permanent recession’, and without road-map for tackling youths unemployment; as a consequence, the people are looking up to 2019 as a year set aside to settle both ideological and political scores with these ‘leaders’ if something dramatic is done to correct the deeply seated abnormities in the country.

Also as an effect, the government’s failure to practice ‘deliberative democracy’, has transcended the vast majority of Nigerians from the bondage of myths and half-truth to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal of events, prompting democratic ambush against these leaders as the nation races towards 2019 general election.

As we know, this sudden turn of events may not be new to a good business student as in every business environment, it is a conventional belief that ‘if a business fails to adapt quickly to new challenges such business is likely to face its own form of extinction, just as anyone that fails to search for his potential leaves his survival to chance.

Indeed, there are countless examples of government’s inactions that is propelling this looming failure but understandably, the most radical that comes to mind aside the failure of the government to guaranty security of lives and property which of course has become a reality that Nigerians now worry about, and an embarrassment at the global stage, is the leaders failure to remember that ‘corruption destroys and breaks that trust which is absolutely essential for the delicate alchemy at the heart of a representative democracy’.

Adding fire to the controversy is their inability to promote quality education /human capital development as the 2018 budgetary allocation to the sector exemplifies; an action that has since harmed the ideals of public good and weakened the fabrics of our democracy.

From a broader spectrum, the above decision reputes our leaders and stands as a sign that our nation does not subscribe to the global believe that the future of any nation depends on the quality of its young people, who will provide the future generation of leaders. And sadly, the quality of education on our shores that will act as a vehicle for shaping these youths and make hypermodern nation achievable is being relegated to the background daily. What is more? No hope for the future.

This probably explains why the vast majority of Nigerians and youths, in particular, go with the notion that their leaders lack what they need.

Further fanning the ‘civil but cooled’ relationship between Nigerians and their leaders is their understanding that leaders of great nations have a systematic way of making people-focused decisions by prioritizing their choices around these three cardinal areas which regrettably forms the rudiment of the challenge.

First and most fundamental is achieving stability and cohesion in their society, Second and very radical, a cultural drive to achieve a thrifty, and always investing the future with high savings for a rainy day and Thirdly, a great reverence for education and knowledge.

Still, at the global stage, this challenging situation heightens when Nigerians remember that it is an age-old belief that for democracy to succeed there must be a relative level of literacy, a growing middle class, and political institutions that support free speech and human rights’, but appears conspicuously missing in our political sphere.

To correct these abnormities in my views, what Nigerians who are the victims of these broken promises wants the government to address these issues/concerns as a nation’s success or failure solidly depends on the way their leaders challenge the unknown and handles the people’s fears.

Above all, the present situation in the country requires in my views a reconsideration of the government’s attitude to the complaints of the people.

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Jerome-Mario is a Social Entrepreneur and an alumnus, School of media and communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

%%AUTHORLINK% Nigeria: 2019 General Election and the looming failure Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Under Reportage and Fake News in Nigeria: ‘Writing to Kill’ Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

By

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

In my article titled, ’The Price of Being a Writer’, published in a number of dailies last month, I argued that writers have a heavy burden to bear; writers should be cool-minded, calm and persuasive enough. Concrete facts, not insults or abuse should be their trademarks in order not to fan the embers of enmity in the country. One’s writings can educate, inform, comfort the afflicted, and if necessary, raise alarm.

I have found the above-captioned article relevant today because of the negative role some media outlets play in Nigeria that have led to many attacks and reprisals in many states. One even wonders what journalists are after today.

Those who especially read the news and are familiar with the incessant crises in some parts of the country, namely Taraba, Benue, and recently, Plateau State, know how the media, even the mainstream, lies to distort the truth, clothe lies in the garb of the truth, or distort reality through the deliberate suppression of facts. The situation is getting out of hand.

This ranges from ‘fake news’ (misinformation or bias in reportage), which is seen as one of the greatest threats to democracy and peaceful coexistence, to under reportage (deliberate suppression of facts).

Information in the media can be misleading. For example, on April 24, Olankunle Abimbola argued in his article ‘Benue: Fulani herdsmen come of age’ and published by The Nation, the dare-devil ‘Fulani herdsmen’ of Nigeria’s southern media invention struck again in Benue State. This resulted in the death of two Catholic priests: Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, as well as seven others.

But, unfortunately for both the Benue State Government and those media outlets, the earlier arrest made by the security forces proved them wrong. The mastermind, Aminu Toshaku, is neither a Fulani, herder nor even a Muslim by birth. Reports have it that Aminu Toshaku has Boko Haram records, but those media outlets have no iota of courage to tell the world this glaring truth.

As Nigeria and Nigerians continue to witness bloodletting in different parts of the country, the attention of some social analysts started moving towards the angle from which news stories are told. Questions on whether the news stories are objective or value free started to emanate. Many of them have started thinking that social media are threatening journalism since everyone is a journalist today: the age of citizen journalism with its devastating consequences on fragile societies like ours.

It is true that everyone with easy access to the internet and in possession of a smartphone can spread lies and dictate how others think, since many people, even the so called literate, lack critical minds and do not know how to sieve fake from real news.

Despite all this, one still questions the intentions of some of the mainstream media. The self-styled ‘watchdogs’ of society are gradually shifting from the ‘fourth estate’ to market-driven concern with profit the sole motive. For this, one doubts their credibility and the independence of journalism from external forces (political parties, governments, business moguls, international organizations, etc). Are journalists on a mission to destabilize the country? Are they not aboard the same trudging boat as we are all in?

Recently, one popular online newspaper, Premium Times, reported that the attacks – allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen – in 11 villages of some local government areas of Plateau State were retaliations by herdsmen whose cattle numbering 300 were killed in the first place.

Premium Times falsely quoted Chiroma, the north central leader of the cattle breeders’ association as saying, “The attacks are retaliatory. As much as I don’t support the killing of human beings, the truth must be told that those who carried out the attacks must be on revenge mission.”

“Fulani had lost about 300 cows in the last few weeks – 94 cows were killed by Berom youths. In addition to that 174 cattle were rustled.”

How ugly is the lie! The figure in the quote is disjointed. The report was ill-intentioned and blinded by choking hatred which takes its employer to ransom. The newspaper had to sack its Jos-based reporter to save face and later apologized to the organization.

I said, ‘That is very kind of you, Premium Times’, over reading your unreserved apology. But the priority is to put journalistic ethics into work: reporting or writing without malice. This can save lives and property. How many lives has this firing squad called ‘fake news’ claimed? It sounds like ‘a medicine after death’.

Still one wonders whether editors know the secret and philosophy behind the famous adage coined by The Guardian’s CP Scott: ‘comment is free, but facts are sacred.’ A debate is going on whether ‘truth is relevant or not.’ Today it seems, neither the editors nor their trainees are in the know of this or they have intentionally unapologetically turned a blind eye to it.

After a wanton loss of about 800 priceless lives of Fulani at the hands of Taraba State militias, aimed at wiping out the Fulani race there, and which many media outlets titled ‘clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers’, one Kafes Dauda in an open letter to the Taraba State Governor, Darius Shaku, titled: ‘You Are The Problem and not The Army: An Open Letter’, accused the governor of ‘territorial suppression and conquest by seeking to violently undermine the existence of other ethnic groups.’

As later revealed, the governor and some so called statesmen in the state armed some youth as foot soldiers to perpetrate these atrocities. Tarabans are so antagonistic to the army deployed by President Buhari to quell the crises, which were also tailor-made by the governor and those influential people in the state as alleged by the letter.

All this is not enough. Later, a retired army general emboldened those youth with his inciting speeches, all in the name of self-defense. This was widely published by newspapers for no other reason than fact-twisting the real happenings in the state so that the public would be fed that sweet headline: ‘Fulani herdsmen on genocide mission in Taraba State.’

The point is, while these atrocities were going on, those media outlets took it with a pinch of salt. The crisis was not newsworthy. They would have reported it if it were the other way round on their front pages to the viewing eyes of the hungry readers. A newsworthy title should read ‘Fulani herdsmen have taken over 12 local government areas in Benue State’, ‘Herdsmen rename communities grabbed from indigenes’ or ‘Herdsmen with arms storm Taraba Assembly, threaten showdown if…’

It is true that journalists are twisting or cherry-picking facts to misinform the public for some reasons best known to them. ‘Subjectivity’ is gradually taking the place of ‘objectivity’, at the peril of journalistic ethics. This calls for the need for unmediated media that will allow the public to enjoy unmitigated ‘facts’, so that falsehood will give way to the truth.

Many a mind has been polluted and brainwashed through infamous ‘fake news’. The country has been divided along religious and ethnic divisions by these agents of fake news more than ever before. One does not know which medium to trust. Both the mainstream media and social media are taking their existence for granted.

Ultimately, what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. The media should be objective, unbiased and value-free. They should maintain that stand of being the ‘watchdogs’. They should write to liberate, not to kill. With fake news and under reportage in the rise, I cannot help foreseeing more attacks and reprisals, all resulting from ‘writing to kill’.

As one veteran journalist wrote, ‘Those manufacturing fake news in order to destroy other tribes or religions should know that they are also destroying their tribes and religions. We are in midstream rowing in the same boat.’

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

%%AUTHORLINK% Under Reportage and Fake News in Nigeria: ‘Writing to Kill’ Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Kemi Adeosun: To Serve Nigeria? Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

By

Prince Charles Dickson

The leper said two things, one of them being a lie; he said after he had struck his child with his palm, he also pinched him severely with his fingernails.

A long time ago at a small family reunion I was invited to, I watched as a father narrated a movie to the kids. Unknown to him the kids had viewed the same film. He went about mumbling the storyline, while the older ones feigned attention; one of the younger ones just blurted out…”Daddy it’s a lie.”

Why is it that Nigerians have embraced lies as a national pastime, from the governed to those doing the governance itself? Lies are told about electricity, the whole APC administration is filled with filthy lies. Lying about education, lying about health, and the lies of the opposition PDP is even filthier.

The cost of lies to our national development cannot be quantified, so it is fashionable that parents lie to kids, husbands to wives, wives to sisters, employers to employees, and how about those lies that are absolutely unnecessary, those lies that officials tell, that leave you dazed, confused and in wonderment.

Telling the truth is just unthinkable, it has simply become a deviant attitude to be truthful. In fact, as a matter of rule, you learn to lie by default on becoming a leader in Nigeria, whether in politics, administration or faith.

When a goat’s day “to die” arrives, it says there is nothing a butcher can do to it. (A person who does not recognize and heed danger courts death). Through our lies as a people we only court death.

I am told a lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others. To lie is to state something with disregard to the truth with the intention that people will accept the statement as truth.

A liar is a person who tells lies, who has previously told lies, or tends by nature to tell a lie repeatedly—even when not necessary.

The three definitions suit the current group we call leaders…particularly the third one. I really do not blame them so much because as a people we have become accustomed to accepting lies as statements of truth.

There are several types of lies…like the big lie, a lie which attempts to trick the victim into believing something major and likely be contradicted by some information the victim already possesses, or by their common sense. When the lie is of sufficient magnitude it may succeed due to the victim’s reluctance to believe that an untruth on such a grand scale would indeed be fabricated.

The fuel subsidy is a classic big lie. All the stories about a growing economy out of recession are a lie, all the tories on rice farms, cockroach farming, are stage managed with half truths, misinformation and falsification.

Whether the factory is in Plateau state or Abia, give it a few months and visit the same commissioned arrangement and you will see the lie. The problem is not just the lies, but also the lunacy behind the figures when money is involved in a Nigerian lie.

There is another lie, we call bluffing, and to bluff is to pretend to have a capability or intention one does not actually possess. Bluffing is an act of deception that is rarely seen as immoral when it takes place in the context of a game where this kind of deception is consented to in advance by the players.

For instance, a gambler who deceives other players into thinking he has different cards to those he really holds, or an athlete who hints he will move left and then dodges right is not considered to be lying (also known as a feint or juke). In these situations, deception is acceptable and is commonly expected as a tactic.

This is one tactics the current APC administration has continually used, and as long as Nigerians do not react and cannot complain, it is an acceptable tactic, after all previous Nigerian governments like the PDP have been using it, why bother our amiable, incorruptible Mr. Buhari.

For all the noise, when the chips are down the Adeosun NYSC exemption certificate will die away, if at all there is anything like that, and we will do nothing. Government at all levels lie, its simple logic, who is government, you, them, and me…Them; they are there. You; aspiring to be there. Me; hoping to be there…to chop you must lie or be lied to.

When we want to be truthful, but we suddenly realize that we are Igbos, Hausas, Ijaws, Urhobos, Yorubas, Idomas, Muslims and Christians and we continue lying. There is simply no truth in us, our tales by moonlight are exactly what it is…tales.

There is the barefaced lie; it is one that is obviously a lie to those hearing it. A lie told with a straight and confident face (hence “bold-faced”), usually with the corresponding tone of voice and emphatic body language of one confidently speaking the truth.

These kinds of lies have been elevated in recent times, go and ask those that told us that snake swallowed monies, monkeys ran away with money, governor was slated and his neck shifted and yet could carry his broken arm…that killers of our women and children are from Libya.

Only in climes like ours, that such absurd lies are told with our knowledge, and we know it’s a lie, but it is delivered with boldness. What can we do?

When our leaders in various spheres are not lying directly to us, they are being economical with the truth, a popular euphemism for deceit, whether by volunteering false information or by deliberately holding back relevant facts. More literally, a careful use of facts so as not to reveal too much information; because we either cannot handle the truth or we are allergic to it.

Big lies, economical lies, crazy lies, they bluff, they stare at us like Fashola and his co travelers telling us that Nigerians are enjoying electricity at its best second only to the US, at 25 hours per day. Whether the newspapers,= and the media lie, whether the narrative is Fulani herdsmen, the technical defeat of Boko Haram, or armed bandits, or the narrative of the natives, we struggle with the truth.

But really when an ordinary citizen lies to another about the cost of a thing as simple as the shoes on his feet, does he or she not deserve lies in turn from those that ordinarily should be responsible with the truth to him? What is rocket science about a minister addressing the truthful status of her service to the nation, after all if no be lie—only time will tell.

Prince Charles Dickson

%%AUTHORLINK% Kemi Adeosun: To Serve Nigeria? Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Nigeria’s Politics of Demagoguery Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

AFP photo

By

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Senator Ed Muskie of Maine, United States of America while speaking on national television the night before the 1970 election, addressed the real choice confronting the voters. According to him, there are only two kinds of politics; politics of fear and the politics of trust.

The first says you are encircled by monstrous dangers. Give us power over your freedom so we may protect you. The other says the world is a baffling and hazardous place, but it can be shaped by the will of men, just cast your vote and trust in the ancient traditions of this home for freedom.

A virulent position but then, back home in Nigeria, considering the past political events that unfolded, the table of philosophy can only but elicit legitimate fears for obvious reasons.

Regardless of what others may say, the God of history and of course the vast majority of Nigerians, the real victims of the broken political promises can without labour situate that politics, as played over a decade, has neither tasted the truth nor saved the soul of the country- thereby making demagoguery a native.

Wisdom born from experience tells us that demagogues the world over thrive on the ignorance of the people and depend solely on half-truth as a vehicle for actualizing their establishment and consolidate their reign.

In the process, this robs the nation of authentic leaders, exploiting the people’s fears for private political gain while leaving for the masses a forlorn society that neither underwrites social justice nor promotes social mobility; but leads to a systematic dismantling of our socioeconomic system.

Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role that our nation has taken, a role that has made the protection of lives and property difficult if not impossible.

As if the weight of the above on the lives and health of Nigerians was not crushing enough, another burden of responsibility was again placed on already traumatized Nigerians by the Senior Special Adviser to the President, Chief Femi Adesina who against all known logic urged Nigerians to consider forfeiture/donation of their ancestral lands for ranching as they can only have ancestral attachment when they are alive; an outburst Nigerians with discerning minds described as a pragmatic demonstration of demagoguery.

From the analysis of his remark, making such a request for a business that is wholly private and unconnected with the public interest has again postured him and the FG as a group lacking the willingness to secure lives and property. And, not interested in inspiring Nigerians to manage through their fears, but instead, exploits it for selfish political gains.

As an incentive, while Adesina was busy urging Nigerians to relinquish their land for private business, Lee Kuan Yew, a former Prime Minister of Singapore left for the world a documented and pragmatic approach used to tackle a similar challenge in his days; an account I consider useful to this discourse.

In his words, ‘I called a meeting and spelt out an action plan to solve this problem. We gave owners of cows a grace period of 31^st January 1965, after which all such stray animals will be taken to the slaughterhouses and the meats given to the welfare homes. By the December 1965, we have seized about 53 cows. And very quickly, all cattle disappeared from the streets.’

This in my understanding is leadership and a lesson our leaders must draw.

Another indicator supporting the belief in some quarters that the FG may not have exhausted their known strategies in securing lives and property in the country is the supersonic dexterity used for deploying different security personnel to Ekiti state for the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state, contentiously fuelled by their burning desire to win the state- a capacity that was conspicuously missing in Plateau state during the herdsmen attack and lately in Adamawa and Sokoto states.

But as this is ongoing, one towering truth we must however not overlook is that these exploitative tendencies of our leaders are interrelated irrespective of party affiliations as the recent activity of the newly formed Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) revealed.

A telling proof to this assertion was the party’s undiplomatic outburst of their intention to wrestle power with the current administration without a word on how to salvage the country or better the lots of the suffering Nigerians forward.

This has caused a great concern among Nigerians and barefacedly portrayed the party as a bunch with inordinate ambition and incurably blind to public opinion with no interest of the people at heart. To CUPP in my view, it is not about the people but about personal aggrandizement and selfishness.

Instructively, this baffling disposition prepares the ground for the ‘leaders’ exercising of power and responsibility, not as a trust for the public good, but as an opportunity for private gains.

This also further provides the answer as to why the recently published Brooking Institute report on poverty highlighted that in Nigeria, 87million people live in extreme poverty and lack the opportunity to make meaningful choices that will sustainably improve their lives.

As we know, Poverty according to reports has various fallouts; increased insurgency, clashes and struggle for land and other resources, youth restiveness, increasing crime and mortality rate.

Fundamentally, this is the underlying obstacle why the nation cannot accelerate economic growth, make social progress, or collaborate in agriculture – a fact that confirms the abiding fears that the poverty of African leaders certainly does not mean material poverty, but lack of commitment to duty, lack of vision and greediness characterized by corruption.

For us to be lifted from this fear-drenched state, it is imperative that we understand as a nation that earning democracy dividends could be likened to seeking freedom which can never be given voluntarily by the oppressor without a demand by the oppressed.

We have very wholesomely forgotten that ‘the man who creates laws makes an indispensible contribution to the greatness of the nation, but the man who questions power makes a contribution just as indispensable especially when the questioning is uninterested, for it is through this means that we discover if we use power or whether power is using us.

To play our role fully well, therefore, the only actionable step that is needed from us is the non linear brain power to elect as leaders come 2019 those that can demonstrate passion for their purpose, practice their values consistently and lead with their hearts as well as their head; that will establish a long-term relationship and have the self-discipline to get results.

In the same breath, we must become politically active; Nigerians must be guided in this direction because we need political strength now rather than before as most of us have been made too poor to have adequate economic power and others too rejected to be part of the political system.

Indeed, dislodging these demagogues from our nation’s political theatre with our votes come 2019 and having them replaced with the authentic leaders, will be a little action that we can collectively take as a people that will yield a bountiful result for our nation.

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Jerome-Mario is a Social Entrepreneur and an alumnus, School of media and communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

%%AUTHORLINK% Nigeria’s Politics of Demagoguery Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator For Those Boys Who Were Aborted Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

unamid photo

By

John Chizoba Vincent

This dream fell from my eyes last night when I tried to find a related body to passionately tell all that I have been through, but could not. This dream was the light of my skin but fairer was the colour of its miseries.

Coming home is a tribulation you should never dream of. Home is an endless nightmare. Maybe that was why she drank the pills, maybe that was why she thought living in heaven was better than here.

Our land is an endless nightmare. You should not bother to come again because mother was right about what she saw. But blame her for conceiving you beforehand.

Of a dream, we must visit tomorrow and know what lies in stock for you. Build yourself and keep adding value beyond maybe; you may be the saviour to this side of the world. Martin Luther was struck burning his struggles into flames, a star he became after many failures.

Stay strong boys. Stay like a magic trick between shadow and oblivion. You will come, but we are working endlessly to make sure that Nigeria remains a home for you when you come. Not a place where cows are valued more than you.

Ask those people that were butchered in Enugu and those people that were slaughtered in Plateau when you see them. You will understand how horrible this land is for your kind. Through this epistle, I must tell you to remain calm till this storm is over, then you will come to see us.

Nigeria is a dilemma of survival, a climax of betrayal and mixture of sorrow and joy. Sometimes, we lose our compassion and other times we gain it in corruption. It is my business to see that you come in peace not in pieces. It is my duty that everything that concerns you is taken care of. It is my business to uphold you into this space where the blood of a cow speaks better things than that of humans.

Our lips strike faster so sound soars in high places to hurt us in the classroom of faith. Stay strong, beautiful ones. Every good thing will come to you. Everything good will come from this drum we beat drastically into their ears. Everything good will come when you keep learning how to stay strong and not complain to the ancestors of abandonment.

The chaos between pains are the messages. If we don’t create the change then we stay where we are. We’ve got to start moving or never move. Moments are not scared to die like humans. Heroes are reborn not to make the same mistake that was made by their forbearers.

Don’t be angry with your mother or the man who made the mixture. He must have had a reason why you had to remain there to ease out some circumstances. Love does not exist here but hatred for the honour gathered before us.

I am not afraid to tell you the truth about our land unfolding into mysterious misery, about yesterday’s doubt that was harboured in our hearts. We thought we were not old enough to bear children, we thought we were not old enough to cater for children like you that was why we had to take you away. Nigeria is not a better home to come to. It is a mixture of tears and emotions flowing through the coast of the ocean.

Be scared of death. Hold yourself up before coming. Teaching our fingers how to hold the breeze of our bravery remains the ultimate of them all. I am not afraid to hold together freely of the tears from my eyes. Hold in that celestial country where champions and stars never begged to shine. Hold on I’m not the kind that would leave you behind.

Be the champion we all want to have. To live is to die and to die is to live. Nothing is given freely, for hope is built within Mandela’s eyes fighting freedom like Kunta. Keep away from your present state for you are not alone anymore. Fate has handsome hands for more.

Be free till freedom seekers seek freedom. Be the courage you need in times when all back off and there is no shoulder to lean on; even brave hearts never fight to the end. You are your own script, write your life to fortune. Keep on meditating on these words till we meet again.

John Chizoba Vincent

John Chizoba Vincent is a poet, actor, Novelist and D.O.P. He is the Author Of Hard times, Good Mama and letter from Home.

%%AUTHORLINK% For Those Boys Who Were Aborted Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator An afternoon with Mahmud Jega Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

By

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

Shortly after picking an interest in journalism partly for its productivity and partly for its being a hub of information, power in disguise, I started to poke my nose into journalism-related things. The questions of how journalists (especially editors) cope with working in isolation sometimes, meeting publication deadlines (deadline pressure) which may mean all-nighters, paying attention to detail, which I have seen in the eyes and words of Musa Tijjani of the Triumph newspaper, and the mobility that requires a high sense of adaptability and versatility began to trouble me.

How do editors and their trainees manage all these? I do not know. All I know is whenever I visit the Triumph newspaper’s office, I will see the editor-in-chief, Sabo Lawal Ibrahim, and other editors busy with their eyes fixed straight on their laptops. Or like a pendulum, they will be oscillating from one place to another in search of what will enrich the newspaper.

On 28 July, 2018, I was at the Daily Trust’s head office in Abuja. It was one of the greatest moments I had with newspaper editors. To be sincere, that was my first journey to Abuja. Forgive my stay-at-home mentality.

Six days before the visit, I received a text message from Mr. Kamal Ayanbiki, the Assistant Manager Human Resources Department, Daily Trust, inviting me to their head office, in Abuja, for an interview.

I later acknowledged receipt of the message and assured them of my being there on the appointed day, hoping to kill two birds with one stone: to honour the invitation offered to me and take a big sip from that fountain of knowledge and profound experience called Mahmud Jega, the deputy Editor-in-Chief of Daily Trust and a columnist par excellence.

I read many of his columns. The man is too much. In a word, a first class social analyst who always makes the first move. Two things led me to this conclusion: his ‘On learning from the South West’ in which he refuted the idea of learning politics from the South West by furnishing the proponents of that idea with reasons more than they could bear; and ‘K-leg, bulging tummy and oversized head’, a satirical and powerful comment on the Independence Day and Nigeria’s situation.

Previously, I had some moments with the Editor-in-Chief of the Triumph newspaper and other editors there. I can testify that they are as busy as bees. That is a weekly newspaper. What were the chores of editors of a daily newspaper?

As a young writer, on meeting someone who is more experienced, I always take searching looks, listen attentively and retain the pieces of advice I receive from them. This, as I was told, will be my radar to success in this profession.

To travel is to learn. It was about a four-hour drive from Kano to Abuja. My intention was to read all the way from Kano to Abuja. However, the sitting arrangement in a commercial bus was uncomfortable and the anxiety of seeing Daily Trust corporate headquarters and this renowned columnist eyeball to eyeball would not let go of me to concentrate on my reading material.

I arrived at the Daily Trust’s gate at 2:15pm, some forty-five minutes to the interview. The building is ultra-modern and computerized. I told a guard of my name and mission there. A minute or two later, he gave me a visitor’s tag and said: ‘Go to the fourth floor.’

After waiting for about two hours as he was not at his seat, Mahmud Jega arrived. When he arrived, he had an important visitor to attend to. I killed the time with Junichiro Tanizaki’s Diary of a Mad old Man. My head was somewhat dizzy. Maybe because I had imagined Mahmud Jega somewhere far away like the sun or the moon and that day I was meeting him in person. You know what I mean.

Before, it was a silent communion between me, as many of his ardent readers, and this great columnist through his writings. ‘The Monday Column,’ as a go-between, had no power that day to draw on the curtain. I would see him and vice versa.

I was ushered into an elegantly furnished office by Mr. Kamal. A huge table populated by newspapers: The Sun, Vanguard, The Nation, etc, books, a laptop and other gadgets, was placed at the centre. He bade me to take a seat.

The first question that came to mind was: how can I become a veracious reader? It takes a veracious reader to read all those newspapers and consult those books I had seen on his table. Perhaps as a deputy editor-in-chief, his responsibility required him to do that. Perhaps to be an editor in such a newspaper which the public has so much expectation from is to try dying, to cut one’s self from other social activities.

I groped for words. ‘How does this man handle his editing work, read these papers and books, and manage to write a column week in, week out? Has he sacrificed his worldly pleasures for the sake of enlightenment? Has he not a family to sit with?’ I asked these questions secretly in my mind.

After apologizing to someone he called a colleague and a column guru, he turned to me and asked, ‘What is your name?’

‘My name is Abdulyassar Abdulhamid, sir’, I responded lacing my words with my usual infectious smile.

‘Quite a familiar name’, he concluded

‘May you tell me about yourself?’

I narrated my story about my background, education and most importantly my writings, punctuating my narration with some of my published works.

After discussing some of my writings, especially ‘To heal the world, fix the child’ and ‘Remember that libratory tool’, he asked me why I wrote on those topics. I told him of the stimulants that gingered me to write on these: the first is about how parents especially fathers evade responsibility and how children fail to become productive members of the society. The second is about declining standard of education in Nigeria which is apparent.

“To be a successful writer’, he began, “you have to write on things you know best. You need a profound experience to achieve this. Your writings open a window for your readers into your ocean of imaginative and emotional experiences.

“What you need now, young man is to work hard, and learn sincerely from those who have made a name for themselves in this profession and even those at par with you. When the experience is accumulated then you can run a column, a first class column if you like with an in-built pleasure of the text: the pleasure a reader drives from reading a text and which will qualify you as a good writer.

“Many of our staff here write articles using pennames and submit for publication, but when I find out I discourage it, not because I do not want them to write. No, I want them to accumulate more experience. I want to them to be rife enough for the craft. One writes better when he accumulates enough experience to write.”

I wanted to say, ‘Sir, I am so obsessed with the idea of writing that I feel sick when a day goes by without writing anything.’ I wanted to request a minute even to meet Munnir Dan Ali, but I did not have the courage to so. I wanted to say, ‘Do I write well, sir?’ But the question seemed out of place and I had taken enough of his time.

His sense of humour is gripping. His bluntness is sincere. He is a complete public speaker. The pieces of brotherly advice I received from him still ring in my ears.

I could only look into his eyes and murmured, ‘Thank you very much, sir’. He offered me his hand and I shook it so dearly.

Abdulyassar Abdulhamid

%%AUTHORLINK% An afternoon with Mahmud Jega Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Nigeria Air: An Ambush? Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Prince Charles Dickson

See them fighting for power (ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh-wa!)

But they know not the hour (ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh-wa!)

So they bribing with their guns, spare parts and money

Trying to belittle our integrity now

They say what we know

Is just what they teach us

And we’re so ignorant

‘Cause every time they can reach us (shoobe, doowa)

Through political strategy (shoobe, doowa)

They keep us hungry (shoobe, doowa)

And when you gonna get some food (shoobe, doowa)

Your brother got to be your enemy, well

Ambush in the night

All guns aiming at me

Ambush in the night

They opened fire on me now

Ambush in the night

Protected by his majesty

Ooh-wee, ooh-wee. Ooh-wa-ooh!

(Ooh-wee) Ooh-wee, ooh-wee (ooh-wa), Ooh-wa!

Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh wa-oh!

Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh wa-ah!

Well, what we know

Is not what they tell us

We’re not ignorant, I mean it

And they just cannot touch us

Through the powers of the most I (shoobe, doowa)

We keep on surfacin’ (shoobe, doowa)

Through the powers of the most I (shoobe, doowa)

We keep on survivin’, yeah

This ambush in the night

Planned by society

Ambush in the night

They tryin’ to conquer me

Ambush in the night

Anything money can bring

Ambush in the night

Planned by society

Ambush in the night

– Bob Marley

In Nigeria, these are interesting times, or rather strange times. As a commentator, you are at odds, what is really wrong with my nation, the political hallelujah men at work as 2019 approaches. The latest being an ambush in the air…

Let me start this admonition with the simplest of facts—Ethiopia Airlines is a national carrier owned 100 percent by the government of Ethiopia, it is fully autonomous, and will Nigeria Air be anywhere?

So last week at an airshow; what in local parlance I would call a trade fair; the following transpired:

Minister of State for Aviation, Sirika Hadi on Wednesday unveiled the name of Nigeria’s national carrier, as well as the logo at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK.

Sirika said the national carrier is Nigeria Air.

During the unveiling, the minister said, “this will be a National Carrier that is Private sector-led and driven. It is a business, not a social service. Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this.”

The Nigerian Government will not own more than 5% (maximum) of the new National Carrier. Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it,” he said.

He added that the government is in talks with aircraft providers, “We’ve been talking to Airbus and Boeing (and they’re present at this event) regarding the aircraft and we will be making announcements very soon. We are currently negotiating.”

This is the problem when governance is riddled with lies and inconsistencies with the above and the very meager information available in the public space, we are told the airline would be operational in December 2018.

A national carrier with the current state of our airports, sometimes we simply operate this nation like one big joke. Will this venture run successfully and be in operation for 12 consecutive months?

If the government will not be involved in deciding who runs it, for whom are they setting it? Why does the government want to own only 5% of what they do not want to be a part of?

Will Nigeria Air work…Yes and No, do we want it to work?; below is my answer:

Every day, a small ant arrives at work very early and starts work immediately. She produces a lot and she was happy. The Chief, a lion, was surprised to see that the ant was working without supervision. He thought if the ant can produce so much without supervision, wouldn’t she produce even more if she had a supervisor? So he recruited a cockroach who had extensive experience as supervisor and who was famous for writing excellent reports.

The cockroach’s first decision was to set up a clocking in attendance system. He also needed a secretary to help him write and type his reports and he recruited a spider, who managed the archives and monitored all phone calls. The lion was delighted with the cockroach’s reports and asked him to produce graphs to describe production rates and to analyze trends, so that he could use them for presentations at Boards meetings. So the cockroach had to buy a new computer and a laser printer and recruited a fly to manage the IT department.

The ant, who had once been so productive and relaxed, hated this new plethora of paperwork and meetings which used up most of her time! The lion came to the conclusion that it was high time to nominate a person in charge of the department where the ant worked. The position was given to the cicada, whose first decision was to buy a carpet and an ergonomic chair for his office.

The new person in charge, the cicada, also needed a computer and a personal assistant, whom he brought from his previous department, to help him prepare a Work and Budget Control Strategic Optimization Plan. The Department where the ant works is now a sad place, where nobody laughs anymore and everybody has become upset. It was at that time that the cicada convinced the boss, the lion, of the absolute necessity to start a climatic study of the environment.

Having reviewed the charges for running the ant’s department, the lion found out that the production was far less than before. So he recruited the owl, a prestigious and renowned consultant to carry out an audit and suggest solutions. The owl spent three months in the department and came up with an enormous report, in several volumes, that concluded: “The department is over staffed.”

Guess who the lion fires first? The ant, off course, because she “showed lack of motivation and had a negative attitude”.

It is obvious that we don’t get it, yes, we have problems, but in truth we are just creating them by the day. Rat; do not chew the doctor’s bag on purpose, and doctor, do not starve the rat on purpose. Where is Nigeria headed, is this airline business a true renaissance of a nation or another ambush in the air; one cannot tell—Only time will tell.

Prince Charles Dickson

%%AUTHORLINK% Nigeria Air: An Ambush? Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator Ekiti and Nigeria’s delusional fight against corruption Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Reuters photo

By

Jerome-Mario Utomi

In the past three years, Nigerians lived with a veiled notion that the nation attained political maturity where the people’s will prevails. Such a feeling, no doubt stemmed from wisdom born through the experience of the 2015 general elections.

But contrary to this belief, the recent gubernatorial contest in Ekiti state has revealed that the above table of ideology may not be completely true – as it was astonishingly glaring that we are not marching forward but groping and stumbling, politically divided and confused while our moral confidence sinks.

When you boil down precisely to what went wrong with the election, you discover without labour that the people were reacting to the government’s (state and FG) past demonstration of contempt for people-purposed leadership and their pursuit of policies that have benefitted only their friends and supporters.

Though a ‘winner’ has since emerged, available reaction explains that baggage of doubt and creditability burden pervades the state.

And at a more significant level, the obvious irony associated with the exercise is that instead of eliciting celebration, it caused the nation embracement at the global stage and blew a harsh wind into our political arena- posturing Ekiti state, the playing field as the serious loser, and the indigenes as democracy- conscious people without democratic attitude.

Looking at commentaries, one unhappy lesson that comes to the fore is that the exercise barefacedly showcased the country’s unbelief in the saying that the ‘means must be pure as the end we seek.’

Deplorably, while Nigerians wrestle with this pressing reality, the exercise has again opened a new vista of apprehension and further underlined the challenge of money politics/vote buying with many doubting the possibility of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration winning the war against corruption.

And, such fears cannot be described as unfounded as what took place in the state was antithetical with, and runs contrary to, the global tenets for building an honest government which demands that ‘a precondition for such is that the candidate must not need large sums to get elected, or that it must trigger off the circle of corruption. Having spent a lot of money to get elected, winners must recover their costs and possibly accumulate funds for the next election as the system is self-perpetuating.’

Further supporting the above is the remark credited to Malte Liewerscheidt, vice president of the London-based risk advisory group, Teneo Intelligence as reported by the Bloomberg Media group;

‘Both parties engaged in bribery. The APC used “large-scale vote buying and the use of security forces” to protect buying agents. The recipe used by the APC to win in Ekiti might well serve as a blueprint for the upcoming nationwide ballot, with potentially severe implications for public finances,” What is more? No hope for the future.

Without minding what others may say, the Ekiti saga has eloquently proved that the Executive Order 6, as proposed by Mr. President, may not provide the needed solution to the corruption fight in the country as it can only attempt curing the effects while leaving the root-cause to flourish.

The primary concern of the Executive Order as proposed is to track/monitor corrupt transactions and ensure temporary/permanent forfeiture of such proceeds; but, it will be more gratifying in my view if the FG first rework the propeller/enabler- our faulty electoral process that is hugely perceived as capital intensive. Such a step, with no doubt, will be a little beginning that will translate into a huge result.

In the same token, the electoral outing has further painted our politics as responsibility-free where the ‘consent of the governed’ is considered a commodity to be purchased by the highest bidder. Consequentially, the promises of our political leaders can never be fulfilled since they have paid for votes and do not have the responsibility to deliver on their pledges.

Unlike other nations, Nigeria has again demonstrated its lack of culture for accommodation and tolerance which makes a minority genuinely accept the majority’s right to have its way until the next election, and wait patiently and peacefully for its turn to become the government by persuading more voters to support its views.

Curiously, it’s conspicuous that the list of actions not taken by the government remains lengthy and worrisome. For instance, the people could not fathom the rationale for casting their votes for leaders whose vision is not serving the interest of the general constituencies.

Whatever the true position may be, Mr. President’s inability to organize a free and fair election has further lent credence to the belief in some quarters that, though he started off with high moral standards, strong convictions and determination to beat down corruption, it has recently become obvious that he cannot live up to those good intentions as he lacks the strong determination to deal with all transgressors, and without exception.

To, make the system work therefore, and the fight against corruption to bear the targeted result, the President must ensure that our democratic institutions perform their indispensible role in shaping policies and determining the direction of our nation while the people ultimately determine its course and not executive officials operating without constraints.

He should as a matter of urgency come up with a plan that will ensure that every kobo earned in revenue must be properly accounted for and reach the beneficiaries at the grass roots as one kobo, without being siphoned off along the way. In addition, special attention should be given to the areas where discretionary powers had been exploited for personal gains and sharpened the instruments that could prevent, detect or deter such practices.

But, in making this call, I am mindful of the fact that there is nothing more ‘difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating such changes as the innovator will make more enemies of all those who prospered under old other.’ But any leaders that do, come out powerful, secured, respected and happy.

On the part of the people, the only way to change this situation is not by hoping that the president develops a spine, but by the masses taking actionable steps that will build the nation of our dreams, as everything else is just words, and words without power change nothing.

Finally, just the way Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa, recently advised Zimbabweans as they plan their first election without Mugabe to create a real opportunity for a fresh start for Zimbabwe and a chance to cause effective change, so it shall in my view be the collective responsibility of all Nigerians not to destroy this great nation but join hands to nurture it to become a ‘zone of peace and stability’.

Jerome-Mario Utomi

Jerome-Mario is a Social Entrepreneur and an alumnus, School of media and communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

%%AUTHORLINK% Ekiti and Nigeria’s delusional fight against corruption Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Administrator For Those Boys Bearing Nkporo On Their Lips Tuck Magazine Tuck Magazine - Online political, human rights and arts magazine

Julien Harneis photo

By

John Chizoba Vincent

Our ancestral home will not forget your perfection. On this ground we shall plant your names for those who are to come. We will gather firewood, we will gather soothsayers, we will gather seekers of fate to reach into you; life is meant to be spent in joy.

Having Nkporo on your lips is a grace not an illusion. That ancient city carries expectations and treasures which shall be yours when tomorrow comes. We are mailed into extinction, like glossy Victorian postage stamps abandoned in the house of symbols. Though it is a warm, bright glimmer to hold water together into a firm shadow housing weeping spiritual boys over loved ones.

So no child will come outside to play to his glory. So no child will be blinded by the light of the dying lamps. And no child shall be by the gutters where imperfections are completely blocked, by broken hopes, shards of flesh and transgressions. If you stand to move this morning into the hand of mortals, our ancestral legs will shout halleluiah made in open space.

Last night, thousands of souls crossed the shores of our minds to a place where finding rivers is itself a shadow. When morning came they crossed again to a place where Nkporo was written with a green ink. To find your way home is to find another wailing shadow in the doorpost. To find another family is like holding an innocent baby boy to arms and direct him to a place he can burn his skin to ashes and to teach him that he never saw the past pointing an accusing fingers at him.

The mourners are home again, but this time not on the surface of Nkporo because our parents were speechless when the first mourners came. They were quiet when the thrills and waves of the rivers turned into sobs and mourns. Tonight, we will bury out souls into tenses and valued perfections. We will announce Nkporo to the world without guilt that penetrates into skins. We will make Nkporo your names and numbers and letters holding the foundation of the world.

The Eagles played against the voiceless duck before the moon peeped through the eyes of the boys in the night. Tomorrow, we will allow the goats to go the forest to find the lions. We forget our chaos too easily. We forget our way too much. We don’t try to build this fence over the camp of the enemies because dead bodies are now constants on our eyeshadow.

Gory here, sorrow carved preciously, they are the figurine and the flames that stream down from heaven into our souls. No one understands the pain, how it started and how it will end. Sometimes, we need to forget each other to know how important we were to one another when we reconnect. Sometimes, we leave to live again and other times, we file like piles of clothes to trace the beginnings of our misfortunes.

I will not talk of the decline in population and the failure of our economy to treat us right because my strong father is no more. He died having the thought that our roads would be constructed so that he could tell his father, but they weren’t.

I will not even speak evil of this land because of my unborn children. This is their land. Although famished this time they will know how to harvest their own tomorrow. Our old men accepted a lucky strike, and kicked the bucket just last month. The survivors are still at home nursing their leprosy. Try to know yourself before you leave your tongue wagging of goodness.

Down in the edge of my soul, I descended into very thin silver and a lining of gold, my heart the shore of many offspring of Nkporo. For this the barbarian lurking within would just disappear and reshape himself to make us laugh again. The only smile we have left is in our childhood bundled between our chins, stocked inside a photo from the very first day we were born, for we have lost all that made us happy when the sun was always sunny and blazing warm, for it was always midnight in our searching eyes.

Hold onto your bearing. Be the best you can be with this letter. It always the same beginning in the same way, the earth trembled to the motion of our forefathers having our last smile. And then, a silent scream echoed from parts lost to fear, fury, anger and anxieties into faraway cities and those nearby the only tongue of rain in our palms.

Don’t cry more for what happened in Benue, Plateau, Kogi and Enugu. Don’t cry more than your eyes can carry but hold yourself in unity to guide this land where the music of love comes from these energies; you must reserve for a time shall come when you will need them. Resentment or something else may be our fear but then we follow the wind for protection till the cock crows again.

In spite of everything in your hands clean yourselves and make a meal of your dark side for holding on is the passport to be who you are meant to be. I am trying and begging to be me. I am working to love more than I have loved before. I am learning to create a new me but boys, I will make these new clothes for you to wear and protect yourselves.

Sometimes, forget each other to reconnect in a better way. And in that moment bullets and axes and machetes will be laid afar because the bind would be thicker than it was before. As families journey to dimensions unknown, not alone but unaccompanied by our forbearers, we will have boys gathered in their own honour.

Tomorrow, the news will spread around the world on every screen and faces that love are seen among you boys. Wait here for I will write more to encourage you to keep keeping on till this land forgets to remember how to kill each other.

John Chizoba Vincent

John Chizoba Vincent is a poet, actor, Novelist and D.O.P. He is the Author Of Hard times, Good Mama and letter from Home.

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