Hello Folks,

This is just me Uche.... reaching out to my fellow Nigerians and wondering what their thoughts are regarding what we would like to see changed in our home country Nigeria. Having said this, I would also like to add that many of us do have thoughts but that is where they usually end.... I mean they just end being thoughts.

I was with a group of friends recently and I asked this question-. how do we think we can change this country for the better? Unfortunately one of the resounding replies was that we have to get the agberos on our side before we can have any meaningful change. Sad isn't it . Do the agberos reallly determine the pace of the country? However I guess it is time for us to prove James watson wrong( we do remember his story about something being genetically wrong with the black race http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/fury-at-dna-pioneers-theory-africans-are-less-intelligent-than-westerners-394898.html ) because it is taking a long time in coming.

I read The Sun Newspapers on the 7th of august 2009 and I was wondering what exactly was the meaning of federal character. Please see excerpt

According to a letter to the chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Prof. S. Oba Abdulraheem, a copy of which Saturday Sun got, the Supreme Council for Sahari’an in Nigeria said that the opportunity of having a Muslim as number citizen in the country should be used to entrench Muslims in government.The letter said: “Mr. Chairman, it is important to note that Muslims are not asking for any favour on this matter. Rather, they are demanding their right, justice and equity. In our considered view, now is a God-given opportunity, which may not avail itself again, once it is not seized upon. We should, therefore, promptly seize upon this opportunity and in doing so, adopt a holistic resolution of the ugly and untenable trend in the marginalization of Muslims. “If we fail to do so, then we would unwittingly find ourselves in the helpless position of the Hutu complacent majority in Rwanda, who were overrun and massacred in genocide by the minority Tutsi, who had the foresight to plan the systematic control of the military and other strategic security agencies. And as the saying goes, those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it. If we fail to right the monumental wrong today, then we should prepare for a perilous future.” Entitled, “the Imperative of the Constitutional Principle of Federal Character to redress gross marginalization in the Armed Forces, the Police, Security Agencies and other MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies),” the council said that the lopsided recruitments and appointments in the armed forces and police/security agencies in flagrant disregard for constitutional requirement of Federal Character does not augur well for the security and stability of the Nigerian state and transgresses the sense of constitutional propriety, transparency and fairness, all of which are indispensable components of the rule of law.Besides, the group said that it does not give assurance of fairness and fair play in the conduct of national affairs, thereby creating the fear of the probability of a re-enactment of the Rwandan Hutu/Tutsi massacres among a large section of Muslims.

This sounds interesting. I would be glad to know what we think about this. Does merit really matter in Naija? Can mediocrity produce results because of the federal character principle or would this principle favour merit better than mediocrity? If we need results the way we desperately do, would this form and line of thinking help in this present day and age. Does this begger belief? I would want change to start with water everywhere from Ijebuland in the southwest to kachia in kaduna and sunkani in taraba right across to iboland to the itsekiris to the gwaris to the nupes to the fulanis. Is this a pipe dream? I will share a secret with you - water is freely avaliable in every home in Ireland and guess what.... It is free, No bills. I would love to hear your thoughts about this.