The recent events in my Country Nigeria since January 1 2012 has been nothing short of despair coupled with anger.

Perhaps we should back date it to 25th December 2011 the Christmas day gift to Nigerians with the bombing of a Catholic Church by Boko Haram (BH) with the attendant lose of lives including whole families.

BH has grown from a serpent that was crushed on the head but fatally wounded into an hydra headed monster that is blood thirsty and uncontrollable, hungry for revenge.

The spate of bombings carried out by this “faceless” group in the last 24 days has shown how powerful and ruthless the monster has grown.

Kano bombing of security formations across the state on friday with over 200 dead, Damaturu following on Saturday and Bauchi early Sunday morning with our security and intelligence agencies looking lost like a man marooned on an unknown island.

Perhaps most bitter and extremely disgusting is the reaction of the President in person of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. It took him over 7hrs to respond to the Xmas day bomb blast which occured during first mass, that is before he attended church where he danced and was all smiles and received state house delegation who came to visit him before he uttered a word about the bombing. What callousness!

If that was anything to go by, January 1st fuel subsidy was removed shooting up the pump price to N141 from N65! Of course, NLC/TUC called for a strike, and were supported by Civil Liberty Groups across the country. And it resulted into a 5 day all out strike action with peaceful mass rally in different parts of the country and the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota re-christened Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park became synonymous with the movement that is now known as Occupy Nigeria.

All the intricacies during the strike, the sell out by Labour I will leave out here. But my concern now is the post-strike events.

Jonathan ordered troops into Lagos and several parts of the country while he as claimed by parties involved,”unilaterally” declared pump price to be N97 and admonished all and sundry to be respectful and go back to their duty post. Much like the image of a School Principal addressing JSS2 students.

But what he failed to realize or he has partly realised, is that its not about fuel subsidy. Its about governance, its cost and benefits, institutionalised corruption and security of the lives of the people.

That’s why I said a nation under siege.

And the siege is not limited to just political alone. Perhaps I should itemise the sieges we are under; 1) Political Siege – led by PDP and her cohorts.
2) Economic Siege – led by the “Cabal” and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Sanusi Lamido and Co.
3)Religious Siege – led by Pastors and Renegade Islamic Scholars.
4)Security Siege – led by the C-in-C and State Governors.

1) Political Siege:
Ever since return to democratic rule in 2009 and the nation under the hammer of PDP led government at the centre and different parties at the different units. A host of atrocities have been committed under the cloud of politics by different people inclusive of governors. Instead of a Federal Structure, we have a Unitary Structure operating in the guise of a federal structure with too much power concentrated at the centre, in the kitty of the President. Hence he decides the fate of governors and states at his whim and caprice.

He has absolute Monarchial Powers in a Presidential System of government where is word is law and to wrong him is to wrong the gods. ‘Kaa bi yoo o si’ in Yoruba parlance. He decides and determines how he wants to be fed, clothed. Decides in collaboration with his croonies, yes-men how much should be in the budget and how much is implemented.

He settles opposition with “transport fare” uses the police to dethrone and kidnap governors and muzzle would be opposition. Uses the SSS to pay “courtesy” calls to all and deploys other agencies to quell and instill fear in subjects.

He has the backing of the National Assembly as well, filled with birds of the same feather whose only ambition is to line their pockets, snore through sessions, make rancour when the need calls for it and seat up tight when threatened to do their legislative duties. Perhaps pass one or two sensible bills with 2 percent impact on the population.

They have scores of legislative aides and travel at will at the expense of the people who voted them in (sorry who provided the wheels to ride on). And the list goes on….

The Governors, demigods who brood no nonsense and tolerates no criticism. They rule their domain with a vice grip and amass wealth overnight and “gallovant” across the globe with a throng of legislative aides much like their principal the president.

They pocket in millions in the name of security votes without recourse to anyone and accounting to no one.

They reign supreme in the land and atimes can bully the President when they have the chance and opportunity.

People seek all means to curry favor from them and are wary not to fall on their wrong side least they become victims of sudden death or accident has the case has always been. The Police is your friend so the saying goes, but the Police know their best friend, the Governors. They fund them, and use them well enough against perceived opponents and to muzzle “subjects”.

The Governors promise heaven on earth to vote for them for a first term, but once in, they become like a boil right up the anus…and second term…don’t let’s go there. Its a do or die affair.

Local Government Chairman….don’t let’s go there.

The fastest way to be a millionaire in Nigeria is to partake in politics and play the game with them if you have been poverty stricken, mentally and financially.

2) Economic Siege:

To be continued.

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