tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55476517343704125032024-03-12T20:07:43.089-07:00The KaleidoscopeEncouraging debate since...polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-68471849483436931732011-04-11T16:37:00.000-07:002011-04-11T16:50:29.517-07:00Lessons from SaturdayBelow are some of my thoughts on the conduct of the National Assembly Elections.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">A long way from 2007</span>: The 1st leg of the elections even with the postponements were not perfect, but improvements are noticeable from 4 years ago. Attempting to go from 0 to 100% in one election is unrealistic, but the positives are there. For example, I got to my polling unit by 9am, 90 minutes earlier than I arrived on April 2nd. The logistics were better. The turnout also increased. On April 2nd, I accredited 165 people. The number went up to 259, the vast majority of which voted. I was also impressed with the security. Across the country, similar improvements were recorded. International observers declared their satisfaction with the conduct of the elections and while there were still few lapses, it is clear that Nigeria will get there eventually.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beware early results:</span> the first results that came in showed the ruling PDP at a seemingly huge disadvantage. However, they were mostly from the south-west and there was a lot more counting to be done throughout the country. Two very interesting cases involved Bukola Saraki and David Mark, who were trailing on saturday night only to cross the line first on sunday. All early results must be viewed with caution henceforth. More on Saraki later.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bankole, Oyinlola display sportmanship</span>: the Speaker of the House, Dimeji Bankole won a lot of sympathy when he released a statement conceding defeat. Olagunsoye Oyinlola followed suit on sunday when he lost his Senate bid in Osun state. The hope is that other politicians can emulate both these men. There is honour even in defeat.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight:bold;">ACN roars back in the South West, but it's gains elsewhere are limited:</span> from a record low of one out of six south-west states in 2007, the ACN looks set to dominate the zone once again with sweeping victories in the legislative races setting them up nicely in the other elections. The gains in other zones have been less dramatic, picking up just 2 senate seats in Edo and 1 Rep. Seat each in Akwa Ibom, Kaduna and Plateau. A lot of results are outstanding however, and the picture may change considerably.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Delay in release of final results could change perception:</span> the delay in the release of the full results, 48 hours after close of voting is cause for anxiety and leaves room for speculation. Many have even joked that there might be some advanced mathematics involved in result computation other than simple addition, or that an abacus is being used at INEC HQ. I hope we won't have to wait 3 days before the results of the Presidential election are announced.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Is a reset in Nigerian politics underway? </span>: the full answer to this question won't be known until all the results of all the elections come in, but the trend certainly points to a reduction of the PDP's majority in both houses. Will it extend to the governorship and Presidential elections? How will the results influence each other? The outcome will definitely be interesting to see.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Did the NYSC DG lie?:</span> the bomb that went off at the INEC office in Suleja, Niger state will be remembered as one of the most cowardly acts ever committed on our soil. Several news media carried the story that members of the NYSC died in that explosion. The Director-General of the NYSC later issued a statement saying that no Corper was killed. ThisDay reported that Victoria Akonde lost her life in the blast. Why would Tsiga lie about it? To save face? If he did lie, he certainly has a case to answer.<br /><br />8. <span style="font-weight:bold;">The role of social media</span>: I really can't end this without talking about the role of citizen reporters in the elections. There were a number of platforms: like Revoda, that enabled voters to send in reports from their polling units. This added to the openness of the process, and the scenes of people cheering as the votes were counted was a heart-warming sight. The people's votes are counting once again. Reports from various polling units flooded Twitter throughout saturday night. One especially interesting event was that despite reports indicating the Bukola Saraki had lost his bid for the Senate in Kwara, his twitter account said on saturday night that the PDP had won all the legislative seats available. The tweet was soon deleted, but the results turned out exactly as he said. Was he clairvoyant?polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-68256935435769526882011-04-04T11:14:00.000-07:002011-04-04T11:17:19.101-07:00Why Jega deserves our supportThe announcement of the postponement of the general elections for the 2nd time in 2 days left many disappointed. Many people hoped to not go to work on Monday, but had their hopes cruelly dashed by the INEC Chairman at 5.30pm on Sunday. Nigerians are right to be upset when their plans (or lack thereof) are disrupted for the small matter of an election that will happen once every four years.<br /><br />However, it is impossible to have perspective about the last 2 days without looking back at the last 4 years. The 2007 elections were decried by Madeleine Albright as the worst she had witnessed. There were governorship re-runs in Delta and Anambra, with results overturned in Ekiti, Edo and other states. There are yet more cases pending in court. Any mess that takes 4 years to clean up is something that must not be allowed to happen again.<br /><br />This is why the postponements are preferable to a situation anything like what happened in '07. A lot of money has gone into this process, but we must remember that much of the structure which produced that the 2007 elections is still in place. The overall lesson here is that money cannot stand alone. Only the right people in the right places and the right processes can ensure the smooth running of an operation as large as trying to conduct an election for a country whose voting population alone is nearly equal to the populations of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya combined.<br /><br />Criticism of the INEC Chairman must thus be tempered by the knowledge of the situation he met on the ground. This Commission is clearly in need of reform, and Attahiru Jega is caught between trying to deliver an election when he said he would and also trying to deliver one he can put his signature on, as they are not the same thing.<br /><br />All that matters now is that we have credible elections. If that objective is achieved, then the inquest and very necessary root-and-branch reform of INEC can begin. A postponed election is better than a rigged one.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-62389548576878887912011-04-02T20:33:00.000-07:002011-04-02T21:35:43.372-07:00INEC's failure to launchOn the 22nd of March at a consultative dialogue with the NBA, the INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega said: ‘For INEC, I can say categorically and convincingly that we are ready for the election, the question should be, are the lawyers and politicians ready?’ 11 days later, he has to eat his words: ‘…in order to maintain the integrity of the elections and retain effective overall control of the process, the Commission has taken the difficult but necessary decision to postpone the National Assembly elections to Monday, April 4, 2011. I appeal to all Nigerians for their understanding in this difficult situation.’ Coming the day after April Fools’ Day, it seemed like an expensive joke. It wasn’t a joke, but it certainly was expensive. It has taken Nigeria nearly N150 billion ($1 billion)and a 2 month extension to get to this point as the elections were initially to hold in February to give more time to settle electoral disputes which may arise. The main issue was the lack of EC8A and EC8A (1) forms without which results cannot be recorded. Transportation of officials and materials was also a major issue throughout the country.<br /><br />If problems could be solved by throwing money at them alone, much of Nigeria’s problems would be over. Instead, today’s failure (because that is what it is) when the eyes of whole world were focused on us (well, those that aren’t focused on Libya, Japan, Ivory Coast) is merely the latest and most dramatic failure of another government institution in this country. Indeed, it is easy to go for Jega’s jugular right now, but his acceptance of responsibility for today’s debacle is one of very few positives to draw on. It’s also easy to forget that he has inherited an electoral body made in the image of Maurice Iwu, a machine seemingly built to rig, which gave us one of the worst elections in any democratic country, anywhere, ever. I doubt we would have gotten a similar statement from Prof. Iwu had he still been chairman. We would have gotten cooked up results instead. Jega has said in the past that INEC needs to be reformed but you can’t undo 5 years of Iwu in less than 1 year.<br /><br />This is however scant consolation to the millions who turned out to vote today, trying to make their voices heard. At least, they have another chance to participate in an exercise that while extremely costly, still has the chance for a minimum of credibility. Spare a thought also for the ad-hoc staff, who can’t just walk away from a polling booth after a false start. I am one of them. They bear the brunt of INEC’s logistic shambles in many ways, especially in terms of transportation to and from ward collation centres, polling units and the various INEC offices in the local governments. Many of the youth corpers in my ward had to walk to their units carrying election materials. Many also walked back. As I speak, not a kobo has been given any of my colleagues. No, it is not about money. It’s about taking care of those who do the dirty work. Hundreds of young people spent the night in and around local government HQs across Nigeria. Some slept on mats, some spent the night at guest houses, and some didn’t sleep.<br /><br />It would be remiss of me not to mention the impressive use of twitter and other tools for reporting on the elections. Those reports were the first signs that things were going wrong across the country. We also saw those tools used to spread falsehood, most notable of which was the BBM broadcast that said both AC and ACN were on the ballot, both with the broom sign. I promptly refuted this on my own twitter page. The only way to counter such false information is by finding out and disseminating the truth.<br /><br />So, it seems we will gather on Monday to do it all again. I personally think it’s too soon. I don’t know how possible it is to get result sheets to over 100,000 polling units in less than 48 hours, and the transportation issues remain. The party agents and ad-hoc staff will need to be paid. I’ll suggest that the National Assembly and Presidential elections hold together. I don’t know all the factors the INEC Chairman has to consider, but I’m sure he will take the right decision. No matter how difficult.<br /><br />The price Nigeria is paying during this election cycle to get credible elections is a steep one. I am not alone in hoping that it is all worth it in the end.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-81360204979763913842011-03-31T23:35:00.000-07:002011-03-31T23:37:32.960-07:00The Importance of one voteThe most often heard excuse for not voting in an election is "my one little vote won't make a difference." Yet history is full of instances proving the enormous power of one single vote. In many cases, the course of nations has been changed because one individual ballot was cast — or not cast — depending upon your point of view.<br /><br />If you think that your vote won't make a difference, please consider the following:<br /><br />1. In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.<br /><br />2. In 1649, one vote literally cost King Charles I of England his head. The vote to behead him was 67 against and 68 for — the ax fell thanks to one vote.<br /><br />3. In 1714, one vote placed King George I on the throne of England and restored the monarchy.<br /><br />4. In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German (at least according to folk lore.)<br /><br />5. Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Rutherford B. Hayes all became US Presidents by a margin of one vote. <br /><br />6. Texas, California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon all became part of the USA by one vote. The map of the US would have been very different.<br /><br />7. In 1846, a one vote margin in the U.S. Senate approved President Polk's request for a Declaration of War against Mexico.<br /><br />8. In 1867 - The Alaska purchase was ratified in the Senate by two votes, paving the way for future statehood in 1958.<br /><br />9. In 1868, one vote in the U.S. Senate saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment.<br /><br />10. In 1875, a one vote margin changed France from a monarchy to a republic. In 1940, the vote taken to maintain its status as a republic also failed. By one vote.<br /><br />11. In 1916, if presidential hopeful Charles E. Hughes had received one additional vote in each of California's precincts, he would have defeated President Woodrow Wilson's re-election bid.<br /><br />12. On November 8, 1923, members of the then recently-formed revolutionary political party met to elect a leader in a Munich, Germany beer hall. By a majority of one vote, they chose an ex-soldier named Adolph Hitler to become the NAZI Party leader. We all know what happened after.<br /><br />13. In 1941, the Selective Service Act (the draft) was saved by a one vote margin — just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.<br /><br />14. In 1948, a Texas convention voted for Lyndon B. Johnson over ex-Governor Coke Stevens in a contested Senatorial election. Lyndon Johnson because U.S. Senator by a one vote margin.<br /><br />15. In 1948, if Thomas E. Dewey had gotten one vote more per precinct in Ohio and California, the presidential election would have been thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives where Dewey enjoyed more support than his rival — incumbent Harry Truman. As it was, Dewey was expected to win the general election by a landslide so most Republicans stayed home. Only 51.5% of the electorate voted. Truman defeated Dewey.<br /><br />16. In the 1960 presidential election, an additional one vote per precinct in Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and Texas may have altered the course of America's modern history by denying John F. Kennedy the presidency and placing Richard Nixon in the White House eight years earlier.<br /><br />17. In 2000 - The Presidential election was decided by an extremely narrow margin. George W. Bush won the state of Florida by just 537 votes, making him the 43rd President of the United States. Close to 6 million voters went to the polls in Florida. It might not have been by one vote, but certainly every vote counted.<br /><br />18. In 2008 - Minnesota voters cast 2.9 million votes in their US Senate race that eventually was decided by 312 votes (1/1000th of one %)<br /><br />19. South Africa lost the bid to host 2006 world cup to Germany by one vote. <br /><br />YOUR ONE VOTE COUNTS!<br /><br />Sources<br />http://cltr.co.douglas.nv.us/Elections/History_at_Work.htm<br />http://www.learn-usa.com/of_relevance/vote.htmpolymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-50996709101863728902011-03-31T06:50:00.000-07:002011-03-31T07:09:14.550-07:00Jonathan wins by defaultIn what might be a first for a democratic country, a sitting President comes to a debate and is the only participant. The incumbent didn’t appear at either the debate organised by NN24 or that organised by Enough is Enough Nigeria, tagged ‘What About Us’. Ibrahim Shekarau and Nuhu Ribadu attended both. Dele Momodu and Muhammadu Buhari one each. Candidates Shekarau, Ribadu and Buhari boycotted the BON debate in protest at Goodluck Jonathan’s absence from earlier debates.<br /><br />The result was that the BON debate became something of a farce on one hand, and a missed opportunity by the opposition candidates on the other hand. One of the main aims of a presidential debate is for an incumbent to be grilled rigorously on his record by the moderator/panellists and by his challengers. Those tough questions were in short supply. Nothing was asked about the Niger Delta or the solution to the Jos crisis, or indeed, why he didn’t go there in the aftermath of the latest disturbances. He did well on issues of agriculture, women participation in governance and questions on the petroleum sector, but his response on electricity and corruption left much to be desired. Questions about the direction of our national budget were also omitted. The moderator correctly said that due to time, not all questions could be asked, which does make one wonder just how the Nigerian Electoral Debate Group prioritise debate questions, and why despite visiting Lagos 10 times in about 2 months, President Jonathan could only find time for one debate.<br /><br />That said, I think that the opposition candidates short-changed themselves by letting Jonathan have the reach of the NTA unchallenged. A lot more people get NTA in their homes than Channels or NN24. They also denied the viewing public the gift of contrast, of comparing the candidates as they stand side by side and make their points. A combination of Buhari, Shekarau and Ribadu would have put Jonathan under real pressure, even put him in the shade, and we will never know what the outcome of that would have been. They each lost a chance to make a last minute personal appeal to the voters, to change a few minds. Strategy and pragmatism should have taken precedence over making a point, as the latter gives no votes. If the PDP wins the Presidency again by a much narrower margin, the absence of the opposition from the BON debate could be seen as a factor. An appearance in front of several million people at once would be worth a lot of rallies and posters. One wouldn’t have expected such a lapse in judgement from a retired General, a retired policeman, and a mathematician. Maybe Jonathan is really lucky after all.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-20822807026927620042011-03-21T13:09:00.000-07:002011-03-21T13:22:08.630-07:00Revoda- A potential game changer.<span style="font-style:italic;">'The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything'</span> - Josef Stalin (1923)<br /><br />All parts of the RSVP (Register, Select, Vote, Protect) campaign are important, but the chilling quote above makes the case that perhaps the 'Protect' part of the process is the most crucial. A candidate could have a perfect campaign, put his points across, convince and mobilise voters and all that, but once the election is rigged, especially in a tight race, all could be lost. What would follow might be a lengthy court battle at best, given the nature of our legal system.<br /><br />The Enough is Enough Nigeria coalition has once again taken the lead with a phone application that could turn a lot of voters into election observers and give them the power to protect their votes by making reports on the conduct of the election at their polling units which will be compiled and which are actionable. The name of this application is called 'REVODA', and it can be gotten by texting 'GO' to 08128882011. A link will then be sent to your fone to download the application. After downloading, go to the menu section and register your polling unit number and full name. There is also the option to 'Tell a friend' about Revoda, which I hope everyone does.<br /><br />One of the most crucial things REVODA should be used for is to report the number of voters ACCREDITED at a polling unit. Voter accreditation is a new dimension introduced by INEC to further reduce rigging. The total number of voters who intend to vote is to be known before the actual voting takes place. Accreditation will be between 8am and 12.30pm and voting commences immediately after. The total number of voters ACCREDITED should be reported, so that if the number of ballots cast is higher than that figure, the results are invalidated as it will be a nearly sure case of rigging. After voting, voters are also allowed to stay behind and monitor the counting process. The final vote tallies should also be reported. Reports on events in between like early/late arrival of election officials and materials, violence, ballot box snatching, and also if the process is peaceful, will be useful to get the true picture of the conduct of these very crucial elections.<br /><br />Election observers can't be everywhere all the time. The citizens, however, can be. The Revoda app is yet another tool that can aid the people to get more involved in the process, and make sure that their will is upheld at the ballot box. The tool is here and it is left for the people to use it. Download it, and share with your friends. Spread the word. Come out and vote, and after voting don't go back home. Protect your vote. 3 saturdays is not too much to sacrifice in order to have a better 4 years.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-29338997336279236332011-03-19T05:53:00.000-07:002011-03-19T07:57:23.562-07:00Can Nigeria's social media generation change the course of the elections?The genesis of Nigeria's youth driven movement for change began in 2009 with 'Light Up Nigeria'. This started primarily as an online movement to draw attention to the issue of poor power supply in the country, and as a means to pressure the government to take concrete steps to address it. Since then, the movement has expanded. During the leadership vacuum caused by the illness and eventual passing of Umaru Yar'Adua, the cry became 'Enough is Enough' when it was clear the country was being held hostage by fewer than a dozen people. Two rallies, one in Abuja and another in Lagos were held to demand, among other things, that then VP Goodluck Jonathan carry the mantle of leadership in Yar'Adua's absence as contained in the constitution. The conversation now turned to the fact without electing good leaders, 'Light Up Nigeria' would never see the light of day (pun intended). Hence the 'Enough is Enough' coalition of youth bodies was formed. That coalition set about creating awareness on the need to register to vote, careful selection of candidates, voting on election day, and staying back to protect the votes and make sure they aren't tampered with. It was tagged 'RSVP'. The voter registration was a success, with over 73 million people registered. Of this number, 65 per cent are young voters. The Enough Is Enough coalition seeks to leverage this by organising a youth driven debate tagged 'What About Us?', Where candidates will take unscripted questions from young voters in a bid to win the youth vote. With 65 per cent of the electorate, it is very fair to say that any candidate who wins youth voters will win the election.<br /><br />The above serves as an introduction for the real point: the efforts of the EIE coalition are very commendable and necessary, but do they speak for the majority of young people in Nigeria? This question has to be asked because the impact of this movement seems to felt more online, through social media tools like facebook, twitter and blogs. How many people do these speak to? As of now, there are just over 3m facebook accounts in nigeria and only about 300,000 or so twitter accounts. In a country where 70 per cent live on less than a dollar a day, the proportion of those 'connected' is low compared to the rest of the population. The majority of youth are the danfo drivers, the okada riders, traders, the security men, domestic helps, vulcanizers, mechanics and so on. These are the people who are not online, and who don't have the benefit of knowing what should matter in this crucial election season. These are the same people who are likely to cause violence, sell their votes, or choose a candidate for the wrong reasons. This undoubtedly plays into the hands of those candidates at all levels who would rather not debate the issues, choosing instead to reduce the discussion to vague slogans. President Jonathan declined the NN24 debate, and looks likely to also decline the 'What About Us?' Debate this friday in favour of the one organised by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) on March 29 which is likely to be scripted. Interestingly, in 1999, 2003 and 2007, the PDP candidate has not attended the BON debate. This paints the picture of a ruling party that doesn't feel they will be punished at the ballot box if they don't turn up to face the electorate and debate the issues. So far, they have not been wrong. The President could yet attend a debate, but if this country's social media savvy youth don't like what they see, what are they going to do about it? I have an idea: how about if everyone with a blackberry, twitter/facebook account mobilises 10 or more other people to vote for an opposition candidate? Would that make a difference? If even 1 million nigerian youths on facebook get 10 others to vote one way, will 10 million votes make a difference? Yes? I thought so. What needs to be understood is that using social media for change is never an end in itself. It is a great way to get started but the bulk of the work is always in face-to-face contact, to convince people in the streets to vote for your candidate. A point has to be reached where youths outside the boundaries of the internet identify with a cause. That way the effect of every tweet, every status update is multiplied and it cannot be ignored.<br /><br />President Jonathan connected with the streets by talking to D'Banj about his plan for the youths. His wife, Patience Jonathan does that by talking to market women, artisans and the like in the language they understand. Other candidates and their supporters on social networks can do it too. There is still time.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-5865689927176886132011-03-17T16:33:00.000-07:002011-03-17T16:54:30.255-07:00The President and the Kokomaster help each other outIt’s impossible for anyone who wanted an election campaign based on issues not to come away from President Jonathan’s 25 minute chat with D’Banj with a sour taste in the mouth. The President has (so far) not participated or confirmed participation in any debate, giving a string of excuses why not. Instead, he agreed to an ‘interview’ with the maker of one of his campaign jingles, who dutifully nodded throughout and asked 3 obviously scripted questions.<br /><br />Not like D’Banj actually has any real blame. This is just the latest in a series of high profile PR stunts that the artiste has put together to boost his profile and that of his label. Any truly honest observer wouldn’t have expected anything else. He is just trying to move up in the world after all. Sitting down with the President in between music collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Kanye West will take his celebrity to new levels and his net worth too. Even four years ago, D’Banj did a jingle for the PDP so no surprises there.<br /><br />President Jonathan also got what he wanted. He is leveraging the popularity of D’Banj among young voters to connect with them, if only in a superficial way. He offered little in the way of solutions. Once again he repeated his pledge to build a federal university in every state, tax breaks for businesses who employ graduates, strengthening of anti-piracy laws to protect intellectual property and announced a $500m fund for SMEs. Such hard hitting topics like corruption, power and security were avoided altogether, questions that would definitely have to be answered in a rigorous, unscripted, competitive debate.<br /><br />Nigerian youths might still get to see the incumbent step up to defend his record. A Presidential debate hosted by NN24 is to hold on Friday the 18th, with a final debate tagged ‘What About Us?’ to hold on the 25th. There are burning questions though: Even though the reaction to the interview with D’Banj on facebook and twitter was almost entirely negative, will it hurt Goodluck in the polls? Or will it actually help him connect with the grassroots? Will all the outrage among Nigeria’s digital youth make a difference? Even IF he doesn’t attend any debates, will it change the course of the elections? The answers to these questions will be unknowable until a day or two after April 9th. There are some views that the movement among youths for change in Nigeria is too ‘elitist’, that it doesn’t connect with the majority who don’t have internet access, facebook, twitter and blackberries, that the numbers are too small to effect change.<br /><br />What is for sure is that a President who doesn’t stand before the people he leads to give an account of his stewardship should lose his mandate to lead at the ballot box. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-1976311874700401662011-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:002011-01-21T22:31:44.211-08:00The RSVP diaries, Episode 5: 'Frustration'.On Thursday, my laptop developed a fault. It wasn't loading the 'OpenVR' software. This happened at just past 12 noon, and it was Friday morning that it was taken for repairs. I don't know when i'll get it back but if the experience of my colleagues is anything to go by, I could be out of action for a couple more days at least. One polling unit in Iganmu has been inactive since monday.<br /><br />I'm told that all laptops that have serious problems end up at INEC Lagos HQ, but I can't help feeling like the whole process is too slow.I would have thought that a lot of INEC/Zinox IT personnel would have been deployed throughout the country BEFORE the exercise to take care of technical issues in a timely manner. There is no such rapid response system in place. All this, among others, means that an extension to the exercise is a certainty.<br /><br />This doesn't do much for me though. The longer i'm inactive, the more my frustration mounts. I can't wait to get back in the field and match the enthusiasm of the electorate. My code is 24/05/06/019. INEC/Zinox, please make it happen soonest.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-47752513547868214982011-01-19T12:33:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:12:39.246-08:00The RSVP diaries, Episode 4: 'Technical Issues with the OpenVR software'After two very frustrating days at the start, the voter registration began to gather momentum as INEC reacted to complaints. The last three days have seen me register 54, 70, then 74 people. I hope to keep increasing that number, because the enthusiasm from the public is certainly there.<br /><br />In spite of the major problem, that of the scanners, being fixed there remain a number of bugs i have noticed after 5 days.<br /><br />1. Sometimes the temporary voter's cards get printed out without the Voter Identification Number. I then have to hand write on the slip.<br /><br />2. After the finger prints are taken, a handful of the entries have been flagged as 'potential duplicates' and are therefore pending approval by someone with a higher clearance level. If everyone has a unique finger print, how can it then be a duplicate?<br /><br />3. Today, the system required a restart about 3 times because the counter would go blank and all the saved records would momentarily disappear. They are restored when the system reboots.<br /><br />Feel free to share your own observations here. Day 6 is upon us.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-40229404655167550192011-01-17T11:58:00.000-08:002011-01-17T14:04:02.058-08:00The RSVP diaries: Episode 3: 'We have lift off!'Yesterday, I hoped for a big improvement and that's exactly what happened. Technical support arrived my ward (Iganmu) this morning in the shape of an update to the 'OpenVR' Registration Software. It's taken a little while, but INEC is beginning to react to the complaints. Expect widespread reports of greater satisfaction with the process in the coming days. My total today was 54, up from 16 yesterday. My average is just under 8 minutes per person but for the last couple of hours it went down to 6 minutes. My personal aim is to register 70 people or more a day.<br /><br />Apart from the update to the software, the placement of fingers on the scanner is key. There is a little square that MUST be covered by the finger for the print to be captured. The use of methylated spirit to clean the face of the scanner also helps, but I hope the update gets to as many machines, as quickly as possible. It is the missing piece.<br /><br />One part of being a registration officer that is overlooked is the need for people skills. In times of frustration, keeping calm and helping registrants do same is important. Through everything, I remember to smile and be of good humour. It's stressful, but the appreciation from total strangers makes it worthwhile. Also worthwhile is the realization that I am part of a monumental project that could very well set the tone for a crucial next ten years.<br /><br />If you are reading this and you haven't registered, please do. Please be patient with the process. Encourage others to be patient as well. This is too important. Tomorrow is another day to RSVP.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-91003416850595714462011-01-16T11:53:00.000-08:002011-01-16T13:43:47.115-08:00The RSVP diaries, Episode 2: 'You're only as good as your equipment'Day 2 began in uncertain fashion, especially for those of us with the faulty finger print scanners. There were so many questions as I drove to Sari- Iganmu: 'is there a plan B?', 'how fast will INEC respond to the complaints?', 'will I actually do ANYTHING today?'<br /><br />In spite of the uncertainty, frustration was never an option because this is a national assignment unlike any other in recent times. So, forge ahead I did. Technical support from wasn't forthcoming today, but we still went out into the field, and had to use our wits to register our countrymen.<br /><br />As expected, the battle with the scanners was an uphill one. I have to say again that Zinox royally messed this one up. Even the laptops are not up to scratch. We did get some momentum though, only after we figured out how to make the scanners respond. Someone MIGHT find the following points useful:<br /><br />1. Start with the finger printing first. I got no luck AT ALL entering the names before taking fingerprints. <br /><br />2. Make sure the fingers of the registrant cover the face of the scanner completely, so it will read quicker. Holding the finger down for better contact also helps.<br /><br />It wasn't all a struggle though. The residents of Adeolu Street were full of good humour, even though their tempers started to fray (understandably) as the day progressed. There's this one man, Mr. Iheanacho, who ends every other statement with 'confirmento confirm'. He's just jokes.<br /><br />Only 2 people were registered on Day 1, but 16 on Day 2. I'm aiming for another big improvement tomorrow.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-32854555574167268112011-01-15T11:53:00.000-08:002011-01-15T13:55:23.770-08:00The RSVP diaries: episode 1.This is the story of a youth who has complained for a long time about Nigeria, and finally gets a chance to contribute his quota.<br /><br />Ever since the DG of NYSC announced during orientation camp that Youth Corpers will be used for the registration and elections this year, i have waited for this day. To be a part of the process and try to make a little change, to put in a little effort, is something not many can lay claim to. Some WANT to be involved, but can't. Some CAN get involved, but are pessimistic about things changing so they do nothing. Some CAN do more, but don't because of the same reason: they feel nothing will change. I on the other hand CAN get involved, IS getting involved, and i AM optimistic about change. So i feel blessed. Yes, optimism is a blessing, skepticism is a curse. Quote me.<br /><br />However, the road to this participation was fairly stressful. Dealing with civil servants is an exercise in perseverance, especially the INEC officials in Apapa. Maybe i'm just complaining. Anyway, after 2 days of training and endless time on one queue or the other, i ended up at Sari-Iganmu, just off the expressway that goes to Mile 2. The making of a railway line that links one end of Lagos to the other is already well underway. Let me not digress.<br /><br />I found very enthusiastic residents, who were very warm and helpful to us, and helped us to set up. The big disappointment of today were the finger print scanners from Zinox. It seems that we in Apapa got most of the bad ones, because registration virtually ground to a halt across the local government, and even beyond. Zinox can do a lot better than that. They have just given other local companies a bad name. I hope INEC has a back up plan that can go into effect early tomorrow morning because there is a tremendous amount of expectation and desire among ordinary Nigerians to get involved in the process. People are waking up. It is something that can't be properly grasped unless you are walking the streets with a box marked 'INEC', being stopped every few feet by ordinary people asking: 'will you come tomorrow?'<br /><br />However, some youths are going to have to stretch themselves physically and deny themselves a few comforts for a short while to keep up with this enthusiasm. My day began at 7am, ended at 8pm and It seems I am condemned to missing Manchester United's game at Spurs. The things I do for my country. I wouldn't have it any other way.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-32919272639645013932011-01-01T02:01:00.000-08:002011-01-01T02:13:06.745-08:00Re-Evaluating Dele Momodu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZb4_mQuOjVmHXm-ExdJ0Vrl-LlS8SE0as_OwEn1apPfO_E8e2iIy75jqPkFpImdf_AvKbSOF42CP7jEPEKAfuphZJI_kbf6bETdkhwuv1W1d6azsIRrV_cAdOGj4ewLMUI1ZX3hqh5Y/s1600/dele+momodu+campaign.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZb4_mQuOjVmHXm-ExdJ0Vrl-LlS8SE0as_OwEn1apPfO_E8e2iIy75jqPkFpImdf_AvKbSOF42CP7jEPEKAfuphZJI_kbf6bETdkhwuv1W1d6azsIRrV_cAdOGj4ewLMUI1ZX3hqh5Y/s400/dele+momodu+campaign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557158049147107906" /></a><br />When Dele Momodu announced his candidacy for the Presidency, I was one of the many who were taken quite aback. It was very hard for me to picture him as the President of Nigeria. That was because I saw him more as someone who belonged in celebrity circles, being the owner of OVATION magazine. Before that, I followed his articles in ThisDay on Saturday so I knew he had substance. Even then, I was very skeptical because he had never held any public office. In the months since, as presidential candidates began to come forward, I have had cause to re-evaluate my opinion of his campaign in light of what Nigeria needs now, and also in light of his antecedents. <br /><br />To give us a better chance of achieving rapid economic growth, we the voters have to look outside the ruling party for our next president and also elect credible opposition candidates into as many positions as we can find them. Many of us actually know that the PDP are ruining us, but we don’t believe they can be defeated at the polls. It’s about time we realised that our votes give us ultimate power. Only by making better choices can we ensure better governance. If we continue to vote for candidates for sentimental reasons, things will keep going wrong. The following are the reasons why I think Dele Momodu deserves a fair hearing.<br /><br />Ideology: Of all the candidates, he has the closest thing to an ideology. This goes back to his close association with MKO Abiola and the Hope ’93 campaign. Mr. Momodu leans to the left, to social welfare, just like the Social Democratic Party platform on which the late MKO ran. Many of the policies he proposes today are very similar to the ‘Farewell to Poverty’ manifesto. I think the presence of some kind of ideology is important, because in this country it’s all about grabbing for power without knowing what you’re going to do with it. The result is a nation that lurches from one policy to another, creating uncertainty in every sector. It is time we started to demand some evidence of an ideology from our candidates for political office.<br /><br />Fresh Perspective: One of the biggest reasons to look beyond the PDP is that we would get a fresh pair of eyes to tackle our numerous problems. Einstein defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results’. After 12 years of one party, and 3 presidents, Nigeria is still where it is. What we have had is not progress, its mediocrity. Aside Nuhu Ribadu, Dele Momodu is the only other candidate that represents a shift from the status quo. It has been largely the same people leading us for years, with nothing to show for it. Shall we persist with this insanity?<br /><br />Success in Private endeavour: The vast majority of those who seek elective office in Nigeria are professional politicians. They don’t know how to do anything else. Whatever businesses they have are sustained by government patronage, based on their constant politicking. Dele Momodu has managed to build a business, a brand, from scratch, from outside the corridors of power with a loan from his uncle. In today’s Nigeria, this is not common. Before starting the Ovation brand, he was one of the leading journalists in Nigeria as Editor of Classique aged just 30. In an era of ‘sudden wealth’, his is an outstanding example of success achieved the right way. His experience as a successful entrepreneur will be of huge benefit to this nation riddled with inefficiency at every level.<br /><br />Principles: In the aftermath of June 12, Dele Momodu was a presenter on Radio Freedom (Radio Kudirat) in 1995, at the risk of his life. He was one of those imprisoned by IBB, and then he went into exile to start over. In my opinion, his role in those difficult times is not known by enough people. Many in the SDP eventually took jobs in Abacha’s government and became PDP stalwarts, but he didn’t. It would have been very easy for him to join the PDP, but he didn’t. Dele Momodu apparently understands that ultimately, evil association corrupts good manners. Even his exit from the Labour Party was based on principle, in the light of statements by the LP National Chairman that he ‘did not have the mandate to field a presidential candidate’. He has now pitched his tent with the National Conscience Party founded by the late great Gani Fawehinmi, whom he was very close to.<br /><br />Resilience: When he first announced his candidacy, many people wrote him off but he has stuck to his task, trying to win voters over in spite of the odds. This is a lot more than can be said of a couple of other candidates who seemed promising but have dropped out of the race. This kind of resilience is necessary in trying to tackle this country’s numerous problems.<br /><br />How can anyone clean up a system he is part of? If we agree that the PDP is the problem with Nigeria, having held power for so long and done so little with it, how does electing a PDP candidate get us out of this mess? Now is not the time for ethnic sentiments, religious sentiments, or any other kind. All it has gotten us so far is several hundred dead in Jos, kidnappings in the East, Boko Haram and bombings on Independence Day, Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve. What other proof does the electorate need to look at alternative candidates?<br /><br />The usual way of doing things have not worked for us. We still complain about the same things now that we complained about in 1999. Nothing has changed. If we go down the same path, do we really think that the outcome will be different? There is absolutely no reason not to consider Dele Momodu as a potential President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What the electorate should demand is three presidential debates where the aspirants will field the tough questions and show their grasp of the issues and the soundness of their solutions at the end of which the best man wins. It is very important to register to vote, but if we elect the wrong candidates because we don’t take the time to check what they stand for, it will be another long 4 years.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-80279297221602205412010-12-04T17:11:00.000-08:002010-12-04T17:12:19.554-08:00A word (or 600) for the guysThis is inspired by a conversation on twitter that I followed from a distance.<br /><br />Most people will remember the movie ‘Coming to America’ where Akeem, the future king of Zamunda (not the club), went to America to find a wife. Even though he came from a privileged background, he opted to go as a regular person, to meet someone who would love him for who he is, not because of what he had. He eventually found that person, only for her to discover later that he was royalty. They eventually rode off into the sunset (predictably).<br /><br />There is a lesson here though. Many guys who are successful (or are on the way to achieving it) complain that they can’t find good girls to date and eventually marry because most are after the money. This is not the full story. There are as many girls who are not after material possessions as those who are. First, let’s just get something out of the way: it’s very natural for a female to want comfort. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Indeed, many guys won’t mind spending freely on their women; after all, what is the money for? However, we see more & more women go after the good things of life on their own, without waiting for a guy. The ambition and the hustle some ladies show is refreshing. <br /><br />As a result, my experience is that fewer women would date a guy if money is largely what he has to offer. Guys have a big role to play in how they are perceived by ladies, and that is what I want to focus on. Akeem won Lisa because of his personality. He didn’t try to buy her love or flaunt his social status. Just like we say females who make their bodies the focus are shallow, so also men who make their wallets their main selling point should be considered shallow as well. If a guy flaunts his wealth to get girls and attracts gold diggers in the process, he really can’t have any complaints. Even if he meets a ‘good girl’, she might consider him too puffed up and move on, leaving him to the sharks. For example, why would you meet a girl for the first time and begin to tell her about your rich background, how much is on your credit card, or other such details? If you go to a club (or anywhere else, for that matter) and spend a lot of money, who do you think you will attract? Miss Independent? Or the kind of woman talked about in track 4 of ‘Late Registration’?<br /><br />I think we guys need to be more like Akeem’s character. Play down your money (or lack of it) and just be you. Let your personality do the talking. Be interesting, engaging, (add more adjectives here) know what you want out of life and work towards it. Women admire certainty & focus in men (the ones I’ve met anyway). It makes them feel safe, like they can trust themselves to you. The best girls around are more interested in a guy’s personality, his vision, whether he is ambitious or not, and of course whether he loves her, rather than the obsession with his pocket. Contrary to popular belief, they are not scarce. Just ensure that when you meet someone like that, you play for keeps.<br /><br />On a final note, the above may not apply to you if you are not interested in a serious relationship. Feel free to disregard.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-69679490376541460472010-05-23T23:41:00.000-07:002010-05-24T00:24:34.974-07:00Will the new faces please stand up?With about 6 months to a pivotal presidential election in this country, if it is to be held in January 2011 as widely reported, you wouldn’t really know it is that close by. It feels like a year or two years to the elections. There has been the usual declaration of interest in the Presidency, first by Donald Duke, then Ibrahim Babangida and Bashorun Dele Momodu but we have seen zero campaigning so far from the two new candidates, or even IBB. It seems like everyone is waiting to see if the zoning formula by the PDP will be scrapped and whether or not Goodluck Jonathan will contest. I could understand the case of IBB as he belongs to the PDP, but Dele Momodu is contesting on the Labour Party’s platform and Donald Duke has left the PDP. I bet he didn’t foresee what is happening now though. I am quite surprised that we haven’t seen any manifestos or policy positions from these candidates. It has been mostly slogans that leave me in particular largely unimpressed. This presidential race is begging for someone to take control of it and a real leader would have done so by now. Dele Momodu for instance is not yet seen as a serious candidate even by many of the youths he claims to represent. The perception is that he is just looking for relevance and he hasn’t done much to change that. Donald Duke has the same problem. Although he’s been governor of Cross Rivers state, he also doesn’t have that instant name recognition throughout the country. It’s also instructive that he declared his ambition in London. Is 6 months enough to convince a majority of people to vote for either of them? Is 6 months enough for a truly nationwide campaign? Is 6 months enough to build a national profile? The answer is no. Barack Obama declared his intention to run for President of the US on February 10 2007, 11 months before the Iowa caucus. David Cameron was in the opposition to the Labour Party since 2005 before toppling them in the UK elections. <br /><br />My main problem is the lack of real excitement around either of them and i think it's because people sense the lack of command, the lack of leadership on display. It’s not just about uniting around one person for the sake of doing so, but we need to know that even one of these men understand the scale of the problems we face and have a good road map to solve those problems. With so little time to go before the elections, we don’t know the positions of our candidates on all the key domestic issues. We don’t even know how the plan of one candidate differs from another. I expected to see both of them make the rounds on all the TV stations, give interviews in newspapers and go on radio programmes to meet the press and the people to push their case, but none of this has happened. Many, many people are slowing leaning towards Goodluck for the elections if he decides to run because he has shown a capacity for strong action by removing Maurice Iwu & Vincent Ogbulafor in quick succession, removing Ibori’s protection and bringing back Nuhu Ribadu & Nasir El- Rufai. You can query the overall motives, but the fact is that those moves have been effective in winning him public support. People also see the hand of God in his life in the manner of his ascendancy into high office. The longer other candidates wait before giving Nigerians a credible, fresh alternative the closer we will move to a Jonathan presidency by default. Time is running out for the new faces on the block to make their case. If the ‘youth can lead’, then ‘the time is now’ (pun intended).polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-91125575877512770302010-05-20T22:45:00.000-07:002010-05-21T03:26:15.127-07:00Spilling overLike many people around the world, i've watched with dismay as oil washed up on the Gulf Coast, threatening living things & livelihoods. This is just the latest in a string of hits the environment takes to satisfy our thirst for oil. So many oil spills that happen around the world are not given quite the same coverage that this has gotten. In Nigeria for instance we have about 2,000 active oil spills as at last year, but no one talks about us. This time, the US has tasted a little bit of the bitterness that comes with crude oil extraction. Before coming into office, Barack Obama said he would not allow offshore drilling. A few weeks ago, he went back on that pledge. That was before the Gulf coast mishap. For years, America has talked about depending less on foreign oil without doing what is necessary and difficult to make that happen. The huge amounts they spend on Middle East oil on which they've depended since the 70s goes to funding extremist groups that attack the US, but no one wants to drill in their backyard. 3rd world countries like Nigeria end up bearing the brunt. Weak enforcement of environmental standards due to corrupt government officials enables multi-national oil companies to get away with things they would pay dearly for in their home countries. chief among these is gas flaring. Nigeria accounts for much of the gas flared in the world, along with Russia. It's no surprise that Russia is also a very corrupt nation. The Federal Government has given many deadlines for an end to flaring, none of which have been enforced and with no appropriate punishments given to the IOCs.<br /><br />In a way, the oil companies are not to blame. America had the chance to move towards renewable energy in the 70s after the first oil shock but they didn't take it. Their appetite for crude has known no bounds and they are doing everything to keep up this way of life. Unfortunately, it is not sustainable. Oil majors are having to drill to great depths to access oil. The Deepwater Horizon owned by Transocean and leased by BP is a very advanced rig. It is therefore baffling that whatever measures they put in place to prevent a catastrophe like this failed woefully. A friend of mine said on his blog that offshore drilling is equal to putting man on the moon. I do not argue this. Is it not troubling that this spill is yet to be stopped? there are two clear possibilities. The first is that BP was not prepared adequately for this scenario. The second is that when you drill that far down into the earth, you really have no control over what happens. We have seen time and time again that mankind is no match for the force of nature. The volcano in Iceland didn't even erupt, it just spewed ash, and it grounded 100,000 flights! People were stranded for days far from home, billions were lost in terms of money and man hours, but not a single life was lost, not a single thing was destroyed. I think it's high time humanity gives up on looking for crude oil in extreme environments and focus on harnessing what nature gives us freely: the sun, wind, water & geothermal energy. You could also add nuclear energy into that mix. Taken together, it would put us on a surer path to sustainability.<br /><br />The leadership of the US would be crucial to bring this about in a reasonable time frame. In 1961, President Kennedy mandated NASA to out a man on the moon by the end of that decade. In 1969, it happened. JFK said the words, but also empowered NASA by committing the funds necessary for that herculean effort. Obama must do something similar. He is obviously grappling with a number of things at once and must surely have one eye on a re-election bid, even though it's in 2012. Sacrifices would have to be made in order to address this energy issue. The whole world respects the US and it still retains a moral authority, even though it's economic power is not what it used to be. If it leads, other countries would surely follow. I just wonder if these leaders know how high the stakes are.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-46547013427760860042010-05-10T07:44:00.000-07:002010-05-10T07:48:39.921-07:00EPL team of the seasonIt’s been a strange season in the EPL. No one team has dominated the race this season, with startling setbacks in between equally impressive results for both United and Chelsea. Any team of the season should reflect the fact that some of the usual suspects have not performed anywhere near the required standard with consistency over the last nine months, giving room for other good players to be recognized. The chosen formation is 4-4-2, and without further ado, here is my team of the season.<br /><br />Jose ‘Pepe’ Reina (Liverpool): In a season to forget for the Merseysiders, Reina has stood head and shoulders above his team-mates. His handling and shot-stopping have been very good and he has been a source of confidence. It is safe to say that without him, Liverpool would have ended up lower in the table because he has a joint-highest 17 clean sheets. A new 6-year deal underscores his importance to Liverpool.<br /><br />Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea): the Serbian has flourished with the game time afforded him as a result of Jose Bosingwa’s injury and he has been one of the league’s most consistent players. His instincts as a centre-half enable him to balance both offensive and defensive duties. Great in the air, and has 6 assists from right-back.<br /><br />Richard Dunne (Aston Villa): Martin O’Neill needed to replace the influence of Martin Laursen at the heart of the Villa defence with the Dane’s career cut short by lingering knee problems. In Richard Dunne, he found the perfect player. Flogged off by Manchester City for a mere 6 million pounds, the Irishman has been at the heart of one of the best defensive units in the league. He is one of the main reasons why Villa kept up their top 4 challenge right to the last few games. Compare this to the abject displays of both Toure and Lescott, his replacements at City, at the combined cost of over 40 million pounds. Interestingly, City also didn’t make the Champions’ League.<br /><br />Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal): the step up in class from Holland to the EPL is one that has been achieved mostly by strikers, and I for one was skeptical about this signing by Wenger. After all, his last 12 million pound buy is yet to yield dividends. Thomas Vermaelen has proved me wrong though. Technically he is very good, scores goals and is very composed. 12 million pounds is starting to look like a bargain. He has scored 7 goals from centre-half.<br /><br />Patrice Evra (Manchester United): The best left-back in the world. For his height, Evra is remarkably good in the air and together with his 7 assists, it is a major reason for my choice. His constant runs from the left are a good outlet for his team and he’s a clean tackler.<br /><br />James Milner (Aston Villa): I agonized before picking the player for this position. I feel Antonio Valencia runs him really close, but Milner just nicks this one for me. This has been a break-out season for him as he looks certain to be in the England World Cup squad. Originally a winger, he has been used to good effect in the middle of the field. His energy and drive stand him out, and he shoots very well. He has 7 goals to his credit, with 12 assists. <br /><br />Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal): there really can’t be any doubts about this particular selection. This has been a break-out season for the Spain international in terms of scoring goals, with the 4-3-3 used by Arsenal giving him more freedom to play closer to goal. This has led to 15 goals & 15 assists, making him second only to Frank Lampard this season. His centrality to the Gunners’ play can be summed up in a very tight game against Villa in December, when he came on as a 2nd half substitute, with the game at 0-0. He played only 28 minutes before again going off, but had scored twice.<br /><br />Frank Lampard (Chelsea): As scandals threatened to derail his team, Lamps has remained outstandingly consistent and ever present in the Chelsea team. 17 assists and 22 goals from the England man are a big reason Chelsea won the title and his four goals against Villa ranks among one of the best individual performances of the season.<br /><br />Florent Malouda (Chelsea): one of the players of the second half of the season. He has started to show the form that persuaded Chelsea to buy him from Lyon. He crosses the ball very well, and has scored a few himself. He even had a couple of games at left back. 12 goals and 9 assists for the Frenchman this season.<br />Wayne Rooney (Manchester United): in the wake of the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, Rooney has become the focal point of the United team. 26 goals in the league is the result. Were it not for his injury against Bayern, it would surely have been a bit more and the destiny of the title race might have been different. His importance to England is such that some have said they shouldn’t bother getting on the plane if he’s not fit. They are right.<br /><br />Didier Drogba (Chelsea): the sharpest end in a record breaking Chelsea team in an offensive sense. Drogba’s style is all action His share of 29 out of his team’s 103 goals this season is the most by an African player in the EPL. He has 13 assists as well, showing his contribution to team play. This is the best form he could possibly be in going into the World Cup. His national team-mates will need him to be on top of his game in the Group of Death.<br /><br />So that’s my team of the season. As usual, I welcome all comments.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-75335062212493808822010-05-06T09:32:00.000-07:002010-05-06T09:37:15.340-07:00A President and a victim‘Umoru, are you dead?’<br /><br />This was the question Olusegun Obasanjo asked then candidate Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in that famous interview on NTA in March 2007. In the heat of campaign, Yar’Adua had to go abroad for treatment. Little did we know how grave his health condition would become. It took less than 3 years for the strain of Presidential duties to break him. In between time, his health became the subject of constant rumour and conjecture, and worse still as a bargaining chip, with his wife and closest aides, later to be known as ‘the cabal’, completely manipulating the information regarding the true state of his health for political gain. In so doing, they cut off the citizens from their President. The constant stream of lies from government officials turned genuine concern of the citizens into exasperation, anger, indifference and last night, relief.<br /><br />Since he became President, his medical trips abroad were always masked as ‘lesser hajj’ or some other clever excuse. Crucial national and international engagements were left to cabinet members to handle, with the Vice President completely sidelined. However, the announcement that he had gone to Saudi Arabia for treatment on November 23, 2009 struck me as odd. I remember telling my mum that I felt it was really serious, or else they wouldn’t have told us. It was the last time he was seen in public. He left the nation essentially in a vacuum. With no formal handover letter sent to the National Assembly empowering his Vice President to act on his behalf, several crucial matters of state went untended. There was a complete lack of coordinated government response to any issue. The amnesty programme for which the administration takes credit, went backward in the President’s absence. Also, Nigeria was put on a list as a ‘country of interest’ in the aftermath of Umar Farouk Abdul-Mutallab’s failed suicide attempt on a US plane on Christmas Day. There was also a fuel scarcity of several months and an ASUU strike to end all strikes. In all this, Nigeria was leaderless.<br /><br />This did not worry those who kept him away from all contact. In fact, it was reported that no more than 7 people had set eyes on him in the time he was away. 234Next reported on January 10 that he was brain-damaged, only for a famous interview with the BBC on phone to surface three days later. As far as I was concerned, it was not his voice on that phone and nothing since then has changed my opinion. An angry nation began to take to the streets, demanding answers about his health. Only then did the cracks appear in the cabinet. Apparently tired of all the lies she had to tell Nigerians for several weeks, the Minister of Information Dora Akunyili was the one to bell the cat. We were also introduced to a novel idea called a ‘doctrine of necessity’ by lawmakers eager to be seen as taking action while protecting themselves in the event of Yar’Adua’s return. Those around the ailing leader proved to be specialists at blackmailing Nigerians with his ghost, preventing us from addressing urgent national challenges with a substantive person in charge. The former Attorney General was employed to good effect in this regard, interpreting the constitution in the way he saw fit in a bid to defend the indefensible. Needless to say, when Goodluck Jonathan was eventually ‘allowed’ power to steer the ship of state, he was the first to go. In a frantic bid to sustain their narrow ambitions, Yar’Adua was rushed back under the cover of darkness. A number of clandestine meetings were arranged with Christian and Muslim clerics in order to remind us that he was still relevant. Once again, I seriously doubt if these meetings ever took place.<br /><br />Now that he has passed on, all designs to prevent Jonathan becoming President as our constitution stipulates are naught. There must be forces at work around Goodluck that we can’t possibly fathom. He is obviously a man of destiny. Now that the cloud hanging over Nigeria has been dispelled, I’m sure he’s all the more emboldened to take the kind of action that’s necessary to save this nation. All accounts of the man Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was say he was a good man, a gentleman. However, it was never going to be enough for this country. The constant policy reversals give evidence that he was probably not in total control of his government. The ease with which he was sealed off from his Vice President and those he was meant to rule is further evidence of a lack of strong character, made a lot worse by constant illness. I would remember him as a President who never succeeded in implementing his vision for Nigeria, if he had one. As a person, I feel no sense of sorrow or mourning. I have no image of him after November 23, 2009. I, like millions of Nigerians have their own problems made worse by the standstill his administration brought Nigeria to. Out of sight, out of mind.<br /><br />If we needed another reason to come out en-masse and vote next year, we have one. Never again should we allow the occupier of our highest office be so cut off from us. Never again should we allow leaders to be imposed on us. Never again should we as citizens permit an Invisible Presidency. We must not postpone this urgent task for another 4 years. It is up to us to make our rulers take us seriously. We haven’t done a good job of this so far. It’s my hope that as our kidnapped President is returned to dust, a new Nigerian consciousness rises up in time to vote for change. The past is gone, and the future awaits. In October, Nigeria will be 50 and we must give our nation the best gift possible: our votes. Caesar said: ‘there is a time in the tides of men which, taken at the flood, leads to fortune’. There is no time like the present.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-85348071735150316482010-05-05T03:45:00.000-07:002010-05-05T04:06:45.314-07:00Liverpool & Lazio, Donald & Dele<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> 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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If you’re not a football fan, please bear with me for a couple of minutes. Two eerily similar scenarios played out last Sunday in two different leagues. In the Premiership, Liverpool welcomed Chelsea to Anfield, with Manchester United hoping for Chelsea drop points so they can win the title. They are tied with Liverpool on 18 titles and winning the title this season would make United the most successful league team in England. The Scousers themselves have endured the most anti-climactic of seasons, after coming 2nd last term. They came into the game with an outside chance of retaining their Champions’ League spot.<span style=""> </span>Being fierce rivals of United, a lot of the Liverpool fans were loathe to do anything to help the ‘enemy’, even at the cost of ending their top 4 ambition. Too often, the attitude of the fans filters down to the players on the pitch and this was one such example. I personally cannot remember such a quiet atmosphere at Anfield. Liverpool’s fans did not want their team to beat Chelsea, and the players, led by Steven Gerrard duly lost. Interestingly, it’s going to do more harm to Liverpool that United. Missing out on the Champions’ League means they won’t get the extra money that comes with it. Improving on a squad that’s average in most areas will become harder, and with Tottenham & Man City fighting it out for 4<sup>th</sup>, it could be a little while before Liverpool make it back into the elite.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In Italy, something similar happened. Lazio entertained Inter Milan in Rome, with Roma trying to catch the defending champions. They could hope for no favours from the Biancoceleste, who despite being 2 places above the relegation zone actually had sections of their home support that cheered Inter’s 2 goals! What I saw from both sets of fans wasn’t passion, it was stupidity. Both their clubs are headed in the wrong direction, but all that matters to them is preventing a ‘rival’ from gaining an advantage. Both teams have a proud history, but it has been tarnished a little by those events. It is for me, a teachable moment: the minute you begin to be an obstacle to the success of another, you have a losing mentality. It’s probably the reason so many people wallow in mediocrity. The stone you put in the path of another person ends up bringing you down. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is the season of elections in Nigeria. With elections to take place in January 2011 in line with constitutional amendments, candidates have begun to come forward. Most notable among them is Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. Donald Duke and recently, Dele Momodu publisher of Ovation magazine have also joined the race. The reaction to Dele Momodu’s declaration of intent has been largely dismissive. Many don’t believe he has the experience for the job of President. There is a distinct lack of enthusiasm also for Donald Duke’s candidacy. I think that we should give all candidates a fair hearing. Governance is not rocket science. In the US, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a body builder before becoming Governor of California and Jesse ‘the Body’ Ventura was a professional wrestler before becoming Governor of Minnesota in 1999. Each of these aspirants will have to prove their capability to rule Nigeria, but we the citizens must ask the hard questions of them and hold them to their promises. All over the world, the trend is towards a generational shift towards younger leaders. The same thing must happen here as we have nothing whatsoever to gain from an IBB presidency. To effect this change though, we must unite behind the best possible younger candidate and elect him (or her) to lead us. As young people, one of our best characteristics is that of an open mind, a mind open to possibilities. We need not write anyone off just yet. Rather, we must give them ample time to articulate their positions and query them aggressively till we are satisfied. If we do not do this and if we do not at the end unite behind a single candidate, we will find that the ‘Baba Syndrome’ will take over again, postponing once more the opportunity of the youth to lead to another ‘tomorrow’ which would in all possibility be bleaker than today.</p> polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-22664111878043487322010-04-29T02:58:00.000-07:002010-04-29T04:08:01.507-07:00Barca had the ball, Inter had MourinhoThis is exactly what Mourinho came to Inter for. Despite dominating Serie A in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal and its effects on Milan & Juventus, Inter continued to be poor in Europe. Massimo Moratti’s dream has been to bring the European Cup back into the Nerazzuri after the glory days of ’64 and ’65, when his father was Inter president. After getting their hands on the league title repeatedly under Mancini, largely due to the weakness of their rivals, attention now shifted sharply to Europe. Mancini’s inability to deliver meant he had to make way for Jose, who himself was unceremoniously booted out by Roman Abramovich. Chelsea have not been the same since and their quest for a first ever European Cup has slipped away progressively since the Special One’s departure.<br /><br />Envious glances would now be cast at the San Siro from all connected with Chelsea, should Inter lift the Cup at the Bernabeu. They have gotten there through two games against Barcelona varying in their approach: the first a ruthless exploitation of the weakness of their opponents, the second a defensive masterclass the likes of which are rarely seen. Both bear the hallmark of Mourinho. An obsessive attention to detail, a winning mentality instilled in his players that has been absent in most of Barca’s opponents, an above all a tactical knowledge that is unmatched in world football. Taking a 3-1 lead to the Camp Nou was healthy but events conspired against them as Thiago Motta, instrumental at the San Siro, was sent off very harshly for an ‘elbow’ on Pedro who made the most of the contact. What followed was a defensive display that will live long in the memory. After less than two full seasons in charge, Mourinho has made Inter into his winning image. No more wilting under pressure, no more mediocrity at the highest levels. In the first knock-out phase, he dismantled another machine he built from the ground up, Chelsea. He has now completed what must be his greatest ever triumph. He made Barca look ordinary for large parts of both legs, granting them possession far from goal, and a lot of it at that. The now former European champions ended the game with 86.4% of the ball. Inter only completed 63 passes ALL game. Barcelona are a super side, but Mourinho is a super coach. If therefore goes to show that the coach should get all the accolades and much of the blame for a team’s performances.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Things I learnt from Inter v Barca</span><br /><br />Samuel Eto’o now plays in his 3rd UCL final. His shabby treatment by Barca last summer must have hurt, but he now has the ultimate revenge. Zlatan is not half the player Eto’o is. Samuel Eto'o is the best African player ever.<br /><br />The debate about the best right-back in the world is now resolved. Maicon was excellent home and away and has been the best in the world for about 18 months now. Alves is not quite there, plus he’s a poor crosser of the ball.<br /><br />Iniesta is such an integral part of Barca’s play. They’ve missed an extra level since he’s been injured. Toure, Keita and Busquets are nowhere near as creative.<br /><br />It’s still too early to crown Lionel Messi as the best player in the world. Inter shut him up, and didn’t even have to foul him that much. Coaches all around the world must watch the tapes of both legs, not least Lars Lagerback, the Super Eagles coach.<br /><br />Pep Guardiola needs to come up with a plan B for his Barca team, maybe one that includes 2 strikers. when confronted with the Inter wall, the ideas were lacking desperately. it took a great finish by a centre-half to pull a goal back.<br /><br />If Diego Maradona doesn't take Javier Zanetti to South Africa, he's off his rocker.polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-46344973216475903642010-04-20T09:39:00.000-07:002010-04-23T07:38:26.256-07:00When nature strikes, and other things on my mind.<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" 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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">When Nature Strikes</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">As you should know by now, there is a very famous volcano that has shut down much of Europe for much of the last week. Its name is ‘Eyjafjallajokull’ (no, don’t pronounce that). The ash from its increased volcanic activity has stopped planes from flying, stranding many thousands of people, including Dora Akunyili and some governors (what are they always travelling for anyway?). Let me not digress. When the ash enters the turbines of a plane, it quickly turns into glass in the blades, and makes the plane impossible to control. Based on this, airport authorities across Europe closed down airports since Friday, leading to loss of revenues $200m and above. I can see why such actions would be taken though, because at 35,000 feet a pilot doesn’t have many options if a plane’s turbines don’t work. Life is more important than anything else. The real interest for me is how easy it is for nature to disrupt man’s activities. Despite all our technological advancement, we are still at the mercy of nature. Humans first appeared on earth about 2 million years ago, but the Earth itself has been around for a couple of billion years. We are only passengers. Nature doesn’t need us, we need nature. If the elements turn against us because of our activities that alter the balance of the Earth, nothing we have can withstand its force. It’s a humbling thought for me and it should be a humbling thought for everyone else. We must treat the Earth with respect.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">IBB’s 2011 ambition</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The declaration of the self-styled ‘Evil Genius’ to seek the Presidency has drawn a lot of interest, mostly negative. He has always been a news-worthy person and this time is no different. Those who oppose say he has a lot to answer for: the annulment of June 12, the Gulf Oil windfall, Dele Giwa’s assassination among so many others. There is an irony about it though: the man who annulled a free and fair election wants to seek election into the highest office in the land. Naiwu Osahon dubbed him the ‘Evil Candidate’ and Pastor Tunde Bakare called for him to be stoned. Simply put, he’s a hate figure among the majority of Nigerians. So why then has he declared his ambition? In his Op-Ed on Sunday, THISDAY Editor Simon Kolawole puts forward a theory that he won’t seek the PDP’s ticket unless he’s ABSOLUTELY sure he will win. IBB picked a nomination form in 2007, but stepped aside when it was clear that Obasanjo had other ideas. Simon thinks that IBB loves the limelight and wants to preserve the myth around his personality. I personally think that we shouldn’t obsess over IBB, because that’s exactly what he wants. The focus should instead be on putting in place a framework for free and fair elections where the people’s votes will count. I am not too concerned about any of his alleged ‘sins’. My main problem is that he’s been there before, yet Nigeria went backward and has been going backward since then. We need change and he can’t deliver that. #Ontothenextone</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Jonathan’s coming out party</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The Acting President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was the guest of the US President last week over nuclear non-proliferation matters. He made a pledge to put in place electoral reforms and make power a top priority. He also gave interviews to the BBC and CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. What struck me in those interviews was that he seemed very relaxed throughout. Goodluck also strikes me as someone a citizen would like to ‘have a beer with’ in the mould of Bush 43. He has also been given the nickname ‘Bros J’ by Nigeria’s blogosphere. It was a good outing for him, but the now the hard work begins. There is such a short time to achieve his targets and I’m very sure he knows this. It’s a little early to talk about a possible campaign run, but if he delivers it would be a very real possibility. Time will tell.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Ohakim and jobs</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">In the news yesterday, I saw an advert by the Imo State Government to recruit 10,000 graduates into its civil service. At first, I thought it was a good move but feedback I got from my Imo friends on Facebook showed they were very skeptical about its success. First of all, applicants are to purchase scratch cards at N2, 000 each. That is a minimum of N 20 million for the Government and could go as high as N 100 million depending on the demand. My guess is that it’s to cover all kind of costs that such an exercise will incur, plus good profit for the stakeholders. This is not my main concern, however. Increasing the size of the Imo State civil service by such a large number will only increase bureaucracy and the number of ghost workers. It’s also a lazy approach to job creation that promotes waste of tax payer’s money. The money can be better used to teach real skills that will help them succeed, and create the environment for industry to thrive. Ikedi Ohakim needs to teach the youths in his state how to fish, instead of giving them fish to eat.</p> polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-56658429218258069752010-04-20T06:12:00.000-07:002010-04-20T06:43:45.387-07:00The revolving door<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One day you’re in, then you’re out, then you’re back in again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">That has been the story of this EPL season so far. Even though Chelsea has lead the league for much of it, they have failed to be decisive by dropping a lot of points after going ahead in games. Following Arsenal’s loss at Spurs and Chelsea’s win over Bolton, Manchester United was within 30 seconds of completely dropping out of the race altogether in the derby. Scholes popped up with the winner in a largely unremarkable game. All eyes now turned to White Hart Lane where Tottenham, buoyed by City’s loss were extra motivated to beat Chelsea, which was exactly what they did. They now occupy fourth spot as they go to Old Trafford and City travel to the Emirates this weekend. The big clash between Spurs and City is still to come on May 5<sup>th</sup>. Liverpool’s victory over West Ham means that even though many have written them off in the race for 4<sup>th</sup>, the chance still exists that they play Champions’ League football next season. In many ways, the last few games of this season could have big ramifications for the next couple of years. Manchester City have not quite been able to attract the kind of players they would like because they don’t offer Champions’ League football. If they take 4<sup>th</sup> spot, they have the money to get a squad that could dominate the Premiership, or at the very least, lock Liverpool out of the top 4.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Arsenal’s loss to Tottenham seemed to have buried their title hopes, but then Tottenham repeated the trick against Chelsea in a confident and dominant display. Arsenal could then have put their foot in the door once again by beating Wigan, and were leading 2-0 with 10 minutes to go. Somehow, somehow, they managed to lose that game. They now have the unwanted record of being the ONLY team that have lost a two goal lead entering the 80<sup>th</sup> minute of a Premiership game. To be sure, the Gunners have suffered a lot from injuries this term, but time and time again their hopes of silverware have slipped through the gloves of their goalkeepers. Manuel Almunia has been seen as a weak link for a couple of seasons now and has not improved. Lukasz Fabianski’s poor handling was directly responsible for Wigan’s equalizer. If Arsene Wenger had gotten a keeper in the January window, it is very likely that the title race would have a very different picture. It’s rather ironic that while they kept up their challenge with late goals against the likes of Hull and Wolves, that same challenge has now ended with the concession of 3 late goals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Chelsea have had their injuries too. Ashley Cole has been out for about 3 months, Essien has not played since leaving for the African Nations’ Cup in January. A number of key players have also been out for spells of this campaign. Their problem however stems from an inability to hold leads. Chelsea have dropped SIXTEEN points from leading positions this season. Without a doubt, this is the reason they haven’t won the title yet. They also have a nasty habit of putting out poor performances after dominant ones. Both losses to Man City came after dominant performances against Arsenal, and European commitments have also taken their toll. So, why so many dropped points? I think that the team is not fresh enough.<span style=""> </span>A number of Chelsea players need to go and younger players that will inject freshness into the team brought in. My candidates would be Deco, Ballack and Belletti for starters. I am also of the view that Drogba’s presence in the side slows the team down going forward and makes them too predictable. Chelsea have scored 7 goals TWICE in the league this season, and on both occasions, Drogba didn’t play. More than that, Anelka suffers out on the right most of the time. His effectiveness is reduced when he plays with the Ivorien. Carlo Ancelotti came to London from a Milan side that had too many players over the age of 30 in their ranks. Even in a reasonably slow league like the Serie A, this fact has made it impossible for them to combine European and league football over a long season. Roman Abramovich will have to provide the funds to prevent the same thing happening to the Blues.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Manchester United could also have been in a better position than they are currently, but some of their problems are self inflicted. The decision to field Neville, Giggs and Scholes together at the sharp end of the season has back-fired more often than not. At the Allianz Arena, they were ineffective as Bayern upped the tempo in the second half, with Gary Neville committing the needless foul that led to Ribery’s deflected goal in the first. The three of them started again versus Chelsea, which negated the one thing United have in abundance: PACE. The passing in midfield was too slow, and without Rooney in the side leaving Nani out until the last 10 minutes was a disastrous decision. Sir Alex seemed to acknowledge this in the return leg against Bayern and the difference was clear for much of the first half. Leaving Rooney on the pitch even though it was clear he wasn’t 100% slowed down the attack and probably let Bayern off in a breathless 45 minutes. You would have thought the lesson was learnt, but apparently not because against Blackburn, Giggs and Scholes played in midfield. The result was a one-paced set-up that couldn’t drive the team forward with urgency or get beyond the strikers to create chances. United had the ball, but not the goal. The quest for a record- surpassing 19<sup>th</sup> title seemed over until Scholes’ dramatic winner.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Has the Top 4 gotten weaker, or has the rest of the league gotten stronger? The absence of an English team in the CL final four seems to say weaker, but in the Europa League there could be an all English final. In fact Fulham, who are in mid-table, knocked out last season’s German Champions Wolfsburg in the last round of the competition. Tottenham beat Arsenal and Chelsea back-to-back, City beat Chelsea home and away and Arsenal at Eastlands. Everton beat City away from home and took 7 points off the top three in the second half of the season. The longest unbeaten run this season is 12 games, by Birmingham. The Premiership has gone the way of most of the big leagues by being competitive right to the end of the season but has had arguably more upsets and drama. Whether or not it has lost its place as the top league in Europe cannot be known for another year, but it is definitely the most exciting.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The way the fixtures have lined up is very interesting. Liverpool won their game yesterday against West Ham and could yet get a highly unlikely 4<sup>th</sup> spot. They will be hoping United and Arsenal do them a favour against Spurs and City while they win their own games. United will also be hoping Liverpool beat Chelsea at Anfield on May 1<sup>st</sup>, with at least one of Spurs and City dropping points when they play each other on May 5<sup>th</sup>. Rafa Benitez may yet deliver on his top 4 promise, and United may yet surpass Liverpool’s 18 titles. Ironically though, both these clubs will have a direct say in the other’s destiny.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-16004299203691249932010-04-13T10:35:00.000-07:002010-04-20T06:55:01.364-07:00the journey of a 1000 miles.<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Today is the first time I’ve ever attended a rally/protest. Ever since it was announced last month that ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ Nigeria would organize a rally in Lagos after the one in Abuja, I looked forward to this day very eagerly. My last post talked about my belief in the power of protest as a way of making fellow citizens and politicians sit up and take notice. The roll call of celebrities was impressive: Audu Maikori, CEO of Chocolate City who attended the rally in Abuja and went toe-to-toe with a mobile policeman in an iconic photograph came today. Ali Baba, ID Cabasa, Rita Dominic, Banky W, Knighthouse & Mo’Cheddah, Denrele Edun, Djinee, Kel, Rooftop MCs, ELDee and many others also came to march. We might think celebrities are ‘insulated’ from the struggles of most of us, but we’re wrong. Students from LASU came around to add their own peculiar colour to the proceedings, as well as a couple of mini-vuvuzelas. The noise those things produce is crazy. When I imagined 80,000 of them supporting SA in June, I shuddered. The walk itself was a long and difficult one, especially since it occurred at high noon. Luckily I brought two handkerchiefs and used both to the end. As I marched with my fellow youths, placard in hand, I watched the reactions of onlookers. Many of them encouraged us, a few drivers honked their horns as they passed. Almost everyone looked at the messages on our placards. Mine read: ‘Probe Corrupt Officials Now’. When we got to the Government House, we were told that Gov. Fashola was in the US with the Acting President. Having been informed of our rally, I would have thought that maybe the Deputy Governor, Sarah Sosan, would address the gathering. Instead we got the Secretary to the State Government. I don’t exactly know what happened at the very end because it was taking an awful long time, but for me the success or failure of the rally cannot be determined by the presence or absence of any government official.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">While carrying my placard in one hand, I was trying to tweet with the other. Some comments on my timeline reminded me of what the real battle is: it’s a battle to get people to believe that change is possible, and that WE Nigerians are the ones most responsible for that change or lack of it. The real challenge is to get this defeatist mentality of ‘what will be will be’ out of our heads. If Black people had sung ‘Que Sera Sera’ instead of ‘we shall overcome’, I doubt that the many immigrants there (including Nigerians) would find America even half as tolerant as it is now. If the Polish people had sung ‘Que Sera Sera’ instead of ‘solidarity forever’, Communists would probably have continued their stranglehold of oppression throughout Eastern Europe. If the native South Africans had sung ‘Que Sera Sera’ instead of ‘Free Mandela’, Apartheid would still be in charge there. There would be no ‘rainbow nation’, no World Cup to host, nothing. Even the right to practice Christianity that we enjoy, or choose NOT to enjoy was paid for by individuals. The Bible says: ‘unless a seed falls to the ground and dies…’. It is this concept of sacrifice that most of us are yet to understand. We live in an era of instant gratification and when we can’t get it, its not worth the trouble. We need to have a mentality upgrade. This is the real battle, not who is or isn’t running for President and not who is or isn’t head of INEC. In other countries of the world, the right to protest is denied and those who protest are beaten, locked up and killed. People still go out and march. Here, we are allowed to protest yet we make all kinds of excuses to make ourselves feel better. In China, there is no Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Soon there will be no Google as well. Here, we have all these media of self-expression but we fail to maximize its power to effect change in our nation. The citizens of Nigeria must accept responsibility for the direction of this country, because politicians will only ever be politicians. Already, they are decamping and re-camping like prostitutes, trying to get back into the good books of government. Most of them have no ideology, no principle, no honour, and cannot be left to their devices while they rule us. A country’s citizens are the ultimate checks and balances in any form of government, especially in a democracy and today’s rally is an exercise of the right to speak up when things are going wrong. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Make no mistake, the road to a better Nigeria will be a long & difficult one. It will not end in 2011, but it has started this year. If we don’t protest, if we don’t come out to vote, if we don’t defend our votes, what is the alternative? More complaining? More weeping and grinding of teeth? God forbid! Evil only triumphs because good people fail to take action. Our children must not complain about the same things we and our parents complained about. We keep calling on God to save Nigeria, and He has given us another opportunity to make our next 50 years as a nation better than the first 50. We would do well to take it.</p> polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547651734370412503.post-74377973709451483622010-04-05T09:34:00.000-07:002010-04-05T09:38:26.142-07:00The Power of Protest<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> 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mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The popular saying goes that ‘silence means consent’. No matter how aggrieved you feel about anything, if you don’t speak up the chances are that you will continue to suffer in silence. For many years now, this has been the attitude of the Nigerian citizen. In our nation today, silence is no longer golden. Recent months have seen three major protests: two by the ‘Save Nigeria Group’ in Lagos and Abuja and another tagged ‘Enough Is Enough’ in Abuja. These are signs that things are beginning to change. More and more people realize that waiting on the government to do the right thing or lamenting in private will never get us anywhere. Throughout history, those who have been in constituted authority have only done what is right because they are held accountable by those they govern. Our biggest problem since independence is that we don’t hold our leaders to account. One of the best ways to do this, apart from the ballot box, is through peaceful protest. In between elections, protest is a great way for citizens to show their displeasure with government policies. For at least 15 years, the only people that protest are Labour, usually over increase in petrol or salary increments. It is only now that protests in Nigeria are going beyond Labour to the wider populace.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">In any democracy, the right to protest is a key part of civil liberties. It is a right that we haven’t used enough in 10 years of this 4<sup>th</sup> republic. So many things in this country are going wrong, and need to fixed YESTERDAY. The beginning of every solution (for example #lightupnigeria) is political will that can only come from good leadership. Nigerians have not shown that they are ready for good leadership because of their nonchalant/defeatist attitude to elections. I have a feeling that when we look back in 10-20 years time, the handling of Umaru Yar’Adua’s illness will be seen as the turning point. We were left rudderless as a nation for 90-odd days, and the outrage that has generated has made Nigerians a lot more politically aware, but this awareness needs to be translated into a very high turn-out among young people for the elections in 2011.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">On the 13<sup>th</sup> of this month, there’ll be an ‘Enough Is Enough’ rally in Lagos. With the success of the Abuja version, young people in Lagos have taken it upon themselves to organize one here. A lot of people want change, but until recently it’s been mostly talk without any actions to put things right. Think about it like evangelism, only that the gospel protesters will be preaching is that we are finally tired of being pushed around by the political class. When you march in the sun for what you believe in, some others who feel the way you do will see your example and be convinced to also stick their necks out. It started with the ‘Save Nigeria’ protest, where old men like Kongi who is 70 led the march and as a result, Dora Akunyili found the strength to break ranks with the EXCOF because she had proof that public opinion was shifting. Since then, the protests have spread and people are becoming more emboldened. <span style=""> </span>You do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel. Nigerians are looking around for people to lead, so that they can follow. Every single youth at that rally will be telling those looking on that it IS possible to get our country back from those who have held us hostage for so long. We will be passing the message that there is hope for Nigeria, because we are that hope.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Coming out in protest will also make those change candidates who want to contest for various offices in the next elections come forward to declare their intention to run. They may feel that Nigeria is finally ready to start a new chapter as we begin our next 50 years as a nation. The ultimate aim of these protests, in my opinion, will be to mobilize young people across the country to register to vote, select their candidates, vote for the candidates of their choice and perhaps most importantly, protect their votes. It’s been coined R-S-V-P and I think it’s very catchy and it will be very effective in spreading the word. Everyone and anyone who can possibly be at this rally should do so because if Nigeria goes down, we all go down. It’s as simple as that.</p> polymathjoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12987812774950085800noreply@blogger.com0