Hi all,

The Berkman Center is on the lookout for innovative academics, and we're pleased to announce our 2010-2011 Academic Fellowship. It's a fantastic opportunity for a rising scholar to take focused time for deep thinking and the production of compelling, potentially paradigm-shifting research as they prepare for or continue an academic career.

Please see more at:
http://cyber. law.harvard. edu/getinvolved/ fellowships/ academicfellow.

The application deadline for this academic fellowship is November 30, 2009.

Please also note: other fellowship opportunities -- for not only academics, but also researchers, practitioners, technologists,
scholars, and more -- are open for the 2010-2011 academic year as part of our general, yearly open application process with an application deadline of December 31, 2009.

If you or someone else has an idea you'd like to explore with the Berkman Center in this context, please check out information about the fellows program at
http://cyber. law.harvard. edu/getinvolved/ fellowships!

As always, please feel free to forward along to relevant lists or potential future fellows!

All best,
Maxwell

Hey Everyone!

The Sauve Foundation's mission is to develop the leadership potential of promising youth from around the world.

They must have a university degree or the equivalent of to be eligible.

It is a free programme in Canada for people under the age of 30.

For more information, please go to the link below

Apply online http://www.sauvesch olars.org

The Open Society institute (OSI) supports an Open Society Fellowship Program that supports individuals seeking innovative and unconventional approaches to fundamental open society challenges. The fellowship funds work that will enrich public understanding of those challenges and stimulate far-reaching and probing conversations within the Open Society Institute and in the world.
A fellowship project might identify a problem that has not previously been recognized, develop new policy ideas to address familiar problems, or offer a new advocacy strategy. Fellows should take advantage of the considerable intellectual and logistical resources of the Open Society Institute and expect to contribute meaningfully to OSI's thinking in return.
In evaluating each proposal, the selection committee weighs three factors: the applicant, the topic of the project, and the work product.

For more information on the OSI Fellowship, please visit: http://www.soros. org/initiatives/ fellowship/ focus_areas/ guidelines

To observe October 18 as World Youth Day for Democracy, the NED (National Endowment for Democracy) USA is hosting an intergenerational and cross-border dialogue on youth activism. The purpose of World Youth Day for Democracy is to raise awareness on youth contributions to the advancement of democracy and encourage youth to become engaged in democracy-building. The Youth Network is encouraging its members to mobilize and organize activities in their own communities on October 18 to promote youth engagement and foster democracy-building efforts.

The October 16 event at the NED will highlight the importance of networking among youth and solidarity building for each other’s work across borders, and encourage young professionals in democracy promotion to develop and better implement their professional and leadership skills. Correspondingly, the guest speakers will address how activism has influenced their lives by opening new doors and by creating new opportunities for others to engage in political and social issues.

Amongst other global youth leaders who are to speak during the event is Kingsley N.T Bangwell- Team Leader Youngstars Development Initiative, ASHOKA Fellow 2008, Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum 2009, Fellow Architect for the Future. He is to address the work of his organization, Youngstars Development Initiative, and its growing reputation as a strategic practice for widening youth awareness and involvement in the political process and governance in Nigeria and throughout Africa.

I have been thinking in recent time about our great country Nigeria. Especially as we commemorate another independence anniversary. Much of nostalgia but with some respite that i am part of a free nation. Today i wont discuss the quality of that freedom but the opportunity that freedom offers me. For instance the opportunity to aspire to the highest level and work to achieve it. The opportunity to pursue some form of education, start a business, aspire for political office, freely connec to the internet and blog! The opportunity to reside in any city or town of my choice and also voice my views. Today i will not discuss whether the qaulity of the freedom compares with other nations. But i will remain glad that i am atleast free to make strategic offerings to a great nation that has given me so much. What do we offer our Nigeria?

Leaving for Calabar on Monday cant wait to get into that beautifull city...preparing for four trips...
Calabar, Cross River Statr
Port Harcout, Rivers State
Onistha...speaking to a Thousand Youths on Chnaging our world...
and then another african country...
Have speaking engagments in three cities in Cameorun........
Dreams do really come throught...thought and really wanted to this as a young chap growing in in the beatifull african village where I was born...truly there are no limitations...
as a young boy the fist county i dreamed of to visit was Accra, Ghana boy that was really far been that my village friends who have been to Lagos where INTERNATIONAL guys to us....today that dream has come true and more dreams are coming true...if you keep reading this page then you would see my notes on my journey...to Sweden, South Africa, and of course i have been to Sapele.......what i am saying is Dare 2 Dream cause DREAMS COME TRUE

Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, on behalf of partners of the Red Ribbon Awards, hereby invites entries for the 2009 edition of the Awards. The Red Ribbon Awards is an annual event instituted since 2001 to honour outstanding media response to the HIV and AIDS epidemics in Nigeria.

Partners including the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the United Nations System in Nigeria,the Ford Foundation and top
players in Nigeria's private sector support the Red Ribbon Awards.

The goal of the Red Ribbon Awards is to contribute to reduction of the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria by highlighting innovative and effective responses to HIV prevention, care and control among all sectors in the country.

The awards presentation will hold on December 5 2009.

Application Criteria:

Award Categories:

(A) INDIVIDUAL EFFORT

Best Feature Report (Print) - Best Television Feature - Best Radio Feature - Best HIV/AIDS Cartooning - Outstanding Informed Commentary
(Print) - Best Local Language Reporting - Best Newspaper Editorial

(B) SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Breaker of Silence Award (Organization or Community) - Breaker of Silence Award (Individual) -
Special Recognition Award

AWARD PRIZES Prizes for recipients of Red Ribbon Awards include:
Cash prizes of N100,000 - Specially designed Red Ribbon plaques and certificates for every winner - Certificates of recognition as well as
consolation prizes will be given to runners-up.

COMPETITION CRITERIA:
Entries must have been published or broadcast between November 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. Journalists can submit up to two (2) of their best stories, articles, reports or cartoons in each category to enter for any of the media categories.

Each article must be submitted as an Original copy. Clean photocopy in A3 size (for newspaper articles) or A4 (for magazine) allowed only in exceptional circumstances, with each entry clearly showing date and
medium of publication. Low quality photocopies will automatically be rejected.

For cartoons, original illustrations will not be accepted; only published cartoons with name of medium, date and page clearly visible will be accepted.

Broadcast entries must be submitted in VCD/CD format with date of broadcast, medium and duration clearly written on the label sleeve. VHS tapes, minidisk or audiocassettes will not be accepted. Entries
with poor audio quality will automatically be disqualified. The entries must also be accompanied by a full transcript of the tapes.

Entrants can submit entries for a maximum of two (2) award categories, provided that separate entries are submitted for each category.

All entries must be accompanied by a short Bio and a covering letter signed by the entrant's supervisor.Entries must be received on or before 5pm on Friday, October 9, 2009 and must be stories written about the Nigerian situation.

Please note that foreign stories with little or no local relevance would not be accepted. The Red Ribbon Awards is open to Nigerian
journalists and organizations including freelancers working in Nigeria for media organizations that are Nigerian owned or principally based in the country or published in Nigeria for Nigerians.

Nominations for the Special Recognition(NGO/Community/Individual) category must state clearly how the Individual or Organisation has contributed to breaking the silence around HIV/AIDS and must be accompanied by relevant supporting documents of the nominee's activities a Bio as well as a Cover letter from the Nominating
Individual/ Organisation stating the relationship between them and the nominee.

An independent panel of judges with requisite knowledge and experience will review all entries and determine winners. Entries will be judged based on the quality of story, sound or voice, depth of coverage and relevance to local situation. Entries must also reflect appropriate use of language and an inclusion of a focus on people living with HIV/AIDS.

All entries should be submitted to the Red Ribbon Awards Secretariat in either Lagos or Abuja:

Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria Media Resource Centre on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health 14 Fadare Street (end of Kayode Street) Ogba, Lagos Tel: 234 1 7731457, 8128565

Abuja Office: Ground Floor, CSO House 4 Jaba Close Off Dunukofia Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja. Tel: 09-6721744

Email enquiries can be sent to:redribbonawards@gmail.com

The MPH programme is launching a new concentration in social and behaviour change communication in 2010. This new concentration has been developed and will be run in partnership with the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication.

Social and behaviour change communication is ideally suited for people working in organizations or government, who have an interest in, or currently working on, preventing diseases such as HIV.

The courses offered under this new area of specialization will provide students skills they need to design programmes and interventions to address determinants of health and disease at multiple levels. The course work component of the degree is offered over two years part time or one year full time.

A research report is required to be awarded the MPH degree. A limited number of fellowships will be available for students in 2010.

Courses offered as part of an MPH in Social and Behaviour Change Communication include:

COMH7100 Master of Public Health Orientation
COMH7047 Health Measurement I
(New) Health and Society (new unit)
(New) Approaches to Population Health (new unit)
(New) Designing Effective Public Health Programs (new unit)
COMH7048 Health Measurement II (15 points)
(New) Introduction to Health Promotion (new unit)
COMH7101 Management in Health and Health Services (15 points)
COMH7046 Research Methods (15 points)
(New) Applying development, social & behavioural theory to practice (15 points)
(New) Social and Behaviour Change Communication Approaches (15 points)
(New) Communication, media and society (15 points)
(New) Implementing Social and Behaviour Change Communication
Programmes (15 points)
(New) Research, monitoring and evaluation (15 points)

Fellowship for an MPH in the field of Social and Behaviour Change Communication

Students who wish to be considered for a fellowship must meet the admission requirements into the MPH programme. They will be considered based on their written motivation for applying for an MPH in the field of social and behaviour change communication and their letters of recommendation by their referees. Students need to indicate that they are interested in the fellowship when applying.

The fellowship will cover tuition, the costs of transport to Johannesburg for courses and student accommodation while in Johannesburg. A small stipend will be provided while in Johannesburg. The deadline for fellowship applications for this field of study is 30 September 2009.

More details at
http://web.wits.ac.za/Academic/Health/PublicHealth/PostgraduateProgrammes/MasterofPublicHealth/SocialandBehaviourChange.htm

Kind Regards

--
Edgar Dearn Makona
East Africa Regional Focal Point
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Starwood Apartments, Hurlingham, Nairobi, Kenya
P. O. Box 14907 | Tel: +254 733 465396 | +254 20 2433573
edgar@youthaidscoalition.org
www.iAIDS.org | www.youthaidscoalition.org

The Earth Charter Youth Group Warri held a special democracy and participation workshop for physically challenged people in Warri, Nigeria on the 25th July 2009. Fifteen participants spent 5 hours in discussing on the Earth Charter’s 13th principle: “Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice.”

The workshop consisted of
the ECYG’s coordinator’s introduction on the Earth Charter;
review on Nigerian laws that pertain to people with disability;
a motivational talk by a radio presenter;
discussions on matters of election, participation, and democracy.

The aim is that this group will continue working with the Earth Charter in the future as well.

The workshop was part of the Passing it On -component of the Democracy Series: Participation - Learning and Active Youths (DESPLAY) which is an initiative of Youngstars Foundation, funded by NED Washington DC – USA.

The workshop was reported by ECYG Warri's coordinator Maxwell Ogaga.

please visit link and see pictures http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/articles/340/1/Earth-Charter-Youth-Group-holds-democracy-and-participation-workshop-/Page1.html

NIGERIA AT 49
By Louis Brown Ogbeifun | October 1, 2009
Nigeria is today 49. On this day last year, I wrote in www.louisbrownogbeifun.com on “Nigeria: A paradox at 48”. In that article, I observed the seeming lapses of a great nation brought to her knees by corruption and bad leadership. In addition, I made suggestions on how to move Nigeria forward. One year down the lane, our situation has grown from bad to worse in several areas identified in that article. Many Nigerians have given up on the project “Nigeria” to the extent that America is already training her troops on how to protect their economic interests come 2013; a year that Nigeria has been pencilled down for disintegration.
When I was growing up, the Nigerian flag was given to us at school a day before the Independence Day celebrations. We held on to it jealously and revered it. We looked forward with excitement to the activities of October 1st. In every regional capital those days, lavish and colourful decorations of the streets, schools and public places took place. The bells tolled at midnight. Fireworks sparkled and engulfed the sky in the jubilation and celebration of the Union Jack; the day we were decolonized. Then we had very many reasons to celebrate.
Though I am from a poor home, the free education programme of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo enabled me to acquire primary and secondary schools’ education, without which I could not have been whom I am today. The educational systems ran uninterruptedly for decades after independence. Books were distributed free to students. Civil servants and our teachers were proud to work for humanity. Health centres worked to cater for the health of the masses. power supply was stable. There were public taps for water supply. The train system functioned. It ferried goods and humans from the south coast to the northern part of the country. Though the roads were narrow, they were motorable and regularly maintained. Doors could be mistakenly opened overnight without any fear of marauders. Neighbours stood in the gaps for each other during difficult times. The regions were self sufficient. They funded their programmes with proceeds from agriculture. Life to an extent was sweet.
Gradually, the fanfare of Independence Day celebrations began to decline. As at today, Independent Day celebration is very uninteresting and near absent. There is apathy in the land. Hunger, poverty and disease feast on my beloved country to the extent that majority do not see any reason to celebrate. Those that celebrate now, are those in the drivers’ seat of governance; who make money through contract awards; which will further enrich them but bleed the treasury dry to further pauperize the citizenry.
The fear of Nigeria’s disintegration by America is justified because the indices of failure in our polity are high and growing worse. It is sad commentaries that as we mark our 49th Independent day, public schools all over the country are on strike. The doctors have also threatened to embark on strike soon. Nigeria runs a generator powered energy sector, which cannot support any economic development. The manufacturing sector is functioning at below 40% capacity utilization. Our refineries are underperforming courtesy of sabotage of the major crude trunk lines. This has turned us to net importer of petroleum products instead of the other way round. The recent elections in Ekiti and Ondo state have proved that if care is not taken, 2011 elections will be worse than that of 2007. The rot has even crept into our sporting system. Nigeria that used to be a toast of the international community and a football playing nation is now taking the back seat. We have lost all major tournaments in recent times.
To make matters worse, majority of our leaders are carrying on business as usual, and as if Nigeria is effectively working. The revelation of economic banditry of the nation’s treasury by those in government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is mind bogging. I am sure our leaders are also fortifying their vaults overseas, so that when the worse happens they will zoom off with their families to safe havens. For those of us who believe that Nigeria has not totally failed but incapacitated by massive failures, this is time to wake our sleeping majority to shake off their slumber.
Many corporate organizations are divesting from oil businesses here and the Asians are taking them over. From this scenario, it is safe to posit that “if” indeed Nigeria disintegrates, the fight will be among the advanced nations over economic assets and which of the region to re-colonize. The fight will not be to protect us as a people.
Should this dream and drumming of disintegration succeed; the world will witness the worst catastrophe of the century. Nigeria will turn a battle ground for the testing of new guns and war equipment that are manufactured somewhere but tested in foreign lands. Of course, such equipment is never tested by the manufacturers using their own people.
If the international community has been unable to finish whatever businesses with the human catastrophe there are, in Afghanistan, Somalia, Gaza, Pakistan; which if lumped together are not up to two geo-political zones in Nigeria, then the world should know that any disintegration of Nigeria will in perpetuity drain the blood off the economic vessels of the world. Though the advanced nations will sell their military hardware and thus generate income to run their own economies, let them know that any agreement in exchange for oil as they did during the Biafra war will fail this time around. The Ogoni resistance against the oil giant Shell will suffice as an example. Therefore, it is indeed, in the best interest of the international community that Nigeria should continue to run as an undivided entity.
First, Nigeria is so large that the wars that will happen will be multifaceted and may never end. Take for instance the South as an entity. The East will battle to regain the lost Biafra. The Niger delta will fight to actualize the Boro vision. The ethnic nationalities will strive in that chaos to fight to regain lost identities. Recently, in trying to take charge of the nerve of oil between the militants that operated in the Niger Delta, several fractions emerged. We have countless generals and commanders leading the splinter groups. So shall it be with any disintegration. In the oil producing communities of the lower Niger, the war will be fiercer in the Urobo, Ijaw and Itsekiri areas. They will rise to ensure that they carve out distinct identities to manage their own separate oil resources.
Secondly, in the ensuing melee, I am not too sure the entire North will remain intact because the middle belt has been crying over economic, social and political marginalization for a long time. This region boasts of the best hands the military has ever produced in Nigeria. Just like there is a professor in every house in Ekiti state, so there is a general in every house in the middle belt region. So, they are equipped to strive and bring about their own identity. Time would have come for them to take their destinies in their own hands. More so, that they remain the food basket of this nation, and can survive by reinventing their agricultural might
Thirdly, the refugee crisis that will emerge will swallow the entire west coast. The Sahara desert will have more guests heading for the outside world than it had over the last two decades.
Fourthly, the world’s level of insecurity would have heightened that no foreigner can freely come into Nigeria. Somalia pirates’ situation will be a child’s play. Let every reasonable being check out the last few years of restiveness in the Niger Delta and will find out that should there be any full scaled war, no oil tanker or commercial vessel can safely enter the region without paying the right price.
In this therefore, let the West not rejoice because they will never be able to control the emerging holocaust, talk less of being in a position to re-colonize the region’s oil wealth. It should remember that one of its critical challenges today is the money being used in fighting some wars outside its domain. Rather than investing heavily on armament to defend its interest in a disintegrating Nigeria, let the international community begin an aggressive drive on how to make Nigeria work again as a nation. The world should not wait to fight a reactive battle as they did in Liberia, Sierra-Leone, Somalia, and Rwanda. Some of the things the international community can help Nigerians do at this moment include:
1. Imposing subtle social and medical travel restrictions on all politicians and top government functionaries from Nigeria. When they have nowhere to run to, our politicians will sit down and make our health and social institutions work.
2. Foreign banks should ensure that their vaults are no longer made warehouses for stolen funds. They should collaborate with the EFCC to intensify the war against money laundering.
3. Ensure that all known looters and those convicted for economic crimes are ostracized and not welcomed into any part of the West and European countries.
4. The money being used for building armament that will rain bullets on our people later, should be used now for developing human capacity that will enable more Nigerians protest against misrule, corruption and bad leadership.
5. The West through its cohorts destroyed our federalism immediately after the civil war. It was at the vanguard of guiding the Federal Government to remove the powers of self sufficiency from the regions. The essence was to make the regions crawl to the Federal Government, begging for funds. It also served as a diversionary tactics to divert the regions attention from seeking secession. This they actualized through the destruction of the regional Development Authourities. From then on, Nigeria began a gradual balkanization of the country in the name of states’ creation. Our rent economy guarantees Federal Government to be the sole distributor of manna to the States. This was the beginning of our woes. Experience has now shown that even if the states do not rise to confront the government, militia groups will do it in a more destructive manner. So, let the West also go through the same process to reinstate the ideal fiscal federalism it took away through the back door.
Ten years of uninterrupted democracy is enough to start harvesting some dividends of democracy. So, time has come to work for the actualization of the Nigeria of our dreams and everybody has a role to play to ensure that this house “Nigeria” does not fall.
President Yar’Adua.
There is no time in our history than now, that we need a principled, truthful and open leader to turn things around for Nigeria. President Yar’Adua represents this. When he was elected, he told us the process of that election was flawed. Fact number one! To rectify this, he set up a committee to advise him on how to ensure that our electoral system is flawless. He also diagnosed that Nigerian past leaders did not rule the country based on the rule of law. Facts number two! To address this he began the rule of law mantra and has not unnecessarily meddled in the affairs of the National assembly as did his predecessor. In his speech to mark this year’s Independent Day celebration, he said our dreams since independence and the promise of independence have been largely unfulfilled. Another sacred fact! Our past leaders will not do this and would not have been point blank. All that is now required, aside telling the truth, is to take the bold and radical steps needed; to give vent to the processes to right these wrongs. It is in these, Nigeria of our dreams can be born. Some of the radical reforms will include:
1. Constitution reform: This is inevitable. He has to take the hard decision of returning Nigeria to true federalism. The power at the centre is too concentrated and juicy hence the battle by every politician to come to the seat of power at Abuja. As at today, many former governors live their lives in cosy hotel rooms in Europe, their luxury homes at Abuja or in Lagos. Never are these privileged Nigerians found in their Local government areas or even their state capitals except during party primaries. They are even afraid to live in midst of those they governed for eight years because they underdeveloped the states and milked them dry. This is an irony of fate. If Nigeria must develop and make progress, we must start building from the foundation, which is the local government. If there are infrastructures at the local level comparable to those found in the cities, no one will like to migrate to the cities.
2. Political party reform/internal democracy: As the leader of the largest political party in Africa; the president must ensure that between now and 2011, Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) should enthrone internal democracy as a way of laying a foundation for credible elections in the country. Members of the party from the ward level must be allowed to freely elect those that will occupy political offices and those that will represent them in the larger contest; instead of the selection process of 2007 that saw the likes of Rotimi Amechi, Olusegun Mimiko, some of the founding fathers of PDP and others thrown out of the party. It is when this is done, that a PDP led government can also give unto Nigerians free hands to elect their leaders. After all, nobody can give what he or she does not have.
3. Electoral reform: The electoral reform started by the President should be implemented in a way that every vote of the electorates counts. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be truly independent in all ramifications to enable it save Nigeria from the embarrassment of flawed elections. 2011 is a year of reckoning. Nigerians are visibly angry at what is happening all over the country. The springing up of ethnic militias in various parts of the country is a sign of discontent. So, it is in our best interest to allow free and credible elections.
4. Seven points’ agenda: While the President may want to address as many lapses as possible before his first tenure expires, the seven point agenda of Mr. President should be redefined to make it realisable. The one point agenda that is sacrosanct is the provision of uninterrupted power to the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. This will be the springboard for development. The President should go further to ban importation of generators into this country. When we have no new generators and we cannot afford to maintain the old ones; I am sure those in high places will climb down from their high horses to proffer solutions to our energy problems. If power generation and distribution is effectively delivered to Nigerians, the huge cost of manufacturing will reduce, and some of the collapsed industries may gradually come back to life.
5. Niger Delta Peace process: The President has started a good job in the Niger Delta region. He should continue to sustain the peace process he has started there. Again, this is an area he should be given credit for not being egocentric in addressing the issue of militancy.
6. War on corruption: The President should sustain the war on corruption no matter what it takes. The discordant tunes emanating from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation are discomforting. It would seem that the Attorney General is doing more damage to the image of this country with the way he is quick to defend the interests of those facing various economic crimes in the country. No country fights corruption by allowing the critical agencies involved in the process to be at daggers drawn with each other. They are supposed to be two sides of the same coin. Those that will reap from these seemingly uncooperative attitudes are the looters of our treasury thereby denying the people social justice. While the President may not wish to interfere in this imbroglio because of his belief in the rule of law, he should remember that no rule of law can be effective without social justice.
The National Assembly:
The cardinal duty of the National Assembly is to make good laws for the governance of this nation. The present crop of Senators and House members will write their names in gold in the annals of legislative service in Nigeria; if they pass the following bills into laws before their tenure expires.
1. Freedom of Information Bill: This will assist people to freely attack corruption without molestation.
2. Electoral Reform Bill: This holds the key to our survival as a nation beyond 2011. Except we get this right, the fierce battle to win elections at all cost will be unprecedented. The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) should be strengthened through the process of law to be truly independent.
3. Petroleum Industry Bill. Our petroleum sector is parlous and in a pitiable state. The laws governing it are obsolete. The community restiveness and the Niger Delta crisis emanated from the inadequacies of the laws.
4. Constitutional amendment: This should be done to ensure that states are encouraged to tap the resources at their disposal. If every State knows that it will have 50% derivation from whatever it produces, it will motivate the Governors to find ways of tapping their resources rather than depend on begging for funds from the Federal Government. The Independence of INEC should be clearly redefined in line with the Justice Uwais Committee report.
These are the instruments that will promote accountability and transparency in governance by the executive. If they can do these for Nigeria, they will be remembered for good.
The Politicians
Our politicians owe us a duty to ensure that our votes count. They should not see elections as a do-or-die affair. They may lose today but win tomorrow. They should change their traditional paradigms of old (Amala politics) of using coercion to agrandize the people’s votes. They should stop using political thugs to harass Nigerians and snatch ballot boxes. They should introspect and see if their ten years in the rulership of this nation, has benefitted the masses of Nigeria. They know it that nothing could been said to have worked for the benefit of the greater society. Dividends of democracy include the right of the citizens to freely elect their leaders without molestation, access to sound education, good health, food, housing, and good environment. If they agree to this assertion, then they have failed the masses of this nation and the only way they can atone for these sins is to do it right in 2011. They should note that the king that ruled and the people prospered with a united kingdom have a name. The one that also ruled but tore, and destroyed the kingdom through war and maladministration also has a name. So the politicians should choose the name they want to be remembered for.
The people
Fellow Nigerians, having dealt with the issue of the selfish agenda of foreign interests in Nigeria, we have about one and half years to determine our own future. That is, between now and 2011 when general elections will take place. We have to do it ourselves. We cannot fold our arms and wish someone else reinvent this country for us. We have blamed the military for so long. Let us also agree as a people that we have failed Nigeria; by not standing for her at critical moments and by watching people of low character destroy our commonwealth.
I align myself with the President’s speech of today that government should renew its commitment to confronting the challenges of critical infrastructure, the Niger Delta, food security, security of lives and property, human capital development, land tenure and wealth creation.
We as citizens also have a great role to play. We should also wake up from our slumber. We have made life too comfortable for our political leaders. If Nigeria disintegrates, all the politicians will run away leaving us to die in the ensuing war and recriminations. So, why are we going to allow them wreck us and leave us to bury our dead? We should stand up to fight now. Not by carrying guns but by civil disobedience to protest the maladministration of our rulers. We should sing the praises of the governors that are performing excellently well, and make governance difficult for the treasury looters.
The Labour movement should start sharpening their arsenals to confront those who will want to rig 2011 elections because workers bear the brunt of empty treasuries, political truancy and economic sabotage. The market women should get ready to reinvent the great womanhood in them to salvage Nigeria from ruins. The Student activists should be ready to re-enact the Ali-must-go fire works without destruction to lives and properties. The youths should also say no to being used as political thugs.
Wherever we are, let us as Nigerians rededicate ourselves to the Nigerian project. Let us think of what we can do to make Nigeria greater than what she is now. Let us be honest and loyal to the service of our country at all times. This House (NIGERIA) must not fall. May we live to see the Nigeria of our dream, and may Nigeria never die in our time.
Written by Dr Brown Ogbeifun www. http://louisbrownogbeifun.com
One of my mentors