MMM: A Call For Transvaluation Of Value, By Goke Butika

“The misfortune of the living person causes him to appeal to the spirit of the dead”—Yoruba proverb

Before the arrival of 2017, something must be addressed and temporarily given a closure, not because it is the most significant event in the outgoing 2016, but because it touches lives of over three million people, largely from the stratified class of the poor of the poor and some comfortable elite who were considered greedy in recession. Your guess is as good as mine—MMM, the pyramid money scheme floated by that Russian convict called Sergey.

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In line with figure given by the financial institutions, over three billion naira appears to have gone done with the “suspension” of the ponzi site, and that is a great flight in an economy that is crying for stability in topsy-turvy. It is huge, because the suspended fund could be used to pay workers for a month or two in some states, depending on the size of their payroll.

As much as I sympathize with the victims of MMM on their chosen transparent fraud, I could not but remind myself of the popularly Yoruba proverb that says, “if a man suffers a big disgrace, other elements of absurdities would be accommodated”. This goes to show that the poor of the poor and the greedy privileged have different motives to the fraudulent scheme; for while the poor saw MMM as an escape chamber in gnashing economic recession based on unadulterated ignorance, the greedy privileged saw the scheme as methodical money doubling based on the quest to cut corners. In the final analysis, all victims experienced fatal flaw

However, one thing wowed me while the reign of MMM lasted- every educated youth and elite who partook in the fraudulent scheme would admit to have read about the integrity deficit of the inventor. Besides, some victims claimed they were aware of how the scheme crashed in Russia and Zimbabwe, and they were quick to admit that it was not an enduring scheme, but they chose to deliberately stayed afloat with metaphysical optimism.

I could still recollect that I once engaged a friend on the possibility of the crash, because in my argument I could not fathom how 30 percent would be made as interest over an investment that was not grounded in any known local, national and international business, but our friends in the scheme asked us to keep our eyes on the ball, not on the certainty of its crash. Such was the mindset of the people who staked their money in the scheme.

Besides, legions of the victims had prepared alibi for the crash of the scheme, by arguing that they had made enough money from the scheme, and that if it crashes the way it crashed, they would only lose their interest not the capital, but the fact on ground did not support that argument. Surprisingly, the ponzi scheme behaved to type and some of the victims who had boasted of waiting for the eventuality reneged and shouted blue murder.

Quite painful to know that people allowed ignorance to prevail in this age of technology, but I would rather repudiate the system that allowed the people to fall into a known pit of fraud. Instead of warning the victims, Nigerian government ought to have borrowed a leaf from India, Europe and America on how they blocked the ponzi site, and that singular action would have saved the nation over three-billion-naira rip-off. Besides, the government ought to have launched a manhunt for the guiders of the scheme and throw them to jail irrespective of the conspiracy theories in the social media.

Ultimately, what I found instructive in the whole scenario is that the magnitude of erosion of value in Nigeria is phenomenal, and until there is transvaluation of value, where the system would design formidable working process that would raise hope, lower expectations of individuals, the crave for attainment would not be met. This speaks to the fact that all our institutions must be working for the people in order to make life abundant.

Butika is an intercontinental journalist writing from Houston, Texas USA

ABU ALI: The Death Of A Gallant Soldier, By Goke Butika

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue" --Napoleon Bonaparte.

For a while now, I have quietly recused myself from writing on unfolding stories of absurdities in  Nigeria, because the stories could make anyone with tinge of moral sense sick and mad, and writing from the position of anger is not ethical as a journalist, but the death of Ali has provoked this article. And this would be premised on two reasons: untold hardship of ordinary Nigerians and the unbridled celebration of corrupt felons.

I am of opinion that some arguments must have ensued amongst some angels when God proposed to create mankind. It could be that the angel of virtue would argue that man would be wicked in his heart and action, but angel of Justice would be happy, because justice shall be done. While angel in charge of hell would be happy that at least there will be traffic in his domain; just the way angel of death would see the creation of men as faith accompli, for him to work on the terminal project called mortal.

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Metaphysics is a safe haven for any knotty issue that could not be apprehended by intelligence or nature, because that body of knowledge tolerates the duo concepts of conceivability and possibility. So long as something is conceived, it is possible either in the physical world or logical world. Unfortunately, many things are happening in this familiar world, but their answers are found in the metaphysical world, and one of them is  nexus between monumental corruption and death of gallant officers of Nigeria Army.

Lt. Col. Abu Ali is dead. The gallant officer of the Nigerian Army was a hero while he lived, he fought terrorists on our behalf, and he wrestled the insurgents and chased the infidels out of towns and settlements they held for ideological  reasons. But, Ali has to die because some fat cats had shared the funds meant for armament to battle insurgency.

It is pathetic now that the most populous country of all black nations is in a mess of economic depression, because our collective patrimony was shared and lavished during the last elections, because the people on the saddle as well as the corridors of power thought the coffer would be replenished as soon as the election was over. The skew of our mono -economic product-petroleum went south, elections were over, and the money became faeces of masquerade. Like how much are we talking about here? I don't know, but it was in realm of billions of dollars, I call it fortune of the nation. Was the fortune meant for politics? No, it was meant to save a nation from psychopaths with adulterated ideology called boko haram.

In that wise, soldiers at the theatre of war would have to fight with either obsolete armament or barehand in contention with ragtag army with sophisticated machine. In the process, hundreds of soldiers lost their lives, millions of Nigerians displaced, and children turned orphans, and the integrity of a nation injured. Yet, the funds appropriated in defence of humanity were stolen, shared, stored and used to buy  luxurious homes and automobiles. That is the imagery of wickedness in the hearts of men.

Interestingly, the sharers of nation's fortune were apprehended and tossed in detention, but unfortunately justices who are saddled to serve justice to the felons are corrupt, for they are in competition with thieving politicians. So, judgments are for the higher bidders. Those who were pretending to be conscience of nation could not watch their "partners in crime" suffering in the hands of anti-graft agency, hence they embarked on pilgrimage of shame. It is a pity that the arrowhead with robe of faith was riding horse at Sokoto Durbar, while Lt. Col. Abu Ali, the gallant fighter was being stretched to his early grave. Of course, there would not be condolence visit, because Ali was just a bloody soldier who must die. That is the story of unwise elite, hoodwinked masses, and a nation in short supply of credible leaders.

Abu Ali's death touches my heart because I have a little brother as a special force in the same theatre of war, and I know that our nation is unfair to the men we put in arms' way. I think researchers need to conduct study on why the black people are like this. It can't be in black man's DNA, because a Nigerian doctor based in USA has just blazed the trail in medical profession through unprecedented surgery for the unborn baby. Certainly, it must be something else.

Abu Ali, you came, you fought like a gallant soldier you were, and you conquered. Good night good soldier.

Butika is an intercontinental journalist.

Conquer Poverty of Mind, Material - Osun Speaker, Salaam Urges Nigerian Youths

Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has asked the youth to conquer the poverty of mind and material in order to fit into the society of employers of labour not society of complainants.

Addressing the Nigeria Youth Parliament in Osogbo, Speaker Salaam who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika stressed that the poverty of mind was the bane of self-development of an individual youth.

He said the youth should take the advantage of this economic recession by launching into creative ideas that could be exchanged for money, noting that good things of life are product of creative ideas.

Speaker Salaam further asserted that the young men and women should tone down their yearning for luxury, and think more on how to attract value to their societies for the general good.

He cautioned the youth against begging culture which he said was spreading like wild fire, saying the positive value of the hard time was there for the youth to pick if the mind could be put to work, saying only the poverty of material could make an unemployed youth indulge in luxury life.

Speaker Salaam stressed that the parliament under his watch has passed some youth friendly laws like child right bill, and would soon embark on interactive session with youth groups with a view to empowering the youth in different endeavors.

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Budget Padding: When Madman Kills His Witchdoctor, Goke Butika

Still on budget padding at the National Assembly, the former chairman, Appropriation committee of the House of Representatives, Dr. Abdulmumin Jubrin, 40, has vowed not make it half full, while Speaker Dogara, our own Deputy Speaker Lasun Yusuf and others have insisted in not taking the matter half empty; suggesting that "several legs would be in one length of a pair of trousers.

The entire drama is interesting but not funny. While the leadership of the House of Representatives is living in denial, Jubrin, an academic turned lawmaker has advanced his "cause" by deliberately knocking the doors of anti-graft agencies and security agencies with aim of inviting them to look into the books of the parliament, particularly on budget fraud which was lexically coined as "padding".

In the raging struggle, three schools of thought emerged: the first one are those who want the message to be held serious irrespective of the character value of the whistleblower; the school of thought are those who read vendetta or reprisal attack to the intention of the messenger and the third school of thought are those who see no crime in the drama of absurd.

The first school of thought appeals to our reason, they believe that, for Jubrin to have shouted on the rooftop with some level of comfort and claim to incriminating evidence against the leadership of the house, he must have been very sure of his fact. To them, Jubrin was part of the budget process which was allegedly padded, and he actually coordinated the padding, and being a member with cognate experience in the inner workings of the house, plus being an establishment guy, he knows more than anyone speculating on the issue.

However, those who were of the opinion that that Jubrin is acting spoiler because he was thrown out of his seat as the Appropriation committee chairman, holding that the timing was wrong. They argued that he ought to have shouted while the criminal padding was being done, but they have not disputed Jubrin on the criminal padding paddled by the leadership of the house.

The third school of thought, seems kowtow to the narrative of the establishment that the padding does not exist but budget process which the nation's constitution empowers the parliament to work on, varies figures if possible and approve. So, to them, Jubrin was singing because he is bitter about his removal.

A critical look at the arguments of the three schools shows that only the first school of thought wants us to employ reason on the process and procedure that led to the budget padding, and that was the argument that drew our attention to the untold story behind the refusal of President Muhamnadu Buhari to sign the budget in the first place, and that demands some questions on what obtained under the table while Deputy Speaker Lasun's committee was tasked to rework the padded figures. While the two other schools premised their argument on emotion and jejune premises.

Meanwhile, I am beginning to believe story of Jubrin, not because the guy is clean or has noble intention, but because an argument is considered to be true either necessarily or Contingently, if premises are laid on propositional, veridical or empirical facts with justifications. Jubrin appears to have outsmarted Dogara, Lasun and others with his facts and evidential proof which are yet to be contradicted. Obviously, silence is no longer golden on this issue.

Having gone through the fact checks, one thing is very clear, that corruption has no tribal or religious sentiment-Dogara, a Christian is Hausa man, Lasun, a Muslim is a Yoruba man, and Leo Ogor, a Christian is an Ibo man. So, when I see some Nigerians playing religious or tribal sentiment on election or appointment, I pity the people who are yet to recognize that they are just mere pawns on the chessboard of the corrupt few who hod their nation by the jugular.

Anyway, with the way Jubrin has waged his new war against his "comrades in crime" appears to be unprecedented in the history of Nigeria rigmaroled budget process, but not new, because there is always a constant conjunction that thieves would fight over their loot. We should  encourage the President to maintain a straight face on this issue as usual, because what sauces for Saraki at the senate,  sauces for Dogara, Lasun and others at the House of Representatives. Padding is forgery, and the characters involved must be brought to justice.

Butikakuro is an intercontinental journalist.

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Osun Speaker Identifies June 12 Democracy Day (Press Statement)

Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam
State of Osun Speaker

Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has described June 12 as the real democracy day, where free, fair and credible election was held, and its annulment created a spadework for the uninterrupted democratic experience the nation is currently enjoying.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika, Speaker Salaam eulogized virtues of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and his slain wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola and other heroes who sacrificed their lives for the civil rule.

Speaker Salaam then reiterated that the state parliament under his watch appreciated the struggle of political activists, rights advocates, journalists, labour activists and Nigerians who put in their all for the country to achieve democracy.

He then called on Political leaders and well meaning Nigerians to rise in defence of this nation which is currently bedeviled with critical challenges, saying that it was unfortunate that the nation that has just witnessed a change of baton from the then established ruling party to the then formidable opposition party with emergence of credible leader in person of President Muhammadu Buhari is being confronted by multiple security and economic challenges.

Speaker Salaam then charged Nigerians to rise and take ownership of their country by disowning saboteurs, vandals of national infrastructure, selfish ethnic champions, secessionists, violent herdsmen, religious extremists and war mongers; saying the voice of the well meaning Nigerians must be heard now loudly in support of the government.

He further asked all officials of government at all levels to redouble their effort to reposition the country with a view to meeting the yearnings of the people for good governance.

Signed:

Goke Butika

CPS to the Speaker

State of Osun House of Assembly

Nigeria: A Nation On The Cross, By Goke Butika

Nigeria is in dire straight.  The nation is contending with centrifugal and centripetal forces, but unfortunately, it is still far from equilibrium. This piece intends to explain my take on the war of attrition between the government and the organized labour coupled with the take of ordinary masses as I see it.

There are some things that are not possible both in logical and familiar worlds. Logical world is a world of arithmetic, where analytical statements are used to express what is obtainable, but in reality, is not given. In this line of thought, monkeys and human beings may fall into the category of mortals, but can they be given the same respect in line with the division of soul conceptualized by Plato? No! So, logically monkey and human are the same, but in reality, it is not obtainable; that is the distinction between the concepts of possibility and impossibility.

Another interesting point is possible worlds. In these worlds, everything conceived in the mind is possible, horses could develop wings to fly, mountain of gold is possible, man may live without food and water, economy of a troubled nations can boom overnight, and poor man who went to bed with empty stomach last night may wake up to become multimillionaire in the morning. But can this happen in reality? No.

In a robust debate, idealist would stay glue to the notion of possible worlds, while the materialist would insist that whatever is not obtainable in reality is not possible, for there is no possible worlds anywhere except in the realm of ideas.

The debate on fuel hike and economic meltdown in Nigeria falls into the aforementioned categorization of the concepts. The government is terribly broke, and claims to have only one option left- free the cash locked up in oil sector, the major source of our foreign exchange, or be perpetually broke and fail obligations like salaries of workers.

However, the only way to free cash is to hand over the petroleum market to the marketers who would source for foreign exchange elsewhere and bring in petroleum resources, particularly premium motor spirit (pms) that we call petrol for the use of the country people. That was the narrative of the government.

According to the narrative of a faction of labour union, the government has not consulted widely with the concerned stakeholders, and that the fuel hike has taken away the purchasing power of the national minimum wage. So, no to fuel hike, yes to N56, 000 new minimum wage, and if the government insist on having its way, the economy would be shut down.

Because of the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the unprecedented looting spree of the immediate past administration of PDP Goodluck Jonathan, the masses were confused on where to go. And the country hangs in the balance. As it stands, the labour has declared total strike (which is flopped) and the law has become casualty; while the organized labour, which was the voice of the masses in the recent past has also become fall guy pathetically.

What is my take in this brouhaha, for once, we have to appeal to reason as a people. It is quite painful for me to advocate for hike in price of anything, let alone the gasoline which connects everything the masses survive on, but can we afford lay-off of workers? Can we contend with work without pay? Can we encourage fleecing of our collective patrimony by the profiteers, who collect subsidy money, and still rip-off the ordinary Nigerians? Can the nation afford economic shutdown? Can we take the cost of total strike at this troubled time? These are the questions that must be brought to the negotiation table.

I support this government, but I feel the heat on the ordinary Nigerians, and it is like a case of a man between the devil and the blue sea. How do I heap the blame on the government that is fighting corruption, but contending with the vandalism of the oil pipes in the creek of Niger Delta, because the corruption must fight back? Do I blame the ordinary people who threw the Jonathan government out of power to have a better life then? These are the posers that brought about the concepts of possibility, impossibility and obtainability in fuel hike war.

In that wise, I would suggest we work with the reality of our economy, and dialogue on what is obtainable, not on the ideology that the organized labour must fight based on theoretical terms of Marxist doctrine, because this is an unusual time, but the government must develop a communication strategy that would explain the economic masterplan without ambiguity. For now, that is the way to go.

In a related development, I read that Amitolu Shittu, one of those who laboured for democratic rule we are enjoying was booed and heckled at a rally organized by the labour in the State of Osun. If the story was true, then those who planned to humiliate the activist, because of his political belief were unfair to him, because they may have an axe to grind with him on his support for Governor Rauf Aregbesola, which is his exclusive right to political belief, but to make an attempt to downgrade the role he played in enthroning this democracy is the greatest injustice done to him, and yours sincerely condemn it.

I am sure, when some of those who reportedly booed and heckled the man were nowhere to be found, it was Amitolu Shittu, who provided leadership and face together with  Waheed Lawal, Goke Butika, Babatunde William (RIP) and other Comrades who put their lives on the line in the face of military brutality. So, we should not humiliate or attempt to downplay the role of our activists who struggled while it was difficult to do so.

Butikakuro is an intercontinental journalist.

OSUN ASSEMBLY SPEAKER EXTOLS TUNS @70

Speaker, State of Osun, House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has extolled the virtue of the Elder Statesman, Chief Khamis Olatunde Badmus, as the Asiwaju Adini of Yoruba land hits the septuagenarian milestone.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika,  Speaker Salaam describes the Osogbo born business mogul as the leader of men and resources whose passion for humanity was unrivaled, saying his wisdom and leadership were the sterling qualities that endear him to all political and business leaders in the nation and in particular, State of Osun.

Speaker Salaam stressed that the state parliament elected to celebrate and identify with Chief Badmus, because he is one of the biggest employers of labour, a productive enterprenure and renowned farmer, and a prominent figure among the founding fathers of the state.

He then lauded the septuagenarian elder statesman for his strive all the time to assist any government in power on the development of the state irrespective of political affiliation or religious divide, saying the government at all levels in the state would continue to tap from his wisdom.

Speaker Salaam, while wishing Chief Badmus happy birthday, prays God to grant him long life in good health and wisdom of the sage to further his task of human and state development.

MAY DAY: Osun Speaker Laud Workers On Support To Government

Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has lauded workers in the state for their unequaled patriotism given their cooperation with the government on the state of the economy which has compelled both parties to work within the given realities.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika, Speaker Salaam, while felicitating with workers as they celebrate May Day, said the parliament under his watch has noted with delight the love of workers for the state, saying their patriotism speaks volume with the way the salary issue was handled.

He said, "We have cause to celebrate our workers, they have over time demonstrated virtues of "Omoluabi" when the state was in dire strait over economic hardship, which made salary obligation an issue, and their peaceful resolution with the government was acknowledged".

Speaker Salaam then promised that the parliament would demand encouraging perks for the workers in the future if economy regains its shape, asserting that the leadership of the labour force has demonstrated that State of Osun belongs to us all, and must not be allowed to become a butt of jokes, because of temporary challenges.

Besides, Speaker Salaam has implored the workers on government pay roll to tone down their involvement in partisan politics, saying that it was worrisome that some section of civil servants are no longer regarding the civil service rule which  bars them from taking partisan politics to their respective offices.

He said there was nothing wrong in having interest in politics, but the rule of service must not also be vitiated because of political interest taken too far; expressing his disgust about the way some workers have reportedly turned their office to party secretariat where political issues were discussed freely at working hours, saying such action should be stopped forthwith in deference to the integrity of the civil service rule.

Signed:

Goke Butika

CPS to the Speaker

State of Osun House of Assembly

So Our Ladies Are Rogues, By Goke Butika

"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't,"---Margaret Thatcher

I have always known that the embezzled arms funds allegedly misused by Ibrahim Dasuki would be more than two billion dollars, and I am least shocked that the figure has risen to 15 billion dollars aside from four billion naira the central bank handed over to the personal guard of the former President Goodluck Jonathan for the prosecution of presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pre- 2015 general election.

Hmmm! There is always wisdom in the axiom that, "what a man does, a woman can do better," going by the way and manner Mrs. Nnadi Usman, a Senator of the seventh Senate and former Minister of Finance was used as the conduit pipe to fleece this country that paid her so much for doing little. While she was caught "pant down" in stealing spree, she quickly cooperated with Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and sang like parrot before she returned N23 million liquid cash under her pillow, and promised to return more as long as she is able to dispose some of her properties.

Already, two luxurious mansions in Abuja highbrow had been seized and she was willing, according to a news report to offer more properties to leverage her prosecution and administrative bail, because according to her, she is contending with health challenges. What a primitive acquisition of wealth.

By marriage, Nnadi Usman is a Muslim and Hausa man's wife. Another striking news was that of Diezani Madueke, the erstwhile czar of petroleum resources under Jonathan was said to have her two million British pound wrist watch seized by the foreign security operative in United Kingdom. Oh, you are also wondering who a sane person would want to impress with that kind of wristwatch? Anyway, it is another way of keeping money. By marriage and birth, Diezani is a Christian of Igbo extraction.

In a related development, the wife of the former Chief of Naval staff, under the watch of Jonathan, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu was said to have acted a front for her husband, as the anti-graft agency traced two billion naira to her account apart from one million dollars the security operatives unearthed from their soak away. By birth and marriage, Kemi Amosu is of Yoruba stock. The import of this is that roguery is not peculiar with ethnic or religious boundaries.

Mrs. Usman did a yeoman job during the last election for her party, PDP. As she took the custody of her billions of naira from the arms deal on the instruction of Jonathan, she began to do "justice" to the largess by dishing out N840 million to that loquacious turn-coat, Femi Fani Kayode, Morally bankrupt Ondo chief, Olu Falae and others. No wonder, Fani-Kayode threw his life into the struggle for "Jonathan must continue"; he deployed all indecent arsenals against candidate Buhari, he called the APC leaders names, he unleashed all high sounding words laced with British accent on whoever called for logical debates on governance. Aftermath, he began to celebrate his new model range rover SUV, he showcased his thoroughly toned skin girlfriend, but quietly went underground when Jonathan was thrown out of his job.

Hennhenn! The abductors of Olu Falae must have known he got N100 million from arms deal, before demanding exact amount from his family as ransom, but the man was so secretive that he elected not to inform his family and his group, compromised Afenifere whose past time is to criticize government until it is invited to a negotiation table on parochial interest.

As if he had done no wrong, the so called Yoruba leader, Falae said he did not collect money from Dasuki but Chief Tony Anenih, as if Anenih is Dangote, as if Anenih was not the chairman of the Board of PDP, but he chose his narrative to trivialize the issue, unknown to him that people are not impressed with his story.

Besides, are you provoked by the seeming madness of some women of power? Oh, you cannot fathom why a person would use two million British pounds wrist watch, while her kinsmen and women are wallowing in abject poverty. You can not simply comprehend why a mortal would be comfortable wearing two million pound English gold jewelry, while her countrymen could not receive monthly salaries. That was inanities the men and women of yesterday spent Nigerian fortune on.

Quite pathetic, some groups abroad were decorating Goodluck Jonathan who dragged Nigeria to this sorry state, because he handed over to his successor who resoundingly beat him at the last general election, even some of our clerics want us to forgive Jonathan for finding courage to handover at all. What a country!

The long and short story is that, yes, there was global economic challenge as a result of perpetual permutation in dynamics of economics , but Nigeria's case is largely on mismanagement of resources and perennial leadership failure. We had lost fortune to stealing perpetrated by very few individuals, thousands of innocent people were hurriedly dispatched to their shallow graves based on the sharing of funds meant for the military equipment to fight terrorism. And when the former Central Bank Governor now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said over N48 billion could not be accounted for, Jonathan and his economic witches cried blue murder; Jonathan even said in Lagos that if such amount was missing America would know because it is its money.

Today, cat is gradually coming out of the bag. Please, blame Buhari for all the woes of the country, after all he threw his hat into the ring for it, but please evaluate the rot very well and convince yourself on where the blame should be placed.

Butikakuro is an intercontinental journalist.

The Man For The Tough Job, By Goke Butika

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other,"---John Kenedy.

State of Osun has been in the news- first state to engage 20,000 youth for rewarding community development; first state to elevate school feeding to a state of art to an extent that British parliament sought for the unique selling proportion of it; the first state to introduce e-learning via "opon imo" called tablet of knowledge; first financially challenged state to roll out roads in hundreds, and international model schools in tens; ditto for ambulance stations across the state which are saving lives of people in emergency and urban renewal.

However, the critics of the hand behind the feat, Rauf Aregbesola have an axe to grind with all the listed achievement, they want us to see abandoned projects; schools as white elephant project;  opon imo" as fraudulent device, and the motive behind the other projects that could not be logically faulted as design to steal from public till.

That brings us to the definition of ideology. From the study of Marxist philosophy, ideology is the narrative sexed up by each class in a struggle for the control of production to justify its position. To the bourgeois, the ideology is that workers get their pay through the dint of hard work, but the proletariat's ideology is that the bourgeois should be wrestled, because they are shortchanging them.

So, the side you belong will determine whether my own perspective would find a room in your heart or not. And I must say that I would not be neutral in this piece, because I would not join the lynching mob organized for Aregbesola by some section of the media, nor would I subscribe to the notion of "rubberstamping" legislature some critics want to push for the state parliament under the leadership of Speaker Najeem Salaam.

Before we dissect what obtains in the State of Osun, it will be just to examine the bigger picture, which is Nigeria herself, because Osun is just a unit among the 36 federating units. But because Nigeria could not be taken for discourse in isolation as a result of global interlink . So, let's jump into the fray.

Of course, the fall of oil price in the world market has dragged countries into a running challenges- I learn that Saudi Arabia, a monarchical country that tops the oil chart sought to borrow ten billion dollars! This country of Islamic state is an example of celestial blessing that has everything in abundance, and is being managed by the royal lineage who rules according to the dictate of Islam and the teaching of Prophet Muhammed (SAW).

Saudi Arabia used to have everything money can buy, and its statue book is Quran, this makes the rich and the poor to have fair share of their  country's resources. The government is generous to the citizenry and the denizens are loyal to the government; that has not changed, but the fall in crude oil price has vitiated the inexhaustible purse of the country. Hence, some policies were rolled out to whittle down privileges advanced to the people.

Another classical case of global challenge resulting from oil glut is Venezuela, a South American Country on the Caribbean that got independence from Spain in 1811,  was an oil-rich country which its petrol dollar was used to enhance the standard and cost of living of its people, and by the time Nigerian leaders were stealing and stashing government funds abroad,  its late leader, Hugo Cheves used the proceeds of oil for the good of his people.

As you are reading this piece, Brazil is going through political turmoil, for the country is going through economic challenge, and the President was accused of deceiving her country with fictitious figures like the one sexed up by the infamous former Minister of Finance in Nigeria, Okonjo Iweala to define the narrative of President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

I chose to briefly reflect on the aforementioned countries above to justify the global effect of crude oil fall in the world market in order to invite you to causes and effects of the great fall in the oil price. Be reminded that in 2012, Nigeria as a country had a large cash cow from oil to the extent that the three tiers of government were sharing between N1.2 and  N1.3 trillion every month. So, the government at the centre would keep N750 billion, while the 36 states and 774 local governments would share the rest in  26 and 17 percent formular.

As at that time, no state of the federation takes less than four billion naira a month. Suddenly, the government began to record shortage in cash, claiming that it was due to stealing of 400,000 barrels per day on the high sea through bunkering, and Jonathan government was helpless for two solid years, making Nigeria to lose substantial trillions of dollars to oil theft that could not be justified beyond the narrative of the compromised economic team.

The last time I checked, all tiers of government shared N299 billion, obviously less than what one third of what a buoyant federal government alone could keep, now shared by the federal government, 36 states and 774 known local governments, and here we are in a country whose citizens crave for magic wand from the President and governors. Let it be known that I hold no brief for anyone but to establish that whoever must show up for political office now should realize how tough the job is.

Gone were the days, when people could be manipulated easily, the world today is different because technology has broken barriers of distance and secrecy. Now, let's return to the  State of Osun in line with the opening of montage. The governor was accused of embarking on so many white elephant projects, obtaining bank facilities to finance, and was boxed to the corner when there was a great fall in the price of crude; making the state to shark its obligations as witnessed in delayed salaries and slow speed of some projects by anonymous critics.

In the heat of the matter, a High court Judge whose aristocratic job demands to be seen and heard only in her court threw caution to the wind when he petitioned the state parliament, calling for the impeachment of the governor; the opposition went to the gutters with different versions of misinformation, half truth and innuendoes, struggling to justify the emotional epistle of the judge.

Meanwhile, the governor's party men were unhappy about his disposition to work instead of empowering party stalwarts in preparation for another election; some of them felt that their financial status was not better than it was when they were in opposition.  And the governor became an orphan at a point.

The kitchen became hotter for the executive, House of Assembly became an arbiter for trade dispute, intergovernmental squabbles and petition colony. Hence, the leadership was demanded to douse tension and restore confidence. Obviously, Speaker Najeem Salaam offered the vista through his methodical handling of the fragile situation by providing leadership without vitiating his loyalty to the governor. That was what some political pundits who could not understand the interplay called "rubber stamp", but which the intelligentsia called DIPLOMATIC LEADERSHIP.

To be continued ...

Butikakuro is an intercontinental journalist.

Fayose Gungi Re Koja Ewe, By Goke Butika

• "Shame is an ornament to the young; a disgrace to the old,"-----Aristotle

In the Yoruba fable of tortoise, it was said that the animal clothed with human wisdom was upbeat on all issues in his society, and his cleverness was acknowledged; his name crops up everywhere on everything. One day, the tortoise was preparing for a journey, and his wife, 'yanibo' asked: "Ijapa (tortoise) when would you return?"  Tortoise replied: "when I am disgraced." The governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose is inching closer to a big disgrace everyday, and honestly he fits in perfectly into the picture of a character called drunken sailor.

What could make a district officer, a captain of a single federating unit to dabble into international diplomacy which is not only within his purview, but also beyond his job description? Certainly, the route to Honour could have a branch to disgrace. Having said that, I think we should embark on intellectual journey on the national debate on loan for deficit financing President Muhammadu Buhari proposed to obtain, for mental exercise and as our right as citizens.

There are debates raging on whether President Buhari should obtain two billion dollar loan from China or not. Those who want the loan premised their argument on the need to invest on infrastructure in order to reflate the economy directly and indirectly, but those who are against believe the country's future would be mortgaged, to them: "he who goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing."

One the one hand, the Economists and Financial analysts believe that debt is not hurting, as a matter of fact, all frontline nations are reeking in debt, because according to their argument no nation can harness the huge resources to provide life abundance, infrastructural development and overhaul institutions of state on its own. Hence, the need to borrow becomes imperative.

The Financial experts hinge on United States of America as an example, arguing that the superpower has the best military software and hardware, best intelligence agencies, best infrastructural development policies and programmes, very enduring institutions, has the currency used to dominate the economy of the world; it even doles our billions of dollars to developing nations as aides, yet it owes almost a jaw-breaking debt.

One of the analysts explains that America declares debt ceiling of 17 trillion dollars for President Obama, and if the population of 350 million is used to divide the amount, each person will have close to 44thousand dollars as per head debt profile in US. Yet, people from the countries that owe less want to run to US for better life. Besides, citizens of US would carry their international passports with pride and can migrate anywhere they like without visa, except in some pariah states like North Korea.

As scintillating as the argument of the pro-loan was, the antagonist argues that Nigeria is rich enough to source for two billion dollars within its internal mechanism, Femi Falana a senior lawyer even asked the President to go after the looters and recover the loot worth of 200 billion dollars, arguing that Nigeria would even has more than enough.

Besides, Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) wants the President to forgo the loan and source for  funds for budget implementation within, fearing that the loan would make Nigeria subservient to its creditors.

As beautiful as the two arguments are, my take on the first line is, does Nigeria as a nation has the discipline to administer any loan for the purpose it is meant for?in the past, no! Because evidence abound that the loan would be heard, the project would be mentioned in the media, and the funds would sink in some private pockets of few individuals on the corridors of power, but with the new order being projected by President Buhari, the story may change. I am confident that if the loan is secured, the targets would be hit.

Then, must we borrow? Yes, we need resources from any credible available sources to drag our country back from the edge, and to develop it in such a way that no other nation will be more attractive. And an example should be drawn from micro level, how many of us who are house owners could boast of using our money to build without  loan? The difference is when we obtain bank facility as an individual, we administer it to the purpose meant for, but as a government,  our people have learnt to steal funds meant for public utilities.

In that wise, let Buhari secure as much loan he can he muster to jumpstart the economy of this nation, let the President even borrow more to assist industries, infrastructure, small scale and medium scale industries; let us borrow more to invest on modern technology for agriculture; let us borrow more to build houses for the poor people to live; let us borrow to fix power and create jobs. After all the value of money is what money can buy, not the legal tender itself.

However, we must not borrow to pay salaries or service the luxurious lifestyle of some individuals on the corridors of power or buy SUVs for the lawmakers whose personal interest overrides the national interest or pay funny allowances or fund elections. As a matter of fact, let those who take delight in acquiring latest cars pay heavy taxes, let the President, governors, lawmakers, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, big religious leaders with private jets pay "killing taxes" to service our local debts.

Also, as much as I would have loved to go along with the ideologues on using recovering loots for deficit financing, it should be known that recovering system takes time that a tenured President does not have, and the delay would not be an excuse later. How come we have not recovered completely what Abacha looted? How come are the big looters are storming our courts with 99 lawyers? How come are the senior lawyers hiding international criminals in their cars to evade justice? How come are some judges have become billionaires over criminal compromise?

So, when I read that the  "boy scout" of Ekiti, the "misadventured"governor of the state described as land of 'Honour' Ayo Fayose wrote the Chinese authority to undermine his Commander in Chief as touching the bilateral concerns between the two countries, what came to my mind is: "it can only happen in Nigeria".

To the best of my knowledge, individual authority has the limit of its power, the President is voted to tend our diplomatic relations, while a governor is the captain of his state, but for a governor to write the President of another country to undermine our collective sovereignty, it is out of bound, and such a person should be invited for questioning and psychiatric evaluation.

Honestly, Nigerians should rise against this "deranged element" who wants to make mockery of our national integrity, because he is concocting alibi for his looming trouble in the future. Seriously, I cannot imagine a Chinese governor writing a US President on any issue concerning diplomatic profile. We should shelve politics in this, and protect our institution or else doom is the story.

By and large, let our government demonstrate sincerity; let us as a people become active in the way we are governed; let's support any measure that can be used to reflate the economy of this great country by giving those we have given assignment the benefit of doubt, and the anti-corruption drive of this government must be institutionalized, so that this nation can be great again.

Goke Butika, The Author

Butika is a journalist of intercontinental exposure.

Saraki's Warhorse Kickstarts Survival Battle (1), By 'Goke Butika

"Politics is more dangerous than war, for in war you are only killed once,"--

Winston Churchill.

Goke Butika
The Author

Modern day African politicians are special species, plenty of them are funny lot, some are ignoramuses and some are incurable utopians, but one thing that appears to be general phenomenon is self-centredness.

Unlike in the early days of African independence struggle, where African leaders were ideologues, because they were passionate about the the well being of their people, in a situation where people like Sekeou Toure of Guinea would champion socialism for his country with the people at the centre of his manifestoes; Julius Nyerere would seek African socialism as an attitude in Tanzania; Kwame Nkrumah would demand intellectual activism and socialism for Ghana and African, and our own Obafemi Awolowo would canvass for Socialism with parliamentary democracy just to define how and who to govern, the modern day politicians are controlled by their ego centrism of negative value-me, myself and I.

I read in the newspapers an interview granted by one politician from Kwara state, Mr. Kawu Baraje, who happened to be the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of the political boys of the embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki, where he predicted doom for his party, because the interest of his paymaster is being threatened by the anti-corruption drive of President Buhari as touching Saraki's trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and I laughed out at his fallacies and old logic.

For those who have not read the interview, let me just point out three points out of Baraje gibberish and affirm his claim-that APC is floundering, because the President is being distracted by his aides; that the party and the President stand aloof in the trial of the embattled Senate President for corruption at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, making Saraki to be facing justice without influence; that the trial is designed to remove Saraki from Senate Presidency, because some party chiefs were not happy with the way he emerged as number three citizen cum chairman of the National Assembly. Therefore, APC would break like they did to the decimated PDP and new stronger party would emerge.

Those who are thinking with their anus go along with the possible worlds created by Baraje,  while any level headed person knows that the same tactics cannot be used to win election twice. I would have been convinced by the poor man's argument had it been that he detached emotion from his points, but his desperation is understood, and I would not fall into the error of argumentum ad hominem by attacking his personality.

I chose to write this piece, because I voted for President Buhari, not as an APC member, but because he was the only credible alternative to former President Goodluck Jonathan whose administration was hijacked by the wicked looters and unscrupulous politicians who succeeded in dragging the country backward for 50 years. So, I affirm my locus for speaking on the matter affecting his presidency.

In the first place, Baraje has forgotten that what attracted Nigerians to Buhari in his fourth attempt was his anti-corruption status, and his handlers deployed his sterling anti-graft posture as a campaign tool. More so, the people recognized that corruption was on its four when Jonathan was ruling, and that the nation was becoming pariah. So, for Baraje to think that the neutrality of President Buhari would spell doom for his party in the next election is false, because people are keenly following the trial, and they want to test the will of the President, and if he is seen interfering  with the trial, his anti corruption fight would be deflated and useless. So, Baraje's first and second premises are false.

Furthermore, Baraje failed to understand that Buhari did not win because a new PDP was formed and broke away from the old PDP, the President won, because the "talakawas" of the North and South West identified with the man because of his spartan lifestyle and his unblemished integrity despite the fact that he had served in all strategic positions the nation could offer including being Head of State. And for the fact that Professor Attahiru Jega, the man of history made the votes count(a feat that must be credited to Jonathan). Fact sheet had it that the last election would still have been won by Buhari without the help of any big PDP chief in the North, but the input of the south western elite was obvious anyway. So, for Baraje to claim that another party would emerge from APC like the then new PDP and shoot down Buhari suggests an inductive leap.

Now, what could make Buhari presidency to kiss the dust? It is certain that the President is concerned and is working round the clock to fix the mess this nation was put into, but the struggle of the old order with the new Sheriff has brought untold pain unto the masses. So, people are justifiably shouting under heavy pressure: economic topsy-turvy, epileptic power supply, paralysis of critical sectors, skyrocketing inflation, fuel scarcity, infrastructure decay and terrible hunger. Hence, Baraje thought this crisis brewed because the President chose not to save Saraki. What a fallacy!

If Buhari delivers on his campaign promises by deploying maximum force against the pipeline vandals and the gas flow freely to our turbines, and the power is fixed, jobs at formal and informal sectors would be created in millions, and people would be happy; if Buhari deploys funds to capital projects and turn the entire nation into a construction site, jobs would be created in thousands and there would be development along the affected corridors, and people would be happy.

Besides, if Buhari can fix the naira value just the way he sought out the currency deal with China, and use the yuan to fight dollar dominance in the country, and the commoners regain their purchasing power, and the machinery to develop agriculture is imported, and the new factory from textile to car assemblies spring up, jobs would be created in millions and the people would be happy; if Buhari can chase boko haram out the country and annihilate the terrorists, and make the country safe and secure just the way it is happening now in the North East, then there would be no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2019. Otherwise, his party will kiss the dust.

Meanwhile, Buhari seems to be reading Awolowo's mental magnitude that touches on discipline of mind on the part of leadership, because the President has made enough trips, and I have not seen him journey with his beautiful wife, suggesting that toiling for the nation matters to him than fun trip, where the wife would disembark from the Presidential aircraft before the President. Suffice to say that the world takes this President serious.

It is very difficult to have a man like Buhari, a Muslim Fulani who sticks with one wife, with no scandal or corruption profile, who had been the governor, Petroleum Minister, Chairman, Petroleum Trust Fund, Head of State without commensurate wealth. So, I pray he succeeds and there are indicators that he would succeed, and that this nation would be happier for it, because if he fails, Nigeria is doomed. Where are the honest people again? Dasukigate revealed the real identities of the so called leaders of the nation.

If Baraje likes, let him go back to his bag of tricks and unleash the known antics of breaking the APC, we are no longer bothered, because the difference between the PDP and the APC is located in the difference between the six and half of a dozen. All we want is for Buhari to deliver. After all, President Obama, the most successful President in United States came  on the slogan of 'change' and won his second term on the mantra of "forward" despite the fact that Republican (opposition) torpedoed his party, Democrats at the Congress. So, for Baraje to ascribe PDP's wining of rerun election in some southern states to what is coming is fallacious and illogical, and at best the reflection of a frustrated old horse.

Lest I forget, my gratitude to friends and family who sent their greetings for my birthday, I must say I felt the pleasure of the day through the prayer of my mother and  the inspirational acknowledgement of my wife, all the from the United States, messages from teachers, senior colleagues, colleagues, school mates, students who had passed through my tutelage, old and new friends. And it cut across the continents. I thank you all for identifying with yours sincerely.

Butika is journalist of intercontinental exposure.

The Unending Struggle Of The Elite And The Poor, By Goke Butika

Goke Butika, The Author

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just."---Abraham Lincoln.

News from different templates and platforms are not too cheering, though we have some headlines which constituted distractions to our experience lately. It is now commonplace for the people who ought to play decency to resort to methodical beggings; workers who ought to be shoulder high are now walking with their tails wrapped in their laps; government officials who are fond of flaunting peacock arrogance are now gentle as jelly, and our governors are now talkative because they have to appeal to matter and spirit to convince us that they are not the cause of our collective sufferings.

To those who could not reason beyond religion, our contradictions (poverty, failed education sector, fuel shortage, insecurity, man inhumanity to man and political imbroglio) were caused by the spirit or celestial realm to teach us about the mightiness of the Supreme force. While those who have strive to divorce God or Satan from human affairs believe that successive governments had mismanaged our resources all along, and the attendant results is what we are experiencing in the country now.

I am tempted to support the latter position on the mismanagement of our country, because it appears logical and straight in discussion, but a situation like this demands a deep thought process called a priori approach if we care to abandon the confusion of illusion and delusion the two positions have presented.

In the first place, what are the indicators to identify from the metaphysical position of the spirit as the cause of our nation which is still flinging on the cliffhanger whose hooks have loosened and struggling to give way? To the determinist, everything we are passing through now had been conditioned in the highest form, and that we are helpless. However, a thinker would ask, why the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ethiopia and Ghana are working and Nigeria with all resources is perambulating on the edge of recession? Can we say, God is kind to those countries and wicked to Nigeria? If no, why the difference in thinking and institutions? It goes on like that.

Yes, it is belabouring the obvious that Nigeria has been unlucky with leaders, because those who were elected in the immediate past and far past turned out to be opportunists, we know because they messed up the opportunities given to them to better the lots of the country people, and I elect to be silent on the incumbent leaders because they are still on the job, and it will be unfair to pass judgment on the people with four year mandate to be critiqued in nine months. Hence, the second position of cause of our trouble seems inviting, but I need more than that.

From my volitional concept, I think I place the cause on the struggle of the elite and the poor, compelling me to retool the dialectics of this situation. The poor are in millions, they have the population, and electorally, they have the power to change their leaders and situation, while our elite holds the power  of superstructure, where slogan and manifestoes of the parties are designed, where resources are deployed for political struggle and where the good or bad leadership is authored.

A look at the dialectics will show us that the elite must rely on the poor to achieve their set objectives, but quite interesting, the poor of this nation have never negotiated for their well being using their power, because the elite class has a way of using the common denominator (money) to wrestle the power from them. And it is simple-the elite class will just warehouse the money that belongs to everyone, allow the poor to suffer hell, and when the election is approaching, they release the crispy naira of smaller proportion to the leaders of the poor, and the poor will begin to divide into pro and anti elite; there would be no debate on good governance again, but on "good man" with inexhaustible wallet.

The followers of the poor class would begin to pick perception about the big spender, and bombard his place with the shout of "hosanna", they would throw caution to the wind and ready to fight for the man who has a second address abroad. Meanwhile, as the poor are fighting outside, the elite class are counting the cost of their investment and designing ways of recouping their money. So, the interest is no longer collective, and the diagnosis of the suffering of the masses does not matter anymore.

Give it to the "boy scout" of Ekiti, Governor Ayo Fayose,  he finds himself among the elite class, but his mind is on the street, hence, his incongruences become volatile and confusing. It is strange because his character is neither  fully elitist nor "poorish", and the only way to manifest the confusion is "stomach infrastructure" he personified. Look, the man recognizes the poor of the poor, but desires elite class, and that is the struggle of two opposites.

Meanwhile, the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Tinubu seems to be angry with the arrogance of Petroleum Minister of State, Ibe Kwachikwu who just told us to lose hope on fuel queue at our filling stations, because "he is not a magician" and he hits him hard on why he failed to massage the empty ego of the poor masses-that is negation of the negation in the dialectics of the struggle.

What is the way out? The only credible way is for the poor to truly identify a face that would speak for them and the person must have conquered his greed, because the elite will certainly offer a price, irresistible price in terms of money, position of authority and women. Though very difficult to get such a character. Can I be that person? Ha! I have tasted the two sides already-poverty and comfort and I am no longer neutral, because I have chosen side of comfort like any mortal. Can you be that person? I doubt it, but somebody from the blue could match the quality if the poor get it right. Until then, the difference between six and half of a dozen is difficult to find.

Certainly, Tinubu does not fit the frame, because he is a leading light of the elite class. More so, he is 64 years now, on passage of mortality. The first step is for the poor masses to put up a thinking cap and dissect the antics of the elite before taking position, unfortunately, the poor does not have a congregation like association or church, but everywhere.

(This article is dedicated to Bola Tinubu's 64th birthday.)

Goke Butika, is a journalist of continental exposure.