Why Blame the Foreign Media for Facts Reported?

Dismay comes to mind when one witnesses the anger of certain Nigerians who react negatively to the negative portrayal of the country in the foreign press, given the events leading up to the fairly successful centennial commemorations and award ceremony held recently in the nation's capital. In the reportage of these media was the juxtaposition of the violence in the North East of Nigeria with the seeming impassiveness that was typified by the incredulity of the award recipients at the Abuja ceremony. A cross-section of Nigerians who nitpicked these reports implausibly heaved the blame for the status quo on these foreign media who enjoyed the way things are.

It was so dismaying, it felt nauseous. I take fact wherever it comes from, and this is the fact of the matter. You can't blame them for writing what our government should be blamed for perpetrating. Were they the ones that included Abacha's name in the roll call of honour? Or are they the ones to make sure 20 innocent and promising young girls, whose parents sent to school for a brighter future, who have siblings like you and I, but are now being repeatedly raped and physically assaulted even as we converse online, are rescued? Are they the ones? Or maybe because those girls do not have consanguineous links to us, and are not our flesh, just like the young boys whose throats were slit when they escaped the hail of bullets are not our brothers, we talk like we have no feelings, like life means nothing to us.

Perhaps, if we had lost someone in those inhuman brutalities, while witnessing the coronation of corruption (raising to beatific sainthood and putting up for emulation many of whom are responsible for the spate of violence in the country today) with the highest honours in the land even while our tears were still cascading down our cheeks, perhaps we'd not point fingers at those who write from outside. Had we not given the foreign press cause to pen down these atrocities, maybe we could play the cynic with justification.

But having such supine, churlish and imbecilic leadership can only attract such opprobrious writing from abroad.

When Will The 1st Citizen Do "Freedom"?

Nigeria has gifted mankind with a new category of leadership. It's craftsmanship at its most idealistic. They call it APPRENTICE PRESIDENCY.

Its most obvious pointer can be referenced from the saying, "Jonathan dey try." This kind is mastered by the apologists of the incumbent (not only of the presidency, mind you - only that the latter is a more conspicuous target and thus has more of such atrocious comments made to hem in criticisms) and brandished to quell any upbraiding that naturally ought to be levelled against such crass blockheadedness that has been a characteristic feature of this administration. Saying it is kindergarten was putting kindergartens in a very bad light. Had I been running one, I could have sued Chief Akande for such mudslinging.

However, should we stoop so low as to accept his apprenticeship, the obvious follow-up question will be, "When is he due for FREEDOM?" Abi, won't he graduate?

In Search of Potent Opposition

One can hope APC gets their acts and heft together to mount a formidable challenge at the 2015 elections. Granted they have some eggheads that can sway opinion in their favour and it can be argued that they have within their ranks exemplary individuals, recent cross-carpeting and the glee with which questionable individuals have been embraced by the party's management have left tell-tale sourness in the mouths of many of their once-ardent supporters. It has led to the prevailing conclusion that, one will be hard pressed to tell the two "hegemonic" parties apart given how blurred the lines which differentiate them have become.

Whichever party carries the day, what will make them consider the people is not their policies per se, rather how strong the opposition is to challenge almost every action the government takes that is not people-oriented and to point out corrupt practices because when the chips are down, politics is selfish in nature. Hence all actors are expected to display these selfish interests: the government (wanting all the money and glory for itself), the opposition (wanting to discredit government and place itself as a viable alternative) and the people (selfishly reaping from the selfish mutual engagements of government and opposition).

All these are possible only when the government knows that the opposition is strong enough and wields such an enormous political wherewithal virile enough to unseat them, yes, even at the slightest opportunity.