"You mean you didn't occupy anywhere; you didn't participate in the protests?" "No, i didn't. My religion does not permit such things". "But you are a Muslim, and Muslims participated fully in the protests at every venue all over the country. I even hear that Muslims organised a massive Jumat service during the protests at the Ojota Freedom Square, and you're telling me your religion forbids demonstrations... How can anybody ignore those massive outpourings of discontent against a government that has obviously totally lost touch with the people it pretends to govern ...l don't understand you at all !". "Well..". "Naaaaw, you're just looking for excuses. You must be a member of the Cabal".
Veeery funny!! The Cabal - that amorphous group that government says is chopping all our money?" "Yes!". "The one that they say has collected over NI.3 trillion in so-called subsidies from government in just one year, almost double the total that previous governments paid in the last three years...?" Yes. "The same cabal that the government blames for its every inefficiency, yet is totally incapable of bringing to book. And you say that poor me is a member? Veeery funny, indeed". "Well, anyone who didn't participate in the protests is either a member of the cabal, or is one of the brainwashed noisemakers who can't find anything wrong with a government stealing from the people to pay their friends!" "Those are strong words o! By the way, what subsidy are you even talking about? A Former Petroleum Minister and many others who should know have severally proved that what is really being subsidized is government's inefficiency and massive corruption in the sector.
If the refineries were operational and we didn't have to export crude to refine and then re-import the same stuff, won't we be paying less than even the N65 per litre? If some people have been collecting billions of naira than they are entitled to, shouldn't government simply prosecute them, rather than punish citizens by transferring the burden to them? How do you rationalize that an oil producing country imports all its petrol and even crude oil to refine in its almost comatose refineries." "Its amazing! Anyway, government has now approved N363m to audit the oil sector as a result of the protests.
That may be a step towards cleaning the place up." "Another audit? But wasnt there a forensic audit by KPMG exposing all the rot? In fact, isnt the House of Reps currently investigating the sector - is that not how we discovered that the countrys daily consumption capacity is 35million litres but government somehow imported and paid subsidy for 59 million litres daily for the same year?" "The only thing that governments do well is spend money on nothing anybody can see..." "State governments are the ones who will benefit most from the price increase; they are now announcing funny palliativesto cushion the effects of the increase, in effect they are moving money from a drainpipe and creating new thievery opportunities for their own friends." "Democracy at work. .." "Some people sure are enjoying the dividends of this democracy ..." "The only dividend the people are getting is corruption and degeneration in all quarters of our national life" And that really is the point.
One of my worries with this your Occupy thing is that you people were not addressing the real issues. The subsidy fraud is just a tip of the iceberg. There are larger issues and you seem to be helping the same people you say you are fighting to mask those real issues". "What issue can be bigger than the subsidy fraud?" "The total, mindless waste of the nations resources, and the pathetic incapability of those in government to deal with deviation.
In two words, waste, and impunity." "I dont understand ..." "Let me explain. In the 2012 budget, government has voted ?150billion for the National Assembly, meaning that you and I will spend about 320million per legislator in just one year". "?320million on each of the 369 House of Reps and I09 senators in a country where the average citizen earns and spends less than $2 a day?" "Exactly". And you have the same waste duplicated across all the states... On top of that, the Presidency will spend ?11 billion for international travel, ?5billion on newspapers and stationeries, ?20billion to maintain vehicles and furniture ..." "But I thought they buy brand new cars every other day!..." "That is even small ?17billion is going to be spent to purchase a brand new aircraft, and $2million to purchase just two cars for a president whose salary is more than that of the American president ..." Youre kidding - they're making Nigerians trek all over the place because we cant afford the 150% increase in transport fares, they are asking us to tighten our belts and theyre buying ?17billion aircrafts and $1million dollar cars for themselves? Talk about insensitivity!" "Its not just insensitivity. Its a wasteful mentality borne out of impunity. A sense that you can simply get away with anything. Nobody asks questions, even those whose jobs it is to ask.
That is why crime is so rife. That is why corruption is the largest industry in Nigeria today. That is why there is so much insecurity and lack of progress in this country. Everybody and their dog believe they can get away with just about anything, including murder, in broad daylight." "I see your point. Corruption and terrorism are just two sides of a single coin, and that coin seems to be legal tender in Nigeria today". "If someone can get away with killing a sitting Attorney-General or bombing Police Headquarters and killing people all over the place, what else can you not get away with?" "Good that you mentioned the bombings, they say that the bombers are planning to start another civil war to finally separate Nigeria along the religious divide ..." "Apparently, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria is determined to help the bombers achieve their objectives ..." "That's unfair. Why do you say that?" "CAN leaders have been threatening reprisal attacks on Muslims.
They've been calling Christians to defend themselves against Muslims, as if Muslims are not themselves victims of the attacks..." "Do you mind those ones? The only way they get their faces on newspapers is when they bash Muslims on issues they don't even understand. Look at what Rev. Kukah said about those characters: In the last few years, with the deepening crises in parts of Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, and Plateau states... it has become fanciful to argue that we have crises between Christians and Muslims. Sadly, the kneejerk reaction of some very uninformed religious leaders has lent credence to this false belief.
To complicate matters, some of these religious leaders have continued to rally their members to defend themselves in a religious war. This has fed the propaganda of the notorious Boko Haram and hides the fact that this evil has crossed religious barriers. Let us take a few examples, which, though still under investigation across the country, should call for restraint on our part. Sometime last year, a Christian woman went to her own parish Church in Bauchi and tried to set it ablaze.
Again, recently, a man alleged to be a Christian, dressed as a Muslim, went to burn down a Church in Bayelsa. In Plateau State, a man purported to be a Christian was arrested while trying to bomb a Church. Armed men gunned down a group of Christians meeting in a Church and now it turned out that those who have been arrested and are under interrogation are in fact not Muslims and that the story is more of an internal crisis.
In Zamfara State, 19 Muslims were killed. After investigation it was discovered that those who killed them were not Christians. Other similar incidents have occurred across the country." Very instructive. What more can I say? Ignorance is a terrible master indeed". "Looks like only God can save us from our leaders and ourselves in this country". "Absolutely.
Which is why Islaam enjoins that we should always pray for the guidance and rectitude of those in charge of our affairs; and that when when we have issues with our leaders, we should correct them in a restrained, respectful manner. If we have access to them, we should utilize that access. If not, we should address them through those who have...". "Amazing insight. Now, I see why you didn't Occupy. I didnt realize Islaam was so deep". "Unfortunately, neither do many of its practitioners ..."
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited