The 2007 general election is just some days to go.
Could it be that while the people are busy preparing
for elections, the government is indeed preparing for war?
Why would the 2007 elections be "a do or die affair"
for the president and his party?
Lets check the following diary and see whether its Election or War:-
1. Recently, the PDP Secretary Chief M. Ojo described the
Politicis as a "Muscular Game" where might is always right =========== War or Election?
2. Penultimate week, Inspector General of Police,
Mr. Sunday Ehindero, reportedly disclosed that
the federal government had taken delivery of a
large consignment of weapons to boost the capacity
of his men to firmly contain "cases of insecurity
in any part of the country during the electioneering period.============ War or Election?
(Please find below details of the weapons)
(a) 40,000 pieces of AK-47 assault rifles with 20 million rounds of ammunition;
(b) 30,000 K-2 rifles with 10 million rounds of bullets
(c) 10,000 units of Baretta pistols with two million rounds of bullets. T
(d) Purchase of more bullet-proof vests,
(e) Helmets
(f) Additional rounds of ammunition for other calibre of firearms
3. On March 17, the federal government announced it had
placed all security and law enforcement agencies on
"full alert," in a bid to "ensure a successful transition
to a new democratic administration on May 29, 2007." ======+++== War or Election?
4. Mrs. Oluremi Oyo said and I quote ""This administration will deploy
all the powers and forces available to it to guarantee the
peaceful and secure conditions necessary for the general elections
to go ahead as planned. No individual or group should
test the [b]will of government on this matter[/b]." ====== War or Election?
5. INEC has not published the voter register for us to verify,
raise claims and objections. The display would have further
availed the nation and its people the opportunity to know
where exactly the polling stations and those to vote in there will be.==== Election or Confusion?
Dan Borno again, this is what one gets from irresponsible rulers. The whole point of leadership is to do the right thing and leave a legacy after one's era ends. That kind of concept is non existent in today's Nigeria. For 8 years these so called leaders never expended resources to improve people's lives. Since last year they were already talking about an interim government as if that's normal. In which country do people prepare for a regular election and at the same time, talking about an interim government?
These are the same set of people that gained control of leadership from the Military whom they complained were so horrible. They argue that the Military sets us back, but in all honesty let us look back at the past 8 years of this civilian catastrophe and access things. Isn't their actions setting us back even further and worse off than we were under military governments?
Holding a public office is indeed a do or die affair. It has to be when the intent is all borne out of greed and other sinister motives. How can Nigeria ever move ahead with these kinds of leaches in power? Every new day brings fresh allegations of financial corruption against the presidency and it is followed by counter corruption charges from the presidency. The same obtains in the states and even at the local government levels. How can anything work under this kind of uneasy and horribly crooked political climate? How can any government focus on the issues at hand when it has its fist dipped in all kinds mischief and can't let go because it's still fighting tooth and nail to maintain control of the mess they created.
Just imagine what the buffoon in person of PDP secretary Chief M. Ojo said about politics being a game of muscle. What an illiterate. In other words, the ruling party ought to terrorize the other parties and break their will at all cost.
And regarding the massive purchase of weapons and ammunition which the I-G disclosed, I think the I-G should have taken the government to task on that sudden decision. The same police force has been a lame-duck agency for nearly a decade while armed robbery and crime soared. The same police have been under-paid, ill trained, under educated, under staffed, and most of all, under equipped. Suddenly with a few weeks to election, massive arms are purchased by the government and given to an ill trained police force. First off, this is a police force whose mentality of corruption closely resembles that of the crooked administration. This is a police force where at least 80% of its personnel lack an understanding of what law enforcement role is in society. This is a police force that lacks education. This is a police force where its personnel live in slums called barracks. This is a police force that completely lacks people's skills. This is a police force that lacks understand of community safety. We are talking about a police force that has a history of brutality, cover up, 'accident discharge', and downright murder. We are talking about a police force that are in partnership with armed robbers. Nigerian police are known to rent their weapons and uniforms to criminals who in turn used these tools of authority to threaten, rob and even kill innocent citizens. Over all, when we talk about the Nigerian police, we are talking about a rogue organization.
So it amazes me that despite these glaring danger signals, the government of Aremu Obasanjo would expedite the purchase of massive weapons for this same rogue police force and of course, no responsibility is required here. One has to wonder if this all just in readiness for any action that the opposition parties might be contemplating or if this in readiness to deter the Nigerian public in case they find their balls and embark on a nationwide protest to oust the government.