2004 What will happen?

[Anonymous]

My greeting for the New year to all the friends I have met on Kano Online in 2003.
What does 2004 hold for us.
In UK I will expect the ruling Labour Party to go into deeper trouble and will be surprised if Tony Blair is PM this time next year. I hope he will pay the price for the blood on his hands over Iraq.
For Nigeria I watch and wonder. As an outsider looking in I see all the ingredients for political collapse - a failing economy, hyperinflation which is destroying the value of people wages and tribal and religious suspicions coming to the surface when things go wrong.
I hope I am wrong - but will democracy survive 2004 in Nigeria? Will Nigeria itself survive if democracy breaks down? It it is a question that has been discussed recently in this forum. Africa, and West Africa in particular benefits hugely when Nigeria commands respect and provides stability in its region. A respected Nigeria is the African voice the world listens to. A Nigeria with Moslems and Christians living peacefully side by side in a successful multi-ethnic state would be admired the world over.
If I would ask the members of Kano Online to do one thing in 2004 it would be to think carefully about the damage you might cause by careless talk about other religions and respect all who worship the same god no matter by what name that god is called.

[Ibro2g]

UK politics, I have no idea, but I think if the people have their
way you may be right!.


Although Democracy is failing in Nigeria, it would not fall.
Remember that Democracy...the decoration of independence, the constitution, there are all a piece of paper with signatures on them. A peice of paper with signatures are called contracts. Contracts can be renogotiated at any time. I just hope that it will be renogotiated soon(2007). But 2004, there are so much cries, so much failures and denials. The mistake has been made already. But unfortunately we are tolerants...or atleast thats what they made us to be!


Mr. David, your advice is quite relevant and should be acknoleged.

But I'm afraid in most cases, like the rest of the world Islam is
used as a cover and nothing more. Its more ethnic than religion. When a Northerner makes a religious taboo, no one even hears of that, but when its a southerner, raids begin. When ever our ethic urges arise, we frame it up with religion. This is tarnishing the image of islam. We are doing ourself no Good.

Like an incidence that happened in ABU Zaria. Two gurls in thier hostels were having a friendly arguement, and it led to a fight(for some reason), and the christian gurl was then accused of insulting the prophet Mohammad (S.A.W), Okay, that died down, then in less than 48 hours, there was another fight with a bucket beside a mosque tap by two gurls... the christian gurl was also accused for the "abuse" of Islam. Both cases were just silly fights by two gurls but that almost tour Zaria Apart. The city slept unrest that night, and even the night after! The annoying thing is, when the gurls where called to confirm their claim, they couldnt proove it. Whats
even more annoying, is the number of Jobless illitrate muslims that were there, claiming to be at the scene, and giving out stories. Protesting for a Fatwa, infact some even treathened to just go into a fight with non-muslims for no jst cause. Alhamdulillah nothing happened, but its quite sad to see how people could use religion to secure their stupid innocence no matter the cause! I'm a muslim, a proud one, a scholar though. But it hurts me to see how people take decisions in the name of God without knowing that God at all. Without knowing the principles of Islam which would never allow that, without knowing what being a muslim and what islam really is. The people calling out for Jihad knows not what it means and the conditions for it are yet to be met. But it's a sad story so far. I wish people will understand Islam.

Yet again, in the south, the story isn't much different. Once you are a hausa, there is absolute discrimination. And they think every northerner is a muslim. Southerners could bearly distinguish btw muslims and Hausa's.
? The issue of repecting one God, has been cleared, the Issue of respecting religion, just might have been cleared. But the issue of ethnicity is what is burning us down Mr. Dave.


brb guys

[Baruti M. Kamau]

I think democracy is good political concept on good governing.  However, I don't believe that Nigeria should ape the Western form of democracy.  Democracy in the West developed according to the condition, culture, history and circumstances of the West.  Likewise, democracy in Nigeria must develop according to that country's condition, culture, history and circumstances.

Anyway in newly established states the establishment of stability and prosperity is much more needed than democracy.  Indeed you can have political stability and prosperity without democracy.  You can have democracy and have a poor economic infrastructure and plagued by political instability.

I'd rather live under prosperity and political stability without democracy if democracy could not be realized.

Singapore and Japan have been successful in enjoying political stability and economic prosperity with democracy being secondary in lieu of primary.  Any comments?

[Ibro2g]

Talking about the survival of democracy, what will Nigeria be without it? Democracy that is?

[Baruti M. Kamau]

Correct me if I'm wrong Ibro, but didn't Nigeria enjoy the most productive years in its history during the military rule of General Murtala Muhammad?

[zezezee]

Yes, I'm in total agreement with u Baruti, democracy is a function of the people's desire. The condition, history and circumstances have to be taken into consideration for us to have a viable political system. I dnt think adopting the polical system of the west, which has been formulated after careful consideration of their desires over a long period of time will work in a society like ours. The best we can do is take parts of it and modify to suit our own scenario. Something like in  the case of the Severign National Conference, where all the different parts of the country have representation on the policy-making table.

But democracy is here to stay in this our great nation. We hope and pray so at least. Despite the diverse ethnic and religious setup we have, i think we can always put heads together and comeup with a solution. However, the biggest problem we have in the coutry, as agreed by every citizen, is greed and selfishness. With these at their minimal, we can make it!

Happy new year to all.

[Ibro2g]

But democracy is here to stay in this our great nation. We hope and pray so at least. Despite the diverse ethnic and religious setup we have, i think we can always put heads together and comeup with a solution.

I'm afraid not my friend, this is very much questionable. Infact, democracy seems to have setbacks. Its failures are being recognised, e.g this forum.
 
I'm quite convinced by Al-Hamzah's words when he said, democracy is not the best system we will ever encounter, a new and better one is needd now!

[zezezee]

I'm afraid not my friend, this is very much questionable. Infact, democracy seems to have setbacks. Its failures are being recognised, e.g this forum.
?
I'm quite convinced by Al-Hamzah's words when he said, democracy is not the best system we will ever encounter, a new and better one is needd now!

Mr Ibro, personally i think we cannot expect to adopt a system which some people have been practicing for centuries and expect it to be the perfect working solution for us. In a country like ours, with over 150 different ethnic groups and over 250 languages, we must surely make a test-run and then modify it to suit our situation.

If we dont practice democracy what other ways of governance can we practice? Dictatorship, nah i dont think so. We have seen decades of that and what it yielded. Sharia cant be the national way of governance for sure. Dividing the country is the least option on the mind of the least patriotic Nigerian, most especially coming from the northern part of this coutry. Then u name it. I think if we dont start thinking in the direction that democracy is here to stay, or at least we PRAY N HOPE SO, then we are in denial of the most reasonable option we have.

[al_hamza]

Dave, we are all worried (those that dont live in dream worlds), situation is detoriating, i dont have much doubts that democracy will survive, because most of the government is in yoruba hands, so a coup is very hard to immagine, thought nothing is impossible,

as for careless talk, hmmmm pls who talked carelessly?
i have an example,- lionger.

salman rushdie is a man that we wont even spit on, you know why? because we think he's too worthless, our imams have given fatwas for his death, and there's a woman called isioma who insulted our beloved Prophet Mohd (S.A.W),
our friend lionger pities them and wishes they could go back home.
end of case, if someone did say something, it must have been in retaliation,
we cannot insult God of christians or jews, because we all believe in Allah, and we cant abuse Jesus (alaihisalam) because he's one of Allah's(S.W.T) Prophets.

thankyou very much,
and happy new year,
it isnt my new year yet so dont bother sayin happy new year to me.

mine is around febuary, i'll let you know in advance :)
happy new year again and happy belated christmass.

[lionger]

;D ?;D is that so, mr. al hamza?

So its careless and offensive for me to pity these ppl cuz they have offended u muslims? I don't think u got the context of that post. And I guess this was your carefully worded, unoffensive reply:

'IF I SEE SALMAN RUSHDIE, AND I AM IN THE POSITION TO, I'LL KILL HIM.'

And yet we wonder y religious riots start over nothing in nigeria! (read ibro's post b4 u accuse me of careless talk again.) I won't tell u how to practice your religion, but wouldn't it ?be better to pray for this man n may even talk to him in the hope that he changes his ways, than to kill him and send his soul to hell?

Pray tell, how many positive remarks have u made on Jews or Christians on this forum, mr. man? Since u claim to respect my faith, understand this: as a Christian, I'm called to love everyone; even my enemies and pray for the good of those who hate me. So, following Christ's example, I'm compassionate to saddam hussein, the palestinians and the israelis, sharon, bush, muslims, jews, the palestinian resistance, al quaeda, everyone. That I feel pity for them does not mean that I support what they do al hamza; if you actually read my posts you'd know that. It does mean that nothing in this world can (or should) compel me to hate anyone. Therefore, I would never harm Rushdie for any reason, even if he cursed Jesus and spat on my faith.

Now y would I feel pity for any of these ppl suffering and fighting each other? Because I can see that they are all captive to their hatred. Anyone who hates another is a slave to his hatred. And it will turn him/her into a monster. It's obvious that there are a few here who hate the Jews, and can provide many good reasons for it. We are so bitter that we are even inclined to think Hitler wasn't so bad after all. Such bitterness may harm our enemies but they will harm us as well! Sometimes I doubt our ability to put a human face on the Jew/american. Put yourself in his place: imagine that ur sitting in a restaurant in Tel Aviv or Haifa w/ ur family enjoying a good meal. Maybe u're even part of the 14% of the Israeli population that is muslim. All of a sudden ka-boom and u're torn into 10,000 pieces. Or imagine you were one of those in the hijacked planes on Sept. 11, or had a loved one in the WTC and got a terrified phone call from his b4 the place went down. How would you feel?

We should know that many in West and elsewhere can also justify their hatred for Islam and muslims on the basis of their own bitter experiences. Hatred begets hatred; thats why palestine continues to burn. But love, in time will give birth to love also. However someone will have to bell the cat.

[Waziri]

Good greetings all,

Mr. David, yes! Time is taking another turn, as we start to move on through another year. How is the shape of things to come?

I totally agree with you that British PM, Tony Blair, may not likely to continue to enjoy popular support. But yet there wouldn't be anything new even if we get another person up there. Britain will continue to support America in whatever project America seeks to pursue. ?It appears like we seem to underestimate the power of international Jewry. I think the Jews were ones using Britain as the launch pad of their evil machinations before the headquarters of freemasonry was moved to USA. Blair may go, and the person to come will move on to pacify people with some juicy promises to ease their worries before he starts aping America again. It is their way. In modern language we call it HI-TECH politics: the way of the modern world.

For Nigeria, it is a sad story of course. Though I do not see everything collapsing, one time, but yet I foresee furthermore, deterioration of everything ranging from social security to economic prosperity. Because the present government can certainly not find time to address the problems on their on merits. The fight for survival in the power corners will continue to dominate the mind of the president more than any other thing. He will certainly fail as his predecessors failed. Then on the part of the masses there will be growing disenchantment as tribal wars and religious insurrections will continue to avail. ?Heard about the recent Talibans of Nigeria?

If I can still remember, you once mentioned: Nigerian tribes often display hatred on one another more than the "britishers" who colonised them.

I am sorry to say but the truth of the matter is Nigerians do not believe in the Nigerian nation. My fear is as situations continue to deteriorate - though not necessarily through 2004 - violence may tend to over rule, and I doubt much if the neighbouring countries can have all that it takes to cater for the mass of our refugees.

I think before things will go out of hand, our leaders should learn to sit down and map out a new Nigeria that will come up with three or more sovereign nations. For wherever you see development in any nation, it is because there is one dominant culture or worldview. The present Nigeria has three. And the sooner we realise the fallacy inherent in the present setting the better.

Yoruba and Igbo for long have been clamouring for a Sovereign National Conference that will see ? ?to the actualisation of this dream. Recently northern leaders like IBB made statements in favour of it and as such I think we should start to prepare our minds for it, for decisions are necessary taken not because they are juicy and ideal, but because they lead to the attainment of higher goals or at least for the avoidance of the worst.

MAY LAST YEAR BE WORST THAN THIS YEAR ;D

My dear forumnites

[Baruti M. Kamau]

Maybe Nigeria should pursue three separate administrations under one central government where the central government is basically a figure head ensuring that the three separate administrations are capable of working together when the situation dictates so.  Just an idea to help accomodate Nigeria's diversity.

[Dala]

Hi 2 all,

Checkout www.nigeriasvoices.com

Alot of these issues were discussed
there for the past weeks.
Regarding Obasanjo/Atiku.

[Waziri]

Maybe Nigeria should pursue three separate administrations under one central government where the central government is basically a figure head ensuring that the three separate administrations are capable of working together when the situation dictates so. ?Just an idea to help accomodate Nigeria's diversity.

Yes Mr. Baruti,

I quite agree with you. But that was how it used to be before the civil war but many groups kept insisting that the then arrangement favoured the Northern region most, and pressed for presidential system.

Now we are operating under it, and the same people are saying the North is the only beneficiary in the present set-up and are calling for separation.... I just dunno, but I think we should better do the separation at worst we stay a confederation.

[Muhammad]

Salam
What will happen in '04.
Well for one, we Muslims believe the knowledge of the unseen belongs to Allah and Allah alone, even though some of his messengers are given the power of 'advance awareness'.
On a more arbitrary level, i see nigeria sliding into more anarchy and the economy shrinking further. Evidence of this can be sought in the ever present Anambra saga or the record number of muslims going for hajj (in the negetive sense).
However, one must be optimistic in some sense, shoot for the stars and land on the moon (or the planet mars and president Bush believes).
Perhaps the greatest achievement, in NIgeria atleast, will be the independence of the judiciary. On a number of occasions, the judges in Nigerian courts have dismissed motions brought to it by the feds. Just this week, Justice Gummi struck out a motion seeking to bar NLC from conducting its now, almost quarterly strikes............
anyway, Mr Hill your country countinues to be led by a person who, form all indications, is just a lap dog of washington. What boggles the mind is the unwillingness of the British public to throw him out.
Is that possible? perhaps that's whats gonna happen in '04.
I wish everyone longlife and prosperity in '04 and forever.