A Peep Into My Mail Box

The regular readers of my column had shown that they are concerned, some encouraging and others having an axe to grind with the various submissions. Enjoy reading; On Abubakar Rimi's Satanic Verses Response to Sam Omatseye   

Thank you for this level- headed article. You distinguish yourself from self-seeking tribal jingoists and you wrote as a true Nigerian. I have been quite dismayed at the way some Nigerians put their points across to the public. Tribal sentiments and unfounded allegation of "so many other Nigerians are afraid of a particular tribe because they were perceived to be more advanced in everything! "than the rest of the nation has been responsible for not freely submitting 2007 Presidency to that tribe, have always filled many write-ups particularly from the east. Nigerians should continue to act in their God-giving wisdom and should not submit to black mail. The President of Nigeria should be one adjudged most fitting for our needs irrespective of his/her tribe or tongue-a true Nigerian by all standards. May this be the lot of our dear country in 2007. Please keep up with your balanced views not bruising any body.

Have a pleasant season and a happy 2005.
 
James Adekeye

James.Adekeye@betterbeef.ca

Mamza:  Thank you for your observations.

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On This Animal called corruption well done job

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Hello Mamza,

I  saw your message in the newspaper,   where you wrote something about respect. I  am saying job well done.  I  hammman GADZAMA. I  say more grease to your elbow   I  expect to hear from you soon bye.

hammanalimaka@yahoo.com

Mamza:  Mr. Gadzama you are welcome.

*******

On Yakubu Gowon at 70
Sir,

Your article of the above title is in bad taste, possibly offensive. We believe that Mr. Yakubu Gowon is a bestial murderer and genocidist who supervised over the death by starvation of over two million African people during the period 1967-70. Under Mr. Gowon, Gbadamosi King, a Yoruba flying a Russian-built Mig 17F aircraft deliberately shot down a Swedish DC10 Red Cross Plane flying food and medicine to war victims at Eket, killing 5 Christian relief workers. This alone made Mr. Gowon a common war criminal fit only for the tribunal at The Hague even though he attempted to cover his crime by demolishing the graves of his victims at Uli in 1970. We find it distasteful that you would extol such a character.

After the war, Gowon and his Jihadist mentors expelled all Christian missionaries from Igboland and confiscated their assets including schools and hospitals. They also prevented the supply of food and medicines to the starved and dying of eastern Nigeria. If you have any doubts about man's in- humanity to man enacted by Mr. Gowon, go to the Island of Sao Tome today and see for yourself, the rotten mountains of food and medicine donated by international organizations which Gowon prevented from reaching those who needed them.  these mountains of unused relief supplies are a veritable museum of Mr. Gowon's wickedness and a bestial crime against humanity.

Please stop vandalizing our collective memory and apologize to all Nigerians offended by your unwarranted and provocative write-up.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Mazi Kevin Ani
ebonyinews@yahoo.com

Executive Director
CIVIL RIGHTS LEAGUE-NG

Mamza: Mr. Mazi, the article in question is not meant to hurt the Ibo race, but an attempt to capture a nationalistic assessment from my personal opinion.

Best regards.

******
Still on Yakubu Gowon at 70
   
Your article on President Gowon touched my heart.  Because every word in the article was correct.  He was good and honest man to Nigerians during his government.  I am pretty sure he has not changed his ways.  A man that loved his people.

I have not heard about him for years.  I read about his 70 birthday online. Gowon and  Shagari were my favorite presidents.  President Gowon was the head of the state during the Nigeria and Biafra war.  As a young teenage Owerri girl then I loved him due to his positive role he played to end the war. I careless what my people said about him.  I knew then he worked hard for Nigeria to come together. I hope that the present and future presidents will follow his footsteps and seek advice from him.

Because he is a wise man. I am thankful to God that I did enjoyed Gowon government.  No peace in Nigeria like it used to be when I left the country 21 years ago to United States.

Thanks again for your article.  You make my day when I read the article.
 

Agatha
agathabenson@sbcglobal.net
 

Mamza: Thank you for your observations and God bless.

*****

GOWON IS 70-YEAR OLD.....

Where is Gowon and what is he doing at present?
 
thanks
SamTa1111@aol.com

Mamza: Thank you for your mail, but for reasons best known to you I would be able to give you the General's address here.

Best regards

*****

CONGRATS TO THE GENERAL
   
Please help to extend my warm hearted congratulations to the General. His leadership attributes have been unmatched by no other leader in the military history of Nigeria. Tell him to have a  wonderful birthday party. I wish him good health and many more years to come.

Isiaka
 EGuobadia@aol.com  

Commendation

*******
   
Hi Paul,

I am a keen reader of most of your published articles on Gamji web site and wish to commend your efforts and contributions in this regard? Please keep doing the good job.

Cheers!

L.P. Damuut (Scotland, UK)
U0307567@rgu.ac.uk
 

Mamza: Thank you very much. Till I hear from you again.

*******
 
On General Sani Abacha.
From Ahmed  Sani

Date  7th June 2004

Thank you for this wonderful and well informed article keep it up.  Many regard and good luck

Ahmed Sani

009 44 7966969243
amsstores@hotmail.com

Mamza: Thank you Mallam Ahmed and God bless.

****
Still on General Sani Abacha.

Hello Paul,

I appreciate your article on the above subject matter which provides us with a basis to compare Abacha's achievements and those of governments that ruled before and after him. However, perhaps because the article was first written four years ago( his death was still fresh and Mohammed was in detention), you did not spare a sentence or paragraph to highlight his weakness which is expected in all humans. As an academic, I think you should give both sides of the coin for proper analysis of his leadership in relation to other Generals. This may be a basis for informed appraisal of his tenure and that of some Generals who are still jostling to lead  Nigeria as civilian Presidents. For example, I would like to see a critical analysis of the prevailing notion in Nigeria, based on recent revelations of stashed money in foreign banks by the Abacha family ( even though widely propagated by a section of the press) that Abacha was the greatest treasury looter that ever Presided Nigeria vis-a-vis his multitudes of achievements as espoused in your article. Was he all that good? Are his weaknesses overblown or is he just another hypocrite who preached accountability, forced discipline and probity on the rest of Nigerians but himself did directly the opposite?  I believe an article from you addressing these issues will go a long way  in unravelling the real Abacha in the unfolding political struggle for power in Nigeria and in order to give Abacha his proper place in the political history of our great

country.

Best regards,

Suleiman L. Umaru
Suleiman.Umaru@nlng.com
NLNG Ltd.
Bonny Island,
Rivers state.

Mamza: Thank you for all your observations. In the said article I tried only to highlight and chronicle the achievements of the Late General. There is nowhere that the Late General is a  saint. On the issue of the alleged loot by the Federal Government, some of us felt it is selective in approach because like I consistently say it is not news to allege that in Nigeria only one leader (i.e. Abacha) has stolen public funds especially when he is not alive to defend himself.
 
Best regards.

*****

Re-The fall of politics in Nigeria

The Paul,
First of all, it is difficult to understand almost 80% of what you are writing because your  'oyibo' is too big.  We know that you are educated so there is no need to show off!!  A larger number of people read your articles and you don't want people straining their eyes and reading one paragraph over and over again to understand it.  What you have done is magnify Nigeria's problems out of proportion.  With the coming of  Obasanjo's Government, the North had the opportunity to flourish in Nigeria.  All they have to do is focus attention on education and pour more money into it.  Secondly, with the current privatization and commercialization of parastatals in Nigeria, the North has a very big opportunity

to buy up and also enter the competitive market. Nobody, you hear me Paul, nobody is holding them back!!  But where are they in the scheme of things?  Nowhere!!!  Have they entered the Telecom market which many Southerner have gone into now?  No!!!  Who are the vast number of engineers working in the North?  They are Southerners!!!.  So the North has a problem of illiteracy.  And what do the politicians and eminent people in the North do to stem this problem?  Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Sharia Law!!!  Yes, Sharia.  Not pumping money into education, math, engineering and science.  By the way, the Sharia Law doesn't apply to the eminent men in the North.  Is just another way of surprising the people in that part of the country??  I hope the people don't bulge. I am not against religion or religious practices ( I don't belong to any) but why should Sharia be a priority in the face of more pressing problems?  Surely it should have come later!! Furthermore, the vast majority of the ordinary Northern people seemed to be ignorant about what is going on in Nigeria today.  The Governor of Borno state wants to investigate a former governor of the state but is prevailed upon by some traditional rulers in the state to abandon the case (interference I might say).  The governor does what he's told and drops the case.  The money involved is 7bn Naira.  So this money remains lost and never recovered.  This is money that could have been used to build infrastructure in Borno state!!  Where were the people of Borno state?   Where was the state assembly members?  Sleeping???  Where is the criticism from Paul Mamza?  None of course!! 
 
jabegha@ic24.net
 
Mamza: There is no place in the article in question that warrant for this anger. The article is  a summary of the political happenings in Nigeria and not targeted at a particular regime

(Obasanjo's) as you alleged.
Thank you

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ON POLITICS IN NIGERIA

Of course politics in Nigeria is dead because people are putting too much attention on regional politics and not party politics.  The ANPP, the biggest opposition party in Nigeria is in a  pitiful state with no manifesto or policies.  The Nigerian people don't know what it (The ANPP)  stands for and members of the party, apart from being at each others throats, are not making any attempt to organize or build the party properly.  Nigerians want to win elections but they are not prepared to work hard for it.  In US/UK and Europe, we know that political parties work hard on their policies and even go to the grassroots.  They get statistics and figures on education,  health, crime, the economy and on many more issues and use them to formulate their policies. You also have professional policy makers who hard for the  party.  Every political party also has a   central ideology which is rock solid.  Also, for your information, every party has a website that normally gets hits from readers who may contribute to their policies.  But what we see in   Nigeria today, are politicians who go into politics for the money and cross to another party when it suits them.   Okadigbo is a typical example.  It's all about what they could get out of it and not about ideology.  And where are all these problems coming from?  Because Nigerians don't want to unite and instead keep championing tribal and regional issues.  The mainstream political party's are all filled with strange bedfellows.  It's like dinning with the devil.      

We are like a bunch of spoilt children fighting over food.  Every region is complaining about marginalizing!!  This is how lazy and greedy we have become.  Before the advent of oil Nigerians used to work very hard.  Oil has brought in a new generation of lazy Nigerians who feel that you can get something for nothing.  Fraud, 419, shrines, corruption you can count the lot.  Yet our present crop of politicians have let us down.  The National Assembly is a monumental failure with it's inability to tackle corruption with most members hardly attending sessions.    Some of our governors are not very honest and most of them (including my state Governor, Ibori) spend most of their time abroad siphoning money.  The Niger-Delta states (of which I'm an indigene I'm ashamed to say) are already receiving 15% more state allocation revenue than all the other states but most have nothing to show for it because of the stealing governors.  Yet we (the Niger-Delta people) keep complaining (wrongly of course) of marginalization .  Obasanjo has tried to assemble state accountant-generals and state assembly members so as to scrutinize the governors (a job which our Senate and NASS should no doubt be doing) but to no avail.  Yet the President gets accuse of corruption or not doing enough to stop it.  I've never heard Paul Mamza criticizing the Governors, the Senate nor the National Assembly members.  Recently, the President also sacked the IG of police (a Yoruba man) for corruption.  This was a very courageous act which has rarely been carried out by some of our previous leaders.  Was any praise for him?  No!! This kind of Nip-picking (the act of focusing attention on only the things that are bad in Nigeria) is a very narrow minded take on this country and it is one of the reasons why Nigeria will never progress.
 
Now we want to go and hold Confab.  What is it going to achieve?  As far as I am concerned it's just a waste of time and money.  Before the Confab has even started, we now have Yoruba agenda, South-South agenda, South-East and so on.  What do they want to do?  Break up the country? 
God help us!!!
 
John Abegha
 jabegha@ic24.net

Mamza: Nobody is suggesting that the problem of Nigeria is that of a particular region but it is the collective failure of the political class as exemplified by the complete destruction of the value systems as propagated by the so-called elite.

Thank you

On the fall of politics in Nigeria.  Your article was a master piece
 talk2ag85@yahoo.ca

******

Good Day,

I have been following your writes up for quite some time. And I have found them educative, informative and sensitive, crossing every aspect of human  Endeavour. politics, history, economy, education and Religion. I think there is so much I would learn from you because we share the same opinion in many ways. I am also a chemistry undergraduate student currently on IT at Center For Energy Research And Training here A.B.U.. Zaria. Therefore, would glad if give the opportunity to communicate  with you more often through your box.                                                                                 

Till I get your reply.  

Thanks. Jonah Shehu
jonahshehu@yahoo.com
 

Mamza: Please, let's communicate through my mail box.
Thank you.
******

On Haruna Yerima and "the Reps of corruption".   
Barka.
 
I must start by saying you are among the few columnist on the internet whose views I find are in agreement with mine on almost all issues. Dr Tilde being another. About Dr Yerima, I think his suspension shows to us all clearly what the HOR is up to. that is,

they collect 'bribes', or using Arokodare's euphemism- 'PR money', and then pass motions which are directly related to that industry or person without pondering its consequences on the Nigerian electorate. This is shameful and criminal. It should not surprise Nigerians why they are still paying GSM tariffs that are amongst the highest in the world. Allah ya sakama wanda aka zalumta.... ameen.
Now onto the issue of NPRC, I subscribe to Dr Bala Usman's view that Obasanjo has a hidden agenda and participating in it could tarnish ones reputation. I must say up front that, my dad, Prof Yadudu from Kano, is participating in the conference. Not because he agrees with OBJ, but because not going there and representing and defending Kano's interests might give Kano's enemies a field day I guess it is an acceptable logic but regrettable nonetheless.
 
My last point is on the ACF which, I assumed you are affiliated with in some sense( not sure how). And the question is, why can't the ACf build an undergraduate social and management science university? ( to teach economics, accounting, business admin, political science, sociology etc) t doesn't cost a lot as you may know because there are no labs required or expensive research projects to be done. Katsina State is building a University with funds raised by it's citizens.
ACF can definitely do better.
 
To Mallam ahuta lafiya.
 
Muhammad A Yadudu
muhammadyadudu@hotmail.com

Mamza: Thank you Muhammad for the compliment. I am against the convocation of the conference because of the methodology been adopted. As for your request and observations, I am a member of the ACF national executive council, I will make sure I forward your feelings to the appropriate authorities.
 

Thank you.                                                                         .

*****

Still on Haruna Yerima and "the reps of corruption"
   
Dear Auwal,

When I read Hon. Yerima's story, I shook my head and wondered where our Elected Reps. were headed. But I took consolation in the knowledge that one of their own has exposed this corrupt action. This means that all is not lost yet. Hon. Yerima is a brave man, and a man of the people- the anger of his colleagues not withstanding. The FOI coalition should write to him expressing support and encouraging him to be resolute in the face of such travail.
 
I also took time to read the attached article written by Paul Mamza. That too was OK... except  that he brought up the issue of "the IMF and the World Bank" once more. I only wish that

Nigerians would stop worshipping at the temple of the God of Conspiracy. Everything wrong with Nigeria is caused by "the World Bank and IMF". Nobody blames inept Politicians in Military Uniform who misgoverned the Nations wealth, or exported them to foreign Banks, Nobody as harassed past inept CBN Governors who couldn't arrest the tide of failing banks, instead it is the Breton woods institutes that gets all the mudslinging.
 
Really I think we should begin to throw bricks at the  people who deserve it and stop giving credence to this "Conspiracy theory" by foreign corporations- which will take us nowhere.
 
I deliberately decided not to post this on the FOI list, to avoid everybody pitching in.
 
Regards,
 
Charles Onyekatu

gentlecharles@yahoo.com
 

Mamza: Thank you Charles. I will furnish you with some informations on how the IMF and World Bank policies had crippled the developing nation. Till then.

******
   
Hello,
 
I like your writing but, please, use simple English, for some of us.
 
Cheers
 
Aliyu
aliyuat@yahoo.co.uk

******
On IBB: Between Nuhu Ribadu and Femi Fani-Kayode 

Dear Dr. Mamza:

I have just read this piece. Methinks you sound so much like both Ribadu and Fani-Kayode whom you accused of trying to nail IBB. By “already foreseeing his presence around Aso Rock – the seat of power”, and by saying “this is a reality that Nigerians must live with for now”, smacks of your wish to see IBB in Aso Rock at all costs, not minding how (good or bad), whether the two top officials like it or not. Of course, we know the General is powerful, more than powerful enough to use the familiar methods to win elections in Nigeria. You have decided to deliberately refuse to highlight this sour aspect of how IBB will go to Aso Rock (if he wants) in 2007. Will this “reality”  ome to pass because Nigerians will vote IBB to Aso Rock or because IBB and his supporters will rig themselves to power? It is really unfortunate that not the citizens’ votes, but systemic electoral fraud will determine who goes to Aso Rock in 2007. If some people in power want to personalize and use their offices to truncate IBB’s 2007 ambition, it is not enough to criticize such people and simply state that this is a “reality that Nigerians must live with for now”. I think it is also fair to define the “reality”, especially when it is unenviable. The unenviable “reality” here is the  abounding evidence that IBB or whoever will rig himself to Aso Rock in 2007, irrespective of the vote
of Nigerians. Or what do you think, sir?

Sincerely yours,
Philip Ikita
Program Officer
Mississippi Consortium for
International Development (MCID)
Nigeria Country Office
Abuja 
 ikitap@yahoo.com

Mamza: Thank you Mr. Philip. I have gauged your feelings which I do share too. But the point I  had raised is a moral question. For instance, if Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu as the Chairman of EFCC could not trace any clue about the IBB's financial deals what hope will the National Electoral commission even with the likes of Ribadu as its Chairman that IBB will not rig an election leaving a clue, period.
Thank you.

******

AN ADDENDUM: Sensing Mischief.
The Daily Trust of Thursday March 17th, 2005 carried a full page advertorial of my article on

IBB: Between Nuhu Ribadu and Femi Fani - Kayode on page 10. The article bears no name and is a mutilated form of my article which is only sent to Leadership newspaper which I write for, Gamji, Amana online websites (being Gamji writer and Amana online writer) and Dawodu.com. This is sequel to an earlier advertised article by the same intentions (IBB and "His secret agents") published in about six different newspapers. My grouse is that I had never sent such article to Daily Trust or any other paper for that matter, more so with the alterations which are offensive. I deserve an explanation on this, please.
 
- Mamza writes in from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

UGEN