You have to go out of your way a little bit to find them, but there's no shortage of stories like this one claiming a close relationship between Boko Haram and elements within the Nigerian military.
This should not come as a complete surprise. In many areas of rural Nigeria, the dollar-a-day folks fear the state at least as much as they fear the militants. And don't forget, the country has spent more time under military dictatorship than under an elected government. Democracy is more of a decorative façade than than an institution.
The corrupt buffoon running for re-election is spending millions on an American PR firm to burnish his image - not among the voters in Nigeria, but with his pals in the West. Is it a coincidence that America is threatening greater involvement in Nigeria just before the election?
I think not.
Showing posts with label Nigeria corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nigeria corruption. Show all posts
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Goodluck Jonathan's luck running out
If recent polls are accurate, President Goodluck Jonathan's dreams of another term in the big chair are rapidly coming to naught.
As Fisayo Soyombo points out in this story, matters have gone only from bad to worse for the incumbent. The spectacle of a political debate over whether institutionalized corruption is really "corruption," which is really bad, or mere "common thievery," which is apparently not so bad, gives a sense of how out of touch the Jonathan administration has been.
The "Chibok girls" farce went from tragic to even worse last month with the much ballyhooed Boko Haram ceasefire proving to be little more than wishful thinking on the part of certain Jonathan underlings.
The news that Goodluck was paying some extra-smart white folks in Washington millions from the public purse to polish his halo leading up to the election has had rather the opposite effect, revealing him to be a shallow conniver who is concerned more with his image than with getting results for his people.
And if all of that is not enough of a gathering storm, the global petroleum markets are now conspiring against Mr. Goodluck Jonathan. Oil prices may be one thing he can justly claim no influence over, but if prices languish in the $60 range for long, Nigeria is doomed.
Or at least the Westernized elites are doomed. The impoverished masses have seen scant benefits from the oil boom, and will scarcely notice when it's over.
As Fisayo Soyombo points out in this story, matters have gone only from bad to worse for the incumbent. The spectacle of a political debate over whether institutionalized corruption is really "corruption," which is really bad, or mere "common thievery," which is apparently not so bad, gives a sense of how out of touch the Jonathan administration has been.
The "Chibok girls" farce went from tragic to even worse last month with the much ballyhooed Boko Haram ceasefire proving to be little more than wishful thinking on the part of certain Jonathan underlings.
The news that Goodluck was paying some extra-smart white folks in Washington millions from the public purse to polish his halo leading up to the election has had rather the opposite effect, revealing him to be a shallow conniver who is concerned more with his image than with getting results for his people.
And if all of that is not enough of a gathering storm, the global petroleum markets are now conspiring against Mr. Goodluck Jonathan. Oil prices may be one thing he can justly claim no influence over, but if prices languish in the $60 range for long, Nigeria is doomed.
Or at least the Westernized elites are doomed. The impoverished masses have seen scant benefits from the oil boom, and will scarcely notice when it's over.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Fly Boko Haram
Nigerian terror outfit Boko Haram and representatives of President Hardluck Jonathan have announced that Boko Haram will henceforth manage the nation's Aviation Ministry.
The parties have been in negotiations for months since it came out that even after the marked increase in terror attacks, Nigerians are more likely to die in a plane crash than a terror attack.
In return, Boko Haram will allow disgraced Aviation Minister Stella Oduah to be seconded to the extremists, where she will take up her duties as... Aviation Minister!
Oduah has been much in the spotlight since it was revealed that she authorized the purchase of two BMW 750 sedans for her personal use with $1.6 million (US) of government funds. These are not mere German luxury sedans; they feature the latest advancements in armour-plating, as befits a minister who presides over one of the most accident-prone aviation sectors in the world.
"Of course this is an appropriate expenditure of state revenue," the embattled Oduah told reporters. "It is a part of my official responsibilities to visit many far-flung facilities across this land, and all things considered, I'm sure as hell not going to fly there... do I look crazy?"
Critics pounced on the purchase, pointing out that in addition to not being an astute steward of her Ministry, Oduah is not an astute shopper to boot. Those armoured BMW's that she paid $800 thousands each for are readily available for a quarter of that sum in Europe and America.
Replied Oduah, "this line of reasoning is nonsense. I don't live in Miami, I live in Nigeria - of course it costs more to bring in an armoured BMW! Are people stupid?"
More than 60% of Nigerians live on less than $1 per day. Judging by the outrage that Oduah has provoked, no, those people aren't stupid.
The parties have been in negotiations for months since it came out that even after the marked increase in terror attacks, Nigerians are more likely to die in a plane crash than a terror attack.
In return, Boko Haram will allow disgraced Aviation Minister Stella Oduah to be seconded to the extremists, where she will take up her duties as... Aviation Minister!
Oduah has been much in the spotlight since it was revealed that she authorized the purchase of two BMW 750 sedans for her personal use with $1.6 million (US) of government funds. These are not mere German luxury sedans; they feature the latest advancements in armour-plating, as befits a minister who presides over one of the most accident-prone aviation sectors in the world.
"Of course this is an appropriate expenditure of state revenue," the embattled Oduah told reporters. "It is a part of my official responsibilities to visit many far-flung facilities across this land, and all things considered, I'm sure as hell not going to fly there... do I look crazy?"
Critics pounced on the purchase, pointing out that in addition to not being an astute steward of her Ministry, Oduah is not an astute shopper to boot. Those armoured BMW's that she paid $800 thousands each for are readily available for a quarter of that sum in Europe and America.
Replied Oduah, "this line of reasoning is nonsense. I don't live in Miami, I live in Nigeria - of course it costs more to bring in an armoured BMW! Are people stupid?"
More than 60% of Nigerians live on less than $1 per day. Judging by the outrage that Oduah has provoked, no, those people aren't stupid.
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