A PRESIDENT AND THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE CLOSING BELL

I have read a lot of uninformed (and very irritating) articles, posts, "analyses" and comments ridiculing President Goodluck Jonathan's recent visit to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) while he was in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Some folks actually believe that his being asked to ring the NYSE Closing Bell was insignificant and some of them have written about the "birds, dogs and cartoon characters" which have been similarly "honoured" as NYSE Opening or Closing Bell-ringers in the past. The discourse has been very animated in many Nigerian social media fora.

I feel somewhat duty-bound to try and educate my compatriots who hold this view even though I have long realised that this will be futile for those of my country-men who have become die-hard critics of the President and those who even pride themselves as "GEJ-haters". 

But ignorance should never be allowed to intimidate knowledge. Darkness does not comprehend light. So, let there be light on this subject despite its frivolity. 

The NYSE does not just bring in just any person or "bird, dog and cartoon character" to its trading floor on Wall Street for its famous Bell-ringing Ceremony. Not even every President or Head of State is brought in by the NYSE for what has become a famous tradition which is recognised world-wide and is now imitated by many of the world's popular bourses.

It may appear like a trivial event to some that President Goodluck Jonathan rang the NYSE Closing Bell, but it really is not. What I find so ridiculous is that while those knocking the President for the event have tried to down-play it, they have given it so much publicity that those who were not even aware that he visited the NYSE now know he did! And if it really is a non-issue, why make a big deal out of it? And how come President Jonathan is the first Nigerian President ring the NYSE Bell? I understand a former President even wrote to the NYSE to be allowed to ring the Bell and his application was politely turned down!! 

The NYSE Bell Ringing event is a big deal in the international business community.


Please read the piece below from http://www.investopedia.com/.../06/openingclosingbell.asp:

A common sight today is the highly publicized events in which a celebrity or executive from a corporation stands behind the NYSE podium and pushes the button that signals the bells to ring. Many consider the act of ringing the bells to be quite an honour and a symbol of a lifetime of achievement. Furthermore, due to the amount of coverage that the opening/closing bells receive, many companies coordinate new product launches and other marketing-related events to start on the same day as when the company's representatives ring the bell. This daily tradition wasn't always this highly publicized either. In fact, it was only in 1995 that the NYSE began having special guests ring the bells on a regular basis. Prior to that, ringing the bells was usually the responsibility of the exchange's floor managers.


It appears some of our people do not know the NYSE's Opening and Closing Bell-ringing Ceremony is of such symbolic significance to the international business community such that international business television stations, such as Bloomberg and CNBC, actually show the events LIVE each day? They even have programmes named after the Bell-ringing Ceremonies. Many other television stations, including CNN, BBC World, Euro News and Al-Jazeera, also show the Closing Bell-ringing Ceremony on most week days.
 
Of course, the NYSE Bell-ringing Ceremony is not in itself an earth-shaking event; but it has become emblematic in many ways. It's symbolic significance lies in the fact that the honour is only accorded in recognition of some accomplishment, as an indication of support for a cause or as a pointer to positive expectations about the future of companies, economies, products, services, brands, persons or even cartoon characters (yes, including the "birds and dogs" and Muppets!). It reveals the NYSE Management's prognosis of the Bell-ringer and/or its faith in the Bell-ringer's relevance to the American business community.

In Nigeria's case, despite the negative media reports, the NYSE obviously recognizes that the country's business environment is improving and is attracting interest from international investors including many American companies such as GE, IBM, Microsoft and HP. The reforms in the power sector are of particular interest to American investors and financial services companies. A number of them are already engaged in the Nigeria power sector.

The funny thing is that all those belly-aching that the President and his supporters regard the event as significant may NEVER even be allowed into the NYSE offices not to talk of ringing the Closing Bell in their life-time! LOL!!
 

Someone posted on Facebook the picture of Sponge Bob ringing the NYSE Closing Bell as "proof" of the comical nature of NYSE Bell-ringing and he questioned the economic significance of the cartoon character. I had to post a news article by ABC News about Sponge Bob on that discussion thread. Below are excerpts from the article:


WELCOME INSIDE THE NO. 1-RATED CHILDREN'S SHOW IN ALL OF TELEVISION.

(http://abcnews.go.com/.../story...)

If you're thinking the main character is yellow, you're right... but he's no Big Bird.

This is the world of "SpongeBob SquarePants," a show that's grown into a multi-billion dollar phenomenon so popular it is among the top-rated shows on all of cable television.................Another key to the show's success is that the humour hits for all age groups, said Clancy Brown, who voices Mr. Krabs. "I think adults these days are very immature," Brown said. "We are keeping them immature."

Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob himself, agreed.

"Luckily, the infantilization of the American culture has worked for us," Kenny said.

The show's creators say they're not necessarily writing kids stuff. A full 25 percent of the show's audience are adults who don't even have kids.

Making a children's cartoon isn't child's play: It takes nine months to make just one episode. ..................The cartoon has been going 10 years now. It's broadcast around the world in 25 languages and it has spawned an entire line of toys, clothing and food, with total sales estimated at nearly $1 billion a year.


And for those wondering about the "dogs" that rang the NYSE Opening Bell, please kindly read the following:

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE GOES TO THE DOGS TO SUPPORT ANIMAL CAUSES

(http://www.marketwatch.com/...)

Shelter and service dogs teamed up today to open and close the New York Stock Exchange raising awareness for pet adoption, service animals across the nation and celebrating the unconditional love between people and pets. Representatives from Procter & Gamble's (P&G) two leading pet care brands, Iams and Eukanuba, joined partners Helen Woodward Animal Center (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), New York City's Bideawee and Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) to ring the opening and closing bells.

Iams rang the closing bell in honor of Iams Home 4 the Holidays, one of the world's largest pet adoption drives. The campaign, in its 14th year, began Oct. 1, 2012 and runs through Jan. 2, 2013 and is a partnership between Iams and Helen Woodward Animal Center to give more orphaned pets a fresh start through adoption and nutrition to keep their bodies as strong as their love.

"We founded Iams Home 4 the Holidays to raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption," said Mike Arms, founder of the adoption drive and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. "Coming to the New York Stock Exchange to ring the bell is an honor and another great way to remind people who are considering a new 4-legged family member about some of the amazing pets waiting for their second chance at love."

Eukanuba rang the opening bell with its partner in celebration of CCI's first IPO, a one of a kind Initial Puppy Offering, a fundraiser designed to provide highly-trained assistance dogs and ongoing follow-up services to children and adults with disabilities, free of charge.

So how does the NYSE Bell-ringing by our President make a difference to the "average" Nigerian? For one, the visibility the event gave Nigeria could translate to greater interest in Nigeria and the Nigerian economy by international investors. Some would reason "Oh! Nigeria must be doing something right which the NYSE has noticed". Positive publicity is never a bad thing for a developing country. Secondly, the event could lead to an increase in our Foreign Direct Investments and Foreign Portfolio Investments. When/if that happens, all Nigerians will be the better for it.

Ignorance is not bliss. It is retrogressive. It is destructive. In this age of cheap internet access, smart telephone handsets which cost as little as N10,000 and Google, you would have thought that people would educate themselves on a subject before enthusiastically hitting their key-boards or key-pads!

But hatred and rationality often do not co-habit.

 
God bless Nigeria!

Nigeria di fure!!

 

JUSTICE, EQUITY AND NIGERIA'S PENDING RESTITUTION

Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State was interviewed recently by The Will, an online news medium. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

"And if we really wanted to ensure total reconciliation, how come every account holder in the eastern region was given only £20? It did not matter whether your father had £10,000,000 or £50,000,000 before the war; you were given just £20. It was a take it or leave it situation. If your family survived and there was an account holder alive, he/she went to the bank, and collected just £20.

Could £20 pounds solve the Kwashiorkor that we were seeing? Could it reconstruct the houses that were burnt? Could it produce food? A lot of other things happened that I did not mention on that occasion. Don’t forget that it was shortly after the war in 1971 that the policy of indigenisation started, where most of the foreign industries and companies were sold to Nigerians, and the war-ravaged eastern regions, which include the entire South-South and the rest of them, could not buy, because no one who did not have money to even feed or clothe himself would have had money to buy any industry.

So, I was just wondering, as a young man, if that was true reconciliation, because one would have thought that the government would have gone to any extent to give them more money so that they could truly rehabilitate themselves.
They needed money from reconstruction, and I would have thought that reconstruction would have also started from the East."

(http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/14312.html)



A major mistake Gen. Yakubu Gowon made as Nigeria's Head of State when the Nigeria Civil War ended was that he did not initiate a Truth and Reconciliation Commission even though he declared that "there was no victor and no vanquished". Rwanda is a great example of how such a Commission can be useful in bringing wholeness to a country torn apart by war.

The various reactions motivated essentially by tribe to Late Prof. Chinua Achebe's book, "There was a country", proved how deep the wounds inflicted by the Nigeria Civil War were and how even those who did not experience the war were scarred by it. Nigeria and Nigerians have still not fully healed from the effect of that war even after four decades.

As Nigeria counts down to the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference, which even the President and the Senate President now realise is inevitable (by whatever name it is called) if we are to move forward as a nation, I believe that as a major first step towards true national reconciliation, it is imperative that the Federal Government creates a special fund and pay back, with interest equivalent to at least the Central Bank of Nigeria's Monetary Policy Rates or the Minimum Rediscount Rates during the intervening period, all those Igbos and other Nigerians (or their successors) whose bank account balances were fraudulently appropriated when the Civil War ended. Justice and Equity demand that this be done at the least.


God bless Nigeria.

Nigeria di fure!

RIGHTLY DIVIDING BIBLICAL TRUTH: THE CASE OF CHRISTIAN CLICHES

Pastor Wale Adefuye wrote the following on his Facebook Timeline:

"HELP! HELP!! HELP!!!
A research effort needs your help in compiling a list of statements Christians utter, but are not consistent with Scriptures.

An example:
Someone dies and the Christian says, "May his soul rest in peace." "

And I made the following comments in response:
...
1. "I am strong".

Often said by sick Christians, not as a confession, but as an indication of ill-health.

2. Song: "Today oh, I will lift up my hands in praise.....when success comes my way, I will praise the Lord".

Anyone can praise the Lord "when success comes [their] way. The original song, in line with Scriptures, actually and correctly says "when TROUBLE comes my way, I will praise the Lord". It takes faith to praise God in trouble!

3. "God is in control".

Spoken as a fatalistic assumption that whatever happens is God's Will. God has given man authority on earth to permit whatever he wishes. God only takes control if and when He is given control by man's conscious submission of the situation to Him in faith.

4. "It is well".

Many Christians say this as a mere knee-jerk response to a statement or situation for which they have no rational answer or just to comfort themselves when they are troubled and perplexed. It is only truly well if and when the Christian engages the Wisdom of God, gains understanding and knows what he/she ought to do. Thus, the Christian can say it is well not merely in hope but in Word-grounded Faith.

5. "I claim it".

Spoken by many Christians to possess some material thing [usually a car, a house, a wife, a husband...etc] which the person making the statement is praying about and/or for which he/she is "believing God".
They say this as a "profession of faith" even when there is no specific indication from God that the object being "claimed" is in accord with His Revealed Will. Faith should begin when God's Will is known with certainty.

6. "You are blessed".

This is only true if the person to whom this statement is made is also a Christian. If the person does not know Jesus Christ as Lord, God and Saviour, he/she is NOT blessed. He/she may have much material possessions but he/she is a stranger from the commonwealth of Israel and is without God in this world.

7. "I am rich", "I am prosperous", "I am a billionaire" or such other confessions of financial blessings.

The declaration is only true and shall be fulfilled if the Christian is living in obedience to God. Many Christians are in sin, give bribes, tell lies, scheme and scam to make money yet they declare Covenant Blessings of financial prosperity when they are ruled by mammon. God is not mocked. True Kingdom Wealth, good success, comes from GOD. And it is such blessings from God which make rich and have no sorrow added. Gain is not godliness. Godliness is profitable and has the promise of this life and the one to come.

 

I must emphasize that the statements I listed above are all true and Scriptural by themselves in absolute terms. The error I am highlighting is that they have become mere clichés which many Christians mouth without any revelation or understanding of their Biblical context.

For example, if a Christian is sick and he/she declares "I am strong" as a confession of faith to be made whole, that is OK. But usually, the expression on the person's face and poise often make it evident that he/she wants to communicate that he/she is sick. If you ask such a person, "Why were you not in Church yesterday?", he/she would say "I was strong" to let you know he/she was indisposed. "Strong" is not a synonym for "sick"!

 

RE: EL RUFAI, CAN, APC AND THE PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS OF 2015: A POST SCRIPT

I have received several reactions to my article, "EL RUFAI, CAN, APC AND THE PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS OF 2015". Most of them were via Facebook.

Not unexpectedly, the comments were diverse and generally followed this pattern:

THE "AYES": Christians, PDP loyalists and Supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan's second term bid.

THE "NAYS": Fundamentalist Muslims, APC loyalists, "New PDP" Supporters, Buharists, El Rufaists and Anti-Jonathan Elements.

Nigerians are just hilarious. LOL! Again, not surprisingly, the most passionate comments were made by the Nays. Hence, the need for this Post Script.

I keep saying that Facebook is a leveller. There were commentators on the discussion thread who know me personally and call me "sir" when they meet me but who will spoke rudely about me.

But for Facebook, some commentators would never even engage with me. They will not even be allowed to see me if they filled a Visitor's Form and said they wanted to meet with me in my office. Some others would not even qualify to be employed as an Office Assistant or Driver in my Company. But na so Facebook dey be! LOL!

The hypocrisy of those accusing me of being a "religious bigot" and playing "religious politics" just reeks of the foulest odour! Most of them support APC because they are Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Kanuri, or Muslims. Others, because they just hate GEJ!

APC is the alliance of the Boko Haramist ANPP of the north-east, the feudal and Islamist CPC of the north-west and the Islamist but pretentious "progressive" ACN of the south-west.

Sadly, isn't Nigeria's politics today all about Religion, Tribe and Geo-Political Zones?!

Why do you think Nigeria was surreptitiously made a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (now "Cooperation") by Alhaji Gen. Ibrahim Babangida without the knowledge of his deputy, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe?

Why is there Shariah Law on criminal matters (in breach of Nigeria's Constitution) in the so-called "core" northern states? Even late Justice Mohammed Bello, Nigeria's former Chief Justice whose son (Abba Bello) was my classmate all through our days at King's College, Lagos, and remains a dear close friend till date, decalred that the introduction of Shariah Law over criminal matters by the paedophile Sani Yerima who was then the Governor of Zamfara State, was blatantly unconstitutional. Of course, Justice Bello was a very devout Muslim. Thank God the likes of Sheikh Gumi did not declare a fatwa on him!!

Why is the "Emir of Kano" hopeful, Alhaji Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, pushing Malaysia-style Islamic Banking in Nigeria despite being declared illegal and unconstitutional by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja?

Why is there Boko Haram?

Why is GEJ being hounded by some of those who believe they must achieve Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello's dream of "dipping the Quran in the Atlantic Ocean" and making Nigeria the "estate of their jihadist grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio"?

Only a hypocrite will not acknowledge the reality that religion in Nigeria is politics!

I am not religious. I will never be religious. I hate religion. I am SPIRITUAL. There is a difference.

The spiritual man judges all things. But only the deep can call to the deep. Let the reader understand. Selah!

God bless Nigeria!

Nigeria di fure!!

EL RUFAI, CAN, APC AND THE PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS OF 2015

Unfortunately, despite Nasir El Rufai's state of mind, he is the National General Secretary of All Progressives Congress and some people listen to him. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) cannot and should not ignore El Rufai's outbursts because lies have a way of being perceived as truth when often repeated.

El Rufai has taken up a crusade against Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and has said several damaging things. He claims he knows the person who bought the jet which members of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, contributed money to buy as a gift for Pastor Oritsejafor to celebrate his birthday and his 40th Year in Ministry. CAN has challenged El Rufai to disclose who he says actually provided the funds. How can such an issue be ignored by CAN when it calls to question the integrity of the official leader of Christians in Nigeria? Would Muslims ignore a conspiracy to ridicule and malign the Sultan of Sokoto, the President of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the leader of Muslims in Nigeria?

How can El Rufai say the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria is the "Propaganda spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party" and some people cannot see the agenda at play? Is the CAN President a politician? Is he a member of any political party?

As the head of an organisation established as an umbrella body for all Christians in Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor cannot but speak on issues which have political implications. Does that make him a "politician" or a "PDP propaganda spokesman"? What insult!! Have past Presidents of the Christian Association of Nigeria been apolitical? Did past CAN Presidents like Cardinal Okogie, Bishop Mbang, Bishop Makinde, Bishop Akinola and Cardinal Onaiyekan not comment on issues in our polity? Were they then politicians?

The CAN President must speak on any matter that concerns the Church and Christians in Nigeria. But he is non-partisan and cannot even be since his people, Christians, are from all tribes and geo-political zones in the country and there are Christian politicians in all political parties.

El Rufai is not just speaking for himself; he speaks for the APC and the feudal northern Islamists (as distinct from ordinary Muslims) who see the unity of Christians nationwide as a threat to their political interests particularly with regard to the 2015 Presidential Election. They believe President Goodluck Jonathan became President in 2011 because Christians in all six geo-political zones voted for him. They fear that if the Church is united behind President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, then his re-election would be a walk-over. So their strategy is simple: divide the Church by discrediting its national leader: Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, OFR. But, as always, they have failed as Jesus said "it is hard to kick against the pricks". Selah!

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is not perfect. Who is? But he is a genuine man of God. Those of us who know have had the honour and privilege of knowing him personally can attest to his humility, Kingdom-mindedness and integrity. He does not play games. He does not manipulate people for filthy lucre. Unlike some, he serves GOD not mammon.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor won a second term as the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria unanimously because all the blocs that make up CAN appreciate the great work God has used him to do in the Church in Nigeria. Even the Catholic Church, which had left CAN, returned to full membership of CAN at its last National Executive Committee meeting held sometime in August in Abuja and has submitted itself once more under the leadership of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. But for Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor"s outspokenness, Boko Haram would have succeeded in its genocide against Christians in Borno and Yobe States and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi would have gotten away with his Islamist agenda of imposing Malaysia-style Islamic Banking (which Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has since declared as illegal and unconstitutional) by abusing his office as the CBN Governor.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is not just a Christian Hero who is celebrated globally by believers but he is a National Hero. El Rufai cannot and must not be allowed to rubbish this great Nigerian through his flippancy.

I wrote sometime ago that one of my friends called the All Progressives Congress the "Allahu Akbah Progressives Congress" when it emerged that the key strategic positions in its National Executive Committee (including National Chairman, National General Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, and even the National Youth Leader and National Women's Leader) were held by Muslims while the 16 Christians in the 23-member National Executive Committee were only assigned as "Deputies" and "Ex-officio" members. I am no more in doubt that my friend was right. The main national leaders of the APC have proved to be Islamists however the disguise this reality. The APC's National General Secretary, Alhaji Mallam Nasir Ahmed El Rufai's insults on the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria underscore this fact. And the refusal or negligence of the leadership of the APC to distance itself from El Rufai's statement till date (Thursday, 19th September, 2012), over one week after Sun newspaper published the offensive interview, confirms that the APC is insensitive to the sensibilities of Nigerian Christians and obviously does not need their votes. This is instructive!


God bless Nigeria!

Nigeria di fure!!

NIGERIANS: ONE BLOOD

When educated and widely-travelled adult Nigerians who are 43 years of age or younger (that means people born after 1970 when the Nigeria Civil War ended) promote their tribe or ethnic group rather than Nigeria, I am gravely disappointed and concerned. You would have thought that they can tell by now that there is really nothing that distinguishes one tribe from the other; or even one race from another.

What really is the difference between a person who is negro, caucasian, jewish or mongoloid from another human being of any other race? How is a Yoruba, Esan, Ibibio, Igbo, Fulani, Jukun, Hausa, Idoma, Berom, Zuru, Igbirra, Kanuri, Efik, Itsekiri, Afenmai, Ika, or Urhobo person superior to another Nigerian who is of  a different tribe?

People have pointed to the scattering of the human race and imposition of several languages by God at the Tower of Babel as proof that God meant us to be tribalistic or racist. What a satanic lie from hell!

Acts 17:26 reads:

"And hath made of ONE BLOOD all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;"

So God made all men of ONE BLOOD. If a negro, a caucasian, Esan, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani or any other human being needs a blood transfusion, what matters is the Blood Group not the race or tribe!! We are all the same except for geographical location which gave rise to skin pigmentation and other minor physiological traits attributable to the climate and food available where we are. The language and culture are LEARNED. If you are Igbo and you adopt a Yoruba child from infancy or you were even mistakenly given a Yoruba baby at the hospital upon delivery (and that happens often!!), your "Yoruba" child will grow up an "Igbo"!!

I am Esan. I was born in Esanland. I speak Esan. I also understand Yoruba. My wife is Urhobo. Her Mum is Kwale; her Dad is Urhobo. She was born in Lagos. She speaks Yoruba and understands a bit of Kwale. She does not understand Urhobo. Is my son Esan, Urhobo, Kwale or Yoruba?

If I were accepted as a Lagosian, having lived in Lagos since 1974, I would not be going to Esanland to vie to be a Senator.

I am Esan. But I have no other country but Nigeria. All of us Nigerians are of One Blood!

Yes, we have problems as a nation. Yes, we are divided by tribe, language and religion. But we are still of One Blood.

What to do: Let us discuss our differences. Call it what you want: "National Conference", "Sovereign National Conference", "Family Meeting", "National Discussion Session"....whatever. But we need to talk. We must re(negotiate) the terms of our nationhood. That does not necessarily mean Nigeria will break up.

And from my interactions with many Nigerians, I believe our people just want a country where they feel accepted and feel they belong. I think Nigerians want to stay Nigerians but only if real unity, true peace, justice and prosperity reign. 

God bless Nigeria!

Nigeria di fure!!

LEGISLATIVE MUSINGS: ISSUE #4 - THE IMPERATIVE OF A CREDIBLE NATIONAL POPULATION CENSUS IN 2016

EGHEOMHANRE EYIEYIEN FOR SENATE 2015 (EDO CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT - ESANLAND)

LEGISLATIVE MUSINGS

ISSUE #4.

THE IMPERATIVE OF A CREDIBLE NATIONAL POPULATION CENSUS IN 2016

Below is the news story as reported by Punch newspaper of Wednesday, 28th August, 2013, regarding the query issued to Chief Festus Odimegwu, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, by the Presidency....

Presidency queries Odimegwu, NPC chairman
AUGUST 28, 2013 BY FRIDAY OLOKOR
(http://www.punchng.com/news/presidency-queries-odimegwu-npc-chairman/)

“The Presidency has queried the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Chief Festus Odimegwu, over his reported comments on the nation’s past census.
Our correspondent gathered in Abuja on Tuesday that the Presidency felt the comments negated his position as the NPC boss.
A source in the Presidency said, “Odimegwu was queried over some comments that were credited to him in the newspapers.”
Before the source spoke, there were speculations that he was suspended. Odumegwu, however, denied both the suspension and the query.
“There is nothing wrong,” he said when contacted on the query and the alleged suspension, adding, “it is the propaganda of those who are jittery concerning the reforms we are bringing to the NPC.”
“What they are saying is not true; it is blackmail. It is propaganda and that is their wish. You should know that if wishes were horses, beggars would be riding every day,” he stated.
Odimegwu had in a recent interview with journalists in Abuja said the country had not had any credible census since 1816.
He had blamed the irregularity on the distortion and falsification of figures for selfish and political reasons.
Odimegwu said, “No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1816. Even the one conducted in 2006 is not credible. I have the records and evidence produced by scholars and professors of repute. This is not my report. If the current laws are not amended, the planned 2016 census will not succeed.”
But the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankanso, at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan faulted the appointment of the NPC boss.
In an interview with State House correspondents, Kwankanso “I also raised the issue of the Chairman of the National Population Commission headed by one Festus Odimegwu.
“We are not happy about that appointment, and think that it was a mistake. Odimegwu shouldn’t be there in the first place, why because, you see unfortunately we were together, somebody read his curriculum vitae.
“He had only one thing in alcoholic industry, all his life. And my guess is that he’s taking a lot of his products and that is why we feel that his appointment is a mistake because he cannot be the Chairman of NPC and at the same time attacking what his predecessor had done.”
The NPC, in its reaction, faulted Kwankwaso’s comments.
In a statement by the Chairperson of the NPC Public Affairs Committee , Oluseyi Aderinokun-Olusanya, the commission said “the governor’s call for the sack of NPC chairman was diversionary, ill-advised and a reckless attempt to politicise the yet-to-be conducted 2016 census.” ”



Essentially, the contentious statement by Chief Festus Odimegwu is as follows: "No census has been credible in Nigeria since 1816. Even the one conducted in 2006 is not credible. I have the records and evidence produced by scholars and professors of repute. This is not my report. If the current laws are not amended, the planned 2016 census will not succeed."

And here is what Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwanso said in reaction: "I also raised the issue of the Chairman of the National Population Commission headed by one Festus Odimegwu. We are not happy about that appointment, and think that it was a mistake. Odimegwu shouldn't be there in the first place, why because, you see unfortunately we were together, somebody read his curriculum vitae. He had only one thing in alcoholic industry, all his life. And my guess is that he's taking a lot of his products and that is why we feel that his appointment is a mistake because he cannot be the Chairman of NPC and at the same time attacking what his predecessor had done."

So what really is wrong with what Chief Festus Odimegwu said? Who does not know that all our past census figures were falsified? How can Kano State have about the same population with Lagos State in 2006 as was the case three decades earlier before the Old Kano State was broken into the present Kano State and Jigawa State? How can the population of Nigeria's Sahel regions be more than its coastal regions unlike the situation in other West African countries and the well established global phenomenon in human settlement patterns? Why is Gov. Rabiu Kwankwanso already afraid of the upcoming National Population Census in 2016?

Even our telecommunication companies have a fair idea of Nigeria's true population and where Nigerians actually reside the most. They know where their subscribers are. We must determine to have a truthful and accurate National Population Census in 2016.

And we must not exclude religion from the census questionnaire this time as was the case in the 2006 National Population Census when former President Olusegun Obasanjo succumbed to pressure from the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs to remove religion from the questionnaire so as to perpetuate the fallacy that Muslims are more than Christians in Nigeria.

Truth is sacred. And it is the truth which one knows that sets one free. It is time we know the truth about our population and our demographics.

 God bless Nigeria!

Esan di fure!

Nigeria di fure!!