That Vanguard's Article That Kills Faster Than #BokoHaram

So I stumbled on an article on Facebook yesterday and I was taken aback by the content of the article.

With the advent of technology, it is now very easy to spread news and share ideas without stress... Every Dick and Harry has a blog and they spread news with no restrictions.

But amidst "all of that" I think the standard of genuine journalism should be on a pedestal. I never expected such an article from Vanguard- a respected media house in Nigeria. What was their editor thinking? Perhaps he/she was busy eating fufu while they published the article.

The title of the article is When Will The Igbo Presidency Be? The title of the article alone, let off reading it, triggers and instigates terrible ideas that can bring about war and separation. This kind of article is not meant to be published. Was the Editor naive or did he/she publish this article on purpose?....Articles like this shows the alarming increase in the level of mediocrity in Nigeria journalism.

Below are excerpts from the article;

"Igbo nation needs to re-invent itself, it needs holistic reorientation and strategic repositioning. The Igbo people need political pragmatism to enable them take their authentic political position after the tenure of Ebele Jonathan or Buhari, which is the producing of the Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

"Specifically,   it is their turn to produce the next President of Nigeria. It was a great disservice to the Igbo course and it is tantamount to cowardice and judgmental fallacy for Igbo leaders to have called and supported the then Third Term Agenda and political escapades of the then President Obasanjo. Indeed, the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural and political organization the Ohaneze Ndigbo, their Governors, Legislators and Igbo leaders were consummately indictable."

"The Igbo people will continue to stew in the political slavery in Nigeria because they cannot take the bull by the horn and drive it out of their political china shop. What a shame! They should however, note that, if they fail to produce the next President after Ebele Jonathan or Buhari, they will continue to dwell in the epicenter of political limbo in Nigeria."

And considering the fact that we are so gullible in Nigeria, war of words had already started in the comment section long before I finished reading the article.

This is saddening because it is the insane articles like this one that divides and kill the nation, not Ebola nor the #BokoHaram bombs. We need to watch our utterances, think before you say anything or write anything on social media because words are very powerful and they can go a long way in making or breaking people around us.

I believe we can make things work if we connect with each other and put aside our cultural differences.

PS: You may check out the full article here: When Will The Igbo Presidency Be?

Sadiq Daniel is a certified Crazy Writer and Teens Coach that blogs on business, Self- development, Life lessons and Ideas that challenges the status quo... You can pursue him for speaking engagements or send him money on Twitter: @sadiqspeaks LinkedIn: Sadiq Daniel and Email:Sadiqdaniel@gmail.com

Nigeria’s Security crises: “NAUGHTY JONAH”AT IT AGAIN

PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan left the country on a trip to Rio de Janero, Brazil for the United Nations’ Earth summit, Rio+20; at a time the country was facing serious security crises.

In response to the critics Jonathan said “one of the problems we have is that some Nigerians play politics with everything, but we cannot destroy our country because of personal political ambitions”. Adding that much of the incessant and often unjustifiable criticisms of his administration were based on lies.

There are so many flaws in the statement made by the president.

” Incessant and often unjustifiable criticism of his administration”. What is not justified in the criticism of his administration? His choice of Rio over the security of his people was a poor decision.

Hundreds died last Sunday, more were injured. Whatever benefit the summit has for Nigeria could be obtained in his absence. He should have devoted himself to resolving the crisis. Was his trip to Brazil a demonstration of indifference to the bloodshed at home?

Should he be reminded of his oath of office?

He swore to uphold the constitution, which in section 14 (2b) states, “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Where is the security for our people? Will the president find them in Rio? I doubt if he even knows the constitution. I am not sure if he is even qualified to be the president of this country judging by his decisions. The word Priority is not in his dictionary, if he has one.

The people have lost confidence in government protecting them.

Hardly a Sunday passed since the beginning of 2012 without a church being attacked. Where the killings are not in churches, gunmen repealed at robbery operations return to take out as many people as they like.

Government reacts mostly through condolences and toothless threats to the attackers who know that they are above the law. What leadership has GEJ provided in this matter?

If the tragedy in the Northern Nigeria is not politics then what is it? Our presumed leader has not given us the answers we need in this country.

GEJ upon arrival at Rio, Brazil

Criticism is the only democratic tool left for us to use in this country. The level of impunity worries Nigerians, governments ask for patience.

 Should the president not have stayed home to oversee the brewing crisis?

While hundreds are being obliterated, the president jets out to Rio to attend an Earth summit. It is a shameful and disgraceful misplacement of priority. GEJ has not even succeeded in saving Nigeria and he is rushing abroad to save the Earth.

Jonathan has shown that he is not ready and competent to lead Nigeria. Other world leaders will privately mock him. They would say “what is he doing here? Nigeria is on fire and he has not put off the fire and he is here to save the Earth?” what a hero he is.

Charity, they say, begins at home. But ‘Naughty Jonah’ does not care