What are the useful lessons unwitting younger Nigerians have been imbibing from their present leaders' Or to put it more succinctly, what are the practical lessons the present typical Nigerian leader is trying to teach the youth' The more I ponder on the teaser, the angrier I become.There are so many reasons for any right-thinking citizen to gnash his teeth over our predicament as a people. Just pick any of the national dailies or tune to the local radio and television stations, the issues that would insult your sensibilities are incredible stories about the pervert values of our so-called leaders, especially a section of the political class that has developed a rapacious penchant for thievery. And you begin to wonder if indeed this country once had men who valued integrity and honour, and could never mortgage their good name for a pot of porridge.You begin to ask yourself if, peradventure you are from a different planet and do not have the benefit of hindsight on the true history of Nigeria and its people and past political leaders. You are enraged by the fact that what many had, in the past, thought were unthinkable in Nigeria, especially among a few ethnic groups in the federation, whose main source of pride is good reputation and abhorrence of vanity, oddities and other strange behaviours, had been elevated to an art.More than 12 years of civil rule has been more of demonstrated profligacy and rapacity by a handful of mean politicians. They have made the rest of the more than 150 million Nigerian population to look like a bunch of people without a decent and enviable culture or a race without role models in politics and public administration. But for proper documentation, coupled with the seemingly untainted accounts of a few surviving nationalists and compatriots on the lifestyles and patriotism of Nigerian heroes and heroines, the outside world would want to class the country as a den of criminals and crooks.It's heavy national burden that this period in the life of the country should be a season of lamentation; a period of great worries and concern occasioned by the lack of vision by those Nigerians ought to look up to as their true and transparent leaders. Rather than being the true custodian of the good value, trust and mandate of the people, they are obsessed with abusing powers with a reckless abandon in the management of public resources.There are so many signs of systemic failure and total dearth of genuine planning in every aspect of our national life. Take for instance, to travel on the Ibadan to Ile-Ife expressway now is like one embarking on a suicide mission. That is one of the dire consequences of the lack of planning by the leadership. That less than 3,000 out of more than 40,000 qualified candidates could be given admission in each federal university is symptomatic of a callous ruling class, whose taste bud for corrupt tendency is a feat for the Guinness Record.It is also a tragedy that the country could only be working towards creating employment for mere one million out of the frightening population of the employed youth within the next three years. It is shameful that school buildings constructed with mud almost a century ago and with tattered roofs, still litter a few of our major cities. That's another price of lack of proper planning.Vehicles, which ought to have been consigned to their graves, carry passengers even within our cities. Teaching hospitals, which are incapacitated by a dearth of modern equipment, are often largely without electricity. Yet, the political leadership feasts unrepentantly on the Nigerian system like a typical parasite. Are these the kind of core values we are passing to the next generation'Feedback:Good talk, Senators: 'Oderemi, that's very good you; tell them. I read your piece with the above title.Mr. Drambi Ibrahim [08021063029] ''''''''''Comrade,, the nation is under insurgence, and the textbook solution is counter-resurgence. This involves military operations and psychological operations. Unfortunately, emphasis is more on military option rather than psychological operation, which has made solution unachievable. I've had a fruitful encounter with these folks in 1977 as Commander, 123 Infantry, Nigerian Army, Maiduguri. We should re-invent and restructure this nation and revive the spirit of nationalism and sense of belonging.Colonel Gab. A. Ajayi [08037258268]''''''''''''''''''''''What a country:' That write-up was a good one. It's focused, in-depth and straight to the point.''..[08082957925]''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 'Kunle, what a country indeed! I I will be doing you a mail if you could make your email address available. And where can one get the Oputa panel report'.Bennet [08187893906]''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''..On Wikileaks: 'Mr. Oderemi, let me congratulate you on your write-up. I am short of words to describe the sincerity with which you have painstakingly been following the bomb shells from Wikileaks. You have spoken the truth; I am one of those who loved Mallam Nuhu Ribadu became the president of this country, but with what I have read of him from Wikileaks, I am beginning to have a second thought.' IBB, in Gusau, Zamfara State [08092054823]'''''''''''''.On Boko Haram: 'The murderous activities of Boko Haram are nothing but the long-promised Jihad by Muslim North. This is the reason that no notable northern leader has condemned the bombing of the UN building in Abuja. Yoruba leaders are busy making money and the South-West may be caught unawares if care is not taken. Let's face it; must we continue to live in a country with people who do not value the sanctity of life''''''''''''''''''''''''''''.On police excesses: 'I'm a policeman myself but the truth must be told. We need a reform and in fact, a revolution in the force. But what do you expect from the police' When all through these years, the people that ordinarily should not find their way in are the ones that are pushed into the force.' Eneji [08137740573]''''''''''.On Major Hamza al-Mustapha: 'You mean, all the things Mustapha was saying from the time of the Oputa panel till date are all lies'[08075326121] ''''''''''''''''''''''''''.Still on food basket: 'The food basket is in Akufo Agricultural Farm Settlement but which politicians and their ilk get farmhouses and land allocated to them for use as hideouts.' '.from Ibuolade Farms [08039426178] 'Oke-Ogun in Oyo state remains the food basket. But poor transport is the problem. You must visit that part of the country. [*447587907493]'Oderemi, 08023501874 (sms only)
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