The inertia of African rulers did not stop in the Zimbabwean Crisis.Just as they ve only paid lip service to the Crisis in Dafur,they ve blinded their eyes to the humanitarian Crisis in Eastern Congo.They wont act until there is a large scale ethnic cleansing & genocide.
Maybe once again,they are waiting for the USA & UN to come from Washington & New York respectively to solve African problems.

We sure need a new set of elite that would understand that Nimbyism will not take us anywhere.That a problem in any African country will spill into others one way or other.We need LEADERS not RULERS!

Until the time that an average nigerian 'll change their mentality of enriching his pockets and his family if chosen to any elective position.We 'll continue to have setback if we don't address the issue of poverty which consequently leads to corruption and moreso   the african mentality of getting rich by any possible means.Anybody is not bothered about what he/she could offer his/her country but they rather look after what the country will offer them.It's a bad and deadly notion that has eaten deep into the marrow of our bones.That's why some idiots are praising obasanjo who is an animal to the core which is the fact that he doesn't even deny,as these people know that they 'll do the same things if they have same opportunity like obj.They lack leader's qualities 

If I have ever left Obasanjo out of this discuss,I ve being mistaken.He is a major source of the crisis.His Land Use Decree;his insistence on delaying the implementation of the Derivation Principle &his settling for 13% which is the minimum stipulated in the 1999 Constitution;His attempt to usher in an Off/Onshore Dichotomy in resource location,ownership & revenue thereof from such; & his frustration of the take off of the Brass LNG,while promoting the Olokoba LNG in Ogun state that does not ve any Gas is not helping the Crisis.OBJ is not a friend of the NDR.He's an enemy.

do you think we are fighting corruption in naija?e.f.c.c,they are evn  the most corrupted organization,is it not nigerians running it?efcc is like a gun use to kill a mad dog.

it is plain stupid according

Good, but it took AMERICAN a year plus to locate an AMERICAN millionaire that vanished since last year AUGUST,but recently found the reckage last week.

I still dont trust Mugabe to keep to the terms of agreements.He's broken many in the past.Let's hope,African rulers will learn to look beyond power.

I hope so too.I also know that the U.N via it's Food Program is doing something about it.However,the weakness of the UN is not helping matters.This is because of States like the US refuse to pay their UN dues sometimes.We need a new,stronger & batter UN to effectively cater for common global concerns.Let's hope world rulers would respond to this need.

Before delving into any detailed analysis of our subject matter,I will like to state my conclusion from the outset.Viz:the problem(or what is wrong with this country)is leadership,or better still,the lack of it.
There is no gainsaying that Nigeria is one of the richest countries in the world inhabited by(borrowing Franc Fanon's words) one of the most wrecked of the Earth.This is one of the greatest paradoxes of the modern age.

According to Achebe,C.(1983),there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian waters,lands,air or its vegetation...the trouble with Nigeria is squarely the failure of the elites to live up to the collective aspiration of the Nigerian masses.I dare say Nigeria has never had a National leader since its inception.The lack,on the part of the National Petit bourgeoisie, of the requisite productiveness,patriotism,vision,discipline and commitment to transform national goals,plans,policies,and programs into reality, is the crux of the problem.Thus,the elites have used the state and its instruments to pursue their parochial interest to the detriment and chagrin of the populace.
We have an unproductive elite in this country whose only means of production is the state.They have privatized the Nigerian State,thereby,making it their personal estate.This people use any means available to them to gain,retain,increase and demonstrate state power-which is by extension,their personal power.Occasionally,some other people in their rank challenge them for access to the power they enjoy.This is the bedrock of the warlike nature of Nigerian politics.This accounts for election rigging,thuggery and other forms of electoral malpractices in this country.
To me,the problem with Nigeria is POLITICS.The politicization of of almost all spheres of the Nigerian social formation is the major problem with this country.Some of you may say ethnicity,religion etc are problems.However,I will not agree with that.On its own,Ethnicity(which is the pride & sense of belonging which emanates from ones membership of an ethnic group)is not a bad thing.What has made it appear bad is its politicization.It is the politicization of religion that has made it a monster.

In the ECONOMIC front,the preponderance of politics in Nigeria has given rise to a situation where economic decisions are taken based on political considerations.The S.A.P project,Privatization and the appointments of officials manning the institutions responsible for our fiscal and monetary policies,are just few cases in point.When economic decisions are taken based on political consideration,the outcome is almost always disastrous.And when this happens,it is the people that will feel the negative externalities.Because the development-defined here as a qualitative cum quantitative improvement in the standard of living of the people- will be stifled.

I'll like to stop here.I did not intend this to be an article(just a comment)but with the way things are going,I'll make it 1.It will be continued in the Political Science & International Relations Group's Page.Thanks for ur time.

FOR FURTHER READING,SEE THE FOLLOWING:

1.Chinua Achebe,"The Trouble With Nigeria",London:Heinemann,1983
2.Okwudiba Nnoli,"Ethnic Politics in Nigerian",Enugu:Fourth Dimension Publishers,1978
3.Ake,Claude,"The Political Question" in Oyediran Oyeleye (ed) Governance & Development,1996

i think he is sincerely commited 2 solving d nigerdelta crisis......whether he is using d right and effective means in doing dat remains another debatable issue

It's always hilarious to me when people talk about reverting Nigeria to an agrarian economy.It strikes me as mastery of ignorance.Although,for the sake of internal food security,I am not against people engaging in agricultural activities.But I see any talk of making agriculture the mainstay of our economy as backward,retrogressive,naive,myopic & out of sync with contemporary existential realities of International political economy.Anybody who knows the price of primary goods or products in the international market will not say this.When other states are talking about shifting their focus from 'mere' manufacturing (a stage we ve not yet gotten to)to service provision,someone is here talking about a primary economy.
Agriculture in Development Studies or Development Economics,falls under what we call traditional economy.This is the lowest stage of economic development.This was the stage Europe & America was before the Industrial Revolution.This was the stage that caused slave-trade.We are talking about a time before the 18th century.Pls,U should take classes on Economic History.

Now,let's talk about the North and agriculture,assuming that I accept ur argument.What are the implements U hope to use?Pls dont tell me U want to continue the practice of using OIL MONEYS to buy fertilizers that some emirs & Local officials will steal & sell,cus it wont work.The recent Fertilizer scandal is still fresh in every in every informed mind.Or do U intend to buy tractors and other equipment on credit?

Let's also assume all of these huddles ve been successfully crossed,how many months will u take to reap ur harvest?And while waiting for harvest,what ll u be leaving on?I just dont know why people come up with things like this.

Now,in fairness to the North,there are many solid minerals in the North.All the 19 States in Northern Nigeria are blessed with one Solid Mineral or the other.They ve Gold,Copper,Bitumen,Iron ore,Zinc,Limestone,Granite,Tin etc.However,they ve wickedly left all these & more to concentrate on Niger Delta Oil.They want to suck the Niger Delta people dry before they ll start exploring and exploiting their own Natural resources.They want to make sure there is nothing left for the Niger Delta people.They want to make sure future generations of Niger Deltans become their slaves.As harsh as my analysis is,U all know it's the gospel truth.Let me not detain U any further,I'll rest my case now.

In conclusion,until the North start to tap its own many untouched resources,it cant not live without Niger Delta Oil.Until WE NORTHERNERS decide to stop our parasitic mannerism & look inwardly to provide our needs,OUR leaders should SHUT UP!Their salaries & all the moneys they steal everyday come from the Niger Delta.
 

Mugabe's MAJOR mistake  was to not give up power in the 9'ties. That was his MAJOR mistake. The other mistake was that, he did not choose or train a successor, I problem we are facing in SA. 

As for the actions he took, I support him fully. Land Reform? Yes,that was long coming. The timing was just wrong. He was under a lot of pressure. One thing that people fail to understand is that Zimbabwe is the ONLY African country that is self sustained at this moment in time. They are not getting any financial help from the world bank due to the sunctions that were inposed on them thus,their economy collapsed dismally. MUGABE did no mess up the country, the Westeners did and are still doing it. The British and the Americans managed to convince other countries to stop supporting Zim as well and South Africa is the ONLY country that said :'NO! We stand by Mugabe'. 60% of the Industry belongs to the South Africans. Electricity is from SA. Food..etc ect.. South Africa is doing a lot to help improve the situation in Zim. Putting Morgan Tshangirai in power is not the answer either. WHat does he know?What will he do? He is Britains own puppet. They are busy dangling the carrot infront of his face and he is going for it.

The situation in Zim is not as bad as the media potrays it to be. Do you know that in Kenya, about 3500 people died within a month due to political violence?  In Zim, 500 people died in 10 years due to the political riots.

The thing is, we need to know the FACTS before trying to point fingers. There is a lot that we dont know about the Zim situation! Politics is just a dirty game....

But one thing for sure, Mugabe has to go and Morgan, should not take over.

MOSADI

I appreciate ur knowledge on the Zimbabwean Crisis.U obviously know the statistics.Unfortunately,I am not an Economist, so I dont ve much faith in statistics.I am a Political Scientist specialized in International Relations,Political Thought & Niger Delta Studies.I know U'll be wondering why am bringing my discipline into this.It's because I want U to understand my framework of analysis.Now,let me deal with the pertinent issues U raised.

First,U said"As for the actions he took, I support him fully.How can U support policies that ve turned one of the 5 strongest economies in Africa into one of the three least developed ?You talked about the Land reform.I am not the idea of Land reform Policy(LRP).What am against is the lack of vision on the part of Mugabe and his cohorts.The LRP was not born out of any genuine intention to develop Zim.It was a political stratagem to distract the people of the major issues in that country. It was a ploy to prolong his stay in the citadel of power.Thus,he did not take the economic implications of the policy into cognizance.He was only concerned with fanning the embers of of racial sentiment in the country in order to consolidate his political base.This is a major problem all over Africa.The maniacal zeal for power by the political elite blind them from looking at any other part of their countries' social formation.They all believe in the saying SEEK YE FIRST THE POLITICAL KINGDOM & EVERY OTHER THING WILL BE ADDED ONTO YOU.So they subordinate any other consideration to the pursuit of their parochial interest.Viz:their personal political survival.
In other to effectively do this,they personalize the state.The state now become their personal estate.Thus,Ur second point"One thing that people fail to understand is that Zimbabwe is the ONLY African country that is self sustained at this moment in time. They are not getting any financial help from the world bank due to the sanctions that were imposed on them thus,their economy collapsed dismally." does not hold water.

Although,I've always being against Economic Sanctions(knowing that it is the ordinary people that suffers from them),Sanctions dont just come.They are caused by the actions of states.If Mugabe love the people of Zimbabwe,knowing the his continued stay in office is the major cause of the sanctions & by extension,the sufferings of the mass,he would ve resigned.Instead,in his old age,he still rigged an election that he clearly lost.

Who told Mugabe that he is the Messiah of Zimbabwe?He has been ruling that country since 1980.Why not allow others to serve their father's land?

The problem of Zimbabwe is squarely on Mugabe.He is the albatross.

You said SA is helping?They only help they can give is to either persuade Mugabe to step down or force him out.Until they do that,they are the sponsors of a rouge regime.They are like the governments that supported apartheid.

Whether Tshangarai & the MDC   are puppets or not,Zimbabwe need CHANGE. 

I repeat the only thing that will stop Obama is his skin.Someone said we should forget race.That's naive to me.Let me give U a proof for my assertion.Here is a current Poll on my claim. http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race

Please go to that link and read for urself.However,let me give U the first paragraph of the poll."Poll: Racial views steer some white Dems away from Obama
By RON FOURNIER and TREVOR TOMPSON, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them "lazy," "violent," responsible for their own troubles. "

Hi, Khadijah. The truth of this matter that no one seem to know is that the word 'militants' is really not the right word to call these people. I am opportuned to have a father who lectures at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State and I have also been there about 3 times spending nothing less than 2 weeks on each trip and I found out something significant, everybody sees the Niger Delta region as a problematic place in Nigeria but it is not. It surprises me that you don't even see these so called militants on the road not to talk of identifying them. These militants are deep in the creeks. They kidnap only those who are against there progress or people close to such people. They are really figthing for their land because development is at its bearest minimum in the Niger Delta region. Everywhere is filled with water construction of houses is difficult and where you are able to build your house, in the next few days, an oil company might spot oil under your building and they will surely destroy your house but will pay you compensation but the truth of the matter is that the compensation paid cannot be valued to your house, though it is much more money paid but it can't perfectly fit into the house you laboured over and that was pulled down, cars are expensive and life is also generally expensive. And from the ulterations of the government, you will see that the government is only interested in what they will get from that region, not what they can do for them. These 'militants' are really fighting for the right course and come to think of it, no one gets kidnapped by them and is killed or rough handled, they are returned safe and sound. I wish you can do there and see for yourself. The Niger Delta region is very peaceful and okay. These people don't attack ordinary people, but influential people.