Electric Cars: The Future of Driving

Cars have come a long way from their initial designs, capability and utilities. The development of internal combustion engines in the 18th century preceded the production of the first car credited to Karl Benz in 1886. These pioneer vehicles which had pretty simplistic designs were concerned more with functionality and durability.

1938 Horch Cabriolet

Over the years these cars (ICE's) which have become a very popular means of transportation throughout the world have improved significantly offering owners additional features for luxury and comfort such as air conditioners, rear parking cameras, GPS..etc just to name a few. However, the evolution of cars has moved a step further with the advent of electric vehicles (EV's), and more than ever since the inception of the idea for electric powered vehicles, it is seen now as a viable and possible alternative to the present vehicles which run on fossil fuel.

These EV's do not have engines but are powered by front and rear motors which do not run on fuel or diesel but on electricity which is stored in batteries, enabling the cars to be charged like a mobile phone right in your homes. 

Tesla Model S

The EV,s come with all the luxury that cars could possibly have in this age. (Check out the features of Tesla Model S) Car manufacturers who produce vehicles with ICE's such as GM, Toyota, Chevrolet,etc. are also in the race for electric vehicles and this could partly be because of the effect of global warming in different parts of world which results in the melting ice caps, heat waves, tsunamis and other catastrophic events. These events have had an adverse effect on plant and animal life on our planet.In view of these issues, a number of countries especially in Europe have adopted environmental laws and even implemented taxes which is aimed at reducing the amount of carbon emissions, charging person's with vehicles with a higher CO2 emission a higher rate of tax.

Tesla Model X

So, producing cars which are not powered by fossil fuel has become a priority for a number of car manufacturers, and in the lead (taking publicity into consideration ) of this revolution is TESLA who has invested a lot in perfecting the electric vehicle technology.The question here however is, what does this technology portend for Nigeria? Where Giant industry's like Tesla are investing in technologies that would render crude oil potentially unimportant.Though the need for energy worldwide is enormous, but other alternative sources are becoming more viable and so Nigeria may likely be in a crisis in the near future if the country does not break its over dependence on oil and start improving other sectors of the economy which can generate revenue for the country.

According to the freedom fuel foundation countries like Norway and Netherlands have a target, that by 2025 they would stop the sale of fuel or diesel powered vehicles and replace them with electric vehicles (EV). Germany and India have similar plans but place their targets at 2030. Most likely others countries would follow suite and soon the global demand for crude oil will drop.So!! what happens when the investments made globally towards alternative energy source starts yielding positive fruits? How would a Nigerian government who is reluctant to cut down it's expenses fund it's activities? Would the tax burden on the citizens then be increased? Food for thought people.

The Police : Crisis in Ikorodu

The duty of protecting the lives and property of citizens in usually the responsibility of the police anywhere in the world. However the recent events playing out in the Ikorodu axis of Lagos state has citizens of the state and the country at large asking the question - how well are the police handling these responsibilities?

The horrible crimes committed by the notorious group called "Badoo" should be handled in a more professional manner by the police.In every society, there are peaceful and law abiding citizens and among them there would be people who engage in criminal activities. A professional police department should be aware of this fact and therefore carryout proper and in depth investigations and root out the perpetrators of these heinous crimes without injury to it's law abiding citizens. However the system adopted by the police as a solution to this problem was to cast a large drag net, by making random and indiscriminate arrests of citizens who were not members of the dreaded cult.

 About a 100 persons or more were arrested by the police who had no tangible evidence linking a number of the persons who they termed as "suspects" to the crimes committed by the dreaded cult. Most of these unlucky civilians had their photos taken and pasted on the pages of some Nigerian dailies regardless of the fact that they were yet to be adjudged guilty by a competent court.   It was a typical tactic of "arrest first and get evidence later". Mr. Okewunmi Omotoyosi Daniel was among the unfortunate persons who were bundled into a police vehicle and detained without prior evidence linking him to any wrong doing. In a country were there is sanity and equity, such a person who has been traumatized by this incidence ought to be appropriately compensated, but can we expect that?

A more significant presence of the police in the Ikorodu area would most likely have curtailed this problem and the resulting backlash of the community who had begun taking the laws into their own hands by killing persons they suspected to be members of the group.
As citizens of Nigeria, are we not entitled to better? Should we not have a police force who should actually protect us rather than subject us to unlawful imprisonment?

Military approach to Biafra a Failure

The 1960's saw the emergence of the Biafran ideology and till date this ideology still burns passionately in the heart of eastern Nigeria. The question this time around is, would the Nigerian government make same mistakes it made in the past or address the issue better?
Would the other Nigerian tribes sit aside and watch as they did in the past as our eastern brothers were humiliated, mistreated and eliminated?
Would the other tribes decide that it has nothing to do with them?
Pastor Martin Niemoller in a poem given his account of the 2nd world war said;

                           "   First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. "

 It is said that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing - (Edmund Burke) and this unfortunately is what has happened in Nigeria for decades.

From 1966 mass pogroms of eastern Nigerian citizens was witnessed both locally and by international observers until after the war in 1970. However 47 years after, the Ideology of Biafra is still alive.Time has therefore proven that you can kill a people, quell an uprising by brute military force but an ideology is not is easily extinguished.

The problems which led to Late Odimegwu Ojukwu calling for an independent state of Biafra included but were not limited to political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which existed in the Nigerian society. Looking at our present situation, these issues highlighted still exist and as a matter of fact have acted as a catalyst to fuel the passion of our brothers in the east towards achieving their objective to be free of a country which they no longer consider to be a part of.

Fast forward to 2016, how is the government of the day handling this issue? it would seem that they have taken the same disastrous path which was taken by their predecessors leading to the deaths of countless lives. In a publication by Amnesty International about 150 peaceful pro-biafran activists were killed , though the Nigerian military disputes this figures, Amnesty International was able to put a figure to the death toll after analysis of videos, photographs and eye witness testimonies.

It is a wonder why peaceful protest and rallies such as that staged on the 20th of January, 2017 by the IPOB are always considered a threat requiring the presence of the military and police who  often take this as an advantage to unleash brutal assaults on the hapless protesters leading to the imprisonment, persecution and extra-judicial killing of these peaceful agitators. Meanwhile, issue which require dire military presence and intervention such as the killing of Nigerians nationwide by Fulani Herdsmen who were classified on the global terrorism index as the fourth deadliest terrorist group in the world have received little or no attention.

There is nothing new on the face of this planet, and so it is important that as people we learn from our past, so that same errors don't resurface in the future. However unlike any other government on the face of planet earth, the Nigerian government is adept at repeating it's mistakes and that is why the adoption of a  militarized approach in dealing with the Biafran situation has been counter-productive as the ideology still lives.

Therefore, it would be more effective to approach the situation from a democratic standpoint, as people have the right to determine how they are governed. Potential Biafrans see their union with the rest of Nigeria as a case of an arranged marriage gone south from which they seek an annulment, and like a woman who has been constantly brutalized by her husband she seeks refuge and help.

There have been other countries which have agitated for and gained independence from it's central government, for example Montenegro which was separated from Serbia in 2006 after a referendum. It would be more logical and less destructive to human lives if a referendum is carried out to determine the ultimate decision of our eastern brothers. A referendum does not mean that the Biafran idea would succeed, it may fail just like the attempt of Quebec to leave Canada in 1995, but at least let the position of the people be known.

Sumptuous Meals for Christmas

The anticipation of Christmas always brings an air excitement. We are not going to have a white Christmas cos it does not snow in Nigeria, but we can have a sunny one lol!!.

It's going to be a special day, but whats a special day without a good meal?

In the last quarter of 2016 prices of food stuffs rose unusually owing to a number of factors, Thereby leading to a reduction in household disposable income.

Regardless of all the "wahala", my people we must still do the Christmas. 

Rice is seen as a special occasion food and that is one of the reason's why the prices go up during periods of celebration. However there are other sumptuous meals apart from rice which can grace our dining tables in this season.

Have a go at the following suggestions,

The Nigerian Army to Diversify into Cattle Rearing

It's no longer news that  the Nigerian Army has decided to be more enterprising. The institution which Nigerians thought was set-up for the protection of the nations territorial integrity, are now venturing into a more lucrative business.
At the commissioning of the Mogadishu Cantonment New Mammy Market in Abuja, Maj.Gen Patrick Akem who represented Lt.Gen Tukur Buratai (COAS) said that the army would be rearing cattle's in ranches which would be set up in divisions and brigades in the country.

To this end, officers of the army have been sent to Argentina were they would learn to rear cattle.
Quite a number Nigerians are perplexed by the development and are trying to reconcile the recent enterprise of the army with the core function of the Nigerian armed forces as entrenched in the constitution.

It would seem that the Nigerian army intends to multi-task by  not only securing the country, but also contribute to the to the nations growing economy.

If the objective of this venture is to help with the growth Nigeria's economy, then the question should be; 

 1. Are there not other government ministries and departments designed for that purpose?

 2. Are there not other business ventures they could engage in apart from cattle rearing?

 3. Would it not be better to send our military men on counter terrorism training rather cattle        rearing training? especially in this period of unrest in the north east?

 4. Why would government properties which were dedicated for military activities nationwide      be diverted for such a mundane enterprise?

 5. Is the rearing of cattle's now one of the responsibilities of our soldiers?

 6. Shouldn't the rearing of cattle be a private endeavor?

So, Nigerian's need to speak about this and ask, "is this right?" What is the end game?

The Kingmaker

After six years of imprisonment, former governor of Delta state in Nigeria James Ibori has been released from prison in the UK after serving his time over money laundering charges. A number of his cronies who today find themselves in the corridors of power have wasted no time in rolling out the drums as it would seem that James Obori is still very relevant in today's political circles.
Sen, Peter Nwaoboshi representing the Delta north senatorial district gave a speech lauding the efforts of the illustrious son of Oghara who in his eulogy made Governors, Ministers and members of the National Assembly even while sitting in jail in the UK.

In parts of Delta state there has been celebrations as the arrival of James Ibori is been expected with great anticipation, he is been hailed as "The Hero of Our Time"
It is definitely true, that people deserve the leaders they get. I wonder if James Ibori was wrongfully imprisoned on money laundering charges? If not, why is he been celebrated and given a hero's welcome upon release from a UK prison? Was the money laundered not looted from our country Nigeria?  Yet, even members of the national assembly cheered when Sen. Nwaoboshi gave a speech hailing James Ibori for feats no other person he believes could achieve.
If James Ibori is the King maker and is capable of making Senators, Governors and members of the National Assembly, were is the power of the Nigerian electorate? were is the power of the Nigerian people to determine who their leaders are?

Obasanjo VS The Nigerian National Assembly

In what would not be the first attack on the National Assembly, former president Olusegun Obasanjo gave a speech at the First Akintola Williams Lecture on Wednesday the 23rd of November where he described the Nigerian National Assembly as a "den of corruption" which is occupied by "unarmed robbers".

The House of Assembly in a response through it's spokesman, Abdulrazaq Namdas about 24 hours later, called the ex-president "the grandfather of corruption in Nigeria.
Both parties have gone back and forth on the issues of corruption on more than one occasion, and some of the allegations levied include.

OBASANJO

1. "Jumbo Pay" received by the senators and their colleagues in the lower house.
2. Allegation of "budget padding" and the suspension of Abdulmumin Jubrin the whistle blower.
3. Misuse of parliamentary immunity to protect themselves from reprisals of their irresponsible acts.
4. Partially executing or total failure to execute constituency projects.
5. Being the accused and judges in their own cases.

The ex-president earlier this year in a letter to the senate president Bukola Saraki and the speaker Yakubu Dogara accused lawmakers of fixing and earning salaries far above that set for them by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, He also alleged that most of the senators and House of Rep members where receiving constituency allowances without maintaining constituency offices.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The spokesman Abdulrazaq Namdas in his speech accused the former president of allegedly bribing legislators of the 4th Republic National Assembly and also  for extorting money from businessmen and contractors to build his presidential library. Moreover what did he do to address the issues he raised in his 8 years as president.

CONCLUSION
If the National Assembly has concrete proof of allegations levied against the ex-president, why haven't they addressed the issue legally after all these years?
If the National Assembly wants to discredit the accusations of the former president, they should open up their books for external audit examination, and let Nigerians know exactly how much they earn on a monthly basis.
Also, Abdulmumin Jubrin should be called back and issues raised by the embattled senator in relation to budget padding should be investigated in earnest.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo is a citizen of Nigeria and therefore is entitled to have his say in matters which affect the nation. Allegations he has raised should not be dispelled as the accusations of a disgruntled old man, rather proper investigations should be carried out by a body other than the National Assembly to consider it's merits. Also, it is pertinent to note, that Olusegun Obasanjo has been a president of Nigeria, so more than most Nigerians he understands the workings of the National Assembly and therefore what he has said should not be taken with a pinch of salt.

Quite a number of Nigerians do not see the sincerity of the National Assembly especially when in a time when the country is facing recession, billions in Naira is being earmarked for luxury cars for the legislators. The common Nigerian is been told to weather the storm and make sacrifices as Nigeria dives deeper into the current economic recession, but is it fair that our legislators are not willing to do same?
The former president is presently a private citizen, and much can not be expected from him but for his infrequent information and words of wisdom, but a lot should be expected from the present Nigerian legislators because they are in power and should be responsible to Nigerians