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Apr. 24, 2007 I had a terrible dream last night. In the dream I was leading a violent revolution in Nigeria with millions backing me as we violently march towards Aso Rock in Abuja with sophisticated weapons, bombs and matchettes and stones. We were killing every politician in our list of 'corrupt politicians' marked out for elimination, those leaders and psychophants in tow that have contributed immensely to our past and present misfortunes as a nation and people. Before we could get to Aso villa however I had woken up; and as I woke terrified somewhat I prayed to God and thanked Him that it was indeed a dream. But on a second thought seconds thereafter I began imagining if it were real that I was heading or participating principally in a revolution that was conceived and set to change radically the political landscape of my country. I had thought about Romania and Philippines drawing a sketch on my mind of how the people power changed the face of politics in these countries freeing the people from clutches of darkness and misrule. Romania is a not-too-rich ex-communist enclave in eastern Europe whose leadership at an epoch was making nonsense of good governance. The power-drunk president Nicolae Ceausescu then was running the country like a fiefdom, a private estate where favouritism, nepotism, cronyism, corruption and lawlessness were synonymous with irresponsible leadership. Things went from bad to worse culminating in cascading fortunes for majority of Romanians. Since there's time for everything which Ecclestiatics so eloquently illustrated in the Holy Books--time to sow and reap, time to cry and laugh, time to be born and time to die, time to be calm and time to be violent-- a time came when Romanians at the receiving end of this civilian dictator's antics and arrogance in power became fed up and decided to cut the crap as Americans would say. Late Ceausescu had instructed his security agents to go over to a city outside Bucharest in December 1989 (where a priest of Hungarian extraction was accused of sundry 'crimes' against the dictatorship) to 'expel' him forcibly. The priest refused to be intimidated or taken for deportation and as this was unfolding the Free Radio Europe was broadcasting the encounter live and people trooped to the priest's house to help him. In the end what was thought by the dictator and his army as a simple task of repatriating an 'alien' from Romania proved an albatross that consumed the maximum ruler. Romanians were massacred in their hundreds with the state media censuring events. Ion Iliescu, who led the revolution after the rampaging youths and young workers in Bucharest as the evolution of the revolution became apparent siezed the state TV station and addressing the people as "comrades", made it clear that the "bloody" dictator" smeared the noble ideals of socialism". In the end of a popular revolt with a popular slogan "We will die and will be free" the megalomaniac leader was captured airborne as he made his way via helicopter out of Bucharest on 22 December deposed from power; he was tried and executed with his wife, Elena on Christmas Day of 1989. As soon as his era was put behind the country's history peace, joy and genuine progress came back to the land once again. Today Romania is faring much better compared to those dark days when food shortages, unemployment, poverty and social unrest were manifestly their daily lot. By bringing down the ex-president from the Olympian height he took himself in his power delusion and intoxication fraternising with Arab terrorists Romanians sought to re-write the history of their country turning the page of years of terror by one man and his family personalising power and dishing out political patronages to whomever was ready to 'worship' in their court. The Romanian capital city Bucharest especially the Palace Square erupted in enthusiastic jubilation when the downfall and execution of the president was officially announced climaxing in the organization of a fresh election devoid of rigging. The people are better off today than at any other time in their national life. Ditto Philippines. When Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda his overbearing wife were running the show from Manila presidential palace with Marcos, a "woman wrapper", allowing Imelda to use the presidential flight to go ashopping in glamorous boutiques in Italy, US and France the modern day "Jezebel" used state funds to buy up even those things she never needed. Her pairs of different coloured shoes were in their thousands and her wardrobe was brimming with expensive clothes and other beauty ornaments and gold chains, rings and necklaces that she was always confused as to the one to choose on state functions or other ocassions. Whereas the Filipino economony was nose-diving then causing grief to many families the Marcos' presidential couple and family were having the best of times in the world drinking choice wines and partying at will. When the time for a revolution came summer 1986 in the deeply Christian country a Catholic Bishop led other Filipinos including followers of Corazon Aquino, widow of an assassinated opposition leader who later became president to march to the presidential palace drawing more and more people as they marched along. And before you could pronounce the name Marcos more than a million Filipinos were on the streets of Manila united by one cause of action: overthrowing Marcos with their bare hands, Bibles and prayers! In front of the impregnable presidential palace Marcos, Imelda and other members of the presidential family were holed up with the president ordering his Army Chief, Fidel Ramos to crush the people but Ramos refused to give in or order the presidential guards and other military and security agencies amassed opposite the people to shoot. When Marcos questioned Ramos's loyalty he argued that in his front were found even his family people, mothers, men of God, peasants, children and the elderly; he told the president defiantly that shooting the people was out of his plans. As Marcos saw ominously the handwriting on the wall coupled with the American intelligence warning to him to leave immediately or risk being butchered by the revolutionists he reluctantly decided at the eleventh hour to leave and was spirited out of the palace in a helicopter with his family. He died in exile in 1989 in Hawaii! When the people finally gained access into the imposing presidential palace they discovered what first-class choice food and assorted imported wine meant and the thousands of shoes a crazy first lady had in her wardrode. The people ate and drank in the palace happy for effecting a change. Fidel Ramos, the Filipino Army Chief who played a dignified role as the uprising lasted was later elected as the new president post-Marcos. Today Philippines is a much better country and the people much better off. The current president Gloria Arroyo is not doing badly and her predeccessor, former film actor Joseph Estrada was consumed by scandal in power. Estrada initiated legal battles during his presidency to recover the Marcos family wealth estimated at $13 billion through the courts. The obvious question against the backdrop of the foregoing then is: are you all ready for a revolution that will drastically alter the way we have been misgoverned? Are we all ready to embark on this patriotic project without giving a damn about our comforts and security? Are we ready to gamble with our lives surrendering same if need be to save our motherland? Like the late civil rights icon Martin Luther King once reasoned: the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort or peace but where he pitches his tents in moments of challenges and difficulties and controversy. Are you then ready? For this's a (desperate) call for a revolution! Replicating Romania or Philippines in Nigeria!! Can it possibly happen given our history of corruption and docility? While citizen Remi Oyeyemi, a proudly confessed tribalist and seperatist, is strongly canvassing for total break-up of Nigeria backed with solid arguments, facts and figures SOC Okenwa hereby canvasses revolutionary solutions to our incredibly abominable story of killing of collective dreams. I don't know however which side majority of our people will like to submit themselves. Whichever side I think we need practical workable answers to many questions of our confused nationhood. With a 'potentially' dying president (Yar'Adua) already 'returned' 'victor' unopposed in the 'presidential polls' by combined forces of 'prof' Maurice Iwu and King Kong without our consent through universal suffrage is it not time Nigerians re-appraised our national priorities? Do we fold our hands and watch Umaru and Goodluck mount the throne come end of May? If you are convinced you are ready as I do to go with me revolutionally then hesitate not to get in touch with me as I go about planning and fine-tuning the strategies to be able to defeat those who will like to thwart our efforts. Order for an application form today and it shall be gladly sent to you for you to register to be a member of an emerging revolutionists. Dear fellow villagers please be informed however beforehand that the going non-refundable fee for the application form is five hundred thousand Naira (yes approximately four thousand US dollars only!) or its equivalent in Euro, CFA, Yen, Rand or Pound sterling whichever currency you choose to make your payment is welcome. ADDENDUM: Sorry folks I think I am in a trance! I am going bunkers! SOC don kolo?! Help me out of my hallucinations. Thank God I have called my private doctor to come over to my house to check out the other thing in my inner system and faculty. Hope you could read in-between the lines? And decipher my obviously deliberate mischief? S-o-r-r-y! ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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