Maiden Editorial for WHAT'S UP NIGERIA

Nigeria: A Still Creation.

Maiden Editorial

Whatsupnigeria.blogspot.com is conceived as a groundbreaking online forum whose mission is to pursue transparency, accountability and honest and serious discussions of issues that can facilitate the building of  virile sustainable democratic principles and ethos in Nigeria; we view the institutionalization of these values as the basis for building  a solid foundation for the release of the exponential abundance of the economic and political energies of the citizens, both in public and private spheres. The forum’s major aim is two-fold. First, it will empower all citizens of Nigeria and other interested actors to actively demand and defend their democratic rights; Second, it promotes vigorous discussions of seminal issues that all Nigerians, at least know are requisites for the long term corporate unity and existence of the country, yet have been unwilling to open the closet and view the contents since 1914, the commencement of its patch-up creation. The longer Nigerians postpone these crucial discussions, or regard such discussions as occasional issues that come and go, the more our differences will abide. The greater the intensity of internal colonization and injustice, the looser the seams that hold the Nigerian unity patches together. This statement is not a wish; it is a verifiable historical phenomenon. Consciously or otherwise, the collective timidity of our political fore bearers continually aids the postponement of this crucial engagement to their children and grandchildren, hoping that somehow these imperatives will disappear. This is not a lesson, let alone wisdom in nation-creation or in nation building. This forum will expedite this journey, and let the chips fall where they may.

 Our journalistic mission is to beam a critical searchlight on the institutional arrangements and on the people and practices that undermine and subvert the growth of the democratic process. We invite people of varying expertise and opinions to analyze and to closely examine if Nigeria cross this Rubicon. For example, are the sources of Nigerian Laws Common law or Sharia Law, or both?  Can the duality of Sharia and common law coexist in the context of Nigeria’s democracy without consequential friction? If the federal government holds a salient political value in upholding human rights throughout the federation and there is scientifically no Venn diagram to harmonize the duality of the legal system, how can we maintain consistency in the basic guarantees and application of our secular constitution, that is, if it is secular? As a foundational issue, the question of supremacy of the law must be re-visited urgently to assess the apparent contradictions in the Nigerian constitutional provisions. Without a clear resolution, for us and for our future generations, the existing dichotomy will continue to intensify conflicts and instability that are far greater than what we now witness. Unambiguous constitutions and laws are the concomitance of ordered relations and stability in the political systems and institutions of all societies.

Other salient issues for discussions in this forum include: resource control, federalism, self determination, secularism and pluralism. Our collective wisdom should primarily focus on these fundamental issues rather than on superficial, abhorrently undemocratic and clique-serving issue such as zoning-a recipe that has consistently yielded inept, corrupt, mediocre and visionless governance and administration in Nigeria’s political culture of “free to loot”. We hope that vibrant and sustained discussions of the aforementioned threshold issues will urge our so-called leaders and political elites to summon the political courage to demand a Sovereign National Conference so that all constituent parts can articulate their preferences and the basis for an enduring union of the State once and for all, if they so desire. The goal of a Sovereign National conference is not to validate or invalidate the preferences of the constituents’ parts but to determine if there is sufficient basis to accommodate all in one union, and to engineer the structure that will sustain the whole.  Without that freedom to negotiate and to determine a group’s choice of association, the perception of injustice and inequity that involuntary association engenders is worse than external colonialism. Nigeria is a case in point.

We are independent news gatherers and reporters, not professional journalists. We are, above all, citizens compelled by our desire for a strong transparent democratic governance and justice to scrutinize Nigerian and African leaders, and to expose their unlawful activities that woefully and tragically undermine the developmental aspirations of African peoples. Our commitment is to also ceaselessly report corruption and other kinds of official malfeasance. We are convinced that, by drawing attention to the corrupt and illicit activities of private and public officials, we not only arm the citizenry with the information to demand change but also force leaders to become more responsive to the tenets of accountability. The exposure of crime is the first step in its dismantling and elimination.

We depend on the efforts of concerned citizens who act as whistleblowers as well as the main sources for our exposes. In a continent where much of the “professional” media is compromised, we make a point of investigating and reporting stories that some mainstream media dare not or will not report.

Whilst our ultimate goal is to cover all of Africa, our immediate focus is Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and one of its most generously endowed in terms of human and natural resources.

There is no question that a well-managed Nigeria would inspire, nourish and energize all of Africa and be an exemplary global citizen. A Nigeria that adheres to the tenets of democracy enshrined in her constitution can be a shining star to its neighbors in Africa and to people of African descent around the world.

Whatsupnigeria.blogspot.com now serves as an indispensable watchdog for the mainstream media. Thanks to its influence and impact, professional journalists in Nigeria and elsewhere are challenged to do more investigative reports, to be more attentive to a multiplicity of perspectives, and to eschew partisan bias and conflicts of interest.

We believe that an informational society is instrumental to a functioning society, and that a shackled press and uninformed citizenry constitute a liability to democracy.

In the context of Africa's often fettered, government-controlled, or cripplingly under-funded press, we believe that the Internet elevates the hopes of our citizens and of the world to bring change in our time.

The information on this site, sometimes in the form of rare documents, photos, videos and audio records, comes from citizens anxious to see change. Our pages are free and open to everyone who wishes to contribute story tips, authentic information, or even rebuttals. Comments on our stories are updated 24 hours a day. Whatsupnigeria.blogspot.com accepts story ideas from Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, particularly if they include documents that would facilitate our investigations. Whatsupnigeria.blogspot.com maintains the faith that ordinary citizens, reporting on a country which they truly care, can assist in building it by opening up all the dark corners where both criminals and detractors try to hide.

Although most of our stories are sourced through ordinary citizens, we adhere to strict standards of verification in order to present authentic, substantiated and evidence-based reports to our readers.

Whatsupnigeria.blogspot.com neither pays for stories nor accepts payment for stories.  In the interest of safeguarding our complete independence in editorial matters, we do not accept adverts from any governments – whether at the federal, state, or local government levels – or from international governmental agencies.

This medium is now open for rigorous commentaries, discussions and debates.

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