There is always the temptation over the Christmas and New Year holiday period to relax. For us writers, relaxing can be stimulating and can make you avoid the desk and key board, hence, writing this article was a little difficult for me.
With little to cheer, I thank God for Christmas and the holiday even though our stories may differ. Pensioners and workers who were not paid their salaries or those that received half pay have their sad stories about this Christmas. South Easterners who traveled for the yuletide will not forget in a hurry the uncountable number of police, Army and Customs check points mounted by Federal forces ostensibly to torment, molest and extort them. I personally lost count of the number of Check points from Lagos to Onitsha Head bridge but could count as much as 15 customs check point. The only road block that you will not find on the road to the East are NAFDAC and Immigration. When you ask why all this , they will ask you to go and form your Biafra. Of course any first time visitor would think you are headed to another country yet it is not Biafra yet.
For those who think this is normal , I will ask the administration to provide as little as 5 customs Checkpoints from Abuja to Katsina, Kano and Kaduna at anytime during the Muslim festival. That way I will take the president serious when he speaks of equal opportunity. Whatever is your story Christmas is Christmas and I will wish to congratulate all of us that made it through the difficult season. I wish all Nigerians irrespective of our religion, party line and difference in political opinion a happy New Year.
As citizens we hope for the very best for our country even though the leadership has been very disappointing. Most of the problems we face are self induced by poor leadership. So far the ruling APC has not shown any form of super intellect to assure that 2017 will be a better year. They have not shown the kind of cohesion and sagacity that made it possible for them to seize power from the very unserious PDP.
Looking at the very lackluster performance of the government in the preceding years one can only but wonder what fresh crisis will 2017 bring for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Two prominent persons had boldly made their not very cheerful predictions. One was a former supporter of the President by name Dele Momodu and the other a diehard critic of the President who said he was led by the Holy Spirit.
I will serialize Fayose’s 22 predictions as well as Dele Momodu’s 7 predictions and allow readers draw their conclusions.
In making his 2017 Ayo Fayose Prediction, the Ekiti Governor claimed he predicted 20 things that will be experienced by Nigerians in the year 2016. According to him almost 90 per cent of what the Holy Spirit led him to predict came to pass.
If indeed Fayose’s predictions were inspired by the Holy Spirit then his call for Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe to pray hard to avoid further crisis may not be misplaced.
Here are Fayose’s predictions that will send shivers down your spine and make even the strongest of men tremble: 2017 will be a defining year for Nigerians as there will be major revolution and uprising against the Federal Government(FG) because of economic hardship; more judges perceived not to be doing the bidding of the FG will be arrested and humiliated; efforts will be made to prevent Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen from being made the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria; the dollar will go as high as N600 to $1; APC-led FG will still not have solution to the economic problems of the country; about 4 ministers will be removed ; There will be pressure on President Buhari to sack CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele Code of Conduct Tribunal will absolve Senator Bukola Saraki ;crisis in the APC will deepen as Atiku Abubakar will officially show intention to leave and declare his intention to run for president in 2019; a former Head of State/President may pass on; a new major party that will wrestle power from the APC will emerge; more Shi’ites Muslims will be killed and FG will not release IMN leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky; disobedience to court order and abuse of human rights will continue; hardship will be more as poverty will continue to ravage the country; the academic community will further lose confidence in the APC-led government; Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano will be re-elected ; $29.9billion loan: FG will find it difficult to source the loan ;EFCC: Magu may face prosecution; there will be boost in agriculture ;Halliburton gate may still be revisited ;there will be no solution to power problem as power generation will drop to all time low; performance of the FG 2017 budget will be the worst in the history of Nigeria.
Following on the heels Ayo Fayose , Dele Momodu, a Nigerian journalist, businessman, philanthropist, actor and motivational speaker also released a message where he expressed his view on the future of Nigeria and made some prophecies which I will call ‘the seven prophecies of Dele Momodu’.
According to the Ovation publisher, Nigeria is not going to witness any substantial change in the near future; barring any major development, especially age and health reasons, President Buhari will contest the next presidential election; If the Nigerian economy continues to nosedive along this present freefall path, Buhari is likely to face stiff opposition from within his own political party and from outside; Buhari will continue to hold sway in APC and his challengers would have to find somewhere else to try their luck ;Buhari would try to unleash terror on such recalcitrant fellows and whip them back into line; there will be the emergence of a third force. APC elements would combine with PDP factions and form a new party; strange as it may seem after what has gone before, the number one contender against President Buhari is the immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai may compete for the president’s post if Buhari decides not to run.
Already there are signs that the President will run again in 2019 . Only a major calamity can stop him. If Buhari runs again stopping him from winning will be a small problem compared to stopping him from continuing to rule badly after he had won. That terror will be unleashed against opponents in a manner never seen before by Nigerians isan understatement. The Government will get desperate and will turn every conversation and debate on the economy and future of Nigeria into an armed violent conflicts. The Igbo nation and pro- Biafra activists must be prayerful and avoid every situation that may provoke them into any form of armed conflict so as not to give satisfaction to a fumbling blood thirsty regime. I have no doubt in my mind that the economy will get worse and the government will continue with its failed rhetoric of ‘corruption fighting back’. Good men who would have offered credible assistance to the government will be silenced and driven into exile. 2019 will be a struggle within the North and not of the South East versus the North. I disagree that Jonathan will run against Buhari in 2019. Even as a joke , he will not run and should not run. Mark my words.
The one remedy that will save Nigeria from further crisis and calamity ,and thus rekindle the hope of citizens and faith in the nation which is restructuring or renegotiated Nigeria will not happen because the government already had its mind closed to other views. Nigeria will remain in the pressure cooker. May God save the nation ..