BROKE PARTIES:A STEP CLOSER TO THE NATION OF OUR DREAMS

The PDP no longer boasts a fearsome financial war chest and the APC is broke.The APC chairman himself remarked on the current financial state of his party last week.If you dream of a Nigeria where only the most worthy would occupy political offices, then you would understand why this is good news.
Money has deprived us of a lot of competent leaders.Many of them bamboozled at various stages of seeking electoral office much to our detriment.Perhaps we wouldn't even have a President Buhari today if he hadn't gone ahead to form the CPC after the then Governor of Kano state,Ibrahim Shekarau hijacked the ANPP leadership thanks to the billions at his disposal.
I still believe our political parties lack political ideologies and the difference between them is always that one always happens to have what the others want.The disgusting self-righteousness and convenient blame-placing barely conceal the sheer desperation and frustration driving their actions.It is never about patriotism, it is always a battle for power between sets of people who never see good in each other.
I may not agree with President Buhari on some issues but I cannot deny that a lot of things have changed.No one expects office holders to make massive donations to their parties from government coffers these days irrespective of the deplorable state of the nation's finances.
The PDP, with all the money its members have amassed over the years, are no longer as financially vibrant as they used to be.Everyone is scared of drawing attention to themselves.This (un)fortunate situation moves us a step closer to the Nigeria of our dreams, as ironic as that may sound.
A Nigeria where incumbents would not be guaranteed victory in primary elections because they have used taxpayers money to buy off the party exco and delegates.A Nigeria where the best candidates would not lose elections to rice-waving desperados enjoying the full backing of the custodians of our national treasury.A lot of people might choose to blame the poor, hungry nigerian for his contributory role in this sad predicament and without absolving him of any blame, I would blame the system first.
We are a nation impoverished by thieving political leaders which in effect, has blinded the average man to the fact that the more desperate a candidate seems, the more likely he is in it for his own selfish gains.A nigerian willing to spend his money to get a chance to serve his people wouldn't stretch his finances much.Only one who thinks of it as an investment would.
I must credit the Buhari administration for restoring sanity to our political sphere.That is if it was ever there in the first place.Elected officials now have 'peanuts' to dole out to their parties and the moneybags reaping from a government only donate to its leader's campaign.They only turn up during elections and don't finance the party or indulge in unsymbiotic arrangements.Parties are now constrained to making do with legitimate financial backings.
With an INEC that has earned the trust of nigerians by proving the efficiency of its innovations, the dwindling chances of politicians splashing their ill-gotten loot on their gangs and cajoling a hungry electorate is a welcome development.It takes us closer to the nation of our dreams.

VANDALISM AND THE VIRTUAL USELESSNESS OF THE NSCDC

The Okpai-Onitsha double circuit power transmission line was vandalized some time in November last year.Two of the four legs of tower 62 along the transmission line were stolen costing us a 480 megawatts reduction in available power to the national grid.
Just a few weeks ago, suspected ex-militants blew up a gas pipeline and some oil installations in Warri South-West local government area and its environs.The bombings occured just hours after a Federal High Court ordered the arrest of ex-militant leader, Chief Government Elemukpolo popularly known as Tompolo.
These two incidents are very much capable of shaping our immediate destiny and they made me realize further, just how much better off we would be without the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).Obviously, we aren't making the most of them if they aren't present to protect strategic installations.The NSCDC in its objective to complement the police in maintaining law and order has come to be regarded as traditional 'overseers' of government installations and infrastructure.
As a matter of fact, some of its duties as laid down by the NSCDC (Amendment) Act of 2007 include 24 hour surveillance of infrastructure, sites and projects of Federal, State and Local governments.They are also required to enter and search premises of any suspected illegal dealer of petroleum products or any equipment used by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Postal services, Nigeria Telecommunication or any other public utility or infrastructure.In addition to all these, they also have the power to arrest and detain such persons with or without a warrant.
Sadly, they haven't been living up to expectations as far as installations vital to our well being are concerned.A lot of drastic measures were expected of the Buhari administration when it promised to cut down costs at its inception.Sadly, little or nothing has been done in that regard.We have 36 ministers when not more than 19 would suffice and we still have the Ministries of budget and national planning,Niger-Delta and women affairs when their roles are capable of being absorbed into other ministries.It is feasible if power, works and housing could be merged into a single portfolio.
To top it all, our lawmakers still command outrageous salaries and allowances.Even without the two aforementioned incidents,the NSCDC is excess baggage to any prudent government and I for one, have long maintained that we don't need them.Moreso now when we have to contend with dwindling resources and seem virtually helpless over the criminal activities of vandals and a few rascals hell bent on stunting our growth for rather unfortunate reasons.If the NSCDC can't be wholly charged with preventing occurrences like these considering their much lighter workload in comparison to other security agencies, then it would be a waste of precious taxpayers money to maintain them.
No one expects the authorities to prevent every act of vandalism considering the nature of our society and the resources at their disposal but it is most unfortunate that very vital installations like the aforementioned ones are left unmanned when we have an NSCDC that plays second fiddle in every other role it plays.Our billions would be better off serving other purposes.
One can't simply try to rationalize the nonchalance of our security agencies and the government at large towards our installations especially oil pipelines by citing the unpleasant location of some of them.No matter how obscure or bushy the site of an installation may be, they must have a number of operatives stationed at strategic points at all times and not just going on occasional 'lazy' patrols.
No administration would make meaningful progress in bettering the lot of Nigerians if vandalism is allowed to thrive.That would be taking two steps forward and three backwards.
One of the ways to transform the NSCDC to being useful to us is to have them deploy the bulk of their resources into watching our installations more effectively.In the true sense, assisting security agencies would be carrying out roles they unavoidably can't for want of man power and other similar reasons and not ones they ordinarily would have carried out with perhaps just a little more diligence.
A lot of money has gone into training and arming the NSCDC and a lot more is being spent on salaries and its enhancement. Its best we scrap the body if we can't put it to optimal use and the best way to do that would be drafting as many as necessary into the police force and empowering the others by education or skills acquisition to mitigate the consequences of their job loss.
We could really do much with what is being channeled into funding this under-utilized outfit.

....AND PRESIDENT BUHARI'S NORTHERN PARTY CONTINUES

A lot of my brothers down here in the North that read my article criticizing President Buhari's pre-ministerial appointments-http://umarfarukhassan.blogspot.com/2015/08/nigeria-belongs-to-everybody-it-belongs.html, felt I was being too harsh on him and that it didn't matter who was appointed, what mattered was their competence.Getting them to realize I wasn't criticizing his performance but only his appointments was not easy.There was not a single ibo man among the 29 made then and every time i defended my position, I couldn't help deeming those appointments PMB's sad contribution to a world where it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay objective.You had to be all on one side or not.
It didn't augur well for this nation that a man was publicly fulfilling his promise to place the interests of those who voted for him en masse above those who didn't.If you count appointments where he has the right to exercise total discretion; ones that would eventually constitute the yardstick for judging whether or not he was unbiased or detribalized, nothing has really changed.
ln the space of a few days, we have been notified of two appointments by President Buhari-the appointment of Maryam Uwais as Special Adviser on Social Protection plan which a source in the Presidency claimed was made weeks ago and that of Lt.Col Muhammad Abdullah (rtd) as NDLEA boss in a statement released on January 18th 2016.Both of them are northerners.Take out the ministerial appointments where every state has to produce one as stipulated by our constitution and you would understand my source of worry.The most notable appointment after the ministers was that of Ibrahim Magu from Borno state as EFCC boss and if you add that to the latest appointments, you would agree with me that the northern party seems destined to last till mama calls.Nothing seems to suggest otherwise.
It was really sad watching the President try to rationalize the sidelining of ibos in his appointments during his maiden Presidential chat.The President obviously aware he was being questioned about non-ministerial appointments, pointed to Ibe Kachikwu's as boss of EFCC and Junior minister of petroleum.The President asked if Delta (a state in the South-South region where Kachikwu hails from) wasn't part of the South-East and after he was corrected, proceeded to talk about restrictions placed on him by the constitution.
The only restriction placed on him by the constitution as regards appointments is the 'Federal Character' requirement which is so blatantly being flouted.The ibos are actually being sidelined if one can't point to a single non-ministerial appointment out of a possible 31.My biggest fear is that this could set a bad precedent for subsequent administrations.Never has a government since the return of democratic rule to Nigeria, so shamelessly favour a particular set of people over others.
The President needed more deliverance sessions to cast out his autocratic demons before labelling himself a born-again democrat.What we have now is a government by northerners where equity can only be guaranteed when there is no escaping from it.The implications of the President's appointments are far-reaching.They add a tinge of legitimacy to the illegitimate call for a Biafra Republic by Kanu and his cohorts-the ibos are being told they have to play second-class citizens because they didn't vote this government.Tompolo and his gang of militants can blow our oil pipelines and installations at will and tell us it is not in protest of the government's resolve to prosecute him, it is because the government has proclaimed its preference for those who voted for it over those who didn't.Any of such persons can quote all quotables on the dangers of staying silent in times like these in defence of their criminal acts.There is little or nothing anyone  can do to defend the President's pro-northern appointments.The South-West who turned up for him in numbers don't even boast as many non-ministerial appointments as the South-South.So by and large, a northern party is what it actually is.But I have said this before and I will say it again-Nigeria belongs to everybody, it belongs to nobody. 

WHAT MADRID NEEDED MORE THAN A NEW COACH

The odds are firmly stacked against Zinedine Zidane; the new Real Madrid Fc coach.Most modern day ex-super stars haven't turned out excellent coaches.From Diego Maradona, Roy Keane, Paolo Di Canio, Filipo Inzaghi to Clarence Seedorf. The few who have distinguished themselves are the 'not too Super ones' like Josep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone and Antonio Conte.Secondly, there is nothing special about the current Madrid squad and they are the only ones who don't seem to realize that.
Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez are good players that are bound to show you flashes of brilliance every now and then but Madrid need players who would do that every other week.Good isn't enough for the largest club in the world, exceptional is more fitting and that is what you need if you want to compete against the very best season after season.Unlike their arch rivals; Fc Barcelona, Madrid have a more conventional and flexible way of playing the game but like every other playing system, the midfield is key to successful implementation.
Luka Modric is in my opinion, the best midfielder Madrid currently have.He has a good work rate and a great passing ability yet as baffling as this may sound, he doesn't boast a sharp eye for a final pass.He has great mobility and doesn't cling onto the ball for too long which makes it difficult for him to stamp his authority and control the tempo of the game.He stands to gain a lot by having Zinedine Zidane as coach.A lesson or two on how to best lead a midfield could just do wonders.
Isco is a good player but lacks consistency.His playing style is the closest to Zizou's as a player and he might decide to help harness his potentials.In a nutshell, he seems to have buckled under the pressure that comes with playing at Madrid.But then there are good players and there are great ones.There are mere mid-table materials and then there are the exclusive few made to play for the creme de la creme.
James Rodriguez hasn't made a huge impact on the Madrid side since joining.Madrid fans could spend the whole day trying to convince you otherwise just to win an argument but it won't change the fact that he hasn't lived up to expectations.Except of course, they have become too accustomed to life as a sleeping giant to realize that.
Toni Kroos is a player that would always struggle to adapt to the Spanish philosophy of football.Most German players appear too rigid as a result of having come up in a system that allows less room for self expression.He has a great eye for goal but is one of those players who play well only when the team is doing so and you can't count on such people to lift your team.He is more a defensive midfielder these days and what better way to illustrate the deplorable state of the Madrid midfield than that.
No coach sitting in the Madrid dugout can perform miracles with the armoury at his disposal and to think he'll get fired if he can't beat Barca and other A-listers to any trophy at the end of two seasons at the very most makes his case more pathetic.
Zinedine Zidane certainly didn't get the Madrid job on the back of an impressive spell as Castilla coach.He is still reaping off his reputation as a legendary footballer and like an analyst rightly put it-'Zidane is a rookie coach shelled by his larger than life image as an ex-player'.He already has the players' respect and won't find it difficult to control the dressing room.
But a lot has to change about this team if he hopes to achieve great things with Les Merengues.
Feelers from the Bernabeu indicate that Florentino Perez will ring wholesale changes to the squad at the end of the season and that as much as €200M could be spent on player purchases.The amount is reportedly set to be generated from Player sales.
I hope he puts transfer resources to better use this time for the good of the team and its new gaffer.If there is a strong will on the part of the management, then it shouldn't be too difficult to lure Yaya Toure into the Madrid fold.It is evident Toure isn't enjoying being the scapegoat at the end of every bad Man City season and though he is smart to let the signs out without making a huge fuss of it, he is ready to be taken by any big club ready to splash the cash.He didn't leave Fc Barcelona on the most pleasant terms so a Blancos transfer won't be deemed a betrayal.Toure could practically carry a team on his huge shoulders as coaches now think it is wasteful to play him in defensive midfield.He scores, assists and uses his strength well.He is a most potent threat when he makes those incursive surges.
As long as Paul Pogba remains in Juventus, then any of Madrid, City, Chelsea or PSG can sign him and I think Madrid would stand a better chance of doing so.What more?.They need him most.Being chased by the biggest team in world football and the lure of being coached by a French great could be too hard to turn down.The dream combination of a Pogba-Toure midfield which seems quite feasible will put an end to living with semi-mediocrity and what better icing than a midfielder in the mould of PSG's Marco Verrati?.Verrati is the closest thing to Andres Iniesta out there when it comes to pulling the strings and driving the team.His signature shouldn't be hard to secure if the guy who came third in Barca's presidential election could promise to bring him over if he won.
This is what is guaranteed when the old Madrid tell the world they want to change the face of their team-the best available and nothing more.
The burden of pivoting the team is starting to tell on Cristiano Ronaldo.Lionel Messi always had a better tendency to perform that task for the simple fact that he is more a natural talent.CR is more a product of rigorous training than he is as is evidenced by the start of both careers in the limelight.While better muscled Ronaldo is as dangerous as anyone in the opponent's half, he can't drive in as fast as Messi in those plays that produce options up front.This technically means Madrid are more reliant on other players' creativity when he isn't scoring.
Gareth Bale has had an erratic few seasons at the Bernabeu so far and one can't confidently say he has complemented CR like a Neymar or Suarez has done Messi at Camp Nou.I wouldn't be surprised if Perez cashes in on either star at the end of the season and contrary to what many may think, he might just opt for the one to generate more cash as he knows neither would be missed in the event of a thorough overhaul.
Which brings me to another crucial issue.For Real Madrid to make a speedy return to being a great team, they must cut ties with everything pinning them down in the good team category.Karim Benzema's stats over the years may awe everyone but it won't change the fact that he doesn't rank among the very best.A striker that will bury 3 clear cut chances out of every 5 is what the team needs.When people say Benzema is a ball playing striker, I ask for the rate he beats opposing defenders on one on one situations?.Nothing out of the ordinary.A Sergio Aguero or Carlos Tevez might not score from as many long range shots or bicycle kicks but they guarantee you goals as long as the chances don't stop coming and nothing beats that in the life of a striker.The question isn't whether Benzema is a good striker because obviously he is but there are many others who would perform much better under the same conditions.
For the last three seasons, I have always said Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke are the most underrated attackers in World Football.Luckily, Benteke, who is the less profilic of the two judging by stats secured a move to Liverpool Fc at the start of the season and if I were calling the shots at Santiago Bernabeu, Romelu Lukaku would sign before this transfer window closes.He is cheap by Madrid standards and seems one of those stress-free targets who would pressurize their clubs into selling them.Worst case scenario is that they hold off till the end of the season.
Lukaku is big,strong and a good ball player who would very much adapt to the playing pattern of any team.He is good in the air and can drop deep when need be.Most importantly, he guarantees you goals.A lot of them depending on how just how well you feed him.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a potential target owing to the nomadic nature of his career.A new challenge at Madrid could entice him but the huge sum needed to push that through could be put to better use by fortifying other areas.A capable deputy for Marcelo and a more modern day right back.
Zinedine Zidane has a lot to prove but I wouldn't blame him if he fails with this squad.Failure in the Los Blancos context isn't failing to qualify for the Uefa Champions League or getting kicked out of the league cup in the first round, it is finishing second in the league and winning the Copa del rey back to back.
He is highly revered among the Madrid faithful and has a good knowledge of how things work in the club having retired there and coached the B-team.Most importantly, he understands all that won't count when the results don't start coming in a hurry.Dealing with not only the most impatient but also the most influential fans in World Football is not an easy task.

A rookie has been dealt a bad hand and I don't envy him.

2015 HEADIES:The Ouuuhs, Aaaahs And Naaahs

Yea, the 2015 Headies held on 1st January 2016 and that is a 'Proudly 9ja' award show.When we aren't getting way ahead of ourselves, we are being left far behind. 'African Time', won't work anymore, we have stepped up to 'African Year'.
There wasn't much hype leading to this Year's Headies and if anything is to be blamed, it is the quality of songs churned out during the period under review in contrast to the previous year.Everyone looked forward to the 2014 Headies because the nominations were top notch but all the 2015 Nomination list does is lament the current state of the music industry.No two things are the same though, the year rocked in its own way.
Lets get down to business.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

1.GODWIN-Don Jazzy (Korede Bello)
2.WISER-Masterkraft (Flavour feat Phyno and MI)
3.OJUELEGBA-Legendury Beats (Wizkid)
4.BOBO-Young John (Olamide)
5.FANS MI-Shizzi (Davido)
6.THERE'S A FIRE-Cobhams (Bez)

Legendury Beats for Wizkid's OJUELEGBA.There couldn't be a better consolation for last year's snub as I felt he ought to have beaten Don Jazzy to it.Wizkid's CARO spoke more of the Producer's artistry than DOROBUCCI and as far as egos that never come to the fore go, Legendury squared off against Jazzy again and beat him this time.Perfect 'last thing' to smile about before you kiss the night bye.
The Don did great on Korede Bello's GODWIN but the best competition in that line up was Masterkraft for Flavour's WISER.He made a beat that made you want to adore an R&B Flavour over the regular one and it takes extraordinary stuff to do that.
For a song that had Alicia Keys showing off her dancing skills and from what i gathered, an unsolicited Drake verse on the remix that made XXL's 21 most slept-on songs of last year, Legendury deserves a whole lot of love.

BEST COLLABO

1.BAD GIRL SPECIAL Remix-2kay feat Sheyi Shay and Cynthia Morgan
2.SHOKI Remix-Lil Kesh feat Davido and Olamide
3.SISI-Praiz feat Wizkid
4.LOCAL RAPPERS-Reminisce feat Phyno and Olamide
5.DO THE RIGHT THING-Cobhams feat Bez
6.HOLD IT DOWN-Joe El feat Tuface

I couldn't help feeling Reminisce didn't deserve this one.There was nothing special about the LOCAL RAPPERS song other than the line up and fact that it had a lot of rappers dropping their 2cents on the Foreign Influence/Local Content argument on many remixes with some seizing the opportunity to take shots at Alaga Ibile.It wasn't very much loved and a lot of people deem 2Kay's BAD GIRL SPECIAL most deserving of this plaque.2Kay generated quite a lot of publicity with the lewd photos he took with Cythnia Morgan and the hype didn't go to waste because they made a great song alongside Miss Shay.
I wonder why in the world the Headies still nominate a song as old as Lil Keshi's SHOKI remix.Song is about two years old and it makes you wonder if the period under review was that bad.
You get a feeling Joe El wouldn't score a major hit even if he featured Beyoncé because of the abject lack of talent and though Praiz's SISI featuring Wizkid was quite a decent effort,it just had to get overwhelmed by the competition.
Cobhams had his good friend, Bez on DO THE RIGHT THING and as expected, it was them trying so hard to stand out, they end up out of everyone's sights.Cobhams urges us to do the right thing even when it SEEMS no one is watching.I would urge him back in appreciation to do the right thing even when no one is watching.

BEST POP SINGLE

1.GODWIN-Korede Bello
2.OJUELEGBA-Wizkid
3.WOJU-Kiss Daniel
4.MY WOMAN, MY EVERYTHING-Patoranking feat Wande Coal
5.BOBO-Olamide
6.COLLABO- P-Square feat Don Jazzy

Put this to a vote for another 10 years and Korede Bello's GODWIN would win as many times.A lesser number of people would pick OJUELEGBA but I can't see myself voting for any song other than Kiss Daniel's WOJU and No, I'm not suffering from a 'rooting for the underdog' complex.Guy did great and if Wizzy's star power helped push OJUELEGBA and the Mavin name-GODWIN, WOJU had nothing going for it other than sheer quality.It was a really great song.
Olamide's BOBO was one of the best songs of 2015.Same as COLLABO and Patoranking's MY WOMAN,MY EVERYTHING featuring Wande Coal.It was basically one of those categories where just about any winner would do.

BEST R&B SINGLE

1.BABY DADDY-Iyanya
2.HEARTBEAT-Praiz
3.SAY YOU LOVE ME-Leriq feat Wizkid
4.WISH ME WELL-Timi Dakolo
5.DO THE RIGHT THING-Cobhams feat Bez

Timi Dakolo's WISH ME WELL won big this year but I don't really think its that great a song.A refined guy like Timi telling me to wish him well because he is going to the city in what at worst, sounds like an 'eggs and chips' voice doesn't quite work for me.The Cobhams and Bez 'futuristic' combination had nothing special about it.
Iyanya's BABY DADDY was a good song that had most of the 'R&B' swallowed up by the beat.Praiz's HEARTBEAT on the other hand is a very good song.Guy has always been a great singer and his song had a more original R&B feel than the other songs.
Leriq's SAY YOU LOVE ME is a song that intrigues me to no end.A producer, a reputable one at that,crafts a good beat, sings so well on the hook and blows it all away by getting Wizzy to lay all verses on what should be an R&B song.Wizzy was a thorn on the petals of a rose-'Call me a murderer, I'll put a bullet in your lover'.It was that bad.

BEST RAP SINGLE

1.BANK ALERT-Illbliss
2.BAD BELLE-MI
3.G.O.D-TR
4.LOCAL RAPPERS-Reminisce feat Phyno and Olamide
5.KING KONG-Vector

This was always going to be between Vector's KING KONG and Illbliss's BANK ALERT.It went to Vector who I must say isn't as dope as he used to be.Song has what it takes to make you step up a notch from just nodding your head but his punchlines don't pack as much weight as they used to...'To manage my skills, you gonna need more than Osagie' is what he gives us these days.And whats a punchline if it can't wow the average listener who couldn't care less about entertainers' life off stage?.KING KONG is a great song though with a Pop inclination while Illigatti's BANK ALERT is a dope song with a stronger hiphop feel from the beat down to everything else and though he spat in Ibo, I would hand him this plaque if it were up to me.
I think MI goofed by shooting the BAD BELLE video first.Song isn't even among the top 4 of the Chairman album and having it here only amplifies the quality of music we have had to live with over the last year.
TR would come up third if there was a bronze plaque.LOCAL RAPPERS is at best an average song that I couldn't imagine winning.

BEST STREET HOP ARTISTE

1.INDOMIE-Masterkraft feat CDQ,Davido and Olamide
2.BOBO-Olamide
3.SKILLASHI-Reminisce
4.ELLO BAE-Falz tha bahd guy feat Yemi Alade and Poe
5.MOSQUITO KILLER-Small Doctor

BOBO was putting a P.O.P on everybody's neck because we couldn't possibly see it heading anywhere else.Song had the most views by a naija artiste on YouTube last time I checked and the video wasn't even top notch.That tells you just how loved the song is.
Every other song reminds you of just how bad a year it was with the exception of INDOMIE which had Baddo sneh in there as well.

BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SONG

1.SANKO-Timaya
2.BAD GIRL SPECIAL Remix-2kay feat Cynthia Morgan and Sheyi Shay
3.GERMAN JUICE-Cynthia Morgan
4.DANIELLA WHYNE-Patoranking
5.MY BODY-Solid Star feat Timaya
6.CHEQUES AND BALANCE-Burna Boy

Cynthia Morgan's GERMAN JUICE deserved this.A lot more people agree with me now when I tell them she is the best reggae artiste here.Girl is a genuine talent with a sound knowledge of patwa.There is a huge difference between Jamaican Patwa, Ajegunle patwa and glorified plain english with a Jamaican accent.Happy she is getting mad respect and the props she truly deserves.
BAD GIRL SPECIAL Remix was a great song and Timaya's SANKO got a lot of airplay as well.The other songs weren't ones you would ordinarily give too much attention to if you didn't know the artistes behind them.

NEXT RATED ARTISTE

1.KISS DANIEL
2.CYNTHIA MORGAN
3.LIL KESH
4.KOREDE BELLO
5.REEKADO BANKS

First I must this-Ayo has built what is without a doubt the 'Grammy Awards' of the largest music industry in Africa and it breaks my heart to see him jeopardize its standards.The people didn't vote Reekado Banks over Lil Kesh, Cynthia Morgan, Kiss Daniel and Korede Bello.No!!!.You can't even sell that to a baby.Reekado would rank last on any result sheet except of course, the votes came in from the Ricardos in Brazil or Peru.
He doesn't have a bonafide hit out unlike the other nominees and the few songs that had people looking in his direction were basically social media hits popularised by Don Jazzy's massive online promo.To tell me he beat the guy who taught the world to SHOKI and whose EFEJOKU blows up every spot is absolute madness.
Even if the faulty list was rectified and the beasts- Cynthia Morgan and Lil Kesh were separated from the three pets, Reekado would still wind up bottom because the other two have at least a monster hit to boast off.
To say I am disappointed with the Organizers is putting it in the mildest terms.Lil Kesh deserves this more than any one of the nominees and word was that Reekado himself was rooting for Keshi.
Categorizing major artistes as Next Rated demeans the organizers' understanding of music.A proper Next Rated list would contain only three of the nominees-Korede Bello, Reekado Banks and Kiss Daniel.
The Next Rated category took the shine off this year's awards.

BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG

1.SADE-Adekunle Gold
2.AWWW-Di'ja
3.TIFF-Simi
4.SATAN BE GONE-Asa
5.RAIN ON ME-Ugovinna
6.THERE'S A FIRE-Bez

Adekunle Gold took this one home for SADE which isn't really a bad song if you ask me.But if you give me the plaque and tell me to hand it to who the cap fits, I would have only two true contenders-Di'ja's AWWW and Simi's TIFF.Both are really great songs and it would hurt to hand it to Simi at the expense of Di'ja.TIFF was a creative genius.The other songs are good but they aren't these two.
The major talking point of the night occured when Olamide tagged along with his artiste, Adekunle Gold to collect his plaque and seized the opportunity to throw a more vicious rant than last year's.Baddo said Lil Kesh was YBNL's Next Rated and 'Ko ni dafun iya anybody!!!'.It was a step up from the previous edition where he felt Keshi was the Rookie of the year.
I feel his pain though, it was speaking the truth albeit in a rather uncouth manner.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

Don Jazzy was handed this in appreciation of his giant strides in the music industry. It was giving honour to whom its due.But the night got more interesting when Don Jazzy offered to hand Olamide the Next Rated car prize if he wanted it.That had Baddo badly infuriated and he went on to unleash what is without a doubt, the most brutal social media assault on any Nigerian Celebrity by a fellow one.He referred to Don Baba J as a fake, a b**tard and threatened to F him up if he ever ventures into the Mainland.
You kinda feel Jazzy brought it upon himself by speaking the way he did.Olamide was mad at the organizers and one would have expected the Don to act in a manner befitting a receipient of the plaque he was holding by calling for peace and saying nicer words to Baddo than what in a nutshell was 'The Mavins are bigger than all this'.
Beef has been officially squashed by identical instagram posts by both stars apologizing to everyone and that is most pleasant.

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)

1.IF I FALL-Praiz
2.HIGH-Shaydee
3.THERE'S A FIRE-Bez
4.DO THE RIGHT THING-Cobhams feat Bez
5.WISH ME WELL-Timi Dakolo

Timi Dakolo is a very talented singer but I doubt if his vocal strength matches that of a Bez or Praiz.Don't get it twisted, the voice is one of the things he has working for him and the bass blows his fans away but Bez has a really great voice and Praiz too albeit a little more bass.Cobhams nailed DOING THE RIGHT THING alongside Bez better than Timi did WISH ME WELL.If you ask me that is.

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

1.TIFF-SIMI
2.IWO NIKAN-Aramide
3.BED OF STONE-Asa
4.DURO TIMI-Yemi Alade
5.COCO BABY-Waje

Aramide did great on IWO NIKAN but I would have given this to Simi.TIFF isn't a song just about anyone could write and record, the girl's vocal chords did the magic.No disrepect to the other songs but if you talk about the impact vocal strength had on a song, Simi deserves it more than Aramide.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

1.THE SOUND-Sesan (Davido feat Uhuru and Dj Buckz)
2.CRAZY-Meji Alabi (Sheyi Shay)
3.KATAPOT-Unlimitedla (Reekado Banks)
4.JAMB QUESTION-Mex (Simi feat Falz)
5.BABY JOLLOF-Clarence Peters (Solid Star feat Tiwa Savage)

Google can't answer all questions and if it was worth my time, I would have tried to find out the connection between Ayo and Reekado Banks.It definitely can't be money because Davido has more of it to offer.
There is no way in the world Reekado's KATAPOT video would beat Davido's THE SOUND and Sheyi Shay's CRAZY in a clean contest.KATAPOT was a very bad imitation of Bruno Mar's GRENADE video.Nigerian traders of all the people in the world, would hurl eggs and all sorts of objects at you in a Nigerian market just because they hate the fact that you are in love?.It doesn't make sense.The part where he was being attacked by a cripple wouldn't make even my little sister tear up, it only made the video more pathetic.
Miss Shay 'The Bossette' spent quality time with Matthew Knowles and has a legit right to pull a Beyoncé and Jay swag in a shoot.In a nutshell, she was Beyoncé and Wizkid was Jay complete with the snap back.Yea, I hear you-It rocked and thats what matters.Meji Alabi did just okay.
I have a whole lot of respect for Mex as a director but the JAMB QUESTION video doesn't rank among his best.It had a crappy concept that reminded you just how south trying too hard to be different could go sometimes.He would have been better off shooting a high school 'toasting' story instead and I think its high time our directors start to make artistes understand they don't have to be the lead characters in their videos.
Davido's THE SOUND really ought to have taken this.It wasn't just about flying to Dubai to shoot a video, it was about making the locations all come together for the video.Sesan did an awesome job here and O.B.O sky diving was a mad touch.It beats all the other videos hands down.
Clarence Peters is human after all.BABY JOLLOF is a classic case of how not to shoot a video.Basically, it was about a guy telling us just how jollof his baby was.We never saw him get cozy with her till the last scene and wait for this-he prefered to sing in the midst of kids playing football instead.Tiwa too.Crazy.

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

1.THERE'S A FIRE-Bez
2.OJUELEGBA-Wizkid
3.WISH ME WELL-Timi Dakolo
4.EYO-Asa
5.DO THE RIGHT THING-Cobhams feat Bez

OJUELEGBA deserved this more than WISH ME WELL.Heck, I would even hand it to DO THE RIGHT THING instead.Not to take anything from Timi, he made a really good song but others made better.

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

1.BABA HAFUSA-Reminisce
2.G.O.D-TR
3.BANK ALERT-Illbliss feat Eva, Ice Prince & Phyno
4.KING KONG-Vector

V.E.C had to take this one.The Punchlines and metaphors may not be as spot-on as they used to be but I couldn't really see anyone catching up with his blow-past.TR would come second though.He was at his naughty best on G.O.D and Illbliss' s all-star ensemble for the remix of BANK ALERT did nothing but lend their high profile names to the joint. Ice Prince, Phyno and Eva dropped some really really dead bars.
BABA HAFUSA had a nice hook but as far as this category goes, indigenous rappers play at a handicap.

REVELATION OF THE YEAR

1.KING OF QUEENS-Yemi Alade
2.RICH n FAMOUS-Praiz
3.MAN OF THE YEAR-Skales

Yemi Alade fully deserved it.She has proved she is not a one hit wonder and is here to stay.

BEST RAP ALBUM

1.BABA HAFUSA-Reminisce
2.ABOVE GROUND LEVEL-Mode 9
3.THE CHAIRMAN-MI
4.STREET OT-Olamide

Reminisce's BABA HAFUSA certainly didn't live up to the hype and Mode 9 is going to continue lurking in the shadows for as long as he refuses to switch up big time.Olamide wasn't at his best in STREET OT and that leaves us with MI's CHAIRMAN.By every standard, it was indeed the rap album of the year.The 'short black boy' dropped a classic.Well deserved.

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

1.P-Square
2.Yemi Alade
3.Olamide
4.Davido
5.Wizkid

Baddo deserved this.He and his YBNL crew kept churning out hits all year long.Even after dropping an album that just wasn't tight by his standards, he stayed in the mainstream and made us forget it with some of the best hits ever made.Like I tell people, Baddo truly loves the art and that really works for him.He drops albums and does features at a second-to-none rate with no artificial scarcity, release strategy or anything of the sorts.After all said and done, it all boils down to the quality of the music and that is his only strategy.Its working.Mad love and respect Baddo Sneh.

SONG OF THE YEAR

1.GODWIN-Korede Bello
2.BOBO-Olamide
3.OJUELEGBA-Wizkid
4.WOJU-Kiss Daniel

This was probably the toughest category of the night. The songs were without a doubt the hugest hits made over the last one year and it was anybody's for the taking.OJUELEGBA was slightly more popular and received accolades from far and wide.Worthy winner no doubt.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD/HALL OF FAME

This year's inductee was none other than Tuface Idibia; Nigeria's first bonafide International music star.It would take a whole article to celebrate this young veteran.Tubaba has written his name in gold and as far as music entertainment goes in Nigeria, even our grand kids will celebrate this man.

This year's Headies was a huge disappointment.It was held late and I feel really awkward refering to it as 2015.Timi Dakolo's WISH ME WELL was made to look a better song than it actually is (please don't tell me people voted for it) and it is ridiculous to nominate established acts like Lil Kesh who has scored a number of hits over two years and a fully settled Cynthia Morgan as NEXT RATED nominees.It was more or less keeping beasts with pets.Well, the smallest of the pets won and how Ayo and 'em were able to make that happen is one for the magic books.It would still baffle most people if Reekado Banks beat Kiss Daniel and Korede Bello talk more Keshi.
I still have nothing but love for the Headies and I hope to see a better one this year.I speak literally and not in the 'African Year' context.

KANU, DASUKI DETENTION: NEGLIGENT ISOLATION OF LEGALITY FROM MORAL EXCELLENCE

The calls to release Sambo Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu are starting to get deafening and I must admit, it is hard being President Buhari right now.He has to balance respect for the rule of law with the desperation to see justice meted out to the right people.The maiden presidential media chat revealed to some extent, a seeming lack of enthusiasm on the part of the foot soldiers of his anti-corruption war.
When the President spoke about Nnamdi Kanu's dual passport status and the impropriety of releasing Dasuki on bail while millions are displaced, he perhaps unknowingly, raised a few questions.Would any court grant Kanu bail if it was told that he got into the country without using any of his two passports and that he smuggled in equipment to help preach hate messages while doing so against the Federal Government in a counter-affidavit opposing his bail?.I don't think so.
Though bail is at the discretion of the court subject to some statutory considerations, the paramount determining factor is whether or not the attendance of the accused person in court can be guaranteed.If properly argued, a man who stepped into our shores in the manner Kanu did can't be 'bail worthy'.
The backlash that greeted the SSS's refusal to release him when his first bail was granted shows just how precarious a situation this is.
One of the things courts also take into consideration is the likelihood of the accused person to commit another offence and releasing Kanu to return home to a much enlarged fan base wouldn't augur well for the security of this nation.The Supreme Court has held in the landmark case of the Federal Republic of Nigeria V Asari Dokubo that a person's right to liberty can be denied irrespective of constitutional provisions when national security is at the risk of being threatened.
If Kanu as much as urges any of the well wishing 'biafrans' that troop in to visit him to continue with the struggle when he is gone, that would constitute another offence. I have not been able to see court documents as at the time of writing this (being a festive period) but if this man was granted bail, it means one of two things-the prosecution isn't doing its job well or the courts aren't.Either way, it means all efforts by the President in the early days of his administration to sensitize the judiciary (bar and bench alike) on the key role they have to play in this war don't count.Talk about begging people to do their jobs well with  little or no effect.
However, I must commend the authorities for the 'piece meal' strategy they have adopted in this war where suspects/accused persons are re-arrested on new charges as soon as they have been granted bail.This has ensured they stay on the right side of the law in some tough instances including that of Nnamdi Kanu who is reportedly now in custody for treasonable felony. 
The Dasuki situation however is one of the few instances where the strategy hasn't exactly worked as it should and has left the Presidency quite exposed.The success of any strategy over time, revolves round the degree of strictness attached to its adherence.Bail was virtually a no-brainer in the Dasuki case with the likelihood of him jumping bail because of the severity of the punishment as the only potent weapon of opposition.Ill health is almost always sure to sway the court's decision in the accused's favour in non-capital offence cases.
The 'piece meal' strategy which worked well in the case of the former NIMASA boss, Patrick Akpolobekemi and Kanu would have come in handy in Dasuki's case instead of filing two charges simultaneously.The third charge filed against the former NSA accusing him of diverting public funds to the tune of N13.5 Billion should have been filed after he had been granted bail on the Arms deal charge.
As a matter of fact, proper implementation of the strategy would require investigations to begin right afterwards.Note that accused and witness statements to the police form essential parts of investigations.
Justice Hussein Buba of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court granted bail to Dasuki on the six count charge bordering on misappropriation of  public funds on 18th December 2015.If Dasuki was immediately re-arrested and 'investigations' commenced on the diversion of public funds allegation, then his detention would be legal.As things stand now, it is not.He is being illegally detained and enforcement of human rights proceedings could result in a legitimate demand for damages on his part.The SSS is fully aware of his claims of ill health.
From a moral and not a legal stand point, the government's zeal in its anti-corruption campaign is commendable but like i have always said, there is a need to thread with caution so that we will wage a successful war.
The President spoke from the heart when he said it wouldn't be fair to grant Dasuki bail to get treatment abroad while millions; a lot of them orphaned, were affected by his bad deeds as National Security Adviser.There is a willingness to see government thieves pay for their atrocities and you can't hate the man for that.But the law is the law.
The foot soldiers in this war must play their role in ensuring a hitch-free one.Cases must be prosecuted as best they should and circumvention of legal provisions must be copasetic.
We finally seem to be waging a productive war against corruption and we can't afford to be sloppy.The world is watching.

MY 'BESTS' OF 2015

This year went well and I thank God for that.I was picked to be an observer for my NBA branch at the 2015 General Elections and being a founding member of the Kano state Young Lawyers Forum, i was glad to leave something to be remembered for when it held its inaugural congress.It was conceived and birthed within a week and that is no mean feat.
My articles got published at twice the rate they were last year when I first started out and that is a huge blessing.
Here are some of the other things that made my year thick.

BEST TV SERIES

I didn't do too many movies this year and the few I did just didn't cut it for me.However I binge-watched series dating as far back as 2012 to almost everything made this year and NARCOS takes my top spot.Pablo Emilio Escobar De Gaviria is probably the most infamous drug lord the world has ever known and to see his story depicted so well gave me fat thrills.Guy fought Colombia to a stand still, built his own jail which was more or less a resort and was making like $420 Million a week with about $2,500 spent on rubber bands to tie the cash.Stories don't come more intriguing.

COUPLE OF THE YEAR

Pique and Shakira.Gerard had what was perhaps his worst season ever under his Argentine namesake, Gerard Martino with a lot of people in the Barca fold attributing his bad form to his relationship with Shakira.They felt she was becoming a huge distraction and were always quick to cite his skating trip with her to the States contrary to doctors' instructions.
No one could wave off claims he was placing her above his career because he simply wasn't giving his best on the pitch. When reports surfaced that he had banned Shakira from having men in her videos, i kinda felt it was getting to him.It sounded too '10 years between the lovebirds'.
She wasn't only a superstar songstress but she was a latin one at that.Would've been better if he just made her retire.A top notch video for virtually every song she puts out would mean she shoots a romantic scene or two.
But then came Luis Enrique who afforded Pique the right climate for a rebirth and he has been giving his best without cutting down on 'Shakira time'.He helped the team win a treble and had another son with her in the process.
Their love seemed to wax stronger amidst the challenges and they are now reaping the rewards of their patience.They have been spotted getting cozy a lot more times this year and for a busy lady like Shakira, she sure attends quite a lot of Barca games these days.Sounds Shakespeare with a nice ending, donnit?

BOOK OF THE YEAR

As unbelievable as this may sound,it is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.Happenings over the last year have made me resort to it quite a number of times.Whether it was to recommend Kwarans recall Saraki instead of stoning him or when canvassing for a lesser number of Ministers to be appointed than the 36 a lot of people erroneously believed President Buhari was obligated to appoint in one fell swoop.
The 'quality time' I gave it opened up instances of highly regrettable lack of foresight on the part of the draftsman.In a polity like ours, the phrase 'Federal Character' ought to have been dealt with in figures.For example-No 10 appointments shall be made without each of the geo-political regions getting at least one each.PMB's total disregard for the ibos in the 29 appointments preceding the Ministerial ones opened up my eyes to just how shallow and inadequate some provisions of the grundnorm really were.We have always had cries of marginalization since the civil war so theres no possible excuse to hide behind.
Section 147 empowers the President to create offices of ministers as he deems fit and in a proviso, also obligates him to appoint one from every state.Both provisions contain the operative word 'shall' and that is most ridiculous.
If he creates just two ministries then he would have to keep changing Ministers every few months till he hits the 36 states mark.
A lot of work needs to be done on that document.

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

That would be Neymar Jnr.He along with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi form unarguably the most lethal front three in World Football. So much controversy surrounded his move to Fc Barcelona.A case was instituted against the club and Sandro Rosell resigned as President but whats worse?-The player wasn't delivering the goods on the pitch then and the inevitable whispers of a transfer kept resonating round Camp Nou.Some felt he would have been gotten rid off after just a season if it wasn't going to speak too badly of the Club's transfer business.
The 2014/2015 season saw a young man whom many doubted his ability to shrug off a bad World Cup and off field troubles do just that in great style.He kept banging in the goals; second only to King Leo in the club's historic campaign and for the first time in quite a long while, Barcelona no longer look like a one man army.Neymar rose above every challenge to be counted and thats real champion stuff.
Floyd 'Money' Mayweather is my number two.He beat pacman in the most expensive boxing bout ever and whether or not you loved his 'Mourinho-tesque' boxing strategy, it doesn't change the fact the he is leaving the sport undefeated and with a lot of cash.As for saying he was better than Ali, please go at him all day.

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Serena Williams.The best womens tennis player of all time no doubt.She stayed number one all through the year and became the first lady to have won each of the Grand Slams at least thrice.Sometimes I wonder if this lady still has any room for trophies in her cabinet.This year it was Wimbledon, Miami Open, US Open and....others.She wins, thats basically what she does.

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

I hand this to Dr Peregrino Brimah.Thing about the 'Good Doctor' is that most of his articles have a real feel to them.They don't try too hard to 'wow' you with knowledge and facts, its basically how you and I would discuss our problems in a bus, restaurant, bar or an ATM queue.
I laughed my head off when I read the beginning of his 'Legislooters' article.He cracked an old joke-'Master, Master Shaolin dey fight inside temple..and Master says-'Him chop belleful be that'.
The one on DECREE NO.4 was insightful.It came at a time a lot of stories were being fabricated against the First family and Hate it or love it, PMB had it enacted to check falsehood when he was Head of State and not what a lot of bandwagon activists tell us. His 2cents on matters arising are ones I take very seriously.

ARTICLE OF THE YEAR

Has to be Uche Onyebadi's WHY I'LL VOTE DONALD TRUMP.It was such a great read.Onyebadi took sarcasm to new heights and I hardly went five lines without cracking up.
Everything I had against Trump was encapsulated in Mr Onyebadi's article and like he succinctly put it-'Trump adroitly articulates nothing to his admirers and makes them appreciate the virtue in nothingness'.That was genius.
Ayisha Osori's A CASE FOR A TRANSITION ACT was sublime as well.An act like that would do us much good.It would put an end to the late submission of handover notes by outgoing governments and tackle a host of other problems awaiting a new government. 
The President had to work out of the villa for the first few months of his administration and that was really sad.A properly prepared legislation of that nature would handle issues like renovation and the sorts.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Yea,you guessed right-Fc Barcelona it is.The team won a treble with a new 'effectiveness over everything' philosophy.They blew everyone away in some style without playing maximum tikitaka.Messi, Suarez and Neymar had just over 120 goals between them and what strikes you most is the fact that they created most of the goals for themselves.
As far as stats go, it was a case of getting the ball to any of them and watching things fly from there for a whole season.But those are stats.Everyone was vital. They had legal problems, lost a President, got banned from transfer business for a year and conquered the world. The Victories illustrate the true character of champions.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Luis Enrique hands down.He modified Barca's tikitaka into a more result-oriented playing style.Nobody had the guts to do that since Cruyff put it in place and it was exciting to watch a man from the old brigade do so.He beat Pep Guardiola's record 40 wins in a debut season en route his treble with a few games to spare.
A lot of people overlook his neutralization of Barca's over-dependence on Xavi Hernandez for creativity and that is enough to earn any coach respect.

HAPPIEST MOMENTS

Watching my little sister graduate from elementary school was my best moment of 2015.Wouldn't trade the sight of her singing in her graduation gown for all the gold in Dubai.She wants to be a lawyer like her 'Yaya Umar' and she just took her first huge step towards realising that dream.
Watching the Golden Eaglets retain their U-17 World title felt really good too.

WORST LOWS

My momz was ill for a while and it really weighed me down.Nobody matters more in this world to me and to see her in such bad shape really demoralized me.I was shattered to the point of tears as I drove her to Kano and I thank Almighty Allah she recovered fully.Nothing beats her in her true elements.Alhamdulillah

MAN OF THE YEAR

Luis Enrique.A blaugrana old boy who returned home and achieved a record-breaking lot.In adding and subtracting from Barca's tikitaka style, he made the team play with longer passes and a much more efficient counter-attacking model while ridding the team of its defensive frailties.Barcelona has started 2016 well and seem destined for another great season.So beefers calm down,Its no fluke.
The short passes previously used allowed players swarm round an opponent when the ball is lost in no time.The team was left prone to vicious counter-attacks that caught almost everyone except the goalie out of place.
What Enrique did was to curtail the attacking forays of key defensive players especially the full backs and add Ivan Rakitic to an attacking midfield that had two of the most creative players ever known to the game in Xavi and Iniesta to make it steely.This effectively killed off Barca's defensive worries even with a longer passing style.
Xavi was relegated to second fiddle because Rakitic not only had a better eye for goal but also defended well.This style allows them stay in top shape all through the season.Barca is doing great even after virtually all its South American players featured in this year's Copa America and there are still no signs of fatigue.
It takes someone really special to pull that off in his first season and winning everything there is to win while doing so.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Zahra Buhari. Zahra'u like my hausa folk would say or Zahra-ouuuh!! if the good looks overwhelm you just as much as they do me.She is Ace Charity's ambassador and together they have accomplished quite a lot in just under 7 months.
This young lady with a heart of gold has gone to astonishing lengths to help the displaced victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.Over N12 Million was realized from the Ace Charity fundraiser and that sum is being used to build schools and libraries for kids.She is also an ambassador for a sickle cell NGO and is very enthusiastic about making our world a better place.
In an era where most women her age are more concerned with what the Kardashians are up to and what Chanel bags cost, its nice to see a First daughter worry about the plight of the less privileged.Her huge strides are unprecedented in the history of Nigerian First families and she has my unflinching love and admiration for them.