Longesson...ONE MAN'S PERSONAL QUEST

After the elections, what next?

Nigerians are understandably excited about 2011 being the election year. For the first time in 4 years, what we have to say actually has some value with those who ru(i)n this country as they come courting us for votes. While we fear that as usual the votes may not count, we are still a bit seduced by this tiny ember of influence time has handed us. BUT FRIENDS LET'S NOT BE FOOLED!!!

As someone said when America invaded Iraq in 2003, "they had a plan to win the war but did they have a plan to win the peace". Time has shown us they really didn't.

Same can be said for Nigeria in 2011. We have semblance of a plan (albeit disjointed) to get the right leaders elected in 2011. Professor Jega and his merry men are in charge of running the show now. While we don't doubt Jega's integrity, the recent voters registration and party primaries have cast shadows and raised doubts on their administrative abilities to conduct truly free and fair elections this year.

Civil society has also been activated. We are all told to RSVP in 2011 - Register to Vote, Select the right candidates, Vote on elections day and Protect our vote. All well and good... AND THEN WHAT!!!!

When May 29, 2011 comes and (barring the many expected lawsuits) the men and women we elect to represent us assume office, how do we make sure, like now, they don't get into office to represent themselves and their pockets only? How do we make Nigeria's democracy not a once every four years affair but something that happens everyday? How do we plan to win the war in April with a clear plan of how to win the peace after May 29?

Technology is playing a major role in our plans for RSVPing this elections. How can we most effectively leverage technology for the post May 29 battle?

That's the point of Tech-In Governance, a 48hr gathering of ideas, people and digital tools aimed at creating novel web & mobile to ensure average Nigerians can have their voices heard and listened to on an on-going basis by those they have elected to serve them.

The event, happening 1 week before the first elections, will be attended by people with a variety of skills and experiences who are passionate about increasing the participation of average citizens in governance in Nigeria. During the event they will contribute their knowledge and perspectives to develop 6 tools to be deployed ASAP- helping to flesh out the ideas and figuring out sustainability and marketing strategy.

We will also have a large number of governance experts on hand to use their understanding of the system to ensure the tools built are usable and address the problems from their core rather just acting as a placebo.

If you want to find out more about the event and how you can be involved visit http://tech-in.org/index.html

If you are on twitter, follow @techinseries and on facebook, like http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tech-In-Series/177017889007409?ref=ts

In the words of Sam Cooke, "It’s been a long time coming, but I know CHANGE IS GONNA COME"

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone

Worrying in advance for the elections 2011

I used to be very optimistic that in 2011 we will get it right with the Nigerian elections but now I confess I am not so sure.

Last week we had the re-run elections in Delta State. I watched the candidates debate and was appalled at the quality of people seeking to lead the state. I was also dismayed that the principal opposition stayed away from the debate.

On election day, I was reading the updates from monitors and it was one case of snatched ballots, beating and intimidation of voters after the other. There was even data of the names and identification numbers of the policemen who had been involved in the incidences. There were also details of number plates of cars used to snatch ballot boxes meaning we can trace their owners.

Yet, the president who has vowed to conduct free and fair elections came out to say the elections went well because his party was adjudged to have won. And the chairman of the electoral commission who I believed in a great deal gave his commission a pass mark for the shoddily conducted elections.

It's less than a week to commencement of voters registrations and 46,000 DDC machines have not arrived the country. And we hear some of the staff required to carry out the exercise cannot even use the DDC machine yet. The government has shut down schools for 3 weeks to use their premises to carry out the registration. What stops them from using a part of the school while the kids stay in their classrooms?

Now I see the same leaders we want to change coming back in different guises. Governor vying to be senators. Deputy governors running to be Federal representatives. Ministers running for governor. And I realise "same cast, different act".

The party I thought was the credible alternative are using coronation for their primaries rather than elections...

Which way are we headed? I hope I get news that would make me cheer up concerning the elections but I know we can't afford to mess this chance up.

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone

Prosecuting Riggers: Creating precedence in Ekiti

We have heard that credo of the Nigerian ruling party is for their members to "win" elections by any means and then take the issue to the court. This gives them excuse to rig, maim and kill innocent Nigerians while denying them their constitutional right for freely and fairly elected leaders. Thier gambit is that it would take the courts so long to decide while they stay in office stealing as much as possible before the mandate is overturned. And that is if their opponent can prove "beyond reasonable doubt" that the elections were fraudulent.

That's why in the last 12 years of our democracy, 4 sitting governors have been removed from office for rigging all from the ruling party. Numerous other officials -senators, legislators, council chairmen, counsellors have also had their "ill-gotten" mandate overturned after spending months and years in public office that was not rightfully theirs.

Unfortunately, when the mandate is reversed, no effort is made to prosecute people who have been found guilty of stealing votes and perverting the course of justice. Because they know their mandate is shaky, these people spend the short time they have in-charge stealing blindly from the public coffers and their illegal salaries or perks are not even returned when the rightful owner of the mandate comes to power. In short, the risk of stealing a mandate and rigging elections is smaller than the risk of being found out. You still keep your loot and you are not tried for stealing.

We think this is wrong and we demand for firm detterents to make people think twice and thrice before engaging in electoral malpractice.

The current case in Ekiti state where the rightfully elected governor is only being given the reins of the state three and a half years after the elections provides an opportunity. All parties complicit to the fraud at the first elections and at the re-run should be brought to book. Even if they are just prosecuted but not found guilty, it will set a positive precedence ahead of the general elections in 2011.

We know that the Attorney General, being a member of the same political party as the perpetrators will not do anything without pressure. This is time therefore for Nigerians to prove that the power of the people is paramount by pushing them to act even against their will.

My recommendation is for us to move a petition for prosecution of riggers in Ekiti to happen and use social media and traditional media to build focus on the issue. Afterall, our President is now on social media and will find it hard to remain blind to this request if the groundswell in high enough.

This way when we take people's pictures and videos rigging during the forthcoming election, we can use this as evidence in asking for them to be prosecuted for their actions against the people.

If you have an interest in being involved in this, please send your thoughts and comments.

Posted via email from Femi Longe's Zone

Social Innovation Camp Nigeria – Call for Ideas December 2010

Do you have an idea to solve a problem in Nigeria using web or mobile technology? Enter your idea into Social Innovation Camp Nigeria and stand the chance of winning fantastic cash prizes and support to bring your idea to life.

The internet and mobile technology are increasingly being used as tools to transform the world we live in. Across Africa, entrepreneurs are developing tools to solve very pressing social problems like lack of education, combating fake drugs, navigating through crisis, monitoring elections etc. Here are some examples:

M-Pesa is a mobile banking system used in Kenya which has brought millions from rural Kenya into the financial system. mPedigree, set up in Ghana, uses your mobile phone to check if drugs are genuine or fake before you buy them. Ushahidi is software running on the internet and on mobile phones for people to share information during a crisis, warning others and the authority of hot-spots. It was developed and used in Kenya during their last election crisis and has since been used in Haiti, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia etc.

At Social Innovation Camp Nigeria we'll be creating some of these solutions for problems peculiar to Nigeria. For this we need you to send us ideas or to join us at the weekend in December to develop the top 6 ideas.

Founded in 2008 in London, UK, Social Innovation Camp runs as process/event to create innovative applications of the web and mobile technology to solve social problems.

At the camp which takes place over a weekend, teams work to develop a working prototype and address issues like how to build critical mass of users to the idea and how to make it sustainable. The weekend then ends with a Show and Tell event where the teams have to present their ideas to a panel of judges and members of the public.

Social Innovation Camps have since run in London, Edinburgh, Slovakia, Australia, South Korea, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Czech Republic.

This December, Social Innovation Camp will be landing on African soil for the first time, specifically in Lagos, Nigeria.

If you want to find out more, have an idea to submit or you would like to participate in the weekend, visit our site www.sicampnigeria.org