The Nation Newspaper

Category: Dayo Sobowale

  • Gerontocracy, Mugabe and politics

    There is no doubt that the biggest news on the world stage this week was the resignation of Zimbabwe’s 93 year old president Robert Mugabe, who for the 37 years he was in office, seized his nations’ democracy and turned it into a menacing gerontocracy which only collapsed when his succession plan for his wife to replace him backfired and the army gave him the marching orders. But even then, the Zimbabwean army commanders were careful not to call their intervention a military coup, because that was no longer politically correct or fashionable in the comity of nations especially in the western world led by the US, Britain and the EU. Yet these nations, especially former colonist of Zimbabwe, Britain would have turned a blind eye to anything that removed Mugabe from office including any coup or insurgency, because the Zimbabwean leader was a constant and long bone in the neck of the British establishment because of the way he seized lands and farms from the Zimbabwean white settlers who looked up to Britain for support and deliverance from the clutches of Mugabe who insisted the land belong to the black citizens of Zimbabwe no matter the colour of the developers of such land.

    But Mugabe at his exit this week was a disgrace and a lesson in the sad and negative end of the saying that ‘an actor quits when the ovation is loudest’. In addition and quite pathetically his rambling speech this week on global media in which he promised to address his party’s rally in a few weeks’ time when everyone else in this world knew his time was up was vintage display of a quotation in Shakespeare’s drama.‘ As You Like It, in which the seven stages of a man’s life was described and the last was described thus -‘The last scene of all that ends this eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion, sans eyes, sans teeth, sans everything.’ That really was how Mugabe looked and sounded as he shuffled papers and spoke in that rambling tone that made a mockery of the leader that led his nation from independence but left it in great poverty and economic decay with 95 percent of his people unemployed such that even his party was so fed up it threatened him with impeachment even in his old age, if he did not resign. He eventually resigned this week and his people broke into jubilation aired for so long by western media especially CNN for the rather selfish reason that they never saw anything good in Mugabe from the beginning and never wished him well because he stood up to Britain the US and the West bravely while in office.  Zimbabweans loved his audacity in this regard and applauded him all the way for almost four decades until he fell from grace last week because of his love for his wife called Grace who schemed shamelessly to succeed her husband and unwittingly hastened his fall from grace to grass just this week.

    In my view there is nothing wrong in having a gerontocracy which really is a rule of old men invariably over 60 years of age. The concept was attributed to Plato ,the Greek philosopher who taught that the old should lead because of their wisdom and the young should learn at their feet. It was the ruling philosophy of the city of Sparta the rival of Athens in Greek history. The Spartans were reputed for strict discipline and obedience and my favorite recollection of them was with regard to the story of King Leonidas and his 300 men who laid down their live in obedience to the maxim of Sparta that their army never returns home as losers but conquerors. At the Pass of Thermoplyae according to Greek legend Leonidas and his 300 men fought valiantly against a much bigger Persian army and perished but Leonidas sent a message to Sparta’s ruling gerontocracy recorded in history beautifully thus –‘All ye that passeth by, go ye tell the Spartans, that we here lie in absolute obedience to their orders’. That was a positive way of remembering obedience and loyalty in a gerontocratic political system. The other example in terms of policy formulation in Greek history was not that endearing. This was the postulation that the eighty year old leaders would ask the seventies to decide which of the sixties should retire. That was not quite enticing to me but one could see its sign on the gerontocracy that Mugabe ran which had as leaders, old guards of the Patriotic Front which fought the guerilla war that ousted Ian Smith about forty years ago and have been at the helm of affairs ever since and now beyond even Mugabe’s exit. This is because the man sworn in this week to succeed Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is over 70 and had been serving the Patriotic Front since he was a teenager and grew up through the ranks in the security apparatus that beat up Mugabe’s opponents constantly, loyally and furiously till he too became Mugabe’s Vice President. But his luck ran out when Grace Mugabe attempted to upstage him as Mugabe’s heir and he had to flee for dear life till the army struck, forced Mugabe to abdicate as it were, and brought Mnangagwa back as president. So in Zimbabwe today Mugabe may be gone but power still resides where it has always been in terms of a disrupted succession which the army has rectified and you can bet that this would be legitimized and elongated further in the 2018 elections.

    • Continued online

  • Revolutions, history and leadership

    Anniversaries are occasions  for reminiscences on the past, good  or bad. That  really is the stuff of history.This  first  week  of November 2017 therefore,  in the light of events and anniversaries that fall  due, in my view,  is a  bounteous  harvest of history,  both  ancient  and modern. First,  the Russian revolution of 1917  that  created the world’s first  Marxist  state was  a hundred years  old this week.  But   there  was  not much to celebrate  in  Putin’s  Russia,  even  though  the world  had learned  a lot   in the  100  years, since  the death   of  Lenin, the leader  of that revolution. In  the new  world  since that Marxist  Revolution, a  church  called – The  Church on the Blood-  has been  built  in  Russia  on the spot  where  the family of the Russian Czar Nicholas 11  was  buried after that royal  family  was butchered by the Bolsheviks and their  bodies mutilated  100  years  ago.  Those who  built  that church have  called  the Bolshevik  Revolution a foreign  interference in Russian  affairs  as the Revolutionaries  were brought in from Germany  which   was  at war  with  the Russian  Empire then. Such  people   are  obviously   sniggering at those in the US now  talking of  Russian hacking  of  US  2016  presidential  elections which, exactly    one year   ago  on November  7 2017,  brought  in the  volatile,  bombastic and very  politically   incorrect    presidency   of the highly  irrepressive  Donald  Trump. Again  I say,  this    is the stuff  of history.

    Yet,   not all revolutions,  now   and   past    are  bloody  and  turbulent  as the Russian  Revolution  of 1917.  In  Saudi  Arabia  a  royal  revolution  is going on  now  in the fight a against  corruption  led  by 31  year  old  Crown  Prince Mohammed  bin  Salman   son  of incumbent King  Salman. Over 210  princes and  individuals  have  been incarcerated at a posh  hotel   in  Saudi  Arabia  with  the Attorney  General  claiming they have embezzled over    $100bn.  Given  the  notorious  fact  that those  who  steal  our  public funds  here  in  Nigeria  buy properties in Doha , Dubai  in  the Middle  East, this  means that there is no safe  haven for  long,  for those who think  that  stolen  money  is safe in the Middle  East,  given  the Saudi  Crown  Prince  assault  on his uncles and  kinsmen  in the new  revolutionary  battle,  amongst  the ruling  House  and class  in  Saudi  Arabia, to put its royal  house  in order. .

     

    Similarly  and  especially  in the UK, another  revolution of  the sexes  is going  on  which  I call   a War  of the sexes.   It   is one   that   UK  PM  Theresa  May  has dubbed the fight for ‘respect‘ by the  female    sex  in the now  much  amplified   and     highly    westernized  fight against  sexual  harassment.  I  call  it  Aikin  Mata  in  Hausa  which  means – Women  At  Arms,  the title  of a  drama  play  that I   took  part in at  the  Great  Ife,   years  ago. In   the play  Aikin  Mata, the  women  folk  in the community  sex – starved their  husbands  to  make a point and the husbands  found that uncomfortable  in terms of  fulfilling their  roles  as husbands  and played   ball   to  stop  the sexual  harassment  of the ladies. Now  in the US  and  the western world,  the  ball  is now in the court  of the ladies who  have gone hysterical  and   very    historical  in exposing   men   who  mad passes at them in their  work  places  in the past and the governments in that  part of the world are listening and  are punishing those randy  men  involved in such  episodes. Indeed  a politician in  Ireland  on  hearing some whiff  of his suggested  involvement in  the media,  committed suicide rather than face the opprobrium of sexual  harassment  and it was left  to  his  bereaved family  to lament post humously    that  he  was  not  given a chance  to defend  himself  as required  by law  or  the simplest  form of natural  justice.  To  me, sexual  equality  is  the fight  to make women  have the  same rights as men but  that  doesn’t mean  women  should  not be attracted to  men and vice versa.  In  calling it respect  Theresa  May  has opened  a new frontier of sexual  interaction and  relationship which  puts men  on the defensive and that too is a form  of sexual  harassment  or  discrimination.  Could she have said it because she is a woman?  Your  guess  is as good  as  mine and  your  answer  is  probably  dependent  on your  sex. Which  shows  clearly   how absurd  and disruptive this  so called   war  of ‘respect ‘  for ladies  have become.

    Let  us now go  back  to the  Russian  Revolution of  1917, hundred  years ago and  the effect of that on contemporary  and comparative  world politics. To  lead  us in this direction is BBC’s  Steve Rosenberg’s  historical  and educative analysis  titled ‘In  the shadow  of  Red  October ‘   on   the internet,  in which  he revisited 4  Russian  cities  namely  St  Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg  and  Khabarovsk   to  see  the effect  of  the Russian  Revolution. Rosenberg’s  analysis  is a master piece  in putting  historical  events in perspective and context  and making the lessons of history clear  and lucid.  I love it,  even as I confess   to  being emotional   and   obsessed  with the facts and  nitty  grrity   of    historical  exposures  and   hard  facts on play  in it  .Rosenberg  pointed  out that the Great  October Socialist  Revolution  as it became known – actually  took place on 7 November. But  in  1917 Russia was  using  a different calendar from  the West according to which the date was  October 25.

    In   present day Russia, it surfaced  that  the present  Russian  government has  tried  to distance itself  from  a Russian event  that was bloody  and violent  in bringing down  the Romanov dynasty that had ruled Russia for five centuries  and died when Czar Nicholas’  brother refused  the request of the Bolsheviks  to succeed  him. According to Bishop   Yevgeny  of the  Urais, – ‘ the Czar’s   killers  saw themselves   as gods.  This  sickness  of the mind became the fever   of the 20th  century‘.

     

    • Continued online

  • Culture, corruption and civilisation

    To  show  the sanctity  of  human  rights as well  as its limitation, social  scientists  have always invoked the saying that  ‘your rights end,  where my nose begins. This, really,  is an antidote against anarchy  and     prevent   a situation of limitless or uncontrolled  observance, practice and operations of human  rights in any  polity.  The  aim of such checks and balances  is to promote  political  stability  while enhancing civil  liberties. This  really  is the kernel  of  libertarian  democracy or  western  civilization as we know it today.  However events happening in the western  world today show clearly  that this check  on human rights and civil liberties  have been   derailed   and developing nations which blindly copy western culture at the expense of their own tradition and values,  should  be careful  in  the  way and manner we copy  western culture  and civilization  hook, line and sinker. That  is our food for thought today, in all  its ramifications.

    Just  imagine,  that   in Britain  Sir  Michael  Fallon,  the Defence  Secretary   resigned because a lady  party colleague reported that he touched  her knee   indecently   sometime ago  and the Minister confessed that culture has changed and   norms   that were  in  vogue,  years ago are no longer acceptable  now.  The  PM,   Theresa  May   a lady quickly  accepted the resignation. More  interestingly, the cause  of the resignation, Ms  Hartley  Brewer later  lamented  that  if the resignation was because  of her knee it would be ‘the most absurd reason in the universe ‘for anyone to lose their job. Which  also sounded  like  a remorse or compunction of sorts. Which  means there is some confusion in the new resort to retrospective punishment  for bosses who flirt or oppress female employees   or  colleagues  in their places of work. That,  clearly  is objectionable but  it  has   also has degenerated  into   an  ugly  vendetta  as several  women  have now woken up from  hitherto selective amnesia  to settle  scores  with carefree  former Romeos in high places and  on accounts  of  past  and  long  wounded love in some cases.  Yet  western  civilization  today thrives on these retrospective sexual  abuse   allegations in the choice of PMs, Presidents and the powerful  and mighty in the EU and  the US. The  best  example  is the allegation  that Donald  Trump  won the US elections because he is a misogynist  and that  Hillary  Clinton lost  also  as a consequence of that. Which  is quite bizarre in a civilization where  same sex marriage  is becoming   the vogue and gay  rights observance are replacing old cultural  values. Really  if   men  can now marry  men  and women do likewise  what is the sense in punishing people, men especially for dubious advances to women several  years  ago?  That  to  me is a clear sign of cultural  confusion or befuddlement and the law  should not be used retrospectively and in  such  reprehensible  manner to destroy reputations and activities  which  were the norm at the time of consummation   of relationship  and contact between people  of different sexes. Especially  now  that the vogue is that gay  rights are  assumed  to be civil rights. Surely  the old  lady  senator in the US  who  foretold   long ago  that femininity  or women  rights  would  lead  to  gay  rights was right after all. What  she did not  see then  is  the attendant  vendetta and feminine glee that would attend  such a cultural  development and social  hiatus  as we  behold  today  on a daily  basis  on such  sordid  backward  looking  and vindictive revelations in  the western  news  media.

    A  rather  similar  case of misuse  of rights  and the application  of the law in the pursuit  of civilization  and justice appear  in the aftermath of the suppression of secession   in  Catalonia     by the   Spanish  state  as well  as the case  by  former  Nigerian Oil  Minister Diezani  Allison  Madueke  to be brought  for trial  in Nigeria, a plea  opposed  vehemently  by Nigeria’s anti-corruption organization, the EFCC. In  both  cases the  political  culture and the law are  being stressed and turned on their  heads as it were by  the political  actors  and personalities  involved in both secession  and corruption which  are really  both sides of the same  coin namely  political  and economic corruption. However it is unbelievable   how these  events  have unfolded in terms of the topic  of the day.

    In  Catalonia where  the Spanish  government  has taken over control  of the rebellious  state according to the Spanish  constitution which  says Spain  is  indissoluble,   the former  president  and Chief  rebel  has fled  to Brussels, Belgium  while his cabinet  has been arraigned on charges of sedition, treason and misuse of public funds in  pursuing secession. Yet, in exile, the former President Puigedon  reportedly  seen  in  a café  recently  said his cabinet  colleagues should  not be tried by the government in   Madrid. Most  surprisingly to me thousands are reported to be demonstrating in Barcelonia  against  the trial  of those  who fomented secession  in  Catalonia when they knew clearly  they  were flouting the law  and constitution  of Spain in this regard. This  to me shows  that there is a misconception  in Spain  and Europe  generally  on human rights, democracy  and the rule of law. That showed clearly  in the way Police violence was roundly condemned in Catalonia  when  the Secession referendum went on despite the Supreme  Court  ruling  it illegal. How  else  could the police in Spain  have  controlled  those who flout the law with impunity  without resort  to force, the legitimate  weapon  of any state to enforce its rule  or law? Similarly   thousands  have demonstrated against  the arraignment  of the ring leaders  even though they  are against  the failed secession  bid.

    • Continued online

  • Global democracy, expectations and reality

    The  popular  conception of democracy as the government  of the people by the people and for the people has become a contentious issue in recent times.  Indeed  a school of thought  has it that the concept  has been turned on its head in many nations and democracy as a government  of the people has failed. It  is a widely     held view   that  you do not need to look  far globally  to see  the discrepancies  and anomalies in the practice of democracy  in various  nations that  have conducted  elections in the competition for power that democracy is all  about.   It    appears    really that   there is   a  grand global conspiracy  to make a mockery  of the concept of democracy  as an ideology  tailored to  meet the needs and expectations of voters  and electorates  in many democracies in our present world.  That  is  what we  therefore   confront today  in the light of events  and happenings in various  parts of the world this week.

    We  shall  start with China which is holding it five year   Party   conference at  which  the Chinese Communist  Party  routinely   justifies  its economic and political  policies  and vaunts its achievements  as a successful  democracy  and now  a new  world  power. We  look  at  Russia where  a socialite and  a political  light weight  and   a  woman  has emerged  to challenge  the powerful  President Vladmir Putin  for presidential  election next year  and examine the nature of that  interesting   democratic  competition. We  view  that alongside a published reward   in the US of 10m  dollars promised  to anyone able to bring out any dirty information on US President  Donald  Trump  so  that he can  be impeached immediately  rather than allowing him to  complete  the remaining three years  of his tenure. We  round  up with  Nigeria’s   former  President   Olusegun Obasanjos’  remark   that he will  not return  to his vomit  by rejoining  the PDP  and  the  announcement by an  APC  governor  that the Party  will  follow its constitution in deciding  whether   or  not   President  Muhammadu  Buhari   will  get an automatic ticket  to contest the coming 2019  elections.

    Let  me state that I start this discussion on a benchmark  of ideological  neutrality and do not care about any  claims of the  democracy of the right or left  as  the lines have become blurred over  the years as politicians of  all sides  and  the political divide  have taken the electorate for a ride one way or the other in literally  every political system  on earth. I ally  myself therefore  with the description given to German Chancellor Angela Merkel  who was described  as ideologically  anchorless. This  was said to be based on her  disillusionment with Communism  which collapsed in  East  Germany where she grew  up  and her  frustrations  with  Western  democracy  in   which  she  claimed  power in  a United  Germany    and   in which  she almost  lost  the same power because of her kindness  to Muslim  immigrants in the recent    general   elections in Germany. My  intention  here is to   analyse    democratic political  systems on a platform of performance  and responsiveness  to their  electorate’s  expectations  and on that score to determine which  is    more of a democracy  in  reality  –  failing which any  democracy can  be regarded  as a sham if  it  falls  short of the  criteria of performance  and   responsiveness.

    Starting with  China there  is no doubt  that China under President Xi  Ping has  made great  strides politically, economically  and  diplomatically  and the   Chinese  people  are basking in that euphoria  and are proud of their government. That  is a plus  for the Chinese leadership and it  does not matter  to me that the US Secretary  of State   Tillerson   said  on the  eve of his visit  to India  that the US will  move closer to India in Asia  because India is a better democracy  than China which  he accused  of giving out Infrastructural  loans to developing nations and saddling them  with loans without creating jobs.  But       China    has  ample if  not excess  capacities  in Construction, Cement   and Engineering   such that it is recreating the Old Silk  Road  that  in ancient  times linked  China by trade  with  Asia.  China     has   also   expanded  that trade  route   in recent times   to  link  China  by rail   to the EU  and   the  first   rail  lines in that regard   have  become functional.  It   is  important  though,   to mention that  the Communist  Party of China is  the  power  monopoly  in  China where  its  one million  membership  calls  the shots  and  controls the lives of about   1.5 bn Chinese  people but  it is  giving the dividends  of democracy to  the Chinese  people in terms  of national pride and excitement   in their  nation’s    sovereignty, progress  and composure  on the  world   scene.  The  only  disturbing thing  about  China is its confrontational    role in the  South  China Seas  with  its aggressive  diplomacy  of sending war  ships to seize  disputed  Islands. That  surely  threatens the  international  Rule  of Law  as  well as  the Law  of the Sea  and that is not good  for  China’s image as a member  of the  UN  Security  Council.

    In  Russia  the emergence  of a lady  whose father  employed  Vladmir  Putin  as a spy in the KGB  in the former  Soviet  Union  has been  branded  a charade  of democracy  by the main opposition leader to Putin’s  regime. That  opposition  leader  has been jailed  twice  on spurious  corruption  charges  and  has been disqualified  from  contesting and even  the lady  has  said  she is contesting because  of  his disqualification.  But there is no love lost between  the lady  and the opposition  leader  who  accused  Putin  of using the lady as a ploy or fake news to simulate an election as the lady  has no  political  constituency or  locus  for any  credible  election  in  Russia. Which  is however  not surprising as  Putin  has a great  reputation for manipulating elections both in Russia  and now famously in the  US.

    In  addition,  Putin  has a reputation  for  simulating elections  and  making a mockery  of democracy. He  also  has a proven  knack  for manipulating constitutions  and elongating tenure of office under  the carpet albeit  in plain public view .In  this regard  he has outlived two  US  presidents namely  George  Bush (2001  to  2008)  and  Barak  Obama (2009 to  2016)   and he  has cast a long shadow over the election of a third US  president in the person of  Donald  Trump  who  is fighting  for  his legitimacy  on charges that Putin’s Russia intervened in the 2016  presidential `elections to  favor  Trump’s election.

    So  in a way  Russia’s  brand  of  manipulative democracy  has outfoxed  that of the US  such that  the US legislature  and media see Russian hands in every issue connected  with the election of  Donald  Trump  who has in that vein  furiously   resumed his  2020  reelection  campaign  without  any pause  on his 2016  election.  Which  puts  US democracy  on tenterhooks in terms of its posture  or  stability and that creates a credibility  and legitimacy  issue  for  a  democracy  that prides itself on being the best example in the  world,  yet  cannot  protect or guarantee its  presidential  election    from  domestic turmoil or foreign interference.  If    you  add  to  this the  $10m     reward    for nailing   Trump  on impeachment    so  he does  not complete   his tenure  then  you  can  really   see why  something is rotten   in the state   of American    democracy.  Surely    this is not    the type of democracy  to be recommended  or sold,  for    now,  to  people hungry  for a real  government  of the people that fulfills voters expectations  and delivers on campaign promises.  American  democracy  under  Trump  which is gripped    by the balls  and neck  by Putin’s  iron grip  surely  has its best  days  well  behind  it in terms of recommendable  democracy credentials. And   that    really,  is a great  pity.

    Lastly,   we  take   a  look  at the comments of  former  President Olusegun  Obasanjo  that  he will  not return  to PDP the former  party in power  before  the 2015  presidential  election they  lost and that of an  APC  governor  that the APC  constitution will be used  to determine the incumbent  president’s eligibility  to contest. Both  to  me are two  sides  of the same coin. The  two statements are about  democracy  and succession and both are based on expectations  in a democracy. The  first  fact is that the PDP  for  now appears  to be sinking ship no matter  the bold face of its members in public.  The   second  fact is that the 2.8bn arms diversion  funds meant  to fight  Boko  Haram  has  done incalculable damage to    the    image   and reputation   of   that party  which was in power  then. Add  to that the   filthy   revelations  on  looting   and embezzlement   in the on going war on corruption  and  you  will  see  why  a former  president will  not want  to  be  seen  dead  in such  company  or  party.

    In  the same way,  the  assertion  that  the constitution  of the APC  will  determine   fate  of the incumbent  president to contest  in 2019   is performance  based. In  effect  the  party  is not sticking its neck  out for the president probably  because  it is not confident about the  performance of the government so far and  it does not want to put  all its eggs in one basket. Especially  as 2019  is still two  years  away  and the president  has recovered  from his illness  in time enough to swing the pendulum  of performance positively in his favor  for automatic reelection by the party  and  even or  the nation. The  situation  for  the APC  in terms  of positive  voter expectation in 2019  is  like  that  between  the   seller  and the  prospective buyer of   a live  tiger.  Both  must  look  at the merchandise  from  a safe  distance  to  consummate  the transaction.  Anything else  can  be fatal,   or  suicidal, this time politically  for 2019. Once  again, long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Fake news, vendetta and justice

    In  South Africa the  Supreme Court  of Appeal has ruled that the nation’s President Jacob  Zuma must face charges hitherto sidetracked to enable  him function as president since  he assumed  office. The charges are corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Formidable charges  you  can see  and you  want to tremble  on behalf  of the S African  president on how  he can survive such charges. But  he is not alone in carrying such allegations like the sword of Damocles  dangling  on his neck. The  US President Donald  Trump  carries  an array of daunting charges that  beggar  description and round up questioning not only his  competence to hold office but also  his sanity and  leadership  capabilities, if any,  by    his detractors. In   a  way Trump’s unenviable  burden  is self made  and originate directly   from  the fact that he called   New  York  Times,  CNN  and  Washington  Post  – Fake  News   and ever  since a cycle  of vendetta  has been  set in motion on any or all  issues   between  both camps. Similarly  in  Nigeria serious  allegations are  flying  between a Senator of the  Republic  and no less  a person  than the Inspector  General  of  Police who has  gone to court to stop  the Senate from summoning him  for questioning  at   the senate. While  the Senator  too has been taken to court by  the  government  on his allegations against  the Police boss. Also  on the international scene we  look  at how  both  Iraq  and Spain  have tackled  the unfolding drama  of a vote  for  secession in both  nations ‘regions of  Kurdistan  and  Catalonia.

    It  is my contention today  that fake news  is a threat  to the peace  and stability of any organization whether  political, economic or social. Fake  news  is  false  information and  it is plain lying or twisting of facts. It  is simply  mendacity  in all its ramifications. In  natural   human  morality,  fake news is condemnable in all  religions both  traditional  and modern. Those  who  lie  or ask  others  to  lie will  end up  in perdition  which  is a favourite  statement or warning of a former  Principal  of  CMS Grammar  School, Bariga,  Lagos. In  addition  those lied against  may  never  be able to extricate themselves from punishment, especially  when  the accuser is   also     the judge   and so   powerful  as to deter or frighten away  those  who  can say  the truth  and  prevent the innocent from being punished wrongly. This is where  the problem  of vendetta comes in whereby the accuser is the judge  and executor of the charges  brought  against the accused. A clear  case  was in Kenya’s 2007 Election violence in which  by 2012 ,the accused  had  become president  and there  was no willing witness to testify  agains the president  Uhuru  Kenyatta and his VP   at  the International  Criminal   Court  at   the   Hague on charges  of election violence earlier in 2007.  But  the saying that the truth  will  always  prevail  is a statement  of truth  whose veracity  may  at times be delayed or eliminated  for a while by those who profit  in   mendacity in the pursuit of their  small minded vendettas  against real and    potential  enemies. But  really  at  the end  the truth  always  prevails.

    Similarly  there   is the saying that the  mills  of justice may grind slowly,   but they  grind  exceedingly  fine. Let  us look  at  the events  and personalities we have identified in that  light.  Let  us look  at the Zuma case in which  prosecutors have resurrected 783  charges  against  the incumbent S African  president.  The  charges  relate  to a 1999 multi  million naira arms deal  in which a certain   businessman Shabir  Shaik claimed  some bribes  from a French  company on behalf  of  Zuma, who  has denied  the charges. Whether his denial is fake news or mendacity will be tested in court, now that  his tenure  and official  cover  as president is virtually  over and justice must be served.

    In  the case of  Donald Trump  versus  Fake  News it  is clear  that the vendetta   is at  boiling point such  that even  the threat  of nuclear annihilation from North Korea  pales  into insignificance as  far as both Trump  and the Media are concerned. At  the end it  is difficult  for the media  to be objective  in reporting anything about  the US  president while  the US president himself  is so engulfed  with  lambasting fake news that  he has this week  wondered in his many tweets  about removing the licence of those he has branded fake news.  This is something that the Media will  never take lightly and the fight  becomes  a real  mudslinging between  the two  protagonists. The  saying  that when  elephants fight it is the ground  that suffers is very apt here. Just  like  the medicine  man proceeds indignantly to break  the egg of the fowl  that upturned his medicine pot  in a clear ‘an eye  for an eye‘  syndrome.

    In   the case of  the   IG, Mr  Ibrahim  Idris asking  the court to stop  the Senate  President and Senate  from investigating him on the allegations  by APC  Senator Isa  Misau  representing Bauchi  Central  Senatorial  District,  that the IG  collected  10 bn naira monthly from   some  firms and highly placed Nigerians  for giving them security cover one  can  see vendetta very  much on play. The  IG  has  denied the allegations which sound  so unbelievable  and the IG  has gone on to  accuse  the senator as a deserter  who left the force with false retirement papers. But  both  gentlemen  are  entitled to justice and that is hearing both sides of the case. Which  means that the investigation in the senate  should go on as expected of the constitutional  role of the senate on such  allegations.  The  government too should  act within the law and our presidential  separation of powers  in the case against  the   senator. This  is because an IG  of  Police  should  not be hamstrung from performing his onerous  constitutional  duty of policing the Nigerian  nation.  Just  as the Senate  as an  arm of government  must investigate allegations  before it as required by the constitution  of the Federal  Republic of Nigeria regardless  of the motive  or clear  vendetta  behind it. That  really is the way  of justice  and equity in such political  matters and this cannot be an exception.

    The  truth  is that in any democracy legitimacy  of office  must  depend  on the will  of the governed and that  is reflected  in the result  of  any  election  according to the constitution.  It   follows therefore  that any  political system   that  fakes  elections or  rigs it   cannot claim  any  legitimacy  and  is only  existing on the borrowed  time  or   at best  a stolen  mandate  and  fraudulent legitimacy   based   on   a contraption of fake news.  In  Iraq the government in Baghdad  has ordered  the arrest of Kurd  leaders  who organized the Independence  referendum in the northern part of the Iraqi  nation. One  could ask  why the government in the center allowed the referendum in the first  instance. Indecision    here  could be a political  leadership  problem that creates the impression of getting wise  after the event. In  Spain  the Spanish PM has  foreclosed any  negotiation with  the President of  Catalonia  and is  studying the statement Catalonia’s President  made  to the Catalan  legislature  to see if it contained any declaration of Independence which will be against Spanish  Constitution  which says Spain is indissoluble. The  EU  too  has  announced  that it will  not accept  Catalonia into the EU because  it has acted illegally  outside Spain’s  constitution. That  is constitutionalism  as  distinct  from the vendetta ridden disposition of  some nations   and    institutions whose leaders  were  branded ‘vagabonds in power’   by   Fela Anikulapo  Kuti   because  they  thrive on vendettas and fake news in the application   and  administration   of justice both   socially  and   politically.  Once  again, long live  the Federal  Republic  of Nigeria.

  • Culture, politics and development

    I  watched  a traditional event in Ile Ife  last week end in which the youthful Ooni  of Ife played a great educative and modernizing role   on   Yoruba  culture  and tradition  and I could not resist  comparing that with the visit  this week   of the  81  year  old    King  Salman  of  Saudi  Arabia to Russia, a communist  state, in the quest to promote  the development  and security of   the  desert and  wealthy Middle  East  nation. The  age difference  of the two kings aside, it is the objective that drives their two roles as leaders in their respective nations that deserves our attention today and I   pursue  that with the on going attempt at secession in Catalonia in Spain. This,  I earlier labeled  the ‘Bullfight  Dance’ in comparison with Nigeria’s Python Dance  used   for  the suppression of renewed secession in our nation   I  also    take look  at the  new charge  of   corruption of about 25bn dollars proffered by the Minister of State   for  Petroleum  Resources  against the boss  of the NNPC, Nigeria’s major  oil  company  marred  in serious corruption charges   like  that of Brazil  which  has led  to the fall  of two  governments   and is tormenting the  present    Brazilian  president   seriously  for now.

    My  visit  to Ile  Ife was at the invitation of the Aro  and Asiwaju of  Ile  Ife,  Chief Alex  Duduyemi a  proud  promoter of Yoruba Culture  and highly  respected chief  of Ife  who was asked at the Olojo  Festival  this week  publicly by another high chief to retire immediately  to  Ile  Ife to help the young Ooni  to develop  the ancient  city. The Olojo  festival  is about the   Yoruba    fable   of the  origin  of  day  and night   and   that the universe was created in  Ile  Ife   according to Yoruba mythology. It  is an annual event to celebrate  Ogun, the Yoruba god of Iron  and Truth  and the famed mythical  supporter of technology  and industry  as we know it  today.

    The  Ooni  of  Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11,  wore  the famed Aare  crown  as expected at every  Olojo  Day  and he was doing this for the second time since he became a king but  it is the passion of the leading Nigerian  traditional  ruler for the resurrection and resuscitation  of our  traditional values  and history  that caught  my  attention. The  young ruler  told me that Nigerians have abandoned our traditional  values and  history,  especially  those  connected with the origin  of the human race,  its development and expansion  which he  affirmed  quietly  but ponderously  are  traceable historically  and scientifically to  Ile  Ife. He  insists  that modern research  is in the process  of confirming this including the use of DNAs  and he was  quite  serious  that  progress on this front  would soon  be revealed. I  was impressed  by his commitment  to this development  and certainly  wish  him success on that account but it is the traditional  accoutrement  of  Ogun  as the god of Iron  and truth,  particularly  truth, that caught  my fancy  in terms of modern political  and economic development. Especially  with  regard  to the Buhari  Administration’s  war on  corruption  and the new  charges of  lack  of due process  in the  award  of a contract  of 25bn dollars without the input of the NNPC  board     against  the NNPC , GMD Dr  Maikanti  Baru   by  the Minister  of State  for  Petroleum  Resources, Dr  Ibe  Kachikwu,  who was   the NNPC boss in that  capacity  before, and certainly  knew what  he was saying.

    It  is notable that the opposition PDP  has  seized  the occasion  to ridicule the government’s  declared war  on corruption by comparing  this with   the amount involved in the on going 2.9bn  dollars  arms purchase  diversion   case against  the Jonathan Administration by saying that the new NNPC scam is 10 times that, and wondering   mischievously   aloud  at what would be revealed after  the Buhari Administration left  office. Which  really  is   a great   challenge  to the great  effort  and commitment of the Buhari  government to   the war  on corruption, and in terms of which I  have a solution  or panacea   to  suggest   to  that  government’s pursuit  of the war against  corruption.

    This  suggestion is  from the celebration of the Olojo Day  at Ile  Ife  and flows from the Ooni’s quest that  we should return to our traditional  values,  customs  and history. Imagine therefore if Nigerian politicians, senators and legislators  were  asked to declare their  assets at the Ogun shrine in their various localities  to ascertain their  truth or otherwise, just   because  the  Yoruba mythology  holds  Ogun  as not only the god of Iron  but also  of truth. I suspect  a lot of Nigerians would  laugh  at that. Yet,  if you look  at the huge sums of money being stolen into private pockets,  at   all  levels   of   government and governance, this simple suggestion may  not be that laughable  if we  are   serious   to  deter  and discourage  politicians and those   stealing public funds into their  pockets with impunity in our midst. I  also  know that both Christians and Muslims would rail against this proposal  as  a  return  to paganism. Yet   in  European  history  especially in   France  the  guillotine was evolved to behead  people who stole public  funds in the French  Revolution and Napoleon  Bonaparte who came to power  at  that  time famously  stated  that religion was created by the rich to prevent their being killed  by the poor. Even  in China the penalty  for stealing of public funds by the state officials is death  till  now. In  the  Phillipines, the new  president was elected  on a campaign to kill  narcotic peddlers   and merchants   and he is using his mandate in that direction so far. Surely  desperate diseases require desperate cure  and if we must really fight corruption then  we must behave like American President Donald  Trump  who  boasts daily that  all  options, including the military are on the table in tackling North Korea’s missile  testing young leader Kim. The  same  should be said of the fight against  corruption in terms of deterrence and in terms of a return  to our roots in finding  solution to  the  cancerous  problem  of  corruption in our midst. Surely  it is not too late  to return to our roots in this regard and I doff my hat to the Ooni  and wish him well  in his new endeavor to resuscitate our traditional  values  and customs.

    Concerning  the visit of the Saudi King  Salman  to  Russia , my initial  reaction was to echo  the famous diplomatic  cliché  that in diplomacy  there  are no permanent  enemies  but permanent  interests. In  this case oil  is the cementing factor  that has brought a feudal  aristocracy from Saudi Arabia  where the royal house  of Saud calls the shot  to a communist  Russia that is now embedded in Syria in the Middle  East  and is the latest nightmare for  the Americans   and  their politics. As  they now see Russia lurking behind any  elections in their  nation especially the last presidential election that gave them a president who   has since made tweets  and fake news the new name of the ever  powerful US media to their total  disbelief, horror  and deep  consternation. The  Saudi  King  came with a 1000 man entourage  and has  signed new  oil deals with Russian strong man Vladmir  Putin and the Saudis are buying  military  hardware  from the Russians too. That  is the business and military side. There  is also  the third side which is more important and  that is to keep  Sunni Islam closer  to the Russians who  are now established in the Middle  East  and that can check  the advance  of Shia Islam in Lebanon and  Syria. Especially  with the huge  power  and expansion of  Hizbollah  in the entire Middle  East. In  a way  you  may say the Saudis have woken up  from their historical  complacency  and are ready  to play  the high stakes  and game of diplomacy  to  keep  the price of oil high  and running  so  that the good times  drying out in Saudi  Arabia  can continue as expected before the present oil glut.

    In  the case  of Spain  and the victorious Catalan Independence referendum,   the Spanish  state  has read  the riot act to the Police Chief in Catalonia  and he is being investigated  for sedition which is rebellion against the state and he can go to jail for  15 years  if found guilty.  In  addition the  Socialist  Party in Catalonia  has gone to court to stop  any  declaration of Independence  from the last referendum declared  illegal  by the Spanish  King, the PM  and  now the EU. Surely  Spain’s Bull  Fight  Dance  has been as effective as our own Python Dance. Really   both are birds of the same feather in nipping secession in the bud. Here  the military  training   and  excuse  provided the answer. In  Spain  the law  court  and the regional  body  EU   used the rule  of law. To  me the end  justified  the means on both occasions. Once  again, long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • ‘Sovereignty, security and prosperity’

    The  topic  today was taken  out of Donald Trump’s  unique, first 40 minute  speech  to the United nations this week.  He  took  them  from  the Marshall  Plan which  the US   used  to build  Europe after  the massive destruction of the Second  World War and they were called ‘the pillars  of peace’. In    this period  characterized  by terrorism, migration, insurgency, violence  both man- made and natural,  it may sound far fetched to be referring to pillars  of peace  especially  in a speech in which  the same Trump  went on to threaten  the annihilation of a member nation of the UN, namely  North Korea, if it goes on provoking America  and its allies. But  really  while selling  the above concepts   as  pillars  of  peace  the boisterous  and mouthy  US  president simply  used the occasion  and speech to highlight that the  US under  his presidency is at  daggers  drawn with its  enemies. And like the old cowboys  of  the Wild  Wild West  the  US    has  its  hands on the gun ready  to shoot down real  and imagined  enemies both within  and without the UN  General  Assembly. Which in terms of ringing an alarm bell  on peace in our time, simply beggars description.

    Donald  Trump’s   main grouse in that speech  was that authoritarian, rogue   regimes  in the world  are trying  to spoil the values of freedom  and liberty  created  and prevalent  in a world put in place by the victors  of the second  world war,  and the US in his time will put  a stop  to that.  To  ensure  this he asked for strong, sovereign nations    and a coalition  of strong nations to ensure global  security  as a prerequisite  for  global  prosperity. That  means that  the speech   is  a  mere  ratification  and rationalization of  his America First campaign, even  as he asserted that    he   expected all  the world leaders to adopt  this   for  their   individual  nations  because  that is what  their  people in their various nations expect  them  to do. This  to the US president is crucial  because  according to him  –  To  put  it simply we meet  in a time of  both  immense    promise  and great  peril.  In   effect  Donald  Trump  has booted  diplomacy and internationalism  aside  and  has   invested  American  global  policy with a toga  of  Isolationism   and  Nationalism   marching  along  in a coalition of strong  sovereign  nations he has not identified.

    Anyway, one of the US allies, France through its president  has criticized Trump  on his cold shoulder  on Climate  Change Deal  and Concensus  and went further in an interview  with Amanpour   on  CNN  to say that  Nationalism always invariably  leads  to war.  But  the nations of the EU  or  western civilization, reconstructed   and   rebuilt    on the pillars  of   peace  speech in Trump’s reference to the Marshal  Plan,   are  leaderless  in taking issues with the US  under Trump.  According to experts on diplomacy, even  if  Trump  has  been bullish and incoherent, France  has  an untested leader, Britain  has  gone isolationist with Brexit  so  that  leaves the leadership of the EU  to  Germany led  by Chancellor Angela Merkel   and  critics  have been quick  to point out that in a fighting, violent  world now created by Trumpism, historical  German allergy  to war  stemming from the horror  of Nazi Germany makes German leadership  of the EU an improbable  and unlikely prospect.  That  possibility  and prospect  are  what we shall  appraise today  in the light of the three  pillars of peace identified by Donald Trump. Especially  now  that   the German  general elections takes place on 24th  September   tomorrow and  from  all  indications  Angela Merkel,  widely regarded  as the most  powerful woman  in the world  is likely  to win and her party the Christian  Democrats are expected  to be  in government alone or in a coalition with one or two  parties. It  is time therefore  to look  at  the Angela Merkel   leadership  and its grip  on the German electorate  which  is widely   expected to   see  her get  an amazing   fourth term  as Chancellor  of  Germany.

    In  a brilliant internet  article   Angela Merkel  was portrayed  as  ethical  rather  than ideological; reactive  not  pragmatic  and  detached rather than engaged  on issues.  That  can really  explain  why  she has   survived  many  dicey  political  and social  issues in recent times. The  two  that come to mind  are  the decision to let in about one  million migrants to  Germany  which  strained nerves in Germany  and earned the criticism and contempt  of Donald Trump.  The second  was her  U- turn  on gay  marriage  after asserting that marriage was between  a  man  and a woman  and the  human family  flows  from that.  To  those accusing her of  inconsistences  she has replied  that  –  Merkel  is Merkel, with all  the risks  and  side effects.   Her  critics have gone on to accuse her of being politically  rudderless  and  conveniently  shifting left  or right depending on  circumstances. To  her  prosperity  must  be earned  and  fairly distributed;  the state   must not boss  people around and must  support them;  refugees  must integrate; and  diversity  is strength. Merkelism, her  political  strategy  or manner  of leadership  has been described as the absence  of political anchors. This  then  is the leader the  Germans are expected  to return  to power tomorrow,  ceteris  paribus as the economists say  even though  we all  know that things are not always  equal. Let  us now see the type of opponent or leadership that the German leader faces in the new world of  Trumpism  under the threat  of nuclear  annihilation.

    Let  me note that I have  found  the verbal  artillery unleashed in defiance of sleek  diplomacy at the UN this  last  week  quite  fascinating and interesting. Trump called the N Korean leader Rocket  Man on a suicide mission. The  NK  leader Kim  branded Trump  deranged  and thinks that makes his nation’s  quest  for nuclear power plausible. To  me both leaders  have mutually underrated each  other. If  Kim  is suicidal, it is the US  that should  be careful  because a suicidal  leader is ready  to die and those opposing him should  avoid him, unless they want to go  to oblivion with him. Israel  has great experience on how  the arrival of the suicide bomber  changed  the balance of terror in favor of the Palestinians  in the power game  of Middle  East  politics. Secondly  if Trump  is really deranged as Kim  claims  then the world as we know it is no longer  safe  and Kim  should prepare his will and  sing O Lord  I am coming home, even in his native atheistic, Communist  Korea   because no  one can survive the fury  of the most powerful leader in the world whose  sanity  has been questioned stridently  both at home and abroad.

    Some  analysts have said that the NK leader is simply  asking for a suitable balance  of deterrence or terror in  seeking nuclear   power  and the US  should  accept  this but  the US   is not ready  for this. That  is the problem  that the world waits on  with  abated  breath  in a world of  dangerous balance  of deterrence  or terror characterized  by  boasts, intimidation  and  threats  -BIT.  Which  sadly  is  the new  verbal  artillery  world of both the Korean leader  and the US president. I call  it the new BIT  balance  of terror and pray it does not  consume us  all  as it  has consumed global  peace and  diplomacy  right before  our eyes in recent times. Once again  long live the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Deterrence, security and democracy

    Operation  Python  Dance  by the Nigerian  Army   in   the Eastern   part  of Nigeria   is  on the surface  a mere  military  exercise  to put the troops in a state  of  combat  readiness.  But, in reality,   it is  a clear   signal  to insurgents and secessionists  in that  environment  that  the government is in charge of the security of the Nigerian state  and will  crush any challenge  from any quarters  in the vicinity in that regard. It  is the Nigerian state  attempt  at deterrence  and I welcome and support it.

     This is because a government  in any  nation,  is any government that can exclusively regulate  the legitimate use of physical  force  in enforcing its rule within a given territorial  area and the Buhari  government  has just  shown its  hand  in the east  this time  as it  has done in the North  East  with Boko  Haram  up  till  now. You  may  even  say  the government  has bared its fangs discriminately  in the east and has avoided  the murderous herds men  raiding and destroying  farmlands in the North Central and  South  West,  but  that does  not detract  from  the fact   that at least  for once it has raised its hand militarily to stem  the rising  tide of secession that is fast  creating a state  within a state  in the Nigeria polity.  That  action or  Operation  Python  Dance  and  similar  military   exercises  have raised pointed   questions in other political systems globally as to the   real   duties of the military  and people have wondered aloud  on  the efficacy  of creating security through the deployment of soldiers on the streets  to protect the populace  and   deter  trouble   makers.  Indeed  the question  has been  raised in   NATO  nations    and the EU   IN  recent  times on whether such  troops  on the streets  are targets or  deterrent  to  terrorists, secessionists and insurgents. Questions are  also  being asked on the  whittling   capability  or  danger  of such street  deployment on the state of battle  readiness of such  troops and  the Nigerian Army cannot be an exception in that regard too. But  then  security  is necessary  for  the Nigerian  state  to maintain stability and safety  of the life and property  of Nigerians according to the Nigerian  constitution and the rule of law  and that  essentially is what Operation Python  Dance  is all  about  and I  agree  with its stated  objective and the spirit of  its enactment  and execution  so far.

    Let  us  now  take a peep at other parts  of the world  where challenges to the state and its structure have occurred and how such  challenges have been  handled. Good  examples   this week  are    Catalonia,  in   Spain  and  Pakistan where  the Supreme  Court turned down  an appeal  that removed the politically powerful Prime Minister Nawaz  Sharif  from  office for  financial  misconduct  traceable to the global  Panama Papers  that   revealed recently   that   several  corrupt  politicians had  offshore accounts in the Caribbean Islands.

    In   Spain  the state  of  Catalonia  appealed  to  the King  of Spain  King  Felipe and  the PM  of  Spain, Mariano  Rajoy to  allow  dialogue  and not halt the Catalonia state decision  to hold  a referendum on Independence  which the  Catalonians  have slated  for October 1, this year. The  King  of Spain  reportedly  stated recently at a state  occasion  that the Spanish  constitution can  take care of any   potential  rupture of the Spanish   nation, through its  constitution. The  PM  on the other  hand has commented  severally  that the  Spanish  Constitution  makes  Spain indivisible and  the government  prosecutors  have started  preparing cases against the Governor  of   Catalonia  and Mayor  of  Barcelona the   biggest city in Catalonia involved in the proposed referendum  for Catalonia  Independence  expected  to hold on Oct  1.  The    Spanish  PM  has declared   the referendum  illegal. But  the secessionists  are  adamant  and have gone on organizing and  planning the Independence  project in such a way  that public servants will  not be involved so that they do not compromise  their  neutrality  and loyalty  to the Spanish  state. Yet  the secessionists are  going ahead and their  leaders,  Catalonia’s Governor  Charles  Puigdemont and Barcelona Mayor  Ada  Colan  made this memorable statement  this week – ‘We  call  for an open  and unconditional  dialogue. A  political  dialogue based on the legitimacy we  all  have,  to make possible something that in a democracy  that   is never a problem and even less a crime; listening to  the voice  of the people.‘

    What  is   instructive  and   important   here  is that the leaders of  the   Catalonia  secession referendum claim legitimacy and monopoly  in hearing the voice of the people yet  are challenging  the power of the Spanish state  in going ahead after the PM of Spain  has declared the referendum illegal. The  Catalonian  leaders  must  be prepared for the consequences  of their actions for 0ct 1   which    the   legitimate  central  government has declared illegal. Going ahead with the Independence referendum makes them disobedient of the Spanish  constitution which makes Spain indivisible. One  can  only wait to  see  what will  happen as I do not see either the King or the PM bending the Spanish  constitution  to accommodate the Catalonia referendum of Oct 1. Which  means something   has to give somehow  and we can expect something like  Operation Bullfight  Dance very   soon in Spain ostensibly  along the line of the Nigerian  Army  Python  Dance  going on in  the  East  at  this  moment.

    The  Supreme  Court in Pakistan has shown clearly  that in a democracy, no  one, no matter  how  democratically  popular  should  be above the law. That  has been shown  in the way it  has removed  the politically  powerful former PM Nawaz  Sharif  from  office some time ago and  has  gone  on to confirm the  dismissal  by throwing away the appeal this week. Nawaz, to show  his durability, power   and    impeccable   democratic  credentials, has put in  place  his choice of a leader  as his replacement. This  is because  his party has majority in both Pakistan’s  legislature. But  justice  has been  served and the rule  of law has prevailed.

    What  Nawaz  Sharif has  been punished  for   by a  court  which  does not care whose ox is gored is instructive. He  did  not disclose a salary he was receiving from a relation’s account and even  though the Court  earlier  found  him  innocent of the Panama Papers scandal, it ordered  fresh  inquiries  of his vast wealth  and that threw  up  the incriminating deal  that led  to his removal  as PM. The  Court  also  found his daughter he was grooming to succeed  him politically  guilty of corruption  and therefore  ineligible to succeed him politically in future  in Pakistan’s  highly  volatile  politics.  That  is definitely  a good  sign that Pakistan’s  politics  is fast  weaning itself  of corruption  that has bedeviled it in recent times   and has always been an harbinger for military intervention in that  Islamic state’s  nuclear charged   political  environment.  Once  again long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • Diversity, diplomacy and confederation

    It  is becoming obvious that the world as  we know it is going to change for good  or bad whether  we like it or  not.  I am  not talking about the  doomsday  gibberish, the  religion  end of the world salvation blackmail or even the big bang computer that did not   turn up  as highly predicted  in 2000. I am  saying that this world is changing before our eyes  and there is nothing that we can  do about it.  Actually   that   was what   the Change  Management    experts   were  saying when   they  said  that the concept was an  oxymoron    and  that  change    was not manageable. Well,    the  hurricanes  in  the US  and the Carribeans    have shown  that nature  can  be disastrous   and   unmanageable   even  if predictable. In  terms  of the above topic   global  change   has shown  it has no   masters  from any part of the world. I, for one have decided to enjoy the spectacle  and  I  ask    you    henceforth   to enjoy the amazing and unfolding     global  panorama    on this  page with me.

    Let  me first start   with   some sort  of anecdotes  before  unfolding the attendant masquerades. On  the world  stage North  Korea being vilified  by the US was given a podium in another nation jointly calling for restraint from the US whose president this same week said  he had  not ruled  out the military option in dealing with N Korea’s nuisance global nuclear threats  and missile  tests . In  Nigeria it took a woman  minister to bell  the cat  and set the ball  rolling for  the 2019  presidential  election. Just   as  the Yorubas  called  for a Confederation and    labeled  it Regionalism because  that sounded historical  and less pugnacious   in the pursuit  of Restructuring. Which  happens to be the latest political  digression  from the declared  war on corruption  by the Buhari  Administration   since  assuming  power  in the 2015  presidential  elections. In   the US  the  former  presidents  have come together  to support a 15.2 bn dollars   relief  fund to support  victims of the Hurricane  Harvey  that wreaked havoc in the  US  recently  to show  the American  people  that they still  care even  though they  are out of office.  They    have   shown  that   out of sight is not out of mind and that really  counts where human management and  public responsibility   matter   as it  should,  in any polity.

    Starting with  N Korea it is apparent  that no  one really  knows  how the dreadful  charade  would  end.  It would  appear  however  that  Russia  is making merry  with the American  embarrassment  over  the entire  issue for clearly malicious  if diplomatic reasons . At  an Economic  Conference  attended by N Korea’s Minister in the  Russian city  of  Vladivostok  this week, the Russian  president spoke  along side the Japanese PM Shinzo  Abe  and the S Korean  President  Moon Jae  -in  and asked   the US  not  to play into N Korea’s  hands by  putting pressure on NK    with   President   Putin   warning  that  ‘its  counterproductive  to inflate this military  hysteria, as  this leads  nowhere. ‘Which  actually   is highly skeptical  and mischievous  especially  with regard  to the company of world leaders  he was in whose nations are on the front line with  N Korea.

    Japan  has seen  N Korea shoot  missiles over its air space in violation  of international  law in recent times  and S Korea is  carrying out war games   with  US   war   planes on its border with N Korea with  live ammunition,  which N Korea   claimed  are provocative   and are  responsible  for its nuclear  threats and tests. Yet  S Korea’s  new president was elected a few months ago on a platform  of peace  but  has  no choice if the US decides on the military  option. Is  the Russian  President Putin speaking his  mind and speaking for S Korea? Does  that mean that S Korea is shifting alliance  from the US to Russia in the Korean Peninsular’s   volatile  and war prone diplomacy?   The  same questions  can  be asked of the Japanese PM present at the occasion. Moreso as the NK Minister  for External  Economic  Relations reportedly said  there that –  ‘the US should by all  means keep  in mind the nuclear status  of our country which owns nuclear and hydrogen bombs and intercontinental  ballistic  missiles‘.

    It  is apparent that the US in the absence of the military option  can  only  seek  sanctions to  call  N Korea to  order but that can only make that rogue nation more desperate and dangerous  for global  peace. In the past sanctions  have given way to economic aid in the time of the grandfather  and father   of the present youthful NK leader. But  he  has shown he is a different and implacable  proposition as a leader. Just  as the Americans  and their European  and Pacific allies  have discovered  that they  have an equally unexpected  proposition as the leader of the American  people to contend with in global  diplomacy   and international  relations.  More  ominously  for the US  and  its allies is the fact that the new US  president is at war  with the molders of public  opinion  in the US and that is affecting his  conduct  of foreign  policy  and diplomacy.  President   Donald  Trump  has had  to play  to  the gallery  in dealing with both domestic  politics and international  issues  and nowhere  was that more apparent than in the way  he calmly  told  the  press  that the military option  was not ruled out in N Korea.  He  has  labeled the CNN as  fake news  and has   thus  murdered sleep   in the  news media  estimate  and like Macbeth  in Shakespeare’s  play, he will  not sleep  again.  Not  on Russia, and  definitely  not on NK. And  the issues  involved  will  not be appraised dispassionately  as required in both diplomacy and politics at  home and abroad in the US  because  both the US media  and their president  are  looking at issues  with jaundiced  eyes  filled with mutual  hatred  and  sheer  hatred for each  other. This  has created the unusual  political effect  and decision  of the new US President to start  campaigning  for  reelection  in four  years  time  because  he felt his fight  with the media can  only be sustained   by  the tweet  technology  that brought him  political  fame  and power  and he needs  the rhetoric  of election  campaign.   This    is   to  enable   him  face a press  out to get him on Russian meddling  in 2016 US elections by  denting his legitimacy  in the pursuit  of that goal. In  all  these  American  diversity as a nation  of migrants, its diplomacy  and much  vaunted  political  culture   of free speech  and human  rights  are being  sorely  tested  while the world  worries  on the results.  Meanwhile  the Russian  leader  puts  spanners  in the works  for  a  US  that has put Russia  under   economic  sanctions    for  various  transgressions  of International  law especially  in  Ukraine and   quite   recently  for  hacking US  presidential  elections. Surely  the end is far from  being in sight and  the future   is most  unpredictable   for the US  and  its  new unconventional   president.

    In Nigeria the next  presidential  election  is slated  for 2019  but  a cabinet  Minister  has set  the ball  rolling  by   declaring that  she would support  another  undeclared  candidate  other  than the incumbent president whose  appointment  she is still  enjoying. The  Minister  is Aisha  Alhassan, Nigeria’s  Minister  for  Women  Affairs and  Social  Development who  said  there  was no going back on her announcement to support former Vice  President Atiku  Abubakar  in the 2019  presidential  election. Let  me   say   here    that   I doff  my hat to the lady  for  her bravery  and bluntness. She  said the president told her that he would only  go  for one  term  of office  and he expects him  to keep  his word. Well, the president is not dead  and can put the records straight  and  do  the needful. But  this gallant lady  has dared  the lion  in its den  and is still  a Minister. She  reminds me in terms of audacity of the president’s  wife who  cried  foul  that her husband  has been  surrounded by strangers  and that people  who did not campaign with him  are  being given important  political  appointments.

    It  appears  that in Nigeria it is only  women  politicians  who  have  the balls  to  speak obvious  political  truths which  the men  have lost the balls or guts  to say out  on important issues.  I  remember  the play  Aikin Mata  which I took part in at  the Great  Ife  whose  title means’ Women At Arms  ‘directed by former  Kwara  State  Governor  Cornelius Adebayo and  his  colleague,  now  a famous  professor. Indeed Nigerian  women  are  at arms  and they  cannot  be kept in the kitchen  for much  longer.  Certainly   Aisha  Alhassan   has blazed  a trail  like  our  First  Lady  and  I   commend  both  sincerely   for speaking their mind and    walking   gingerly    where  angels  fear     to tread.

    Finally  the Yorubas   have met in Ibadan  their former regional  government    capital  and asked  for  a return to regional  government along  the line of the 1960  and  1963  constitutions.  The   Yorubas always know what  they  wanted  but have  not been  able to get  it,    and  that  is leading Nigeria  from the front seat  since  they  think  education  their  main ethnic  talent  makes  them  capable of doing this  . Yet  they  lag  behind in modern Nigeria power  politics  because their  only   leader, the sage Obafemi  Awolowo  wanted  them  to lead  a bigger  Nigeria than that of Nkrumah’s  Ghana  and  did  not leave the contraption called Nigeria  when  the   West   had self –  government in 1958. Now  in 2017  Yorubas  are  calling for a Regional  government  but  are making the claim  for  a Confederation  and  I  feel  that is not brave enough . What  is wrong with a Confederation if  we must restructure?   That  is the  big ‘bold question  to  be asked  and Yoruba  leaders  should seize the bull  by the horn  and put the question  on the table  once  and for  all  for  consideration by the  Nigerian  polity.  We  do not need another Moremi  from  Ife  to  unravel  us from  the forced  marriage of  1914   and the  military command structure  that  has served Nigeria  so  lopsidedly   as  a  slip   shod  federation  since  1960,   purely   to  the benefit  of those ‘born  to rule‘  in their  very  mistaken  estimation. Once  again  long live the Federal  Republic  of Nigeria.

  • Sustainability, structure and leadership

    I attended  the 90th  birthday   ceremonies  of a quiet  but great Nigerian at Ile  Ife  and  Lagos and what I learnt at a unique birthday event  is what I want  to share  with the public  at large today and that is what has dictated  the topic  in this column. The  celebrant is Chief Iyiola Omisore, a  structural  engineer and doyen of  engineering in Nigeria and I went to Ife in the company of his relation, the debonair and calmly dignified business  mogul  and   barrister  at law,  Chief  Alex  Duduyemi, the Aro  and Asiwaju of Ife.

    Let  me state  clearly  here that at  Ife  I saw how a community  shows  appreciation and gratitude for services rendered  selflessly, to one of its own in the  large   turn out    of    people  at both the  church service  and the reception to  mark this birthday. At   the  Church  service  there  were  about  30  Obas  wearing  their  crowns  and they  were  led by  the Oni  of  Ife himself  Oba Enitan Ogunwusi. The  Oni,   whose royal stool is the pride of Yoruba race was in the church  service  as well  as the reception  where in a rare   but very   royal    mixture  of youth and age,  he,   in silent  dignity   sat   by the side  of the 90 year  old celebrant.  I  confess  to being carried  away by the spectacle  which  I still  recall  with great pleasure and crave indulgence   and   understanding   of   any trait  or accusation  of exaggeration  or   hyperbole. This is because in a society where the traditional  society and modern polity  are always at each  others  neck, and at a weekend where in Ibadan 20  Obas  were being installed  and the Olubadan stayed away , one can  be excused at being  so fascinated  by the beautiful sight of the foremost  Yoruba Oba, the Oni leading  a huge show of communal   gratitude to an  illustrious  son of  the land  Chief  Iyiola Omisore  at his 90th  Birthday reception.

    However,   it was the birthday   symposium at  the prestigious  Yoruba Tennis Club in Onikan  Lagos  that  I got  the meat  or ammunition for  today’s  topic. The  title of the symposium was  ‘Sustainability    in  a built  –  environment, the Nigerian  perspective’,  and it was a very educative and intellectually rewarding event,   not  in terms of the usual academic rhetoric but in terms of practical  suggestions  to move the Nigerian society forward   on  infrastructure  and improved  quality of life  which is the kernel  of the concept  of  sustainability in the first instance. Obviously  the choice  of sustainability  in the built  environment  came from the fact that the celebrant is a structural  engineer  who  felt  that education matters in developing the Nigerian  environment  as demonstrated  by his own life.  He  had  grade  one for his school  certificate  and he won  a prize  of five guineas for being the best student  at his school  abroad  in   England and was given  the  prize by  the city’s Mayor  at a civic reception.

    The  Chairman  of the occasion was the law guru Alhaji  Femi  Okunnu, also  Chairman of the Board  of Trustees of the YTC, whose  current Chairman  Professor Tokunbo  Fabanwo ,was the host. The  discussants were Professor  Ibidapo  Obe, former Unilag  VC, Professor Peter Okebukola   former  Executive  Secretary NUC, and Ayodele  Aderinwale, Deputy Coordinator  of the Obasanjo Presidential  Library.  Setting the ball  rolling was Professor Fabanwo who asked  the non  professor  amongst  the discussants  Aderinwale to  seek  a professorship in a humorous but pedantic manner to a huge applause. I  will  proceed now  to  what  the discussants said in brief and comment  on these.

    Professor  Ibidapo  Obe spoke  on the theme – Rome  was  not built in a day –  and that really  captured the  essence of the topic  as he illustrated  with the way  the ancient  Romans built facilities that endured and were tailored to enable Rome  to attack it enemies  while providing security  for   its   citizens. He  also   analysed  the  topic  in terms of the hope of continuous improvement with regard  to set  tasks  till  the set goals and objectives  are achieved  and  stressed that education  matters in  all  human endeavors. Professor  Okebukola  insisted that all  that needs to be done to make education improve the lot of the Nigerian  society have  been made  available in different resolutions and papers on education such that he has refused to take on proposals for such projects again. He  cited surveys that showed  that the standard of education  has fallen   generally  in  Nigeria. He called  up his former school mate at Remo  Secondary  School, Otunba  Ladi  Solanke  who he said was the best student in Arts during their HSC and  noted  that if he had represented the NUC  as  the lawyer    as he did  during his time there  would be no  ASUU  strike  like  the on going one that has paralysed  the Nigerian university  system. The  third  discussant   Aderinwale  identified leadership as the bane of the quest  to achieve sustainability in the built environment  in the Nigerian  context. He  lamented  the poor state and dilapidation of our cities as well  as the shame  and insecurity  of  the  numerous slums and shanties  all over Nigeria.

    In  rounding up, the Chairman of the occasion and  former  Federal  Works  Minister  Alhaji  Okunnu  also identified  ethnicity  as a major  obstacle  to  the achievement  of sustainability in a built  environment. He  lamented the absence  of a Nigerian leader  and gave the historical example of former President Nnamdi  Azikiwe  an  Igbo, born in Zungeru  and who  was elected  as the First  Lagos  member for Lagos, a Yoruba city  as the prime example   of a non ethnic  and Nigerian leadership  that has since eluded  our political  system  now  convulsed  by tribalism  and ethnicity  making sustainability  in a built environment difficult. Really  as a former Federal  Works  Minister  and as a  foremost  lawyer Alhaji  Okunnu is well placed to know where the shoe  pinches on sustainability  and stated that  education under our constitution is  a state  matter  and has been usurped by the federal  government even with regard to his alma mater, his beloved Kings  College. I  know that if he had time Alhaji  Okunnu  would  have dwelt on land matters  and castigated the   take  over of some sea shore  land in Lagos  state by the federal  government   as well   as  the high  emoluments of our law makers,   and he would have linked both as  obstacles  to the attainment   of   sustainability in a built  environment and he would be right.

    With  regard  to the non  professor’s submissions on lack  of leadership  I found his presentation quite professorial  and educative. But  since  he hailed  professionally  from the Obasanjo  Leadership  Forum  and  is now  Deputy  Coordinator  at  the Obasanjo  Presidential  Library, he  should be  reminded of the saying that – we  have seen  the enemy  and the enemy  is us. Which means that on leadership, charity  should begin at  home at the heart of Abeokuta where the beautiful Obasanjo  Presidential  Library  is located. Again  on the issue of the absence  of a Nigerian leader,    as claimed  by Alhaji  Okunnu, I beg  to disagree as I think  former President Olusegun  Obasanjo  would fit that  bill  or vacancy easily. That  was  what   his  pal    former General    Theophilus    Danjuma  was saying when,   before the 1999  presidential campaign he vowed that if  Obasanjo  lost  the presidential   election,   he   –   Danjuma -would leave  Nigeria because  Obasanjo  was  so  Nigerian, his people  the Yorubas  hated him ,  which also  was cruelly  but debatably true. Once  again, happy  birthday to Pa  Omisore at 90  and long live the Federal  Republic  of Nigeria.