The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday

  • NIIA: Resurrection of the seed?

    By Segun Ayobolu

    In the beginning was the seed and the seed was sown and, despite the inescapable vicissitudes of triumph and adversity of life for man or institutions, has blossomed into a veritable Iroko tree. The beginning in this context was 1961, a year after Nigeria’s independence. The seed was the then fledgling Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) established that year. The sower was the Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa-led federal government of the first republic, which envisioned the institute as the foremost think tank on the formulation of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which would provide an intellectual fountain to nourish foreign policy decision makers with research -based and informed, knowledge -driven advice on the best foreign policy options for the country.

    Even if today Nigeria, unfortunately, falls far short of the high leadership expectations  of her at independence both in Africa and the world at large, the truth is that we can look back with nostalgic pride at an era that can be described as the golden age of Nigerian foreign policy. This was a time when Nigeria’s military served with distinction in peace keeping missions abroad in various parts of the world and, buoyed by humongous oil revenue earnings, the country played a frontline role in the struggle to liberate the continent from the last vestiges of colonialism in Southern Africa particularly the obnoxious apartheid regime in South Africa.

    And a key contributor to the philosophy of Africa being the centre piece of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which informed the country’s anti-imperialist stance, was the NIIA, which was a source of expert advice and unceasing, productive intellectual engagement on various foreign policy options for the country. Even if many believe that its glorious years lie in the past after six decades of existence, just as the acclaimed golden era of Nigeria’s foreign policy, it is undeniable that the NIIA remains an intellectual institution of immense stature that the country can remain proud of. The institute has always had scholars of rich academic pedigree, proven expertise and undoubted competence appointed as Director General to run its affairs at various times. Wikipedia describes the PhD thesis on the Anglo-Egyptian condominium in the Sudan by its founding DG, Dr Lawrence Apalara Fabunmi, as an enduring classic. He was a historian who obtained his doctoral degree from the University of the London.

    Dr Fabunmi was succeeded by Dr Olasupo Aremu Ojedokun, described as “one of the first International Relations doctorates from Nigeria who wrote the seminal work, “The Changing Pattern of Nigeria’s International Economic Relation: The Decline of the Colonial Nexus (1960-1966)”. He obtained a doctorate in 1968 from the London School of Economics. Successive DGs of the NIIA, over the years, have had no less formidable scholastic pedigrees. They include Professors Bolaji Akinyemi, Ibrahim Gambari, Gabriel Olusanya, George Obiozor, Joy Ogwu, Osita Eze and Bola A. Akinterinwa. Each of them contributed in his or her own way to the growth of the institute to varying degrees some in the face of great odds.

    Compared to its past attainments when the NIIA was a ceaseless intellectual cauldron hosting lectures, symposia, seminars, round tables, workshops involving some of the most illustrious intellectuals and statesmen as well as women from within and outside the country, and prolifically churning out qualitative books and journals on international and domestic political, economic and social issues,  the NIIA has become, in recent times, a shadow of itself, a veritable slumbering giant.

    Many members of the Nigerian political elite, who now find it fashionable to jet down to London to deliver lectures on critical national issues at the Chatham House, would in the past have preferred to do so from the prestigious platform of the NIIA. Even though the mandate of the institute focuses primarily on foreign policy, it has also deployed its analytical skills and institutional resources over the years to seeking solutions to critical domestic challenges, which is not surprising given the intricate relationship between domestic politics and foreign policy. A classic text on Nigerian federalism, for instance, ‘Readings on Federalism’ edited by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Dr Patrick Dele Cole and Dr Walter Ofonagoro, is a collection of papers delivered at an international conference on federalism in Nigeria organized by the institute in Lagos.

    Another example of the relevance of the institute is a lecture on ‘Religion and National Integration in Nigeria’ organized by the NIIA in Lagos and delivered in 2001 by a two time Prime Minister of Sudan, Sadiq El-Mahdi.  As the DG of the institute, Professor Joy Ogwu, noted on that occasion, “Our platform is always available to the world’s leading statesmen and women to male profound statements and share their wealth of experience not only with the international community”.

    A Muslim himself who had suffered incarcerations and exile for his professed principles in the course of his career, Sadiq El-Mahdi, delivered a scintillating and enlightening discourse that is of even greater relevance to Nigeria and the world today. One of his useful insights was his submission that “Today, there are very few Moslem communities which live in a 100% Moslem population. A third of the Moslems live as minorities within non-Moslem communities. The rest live as Moslem majorities with substantial non-Moslem minorities. In the present circumstances, relations between Moslems and non-Moslems in such communities cannot be settled by force of arms. The international medium is conditioned by Human Rights obligations, which have benefitted Moslems and  enabled Islam among other factors to be the fastest growing religion in the world. There is no alternative to internal relations between citizens to be based on contractual accords enshrined in a Constitution, and no alternative to inter-state relations to be based upon peace and cooperation”.

    As I sat in the main auditorium of the institute on 12 August, 2021, as part of the audience to participate in the UN International Youth Day, which was co-hosted by the UN and the NIIA, I had a strong feeling that, under the leadership of the institute’s new DG, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, one of Africa’s most eminent political scientists, NIIA is gradually witnessing the stirrings of the resurrection of a hitherto dormant seed. Led by the UN Resident Coordinator and Head of the UN Nigeria Country Team, Mr Edward Kallon, a strong management team of the UN was present at the event, which also marked the unveiling of the NIIA 60th anniversary logo. While speaking extensively on the theme of this year’s International Youth Day, ‘Transforming food systems: Youth innovation for human and planetary health’ Mr Kallon noted that transformation should transcend the country’s energy systems but also include the food systems expressing confidence in the capability of Nigerian youth to revolutionize the agricultural sector due to their innovation and creativity. He was optimistic that the event would mark a new phase of positive and mutually beneficial collaboration between the UN system and the NIIA.

    Apart from the representative of the Minister of Sports and Youth Develooment, who was present, the Oniru of Iru land, Oba Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal, was the Chairman of the occasion. Oba Lawal, who holds a B.Sc degree in Botany from the University of Port Harcourt and an M.Sc in Development Studies from the School of African and Oriental Studies of the University of London, was a former Commissioner of Agriculture in Lagos State for two terms and thus spoke authoritatively and insightfully on the challenges and prospects of the youth in exploiting the immense opportunities of the agricultural value chain. The monarch, under whose domain the NIIA is located, had an auditorium in the institute named in his honour. It is unlikely that he will be indifferent to the request by IT attaches of the institute that he use his good offices to help transform and modernize the facility.

    Students of Professor Osaghae at the University of Ibadan easily recall him lecturing for two straight hours off the cuff, without notes, in the courses he taught such as ‘Politics of the New States’, ‘African Political Thought’ or ‘Ethnicity and Federalism’. A widely published scholar, he is a former Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, as well as visiting Emeka Anyaoku Chair of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London for 2013/2014. Under his leadership, the institute on July 12 and 13, 2021, held a two-day virtual Round Table on Nigerian Foreign Policy with the theme, ‘Looking Back, Going Forward: Setting the Agenda for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy’, which featured leading scholars and other key actors on Nigeria’s foreign policy arena. And on July 26, 2021, the institute held the Round Table and Ambassadorial Forum on Nigeria-Bangladesh Relations.

    Gradually, the NIIA is clearly stirring back to life even though the path ahead is no easy one for the cerebral scholar and administrator. Luckily, he is aware of the daunting challenge on his hands as he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a recent interview: “We are trying to rebuild, reposition and reinvent the institute to surpass what had been achieved in the past. We have had our golden years but had to slow down owing to scarce resources. But part of leadership challenge is to diversify so as to broaden our resource base. We are building smart partnerships with the media, government, the business circle, international development groups and institutions with similar mandates to broaden our horizon. Aside pooling in more resources, we shall be focused on research and knowledge sharing to sharpen our capacity to influence and shape developments”.

  • Terrorism, 9/11 and democracy

    By Dayo Sobowale

    THE  US  , at  today’s  20th  remembrance of  the   plane    bombing   of the twin towers of New York cannot ,   like Julius Caesar the great Roman Emperor of Ancient History   ,  boasted    famously ,   that  ‘ I came , I saw  and I conquered ‘ on    Afghanistan  . Even ,  if possible ,  Americans may not want  to be reminded about 9/11  given   the way   that   democracy  and the government of Afghanistan   collapsed  recently and the Taliban  who   were given  a bloody  nose and removed from power  by the Bush  Administration   because  they  harbored Osama Bin  Laden , the planner of 9/11  ,     have come   back   to power very  swiftly     in the same    Afghanistan .  Osama  was eventually killed in Pakistan   by the Obama Administration but  I am sure  he is having the last laugh  in his grave in the Asian ocean  where his ashes were dropped by the Americans ,  while the US has fled Afghanistan   like a frightened dog with its tail  between its backside  . And   the  same Taliban has come  back to power in Kabul , the capital  of Afghanistan exactly  20  years   after 9/11 . American leadership in its war on terrorism launched by George Bush,  the 43rd  US  president  in 2001  and  its consequences on world  politics and the spread  of terrorism in the world at large including Nigeria , is the focus of our attention today .

    Chronologically  ,  Obama was the 44th US president for two terms like his predecessor  George Bush and Donald Trump  was the 45th  for  a single  term while Joe  Biden , the  terminator of the Afghan war,  is the 46th US president . I will  make comments on their leadership  style  and show  why  even though the 46th president bungled the exit  from Afghanistan ,  there is no denying  across board in  American leadership   and    politics   generally ,  that the US  had  lost  the stomach to stay  and fight in Afghanistan . How   that fact came  to be  ,will  be shown  by the leadership  style of each  president and  the manner of mandate they  received at their  elections ,  which  one way  or  the other was shaped by  the presence  of US forces in Afghanistan . It  will also  show  why the US went  on vengeance to weed out  the Taliban  with a roar  but left  with hardly  a whimper   under Joe  Biden   who  even  applauded the way  and manner that he  made  a huge mess of the   exit  that  made  the abandonment   more   like  a   defeat   ,  when indeed it was a planned and  expected  one .

    On  his speech  in 2001 to the US Congress immediately after the  bombing of the twin towers ,    President George Bush warned  ominously  that ‘ whether we bring our enemies to justice or justice   to our enemies , justice will  be   served ‘ His Defense Secretary  Donald   Rumsfeld   also  boasted then that America will  hit  the enemies of America , ‘ with such  violence  such  that the human  eyes  have never seen and the human ears have never  heard’ . In  retrospect  these  two leaders  lived up  to their resolve and determination as the US  obliterated the huge mountains  the  Taliban leadership  were hiding  and swiftly   removed them  from power in Afghanistan . Then the US invaded Iraq  on the false  premise  of the availability of weapons of mass destruction and got  bogged in that nation. But  it achieved its objective of removing Saddam Hussein from power and Rumsfield again  boasted that  Saddam Hussein  was  probably hiding in a rat hole was where he was indeed  , eventually   found later . America  lost its way in both Afghanistan  and Iraq because it  wanted  to  rebuild   both nations and convert them  to democracies . It  did , somewhat  , but  at great  cost  to  its reputation and loss  of leadership  foresight   and   sovereign   respect .

    In  Iraq  where the Sunnis were in power  under  Saddam ,  and  were  propped up  by previous US governments which  supported Saddam as  a Sunni  to check  the majority Shiite Muslims in   Iraq ,  who  were loyal  to Iran , Iraq’s  neighbor   and  sworn  enemy of both Saddam’ s Iraq  and the US that the Ayatollah  Khomeini   branded the Great Satan  after he took power in the 1979 Islamic Revolution  that  removed the Shah  of Iran .In  making Iraq  a  democracy  and conducting elections that  gave power to the Shiites in Iraq  ,   the US gave the Iranians ,  Iraq  on a platter   of gold and   created the bloody  sectarian violence that  ensued with the former  well  trained military Sunnis  who escalated a  civil  war  that engulfed the Middle  East and created  a counter war against the war on terrorism  that   became  a jihad involving Al  Quada  . This    gave rise to ISIS and later the likes of Boko Haram in Nigeria’s  NE nestling   in the creeping Sahel  engulfing the north of ECOWAS  states .

    When  Obama  came to power in 2009 the US  had  lost the nerve for war and  indeed Obama was elected on an anti  war mandate   and  he lived  up to that  billing.   But   he got  the Nobel Prize without  trying   because of a speech  in Cairo  which  seemed  to be begging Islam on the virtues of living with the west  but which turned  out to be mistaken for cowardice  by   the jihadists  who  launched large scale terrorism  globally  during the Obama  regime which somewhat  managed to  kill Bin Laden and claimed that , as its major  achievement  on terrorism . But  Obama behaved  then ,  like Biden is doing   now  on Afghanistan     by encouraging  democratic protests during the Arab Spring in 2011 in North Africa and the Middle East  ,  only to back  down treacherously   and    abandon    protesters  ,when  the   Egyptian   Army came back after Mubarak  was deposed  in Egypt  .  He  backed   down  too  when  the leader  of Syria  used chemical  weapons on his  people and Obama  refused  to attack Syria  after  the US got evidence in that regard . That  emboldened  Russian intervention in Syria and the Middle  East  and weakened American influence  such that even Israel ,   a proven  ally  developed cold  feet  with  regard to American support and  commitment . Such  mistrust of American  credibility   domestically   and internationally  , made a political  outsider like Donald  Trump  to  become president in the 2016  US   presidential  election .  Although the  pandemic compounded Donald Trump’s  reelection in 2020 ,  but with a gaffe prone president like Biden ,  his   successor , Trump’s  chances of reelection in 2024 are  immense and  clear ,   ceteris  paribus .

    It  is in  this light that I draw the curtain on the topic of the day by looking at Nigeria’s experience  on the war on terrorism launched in 2001 , 20 years  ago . Boko Haram is a creature of that war  and the Nigerian army has battled that terrorism  with all the forces at its  disposal  gallantly  ,  such  that Boko Haram  in the NE  has been reduced  to guerilla tactics  but  not defeated .But banditry , armed Fulani  herdsmen , kidnappers   insurgents  and  arsonists have multiplied   all  over the North ,  West  ,   and SE. While Boko Haram  dwindled but  is still  around  especially in the North East where the Borno State governor earns my admiration  for  committed leadership and patriotism , that I  call on the US   Biden Administration , a model of the Presidential  system of government we copied  ,  to borrow  a leaf from , especially now .In   addition  , the visit  of our president to Imo  state is   to show  the secessionists in our  midst that while the cat is around , mice  cannot play . It  is a lesson  in deterrence that the Nigeria state cannot succumb to insurgency . It is a  good signal   but one that should   be     extended clearly and unambiguously to all  insurgents attacking    and    challenging the   authority   and legitimacy    of the Nigerian   state headed  by the Nigerian  president . The  Yorubas  , and I am a proud  one , have   a saying  that the head  of the elephant  is not a  load for a child . Let   all  who  threaten  the overall   security   of Nigerians  know that . Long  live the Federal Republic  of Nigeria . Once  again From the fury of this pandemic Good  Lord Deliver Nigeria .

  • IBB’s presumed exceptionalism

    IBB’s presumed exceptionalism

    ON the occasion of his 80th birthday on August 17, former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, understandably enjoyed dominant media attention. There were copious commentaries and analyses on his life and times as well as his role and impact on Nigeria’s politics, society and economy. This is not surprising. If for nothing else, the eight years during which he ruled as, perhaps, the most powerful dictator in the country’s history were experimentally adventurous, action-packed and eventful. It is apparent that those who admire IBB do so passionately and those who hate and detest him also exhibit great passion in their disposition. But on balance, those analysts with a negative view of IBB outweighed those who perceived him positively.

    It would appear that the disappointment of many with IBB is the gap between his perceived great potential, the bright promise of his ascendancy to the apex of power in the country in 1985 and the shattering anti-climax of his forced ‘stepping aside’ eight years later. According to Professor Larry Diamond:  “Ibrahim Babangida, more than any other Nigerian leader, had the potential to lead Nigeria into a truly different, more civic, and institutional historical path. Few leaders in the postcolonial history of the Third World have more thoroughly squandered such a critical historical opportunity and imperative”.

    In many of the analyses on IBB at 80, the impression was created that his regime was an exceptional evil in the general ebb and flow of the course of Nigerian history. I don’t think so. Yes, a lot of Nigeria’s ills were magnified under IBB. But he did not originate them and neither did they end with his exit from power. IBB in my view showed members of the Nigerian political class the clearest picture of their true selves. Let us take the issue of corruption for instance. True, the IBB regime was scandalously venal. The squandering by the regime of the 1991 $12.4.billion gulf oil windfall as revealed in damning details by the Professor Pius Okigbo panel of inquiry offers a good example. Under IBB, the culture of ‘settlement’ became legendary and all pervasive. But corruption had been growing in magnitude with each succeeding government before IBB.

    There are those, for example, who paint the picture of the first republic as a largely pristine, virginal and corruption free era. That is entirely mythical. One of the reasons for the Major Kaduna Nzeogwu led coup of January 1966 was to kick out those it described as “the ten percenters” among others. Reports of inquiries into the expenditure of public funds in the various regions in that dispensation showed abundant evidence of the routine diversion of state resources to run political parties, fight elections and build an indigenous wealthy business elite by the regional governments across party divides. Chinua Achebe’s ‘A man of the people’ graphically portrays the phenomenon of corruption in that period.

    Read Also: Buhari warned ex-Power Minister Mamman of imminent sack

    The eradication of corruption was a key item in the 9-point agenda of the Yakubu Gowon regime. At the end of its nine-year occupancy of power, only two of that government’s 12 military governors were absolved of corruption charges. All the others had illegally acquired funds and properties confiscated by the succeeding Murtala/Obasanjo regime. The latter in turn earned widespread plaudits for keeping to its stipulated programme to hand over to a democratically elected government in 1979. Yet, the leading military figures in that government left power in 1979 to become key players in the national economy owning vast landed property and acquiring substantial stakes in agriculture, banking, oil, shipping among others. Of course, it is a notorious fact that the civilian administration of the second republic was spectacularly more corrupt than its predecessors. To its credit, the short-lived Buhari/Idiagbon regime was ascetic, fiscally disciplined and adopted a tough disposition against the deposed corrupt civilian political class of the preceding administration. But it’s perceived arrogance, insensitivity to public opinion and deficient political skills helped cut short its stay in power.

    Under IBB, corruption soared even higher. And the venality of Abacha dwarfed that of IBB. But can we fault IBB when he insinuated in his Arise news television interview that corruption in this dispensation in the last 20 years is not necessarily less pervasive than in the preceding military period? The problem of corruption is not, fundamentally, peculiar to any specific regime or administration. It is a manifestation of a perverse and amoral value system in which both the elite and the general populace are implicated, a dependent, largely rentier economy and an irresponsible political, economic and technocratic class.

    In the management of the economy, many critics quarrel with the IBB regime’s adoption of the Structural Adjustment programme (SAP). But did it really have a choice at the time? The regime had some of the country’s brightest economists on its economic management team. Under successive governments since independence, the adoption of import -dependent, largely extroverted and structurally flawed economic policies without a coherent overarching guiding philosophy had driven the economy to a cul-de-sac by the time Buhari came to power. The Buhari regime deepened the austerity measures introduced by the Shagari administration in response to the crisis, intensified the retrenchment of public sector workers and reduction in wages, increased the proportion of public revenue it devoted to debt servicing and adopted such drastic policy measures as countertrade in the face of severe foreign exchange shortages.

    The regime’s high handedness and flagrant  disregard for human rights alienated a large number of Nigerians when it needed to mobilize the energy and support of the vast majority of the populace for its otherwise commendable nationalistic policy options to succeed. At the same time it could not reach an accommodation with the International Financial Institutions such as the IMF, which in turn blocked the country’s access to much needed external credit. As Professor Adebayo Olukoshi put it, “In the face of this, the problems of the Nigerian economy worsened, with inflation still rising further, infrastructural facilities deteriorating, more workers losing their jobs, the payments problems persisting, the industrial sector suffering more setbacks and the agricultural sector stagnating…The Nigerian economy therefore continued to deteriorate, reinforcing the intolerance and authoritarianism of the regime and eventually paving the way for its overthrow in a palace coup…”.

    Speedily reaching an agreement with the IMF, the succeeding IBB regime adopted the SAP, which encompassed the substantial devaluation of the Naira, removal of subsidies on fuel and critical social services, deregulation of the economy, liberalization of trade, deregulation of prices and interest rates and reduction of public expenditure among others. The result was deepening poverty and inequality, accelerated deindustrialization, increased unemployment, external indebtedness and the intensification of growth without development. But has any administration departed from this essentially flawed development policy approach since the exit of IBB? None in my view with the possible exception of Abacha. The implication has been the persistence of growth without development, external dependence, internal sectoral disarticulation, galloping indebtedness, growing inequality, poverty and joblessness. Are Nigerians materially better off today than they were 20 years ago? I don’t think so.

    His annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election has been the major factor for most analyst’s condemnation of IBB. After spending humongous amounts of public resources on an elaborate and convoluted political transition programme, he destroyed with his own hands through the annulment what should have been the crowning glory of his effort. It is obvious that, despite his unconvincing justifications and excuses for his action, IBB was motivated essentially by a desire to perpetuate himself in power for as long as possible. But again, this is a defining trait of members of the Nigerian political class. The first republic collapsed essentially because of the desire of the ruling coalition at the centre led by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) to perpetuate itself in power resulting in large scale malpractices in the 1964 federal elections, the destabilization and illegal removal of the Action Group (AG) government Western Regional government and the massive rigging of the region’s 1965 elections leading to the installation of a puppet government and the consequent conflagration in the region that ultimately helped abort the democratic enterprise of the first republic.

    By 1974, General Yakubu Gowon announced to a stunned nation that his earlier promise to handover to a democratically elected government in 1976 was no longer feasible fueling speculations of an attempt at power perpetuation. This was one of the factors that precipitated his overthrow in 1975. Obasanjo made history by handing over to an elected civilian administration in 1979. Yet, on his second coming as an elected president in 1999, we are all aware of his attempt to perpetuate himself in office through his third term agenda. The second republic collapsed partly because of the massive rigging of the 1983 general elections to perpetuate the NPN in power irrespective of the will of the majority of the electorate. The Buhari/Idiagbon regime in 1984 did not even set any date for a return to a democratic order and the impression that it was set for indefinite rule was a precipitating factor in its overthrow.

    A central feature of politics in since 1999 has been the unceasing efforts of incumbents at the centre or the states to win elections through all sorts of criminal electoral machinations, outright violence, financial inducement, judicial subversion or to ensure that their surrogates succeed them at the end of their tenures. The goal is direct or indirect power perpetuation. The incessant struggles to seize control of party structures such as is currently rocking both the ruling APC and the opposition PDP is motivated by the same kind of obsession with the acquisition and retention of power at all costs that led IBB to annul the June 12 election thus doing grave damage to his own legacy. It is all well and good to criticize and excoriate IBB. But no less critical is the need to identify and exorcise the different shades of IBB within all too many of us.

  • What a window!

    What a window!

    FOR 82 days, the world waited with bated breath watching the twists and turns in the transfer window to herald the 2021/2022 European season. Crazy figures were bandied from the first day until the last day on August 31, 2021, with the rejection of €220 million offered by Real Madrid for French World Cup winner, Mbappe. The Spanish side made two bids for the France star in August, one for around €160 million (£137m/$188m) and the latest worth €170m (£146m/$200m) plus €10m (£9m/$12m) in add-ons. Tuesday’s attempt by Real Madrid’s management is seething, preferring to blame PSG for not showing interest in a player they didn’t offer for sale, in the first instance. PSG’s management was angry with the desperation shown by real Madrid’s negotiators for Mbappe, such that they have now accepted to allow the French speedster to walk away as a free agent in June 2022 than join Real Madrid for an outrageous fee.

    Will Real Madrid return during the January transfer window to get Mbappe to sign a pre-contract? Or would they look elsewhere for the striker in form, preferably Erling Haaland, that is if Borussia Dortmund would be willing to sell him? Equally instructive are these two posers for big clubs which know their onions – why would Real Madrid be so desperate to sign Mbappe for £197 million on deadline night when they could as well have waited until January 2022 to get him for free? The flipside question would be to ask PSG why they would reject the £197 million offered for Mbappe? Was it economically wise for PSG to ignore such a big offer?

    This writer reckons that PSG may feel that in the coming days leading to the January transfer window, Mbappe could decide to stay. Mbappe’s change could be as a result of the team’s style of play and how they beat clubs groggy with goals. In this case, Real Madrid could be nursing the fact that Mbappe could change his mind before January 2022. Hence their insistence to raise the cash offer now that Mbappe isn’t happy with the French side’s management, especially as he accused them of trying to force him to sign against his wish. Different strokes, if you ask me. It also spells the end for one of the most hotly-debated transfer sagas of the summer. It leaves football fans drooling about the prospect of him linking up with fellow forwards Messi and Neymar this season.

    This 2021/2022 window is the most incredible – not only for Mbappe but also the two big masquerades, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. With the movement of Lionel Messi from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United from Juventus, being the picks of the pack, it’s definitely going to be a season that would be talked about for a long time.

    Tongues are wagging over the possibility of recouping what Manchester United spent to secure Ronaldo’s signature again, with many analysts predicting a possible £30 million windfall within 12 months. Those in this school of thought are not perturbed by Ronaldo’s age, 36. Rather, they are looking at Ronaldo’s incredible training regime which makes him the fittest athlete in the world – no hyperbole.

    Read Also: IBB’s presumed exceptionalism

    The Red Devils signed Ronaldo for £19.8million but the market projections are such that speculators feel strongly that the reunion between club and player will drive huge deals in the years ahead, with a training ground sponsor top of the list. Other people in the pro-Ronaldo return to Manchester United point at the player’s incredible social media reach, which they feel could increase Red Devil’s resources, not forgetting that Manchester United has a huge financial debt. The return of Messi and Ronaldo into the dynamics of the beautiful game serves as the fillip for the European league when the chips are down at the UEFA Champions League.

    Already, Ronaldo’s magical moments on Wednesday in the clash between Portugal against the Republic of Ireland served as the field to erase the world record of 109 goals in international competitions set by the iconic Iranian striker Ali Daei. Ronaldo returns to Old Trafford with the right mentality and physical fitness to wreak havoc against Newcastle next weekend in what will be recorded as his first game since his return after a decade. His knack for scoring goals is phenomenal, leaving his markers in his wake. It appears Ronaldo has changed his way of celebrating goals. No longer the exhibition of his physique with his back turned.

    According to a report in the international media on Wednesday night: ” It was a typically headed effort by the Funchal-native, who rose highest in the centre of the penalty area before heading in the equalizer to draw Portugal level at 1-1 with the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup qualifier and delivering in yet another crucial moment; a habit across the entirety of his career.

    ”And Ronaldo was not done there. Just minutes later, Ronaldo headed in another in the dying seconds of stoppage time to complete his brace, netting his 111th goal for his country and bagging all three points on a night where Portugal looked destined to lose in front of the home support in Algarve.”

    What a game aptly captured by the aforementioned media report, except that it didn’t present the way in which Ronaldo took off his shirt, ran wild, with his joyful mates who were unable to stop a joyous Cr7, until he had ended his race with his traditional slide towards celebrating Portuguese had to wait until the closing stages of the game to shout Eureka. It would be wrong for anyone to judge Ronaldo using games against smaller EPL teams. Ronaldo is a big-stage player. So, Liverpool, Leicester City, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, etc, watch out. The beast is back.

    Are we back to the Ronaldo versus Messi comparison? Why not, if the new kids don’t accept the challenge? Ronaldo has returned to his roots as the biggest player. Ronaldo’s return is the elixir Manchester United needs to play to their strength. Now, Paul Pogba is fry in the team’s tactical plans and would buckle if he sees Ronaldo’s competitive eyes when things aren’t working? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job is the safest with Ronaldo. They were friends as teammates and listen to the same soccer godfather – the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.

    The Messi I saw playing against Riems FC in the French Ligue Un is either not fit or has lost killer instinct, the type we saw Ronaldo exhibit playing for Portugal against Ireland. He wasn’t sharp. He took his time. One thing was clear, the best of Messi would ignite the way PSG plays. Messi didn’t participate in the French side’s pre-season and would need time to settle down. One only hopes that Pochettino isn’t making Messi the direct opposite of Neymar and vice versa with the way he replaced Neymar with Messi last weekend? This plan could lead to his sack. World soccer awaits the threesome (Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe) playing regularly for PSG

    Pochettino should know that Neymar dumped Barcelona because of Messi, apparently not ready to play under Messi’s shadow. However, Messi said at his unveiling that: “I know the coach Mauricio Pochettino very well. The fact that he is Argentine helped from the start, it was important in my decision making. At a family level, it will be a beautiful experience, we are in a spectacular city and we are going to enjoy it. We are relaxed and happy.”

    “I have the same excitement and the same desire that I had as a child.  Messi: “My goal and my dream are to win the Champions League once more. I think Paris is the best place to do so.”

    This season’s Champions League would be a blockbuster with Manchester City and PSG in the same group. The direct fixtures between both teams would shape the way the title would go, not forgetting Ronaldo and his Red devils, in the competition’s weakest group. No disrespect to the teams in the group. The bigger poser would be if Manchester United would confront PSG at any stage of the UEFA Champions League competition? That would be the day.

  • The Mbappe macabre dance

    The Mbappe macabre dance

    Would it be appropriate to call professional football players slaves? I don’t think so. It would be absolutely unfair to tag them, slaves, knowing the ripple effect of big players’ movements from club A to B. Indeed, desperate clubs go the whole hog to get such stars, including literarily breaking the banks to source for the mind-boggling cash. But my colleague at The Nation, Sunday Oguntola, our online guru thinks otherwise. I won’t blame this man. He is pained with the exit of Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-German (PSG). Oguntola feels strongly that the Parisians’ deep pockets ensured that Messi joined PSG since it is the only club that can afford to pay for the Argentine’s services.

    Oguntola’s inner stomach is further exposed when he contemplates the fact that Sergio Ramos and Messi are now mates at PSG, having been arch-rivals while playing for two of the toughest Spanish teams in the world – FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. It really hurt those in Oguntola’s school that Ramos could even offer Messi a place in his new home in Paris instead of the Argentine to live in a hotel, pending when he gets his house. Pain. piercing through their skins. Pity.

    Oguntola likened Messi’s exit to a forced divorce insisting that it was the reason Messi cried, knowing that if he had a choice, he would have loved to play for Barcelona, not PSG. He wouldn’t be able to sit at home to watch Messi and Ramos wearing the same jersey. The talk about this scenario drove Oguntola out of his office wondering if the European leagues are now slave camps. But as the Yoruba say, soup wey sweet na money kill am.

    Oguntola is one of the Barca fans who are displeased with the Catalan club for letting Messi go, though he feels strongly that PSG won’t win the trophy they want most – the UEFA Champions League. However, the story of Ronaldo joining Messi in PSG is quite intricate with each day churning out different stories of where Ronaldo would eventually end up this season. Ronaldo played for Juventus in an away 2-2 draw against Udinese, although Ronaldo’s winning goal was ruled out by the referee. The good news for Oguntola and his Barcelona friends is that they won’t live to see Ronaldo and Messi play for the same team, at least for this season.

    Whereas Ronaldo has stated categorically that he would be with the Old Lady this season, rumours about Ronaldo ready to play for Manchester City cropped up on Thursday morning in the international media at a time when the story broke from Juventus camp that Ronaldo was injured.

    Such a move would also have meant the tantalising prospect of Ronaldo lining up alongside Messi. But it appears to be City is making the bigger moves for the Portuguese’s signature.

    A few pundits seem to agree with Oguntola over his description of players being slaves with the way some notorious agents handle their clients’ moves from club C to D, E, or F depending on how buoyant such new clubs are. A case in point is Ronaldo’s recurring move to Manchester City. Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent was in Turin for showdown talks with Juventus over Ronaldo’s future at the club, with the aim of seeking a resolution of some sort between the two parties, according to reports.

    Read Also: Messi to debut for PSG against Reims

    Manchester City were rumoured to have offered Ronaldo a two-year contract worth £230,000-a-week but won’t pay Juventus a transfer fee after Pep Guardiola’s side missed out on Tottenham’s Harry Kane. Old Lady wants around £25million for the player which would allow them to find a replacement so late in the window. Ronaldo, 36, is looking for a new challenge, and his agent Jorge Mendes offered him to Manchester City last week for £25m. But on Friday afternoon, the Citizens rejected Ronaldo.

    Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Juventus after the news broke that he had spent 40 minutes saying goodbye to his team-mates ahead of a potential move to Manchester United. Ronaldo is now a Manchester United player.

    The Ronaldo joining Messi talk at PSG arose from the likely movement of Mbappe to Real Madrid, which could have provided the cash to buy Ronaldo without digging deep into the Parisians’ bank account. PSG and Real Madrid’s quest to either keep or buy Mbappe throws open a lot of moral questions which includes having the French star honouring his promise not to quit PSG for free anytime he wants to leave. PSG, being traders have asked Real Madrid to pay more than £167 million which is what they spent to purchase Mbappe, otherwise, the darting forward remains in the team to keep his promise of not leaving PSG for free, according to his contact. Of course, it is common knowledge that Mbappe’s ambition is to play for Real Madrid, even when the Parisians signed him four years ago.

    What are the options available to Mbappe in this quagmire? He could sign a pre-contract with Real Madrid in January prelude to his leaving PSG for free at the end of his contract in 2022. Perhaps, it is this poser that has informed Real Madrid’s decision to submit two bids of £170 million and £185 million for the French speedster on Thursday. Sadly, both bids were rightly rejected by the Parisians. It is obvious PSG doesn’t want to sell Mbappe. It could also mean that PSG wants to sell the French World Cup winner for a world record transfer fee of over £200 million. Mbappe has until Tuesday to know his fate. But will Mbappe be a happy man at PSG, if he fails to play for Real Madrid? PSG are already in talks with Everton star Richarlison over replacing Mbappe’ as the French giants move quickly for the Toffees attacker while the France striker closes in on his sensational move to Real Madrid. We wait.

    Rooting for a new league board

    Qualifying for the senior World Cup from the African continent should be a piece of cake for Nigeria, given the exploits of our players in various European clubs. Granted a few of them are Nigeria-born. But the real deal would have been for the Super Eagles to be populated by home-grown players if there are incidents such as we have on our hands with the Premier League clubs and the UK government’s ‘red list’ countries.

    But with a league whose kickoff date and termination date always remain a mirage, not much is expected from that mill that has been riddled with sharp practices, mayhem on the field of play, and poor facilities across the country. No coach would stake his reputation on the line handling teams with such half-bakes for whatever reason. Of course, the reason isn’t farfetched.

    Otherwise, it would have been easy for the home-based lads to be tasked with the trip to Praia for the game against Cape Verde on September 7. I also don’t think the NFF would risk such a venture knowing the importance attached to qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Why is it difficult to disband the league board and set up a more functional one with people who know their onions? Perhaps, we enjoy celebrating mediocrity, which is what we have seen in the league in the last five years.

  • Religion, civilisation and politics

    Religion, civilisation and politics

    It  is difficult to live with the definition of Afghanistanism  that I managed to give last week without remembering the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 ,  the  plane  bombing of the twin towers of New   York on 9- 11 in 2001 , the war  on terrorism that 43rd US president George Bush   launched  with  the invasion of Afghanistan , the identified haven of Bin Laden the planner of the attack    under the protection of the Taliban which,  miraculously ,  took over their power dislodged 20 years ago in a   blitzkrieg     reminiscent    of Nazi Germany   during the last  World War 2 ,    a few  weeks ago .Of  course Afghanistanisation  is a logical  sequence of the definition I will not repeat here again on Afghanistanism . But  let truth  be told , Religion  is at the heart of Afghanistanism and Afghnistanisation  and the  ensuing clash  of civilization  that  has been played  down  by the  West  as it confronts  its past from colonialism to planting democracy and liberal  policies on foreign  lands and cultures  and  the grim scenario of the chicken  coming home to roost in terms of global migration  to  Europe  and the US ,  from wars based on sectarian violence and deep  religious  differences from  foreign lands .

    Again ,  it is not difficult  to see a similarity between Jimmy  Carter’s handling of the bungling of the rescue of the US hostages in the US embassy in Teheran in 1979  and  the   horrendous and uncoordinated fleeing of Afghanistan by the US in  August  2021 , a few weeks  from   the 20th anniversary of 9- 11. The  Iran   hostage crisis  is nearer  historically than Saigon and its religious  implication is more relevant to world politics  today than Vietnam  where the US fled disgracefully from the Viet Cong Communists as it is fleeing familiarly  now from religious fanatics  who  are  distinctly Islamic and  have pledged  to impose Sharia law  not only on Afghanistan  but the world at large if they have their  way.   That   is the beginning  and the pledge   of  global   Afghanistanisation    stemming from  Afghnistanism  .It  is that chilling prospect , that    proclaimed  , determined   jihad ,  that is the kernel of our discussion today.

    When Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini  overthrew  the Sha Pahlevi in 1979   and established the Islamic Republic of Iran , he ,  with the benefit of hindsight created the clash of civilisations . The  message was that the US and Europe represented the American Satan ,and that western values , especially on religion and the family  sex  and gender  were demonic and reprehensible . That  today  is the dictum of the Taliban and their counterparts all  over the world purportedly resisting Western civilization but firmly  resolved to make the world a Muslim world if they can . It  is inherent in Nigeria’s Boko  Haram slogan ‘No  to Western Education ‘  and it is  part and parcel of the  armed  Fulani  herdsmen aggression and destruction of farmlands of other Nigerians in the excuse of feeding their cattle.  A  task  they have always   done before peacefully  and with the cooperation of the attacked farmers and without AK 47  rifles  as  at present . It  is instructive  to note that despite the schism in Islam between the Shia  championed by Iran  and the Sunnis  championed by Saudi Arabia ,   Boko  Haram has thrived in its terrorism on the Nigerian state . All  the same  it is to the credit of Muslim   and non Muslim  Northerners in Nigeria generally and the Nigerian army and government  in particular    that  in spite of all the odds ,  Nigeria has not succumbed to Islamisation  basically  on the battle fields  with Boko Haram terrorism . Of  course  the non Islamic part of Nigeria will resist Islamisation for which Afghnisation has now become a synonym . That  really is at the heart of clamour for  restructuring and  a  moot  way of admitting the clash  of civilization in the Nigerian state . It  is indeed a delicate situation and a potential political bombshell . But  religion is certainly at the heart of its politics   as well  as its    grave  threat of Nigerian Afghanistanisation.

    Read Also: 378 Afghan co-workers, family members arrive in S/Korea

     

    Let  us now look at the way the US has  handled its withdrawal  from Afghanistan  and its religious and political  implications for world peace and stability . Already  a bomb explosion and suicide bombing has reportedly  killed some Americans and Afghans  stranded at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan. Yet  the Biden government thinks  this is a crisis that will soon blow away . That is a miscalculation simply for the simple fact  that this is a diplomatic  crisis that  will escalate on the terms of the Taliban and that means increasing violence and deaths because that is the strategy and way  of life of the Taliban . Again  . it is a clash of civilization in Afghanistan and the Taliban will  call  the shots because the Americans have ceded power unilaterally and  that means that Islam will be reinstated to its  might and power   before 9-11 . It means that the invasion of Afghanistan by the US  never  happened or is swiped out by the Biden government  collaboration with the Taliban.

    How the Biden government can look on impotently while  its citizens and allies  are being slaughtered while  abandoned by the American government is what this abandonment of Afghanistan  is all   about. The  Biden government  is treating the Afghan abandonment as business as usual  but it will  soon know that it cannot like Pontius Pilate  wash its hand of blood   because  it has misjudged and mistimed  the cost and  repercussions of unilateral  withdrawal from a hot battle field of the clash of religion ,  culture and civilization and is sending a wrong signal on the US sovereign  reputation and  integrity on international relations and diplomacy.

    More importantly the US abandonment of Afghanistan clearly showed that the EU and NATO have been  balkanized. Individual NATO members of this military  alliance just  went on to rescue their citizens from Afghanistan as the US had  jumped ship without notice or consultation . It  is as if the US deliberately  created a new and potent source of refugees for a Europe already divided on the influx of refugees from Muslim  nations , a fact  that has made the integration of such refugees a major  concern and source of disunity and disgruntlement in the EU in recent times .Given the deliberate open border policy of the Biden government  with Mexico  the government  cannot easily deflect such criticism and  assumptions .

    Undoubtedly American  enemies  will benefit  from America’s  collapse  in Afghanistan. It  is time for such enemies mainly Russia , China and of course Iran to practice  the diplomatic dictum  that my enemy’s enemy is my friend  on  the Afghan issues  . If  such enemies  found Donald Trump difficult  with his bellicose politics  and diplomacy they will certainly see that with an enemy like Joe Biden’s US government they need  no friends . Once again –From the fury of this pandemic Good Lord Deliver Nigeria.

  • Winning games on the field

    Winning games on the field

    SO much is happening in the field of sports across the globe with Nigeria winning laurels using two (Favour Ofili and Tima Godbless who competed in the 100 metres race for girls at the ongoing World Athletic U-20 Championships holding in Kenya) of the ten athletes alleged to have failed dope tests, hence were banned from the Tokyo Olympic Games. Ofili and Godbless are in Kenya competing in a World Athletics sanctioned competition. Were they truly banned for drug-related offences? The long knives of critics reigned supreme without interrogating the circumstances stated by the letter stopping them from participating in the games. Rather than blame the ineffective Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the armchair club members chose to attack the sports minister, with many calling for his sack.

    The lesson from this unfortunate incident is that both the athletes and the federation’s members should make it a point of duty to know the rules of their sport. The federations must allow their sub-committees to function. Had the AFN a functional medical committee, the members ought to have known those who have undergone the Out of Competition Test (OCT) and those who haven’t. That way, the technical committee would be effectively guided when picking athletes to be invited for trials. The AFN in conjunction with the federation’s medical team ought to have done due diligence on the athletes selected to represent the country to know those eligible and those who aren’t.

    Now that our athletes are winning in Kenya under a newly elected AFN board, shouldn’t these critics praise the sports minister in the satanic manner in which they pilloried him when things weren’t going well in Tokyo? In Nigeria, we vent our spleen on the wrong people to settle cheap points. Even those who in previous AFN board turned experts as if they were better. Well, the minister must take the jabs on his chin. He must right the wrongs of our sports before he leaves office. I really don’t like the probe mentality we have imbibed when we know where the shoe pinches. The minister should insist on world-class standards, not half bakes in our sports administration no matter whose ox is gored.

    The current AFN board should ensure that these new kids on the bloc are monitored, retrained, and given the best treatment in terms of their welfare packages, training grants, and those things others do to motivate their fresh kids on the tracks. The next Olympics is in Paris in 2024, meaning the federation has barely two years to institute programmes that make the kids winners again at the Olympics in the proverbial city in France which anyone sees and dies. Good to know that something can come out of Nigeria that is good for the world to celebrate. I cherish listening to Nigeria’s anthem is sung at victory ceremonies. It has always been my best moment outside this country covering sporting events.

    Read Also: Why FG won’t try repentant Boko Haram terrorists – Lai Mohammed

    The Olympians returned to the country deservedly to a warm reception in Abuja donning a silver medal and a bronze medal. Curiously, our physically challenged athletes (I hate tagging them disabled. God forbid) because there is joy in disability. Our flag bearers at the Tokyo Paralympics feel that they shouldn’t be pitied but treated like the rest of us. I share in this position and wish that Sunday Dare lists them for national Awards at the appropriate time. Our physically challenged athletes at the Paralympics are serial world record holders, which means that they are not just the best, but ones the athletes from the rest of the world must beat to make podium appearances.

    According to Team Nigeria Paralympics Captain, Lucy Ejike, “We have been training seriously to make sure we meet up with the standard we set at previous games. Everything is going on well. We are confident we will bring glory to Nigeria. We  have world records, so we hope to maintain the records and create new ones.”

    Para Powerlifter, Nnamdi Innocent stated too that:” We are grateful to the Minister for his support and encouragement.  What he did for us during the lockdown will motivate us to excel in Tokyo. We have many world records and our target is to go there and make Nigeria proud”.

    My pain for these physically challenged athletes is that previous governments have used and dumped them. I feel a tinge of pain seeing some of them at the National Stadium, Surulere running things at the Stadium via Barracks and Ojuelegba Roads’ parks. World champions who others cherish left to do menial jobs, only to be remembered four years or two years later when there is an Olympics or any international meet. My challenge to the sports minister is to ask the federation chieftains of the physically challenged athletes where their training grounds and equipment are? The minister must insist on seeing their games field where their train. The minister would be shocked to meet rustic facilities which are now obsolete.  The time to treat our physically challenged athletes like others is now, dear Sunday Dare.

    The Paralympics stars deserve befitting facilitates to keep them busy. This way, the sport could discover new physically challenged Nigerians, especially the young men and women who are stationed on streets notorious for traffic gridlocks in Lagos and other parts of the country. We would do a lot to the game’s development if the government could recruit coaches in this specialised sport through bilateral relations with Nigeria to fast track their employment. Paris 2024 Olympics is just two years away. It would be a travesty if these gold medallists and world record beakers are allowed to return to the motor parks as touts and Danfo bus drivers. Such things only happen in Nigeria. The time to stop such inglorious acts is now. A documentary on how Paralympics’ world record holders are left to do the menial jobs when other countries create employment for theirs would be a monumental embarrassment for the government and followers of the sports.

    Winning laurels at big events is a project structured on workable models used by renowned sports polities. In fact, most of these models are anchored on sports institutes which train the coaches and sports managers. It also provides systems which are adopted by these countries’ teams during competitions. It is the reason we see certain countries play the same way with a few adjustment informed by how the opposition plays.

    Countries such as Australia, America, Britain and recently Jamaica have models which developing countries like ours can adopt, if we truly want to make the industry the business that it is in other climes. Our administrators made so much noise about adopting the Australia model after the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. They were particularly fascinated by the feats achieved by the Australians. Several visits were made to Sydney to study the system. Some Australians came here. Our administrators raised hopes that the National Sports Institute (NIS) will be redesigned with the Australian model in mind. It never happened, largely because of the policy summersaults.

    A blueprint is sacrosanct for sports to thrive and it must be anchored on the dire need to resuscitate moribund grassroots competitions that engaged the youths, take them away from the vices of society.

    The emergence of a sports policy endorsed by the government will create jobs such that this industry could in the next 10 years become the highest employer of labour.

    The policy should challenge local government chairmen to build at least four mini-sports centres that would serve as playgrounds for their constituents in the absence of such structures in the schools in the 774 local government areas.

     

    Sports federations

    The beauty about sporting events is that there are markers to determine the winners quite distinct from the losers. This index rings so true with the performance charts of the sporting federations in the country. Those Olympic Games regulars in the past for Nigeria such as boxing should quietly walk away. Those federations where members have served more than two terms should bow out. they cannot offer anything different from what they have exhibited in the last four years.

    The diabolical way in which some people remain in the federations simply because they are members of their international federations is unacceptable. They were able to contest for such positions because Nigeria made them members of her federations where they sought and won elections. Sports cannot be lying prostrate while those who volunteered to revive the industry sit-tight in the place on the altar of being international federations’ officials.

    If the athletes aren’t competing for laurels in sports, there can’t be officials. So, if the officials have outlived their usefulness by failing to discover, nurture and expose our athletes to represent Nigeria in big competitions, they should go.

  • ‘Afghanistanism’, diplomacy and democracy

    ‘Afghanistanism’, diplomacy and democracy

    When  I was a young staff writer at Times International ,  a publication of the defunct Daily Times on International Relations and Diplomacy,  reporters in other publications usually  teased us  on that  publication as indulging in Afghanistanism  by   which  they   meant  that  we wrote on far away places like Afghanistan ,  while ignoring home and national affairs . That was not true   then ,  even   as a joke  and is still  not true  today . Indeed such  mistaken   Afghanistanism needs a  correction or  a  different  definition   or   interpretation ,   which I shall attempt   today . For   this ,   my  source of information and analysis in getting a definition will  be the context of the US   hasty and nasty withdrawal   from  Afghanistan   this week  and  the take over of the American installed government by the Taliban in just  11  days .

    Actually , the misconception   of Afghanistanism  as writing on distant  places  has been demolished by the advent of Information Technology  and the Internet  which  made the  world  a global  village . That  explains why the world was literally  at the ring side in Kabul   the  capital  of Afghanistan   this week  ,  globally  watching how US diplomacy  and nation building collapsed  pitilessly as Afghans  ,trying to flee the advancing Taliban clung to a cargo plane taking off    with over 600   frightened but lucky Afghans on board . For  the US  that  was a huge   collapse   of diplomacy ,  military invasion  and intervention as well as the  failure  of Intelligence . That  last bit was confirmed by the US top  military commander  after the Taliban  took  over ,  when  he said   the US had  no information that the  Afghan  government would  collapse in just 11 days . It was  corroborated by  a shifty and embarrassed US President who  blamed  a 300, 000 strong and   US   trained  Afghan   army  for vanishing into thin air on the approach of the Taliban  and  the Afghan president bolting from the presidential  palace  to a neighbouring nation  from where he safely  claimed  he abandoned his capital and presidential  palace , to prevent  massive bloodshed .These  then are the nitty gritty   for  the definition of Afghanistanism  , when  and  where the world  is at our feet in terms  of information , right before our eyes  in the global  village we now live   in and Afghanistan  politics is being watched in our living rooms or  places  of  abode ,  anywhere in the world .

    Read Also: Five quick facts about Afghanistan

    Afghanistanism   in my view then  is  the act of an invading force attempting to plant democracy in a foreign land  or  culture and shooting itself  in the leg by announcing a departure date thus creating a backlash  that  results in a power vacuum that  can  be exploited by armed  gangs or militia it  defeated in the initial invasion . It  is clear how this   tallies   with  the US invasion of Afghanistan 20 years ago after 9- 11 in 2001,  the collapse  of the Afghan government , a democratically   elected government and an army which  thought and bolted with its feet on the approach of the Taliban which the American invasion of 2001 dislodged for 20  years  from power . But  indeed Afghanistanism is applicable  in terms  of my definition  to  any  nation in the world where democracy  is practiced and power has changed hands forcefully   either through military intervention or rigged elections leading to a change of power or control of the political system . I  will  illustrate  this with some  interviews  I watched on CNN  and  commentary  on Fox News .

    The  first interview   was   of an Afghan spokesman who said the Taliban was not surprised  by the take over of Afghanistan because they  have patience and that  patience would see them imposing Islamic law on the entire world sooner than later . I found  his confidence amazing but not unfounded or to be ignored . The  commentary in Fox News  was a lamentation that America , the  greatest power  in the world has been defeated by a group  of herdsmen carrying AK 47  rifles . That  again  is the grim truth that  has to be acknowledged and which  the US  has  to live  with, albeit   in  deep  humiliation  . Especially  as the US president himself  admitted that the chaos that followed the US withdrawal  was structured  or priced into the messy  US  withdrawal from Afghanistan . A  third  observation or commentary  noted that the Afghan army was so corrupt that it would set up check points and collect  money from passing Afghans by force  of arms meant  to protect Afghan  citizens . Yet  this same army  melted at the approach  of the gun toting Taliban . The  last  interview was of Amanpour talking above the head of the Afghan spokesman on human and women rights . The spokesman played ball for a while but insisted women rights would be protected while another spokesman insisted women would not be allowed to dress like the CNN interviewer because  that is the way of Islam .

    There is no doubt in my mind that the Taliban victory in Afghanistan is an incentive to armed gangs fighting governments all over the world. If  the Taliban  can do it and the US can  cave in so easily and even abandoning its own citizens in Afghanistan not to talk  of betraying those who worked for it , then  these  insurgents  or bandits  would be  thinking their  time would come. That  really is the danger of global Afghanistanism and  it is already  in our midst . It does not matter whether it is Islamic or secular , they  are birds of the same feather .That  explains  why the Katsina state governor asked people not to flee on the approach of bandits or armed herdsmen . He  asked them , the people , to stay and defend themselves . He  is telling Nigerians not to behave like the Afghan army which  ran  away  but to stay , stand  and defend themselves . Some critics asked the governor  to buy  arms  for  them but what the governor was saying was  that Afghanistanism should  be contained in his state as security is not the duty of government alone but of everybody .

    I think  that  is the crux of the matter .Fleeing at the  sight of armed bandits and religious  extremists is gradually  becoming suicidal as such  armed groups can suddenly become an invasion force that can subdue  governments at any  level of governance . Like the Palm Wine  Drinkers Club of   the   Great  UNIFE used  to  observe in serious  sessions , the Katsina  State governor has spoken and he has spoken well . Nigerians should not vanish into thin air at the approach of armed bandits , kidnappers or herdsmen like the Afghan army .That  is the only way to stop the importation of Afghanistanism into Nigeria by the back door . Once again ; From the fury of this pandemic , Good Lord Deliver Nigeria.

  • Culture, alignments, and differences

    Culture, alignments, and differences

    By Dayo Sobowale

    Nothing  illustrates the break down of law  and order more  than  the kidnapping of students in parts of Nigeria and   the  contribution of frightened   parents  to pay ransom for  their  release . I see  this  first  as breakdown of  the mores and norms  of civilized  society   and  clear  sign of cultural  depravity and    decay  . Yet  education is the key  to the economic development  and future   of any  nation . But  then  the world  is in a state of cultural   upheaval  in which  strange  notions are  being floated  by mischief makers  not satisfied with the political and socio- economic systems  they  live in and   who  would do anything   to  disrupt  the status  quo  to gain their own selfish   goals  and dubious   objectives . It  is such  strange  and bizarre  notions  especially  in  the pandemic  that we are in  that  we focus  our attention on today .

    It  is an open secret that banditry ,  kidnapping and armed  herdsmen or cattle  men are  posing great danger to the authority of the Nigerian state . But  the government is not resting on its oars , although  at times  it   is handicapped by situations  beyond  its  control . Just  like the excuse given  by an Education spokesman  that  the military  cannot  just  bomb kidnappers because they  will invariably  kill  the kidnapped students  that  the kidnappers are using  as human  shield    in their    custody  and that would be counter  productive . Which  really  is a fact . Let  me now  highlight some of the situations  arising from such  dilemmas  that  we can use  to  show that cultural  values are changing  globally and some such changes  have been driven by or in spite  of the pandemic and  that  is a way  of life    that we have to live with –  willy  nilly  – regardless  of   the  way  of life we  have lived so far  before  the pandemic .

    In  Nigeria there is the notion being peddled by secessionists in the East  that  the Igbos  are Jews  from Israel . In  the US  the  Biden Administration is using Climate Change to stifle  the Oil Industry,  yet  it is  asking  OPEC  to supply  more oil . The same Administration is  asking Americans to get vaccinated and still wear  masks   but is allowing  migrants  to enter  the country without vetting their  health  condition in any way .In  Britain the  hometown  of monogamy ,  the PM  ,  Boris   Johnson  is living  ,   unmarried with a lady  and    a baby   born   in 10 Downing  Street  ,  the   official    residence   of the British  PM  . That  would  have been  unthinkable some years  back . Again  in the US an athlete who  wanted   to represent  the US in the Tokyo  Olympics said  he would have burnt  the American Flag  if  he had  been selected . Which  is  a real  shame in terms patriotism   and  respect  for  one’s  nation  at whatever level . We  shall  now look at these issues  serially  to  find  out  if the changes are  for the benefit  of the societies involved  or  just like Shakespeare  said tales  ‘  told by an idiot   full  of sound and fury  signifying  Nothing ‘

    First ,  let  us examine  the kidnapping  of students for huge  ransoms .Could  the kidnappers  be allies of Boko  Haram and supporters of its ‘ No To Western Education ‘ slogan ? Since they target both Christian   and   Muslim  schools they  could  be allies of Boko  Haram  in that regard . But  how do they know that parents of the students  would be able  to  afford the ransoms . ? Perhaps  they  look at the school  fees and use that as an index to strike .Do  they see themselves as Robin Hoods robbing the rich to help  the poor .? That  cannot  be –  as they disappear once the ransoms  have been paid and Government  has said  it is not comfortable with  people negotiating  with   these  hard  hearted and wicked kidnappers . Government should   speed  up the  gathering  of information and intelligence  to  catch   these kidnappers who are sadly and certainly  destroying   our educational system  as well as the future of our youths .

    With  regard  to the claim that  the Igbos  are Jews I  see no sense in which  that should be allowed to disturb the peace and stability  of the Nigerian  nation . Any Igbo that feels  like a Jew should just see them at the Israeli  Embassy  and migrate to Israel . To  link secessionist   bid with Jewry is  to arouse Israeli  sentiments  on persecution of Igbos in Nigeria and  perhaps   to seek  the help  and use of the MASSOB the highly  efficient Israeli Intelligence against  the Nigerian nation . This should not be allowed and should not happen because  the Igbos  have contributed immensely to the development of the Nigerian nation where they are important stakeholders  and I do not   see  them  in  any way  colluding with anybody  to bring down the  house  they  have helped  to build  so energetically . Surely  the  Igbo Jewry    kite   cannot fly in Nigeria . Another  misnomer is the fact  that the Igbos are mainly  Christians  and  most Jews  are  not as they are still  expecting  their own Messiah .

    With  regard  to the issues of porous  borders in the US ,  risk  of incoming and infected migrants ,   the  strident calls on Americans to  get vaccinated and wear masks even when vaccinated   and  the call on OPEC to  increase  oil supply overseas while America is collapsing it oil  industry in the name of Climate Change  at  home  ,  simply  show  that the Biden Administration  ha bitten  more  than  it  can  chew .It  is about to choke and cost  itself  the 2022 Mid term elections . It   should  regurgitate  , if it can politically,  but  it seems to  be  acknowledging    most  reluctantly  that the fear of   Donald Trump  may  be the beginning of  wisdom and    it has  gone  too far to uproot the Trump  legacy on most issues that it  is  now difficult   to accept Trump  could be right at least on the open  borders and the attendant importation of epidemic at the borders at which Trump built walls  to  cut  off  illegal  migration . Again  killing the oil industry without alternative climate friendly  energy  source is  like committing economic  suicide  as the Biden Administration will  surely see, sooner  than   later .With   regard  to the hatred of the American flag by its athletes the new Administration is turning a blind  eye  because  it is using racism as its flagship  to redress racism  in the US and  it is doing its best  to rewrite American history along black  sympathy  lines because it believes it got to power through Black Lives Matter .For  now no one is allowed  to say anything  that  is in any way opposite  to the view that Black  Lives Matter which  is  its ideology of the moment . Whether that  will  be rewarded at subsequent elections  will  be clear in the coming 2022 Mid term elections or the 2024  presidential elections.

    With  regard  to  the tumbling  of  monogamy  like Humpty Dumpty at 10 Downing Street this  is no surprise in an era when LGBT and  gay rights  have taken deep roots in British Culture. Marriage  has become an after thought and partnering  is the vogue . It is  the era of   Meghan Merkle  and a time when a high prince of royal blood , a  son  of the Queen  has been  taken  to court for benefitting from pimping and  some  sexually  pervert  acts in recent past  . Certainly the Church  of England knows that its control over traditional  marriages is gone like Henry V111 sacked  the Pope  and started the Church of England  over his  many divorces ,  ages  ago . . Again  the Church  has realigned itself  to the new cultures as gay  priests and bishops  abound in the British   culture  and  Church   while  the teachings   of the Holy  Book   are kept in abeyance in the  face of a new culture that  has relegated  traditional  marriage  into  the background  ,  if not into total  oblivion . Once  again From the  Fury of this pandemic Good Lord Deliver Nigeria .

  • Football is back

    Football is back

    By Ade Ojeikere

    FOOTBALL is back. The fans are back. The excitement is back. The rave reviews and commentaries are back. Wives don’t have to wait endlessly for their husbands to return home. Daddy hurries back to stay with the family to watch the most exciting of the European Leagues – The premier League. Some other wives know where their husbands are – with the boys in a known friend’s house. Many homes are either divided among the teams or cajole by the leader of the house, most times to back his team. For such daddies, no room for his family members to pick their clubs when he calls the shot at home.

    But the real fun resides in those homes where Daddy’s club is Arsenal. The first son backs Chelsea with the mother tacitly identifying with her son – daddy mustn’t know. The daughter likes Manchester United while the last child prefers Manchester City. The house is on fire anytime any of these teams lose. It gets worse if Daddy’s club loses to the kids’ clubs. No peace for Daddy. He takes the jokes on his chin, knowing that his days hover around the corner – preferably the next game. Real fun and the families are now united by the most beautiful game in the world – football. Some call it soccer. Others refer to it as the round leather game. Whichever name you choose to call it.

    This new season is different because the fans would throng the stadia to watch their favourite teams which would invariably increase their revenues from the gate-takings not forgetting revenue from merchandising, television rights and other avenues for recouping cash spent to big buys ahead of the new season. Last season was a marketing disaster for all the clubs with many of them going bankrupt while others are still ruing the loss of revenue, which hopeful could be recouped this year, barring a fourth surge of the Covid-19 pandemic. Players, coaches, backroom staff, and anyone connected with the teams’ operations have taken mighty salary cuts to stay afloat. Clubs such as Liverpool depend a lot on the energy from their teeming fans at the stands to propel them to victory. Surely one of the beneficiaries of the return of the fans to the stadia.

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    The La Liga, Bundesliga, and EPL’s major games would be played today and tomorrow with some other fixtures of the first week on Monday. But two of the big European leagues (Premier League and Ligue 1 began yesterday, with the English game being adjudged the best in quality of players who crave to play in England. Chelsea’s emergence as the Super Cup winner by beating La Liga side, Villarreal 6-5 on penalty shootout after a pulsating 1-1 draw after 120 minutes showed the depth in strength for the UEFA Champions League winners.

    The English game is anchored on the tremendous media coverage by the English laced with records of events with the television stations anchoring their football shows with legends of the game sharing their experiences and educating viewers on controversial decisions. There is never a boring moment watching the English. In fact, this 2021/2022 season is expected to be one of the best given the way big teams strengthened their squads with quality players. They were careful in picking who they wanted not just crowding the camp with big stars as in the past.

    From the Nigerian perspective, this season looks like one to remember for our players considering the fact that two Super Eagles players, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho played key roles in Leicester City’s emergence as the winners of the Community Shield, beating Barclays English Premier league’s defending champions Manchester City 1-0. The winning goal was scored by Iheanacho, not forgetting Ndidi’s mercurial displays in the heart of the Foxes’ midfield. What makes Iheanacho’s resurgence in scoring goals very interesting is that he isn’t seeing Vardy or Daka as rivals to his position. He is now being judged by the goals he scores for the Foxes. It shows that he has matured which is good for him and the country.

    There are other Nigerians in the EPL such as Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford, on loan from Stoke City), Isaac Success (Watford), Troost Ekong (Watford), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Denis (Watford), Tom Dele-Bashiru (Watford) but currently at Reading on loan), Balogun (Arsenal), Shoretire (Man United), and Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) who should utilise the platform to write their names in the annals of world soccer.

    Yes, nobody was shocked to read that Lionel Messi’s shirt sold out 30 minutes after he was unveiled as a PSG player. Messi’s stock with PSG is one of quantum growth with the club’s owners ready to sift every dollar out from Brand Messi to improve on their revenue. Already the owners are projecting a Messi cum Cristiano Ronaldo attacking pairing for the year 2022. That will be the day, although it won’t translate to the type of scoring ratios the owners are envisaging. These two scorers are aging progressively and have almost lost the spark which distinguished them from others.

    The French league like the EPL started on Friday with the Bundesliga expected to begin today.  The biggest transfers for now in the English game are Jack Grealish (£100m) and Lukaku (£98m), with words rife that Manchester City could snatch Harry Kane for a whopping fee of £130 m. If Kane crosses over to Manchester City, the Citizens’ jigsaw puzzle would have been fixed to rule the English game again. Nothing compares with Messi’s reluctant move to PSG from FC Barcelona, 21 years after a meritorious career.

    Messi has trained. He did so on Thursday where he met with Mbappe and others in training. The young ace shared a photo of them greeting each other on his own Instagram account, with the caption: ‘Welcome to Paris, Leo.’ Messi revealed that he informed his coaches that he would to be part of today’s game against Strasbourg. According to a report from one of the journalists who watched the training session: ”In the footage shared by the club on Instagram, Messi was seen sprinting down the pitch and carrying out some drills on his own. Despite only arriving in Paris on Tuesday, he is reportedly already desperate to feature this weekend.

    ”His return from downtime was marked with simple exercises, with Messi’s workload set to gradually increase while he gears up for the new season. The run-out caught on camera saw him race towards some cones and high-five a coach.” The world waits in bated breath.

    Messi’s signing has raised the profile of the French game with Paris Saint Germain (PSG’s) matches a compulsory watch for ardent lovers of the beautiful game wherever they reside. Venues, where PSG plays, would be box office sales for the home teams when the Paris side visits. No wonder Messi has spoken to the team’s coaches that he would love to play some part in today’s fixture against Strasbourg.

    Any team in world soccer which parades Neymar, Sergio Ramos, the world’s best tackling central defender, no hyperbole intended would be a compelling combination of silky skills, breath-taking speed anchored on their enchanting style of play such that would elevate PSG’s stature in the game to the rooftop.

    Messi has left a club he never wanted to leave for one he didn’t want to join. So, as Barcelona loses one of their adopted sons after 21 trophy-laden years, can he learn to love Paris? Messi’s smiles amidst flashes from the cameras before boarding the private jet made the headlines in the media. Messi was happy although he didn’t want to leave, to play for a club he didn’t want to join, and relocating to a city where he didn’t care to reside. Messi was living the dream: as envisaged by accountants, marketing men, contract lawyers, Qatari sheiks, and the fans who gathered outside Charles de Gaulle airport, hoping for a glimpse. He wasn’t living Messi’s dream, though, for we all know what that was. To continue playing for Barcelona, and winning trophies for Barcelona, and remaining, with his family, in Barcelona. Even on the day he tearfully announced he had no option but to leave, he was already talking about the day he would return.

    For PSG, the time to rule European football is this season. PSG could learn the bitter lesson that blending making teams play with cohesion and inevitably perform better, not just the acquisition of star players.