The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday

  • Power, authority and security

    Venezuela’s President Hugo  Chavez’s  battle  with cancer  and the ensuing  constitutional crisis  over his absence at his swearing in ceremony and Barak Obama’s resolve  to rein in the gun lobby in the US after his own swearing in for a second term provide immediate  and ample  ammunition  for today’s analysis. If  you add to that Afghanistan‘s President Amir Kadzai‘s cap in hand visit to the US  to ask for an extension of the stay of US troops in his violence prone nation  and the reported call by the Chairman of the AU  that NATO  should intervene on behalf of the AU  in Mali,  then you have an idea of the sort  of pot pourri that we are about to digest here today.

    Firstly, Hugo Chavez’s cancer treatment  in Cuba and his absence at his own party as it were created  a problem of constitutionalism, legitimacy,   legacy, authority and performance not only for Venezuelan politicians and leaders but also  for  a   concerned and  watching global audience. These are issues we have to dilate on toda . However,  Obama‘s  delegation  of power to Vice President  Biden   the duty of making the US safe while not compromising   the right of US citizens to protect themselves; a right massively and vehemently championed  by the powerful lobby of the National Rifles Association -NRA- showed that the US president is more than worried about the way some crazy Americans have been shooting innocent ones of all ages indiscriminately because they have easy access to guns and are using them lethally to kill as  if America is at war when it is not, at least  for now,  on US territory.

    The  delegation  of power  as Obama  prepares for his swearing in for a second term   opens up issues of security, stability, human welfare and rights in the world’s most powerful democracy. Similarly the Afghanistan president’s visit  raises issues or matters arising like sovereignt, corruption and the limits of immunity from prosecution for anyone and not only US soldiers for whom this has been requested in Afghanistan. Mali‘s  case   however is  just  a lesson  in the abandonment of responsibility and ceding  of regional power and authority by the AU.

     Hugo  Chavez’s case can easily be compared with the case of the first Nigerian president to die in harness – President Yar Adua  and his succession by his Vice President based on the principle of necessity evolved by the Nigerian Senate for that occasion. But then the comparison stops there in that the Nigerian president died but Hugo Chavez is still very much alive although he is away in another nation receiving cancer treatment.

    The Venezuelan Supreme Court  ruled this week that Chavez could be sworn in later when he is well and found absurd the suggestion by the  Opposition that he had lost the presidency because he had failed to show up  for his swearing in as constitutionally scheduled. The Supreme Court also ruled that continuity had been established by his election and the swearing in is  just  a formality. The Supreme Court  then ruled  that  the  Vice President is to  act as president henceforth till Chavez is able to attend his swearing in.

     This  to me is like stating the obvious but in politics at times what is quite apparent and  obvious  can be lost in plain sight just as the Venezuelan Supreme Court  boldly asserted  and ruled.This ruling to me  is constitutionalism without mischief and the  Venezuelan Opposition  must  accept that it can not get through cancer affliction of the winner of the election it lost,  the quest  for  power it lost clearly at the last presidential election.

    This is because sickness is a human condition and no constitution on earth yet has decreed that a man cannot be sick before and after his election . Early last year well  before the election I had written that Chavez was playing god  and may never  be able to take part in the election  he   subsequently won. But then,  he had the guts to go through and he has my admiration albeit grudgingly.

    In  addition  there is great evidence that Chavez  has raised the standard of living of his people in terms of housing and education as a populist and socialist leader committed to the welfare of his people and ipso  facto   gets their sympathy  in his battle with cancer . The Venezuelan Supreme Court  to me has fulfilled its duty with dignity  and affirmed constitutionalism, the  rule  of law and stability in the nation. However  this is in spite of  the posture of the  Opposition, which while accepting the verdict has accused the judges of the court  of  cronyism  – which to me is no more than  a case of sour grapes of wishing an elected man dead and out of the way when his time has not come. That  certainly is unfair  and politically  unsound as we are all mortal after all and even Chavez cannot be an exception.

    I watched the American gun debate this week on CNN and it is obvious that the president must act fast and alone if any meaningful  action is to be made into law to deter killers and protect potential and real victims in the US. I watched a man who  said  he  wrote to Congress that Americans should not be discouraged from having sophisticated weapons to defend themselves and that making ownership of guns un transferrable  disarms generations of the same family. He  even went on to narrate that K14 rifles were  simple weapons until an expert showed him that under some circumstances they could be real war weapons and more. The expert went on to explain that while Americans may need weapons to protect themselves they do not need war weapons like the one being used in Afghanistan and Iraq  to protect themselves at home.

    Which to me sounds reasonable  and should be the practical solution rather than the NRA formula that asks that all schools in the US must have an armed guard like a nation under siege from its own people. In addition the decision by some US trade unions to disinvest  their pension funds from big companies like Wal Mart, the world’s biggest  super mart and reportedly the largest   global seller of guns and, is  a step in the right direction to challenge the impunity of the fierce pro  gun lobby in the US led by the infamous NRA and other hypersensitive, and overly security conscious gun lovers  and associations in  the US.

    In  the case of the Afghanistan president’s visit to the US  to ask that some US soldiers be stationed in Afghanistan after the announced departure date of 2014 for US troops  in that nation, one must appreciate US concern to keep to its announced schedule. Indeed the Americans seized the occasion to announce that all US troops will come back except Afghanistan gives US troops to remain,  immunity  from prosecution. Really I think the Americans are just telling the Afghan president to get lost  as I do not see him capsizing and accepting the immunity condition.

    This is because he would be short changing the sovereignty of his nation by agreeing with the immunity option  which really is an insult . But then the Kadzai regime in Kabul is said to be so corrupt and so afraid of its own shadow and security  that it would do anything that would keep the Americans around   post 2014  to protect it from the fury and  scorn of its own people.

    Yet I accept a deal  has  to be struck one way or the other and I expect the Afghan president to need the Americans who upheld his relection even though they knew he rigged the last presidential elections massively to hang around.

    This is because  security business is good business for the Pentagon and  military – security complex that the war on terror has spawned globally and which is booming like wild fire  in the opium infested mountains and fields of Afghanistan. How  that translates however into security for a corrupt government in   Kabul is a wonder to be seen. How it also makes  the Taliban  more friendly towards the US  and less terror  prone  is the formidable challenge the US and its allies in Afghanistan face between now and 2014 and beyond.

    Lastly the news that the Malian army had chased the Islamist occupation army out of a town –  Dountza in the north east,  in Mali  was cheering news because this was the first time the Malian army had shown some spine or mettle since invaders seized the northern part of Mali. The  army had shown more  interest in ousting its elected  civilian bosses  than  in protecting the territorial integrity  of Mali in recent times. It ousted the last civilian president because it said the government did not give it sufficient ammunition to repel the invaders of northern Mali.

    Now  it is doing its primary duty and the AU  is calling for NATO intervention. I think that is an extravagant digression and it shows that the Beninois President   Thomas  Boni  Yayi  doubling as AU Chairman  is out of his depth at least in regional diplomacy. This is because the UN Security Council has already approved a  force of 3000 for Mali and Nigeria is sending 600 men so why the call for NATO support? ECOWAS should pull its weight and set the ball rolling first by allowing Nigeria to take the lead, instead of the usual Francophone distrust and jealousy of Nigeria’s ample regional leadership pedigree in such matters  as in Sierra  Leone and Liberia.

    In addition the Malian Army should be encouraged in its new found courage to defend the territorial integrity of Mali as  this is the best way to drive the invaders away rather than asking for manna to fall from heaven with NATO.

  • Nigeria now and beyond

    Nigeria now and beyond

    How to build a better nation

    As New Year resolutions go, those of President Goodluck Jonathan were not bad. On January 1, at an Anglican Church service in Abuja, he pledged to “provide employment for our people and encourage entrepreneurship”. Again, the President promised that 2013 will be better than last year.

    The year 2012 indeed left us brokenhearted, in the main. Better endowed writers and analysts have captured the grief of the floods, which devastated a substantial part of the country, forcing many from their homes and leaving them helpless and moody in the Yuletide, with questions as to what to eat. Space has also been given to the Boko Haram onslaught, which continues to leave blood and tears in its wake in spite of the best efforts of our security community. Our tragedies were not limited to the ground or waters, though; there were also fatalities in the air, throwing the nation into mourning. Thankfully, there was some relief amid the grief. In a year in which we lost former National Security Adviser General Andrew Azazi in an air crash, Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State survived an ill-fated flight. He has been discharged from hospital, with two new bundles of joy in his wife’s arms. Suntai’s counterpart in Kogi, Idris Wada, has also left hospital after a crash in his SUV left him with a fractured leg.

    2012 was largely a year many prayed would not repeat itself. It would have been proper for the President, in an end of year or January 1 speeches, to touch on these issues if only to seek lifting the people from their grief and get them to look forward to a better year. Still, Jonathan’s January efforts in the church did some good. He said the new year will be better. As president, that should boost morale. He also said our uniformed personnel were making some progress and that his administration will strengthen the security architecture, a favourite phrase of his. All of that is good.

    Yet there was something else the President said in Abuja on New Year’s Day that got me thinking. He spoke about worsening violence and a descent into shocking depths of criminality, of which Nigerians had a huge dose last year.

    He said: “It is the ambition to get rich overnight that leads to robbery, kidnapping and all sorts of crime…We have moved to another phase of terror, kidnapping and armed robbery but these are momentary challenges.”

    Clearly, Jonathan is as worried about our worsening crime record as he is about the motive: ambition to get rich overnight. The officiating priest of the day, Most Rev Nicholas Okoh was just as concerned and wasted no time to call for a change of heart. The clergy admonished every Nigerian, from the unscrupulous market woman to the greedy politician, to change their ways in the new year.

    Both Jonathan and the priest want a new and better Nigeria now and beyond. So do I and a substantial part of our 160m people. Most Nigerians desire a country of clean values, one where life and integrity count. But a tiny percentage of the population has negated our cravings, seeking to first satisfy their own lusts and imaginations. In this bracket are such people as armed robbers, kidnappers and those who commit “all sorts of crime” to which the President referred in the Anglican Church service.

    Still, one question remains: how do we evolve such a country? How do we kick out the get-rich-overnight ambition of which Jonathan has spoken? Our experience in these parts has shown that appeals and sermons have very little effect on criminals or even potential ones. If this were so, crime would be declining rather than increasing, given the number of people’s appeals or the frequency of clerics’ sermons.

    So if the word of mouth hardly deters criminals, what can be done? That’s tricky, but we can mount a more vigorous and transparent campaign against ostentatious tastes and such vanities, especially in high places. Our leaders have not been the most frugal people you hear about. People tend to learn more from what they see than what they hear. That is why it will be difficult to exorcise the spirit of SUVs, for instance, in this country. The rich and powerful flaunt them, leading humble folks to sell their modest cars to acquire Jeeps, even creaky ones. The lifestyles of our leaders have done little to curb criminal tendencies.

    In the run-up to the Yuletide, the cost of VP Namadi Sambo’s house caused not a little stir. The house valued at N7b in 2009 was now said to have attracted an extra N9b, making a total of N16b. What for? The N9b was needed, it was said, to incorporate the culture and religion of the Vice President into the building. Such behaviour hurts our finances and does little to discourage ostentation. Even the culture and religion argument falls flat. The house of the VP is supposed to be a national monument, not designed and built with a Christian, Muslim, atheist or freethinker in mind. If any of them should live there, surely, worship places should not be such a challenge warranting a huge appropriation of cash.

    Sambo’s tastes are not unique, though. Our leaders’ awkward preferences have caused quite a problem. If we want to see Nigeria of our dreams, we must clip such fancies. It is one way to check get-rich-overnight ambitions and build a country for today and the future.

  • Leaders and the challenges of key decisions

    In fact without a crisis or a challenge no leader can claim to have been tested or to have paid his dues or earned the title of leader . Whether natural , fabricated or contrived , a crisis puts a leader on his toes to provide leadership , restore order or control and assure his followers that they are well covered by the insurance of his leadership

    Crises create leaders and leadership styles of various hues , shapes and sizes. In fact without a crisis or a challenge no leader can claim to havave been tested or to have paid his dues or earned the title of leader. Whether natural, fabricated or contrived, a crisis puts a leader on his toes to provide leadership, restore order or control and assure his followers that they are well covered by the insurance of his leadership. That is the mark of leadership in the modern world today . Yet it is becoming a rare gift amongst our leaders in the real world or if you like, a tall act to follow for most global leaders of our age and time.

    In Italy the make shift government of outgoing PM Mario Monti recently collapsed after former PM Silvio Berlusconi withdrew his support for him in Parliament .Mario Monti a professor of Economics had been brought in to fix Italy’s wobbly economy, run aground by Silvio Berlusconi with his varied, sordid and polemical sex scandals while in office as PM. Yet, Berlusconi supported the Professor until recently when the media mogul decided that Italy is now worse off under Mario Monti’s spending cuts and tax hikes and his government should be allowed to fall or go , to pave the way for new elections which Berlusconi wants to contest in . The problem really is that Berlusconi is troubled by Monti’s rising Mr Fix It profile in Italy and the fear in Berlusconi of a Monti candidature against him for the PM position is rising daily .So , the natural thing for Berlusconi to do first is to denounce the Mario Monti economic performance record as inadequate and unprogressive so as to create a problem for a future opponent about to enter the political foray to lead Italy as PM in the very near future.

    How that clash unfolds will be clearer in the next few weeks. But the scenario provides a very good illustration of the type of decisions that leaders must make and indeed have made in the past and which have great impact on their immediate environment and society. Must Mario Monti run because he has been taunted by Berlusconi or because he feels he has an unfinished business in fixing Italy economically and fiscally? Either way he faces a formidable opponent in Berlusconi who is free to contest elections pending his appeal against court decisions on sundry charges ranging from tax evasion, to underage sex, prostitution and others. According to Berlusconi he is a victim of persecution by the Italian judicial system. Just last week Berlusconi agreed to pay $50m to his divorced wife a fact which made Mario Monti to taunt him on his family values opening a debate for the PM contest in Italy which by the way is the only nation in Europe that can still have someone like Silvio Berlusconi still actively involved in party politics.

    Silvio Berlusconi has been PM of Italy on three previous occasions — 1994-1995; 2001-2006; and 2008 -2011. How Silvio Berlusconi still believes the Italians love him so much and can still elect him as PM of Italy in spite of his scandal prone political track record must be a source of worry for the Italian people who, while they may love him for owning the famous AC Milan Football club which has been several times UEFA Champions league winners, are enlightened enough to separate soccer ownership from governance and looking after the polity and the economy in a civilized and beneficial manner. Anyway I have no doubt in my mind that the Italian electorate is ready to teach Berlusconi some hard lessons at the polls over his latest decision to seek their support again for his election as PM.

    Actually this topic came to my mind on learning last week of the death at the age of 78 of the US 1991 Gulf War Commander General Norman Schwarzkopf in the US. The late General had led a Coalition of Nations to chase Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait after the Iraqi leader woke up one day and said that some history had it that Kuwait was part of Iraq and invaded his neighbor’s territory. President Barak Obama has paid tribute to the late General as one of the best generals the US ever had . So have his Commander in Chief then former President George W Bush the 41st President of the US whose son George Bush the 43rd US President finally nailed Saddam in the Second World War of 2003 predicated and driven on the excuse that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.

    My contention here is that the Second Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq by the US and Britain in March 2003, would have been unnecessary if General Norman Schwarzkopf had done his job differently in 1991 when he chased the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait. According to reports the road to Baghdad was clear for the Coalition Forces under the late General to finish off the loud mouthed Iraqi leader but General Schwarzkopf stuck to his gun that his orders were to liberate Kuwait and he stopped at the border with Iraq. The opportunity cost of that decision is not only the Second Gulf War after 9/11 but the slaughter of thousands of Kurds who were jubilating that the fall of Saddam was imminent as they thought the Coalition forces were on the way to Baghdad to destroy their sworn enemy. As it later turned out it was Saddam who had a field day destroying the Kurds in a murderous rage of frenzy and retaliation later because of Schwarzkopf’s decision to stop at the Kuwaiti border with Iraq.

    Similarly, the news last week that the vegetative former PM of Israel Ariel Sharon was still responsive and not dead, 7 years after he suffered a stroke in 2006 also bestirred some memories on momentous decisions he made before his stroke. Ariel Sharon was a war hero in Israel’s several wars with the Arabs since 1948 when the state of Israel was created and the Palestinians displaced setting up a violent ripple of hatred in the Middle East till today. Sharon was a hero in the Six Days War of 1967 as well as the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Indeed his picture with a bloodily bandaged head adorns some Encyclopaedia on his biography. Notably he disobeyed his commanders not to cross the Sinai Desert but his disobedience brought victory and according to fables the surrounding of the famed Egypt’s Third Army and a famous victory for Israel. But as a Minister in Israel after the wars, Ariel Sharon was a hawk who as Minister of Works accelerated building on the occupied territories that should be returned to the Palestinians according to UN resolutions. Later Sharon had a change of mind on this and formed his own party and won election on the platform of peace with the Palestinians but then he had stroke a year later and has been incapacitated ever since. It is on record however that before his stroke he ejected Jews living in the occupied territory by force which was an unbelievable sight at that time. Nowadays, however, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel is trampling on the policy for which Sharon won election before his stroke, by building on the occupied territories from which Ariel Sharon, war hero, former war hawk and later peace advocate , drove away Jewish settlers. Which really shows the cruel irony of life especially with the difficult decisions of global leaders both past, present, and sadly too while even vegetating.

    Leaving morbid thoughts aside, let us look at some challenging or potentially challenging decisions in France of recent . In France President Francois Hollande Hollande stuck to his gun to tax the wealthy even though the Constitutional Court in France ruled recently that the policy was unconstitutional because it targeted individuals and not households. The French president accepted the challenge and said he would rephrase the policy because those who have more in the French Society must sacrifice the most to get France out of its economic doldrums and reduce its debts and deficits.The Hollande Tax Plan had taxed 75% of earnings of French people earning 1m euros which had led to some gifted entrepreneurs fleeing France. Francois Hollande is unfazed by the Constitutional Court set back. Instead, in a speech to the French people in the new year, he declared his commitment to his declared election objectives of more jobs, competitiveness and growth as the ultimate economic bail out, rescue plan for France. Hollande to me has shown leadership grit and commitment to the overall good of France and has assured the French electorate that he would deliver on his election promise that he would tax the rich massively because the French have a tradition of reducing income inequalities right from the time of the French revolution of 1789.

    You can compare the French attitude with the American and Nigerian mind set to fiscal matters. In the US, the so called fiscal cliff is but an entrenchment of ideological stances by both democrats and republicans. The democrats believe in spending to bail out the economy while the republicans believe that governments role should be minimal and that those companies that cannot compete, cannot and must not survive. In addition republicans believe that the rich must not be taxed since they provide employment which they say is not the duty of government but the private sector .But a democrat Barak Obama won the election and was reelected in the US and his mandate must not be scuttled on an bitter and jealous ideological slaughter slab in the US legislature. Also in Nigeria, deficits don’t matter as long as the legislature hoodwinks the executive into accommodating the fringe benefits of legislators into the approved, expanded budget rather than a reduced budget that should be the product of proper legislative oversight, vetting and prudent management function.

    But then, in all nations in the world, posterity beckons for questioning, just as history watches and waits patiently to pass judgement on our global leaders’ and decision makers sense of justice , fairness and transparency. That may not seem much of a deterrence now in the frenzy to win immediate riches, honors and accolades .At the end of time however, the true leaders and decisions are those who and which survive the scrutiny of history and that really is what separates leadership chaff from wheat; and the men from the boys on the slippery paths of global leadership and decision making

  • Mko Abiola’s forgotten reparations crusade

    Mko Abiola’s forgotten reparations crusade

    Towards the end of 2012, an explosive new book by Africa’s first literature Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, titled: ‘Harmattan Haze on an African Spring’ was quietly released to the reading public. I guess this must have been about the same time that Professor Chinua Achebe’s highly controversial and contentious book, ‘There was A Country: A personal history of Biafra” also emerged on the country’s literary firmament. The focus of Achebe’s book is Nigeria and the civil war that rocked the country to its very foundations between 1969 and 1971. On its part, Soyinka’s latest literary offering takes an incisive look at the African condition exploring how her tragic and bitter past has shaped the present but may also contain those elements necessary for the redemption of a much abused continent.

    ‘Harmattan Haze on an African Spring’ is a characteristically ‘Soyinkaesque’ tour de force traversing diverse spheres of human knowledge including history, geography, political economy, literary and visual arts, philosophy and psychology among several others. Without exculpating Africans from responsibility for the present condition of the continent – its backwardness, ceaseless conflicts and deepening underdevelopment – Soyinka insists that a confrontation with the continent’s history and a refusal to sweep its lessons under the carpet is foundational to understanding Africa and charting a viable path to her socio-economic, moral and political rejuvenation.

    I am not very much concerned in this piece with Soyinka’s rather controversial advocacy of a return to pristine pre-colonial African spirituality as part of the necessary processes for the salvation of the continent. Like Achebe, Soyinka extols the tolerance, accommodation and liberal spirit of African traditional religions comparing this to the perceived totalising authoritarianism and hegemonic aspirations of Islam and Christianity on the continent. Traditional African spirituality, he believes, has a lot to teach contemporary Africa on the virtues of religious tolerance but also stemming the destructive tide of sectarian extremism in diverse parts of the continent. For me, the most moving parts of Soyinka’s rendering of our history are those in which he dwells at length on the slave trade and its’ terribly dehumanizing implications for the black race.

    Soyinka’s vivid imagery confirms Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s press statement on 28th June, 1961, that “From the beginning of recorded history, the black man has been the conspicuous butt of all manner of inhuman treatment. In the palaces of the Arabian potentates – both in the Middle East and in North Africa – he was degraded and enslaved. When the so-called ‘Dark Continent of Africa’ was discovered, the European marauders hunted him down like a common beast, captured him, and sold him into slavery in the Americas and West Indies.” Awolowo goes on to detail the negative consequences of colonialism and neo-colonialism for the African continent.

    Of course, we are aware of Walter Rodney’s seminal work, ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’, which proved incontrovertibly that the very same exploitative forces of slavery and colonialism responsible largely for the underdevelopment of Africa also played pivotal roles in the socio-economic and industrial ascendancy and triumphalism of the West. Yet, there are those who, despite these glaring facts of history, see in the position of scholars like Rodney only an attempt to push onto others the responsibility for Africa’s predicament while denying Africans of any culpability. This was certainly the view of President Barak Obama, when in his speech to Ghana’s parliament on Saturday, July 11, 2009 he said: “It is easy to point fingers, and to pin the blame for these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense bred conflict, but the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants.”

    This kind of superficial reading of history will surely benefit from the following insight from one of Africa’s foremost scholars, the late Professor Claude Ake: “The slave trade disorganized and devastated Africa on such scale that she was forever available for domination by virtually everyone. Not surprisingly the Europeans carved up Africa among themselves, colonized her and proceeded to complete the work of disorganization and debasement which had begun with the slave trade. A great deal of emphasis has been placed on the detrimental economic effects of colonization. But this was not necessarily its most damaging effect. In all probability, it contributed less to our problems than the political and cultural policies. Colonialism was premised on the inferiority of the colonised. That premise is the very content of the ‘civilising mission’”. Ruminating on these issues reminded me, once again, of the indelible role of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola in the history both of Nigeria and Africa. Mention the name Abiola today, and what comes to mind are either his numerous philanthropic activities or his bid for the country’s presidency in the historic but cruelly aborted June 12, 1993, presidential election.

    But Abiola meant much more than these. He was easily the wealthiest black man in his life time. A key mission he adopted later in his life was the vigorous campaign for the payment of reparations to Africa for the depredations of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Abiola selflessly deployed his enormous resources towards the attainment of this end of correcting a historic injustice and monumental crime against humanity. Given a rationale for his crusade in a speech in London in 1992, Abiola declared “Our demand for reparations is based on the tripod of moral, historic and legal arguments. Who knows what path Africa’s social development would have taken if our great centres of civilisation had not been razed in search of human cargo? Who knows how our economies would have developed…?”. In December 1990, Abiola convened and sponsored the first world conference on reparations at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, where he formally inaugurated the reparations campaign. The campaign moved to the continental level in June 1991 when the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity now the African Union as well as the 55th Council of Ministers of the Union passed a resolution recognizing the injustice of slavery in Africa and affirmed the continent’s right to reparations.

    The Eminent Persons Group set up to steer the reparations campaign convened the first Pan-African conference on Reparations in Abuja in April 1993 with participants drawn from Africa, Asia, America and Europe. The conference issued a communiqué reiterating the imperative of paying reparations to Africa for the physical and psychological brutality, socio-cultural dislocation and economic dysfunction caused by slavery, colonialism and imperialism in general; acts of injustice without parallel in human history. All of these efforts were personally funded by Chief MKO Abiola even though the Babangida regime later donated the sum of $500,000 to the cause. It was as the campaign was gaining momentum that Abiola ventured into politics to contest Nigeria’s presidency on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) – a distraction that led to his eventual tragic fate.

    But why did MKO abandon the reparations crusade? Could he have seen that paying reparations to largely corrupt, decadent and oppressive African states would be like pouring water down a basket? Could he have noticed that most African leaders in their brazen contempt for and mistreatment of their own people are no better than the pre-colonial slave masters and their African collaborators? Could he have noticed that the majority of African leaders have slavishly and voluntarily sold their intellects to western International Financial Institutions like the IMF and World Bank and lack the capacity to pursue autonomous policies that can liberate the socio-economic potentials of an otherwise well endowed continent?

    Indeed, Professor Nworisara Nwolise of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, recently noted that if a slave ship were to berth on the ports of African countries today, millions would voluntarily scramble to get aboard and be relieved of the agony of an existence no different from hell on earth. Surely, it cannot get worse than that. True, the case for reparations to Africa for the depredations of slavery and colonialism remains unassailable. If the Jews have been paid billions in reparations for the holocaust that lasted roughly twelve years, how much should Africa be recompensed for dehumanizing slavery and colonialism that lasted over 400 years, deprived the continent of the best of her human resource while also mercilessly exploiting her natural and mineral resources? But right now, African leaders simply lacks the moral integrity to make a case for reparations. Indeed, the way Africa is largely misgoverned today simply validates the case of those who argue that the slave raiders actually did the captured slaves a favour by liberating them from the ‘heart of darkness”. What a great pity.

  • Eagles: Pregnant with surprises

    It is the beginning of a new year. It is time for resolutions, which serve as guide for good or bad conducts in the course of the year. For the Super Eagles, 2013 offers the players and coaches best opportunity to shed off the toga of Super Chicken.

    This unwholesome sobriquet arose from the Eagles’ grace to grass status in global football after their meteoric outing at the USA’94 World Cup, where Nigeria emerged as the fifth best entertaining team in the world, despite our second round ouster from the Mundial.

    Several methods have been adopted to rejuvenate the Eagles, with little to show for it. Coaches, players and even chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were removed to make the Eagles fly.

    Many pointed at the gross indiscipline in the team. A few others hinged the team’s sloppy display on lack of determination, commitment and the will to win among the players.

    The rebuilding of the team started in 1998, with many asking when it would stop. But the new helmsman, Stephen Keshi, has promised reforms which appear to be manifesting, if this writer isn’t accused of jumping the gun.

    Suddenly, it is dawning on us that we need to rebuild the Eagles by giving the domestic league players an opportunity to fight for shirts with the better exposed stars in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Diaspora.

    Home grown players have broken their yoke of naivety and have stood toe-to-toe with the foreign legion such that Keshi feels strongly that they could make his final list to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations holding in South Africa from January 19 to February 10.

    The biggest impetus in the Eagles today can be traced to the fact that the foreign legion recognises that the home lads can play the game with their hearts, because they too want to join them in Europe.

    Again, Keshi is prepared to drop anyone who doesn’t play well in training and matches. There is no second chance for flops. This trait rubs off on the team’s play during matches.

    Interestingly, we are beginning to see bigger boys playing in the Eagles, unlike in the past where pint-sized players dominated the team and were easily out-muscled in ball possession battles. Muscular, athletic, taller and determined players make Keshi’s squad. What this writer feels is lacking in the team is the variety of tactics during games.

    Eagles’ style is predictable. The only difference with the past is that Keshi may have told them to fight for the ball as soon as they lose it.

    Secondly, Keshi appears to have broken the fixation that haunted previous coaches when selecting players. It was easy for fans to sit at home and pick those to be fielded. This flaw gave room to certain players to feel that the Eagles shirt was their birthright. This group formed the cabal that held the team and the nation hostage anytime they felt aggrieved. They chose the games they wanted to play, picked the coaches they wanted to work with and cared less about how the country plays during big time competitions, such as the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.

    With 16 days to Nigeria’s first game against Burkina Faso in South Africa, it is difficult for anyone to pick the 23 players that Keshi will take to the Africa Cup of Nations.

    The last two matches against Venezuelans and the Catalonians on Wednesday in Espanyol further heightened the suspense in the camp in Faro, Portugal.

    Watching the Eagles against Catalonia on Wednesday, what struck me was the confidence of the home-grown goalkeeper Agbim. He was calm and even controlled his defenders, a trait goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama lacks, resulting in some cheeky goals he has conceded recently.

    Agim’s positioning was awesome. He gripped the ball firmly from set-plays, especially from the corner kicks. His judgment of aerial balls was impeccable. He was calm enough to initiate the team’s attacking onslaught by throwing the ball to the nearest defender, not kicking it aimlessly towards the opponent’s goal area.

    One will not be surprised if Vincent Eneyama doesn’t start Nigeria’s game against Burkina Faso. If Keshi drops Enyeama from the first game, he would have solved the problem of using experience to pick players for matches than their current forms. Younger players garner experience from playing games instead of sitting on the bench.

    The Eagles defence has been problematic, although some of the cheap goals conceded have come from poor goalkeeping. Perhaps, keeping Enyeama on the bench in South Africa will be the panacea since the team has conceded just one goal from two games without Enyeama.

    Joseph Yobo’s inclusion in the defence could strengthen it, more so when John Mikel Obi is made to play in the defensive midfield like he does at Chelsea. Interestingly, Mikel hasn’t been playing for Chelsea, no thanks to the three-match ban occasioned by the punishment from using abusive words on referee Mark Clattenburg.

    Eagles’ defensive network would be impregnable if Keshi includes Nosa Igiebor and Dike in the midfield quartet. Keshi should play Victor Moses to complete the Eagles’ midfield quartet, comprising Mikel, Igiebor and Dike. Mikel and Moses will propel the Eagles’ attack like they do in Chelsea. Keshi got a tip of this fluid midfield play against Liberia in Calabar when Mikel spotted Moses with a curly lob which the diminutive midfielder converted with aplomb.

    If Keshi parades selfless players who would be prepared to pass the ball upfront for freer strikers to convert into goals, then half the assignment of beating Burkina Faso and others at the Africa Cup of Nations would have been decided.

    Eagles’ attacking options are legendary, although a few of them are wasteful with converting goals. Keshi can ignite adequate competition among the strikers, if he teaches them how to handle one-on-one situations against the opponent’s goalkeeper.

    The strikers should be taught how to inter-change passes such that they know who to pass the ball to in match situations. Rehearsals in training are perfected on the pitch. Scoring goals is no guess work. A team that does not encourage its players to shoot the ball accurately cannot win matches. The catalyst that wins matches is goals, not the number of passes strung together to elicit applause from the spectators. Practice, they say, leads to perfection.

    Keshi’s substitutes must be as good as the first choices. Matches are won by those on the bench. There shouldn’t be any form of sentiments. Recuperating players should be asked to go home. We want a squad of equally likely players not 13 stars and 10 wastepipes. Every change made during matches should galvanise the team to play better.

    A team is as good as the coach’s proficiency in reading matches. Keshi should open his eyes during games and ensure that tactical changes are informed and not based on panic.

    The fruits of Keshi’s rebuilding exercise must be evident in the way the Eagles play in South Africa. The team’s style should be inspiring. They must be made to give their best. Anyone who is not prepared to lay down his life for Nigeria should be excused to go on holidays. Nigerians have been left crest-fallen by Eagles’ shambolic outings in big competitions. The time to stop that trend is now.

    Nigerians are tired of praying and banking on luck for the Eagles to win matches. We are also tired of permutations to ensure that the Eagles progress during tournaments. If we can beat a team, we should do so convincingly. There should be no half measure; after all, we know that it takes seven matches to lift the Africa Cup of Nations’ diadem. It is a task that can be done, with the right attitude from the players and sincerity from the technical crew when picking players for games.

    This writer feels strongly that the Eagles can spring surprises in South Africa. You want to bet on it? Don’t dare; you rule the Eagles out at your own peril.

    Good luck Keshi; good luck Super Eagles. Please, make this a happy year for your fans.

  • Personalities and issues of 2012

    Let me start by stating that I start this piece today on the horn of a dilemma . This is because as this is the last Saturday of 2012 I initially wanted to pick a Man of the Year in the best tradition of Time or Newsweek Magazine , which is to identify someone who has influenced world affairs for good or bad in the past year . In this mode of identification , Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , and before him Adolf Hitler had controversially but correctly graced the front covers of this great American magazines. However to my consternation and frustration I had a difficult time finding one person not because there was a shortage of such distinguished persons , but the dilemma arose in that if I chose one , I will be leaving out so many on the crucial divide of those who have influenced 2012 for good or bad . That dilemma crystallized into the topic of today and you are welcome to your verdict on whether I have taken the easy way out or given myself an uphill task to finish off a difficult and terror ridden year .

    Personalities and issues that have shaped the fortunes of 2012 for good and bad are many and varied. They have created moments that have made us happy and sad and on occasions created the pitiful dilemma that made us unable to decide whether to cry or laugh . This then is my new assignment today which is to line up and analyze such personalities and issues in the way they have influenced world affairs for good or bad in 2012 .

    The first set of personalities stem from elections which saw such leaders being reelected into another term or assuming a position they had before and that includes US President Barak Obama and Russia’s new President Vladmir Putin . These two gentlemen have by their offices influenced world affairs more than any other human being for good or bad depending on what part of the political divide of global politics you have found yourself . The next set of leaders are those who have excelled in their vocations and have blazed a trail in setting their nations on a new road in terms of diplomacy and international relations . I doff my hat then to two ladies of substance who bestrode the world in 2012 like Amazons in this regard namely out going US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi who brought her nation in from the cold of international isolation and claimed a well deserved Nobel Prize in the process .

    In the Middle East where the Arab Spring of 2011 , a popular street uprising against entrenched despots in Tunisia , Egypt and Libya gave way in 2012 to a clash between Fundamentalists and Others in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood is using its majority to assert what Egypt’s new President Mohammed Morsi has been saying on CNN – there is no Islamic Democracy but only democracy. A statement of fact that is bound to shape the struggles for freedom and human dignity in the Middle East for the foreseeable future . In this wise while Mohammed Morsi of Egypt has influenced world politics for good in 2012 in spite of the opposition he faces at home. While the blood letting sit- tight President of Syria , Bashar Assad is the monster of the year in Damascus where he is using his army to suppress his people who have decided that he should go .

    In Sports laced with a tinge of security success Britain stands out as a model of success in the way it organized the 2012 London Olympics without any security hitch or terrorism similar to the Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes sometime ago . Just as one must lambast Norway and the US on poor policing and security lapses in 2012 that resulted in lone terrorists inflicting mass murder especially of children and youths in their respective communities .

    In Nigeria air disasters and Boko Haram bombings especially of churches on a weekly basis dominated the skyline in 2012 and that leaves a very sour taste in the mouth . One can only hope and pray that 2013 will be better . In politics however the Opposition ACN is taking on the ruling and complacent ruling PDP on all issues and positioning itself as credible alternative to a poor performing government especially on issues of security and safety of life and property . In this regard the leader of the party Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must take the credit for the domination of the South West by the party which has governors in four of the five states of the former Western region namely Lagos , Ogun ,Oshun , and Oyo states .

    These then are the issues and personalities that I feel dominated the horizon of our local and global politics in 2012 and I will briefly dilate on each but not necessarily in tandem . Let us start with the US where Obama’s reelection gave hope to millions of migrants who would certainly have been deported if he had lost the election . His support or his US policy of Engagement in the Middle East has promoted democracy and human freedom and dignity in a region that two years ago was agog with despotism and demagoguery . However tension and mistrust still exist between the secular and Islamist sections of the newly liberated nations of Libya , Tunisia , and Egypt and if that is not to escalate the US must amend its Middle East Policy to reflect new realities on the ground . It can do this by making Israel to return the lands it captured in the 1967 Six Days War and the 1973 War with the Arabs or by stopping the building of settlements by the Benjamin Netanyahu government on such land . This is because this is the cause of outrage and anti – Americanism in the Middle East and this will be exacerbated if democracy brings in elected, democratic but Islamist government, as as widely expected in the area .

    Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi because of the No fly zone imposed by NATO , Russia has opposed every thing that the US and EU nations have brought before the Security Council of the UN . This indeed is what has prolonged the political life of the hated Assad Dynasty and regime in Damascus . Vladmir Putin is the epitome and architect of this anti EU and anti American policy which has crystallized into blind and total support for Assad in Syria . This is because Putin believes the western powers were behind the massive demonstrations that greeted his 2012 election for another four years as president after a four year stint as Prime Minister , preceded by a two term, 8 -year tenure from 2001- 2008 as president of Russia . You can only grasp the enormity of this Putin political abradacabra or magic if you can see George Bush , the US 43rd president [2001 – 2008] who served for the same period as Putin returning to power again in the US . This was a major and successful political innovation that Putin imposed on his nation to the annoyance of the Americans who supported the opposition against him which he crushed, and is now using Syria as pay back time to thwart US backed Security Council support for Syrian Opposition, as was the case in Libya .

    The role of Hillary Clinton as the mother of the Arab Spring Uprising and its consolidation in 2012 is the stuff of history . So also is her beguilement of the military in Burma with the collaboration of Suu Kyi the famous prisoner of Burma that Hillary at last helped to free in 2012. That , together with the business trips to Asia to reinvigorate the ailing US economy that almost cost Obama his reelection made Hillary the most successful US Secretary of State of modern times and 2012 in particular. It is a tribute to the diplomatic dexterity of Hillary Clinton that the newly elected president of Egypt can claim that democracy has no religious color but is a game of numbers at the polls . Which is why I see the Egyptian president as speaking the truth and saying the obvious even though his party will use that majority eventually against the US because of its support for Israel , the arch enemy of the Palestinians and ipso facto that of all Arabs , including Egyptians .

    Lastly it is in the context of the leaders mentioned above that one must see the leadership of Asiwaju Tinubu of the ACN in the southwest which is the most politically sophisticated and articulate part of Nigeria . In 2012 this political leader provided an accommodating but firm leadership that placed political control of key western states under his control . More importantly the ACN – run states have become models in terms of efficiency and responsiveness to their neighbors . That is real regional power that can be harvested in elections in other places and Lagos State in particular is blazing a trail in this regard . Without mincing words Asiwaju Tinubu not only consolidated power successfully in 2012 he influenced Nigerian politics for good in the process of establishing his party as a credible alternative to the government in power in Abuja .

  • BRF: My man of the year

    BRF: My man of the year

    In the beginning was the word. That is true not just in the spiritual, religious sphere. It is also particularly true of politics. At the beginning of politics, there is the word. But for the continuous and sustenance of politics, there must continue to be the word. For, the essence of politics, it’s central nervous system, is communication. And the building blocks of communication are words. In despotic politics, it is the tyrannical, unquestionable word. In democratic politics, it is the seductive, persuasive word. But that is a central dilemma of democracy. When does persuasion become cynical and devious manipulation? After all, the iconoclastic Professor Noam Chomsky has warned that in supposedly democratic societies, corporate monopolies easily ‘manufacture consent’ through the manipulation of the media. Words can be honest and true. But words can also be deceitful and false. President Obama rode to power in his first term largely on his soaring rhetoric of hope. He has won re-election by persuading Americans of his sincerity and good intentions even if his promised hope remains, largely, a dream deferred. But Hitler also rose to power substantially on the power of his xenophobic oratory. Will the most eloquent orator or the most clever debater capable of beguiling the gullible majority necessarily make the most effective and patriotic leader? That remains a central riddle of democracy.

    In Nigeria, politicians also love words. This year, for instance, our leaders have issued a torrent of words. But they have been largely sad, desolate, despondent words in the form of condolences, regrets and expressions of shock after suicide bombings, assassinations, air crashes and sundry other avoidable tragedies. But in this festive season we have been drenched in a surfeit of words offering hope and optimism for the coming year. President Goodluck Jonathan, for example, has solemnly assured us that he would continue to move towards his promised transformation Eldorado at his current snail’s speed so as not to make mistakes associated with undue hastiness. He indeed gave his teeming Facebook friends the good news of improvements in the country ‘s power and transportation sectors. A substantial proportion of the President ‘s Facebook friends appeared not too pleased with what they probably considered a strange gospel from St. Jonathan. Many of them sounded quite unfriendly in vehemently pointing out to their presidential friend the vast gulf between his rosy assertions and their harsh existential realities. A good number of them appeared somewhat in a hurry for the arrival of 2015 to enable them pass a verdict on a President’s self satisfied leisurely stroll through the pleasurable corridors of power in a country obviously in a hurry to unravel under the weight of multiple tragedies. This is a good sign. For democracy to survive and be strengthened, more and more people must develop the capacity to weigh and consider the words of elective office holders, compare them with reality and take rational decisions at the polls.

    Since his assumption of office in 2007 and especially in his second term, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State has most times neither spoken nor acted like a typical politician. He is not a soaring orator. His public discourse often sound more like the coldly logical reasoning of a sober Senior Advocate in a court of law. In a way he sometimes reminds me of President Obama. Some of his actions may be unpopular even if necessary. He may not have satisfied some of the high hopes his outstanding performance has raised. But you always have a feeling that he means well; that some of his apparently harsh decisions are actuated by the purest and noblest of motives. During the last electioneering campaigns in Lagos State, some of his opponents made a big deal of the issue of taxation in Lagos State. One of them in particular promised to reduce taxes, increase workers’ wages and at the same time provide Lagos with a new network of ring roads. Of course, Lagosians saw through the elaborate fakery and gave Fashola a resounding victory at the polls.

    Some people have told me that Fashola has slowed down considerably in his second term; that his performance since 2011 has been below par. Of course, I disagree . First, I think the Fashola administration’s exemplary first term performance had raised hopes abnormally of a super human second term outing. Even then within the limits of resource, institutional and constitutional restraints, I am convinced that the administration continues to pose a path-breaking performance in diverse spheres. Lagos continues its steady pace towards being Africa’s model Mega city with so much going on in diverse spheres – education, health, the environment, infrastructure provision and poverty alleviation among others. More importantly, having laid a firm foundation in his first term, it seems to me that Fashola has opted for a less obtrusive and intrusive style in his second term allowing Institutions and processes to work routinely rather than personally projecting himself. Of course, there are rare exceptions like when he was forced to personally apprehend a military officer driving on the BRT rote contrary to the law. But this is unsurprising since Fashola himself has never used the siren or used the BRT lane even when held up in traffic.

    Fashola has phenomenally accelerated the radical modernization and expansion of infrastructure commenced by the Tinubu administration. As that process intensifies, it becomes imperative to commence the radical adjustment of the mental infrastructure of the people who will utilize this in accordance with the demands of a fast developing Mega city. This is what has apparently necessitated such tough measures as the new traffic law, the severe restriction on the operation of Okada, the introduction of tuition fees at the Lagos State University (LASU) and the collection of tolls on the Lagos-Épé Expressway – a Public-Private-Participation (PPP) project. Yet, the critics have also not appreciated some of the palliative measures of the administration including the provision of alternative artisan training skills for ex-Okada riders, the maintenance of a hugely funded scholarship scheme for indigent students of LASU and indeed the non-commencement of the tuition fees with students already admitted into the university.

    As patron of the Island Club, Governor Fashola utilized the opportunity of the annual Christmas Eve dance to reiterate his beliefs about government and his expectations of Lagosians and indeed Nigerians. In his thoughtful words: “ I believe that the dreams we aspire to as a people and as a country cannot be delivered to us by anybody. We must want it hard enough to begin to act to earn it. Law and order must be our gold standard. No revolution will bring a better life to us either, because I have heard the various calls for revolution. But the revolution we need is in our hearts. No leader can also force us to do that unless we are persuaded that it is necessary and I believe that it is necessary”. His central message was that a societal revolution must begin with a revolution in the habits, attitudes Andy values of the individual. This is probably why he places so much premium on enforcing law and order and ensuring that individual conduct is compatible with societal harmony and sanity. Continuing he told his audience “Sometimes I struggle to understand where we want to go. But in spite of these struggles, I am clear in my mind what kind of society I want to live in, grow old in and die in. In my life time, I want to see a reliable electricity power supply in Nigeria. It is not just praying about it. It is about talking about it and doing something about it”.

    Those could easily have been from Barak Obama’s lips talking about America. Fashola is certainly serious about what the award winning columnist, Sam Omatseye, calls building “a decent society”..This requires courage and Fashola has shown lots of it in 2012 for which he deserves commendation. But it also requires tact and patience so that the hawkish and selfish proponents of an indecent society are not given the opportunity of restoring the years of the locusts. Yes, the politician thinks of the next election and the statesman the next generation. But it will certainly help the next generation a great deal if the patriotic, statesman wins the next election. Here I would like to refer to President Obama’s interview in the current edition of Time magazine, which chose him as Man of the year. Obama said what struck him most about a new film on Lincoln he had watched with his staff were the compromises and deals the 16th President had to make in pursuit of his effort to abolish slavery. Obama noted that you sometimes have no choice but to get your hands dirty even in the pursuit of high minded ideals. Lesson: Governor Fashola must consider in some instances short term tactical compromises to win long term strategic objectives. Even then, BRF has had the courage to take tough decisions that may make him personally unpopular in certain quarters but are in the long term interest of Lagos State. It takes leadership to insist that Lagos State cannot run an Okada economy in the 21st century and that LASU cannot continueto be run like a glorified secondary school. Yes, for focus, vision, selflessness and tenacity, he is my man of the year.

  • Relax Osaze, relax

    Osaze Odemwingie has fouled the air with his uncouth utterances. He poured odium on the football fraternity over his exclusion from the country’s provisional list to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

    That is okay because it is his right to do so. But he should also know that time was when he was picked head of others in the Super Eagles and heavens didn’t fall. When it favoured him, the coaches were immaculate. Anytime he is dropped, the coaches lacked personality, the players are undisciplined and NFF chiefs are inept.

    His jibes at Stephen Keshi, NFF, former captains of the Eagles and some stakeholders are unnecessary, especially after he hinted that he would love to be with his wife when his first child (a boy) is delivered.

    One had thought that his exclusion would have lightened his burden of choosing between his wife and the country. Nowhere is it written that fathers should witness the arrival of their kids. People do so at their discretion, more so when Osaze isn’t the doctor to deliver the child.

    One is also alarmed that Osaze feels that the coach must inform him about his exclusion. Indeed, it is pertinent to ask what Osaze did when Keshi didn’t contact him. Simply put, Osaze disregards his elders and needs to be told that African tradition recognises respect for older ones.

    Osaze has misconstrued being outspoken for rudeness. He ought to have called up Keshi to find out why he was dropped instead of lashing the tactician on Twitter. If he expressed those unkind words to Keshi on the telephone, the Big Boss would have understood, having faced such circumstances in the past. A shouting match could have ensued, yet he could have persuaded people to beg the coach after realising his folly. I wonder what he would do, if asked to apologise to Keshi and the football fraternity whenever he need something good from the system. He could wave his hands but he can never tell.

    Curiously, it was being rumoured on Thursday night that Osaze sought to leave the camp for England to witness his child’s birth. He also wanted to be shuttling between England and South Africa, baby-sitting and playing Nigeria’s matches at the Africa Cup of Nations. What a superman. We are told that Keshi rejected both requests before releasing the list. Could that be true, given the whiplash on Twitter from Osaze? Was Osaze trying to remind Keshi of what he did at the Maroc ’88 Africa Cup of Nations where he was flying in and out, playing for the country and his European club? This is Keshi’s full cycle.

    If Osaze has a grouse with Keshi, what would he say informed his decision to call NFF Board member Chris Green an idiot? Green called Osaze, following the prompting of those who knew about their firends. Osaze didn’t allow him to talk. He abused Green, a fact he confirmed on his twitter account on Monday. Green took it in his strides, but the pain was in his voice.

    Osaze should know that there is life outside football. He should understand too that no employer would touch him, given his antecedents with superiors. One is not sure if he would be welcomed into the Super Eagles again. He should always put himself in others’ position when he is angry.

    I don’t expect Keshi to join issues with Osaze. It would be foolhardy. I’m glad that Keshi has instilled discipline in the Eagles, but he must ensure that the stick is used without discrimination. A child that has just been flogged will definitely cry. That is what Osaze’s anger amounts to. Keshi should forgive him whenever he retraces his steps. That is the hallmark of a good leader.

    Glo: giant among stars

    The Glo/CAF Africa Footballer of the Year award in Ghana was always going to be a spectacle. A night of surprises. One in which the audience would detest some of the awardees. Hence, this writer wasn’t surprised when many in the crowd went for the choice of Manchester City FC of England’s midfield pearl Yaya Toure as the 2012 Africa Footballer of the Year.

    Of significant importance is the fact that such choices done by a voting audience of technically minded football coaches, captains and icons of the game were bound to throw up surprise winners. Indeed, such awards of excellence won’t be a popularity contest since the selection criteria are such that partisan fans wouldn’t be able to comprehend.

    For the ardent football fan, Didier Drogba was the obvious choice. No problem. He scored goals for Chelsea. Drogba’s equaliser changed the outcome of the Champions League finals against Bayern Munich. His penalty kick decided the game. Indeed, Chelsea has not found its rhythm since Drogba left. These accolades ought to have fetched Drogba the diadem. But this is one side of the coin. The choice of the winner isn’t for the fans, but the game’s technocrats who did through votes.

    Technically, Yaya Toure is better than Drogba. He plays as a defensive midfielder, yet he runs the length of the field to score vital goals for Manchester City and for Cote d’Ivoire.

    Looking at Yaya’s big stature, many have wondered how he carries himself effortlessly. He is the busiest player on the pitch and his absence during the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations held in Equatorial Guinea grossly affected his English team’s quest for their maiden EPL title. Little wonder Manchester City nicked the EPL title in the most dramatic circumstances last year, only after Yaya returned to the team. This is not forgetting others’ contributions.

    Yaya Toure’s choice marked another milestone for Globacom as one that stands for excellence. Others would have sought to influence the eventual winner. Yaya emerged from a transparent voting system. He wasn’t hand-picked nor was CAF told what to do by Globacom.

    Yaya represents the future of Africa football. It is also important that Africa’s best plies his trade in one of the best leagues in the world, not in far flung countries renowned as footballers’ retirement benefit zones. This is not taking anything away from the remarkable landmarks made by King Didier Drogba for club and country.

    Surprise is the hallmark of such awards and one must thumbs up for Globacom for changing the face of the Africa Footballer of the Year, which the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) is believed in many circles to have bastardised.

    Keshi’s list

    Since the provisional list of Super Eagles squad of 32 was released last week Friday, tongues have been wagging and potshots have been fired at the chief coach, Stephen Keshi.

    The noise shows that the list met most people’s expectation. Of course, no list is perfect. Yet, I was disturbed reading in CompleteSports stating that Danny Shittu was forced on Keshi. Reading through, I saw that Keshi accepted this claim and my heart sank.

    Keshi’s stoic silence on this subject is worrisome and I hope he would not tell us after an uneventful Africa Cup of Nations that the list wasn’t his.

    Interestingly, Keshi has the chance to redeem his image in Faro, Portugal, where the final 23-man list would be made. He should drop any player he doesn’t need. The final cut should be Keshi’s so that we know who to blame, if things go awry – God forbid – in South Africa..

  • Foundation for a great nation

    Foundation for a great nation

    Strong institutional structure will prevent our constant embarrassments

    A nation is like a house. It needs a strong foundation to stand. Lay a weak foundation and wait for the result. When the wind blows you will be embarrassed. If it is a whirlwind or a storm, you might find the eastern wing or the western half blown away. For all you care, the north side or southern part of your house might be detached. The entire structure, for that matter, could even come crashing down. At best, you are condemned to perpetual patch-work.

    It is an uncomfortable situation with a sinking feeling.

    Every now and again, this otherwise great nation, with a lot to intimidate the world, faces such situations. Only a strong institutional foundation will save us the embarrassments and frustrations those situations bring.

    Let us consider a few recent incidents. Even as Nigerians mourned former National Security Adviser Gen Andrew Azazi, erstwhile Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and four other Nigerians who died in penultimate weekend helicopter crash in Bayelsa State, the Presidency is said to be uncomfortable with the position of the state governors. The issue appears simple. President Goodluck Jonathan ordered a probe of the crash. But the governors, who lost one of their own, do not want to sit back and wait for the report; they would rather send an investigator of their own to participate in the investigations either directly or as an observer.

    The Presidency is feeling slighted, reasoning, according to reports, that the governors’ position amounts to lack of confidence in the probe. The Presidency is understandably embarrassed. For what good is its decision if state governors, crucial as they are, have nothing but scorn for it. But it is not just the Jonathan administration that is embarrassed; the entire country is equally humiliated. In a matter like this, the Jonathan Presidency and the state executives should sing a common tune. After all, the issue is the probe of a tragic death and a national loss.

    Still, we can all understand the governors’ gripe. For so long, probes have yielded little or nothing, much to the chagrin of every Nigerian. Our tragedies and disasters are often probed, but we have gained nothing from them because their results are shielded from the public. There is a sense of double tragedy because on the one hand there is profound grief from the disasters, and on the other, much-needed cash is mobilised to fund the investigations. No one can say how many billions or trillions we have lost to probes.

    For decades, we have not laid a good foundation or set a standard in resolving our tragedies through probes. The disenchantment of the governors and embarrassment of the Presidency are a direct fall-out of that profound national error.

    Before the Bayelsa crash, a school Principal Rev Olufunke Oladeojobi of Ajuwon Senior High School in Ogun State was reported to have conducted a virginity test on some 10 pupils of the institution. The examination was said to have been conducted on the floor of Rev Oladeojobi’s office, with a guest nurse in action and a number of in-house staff observing the proceedings. Outsiders would probably have missed the event but for the bleeding incident reported by one of the tested pupils. That reportedly sent parents rushing to Ajuwon Senior, and the Principal to a panel of police questioners. Oladeojobi denied testing the girls, according to one report, but admitted doing so in another, saying the exam was “to help them”. Everyone is horrified. The doctors say she dared to do what even medical personnel are not allowed to contemplate. Lawyers say the test is “actionable”, meaning she can be sued. The Ogun State government has justifiably suspended her pending the conclusion of investigations (that word again).

    A good foundation would have prevented all that. Standards jealously protected will keep a school principal, whether a Reverend or a senior atheist, from contemplating such a horrible, criminal act, let alone executing it.

    Last week, it was also reported that Nigeria has a critical shortfall of 144,000 health workers. Professor Boluwaji Fajemilehin of the Department of Nursing Science, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said World Health Organisation (WHO) identified the country as lacking that crucial number of health workers.

    Six years ago, according to the report, WHO said any country with fewer than 2.3 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 1,000 people was in danger of facing a critical shortage of health workers. Now with a deficit of 144,000 personnel in our health facilities, Nigeria is the seventh highest among 57 countries facing such crisis in our health sector.

    That is instructive. We have not yet set a foundation for our health sector. That explains why the few health workers we can find are easily irritated at patients’ inquiry. Quarrels ensue often. Queues are insufferably long at the hospitals. Midwives dispense insults, even slaps, in the labour room. Such unprofessional conduct may not derive from natural traits but from numerical shortfall at the workplace. It explains why we the rich fly away to foreign hospitals.

    It is clear. There are no foundations. Can we begin to lay them now?

  • A president’s holy hypocrisy

    A president’s holy hypocrisy

    It remains a vivid image in many minds. I refer to the graphic picture of President Goodluck Ebele ‘Azikiwe’ Jonathan kneeling ever so humbly before the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to receive divine blessings at the 2010 edition of, the church’s Holy Ghost Congress. It was shortly before the 2011 general elections. Before then, a clearly desperate President Jonathan had appealed to our emotions by regaling us with tales of his shoeless childhood. Little did we know that our votes for him would only foist a clueless leadership on us. At the last edition of the Holy Ghost Congress, President Jonathan once again was on hand to play the kneeling game. He went on his knees before Pastor Adeboye ostensibly seeking prayers to lead the country successfully. I have read some material online from gullible Nigerians commending the President’s carefully choreographed humility, modesty and simplicity. I am sure not many Nigerians are deceived. Surely, we cannot be taken for a ride twice or we would be utter fools. The revered man of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, a spiritual leader of impeccable integrity and undeniable credibility, has absolutely no excuse for allowing this desecration of his sacred altar by this theatrical exhibition of fake presidential holiness – especially at this sensitive time in the evolution of our country.

    The Holy Ghost Convention has clearly made its mark as one of the most important events in the spiritual calendar of our contemporary world. It has turned the Redemption Camp along the exceedingly disgraceful and disgusting death trap called the Lagos -Ibadan Express Way into a centre of universal attraction. The unprecedented expansion of the church under Pastor Adeboye’s leadership and the astounding success of the Holy Ghost convention provide evidence that he is genuinely called of God. Yet, you can trust the Nigerian elite. Everything bright and beautiful, they taint and distort. The Holy Ghost convention has become difficult to distinguish from what Pastor Tony Rapu once wittily described as the ‘Holy Ghost Supermarket’. At this vast spiritual shopping mall, all kinds of characters including charlatans, perverts, brutes and political opportunists come shopping trusting in the eternal grace of an indulgent Holy Ghost Father Christmas to meet their every want (not necessarily need). President Jonathan was easily the most prominent shopper at the last Holy Ghost convention. He came shopping for the support and sympathy of Christians ahead of the 2015 elections but he went about it in his usual cleverly deceptive manner. Now, Daddy G.O. is not an ignorant man. He holds a first class degree in Mathematics and a doctorate in the same discipline. Why he would allow his highly venerated altar to be so brazenly and cynically manipulated for political ends simply beats me.

    On what grounds was President Goodluck Jonathan given the opportunity to make political remarks at the last Holy Ghost convention, which is supposed to be a purely spiritual event? It would appear that at the Redemption Camp, all worshippers are equal but some are more equal than others. For the past two years, the Boko Haram insurgents have effectively banished President Jonathan from the Eagle Square in Abuja, reducing him to the sorry and ridiculous spectacle of marking the country’s national day within the precincts of the Presidential Villa. The Boko Haram is making the insane demand that Nigeria become an Islamic theocratic state. Is this not the time for the Nigerian President to demonstrate a higher rationality and morality by affirming at all times through his words and actions the secularity of the Nigerian state? Is this the time for him to engage in the hypocritical posturing of kneeling before the leader of a spiritual sect in a multi-religious state under fundamentalist religious siege? Will President Jonathan find a convenient Friday to join worshippers. at the Central mosque in Abuja, Kano, Maiduguri or Sokoto to demonstrate that he is the President of all Nigerians and not just Christians?

    While addressing the congregation at the Redemption Camp, President Jonathan thanked them for their prayers, which he claimed aided his ascension to power in 2011. Well, having experienced his pathological cluelessness thus far, I hope that Nigerian Christians will begin to pray fervently for urgent deliverance from the country’s current lackluster leadership. In his characteristically crafty manner, the President said it was still too early for him to start thinking of the 2015 election but hinted that the power situation in the country has improved. But the question is if this is the level of power supply we should be enjoying today with over $16 billion gone down the drain over the

    last 13 years? He equally seized the opportunity to promise Nigerians free and fair elections in future asserting that the last election in Ondo State was free and fair. Now, I have commented extensively on the Ondo governorship elections and have moved on. However, President Jonathan and his spin doctors should stop creating the impression that they are doing Nigerians a favour by allowing credible and transparent elections. The current level of electoral credibility we have achieved has been through the sweat and struggle of Nigerians and we still have a long way to go to strengthen the country’s electoral reforms. President Jonathan has no choice in the matter. If he seeks to manipulate the electoral process against the will of the people, they will resist him and the people will win. The forces of truth and justice are irresistible.

    But still talking about the Ondo elections, is President Jonathan aware that some of the aggrieved aspirants are in court as they are perfectly entitled to pursue their grievances legally? Is he not pre -emptying the courts by unilaterally declaring the elections free and fair? Of course, one of the heinous acts of injustice, which this pretentiously holy President has perpetuated, is the continued suspension from office of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, despite the advice of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to the contrary. The President seeks every opportunity to exhibit his religiosity. Even while unjustly preventing a man against whom no wrong has been proven to resume his position; Jonathan has the temerity to wear the sanctimonious garb of self righteousness. at the Holy Ghost convention. Is he aware that in Christian theology, the Holy Ghost is the third arm of, the spiritual trinity that superintends the affairs of the universe? If he can deceive man, can he deceive the Holy Ghost? Does he realise that Martin Luther once famously said that the world is erected on moral foundations and that, in the words of Wole Soyinka, justice is the first condition of humanity? I am convinced that the Holy Ghost will be most embarrassed at the brazen injustice perpetrated by President Jonathan in the Justice Salami case at the behest of his party hawks. Yet, he hypocritically throws his holiness in our faces with insulting insolence. Is his treatment of Salami the action of a God fearing man? In any case, with the President’s victimization of Justice Salami for partisan reasons, will any judge ever again summon the courage to annul elections rigged in favour of Jonathan’s interests? Is our democracy not in grave danger?

    Kneeling so innocently before Pastor Adeboye that night was a President who on the very first day of this year announced the sudden removal of the purported fuel subsidy immediately resulting in the skyrocketing of, the product’s price. Vehement nationwide protests brought the country virtually to a stand still for almost two weeks. The President and his economic team insisted that the economy would collapse without the removal of the subsidy. Of course, the government was forced to reduce the price of fuel and the economy has not collapsed. Rather, various probes have demonstrated that a substantial chunk of the purported subsidy is a huge fraud and that the NNPC is a cesspit of corruption. Yet, the Minister in charge of the petroleum sector sits pretty pretending to be carrying out reforms to sanitize the sector. She is her worshipful majesty who cannot be touched. The Holy Ghost must find all this terribly embarrassing. Indeed, if the Holy Ghost had a whip, I am pretty sure somebody would have received a heavy thrashing on Pa Adeboye’s altar that night and you can guess who. Just like Jesus did to the traders desecrating his father’s house, the Holy Ghost would have thundered “turn not my redemption camp into a den of charlatans, hypocrites and opportunists”