The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • The plight of senior citizens

    SIR:Senior citizens or pensioners are a treasure to any civilized society. They have laboured hard for many years for the development of their countries or fatherland. This group of people depends largely on gratuities and pension from their former employers.

    In some countries, businesses offer customers of a certain age a “senior discount”. The age at which these discounts are available vary between 50, 60, or 65years of age. However, in Nigeria, the “senior citizens” entitlements are sometimes embezzled and at other times unpaid. The ongoing trial of the ex Head of Service of Oyo State, Alhaja Kudirat Adeleke and 15 others for alleged N5.6 billion pension fraud, whatever the outcome, is a pathetic case study.

    Many senior citizens paradoxically are treated with satanic disregard and left to wallow in abject poverty by denying them of their legitimate gratuity and pension allowances. That I suppose is one of the reasons why the country is facing different challenges because the “elders” or “fathers” that ought to bless the nation are indirectly cursing the leaders because of neglect and insensitivity to their plights.

    It is in this regard that I implore the amiable Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and other states of the federation to release the gratuity and backlog of pension allowances of the senior citizen immediately.

     

    • Pastor Adegbite Sunday Oloriire

    Apake, Ogbomoso.

  • Sports and youth empowerment

    I still remember the first time someone placed a basketball in my hands—it was after I had seen Nigeria’s Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon play on television. He played centre position in the NBA for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. I was 15 years old at the time, and from then on I knew it was what I wanted to do. The feeling, even when I think about it now, remains indescribable.

    Inspired by that moment, I worked hard on the court and eventually played in college for the University of Maryland Terrapins before finally making it to the NBA. For several years, I had the privilege of playing alongside and competing against some of the greatest basketball players in the world.

    Playing basketball helped me build a successful career, but it did far more. Playing basketball taught me persistence, teamwork, and communication—skills that have helped me succeed off the court. After retiring from competitive basketball, I invested my NBA earnings into promising business opportunities. Currently, I am the CEO of Nigeria’s premier online travel company, Wakanow.com, which is also the fastest growing online company in Africa. Despite existing in an extremely challenging market, we are rapidly changing the way travel is planned and booked in Nigeria.

    I am grateful for the opportunities basketball has afforded me. But I also realize that many young people around the world don’t have the same opportunities to experience the benefits of sport. This is a missed opportunity.

    Today, young people make up one fourth of the global population. Many of these youth live in Africa, which has the youngest population of any continent. Researchers estimate that in less than three years, 41 percent of the world’s youth will be African.

    Africa’s youth are the key to its future. Nigeria’s youth have the capacity to shape social and economic development, challenge social norms and values, and lead Africa toward a brighter future. But youth can only succeed if they are empowered to do so. One of the best paths to achieve this goal may lie on the basketball court.

    Sport is one of the most effective means of empowering youth. Physical activity is critical to young people’s development, contributing to physical, social and emotional health. In addition to building strength, engaging in athletics also helps improve mood and focus, reduce stress and increase confidence.

    Beyond giving youth a way to stay healthy, sport also provides an opportunity for young people to learn skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Working with teammates teaches young people how to communicate and work together, while mastering a specific technique instills discipline and persistence. These lessons are not limited to athletics. Studies show that sport can improve young people’s learning performance and encourage a desire to succeed academically.

    All of these statistics point to one conclusion: the skills that youth learn by mastering a sport stay with them long after the game ends. With that in mind, governments, civil society, and businesses must work together to ensure that children and young adults have access to sport and other athletic ventures.

    Lastweek, I was excited to be part of the movement to expand access to sport. A new programme, “Power Forward,” will start in Abuja Nigeria, and will focus on using basketball to teach life skills to youth. Launched by the National Basketball Association, ExxonMobil and Africare, this innovative programme, will leverage the power of basketball to teach youth the skills they need to thrive and become leaders in their communities.

    The groundbreaking school-based programme, being implemented on the ground by Africare and local partner Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI), will take place at 10 schools in Abuja throughout the academic year. The programme will initially engage 300 students in their last three years of high school. In addition to the lessons learned through sport—such as teamwork, resiliency and responsibility—the programme’s curriculum will also use students’ interest in basketball to educate them about public health and to improve literacy and job skills. While students learn how to perform on the basketball court, they will also gain knowledge that will protect their health and development.

    The programme builds on a long-standing commitment to Nigeria by all three organizations. Over the past few months, all three organizations, and YEDI, have worked with school and education officials to develop a programme that matches their needs and ensures that each school has the necessary supplies and support to make this programme a success.

    In addition to helping the students it reaches directly, I hope Power Forward will serve as an example of the type of innovative partnership necessary to empower Africa’s youth. Its lessons and curriculum can serve as a blueprint for future endeavors. For example, national governments and organizations could establish their own sport programmes to encourage youth empowerment and the development of life skills.

    As Africa continues to invest in education for its children, we must not forget that a full education means opportunities outside the classroom, including sport. Investing in athletic programmes, equipment and infrastructure can complement existing efforts to improve children’s lives, while also better preparing them for their future.

    Playing basketball has helped me develop myself as a team player, but also as a healthy person, innovator and community member. Now is the time to offer these opportunities to others.

    • Ekezie is a former NBA player and founder of Wakanow.com

  • Adesina, the Pied Piper of Nigeria

    Dear reader, Hardball will take it that we all know the nursery tale about the Pied Piper of Hamelin, that fellow who blew away with his pipe, the pestilence of rats in Hamelin and subsequently took all the kids of the town in tow. Each time one hears Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, our honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, speak about his beat, one is instantly reminded of that fabled Hamelinian who was full of charisma and blandishments but whom you would hearken to only at your peril. Recall that Hardball had brought the matter of rice crisis on this platform once before but he might as well have thrown water on the back of a tortoise. Apparently nobody listens, nobody cares; the people leading us have a singularly insular mindset.

    Why are we revisiting Adesina and his agric empire once again so soon? Stakeholders have shouted themselves hoarse about impending food crisis and a looming hunger in the land but our minister seems lost in his own rarefied world of private jets and five-star hotels to hear or understand. On the other hand, each time he climbs down from his high-horse, he throws fictitious statistics and international awards at us hoping to bamboozle us.

    The first key issue is that without any basis, he has caused the tariff and levy on rice to be increased to 110 percent in lieu of stemming importation and growing the commodity locally. Great idea. But this fellow is not given to sitting down and pursuing anything to a logical end; he seems to have the attention span of an excited teenager. Where is the document backing this grand policy? Where are the stakeholders he works with to actualise this beautiful idea? Zero. Nothing. Meanwhile, huge levies are being collected on every bag of rice coming into Nigeria. This levy is supposed to build a fund to develop local rice production. Where is the rice fund? Zero. Who is managing it? Zero. Where is the account? Zero.

    We would not complain if only Adesina kept his rice fund and the rest of us suffer no ruinous consequence. But we are paying heavily for this guy’s rascality. First, it has become almost impossible to import rice through Nigeria’s ports because it is very costly while smuggling it through neighbouring countries has become very profitable because of very low tariffs at their ports (about 30%). Because it is so lucrative, smugglers have overwhelmed our Customs thus most of the commodity in the Nigerian market today is smuggled.

    The result is that Nigeria loses revenue; genuine importers are out of business and the modest, individual effort at growing rice locally is being jeopardised because a bag of smuggled rice is far cheaper than a bag of local paddy (unprocessed rice). According to the Customs, Nigeria loses about $1 billion daily on smuggled rice. Coupled with the Boko Haram activities in northwest Nigeria, many rice farms in Nigeria are abandoned and many plants are in a state of partial shutdown.

    What is Adesina’s response to all this: that Nigeria produce 1.1 million metric tonnes of rice in the last dry season and that she is poised to do more in 2013. Inflation had gone down to its lowest since 2008 and that Nigeria received an award from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) for reducing the number of hungry people in Nigeria from 19.3 million in 1990 to 13 million in 2013. Agriculture has employed 25 million youths he said and that the Federal Government has reduced food import by N857 billion.

    But Hardball can tell you that these have all turned out to be phantom statistics and lies from our agric minister. It is sad that if Adesina leaves this job today, Nigerians would remember him as the man who dazzled so much but had little substance. Nigerians have watched with bemusement how the bright promise that Adesina held turned to a dreadful mirage.

    CORRECTION: Yesterday this column stated that seven ‘rebel’ PDP governors decamped to APC. As we have found out, only five made the move. Error regretted.

  • Parable of the revolving door

    SIR: On Sunday, November 17, I visited the recently opened Ikeja Shopping Mall. The first thing I noticed was that the revolving door at the main entrance of the mall was not functioning. There was a sign by the door advising patrons of the mall to use the side doors.

    At the time, I thought little of the door as I believed that it must have broken down either on that Sunday morning or on Saturday evening. I also assumed that the door would be repaired within a day or two. My assumption was predicated on the fact that I did not think that a revolving door requiresthe services of an expert with a Ph.D. in Aeronautics to get it fixed.

    I was therefore shocked when I visited the mall early on Friday morning to discover that the revolving door was still not revolving.

    Now, my issue is not about a revolving door that is not revolving. What triggered this piece is what I believe the door tells about our maintenance culture as a people. Upon enquiries from regular patrons of the mall, I was informed that the door had been in that state of immobility for weeks.

    Is it that difficult to repair a revolving door?

    The poor door is however not the only victim of our nonchalant attitude to maintenance. In most of public offices and private homes, one notices assets that are either damaged or spoilt and which require minimal ‘effort’ to restore and which we ignore or just simply do not care about.

    On my first trip to the Holy Mosque in Mecca, I noticed that some bulbs that were functioning were being removed and replaced with new ones. I was informed that the though the bulbs were not yet burnt out, they had to be replaced because they were approaching their expiry date. Similarly, in the United Arab Emirates, I have seen with my own eyes and I took pictures of hotels being given a bath!

    One of the things I learnt from the former Mayor of New York, Giuliani’s book, Leadership, is that infrastructures do not decay or become degraded overnight. Decay is a gradual process. It starts with innocuous things like failure to repair a broken down revolving door, failure to replace a burnt bulb, failure to polish your shoes for N20, failure of a lawyer to buy a new bib for N200, failure of a driver to replace a broken side mirror, failure of the aviation authorities to repair a faulty conveyor-belt and those little things that require minimal effort to replace and restore.

    The reason I write about doors, bibs and bulbs is borne out of my fear that the faulty revolving door may signify the beginning of the decay of the very beautiful structure that the mall represents. Decay is like cancerous growth. If cancer is not detected early and treated, it extends its tentacles to other cells.

    It is the revolving door today; it may be the restroom tomorrow and the escalator the day after.

    I intend to visit Ikeja Mall after on Sunday and I hope and pray that the revolving door would be revolving before then.

     

    • Olanrewaju Tasleem Akinsola

    Lagos.

  • Of Pope Francis and Nigerian politics  

    SIR: There are some interesting coincidences between Spain and Nigeria in respect of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; All Muslims. Spain used to be a Muslim Country.

    Pope Francis is a Jesuit meaning he belongs to the Society of Jesus founded by Ignatius of Loyola. Pope Francis was head of the Jesuits in Argentina.”On the morning of the 15th of August, 1534, in the chapel of church of Saint Peter, at Montmartre, Loyola and his six companions, of whom only one was a priest, met and took upon themselves the solemn vows of their lifelong work”. Babangida was born August 17 1941. Babangida was given the Argentinean name MARADONA by the Nigerian Press. Pope Francis was born December 17 1936 and Muhammadu Buhari December 17 1942.  The Pope is a Head of state and Buhari ex Head of state.  Pope Francis is austere and Buhari is known to be stern. July 31 is known as Saint Ignatius of Loyola Day and Central Bank Governor tipped as a possible Presidential candidate like Buhari was born on July 31, 1961.

    The registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was accepted on July 31 2013 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Ignatius of Loyola was born in Northern Spain in 1491. He was a soldier. Ibrahim Babangida was born in Northern Nigeria in 1941 also a soldier. 1491 could be said to be a rearrangement of 1941

    Babangida is an ex General of the Nigerian Armed forces and Ignatius a Superior General of the Catholic Church.

    Ignatius took up arms for the Duke of Najera. Broke his leg and injured another was known to limp, had surgery and spent a long time recovering after being taken home by French Soldiers. Babangida fought in the Nigerian Civil war. Sustained a leg injury, known to limp, had surgery and spent a long time recovering in a Hospital in France Najera sounds like Nigeria Najera is associated with the river Najerilla. Nigeria is associated with the river Niger.

    Ignatius lived in the Castle of Loyola in Spain

    Babangida lives in a Mansion in Minna, Niger State.

    July 31 is known as the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius of Loyola died July 31, 1556. On July 31, 1991 Babangida declared open the Executive Chamber of the Presidential Villa (where maters of state are deliberated). Interestingly, Raymond Dokpesi, the director of the then Babangida presidential campaign organisation is an old Boy of Loyola College Ibadan.

     

    •Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,

    London, England

  • Pikin Dumps Papa…

    As news filtered in about noon yesterday that the G7 had bitten the bullet, an old song flashed in Hardball’s mind. It goes something like: “What’s that monster in the forest that raises so much hell and will not let us sleep? If it will eat us up let it hurry but it must quit threatening us.” Hardball, of course, speaks about the Peoples Democratic Party (or Pikin Dumps Papa- if you are light-hearted, (PDP)), Nigeria’s shambolic ruling party which has been haemorrhaging since May and seems in danger of achieving a mortal denouement. Lady Macbeth said it better: “If it is done when it were done, it were well it were done quickly…”

    Last May at the party’s convention in Abuja, key members unhappy with the turn of events had staged a walk out and had immediately moved to form what they called New PDP. Notable among such members were seven state governors along with the party structure in their states. But it is hardly done when a critical action like this is taken; consequences often follow in a trail, sometimes like a whirlwind as we have experienced since May.

    The breakaway PDP governors are Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State. These men of power, in the company of most of their supporters, have declared for nascent All Progressives Congress (APC). This crossing of the Rubicon, so to speak, has immediately diminished the PDP which boasts of being the biggest party in Africa not necessarily to a minority party but to something of ‘the second party’. That is a new reality that will dawn on the remaining members now. Second, this move has exposed the lack of strategic depth of the party, it has shown it up to being a behemoth without a brain box; a lumbering giant. How come several months of negotiations did not make a dent on the rebel governors; not even one of them could be won over. It signposts the weakness in the current leadership of the party or what is left of it.

    In fact the leadership stock has long been depleted and narrowed down to a very few people while the Board of Trustees, the apex elders forum that provides insight, dept and guidance in any party’s crucial affairs is in disarray. A number of the most influential members have been sidelined and they merely sit on the fence and watch the drama play out. Some are known to give tacit backing to the ‘rebels’ and are probably part of the unfolding game plan.

    Hardball squints into his crystal ball at this juncture to determine that this is indeed a day to be noted in Nigeria’s history as a cross-carpeting of this magnitude has never occurred in her annals. It is an augury that is at once dramatic and historic. At issue is presidential power shift which is of course compounded by a leadership most invidious. Are the ‘rebels’ overly pushy and precipitate in their desire to force change? Time will tell as events unfold in the days ahead.

    Back to the idea of piking dumping papa, in African tradition, it is father that disowns and disinherits the child. To have it the other way round is an affront; it is to challenge paternity, a call to arms literally. Again, it is akin to a giant facing defeat and possible annihilation; it will not be as smooth as David felling Goliath with one stone and hoisting his head. That was divine adventure; this is realpolitik. But the intense and heated atmosphere that would ensue would sorely need a leader or healer if you like. If the ultimate purpose of the ongoing politicking is about the people and the polity then you have to preserve the twain first because there will not be a president if there are no people and of course a place to preside over.

  • Bolaji Abdullahi’s gaffe

    SIR: ‘Those whose palm kernels have been broken for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble’ goes an Igbo adage which was the beginning of the downfall of Okonkwo, the hero of Chinua Achebe’s best seller and evergreen classic ‘Things Fall Apart.’ Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi’s recent utterance that Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi should not go about embarrassing his employers by publicly complaining about the non-payment of his seven months’ salary is the apogee of insensitivity, arrogance, perfidy and wickedness.

    Is the Honourable Minister being owed even a month’s salary? For a man who lifted the Nations Cup as both a player and coach, this is the height of a lack of appreciation and ingratitude. It brings to the fore a fundamental problem in the country. Nigerians are used to taking nonsense from their leaders in the name of maintaining the peace. We are discouraged from fighting for our God-given rights by even people you should expect to lead the vanguard for positive change. Activists are dismissed as mere agitators and rabble rousers because they choose to stand out from the crowd of cowards and coerced pacifists. It is not in our culture to demand accountability from those we entrust with taxpayers’ money to deliver the goods on our behalf.

    Shouldn’t the man be entitled to his legitimate pay? Should he not cry out when there is a breach of contract?

    When the scandal first broke out, we didn’t hear a word from the minister’s office. In a decent clime, the legislature would have had him summoned to explain why a national hero should be allowed to starve in the name of national service. The public would have called for his head since football is the only thing apart from religion that binds the nation together.

    Abdullahi owes justice-loving Nigerians an apology for this statement that is capable of inducing corruption and reducing the dignity of man. Would it be good for the country’s image if Keshi is turned to a mendicant surviving on the mercies of the wealthy players? How would discipline in the team be maintained? How would he be able to look them in the eye and still command their respect? His feat in qualifying the nation for the World Cup should be followed up by prompt payment of his salary arrears as the nation has more than enough to pay him. He is not asking for the moon!

     

    • Sola Ademiluyi

    Lagos.

     

  • Menace of child labour

    SIR: According to year 2000 report by the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 15 million Nigerian children are victims of child labour. Similarly, according to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Nigeria has the highest figure of out-of-school children in comparison to other countries in Africa and Asia. Erstwhile minister of education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa’I also confirmed the unfortunate situation when she noted that, “In terms of the number of out-of-school children, we have 10.5 million, which is one-sixth of the world’s out-of-school children”.

    Based on the above, it is apparent that the future leadership of Nigeria lies in the gloom, except some urgent and drastic steps are taken to correct the maladies plaguing its educational system. If today’s children are truly the leaders of tomorrow, then, those out-of-school children must be protected by legislative measures and institutions germane to their total well-being.

    It is incumbent upon the government to fulfil Section 18 (1) and Section (3) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 18 (1) of the 1999 states that: “Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels. Section 18 (3) states that “Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end government shall as and when practicable provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education; (b) free secondary education; (c) free university education.”

    Studies have shown that poverty is one of the major causes of child labour. Therefore, job creation and the enabling environment that will foster economy growth and business activities is indispensable to the future success of Nigerian children. If the present Nigeria leadership truly desires a brighter and greater future for Nigeria, then, it behoves on them to take every school age child off the street. If Nigeria truly aspires to be the hub of economic growth in Africa by 2020, then, it is crucial that the over 10.5 million out-of-school children be taken off the street. If the future of Nigeria would ever be great in the comity of nations, then, the social and metal well-being of children and women must be inclusively institutionalised in the process of governance. As the general saying, the future is meant for those who prepared for it in the present. Women and children are indispensable group for rapid economic growth and social stability.

     

    • Olumide Bakare,

    University of Lagos

     

  • NDDC’s marginalization of Ondo State

    SIR: I have followed the activities of the Niger/Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for some time now. The commission, for reason best known to it and the federal government, has consigned the people of Ondo State into perpetual slavery.

    It beats common sense that despite the simple, clear and unambiguous conditions for the appointment of executive board members of the commision, only four states – Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom out of the nine Niger Delta states have continued to occupy the executive positions of Managing Director, Eexecutive Director, Projects and Eexecutive Director, Finance and Administration.

    It is disheartening that for the past 13 years, the aforementioned four states have constituted themselves into a cabal at the expense of the other five Niger Delta states. I consider this as an abuse of the principle of federal character and the law that established NDDC. The height of injustice at NDDC however, was witnessed last week when President Goodluck Jonathan released a fresh list of appointees for the NDDC board.

    True to the norm, the chairman was given to Cross Rivers State which is next logical state based on the the statutory provision of the NDDCAct.

    The President ceded the Managing Director to Akwa Ibom state, which has occupied the position of ED Projects twice.He also gave ED Projects to Delta State which has never missed any executive appointment since 2001 and gave ED Finance and Administration to Rivers State which had occupied ED Projects and M.D in the previous boards.

    It is obvious that the four states have maintained their hold on the three valuable executive positions despite that it is clearly stated that the positions shall be rotated amongst the nine member states.

    It is curious that the five marginalized states have maintained a criminal silence over this matter for 13 years with four sessions already observed. If the current list sent to the Senate for approval scales through, then, it would have been 17 years that Edo, Ondo, Abia, Imo and Cross-Rivers States have been deprived of their constitutional rights.

    It is far more suspicious as well that Senators and House of Representatives members from these disadvantaged, marginalized, cheated and caged states have continued to keep quiet over such an important issue and instead have constantly joined other senators to approve these lists in time past without raising any questions. What a shame!

    The time has come for the four states that have unduly enjoyed what

    rightfully belongs to nine states to step aside and allow the other five states enjoy these positions in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice. It is clearly and unambiguously stated that member states are to rotate these positions.In the case of chairman, this is religiously observed. Why should it be different for the other three critically important executive positions? Let there be equity, justice and fairness!

     

    • Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye,

    Magodo, Lagos.

  • Hic! Hic! HIIC… Hiccup!

    Dear reader, this is a precautionary write-up, having taken a cue from our president going in for ‘precautionary treatment’ last week. Hardball therefore suggests that you read it with half your mind, or with one eye closed or any how the spirit leads you. But even then, it depends on what manner of spirits hold sway in your realm. We need not introduce the issue at hand to our plucky readers who we suppose are on top of the top issues of last weekend. President Goodluck Jonathan jetted off to London last Wednesday (November 20), which also happened to be his 56th birthday. He had gone to head the meeting of a body called the Nigerian Honorary International Investors Council (NHIIC) and had reportedly fallen ill.

    Recall that on this page yesterday, Hardball had taken the pleasure to ‘probe’ this so-called HIIC; questioning its value, authenticity and import. We had questioned why the president of the ‘giant of Africa’, the country with the second largest economy on the continent would go all the way to London to head a meeting of retired and inconsequential people? In all the condescension, why would our President hurl governors, some key ministers, Central Bank governor and special aides to London at huge material and time costs?

    Hardball is saying that no responsible government even in Africa would inflict such indignity upon itself as to inveigle the office of its president into this event. Without any disrespect to her, Baroness Lynda Chalker of Wallasey was a former minister of state at the United Kingdom Foreign Office. She was also a member of the British Parliament representing Wallasey. Ms Chalker, who is now an international consultant, is chairman of Africa Matters Limited, a consulting firm which specialises in African businesses. NHIIC is a sweet-heart organ floated by Ms Chalker during the reign of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo ostensibly to marshal foreign investors. She and her local comrades have been able to push NHIIC through the administrations of late Umaru Yar’Adua and now Jonathan.

    The only other equivalent of NHIIC in Africa is Uganda’s Presidential Investors Round Table (PIRT) in which she is a consultant and which advises President Yoweri Musevi on ways to improve Uganda’s investment climate. Would you imagine President Jacob Zuma herding off half of his ministerial team to London to go discuss some fictitious foreign investors? No Nigerian president ever needs to travel abroad. Considering the huge potentialities in Nigeria, the biggest investors and the most prized multinationals would work their way into this place the moment the conditions are conducive.

    Now in the midst of this doggone London carousel the President had to have a big blast of a hic… HIIC… hiccup!!! That our President went on this London trip was bad enough; to fall ill there to the point that he could not step out in the morning to address the meeting for which he left these shores was unsettling. Talk of a scapegrace and you have it streaming in nonstop from jonathan.com. Recall that this is not the first time our President had failed to meet his appointment on a foreign trip the morning after… The last time was in far away Australia where after madam’s birthday the night before, the morning after became a bit tacky. This time in London it was the night of our president’s birthday and the morning after was overhung by a sickness that required ‘precautionary treatment’. Dear reader while we remember to record this new phrase in our book of presidential speak, let us thank our stars that it was only a morning hiccup. We are most gladdened that our dear president is now home, up and bouncing again. Let him hand the remains of his ‘precautionary medicine’ to rumour mongers and detractors!