The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Africa

  • Before Nigeria disintegrates

    Before Nigeria disintegrates

    Two and half years into nationhood, Africa’s youngest country South Sudan is in a serious crisis that could put an end to her existence as a united nation. And few hours to the 100th anniversary of her existence, Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, looks set for more troubles that could threaten her unity.

    Both countries have so many things in common notably bad leaders and oil which have combined effectively to compound the dire standard of living of their people.

    Quite early in the life of an independent Nigeria, the country was plunged into a needless civil war that claimed no fewer than one million lives on both sides when common sense prevailed and the war ended 30 months later. South Sudan that got her independence July 2011 is already threading that dangerous path that Nigeria took in 1967, just seven years after her independence from Britain.

    The similarities between the two countries are by no means limited to civil wars alone. Oil which has been the curse of so many countries producing it, especially in Africa, is also found in abundance in the Republic of South Sudan and is indirectly fueling the ongoing war between the majority Dinka tribe of President Salva Kiir and the second largest ethnic group Nuer, led by former Vice President Riek Machar.

    It is not my intention to dwell into what the Southern Sudanese are doing to themselves but to draw the attention of those threatening fire and brimstone if President Goodluck Jonathan was not re-elected in 2015 to the carnage going on in that country.

    Prior to independence in 2011, both the Dinka and the Nuer together with other ethnic nationalities that make up the world’s newest nation were united in their struggle to break away from the Arab dominated Republic of Sudan. Though there were skirmishes between these ethnic nationalities especially Dinka and Nuer, not many paid attention to them as they were seen as being engineered by the Arabs in Khartoum to keep the oil rich south in the Republic of Sudan. But now that the south is independent, nobody will blame the Arabs again; the problem covered up then in the heat of the struggle for independence is now coming up. God save South Sudan.

    To the Asari Dokubos of this world barking Jonathan or no Nigeria after the next presidential election and the other war mongers insisting that it is either a Nigerian president of northern extraction in 2015 or bye bye to Nigeria, what is happening in South Sudan should interest them.

    The South south region that is seemingly pro Jonathan is by no means homogenous and the way the main ethnic group, the Ijaws are grabbing everything around almost to the total exclusion of others is a pointer to what could happen in an independent republic of Niger Delta in the unlikely event of a break up of Nigeria. And the other ethnic nationalities are not amused at all.

    History tells us that the domineering tendencies of the Igbos over the other ethnic nationalities(today’s South south) in the short lived Republic of Biafra contributed immensely to the demise of that ‘country’. And the way the Middle Belters are trying to distinguish themselves from the rest of the north does suggest that there could be more problems within the old north than we have today if that region were to break away from Nigeria. The usual Yoruba civil war could also erupt among the seemingly homogenous people of the South west if that region were to stand alone as a country.

    What I am saying in essence is that it is in our collective interest to ensure the unity and togetherness of Nigeria and Nigerians in spite of our differences. As we enter our centenary year tomorrow, we should reflect on where we were coming from, where we are and what brought us to this level. And before we go forward we should be able ask ourselves and agree on what future do we want for our country; our children.

    The National Conference being offered by President Goodlick Jonathan could be a good platform to do this but there are justifiable fears that he does not mean well with this confab. Not a few Nigerians are against it because nobody is sure of how he would arrive at the report and what he would do with it. More important is the fear that with just a little over a year to the 2015 elections, Organising a national conference now could at best be a distraction to at the worst a recipe for disastrous 2015 polls. Why not leave it till after the elections? Some argue. if you win, continue, if not, allow the next president decide the fate of the national conference, more so since there is a school of thought that believes it should have sovereign powers.

    President Jonathan has done little to allay the fears of opponents of his confab, and they are many. And of late the man has been unnecessarily touchy on every issue of national importance raised by anybody, especially such issues that border on his competence. The open letter written to him by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is a case in point. I have had cause to discuss that letter on this page and I still maintain that the former president had more than a point in that letter even if many including your sincerely does not like him. And the President’s response has been so poor; beating about the bush. Again he has suddenly taken fancy to bashing the media for some of his short comings. When he literally expressed his helplessness in the face of growing Boko Haram insurgency during an extempore speech at a church service and he was so reported by the Nigerian Press, Jonathan through his media vent his anger on journalists. These are signs of desperation, a failing leadership, a doomed presidency.

    Fighting terror all over the world is a war alien to most nations and Nigerians would readily appreciate President Jonathan’s modest efforts in this direction even if they are not satisfied. But to be angry with them when they criticize government action or lack of it in the war against terror is missing the message and chasing the messenger. What the critics of his handling of the Boko Haram issue are saying is that methods are not working well and should therefore change tactics. And if he (Jonathan) is now expressing frustration with the way the war is going and pleading for our understanding and he was so reported in the media that does not mean that all hope of restoring peace is lost. What this says is that we need to not only redouble our efforts but to bring in fresh ideas. The Nigerian media is patriotic enough to appreciate what is in the best interest of the country when and if anything is published. It is not for any politician or errand boy to teach the Nigerian journalist what to say or publish. The Nigerian Press has managed the country’s crises very well, even better than the politicians, to now accuse the media of pursuing an agenda different from the Nigerian agenda is unfair to the thousands of Nigerian journalists out there working to get their compatriots fully informed and abreast of what is happening in the polity. I think the president is just chasing shadows here.

    There are so many issues begging for his attention and rather than look for scapegoats or engage in scapegoating he should apply himself to them one after the other without sentiments. I think he should start with the Obasanjo letter. We are no longer asking for any response, he should respond by acting. Let him catch and punish the thieves around him first, then we’ll know he means business. Let him rein in the mongers of war around him then we can be sure that he meant it when he promised to uphold the unity and indivisibility of the country. Let him do the needful and Nigerians would applaud him. But pandering to ethnic or any other parochial sentiments would lead us nowhere but the way of South Sudan. GOD FORBID BAD THING!

    NIGERIA IS 100

     

    The Federal Government is expected to roll out the carpet in the new year to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the amalgamation of the British protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria. While the jury is still out there as to whether their is anything to celebrate, the fact of our still being together against all the odds, including that unfortunate 30-month civil war of the late 1960s, the June 12 election annulment and its attendant crises, the corruption in high places, etc should tell us that God has a purpose for this country. Therefore, let us rededicate ourselves, the leaders and the led, to serving our country and making her better. Happy centenary anniversary NIGERIA.

  • Wanted, a prosperous Africa

    Wanted, a prosperous Africa

    Over 100 students gathered at the University of Ibadan (UI) last weekend for Liberty Dialogue, a programme hosted by Students For Liberty (SFL) charter team in the university. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (400-Level Language Arts) and HAMMED HAMZAT (300-Level Educational Management) were there.

    Africa has the potentials for greatness, but it is plagued by problems. Vague political principles and bad institutions have been identified as challenges stunting the growth of Africa and inhibiting its economic freedom, political harmony and stability.

    This was the thrust of discussions last weekend at Liberty Dialogue programme with the theme: The role of African youths in advancing the cause of liberty organised by the University of Ibadan (UI) charter team of Students’ For Liberty (SFL).

    Venue was the UI Conference Centre and speakers included Olumayowa Okediran, SFL’s African Programmes Manager, Odunola Oladejo, Olubunmi Fadiora and Tobi Omosebi, all senior charter team leaders.

    Olubunmi, the team leader in Lagos, explained that the aim of the dialogue was to build young minds that would secure the future of Africa. He urged the participants to espouse freedom on their respective campuses, saying it was through promotion of freedom that the nation could be liberated from the shackles of poverty.

    Speaking on What liberty means to Students For Liberty, Odunola said SFL was established to promote liberty of individual in the society.

    “What Students For Liberty endorses are the principles of economic freedom to choose how to provide for one’s life, social freedom to choose how to live one’s life and intellectual and academic freedom,” Odunola stated.

    Olumayowa, a graduate of Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, said school curricula in Nigeria do not allow students to ask right questions about why the nation is not developed, but rather feed them with hazy dogma. He explained that SFL had a role to play in educating the youths through distribution of books and materials about freedom.

    Olumayowa , who took the audience through a 20-minutes interactive session, explained the role of youths in advancing the cause of liberty. According to him, Africans youths, who he described as careless, need to lay foundation for their prosperity.

    He said: “Many African youths are so careless and restless; we need to calm down, retrace our steps, and plan for our life because we have active roles to play in ensuring that our future is secure.”

    He noted that Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda are examples of African countries where youths are playing role in the freedom of their nations. He therefore charged students not to waste their time on frivolities, urging them to equip themselves with ideas that would move the continent and the world forward.

    Participants watched a documentary on “What does it mean to be a libertarian?” produced by Davies Stephen. According to clip, libertarianism is a political doctrine. It depicted that libertarians’ ambition is to have a society where humans can flourish and prosper.

    Omosebi, who spoke on Benefits and opportunities as a pro-liberty student, faulted the notion that Nigerian graduates are unemployable. Identifying the benefits of the liberty network, Omosebi told the youngsters that SFL’s aim was to build, train and empower students to become leaders and agents of change in their communities.

    “As an organsation, we want to bring out the leader in you. SFL is a platform to develop ourselves and our leadership qualities. And also to project our voices to the wider world through media, writing of articles, for a new century of liberty, peace and prosperity,” Omosebi said.

  • Africa’s plague of superstition

    SIR: One can count every African as a heathen.  The soul of the continent emanated from an Afro-centric mysticism.  It appears no other spiritual force has supplanted this core belief.  Above statement may sound preposterous in the face of a multiplicity of foreign religions spreading over the African sky.  Dig deep into the soul of many Africans and you will find that superstition may be buried but it is not dead.

    Be he a pastor or an imam, an intellectual or a layman at the essence of his humanness is reverence for the deities of his ancestors.  One will struggle to find the basis to dispute this assumption.  Enlightenment in modern civilization has not dispelled the fear of voodoo forces among our people.  It is a common reproach that one should not dabble into what one does not know.  One can hear this aphorism in every stratum of the society.

    The gods of the Africans is not inherently bad irrespective of the negative image that foreign invaders like to cast over the pagans.  The fundamental precepts of morality bound the worshippers just like in any other religion.  The form of worship may differ according to the customs of the people, the doctrine is adaptable to the changing time.  Human sacrifice is today an abomination while in the past it was a ritual for atonement.

    A look into the classic books may discover that Europe in the time of William Shakespeare was not different from Africa in their belief in witches and wizards.  The turning point for them to modernization must have been orchestrated by the industrial revolution.  Perhaps one can make the conclusion that the pervasive impact of superstition is fuelled by extreme deprivation.  Folks have to abandon the gods of their ancestors to embrace the gods of materialism.

    One has to be daring and say that in a developing society certain aspects of African mysticism are retrogressive. The overarching mindset in the continent, regardless of one’s religion, could be depressing.  A situation where priests and their congregation went to a road intersection to pray to subdue the evil spirit is primitive.  It is believed that there is an oracle that feeds on blood that dwells at the intersection and causes motorists to have fatal accidents.  One wonders if a simple traffic light could not control vehicular movements and minimize the rate of accidents.

    Superstition is intrinsic in human nature.  To the extent that enlightenment can be viewed as advancement into another form of superstition.  What is religion but, summarily, belief in what one cannot understand.  Dismissing African mysticism will create a spiritual conflict for an African.  One cannot run away from one’s shadow.  As the world evolves through human development, one should be bold to dump the relics from the past that are dragging progress down.  Challenge the gods when reason compels for the betterment of society.  Like Europe, one hopes improvement in the standard of living in Africa will elevate spiritual consciousness.  Africa must conquer the plague of superstition.

     

    • Pius Okaneme

    Umuoji, Anambra State.

  • Mandela: A man of peace now at peace

    Mandela: A man of peace now at peace

    Sir: Since the news of the exit of the greatest son of Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, on December 5, at the age of 95, words have failed me to convey my heartfelt condolence to his wonderful family who will miss a caring patriarch, the people of South Africa, who will miss a guide, Africa who will miss a role model and the world at large who will miss a leader for such an irreplaceable loss.

    Even when we realise that death is the ultimate end for all creations, its emanation often leaves us with a painful pang and a deep sense of nostalgia. It hurts me very pointedly to know that a man of peace who is widely respected, loved and idolised for his passionate commitment to the freedom of his people is no more. He was so loved by his people and they wanted him to live forever. Even when it is obvious that his extinction from the world of the mortals was imminent, they did all within human limits to keep him going. But all that is now history as Mandela, a man who stands for democracy, freedom and equality is finally free from the uncertainties and troubles of this mortal word.

    One intriguing fact about this man who swallowed apartheid in victory, a man who asked with his loudest voice, “Apartheid where is your sting? apartheid government where is your victory?; was his ability to unconditionally forgive those who subjected him to 27 years, 324 months, 1,404 weeks, 9,869 days of untold hardship. This, of course, helped him to lay the foundation for a united and prosperous South Africa.

    But beyond this, let all Nigeria’s leaders and politicians learn and follow his exemplary legacy of true patriotism, selflessness, incalculable sacrifice, true democracy, politics of peace and unity, and unfeigned love and struggle for his people, for their own good and that of the entire nation.

    I find it difficult to say goodbye to Mandela. He may not be in our midst in the physical sense, but he will continue to live in our minds. Recalling one of his inspiring quotes on his twitter page gave me the assurance he is at peace. It read, “Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace”.

    Madiba, the perfect gentleman, even when the sun goes behind a cloud, we know it’s still there, even though you are gone, we know you’re still with us. Your memories will live on forever.

     

    •Solomon Babatunde Ogundimu,

    Federal University of Agric. Abeokuta.

  • The Mandela oxymoron

    The Mandela oxymoron

    Writing about Nelson Mandela in the heat of this moment is like praying to God: there is a million and one thing unsaid yet everything has been said. It is infinitude – that state of endless magnitude; a greatness that is of infinite nature. Everything about Mandela is a story, an anecdote or a positive lesson that humanity must do well to learn. Hardball was thus stuck finding a fresh entrée in the Mandela repertoire. What more is there to be said? Everything has been said yet so much remained unsaid about this unusual bird flying out of Africa.

    As I pounded my gray matter an old adage came to me. The living in mourning the dead, mourns but his self. And yet another saying that your very life is your funeral; that is the way you live your life is a foretaste of the kind of funeral you will ‘enjoy’. Put more plainly, in living you are drawing up your burial progamme. As the world stand as one eulogising Mandela in cities and towns, churches and mosques it is not the fact of his death that stirs the human community but his life.

    Dear reader, you must have noticed the oxymoronic tendencies of this piece, the emerging contradictory words and phrases so far deployed. For instance, “your life is your funeral” and “the living mourns but his self.” But the Mandela oxymoron is of deeper import. How about black Africa, the dungeon of the modern world; a world of strive, poverty, hunger and ugliness sprouting an exquisitely beautiful flower named Mandela? And as we say in Africa, “the greenest sukuma wiki grows in the rubbishest dump” (Kenyan) and “from the blackest pot comes the whitest pap” (Nigerian/Yoruba).

    And as we relish our repertoire of Mandela-inspired oxymoron, how about the seeming endless streaming of eulogies by leaders from across the world, especially African leaders? Let us take just three here and see if could detect any hint oxymoronic contradictions in them. Robert Mugabe, the 89-year- old President of Zimbabwe is a contemporary of Mandela’s. While Mandela did one term as president of South Africa and turned down another term of five years when he was 76, Mugabe is on his seventh term as president and he does not seem ready to go yet. In his tribute, he described Mandela as the great African icon of liberation… a humble and compassionate leader. Say, when Mugabe transits someday, would the world hail him as a great African leader, humble and compassionate even though he stayed on the throne for almost eternity?

    Here in Nigeria, former President Olusegun Obasanjo narrated how he had asked Mandela why he would not do a second term and how the great man had retorted: How many 80-year-olds do you see still ruling a country? This was shortly before Obasanjo returned to office as president. But what did Obasanjo do after serving for two terms of eight years? He was desperate to go for a third term having forgotten Mandela’s homily so soon. He corrupted the system in his bid to suborn the constitution and he set the polity almost on a spin. Though Obasanjo cumulatively ruled Nigeria for 13 years did he win the hearts of his people? Did he achieve world acclaim? How does he compare to Mandela who did just five years?

    Lastly, we take President Goodluck Jonathan’s epic tribute to Mandela in which he said “Nigeria politicians were tiny men” compared to Mandela. Let us hear Jonathan: “Read newspapers, listen to radio and television or go to the social media and see how politicians talk. Some of us even think we are gods. We intimidate, we threaten, we show hate in our communication. These are definitely not the virtues of great men. They are shockingly the vices of tiny men.” Leaders like Jonathan (according to him,) cannot be great like Mandela because they are “tiny men.” This must be our classic, screaming Mandelan oxymoron.

  • 5 biggest World Cup clashes

    5 biggest World Cup clashes

    These are the matches that should make the opening round of the 2014 World Cup one of the greatest in history!

    As KickOff.com explored in a recent editorial, a number of the groups can be considered Groups of Death, while each of Africa’s sides will have to face their battles – both internal and external – in order to progress.

    This feature takes a look at the five biggest matches of the group stage, profiling the fixtures that will captivate the watching world, provide huge doses of drama and suspense, and generate a massive audience across the globe.

    Holland vs Spain

    On June 13, Group B will commence with a match between 2010’s finalists, Spain and Holland. Never before have the two sides that contested the previous Final met in the first round of fixtures.

    Considering the star names on show whenever these two sides meet, fans are likely to be in for something special. The recent history adds another dimension to the battle and, for the Dutch, provides an immediate opportunity for revenge.

    Chile are also in this group and will be strong and unforgiving opponents, whichever side fails to win this opening battle will likely need to beat the Chileans to progress.

    Similarly, whichever team loses the initiative here can at best hope, realistically, for second place in the Group Stage – that would mean a likely Last 16 tie with Brazil, the presumed winners of Group A. This is a fate that both sides would be keen to avoid.

     

    Italy vs England

     

    England’s last foray to an international tournament ended with defeat to Italy, and the Three Lions will hope that their next sojourn doesn’t begin in a similar fashion.

    Roy Hodgson’s men were defeated, on penalties, by the Azzuri at Euro 2012, and have an immediate opportunity to make amends in their opening Group D match.

    The presence of Uruguay in the group means that neither of these two sides can afford to slip up in this opening fixture. The pair will have aspirations of making at least the quarter-finals, but revision might be necessary if things get off to a bad start.

    For Hodgson, this battle will be the ultimate test to demonstrate how he has managed to improve the side since their capitulation at Euro 2012. The conditions in Manaus will surely favour Italy and their possession-based game though, so don’t be surprised to see England huff, puff and ultimately run out of steam.

     

    Germany vs Portugal

     

    For everyone on the outside of the Group of Death, the contests between Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the United States should make for intriguing viewing.

    For those on the inside, however, the draw could not have gone much worse and all four sides will already be plotting, intently, their means of survival.

    The opening bout, between Portugal and Germany, ought to set the tone for the rest of the group. It is an elite international fixture between two of the world’s most star-studded sides, both of whom know they can ill-afford to get off to a bad start.

    Portugal, in particular, know the perils of a disastrous opening match to a major tournament. They lost their first fixture on home soil at Euro 2004, did so again at Euro 2012, and struggled to get off the mark in 2010.

    No finer example exists than their ugly campaign at the 2002 World Cup. They conceded three goals within 36 minutes against the United States in Suwon and never recovered.

    The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo should ensure that things do not begin so perilously this time around.

     

    Nigeria vs Argentina

     

    In Group F, Nigeria and Argentina will get the chance to revisit one of the world’s rare intercontinental rivalries. While few sides would relish the prospect of going toe-to-toe with Messi & co., the Super Eagles will have no fear heading into this bout.

    The two have met three times before at a World Cup, in 1994, 2002 and 2010, while there is also an extensive history between them at Under-21 level and at the Olympics.

    Nigeria’s record against the Albicelestes in these fixtures is, however, dire – they have been defeated on every occasion. Their other World Cup game against South American opposition also ended in defeat, against Paraguay in 1998.

    Nigeria are a different prospect these days, however, and Africa’s champions will not be concerned about another battle with one of South America’s giants.

    Ideally, for Stephen Keshi and his troops, the group will be settled by then and qualification will already be guaranteed ahead of that final clash with the Argentines.

    If it is not, then the Super Eagles’ poor record against South Americans will need to improve … quickly!

     

    Germany vs Ghana

     

    When Germany and Ghana meet on June 21 it will be a crucial fixture in the World Cup’s Group of Death, where every goal and every point won or lost will have a bearing on the end result.

    It is a match that should have numerous sub-plots and a handful of interesting individual match-ups.

    The two are not strangers and indeed have recent experience of mutual competition at the high table. In South Africa, at the 2010 World Cup, the pair were drawn in Group D and managed to escape from a tricky-looking group containing Australia and Serbia.

    Both will be hoping for a similar return this time around, but will be aware that the United States and Portugal are tougher opponents than those they bested three years ago.

    Their meeting in Brazil will be their second fixture in Group G, a win could put either side into the Last 16, while defeat could have the opposite effect – this will likely be an intense encounter.

    It will also be personal, there is an extensive Ghanaian diaspora in Germany and a long history of Ghanaian players enjoying success in the Bundesliga. A number of the current squad have played (or play) in the German top flight.

    The likely presence of both Boateng brothers will also add an extra level of intrigue to the fixture.

  • Weep for Africa, not Mandela

    Weep for Africa, not Mandela

    SIR: Last week’s death of one of Africa’s greatest legend, the man who led the struggle against and eventual elimination of South African white domination in government, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, is painful and, indeed a great loss to the family, the people of South Africa, Africa and all men of truth, who stand on the side of justice.

    As it is customary among Africa leaders, they have once again cashed in on the passing of Madiba to make very well crafted statements identifying themselves with the painful exit. No doubt, Madiba was leader’s leader, an icon, a teacher, but how many African leaders learnt anything from the man’s school of thought. Madiba was a selfless leader, who preferring to die for his people if need be, slept in prison for 27 years. He did not amass wealth but laid good example by choosing to do one term when he was favoured to do two terms or could even attempt to stay put.

    African leaders should rather make amends of their leadership and governance style. When the nations in Africa have Mandelas in authority, certainly, Africa will become a great, proud, developed and united continent. It is because we do not have people like Madiba that Africa is host to poverty, illiteracy, disease, underdevelopment, corruption and mismanagement.

    In the abundance of natural wealth, African leaders have failed and continue to fail in advancing their countries and its peoples. They should stop this hypocrisy and have a rethink, a change of heart, emulate that which made Mandela tick. A man died and the world stood still? Because of his good deeds, selfless service, considering his people and country far and above his self desires, building a country for all irrespective of colour, tongue.

    The death of this great African son reminds one of a former late Captain Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, who lived for his people until he was assassinated by his comrade. African leaders must begin to build Africa, for there is no other great respect that is due Mandela than to build Africa, to transform it to a first world. We can build Africa by developing our health facilities to discourage the practice of flying officials abroad for medical attention; our educational sector to produce well tested graduates and our economy by looking inwards because we have the human and natural resources here. African leaders should please save us the eulogy and go to work.

     

    • Uzodinma Nwaogbe

    Lagos, Nigeria.

  • Black Africa’s deadly curse

    Some United Nations agencies, as well as some other voices in the international community, have for decades been making optimistic predictions to the effect that “the 21st century could be Sub-Saharan Africa’s century” or “Sub-Saharan Africa is showing signs of recovery and growth”. As a Black African, I wish sincerely that these things were true. But, at the same time, as a Black African, I know I must not lapse into self-deception about my own homeland – and that I must not lead any of my people into the folly of self-deception. This is our home and we know it is not doing well – that, in fact, it is in serious trouble.

    A few days ago, I spent a couple of hours watching a video on the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (or Congo-Kinshasa). The political storm that started in this country at independence, leading to the assassination of its first Prime Minister, to a major civil war, to a viciously corrupt military dictatorship, and then to an even larger second civil war, is by no means over. The rebel forces in this country are countless; most of them entrenched in the distant eastern provinces. The second major town of the Congo, the town of Kisangani in the eastern provinces, is in serious decline. In these places, all there is to see is nothing other than the stark face of poverty and barbarism. Camps of countless thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) tell stories of human deprivation at its most extreme. These eastern provinces are separated from Kinshasa, the capital city of the Congo in the west, by thousands of Africa’s thickest forests. The Congo occupies a territory larger than the whole of Western Europe. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that the government based in Kinshasa can do to bring order to the distant eastern provinces. The only arrangement that sustains the tenuous connection holding this country together is the presence of United Nations peace-keeping forces. If the justification for a country is that it ensures to its citizens life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then the Congo does not qualify to be called a country at all.

    But on the political map of Black Africa, the condition of Congo-Kinshasa is not unique in kind; it is only unique in severity. Virtually all countries of Black Africa are in serious political troubles manifesting in various horrible conditions. Somalia completely lost hold on orderly governance in 1991, and it continues to live in that disorder till today. Only last week, the United Nations and the African Union agreed to increase the number of international peace-keeping forces in Somalia. After the earth-shaking horror of genocide in Rwanda in 1994, less and less is being heard about that country, and that makes a lot of people in the wider world assume that Rwanda has stabilized – but the world needs to look out. The military junta that took power after the 1994 genocide has continued to hold on to power by authoritarian means, and even some original members of the regime have had to flee from the country to save their lives – all of which cast a shadow on the future of this country. In Uganda, the military ruler who came to power in 1986 continues to hold on to power, intent on eliminating opposition and dissent by doing everything to weaken and break up the kingdom of Buganda, Uganda’s most developed nationality. Since 2011, Buganda and some other groups have been suing for secession, and confrontation between the government and these groups is increasing. In West Africa, United Nations forces were needed to restore some modicum of governance and political stability in the Ivory Coast in 2011, and that country is by no means showing any appreciable progress towards democratic and stable government. A military coup shattered the fragile stability of Mali Republic in late 2011, opening the gate to a secession move in Mali’s northern provinces, and then the emergence of a base for terrorism in those northern provinces – a terrorist base that potently began immediately to threaten most of West Africa, and that then called into action some serious French military intervention.

    The political hurricane goes on and on all over Black Africa, generating horrific destruction, loss of lives, and blood-curdling human deprivation and suffering. We Black Africans are only 15% of the population of the human race, but we consume probably up to 70% of international peace-keeping efforts on earth. Our sub-continent is the home of most politically displaced persons in the world – the largest refugee camps and internally displaced persons’ camps, where deprivation, starvation, sheer barbarous conditions, and death, reign supreme over the shattered lives of countless millions of our kinsmen.

    Some Nigerians hate to hear the truth; and they go into all sorts of intellectual gymnastics, and all sorts of romantic nonsense, in their attempts to reject the fact – that Nigeria’s history too is just a page in the destructive rampage of this Black African political hurricane. The Nigerian Federal Government set in motion the Nigerian phase of the horror story in 1962 when they embarked on an ill-advised venture to subdue the Western Region and stop its rapid march to progress. The disaster they set in motion did devastate the Western Region and stop its progress. But the hurricane they thus unleashed has swirled virulently over the face of Nigeria since then, producing military coups after military coups, assassinations after assassinations of important public officials, a sanguinary civil war that took the lives of millions of innocent folks, a long succession of ignorant and corrupt military regimes bent on promoting an ethnic agenda, and total destruction of all sense of proportion, all sense of order, and all sense of decency in the management of Nigeria’s affairs. Today, the chances are that Nigeria will break up – soon, probably very soon. More and more Nigerians are expressing the wish that Nigeria should break up, rather than that they and their children should continue to suffer in the hell that Nigeria has become. Even those politicians who are fabricating situations aimed at preserving Nigeria know that their efforts may soon be simply futile.

    When one considers this horrific political history of all of Black Africa, one cannot but ask two important questions. First, what is at the root of this Black man’s incapability to hold and properly manage the countries that European colonialists created and bequeathed to us? And second, what does the future hold in store for the Black man in Africa, and for these countries that we are messing around with? I intend to attempt answers to these questions in my next message.

     

  • Africa’s next generation

    … Nigerian technocrats lead the pack

    A new wave of policy makers has arrived in governments across Africa, with a growing cohort of women taking charge

    For decades, government jobs across much of Africa were allocated according to patronage, kinship or social network. At the top, strongmen dominated politics from the end of colonial rule to the 1990s, with barely any rulers peacefully ousted at the ballot box.

    Today, things look very different. The Organisation of African Unity worried little about undemocratic practice. Its successor, the African Union, is less tolerant. Most of the continent’s dictators are either out of government or out of touch.

    A new generation of leaders is entering politics, their outlook more cosmopolitan than their predecessors. “Globalisation has brought what is happening around the world into our living rooms and so people no longer feel as if our part of the world is so secluded and we can carry on at our own pace,” says Kingsley Moghalu, deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. “They see what is happening all over the world and people want to enjoy the stability, economic growth and other positive attributes they see in other societies.”

    Nigeria’s trade and industry minister, Olusegun Aganga, points out that, along with a change in consciousness, there is also a shift in skill sets, with managerial experts increasingly powerful within his government. “When you look at the different portfolios in Nigeria, in the most critical ones you have technocrats,” he says.

    Nigeria’s new cadre

    In Nigeria, a combination of greater skill sets and younger perspectives are coming together to improve a broken system. A power privatisation programme, the first attempt in half a century, promises to improve catastrophic energy supplies.

    Anti-corruption efforts are starting to bear fruit in the extractives industry, albeit from a low base. “Nigeria is an example par excellence of the resource curse. And [they are] now working away at getting the figures out, and doing audits, and making things more transparent… They have revealed some very considerable money that hasn’t been paid over, giving some ammunition to parliamentary inquiries,” says Clare Short, chair of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

    The overhaul of banking regulations has seen the country’s financial services sector emerge from a state of mass fraud and inefficiency, under the leadership of the soft-spoken central bank governor Lamido Sanusi. Appointed in the midst of a debt crisis in 2009, his bold moves to fix Nigeria’s corruption-stricken banks toppled eight local chief executives and ushered in sweeping reforms aimed to protect depositors’ cash, recapitalise banks, boost financial inclusion, and curb illicit financial flows. His prudent monetary policy has brought inflation down to single digits and steadied the exchange rate, protecting jobs and growth along the way.

    There is still work to be done, and there are inevitable risks of back-tracking when Mr Sanusi steps down in 2014. “Who is chosen as governor will be important in terms of the belief in the reform and how it will continue,” he concedes. “[But] I have tried to get the board of the central bank involved. I have tried to get everybody to own these policies… I am hoping that, having carried the institution along with me, that they really do believe in it, and that whoever comes in will find an institution that is already wired in a particular way.”

    Meanwhile, Nigeria’s agriculture reform agenda – led by Akinwumi Adesina, a young agricultural economist and former vice president for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa – has been equally impressive. When Mr Adesina arrived in post, Nigerian farming was in a pitiful state. A longstanding national input subsidy programme was rampant with corruption, with government-supplied fertilisers and seeds failing to reach farmers and much produce going missing along the way. “It was a very corrupt system, one of the most corrupt systems that I’ve ever seen,” recalls Mr Adesina. “My job was to clean that up and it took us 90 days. In 90 days we ended the corruption of 40 years.”

    Women in charge

    African governments feature a growing constituency of women, who across the continent are filling posts traditionally dominated by men. Among the most senior are the likes of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who in 2006 became Africa’s first female head of state. Last year Joyce Banda became president of Malawi, and in September Aminata Touré was named prime minister of Senegal. Women have also taken power in the most senior ministry of all – finance – in Uganda and Nigeria, where the indefatigable Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala keeps a lively roster of male ministers in check.

    “Africa is very progressive, more progressive than other continents. What I find is that I have come into office and I am only one of two [female] presidents, but you find our African men have created space for women to participate in leadership,” Malawi’s President Banda says. “I have been gender minister, foreign minister, vice president, I am president now. I can’t remember a day in those 10 years when I saw anything from a man that suggested to me that I was being undermined.”

    Culled from Financial Times of London

     

  • UN chief prosecutor urges Africa to embrace peace

    UN chief prosecutor urges Africa to embrace peace

    The Chief Prosecutor of United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Justice Hassan Jallow, has urged African countries to prevent internal crisis that would lead to war.

    He spoke at the launching of a book in honour of former deans of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, titled: Among giants, memoirs: Deans of the Faculty of Law, by Great Nwakaibeya in Lagos.

    He said the peace building was fraught with irregularities, urging the continent to evolve laws that will safeguard the dignity of man in the comity of nations.

    He said: “We have to learn to do it ourselves and not to wait until crisis come up to destroyed what we have collectively laboured for. We must make sure our laws are adequate to ensure peace building.”

    He said the mechanism should empower African states to effectively discharge their responsibilities to protect their fellow Africans.

    Jallow noted that the mechanism must be able to carry out investigation, tracking and arresting of fugitive, witness protection, handling of sexual crimes and effective court administration.

    Citing the example of what happened in Rwanda, he said the genocide that took place in the country was done in connivance with a former prime minister and cabinet ministers to annihilate some people because of their ethnic background.

    He stated that until Africans learn to handle issues of this magnitude with right law that ensure the dignity of man, it might not make progress.