The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Egypt

  • SUPER EAGLES: Pray Nigeria, pray

    Nigerians are prayer warriors no doubt. I want to wager that no other country prays more fervently than the raucous millions of the Niger area. What I do not wish to find out however, is how much of our prayers break through the atmosphere and up into heaven. Would God in his omniscience, open up the heavens for us in order to reveal the flow of our prayers and benedictions, most of us would be surprise how we have been firing blank. We pray long, we pray noisy, we pray with vehemence and exertion, we keep vigil and go into lengthy dryness and observances yet to no avail it seems. We as a nation, as a people, as families we are still overtaken and tormented by the evil one.

    The prince of darkness seems to have found his domain and refuge here in Nigeria. The chief principality of this realm seems to have built his operational headquarters on our shores from whence he fans out evil, misery and pain to the rest of the world. Before you think one is exaggerating, is there any other land on the face of the earth blessed with so much riches and yet abounds with so much human misery? There is no other place in the world today where there is such criminal round-tripping of crude oil; that is the rich endowment of a country’s crude oil is shipped out to surrogate refineries abroad and the bye products returned to Nigeria as expensive and economically unviable commodities.

    Now this treasonable economic crime has gone on for nearly three decades and still continues till tomorrow. No other major oil producing country in the world imports petroleum products; on the other hand, they export to the rest of the world so as to maximize the benefits of their God-given resource for the good of their citizenry. But the reverse is the case here. This is a country where a mere civil servant could access and purloin state funds in billions. Consider the recent example of a certain civil servant named John Yesufu who stole all of N27 billion naira; he is only a deputy director, imagine what directors, directors-general, auditors-general, accountants-general, permanent secretaries, ministers, governors and presidents who have better leeway to the treasury, would have. We are in a country where numerous public servants are so rich they can buy up a country or two, they are so shamelessly rich because they hijack and cart away entire budgets of their ministries, departments and agencies. And they are so proud about their ‘achievements’, the have no qualms whatsoever and indeed, they are the most voluble prayer warriors at the least opportunity.

    Praying football prayer

    But pray we must for where would we be without the vigil of the faithful. In prayer we must persist, especially where there is no trace of HIM like in Nigeria, to paraphrase Pastor Adeboye above. Let us pray for the Super Eagles, our national football team not because we need the Africa nations’ cup so badly or that the lifting of it would change our unrepentant evil ways and make our leaders and public officers less greedy and covetous. We pray for victory if only for that brief moment of ecstasy and uproarious revelry; for that ephemeral moment of national ‘unity’ and ‘rejoicing’. We must pray, hoping that in that moment of ‘white’ madness, some wellness would be triggered in our leaders and the scales would fall from their eyes so that they can see their monumental failings, so that they may see Nigeria’s missed opportunities; so that they may see that Egypt, Britain, USA and such other places they are quick to shuttle off to are built by leaders who are better than them only because they are patriots and they are truly godly. We will pray hoping that our God who works in wondrous ways might just adapt our moment of national ‘joy’ into our hour of national salvation and redemption.

    We all should rise as one to pray this football prayer hoping that this flitting gold cup would not ‘pass over us’ this time. It is not because the hollow metal is worth its weight in gold, no, we are praying, hoping that our leaders may be led into a sudden burst of inspiration to see the untold potentials in organizing our football and sports properly. We pray that they would realize that if they get just our sports right, millions of our youths who are jobless and broken today would not only be engaged but gainfully so; and not only in Nigeria but all over the world. Nigeria has the capacity to furnish the world with one tenth of its outstanding sportsmen and women. One of the greatest natural resources God has endowed us with is awesome physical strength combined with speed and acute power of mental co-ordination. It is a rare gift only found in few other countries in Africa and Latin American countries. Carefully harnessed, the result is a human specimen of immense grace and spectacular physical feats. Applied to football, basketball, boxing, wrestling, tracks and field events, etc, it is a talent that is in hot demand all over the world. It is a resource that could yield as much revenue to Nigeria as crude oil.

    But here we are, unable to manage our stadia; we allowed a forest to grow in our number one stadium in Abuja right under the nose of the presidency. Our national stadium in Lagos has been in a state of decay for more than ten years. The national league is in perpetual turmoil having been infiltrated by ragamuffins, the sports associations are comatose with most so called administrators scurrying about looking for morsels. Nobody is thinking or attempting to seek out and groom talents. School sports where virgin talents were plucked is long dead and forgotten. For instance I have a 13-year old who has been sprinting with seniors and running invitational relay since she was 11. In serious places, she would have been placed under special watch but nobody cares.

    160 million voices praying

    Another reason we must pray is that our opponents, Burkina Faso, prays too. They probably pray better than us. Did you see them after their grueling duel with Ghana last Wednesday how they went on their knees – players and officials, forming a large circle and pointing heavenwards, showered thanksgiving to heaven? Something tells me that our match on Sunday would be first a divine showdown. I see a game of celestial favours; who does our Maker want to favour most? Who needs it most, who is seeking and knocking and asking more? As we meet in the mosques, churches and even in our homes, let us all say a prayer for the success of the Super Eagles on Sunday February 10, 2013 – if 160 million people, in spite of their blemishes pray, our God is bound to hear. Amen.

    LAST MUG: National Assembly and 2013 budget: as it has become our practice, the 2013 Appropriation Bill is yet to be passed into law. The National Assembly and the Presidency continues to squabble while the country bleeds. Dawdling over the budget has become a national pastime in the last few years. NASS, one must say, is mainly to blame for this; the body still does not seem to assimilate the magnitude and import of this document. It seems to view it more from the prism of contracts and ‘constituency’ projects. It cannot exact proper oversight on the executive if it has its hand deep in the cookie jar. We need a high minded NASS.

     

  • Egypt needs a political consensus

    Egypt needs a political consensus

    Much more of this chaos and the army will be back

    President Mohamed Morsi’s declaration of a month-long state of emergency in three Suez Canal cities after a weekend of lethal violence is a depressing way to mark the second anniversary of the Tahrir Square revolution.

    While it is not intrinsic evidence of involution, after 30 years of emergency rule by Hosni Mubarak, the toppled former president, and amid authoritarian reflexes by Mr Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood- led government, it is an alarming index of a downward spiral into chaos that could tempt the army back on to the political stage.

    Quite simply, there is no sign of the stability Egypt needs to revive investment and create jobs. Nor is it clear who rules Egypt. There are still three power centres: a presidency that acts as an extension of the Brotherhood; the generals; and a fragmented secular opposition of small parties and street activists. A controversially dissolved parliament awaits new elections. Vital institutions such as the police and the judiciary need to be reformed.

    The worst violence at the weekend followed death sentences handed down to Port Said football hooligans convicted in the deaths of dozens of rivals in February. That attack was widely seen as a police-facilitated reprisal against the Cairo al-Ahli team’s “ultras”, whose street-fighting skills helped topple the Mubarak regime. Such incidents proliferate amid the chaos and the lack of a consensus to confront it. Mr Morsi and the Brotherhood, through their naked power grabs and secretive decision-making, seem to regard Egypt’s institutions as their own. The opposition fails to articulate an alternative, riding the backlash against Islamist over-reach.

    As this sterile political struggle rages, the economy is on its knees. A long negotiated IMF loan is not yet in place. It would require a socially explosive rationalisation of subsidies that eat up a quarter of the budget. Food and fuel-price inflation is high, and the currency is under strain. Egypt is kept afloat by transfers from Qatar, protecting its investment in the Brotherhood – not quite the “dignity revolution” Egyptians envisaged.

    Some of this turmoil was unavoidable; Egypt is trying to emerge from a desert of despotism. But Mr Morsi does not have much time left to prove mainstream Islamists can govern – and for all Egyptians. The opposition, some of whose leaders applauded the constitutional court’s dissolution last year of an elected parliament, should not crow either. If both camps cannot build a workable consensus, they will both go down together.

     

    – Financial Times

  • Morsi declares emergency in three Egyptian cities

    Morsi declares emergency in three Egyptian cities

    Egyptian President, Mohammed Morsi, has declared a state of emergency in the cities of Port Said, Suez and Ismalia after days of deadly unrest.

    A curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 will be imposed for 30 days from Monday.

    At least 33 people died at the weekend in Port Said, where a court judgment sparked rioting.

    Unhappiness with Mr. Morsi’s rule fuelled unrest elsewhere, BBC reports.

    Mr. Morsi has invited opposition politicians to a “national dialogue” meeting on Monday.

    Violence continued overnight, with anti-Morsi protesters in Ismalia clashing with police, who responded with tear gas.

    On Sunday in the capital, Cairo, anti-government protesters clashed with security forces near Tahrir Square for a fourth consecutive day.

  • 21 Egyptian soccer fans sentenced to death

     

    An Egyptian court has sentenced to death 21 defendants over clashes between rival football fans in which 74 people were killed last February.

    The riots began minutes after a league game at Port Said stadium between local side al-Masry and Cairo club al-Ahly.

    The violence – Egypt’s worst football disaster – sparked riots in Cairo during which a further 16 people died, BBC reports.

    The sentences came after a day of clashes as the opposition marked the second anniversary of the revolution.

    Last year’s football riots led to the suspension of the league.

    It began when al-Masry fans invaded the pitch, hurling stones and fireworks at the visitors.

    At the time some fans – who said security forces appeared to do little to prevent the clashes – accused supporters of toppled President Hosni Mubarak of instigating the incident.

    At least 73 people, including policemen, were tried.

    The judge said he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9.

     

  • Train derailment kills19 in Egypt

    A military train carrying army recruits has derailed south of Egypt’s capital, Cairo, killing 19 people and injuring more than 100, officials told the BBC.

    The train was heading to an army camp in Cairo when a carriage became detached and crashed into a goods train in the Badrashin area of Giza.

    Egypt’s prime minister visited the scene, but was led to safety after being abused by angry bystanders.

    Egypt’s roads and railways have a notoriously poor safety record.

    Last November 50 children died when a train hit their school bus near Manfalut, 350km (230 miles) south of Cairo, after a signal operator fell asleep.

    The transport minister and the head of the railway authority were forced to resign in the wake of the crash.

    Anger has been directed towards the government for failing to improve railway safety and infrastructure.

    People at the scene of the latest crash shouted at Prime Minister Hisham Qandil “You have blood on your hands”, before he was led away by his security guards, AFP news agency reported.

    Monday’s incident occurred as the army train was heading from Upper Egypt into Cairo.

    Reports say more than 1,300 passengers were aboard the train when it derailed shortly after midnight.

    An eyewitness, Mohammad Abul-Fadl, told BBC Arabic many victims were trapped.

    “Ambulances didn’t arrive for half an hour. There were bodies everywhere,” he said.

     

  • Egypt 80 band is more successful now than when it was under my father —Seun Kuti

    Egypt 80 band is more successful now than when it was under my father —Seun Kuti

    Seun Kuti has continued to promote the struggle of awakening the revolution in thecommon man on the continent through his consistent ability to churn out politically and socially charged songs. Under him, the Egypt 80 band which he inherited from his late father has also developed into an entity saddled with the responsibility of midwifing the Afrobeat evolution. The youngest son of the Afrobeat pioneer, Fela, who has succeeded in re-energizing the Afrobeat genre, spoke with AHMED BOULOR about a range of issues bordering on his career, his family and the state of the nation in this interview. Excerpts:

     

    WHAT’S your take about the federal government’s intention to have your grandmother’s face on the proposed new Nigerian currency?

    I think my stand on that issue is very clear; for me it is a forgone issue but I don’t think the federal government has any right to do that without consulting with the Kuti family, especially when her case is so peculiar knowing very well that she was murdered by agents of the federal government of Nigeria. They tend to want to forget that aspect and up till now the Kuti family has not received any apology, compensation and most especially justice for her death. The family has not been given any clue and no one has been held responsible for her death. She was such a great woman not just because she was Fela’s mother; she was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria. My grandmother was the first African woman to visit China; she was a close confidant of Chairman Mao of China and she also fought for the right of females to vote in Nigeria. She was an icon for a lot of women and she also started the women advocacy rights here in Nigeria and for them to murder such a woman and not give any explanation or serve any justice and in turn want to paste her face on any currency is really rude. It shows that our present day government has no feeling for humanity or for people; they are power drunk.

    Just like your father, you have also failed to acknowledge the existence of God. What then do you believe in?

    My father believes in God oh! He is a traditionalist; Fela believed in African gods. I don’t believe in anyone at all; be it African or European. Basically I don’t believe in religion; I believe religion has caused more harm than good to humanity and it doesn’t really say anything. Religion is sometimes ambiguous and to me it is a divisive tool to humanity though I practiced religion when I was younger, but ever since I clocked 20 religion didn’t appeal to me any longer. It also largely has to do with the fact that I grew up with an uncle who is an atheist as well. There are books you can read even by Christians that reveal the other side of the coin; most people don’t understand the history of what they practice.

    But you do believe in nature?

    Nature is that thing that controls humanity and the environment; it is important to believe in nature and its sciences. I mean with things we can prove and things we can understand. I feel the world is complicated, beautiful and complex enough in its own right to bamboozle and awe us as long as we live. But the supernatural aspect of nature is what I don’t understand.

    Has your position on marriage changed?

    It hasn’t changed at all…

    What was your last tour of the UK like?

    It was fantastic! My first album did pretty well in the UK and the second one got me a whole lot of followers in the UK because of Brian Eno’s input. We have been booked to perform in the UK three times and the usual Afrobeat gig in the UK is a multi-ethnic gathering. I like it when I play in London because it is an integrated society; it is a place where you perform and get a variety of people from different backgrounds. I have my largest Nigerian fan base in the UK and when I have my shows in the Europe the tickets are usually sold out because people over there are very efficient with buying tickets.

    You’ll be a year older soon; January 11 to be precise. What plans do you have in the pipeline to celebrate?

    I don’t know yet but my godfather is going to throw me a party; I am going to be 30 and I have told him he is going to take care of stuff on my birthday. I don’t know the plans he has for the party but I am sure it is going to be something nice.

    Let’s talk about the tattoo you have on your back which is an image of your late father…

    I’ve had it for 10 years and when I had it, not too many people had tattoos in Nigeria. I had my tattoo when it was a taboo to have tattoos in this part of the world.

    Does Fela still live in you?

    Fela lives in the minds of Africans; and this is why I actually don’t believe in religion, because what it promises is not enough. It promises people that they will go to heaven and people in turn fight to get there; I wonder what kind of happiness one will have when he struggles to go to heaven only to find out that other people they love like their mother, father, brother or any close relative does not make it to heaven? Everybody in Nigeria is struggling to go to heaven and if they read their Bibles very well it is stated that only 144,000 people will make it to heaven. It is even stated that it is only the Jews that will make it to heaven; so I don’t know what the fuss is all about when it comes to religion.

    Fela’s existence is in the memory he left behind; it is in his achievements and he impacted so much in the lives of many. That is what people should live their lives for but people rather live their lives fighting for God. It is written that God is all powerful and I wonder why people should pick up the battle axe and start fighting God’s battle. People need to live their lives in real goodness and ensure that they positively impact on the lives of other people. It should be about inspiring people to live better and that is the only way you can achieve immortality and that is what Fela has done. When you are around Fela, you are allowed to express yourself because Fela believed in true individuality. He might not necessarily accept your idea, but he respected the fact that you are human and you have the right to have your say. Fela lives in the minds of scores of many because he dedicated his life to the freedom of the African continent.

    Is your sister still part of your band?

    Not anymore! She quit when it was hard for her to balance music and her, but now she apparently is going to be the MD of the Kalakuta Museum.

    What was going through your mind at age 9 when you walked up to your father telling him you wanted to sing for him?

    I was actually 8 years old then; I was naïve then anyway. I grew up loving music at the Kalakuta Republic. I walked up to my dad then telling him about my desire to sing for him because I thought it was an easy job. I was always going on tour with my father and after he played at the Apollo, I thought to myself that music was all about having fun and getting paid for it. So I thought to myself that I wanted to sing; so I walked up to my dad and told him I wanted to sing. He asked me if I could sing and I answered in the affirmative; he asked me to sing a song and I did the ‘Sorrow, Tears and Blood’. He told me I could sing a bit and I had to just do a little bit of homework. He later told me to start rehearsing with the band and that was how it all started. Later, he requested that I opened the shows for him and the rest like they say is history.

    How hard is it being an Afrobeat artiste?

    It’s not so hard being an Afrobeat artiste in Nigeria because some people do not understand what Afrobeat is all about. They know Fela but they have forgotten the concept behind the genre. For most people, especially some Nigerian artistes, when they wear tight-fitting trousers and tap their feet on the floor everybody will say that person is an Afrobeat musician. Even present day pop artistes in Nigeria refer to themselves as Afrobeat musicians. But to an extent, being an Afrobeat artiste can be hard because it is anti-establishment and everything you do has to be established. There is no private sector participation in promoting Afrobeat music because people feel it is too critical of government and they don’t want to have anything to do with it. They’d rather spend money sponsoring hip hop events and concerts. It is time when artistes in Africa began to speak the truth about our people and it will be a dark day in Africa if we become free and music does not play a role in that freedom. It will be a shame on our profession because music has been in the forefront of revolutionary changes. That is what we lack in Nigeria because the elite are not on the side of the people.

    What’s the toughest part of following your father’s political and social ethos?

    I feel everyone should know and understand the advantages and disadvantages in whatever you venture into. Afrobeat is not Nigerian anymore, when I say that sometimes people try to criticise me as well. Afrobeat is now global; there are more Afrobeat bands in New York than the whole of Nigeria put together. People see the beauty and the relevance of my songs and they appreciate it just like the way they appreciated Fela’s music. Sometimes it is just prejudice because everyone has a preconception of who they think you are.

    How well is your sophomore album ‘Rise’ faring locally and internationally?

    I cannot determine the success locally because marketers have been stealing my money. They steal money too much in this country and I am tired of doing business here in Nigeria. I don’t like it when I feel cheated; as soon as we sold the initial batch we stopped production of the CD’s because the songs are going to be downloaded anyway and CD’s are becoming redundant. My music is on iTunes just in case anyone wants to buy it; internationally it’s getting the needed boost in terms of patronage and followership as much as expected.

    Do you think Brian Eno‘s and John Reynolds’ input on the album is creating the right impact?

    Of course it is; like I said, their impact more than doubled my market in the UK. I didn’t work with Brian Eno expecting an outcome of any sort because I know the quality that he brings to the table. I worked with him because I respect him as a producer and not because of the commercial and critical impact his input may have on the album. The album is revolutionary and it is a classic album; internationally ‘Rise’ is huge and we’ve toured the world twice already and my record company is now on my neck for a second album. They also want me to sign a new deal…

    How would you describe the evolution of the Egypt 80 band in the over 12 years that you have been in charge?

    I have been in charge for more than 12 years and time is the greatest enemy for anyone and for musicians especially. I believe the first evolution is first with the personnel; the Egypt 80 band is more successful now than when it was under my father.

    How do you mean?

    I am not saying that I am a better band leader than my father; Fela was more social than I am and he used to take money from the band to feed thousands of people. But whatever the band gets now is spent on the band itself. So everyone has a better salary and allowance than it was under my father because my father believed in being social. He spent his money on people and also spent to run the Kalakuta Republic. But I do not have any republic to run.

    If your father were still alive, what kind of man would you have evolved into?

    I would have evolved into an old man who thinks he is younger than everybody.

    How tasking is it to churn out politically and socially charged songs?

    Like I said earlier, Afrobeat is global and my lyrics are no longer about Africa because the whole world is connected. The austerity measures we had to go through in the past have now reared its head in countries in Europe like Greece and Italy. People cannot stand it and what we are going through in Africa is not peculiar to Africa alone. It might be a bigger degree as compared to the West but they are also feeling the pinch. In the West, they tax rich people for the amount of wealth they have and back here in Africa we try to give rich people more freedom with their finances. The drive for Africa should empower the people.

    How’s work progressing with your third album?

    It’s in the making and there’s not much I can say about it because it is not finished yet. We are fine tuning things now and recording will begin in February.

    Having waxed two albums, have you received any royalties for your works locally and internationally?

    I have not received any royalty here in Nigeria; but I am registered to SASEM in France and I have gotten huge royalties for my works.

    You once went Bungee Jumping and you also gave a hint sometime ago that you were thinking about Sky Diving. Have you attempted it yet?

    I have not had time for a holiday yet but as soon as I get some time off I will attempt it. I love extreme sports…

  • Egypt opposition rejects dialogue

    Egypt opposition rejects dialogue

    Egyptian opposition leaders have rejected calls by President Mohammed Morsi to enter a national dialogue.

    Mr. Morsi, under fire for issuing a decree that gives him sweeping new powers, had invited all major political factions to a meeting on Saturday.

    But the opposition said the president had offered little in terms of concessions, criticising his refusal to delay a constitutional referendum.

    BBC says the announcement comes as Egypt is braced for another day of protests.

    Opposition demonstrators gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, with some heading towards the presidential palace.

    Meanwhile thousands of supporters of President Morsi marched during the funerals of two men killed in clashes on Wednesday.

    The main opposition movement said on Friday it would not take part in Saturday’s talks.

    “The National Salvation Front is not taking part in the dialogue, that is the official stance,” spokesman Ahmed Said confirmed in a statement.

    Nobel Prize winner, Mohamed ElBaradei, the movement’s chief co-ordinator, posted a message on his Twitter account calling on political groups to shun all dialogue with Mr. Morsi.

     

  • Protest delays Egypt court’s ruling

    Protest delays Egypt court’s ruling

    Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court has said it is halting all work indefinitely in protest at the “psychological pressure” it has faced.

    BBC says Islamist protesters earlier prevented the judges from meeting in Cairo to rule on a draft constitution.

    The supporters of the president wanted to block any ruling that would question the document’s legality.

    President Mohammed Morsi has said a referendum on the constitution will be held on December 15.

    His opponents say the draft constitution undermines basic freedoms.

    Sunday’s developments are the latest in an unfolding confrontation between Mr. Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood supporters on one side, and his mainly secular political opponents and the judiciary on the other.

    Mr. Morsi adopted sweeping new powers in a decree on November 22 that stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions, so it is unclear what effect any Supreme Constitutional Court ruling would have.

    However, analysts say any ruling opposing his decisions would be a direct challenge and would bolster the opposition campaign to have his decree annulled.

    The court issued a statement after demonstrations outside the building prevented judges from getting inside.

     

  • Bus crash kills 50 children in Egypt

    Bus crash kills 50 children in Egypt

    At least 50 children aged four to six years old and the driver of the school bus they were on were killed when their vehicle was hit by a train in central Egypt on Saturday, officials told the BBC.

    The transport minister resigned in the wake of the crash near Manfalut, 350km (230 miles) south of Cairo.

    The provincial governor said the man in charge of the crossing was asleep and had been arrested.

    Egyptian roads and railways have a poor safety record.

    An estimated 8,000 people die in car accidents each year in the country.

    The head of the railway authority has also resigned.

    Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed, the state news agency reported.

    “They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it,” Dr. Mohamed Samir told the Reuters news agency, citing witness accounts.

    An eyewitness said the train pushed the bus about 1km (half a mile) along the track.

    More than a dozen people were also injured.

     

  • Egypt sentences 14 to death over Sinai attacks

    Egypt sentences 14 to death over Sinai attacks

    An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced 14 militant Islamists to death by hanging and four to life imprisonment over attacks on army and police forces in the Sinai Peninsula last year.

    The men, members of a militant group called Tawheed and Jihad, were charged by the prosecutor with killing three police officers, an army officer and a civilian in attacks carried out in June and July, 2011.

    Eight of the 14 death sentences were in absentia, court sources told Reuters.

    The verdicts were met with cries from the accused against President Mohamed Mursi, the Islamist head of state elected this year and who the defendants blamed for the court’s decision.

    “Mursi is an infidel and those who follow him are infidels,” shouted one defendant.

    Others cried “God is Great” as they listened to the judge from inside the metal cage in which they stood during trial sessions.

    Egypt’s Sinai has suffered from faltering security since President Hosni Mubarak was swept from power in a popular uprising in February 2011.

    Egypt’s army and police launched a sweep after a raid that killed 16 Egyptian border guards in August.