Tag: technologies

I  am  enamored  today by the concept  of change through  technology  which the doyen of Development Economics  Joseph   Schumpeter   called  creative  destruction   through distruptive technologies. The   latest  of such   emergent  technology   is the internet  and the best  known is tweeting which US President  Donald Trump  has used  in his unique  way  to bring   not only  his  opponents in the US but the world at large,   to  their feet.  I   am  using these  technologies I will name  and identify  to classify  the democracies  in which they exist   and leave it to the reader to decide whether  such technologies  have  benefitted  such  societies  for good  or bad. It  is my contention  that technologies in the hands  of   decent, responsible  people  and leaders benefit  the larger society  and vice  versa

American  civil  rights leader  Martin  Luther  King was  killed on April 4 this last  week  50  years  ago and his  tactics  of non  violence  was  successful  in its own  way  to make the oppressors of the black  man  to acknowledge the injustice  in the American  political  system  and honor him  with a public  holiday  after his death. Today  however given  what  is on my mind it is not about  him  that I  want to talk  about  but  the man he was named after, the German  theologian and reformer   Martin  Luther who  revolted  against  the  authority of the Pope  at a time when  the Church  was the state  and the   Pope  was deemed infallible. Martin  Luther  questioned the authority  of the Pope  and the  Church  to sell  indulgences  which   were  supposed to be forgiveness  for the sins  of  Christians and such  indulgence could even be purchased  for dead  relatives. Luther whose  father  wanted to be a lawyer  but  who  ended  up  a monk  cried  foul  and said  the clergy  should  not  intercede  for  Christians and that  every  Christian  can  have access    to salvation  without the Church. Before  this Luther  had  fasted  and done penance as a monk in  monasteries  such  that his health  was ruined  permanently.  He  was  helped  in turning the tables on the Pope  and the Catholic  Church  because  the technology  of  printing evolved  in his time  and his written opposition to the Pope, the 95 theses he nailed on his Church was  printed  and circulated  all  over Europe  to the vexation and chagrin   of the Pope. In  addition  it was when  he   was  in the   protective custody of the  German Prince that  secured  his life   that he  translated  the bible  to German  language  so  that Germans  could follow  their religion in their own  language  and not the Latin  or Greek  that was  the language of educated  people at the time. Luther’s  religious  thought   was therefore  the father of freedom  of thought  and religion  that was the precursor  of elective democracy  that is now  the prevalent  ideology  in our world today.

It  is with  this  background   that  I want  to digest  the topic of the day. I will  look at   the  statement credited  to our presidential  spokesmen  who  said  that they would not react to   former  President Olusegun  Obasanjo’s  second criticism  that the Buhari  Administration is  a failure  because   the    well  known  critic  was the president’s  senior  as an Army  officer  and  the incumbent  president was indeed  the Oil  Minister  in his cabinet  and  military  administration. I    will  comment briefly on a video  and news item  sent to    my   phone’s   Whats app  showing and commenting on the disruption of the Easter  service  and Bishop  procession  at  the Christ  Church  Marina, Lagos last  Sunday. The  third  issue  was the news  that the president had released  $ Ibn   for  security  purposes  in the nation and the money  will  be used  to pursue  military  equipment.

I  want  to go  on to  identify  the three  types  of democracy inherent  in these  three  situations and go  on  to show  how  and  why  I have  branded  each the  way  I have. I  call  the first  type inherent in not replying OBJ a Garrison  or Mess Democracy.  I call  the  second concerning the disruption of service at the Cathedral  last  Sunday  – -Ilorin Bishop Politics   or ‘Anti  Marina Bishop Democracy’ – AMBD. The  third type  of democracy which  concerns  the Ibn  dollars  disbursement I will  call  – Money  Miss Road  Democracy. Let  me now elaborate   on the nature  of these  democracies based  on the technologies at stake in each  one of them.

In   the  case  of OBJ’s  criticism  and the reluctance  of  Aso Rock to engage  him,  one  cannot but  conclude that the impression  is being  given  that the  Nigerian state  is being regarded  as a huge barracks  or  garrison ruled  by military  officers,  who  accord  themselves the respect and protocols of   gentlemen  officers  as expected in the  Military Mess  where  such  officers remove  their belts  and braided  hats  to  enjoy  themselves. The origin  of such  impression go  back  to the 1966 coup  as well  as the subsequent  ones. The  political  change  then  was  achieved  by the barrel  of  the gun and the  change  of uniform  from  military  dictatorship to flowing  agbada  and  babanriinga   which  signaled  the  metamorphosis  of military  leadership  to  elective  politics  whereby  the military  class  still  dominate  our  return  to  democratic  politics  then   and even,  till  now.  I think this is foolproof evidence why the presidency cannot take on the former  president. It is a clear case of dog does not eat dog.

In  the case  of disruption of service on the Marina it  is clear  that  the  internet and especially  Whats  App  is  escalating an issue  that  the House  of   Bishops  will  wish  to  just  disappear   to  avoid  the embarrassment  of the charge of bribery  and ethnicity  in the election or is it  translation  of the new  Bishop  of  Lagos. This  time around, like  printing helped Martin  Luther  to fight  the Pope  ages  ago. the internet is  bringing the issue of  the election of the Bishop of Lagos before  the world at  large. Which  simply  means  that  the leadership  of the Nigerian Anglican  Communion  cannot  behave like  the proverbial  ostrich  with  its  head  buried  in the sand.  The world  is watching and the technology  of creative destruction   that ushers in  change  is performing  a duty  that cannot wait  for anybody.  Including  the House  of Bishops.

Lastly  it is my advice  that the Nigerian  security managers  should   take a cue  from  how  Britain  is tackling  religious  terrorism  on its  territory. It is funding development  of software  that will identify  and scuttle  recruitment  of jihadists  on the internet. That  is the way Nigeria should  deploy part or most  of the 1bn  dollars  now  being deployed.  Otherwise  it will  be money  down  the drain  with suicide bombers recruited  on  the internet  laying siege  incessantly  and with impunity  on Maiduguri and its environment   and killing innocent  citizens and our gallant  soldiers.

It  is better  to nip in the bud the strategy  of terrorists online rather  than deploying jets to fight enemies  who  use civilians as human  shield  as the Boko  Haram  has  done  so  spitefully  and bloodily  in our  beleaguered North  East  for so long. Once  again, long live  the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.