Paul Adujie Writings

Global Peace & Security Through Justice And Share Prosperity

2009-10-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

Global Peace & Security Through Justice And Share Prosperity

Written by Paul I. Adujie

Global peace and security through justice, must be seen as an imperative for all of humanity’s common good

Interactions and interconnectedness of today’s world has intensified so much that international cooperation is no longer a matter of morality or a desire to hold hands and sing Kumbaya, singing Kumabaya has become an imperative for global security, and even existential survival of the human race

Increased global interactions and interconnectedness is exemplified by the ever increasing pace of extremism and violence. Extremism driven in part by abject poverty, driven by ignorance, driven by religions, and as well as the parts driven by greed of the sorts which propel narcotics trade with its associated violent brutalities, parts driven by greed, the type which led to the global financial or economic meltdown. And in this digital age of the World Wide Web, there is also the greed which drives spam mail as an international menace to commerce. Greed is equally responsible for overfishing, toxic waste dumping. These sorts of greed have endangered sea lanes with piracy, which in turn burdens international commerce.

And so, what have these things got to do with the price of bread in your little corner of the earth? Everything! The way it works is rather simple. The willingness of some, to overlook or dismiss the suffering and the grinding abject poverty in some parts of the world may lead to social unrest or violence, which in turn, may drive mass migration to your quaint little town, from that unsettled part of Ethiopia or Somalia.

The very fact that those who are capable of preventing the disintegration of nations such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Ethiopia, Somalia, Haiti etc through public policies refuse or neglect to do so. This should concern you and I. The fact that those who should and must find solutions to the Palestine-Israel intractable dispute over land, territories, water etc are the ones who do the most, to inflame the dispute should give you and I, cause for fear. Fear of the clear and present danger of another suicide bombing and another Israeli offensive. Seeming innocuous incidents are quite to morph and multiply, with all the other accelerants which quickly affect the price of crude oil, which is derived mostly from the Persian Gulf. This, which in turn affects the price of worldwide crude which then affect s the price of oranges delivered from Florida to New York and the price of a bunch of broccoli delivered from California to New York where I live. This is reason enough not to ignore the sufferings in distant land, apart from the fact that any human suffering should concern everyone, even if we are unconnected.

What is global security anyway? Why it is your business? Why should you care about Somalia, Sudan, Oil exploration-exploitation pollution, Global Warming, Blood Diamonds etc? Why should anyone care how sausage is made instead of just the mere contentment from eating hotdogs?

I have always been news, and current affairs-junky and I have concerned myself with news and current affairs of a universal blend, since my teenage years, and which now feels like a million years ago! And as a result, I have discovered that there is almost always a direct causal connection or correlation between local incidents and global consequences in reverberations. Note how for instance, a crisis in the Niger Delta of Nigeria creates volatility in world crude oil prices? Also note how quickly, extremists speedily take advantage of vacuums in governmental authority within nations in crises; which is why extremists groundswell have been found in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia etc

Unfortunately, there too many in the world that continue to insist that world peace must be Darwinian war of the jungle in which only the strongest survive or deserve to live. There are those who pretend that world peace and security is none of their business. Clearly, world peace and security is everybody’s business, sooner than later. We are interlaced!

Best business practices which respects the environment and the ecosystem in production processes are best for the entire human race. Upholding human rights, respect for peoples’ rights and insisting on gender equality are not mutually exclusive for economic progress worldwide. Many crises in the world are solvable and even avoidable. All human lives have value and as such should be protected and preserved. Nations should not be allowed to fail.

When nations fail, or are in the verge of failing, we should resort to singing Kumbaya in order to prevent or avert disintegration of any nation or nations. This is because, the life we save is invariably our own. Lives on earth are much more interwoven and intertwined in today’s world.

There are ample instances in recent times, in which, very ordinary and, very nearly innocuous events occurring in far flung locales worldwide, assume urgent and immediacy; immediate consequences and international reverberations. There was this very mundane local incident of Swine-Flu in Mexico, it is, it was, or should be just a matter of local concerns for the municipal, state of federal authorities in the Republic of Mexico. But it was not! It quickly became a worldwide phenomenon and an international health-scare of a pandemic proportion! And even as we proceed into the last months of 2009, there is a harbinger and foreboding in the air, the possibility of resurgence of the Swine-Flu, which originally had its source a few months ago, somehow, Mexicana in origins.

Before the outbreak of Swine-Flu, there was and there still is, a raging violent drug trade of the narcotic variety, between various gangs of narcotics-traders on the one hand, and the Mexican law enforcement agencies and apparatuses battling unyielding winners-takes-all scorched-earth policy violent entanglements. The narcotics dealers are trading in deaths in more ways than one. They ruin lives through the toxins and poisons peddled to the substance addicted, afflicted and twisted by narcotic demons. Too many lives are ruined directly and indirectly through a combination of evils perpetrated by drug dealers and the unsavory deceits of the afflicted. Dealers also engage in another sort of battle, this time, it is the ever present and ever recurring battles with drug-dealing competition, competitors who are trying to get a slice of the blood money in the same neighborhood, and too often, these competitions result in shooting deaths of foot-soldiers, drug kingpins and innocent bystanders. It must be borne in mind that poppy is not grown and harvested in Mexico and the United States. Opium growers, harvested and production is mainly conducted in Afghanistan and Colombia, and yet, the death destruction and affliction which is wrought by narcotics is dire in the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.

The Mexican government, just like any responsible government, has resorted to tackling the drug barons and their foot soldiers retinues of dealers and all who spread the sorrows tears and blood for which narcotics replete with and wrapped in. There has been crossfire between the Mexican law enforcements apparatuses and the various strata of narcotics dealers and all involved in the thriving drugs and gun violence in Mexico. And, this has spilled across the border into the United States. There have been murders inside the United States which were motivated by incidents of drug trades and drug use in Mexico. There have been evidence in abundance, of relationships between gun purchases in the United States and drug trade and unbridled gun violence and gun –drug related warfare in Mexico.

The West African nation of Guinea is reportedly mimicking Mexico in the extent of drug trade, if not in terms of volume, but as a transit point and the extent of corruption of some public officials who are supposed to tackle drug dealers and drug trade. Law enforcement officials in high and low positions have been induced and corrupted in Mexico and the same is the situation in Guinea. There is yet another connection and nexus in all these narcotics trades. The end user of opium, heroin, and other narcotic substances are not in the main, resident in Mexico, Guinea or even Afghanistan. A global connection, global interactions and interconnectedness again come to mind again.

A sneeze in the opium field or coca laboratory in either Afghanistan or Colombia, brings acute colds or, fevers, even pneumonia, tears and blood to the streets of Guinea, Mexico and then, the United States and elsewhere. These are reasons why there should never be reckless refusal, neglect and abandonment of nations in crises. Humanity will be better served in taking active interests in crises anywhere in the world. Never again should we ignore nations facing disintegration and becoming failed states. We should never again ignore nations spiraling into disintegration as Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Somalia etc.

The consequences are clear or should be clear. The world is witnessing the consequences of such nonchalance regarding the sufferings of other humans it is rather glaring, for the human race. These are now consequences which may linger for many years to come. When Somalia spiraled and disintegrated into ceaseless chaos, greedy persons and entities, took to overfishing on Somali waters and around the seas surrounding Somalia. Greedy individuals and entities took to dumping toxic waste, allegedly, into Somalia and her territorial waters. And nature rebels against vacuums, as the failure of the nation state of Somalia, and the attendant disintegration enabled the greedy, to overfish and to dump toxic was on Somali land, the spate of lawlessness also enabled a water borne disease which is also known as “piracy” or brigandage at sea! Catastrophes await humans as consequences of these greedy acts being inflicted now.

Millions of dollars have been paid to Somali pirates in ransom monies or blackmail fees. The cost to international trade or international commerce is yet to be calculated as I write this. But it is suffice to say that the cost is already enormous and tremendous. And all these could have been avoided, if the world did not look the other way, as the nation of Somalia disintegrated and spiraled into lawlessness, because, it was none of our business? But the cost to international commerce is now our business! Looking back, it clearly made eminent sense for the world to have sung Kumbaya together and not refused or neglect to nudge Somalia and other nations like Somalia away from chaos and disintegration which is usually followed by lawlessness from which piracy sprung. Ditto Taliban, Al Queida which are the consequences of allowing Afghanistan to fail post Soviet Union presence and American opposition to the USSR’s presence in Afghanistan. The trillions of dollars squandered in Afghanistan and Iraq wars so far, is sufficient to end and eradicate world poverty and global inequalities. What a waste of resources!

In sharp contrasts, the Swine-Flu outbreak occurred in Mexico earlier this year, Mexico took needful actions, actions which were quickly complemented by the United States, the World Health Organization of the United Nations and in effect, the entire international community was in sync with Mexico and the world may have through such synchronized cooperation, averted a wildfire of global Swine-Flu pandemic, at least, for the time being or in the meantime. And even if Swine-Flu recurs in the latter part of this year, there is already a blueprint of coordination and readiness preparedness from Mexico to China to Nigeria to the United States and in between. All these would be impossible if the world looked askance, and acted as if the Swine-Flu outbreak was a Mexican affair and a local affliction for only Mexico to deal with.

In the new world global village of nanoseconds digital interactions, interrelationships, interconnectedness and speedy travels, diseases, drugs, and collapse or disintegration of nations, now have immediate consequences, be it increased migration, the impact of piracy on international commerce in costs such as human lives, grief and nerves of panic over the unknown. Terrorism finds bastions, succors and harbors in failed or disintegrated nations. Just as loose or lax regulatory environment in one part of the world, may unleash financial meltdown on all of us the world.

In cost-benefit analyses, it is most cost efficient and much more effective to have policies and plans which focuses on the big picture. Quite clearly therefore, it is better to be proactive. The long term costs or price is prohibitive. We must never again, in the face of challenges, allow flux and inactions with consequences or ramifications on global scales. It is most cost efficient and effective to employ holistic approaches to world crises and global human condition. Rather than pretend that global warming for instance, is merely something some nations and not others, should worry about, it should be seen instead, as a shared global concern. All humans should worry about disintegration or failure of states, global warming, drugs or narcotics trade. Global challenges must be tackled by us all, whether it is Swine-Flu in Mexico or anywhere on earth. The rights of Chinese Oigurs to worship, we are all interrelated, even more so, than ever before, in human history! The earth has shrunk metaphorically.

Perhaps a time has come for us all to practice singing Kumbaya in unison as an imperative upon which global existentialism hinges! Global security and peace require a reexamination of justice, freedom and the removals of inequities which will bring about peace and global security.

There is so much abundance in the world for all those who currently inhabit the earth.

True global peace and security will be attained with justice, which demands complete regard for our shared humanity, through shared prosperity.

Somalia Pirates Are Merely Resisting Toxic Nuclear Wastes Dumping And Over Fishing

2009-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Somalia Pirates Are Merely Resisting Toxic Nuclear Wastes Dumping And Over Fishing
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer@gmail.com
New York, United States

Somalis Are Fighting Against Nuclear Toxic Wastes and Over-Fishing on Somali waters.

There is so much money still being made from Somaliland and it is not directly from wars or weapons used in it! And Somalis are not the ones profiting fishing Somali territorial waters.

According to reports, it's estimated that $300 million worth of seafood is stolen from Somali waters altogether every year—a massive amount in any country, but even more so in one with such a depressed economy as Somalia's. Stories told to The New York Times Some local fisherman believe there will be no fishing industry to speak of if the practice goes on unchecked—so over-plundered are the fish populations in Somali waters. There are even higher estimates of $450 million dollars profits for outsiders engaged in overfishing on Somali waters.

Great sums of money are being made by many nations from Somalia even in the midst of wars and endless chaos during the most of the preceding twenty-years, factually, money is being made off of Somali, by peoples outside of Somalia. The sad tragedy of it all is that Somalis are not the ones making monies from their country and surrounding topographies. There is still so much money being made by foreigners in Somalia, nonetheless!

Who in the entire world would think of Somalia, a nation without government for about 20 years and think of profit? Not even the experts in chaos theory! Thinking of Somalia and profit in the same sentence is possible. Fishing trawlers and toxic wastes vessels have been doing just this thing of fathoming egregious profit from the political turmoil and failure of the nation state of Somaliland.

As Somalis squabbles for over two decades, outsiders have profited from sale of weapons to naked exploitation of the chaotic situation and taking benefits through over fishing without tariff or tax and regulations. Toxic wastes dumpers have been doing brisk business amidst and despite the chaos. Toxic wastes dumpers actually have found the chaos idyllic for the unbridled criminality required as necessity for dropping off toxic wastes in the backyards of distressed Somalis… it is the way the world works!

The New York Times on Monday October 19th 2009, reported that Somali pirates seized a Chinese cargo ship Monday with 25 people onboard, the attack occurred early Monday in the Indian Ocean about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) east of the Somali coastline. And it was said to be the farthest afield the pirates had ever struck.

The latest activity by the Somalis reemphasizes the urgency for a solution, a holistic solution to the political vacuum which has made the challenges in Somalia possible. According to The New York Times, “the multimillion-dollar ransoms they share are a fortune in their impoverished and war-ravaged country” It will be recalled that Somalia was always there and piracy was not always present on Somali waters!

A recent article also revealed that “The surprising root of Somali piracy is desperation to which Somalia and Somalis have been left” Somalia have been neglected and left for decades. This conspiracy of neglect by the whole world; and the fact that Somalia is still being ignored, while criminal elements continue to dump toxic nuclear wastes and equally engage in brazen overfishing on Somali waters have culminated in hardships, hopelessness and desperation of which piracy are a natural consequences. Suffering and desperation has reached breaking points in Somalia.

It was editorialized recently in these terms, “When things get bad, people get desperate – and things in Somalia have been really bad for a while. Somali pirates have taken over the Gulf of Aden and as you know, unless you’ve been living under a rock, have been in the news a lot lately for taking international hostages. While some people might opine that these pirates are simply bloodthirsty criminals, the fact is that stark hardships have spurred these people to act for their own survival, at all costs” The New York Times Desperate persons who have nothing to lose, are most dangerous, and that is the present situation in Somalia and the piracy epidemic. Global Security will only be attained through shared prosperity.

Congressman Donald Payne from New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, not long ago, eloquently made a powerful argument; to the effect that America’s national interest dictates action and efforts which will stabilize Somalia. He argues poignantly that there is a connection between the neglect of Somalia as she has descended into instability and chaos, a connection with consequences on shipping lanes with impact on world commerce, as well as the obvious risks of Somalia turning into breeding grounds for criminal elements of the global terrorism types. Somalia has been neglected by western nations, even as these same nations engage in nation building in Afghanistan which has so far consumed more than $500billion dollars. Conversely, Somalia has been neglected and left to her own devices for decades. This is also at the same time period during which the invasion and occupation of Iraq has cost Americans a trillion dollars and counting!

Cause/Effect?
There is a cause and effect connection or relationship between neglect of the very poor human conditions in Somalia. There are very extreme hardships and sufferings which persist in Somalia. There is a connection between the criminal enterprises of toxic wastes dumping and overfishing which is inflicted upon Somalis by other nations. Why is the world’s complaint about Somalia singularly focused on ensuing piracy? What if, instead, we seek the causes of the Somali condition, which have manifested itself into effect and what a surprise? There is surely Cause/Effect?

American and European nations have been dumping toxic waste off the coast of Somalia and illegally fishing in Somali waters; an effective Somali government might. Nobody seem to think, maybe Somalis resent Americans and Europeans for dumping toxic wastes on their lands! Some nations have been cashing in, on Somalis internal crises and instability. While these nations pretend that Somali crises are insoluble.

In a 45-minute interview, Mr. Sugule spoke on everything from what the pirates wanted (“just money”) to why they were doing this (“to stop illegal fishing and dumping in our waters”) to what they had to eat on board (rice, meat, bread, spaghetti, “you know, normal human-being food”).

He said that so far, in the eyes of the world, the pirates had been misunderstood. “We don’t consider ourselves sea bandits,” he said. “We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas. We are simply patrolling our seas. Think of us like a coast guard.”

The pirates who answered the phone call on Tuesday morning said they were speaking by satellite phone from the bridge of the Faina, the Ukrainian cargo ship that was hijacked about 200 miles off the coast of Somalia on Thursday. Several pirates talked but said that only Mr. Sugule was authorized to be quoted. Mr. Sugule acknowledged that they were now surrounded by American warships, but he did not sound afraid. “You only die once,” Mr. Sugule said

The piracy industry started about 10 to 15 years ago, Somali officials said, as a response to illegal fishing. Somalia’s central government imploded in 1991, casting the country into chaos. With no patrols along the shoreline, Somalia’s tuna-rich waters were soon plundered by commercial fishing fleets from around the world. Somali fishermen armed themselves and turned into vigilantes by confronting illegal fishing boats and demanding that they pay a tax

He said that so far, in the eyes of the world, the pirates had been misunderstood. “We don’t consider ourselves sea bandits,” he said. “We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas. We are simply patrolling our seas. Think of us like a coast guard.”

There have been seagoing pirates throughout history -- from plundering Vikings to 17th-century raiders who pillaged Spanish galleons. In recent years, a spate of attacks off the Horn of Africa has shown that piracy can still be highly profitable as well as dangerous.

In Somalia, a country of grinding poverty and internal chaos, the pirate economy is booming. The piracy is an extension of the corrupt, violent free-for-all that has raged on land since the central government imploded in 1991. It has turned the waters into the most dangerous shipping lanes in the world.

The pirates have spread themselves across thousands of square miles of water, from the Gulf of Aden, at the narrow doorway to the Red Sea, to the Kenyan border along the Indian Ocean.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/piracy_at_sea/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier

Thousands of Somalis once made their living as fishermen. But Somalia has been without a central government for nearly two decades—so there’s no active body that’s able to effectively protect the country’s rights to its coastline, and the once-abundant supply of fish it held. So now, due to the willingness of foreigners to exploit fisheries off Somalia’s coast, and the lack of a governing body to stave them off, many of these fishermen are finding their nets empty.

And without the ability to bring home even a sufficient amount of fish to eat, many of these fisherman justifiably grow desperate. But even from here, it’s not a simple jump to pirating. Initially, many of the now-termed “pirates” were vigilante patrol squads, steering their boats to fishing vessels they found illegally snagging seafood or dumping toxic waste in Somali waters. After this proved ineffective, something closer to organized piracy developed.

Read more about one Somali pirate’s account of the motivation to hijack ships and take hostages at The New York Times.

Beyond overfishing, there’s another major problem for Somalis: the dumping of radioactive waste into the country’s coastal waters. Since the collapse of Somalia’s government in 1991, Western governments and corporations have taken full advantage of the lack of oversight and used the country as a dumping ground. The secret was uncovered after the 2004 tsunami, but has barely received coverage in the media. Some people even claim that some of the pirates are eco-warriors, working to clean up the mess.

So, what does it all come down to? Greed. Power. Lack of concern for other human beings – on all sides. The ugliest facets of human nature. Somali pirates can’t be let off the hook for their actions because of the injustice they’ve been through, but they aren’t all the evil killers that so many people make them out to be.

Somalis have grabbed international headlines because they hijacked ship is carrying a large cache of weapons. Somalis do not in fact see themselves as pirates. "We don't consider ourselves sea bandits," said the pirates' spokesperson. "We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas.

The New York Times, The Independent
http://www.grist.org/article/ArrrFishin/
Under Reported News Stories on Leonard Lopate Show at WWW.WNYC.Org

Overfishing is a global disaster
According to a 2008 UN report, the world's fishing fleets are losing $50 billion USD each year through depleted stocks and poor fisheries management. The report, produced jointly by the World Bank and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), asserts that half the world's fishing fleet could be scrapped with no change in catch. In addition, the biomass of global fish stocks have been allowed to run down to the point where it is no longer possible to catch the amount of fish that could be caught.[5] Increased incidence of schistosomiasis in Africa has been linked to declines of fish species that eat the snails carrying the disease-causing parasites.[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfishing

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Over three quarters of our planet are covered by the oceans. Their biodiversity is unmatched and they contain over 80 percent of all life on earth, mostly unexplored. Millions of people worldwide are depending on the oceans for their daily livelihoods. More and more all this is endangered because of ignorance and a global lack of management.
Overfishing.org is an independent source of information on the
http://overfishing.org/ Overfishing

Pirates involved in the high-profile hijacking of an arms shipment off the coast of Somalia said recently that they were driven to piracy by overfishing. In 1991, the country's government collapsed and patrols that had guarded against international plunder of Somalia's tuna-rich waters suddenly stopped. Commercial fishers from around the world rushed in and decimated the area's once abundant fish population. Angry Somali fishers then took up arms and starting confronting illegal fishing boats

Overfishing Not Fishermen’s Fault, Say ‘Deadliest Catch’ Seamen
UK Fishermen Dump Catch Overboard to Make More Money
3 Reports Don’t Lie: Ocean Fish Rapidly in Decline
End of the Line: We’ll be Out of Fish by 2050
Fisherman Returning to Use of Sails as Fuel Costs Rise

The Guardian
• State Horse Councils' Lobby for Horse-Slaughter!
• Get SHARKWATER to Malta
• Somalia impoverished need help to restore fish stocks.

Powered by Social Actions
Written by Stephanie Rogers • Filed Under Environment
Tagged: Oceans, Overfishing, Pirates, Pollution, Radioactivity

• Somalia impoverished need help to restore fish stocks.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfishing#Instances_of_overfishing
• http://community.oceana.org/blog-freetags/african-overfishing
•
• Somali Pirates And Over-Fishing
• Posted by Big Gav in fishing, piracy, Somalia
• The Independent has a report on the standoff offshore Somalia between a group of irate (who blame over-fishing for their having to resort to harvesting other forms of wealth from the sea) and the US and Russian navies - Cold War stand-off over pirates' weapons ship. Chatham House is speculating piracy may drive shipping away from the red Sea, increasing the price of oil and other goods in Europe and North America.

• Russia has dispatched a frigate to the scene of an increasingly tense stand-off between the US Navy and pirates who have seized a tanker laden with tanks and weapons in the Indian Ocean off Somalia.

• Pirates, many operating out of former fishing ports, are deploying increasingly sophisticated methods, including high speed launches, GPS trackers, and satellite communications, to target shipping.

• The London-based think-tank Chatham House says piracy could see shipping forced away from the Gulf and into the longer route to Europe and North America, producing a drastic effect on oil and commodities prices. This is a clear warning of more dire consequences to come, consequences with global impact. It has become more and more, in the world’s best interests find peace, security and prosperity for Somalia.

• http://peakenergy.blogspot.com/2008/10/somali-pirates-and-over-fishing.html

• BM Opinion: Somali piracy reflects destruction of marine life, not religion

• The London-based think-tank Chatham House says piracy could see shipping forced away from the Gulf and into the longer route to Europe and North America, producing a drastic effect on oil and commodities prices.

• The path towards a constructive policy is most threatened by certain pundits who utilize the supposed links between the pirates and Al Qaeda to advance their twisted political agenda of demonizing every person of the Muslim faith and the religion itself.

• Piracy in Somalia is not inspired by Islam, but by illegal foreign acquisition and destruction of East Africa’s marine resources. Having driven the blue-fin tuna into near extinction in the Atlantic Ocean, more European trawlers have moved into the Indian Ocean to take advantage of the abundant yellow-fin tuna population. According to Somali fishermen, the poachers not only engage in destructive overfishing, but also employ vicious measures against local communities that protest the depletion of their resources.

•
• According to the Kenyan analyst Mohamed Abshir Waldo, there have been many instances of European pirates attacking local demonstrators by pouring “boiling water on them and even shooting at them, running over their canoes and fishing boats.” Waldo continues to argue that roughly $450 million worth of fish have been forcibly extracted from the Somali people. Those are not merely profits taken from the Somali people, but foodstuffs that are critical to the basic survival of the impoverished nation.

Research by Sadia Aden, President of the Somalia Diaspora Network, revealed that 3.5 million Somalis currently face starvation. In March 2009, the UN humanitarian agency estimated that only 2.8 million Somalis receive food aid. This still leaves hundreds of thousands without access to even the most inadequate food aid. The overfishing has directly incentivized young starving men to pursue the lucrative business of piracy.

The atrocities do not stop at the theft of Somali livelihoods, but is exacerbated by the indiscriminate attack on the health of the coastal communities. The 2004 Tsunami brought to surface the extent of the abuses by irresponsible foreign corporations. Twenty years of toxic medical, industrial, chemical and radioactive waste began washing ashore following the great natural disaster. European corporations had taken advantage of the chaos in Somalia by dumping waste off its shores for one hundredth the cost of proper disposal of such content in Europe. As a result of these selfish cost-cutting measures, coastal communities are now forced to bear the burdens of respiratory and skin infections, mouth ulcers and bleeding, and abdominal hemorrhages. When pirates hijacked the Ukrainian freighter in September of 2008, they claimed that ransom money will be spent to clean up “the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country.”

Under these conditions the Somali pirates act with a certain degree of respect from the Somalis of whom 70% support their actions as a form of national defense.

A potential solution must secure both immediate reparations and a strategy to combat overfishing. This requires world governments to decommission excess fishing boats that are destroying the marine resources all around the world. The consequence of inaction will be catastrophic. The disaffection of the Somalis will be echoed from Senegal to the Philippines where thousands of fishing communities rest on the verge of certain doom under present abuse. These communities also happen to be overwhelmingly Muslim.

To direct policy solely through this narrow fact ignores the basic human instinct and right to survive. The vulgarity of terrorism lies in its one-dimensional outlook towards perceived opponents. We would be damned to use the same narrow view to judge anyone.

http://bikyamasr.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/bm-opinion-somali-piracy-reflects-destruction-of-marine-life-not-religion/

• From tuna in the Med, the plunder of the Pacific and the devastated cod stocks in the Baltic - find out about our latest work against overfishing.
Fisheries collapse

The over-exploitation and mismanagement of fisheries has already led to some spectacular fisheries collapses. The cod fishery off Newfoundland, Canada collapsed in 1992, leading to the loss of some 40,000 jobs in the industry. The cod stocks in the North Sea and Baltic Sea are now heading the same way and are close to complete collapse.

Pirates and Fishermen « Conscripted Consumers said 28/08/2009 at 3:31 pm

An interesting take on the Piracy epidemic off Somalia « alicia.harley’s Blog

This entry was posted on 08/08/2009 at 12:25 pm and is filed under Opinion. Tagged: Islam, Marine Life, Overfishing, Piracy, Somalia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0

Overfishing Waste Dumping Drove Somalis to Piracy

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/world/africa/01pirates.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=world&pagewanted=print

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=overfishing+in+somalia&aq=f&aqi=&aq=0&aqi=g1&oq=overfishing+in+Somal&fp=2755c6b3e9b2e9

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/p/piracy_at_sea/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier

Somalia Pirates Capture Tanks and Global Notice
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/world/africa/27pirates.html?ref=weekinreview

How Overfishing Almost Got Capt. Phillips Killed by Pirates
More on Overfishing and Piracy:
Pacific Tuna Overfishing to be Addressed in Panama City

Overfishing Update: Endangered Atlantic Bluefin on the Menu

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/overfishing-pirates-phillips-somali.php

Are some, or most, of the Somali Pirates acting to protect themselves from the dumping of nuclear waste and over-fishing of their seafood?

http://www.opednews.com/populum/diarypage.php?did=12854
Overfishing African Waters
Somali Pirates Tell Their Side

An interesting NY Times piece
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Somalia isn’t just a nagging geopolitical headache that won’t go away. It is also a cautionary tale. Few countries in modern history have been governmentless for so long, and as the United States has learned, it would be nice to think you could ignore this wild, thirsty, mostly nomadic nation 7,000 miles away. But you can’t.

Somali Pirates Seize Chinese Ship October 19, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/weekinreview/18gettleman.html?sq=rebranding%20America&st=cse&scp=7&pagewanted=print

The Greepeace International Campaigns Against Overfishing
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/overfishing

The above represent an assemblage a collage and combination of series of feature articles and a conglomeration of detail reporting on the worsening human catastrophes in Somalia. These sources have been referenced and excerpted to establish the dire situation in Somalia with incontrovertible evidences.

Clearly, there are interconnections, and we see the interwoven nature and the direct relationship between failed state Somalia and the enabling environment for those, who use Somalia, as toxic wastes dumping sites and, and those who exploit Somalia with overfishing. Hence there appears no incentive to stop Somalia from continuing hemorrhage

Then, the resulting piracy etc only, merely as a consequence of willful neglect of Somalia by the entire world. Somalia Pirates Are Actually Somalis Resisting Toxic Wastes Dumping And Over Fishing on Somalia’s territorial waters! Experts have estimated that $450 million dollars profit for outsiders yearly. Somalia’s crises, instability and insecurity, is goldmine for some. World Peace, global peace and security will remain elusive, until and unless higher value is put on every life on earth and prosperity is shared. That will bring justice, security and peace.

Rufai and Ribadu Denied Passport Renewals & The Devil’s Advocate Argues Both Sides

2009-10-13T12:07:00.001-07:00

Rufai and Ribadu Denied Passport Renewals & The Devil’s Advocate Argues Both Sides
Written by Paul I. Adujie

The renewals of passports palaver or tussles between the federal government of Nigeria on the one hand. And, the former Federal Capital Territory Minister, FCT, Mallam Nasiru El Rufai, and the former Chairperson of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on the other, two prominent Nigerian citizens who were summarily denied passport renewals. These are matters of competition between the rights of citizens and the corresponding duties and obligations of citizenship. Many questions are raised.

Should a citizen disregard the constitution and laws of his country, while at the same time seeking rights and protections under such constitution and laws? Should the government of any country, literally, sponsor or facilitate efforts by her citizens who have campaigned and remain intent, on continuing to campaign against the government? Has the government of Nigeria the power to withhold passport renewals? Is the issuance of passport mandatory or discretionary? Could the government exercise such discretion against any citizen, and in particular, a citizen defendant, accused of wrongdoing, with charges pending? Can a citizen defendant rely and sufficiently, satisfactorily defend against criminal allegations, by merely asserting that such charges are false or that she would in any case, not receive a fair trial within an independent judiciary?

Nasiru El Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu need no introduction to anyone on earth. These gentlemen have during the preceding ten years have played prominent and high profile roles in the governance of Nigeria. But the current administration in Nigeria, has accused these gentlemen of running afoul of Nigerian laws and rules; these accusations have not been proven. Messrs Rufai and Ribadu are of course innocent until they are proven guilty. Guilt or innocence requires that a precondition be satisfied. Accused persons must have their day in court. And presently, Messrs Rufai and Ribadu are the only ones depriving themselves this day, in court. In the circumstances, the government of Nigeria is entitled to exercise her discretion against the renewals of the said passports. It might added, that such exercise of discretion, may not be arbitrary. It must be remembered and borne in mind that these pending allegations and accusations by government against Messrs Rufai and Ribadu, were pending for quite a while, before the renewals of their passports became issues. Hence the government can legitimately defend its renewal denials, until the gentlemen present themselves to hear the charges against them.

Messrs Rufai and Ribadu are understandably and arguably squeamish and skittish about their prospects for a fair trial. It is public knowledge by now, that there is no love lost between the current federal government of Nigeria and Rufai and Ribadu, former power brokers, high rollers of Nigeria’s former federal administration, an administration of which the current government is actually an offshoot.

The passport palaver being faced by Rufai and Ribadu are at once fundamental and as well, quite simple. The federal government of Nigeria has no right, but perhaps, only the power, under our constitution, to deny a bona fide citizen of Nigeria freedom of movement and ingress and egress from Nigeria. The possession of a Nigerian passport, as such, facilitates ingress and egress; this however can be denied, under certain circumstances. There are, exigent circumstances, during and upon which, any government, including the government of Nigeria, may legitimately deny a citizen certain basic rights. Such as the fact that Messrs Rufai and Ribadu, are facing charges which were leveled against them by the current Nigerian government. It is public knowledge that the government of Nigeria has accused Rufai and Ribadu of crimes and these gentlemen now have the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads; and it is incumbent upon them to ensure that they have their day in court, to establish their own innocence and clear their names of all allegations.

Rufai and Ribadu cannot have it both ways. They cannot refuse or neglect to answer the allegations which have been leveled against them. They cannot be waging a media blitz in various world capitals against the government of Nigeria, and at the same time, demand that the government of Nigeria, grant them travel documents, to in effect, facilitate their campaign against the same government itself. It should be clear to all, that the government of Nigeria has the right to engage in self-preservation and as such, have exercised the only power and option available to it, to compel Rufai and Ribadu to come to Nigeria to answer charges against them or Nigerian government would not enable their campaign.

Mallam Rufai and Ribadu, as it stands now, are fugitive from the law, as far the current government of Nigeria is concerned. The Nigerian government may have felt deeply affronted, by Rufai and Ribadu. In fact, the government has accused both gentlemen of engaging in campaigns of calumnies against it.

Rufai and Ribadu, it should be understood, are fugitives from Nigerian law, at least, as far as the government of Nigeria is concerned and as such, may not ask and receive discretionary services from it. And as a result, the current government of Nigeria can argue, and rightly so, that she is not obligated to provide discretionary services, a social amenity, which is not a fundamental right, to those fleeing from the laws and due process in Nigeria. They can seek political asylum from governments in countries where they have been well received. The issuance or renewal of passports is not a matter of life or death, particularly, where fugitives from the law are concerned.

Let me be clear, that I quite understand that Rufai and Ribadu think the accusations against them unfounded and that their passport palaver, unfair interference in their citizenship rights to travel. But what would any government do, faced with identical or similar circumstances? Are there any historical precedents? Must any government facilitate the movements of persons waging a worldwide campaign against it by providing travel documents to individuals who are engaged in vigorous campaigns against the very survival of the same government! Meanwhile, the government argues in addition, that these individuals have clouds of unresolved allegations over their heads? Would the current Nigerian be able to deny Rufai and Ribadu renewal of their passports, if and when they clear their names of all charges? The American government denied and cancelled passport for the famous African American lawyer, actor, opera singer etc, his passport and rights to travel outside of the United States, (unfairly so) for more than eight years and the matter was litigated, and finally resolved. See links.

There are really no solid constitutional arguments that can be made on Messrs Rufai and Ribadu’s behalves. Supporters of Messrs Rufai and Ribadu have averred that the case of Director, SSS v. Olisa Agbakoba (1999) 6 NWLR (PT 595) 314 applies, but this case actually has limited application and significance to the case at hand. The rationale of the of Rufai and Ribadu supporters is in hinged on freedom of movement, and this can of course be distinguished from the present facts and circumstances. In Olisa Agbakoba supra, The Supreme Court held inter alia:

“It is not in dispute that the Constitution gives to the Nigerian citizen the right to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof. It also guarantees to the citizen the right not to be expelled from Nigeria nor be refused entry thereto or exit therefrom. Section 38(1) of the Constitution provides:

‘38(1). Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigerian and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto or exit therefrom’

“It is matter of common knowledge that for a Nigeria to travel out of Nigeria to another country he must first hold or possess a valid passport issued by the Government of Nigeria. See: Section 4(1) of the Immigration Act, Cap 171 LFN 1990 and the definition of the word ‘passport’ in Section 51 thereof. Without this document, he cannot leave Nigeria or be admitted to another country. It follows, therefore, that without a passport a citizen of Nigeria cannot exercise the right guaranteed him by the Constitution, of egress from Nigeria. Can it, then, be said that the right to hold a passport is not one guaranteed by the Constitution? That is a question that calls for determination in this appeal.”

But I think that these supporters and petitioners miss the legal points. Every citizen has right to ingress and egress and every citizen inalienable rights not to have her rights and freedom of movements constrained or constricted, but we may not liberally apply these sections to citizens who are deemed to be fugitives from the law. Accused persons or defendants who have refused and neglected to answer criminal charges of fraud, and who are therefore declared persona non grata, declared wanted as fugitive from the law, may argue their rights to travel documents have been abridged or denied. This is not just parsing words or a matter of semantics or polemical argumentation.

The government may rightly refuse to oblige a citizen certain rights as when such a citizen face legal encumbrances. The government of Nigeria, can for instance deny the right to travel and confiscate travel documents belonging to James Onanefe Ibori, Lucky Igbinedion, Kalu Orji and Joshua Chibi Dariye, because of sundry allegations of corruption against them. The government can anchor such denials of travel to documents on the fact that there is a flight-risk by each and every of them, in bids to escape trial and justice in Nigeria. In fact, it is inappropriate, for these men to interact with President Umaru Yar'Adua, visiting the presidential villa or traveling with him, while charges are pending against them. After all, justice should be done and also be seen to be done. All appearance of conflicts of interests and collusion should be avoided

It is our belief that the government of Nigeria may have valuable arguments, in defense of its current action against Rufai and Ribadu. And such argument can be anchored on the neglect and refusal by both gentlemen to appear in Nigerian courts, in person, or through lawyers, to defend the allegations made against them by the current government. A neglect and refusal to defend could result in default judgment and even sentencing in absentia. Hopefully, the Nigerian government would not go this route.

We do not accept the allegations by government, against Rufai and Ribadu as foolproof and sacrosanct. Rufai and Ribadu must seek a fair trial, and have their day in court. Or shall we, must we, take Messrs Rufai, Ribadu’s words for it that they are squeaky and pristinely clean and free of all the charges against them? Must we take their words for it, that there is a lynch mob and kangaroo court awaiting them in Nigeria and that no fair trial can be had in the Nigerian judicial system? We would be setting a terribly disastrous precedent, if we argue that it is appropriate for any Nigerian to completely disregard charges and court processes.

We agree that the government of Nigeria cannot strip Rufai and Ribadu of Nigerian citizenship, but these gentlemen would have to defend the charges against them and they should be seen as respecting Nigerian constitution, laws, and rules, while seeking legal redress for their human and basic rights under our constitution, laws and rules.

Paul Robeson Passport Ban or Cancellation by the American Government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson#Passport_ban

W.E.B DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King had passport problems as they were accused of being engaged or involved in “un-American activities

Minister Andoakaa SAN, AGF, Nigeria’s Public Enemy Number One! http://nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/main-square/36809-minister-andoakaa-san-agf-nigeria-s-public-enemy-number-one.html

Nigeria Is Almost 50: A Re-Examination of Duties and Obligations of Citizenship http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/paul-adujie/nigeria-is-almost-50-re-examination-of-duty-and-obligations-of-citizenship/pdf.html

Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined NOW
Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=+Nigerian+Citizenship+Should+be+redefined+Adujie&aq=f&aqi=&aq=&aqi=&aq=&aqi=&aq=&aqi=&aq=&aqi=&oq=+Nigerian+Citizenship+Should+be+redefined+Adujie&fp=2755c6b3e9b2e9

Afghanistan Though Ragtag Keeps Humbling Superpowers

2009-10-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

Afghanistan Though Ragtag Keeps Humbling Superpowers
Written Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

The presence of Western nations in Afghanistan is not about Afghans or Afghanistan.

It is all about the strategic geographical location which Afghanistan is. It is about a trade route. It is about Afghanistan a is hemispheric strategic route placement in the heart of Asia and Asia Minor. It is a window into the Middle East, China, Russia, Iran, India, and Pakistan. It is all about tussles and positioning for the superpowers.

Western nations are merely in a balance of power struggle with Russia and China. Western nations in these effort, is led by the United States and through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, is seeking to maintain a strategic advantage over Russia and more recently, China. Strategic advantages which includes oil and natural gas pipelines, sea lanes, which in turn confer tangible and intangible advantages in several ways. There is military advantage through the occupation of Afghanistan, and then, many more can be accomplished by western nations through their mere presence there.

It is not about vaunted elimination, decimation and liquidation of Al Qaeda Taliban etc or liberation and uplift for gender equality for oppressed Afghan women. It is not about infrastructure building for Afghans! American –NATO forays into Afghanistan is not about nation building; and, further, it must also be realized and stated that, NATO’s forays into Afghanistan, is neither about free and fair elections, politically independent and sovereign Afghanistan for its own sake. Not very many people are deceived by the public grandstanding over Afghan elections and the vigorous public doubt of President Hamid Karzai, the defacto client of US and allies.

President Karzai seem asserting himself more, as he has become more and more confident, pragmatic and independent of his American handlers. Perhaps upon his realization that western nations have no altruistic interest in Afghanistan. There is a discernable distance between American government and her Afghan counterpart. Certain pronouncements and actions by the United States about the insurgency, the much talked about election impasse, have helped to complicate Afghan-American relations. It is as if there are efforts to undermine Hamid Karzai as a product credible democracy and credible elections without legitimacy questions. The recent departure by a high-ranking with the United Nations Afghan efforts is indicative of these persisting frictions within Afghanistan. There have been recent talks by Washington, in which there will be some sorts of power-sharing with elements in the Taliban insurgent groups. It is all about how Afghanistan can be exploited and used for the benefit of Western nations in the completion with all others. Will the Americans and NATO do deals with the devil in order to reach certain outcomes? Are western nations about humanize the Taliban by removing Taliban’s devil toga? It is the case that Western nations are fixated at their self-interests and as a consequence of such an attitude, the end, justifies the means.

Superpowers have been and remain disdainful of Afghans nationalism. Afghanistan has never been colonized in the pure sense of colonialism. Every empire which sought to colonize Afghanistan has met her Waterloo in the hands of Afghans. The presence of superpowers in Afghanistan is imperialistic and no favors to Afghans and Afghans know.

Western nations have equally become very disdainful of Pakistanis nationalism, which complicated the role of proxy insurgent fighter, on behalf of westerners. And the recent hostage crisis at high profile Pakistani military installation and the increased spate of suicide bombing in Pakistan, may eventually push Pakistan into an extreme spectrum. Meanwhile, the insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan remain intricately interwoven and interconnected.

Too much blood sweat and treasure have been squandered by superpowers in the forays into Afghanistan. In 1979 the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the USSR entered Afghanistan and the United States was stridently critical and vociferous in criticizing the Soviets. The United States engaged proxies in efforts of to frustrate the Soviets out of Afghanistan. The US entered into multiple expediencies of marriages of convenience with the dictatorship of General Zia Ul Haq who was at that time Pakistan political tyrant.
The US in even more desperate efforts against the soviets employed the services of a clerical group, named the so-called “Holy Warriors” The Mujahideen. President Ronald Reagan celebrated The Mujahideen of which the Taliban are off-shoot, as freedom fighters! Ronald Reagan was of course a literal and metaphorical cowboy-president. And through domestic and foreign policies, cantankerous and combative cowboy attitude was discernable from ten thousand miles.

The late Ronald Reagan was notorious as a war mongering president and he engaged in imperialistic competitions of the most vicious types. And so, America was directly and through proxies, fighting wars in Afghanistan, Angola, Iran, Beirut, Nicaragua, Grenada, Honduras and Colombia etc. Since then, the Holy Warring Mujahideen has metastasized into hydra-headed anti American war machine. It is now ever expanding and morphing insurgencies. This anti American battle-tested war machine is alternately Taliban, and some others, in lose arrangements with their symbiotic cousin conglomerate Al Qaeda. This war machine remains elusively dangerous and experienced. Ronald Reagan’s Holy Warriors or Mujahideen has since become festooned with all the unintended consequences! The chickens have come home to roost. And shortsighted policies guided by selfish expediencies have become unpalatable in various ways.

The Ottoman Turks Empire, the British Empire, the Russian Empire have all be humbled and even humiliated by the sturdy warriors of Afghanistan during the preceding 100 years. The American Empire seem to be next in line, for defeat, trouncing and eventual humiliations.

America’s power is constrained. Constrained by wars and depleting resources and this is mostly because America had in recent years overreached and overplayed her hand militarily globally and that, coupled with the current worldwide economic meltdown which in fact, sprouted and germinated in America and was spread to the entire world

There seem a waning of interests and a stomach among the American public for more squander of blood and treasure into an open-ended war in Afghanistan. The American public is veering out of favor with the war against the Taliban. A war which is getting bloodier and more costly in terms of deaths of American troops, as well as increasing financial drain and strain on the American economy, particularly so, as unemployment has reached ten percent and the economy and domestic policies have become more pressing and urgent for the average American.

The public and even the presidency seem divided and torn between upping the ante, through the commitment of more troops and other resources into the Afghan war. Arguably with the hope of some sorts of victory, however defined? Or, with an eye to redefined mission and what is in fact, victory in Afghanistan is or will become. The United States may henceforth, withdraw from Afghanistan in measured and staggered manner. A precipitous troop withdrawal is not seen or forecast. But an abbreviated presence and departure has become an attractive alternative, in view of the ambivalence arising from an ill defined victory and or exit strategy. And fiscal realities and war fatigue are factors now pressuring the presidency. President Obama as candidate advocated the Afghanistan war as the just war, the right war. President Obama has been in announced national security meeting with his “War Council” for an extended period of time now, will he commit more troop or will he “cut and run” as some may interpret an abrupt or sudden decline of troops?

President Obama is apparently in a bind. As the test now become whether the president would and should be faithful to his forceful campaign rhetoric? His Afghan war prescriptions were very convincing to the American public, only less than a year ago. Or should Mr. Obama follow the route of realpolitik, while redefining the war and declare victory, thereby, stopping the American hemorrhage, physical and fiscal? More and more American troops have been killed in the past couple of months. And the American troops commander General McChrystal, has, in General McArthur-like manner, let it be known publicly, that he needed additional 40,000 troops. Will President Obama refuse or neglect this request for additional personnel and materiel?

Can President Obama win a public spat with General Stanley A. McChrystal and his supporters, in these matters of the general’s requests for additional troops and materiel? Can Mr. Obama afford appearing as if he is getting in the way of the general, by denying him the resources he says he needs to complete the assignment given to him by a commander-in-chief, who now says no, to the general’s needs?

Can President Obama afford to disregard requests by military commanders on the ground and in the theatre of war? Can Mr. Obama do that and be seen as departing from his campaign points and promises, while undermining any victory as is already argued by some? Should President Obama redefine and the war and declare victory? Could it be more advantageous for President Obama to argue, that it is more cost efficient and cost effective to fight the so-called war on terrorism, through the heightened defense of the American homeland? A policy which focuses on guarding and securing the homeland, through which the over-extended and over-stretched American military can have some respite?

Thousands of Americans troops have been deployed to multiple duty tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, during the preceding eight years. Too many Americans have been killed, maimed and disfigured in these two wars which remain open-ended in all practical sense. America is also blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan and this have not made managing these wars any easier the governments of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan respectively. The local populations in these countries are restive and remain deeply suspicious of Americans and their western nations, suspicions, borne out past experiences.

Is America ready for a woeful defeat in Afghanistan, just as other empires before America were humiliated in Afghanistan? Is America in the alternative ready to commit troops and resources endlessly and bankrupt America, without discernable benefits? Is President Obama willing to allow his action or inaction or a combination of both, make Afghanistan into his Vietnam?

As some are already seeing a harbinger of Vietnam-like debacle and quagmire? Afghan will remain unconquered by any empires as America is constrained militarily and economically?

Environmental Racism: Smuggling Europe’s Toxic Wastes & Dumping Them on Africa Other Poor Countries

2009-10-08T18:02:00.001-07:00

Environmental Racism: Smuggling Europe’s Toxic Wastes & Dumping Them on Africa Other Poor Countries
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

Toxic wastes and other wastes, which are not biodegradable, are being dumped in Nigeria, African nations and other poor countries of the world. This is insidious and vile!

Why won’t western nations leave Africans alone? First it was slavery, then colonialism, and now? It is environmental racism! Have you heard the news? Environmental racism against Africans is on the upsurge. It is calculatingly malevolent!

Westerners know that toxic wastes are disasters waiting to explode. It is this realization of the magnitude of risks, which have led to stringent regulation and control of hazard materials industrial societies. There is therefore a correlation between the fear and trepidation of atomic, nuclear and biohazard materials by industrial nations, and these opprobrious efforts to “conveniently” dump these dangerous toxic wastes upon unsuspecting Africans and the poor of the world. Many questions therefore arise. Why the desire to dump toxic wastes on Africa? Why would anyone dump toxic wastes on a people? And what immediate and long term consequences may ensue for the Africans and poor of the world?

In Nigeria, in the Ivory Coast, Somalia etc; toxic wastes have been dumped in the recent past. And as a matter of fact, the Ivorian incident became a major legal battle in Europe and in Ivory Coast. Now, according to new reports, there is quickening of pace, in the use of poor nations as dumping grounds for toxic unwanted garbage generated by Western nations. According to ELISABETH ROSENTHAL features published in The New York Times recently, wastes dumping by rich western nations, into poor countries have become pervasive, all permeating and intractable.

Elisabeth Rosenthal catalogued the horror stories of those, who have become victims of these mostly subterranean; mostly illegal, garbage dumping upon poor nations. Dumping of toxic wastes and garbage through methods which are shrouded, sheathed elaborately, calculated to deceive even, the most savvy of nations. These deceitful channels are so replete with evil intents, imbued with complexly intricate cover-ups. The webs of those who are now dumping toxic wastes are said to be extensive in Europe and North America. They are said to routinely engage in these unconscionable illegal actions for short term gains, all at the expense of fellow human beings on the African continent. This practice of finding profit while causing misery to Africans should be condemned by all. Those who derive financial rewards, in the unconscionable dumping of toxic waste upon poor nations of the world, ought and must be sought out, and punished to the fullest extent of all national and international laws.

History is repeating itself, all over again? If past is prologue, I can only imagine that a hundred years from now, the consequences of the devastations which are being buried or dumped upon our soils now. I can imagine the deaths, and devastations, the maiming and mutations which will then arise, and as is usual these days, 100 years hence, there will be those who will blame Africans for such future disasters, now in the making, disasters which are now being planted, and incubated, once again, by very nice people in Western nations.

In the early 1980s, Sunday Moses in Koko Village in Warri who accepted toxic waste ignorantly, from an Italian company upon payment of some pittance as fees, he soon died of natural causes or exposures to the wastes. We may never know the short and long term consequences of such incidents
Nigeria just like many of the 53 nations on the continent of African do not have hazard management equipment and necessary expertise to deal with a Three-Mile Island, Love Canal and or Chernobyl type toxic chemical disasters. Africa is in essence being set up for doomsday reminiscent of “The Day After” and this is the time to nip this brewing catastrophe in the bud!
This is a continuing strand of connective tissues in the treatment of Africans and peoples of African descent. The smuggling of toxic was is the latest and newest in the barrages of egregious behaviors which have often been directed at Africans and peoples of African descent perennially, by those, who do not see as fellow human beings. They take comfort in devaluing our humanity, and then, proceed to foist upon us, continental Africans and peoples of African descent, such horrors as the depravity of slave trade and slavery. And such complete disregard for our human rights, freedoms, independence, liberty and sovereignty, as they imposed colonialism and imperialism. The newest evil, in these onslaughts of evils and wickedness, is, environmental racism.
Raise alarm. All those with human decency ought to raise alarm at this new expression of evil and outright wickedness which is once again directed at Africans. The immediate and long term implications of toxic waste dumping on the continent can only be measured in terms of 900 million lives of the person on the African continent. In essence, these will be million in human catastrophes, when, and not if, the dams break the dams of toxic wastes which are now being constructed by environmental racists in their conglomerations.
Clearly, it must be said here, and pointedly so, that, there are those in this world who are obviously glad to see Africans as the weakest link in the human chain. There are those, whose manipulations and interference ensures the fragilities of continental Africans. This is why a destabilized Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Congo, would provide ample opportunity for toxic waste dumpers. It is clear, even with a mere cursory look-over that, manipulations, interferences and direct interventions by outsiders, has combined to wrought havoc upon Africans. And further, those who are complicit in these havocs, are quick to then take advantage of resources.
There clearly, are causal connections and links, between internecine crises and control of resources by outsiders, outsiders, who too frequently, act as arms and ammunition suppliers, while doubling as gold and diamond miners; and as well as oil, uranium, copper and bauxite prospectors etc. In the particular case of Somalia, over fishing and dumping of wastes in Somalia have become the signature emblem or landmark of the disintegration of that East African nation. Illegal mining and harvesting have become the driving force in many crises, on the African continent. And this is how the phenomenon known as Blood Diamonds, came into worldwide public consciousness. As Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Congo etc were embroiled in internecine crises, malevolently shrewd financial mercenaries, fueled these crises with weapons smuggled and supplied to the locals, by those with vested interests in goldmines, diamond-mines, oil wells and other raw materials with which the palms of the west is constantly lubricated.
African plights and predicaments are frequently multiplied by those outsiders, who persistently devalue African humanity, through the incessant and relentless ravaging of Africa and Africans! First there was slavery, then, colonialism and now, environmental racism. Africa and Africans are having to constantly dissipating energies in wasted efforts to dig-out and extricate from deep holes, to which Africa and Africans are constantly thrown. It is therefore no surprise at all, that there are hardly any energies and resources left for development of the African continent. Africa was deprived of her human capital through slavery. Africa was then deprived of her economic, political, cultural, linguistic and structural development, through the complete usurpation by colonizers, who imposed alien languages, culture, religion and political systems etc, without regard to local conditions and systems in Africa.
Why won’t they leave Africa alone? The viciousness towards Africa is beyond compare, and history is my witness. Africans have been bearing the brunt of the world’s prosperity, or what would anyone call slave-labor, compelled and free, for the benefit of productive ventures of slave traders and slave-owners in pre-industrial America and Europe? What would anyone call the exploitation of colonized peoples and nations, deprived of raw materials, for the factories in the nations of colonizers? And now, what would you call environmental racism? Soon enough, when the dire consequences toxic wastes dump will be upon Africa and the poor, there would be those usual revisionists, who would seek to blame Africans for toxic wastes predicaments… predicaments which are now being foisted on Africa
There is prosperity in parts of the world, prosperity, initiated, or created with African blood, tears and sweats, in which the African is not called to participate; prosperity in which, in the end, the African is called upon, once more, to bear the brunt of the toxic wastes, which in itself, arises or were generated from the prosperity, which have never benefited the African! This is a case of multiple jeopardizes and multiple and repeated whamming.
Why won’t leave Africans and peoples of African descent alone?

In this century, what is unfolding now, through this toxic wastes dumping, is another tragedy slated for Africa by outsiders. What should be obvious to all, is the magnitude of the catastrophes which are about to unfold on the African continent. It portends ominously, horrendous human event which is foreseeable. It is a well known fact that Africans do not possess equipment, technological knowhow or wherewithal, to contain Chernobyl type nuclear meltdown or its toxic wastes equivalents. It should be clear to all, that Africans are not ready for a Bhopal India Union Carbide type disaster.

It should be pretty obvious to the world, that shipping toxic and harmful wastes to the African continent is tantamount to an irrevocable death sentence to the inhabitants of the African continent. This sinister evil, is clearly motivated by racism, and racism by those who have, all through history, sufficiently devalued the African humanity, so that, dumping toxic wastes for profit in Africa, is business as usual, reminiscent of slavery and colonialism.
Why won’t they leave Africa alone!

Please see:
Smuggling Europe’s Waste to Poorer Countries http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/science/earth/27waste.html

Dirty tricks and toxic waste in Ivory Coast
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8048626.stm

Branding Is Prerequisite for Successful Outcomes; For Persons; Companies; or Nations

2009-10-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

Branding Is Prerequisite for Successful Outcomes; For Persons; Companies; or Nations
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

Branding, rebranding is how the world is run.

Or, why do most people on earth refer to every photocopying machine as a Xerox? Why does everyone refer to every internet search efforts as Google it? Why is every detergent in Nigeria referred to as OMO?

Branding, rebranding, marketing, product promotion, products placement are synonymous themes and terms in efforts deployed by individual persons, by companies, and by nations who intend successful outcomes. .

Can anyone imagine a strategy, a bad strategy it is, which demands that an unemployed job seeker never create a resume, until her career succeeds? Or that a manufacturer never creates product awareness promotions for its products? And further, that, a nation never deploy ambassadors and diplomats until she is a world power? Doing all these things are aspects and facets of branding rebranding, promotion and marketing of the individual, corporation or nation. Advert is life!

What does the reader think of advertising? Do advertisers tell the public the truth? Do adverts and commercials work effectively in persuasive roles upon the average consumers? Do Nigerians buy real and fake Gucci, Nike and Movado? Are Nigerians the only ones who believe exaggerated truths in commerce? Are Nigerians seduced by falsities in adverts? Do Nigerians realize that branding, rebranding, product placement, and marketing etc all means adverts? Whether euphemistically called infomercial, product announcements or promotions etc
Advertising works! Nigeria and Nigerians must employ it!

A successful outcome for an individual person might be attained through the creation of a resume, or a reworking of such resume through the rendering of a new and an updated version of such a resume. A good resume, an excellent resume, is the equivalent of an effective public affairs manager or public relations effort on behalf of the named seeker of employment. A prospective employee may attract a prospective employer by an offering, in most creative manner, a resume which satisfies the needs, requirements, education, training and experience needed by the prospective employer. A good resume attracts and catches the eye of a prospective employer. Therefore, it can be rightly be asserted, that a good resume, is such, which gets the job seeker’s foot in the door, for at least an interview, before anything else.

As applied to companies and corporate bodies, branding, rebranding, promotion, product labeling, product placements and advertising etc, is an exactingly crucial process to successful outcomes. Profitability and corporate success, is the expressway to the attainment of satisfaction for board of directors and shareholders in terms of dividends or return on investments. In today’s world, it is not enough to make or manufacture a goodly useful product. Products must have a fitting or appropriate name, better if, such name has a ring to it. Beyond product name, it is even much better if such product has an attractive label and a suitable color.

Then there must be an aggressive, vigorous and rigorous promotions, advertising and placements of such products. Pharmaceutical companies have been known to create advertising and promotion based on an existing drug, but repackaged, relabeled and rebranded as good for treating another ailment, a new ailment, or an old ailment which you never knew you had, until you saw the advertisement by your favorite drug company’s aggressive, vigorous and rigorous prodigious promotion on television, newspapers and on billboards!

Nations are in these respects, quite similar in self-promotion, but, called national interests, and public policies propagandas are instruments for attaining what an individual person would, through a good resume while such an individual angles for employment. Nations engage in packaging and repacking, branding, rebranding, promotions, marketing, advertising, propaganda and even wars, in order to promote such national and strategic interests. War and propaganda is continuation of policy by, through and with, other means; apologies to Von Clausewitz who once said, (paraphrased here) War is policy pursuit by other methods.

Aggressive marketing, promotion, propaganda, advertising, media commercials or infomercials, and the general blitzkriegs of today’s world are the only explanations for human habits and even addictions, which continue to spread. Among these human habits and addictions, which are patently useless, and worse than useless in the most implicit and explicit terms of the term, useless! An easy example is the fact that some medical doctors and other healthcare professionals would smoke cigarettes, even despite their medical and scientific knowledge of the fact, current medical evidence have proven that cigarettes possess no vitamins or health benefits. Cigarettes, quite to the contrary, contain cancer-causing agents/elements carcinogen. The same can be said of anyone, who is not from Mars regarding the disease encrusted “product” known as cigarette. Anyone not from Mars would have to have heard that cigarettes are harmful to humans! But regardless of these scientific truisms, many people, educated persons, enlightened humans, will smoke their first stick of cigarette tomorrow! So, perhaps aggressive marketing does work? Perhaps branding as in the Marlboro-Man does have effect and works to sway new smokers?

The unstated rule today is as if, we are all encouraged to make good products, make better logos, much better designs and color-label and packaging; then have the best and greatest advertisements! Microsoft Personal Computers and Apple Mac, Microsoft has the command of the market, through better branding and rebranding and aggressive marketing. Video Home System or VHS made by JVC defeated Sony made Betamax in aggressive branding and marketing wars. These sorts of corporate branding, rebranding and vicious marketing wars are ceaselessly endless in the business world. The world is saying to all of us, make a good movie, make good perfume, but you do better be careful to mindfully market them. Write a good book, but get a publisher and an agent who get you and your book unto the press and media to talk about your “wonderful” book

Most Nigerians, who have entered the arena of the branding and rebranding debate, have been guilty of two presumptions. Firstly, too many Nigerians believe that a pre-condition for branding, rebranding, advertising and promoting Nigeria require that Nigeria, first, have to have attained the status of a perfect society, before ever making any attempts to engage in self promotions, branding rebranding advertising or diplomatic offensive. But, nothing could be farther from the truth of how the world really actually works in these matters.

Sometimes I just wonder whether Nigerians who are quick to discount the effect of advertising, promotions and marketing, are in fact aware of photo-shopped and airbrushed faces and pictures to which these same very Nigerians are confronted with daily! Airbrushed and photo-shopped faces of politicians, public figures, super models and all celebrities are on pages of newspapers, magazines and on television and in the movies. Those unblemished and spotless faces are branded and rebranded for public consumption!

Nigerians have seen celebrity endorsements, and the use sex to sell all sorts of products. Reading some comments by some Nigerians on this branding and rebranding phenomenon, they give the impression, that they do not understand, that, cheap food does not necessarily bad food and expensive things are not necessarily good things! Nigerians must know that there are bloggers these days, paid to review products with appearance of expertise. Nigerians must know of name recognition, which should not be confused with quality. The French company, Michelin is a rubber car tires to Nigerians, but it is also food or gourmet magazine in America

Anyone who suggests that Nigeria must be a perfect nation-society before Nigeria can engage in diplomatic charming of the world, should consider these analogous messages which follows. Imagine the illogic of suggesting to a job seeker, not to engage in the creation of a great resume, until she has had a successful career or become the president or chief executive officer of a company! Instead, the right position on these matters, require that we inform the unemployed to prospective great career, with writing a great door opener of a resume, as a precondition or precursor to attaining career success.

An individual can continually update her resume to reflect career growth, professional development and career success. Just as companies and sundry organizations must, as a crucial matter, have a mission statement which encompasses the organizational and or corporate objectives, which will lead to successful outcomes in production widgets or the provisions of services. Products and services must be niche marketed to the target end- user, whose sustained interests, generate patronage and profits etc

Similarly, nations must enunciate public policies, domestic and or, foreign; and aggressively promote such policies for internal and external consumptions. It is usually best, if what is claimed by individuals, companies and nations, in their branding, rebranding, self-promotion, resumes, marketing etc are, in fact, true and factual. However, this is often a matter of embellishing, puffing, flowery, sexed-up information, with embedment, coyness, diplomacy and garden variety propaganda!

Here is greater than fiction tale, as analogous to the above truisms. Once there was an empire which contained persons of two races. A Black race and a White race; The Whites dominated the Blacks. Blacks were brutalized in most unimaginable ways by the Whites, and yet, the Whites for almost a thousand years, claimed, with straight faces, that they, the Whites, matter of fact, and in sacrosanct manner, own and hold trademark and patent and monopoly to all that is democracy, liberty, freedom, equality, better than the rest of the world. The rest of humans, saw the Whites as they described, and have labeled and packaged themselves as the grandfather and grandmother of equality, justice and fairness, all this, despite abundant evidences of their subhuman treatments of Black fellow citizens.

Unbelievably, and remarkably, after five hundred years, the Whites elected a biracial (a Black and White) individual, as leader of the empire, and the whole world danced in the streets. No one bothered ask the Whites obvious logical questions, about their self-proclaimed trademark and patented monopoly of democracy, freedom, liberty, justice, equality during all this thousand years. No one bothered to ask the Whites, what in fact, took them so long, to see and come to the realization of the benefits and eminent sense in diversity! The Whites were showered with praises. They branded and rebranded themselves, again!

Ordinarily, our everyday logic would assess a student who scores miserly 1 out of 44 to be lousy, and he would be considered a bad, lazy or even dense dunce student. But no! 1 out of 44, after hundreds of years, was deemed brilliant, celebrated as progress, remarkable progress no less!

There was an empire which also pursued two foreign wars, and then, an aspiring emperor condemned these wars, and upon becoming an emperor in chief, he continued these foreign wars nevertheless. Nothing in the national strategic interests of the empire has changed. Branding gave the empire a new emperor, with apparent worldwide goodwill, but, public policies of the empire barely budged, except in tone, the wars have been repackaged and rebranded, but not any less costly in blood, and treasure and sweat. The empire just like the nation of Nigeria remains imperfect. Such is the story of branding and rebranding for nations. Nigeria should define and redefine Nigeria’s place in the world.

The Nigerians opposed to branding and rebranding of Nigeria, believe, that until and unless Nigeria is perfect and better than the heavens, branding and rebranding will be a colossal and monumental waste of time and resources. This is the essence and core of their ire.

Now, we must deal with the second group of Nigerians who are opposed to branding and rebranding. Their opposing is based on their objections to what some Nigerians perceive as the lack of actual and metaphorical qualifications, of some political leaders in Nigeria. The critics argue that Nigerian political leaders who are engaged in this current rebranding effort are hypocrites. These political leaders are accused of having inadequate qualifications, adequate preparations and worse, the hypocrisy of having imperfect individuals, mere mortals in the Nigerian environment, pursue, such pristinely hygienic thing, such as branding and rebranding! Branding must be factually true, honest, fraud averse and hypocrisy free, at least, so say critics of the current political leadership in Nigeria.

But what if, just what if, all Nigerians, governments and citizens alike, were to agree that our nation is for all of us?

And as such, power actually arises from the people; and that, having a better brand, through the rebranding of Nigeria, is a worthy effort, which should be pursued vigorously, aggressively and prodigiously by all Nigerian citizens, all corporate and commercial entities in Nigeria all socio-cultural, ethnic, regional and religious groups in Nigeria?

Suppose Nigerians and even non-Nigerians, individuals, entities, nations etc who wish Nigeria well, were to agree to act in unison, cohesively, concurrently and even simultaneously, for Nigeria’s best interests. Suppose anyone interested in protecting and preserving Nigeria’s best interests was to act to promote Nigeria’s best interests, without a belief that it is the responsibility of someone else, to do so? Branding is not for government alone. Branding should be by everyone, grassroots and all!

We do need and deserve excellent leadership in Nigeria. Therefore, demanding, for instance, that a perfect government in Nigeria will be best, at pursuing any public policies, including branding and rebranding, is an argument in favor of decency, and I never have arguments against decency.

Demanding the provision of public infrastructure and the provision of safety and security for persons and properties in Nigeria as requisite for promoting Nigeria, is a fair and appropriate demand. The need for certain fundamentals are not inconsistent with the pursuit of Nigeria’s national interests. But no nation is perfect, no leadership is perfect and no nation has all the public infrastructure or amenities the public crave. Nigeria must not wait for perfect leadership and a perfect homeland, before seeking Nigeria’s place in the world!

There is nothing particularly inconsistent with branding and rebranding, and, while, simultaneously in hot pursuits, of certain fundamentals or basics. There is nothing wrong with the hot-pursuits foreign investors, foreign tourists, while strengthening matters of safety and security our homeland Nigeria. There is nothing inconsistent in seeking citizenship responsibilities and obligations, while creating sturdy public infrastructure and social amenities, which will ensure the maintenance and sustainability of same. We know that citizens without a sense of civic duty, sense of responsibility and obligation to our nation, are liable to steal, vandalize and render useless, our best public infrastructure and social amenities. Think of damage NEPA transformers. Stolen guard rails from Lagos Bridges. Think of resources stolen through egregious public conduct. Remember the bottom up approach or the call and response… bad citizens make the worst leaders. Good citizens hardly become bad leaders. Gani does not become Sani because he becomes president and Aminu never became corrupt as Barkin though in the same PRP.

Nigerians must see the branding and rebranding debate and consequent actions, as a matter for all of us.

Branding and rebranding is task for all Nigerians, at home and abroad. And this is not just for the government of the past, or the present government or any government of Nigeria for the foreseeable future.

Branding and rebranding must be by every individual citizen and group of citizens, of Nigeria. Every responsible, good corporate citizen of Nigeria whether for profit or in gratuitous service and volunteer works, should engage in promoting Nigeria’s short, medium and long-term national interests. Branding and rebranding must be seen as a continuous process. America’s best product is America, the idea or concept of America itself. And America markets America aggressively, prodigiously and ever so vigorously! Americans of all political, religious persuasion and Americans of every ethnic and racial group engage in these efforts. Americans do these through governments, Democrats or Republican. Americans call it, winning hearts and minds (and trade)! They do these through persuasion, through propaganda and through wars! America the real, the imagined and the America which might and could someday exist. The world is essentially, work in progress, and Nigeria is no exception to this rule. No one is perfect. Nigeria is not.

Nigeria should, instead be seen, by all Nigerians and all well wishers of Nigeria, a corporate entity, even a commercial one, let’s say, and as a shareholder or an investor with a stake in the outcome would see a company or corporation. And, in my experience, investors and shareholders do not engage in, actively booing and denigrating a company in which, such investors, shareholders are heavily invested, and seeks profits and dividends.

For the purpose of this presentation therefore, we should all see Nigeria as our corporation or company, in which we have heavily invested and have stake in the outcomes in terms of profitability and dividends. We of course would not brook any chief executive officer, chief financial officer and board of directors and management, bent on running our cherished corporation aground and possibly into bankruptcy. But this remains a corporation in which we are all heavily invested!

Nigerians will do well then, to take ownership of Nigeria. Too many Nigerians have self-limited their ownership of the Nigeria enterprise to badmouthing errant CEO, CFO and the board of directors. How if, we seek ways to discipline the leadership? Or dismiss or eliminate them from the helms of affairs of our beloved corporation? And what if we engage in retooling our corporate charter and seek to hire, through legal (constitutional means) CEO, CFO and board of directors who would eventually do as we the shareholders and investors directs and instructs?

President Umaru Yar’Adua, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and me, therefore, have equal stake in what happens to Nigeria. In fact, from my point of view, the two gentlemen are just store keepers, minding the store, for the true owners of this great warehouse-human house republic. Leadership is a transitory thing; it is merely ephemeral and fleeting, especially in a democracy. And yes, Nigeria is an imperfect democracy. But we all must agree that an imperfect democracy is better than its alternative!

Branding and rebranding needn’t wait for a perfect time. A desperate unemployed, a company in crisis or bankruptcy and a nation in an economic meltdown or even at war, may appropriately engage in branding or rebranding. In a previous article, I pointed out New York City in the United States, branded, rebranded itself during a deep recession and seismic-cataclysmic financial catastrophe and was at the precipice in 1977, when New York City, chose to promote herself as tourist destination for all-the world with the I Love New York themed T-Shirt red heart logo accompanied with aggressive advertising.

And a resurgent New York City now earns billions of dollars annually through tourism. And the profits from the rebranding is injected and recycled into public infrastructure and public-social amenities. Clearly therefore, there are direct links between a branded attractive magnetic New York City, created with tourists dollars and a continuously improving New York City. There are causal connection between costs and benefits in branding, rebranding and outcomes. Individual persons, while unemployed, should create great resumes to clinch employment. Companies or corporations, during a recession or depression, should create new products, new labels, colors and aggressive promotion or marketing to attract patronage and profitability, avoiding bankruptcy. Nations in crisis and even wars, would engage negotiations, diplomacy, and during economic meltdowns, proactive nations engage in the creation of economic stimulus package and new domestic and foreign policies.

There are all these things, which persons, corporations and nations engage in, for their individual person’s career progress, growth-development and success. When next Nigerians think of branding rebranding and Nigeria, they should think resume before employment by an individual. Think of a corporation its product design, product logo, label, color, packaging and marketing.

Nigerians should think of a nation needing a different image, reputation, both of which will in turn, generate profits in terms of foreign direct investment, tourism and general goodwill, which in turn will generate more resources to with which our country can invest more in safety and security of lives and properties… branding, rebranding is how persons, corporations and nations present themselves attractively. When seeking a girlfriend or boyfriend, you should brush your teeth, groom your hair, nails and wear clean clothes to make yourself perusable, and you should not wait until you are a perfect man or woman and a millionaire, or you will wait forever or until you are too old to find a boyfriend or girlfriend! Branding and rebranding must therefore be seen in these practical terms!

Branding and rebranding should be seen as an investment, the down-payment, the deposit we make, the seed money we use and the mobilization fee to start a venture. Branding is like the creation of great resume by an unemployed. Branding and rebranding is similar to corporate product creation and packaging and placement. Branding and rebranding is the creation public policies by nations, and the diplomacy or force of arms, in the pursuit of such policies, the imperialists and colonialist of this world have always done these things superbly well.

Branding, rebranding and product placement is advertising or marketing. Marketing is simply, how the world works! Advising Nigeria not to rebrand should be seen as identical to advising an unemployed person not to create a great resume because she is out of work and miserable in her unemployment status.

The equivalent of advising a company not to market its products or use excellent product designs, logos, labels and colors and aggressive marketing promotions, it is really such unwise recommendation. The value of branding, rebranding or advertising is really a no brainer. An airline must advertise her services in order to attract customers as passengers. A bank must similarly advertise to attract customers or clients. Even the best products, the best ideas must be branded, rebranded and marketed.

Too often, great minds die and great minds are buried with their excellent ideas which were never given birth or fruition, because, such ideas were not promoted into real life. Nigerians must remember that all the magnificence on earth, were once, mere castles in the “air” or castles in the minds of the originators, until such ideas or “castles” were promoted into reality. Nigerians need to continually and continuously, brand, rebrand and promote Nigeria

Hello World, Nigerians Are Coming, Nigerians Are Here!

2009-10-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hello World, Nigerians Are Coming, Nigerians Are Here!

Written by Paul I. Adujie

Lawcareer@gmail.com

New York, United States

Nigerians were everywhere!

Nigerians in their multitudes filled Manhattan. There were bevies and bevies of Nigerians with a plethora of our national colors memorabilia. Nigerians, from all over, converged on 2nd Avenue between 57th Street and 44th Streets, along 2nd Avenue where Nigeria House is situate at 828.

October 1st, Nigeria’s National Independence Day, was Thursday, a workday, and as a result, Nigerians in North America, the Northeast, and particularly the New York Metropolitan Region, selected Saturday October 3rd 2009 for the annual parade to mark the 49th anniversary of our political independence.

The Nigerians are coming! And now, the Nigerians Are Here! This “coming” seemed to sum up the aura in the air. This sorts of “coming” used be said in reference to be that a nation in the Caucasus who were proclaimed to be the ones who Are Coming, but now, it is a different nation, far from Eastern Europe, but instead, this lovely nation, in West Africa inhabit 150 million people. We; The Nigerians Are Coming! Nigerians Are Here! These seemed to be unstated themes and terms of Nigeria’s National Day Parade in New York City on Saturday 3rd 2009.

Nigeria’s National Independence Day has become very popular and has over the years become a mammoth gathering in various states in the United States, most especially so, the New York City version which is uproarious and thunderous in joyful hooplas!

Ambassador Auwalu Ibrahim, the Consul General at the Consulate of Nigeria in New York City, was accompanied by top Nigerian diplomats from the Consulate of Nigeria, as well as Nigeria’s United Nations diplomatic hierarchy. The world famous Nigerian comedian, Chief Zebrudaya Okoro Igwe Nwogbo Alias 4:30 was in person, present and he was nicely introduced to sundry guests, by Ambassador Auwalu Ibrahim, who was himself brimming with smiles, as he interacted with Nigerians and others, affably and effacingly, in his signature unassuming manner.

The parade attendance was huge, everyone was jolly and celebratory and the ambassador had played his role perfectly, and according to my information, he was said to have been very supportive and accommodating, to various Nigerian groups, in the planning processes of this wonderful event.

The New York City highest political leader, Mayor Mike Bloomberg was represented by New York City Commissioner for Immigrants Affairs Ms. Fatima Shama, who appropriately, is a daughter of Brazilian and Palestinian Immigrants. The commissioner’s presence, gracing Nigeria’s National Day Celebration, added verve to the recognition of the growing importance of Nigerian immigrants in New York City; New York State and the entire United States. Ms. Shama’s appointment by Mayor Bloomberg also adds to our sense of a vibrantly diverse New York City as the gorgeous human mosaic, of which hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are a valuable part; a very valuable part of this American melting pot. Mayor Bloomberg sent a congratulatory letter to Nigerians on this important day as well.

Our African American siblings were amply represented, notably, by New York City Council Member, Robert Jackson (7th Council District) the co-chairperson of New York City Committee on Education, who is also the co-chair for Blacks and Latino and Asians Caucus, he was accompanied by another fellow New York City Council Member Bill Perkins, and the Honorable Eric Stevenson, the New York City Council District Leader 79th Assembly District; there were of course, throngs of African Americans, Jamaicans, Ghanaians, peoples of African descent. Others in the crowds comprised of persons from the general American population. Notably unmentioned and conspicuously absent, was, New York City Comptroller and Democratic candidate for Mayor, Bill Thompson. I wondered aloud about this, to Messrs Jackson, Perkins.

Nigerians groups were present in full colors. The Nigerian Nurses Association as always was the most impressive. They operated two canopies and had a large presence on the parade. The Organization of The Advancement of Nigeria a founding member of the fulcrum of the Nigeria National Independence Day celebrations followed closely.

There were more floats this year, than ever before. Floats from various states of the federation and then, corporate and as well as religious floats. Akwa Ibom State was the most colorful state float, Akwa Ibom float was decked with gorgeously attired female dancers. There was, as well, an Imo Progressive Union in the parade procession. There were more states, corporate, socio-cultural and religious groups than can be exhaustively described within this space.

There was Arik Airlines which informed of, it’s soon to commence direct flight from New York City to Nigeria, before the end of the year. African Independent Television, a subsidiary of DAAR Communication Inc USA was represented, in float and canopy. The Nigeria In Diaspora Organization (NIDO) was ably represented by Ms. Bukky Shonuga, who conducted enrollments of new members, even as she doubled, as well as public affairs person, and coordinator for NIDO New York Region. At the NIDO canopied table, she busily explained the purpose of NIDO as an umbrella organization and clearing house and liaison, with the government of Nigeria, toward the improvement of the human condition in our homeland, through which progress, development advance and greatness of Nigeria will be attained.

There were hundreds of associations, entities, organizations in the Nigeria Independence Day Parade Committee according to documents made available by The Organization for the Advancement of Nigeria; the premier organization of Nigeria Independence Day Celebrations in North America. Among these hundreds of associations, organizations and commercial entities, there were more than forty –two member in the core Nigeria Independence Day Parade Committee.

Absolute Faith Church; AfroEath.com; Afro-Heritage Ventures; Akwa Ibom State Association of New York; Anglican Church of Pentecost; Applause Magazine; Ariya Entertainment; Big Boys Production; Big Moose Entertainment; Bini Club; Cherubim & Seraphim Church of America; Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church; Christ Apostolic Church First in the Americas; Christ Apostolic Church Manhattan; Celestial Church of Christ; Coalition of Niger Deltans in the Diaspora; Egba Club of New York; Egbe Omo Obokun of Ijeshaland; Egbe Omo Yoruba; ELDIMAA Fashion Collection (UK); Everlasting Light Christian Center; Eternal Life Christian Center New Jersey; Hudson Valley Nigerian Association; Igbo Organization, New York Chapter; Imo State Association; Leopard & Peacock Production; Nigerian- American Committee of Friends New Jersey; Nigerian-American Community Organization (NACO Boston Massachusetts); Nigerian Nurses Association of the United States; Nigerian Social Workers Association; Omo Naija Magazine; Organization for the Advancement of Nigeria; Regional Council of Nigerian Muslims; Save Africa Concert Foundation; Tuffgig Entertainment; UnderDaRock Entertainment; United Committee to Save Nigeria; United Nigerian Foundation; United Nigerian Association of New Jersey; World Mission Foundation; Zumunta Association

There were spectacular entertainments provided by various performers, live music by musicians and comedians. There was the Palm-wine Drinkards Club (The Kegites) which was not part of the formal schedule. They however, were applauded loudly with repeated ovations, due to their very energetic and spirited drumming, dances and their delivery of the most convivial of jollities! The Palm-wine Drinkards, ‘derisively’ called me “Comrado” because I could not recall my proper recitations! It was fun indeed!

But, I joined the Kegites hilarities nonetheless! Believe me they had actual Palm-wine in abundant supply, on site. They poured libations with incantations, and everyone, including our American audience, among them, police officers on guard duty, and other guests, were all transfixed. The Palm-Wine Drinkards were the only ones who could drink alcohol, because of a New York City Ordinance which prohibits public drinking by revelers, on parade or not on parade. I suspect, except for the natives, most onlookers were not familiar with Palm-Wine bottled in green bottles, as alcohol. The Kegites were cohesive and organized, they sang in unison and in sync to the delight of all.

There was also a group which has caused irritations and frustrations to parade participants yearly, and they were again present this year. Their stated mission is to complain and protest the imperfections in our system of government in motherland-homeland. The parade proceeded smoothly, thereafter.

The parade spanned more than 15 city blocs, which began from high fifties to 44th Street the location of the edifice, also called the Nigeria House on 828 between East 44th and East 45th Streets.

When the parade was about two more blocs to Nigeria House, we saw rain in the distance, about four city blocs ahead of the parade, and those of us in the front, joked and laughed about divine intervention and rain doctors, because it did appear as if the rain was deliberately held at bay, until the procession was terminating at the Nigeria House destination point. The rain finally found us as we approached Nigeria House. Even still, the eventual rain did nothing to damper the celebrations which were greatly infused with euphoria and enthusiasm. All revelers who could be accommodated were gathered and assembled on the porch of Nigeria House. We all subsequently, soon after, moved to a pre-designated public park, where canopies have been erected, prepared and readied by parade organizers, participants and various socio-cultural, religious as well as commercial entities.

There were foods of various ethnic and regional backgrounds, presented on the park grounds, for sale to participants and onlookers alike. I learned that Nigerian Nurses Association actually served free foods!

There were uncountable sheds of canopies where Nigerian flags, Nigerian themed T-Shirts, bangles, armbands, earrings, and everything in Nigerian colors and memorabilia! This is quite unlike what it was in previous years, in New York City, when finding a Nigerian flags, Nigerian colors and assortments of Nigerian memorabilia was near impossible a task. But now, these are plentiful, in availability, in designs, in innovativeness and uniqueness. There were many Kente Cloths designed in our national colors for the parade Marshalls and other parade segments heads. Nigeria Independence Day Celebrations and Parade has really come of age! Though, Nigeria still remains the only nation out of the 53 African nations that has celebrated National Independence Day through parades of pomp and pageantry for decades.

These Nigerian annual celebrations have increased immensely and tremendously in quantum. Nigeria image, name and flag recognition, have improved among the American public, as a result of these celebrations. A thing of joy and a sign of better days ahead for Nigeria are very evident in the significant presence in these celebrations, by children born to Nigerians in the United States. The majority of parade participants were under twenty years of age! This under-twenty age-group, the Nigerian youths, represents our future, a different future, without the baggage of their forebears. You should have seen them in varying degrees of Green and White and conglomerations of our national colors on the parade route in procession, and then, at the Nigeria House and later, in the public park grounds, where the podium platform was set, with canopies. The public park grounds, where the party proper took place! They were excited, colorful and united in their celebratory gaits! They danced Nigerian dances well!

This year’s parade was glorious! Next year is the 50th Independence Anniversary and I have it on good authority, that next year’s Nigeria Independence Day Parade Celebrations is slated to be, even in grander scale in planning and rendition. Nigerians have come. Indeed, Nigerians are here!

Obama My Brother The President Again!

2009-09-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

Obama My Brother The President, Again!
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

“Lifting As We Climb” the mantra and credo which was coined by, National Association of Colored Women, NACW, and which guided Ms. Ida B Wells and her African American women contemporaries, is my preferred worldview.

But is President Obama doing the opposite for continental Africans and peoples of African descent? Or, is it just me, who is splitting hairs, too particular and overanalyzing our brother president? I took strong exceptions to our president’s speeches in July, 2009 speeches which I surmised were lopsided in comparison with his stated willingness to have unconditional polite, diplomatic and productive conversations with, even, “known-enemies” of America and members of President Bush’s Axis of Evil!
President Obama’s White House declaratively announced the other day, that the vitriolic stridency of his unreasoned attackers were not motivated by the fact that President Obama is biracial and so, the White House effectively, “pretended” to be capable of debunking the palpable racism his attackers who claim to care for America more than Obama and the rest of us. President Obama cannot be faulted for wanting to appear presidential, above the fray and thereby occupy the moral high ground, as president of all Americans. But the reaction from the White House cannot fool President Carter, President Bill Clinton and many others who sees Obama’s vociferous and conceptually violent attackers, for what they are, racists!
President Carter and President Clinton see, understands what the rest of us already called out, what we are seeing in the matters of race. No one can call President Carter and President Clinton, are the racial racketeers. They have been president of the United States and they are experienced and older than President Obama who continues to insist on the absence of racism in America. President Obama is understandably conciliatory in the face of virulent attacks by those whose belligerence, were motivated by the color of their skins!
Race remains a major factor in how life is lived in the United States, sadly and unfortunately, race remains so, a factor, worldwide. This can be readily observed. Let me be clear, race remains how life is lived in America and the entire the world. It affects trade-commerce, diplomacy, foreign aid, possession of nuclear weapons and all other facets of life, both strategic and even the mundane. Race remains a factor, and as you can clearly see, it is almost irrelevant whether you are a professor at Harvard University, such as Professor Louis Gates or whether you are even Harvard Law educated and president of the United States! President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Jefferson Clinton agree with these assessments.
Therefore, it is clearly and assuredly, up to our brother President Obama, whether he is willing to stake his political laurels or political capital to redress this. Such as he attempted with the Beer with Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley, and before that, such as he did with his major speech on race during the elections in November 2008 which saw Obama elected as president of the United States. It will be recalled that, that fateful speech on race was received well and applauded by all. There is choice here. A choice to become precise or clear about race, even if there are known associated costs or Obama can maintain “strategic ambiguity”, apologies to Israel’s famous nuclear weapons unstated non-policy. The act of saying “no”, “yes” and “nothing” simultaneously! This has worked well for Israel, and for decades.

President Obama can, chose to remain aloof, color-blind in the alternate or parallel universe of “post-racial” America, with an eye on re-election for a second term. If past is prologue, what happened to Mayor David N. Dinkins in New York City, would happen to President Obama regarding re-election for a second term… Mayor Dinkins was too polite and deferred to the “owners’ of the land. Mayor Dinkins assiduously worked harder than most, in order not to ruffle feathers. He was and still is, a superb gentleman and consummate peace maker. He tried to please ever of his opponents. He did not want to squander his political capital (deft-calculating-naïve)? He did not get re-elected. Mr. Dinkins is a mathematician, a lawyer, a US Marine and an extraordinarily experienced, exquisitely equipped New York City politician, no matter; all these did not help in Mayor Dinkins’ re-election bid.

President Obama and the Democratic Party are understandably under tremendous pressure, to win elections this November 2009 and the midterm elections next year. Immediately, Democrats have to win elections in a few states this November 2009 in states such as Virginia, New Jersey and New York respectively and in all these states, despite, and perhaps, in-spite of President Obama, these elections are unusually close. President Obama even though very popular in January 2009, making everybody believe that a cat could win elections on his coattails, is having right now to sorts of, prove his mettle, with winnings in governorship races this November and next.

The Democrats and the president, keenly aware of all these, are quietly nervous or even in panic! What else could explain that unnecessary gaffes and goofs have followed presidential seal on these matters? President Obama came to the state of New York’s neighboring state of New Jersey, to campaign and fundraiser for Governor Jon Corzine for a second term. Governor Corzine had been lagging in the polls, in a state that was solidly in Obama’s corner only in November 2008. A factor in this was the arrest and subsequent resignations of several public officials or functionaries of state of New Jersey government, some accused of corruption, while others were in egregiously heinous activities such as sale and or trafficking in human body parts! There were swirls of repercussions and endless controversies, negative publicity which were no favors to the Democrats, particularly the poor Governor Corzine who had to delicately handle these unsavory and underserved baggage or political liabilities!

Regardless of all these and their possible ramifications, President Obama jetted to New Jersey through New York, to effusively demonstrate his support for a fellow Democrat and party man, Governor Corzine, who, for mostly not fault of his, is contending with a poor economy, high rate of unemployment in a depressed economy, and worse, the controversies of booming criminal enterprise by some New Jersey politicians in the same party as Corzine! President apprised and abreast of all these, determined that showing support publicly for Corzine was worth the political capital invested or squandered in the process. Fine!

Governor Elliot Spitzer was a brilliant politico with all the savvy anyone could ask of him. He is, in my view, a public official with extraordinary foresight. He is a public policy juggernaut. He is a visionary. He saw corporate frauds in America from 10,000 miles away! He literarily saw that the economic meltdown which we are now enmeshed, years before it was foisted upon all of us. He saw it coming and told us, of the danger of corporate wrongdoings. But he had a moral slip and he fell from political power and the lieutenant governor or deputy, who Governor Spitzer wisely chose, now became the defacto Governor David Patterson of the great state of New York. Governor Patterson is a lawyer, with great personal story and antecedents, he also lives with impaired vision; he is, legally blind or with disability.

Governor Patterson is a person of African descent. He is the first African American to be governor of our great state. Even though he was not directly elected, his political ascension to the governorship of national epochal importance. I will have to assume that President Obama agrees with these assessments? At this moment, there is high rate of unemployment in New York City and state of New York; after all, everyone knows that New York is the financial capital of the United States and the entire world. New York City and state of New York is understandably hardest hit with the after effect of the debacles on Wall Street and the entire financial district of the metropolis. The economic contraction and deep recession is rather obvious even to the most oblivious of things. No one has to be a financial market guru to understand this. Translation of this is that political leaders are catching the ire of the public for what are essentially beyond their control and for which they were not responsible in inflicting on any of us. Then added to all these, is the fact of Governor Patterson’s race and disability etc

I am appalled by President Obama's apparent usurpation of Governor Patterson.
I thought President Obama conduct was not presidential. He sought openly to undermine Governor Patterson... Obama is heeding bad counsel regarding our governor... and Obama campaigned for Governor Corzine of New Jersey recently... Governor Patterson still has more than a year ahead to turn the polls around... and even if he does not, it is not Obama duty schedule to nail Patterson's coffin with his presidential hammer of disapproval! I am straining to make this point again and again, but, most seem not to discern these concerns. Why would our brilliantly incandescent and savvy brother president allow himself to be associated with idea of kicking a guy who is already down? What common good or greater good does such public humiliation of Governor Patterson serve? There is this incredible public pressure on Governor Patterson. There seem to be a concerted attempt to hijack the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in the state of New York, from New Yorkers, the electorate, whose say is paramount in all of these. Governor Patterson and we New Yorkers deserve better, whatever the "savvy" calculations are or maybe, in the eyes of Washington!

There are as many as 15 months between now and the gubernatorial elections in the state of New York. And as even, every political neophyte knows, 15 months is more than two lifetimes in politics… in effect, an eternity remains, and so much can change in favor of Governor Patterson during this large expanse of breathing space, span and gestation period and time. Again, Mr. Obama is not dumb by any measure, so, this is cold calculations on his part or on the parts of his counselors? But should our brother president not “just-know” these things? He should or ought to know Governor Patterson’s burdens and carefully weigh and consider them. President Obama dropped the ball, for appearing to lead the chorus of those who are too quick to write off Governor Patterson’s re-election chances. Elections in New York are about 15 months away, and besides, President Obama did not even have to do anything now or appear to endorse anyone now. Neutrality, may have served Obama well at this juncture and in this instance. Instead of this apparent double standards in the treatment of New York’s Patterson and Corzine’s New Jersey. Or the focus is just Chris Christie, the Republican Party candidate, which explains to rescue efforts for Corzine?

There are certainly those, who think and act as though Governor Patterson does not belong on the governor’s seat in Albany, and as a consequence, have sought to blames the governor for rainfall, snow fall and high humidity levels since he assumed office after Mr. Spitzer’s fall. There are others who are “dying” to occupy that same seat, but, let the time come and let the best win. No one should preempt a fair fight! And even if everyone did, it should not be our biracial brother president and no reason is good enough to humiliate Governor Patterson or seek to deny him his due, than drive him out of town! The state of New York electoral has the final say regarding which among our politicians is expendable. Voters in New York must not allow the skittish expediencies of others determine our fates!

Governor Patterson of the state of New York just like his counterpart, Governor Corzine of the state of New Jersey are unpopular, not by a dint of any infractions on their parts, but, the happenstances and vagaries of the economy of America and the entire world, as it is, currently. Some politicians, Democrats in Governor Corzine’s New Jersey, though no faults of Corzine, engaged in scandalous and criminal enterprise. Yet, Mr. Obama thoughtfully resolved to spend-squander his political fortunes in attempt to rescue Mr. Corzine! Governor Patterson’s Democrats in New York are not embroiled in scandalous criminal misconduct similar to what now obtains in New Jersey, the new Chicago mafia politics practitioners of the Northeast! And yet, Governor Patterson is the one being shunned and denied public support by our brother president?

After careful consideration of all the above, it is easy to see, why it is so easy to be an unpopular governor in New York and New Jersey and pretty much in any state in the United States right about now! Why then, did President Obama give Corzine public embrace, fundraiser and ringing endorsements and not so for Patterson? Governor Patterson is a trailblazer like Obama Patterson is in fact more so, in more ways than one! African American governor, an American with disability, who is the first to hold a statewide office in our state of 18 million outstanding citizens, who should be allowed and given a fair chance to decide Patterson’s fate, in a fair manner, not through a stampede by anyone in our state, or carpetbaggers from the Washington D.C.!

In view of what have transpired so far, and more precisely, despite what have transpired it is befittingly charitable on our parts, to still as a matter of sheer indulgence, to think that President Obama could not and cannot mean to humiliate Governor Patterson publicly. President Obama could not and cannot mean to undermine Governor Patterson and Patterson’s chances of re-election in November 2010? But some shenanigans have leaked out, some public demeanors stated and unstated, have led some, including even some notable Republican Party members such as former state of New York Governor George Pataki, to admonish all those, who are bent on dictating to us, free citizens of the great state of New York, who among the numerous would be contenders in November 2010, could be our governor!

As I muse over the election prospects of Governor Patterson, I am having, to wonder aloud, whether President Obama is demonstrating a pattern? In many of his actions and public pronouncements so far, particularly, during the preceding nine months, our brother president, have seemingly reserved harsh and rather hostile treatments for continental Africans and peoples of African descent. Obama’s published statements in Accra Ghana in an address to the parliament there and his speech to NAACP in New York City, both speeches given in July 2009, and as well as President Obama’s attitude toward Governor Paterson, point to an unsettling pattern of beating-down persons from what Obama ought see as his core constituency. Even Republicans such as state of New York former Governor George Pataki have had to describe Obama’s seeming rejection of Governor Patterson as candidate for governor, this way "I just think it's wrong," Pataki said. "To weaken and undermine the governor beyond the weakness that already exists ... to me just doesn't serve the interests of the state, doesn't serve the interests of our country."

Many tongues are wagging over Obama’s public non-embrace of Governor Patterson. Some opponents of Governor Patterson are said to be gloating giddily now, in satisfaction and complacence, as a direction consequence of their interpretation of Obama’s signal or repudiation of Patterson’s gubernatorial candidacy in 2010. How soon can Obama seem to forget his own candidature, dismissed routinely and offhand by those who thought the then first term US senator from Illinois a nonstarter and a would be also ran? How soon can Obama forget that he too inherited three wars, one in Afghanistan, another war in Iraq, and the third one, being the catastrophic and mammoth mess, which is also known as the domestic economic meltdown in America and globally? The state of New York and New York City, are the fulcrum of America as the financial capital of the world, and Governor Patterson has therefore, taken a direct hit, from the economic cataclysm and seismic shift, none the fault of Governor Patterson!

President Obama is personally and intimately aware of the challenges our people particularly face. He is also aware of the challenges facing America and the state of New York in particular. It is therefore disingenuous to ascribe current abysmal and dismal economic atmosphere to Obama and or Patterson. Neither Obama nor Patterson is responsible for our national and state economic conditions. President Obama is not president for Africans and peoples of African descent alone, that much I understand. But it is and will be unacceptable for continental Africans and peoples of African descent to possibly fare worse during President Obama’s watch! We will prefer Obama’s impact on our people to be positive symbolism, and even beyond symbolism. President Obama should consciously engage in “Lifting Our People As He Climbs”! in words and actions.

Nigeria Is Almost 50: A Re-Examination of Duties and Obligations of Citizenship

2009-09-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Nigeria Is Almost 50: A Re-Examination of Duties and Obligations of Citizenship
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

All citizens have rights. All citizens have crucial duties, obligations, and responsibilities as well.

All governments at all levels do have duties and responsibilities to her citizens. The mark and exemplifier of a good government, is in the fulfillment of basic duties and responsibilities of such government in Nigeria and worldwide. But, these duties and responsibilities on the part of governments is not a one way street. There are two sides or even multiplicities of sides to the story of good citizenship and good governance-good government worldwide.

We Nigerians seem to only understand our rights as citizens, if even that! We seem always, in our pronouncements, in our actions and inactions, to be clearly and splendidly unaware of what our duties, responsibilities and obligations are, as citizens. The state of affairs and human condition, in our nation and our entire continent are, in the main, attributable in major part, to the absentee citizenship as a factor. And by absentee, I pointedly mean participation through ownership, and not physical absence.

There is a pervasive and permeating attitude and tendency among Nigerians, nay Africans, to conceptualize our country and continent, as entities, owned, managed and for the benefit, exclusively, political leadership, past, present and future. This attitude informs the apathy and disenchantment between citizenry and public servants, public property and even public advocacy. Too many citizens’ initiative are hampered and hindered by this persisting mindset. Citizens seem to feel, assume and accept limitations to their thinking, pronouncements and actions, based on the perception of self as outsiders. The political leaders are seen as the “owners” and the insiders and controllers of public policy.

Public policy as such, is not conceptualized in the context of public policy for national or continental benefits. But instead, governments are seen as self-interested cabal and mafia with impunity, impervious to reproach, criticisms and even condemnations. Military “governance” made this perception of citizens’ powerlessness even worse, as logic and reason during military regimes and dictatorial governments were not synonymous with freedom of thought, public debate and free press.

Over and extended period of time, Nigerian and other African citizens were “socialized” to be docile, unquestioning and public uncritical of government policies. It was either quiet obeisance or there was a cost, a price and penalty to pay or to be exacted at the expense of those who may exhibit the temerity

Nigeria is one hundred and fifty million citizens strong, and yet, Nigerian citizens seem to think that citizens are powerless. And so, 150 million citizens endure this assumed powerlessness in the face daily assaults by those at the helms of our nation’s affairs. Nigerian citizens feel too stumped down.
Citizens can actually confront poor leadership by organizing and articulating citizens’ power to harness leadership, quality leadership. The concern which I have about our citizenship these days is that too many Nigerians appear to have ceded Nigeria to aberrant leaders. Good citizenship requires more.

Nigeria is analogous to a corporation, and our current leaders should be seen as ineffective inefficient managing director and board members. Nigeria is a corporation into which Nigerian citizens are heavily invested. Nigeria should be seen as a corporation which currently has poor return on our investment or no dividends at all. The prudent thing for any smart investor, shareholder to do, in order to earn dividends, profits and return on investment, is to oust the errant managing director and board members. But instead, most Nigerians engage in advertising the corporation to which they are heavily invested, as the worst company in the world. Nigerians publicly excoriate Nigeria, as a corporation which makes the worst products in the world, and then, we all wonder why no one would buy products made by this same is not attracting customers interested in products and hence a lack of profits, dividends and return on investment.

The average Nigerian now excels at portraying Nigeria as the worst country on earth. The popular and yet error-laden belief often spouted, to the effect that Nigeria is irredeemably bad and only “God” can help us. But we know how “God” is? he only helps those who are willing to help themselves! Nigerians therefore must be willing to do all we must do, to undertake the rescue of our wonderful corporation from the vice grips of our deranged managing director and members of the board who are running our corporation to the ground, willy-nilly. Even as we engage in these daring rescues, we must simultaneous refrain from ascribing all evils as products of our beloved corporation!

Nigerians should be aware, that we cannot and should not advertise to the world that we have monopoly over the manufacture and production of evils, and then turn around to wonder why anyone might ascribe evil to us! It is quite common these days for non-Nigerian individuals and entities to find refuge in the arguments of fellow Nigerians who portray Nigeria in the worst lights.

There are surely different approaches which are available to us in efforts to tackle the myriad challenges facing our nation. Public shaming, scolding and ridiculing have, over the years, changed nothing. Instead, quite to the contrary, those who are shamed have become bizarrely shameless, those scolded now act with more impunity, and those ridiculed have become impervious to our collective contempt. What to do? A change of tact!

Nigerians should resolve that we are Nigerians. Nigerians must first and foremost reconcile ourselves to this immutable and incontrovertible fact that we are Nigerians and belong to Nigeria. Nigerians should believe that Nigeria is sacrosanct. This is the metaphorical crossing of the Rubicon. This will be the major paradigm shift in our national attitude. This will be removal of a major obstacle from our national psyche, and then, our psyche will heal and such healing will be followed by the crucial attitudinal adjustments, from which clear thinking and proactive actions will ensue. Challenges which our nation faced are insignificantly infinitesimal when compared with the repertoire of intellects and robust energy and resilience which abounds in Nigeria’s 150 million human capitals.

Apart from human capital, there abound in Nigeria as well, bountiful resources, quantifiable materials, and unquantifiable minerals, both tangible and intangible resources. And in view of our indefatigable human capital, it is almost trite to announce that Nigerians ought to and should and must harness all these, for the betterment of the human condition in Nigeria for the common good. Nigerians have so far, not achieved or accomplished this, through unity of articulation of purpose and focused pursuit of such purpose.

Nigerians at home and abroad should refrain from hyperbole in describing our national condition. Nigerians should become more engaged in actions, conscientious actions and pronouncements which will and must lead Nigeria to the promised-land which we the citizenry envision.

America’s vaunted democracy, even after of hundreds of years, is still work in progress, and America remains imperfect. Nigerian citizens have a great deal to learn from American citizens. American citizens are the movers and shakers of American democracy through engagement and participation, not without some who are apathetic apolitical. Americans have all sorts of support groups of citizens’ actions, regarding politics, economy, culture and much more. Americans have plethora of non-governmental organizations. There are citizens’ support groups for stray cats and dogs. Americans have support groups for the recently divorced or recently bereaved. There are all types of volunteer groups in America. There are all types of support groups for house-warming for new home owners. And support groups for new neighbors and support groups for everything above and under the sun! Americans do many things which improve, and enhance how life is lived in America and without government role and intervention. American society is a bottom up approach. Citizens’ action invariably drives government policies.

Nigerians can certainly learn democracy from Americans. Nigerians can also learn volunteerism and the creation of citizens’ actions from the Americans. Nigerians can use support groups in similar ways in which American citizens deploy the phenomenon for national progress. Nigerians can, through Labor movements, civil right movements, need organizers and organizers are citizens. History is replete with examples of how citizens movements facilitate good government, good governance through good leadership. Currently however, too many Nigerians only expect a top-down approach, in which political leaders must be angels who are unlike the elements which the citizenry is comprised. Too many Nigerians therefore expect political leaders to be holier than the citizens and consequently provide the proverbial “enabling” environment which will in turn lead to progress, development and greatness of our nation and continent. But perhaps it is time to re-examine this mindset closely. We may find that it is quite possible for the “quality” of leadership to actually be as a result of the “quality” of citizens or followership.

Nigerians are too often liable to see governance and government as owned by the political leaders. There is a symbiotic relationship between good citizenship and good governance-good government. It is a sort of horse and carriage, love and marriage, a push and pull sorts arrangements, none goes without the other! And there is so much truisms in the assertion that democracy is not a spectator sports! Democracy, perfect or imperfect, requires active, robust and even vigorous participation by citizens!

Too many Nigerians on the average are aloof, detached and disenchanted as citizens of our republic. Too many Nigerians seem to think good government, good governance and a good country is the job of someone else. Nigerian citizens are liable to look the other way, when drainage is being blocked and same Nigerians would be quick to complain loudly when the rains come and there is flooding and damage. Nigerian citizens are liable to look the other way when a NEPA PHCN is being stolen or vandalized, but, same Nigerian citizens would engage in hyperbolic stridency directed at blackouts or power interruptions, while ignoring the direct relationship between transformer thefts and vandalism and power failures. Nigerian citizens may encourage the undermining of NEPA PHCN efficiency because they have a stake and profits from the importation of electric generators, and then, the same Nigerians seem not to see the linkage between these sorts of acts and the failure of NEPA PHCN, noise pollution, and death and damage from the prevalent use of generators.

A Nigerian working for the NNPC and or major oil multinational corporation, allows himself to be splendidly disinterested in actions which are inconsistent with corporate best practices, same Nigerian then wonders why Nigeria is not getting the best deals, the best shake and best benefits from oil exploration which has gone on for so long. The examples are endless, but perhaps reader probably gets the point by now? The point, being the natural relations, correlations between our attitude of aloofness, detachment and disenchantment regarding Nigeria national interests and what obtains in Nigeria. There are natural consequences between our actions and outcomes. There is a clear linkage between what manner or quality of citizenship a country has and the manner and quality of leadership. A citizen who is accustomed to looking the other way, on becoming a political leader, remains that same person accustomed to looking the other way. There is no magic pill, which transforms a bad citizen into a transcendental transformational leader, suddenly, upon becoming a leader. The unpatriotic, worse than useless, greed-infested aloof, detached and disenchanted citizen remains just that! And what is worse? These sorts of warped-twisted citizens now suddenly have a higher podium, pedestal and platform at local government, state and national level from which to inflict their unsavory attributes upon all of us.

Social progress is often engineered through citizen activism. Citizen activism moves the world economically, politically and culturally, even in the face of tremendously enormous obstacles of highest magnitudes. Historical examples abound in the life stories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a citizen activist who mobilized America and the world against racism and poverty. When he was killed, the American government did not automatically create a national holiday to celebrate Dr. King, citizen activists ensured that and it was certainly not a shoo-in, there were resistances in many of the fifty states of the United States. But now, Dr. King birth is observed in all the fifty states of the United States a matter of federal law. Thanks to citizens activists!

Everyone have heard the resilience and persistence of Ghandi and Mandela protests or citizen activism against illegal governments by way of colonial imposition in the one case and Apartheid horrors and brutalities on the other, again, there monumental obstacles, which were overcome, through citizen activism with which these great individuals infected the world and corralled efforts to end oppression and usurpation in India and South Africa respectively. Nigerians have in the past opposed colonial governments, military dictatorships and imperfect democracy and Nigerians must continue to engage in citizen activism and participatory democracy. Nigeria deserves nothing less. Nigerians should stop seeking refuge in the “comforts” of aloofness, cynicism, pessimism, fatalism and flights to state of anomie. Nigerians should instead, think of our challenges in terms of what would Nelson Mandela do? What would Ghandi, Malcom X, Idiagbon, Murtala, and Gani Fawehinmi etc do in the circumstances of the challenges we may face? The heroes refer to above chose to confront evil and as a result enshrined their names in gold. They chose not bribe, corruption and pillaging or self-gratification. They chose not aloofness, passivity and fatalism. Nigerians should recognize that there are no monuments or national holidays which celebrate fatalists, pessimists and the extremely cynical.

Might we start the creation of progress, development and greatness for Nigeria by becoming good citizens who are actively engaged in participatory democracy? Nigerians should be unwilling to rig elections, unwilling to allow smugglers of guns and dangerous goods into Nigeria because we can be bribed. Might Nigerians first become decent citizens, brothers and sisters keeper, and reject injustice, oppression by whomever and at whatever parts of Nigeria! The loyalty of Nigeria should henceforth be to the Nigerian nation and not to our ethnic, state, region or religions. Might we reject aberrant and criminal behaviors, perpetrated by a member of our families and our friends! May we on very individual level, reject and refuse election rigging, bribery and corruption, and pillaging. In effect, the change we want in Nigeria begins with our individual selves. Our change at individual levels about all these things, will lead to Nigeria’s development, progress and greatness.

Surprise At Consulate Of Nigeria New York Passport Office!

2009-09-25T10:23:00.001-07:00

Surprise At Consulate Of Nigeria New York Passport Office!
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

Just when you thought there is nothing to write home about, then, there is!

You will not believe what happened at the consulate of Nigeria in New York, last month, on Wednesday, August 26, 2009! The day was ruined, as far as assumed public knowledge or familiarity with laxity and lack of work ethic among certain public officials. Those who service Nigeria at various diplomatic missions or outposts have frequently been reported to be experts at treating Nigerian citizens with utmost levity.

I needed to make a quick trip to Canada, a country which shares a common border in the northern part of the United States and my home state of New York, which is more like traveling from Lagos to Ogun state or from Maiduguri, Borno state into Chad Republic. It is a very local trip, but the law is the law and the formalities of international travel has to be followed, even though it is at time so inconvenient in our hurried over-schedules and lives in North America.

Life in New York City can be quick and busily hectic; this frequently means needful things have to be prioritized and some other equally needful things may fall below over-schedule radars and left untouched. And so it goes that my passport expired and I never felt the pressure to renew my old faithful Nigerian passport, despite my knowledge of its expiration. Then I had to be in Canada on a fly; and my procrastination met its match! I cannot cross the border from my home state of New York into Canada without a definitional certainty of my nationality, which is Nigeria, my homeland. Despite haven lived in the United States for decades, my nationality has remained Nigerian, part, happenstance, and part, the deliberate choices I made since arriving at my economic refugee camp here in the United States. I have as yet to do the usual summersaults or taken the victory lap, American passport in hand

Most Nigerians are quick to tell anyone who would listen, the lamentations, and the dread often associated with visiting and interacting with Nigerian bureaucrats. Some Nigerians would actually insists, that Nigerian bureaucrats abroad, are a little bit more disdainful of Nigerians, than the bureaucrats at home, bureaucrats, disdainful of Nigerian citizens, who may commit the unforgivable sin of requiring anything, resembling the provision of public service to Nigerian citizens.

With these historical burdens in my mind, I proceeded to the Consulate of Nigeria in New York situate on the grounds of that green glass mammoth edifice known as the Nigeria House at 828 on Second Avenue.

Ever the optimist, I deliberately relegated any seeping concerns to the bottom pit of my stomach. I mulled over the anticipation of what could be my seething rage, if my day is consumed in waste without the renewal which I sought coupled with the possibility that my people would wound up treating me in truculent manner which I never allow, in non-Nigerian environments or entities.

The schedule time during which the Passport Office section operates is 10:00AM. And as is my practice with appointments, I arrived at least twenty minutes ahead of schedule, factoring, transportation bottlenecks etc. The passport officer arrived two minutes before schedule 10:00AM opening and in resplendent hunter-green Nigerian attire. His Nigerian attired pleased me. One of the many qualities for which I admired Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and my other sister, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Dr. Dora Akunyili then of NAFDAC, they are policy wonks in their own unsurpassed rights, and they wowed me with their cultural ambassadorship, with their ever resplendent African attires.

Well, Mr. Passport Officer arrived and surprised me with his “good morning all” He greeted, good morning all! Sat was my turn. I did not have the requisite paperwork or the publicly available information. And I was frankly embarrassed upon being confronted with my lack of preparations! I never would approach any other diplomatic mission or high commission of other countries without calling or visiting their websites to ascertain their requirements and I quietly embarrassed that I did not research my visit to the Consulate of Nigeria, before I actually embarked on the trip there! And now even as I write this, I wonder how many Nigerians visit our diplomatic mission without adequate preparation as to what might be required of them. There are forms, money, procedures and other basic necessities common with these sorts of processes, with Nigeria and other nations. I also have to wonder now, what roles this lack of preparation or knowledge of requirements probably plays in familiar frictions between officials and recipients of services.

In my particular case, the facts of consulate general New York website was known to me and I could have gleaned the details of passport renewals before marching audaciously to the consulate for my renewal. Additionally, when I deal with government departments or agencies, of the United States and or other nations, I usually ensure that I know and have necessary information at my finger tips. And as I routine matter, I do so, for work related or personal contacts or interactions with private entities, corporate for profits or not for profit organizations. In hindsight, I wondered why I did not think it fit, to conduct due diligence, which is my routine and universal approach and precautionary standard outlook?

I was ill-prepared, but he made me comfortable and the entire process took less than three minutes! I was ill-prepared to the extent that I was unfamiliar with the new processes which require a download or print of passport forms from the Consular Internet Website, and be ready with the prescribed fees etc. I was completely ignorant of the required necessities to obtain a new passport or what it entailed to renew an old one. I was completely at the mercy of my passport officers for my ignorance…

The process began in most orderly manner. Upon arrival, guests are required to pick a number and mine was 82, and I worried. There are 82 persons ahead of me? I was quietly nervous upon believing that I was spending the rest of the day at 822 Second Avenue which would have ruined my schedule for the day’s other activities

Now, I am face to face with the officials, Mr. Bello Osagie, the guy in Nigerian attire called me, and I quickly confessed my ignorance, and lack of due diligence and proceeded to ask him, what I must do to correct lax preparation and still ensure that my mission to renew my passport and to soon after embark on my quick hop to Canada is not aborted. I was scheduled to travel in a matter of days. Mr. Bello assured me that I could renew my passport that day same day, so long as I quickly complete the forms, and accompany it with the stipulated money order, and he gave me the forms, forms which applicants were supposed to download and print on their own, this I failed, and neglected to do, out of my ignorance and to my peril! Well, I rushed out to get the money order, then, submitted it with the completed forms, all in a few minutes. And I was told to return in the afternoon between 2:30PM and 3:00PM

Upon arrival, in the afternoon, I was soon joined by numerous other clients who returned to collect new or renewed passports. There was no one present. And some clients were already grumbling; Complaints about 2:30PM is past and where are the officials? I was quietly concerned myself. And yet, I politely urged patience, because we all know that sometimes, lunch break comes with glitches and snafus, and that could possibly be the same case with the passport office folks. I also reminded others, how the service in the morning was smooth. Jokingly, I also intoned that some Nigerians who spent overnight at the American Embassy or arrived at 3:00AM and spent the whole day in a bid for American visa, are now the same persons now, too quick and too eager to blame Nigerian officials for two minutes lateness! And as it turned out, Ms. Damole Or Damolekun merely went upstairs to fetched the newly issued or renewed passports, and it turned out that the folks at the passport office section of the consulate of Nigeria, had not gone on some frolic for fun. They were upstairs for a mere couple of minutes to fetch our ready passports

Both Mrs. Comfort Damolekun and Mr. Bello Osagie were epitome of strictly business attitude (passport officers)? and security operatives at the entrance to the consulate were on the same page as if they all read a script or memo which they are following; and dotting each i and crossing each t.

Everyone who I interacted with behaved as if they were deliberately and calculatingly announcing to me that the Consulate of Nigeria in New York is under new management. They were efficient, effective and very businesslike.

To my surprise and delight, my visit to the consulate of Nigeria was seamless and painless and briefest encounter with this consulate and any branch of the strata and levels of our government. This speaks volumes, positively, of the current unassuming technocrat at the helms of our consulate, Consulate General Anwal Ibrahim He is obviously very competent and seasoned, and a superb administrator it, who knows keenly, competent persons to delegate to carry out key component of consular tasks, among other things, such as being Nigeria’s public face, for culture, for tourism and travels to Nigeria and for sorely needed investments and sundry interactions between the diverse peoples of Nigeria and the rest of the wide world. While at the consulate, I had a chanced but brief encounter with Professor Joy Ugwu, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Nations, who I saw last in Canada, while she was foreign minister. Again, she as well looked resplendent in her culturally appropriate Nigerian attires.

All said and done, we all received excellent service deserving of a five star rating and I enthusiastically offer the Consulate General of Nigeria and his entire staff, and in particular, the Passport Officers, thunderous applause for very efficient and effective delivery of service and a superb representation of Nigeria. The Consulate General and his staff exemplified and epitomized all the excellent things we Nigerians are able to accomplish when we set our minds to national tasks. Bravo for making Nigeria proud!

Consulate of Nigeria New York on the Web? Here her links: http://www.nigeriahouse.com/

Looming or Impending Constitutional and Political Crises Over Local Government Creation

2009-09-21T19:34:00.001-07:00

Looming or Impending Constitutional and Political Crises Over Local Government Creation
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

Creation of more local government areas is desirable for many, if not all the state of Nigeria.

And Lagos state can probably accommodate 100 local government areas instead of the current 20 local government areas. The worthiness of more local government for Lagos state is an argument for another day.

The business at hand is the looming constitutional and political chaos which is quietly brewing and to which millions of Nigerians are notoriously oblivious. President Umaru YarAdua has written a letter to Governor Babatunde Fashola, intimating him of the desire by the federal government of Nigeria to enforce the law and in particular, the true, correct and proper interpretation of Section 8 subsection (3) and (5) of the constitution of Nigeria 1999 which provides in part, that states are empowered to create additional local government areas through their Houses of Assembly. But, however, such new local government areas must not and cannot become operational until they are ratified by the National Assembly as contained in section 8(5) of the same 1999 constitution.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu erstwhile governor of Lagos state created 37 additional local governments in addition to 20, which were then the existing numbers of local government areas in Lagos state. Apart from Lagos, some other states had engaged and pursued the creation of additional local government areas, but without recourse to the constitutionally laid down formalities. There are currently only 774 local government areas in Nigeria and they are listed accordingly, in schedule four of the constitution of Nigeria, 1999.

It is beyond any legal dispute that Lagos and every other of the 36 federating states of Nigeria possess the constitutional rights and power to create additional local government areas, provided of course, that such state, scrupulously complies with all constitutional and statutory formalities. Lagos state, under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, then a member of Alliance for Democracy or AD before Action Congress or AC was formed, Lagos state under Tinubu, in an opposition party to the central government leadership under a different political party, the Peoples Democratic Party or PDP, chose to disregard these constitutional stipulations. He rather provocatively, created 37 additional local government areas, without liaising with the Nigerian National Assembly. Omitting to synchronize the exercise with the National Assembly appear to have been in bad faith, most probably motivated by fact that Lagos state was at the time administered under a different political party separate, apart and different from the People Democratic Party or PDP. Lagos it will be recalled was not a PDP state. This single fact may very well have created a chasm between Lagos state and the Nigerian federal government in many ways.

There is an impending threat to national security in Nigeria due to the schism between Fashola and YarAdua over the vexation created and foisted by Bola Tinubu for creating 37 additional Local Government Areas in Lagos state. President YarAdua wrote a letter recently to Governor Fashola, demanding that Fashola disband and dismantle the37 additional local government areas, which were improperly, inappropriately if illegally created by Lagos state. My information is that, Lagos state has replied to the president, with thanks, but no thanks! Lagos state is adamantly insisting that Lagos was constitutionally right and therefore protected in indulging in the creation of the additional 37 Local Government Areas which has since made Lagos state a state with 57 local government areas.

Supporters of Lagos state’s arguments for creating additional local government areas, make the revenue allocation arguments, in which part of the federal revenue is allocated per capita of local government areas and these supporters have therefore argued that Lagos with her oversize population deserves additional local government areas. The creation of additional local government areas will in effect, attract additional federal revenue. Lagos state and her supporters have also argued that Lagos state actually have larger population and demands on her resources, in comparison to some other state, which also engaged in unilateral creation of additional local government areas as Lagos state did.

This crises was engendered by Bola Tinubu. And it will be recalled as well, that Bola Tinubu and Orji Kalu of Abia state were among those with whom there was no love lost between them and the then Preident Olusegun Obasanjo; Those familiar with the pro and cons of this debate will recall that Mr. Bola Tinubu took Mr. Obasanjo and or the federal government to courts over the creation of additional local government areas by Lagos state and Lagos subsequently secured a pyrrhic victory at Supreme Court of Nigeria. Pyrrhic victory because, Nigeria Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lagos state in a very narrow and limited sense and it is quite clear that not many Nigerians are familiar at all, with the specificities of the legal or constitutional “victory” by Lagos State over the federal government.

Lagos state created additional local government areas without bothering to comply with the exactitudes of specifications as laid out and spelled out in section 8 (3)(5) of the constitution of Nigeria 1999. Such creation of additional local government areas is constitutionally void ineffectual, void ab initio, until and unless rectified by Nigeria’s National Assembly and this was not done before the creation, during the creation, after the creation and has still not be done, even after the so-called victory at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The Supreme Court actually spelled out the proper procedure and constitutional methodologies for creating additional local government areas under the relevant sections and subsections of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria. Lagos state has failed, neglected and refused to take any steps to rectify her constitutional lapses. Lagos state has not cured her constitutional blunder. The public misunderstand and misinterprets the “victory” which was awarded to Lagos state by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Governor Tinubu started this constitutional mess and Mr. Tinubu was one of those, who seemed to have enjoyed his confrontational attitudes directed at Mr. Obasanjo and in the process garnered very bad press for Mr. Obasanjo, as Mr. Obasanjo was portrayed as not following or implementing the court “victory” for Lagos state. Lagos state obtained a pyrrhic “victory” which was actually limited to the detained federal allocations and nothing whatsoever to do with resolving the constitutional lapses, noncompliance or even violations by Lagos state. Eventually, both Mr. Tinubu and Mr. Obasanjo terms of office expired in which case, Governor Fashola as chief executive of Lagos state inherited the assets and liabilities of Lagos state just as President YarAdua inherited the assets and liabilities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as the chief executive of our federation.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria never at anytime resolved the constitutional noncompliance, lapses and breaches in favor of Lagos state. The Supreme Court merely stated in their verdict, that the central government had no right to detain Lagos state legal share of federally statutorily allocated revenue based on Lagos state constitutional breaches when Lagos state created the additional 37 additional local government areas, without obeisance to constitutional order. The Supreme Court did not and never at any time, resolved the underlying dispute of the breach of constitution by Lagos state, which is, creating additional local government areas without following constitutional procedural processes.

Our constitution of 1999 does say that all federating states in Nigeria, can initiate creations of additional local government areas, but that, as a precondition for legality, such state or states, must engage in the creation, in consonance and even in concert with the National Assembly. In plain English, it simply means that states can, may or shall have right to create additional local government areas, so long as, such state or states, follow the procedural process of … taking the additional and or subsequent constitutional step, of ensuring that Nigeria’s National Assembly approves of what the states are otherwise authorized to do. It is similar to saying, the president has the right to appoint a minister or ministers and such other members into the executive branch or cabinet… but, with the consultation, approval and consent of the national assembly or just the senate. There is a step A and B or a step 1 and then, 2. Lagos got the first step right, but did not, and never took the constitutionally mandated second step of seeking and obtaining or receiving a rectification by and from the National Assembly.

That is the prologue. Governor Fashola and President YarAdua entered the picture in May 2007 and the new chief executives of Lagos state and our federal republic respectively. Most people probably assumed that the matter was or would be resolved amicably, particularly so, following pronouncements by the president and then, the release of rest of the revenues allocated to Lagos state which were still detained by the federal government at the time. President Obasanjo, following the “victory” by Lagos state had released some of the funds, but not all.

Usually reliable sources, has informed that President YarAdua has written a letter to Governor Fashola, in which the president has urged Lagos state to obey the constitution, because the law is the law. And to this, Governor Fashola is said to have responded Lagos state does not feel nor see the need to reverse the creation of the vexed additional 37 local government areas, which Lagos state now coyly and slyly refer to as Local Council Development Areas or LCDAs as if to skirt the illegalities and unconstitutionalities imbued and still embedded in the creation, arising from the failure, neglect and refusal by Lagos state, then and now, to have sought or now seek, the rectification of the exercise by the National Assembly.

It is understood that Governor Fashola and President YarAdua are in a constitutional duel with huge political implications for Lagos and our entire federation. We all should be concerned, because we know, that when elephants fights, the grass necessarily suffers, bearing the brunt of big falls. An ultimatum is ominous. An ultimatum has issued and 14 days will expire. Will the gladiators and matadors in this constitutional, but politically laden battle reach a compromise? Or would Lagos seek to secede from Nigeria?

President YarAdua is determined to enforce the law and the relevant portions of the constitution of Nigeria pertaining to local government creation and has intimated Lagos state his intentions through the fourteen day ultimatum. I cannot fault the president for seeking to defend our federal constitution. Governor Fashola is said to have responded in intransigence contained in a strongly worded letter to the president that Lagos would not oblige!

Governor Fashola is a lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria or SAN at that… this is the second time in a couple of months, during which I am having to wonder about this fact about a senior lawyer who seem to be always willing to jettison the constitution of Nigerian for whatever is politically expedient! Governor Fashola has to know that the constitution of Nigeria was not followed by Lagos state, when she engaged in the creation of the vexed additional 37 LGAs or what Lagos state now terms LCDAs!

Governor Fashola has to know, ought to know, must know that the Supreme Court of Nigeria did not resolve and never intended to resolve the underlying dispute, which is the unconstitutionality of Lagos state acts, in creating additional local government areas. The Supreme Court made pronouncements only in relation Lagos state right to her statutorily allocated federal revenue. Lagos state should be beseeched by all, implored and urged by all, to seek, immediately, a rectification of the aberrantly created 37 local government areas. This matter can be resolved in a bipartisan manner and amicably.

Our nation does not need a head-on collision between Lagos state and the federal government, such collisions seem imminent and Nigeria does not need such distraction in our public space. There is so much needful things in public policy formulations and implementations crying for the attention of Lagos state and the federal government in every area and every facets of life in Nigeria. There is high rate of unemployment, poverty and hopelessness in the land. A Fashola-YarAdua collision will be a dissipation of energy needed for Nigeria’s progress. After fifty years of political independence, we deserve better!

Nigeria needs and deserves peace, security, prosperity, development and greatness

An Open Letter to Nigerian National Assembly

2009-09-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

Deportations of Nigerians Citizens by Governments Foreign and Domestic
An Open Letter to Nigerian National Assembly
Written by Paul I. Adujie

I write to your honorable selves while shedding actual physical and metaphorical tears.
This is because of the precarious plights and predicaments which our citizens face today. This is especially so, among the poorest citizens and those with disabilities. Nigerians at home and abroad, are literarily catching hell from “deportations” Our fellow citizens, are mostly, free of sins and infractions, and yet, they are roundly maltreated by various governments, including our very own federal, state, municipal and other subdivisions of our Nigerian government. And have really come to unfortunate crescendos in Lagos and Kaduna states.

Recently, I became aware of the kidnapping, bundling and dumping of Nigerian citizens, who are afflicted with one disability or the other, including destitution and abject poverty. Nigerian citizens with disabilities, who resort to meager subsistence through requests for alms or street begging, have in recent time bore the brunt of poor public policies, ineptitudes and sheer moral bankruptcies by various strata or levels of the Nigerian governments.

First, it was the government of Lagos state led by Governor Fashola, who though, a senior lawyer, saw it fit to engage in the thrashing of our constitution, with his illegal order to “deport” Nigerian citizens resident in Lagos by choice. Lagos “deported” these Nigerian citizens to Ogun, Oshun, Oyo and Kaduna states. At the time, I expressed the hope that Nigeria’s distinguished National Assembly would take this matter up as a matter of urgent national importance, upon which a threat to national unity and national security could ensue. These “deportations” by Lagos state were well publicized, and I had in good faith hinged my hope upon the fact that our National Assembly would have noticed the unsavory incident because of the publicity, controversies and complaints which attended it.
Here is an excerpt of the news reports “Lamenting on the exercise, some of the destitute who claimed to be indigenes of Kaduna State, said that they have been living in Kano Road Mosque for the past 30 years before they were provided with the Centre eight years ago after the Mosque was burnt during the last crisis in the state. Besides, a cripple who also claimed to be an indigene of the state, Mustapha Abubakar, said they participated in the campaign for the in 2007” The above makes it clear that the actions of Lagos and Kaduna are fraught with dangers. One of the “deportees” from Kaduna actually insists that he is from Kaduna state and had in fact, been a campaigner for Governor Sambo! Additionally, it is the news, in the excerpted parts, that some of these Nigerian citizens were actual residents of Kaduna state for more than thirty years! By any standard, these Nigerians have expressed and demonstrated their preferred state of resident, as Nigerians, for over thirty years!

Lagos state as I feared, have set a most unfortunate precedent! Lagos state has set the pace in constitutional backwardness and retrogression of Nigeria’s national unity efforts. And sadly, Kaduna has joined these backwards and retrograde actions which are a whack in the face of preachment of unity in diversity. State governors are now spearheading the clannishness and ethic separations. State chief executives are now emphasizing distinctions between Nigerian citizenship and state citizenship? State political leaders are creating and enforcing state of origin, and the vexatious indigene versus settler dichotomies, which is what led to the intractable internecine crises in Plateau and other states in the past.

The latest news from Nigeria is that, Governor Alhaji Mohammed Namadi Sambo of Kaduna state, has also engaged in the illegal and barbaric act of “deporting” Nigerian citizens to Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa states etc! My information is made even sadder by the fact that Lagos and Kaduna states respectively, have used a “means-test” in implementing their dastardly actions against our fellow citizens. First, the actions were taken because Nigerian citizens in question are citizens with disabilities. Secondly, another basis of these “deportations” was that these Nigerian citizens are unemployed and poor. But how could any subdivision of our government do this, in particular, given the fact that there is currently rampant and pervasive graduate unemployment in Nigeria. Would Lagos and Kaduna states resort to deporting unemployed college graduates soon?

Governor Fashola of Lagos state and Governor Sambo of Kaduna state, respectively, should be sanctioned and censured by all and in particular, by Nigeria’s National Assembly. As a matter of fact, I rather surprised that our National Assembly has not weighed in and waded into this matter. The political leaders of Lagos and Kaduna have earned our collective rebukes and reprimands for their ill-treatments of Nigerian citizens.

I am a Nigerian by birth, in blood and in full spirit. But I live and work in New York City, and for that, Americans call me and regard me as a New Yorker, and it worries me to think that I have more rights in New York City, in the United States, than fellow Nigerian citizens in Lagos and Kaduna, just because they suffer abject poverty and physical disabilities, and so, Lagos and Kaduna, instead of seeking to protect the weakest and powerless in our society, Lagos and Kaduna actually determined that it is good public policy to settle political squabble with their political opponents, on the backs and at the expense, of our society’s most vulnerable citizens? What has become of my beloved country?

Why must Lagos and Kaduna states be allowed to play ping-pong with our citizens with disabilities? Why must Lagos, Kaduna, and other states which are likely to follow these bad examples, be allowed to think they can settle political scores with, perhaps the federal government, through the maltreatment of our most defenseless citizens? Would Lagos and Kaduna attempt to “deport” Iwuchukwu, Dangote or Adenuga? We all understand that 100 Senior Advocates of Nigeria would line up to freely defend these millionaires!

The extent of refinement of the Nigerian human condition, will be measured and determined by, what we do as a society, as a nation, to our citizens with disabilities; our citizens without abundant financial and material means. Hence our treatment of the most defenseless and must vulnerable amongst our citizenry. And these are the citizens being deported now, by Lagos and Kaduna and whatever state cares to join these wayward trailblazer states

It is my view that our home government, as any responsible government, should flinch and squirm, and then rouse to action, even if staggers sometimes, anytime there is news of a Nigerian suffering, anywhere on earth. Our government should spare no efforts in protecting and preserving our country, and our citizens, at home and abroad. It is doubly troubling, that Nigerians are being “deported” within Nigeria and our federal government has not as much made a statement, to admonish, advice, rebuke or explain, why these “deportations” are illegal, unconstitutional or otherwise. I take the view that there is a need for clarifications as to whether or not, states and political subdivisions in Nigeria can, without probable or just cause, summarily extinguish a Nigerian citizen’s choice of state or locale of residence? The Nigerian National Assembly should rouse the executive branch of government, by summoning the Internal Affairs Minister, the Attorney General of the Federation as well, as the governors of Lagos and Kaduna states respectively.

There is the other matter of Nigerians facing trials, in various legal troubles, including deportation. I am quite aware that Nigeria is doing better now, than we did in the past, when Nigerians outside of our shores face legal troubles, as it happens to citizens and other immigrants in countries where Nigerians may reside. And Nigerians are, and Nigerians can be found in every country on earth these days, thanks to comatose and porous economy. All representatives of Nigeria abroad, should be acculturated and schooled to understand that Nigerians facing legal troubles are innocent until proven guilty, even upon proof of guilt, such Nigerian citizens remain Nigerians first and foremost, and extricating Nigerians in legal mess remains a core obligation. It is not the duty of our representatives in Foreign Service, to join, collaborate or collude in the diminishments of any Nigerian, under any circumstances! On this point, there is a lot, and a great deal of improvement which is necessary, and perhaps, we can borrow a learning leaf, from Mexico and other countries, who vigorously and robustly advocate the causes of their citizens, whether they murderers, or they have simply cross the borders illegally. Nigeria should no longer harshly judge, maltreat and humiliated Nigerian citizens who endure humiliations and double misfortunes of deportations from abroad. This is particularly so, in a tight labor market everywhere, which may lead to a spike in the deportation rates from different parts of the world.

I will also like to use this medium to invite the Nigerian National Assembly, our august legislative body, to permanently concern itself, with the fortunes and misfortunes of all Nigerians, and in this regard, Nigerians who are in economic dire straits. Nigerians who may out these sorts of economic hardships, sufferings and desperations, embark on foolhardy dangerous death defying deserts and oceans crossing, in, the too often vain hope, of a better life outside Nigeria. There are Nigerian young girls, who are reportedly beaten, raped and sexually abused all over Europe where these young girls voluntarily and involuntarily prostitutes themselves as the only non-choice choice or only game in town for survival.

I reckon that members of the Nigerian National Assembly are mightily worried over the plights and predicaments of Nigerians at home and abroad, but in particular, the plight and predicaments of Nigerian citizens with disabilities, who are not facing the brunt of bad public policies recently enunciated by Lagos and Kaduna states respectively. Even though I am a private citizen of Nigeria, here, in far away New York City, it worries me, each time I read about our society’s seeming cavalier treatment reserved for Nigerian citizens with disabilities and Nigerians who are poor, whose personal economic pressures and even misfortunes have compelled to Libya, Italy, Ireland, France and everywhere in between, where Nigerians are found these day. Places where a great number of Nigerians suffer in dungeons, or the fringes of host societies. Places where some of them get deported to Nigeria, with empty pockets and broken and or dead dreams!

There are many reasons why Nigerians live overseas these days; many of these reasons are non-choice sorts of reasons. Then imagine a Nigerians who lives abroad almost involuntarily, who then gets deported back to Nigeria, also, involuntarily?

Mass migrations by Nigerians whether to Libya or Europe and beyond is connected with Boko Haram and prostitution by young Nigerian women in Europe, and graduate unemployment and beggars and destitution in Nigeria---poverty, poverty, not of resources or materials, but instead, poverty of ideas! Nigeria in fact has abundant human and material resources for all Nigerians. Nigerians and Nigeria ought not to be mentioned in the same sentence!

Has our moral fiber so degenerated? It is my strong belief that our National Assembly should and make pronouncements on these matters otherwise the actions of Lagos and Kaduna are mere harbinger of worse things to come… Nigeria is entering a slippery slope of national disintegration. These first steps, are outrageously devaluing the meaning and worth of our national citizenship. These discriminations could come in larger proportions.

I call on the Nigerian National Assembly to as a matter national priority and in utmost urgency, to examine the recent spate of “deportations” of Nigerian citizens, by Lagos and Kaduna state governments respectively. Our National Assembly should as well, scrutinize the treatment, including the meting out of the capital punishments or the death penalty to tens of Nigerian citizens by Libya. Nigeria should put every country and the entire world on notice, that the lives of Nigerians are valuable. Protecting and preserving the lives, rights and properties of Nigerian citizens of every social strata is job number one for the National Assembly, and in fact for every level of the Nigerian government

This means that defenseless abjectly poor Nigerian citizens with disabilities should no longer be treated like used furniture. On the other hand in the foreign policy front, Nigeria should hold any and every country accountable and responsible for how such country treat or maltreat Nigerian citizens, and such, should be considered, contemplated and deliberated in Nigeria’s diplomatic, economic, trade and strategic relationship with any and every country worldwide. Nigerians matters, Nigerians, rich, abjectly poor and even with disabilities, are why Nigeria matters!

Please Google:
1. Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined NOW! (published in August 2009)

2. Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined (published in June 2004)
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/paul-adujie/nigerian-citizenship-should-be-redefined-now.html
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS339US339&q=nigerian+citizenship+should+be+redefined+adujie&aq=0p&oq=Nigerian+Citizensh&aqi=g-p3g3g-m1

Obama Dared By Israel’s Toxic Arrogance!

2009-09-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Obama Dared By Israel’s Toxic Arrogance!

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Remain Adamant On Jewish Settlements Expansions. He is recalcitrant and unrepentant even in the face of findings by the United Nations and polite entreaties from the United States.

Recently, Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, angered American and Palestinian negotiators by saying that 450 previously planned housing units in Jewish settlements on the West Bank should be built, despite demands for a complete building freeze by the United States, the United Nations and lovers of peace worldwide

Even as I write this, The New York Times reported that “Israeli officials on Wednesday bluntly dismissed one of the main recommendations of the United Nations fact-finding mission’s report on the three-week war in Gaza last winter: a call for the Israeli government to begin an independent investigation of “serious violations” of international humanitarian and human rights law, including evidence of war crimes, during the military campaign.”

The world should want to know why Israel defies everyone, as of Israel is above the law and above reproach? Not even the United Nations is spared Israel disrespect and disregard, as she continues to belligerent and resort to bellicose tones when prodded to be accountable and held responsible for her harsh and even brutal actions directed at Palestine!

And this week, I was reading an advert place in the current copy of The New Republic Magazine, in it, supporters of Israel excoriated Palestine, as they attempted to justify Israel’s intransigence in the Palestine – Israel peace process. A particular term was deployed by these Israel supporters more than once; it caught my attention because it is very revealing of the pervasive mindsets and attitudes which have made peace impossible in the Middle East. The vexatious term was this, “allow” these supporters of Israel wrote that. Binyamin Netanyahu is willing to “allow” the creation or establishment of Palestine nation to coexist, side by side with Israel! An individual, the prime minister of Israel, will “allow” the creation or establishment of a nation?
The New Republic also published an article ”Back to Reality” by one Shmuel Rosner who in an excerpt here state “Earlier this week, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced his intention to “establish a de facto state apparatus within the next two years.” On the face of it, his plan sounds quite detached from reality, eliciting guffaws from Israeli politicians such as Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who said that "[t]here is no place for unilateral actions.” The plan ignores “a central component of the framework in which Fayyad himself is permitted to function, and from which he derives his own authority,” warned Alan Baker, a former legal adviser to Israel’s foreign ministry.” There is a clear disdain and utter contempt for Palestinians by the Israelis!

Anyone who cares about human rights, justice and peace, would have to read these and be in tears, as it the statement is clearly indicative of the state of affairs in geopolitical power play, and in this case, between Palestine, the clear underdog, and Israel, which plays the role of the hawk, the hyena and lion of the Middle East. Reading that arrogant statement about “allowing” the creation or establishment of the nation of Palestine laid bare, the contempt, disdain and complete disregard which Israel and her load supporters reserves for Palestine, and by extension, all Arabs!

Reading the statement led me to wonder why it should be up to Binyamin Netanyahu (merely just an individual person) or Israel, merely one nation, to “allow” the creation, establishment and existence of another nation? Palestine will be the national corporate entity of the peoples of Palestine, an independent nation with political, economic independence, and with territorial integrity!

But part of the “conditions” being “generously offered” by Binyamin Netanyahu, as announced by these supporters of Israel, is that Palestine will be demilitarized! In plain English, Palestine, the only version Israel and her supporters can live with will, and must be a Palestine without an army or arms and ammunitions. I am personally against the squander of public resources on arms and armaments .However, I will rather that such decisions are left to individual nations. And perhaps, Israel, and her supporters, will have to defer to Palestinians on such matters. Added to this already unreasonable preconditions by Israel, is the added acid to an open wound, as Israel adamantly insist on pushing ahead with settlement expansions on Palestine territories against the wishes of the whole world. Israel persists in land-grabs even as Israel pretend interest in peaceful coexistence with Palestine and Arabs.

Clearly, the road to peace between Palestine and Israel cannot be paved with dictations from Israel to Palestine. The continuing land grabs by Israel is illegal, unreasonable and quite counterproductive to peace efforts by all.

There is tremendous arrogance on the part of Israel and her supporters. The arrogance displayed in stated conditions, are so toxic in their strengths and capacity to derail any peace overtures. These are industrial strength toxic arrogance on the part of Israel and her supporters. It must be understood that these unreasonable preconditions such as enumerated above, are sure to derail any peace talks with anyone, Palestinians, Albanians or Congolese!

In July 2009 Obama lectured and scolded Africans and peoples of African descent in Accra Ghana and New York City respectively, in Accra, where he addressed the parliament of Ghana, and then, in New York City while he addressed the national of NAACP. Strangely, Obama applauded by panoply of strange bedfellows, replete with a combination of racists, ultra conservatives and revisionists, all of whom latched onto Obama’s inappropriate ill-considered speech. They were all excited because Obama was carrying their mantle. And giving disrespectful disparaging speeches, these racists and conservatives would like to deliver to us, except that they know that we would promptly call them out on it!

In July as now, I disagreed vehemently with those who excused Obama’s inappropriate speech with spurious illogicality by arguing that Obama was merely demonstrating “Tough Love” or alternatively, Obama was telling his continental Africans and peoples of African descent, a so-called “Bitter-Truths”! I was accused of quibbling then and I will remark now, that Obama does not have the political spine to tell Jews and or Israel to zip it! This week, it came to pass only barely a month after I quibbled to the chagrin of some; Mr. Benyamin Netanyahu the current prime minister of Israel has in one full-swoop turned the already fragile-volatile and tentative Israel –Palestine moribund or comatose peace initiative of the Obama administration asunder! Netanyahu has, in flagrant disregard for the desires of the Obama guys, to eschew the continued expansion of settlement upon Palestine territories which is still occupied by Israel, announced that building permits are granted and thereby guarantees the continued boon to the expansion of settlements on the land-grabbed from Palestine by Israel!

Obama does not have the political nerve or political capital with which to compel American Jews and their client-protégé, Benyamin, to tow the line of the fragile peace “talks” which were being brokered by the Obama’s administration between Palestine and Israel in particular, and Jews and Arabs in general. There is this very tempting urge to now say, oh yes, I told you so! Where is Obama’s so-called “Tough-Love and Bitter Truths”? When it comes to Benyamin and Israel in reference to Palestine lands and rights?

Where Is Obama’s Tough Love and Bitter Truth For Israel? Where is truth in diplomacy? These questions are relevant here again as they were earlier this summer. Obama’s lectures and scolding of Africans and peoples of African descent, first in Accra Ghana Obama’s bully pulpit and the second time was, while he addressed the centennial of the premier Civil Rights Organization, the NAACP in New York City.

I was badgered by critics who insisted that Obama was merely telling Africans and peoples of African descent, the bitter truth and in the process, he was showing tough love to representatives of the communities he addressed in Accra Ghana and New York City in the United States, respectively. I argued then, as I will now, that Obama does not have the gravitas to scold, lecture and shame others, and Jews and Israel in particular, the way he had, to with the Africans and peoples of African descent.

The Obama administration have during the past several months, offered polite entreaties and all manners of ego massages with diplomatic finesse for political leaders in Israel, beseeching Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister, not to approve or encourage expansion of settlements in Palestine territories occupied by Israel. When will these benign entreaties yield way to bitter truths and tough love for Israel? Perhaps, when Abbas, Netanyahu and Obama meet in New York City soon?

Regardless of all of Obama’s best efforts, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have just approved the expansion and upward multiplications of more settlements upon Palestine territories. This action is inimical to the peace process and Israel, which is usually loudest as the side with peace overtures and peace offensive, are again yanking the chains of the peace process. This intransigence flies in the face efforts which are being made by many sides to the Arab-Israeli peace process. Perennially, Palestine have been deftly portrayed by Israel, and pro-Israel groups, as being to blame for continued failure of the intractable dispute between Israel and Palestine, and to some extent, the entire Arab world.

Obama Is Not An American!

2009-09-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

Obama Is Not American!

By Paul I. Adujie

In 2007, events in the United States moved me to wonder publicly, whether race relations were actually getting worse as opposed to, progressing? I asked then and I ask again now, whether “Race Relations Is Regressing in America? What with the return to slavery era language? What with a return to tactics of that ignominious era? Brandishing of weapons, guns, knives, fire, fists, clubs, stones and the pinning of mustache on Obama to portray his as fascist and even as Adolf Hitler?

Last Saturday, crowds of mostly racists, illiterates and bigots besieged Washington D.C. in their thousands. And they chanted USA, USA, USA, they claimed that they are the “real” Americans; self-proclaimed “Nativists” who were saying that this is a matter of self-preservation, against socialists and communists, arguments cloaked in identical façade during battles against slavery and segregation when racists claimed that they were trying to preserve their race or its “purity” They mostly spoke in code words often used by racists and xenophobes. Those Minuteman types, who never worry about terrorists coming into the USA through Canada, as have been the case, but, they rather paranoid about hardworking immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Racism, bigotry and prejudice is written all over the current attacks against President Obama, by these chortling crowd.

This is all about Obama’s color! Some Americans are labeling President Obama Adolf Hitler, Al Quieda sympathizer, a September 11, 2002 hijacker, an advocate of Eugenics, a Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro identical policy twin! Ignorant protesters with a herd mentality, they are so illiterate, so much so, they confuse feudal Russia with Czars, with communists who overthrew the feudalists! So that the appointment of czars (heads of government agency) to enforce policies is synonymous with the introduction of communism into America by Obama, so that, transport czar, internet security czar and narcotics enforcement czar, are all harbingers of the onset of communism into America through Obama!

The protesters were mostly nuts and simpletons, who are being choreographed by the inanities of political handlers and some ratings conscious members of the so-called mainstream media, who are milking the advertised idiocies of these nuts, for high ratings. There are willful exploitation of these multitudes of illiterate Americans by Machiavelli like politicians and journalists, who are polarizing the American populace for monetary benefits. President Obama is falsely accused of planning to confiscate privately owned properties of individual Americans as well as planning to impose Islam on unsuspecting Christians in America.

Since the presidential campaign in 2008 during which the term “real Americans and real America” was made a recurring term by that incongruously ignorant Sarah Palin of small town, in Alaska, it has become a euphemism for those with the nonsensical conspiracy theory regarding whether or not Obama is ineligible to be elected or to have been elected president of the United States. Those conspiracy theorists, better known as “conspi-racists” for their “conspi-racism”, have become so loud, and they are also now, alternately referred to as the “birthers”

Harsh racial politics of South Carolina is historical. A South Carolina Congressman once brought a cane to whip state of Massachusetts US Senator Charles Sumner, on the almost to death because Sumner was an abolitionist, and an advocate for the end to slavery… and all this happened on the floor of the US Congress.

In proper perspectives therefore, historically, South Carolina, has been perennially backward, in racial matters… it is no surprise that Joe Wilson, the “Con-gressman” for SC would, on the floor of the US Congress shout-down President Obama, in Wilson most outrageous manner. South Carolina is also one of the states in the South, which still proudly hoist the “Con-federate” flag… which celebrates confederacy, with all its pungent putrid history of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws and institutional racism etc

On the floor of the US Congress, the following statements were made by US Congressman James Henry Hammond

"All this leave one to wonder what would happen next, would South Carolina and their fellow con-federates with shared racism seek secession from the United States as they did in the past? A South Carolina Congressman, James Henry Hammond once said, “Although I am perfectly satisfied that no human process can elevate the black man to an equality with the white - admitting that it could be done – are we prepared to face the consequences which then must follow? Are the people of the North prepared to … place their political power on equality with their own? Are we prepared to see them mingling in our legislatures? Is any portion of this country prepared to see them enter these halls and take their seats by our sides, in the perfect equality with the white representatives of an Anglo-Saxon race – to see them fill that chair – to see them placed at the heads of your Departments; or to see, perhaps, some Othello, or Toussaint, or Boyer, gifted with the genius and inspired by ambition, grasp the presidential wreath, and wield the destinies of this great republic? From such a picture I turn with irrepressible disgust”

This was hundred of moons ago. We all thought that these sorts of mindsets and racists attitudes were behind us” But no!

There is so much idiocy going on in America these days. Racism is alive and well, but it now too often wears fine clothes and expresses itself in impeccable grammar wrapped in robust syntax. These season of unreason and idiocies by racists, (and their facilitators) have been exacerbated in recent times, as more and more racists are expressing their crude umbrages because a man with darker hues, unusual and unknown in the “traditions” of the Oval Office, in the presidential building of the United States, which is also known as the White House. Why would any sane American compare President Obama to Adolf Hitler? It is the case that Obama has been called Marxist, fascist, socialist, communist and his upper lip adorned with a mustache reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s mustache, how egregious!

Many American racists are obviously pained and sorely disappointed by the fait accompli of having, this colored-man at the helms of political affairs, in the United States! Who would have thunk-it?! That there is a biracial man, who now parades himself as president of the United States! What has the world turned to? And they seem to hide and seek refuge in the open, with their base racists commentaries against Obama, even as the cast themselves as being merely interested in critical examinations of Obama’s public policies.

These strident and most vociferous critics are no critics at all; they are really bigoted attackers of President Obama. Their racial prejudices cannot be concealed, despite their most ostentatious efforts at obfuscating their real motives and intents, in all of this. What does any reasonable person make of those who remain adamant and persistent insistence, in their conspiracy theories regarding President Obama’s place of birth and religious adherence? ” Despite incontrovertible evidence, and available facts, the Birthers” continues to assert that Mr. Obama was not born in the United States! And clearly, this is an attack as to his qualification to be president of the United States. If these shenanigans were merely at the fringes of public debate and the American society, it would have been easy to dismiss it.

But, when so-called journalist such as Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and many more on the television, are continually and continuously giving pedestals and podiums for psychotic debates about Obama’s citizenship and religion, the prejudice and bigotry rises to a din and uncomfortable decibels. These persons are using the same sorts of language and crudity, which propels anti abortion protesters to murders and maiming of innocent people, and their facilitators and those who spur them to violence are then quick to feign a lack of responsibility, when violence ensues from their useless rhetoric which they spew for profits!

Tea Party, Freedom Works, Lou Dobbs of CNN, Ann Coulter, Glen Beck and his 9/12 Project and now, Congressman Joe Wilson, have demeaned and denigrated the president of the United States in terms and manners not seen since the 1800s. And were harm to befall Obama, these folks here who are endorsing idiocies and outrageous behaviors now, even if endorsing only coyly and in some cases, tacitly, would pretend unawareness of logical consequences that are now apparent and clearly foreseeable, as outgrowth of the poisons which the are currently peddling in the media

President Obama inherited two foreign wars, and a third war at home, here in the US, the wrecked economy, with attendant joblessness and frayed nerves, were the doings of Obama’s predecessor. Former President Bush burned billions of dollars, a trillion dollars and counting, in foreign wars, in his wrong-header policies and pursuit of phantom terror wars. And Obama is not even at the deck for 8 months and he is being blamed for the mess which he inherited!

Attackers of President Obama rallied in Washington D.C this past weekend, and their pronouncements, their placards, their composition, their sponsors, organizers all point to the unsavory motives of the rally and the participants. The rally was not about Health Care Reform or about any public policy. But instead, it is clear that they were motivated by vile and hatred. Just imagine those who picked quarrels with the present speech to students who were returning to school. This president is not the first to have given pep-talk to American youngsters. However, some racial baiters and racial racketeers, found it fit to suggest that President Obama was in the process on introducing their children to socialism, communism etc. They accused the president of the United States of planning to indoctrinate their children, and these magnificently ignorant attackers of the president, chose to withdraw their children and wards from school, as if the president was visiting schools, oozing with contagious diseases, maybe Swine-Flu?

I think it should be clear that the undertones of this “revolt” against President Obama’s pep-talk to American school kids, was an unstated retort, “I do not want this Negro to indoctrinate my children into socialism and theories about wealth redistribution; My child should not have to hear anything this Negro has to say” The truth of the matter is, even for those who disagree with Obama, can agree that he has the antecedents which makes him a good example or role-model for children everywhere! And I do not understand why any parent would tell a child not to listen to such a compelling example? Or why the fixation of about risks children being indoctrinated by the president. This is all about total disrespect and devaluing the presidency because of the individual who now occupies the position. There are concerted efforts to demean the current occupant of the White House.

Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, brought this to the surface last Wednesday, when he behaved like a thug in the hallowed halls of the US Congress, he shouted epithets at the Negro who is parading as president of the United States!

There are, sadly, too many Americans, whose patience have been tested in the past several months, tested by the singular fact of having to call a man with a natural tan, the president of the United States! The events have been unfolding in sequence. There are those who have argued forcefully that Obama was not born in the United States, and that if he is an American citizen at all, he does not qualify, as a matter of constitutional law, to hold the presidency, as a matter of law, only citizens by birth, and not by naturalization or registration, qualify, to be elected president of the United States.

Then, there were those who were so affronted and miffed, at the prospect of this Negro and charlatan, posturing as president of the United States, and using such “false” claims, as pedestal, podium or platform to teach American children about anything! Not even a Pep talk about how to succeed against all odds? And certainly not about personal hygiene in foreboding possible Swine-Flu! Don’t you talk to my kid! No Negro talks to my kid or tells my kid how life works, never! Say the racists. And just when you were convinced that the birthers and their ilk are deranged conspiracy theorists, mostly at the fringes of the American society, a confederate soldier showed up and bared his fangs in the hallowed halls of the US Congress, he disgracefully, unabashedly and shamelessly interrupted the president mid-speech to the nation, on prime television no less, while the world watched!

You may not be as rattled as some of us are about this sequence s of events. But please be reminded that Obama was mentioned in the same sentence with guns and assassinations during the presidential campaigns in the United States in 2008. Kindly be further advised, that the Health Care Reform debates have been hijacked by persons who have demonstrated vehemence beyond impolite and cantankerous hectoring-heckling of anyone a scintilla of support for any health care reform measure.

There have been occasions when some opponents of the reforms have felt the “need” to show up with weapons at Town-Hall meetings or such other venues, just to add toxins and “gunpowder” to the needful health care reform debate. All sorts of bizarre extremisms have been employed by attackers of Obama’s Health Care Reform, among which is the falsehood, that the contemplated reforms, includes Death Panels, which would summarily decide who lives and who dies, as features of the reform rules.

We have witnessed the theatrics of the so-called Tea Party or anti tax opponents of President Obama. It has become clear, if gradually, that there is a taint and tinge beyond the pale, all these cloaked attacks on President Obama, even though many a racists still pretend to have finesse and freedom of expression sheaths, over their racially sharpened swords.

The opposition by these racists, steeped in their resentment, in having to “endure” the tenure of a president, whose color operates as an unmitigated shock to their intelligence. Congressman Wilson impulsive outbursts is proof, that racism directed at Obama since his election, is not isolated, nor should it be dismissed infinitesimal or inconsequential chatter by those in the political fringes of the American society. Those in the business of protecting President Obama should become robust and rigorous in his security and safety precautionary measures. Mr. Obama’s security team are now sufficiently on notice, that there are those in the United States, who would do Obama harm, physically, if Obama’s security detail slips.

All these are clearly indicative of the fact that racism remains an albatross around the neck of the United States. We only need to just look at the “Tea-Bagers” pretend Tea Parties, then The “Birthers” Con-gressman Joe Wilson outrageous outbursts and now, these marchers consisting of one peculiar hue; even as they wrap themselves in their CON-federate flag… what does all this tell us?

Only last week, we all witnessed the silliness of those who did not want President Obama to give their children pep talk about how to stay in school and succeed in life against all odds. Some clearly did not want their children to listen to whatever that “Negro” has to say!

I will have to assume that everyone can see clearly now, that we do not as yet, live in a color-blind society! Or live in the nonsense which some call a post-racial society, especially, since President Obama’s election!

Racists are alive and well, and sadly, in huge numbers!

During this tumultuous week, the only speech to which its listeners did not behave like a bunch of children was actually the speech by Obama to school kids. This was quite unlike the speech to the US Congress which met unsavory reactions, such reactions, as from those who mechanically clapped, or stopped clapping midway or the Joe Wilson outrageous outbursts as he castigated the president a liar!

The Sanusi Sanitization of Banking in Nigeria A Great Clean Up?

2009-09-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Sanusi Sanitization of Banking in Nigeria A Great Clean Up?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

All Nigerians should answer a few questions in connection with the spate of actions by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; are Nigerian Bankers on trial Innocent or is Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Is Wrong on his sanitization drive?

And while at it, all Nigerians should also endeavor to answer a few more questions regarding the pandemic of corruption. Who should fight corruption in Nigeria and how? Who exactly qualifies to fight corruption neutrally and freely, without having to face fluid charges of selective prosecution, witch-hunting and vindictiveness or economic- political intimidations of targeted enemies; sectionalism, regionalism and nepotism etc? Who?

There was a time in our recent history, when Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a lawyer, police officer and chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was castigated as a protégé of then President Olusegun Obasanjo and labeled irreparably, as a mere agent or even political thug, who hot-pursued only Mr. Obasanjo’s political enemies who also doubled as his opponents in the fight to occupy Nigeria’s political prime space. Imagine Tafa Balogun, the former Inspector General of Police as one of Olusegun Obasanjo’s political enemy? In the end, Ribadu was emasculated and demeaned out of the chairpersonship the EFCC and out of the Nigerian Police establishment. Some people remain deeply suspicious of, even Nuhu Ribadu’s best efforts while at the helms of the EFCC. But from my standpoint on Nigeria, the emasculation of Nuhu Ribadu emasculated all of us Nigerians!

In essence, endless attempts to fight corruption in Nigeria have always encountered this turgid reform resistance army of the corrupt and powerful. There is a persisting and recurrent attitude of distrust among Nigerians. And every leadership initiatives have suffered and borne the brunt of this attitude. Many Nigerians did not trust Muhamadu Buhari and his late brother, Tunde Idiagbon, in the duo’s fight against corruption and decadence in Nigeria. Hence the duo, were popular only briefly, and suddenly became too unpopular, just before the gap-toothed man with a mansion on the hills of Minna overthrew Buhari/Idiagbon in a self-serving, self-preservation coup. Nigerians can even recall that before Buhari/Idiagbon, there was Murtala Mohammed, an imperfect man by all accounts, a man who sought to tackle corruption head on as well, before he was gunned down by evil forces. Nigerians and Nigeria have always been or appear to be at the very cusp of the war against corruption, and then, a quick return to the epicenter and deeper closer to the precipice of corruption evil Armageddon, perennially foist upon Nigeria by those who do not mean well for Nigeria’s progress, development and advancement.

The synopsis of all efforts at eradicating and eliminating corruption from Nigeria clearly indicate that all such efforts have been met with vigorous resistance by the corrupt and very powerful segment of the Nigerian population. It does appear from these foregoing paragraphs Nigerians have managed to have rejected every corruption fighter, who had appeared on out corruption fighting stage, as imperfect. By default, we have, in unison determined that previous actors so far, were not qualified or competent or perfect enough, to fight our battles with corruption? Are Nigerians about to be misled into rejecting Sanusi Lamido sanusi, without careful and somber examination and consideration? Are Nigerians about to reject Governor Sanusi, yet another current fighter of corruption, the national albatross and nemesis of our national development advancement? Is history about to repeat itself in our fight against corruption in Nigeria again? Even despite our professed determination to rid Nigeria of corruption? Is our proclaimed hatred for corruption and corrupt persons really genuine? Or why do we seem to always rally-around those who make corruption in Nigeria wreath-large as chokehold on our necks? Our national developmental necks! Why do some of us always seem to find excuses for the corrupt instead of solid support for those who fight corruption?
Many commentators were miffed and expressed displeasures against Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, when he sought to streamline banking, through recapitalization. His efforts led to family-fronts which, in the past paraded as banks or financial institutions in Nigeria, merge into, consolidate, arguably into more viable and sustainable banks, with capital and size, comparable to banks in other nations. Soludo’s solutions were imperfect. Soludo is, even now being accused of cover-ups, collusion with banks for personal benefits and conflicts of interests etc. These allegations, if proven, should be condemned by all.

Now, enters Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who sees banking in Nigeria as different from the way his predecessor CBN governor saw it. This is the same Lamido Sanusi, who upon being appointed, was quickly portrayed as someone who could not run even a chicken farm effectively-efficiently, and Sanusi was quickly portrayed by some, as incapable and incompetent and quite unlike his predecessor, an acclaimed or vaunted professor of economics! Some created the impression that the banking skies would fall in Nigeria, if someone such as Sanusi is appointed to run the Central Bank of Nigeria!

I thought Soludo’s consolidation idea was a good one, base primarily on my knowledge of banking in Nigeria. As I was aware the fact that too many individual families were forming personal entities which did not deserved to bear the toga, bank. Such banks were notoriously lacking in sound solid capital base. Therefore, demanding increase in their capitalization or nudging them into conglomerates in mergers and acquisitions, was not entirely a bad idea in the circumstances.

At the time I had written, supporting the action “Crying And Bleeding For Bankers And Banks In Nigeria?” This was my opinion about the consolidation exercise, which I was critical of banking practices in Nigeria. There is vindication now, in seeing the charges against bank executives who were merely extensions of some families. And families and friends received loans without collateralizations! Nigeria’s economy was left holding the empty bag, and fraudulent bag. In “Crying And Bleeding For Bankers And Banks In Nigeria?” I asked and wondered aloud, why Nigerian banks never invested in education through loans to students in colleges, universities and other tertiary institutions. And further, why, Nigerian banks never invest in agriculture and food production, through loans to farmers and investors in agriculture and food production. And oh why, Nigerian banks never spur industrial development through loans to investors in Small and Medium Enterprises. Why Nigerian banks never engage in the profitable practice of micro-financing, considering the high levels of abject poverty in the land of 150 million people? But instead, Nigerian banks have, for the most part and in the main, specialized in the sale of foreign exchange and quick profits, without actual banking services to both the public and private sectors!

The falsities and frauds which are now being uncovered are responsible for the lack of capacity utilization in the Nigerian economy. And only recently, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) complained publicly, about how Nigerian banks are not helping matters of spurring economic development and progress through the infusion of needed resources into action production base of our economy. Clearly, MAN is in position to know, because their members are in the manufacturing sector of Nigeria’s economy. And the world now knows, through Lamido Sanusi’s sanitizations, that Nigerians banks have not demonstrated good faith in the economy, nor shown any of their interests in our development outcomes. But, we told you so! There were those who attacked me and defended Nigerian bankers against my article some years ago. But the numerous charges against several bank executives now prove the point we sought to make then and now.
Several bank executives and other bankers, have been alleged to have engaged in “Granting loans to many others without adequate collateral contrary to the provisions of Failed Bank (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Bank Act, Cap F2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and other offences punishable under the same law. According to EFCC, the offences are contrary to and punishable under Sections 28 (3) and 50 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) CAP B3, Laws of Nigeria, 2004.”

Or “Failed to keep proper books of accounts and classification of commercial papers as contingent liabilities of his bank ” A particular bank chief was alleged to have engaged in misconduct as “He was also accused of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the correctness of the bank’s monthly return to CBN from October 2008 to May 2009.”

Several other ranking banking leaders, were similarly accused as follows, “The seven non-executive directors and members of Board of Directors of Intercontinental Bank, who were the third set to be arraigned on 18 count charges, were accused of colluding with the former managing director, Akingbola (now at large), to grant various credit running into over N36 billion to companies, in which they are also directors without security.”

The list of charges goes on and on, such as the fact that “They were also accused of taking $10,000 as holiday allowance in contravention of the code of conduct for banks issued by CBN.” And further that “The bank directors were further accused of ensuring that the balance sheet of Intercontinental Bank did not give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the bank with regards to the non-performing credit amounting to N87.6 billion.”

I am horrified petrified by these damning revelations above and I am left to wonder whether most Nigerians, including the public commentators and journalists, who have published opinions so far, are paying close attention to all the facts and sundry allegations against these several Nigerian bankers who are facing criminal charges? Have they examined the nature, the extent and magnitude of damage to our economy and far reaching ramifications being alleged by the prosecutors? And whether our focus should not be why it should matter to us all, and matter deeply, the truth of these charges? If these charges are true and proven, it will be clear to us all, why our economy has been terminally ill and comatose!

Why are some Nigerians focused on ancillary and extraneous issues? Mrs. Ibru’s fine and robust skin was mauled by mosquitoes and Nigeria should declare a national day of mourning her encounters with mosquitoes and her seemingly choreographed fainting spell in the courtroom? Even as her doctor certified her fit to continue to face charges. Too many Nigerians are too elitist and so class and wealth conscious. Or why is it, that none of these same silly journalists worried about Mrs. Ibru’s entanglements with mosquitoes, are not similarly worried about the more than 100, 000 poor Nigerians Awaiting Trials and detained for years, and their nightly encounters with mosquitoes and malnutrition and other abject conditions in Nigerian detention centers and prisons? So what if mosquitoes bite the opulent Mrs. Ibru?

Poor Nigerians detainees who have not committed any offense at all or anything close to the heinous offenses these bank executives have been accused of? The bank executives are alleged to be responsible for how things have been in Nigeria… comatose economy, capital flight and the contradiction of huge annual bank profits! Who cries for common man detained without trial, as malnutrition and mosquitoes feast on her in the putrid conditions of our detention centers and prisons? Why are some Nigerian journalists crying for the purveyors of our stunted growth and stifled development? Nigerians should demand that these accused bankers receive severest possible punishment, when and if proven guilty! At least, Mrs. Ibru and other bankers are getting their day in court! Could we say that for the more than 100,000 citizens of Nigeria, who are detained indefinitely and awaiting trial endlessly?

Some Nigerians have instead squandered and expended their energies accusing Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as having a “Sectional Agenda”, hence this upheaval and “trumped up” charges, but in my view, Nigerians should urge those bankers who are currently facing trials, to prove their innocence of all the charges leveled against them by CBN and the EFCC. Why does it appear to me, that a section of the Nigerian Press is driving the criticism against Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s current policy? I guess these bankers also own and control these newspapers and the journalists within them, and that is why the coverage is slanted and so lopsided against Governor Sanusi?

I myself suspect that a sectional defense of the accused bankers and a sectional defense of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s tenure and honestly, I hate to think in these terms! Why don’t we keep an open mind and follow the paper trails and the facts and evidences of what transpired? Why don’t we dare the CBN and the EFCC to prove the allegations against these accused bank executives, instead of prejudging and excoriating the CBN and the EFCC? It is my view that all Nigerians have suffered and continue to suffer from the evils and deprivations caused by corruption persons and their enablers, whether in the public and or, private sectors of our economy!

Why, oh why, are some Nigerians already introducing ethnicity, religion, region, state and the usual suspects multiple variables of our national negative lowest common denominator into Sanusi sanitization of the banking system in Nigeria? We should fight corruption in Nigeria with all we have got, even if our system, albeit, is imperfect!

See also similar articles by the same author with themes on Nigerian Banking
1. “Crying And Bleeding For Bankers And Banks In Nigeria?”
2. Economic Meltdown Without Toxic Assets?
3. Naira: 20 Years Of Devaluations Without Benefits
4. Oh Ye Ministers Of Little Faith In The Naira And Nigeria!
5. Soludo Solutions & Economic Reforms in Nigeria
6. Bravoes, Kudos to Soludo: On Naira Strategic Agenda
7.

The Truth About Foreign Aid; Where It Really Goes & Not To Africa

2009-09-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

The Truth About Foreign Aid; Where It Really Goes & Not To Africa
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

No wise military commander would attempt in good sense, to feed a battalion or a brigade with the same amount of food which is only sufficient to feed a platoon.

This is just as no intelligent farmer would in all good judgment, attempts to feed 200, 000 chickens or 200, 000 cows, with the same amount of grains which would satiate just 100 chickens or 100 cows. Otherwise, such military commander will have a very hungry brigade, battalion and such a farmer, would have malnourished livestock of whether chickens or cows!

In foreign aid logic, more is given to platoons commanders and less is given to commanders of battalions and brigades. More is similarly given to farmers with fewer livestock, while much less is given to the farmers with many more thousands of livestock. And those given less are frequently required to do much more, and those given nothing at all, are blamed for poor outcomes, nonetheless.

Such is the nature of foreign aid.

Aid is never directed at places in the world where the need is greatest. Foreign aid has a pattern of being directed at those who are connected. And those with clouts and those with the requisite vehemence and cohesion to pepper donors with complaints when they are not offered aid. NPR Gwen Thompson reporting from two counties in Africa, managed to have repeated for each, the irrelevant fact that these countries are aid beneficiaries of USA and I have never heard any journalist/reporter say the same of Israel, as the American journalist who reports from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.

There are those who are completely ignorant of how foreign aid is allocated, size and what nations are recipients. Out of such ignorance, some have assumed that so much or even too much foreign aid, have been given to African nations. These ignoramuses therefore argue that foreign aid to Africans is ineffective. Or that it creates dependency. But by the time that you look at the tables and schedules of US Foreign Aid below, you will agree, and see the lie about Foreign Aid. Ignorant people should stop using Africa as cover for the foreign aid which actually flows elsewhere, far from Africa!

There is a reason why Israel never was in a position to have to rely on Bono of U2 or the musicians and artistes who performed We Are the World, Live Aid in support for victims of drought and famine in Ethiopian and Somalia to advocate public charity as form of aid. It is the same reason why Israel for instance never has to deal with the conditionality World Bank and International Monetary Fund stringent strictures, which are frequently imposed on African nations and nations such as Argentina etc. The World Bank and IMF, is seen in developing countries, as tools by which western nations control public policies and the lives of peoples in the developing world. And anyone who has heard of the so-called “Structural Adjustment Program” understands the ruinations it wrought in many developing countries worldwide. Israel receives more aid and more loan guarantees than all of Africa. So Israel does not need the scandalous fund raising theatrics. Israel was never subjected to controls and strictures of The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund or IMF. And why not?

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In the metaphorical scheme of things, regarding foreign aid, it is as if African nations are the ones who must travel longest distances in the desert, and they are the ones with a junk car with a broken radiator and burnt gasket, and before donor give Africans 8 ounces of radiator coolants, donors first announce such plans 2 years in advance. And worse, donors actually loudly announce plans to donate gallons of radiator coolants, but eventually only deliver mere 8 ounces of coolants.

These same donors are keenly aware of the fact that Israel does not have a lot of passengers to transport, and a great distance to travel, and yet, they will quietly and surreptitiously supply brand new Cadillac Escalade to Israel without ostentations announcements or even a whimper of donations of brand new Cadillac and Lexus filled with high octane fuels to Israel, in the competition to drive through the desert, the outcome between both teams is slanted and predetermined.

Donors who are only willing to donate junk cars to African nations are also quick to want to complain about our African drivers of such junk cars. Donors are blaming African drivers for the fate of the junk cars, fates which should be clear to any observer that the best driver could not magically turn the junk pinto into a Cadillac or Lexus or some sort engineering marvel. Even if with best efforts and intentions are invested into junk cars, a clunker is a clunker still.

Again, this is the crux of the matter too regarding foreign aid; foreign aid is something that does not flow to any part of Africa. But, it so irritating to hear Western commentators wring their metaphorical hangs as they moan and bemoan “aid-fatigue or donor-fatigue”! How do you suffer fatigue from what you have not done? How is possible to suffer “donor fatigue” connection with Africa, when 99% of your donor goes to nations outside Africa?

Those in the world who have probably heard of such terms, such as donor-fatigue and or, aid-fatigue are liable to think Africa in the same sentence as they would upon hearing of war, chaos and a starving child. But those terms, are marketing tools of disinformation. Those vexatious terms erroneously lead readers and listeners, of those who spout them, into thinking that so much or enough has been given or done for Africa already. Africa is therefore as, thereafter thought of, and presented in portrayals of irredeemable basket case. It is critical to examine the role played by this erroneous portrayal of Africa, which in turn affects policy formulations and haphazard implementations, in particular reference to foreign aid. This is an effort to show how, even the best optimist, the most enthusiastic worker becomes discouraged by those who peddle disinformation and then pretend no amount of efforts will change Africa. The truth is, not enough have been done, let alone too much. Where then does the donor-fatigue and aid-fatigue arise from?

It is noteworthy that foreign aid is determined by criterion, which have nothing to do with where the needs are greatest or where the largest population of neediest cases reside. What determines the destination and quantum of aid are rather mere ephemerals of friendship, lobby, clout and the quality or lack, in the leadership of a given aid donor country. These flimsy factors which have nothing whatsoever to do with need, are often fleeting, but, sometimes, also as a result of inertia. Successive administrations send foreign aid, to where aid was always sent.

There is this astonishing discover y that successive American administration, regardless of whether it is led by social conservatives or liberal-progressives, tend to direct aid, to where aid was always directed. The truth about foreign aid is almost silly and amusing, it will make anyone with good sense have a rethink of what we all thought we knew about foreign aid. Too many people seem to have this sort of auto-response when asked about Africa as the destination of foreign aid. A woefully mistaken belief and hence the auto-response!

When it comes to foreign aid to Africa, here is what happens. Western nations take the best friends forever or preferred non-African friends, to Five Star Restaurants in foreign aid metaphorical terms. Western nations treat these non-Africans to sumptuous 14 course meals of caviars, champagne, wines, desserts and more. At the end, their “conscience” suggests photo opportunity of a feel good type with the Africans, and so, leftovers and doggie-bags are brought to the Africans in full glare of television cameras from CNN and BBC etc in tow. And in the full glare of television cameras, Africans are portrayed in dire straits and genuflecting and picking up the leftovers with gratitude and appreciation with so much flourish.

Remember that the television cameras were conveniently out during the events of sumptuous dinners with foreign aid donors’ best friends. Africa is then splashed all over the news, as African was actually the recipient of the 14 course meals sumptuous dinner! Africans are the ones everyone hears and sees being feted. Someone could argue, that westerners are entitled to spent own money, however and whomever they prefer. True! But why lie about who the major recipients or beneficiaries are? They are not Africans! Let there be truth in charity, as we demand truth in advertising. Foreign Aid is not squandered on Africa as many have been made to believe!

Africa receives less than one percent of foreign aid. But discussions about foreign aid, frequently pretend that Africa is the epicenter of foreign aid and that Africa is the major beneficiary of foreign aid and this is not so at all. Again, I implore you to be the judge… see the accompanying tables and indexes.

After slavery, after colonialism and after World Wars and After various economic meltdowns, what Marshall Plan or forms of financial bailouts, rescues etc were offered to Africans compared to the Marshall Plan, bailouts and rescue packages which were offered to the rest of the world over and over again?

Powerlessness is evil! Africa have been made powerless since slavery and colonialism, hence the world says and does what it pleases regarding Africa, things which are clearly unacceptable elsewhere.

“War and Peace” or “War What Is Good For”; was not written about Nigeria or Africa. The Medieval War was not fought in Africa or by Africans. The Hundred Years War was not about or of Africa. And yet, it has become fashionable for revisionists to pretend that chaos scenario or chaos theory came about, because of Africans.

The Balkans has brimmed with crises for a hundred years. The “troubles” in Northern Ireland is known to Dubliners and everyone else on earth. The World Wars, I and II, were not caused by Africans. Oliver Cromwell was not an African. Adolf Hitler and Nazis were not Africans. Napoleon Bonaparte was not an African. The Balkans is not in Africa. And despite all these, revisionists have been convinced a good segment of the world populations that war and chaos is of origin and still resides there? That would make Chechen Africans? Ditto Afghans and Pakistanis? That would have made Tamil Tigers Africans? The truth of the matter is, I do not like wars. This is regardless of whether or not such war is on the African soil or somewhere else in the world. But the fallacy which is repeated about Africa as the center of war and chaos is simply nonsense!

A major factor and huge contributor of the challenges which Africa have faced, is the image devastation inflicted upon Africa by Western media and press. It is either out of inertia, intellectual laziness, dishonesty or outright racism that Western journalists do this in matters concerning Africa; whatever the case is, it is plainly unacceptable and rather voyeuristic. Western journalist will amaze you with how they are quick to become some pseudo experts on Africa. They will also kill your joy with a strain of ineptitude which allows them to always address Africans matter in the singular as they were siblings of Sarah Palin of Africa is country fame. Often, you will hear, “This is John Doe, reporting from Africa!” If the same journalist will not say, “This is John Doe, reporting from North America” or “This is John Doe, reporting from Europe” why is the treatments for countries, and cities in African nations grouped together? Why is the treatment reserved for Africans always warped, twisted and inconsistent with treatment of everywhere else?

Westerner journalists report from Afghanistan, Myanmar-Burma, Tibet, Japan or Vietnam or Pakistan, with accompanying sounds of local music, atmospherics and flavors, and never reporting from South East Asia or Central Asia for instance. But, you must have heard, this year, that “This is John Doe reporting with the Pope in Africa. This is John Doe, reporting with Hilary Clinton in Africa. Western media are more focused on Britney Spears, Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton, and most recently, on the life and death of Michael Jackson, than on coverage of substantive issues concerning the African continent during the past ten years. Western media revel in squandering their attention and would be valuable coverage time on salacious and scandalous prurient behaviors of certain celebrities!

In the news, politics, chaos, war, foreign aid, AIDS are portrayed as phenomena peculiarly African. I have observed over time that only African writers, singers, and sundry which are critical of Africa would get publicity or a mention in the Western media. If all you write or crow about is war, crises, chaos, bad leadership, diseases, Ebola, AIDS, genital circumcision sensationally labeled clitoral mutilation by Westerners, you will get a mention in the Western press and may even be showered with publicity! But whatever you do, never lay any of the blames at the doorstep of Western interlopers and intermeddlers in African affairs! Westerners always seem to be in the business of selecting and imposing their preference of leadership on developing nations. And these are frequently persons who are unpopular with the local populace in their own nations, fine with Western nations because they are pliable and can be manipulated on strings like puppets by Western nations. Think Pervez Musharaf of Pakistan.

Think Hamid Kharzai in Afghanistan. Think Mahmoud Abbas in Palestine. Think Chalabi in Iraq for a time. I reckon that in a hundred years, there will be Westerners blaming poor people in these countries for being such basket cases. These countries are being engineered now for future failures, and when the results become apparent, the entire world would have forgotten how Western nations are engineering these failures, being engineered right now by the West. Engineered, it seems to me to, be mere expansion of consumer base or markets for products from western nations, or suppliers of energy or other materials which propel the engines of western nations’ economies.

Such is the history of Africa too. Africa is a case of “Planned Obsolescence” planned by Westerners. Think Slavery. Think Colonialism. Think Berlin Conference 1884-1885 and the meddling-interferences in African affairs ever since! And yet, the face of paucity of foreign aid from Western nations, Africa is presented in humiliating terms, as the recipient of the bulk of foreign aid. Westerners proclaim loudly, that they have poured aid into Africa, but it has not changed Africa’s lot.

The Truth about Foreign Aid, is that, Africa is not where foreign really goes. The bulk of foreign aid, in reality, flows elsewhere and not Africa! How come then, that westerners and their journalists are always screaming about donor or aid fatigue? There was no Marshall Plan for Africa similar to the ones for Europe and Asia after the World War II. There was no Bailout for Africa similar to the ones for Asia and Mexico in the 1990s. There have been no meaningful foreign aid efforts for African nations. See foreign Aid Tables and Links.

U.S. Foreign Assistance to Africa: Claims vs. Reality – Brookings Institution
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Africa: Claims vs. Reality
http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2005/0627africa_rice.aspx
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=us+foreign+aid+to+Africa&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&fp=9733483af0cc9d26

US Foreign Aid By Country
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=us+foreign+aid+by+country&aq=0p&aqi=g-p1g9&oq=us+foreig&fp=9733483af0cc9d26

US Foreign Aid to Israel
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=us+foreign+aid+to+israel&aq=5&aqi=g-p1g9&oq=us+foreign&fp=9733483af0cc9d26

Nigeria Advances Or Ethnic Warriors Terrorists Prevails?

2009-08-31T10:36:00.001-07:00

Nigeria Advances Or Ethnic Warriors Terrorists Prevails?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

Modern technology, and in particular, the world wide web of the internet, has made simultaneous interactions and instant communication possible and even seamless, between Nigerians in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria on the one hand, and Nigerians in the worldwide Diaspora.

We Nigerians have a choice to make, it is either to deploy the internet as a tool, machinery and instrument for our national development, progress and advancement, or, we can instead, use these interconnectedness as weapons to exacerbate our seeming ever fragile national unity. There have in recent times, a been, a seeping acid and acrid development in our national discourse, which now appears to be only destined to become more and more steeped in volatile flame-throwing of all descriptions or variations. These include the emphasis of ethnic, religious, region, state, indigene or settler dichotomies.

Modern technology, especially the internet type, enables instant synergies through instant communication, which in turn, enables the harnessing, corralling, and coalescing of efforts for meaningful impact on divergent populations of peoples worldwide. In the case of Nigeria, in particular, we are all agreed that much remains to be done for our nation. You would think therefore, that this rare and golden opportunity will be mined by well-meaning Nigerians, at home and abroad for our nation’s sake! Nigerians can and should Google-group, Yahoo –group, Facebook-group our nation to success.
But no! What have happened and is still now happening in increasing tempo and in speeding crescendos, is that, Nigerians of all ethnic and religious stripes, are now excelling in shrill-shouting our meager differences from their internet roof-tops with internet megaphones, some of them, have become in the most incredible sense, in the magnifications of our diversity as impossible obstacles, impediments and clogs in the wheel of our cohesion of action for our nation’s development, progress and advancement. This, to me are such egregious waste of prized and valuable resource

It is reasonable, I think, to assume that Nigerians are all aware of the positive possibilities of conversations about our national issues, the malaises, the funks and sundry challenges. Meaningful conversations of course and not idle chatters on a highway to nowhere! These days however, it is the case that Nigerians in their majorities, waste, squander and dissipate their energies on assertions of ethnic, religious, state, indigene and or settler suzerainty superiority! Such as whose ethnic group is famous for goat herding, and which other ethnic group is owner of Lagos, and wait, which ethnic groups eats more kola/gworro an African candy-stimulant! So, I eat more kolanuts than you that makes me less
It is really saddening! Why would a chemical engineer and a university -lecturer have the time, the inclination, patience and even a disposition for such inane conversation, no matter how tempting/entertaining, it might be? Why should a man, who is a good Nigerian lawyer, on American soil, the same man who advocates freedom and liberty on Monday through Friday for Americans, climb unto cyberspace during the weekend to argue vociferously, that is constitutional for a subdivision or substrata of the government in Nigeria, to abduct, bundle and dump some fellow Nigerians, in another part of Nigeria, as good public policy consistent with our national cohesion and national unity?

And then sleep well at night with good, clear conscience? Why should the appointment of one inspect general of police become the mother lode of all appointments before it, just because he comes from the side of the country where the sun rises? And why should the appointment of an ordinarily seasoned banker, raise eyebrows, uproarious raucous because he is of the religion which does not eat Holy Communion of unsweetened bread on Sundays? Must every banker eat bread without sugar-salt, before we can trust him with our national currency?

Why would a Nigerian, a professor of mathematics in a prestigious university, engage in talks which are divisively useless to our national unity efforts? In the face of all these, what exactly is the purpose of formal western education, if it does not refine our humanity, our understandings and interactions? If, our formal educations, merely affords us fine clothes and fine grammars to engage in ethnic flame-throwing? If chauvinism of region and religion, instead of tolerance and broadened horizons, are the outcomes of being educated, then education must be some warped-twisted tool, to which Nigerians must find undesirable!

Why must states which preach Shariah Laws reserve such, only for the poor and hapless in those states? How about some Shariah Law inspired amputations and stoning to death, for some of our former governors, current governors, and other political leaders, whose domain throw Shariah Laws as if it were political grenades at the rest of us law abiding Nigerians? Law abiding Nigerians who do not go to churches or go to the mosques? How about applying Shariah Laws nationwide in meting out just deserts to those who plunder, pillage and loot our treasuries in Nigeria and grind our country to her knees? Won’t that be the day of true, equal and even justice? Let us amputate or stone to death, Lucky Igbinedion, James Onanefe Ibori, Joshua Dariye, Kalu Orji and every other corrupt person in Nigeria, in public or private sectors! Won’t that be really nice? Christians and Muslims should be punished equally severely for corruption, looting and pillaging! But our country always seems to reserve punishments and gallows for the poor, underprivileged and citizens with disabilities as consequences of our laws!
Too many Nigerians these days, seem to have some sorts of autofocus on our trivial differences as prisms through which they respond to every important national issue, hence, the apparent primordial, myopic and parochial seeming auto-response with divisive sectionalisms.
It is saddening, doubly and multiplying-so, when you consider that the bulk of the Nigerians in cyberspace, engage in this imbecilic infantilism of wishing their ethnic group well, while entrenched and ensconced in these “my-ethnic-group-is-better-than-yours” sophomoric “presentations, are formally educated in the western sense. Regrettably these are the elite. The ones who ought to be the crème la crème of the Nigerian middleclass, exiled in foreign lands, due to the comatose state of the Nigerian economy. And yet, all they can seem to fathom, even from this distance and long way from home, is ethnic flame-throwing! Talk to me about national priority!

Instead, then, of Nigerians, wondering about, best and shortest possible ways of how to reverse the sorry state of our homeland, motherland-fatherland? Too many of us are engaged in worse than useless daily nattering and chattering as if we are programmed to be self-destruct! The Chinese and the Indians are on the path to industrial glories, and this is partly because, these citizens of these nations have embarked on reverse migration and voluntary repatriations of human capital and material wherewithal, from their Diasporas, to their homelands in China and India respectively.

We are of course all familiar with the attractive, disarming and equally disabling perennial arguments. Government must provide enabling environments. Such as the much touted provision of adequate security, public infrastructures, and then, reduction or elimination eradication of corruption etc. These are all decent arguments. But, they do not excuse our current nattering nabob labels and titles regarding the best and shortest ways out of the abject human condition on ground in Nigeria. Governments are certainly not the only useful factors to consider in national developments.

Additionally, or besides, we have waited for so long for these desirable preconditions which we stipulate and parrots too often, to occur and yet, the government is unwilling, unable and neglectful of the importance of these preconditions! We should then begin alternatives by substitutions. We should move from plan A to plan B! As it does appear that our stipulated preconditions are not speedily occurring as we have demanded. The best and brightest, the smartest among us Nigerians should start to think outside the box! We should adjust our attitudes to meet challenges we face. National development must be seen as road-run jogging, it requires disciplined focus. And waiting for the perfect conditions is foolhardy. There is always an excuse not to run, it can be too cold, too hot, too humid, to snowy-messy, too rainy, too windy etc. But good runners know, after the first ten minutes the weather conditions are almost irrelevant, as a good runners at such point is already enjoying her road-run, notwithstanding weather conditions! Israel is developing despite wars and suicide bombing. Israel’s agriculture is booming despite water scarcities and desertification. A challenge can present opportunity for ingenuity, Nigerian ingenuities!

Poverty and scarcity, the desperate plunge for what is only available or rationed exemplifies differences in our diversity. It is as if everyone is rushing for the last bus-ride home! Mismanagement by what have passed as our political leadership, have in essence, created acute thirst in the middle of our clean body of waters. There is so much want and desperation wrapped in hopelessness in our nation of natural material infinite abundance.

This is the elephant in the room of our national existence. And this constitutes the clear and present danger and it remains an existential threat to our nationhood. The good news is that, we have millions of Nigerians with robust intellects who can tackle and eliminate eradicate, every the challenges which life may present to our nation. It just except that we have, and are still currently too distracted by irrelevancies of region, religion and other vagaries of bigotries and prejudices against fellow Nigerians citizens. And we can certainly do better that this. I know Nigerians can.

Nigerians want the same things! Same things, such as clean water, steady supply of electricity, optimum to full employment, good and safe motor roads, sturdy and sustainable public infrastructures. Graduate unemployment, power failure, scarcity of clean water, roads as death traps, and paucity of public infrastructures afflicts all Nigerians in most identical manners, regardless of region, religion, state, indigene, settler dichotomies! So why can’t Nigerians focus, singularly, on the things we share and the other things we all yearn for? Who are some of us really rooting for in all these? The ethnic champions, the ethnic flame-thrower bigots, the ones who says, only Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo can lead the Central Bank of Nigeria for the next one hundred years?

Nigerians at home and in the Diasporas ought and should, be rooting for Nigeria! There are abundant and enough resources for all Nigerians and then some. There is enough expanse of land for all Nigerians and then some. The only thing which Nigerians currently lack is the will, the discipline and focus on our national best interests. It is when, and not if Nigeria does well, Nigeria will do well, and when Nigeria does well, we, the infinitesimal component pebbles parts, will benefit and be entirely unconcerned how many more pebbles constitute or comprise or it takes to make the whole of the national corporate existence which will be forever known as our dear great country, Nigeria!

There are other articles titles supplied below, similar in themes, by the same author, previously published which can be linked through, and with the use of most web-search engines. Google, Yahoo etc.
Learn more and get details by visiting the following links:

1. The Benefits of Nigerian Unity and The Perils of Disintegration …published in 2003?
2. The Benefits In Self-Definition And Self-Assertion
3. Are Some Nigerians' Psyche Damaged?
4. Are Nigerians Fatalistic And Doomed?
5. Nigerians In Diaspora Organization, As Nigeria Advance,
6. Comparing Diasporas: Asians, Jews, Irish with Nigerians.
7. Nigeria Is Worth Dying For!
8. Nigeria Is Full of promise! Nigeria Deserves Our Love And Loyalty
9. NIGERIA My Love
10. I Love Nigeria Just Because!
11. Minister Andoakaa SAN, AG, Nigeria's Public Enemy Number One!
12. No Tears For Looters!

Obama’s Health Reform; The Anathema To Change Is, The Fear Factor!

2009-08-31T08:31:00.001-07:00

Obama’s Health Reform; The Anathema To Change Is, The Fear Factor!
Written Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

A public citizen, once famously proclaimed, during crises, that there was nothing to fear, but fear itself! As it happens, this famous statement is poignantly relevant to the current boisterous debates about healthcare reforms. Healthcare Reform efforts have met with attendant deluge of high din of noise and ubiquitously permeating fear-mongering.

This fear-mongering, is being perpetuated by those opposed to change and reforms of the presently antiquated, discriminatory and lopsided healthcare delivery system in America. A system which have managed to leave out over forty million uninsured citizens! Citizens who are therefore condemned to do without necessary health insurance coverage or a even suitable alternative.

In real terms, the healthcare system as currently configured leaves out these scores of millions of citizens to their own miserly devices upon being afflicted by any illness. This has resulted in avoidable deaths in the thousands, of people. This has led to financial ruin and endless debts and even, eventual bankruptcies for many more American citizens. All these, are life changing, in most profound sense.

President Obama in his journey to the presidency and the White House, wisely made structural change to and reform of American healthcare delivery system one of his core policy thrusts, in his vision of the best road to making America, a more perfect union, in which are citizens are put in proximity of good healthcare. Obama’s rationale is informed by the knowledge that good health is a prerequisite for the creation of wealth and happiness. Hence the tripartite as it were. “Health, Wealth, and Happiness” A profound understanding of the way the world works, is a major factor and one of the explanations of Obama’s popularity about healthcare, then as candidate for president of the United States. Obama came across as possessed of the understanding and empathy for all, an empathy, even a wise Latina would love! It remains the case that the provision of healthcare for all will be a remarkable policy achievement for this president and for this nation.

The way this works, the logic and rationale is even a tad too simple and rather very easy to comprehend, but for the fear-mongers. First, there is pride in America in being our sisters’ and brothers’ keeper. There is pride in being a good neighbor. And most of all, there is the realization that good health is the foundation and bedrock of all other life’s aspirations. Who in bad health or who, when steeped in deep afflictions by diseases is at her most productive? It goes without saying therefore then with good health a person can or may contemplate the world. With good health humans are able to go on their merry ways of creating wealth and happiness for self and for the rest of the world.

Expansively put, it is requires not much ruminations, that the absence of good health coverage and health care for all citizens, is clearly defeatist. It is similar to any action undertaken, which may leave out and leave more than 40 million citizens in America to lay fallow and unproductive. A resilient and resurgent American economy will of necessity, be reliant on the optimum employment of all employable citizens, in the creation of gross national product. Creating a world class GDP/GNP requires a nation’s ability to fire full throttle in productivity. In effect, leaving out a segment of the American population, as much as over forty million does not make any economic sense. Nor does it make any sense whatsoever, be it moral or good neighborliness sense.

Big Insurance Companies and their lobbyists ensured the sudden death of efforts to reform the healthcare delivery sector during Bill Clinton’s presidency. And now again, after promising and shaking hands in the White House with President Obama, in truce and co-operation with reform efforts this time, they have reneged on their promises of support and cooperation. And instead, there is an ongoing fallacious farce, perpetrated by sundry interests groups. They are spreading confusion with insinuations such as the lie that government is desirous of taking over the management of healthcare delivery systems or apparatuses and machinery as currently existing and turned it into socialized medical care system similar to Canada or some even say Cuba.

According to these corporate spin doctors, the outcome of the reform will be such that soon after such “takeover” the government will, entrench itself as monumental obstacles, impediments and worse than useless behemoth of a spoiler which will insert itself, between the citizen and healthcare providers. There are two quick truths with which to demolish and dismantle this assertion by the corporate spin-doctors. First of all, the government already positively impacts and influences very big chunks of the healthcare system in the United States and “Medicare and Medicaid” are such programs, initiated and funded by the federal government of the United States. And both programs have millions of beneficiaries. Can these programs be more cost efficient and more effective? Of course!

The second of the two truths, is that, there is already nomenclatures which regularly constitute themselves into obstacles, they constitute themselves as monumental obstacles, impediments and worse than useless behemoth of a spoiler always inserting themselves between the citizen and healthcare providers; and they are called “Health Insurance Companies” Or “Health Maintenance Organizations” or (HMOs) and the only thing the consistently maintain, is not our health, but their aggrandizing tremendous annual profit margins at our expense, and the fact that they excel in denying holders of health coverage policies, needful treatments covered by such policies. I can hear you asking, what is the purpose of a health insurance coverage, if coverage will be routinely denied by these health insurance companies? That is exactly what health insurance companies do in the main. Their egregious death inducing, death causing conducts in preventing medical care givers from providing patients needed care.

These corporate profit cretins dictate to medical care givers, how much time to spend with patients, what proprietary or generic medicines to prescribe and what medicine is determined by these insurance companies, as they please, to be merely experimental or efficacious. So, rationing already exists and is practiced now and motivated solely by profits seekers. These corporate greed hordes are splendidly uninterested in good medical care, but instead, they put their bottom-line and sumptuous profit feasts ahead of lives made precarious by diseases and ill-health. And what is worse? These corporate oligarchs are now, in the most disingenuous manner, spreading the rumor to undiscerning average Joe and Jane, that is the government which seeking to do to us, what they the companies have been inflicting upon us for years and still do! Their actions not informed by best interests of patients and not informed by best medical practice or by current medical science.

All these are reasons for all of us, interested in the reforms slated for healthcare delivery in the United States, to start spreading the news.

Knowing the facts about this healthcare reform debate is so crucial to the eventual outcome. The fear mongering which is being spread and perpetrated by these corporate vampires and their lobbyists should be effectively confronted. And these corporate representatives encapsulated in varied interest groups can and should be effectively rebutted through robust and rigorous dissemination of information, regarding the facts, the evidence and the truth about the intended reform outcome.

As for the Republicans, they are known to be perennially on the side big businesses, and the Republican Party is known to have auto response as a default position, regarding reforms and regulations as a general rule. Regulation whether the troubled financial system or as in the present case, regulating and reforming the healthcare delivery system. Republicans argue that deregulation implications stifle innovation, and stunt growth of business and the economy. This is hogwash. Ill health is the worst harbinger to creativity, business and economic growth; and besides, it is illogical and unreasonable even, to argue that a busy road traffic artery without a traffic cop is better for motorists!

Sarah Palin, the only Republic Party member, still newsworthy, but only for her silliness, is particularly notable for her paucity public policy knowledge, sadly now though, she has “weighed in” with her rather morbidly slanderous addition of “Death Panel” nonsense to this worthy debate about healthcare reforms. She has, through her “FaceBook” “contribution” to the debates, allege, falsely, that the reforms components comprise “Death Panels” for all grandmothers, as the reforms is portrayed as envisaging some outlandish circumstance, in which a panel of persons, doubling as voyeuristic Dracula, determines how long any grandmother can receive treatments cost-efficiently and when or how soon thereafter, grandmothers can be summarily dispatched to go meet their makers!

Members of the Republican Party are desperadoes in the current atmosphere in Washington D.C. They lost the White House in the last general elections. They are a minority in the House of Representatives and as well as in the United States Senate. Republicans are political orphans at best and a bunch of desperadoes at worst, and so, policy reform is not their forte. They are in essence only concerned with how to defeat members of the Democratic Party in the forthcoming midterm elections and other elections after that. And so, the Republicans have, in their desperation, resorted to mischief making. These current political orphans are doing everything to surmount the Democrats, this is somewhat understandable. But the tactics which they have deployed is unconscionably unacceptable for the future of women, men and child in America. I strongly believe that spreading the facts, the information and the truth about Obama’ healthcare reforms, will at the end of the day, ultimately win out or prevail and a desirable outcome will be attained.

Newt Gingrinch accuses reform proponents of planning to impose or forced euthanasia on unsuspecting citizens. Limbaugh chimes in with more falsehoods to the effect that the healthcare reforms will led to a “pull the plug on grandma” and similar nonsense. Republicans are against “socialized” and then quickly add Obama should keep his hands off their Medicare too! Republicans are oxymoron gifted! There are so many other inflammatory fear-mongering rumors and falsehoods, which are being spread by opponents of reforms.

The handwriting as it were, is now on the wall. The Republicans are vehemently opposed to these healthcare reform efforts, they should be pushed harder by Democrats, Republicans will in effect, put the last nails in their own coffins for opposing sensible policy reforms, which is what the healthcare reform really is. And the Democrats in order to accomplish this, successfully, must get out of the unfruitful romantic notion of bipartisanship with Republicans, it has not happened, and it is not going to happen! Recent behaviors by Republicans in crucial votes, proves my position here. Additionally, proclamations and pronouncements by overwhelming numbers of Republicans demonstrate beyond any doubt, that they are not interested in the much vaunted and so fabled bipartisanship. Democrats appear to me, to be in the process of being lured to a drunken sleep stupor as they await the Republicans in the hope for a moribund bipartisanship! The Democrats may wake up to the absence of bipartisanship, too late and to the detriment of Democrats and those of us, who ensured the election Democrats in the first place! Republicans demonstrated this during confirmation hearings of the now justice of the US Supreme Court, the Honorable Justice Sonia Sotomayor. So why does anyone still pretend otherwise?

Meanwhile, Obama and the Democrats ought to and should, do a better business of disciplining the entire Democratic Party, whether they are “Blue Dogs” “Yellow Dogs” or lively ”Pink Dogs” Democrats! Failure of this health reform would inflict damaging “body” blow to the Obama administration and presidency. It will be a watershed moment with a Waterloo quality to it, and it will manacle the entire Democratic Party for such blunder and monumental failure of policy cohesion, were that eventuality to occur, culminating into a defeat of this healthcare reform efforts.

What can be acutely observed so far, in these debates, are the unnecessary flame-throwing gymnastics gyrations with a toxic mix of accusations socialism-communism style wealth redistribution. Then, there is the appearance of racism, instigated by those who see the reform efforts as targeting historically neglected black and brown citizens for health coverage and as such, a semblance of some sorts of class warfare or class discrimination, is motivating those against the poor and or citizens not currently covered, perhaps because they are poor, unemployed or underemployed and poor or a combination of these categories. Too many code-words have been deployed or thrown-up and about; and discerning ears and eyes are quite able to grasps fear-mongers’ rhetoric, even if flung, in slants, from all directions!
Senator Edward (Ted) Moore Kennedy, that legislative tiger and the defender of all underprivileged citizens and underdogs of every imaginable issue is gone now, sadly, Kennedy, the poor persons’ ombudsman, did not live long enough to see through this healthcare reforms. I think the time is nigh now, for someone in the Democratic Party to step forward, and say, follow me, I will lead this groundbreaking healthcare reforms to a positive outcome. Supporters of Democrats and in fact, all Americans who believe in this healthcare reform deserve nothing less.
As the saying goes, if you want to kill a dog, your first step is to falsely label the poor dog a bad dog, then you can “excuse your brutality to the mongrel, and say to all the world, look, after all, she was worse than useless, never capable carrying her own weight sorts of dog! This is precisely the scatological methodologies which have been amply deployed by Republicans and corporate interest groups, seeking to malign these health reform efforts; in order to ruin it for all of us, through fear-mongering and shrill-shouting of inanities! Happily, we can counter their efforts with the welter of information at our disposals. The evidences and facts are plentiful. We can offer sound rebuttals to our opponents’ filthily dirty tactics of fear mongering and prevail through the provision of accurate and detailed reality checks. A positive outcome on healthcare reform is not only desirable, it is a necessity.

Learn more and get details by visiting the following links:

www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck

http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck

http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction

http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html

http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf

WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV

Oil For Terrorist Or Is It Compassion? Western Ideals; Real Or Romantic Figments?

2009-08-28T15:55:00.001-07:00

Oil For Terrorist Or Is It Compassion? Western Ideals; Real Or Romantic Figments?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

As a precursor to the invasion and occupation of Iraq by the United States and the subsequent overthrow of Saddam Hussein in March 2003, there was a US-Iraq policy supported by the United Nations, it was called the Oil-For-Food Program. It was an outgrowth of the overall policy which constituted the post 1991 US-Iraq war, fought ostensibly to dislodge Saddam Hussein’s Iraq from Kuwait which Iraq had occupied as her so-called nineteenth province! The sanctions were very broad and wide ranging, it included economic, political, diplomatic and military, among others. Notably, the No-Fly-Zone and economic blockade or embargo made life for ordinary Iraqis miserable and countless deaths occurred as a consequence. Hence the eventual Oil-For-Food and Medicine Program supervised then by the United Nations.

The matter presently at hand is really about Libya on the one hand, and then, Britain, Scotland and the United States on the other. It will be recalled that Libya was accused of responsibility for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 out of the skies over Lockerbie in the dying days of December 19888. A so-called Libyan Intelligence agent, Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi and another Libyan of the same vocation, were fingered and accused and tried for that dastardly act. The other defendant was acquitted as the jury decided that there was insufficient evidence against that defendant. Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi was not so lucky as his professional partner. The sole evidence against Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi was a fateful purchase of a shirt he had made prior to the bombing of Pan Am flight 103. The merchant from whom he purchased the shirt, connected the dots, evidenced by the fact that a similar, if identical shirts was used in wrapping the explosives, which forensic evidence managed to have retrieved amidst the crashed site debris in Lockerbie Scotland. Base solely on this shirt and shopkeeper account, a connection albeit, tenuous, was made between the Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi, the shirt, the bomb, the bombing and the splintering of Pan Am flight 103.

Many in Scotland, including some victims of the bombing, were unconvinced that there was water-tight evidence against Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi to convict him of terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103. If there was no watertight evidence against the Libyan in the first place, many fair-minded Britons believed this to be the case were opposed to the conviction and sentence imposed on him in the end. The tragic loss of 270 persons in this fiery crash, which killed all 259 persons on board flight 103 and 11 more persons on the ground in Lockerbie, engendered understandable raw emotions and outrage. And the suggestion that that anyone or anything was responsible for such massive was of lives elicited revenge in the form of the severest punishments possible, for anyone who responsible.

Many western nations have routinely accused other nations of terrorism or sponsorship of same. Some nations as a consequence were named the Axis of Evil by George W. Bush a former president of the United States. Some nations were named rogue states, sponsors of terrorism and proliferators of atomic, biological and or nuclear weapons as well. Oppression and terrorism are evils which should be rejected by all persons. All reasonable persons! Some have argued and continue to argue that global inequalities and abject poverty wrapped in hopelessness is the cause source of terrorism, terrorism seem to derive from oppression, almost always and invariably so. It is therefore argued that global security attainment will be possible, only through the reduction of abject poverty and desperation worldwide.

Until a few years ago, was a labeled and castigated by western nations as a pariah in the international community of nations. When Pan Am airline was bombed out the skies in 1988, western nations “linked” Libya almost inexplicably to the flaming inferno and air crashing deaths in Scotland. Libya was at the time an outcast to Western nations. It is unclear how this perception of Libya by the West, seeming without direct and specific evidence precipitated the accusations against Libya as a rogue nation and therefore, Libyan agents as actors in the criminal enterprise of bombing Pan Am flight 103 out of the skies. There were raw emotions by the massive loss of lives, and these emotions were further inflamed, by the belief in the western world, that Libyan Intelligence agents were the culprits. This obviously may have impacted the outcome, the conviction and sentence of Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi, who allegedly acted in concerted with another defendant, who was never convicted. This exoneration of the other defendant heightens the possible innocence of Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi, but for his connection with the store-bought shirts as told to the trial by the storekeeper.

Many in Scotland, including some members of victim families doubted conviction and sentence of Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi, some in the legal community also expressed reservation as to the fact of a single evidence by the storekeeper which was never corroborated by anyone else or through any other source. Baset Meghrahi filed an appeal while that appeal was pending he became afflicted with cancer of the prostrate, and was told it was terminal. Scotland made a deal with the prisoner. He will be released, if he dropped his insistence on proving that he is innocent of the charges which led to his conviction and sentence to life in jail. After several years of confinement, coupled with being afflicted with cancer of the prostrate of terminal variety, there was really no choice to be made by the prisoner. He took the offer and jetted out of Scotland within hours of being freed from the slammer dungeon life.

Baset Megrhahi arrived in Libya to an uproarious flag waving welcome by joyously proud Libyans, this, according to critics in western nations, was contrary to the gentleman agreement entered into by the leader of Libya, Moumar Ghaddaffi. Adding the fuels and accelerants of tsunami of blistering criticisms in western nations, was what filtered out in the midst of all this. Britain had feigned powerlessness over the Scot’s legal system and political leadership, in the freedom-for-terrorist-affair; then came word, that some in Britain actually exerted pressure and lobby efforts targeting Scotland, on behalf of Libya, efforts and lobby, to free the prisoner, motivated by an oil deal which is in the works between Libya and a plethora of British oil multinationals.

Since this seismic revelations about this Oil-For-Terrorist angle of the twisted fate of Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi saga, high ranking office holders in the United States including Senator Charles Schumer, the senior US senator from the state of New York, as well as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and sundry victim families, have publicly fumed about the release of Baset Meghrahi whose innocence they say is assailable. The FBI Director, Mr. Mueller actually, took an extraordinary step of writing to express his consummate displeasure to the authorities of Scotland, and Scotland promptly accused him of breaching order, protocol, convention and rules of diplomatic engagement etc.

It is worth a mention that these reactions were all in the works, as soon as suggestions and speculations surfaced in the media, regarding the possible release and freedom for Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi, and the tempo and intensity was made worse by the incremental indecencies which seemed to have belied the release of and freedom for Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi, this is so, in the eyes and perspectives of victims’ families in particular.

Those who were somewhat unhappy about release and freedom of someone who, in their assessment, remains the cause of their bereavements, release and freedom, hinged on compassion for a prisoner with terminal illness and near-death, became more incensed as they learned of the pressure and lobby efforts exacted on Scotland by Britain. Then, there is now the incendiary crescendo, for the victims’ families as they now have to add acid and salt to their still very raw bereavement injuries, with the outwardly unconscionable outrage perpetrated against them and the memory of their loved ones, in the name of a contemplated business deal for British multinational oil companies.

In the eyes and from perspectives of victims’ families, this Oil-For-Terrorist deal is the unkindest cut, and the ultimate betrayal by those who saw to it, that Abdel Basset al-Meghrahi is now a freeman. Among the questions being asked by victims’ families and even the average person, is whether Baset should have remained in prison, while he pursued his appeals to determine whether his conviction remained sustainable, based on the sole uncorroborated evidence of a lone witness, the storekeeper who connected him to a particular shirt purchase.

Would he have been eventually vindicated? Did he compromise his insistence on his professed innocence in order to have a shortcut to freedom in view of his precarious state of health? Or, is his release justified? Is this really all about oil or compassion? Or is this really an Oil- For-Terrorist Release Program?

Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined NOW!

2009-08-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined NOW!

Written by Paul I. Adujie

Lawcreer2007@ aol.com

New York, United States

On Sunday, August 23, 2009, I read on the internet, a news report by one Mr. Samuel Aruwan reporting from Kaduna state in Nigeria. The news story related how full-fledged citizens of Nigeria, who were ordinarily resident in Lagos, were bundled and stripped of their properties and shipped from Lagos, by the government of Lagos state and then, deposited and dumped in Kaduna, just like that! This is an illegal act. It is an unconstitutional act, as it is equally immoral, and a very shameful and disgraceful act on the part of Lagos state. I can only hope that no other state in Nigeria follows this extremely foolish and illegal act. As it is clearly a bad example!

First, upon reading this most ill-conceived action by Lagos state, I was thrown into a state of suspended disbelief. The governor of Lagos state is lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at that! This is particularly surprising, because Mr. Fashola is lawyer and the action he sanctioned, is obviously unconstitutional and illegal and plainly immoral and unjustifiable! Mr. Fashola’s illegitimate action on this score, makes me wonder if he has misplaced his copy of the Nigerian constitution? How could a state governor order such action which flies in the face of decency, morality and constitutionality? Such an urbane governor as Mr. Fashola, a man who rather a very young politician? What informed this offensive and discriminatory act?

The illogicalities, the illegalities, the unconstitutionaliti es in every sense of these, made me at first to wonder, if this news story is untrue! How can a state actually do this without wide outrage and outcry nationwide in Nigeria? Where is censure and reprimand for this kidnapping engineered by a state in Nigeria? Are some Nigerians so warped and twisted now, in our sense of what is legal, fair, decent and moral? Are we now so far in a state of anomie and beyond shock? Are some Nigerians now so shockproof even from the debased and most profane of conducts by public officials? When did we stop being our brothers and sisters’ keeper? What in the world have happened to our psyche?

Nigerians should as the governor of Lagos state several questions to determine his “reasons” “rationale” for his decision to throw Molotov cocktails and live grenades into our already volatile state of national unity? Why did the governor, and government of Lagos state decide to act as flamethrowers against our country? I have lived in Lagos in the past and there was at that time, no physical fitness tests. No physical or fiscal inspections or determinations before a Nigerian could become a Lagosian, Lagos City used to be Nigeria’s New York City, Lagos welcomed all comers, all Nigerians. What changed? Why did Lagos engage in this opprobrium?

May Nigerians now be told, what the minimum income, and minimum wealth and minimum physical disability, which a Nigerian have to have to be accepted or tolerated as resident of Lagos state? What is the cutoff point, monetarily and in physical attributes for a Nigerian desirous of residency in Lagos? What is the litmus test of physical dexterity and fiscal suitableness for Nigerians citizens who desire to make Lagos state their home state, regardless of ethnicity or “state-of-origin”? There had been press reports suggesting that the governor of Lagos state, Mr. Fashola, had commenced a rebirth and rehabilitation of Lagos into the much talked about megacity or megalopolis. But cleaning and beautifying Lagos state or any state for that matter, certainly cannot be the poor excuse for abducting, kidnapping and bundling proven citizens of Nigeria, from whatever state of birth and dumping them outside of Lagos!

We know that money is tight in Lagos, in Nigeria and in fact, everywhere else in the world. But tight budget, tight finances cannot be the excuse, refusal or neglect by Lagos state to seek alternative solutions or other options to street begging! Lagos would have had support, if Lagos sought to rehabilitate beggars, Area Boys or the so-called street urchins, and as a consequence, Lagos created a shelter or even takes the extraordinary steps of creating a colony, for such purpose within Lagos state. Even so, it would be possible that some may see such measures as drastic, if draconian. But, here we are faced with a much worse and much more drastically senseless abductions and kidnapping of some Nigerians as a policy of a unit of government in my federal republic! Tufia! Haba Lagos!

If these citizens had swine flu or some other disease determined to be contagious, even at that, no state government should abduct, kidnap and expel Nigerians from one state to the other. If infected persons or even livestock must be quarantined, such confinements must be undertaken within the state of established presence of such infected persons or livestock. Bundling and expelling Nigerian citizens should never be contemplated by any sane Nigerian! This is class warfare too. This is class discrimination this is a unique discrimination against Nigerians with disabilities. There ought to be a law against all discriminations, but, more particularly so, laws to punish those who would engage in the egregious discriminations of all, against disable people who are not able to fend for themselves! The “crimes” of these citizens of Nigeria, “deported” by Lagos state, is that they are poor and, on top of it, they have the misfortunes to be disabled or have disabilities. Would Lagos state or any state deport Dangote, Otedola or Iwuchukwu whether they were blind or quadriplegics on wheelchairs? No! They would react, Naira for Naira! And with 100 Senior Advocates of Nigeria representing them.

Too much unpalatable news emanates from Nigeria and this dastardly act by Lagos state is just rank –rancid wrong-headed public policy! As I understand it, the governor of Lagos state is a lawyer, a nice urbane Nigerian, who is said to have done a lot for Lagos. Those accomplishments, if they are sustainable and not mere cosmetic, warrant the applause of all Nigerians. But now does this? Common!

All Nigerians must take strong exceptions, the strongest exceptions, to the malevolent treatments by Lagos state, meted out to bona fide citizens of Nigeria. Any citizen of Nigeria should have the right to live where ever whichever part of Nigeria such Nigerian citizen chooses and prefers. And such choice should be left to such Nigerian citizen regardless of wealth, health, ethnicity, state or region of origin or religion. Once a Nigerian has established proof of his citizenship, where he chooses to live should not be a discussable transaction by any branches of our government, be it local, state or federal. No state, Lagos or Plateau or Edo or Anambra should tell me where I can live within Nigeria! Lagos must not get away with this unconstitutionality and illegality, just so, no other state may in the future engage in this sorts of mindlessness of the unhinged. Lagos should be fined. Governors who discriminate should be impeached and removed from office! This is because these sorts actions endanger Nigeria’s national security and national unity and cohesion. It is treasonable to endanger our national security. What if Kaduna retaliates and uses whatever criterion Kaduna may chose? Deport every college graduate from Lagos who lives in Kaduna? Or deport any Lagosian in Kaduna who weighs over 200 kilograms?

I am thoroughly embarrassed that there are some people here applauding the Lagos state government! Lagos should be ASHAMED! Those poor citizens deserve better than that from Lagos state and every other state in Nigeria… and from the federal government too! A citizen of Nigeria is a citizen of Nigeria is a citizen of Nigeria! A citizen of Nigeria should be free to live where ever she chooses! It is irrelevant whether such Nigeria is a billionaire or destitute!

The illegal and unconstitutional action by Lagos state against some citizens of Nigeria is most unwarranted. It is discrimination and there is simply no excuse. Clearly, it is unacceptable that Lagos is discriminating against some Nigerian citizens on the bases of ethnicity, state and region of origin and on the basis of disability and wealth! There is nothing to be said in favor of Lagos state! NOTHING! The Federal Executive Council or FEC should table Lagos for discussion, for censure and reprimand for this offensive and discriminatory act.

"Deportation" of Nigerians by some other Nigerians should be condemned by all of us. That act on the part of Lagos state, my Eko Akete, surely smacks of elitism in particular reference to the stations in life and wealth and disability of the Nigerians who we talk about here.

A good society, with human refinement, is judged or measured by how such society treats/handles/ deals with her under-privileged citizens. Lagos state has just failed this acid test!

Citizenship in Nigeria should not be a fleeting and an ephemeral thing! My Nigerian citizenship should entitle me to equal protection in every of Nigeria's 36 federating states, and the Federal Capital Territory inclusive. I have in the past written that “Nigerian Citizenship Should Be Redefined” which was published on Friday, 18 June 2004 http://www.nigeriav illagesquare. com/...redefined .html

But with this act by Lagos state, and the unrests in Plateau a couple of years ago, then the bloodletting which followed the Boko Haram extremism accompanied by gory violence, there is now no better time for Nigeria’s National Assembly to swing to action, amend the constitution, to define citizenship of Nigeria, as among other things, a citizen of Nigeria is a citizen of the locality and state, which such Nigerian has adopted and where such Nigerian has lived in, meaningful and where such Nigeria may choose and such Nigerian has demonstrated and indicated, whether she is Adamu, Bola or Chima!

And this, definition should be regardless of whether Adamu’s grandparents were originally from Kaduna as Adamu has chosen Lagos as his home state, from where he can be the best Nigerian he can be. This will be regardless of whether Bola parents or grandparent are originally from Ondo, and now, Bola has adopted Yobe state as her home state, Yobe would suffice for Bola. And Chima should be free to create wealth, health and happiness in Ogbomosho, regardless of the fact that his grandparents and parents were originally from Nnewi or Oguta. A Nigerian’s home state should be where he chooses. Where she reside etc Nigerian citizenship should be tenable everywhere in Nigeria. It should not be fleetingly flimsy!

American African Command; (AFRICOM): Western Self-Serving Interests Or African Security?

2009-08-21T12:08:00.001-07:00

American African Command; (AFRICOM): Western Self-Serving Interests Or African Security?

Written by Paul I. Adujie

Lawcareer2007@aol.com

New York, United States

America’s establishment of the so-called African Command should be seen for what it is. This is America’s self-interested armada of protection for America, and her allies. As Africa have steadily and increasingly become more important, playing the role for Westerners, as repository of energy resources which powers the engine-rooms of Western economies.

In addition America and her Western allies are in trepidations and stampede, to stem China’s forays into Africa with plethora of real investments in solid infrastructures in many African nations. The formation of this command was made official by former president of the United States, George W. Bush on February 6, 2007. It has been controversial since; particularly, among Africans. There is as well a lively debate by Americans in the Department of Defense or DOD, the War College, US State Department, various Policy Foundations by policy wonks, aside from the Africans’.

A major component and a key element in these debates is the fear of China. China is buoyed be her recent economic progress. China has, for more than a decade, attained major economic expansion of more than nine percent annually. China has become exceedingly confident on the world stage. America and her Western allies are therefore deeply troubled by this state of affairs or development. China is seen by Western governments as a nuisance, an irritant and a competitor behemoth worth her weight in gold. The sheer size of China, her industrial and technological ascendancy, tripled with her ability to produce with low overhead costs, empowers China, like no other nation. China is as well a major financier of America’s public debt, in the trillions. Sino-phobia in Western countries can also be blamed for America’s sudden desire to establish military presence in Africa.

In my view therefore, America’s African Command was in conceptual terms and actual implementation, was not intended to serve Africa’s best interests. It is just some happenstances that Africa has grown in geopolitical and geo-economic importance to America and her allies. Africa has been there all along.

Africa suddenly has the attentions of Western governments? Africa is suddenly a priority? I very much doubt it! As America and her allies are ensnared in the volatile Persian Gulf-Middle East, there is suddenly these self-serving attention being paid to the long neglected, ridiculed and forlorn Africa? Given Africa’s experience in the hands of Western governments, from slave trade to colonialism to the hemispheric Cold War hegemonic struggles for chunks of the African continent, it should be no surprise to the United States and other Western governments, that Africans view them with enlightened and sanguine suspicions. These suspicions are informed by Africa’s extremely checkered history and the roles of Westerners in it.

There are, in addition to African historical experiences with Westerners, the experiences of other regions and nations outside of Africa. There are such places such the Honduras, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Dominican Republic to mention a few, where American military presence have not served best interests of the local populations. The collective experience of these countries, in which American military presence have been parceled and touted as being of some sorts of mutual benefit for America and the host country, it has turned out, in many cases, America interests were all she was interested in. There were for instance, reports of how American military, acting supposedly in partnership or cooperation with Nigerian military, literally took over Nigerian Defense Headquarters. I know for a fact, that the US military would not brook such behaviors by foreign military personnel at Pentagon, the US Department of Defense or military complex.

It is probably important as a mention, that the United States already operates at least three other commands, namely, the European Command (EUCOM), Central Command, (CENTCOM) and Pacific Command (PACOM), therefore, African Command or (AFRICOM) will be the fourth leg of US military global spread.

America’s African Command, in the circumstances, cannot be seen by Africans as instrument for African Security. America’s African Command is instead seen, as machinery for Western governments to pursue their vaunted economic, political and hegemonic hemispheric influence, at the expense of Africans, as well as a backdoor through which Westerner can outmaneuver rivals such as China and perhaps, Russia in addition. In my observation, the only interests which Westerners pursues, have ever pursued in Africa, are Western interests regardless of their protestations to the contrary; regardless of new and improved fanciful packaging.

Just think about it. Africa has laid as greenest field and fallow before the very eyes of Westerners for hundreds of years. Westerners have exploited Africa for Western benefit enough already. Africans can do without Western nations’ afterthoughts. AFRICOM and the current debate about China are two sides of the same coin. There is a renewed scramble for Africa it is motivated mostly by the search for hydrocarbon and beyond that, an opportunity for those in the scramble to expand their global market share, in this era of globalization. Africa is still their pawn, sadly! They have never been committed or dedicated to our cause or best interests.

This is the crux of the matter for Africans who have become deeply and extremely suspicious motives by Westerners who are pretending, permanently, to be on right side of all that is good for Africa, meanwhile, all through history, there have been no scintilla of truth in claims by Western governments which have pretending to be helping or assisting Africa in some sorts of altruistic, disinterested, selfless or gratuitous way. History is my witness and it is verifiably the case that Western contacts with Africa have had most negative consequences. It began with slave trade, then colonialism, neocolonialism, cold war and through all these, Westerners stripped and exploited Africa for Africa’s human, mineral and sundry resources. As a consequence, discerning Africans have gone beyond merely wary of Westerners, Africans who are alert and have become extremely suspicious of Westerners. Again, we should be mindful, when an umbrella seller doubles as someone who predicts daily rain falls. Africans have become more circumspect in evaluating advice offered by Westerners, in matters of continental, regional security or matters of trade and investments on the continent.

The attitudes of Westerners to Africans have been based mostly, on some sorts of ad hoc policy thrusts. It is marked by the absence of a well thought out and well reasoned substantive and significant policy position for Africa. Be it economic, political or military-strategic. Africa has always been seen as of no strategic or national security relevance or significance to Westerners. I cannot recount how many Western policy papers which explicitly and implicitly state such positions abundantly. But suddenly, exigent circumstances, which propelled solely by Western interests, is now pushing Western government to a waking moment of Africa’s importance? And Westerners expect Africans to be jumping for joy and dance in the streets, in excitements? Africans should be overjoyed and happily receive America’s African Command? If past is prologue, I will say, think again!

For starters, former president of the United States George W. Bush’s administration underestimated what would be Africans’ reaction to the presence of America AFRICOM; Non-Africans are too frequently presumptuous about Africans. Africans are taken for granted quite too often. This all has smudges of condescension and it is an attitude which smacks of Western paternalistic talk-downs in dealings with Africans. This is why unpleasant failure results are consequences sometimes. Herein lay the difference between the West and resurgent China in Africa. China invited African countries to Beijing, China. And together, Africans and the Chinese, created the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (CACF) This Africa-China body have met in China and in parts of Africa since its creation. And this is the sorts of partnership, the sort of friends and robust engagement which have been absence between the West and Africa. Africa, for far too long, remained the inconvenient part of the world in the eyes of the Western governments. Westerners have only been in exploitation mode and Africa as the butt of their dinner jokes, bluntly put. China on the other hand is, practical, engaged and straightforward. When was the last time the United States invited African leaders together to a joint summit or conference on economic, strategic or military cooperation? When was the last time (ever) did the United states or Western nations practice active engagements and rapprochement with African leaders the way China have demonstrated her leadership in that direction? China has excelled in action and not rhetoric and false promises!

China has over the years sent almost 20,000 medical doctors into many nations on the African continent. Beyond that, China has given loans, guaranteed loans for infrastructure development for African nations. China has been engaged, as well, in the direct creation of public infrastructures in some African nations. Railways, refineries and sundry public works, are abundant evidences which are already on the grounds in different parts of Africa and these, it must be said, tells you where China stands. Africans are tired of profound platitudinous proclamations by Western governments. China in a short span of time has proven their worthiness to Africans, through their actions. Westerners are alarmed, understandably so, because, it is becoming obvious to the Africans, tremendous difference between hundreds of years of words by Western governments, compared with the recent Chinese presence. China does not seek to dictate leadership choice to Africans.

China is not dictating to Africans a mode of government or governance as in presidential or parliamentary systems. China is not interested in interfering or meddling in the internal affairs Africans. That is how it should be! Africans are now children of the West! China goods are all over the United States. Chinese products are known Westerners and Africans alike, to be cheap and to fulfill intended utility. China is not known to hold Chinese products over and above products made in Africa. Western nations have done just that for decades, for instance, Schnapps was held up in Nigeria as superior to local brew, which is now almost extinct. And this is the practice of the West across the board. And yet, some people wonder why African farmers and manufacturers can compete against Western multinationals? For that, I recommend, “Life and Debt of Jamaica” the negative impact upon developing nations’ productive capacities occasioned by dumping by Western nations.

And furthermore, on matters of impositions, China, quite unlike the West which imposed English, French or Portuguese etc, so far, China is not known to be force-feeding Africans any Cantonese and or Mandarin! Western contact with Africa began by imposing Christianity as the “civilized” non-primitive and superior religion, China unlike the West which exulted Christian faith over every, and any, of Africa’s holies, China has not preached any religions to Africans.

China has given loans to African nations. China has guaranteed loans to African nations for public projects and sundry public infrastructures. Western nations on the other, have always led African nations to the World Bank and or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through which Western nations put punishing strictures upon developing nations in Africa and Latin America etc. These strictures, which are well coordinated, act to stifle development in Africa and elsewhere. You the reader must have heard of something called the Structural Adjustment Program or SAP? It ruined many nations in Africa and Latin America, it ruined millions of lives!

China has given loans, guaranteed loans to some African nations. China has also speedily executed some key projects in some African nations they go busily like acts and voila! End results or outcomes are seen by the Africans. China has in loan grants and loan guarantees, have been acting for some African nations, the way the United States acted on behalf of Israel when the US single-handed, made a $10 billion loan guarantee for Israel in one single year! And this excludes the $5billion yearly financial aid to Israel, with no strings attached, with no meddling and interference with Israel domestic and foreign policies! The amount of US foreign aid to all of the 53 countries in Africa during the last ten years is less than $10 billion, this despite the presence of over 900 million people in Africa and this, despite the recognition that the need in Africa is greater than in Israel with her 5 million in population. Africans are tired of ostentatious pledges and promises which are never fulfilled and never redeemed! China is a suitable alternative and a welcome change.

On matters of repressive and undemocratic governments in Africa; Western nations are friends to Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, with his notoriously repressive government, he is a man who has been president for about thirty years. Most Western nations had dealings with Mobutu Sese Sekor, a tyrant and dictator, who was as corrupt as corruption itself. Western nations have historically been strange-bedfellows with the world’s worst dictators, tyrannical brutal leaders. The West have perennially been in marriages of convenience with political leaders of other nations, particularly, leaders who do not pursue the interests of local electorates, but rather, selfish personal interests of select individuals and the West winks and nods, so longs as Western interests are amply protected. The West practices permanent Expediency, with an uppercase E! And frequently, it is counterproductive and chickens come home to roost. Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran etc, are historical example. Expediency can never be good substitute for thorough policy which contemplates and anticipates long term outcomes and consequences.

Western nations seem to have no issues with governments in Arabia and Persia, that is, regarding the abject absence of Democracy and Human Rights, Women Rights, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Emirates etc about and yet, the West lecture us about how China has been uninterested in Africans’ progress through forms of government? And that China deals with repressive African governments? And how China is willing to deal with some corrupt officials etc? Swiss Banks are notorious for being safe havens for the prodigiously corrupt and criminal looters, who pillage and plunder. And not Banks in Beijing or Shanghai! Western nations serve as harbors for fleeing thieves, and their families. Western nations serves as their refugee, and hospitals and choice place to acquire sumptuous opulence, mansions, investments and squander resources stolen from Africa. Show me a mansion in China which belongs to an African rogue. China actually executes corrupt officials by firing squad!

It should be obvious to even the undiscerning, that Western nations excel in hypocrisy and double standards. The only thing of importance to hypocrites, are usually, their self-serving sanctimonious sermons, which serves their self-interests. Discerning Africans already know those who are friends and partners to Africa. Africans do not need Western nations’ preachment of the West is holier than thou, in comparison to China. And someday, Africans and peoples of African descent will rise upon seeing the difference.

Turks & Caicos Seized by Britain in Re-colonization Aggression

2009-08-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Turks & Caicos Seized by Britain in Re-colonization Aggression
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
By Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States

It was on Friday the 14th of August 2009, when Britain abolished political life in Turks and Caicos. Britain banished Turks and Caicos parliament, cabinet and Prime Minister Michael Misick into nadir. Britain in an imperial proclamation, a reminder of her faded empire “glory” days, also repealed the constitutional right of trial by jury in Turks and Caicos. Britain in an act of unbridled aggression reminiscent of the eras of the worst twin evils of human history, slave trade and colonialism; Britain took over and confiscated the political life of the Island nation of Turks and Caicos.

Britain in one-full-swoop, sacked the prime minister, dissolved parliament and truncated Turks and Caicos’ parliamentary democracy! Britain’s poor excuse for this outrageous usurpation of political public space in Turks and Caicos is that the Island nation is rife, allegedly, with corruption. Britain has, by her takeover or coup, assumed the command and control of Turks and Caicos, and thereby, in a very substantial sense, significantly altered, the way life is lived in Turks and Caicos, until last Friday, August 14, 2009! And it is as if the world barely noticed this political earthquake of seismic proportions.

The world ought to be in uproar. This is flagrant breach of laws, rules and protocols. This is an oppressive usurpation of political power, power which belongs to the people of Turks and Caicos! Britain ought to be told in very clear and certain terms, that the era of slave trade, colonialism and empire brigandage is past. Britain, if unchallenged, might repeat this elsewhere and other powers may seek to imitate Britain’s thievery of the political space of the people of Turks and Caicos. Britain is about to ensnare the world in a slippery slope rule of the jungle of might is right. Britain should be ashamed.

This aggression by Britain against Turks and Caicos portends evils, evils of which consequences could flow far and wide, well beyond Turks and Caicos. The probable ramifications are glaring. And the first question to be asked is, if Turks and Caicos now, what Island nation is next and what nations and continent are next? Is a New World Order about to unfold; in which powerful nations with sufficient audacity and matching weapons of war and sundry armada, could aggressively take over weaker nations under some self-righteous guises?

This nonsense talk by Britain, of colony, protectorate, overseas territory or possessions, even in the twenty-first century, should make anyone decent person’s head spin! It turns my stomach!

Could the invasion of Mexico be foreseen, in which the argument would be that the violence there and the blooming narcotics trade make Mexico an existential threat to the health, wealth and happiness of the United States? And as consequence, the USA takes over Mexico? Or Spain assumes direct control of Mexico? Could the Nigeria Delta crises expose Nigeria to a forceful seizure and confiscation by powerful nations, and in the process, the argument will be made that Nigeria’s resources are too important to the engine-room of the world’s creation of more health, wealth and happiness, and so, it made eminent sense to re-colonize Nigeria?

In the prevailing atmosphere and circumstances, are we about to witness a replay of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 in which the continent of Africa was divided, between several European nations acting as rampaging pirates and an organized crime organization! And since then, the human conditions on the African continent have been dictated and shaped by these European nations, whether the publicly admit these facts or not. During the preceding 30 years, there have been similar actions, primarily by Britain and America. Britain forcefully asserted her suzerainty over the Malvinas also called Falkland Islands by Britain. And not long after that, the President George H. W Bush invaded and occupied the nation of Panama, in his drive to oust a former operative of the CIA and then president of Panama, Manuel Noriega, accusing him of participation and or tacit approval of narcotics trade.

In more recent years, former President George W. Bush of the United States engineered and facilitated the violent overthrow of the constitutional and legitimate government of the Island nation of Haiti led by Reverend Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004. This was accomplished through lies, deceit and events which demonstrated that the good government of the United States was acting in concert with unsavory criminal elements inside Haiti, persons in Haiti, who were notorious narcotics-traffickers as well as political assassins for hire.

The central theme and lessons in all of these, is, there are patterns emerging and crystallizing. In the rush for more resources, trade expansion and in search of wider reach of spheres of influence, the world should probably brace for more invasions, occupations and forceful seizures of weak nations by nations with sufficient armada and military wherewithal to confiscate such weak nations as exampled above.

Turks and Caicos is not a golf club owned and financed by an oil company, where an unhappy oil company may close the golf club management for bad management. Turks and Caicos had a prime minister, a parliament and a cabinet. If it were determined that Prime Minister Premier Michael Misick, was corrupted and irredeemably so, there are proper procedures and processes for addressing these in a twenty-first century world. A judicial process which seeks to find the truth, the facts and evidence of corruption in Turks and Caicos would have been one such avenue.

All manners of allegations, charges and counter charges of corruption have been made in Turks and Caicos in the past, but more particularly so, in the recent past. Matters actually went out of control and overboard when it appeared that matrimonial acrimony and discord between Turks and Caicos’ Premier Michael Misick culminated into his wife LisaRaye making charges of corruption against her husband. She thereafter became a sort of national symbol for the anti corruption crusade. Since LisaRaye’s public charges or revelations, the press frenzied over the details of her allegations against the PM, and much more.

There are of course other processes. There could impeachments or removal process. There could have calls for new elections and even back channel diplomacy and other pressures which could have been exacted. Britain could have done everything short of the sheer arrogance summoned by Britain in announcing the direct rule and Victorian era colonization of distant peoples.

Britain cannot pronounce cantankerous married couples in London divorced without adjudication any more than Britain have such power to assume the command and control of Turks and Caicos or any nation on earth for that matter! It is a source of constant amazement to me, the fact that world powers are quick to regard fine tenet of international laws, sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy etc as nebulous and trite when it does not suit their national fancies and interests. There is this permanence of fleeting definitions of what is proper and make good sense.

This act by Britain full of grimes and is certainly brimming with all the coloration of racism. The bulk of the citizens of Turks and Caicos are peoples of African descent. Britain made blanket statements replete with codes and stereotypes. And the terse statement by Britain upon taking over Turks and Caicos, Britain insisted there was no takeover. And said the following, “This, together with clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of general administrative incompetence, demonstrated a need for urgent suspension in whole or in part of the constitution and for other legislative and administrative reforms," the Foreign Office said. The report also recommends criminal investigations into former Premier Michael Misick and four of his former Cabinet ministers”

Britain and other Western government know for a fact, that there are peculiarities on ground in certain countries, which make perfect democracy a thing to handle rather very carefully, in cognizance of such local conditions. This understanding of democracy imperfect, is why, despite some reservations, Rashid Dostun, an erstwhile warlord in Afghanistan, has return to Kabul, and he might in effect boost Hamid Karzai’s chances of re-election. Westerners have been dealing with Pakistan, even despite the recognition that democracy is imperfect in Pakistan.

This recognition of democracy imperfect and the value of alternate dispute resolution is also a reason why Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein and his followers, are not facing war crimes in Dublin, for their activities in Northern Ireland.

Westerners are well aware, of democracy imperfect, hence they are willing to deal with, and offer winks and nods to Motada Al Sadr in Iraq, even though his past and his stance remain opposed to Western presence in Iraq. Democracy can be unruly and even irritatingly slow and imperfect, imperfect democracy is like sleep, we still get tired, subsequent to our sleep or rest, but sleep or rest is obviously not considered useless, imperfect democracy therefore can be very disappointing, but it is no reason to truncate democracy through coups and egregious rape of constitutional government, as Britain has just done to Turks and Caicos!

Why must the world accept Britain’s aggression against Turks and Caicos, under the pretext of allegations of “amorality, “immaturity” and “corruption” when these allegations have not been tested in court or some other judicial process? But instead, just through a fiat by Britain? Adherence to due process and the rule of law, and a continuing fine-tuning of democracy, is clearly a better option, than this arrogant takeover of the peoples and government of Turks and Caicos by Britain. Why does Britain expect magic or miracles in Turks and Caicos, when in fact, Britain have been tarred and tarnished by a spate of high profile scandals and corruption by parliamentarians in Britain?

Even Sarah Palin, the erstwhile governor of Alaska, apart from saying that America was pursuing God’s will and duty in Iraq, acknowledged that democracy in Iraq will take quite sometimes with military surge and all. Even Sarah Palin is familiar with democracy imperfect, regarding Afghanistan and Iraq. Even Sarah Palin, a foreign policy “wonk” with “strong” policy credential which is limited to her knowledge of Africa as one nation would be surprised at Britain‘s incredulous impatient with Turks and Caicos.

Sarah Palin, despite her uncanny foreign policy “savvy“, which again is limited to her ability to see Russia from her bedroom window in Alaska, even she knows, democracy is imperfect in Afghanistan and Iraq, will take time to be close to ours, which by the way, is still work in progress. She has said that America is in Afghanistan and Iraq to do God’s work, but she does say, that the work will take time. Why then, is Britain engaged in these abrupt terminations of tenures for parliament, cabinet and prime minister of Turks and Caicos? There is a pattern for Britain; this is all about the imperial and empire interests of Britain and not the interests of the peoples and government of Turks and Caicos for which Britain purports to act.

Britain grudgingly and reluctantly relinquished political power in Hong Kong in July 1997 and the last so-called governor-general from Britain, Peter Batten departed Hong Kong, and soon after, Britain publicly fretted about democracy and liberty for people of Hong Kong, meanwhile, it never occurred to Britain to have offered self-governance and political independence to citizens of Hong Kong, until mainland China was to have influence at the helms of Hong Kong political strata.

Britain complete takeover, and particularly considering, the abrupt manner in which Britain accomplished this political rape of Turks and Caicos’ democratic government, is very instructive of Britain’s pattern of seeking only her nefarious imperial interests without a scintilla of concern about the fine principles and tenets of democracy, independence or self governance anywhere on earth.

How and why did some person in Britain summarily determined and decided that no woman or man, in the Turks and Caicos population, is as intelligent as anyone from Britain, to govern and administer Turks and Caicos, but only Britain’s direct rule could salvage Turks and Caicos from ruinous corruption? Shouldn’t Germany or Russia be taking over Britain and 10 Downing Street? After all, Britain have had her share of pungent corruption, including the very recent double-dealing scandalous allowance double-dipping by members of parliament in Britain. Japan or Mexico should take over Britain and give corruption etc as the excuse. Britain certainly would then know it, close to home, how it must feel, to be colonized, under any pretext or guise.

The world must stand up to Britain and demand and insist on political freedom and independence for Turks and Caicos. Turks and Caicos should manage their own affairs without Britain’s aggression, interference and meddling. Turks and Caicos should resist this egregious rape of Turks and Caicos’ democracy by Britain and the world must stand up to Britain, even as the world stands with Turks and Caicos against this aggression by Britain.

One Equals Fourteen Hundred in New World Order Mathematics (1=1400)!

2009-08-14T12:57:00.001-07:00

One Equals Fourteen Hundred in New World Order Mathematics (1=1400)!

Written by Paul I. Adujie

Lawcareer2007@aol.com

New York, United States

Usually reliable and impeccable sources have informed me, that the mathematical formula above defines the New World Order and the logic of current geopolitics. In sum and effect, one sexy Iranian life, is worthier, than, the lives of 1400 persons in Palestine.

This usually impeccable sources informed me, that Israel Defense Forces or IDF conducted a brutal military action, of the scotched-earth variety, and as a consequence, 1400 persons, were killed unsung in Palestine. These Palestine persons comprised or included children, grandmothers and the infirm. This is not ancient history. These brutalities were inflicted on Palestine in January 2009!

Then, spring-showers came and May-flowers followed, June 2009 arrived as a natural cause of events. And on June 12, 2009, Iran engaged in a democratic experiment, albeit, imperfect by all accounts. There were suspicions and complaints against a perceived heavy-hand of the Iranian government of the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, whose finesse, politesse and diplomatic skills are arguably indistinct.

As it turns out, this Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been accused of not playing by the fleeting and ever shifting rules of the geopolitical nuclear weapons club. A club to which membership is determined solely your ability to engage in strategic ambiguities, so long as, your sanguine deceit is underwritten by powerful friends. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not photogenic, does not have friends or clout. It is even doubtful whether he has Arab and Persian family, other than those who are too willing to betray him and collaborate with outsiders who are keen at frustrating his nuclear club membership aspirations. Who decides nuclear which nation may acquire and possess nuclear capability? What are criterion such determinations?

So far at least, to be a nuclear power, all you need is the audacity. Then fortify such audacity with a few chess moves. And you are in. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has audacity perhaps. But he has no underwriter friends. Saddam Hussein’s attempts at strategic ambiguity caused him his throne, and then his life and the ruination of Iraq. Saddam did not have nuclear weapons or chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction, but Saddam’s imitation of strategic ambiguity, opened his unguarded flank and he was walloped by those who had other plans for Iraq and the rest is, unfolding history. The Straits of Hormuz and the entire Gulf of Persia will never be the same.

Similarly, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has enemies in high places. These enemies pounced on the indisputably flawed Iranian elections on June 12, 2009. And all hell broke lose and it was all bedlam thereafter. There were what appeared to be choreographed, orchestrated and synchronized bashing of the government of Iran and the men at its pinnacle, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in particular. The government and the press in the Western world were on the same page and coordinating efforts to unhinge the government of Iran in regime change engineered by some unseen hands from outside Iran. Agents of the United States government took the extraordinary steps of demanding that Twitter.com postpone scheduled technical maintenance. All, order to allow, Iranian demonstrators, agitators, and their handlers, outside Iran, to coordinate unsavory activities against the legitimate government of Iran.

Is it just me? I think that it is not farfetched to deduct from all these, the role played thus far, by Iran’s nuclear power ambitions. Iran’s continues to insist that she is pursuing nuclear, for civilian energy or peaceful purposes only. But after the June 12th elections, the pursuit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran intensified. Declared and otherwise known enemies of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, under the guise of wishing Iranian good elections, and governance, went full blast against Iran. Western governments and Western press, in unison, uniformly attacked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran, without reserve.

It will be recalled, the Western press it was, which never questioned or take to task, the warmongering war drums of George W. Bush, former president of the United States, as he sought to invade and occupy Iraq. It will be recalled that Western press were willingly, and even eagerly embedded, trading away their press freedom and independence. And after June 12 2009, Westerners approvingly, and suddenly, named and extolled a theocrat Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a clear renegade retrogressive conservative retrograde; a reformer! Suddenly! These obvious affront and shenanigans of endorsements by the Western governments and press, pretended to ignore Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s record as part of the ruling conservative clubhouse member in Tehran! Again, telling that country who their leader should be… or what leader among them is palatable tolerable to the West’s desires for Iran?

While the protests in Iran were on, coming across as coordinated and engineered by Iranians, with apparent help from outsiders, or handlers, including employees of British Diplomatic outpost in Teheran. The government of Iran, presided over by no other than a torn on the flesh of the West, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, cracked down on protesters and sundry agitators. There were reports that many Iranian citizens were injured or maimed or even killed. Molotov cocktails were and blazing fires featured prominently in the post election news reports.

In this admixture outrage and crackdown, there were reported deaths of about 69 Iranian civilians. An unknown person killed Neda Soltani, in circumstances that were not sufficiently clear. Meanwhile, so many protest posters borne by Iranians were prefabricated in English! I guess and suppose that the governing Ayatollahs respond more rapidly when beseeched in English? Why not in Farsi? Persian Languages are too sonorous and lame? Or is it that the posters were produced in an English speaking diplomatic outpost, as have been alleged by Iran, and then customized for CNN worldwide viewing audience for effect?

But, Western governments and western press have insisted all along, that Neda Soltani was killed by Iranian agents or security forces. Even though the jury was out, regarding specificities surrounding the murder of Neda and some other Iranians who died in post election rancor, stampede and violence.

Democracy and freedom, liberty and the rule law for all, are excellently wonderful concepts, there are simply nothing better. But this should be seen as quite distinct, from the idea of force-feeding democracy to peoples in democracy starved nations worldwide. Force-feeding of anything, no matter how ordinarily wonderful creates resistance, by the victim of force-feeding. Particularities and peculiarities of conditions and multiple variables on the grounds, in many nations dictate the quality of democratic ideals and other fine ideals which can be established or foisted easily or with phased efforts. We cannot presume to know what is good for every nation on earth.

Western governments and press were loud in their silences when Israel rammed roughshod into Palestine territory and brutally snuffed out the lives of 1400 Palestinians. This is not the first time, during which hundred of Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in the preceding couple of years. The indiscriminate killings hundreds of Palestinians at time, by Israel is actually not limited to the last couple of years. It is a periodic and rather regular occurrence. There is sense of an apocalyptic foreboding, regarding what Israel may do next, not in Palestine, but instead, an military attack against Iran, which could very easily become the beginning of the Third World War!

Why does the world, appear to have made “peace” with the deliberate devaluation of life in Palestine? And in comparison with Iran, what is the difference between the lives of Palestinians and the Iranians? Why did Western governments and press, all of sudden become advocates and advertisers of martyrdom after the death of Neda? All of a sudden, Neda was omnipresent and wrapped symbolisms. And even those who hitherto suffered from self-inflicted xenophobia and unrestrained Islamo-phobia, suddenly became “informed” interpreters of martyrdom, right before our very eyes, all of a sudden!

The world should be asking, why there are these double standards in the measurements of life’s value and worth in Palestine and Iran? Advocacy of democracy, freedom, liberty and human rights etc should not be motivated by our self-serving interests. Human Rights and democracy etc should be pursued genuinely for because of the known value of these great ideas; And not informed by expediency of our self-interests.

There are legitimate Human Rights, democracy and the rule of law etc in Iran. And that was the case before, during and after the June 12 2009 flawed elections. Similarly, There are Human Rights, democracy, liberty, political independence etc in Palestine, the crises in Palestine are rather intractable.

Clearly, a Palestine demonstrator against settlement expansions on Palestine land by Israelis is too easily construed as Palestine terrorist. A Palestinian who resists land grabs by Israelis, a Palestinian is an unreasoned terrorist who does not value human life, if she says to Israel, what a former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, that is, tear down the Apartheid Wall!

A Palestinian who endures humiliations in daily life, including being a permanent refugee in his own land since 1948, and compelled daily to present an Apartheid like pass to Israelis, for ingress and egress on Palestine soil, is a terrorist? Palestinians who are resisting occupiers and occupation forces; in the only existing colonial enclave, such a Palestinian, is a terrorist? What would you, and I, do, if we were, and are, subjected to the same fate to which Palestinians have had to endure since 1948 and still endure, even as you read this?

Before anyone accuses me of seeking 70 Heavenly Virgins, as reason for my expression of dismay and disgust, over the plights and predicaments of Palestinians; Let it known that I am not biologically a Palestinian. I was not raised as a Muslim. One does not have to be a Muslim to identify obvious and perpetual human suffering. Nor does anyone have to be of Palestinian descent, Arabian or Persian origin, before one can see the glaring injustices and inhumanity meted unto Palestinians.
Let it be known that I do not have the strength for 70 women on earth or heaven. And virgins are just too much work anyway! I am impatient with the sorts of pedagogical efforts it would require to teach one virgin, let alone, 70, worse, I prefer my gifts here, as heaven can wait, as we must first, deal with all the trouble in the world, including the abject and appalling conditions in Palestine! I have no desire for the urban legend and folkloric 70 Heavenly virgins.

Injustice in Palestine therefore, is injustice to fellow humans cohabiting earth with the rest of us all. We should care.

Those who seek to undermine Palestinian cause have over the years, portrayed Palestinians as unreasoned, illogical, murderous, and possessed with mindless bloodlust. Critics of Palestinians want the world to believe that the average Palestinian is incapable of objectivity or negotiation for peace. Palestine is too often presented as a place where the average citizen is an Islamic extremist and zealot who seeks martyrdom and 70 heavenly virgins. Such inanities present Palestinians as subhuman, and as if in Palestine, the average Joe Plumber, come prepackaged with terrorist tendency in their genetic markers!

Palestinians who are seeking freedom from oppression are too often presented as persons seeking phantasmagoric orgies of blood and orgasmic satisfaction from suicide bombing. Perhaps the world ought to and must ask, how any person, driven to the wall of hopelessness and with seeming nothing to lose, would act.

Palestinians are not unreasoned. They simply want their land. Just as they want their suffering and hardship to be recognized. They want their endless refugee status to have an expiration date stamped on it. They want the usurpation of their political, economic and cultural power to come to an end. This is not too much for any group of people to ask.

We have to wonder how the average citizen in Palestine must feel, when as it happens, 1400 Palestinian are killed, houses burnt, bombed and bulldozed by Israelis, and the world suffers willful amnesia, rather blissfully. But the same world cried ceaseless tears for Neda Soltani and the other 60 plus Iranians who died during the post June 12th election imbroglios. What is good for 69 dead Iranians must be good for 1400 dead Palestinians; unless 1400 is less than 69 in the New World Order mathematics of geopolitics?

The world ought to be expressing righteous indignations and rightfully so! Palestinians are humans, just like Iranians and the rest of us! Public policies driven by expediency are shortsighted and parochial. Such policies are merely gunpowder and high octane petrol in a hot and unventilated room. Such highly flammable combustibles are bound to sooner than later, come home to roost. There is oppression and inhumanity in Palestine. The conditions in Palestine are combustible accelerants by any other name.

In Palestine, the ordinary person, on a daily basis faces inhuman conditions. People in Palestine are subjected to depraved and exceedingly perverse treatments. Why would these sorts of degradations be reserved for ordinary persons in Palestine, who are not necessarily violent persons? Palestinians who are not in the government of PLO, FATAH or HAMAS? There is a pervading worldwide silence regarding the searing conditions face by citizens of Palestine. And what is worse, is the fact that the deaths in post election activities in Iran, saw loud drumbeats by governments and the press. Whereas 1400 deaths in Palestine went unsung! These sordid state of affairs surely cannot continue or peace and security will remain an elusive dream forever.

REGARDING THE PAIN OF OTHERS http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=susan+sontag+regarding+the+pain+of+others&aq=&aqi=&aq=f&aqi=g2&fp=8ec80112f99bfde5

This essay is dedicated to the memory of a Jewish woman, the late Susan Sontag, author of, among many written works, a wonderful one titled: Regarding the Pain of Others. Susan Sontag was woman
a woman who, in her written prose expressed beautiful thoughts; A woman whose beautiful prose was matched by her own gorgeousness in real life. A woman, whose gentle soul courageously carried the lights of social conscience, so that others can see and find their pathways; a woman who rendered, her thoughts in beautiful prose; she was a luminous beauty in person and in her thoughts and care for others.

A woman, who did not allow her biological origins and religion to foreclose or serve as bar for the truth. Even when it was eminently inconvenient and uncomfortable to those near, dear and treasured by her.

China As Friend And Partner To Africa

2009-08-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

China As Friend And Partner To Africa
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States

There is a raging debate which has persisted for a while now. And it is of concern to me in a triumvirate sense. The outcome of this debate will have tremendous ramifications for Africans. Such outcome will reverberate throughout Africa for hundreds of years.

Foremost, is the impact any outcome of this debate, or contest, between America and Europe on the one hand. And China on the other, What the consequences on Africa will be. Secondly, what effect will this pressure being applied on China, have on China’s forays into Africa. But most urgent of all my concerns here, is whether African public intellectuals are attentively, following this debate or contest wills or spheres of influence between these superpowers , and whether we are seeking to influence the debate-contest and the eventual outcomes.

On August 11, 2009, an uproarious and rancorous event occurred in the Republic of Congo during public questioning of Secretary of State, Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton of the United States time in that central African country. Madam Secretary of State was said to have bristled testily, when the questioner appeared to have asked her, what her husband, the other world famous Clinton, thought of a reported meddling by the World Bank, in a contract or loan from the Chinese, which is reportedly being frustrated and truncated, because the World Bank has been pressuring the government of the Congo. I regret that Madam Secretary of State appeared to have faced what probably was a sexist questioning or mindset, or what is now said to be a mere misunderstanding arising from misinterpretation of a question rendered in French.

But here are the crucial questions which ultimately should be addressed by Washington in connection with the questioner‘s concerns. Why should any foreign institution or foreign government interfere in the internal affairs of the Congo? And why should the World Bank or the United States government or any of its departments or agency, be remotely connected in any way, to the reported attempt to thwart contracts between the Congo and China, two politically independent and sovereign nations?

In recent times, there have been this sorts of contracts and loan twists and turns in Nigeria-China interactions, so perhaps, we now know the sources?
And is Nigeria’s open dealings with China really the reason for the snub of Nigeria recently? But why must Nigeria, nay Africa, let Westerners have monopoly of doing “business” or exploiting Africa?

History is our witness, and the evidence establishes and demonstrates incontrovertibly that America and Europe do not have clean hands regarding the human conditions in Africa. History bear the facts of America and European horrid brutalities in Africa. How is it therefore, America and Europe are shouting the loudest about China’s forays into Africa. It is often said that those who seek equity or those who come to equity should come with clean hands. Regarding Africa, Americans and European hands are soiled most putridly . The preachments which we now are hearing from America and Europe, are mere pretentious and farcical preachments. America and Europe, are pots, and if anything, China is kettle, and it is oxymoronic to find pot calling kettle black.

For starters, America and Europe have been in Africa for almost a thousand years! And evidences about of how America and Europe have pauperized Africa by stripping the continent of tangible and intangible resources. Ranging from human beings during slave trade, to raw materials during industrial revolution and since. And more recently, stripping of Africa of gold, diamond, petroleum and cheap labor.

China was not involved in slave trade of Africans, China was not involved in colonialism of Africans, China was not involved in imposing foreign religious on Africans. China was not involved in imposing foreign languages, such as English, French and Portuguese on Africans. China has not been involved in the assassination of African political leaders. China has so far been doing business in Africa, in ways, not any way as egregious as Union Carbide in Bhopal India or Pfizer in Nigeria

The West does not brook competition for resources or business or hemispheric influence, and there lays the West scurrilous attack on China’s foray into the African continent. Only the gullible will believe that this is about Human Rights or Labor Practices or Best Business Practices, history has abundantly borne this out. In Nigeria, environmental pollution degradation by oil companies from America and Europe who have engaged in unbridled oil spillages and gas flaring. And Pfizer pharmaceuticals, which experimented its toxic concoctions on the innocents lives of Nigerian children in Kano City Nigeria, a thing Pfizer would never do in America or Europe! China so far, at least, has not engaged in the egregious practices for which many American and European companies in African and most of the developing world are infamous.

Africa did not benefit from Western slave trade and colonialism in Africa and Westerners can be sure that Africans are no retards unaware of Africa's best interests. On the other hand, African public intellectuals and of course, by what is African political leadership, should make it abundantly clear and certain to the Chinese that Africa need partners, friends and investors, but not re-colonization by anyone, from the west or east! The Westerners should hands off Africa. Let Africa chart her own course and path to progress, development and advancement. Africa have been stifled with strictures endlessly.

As for labor practices and pollution, oil exploration and exploitation in Nigeria and elsewhere has not shown that companies and corporations run by Westerners are interested in Best Business Practices or Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Good Citizenship. Persistent oil spillages in Nigeria. Ruinous medical experiment in Kano Nigeria by Pfizer and activities of such as the ones by Union Carbide in Bhopal India are clearly indictments against phony and pretentious claims by Western business in the Africa and the rest of the developing world! Westerners have not laid any good precepts, and China cannot do any worse than Westerners have done. It certainly better to have a wider pool of options of Foreign Direct Investments in Africa.

China invest wads and wads of dollars in America. China in effect underwrites a great deal of American public debt and why then is it, that America does not tell China to go stuff her dollars elsewhere, because of her infamous record on democracy and human rights?

And I will say it a million times if I have to. Africans should be very wary of persons, such as umbrella sellers who also doubles as meteorologist in the habit of always predicting or forecasting rains

Africans including Nigerians of course, should want to know why America accepts money from China without even a whimper or murmur inclination to hinge such on and about China ‘s political economic systems and without raising issues about democratic forms of governance and human rights etc

Essentially therefore, Africa has nothing to show for a thousand years of Africa’s contact with America and Europe, unless of course Western Imperialism is considered a benefit to Africa. History does show, that Africa’s contact with America and Europeans, have only brought to the average African, endless sorrows, tears and shedding of bloods. Weapons of conflicts in African nations are not supplied by China.

The scramble for Africa, the white man conquest of the African continent had no Chinese input or participation. And lest the world forgets, China was not invited to the so-called Berlin Conference in which Western powers “shared” African amongst themselves, as if pirates dividing illegal loots. The Irish-Anglo historian, Thomas Pakenham wrote a book which he recounted the scramble for Africa. He detailed interventions in African affairs, encapsulates the horrors and brutalities meted upon Africa by Westerners, still evident today!

China was not invited to it, and China played no roles when Victorian England, Germany and rest of Europe partitioned Africa. And arbitrarily assigned African peoples to different European so-called mother countries of Britain, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain etc

And now, it is China, Russia and the United States ate scrambling anew, for needful resources to oil their economies, all puns intended! And Africa remains a great source of plethora of resources for industrial powers. Africans should determine their own fate; apologies to President Obama. America and Europe must hands off Africa and allow Africans to determine who are worthy and meaningful partners. Africans are able to determine who are the true friends and partners of the continent.

African public intellectuals and political leadership, must insist that only Africans may rightly determine where Africa’s interests will be served and served with commitment and dedication, and above all, with respect. Westerners have for centuries sought prestige, strategic resources at Africa’s expense. For centuries, Africa has served Western expediencies, and needs in human cargoes, gold and diamond now, petroleum oil, to lubricates Westerners’ economic engines, while leaving Africa in poverty, and worse, actually ridiculing Africa for being poor and backward.

A thousand of years is proof enough of the abysmal and dismal effects of appalling methods used by Westerners in Africa and Westerners’ interventions in Africa have had no measurable beneficial effects and the Chinese have never been involved nor played any roles or parts in the nefarious activities by Westerners which have degraded and dehumanized Africans and the human conditions on the African continent. I therefore do not see the why Africans must allow Westerners, these same Westerners, of whom we are thoroughly familiar.

Westerners with blood in their hands. Westerners who now pretend to be acting in Africa’s best interests, be warning Africa against the Chinese “invasion and takeover” of Africa! The truth of the matter is that, Africa have in the past been bullied and stampeded into plied for Westerner health, wealth and happiness for far too long, and if the relationship between Westerners and Africa were a marriage, Africa should have had or demanded for divorce or separation long ago. Africa should be free to have “an affair” with the Chinese! Westerners have taken Africa for granted for hundreds of years. So perhaps it is time for Africa to tell Westerners that papa got a brand new bag!

Why is China being criticized for having no political views, on local matters in African nations in which the Chinese are making some inroads? Put conversely, why does the United States accept money from China to finance American public debts without a whimper or murmur about China’s Human Right records or and Chinese non-adherence to the fine ideals of democracy, freedom, liberty and the rule of law? But instead, President Obama upon assuming office and inheriting the economic meltdown, actually singled China out and appealed to China to continue to have faith in the resilience of the American economy. As he urged China keeping the tap of more dollars flowing into the American economy. This, even though, China already has more than a trillion dollars invested in purchase of American public debt.

Why would Westerners ignore all the “evils” reeking off China’s clothes, when the bell tolls for Westerners? But, the same Westerners are trepidations and stampede to warn Africa off, of, Chinese pungent undemocratic ways, and perverse-putrid human rights abuses, only now, because China is giving the Westerners a run for their money in Africa? Western self-interests of course! In China’s forays into various African nations, Westerners finally have a fidelity challenge. Let the competition begin, I’ll say!

China As Friend And Partner To Africa

2009-08-11T14:41:00.001-07:00