Patriotism Is Not A Dirty Word!
Written by Paul I. Adujie
New York, United States
It must be realized that the tasks of making Nigeria look good, belongs to the government at all levels in Nigeria, it also belongs to private and public corporations/companies and of course, it belongs to motivated and public spirited individual citizens! No government, anywhere in the world, wno matter how efficient and effective, can achieve very much, and in all areas/departments, alone, on its own; Concerted efforts are therefore always required, as necessity and compliment, for government policies or programs to be any success. Here lies the praise-worthiness of Mr. Maduka's insightful efforts/contributions.
In America, most public policies, if not all, always have component parts driven by ordinary citizens and members of the public, usually described in America as John Q public, the John Doe and Jane Addams of America, Nigerians must learn to cultivate this public spirit for the common good, perhaps we can call it, the actions of citizens Adamu, Bola and Okoro of Nigeria?
In the United States, it is frequently the case, that every conference, every sports fiesta, are seen as opportunities to advertise the USA to the rest of the world! Be it the hosting of the Olympics or World Cup or the Super Bowl; These events frequently generate short, medium and long term economic, social and developmental benefits.
Stadiums are built, other public facilities and amenities are built or enhanced for the public, such as public transportation, like the trains/subway etc. Hence, the different levels of governments in America, the different communities, corporations/companies and individual citizens, lobby hard to have the rights to host these types of events!
Companies want the rights to display their logos, the right to claim to be the official sponsor of this or that event! There are tangible and intangible gains from these hosting; And huge employment are generated in the short and long runs, hotels are usually fully booked, hotels make money, the shoe-shiners, make money, the taxi-drivers make money and believe-it-or-not, the unmentionables, such as the sex workers make money too!
All those countries and heads of governments, that President Obasanjo have been talking to, visiting and revisiting, during these past five years, will now be in Nigeria, in one Hall, in one Room! Let the lobbying begin! Let the Nigerian business class and executives of the organized private sector leverage their experience to Nigeria's benefit! Drum roll please! Let Nigerian leader, the Nigerian Press/Media, now make the pitch of a lifetime to our foreign guests!
As a cartoonist also suggested in The Guardian newspapers of Nigeria, last week, the CHOGM, may also present the golden opportunity, for Nigeria to impress it upon the visiting heads of governments and our "brothers and sisters" of the Commonwealth club, that Nigeria's looted monies and resources, in their various countries, belong to Nigeria, and Nigeria must use this spectacular opportunity, while the CHOGM lasts, to remind Attendees, to do all, that they can, to ensure that Nigeria's wealth is returned to Nigeria, where it properly belongs! Tell the Queen! Tell the Prime Ministers! There is no better time, than during the CHOGM, to Tell Them, To FORGIVE OUR DEBT! RETURN NIGERIA’S LOOTED MONIES AND RESOURCES! Return what belongs to Nigeria!
There is no better time to drum-up business for Nigeria, to drum-up tourism for Nigeria! It is also the case, that Nigeria may reap immediate or future benefits in terms of tourism, as those who had not "discovered" Nigeria as a vacation destination, may finally do so; New friendship, political, personal and business, may also be cemented; It will also give a wonderful opportunity of, free imaging making for Nigeria's image makers, because, during CHOGM or such other conference or international activity, Nigeria will be the focus of major media houses in America, Europe and Asia, particularly, in the home-countries of the attending dignitaries and heads of foreign governments.
Every Nigerian at home or abroad, must put Nigeria first, second and always, even as public policies are debated! Including those who disagree with Nigeria's role in the Commonwealth club, or even others, who are anguished by the cost of hosting events like the COJA or CHOGM, We cannot in the name of public discourse, throw the baby and the dirty bath water, we should desist from washing our dirty linen in public, all in the name of freedom of speech, freedom of the press and democracy! Observe a “ceasefire”
I am confident that Nigerians can eschew any open display of our family squabbles during CHOGM. Nigerians must collectively give a befitting reception, play the perfect host to our foreign guests during CHOGM, this is probably not the best time to engage in our now familiar family squabbles, the world is watching, let us show our guests, that Nigerians and all Africans respect our guests, that we play perfect host, with all the courtesy and hospitality in the world! Nigerians and Nigeria will earn the respect and admiration of our guests and everyone in the whole world!
First published in Dec 2003... relevant now as it was then.
Patriotism Is Not A Dirty Word!
http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/particles/patriotism_is_not_a_dirty_word.html
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Nigeria Is Worth Dying For!
Nigeria Is Worth Dying For! If Not, Who Is To Blame?
Paul Adujie
Some Nigerians are of the opinion that the time to be patriotic will come, the time to love Nigeria will come, the time to be willing to die for Nigeria will come, but certainly not now, as they are waiting to be patriotic, they await the time and moment, when all will be well with Nigeria, they are waiting for the perfect time, for Nigeria to be worthy of love and loyalty and they are absolutely wrong! Some Nigerians Are Waiting To Be Patriotic! Nigerian Christians and Muslims are willing to die for God, but not Nigeria? Hmmmmm!
It is true that Nigerians have gone through decades of tumultuous lives, both economically and politically, no one needs any sense of ardor or acuity to understand the impact of these twin debilitation of economic and political tales of woes that bedeviled all and sundry in Nigeria, it is also true, that the situation has been so tough, so much so, that blind persons can "see it"
Nigerians have had generations-long feud amongst the leadership elite, Nigerians instead of being set on recovery, reconstruction, rehabilitation and renaissance now that we have some semblance of democracy, some Nigerians instead, seem determined to destroy Nigeria, in order to save her? As they argue fiercely for sovereign national conference instead of constitutional amendments. Patriotism has served some countries well in the past and I believe it will serve Nigeria well if Nigerians embrace it heartfelt, liver-felt and kidney-felt!
I have read recent comments by some Nigerians, whose commentaries suggests Nigerians should not be mentioned in the same sentence with patriotism and love of country, because Nigeria is not living to its full potential, but without meaning to devolve into some monologue and preachment about patriotism, that some have called nostalgia or sentimental reminiscences on my part, Nigerians must learn that revenge is a limited and limiting emotion, Nigerians must transcend their desire to avenge and revenge, Nigerians must transcend mutual suspicions and disdains. It was almost predictable and trite that some Nigerians would react to President Obasanjo's admonitions adversely, without asking any questions of Professor Oluloyo whose funeral orations in English, Latin! and Yoruba precipitated this controversy, he orchestrated it, with his very insensitive remarks. Were Professor Olunloyo an American politician? He is politically dead, coffin nailed and all, Nigeria is not worth dying for!
When some Nigerians rush to belittle Nigeria, even as they express their revulsion in being affectionate toward Nigeria, they are quick to forget the wonderfulness of Nigeria, and I say to them, that Nigeria remains my uncontested and most favorite nation on earth
Most Nigerians, it appears, are discussing patriotism or love of country, seem to forget to make a clear distinction between Nigeria and previous and current leadership. I think there is a world of difference in saying I dislike the leader of the local government area of my birth, compared with whether I love my local government. We Nigerians must learn to separate Nigeria from Nigeria leaders, leaders who are mere baby sitters or house warmers, Nigerian leaders are not the baby nor the house! If you hate your babysitter, must you as a consequence also hate your baby?
A man and woman deserve the baby sitter they hire and retain, just as countries are said to deserve the type of leadership they have. Democracy, even imperfect democracy, as we have now, will allow Nigerians to determine the kind of baby sitters that we will have in due course, when democracy in Nigeria matures to the point that we can hire and fire leaders through an incorruptible ballot box, we will they have ourselves to blame for hiring the wrong baby sitter.
Hitler did not succeed in his policies and war efforts by himself alone, and the late Mr. Abacha, the vice president Ekwueme's hero and nationalist, like Hitler, did not succeed by himself alone, there was someone from your hometown and mine, who benefited and looked the other way
The only reason on earth, Nigeria is not as yet, where and how we want Nigeria to be? Because no one is willing to love Nigeria, protect Nigeria and die for Nigeria, we non wan die, we never build house, etc, apologies to Fela Kuti, Fela is more deserving of Nigeria admiration, respect and national awards, albeit, posthumously, but instead, some Nigerians are clamoring for MKO Abiola this, MKO Abiola that, why do we always want like banks, to give loans to only those who already have enough money?
Nigerians must realize that Nigeria is like our parent, we should love and be loyal to our parents, whether they are poor or rich, whether they have PhDs or they are unemployed road-diggers, this is to make the point that, affection, love, loyalty and faith has nothing to do with wealth or level of education. If you love your parents, you will continue to love them, even if they are afflicted by leprosy, AIDS, or alcoholism! http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/Adujie/P_Adujie_51.htm
We should love our parents unconditionally, just a as we should love our country unconditionally.
Those who excelled in the ruination of Nigeria are angling once again, to be at Nigeria's helm and of course, the people would allow them?
I strongly recommend that Nigerians cease to perceive patriotism as a form of personal insult or as the ultimate dirty word; Nigerians should be demanding patriotism from our leaders and the average Adamu, Bola and Chimdi, instead of wanting to go to sleep with a type of hope-for-the-best plan, this, as everybody knows, is disastrous planning style/method, you do not hope for the best without doing anything! You will be hoping in vacuum, hope without efforts, is vacuous.
All Nigerians need to demonstrate that we are not citizens in transit, We must start to act in a manners that clearly shows that we have a stake in what happens to Nigeria, a stake in the outcome of every Nigerian circumstance. Too many Nigerians currently behave like bad refugees! As if saying, this is not my home, I am here temporarily as a refugee, so I do not have to clean up after myself, it is the Red Cross or UN's job to clean the refugee camp, not me, the refugee! This is the characteristics of a bad refugee, good people should clean up after themselves, whether enjoying normal lives or living temporarily in a refugee camp.
My parents use to tell us as children, that good behavior is always expected and that good behavior should be effortless, it should not be compelled or demanded. All Nigerians citizens should have this as a motto. Good citizenship and patriotism is always expected; It should have to be demanded; It is a duty! There is an axiom that says that, where there is a right, there is a reciprocal and corresponding obligation.
What comes first? Love of one's country or benefits from being from one's country? What comes first? Investment or profits? Love of country and willingness to die for country is an investment in duty and commitment, the benefits and profits of citizens from great countries comes from the willingness of the citizens of such countries to die for their countries! It is what in the past, I have written about as the chicken and the egg enigma and at other times as the consequential thinking, as it relates to how things are in Nigeria.
When we show a lack of interest in finding solutions to the situation that our country face, we are not helping our cause and our collective purpose as a nation; In order to reach our collective goal and destiny as a nation, we must reform our ways, if we are lack luster regarding what happens to our country, if we show a nonchalance in what afflict and affect our nation, while we are private citizens, where and when that is the case, it will remain so, Even when we become leaders of local governments, the states or the federal government, But if we are good private citizens, We will still be good and patriotic citizens, hence our actions will so reflect as local, state or federal leader; Good leadership does not arise from a sudden epiphany of some sorts! Bad citizens do not suddenly morphed into patriotic and dedicated leadership, hence it is often said, a people get the leadership they deserve (from among themselves, good or bad) as good or as bad as the populace.
Nigerians should cease sitting on the fence! We should become proactive and diligent in resolving all the issues that we are confronted with; We should stop acting as if it is someone else’s duty to sort out all the issues and solve them for us during our collective vacation away from Nigeria!
Too many Nigerians assume or act as if the 'health' of Nigeria is none of their personal business, When we do that in our private lives, such attitude does not suddenly change because we become Local government chairperson, become the governor of a state or the president of the republic! Being good citizens does not happen because one has become the governor of a state! The challenges we face are not going to be resolved by some invading force, or some foreigner, but by well meaning Nigerians amongst the citizenry,
Too many Nigerians indulge in courses of conduct that carry grave consequences for us and other Nigerians, and yet we tend to foist our angst on all other Nigerians, even though we are the cause or part of the problem or had participated in creating the mess which we now complain about! The National Assembly should strengthen existing laws and make new ones as necessary, in order that those who discover wrong doing and report such wrong doing, are adequately rewarded or compensated for reporting avarice, greed and misconduct that saps public funds, or that defeat national objectives and affect national interests adversely, I am certain that with such reward, compensation and additional safeguards, a great many Nigerians will have additional incentive to report corruption, wrong doing and other misconduct in public life and this will buoy the other efforts geared towards establishing a corrupt free and just society in Nigeria.
Nigerians need ethical re-orientation regarding what constitutes our national interests and then, proceed to pursue such interests single mindedly and resolutely.
All Nigerians should act and become more ferociously determined to demonstrate the fact that Nigeria is ours and our responsibility, Nigerians must show a willingness to make sacrifices for Nigeria's success, not only when it is convenient, we must show that we are willing to die for Nigeria, if and when the need arise, as a matter of fact, we should remember, that so many Nigerians have already paid the full price of supreme sacrifice or ultimate of life, as the answered Nigeria's call in the past, we must show a commitment to Nigeria, instead of acting as if we are just passing through and could not care what happens to Nigeria.
We should stop acting as if we are seceding tomorrow and starting some other republic and hence we have no stake in the present one. Our words and actions should be guided by genuine goodness and patriotism and not malice against any existing leadership, because such leadership is not from our region, our state or hometowns and besides, leadership is ephemeral.
What happens to Nigeria as a corporate and geographical entity, happens to all of us as individuals, directly or indirectly! It is irrelevant that we live in New York, Zurich or Kuwait.
When Nigerians die in the Desert or in the Atlantic Ocean, we should all feel a sense of loss and grief and collective embarrassment, instead of laughing and lampooning Nigeria and the present leadership, we should begin to think of how revive Nigeria from decades of despair, so that No Nigerian leaves in desperation and meet the lonely death in the Desert or desolate Atlantic Ocean.
All Nigerians need to start acting in a manner that demonstrate our collective resolve to put an end to the challenges that Nigeria facing for decades.
Nigerians must start to be full time Nigerians, with permanent interests in Nigeria, instead of acting as if we have alternative or substitute plans that is necessarily inconsistent with our being part of a single and united one Nigeria nation, we should put in a one hundred percent effort into our Nigerian-ness and our efforts on behalf of our country, we should stop acting as if we are seceding tomorrow! We should put all our hearts in Nigeria and we will overcome all challenges, We must all clearly indicate that we have permanent interest in Nigeria.
Nigeria is ours! In failure and in success; preferably in success! All Nigerians at home and abroad must play their part in helping Nigeria succeed. The time is now! And Nigerians should be willing to die for Nigeria, when and if the need arises, that willingness demonstrates our stake, high stakes in Nigeria and those high stakes would lead us all, Nigerians to protect, serve and love Nigeria
Nigerians should perform a sort of constant assessment tests, we should evaluate our roles and contributions to everything that occur in Nigeria, What is our duty? What is our obligation? What are our responsibilities? How do we contribute to making the system work?
First published in July 10, 2004
More from this author
http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/art_315.htm
http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/art_309.htm
http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/Adujie/P_Adujie_16.htm
www.gamji.com/amviews184.htm
Paul Adujie
Some Nigerians are of the opinion that the time to be patriotic will come, the time to love Nigeria will come, the time to be willing to die for Nigeria will come, but certainly not now, as they are waiting to be patriotic, they await the time and moment, when all will be well with Nigeria, they are waiting for the perfect time, for Nigeria to be worthy of love and loyalty and they are absolutely wrong! Some Nigerians Are Waiting To Be Patriotic! Nigerian Christians and Muslims are willing to die for God, but not Nigeria? Hmmmmm!
It is true that Nigerians have gone through decades of tumultuous lives, both economically and politically, no one needs any sense of ardor or acuity to understand the impact of these twin debilitation of economic and political tales of woes that bedeviled all and sundry in Nigeria, it is also true, that the situation has been so tough, so much so, that blind persons can "see it"
Nigerians have had generations-long feud amongst the leadership elite, Nigerians instead of being set on recovery, reconstruction, rehabilitation and renaissance now that we have some semblance of democracy, some Nigerians instead, seem determined to destroy Nigeria, in order to save her? As they argue fiercely for sovereign national conference instead of constitutional amendments. Patriotism has served some countries well in the past and I believe it will serve Nigeria well if Nigerians embrace it heartfelt, liver-felt and kidney-felt!
I have read recent comments by some Nigerians, whose commentaries suggests Nigerians should not be mentioned in the same sentence with patriotism and love of country, because Nigeria is not living to its full potential, but without meaning to devolve into some monologue and preachment about patriotism, that some have called nostalgia or sentimental reminiscences on my part, Nigerians must learn that revenge is a limited and limiting emotion, Nigerians must transcend their desire to avenge and revenge, Nigerians must transcend mutual suspicions and disdains. It was almost predictable and trite that some Nigerians would react to President Obasanjo's admonitions adversely, without asking any questions of Professor Oluloyo whose funeral orations in English, Latin! and Yoruba precipitated this controversy, he orchestrated it, with his very insensitive remarks. Were Professor Olunloyo an American politician? He is politically dead, coffin nailed and all, Nigeria is not worth dying for!
When some Nigerians rush to belittle Nigeria, even as they express their revulsion in being affectionate toward Nigeria, they are quick to forget the wonderfulness of Nigeria, and I say to them, that Nigeria remains my uncontested and most favorite nation on earth
Most Nigerians, it appears, are discussing patriotism or love of country, seem to forget to make a clear distinction between Nigeria and previous and current leadership. I think there is a world of difference in saying I dislike the leader of the local government area of my birth, compared with whether I love my local government. We Nigerians must learn to separate Nigeria from Nigeria leaders, leaders who are mere baby sitters or house warmers, Nigerian leaders are not the baby nor the house! If you hate your babysitter, must you as a consequence also hate your baby?
A man and woman deserve the baby sitter they hire and retain, just as countries are said to deserve the type of leadership they have. Democracy, even imperfect democracy, as we have now, will allow Nigerians to determine the kind of baby sitters that we will have in due course, when democracy in Nigeria matures to the point that we can hire and fire leaders through an incorruptible ballot box, we will they have ourselves to blame for hiring the wrong baby sitter.
Hitler did not succeed in his policies and war efforts by himself alone, and the late Mr. Abacha, the vice president Ekwueme's hero and nationalist, like Hitler, did not succeed by himself alone, there was someone from your hometown and mine, who benefited and looked the other way
The only reason on earth, Nigeria is not as yet, where and how we want Nigeria to be? Because no one is willing to love Nigeria, protect Nigeria and die for Nigeria, we non wan die, we never build house, etc, apologies to Fela Kuti, Fela is more deserving of Nigeria admiration, respect and national awards, albeit, posthumously, but instead, some Nigerians are clamoring for MKO Abiola this, MKO Abiola that, why do we always want like banks, to give loans to only those who already have enough money?
Nigerians must realize that Nigeria is like our parent, we should love and be loyal to our parents, whether they are poor or rich, whether they have PhDs or they are unemployed road-diggers, this is to make the point that, affection, love, loyalty and faith has nothing to do with wealth or level of education. If you love your parents, you will continue to love them, even if they are afflicted by leprosy, AIDS, or alcoholism! http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/Adujie/P_Adujie_51.htm
We should love our parents unconditionally, just a as we should love our country unconditionally.
Those who excelled in the ruination of Nigeria are angling once again, to be at Nigeria's helm and of course, the people would allow them?
I strongly recommend that Nigerians cease to perceive patriotism as a form of personal insult or as the ultimate dirty word; Nigerians should be demanding patriotism from our leaders and the average Adamu, Bola and Chimdi, instead of wanting to go to sleep with a type of hope-for-the-best plan, this, as everybody knows, is disastrous planning style/method, you do not hope for the best without doing anything! You will be hoping in vacuum, hope without efforts, is vacuous.
All Nigerians need to demonstrate that we are not citizens in transit, We must start to act in a manners that clearly shows that we have a stake in what happens to Nigeria, a stake in the outcome of every Nigerian circumstance. Too many Nigerians currently behave like bad refugees! As if saying, this is not my home, I am here temporarily as a refugee, so I do not have to clean up after myself, it is the Red Cross or UN's job to clean the refugee camp, not me, the refugee! This is the characteristics of a bad refugee, good people should clean up after themselves, whether enjoying normal lives or living temporarily in a refugee camp.
My parents use to tell us as children, that good behavior is always expected and that good behavior should be effortless, it should not be compelled or demanded. All Nigerians citizens should have this as a motto. Good citizenship and patriotism is always expected; It should have to be demanded; It is a duty! There is an axiom that says that, where there is a right, there is a reciprocal and corresponding obligation.
What comes first? Love of one's country or benefits from being from one's country? What comes first? Investment or profits? Love of country and willingness to die for country is an investment in duty and commitment, the benefits and profits of citizens from great countries comes from the willingness of the citizens of such countries to die for their countries! It is what in the past, I have written about as the chicken and the egg enigma and at other times as the consequential thinking, as it relates to how things are in Nigeria.
When we show a lack of interest in finding solutions to the situation that our country face, we are not helping our cause and our collective purpose as a nation; In order to reach our collective goal and destiny as a nation, we must reform our ways, if we are lack luster regarding what happens to our country, if we show a nonchalance in what afflict and affect our nation, while we are private citizens, where and when that is the case, it will remain so, Even when we become leaders of local governments, the states or the federal government, But if we are good private citizens, We will still be good and patriotic citizens, hence our actions will so reflect as local, state or federal leader; Good leadership does not arise from a sudden epiphany of some sorts! Bad citizens do not suddenly morphed into patriotic and dedicated leadership, hence it is often said, a people get the leadership they deserve (from among themselves, good or bad) as good or as bad as the populace.
Nigerians should cease sitting on the fence! We should become proactive and diligent in resolving all the issues that we are confronted with; We should stop acting as if it is someone else’s duty to sort out all the issues and solve them for us during our collective vacation away from Nigeria!
Too many Nigerians assume or act as if the 'health' of Nigeria is none of their personal business, When we do that in our private lives, such attitude does not suddenly change because we become Local government chairperson, become the governor of a state or the president of the republic! Being good citizens does not happen because one has become the governor of a state! The challenges we face are not going to be resolved by some invading force, or some foreigner, but by well meaning Nigerians amongst the citizenry,
Too many Nigerians indulge in courses of conduct that carry grave consequences for us and other Nigerians, and yet we tend to foist our angst on all other Nigerians, even though we are the cause or part of the problem or had participated in creating the mess which we now complain about! The National Assembly should strengthen existing laws and make new ones as necessary, in order that those who discover wrong doing and report such wrong doing, are adequately rewarded or compensated for reporting avarice, greed and misconduct that saps public funds, or that defeat national objectives and affect national interests adversely, I am certain that with such reward, compensation and additional safeguards, a great many Nigerians will have additional incentive to report corruption, wrong doing and other misconduct in public life and this will buoy the other efforts geared towards establishing a corrupt free and just society in Nigeria.
Nigerians need ethical re-orientation regarding what constitutes our national interests and then, proceed to pursue such interests single mindedly and resolutely.
All Nigerians should act and become more ferociously determined to demonstrate the fact that Nigeria is ours and our responsibility, Nigerians must show a willingness to make sacrifices for Nigeria's success, not only when it is convenient, we must show that we are willing to die for Nigeria, if and when the need arise, as a matter of fact, we should remember, that so many Nigerians have already paid the full price of supreme sacrifice or ultimate of life, as the answered Nigeria's call in the past, we must show a commitment to Nigeria, instead of acting as if we are just passing through and could not care what happens to Nigeria.
We should stop acting as if we are seceding tomorrow and starting some other republic and hence we have no stake in the present one. Our words and actions should be guided by genuine goodness and patriotism and not malice against any existing leadership, because such leadership is not from our region, our state or hometowns and besides, leadership is ephemeral.
What happens to Nigeria as a corporate and geographical entity, happens to all of us as individuals, directly or indirectly! It is irrelevant that we live in New York, Zurich or Kuwait.
When Nigerians die in the Desert or in the Atlantic Ocean, we should all feel a sense of loss and grief and collective embarrassment, instead of laughing and lampooning Nigeria and the present leadership, we should begin to think of how revive Nigeria from decades of despair, so that No Nigerian leaves in desperation and meet the lonely death in the Desert or desolate Atlantic Ocean.
All Nigerians need to start acting in a manner that demonstrate our collective resolve to put an end to the challenges that Nigeria facing for decades.
Nigerians must start to be full time Nigerians, with permanent interests in Nigeria, instead of acting as if we have alternative or substitute plans that is necessarily inconsistent with our being part of a single and united one Nigeria nation, we should put in a one hundred percent effort into our Nigerian-ness and our efforts on behalf of our country, we should stop acting as if we are seceding tomorrow! We should put all our hearts in Nigeria and we will overcome all challenges, We must all clearly indicate that we have permanent interest in Nigeria.
Nigeria is ours! In failure and in success; preferably in success! All Nigerians at home and abroad must play their part in helping Nigeria succeed. The time is now! And Nigerians should be willing to die for Nigeria, when and if the need arises, that willingness demonstrates our stake, high stakes in Nigeria and those high stakes would lead us all, Nigerians to protect, serve and love Nigeria
Nigerians should perform a sort of constant assessment tests, we should evaluate our roles and contributions to everything that occur in Nigeria, What is our duty? What is our obligation? What are our responsibilities? How do we contribute to making the system work?
First published in July 10, 2004
More from this author
http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/art_315.htm
http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/art_309.htm
http://www.amanaonline.com/Articles/Adujie/P_Adujie_16.htm
www.gamji.com/amviews184.htm
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I Love Nigeria!; Just Because!
I Love Nigeria!; Just Because!
By Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Avidly, I read everything in print. Newspaper and magazine essays, internet commentaries and books etc. I learn from every writer and every written word, good and, even bad writings. The written word is our chance to learn from a million experiences, encapsulated
The written word, for me, has added meanings, when such are written by a Nigerian! I have said this in the past, I doing so again pointedly, Nigerians have dramatic effects on me. Nigerians are the bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, yes, I am a Nigerian! It is usually of no significance whether I agree with point of view or not. Mr. Sonala Olumhense is a Nigerian writer, whose writings I have followed for decades, a great deal of his written work and deep feelings about Nigeria, I share. Some others, I wish that I could have persuaded him otherwise. Presently, I mention him, because I am about to copy and employ a style for which is noted, interactive journalism! Or shall we call it, empowered and democratic journalism? We learn from those who may agree, even those in disagreement!
Mr. Sonala Olumhense has this practice in which he features the reactions and comments to his public affairs commentaries, by his readers who, like me, agree and sometimes disagree with his expressed opinions on current public affairs Nigerian.
In mathematics, you cannot divide by zero and in logic, you cannot prove a negative! This is analogous to the attitude of Nigerians toward Nigeria. Some Nigerians say adamantly and repeatedly, that Nigeria is beyond redemption. Some say, Nigeria will disintegrate sooner than later. Some Nigerians actually admit to praying for Nigeria’s obliteration!
How can these Nigerians expect good outcome for an entity that they abuse, from cradle to grave? An entity that the curse at, from waking hours of the mornings until bedtime at night fall? How can some Nigerians expect good outcomes of an entity that they never commend but denigrate with the most eloquently severe and brutal words? How can?
These Nigerians seem to forget, that empires of old and modern nations of present day world, are made great and such greatness is maintained by citizens, who possess exultant and exuberant attitude toward their empires or nations. A Country becomes and remains powerful so long as her citizens rejoice in her! I need to emphasize the point that:
A Country Becomes & Remains Powerful So Long As Her Citizens Rejoice In Her!
I am a legitimate optimist, as Nigerian who is bashful, and enthusiastic about Nigeria, I have no choice, but compelled to be optimistic about my homeland. What else is there? Complacency about Nigeria is not a luxury that I can afford
What is the use of democracy without patriotism? What is the rule of law without patriotism what is the use of due process is there is not patriotism
Wrapped, encrusted, enclosed, enveloped and deep-fried in patriotism or it is not worth it
Events in the past moved me to write that some are self-loathing and self-critical, perhaps, more than any other group of citizens in the world. Now I realize that I have these compendium or pattern of expressed passions for Nigeria, and responses by those similarly inclined. Here are links to some of my past full length articles on the subject and a few comments by others that follows. I LOVE NIGERIA, here are the just because!
1. Some Nigerians Are Waiting To Be Patriotic!
2. No Apologies For My Views Or Opinions!
3. The Benefits of Nigerian Unity and The Perils of Disintegration
4. Nigeria’s National Interests: A Moratorium And Change Of Tactics
5. Some Nigerians Only Bite Effectively - When They Bite Nigeria?
6. Why Would Any Alien Become A Nigerian Citizen?
7.I Wish - My Many Wishes for Nigeria - Oh How I Wish!
8. Nigeria's National Colors; Our Flag! Our Symbol!
9. Are Some Nigerians' Psyche Damaged ?
10. CNN Attacks On Nigerians In Houston & Why Nigeria’s Image Matters
11. Patriotism Is Not A Dirty Word! !
12. Nigerian Arrested! Espionage- Spying!
13. NIGERIA My Love
14. Announcing Our Problems
15. Nigeria Is Worth Dying For!
16. America Means Well For Nigeria; Oh Really?
It is quite common to find Nigerians agreeing with non-Nigerians who maul Nigeria and Nigerians with lopsided and mostly unwarranted criticisms. There are times as well, when Nigerians vehemently reject and refute false accusations against Nigerians and Nigeria
Commenting on one of my articles, a Nigerian known only as ILN Too, wrote these words “There are too many silly Nigerians out there who are all too willing to wax lyrical when it comes to giving Nigeria the flak. what those idi-ots do not seem to fathom is that they only expose their stupidity and intellectual laziness. true, those Nigerians might have emigrated because of the harsh economic realities back home. but aren't they cutting off their noses to spite their own faces?”
“Those Nigerians may acquire foreign citizenship or be living in relative comfort in their host countries (countries that they often seem all too willing to eulogize). However, in reality, those Nigerians are constantly reminded that their host countries are not where they actually belong. but these reminders often take very subtle dimensions and some of us are too dumb to notice them (the CNN documentary is probably just one of those reminders, only this time, it is patently blunt; the haters of Nigeria, as they should be called, drove home their points with undisguised venom)”
“There are a lot of Nigerians living abroad that take perverse pleasure in ridiculing Nigerians that have remained in the country. the reaction to that documentary would have been quite different if the criminals featured or the crimes had been perpetrated in Nigeria and not the United States. it would have given an excellent opportunity for the pessimists in our midst to start saying, 'well, yes we know nothing good would come out of that country and we said it!' Quite lucky that this time around, this category of idi-ots were not spared; the CNN insulted Nigerians in their entirety. a lot of 'pessimists in Diaspora' (no disrespect whatever to Nigerians in Diaspora) would probably reason that CNN has hit too close to home.”
“In that respect, there is a salutary lesson to be learnt from the offensive documentary; people that take sadistic pleasure in denigrating their backgrounds gain nothing in the exercise, rather, they stand to lose. After all, for most of us, Nigeria (warts and all) is, in the end, the only place we can call our own. so why cast unnecessary aspersions on it? this is one thing that beats me and i want to believe i am no nitwit. if my mum were mad (she is not, ok!) i would definitely not take pleasure in going to the market square and announcing to the public that she is! and i would also be deeply offended if any of 'my friends' tried to do the same.”
“Talking about friendship, i would like to ask villagers whether they consider the US as Nigeria's friend or enemy. there have been a series of events recently that make me seriously doubt the sincerity of America's friendship to Nigeria; not the least of these events is the 'intelligence report' that Nigeria will break up in fifteen years or less. not that i am overly concerned about any half baked American intelligence; the American intelligence has an uncanny habit of turning out to be rather unintelligent. seriously though, if i were American, i would be more concerned about how many years it will take Iraq, for example, to break up. if i had a friend that goes round telling people that i am likely to die of a particular ailment after a certain number of years, i would probably do my best to keep away from them (thank God, I don't have such a friend). with friends like the US, it is becoming increasingly clear that Nigeria doesn't need enemies (a food for thought for our compatriots striving hard to make America even greater”
Another Nigerian known only as Palamedes, contributed the following words: “A slander or participating in a slander against one's own country should be considered as joining the enemy to fight against one's own country, therefore the government should pass a law to make it a criminal offence for any Nigerian to slander or participate in a slander against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its people.”
“I know that some will criticize and lecture me about freedom, human rights and what not. The British hanged Lord Haw Haw (real name William Joyce) for treason - for taking side with Nazi Germany. Treason in most Western countries is a criminal offence. These Nigerians have committed treason and must be punish when they return to Nigeria.”
“Hmmmmm, I am thinking: if there were such a law, some Nigerians would use it to their advantage such as knowingly committing treason and then claiming political asylum in the West. I better leave that to the lawyers to figure out. Whatever the outcome, these traitors must be punished for colluding with our enemies. That's all I have to say.”
An American, known only as Rose, who follows and participates in Nigerian debates stated the following very kind words in support of one of my article “Paul, I'm not Nigerian, but of African descent and want to commend you on your unwavering love and support of your country. From reading your essays, I'd say you are extremely proud, on point and correct on positions you've taken where Nigeria is concerned. You clearly see and feel the potential in your countrymen and women, and I know you're ready to work tirelessly to do your part and inspire the troops as well. Stay passionate and keep on keeping on!!”
A Nigerians whose commitment to Nigeria is demonstrated in and by his name, Naijaforlife, added these comments “I really enjoyed your post. I believe Nigerians who applaud foreigners who criticize us are Nigerians who have reconciled themselves to living in a land where their only reward in life can be material comfort and nothing else. They have decided to accept the lies and distortions from the media in a land whose culture they are unable to identify with, whose destiny they cannot influence, in short, a land in which all they can expect is to live as guests so long as they don't "rock the boat".
“Like you said, blacks are reminded of their second class status through subtle means, not the least of which is their systematic exclusion from the institutions of power, and their relegation to ceremonial, impotent roles like Mayors and the like”
“ To live as a black person in the Diaspora is to witness impieties such as seeing the culture of the middle east, (the terrorists breeding ground of the world) celebrated, while coverage of Africa is relegated to dehumanizing and loathsome pictures of Africans ravaged by disease or famine. To live in the Diaspora is to see people celebrate the mention of other countries of the world, but to squirm uncomfortably and try to change the subject to wars or disease when Africa is mentioned. I cannot tell you how many times I have personally been witness to what I described in the preceding sentence”
“Citizens of countries that have perpetrated the most atrocious crimes against humanity do not tolerate the corruption of their countries' image, and I don't see why Nigerians should. Nigeria might be infested with criminals in our ruling class, but the same countries that routinely assail our image are also bedeviled by their share of heartless criminals”
“And yes, ILN TOO, I believe you are quite right when you say that a country would never predict the death of another country she considered a friend. I can think of nothing more hateful than that”
I will only add as I have in the past, that the call to the service of Nigeria, is the greatest service of all. As I restate these words.
All Nigerians need to start acting in a manner that demonstrate our
collective resolve to put an end to the challenges that Nigeria facing for
decades.
Nigerians must start to be full time Nigerians, with permanent interests in
Nigeria, instead of acting as if we have alternative or substitute plans
that is necessarily inconsistent with our being part of a single and united
one Nigeria nation, we should put in a one hundred percent effort into our
Nigerian-ness and our efforts on behalf of our country, we should stop
acting as if we are seceding tomorrow! We should put all our hearts in
Nigeria and we will overcome all challenges, We must all clearly indicate
that we have permanent interest in Nigeria.
Nigeria is ours! In failure and in success; preferably in success!
All Nigerians at home and abroad must play their part in helping Nigeria
succeed. The time is now! And Nigerians should be willing to die for Nigeria, when and if the need arises, that willingness demonstrates our stake, high stakes in Nigeria and those high stakes would lead us all, Nigerians to protect, serve and love Nigeria.
Nigerians should perform a sort of constant assessment tests, we should evaluate our roles and contributions to everything that occur in Nigeria, What is our duty? What is our obligation? What are our responsibilities? How do we contribute to making the system work?
First published on May 28, 2007
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/paul-adujie/i-love-nigeria-just-because-15.html
By Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Avidly, I read everything in print. Newspaper and magazine essays, internet commentaries and books etc. I learn from every writer and every written word, good and, even bad writings. The written word is our chance to learn from a million experiences, encapsulated
The written word, for me, has added meanings, when such are written by a Nigerian! I have said this in the past, I doing so again pointedly, Nigerians have dramatic effects on me. Nigerians are the bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, yes, I am a Nigerian! It is usually of no significance whether I agree with point of view or not. Mr. Sonala Olumhense is a Nigerian writer, whose writings I have followed for decades, a great deal of his written work and deep feelings about Nigeria, I share. Some others, I wish that I could have persuaded him otherwise. Presently, I mention him, because I am about to copy and employ a style for which is noted, interactive journalism! Or shall we call it, empowered and democratic journalism? We learn from those who may agree, even those in disagreement!
Mr. Sonala Olumhense has this practice in which he features the reactions and comments to his public affairs commentaries, by his readers who, like me, agree and sometimes disagree with his expressed opinions on current public affairs Nigerian.
In mathematics, you cannot divide by zero and in logic, you cannot prove a negative! This is analogous to the attitude of Nigerians toward Nigeria. Some Nigerians say adamantly and repeatedly, that Nigeria is beyond redemption. Some say, Nigeria will disintegrate sooner than later. Some Nigerians actually admit to praying for Nigeria’s obliteration!
How can these Nigerians expect good outcome for an entity that they abuse, from cradle to grave? An entity that the curse at, from waking hours of the mornings until bedtime at night fall? How can some Nigerians expect good outcomes of an entity that they never commend but denigrate with the most eloquently severe and brutal words? How can?
These Nigerians seem to forget, that empires of old and modern nations of present day world, are made great and such greatness is maintained by citizens, who possess exultant and exuberant attitude toward their empires or nations. A Country becomes and remains powerful so long as her citizens rejoice in her! I need to emphasize the point that:
A Country Becomes & Remains Powerful So Long As Her Citizens Rejoice In Her!
I am a legitimate optimist, as Nigerian who is bashful, and enthusiastic about Nigeria, I have no choice, but compelled to be optimistic about my homeland. What else is there? Complacency about Nigeria is not a luxury that I can afford
What is the use of democracy without patriotism? What is the rule of law without patriotism what is the use of due process is there is not patriotism
Wrapped, encrusted, enclosed, enveloped and deep-fried in patriotism or it is not worth it
Events in the past moved me to write that some are self-loathing and self-critical, perhaps, more than any other group of citizens in the world. Now I realize that I have these compendium or pattern of expressed passions for Nigeria, and responses by those similarly inclined. Here are links to some of my past full length articles on the subject and a few comments by others that follows. I LOVE NIGERIA, here are the just because!
1. Some Nigerians Are Waiting To Be Patriotic!
2. No Apologies For My Views Or Opinions!
3. The Benefits of Nigerian Unity and The Perils of Disintegration
4. Nigeria’s National Interests: A Moratorium And Change Of Tactics
5. Some Nigerians Only Bite Effectively - When They Bite Nigeria?
6. Why Would Any Alien Become A Nigerian Citizen?
7.I Wish - My Many Wishes for Nigeria - Oh How I Wish!
8. Nigeria's National Colors; Our Flag! Our Symbol!
9. Are Some Nigerians' Psyche Damaged ?
10. CNN Attacks On Nigerians In Houston & Why Nigeria’s Image Matters
11. Patriotism Is Not A Dirty Word! !
12. Nigerian Arrested! Espionage- Spying!
13. NIGERIA My Love
14. Announcing Our Problems
15. Nigeria Is Worth Dying For!
16. America Means Well For Nigeria; Oh Really?
It is quite common to find Nigerians agreeing with non-Nigerians who maul Nigeria and Nigerians with lopsided and mostly unwarranted criticisms. There are times as well, when Nigerians vehemently reject and refute false accusations against Nigerians and Nigeria
Commenting on one of my articles, a Nigerian known only as ILN Too, wrote these words “There are too many silly Nigerians out there who are all too willing to wax lyrical when it comes to giving Nigeria the flak. what those idi-ots do not seem to fathom is that they only expose their stupidity and intellectual laziness. true, those Nigerians might have emigrated because of the harsh economic realities back home. but aren't they cutting off their noses to spite their own faces?”
“Those Nigerians may acquire foreign citizenship or be living in relative comfort in their host countries (countries that they often seem all too willing to eulogize). However, in reality, those Nigerians are constantly reminded that their host countries are not where they actually belong. but these reminders often take very subtle dimensions and some of us are too dumb to notice them (the CNN documentary is probably just one of those reminders, only this time, it is patently blunt; the haters of Nigeria, as they should be called, drove home their points with undisguised venom)”
“There are a lot of Nigerians living abroad that take perverse pleasure in ridiculing Nigerians that have remained in the country. the reaction to that documentary would have been quite different if the criminals featured or the crimes had been perpetrated in Nigeria and not the United States. it would have given an excellent opportunity for the pessimists in our midst to start saying, 'well, yes we know nothing good would come out of that country and we said it!' Quite lucky that this time around, this category of idi-ots were not spared; the CNN insulted Nigerians in their entirety. a lot of 'pessimists in Diaspora' (no disrespect whatever to Nigerians in Diaspora) would probably reason that CNN has hit too close to home.”
“In that respect, there is a salutary lesson to be learnt from the offensive documentary; people that take sadistic pleasure in denigrating their backgrounds gain nothing in the exercise, rather, they stand to lose. After all, for most of us, Nigeria (warts and all) is, in the end, the only place we can call our own. so why cast unnecessary aspersions on it? this is one thing that beats me and i want to believe i am no nitwit. if my mum were mad (she is not, ok!) i would definitely not take pleasure in going to the market square and announcing to the public that she is! and i would also be deeply offended if any of 'my friends' tried to do the same.”
“Talking about friendship, i would like to ask villagers whether they consider the US as Nigeria's friend or enemy. there have been a series of events recently that make me seriously doubt the sincerity of America's friendship to Nigeria; not the least of these events is the 'intelligence report' that Nigeria will break up in fifteen years or less. not that i am overly concerned about any half baked American intelligence; the American intelligence has an uncanny habit of turning out to be rather unintelligent. seriously though, if i were American, i would be more concerned about how many years it will take Iraq, for example, to break up. if i had a friend that goes round telling people that i am likely to die of a particular ailment after a certain number of years, i would probably do my best to keep away from them (thank God, I don't have such a friend). with friends like the US, it is becoming increasingly clear that Nigeria doesn't need enemies (a food for thought for our compatriots striving hard to make America even greater”
Another Nigerian known only as Palamedes, contributed the following words: “A slander or participating in a slander against one's own country should be considered as joining the enemy to fight against one's own country, therefore the government should pass a law to make it a criminal offence for any Nigerian to slander or participate in a slander against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its people.”
“I know that some will criticize and lecture me about freedom, human rights and what not. The British hanged Lord Haw Haw (real name William Joyce) for treason - for taking side with Nazi Germany. Treason in most Western countries is a criminal offence. These Nigerians have committed treason and must be punish when they return to Nigeria.”
“Hmmmmm, I am thinking: if there were such a law, some Nigerians would use it to their advantage such as knowingly committing treason and then claiming political asylum in the West. I better leave that to the lawyers to figure out. Whatever the outcome, these traitors must be punished for colluding with our enemies. That's all I have to say.”
An American, known only as Rose, who follows and participates in Nigerian debates stated the following very kind words in support of one of my article “Paul, I'm not Nigerian, but of African descent and want to commend you on your unwavering love and support of your country. From reading your essays, I'd say you are extremely proud, on point and correct on positions you've taken where Nigeria is concerned. You clearly see and feel the potential in your countrymen and women, and I know you're ready to work tirelessly to do your part and inspire the troops as well. Stay passionate and keep on keeping on!!”
A Nigerians whose commitment to Nigeria is demonstrated in and by his name, Naijaforlife, added these comments “I really enjoyed your post. I believe Nigerians who applaud foreigners who criticize us are Nigerians who have reconciled themselves to living in a land where their only reward in life can be material comfort and nothing else. They have decided to accept the lies and distortions from the media in a land whose culture they are unable to identify with, whose destiny they cannot influence, in short, a land in which all they can expect is to live as guests so long as they don't "rock the boat".
“Like you said, blacks are reminded of their second class status through subtle means, not the least of which is their systematic exclusion from the institutions of power, and their relegation to ceremonial, impotent roles like Mayors and the like”
“ To live as a black person in the Diaspora is to witness impieties such as seeing the culture of the middle east, (the terrorists breeding ground of the world) celebrated, while coverage of Africa is relegated to dehumanizing and loathsome pictures of Africans ravaged by disease or famine. To live in the Diaspora is to see people celebrate the mention of other countries of the world, but to squirm uncomfortably and try to change the subject to wars or disease when Africa is mentioned. I cannot tell you how many times I have personally been witness to what I described in the preceding sentence”
“Citizens of countries that have perpetrated the most atrocious crimes against humanity do not tolerate the corruption of their countries' image, and I don't see why Nigerians should. Nigeria might be infested with criminals in our ruling class, but the same countries that routinely assail our image are also bedeviled by their share of heartless criminals”
“And yes, ILN TOO, I believe you are quite right when you say that a country would never predict the death of another country she considered a friend. I can think of nothing more hateful than that”
I will only add as I have in the past, that the call to the service of Nigeria, is the greatest service of all. As I restate these words.
All Nigerians need to start acting in a manner that demonstrate our
collective resolve to put an end to the challenges that Nigeria facing for
decades.
Nigerians must start to be full time Nigerians, with permanent interests in
Nigeria, instead of acting as if we have alternative or substitute plans
that is necessarily inconsistent with our being part of a single and united
one Nigeria nation, we should put in a one hundred percent effort into our
Nigerian-ness and our efforts on behalf of our country, we should stop
acting as if we are seceding tomorrow! We should put all our hearts in
Nigeria and we will overcome all challenges, We must all clearly indicate
that we have permanent interest in Nigeria.
Nigeria is ours! In failure and in success; preferably in success!
All Nigerians at home and abroad must play their part in helping Nigeria
succeed. The time is now! And Nigerians should be willing to die for Nigeria, when and if the need arises, that willingness demonstrates our stake, high stakes in Nigeria and those high stakes would lead us all, Nigerians to protect, serve and love Nigeria.
Nigerians should perform a sort of constant assessment tests, we should evaluate our roles and contributions to everything that occur in Nigeria, What is our duty? What is our obligation? What are our responsibilities? How do we contribute to making the system work?
First published on May 28, 2007
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/paul-adujie/i-love-nigeria-just-because-15.html
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Massive Public Works Projects As Economic Stimulus Panacea
Massive Public Works Projects As Economic Stimulus Panacea
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Massive Public Works Projects will achieve these direct impacts, benefits, and direct impacts that I speak of. Nigeria must now embark on massive public works!
Here is our chance to alter and change for good, the current sorry state of our public infrastructures! It is an open secret, that our public infrastructures were abandoned and neglected for decades and permitted to decay and remain in most egregious state of decadence!
Here is our chance to build more roads and bridges, highways and byways!
Here is our chance to embark on the constructions and buildings of new schools and educational institutions. These decadences preceded President Obasanjo of course!
But now, we have a chance and the resources and the need to urgently engage in massive rebuilding of our hospitals and equip medical facilities to top notch modern medical facilities comparable to any, anywhere on earth! There qualified Nigerians at home, and, some are in every corner of the world, waiting to join hands in efforts to make Nigeria great.
The people of Nigeria will support massive renovations of public buildings and public structures nationwide. All Nigerians regardless of political, religious and regional affiliations, persuasions and attachments, all Nigerians support the creations of public squares and public playgrounds nationwide. It will create jobs, it will create sorely needed renewal of Nigeria and it will beautify and energize Nigerians and Nigeria.
Nigerian governments at all levels must participate in these renewals.
Below is an article which was originally published on May 11, 2007 soon after the general elections in Nigeria and before the inaugurations on May 29, 2007 and titled:Nigeria Will Be Transformed with: Massive Public Works Projects
NIGERIA! Elections occurred as planned! I am already looking beyond the forthcoming inauguration formalities! These inaugurations already here, in just a couple of weeks!
We have been discussing the elections’ aftermath. We heaved big sighs of relief, we should! There were no major catastrophes in Nigeria. I predicted that the election would not cause the skies to fall on Nigeria. And contrary to expectations by some, in certain quarters, the sky did not fall! And Nigeria’s corporate existence is unchanged, Nigeria, as a nation is unthreatened.
Thank goodness! These elections have been conducted and winners declared albeit, with imperfections or flaws. The best cure for imperfect democracy, remains, more democracy!
After the elections in April, the inaugurations in May, there is a new government in Nigeria. Electioneering grandstanding and posturing would be behind us soon! And the real heavy-lifting to transform Nigeria in reconstructions, rebirth and transformation will begin in earnest. Just as April showers brings May flowers, Nigeria will be in full bloom!
The strategy for our new government must be, among other things, reassurances of all citizens, reassurances, in both actions and pronouncements, on matters of security of lives and properties in our country. There must be a removal of uncertainties and insecurities.
There should be renewed emphasis on national reconciliation and national unity by all and in particular, by the national government. It is noteworthy, that President-Elect YarAdua, has indicated that the Niger Delta imbroglio is his task number one, his job one. The new government must reassure Nigerian citizens, visitors to Nigeria and foreign investors, that Nigeria is safe, even as it continues to bream with boundless opportunities!
Massive Public Works Projects
A public reassurance on public safety and security, reassurances on the planned removal of uncertainties and insecurities, must then be followed by great public works.
In all probabilities, the fear of inflation which might result from massive spending on public works project, and the zeal to pay off Nigeria’s gargantuan and debilitating debts, informed the advices from every eggheads and certified economists to President Obasanjo, not to engage in massive public works projects, that would have had immediate benefits and immediate prompt impacts on the lives of average Nigerian. Which would have in turn clued the “man on the street” into the giant strides in efforts that President Obasanjo’s government was making audaciously, tirelessly and thanklessly, on the behalf of Nigeria!
There were crucially important items with which President Obasanjo busied himself with, during his first and second terms, paying up Nigeria’s national debt, domestic and foreign, were some of such items. Additionally, President Obasanjo was setting up super structures and systems, that will reverse Nigeria unsavory pasts. President Obasanjo has steadied Nigeria for a fresh start. EFCC, ICPC, Department of Due Process etc
And President Olusegun Obasanjo’s enshrinement into Nigerian history will be complete
Now, Nigerians should receive a new release of energy and new leash on life. The consolidation of the reform policies of the preceding 8 years must now translate in immediate direct impact on every Nigerian citizen. Nigerians have waited enough!
Massive Public Works Projects will achieve these direct impacts, benefits, and direct impacts that I speak of. Nigeria must now embark on massive public works!
Here is our chance to alter and change for good, the current sorry state of our public infrastructures! It is an open secret, that our public infrastructures were abandoned and neglected for decades and permitted to decay and remain in most egregious state of decadence! Here is our chance to build more roads and bridges, highways and byways!
Here is our chance to embark on the constructions and buildings of new schools and educational institutions. These decadences preceded President Obasanjo of course!
But now, we have a chance and the resources and the need to urgently engage in massive rebuilding of our hospitals and equip medical facilities to top notch modern medical facilities comparable to any, anywhere on earth! There qualified Nigerians at home, and, some are in every corner of the world, waiting to join hands in efforts to make Nigeria great.
The people of Nigeria will support massive renovations of public buildings and public structures nationwide. All Nigerians regardless of political, religious and regional affiliations, persuasions and attachments, all Nigerians support the creations of public squares and public playgrounds nationwide. It will create jobs, it will create sorely needed renewal of Nigeria and it will beautify and energize Nigerians and Nigeria.
Nigerian governments at all levels must participate in these renewals.
Land demarcations, street naming and numbering, must commence nationwide for easy access, for easy determinations of building addresses by postal service and all door to door delivery services of commerce and sundry transactions. There should be massive constructions of railways and waterways and stations that facilitates these services.
There should be street sweeping that would employ multitudes of Nigerians
There should massive funding for research programs
In order to benefit Nigerians directly, I propose we initiate massive public works projects, aimed at employment of Nigerians, economic growth, healthcare opportunities, and infrastructure expansions. There is a lot of work to do in Nigeria, work by all.
Such projects would include re-opening steel mills, building hydroelectric plants or green energy facilities, Shipyards, bridges, roads, high-rise buildings, tunnels, and renovating existing towns and cities. When government, business and industry start public works projects every business has a chance to capitalize on the increase of productivity.
A good idea or concept would be to start pilot towns nationwide, a deliberate creation of new hometowns in Nigeria, which would be built around the latest technologies such as hybrid and zero emission vehicles, broadband communications, renewable energy sources, mass-transit systems, and other emerging technologies that need to be tested full scale.
Massive Public Works Projects is a useful tool and instrument to create mass employment in great numbers! The Americans used it, during and soon after the Second World War. Perhaps the Kings of Egypt knew this, and hence the building of the monumental edifice the world renowned Pyramid. Ancient civilizations knew this, hence they built the Chinese Great Wall for military defense, while keeping Chinese citizen fully employed in the Great Wall’s construction? Perhaps the Kings of ancient Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria knew this same employment generation through Massive Public Works Projects, hence they build a moat around the ancient Kingdom of Benin for military defense, while keeping the citizens fully employed? There are trickle down effects, food sellers, shoe sellers, all those who cater those all those others, engaged in the physical remodeling of Nigeria.
It is the case, the economy thrives, if you keep your citizens employed and working and the citizens are productively engaged and they in turn have disposable incomes. Nigerian economy will thrive on big and bold ideas, not settling for something small. The new president must sprint, to begin his marathon of leadership of Nigeria. He should begin by ensuring that there full and complete national reconciliation begins immediately.
These Are The Things President Yar’Adua Must Do!
As May 29, 2007 inaugurations schedule is speedily approaching us Nigerians, I feel honestly, as if I am already there! There are lot of things to do. There is work for everyone
All hands must be on deck, Nigerians, friends of Nigeria and investors of all stripes are welcome! Let the heavy lifting begin. Creating the Nigeria that we all want, begins NOW!
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Massive Public Works Projects will achieve these direct impacts, benefits, and direct impacts that I speak of. Nigeria must now embark on massive public works!
Here is our chance to alter and change for good, the current sorry state of our public infrastructures! It is an open secret, that our public infrastructures were abandoned and neglected for decades and permitted to decay and remain in most egregious state of decadence!
Here is our chance to build more roads and bridges, highways and byways!
Here is our chance to embark on the constructions and buildings of new schools and educational institutions. These decadences preceded President Obasanjo of course!
But now, we have a chance and the resources and the need to urgently engage in massive rebuilding of our hospitals and equip medical facilities to top notch modern medical facilities comparable to any, anywhere on earth! There qualified Nigerians at home, and, some are in every corner of the world, waiting to join hands in efforts to make Nigeria great.
The people of Nigeria will support massive renovations of public buildings and public structures nationwide. All Nigerians regardless of political, religious and regional affiliations, persuasions and attachments, all Nigerians support the creations of public squares and public playgrounds nationwide. It will create jobs, it will create sorely needed renewal of Nigeria and it will beautify and energize Nigerians and Nigeria.
Nigerian governments at all levels must participate in these renewals.
Below is an article which was originally published on May 11, 2007 soon after the general elections in Nigeria and before the inaugurations on May 29, 2007 and titled:Nigeria Will Be Transformed with: Massive Public Works Projects
NIGERIA! Elections occurred as planned! I am already looking beyond the forthcoming inauguration formalities! These inaugurations already here, in just a couple of weeks!
We have been discussing the elections’ aftermath. We heaved big sighs of relief, we should! There were no major catastrophes in Nigeria. I predicted that the election would not cause the skies to fall on Nigeria. And contrary to expectations by some, in certain quarters, the sky did not fall! And Nigeria’s corporate existence is unchanged, Nigeria, as a nation is unthreatened.
Thank goodness! These elections have been conducted and winners declared albeit, with imperfections or flaws. The best cure for imperfect democracy, remains, more democracy!
After the elections in April, the inaugurations in May, there is a new government in Nigeria. Electioneering grandstanding and posturing would be behind us soon! And the real heavy-lifting to transform Nigeria in reconstructions, rebirth and transformation will begin in earnest. Just as April showers brings May flowers, Nigeria will be in full bloom!
The strategy for our new government must be, among other things, reassurances of all citizens, reassurances, in both actions and pronouncements, on matters of security of lives and properties in our country. There must be a removal of uncertainties and insecurities.
There should be renewed emphasis on national reconciliation and national unity by all and in particular, by the national government. It is noteworthy, that President-Elect YarAdua, has indicated that the Niger Delta imbroglio is his task number one, his job one. The new government must reassure Nigerian citizens, visitors to Nigeria and foreign investors, that Nigeria is safe, even as it continues to bream with boundless opportunities!
Massive Public Works Projects
A public reassurance on public safety and security, reassurances on the planned removal of uncertainties and insecurities, must then be followed by great public works.
In all probabilities, the fear of inflation which might result from massive spending on public works project, and the zeal to pay off Nigeria’s gargantuan and debilitating debts, informed the advices from every eggheads and certified economists to President Obasanjo, not to engage in massive public works projects, that would have had immediate benefits and immediate prompt impacts on the lives of average Nigerian. Which would have in turn clued the “man on the street” into the giant strides in efforts that President Obasanjo’s government was making audaciously, tirelessly and thanklessly, on the behalf of Nigeria!
There were crucially important items with which President Obasanjo busied himself with, during his first and second terms, paying up Nigeria’s national debt, domestic and foreign, were some of such items. Additionally, President Obasanjo was setting up super structures and systems, that will reverse Nigeria unsavory pasts. President Obasanjo has steadied Nigeria for a fresh start. EFCC, ICPC, Department of Due Process etc
And President Olusegun Obasanjo’s enshrinement into Nigerian history will be complete
Now, Nigerians should receive a new release of energy and new leash on life. The consolidation of the reform policies of the preceding 8 years must now translate in immediate direct impact on every Nigerian citizen. Nigerians have waited enough!
Massive Public Works Projects will achieve these direct impacts, benefits, and direct impacts that I speak of. Nigeria must now embark on massive public works!
Here is our chance to alter and change for good, the current sorry state of our public infrastructures! It is an open secret, that our public infrastructures were abandoned and neglected for decades and permitted to decay and remain in most egregious state of decadence! Here is our chance to build more roads and bridges, highways and byways!
Here is our chance to embark on the constructions and buildings of new schools and educational institutions. These decadences preceded President Obasanjo of course!
But now, we have a chance and the resources and the need to urgently engage in massive rebuilding of our hospitals and equip medical facilities to top notch modern medical facilities comparable to any, anywhere on earth! There qualified Nigerians at home, and, some are in every corner of the world, waiting to join hands in efforts to make Nigeria great.
The people of Nigeria will support massive renovations of public buildings and public structures nationwide. All Nigerians regardless of political, religious and regional affiliations, persuasions and attachments, all Nigerians support the creations of public squares and public playgrounds nationwide. It will create jobs, it will create sorely needed renewal of Nigeria and it will beautify and energize Nigerians and Nigeria.
Nigerian governments at all levels must participate in these renewals.
Land demarcations, street naming and numbering, must commence nationwide for easy access, for easy determinations of building addresses by postal service and all door to door delivery services of commerce and sundry transactions. There should be massive constructions of railways and waterways and stations that facilitates these services.
There should be street sweeping that would employ multitudes of Nigerians
There should massive funding for research programs
In order to benefit Nigerians directly, I propose we initiate massive public works projects, aimed at employment of Nigerians, economic growth, healthcare opportunities, and infrastructure expansions. There is a lot of work to do in Nigeria, work by all.
Such projects would include re-opening steel mills, building hydroelectric plants or green energy facilities, Shipyards, bridges, roads, high-rise buildings, tunnels, and renovating existing towns and cities. When government, business and industry start public works projects every business has a chance to capitalize on the increase of productivity.
A good idea or concept would be to start pilot towns nationwide, a deliberate creation of new hometowns in Nigeria, which would be built around the latest technologies such as hybrid and zero emission vehicles, broadband communications, renewable energy sources, mass-transit systems, and other emerging technologies that need to be tested full scale.
Massive Public Works Projects is a useful tool and instrument to create mass employment in great numbers! The Americans used it, during and soon after the Second World War. Perhaps the Kings of Egypt knew this, and hence the building of the monumental edifice the world renowned Pyramid. Ancient civilizations knew this, hence they built the Chinese Great Wall for military defense, while keeping Chinese citizen fully employed in the Great Wall’s construction? Perhaps the Kings of ancient Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria knew this same employment generation through Massive Public Works Projects, hence they build a moat around the ancient Kingdom of Benin for military defense, while keeping the citizens fully employed? There are trickle down effects, food sellers, shoe sellers, all those who cater those all those others, engaged in the physical remodeling of Nigeria.
It is the case, the economy thrives, if you keep your citizens employed and working and the citizens are productively engaged and they in turn have disposable incomes. Nigerian economy will thrive on big and bold ideas, not settling for something small. The new president must sprint, to begin his marathon of leadership of Nigeria. He should begin by ensuring that there full and complete national reconciliation begins immediately.
These Are The Things President Yar’Adua Must Do!
As May 29, 2007 inaugurations schedule is speedily approaching us Nigerians, I feel honestly, as if I am already there! There are lot of things to do. There is work for everyone
All hands must be on deck, Nigerians, friends of Nigeria and investors of all stripes are welcome! Let the heavy lifting begin. Creating the Nigeria that we all want, begins NOW!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Islamophobia in America, Islam And Muslims Under Siege
Islamophobia in America, Islam And Muslims Under Siege
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Refudiate is not a word, refute and repudiate are words of course!
In her hurry to excoriate Islam and Muslims in New York, Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and former presidential running mate of Senator John McCain, created a new “word” as she demanded that Muslims in New York City should “refudiate” plans to build a mosque, a holy house of worship, which they constitutionally entitled to build
Simultaneously, Rich Lazio, a candidate for governor of New York in stridently demanding the disallowance of the proposed mosque near the so-called ground zero, a part of lower Manhattan in the financial district where World Trade Center stood, before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Rick Lazio went as far as referring to Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, as an incompetent Attorney General, a position he currently occupies even as he runs for governorship of New York as well. Lazio went to the extent of also accusing Cuomo of liberal bias and pandering to liberal voters as reason for not launching a full scale inquiry into the proposed mosque.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/07/20/us/politics/AP-US-Governors-Race-Mosque.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has rightly declared and required all those opposed to the mosque project to submit evidence or data of any wrongdoing to the office of the attorney general for review; and so far, there have been no scintilla or atom of evidence suggesting wrongdoing by anyone Muslim connected to the mosque project in question, and yet, there is an inflamed sentiment within a segment of the New York City public which is bent on preventing the mosque from being erected.
Islam and Muslims are surely under siege in America and particularly here in New York City. There are strong and very vehement opposition to Muslims who have sought building permit to erect mosques on Long Island, and in Manhattan, as well as in Staten Island and Bay Ridge, a part of Brooklyn! And before these stiff oppositions to mosques buildings, there was hurried firing of a female principal of a Muslim school and her firing or dismissal which has since been reversed, was precipitated by scurrilous attacks and criticisms by the same motley crews which have been at the throats of Muslims in New York City
See: NYC was wrong to fire Muslim principal
http://http://blog.beliefnet.com/beliefbeat/2010/03/panel-nyc-wrong-to-fire-muslim-principal.html
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Principal+of+a+Muslim+school+fired+in+New+York+city&aq=&aqi=&aql=&oq=Principal+of+a+Muslim+school+fired+in+New+York+city&gs_rfai=&fp=d571b3712fffe003
Some of us are now left to wonder about these bigotries directed at Islam and Muslims in New York City. This is particularly so, for a plural and multicultural and multi-religious New York City which proudly refers to itself as the American melting pot. The United Nations Organization is headquartered in New York City, and New York City in name, composition, nomenclature and reality, is microcosm of all nations, New York City is really a mini United Nations of all the nations of the world! But, denying Muslims the right, a fundamental right to erect mosques, places of worship and Islamic community centers, surely cannot be the way to advertise tolerance, diversity and the much vaunted and loudly advertised status as America’s and the world’s melting pot!
As an irreverent Catholic or semi-retired Catholic, I hold all religions in equal awes and equal suspicions . I would also repeat a partial excerpt of a statement below and here it is, “oppose Islam for the same basic reason I oppose all religion: supernaturalism is false, and people ought not believe things that are false
USA Today: Muslims in USA face fears, bias to build, expand mosques
The vast majority of American mosques were buildings built for other purposes,” he said. ... meeting in mid-June to protest the Murfreesboro mosque. Similar resistance helped derail a proposed mosque
http://http://muslimmatters.org/2010/07/05/usa-today-muslims-in-usa-face-fears-bias-to-build-expand-mosques/
By Bob Smietana The Nashville Tennessean
When Muslims want to pray in Rutherford County, many go to an office building on Middle Tennessee Boulevard that houses the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. There’s usually enough room for evening prayers until Fridays when about 100 people gather during the week’s main service. On warm days, it can get uncomfortable. “During prayers, it gets so hot that the air conditioning doesn’t work,” said Saleh Sbenaty, a member of the mosque’s board of directors. “This building was not designed for this kind of use.
Thousands Protest Mega-Mosque Plans at - Gateway Pundit
To put it bluntly, Ground Zero is the one place in America where Muslims .Why do you think there is growing resistance against new mosques being .. But “building a 15-story Islamic center at ground zero Do we need an area for pilgrimage for Muslims in New York?
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/06/thousands-protest-mega-mosque-plans-at-ground-zero/
Do we need a holy mosque on Ground Zero? They will come and pay their pilgrimage right here in New York at the mosque. We have 3,000 dead Americans looking down on us today. They are saying, “We don’t want to hear ‘Allahu Akbar’ any more.”
Mosque planned for (two bocks away from) Ground Zero, jingos aghast —again
Plan to Build Mosque Near Ground Zero Riles Families of 9/11 Victims ... to balance those from 9-11 Families for a Safe and Strong America? A Century and a Half of Protest & Resistance on New York's Lower East Side ...Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sun, 05/16/2010 - 18:25.
New York City's kneejerk jingos, already aghast that the hubristic "Freedom Tower" name has been dropped from the new skyscraper going up at Ground Zero, have got a new cause to gripe about. Plan to Build Mosque Near Ground Zero Riles Families of 9/11 Victims
http://http://www.ww4report.com/node/8624
Outraged family members and community groups are accusing a Muslim group of trying to rewrite history with its plans to build a 13-story mosque and cultural center just two blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamic extremists flew two planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Outraged family members and community groups are accusing a Muslim group of trying to rewrite history with its plans to build a 13-story mosque and cultural center just two blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamic extremists flew two planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
10000 throng to protest Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground ...
Jun 8, 2010 ... Gandhi advised "passive resistance" to the Jews against Hitler, ... some faithful American was to go on the site where the mosque is to be built and .... "Plans to build a memorial to the 333 hostages killed three years ... 10,000 throng to protest Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground Zero 10,000 throng to stop Ground Zero mosque: Group vows to sue federal government: '3,000 good Americans didn't die in vain,'" by Chelsea Schilling in WorldNetDaily, June 7:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/06/10000-throng-to-protest-islamic-supremacist-mega-mosque-at-ground-zero.html
As many as 10,000 protesters from across the country - including family members who lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001 - took to the streets in New York City Sunday to fight construction of a 13-story Islamic mosque to be built just steps from Ground Zero where Muslim terrorists murdered 2,751 people in the name of Allah. Now the organizers plan to sue the federal government to designate the site as a war memorial....
New York Mosque Protest « Bartholomew's Notes on Religion
For Geller and her Stop Islamization of America organization (currently on .... reasons — their qualms and resistance need to be respected. ... to protest the proposed building of a mosque on the World Trade Center site. ... http://http://barthsnotes.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/new-york-mosque-protest/
The only Muslim center that should be built in the shadow of the World Trade Center is one that is devoted to expunging the Quran and all Islamic teachings of the violent jihad that they prescribe, as well as all hateful texts and incitement to violence”
Of course, this isn’t a statement made in good faith: a Muslim center with an “expunged” Quran makes about as much sense as a church with the anti-Jewish parts of the New Testament expunged or a synagogue with the more sanguinary passages of the Torah expunged – ancient religious texts may be re-interpreted or contextualized in ways that make them more amenable to the modern world, but they are seldom repudiated by adherents
Free Colorado: Let Them Build the Mosque
Gotham Resistance claims that forbidding the mosque would preserve "decency, ... Let us grant that, in America, we do not punish children for the sins of their fathers. ... Both said they had come to protest the mosque. ...http://blog.ariarmstrong.com/2010/06/let-them-build-mosque.html
oppose Islam for the same basic reason I oppose all religion: supernaturalism is false, and people ought not believe things that are false. In today's world, Islam is a particularly destructive force, in many sectors sanctioning the abuse of women, totalitarianism, mass murder, and terrorism. Thankfully, Islam also has a more enlightened, Aristotelian tradition, and in the modern world at least some Muslims promote political and religious freedom and peace among nations.
Muslim mosque to be built on ground zero - Patriotic Resistance
Muslims are planning to build a mosque on ground zero after they destroyed ... as possible to call the Mayor of New York to protest this build. ... The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America http://http://www.resistnet.com/group/oregon/forum/topics/muslim-mosque-to-be-built-on
Muslims are planning to build a mosque on ground zero after they destroyed the twin towers. We need as many people as possible to call the Mayor of New York to protest this build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxFzFIDbKpg&feature=player_embedded
Whatever you think about Muslims, they do not like you even if they are friendly toward you. If you think you can be the friend of a Muslim click on the link below.
East Berlin's First Mosque: The Muslims Are Coming! - SPIEGEL ...
"In our experience, the protests stop as soon as we start to build the mosque ... every mosque they've built has met with local protests and resistance. ... 11, 2001, at the invitation of William Timken, America's ambassador to Germany.http://http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,456751,00.html
The Muslims Are Coming! By Michael Scott Moore and Jochen-Martin Gutsch in Berlin
A citizens' group in Berlin turned out this week for a candlelight vigil to protest plans for a new mosque in their neighborhood. It will be the first to be built in the former East Berlin, where almost no Muslims live -- but no one can quite explain why it shouldn't be there.
Anti-mosque Protest | loonwatch.com
But the movement to prevent the building of a Mega Mosque at Ground Zero ... of America', “but we are here today to condemn the kind of mosque that will .... reasons — their qualms and resistance need to be respected. http://www.loonwatch.com/tag/anti-mosque-protest/ The uproar over a proposed mosque near ground zero is predicated around the idea that this specific site was inappropriate for a mosque because of its proximity to the place where Islamic terrorists killed thousands of Americans. The logic is still, not even very subtly, anti-Muslim — it only makes sense if you believe that Muslim-American worshipers are sympathetic to Muslim terrorists. Now a community on Staten Island is opposing another proposed mosque, and without the pretense that it’s motivated by anything but outright hostility toward Muslims.
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Refudiate is not a word, refute and repudiate are words of course!
In her hurry to excoriate Islam and Muslims in New York, Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and former presidential running mate of Senator John McCain, created a new “word” as she demanded that Muslims in New York City should “refudiate” plans to build a mosque, a holy house of worship, which they constitutionally entitled to build
Simultaneously, Rich Lazio, a candidate for governor of New York in stridently demanding the disallowance of the proposed mosque near the so-called ground zero, a part of lower Manhattan in the financial district where World Trade Center stood, before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Rick Lazio went as far as referring to Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, as an incompetent Attorney General, a position he currently occupies even as he runs for governorship of New York as well. Lazio went to the extent of also accusing Cuomo of liberal bias and pandering to liberal voters as reason for not launching a full scale inquiry into the proposed mosque.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/07/20/us/politics/AP-US-Governors-Race-Mosque.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has rightly declared and required all those opposed to the mosque project to submit evidence or data of any wrongdoing to the office of the attorney general for review; and so far, there have been no scintilla or atom of evidence suggesting wrongdoing by anyone Muslim connected to the mosque project in question, and yet, there is an inflamed sentiment within a segment of the New York City public which is bent on preventing the mosque from being erected.
Islam and Muslims are surely under siege in America and particularly here in New York City. There are strong and very vehement opposition to Muslims who have sought building permit to erect mosques on Long Island, and in Manhattan, as well as in Staten Island and Bay Ridge, a part of Brooklyn! And before these stiff oppositions to mosques buildings, there was hurried firing of a female principal of a Muslim school and her firing or dismissal which has since been reversed, was precipitated by scurrilous attacks and criticisms by the same motley crews which have been at the throats of Muslims in New York City
See: NYC was wrong to fire Muslim principal
http://http://blog.beliefnet.com/beliefbeat/2010/03/panel-nyc-wrong-to-fire-muslim-principal.html
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Principal+of+a+Muslim+school+fired+in+New+York+city&aq=&aqi=&aql=&oq=Principal+of+a+Muslim+school+fired+in+New+York+city&gs_rfai=&fp=d571b3712fffe003
Some of us are now left to wonder about these bigotries directed at Islam and Muslims in New York City. This is particularly so, for a plural and multicultural and multi-religious New York City which proudly refers to itself as the American melting pot. The United Nations Organization is headquartered in New York City, and New York City in name, composition, nomenclature and reality, is microcosm of all nations, New York City is really a mini United Nations of all the nations of the world! But, denying Muslims the right, a fundamental right to erect mosques, places of worship and Islamic community centers, surely cannot be the way to advertise tolerance, diversity and the much vaunted and loudly advertised status as America’s and the world’s melting pot!
As an irreverent Catholic or semi-retired Catholic, I hold all religions in equal awes and equal suspicions . I would also repeat a partial excerpt of a statement below and here it is, “oppose Islam for the same basic reason I oppose all religion: supernaturalism is false, and people ought not believe things that are false
USA Today: Muslims in USA face fears, bias to build, expand mosques
The vast majority of American mosques were buildings built for other purposes,” he said. ... meeting in mid-June to protest the Murfreesboro mosque. Similar resistance helped derail a proposed mosque
http://http://muslimmatters.org/2010/07/05/usa-today-muslims-in-usa-face-fears-bias-to-build-expand-mosques/
By Bob Smietana The Nashville Tennessean
When Muslims want to pray in Rutherford County, many go to an office building on Middle Tennessee Boulevard that houses the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. There’s usually enough room for evening prayers until Fridays when about 100 people gather during the week’s main service. On warm days, it can get uncomfortable. “During prayers, it gets so hot that the air conditioning doesn’t work,” said Saleh Sbenaty, a member of the mosque’s board of directors. “This building was not designed for this kind of use.
Thousands Protest Mega-Mosque Plans at - Gateway Pundit
To put it bluntly, Ground Zero is the one place in America where Muslims .Why do you think there is growing resistance against new mosques being .. But “building a 15-story Islamic center at ground zero Do we need an area for pilgrimage for Muslims in New York?
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/06/thousands-protest-mega-mosque-plans-at-ground-zero/
Do we need a holy mosque on Ground Zero? They will come and pay their pilgrimage right here in New York at the mosque. We have 3,000 dead Americans looking down on us today. They are saying, “We don’t want to hear ‘Allahu Akbar’ any more.”
Mosque planned for (two bocks away from) Ground Zero, jingos aghast —again
Plan to Build Mosque Near Ground Zero Riles Families of 9/11 Victims ... to balance those from 9-11 Families for a Safe and Strong America? A Century and a Half of Protest & Resistance on New York's Lower East Side ...Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sun, 05/16/2010 - 18:25.
New York City's kneejerk jingos, already aghast that the hubristic "Freedom Tower" name has been dropped from the new skyscraper going up at Ground Zero, have got a new cause to gripe about. Plan to Build Mosque Near Ground Zero Riles Families of 9/11 Victims
http://http://www.ww4report.com/node/8624
Outraged family members and community groups are accusing a Muslim group of trying to rewrite history with its plans to build a 13-story mosque and cultural center just two blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamic extremists flew two planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Outraged family members and community groups are accusing a Muslim group of trying to rewrite history with its plans to build a 13-story mosque and cultural center just two blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamic extremists flew two planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
10000 throng to protest Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground ...
Jun 8, 2010 ... Gandhi advised "passive resistance" to the Jews against Hitler, ... some faithful American was to go on the site where the mosque is to be built and .... "Plans to build a memorial to the 333 hostages killed three years ... 10,000 throng to protest Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground Zero 10,000 throng to stop Ground Zero mosque: Group vows to sue federal government: '3,000 good Americans didn't die in vain,'" by Chelsea Schilling in WorldNetDaily, June 7:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/06/10000-throng-to-protest-islamic-supremacist-mega-mosque-at-ground-zero.html
As many as 10,000 protesters from across the country - including family members who lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001 - took to the streets in New York City Sunday to fight construction of a 13-story Islamic mosque to be built just steps from Ground Zero where Muslim terrorists murdered 2,751 people in the name of Allah. Now the organizers plan to sue the federal government to designate the site as a war memorial....
New York Mosque Protest « Bartholomew's Notes on Religion
For Geller and her Stop Islamization of America organization (currently on .... reasons — their qualms and resistance need to be respected. ... to protest the proposed building of a mosque on the World Trade Center site. ... http://http://barthsnotes.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/new-york-mosque-protest/
The only Muslim center that should be built in the shadow of the World Trade Center is one that is devoted to expunging the Quran and all Islamic teachings of the violent jihad that they prescribe, as well as all hateful texts and incitement to violence”
Of course, this isn’t a statement made in good faith: a Muslim center with an “expunged” Quran makes about as much sense as a church with the anti-Jewish parts of the New Testament expunged or a synagogue with the more sanguinary passages of the Torah expunged – ancient religious texts may be re-interpreted or contextualized in ways that make them more amenable to the modern world, but they are seldom repudiated by adherents
Free Colorado: Let Them Build the Mosque
Gotham Resistance claims that forbidding the mosque would preserve "decency, ... Let us grant that, in America, we do not punish children for the sins of their fathers. ... Both said they had come to protest the mosque. ...http://blog.ariarmstrong.com/2010/06/let-them-build-mosque.html
oppose Islam for the same basic reason I oppose all religion: supernaturalism is false, and people ought not believe things that are false. In today's world, Islam is a particularly destructive force, in many sectors sanctioning the abuse of women, totalitarianism, mass murder, and terrorism. Thankfully, Islam also has a more enlightened, Aristotelian tradition, and in the modern world at least some Muslims promote political and religious freedom and peace among nations.
Muslim mosque to be built on ground zero - Patriotic Resistance
Muslims are planning to build a mosque on ground zero after they destroyed ... as possible to call the Mayor of New York to protest this build. ... The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America http://http://www.resistnet.com/group/oregon/forum/topics/muslim-mosque-to-be-built-on
Muslims are planning to build a mosque on ground zero after they destroyed the twin towers. We need as many people as possible to call the Mayor of New York to protest this build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxFzFIDbKpg&feature=player_embedded
Whatever you think about Muslims, they do not like you even if they are friendly toward you. If you think you can be the friend of a Muslim click on the link below.
East Berlin's First Mosque: The Muslims Are Coming! - SPIEGEL ...
"In our experience, the protests stop as soon as we start to build the mosque ... every mosque they've built has met with local protests and resistance. ... 11, 2001, at the invitation of William Timken, America's ambassador to Germany.http://http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,456751,00.html
The Muslims Are Coming! By Michael Scott Moore and Jochen-Martin Gutsch in Berlin
A citizens' group in Berlin turned out this week for a candlelight vigil to protest plans for a new mosque in their neighborhood. It will be the first to be built in the former East Berlin, where almost no Muslims live -- but no one can quite explain why it shouldn't be there.
Anti-mosque Protest | loonwatch.com
But the movement to prevent the building of a Mega Mosque at Ground Zero ... of America', “but we are here today to condemn the kind of mosque that will .... reasons — their qualms and resistance need to be respected. http://www.loonwatch.com/tag/anti-mosque-protest/ The uproar over a proposed mosque near ground zero is predicated around the idea that this specific site was inappropriate for a mosque because of its proximity to the place where Islamic terrorists killed thousands of Americans. The logic is still, not even very subtly, anti-Muslim — it only makes sense if you believe that Muslim-American worshipers are sympathetic to Muslim terrorists. Now a community on Staten Island is opposing another proposed mosque, and without the pretense that it’s motivated by anything but outright hostility toward Muslims.
Monday, July 19, 2010
China Bashing & Foreign Investments in Africa
China Bashing & Foreign Investments in Africa
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Who exactly defines, asserts, defend and protect continental Africa’s best interests? Why are too many Africans aping, and regurgitating acerbic criticisms of China by America and European nations, western nations who have in fact, had 600 years of dominating Africa? Western nations which have enjoyed unbridled and unmitigated monopoly of African human and material resources?
China has in recent years increased her presence globally, and more particularly so, on the African continent. China as a matter of fact, recently invested $28 billion dollars in several nations on the African continent, and this full-swoop investing of billions of dollars by the Chinese, went unheralded by westerners and surprisingly unsung by Africans as well.
There is a cut-throat stiff competition between America and Europe on the one hand and China on the other, and there is no secret in the revived scramble for the resources on the African continent, especially, resources of the hydrocarbon type. An economic and industrial resurgent China is in dire need of sustained and uninterrupted energy supply, and as a consequence, China has, in pursuit of her national interests, as she should, entered bilateral agreements with the nations of Angola, Nigeria, the Sudan, and Venezuela etc. The African nations which have received an upsurge in investment from China have hydrocarbon in common.
A great number of African intellectuals, academic and public policy commentators, journalists etc, have stridently criticized China, these Africans are quick to adopt the self-serving arguments of the United States and European nations, the Africans seemingly ignorant and blissfully unaware, that Africa’s best interests is never what motivates or inspire and animate the scathing criticisms by America and Europe against China’s investments and sundry forays into the African continent. Recently, a commentator on this important battle between American, Europe and China for Africa wrote a very keen observation which I found prescient, profound and quite astute.
In a fine analysis which was written by Antoaneta Becker and titled
China-EU Rivalry in Africa Sharpens http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51831
“If China needed another prompt that the European powers have finally woken up to the fact they were losing the competition for the Africa pie, it came with France’s bid to recapture lost ground this month.”
“French President Nicolas Sarkozy presided over the 25th Africa-France summit in Nice where for the first time he tacitly acknowledged the success of China’s expansion in Africa by calling on French businesses to emulate it.”
“Without mentioning China by name, Sarkozy declared it was time for Europe to use infrastructure investment along with development aid and fight to increase its influence in Africa once again.”
"Africa is our future... the African continent is asserting itself more and more as a major player in international life," said Sarkozy. "We cannot govern a 21st century world with a 20th century institution".
It is quite astonishing that too many Africans seem to always adopt definitions of issues and supporting arguments of same, as outlined by Americans and Europeans, but without a worry or requisite circumspection as to the motives of Americans and Europeans for engaging in those definitions and arguments in support of their position on such issues.
It is quite amazing to often find so many Africans aping adopting a regurgitations of American and European definitions and arguments about a plethora of issues affecting continental Africans and peoples of African descent!
There seems to be too many Africans who naively and childishly hold tenaciously to the belief that Americans and Europeans are seeking the best interests of continental Africans and peoples of African descent, as these Americans and Europeans define issues and set the arguments about African issues. This occurs in annoying regularity, whether the issues are cultural, religious, economic, or the matter of democracy and good government.
Africans who have criticized China investment models in Africa have been quick to accuse China of not asking African nations’ political leaders about political institutional developments, respect for human rights etc. The truth is, American and Europeans have been present in on the African continent unchallenged, and without a scintilla of competition for 600 years during which they inflicted slavery, colonialism and apartheid on Africa. America and Europe also imposed their Christian religion and languages, which includes English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish etc. President Obama visited China and he forgot or neglected to badger and chastise China’s record on Human Rights, the rule of law, due process, democracy and inequalities etc even as America demand that excoriate and badger African governments over Human Rights, the rule of law, due process, democracy and inequalities etc!
America and Europe have badgered Africans with foreign concepts and ideas which have not taken root and have simply put these concepts and ideas have failed Africa in abysmal and dismal ways in the most abject sense! The presence of America and Europe during these several hundred years, has not bettered the lives and fortunes of Africans!
History clearly indicates that African peoples have been left in the lurch by foreign powers from America and Europe and the pathetic underdevelopment, the abject poverty and the desperate human conditions on the African continent has zero input from China and Chinese corporation. The nadir economic and political conditions in Africa are directly related to slavery, colonialism, apartheid etc and China have had zilch role in all of these!
Sometimes, one is left to just wonder, whether African intellectuals, commentators and journalists etc, are naïve, oblivious, or are part of a paid conspiracy against the continent, or why else, would anyone adopt definitions of issues and supporting arguments, which are contrary the evidence, the facts and Africa’s best interest, both short term and long term. Whose side are these Africans on?
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 these sorts of contracts and loan twists and turns in Nigeria-China interactions, so perhaps, we now know the sources? And is Nigeria’s open dealing 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 bears 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 innocent 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 lubricate 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!
1. http://www.lesafriques.com/en/news/international/china-wants-to-go-even-farther-with-africa.html?Itemid=35?articleid=0065
2. http://www.google.com/search?client=gmail&rls=gm&q=China%20invest%2028%20billion%20dollars%20in%20Africa
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/business/worldbusiness/28iht-yuan.3.19745865.html
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Who exactly defines, asserts, defend and protect continental Africa’s best interests? Why are too many Africans aping, and regurgitating acerbic criticisms of China by America and European nations, western nations who have in fact, had 600 years of dominating Africa? Western nations which have enjoyed unbridled and unmitigated monopoly of African human and material resources?
China has in recent years increased her presence globally, and more particularly so, on the African continent. China as a matter of fact, recently invested $28 billion dollars in several nations on the African continent, and this full-swoop investing of billions of dollars by the Chinese, went unheralded by westerners and surprisingly unsung by Africans as well.
There is a cut-throat stiff competition between America and Europe on the one hand and China on the other, and there is no secret in the revived scramble for the resources on the African continent, especially, resources of the hydrocarbon type. An economic and industrial resurgent China is in dire need of sustained and uninterrupted energy supply, and as a consequence, China has, in pursuit of her national interests, as she should, entered bilateral agreements with the nations of Angola, Nigeria, the Sudan, and Venezuela etc. The African nations which have received an upsurge in investment from China have hydrocarbon in common.
A great number of African intellectuals, academic and public policy commentators, journalists etc, have stridently criticized China, these Africans are quick to adopt the self-serving arguments of the United States and European nations, the Africans seemingly ignorant and blissfully unaware, that Africa’s best interests is never what motivates or inspire and animate the scathing criticisms by America and Europe against China’s investments and sundry forays into the African continent. Recently, a commentator on this important battle between American, Europe and China for Africa wrote a very keen observation which I found prescient, profound and quite astute.
In a fine analysis which was written by Antoaneta Becker and titled
China-EU Rivalry in Africa Sharpens http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51831
“If China needed another prompt that the European powers have finally woken up to the fact they were losing the competition for the Africa pie, it came with France’s bid to recapture lost ground this month.”
“French President Nicolas Sarkozy presided over the 25th Africa-France summit in Nice where for the first time he tacitly acknowledged the success of China’s expansion in Africa by calling on French businesses to emulate it.”
“Without mentioning China by name, Sarkozy declared it was time for Europe to use infrastructure investment along with development aid and fight to increase its influence in Africa once again.”
"Africa is our future... the African continent is asserting itself more and more as a major player in international life," said Sarkozy. "We cannot govern a 21st century world with a 20th century institution".
It is quite astonishing that too many Africans seem to always adopt definitions of issues and supporting arguments of same, as outlined by Americans and Europeans, but without a worry or requisite circumspection as to the motives of Americans and Europeans for engaging in those definitions and arguments in support of their position on such issues.
It is quite amazing to often find so many Africans aping adopting a regurgitations of American and European definitions and arguments about a plethora of issues affecting continental Africans and peoples of African descent!
There seems to be too many Africans who naively and childishly hold tenaciously to the belief that Americans and Europeans are seeking the best interests of continental Africans and peoples of African descent, as these Americans and Europeans define issues and set the arguments about African issues. This occurs in annoying regularity, whether the issues are cultural, religious, economic, or the matter of democracy and good government.
Africans who have criticized China investment models in Africa have been quick to accuse China of not asking African nations’ political leaders about political institutional developments, respect for human rights etc. The truth is, American and Europeans have been present in on the African continent unchallenged, and without a scintilla of competition for 600 years during which they inflicted slavery, colonialism and apartheid on Africa. America and Europe also imposed their Christian religion and languages, which includes English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish etc. President Obama visited China and he forgot or neglected to badger and chastise China’s record on Human Rights, the rule of law, due process, democracy and inequalities etc even as America demand that excoriate and badger African governments over Human Rights, the rule of law, due process, democracy and inequalities etc!
America and Europe have badgered Africans with foreign concepts and ideas which have not taken root and have simply put these concepts and ideas have failed Africa in abysmal and dismal ways in the most abject sense! The presence of America and Europe during these several hundred years, has not bettered the lives and fortunes of Africans!
History clearly indicates that African peoples have been left in the lurch by foreign powers from America and Europe and the pathetic underdevelopment, the abject poverty and the desperate human conditions on the African continent has zero input from China and Chinese corporation. The nadir economic and political conditions in Africa are directly related to slavery, colonialism, apartheid etc and China have had zilch role in all of these!
Sometimes, one is left to just wonder, whether African intellectuals, commentators and journalists etc, are naïve, oblivious, or are part of a paid conspiracy against the continent, or why else, would anyone adopt definitions of issues and supporting arguments, which are contrary the evidence, the facts and Africa’s best interest, both short term and long term. Whose side are these Africans on?
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 these sorts of contracts and loan twists and turns in Nigeria-China interactions, so perhaps, we now know the sources? And is Nigeria’s open dealing 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 bears 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 innocent 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 lubricate 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!
1. http://www.lesafriques.com/en/news/international/china-wants-to-go-even-farther-with-africa.html?Itemid=35?articleid=0065
2. http://www.google.com/search?client=gmail&rls=gm&q=China%20invest%2028%20billion%20dollars%20in%20Africa
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/business/worldbusiness/28iht-yuan.3.19745865.html
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Nigeria Disbands Sports Team, Cameroon Banish Beggars, Fixations at Outcomes, & Neglects of Causes?
Nigeria Disbands Sports Team, Cameroon Banish Beggars, Fixations at Outcomes, & Neglects of Causes?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
During these past several days, there were newsworthy events in Nigeria and the Cameroons, two events with national and international consequences, including adverse publicity for both nations with common borders.
First, it was the disbandment of the Super Eagles, the premier member and arrowhead of Nigerian Football Association. The Super Eagles was Nigeria’s representative at the ongoing World Cup fiesta in South Africa, in which the Nigerian team had an embarrassingly lackluster demonstration of soccer or football prowess. The Super Eagles did not even show a scintilla of cohesion and determination to score goals and win matches.
At the end, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were quickly and rapidly eliminated without fanfare. The Super Eagles were famously predicted and forecast for failure by Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike. Upon the elimination of the Super Eagles, the government of Nigeria promptly “banned” the Super Eagles as Nigeria football club and future representative in future football/soccer efforts by Nigeria in international arenas.
In the Cameroons, the local council in Yaonde abruptly and arbitrarily engaged in arresting and rounding off beggars and panhandlers off the streets and off of major roadways intersections, this in an effort to curb what the city council described as a public nuisance and an inconvenience. Some Cameroonians who publicly commented on the city council actions, supported the council, arguing that most of the children are witches with ability to cast spells and sundry ill-wills, bad-luck and unspecified evils. Others commented that the begging phenomenon was an eyesore, a public nuisance with, again, unspecified debilitating effects on public morality and decency etc
Rectitude and moral certainty of a religious type was pervasive and permeated all the comments.
And yet, in both Nigeria and the Cameroons, there were convergences and confluences in both events, the effects and reactions with moral exactitude, but without reticence and or zilch of concerns for the root causes of failures in football/soccer competition by Nigeria and the phenomenon of begging in the Cameroons. The incidences of beggars engaged in public begging or panhandling, is incidentally, very common in Nigeria as well.
These two events in the Cameroons and Nigeria were the results and outcomes of failures by the governments to have long term public policies in place which should have dealt with both circumstances. The failure to have long term plans and policies to address social circumstances, which produced outcomes which were clearly unpleasant, and therefore quite embarrassing to both governments and peoples of the Cameroons and Nigeria, respectively. But instead of seeking answers through thorough examinations of the root causes of both outcomes in the Cameroons and Nigeria, the governments chose knee-jerk reactions. Governments in both nations seem to want to design and build their jet planes as they fly such planes or design and sew their shirts as they travel on public buses!
These sorts of behaviors are of course not peculiar to the Cameroons and Nigeria or to only African nations. Here in the United States, it has often amazed and baffled me when city and state governments in the New York and in other states in the United States engage in destruction through demolitions of public housing edifices in senseless efforts in the fights against narcotics trade. So that in the past twenty-five, I have often been witness to the demolition of major public housing projects in California, Illinois, New York etc by the various local and state governments, which hinges these senseless demolitions on the so-called wars against substance abuse. It can be gleaned from these perhaps, that, stupidity by governments is international.
It quite obvious and exceedingly clear to anyone, even with a cursory examination, that the buildings are not the problems. The problems are clearly caused by persons with anti social behaviors, who are motivated by greed for quick profits from trade in narcotic substances, are too willing to subvert their neighborhoods, towns and country as they engage in narco-trade. The problems are clearly caused by persons who are affected and afflicted by the lopsidedness of the economic and political structures of the American society, whereby, these persons are desperate enough, and so, employing any and every means are considered fair by these desperate perpetrators.
So, it is the case that various levels of governments in the United States have frequently resorted to demolishing chunks and chunks of sizable real estate in American major cities in the name of decimating hiding places for drug dealers and peddlers of narcotic substances. However, the phantom wars on drugs in America have continued unabated despite these wanton wastes of real estate space and the squandering of several hundreds in billions of dollars by the Americans in drug wars of more than four decades long! All told, the buildings go down in these demolitions, and the peddlers of death remain in the communities
Nigeria and Cameroon have demonstrated similar bents with the two actions in reactions to policy failure events as described above; that is, the spate of football tournament failures and the increased incidents of street beggars.
The Americans, the Cameroonians, and the Nigerian governments in all these instances, have reacted in some sorts of ad hoc manners. These sorts of nervous and squirms reactions in embarrassment to failures of public policies, are certainly no substitute to well thought out and well reasoned policies.
There seem to failures on the part of these governments to realize that some eggs have to be broken to make or create omelets, while the eggshells do not amount to much thereafter. The government of the United States changed the name of Mineral Management Service, MMS to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement or BOEMRE as if the name MMS was why the MMS employees were engaged in corruptions including engaging in sexual intercourse and narcotic and substance abuses with employees of oil companies which MMS were supposed to supervise or act as oversights. MMS demonstrate incredulity and exceeding ineptitude in the aftermath of the BP gusher of oil catastrophe and disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
And one of the reactions by the United States government was to swiftly change the inept and inefficient and bungling blunder of a nomenclature known as the MMS to BOEMRE as if the ineptness, the inefficiency, the ineffectiveness of MMS was in the name! And yes, I am aware the Super Eagles were formerly the Green Eagles.
I am also familiar with arguments which opposed the elephant logo of the now comatose Nigeria Airways, they argued that ineptness, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of our then national airline was as a result of the logo which portrayed an elephants with wings, as after all, they insisted, elephants really do not fly! All reasonable persons can disagree as to factors which led to hemorrhage of the Nigeria Airways as a national and international carrier, but the elephant with wings logo is certainly not one of those factors to be considered, except by person who believe in the Unidentified Flying Objects or UFOs
First, these governments need to thoroughly examine, evaluate and analyze the causes of naro-trade, street begging and failures in sports outing respectively. Upon examining, evaluating and analyzing these causes, there should be formulations and implementations of remedies and solutions which will endure and stand the tests of time. A regimens of solutions which will prevent future failures, hence the attendant unpleasantness and shameful recoils in embarrassments.
But instead, what we have frequently and repeatedly witnessed from these governments, are efforts at window-dressing , facing-saving whitewash and meaningless perorations and hastily assembled spin doctoring for public consumption. These are usually undertaken without sanguine and thoughtful clear eyed view of the root causes and permanent policy resolve which tackles phenomena, once and for all times. Retrofitting a building or demolishing it, does not eliminate drug trade or the habits of residents and occupants and squatters of the building. Just as name change for an energy agency would not curb ineptitude, and banning a football club does not address the lack of confidence and cohesion or training by such team. Arresting and arbitrarily banishing beggars and panhandlers does not address their destitution, their abject poverty and the source of their decision to become beggars as “profession”
Demolishing buildings nationwide, buildings in which narcotic trade take place has not stopped or slowed the persisting sales and consumptions of crack cocaine heroin marijuana angel dust, ecstasy, pcp and other illegal chemical substances or poison pills in America ,with which some Americans get high or induce self stupor, and make some other American rich in the process. Demolishing buildings to stop or stem drug dealing, peddling or drug trade is similar to demolishing school buildings because the students have failing grades; It is probably better to hire a new headmaster or principal and teachers with dedication etc
Banning and Banishing the Super Eagles of Nigeria surely cannot be substitute in policy in ensuring a that there are robust provision of resources and manpower for a national football-soccer team with vigorous trainings and profound sense of mission and determination to conquer every opponent it encounters. The Nigerian Football Association, the Super Eagles and the government of Nigeria and all Nigerians should begin this process through, first examining the cause of failures in competition by national sports teams from Nigeria. All Nigerians should begin with having self confidence and adjusting national attitudes from inferiority complexes and damaged psyches … to exuding confidence for which Nigerians were formerly known.
Nigeria, and the other five African nations which were present at the World Cup fiesta in South Africa, all had something in common, inferiority complex imbued and encrusted in the idea that, only a FOREIGN coach could lead an African nation to victory, and now, where the heck is that victory? Victory? Why shall we even broach the vexing matter of victory, when none of the African nations with foreign coaches and all, even got to the semi final matches in the football-soccer fiesta? The United States, the newest convert to the world of football or soccer, has demonstrated such self confidence and exceptionalism, and does not hinge her World Cup success and soccer growth and development on foreign coaches and foreign managers!
African nations have great footballers-soccer players in America and Europe, but, somehow, these Africans cannot be excellent coaches and managers of their national and continental ball clubs? Mr. Stephen Keshi did well in Togo, did he not as coach-manager? Emmanuel Okala, Siasia, Segun Odegbami cannot make good coaches and managers? Why do Africans give the impression through certain actions, that Africans are inferior to all others? Nigeria was among 32 best soccer playing nations out of the more than 200 nations on earth. Nigerians do not need foreign coaches and managers
African footballers-soccer players as excellent, hence six African teams were amongst the world’s thirty-two best teams which got to the World Cup fiesta in South Africa through global eliminations in series. These African footballers-soccer stars, have interacted with all the ball clubs on earth, but, still, we hear arguments which insists that African teams need coaches and club managers from Europe who are “exposed” world teams outside of Africa!
Cameroon banished and carted street beggars off of its metropolis, because these fellow citizens are a public nuisance and eyesores, embedded with witchcraft and all manners of evils, at least, according to the ignorant comments made on BBC radio by some Cameroonians! But, none of their self-righteous indignation addressed the root causes of street begging and the beggar phenomenon, such as abject poverty and destitution! The attitudes towards these abjectly poor members of the Cameroonian society is identical with the sorry and ignorant attitudes in Nigeria, by some elitist and misguided Nigerians regarding street beggars and Almajiri. Nigerians and Cameroonians have refused to address the cause, but instead, they are fixated on the effect, and in arbitrary and most highhanded manners, they seek to dislodge the abjectly poor, from their own pristine elitist sight and public views!
These Nigerian and Cameroonian ignorance, begs the questions, why do we have street beggars? Why do we have abject poverty and why does destitution persists in our societies? Or put in other ways, why is it, that doctors, lawyers, pharmacists and social workers and bankers in Nigeria and the Cameroons are not among the hated street beggars? Could there be a reason why the poor and the afflicted actually resort to the enviable profession of panhandling as beggars of alms in our metropolis? There must be no reasons!
We humans, but in particular, we Africans, must learn to associate causes with effects. We must learn to decipher raison d’etere of failures and the consequent unpleasantness and world stage embarrassments.
It is often said that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Therefore, nations which fail to have well thought out and well reasoned public policies which formulates, implements policies, policies which are in turn supported with adequate human capital, superb intellects and available resources, are doomed to humiliating failures knee jerk ad hoc and arbitrary actions in reactions to such failures, are no substitutes to excellent planning, planning ahead and mapping a game plan for glory.
Brazil and Argentina do not start preparing for the World Cup when there a mere thirty days to the fiesta, and these nations do not hire foreign coaches either! Argentina and Brazil were projected and over-forecast to get to the finals, but, both nations are out, but no one doubted their self confidence, or whether their preparations were thorough and supplied with adequate human capital and material resources, both nations are out, but not down, embarrassed or squirming in unpleasantness.
Brazil and Argentina failed, unbowed, as they exited with dignity. Uruguay is a nation of three and half million people, and she was the first to host and win the World Cup in 1930 and Uruguay is doing well in the current World Cup fiesta in South Africa, better than Britain, France, and even the new kid on the bloc, the United States!
We must eschew shortsightedness and failures to plan ahead and worse, we must stop hand wringing when the consequences of our lack of vision and passion for success stares us in the face. Failures bears unpleasantness and public embarrassments, success elicit admiration and adoration. We must have confidence, and confidence in our ability as individuals and as a collective in a national entity.
The difference between successful entities and failing entities, is frequently that the successful entities are willing to do often, what the failing entities are only willing to do occasionally. We can do better and we should!
Written by Paul I. Adujie
During these past several days, there were newsworthy events in Nigeria and the Cameroons, two events with national and international consequences, including adverse publicity for both nations with common borders.
First, it was the disbandment of the Super Eagles, the premier member and arrowhead of Nigerian Football Association. The Super Eagles was Nigeria’s representative at the ongoing World Cup fiesta in South Africa, in which the Nigerian team had an embarrassingly lackluster demonstration of soccer or football prowess. The Super Eagles did not even show a scintilla of cohesion and determination to score goals and win matches.
At the end, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were quickly and rapidly eliminated without fanfare. The Super Eagles were famously predicted and forecast for failure by Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike. Upon the elimination of the Super Eagles, the government of Nigeria promptly “banned” the Super Eagles as Nigeria football club and future representative in future football/soccer efforts by Nigeria in international arenas.
In the Cameroons, the local council in Yaonde abruptly and arbitrarily engaged in arresting and rounding off beggars and panhandlers off the streets and off of major roadways intersections, this in an effort to curb what the city council described as a public nuisance and an inconvenience. Some Cameroonians who publicly commented on the city council actions, supported the council, arguing that most of the children are witches with ability to cast spells and sundry ill-wills, bad-luck and unspecified evils. Others commented that the begging phenomenon was an eyesore, a public nuisance with, again, unspecified debilitating effects on public morality and decency etc
Rectitude and moral certainty of a religious type was pervasive and permeated all the comments.
And yet, in both Nigeria and the Cameroons, there were convergences and confluences in both events, the effects and reactions with moral exactitude, but without reticence and or zilch of concerns for the root causes of failures in football/soccer competition by Nigeria and the phenomenon of begging in the Cameroons. The incidences of beggars engaged in public begging or panhandling, is incidentally, very common in Nigeria as well.
These two events in the Cameroons and Nigeria were the results and outcomes of failures by the governments to have long term public policies in place which should have dealt with both circumstances. The failure to have long term plans and policies to address social circumstances, which produced outcomes which were clearly unpleasant, and therefore quite embarrassing to both governments and peoples of the Cameroons and Nigeria, respectively. But instead of seeking answers through thorough examinations of the root causes of both outcomes in the Cameroons and Nigeria, the governments chose knee-jerk reactions. Governments in both nations seem to want to design and build their jet planes as they fly such planes or design and sew their shirts as they travel on public buses!
These sorts of behaviors are of course not peculiar to the Cameroons and Nigeria or to only African nations. Here in the United States, it has often amazed and baffled me when city and state governments in the New York and in other states in the United States engage in destruction through demolitions of public housing edifices in senseless efforts in the fights against narcotics trade. So that in the past twenty-five, I have often been witness to the demolition of major public housing projects in California, Illinois, New York etc by the various local and state governments, which hinges these senseless demolitions on the so-called wars against substance abuse. It can be gleaned from these perhaps, that, stupidity by governments is international.
It quite obvious and exceedingly clear to anyone, even with a cursory examination, that the buildings are not the problems. The problems are clearly caused by persons with anti social behaviors, who are motivated by greed for quick profits from trade in narcotic substances, are too willing to subvert their neighborhoods, towns and country as they engage in narco-trade. The problems are clearly caused by persons who are affected and afflicted by the lopsidedness of the economic and political structures of the American society, whereby, these persons are desperate enough, and so, employing any and every means are considered fair by these desperate perpetrators.
So, it is the case that various levels of governments in the United States have frequently resorted to demolishing chunks and chunks of sizable real estate in American major cities in the name of decimating hiding places for drug dealers and peddlers of narcotic substances. However, the phantom wars on drugs in America have continued unabated despite these wanton wastes of real estate space and the squandering of several hundreds in billions of dollars by the Americans in drug wars of more than four decades long! All told, the buildings go down in these demolitions, and the peddlers of death remain in the communities
Nigeria and Cameroon have demonstrated similar bents with the two actions in reactions to policy failure events as described above; that is, the spate of football tournament failures and the increased incidents of street beggars.
The Americans, the Cameroonians, and the Nigerian governments in all these instances, have reacted in some sorts of ad hoc manners. These sorts of nervous and squirms reactions in embarrassment to failures of public policies, are certainly no substitute to well thought out and well reasoned policies.
There seem to failures on the part of these governments to realize that some eggs have to be broken to make or create omelets, while the eggshells do not amount to much thereafter. The government of the United States changed the name of Mineral Management Service, MMS to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement or BOEMRE as if the name MMS was why the MMS employees were engaged in corruptions including engaging in sexual intercourse and narcotic and substance abuses with employees of oil companies which MMS were supposed to supervise or act as oversights. MMS demonstrate incredulity and exceeding ineptitude in the aftermath of the BP gusher of oil catastrophe and disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
And one of the reactions by the United States government was to swiftly change the inept and inefficient and bungling blunder of a nomenclature known as the MMS to BOEMRE as if the ineptness, the inefficiency, the ineffectiveness of MMS was in the name! And yes, I am aware the Super Eagles were formerly the Green Eagles.
I am also familiar with arguments which opposed the elephant logo of the now comatose Nigeria Airways, they argued that ineptness, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of our then national airline was as a result of the logo which portrayed an elephants with wings, as after all, they insisted, elephants really do not fly! All reasonable persons can disagree as to factors which led to hemorrhage of the Nigeria Airways as a national and international carrier, but the elephant with wings logo is certainly not one of those factors to be considered, except by person who believe in the Unidentified Flying Objects or UFOs
First, these governments need to thoroughly examine, evaluate and analyze the causes of naro-trade, street begging and failures in sports outing respectively. Upon examining, evaluating and analyzing these causes, there should be formulations and implementations of remedies and solutions which will endure and stand the tests of time. A regimens of solutions which will prevent future failures, hence the attendant unpleasantness and shameful recoils in embarrassments.
But instead, what we have frequently and repeatedly witnessed from these governments, are efforts at window-dressing , facing-saving whitewash and meaningless perorations and hastily assembled spin doctoring for public consumption. These are usually undertaken without sanguine and thoughtful clear eyed view of the root causes and permanent policy resolve which tackles phenomena, once and for all times. Retrofitting a building or demolishing it, does not eliminate drug trade or the habits of residents and occupants and squatters of the building. Just as name change for an energy agency would not curb ineptitude, and banning a football club does not address the lack of confidence and cohesion or training by such team. Arresting and arbitrarily banishing beggars and panhandlers does not address their destitution, their abject poverty and the source of their decision to become beggars as “profession”
Demolishing buildings nationwide, buildings in which narcotic trade take place has not stopped or slowed the persisting sales and consumptions of crack cocaine heroin marijuana angel dust, ecstasy, pcp and other illegal chemical substances or poison pills in America ,with which some Americans get high or induce self stupor, and make some other American rich in the process. Demolishing buildings to stop or stem drug dealing, peddling or drug trade is similar to demolishing school buildings because the students have failing grades; It is probably better to hire a new headmaster or principal and teachers with dedication etc
Banning and Banishing the Super Eagles of Nigeria surely cannot be substitute in policy in ensuring a that there are robust provision of resources and manpower for a national football-soccer team with vigorous trainings and profound sense of mission and determination to conquer every opponent it encounters. The Nigerian Football Association, the Super Eagles and the government of Nigeria and all Nigerians should begin this process through, first examining the cause of failures in competition by national sports teams from Nigeria. All Nigerians should begin with having self confidence and adjusting national attitudes from inferiority complexes and damaged psyches … to exuding confidence for which Nigerians were formerly known.
Nigeria, and the other five African nations which were present at the World Cup fiesta in South Africa, all had something in common, inferiority complex imbued and encrusted in the idea that, only a FOREIGN coach could lead an African nation to victory, and now, where the heck is that victory? Victory? Why shall we even broach the vexing matter of victory, when none of the African nations with foreign coaches and all, even got to the semi final matches in the football-soccer fiesta? The United States, the newest convert to the world of football or soccer, has demonstrated such self confidence and exceptionalism, and does not hinge her World Cup success and soccer growth and development on foreign coaches and foreign managers!
African nations have great footballers-soccer players in America and Europe, but, somehow, these Africans cannot be excellent coaches and managers of their national and continental ball clubs? Mr. Stephen Keshi did well in Togo, did he not as coach-manager? Emmanuel Okala, Siasia, Segun Odegbami cannot make good coaches and managers? Why do Africans give the impression through certain actions, that Africans are inferior to all others? Nigeria was among 32 best soccer playing nations out of the more than 200 nations on earth. Nigerians do not need foreign coaches and managers
African footballers-soccer players as excellent, hence six African teams were amongst the world’s thirty-two best teams which got to the World Cup fiesta in South Africa through global eliminations in series. These African footballers-soccer stars, have interacted with all the ball clubs on earth, but, still, we hear arguments which insists that African teams need coaches and club managers from Europe who are “exposed” world teams outside of Africa!
Cameroon banished and carted street beggars off of its metropolis, because these fellow citizens are a public nuisance and eyesores, embedded with witchcraft and all manners of evils, at least, according to the ignorant comments made on BBC radio by some Cameroonians! But, none of their self-righteous indignation addressed the root causes of street begging and the beggar phenomenon, such as abject poverty and destitution! The attitudes towards these abjectly poor members of the Cameroonian society is identical with the sorry and ignorant attitudes in Nigeria, by some elitist and misguided Nigerians regarding street beggars and Almajiri. Nigerians and Cameroonians have refused to address the cause, but instead, they are fixated on the effect, and in arbitrary and most highhanded manners, they seek to dislodge the abjectly poor, from their own pristine elitist sight and public views!
These Nigerian and Cameroonian ignorance, begs the questions, why do we have street beggars? Why do we have abject poverty and why does destitution persists in our societies? Or put in other ways, why is it, that doctors, lawyers, pharmacists and social workers and bankers in Nigeria and the Cameroons are not among the hated street beggars? Could there be a reason why the poor and the afflicted actually resort to the enviable profession of panhandling as beggars of alms in our metropolis? There must be no reasons!
We humans, but in particular, we Africans, must learn to associate causes with effects. We must learn to decipher raison d’etere of failures and the consequent unpleasantness and world stage embarrassments.
It is often said that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Therefore, nations which fail to have well thought out and well reasoned public policies which formulates, implements policies, policies which are in turn supported with adequate human capital, superb intellects and available resources, are doomed to humiliating failures knee jerk ad hoc and arbitrary actions in reactions to such failures, are no substitutes to excellent planning, planning ahead and mapping a game plan for glory.
Brazil and Argentina do not start preparing for the World Cup when there a mere thirty days to the fiesta, and these nations do not hire foreign coaches either! Argentina and Brazil were projected and over-forecast to get to the finals, but, both nations are out, but no one doubted their self confidence, or whether their preparations were thorough and supplied with adequate human capital and material resources, both nations are out, but not down, embarrassed or squirming in unpleasantness.
Brazil and Argentina failed, unbowed, as they exited with dignity. Uruguay is a nation of three and half million people, and she was the first to host and win the World Cup in 1930 and Uruguay is doing well in the current World Cup fiesta in South Africa, better than Britain, France, and even the new kid on the bloc, the United States!
We must eschew shortsightedness and failures to plan ahead and worse, we must stop hand wringing when the consequences of our lack of vision and passion for success stares us in the face. Failures bears unpleasantness and public embarrassments, success elicit admiration and adoration. We must have confidence, and confidence in our ability as individuals and as a collective in a national entity.
The difference between successful entities and failing entities, is frequently that the successful entities are willing to do often, what the failing entities are only willing to do occasionally. We can do better and we should!
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