Obama Talks Shallow Simplistic Rubbish, Scolds & Lectured Africans As Expected!
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Finally, Mr. Obama’s much publicized and much debated visit to Ghana has come and to pass and the world can now return to normalcy! Obama LECTURED the Africans, Africans will snap out of their old ways!
All major American television networks reported Obama stop-over for a few hours in Ghana, using words or terms which are usually reserved for truant children. Mr. Obama is reported as being stern, scolding and blunt to people in Africa. Obama is showing Africans tough love? Who need this type of love?
Are these what that all that Africans deserve from a native son? We are not kids! Obama was undiplomatic by choice, he knows how to be delicate with the Russians, he knows how to be measured with the Iranians and he knows not to be his polite best with Israel despite Israel violations of United Nations resolutions regarding Israel's land-grab in Palestine!
Obama was not blunt, stern or scolding when he genuflected in discussions with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome over issues of stem cell research and abortions, issues in which Obama the Pope are at opposite side of the spectrum!
Obama would have been more successful and impressive across the board and he would have shined and come across smelling like fresh flowers if he had visited Ghana, Kenya, South African commencing such well-thought out African visits accompanied with specifics of policies and programs, sundry initiatives and Nigeria as first prong of course.
Additionally, such African visit ought to be coupled with revamped, reinvigorated and more robust American African policy which does not exist presently within the Obama administration.
Better yet, Obama could have attended an African Union summit and engage all African leaders in brotherly conversation and corralled them on how to press the reset button on democracy, good governance, institutional reforms, prosperity and advancement on the continent, instead, Obama chose the simplistic and voyeuristic public shaming and ridiculing of Africans, as if he was a member of the Klu Klux Klan and that is what some are courageously spinning and labeling tough love? I am dismayed!
Obama surely followed a script, otherwise, he knows or ought to know that he would have been more effective at nudging, imploring and engendering reforms, instead of appearing to backhand whack Africans while force-feeding them with archaic and mundane platitudes to which every person on any African street is keenly familiar!
Obama delivered the script of his masters and his handlers! A script written and orchestrated by African “experts” and Obama delivered the script in the form of scolding in stern blunt words which Obama could not use in talks with the Russians, the Pope and the North Koreans etc Obama was at his most condescending mien best when he was in Ghana! And this was mislabeled tough love and I say, Nonsense!
Some Africans already predicted that Obama would lecture Africans, and expectedly, he did to his heart content. He LECTURED democracy, human rights, corruption etc. Mr. Obama’s is that of appeasement and placation of all others, but, he just has made Africa the exception to his appeasement rule?
Obama did not scold or chastise Russia for her war in Chechnya and Georgia... and Russia for corruption and frequent murders of its journalists... and Russia for organized crime and Mafia way of business deal and Russia for preferring business deals with Iran over election matters and nuclear matters which Obama "so care about"
Obama did not scold or chastise Italy, where Obama was for several days... Italy with Prime Minister Berlusconi whose media empire is synonymous his other tools of corruption... in fact, Mr. Berlusconi has faced repeated charges of corruption and there is the Italian Mafia in there... but Obama went to Italy and he did not lecture Italians
Obama did not scold or chastise Israel, despite all that America does for Israel, Israel's current Prime Minister adamantly refuses to listen to Obama "gentle prodding and request" that Israel vacate occupied territories of Palestine and desist from expanding Israeli's land-grabs! Despite United Nations resolutions to this effect and despite the so-called "International Community" urging of Israel to comply
Obama says he will negotiate with Iran and North Korea UNCONDITIONALLY, and these are "supposed" to be the Axis of Evil ... American enemies per Mr. Bush....
Nigeria, no enemies of America or anyone, is being visited with diplomatic slaps and whacks in the face by this undiplomatic Obama? Obama is a tool in the hands of someone's agenda I was waiting for his apology for slavery and colonialism Ghana and Obama did not seize the moment. I am almost ready to write him off as another Mr. double standard leader of a western nation, preaching to Africa, what they do not practice in dealing with other nations. For his lectures and condescending manners towards Africans and peoples of African descent, I am jumping off this Obama bandwagon!
Obama has a knack for making the platitudinous sound poignant and profound!
He repeated this feat again while addressing the parliament of Ghana, he made banal and meaningless embellished statements to come across as if inspired for Africa.
Imagine when Obama state the obvious, the pedestrian and the rather mundane, such as, “Africa’s future is up to Africans” I would hope so! And in retort, I thought it a fitting response to Mr. Obama’s trite public proclamation in Ghana, I would hope that the future of America is in the hands of Americans, and not in the hands of China, the Chinese who have of course been and still are currently shoring up America’s economy by spending trillions and trillions of dollars for the upkeep of the economy of the United States
Obama came to Ghana empty handed! He arrived Ghana without a program or policy tailored in its specificities toward Africa and Africans. But instead, he made empty speeches, which were replete and loaded with innuendoes which seem reserved for when Obama addresses Africans and African Americans and peoples of African descent.
Obama, during his inauguration speech used the Bill Cosby code-word of “take-responsibility” “taking responsibility” is the same he used while addressing Ghanaians, and even by Obama’s own admissions, he was in effect, exponentially addressing all 900 million Africans, as he ordered American diplomatic outposts to broadcast live and facilitate the spread of his inanities while in Ghana.
During Obama’s inaugural speech as president, I expected him to focus and harp on America’s checkered past and then, state the fact that he stood on the broad shoulders of those who fought his wars, his battles and that he is now stepping into their big shoes comfortably, after those courageous heroes have leveled the playing field through hard work and endless sacrifices, but, all that he pronounced was why some of us should take responsibility. Those who fought liberation battles from slavery to colonialism to Jim Crow on the continent of Africa and in the United States made Obama presidency even thinkable. Obama should not benefit and be repaying them with insulting platitudes.
Clearly, Obama certainly knows who to insult and who to be rude to and when to be cavalier to and I think he has been rude to Africans and peoples of African descent too frequently, in particular, with his pedantic pedagogical preachment of taking responsibility.
Apart from diagnosing African problems and challenges, Obama in Ghana was pure bland blah for a few hours! He came to Ghana to insult Africa, to criticize and to be purposely undiplomatic.
Africa has about 900 million people and Israel has less than 6 million people... what is the amount/quantum of American aid on yearly basis to Africa with a population of 900 million versus Israel of less than 6 million people... So, before some of you here .... suffer burst arteries and cardiac arrest over your perceived amount of aid to Africa do some fact checks... do some reality checks... contact US State Department and US Department of Defense and enquire and compare American aid to Israel compared with Africa during the last fifty years and self for yourselves!
All is agreed, arguably, that the need is greater in Africa, BUT, Africa is not where the greatest amount of foreign aid from America and Europe goes! These are verifiable!
Again, it must be stated that everyone in America and Europe are already familiar with very mundane method to which Obama resorted. It is the case that quite often, anyone and everyone, individuals, institutions and governments are quick to loudly and ostentatiously diagnose African challenges and then, they promptly proceed on their merry way to do nothing about the human conditions in Africa!
What is the point of relevance in loud diagnosis when you have no plan for relief in sight? What is the value of public criticism when you have no specific policy or program which addresses your “eloquent” diagnosis?
How about mutual responsibility? Parts of Europe and parts of Asia received Marshall Plan to enable reconstruction and rehabilitation of parts of Asia and Europe, after the self-inflicted World Wars, Africans and African Americans have not been so lucky, because after slavery, after colonialism, and yes, after the World Wars in which Africans fought as conscripted soldiers on behalf of America and Europe, Africans received no Marshall Plans or any such thing to put us in good stead, we were left to sink or swim, to fend for ourselves. And Obama glosses over, waves all these profound impact away with his left hand? Please!
On the important matter of slave trade history, of horrors and brutalities, Obama only made tepid terse and tired statements full of generalities about human capacity to do good and evil, evil that still exist in the world - blah, blah, blah.
And Obama acclaimed the extraordinary progress between Blacks and Whites; and such efforts which led to the abolition of slavery to his election I suppose. He used the statements again to take swipe at the locals as he spoke about oppression and cruelty wherever it appears. Lectures for primary school pupils?
In all this, Obama came across as suddenly lacking patented and trademarked oratorical skills, he suddenly pretended to lack all his usual fervid luster and manner of speaking, except when he referred to the irony of slave traders having a church erected right atop slave dungeon, the White slave traders exhibited outward manifestations of piety, even as they dealt in death, murder, maiming and shackling of their human cargoes of Africans as slaves. Slave traders with human cargoes treated worse than farm animals, exported out off of their entire familiar.
On the whole, Obama failed miserably, to seize the moment. Obama manifested a complete lack of interest, he suddenly appeared tongue-tied and inarticulate, as if in a loss for words. Obama’s comments at the slave dungeon, were surprisingly very short, he sounded tired, distracted, and he sounded as if needing coffee or as if overdue for an expresso-strength coffee-break!
Obama, whether when he addressed the parliament of Ghana or at his one minute statement at the slave dungeons, failed, refused or neglected to outline or layout his policy for Africa, and yet, every buffon-African is supposed to have been appeased Obama’s fly-over stop-over for a few hours, with the ensuing lectures and pronouncements?
Some are hoping, that Ghana can somehow maximize “benefits” from Obama’s quick-stop in Ghana, but what exactly are those benefits?
I guess some feel as if Obama’s stop-over in Ghana is to endorse Ghana as “a country with democratic spirit” is therefore seen as certification of Ghana as a nation fit as destination for investments, trade and tourism by America and Europe. And I am hoping that Ghana gets so good soon, after Obama’s prattling and tattling tales, so good in fact, that the 8 million people who are currently out of work or unemployed in America due to financial meltdown, will mill or troop to Ghana and I for one will gladly follow them to Ghana! As I am happy for Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings’ Ghana. This is good for Ghana; our West African neighbor.
Obama’s display of his lack of diplomatic finesse is selective, so this talk about Obama showing tough love through his condescending lecture and diplomatic slap to Kenya, South Africa and notably for me, Nigeria; Obama’s brief foray into Ghana and the preachments afterthoughts wrapped in spin doctoring of Obama’s inept and undiplomatic approach to Africa.
It must be remembered and borne in mind that Obama has a track record of making impassioned and vociferous speeches with rhetorical flourishes, as he did at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and in Philadelphia during his speech on race in America and Rev. Wright, then Obama’s speech in Berlin, Cairo, Buchenwald, Normandy, etc, it begs the question as to what changed in him in Ghana?
America through Obama has an ulterior and unhidden motive in Ghana even amidst Ghana’s modest gains. Ghana is said to be open to hosting the American military armada as headquarters for Pentagon’s so-called African Command or AfriCom and Ghana is suddenly now and exporter of petroleum and Ghana is seen as amenable and pliable by the Americans.
Obama knows where not to offend his hosts. And Obama knows those who could put his reelection in jeopardy or at risk, Obama also knows where to be a glib talker who speaks obliquely about injustices of the past, present, while sermonizing about responsibility, good governance and corruption redundantly avec sanctimoniously! What Obama parroted in Ghana, are things the average African already knew, and have dissected and digested for more than fifty years. I can only add that Obama is a smart man, who knows all these things.
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/world/africa/12prexy.html
A commentator in The New York Times wrote: he, (Obama) failed to acknowledge the role the United States played in getting Africa to where it is today. Ms. Susan Rice, the United Nation Ambassador, an undersecretary of state for African Affairs during the Clinton administration should have primed the President a lot better on the United States’ role in undermining democracy and promoting violence in Africa.
For the record, the trajectory of modern African history was shaped by the actions of United States, Belgium and France in today’s Democratic Republic of Congo in 1960, which was then known as the Belgian Congo. Who killed Patrice Lumumba and why?
The overthrow and murder of Patrice Lumumba by Belgium mercenaries radicalized Nkrumah, the leader of Ghana, pushing Ghana closer to the USSR. If an elected African leader could be overthrown and murdered by mercenaries from a country allied with the United Sates who was safe? Nkrumah followed that by funding armed liberation movements to challenge the white settler governments in southern Africa. This introduced an element of violence, unlike Ghana’s transition from British rule. The path taken by Nkrumah had a negative influence on his contemporaries.
Whereas in the affairs of Europeans the United Sates’ role was that of a guardian, nurturing democracy in Eastern Europe, the reader must be reminded that in Africa the U.S. favored any government, so long as it claimed to be pro-Western. Here is a partial list of U.S allies in Africa (and their fates in brackets) between 1960 and 1990: Liberia (civil war), Nigeria (civil war), Zaire (civil war), Sudan (need I say more), Kenya, and yes Somalia! How does anyone explain U.S funding of UNITA in the Angola Civil war? When the military overthrew Nkrumah’s government, the United Sates rewarded the junta by sending food aid and other consumer goods.
So the reader must note the irony that crestfallen Black-Star, Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, the final resting place of WEB Dubois, the NAACP pioneer, is still the best example of Africans managing their own affairs and the hope of the race in Africa.”
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/showpost.php?p=370798&postcount=3
Above links where Mr. Clement Ikpatt wondered about Obama’s redundantly mundane speech in Ghana
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/john-iteshi/is-president-honest-to-black-africa.html
Above links where Mr. John Iteshi wondered if Obama is fraud on the Black race
Obama knows where not to mince words. Or defer to diplomatic politesse and labored, tortured deliberate over-calibrated message, in which Obama seek to avoid unproductive confrontations and unnecessary loggerheads, his only exception so far, is Africa!
Obama certainly knows when to be a superb diplomat and an expert at delicately balance or even obfuscate through parsing of words, when the feelings of others are involved; It seems as if, in Obama’s view, he has some sorts of poetic license to be rude and undiplomatic especially when world issues relate to Africans, because, some percentage of the blood which runs through his veins is of Africa? Obama used this pedestrian but emotive line, to cloud and shroud his condescension with which he lectured Africans
As we kept hearing during Obama’s brief stop in Ghana, that Ghana is being REWARDED! Rewarded with Obama’s quick stop, but Ghana is being rewarded with what exactly? You would think Ghana is Israel which receives billions of dollars in American aid every year, and does not care what the US think! Israel has a population of less than 6 million and Ghana, America’s new best friend, has a population of 24 million people and what was America’s aid to Ghana last year compared with Israel? Ghana rewarded with what?
Obama announced in Ghana, that he will support nations which make democratic commitment, and shun other nations who do not, fine! So, what ever happened to unconditional talks with nations previously designated, rightly or wrongly, as enemies of America? Is this where candidate Obama meets President Obama in reality check? There is tyranny in Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and for some unstated reasons, other than known facts, Obama is not shunning these nations?
Obama seem to conflict, contradict and confuse his own policies! He visited Russia to ask for a reboot, reset of relations between America and Russia. He failed to criticize Russia’s corruption, Russian Mafia way of doing business through organized crime. Obama failed to criticize Prime Minister Vladmir Puttin’s self-succession, from president to prime minister while handpicking President Medvedev akin to former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo favoring President YarAdua to succeed him, but, at least in the case of Nigeria, Mr. Obasanjo has no official post or role in current Nigerian government!
It is okay to acknowledge the fact that Obama did put his undiplomatic foot in his mouth when flippant Obama tactlessly accused PM Puttin of have a foot in the past! But on the whole, while in Russia, Obama conducted himself in a very measured manner, nonetheless. Just as he faked neutrality in the post election protests in Iran. Obama seem to know when to wring his hands shyly, as when he gingerly begged Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on Israel’s land-grab settlements in Palestine and Israel’s usurpation of political and economic oxygen in Palestine.
Let us repeat for emphasis here again, Obama did not visit Kenya, his ancestral homeland, nor visit South Africa and more importantly, Obama overlooked visiting Nigeria. He shunned these nations with commitment to democracy!
What commitment to democracy does Egypt and Saudi Arabia reminds anyone reading this of? These are the same nations which Obama visited during the preceding 30 days before his trip to Ghana! Egypt for instance, has a president for life, endorsed by every American president since Ronald Reagan, Hosni Mubarak has been president of Egypt since 1981. Under President Mubarak, Egypt has violently cracked down on political opposition and in particular, the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood. Mubarak has been extreme in his violent repressive measures, including detention without trial, and I guess this fit perfectly with America’s phobia for Islam? Detentions without trial in Guantanamo is really not different from detention without trial in Egypt or is it?
Anyone can say, arguably, that democracy is not perfect in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria and indeed, the rest of the world! I make bold to say that the imperfect democracy in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, is better day compared with the non existence democracy night in say, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. When was the last election in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait? And when is the next election in both nations? Is Obama shunning these nations? Why isn’t he? Looking at Obama, I can now say that the beautiful ones are not yet born!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Palestinian Freedom & Iranian Democracy; A Causal Connection
Palestinian Freedom & Iranian Democracy; A Causal Connection
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
The entire world, during the better part of June 2009, saw, what appeared to have been a choreographed, orchestrated and carefully synchronized post election protests from the streets of Tehran Iran. And despite ostentatious efforts, on the part the United States government at managing a proclaimed neutrality, there was no neutrality to be had. Perhaps the only semblance of neutrality was a very nuanced, buffed and embellished neutrality.
There were actions and pronouncements which contradicted any pretense and protestations of neutrality. Actions and proclamations which were undertaken with a view of influencing the direction and outcome of the post election protests in Iran.
There was an instance in which the government of the United States felt the need to contact a private entity, the owners and operators of Twitter, to urge and implore the company to postpone its scheduled maintenance, in order not to interfere with the ability of Iranian protesters (and their handlers overseas) to communicate with and between themselves and the rest of the world, as these protesters organized and coordinated their activities.
It is not debatable whether Iranians, and for that matter, anyone else, have legitimate right to demonstrate or protest elections in Iran or across the world, if and when elections are had, and there are legitimate reasons to believe that such elections fraught with regularities, fraud and an outcome is determined not have been free or fair or questionable
However, it will be helpful to use the same standard, the same vehemence and the same steadfastness, to oppose governments which are engaged in election frauds and governments which engage in the use of brutal force or violence to oppose popular agitations, demonstrations or protests. Such as the government of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, in power for decades, and a friend of America and Europe who does no wrong in their eyes.
It is quite amazing to watch how there was what appeared to be some sorts of righteous indignations about perceived electoral frauds in Iran, and the subsequent violence which culminated in the death of a young lady, Neda. Neda was instantly martyred in the western world, a part of the world usually suspicious of martyrs what they connote. Just as westerners are of Islamic details, and just as Nicholas Sarkozy deplores head coverings by Muslim women. As much as I grieve for the family and friends of Neda over her needless death, it must be mentioned that there is no clear determination as to who perpetrated her murder.
Additionally, the violence and death of Neda during the election protests in Tehran were minor, infinitesimal and insignificant when compared to the death of 1400 Palestinians in January 2009 just before President Obama was sworn in as US president. There were no martyrs in Palestine! There were no democrats and fighters for freedom and liberty, there were no reformers and heroes in Palestine, there struggles are deemed violent and unreasonable by the west. There were no Facebook coordinated protests and Twitter tweeting demonstrators, there were no all day, every day CNN, BBC, VOA coverage for the 1400 dead in Palestine, among them, children, women and senior citizens.
Since his inauguration as president of the United States, President Obama have made major policy pronouncements among which is the US Middle East policy and in this, the US president outlined his policy thrust, similar to what his predecessor called the Road Map to peace in the Middle East. The current Israeli government has loudly rejected Mr. Obama’s request or suggestion (note that I did not say demand) to Israel to freeze settlement expansion at the expense of Palestinians. Settlement expansion is a slap and spit in the face of all those interested in a negotiated peace process between Palestine and Israel! Where is the pressure on Israel to comply with UN and US settlement freeze etc?
President Obama subsequently appointed an envoy, specifically to achieve American policy objectives in that region of the world. US former president, George W. Bush, bungled peace efforts previously pursued by the Bill Clinton administration. Mr. Bush’s neglect of the peace process during his tenure, worsened the intractable enmity and animosities between Palestine and Israel. These efforts may not go anywhere, in the face of Israel’s persistence in course of conducts, which have been condemned by the United Nations, Europeans and the Obama’s administration.
President Bush gave Israel any and everything which Israel wanted. Mr. Bush did not use the so-called Road Map, perhaps he lost the map or got lost on the road? The much talked about two state or two nation solution, in which Palestine and Israel will coexist as two politically, economically and socially independent nations would have been the preferred outcome. The idea or concept was touted loudly, but without any action.
As a consequence, the peace overture now being made are rather green and virgin. So much time have been lost in the interim, due to the inaction of the Bush administration on the Middle East peace initiatives.
It is rather trite to restate here, that any policy directed at the Middle East peace and security or toward the Arab world, which does not frontally tackle Palestinian conditions, plight and predicaments, must be seen as a nonevent nonstarter policy. When there will be a World War III, it is in all likelihood, start in the Middle East and be as a consequence of neglecting to act, do the right thing to ameliorate the abject human conditions in Palestine. I see a connection between the plight and predicament of Palestinians, the popularity of Hezbollah, HAMAS and their Iranian supporters and I quite understand why a blow struck against Iran is a direct attempt at Hezbollah, HAMAS and vice versa. America and Europe seem to have no ambitions to democratize Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai or the Emirates, Egypt etc but why? Could it be because these monarchies, the dictatorships and tyrannies are docile in their constipated contentment and complacencies about the average citizens in these countries and care not a hoot about Palestinians?
Even by the longest stretch of the imagination, there is no democracy or western type reforms in Saudi Arabia or Egypt etc. There is no human rights or gender equality in these countries. There is nothing at all in these other Arab and Middle Eastern countries that resembles a modicum of western democratic prescriptions. And if truth be told, Iran is more modern, more western, more plural and more 21st century-like, in a western sense, in comparison with the countries in Middle East which are in the pockets of westerners and in which westerners are blind to and deaf to pervasive evils of oppression and abuses.
It is rather an open secret that governments and institutions outside the Middle East or the so-called Arab world, have sought to influence the election outcomes and internal affairs of Palestine, Lebanon and Iran. And it turns out, that there is a causal connection between the aspirations of Palestinians in Palestine, and their supporters and sympathizers in Lebanon and Iran.
The world ought to therefore make known, the conflicts of interest and self-interested dealings, and the curious interests which have been exhibited by certain governments and institutions in local elections in Gaza Strip, in the West Bank, then in Lebanon and most recently, the elections in Iran. The west seem to scorn HAMAS, Hezbollah and Iran for their imperfections, while cuddling Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, countries which are not even making any pretensions about reforms, democratizations and human rights! Why is it unreasonable, far-fetched or illogical to see a connection between the pressure being mounted on Iran by America and Europe regarding Iran's nuclear power, and nuclear weapons and the exaggerated western interest in seeing free and fair elections or democratization in Iran?
I will like to state for the record that I join everyone is wishing the finest ideals of democracy, liberty, freedom and human rights upon Palestinians, Israelis, Lebanese, Iranians etc. The democracy, freedom, liberty and human rights we wish upon the Arab world or the Middle East, should be the type which fits local conditions in those countries and in those lands.
These fine tenets and ideals as they, must be managed by the people for the people, the people should constitute the source of greatest political authority. In recent years, the world have witnessed a selective acceptance or rejection respectively, of democratic processes, depending on the particular perception of hegemonic interests of government and institutions outside certain countries, countries who are grappling with teething and tethering democracy. In the past several years, the world have been witness to how arguably free and fair elections which were won in Algeria and Egypt, were cancelled, excoriated and repudiated with the support, wink and nod, by same countries who are liable to extol democracy louder than everybody else, and the reason given for the railing against these free and fair election in Algeria and Egypt was solely limited to the fact that the candidates preferred by these outsiders were not the winners at the polls.
In a true democracy, the greatest political authority or supreme authority resides in the electorate, and for me, this means that a free and fair election outcome should be accepted and applauded whomever the winner is, the candidate and party that is better able to canvass and convince the voters should prevail at the polls and lead, until the next elections.
What have happened instead is that, Americans and Europeans have tended to move the goal post during the game of democracy, as was the case in Algeria and her Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria in 1990, or in Egypt in the 2002 elections, Palestine and more recently, in Iran. In Lebanon, Hezbollah led at the polls, but, there were these concerted and coordinated campaigns, visits and loud promises made by foreign government officials, who all sought a role in the defeat of Hezbollah in favor of a pro-west political leader and perhaps a puppet? How happy or thrilled will Americans and Europeans be if any group of foreigners, governments or foreign institutions seek to directly alter elections outcomes on their soil?
I did not like Mr. Bush’s policies, but, I did not want Canada or Mexico to invade the US to orchestrate the ouster of Mr. Bush as the American government under Bush did in Iraq and to Betrand Aristide of Haiti, it was particularly egregious in the case of Haiti, as the government there was duly elected and the constitutionally constituted government of Haiti at the time, whatever anyone thought of Aristide’s policies or credentials, another election or some constitutional measure by Haitians, remained the best way to have resolve such imperfections.
And for Saddam Hussein Iraq, a former bosom friend of America, and the entire west, and a tyrant, dictator and abuser of human rights etc, invading and occupying Iraq, was still unjustified and contrary to all tenets of international laws, treaties, conventions and established protocols. Iraq remained entitled to political independence, her sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the particular case of Palestine, the word on the street and on the ground in Palestine is that, HAMAS is and has been the only symbol of authority, order, and service to the people. HAMAS is popular, it have perennially spoken and poignantly addressed the concerns of the average Palestinians notwithstanding the castigations and labeling which HAMAS have received over the years by outsiders.
There may be some legitimacy in the criticisms of HAMAS regarding its methodologies and aggressive enforcements of its will, but nevertheless, HAMAS is popular with a large segment of the Palestinian population and HAMAS activities and public conducts resonates with the average Palestinians, hence the electoral victories which HAMAS recorded. And it did so through, core preachment mission of religious proselytizing through preaching and social services which Palestinians appreciated, enjoyed and rewarded HAMAS at the polls for.
Despite victories at the polls, HAMAS was viewed with so much contempt and ridicule by the American and European governments and institutions at the behest of Israel, and this in effect, clearly demonstrated a double standard and extreme hypocrisy in the definition and application of true democracy by these self-acclaimed American and European advocates and champions of democracy. These double standards and false pretense is what have wrought endless generations of crises borne of cultivated animosities and disdain by various parties to conflicts, mutual hatreds by opposing parties and supporters and enablers on both sides
And the Arabs of course seen through these shenanigans and doublespeak democracy and human rights. Or Palestinians preference for HAMAS and the imposition and preference of Mahmoud Abbas as “leader” of Palestine preferred by non-Palestinians outside of Palestine. Democracy ought to be allowed to evolve and grow to maturity, and without outside manipulations and manipulators outside of Palestine. Humans do not like impositions from outsiders. Palestinians should be allowed to feel ownership of their democracy. And that does not include a version imposed from the outside or a puppet from within, subject to the whims of those who do not have Palestine best interest!
All those who support true democracy should want answers to why HAMAS is deemed not to be entitled to HAMAS victory at the polls in Palestine? Why is the Islamic or Muslim Brotherhood not entitled to it’s electoral victories in Egypt? This Brotherhood was formed in 1928 and it is the main opposition the ruling party government party for almost one hundred years. And in 2002, the Brotherhood over the years have won increasing membership in the Egyptian parliament, this, even though the Brotherhood remains officially banned by the Egyptian government.
Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party NDP, in power since 1978, Mubarak is in power for almost 30 years since the assassination of Anwar Sadat, NDP uses aggression, violence and acts of thuggery against the Brotherhood and others opposed to the ruling government party. Many members of Islamic/Muslim Brotherhood are in detention in Egypt, in detention without trials or prosecution by the government of Egypt, and where are the uproarious reactions to this persecution, and bludgeoning of the opposition the government in Egypt? Where is the outcry, hoopla and indignations in the west?
Western silence and complicities in on Egyptian repression absence of democracy, there is this palpable fear by the westerners of Islamic fundamentalism in politics in Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia etc but how about ultra right Christian Fundamentalists who shoot or encourage the shooting of doctors who provide abortion services? I am as wary of Christian extremists as I am wary of Muslim extremists. Extremists are what they are, extremists! Whatever denomination or label that we may affix to them, they are fanatical and can be murderous!
There are extremists in all organized religions and there are extremists among nonbelievers. Extremists are violent, an extremist Jew, Yigal Amir
assassinated Prime Minister Rabin of Israel in 1995, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by extremist Hindu, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by a Sikh extremist in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Tamil Tiger extremists. Rabbi Kahane was a notorious extremist Jew. Those who killed him were extremist Muslims, so were the participants in the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. How about the ethnic extremists in Bosnia Herzegovina and Hutus and Tutsis? There are in fact, extremist unbelievers here!
As I think of the choreographed sympathy for Iranian demonstrators and I think of abandoned and neglected suffering and hardship in Palestine and I think of why pretty girls always receive unsolicited assistance to carry their 10 pounds weight luggage, while ugly girls are left to struggle with their 100 pounds weigh luggage and crying child, This is the difference between Iran and Palestine, as far as the America, Europe and some others are concerned, Palestine is the ugly girl who really needs help, which no one offers! Male suitors have ulterior motives and expected benefits for offering unneeded and unsolicited assistance to the pretty girl.
The governments of America and Europe have sought variously to unduly influence the election outcome in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran respectively, this desire to manipulate election outcome exposes a lack of confidence in the superiority of ideas or the supremacy of democratic tenets and fine ideals.
America and Europe have persistently put expediencies over and above letting the best candidate and political party win elections in Haiti, the Congo, Chile, Iran etc. This arrogant uncontrollable desire to directly influence elections and choice of leadership for nations, is the hypocrisy and laughable force-feeding of “democracy” in hypocritical condescension, these actions in pretending to know what is best for other nations, regardless of the idiosyncratic specificities of local conditions and cultures, is the source of all the troubles in the world.
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
The entire world, during the better part of June 2009, saw, what appeared to have been a choreographed, orchestrated and carefully synchronized post election protests from the streets of Tehran Iran. And despite ostentatious efforts, on the part the United States government at managing a proclaimed neutrality, there was no neutrality to be had. Perhaps the only semblance of neutrality was a very nuanced, buffed and embellished neutrality.
There were actions and pronouncements which contradicted any pretense and protestations of neutrality. Actions and proclamations which were undertaken with a view of influencing the direction and outcome of the post election protests in Iran.
There was an instance in which the government of the United States felt the need to contact a private entity, the owners and operators of Twitter, to urge and implore the company to postpone its scheduled maintenance, in order not to interfere with the ability of Iranian protesters (and their handlers overseas) to communicate with and between themselves and the rest of the world, as these protesters organized and coordinated their activities.
It is not debatable whether Iranians, and for that matter, anyone else, have legitimate right to demonstrate or protest elections in Iran or across the world, if and when elections are had, and there are legitimate reasons to believe that such elections fraught with regularities, fraud and an outcome is determined not have been free or fair or questionable
However, it will be helpful to use the same standard, the same vehemence and the same steadfastness, to oppose governments which are engaged in election frauds and governments which engage in the use of brutal force or violence to oppose popular agitations, demonstrations or protests. Such as the government of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, in power for decades, and a friend of America and Europe who does no wrong in their eyes.
It is quite amazing to watch how there was what appeared to be some sorts of righteous indignations about perceived electoral frauds in Iran, and the subsequent violence which culminated in the death of a young lady, Neda. Neda was instantly martyred in the western world, a part of the world usually suspicious of martyrs what they connote. Just as westerners are of Islamic details, and just as Nicholas Sarkozy deplores head coverings by Muslim women. As much as I grieve for the family and friends of Neda over her needless death, it must be mentioned that there is no clear determination as to who perpetrated her murder.
Additionally, the violence and death of Neda during the election protests in Tehran were minor, infinitesimal and insignificant when compared to the death of 1400 Palestinians in January 2009 just before President Obama was sworn in as US president. There were no martyrs in Palestine! There were no democrats and fighters for freedom and liberty, there were no reformers and heroes in Palestine, there struggles are deemed violent and unreasonable by the west. There were no Facebook coordinated protests and Twitter tweeting demonstrators, there were no all day, every day CNN, BBC, VOA coverage for the 1400 dead in Palestine, among them, children, women and senior citizens.
Since his inauguration as president of the United States, President Obama have made major policy pronouncements among which is the US Middle East policy and in this, the US president outlined his policy thrust, similar to what his predecessor called the Road Map to peace in the Middle East. The current Israeli government has loudly rejected Mr. Obama’s request or suggestion (note that I did not say demand) to Israel to freeze settlement expansion at the expense of Palestinians. Settlement expansion is a slap and spit in the face of all those interested in a negotiated peace process between Palestine and Israel! Where is the pressure on Israel to comply with UN and US settlement freeze etc?
President Obama subsequently appointed an envoy, specifically to achieve American policy objectives in that region of the world. US former president, George W. Bush, bungled peace efforts previously pursued by the Bill Clinton administration. Mr. Bush’s neglect of the peace process during his tenure, worsened the intractable enmity and animosities between Palestine and Israel. These efforts may not go anywhere, in the face of Israel’s persistence in course of conducts, which have been condemned by the United Nations, Europeans and the Obama’s administration.
President Bush gave Israel any and everything which Israel wanted. Mr. Bush did not use the so-called Road Map, perhaps he lost the map or got lost on the road? The much talked about two state or two nation solution, in which Palestine and Israel will coexist as two politically, economically and socially independent nations would have been the preferred outcome. The idea or concept was touted loudly, but without any action.
As a consequence, the peace overture now being made are rather green and virgin. So much time have been lost in the interim, due to the inaction of the Bush administration on the Middle East peace initiatives.
It is rather trite to restate here, that any policy directed at the Middle East peace and security or toward the Arab world, which does not frontally tackle Palestinian conditions, plight and predicaments, must be seen as a nonevent nonstarter policy. When there will be a World War III, it is in all likelihood, start in the Middle East and be as a consequence of neglecting to act, do the right thing to ameliorate the abject human conditions in Palestine. I see a connection between the plight and predicament of Palestinians, the popularity of Hezbollah, HAMAS and their Iranian supporters and I quite understand why a blow struck against Iran is a direct attempt at Hezbollah, HAMAS and vice versa. America and Europe seem to have no ambitions to democratize Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai or the Emirates, Egypt etc but why? Could it be because these monarchies, the dictatorships and tyrannies are docile in their constipated contentment and complacencies about the average citizens in these countries and care not a hoot about Palestinians?
Even by the longest stretch of the imagination, there is no democracy or western type reforms in Saudi Arabia or Egypt etc. There is no human rights or gender equality in these countries. There is nothing at all in these other Arab and Middle Eastern countries that resembles a modicum of western democratic prescriptions. And if truth be told, Iran is more modern, more western, more plural and more 21st century-like, in a western sense, in comparison with the countries in Middle East which are in the pockets of westerners and in which westerners are blind to and deaf to pervasive evils of oppression and abuses.
It is rather an open secret that governments and institutions outside the Middle East or the so-called Arab world, have sought to influence the election outcomes and internal affairs of Palestine, Lebanon and Iran. And it turns out, that there is a causal connection between the aspirations of Palestinians in Palestine, and their supporters and sympathizers in Lebanon and Iran.
The world ought to therefore make known, the conflicts of interest and self-interested dealings, and the curious interests which have been exhibited by certain governments and institutions in local elections in Gaza Strip, in the West Bank, then in Lebanon and most recently, the elections in Iran. The west seem to scorn HAMAS, Hezbollah and Iran for their imperfections, while cuddling Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, countries which are not even making any pretensions about reforms, democratizations and human rights! Why is it unreasonable, far-fetched or illogical to see a connection between the pressure being mounted on Iran by America and Europe regarding Iran's nuclear power, and nuclear weapons and the exaggerated western interest in seeing free and fair elections or democratization in Iran?
I will like to state for the record that I join everyone is wishing the finest ideals of democracy, liberty, freedom and human rights upon Palestinians, Israelis, Lebanese, Iranians etc. The democracy, freedom, liberty and human rights we wish upon the Arab world or the Middle East, should be the type which fits local conditions in those countries and in those lands.
These fine tenets and ideals as they, must be managed by the people for the people, the people should constitute the source of greatest political authority. In recent years, the world have witnessed a selective acceptance or rejection respectively, of democratic processes, depending on the particular perception of hegemonic interests of government and institutions outside certain countries, countries who are grappling with teething and tethering democracy. In the past several years, the world have been witness to how arguably free and fair elections which were won in Algeria and Egypt, were cancelled, excoriated and repudiated with the support, wink and nod, by same countries who are liable to extol democracy louder than everybody else, and the reason given for the railing against these free and fair election in Algeria and Egypt was solely limited to the fact that the candidates preferred by these outsiders were not the winners at the polls.
In a true democracy, the greatest political authority or supreme authority resides in the electorate, and for me, this means that a free and fair election outcome should be accepted and applauded whomever the winner is, the candidate and party that is better able to canvass and convince the voters should prevail at the polls and lead, until the next elections.
What have happened instead is that, Americans and Europeans have tended to move the goal post during the game of democracy, as was the case in Algeria and her Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria in 1990, or in Egypt in the 2002 elections, Palestine and more recently, in Iran. In Lebanon, Hezbollah led at the polls, but, there were these concerted and coordinated campaigns, visits and loud promises made by foreign government officials, who all sought a role in the defeat of Hezbollah in favor of a pro-west political leader and perhaps a puppet? How happy or thrilled will Americans and Europeans be if any group of foreigners, governments or foreign institutions seek to directly alter elections outcomes on their soil?
I did not like Mr. Bush’s policies, but, I did not want Canada or Mexico to invade the US to orchestrate the ouster of Mr. Bush as the American government under Bush did in Iraq and to Betrand Aristide of Haiti, it was particularly egregious in the case of Haiti, as the government there was duly elected and the constitutionally constituted government of Haiti at the time, whatever anyone thought of Aristide’s policies or credentials, another election or some constitutional measure by Haitians, remained the best way to have resolve such imperfections.
And for Saddam Hussein Iraq, a former bosom friend of America, and the entire west, and a tyrant, dictator and abuser of human rights etc, invading and occupying Iraq, was still unjustified and contrary to all tenets of international laws, treaties, conventions and established protocols. Iraq remained entitled to political independence, her sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the particular case of Palestine, the word on the street and on the ground in Palestine is that, HAMAS is and has been the only symbol of authority, order, and service to the people. HAMAS is popular, it have perennially spoken and poignantly addressed the concerns of the average Palestinians notwithstanding the castigations and labeling which HAMAS have received over the years by outsiders.
There may be some legitimacy in the criticisms of HAMAS regarding its methodologies and aggressive enforcements of its will, but nevertheless, HAMAS is popular with a large segment of the Palestinian population and HAMAS activities and public conducts resonates with the average Palestinians, hence the electoral victories which HAMAS recorded. And it did so through, core preachment mission of religious proselytizing through preaching and social services which Palestinians appreciated, enjoyed and rewarded HAMAS at the polls for.
Despite victories at the polls, HAMAS was viewed with so much contempt and ridicule by the American and European governments and institutions at the behest of Israel, and this in effect, clearly demonstrated a double standard and extreme hypocrisy in the definition and application of true democracy by these self-acclaimed American and European advocates and champions of democracy. These double standards and false pretense is what have wrought endless generations of crises borne of cultivated animosities and disdain by various parties to conflicts, mutual hatreds by opposing parties and supporters and enablers on both sides
And the Arabs of course seen through these shenanigans and doublespeak democracy and human rights. Or Palestinians preference for HAMAS and the imposition and preference of Mahmoud Abbas as “leader” of Palestine preferred by non-Palestinians outside of Palestine. Democracy ought to be allowed to evolve and grow to maturity, and without outside manipulations and manipulators outside of Palestine. Humans do not like impositions from outsiders. Palestinians should be allowed to feel ownership of their democracy. And that does not include a version imposed from the outside or a puppet from within, subject to the whims of those who do not have Palestine best interest!
All those who support true democracy should want answers to why HAMAS is deemed not to be entitled to HAMAS victory at the polls in Palestine? Why is the Islamic or Muslim Brotherhood not entitled to it’s electoral victories in Egypt? This Brotherhood was formed in 1928 and it is the main opposition the ruling party government party for almost one hundred years. And in 2002, the Brotherhood over the years have won increasing membership in the Egyptian parliament, this, even though the Brotherhood remains officially banned by the Egyptian government.
Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party NDP, in power since 1978, Mubarak is in power for almost 30 years since the assassination of Anwar Sadat, NDP uses aggression, violence and acts of thuggery against the Brotherhood and others opposed to the ruling government party. Many members of Islamic/Muslim Brotherhood are in detention in Egypt, in detention without trials or prosecution by the government of Egypt, and where are the uproarious reactions to this persecution, and bludgeoning of the opposition the government in Egypt? Where is the outcry, hoopla and indignations in the west?
Western silence and complicities in on Egyptian repression absence of democracy, there is this palpable fear by the westerners of Islamic fundamentalism in politics in Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia etc but how about ultra right Christian Fundamentalists who shoot or encourage the shooting of doctors who provide abortion services? I am as wary of Christian extremists as I am wary of Muslim extremists. Extremists are what they are, extremists! Whatever denomination or label that we may affix to them, they are fanatical and can be murderous!
There are extremists in all organized religions and there are extremists among nonbelievers. Extremists are violent, an extremist Jew, Yigal Amir
assassinated Prime Minister Rabin of Israel in 1995, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by extremist Hindu, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by a Sikh extremist in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Tamil Tiger extremists. Rabbi Kahane was a notorious extremist Jew. Those who killed him were extremist Muslims, so were the participants in the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. How about the ethnic extremists in Bosnia Herzegovina and Hutus and Tutsis? There are in fact, extremist unbelievers here!
As I think of the choreographed sympathy for Iranian demonstrators and I think of abandoned and neglected suffering and hardship in Palestine and I think of why pretty girls always receive unsolicited assistance to carry their 10 pounds weight luggage, while ugly girls are left to struggle with their 100 pounds weigh luggage and crying child, This is the difference between Iran and Palestine, as far as the America, Europe and some others are concerned, Palestine is the ugly girl who really needs help, which no one offers! Male suitors have ulterior motives and expected benefits for offering unneeded and unsolicited assistance to the pretty girl.
The governments of America and Europe have sought variously to unduly influence the election outcome in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran respectively, this desire to manipulate election outcome exposes a lack of confidence in the superiority of ideas or the supremacy of democratic tenets and fine ideals.
America and Europe have persistently put expediencies over and above letting the best candidate and political party win elections in Haiti, the Congo, Chile, Iran etc. This arrogant uncontrollable desire to directly influence elections and choice of leadership for nations, is the hypocrisy and laughable force-feeding of “democracy” in hypocritical condescension, these actions in pretending to know what is best for other nations, regardless of the idiosyncratic specificities of local conditions and cultures, is the source of all the troubles in the world.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Africa Soldiers; How Africa Saved Europe, During World Wars
Africa Soldiers; How Africa Saved Europe, During World Wars
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
This is part of the world’s untold and sparsely documented history. It is how Africa saved the world over and over again. Africa was compelled and conscripted to fight the economic and social strife for America and Europe and thereby gave America and Europe the breathing space and freedom at industrialization.
There are phases and stages in these processes. First, it was the horrors and brutalities of the enslavement of Africans which provided free unpaid labor for the homes and fields of Americans and Europeans; thus, enabling Americans and Europeans to cultivate large expanses of lands in plantations forms. Cash crops in the fields and animal husbandries in large scale and the production of lard, created a wealth base for slave owners.
A second wave of horrors and brutalities came in the form of colonialism. Colonialism meant the usurpation of economic, political, cultural, linguistic and religious flora and fauna of native peoples, particularly, Africans. Colonialism meant the cannibalizations and stripping off of all tangibles and intangibles of Africa, for the upkeep and maintenance and for the sole purpose of preserving the home countries of the colonizers at the expense of the colonized African peoples.
Then there were the World Wars, I and II. During which Africans were hauled off their homeland once again, to bear the burdens of the crises in Europe for which Africans had no part or role in creating in the first place! The Europeans created World Wars, for their own purpose and for the tribal superiority dance between themselves, these in no way benefited African or have Africans in the conception or contemplation. However Africa became a tool of the execution and implementation of policies during these World Wars. Africa, innocent in all these, in effect, saved the Americans and Europeans from themselves during World Wars; this is a story of Africa’s unsung acted as catalysts, impetus for world peace, in facilitating the war efforts and bringing those wars to successful conclusions.
Quite unfortunately though, Africans have never been recognized for their heroic efforts during these wars in lands strange and far away from the lands of Africans who fought to extricate Europeans.
After the Second World War of course, there was the so-called Marshall Plan, to help countries in Europe, to rehabilitate, reconstruct and re-develop. Japan, an “enemy” country to the western powers during the war, was amazingly, among the countries that were bailed out in the post Second World War boom and not surprisingly, Africa was left to fend for herself and colonialism actually continued after 1945, except that the conscripted African soldiers were now among the rest of Africans demanding political independence and freedom from colonizers of Europe.
Every year on June 6, since 1945, Americans and Europeans celebrate the end of the Second World War and the celebrations are loud and offensive to me. The mere mention of these celebrations is offensive to me as it demonstrates and exemplifies the very reason why the world may yet head for another World War! The complete disregard and disrespect of others’ work, contributions and sufferings.
Three members of my family were conscripted to fight in the World War II. And, so were many other African families. There is so much that is wrong with this. First, it is that, Africans had nothing whatsoever to do with precipitating World Wars. Secondly, it should be mentioned that even being forced to eat your favorite food is not pleasant, then imagine being forced or conscripted to fight wars for which you played no role in creating and no benefit in its outcome, a war in which you are required to make supreme sacrifice, unlike your American or European counterparts, whose real interest is represented in the World Wars brutalities.
Thirdly, the foot-soldiers, Africans, Americans and Europeans soldiers, at the warfronts were told that they were fighting to liberate Europeans who were being subjugated and put in bondage by Adolf Hitler, meanwhile, continental Africans and peoples of African descent, were under even more severe, brutal and most egregious bondage in Africa and elsewhere in the world! For instance, African American soldiers during the World Wars had less rights compared with Germans who were taken as war prisoners by the Americans. African Americans returned to America to face the continued and abundant brutalities of discrimination, segregation and racism in America.
Fourthly, continental Africans who fought the World Wars through conscription by Europeans colonial governments received the rawest of the deals. Continental Africans played no roles in creating the World Wars. Continental Africans were forced, conscripted into the fight for the freedoms of Europeans during a time when Africans themselves were under colonial bondage, subjugation and brutal domination by the same European governments who have usurped the political and economic powers of continental Africans, while compelling same Africans to fight for the freedoms of Europeans who self-inflict the World Wars!
Fifthly, in all of these, after sixty years of lavish annual celebrations, there has so far never been a moment of recognition for the bravery of African soldiers who were conscripted and compelled into the fight to save Europeans from fellow Europeans, save them from themselves, while Africans remained in bondage!
I was certain at some point that Mr. Kofi Annan, as United Nations’ Secretary General, would bring this gallant role by African soldiers, who were mere tools of the Americans and Europeans in their World Wars would finally be recognized. But it never happened. And now, Mr. Obama just went to Normandy and before that, Nuremberg, expressing grief over Europeans’ brutalities and murderous imbecility by Europeans against fellow Europeans. Mr. Obama expressed solidarity with Europe and sung praises of America’s storied rescue of Europe from the World Wars which Europe had wrought upon itself!
Mr. Obama is a very good student of American history. Mr. Obama is very urbane and knowledgeable. I will have to assume that he is also a student of world history, and that leaves me to wonder when he will mourn over slavery and colonialism public, the way he has publicly and profusely mourned over Jewish suffering through the Holocaust. Beyond Mr. Obama’s speech on race during the American election campaign which brought him to power as US president, I am yet to see Mr. Obama bring his storied eloquence and rhetorical flourishes to issues of historical injustices, slavery, colonialism, treatment of African soldiers in World War II, and the complete neglect of these unsung heroes which African soldiers are, the other buffalo soldiers of World Wars! I am certain that Mr. Obama is not selectively eloquent and speechifying gifted, when matters are not of Africans and peoples of African descent! If he is afraid to take a stand for us, because he does not want to offend others or rock the boat; do we then really need him? Apart from symbolism, what is then, our gain or progress in his ascent?
Mr. Obama’s recent Normandy performance with Nicholas Sarkozy of France at his side, makes me wonder whether there is ever going to be a time in my lifetime in which a sitting American president and leaders in the Europe, as well as leaders at the United Nations would set aside bigotry and finally extol the roles and contributions of African soldiers in liberating Europeans from bondage created by other Europeans.
It is public knowledge for instance, how some Americans rebuked France for disagreeing with Mr. George W. Bush’s invasion and occupation of Iraq, in rebuking France, these Americans argued that France was ungrateful and forgetful of roles Americans played in liberating France from Adolf Hitler’s siege.
Meanwhile, France, Britain or America has never expended even a few seconds to recognize roles played by Africans in these liberation efforts! If anyone reading this was to argue that the roles played by Africans were ever so slightly relevant to the war efforts or that it was insubstantially insignificant and infinitesimal, why, oh why, was it necessary to conscript the Africans in the first place?
Africans have grown accustomed to hearing we have no contributions whatsoever to human civilizations, and no contributions in rescuing the human race from World Wars, and of course, wars which were created by non Africans and not for the benefit of Africans! Africans are happily very Christian simpletons, who are forever forgiving others! Forgiving others, for most egregiously horrendous treatments seemingly reserved for Africans all through history.
Why is it, that Africans are never angry about these things? These complete disregards, disrespects, the stripping of humanity and dignity, deprivations of recognitions for work done, and sundry contributions etc?
Why?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
This is part of the world’s untold and sparsely documented history. It is how Africa saved the world over and over again. Africa was compelled and conscripted to fight the economic and social strife for America and Europe and thereby gave America and Europe the breathing space and freedom at industrialization.
There are phases and stages in these processes. First, it was the horrors and brutalities of the enslavement of Africans which provided free unpaid labor for the homes and fields of Americans and Europeans; thus, enabling Americans and Europeans to cultivate large expanses of lands in plantations forms. Cash crops in the fields and animal husbandries in large scale and the production of lard, created a wealth base for slave owners.
A second wave of horrors and brutalities came in the form of colonialism. Colonialism meant the usurpation of economic, political, cultural, linguistic and religious flora and fauna of native peoples, particularly, Africans. Colonialism meant the cannibalizations and stripping off of all tangibles and intangibles of Africa, for the upkeep and maintenance and for the sole purpose of preserving the home countries of the colonizers at the expense of the colonized African peoples.
Then there were the World Wars, I and II. During which Africans were hauled off their homeland once again, to bear the burdens of the crises in Europe for which Africans had no part or role in creating in the first place! The Europeans created World Wars, for their own purpose and for the tribal superiority dance between themselves, these in no way benefited African or have Africans in the conception or contemplation. However Africa became a tool of the execution and implementation of policies during these World Wars. Africa, innocent in all these, in effect, saved the Americans and Europeans from themselves during World Wars; this is a story of Africa’s unsung acted as catalysts, impetus for world peace, in facilitating the war efforts and bringing those wars to successful conclusions.
Quite unfortunately though, Africans have never been recognized for their heroic efforts during these wars in lands strange and far away from the lands of Africans who fought to extricate Europeans.
After the Second World War of course, there was the so-called Marshall Plan, to help countries in Europe, to rehabilitate, reconstruct and re-develop. Japan, an “enemy” country to the western powers during the war, was amazingly, among the countries that were bailed out in the post Second World War boom and not surprisingly, Africa was left to fend for herself and colonialism actually continued after 1945, except that the conscripted African soldiers were now among the rest of Africans demanding political independence and freedom from colonizers of Europe.
Every year on June 6, since 1945, Americans and Europeans celebrate the end of the Second World War and the celebrations are loud and offensive to me. The mere mention of these celebrations is offensive to me as it demonstrates and exemplifies the very reason why the world may yet head for another World War! The complete disregard and disrespect of others’ work, contributions and sufferings.
Three members of my family were conscripted to fight in the World War II. And, so were many other African families. There is so much that is wrong with this. First, it is that, Africans had nothing whatsoever to do with precipitating World Wars. Secondly, it should be mentioned that even being forced to eat your favorite food is not pleasant, then imagine being forced or conscripted to fight wars for which you played no role in creating and no benefit in its outcome, a war in which you are required to make supreme sacrifice, unlike your American or European counterparts, whose real interest is represented in the World Wars brutalities.
Thirdly, the foot-soldiers, Africans, Americans and Europeans soldiers, at the warfronts were told that they were fighting to liberate Europeans who were being subjugated and put in bondage by Adolf Hitler, meanwhile, continental Africans and peoples of African descent, were under even more severe, brutal and most egregious bondage in Africa and elsewhere in the world! For instance, African American soldiers during the World Wars had less rights compared with Germans who were taken as war prisoners by the Americans. African Americans returned to America to face the continued and abundant brutalities of discrimination, segregation and racism in America.
Fourthly, continental Africans who fought the World Wars through conscription by Europeans colonial governments received the rawest of the deals. Continental Africans played no roles in creating the World Wars. Continental Africans were forced, conscripted into the fight for the freedoms of Europeans during a time when Africans themselves were under colonial bondage, subjugation and brutal domination by the same European governments who have usurped the political and economic powers of continental Africans, while compelling same Africans to fight for the freedoms of Europeans who self-inflict the World Wars!
Fifthly, in all of these, after sixty years of lavish annual celebrations, there has so far never been a moment of recognition for the bravery of African soldiers who were conscripted and compelled into the fight to save Europeans from fellow Europeans, save them from themselves, while Africans remained in bondage!
I was certain at some point that Mr. Kofi Annan, as United Nations’ Secretary General, would bring this gallant role by African soldiers, who were mere tools of the Americans and Europeans in their World Wars would finally be recognized. But it never happened. And now, Mr. Obama just went to Normandy and before that, Nuremberg, expressing grief over Europeans’ brutalities and murderous imbecility by Europeans against fellow Europeans. Mr. Obama expressed solidarity with Europe and sung praises of America’s storied rescue of Europe from the World Wars which Europe had wrought upon itself!
Mr. Obama is a very good student of American history. Mr. Obama is very urbane and knowledgeable. I will have to assume that he is also a student of world history, and that leaves me to wonder when he will mourn over slavery and colonialism public, the way he has publicly and profusely mourned over Jewish suffering through the Holocaust. Beyond Mr. Obama’s speech on race during the American election campaign which brought him to power as US president, I am yet to see Mr. Obama bring his storied eloquence and rhetorical flourishes to issues of historical injustices, slavery, colonialism, treatment of African soldiers in World War II, and the complete neglect of these unsung heroes which African soldiers are, the other buffalo soldiers of World Wars! I am certain that Mr. Obama is not selectively eloquent and speechifying gifted, when matters are not of Africans and peoples of African descent! If he is afraid to take a stand for us, because he does not want to offend others or rock the boat; do we then really need him? Apart from symbolism, what is then, our gain or progress in his ascent?
Mr. Obama’s recent Normandy performance with Nicholas Sarkozy of France at his side, makes me wonder whether there is ever going to be a time in my lifetime in which a sitting American president and leaders in the Europe, as well as leaders at the United Nations would set aside bigotry and finally extol the roles and contributions of African soldiers in liberating Europeans from bondage created by other Europeans.
It is public knowledge for instance, how some Americans rebuked France for disagreeing with Mr. George W. Bush’s invasion and occupation of Iraq, in rebuking France, these Americans argued that France was ungrateful and forgetful of roles Americans played in liberating France from Adolf Hitler’s siege.
Meanwhile, France, Britain or America has never expended even a few seconds to recognize roles played by Africans in these liberation efforts! If anyone reading this was to argue that the roles played by Africans were ever so slightly relevant to the war efforts or that it was insubstantially insignificant and infinitesimal, why, oh why, was it necessary to conscript the Africans in the first place?
Africans have grown accustomed to hearing we have no contributions whatsoever to human civilizations, and no contributions in rescuing the human race from World Wars, and of course, wars which were created by non Africans and not for the benefit of Africans! Africans are happily very Christian simpletons, who are forever forgiving others! Forgiving others, for most egregiously horrendous treatments seemingly reserved for Africans all through history.
Why is it, that Africans are never angry about these things? These complete disregards, disrespects, the stripping of humanity and dignity, deprivations of recognitions for work done, and sundry contributions etc?
Why?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Economic Meltdown in Nigeria: Without Toxic Assets?
Economic Meltdown in Nigeria: Without Toxic Assets?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
The world partied and Nigeria did not join or was not invited; now, we are told that Nigeria is engaged in the heavy-lifting of cleaning-up the global meltdown? How so? Why? If the world’s economic players were students in a class, Nigeria was absent from that class, how then can an absentee student be punished alongside or with other students who were actually engaged in noisy unruly disruptive behavior, Nigeria was not the class!
If the world’s economic players were drivers being sanctioned for over-speeding, Nigeria abandoned her car at home and so, no sanctions for over-speeding; Nigeria did not partake in the drinking, how come then, we are being told that Nigeria will suffer massive hangover over other peoples’ drunkenness?
The current global economic meltdown was precipitated by over-leveraging and over securitization of mortgages principally in America. These leverages and over-securitizations were snapped up by banks, investment houses and sundry financial institutions in Europe and Asia.
Singapore is a known hub of financial and business transactions, among others, a major mid-shipping point. It is understandable that Singapore will feel the lull in shipping and global transactions
China is a major manufacturer and exporter of goods to the world, it therefore logical for China to feel the pangs of the global slowdown in demand, as economies are recession globally
India has publicly stated that the effects of the global economic meltdown will be mild or tepid because she does not export a lot and besides, India more than Nigeria is a recipient of foreign direct investment
How many banks, investments houses and other financial institutions in Nigeria invested or purchased securitized mortgages? How many Nigerian individuals were participants in the global gluttony which transpired during the last decade in America? How many banks in Nigeria actually practice mortgage banking in sizeable quantity? Nigerian banks unlike their American counterparts, do not invest sufficiently in housing or student loans for education, why should Nigerian banks suffer from a shock that may arise from investment specialty not practiced be Nigerian banks and from which Nigerian individuals do not and have not derived benefits?
How many mortgages did Nigerian banks write in the preceding ten years? How many student loans?
Nigerian banks for the most part, specialize in buying and selling the dollar! Hence they make huge profits year after year, while they have not investment in mortgages, no investment in agriculture, commerce or industry, and or student loans. Nigerian banks have not investment in the productive sectors of the Nigerian economy; they specialize in speculation on the daily fluctuations of Naira against the dollar! This ensures the impossibility of Naira dollar parity during the past twenty years!
It is also common knowledge that there were no influx and infusion of sizeable foreign direct investment, outside of the much vaunted GSM telephony. In view of that, what then will be foreign direct investments leaving Nigeria or what foreign direct investment will drying up? None! We never had them.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange is not known to be a global player. In fact, it might just be safe to say, that the NSE is not known at all, globally. The Nigerian economy is and has been in isolation. The value of the Naira, our national currency, has been in downward spiral since September, 1986.
It is not an overstatement to say that the Nigerian economy and economic “managers” does not respond to usual economic factors, parameters and indices. It is therefore a surprise to learn that an isolated economy is reacting to, and is affected by the topsy-turvy of modern economies.
Nigeria is not a major export of anything other than crude oil petroleum. Nigeria is not a manufacturer of anything. Other economies are affected by low demands for their manufactured goods and their exports. None of these are applicable to our monolithic crude oil based economy! Why then should Nigerians gird for the cataclysmic effect of a global economic meltdown?
There were, already in Nigeria, hyperinflation and high rate of unemployment. There were already slowed pace construction new public infrastructures or a nonexistent of expansion or rehabilitations of old ones. Our national car was already in the parking lot. We were not on the road driving like everyone else. How can we join those who have been driving and who are now out of gas? As it is, it is the case that Nigerians and Nigeria did not participate in the boom, in the pleasure of the drive while it lasted!
How then that when others now complain of the fatigue of their overdrive, we too are complaining? We never left the garage or parking lot with our car, let alone to have engaged in overdrive and it’s after effects! How is it possible for Nigeria to be seeking treatment for the securitization virus, when Nigeria was never infected in the first place?
Nigeria of course operates within the global market and financial system. It is understandable to expect some shocks and after shocks from the global meltdown, reverberating in Nigeria. But we are not manufacturers facing low demand for our products from overseas consumers. And Nigeria is not an exporter which faces low export volume due to lowered consumer confidences in a downturn.
Why the talk in Nigeria about the likelihood of a severe economic meltdown? Economic meltdown in Nigeria as a result of what Pension Plans or Health Insurance or Mortgage and overvalued housing market, from what bad investments or toxic assets anyway?
The ostentatious talk of economic meltdown in Nigeria is just galling. I am quite astonished! What investment portfolios and financial instruments were Nigerians holding in millions of dollars that could translate into this smorgasbord of financial ruin for individuals and institutions in Nigeria?
Nigeria maintains a foreign reserve, managed by banks or financial institutions which are not in bankruptcies as at the time of writing. What exactly seem to be the problems of those glib talkers?
Why therefore are Nigeria political charlatans-leaders and heads of banking and financial institutions claiming benefits or losses when they were infinitesimal players or when they were not market participants at all? Why are they selling their inefficiencies and ineffectiveness so loudly? All, in order to appear concerned; while pretending, that they are feeling the pains like the rest of the world? This is probably another excuse to loot and plunder the treasury, and then, blame the global meltdown?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
The world partied and Nigeria did not join or was not invited; now, we are told that Nigeria is engaged in the heavy-lifting of cleaning-up the global meltdown? How so? Why? If the world’s economic players were students in a class, Nigeria was absent from that class, how then can an absentee student be punished alongside or with other students who were actually engaged in noisy unruly disruptive behavior, Nigeria was not the class!
If the world’s economic players were drivers being sanctioned for over-speeding, Nigeria abandoned her car at home and so, no sanctions for over-speeding; Nigeria did not partake in the drinking, how come then, we are being told that Nigeria will suffer massive hangover over other peoples’ drunkenness?
The current global economic meltdown was precipitated by over-leveraging and over securitization of mortgages principally in America. These leverages and over-securitizations were snapped up by banks, investment houses and sundry financial institutions in Europe and Asia.
Singapore is a known hub of financial and business transactions, among others, a major mid-shipping point. It is understandable that Singapore will feel the lull in shipping and global transactions
China is a major manufacturer and exporter of goods to the world, it therefore logical for China to feel the pangs of the global slowdown in demand, as economies are recession globally
India has publicly stated that the effects of the global economic meltdown will be mild or tepid because she does not export a lot and besides, India more than Nigeria is a recipient of foreign direct investment
How many banks, investments houses and other financial institutions in Nigeria invested or purchased securitized mortgages? How many Nigerian individuals were participants in the global gluttony which transpired during the last decade in America? How many banks in Nigeria actually practice mortgage banking in sizeable quantity? Nigerian banks unlike their American counterparts, do not invest sufficiently in housing or student loans for education, why should Nigerian banks suffer from a shock that may arise from investment specialty not practiced be Nigerian banks and from which Nigerian individuals do not and have not derived benefits?
How many mortgages did Nigerian banks write in the preceding ten years? How many student loans?
Nigerian banks for the most part, specialize in buying and selling the dollar! Hence they make huge profits year after year, while they have not investment in mortgages, no investment in agriculture, commerce or industry, and or student loans. Nigerian banks have not investment in the productive sectors of the Nigerian economy; they specialize in speculation on the daily fluctuations of Naira against the dollar! This ensures the impossibility of Naira dollar parity during the past twenty years!
It is also common knowledge that there were no influx and infusion of sizeable foreign direct investment, outside of the much vaunted GSM telephony. In view of that, what then will be foreign direct investments leaving Nigeria or what foreign direct investment will drying up? None! We never had them.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange is not known to be a global player. In fact, it might just be safe to say, that the NSE is not known at all, globally. The Nigerian economy is and has been in isolation. The value of the Naira, our national currency, has been in downward spiral since September, 1986.
It is not an overstatement to say that the Nigerian economy and economic “managers” does not respond to usual economic factors, parameters and indices. It is therefore a surprise to learn that an isolated economy is reacting to, and is affected by the topsy-turvy of modern economies.
Nigeria is not a major export of anything other than crude oil petroleum. Nigeria is not a manufacturer of anything. Other economies are affected by low demands for their manufactured goods and their exports. None of these are applicable to our monolithic crude oil based economy! Why then should Nigerians gird for the cataclysmic effect of a global economic meltdown?
There were, already in Nigeria, hyperinflation and high rate of unemployment. There were already slowed pace construction new public infrastructures or a nonexistent of expansion or rehabilitations of old ones. Our national car was already in the parking lot. We were not on the road driving like everyone else. How can we join those who have been driving and who are now out of gas? As it is, it is the case that Nigerians and Nigeria did not participate in the boom, in the pleasure of the drive while it lasted!
How then that when others now complain of the fatigue of their overdrive, we too are complaining? We never left the garage or parking lot with our car, let alone to have engaged in overdrive and it’s after effects! How is it possible for Nigeria to be seeking treatment for the securitization virus, when Nigeria was never infected in the first place?
Nigeria of course operates within the global market and financial system. It is understandable to expect some shocks and after shocks from the global meltdown, reverberating in Nigeria. But we are not manufacturers facing low demand for our products from overseas consumers. And Nigeria is not an exporter which faces low export volume due to lowered consumer confidences in a downturn.
Why the talk in Nigeria about the likelihood of a severe economic meltdown? Economic meltdown in Nigeria as a result of what Pension Plans or Health Insurance or Mortgage and overvalued housing market, from what bad investments or toxic assets anyway?
The ostentatious talk of economic meltdown in Nigeria is just galling. I am quite astonished! What investment portfolios and financial instruments were Nigerians holding in millions of dollars that could translate into this smorgasbord of financial ruin for individuals and institutions in Nigeria?
Nigeria maintains a foreign reserve, managed by banks or financial institutions which are not in bankruptcies as at the time of writing. What exactly seem to be the problems of those glib talkers?
Why therefore are Nigeria political charlatans-leaders and heads of banking and financial institutions claiming benefits or losses when they were infinitesimal players or when they were not market participants at all? Why are they selling their inefficiencies and ineffectiveness so loudly? All, in order to appear concerned; while pretending, that they are feeling the pains like the rest of the world? This is probably another excuse to loot and plunder the treasury, and then, blame the global meltdown?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Amala-Ewedu, Isi-Ewu, Tuwo-Sinkafa & Pounded-Yam Marketing
Amala-Ewedu, Isi-Ewu, Tuwo-Sinkafa & Pounded-Yam Marketing
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Nigerians, too many, are consumers of every foreign concepts and theories; undiscerning consumers that is!
Do we ever stop to query these foreign concepts, theories and things? Where is our own originality? Are Nigerians mere lazy interlopers and sheepish followers of foreign leaders of thought, products and processes? What have we imposed on the world and what can we impose on the world beyond 419? We have nothing to give the world? We sure have so much to give, only if we care to contemplate and deliberate on what and how much to give the world
Some Nigerians would kill other Nigerians over religions, foreign religions no less! Foreign religions have taken pride of place over African religions and these foreign religions have extremists and fanatics as followers Christianity or Islam etc. Nigerians have not done a good business of exporting African religions. Africans actually had religion before the advent of colonialists and foreign cultures on the African continent. We receive everything, but, what do we send out in return? What is globalization if it is a one way traffic in which we are always the dumping ground for every idea and everything?
A good number of Nigerians, nay a majority of Nigerians are familiar with the cuisines above; I hope! Those Nigerians, who may not have eaten these foods, must at least have heard about them. But why have Nigerians failed collectively to delight the world with all or any of these essential Nigerian cuisines? What “enabling environments” do we need to showcase our foods and our cultures, our way of life to the world?
It is rather easy and simple to invite your friends and colleagues to Nigerian restaurants or homes and have them feast on Nigerian foods as well as simultaneously entertaining the foreign guests with music made by Nigerians. Some Nigerians frequently come across as though promoting the way of life in Nigeria, will have to wait, until every facets of life in Nigeria is perfect.
This will be the equivalent of saying that Nigerians will promote Nigerians foods, until Nigeria holds elections which will be certified by everyone, especially foreigners, as truly free and fair and truly democratic. Nigeria will not promote Nigerian attires, until technology in Nigeria is more advanced than it is in America, Japan and China combined! Shall we be rest assured then, that Nigerians will not promote Tuwo Sinkafa, until Nigeria builds a colony on the moon?
I honestly think that it is every Nigerian’s responsibility to teach the world how we Nigerians live. It should be the preoccupation of every Nigerian to teach the world what Nigerians do, apart from a devotion to democracy, free and fair elections and religious fanaticisms, of Christian and Islamic extremes. What do Nigerians do, outside of war, famine, chaos, disease and all the now “usual” devastated and unsustainable society image of Africans which is so common in the media and on the minds of many, worldwide?
There are births and deaths in Nigeria and all of Africa. We cook and we eat different foods in Nigeria. Whose permission do we need or require to introduce our foods to the world? All the several cuisines which I mentioned above are spectacularly delightful and I have had my very selective, very discriminating gourmet connoisseurship satiated with each and every one of these cuisines. Sadly though, these meals are not universally or globally available. How could there be a lack of demand and supply by items consumed by more than 140 million people and their friends on earth? Why cannot a five star hotel anywhere in the world give me pounded yam and egusi a la carte? Better yet, why cannot five star hotels serve pounded yam, ewedu, amala, isi ewu, tuwo sinkafa and pounded yams before their proud perfection of serving European and transcontinental foods in hotels right on the ground in Nigeria? Nigerian farmers and Nigerians in agriculture and food processing will benefit, if every cabbage, lettuce and burger does not have to be imported!
I am currently unaware of any major hotel, inside or outside of Nigeria which makes and serves Nigerian foods on demand. This is regardless of whether as standard fare, or on demand or upon special requests, by customers and or guests.
How many hotels, restaurants and airlines worldwide prepare and serve these cuisines and why not?
I live in New York City, a mini United Nations of a mega metropolis of a city! You can find pounded yam, but only cooked by Nigerian restaurants. Meanwhile, you can find Chinese foods cooked and sold, served by non-Chinese! And Cuban foods cooked and served by non-Cubans
Talking about the Chinese and Japanese foods! Who gave them “permission” to “compel” Americans and Nigerians too, to eat ethnic Chinese and Japanese foods? Who gave them the audacity, the temerity and boldness of confidence to promote their foods and their culture of Lomein and semi-raw fish to the world?
An urbane Nigerian can eat raw or semi-cooked fish or sushi, to prove his sophistication and assimilation or openness? Or eat escargot and fried frogs; why can’t the world spread the world towards Nigerian foods?
Nigerians do not have to have been part of the past, present or future government of Nigeria to take interest in promoting Nigerian culture, Nigerian foods, Nigerian clothes, in fact, Nigerian way of life, we do not need the permission or authorization from our government or any government for that matter!
Who authorized and consented to the Chinese and Japanese idea of eating with chopsticks instead of the Anglo-Saxon approved and preordained silver spoons?
Who refused to issue same authorizations to Nigerians and Africans? Who summarily decided that African cuisines would not be available at Hilton Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, Holiday Inns, the Waldorf Astoria, Wyndham, Hotels and even at Best Westerns and Motel 6?
What are the reasons hotels, restaurants, airlines big and small do not offer Nigerian, nay African foods? Could it be because, Nigerians, and other Africans never ask? I once purchased an electronic yam pounder which was made in Japan, and it cooked and pounded the yams well, like heh lehleh!
I take the view therefore, that some Japanese do know a thing or two about pounded yam or at the very least, the idea of marketing pounded yam processing to us the natives! What if Nigerians return the favor, by teaching the Japanese to eat pounded yam?
I genuinely believe that if Nigerians teach Arabs and Israelis how to eat pounded yam, Amala and Ewedu, Isi Ewu, Tuwo Sinkafa, and then relax as Nigerians do, peace between Arabs and Jews may finally no longer be a far fetched concept, it might actually be attained in our life time!
As a Nigerian, I cannot stomach the thought that world peace is delayed, because Nigerians have not had the confidence to market African foods to the world! And meanwhile, the entire world outside of Nigeria is missing out on the good fortune encapsulated and encrusted in tasting foods from different parts of Nigeria!
There are quite possibly, some Nigerians who believe that Nigerians and African foods are not second nature to non-Africans because of corruption, bad governments, lack of democracy, imperfect elections or because of malaria and Ebola or even AIDS! Not to mention the absence of technology and microwaves!
But when did China become the beacon and model of democratic governance; Elections in China, what elections perfect or imperfect? Or why exactly is the world not gobbling up African foods, especially the ones aforementioned above? What is so democratic about a Falafel? What is free and fair elections about a Gyro, Tacos, Guacamole and Kosher foods and the countries from which they originated?
There is no attempt here to repudiate and pillory democracies or free and fair elections, but instead, to make the point that Nigerians and Nigeria should not have to wait for perfection before introducing things palatable and Nigerian to the entire world, before the human race get used to no having out input or gets tired waiting for us to make the moves.
I can almost hear some people saying eating Nigerian or African foods will require some adjustments on the part of non Nigerians non Africans! But how have Nigerians and other Africans become accustomed to eating intercontinental foods? How many Nigerians asks or cares how sausages are made before they happily chomp it down into their guts?
How have Nigerians and Africans adjusted and adopted or acquired tastes for foods outside of the continental Africa food chain?
Or, better still, what is this thing; which makes it possible for Nigerians and other Africans to be so “adventure-some” regarding other peoples’ languages, foods, clothes, accents, religions and cultures and non Africans are somehow not equally-similarly “adventurous” with African religion, African languages, foods and African cultures?
What are the unstated excuses?
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Nigerians, too many, are consumers of every foreign concepts and theories; undiscerning consumers that is!
Do we ever stop to query these foreign concepts, theories and things? Where is our own originality? Are Nigerians mere lazy interlopers and sheepish followers of foreign leaders of thought, products and processes? What have we imposed on the world and what can we impose on the world beyond 419? We have nothing to give the world? We sure have so much to give, only if we care to contemplate and deliberate on what and how much to give the world
Some Nigerians would kill other Nigerians over religions, foreign religions no less! Foreign religions have taken pride of place over African religions and these foreign religions have extremists and fanatics as followers Christianity or Islam etc. Nigerians have not done a good business of exporting African religions. Africans actually had religion before the advent of colonialists and foreign cultures on the African continent. We receive everything, but, what do we send out in return? What is globalization if it is a one way traffic in which we are always the dumping ground for every idea and everything?
A good number of Nigerians, nay a majority of Nigerians are familiar with the cuisines above; I hope! Those Nigerians, who may not have eaten these foods, must at least have heard about them. But why have Nigerians failed collectively to delight the world with all or any of these essential Nigerian cuisines? What “enabling environments” do we need to showcase our foods and our cultures, our way of life to the world?
It is rather easy and simple to invite your friends and colleagues to Nigerian restaurants or homes and have them feast on Nigerian foods as well as simultaneously entertaining the foreign guests with music made by Nigerians. Some Nigerians frequently come across as though promoting the way of life in Nigeria, will have to wait, until every facets of life in Nigeria is perfect.
This will be the equivalent of saying that Nigerians will promote Nigerians foods, until Nigeria holds elections which will be certified by everyone, especially foreigners, as truly free and fair and truly democratic. Nigeria will not promote Nigerian attires, until technology in Nigeria is more advanced than it is in America, Japan and China combined! Shall we be rest assured then, that Nigerians will not promote Tuwo Sinkafa, until Nigeria builds a colony on the moon?
I honestly think that it is every Nigerian’s responsibility to teach the world how we Nigerians live. It should be the preoccupation of every Nigerian to teach the world what Nigerians do, apart from a devotion to democracy, free and fair elections and religious fanaticisms, of Christian and Islamic extremes. What do Nigerians do, outside of war, famine, chaos, disease and all the now “usual” devastated and unsustainable society image of Africans which is so common in the media and on the minds of many, worldwide?
There are births and deaths in Nigeria and all of Africa. We cook and we eat different foods in Nigeria. Whose permission do we need or require to introduce our foods to the world? All the several cuisines which I mentioned above are spectacularly delightful and I have had my very selective, very discriminating gourmet connoisseurship satiated with each and every one of these cuisines. Sadly though, these meals are not universally or globally available. How could there be a lack of demand and supply by items consumed by more than 140 million people and their friends on earth? Why cannot a five star hotel anywhere in the world give me pounded yam and egusi a la carte? Better yet, why cannot five star hotels serve pounded yam, ewedu, amala, isi ewu, tuwo sinkafa and pounded yams before their proud perfection of serving European and transcontinental foods in hotels right on the ground in Nigeria? Nigerian farmers and Nigerians in agriculture and food processing will benefit, if every cabbage, lettuce and burger does not have to be imported!
I am currently unaware of any major hotel, inside or outside of Nigeria which makes and serves Nigerian foods on demand. This is regardless of whether as standard fare, or on demand or upon special requests, by customers and or guests.
How many hotels, restaurants and airlines worldwide prepare and serve these cuisines and why not?
I live in New York City, a mini United Nations of a mega metropolis of a city! You can find pounded yam, but only cooked by Nigerian restaurants. Meanwhile, you can find Chinese foods cooked and sold, served by non-Chinese! And Cuban foods cooked and served by non-Cubans
Talking about the Chinese and Japanese foods! Who gave them “permission” to “compel” Americans and Nigerians too, to eat ethnic Chinese and Japanese foods? Who gave them the audacity, the temerity and boldness of confidence to promote their foods and their culture of Lomein and semi-raw fish to the world?
An urbane Nigerian can eat raw or semi-cooked fish or sushi, to prove his sophistication and assimilation or openness? Or eat escargot and fried frogs; why can’t the world spread the world towards Nigerian foods?
Nigerians do not have to have been part of the past, present or future government of Nigeria to take interest in promoting Nigerian culture, Nigerian foods, Nigerian clothes, in fact, Nigerian way of life, we do not need the permission or authorization from our government or any government for that matter!
Who authorized and consented to the Chinese and Japanese idea of eating with chopsticks instead of the Anglo-Saxon approved and preordained silver spoons?
Who refused to issue same authorizations to Nigerians and Africans? Who summarily decided that African cuisines would not be available at Hilton Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, Holiday Inns, the Waldorf Astoria, Wyndham, Hotels and even at Best Westerns and Motel 6?
What are the reasons hotels, restaurants, airlines big and small do not offer Nigerian, nay African foods? Could it be because, Nigerians, and other Africans never ask? I once purchased an electronic yam pounder which was made in Japan, and it cooked and pounded the yams well, like heh lehleh!
I take the view therefore, that some Japanese do know a thing or two about pounded yam or at the very least, the idea of marketing pounded yam processing to us the natives! What if Nigerians return the favor, by teaching the Japanese to eat pounded yam?
I genuinely believe that if Nigerians teach Arabs and Israelis how to eat pounded yam, Amala and Ewedu, Isi Ewu, Tuwo Sinkafa, and then relax as Nigerians do, peace between Arabs and Jews may finally no longer be a far fetched concept, it might actually be attained in our life time!
As a Nigerian, I cannot stomach the thought that world peace is delayed, because Nigerians have not had the confidence to market African foods to the world! And meanwhile, the entire world outside of Nigeria is missing out on the good fortune encapsulated and encrusted in tasting foods from different parts of Nigeria!
There are quite possibly, some Nigerians who believe that Nigerians and African foods are not second nature to non-Africans because of corruption, bad governments, lack of democracy, imperfect elections or because of malaria and Ebola or even AIDS! Not to mention the absence of technology and microwaves!
But when did China become the beacon and model of democratic governance; Elections in China, what elections perfect or imperfect? Or why exactly is the world not gobbling up African foods, especially the ones aforementioned above? What is so democratic about a Falafel? What is free and fair elections about a Gyro, Tacos, Guacamole and Kosher foods and the countries from which they originated?
There is no attempt here to repudiate and pillory democracies or free and fair elections, but instead, to make the point that Nigerians and Nigeria should not have to wait for perfection before introducing things palatable and Nigerian to the entire world, before the human race get used to no having out input or gets tired waiting for us to make the moves.
I can almost hear some people saying eating Nigerian or African foods will require some adjustments on the part of non Nigerians non Africans! But how have Nigerians and other Africans become accustomed to eating intercontinental foods? How many Nigerians asks or cares how sausages are made before they happily chomp it down into their guts?
How have Nigerians and Africans adjusted and adopted or acquired tastes for foods outside of the continental Africa food chain?
Or, better still, what is this thing; which makes it possible for Nigerians and other Africans to be so “adventure-some” regarding other peoples’ languages, foods, clothes, accents, religions and cultures and non Africans are somehow not equally-similarly “adventurous” with African religion, African languages, foods and African cultures?
What are the unstated excuses?
Michael Jackson an Enigmatic American Icon
Michael Jackson an Enigmatic American Icon
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Michael Jackson was brilliant, beloved and enormously talented. He was ironically the title of his music albums; He was a thriller, he was Bad, he was Off the Wall, Dangerous to himself, he was electrifying, he was weird and deeply flawed!
Michael Jackson is said have had an incredible work ethic, he was said to be a perfectionist of an artiste to a fault. Hotel rooms were said were said refitted at Mr. Jackson’s requests for dance practice space, as he always practiced his craft and worked all the time. Sequined right hand-glove was to Michael Jackson as miter is to the Pope.
He was the best at what he did and yet, he was never satisfied. He was so very gingerly lily-fragile.
Michael Jackson most probably died a heart broken man. He faced financial debacles after he had fallen from grace subsequent to child molestation charges for which he was acquitted or cleared.
Michael Jackson was not comfortable in his skin and with his skin literarily; He badgered his nose in too many cosmetic elective surgeries. He scalded his skin to Nordisk pale hue. Michael Jackson clearly had an unusual relationship with his blackness
Despite Michael Jackson’s phenomenal success and world acclaim, riches and fame did not improve his sense of himself it appears. And this makes anyone want to ask, the question, what is it, in America’s social cultural construct which propelled Michael Jackson and others to change and jettison their skin color through bleaching, reduce nose size as did Patti Labelle? Does this sort of skin, hair and nose size fixation reflect a pathology of damaged psyche, ingrained in the minds of our people, as a consequence of hundreds of years of being ridiculed and portrayed as having less desirable skins, hairs, nose, accent etc?
Race, unfortunately, remains a major factor an essential component of how life is lived in America, and in fact, it is how life is lived on earth. In Michael Jackson’s death, race reared its heard in poignant ways.
Many commentators felt the need to compare Mr. Jackson to Elvis Presley and the Beatles. This need to continue to compare an extraordinary artiste such as Michael Jackson to dead white musicians of old, exemplifies how race continues to be a major factor and of its effects as to how all facets of life is live in America as in the selection of firefighters in the state of Connecticut or construction contractors in the state of Colorado.
Jamie Foxx an American movie star, a musician, a great entertainer in his own right and a person of African descent himself, at BET Awards ceremonies on Sunday June 28, 2009 urged a celebration of Michael Jackson, who he called this black man who is ours, who belonged to us, who we shared with the rest of the world, Mr. Foxx extolled MJ’s sound, creativity and talent. Mr. Foxx praised MJ, old nose, new nose or no nose!
Race still creates hurdles in America and around the world. These hurdles are at times visible and invincible hurdles. Michael Jackson apparently took this to heart and too hard. Michael Jackson’s frontal attack on his own skin, nose and hair demonstrated how racial inferiority mindset can become a personal demon, once unleashed, cannot be tamed even by fame, riches or wildest success. Michael Jackson’s unusual relationship with his blackness in this context, make tragic sense.
Michael Jackson became rich and famous and wanted to be a race-neutral, race-free or race-less figure. It is quite likely, that the powerlessness and the checkered history of continental Africans and peoples of African descent moved even a very wildly successful mega super star such as Mr. Jackson, felt the need, as it were, to distance self from such powerlessness and permanent or perpetual ridicules. Michael Jackson was a global entertainer and he may have thought it safer to be a neutral universal persona instead of black? Could he have felt that neutering his hair, skin and nose made him a cross racial universal exchange without the baggage of being a racial symbol?
Michael Jackson sang to the world that it did not matter whether humans were black or white, but incongruously, he focused so much on his black nose, black skin and his black hair, all of which he changed to everything other than what is representative of being black or of African descent. It does not matter to have a bleached self? Being black or white is no issue? So why change your color? I suppose it is difficult to measure the individual’s variable reactions, stamina or tolerance and resistance to vestiges of racism. Perhaps his reaction was to try to blend, which in turn led to the incremental changes to skin, nose and hair? I wish that he could have just been himself and be content with his out-of-this-world fame and fortune.
Michael Jackson started out well, appreciating his heritage and taking pride in his race. On a trip to Senegal with his Jackson Five band, he was said to have danced to Senegalese drummers while publicly stating, and claiming his African heritage, this is where I am from, he reportedly said.
He also was instrumental to the efforts to ameliorate lives of famine victims in Ethiopia through Live Aid fundraising which culminated in the “We Are The World” song in 1984
Those were the good old days of the Michael Jackson with cute face and Afro-hair balloon-shaped or nuclear cloud-shape. Down the road, his public behavior became too weird for serious considerations, such as when he held his nose, as if in complete contempt of people in the Ivory Coast while he visited that country. Michael Jackson was entitled to be married to anyone race, just like Mr. Obama’s father and Tiger Wood and Daryl Strawberry etc, but Michael Jackson’s choice of the mothers of his three children seem to fit his enthusiastic management of his skin color, the size and shape of his nose and new silky hair texture contrasted with his former self. It is doubtful that these are mere coincidences or, very telling and very revealing actions, which were consistent with Michael Jackson’s antecedents concerning his sense of himself and race in America.
Michael Jackson was a genius, a very creative genius! He had a fair share of oddities as genius tends to have. He was a mad scientist of sorts. His public antics with his animals, his kids, mixed with the public’s increasing appetite for the scandalous and voyeur, led American media to label Mr. Jackson a Wacko Jacko with exponential freak factors.
At some point in his storied life, Michael Jackson appeared to have chastised his father and attempted to blame the senior Jackson for working him too hard as a child; this allegedly deprived him of his childhood, to this, Mr. Berry Gordy in response to whether he noticed abuse or neglect of Michael Jackson by his parents when Michael Jackson was young impressionable dotting singer, Mr. Gordy responded that if MJ did not have a childhood, it was probably because he worked hard to become the megastar of all times. Mr. Gordy recalled how the Gordy family played weekly games of baseball against the Jackson family. He recalled how much fun the Jacksons and the Gordys had, and though Gordy is no expert, but he recalled no signs of child abuse.
On the matter of color and race, a 22 years old Caucasian caller to a New York City radio station, WNYC.Org told of how his mother worked very hard to convince him that Michael Jackson was not Caucasian! He said he was freaked-out, as he dug deeper into what Michael Jackson looked like and what he subsequently looked like or became. In Michael Jackson’s life, there is race, culture and confusion. Michael Jackson was certainly no James Brown! James Brown was not perfect, but he did mince words in proclaiming he was Black and Proud! He also had the sense to have played concerts in Nigerian cities, unlike Michael Jackson. I could not quite understand why a Nigerian radio disc jockey broke down and cried on air, and could not continue the radio show!
Michael Jackson nonetheless conquered the world with his physical dexterities in dance and entertainment. He apprenticed in the world famous Motown hit factory created by Mr. Berry Gordy. Michael Jackson fused Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, Rhythm and Blues into break-dancing, he singlehandedly “legalized” and normalized the miscegenation of music and entertainment in America; no longer separate or treated as disparate. Gone are the days when Jazz, an African American art form was described at some point, by some, in the American press as jungle music! But alas! It is now America’s finest cultural export to the whole world!
Michael Jackson put an end to cultivated or willful illiteracy among white Americans regarding music by African Americans the last barrier was lowered against black musicians and entertainers who were institutionally despised despite their incredible creativeness and talents. Music in America because of Michael Jackson is no longer so segregated.
Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father wished that Michael Jackson could see the outpouring of love at his passing and I wish the same thing too. Michael Jackson would have finally realized he did not need to prove anything to anyone on earth or change himself to make the point that he was entertainment greatest person.
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Michael Jackson was brilliant, beloved and enormously talented. He was ironically the title of his music albums; He was a thriller, he was Bad, he was Off the Wall, Dangerous to himself, he was electrifying, he was weird and deeply flawed!
Michael Jackson is said have had an incredible work ethic, he was said to be a perfectionist of an artiste to a fault. Hotel rooms were said were said refitted at Mr. Jackson’s requests for dance practice space, as he always practiced his craft and worked all the time. Sequined right hand-glove was to Michael Jackson as miter is to the Pope.
He was the best at what he did and yet, he was never satisfied. He was so very gingerly lily-fragile.
Michael Jackson most probably died a heart broken man. He faced financial debacles after he had fallen from grace subsequent to child molestation charges for which he was acquitted or cleared.
Michael Jackson was not comfortable in his skin and with his skin literarily; He badgered his nose in too many cosmetic elective surgeries. He scalded his skin to Nordisk pale hue. Michael Jackson clearly had an unusual relationship with his blackness
Despite Michael Jackson’s phenomenal success and world acclaim, riches and fame did not improve his sense of himself it appears. And this makes anyone want to ask, the question, what is it, in America’s social cultural construct which propelled Michael Jackson and others to change and jettison their skin color through bleaching, reduce nose size as did Patti Labelle? Does this sort of skin, hair and nose size fixation reflect a pathology of damaged psyche, ingrained in the minds of our people, as a consequence of hundreds of years of being ridiculed and portrayed as having less desirable skins, hairs, nose, accent etc?
Race, unfortunately, remains a major factor an essential component of how life is lived in America, and in fact, it is how life is lived on earth. In Michael Jackson’s death, race reared its heard in poignant ways.
Many commentators felt the need to compare Mr. Jackson to Elvis Presley and the Beatles. This need to continue to compare an extraordinary artiste such as Michael Jackson to dead white musicians of old, exemplifies how race continues to be a major factor and of its effects as to how all facets of life is live in America as in the selection of firefighters in the state of Connecticut or construction contractors in the state of Colorado.
Jamie Foxx an American movie star, a musician, a great entertainer in his own right and a person of African descent himself, at BET Awards ceremonies on Sunday June 28, 2009 urged a celebration of Michael Jackson, who he called this black man who is ours, who belonged to us, who we shared with the rest of the world, Mr. Foxx extolled MJ’s sound, creativity and talent. Mr. Foxx praised MJ, old nose, new nose or no nose!
Race still creates hurdles in America and around the world. These hurdles are at times visible and invincible hurdles. Michael Jackson apparently took this to heart and too hard. Michael Jackson’s frontal attack on his own skin, nose and hair demonstrated how racial inferiority mindset can become a personal demon, once unleashed, cannot be tamed even by fame, riches or wildest success. Michael Jackson’s unusual relationship with his blackness in this context, make tragic sense.
Michael Jackson became rich and famous and wanted to be a race-neutral, race-free or race-less figure. It is quite likely, that the powerlessness and the checkered history of continental Africans and peoples of African descent moved even a very wildly successful mega super star such as Mr. Jackson, felt the need, as it were, to distance self from such powerlessness and permanent or perpetual ridicules. Michael Jackson was a global entertainer and he may have thought it safer to be a neutral universal persona instead of black? Could he have felt that neutering his hair, skin and nose made him a cross racial universal exchange without the baggage of being a racial symbol?
Michael Jackson sang to the world that it did not matter whether humans were black or white, but incongruously, he focused so much on his black nose, black skin and his black hair, all of which he changed to everything other than what is representative of being black or of African descent. It does not matter to have a bleached self? Being black or white is no issue? So why change your color? I suppose it is difficult to measure the individual’s variable reactions, stamina or tolerance and resistance to vestiges of racism. Perhaps his reaction was to try to blend, which in turn led to the incremental changes to skin, nose and hair? I wish that he could have just been himself and be content with his out-of-this-world fame and fortune.
Michael Jackson started out well, appreciating his heritage and taking pride in his race. On a trip to Senegal with his Jackson Five band, he was said to have danced to Senegalese drummers while publicly stating, and claiming his African heritage, this is where I am from, he reportedly said.
He also was instrumental to the efforts to ameliorate lives of famine victims in Ethiopia through Live Aid fundraising which culminated in the “We Are The World” song in 1984
Those were the good old days of the Michael Jackson with cute face and Afro-hair balloon-shaped or nuclear cloud-shape. Down the road, his public behavior became too weird for serious considerations, such as when he held his nose, as if in complete contempt of people in the Ivory Coast while he visited that country. Michael Jackson was entitled to be married to anyone race, just like Mr. Obama’s father and Tiger Wood and Daryl Strawberry etc, but Michael Jackson’s choice of the mothers of his three children seem to fit his enthusiastic management of his skin color, the size and shape of his nose and new silky hair texture contrasted with his former self. It is doubtful that these are mere coincidences or, very telling and very revealing actions, which were consistent with Michael Jackson’s antecedents concerning his sense of himself and race in America.
Michael Jackson was a genius, a very creative genius! He had a fair share of oddities as genius tends to have. He was a mad scientist of sorts. His public antics with his animals, his kids, mixed with the public’s increasing appetite for the scandalous and voyeur, led American media to label Mr. Jackson a Wacko Jacko with exponential freak factors.
At some point in his storied life, Michael Jackson appeared to have chastised his father and attempted to blame the senior Jackson for working him too hard as a child; this allegedly deprived him of his childhood, to this, Mr. Berry Gordy in response to whether he noticed abuse or neglect of Michael Jackson by his parents when Michael Jackson was young impressionable dotting singer, Mr. Gordy responded that if MJ did not have a childhood, it was probably because he worked hard to become the megastar of all times. Mr. Gordy recalled how the Gordy family played weekly games of baseball against the Jackson family. He recalled how much fun the Jacksons and the Gordys had, and though Gordy is no expert, but he recalled no signs of child abuse.
On the matter of color and race, a 22 years old Caucasian caller to a New York City radio station, WNYC.Org told of how his mother worked very hard to convince him that Michael Jackson was not Caucasian! He said he was freaked-out, as he dug deeper into what Michael Jackson looked like and what he subsequently looked like or became. In Michael Jackson’s life, there is race, culture and confusion. Michael Jackson was certainly no James Brown! James Brown was not perfect, but he did mince words in proclaiming he was Black and Proud! He also had the sense to have played concerts in Nigerian cities, unlike Michael Jackson. I could not quite understand why a Nigerian radio disc jockey broke down and cried on air, and could not continue the radio show!
Michael Jackson nonetheless conquered the world with his physical dexterities in dance and entertainment. He apprenticed in the world famous Motown hit factory created by Mr. Berry Gordy. Michael Jackson fused Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, Rhythm and Blues into break-dancing, he singlehandedly “legalized” and normalized the miscegenation of music and entertainment in America; no longer separate or treated as disparate. Gone are the days when Jazz, an African American art form was described at some point, by some, in the American press as jungle music! But alas! It is now America’s finest cultural export to the whole world!
Michael Jackson put an end to cultivated or willful illiteracy among white Americans regarding music by African Americans the last barrier was lowered against black musicians and entertainers who were institutionally despised despite their incredible creativeness and talents. Music in America because of Michael Jackson is no longer so segregated.
Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father wished that Michael Jackson could see the outpouring of love at his passing and I wish the same thing too. Michael Jackson would have finally realized he did not need to prove anything to anyone on earth or change himself to make the point that he was entertainment greatest person.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Branding, Re-branding, Teleprompting and Managing Nigeria’s Image or Reputation
Branding, Re-branding, Teleprompting and Managing Nigeria’s Image or Reputation
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Branding and re-branding is how goodwill, good image and good reputation is captured, nurtured and maintained by individuals, companies and nations. Branding and re-branding is a necessity in today’s world
Human behavior is more choreographed, orchestrated and more synchronized that ever before in human history, and to this extent, cue cards, are frequently used in public speaking by business people, politicians, television production crews, movie directors and producers. These practices have become common place, all in efforts to make a seemingly flawless presentation of personal message, product presentations, documentary or movie making and in diplomacy and international relations between nations.
Nigerians who think or say otherwise, are completely wrong on this score about human psychology and behavior. Some Nigerians, it appears, seem to underestimate human savvy, sophistication and even utter frivolity.
There is raging debate between Nigerians as to whether or not, Nigeria indeed require branding or re-branding, and if so, whether such effort ought to be Nigeria’s priority or first order of business. I answer in the affirmative. Branding and re-branding is crucial and it is a priority as well. Branding or re-branding is the equivalent of a mission statement for a company or organization and it is similar to a good resume for an individual.
A company, country or an individual can never be too poor to write a mission statement or a resume respectively. A mission statement about a company’s products or services is the foundation of how such company proceed to convince the whole world what it proposes to do and do efficiently, effectively and cheaply, thereby garnering goodwill and reputation, when and if customers are satisfied.
A resume for individual is how the person sets out to convince a prospective employer about her education, skills qualifications, experience and suitability. Nations goodwill, reputation, image is what attract tourist and immigrants, what equally attract trade and investment, respect and admiration etc
To drive this point home, take for instance the fact that Nigerians who enthusiastically exuberant about promoting Nigeria and even those who are too quick in condemning Nigeria, are ironically agreed on one thing, and it is this, the weight of Nigeria’s current image or reputation which is mostly unsavory, whether deserved or justified, is quite entirely debatable; and where you stand on this issue, is determined by where you are sitting, Nigeria wise.
In today’s world, more than ever, image is everything, or at the very least, image and reputation means a great deal. Reputation, image, goodwill and good name is the advertisements and product placements are everywhere you look. It is the reason politicians raise so much money for political campaigns. These are the reasons products wear certain designs, packaging and have particular labels and particular colors etc
Americans presidents have all sorts of handlers, researchers and speech writers. Even after all that research and good writing has put into a speech, the president rehearses the actual delivery, mirrors, teleprompter and all and then, he comes across as a magician to Nigerians. American presidents are air-brushed for pictures and for every public presentation. In participating in political campaigns here in the US, I have come to realize how crucial handling and presentation is to candidates. Instances abound, in which whether a red neck tie presents the candidate as too aggressive too strong, or a blue tie too soft.
A speech about law enforcement or national security or defense a red neck tie is preferred, whereas, matters affecting civil rights or gender issues, a blue neck tie or silver color tie may be preferred. And for the female candidate, project strength and toughness, a red skirt suit and she has an image judged to be too strong, she may wear sky-blue dress or silver colored dress as well and no pant suit in either case. We should manage the image of our leaders because the essentially are our public emblem. I admired former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ministers Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili for the African attires they wore and glorified, for the former president, I wished that he wore a different sort of eyeglasses!
These are the reasons why Africa continues to conjure the image of Tarzan and Idi Amin, even after several decades of their fables and urban legends.
As for those Nigerians who have and still argue against branding and re-branding in the midst of poverty and competing needs, they must be told that branding and re-branding is a wise investment, especially in the long term. New York City knows this, and it is why she spends billions of dollars annually on advertising New York City as the greatest city in the world! And billions more to market the term, I Love New York in songs and T-shirts etc
New York City ironically, actually started the now world famous I Love New York branding and re-branding, amidst a huge fiscal crises in 1977, when there was fears of New York City filing for bankruptcy, as the financial crises deepened. New York politicians approached the then president of the United States, Gerald Ford, who vowed never to bailout New York City from its economic woes and huge mess, he made an infamous statement that was front page in New York City newspapers “President Ford to New York, Drop Dead!” So, the marketing, branding and re-branding of New York City as place for business for pleasure and vacation became a major effort, among other efforts embarked upon by New York City public officials to resuscitate the city, the effort have been so successful over the years, so much so, that the state of New York has embraced the I Love New York campaign to cover the entire state of New York, beyond the five borough of which the city is comprised.
Nigeria does not have to wait, until utopia is reached before presenting herself to the world as destination for investment, vacation and pleasure, just like New York City, State of New York and everywhere else in the world
Tourism is a major income earner for New York City; last year alone, 47 million tourists visited New York City, a city of 8 million dwellers. And the tourist spent several billion dollars in hotels, on foods and memorabilia and souvenirs. Cab drivers, tour guides, shoe shiners, restaurants, airlines, theater companies and playwright etc all benefit from tourism upsurge to New York City; it has recovered, it took a hit after September 11, 2001 attacks.
About 47 million people visited New York City in 2008. These tourists spent a record $30 billion in New York City 2008 alone. Have Nigerians ever thought about how many of the businesses in Nigeria could be reaping tourist money in Nigeria as is the case in New York City?
Tourism remains a major earner for New York City and most parts of the United States, and different parts of the world. In traveling globally, I have found in my travels, to Britain, Belgium, Bahamas, Canada, Holland, Jamaica to name a few, that travels and tours is how many nations fund a good chunk of their running expenses. In my interactions with local citizens of these places, I found in them, a recognition, and appreciation of, the value tourist add to their economy, and so, the average citizen literally goes out her way to consciously please the tourist, this, at very individual levels.
It is also the case that reputations, images, goodwill and product recognition are too often based on perception, yes, a mere perception! Actual usefulness of a person, or utility of a thing, and real benefits, which is separate and distinct from whether a person, a product or nation, compared with what is actually touted and storied to be.
Why would a medical doctor smoke tobacco in 2009? This even though current science has proven incontrovertibly, cancer causing agents in tobacco, and despite available medical and scientific evidence regarding the harmfulness of smoking tobacco? Cigarette should be seen for what it really is, addiction, disease and death causing products
“The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. ”Branding is the foundation of marketing and is inseparable from business strategy. “
“Re-branding implies that one has to change existing perceptions and shift ideas about an existing brand. Any African government, business, or organization involved in either selling African products, or selling Africa as a business destination, needs a strategy to counteract the Continent’s existing brand in the U.S. main stream media.”
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA
“Africa’s depiction in the American mainstream media has traditionally, centered around images and stories of a continent in crisis, a continent challenged by wars, corruption, disease and chaos”
REBRANDING AFRICA: BEYOND BRAND DEVASTATION
“Branding is the way in which an organization communicates, differentiates, and promotes itself to its audience.”
“Re-branding - means taking a product or a service and redefining its purpose, it’s content, and its reality.”
“As a journalist and member of the Ghanaian Diaspora, Esther Armah is all too familiar with the portrayal of Africa in the mainstream media. Esther points out that “Africa’s brand was not self-determined; it has been in the hands of an unelected leader, the mainstream media.” She offers her perspectives on Re-branding Africa”
“Devastation” has been Africa’s primary media image for decades. This brand has been powerful, persistent, and without penalty for those who maintain it.”
“It has been destructive for the Continent and the Diaspora economically, culturally, spiritually, and emotionally. It has also been cancerous for trade and development.”
“The media has been the public relations wing of “Brand Devastation” and repetition its tool. A diet of stories featuring the same images of hopelessness and helplessness ensured Western audiences’ loyalty to Brand Devastation.” All these quotes are sourced from The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)
Most people, most companies and nations recognize the importance of image and reputation, real or merely claimed, with a straight-face! That is what diplomacy and public relations mostly about. Selling ice to Eskimos!
Who hasn’t heard of pharmaceutical companies making and selling same tablets with same admixtures of compounds and chemical formula hued and with a different name, while charging for its placebo effect efficacy, to treat the ailment which you never knew you had, until you watched your television? A pharmaceutical company invented affliction!
Who again, hasn’t heard of ghostwritten medical research opinions concocted by employees of pharmaceutical companies, who are all the while pretending to be acting as if they were real medical science trained, and objective reviewers subject to peer review checks and balances? And who hasn’t heard of Merck’s sponsored magazine in which Merck created the appearance, in the magazine formed by it and paid for by it, while reviewing Merck products and avidly recommending them as pseudo professionals in an independent pharmaceutical oriented magazine?
The lives on branding, re-branding, and teleprompting, all aimed at the smooth delivery or presentation of well written speeches, rehearsed, choreographed, orchestrated and synchronized to land like an egg dropped onto velvets an inch close.
In today’s world, it is still important to have full and good grasps of the issues; and to have the passion, good writing, and practiced delivery, teleprompt and all. A moving speech is where preparation meets elegant delivery and dramatic believability.
Coming across as an accomplished polished speaker takes more than mere efforts of old, it now requires more, it combines dramatic acting with multiple variables of a plethora of factors.
Good public speaking therefore is just like marketing or acting, or product placements of today, or public relations, these are never accidental happenstances.
These factors are almost always invariable, whether they are geared at promoting an individual person’s interests or marketing a product for a company, and or, promoting a nation’s strategic national interests.
Wars are won or lost these days, depending on how they are sold and whether public bought into it, as in Wag The Dog.
A prospective employee is hired based on his self-promotion or public relations through his resume and packaging and presentation skills geared at selling self to the interviewer at the interview
Worse than useless products are marketed to gullible public every two seconds of the day! Worse than useless products such as cigarettes are sold every second to satisfied gullible-buyers smokers-consumers!
Some Nigerians must believe that Calvin Klein is daily hunkered over a tailoring machine designing and sewing every pair of denim. These Nigerians are splendidly unaware that price of goods is not often related to cost of production, such that a shoe manufacturer may sue a seller, who sells shoes too cheap below manufacturers recommended prices.
Having read the published opinions of many Nigerians on the futility of branding or re-branding and creating and promoting Nigeria’s image or reputation, I should be forgiven if I now conclude that some Nigerians come across as if they must believe that cigarettes and other tobacco products have good health benefits? Ort hat cigarettes or tobacco enhances longevity, hence the wide market for cigarettes and tobacco in America, Nigeria and worldwide? Nothing could be farther from the truth! It was marketed, branded, re-branded, packaged and presented and, sold!
Branding is crucial and critical for success. This has always been so, it is even more so in today’s world.
The British Pound had sterling qualities, that is a brand, that is a reputation, that brand and reputation was exported through force and sometimes through persuasions and arm-twisting, so that, what in the beginning was a British Pound or Sterling quality which should be limited to England, became a brand, India, Nigeria and America had to accept as colonies of England
BBC and VOA are very popular with Nigerians, Africans and others in the so-called so-labeled Third Word, some Nigerians take whatever is heard on BBC and VOA as gospel or Koranic truth, meanwhile, BBC and VOA are government owned and operated propaganda tools, they have been so, and remain so. The BBC and VOA brands are brands trusted by Nigerians so much, that some Nigerians rely on BBC/VOA with pride, for breaking national Nigerian news. Multitudes of Nigerians trust BBC/VOA, regardless of the fact that these are mere propaganda tools of the UK and US governments! Brand faith, blind faith as well!
And western liberalism and press freedom was put to test recently in the embedment of western journalists in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, President Bush, even against the wishes of Americans and the world
What does being embedded do to freedom of the press? It makes the press freer? Oxymoronic isn’t it?
http://radio.about.com/library/wyntk/bl-wyntk-voa.htm
http://radio.about.com/library/weekly/aa121902a.htm
And yet, the American and European government are quick to criticize press ownership by governments of other nations and the gullible public listens inattentively?
Flags of nations are brands, and have reputation which are admired or loathed, burned or hoisted proudly, depending whether such flag represent peaceful or pariah brand, the average Palestinian or Iraqi may not necessarily see the American flag as a brand which represents an honest impartial peace broker, just as some Nigerians think our beautiful national flag in all its glory, is meaningless to them.
I read Mr. Salisu Suleiman “I am Hungry, Brand Me” and I said aloud, he is right, and yet wrong. Inasmuch as an a hungry man is an angry man, is a truism in every Nigerian, I must add however, that, branding is misunderstood by too many Nigerians! Branding and re-branding , properly channeled and pursued, would leads to economic salvation for Nigerians and Nigeria, case in point, is the wildly successful I Love New York campaign, which resulted in boost and boom to tourism, employment and great wealth creation for New York City and eventually, the entire state of New York borrowed the re-branding idea from New York City!
Branding should be properly understood as a mission statement. It is a sine qua non for progress. It is essential for a person, an institution or an entity or a nation to have a brand plan or mission statement of objectives. Or just forget everything else! Therefore to say, Nigeria is too broke and too bad to have a brand, is the equivalent of say, Nigeria should not have a national flag, or that Nigeria should file for bankruptcy and cease to exist as a nation.
Branding and re-branding Nigeria as such, is the statement and re-statement of purpose and mission statement of our nation, from hereon-out; when and if, such statement of purpose a la mission statement is pursued prodigiously, vigorously and zealously, even the worst pessimists and cynics among Nigerians would have their wildest dream realized.
If Nigeria were a corporation, it will be fair to say, it is currently doing abysmally, making no profits, but instead, losing prized assets. True! But, would anyone be right to suggest a company such as this should not have meetings, special meetings, general meetings, strategy sessions and thereafter, a restatement of the corporate purpose, identity and desire to improve brand, product quality, image and reputation? Of course not! Nigeria, do indeed need branding, re-branding and refocus our national brand, image, reputation in the hot pursuit of our nation’s development and advancement
Hey Nigerians! Let us go and market Nigeria to the world, the world is waiting! And not a moment too soon!
http://thearf-org-aux-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/ogilvy/cs/Ogilvy-09-CS-NewYork.pdf
Written by Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer2007@aol.com
New York, United States
Branding and re-branding is how goodwill, good image and good reputation is captured, nurtured and maintained by individuals, companies and nations. Branding and re-branding is a necessity in today’s world
Human behavior is more choreographed, orchestrated and more synchronized that ever before in human history, and to this extent, cue cards, are frequently used in public speaking by business people, politicians, television production crews, movie directors and producers. These practices have become common place, all in efforts to make a seemingly flawless presentation of personal message, product presentations, documentary or movie making and in diplomacy and international relations between nations.
Nigerians who think or say otherwise, are completely wrong on this score about human psychology and behavior. Some Nigerians, it appears, seem to underestimate human savvy, sophistication and even utter frivolity.
There is raging debate between Nigerians as to whether or not, Nigeria indeed require branding or re-branding, and if so, whether such effort ought to be Nigeria’s priority or first order of business. I answer in the affirmative. Branding and re-branding is crucial and it is a priority as well. Branding or re-branding is the equivalent of a mission statement for a company or organization and it is similar to a good resume for an individual.
A company, country or an individual can never be too poor to write a mission statement or a resume respectively. A mission statement about a company’s products or services is the foundation of how such company proceed to convince the whole world what it proposes to do and do efficiently, effectively and cheaply, thereby garnering goodwill and reputation, when and if customers are satisfied.
A resume for individual is how the person sets out to convince a prospective employer about her education, skills qualifications, experience and suitability. Nations goodwill, reputation, image is what attract tourist and immigrants, what equally attract trade and investment, respect and admiration etc
To drive this point home, take for instance the fact that Nigerians who enthusiastically exuberant about promoting Nigeria and even those who are too quick in condemning Nigeria, are ironically agreed on one thing, and it is this, the weight of Nigeria’s current image or reputation which is mostly unsavory, whether deserved or justified, is quite entirely debatable; and where you stand on this issue, is determined by where you are sitting, Nigeria wise.
In today’s world, more than ever, image is everything, or at the very least, image and reputation means a great deal. Reputation, image, goodwill and good name is the advertisements and product placements are everywhere you look. It is the reason politicians raise so much money for political campaigns. These are the reasons products wear certain designs, packaging and have particular labels and particular colors etc
Americans presidents have all sorts of handlers, researchers and speech writers. Even after all that research and good writing has put into a speech, the president rehearses the actual delivery, mirrors, teleprompter and all and then, he comes across as a magician to Nigerians. American presidents are air-brushed for pictures and for every public presentation. In participating in political campaigns here in the US, I have come to realize how crucial handling and presentation is to candidates. Instances abound, in which whether a red neck tie presents the candidate as too aggressive too strong, or a blue tie too soft.
A speech about law enforcement or national security or defense a red neck tie is preferred, whereas, matters affecting civil rights or gender issues, a blue neck tie or silver color tie may be preferred. And for the female candidate, project strength and toughness, a red skirt suit and she has an image judged to be too strong, she may wear sky-blue dress or silver colored dress as well and no pant suit in either case. We should manage the image of our leaders because the essentially are our public emblem. I admired former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ministers Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili for the African attires they wore and glorified, for the former president, I wished that he wore a different sort of eyeglasses!
These are the reasons why Africa continues to conjure the image of Tarzan and Idi Amin, even after several decades of their fables and urban legends.
As for those Nigerians who have and still argue against branding and re-branding in the midst of poverty and competing needs, they must be told that branding and re-branding is a wise investment, especially in the long term. New York City knows this, and it is why she spends billions of dollars annually on advertising New York City as the greatest city in the world! And billions more to market the term, I Love New York in songs and T-shirts etc
New York City ironically, actually started the now world famous I Love New York branding and re-branding, amidst a huge fiscal crises in 1977, when there was fears of New York City filing for bankruptcy, as the financial crises deepened. New York politicians approached the then president of the United States, Gerald Ford, who vowed never to bailout New York City from its economic woes and huge mess, he made an infamous statement that was front page in New York City newspapers “President Ford to New York, Drop Dead!” So, the marketing, branding and re-branding of New York City as place for business for pleasure and vacation became a major effort, among other efforts embarked upon by New York City public officials to resuscitate the city, the effort have been so successful over the years, so much so, that the state of New York has embraced the I Love New York campaign to cover the entire state of New York, beyond the five borough of which the city is comprised.
Nigeria does not have to wait, until utopia is reached before presenting herself to the world as destination for investment, vacation and pleasure, just like New York City, State of New York and everywhere else in the world
Tourism is a major income earner for New York City; last year alone, 47 million tourists visited New York City, a city of 8 million dwellers. And the tourist spent several billion dollars in hotels, on foods and memorabilia and souvenirs. Cab drivers, tour guides, shoe shiners, restaurants, airlines, theater companies and playwright etc all benefit from tourism upsurge to New York City; it has recovered, it took a hit after September 11, 2001 attacks.
About 47 million people visited New York City in 2008. These tourists spent a record $30 billion in New York City 2008 alone. Have Nigerians ever thought about how many of the businesses in Nigeria could be reaping tourist money in Nigeria as is the case in New York City?
Tourism remains a major earner for New York City and most parts of the United States, and different parts of the world. In traveling globally, I have found in my travels, to Britain, Belgium, Bahamas, Canada, Holland, Jamaica to name a few, that travels and tours is how many nations fund a good chunk of their running expenses. In my interactions with local citizens of these places, I found in them, a recognition, and appreciation of, the value tourist add to their economy, and so, the average citizen literally goes out her way to consciously please the tourist, this, at very individual levels.
It is also the case that reputations, images, goodwill and product recognition are too often based on perception, yes, a mere perception! Actual usefulness of a person, or utility of a thing, and real benefits, which is separate and distinct from whether a person, a product or nation, compared with what is actually touted and storied to be.
Why would a medical doctor smoke tobacco in 2009? This even though current science has proven incontrovertibly, cancer causing agents in tobacco, and despite available medical and scientific evidence regarding the harmfulness of smoking tobacco? Cigarette should be seen for what it really is, addiction, disease and death causing products
“The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. ”Branding is the foundation of marketing and is inseparable from business strategy. “
“Re-branding implies that one has to change existing perceptions and shift ideas about an existing brand. Any African government, business, or organization involved in either selling African products, or selling Africa as a business destination, needs a strategy to counteract the Continent’s existing brand in the U.S. main stream media.”
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA
“Africa’s depiction in the American mainstream media has traditionally, centered around images and stories of a continent in crisis, a continent challenged by wars, corruption, disease and chaos”
REBRANDING AFRICA: BEYOND BRAND DEVASTATION
“Branding is the way in which an organization communicates, differentiates, and promotes itself to its audience.”
“Re-branding - means taking a product or a service and redefining its purpose, it’s content, and its reality.”
“As a journalist and member of the Ghanaian Diaspora, Esther Armah is all too familiar with the portrayal of Africa in the mainstream media. Esther points out that “Africa’s brand was not self-determined; it has been in the hands of an unelected leader, the mainstream media.” She offers her perspectives on Re-branding Africa”
“Devastation” has been Africa’s primary media image for decades. This brand has been powerful, persistent, and without penalty for those who maintain it.”
“It has been destructive for the Continent and the Diaspora economically, culturally, spiritually, and emotionally. It has also been cancerous for trade and development.”
“The media has been the public relations wing of “Brand Devastation” and repetition its tool. A diet of stories featuring the same images of hopelessness and helplessness ensured Western audiences’ loyalty to Brand Devastation.” All these quotes are sourced from The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)
Most people, most companies and nations recognize the importance of image and reputation, real or merely claimed, with a straight-face! That is what diplomacy and public relations mostly about. Selling ice to Eskimos!
Who hasn’t heard of pharmaceutical companies making and selling same tablets with same admixtures of compounds and chemical formula hued and with a different name, while charging for its placebo effect efficacy, to treat the ailment which you never knew you had, until you watched your television? A pharmaceutical company invented affliction!
Who again, hasn’t heard of ghostwritten medical research opinions concocted by employees of pharmaceutical companies, who are all the while pretending to be acting as if they were real medical science trained, and objective reviewers subject to peer review checks and balances? And who hasn’t heard of Merck’s sponsored magazine in which Merck created the appearance, in the magazine formed by it and paid for by it, while reviewing Merck products and avidly recommending them as pseudo professionals in an independent pharmaceutical oriented magazine?
The lives on branding, re-branding, and teleprompting, all aimed at the smooth delivery or presentation of well written speeches, rehearsed, choreographed, orchestrated and synchronized to land like an egg dropped onto velvets an inch close.
In today’s world, it is still important to have full and good grasps of the issues; and to have the passion, good writing, and practiced delivery, teleprompt and all. A moving speech is where preparation meets elegant delivery and dramatic believability.
Coming across as an accomplished polished speaker takes more than mere efforts of old, it now requires more, it combines dramatic acting with multiple variables of a plethora of factors.
Good public speaking therefore is just like marketing or acting, or product placements of today, or public relations, these are never accidental happenstances.
These factors are almost always invariable, whether they are geared at promoting an individual person’s interests or marketing a product for a company, and or, promoting a nation’s strategic national interests.
Wars are won or lost these days, depending on how they are sold and whether public bought into it, as in Wag The Dog.
A prospective employee is hired based on his self-promotion or public relations through his resume and packaging and presentation skills geared at selling self to the interviewer at the interview
Worse than useless products are marketed to gullible public every two seconds of the day! Worse than useless products such as cigarettes are sold every second to satisfied gullible-buyers smokers-consumers!
Some Nigerians must believe that Calvin Klein is daily hunkered over a tailoring machine designing and sewing every pair of denim. These Nigerians are splendidly unaware that price of goods is not often related to cost of production, such that a shoe manufacturer may sue a seller, who sells shoes too cheap below manufacturers recommended prices.
Having read the published opinions of many Nigerians on the futility of branding or re-branding and creating and promoting Nigeria’s image or reputation, I should be forgiven if I now conclude that some Nigerians come across as if they must believe that cigarettes and other tobacco products have good health benefits? Ort hat cigarettes or tobacco enhances longevity, hence the wide market for cigarettes and tobacco in America, Nigeria and worldwide? Nothing could be farther from the truth! It was marketed, branded, re-branded, packaged and presented and, sold!
Branding is crucial and critical for success. This has always been so, it is even more so in today’s world.
The British Pound had sterling qualities, that is a brand, that is a reputation, that brand and reputation was exported through force and sometimes through persuasions and arm-twisting, so that, what in the beginning was a British Pound or Sterling quality which should be limited to England, became a brand, India, Nigeria and America had to accept as colonies of England
BBC and VOA are very popular with Nigerians, Africans and others in the so-called so-labeled Third Word, some Nigerians take whatever is heard on BBC and VOA as gospel or Koranic truth, meanwhile, BBC and VOA are government owned and operated propaganda tools, they have been so, and remain so. The BBC and VOA brands are brands trusted by Nigerians so much, that some Nigerians rely on BBC/VOA with pride, for breaking national Nigerian news. Multitudes of Nigerians trust BBC/VOA, regardless of the fact that these are mere propaganda tools of the UK and US governments! Brand faith, blind faith as well!
And western liberalism and press freedom was put to test recently in the embedment of western journalists in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, President Bush, even against the wishes of Americans and the world
What does being embedded do to freedom of the press? It makes the press freer? Oxymoronic isn’t it?
http://radio.about.com/library/wyntk/bl-wyntk-voa.htm
http://radio.about.com/library/weekly/aa121902a.htm
And yet, the American and European government are quick to criticize press ownership by governments of other nations and the gullible public listens inattentively?
Flags of nations are brands, and have reputation which are admired or loathed, burned or hoisted proudly, depending whether such flag represent peaceful or pariah brand, the average Palestinian or Iraqi may not necessarily see the American flag as a brand which represents an honest impartial peace broker, just as some Nigerians think our beautiful national flag in all its glory, is meaningless to them.
I read Mr. Salisu Suleiman “I am Hungry, Brand Me” and I said aloud, he is right, and yet wrong. Inasmuch as an a hungry man is an angry man, is a truism in every Nigerian, I must add however, that, branding is misunderstood by too many Nigerians! Branding and re-branding , properly channeled and pursued, would leads to economic salvation for Nigerians and Nigeria, case in point, is the wildly successful I Love New York campaign, which resulted in boost and boom to tourism, employment and great wealth creation for New York City and eventually, the entire state of New York borrowed the re-branding idea from New York City!
Branding should be properly understood as a mission statement. It is a sine qua non for progress. It is essential for a person, an institution or an entity or a nation to have a brand plan or mission statement of objectives. Or just forget everything else! Therefore to say, Nigeria is too broke and too bad to have a brand, is the equivalent of say, Nigeria should not have a national flag, or that Nigeria should file for bankruptcy and cease to exist as a nation.
Branding and re-branding Nigeria as such, is the statement and re-statement of purpose and mission statement of our nation, from hereon-out; when and if, such statement of purpose a la mission statement is pursued prodigiously, vigorously and zealously, even the worst pessimists and cynics among Nigerians would have their wildest dream realized.
If Nigeria were a corporation, it will be fair to say, it is currently doing abysmally, making no profits, but instead, losing prized assets. True! But, would anyone be right to suggest a company such as this should not have meetings, special meetings, general meetings, strategy sessions and thereafter, a restatement of the corporate purpose, identity and desire to improve brand, product quality, image and reputation? Of course not! Nigeria, do indeed need branding, re-branding and refocus our national brand, image, reputation in the hot pursuit of our nation’s development and advancement
Hey Nigerians! Let us go and market Nigeria to the world, the world is waiting! And not a moment too soon!
http://thearf-org-aux-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/ogilvy/cs/Ogilvy-09-CS-NewYork.pdf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
