I have very vivid memories of my last visit to The Gambia. This was in 2013 when President Goodluck Jonathan paid a two-day visit to the country. In the course of that visit, President Jonathan commissioned the new Chancery of the Nigerian Embassy in Banjul, and also met with the Nigerian community, in addition to the usual bilateral meetings. Nigeria and The Gambia have very strong cultural and diplomatic relations.
We were quartered at a very nice, hospitable sea-side hotel, the Coco Ocean Resort. One of the first things I noticed was the large population of female tourists, lounging by the pool-side and the sea-side, with biceps-wielding, six-packs-flaunting young dark-skinned men on the prowl, with gigolo-ish gait and mien. A female member of our entourage who had gone to the restaurant alone, later returned – visibly shaken and alarmed and what was her problem: one of the male ushers in the hotel had asked her if she would need a man to keep her company so she could have a real taste of Gambian hospitality.
We laughed over it later, but you could not but wonder whether this was one of the reasons why The Gambia holds a special attraction for middle-aged ladies from Europe. There was no time to conduct further research into that aspect of our encounter with The Gambia. I was far too busy for that. But there was no doubt that The Gambia under President Yahya Jammeh took the country’s tourism endowments seriously: a beautiful seaside, good weather, low crime rate, good hotels, beautiful women, adventurous young men, and a meek populace.
President Yahya Jammeh was determined to give President Jonathan and his delegation a good reception. From the airport to the hotel, you would think a festival was afoot. A public holiday was declared and our visit was aired live on radio and television. When we got to the hotel, President Jonathan’s vehicle was immediately serenaded by a cavalcade of horse-riders and a full band of drummers, singers and bag-pipers in colourful costume. They led our convoy to the Presidential suite, where security had been heavily deployed in fitting recognition of the importance of the visitor. President Jammeh like virtually every other West African President took a special liking to President Jonathan- the only one who was aloof and liked to act like the father of everyone was that one in Cameroon, although I must say when we went there for a security summit, he received us excellently well too.
We felt very much at home in The Gambia. We were kept in rooms that were a bit far away from the President. And whenever that happened, the aides were always excited. It meant we could have a little more freedom away from the searching eyes of the security people around the President. And those ones, I will tell their story someday because they were fond of disturbing other matters of state and personal interest by suddenly interrupting with calls: “Oga dey call you, Oga says you must come now, now” only to get to the big man and he tells you, “No, I didn’t ask after you.” By the time you hang around for a while, just in case the big man would change his mind, whatever plan you were pursuing would have been aborted, or seeing you, the boss would find an assignment for you or drag you into a meeting. Angry, deflated, you went to the security man who made the phone call: “But you said Oga sent for me.” Those guys always managed a poker face: “But you know it is always good to stay around Oga in case he needs you.”
I was impressed by Jammeh’s hospitality and respectful disposition towards President Jonathan. I recall that in 2012, when President Jammeh tried to succeed President Jonathan as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, his own colleagues, including President Jonathan, opposed him. He rarely attended ECOWAS meetings. His then Vice President, the motherly, regal and polite Isatou Njie-Saidy always occupied The Gambian seat. But he usually showed up when a new Chairman was to be elected. Seniority is something that is taken seriously within the club of African Presidents.
They refer to themselves as “my brother, my brother”, but they are always very mindful of seniority and that is one of the reasons why the likes of Paul Biya, Robert Mugabe, Yoweri Museveni, Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo behave and speak as if they are God in human form. Each time Jammeh wanted the ECOWAS Chairmanship position, he behaved as if it was his birthright, but in 2012, and again in 2014, he was bypassed for junior Presidents as had been the case since he first expressed interest in the position in 2001. He was the only long-serving President who was never allowed to chair ECOWAS. He must have been aware of President Jonathan and Nigeria’s stand on the question of his Chairmanship, but he never held it against both. In fact, Nigeria and Nigerians were so influential in The Gambia under Jammeh, ordinary Gambians complained openly about the overwhelming influence of Nigerians in their country.
Everything went well during our state visit until it was time to meet with President Jammeh in the State House. It was part of my duty to introduce the Nigerian President’s delegation, except someone else seized the microphone and I stepped down. In The Gambia, mere protocol recognition of the President of the country ended up being a major problem. His full titles had to be mentioned, and in a correct order in order not to upset him. The pre-meeting briefing by my Gambian counterpart dwelt too heavily on the titles: His Excellency, Sheik Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Abdul-Aziz Awal Jemus Junkung (AJJ) Jammeh Nassiru Deen Babili Mansa, President of the Republic of The Gambia. It was something like that. The security guards were also rough and menacing. Security men often do not understand the language of diplomacy. We went to many countries where we were treated roughly and our own security men often threatened to retaliate if the affected country ever visited Nigeria. I don’t think we ever got a chance to retaliate because our protocol system proved to be more orderly.
The State House in The Gambia when we eventually went in, however, was quite modest. It looked like the guest house section of Aso Villa. The meetings went well too. And Jammeh, to my surprise, spoke very well. He didn’t sound like the fool he was portrayed to be in the Western press. He was articulate, debonair, well-composed and mentally sharp. I guess these are required qualities for dictatorship and crookedness. And I admired Jammeh. He is afterall, my age-mate. He sat there, in his royalty, running a country, and I was there, switching between a microphone and a notebook, documenting his history. But something else happened that gave a true picture of Jammeh’s Gambia.
Our official photographer, Callistus Ewelike (he took over from Kola Osiyemi– God bless his soul) had issues with Jammeh’s security men. Security men at State Houses around the world are unfriendly towards journalists. They seek to control access. They consider journalists busybodies, looking for negative news. Accreditation and the use of tags should ordinarily take care of this, still, the security people just prefer to misbehave, and I witnessed that even in the United States where we were treated as if the visiting media was a team of terrorists. There was no violence in the US, but in The Gambia, they seized Callistus Ewelike’s camera and smashed it. Callistus is an aggressive, stubborn photo-journalist. He would fight if you try to stop him from doing his job.
He was a staff of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) handed over to me by Ima Niboro when Kola took ill. Callistus must have resisted the Gambia goons, claiming his right as President Jonathan’s Official Photographer. In The Gambia under Jammeh, the President and the security agencies ruled as if there would be no tomorrow. They trampled on everyone else’s rights. Anyone who tried to act like a free man was brutalized and dumped in prison. For 22 years, Jammeh sat on his country and his people with the help of marabouts and security enforcers. He kissed the Koran everyday, but he did not act according to its dictates. He wore a trademark white garment, but his true garment was of a black colour from the kingdom of Satan.
Ewelike’s travails eventually became a full-fledged story on the second day of our visit when President Jammeh’s spokesperson and the rest of his media team started looking for me at the Coco Resort. We were to be treated to a luncheon before departure. The luncheon had started but I got cornered. Jammeh’s spokesman brought a brand new camera to replace the one the Gambian security people had destroyed. Callistus was with me. The Gambians apologized. Apology was taken and accepted. They said they didn’t want the two Presidents to hear about the incident. I gave them my word that I would not mention it to President Jonathan. Then, they pleaded that we should accept the replacement camera they brought.
I told them not to bother – as far as we were concerned, whatever happened was occupational hazard and Nigeria would replace its own damaged equipment. I looked at Callistus. He was eyeing the new camera greedily. At a point, he called me aside and whispered: “Oga, this camera they are giving us is better than the one they smashed oh. This one na better camera. Oga, abi make we take am?” I stood my ground. I also consulted Ambassadors Hassan Tukur and Daniel Hart who said accepting a replacement would amount to a diplomatic tit-for-tat. I thanked The Gambians for their good sense and assured them that we were fine with the photographic coverage of the visit so far, despite the damaged camera. I always had a back-up photographer and cameraman, in any case.
That encounter was a blessing in disguise. It saved me from the first course at the Presidential luncheon, which had started while we were outside the hall discussing the damaged camera. When we got back to Nigeria, close to eight persons on the Presidential delegation ended up in hospital due to food poisoning! They all took that first course. Nobody died but somehow the information got back to The Gambia and the chef was arrested and charged to court. Jammeh’s rulership of The Gambia was jinxed in many ways. The biggest jinx was his volte-face over the last Presidential election. Gambians deserve a new place in the sun and a new Gambia. But so much depends on new President Adama Barrow. He should look beyond the past and face the future. If he spends his time facing the past, he will disappoint his people and exhaust the enormous goodwill that has brought him to power.
Start of the Trump years: What's In It For Africa? | By: Ogbonna Nwuke
I mopped at the TV screen as Donald Trump took a walk along the designated parade route, clutching unto his wife’s right hand and waving to the enthusiastic crowds. It was like a scene out of a well scripted Hollywood movie. Can’t really remember the name of the US musician who wrote a great song about life in America just as the Ronald Reagan years in the White House got underway. I am not even sure I remember the title of the song either. But still, I vividly remember the lyrics of that song which said America was staring at a movie. The song recalled how the American people looked up to John Wayne each time they were in trouble, concluding that with John Wayne gone, Americans glued to a movie, were more or less saying Ronald Reagan. A song you would say, and you would be dead right! Songs evoke all kinds of feelings, emotion and passion.
As I followed the live coverage on CNN, those lyrics kept flashing past. I realised those words captured the mood in America today as it did at the time of its release. Who could have believed at the time that America would settle for a film star as president? Who could have thought in this age that a Washington outsider would be sworn in as the latest American president?
That’s Uncle Sam for you! Especially if you talk like a tough aggressive guy from the wild Wild West with a smoking gun!! Whether we like or not; whether we reside in the US or outside of it; the rest of us appear right now to be staring at a movie as someone who knows very little about how Washington works, how the international system operates, steps into the world stage.
Obviously as history unfolds, the history maker is Donald Trump, a businessman whose handlers all through the fiery campaign that almost tore America apart likened to Ronald Reagan.
I really don’t know why Trump’s people chose to tag unto the Reagan name, or why the American people fell for it. I also doubt I’d like to know after all that has happened.
Trump had promised on his way to Capitol Hill to bring back American jobs; promised to make America great again; and promised to chase out Washington insiders whom he accused of ripping off ordinary Americans.
To get to the US presidency, Trump broke with tradition, tossed what was left of the etiquette governing electioneering behaviour into the thrash can, and recorded one of the most stunning of victories in American history.
As America enters into a new phase, Trump isn’t simply wrong when he says what’s happening in America is like never before seen. Within America where Trump is promising to unite a divided nation, there is really tension. Never, since after the civil rights movement has there been such a threat to national cohesion.
To cap it, there have been several controversies as well as angry demonstrations that are trailing the Trump administration. These include women groups who insist as Trump takes over the oval office that they won’t let anyone roll back rights they have earned over the years or allow any one for that matter to infringe on the rights of their children. There are many among black and Latino communities who are worried and sick about the future of their families in a country that they call home. So are the Muslim families too. These worries are arising from Trump’s utterances during the campaign and the impact that those comments are having among white supremacists who think a new dawn is here.
Washington watchers are amazed too by the number of billionaires who have been appointed into the Trump cabinet. And impressed by attempts to halt companies in America that are trying to ship out on account of what they see as higher taxes.While Americans attempt to come to terms with the reality of the moment, it is abroad that anxiety over the Trump era is currently mounting.What will happen? What will a world with Donald Trump as US president be like?
Although there has always been some kind of consistency in America’s outlook to the world, whether it is the Republicans or Democrats who are in power, not many members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for instance, can predict in which direction Trump would pull when it comes to America’s alliances.
Besides, the world isn’t as peaceful and stable as Trump takes centre stage. There is a frightening refugee crisis that has taken a global dimension, creating serious immigration problems. Europeans who are hard hit by the influx are still grappling with solutions as the situation escalates.
The Middle East hasn’t come close to a two-state solution as envisaged by the United Nations, and the rivalry of the super powers hasn’t helped matters, particularly in Syria. Tension mounts in Turkey and along the Kurdish border. Israel remains as intransigent as ever, threatening to redefine its role with the UN while Iran becomes more of a force to reckon with in the region. The Saudis who have a war of their own haven’t been outdone either. They seem to have become more belligerent. The ascendancy of ISIS and other jihadist groups which are spreading as far as Europe and Africa has further complicated security concerns.
There is global warming to think about. Trouble is Trump doesn’t seem to realize how much of a threat this is to the human habitat.
This is not to forget nuclear proliferation in Asia, namely in Pakistan, North Korea and India. There is the rumble in the China seas to worry about, China’s face off with Taiwan to figure out and China’s growing influence worldwide to contend with.
But what has Trump in stock for Africa where the oil curse, massive corruption, crippling trade imbalances in the international community, and worsening terrorism holds sway?
Most of Africa depends on foreign aid from wealthy countries, including America. What would be the US attitude towards Africa now that Trump is in charge?
Will he extend an olive branch or simply allow Africa to sort out itself against the backdrop of his America first agenda?
Africa holds a lot of promise when it comes to investment opportunities. Rich in human and materials, Africa is in dire need of attention and most Africans would judge the Trump years, not by what it does to make America great again, but by what America does to make Africa a better place.
Helping to sort out Africa could help reduce international migration problems, open more markets and address massive unemployment challenges.
In the days to come, it is evident that Africans would look forward to a Trump policy on Africa which points the way forward and defines its relationship with the United States.
Together Africa and the United States can really make a new movie. The one who can help direct the developmental film is here, the cast with all who work behind the scene are ready for the shoot while the world is waiting for the ultimate product to premiere.
In the meantime, I can only join all other concerned citizens of our changing world to say welcome to President Trump even as many afraid of the future engage in anti-American demonstrations.
Ogbonna Nwuke sent in this piece from Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Rumble in the Gambia | By: Ogbonna Nwuke
The Gambia shouldn’t be at the centre of global attention. But it is. Thanks to the intransigence of a man who has been in power for too long, the tiny African country is in the spotlight.
At stake is the future of democracy in the Gambia and the refusal of Yahya Jammeh, one of the parties in the just concluded election to accept the verdict of the people.
There is equally the bruised ego of West African leaders whose spirited attempt to remedy the situation through diplomacy hit the rock.
This is in addition to what is seen as the interest of the international community over the future of that small African country and the safety of their nationals who reside or do business within those boundaries.
The Economic Community for West Africa came to be as a result of Nigeria’s quest to promote the unity as well as socio-political and economic ties of member countries.Within the west coast, tremendous progress is being recorded by democratic forces. In Nigeria and Ghana where multi-party democracy exists for instance, power has shifted from parties in power to parties in opposition.
Most West Africans as well as their counterparts all over the world see this evolving trend as a healthy development. This would further explain why ECOWAS nations, irked by an attempt to thwart the outcome of a popular election, are on the verge of employing force to throw out a despotic regime.Yahya Jammeh was expected to step aside on January 19th. To have done so, would mean in part that he had elected to comply with the dictates of his country’s constitution.
By yesterday, Senegalese troops had amassed at the border with the Gambia while elite Nigerian troops were airlifted to join the effort to safeguard the future of democracy in that part of the West African region. Ghana and other West African countries are expected to make similar contributions to the ECOMIG force.
Interestingly, Nigeria which is the spearhead of ECOWAS is providing both sea and air power required to execute the peace enforcement plan.
From a historic standpoint, this is not the first time that Nigerian troops would be called upon to act in any part of the sub region, Africa or the world. Our troops have been in Lebanon. Our troops have served in Liberia. They have indeed been everywhere that Nigeria has been required to fulfill regional, continental and international obligations.
Now, they are out there in the Gambia as part of an ECOWAS plan to ensure that people like Yahya Jammeh and those who collaborate with them are not in any position to halt sweeping changes that democracy bringing across the world, especially in the face of growing globalisation.
The outgoing Gambian leader who is increasingly being isolated could have left office a hero if he had stuck to his earlier posture to accept the outcome of the elections.
Like most despots do, he chose rather to renege on his own words and shunned the flurry of diplomatic activity that was designed to give him a soft landing.
Yahya’s options, as things are at the moment, are narrowing as the clock ticks. He either has the chance to blink now, save his own life and quit gracefully, or face bullets and the deadly resolve of ECOWAS states.
Should he be captured when all this over, Jammeh would become a criminal to be tried under the laws of the Gambia or under international law for acts against humanity.
Students of foreign relations would most certainly agree that Nigeria is once again offering leadership in the sub continent through an articulated foreign policy perspective.
There was a time that our foreign relations objectives was second to none in Africa. Those were the days when our diplomacy guaranteed the freedom of Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa.
They were days when we sent clear signals to those who collaborated with forces that were desirous to put down Africa that Nigeria as an emerging power would stop at nothing to safeguard the dignity of the black man.
Through the exhibition of mature diplomacy at this time, Nigeria is once again being looked upon to provide appropriate frameworks for joint action in solving African problems.
For President Mohammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief who is certainly making these decisions, it is not easy to contemplate placing Nigeria troops in harm’s way.
When viewed in terms of efforts to protect the nation’s sphere of influence, and ensure the restoration of our battered image within the comity of nations, the decision taken by the C-in-C, the federal cabinet and the military high command is not in any way misplaced.
As the world waits to see what will happen, it is instructive to note that a message is clearly being sent that the will of the people as expressed through the ballot box remains the only respectable way by which any leader in West Africa or Africa can lay claim to power.
While we hope that Jammeh would give peace a chance and avoid a bloodbath, our heart is with our troops at this time.
We pray for their safe return at the end of a glorious outing which we hope would make the west coast politically and economically stable.
Ogbonna Nwuke sent in this piece from Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Remembering Fallen Heroes |By: Deji Adesogan
Armed Forces Remembrance Day Parade holds on 15 January every year. It is the day aside to remember service personnel that paid supreme sacrifice during the 2nd World Wars, the Nigerian Civil War and other operations within and outside Nigeria. Religious services to commemorate the remembrance day are held on the last Sunday for Church services and last Friday for Juma’at prayers which are preceding to the d-day. Both National and Regimental Colours are carried on parade. Of recent, Nigerian Armed Forces has performed and still performing creditably well in the war against Terrorism in North-East, Militancy in Niger-Delta, Herdsmen banditry in NorthWest and other internal security operations across the country.
The good leadership qualities of present COAS, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai has rekindle our hope in the Nigerian Army in defending the defenseless Nigerians against insecurity and threat to national security. Today 15 January we are celebrating and remembering our Gallant Soldiers (dead and alive) that fight to create peace and unity in Nigeria, “they speak to give silence, they train to get fit, they kill to live, they live to kill, Confidence and respect is not sold in the World Trade Centre, it’s earn by Nigerian Military.
Who else could challenge in the face of death if not our gallant troops, they do not see death as threat, it’s an obstacle they always cross so as to be a valiant compatriot whose name will never be washed away in the face of a million flood. Their family and friends are far away from them. What else could be so honourable than to defend your Fatherland. They suppress those who oppress, to impress the depressed, defend the defenseless. Field they sleep, sea they sail, sky they fly, to tread on the wings of the octopus and give peace to our people. They will fight till they die, sail till they sink, fly till they crash to restore anomie to normality. Three in one, they stand as one in togetherness to build a great nation”. Citizens and tge Government should see security of lives and properties as collective effort not security agencies work alone. God Bless Nigerian Armed Forces!!!#HappyArmedForcesReme
DEJI ADESOGAN is a Political-Scientist & Security Consultant. He writes from Abuja.
Before Abuja Airport is Shut Down | By: Reuben Abati
A few years ago, the Federal Government of Nigeria shut down the Port Harcourt International Airport to carry out what they called repairs or was it renovation? It was supposed to be an exercise for a few weeks, but it took more than an entire year. Flights were diverted to an airport in the city at great cost to travellers, but the so-called renovation took forever. The Port Harcourt airport became a grazing field for cows, at other times, a vehicle-driving field, and for more than one year, travel to Port Harcourt, one of Nigeria’s most strategic cities was a nightmare. Each time the Nigerian government talks about fixing the airports, using the words, renovation, rehabilitation or reform, it is better to be cynical. The Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri, for example, was once touted as a major hub in the South East, and government spent so much money turning it into an international cargo airport for the East, but that same airport soon became flooded during the rainy season and planes could no longer land.
Both the Port Harcourt and Owerri airports are currently in a permanent state of renovation. The lives of those who wanted to renovate them at any level whatsoever are ironically and scandalously, imaginably better renovated. The airports failed, the managers smiled to the banks. In those two airports, travellers were put through enormous strain because the entire airports or sections had to be shut down. But the people, expectant as they were had no choice in the matter. The Nigerian government is so powerful; the people are helpless. The same government the people elect with their votes punishes them unjustly. The people themselves behave as if they are in bondage. This was what happened in particular when the Port Harcourt Airport was being renovated. Travellers were abused. Airlines subjected them to enormous indignity. Businesses suffered. Government failed to keep its promise. The airlines and their staff even became arrogant, failing to realize they were victims too. They treated customers shabbily and there was no way anyone could blame them when government itself was uncaring.
Looked at differently, the biggest problem is not necessarily the politicians and their appointees who sashay in and out of power, but the civil servants who run the engine room of government and who over the years have perfected a culture of graft and incompetence. They look the other way when politicians dismantle the rules, often times out of sheer cruelty and for the better part, the political leaders are guided to do so by the civil servants. Which department of government is responsible for the maintenance of airports?: The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). I believe everybody in that agency should be lined up and caned publicly and investigated according to the law. Should they have any stories to tell about the poor state of Nigerian airports, despite the enormous amounts that are budgeted yearly, they should tell us as each stroke of the cane descends on their buttocks. I don’t consider corporal punishment a tool of governance, so I speak metaphorically, but the rot in the aviation section is so terrible, a feeling of outrage commands something extra-ordinary. Weigh that against the plane crashes, loss of lives, and the agony of air travel just because some incompetents have had to superintend over Nigeria’s aviation sector.
I am this outraged because a sad story is about to repeat itself. The Federal Government of Nigeria is proposing to shut down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, beginning March 8, for six weeks: to build a second runway and to carry out renovations. During the period, flights will be diverted to Kaduna Airport and passengers will be required to travel by rail or road to Abuja. The excuse is that the runway in Abuja is almost collapsing. The life span of a runway is 20 years and this particular runway in Abuja has been there for 34 years. Politicians come and go but one significant fellow has suddenly woken up in either the FAAN or the Ministry of Aviation and a proposal has been submitted for renovation. And that proposal is now causing so much commotion. All the characters responsible for this costly neglect and delay should be lined up and sanctioned, and that should include a thorough investigation into the possibility of this “new” project having being proposed, budgeted for and cash-backed before now. At what point did it occur to FAAN that the airport needs a second runway, and who is the brain behind the hair-brained proposal that is now before the public?
We have been told that for six weeks, flights will be diverted to the Kaduna airport. The Minister of State for Aviation (by the way, who is the Minister of Aviation?) has been quoted saying he wants “knowledge” as to how this can be managed. The Ministry has also summoned a meeting of stakeholders after taking the decision. This has been a classic case of acting before thinking, making it all appear ridiculous. The international airlines are insisting that they find this kind of thinking inconvenient. Truly so: Local airline operators are not excited either. The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) are protesting. Common sense, a scarce commodity at this time, should have dictated that a meeting of stakeholders should have been held before the decision was taken. But the arrogant position-holders took the decision first and then decided to invite the stakeholders as an after-thought. Ask these questions: is there an ulterior motive? Ignore common sense and present the public with a fait accompli? Is that their plan? Is politics, in the shape of further Northernization involved? And why? Make Kaduna a new hub? Shift aviation travel further North? The failure to maintain runways and observe best practices is a reflection of the Nigerian problem: our national nonsense. Besides, Nigeria is forever a victim of last minute decisions. We remember to think when it appears too late to do so. Conspiracy theories are thus enabled when those who should act rightly behave as if they are busy thinking with their orifices.
Get it: The decision to shut down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and move traffic to the Kaduna airport for six weeks has not been properly thought through. Poor thinking is the enemy of good governance. There is no guarantee to start with, that the renovation and rehabilitation can be completed in six weeks. Remember Port Harcourt and Owerri. We have been told nevertheless, that this is a good decision. But the timing is unwise. We are moving passengers to Kaduna at a time that same state and city is in turmoil. Thousands are being slaughtered daily in Southern Kaduna. The crisis has both religious and ethnic undertones. And now we are moving more Nigerians to the North, so they can get killed at the airport on or their way to Abuja? Who in his or her right senses would like to travel through Kaduna at this time?
A standard travel advisory should be: travel through Kaduna at your own risk and commit possible suicide. And to this: let no paid vuvuzela tell me the roads are safe and that the rail line to Abuja does not pass through Southern Kaduna. Also consider this: Government says it will provide buses. Who will bear the cost? Traveling from wherever to Kaduna to reach Abuja is likely to be more costly in every sense. Will the airlines bear the cost? Or the already aggrieved travellers will be subjected to extra cost and pain? Foreign airliners have already rejected the Kaduna airport. It is by every international standard a poor airport. It can’t even accommodate a crowd. Why would government subject travellers to obvious chaos and behave as if it does not matter. Copy this:
“The Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, however, said total closure of the Abuja airport runway was inevitable, judging from the worrisome level of dilapidation…. (I see)
The minister assured of adequate security of travellers on transit by road from Abuja to Kaduna and vice versa, adding that the Ministry of Defence, the Nigeria Police, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Directorate of State Security and other agencies will provide cover for airlines and passengers. (Really?)
“We’ll increase the number of security personnel around Kaduna Metropolis; we’ll have traffic officials in every village and intersection. There’ll be members of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), fire fighters and ambulances at certain strategic positions. Police and the Air Force are to provide aerial patrols, complemented by ground police. (Bribery and extortion loading…)
There will be intelligence gathering. There will be bus coaches, train services, specialised car hire services and helicopter shuttles from private operators. But government will provide shuttles for passengers,” he assured. (Talk is cheap, truly)
This is precisely why the Ministry of Aviation should reconsider its stand. Stakeholders including foreign airlines should be carried along before any further step is taken and that has to be in line with international best practices. Everybody involved should admit that we are dealing with a Nigerian crisis. Nigerians who travel by air don’t deserve to be punished. They have suffered enough already. The airlines can’t even get enough aviation fuel in Abuja, not to talk of Kaduna.
Let no one forget this: Abuja is a strategic city. Those who travel there do so with a purpose. It is the city of adventurers not settlers. It is the city of the Federal Government. People go there to sort out government matters including contracts and other matters. Shutting down the Abuja airport is like shutting down the city, and perhaps the entire country. The Ministry of Aviation makes it sound as if this is inevitable, but we must tell them, and tell them again, that the Kaduna airport is not ready and to repeat the Port Harcourt experience in Abuja would be sad and counter-productive. It is not for nothing that the international airlines are already protesting that they don’t want to go to Kaduna. The argument about fixing the runway to make it safer is okay, and we all know why nothing is ever properly maintained in this country, and why projects of six weeks end up taking one year, and more, so don’t tell me the obvious, but government decisions no matter how well-meaning, should be governed by good thinking. A mismanaged renovation of the Abuja airport could result in months of avoidable agony and disaster for the Nigerian economy.
Give me Liberty or Give me Death|By: Fani-Kayode
For those that are troubled, that are grieving, that are suffering, that are deeply concerned and that are in a state of utter despondency and despair about what is happening in our country today and what the future holds, keep hope alive and hear this loud and clear.
Many years from now history will record that it was not the tyranny and bondage of President Muhammadu Buhari, his minions and his government or the curse and affliction of Boko Haram, the Fulani militias and herdsmen or the almighty Caliphate that the oppressed people of Nigeria were up against.
These people are not the enemy. They are merely the representatives, the low-level foot soldiers and the primitive enforcers of a greater satanic power that has sought to use them to create chaos in our nation, to subjugate our people in perpetuity, to establish a sacrificial blood bank, to wipe out our faith, to rob us of our identity and to corrupt and destroy our destiny and cherished values.
What we are up against are the forces that inspire, encourage, control, nurture, fund and guide them.They include the unadulterated evil of the wahhabi and salafist doctrines and philosophies espoused and propagated by the Royal House of Saud in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Illuminati agenda of the shape-shifting reptilian forces and Luciferian entities that put President Barack Obama in power in the United States of America 8 years ago and that attempted to ensure a Hilary Clinton Presidency at the end of 2016.
The entire challenge is essentially an existential struggle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. The fight is raging in both the spiritual and physical realms. The currency is blood and the prizes are the precious and eternal souls of men and the control of the entire world and its enormous resources.
The good news is that our adversaries never saw President-elect Donald J. Trump coming. They wrote him off right from the start and dismissed his aspiration with scorn and contempt. Little did they know that he was God’s ace in the spades, or to put it in an even more appropriate manner, God’s “trump” card.
And it worked beautifully. The whole world and the forces from hell that control it were shell-shocked. They still are. Yet thankfully there is nothing they can do about it. They forgot that He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wisdom of the wise.
With Trump in the White House, guided, protected, led, fortified and driven by the love, power, mercy and grace of the Living God that put him there, the world will be a better and safer place after his swearing in on January 20th 2016. It may take some time but after that day the dark and lonely winter ice of wickedness and witchcraft will begin to melt and the summer sun of blessings, prosperity, joy and peace will begin to rise.
After that day the oppressed people of the southern and Middle Belt zones of Nigeria will have a friend in the White House. And as time goes by they will be given the opportunity to tell their story to the world, to break their chains of servitude, to shatter their yoke of slavery and to free themselves from the hideous mental prison of fear, tyranny and bondage that they have been subjected to over the last 56 years by their internal colonial masters.
After that day their mortal bodies and sacred flesh will no longer be cut to pieces and carved up like Peking diced duck or barbecued spare ribs in state-sponsored pogroms and acts of merciless genocide without any consequences.
Their precious blood will no longer be used as a free-flowing blood bank for the devil and his monstrous demons to drink from and quench their frenzied thirst.
After that day they will no longer buy and eat the charmed and jinxed cow meat that they have been sold and fed by the apprentices and sorcerers of their secret adversaries for the last 56 years.
After that day they will no longer feed on the Caliphs sweet cow meat which, over the years, has enchanted their spirits, locked up their souls, incapacitated their thinking faculties, broken their will, taken away their courage, destroyed their manhood, bound up their ability to reason, turned them into zombies and reduced them to a pitiful and shameful degree of impotence, cowardice, stoicism and docility.
Finally, after that date, their women and children will no longer be regarded as nothing but fair game, easy sport, expendable chattel and the spoils of war to be enslaved, shared, violated, raped and enjoyed by their collective oppressors and conquerors. All this will come to pass sooner than later because freedom beckons and its trumpet call is loud and clear. Sooner than later Pharaoh shall die and we shall leave Egypt, enter Goshen, part the Red sea and cross over to the Promise Land.
It is just a matter of time. In the next few years our country will either be peacefully and equitably restructured according to the will of the people and the counsel of God or she will be violently broken into two or more pieces.
The mass murder and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle Belt and the core north over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Igbos and the barbaric acts of genocide perpetuated against millions of Biafrans over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The subjugation, dehumanization, humiliation and outright robbing and pillaging of the people of the Niger Delta area and the southern minorities over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The castration, demystification, pacification, infiltration and indoctrination of the people of the south-west over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The consistent and relentless persecution, incarceration, torture and extra-judicial murder of key opposition figures and those that are perceived as being the enemies of our President and his government cannot stop it.
The cowardly disposition, shameful collaboration, willful collusion and resounding silence of our nations ruling elite, political leaders, academics, intellectuals, traditional rulers, human rights activists, businessmen, industrialists, artists, writers, poets, actors, entertainers, entrepreneurs, cultural custodians and political commentators cannot stop it.
Nothing can stand in the way of this new wave and no mortal can successfully resist it.
It cannot be stopped, delayed, intercepted or aborted because it has been decreed and ordained by the Ancient of Days and the Lord of Hosts.
Locking up Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Sheik Ibrahim El Zak Zaky, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or any of the other thousands of political prisoners and prisoners of war in underground dungeons and dingy dark cells for months and years on end cannot stop it. Bringing them up before the courts on trumped-up, contrived, malicious, spurious and baseless charges cannot stop it. Telling the nations young that they dare not aspire and the political opposition that they dare not dissent cannot stop it.
Nothing can stop it because it is written in the wind and it has been pronounced and spoken into existence by the oracles of the Living God. The unleashing of fear and terror and the inflicting of violence, carnage, brutality and barbarity on innocent and defenseless men, women and children by the Armed Forces and security agencies cannot stop it. The conspiratorial silence, submissive acquiescence and covert collusion of our nations media cannot stop it. As a matter of fact nothing, no force on earth or in hell, can stop it.
For the voiceless, oppressed, cheated, marginalized and afflicted people of Nigeria the bells of freedom are ringing and it is either liberty or death. And today I speak for those millions as I dare to proclaim, just like the great American patriot Patrick Henry once dared to proclaim in his famous speech to the Virginia Convention 291 years ago whilst calling for armed resistance against the British colonialists:
How To Make 2017 Your Most Productive Year Ever| By: Tony Ogunlowo
The disastrous leap year of 2016, with all its surprises and disappointments, has finally come to an end.
The New Year means a new beginning; a fresh start. Many will have New Year resolutions to fulfil while others might just be content with plodding along.
But for many it will mean a continuum to the hardship in their lives brought on by the economic uncertainty in the country or personal problems. For them there is no way out; come rain or shine, new government or not, their predicament will remain the same.
Should it?
You are a lot more powerful, intelligent and resilient than you give yourself credit for. The human being is an incredible being with unlimited abilities but unfortunately life and worldly problems tend to rob us of a lot of energy. Our lives are limited by what life throws at us. We worry too much. We suffer from lack of resources, such as money, to propel us in the direction we intend to go.
We may lag behind in life, mostly due to circumstances beyond our control, while others, seemingly born with a silver spoon in their mouths, advance forward. Don’t worry; there’ll be time to catch up with them, perhaps even surpassing them, later on. As the Yorubas say,” it’s not the one who starts a job who is a winner but the one who finishes it”.
Insecurity plays a large part in people not being able to achieve their full potential: they believe they can’t do it. Why not? Does Aliko Dangote have a bigger brain than you or two heads? Of course not! But yet again people will quote every excuse known to man for not trying or why they’re unable to achieve what he’s achieved; he had the right start in life, he had the right connections…blah,blah,blah… excuses,excuses,excuses!
If you feel secure about yourself – and your abilities- nothing can stop you achieving your goals in life. Just like in a race there are meant to be obstacles thrown your way so as to not to make winning easy. Even the rich and famous had multiple obstacles in their paths when they first started out. It’s how you deal with these problems that matters. There’s always a way around most things. Say you’re a bus driver who wants to become a lawyer but due to a lack of funds you’re unable to do so. Why not set yourself a target; you’ll work harder for say three years saving every spare penny, not going to beer parlours and mama puts after work, and use your accumulated savings to realise your dream. Or try and talk a lawyers chambers into sponsoring you (- you’ll have to prove to them that you’re competent and honest!) in return for you coming back to work for them. Don’t make excuses for your inability, find a way around it!
Another thing that holds people back is peer pressure; must you always follow somebody, or a group blindly ( – and stupidly most of the time) like a goat? If you believe in yourself and what you’re doing then go it alone! Don’t let people talk you down or follow their ways blindly. Where would the world be today if people like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg bowed to peer pressure and didn’t strike it out on their own? You’ve got a good brain in your head you know what you’re doing is right, even though it’ll take time to achieve your objective, what are you waiting for? Carry on!
We also complain about the lack of skills to achieve our full potentials. If you can’t drive, learn! If you can’t use a computer, learn! If you can’t speak Latin, learn! Thanks to the internet learning anything is easier than at any time in Man’s history. Online there are more than enough resources – tutorials, videos, free ebooks – to learn anything. You may not get a certificate at the end but you’ll at least gain a working knowledge of what you’re interested in.
Now to address the biggest problem of all – finance.
The one big thing that holds the most people back in life from achieving their full potential is money. And the unfortunate thing is in trying to raise money is where a lot of people go bad – stealing, kidnapping etc.
Trying to raise money in a recession, without collateral, can be very difficult. Crowdfunding hasn’t yet taken off in Nigeria in the same way it has around the world. But if you have a genuine proposition (- not 419) and its put to the right people some sort of funding should emerge. Try asking family members, friends etc – every penny counts! Couple this up with your belief in yourself and what you’re doing, throw in some hard work( – and some prayers for good measure!), don’t allow yourself to be frustrated, be prepared to surmount whatever problems arise along the way and you can turn 2017 into a very productive year.
Photo Credit: http://www.thebachelorguide.com/
Tony Ogunlowo blogs at http://www.archangel641. blogspot.com
Opinion: The Limitations of Black Magic | By: Tony Ogunlowo
Nowadays a lot of people are turning to black magic in order to achieve all kinds of evil and selfish purposes – controlling or doing harm to people, accumulating wealth, and promotion at work or to become famous – and this invariably involves spell casting, sacrifices and the consultation of entities and deities of questionable nature.
No good comes out of the usage of black magic as it upsets the natural balance of things; it’s cheating nature, the universe, and people’s destiny and even, perhaps, the destiny of a locality such as a country. Any individual using black magic can be assured that whatever evil they do or send out will make them subject to the Rule of Three law which is to say whatever evil you do will come back to you three-fold.
For those who mess around with black magic and are probably unaware of what they are doing let them me illustrate with the pyramid of universal power below:
All power comes from God (this can also translate to mean God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost) and he’s at the peak of the pyramid. Following closely on the next rung are the Archangels, Angels, Holy Men, Prophets (- not self-proclaimed prophets!) and Saints.
At the base of the pyramid comes Lucifer and his legion of fallen angels, base spirits, non-embodied entities and demons – the lowest of the universal power structure – which, unfortunately, are what humans contact when using black magic.
Now because all these evil base spirits in the lower section don’t have ultimate power like God they tend to trick people into achieving their own diabolical desires. They always demand something in return for giving people ‘power’ they request. They don’t do anything for free! They’ll always want something in return which can involve anything from paying homage to them, wearing of clothes of a certain colour, periodic ritual offerings and so on. Failure to follow their instructions to the letter and the individual will incur their wrath – how many people have died or gone mad because they disobeyed instructions given to them?
And talking of sacrifices – and I’m not talking about sacrificing a goat or a chicken here – a human sacrifice! People who seek high office or wealth are known to use human sacrifices to achieve their aims. A human soul is created by God, something Lucifer and all the base spirits or any Man can re-create. In doing so one incurs the direct wrath of God (- thou shalt not kill!) and the repercussions are severe. The punishment for the individual can range from incurring a generational curse on his family from God to the banishment of their own soul when they die. In most cases such people begin to pay for their crimes before they even die, for instance how many rich people (of questionable wealth) or politicians suddenly lose ( to death) the one thing – wife, son, daughter, etc – he or she loves the most? When using evil spirits or black magic you never know what’s in the small print – what you tend to lose to obtain what you want- and you’ll never be told!
Now to use black magic people need to go to somebody who practises it – babalawo, witchdoctor, a witch or somebody who is knowledgeable about it – and they go to them under the pretence they are very ‘powerful’. The truth is no babalawo knows how powerful he is. He will claim he is but he doesn’t know. In the absence of a universal system that will denote whether he has a ‘diploma’, ‘BSc’, ‘MSc’ or ‘PhD’ in witchcraft and black magic you can only take his word for how powerful he claims to be; he’ll be knowledgeable in some areas but not all and hence the reason why people go from one place to another seeking a more powerful practitioner. So if you do juju with one babalawo there’s the possibility a more powerful babalawo up the road can unravel it. So you’ll forever be going from one babalawo to another seeking the more powerful one. Unfortunately there aren’t any as all witches and witchdoctors, themselves, will admit that all power comes from God.
Nigeria’s Nuclear Power Plant Option ~ By: Tony Ogunlowo
Just like with most things in Nigeria, today, energy requirements far exceeds the current production levels – and will do so for many years to come. Existing power generating plants are old, underutilized, with most falling into disrepair and unable to cope with the present demands.
Looking to fill the gaps in energy production the government is firmly looking towards nuclear energy as a long term solution. Recently a memorandum of understanding was signed with Russia to design, construct and run four nuclear power plants by 2035. There is even hope the first generator, generating 1,200 MW of electricity, will be up and running by 2025.
The President pushed for Nigeria’s nuclear energy development for her energy needs at the recently concluded Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC and the Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has said that ‘if all things go well, by the quarter four of next year (2017) – that is the schedule that I have met – we should have started construction’.
Currently the only country in Africa using nuclear energy for electricity production is South Africa. The Koeberg nuclear power station has two plants producing 1,830 MW – more than all of Nigeria’s hydroelectric plants put together.
A nuclear power plant is not cheap. The cheapest that would meet Nigeria’s energy requirements would cost anything in the region of 10 to 15 billion dollars and would take up to 8 years to build. This is to say that if one government commissions it subsequent governments must agree to continue with it instead of letting it rot like many other capital projects.
Nuclear science is the Holy Grail of engineering – a very pampered science. In erecting a nuclear power plant no corners can be cut and no expense can be spared.(-so no kickbacks from using inferior materials!) Failure to maintain, to very high standards, the maintenance of a nuclear plant can result in catastrophic disasters as we’ve seen in the American Three Mile Island, Fukushima in Japan and Russian Chernobyl disasters. Radiation from a damaged nuclear reactor can linger on for very many years killing thousands of people over a large scale area.
To run a nuclear power station you need an elite team of nuclear engineers, highly educated with years of experience, of which Nigeria currently has none. The current number of Nigerian nuclear engineers stands at less than five hundred with most of them in academic positions.
Under the auspices of the Ahmadu Bello University a Chinese-made nuclear reactor has been operating since 2004 giving Nigerian scientists a glimpse into the workings of nuclear energy production. A number of Nigerian universities offer courses in nuclear physics but there is still not enough qualified man power – even though the government has awarded scholarships for the course to be studied abroad. You need professionals with years of experience to run a nuclear power station not just some kid who has had just a few years of study in a university.
There will be pros and cons for using nuclear energy to generate electricity.
Nuclear energy is clean and cheap. One nuclear power station can produce more power than all of Nigeria’s current twenty-four hydroelectric plants. But at the same time it comes with its own inherent dangers – radiation leakage can kill thousands. Also there can be the problem of decommissioning after the plants’ useful working life with all the radioactive and hazardous materials involved.
Fossil fuel and hydro-electric plants have their limitations.
Gas or fuel power plants aren’t good for the environment and contribute largely to carbon dioxide build up in the atmosphere, leading to further global warming. They are also not cost-effective.
Hydro- powered plants, which has been Nigeria’s primary power production source for over 50 years has its limitations – it’s dependent on nature – you need it to rain to fill the rivers, to fill the dams. In periods of adverse weather conditions, such as droughts, this can be detrimental to energy production.
Exotic renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy are still too expensive to roll out on a national scale.
So if the future of energy production in Nigeria is to be nuclear all the necessary stringent procedures need to be put in place – adequate funding and commitment, the necessary infrastructure, a high level of maintenance and security – you can’t have a bunch of militants tampering or blowing up installations- and firm government commitment.
Tony Ogunlowo blogs at www.archangel641.blogspot.co.uk
The Tyranny Of The Young On Nigerian Twitter | By: Kadaria Ahmed
I am in my late forties so I cannot be considered young by any stretch of the imagination. I am satisfied with my journey through life thus far and comfortable in my skin. However, some people believe I should actually be ashamed of my age.
Not once, not twice on Twitter, I have witnessed ‘young’ people employing the word ‘old’ when attempting to insult or shame people who are older than them, when an older person has dared express a view they find disagreeable.
They wear their ‘youth’ like a badge of honour. They strut and preen almost as if being young is an achievement like bagging a degree, setting up a successful business or having a positive impact on the lives of people.
The attacks that I speak of mostly occur when they can not engage with the subject under discussion because it is intellectually challenging. They are victims of our fault lines and are therefore incapable of cold, objective engagement with any issue. Their immediate solution is to obfuscate and muddy the waters but when that doesn’t work, they resort to abuse. It doesn’t matter what the subject is – music, the Arts, culture – but nothing riles them up more than an opposing political view! They pounce and before long, the word ‘old’ makes its debut. It’s the ultimate slap-down!
Given the many challenges we face in Nigeria, from our non-existent healthcare, to bad roads and the stress of earning a living in a difficult economic terrain, all of which have lead to a declining life expectancy; growing old is actually a feat that should be commended. It is a badge of honour that says look at me, I have survived, against all the odds. Instead, age has become a twitter weapon used to terrorize the not so ‘young’.
Maybe it is frustration with a generation that they believe has failed this country and therefore hasn’t earned the right to have an opinion. While this point might be pertinent, it is important to note that although I have witnessed a few men being ‘insulted’ by the tag of ‘old’, the most vitriolic instances are reserved for women.
If one is female, one faces a more virulent attack if one even ventures to express an opinion that may be controversial in any way, shape or form. Age, gender, and marital status ‘shaming’ by an army of young trolls is now the order of the day on Nigerian twitter, actively and tacitly encouraged by a wider Nigeria society which remains mostly patriarchal, parochial and in some cases even misogynistic.
While the focus on marital status is clearly a result of patriarchy, which promotes the idea that women have no worth unless they are tied to a man, why would a woman’s years determine whether or not she should have an opinion? One explanation is that because we are ‘old’ we are seen to be somewhat ‘deficient’. Which leads to the question: What is the main difference between young and ‘old’ women? Well the most obvious and visible differences are tied to reproduction, in short sex.
As women approach fifty, they stop producing certain hormones, as result of this, most of us stop being able to conceive and begin to see changes in our body. The general belief is that we stop becoming desirable. So again, it comes back to our worth to men. While this is actually not true, the fact that female aging is seen as a ‘deficiency’ speaks to a system organised again to measure women through the eyes of patriarchy.
I remember a certain Senator saying if he were to rape a woman it wouldn’t be one who is past her menopause. Where does one begin to even engage with this sort of statement? Is it to talk about the seeming normalisation of a hideous crime or the attempt to imply that women who are past menopause are unworthy of even having something so base and atrocious as rape committed against them?
On Nigerian Twitter today, it is not unusual for an argument on politics with older women to end with suggestions that they need to find a man to have sex with, to rid them of their ‘bitterness’. This is how smart, articulate women are reduced to nothing more than sex objects.
In this society today, there is no attempt at subtlety by men who have no respect for women. They are all too aware that their actions have no consequences and life goes on as normal, regardless of how egregious the remarks.
What is surprising is the number of young women who take part in this taunting. It amuses me no end and then it saddens me because at best they are unwittingly building and nurturing a process that systematically reduces them and which eventually, is likely to be used against them. They are active connivers because they have bought into the cultural ‘values’ that underpin and promote gender discrimination and misogyny. This is tragic.
Trust me, this isn’t an attempt to stifle debate. With any conversation, it is important to have multiple viewpoints. These are particularly critical as we seek to address significant problems ranging from violent religious and ethic clashes that have lead to thousands of deaths in a country which seems to simply refuse to grow and develop.
Inter-generational dialogue is also key as we have a large youth population (18 to 35) more than half of whom are disenfranchised and without hope. They need to take their destiny into their hands and force a change in an establishment that has let them down.
However, trolling ‘old’ people on Twitter, and targeting single women will not solve our problems. Despite our shortcomings and failures, and they are significant, most of us believe that we have to contribute to nation-building.
The censorship and gagging, the attempt at cyber-bullying is unacceptable because it narrows the conversation. The good thing is that many of us simply refuse to be quiet. We won’t be cowed by the tyranny of government and politicians and we certainly won’t be cowered by the tyranny of often nameless, faceless ‘young’ trolls on twitter.
Kadaria Ahmed writes from Abuja.