As we condole and commiserate with the prosperous US state of California and its traumatised and distraught citizens, especially residents of the fire-ravaged counties, we must reflect on our times and our texture. The richest state in the richest nation on earth is suffering the wildest and harshest forest fires on record! The toll is mounting and the trauma is brimming. May God help California!
You know what? As CNN's legend, Larry King, reminded us starkly the other night - quoting JFK - "Life is unfair!". California and its humane governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been on the front lines of environmental protection and in the vanguard of getting America onto the climate change/global warming action train. Hollywood has been a key partner in the global crusade, and has promoted and spoken up for world peace, human rights and banishing poverty. California has been good to immigrants, and is at once pro-women, pro-culture and modernist! With these wildfires, how so unfair!!!
Brings us to another unfair share of a nation's black gold, and even more grisly share of human and environmental degradation. Where else than my native Nigeria, and its now-very notorious Niger Delta Region! Noted worldwide as volatile and violent these days, with many negative and some offensive "Travel Advisories" from benefiting nations, you are struck by the unfairness of both nature & nation, in the abject poverty and untold suffering so visited upon the oil-rich land!
After sacrificing so much for an ungrateful country, it hurts to be the butt of consumer-mockery and operators' oppression as the Niger Deltans now endure!
California and da Niger Delta give so much to both their nations and the world. They should not be this pained. Not by nature, not by nation, not by man. As Governor Schwarzenegger stated at his joint press conference with the US president, "follow-through" with promises is da key. If we all learn from the Tsunamis, the Earthquakes and Katrina, this point must resound!
Thank you to all the fire-fighters, security operatives, first responders and the media for all the good work done in California. Kudos to President Bush for his prompt actions and his emotional official visit to the zone. As for the governor, you can't have a better man. Well done Gov!
In closing, we must ask others to learn from the horrors and humanity of the California Fires; even as we challenge both the Nigerian authorities and the consuming world to promptly and humanely revisit, and remedy, the Niger Delta Question!
Life is truly...UNFAIR!!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Up South Africa...on the Rugby World Cup!
Bravo to our brethren in South Africa for bringing us great honour by winning the Rugby World Cup so convincingly! Great for AFRICA!!
Coming so soon after Nigeria won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, things are looking up. Make no mistake about it, Africa is staking for its rights and rightful place in world sport.
Mark my words!
As our continent's leaders in both cricket and rugby, the rainbow nation should move quickly to fully integrate all races, especially blacks, into both its national teams and the grassroots spread. It should also vigorously promote the sports in other countries, especially Nigeria and DRCongo.
We countdown to 2010, brethren...
Keep it up!
Coming so soon after Nigeria won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, things are looking up. Make no mistake about it, Africa is staking for its rights and rightful place in world sport.
Mark my words!
As our continent's leaders in both cricket and rugby, the rainbow nation should move quickly to fully integrate all races, especially blacks, into both its national teams and the grassroots spread. It should also vigorously promote the sports in other countries, especially Nigeria and DRCongo.
We countdown to 2010, brethren...
Keep it up!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Nobel Peace Prize: So Fair for...Al Gore/IPCC!
We must ask a few questions, post a few posers:
Why do we take out insurance? Is it to die, crash da car, lose the house...or just in case we do??
We eat not just to stop hunger (which we must) but to live well, and longer!
We are so good at being wary and dubious about so many things, including investments, living and faith....that we hedge against them. Rightly.
Why do we have vaccines? To hopefully avoid plagues and debilitating health crises. Sensibly.
Why do people of faith pray? To be worthy of the now, and ...the hereafter! Who knows??
As for the environment, especially the huge debacle of GLOBAL WARMING, the Nobel Peace Prize has rightly gone the right way in 2007....
To Al Gore and the UN Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Hearty CONGRATULATIONS!
For 2008, I suspect, even predict, that Bill Clinton, Bill Gates/Gates Foundation, Bono and Bob Geldof will gain the prize...in a unique Coalition of Non-State Actors for Global Good!
So we can start scoring quality action, valuable wealth and value of giving.
Why do we take out insurance? Is it to die, crash da car, lose the house...or just in case we do??
We eat not just to stop hunger (which we must) but to live well, and longer!
We are so good at being wary and dubious about so many things, including investments, living and faith....that we hedge against them. Rightly.
Why do we have vaccines? To hopefully avoid plagues and debilitating health crises. Sensibly.
Why do people of faith pray? To be worthy of the now, and ...the hereafter! Who knows??
As for the environment, especially the huge debacle of GLOBAL WARMING, the Nobel Peace Prize has rightly gone the right way in 2007....
To Al Gore and the UN Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Hearty CONGRATULATIONS!
For 2008, I suspect, even predict, that Bill Clinton, Bill Gates/Gates Foundation, Bono and Bob Geldof will gain the prize...in a unique Coalition of Non-State Actors for Global Good!
So we can start scoring quality action, valuable wealth and value of giving.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Russia-US Tortuous Relations: Step Back, Folks!
The turbulent and worsening relations between the United States and Russia must worry us all. There are of course more areas of cooperation, including robust partnership on the International Space Station (thank goodness!) and the so-called war on terror to mitigate our fears. Yet, it is on this question of security (both national and global) that things are coming badly off!
Oh, never mind the photo ops: things are falling apart between Moscow and Washington. And we better call these folks to order before they fall totally apart. The build-up is not funny at all. A domineering USA and a resurging/reasserting Russia: typical clash of the titans? Tough.
The saddest part is that things are drifting dangerously towards the "ego zone" which can very quickly escalate into the "cold war realms"!!! God forbid.
Our greatest worry is that the world is rather so polarised these days that it will most readily shuffle and melt into opposing "camps", to the eternal dismay and regret of the non-aligned us. We better rise promptly to the challenge NOW.
As the statesmen they ought to be, Presidents Putin and Bush should rein in the forces, return to their friendship, prepare for their political transitions, cement their superpower cooperation and give the world true leadership.
We need both to solve the world's intractable problems, NOT become one!
Oh, never mind the photo ops: things are falling apart between Moscow and Washington. And we better call these folks to order before they fall totally apart. The build-up is not funny at all. A domineering USA and a resurging/reasserting Russia: typical clash of the titans? Tough.
The saddest part is that things are drifting dangerously towards the "ego zone" which can very quickly escalate into the "cold war realms"!!! God forbid.
Our greatest worry is that the world is rather so polarised these days that it will most readily shuffle and melt into opposing "camps", to the eternal dismay and regret of the non-aligned us. We better rise promptly to the challenge NOW.
As the statesmen they ought to be, Presidents Putin and Bush should rein in the forces, return to their friendship, prepare for their political transitions, cement their superpower cooperation and give the world true leadership.
We need both to solve the world's intractable problems, NOT become one!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Myanmar...on my Mind
We must wish Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, UN envoy to Myanmar, unqualified success this time around. He's been there before! Tough job, alright; but he must NOT fail, again. Period.
The military leadership must be truly sad and sorry for what it has turned a people's peaceful march into: Gory sights and sounds of state-unleashed violence, tears and blood, including that of the revered monks and a Japanese journalist! Sad.
Let's not beat about the bush. Myanmar must move to full democracy NOW. There is no choice and there is no more delay permissible. The seed of such a sensible reality was sown many years ago when Aung San Suu Kyi won the elections reluctantly called by the military. She has been languishing under debilitating house-arrest for two decades. Denying her the dignity of paying her last respects to her late Oxford don husband, who died in England, was a cruel stab. That was in tandem with the military leaders' jitters when they equally refused her passage to receive the Nobel Peace Prize earlier. For both acts, the world was stunned and outraged.
This is no longer about one prisoner of conscience or political icon. It is the case of spiritual and legal convergence, with the diplomatic and moral commitment of all of humanity. ASEAN, the UN and both China and India must front for us, and work for the people of Myanmar. Japan and Russia need to back this new move in very creative ways, right away.
Professor Gambari is absolutely competent and capable of serving. But he should be the real peace-bearer this time, not pall-bearer...again! Enough be enough.
We must thank Thailand for its pain and perseverance in housing and helping refugees and da patriots fleeing Myanmar. Other neighbours need do da same - until da coast be clear, and is fully cleared.
Condolences and commiserations to all. May the departed souls rest in perfect peace.
And may our world leaders make that happen, SOOOON!
The military leadership must be truly sad and sorry for what it has turned a people's peaceful march into: Gory sights and sounds of state-unleashed violence, tears and blood, including that of the revered monks and a Japanese journalist! Sad.
Let's not beat about the bush. Myanmar must move to full democracy NOW. There is no choice and there is no more delay permissible. The seed of such a sensible reality was sown many years ago when Aung San Suu Kyi won the elections reluctantly called by the military. She has been languishing under debilitating house-arrest for two decades. Denying her the dignity of paying her last respects to her late Oxford don husband, who died in England, was a cruel stab. That was in tandem with the military leaders' jitters when they equally refused her passage to receive the Nobel Peace Prize earlier. For both acts, the world was stunned and outraged.
This is no longer about one prisoner of conscience or political icon. It is the case of spiritual and legal convergence, with the diplomatic and moral commitment of all of humanity. ASEAN, the UN and both China and India must front for us, and work for the people of Myanmar. Japan and Russia need to back this new move in very creative ways, right away.
Professor Gambari is absolutely competent and capable of serving. But he should be the real peace-bearer this time, not pall-bearer...again! Enough be enough.
We must thank Thailand for its pain and perseverance in housing and helping refugees and da patriots fleeing Myanmar. Other neighbours need do da same - until da coast be clear, and is fully cleared.
Condolences and commiserations to all. May the departed souls rest in perfect peace.
And may our world leaders make that happen, SOOOON!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sudan: AU Should Keep Faith, Keep Troops
Despite the mindless unprovoked rebel-action that killed, wounded and abducted African Union peace-keepers in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan, we should not be provoked. No.
Condolences and commiserations to Nigeria and Senegal. Let's investigate fully and promptly.
But we must keep the African Faith with our brethren in the crises, by keeping our Troops in the region! We shall not be provoked. No.
Let the UN move faster on the peace plan. Let the rebels make the upcoming meeting in Libya a success. Let our prayers persist. All hands and minds must be on board, stay on board.
The end is in view! Surely.
Condolences and commiserations to Nigeria and Senegal. Let's investigate fully and promptly.
But we must keep the African Faith with our brethren in the crises, by keeping our Troops in the region! We shall not be provoked. No.
Let the UN move faster on the peace plan. Let the rebels make the upcoming meeting in Libya a success. Let our prayers persist. All hands and minds must be on board, stay on board.
The end is in view! Surely.
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