A Beauty and A Duty

Never before have I felt this upbeat about this land. Okay, I was "too small" in 1960 to really feel anything at Independence. Then I was upbeat anytime there was some transition to another administration or government. Well, we've been up and down. The story is well-known.

This feeling is different. It is coming in the wake of many realities about our incongruity and the untenable incongruities of our current reality. Put differently, things have changed! Those who do not see it will not have long to wait. Stay tuned.

Nigeria, this Jubilee, has berthed rough and roughened, tough and toughened, wise and wizened on its predetermined shores. We have borne what needs to be borne, we will pay what must be paid. We are a proud and pantheon-people. We are through our wilderness.

What we do and how we go be the bounden duty of all, for the God-given beauty for all. This is not a mere wish but an emerging reality. I see it, I sense it, I feel it. It is here!

My congratulations - hearty and heavy - to all Nigerians and Friends of Nigeria on this Golden Jubilee of our Sovereign Motherland.

My Very SPECIAL APOLOGY To You - On The Blackout!

Anyone who knows Nigeria and Nigerians knows that we are very passionate about our dear nation, and go the extra mile to mull over her. We will not be put down or held down. Ask the colonialists, ask the military, ask the Third Termists! Read up on the Nigeria vs Niger Delta conundrum. Ask the so-called "cabal" that held our late President Yar'Adua and his regime by the jugular! Just to add a more current scent, ask our soccer (mis)representatives - the Super Eagles (?) – to the just-concluded FIFA World Cup in South Africa: For earning us such a poor grade, and not rising to the challenge of making Africa proud in the first-ever mundial on African soil, they are being roasted! This, despite our criminal and incriminating absence of focus, bad and improper coordination, the palpable fraud in sports administration - not unlike everywhere else - late and inadequate preparation, and an ageing squad!!

Followers of this site may recall my passion and commitment when all was well. So, for me to be off - sort of AWOL - all these months is the most painful and depressing blow my country has dealt me thus far. Recall, dear friends, that we've had hitches and glitches before: Internet Access wahala. And the usual apologies followed. However, this time, it became very clear that there was a plot to "under-DIGITALize" the nation! The official national carrier, NITEL, had been "cornered" along with SAT-3, the submarine cable. As my preferred ISP and Nigeria's Internet backbone, we have been virtually crippled in the last 20+ months! I got very angry and decided to await the Glo-1 and Main One submarine cables being deployed by some great patriots Mike Adenuga (I told you before) and Fola Adeola (founder of GTB Bank) + Ms Opeke (a Telecoms Amazon). I will revisit this subject sometime soon.

If it cost these firms less than US$1.5bn to land their cables in West Africa, we could have wired up the Whole of Africa with US$5bn a few years back. Yet, Nigeria paid over US$15bn to exit her so-called "external debt", to the London and Paris Clubs of Creditors!! Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria & South Africa should have paid US$5bn to put their continent on a 21st Century Internet pedestal, under the proud auspices of the African Union. It would have been easier, cheaper and faster. Thank God for our conscientious compatriots and their likes around Africa, and within the African Diaspora.

Returning to my blogs, and remaining online, was my only condition for re-subscribing to any ISP. I have used most of what was on offer, and, along with other nationals, the story has been sad. So sad. Since you are reading this, it means I'm fairly confident I now have a good deal. Well, I hope!

My apologies to you all. If you had any lashes for my back for going AWOL, spare them: I've groaned under the harshest possible punishment: not being able to "speak" with you, "share" with you, in this privileged and enthralling zone of our Online Commons!!

Jubilee Knocks!

Thank God from both big and small mercies! I am writing with great gratitude myself, as with my
dear country Nigeria, for resuming my blogs on the eve of our Fiftieth Independence Anniversary.
Details will follow on why and how I've been off. But I apologize sincerely.

As I write, there is optimism in the air and in my own heart. If we cannot speak for the past, we can certainly play a worthy part in the plans for the future. These are indeed challenging times, exciting times, momentous moments.

Your humble blogger shall do his bit. May God's Plan be fulfilled for country and citizen in Jesus' Name. Amen.

The MAN in the FALCONETS

Gender crusaders and feminists may wish to regale us afresh that, "the best man for a job is a WOMAN! Haven't our Super Falconets proven it today - at the Under20 Women's FIFA World Cup, losing narrowly to hosts and now two times champions Germany? What the Super Eagles failed to achieve in South Africa our girls did for the nation! They could have lifted the trophy. Well, they came proudly second. We are proud of them. Bravo!

We salute and celebrate the Nigerian Spirit in the girls. It reminds us of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Soccer Gold Medalists, led by Nwankwo Kanu. They, like the girls, were shabbily treated and given no chance at all of getting anywhere. Today, we have a feeling of déjà vu. There is creeping evidence that Nigeria will use these two canes to whip sanity into our football and general sports administration in this era of mandated restructuring. To do otherwise will be criminal lethargy, even suicidal.

Back to the girls: They flew the Nigerian, Ecowas and African Flag into the final. And yes they did us proud. Having stopped USA - the defending champions - many were rooting for them. Those "not-so-sure" touted the high-scoring record of the hosts to predict a routing of the Falconets. It ended 2-0; it could have been 1-0! Pray, the Germans were the better side. And they fully deserved their win.

Now, to the lessons: It is not news that most of our glory has had great lacings from our female athletes. Who can forget that glorious high jump gold - our first Olympic Gold - by Chioma Ajunwa? Or the great exploits of long-reigning queen of African tracks, Mary Onyali? Right now in Kenya the women are making us proud again! It is time to acknowledge this, and move strategically to give them full support at all levels.

Make no mistake, all of sports need transformation; what we advocate is a non-discriminatory and robust approach.

Leaders Gone and Leaders Going plus Leaders Coming

Argentina.

Dateline: Transfer of Presidential Power.

Dateline: From Husband to Wife.

Proudly!

United States.

Can da same happen in "God's own country"? But with its own unique variant: A wife taking office as President two-terms after her husband?

How many spouses can be proud running on the records of their spouses? And proudly hope to succeed them?

Germany.

Is it likely that a Chancellor will be so outstanding that her husband may be "drafted" to run in succession?

Academics, weren't they both? Put nothing past professors and da cosmic realms!

Proudly.

Nobel Peace Prize: Al Gorenation of da IPCC!

Thanks to ICT advances, no one should miss watching the CNN special on this year's Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies.

Superbly anchored by Jonathan Mann, the laureates did justice to their "coronation outing"!

Get thee online for da taste, or...retaste!!

Deserved.

Subprime Signals

Make no mistakes about it, the world's financial system is in some real trouble. Big trouble. All we are told is not all, and much is being "hedged" or "hidden" by hope and hype.

Helped by surging oil prices and earnings, suppressed by surging "other" economies (read East, et al), the West is in some - at least banking - straits.

The USA's uncontrolled (perhaps uncontrollable) spendings on the so-called war on terror, led by huge costs in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as mind-boggling misspendings at home (read the GOA's reports), are subsumed under the historical toga of "da world's largest economy" to fuel mega-huge foreign borrowings.

Because of the unprecedented embarrassingly humongous foreign reserves of several sovereign states and corporates, the global system seems so elastic to accommodate the seeping scandals now masquerading as "write-offs" and "charge-taking".

Oh yes, heads are rolling alright, but what else do we know will roil...and roll? Plenty.

When da chickens start coming home to roost - as the sun sets on subsisting political careers - and the political batons prove to be poisoned chalices, more shocking things will happen, alas!

21 Months.

MNCs: Bribes-for-Contracts Worldwide

Wilbros (USA) and Siemens (Germany) have been convicted at home for paying huge sums as bribes-for-contracts in Nigeria, among other places. Thanks to the judicial systems of the United States and Germany, we now have another reaffirmation of the corruptive power of Western multinationals.

When the history of bad governance at BOTH country and corporate levels shall be finally done, the world's conscience will be seared and scarred.

It is slush fund sucking blood money, galore!

Democracy on my Mind

As we are now witnessing, democracy is under stress and test around the world. Leaders who came to power through elections are undermining the necessity and inviolability of the vote! Those who came to power promising early and free & fair elections are sitting tight in office! The world is being threatened by actual, pseudo and aspiring dictators. Human rights are now game, fair game, in the onslaught against da people.

We, in Nigeria, just escaped the sit-tight monster by whiskers! Thanks to progressive, patriotic and selfless forces in our Senate.

All parliaments around the world must deny their leaders such ambition. Democracy must be defended and rejuvenated by free and fair elections, in which people cast their votes and in which their votes count! Period.

The UN must speak up on this matter. No diplomatese, please.

Let each nation decide if it needs term limits (which I think is best!) or not. No problem. Once they do, this must be assured and enforced. Life presidencies and dictatorships be no longer fashion or currency. They must end.

Two Worlds: The GENERALS Head Apart!

And they came: Generals in civil cloaks
singing da song of freedom
waving banners of peace
and vowing democracy...
at last!

And they ruled: Generals in mixed suits
Now in mufti, then in jackboots
raising hope, sealing deals
and baiting da powers...
that-be!

And they sailed: Generals in golden guild
Courted abroad, loathed at home
creating the craters for free minds
and breeding da herds...
of hate!

And they smiled: Generals in smoke-screens
Fixing ballots, feigning freedom
They give hope-in-straits
and take back da scent...
of vote!

And they railed: Generals in utter rage
Smashing patriots and politicians
banning mullahs and monks
and sinking da grundnorm...
at last!

Now the generals in two lands are heading their different ways. Pakistan heading for chaos...! Myanmar coming from da cold!!

Paradox.

UNFAIR World: California Fires and Nigeria's Niger Delta Disaster

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!!!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

Golden Eaglets rule da World!...FIFA World Cup

Congratulations to Nigeria's Under-17 Soccer Squad for bringing home the 2007 FIFA World Cup, making it the third time our cadets will be winning the Gold Diadem. Bravo!

In da interest of "full disclosure", let it be known that Nigeria actually won the maiden edition in China 1985, and again in Japan 1993. Painfully, we've had a 14-year drought before last week!

Appropriately named Golden Eaglets, they won the cup without dropping a single match during the tournament. They beat every great team, from France 2-1 to Haiti 4-1, to Colombia 2-1, to Japan 3-0, to Argentina 2-0, and then capped it with a gruelling 3-0 finale against the European champions, Spain. Oh, what a nail-biting final, which ended in penalty shoot-out!

Commiserations to Spain. Better chance next time!

Our own Macaulay Chrisanthus won the Golden Boot for highest goals (seven), and was declared the Second MVP of the 2007 FIFA Fiesta. Double Bravo, son...we're proud of you! We are very proud of the whole team, and are most grateful to Coach Yemi Tella and his competent crew!

The team will continue their victory lap nationwide - deservedly so. As we celebrate, it's time to distill the lessons in this excellent achievement...for national development.

Here is my bold & ambitious short list:
a) Keep and groom these boys both as persons and as a TEAM - towards the 2010 World Cup.
b) Let's now have a Nigerian Sports University with SIX geopolitical Mega Campuses - to cater for every branch of sports (i.e. Football Academy, Track & Field Academy, Indoors College, Water Sports College, Paralympics Academy, etc) to give our sportsmen and women the best all-round education and training.
c) Strategic and generous Sports Awards, Grants, Scholarships and Fellowships & Honours for all categories of players, actors and stakeholders.
d) National catalytic annual budget of US$I bn sunk into Sports over the next 25 years, to create sound asset-infrastructure and resource base for this vital sector.
e) All "eligible" clubs to be grant-aided at between Naira 50-250m biennially, in a very very creative format that will also enable them hire sound crew, buy great players & athletes, and produce superstars.
f) We must now "internationalise" our local leagues, create our own grand prix, our own derby, and an "African Circuit" with great world class prizes. We have the space, we have the stars, we have the weather, we have the dollars, we have the population!
g) Through a Nigerian Media Special Trust, let's totally transform our multimedia offerings to fully support viewership, readership, global marketing and quality interaction in sports. Thank God for our newly launched Communications Satellite!
h) Recruit and fan out our very best as coaches and handlers, training them in the best places on earth, with a 5/20-year succession matrix.

My point is that we must invest HEAVILY, BOLDLY and CREATIVELY in sports. It is good for the citizens and profitably for the country. Here should be the magnet and market for ECOWAS Talents and Stars. Why not?

Without putting too fine a point on it, if a fraction of all the resources looted by our so-called leaders and their cohorts were this-invested, we would be a World 20 economy by now!!!

Let's use this victory as the right and perfect excuse so to do.

Happy CELEBRATIONS, Nigeria, many more go come o!

Watching This Country, NIGERIA!

After 100 Days of the new dispensation, i.e. since the April Elections/selections, we must say to ourselves that "Da World is surely Watching". And, may they WATCH!

I have a very simple comment, nay, prediction: All who made hay while the fake sun of the fake powers lasted shall be sorry where they'll land, nay, roast. We watch.

Many installed-puppets are ranging their installer-puppeteers studiously, cautiously, cleverly, and even covetously.....for da FINAL roasting! We watch.

It will be feverish, it shall be flashy, even fetish. Pray wishful or washy or windy, it shall be fatal.
The books will never be da same, again! We watch.

Hints: Read up on the states and the deadly manoeuvres aboard, and afoot.

Hints: Soak up on the National Assembly, especially the mood and motions of the senators.

Key: Contemplate the presidency, and the actions plus non-actions of da incumbent.

The next 100 Days...are ominously ominous. Da game of fame changes. Da gate of shame opens.

Mark my words!

Up Nigeria...on Youth FIFA World Cup!

Germany fell 3-1 to Nigeria this afternoon in the ongoing Under-17 FIFA World Cup, way way away in South Korea. Up Nigeria!

We narrowly missed an all-West African finals as Spain narrowly beat Ghana, our brothers, 2-1 yesterday. Up Spain!

Now, don't kid by ever doubting who I want to celebrate here on Sunday! Nigeria, of course!!

Well, as this business goes, we are also fair in our part of da world: Let the better side win!!!

Fair?

World Leaders...on Cost of Meetings

From Sydney comes the harsh reality: COST of HOSTING...World Leaders! Okay, more like World Leaders (whenever President George Bush is present)!! The Aussies are spending tons in cash, building unprecedented fences and other barriers, and deploying everything in their admirable security arsenal...for the APEC Summit, this week. Both Bush and his Iraq war are very unpopular in Australia (as where aren't they?).

It was always there: these protests started before Bush. All IMF and World Bank Meetings have been picketed in sorts. Will always be!! The G8 will not escape, either.

If the leaders ignore major issues or under-perform when needed most, they will keep getting booed, resented and harangued...wherever they assemble on the face of the Earth. The heat, like the Global Warming problem they're deflecting, will be on them! No hiding.

I was just wondering if the Americans are factoring this depressing phenomenon into the future of their worldview and global relations. America cannot go on like this!

We don't know how Mr Bush wants to be remembered. But the world seems dead set to rebuke him everywhere and anywhere! How is Secretary Rice coping with this quagmire?

No matter the cost, may World Leaders meet. May they, because of the cost however, make good things happen...from all them MEETINGS!

Pleeeeeze...