May 30, 2005
Blog recess
Cheers.
Labels: Blog
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Where do we go from here?
News source: French 'Non' puts EU in turmoil (BBC News)
Labels: Constitution, Democracy, European Union, France, Netherlands
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May 26, 2005
Nigerian presidential update
My 2007 Nigerian presidential election watch continues. I would like to focus once more on Mr. Orji Kalu, a contender, whom I first blogged about three months ago. Mr. Kalu has a functional though unfinished website titled: "Orji Kalu for President 2007."
At this point, I would be hesitant to endorse the self-made multi millionaire as a candidate worthy of trust. But I must state that unlike most other candidates who have so far declared their interest in governing Nigeria, Mr. Kalu never served in the Nigerian military, and cannot be directly linked with the military junta of the past that plundered and stole from the Nigerian republic.
These days, the catch acronym in the 2007 presidential election is "ABB" which simply means "Anything But Babangida." Should you be wondering whom this guy called Babangida is, refer to my previous blog articles about the silent hand of retired military generals in Nigerian politics.
Related blog articles: This man for president?
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May 25, 2005
American Prophets
On this blog, I have not for once failed to hide my distaste for predictions made by so-called experts who have little or absolutely no practical experience with regard to the reality on the ground, save for selective views and images which they have been able to compose from information obtained in the electronic and print media.
If anything, the experiment called Nigeria should have failed decades ago, when the first military coup was planned by a group of youthful and zealous military officers in 1966. This coup was followed by a civil war yet, the country continued to exist defying apocalyptic seers and prophets of doom. The closest Nigeria came to disintegration in its post civil war history was during the reign of the late tyrant, General Sani Abacha and the puppet interim national government set up by the dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, which preceded Abacha's reign.
Though dismissing the the US intelligence report as "glib talk" arising from "dubious or diabolical benchmarks", the Nigerian president, Mr. Obasanjo, did forward a copy of the report to the president of the Nigerian senate to, in his words, serve "as a means of informing ourselves."
Once again, I am forced to conclude that the United States intelligence has a very simplistic view of countries outside its shores. Its view of Nigeria is based on the negative stereotypical reporting one finds in a certain chunk of the international media especially those in the United States and Western Europe. There is no hiding the fact that Nigeria has myriad of problems to overcome – from the delicate issue of Islamic law in the North of the country, to the need for local peoples to receive greater income from resources derived from their ancestral lands. Education, health and services need to be greatly improved upon as well to meet the barest international standards, on average.
The future of Nigeria lies in the hands of its citizens, many of who work very hard. These are the men and women who will decide the fate of the nation state they call home within the next fifteen years. Not even a military coup would in my opinion lead to civil war in Nigeria or the doomsday scenario predicted by the United States intelligence.
Related blog article: Another American propaganda
News source: US Intelligence: Nigeria 'll Fail in 15 Years (ThisDay, Nigeria)
Nigeria May Face Collapse Within Next 15 Years, U.S. Study Says (Bloomberg.com)
Labels: Nigeria, United States
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May 23, 2005
Amsterdam fifty years from now
In Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, life moves on at its usual relaxed pace. A visitor to this city in 2005 would not believe how much 'change' has taken place. Unlike in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, not many new buildings have been erected within this fifty-year period. The population of the city remains well below the one million mark, and 70% its inhabitants are Dutch descended from Moroccan and Turkish immigrants. Dutch of the Nordic stock have become a minority, as most have opted to move out to the surrounding cities of Hilversum and Alkmaar.
Islam is the most widely practiced religion in Amsterdam. A lot of mosques as well as an Islamic university have been built. Most churches have either been converted to museums or national heritage buildings. The largest Roman Catholic and Protestant parishes are English-speaking. As a matter of fact, English has somewhat become the first language of the city of Amsterdam. In an attempt to re-position itself as a global city of commerce, reminiscent of the golden days of the 17th century, the use of English is increasingly encouraged by Mayor Ibrahim Hassan. By the way, since 2030, residents of Amsterdam have been allowed to elect their mayor, doing away with the old tradition whereby the mayor was appointed by the king (or queen).
Under pressure from a European Union that has been forced to face the reality of the 21st century world, the unsustainable welfare system of the Netherlands has been literally scrapped. Unemployment benefits now only provide sufficient money for the bare necessities of daily living, unlike in the year 2000 when unemployed Dutch citizens could vacation around the globe from their unemployment benefit savings. Real wages have also declined, and there are now more poor people in Amsterdam than at any time in the last 60 years. Greater acceptance of free market has also seen a noticeable increase in the number of rich people. Never in the history of the city has there been such a wide gap between the haves and have-nots.
Old people are discouraged from living in Amsterdam. The city still has a youthful feel to it. The need to market itself as a vibrant and culturally rich city has led to the creation of policies that discourage the elderly from residing within it. For the past decade, the Dutch government has been encouraging citizens to have more children. With the average birthrate at one child per couple, the government while contemplating letting immigrants in, is quite wary of the backlash from the electorate…Prime Minister Jansen van den Noord knows this too well.
Labels: General, Netherlands
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May 20, 2005
The 'nonsense' called free trade
When is free trade not free? When it doesn't benefit either the United States or Europe. Anyone who has been following the news on the liberalization of global textile trade would have come to see how hypocritical the United States and the European Union are with regard to free trade. It is a problem for them when the world is flooded with goods that aren't from America and Europe. If the Chinese are able to compete and outflank all other textile producers, so what?
Countries were not forced to sign up to World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements but chose to do so voluntarily believing that the WTO was a good replacement for the outdated General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
Chinese textile products have flooded markets all over the world since global textile trade was liberalized on the 1st of January 2005. Not just the United States and EU countries, but a lot of African countries also have been hard hit by this. But that is what free trade is about. One decides to be either for it or against it. Countries do not sign up to it only to call for the rules to be bent when it no longer seems to be working in their favor, as is typical of socialist and protectionist Europe, which till this day continues to subsidize agricultural products to the detriment of farmers in the poorer parts of the world.
Believe me, textiles are just a tip of the iceberg. Wait till the Chinese start exporting cars. Then the world would really be in for a fight.
Related news articles: Hoping for Amicable Chinese Textile Deal (Deutsche Welle)
EU Threatens China With WTO Over Textiles (Deutsche Welle)
Labels: Economics, General, Globalization
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Abuja, city of peace
But, there might have been some logic in moving the capital city from what was also the commercial capital of the country. Situated in the geographical center of Nigeria, the new capital was carved out of land settled upon by a few ethnic groups, predominantly rural dwellers. These were resettled elsewhere and the largest construction project in the history of Nigeria and possibly the entire African continent began. By 1991, the Federal Government moved from Lagos to Abuja.
Now unlike Lagos, which was not only a federal capital city but also a well-industrialized commercial city, Abuja appeared as a boring place. The only industry it had was politics and rather than financial investors, one was likely to find lobbyists trailing the corridors to power and waiting to have their voices heard.
But, Abuja seems to be taking on a new dimension on the African continent. It has become a place where peace talks take place and peace deals are signed. Undoubtedly, this has a lot to do with the fact that Mr. Obasanjo, the president of Nigeria is also the current head of the African Union. Currently, there are ongoing talks to resolve the political quagmire in Togo and the ethnic massacres in the Dafur region of Sudan. And increasingly, Abuja is a city that is trying to carve out a name for itself distinct from Lagos. Well, it sure does have something that Lagos doesn't. Direct federal funding.
Labels: Nigeria
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May 18, 2005
Europeans should vote NO
The EU as a regional bloc has succeeded in building peaceful and strong economies in most of Western Europe, preventing the inhumane ravages of war that plagued the European continent during the first half of the 20th century. Trade between EU countries has never been stronger and European economies are so interdependent on each other.
With such kudos, why shouldn't Europe take the next step by defining for itself a constitution? The notion of a constitution raises the very question of where it is Europe is heading. What sort of Europe do Europeans want to see? A super state purposefully created to compete with the likes of the United States and rapidly advancing China? A Federal Republic of Europe where bureaucrats sitting in Brussels decide how each and every person resident in the EU lives his or her life? Or a federation of nation states, each with its own unique and distinct identity, working for the common good of all?
There is no doubt that the EU is being reduced to a place where the lowest common denominator holds sway. So, if the average French person feels he or she shouldn't work more than 48 hours in a week, this opinion gets tossed on the whole union. Now, Polish workers are prevented from working more than 48 hours a week. In other words, Polish law must not make Poland more competitive than say France or Germany. Everything must be standardized, in most cases at the behest of France and Germany.
Europe is increasingly becoming a land of regulations. And citizens have little or no say in how these regulations come into being. Elected MEPs, whom many know little or nothing about, and the unelected and undemocratic European Commission make all the decisions. In the wonderland called Brussels, Europe's symbolic capital, laws are made which negate national laws. The problem of course is that there isn't a single economic or social model in all of the EU. Britain, the darling of the free market and France, a socialist paradise are in such contrast to each other.
Big government is the bane of humanity. Europe is becoming one mega government where a few people decide the fate of half a million others. People need to wake up to this new reality. Devolution of power to the grassroots, to towns, cities, communities, municipalities and provinces is essential. Nation states can work fully with each other without having to sacrifice themselves at the altar of Brussels to a few power hungry politicians, eager to play a more significant role on the world stage.
What Europe needs are more flexibility and less rigid regulations. Flexibility is essential if the union hopes to stay ahead in a fast changing world. But how can the EU be flexible with the governmental structure it has in place?
Labels: Constitution, Democracy, European Union
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May 10, 2005
How much work is too much work?
On a philosophical note, in this high-tech age where the threshold between work and relaxation is increasingly being blurred, how does one define work? To a construction worker, work revolves around laboring on site for a given number of hours a day. But to a university professor, work goes way beyond the number of hours he or she spends in the laboratory or office. Professors are 'notorious' for taking piles of work home and putting in nonstop hours even on weekends. An 80-hour a week job should be typical for a number of professors. If they enjoy doing this, so be it.
People indeed need to spend some time with their families but a socialistic approach to the problem, whereby laws are imposed by which citizens are forcibly required to comply is pathetic and unfortunate. The trend in Europe these days is to regulate every single thing. Who knows, in the next ten years, the EU may just have some silly law, which dictates exactly how much food you should feed your pet.
Labels: European Union, General
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May 7, 2005
Desperate First Lady
Whether or not the story of the Midwest Herald is true (Reuters said the story was titled "Greedy Stella"), the police, in my opinion, have no business arresting the publisher. Courts exist for this simple reason – a civilized place where civilized people settle their problems in civilized ways. But since Nigeria has become a place where anybody close to power feels the urge to use such power, should we be surprised?
Probably, it is about time people began debating the role of first ladies (or first gentlemen, should female presidents emerge in the future). If Mrs. Obasanjo feels she is innocent or has been defamed by this publication, she should settle the case in court. If she is guilty, the abusive use of the state security agency to silence those who seek to find the truth will eventually backfire.
Related blog article: Who's next?
Labels: Nigeria
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May 5, 2005
Strollers
"Irene Wambui can't imagine why anyone would buy a baby stroller. She says she sees it as a cold cage filled with useless rattles, cup holders and mirrored headlights. Imagine children being stuffed into such a contraption and pushed around town like some kind of pet."
And goes on:
"Across Africa, women can be seen carrying sleeping or sometimes giggly babies on their backs, swathed in cloth. The babies move to the sway of their mothers' hips, synchronized throughout the day, bending with them as they collect water or sweep the floor and rising again when the women stop to rest. They hang on as their mothers sell food in the market or pray at a church or mosque."
A visit to any city in Nigeria today would reveal that most mothers (even the so-called Westernized ones who could readily afford prams) wrap their babies up on their backs, or at the very least carry them with their hands. The bad state of the roads and very few sidewalks (better known as pavements in much of English-speaking Africa) coupled with difficult-to-come-by cash may have contributed in making the pram unattractive in Nigerian cities. But I guess it really has more to do more with what most people see as a proper way of raising a child.
AfricaPundit reflects on this further with the words: "I'd say carrying babies piggy-back is probably a reflection of African ideas about proper childrearing. When a mother carries her baby, she is always available to feed, burp, change, or comfort whenever the baby gets whiny. You'd think that all this attention would lead to spoiled children, but everything seems to work out somehow."
I would also want to think that sufficient physical contact between parents and children could help create a special sort of bond.
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May 4, 2005
A bit of humor
Labels: General
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Another American propaganda
It was first aired on a number of American news websites a few days ago: "Al-Qaeda's new base is Nigeria." I could not but hold back laughter, but wait, didn't we hear all this nonsense about Iraq being aligned to Al-Qaeda just before the invasion. According to an American intelligence expert, Dr. Princeton Lyman:
"You have 60 million or more Muslims in Nigeria. It is the most populous state, and it is a country in which there has been a long history of religious tension, sometimes well-managed, sometimes not well-managed. If you wanted to target a state in West Africa, that's the one you target."
How simplistic can the so-called American intelligence be in assuming that the sympathies of Nigerian Muslims are aligned to Al-Qaeda? This is nothing short of propaganda, and one that may likely serve as a sequel to the presence of United States military bases on Nigerian soil. Why? Well, listen to what Dr. Lyman has to say:
"Twenty-percent of the new oil coming on the market over the next decade is going to come from West Africa, and U.S. companies alone are going to be investing about 50 billion dollars up and down West Africa. Nigeria is a major part of that."
While I happen to be of the opinion that Nigeria should remain strongly aligned to the United States, the use of Al-Qaeda mania to play on the sensibilities of the American and global populace is disturbing. Even if American companies will be investing 1 trillion dollars in West Africa, the protection of United States interests must never go as far as the establishment of military bases in that part of the world, at least, not in Nigeria. I am not being hysterical in presuming that the protection of American interests will likely involve the use of troops. American military vessels have already begun patrolling the Gulf of Guinea (the stretch of the Atlantic ocean south of the West African coast) and this has led to hot debates in Nigeria.
Successive Nigerian governments must know where to straddle the line on this issue. Not just Nigerian Muslims, but a wide cross section of the Nigerian public will definitely not want to see foreign troops on their soil, especially when such troops are present for no other reason than to secure American oil interests.
The above commentary is in response to the news article US Expert: Nigeria May be Al-Qaeda's New Haven published online by the Nigerian daily ThisDay.
Related news article: Terror Havens: Al Qaeda’s Growing Sanctuary in Nigeria (CBN News).
Labels: Nigeria, United States
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May 3, 2005
So, Virgin Nigeria will eventually fly
Trusting the Nigerian government is a difficult thing to do. A decade ago, Nigeria Airways seemed like a vibrant airline, which still flew on international routes. Today, it is no more than a liquidated entity, with not a single functional airliner.
All through its history, Nigeria Airways was 'officially' a loss-making venture, subsidized by the government. Unlike private airlines in Nigeria which relied chiefly on second hand or leased airliners, Nigeria Airways often bought its 737s, A310s and DC-10s straight from Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas. These machines never made profits but kept flying day in and out.
Nigeria is a relatively large country and the absence of domestic air travel, especially since the mid 1970s, is inconceivable. Until the early 1980s when private participation in the airline industry was encouraged, Nigeria Airways was synonymous with domestic air travel, serving virtually every major city in the country with daily flights. But by the late 1990s, the death of Nigeria Airways was in sight. The regime of Nigeria's last true dictator, General Sani Abacha did all it could to save the airline to no avail. Reality dictated otherwise – Nigeria Airways was an aging unprofitable venture doomed to die soon. And death it did see.
By 2002 the domestic airline market in Nigeria had been taken over by local private airlines (foreign airlines are not allowed to serve domestic routes in Nigeria). Unfortunately, these private airlines did not have the requisite capital base to invest in modern airliners and services. They chiefly relied on aging Boeing 737-200s, 727s and Douglas DC-9s. But, at least, they offered a respite for businesspeople and other travelers who really needed to travel by air, to save time, and could still afford to.
The administration of the incumbent Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to resurrect Nigeria Airways through a partnership with South African Airways. The deal eventually failed because South African Airways rejected a Nigerian proposal that the majority of shareholders in the new airline (which was to be called Nigeria Eagle) had to be Nigerians.
Mr. Obasanjo then went globetrotting and came across Richard Branson, the British billionaire and owner of Virgin Atlantic airlines. A deal was struck. Virgin Atlantic would bring its expertise and know-how to a new airline, which was to have Nigerians as its majority shareholders (51%). Branson and his Virgin group would own the remaining 49%. Good and fine. Branson, with his unparalleled business acumen, believing Nigeria to be a huge untapped market agreed to the deal. The new airline, which was to serve as Nigeria's flag carrier was to be called Virgin Nigeria. Nigerian investors were quick to meet up with their part of the multi-million dollar deal.
The eventual winner was the Nigerian government, which in principle didn't spend a penny on the new airline. Mr. Obasanjo was once reputed as saying that his government was not going to waste a single kobo (i.e. Nigerian equivalent of "cent") on a national airline anymore. From the look of things, Virgin Nigeria will be taking off soon. It recently received two Airbus A320 airliners, which have been painted in its livery – green and red, though judging by the picture above, they still bear Bulgarian registration numbers. According to local reports, the airliners are currently undergoing test services to begin commercial flights later this month. More airliners will eventually follow in the next few months as Virgin Nigeria begins to fly international routes.
If Virgin Nigeria becomes a success (since it is a private venture, it will definitely not go the way of state-owned and inefficient Nigeria Airways), there may be great clamoring for more initiatives such as this, i.e. where the government creates the environment for private partnership to flourish. And for all those 'patriotic' Nigerians complaining about a foreigner owning almost 50% of the national flag carrier, I have just one thing to say to you all – be silent.
Nigerians reportedly own $170 billion of assets and investments chiefly in Europe and the United States. Affluent Nigerians prefer to invest in the New York Stock Exchange rather than in the Lagos Stock Exchange. If it takes a foreigner to push this initiative forward, let it be. For all the nationalistic rants one often hears, Nigeria Airways could have been a world-class airline had previous military administrations not stolen from the national coffers only to stack such stolen funds in private bank accounts in Europe and the United States. I guess this time, Nigerians would have to exercise a bit of faith in their government.
Related blog article: Virgin Nigeria
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