The Trumpy Effect

African Leaders and their Puppets

Leadership roles in Africa are unfortunately bereft of leaders. Most simpletons who find themselves in positions are more enthused by the position than the roles of the position. They enjoy the fame availed by their positions, fanning their ego to oppress their peers and adversaries. It is not only a common thing at every sector of the government but also common with the so called followers who have watched their leaders squander positions for personal gains. They in turn want similar positions in order to repeat the fraudulent and opulent lifestyle their predecessor led.

This uncanny way of life has been parading the vicissitude of the African Continent and has been responsible for politicians whoring positions to satisfy their egotistical affections. This recidivist leaders have no cause to change because their followers are the mediocre that fuel their desire to remain in office amidst glaring failure.

One of the major problems in Africa is that the masses (the down trodden, the hewers of wood and drawers of water) are a complacent lot, who are not ready to exchange force for change. A good example of such is the Nigerian citizenry. I have never known any people that is so indifferent to their future. For example, If a Nigerian buys a loaf of bread today at N100 and the next day, the price of the same size and quality of loaf bread has increased to N200, a typical Nigerian will never ask question or show any signs of outward protest but willingly and grudgingly seek an immediate truce. He will simply ask the bread seller to slice him N100 worth (Half) of the same bread he bought yesterday for N100. Compromise is a common character of a Nigerian. He never asks questions. He does not want to rock the boat. He cannot confront a lingering situation inimical to him and descendants. He would rather remain at status quo than create a fuss that could possibly lead to the exoneration of his predicament.

Perhaps the Middle Class and the Elites who can be categorized as narcissistic and lunatic have had a good run at the expense of the masses or they are simply an art that the masses need to keep their hopes sturdy and alive. It is an assumption by a larger proportion of the masses that their time will come when they will overcome their wants. Their endless hope is ever suppressing.

An unknown crusader once said “Every citizen deserve its leadership”. The masses, who form more than 80% of the electorates can choose their leadership by voting their conscience and not their immediate needs. A constituency that chose its leadership on performance will do well than one who chose based on popularity or common charity. Here in Nigeria, people choose their leadership definitely not on performance but generosity and popularity. It is true that the eyes don’t see the essential but here in Nigeria, the eyes can see the non-essential, for the basic essentials are non existent. Unfortunately it is the non-essential that they endorse.

Nepotism and Racial Bigotry is another problem on another level. I partly agree with Achebe, the egalitarian prodigy, that Nigeria is not a country but a people existing with inward antagonism. A people suffering from Cultural Schizophrenia, Eurotoxification and a Lunatic Elite. The Leaders have used tribe and religion as an instrument to manipulate the emotions and sentiments of the governed, to an extent that the latter have become oblivious of the bigger picture. Every tribe in Nigeria is striving to protect a culture that has since been receding into the crevices of their memory. Morality should be the order of the day, but morality counts for nothing in the face of religion and tribe.  The Hausas who are predominantly Muslims are driven more by religion and live in a closely knit culture controlled by Islam. The Igbos, who are predominantly Christians are semi-influenced by their religion but are fiercely individualistic, materialistic and industrious. The Yorubas, a melting point for all the races and religion are tolerant in a flagrant manner and egotistically bias. We race to keep our race at the top but we forget about nation building. At the expense of race dominance, we forget to live but merely exist to keep the elites living off our puerile and gullible existence.

Education was meant to alleviate poverty but has created more confusion than enlighten Nigerians. Half bred educators teaching mindless students would only create a jejune mind. The sheer banality of setting out to school is being defeated at the end of the day, for more than many are a misfit of what they acclaimed. It is a nasty experience to butter the face of a bread that has lost its bromate to expiration. Most of the knowledge taught in school are dead. I remember back in the university; my lazy lecturer taught us exactly the same way, same examples that he taught students seven years ago; Thank heavens I was able to borrow one of the notes of a seven-year-old graduate from the same department. I need not write any notes of his, for the notes I borrowed from the alumnus was a perfect replica. The education system is recursive and not advancing, typical of the country. Education is supposed to make us better but I guess it is just an instrument too. An advance citizenry should be the target of every educational system and not make you half boiled egg. Making you a side dish, to be eaten or discarded. The system, if at all had achieved anything, had made us nothing but appendages, seeking succor from the elites or privileged, creating a corrosive cycle.

 The leaders would not encourage an advance citizenry. They will never better education in this country because they know that it is their adversary to leadership. The more naïve the people are, the better for their cusp of leadership. I cannot remember a time when military and Civilians (Politicians alike) have ever campaigned without including Building Good Roads, Power restoration, Good Schools and Hospitals. I believe at this time, our leaders should be campaigning with more advanced global issues like Global Warming, Economic diversification, urbanization of rural areas, effective depopulation of urban areas. Nuclear program for power and medicine. Scientific discoveries and technological advancement, Space exploration etc.   A citizenry that know its right and seek change is a revolutionary and advanced citizen. ‘Our sidon look’ attitude will only earn us nothing but freedom from glory and subservience to poverty.

We attack each other at election time to install crooks and brigands in positions. Many potential soldiers of freedom lose their lives, fighting on the streets in support for politicians who would soon forget them as soon as election is won. What have we done with ourselves? Only to seek improvement by groveling and ingratiating from the same set of people we queued up to elect. We need to wake up and put tribalism. Religion, status and nepotism aside and elect egalitarian leaders.

I agree. It is difficult to know a true leader. They are wolves in sheep linen. Vote for performance and track records and you will see a change in leadership. Do not vote for popularity, showmanship, group or individual success. It is only here in Nigeria that people detained for corrupt practices are declared winners of election, even while in detention. People who are wanted for international crime and have serious litigation pending against them, win elections. With our eyes opened, we pluck, wash and eat bad apples and expect not to purge. Who are we fooling? Poor choice in leadership begets poor administration. We have lived in deepening anarchy for years to support a fragile peace. It is about time we purge the anarchy and perpetuate good governance and peace.

Remember my brethren, we need to break the circuit in order to reset it. 

Nigeria in the Cross-Strait fire

Only a few would stop to think about Nigeria’s overwhelming decision to suddenly severe diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The demotion of Taiwan by the Federal Government of Nigeria to a trade state and not a sovereign state developed from China’s influence on Nigeria.

Perhaps Nigeria at the moment, in recession, has little to offer in terms of holding decision against certain economic power countries like China. Nigeria has to weigh her options between supporting Taiwan as a state and losing China as an economic ally.  The frontier of the cold war between China (PROC) and Taiwan (ROC) has seen different supporters from different states and even region depending on the government affiliation. Taiwan has been known to be secretly supported by Right hand government while same Right hand governments have not had the effrontery to take the mantle to the UN. China has enjoyed both leftist and controversially right hand governments’ supports. The latter has been due to the need to manage a fragile state of affairs with China. Starting a face-off with China on Taiwan is almost nearly starting one with Russia. Even though Russia and China have disagreements on a number of issues, they share similar feelings on Taiwan remaining a buffer state.

China stands at an advantage both because of her economic and military dominance in the region as well as influence at the UN. Drops of criticism from different quarters have not been able to reverse                                                                                   

    

China’s stiff control over Taiwan. As long as Taiwan remains a buffer state and not claim sovereign title or seen as a sovereign state by other UN accredited sovereign states, China bears no grudge against them

But with Nigeria dabbling in this 68 year old crisis, with little or no understanding of the international effect (or so I presume) on her diplomatic relations with other countries is yet to be seen. Leaning towards America’s (under Trump) indignation over China’s resistance to Taiwan’s rise to sovereignty, which is a potential cold war between America and China, might drag Nigeria (a less perceptive and ill prepared country) into a cold war.

Hong Kong suffers similar state of affair with China. Typically, it is a ‘one country two systems’ system of affairs in both situations.

From the inner thoughts of Yahya Jammeh (An innocuous appeal to the world to see reason) Hear him if you can.

Perhaps Jammeh’s resistance and call for a re-election might have presented the erring factor in the electioneering process of the Gambian 2016, Dec 1^st election.  From a more eclectic point of view, Jammeh’s resistance to the result was not premeditated for he had initially conceded defeat and even congratulated the President Elect, Barrow ("you are elected president of The Gambia, and I wish you all the best”, I have no ill will.) to the extent that he planned to convene a transition meeting for Barrow’s new presidency. More in Jammeh’s defense; the moment he got the result of the election, he released the opposition leader of the Coalition for Democracy and eighteen (18) others as a sign of good fate and acceptance to the new dispensation.

However, unfortunately the Gambian Election Commission,  after the previous reading of the election results on the 2^nd of December, came out with a modified result on the 5^th December bringing the margin between Jammeh and Barrow from 8.8% to 3.7%, and a 9.1% reduction on the total votes cast.  

The modified result of the election led to Jammeh’s rethink about leaving office. On the 9^th December,  he challenged the result of the election on Gambia National TV saying “He has decided to reject the outcome of the election due to serious and unacceptable abnormalities during the election process.” This of course was met with criticism and jeered uproar from the citizenry and international communities.

…and from a more eclectic perspective, Jammeh would not have conceded to an election result that is fraught with abnormalities. Maybe Gambians are tired of his government and perhaps seek a change in power according to some popular views, but it is worthy of note that it is immoral and unlawful to quest the removal from power, regardless of years on the throne, through an obscured  election.  Are Gambians so desperate to see Jammeh out of power at the expense of justice? He has every right to challenge the results. He did not say he will not leave power irrespective of the judgment.  He has simply petitioned the GEC and the election result and until he is heard there will be no transition.

We should not be too hasty to advance our indignant stereotypic psychic that African leaders are hard to leave power. Remember he had conceded defeat but after the modification of the result, he chose to reject the result and asked for an enquiry into the abnormalities.

The AU and the UN and all other foreign bodies should not stoke a civil war in Gambia, rather they should ensure a speedy judgment of the matter.

We should strive to promote an Africa that displays erudition and candor, and not one that is flawed by misguided emotions and unruly decisions. About (60.5%) of those who heard about the Gambian Election did not read about it. They merely relied on hearsays and elicit empathy for the Gambian citizens, who out of sheer remiss want Jammeh out of power at all cost. 

Unsalable Hillary or Sagacious Trump

                                                      Unsalable Hillary or Sagacious Trump

In between reality and forecast, the epiphany that Donald John Trump would trump his competitor to the white house is far-fetched.  This eye opener is scintillating to the seeming reality that what glitters is not golden. The façade that paraded the debates, the call ins, the innuendoes and facets of fracas between Hillary and Trump, with the endless badgering of Trump as an insensitive and unstable option for the white house reflected the entire opposite of the election result. I personally wasn’t shocked by the result. There had always been that inherent applause within the Trump campaign and his nefariously deemed ideals. He spoke astutely, the minds of White Supremacist Americans, although with unguided perversions. He yet misfired, but among his misfires, the origin and mindset of his proposal shone like a golden coin in a mud. How, with his egotism, bigotry, narcissism, he won the coveted election, remains a foggy mystery on the minds of billions.

Many still find it difficult to believe that Hillary’s email scandal compared with Trump’s aberrations and inexperience could have won the election in favour of the latter.  Perhaps the media support for her in spite of email scandal range, where 61% respondent in the Quinnipiac University poll barely 3months ago revealed Hillary as dishonest and untrustworthy, blinded her to address her Achilles’ hill. Her Adviser Joel Bennenston, a renowned strategist and pollster, possibly should share in the blame for her failure. He failed in his job to bring to the fore, the latent hindsight that had consistently been swept beneath notice.

Hillary was built a jetliner by the Polls pooled by CNN and other Medias and she rode on it like an ignorant peacock to an oblivious failure. Marred by the undetailed FBI investigation of the email scandal which was described as an unethical political interference by the White House to salvage her electoral integrity,  her several cosmetic preservation of diplomatic and political prowess neither worked in her interest for the white house nor flipped her personality image-wise. In spite of the conspicuous White House and Media support, she couldn’t swim through. Guessed the Americans saw through her thinly veiled façade and the media propaganda. It is hard to believe that anyone could have lost to Trump, much more Hilary. It’s as if she was fated to lose the election.

The outcome of the election is the voice of Americans. And they must accept the fate that awaits them.  Americans, perhaps chose a rookie over a rocker, time would tell. Global distrust might not reflect the true identity of Trump. He however, actually reflected his own identity with his unmentionable abominations. His victory crystallizes the views of almost 65% of Americans to keep an inbred culture rather than a diversified one.

The only formidable weapon Trump wielded, which in hindsight was Bernie’s against her in the Democrat’s primaries, reared its ugly head in reality to topple her from achieving her coveted position. A Bernie versus Trump run perhaps would have given the Democrats Olympus. The democrat, amidst the fierce scandal against Hillary, exchanged a golden coin for rusty one. The election was lost because of their choice, which was promoted by Obama and her Husband. Sentiments are Politics, and won with it but not without the right permutations.

Trump’s triumph was in his campaign model. The most common campaign, similar to Adolf Hitler in his pre-second world war crusade, (Tell them their problems, Tell them who is to be blamed for it. Tell them how to eliminate those responsible). He told majority Americans what they needed to hear; how he hopes to salvage their future by cutting taxes and giving them back their jobs, which according to him have been stolen by immigrants from Africa and their Latin neighbours. Trump harnessed this model and won the election battle against all odds, and in the U.S for that matter, a country whose bedrock foundation for peace and message of freedom for all pervades the entire globe. It seemed this value is headed for the rock, with millions of African and Mexican immigrants (especially Nigerians) awaiting repatriation or imprisonment.

Except for Trump’s experience in Business, Politics was never his forte. The world is waiting to see what will emerge from his Chrysalis. And the reactions, acidic, indifference or a shocking awe are yet to be born

Just a thought-if it makes some sense somewhere in life

What is the universal certainty that one plus one is equal to two. That our ever seemingly correct calculations and answers are not all one compound errors that have all remained functional due to their consistencies. Breaking away from our own reality or dimension, with a little bit of impulse to address this theorem, couldn’t one plus one, perhaps equal to eleven instead o f how we have been tutored to think it.

We only need to clear our minds of our conceptualized rut and redesign our mathematics. Consistent reliance on a technology that was developed and evolved over the years , building exceedingly  on this paradigm should be obliterated and a pristine idea parallel to the foundation should be evoked and we will see that truly that just as the world is inexplicable in its diversity, so also its mathematics and its functions. 

My assertion must not be taken literally. It is a subtle way to invoke the unknown in you. perhaps you can draw sustenance from what has already been conventionalized. Been nonconforming will not dull you but will make you less agreeable with yourself and possible fathom you a way through... 

MADIBA MY AFRICA

Africa is here for once as a pilgrim

Our regrets for a fallen Robben island pilgrim
Here today our revered and sullied homage
That was our price for an Africa in bondage
Madiba’s soul is journeying to the Pantheon
Will Mourners tears, unknowns allay?
Mandela was South Africa
Now Madiba is all Africa
We will not our din cast in the past
But our trophies and hopes are vast
David Diop was Africa my Africa
Madiba is my Africa my Africa

There is 'still' a country.

After taking the trouble to read Achebe's memoir "there was a country" which, with the intention of reviewing realized that it wasn't worth the effort. This memoir I must say, although is an elaborate depiction of what transpired before and during the war, it however PRIMARILY presented a tribe misconception and beatified the Igbo tribe above the other tribes in Nigeria.

I really do not need to exhume the ghost of the Biafra war or exclaim the inhumanity therein but the racist impressions borne by Achebe killed my courage to review the book. Some may review this piece of mind of mine as a candid review but i hold it a trickle of aspersion for the book. 

I do understand the betrayal Achebe suffered as a young man who believed in enhancing the development of a young country, until he was faced with either annihilation in Lagos or return to the safety of his home region. I also understand the campaign for a sovereign Biafra that failed. It was a bitter pill that had to be swallowed for no cure that had to be forgotten. The book if you manage to read it, although showed Achebe as one the greatest writers Nigeria could ever have but i must say it also wanes my belief in him as one of the greatest minds in cultural and traditional sustenance. 

The true Pan-Africanism spirit is lost in the book. This is not the kind of book our peace-fragile nation needs at this time. It is a kind of book that spurs young bloods to war and revive the dust of Biafra. What we need at this point are books to unite us as a country and not further put asunder to a wandering nation. No wonder Achebe has turned down many of the National Awards proposed to him. He was living in the fragmented world of Biafra. His ideal cultural limbo which, never did survive champions the basis of this so called memoir. 

Nigeria as a nation has come to stay. Any attempt of secession would appropriately lead to another civil war. At this point of our lives, this is not what we want. If Achebe hopes to invoke the spirit of vengeance in the youths, as he massages his approach to the great beyond, then he must very well have a rethink.

The World at Full Speed

They say the world is going to an end. I don’t think so; I will rather say we humans are pushing the world to its end. Although the bible proclaims doom on the world in the book of revelation speaking about the end of time, I believe that the world is sooner approaching that end than that biblical appointed time.

I am not merely concerned about the chaos caused by our insatiable demand from nature. Neither am I ruffled about the unnecessary and insignificant wars and political imbroglio that have managed to keep the world in a state of fragile peace.

My concern exactly is the rape of morality in our society today. An institution that our forebears have suffered to build and sustain over the years; from the fall of the dark ages to the rise of the medieval era is today being riddled to the ground by so called right of freedom; that value today counts for nothing; the very foundation on which our society stands. A wise man once said that “The loss of Morality is the gain of crises”

Right of freedom and freewill are the very vice that are truly ruining the world. The former, a human given right and the latter God given talent are both taking their tolls on the values of human existence. It is right of freedom that gives some bedeviled humans to call for right of same sex marriage (legalization of gayism). Our world will soon lose the very civility that keeps it in harmony. Isn’t it true that what goes up must surely come down? Our civilization is beginning to reach its climax, its elastic limit, its diminishing return that is why our rage to reunite our time with the stoneage where chaos was the count of character seemed inevitable.

Sometimes I try to discover the unsavory legalization of same sex marriage. Just because some lost souls deemed the union of opposite sex extinct and found salvation in anal sex does not mean we should break the backbone of morality to uphold some evil right. To some I may sound personal in my position but I ask of what value is this law to human advancement and value. I think these are the substance that nourish our civilization.

I seek to wonder if these countries that fall victim to legalization of same sex marriage would also amend their constitutions to accommodate marriage between man and animal. For as far as I can tell both are similar cases. What these governments do not understand is that some humans are like children and still need that ‘parental’ guidance on how to spend their civil right. Unfortunately bad habit is far more contagious than good habit. No sooner had gay marriage been legalized, did many people rocked their world in its frivolous party. I am not going to blame the devil in this. We know what is right. In the innermost abyss of our hearts we know that it is grossly immoral and unrighteous. If not why do they labour to write it into constitutions.

I dare say that the role of America in this matter is symptomatic of their psychic for a free world. Nevertheless this does not guarantee lack of common sense in disposition of authority. I guess it is their ways to ‘lie the truth’ to themselves. I was an ardent supporter of America for their bill of right until recently. Some things are just not right.

It is a greater shame on the Christian society. We cannot even rely on our so called canons in the Christendom to abhor such demonic attitude. They had to be the first to rear it. No wonder Muslims will always refer to Christians as Kefirs (Unbelievers). For how can you be a believer, a priest for that matter and accept gay marriage. It is not compulsory to be a priest and remain celibate. It is merely a sacrifice of pleasure for pain to gain holiness.

This world is finished.

How Gaddafi Lost His Battle For Libya

One would wonder how easily Gaddafi let go Libya after his promise that " No hostility from rebels will make me step down. I will take back MY City from these outlaws and then crush them on the streets of Libya". This statement today seemed to hold no water as the rebel forces NTC seemed to be winning the war against him. The rebels have taken all the vital cities in Libya. They are gradually taken over Tripoli. The rate at which they are going they are sure to take the whole of Libya within the next 30 days. So why and what happened to Libya's tyrant promise to hold on to mantle inspite of the rebellion commanding him to stand down.

The answer is not far fetched. On the 13th July, 2011. Gaddafi made financial commitment to some Sudannesse and Somalian Mercenaries who promised to help him take back Libya plus he gave money to a Russian Fidelio Servio Rasnokovic to supply him arms. This decision was made after a larger chunk of his military top brass officers no longer supported him and deflected to the rebel's camp to fight against him. And Realizing that his command of Libyan military and Arms have been lost to an internal mutiny within the military and without any feasible significant chance of ever surviving the rebellion with all his warfare gone and with all the arms now in possession of the rebels as well as intelligence, he resulted to external assistance.

An arrangement was made for him by his aide Saheed Husman Abeed (deceased) to meet the head of a Sudanesse Mercenaries from the North (Bashir Al Seidou Ah-him) nick named THE BARON to help him hold and stamp out the insurgency in his country. According to my source The Baron promised to help him recruit more fighters from across Niger and Somalia and he was to pay them $3,220,000usd mobilization after a successful campaign he was going to pay them the balance of $1,800,000usd.

The sum of $3,220,000usd was handed over to the Baron in Austria on the 13th July 2011 by a woman (name unknown) who was said to be head of Gaddafi's fund managers. Likewise an undisclosed sum was transferred to Fidelio for supply of arms. Fidelio made good his promise. On his way some of the ammunition were seized by NATO and some of Fidelio's men were killed in the process. As for the Baron, he merely neglected the campaign and did not return the money. For this his Aide Saheed was executed for Conspiracy against Gaddafi. My source disclosed that the reason perhaps why the baron failed to fulfill the agreement was due to the fact that Gaddafi had earlier agreed with the baron that he was going to have him supply the ammunition as well as mercenaries to fight for him. According to my source the baron wasn't happy when he learnt that the ammunition contract had been taken from him and given to Fidelio, the Russian. He had called Gaddafi that nobody does business like that and Gaddafi had discounted it with the wave of the hand

The Baron's treachery and Fidelio's arm loss to NATO buried Gaddafi's Campaign. To make matters worse, Libya foreign investment had been frozen by The UN. He had no funds to commit to his resistance or canvass any support. The locals that were loyal to him; his town's people were beginning to desert him as they feared the fate that awaits them if they are captured. So they decided to make good their escape before the rebels. get to their province. With almost 85% of Tripoli under the control of The NTC, Even Gaddafi knew it was all over.

oRACLE

dAYO pHILLIPS