Uhuru? Not yet. Not, yet.

The mother continent is kicking off September with a cracker!  Chief Justice  David Maraga, of the Republic of Kenya has ruled in favor of Kenya's opposition, nullifying the Presidential elections.  The Supreme Court has requested the IEBC (the Independent Electoral  and Boundaries Commission) to hold a re-run in the next  sixty days. Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) and indeed the whole world has been tweeting away, mostly heaping praises on Maraga for a decision that is termed "courageous".

So is it just about courage? Is it only courage? Is courage the only principle here?  I dare say no.  I would want to take a look at a few other principles. 

The technology

The elections were electronically empowered. These days, they mostly are. Voter authentication was machine-based. The famous 34A  and 34B forms that contained results were scanned and uploaded to databases. Once data from these forms  were captured  and centralised and submitted, they could be accessed by anyone who had the authorisation.  The confrontation of these  forms against the final tabulation  and the irregularities therein were key in  the decision of the Supreme Court.  

Open proceedings in court
I must salute the Court for allowing live transmissions of the proceedings. Nobody will say that the judges did this in a closed chamber. Chief Justice Maraga, and his fellow Supreme Court judges listened to both the accusers and defenders in this case. I recall reading the analysis of a lawyer friend on the "dazzling" performances of certain lawyers.  Transmissions were livestreamed over the world wide web by media houses.  Anybody who cared about the proceedings could follow online. I followed online.

The citizens' engagement
I cannot say if it was:

•  the experience of the last election that ushered Uhuru Kenyatta  into the State House,
•  the bravery of the Kenyan people,  
• the fear of civil war, instability or social crises
• the "Magical Spirit" 
• the media engagement at national and international level

But whatever it was, there was real follow-up by Kenyans. Voting was one thing, but protecting their voices was an entirely different thing. Through it all, I salute the people of Kenya.. Thank you for not just voting and going to sleep. 

There are certainly other principles that came to play here. I am not able to capture them all.  I am still reading, following .. learning.  Earlier today, I tweeted my thoughts.  Basically this:

- It is not yet  freedom (uhuru) in Kenya. Things may still turn out badly.  The crisis is not averted.
- It is not yet, Uhuru (the President).  Sir, the re-election needs to be confirmed. The judgement was not on your person, but on the work done by the IEBC.

- It is not, yet uhuru. This September may not be the freedom for Kenya, but it is freedom all the same.  Raila Odinga, Opposition Chief, says it is a "historic day for Kenya and for Africa".

I have eyes on Kenya.. I am not alone. All of Africa have eyes on Kenya. The world has eyes on Kenya. Chief Justice Maraga seems to have passed his  test. I cannot say to what level his courage (and his Seventh-Day Adventist Faith) came to play here.  But the courage, the technology, the open proceedings and the citizen engagement  are needed  now.. more than before.

Patrice Talon of Benin: An African Obama?

There is something about Patrice Talon that catches and holds one's attention. He seems to be resolute about running his country in a different way. He is in his first few hours of Presidency and I just want to reflect on what appears

First off, appearances may be deceptive. Most often, they are. So I wont be surprised if they turn out to be deceptive in a few years time.

The first, and perhaps, earliest information I got on Talon was that he is a rich business person. The other key information is that his running for presidency did not please the incumbent president. So I got curious about the Bénin elections. In a country that has been touted to have a growing (and some times solid and vibrant) democracy, I wanted to see how things will play out.

The campaign was not a very “friendly” one as there were three “front liners”. The results of the first round was proof of how tight the race was. Over all, I kept my eyes on the Autonomous Electoral Commission and also kept faith. The results came as promised. Prime Minister Zinsou led with 28.44%, Patrice Talon with 24.80% and Ajavon came third with 23.03%. When Ajavon called to vote for Talon in the second round, the die was cast.

Two Days ago, Patrice Talon was sworn in as the President of the Republic of Benin. I love this photo shot of the first couple stepping out majestically.

I am intrigued. I am curious. I want to track this.

• Who is this president who has decided that he can pretty well have a swearing in ceremony, himself, and just his people? The total number of “visiting presidents” to the ceremony was zero.
• Who is this president that says he wont make appointments to “thank” people?
• Who is this handsome rich “young” entrepreneur who wants to do things differently?
• Who is this one that says he will only be in power for one tenure?
• Who is this Claudine, his wife, he chooses to dress elegantly and beautifully with a sober made-in-Benin attire?
• Who are these two who seem satisfied with who they are and do not seem to be looking for peer approval?

This question has been swimming round in my head.. and I think I should ask it:

Are we looking at an African Obama?

Only time will tell. For now, Talonism has been activated and is live in Benin.

Easter 2015 - Resurrection Nigeria

Two nights in a row  I kept vigil in  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  My mind was on Nigeria and Nigeria was on my mind; - the election results of the Presidential race.  I was not the only one whose heart was beating a tad faster.  Last night I finally slept. And a sweet one, it was.    Here are my 5 "take-aways" from the presidential elections.

Professor Jega, and the role of the academia

In as much as we decry the fallen standards in Nigerian universities, bemoaning the citizens' disappointment by the system, something good was found in that milieu.  Professor Attahiru Jega decided that all Returning Officers for all 36 States and the FCT - Federal Capital Territory, be drawn from the numerous Vice-Chancellors of the Nigerian Universities. They may not be the best academics the world has known, they may neither master stage track nor even read well  at night (especially without glasses) but they all accepted the challenge.  The Nigerian Youth Service Corps (NYSC) also did their part. In principle, NYSC is an old-age institution that spreads Nigerians across the federation, making sure that people go to the parts of the country where they do not come from.  "Corpers" on mission learn the "other" cultures and people of Nigeria. This, till date, is the most important unity and integration institution that Nigeria has.  My first take away is that if Nigerian education, universities and academia are equipped enough, this country can lead in almost anything. Intellectual probity is the greatest arm against the unbridled  greed of  politicians, as seen in the epic "Orubebe-Jega Drama"

Citizen engagement powered by technology

This time around, Nigerians were decided that it will not be "business as usual" as it  has always been. The population decided to massively engage.  I really loved the R-egister, S-elect, V-ote, P-rotect (RSVP) campaign as well as the #NigeriaDecides tag on Twitter.  At the end of February, the election fever in Nigeria was higher in °Celcius than Ebola.  Almost all discussions were centered on GEJ and GMB, the abbreviated names of the key runners.  I saw volunteers who went from house to house to talk to people about one candidate or another trying to "deliver" locations.  The extent to which social media played a role in the Nigerian presidential elections cannot be under-estimated. My second take-away is this: Technology is power. Power belongs to the people. When both team up.. they become indomitable, any time, any where.

Real-time transparency
The Independent National Electoral Commission has pulled off the biggest democratic presidential elections in Africa.  The independence of the Jega-led institution  is being hailed by all and sundry.  INEC has social media outlets that were manned, 24/7. They have hotlines and were taking real-time interactive feedback from voters and the public in general. By the time the number of registered voters and the effective number of PVC (Permanent Voters' Card)  that have been collected was known, one knew the maximum number of voters to expect. So far, except for a few rare places, over-voting in any polling unit has had an automatic cancellation of all votes. But beyond these, the declaration of results in "the face" of all media, traditional and new, social and  copyright, at the same time... that was THE one that did it.  Across the country, and in most parts of the world, calculators came in handy, pen and paper too. Some were using spreadsheets, someone started a Google Document and made it open. Every Dick, Tom and Harry who cared about the Nigerian Presidential elections could track and add up the figures and do so in the same minute as they were being announced. My third take away is that the transparent, real-time, offline and Online, all-media announcement of the results proved to be the biggest challenge and deterrent to intending troublemakers. Real-time transparency is the greatest arm against "backdoor, shadowy and secret" election malpractice.

Global media with "nothing to chew"

First there were allegations from certain media when visas were refused to some journalists. Then came a 6-week postponement.  The phobia was palpable as the days approached. There was mass "exiting" of persons, in families, who were expecting Nigeria to tip over.  The rush to buy food and store.. in expectation of the violence that will follow.. all of that came to nothing. In the early hours of Saturday the 28, the first reports were that "Nigerian elections are marred by violence" though the images were missing. Millions were sure they will come. The normal "African elections" followed by killings, burnings, and destruction. This time, things are different. My sweet take-away here: prophets of doom can pack up and go home. There wont be any violence-tourism following the Presidential elections in Nigeria. You are free to report or not, but  right now, Nigerians have the means to tell their own story. 

Jonathan extends Goodluck to Buhari

When it was clear that the game was over, even before the final tallying of all results, President Goodluck Jonathan  gave the famous and proverbial phone call to the winner.  That  call, made to the right person, at the right time, will remain "golden" in the memories of most peace-loving Nigerians. After the call, he also published a message, and later on, gave the speech.  Here is my take-home from here: Jonathan may not have been a great leader, he may not have scored well in many a score sheet,  but he has refused to lead the country into war, silencing all "demons of destruction" that were secretly preparing for bloodbath.  In so doing, he sent the strongest message to all other "losers-to-be", which, for me, is also a great gift.

As Easter rolls in this weekend,  Nigerians will be celebrating  the death of bloodbath'ed  presidential elections and the rising of a new order.  The resurrection of a  new hope, expectancies of better governance, and the satisfaction that comes with a victory won for the people by the people.

Happy Easter Nigeria!

God bless Nigeria!
Viva Africa!

African Unity at 50 or the Burden of our Nationalities

It was a very impressive month of May for me this year. I followed the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity, now African Union.  The round tables, the semi-circles and the plenaries.  Most of the debates are decades old and the same questions that were asked 50 years ago are still on the  table. They have aged but are still alive.

Incidentally, I travelled to Stockholm, Sweden about the same time. Like is the case in many of these gatherings, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SIDA - The Swedish International Development Agency, the organisers of the Stockholm Internet Forum, had done a great job of  making sure that key Freedom of/on the Internet figures from Africa were there. From East to West, North to South, via Central.. they were folks from all across Africa. There were more Africans there, than we had at the Africa Internet Governance Forum in Cairo, last year.

I met Jacob Akol, from South Sudan, in Stockholm. He gave me a book, with a very provocative title. I committed to reading it and since I have been traveling since then, I have been reading bits and chunks of it.  It turned out to to be not just an impressive book, but also one that came in time. Akol, in his memoirs really did a region by region experience of Africa, recounting very sordid experiences of human suffering, resilience, wickedness and corruption. He has been to almost all 54 countries of Africa.

I am happy I asked for an autograph before even I opened the book to begin reading. I will cherish it. And yes, if you see "Burden of Nationality" anywhere, buy several copies, one for yourself, and for others.

My other May experience was in the visit of a friend. Of Zimbabwean origin, this friend had to visit a Francophone country in West Africa. Granted, that particular country did not have a consular representation in Harare. So my friend asked, and yes, you guessed right, she had to go to the French embassy to get this visa:

For frequent travelers, one can see that this kind of "République Française Visa" was the ones used at about the same time the Organisation of African Unity existed. Before France and other European countries started issuing  the Schengen travel visas.

I asked me several questions:

1. So in May 2013, an African national still goes to a European embassy to apply for visa to visit another African country?
2. So after so many years of "Independence", African countries are still being diplomatically represented by "colonial masters"?
3. What is the meaning of  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) if ECOWAS countries cannot issue visas for sister countries in locations where they do not have consular representations?  In the case of my Swedish visa, it was issued by the Belgian embassy in Abidjan

My other "burden of nationality" story in May 2013 was that of  a Nigerian IT Professional, officer in a Pan-African Foundation for IT, who was booked for the eLearning Africa  Conference in Namibia. After having obtained the Namibian visa, he now had to obtain a transit visa from the Republic of South Africa. The total duration of his transit, going and coming, was not up to 24 hours and he was not going to be stepping out of the airport in Joburg.  He was certain the transit visa was not going to be a problem and packed for the trip, planning to pick it up and head straight to the airport for check in. He was refused the South African transit visa. Yes, the trip was called off.

This one really broke me. While Heads of States are feasting and congratulating each other on the 50th anniversary of African Union, or is Unity.. everyday Africans, like me, are asking questions:

1. What exactly is African Unity?
2. Why  do we still go through strenuous and humiliating visa procedures for travel within Africa, after enduring the humiliations inflicted on us by non-African countries?
3. When will African Union become a union of citizens and not of heads of states?

It is June 9, 2013 today. There is talk for a vision and an African  agenda  for 2063.  What can we say, if we look back from the scramble for Africa in 1884, to the days of the slave trade, the Independence of the 1960s,  and all these years of "freedom"...

The first  50 years are gone and next slate of 50 years is being discussed:

1. Will you be around and alive in 2063? Many of us will not
2. Will Africans still  be blaming their colonial masters for everything?
3. How many African Heads of state will still be battling "imperialists" and "Western neo-colonists"
4. When can  Africans travel freely, at least in Africa?

Simply put, when are we, in Africa, going to get rid of the burden of our nationalities?

Africa's first Twitter War : the good, the bad and the ugly

Thursday, March 21st will be a day to remember. No, there was no earthquake, no Tsunami and no extraordinary bomb blast in the "bomb nations" part of the world. But there was huge violence. No, not just violence, it was war. The kind of war that strikes you with a boom. First because you never saw it coming, and second, by the time you realized what is happening.. things have really gone bad. Very bad.

It happened on Twitter.

The background is the reported « not so nice » welcome and hospitality that the Kenyan Soccer team received in Nigeria, in preparation for a match. News got back to Kenya and Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) decide to give Nigerians a piece of their KOT mind. And there was a return from Nigerians on Twitter (NOT). There was fire for fire.. The war is still on, and may not subside any time soon.

The Good

Can anything good come out of a war ? This time, I will answer "Yes, Social Media has made it possible".

For one thing, both countries were Twitter Trending Topics almost the whole day. It will be good to see the exact number that the tweets that had #SomeoneTellNigeria, #SomeoneTellKenya, #SomeoneTellNigerians and #SomeonetellKenyans or their close likes actually generated on Twitter. Some tweets received retweets in the thousands.

The other good thing is that for once, we can have a different kind of war. This digital or social media war has gone on with an arsenal made up of computers, tablets, mobile phones, and Internet connection. Make no mistake, there is a financial cost to it : hours of data package, bandwidth, electricity, phone credits and human energy were expended.

This is the kind of war for which the Security Council of the African Union will not have to meet. No Mediator will need to be appointed, no negotiation meetings will have to hold and no  MIS* or UNM* peace-keeping force will be needed. No world power will have to « take its responsibilities » and impose itself on the warring countries. All of that wont happen.

Yes, I was amazed at the mobilisation. At the speed at which tweets arrived and the intensity in the posts. Unbelievable !! Kenyans on Twitter, Nigerians on Twitter !! Irrespective of what they were saying, this was a clear demonstration of AOT – Africans on Twitter !! We followed.. from Cape to Cairo, Dakar to Djibouti. Ghanaians and Tanzanians did not want to miss it. And yes, Global Twittosphere, Social and tradition media cashed in !!

You know what I really found « good » ? The possibility that people have to bring out all the violence in them.. to out it.. without needing to purchase arms, shoot bullets or launch grenades. The violence was intense, and I was personally surprised at how much of it is latent …. seething underneath.. while we do emails that end with « best regards », post Bible passages, and exchange niceties.. all of that.. just waiting to explode.

The Bad

Did the people who launched into the war take time to find out what exactly the problem was? Did Nigerians and Kenyans get the full story ? Why will any African engage in trading insults on a sister country? Do people realise that the  "Internet never forgets? Twitter may have given people the opportunity to out their violent thoughts, but did they really weigh their tweets ? I got the impression, in reading some of the tweets, that some just saw the war, saw in it an opportunity to be a Twitter mercenary and got "Twirecruted". No matter the perspective from which we look at it, heaping insults on the Internet is a no-no. There may be boomerangs.

The bad here is that people are engaging in a war whose every bullet is seen, calculated, and recorded. These tweets may hunt people later, in ways and places that they will least expect.

The bad is also that football, instead of being the opportunity for  the consolidation of ties, of friendship and of humanity  is now being used to fuel violence.

The Ugly

The hate speech. Photos that should never have been online, characterising human beings as animals. I was scandalised to see people use skin colour as a weapon. These tweets, of Africans by Africans will fuel the wheels of racism. Even in war conditions, there is something called the International Humanitarian Law, something called crime against humanity. In this Twitter war, I saw Twitter-genocide, or should I say Twittercide.

There are criminal minds out there. There are individuals looking for the slightest provocation to go a rampage. There are extremists waiting for tweets like these to instigate physical violence.. Someone somewhere is looking for a valid reason for a violent retaliation. I have begun to ask myself if very soon we will not be having Twiterrorism.

Imagine if Nigeria and Kenya shared borders ?

Quo vadis...

I am asking myself questions. Is this current (Twitter) generation better than the one before? What has this generation learned about African Unity? With all the wars in Africa, have we not lost enough to be wiser? How come our use of technology, instead of being constructive, is increasingly becoming destructive; self destructive?

Moving forward

I have taken a line from the Kenyan, the Nigerian and African Union anthems and this what I see :

« The Labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain. Let all with one accord, in common bond united, dedicate ourselves to rise together to defend our liberty and unity »

VIVA AFRICA

Senegal: waiting to explode

At about three months to the presidential elections in Senegal, the demons are rearing their heads. As the debates are heating up, and political sentiments are rising on the mercury scale, it is our duty to raise an alarm. Senegal is a political situation waiting to explode. Here are 5 points to consider:

The Constitutional Crisis

The country revised its constitution in 2001. Most of the revisions were linked to the office of the president, its prerogatives, tenure and duration. The revision shortened the duration of the tenure from 7 to 5 years. This tenure could only be renewed once. While obtaining an extension of presidential powers, the then President touted this "success in democracy", proclaiming himself as an avant-gardist and reassuring the population that he will no longer be a candidate in 2012.

Now 2012 is months away.. and someone is debating whether the 2 tenures should take into account the initial tenure.. The language is clear. The answer is Yes. But the president seems to either have lost a part of his democracy memory or forgot his language lessons!

The President who is looking for preachers of "another gospel"
As a legal person, the first reaction will be to refer to the constitutional experts of the country. Naturally. All of them in the country have spoken, except for one. All those who have spoken have said the same thing: President Abdoulaye Wade IS NOT constitutionally a possible candidate. And what do we see? The President who hires "International constitution experts" to a Dakar meeting so they can come read what Senegalese wrote. And these International preachers are insisting that "Yes", Wade can run for presidency in 2012 at the age of 86

Enter the Constitutional Council

Yes, the ultimate decision lies with the Constitutional Council. Though all its members are hand-picked by the President and some have attended the "International constitution conference" and that it has already jailed an activist wrote a strong-worded letter warning them of any unconstitutional decision in the Wade, issue, some people are still hoping that the constitutional council will render an unbiased decision.

The silence of the international community

I have not heard from the African Union. I have not heard from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Union Monétaire Ouest Africaine is as dumb as ever. Neither have I read any official position of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. This silence is worrying.

A population that is thinking "we can handle it" and "it cannot happen to us"

Six months ago, many Senegalese were publishing on Facebook and Twitter, firm convictions of everything being under control. At about three months to the elections, the tendency is clear. The pro-Wade group are sure that nothing will happen and their candidate will win. The anti-Wade group are professing the same: nothing will happen. He wont get clearance. As the days approach, the die-hard believers are still there:
Folks who believe they have come a long way as a country,
People who believe that popular protests will give them victory,
Senegalese who continue to think that "everything is under control"


When it is only waiting to explode.

Of the Nigerian Immigration Service, the e-Passport and its reissuance: my story

2013  UPDATE: Passports are now being reissued in many places other than Abuja. Ikoyi in Lagos, Port-Harcourt etc,  and in many Nigerian representations abroad. I understand the ABUJA-ONLY thing was to centralise all passport data.


Its been well over one week now that I got my electronic passport reissued in Abuja, Nigeria.  I needed to give some time before this blog, because I did not want it colored with personal sentiments. I always do this when I think something is important.  Give it time, think through it, and it gets clearer.

By the time I got ready to go to Nigeria for this passport, I had used up 5 Nigerian international passports and 2 ECOWAS Travel Certificates.  So I was on my 8th travel document.  For frequent travelers, you learn a bunch of lessons. Lessons related to travel.  The first is to know what the priority is: mainly to get to destination.  So you dont waste time, energy or sentiments on things and issues that do not have direct links to your destination.  The second is to keep a financial reserve.  As I tell many new travelers, there is no fixed amount for a plane ticket.  It is the same with a trip, you can never say exactly what the costs are until you get back and calculate. For starters, the ticket from Abidjan to Lagos cost  1088$ on ASky. 

I have come to prefer doing my passports in Umuahia.  That is my State capital.  So I go home, check in with my folks, and go to Umuahia.  If I am required to come back at a short notice or the next day, I can always do that at a short notice.  Inter-State travel in Nigeria does not go beyond 10$.  So I call the immigration office in Umuahia to say "my e-Passport has filled up and I need a new one". I got the response, "we are waiting for you, please buy us a handset when you are coming". I am like "Did they not hear there has been war in  Côte d'Ivoire?"

I log on to  http://www.immigration.gov.ng to check out information about re-issuance of passports. ABSOLUTELY no information.  How much does it cost? What is the process? Can someone do it on your behalf? Where can it be done?  Which form needs to be filled? What administrative papers are required?  How long does it take? No information, nothing! I ask online, someone tells me 15 000 Naira.  That is 100$.  I dont believe it.  Why? Because the first time issuance of the Passport costs less than 9000 Naira, which is like 60$. So why should re-issuance be more expensive.. anyway I tell myself that the cost wont go beyond that.

I get home and call again.  I am coming in on Monday to Umuahia.  Then the gentleman said "I think Tuesday is better". I call on Tuesday. "Ah, Aunty, it's like we now have to take the passport to Abuja and do it oo". Oh Yeah? Why was I not told this before. I ask how much the re-issuance itself costs "I don know, I have to find out". Good gracious me! I am speaking with an agent of the Nigerian Immigration Service and he has no clue about how much the fees for the re-issuance of a Nigerian passport costs?  My antennae go up.  Something is not smelling right.  The man offers to send someone to Abuja to do it for me.  I say no.

Abuja Day 1.

I get to the gate with my bag and the airline tag still hanging.  The Nigerian  Immigration Service (NIS) office is on the road to the airport.  Far from the city itself.  I arrive before the gates open.  In such things, I have learned to be there before time.  The guards at the gate  tell me the luggage is too big.  I keep it at the gate after the controls.  The man "kindly" handed me over to an Officer, who hands me over to another Officer.  They take me aside, assess what they call "my problem".  "Okay, we can help. When do you want to get the passport".  I said same day. "Do you know the price?" I said not exactly.  I too have been wondering but someone has told me 15K. "Mhmm.  For the kind of problem you have, you need between 30 and 40K" I smell a rip-off. I said no, thanks.  .

I go to queue up normally.  By now, I was decided to "go and renew my passport in a proper manner so I can get first hand information". I am told I need to go to "ACG" Office.  The door number is 316. I go there and I explain my mission.  I am told to write a letter to the "ACG". I ask, what does ACG mean?  The officer cannot explain.  Does he know? Or is he feeling I am being too inquisitive? Anyway I write the letter. I write on a plain A4 sheet, explaining I need a new Passport because the old one is full.   He says come back in 3 hours. I ask "Please can you explain the process, what is the next step after the ACG okays my request, how long does the whole thing last?" I dont get a reply

My brother calls me. "Do you have someone helping you?" I said no.  I dont get the process but it does not seem complicated.  He says "Girl, get someone fast".  I said I am not getting anybody. I should be able to fill any forms needed and make any payments. If I cant take care of the process of renewing my own passport in my own country at the official service point.. then I will feel like a challenged person.

My brother begins to make parallel arrangements. Apparently a lady working there is married to one of the guys from my village. I get calls, SMSes.  Where am I?  At what stage? Where exactly?   Why did I not say I was coming? Why do I want to do this all by myself? Why did I have to go and queue up in the first place?

Hang on!! What is happening here?

Anyway.. the lady says I should have told her even before beginning.  It would have made matters easier.  She takes me to one other lady. J Someone. It appears the request could have been made to the Comptroller General.. it is faster.  I sit in the waiting room.  I catch a wifi. NISWLAN1. 3 Hours later, I go back to door 316. I see my letter has been approved. What is the next step? "You need to go and make payment downstairs". Okay.  Let me have the approval so I can go make payment. "No, we cannot hand it over to you.  An officer needs to come and sign for it"

Haba! Shebi na me write the letter? Shebi na me dey renew passport? Abi na the Officer go pay the money?

I lose 1 hour waiting for an Officer to come and pick my approval. By this time, it was 1 PM.  I have spent 4 hours at the Immigration office.

The J Someone comes and takes the approval.  "My sister, we have to go and make payment". How much, I ask? "Give me 10 000.  The price is 9000 something.." If you like, you can go and pay in town, or I can pay for you here.  Now we are at the Passport Hall.  Only officers are entering. Four tents have been mounted outside.  Each tent sits around 100.  Each tent is full. People are standing.  I ask if the total cost is 10k. J Somebody says Yes. "But when the Passport comes out, you can now show appreciation".  I get the info. I hand 10K over to her. I find a place at the tent, I sit. I boot up my Netbook.  There is NISWLAN1 still here. Thank you Lord, for wifi.   I start to tweet. to update my Facebook status.  I am too mixed up to do real work. I  go for lunch.

And between 2PM and 6PM nothing happens. The only info is that my file is waiting to be "vetted" after which I will be photographed. I never got a receipt for the payment.

End of Day 1. I need to find a hotel in Abuja.  I hear the "Honourable Minister" is visiting Nigerian Immigration Service Headquarters the next day.  So work wont begin until 11 am.  I take a taxi, someone says to go to Area 1 or 2. I can get reasonable hotels there. Taxi fare, 2000, hotel 15000, without breakfast.

Day 2.

August 15, 2011

As at 12 noon. Minister was still at the headquarters. He was at the Passport area the time I got in.  He comes out to greet the people under the tents. The Director General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, a lady, says "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Honourable Minister of Interior" Some people clap.  I bring out my camera from my handbag. I take a photo. Two men sitting by me are angry. Hopping mad! A number of others were  mad too. Why wont the Minister  wait so we can ask questions?  Why will he just wave and say hello and go away? Others think he is humble.  At least he came to say hi to "Fellow Nigerians". I cannot tell whether the anger is directed at the Minister or just an expression of the frustration that people are having with the whole passport thing.

And frustrations there were! The man whose file was lost right at NIS office itself.  The boy whose file was being handled by an officer who just died, and nobody knew exactly how to help him. The people who were there the day before and were told to come back because the system crashed.  The guy from UK whose choice of interview date came out with 2012, the wrong year..The stories were many. 

All e-passport renewals from the whole wide world are now being done at headquarters!! So Nigerians all over have to come to this one office in Abuja. Questions!! Why is this information not online? How long is the process? Why are Nigerians being reduced to a helpless state, to the point where you need "help" from an Officer. What exactly does "Help" mean?  What is the Officer "helping" you with exactly. Why does Diaspora not have a separate handling? What are paper files STILL doing in the era of electronic Passports? Why cant information on the process of re-issuance and lost passports be made openly available and put online?  Why cant other NIS offices in the states renew filled ePassports?

On my part, I keep calling the Officer married to someone from my place.  I also keep calling the J Someone to find out when I will be photographed. I notice that there is a kind of selection at the NIS. People automatically "hire" Officers who speak their languages to "help" them. Since I dont live in Nigeria, I am astounded by the many officers speaking the many languages to their "clients". I hear all sorts of Nigerian languages.. my head is in a swirl. 

Finally, I get my photo taken. My mind asks, "Why will an Immigration Officer in Umuahia promise that he can get someone to come and get your passport re-issued in Abuja when the owner of the passport needs his or her photo taken?" The man who took my photo writes August 15 for pick up. The day was August 4th. My flight back to Abidjan from Lagos is August 7th which is a Sunday. The only other working day was August 5th, the next day.  I look at it and I ask the man "Is this date for real?".  He says "Yes Madam" and squeezes his face in a kind of knot that means "Please get out of my sight".

My mind is blown. I make calls and get calls. I get a call from a friend at the Ministry of External Affairs. A Diplomat, I had worked with him when he was on post in Geneva where I had an office.  I was to have dinner with him while I was in Abuja. He too says he knows someone who can help.  He begins to make calls too. I call J Someone. Now, I am visibly unhappy. And I began to see the possibility that I may not get the Passport on the Friday. "You have to see  Officer N, she is the only one who can help you". Where is this Officer N? " She is with Madam still accompanying the Minister. Just wait till she is back.  I dont know Officer N, and I sit.

Till 6 PM, when someone tells me, "Ah, Officer N just left".  I was the last  person to leave the tent that day!
I head back to the hotel. I pay another 15000 Naira for the night.

Day 3

It is Friday. My flight is Sunday.  There is no work on Saturday. I arrive early at the Immigration Service Headquarters. I sit before Passport Hall opens.  I am angry with the J Someone.  She says she is on her way. I ask and know who the Officer N is. I had decided it was useless leaving my fate in the hands of J Someone. And at this time,  the little tiny voice in my head was beginning to say "Maybe it was better to pay 30 or 40k on day 1".  I shut the voice up vigorously. I tell myself  "If you have come this far, sit it through.  The worst case is that someone picks up the passport on August 15 and sends it to you through DHL"

I speak with Officer N.  I explain that I will be leaving Abuja on that day. She looks at me, and asks me to come with her to the office. I feel that I dont need to be given a "VIP" treatment. But something tells me to just shut up. "When you woke up to pray and ask God for favour from men, this is it". She finds my file and assures me the passport is coming out same day. She will take the file herself to production room. Check me in 2 hours, she says. I send out text messages. I give Twitter and Facebook updates. I call my mother, to reassure her.

After 2 hours, I check on Officer N. She says she is yet to get up. Once she does, I can be rest assured.

I pick a taxi to town.  I need to get a ticket to Lagos. Can I leave this night? I check online.. tickets are now between 30 000 and 45 000 Naira.  That is 200 or 300$. I hear weekend flights from Abuja to Lagos are almost always full 3 days before. I begin to foresee road travel. I call a Road Transport Company.  Ticket is okay but departure is at 3PM. Passport is not coming out by then! I go to the Bank, I withdraw 20 000. At this time, I had about 40000 Naira in all.  I needed to pay the hotel if I was staying for the night and the "Thank you" thing..  Another  friend calls back, there is a flight to Lagos. Saturday morning. 29100 Naira. I ask him to pick it. I make out another check of 30 000 Naira for him.  I shut my eyes tight and I pray "Thank you Lord, for savings in my bank account". I get a confirmation for the flight.  I leave Saturday morning.

Friday afternoon in Abuja is another story. All the roads are cleared and all the mosques are full and  those who are not praying are heading down the airport. I pick a taxi from Area 8 to the Immigration Service, an air-conditioned one.  I needed to cool off! Price 4000, finally came down to 2500.

I get back to Immigration services. J Someone is smiling. I force a smile. Passport is ready.  An officer is needed to sign it off. J Someone does that. Then we look for those who will "cancel without prejudice" the preceding passport. I begin to give out envelopes.  To the lady whose husband is from my place, to J Someone, to Officer N. I send more texts.. call my mother... family at home in the East is rejoicing.. like the new passport is a kind of "arrival of a new baby". I feel sick, thoroughly sick.

I head back to the hotel. Room 310 has been given out to someone else since I did a check out in the morning. I get room 309.  The room is not as good as the first one, but since it was weekend, the hotel was giving out the rooms with 15% discount.  I did not really care..


All I wanted was to give myself the farthest  possible space from  the Nigerian Immigration Service, from Abuja, from Nigeria, from the electronic Passport, its issuance, re-issuance

My mind (the legal, intellectual me) and my heart (the sentimental optimistic me) begin a debate:

Heart of Nnenna: Na wa oo. Maybe you should have just paid 30 or 40K on day 1.
Mind of Nnenna: Nonsense, I would still be ignorant of the process and I will not be able to inform others
Heart of Nnenna: They shaa had good Nigerian food at "Mama" the restaurant area.  You enjoyed the food.
Mind of Nnenna: It was not free, I paid. I could have had the same anywhere else in Nigeria.
Heart of Nnenna: Do you recall when you were offered a free passport some time ago?
Mind of Nnenna: Yes, that was another country. I am a Nigerian. The Nigerian Passport is my right.
Heart of Nnenna: Na legalese and right go kill you. For this country na money dey talk
Mind of Nnenna: The country needs to move from a corrupt one to a competency one. I will do my part
Heart of Nnenna: How much has it cost you so far..
Mind of Nnenna: The cash is one thing, the authentic experience is another

That is why it took 10 days.. to write this blog!

Cote d'Ivoire: Government Ethics Charter

Government Ethics Charter

Preamble

The Ministerial function represents  a very important public responsibility at State level. It is based on confidence, on one hand, between the sovereign people  of Côte d’Ivoire and the President of the Republic and, on the other, between the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, Head of Government and each minister.

By our free adherence to the present Charter “Government Ethics Charter”, we, members of the Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire,  show our engagement to be at the service of the President of the Republic and  the people.

Having received the confidence of the President of the Republic, on one hand for the reconciliation of Ivorians and the reconstruction of our country, and on the other hand, for the  sustainable socio-economic development  and the consolidation of a State of rights, we declare our adherence to the ten (10) cardinal values that follow:

1. Sense of State and  love of Country: Each member of Government shall uphold the fundamental values of the Republic: Union, Discipline and Labour. S/He shall, in speech, action, and behaviour, honour the Country and behave in conformity to the principles of our motto. The love of Côte d’Ivoire shall be upheld over regional, ethnic, political and religious particularities.

2. Respect for Dignity and human Life:  Each member of Government  shall consider life as sacred. Therefore S/He shall abstain from all manner of speech, and action that is susceptible to endanger dignity and human life.

3.  Primacy of the General Interest: All decisions, actions, or task shall be geared  and implemented in the perspective of the general interest, according to  requirements and standards in place and to  the quality which justifies the available resources. Conscious of the ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity of the our country, each member of Government  must make efforts at her/his  personal level as well as as  within the department under her/him  to only consider the  general interest.

4.  Solidarity and Cohesion:  All decisions and actions of the Government  are guided by the principles of collegiality and solidarity.  They involve each member in their elaboration and in their implementation. Members of Government are therefore  under the obligation of reserve and confidentiality  that behoves  government work.  The right of reserve shall include all debates in State Council, Ministerial Council, and in a general manner, all government meetings, as well as their  related correspondences.

5.  Good Governance:  Each member of Government shall seek to cultivate excellence and promote the practices of good governance in her/his ministerial department  and within the structures placed under her/his authority. The strict respect of the laws of the Republic is a national interest necessity on which depends  both the moral rise of our country and its sustainable and integral development.  In keeping with the right to information of the sovereign people, each member of Government also pledges to account for  the actions of her/his department whose results shall be imputed to her/him

6.  Responsibility: Each member of Government is the sole responsible of her/his ministerial department and pledges, in her/his being and conscience, to assume the charges and carry out the mission to which s/he has been called for the greater interest of the nation. Members of Government have an obligation to results. They shall assume the success or the failure of their actions and mission according to the principle of responsibility.

7.  Integrity and Probity: As a model for fellow citizens, each member of Government pledges to cultivate, at all times and in all places, the moral  and ethical values that shall induce higher morals for the Ivorian society: rightness, integrity, probity and incorruptibility.

8. Justice and Equity: In the respect of differences and particularism, members of Government work in a spirit of justice, of equity and of balance among them, in their respective departments and in their relations with users.  Equity shall be promoted in public practices.

9.  Permanent Dialogue and Availability:  Each member of Government shall consecrate her/himself, as a priority, to the exercise of the missions  that constitute her/his attributions and shall be wholly available to this effect. S/he  shall, by the way, maintain a permanent and objective  dialogue, based on republican ideas, notable with  other members of Government, the social bodies and other actors in the sector

10.  Civility, Courtesy and Moderation: Each member  of Government  pledges, in words and action, to the respect of the rules of decorum, courtesy and moderation which constitute the  fundamental conditions on which  group, organisational and societal cohesion is built.

We, members of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, pledge to respect this Charter  which we have freely given ourselves on this Tuesday August 9, 2011.

And consequently, we  sign in the presence of the President of the Republic

The official and original document is found on the site of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire.  This  English version is  graciously offered  by NNENNA.ORG

The next African leaders to quit power

It is the beginning of February 2011.

Tunisia has kicked off the year in grand style. Now the Egyptians are also protesting, asking that their President Hosni Mubarak leave power. Despite all that he has ceded and agreed to cede, the people still want him to leave.

And the question that has been making the rounds is: who next? Where next? How?

The rumblings seem to be shaking up places. Algeria, Jordan, Sudan and Yemen have felt tremors.. Even Gabon.

On what grounds can we, as Africans, support a popular call from citizens for their leader to step down? Here are a few reasons, that we believe should qualify the ousting of a president by the people.

If you have been in power for over 10 years or spent two terms

Then it is time for you to leave. A decade is enough time for you to achieve any initial goals you set for yourself, your party or your country. It is also enough time for you to lose contact with the real people, build a pseudo kingdom made up of your advisers, and live that unreal live in which these advisers only give you positive report, only show you where the country is doing great and hide anything that is to the contrary.

If you are 80 years of age

Honestly, that is way past retirement! Does your hearing still function 100%. How about your sight? How physically fit are you? Can you still do marathon work hours? Being a President is a heavy job, being an African president is doubly heavy! But an African President at 80? You may want to see the country as one where the population are your children. And you call everybody "my son" and "my daughter". No, that is not what we want in our President. Your grandchildren need you. Your family needs you. There are quite a number of non-presidential things you can accomplish at this age with a lot of dignity. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are still alive, happily alive.

You may be afraid of the International War Crime Tribunal of the Hague, but that is only when you refuse to leave. When you leave willingly, every other thing can be negotiated.

If you did not win the elections

There is no point hanging on, trying to oppress the real winner. We win some, we lose some. The line that it is the "international community" or country x or y that is "against us" is as fake as the line that county A or B, that is a world power is behind you. It is not about who is against you or for you on the international arena, it is about the people who voted. Power belongs to the people not "the diabolical colonial masters" or the "strong global partners". If you did not win, quit power.


If you dont have a university degree

In the Independence years, there were not many educated Africans. But that has changed. To be frank, it is an insult in today's world to have you be at the head of a nation when you dont have a formal university degree. What you learn in University is constructive thinking, reasoning, scientific analysis of society issues, global issues and human relations. University education allows you to come out of your tribe, ethnic group, religion, region. You face the world, you make mistakes and you learn from them. You learn to sit and listen to others criticize your work, tear it down.. University education lets you understand not only how your own system works, but how others' systems also work. In 2011, if you dont have a world view, you should not be the President. Step down and go to school.

If your father was the past president

There is a problem here. How many people live in the country? How many families have raised their children to be leaders? How many families have had the honour of leading the nation since its creation? Why do you think that one family should have two successive presidents? Dont you think your family's quota is already used up? Others deserve a chance. Step aside!

Endangered democracy. Video from Egypt

The United Nations: still relevant in Africa?

This morning I listened to a political big-wig of the Republic of Guinea. He wants the United Nations to come and head the CENI - the national Independent Electoral Committee!

I'm like okay. So what exactly is this guy asking for? What exactly is it?

I see several things:

The first is that the politicians do not trust their own. The first President of the CENI was given so much trouble that the poor man had a heart failure, was taken to hospital in Europe and died there. The second one was from within the same CENI, not from outside. And now one party thinks 'he appears to be running for our opponents'. The new man has come out openly to pledge allegiance to the country but he is still not trusted. I have me two questions, which educated person, capable of heading the CENI will not have a political preference? Where can such a person exist?

The second thing here is that the presidential candidates are actually saying they believe the results of the elections NO LONGER LIE within the ballot boxes but within the CENI! This is outrageous! It is the people that votes. The job of the CENI is to report what the people have said!

Ah! And now I remember. Guinea has never really had a presidential election! After 53 years of Independence, the country is now holding its first ever democratic elections. Mhmm. I see why everybody is freaking out! Like when you went for your first job interview..

One other thing though, The African Union has spent a lot of time and energy mediating through the tens of disputes in Guinea. So Guinean politicians do not only distrust their own, they also do not trust the African Union to oversee a free and fair run-off of presidential elections!

So someone thinks the United Nations is the best option!

I am sitting here and I am trying to recall the last time I saw a UN person working in an African country as a Peace Keeper! When last did you see one? The ones I saw are generally the blue helmets! Next question, what did he look like?

Here is my point. The UN person that will be willing to be assigned to Guinea to do elections oversight will either be:
A. From India, Bangladesh, or Pakistan. He is the blue helmet
B. From South Korea, the Philippines or one other Asian country

He is not going to be European, North American, not even South American. Those guys dont come this way! He is not going to be an Arab from the Mediterranean, those guys wont give their folks in a country like Guinea! The lowest they have gone is RCD!

So what it the Guinean politician asking for? Who is he expecting? French? American? or maybe Central European?

Here! He does not know what he is asking for. He is only expressing his incapacity to trust what he has and build it up. This trait of character that I find in many places in Africa! 'Whatever comes from outside the country is certainly better than what I have here'. Like when Ivorian women beg for Nigerian lace and Nigerian women beg for Woodin! When Ghanaian women come to Abidjan to buy shoes that were brought in from Ghana! When people in West Africa use olive oil for prayer purposes because it is holy, and people in the Northern part swear that palm oil is the richest oil on planet earth!

Otherwise, why will someone from Pakistan, who speaks Urdu and a little English be a heaven-sent to head the CENI in Guinea, where people speak French, Sosso and Madinka?

Je suis vraiment désolée. It is a big pity!

Of Presidencial places and meetings

I have been moving round places that I can call 'presidential' for the past few days. Enormous hotels with gold trimmings on wood. Deep red carpets that very soft to the foot... and lots of security.

The security is one thing... Oh My God! You need to show a photo ID before you can go and have your picture taken so that you can get a badge which will allow you access to the main hall where you can now apply for a pass! And all the 'Security' men who are so keen on executing orders that they forget to think.. capable of asking you to 'go over there and they will attend to you' even if the original question was 'What time is it?' or 'What is your name?' Impressive!

When you are done with security, you get into the opulence.. and you just wonder why so much money is being spent on 'things' instead of 'people'. Not necessarily that I am against a country showing off its 'grandeur' in its monumental places, and keeping up a great image to keep up its national pride, but I just wonder... how come so much is being spent on 'monuments' when human beings, makers of history, are languishing in many places.

Tell you what, in such places, they talk Africa. Oh, We need to help Africa. Oh, Africa needs aid. Certainly we need to increase support to bla bla bla. And mobilize funds for X, Y, Z so that Africans will be able to access 1, 2, 3. The amount spent on the talk, and the circumstances of the talk, will certainly outweigh, in many cases, the actual aid... And like someone rightly said, the amount of aid going to Africa cannot compare to the amount of illicit funds that are moved out of Africa. Making me think that if you are claiming to be poor, you might as well work to get yourself out of the situation.. the more you sit and wait for someone to 'take care of you', the more opportunities you gave to him/her to 'take care of himself using your circumstances'.

Ah, you know what, in these meetings, African delegations are the heaviest. The delegations from 'Developed' countries are at most 10. But tell you what, the Africa presidents are here, with a delegation of well over 20! The difference is so CLEAR, I could cry! With their own protocol officers, security officers, press, advisors, secretaries, cabinet chiefs, ministers.. who would like to come along with spouses..

On the contrary, the simplicity of folks who have been there, done that, seen that. Who know that most of it is talk and that the things that matter are the ones that are done behind the press, with little or no attention. Like the Ivorian President once said 'l'argent n'aime pas le bruit'. Literally translating into 'Cash hates noise'. No big economic decision are made in 'presidencial' places.

These meetings serve as announcement platforms for work that has already been done and needs to be publicly made known, or for quieter networking opportunities. They are difficult places for power show... why? Because when you have 50 heads of states meeting, you find out all of a sudden that they are just like you and me. When you have 10 up front, 8 by your right, 7 behind, 10 by the left and a dozen of them coming and going.. it hits you clean and clear... these guys are just participants..

Particpants and nothing else. All the security, all the gold, the protocol, the press, the talk.. all of that.. does not make any president more human than any other human being..

So Mister President, when you are tempted to behave as if the whole world of 'the country' is under your control, that you can give and take lives, that your word will never be argued or debated... that your wishes are national agenda... never forget...you are a participant.

Nothing more, nothing less.