It was my mother who used to say 'Give your child a good name'. But that was in the case of my junior sister whose name is Nwanyieze, meaning 'the King's wife'. This is one girl who really has a lot of things going easy for her. Someone who never goes broke for a long time.. Whenever a problem rears its head, Nwanyieze will have a solution in less than no time. Most often, someone shows up, or rather, God sends someone to help her move over and move forward.
Unlike me, whose name is Nnenna 'Father's mother', the grandmother, problem solver, money lender, advisor.. I used to ask myself if I were not better off choosing a new name.. without hassles! But then it will be to late. So my decision for now will be to reserve the 'hassle free names' for the kids.
But all of that is not the issue.
The issue is the name, person and track record of the current Nigerian president. Goodluck Jonathan. The guy sure has a history that qualifies him as an Overtaker:
In Primary School, he was Assistant Headboy.
The headboy got expelled.
Goodluck took over.
In Secondary School, he was Assistant Senior Prefect
The Senior Prefect died.
Goodluck took over
In his local government, he was Deputy Chairman
The Chairman got implicated in corruption and was removed
Goodluck took over.
In his state, he was Deputy Governor to Alameiseigha
Alameiseigha had huge corruption scandals and was indicted
Goodluck took over
In his country Nigeria, he became Vice President to Umaru Yar'Adua.
Yar'Adua is sick with Pericarditis..
You cannot guess wrong!
Goodluck has just taken over!!!!
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The price ..... of presidencial places
I did not know that I was going to come back to that title again. I was disgusted when I was writing it... But I feel lighter.. the kind of 'goody goody' feeling you get when stuff you thought might happen actually happen .. and happen even quicker and more exactly than you did imagine...
Part of that piece said
'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..'
I do recall a gentleman I met in one particular meeting that took place in one of the presidential places. He was the Delegation Head of his African country.. so the official car was his. With all the noise, pomp and show that accompanied it.
I do recall his anger when the official cortege was taking a bit of time due to the heavy traffic that resulted from the number of official delegations around.. My gentleman felt that being a Prime Minister means that stuff get executed when he wants them, how he wants them and by the folks he wants...
One month later... there was a coup d'état in his country.. And my ex-Prime Minister Gentleman was asked to arrest himself and turn himself in. He executed. I mused over the issue as I followed it on TV...
As at today, he has received a bill. Which he has agreed to pay "willingly". Two million five hundred thousand dollars! Oh Yeah! In fact, he has already made a first payment...
Oh really? I thought there was a global financial crunch? Mhmm...
Now, I guess I am getting wiser.. I not only know that presidential places are temporary, I also know that they have a price....
My Gentleman friend has received his own bill - 2.5 million USD! Oh la la!
Part of that piece said
'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..'
I do recall a gentleman I met in one particular meeting that took place in one of the presidential places. He was the Delegation Head of his African country.. so the official car was his. With all the noise, pomp and show that accompanied it.
I do recall his anger when the official cortege was taking a bit of time due to the heavy traffic that resulted from the number of official delegations around.. My gentleman felt that being a Prime Minister means that stuff get executed when he wants them, how he wants them and by the folks he wants...
One month later... there was a coup d'état in his country.. And my ex-Prime Minister Gentleman was asked to arrest himself and turn himself in. He executed. I mused over the issue as I followed it on TV...
As at today, he has received a bill. Which he has agreed to pay "willingly". Two million five hundred thousand dollars! Oh Yeah! In fact, he has already made a first payment...
Oh really? I thought there was a global financial crunch? Mhmm...
Now, I guess I am getting wiser.. I not only know that presidential places are temporary, I also know that they have a price....
My Gentleman friend has received his own bill - 2.5 million USD! Oh la la!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)