₦airaland Forum

raayah:
The united States as a country is not racist.
Everyone in the U.S has rights.

Individuals however, could be racist.

Since we cannot control individuals and their thoughts, there is just little we can do to combat racism.

It is general knowledge that thoughts of individuals can not be shaped by the state but what an individual thinks about can be limited when such individual is aware of the certainty of the penalty for hate crime if committed and the color of his/her skin won't be a privilege before justice.

We thought we have left the era where blacks are hunted, disrespected and enslaved but recent attacks on blacks has proven otherwise. African Americans are still hunted, disrespected and victimised in the very country they literally built. Yes, they might have a spirit that forgives readily but we should not forget that a soul that is being mutilated and violated repeatedly can not remain peaceful eternally. It will not matter whether the body heals or not, what will matter is the scar left on a man's soul. Yesterday, it was Ferguson; today, it is Charleston; who the victim will be and where such victim will be unfortunate tomorrow remain unknown.

However, what is not unknown is that, the victims of these victimisation and murder also have the same rights as do those who victimise and murder them. If violent act that is directed towards a particular non-combatants group based on hate to create fear and achieve ideological goal is terrorism, then how come violence against African Americans and other coloured Americans based on hate to achieve supremacy suddenly become different from terrorism. Black American rights are being violated every now and then by both law enforcers and citizens of white descent that pursue supremacy and the US government remain indifferent to such occurrence while it protects human rights of foreigners in their country by exacting pressure on their government.

Different adjective are continuously used by security personnels, the media and the US government to describe every supremacist white folk that attack an African American or any member of coloured community. Such adjectives vary from being lonely, emotionally destabilised to mentally ill for crimes that depicts pre-meditation at its core and characterised by hatred and violence. In a situation whereby muslims commit this same crime as the caucasian, they are called terrorists and when blacks commit this same crime as white, they are called thugs. The American standard in both domestic and foreign affairs has proven to be a double standard one.

This double standard by the US government at home can not but raise concerns by human rights activists whom have repeatedly criticise the attitude of the American government to this destructive events which have the tendency to further polarise a polarised country. Washington, which have persistently spread the gospel of preserving, protecting and defending human rights across the globe, is now found wanting in the same sphere at home. Human rights activists are not the only ones concerned today, as the world is watching with particular interest, how these events that raise the banner of racism will be contained.

Americans today, especially African Americans, are concerned about their safety and are afraid of a situation whereby these racial tensions will go overboard to become a nightmare to the collective security of Americans. It is therefore necessary for the American government to enact laws that will contain racism and all its manifestation in the American society. The drum might be beaten for long without complaining but no one will know exactly when it reaches its breaking point. Though the government was successful in suppressing protests in Ferguson using unconventional means, the next upset might not be able to be suppressed.

While it is glaring to all that security reactions to Ferguson protests went overboard, federal reports only recognised this almost a year after the Ferguson incident. The indifference to all these by the government is an additive to the anger brewed by racists attack from supremacist white folks. To avoid another Montgomery March or worse on the territory of the US towards achieving the same goal that the Martin Luther King Jnr-led Montgomery March seems to have failed to achieve about sixty years ago, the American government must do more to equally protects the African American community in an American society that is increasingly becoming more hostile to its citizens because of the colour of their skin.

Justice must be done and redress must be granted to those who sought it by the American Judiciary, which is currently lacking or inadequate. Reforms that will control access to guns, ban the raising of confederate flags, criminalise the application of excessive restricting measures by law enforcers in domestic violence and other measures that will ensure that racism is not being promoted and neither can it be implemented against any race, must be effected. Without these measures being implemented, we know those that will continue to suffer under this racist atmosphere in America.

We know now what the future for the African Americans will not be different from the victims of Ferguson and Charleston under this racist atmosphere until something is done. The government is the guarantor of security and it will be unfortunate to see a country that keep its armed forces ready on different territories around the globe to be unable to guarantee safety within its territory. In conditions that safety can not be guaranteed by the American government in the American society, for whom the government exists will be questioned and what the American government truly represents will be tested.


Abiola Akintunde

The writer writes via paulakintunde@gmail.com, tweets at @AAbiolat on twitter and blog on www.abiolaoakintunde.

mikolo80:
time will tell,but methinks jonathan is the only nigerian president without an iota of control

Indeed , time will tell! On Jonathan, Jonathan never lost control over his government. Jonathan intentionally looked away and became indifferent to national issues on his terms. Read https://abiolaoakintunde./2013/10/10/the-confession-of-a-looter/ to understand

quid:
APC be like : "Help! They have started changing my change"

LMAO... Have fun now cos APC will get their crumbling house together one way or another

mikolo80:
He POTFRON the most powerful president in the world,why the devil would you believe he is anything but in control

I didn't say he's anything but in control fellow compatriot. What I said is that if this situation isn't managed effectively, he will be anything but in complete control of his government.

quid:
Nigeria is a democracy. Not some totalitarian state pretending to have representative govt

I really want to agree with you on this but all government claiming to be a true democracy appears to be so only and appearance do not dictate content. OBJ and GEJ regime disagrees with what you are saying. Nobody wise leader will govern using the hardcore style but all leaders are dictator; achieving their interests through diplomacy, constitutional action and veto power.

mikeansy:
There is no evidence that APC politicians are better than PDP

Remember APC do not have 2/3 majority in NASS. The seeds of discord APC are planting can only lead to legislative logjam

The alliance between Saraki and Ekweremadu is very strategic and can help the smooth passage of bills.

The rebellion by APC to the alliance is quite frankly naive!

You are right. There is no certainty that core APC politicians are different from those of PDP. The alliance between Saraki may help the smooth passage of bills. What if the APC politicians will be true to their electoral promises but this alliance undermines it, we may never get to know what APC truly stands for. I think the possibility of the alliance to undermine APC government is what arise to these reactions.

mikeansy:
Serious governments around the world work with the opposition to move their country forward.

Saraki or No Saraki, APC does not control 2/3 majority in the Senate and would have had to broker deals and win votes from PDP legislators in order to get bills passed. Considering this reality then I am at loss why why APC can not understand the brilliance of what Saraki and Dogara have done here.

The Saraki arrangement with Ekweremadu creates the perfect scenario for APC to get bills passed smoothly. If this is about the interest of the Nigerian people then I think APC would have realised this.

The politics of who is up vs who is down being displayed by the APC is very disgraceful!

This will be true if our politicians irrespective of their party truly represents the interests of Nigerians. APC emerges as the ruling party because they promise to change the status quo from pro-political/capital class to pro-Nigerians, hence, Saraki unholy alliance with the PDP could eventually become the clog to the wheel of APC government.

mikolo80:
o so you're just waking up to the realisation? we knew sincce the day he defected but needed his votes to get pdp out,abi una hear fem from jagaban froggy

Jagaban is strategising, no need to talk... We will only see the fruits of such strategy

mikolo80:
apart from shehu sani who is not a ranking senator,who is clean among them,abeg allow them settle themselves once and for all,all this patch patch we have benn doing is not working

Everyone is a thief but the real thief is the one caught. Now, the EFCC is under Buhari's control. The question is; will it wield it as a weapon for good governance or not?

Bugatie:
@Cofactor

You are just saving face for APC and Buhari.

How can you claim they are neutral when the President himself was scheduled to meet with APC lawmakers before the Saraki and Dogara coup happened.

The party even sent a letter mandating the NASS to name it's appointees as NASS leaders

I'm not saving face for APC and Buhari my friend. It's normal for the party to be the one to dictate who should be who and when the who will be the who. What is not normal is for party stalwarts to disobey the party and call for #OpenNASS. This is just the beginning of undermining the government and the party.

mikolo80:
where be that, dignityville?

Anywhere but complete control over his government

LouisVanGaal:
God would see us through...ANYbody but Saraki and Ndume...you cant have persons of questionable characters and attitude be entrusted to such position of NASS..it shows how PDP loves corruption and impunity..supporting Saraki...i dont even mind if ekweremadu is the SP...so far,he is CLEAN and wont block any corruption case in NASS

Lol... APC need to get their acts right and ammend things quickly... Too much stake is involved

Democratic dictator or not, I'm less concerned as far as we are developing as a nation. Even in the great democracies like USA; there HoS are always democratic dictator. Explain the crackdown on protesters, foreign interference and invasions all in the name of peace.

quid:
This mumu OP is asking for a democratic dictator.
See as confusion take full for APC

We all need to work on ourselves to build a better Nigeria... Biafrans must abandon their self-determination intoxication and join Nigeria's compatriots of Igbo origin to build the Southeast and Nigeria at large

Change has been promised, whether it is 4 real or not, we don't know. And I'm afraid we may never get to know with these developments.

Truly, with the development we are now seeing, it is almost safe to say the Saraki caucus is an enemy within

Sure, the diplomacy PMB is playing may land him where he ought not to have landed.

In less than a month after the All Progressives Congress (APC) became the ruling party; thanks to the mandate of Nigerians and the trust reposited in the party, the APC appears to be loosing control over its own government. The strategic arm of government which is the legislative arm, is increasingly becoming the abode of the minority which has miraculously turned into the majority; thanks to the over-ambitious Senator Bukola Saraki and Honourable Yakubu Dogara.

The APC predicament which happened against all odds, forced the landlord to be a tenant in his own house and the majority became the minority in their own domain. The consequence of these occurrences will surely make it very difficult for the APC to implement all their electoral promises without the consent of the National Assembly (NASS) leadership. True reforms and good governance will almost be impossible under these conditions in a country like Nigeria where there are so much laws that need to be amended or newly passed so as to address future challenges without sparing challenges of yesterday and today.

The conduct of both the Senate House and House of Representatives speak volume about the differences in the interests of the APC leadership and that of the rebellious caucus in the APC; which has imposed itself on the APC leadership by tapping into the political resources of their adopted political party (Peoples Democratic Party). This has also shown that there will be no compromise except the APC accept the imposers as the custodian of authority on behalf of the APC's leadership in the NASS, irrespective of the party leadership's interests.

I duly respect the decision of the APC and that of President Muhammadu Buhari (The Peoples General) to be diplomatic in addressing this embarrassing situation but Nigerians are becoming increasingly intolerant to the possibility of the NASS going rogue and detached from the change we all seek by electing into the Aso Rock President Buhari and ensuring that the APC have the simple majority in both Upper House and Lower House of the NASS.

This intolerance was not just a reaction to the taking over of the legislative arm of government by dissidents and contributors to the devastation of the national economy but because this may be the beginning of the end of the "Change Project" that we all invested into in one way or the other. For the change project to be fulfilled; there must be appointment of ministers of same interests and with the capacity to fulfil tasks assigned to them by the President, cooperative legislative arm and efficient judiciary system.

Unfortunately, none of these will be possible with a legislative arm that has gone haywire and will possibly be making unholy demands just as the leadership of the arm of government is unholy, before it could perform its duty effectively and promptly. Therefore, the policy of "I belong to everybody and nobody" must be abandoned if the bad must be stopped from becoming worse and the intentions of threatening President Buhari's mandate must be nipped in the bud.

It is a general knowledge that APC did allow this to happen irrespective of the stance of President Buhari and the ambitions of Senate President Saraki and Speaker Dogara. To avoid dwelling in the past and bringing to the fore; steps that could have been taken to prevent this embarrassing situation, I will urge APC leadership to make drastic decisions that will see NASS leadership change hands and whip all dissenting members into line. It is of utmost importance, to note that, most of these drastic decisions will be impossible to effect without the support of President Buhari.

This is neither the time to be bothered about being called a dictator nor the time to carry the burden of promoting democracy when governance is at stake. Majority of Nigerians will love to see a democratic dictator that will protect their interests without any prejudice, protect Nigeria's sovereignty and territorial integrity but they will surely regret electing a promoter of democracy and due process at the detriment of these fundamental interests.

The APC leadership and President Buhari must rise up to these embarrassing NASS crisis that has put the project of "change" at risk of not being fulfilled, and do the necessary to ensure that they are true to their electoral promises. As the Yorubas will say; to make a statement and be true to one's statement is the prestige of the virtuous.


Abiola Akintunde lives and work in Ibadan, Nigeria. He tweets at @AAbiolat on twitter and writes via paulakintunde@gmail.com

lionel4power:
but the iowa has big guns bro.

Nothing the S400 can't handle bro...

An2elect2:
I hate transformation corruption

Thank you jare... Please enlighten him the more

2cato:
if you want to see reduction in corruption to the bearest minimum in nigeria encourage every states to stop looking up to oil then come and thank me later

You think a crackdown on corruption can fix all our problems? I'm afraid it can't. The economy is not affected by the corruption factor alone and governance is not marred by corruption alone also.

Knowing fully well that the UK is just extending a hand of fellowship to maintain ties of imperialist to a vassal and not to relate as equals is not a rocket science but the reality of today is key to our national development. Did I hear N1 to $1? I rebuke dreaming in a world of fantassy. Nevertheless, the visit is good for the incoming government as it will allay the fears of our western partners that the people's General will not lock-up on them.

lionel4power:
Since the cold war is heating up again and the old rivals USA and Russia is at each others throat, with both countries having super weapons like the Kirov class battlecruiser (RUSSIA) and the Iowa class battleship (USA). If both countries decide to use this naval vessels who would likely come out victorious? BTW i vote kirov class it has plenty missiles

When we talk about Missile Defense Systems also, without debate, the Russians have the edge... Next!

TRIBALSTOOGE:
i am a biafran .


i reject the term Nigerian ,

I can see...

If you are a biafran, then the term Nigeria does not apply to you my dear compatriot

OREMUSSANCTUS:
We don hear
I hate "change"

As much as you might hate "change", this will not change the fact that "change" is inevitable in life and the processes that constitute life itself

2cato:
When every dick and harry will fold their hands tie wrapper and put tooth pick for mouth waiting for allocation from oil.
Divide the country and allow every regeon to develop them selves or perish then come back and tell me if we need to read all of the above.

This is not about regions nor is it about dependency on allocation from oil revenue, rather, it is about you and I rising up to our obligations and responsibilities in a collective effort to make this country of ours great and hold our public office holders responsible for their adequacy and inadequacy

I bring with me greetings from our elders(whom I despised for the bad legacy they passed unto our generation) and also from our younger ones(who pray we don't pass such legacy unto them) and I hope you are at peace. I don't know how well you are doing, what I know is that; there are millions like you out there that are not doing well at all; male and female, fool and wise,learned and unlearned, ignorant and knowledgeable, hausa, igbo and yoruba, muslim and christian alike. The consequences of the failure to match political independence with social and economic development had been devastating than they will ever be. These consequences have brought to our doorsteps; poverty, unemployment, conflicts, strife, terrorism, collapse of educational system and the list continue... I am not saying this to spoil your day for you knew that it's true and you've been wanting to know why this is happening so as to have an understanding of the solution. There is only one answer and explanation for this happenings- the Nigerian state has failed.
    
The failure of the Nigerian state was never our fault and can never be our fault as history was there to witness it but the failure to resuscitate the Nigerian state to rise up to its existence and develop for the good of the people- being a regulator of power and a provider of public benefits- will be ours. Allow me to take you down memory lane so as to understand why we are here today. During the military regime which are popularly known as unpopular and that which lack legitimacy within the Nigeria borders and outside it, government had to rely on force and manipulation to secure the support of the people, consequently, this denies Nigerians the opportunity of participating in the determination of the events that affect and shape their lives.

     In doing this, the Nigerian state become more of an instrument of power than a provider of public benefits which eventually deny it the kind of public support to thrive. On one hand, the military dictators got absolute control of government while on the other hand, the citizens grew indifferent to government which is now- the Nigerian legacy. This resulted into the collapse of the Nigerian state while citizens find succour in their respective ethnic group which further disintegrate Nigeria. This led to what I term the "Nigerian syndrome"- As far as I am okay, I'm not concerned about Nigeria. Forgetting that as far as Nigeria is not okay, people around you won't be okay. Personal things is now the new trend, collective things has long been sunk in the atlantic ocean beyond our border.

     On the arrival of democracy at the shores of lagos in 1999, we all greeted her with smiles on our faces and hearts full of joy in our cultural wares and carry her to Abuja together, without respect for anybody's ethnicity or religion with the expectation of a better tomorrow. But I am bold to tell you today that our good has become bad, our bad has become worse and our worse is now worst. Our education system has suffered more blows than it did during the military days and its now in shambles, unemployment is at its greatest heights, poverty ravages us the more, we are not sure about the safety of our lives in our homes not to talk of the streets, ethnicity is being promoted, our democratic processes has negated the principles and theories of mathematics(16 is greater than 19 and 5 is greater than 26), old men linger in pain, promising talents died unfulfilled, education is denied the resources required for development, faces shrouded with bitterness, personal relationship and fear of impeachment is now prioritised over national security, corruption is the lingua franca in our fatherland, and yet, all we do is fight ourselves in the name of religion which is a personal thing and also in the name of ethnicity which is an accident of birth while those that plunder our resources unite despite their ethnic and religious differences.

     Dear fellow Nigerian youth, if you really want this democracy of ours to resuscitate the Nigerian state, for it to rise up to its existence and develop for the good of the people the way I have been wanting it, then you will not only participate in the management of our affairs(Nigeria) and ready to protect this right but you must be ready to hold anybody who calls himself/herself a leader and every public office holder responsible and accountable for their doing and undoing. Lastly, I plead with you to be determined in making sure that those who are in public offices are responsible, accountable and responsive; to put aside ethnicity and religion for our common and mutual interest- national interest; to become subject of history by exercising control over events that will affect and shape your life and to be fully involve in this mental revolution and re-orientation. Till next time...                                                  
@AAbiolat
www.abiolaoakintunde.

blackmantis:
I wonder what they will do?
Blow up pipelines?
Attack government facilities?
Just what?....
They will soon learn that this administration will not be moved by threats.
What needs to be done will be done and heavens will not fall.

That's the point jare... This government will take no bullshit

The propaganda machinery of the United States of America(USA) is the most advance in our world today and this machinery is basically structured upon the foundation of lies and exploitation of social issues, whose pillars are the western media in its entirety. With almost one-fourth of the world speaking english, propagation of propaganda by the USA is what that can be described as information war made easy. In pursuit of the monopoly of ideological opinion and pursuit of hegemony, countries whose leaders are not protege of Washington had all fall victims of the American's hammer of submission - which did not brought about the death of these leaders alone but also the devastating conditions such sovereign states are enjoying as benefits of "introduction to democracy" such as Iraq and Libya.

Majority of the wars and conflict we are witnessing today have all exposed the involvement of the Americans and their European vassal from the EU. This is so because such interference can only achieve an American ally who will not be against the exploitation of the country's resources and potentials. Also, it will secure such territory as an extension of the American soil where armaments can be deployed to threaten sovereign states who will not submit to such hegemony. Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are the newly acquired territorial extension situated just beyond the borders of the Russian Federation which is the number one obstacle to Washington's dominion over the rest of the world.

In times when regime change became an uneasy task to effect the desired change, we have witnessed instigation to conflict and military support for the instigated party to effect such change as seen in Iraq, Libya Syria and Ukraine. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein was used to oust a legitimate government that was not loyal and has refused to obey the great commandments of Washington especially concerning the plans to invade Kuwait. While ousting the government per Washington's instruction, what Hussein did not realise then was that as a national leader, one's commitment should always be to the people first before other things. After the deed has been done, Hussein realised this and turned his back on the same instigators that backed him to power. Power brokers in Washington could not accept this affront and so they formulated the lie of the century - that Iraq is in possession of Weapons of Mass Destructions(WMDs). This in turn legitimise the bombing of Baghdad and the execution of a leader who had his merits despite his shortcomings.

In Libya, Washington conspired with some EU member states to conspire against Muammar Gaddaffi by instigating some opposition parties who covets being the supreme leader of Libya despite a performing and excellent government. Refusing to support the success of Gaddaffi in Libya, they chose to be instruments of destabilisation in their home country in the hands of the most suppressing and aggressive military alliance in the world. These rebels were supported with military aid, funds, and propaganda to legitimise their struggle against the unwanted Gaddaffi. Just as what happened in Iraq, Muammar has been bombed out of power and killed as the people continue to suffer the aftermath of such unjust destabilisation and aggression.

Despite these popular mistakes by Washington and Brussels in Baghdad and Tripoli, the foreign policies of USA and EU remain unchanged. The Ukrainian conflict is the outcome of such reckless, aggressive and violent policy, while the Syrian conflict extreme radical groups and IS(formerly ISIS) remain the undisputed evidence that these policies will soon lead us to the doorstep of a devastating future faster than we can anticipate. Those policy makers in Brussels and Washington might not be concerned with the hundreds of thousands dead bodies that Syria and Iraq have had to bury or those inhumane atrocities perpetrated by the various extreme groups but they have to understand that to preserve the existence of humanity, their foreign policies must refrain from seeking hegemony and start pursuing peace and friendly association with other sovereign states based on mutual respect.


Abiola Akintunde

The writer lives and work in Ibadan, Nigeria. He tweets at @AAbiolat, blogs on www.abiolaoakintunde. and can be reached via paulakintunde@gmail.com

It is very unfortunate that Asari Dokubo is still on this matter of Jonathan's loss and it's disappointing that he has not started his ironical Niger Delta people's fight as he previously proclaimed. The incoming administration won't tolerate issued threats for we all know the personality of the head of the incoming government come May 29. All contracts awarded out of irresponsibility should be prepared for revoke. Asari Dokubo should understand that the contracts awarded to him and his fellow peers like Boyloaf mocks our collective defense capability and economic understanding. He should also not misunderstand normalisation of abnormality as drawing first blood, else, he should be prepared for total attention from Nigerian army. Godspeed in his intended engagement with the Nigerian Army as we are yet to forget his treacherous statements before the #2015Elections

SocialWhat? Obama is so far away from that as the sun is to the earth. Never attribute progressive politics to Obama again!!! Ask Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen for comments on Obama's destructive policies...