₦airaland Forum

As Fela said, "Suffering and smiling". Should a man die a pauper because he can't exist no more in the system or die dignified protesting against status quo?

Where we are discuss factors affecting economy of Nigeria and the way forward. Entrepreneurship and so on.

@werepeLeri

How is that neighbourhood like? Be safe

LONDON (Reuters) - London picked itself up on Sunday from some of the worst violence seen in the British capital for years which politicians and police blamed on criminal thugs but residents attributed to local tensions and anger over rising financial hardship.

Rioters throwing petrol bombs rampaged overnight through an economically deprived district, setting police patrol cars, buildings and a double-decker bus on fire.

Police said 26 officers were injured as rioters bombarded them with missiles and bottles, looted buildings including banks, shops and council offices, and torched three patrol cars near Tottenham police station in north London.

The riots erupted after a street protest over the fatal shooting of a man by armed officers this week turned violent.

Residents said they were forced to flee their homes to escape the trouble as mounted police and riot officers on foot charged the crowd to push rioters back.

As day broke, the Metropolitan Police, which will handle next year's London Olympic Games in what is expected to be Britain's biggest peacetime operation, faced questions about how the trouble had been allowed to escalate.

The disturbance was only finally brought under control on Sunday after hours of sporadic clashes. Buildings were still smoldering, bricks littered the roads and burglar alarms continued to ring out.

At a nearby retail park, electrical stores and mobile phone shops had been ransacked, with boxes for large plasma televisions discarded outside, along with CDs and glass from smashed windows.

"They have taken almost everything," said Saad Kamal, 27, branch manager of retailer JD Sports. "Whatever is left is damaged."

APPEAL FOR CALM

Local member of parliament David Lammy and police chiefs appealed for calm.

"This must stop," Lammy told reporters, saying they did not know if everyone had escaped flats above shops that were gutted by fire. "A community that was already hurting has now had the heart ripped out of it."

The trouble broke out on Saturday night following a peaceful demonstration over the shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, who was killed after an exchange of gunfire with police on Thursday. Duggan's death is now being investigated by the independent police watchdog.

The riots also come amid deepening gloom in Britain, with the economy struggling to grow amid deep public spending cuts and tax rises brought into help eliminate a budget deficit which peaked at more than 10 percent of GDP.

"Tottenham is a deprived area. Unemployment is very, very high , they are frustrated," said Uzodinma Wigwe, 49, who was made redundant from his job as a cleaner recently.

"We know we have been victimized by this government, we know we are being neglected by the government," said another middle-aged man who declined to give his name. "How can you make one million youths unemployed and expect us to sit down?"

Tottenham has a large number of ethnic minorities and includes areas with the highest unemployment rates in London. It also has a history of racial tension with local young people, especially blacks, resenting police behavior including the use of stop and search powers.

NOTORIOUS RACE RIOT IN 1985

The disorder was close to where one of Britain's most notorious race riots occurred in 1985, when police officer Keith Blakelock was hacked to death on the deprived Broadwater Farm housing estate during widespread disturbances.

Locals said there had been growing anger recently about police behavior.

"I've lived in Broadwater Farm for 20 odd years and from day one, police always pre-judge Turks and black people," said a 23-year-old community worker of Turkish origin who would not give his name.

Fingers were also pointed at the police for failing to anticipate the trouble, although Commander Adrian Hanstock said there had been no hint of what was coming. He blamed a "mindless minority" for the trouble.

The London force has been heavily criticized for its handling of recent large protests against austerity measures, while its chief and the top counter-terrorism officer have quit over the handling of the News Corp phone-hacking scandal.

"I'm concerned that what was peaceful protest , turned into this and it seemed to go on for many hours before we saw the kind of policing that I think is appropriate," Lammy said.

Politicians said that criminals, rather than those with genuine grievances, had taken advantage of the situation.

"The rioting in Tottenham last night was utterly unacceptable," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said. "There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced, or for the damage to property."

The capital also saw riots at the end of last year when protests against government plans to raise tuition fees for university students in the center of London turned violent with police and government buildings attacked.

During the most serious disturbances last December, rioters targeted the limousine belonging to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, kicking its doors, cracking a window and reportedly jabbing Camilla with a stick.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

http://news.yahoo.com/london-rioters-battle-police-shooting-protest-054921704.html

At present, Nigeria exports more than 2million barrels of crude a day, at current price of about $100 per barrel. Do the math. That is a huge sum of foreign exchange.

According to statistics, Nigeria earns about 95% of foreign exchange from the oil sector. Meaning that, the Nigerian Economy is hugely is hugely dependent on oil.

Despite the huge amount flowing from that sector. None has been used to diversify and develop other sectors. Manufacturing is almost non-existent. The workforce is mostly service based, like banks, telecommunications, hotels, transport and of course public sector workers, etc. Many graduates produced by our dilapidated education system compete for these few service sector jobs. The money they earned are used to buy durables and other things, sold by traders, of which 90% of the goods are imported.

The money that nourishes the present economic activities in Nigeria comes from mostly one source , "Crude Oil". Agriculture is not encouraged and finances. If the flow of money from Crude is significantly affected by some external or unexpected factor or factors, be it a new technology or something else. It will drastically affect everyone. The only people that will be immune are our greedy and selfish politicians as we see how our money is squandered. They have stashed away hard currencies in foreign banks, incase of necessity. Oh, you think they don't understand economics?

Other oil rich countries are using theirs to fuel and develop other sectors this moment. Should in case, the eventuality happens. If a new development flattens oil price to say $5 per barrel on the international market. And a very important source of foreign exchange for Nigeria is highly affected. Which money would be use to pay salaries and finance so called "ongoing projects"?

That is when it will really hit home of why diversification is fundamentally important to an economy. Would there be money then to finance and develop other important forgotten sectors?

What do you think would be the state of affairs in Nigeria, if something like that happen? More instability? Anarchy? The possible splitting of Nigeria?

@Dede1

It seems I have struck a nerve here. You are not communicating. You are simply acting like a arrogant person who is controlled by emotions.

You can't be reasoned with.

@Idehn

You make a very good point. One can always learn and incoperate something good from other philosophies and traditions regardless of where they originated from.

On the other hand,our societies have become too religious to the extent that we see these prophet, priest as God that have answers to all our problems.

Logic, both informal and formal and critical thinking should be taught broadly in our schools, so that people can independently think for themselves.

@ Kobojunkie

"Thought process of present day Nigerians, not Nigerians long gone".

You really hit the nail on the head. More grease to your elbow.

@ Eze Uche

Name one school of thought that you know of at present, that is dedicated to a particular philosophy in Nigeria or Africa.

@ ekt bear

Well,those regions you mentioned contributed in their own way dunkies of years ago, Why didn't we continue the tradition.? Instead it is the white man that is still exploring in Egypt, Timbuktu and other places you mentioned, learning and adding to their own civilization. The fact remains that there is utter lack of philosophical tradition within the African shores.

Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, George Hegel and many other philosophers philosophies are continuously being studied and applied in many western countries as we speak. Even the Chinese still has Confucian school of thought.

We have to philosophize continuously about issues that affects Africa at least. Only then we will be able to broadly understand and propose solutions ourselves.we have to think and see our problems through our own eyes.

@Olumide

You raised some important points. The Nigerian system is fundamentally flawed. Most of America's founding founders were philosophers, political theorist,lawyers, economists and so on. In Nigeria, we have always had lawmakers and leaders who doesn't appreciate these fields of study. I won't be surprised if they can't even define it! Preparing legislation in a democratic system requires in-depth knowledge of law and philosophy in most cases.

Philosophy pioneered many of the discipline that is studied in school today. Many Nigerians don't know this. The world greatest mathematicians were philosophers. Kudos to your friend's dad for acknowledging that and encouraging you more. I can't imagine why he entered into Nigerian politics in the first place. Good that he is out.

All over Europe, America, Asia, there are school of thoughts,think tank agency that help to foster discourse in tackling issues facing their nations and civilizations. There is utter deficiency of those in Africa and we wonder why Africa's problems persist?

Why can't we engage our minds and approach issues through our own eyes. A white man would always say that, "An African man can't think for himself", that is why we are so obsessed with anything that comes from the west.

Revolutions started as a result of philosophical thoughts. Liberalism, Communism, Pragmatism and so on are all products of philosophy. Until the day we begin to think for ourselves and develop our own philosophy in the African context. Things will continue to falter, our dignity mashed and the future of our children mortgaged.

@Negro Ntns

I see that you are trying to be funny.

But, blaming the white man on every issue that relate to Africa is becoming a platitude. We don't need to

get the white man drunk to realize that we have got to develop and espouse our own philosophy. We

have minds, all we need to do is 'Think'.

Since time in memorial, philosophy has played a central and significant role in human thoughts and civilizations. From the likes of ancient Indian, Chinese to Greek and other western philosophies.

Back here at home in Nigeria and Africa, we seem to be lacking philosophical tradition say at least in the Nigerian or African context. There are handful of philosophers of African descent.

Philosophy is understood as the study of general and fundamental problems. Looking at the magnitudes of problems and social ills facing Africa. After all, it was such uptick in philosophy that ushered in the 'Age of Reason' in the western world, and, therefore, contributed greatly to the development of their societies in every facets of life.

Do you think more emphasis on philosophical reasoning by trained philosophers will go a long way in addressing many problems plaguing Africa? Because the people I see on TV commenting on these issues are mere commentators. Some of them even happen to be after their own interest.

@Dede1

You can raise legitimate questions about the article without resorting to name calling. That attitude alone on your part, shows how your emotions overcame your reasoning. The article was not written to downgrade fellow Africans mind and critical thinking ability. Rather it was trying to point out how the West view us in general and to address it and prove them wrong that critical thinking is not a western thing but universal in everyone.

It is quite unfortunate that you did not read and understand the article very well before commenting. Please try to have control over your emotions before jumping into discussions like this.

Nice to hear points of views from those that have commented so far on this most crucial issue that continues to plague us everyday.

I want to start this piece by stating emphatically that if lack of critical thinking or inability to apply one’s common sense to issues is what makes one an African, then I am not an African. I say this - and I really mean it. That I hereby renounce my African identity if it means that I should not exercise my critical intelligence or apply reason and science in all areas of human endeavor. If being an African means I should suspend and shut down my thinking faculty and blindly accept whatever any person or prophet says or preaches, then, I say, count me out. Don’t count me as an African. I am making this assertion because very often blind faith, dogma and fetishism are identified with African mentality.

Whenever I try to apply logic, critical reasoning and scientific temper to issues during public debates, I am often accused of not thinking like an African. I am always told that I think like a white man or that I have a western mentality. As if critical thinking or the scientific outlook is for westerners alone or that critical thinking can only be exercised by people from a particular race or region. No, this is not the case.
Surprisingly, nobody has ever stepped forward to tell me how an ‘African’ thinks. For me it is either this ‘African mode of thought’ is one which nobody knows about or is one that does not exist or qualify to be called a thinking pattern. Nobody has tried to let me know if Africans think at all. Because this misguided view that one is unAfrican or western in outlook is often employed to block or suppress critical reasoning or inquiry particularly when it is used to challenge traditions, positions and opinions informed by blind faith or dogma.

While holding on to beliefs and outlooks informed by superstition and primordial thinking is often glorified as African. Even in this 21st century, reason and science are still perceived as western, and not African values. I have yet to understand how we came about this mistaken idea. Hence, it is often portrayed as if the African does not reason and dare not reason or that the African does not think or cannot think critically. It seems thinking like an African means suspension of thought, logic or common sense. Thinking like an African means not thinking at all- thoughtlessness or thinking in spiritual, occult or magical ways.

For instance, whenever I try to challenge or question the irrational and absurd claims of witchcraft, juju and charms, and other ritualistic and religious nonsense that dominate the mental space of Africans, I am often reminded that my mentality is western. And you know what, whenever in the course of a public debate, somebody alleges that a position is western, it means that it is unacceptable though it may be reasonable or may have a superior argument. Is that not unfortunate?

Whenever I try to fault or expose the absurdity of witchcraft accusations or the persecution of alleged witches or wizards, many people often urge me to set aside this my oyibo(white man’s) mentality. As if critical thinking is the exclusive cultural preserve of white people while mystical thinking is for blacks and for Africans. Personally, I am aware that the white race and the western world have recorded significant achievements in the areas of science and technology, in rational and critical discourses. They also have their own share of dark age nonsense, dogmas and superstitions.
But that does not make the values of science, reason and critical thinking western or white. The values of science and reason constitute part of human heritage, which all human beings can lay claim to, exercise, access, express, celebrate, cultivate and nurture. The progress which the western world has recorded as a result of their institutionalization of reason and science is one which any society can realize and supercede if it wants. Africans should stop hiding behind this misrepresentation that reason and science are unAfrican western values. Africans should embrace the enlightening matrices of critical mindedness and work to dispel the dark age and barbaric mentality that loom large on the continent.
Those who are propagating this erroneous idea that critical thinking is alien to African identity and mentality are doing the African race and civilization a great disservice. They are frustrating the take off of African enlightenment, emancipation and emergence. There is no sound mind who would fault this logic. The syllogism that says-

All human beings can think critically. All Africans are human beings. Therefore all Africans can think critically.
So Africans should rise up to the challenge of critical evaluation of issues. Because lack of critical thinking is at the root of most problems that plague the continent. Africans should strive and make critical inquiry part of African culture, identity and civilization. I am also appealing to all all lovers of science, reason and critical thought around the globe to help Africans realize this intellectual breakthrough.

I want to start this piece by stating emphatically that if lack of critical thinking or inability to apply one’s common sense to issues is what makes one an African, then I am not an African. I say this - and I really mean it. That I hereby renounce my African identity if it means that I should not exercise my critical intelligence or apply reason and science in all areas of human endeavor. If being an African means I should suspend and shut down my thinking faculty and blindly accept whatever any person or prophet says or preaches, then, I say, count me out. Don’t count me as an African. I am making this assertion because very often blind faith, dogma and fetishism are identified with African mentality.

Whenever I try to apply logic, critical reasoning and scientific temper to issues during public debates, I am often accused of not thinking like an African. I am always told that I think like a white man or that I have a western mentality. As if critical thinking or the scientific outlook is for westerners alone or that critical thinking can only be exercised by people from a particular race or region. No, this is not the case.
Surprisingly, nobody has ever stepped forward to tell me how an ‘African’ thinks. For me it is either this ‘African mode of thought’ is one which nobody knows about or is one that does not exist or qualify to be called a thinking pattern. Nobody has tried to let me know if Africans think at all. Because this misguided view that one is unAfrican or western in outlook is often employed to block or suppress critical reasoning or inquiry particularly when it is used to challenge traditions, positions and opinions informed by blind faith or dogma.

While holding on to beliefs and outlooks informed by superstition and primordial thinking is often glorified as African. Even in this 21st century, reason and science are still perceived as western, and not African values. I have yet to understand how we came about this mistaken idea. Hence, it is often portrayed as if the African does not reason and dare not reason or that the African does not think or cannot think critically. It seems thinking like an African means suspension of thought, logic or common sense. Thinking like an African means not thinking at all- thoughtlessness or thinking in spiritual, occult or magical ways.

For instance, whenever I try to challenge or question the irrational and absurd claims of witchcraft, juju and charms, and other ritualistic and religious nonsense that dominate the mental space of Africans, I am often reminded that my mentality is western. And you know what, whenever in the course of a public debate, somebody alleges that a position is western, it means that it is unacceptable though it may be reasonable or may have a superior argument. Is that not unfortunate?

Whenever I try to fault or expose the absurdity of witchcraft accusations or the persecution of alleged witches or wizards, many people often urge me to set aside this my oyibo(white man’s) mentality. As if critical thinking is the exclusive cultural preserve of white people while mystical thinking is for blacks and for Africans. Personally, I am aware that the white race and the western world have recorded significant achievements in the areas of science and technology, in rational and critical discourses. They also have their own share of dark age nonsense, dogmas and superstitions.
But that does not make the values of science, reason and critical thinking western or white. The values of science and reason constitute part of human heritage, which all human beings can lay claim to, exercise, access, express, celebrate, cultivate and nurture. The progress which the western world has recorded as a result of their institutionalization of reason and science is one which any society can realize and supercede if it wants. Africans should stop hiding behind this misrepresentation that reason and science are unAfrican western values. Africans should embrace the enlightening matrices of critical mindedness and work to dispel the dark age and barbaric mentality that loom large on the continent.
Those who are propagating this erroneous idea that critical thinking is alien to African identity and mentality are doing the African race and civilization a great disservice. They are frustrating the take off of African enlightenment, emancipation and emergence. There is no sound mind who would fault this logic. The syllogism that says-

All human beings can think critically. All Africans are human beings. Therefore all Africans can think critically.
So Africans should rise up to the challenge of critical evaluation of issues. Because lack of critical thinking is at the root of most problems that plague the continent. Africans should strive and make critical inquiry part of African culture, identity and civilization. I am also appealing to all all lovers of science, reason and critical thought around the globe to help Africans realize this intellectual breakthrough.