Documentary: “Naija”
Posted June 14, 2011 · Charles O
Listen to Ahmadu Bello in the first few frames…
Why I Now Endorse Jonathan for the Office of President of the Federal Republic Nigeria
Posted April 15, 2011 · Charles O
Up until around the evening of Wednesday, April 13th, 2011, I was leaning heavily towards Buhari, under the theory that he is the most likely of all the candidates on offering, to tackle the issue of corruption—that bane of our nation. That was until I started hearing of not-so-clandestine meetings among Buhari, Babangida, Atiku, Ciroma, Gusau, et al. …
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Buhari has lost himself the support and endorsement of a great many southern progressive as well as potentially millions of votes (I would hope) by, this week, consorting with Babangida, Atiku, &co. on strategies to consolidate the northern vote in such a way that leaves much to be desired. The message the consortium of Buhari-Babangida-Atiku-Gusau-Ciroma-et al sends to us southern progressives is that Buhari is officially part of a Northern Agenda to wrest the Presidency without regard to the best interest of the country.
Nigeria Decides - Presidential Elections - April 16
Posted April 15, 2011 · Charles O
My support was for Buhari until news of meetings with Babangida, Atiku, Ciroma, &co started to emerge in the past few days. As it currently stands, I have suspended my personal support for and endorsement of Buhari until I convince myself that this isn’t an Arewa Agenda. If I don’t reach clarity by tomorrow, I’ll have to be satisfied with whomever wins a free and fair election (in other words, the person for whom the majority of Nigerians vote.) By the way, I do not see a contradiction in urging my fellow Nigerians to vote and defend their votes while I, myself, abstain from an explicit endorsement (particularly since I will not be within the Nigerian geographical space on 4/16). For me, an election that reflects the will of the people is a great start for consolidating our democracy. How about you? Who has your endorsement?
Utomi, Buhari, Babangida, Jonathan: An “Aggression” Hypothesis
Posted April 11, 2011 · Charles O
Both Utomi and Buhari have contested the Nigerian Presidency since the return to civil rule in 1999. Both men have alleged massive rigging of each election they have contested — an allegation that is corroborated by the general agreement among everyone, including the principal beneficiary of 2007 presidential election — the “winner” of said election. Both men (Utomi and Buhari) have, as election contenders are wont to do in Nigeria, litigated the matter — often all the way to the Supreme Court, to no avail. And, run every four years both men have.
Islam and its Proximity to Violence: Reactions to the SR Article, “Muslim Students Paralyse UI”
Posted August 20, 2010 · Charles O
The working title of this write-up is, “Islam and its Proximity to Violence: Reactions to the Sahara Reporters Article Entitled ‘Muslim Students Paralyse University of Ibadan’.” In a sense, the title is intended to sensationalize—at least insofar as my goal is to react directly to the Sahara Reporters article rather than to expound upon the purported proximity of Islam to Violence. I leave the later matter to another day.
I preface my substantive reactions to the Sahara Reporters article by noting that I assume that the reporting is truthful and accurate. Absent that assumption, this entire discussion becomes moot—and raises an entirely different set of questions.
The text of the original Sahara Reporters article is reproduced in quotes to provide context, and are interspersed with my reactions, which are produced in regular text.
Diagnoses of the Gulagan: Critical Notes from Gulag
Posted April 16, 2010 · Charles O
Please permit a quick definition of terms: (1) Gulag: some country on the Dark Continent, eons behind its potential. (2) Gulagan: a person from Gulag; the adjectival form of Gulag—i.e., of or belonging to Gulag.
These notes take the Gulagan to task for, on the one hand, accepting the ridiculous living standard imposed on him by The Grand Kleptocracy (my coinage), and on the other, for acting in ways that encourage, reinforce, and propagate the set of circumstances that place him in his grim situation to begin with—a vicious cycle, if you like. The tone is deliberately unforgiving; the hope, that it might jar a Gulagan or two into considering the Gulagan situation in new light.
I must preemptively acknowledge and immediately address the risk I take in using the generalization, “the Gulagan,” in that it might be construed by the uninitiated to be the literal equivalent of “all Gulagans.” Suffice it to say that I use the expression as a mere rhetorical device that, expanded, might be taken to mean, “the Gulagan in his most banal form.”
Enough, then, of the preamble; let’s get on to the substantive matter. CEO.
The Precurssors Of Boko Haram—Wole Soyinka
Posted October 5, 2009 · Charles O
One thing I shall say for those who passed through these portals – that is, Kings College past and present – they do not lack for courage. It takes real guts, inviting an alumnus of a historic rival, a universally acknowledged superior sister institution, the Government College, Ibadan, to come and address them on their hundredth anniversary. That courage, I suppose, may come of the fact that in that idle, so-called gentlemanly game of monumental boredom, known as cricket, this very presumptuous King’s College Lagos used to defeat us, not merely defeat but wipe out our team with a sickening regularity.
To Protest the New Playstation 3 Slim Commercial—Or Not?
Posted September 4, 2009 · Charles O
The commercial for the new Sony Playstation 3 Slim contains a reference to the transnational advanced fee fraud, and (this part being the motivator for this entry) besmirches Nigeria and Nigerians in one singular, odious remark:
You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet; otherwise I’d be a Nigerian millionaire by now.
EXCLUSIVE: Sanusi Lamido Sanusi - Nigeria Central Bank Governor
Posted August 30, 2009 · Charles O
With all the news coverage given to the Nigerian banking sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria invited stakeholders to a presentation by the Governor to address recent developments in the macroeconomy.
CBN Sacks Nigerian Bank CEOs
Posted August 14, 2009 · Charles O
Following a report by Sahara Reports that the CBN has sacked a number of Nigerian bank CEOs, a lot of discussion arose about whether this was part of the “Northern Agenda” to witch-hunt southerners and to generally re-colonize the south. There was also a lot of general applause for CBN governor on this action…
BUT: Nigerians are incredibly apt to ask the wrong questions. The appropriate question to ask is this: Does the CBN have any statutory authority to intrude into the private sector in this manner? Unless the banks are owned by the government, how can the CBN legitimately “sack” private sector bank CEOs?